The tag remained on Daniel's desk until morning.
Nobody touched it without gloves.
The date was clear.
The number seven was stamped deeply into the metal.
Unlike the old tags, there was no red circle.
That difference bothered Sarah more than the similarity.
Whoever had made it knew the old system.
But they had changed the design.
Daniel spent the night tracing the property records.
By sunrise, he had found three locations associated with the number seven.
Two were abandoned.
The third was active.
It belonged to a company called Green Valley Boarding.
Sarah knew the name.
She had driven past the facility many times.
It looked ordinary.
A low building.
A fenced yard.
A hand-painted sign.
Nothing about it suggested an illegal operation.
Claire examined the address.
“I've heard of it.”
“From where?”
“A colleague.”
“What did they say?”
“That it was one of the few places that refused to work with North Valley.”
Sarah looked at Daniel.
“That makes no sense.”
“Unless someone took it over.”
They drove there together.
Cooper, Daisy, Milo, and Rosie stayed home with Thomas.
Sarah wanted them nowhere near another investigation.
The facility was quiet when they arrived.
A woman named Ellen met them at the gate.
She was the owner.
Daniel showed his identification.
“We have questions about your facility.”
Ellen frowned.
“About what?”
“Group Seven.”
Her face changed.
Sarah saw it.
Ellen tried to hide the reaction.
“What is Group Seven?”
Daniel did not answer.
He showed her the photograph of the metal tag.
Ellen stepped backward.
“I don't know anything about that.”
Sarah said, “Then why did you look frightened?”
Ellen stared at her.
“Because I know where that number came from.”
They entered the office.
Ellen closed the blinds.
She sat behind the desk.
“I bought this place three years ago.”
“From whom?”
“A man named Samuel Price.”
Sarah remembered the name.
The former North Valley employee who had admitted delivering Bella.
Daniel noticed too.
“Did Samuel give you records?”
“No.”
“Are you sure?”
Ellen nodded.
“He gave me keys.”
Sarah looked around.
“What did you find after taking over?”
Ellen hesitated.
“A room.”
“Where?”
“Behind the kennel wall.”
Daniel stood.
“Show us.”
The room was narrow.
Empty.
Except for a metal cabinet bolted to the floor.
Ellen unlocked it.
Inside were old photographs.
Sarah recognized several dogs.
Daisy.
Cooper.
Rosie.
Milo.
But the photographs had been taken recently.
Sarah picked one up.
Milo was only a few weeks old.
The date was four months earlier.
He had not yet been found.
Someone had photographed him before his disappearance.
Sarah's hands went cold.
“Where was this taken?”
Ellen pointed to the background.
“A veterinary facility.”
Daniel studied it.
The logo was partially visible.
Not North Valley.
A different company.
“Blue Ridge Genetics.”
Sarah had never heard of it.
Claire had.
“They were one of the investors.”
Daniel looked at her.
“You're certain?”
“Yes.”
Ellen opened another drawer.
“There are more.”
The photographs showed dogs grouped by number.
Seven.
Nine.
Five.
Some were crossed out.
Others had arrows connecting them.
Sarah found Cooper.
Beside his photograph was an arrow.
It pointed to Daisy.
Then another arrow.
It pointed to Milo.
She looked at Claire.
“They were tracking generations.”
Claire nodded.
“Exactly.”
Sarah turned the photograph over.
A handwritten note read:
“Recovery priority.”
Below it was Cooper's name.
Sarah felt anger rise.
“He was never just an adopted dog to them.”
“No,” Claire said.
“He was an asset.”
Daniel looked at another folder.
“Why would they want him now?”
Claire answered.
“Because the program lost most of its breeding stock.”
Sarah stared.
“And they think he carries the traits they want.”
“That is what the records suggest.”
Daniel closed the folder.
“We need to know who has been accessing this room.”
Ellen looked uncomfortable.
“I don't know.”
“You own the facility.”
“I told you. I bought it three years ago. The room was locked.”
“Who had keys?”
Ellen looked down.
“Samuel.”
Sarah's stomach tightened.
“Does he still have access?”
“I don't know.”
Daniel called him.
No answer.
They checked the security system.
There were gaps.
Several cameras had been disabled during the same periods that photographs appeared in the room.
Sarah pointed at the dates.
“Someone was coming in.”
Ellen nodded.
“And they knew how to avoid the cameras.”
Daniel examined the entrance logs.
One name appeared repeatedly.
Victor Hale.
Sarah remembered him.
“He's been here.”
Ellen nodded.
“Sometimes.”
“When?”
“Usually late.”
“What did he do?”
“He checked the dogs.”
Sarah looked at Claire.
“Why would Victor still be involved?”
Claire shook her head.
“He may not be.”
Daniel turned.
“What do you mean?”
“Victor was trying to dismantle the network.”
“He was also working inside it.”
“He was both.”
Sarah remembered his warnings.
The old photograph.
The private kennel.
The night he had told her to take the dogs and leave.
Maybe Victor had not been protecting the system.
Maybe he had been trying to expose it.
Daniel asked Ellen whether Victor had ever mentioned Daisy.
Ellen hesitated.
“Yes.”
“What did he say?”
“He said the golden female had to be protected.”
Sarah's heart tightened.
“Daisy.”
“Yes.”
“From whom?”
“I don't know.”
Ellen opened another drawer.
Inside was a small notebook.
The handwriting was Victor's.
Sarah recognized it from the old documents.
The notebook contained dates.
Locations.
Names.
One page listed Daisy.
Another listed Rosie.
Then Cooper.
Then Milo.
Beside each name was the same phrase.
“Keep together.”
Sarah stared.
The phrase was underlined.
Twice.
“He knew,” she whispered.
Claire nodded.
“He understood what separation did to them.”
Daniel turned the page.
A final entry had been written recently.
“Tomorrow. Green Valley. Seven.”
Sarah looked up.
“That date.”
Daniel nodded.
“The tag.”
They had found the destination.
But not the reason.
Then Ellen's phone rang.
She answered.
Her face changed.
“What?”
She listened.
Then looked at Daniel.
“Someone just entered the rear gate.”
They ran outside.
The kennel yard was empty.
But one door stood open.
Kennel Seven.
Sarah approached.
Inside was a folded blanket.
Yellow.
Her breath caught.
The same color.
The same material.
She touched nothing.
Daniel photographed it.
A small blue patch was sewn into one corner.
The number seven was visible.
Sarah whispered, “They brought the past here.”
Claire shook her head.
“No.”
She pointed at the blanket.
“The stitching is new.”
Sarah stared.
The fabric was old.
But the blue patch had been sewn recently.
Someone had deliberately recreated the old clue.
Daniel looked toward the fence.
“Why?”
A sound came from the other side.
A vehicle engine.
Sarah ran to the gate.
A dark SUV was leaving.
She caught only a glimpse of the driver.
Victor.
Daniel started after it.
But Sarah stopped him.
“Wait.”
He turned.
“Why?”
She pointed at the open kennel.
There was a dog inside.
Not one of theirs.
A young golden retriever.
It looked terrified.
Sarah opened the gate.
The dog backed away.
She crouched.
“Easy.”
The dog had a scar on its shoulder.
A small blue mark was tattooed beneath the fur.
Seven.
Sarah's stomach dropped.
This was not just a message.
Someone had started the program again.
And the dog was only the first one.
Click Here to continue read next: PART11: The Young Golden Retriever Carried the Mark Sarah Had Seen Before, and Her Search for Its Owner Exposed a Secret Victor Had Never Told Her
The Moment Sarah Handed Over the Leash, the Golden Dog Looked Up at Her as Though He Already Knew Something Was Wrong
Part 10 of 16
