Chapter 12 - BACK ON THE LEASH
Titan wore a medical vest instead of his tactical one.
The veterinarian made me promise three things.
No running.
No jumping.
No apprehension.
I agreed.
Then immediately wondered how many of those promises Titan would make me break.
At the warehouse, technicians gave us a piece of rope Pike had been tied with.
Titan sniffed it.
His whole posture changed.
Work mode.
I clipped the leash.
“Search.”
He moved toward the rear exit.
Slowly.
Nose low.
Rain had washed away much of the outdoor scent, but not all.
Titan led us to an access road.
Then stopped near tire tracks.
Trail lost.
I felt disappointment hit.
“Good boy.”
Titan sniffed again.
Turned.
Walked toward a drainage ditch.
Something lay in the mud.
A disposable glove.
Forensics bagged it.
Titan continued.
Fifty yards.
One hundred.
Then stopped near an abandoned rail spur.
I saw fresh scrape marks.
A vehicle had passed through.
Harris studied the road.
“Where does this lead?”
An officer checked the map.
“Industrial marina.”
Titan pulled slightly.
“Easy.”
He kept moving.
At the marina, dozens of old storage buildings lined the water.
Titan chose one.
Warehouse 14.
The door was chained.
From inside came a faint sound.
Bang.
Bang.
Bang.
Harris raised a fist.
Everybody stopped.
Another bang.
Three times.
Someone was inside.
SWAT breached.
We entered behind them.
Pike lay on the floor.
Tied.
Alive.
Barely.
Paramedics rushed forward.
He looked at me.
Then at Titan.
His eyes widened.
“That dog.”
“Yeah.”
“He keeps ruining everything.”
“Get used to it.”
Pike coughed.
“Martin’s gone.”
“Where?”
“He’s leaving tonight.”
“Where?”
Pike shut his eyes.
I grabbed his shoulder.
“Evan.”
“He’ll kill me.”
“He already tried.”
Pike looked at Titan.
“He was never supposed to hurt the girl.”
“You released a venomous snake into a park.”
“I was paid to scare people.”
“You almost killed a child.”
“I know.”
His voice broke.
“For God’s sake, I know.”
“Where’s Martin?”
Pike whispered something.
I leaned closer.
“What?”
“Port.”
“Which port?”
“Container terminal.”
Harris crouched.
“Why?”
“He’s shipping everything out.”
“What is everything?”
Pike looked terrified.
“Snakes. Lizards. Venom stock. Records.”
He swallowed.
“And something else.”
“What?”
Pike looked directly at me.
“A crate marked biomedical.”
Harris went still.
“What’s inside?”
Pike shook his head.
“I don’t know.”
May you like
Then he whispered:
“But Martin told me if that crate opens, a snakebite will be the least of Seattle’s problems.”
