On the Freedom Trail
Page 4
I take a moment to look up from my back and check the situation. It’s dire, but as I look at all the Pawtriots, I can’t help but feel proud. They’re ready and brave. They show no fear.
“Brick, you’re in charge of launching. Penny, keep the mud balls coming,” I say.
“I’m on it,” Brick says. Then he places a mud ball on my wheel and moves into position behind me.
I look over and see Gunner standing tall at the top of the hill. He’s growling and ready to fight. He may be old, but he’s got a lot of good fight still left in him.
“Come on, Red Hands! I’ll take you all on myself!” Gunner hollers.
I admire Gunner’s tenacity, but no battle is won by a single soldier. It’s a team effort, and I need to remind him about that.
“Gunner, focus!” I howl at him. “Once I start firing, I need you to be my eyes. Get a good position for a vantage point.”
“Oorah!” Gunner shouts, racing past me as he climbs onto a tree perch overlooking the battlefield.
I peek back up and see the Red Hands are only about fifteen yards away.
“Oi! Should I shoot?” Brick asks as he slowly pulls Smithers back over my wheel like a slingshot.
“Negative!” I howl.
I know Brick is anxious to begin, especially with the Red Hands approaching. But we need to draw them in as close as possible before we start launching mud balls. The hill is steeper closer to the top. If we time this right, we should be able to throw them off balance. This is just how the colonials won the American Revolution: using the terrain to their advantage. I plan to do the exact same thing.
“Don’t fire until you see the whites of their eyes,” I holler to my unit.
“Rico, they’re closing in fast,” Chaps howls back.
“Steady,” I say.
“Oi! Rico, come on,” Brick hollers.
“Steady,” I say, peeking down the hill.
And just when I can clearly see the tops of the first row of corgis’ heads, I know this is our signal.
“Fire!” I howl.
* * *
★ ★ ★
Time: 2230 hours
The mud balls fly through the air, and I look up at Gunner for guidance.
“Rico, adjust fire. Aim ten feet left!” shouts Gunner as acorns begin to pummel him.
I angle my body to the left as Brick keeps firing mud balls.
“Direct hit!” Gunner howls from the tree. “Keep firing!”
“Fire at will!” I call out to the Pawtriots. I watch as Brick sends mud ball after mud ball down the hill, smashing hard into the rows of Red Hands. I can hear them howl as they tumble down the steep hill.
“Oi! It’s working. They’re dropping like flies!” Brick shouts as he keeps on firing mud balls. But they are retaliating, and I can feel acorns rushing past us.
The corgis are closing in on all sides, and I feel like time is running out. We’re fighting hard, but there are just too many of them.
“We need to take out that squirrel! Use this,” Penny shouts as she positions a massive mud ball on top of my wheel. It’s so heavy, my leg starts to buckle.
“Fire!” I howl.
I hop to my feet and watch as the massive mud ball hurtles toward the robotic squirrel and then—
Wham!
“Direct hit!” Penny hollers. We all watch in awe as the robot squirrel quickly goes haywire and begins twitching. Smoke billows from its ear and eye sockets until it explodes.
“Rico, we need to move!” shouts Gunner as he jumps down from the tree. “They’re closing in on our six! Follow me!” He charges down the hill with reckless abandon, barreling into corgis and sending them hard into the ground.
“He’s clearing a path. Follow Gunner!” I shout.
The Pawtriots and I begin making our way down the front of Bunker Hill, using Gunner as our lead dog. I’m not sure where he’s leading us, but I have full trust he’ll get us out of here safely.
My heart is racing as fast as my wheel is turning. I watch as my unit and Gunner make their way down the hill, skillfully avoiding the fallen Red Hands. Every adventure the Pawtriots and I get into is exhilarating and reminds me of being right back in the Army and not knowing where you’re going next, but knowing it will be even better than the last place.
* * *
★ ★ ★
Time: 2300 hours
We’ve been running for the last thirty minutes, making our way through the streets of Boston, back past Faneuil Hall, and finally stopping at a train station. We all take a minute to catch our breath and rest on the platform.
“What are we doing here?” I ask Gunner.
“Well, you guys need to get back to DC. I’ll sneak you onto the back of a cargo train,” Gunner says. “This train will get you where you need to go.”
The Pawtriots file onto the train. I begin to make my way on and see that Gunner is still standing on the platform.
“Are you coming with us?” I ask him.
“Negative, Rico. I’ve done all I can. I’m old and tired. And Boston is my home,” Gunner says.
I take a good look at him. I’m reminded of myself when I first met Penny and Ms. Becca, and they brought me into the Sanctuary, into their home.
“Home is where the heart is,” I say to Gunner, “and you belong in a unit, our unit. You were born to be a Pawtriot!”
“You know, for an insubordinate Army dog, I like you,” Gunner says with a smile as he makes his way onto the train with the rest of us.
CHAPTER 7
TIC-TOC
Location: Cargo Train, Washington, DC
Date: 21MAR21
Time: 0530 hours
We’ve been resting in the cargo train for about six hours now. We’re sharing a car with a bunch of police horses. They’re awfully nice, but they’re also in dire need of a shower.
“Oi! Who picked this manure mobile?” Brick asks.
“Would you prefer I found us a car full of corgis and a robotic squirrel?” Gunner says with a smile.
Meanwhile, I’ve been sticking my head through the slats in the side of the train car to get some fresh air. I’m watching the trees go by as we make our way down the Atlantic coast.
When the train begins to slow down, I know we’re getting close to Washington, DC.
“On your feet, Pawtriots,” I say. “The walk from Union Station to the TOC is about thirty miles. Let’s get to it.”
It feels good to almost be back home where my journey began.
* * *
★ ★ ★
Location: Outskirts of the TOC
Time: 0830 hours
“Oi! I can’t wait to get into my bed—my own bed!” Brick calls out as we get closer to the TOC.
“And I can’t wait to see Ms. Becca!” Penny says.
We’re just about back home, and I feel the same way. It’s been a long time since I was last here. We’ve been through thick and thin together and it’s so nice be in a familiar place. Still, I know we’re not in the clear just yet.
Chaps pulls me in close and whispers, “Rico, this isn’t going to be the homecoming your friends are hoping for.”
“I’m tracking. Thanks, Chaps,” I say. “We couldn’t have made it this far without you.”
We’re just about there but, before we go any farther, I pause to address the group.
“Listen up, Pawtriots. When we get back to the TOC, we’re still on a mission. Morgan and Sawyer are in trouble, Ms. Becca is being held captive, and we still need to link up with Lindy, Franny, Simon, and Daisy and her pups,” I say.
Chaps chimes in. “And based on my recon, Mr. Mocoso, Hans, and Heinz will be waiting for us. We need to proceed with caution,” he says.
“Tracking. Let’s move out,” I say to the group, and they follow my lead.
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And as we turn the corner, I set my eyes on the TOC.
The TOC is a hotbed of activity. Dump trucks, excavators, and bulldozers have dug a hole about thirty feet deep into the ground. I scan the area and see several men in black suits with the Red Hands insignia on their lapels. Some use shovels to dig, while others haul bags out of the hole and load them into a twenty-foot-long steel container. There’s even a helicopter hovering right above the TOC.
“What are they digging for?” Penny whispers to me.
“Looksss ssshiny,” Smithers says.
“He’s right. It looks like gold,” I say to her. I continue to look around for Lindy. He’s in charge of Franny, Simon, and Daisy and her pups. I know they’re in safe hands with Lindy, but they should be here already, so I’m starting to get worried.
Suddenly a glimmer of light shines in my eyes. I put up my paw to block the light and lower my head to avoid the glare.
And that’s when I see Morgan and Sawyer in the alley across the way, hiding behind a dumpster with all of the other animals from the TOC. Morgan’s reflecting the light with a piece of metal, and Sawyer is waving for us to join them.
“Are they friends of yours?” asks Gunner.
“Sure are,” I say. “Come on. Let’s go link up with them.”
* * *
★ ★ ★
Location: Alleyway Outside the TOC
Time: 0900 hours
We make it over to Morgan and Sawyer’s location and take cover behind the dumpster. Morgan and Sawyer salute me and then realize Chaps is with us. They blow past me and jump onto Chaps and give him a big hug.
“It’s so good to see you guys,” says Chaps.
“I see you made some new friends,” says Morgan as she motions to Gunner, Jet, and Jag.
“They’re Pawtriots now, too. We can do proper introductions later,” I say.
“We’re glad you’re here. Things are pretty bad. We could use the reinforcements,” Morgan says.
“Have you seen Sawyer?” I ask. “He was supposed to be here with the other Pawtriots.”
“Roger. She said you’d be right behind them. They’re in position just waiting for the order to attack,” says Morgan. “Look over there. Three o’clock.”
I turn to my right and see Franny, Lindy, Daisy, her puppies, and Simon holed up behind a parked car down the street. I give Lindy a paws-up.
It feels good knowing that we’re going into battle with all the Pawtriots.
CHAPTER 8
BATTLE FOR THE TOC
Location: Alleyway Outside the TOC
Time: 0930 hours
My plan is straightforward. We’re going to charge toward the TOC with the speed and fury of a buffalo stampede.
“Pawtriots, you ready?” I ask.
“We’re ready,” says Penny.
But as I look into the eyes of the Pawtriots, I can tell they’re scared and I don’t blame them, because I am, too.
“Pawtriots. Listen up and listen good. This is more than just the TOC or the Sanctuary. We are going to take the fight to Mr. Mocoso, Hans, Heinz, and the Red Hands, and we’re going to take it to them hard. They came to take gold. But we’re fighting for more than that. We’re fighting for our home!” I howl.
As I stand before the Pawtriots, Gunner saunters up beside me and leans in close.
“Hey, Rico, thanks a lot,” whispers Gunner.
“For what?” I whisper back.
“Making me realize that I’ve still got some fight left in me,” says Gunner.
“Hooah!” yell the Pawtriots in unison as we all march forward.
CHAPTER 9
MISSION ACCOMPLISHED
Location: The TOC
Date: 4MAY21
Time: 1100
It’s been seven weeks since the battle for the TOC. And it had been months since all the Pawtriots had been together. But it feels good to be back home where it all started.
During the battle, we were tired and outnumbered, but we took back the TOC and saved the Sanctuary . . . again. We fought hard against the forces of evil and showed bravery at every turn.
The Red Hands, Mr. Mocoso, Hans, and Heinz met us with fury. But they fought for greed and power. The Pawtriots fought for our home, our freedom, and for one another.
And just as quickly as the battle had begun, it was over.
Still, Mr. Mocoso, his nasty pinschers, and a few Red Hands managed to escape. They had already loaded all the gold buried beneath the TOC into the shipping container. All they needed was a way out.
Mr. Mocoso scurried onto the shipping container as a transport helicopter hovered above. While some of the Red Hands secured the container to the helicopter with chains, Hans and Heinz couldn’t help but reveal their diabolical plan.
“You fools really think you won, don’t you?” Hans snickered as he reluctantly backed away from the battlefield in retreat. “This is just the beginning!”
Then Heinz called out, “We never wanted this stinking place. We wanted the gold! Mr. Mocoso has far bigger plans. And if I were you, Rico, I’d be very worried!”
As I watched them slip away, I realized that this wouldn’t be the last time we would cross paths. We had won the battle, but the war against evil had just begun.
Hans and Heinz even sent us a written message last week, taunting us more.
RICO:
YOU AND YOUR GOODY TWO-SHOES PAWTRIOTS HAVE NO IDEA WHAT YOU’RE UP AGAINST. WE HAVE STARTED OUR OWN UNIT. OUR OWN EVIL UNIT.
AND YOU WON’T BE ABLE TO STOP US!
WE’RE THE MENACE MUTTS. AND WE MEAN BUSINESS—EVIL BUSINESS, OF COURSE.
YOUR DEAREST ENEMIES,
HANS AND HEINZ
CO-LEADERS OF THE MENACE MUTTS.
After the battle for the TOC, it took us a few weeks to get everything back up and running, but we are better for it. And now that we’ve recruited Pawtriots from each branch of the Armed Forces—Army, Navy, Air Force, Coast Guard, and Marines—I gave them all tasks and purpose. If we’re going to continue fighting evil, we must be well organized.
Sergeant Rico: Commander
Penny and Brick: Recruitment
Franny, Smithers, Morgan, Sawyer: Tactics Instructors
Chaps: Drill Instructor
Daisy: Maneuvers Instructor
Simon: Signals Instructor
Lindy: Air Force Instructor
Jet: Coast Guard Instructor
Jag: Navy Instructor
Gunner: Marine Instructor
The Pawtriots were already a household name after we saved the Sanctuary the first time around. We were getting fan mail every week, but once word spread about all the adventures we had just been on, fan mail started arriving daily. Animals from across the country had heard the stories about all the animals we saved and all the beasts, spiders, krakens, and robots we defeated.
I love reading every letter. Each one reminds me of the Pawtriots’ true purpose: to help those in need.
I write every animal back so they know that the Pawtriots are ready, willing, and able to help. I tell everyone that no matter how long it takes or how far we must go, we won’t ever give up until our mission is complete.
And I always sign my letters the same:
Stay strong. The Pawtriots are on the way!
—Sergeant “Rico” Ricochet
Glossary of Army-talk
In each book of the Pawtriot Dogs series, author and former Army Captain Samuel P. Fortsch incorporates words and phrases he and his fellow soldiers used in the Army. The following is a list of some of those sayings, as reported directly from Fortsch himself. These definitions are not official; rather, they show the way actual soldiers speak on and off the battlefield.
Affirmative — Another way to say “yes” or �
��correct”
AO — Abbreviation of “Area of Operations.” This is a designated area where a unit will be conducting combat operations.
Brig — A holding cell
Camo-up — To apply camouflage
Chow — Food
Class 1 — The class of supply regarding your unit’s current levels of food and water
Cyclic Rate — How fast a weapon can shoot
Debrief — To quickly explain a situation to someone
Double-time — To move twice as fast, or simply, “hurry up”
Exfil — To withdraw from or leave a location
Eyes on — Say this when you want to know whether someone can see the thing you are pointing to. For instance, “Do you have eyes on the ship in the distance?”
Flank — The sides of a military formation
Hard-liner — Someone who sticks closely to the rules
Hard time — A deadline
High-speed — Really cool equipment or a highly skilled soldier
Hooah — This is the Army’s rallying cry. Soldiers use it in many instances, but most commonly as a way to say, “Let’s go!”
Intel — Short for “intelligence,” meaning any useful information
King of Battle — Nickname for the Field Artillery
Klick — Short for “one kilometer”
LDA — Abbreviation of “Linear Danger Area.” This is a long, narrow open area that is risky to cross, as you and your unit will be exposed to the enemy.
Lock it up — To be quiet