Percy Reeves crept around the corner of the old academy building. It was musty and creepy back there, with the big shiny leaves on the bushes making it feel like a jungle.

He hoped he wouldn’t run into Veronica or any of her dumb friends.

Percy had seen her buddy, Brooke, the busty blonde hand-to-hand combat trainer, out in the field the other day. She was grappling with another giant guy the size of Lobo. The earth practically shook when she took him down, like the illustration of David and Goliath in his childhood picture bible.

He shivered at the thought of those two having a grudge against him.

Thankfully, that wasn’t going to happen.

He just had to grab the evidence from the kennel and get out again without anyone seeing him.

And now that the training program was canceled, it should be easy. The kennels would be a ghost town.

He walked through the gate. A light breeze kicked up dust in the unkempt lot. The untidiness of it disgusted him. If Percy had his way, the training would be conducted indoors.

He had just entered the shadowy kennels, with Biscuit's door in sight when someone coughed.

“Sir, the kennels are closed until further notice,” a man’s voice said.

Percy took another step inside and saw the owner of the voice.

It was a cop, a big guy.

“I’m Reeves, part of the K-9 training unit,” Percy said with as much authority as he could muster. “I’m allowed access.”

“Nope,” the cop said. “No one is allowed access. And you should know already the K-9 program was canceled. Any questions, you can talk to Captain Henderson.”

“With all due respect, someone has to feed and exercise these dogs,” Percy said, hating the way his voice lifted up anxiously at the end, giving him away.

“Nunez has that under control,” the cop told him.

Fuck that whore.

She shouldn’t even be allowed on government property.

“Look, I’m gonna level with you, man,” Percy said, trying to stifle his anger and sound sad. “I really miss my canine partner. I’d be willing to drop a hundred bucks right now if you could just, like, turn your back for five minutes so I could say good-bye to him.”

He pulled out his wallet.

“Are you offering me a bribe?” The big guy sounded horrified.

Well, fuck him.

“Look, you numbskull, I was trying to be nice, but now you’ve pushed me too far,” Percy yelled. “I’m Percy Reeves, of the Reeves Foundation. And if you don’t get the fuck out of my way, I’m going to pull your grant and then pick up my dog from the pound when you morons have to surrender them all because you can’t afford to fucking feed them. Do I make myself clear?”

“You sure do,” said a cold female voice.

He spun to see Nunez, who must have arrived just after him. Standing behind her was that idiot Lobo. And on the end of Lobo’s leash was Biscuit, crouched on the ground trembling in fear at the sight of Percy.

“The jig is up, Reeves,” Nunez said.

Unsure what else to do, Percy darted past her. He managed to take them all by surprise, so that neither Nunez nor her big dopey friend could grab him.

He dodged the guard too, and made it out of the kennels.

The sunlight was so bright it was hard for his eyes to adjust.

So it caught him totally off guard when someone clotheslined him, taking him completely off his feet.

He let out a barking cough and fell hard on his back in the dirt.

The breath was knocked out of him, but he managed to get back to his feet. By then he could see that three more cops had arrived.

“Thanks, guys,” Veronica said. “Not a minute too late.”

“Glad you called us,” one of the uniforms said. “What did he do?”

“He’s been abusing Officer Biscuit,” Lobo said loudly, gesturing toward the dog, who obligingly cringed away from Percy at just the right moment. “He also framed Biscuit for a crime he did not commit.”

“Bullshit,” Percy spat.

“What crime?” the cop wanted to know.

“He accused Officer Biscuit of attacking him,” Lobo said. “But what he really did was injure himself, and then blame the canine.”

“Whoa,” the cop said.

“That’s ridiculous,” Percy said. “Why would I hurt myself? Why would I set up a dog? These are crazy accusations. Where’s your proof?”

Lobo didn’t even acknowledge him. Instead he gestured to the officers. “Would you please follow me?”

They all followed along, dragging Percy with them, back into the kennels.

“If you search carefully in the straw near the corner I think you’ll find what you’re looking for,” Lobo said.

They all watched as one of the officers pawed gently through the bedding and came up with Percy’s carving fork.

How the hell had the big idiot known about that?

“I think you’ll find that this item is missing from Percy’s kitchen knife block,” Lobo explained.

“And if you test the blood it should be a match,” Veronica added.

The three cops stared in wonder at the thing. As well they should. Percy had been incredibly brave to shove those cruel tines into his own hand.

Despite that fact, they were laughing at him. He could tell. Right now they were staring bug-eyed at the fork, but in half a minute they’d be cackling at him and jeering.

Veronica was already observing him with her stupid pert expression and dancing eyes.

Nothing upset Percy more than being laughed at, nothing.

Especially by a woman.

Taking advantage of their brief distraction, he lunged forward and grabbed the fork out of the officer’s hands.

Things seemed to go in slow motion.

He stepped toward that insufferable bitch, Veronica, slashing at her with the fork.

But before he could reach her, he found himself knocked through the air to land on the ground like a rag doll for the second time in five minutes.

But this time, the officers had not moved.

A set of sharp teeth held his wrist, securing the hand with the fork in it, as a terrifyingly deep growl emanated from the dog that held him down.

Percy howled in pain and fury.

“Aus,” Veronica cried from above. “Aus. Release, Biscuit.”

The hold on his wrist was immediately released.

Percy scrambled up again and glared hatefully at the dog, who sat happily between Veronica and Lobo.

“That’s not supposed to happen,” he spluttered. “I broke that dog.”

“That was a perfect Schutzhund move, right down to the hardest part, the release,” Veronica said. “Biscuit isn’t breakable. He’s the best damned dog in the whole unit.”

A slow clap began from outside.

Percy squinted against the sun to see who had joined them.

“Very nice work, Officer Biscuit,” Henderson said. “I suppose your suspension is over, Nunez.”

“Thank you, Captain Henderson,” Veronica said.

“Take him away, boys,” Henderson said, indicating Percy.

“No,” Percy said. “I just—”

“Reeves,” Henderson said. “The best advice I can give you right now is to shut your damned mouth before you get yourself into an even bigger heap of trouble.”

“What about him?” Percy yelled anyway, indicating Lobo with his chin, since his hands were already being cuffed behind his back.

Henderson ignored the question.

“Son,” he said to Lobo instead. “I’m afraid he’s right. You absconded with government property. It’s a federal offense.”

“I did what?” Lobo looked super scared.

“He means you left the property with Biscuit,” Veronica explained softly.

“Oh,” Lobo said. “That’s true. I have done what you said. Do not worry. I will come with you peacefully.”

Biscuit pressed his shoulder to the big man’s thigh as if offering him moral support.

And Lobo offered up his hands to be cuffed just as the sun set enough to cast a freaking glow under the roofline of the kennel, lighting him up like a stained glass window of Saint Francis of Assisi or something.

Then the cops dragged Percy out and he could see no more.