Running Home by T.A. Hardenbrook Read Free Book Online

as he clambered out of the backseat, automatically going into a sitting position as I shut the door and adjusted the lead in my left hand. Looking down at Waylon, I offered a little smile to the dog; at least he looked good getting out of the car, if nothing else, today.
    “Waylon kommen,” I command, heading over to the gentleman and Sheriff standing a few yards away.
    “Morning , Officer Mason,” one of the commissioners offered, as he stuck out his hand to greet me.
    I stop ped a couple feet in front of them and gave the hand signal for a sit and stay to Waylon. I held my breath, as he followed suite flawlessly, then extended my hand to the waiting commissioner. “Thank you for taking the time to see us today,” I exclaimed, while giving a small smile to Sheriff Ramsey.
    I could tell he was crossing his fingers today , too; it would be a horrible situation if the funding to keep a tracking dog was cut from the department. Even if Waylon was lazy, he still did the job, for the most part. I trusted that dog when he actually got down to business, and not having him on the force would be a devastating blow to our community.
    “We are just waiting on Mayor Turnbill then we can get started ,” Sheriff Ramsey exclaimed.
    “What type of drills are we running this morning , sir?”
    “Live search and rescue , and several different object recoveries are on the agenda today,” he replied.
    I nodded my head , and took the opportunity to excuse myself from the group and wander a couple yards away to see if I could spark some excitement into Waylon. “Alright Buddy, ready to work?” I asked in an enthusiastic voice I picked up in the weeks we spent training together. Waylon glanced up and gave a yawn. Shit, this isn’t looking good for us. Dropping to my knees I grab either side of the mutts face, “Please buddy, do this for me, today.” I started to panic when I heard a car crunch down the gravel driveway behind us. Letting out a huge sigh, I reached into my pocket and presented Waylon with a little treat. Sending up a silent prayer, I stood and tightened my grip on the lead. “Kommen,” I commanded him, as we walked back over to the join the group.
     
     
    Apparently , the gods above us were looking down on our little team today, because we have never performed better than what we just demonstrated. The live search was the first task we encountered this morning. Sheriff had another officer dress in street clothes and head a few miles out into the surrounding wooded area earlier this morning, so the scent was still somewhat fresh for Waylon to pick up. Giving him the verbal command to search, after I slipped on the long line, we headed out into the area looking like professionals. I couldn’t wipe the stupid smirk off my face as Waylon correctly executed a search pattern. This dog wasn’t dumb; just severely lazy.
    Around the half hour mark , I noticed subtle changes in Waylon’s behavior. His search path was getting smaller and he had recognized a stronger scent that the officer took earlier. I knew we had hit gold when he started to bark, telling us the subject had been located. Stepping out from around a bush Officer Grant gave Waylon a pat, and a wave to Sheriff Ramsey who stood twenty feet away with a shit eating grin across his face.
    “Good boy !” I shouted at Waylon, praising the mutt for his amazing job. Waylon calmly placed himself into the sitting position, waiting for the treat he knew was coming.
    “Does that dog get excited for anything?” Mayor Turnbill asked, as I slipped Waylon several more of his favorite snack.
    “Not really , sir, but the way to his heart is through his stomach.”
    “Well , that holds true for all the male species,” the Mayor laughed, as he reached down to pat Waylon on the head. I have always had faith in this dog hell, I knew he was lazy, but he would get the job done when needed. Now all we had to do was locate some hidden objects, and we would be home free for the