Rising Storm Read Online Free PDF Page B

giving him a quick rub behind his ears.
    "He looks good. I'm surprised. I thought he wouldn't make it."
    "He sure likes you. I wonder how long it has been since he ate."
    "I think he ate just enough to live on. It's clear whoever owned him wasn’t bulking him up. But the way his ribs are sticking out says he hasn't eaten recently. Well, now that I know he's doing well, I'm going to try to get a couple of hours of sleep."
    Katelyn said goodnight and headed toward the front door. She made sure to set the alarm and lock the door. She was halfway to her car when she sensed movement. She froze and looked around.
    A shadow leapt from the tree in the dog walk area, hitting her hard in the stomach. She felt her breath being forced from her lungs as she fell backwards. She landed on her back in the grass and felt her body reverberate before pain shot through her head as it crashed into the ground.
    Katelyn was dizzy and couldn't focus on the people lying on top of her. She squinted and the two people became one man with a black mask. Fear shot through her as her heart stopped. What was she supposed to do? She had taken a self-defense class, but she couldn't remember a single thing right now but to scream.
    Katelyn grunted and gasped as the heavy man shifted to straddle her. His arm pushed her shoulder into the ground that was wet with dew. She opened her mouth and tried to find the breath to scream, but a cold, leather-gloved hand came down over her mouth. Her nostrils flared as she tried to get some air into her lungs. Her chest burned, her head swam, and she felt as if she was suffocating.
    The glint of steel caught her attention as he waved a wide hunting knife in front of her face.
    "What's the code? What's the fucking code?" He growled.
    Katelyn's eyes went wide and she couldn't understand what he wanted. She shook her head and looked into the black mask.
    "For the clinic you dumb bitch. You got Ketamine in there?"
    "What?"
    "Ketamine? I'm sure you do. Probably some codeine too. Now, you're going to get up, unlock the door and turn off the alarm. Then you're going to unlock the medicine cabinet for me. If you do all that, then I'll let you live. Nod if you understand."
    Katelyn nodded and let go of the death grip she had on his arm. Her eyes darted toward the door to make sure Bekah wasn't in view. What would this guy do when he realized there was someone else in the clinic? As she looked toward the door a metallic shine caught her eye.
    "Yeah, I have Ketamine, but not very much. What else were you looking for?"
    Katelyn stretched her arm slowly toward the object. Her middle finger felt its cold strength as she wrapped one finger after another around it.
    "Codeine, and I bet you have some steroids too."
    She nodded as her hand closed around it and she prayed it would be enough. As the man started to stand up she swung the pooper-scooper as hard as she could. The pooper-scooper cut through the air, landing hard against the side of his face.
    "Shit!" He cursed as he stumbled backward, falling onto the ceramic fire hydrant in the dog walk area.
    "No kidding," she mumbled as she jumped up and ran for the front door. She scooped up her keys that had gone flying when she was tackled and plunged them into the lock.
    "Dr. Jacks?" Bekah called from the back.
    "We're being robbed!"
    "Not while I'm here." Bekah came through the door with a .38 caliber revolver drawn.
    "Where did that come from?"
    Bekah turned off the alarm and then rearmed it before going to the window. "I work nights. Of course I have a gun! I don't see anyone."
    Katelyn inched her way to the window and looked out. She scanned the tree line and didn't see the man who attacked her or any shadows lurking behind trees.
    "You want me to call the Sheriff?" Bekah asked as she reached for the phone.
    Katelyn lunged, shoving her body between Bekah and the phone.
    "No! We don't want to disturb them. Unfortunately, this thing happens to vet clinics. Drug addicts think we're an easy