Chapter 11 – Taking One for the Team

"Boss," Simmons' chin jutted at the clock on the wall, "we need to finish this."

Quinn nodded. "Yes, I suppose the time has come, Patrick. Please make sure everything is ready."

Simmons nodded and walked out of the office.

The School Board Head shut off the monitor. "Very impressive, Ms. Carter. No one else has been able to hold out for more than a few minutes before."

He removed the contraption from Joss' face and as her head fell forward, Joss glimpsed a silhouette in the window.

A dog.

No, two dogs, she thought, but her brain refused to accept what her eyes had just seen.

Joss took a deep breath as she tried to compose herself. "Just…lucky…I guess," she gasped out.

"Well, your luck just ran out," Simmons smirked as he walked back into the office. "Detonators are almost ready."

"Good." The School Board Head looked at his handheld. "Machine High will be penniless in a few minutes. Any last wishes, or considering where we are, final prayers, Ms. Carter?" Quinn asked.

"To see you both rot in hell," Joss said fervently.

The School Board Head chuckled. "You first, Ms. Carter. I'm sure you'll save us some seats."

XXX

"This isn't a place for civilians, Finch," Reese said tersely, as the Coach joined the Cafeteria Lady and the English teacher in the trees at the top of the hill overlooking the chapel. "I'm going to do whatever it takes to get Joss out of there."

"I'm not a civilian in this battle, Mr. Reese. Ms. Carter is dear to all of us. Besides," he said with a hint of a smile, "what sort of friend would I be, if I didn't help you save the woman you love, John."

Reese nodded, his eyes softening. "I do love her, Harold, with all my heart." He clasped the Coach's arm. "Thank you."

Bear and Antonia trotted up. "Ms. Carter is in one of the offices with Quinn and Simmons," Bear said. "There are two men at the back exit of the chapel."

"Two here at the front, and at least two more inside, I bet," Mr. Burton noted. "We're outnumbered and outgunned."

"The rest will come running from the old library once the fun starts," Reese added.

Antonia dropped a small black satchel on the ground. "We found this near the Administrative building." She flipped the flap open with her paw. "Jossy's rappelling equipment."

Reese smiled when he saw the cables in the bag. His eyes scanned the chapel and the stone steps. "Outnumbered – yes. Outgunned –", he pulled a grenade launcher out of his bag and tossed it to a startled Finch, "maybe. But outsmarted," his smile was broad now, "never. Let's get to work."

XXX

"I've heard of taking one for the team, but this is ridiculous," Antonia groused.

"I assure you, Ms. Marconi, I have the utmost respect for you. If there was any other way –"

"Yeah, yeah, that's what they all say. You might as well call me Antonia, if we're gonna go through with this."

Bear nodded. "Antonia," he said softly. "A Roman name meaning 'priceless, praiseworthy," his eyes scanned her sleek form, "'beautiful.' And I'm -"

"Bear-y McCociner," she snapped, but her eyes were twinkling. "Let's get this Oscar winning performance underway."

They stepped onto the flagstone plaza in front of the chapel and began an intricate dance, nuzzling and nipping at each other, their whines and whimpers drawing the attention of the two men in front of the chapel.

Bear winked at Antonia when the men sniggered and pointed at them and she rolled her eyes, but let out a low sexy growl, bit the Security Head sharply on the ear and then scampered across the plaza, while Bear followed her.

"That was no love bite, Antonia! You punctured the skin!" he hissed.

"Love hurts, baby." She wriggled her rear end enticingly. "Assume the position, big boy," the Mob Enforcer purred.

Bear mounted her, to whistles and cheers from their audience, their attention totally on the two dogs. Their backs were to the stone steps as Reese tied one of the rappelling cables to a lamp post near the top of the steps and then laid the other one on the stairs, hiding the cable in the shadows. He carefully drew both cables to the other side of the steps, securing one to the lamp post on that side, while the other cable was draped on the ground. Reese nodded to Finch and Mr. Burton and they quickly crossed the steps while Bear pretended to have relations with Antonia, her throaty growls and sensual howls masking the sound of the humans' movements.

Finch slipped into the shrubs on the side of the hill with the grenade launcher, while the Cafeteria Lady and the English teacher descended the steps and crouched in the shadow of the chapel, waiting.

It didn't take long. They heard the sound of a handheld clicking. "Guys – you gotta come up here. These two dogs are going at it hard!"

When the two guards from the back of the building came around the corner, they were quickly and quietly subdued. Reese then went to the front of the chapel.

"Those who can, do, those who can't, watch, right, fellas?" The Cafeteria Lady smirked as he knocked the two guards out.

"Our two friends back there are secured," the English teacher said, handing Reese zip ties and duct tape.

Reese nodded towards Finch's hiding place, then raised an eyebrow at the still writhing couple on the plaza. "Bear. Bear?"

"Huh?" Bear gasped.

"Anytime you two are ready."

The canines disengaged, gazing shyly at each other, then joined the two humans at the chapel entrance, while the guards on the ground were bound and gagged.

Reese picked up one of the guards' handhelds. "Comin' in. Gotta take a dump," he said.

"Yeah?" a bored voice responded. "Make it quick."

"I bet they never had a date in their lives. Losers," Antonia growled, stepping on the guards' heads as they walked in.

Next, Don't Quit Your Day Job will be posted on December 8.