Partners

[Lucy]

ACME Canine Unit
San Francisco, California
​

Lucy wiggled her fingers nervously as she made her way down the hall. She was so deep in thought that the squeaking of her black standard-issue boots didn't even register.

This is finally happening

The strong smell of disinfectant hit her as she got closer, making her stop mid-step and wrinkle her nose. Then came a sneeze. She wiped her nose with a napkin from her pocket.

Man. They forgot to dilute that.

Then the sound of barking erupted nearby. Not just one dog—a whole pack.

Lucy inhaled deeply, her heart beating out of her chest. She took another breath before walking again.

Why was she so scared? This was exciting.

The moment Lucy found out she was being assigned to the Canine Unit, she called Julie to tell her the good news. Julie genuinely seemed happy for her.

Lucy reached the end of the hall and turned, where a tall, skinny man waited. He wore a blue uniform with a walkie-talkie clipped to his hip. He pushed his short blond hair behind his ears, adjusted his glasses, and spoke.

"Sanchez?"

Lucy nodded. "Y...yes, sir," she answered, her voice cracking.

She rubbed her palms together and felt them slide against each other easily. This man was so confident.

How come she wasn't?

His hand shot out, palm open.

"I'm Brandon. Nice to meet you."

Lucy shook his hand, and Brandon led her farther down the hall.

They walked through another door, where the barking grew much louder. Rows of kennels lined both sides of the room. Lucy spotted several muzzles pressed against the fencing as the dogs barked.

Nearby, a woman with long brown hair braided all the way down to her hip, led a bloodhound through the kennel.

The dog barked furiously back at the others as they walked. The woman's lips moved, but the barking was so loud Lucy couldn't hear what she was saying. She kept the dog on a short, tight leash.

As soon as the pair disappeared, the other dogs began settling down again.

Lucy followed Brandon through the kennel, glancing into the cages as they passed. She saw a mixture of breeds—Malinois, Shepherds, more bloodhounds, and German Shorthaired Pointers.

One bloodhound had its nose shoved underneath the fence.

Meanwhile, a Lab slept on his back with all four feet in the air, snoring loudly.

In another kennel, a puppy pushed her nose around in her water bowl and spilled it everywhere.

Lucy chuckled at the sights, and a small smile spread across her face.

Just like humans, they all had their own distinct personalities.

They suddenly stopped.

Lucy glanced inside the kennel beside them at a German Shepherd. The dog scratched at her ear with her eyes closed, as if she were concentrating entirely on the itch.

Then, in the middle of scratching, she lost her balance and fell sideways.

Lucy covered her mouth, trying to suppress a laugh.

The dog sat back up, shook herself off, and looked over as if she had only just noticed Lucy standing there.

Then came the rhythmic sound of her tail hitting the fence.

THUMP! THUMP! THUMP!

"This is Bernadette."

Bernadette came trotting toward them.

Lucy squatted and slowly held out her hand. The furry animal moved closer and sniffed her fingers.

"Hello there," Lucy said softly.

Brandon grabbed a black leash, clipped it onto Bernadette, and led her out of the kennel.

Then he handed the leash to Lucy.

"Let's see how you two vibe."

Lucy stared down at the leash in her hand.

Suddenly, she could feel the weight of the job.

Her heart jumped into her throat again.

***************************************
WOOSH!

The moment they stepped onto the black mat, the automatic doors to the Pet Store slid open and a rush of air conditioning hit them.

Bernie stopped as if stunned, but recovered quickly and stepped inside beside Lucy.

Music played overhead as the team wandered into the store. Lucy found herself softly singing along with "Hotel California" by the Eagles.

The click-clack of claws from other dogs nearby and the rattling of shopping carts didn't seem to faze Bernadette at all.

Suddenly, a loud crackle came from the speakers overhead.

"Clean up on aisle four, please."

Then the music came back on.

They passed the first few aisles before turning down the fourth one.

The shelves were stocked with bones and toys as far as Lucy could see.

Bernadette immediately moved toward a bin filled with rubber chickens and gave them an investigative sniff.

"Come on, Bernie. We're looking for gear, not trying to start a riot."

Bernie gave a huff and moved over to a nearby bin of stuffed animals instead.

Her muzzle disappeared into the pile of fluff as she sniffed around.

Lucy watched in anticipation.

What was the dog going to choose?

Finally, Bernie lifted her head and pulled out a stuffed mallard duck.

She squeezed it.

GAAASP!

The sound was wretched.

It echoed against the metal shelves loudly enough that a nearby customer stopped and looked over.

Bernie trotted back toward Lucy with her tail held high.

With the precision of a Canine agent placing a piece of high-value evidence onto a desk, Bernadette performed the tactical drop.

She placed the duck at Lucy's feet, sat down, and held a perfect stone-faced pose.

Lucy stared down at the toy.

Then she looked at the German Shepherd watching her expectantly.

Lucy bit her lip as she felt her face grow warm. The agent desperately tried to keep a straight face.

Meanwhile, Bernie didn't flinch.

She simply tilted her head, her tongue lolling out in a satisfied, canine-grade grin.

Clearly, the mission had been accomplished.

"Fine," Lucy breathed, scooping up the toy.

"You're an agent of chaos, not the ACME unit. Let's get out of here before you decide to interrogate the cashier."