Page 20 of Radar

Chapter Six

Xander

Thursday

Iniquus Campus

Xander turned to Halo.

“Here’s the setup. There’s been a crime. The bad guy is hiding electronic information.” We’re going to get into your vehicle and drive to our training ground just over the hill. It’s been reconfigured since Radar was last training there. It should look completely new to him.”

“Got it.”

Reaper had said dance. It was a skill set that they had discussed and decided would be useful. It was the flow of “Where I go, you go.” Once they started, man and dog were in sync. Xander could use quick flicks of his hand to make his silent signals, or he could depend on Radar’s attention and precision. Done well, it was glorious. Done poorly, it could trip Xander up when his life was on the line. He had to trust Radar to be unwaveringly on point.

It had been a while since he’d done this, and Xander felt rusty.

It was a short drive to the training site. There was a shoot house and various cars parked as if on the street. It was ghostly quiet.

Halo pulled up under a tree, hiding the charcoal gray car in the shadow. They exited in silence without shutting the doors all the way, crouching by the sides, keeping their heads from becoming watermelon targets in a shooting gallery.

Xander signaled the dance, and Radar snapped to.

It was good that Xander was so tall, or Radar’s head would be dangerously close to Xander’s crotch as Radar came between Xander’s legs.

Pulling his training weapon, Xander held it in ready position.

When Xander stepped, Radar stepped.

When Xander knelt at the front of the vehicle to scan, Radar flattened himself to the ground, jumping up to match Xander’s next pace forward.

Halo was right behind them, giving them space to maneuver.

Racing forward to the next car that would afford them concealment but not the protection of cover, gunfire sounded, at the same time, dust puffed beside them as they advanced.

Movie set gimmicks helped train for real-world experiences.

Xander knelt, paused, assessed, and was up again, racing for the shoot house, signaling Radar from between his legs to his side.

Radar made the pass without breaking Xander’s forward momentum.

Xander knew Halo was at his back when he got a tap on his shoulder. They peeled off, going room to room in search of the subject.

To Xander’s surprise, the house was empty.

Halo showed up. “He left something.”

Xander followed Halo back to a room where a bandage lay on the ground.

A bandage. Interesting.

Well, you work with what you’re given.

“Radar, scent. Scent.” Xander instructed, pointing.

Dutifully, Radar snuffled the scent, then, when he had a good hold of it, he looked to Xander for his next instructions.

Xander pulled an evidence bag from Xander’s working vest and retrieved the bandage in case Radar needed to refresh his memory later. “Radar, seek human.”