Page 49 of Rangers Mountain Rescue
Blaze falls in beside me.
Ace circles wide toward the pasture.
Buddy bolts ahead.
The barn door creaks slightly in the wind.
Then—
A shadow moves.
“Stop!” I bark.
The figure runs.
Boots pounding through dirt.
Blaze takes off after him.
Ace cuts across the field like a linebacker.
The man reaches the fence—
And Buddy slams into him.
The dog hits like a furry missile.
The stranger crashes to the ground with a curse.
Blaze tackles him a second later.
Ace arrives and flips the man onto his stomach.
I stand beside him.
Black hoodie.
Gloves.
Cheap mask.
Professional enough to try.
Not professional enough to succeed.
“What are you doing on this property?” I ask.
The man laughs.
“You think this is your land?”
Wrong answer.
Buddy growls louder.
Blaze tightens his grip.
“Talk,” Ace says calmly.
