Once Taken 2: Betrayal

Chapter 14

Detective Surly pulled his police cruiser into the parking lot of Dairy Queen.

He looked at the red sign that looked like a big circle with its sides pinched into points.

He looked at the sign at the bottom and read it out loud.

"Try our new. Chips ahoy blizzard?" He gave a confused look to his partner in crime. His beloved dog Carmen.

"Think we should try that Carmen?"

He rubbed the dogs head and cringed when he heard his trainee speak up from the back of the car.

"Why do I have to sit in the back? If you ask me, I think the stupid mutt should sit in the back."

If the soon to be retired detective was actually retired, he would have punched the guy right then and there.

'Only one more day.' He thought with a sigh. That's when an idea popped up.

He looked at the greying dog with a sly smile.

Once Matt pulled the car into one of the many parking spaces, he turned around with the sly smile still plastered on his face.

"You know what Ken? You're right. My trainee shouldn't be replaced with some idiot animal. Come to the front and we'll go for a little joyride."

Right when he said idiot animal, the detective swore that he felt his heart break right in half. He's had his dog since he was born. He never thought of calling the poor thing something like that.

But he still kept up his act.

He raised a questioning eyebrow as his trainee shakily fumbled out of the car. "Is that even legal? You know, joyriding in a police car?"

Detective Surly shrugged. "You're technically nota cop yet. And I'm retiring tomorrow. So I don't think it's illegal."

He couldn't help but snicker as he saw the young soon to be detective grin and run to the passenger seat.

When he heard the click of the door opening, Matt bent his down to as close to his dog as he could get and whispered "Sic him."

Then he laughed all the way into the air conditioned building.

---

Ken Finnest couldn't help but glare at his trainer as they made their way into the line.

He looked down at the mangy mutt that stood by the retiring detective.

'How is he going to let that stupid mutt into this building?' He thought.

"Hey, no dogs allowed!"

Both men looked up to see that the manager was standing in front of them.

Ken backed up into a wall and leaned towards it, sighing.

"Let's see how far this goes." He murmured under his breath.

He couldn't help but snicker the same way his trainer did earlier that day once the conversation commenced.

"Mister, I'm sorry. But unless you're blind or have any other problem that allows to have a service dog, then you can keep that mutt in here.

But by the looks of it, you look perfectly fine to me."

Detective Surly rolled the fingers of his right hand into a fist and quickly uncurled them once he noticed.

He took a quick step forward and Ken decided to sit down in one of the booths knowing that the fun was only beginning.

"Look buddy, I'm retiring tomorrow from the best job I've ever had. I've saved a kid or two from getting killed over the years. At least cut me some slack for one day."

"Oh yeah? Why are you retiring if you enjoy your job so much?"

"In case you haven't noticed, I'm getting old. This dog has been with me since I was born. Because it's our last day in the police force, at least let us both be here for one day."

"Now that you mention it, you do look familiar. It feels like I've seen you somewhere.... Aren't you that Surly guy who saved that girl named. Marci? No. Uhhh Mara?"

"Maria?"

"Yeah. That Maria Hart gal."

Ken's mouth dropped as he saw the manager leading his trainer to the booth where he sat. He swore that his jaw literally dropped when he heard the manager speak up.

"For you guys, your food today is on the house. Especially for an amazing dog as this one."

Once the manager was out of hearing range, Ken decided it was his turn to talk.

"How did he let you off the hook so easily?"

His hands curled into fists as he saw his trainer's face portray a smug grin.

"Will I did say I saved a life or two over the years." Matt said while leaning back and folding his arms behind his head.

"Wow, they were right, you're not easy to train."

Ken tried to stand up, but forgot he was in a booth and slid back down again.

He looked at his trainer through new eyes and had to fight the urge to hit him.

"What do you mean, not easy to train?" He replied through gritted teeth.

"I mean," Matt said while successfully sliding out of the booth with ease.

"That you're an idiot with no idea what's going on in that little pea sized brain of yours."

"Oh, so you want to take it outside?" Ken said while still struggling to stand up.

"Sure, as long as you have the guts to even lay a finger on me." Matt replied while looking down at a snoozing Carmen.

Ken flinched and touched his swollen eye and cruised body as he remembered.

"Come on kid, I'm just joking with you." He said while giving Ken a slight push with his shoulder.

"Now let's leave and see if anyone has found out anything about Maria."

The two men then walked out of the resteraunt and into the blitzering summer heat.

And this time, Ken didn't even think twice about letting Carmen sit in the front.