Every Last Breath (3 page)

Target was not busy for an early afternoon. Eli sipped his slurpee and pushed the carriage. She guided him around each turn, worried he may knock into a clothing rack or ram another shopper. The blonde haired boy was eye level with the handle, making some other patrons smile while a handful looked worried.

Maggie picked up some dog food with a super coupon her mother had sent her. She didn’t have time to play with couponing or advertisements. She wanted to get in and get out. Her mother told her she shopped like a man, and in a way she did. Eli had always been her errand buddy, since his father refused to bring a stranger into their home (I don’t get what this has to do with shopping). Jack didn’t trust people. In a way, neither did Maggie, though she hadn’t always been that way.

She lugged the forty pound bag of dog food bag off the shelf and placed it on the bottom of the cart. “Eli.”

“Over here mom.” When she looked up again, he had a chewy squirrel toy in his hand. “Can we get it for Vala mom?”
              Maggie’s heart sank.

“Maybe another time sweetie. Right now Vala likes to exercise outside.”

“But it’s not for exercise mom. It’s for her teeth and to keep her company when we are gone.” 

She pointed to the rack and asked him to put it back. He frowned, and Maggie stole a sip of his Slurpee hoping to reengage him.

“Eli, what are you going to get Thurston for his birthday party tomorrow? We need to get him a gift.”

His eyes lit up, “I know, the new Lego set with the dragon and tower.”

Maggie shook her head, “That’s a very generous gift, but let’s pick something his little sister won’t choke on. How about a football?”

“Okay,” Eli said, as he led the way to the sports aisle. “But who’s going to throw the ball to him. He doesn’t have a daddy either.”

Maggie’s heart stopped. “Oh.”

She hadn’t realized that Eli was talking about his dad. “How do you know that sweetie?’

“Because we drew pictures in class and he has all ladies in his.”

“I see.”

Maggie made a mental note incase his mother had a wife.

The remainder of the trip played out with a sour faced boy and a very remorseful ride home. Whenever the subject of dads came up, the conversation was vexing. Mainly because Maggie never knew what Eli was thinking. That feeling nagged her the rest of the night.

When dinner was over, Maggie put on her pajamas and made popcorn her little man. This was the type of Friday night date she lived for— just the two of them, at home, snuggled in as the temperature dropped.

Maggie pulled the metal shower rings across the pole and reached for her peach towel. She loved the color of spring and you needed it up in the mountains. The only hints of color she’d see were the flowers in the Franklin County Store, not exactly the floral arrangement center. She loved the wild flowers, even planned on taking Vala for a stroll through the field in town, once it warmed up. But for now, her towel would have to do.

She turned off the exhaust fan and leaned out the door to check on Eli. Her head tilted as the Skreeeee, skreeee, skreeeeching noise pilfered through damp air. The noise cut through her like a hangover headache. “Eli what was that?”             

She pranced out of the bathroom in her robe.

The boy froze with both hands behind his back. “Eli, what was that noise?”

“What noise mommy?”

“Young man, don’t play games with me. I asked you a question.” His frown gave it away. “What’s behind your back?’

“A chew toy,” He said wondering what to say next.

“Give it to me.”

He lumbered slowly toward her with his head down.

“Honey, I told you no. And we didn’t pay for this.”

“Yes you did,” his eyes glowed. “I slid it over the scanner when you bent down to get the dog food.”

Maggie paused. Was that even possible? “You did what?”

“I couldn’t help it momma. Vala has no toys. I think it makes her sad. I knew she’d love this toy.”

Maggie looked at the dog. Vala was clueless about the dog toy. She moved back to the kitchen and got the receipt out from her purse and sure enough, there is was,
$7.99 pets.

The dog sat on her bed, waiting for Maggie to direct her. Eli held out the toy and eagerly pressed the dog, “Here Vala. Here girl.” The squeak was incessant.

She watched as Eli tossed the toy to the dog. Vala looked at Maggie in a clueless manner. Eli tried again. When the dog failed to respond, he called her and threw the toy toward the front door.  Vala didn’t move. He walked back, and waved the toy in front of her face. Maggie felt sad. Vala, as beautiful as she was, would not retrieve the toy.

Eli put it under her paws, and she sniffed it but soon returned to watch Maggie. Eli would not give up. He dangled it above her head, tapped it her on nose and even demonstrated how she should play with it.

But the dog was not interested.

“Maybe she thinks the toy is yours babe. Did you think of that?”

Maggie felt guilty, for allowing him to think of Vala as their pet. But what other explanation was there? In Eli’s mind that’s what she was.

The following morning, Maggie woke up to the clank, clank, clank of dog food hitting the metal bowl. She cringed as she heard it hit and roll on the floor. She knew Eli had ripped open the new bag and prayed the mess wasn’t as bad as it sounded. His only chore was to feed the dog, and put his wet towel back in the bathroom. But he just couldn’t remember the measuring cup. She had tied it onto the spout, left him a sign, talked to him about it, but still this boy just couldn’t feed the dog without creating a huge mess.

She rustled the covers off and tried not to be irritated. At least she slept through the night. That was a huge blessing.

Scuffling up the hallway she turned into the kitchen and witnessed Eli trying to pick up the food one piece at a time. “Mom, can I eat this?”

“No. It’s Vala’s food.”

“But what is dog food?”

She bent down beside him. “It’s a mix of meat and corn. It’s good for the dog,” She said, knowing that was a blatant lie. Klaus explained what commercial dog food did to a canine. Maggie just couldn’t believe it.

He regularly cooked for the dogs at the kennel and he used Yak meat along with a mixture of vegetables. The fillers in commercial dog food lead to illness and joint problem, just like people.

Eli collected a bunch in his hand. “It’s crunchy.”

“Yes it is.” She stopped long enough to hear Vala munch her food down. “It cleans her teeth too.”

“She doesn’t need her teethes brushed?” He asked inquisitively.

“No sir,” she kissed his curls and straightened up. “Now we’re running late, it’s time to get ready for school.”

Klaus stormed in the back door, not out of anger, but because he was a bachelor with more dog sense than human. She knew Klaus wouldn’t bother to kick off the dirt from his boots nor had he bothered to comb his hair.

Maggie stayed seated at her desk, which also served as the coffee station and mail center.

“Good morning,” she smiled.

He yanked open the refrigerator. “Anything I need to know about?”

“Volos is shipping out tomorrow. And Kreva is still nursing. It will be a busy weekend.”

Kreva was his top bitch. Buyers paid a premium for her babes with the training. From the looks of it, no one would assume this place made that type of money. But placing ten to twelve dogs a year, was a comfortable living, at least Maggie thought so.

“Is the Aurora task force coming up to train?”

Klaus huffed, meaning they had not secured their spot. It was money they were counting on.

“Someone else will call, they always do.”

She made deposits, replied to emails, sent out information and booked new appointments. No one came to the kennel without an appointment. It wasn't safe. Between training and boarding, these elite dogs were not show pieces. They deserved respect. That message however, just didn't translate to children.

Businesses outside of township had to be clearly marked. There was a wood sign by the roadside marking the kennel, the words closed to the public were clearly defined. There were also beware signs and no trespassing posts along the driveway.

The property was extensive and finding it proved to be trouble, even for the locals. Klaus would have it no other way. Some of the dogs were worth more than he charged, Maggie discovered that when she reviewed the insurance policy. The same type of policy she had taken out on Vala.

She remembered the day Eli first met Vala. The dog was riding in the back of the car when she picked him up from day care. The bright red bow tied around her neck made the dog's white fur seem like pure snow. Vala loved the snow and guarded Eli well when he played in it.  The hill behind their house was perfect for sledding and Vala had brought the sled back up the hill a few times. Shepherds were made for the snow.

Maggie bathed Eli after a game of checkers. The boy had a knack for strategy and could often beat her at chess. If only she had such a knack, then she could find another book to publish and put the financial stress behind her.

Maggie sorted through the unsolicited submissions sent to the New York firm and hoped for the best. The last two manuscripts she found had come from first time writers, but lately, the rise of self publishing had thinned out the talent, and her bank account.

She closed her laptop and settled in with a cup of tea. She’d slept solo now for almost three years. She liked living alone but the empty bed had its drawbacks. Still, it was proof that life was returning to normal now that Jack was gone. Maggie closed her eyes and listened to the hum of the refrigerator. She had come to appreciate its comforting presence.

The last thing she remembered was Jay Leno coming on air. She rolled over and reached for the remote, piling excess pillows all around her. Then she nodded off. Like clockwork she woke up 20 minutes into her sleep cycle. For those twenty minutes she was at peace. But the second her brain woke her up, the adrenaline rush began. Her senses were on full alert whether her eyes were open or shut.

Immediately she was back in New York, and recalled the night Jack first went missing. She awoke to the microwave buzzing. The bedroom door was open and the light from the foyer filled the hallway. The moon was full that night. She eased out of bed which was difficult with her large round belly, and listened for Jack. She called out for him but there was no answer.

Gripping the railing she made her way down the wooden stairs. Half way down, she could see the front door was ajar. It was late summer and noise from outside critters worried her. Who knew what kind of pests were running around in the middle of the night. She shut the door, bolted it and put on the porch light. If Jack found the door open he might have another episode and that was the last thing she needed.

Maggie never dreamed someone else would be in the house. “Jack?” She looked out to the driveway, both cars were parked there. Passing the dining room window, she looked up at the moon. The lawn was bright and the trees surrounding the house stood like posted guards.

She tip toed toward the kitchen where the microwave continued to spin. “Jack?” She scanned the kitchen and saw the open refrigerator. As she closed it she noticed a white light flicker beneath the pocket fold doors.

Panic began to fill her. Her palms began to sweat as she moved slowly toward the closed doors. She begged her leaden legs to move forward. She held her breath. Who could it be? The garbled sounds of the TV filled the room. It seemed like ages before she reached the doors. Maggie hesitated before lifting her hand to knock on the door. She tapped twice, “Jack. Jaa-ck is that you?” There was no answer. What was he doing?

When she turned around Jack stood behind her, like a statue.

“Babe, what’s going on?”Maggie stammered.

Motionless he stared at her.

“Jack, what’s going on?”

He moved past her back toward the hallway. Her throat clenched, was he sleepwalking?

Her inclination to follow led her to the back door, facing the yard. Jack stood in the doorway of the porch staring blankly into the yard.

“Is someone out there?”

He stood there initially unresponsive. He held no weapon, had no anger. Seconds ticked by before he said, to no one particular, “They are coming. Hundreds of them.”

Maggie tensed up.

“Who’s coming Jack?”

He moved closer to the window. “The soldiers,” he said.

Maggie knew now that he was sleepwalking. 

She wanted to tell him that no one was out there, that he was just dreaming. But the years of stories he had told, led her to say nothing. If Jack woke up, she didn’t know how to explain what was happening. What if he turned on her? What if he yelled and threatened her?

She stood still contemplating her moves. It was best not to wake a sleep walker and in this case, she had no idea how Jack would react. “I see,” she replied, hoping to move away.

Just then the microwave stopped; it beeped three times. She held her breath. Jack moved away from the window with even steps, like a robot. She watched as he moved toward the kitchen in a trance like state. He opened the microwave and hovered over the stove. Nothing was inside the microwave. Still he stood there, staring. 

What the hell was happening?

Maggie returned to bed that night but did so in the guest room. She locked the door and told herself that Jack was having an episode from his childhood. That was the cause of all this. He had night terrors as a kid and talked to things in the dark. Maybe some part of him slipped back in time. What else was the cause?

Her fists clenched the pillows, until they ached. She opened her eyes, blinking hard into the dark room. She was safe now. Jack was gone. This was a new world, a new home. No one had to know anything. She didn’t need to worry. But something inside her would not rest.

“Mommy I think Vala peed on her bed.”

Maggie yawned and looked at the sun glaring through the window. With her vision not quite intact, Maggie stared at the spot beside Vala's bed. It wasn’t pee. It looked like bile; something had definitely made her sick. She put her hand over her head. How could she have gotten into anything? Maggie didn’t even use traditional cleaners, they were too toxic.

"Eli, did you go into the garage this morning?"

"No." He returned to his toys where he had been playing. What could she have gotten into? Either way, the dog still had to relieve herself. She clipped Vala’s leash on and headed to the door. “Stay here buddy, I’ll take her out.”

Vala sniffed the morning air and stared out over the mountains. With methodic steps she proceeded down the driveway. Maggie watched the dog scan the horizon. The empty lot down the street had new construction. Vale did not trust the men working there, which was evident by the way she guarded Maggie during their walks. She’d push into Maggie’s leg to steer her the other way. Her ears would shift with noise and at times she’d sit, as if protesting to not walk any further.

Klaus had explained that his dogs were not raised to be pets. They observed and they worked. They thought for their human when the human senses could not detect approaching danger; any noise, smell or movement that was not part the home, was to be tested. Vala tested every new thing.

Maggie rubbed her shoulders and stared at her neighbor’s open garage. The doorway was filled with Christmas decorations, and a ladder led up to the roof line, where lights would soon be strung. Maggie loved Christmas, but who had the time for decorating? Every year Eli asked to get snow globe or a reindeer for the front yard, and every year Maggie passed on the added expense. Perhaps this year, they could splurge.

The cold air made her thankful. And, with each new season she began to feel like life was getting better. Here they were safely nestled in an established neighborhood. She was friendly to the people who waved as she drove by. One of them even checked on her from time to time, Mrs. Von Effeir. Sweet lady but she was the town talker!

“Come Vala.”

The dog stayed perched at the top of the driveway.

Maggie looked in the same direction as Vala, but all she saw were barren trees and snow pitted mounds of dirt. The opposite side of the street had sparse trees and steep drop down to the road below.

Claire was on the phone when they returned inside. Maggie blew on her hands covered her nose. The air was bitter for November. She rewarded the dog and walked toward her bed to clean up the mess. Claire however, was uninterested in the morning chaos.

“Hey, how’s your day going?”

“Hi Claire. I’m not sure yet, other than I am cleaning up after the dog.”

“That’s fair. Want to go for coffee while Eli is at his birthday party?”
         Maggie stared at the clock. “Oh goodness, I forgot. Yes, see you there.”

Eli secured his backpack and hustled out to the car. “Is Vala coming for the ride?”

Maggie knew the party would only last until 1:00pm. Maybe she should take her with her in case she got sick again.

“Vala,” she called. The dog stood up, eager to obey.

Klaus had told her that Vala’s genes made her the perfect protector for a family. She loved car rides, walks in woods and would put up with small children. A home in Colorado also provided a fitting area for the dog to roam. Shepherds need exercise and Maggie could handle that, mainly because she wanted Eli to love the outdoors. When she needed more exercise than Maggie could muster, she entrusted Eli to walk the dog. Vala knew the difference between the child and her master, and she never pulled at him or ran away.

Vala stayed in the car and only sat up when someone left the car. She watched Eli as he made it into the building safely, and she’d patrol the sidewalk again when Maggie went inside the coffee shop.

Claire was inside the mountain café, sitting by the couches at a small table for two. She sat back smiling with that ingenious glare on her face, “I see you brought Vala.”

Maggie looped her bag over the chair handle and sat down. “Yeah, she got sick this morning. I thought I’d keep an eye on her.”

“Sick? Like how?”

“Like she ate something bad; that’s never happened before.”

“So naturally you just put her in the car and took her with you?”

Oh, how she loved Claire’s sarcasm. Maggie withheld the fact that Vala had poison training. It was something Klaus did with all his security dogs. She wanted Vala to have it. So that ruled out her first fear. What she ate and where got it, was still puzzling.

“Did you take her on a hike? Maybe she ate a squirrel or something.”

Maggie nodded no and tucked her chair in tighter. Hikes were not on the’ To-Do’ list, especially with the nightmares she’d been having.
Maybe in the spring, she thought to herself.

“I’ve got something for you.”

Claire handed her a business card.

“What’s this?”

“Just the name of someone I thought could be useful.”

Maggie sat back indignantly, “We’ve been through this. I am not dating.”

Maggie was agitated and her friend knew it. “What is so funny?”

“You obviously didn’t read the card. It’s a referral, not a date.”

“Claire, Eli and I are fine.”

“I wish you guys would move closer to town. I don’t like you being back in the woods like that.”

“Eli and I are perfectly happy up there. We aren’t big city people.”

Her friend ridiculed her with that know-it-all stare. “You could get in trouble up there, all alone. God only knows who wanders about in the woods. All that land behind you, the national forest. Damn fugitives could be lurking around.”

Maggie smiled, but that fear was something she wrestled with daily.

Maggie pulled out her phone and snapped a picture of the card. “You can keep the card. I don’t want Eli finding it.”

“You do realize at this age he is more apt to find it on your phone than in your purse?”

She had a point.

“Make the call.”