Part 7
Simone called Dean the following morning while he was pouring coffee. He set the pot down so abruptly that a brown splash struck the counter.
“A driver’s report has helped us establish a vehicle’s location and movements,” she said. “We’re still verifying the puppy’s identity.”
“Where is he?”
“In Georgia. The agencies there are handling the details.”
“Are they going in?”
“Further steps are being taken. This is supported by more than the sighting. Records, witnesses, veterinary documents. Weeks of work.”
Dean glanced at his boots.
“I can be ready in ten minutes.”
“You cannot take part in an inspection or recovery because you’re a former SEAL.”
“I can stay out of everybody’s way.”
“You can remain available for identification. Those are different things.”
He wiped the coffee with a cloth, folding it twice over the same spot.
“All right,” he said.
At Vellora, the morning sky was low and gray. Near the entrance, clean fencing framed the office and its planters. Beyond the area shown on the website were additional buildings, covered workspaces, and rows of enclosures.
Authorized personnel arrived with defined responsibilities. Veterinary teams set up examination areas. Animal care workers organized carriers, water, identification supplies, and space for dogs who needed quiet. Agency representatives coordinated the inspection, welfare measures, and preservation of records under the authority available to them.
A veterinarian checked ventilation in one building while another team assessed living conditions and counted animals. Some dogs were alert and in good condition. Others needed prompt treatment. Workers recorded the differences instead of assigning one description to every animal on the property.
An older female shepherd drank from a clean bowl while an assistant entered her condition on a form. Nearby, a small dog rested on fresh bedding as its breathing was assessed. Each carrier received an identifier checked against the animal inside it.
The operation and its connected facilities would ultimately account for more than four hundred dogs. The first phase placed 316 into appropriate care through lawful arrangements. Other animals were assessed separately, with decisions depending on health, individual needs, and legal status.
Nobody could finish the job by opening one gate. There were examinations to complete, destinations to coordinate, and another dog waiting every time a worker finished with the one in front of them.
In another town, Nadine received confirmation that her records were being examined. She sat at her kitchen table with the message open and her glasses in her hand.
For years, she had typed numbers quickly enough that the work blurred into columns. Now she opened the folder she had prepared for her next meeting and checked the documents one by one. When her eyes filled, she wiped them and continued.
Russell faced questions about the business and records under review. The agencies halted the commercial activity they had authority to suspend. Further legal decisions remained pending.
Travis’s transport work and the unauthorized removal of Rookie were examined separately. Curtis Latham was suspended from relevant duties while his agency reviewed the inconsistencies connected with his approvals.
Those actions did not settle every person’s responsibility. The records still required examination, and the people involved would have opportunities to respond. Staff continued moving animals into care while investigators preserved the evidence.
Dean tried spending the morning at the shop.
Arthur found him examining an engine he had already cleared.
“Did that motor develop a second problem?”
“No.”
“Then quit threatening it with your eyes.”
Dean set down the wrench. “I’m waiting.”
Arthur leaned against the bench.
“You did your part. Other people are doing theirs.”
“I just need to know.”
“I know.” Arthur looked at the unused tool. “When you see him, tell him the shop has lost productivity over this.”
“He’ll chew your laces.”
“Then we’ll know he’s himself.”
Dean managed a smile.
He went home before sunset. The house smelled faintly of last night’s coffee. He changed his shirt, checked the phone, and washed a cup that was already clean.
A patch of blue showed beneath the sofa.
He knelt and pulled Rookie’s cloth toy into the light. The corner was rough where little teeth had worked it. Dean turned it over once, then placed it beside the bed.
The phone rang before he stood.
“Dean,” Simone said, “we found him.”
He caught the edge of the table.
“Rookie?”
“The identifying details and records match. Veterinary staff have examined him. He’s tired and unsettled, but they’ve found no serious physical injury.”
Dean lowered himself into a chair.
For several seconds, he couldn’t get a word out.
“Celia’s been informed,” Simone continued. “Once the receiving staff approve it, we can arrange an identification visit.”
“I can see him?”
“Yes. In the designated area, with supervision.”
Dean covered his eyes.
“Thank you.”
“The people caring for him will appreciate hearing that.”
After the call, he looked toward the puppy bed. Then he called Arthur.
“They found him.”
The older man’s greeting stopped halfway out.
“Well,” Arthur said after a moment. “That’s enough wandering for one small dog.”
Dean heard him clear his throat.
“We’ll go when they say,” Arthur added. “And I’m coming. You’ll forget to eat.”
The next day, they drove to a receiving facility in Georgia. The building had bright windows, washable floors, and staff who moved quietly between rooms carrying forms and clean bedding. There were no cameras waiting at the entrance.
An animal care coordinator checked Dean’s identification and explained the visit. Confirming the puppy’s identity did not mean an immediate release. Ownership history and legal placement still needed review.
Dean nodded. “I understand.”
The coordinator led him down a hall.
Through an open doorway, he saw the black saddle of Rookie’s coat. Tan legs were folded beneath him on a towel. His right ear stood upright now, while the left still leaned away from responsibility.
Dean stopped at the threshold.
All the things he’d imagined saying disappeared. He knelt instead.
“Rookie.”
An ear moved. The puppy lifted his head.
“Hey, recruit.”
Dean kept his hands low and waited.
Rookie got up slowly. He crossed part of the room, paused, and came closer. Dean offered the back of his hand.
The little nose moved over his fingers.
Then Rookie stretched his front feet forward, lowered his chest, and held his hindquarters high.
Dean laughed, and the laugh caught in his throat. Tears blurred the puppy’s face. He put his palms on the clean floor and lowered himself once beside him.
Rookie sprang upright, tail beating.
Dean sat back and opened his arms. The puppy came against his chest with a small, determined shove, pressing his head beneath Dean’s chin.
Dean held him carefully. Beneath his palm, the warm body breathed.
“There you are,” he whispered.
Rookie sighed into his shirt.
The coordinator stayed near the door and gave them time.
When the visit ended, Dean listened to the remaining requirements. He didn’t demand an exception or argue that affection settled ownership. He asked what records were needed and when he could return.
Before leaving, he rubbed the folded ear.
“I’ll be back.”
Rookie nosed his fingers, then returned to the towel, exhausted by the excitement. Dean waited until he curled down before standing.
Outside, Arthur was beside the truck with an envelope.
“Lydia wanted you to have this.”
Dean opened it. Inside was a printed comment from the original video. He recognized the account before reading the words.
Ruth Beckett.
“Owen would’ve wanted to hear that laugh again.”
Dean read it twice. Arthur moved away to inspect something unnecessary near the front tire.
For four years, Dean had sent Ruth money and avoided her voice. He had never asked how she was managing, whether she still made the trip to the little shops Owen liked, whether she had ever seen the ocean he kept promising to show her.
Dean folded the page along its existing crease and sat behind the wheel.
Her number had survived every phone replacement. He found it now and rested his thumb above the screen. Arthur got into the passenger seat without speaking.
Dean pressed the call button…
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