Or maybe she simply couldn’t talk. Her smile was brave as she came over to where we stood, but her face and demeanor made it clear how unhappy and scared she was. She didn’t meet my gaze. Since the door had been left open, Sammy had followed her out, and the alert Malinois sat obediently at Bella’s feet, ears moving as he obviously listened to what was going on around him. “Has anyone checked on the animals?” Bella asked, making it clear that, despite the hell she must be going through, her priorities were not affected. “I walked through the main building a little while ago and everyone looked fine,” I said. “I haven’t checked on the cats, though.” “I’ll do that now,” Carlie said. “And I’ll take another look at the dogs and special-needs animals as well.” “I’ll come along. We’ll probably leave after that.” I looked at Bella quizzically, ready to change my mind if she needed us to stay. She gave a quick nod. “I need to take care of a few things,”
