Slave Hunter, Chapter Six.

Written by Wolfie Steel.

It is just after 6pm when I finally wake up and remove my weary body from the bed, there is no sign of Brandon anywhere, I begin to head towards the bathroom when my brain suddenly registers the fact that I am at Brandon's computerised home. I stop dead in my tracks as thoughts of me going any further might set off some sort of alarm, but it seems that Brandon has already thought of that and has made adjustments as I now hear the computers voice.

"Good evening Detective Hunter, I hope that I kept the room temperature to a setting of your liking?"

I giggle a little as I reply.

"Yes thank you Delta it is fine, but I really need to use the bathroom and since Mr. James is obviously not here I don't want to go too far for fear of tripping an alarm somewhere"

Delta registers what I have said with an audible beep.

"Fear not Detective Hunter, Captain James has added your profile to my data and memory files; you are free to move around the house at will"

I don't need any further instruction as my bladder is about to explode, so I quickly dash off to the bathroom for some much needed relief. After I finish I wash my paws and then head out from the bathroom and Delta chimes in again.

"Detective Hunter, Captain James has left you a note on my system, I can either show it on a screen that you are close to, or I can read the note for you"

Man is there anything this system can't do?

"Thank you Delta, would you read the message for me?"

Another beep is heard before the computer speaks again, this time it is the message being replayed.

"Hi Daniel, I have gone back to the office to clear up some paperwork, as you have probably already worked out Delta now knows who you are so you are free to do as you wish around the house, anyway sweetheart I will be home at around 9pm, there is plenty of food in the kitchen should you get hungry and Delta even has the numbers of all the local Take-Away places should you feel the urge, anyway I will see you at 9pm"

Delta then confirms that the message has ended and then asks me if there is anything I need. I walk back to the bedroom and get dressed, I put my paw in my trouser pocket and fish out my wallet, I look inside and realise that I have enough money for a pizza.

"Delta, can you recommend a decent pizza Take-Away that delivers?"

There is silence for a few seconds before Delta replies.

"Lamont's Pizza Take Out has a delivery service and I can email them with your order"

I have seriously got to get me one of these houses.

"Thank you Delta, I would like a regular Hawaiian pizza with stuffed crust please"

Again there are a few moments of silence.

"Detective Hunter, your food has been ordered and the reply that I have received has stated that it will be here in twenty minutes and has a complimentary bottle of Cola with the order, the bill for the pizza has been settled from Captain James' account"

I sigh a little as it seems that I need to teach the computer that I want to pay for my own Take-Away meals, but for now I will settle for waiting for my pizza to arrive and watch a little TV.

"Delta, I would like to watch the TV so can I access a news channel please?"

I walk into the living room and sit on one of the couches; the TV comes on and is showing a 24 hour news station. I sit and watch for a few moments not really taking anything in until an item comes on that gains my interest, it is the raid on Bo Jangles, the news reader rattles off some details, not all of which are totally accurate and then they show a picture of the young dead Husky. Instantly I turn my head away from the TV as tears begin to well up in my eyes, I know that there was nothing I could actually do to stop the kid from being murdered in cold blood, and yet I still feel so damn responsible for him, like his blood is on my paws.

Suddenly I am brought out of my trauma as Delta announces the arrival of my pizza, okay I didn't really feel like eating now, but I guess I needed to eat something, so I take the pizza from the delivery guy and head back into the living room, by the time that I sit back on the couch the news story has thankfully changed.

I eat just half of my pizza and then find that I just can't get the image of the young Husky from my mind, and so I place the rest of the pizza in the microwave fully intent on finishing it later and then I decide that some fresh air will help me with my thoughts.

I put on my jacket and head out of the front door making sure that Delta has registered my leaving and has activated the security system. I walk through the gates at the end of the driveway and head down the road towards London.

I look at my watch and notice that it is twenty minutes until Brandon is due to leave the office, I know that I have been walking for quite a while and I have thought about quite a few things in that time, but everything still comes back to that image of the Husky.

All the time that I was walking I had my head down to the ground, just seeing but a few paces in front of me, only ever looking slightly more forward when it came to crossing a street, suddenly there is a smell that I recognise, it is the all night bakery that is situated just across the street from the entrance to Scotland Yard.

I look up from staring at my feet and sure enough the imposing frontage of the office is right in front of me. I stuff my hand paws in my pocket and realise that I still have my car keys even though my car is still in the underground parking area, well I guess I may as well wait for Brandon in the parking area and then follow him home.

I walk up to the security booth and show the guard on duty my ID, he lets me through the gate and I walk towards my car. Once reaching my car I lean against it to try and catch my breath after my long walk, suddenly my ears pick up the sound of someone shouting at me, I then realise that it is Brandon.

"Hey what the hell...who are you and what are you doing leaning against a police officer's car, more to the point how the fuck did you get passed the guard?"

I turn to face the approaching Rottweiler and reply.

"Relax babe it's me, Daniel"

Brandon now runs to me and throws his arms around me.

"Daniel what the fuck are you doing here, and how the hell did you get here?"

I let out a weak chuckle as I gently lick his cheek.

"Well babe, the how is I walked, the why is I was sat at your place getting ready to scoff a pizza, I was watching the news when an item came on about the Bo Jangles, hon they showed a fucking picture of the young Husky that lost his life and it began to haunt me, anyway the pizza arrived I went to get it from the driver, got back to the couch and the news item had changed, so I started eating, but hon, I couldn't finish my pizza because that face kept appearing in my vision, so I'm afraid that there is a half eaten Hawaiian pizza in your microwave and an un-opened two litre bottle of coke down on the floor by the sofa. I needed to get out of the house and get some air, so I started walking and found myself here"

Brandon brushed some loose hair from my eyes and let out a deep and sorrowful sigh.

"Daniel, no matter how many times you shoot someone in the line of duty, whenever a child gets shot and injured or worse killed, part of you dies too, it just goes to prove that even though you are a hard hearted copper through and through, something like that can still break your heart, it is what distinguishes us between good cops, and excellent cops"

The words that Brandon has just spoken pierce my heart again and I lean my head on his shoulder and cry my eyes out. After my ten minute cry I manage to get my emotions back under control, I lean my head back and then I connect muzzles with my sexy Rottweiler and take him in a heartfelt and deep kiss, after a few moments we pull apart and I get a small smile on my muzzle.

"Hey Brandon, wanna head home and get a pizza so that you can join me as I finish mine, because all that walking has given me an appetite"

Brandon finally breaks down in fits of laughter and has to lean against my car to catch his breath.

"Hunter you are a real piece of work, you know that?"

I give a little snigger as I begin to get into my car.

"I'll race ya to the pizza place; the loser has to do the cooking for a month"

As I finish getting into my car I hear Brandon curse me under his breath as he races for his own car, I quickly fire up the Mustang's engine and throw it into reverse, the tires squeal as they struggle for traction. Once I am out of my parking space I quickly select drive and floor the accelerator, again there is more tires squealing and plenty of tire smoke as I head towards the parking areas gate.

I look into my rear view mirror and see that Brandon's Jaguar is hot on my tail; the security guard quickly raises the parking gate so that two duelling hounds can have their fun. As we drive to the local pizza place I look in my mirror again and realise that Brandon is so close to the back of my car that you could probably just about slide a piece of A4 paper between the two bumpers.

I see the local pizza place as it comes into view, I quickly pull up to the side of the curb hoping like fuck that the breaks on Brandon's Jag will stop him in time, fortunately they do. I get out of my car and lean against it with a shit eating smirk on my muzzle and my arms crossed over my chest.

Brandon climbs free of his car and holds his hand paws up in resignation.

"Okay, okay you fuckin' win, but don't tell me that I didn't have you worried a couple of times"

Of course he had me worried, more times than I'm prepared to admit, but was I going to tell him? Yeah right, like hell I was. Brandon heads into the pizzeria and orders his pizza while I wait outside by the cars, after a ten minute wait he exits the shop with his pizza box in his paws, he climbs into his car and gently lays the box on the passenger seat, before he closes the door he buckles his seat belt and then calls out to me, so like a fool I walk to his car.

As I get there I realise that his driver's door window is open and he is about to start the car.

"Hey Daniel, I'll get home before you and because of that you have to do the cleaning for a month"

The Jaguar then roars into life and before my brain catches up with what is going on Brandon pulls quickly from his parking space and is gone, I quickly rush back to my car and jump in, in my panic to catch him up I fumble with the key in the ignition, eventually though I'm able to give chase but deep down inside I know that it is a lost cause.

I pull up to the front of the house just as Brandon is heading inside with his pizza; I shut down the engine and then follow my dog into the house. As I enter the house Brandon is standing in the kitchen against the breakfast island with the same shit eating grin plastered on his muzzle that had been on mine only fifteen minutes before.

"Lesson number one Detective Hunter, trust no fucker, not even me"

I let out a defeated sigh and head to the microwave and re-heat my pizza, with that task done both Brandon and I head back into the living room and sit next to each other on the couch to eat, and snuggle. I know that tomorrow will be a new day and I know that racing Brandon had been fun, but I also know that the face of the young Husky will stay with me for a quite a while.