Post by Amber on Feb 2, 2014 14:03:38 GMT -5
I had gone through so much in the past two years. My mom dying, being reunited with my siblings, Flash telling me that he loved me, having pups, finding out that I was part Lab, whew! I was just coming back from the woods, a decently sized fish hung limp from my jaws. After I had gotten back from the farm, I had immediately gone to bed. I woke up to find a dead bird right beside me. I had picked it up, found Flash, and dropped it at his paws and yelled at him.
“What is this… this dead animal?” I spat.
“It’s a bird.” He said, eyes studying my face.
“No duh!”
“Eat it.”
I stared at him, eyes blazing.
“Why should I?”
“You need the protein.”
“No, I don’t!”
“Rain, your ribs are beginning to show through your skin.”
I had growled at him, and then turned my head to look at my side. He was right. I was basically a living skeleton. The last time I had eaten was before the case of the missing jewels. That was two weeks ago. Mumbling to myself, I had plucked the feathers off the bird and sank my teeth into the skin. Ahhh, I’ll take freshly killed birds over kibble any day! Once I had finished, Flash had smiled at me.
“Better?” He asked.
“Much better.” I had responded.
After a few weeks of eating a woodland diet of birds, mice, squirrels, and fish, I was back to a healthy weight if not over. Ok, enough, flashbacks. I was busy going about my business when Raven bounded over to me. As the pups grew older, their personalities were beginning to emerge. Raven was like Thunder, energetic and crazy. Rose was more like Skye, quiet and reserved but she could be easily ticked off. Allie had Flash’s boldness and my ability to sort things out.
“Muuuummmm.” He said. “Can you play tag with us?”
“Honey, I’m busy. Go ask your dad. Run along now.” I told the pup.
“But, mum, your always busy.”
“How about this. After I’m done sorting things out, I’ll play tag. How about that?”
“Ok.”
He bounded off to go play with his siblings. I heard a squeal come from Rose.
“Raven, your biting my ear too hard!”
“Raven!” I snapped. “Play nice!”
“Yes, mum.” He responded.
He let go of her ear. I finished sorting out the facts and found Flash chatting with Streak. The two were finally getting along. After Bailey had gotten too close to the pups, Flash got a little too protective and slammed the Labrador onto the ground. Teeth bared and snarling, the two wrestled for a few moments. To my horror, I saw Flash with his jaws around Streak’s neck.
“Flash! What in the name of Star pack are you doing?” I yelled.
“Protecting our pups, dear.” He answered through a mouthful of Streak’s jet-black fur.
Ever since they met, the two of them had been arguing and fighting over one thing or another.
“He didn’t harm a hair on their bodies!”
“Yea, but it looked like he was planning on it.”
“I was just going to visit them!” Streak wailed.
“Flash, let go of Streak, NOW!” I ordered.
Flash released his grip on Streak and he walked over to me.
“You leave me no choice. This bickering and fighting has to end here and now. I will suggest therapy.” I informed him.
His eyes went wide with horror.
“Oh, god! Anything but that!” He begged me.
“You left me no choice. Both you and Streak are to meet in the living room for your first session.”
He bowed his head.
“Yes, Rain.”
After about five three hour-long sessions of Pepper lecturing the two on how to get along, the two dogs stopped fighting and started being friendly towards one another. As I approached, Flash stopped chatting to Streak and licked me on my cheek.
“How are our little bundles of joy?” He asked.
“Annoying.” I said.
“I thought you said you wanted pups.”
“That was your dream, not mine.”
He stared at me as if I had just grown a second head.
“Just kidding!” I joked.
“Phew! For a second there, I thought you were serious!” He exclaimed.
“Seriously though, you need to talk to Raven about being gentle. He bit Rose’s ear too hard by accident.”
He nodded.
“I’ll go do it right now.”
As I watched him go, I smiled. I was so proud of him! He is such a good father! I had completely forgot about the fish that I had brought back this morning! The pups needed to eat.
“Raven, Allie, Rose! Time to eat!”
The girls stopped playing and barreled into me, knocking me over.
“What did you get us?” questioned Allie. “Bird?”
I shook my head as I gently shoved them off and got up.
“Fish.”
“My favorite!” Exclaimed Rose.
“Mine too!” Yelled Raven from across the clearing.
I laughed as flash had to stick out a paw to block little Raven from running over.
“No, Sir! No food until I’m done talking to you!” Flash told him firmly.
“Yes, dad.”
I laid down the big fat fish in front of their paws.
“Eat up.” I told them.
As the girls were tucking into the fish, Raven dashed over, wedged his way in between Rose and Allie, and started tearing at the scales to get to the pink flesh. I noticed that Laser had come back with a mouse and Pepper had come back with a squirrel. They both sat down by the fern covered tree stump and started eating and chatting. I scanned the area for Flash. He was lying down on the sandy banks of the creek, gazing into the water. I just noticed that Rune was walking over to me.
“I’ve got a new case that needs some solving.” He informed me.
“Alright, What’s the description?” I asked, head tilted to one side.
“A show dog was kidnapped.”
“That’s it?”
“It’s something to do.”
I hated show dogs. They were nothing but snobs and spoiled brats. I gave my ear a quick scratch.
“What’s the catch?”
“No catch.”
I sat down and cleared my throat.
“Attention CFS! We have a new case on our paws!”
Everyone gathered and sat in a semi circle around me while the pups sat in the middle.
“A show dog has been kidnapped!” I barked. “It’s our job to find him!”
“Show dogs are nothing but spoiled human toys!” Flash growled. “It’s his human’s fault that he want missing in the first place!”
The others nodded in agreement. Suddenly, the pups spoke up.
“Can we come with you to help find the missing dog?” they chorused.
I looked at Flash.
“Do you think they’re ready?” I asked him.
He shrugged.
“Sure, why not, BUT they have to stay close to us and do what they’re told.”
Flash and I stared at Raven. Allie and Rose nodded.
“We’ll behave.” Allie assured us. “I’ll watch Rose and Raven for you.”
“Thank you Allie.” I said as I licked her ear.
“No problem.”
“Rune, info if you please.”
The lean Doberman stepped forward.
“The dog’s name is Kane. He’s a Wiemeraner. He has eight blue ribbons, five red ribbons, and three yellow.”
“Why do we need to find the pet?” Flash growled.
“Because it’s part of our job as detectives.” I retaliated.
“Well… er… uh… your right, Rain. Sorry.”
I puffed out my chest in satisfaction. I’m always right. I looked at the sky. The stars were just coming out.
“Alright, everyone.” I yawned. “Let’s get some sleep. We’ll start on this case tomorrow.”
Everyone nodded sleepily. A show dog? What would anyone want with a show dog? Ransom? Pet? For show purposes? To eliminate the competition? Hm, god only knows! I woke up to Raven right in my face.
“Mum!” he squeaked. “Come on! Get up! Get up! Get up! We’ve got work to do!”
I rolled over and attempted to cover my ears.
“Raven! The sun’s not even up!” I moaned.
“I kno-”
I cut him off quickly.
“Geeze! Go outside and run around or find some food! Go annoy your siblings!”
“Ok!”
He hopped off the daybed. I heard his paws skid on the wooden floor as he raced out to meet the cool, brisk morning air. I closed my eyes, thankful to catch a few more ‘ZZZZZZs’ so to speak. A few minutes later, Flash prodded me awake.
“Flash, what do you want?” I growled.
“Good morning, Princess! Wakey, wakey!” He yelled in my face.
Not this again. I rolled my eyes.
“Someone’s unusually peppy this morning.”
He literally shoved me off the horse blanket. I hit the ground with a soft thud.
“What in the name of Star Pack is wrong with you?” I growled.
“Nothing!”
Instead if ripping his fur off, I just got up and slinked outside. I spotted Raven chasing a butterfly and laughed as he leaped up to catch it, then ramming into a nearby Holly Bush. I heard a little yelp and Raven dashed out of the bush and torpedoed into me. He was covered in Porcupine quills.
“Mum!” he wailed. “A Porcupine got me!”
“Raven, Raven, Raven. How many times have I told you to stay away from those?” I scolded as I started to pull the quills out of his muzzle and nose.
He hung his head then winced as I yanked out a quill on the top of his nose.
“A lot.”
“You need to follow your sister’s paw steps. They actually listen to me.”
“Yes, mum. Sorry, mum.”
“Promise me that you’ll never do that again!”
“I promise.”
I saw Allie and Rose in the doorframe. They bounded over Raven.
“What happened?” Asked Rose.
“A Porcupine attacked me.” Mumbled Raven.
Hm, the others weren’t up yet. As I was walking in the living room, I heard music blasting and Flash howling. I was just able to pick out some of the lyrics despite Flash’s loud, deep howling. “I was thinking bout her, thinkin’ bout me/Thinkin’ bout us, what we gon' be/Open my eyes yeah, it was only Just A Dream/So I travelled back, down that road/Will she come back, no one knows/I realize yeah, it was only Just A Dream.” As I walked in, Flash stopped howling and smiled in a sheepish way while the music was still playing.
“I got the radio to work!” He boasted.
“Oh, so I hear. No pun intended. We’ve sill got a case to solve ya know.” I responded.
“Oh, I forgot.”
“Sure you did, Flash.”
“No! I really did!”
I walked over, placed my front paws on the bedside table where the radio was, reached forward, and pressed the red button that said OFF with my snout. When the two of us walked out, it was well into the morning. The others were already up and Bailey was playing with the pups. Rune walked over and dropped a mouse at my paws.
“You need to eat.” He said.
“Have the others eaten?” I asked the Doberman.
He nodded. Good. I picked up the bird and went over by a boulder to eat. A shiver went down my spine as I realized that this was the same boulder that had given me my concussion. I shook off that feeling. I finished my mouse and walked over to Laser.
“We need to get this show on the road.” I told him.
“I agree.”
I sat and projected my voice.
“Rune had told me that the dognapping took place by the London Eye. CFS! Let’s hit the road!”
We all had a short howling session to get us fired up. After that, we left the stone building and headed to the Ferris wheel. There was no sound except the thud of our paws and our panting. A little bit after noon, we reached the London Eye. I looked back behind my shoulder and did a mental checklist. Good. Everyone was here, including the pups.
“Alright,” I ordered. “Fan out and search for clues. Raven, Allie, Rose, go with your dad.”
They nodded and dashed off to catch up with Flash, who was at the base of the Ferris wheel. I was thinking about that song that Flash was listening to earlier today when Flash sounded the alarm.
“Human scent! And it’s mixed with… male dog scent and… Roses?”
I inhaled deeply. Yep! That was Kane! I could defiantly smell Roses. It was then that I noticed the blood red petals around my paws. I followed the scent, which led to tire tracks. I followed them. With a flick of my ear, I signaled for the others to follow. The tracks led to an alley. A smell like rotten eggs and an old attic washed over us in waves. I stopped and went rigid. I knew what that meant and so did the others. Rats. They’re nasty little rodents, slightly bigger than mice. They have black beady eyes and naked tails. By instinct, the others surrounded the pups.
“What’s going on? Why are we being squashed?” asked Rose.
“Rats. Stay quiet!” ordered their father.
The pups went quiet. Their fear scent was strong. I heard a squeak soon followed by a chorus of others. Then they came. Brown bodies soon surrounded us on all sides. I backed into Streak and he stared at me with his brown panic stricken gaze. One of the rodents stepped forward. Its beady eyes gleaming with menace.
“What do you want?” it asked in a scratchy voice.
Wait a minute! Hold the phone! A rat that spoke dog? What was this?
“We want you to move out of our way!” Flash growled.
“Wait! Flash! Don’t-” I started to say.
Too late. Rats were everywhere. One leaped onto my right shoulder and bit down with its overgrown, yellow teeth. Hard. I howled in pain and fury. Being smart, I rammed sideways into a brick wall, crushing the rodent. I smiled as I heard tiny bones crunch and a tiny shriek. I backed off and the dead rat fell to the ground. The others saw me and copied my lead. I turned around. The pups were unguarded! To my horror, a group of six of them was creeping up on Rose who was alone. Why weren’t Allie and Raven protecting her? I’ll deal with that later. Being the smallest of the litter, a pack of six rats could easily finish her off.
“Rose! Look out!” I screamed.
She turned around and let out a yelp as the rats piled on top of her. I couldn’t take it! I plowed into the withering brown mass where my little Rose Bud was buried. I plucked them off and crunched down on their bodies. The crunching bones and dying cries of the Rats was music to my ears. Dropping them once I was sure they were dead. Dogs go to Star Pack while Rats, Cats, and other animals go to the Land of Eternal Fire. Allie, being the biggest, saw me, turned around to pluck a Rat from her back leg, and rushed over to help me.
“Who’s buried?” She panted.
“Your sister.” I responded gravely.
She went stiff for a second then increased her killing speed. Soon, I could see the faded black pelt of Rose against all the brown. I too, increased my killing speed. I could see her scruff. I reached down and grabbed my little pup and ran off. I finally set her under a nearby shining street lamp. Some rats tried to follow me, but Flash blocked them with his massive body.
“Oh, Rose!” I howled. “Please don’t go to Star pack!”
“Grandma?” She mumbled.
Oh god! Mum, please don’t take her from me! A smell of Hay and Spring Rain filled the air around us. Mum. That was her scent.
“Please… don’t take her…” I mumbled.
“Dearest Winslow, don’t worry. It’s not her time. I love you.” She breathed in my ear.
“I know. I miss you.”
“I’ll be waiting for you.”
I felt pressure on my cheek, like a dog’s snout was there. Out of the corner of my eye, I saw nothing. The pressure remained there for a moment before she told me this.
“I’ve got to go now, Winslow.”
“Mum! Wait!”
“Rose is back.”
My mum’s scent faded into the night. I looked over at the tiny brown and tan body. It was racked with a fit of tiny coughs as the life was put back into her. I rushed over to her and started licking her furiously.
“Mum?” she croaked.
“Yes, Rosie. It’s me!” I said in between licks.
“I was in a field and I saw a white light and a dog was waiting for me. She told me that I had to go back to you.”
I remembered my own brush with death with a shiver.
“Mum?” she asked.
“Yes?” I answered.
“You’re licking me too hard.”
I stopped licking her. The others walked out of the alley and surrounded us. They were bloody and covered in bite wounds and scratches. I saw Flash. His once two-toned pelt was stained scarlet like a holly berry.
“Flash!” I exclaimed.
“Don’t worry, it’s not my blood.” He told me.
I let out a sigh of relief and licked him.
“We should rest here.”
The others nodded. The unexpected fight with the rats had drained all of our energy. We basically went to sleep where we standing. I curled around the pups while Flash curled around us both. Rats, blood, and death plagued my dreams, or nightmares, rather. Laser gently tugged my ear.
“Gotta go. We gotta mission to solve, remember?” He whispered.
“Oh yeah.” I said sleepily.
I got to my paws and nudged a sleeping Rose. She nuzzled me then got up. We trudged past the alley. We all slowed down to assess the damage. Blood, Rat bodies, and fur were everywhere. Oh, did I mention the Crows? Yes, Crows were there too. They were picking apart the tiny carcasses with their spear sharp beaks. Once again, I checked everyone over, this time, in the light of dawn. Pepper’s ears were torn to shreds and Bailey’s coat had been ripped out in chunks, leaving bald patches here and there. The pups and the rest of us suffered from scratches and minor bite wounds. Rose was traumatized for life, the poor thing. Once again, the scent of Roses reached my nose. Kane. The others soon caught on and followed me. This time, it led to… an abandoned house. Hm, the smell of Roses were now mixed with… death, and abuse. What? The back door to the house was slightly ajar, so I pushed it open with my snout. Big mistake. I saw cages, men with tattoos and Cigars, dogs (mostly Pit Bulls, Bull Terriers, Dobermans, etc.). I knew where we were. Caroline used to watch Animal Cops Huston all the time. This was a dogfighting ring. The atmosphere was dark and heavy. Cigar smoke hung in the air like a toxic fog. In the center of the room, there was a dirt clearing. This must be where the actual fighting took place. I looked at Flash, who went stiff. His fear scent was coming off in waves. Suddenly, a black and white Pit Bull caught my scent and charged over in my direction, slobbering and snarling. Before I had a chance to respond, it fastened its steel-trap jaws around my neck. I swiveled my head in Flash’s direction. He was busy talking to a nice-looking Bull Terrier. I looked up at my attacker. His brown eyes gleamed with triumph as he applied more pressure to my neck. Suddenly, one of the Crack-headed humans looked over in my direction and shouted, “Hey, looks like Rex got himself dog!” The other humans looked in my direction and started cheering the piebald Pit on. I closed my eyes, wanting it to be over. Suddenly, I felt my body hit the floor. I looked back to find Flash on top of the dog growling and snapping his jaws. The dog named Rex flipped Flash over and bit down on his back right leg. I heard a loud snap, followed by Flash howling in pain. The humans were shouting thing like, “Hey! Stalin’s back!” and “Git em Rex!” My eyes went wide. Stalin? Wasn’t he the Russian Dictator during World War II? I guessed that they were referring to Flash. Flash quickly got up and rammed into Rex, knocking the heavy dog to the floor. All I could see was dust and all I could hear were barks and snarls, maybe some yelps and whimpers too. I heard a deep, throaty voice exclaim.
“Dude! I submit! Let me go!”
That must’ve been Rex.
“Never! I will make you pay for what you did to my girlfriend!” Flash barked.
“How was I supposed to know that Beagle was your girlfriend?”
“That BEAGLE has a name!”
“Sorrry!”
“DON’T YOU DARE DISRESPECT ME!”
He was still calling me his girlfriend? Hm, interesting. And with that, Flash bit down on the Pit’s neck, Rex let out a blood-curling scream, and when the dust cleared, Flash stood tall and proud with Rex’s limp body hanging from his jaws. The humans did something that made me sick, literally. They cheered. Suddenly, the cheers turned to screams of fear as a large group of dogs came rushing out of every room. I noticed that Bailey, Pepper, Laser, and Streak led the large pack of dogs. My guess was while Flash and I were caught up with that Pit Bull, they had gone off to find Kane and instead, they freed all of the captive dogs. Suddenly, The wave of dogs stopped right in front of me, their heads bowed in deep gratitude. Then they looked to Laser for some sort of signal. When Laser pawed the ground, the dogs flowed around him and leaped at the humans, going for their necks and limbs. In the total chaos that erupted, a Weimeraner spotted me and walked over to me, or was he prancing? He smelled strongly of Roses. I nodded a greeting.
“Kane.”
“You must be Rain.”
He talked with a thick British accent. Of course, all of us have accents, but his was so heavy, I struggled with what he was saying. We both turned our heads as a Rottweiler, not Flash, grabbed a man by the arm and tore it out of its socket. We both flinched and went on with talking.
“Nice to meet you Rain.” He resumed.
“You too.”
Not knowing what else to do, we just sat down beside each other and watched the scene unfold before us. Pepper led a brigade of small dogs, who were biting at the human’s heels and feet, while Laser and Flash led groups of the larger dogs, who went for the arms and necks of the humans. Steak and Bailey, well, they were just running around in circles barking their heads off. Rose was with Pepper and his small dog posse and Allie and Raven were with Laser and Flash’s attack group. Now two dog years old, the pups were able to participate in the fight. A Bulldog had tripped a man by biting his ankles repeatedly and a Dogo Argentino started mauling off his face. I decided that I needed to join the fun. I rushed over to Flash while Kane called over to me.
“Be careful!” He advised.
“I will! Wait outside until we come out.” I ordered him.
He nodded and made a B-line for the door. Flash didn’t even ask me what I was doing. Mouth wide open and slobbering like I had rabies, I launched myself at a rather stout man and bit down on his chubby hand, which, unknown to me, welded a club. I looked up just in time to see the metal object come down upon my head. Crack! I blacked out and saw stars. In the darkness I could still hear barking and the screams of humans. When I woke up, we were in the woods behind the house and I heard sirens and people shouting. My pack was safe and sound. Kane was there with them. One of the dogs, an Akita Inu, came running back, his eyes wild with fear. “We’ve gotta high-tail it outta here! The humans are looking for us!” I was still in no shape to run, so a Doberman placed me across a Bull Mastiff’s shoulders. Then, we heard gunfire and rapid footsteps. We knew what to do. We ran like there was no tomorrow. I saw Flash who was a couple of feet away who was glancing at me here and there to make sure I was okay. The pups were with him. Good. Somewhere near the end of the pack, a dog shouted, “Faster! The humans are gaining of us!” Out of nowhere, a thunderstorm erupted, dumping its bone-chilling burden on us. Despite the blasting wind and the cold, stinging rain, we pushed on. All was silent except of our panting, the occasional clap of thunder and the shot of a rifle. All of the sudden, I was dropped and I rolled a few times before a grey Pit Bull stopped and picked me up by the scruff and continued running. I kept bumping against her front legs with every massive stride she took. I looked back at the Bull Mastiff who had carried me. He was bleeding from a gunshot wound in his shoulder. A muscular Cane Corso stopped by his fallen comrade, grabbed the massive body by the scruff, and dragged him while he ran. He was muttering through a mouthful of tan fur, “Ain’t no darn human gonna git ya, buddy.” I admired his determination. No one will be left behind. Pretty soon, we reached the industrial side of London. We slowed down to a steady trot with our ears up and alert. No one heard footsteps or gunshots. The humans had just simply given up. Light fog blanketed the area and a light drizzle cooled us down. The Pit Bull gently set me down on the stone pavers in front of her.
“Are you ok there?” She asked me gently.
“I’m a bit shaken up and dizzy, but besides that, I’m fine, thank you.” I replied good-naturedly.
“I’m Dakota, by the way. And you are?”
“Rain. Nice to meet you.”
She jerked her head in Flash’s direction.
“I think someone wants to see you.”
When I saw Flash, I let out a sigh of relief. We practically crashed into each other. I looked back at Dakota, who was smiling a toothy grin.
“Thank you!” I called over to her.
“Anytime!” She called back.
Flash studied my face, his deep brown eyes warm.
“We’ve got Kane. Let’s say our farewells and head on back.” He rumbled.
I nodded. We weaved among the dogs, exchanging friendly nuzzles and goodbyes. I looked back at Dakota one last time.
“If you ever want to visit us,” She barked after us. “We’ll be right here, waiting!”
I smiled to myself. Another case closed. We began the long trek back to HQ with Kane. Perhaps, I’ll tell Rune about our adventures when we get back. Flash, with a sleeping Rose in his mouth, smiled awkwardly as I bent down to pick up an exhausted Raven. Allie was too heavy to carry, so she had to walk, but she didn’t seem to mind. I couldn’t wait to get back, curl up on the horse blanket beside Flash, and go to sleep.
“What is this… this dead animal?” I spat.
“It’s a bird.” He said, eyes studying my face.
“No duh!”
“Eat it.”
I stared at him, eyes blazing.
“Why should I?”
“You need the protein.”
“No, I don’t!”
“Rain, your ribs are beginning to show through your skin.”
I had growled at him, and then turned my head to look at my side. He was right. I was basically a living skeleton. The last time I had eaten was before the case of the missing jewels. That was two weeks ago. Mumbling to myself, I had plucked the feathers off the bird and sank my teeth into the skin. Ahhh, I’ll take freshly killed birds over kibble any day! Once I had finished, Flash had smiled at me.
“Better?” He asked.
“Much better.” I had responded.
After a few weeks of eating a woodland diet of birds, mice, squirrels, and fish, I was back to a healthy weight if not over. Ok, enough, flashbacks. I was busy going about my business when Raven bounded over to me. As the pups grew older, their personalities were beginning to emerge. Raven was like Thunder, energetic and crazy. Rose was more like Skye, quiet and reserved but she could be easily ticked off. Allie had Flash’s boldness and my ability to sort things out.
“Muuuummmm.” He said. “Can you play tag with us?”
“Honey, I’m busy. Go ask your dad. Run along now.” I told the pup.
“But, mum, your always busy.”
“How about this. After I’m done sorting things out, I’ll play tag. How about that?”
“Ok.”
He bounded off to go play with his siblings. I heard a squeal come from Rose.
“Raven, your biting my ear too hard!”
“Raven!” I snapped. “Play nice!”
“Yes, mum.” He responded.
He let go of her ear. I finished sorting out the facts and found Flash chatting with Streak. The two were finally getting along. After Bailey had gotten too close to the pups, Flash got a little too protective and slammed the Labrador onto the ground. Teeth bared and snarling, the two wrestled for a few moments. To my horror, I saw Flash with his jaws around Streak’s neck.
“Flash! What in the name of Star pack are you doing?” I yelled.
“Protecting our pups, dear.” He answered through a mouthful of Streak’s jet-black fur.
Ever since they met, the two of them had been arguing and fighting over one thing or another.
“He didn’t harm a hair on their bodies!”
“Yea, but it looked like he was planning on it.”
“I was just going to visit them!” Streak wailed.
“Flash, let go of Streak, NOW!” I ordered.
Flash released his grip on Streak and he walked over to me.
“You leave me no choice. This bickering and fighting has to end here and now. I will suggest therapy.” I informed him.
His eyes went wide with horror.
“Oh, god! Anything but that!” He begged me.
“You left me no choice. Both you and Streak are to meet in the living room for your first session.”
He bowed his head.
“Yes, Rain.”
After about five three hour-long sessions of Pepper lecturing the two on how to get along, the two dogs stopped fighting and started being friendly towards one another. As I approached, Flash stopped chatting to Streak and licked me on my cheek.
“How are our little bundles of joy?” He asked.
“Annoying.” I said.
“I thought you said you wanted pups.”
“That was your dream, not mine.”
He stared at me as if I had just grown a second head.
“Just kidding!” I joked.
“Phew! For a second there, I thought you were serious!” He exclaimed.
“Seriously though, you need to talk to Raven about being gentle. He bit Rose’s ear too hard by accident.”
He nodded.
“I’ll go do it right now.”
As I watched him go, I smiled. I was so proud of him! He is such a good father! I had completely forgot about the fish that I had brought back this morning! The pups needed to eat.
“Raven, Allie, Rose! Time to eat!”
The girls stopped playing and barreled into me, knocking me over.
“What did you get us?” questioned Allie. “Bird?”
I shook my head as I gently shoved them off and got up.
“Fish.”
“My favorite!” Exclaimed Rose.
“Mine too!” Yelled Raven from across the clearing.
I laughed as flash had to stick out a paw to block little Raven from running over.
“No, Sir! No food until I’m done talking to you!” Flash told him firmly.
“Yes, dad.”
I laid down the big fat fish in front of their paws.
“Eat up.” I told them.
As the girls were tucking into the fish, Raven dashed over, wedged his way in between Rose and Allie, and started tearing at the scales to get to the pink flesh. I noticed that Laser had come back with a mouse and Pepper had come back with a squirrel. They both sat down by the fern covered tree stump and started eating and chatting. I scanned the area for Flash. He was lying down on the sandy banks of the creek, gazing into the water. I just noticed that Rune was walking over to me.
“I’ve got a new case that needs some solving.” He informed me.
“Alright, What’s the description?” I asked, head tilted to one side.
“A show dog was kidnapped.”
“That’s it?”
“It’s something to do.”
I hated show dogs. They were nothing but snobs and spoiled brats. I gave my ear a quick scratch.
“What’s the catch?”
“No catch.”
I sat down and cleared my throat.
“Attention CFS! We have a new case on our paws!”
Everyone gathered and sat in a semi circle around me while the pups sat in the middle.
“A show dog has been kidnapped!” I barked. “It’s our job to find him!”
“Show dogs are nothing but spoiled human toys!” Flash growled. “It’s his human’s fault that he want missing in the first place!”
The others nodded in agreement. Suddenly, the pups spoke up.
“Can we come with you to help find the missing dog?” they chorused.
I looked at Flash.
“Do you think they’re ready?” I asked him.
He shrugged.
“Sure, why not, BUT they have to stay close to us and do what they’re told.”
Flash and I stared at Raven. Allie and Rose nodded.
“We’ll behave.” Allie assured us. “I’ll watch Rose and Raven for you.”
“Thank you Allie.” I said as I licked her ear.
“No problem.”
“Rune, info if you please.”
The lean Doberman stepped forward.
“The dog’s name is Kane. He’s a Wiemeraner. He has eight blue ribbons, five red ribbons, and three yellow.”
“Why do we need to find the pet?” Flash growled.
“Because it’s part of our job as detectives.” I retaliated.
“Well… er… uh… your right, Rain. Sorry.”
I puffed out my chest in satisfaction. I’m always right. I looked at the sky. The stars were just coming out.
“Alright, everyone.” I yawned. “Let’s get some sleep. We’ll start on this case tomorrow.”
Everyone nodded sleepily. A show dog? What would anyone want with a show dog? Ransom? Pet? For show purposes? To eliminate the competition? Hm, god only knows! I woke up to Raven right in my face.
“Mum!” he squeaked. “Come on! Get up! Get up! Get up! We’ve got work to do!”
I rolled over and attempted to cover my ears.
“Raven! The sun’s not even up!” I moaned.
“I kno-”
I cut him off quickly.
“Geeze! Go outside and run around or find some food! Go annoy your siblings!”
“Ok!”
He hopped off the daybed. I heard his paws skid on the wooden floor as he raced out to meet the cool, brisk morning air. I closed my eyes, thankful to catch a few more ‘ZZZZZZs’ so to speak. A few minutes later, Flash prodded me awake.
“Flash, what do you want?” I growled.
“Good morning, Princess! Wakey, wakey!” He yelled in my face.
Not this again. I rolled my eyes.
“Someone’s unusually peppy this morning.”
He literally shoved me off the horse blanket. I hit the ground with a soft thud.
“What in the name of Star Pack is wrong with you?” I growled.
“Nothing!”
Instead if ripping his fur off, I just got up and slinked outside. I spotted Raven chasing a butterfly and laughed as he leaped up to catch it, then ramming into a nearby Holly Bush. I heard a little yelp and Raven dashed out of the bush and torpedoed into me. He was covered in Porcupine quills.
“Mum!” he wailed. “A Porcupine got me!”
“Raven, Raven, Raven. How many times have I told you to stay away from those?” I scolded as I started to pull the quills out of his muzzle and nose.
He hung his head then winced as I yanked out a quill on the top of his nose.
“A lot.”
“You need to follow your sister’s paw steps. They actually listen to me.”
“Yes, mum. Sorry, mum.”
“Promise me that you’ll never do that again!”
“I promise.”
I saw Allie and Rose in the doorframe. They bounded over Raven.
“What happened?” Asked Rose.
“A Porcupine attacked me.” Mumbled Raven.
Hm, the others weren’t up yet. As I was walking in the living room, I heard music blasting and Flash howling. I was just able to pick out some of the lyrics despite Flash’s loud, deep howling. “I was thinking bout her, thinkin’ bout me/Thinkin’ bout us, what we gon' be/Open my eyes yeah, it was only Just A Dream/So I travelled back, down that road/Will she come back, no one knows/I realize yeah, it was only Just A Dream.” As I walked in, Flash stopped howling and smiled in a sheepish way while the music was still playing.
“I got the radio to work!” He boasted.
“Oh, so I hear. No pun intended. We’ve sill got a case to solve ya know.” I responded.
“Oh, I forgot.”
“Sure you did, Flash.”
“No! I really did!”
I walked over, placed my front paws on the bedside table where the radio was, reached forward, and pressed the red button that said OFF with my snout. When the two of us walked out, it was well into the morning. The others were already up and Bailey was playing with the pups. Rune walked over and dropped a mouse at my paws.
“You need to eat.” He said.
“Have the others eaten?” I asked the Doberman.
He nodded. Good. I picked up the bird and went over by a boulder to eat. A shiver went down my spine as I realized that this was the same boulder that had given me my concussion. I shook off that feeling. I finished my mouse and walked over to Laser.
“We need to get this show on the road.” I told him.
“I agree.”
I sat and projected my voice.
“Rune had told me that the dognapping took place by the London Eye. CFS! Let’s hit the road!”
We all had a short howling session to get us fired up. After that, we left the stone building and headed to the Ferris wheel. There was no sound except the thud of our paws and our panting. A little bit after noon, we reached the London Eye. I looked back behind my shoulder and did a mental checklist. Good. Everyone was here, including the pups.
“Alright,” I ordered. “Fan out and search for clues. Raven, Allie, Rose, go with your dad.”
They nodded and dashed off to catch up with Flash, who was at the base of the Ferris wheel. I was thinking about that song that Flash was listening to earlier today when Flash sounded the alarm.
“Human scent! And it’s mixed with… male dog scent and… Roses?”
I inhaled deeply. Yep! That was Kane! I could defiantly smell Roses. It was then that I noticed the blood red petals around my paws. I followed the scent, which led to tire tracks. I followed them. With a flick of my ear, I signaled for the others to follow. The tracks led to an alley. A smell like rotten eggs and an old attic washed over us in waves. I stopped and went rigid. I knew what that meant and so did the others. Rats. They’re nasty little rodents, slightly bigger than mice. They have black beady eyes and naked tails. By instinct, the others surrounded the pups.
“What’s going on? Why are we being squashed?” asked Rose.
“Rats. Stay quiet!” ordered their father.
The pups went quiet. Their fear scent was strong. I heard a squeak soon followed by a chorus of others. Then they came. Brown bodies soon surrounded us on all sides. I backed into Streak and he stared at me with his brown panic stricken gaze. One of the rodents stepped forward. Its beady eyes gleaming with menace.
“What do you want?” it asked in a scratchy voice.
Wait a minute! Hold the phone! A rat that spoke dog? What was this?
“We want you to move out of our way!” Flash growled.
“Wait! Flash! Don’t-” I started to say.
Too late. Rats were everywhere. One leaped onto my right shoulder and bit down with its overgrown, yellow teeth. Hard. I howled in pain and fury. Being smart, I rammed sideways into a brick wall, crushing the rodent. I smiled as I heard tiny bones crunch and a tiny shriek. I backed off and the dead rat fell to the ground. The others saw me and copied my lead. I turned around. The pups were unguarded! To my horror, a group of six of them was creeping up on Rose who was alone. Why weren’t Allie and Raven protecting her? I’ll deal with that later. Being the smallest of the litter, a pack of six rats could easily finish her off.
“Rose! Look out!” I screamed.
She turned around and let out a yelp as the rats piled on top of her. I couldn’t take it! I plowed into the withering brown mass where my little Rose Bud was buried. I plucked them off and crunched down on their bodies. The crunching bones and dying cries of the Rats was music to my ears. Dropping them once I was sure they were dead. Dogs go to Star Pack while Rats, Cats, and other animals go to the Land of Eternal Fire. Allie, being the biggest, saw me, turned around to pluck a Rat from her back leg, and rushed over to help me.
“Who’s buried?” She panted.
“Your sister.” I responded gravely.
She went stiff for a second then increased her killing speed. Soon, I could see the faded black pelt of Rose against all the brown. I too, increased my killing speed. I could see her scruff. I reached down and grabbed my little pup and ran off. I finally set her under a nearby shining street lamp. Some rats tried to follow me, but Flash blocked them with his massive body.
“Oh, Rose!” I howled. “Please don’t go to Star pack!”
“Grandma?” She mumbled.
Oh god! Mum, please don’t take her from me! A smell of Hay and Spring Rain filled the air around us. Mum. That was her scent.
“Please… don’t take her…” I mumbled.
“Dearest Winslow, don’t worry. It’s not her time. I love you.” She breathed in my ear.
“I know. I miss you.”
“I’ll be waiting for you.”
I felt pressure on my cheek, like a dog’s snout was there. Out of the corner of my eye, I saw nothing. The pressure remained there for a moment before she told me this.
“I’ve got to go now, Winslow.”
“Mum! Wait!”
“Rose is back.”
My mum’s scent faded into the night. I looked over at the tiny brown and tan body. It was racked with a fit of tiny coughs as the life was put back into her. I rushed over to her and started licking her furiously.
“Mum?” she croaked.
“Yes, Rosie. It’s me!” I said in between licks.
“I was in a field and I saw a white light and a dog was waiting for me. She told me that I had to go back to you.”
I remembered my own brush with death with a shiver.
“Mum?” she asked.
“Yes?” I answered.
“You’re licking me too hard.”
I stopped licking her. The others walked out of the alley and surrounded us. They were bloody and covered in bite wounds and scratches. I saw Flash. His once two-toned pelt was stained scarlet like a holly berry.
“Flash!” I exclaimed.
“Don’t worry, it’s not my blood.” He told me.
I let out a sigh of relief and licked him.
“We should rest here.”
The others nodded. The unexpected fight with the rats had drained all of our energy. We basically went to sleep where we standing. I curled around the pups while Flash curled around us both. Rats, blood, and death plagued my dreams, or nightmares, rather. Laser gently tugged my ear.
“Gotta go. We gotta mission to solve, remember?” He whispered.
“Oh yeah.” I said sleepily.
I got to my paws and nudged a sleeping Rose. She nuzzled me then got up. We trudged past the alley. We all slowed down to assess the damage. Blood, Rat bodies, and fur were everywhere. Oh, did I mention the Crows? Yes, Crows were there too. They were picking apart the tiny carcasses with their spear sharp beaks. Once again, I checked everyone over, this time, in the light of dawn. Pepper’s ears were torn to shreds and Bailey’s coat had been ripped out in chunks, leaving bald patches here and there. The pups and the rest of us suffered from scratches and minor bite wounds. Rose was traumatized for life, the poor thing. Once again, the scent of Roses reached my nose. Kane. The others soon caught on and followed me. This time, it led to… an abandoned house. Hm, the smell of Roses were now mixed with… death, and abuse. What? The back door to the house was slightly ajar, so I pushed it open with my snout. Big mistake. I saw cages, men with tattoos and Cigars, dogs (mostly Pit Bulls, Bull Terriers, Dobermans, etc.). I knew where we were. Caroline used to watch Animal Cops Huston all the time. This was a dogfighting ring. The atmosphere was dark and heavy. Cigar smoke hung in the air like a toxic fog. In the center of the room, there was a dirt clearing. This must be where the actual fighting took place. I looked at Flash, who went stiff. His fear scent was coming off in waves. Suddenly, a black and white Pit Bull caught my scent and charged over in my direction, slobbering and snarling. Before I had a chance to respond, it fastened its steel-trap jaws around my neck. I swiveled my head in Flash’s direction. He was busy talking to a nice-looking Bull Terrier. I looked up at my attacker. His brown eyes gleamed with triumph as he applied more pressure to my neck. Suddenly, one of the Crack-headed humans looked over in my direction and shouted, “Hey, looks like Rex got himself dog!” The other humans looked in my direction and started cheering the piebald Pit on. I closed my eyes, wanting it to be over. Suddenly, I felt my body hit the floor. I looked back to find Flash on top of the dog growling and snapping his jaws. The dog named Rex flipped Flash over and bit down on his back right leg. I heard a loud snap, followed by Flash howling in pain. The humans were shouting thing like, “Hey! Stalin’s back!” and “Git em Rex!” My eyes went wide. Stalin? Wasn’t he the Russian Dictator during World War II? I guessed that they were referring to Flash. Flash quickly got up and rammed into Rex, knocking the heavy dog to the floor. All I could see was dust and all I could hear were barks and snarls, maybe some yelps and whimpers too. I heard a deep, throaty voice exclaim.
“Dude! I submit! Let me go!”
That must’ve been Rex.
“Never! I will make you pay for what you did to my girlfriend!” Flash barked.
“How was I supposed to know that Beagle was your girlfriend?”
“That BEAGLE has a name!”
“Sorrry!”
“DON’T YOU DARE DISRESPECT ME!”
He was still calling me his girlfriend? Hm, interesting. And with that, Flash bit down on the Pit’s neck, Rex let out a blood-curling scream, and when the dust cleared, Flash stood tall and proud with Rex’s limp body hanging from his jaws. The humans did something that made me sick, literally. They cheered. Suddenly, the cheers turned to screams of fear as a large group of dogs came rushing out of every room. I noticed that Bailey, Pepper, Laser, and Streak led the large pack of dogs. My guess was while Flash and I were caught up with that Pit Bull, they had gone off to find Kane and instead, they freed all of the captive dogs. Suddenly, The wave of dogs stopped right in front of me, their heads bowed in deep gratitude. Then they looked to Laser for some sort of signal. When Laser pawed the ground, the dogs flowed around him and leaped at the humans, going for their necks and limbs. In the total chaos that erupted, a Weimeraner spotted me and walked over to me, or was he prancing? He smelled strongly of Roses. I nodded a greeting.
“Kane.”
“You must be Rain.”
He talked with a thick British accent. Of course, all of us have accents, but his was so heavy, I struggled with what he was saying. We both turned our heads as a Rottweiler, not Flash, grabbed a man by the arm and tore it out of its socket. We both flinched and went on with talking.
“Nice to meet you Rain.” He resumed.
“You too.”
Not knowing what else to do, we just sat down beside each other and watched the scene unfold before us. Pepper led a brigade of small dogs, who were biting at the human’s heels and feet, while Laser and Flash led groups of the larger dogs, who went for the arms and necks of the humans. Steak and Bailey, well, they were just running around in circles barking their heads off. Rose was with Pepper and his small dog posse and Allie and Raven were with Laser and Flash’s attack group. Now two dog years old, the pups were able to participate in the fight. A Bulldog had tripped a man by biting his ankles repeatedly and a Dogo Argentino started mauling off his face. I decided that I needed to join the fun. I rushed over to Flash while Kane called over to me.
“Be careful!” He advised.
“I will! Wait outside until we come out.” I ordered him.
He nodded and made a B-line for the door. Flash didn’t even ask me what I was doing. Mouth wide open and slobbering like I had rabies, I launched myself at a rather stout man and bit down on his chubby hand, which, unknown to me, welded a club. I looked up just in time to see the metal object come down upon my head. Crack! I blacked out and saw stars. In the darkness I could still hear barking and the screams of humans. When I woke up, we were in the woods behind the house and I heard sirens and people shouting. My pack was safe and sound. Kane was there with them. One of the dogs, an Akita Inu, came running back, his eyes wild with fear. “We’ve gotta high-tail it outta here! The humans are looking for us!” I was still in no shape to run, so a Doberman placed me across a Bull Mastiff’s shoulders. Then, we heard gunfire and rapid footsteps. We knew what to do. We ran like there was no tomorrow. I saw Flash who was a couple of feet away who was glancing at me here and there to make sure I was okay. The pups were with him. Good. Somewhere near the end of the pack, a dog shouted, “Faster! The humans are gaining of us!” Out of nowhere, a thunderstorm erupted, dumping its bone-chilling burden on us. Despite the blasting wind and the cold, stinging rain, we pushed on. All was silent except of our panting, the occasional clap of thunder and the shot of a rifle. All of the sudden, I was dropped and I rolled a few times before a grey Pit Bull stopped and picked me up by the scruff and continued running. I kept bumping against her front legs with every massive stride she took. I looked back at the Bull Mastiff who had carried me. He was bleeding from a gunshot wound in his shoulder. A muscular Cane Corso stopped by his fallen comrade, grabbed the massive body by the scruff, and dragged him while he ran. He was muttering through a mouthful of tan fur, “Ain’t no darn human gonna git ya, buddy.” I admired his determination. No one will be left behind. Pretty soon, we reached the industrial side of London. We slowed down to a steady trot with our ears up and alert. No one heard footsteps or gunshots. The humans had just simply given up. Light fog blanketed the area and a light drizzle cooled us down. The Pit Bull gently set me down on the stone pavers in front of her.
“Are you ok there?” She asked me gently.
“I’m a bit shaken up and dizzy, but besides that, I’m fine, thank you.” I replied good-naturedly.
“I’m Dakota, by the way. And you are?”
“Rain. Nice to meet you.”
She jerked her head in Flash’s direction.
“I think someone wants to see you.”
When I saw Flash, I let out a sigh of relief. We practically crashed into each other. I looked back at Dakota, who was smiling a toothy grin.
“Thank you!” I called over to her.
“Anytime!” She called back.
Flash studied my face, his deep brown eyes warm.
“We’ve got Kane. Let’s say our farewells and head on back.” He rumbled.
I nodded. We weaved among the dogs, exchanging friendly nuzzles and goodbyes. I looked back at Dakota one last time.
“If you ever want to visit us,” She barked after us. “We’ll be right here, waiting!”
I smiled to myself. Another case closed. We began the long trek back to HQ with Kane. Perhaps, I’ll tell Rune about our adventures when we get back. Flash, with a sleeping Rose in his mouth, smiled awkwardly as I bent down to pick up an exhausted Raven. Allie was too heavy to carry, so she had to walk, but she didn’t seem to mind. I couldn’t wait to get back, curl up on the horse blanket beside Flash, and go to sleep.
