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    Unleashed: Case of the Great Danish
    Unleashed: Case of the Great Danish
    Unleashed: Case of the Great Danish
    Ebook183 pages2 hours

    Unleashed: Case of the Great Danish

    By Erik Schubach

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    About this ebook

    Finnegan May has had an eventful time in Manhattan since she first moved to New York City. Her unique profession and quirky, bubbly personality endear her to everyone who meets her.

    Finnegan can't seem to help herself from getting embroiled in trouble. It just seems to follow her around. On a simple visit to a bakery to get her jerk cop a danish, she lands herself in the middle of dognapping and death.

    It is up to Detective Jane McLeary to find Finnegan as she flees through a blizzard in the middle of New York city with a huge Great Dane before her relentless pursuer catches her.

    LanguageEnglish
    PublisherErik Schubach
    Release dateJul 26, 2018
    ISBN9780999374085
    Unleashed: Case of the Great Danish
    Author

    Erik Schubach

    I got my start writing romance novels by accident. I have always been drawn to strong female characters in books, like Honor Harrington. And I also believe that there is a lack of LGBT characters in media. So one day I came up with a story idea that combines the two... two days later I completed the manuscript for Music of the Soul.My writing style may not be the most professional nor grammatically correct, but I never profess to be an English major, just a person that wants to share a story. I maintain that my primary language is sarcasm.Each of my books features strong likeable female characters that are flawed. I think that flaws and emotional or physical scars make us human and give us more character than simply conforming to some "social norm".I have also started a SciFi series, The Valkyrie Chronicles which features a Valkyrie, Kara, who was left behind on Earth five thousand years ago to help the Asgard race escape the onslaught of the Ragnarok horde. With the aid of a human, Kate, she holds the line in battle to herald the return of the Asgard!If you like magic, paranormal romance and witches, then my new series Fracture might tickle your fancy. In the first book Fracture: Divergence, Alex King must stop magic from destroying reality. The problem is that Alex must solve the case in parallel universes where in one Alex is male and female in the other.There is even a modern shapeshifter paranormal series, Drakon. Featuring a fiery Irish woman with a sharp wit and sharper temper who finds out she is a dragon of legend.

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      Book preview

      Unleashed - Erik Schubach

      Chapter 1 – Central Park Tails

      Damn, these rookies are green! I walked up and down the line of four fresh-faced recruits, my hands clasped behind my back. The two young women and one young man who all looked like kids to me, were alert and excited... ready to be pressed into service. This was no picnic, and not for the faint of heart. They needed to be ready to do what was needed to protect their charges and the public, and not just anyone could answer this calling.

      The fourth of the group stood apart from the others, nervously swallowing, showing his apprehension and borderline fear. I stepped up to him and looked up into his freckled face. There is no room for fear in this job. Fear is the enemy, do you understand recruit?

      He straightened his back like a tin soldier, and he looked straight over my head, not daring to make eye contact. Ma'am, yes ma'am!

      I can't hear you!

      He repeated with more conviction, Ma'am, yes ma'am!

      I nodded. Better. I looked at my lieutenant, who cocked his head at me. Good, he agreed, with their hard work and dedication. This group would work out fine. I barked out, Check your gear! They went about quickly checking their gear and that of the person to their left, I nodded in satisfaction as I paced the line, my hands still clasped behind my back.

      What? Oh no, not military. I guess I should introduce myself, the name is Finnegan Temperance May, dog walker extraordinaire, at your service. No really, at your service, you can hire me online in the Manhattan area at FinneganWalks.com.

      I beamed a big smile at the new recruits as I bounced on my toes. Swinging from side to make my snow white sundress, which matched the newly fallen snow outside, swish around me. I reached up and brushed some of my loose, light brown curls out of my face as I reached over to the counter and grabbed a plate, thrusting it at the volunteers. Now have a cookie.

      They all relaxed and returned the smile. Well all except Mark that is, who blushed instead. Puppy love was so cute. I held the plate, which I had neatly labeled 'Cookies for the Newbies,' under his downward gaze. Mark, cookie consumption is required in the swearing in ceremony.

      The dogs running around the space, predominantly long-haired Dachshunds, were all hoping to hoover up any crumbs that fell as they flowed around me like a liquid canine wave. My lieutenant of mischief, Sir Calvin Cornelius Fluffytoes, my adorable border collie, was first in line for any spillage.

      Mark, then Felicia, Harmony, and Kirk all selected cookies and I accidentally spilled the broken up cookie from the other side of the plate on the ground, making sure the old Golden Retriever, Ruff, got some. Oh, no! Spillage, such a tragedy. I giggled at the dogs as they enthusiastically disposed of the freshly baked oatmeal raisin evidence.

      What? You'd do the same, and you know it.

      Then I put the plate down, reached out a hand, and with military precision, Ralph slapped four leather leashes in my hand. I stepped up to the volunteers and grinned at each as I clipped the leashes into the loops on their belts, right next to the plastic bags to pick up whatever gifts the dogs dropped on their walks, and the water bottle with the collapsible water bowl that each wore, courtesy of my dog rescue, here in Manhattan.

      Then I stood and straightened Mark's winter jacket for him and said to them, Congratulations, and welcome to Central Park Tails. Remember, for the first two weeks, you can walk only one dog at a time until you get used to controlling the little tail waggers in public. Go get 'em, recruits.

      With the enthusiasm of the nineteen to twenty-one year olds they were, they smiled broadly at me and grabbed some harnesses from a chuckling Ralph and selected their first dog to walk out on the snowy paths of Central Park.

      I exhaled and flopped into one of the many couches in the space, then giggled as I was mauled by a half-dozen tongues as the dogs hopped up to get some good lovin' from me. I glanced around the place, my place... well Calvin's place technically, as it was all being done with the money bequeathed to him by his late owner.

      The rescue was like no other kennel. When we designed it, I insisted there be no cages in it. If a dog is homeless, it is just bigger stress to throw it in what amounts to a doggie jail with concrete floors and chainlink cages. CPT was different, the entire place was made up to resemble a big home. The main room had a half dozen couches, various dog beds and throw rugs in open spaces, and dog doors out to the small yards. There were a couple isolation rooms in case we got temperamental dogs in who needed to be socialized, and even those rooms were set up like small bedrooms.

      The only room that didn't look like it belonged in a house in the suburbs was the exam room, which looked like any other veterinary clinic, and that was out of both practicality and necessity, as well as letting the dogs get used to how things would be at the veterinary visits they would be subjected to their whole lives.

      We had two full-time employees, and the rest, including our vet and groomer, were volunteers. For the most part, each dog got at least one walk a day, sometimes two, and they were walked by the professional dog walkers of New York City. Over the course of any given day, ten or twenty of the thousands of dog walkers in the city would show up to walk the dogs.

      We... are legion.

      But we also encouraged other volunteers to pick up the slack on holidays like this to try to get each dog out twice a day. This human interaction, love, and attention are key to a happy and well-adjusted pup. Not to mention the socialization skills they gained by being around so many other dogs, what with new dogs coming in and out every day until they found their new forever-homes.

      I glanced over to another couch where an older gentleman and friend, Barnabas, otherwise known as the Broadway Cat in another life, sat brushing out one of our new arrivals, a little Sheltie I got off the streets of the city before Animal Control could bring the little girl to doggie jail. The gentle old man returned my smile. I can't imagine him in jail at his advanced age and was glad the DA struck a deal that had him doing two thousand hours of community service after three months in a medical detainment facility which had nursed him back to health after a massive coronary.

      I squeaked when I was lifted off the couch by strong arms. Kerry said as she moved us toward the front doors, my arms wrapped around her neck, holding on for dear life, my feet kicking as I blushed. Let's get going, Tempe. You know your mom will have our hide if we're late.

      As usual, she was dressed head to toe in bike leathers, with a US Air Force leather and denim jacket over them. Her blonde hair was cropped in a short pixie cut, some of her copious tattoos visible at her neckline, low enough to be hidden when she was in uniform. She had a surety and charisma about her that just commanded the room. And for those of us who know what sexy was, my childhood best friend was it.

      Harmony virtually skipped up to us with her dog in tow, hero worship in her eyes as she looked at Kerry as she asked, Is this your famous girlfriend, Finnegan?

      I snorted, wondering which of the many exaggerated tales the girl had heard about Jane and me. So many of them had popped up over the past few months. I squeaked as Ker kissed my cheek suggestively, then said to the young lady, Alas, I had my chance, but it was not to be, she loves another.

      The curvy redhead behind us was wearing all black, with a heavy winter leather trench coat she must have picked up at the City Kitty alternative attire boutique which she managed. The coat just hit the arches of her thigh high leather boots. She said, Alright, Miss Casanova, drop the merchandise.

      She tugged at my arm until Kerry set me down while I said, No, this oversized Ker-Bear is not Jane. Calvin found this game of 'Pass the Finnegan', quite fun as he barked once, his tail swishing as he flowed around us.

      The girl, transmitting loud and clear on the rainbow frequency, gave my friend an appreciative once-over as I found myself squeaking and being dipped by Jess, who placed a hand over my mouth as she mimed a passionate kiss, but really kissing the back of her own hand.

      I could feel the burn of the blush traveling down my body to the tips of my toes. The two women were always flirting with me, to make each other jealous and especially to make my Jane jealous. They knew Jane was the one who held my heart. A little part of me was always thrilled about the teasing as it made me feel... well, loved I guess, as odd as that sounds.

      Harmony's smile bloomed, and she opened her mouth to ask, but I cut her off, shaking my head. No, this isn't Jane either. This precocious upstart is just my motorcycle mechanic.

      The new girl's brow furled in confusion over the way the two women from Bad Girl's monthly were playing with me. She asked to break the awkward pause, You have a motorcycle?

      I felt terrible at the complete befuddlement on her face when I responded with a chirpy, Nope.

      She half said and half asked in her confusion, Oh?

      As Jess helped me into Jane's black leather jacket, which I had stolen for my own just days after meeting my Jerk Cop, she offered in explanation while rushing me, We just keep Fin warmed up for the main event.

      My eyes went wide, and my voice hit one octave higher than I thought I was capable of producing as I spluttered out, Mable Jessie Freeman! By the swishing tail and lolling tongue, these two were going to be the death of me. I needed to clean something, the magazines on the various tables could be straightened up and the...

      Ker caught that they had tipped me over my coping threshold and she placed a calming hand on my arm and then just said in explanation to the girl with the one cocked eyebrow and a smirky smile on her face, We tease. We're just her friends. Jane would skin us alive if she were here. Then she winged a thumb toward her partner in crime, I'm with Red.

      That was almost close to an admission that they were a couple, which Jane and I can't get them to admit no matter how we present the copious amounts of evidence. It is so very clear that they are smitten with each other, and they do it like rabbits every moment they get, and Jess has never gone past a first date before, read 'booty call,' except when she was dating Jane. Jess and Kerry have been dating four months now, and the shy and adoring way they looked at each other when they thought the other wasn't watching was obvious.

      Jess leaned over me to give her girl an appreciative peck on the lips.

      Harmony looked as if she was about to burst into a cloud of estrogen any moment watching the two gorgeous women share a smoldering look. I pulled on my white winter boots with their stark white faux fur tops, thinking I must look a sight, white summer dress, fuzzy white winter boots, and a black jacket that clashed with the winter wonderland look I was shooting for.

      I snapped my fuzzy white earmuffs over my ears, pulled on the white winter cap, and said, Bad Jess, bad Ker. Leave the poor girl alone. Then to Harmony, I said, I apologize for their barbaric behavior, I'm trying to break them of it. Calvin is better behaved than them. I crouched to clip Cal's leash on his harness. He wagged in staunch agreement with me, he always had my back like that.

      The new girl gave a look I couldn't decipher as she shrugged and said almost suggestively to them, Oh, no, no, no. I don't mind one bit. She walked past us all, smugly, and through the first set of doors with a little Jack Russel mutt leading the way. Good lord of all that was fluffy in the world, there were three of them!

      Jess turned with an eyebrow cocked to appreciatively watch the girl go through the second set of doors of the 'airlock' which prevented dog runaways, just to be slapped on the back of the head by Ker. I reached up and slapped Kerry similarly, grumbling, I can't take you two anywhere, as I imperiously marched past the misbehaving women, just to trip on a whole lot of nothing, catching myself on the door and then scurrying through in my embarrassment.

      I heard the two evil ones chuckling as they followed us. I hid a smile from them as I levered open the second set of doors, bracing myself for the expected blast from the bone-chilling cold winds which followed yesterday's blizzard through the island.

      My smile widened when Kerry pointed out, We love you, Runt. Jess grunted in assent.

      I turned and looked at them dubiously as I shivered when a gust of wind chilled the parts of my legs that were encased only in white tights. I was seriously rethinking my penchant for dresses in the middle of winter. I love you brats too. Then I lifted my chin and supplied, Calvin says you act like twelve-year-olds.

      Kerry snorted and countered, Then why is his tail wagging? It was true, Calvin was exhibiting traitorous behavior just then, with his cute face and waggy tail.

      I exhaled in apparent defeat and said, I can only say one thing about that Ker-Bear.

      She cocked her head in invitation for me to go on. I was smirking as her eyes widened, realizing what I was just about to do. Shotgun.

      She muttered, You little sneak! I thought you were supposed to be the gracious one.

      I shrugged and pointed out like it were obvious, Between graciousness and sitting in the back seat for two hours with Calvin. I choose comfort. I stuck my tongue out at her, and she huffed with a smile.

      Then she sidled up seductively to Jessie as we walked up to her car, which she had somehow been

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