Page 9 of Colorado K-9 Rescue

M ckenna locked the door to her house and loaded Mocha into her SUV.

She’d saved for a long time and her parents had helped her with the down payment so that she could live in a house that was in the mountains and made her feel safe.

There was too much activity in the city and the sound of emergency vehicles, people yelling or even laughing after a late night out and everything else that went with city life set Mckenna on edge.

I wonder if Lily will eventually feel the same way. Or will she be the opposite and want the safety of people around her?

After closing the rear door, she grabbed her large mug of coffee off the hood of her car and climbed in to drive to the hospital.

Mckenna hadn’t slept the previous night.

Memories of her kidnapping had kept cropping up—like a slideshow.

She knew she’d been drugged so many of the memories had been lost, but occasionally she could remember something new.

She’d taken out her journal and jotted down what she could.

Why am I doing that? It’s not like they didn’t catch the guy. Maybe if I can regain my memories, I can regain a piece of myself that I lost. But I never did see my kidnapper. That’s always bothered me.

Mckenna merged onto I-70 toward Denver, the trees blurring by as she approached Floyd Hill and all the signs flashing yellow lights warning truckers they weren’t down yet and there were steep grades ahead.

A runaway truck ramp was on her right with fresh tire marks in the deep gravel.

Hopefully, she’d never witness the horrific sight of an out-of-control semi.

She shifted her thoughts back to her kidnapping and how she could help approach Lily with Mocha.

It would help him figure out who did this.

But what if she’s like me? What if she didn’t see him? How can someone be sure they’re prosecuting the right person if I never saw him?

Mckenna hated it when those thoughts crept into her head, but even though she was still at the beginning of her career, she’d been doing her job long enough to know innocent people were prosecuted and sent to prison.

The Innocence Project existed for a reason.

They’d helped over 240 wrongly convicted people get out of prison.

Was Toby innocent? Or was he the monster the previous sheriff had made him out to be?

She may have skipped his parole hearing, but she’d watched his trial. He’d kept a poker face, staring down at the table in front of him, barely acknowledging his lawyer. Everyone said it was because he was guilty, but Mckenna always thought it was because he seemed broken.

The sheriff at the time had said Toby confessed.

Her jacket and some other belongings were in his vehicle.

The crime scene investigators had found some sort of drug in his truck that they suspected had been used on her, but a tox screen had never been done.

Why, she didn’t know. Nor had anyone followed up on the anonymous phone call made to the sheriff’s office stating the person had seen these items in Toby’s truck.

Why not? There were enough whys that Mckenna had never felt completely convinced Toby was guilty.

Why am I going through this? Do I really think Toby is innocent? No, there was enough evidence. And he did plead guilty. Just look at your scars on the side of your body and be reminded of Toby’s guilt.

Mckenna gripped the wheel, glad to be coming into Denver, getting closer to where she could quit thinking about her case and focus on Mocha helping Lily solve her kidnapping and Autumn’s homicide.

If anyone could work some magic and help Lily, it would be Mocha.

He’d helped her personally, and Mckenna was glad he’d flunked out of the FBI Doggy Academy as she called it.

Mocha had been destined to be a tracking and bomb dog with Cassidy, but he would start tracking and then lie down and refuse to move.

He did the same thing when she asked Mocha to search for bomb odors.

He would check one or two vehicles and then flop to the ground, pretending to be exhausted. He wasn’t enjoying the work.

Cassidy and Mckenna worked together to see if they could motivate him to at least track by Mckenna being “lost.” Mocha would find her with joy, but as soon as Cassidy asked Mocha to find a different person, he’d quit.

He only wanted to find Mckenna. The FBI decided that if he couldn’t make the cut as a K-9, then maybe Mckenna could take him on as a crisis K-9.

Mocha passed those tests with flying colors and came to live with Mckenna.

Cassidy had trained another dog, a yellow Lab named Cooper, who had been much better at working than Mocha.

Mocha had helped Mckenna move forward even though she still experienced anxiety.

For a while she had felt like she’d been followed, but her family told her it was just her imagination or the media.

For a while, the media would camp out on the roads near their house, waiting like vultures.

“Talk to them or don’t,” Mckenna had advised the families of Lily and Autumn.

“It’s up to you, but don’t think that the media will play fair or help in anyway. ”

Now that feeling of being followed hit Mckenna again.

Stop it. It’s only because of this case. It’s only because you told the families yesterday about the possibility of someone following you.

Mckenna turned and could see the hospital down the road when she glanced in her rearview mirror.

There was a blue Jeep behind her. She could have sworn it had been behind her since Floyd Hill, even when she was in the slow lane, shifting down and driving cautiously.

Most people went around her because she drove too slowly.

“You’re seeing things. Stop imagining things. Be in the moment,” Mckenna said aloud.

Mocha suddenly let out sharp barks startling Mckenna. She weaved slightly into the other lane, receiving a honk and an unfriendly finger wave from the other driver, but Mckenna didn’t care. The Jeep was still behind her. She made an extra turn just to see if it would follow.

It did.

Her hands started to shake. What if it followed her into the parking garage? She could call Agent Knox. He’d come and meet her.

No. I won’t do that. I can take care of myself. If this vehicle follows me in, I’ll drive back out and call 911.

With her plan clear in her head, Mckenna pulled into the hospital parking garage only to see the Jeep drive by.

“See? I’m being silly,” Mckenna said to Mocha. “And what was up with the barking? Cat? Squirrel? We might need to work on that, so you don’t make me drive off the road.”

Mocha gave a little whine in response and then sighed.

“Okay, we need to get inside. You have work to do, big guy.”

Mckenna and Mocha made their way to Lily’s room.

As Mocha trotted along, doctors, nurses and other hospital team members turned and smiled at the happy black Lab.

Mckenna knew that Mocha brought joy to everyone around him, which delighted her.

She was glad he hadn’t made it through K-9 training—he was doing what he was meant to in life, just like her.

Agent Knox stood outside Lily’s room, arms crossed and appearing frustrated.

When he turned and saw the pair coming, Mckenna could have sworn something changed in him.

A slight smile, his face relaxing. Or was she imagining that?

Her heart picked up a beat and Mckenna scolded herself for feeling this way.

Plus, he hadn’t exactly been friendly with her yesterday.

And why would he be interested in her? Cassidy was the one all the guys wanted.

Once they were done with this case, she would be happy to work with another agent.

“Hey, there,” Agent Knox said.

Mckenna decided formal was best. She meant what she had said—Mocha was here to help Lily with her trauma. If that helped to gather more information for the investigation, then that was a bonus. “Hello, Agent Knox.”

To her surprise, she received a smile and it transformed everything about him. Stop it , she told herself again. He’s being nice because now he knows he needs you. Otherwise, he never would have called.

“Please, just call me Evan.”

“I’ll stick with Agent Knox.”

“Fine.”

“Good,” Mckenna said. “Mocha is ready to go be with Lily. Make sure you follow my lead.”

“Follow your lead?” Evan’s face changed back to his dark, serious look. “Just remember who the investigative agent is here.”

Mckenna locked eyes with him and said, “If anyone can help, it’s Mocha. Right now, your job is on hold.”

Evan muttered an agreement and opened the door to Lily’s room. Mocha edged his way in first. Mckenna allowed him to have a slightly longer leash and he went over by Lily and sat on his haunches, perking up his floppy ears and then letting them droop back down.

Lily stared out the window with no reaction.

Mckenna drew in a deep breath. She’d had a tough time talking about her experience, but this was worse than she thought.

I’ll have to let Mocha help her and see if she responds.

“Hello, Lily,” Mckenna said, softly, taking a seat near Mocha, who continued to watch the young woman.

“I’m Mckenna Parker and I’m a victim services response team member.

I’m here to help you. More importantly, this is Mocha.

He’s a special dog that works for the FBI.

If you’d like to pet him, you can. Mocha is great at comforting people in a time of need. ”

No reaction.

Mocha stood and took a couple of steps closer. He gently laid his head on Lily’s arm, giving it a couple licks and then staying quiet.

“Are you okay with him doing that?” Mckenna asked. “If not, let me know. You don’t have to say anything. You could tap a finger or blink twice.”

No reaction.

“Okay, I’m going to let him sit with you for a little while. You don’t have to say anything to any of us until you’re ready.”

Mckenna heard Evan clear his throat like he was going to say something. She shook her head no. Evan opened his mouth to argue and Mckenna shot him a glare. “Stay quiet,” she mouthed at him.

She understood him better than he thought.

Having a sister as an agent helped with that: Mckenna knew that Cassidy would want to run this investigation her way.

Evan was even worse about it given his “outgoing” personality.

His lips tightened and cheeks flushed a little red, but he didn’t speak.

Mckenna needed him to back off right now.

Give Lily space—something he didn’t seem to understand.

Lily’s parents stood in the corner, staring at their daughter. Mckenna motioned for them to sit down. She could feel the pressure in the room, and it was getting to her. She could only imagine how much it was affecting Lily.

Taking in the hospital room brought back memories for Mckenna.

I had been sedated at first because the panic was overwhelming.

I remembered slicing myself open escaping through the window.

I couldn’t even remember how many days I’d been missing, but I hated the sound of the hospital with the beeps and cords coming out of me.

My parents and Cassidy had stared at me like I had been broken.

Like I was a science experiment. Mckenna rubbed her side where she could still feel the scars. She’d covered them up with a tattoo. She loved the design, but ultimately the scars were still there. They always would be. She noticed Evan watching her with curiosity and she dropped her hand back down.

They waited.

The clock ticked. Each second lasting longer and longer.

Mocha continued to leave his head on Lily’s arm, closing his eyes like he was going to enjoy a nap. He took a deep breath and Mckenna heard Lily do the same. Mocha responded by putting a big paw on her arm and leaving it there.

Her dog had more patience than any human.

Staring out the same window as Lily, Mckenna watched the treetops sway in the breeze.

Sun glinted off the windows of city buildings.

She didn’t know the city well, but at times it could be pretty too.

Nothing like the mountains, though. The mountains were still her escape.

Growing up on her parents’ ranch, Mckenna had learned to love open spaces, cloudless nights where the stars could be seen for miles and the high mountain peaks dotted with snow.

That was her special place. Would she ever have anyone to share it with?

A slight noise came from Lily and Mckenna turned back to the young woman.

Mocha still had his head and paw resting on her arm.

Tears were streaming down Lily’s face. Mocha sensed the change and, paw by paw, climbed onto the bed with her.

Mckenna was thinking about asking him to get off when sobs came from Lily, and she wrapped her arms around Mocha. Mocha licked her face.

“I killed her.”

Mckenna didn’t know if she had heard that right. But Lily was speaking so she didn’t want to say anything. Evan took a step closer.

Lily turned and her eyes locked onto Mckenna’s. “I killed her. Autumn is dead because of me.”

Sobs took over Lily’s body as she held Mocha tight.