Disclaimer: I do not own Human Target and intend no copyright infringement.
"We're talking about a 140 pounds, 27 inches Rottweiler. Come on, there are only so many places he can hide!" Chance looked around the office rather helplessly.
"Guerrero's the master tracker around here. Shouldn't he be able to find him?" Winston checked his watch. They had to be at the vet's at 10 am. If they didn't find Carmine soon they would have to cancel the appointment.
Again.
At least this time it wasn't a gang of heavily armed thugs that prevented them from keeping it.
"If he used a credit card to pay for his hotel room or activated his cell phone to call his girlfriend, then yes, dude, I would find him. But since he's off the grid in that regard we've got to do it the old fashioned way: Look for clues and follow trace evidence. Aren't cops supposed to be good at that?"
… … …
Ilsa and Ames watched the turmoil in the office from the safe distance of the conference room. "Neither of the guys has seen a real doctor in years. Well, Winston maybe, but Chance or Guerrero? Nope. Most of the time they stitch each other up and when things are too bad a back alley quack will have to do. But Carmine gets to go to the best vet in town. Kind of funny, isn't it?" Ames popped her chewing gum.
Only last month Chance had battled a severe staph infection of his arm due to a quack not doing his job properly. Guerrero went to have a word with him about the sterilization of surgical instruments. When he came back he took a shower, burnt his clothes and shampooed the ElDo's trunk, but that didn't lower Chance's fever or reduce the pain from the crusty, oozing blisters that covered his skin. At least the next quack they called in was extra careful, having heard of his colleague's fate.
"Funny in an unfunny way", Ilsa replied quietly.
… … …
"He can't have gone far. He's got the agility of a pregnant rhino." Chance furrowed his brow.
"Where in the office would you hide, Winston?" Guerrero asked, smirking.
"Are you implying I've got the agility of a pregnant rhino, too?"
"'Course not, dude."
"Not helpful, guys!" Suddenly Chance noticed something. He walked a few feet, went down on his knees and then flat on his stomach, peering underneath a huge designer couch Ilsa's interior designer had decorated one of the offices' far end corners with. The clou with this couch was that it was screwed tight to the floor, same as the matching table and armchairs.
"I think I see him", Chance exclaimed. His friends joined him on the floor, flat on their stomachs, staring into the darkness underneath the couch. "But he has completely retreated into the corner. I can't grab him."
… … …
Seeing the three men prone on the ground like stranded whales, the women in the conference room burst out laughing. Then Ames thought of something.
"Are you still in contact with Captain Harmen?", she asked. "Could you give him a call?"
Understanding dawning on her, Ilsa reached for her cell phone.
… … …
"Food apparently doesn't work", Winston grumbled, putting aside the sausage he had been trying to entice Carmine out from under the couch with. He heard the elevator signaling that someone was coming in, but apparently Ilsa and Ames were taking care of the visitor, so he didn't even bother to look up. Time was running out!
"Maybe we could take his favorite toy and pretend we're destroying it?", Guerrero suggested. "Or use a minor explosion to scare him out of there?"
"Something is severely wrong with you."
"There's only one solution", Chance decided. "Guerrero, get the chainsaw. We'll cut the couch into pieces."
"That is a 15.000 Dollar designer couch!", Ilsa thundered. "Don't you dare lay a hand on it." The men turned around to face her, Chance already gearing up to explain how important these vaccination shots were and how long the vet's waiting list for non-emergencies was when he noticed that she wasn't alone. A slender Dalmatian was right by her side, a beautiful creature, looking at them with pretty dark eyes.
"Who's that?", Chance asked, stunned.
"This is Lady D'Arbanville. Captain Harmen breeds German Shepherd dogs as a hobby. He called a fellow breeder who brought her round on short notice."
"And what good…?"
Some ruffling and shuffling underneath the couch interrupted Winston and then Carmine emerged from his hiding place, happily welcoming the canine visitor.
"She's in heat", Ilsa explained, smiling.
Chance and Guerrero wasted no time in grabbing and restraining the Rottweiler.
"Sorry, dude, you put up a brave fight. Almost beat us."
"But in the end even the toughest guys fall to the lady", Ames laughed, patting Lady D'Arbanville's back.
Guerrero rolled his eyes heavenward and snorted, but Chance and Ilsa looked at each other for a tiny moment before averting their gazes both at the same time.