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文/彭妮·波特 譯/青閏

“保持警惕。”米勒朝后座掃了一眼，對(duì)他說道。在昏暗的燈光下，米勒只能分辨出掛在搭檔項(xiàng)圈上閃閃發(fā)光的警徽：編號(hào)85。新手是一條強(qiáng)壯結(jié)實(shí)的德國(guó)牧羊犬，名叫奧爾登。

2突然，巡邏車的車頭燈照見一個(gè)人影正在撬一幢建筑的門鎖。米勒嘎地剎住車，大聲命令“上！”一瞬間，奧爾登縱身躍出敞開的車窗，深沉的吠叫聲響徹夜空。

3幾秒鐘后，奧爾登咬住了嫌疑人的臀部，追捕就此結(jié)束。

4在接下來的幾個(gè)月里，米勒與奧爾登保持著嚴(yán)格的工作關(guān)系。這狗不給吃殘羹剩飯，不能進(jìn)臥室，不管天氣如何都得在室外過夜。有時(shí)風(fēng)雨大作，奧爾登會(huì)把鼻子從狗窩里伸出來，沖著后門吠叫，米勒假裝沒聽見。

5日復(fù)一日，米勒讓狗繞著后院奔跑，以增強(qiáng)他的耐力——畢竟，奧爾登是一個(gè)正受訓(xùn)練的戰(zhàn)士。為了考驗(yàn)奧爾登的風(fēng)紀(jì)，米勒會(huì)給他下達(dá)“待著別動(dòng)”的命令——然后離開。有一次，米勒散了半小時(shí)步。等他回來時(shí)，奧爾登依舊待在原地紋絲不動(dòng)。那一刻，米勒想擁抱奧爾登，但他沒有，只是輕聲說了句：“好樣的?！?/p>

6一天下午，米勒和奧爾登剛開始值班，無線電就傳來了緊急呼叫：“北公園大街720號(hào)發(fā)生了槍擊案?！泵桌樟ⅠR按響了警笛。

7當(dāng)他把車開到那座房前時(shí)，一輛白色汽車飛馳而去，方向盤后面是嫌疑人史蒂夫·馬登。

8米勒以90 英里的時(shí)速穿過一個(gè)個(gè)十字路口追捕馬登。最后，嫌疑人突然轉(zhuǎn)向一條背街，棄車而逃。米勒縱身躍出巡邏車，箭步跑過一個(gè)個(gè)垃圾箱，進(jìn)入一條小巷。

9米勒拐過一個(gè)彎，以為會(huì)看見正在狂奔的嫌疑人，卻發(fā)現(xiàn)一把手槍的槍管正對(duì)著他的胸口。

10馬登扣動(dòng)扳機(jī)，米勒做好了赴死的準(zhǔn)備。但是，一聲雷鳴般的吠叫突然響起，奧爾登從拐角處飛奔出來，直撲馬登。持槍歹徒開槍逃跑。

11子彈擊中了奧爾登的面部，他向后打了個(gè)轉(zhuǎn)，側(cè)倒在地。子彈洞穿奧爾登的面頰，飛出脖子，鉆入肩膀。鮮血從各個(gè)傷口噴涌而出。

12米勒瞬間反應(yīng)過來。他心想：奧爾登剛才做出了最大的犧牲啊。他的搭檔躺在那里直喘，米勒低聲說道：“會(huì)沒事的?！闭f完就向馬登追去。

13嫌疑人此刻正奔跑著穿過一棟房屋后面的開闊地。另外兩名警官也趕到了，三名警察與馬登交了火。最后，米勒一槍射中馬登的肋部，把他擊倒在地。

14米勒抱起奧爾登，輕輕地把他放在巡邏車后座上，之后風(fēng)馳電掣地向動(dòng)物醫(yī)院駛?cè)ァ?/p>

15到了醫(yī)院，醫(yī)生準(zhǔn)備給奧爾登做手術(shù)，便把米勒請(qǐng)出了手術(shù)室。米勒擔(dān)心再也見不到勇敢的搭檔了。

16第二天早上到了醫(yī)院，米勒發(fā)現(xiàn)奧爾登躺在手術(shù)臺(tái)上，縫合的傷口處縫線清晰可見?！白訌棽钜稽c(diǎn)就擊中了他的頸靜脈?！鲍F醫(yī)說，“他很幸運(yùn)，但現(xiàn)在還沒脫離危險(xiǎn)。”

17米勒撫摸著奧爾登的臉龐，注意到他的眼睛微微睜開。隨后，獸醫(yī)將一顆鉛彈放到米勒的手掌上，說道：“你或許想要這個(gè)吧?！泵桌盏皖^看著那顆子彈，心想：這顆子彈本來是沖我來的啊。

18米勒開始往外走，奧爾登掙扎著想從手術(shù)臺(tái)上爬起來跟主人走。但是，他受傷的身體幾乎動(dòng)彈不了?！暗つ?，他想跟你在一起?！鲍F醫(yī)說，“帶他回家吧?！?/p>

19在隨后的幾天里，米勒給奧爾登的傷口換藥，喂他吃的，抱他到外面。很快，米勒就明白，奧爾登要挺過來了。

20然而，訓(xùn)練師霍爾告訴他“槍傷可能會(huì)廢掉一只警犬”時(shí)，他又高興不起來了。

21不！米勒想：他是我的搭檔，應(yīng)該和我在一起。只有一個(gè)希望能讓奧爾登留在警隊(duì)，那就是他必須通過一項(xiàng)測(cè)試，看他還能不能勝任自己的工作。

22槍擊剛過幾周，米勒就開車把奧爾登帶到了一個(gè)廢棄的軍事基地，以再現(xiàn)那次槍擊的場(chǎng)面。好幾名警官緊張地站在一旁。

23接著，霍爾發(fā)出了測(cè)試開始的信號(hào)。奧爾登服從所有的命令，沿著一條長(zhǎng)廊跑下去，縱身躍出窗戶。但接下來，一名身穿防護(hù)襯墊的警官飛奔出來，舉起手槍瞄準(zhǔn)。當(dāng)奧爾登沖上前時(shí)，這名警官貼近奧爾登的面部開了兩槍。奧爾登一下子僵住了。

24“快上，伙計(jì)。”米勒說。他重又命令?yuàn)W爾登進(jìn)攻。奧爾登立馬撲向那個(gè)持槍的警官，沒有顧及他手里的槍。警官們鼓掌喝彩?！懊桌?，”霍爾咧嘴笑道，“你的搭檔回歸了。”

25回到家里，米勒領(lǐng)著奧爾登走向他的窩。突然，他停住了。自從一年多以前見到奧爾登時(shí)起，他就一直想做一件事?，F(xiàn)在是時(shí)候去做了。米勒蹲下來，雙臂摟住奧爾登，抱住他。之后，米勒和奧爾登開始在柔軟的草地上翻滾。奧爾登一聲聲歡叫著，尾巴啪啪地打著地面。 □

“Keep a sharp lookout,” Miller told him, glancing toward the back seat. In the dim light, Miller could just make out the shield glimmering smartly from his partner’s collar: Badge No. 85. The rookie was a husky German shepherd named Olden.

2Suddenly the cruiser’s headlights illuminated a figure breaking the lock on a building. Miller screeched to a halt and shouted the command “Go!” In a flash Olden bounded through the car’s open window, his deep bark reverberating through the night.

3The chase ended seconds later as Olden nipped the suspect on the buttocks.

4Over the next few months, Miller kept his relationship with Olden strictly professional. The dog was fed no table scraps. He was kept out of the bedroom.He spent his nights outside, regardless of the weather. Sometimes during storms, Olden would poke his nose out of his doghouse and bark at the back door. Miller pretended not to hear.

5Day after day, Miller raced the dog around the back yard to build his stamina—after all, Olden was a soldier in training. To test Olden’s discipline, he’d give him the order to “Stay”—and then he’d leave. Once Miller took a halfhour walk. When he returned, Olden was still glued to the spot where he had left him. At that moment Miller wanted to give Olden a hug, but instead quietly said, “Attaboy.”

6One afternoon, just after Miller and Olden began their shift, an urgent call came over the radio. “Shots fired, 720 North Park Avenue.” Miller flicked on the siren.

7As he pulled up to the house, a white car sped away. Behind the wheel was Steve Madden, a suspect.

8Miller chased Madden through intersection after intersection at 90 m.p.h.Finally the suspect swerved down a side street and abandoned his car. Miller jumped out of his cruiser and raced past garbage cans into an alley.

9Turning a corner, Miller expected to see a man running headlong. Instead,he found the barrel of a pistol pointing right at his chest.

10He braced for the jolt as Madden squeezed the trigger. But suddenly a thundering bark rang out and Olden burst around the corner, tearing straight for Madden. The gunman fired and fled.

11The bullet caught Olden in the face,spinning him backward and dropping him onto his side. The slug bore through Olden’s cheek, burst out his neck and buried itself in his shoulder. Blood spurted from the wounds.

12It took a split second for Miller to react. Olden has just made the ultimate sacrifice, he thought. As his partner lay panting, Miller whispered, “It’ll be all right.” Then he went after Madden.

13The suspect was now running across an open area behind a house. Two other officers had arrived, and the three cops exchanged shots with Madden. Finally,Miller felled Madden with a shot in the side.

14Miller scooped Olden up and placed him gently on the back seat of the patrol car. Then he sped toward the animal hospital.

15At the hospital, as Olden was prepared for surgery, Miller was ushered out of the room. He feared he’d never see his brave partner again.

16At the hospital the next morning,Miller found Olden lying on a table.Stitches jutted1jut（使）突出；（使）伸出。from the closed wounds.“The bullet missed his jugular vein by a fraction of an inch,” the vet said. “He’s lucky, but he’s not out of danger yet.”

17Miller stroked Olden’s face and watched his eyes open slightly. The vet then dropped a piece of lead into Miller’s palm. “You might want this,”he said. Miller looked down at the bullet. This was meant for me, he thought.

18As Miller began to walk out, Olden struggled to get up from the table and follow his master. But his torn body could barely move. “Danny, he wants to be with you,” the vet said. “Take him home.”

19In the days that followed, Miller dressed the dog’s wounds, made sure he ate and carried him outside. Soon it was clear to Miller that Olden was going to live.

20His joy was tempered, though, when trainer Hall told him, “Gunshot wounds can destroy a police dog’s effectiveness.”

21No! thought Miller. He’s my partner.He belongs here with me. There was only one hope for keeping Olden on the force: the dog would have to pass a test to see if he could still perform his job.

22Just weeks after the shooting, Miller drove Olden to an abandoned military base to re-create the scene of the shooting. Several officers stood by nervously.

23Then Hall signaled the beginning of the test. Olden followed all orders,running down a long corridor and jumping out a window. But then an officer layered in padding dashed out, leveling a revolver. As Olden advanced, the officer fired twice close to the dog’s face.Olden froze.

24“C’mon, buddy,” Miller said. He recommanded Olden to attack. A second later, the dog leaped at the gunman,now ignoring the gun in the officer’s hand. The officers broke into applause.“Miller,” Hall said, grinning, “you’ve got your partner back.”

25At home, Miller led Olden to his pen. Suddenly he stopped. There was something he’d been wanting to do ever since he saw Olden more than a year before. And now was the time to do it.Crouching down, Miller wrapped his arms around Olden and hugged him.Then the two started rolling around in the soft grass. Olden barked and barked,his tail thumping. ■