Smithers snaps his head around. “Sssorry, but I ssspeak for the five of usss when I sssay our ssservices are only temporary. And asss sssuch, a name won’t be necessary.”
Penny shrugs and says, “Well, for the time being, and from now until forever, we shall henceforth, all of us, be known as—”
“Oi! Out with it,” says Brick.
“The Pawtriots!”
Chaps turns to me and we smile at each other.
“That’s a top tier name, Penny,” Chaps says.
He’s right. It’s a great name.
We continue marching, making our way toward the Washington Monument. I can see the White House off in the distance, too. I begin thinking about whether I could actually see it from the Sanctuary. Maybe I’ll give it a shot when I get back . . . if we save it.
Then, in the distance, I can see something, or someone, moving. I quietly whistle to Franny and she stops. Penny turns to me and whispers, “What is it?”
I scan the tree line about one hundred yards away and see shadows moving. I know exactly what it is.
“AMBUSH!” I howl. And as I say this, I see the Snatchers tear through the woods and start racing toward us. Three of them have hand cannons that shoot nets. A Snatcher fires one at us and I watch it fly through the air. It nearly hits Franny and Sawyer, but they manage to dodge it.
I look around for a place to hide, but we’re completely exposed. The Snatchers are closing in on us, and I know I’ve got to take charge and make a tactical decision.
“Smithers, Morgan, on me!” I call out. That’s Army-talk for “get over here!”
The two snap up and zoom over to me.
“Brick, Penny, I need mud balls, now!”
Brick is confused, and Penny gives me the “tilt,” so I point to the ground and say, “Slobber and dirt!”
“Got it!” Penny says as she pulls Brick’s tongue and lets his drool pour into the dirt.
“Sawyer, can you hold my weight?” I ask him.
“I assure you I am stronger than I look,” Sawyer says back to me.
“Great. Okay, Morgan and Franny, I need you here and here,” I say, directing them to assume positions about three feet apart.
“Hurry! They’re closing in!” Franny says.
I see that the Snatchers sprinting toward us are only about fifty yards away now.
“Chaps, wheel to the sky!” I watch as Chaps doesn’t even hesitate and gets right on his back with his wheel in the air.
“King of battle?” asks Chaps.
“Bingo,” I reply.
King of battle is a nickname for the Army Artillery. And like we used to say in the Army, “Let’s make it rain.”
I take a moment to check the situation, and for the first time in a good, long while I feel like my old self again. The Rico that used to be in control. The Rico that used to be a leader. The Rico that was proud to be an Army dog.
The Snatchers are in striking distance, and I watch as Smithers wraps his head around Franny and his tail around Morgan. Then, Chaps pulls Smithers over his wheel like a slingshot and shouts, “Load!”
Penny puts a mud ball on top of Chaps’s wheel and I yell out, “FIRE!”
We all watch as the mud ball hurls through the air and nails one of the Snatchers.
Direct hit!
“Reload!” I call out, and Penny quickly sends another one across the field, hitting another Snatcher in the face and sending him tumbling to the ground!
“Fire at will. I’m going to flank them with Sawyer!” I say to Penny. Flank is Army-talk for “charging at the enemy from the side.”
The mud balls keep flying as Sawyer and I charge at the Snatchers from the left flank.
“Zig and zag, Sawyer,” I say.
We weave in and out across the field as the Snatchers try to snag us with their nets. We’re serving as a good distraction to keep the others safe—and we even manage to knock down a few of them—but there are just too many of them and they are closing in on us. We need an escape route. So I follow Sawyer back to the group.
“We have to fall back,” says Chaps.
“But there’s nowhere to go,” Brick says.
“Then we take our chances with the rats,” I say to them.
Chaps shakes his head and says, “I don’t like this one bit, Sergeant.”
I pause for a second and think about the Beast. I’m hoping Franny was right and that it’s just a fairy tale.
“You put me in charge, remember?” I say.
Chaps cracks a smile.
I watch as Penny and Brick pop open a sewer grate. We all begin piling in. It’s not the best option, but it is the only option. I’m the last to file in, and I hear the Snatchers’ shouts begin to fade as we make our way lower into the sewers. All I can think of is rats and bats and, of course, the Beast. But I’m too old to believe in fairy tales, right?
CHAPTER 10
THE FOULS
Location: Underground
Date: 6JUL20
Time: 2300 hours
We make our way down the ladders and into the sludgy, murky water. I’m about paw-deep in the water, but I look back at Sawyer and Smithers and they are each up to their chin in sewage.
Gross!
I thought the smell in the pound was bad, but this is far worse. And it’s even darker down here. I can barely see a foot in front of my face. But we’re on a mission and I can’t let that stop us. We’ve got to keep moving and get to Mr. Mocoso’s mansion so we can find the will.
I look back to check on Chaps and can see he is walking slower than usual.
“Are you doing okay?” I ask him.
“I’m doing just fine,” he says, but I know he’s not. This has been a long mission and it’s definitely wearing on him.
“You don’t have to lie to me, Chaps. I can see you’re hurting.”
He brushes me off and says, “I’m just an old dog with old dog problems. Focus on the rest of the Pawtriots, Sergeant.”
“Roger that,” I tell him. That’s Army-talk for “I get it.”
“Oh, and Rico,” Chaps says as he looks me dead in the eyes, “if we see that Beast, you better get this unit moving on the double.”
I nod.
“I mean it. Y’all better haul some serious you know what.”
“I’m tracking, Chaps.” That’s more Army-talk for “I’m following.”
I speed up my pace a bit and call out to the others, “Pawtriots, let’s keep it tight and let’s keep it moving.”
* * *
★ ★ ★
Time: 2330 hours
We’re making some good progress and have yet to come across any rats or bats. Then Penny stops and calls me over. She found something.
“What is it?” I ask her.
“Looks like a switch of sorts.”
I lean in close to get a better look. I can feel all the other Pawtriots right behind me trying to get a look, too. I blow some dust off the top of the switch and begin wiping it down, revealing the word ON.
Penny puts her paw on the switch and says, “Should I?”
“Maybe it’s upside down and actually reads ‘NO,’” Brick says.
“There’s only one way to find out,” I say.
I bring my paw to the switch and say, “On my count . . .”
“One . . .”
“two . . .”
“three!”
Suddenly, there is light and a legion of rats lining the walls! I see hundreds. Their fur bristles and their beady red eyes lock onto us.
“Pawtriots, RUN!” I say.
We begin barreling down the tunnels, sloshing through the sludge as the rats surround us on all sides.
“Which way?” Franny shouts out.
“Tunnel on the left!” Chaps dire
cts.
We race through the tunnel as the rodent horde scurries down the pipes behind us. Penny looks on with horror at the disgusting infestation that’s closing in.
“Brick, go faster!” Penny says.
“Oi! This is top speed!” he says.
We keep pushing our way through the tunnel and suddenly a deafening roar breaks the chaos of the chase.
I stop running and watch as the rats above me freeze in their tracks, too.
The ground shakes and the water ripples as a massive reptile, the size of a crocodile, covered in scars and sludge stomps his way toward us.
“It’s the Beast! There’s a ladder up ahead,” Chaps yells out. “That fairy tale is our worst nightmare! Run!”
“Come on, Pawtriots! Double time!” I howl.
Franny leads the way and we begin booking it to what looks like an opening at the end of the tunnel. I’m hobbling as fast as I can, but then suddenly Franny shouts out, “STOP!” and we all pile up behind her, almost knocking her down.
“This is a dead end,” she says, pointing out below her. I look down to where she is pointing and see a great big waterfall of sludge leading down to a pool of murky water almost fifty feet below.
“We’re trapped,” she says.
Chaps brings up the rear and looks down. “I’m sorry, y’all. I don’t remember this,” he says, his voice shaky. This is the first time I’ve seen him look concerned. He turns to me and says, “Just get them to that ladder.” I look across to the ladder—it’s at least a ten-foot jump to the other side and below us is a fifty-foot drop.
“But—” I begin to say.
“No buts. You have your orders, Sergeant,” Chaps says. Then I watch as he turns back around and heads right toward the Beast.
“Where are you going?” I shout.
“I’ve got a bone to pick with him!” says Chaps as he barrels toward the Beast.
* * *
★ ★ ★
Time: 2345 hours
I turn back to the group.
“I’ll go first,” Franny says without hesitation. She sprints, leaps, and crash-lands on the other side safely. I watch as Sawyer, Smithers, and Morgan do the same—all without hesitation. Then Penny and Brick jump to safety.
It’s just me and Chaps. But Chaps is nowhere to be found. I look down at my missing leg and know this isn’t going to end well.
“I’m going to go find Chaps!” I tell Penny.
But before I can take off, Penny shouts out, “Rico!” and points behind me. I turn around and see Chaps: he’s exhausted, struggling to catch his breath, and has cuts all over his snout.
“Are you ready?” I ask him.
“Negative. I’m gonna see this one through,” he says.
“What do you mean? We have to go, NOW!”
“I told you, I’m staying. I’ve got a bone to pick with this ugly reptile,” Chaps says.
“Then I’ll help you face him,” I say.
Chaps gives me a big grin and shakes his head. “You can barely walk, let alone get enough speed to make that jump.” Then he unbuckles his wheel leg and removes it.
“What are you doing?” I ask. “You won’t make that jump without it.”
“Neither will you,” he says.
“Chaps, it doesn’t have to end like this.”
“Take the wheel, Rico. I’m passing it on to you so you can get across. It’s time for you to lead them.”
“You can’t leave us—”
“No time for arguing. Just get the mission done,” Chaps says as he puts the wheel leg on me.
“Find the will and save the Sanctuary. Now go!”
I take a few steps back to build up speed and begin running. The wheel is loose, but I feel alive again. The terrain is bumpy, but I don’t let it faze me. I just keep running and running. I think about Kris and all the times we ran in and out of danger together. And I think about the Sanctuary and everyone who is counting on me as I’m about to jump and I hear a loud CRASH.
I land on the other side, my wheel still intact. I look behind me to see the Beast, that huge crocodile, smashing through the wall. The pipes burst, water rushes in, and debris flies everywhere. The pool of sludge rises below us, and across the way is Chaps.
He gives me a soldier’s salute and turns to face the Beast. We all watch as he charges right at the massive reptile and lets out the loudest howl I’ve ever heard: “PAWTRIOTS!”
I knew that was the last time any of us would ever see Chaps. But he went out like a true soldier and put the mission first.
CHAPTER 11
KEEP MOVING
Location: Forest
Date: 6JUL20
Time: 0200 hours
We make our way up the ladder and out of the sewers onto a grassy hillside just outside the city where Brick, Morgan, and Smithers collapse to the ground, exhausted and crying. Penny goes over to give them each a big hug.
I want to go in for a hug, but there’s no time: We’re on a mission. I will never quit.
“Pawtriots, on your feet,” I say to the group.
“Rico, please, give them a second!” Penny says back.
“We’ve got to get out of the open and into the woods before the sun comes up. Simon said Mr. Mocoso’s mansion is just on the other side of the forest,” I say.
“Rico’s right,” says Franny as she hops off of Sawyer and wipes tears from her eyes. “Chaps was our friend, but he was also a soldier. He placed the mission first, without question.” Franny walks over to me to give me a hug and says, “Now, let’s straighten out this wheel. Penny, give me a paw, would you?”
“No, I can’t wear this,” I say, lowering my head to the ground as I start to take it off.
“Look at me, Rico,” Franny says as she puts her paws on my cheeks and lifts my head back up.
I can hear Brick sniffling away his tears. “Oi! We can’t have you wasting such a nice gift from Chaps.”
Smithers slithers over to me and says, “We’ll need you at top ssspeed, Sssergeant.”
Penny shimmies the wheel back onto my leg as Franny tightens down the straps.
“Fits perfect,” Penny says. “Let’s move out, Pawtriots.”
We clear off the hillside and make it through the woods at a good pace now that I have the wheel. It feels nice to have the wind in my face and steady ground beneath my feet again.
CHAPTER 12
MR. MOCOSO’S MANSION
Location: Outskirts of Mr. Mocoso’s Mansion
Date: 6JUL20
Time: 0230 hours
It’s going to be difficult to pull off a nighttime raid of Mr. Mocoso’s mansion. Even if we breach the wall and get inside, we still have to get past those nasty pinschers, Hans and Heinz. The way I see it, we only have one shot to find the will and save the Sanctuary. There are lots of pets counting on us, and counting on me. I don’t want to let them down.
I can see Mr. Mocoso’s massive mansion all the way from here. It’s a gray stone building covered in ivy and surrounded by a wrought iron gate. In the middle of the front lawn is a marble fountain with a statue of Mr. Mocoso with Hans and Heinz.
I scan the horizon and call everyone together. “Pawtriots, bring it in,” I say.
“Yes, Sergeant. The Pawtriots are present and accounted for,” Penny says as she gives me a nod.
“Let’s go over the mission one last time,” I say.
“Alpha team: Franny, Sawyer, Smithers, and Morgan. Bravo team: Penny, Brick, and myself.”
“Tracking,” the Pawtriots say to me in unison.
I continue, “Alpha team will provide us with an entry point through the perimeter. Once we get onto the lawn, remember to slow down and watch for booby traps. Rally Point 1 will be at the fountain. If security is on high alert like I expect it to be, we’ll have to ente
r through the roof. Simon said that would be the best way in. Once inside the mansion, Bravo team will lead the search party, find the safe, extract the will, and exfil back to the fountain.” (Exfil is Army-talk for “getting safely out of a dangerous area.”) “Everybody tracking?”
They all nod.
“Good. And before we go, I just wanted to let you all know . . . ,” I begin to say, but I can’t seem to finish my sentence. I take a long, deep breath.
Brick huffs, “Oi! Out with it!” and everyone chuckles.
“Well, I wanted to say that when I lost my leg, I knew I would never be the same. I was sad because I didn’t feel like me. Every time I looked down at where my leg used to be, it was a constant reminder of my failure to keep Kris safe. But you know what? If it hadn’t happened, I would have never ended up at the Sanctuary and I would have never met all of you.”
I watch as Penny begins to cry.
“I don’t believe that’s the conclusion of his speech,” says Franny.
“It’s not supposed to be a speech,” I say.
“Sssurely sssounds like one to me,” Smithers says.
“Sorry, I guess all I’m trying to say is thank you, and that I’m proud to be a Pawtriot.”
“Oi! Now you’re gonna make me tear up,” Brick says.
“Better wipe those tears away, because it’s GO time!” I say.
“Group hug first,” says Penny.
We all bring it in for a hug and then begin making our way out of the forest.
* * *
★ ★ ★
Time: 0245 hours
We’re sneaking across the lawn, moving very slowly. The entire lawn is full of booby traps. I can smell it. The rest of the Pawtriots are behind me, following my lead. We army crawl through the thick foliage, using shrubs as cover to get a better view of the terrain and stop when we reach the fountain.
I silently motion our unit to stop. I scan the situation. I see thick ivy climbing up the wall of Mr. Mocoso’s mansion. And I can see Hans and Heinz inside, guarding a room.
I whisper, “We’re gonna scale the ivy walls and enter through the roof.”
Save the Sanctuary Page 4