I meant to post this chapter last week but forgot to do so. Thank you for being patient!
A wet, slobbery tongue was dragged across my face almost three times before noticing it a dog licking my face. Pushing whoever decided to wake me up on my day off and sitting up on my bed, I use one of the many blankets on here and wiped off the leftover dog slobber on my face.
Whoever was licking my face decided to go in for another assault on my face and push their cold, moist nose pass my arms protecting my face. It must have been Vivian by the feel of the snout and the weight of the body. She continued her mission on covering my face with slobber, help me!
Not wanting to be suffocated to death by her licking me, I stand up off of my bed and once again wipe all the substance off of my face. She hops off the bed with me and gives my exposed calf a lick for good measure. I do love her with all of my heart but sometimes it gets a bit annoying of all the licking she gives. Especially at random times; she's even done it in the shower, don't ask me how she got in there in the first place.
The clock on my desk across the room read something on the lines eight something; my eyes are blurry from only waking up a few minutes ago. I rub them to help wake them up like the rest of my body before leaving my room with my phone in hand and heading down stairs, not caring what my appearance looked like at the moment.
Right as my foot landed on wooden floor near the entrance of the house, my phone began buzzing in my hand, almost scaring the shit out of me; it was too early in the morning for this bullshit. The caller ID on the screen made me immediately pick up: Will was calling me.
"Is everything alright?" Were the first words to leave my mouth with haste and worry about something that might have happened to him. With everything that has been happening, you wouldn't blame.
Nothing came from his end for a moment and more dread slowly boiled in the pit of my stomach. Finally a quiet chuckle could be heard from the other end. "Yes, mom. Everything is alright over here, nothing to worry about." Now I knew he was pulling my leg for the fun of it.
"Oh shut up. With everything going on around here, I'm on edge about the smallest of things," I explained with my voice having an edge to it. "Anyway, what's your reason for nearly scaring to death. I could have fallen down the stairs because of."
"Boo hoo; you'll live to see another day princess. Okay, pass that part. Ian, Shawn, and Scott are wanted to go to the shooting range with you, would you like to go or not?" he offered, giving me a really hard offer to pass up on.
As an officer of the law, I can go to the nearby shooting range for free and bring up to three friends for free also. "Sure, let me get okay looking or at least enough for people not needing to give me a second glance while out in public. I'll call you when I'm ready in a bit."
"Good. If you don't call me in the next thirty minutes, I'll go over there myself and drag your as-booty out of bed myself." I knew he would live up to that promise and it wouldn't look pretty for the either of us.
"Okay, talk to you later." With that said, I hung up the phone while yawning and ambled to the kitchen as the dogs chased each other around the house, having their morning fun. Don't ask me how they have this much energy from probably sleeping less than me.
I grabbed an apple and Fruit Loops from the counter and latched my mouth onto the apple, not fully taking a bite. I set the box back down on the counter next to where Vivian's bowl is and grabbed her bowl. I fill both of the dogs' food bowls and water bowls and set back in their respected areas.
During this whole ordeal, I took random bites at the apple in my mouth to fill my empty stomach. I didn't have dinner last night and was hungry from both not having dinner or a small and pathetic lunch.
The moment they both heard the dog pellets hit the metal bowls, they knew it was breakfast time. One after another, they rush into the kitchen to where their bowls are usually are and wait not-so-patiently for me to put the bowls back on the ground.
Once both of them are fed and taken care of for food, I chow down on the rest of the apple still in my mouth and take a hand full of Fruit Loops, filling my mouth with it all. I head up back upstairs and into the bathroom for a shower that was needed. As a game warden, you work a lot in a full suit with a bullet proof vest underneath my clothes and it does get hot wearing all of that.
With a clean body and new clothes on my body, I head back down the stairs and into the kitchen to finish eating the rest of the Fruit Loops in the box. There wasn't much left in the first place.
While in the kitchen, taking a sip of water from a glass, my front door is swung open by the sound of it and a familiar voice enters the house. "Aubrey, I told you I would drag your ass out of bed." It was my good pal, Will.
As his loud footsteps make it up the stairs right next to the front door, I saunter over to the front door and was met by the face of Ian, Shawn, and Scott standing in the open door. A smirk was placed on Ian and Shawn's face when they saw me enter their line of sight.
Both of the dogs took off running outside as the chance was given to them. Hopefully they won't be stupid like half the time they are and decide to take a trip through the forest. They are too stupid for their own good.
"Does he usually do this?" Ian spoke up. I only nodded my head, unable to get rid of the small smile on my face.
A couple of seconds later when Will most likely went in my room and saw no sight of me, this is what we heard: "What the fuck? Where are you? You can't hide from me forever." Sometimes he is an idiot when it comes to things like this.
The four of us waited patiently at the bottom of the steps for his to realize that I'm downstairs. I could hear him stomping around upstairs, going through the bedrooms and two bathrooms, and not doing a good job searching for me; he has yet to realize that I'm not up there.
Finally, after about three minutes of waiting for him to be done searching upstairs, he comes down and sees me standing in the door of the kitchen. I had rest my shoulder against the frame of the kitchen doorway and crossed my arms one his game of 'find me' was getting a bit annoying.
Will's mouth formed a 'O' and a look of embarrassment passed over his face. "I didn't see you there." He scratched at the back of his neck and avoiding my gaze before popping his head up to look at me. "No time for this. Go, hang out with these three. Don't shoot them, even though they do get annoying sometimes."
He takes me by my hand and literally drags pass the three in the front doorway and out of my house. I stand on the porch, a bit confused. "Wait, I need to grab my badge and gun. The entire reason for going out today." I head back inside my house and grabbed both my badge and gun with my white Ford keys. I'd rather drive my truck then ride inside of a GMC; don't want to end up on the side of the road, broken down.
"You three," I point to the three men standing in front of the porch, "you guys will follow me, unless you know where the shooting range is." I could tell by the look of their faces, they did not know where the shooting range is. "That answers my question. Just follow me and Shawn, Scott, do not get dumb in the supercars."
With that, I get in my truck and start him up. All four of us leave in our own vehicles and head towards the shooting range with the three following close behind me.
We arrive at the nearby shooting range and park next to each other, all doing a good job at it. I hop out of the tall truck and grab my small 9mm from the center console with my badge in hand holding my truck keys. They follow suit, especially Ian with some sort of modified sniper; it was a cool looking though.
Josh, an employee working at the shooting range, greeted me with a nod as he knows me from being a game warden. "Wassup girly? Haven't seen you in awhile, your job keeping you busy?" he questioned while leaning over the corner on his elbow.
"Nothing much but yeah, being an officer of the law does keep you busy. I'm glad that the snow is gone and the sun is coming to say hi," I responded to the blonde as he handed over my non-lethal bullets for the paper enemies.
"That's true. Stay safe out there, girly," he warned. Raising an eyebrow at him with a tiny smile playing my lips, I took the three pair of earmuffs from the counter and handed them to the three men behind me. Ian gave me a look of confusion before hesitantly grabbing the pair for him, the other two also grabbed them hesitantly.
I leave behind Josh and entered the main part of the shooting range. There were four people already shooting their own firearms with both protective gear on: earmuffs and safety glasses. I lead the three to the farthest cubicles from the door.
Ian stood next to me, loading specially made rounds into his sniper and set himself up on the ledge without his earmuffs. If he doesn't want to wear them, that's his own fault for becoming deaf.
Shawn and Scott stood off to the side without a gun in their hands. I didn't know why Will sent these two if they didn't have a gun to shoot with while we are at a gun range.
"How about this: if I get three bulls-eyes first before you Ian, you become my slave for the rest of the day. And you get whatever you want for the day," I offered out of the blue. I may not be the greatest sharp shooter in the division but I could shoot to save my life, that's for sure.
He steps out of his cubicle with a smirk playing his lips as his gorgeous cobalt blue eyes stared into my dark chocolate eyes. "If I win, you have to wash my al-truck." He was about to say something else then truck. Why do they mess up saying something else then their original word?
"-And ours too," Shawn butted in.
"Wait, this ain't a fair deal. I change my reward for all three of you being my slaves. Good luck you'll be needing it," I challenged with a playful glint in my eyes.
With that said and done, we got into position and readied our weapons, hoping to be the one to win. Shawn counted down and it was on between Ian and me.
Bullets flew towards the paper enemy in front of us, both of us trying our best for one of us to gain the rewards we want.
"Stop!" Shawn shouted and we both stopped on command. My hands buzzed from the power of the small firearm in my hand and I looked at my target first. All I had was one bull's-eye and multiple holes around the small circle in the middle of the paper human's chest; Ian must be the winner.
That was true; three clean shots to the bull's-eye could easily be seen from my position, he had won the challenge. "Fucking damn it," I cursed lowly under my breath and stepped out of the cubicle, giving Ian a small glare in return for winning. I wasn't a bad sport, he won fair and square, I just didn't want to wash three vehicles in sixty to seventy degrees weather.
Ian laughed in retaliation and crossed his arms over his chest. "Want to shoot some more before having to fulfill your side of the agreement?" he questioned.
"Sure," is all I gave him before reloading my gun and taking aim at the paper enemy before releasing hell fire on it.
By the end of our time there, I demolished two papers and Ian was one of the greatest sharp shooters I have ever seen. His aim is unmatchable to anyone in the state, he's that good.
All three of the idiots parked next to me and in front of the Ford only parking sign. I quickly hopped out and point towards the signs for them to see it clearly and given their final last warning of not parking there. None of them listened and stayed where they were. I'm surrounded by idiots.
"You know, this is your last warning and I am dealing with all three of your vehicles right now," I commented while stepping up on the front porch of my house. Scott was the only one I could get a reaction out of, it wasn't a good one in the first place because he glared at me, a scary glare.
We entered my house and the two Lamborghini owners took a seat in the living room while Ian followed me into the kitchen. "Let me change into different clothes and I get to working, 'kay?" I spoke up after setting my gun on the counter next to my badge.
Ian only nodded and headed back out to the living room, also taking a seat on the chair closest to the front door. I go up to my room and change into a short-shorts and a blue tank top, it was already hot for it being around noon. That means my day off is already half-way over and I'll have to wait a month for another free day.
I go back down stairs, not paying any attention to three pair of eyes looking over my exposed skin, and entered the garage, hitting the button for the two garage doors to open. I grabbed soft cloths, a bucket, a jug of car soap, and dragged the hose over to the three vehicles parked in front of the garage.
Unlike Lennox, I don't have a concrete slab in front of my garage and I never had the time or the money for the longest time to put one in.
The inside of the bucket was filthy from it not being used in awhile and sitting inside of my garage. I used the hose to clean the inside of it out, poured some of the car soap into the bucket and filled it once more with water. I waited patiently for the bucket to fill over three-fourths of the way before spraying the black GMC down with the somewhat cold water.
For some reason, it seemed as if the truck had shivered in reaction but I brushed it off from the lack of sleep and food. After brushing the weird sight that was happened and the feeling the three vehicles gave me, I continue spraying the entire truck down and taking the sponge that was inside of the bucket in my hand.
Washing the truck as if it was my own, I scrubbed gently while putting enough pressure on the sponge to rid of the bugs on the grill. The truck continues its shivering for the first ten minutes of working on the hood and grill, slightly freaking myself out. This time I didn't brush it off as lack of sleep or food and made a note to myself inside of my mind to remember this weirdness of the situation.
It was about twenty minutes later after I started washing when the three decided to make their appearance by coming out from the front door. I gave them a glance before getting back to work on paying attention where the sponge went or how much pressure was placed on the metal of the truck. But when my eyes caught sight Ian, he looked a bit… aroused, just by the glance I gave them.
Shawn gave a low whistle at the sight so far done with the soon-to-be shining black GMC truck. "He's looking good. Hope you give the same treatment to mine," he commented with him something in his voice. He kind of acts like my good ol' army friend, Dominick.
"I wash them like my own. I would like for mine to be a clean machine and catching everyone's attention on the streets," I said while paying more attention to cleaning the plastic on the running board and making sure to get the dirt from being stuck in there.
To clean all three vehicles and getting where you could see your reflection easily, it was sure a challenge and took a little over three hours to complete. I was going to get my patrol truck done along the three but something important came up first: a rescue mission.
A pair of hikers have gone missing near the Bigelow Preserve and have yet been heard from since nine o'clock this morning, making our job even hard; they could be anywhere on the trail or nowhere near the trail if they got lost in the forest around there.
Technically this is Decker's and Hardy's district but more the merrier, I guess they want to bother me on my day off. This in one of the reasons I hate my job. Hopefully the hikers were smart enough to stay where they were so it's easier to find them but most of the time that doesn't happen. We would have to go on hours of searching with K-9s and volunteers who are probably as happy as I am about searching for these missing hikers.
"I get going on a rescue mission. If you do stay here, please don't wreck the house and do clean up after yourselves. If you guys leave, please close the garage doors and lock up the house. Bye and be good!" I shouted to them as I hop into my truck and zoom out of the driveway, leaving the three there to think over the opinions given to them.
The two hikers made our job easier by staying near where they believed they got lost. We found them in about two hours and they were returned safely to their worried families. I got some extra bucks for working overtime and that made my day even better in my opinion.
On the way back as the sun was soon to set behind the horizon and bring out the stars, my phone buzzed on the dashboard of my patrol truck. The caller ID read Sarah and in the pit of my stomach, dread simmered at thought of something bad might have happened to her or anyone of the family.
"Hey, darling. What are you needing?" I greeted, making sure none of my worry made it into my voice. It would cause her to worry with me over nothing, if this was nothing.
"Could you pick up Anna from YMCA? I'm stuck in rush hour traffic and a car accident happened and I won't be able to make it in time to pick her up," Sarah answered. I breathed a sigh of relief from it not being as serious as my brain made it up to be.
"Don't ask such inane questions! Of course I will and I heard about the accident over the radio, good luck. It sounds like a bad one."
"Thank you so much Brey, I owe you one." She sounded very grateful for my simple help of picking her daughter up.
"No you don't. Friends help each other in their time of need and I'm going to help you by picking up Anna. I'll hopefully see you in a bit. Wait, do you want me to watch over her or do you have someone at home to watch over her?"
"No thanks, one of the bots will watch over her. I'll take to you later." She hung up before I could question her on her choice of words. Why did she say bots? None of this made sense and was close to driving me nuts from the confusion of this all.
The drive to her school wasn't very long, gladly after having to do a lot of walking and searching through the forests of Maine. I picked up the daughter of Will and Sarah from the YMCA and let her ride in the front seat with me as the back is crowded with game warden stuff, including guns.
"How was your day at school, honey?" I decided to strike a conversation with the kid. Though something seemed to be bothering her, she wasn't as talkative as she usually is and that's what worried me.
"Fine." Was all she gave me with her arms crossed over her chest and eyes staring out the window next to her. Now I knew something was the matter with her and it wasn't a good thing.
"Do have any boys or girls messing with you? You know I can teach them the laws and set them straight," I joked, in hopes of getting a laugh or even a smile out of her. Nothing. This was starting to get a bit more serious.
"No, I'm fine, Aunty. Thank you though." At least she still knows her manners. But the way she said it was put me off even more.
"Doesn't sound like it, kid. You wanna stop by DQ and get a blizzard? I know you like your chocolate chip cookie dough blizzard. Or do I have to get my own and eat it all by myself." I was trying to guilt trip the kid and it worked.
A smile returned to her face as all her inner troubles disappeared from the surface of the earth. She jumped happily in her seat, showing her happiness of me bring up getting a blizzard. "Yes, please. Since Ratch has come by, I can't really have any more sugary things."
"Who is Ratch?" I questioned from the weirdness of this person's name.
"Ratchet. He's the doctor from daddy's team and doesn't like anything very sugary. He's very grumpy too." Ratchet is a strange name for a human but with the combination of names today; I guess it's not that bad.
We continued to talk about this and that, making her come out of the shell she was hiding in earlier in the drive.
I dropped off the kid at her house with the 'bots' who are going to watch over her and headed back over to my own. The three from before thankfully followed through with my offers and closed the garage door and locked up the house. Even though we are far from civilization, there could be someone dumb enough to try to rob from me.
The rest of the day was slow and really relaxing until it we time for bed. The followed me up the stairs and to my bed the three of us went. For once in my life, I actually got a good night sleep.