A Dozen Deadly Roses Read Online Free
bud?”
There! A small sound. Mac held his breath. Dragging himself on his elbows he crept deeper into the core of the car. The noise came from the front floorboard of the vehicle. Reaching to his equipment belt Mac grabbed his mini flashlight and clicked it on. The bright beam cut into the smoke-filled interior of the car. In anger, Mac punched the dashboard and swore.
CHAPTER 2
It was a dog. A scared to death, black, Labrador puppy. The pup growled.
“I don’t believe it,” Mac muttered. “Come on, Dexter. We gotta get you out of here. This car may blow any second.” Mac heard the sound of firefighters setting up to douse the smoldering car.
The canine cringed further into the wreckage. Mac reached for the puppy and Dexter bared his teeth. “Listen, pooch, you’re coming out with me whether you like it or not.” With a grunt, Mac grabbed the hound by the scruff of the neck and pulled the dog to his chest. Close to Mac’s body, the puppy relaxed and licked Mac’s face. “Jade, I’ve got him,” he yelled.
Keeping a tight hold of the puppy’s leather collar, Mac backed out of the vehicle. Once on his feet, Mac raced away from the wrecked sedan. A muted explosion blasted heat across Mac’s back as the fuel ignited. Oily black smoke billowed into the air. Firefighters moved in, dousing the flames with a dry powder.
Jade gave Mac a visual inspection when she saw him. “Are you all right? At least she could have told us to look for a dog. Good job, partner.” Jade brushed dirt and small shards of glass from Mac’s back. “You almost became a crispy critter,” she said eyeing the puppy squirming in his arms, “you and your little dog too.”
“Very funny. Dexter, I’d like you to meet my partner, Jade. Jade, Dexter.”
Jade shook the puppy’s paw.
Dexter’s owner staggered toward them, arms outstretched. “Dexter, darling! You’re safe. Mommy doesn’t know what she would have done if you’d gotten hurt.” The woman, swaying on spike heels, covered the dog’s shiny coat with kisses. She then turned to Mac. “Thank you, officer. Thank you so much! I can’t tell you what this means to me.” The stale smell of alcohol wafted in the air.
Mac passed the puppy off to Jade and took the woman’s hand.
“I’m glad it turned out okay, and neither of you were seriously hurt. Unfortunately,” he said, spinning the woman around, “I’m detaining you for driving under the influence of alcohol.” He ratcheted the handcuffs in place before the woman could react.
Immediately the drunk began to wail and protest her innocence. Jade handed the dog to a traffic officer who had arrived to investigate the accident. Jade did a quick pat-down search of the sobbing woman, and then walked her to their police car. The closer they got to the black and white, the louder and more profane the woman became.
Mac shook his head. I wonder if people were as disgusted with me when I was drinking? His body still craved booze. It was a daily battle. Some days he fared better than others, but it was a thin line.
Mac and Jade gave the traffic officer their names and unit number and told him they would take care of booking the drunk driver if he would handle the dog and the traffic accident report. Seeing the woman banging her head on the windows of the police car, the traffic cop happily agreed.
Once the intoxicated female failed the Field Sobriety Test, and she’d been seen by a jail doctor and booked, the rest of the shift passed comparatively quietly. They handled a domestic violence call resulting in an arrest, and later, a barking dog complaint.
During the course of their day, Mac realized that Jade had turned out to be a competent police officer no thanks to the training he’d provided her. But today he’d been able to handle his side of the car as well. Oh, he’d needed help with some of the new paperwork,
There! A small sound. Mac held his breath. Dragging himself on his elbows he crept deeper into the core of the car. The noise came from the front floorboard of the vehicle. Reaching to his equipment belt Mac grabbed his mini flashlight and clicked it on. The bright beam cut into the smoke-filled interior of the car. In anger, Mac punched the dashboard and swore.
CHAPTER 2
It was a dog. A scared to death, black, Labrador puppy. The pup growled.
“I don’t believe it,” Mac muttered. “Come on, Dexter. We gotta get you out of here. This car may blow any second.” Mac heard the sound of firefighters setting up to douse the smoldering car.
The canine cringed further into the wreckage. Mac reached for the puppy and Dexter bared his teeth. “Listen, pooch, you’re coming out with me whether you like it or not.” With a grunt, Mac grabbed the hound by the scruff of the neck and pulled the dog to his chest. Close to Mac’s body, the puppy relaxed and licked Mac’s face. “Jade, I’ve got him,” he yelled.
Keeping a tight hold of the puppy’s leather collar, Mac backed out of the vehicle. Once on his feet, Mac raced away from the wrecked sedan. A muted explosion blasted heat across Mac’s back as the fuel ignited. Oily black smoke billowed into the air. Firefighters moved in, dousing the flames with a dry powder.
Jade gave Mac a visual inspection when she saw him. “Are you all right? At least she could have told us to look for a dog. Good job, partner.” Jade brushed dirt and small shards of glass from Mac’s back. “You almost became a crispy critter,” she said eyeing the puppy squirming in his arms, “you and your little dog too.”
“Very funny. Dexter, I’d like you to meet my partner, Jade. Jade, Dexter.”
Jade shook the puppy’s paw.
Dexter’s owner staggered toward them, arms outstretched. “Dexter, darling! You’re safe. Mommy doesn’t know what she would have done if you’d gotten hurt.” The woman, swaying on spike heels, covered the dog’s shiny coat with kisses. She then turned to Mac. “Thank you, officer. Thank you so much! I can’t tell you what this means to me.” The stale smell of alcohol wafted in the air.
Mac passed the puppy off to Jade and took the woman’s hand.
“I’m glad it turned out okay, and neither of you were seriously hurt. Unfortunately,” he said, spinning the woman around, “I’m detaining you for driving under the influence of alcohol.” He ratcheted the handcuffs in place before the woman could react.
Immediately the drunk began to wail and protest her innocence. Jade handed the dog to a traffic officer who had arrived to investigate the accident. Jade did a quick pat-down search of the sobbing woman, and then walked her to their police car. The closer they got to the black and white, the louder and more profane the woman became.
Mac shook his head. I wonder if people were as disgusted with me when I was drinking? His body still craved booze. It was a daily battle. Some days he fared better than others, but it was a thin line.
Mac and Jade gave the traffic officer their names and unit number and told him they would take care of booking the drunk driver if he would handle the dog and the traffic accident report. Seeing the woman banging her head on the windows of the police car, the traffic cop happily agreed.
Once the intoxicated female failed the Field Sobriety Test, and she’d been seen by a jail doctor and booked, the rest of the shift passed comparatively quietly. They handled a domestic violence call resulting in an arrest, and later, a barking dog complaint.
During the course of their day, Mac realized that Jade had turned out to be a competent police officer no thanks to the training he’d provided her. But today he’d been able to handle his side of the car as well. Oh, he’d needed help with some of the new paperwork,