Tears threatened to spill from her eyes. This wasn’t helping. Forget the past.

Blinking hard, she edged backward, making what she hoped were soothing sounds. “Nice dog. Nothing to eat here.” Be strong. Think like Kelly. Kelly who had saved her that day, and had kept her sane every day since.

Cell phone. She had her cell phone. Tugging it from the pocket in her backpack with her free hand, she continued talking. “How would you like to meet some new friends?”

Friends with shock collars and nice strong steel cages.

The dog raised his lip in a snarl, revealing three-inch-long canines.

Maybe a friend with a nice.38 would be better. Kara used her thumb to flip open the phone, and began punching. She would survive this.

She had to survive this.

The squeal of a wrong number answered her. Damn. She glanced down to redial…and instantly realized her mistake.

The dog backed up, bracing itself on its hind legs as it prepared to leap. With nowhere to run, Kara pointed the can in the creature’s direction and steeled herself for the impending attack.

For the second time that night, the can hissed, but the dog didn’t waver. With a chilling growl, it shot off the ground soaring directly toward Kara.

The world slowed around her. She should run now. She knew it, but somehow she couldn’t. All she could do was wait, knowing there was no way she would survive this attack.

As the parking lot swirled around her, the dog close enough she could smell the stench of his breath, a blur of silver shot forward from the shadows, knocking her assailant to the asphalt.

Elation swept over her. A second dog, a silver one, stood poised above the first. Kara used a shaking hand to brush hair from her face. He’d saved her.

The new arrival glanced up. Red eyes glowed back at her.

Her own rounded in horror.