Marshall breathed a sigh of relief when he realized the man gave up looking for him in the room. Marshall perceived the footsteps walking away. He still stayed where he was. He didn't move a single muscle and he wasn't going to until he felt that it was safe to come out. He had to to be sure 100% unless he wanted to risk his life for a stupid mistake and action that he should've most likely reconsidered.

Marshall numbered the amount of tables that were turned over. There were thirteen in the room. Eleven of them were flipped over. His one and the one adjacent weren't. He felt lucky about the situation, knowing that fate was on his side. He didn't doubt that that man might come back when he would find out that Marshall wasn't anywhere to be seen.

Marshall continued staying silent. He closed his eyes and let the time do its thing.


Chase seen the interior. He didn't have time to review and say positive things about it. His main intent was to find Marshall and get him out of harms way and bring him to safety but attempting to walk faster with the same leg injured more fatally was a pain in the ass. He tried bearing the pain, forbidding at putting any pressure on that same leg.

He was still angry at himself for being so stupid and unaware of the trap. Due to his impatience he thought, it was his lack of consideration around his surroundings that got the better of him this time.

'Stay focused, Marshall needs you.'

Chase came to the same spot Marshall came to earlier on at the staircase. Without hesitating, Chase attempted his best to reach the top with every step he took, making sure not apply any pressure on his targeted leg. As he climbed up, he was also making sure to be quiet so he wouldn't be discovered by the gunner. Unfortunately, Chase couldn't help it but grunt and clench his teeth after every few steps he took.

What seemed like forever, he ultimately reached the conclusion of the staircase.


Without hesitating, Chase headed towards a clattering noise he heard inside one of the rooms on his left. The second one. It had to be either Marshall or the Stranger.

He was about to find out.

Chase slowly but deliberately pushed the door open with his shoulder blade to avoid any pain. The door creaked until it was opened to the max, and then Chase went inside. There wasn't much detail to the room. Not that that was of any importance in a situation like this. 'No intentional observations. 'Chase said in his thoughts.

He looked around in aware. There was no sign of any pup or human but that didn't cease him from calling out.

"M-Marshall? You here?" Not hearing a reply, Chase tried once more.

"Marsha-" That's when he felt the excruciating pain inflicted on his body, as he was thrown across the room a few meters away. Chase's breath was almost taken away.

He blinked twice, attempting to regain his vision that unfortunately became blurry for several seconds. As he ultimately adjusted his vision, he examined his body. Attempting to disregard the agony, Chase turned his view towards his attacker. He couldn't make out his appearance as he had a black hoodie on that concealed his identity. It was slightly lowered below his head but sufficiently so he could see. Chase got up carefully but steadily in affliction.

Without another thought, Chase asked his first question but the words came out stuttering. "W-who are y-you?"

The Stranger pulled back his hoodie which exposed him completely. He was caucasian in his mid 30's, a scar across his right eyebrow from a downward to upward position, one of his eyes was slightly bigger than the other one, and he had a well-trimmed stubble. There was something wrong with one of his eyes as the color of one differentiated from the other.

He replied. "Name's Roger, mutt. And I'm about to make your day a living hell." He slowly approached Chase with the metal pipe, tightly grasped in his hand.

Chase displayed no signs of fear. He stood his ground. "G-Go ahead. Kill me. But I-If you touch Marshall, I swear I'll rip your body apart with my jaws." Roger ignored Chase, completely focused on killing him.

After all, he would receive a much bigger salary from his boss if he successfully eliminated two pups.

"The more the better." He smirked.

As Roger was approaching him, Chase was pondering over a thought in his mind. 'Don't worry, buddy. You're the bravest pup I know.' Chase knew what was going to happen soon enough but nonetheless, he wanted Marshall to be brave through all this.

Roger made the first attack, as he swung with all his might towards Chase's head. Chase easily dodged it, ducking under the metal pipe. When Roger missed, Chase retaliated and bit his groin with his jaws. Roger shrieked in agony and Chase let go as he quickly got out of the way.

Roger swore. "You're gonna pay for that, you filthy scum." Without warning, Chase was caught surprised when Roger swiftly swung anew, fortunately Chase was able to protect his face with his paw. However, upon impact, he heard a crunching noise in the joints of his paw as he hollered out in pain.


Marshall's ears lifted when he heard that howl. He knew that noise too well. "Chase?!"

He couldn't believe it. Chase was here to save him! Marshall knew he was putting his best friend at risk, knowing that just staying still and not helping was going to get him killed. Without a second thought, Marshall got himself out of his hiding place and dashed to pursue Chase's voice.


Chase knew his time was running slim with every second that past. With every blow he took, he became weaker and weaker, unable to hold off his attacker at bay any longer.

But with every strike he took, he got up again. He wasn't going to let himself get beaten so easily but his body was saying otherwise. And without listening to it, there was no point living.

Chase thought of all the wonderful amazing experiences he had with his family. With Ryder, Rocky, Rubble, Zuma, Skye, Everest...and Marshall.

BAM!

Chase got hit once again as he fell to the ground, completely exposed to becoming vulnerable. Chase got up. The strength of his paws were failing him. As he got up again, he examined his body. His leg was most likely permanently damaged which concluded his walking ability. His right paw was broken, due to that horrifying crack he heard. His body had bruises across it and it was bloody.

He muttered, "For...M-Marshall."

As soon as he got up, he got struck again and landed a few feet away. He denied staying on the ground.

"For...Marshall."

"Stay down mutt!" Roger hit him this time twice, however he lost some of his strength due to using it.

"I refuse..." Chase, ignoring his body, although it was extremely difficult to, he successfully got himself up once more.

Roger took a step back, clearly shocked at how much the German Shepherd sustained his attacks.

"God...if you're real, please protect Marshall...and Ryder. And the rest of the pups..I beg you." Chase whimpered, coughing twice, while spitting out blood. He cried once.

Roger sighed. "There is no God, pup. But most likely there's a hell, and that's where you're going." Before he could proceed with his last attack, Chase stood up. Roger dropped his weapon, and pulled out a gun, prepared to end this.


He looked steadily at the man in black, his vision beginning to blur with every second that currently passed. 'Every second counts.' Chase kept attempting to remind himself that, that that solely mattered; his intent was to get his best friend to safety and nothing else. Risking it might get him killed instead. But he didn't care. He'd do anything for his best friend...his brother. A train of memories were released inside his brain, but he quickly shrugged them off. The main objective was saving Marshall. Nothing else mattered. 'Do my best. Forget the rest.' A smile was planted on his face. 'Thanks buddy for the advice.' He knew he might step inside his graveyard right at this moment but he had to risk it. He had to.

He was limping and fractured and that was a disadvantage to him but an advantage to the stranger. As soon as he saw the man raising the firearm he knew he had to do something fast or it was bye-bye to him. The man only had three steps and his target would be successfully eliminated. Raise. Take aim. Pull the trigger.

Chase seeing an opening, decided to use the remaining of his strength by running on all four legs, completely ignoring the pain in his left leg and body as he crashed in Roger intentionally, pushing him into a statue that began swerving the moment it got hit. Chase collapsed to the ground in pain as he grunted. He knew he wasn't getting up anymore.

The stranger was easily distracted and he lowered his gun. "Darn, mutt." He touched his abdomen. Smirking, he seen Chase defeated. He was annoyed he couldn't finish him off himself but he didn't want to waste a bullet.

As Roger turned around, he shrugged his shoulder. He wasn't going to let him suffer, was he? However, before he could react he looked up and saw that a shelf was heading towards him. He didn't have time to shriek as he was rapidly taken out by the force.

Chase half grinned. His plan worked.

Chase crashed into him so he would crash into the statue, which above it to the right, luckily there was a shelf with loaded boxes that came free, from the moment of collision with the statue and impacted the man with a brutal force. Luckily enough, it was a heavy load or else Chase would've been screwed.

The stranger was surely dead by the impact but that didn't matter to Chase. His goal was to find Marshall and escort him out of there but unfortunately he was slipping unconsciously. "Crap.."


"Chase! Chase? Where are you?!" Marshall shouted, clearly wanting Chase to perceive his voice. There was no response. He continued looking everywhere. "Chas-" He finally found him on the ground, whispering Marshall in another room. "CHASE!"

Marshall sprinted to Chase. He shrieked upon seeing the pain Chase was in. His back was bloody, his paw looked broken and he was painted in red. "M-Marshall-""

"Shhh...Don't speak. I'm gonna get you out of here, Chase, okay? Just relax and lean on me. I'm fully functional to support your weight, don't worry!" Chase smiled upon hearing that. He never doubted his best friend's strength and using the same language as him made him smile, but a bit, due to the pain that was inflicted on him. "Look, I'm gonna get you out of here, okay? Don't you worry, I'll contact Ryder once we're outside and out of harm's way." Marshall disregarded the unconscious man, although he could only view his hand due to the fallen objects on the victim. The gun, which was identified as a glock 17 was out of his grasp. Marshall didn't care. He never even liked firearms anyway.

He did admit, Chase weighed a lot, but he was more than content to help in this situation by giving a helping paw no matter how vulnerable the situation deemed. He never would not do that, everyone knew.

He tried to continue to bring Chase all the way to his vehicle. First off, he had to get down the stairs. He grunted with every step he took, mostly focused on Chase's health rather than his own pain. Once he was down, he groaned more, ambling towards the entrance of the lookout. He heard Chase's breath fading away and in shock he laid him gently on the ground to see what was happening. At least they were beside the vehicle.

"Ryder!" He tried communicating with Ryder via his Pup Tag but it didn't seem to function properly, otherwise Ryder wasn't replying for a reason or there was no signal. "Chase?" He nudged him. A tear was withdrew from Marshall's eye. "Chase, get up." As he spoke those words, there was a saddening voice. He gulped. "Bro...we gotta go home! Please, Chase!" Marshall was then crying uncontrollably but didn't refuse to attempt CPR to save his life. Chase's vision blurred out completely, even though Marshall was performing CPR, and a single word left his utterly frozen mouth. Goodbye.


Ryder hastened outside within a second at the sound of a siren in the air. The pups were escorted behind him, advancing tacitly. It was Chase's rig.

The engine stopped.

Rocky's ear lifted up. "Something feels odd..."

Then they perceived a glimpse at Marshall hopping off gently and a...pup? On his back?

Ryder sighed in relief, sprinting to Marshall. "Marshall! Where's-" His eyes met up with the pup that was laid back on Marshall's back. "C-Chase..."

Marshall gazed at his owner, clearly furious for a simplified reason. "Where the heck were you when I gave you a call?!" Marshall's frown changed to a glare. The pups gulped seeing their Dalmatian's attitude. They seen that he was soaked with tears, along with the body. A tear fell from Marshall's eyes. He looked extremely displeased and exhausted, no energy whatsoever could be seen inside him. He dropped Chase leisurely on the ground, making sure not to add more pain to his motionless body. But what was the point anymore? "H-He's gone...Ryder. H-He saved me!" Marshall dropped on the ground, whimpering in agony as if someone penetrated him with a knife, slowly so he could endure the pain more so. But this was somehow worse.

He started whimpering in distress.

Ryder's expression said it all. He knew Chase couldn't be gone. It wasn't impossible, but still...he had a life ahead of him. A future to be planned, something like from a fantasy story, an amazing future with a mate. This all was wrong. It couldn't be true. As much as Ryder hated, he denied admitting death to his adopted police pup lying in-front of him from that very first day that he made a promise to him. "What.." The pups looked at him in confusion. Marshall peeked with an eye, his sentiment firing up more than before. "He's not dead...It can't be-"

"Are you actually that stupid?!" Marshall got on his paws. "I hate to admit this bullshit that has occurred over the past f-few days...but l-look at him, Ryder. HE'S DEAD. Stop attempting to deny the possible! Nothing... can bring him back...not even my tears, not even my heart of friendship and relationship I had with him. H-He's..." Marshall didn't gulp anymore. He just whispered a single word he thought he'd never have to say, and that he'd promised himself he wouldn't let it occur to any of his family members but he broke it. He broke that promise. He...was broke. "Dead."

Ryder dropped to his knees. His emotional side was finally, to an extent, extinguishable. He stuttered as he tried to speak. He was shattered with emotions. He couldn't get any words out. His mind was about to explode with emotions. He grabbed Chase's body and pulled it towards his. He cradled him. "I'm so, so sorry, Chase.." The pups all bowed their heads in shame.

Marshall turned around to leave, the tears he shed was sufficient. He didn't dare judge the actions his friends would do in any given moment, because it would be a repeat of what he did. And that's what it was. Every pup was now crying tears of sadness. Ryder too. Then...it started pouring rain, barely any seconds passing and it was lashing.

Marshall wasn't playing around. He had one place in mind at that exact moment, one thought that passed by his brain, as if he got a certificate that certified his succession for his achievement. One thought. Everest.


First of all, forgive me if I made any of you feel displeased or emotional or even angry that I killed of Chase in this story.

Second of all, that's how it was meant to be. In order for the story to keep going, it must happen like this.

I took a small break and didn't update for 2 weeks. However, let me assure you that I will update this every week from now on. Next chapter, next Saturday. One Chapter every week on Saturday.

With that being said, feel free to leave any reviews stating your opinion or rate of enjoyment (or whatever lol). Thanks for reading! See you guys next week!

JoshDD