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Back 3 a.m.
Chapters (67)
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  67. 3:46 a.m.
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The duct tape has been wrapped around Murdock’s large snout multiple times, then both pairs of his legs have been zip-tied together. As for Lassie, the attackers apparently didn’t see him as much of a threat and their answer was simply to zip-tie him to Murdock. The zip-tie went around his neck, then around the zip-tie securing Murdock’s back legs. They were literally attached near the hip.

I snip the zip-tie from around Lassie’s neck and pick him up.

Meow.

“He’s okay. He was hiding in the hamper.”

He gives my nose a quick lick, then I set him down and he scurries off to find Archie.

Next, I gingerly unwrap the tape around Murdock’s snout, knowing the last layer is going to hurt no matter what I do.

“I’m gonna do this like a Band-Aid. Okay, buddy?”

I pull off the tape with an audible tearing and Murdock whines. He recovers quickly and attacks my face with his tongue. I clip the zip ties securing his front and back legs, and to my dismay, he finds his feet.

Lastly, I free Jorge.

It is 3:14 a.m.

::::

As I carry Bonnie upstairs — not the easiest of tasks — I hear Ingrid shout, “This is a crime scene! Don’t touch anything and be careful where you step.”

“There’s four feet of snow out there. How am I gonna get home?” asks a voice I’m pretty sure belongs to Minister Robert.

“The authorities should be here soon,” comes Ingrid again.

“Not without a snowplow they won’t be,” my father interjects. “I haven’t seen this much snow in thirty years.”

“Where are we supposed to go?” asks Ingrid’s father.

Bonnie and I reach the top of the stairs and she leans into me and whispers, “Everyone can go to my house.” She pauses, then adds, “I have Cranium.”

Part of me wants to laugh, but under the circumstances, I can’t find the energy. I gingerly set Bonnie down in one of the white folding chairs and gaze around.

Everyone is spread out, holding a bottled water in one hand and an energy bar in the other. You can already see the water and the calories taking effect. Pale, listless faces have regained a bit of their color.

I cough a couple times.

Everyone’s eyes find me and I say, “Like Ingrid said, this is a crime scene, so we can’t stay here, and because of the blizzard, we can’t go far.” I cock my head toward Bonnie in the chair next to me, and add, “Miss Bonnie has been kind enough to offer up her house as a haven until we can figure things out.”

I look at Ingrid.

She nods.

I turn toward my dad and say, “Load up all the leftover lasagna, plus whatever food you can find and pack it up. Who knows how long we’re going to have to ride this out over there.”

My dad gives me a thumbs up.