Page 19

NINETEEN

The crate wasn't nearly as heavy as expected and Jacob and I lifted it out without an issue. Obie looked spooked but remained flat on his belly while softly growling.

"We're just taking a little trip. You'll like where we're going," I said, hoping to put him at ease with my voice.

For safety, we put a fireproof blanket over the crate. It would block unwelcome sounds and smells and help smother the fire if he decided to burst into flames.

I didn't like that we couldn't see him anymore but

I cringed when we put the crate on the trolley with a loud clang. Obie jolted up and nervously curled back into another ball. He was doing so well though and hadn't set him or us on fire so I counted that as a win.

Jacob secured the cart on the trolley with straps and nodded. "That shouldn't go anywhere."

"It's a good thing it's so early, that means we can use the main roads to get Obie to his new home," I said, still waiting for him to comment on how I handled the moving situation yesterday.

He just nodded. "Good shout. Do you want to steer or push?"

"I'll push," I said, not quite confident enough to boss my boss around. It was better to let him take the lead so I didn't make another faux-pas.

With that decided, we set in motion. The park was lovely and quiet which was great because it meant less distraction and agitation for Obie. It was such a good sign that he hadn't burst into flames yet, maybe that meant we could accomplish this without causing him too much distress.

We got to a part of the path that was covered in bark chips which I wasn't too excited about but the detour would tack on five or ten more minutes and the park was about to wake up.

Maintenance, nurses, security, keepers, canteen staff, they were all about to come in and that always roused the animals.

And we had some loud animals in the park.

Jacob grunted when he pulled the trolley on and I gave it a little extra push. The bark made for uneven rolling and it rattled the crate and the cart together. With every metallic clatter, I worried that Obie was getting more and more agitated.

Hopefully, we could get to the habitat before we wore his patience down.

We managed to make it across the bark chipping which meant it was the last stretch. I could see the habitat from here, it was just down the hill.

"How's our hellhound doing in there?" Jacob asked from the front of the cart.

"He seems nice and relaxed." I lifted the fireproof blanket to have a little peek and two red eyes stared right back at me. "He looks nice and snug. I think he likes the small enclosed space."

"I think they made a nice den for him in the habitat," Jacob said, humming as he guided the cart along.

This was all going suspiciously well. I didn't know if Obie had just made a lot of progress or if he was so scared, he couldn't even combust.

We reached the crate and Jacob swiped his badge to gain entry. The gate unlocked with a click and that brought us to the last portion of the move. Carrying Obie's crate into the actual habitat.

"On my count," Jacob said as he released the straps. "Three, two, one."

I lifted the crate, worried when I could feel Obie shift his weight which was throwing the balance off.

Shuffling backwards, Jacob kicked some doors open with his foot. One of them slammed and there was more rattling in the cage. Obie was getting agitated which was not a good thing.

"We should hurry," I said, although I was sure Jacob was coming to the same conclusion.

He nodded and opened another door with one hand which almost made the crate slip from my hands. The blanket slipped away and the sudden light made Obie bark. It was an unexpected loud noise that I hadn't heard from him before and not a good one.

"Just a little further, Obie," I said, but it was too late.

He pawed at the bars of the transport crate and his nails scraped down the metal. I could smell the sparks before they landed on his fur where they instantly engulfed him with fire.

Jacob shouted for me to step away when he released his grip, making the crate tip towards the ground. The rational part of my brain knew I should let go but the foolish part of me was too concerned with dropping him on the ground.

I pulled back but I could tell from the way my hands were tingling that I held on for too long.

"Are you okay?" Jacob asked as he hurried over to me. "Charlotte! Go put your hands in lukewarm water right away."

"But Obie?—"

"Now," he commanded, looking quite furious and alarmed.

With a defeated nod and tingling palms, I had to leave Obie behind without checking up on him. So much for taking good care of him. If this kept up, Jacob was never going to let me look after an animal on my own again.

When I returned from the bathroom, Obie's crate was no longer on the ground. There was just a scorch mark on the cement that I knew the cleaning crew would have to deal with. I went further inside, glad that my hands were no longer hurting.

I really should have just let go as soon as I registered what was happening. There was no way I could've avoided dropping Obie but I could've avoided hurting myself.

Inside, Jacob was standing by the enclosure. He turned when he heard me coming, concern evident on his face. "Are you okay? Show me your hands."

I held them out, relieved that they weren't blistering or anything. "I'm fine, I think I avoided the worst."

He shook his head. "You should still see the nurse. And be a bit more careful, is this the second time you got burned?"

"With Obie? Yes."

"The fact you have to ask with Obie is concerning. Charlotte, you need to take better care of yourself. I know you love these animals but you keep getting hurt. That kind of recklessness isn't actually good."

An unpleasant feeling curled through me. "Sorry."

"You don't need to apologise. Just... be more careful. Look after yourself."

"Looking after animals is hard. Looking after myself is even harder," I admitted.

He gave me a sympathetic smile. "I know, but you have to. The animals deserve you at your best."

I nodded. "I know. I'll do better."

"Good." He nodded, seemingly satisfied. "Now come have a look at Obie."

"Is he hurt?"

"Not at all. He darted out of the crate as soon as we opened the gate. The drop did spook him." Jacob pointed towards the far corner of the enclosure where a bunch of boulders had been stacked together. "But look, he's already found one of the hiding spots the work crew made for him."

It was a little sad that he was so far away that I couldn't see him but I just had to trust that he was made of strong stuff.

"How did you get him in here by yourself?" I asked.

"Oh, I didn't, I made a passing security guard help lift the crate."

"That makes sense." I looked out at Obie, relieved that he already found a little place to hide. This was going to be so much better for him than the limited Quarantine bay. Here, he could run around, sniff, scrape his nails, and enjoy the fresh air.

I looked at Jacob. "Did the Cryptic Conservation get back to us about whether they had a place for him?"

My mentor nodded. "They said that at this time they don't want to disrupt their pack."

"And is there anywhere else that'll take him?" I quietly crossed my fingers in my pocket, hoping that he could stay with us.

"Not at the moment. He's been through a lot so we'll let him settle in here for now."

"That's probably for the best." I sighed as I leaned against the railing. "It's a shame he's all alone."

Jacob checked his phone. "It is. I can't share much about it because the case is still being made but the private collection was trying to start an underground hellhound breeding scheme. There were others."

My stomach twisted. "Poor Obie. Poor other hellhounds. Why did they even want to breed them?"

"For profit. They were going to sell them as some sort of elite guard dog situation, you know, for the ultra rich."

"That's sick."

"It is. There are some horrible people in this world." He stared out into the distance, lost in thought. It took his phone buzzing for him to return to me. "I should get this, it's probably more lawyers from IREMA."

"Thanks for helping with moving him," I said before he could take off.

He nodded. "Of course. I think Obie is going to be much happier here. You did a good job."

I took that last comment as a remark on the whole way I handled his care and relief took away some of the stress in my stomach. I clearly didn't mess up too badly if Jacob was complimenting me.

Since my shift hadn't started yet, I stayed with Obie for a little longer.

It was great that we managed to move him but my work wasn't done yet.

I didn't just want him to live in a hidden corner of his enclosure, I wanted him to gain confidence and joy and give him the life he never had in the private collection.

He deserved that and so much more.