As much as he hated to run away from the nice-smelling lady, Gertie needed him. Soon he would be on the big bed eating popcorn, and everything would be just as it was.
He slowed down to a fast walk. It was completely dark except for the lights mounted above the garages in the alley. They were bright, but not bright enough to calm his fears.
He thought about the voice that had whispered in his ear. It had sounded so familiar, even though it was faint. He stopped for a moment so he could think even harder.
The voice had sounded like Gertie. But how could that be? He hadn’t seen her or smelled her. He thought about the warmth he had felt, like he was up on the big bed.
Maybe she had been there but he hadn’t seen her. Which seemed very weird. If it was true, though, she was close! She was probably playing some kind of hide-and-seek game.
Moon Pie paused. Something else was close. Watching him.
It could be his imagination. Gus often told him that he had a big imagination. That there were no sneaky-pete mice at Miss Lottie’s.
“You’re letting your imagination run away with you again,” Gus would say.
Still. Moon Pie felt a tremble deep inside his belly.
He barked once, loudly, then looked around. It was dark and scary.
“Come out! I’m not scared of you!”
This wasn’t true, not at all, but he thought now was a good time for lying.
The alley was quiet. Too quiet.
He walked slowly down the street, peering into the darkness. Oh, Gertie, Gertie, Gertie. Why wasn’t she here when he needed her? She always had been in the past. Always.
A good smell beckoned him. A cheesy, melty smell. With bacon!
Moon Pie’s ears stood up. He tilted his head to the sky and sniffed hard, his mouth slightly open. The cheesy, melty bacon smell was close! He took a few steps toward it, holding his head high. His stomach rumbled. He was getting very, very close. It seemed to be coming from a yard to his left. He sniffed as he walked closer.
Pizza. Definitely pizza. With melty cheese and bacon.
He stopped. Was that a grumble? Something soft and low? Like someone else’s empty stomach?
Moon Pie didn’t wait to see what it might be. He raced toward the smell, ears flapping in the cold night air. He barked a few loud yaps to scare whatever it was away.
He came to the edge of a yard that was crowded with interesting things, like boxes and tires and an old swing set. He liked this yard very much.
An overstuffed trash can stood near the house. Perched on top of it was a pizza box. There was definitely still pizza in there, he was sure of it.
All he needed to do was bump into the trash can and knock off that pizza box.
It would be so easy.
He walked slowly into the yard, careful not to make a noise. He was a ninja dog—a ninja dog on a mission for pizza.
A strange sound caught his attention. A scratching sound. He looked around, but the yard was still.
The cheesy, melty bacon smell was stronger now. So strong, he couldn’t resist it. He would run right into the trash can, knock it over with his paws, grab the pizza, and run back into the best-lit part of the alley to eat it.
Moon Pie liked this plan. It seemed brave and daring. He had often listened to the stories Roo told about living on the streets. It all sounded so exciting and adventurous.
Well, he was having his own adventure. He couldn’t wait to tell the others about it!
Except that he wouldn’t be telling them. He was probably never going to see them again.
His thoughts turned back to the pizza as the smell wafted his way, making a path straight to his nose. He took two steps backward to give himself a running start, then he rammed into the trash can, slamming his paws against it.
The scratching, scrabbling sound grew louder. Moon Pie backed up and hit the trash can again. This time, he heard the box sliding off the top. He looked up in time to see it falling toward him.
He also saw something else falling with it.
“Wha—”
By the time he figured out what had happened, it was too late.
Gus
Gus panted as he ran.
“Wait, Tank—”
Tank didn’t slow down. He kept running toward the strange animal.
“Tank, don’t!”
The coyote stopped. Tank rushed up to him. Gus watched in fear as the coyote lifted his head and howled.
Gus knew that howl. It wasn’t a coyote at all.
“Roo!” Gus said, running toward her.
Tank gently headbutted the three-legged dog.
“Roo!” he said. “You came back to us!”
“WHAT ARE YOU GUYS DOING? WHERE’S MOON PIE? HAVE YOU FOUND HIM?”
Roo spun around four times quickly.
“Slow down, Roo,” Gus warned. “You’ll make yourself dizzy.”
“You came back,” Tank said again. “You didn’t desert us after all.”
Roo looked down at the ground. “I’m sorry. I really really really am. I shouldn’t have followed that Decker.” She gave herself a big shake. “I thought I’d be better off with him. Safer, maybe. But all he cares about is himself. Not like you, Gus. You always put us first.” She bowed her head and looked up at him. “I’m sorry.”
“It’s okay,” Gus said. He nuzzled her with his nose. “How did you get out?”
“As soon as Miss Lottie opened the back door for my pee, I ran and I ran and I ran and I ran until I got to that hole! I blasted right through it!”
“Good job, Roo!” Tank said.
Gus wagged his tail. “So you’ll help us find Moon Pie?”
“Absolutely positively I will!” Roo said. She spun twice for emphasis.
“Good,” Gus said. “Because we haven’t had any luck. We know he’s trying to get back to Gertie, but we also know he probably doesn’t know how to find her. We smell him here.” Gus nodded toward the garage. “But we don’t know where he went next.”
Roo gave herself a shake. She sat down, flattened her ears against her head, and lifted her nose to the sky. “He’s not far,” she said. Like all dogs, when she was doing what she was born to do—which in Roo’s case was tracking—she was calm, confident, and focused. “Not far at all.” She got up and started heading down the alley with her nose to the ground. “Follow me.”
Gus and Tank followed Roo. She wove in and out of every yard, sometimes sniffing hard, sometimes looking up with a wondering expression.
“I think he found a snack, so he isn’t starving,” she said.
“I was never worried about Moon Pie starving,” Gus said. “He could find a treat on Mars.”
Roo kept sniffing at the grass, the pavement, the garbage. She went farther and farther down the alley until she found something that made her sniff harder.
“I smell smoke,” she said.
“Smoke?” Gus asked.
“Yes, like from a car.”
She trotted to the end of the alley. “And I smell Moonie.” She closed her eyes, then opened them again. “And . . .”
“Yes?” Gus asked. Although he was pretty sure he knew what she was going to say.
“I smell coyote,” she said simply.
“You sure?” Gus asked.
“Yup.”
“Coyote?” Tank said. “Moonie can’t fight a coyote!”
“None of us are a match for a coyote,” Roo said quietly.
The three dogs stared across the street, hoping to see Moon Pie in the darkness. Hoping he was sitting there safely, wagging his tail, waiting for them.
A passing car slammed on the brakes. Gus spotted Lottie’s neighbors Pam and Chris in the front seat.
“Quick, hide!” Gus yelled.
Roo had already started running.
“Over here!” she said, darting behind a pile of empty boxes. Gus followed her. Tank scooted in last, panting heavily.
Gus heard two car doors slam and shoes scuffing the alley pavement.
“I think they ran this way.”
Gus made himself as small as possible. Roo did the same.
“Where do you think they went?”
“I have no idea.”
Gus slowed his breathing. He sat there as still as the birdbath in Miss Lottie’s yard. Pam and Chris sounded like they were across the alley. If they took ten steps, they’d probably find him and the others.
“I don’t see them.”
“Well, we tried.”
They walked back to their car and drove away. Gus exhaled. That had been too close. He was about to wiggle out of his hiding place when he heard a short, loud howl in the distance.
Gus looked over at Tank.
That was Moon Pie’s howl.
Moon Pie
Squirming, squealing, gray shapes were falling from the trash can’s lid.
RATS!
“EEEEeeeee!” Moon Pie yelped.
One rat fell on Moon Pie’s head. Another fell on his back. They squealed in either terror or glee, Moon Pie couldn’t tell. He yipped as their nails dug into his fur.
“Get off meeeee!!!”
Moon Pie ran and ran and ran in frantic circles. The rat on his head fell off, but the one on his back clung to him like he was riding a horse. His sharp nails pierced Moon Pie’s skin.
“Get off!”
But the rat held on.
Moon Pie ran toward a rusty swing set. One of the swings hung low. If he could dash under it, maybe he’d knock the rat off.
He scampered toward it. The rat dug its claws in deeper.
The metal seat of the swing hit Moon Pie’s back.
Ow!
He heard a thump. He didn’t look behind him as he shot out of the yard and into the alley.
Moon Pie didn’t slow down until he was sure the rat was off his back. He kept running and running until he was in another yard.
Moon Pie paused. The yard was cozy, with lots of bushes, trees, and stone statues. He glanced behind him. The rat was nowhere to be seen.
Moon Pie sat in the middle of the yard to catch his breath. He had defeated a nasty rat all by himself! Two nasty rats! He wished Gus or Tank had seen that!
He did not let himself think too much about what had just happened. If he did, he might not ever move from the spot he was in right at that very moment.
Moon Pie caught that bad smell coming his way again. He spun his head around but couldn’t see whatever it was in the dark.
It was probably another rat! He shuddered. He did not want to see another rat again, ever.
A light went on in the house. The back door opened and a woman stepped out. Something rustled in the bushes behind Moon Pie. He peered over his shoulder again, but couldn’t see whatever it was.
“Well, if it isn’t my little friend,” said the woman. “I thought I heard something in the alley! It was you, cutie pie!”
Moon Pie smelled warm pudding and muffins. It was the same woman as before—the nice woman who wanted to cuddle with him.
Other good smells poured out of the nice woman’s house. He could smell juicy meat and mashed potatoes and maybe even a carrot or two. Moon Pie’s stomach made all kinds of growling sounds.
“Wanna come in?” she asked. She bent down and patted her thighs.
Moon Pie thought of his growling stomach and the scary smell that kept following him and the good smells coming from the woman’s house. It wasn’t safe outside. And inside there was good food.
He knew what he had to do.
He made his eyes big. He lifted one small paw.
The woman chuckled. “Aren’t you the cutest little thing on earth! Would you like a treat?”
Moon Pie lifted his other paw. He whimpered softly.
“Awww, come here, little peanut.” She reached down to scoop him up. He went limp in her arms.
“Oh no, what happened to your back?” she asked. “Let’s get you inside.” She hugged him close to her chest and walked inside.
It seemed like it had been forever since Moon Pie had gotten a hug. He missed it. He missed the way it smelled and the way it made him feel so, well, melty. So loved. He sighed.
Once inside, the woman put him carefully down on the floor of her warm kitchen. She crouched next to him and examined his back with her fingers.
“Doesn’t seem too bad,” she said. She went over to the sink and ran water over a towel. She bent down and rubbed the wet towel across his back. She did it softly and carefully, as if she was afraid of hurting him. It stung a little. But he was a big dog now, he could handle it. He sat quietly while she stroked his back.
“Looks okay, but we’ll get you checked out tomorrow just in case.” She stood and went over to the cabinets.
“I bet you’d like some steak,” she said. She took out a small bowl and went over to the kitchen table. “Here,” she said, cutting a piece of steak and putting it into the bowl. “How do you like this, bunny-boo?”
She put the bowl down on the floor. Moon Pie scooted over to it, wagging his tail. He gulped down the steak, then looked up and tilted his head.
“More?” she asked. She laughed and put four more pieces in his bowl, along with a spoonful of mashed potatoes.
While he ate, the woman put down another bowl filled with cold water. He went from food to water to food. When he finished, he looked up at her and licked his lips.
“You were so hungry!” she said. She crouched down on the floor and pulled him closer to her. “Let’s see this tag of yours.”
She smiled as she read the tag. “Moon Pie? That’s a cute name. It says here you belong to Gertie Schneider.”
He wagged his tail and barked.
“Is that who owns you? Gertie?”
Moon Pie barked again. Gertie, Gertie, Gertie!
“Okay, okay, let’s call the number.”
She studied the tag and repeated the phone number on it. She stood, brought her cell out from her back pocket, and punched the number in. She frowned and listened, then tried punching in the number again.
“Hmmm,” she said. “It’s disconnected.” She bit her lip and punched in another number. “Hi, Jim, it’s Nina from next door. Listen, I found this adorable little dog in my yard. I tried calling the number on his tag but it was disconnected. Says the name is Gertie Schneider, but there’s no address. Do you know a Gertie?”
She listened, nodding her head. She gasped softly. “Oh, dear. That’s sad. I wonder how he got here.” She nodded again. “Okay, I’ll make a few more calls. Someone must know where this little guy lives now. Thanks, Jim.”
After she hung up she looked down at Moon Pie. “It looks like you’re stuck with me for a while until I find your human.” She smiled at him. “Would you like that, honey bear?”
Moon Pie did like that. He followed her around as she washed the dishes and the pots and pans, hoping some kind of food magic would happen and another piece of steak would fall to the floor. When she was finished, he followed her into her bedroom. She turned on the TV and plopped down on her bed.
“Wanna come up, lovebug?” she asked him.
Moon Pie couldn’t believe his luck. Not only was Nina a good cook and a good hugger, but her bed was even bigger than Gertie’s! He barked a short, happy bark.
“Okay, but don’t get too used to this. Tomorrow we’re finding your human!”
She lifted him up to the bed and let him crawl under the covers. As much as he loved snuggling up close to a person again, he couldn’t fall asleep right away. Something about the phone call Nina had had with the neighbor was bothering him. What did she mean when she said “that’s sad”? It was such a weird thing to say.
Moon Pie stayed up a long time thinking about it.
Quinn
Quinn’s hands tingled from gripping his handlebars. His voice was raspy as he called for the dogs again and again.
“Gus! Roo! Tank! Moonie!”
He rode down Miss Lottie’s block,
his head swiveling from one side of the street to the other. It wasn’t that busy, but enough cars came by to make him nervous. Moonie was so young. He could get scared and run into the street.
“Moon Pie? Roo? Gus? Come on, you guys!”
Miss Lottie had been on the phone all day with neighbors while Quinn put up signs with the dogs’ pictures. When Pam and Chris came by and said they had seen some dogs in the alley, Quinn had gotten on his bike right away to look for them again. That was over an hour ago. He had found nothing.
He wished he could take the whole afternoon back. If he hadn’t looked down at his phone, maybe Gus and Tank would still be there. If he hadn’t been so slow, maybe Roo wouldn’t have gotten away. If, if, if.
Miss Lottie hadn’t come right out and blamed him. She didn’t need to. He blamed himself.
It was dark, but he pressed on. Even though they were technically Miss Lottie’s dogs, Quinn loved them with everything he had. At home, Jessie ignored him and his mom always seemed too busy. It was just the opposite at Miss Lottie’s. The dogs loved him. They paid attention to him.
They were his real family.
Tears welled up as he thought of them in one of the dark alleys. Tank would be breathing hard. Roo would be frantic. Gus would be hesitant, wondering where they should go next. Moon Pie would be quivering in some dark corner.
And what if they came up against a coyote, what then? He hated thinking about it.
Something stirred by a dumpster. Quinn rode over the curb and across the sidewalk. He got off his bike and walked it closer to where he had heard the sound. Resting his bike against the dumpster, he knelt down to look underneath it.
It was just a squirrel nibbling on a rice cake.
Quinn sighed. He listened for any signs of the dogs, but all he could hear were people walking on the sidewalk.
“Looking for a snack?”
Quinn looked behind him. His stomach clenched when he realized that Jessie and his friends were watching him from a few feet away. He groaned inwardly.
Not now. Please, just let me look for my dogs.
Quinn slowly stood up. He grabbed his bike with shaky hands and stood there, wondering what to do.
Jessie, Cole, and Sam moved in closer, so close Quinn could smell the fabric softener his mom used when she washed their clothes. They formed a tight circle around him.
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