Hello everyone, no I'm not dead. Yes it's been a while since I put a chapter up for this story. I hope to finish this one someday soon, but it's a long fic, and will most likely be my last Balto one. Yes, I'm tired of writing about Balto and the others. They're characters who've become exhausted in my mind and life. I hope my work will inspire other writers to work out stories they can be proud of. All my old fanfic heroes from when I was fifteen and first started writing them have all passed on and gone away, and so I hope to fade from the Balto scene much as they did –and much as Balto did from the screen - without so much as a goodbye. Sorry to all those who will be upset.
Chapter 14
"Jenna, please try and calm down." Balto pleaded from the back of Jenna's shed where he lay unobtrusively on a beat-up old mattress. Slowly Balto's eye's drifted from the left to the right across the shed, watching Jenna gradually pace across the room.
Outside there came an indistinct sound from somewhere in the distance and Jenna flashed to the door and peeked through the crack she had left in it. Realizing nothing was out there; she turned and resumed her manic pacing.
"I am calm." Jenna protested as she looked over at Balto.
Balto looked back at her with an inquisitive tilt to his ears.
Jenna ignored her mates look with a shake of her head and continued her quiet, meditative, walking. She walked from one side of the shed to the other; her head hung low and her eyes hollow with thought. When she reached the far side of the room she looked up at the wall, as if she had never seen it before, and turning on her heels, she resumed walking.
Suddenly she turned her eyes on Balto. "But you should be the one up here pacing. I expect you to do most of the talking you know?"
"I know." Balto replied. "I have what I need to say right up here." Balto raised his right paw and touched his head just below his right ear. "I just don't see what you're so worked up about? This is going to go fine. We tell him that the Steel from the story he heard when he was a pup, was the Steel we saw in town today." Balto paused and watched his words work on Jenna. But it didn't seem to have any effect. "Then we tell Kodi not to talk to Steel or any of Steel's friends again. It's as simple as that" Balto finished.
"I hope he'll listen." Jenna said in a hushed tone. She closed her eyes and truly wished Kodi would listen and do what they would say.
From the moment Kodi stepped into the boiler-room and took up his place in front of the furnace he could feel the eyes of his teammates upon him. He could feel their icy glares searing into his flesh worse than any driving wind.
Occasionally Kodi would turn around and see who was looking at him now; and each time he did he would see that every one of his teammates was looking at him in the same way. They looked at him through squinted eyes, bitter dark orbs full of resentment, ready to strike and kill him the moment he let them. Kodi swore he could hear the growls in their throats and their teeth clacking together – ready to tear into his esophagus. It didn't take Kodi more than ten minutes to realize he wasn't wanted here, and that he should leave and go to his parents, which he didn't look forward to either.
As nonchalantly as a convict walking out the front door of a prison, Kodi yawned and stretched his entire body until he stood. Then turning under barrage of wild glares, Kodi walked across the room to the door and grabbed the rope hung on the door and pulled. The door broke free of the ice and swung inwards, bringing with it a cloud of steam which quietly masked his escape as he stepped into the freezing night and pulled the door shut.
For a moment Kodi stood and let his eyes adjust to the darkness. At least he knew they weren't looking at him in that way anymore. He was for the moment free of that.
Kodi was about to step away when he heard his friends moving around inside the room. He could hear somebody walking across the floorboards to the door. Kodi held his breath. Whoever it was stood for a moment listening. "I think he's gone." Kirby stated as he turned away from the door and walked back towards the center of the room, his nails clacking on the hardwood as he went.
As soon as he knew Kirby was out of hearing range Kodi exhaled and quickly turned and walked through the soft snow up the slope next to the door. Up around the corner of the building was a little window permanently tilted open on two rusty hinges. A soft glowing light escaped and made the snow at the base of the window glow in a pleasing way.
Slowly Kodi edged his way up to the window, almost tiptoeing, and peeked in as the warm air rushed out into the night. Kirby, Ralph, Kip, Fell, and Dusty all lay in a little social circle in front of the boiler. Kodi listened.
"I'm really starting to wonder about Kodi." Kirby voiced in a worried tone. "I mean look what happened today when that new dog showed up. And what did he mean by telling Kodi to take the team?"
Fell voiced a response. "I assume he sought Kodi to take his place as leader, even though he isn't worthy of it in the least."
"Yeah I agree, I think he wanted Kodi to take the lead of the team." Dusty said more for translation than to voice her own agreement.
A supportive murmur went through the group. Then Kirby's eyes shot to Dusty. "Hey Dusty, I thought you had a date with Sarge tonight. What are you doing here?"
Dusty sighed. "He should be along any minute."
"Oh … yeah." Kirby's eyes opened and he shook his head. "So you think it will be a late night?" Kirby shot at her while clicking his tongue against his cheek and winking his left eye.
Dusty growled. "Does it look like I'm going to do that? Besides, we're here to talk about Kodi, not about Sarge."
Kirby rolled his eyes and smiled as if he already had his answer and didn't need to hear anymore.
"So now back to Kodi, I think one of us needs to talk to him. We need to know what's on his mind" Dusty said. "I'm out for obvious reasons, but one of us needs to do it. So who wants to?"
Nobody responded, but waited and looked away at odd angles to each other, as if Dusty would say more, or perhaps just drop the whole thing. She sighed and looked at Kirby. "Kirby?"
"What?" Kirby said with shock, as if he hadn't been paying attention.
Dusty growled and bore her eyes into him. "Would you go do it?"
Kirby growled and rounded his shoulder in his sockets. His face fell into a grimace which stated how he felt. "I don't want to go do it. I have many good reasons why I don't want to go either."
"And they would be?" Fell asked.
Kirby looked into the top of his head as he began to list them off, counting them on his front toes as he did. "It's night. It's cold. I don't know where he went. I'm sore and tired, and …"
Dusty growled and rose quickly to her feet in a threatening way. "Would you just do it Kirby?"
"Fine." Kirby pushed himself up into a sitting position. He sneered and glared at Dusty "But if I get sick because of this little run in the cold night, you're going to owe me." Kirby turned to the door, and then turned back to Dusty. "Where did he go anyways?"
"If you were paying attention earlier today, he probably went to his mothers." Dusty said with an exasperated sigh.
Kirby grumbled as he grabbed the rope on the inside of the door and pulled. The door broke free of the ice and filled the room with steam.
Meanwhile Kodi turned away from the window and ran off into the night to get to his parents before Kirby.
"Finally." Jenna let her breath go in relief as she spotted her son through the crack in the door. She watched him come around a far building and make his way towards the shed in a quiet meditative stroll. Jenna turned her head and looked at Balto who still sat on the mattress in the back. "He's coming."
Balto pulled himself to his feet and stepped forwards to the door. He leaned his shoulder into the door and pushed. The door opened roughly as it slid across the snow.
Kodi looked up from his apologetic step and looked at his parents standing in the door of the shed. Lowering his eyes and head below his shoulders he walked on them into the darkness of the shed. Kodi turned around and sat as Balto pulled the door shut.
An apprehensive feeling began to brew in Kodi. It was probably from all the times he had seen his parents give his brothers and sister's talking-to's when they were pups. Kodi had been good and never had a true talk, but the way his parents looked as they sat down in front of him told Kodi he was about to get one of those old fashioned talking-to's.
"Kodi." Jenna started, but cut short as she looked at Balto to continue.
"Kodi, first off we want you to know we're not mad at you, so don't think you're in trouble in any way." Balto started. "We just want to warn you about that dog you were talking to today, Steel."
Kodi's ears and curiosity perked up at the mention of Steel's name. "What about Steel?"
Balto looked sidelong at Jenna, as if seeking the courage in her face to continue. "Well, before your mother and me met there was another dog who sought Jenna's affection, Steel. At the time Steel was a very small minded dog – and probably still is. He was mean to his friends, his teammates, and he especially picked on me because of my wolf heritage. But this was because I was also in love with your mother as well." Balto said as if confessing his own terrible sins. "Well one day Rosy became very sick with something that couldn't be cured without a medicine that was far away. So it was decided that every dog in Nome would race to see who would be on the team. I won," Balto smirked. "Even after the other dogs cheated and sent me off the track. But Steel wouldn't have me on his team, so he attacked me in front of the humans, and the humans wouldn't trust me because of my half-wolf features." Balto paused to let this sink in. "Steel then took the team and got the medicine. On the way back he got lost. He couldn't find his way through a horrible storm; so I went after the team, your mother helped." Balto looked sidelong at Jenna as he said it.
Kodi sighed in a bored tone. "I know, you got the antitoxin and made it back to Nome to become the town hero." Kodi paused and looked at both his parents in turn, then continued warily. "So are you telling me the Steel from the story is the same one I met today?"
"Yes." Balto said simply. "And we thought he was long gone, but now he's back and he's going to be in the same race as you and -"
"-And we don't want you to talk to him anymore." Jenna cut in. "Steel wants to get even with your father and I, and he'll do that through you if he has to. We just don't want you to get hurt because of something that happened before you were born.
Kodi's head fell a little. "I see." He said indifferently.
Balto stepped forwards next to his son and smiled as Kodi looked up. "We're just trying to protect you and your friends from him is all. Don't think we're trying to limit your adulthood by telling you this. We're just helping."
Kodi looked up at his father's face and smiled softly. Jenna stepped closer and nuzzled her son in a hearty way. Kodi nuzzled her back less vigorously. "I know you do." Kodi smiled. "I know."
Outside, just out of audible range, something metal banged against something else.
The light came down at an angle in front of Kirby's paws and nose which were both unbelievable cold. Kirby stood at the far end of a back alley across the street from the shed where Kodi had gone. Shadows from the edge of a nearby roof covered his entire body, and a garbage can half filled with broken bottles stood between him and the street hiding him from view when Kodi would return.
"Come on." Kirby supplicated aloud as he readjusted his freezing feet under his body. "It's so cold out here."
More time passed and Kirby grew much colder and very tired of looking at the unpainted shed across the street. He also grew impatient for Kodi's return.
It was the cold that got Kirby more than anything. Never in Kirby's memory had he ever been as cold as he was sitting in the dark waiting for his friend. Even in a blizzard with the temperature at fifty below while running into the wind he was never as cold as now.
As more time passed Kirby's humble appeal for Kodi to return began to turn inflamed. "Where are you Kodi?" Kirby demanded looking at the shed again. "I'm only going to wait another minute, then that's it, I'm gone." Kirby threatened to no one.
Then it hit him, a sudden dark and foreboding feeling he wasn't alone, that someone was watching him, threatening him, sneaking up on him. Kirby began to turn his head to look back down the alley when a set of front paws caught him sharply in the side of the head, throwing him headfirst into the side of the trashcan which banged loudly and tilted sideways up on its rim and back down. Blackness engulfed Kirby instantly and the dog who knocked him out smiled. "Rough him up." He said coldly to the two dogs behind him.
Balto pushed the door open and watched his son stroll casually past him into the night with his head hung low, but nevertheless carrying himself in an upbeat way. Balto smirked as Kodi walked into the night before him. Jenna followed Kodi out and stopped next to Balto, letting her head fall into his shoulder in a tender way.
"I think he'll be fine." Balto whispered into Jenna's ear.
"It will take time for all the wounds to heal with the team. I just hope Steel doesn't try something between then." Jenna responded. She turned and walked back into the shed. "Why don't you spend the night here Balto? It's got to be cold out on that boat. Besides, it's cold in here by myself."
Balto watched her go, then bit the rope on the door and pulled it shut as he followed her in.
Kodi began to walk towards the alley he had come down earlier when he noticed somebody standing just behind the corner watching him come with one eye in view. Kodi's first instinct told him to choose another way to get home, and he turned to do so when the form stepped forwards from the shadow.
"Kodi." Steel said in a voice barely above a whisper.
Kodi looked at Steel with his eyebrows knitted together. "Hi Steel." He said indifferently.
Steel lowered his head. "Have a little chat with your parents?" Steel asked meekly.
"Yeah Steel, and I'm tired, so I'm going to go home." Kodi turned and strolled towards the entrance of the next alley.
Steel quickly jog-stepped and cut in front of Kodi before he could make it into the mouth of the alley. "You're going to back to all those other dogs who hate your guts?" He asked in disbelief.
Kodi gave Steel a sharpened sidelong glance. "They don't hate my guts, they care about me."
"Perhaps." Steel replied indifferently. "Or perhaps you only think it's caring. You thing they want to talk to you, but really they just want to tell you that you can't lead and need to accept your place on the team."
Kodi lowered his brow. "How do you know?"
Steel shrugged his shoulder. "Because I went over there and saw them sitting in their little circle talking about you. They were saying they didn't think you were fit to be a leader any more."
Kodi felt a growl rising in his throat. "My parents told me about you Steel."
Steel bowed his head to the left in an uncaring motion, as if saying, 'so?' "I'm sure they painted me in a terrible picture no doubt. After all I did loose Jenna to Balto and felt terribly bitter about it back then. And I'm sure they have a personal vendetta against me for it."
"They told me about how you got lost, about how you fought my father when he tried to help you, about how you lied to the town and said my father was trying to be a glory hound." Kodi fired off, now beginning to hear the anger coming through in his voice.
"Yes, and it's all true." Steel replied with a hurt look.
Kodi felt honestly shocked and continued. "So then why should I trust you? You're an enemy of my family."
Steel looked Kodi in the eye with a very serious face. "There's no reason other than your natural instincts as a leader to believe me."
Kodi stared coldly and deeply into Steels eyes, trying to see the evil in him. But for some reason Kodi couldn't sense it, if it even existed. All Kodi could sense was a strange caring sensation coming from Steel – much as he remembered from being a pup and looking upon his father.
"Could I walk with you back to the boiler room Kodi?" Steel said raising his right paw and pointing down the alley.
Kodi thought about it; his parents warning to stay away from Steel still burned fresh in his head. But then again he was an adult, and able to talk to who he wanted as long as it didn't get him, or someone he knew, hurt. "I guess." He shrugged after a moment and walked forwards.
Together they walked shoulder to shoulder down to the far end of the dark alley. Neither of them exchanged a word. The wind blew over the rooftops above them, covering their fur with a light sprinkling of snow as they went. Already the drifting snow which suffocated the town at night began to form on the leeward sides of the all the buildings.
As they reached the end of the alley and turned down the street towards the boiler room Steel spoke up. "I assume your father told you his side of the story?"
Kodi looked questioningly at Steel. "His side of the story?"
Steel shook his head. "Oh yeah. Every story has two sides, just like a tree." Steel smiled at Kodi like a proud father. "Did he tell you how he was nothing more than a common thief, and that when he came to help the team he tried to steal the antitoxin?"
Kodi shook his head no.
"He didn't even ask for it. He showed up and said he would take the team, my team, and get them back on track. He said he was going to take the team back to Nome because the children were sick and needed the medicine now. Then when I told him I had everything under control, and that I would do it, he said he'd just take the antitoxin then. How did he expect to carry the antitoxin do you suppose?"
"I don't know?" Kodi shook his head. "Drag it I guess?"
Steel continued. "He then forced me to attack him by trying to take the antitoxin off the sled. I couldn't let him take it off the sled; it's fragile. I knew he'd break it or it would freeze while trying to carry it over those rough trails. So I fought him, and just when he realizes he's going to win, do you know what he does?"
"No. He didn't tell me about this. I did hear that he fought you, but I never heard this." Kodi replied in an unconvinced tone.
Steel stopped in his tracks and let his head hang between his shoulders as if about to cry. "He tried to kill me Kodi. He dropped me over the side of a cliff. It was only luck I survived the fall, and without even getting an injury." Steel raised his head and looked at Kodi. "You can imagine how angry and irrational I was afterwards. Here I was, had everything under control, and this wolf dog shows up, tries to steal the antitoxin and tries to kill me."
Kodi's eyes narrowed. "That doesn't sound like my father. He wouldn't do something like that. My dad doesn't steal and he wouldn't try to kill you. He's as gentle as a …"
"-Wolf." Steel interjected.
Kodi lowered his brow, mostly for the fact he knew some wolf blood ran in his veins.
Steel continued. "Oh it's well known by most dogs that your father was a cheater and a liar. True he got the recognition for saving the children of Nome; but at what cost?"
Kodi looked cross at Steel. "What do you mean?"
"Nothing much." Steel said looking away from Kodi at a nearby building. He knew Kodi was beginning to slip under his paw again. He grinned at Kodi's gullibility.
They were within sight of the boiler room now. The little window towards the back where Kodi had listened to his friends talk gave off a pleasing yellow glow which said there was warmth and good company here. But Kodi knew there wasn't any for him, and his face showed it.
"Not ready to go home just yet?" Steel asked as he watched Kodi's face morph into a muted nature.
Kodi looked at Steel. "I don't know." He shook his head and looked out over the frozen sea to the south. Somewhere out there a red band of northern lights arched and flared wildly over the clouds, creating a gentle glow which reflected off the ice like blood.
"I wouldn't blame you for not wanting to go back there." Steel stated mildly. "Nothing worse than going home to have you friends and family distrust you at every turn you take and word you say."
Kodi shrugged, and didn't have an answer. But really he didn't want to answer. Somewhere deep within he remembered his parent's explicit warning to stay away from Steel and any of his friends. But on the other paw Steel had really hit the nail on the head for Kodi, exploding a new realm of thoughts into his mind. Kodi did feel as though he were being pushed around, that his leadership wasn't being acknowledged, and that his parents did treat him like nothing more than an ill-mannered pup. He was an adult, and therefore capable of making his own decisions in life. Right?
Steel stopped in front of the scratched up wood door the boiler room and faced Kodi with a smile. "So I was wondering if you'd like to come hang out with some of the guys from my team. We were planning on going around town and cruising a few old haunts."
Kodi shrugged and looked at the door. "I don't know. I have the mail run tomorrow and I should be getting my rest."
Steels eye's didn't move. "So? … I'm not saying we're going to go and spend all night out. Just a few memories and good jokes." He smiled.
Kodi began to shrug his shoulders and try to formulate some excuse when the door to the boiler room cracked, and then opened, spilling a golden glow out onto the snow before them. Sarge strolled through the steam cloud. Behind him Dusty closed the door and turned with mild shock sprayed across her face. Sarge's eye's lit up at the two forms in front of him. "Kodi." He smirked unrealistically.
Dusty instantly stepped to Sarge's side and laid her head tenderly on his shoulder and stared silently at Kodi and Steel.
"Hello Sarge." Kodi replied lowering his eyes and his shoulder until they felt as if they were part of the snow below his feet.
"Everyone was wondering where the troubled one was." Sarge gave a slight chuckle, which instantly caught Steel's icy glare.
Kodi cringed slightly at the harsh words. "I was… at my mothers."
"Ahh," Sarge smiled in a belittling way. "And did she clean your bottom afterwards?"
"Sarge," Dusty whispered in warning.
But it was too late as Steel suddenly stepped forwards and set his nose right up against Sarge's and stared into his eyes between the steam rising from their breath. "I should skin you and wear you." Steel growled.
"Hey!" Sarge growled in response. His voice quivered. "Why, why don't you … just take a step back?"
"And why don't you turn tail and run before I put a divit in your face." Steel seethed, unmoved and as cold as ice.
Sarge's eyes darted left and right. Then he took a step back and looked silently at Kodi, then back at Steel. "I would gladly fight you any other day, but we … we have something special planned… and I wouldn't want to ruin it." Sarge's voice shook as he finished and picked up the pace of moving around Steel. He then pushed Dusty quickly along into the night before him. Dusty looked back over her shoulder at Kodi and Steel as they disappeared into the darkness beyond the boiler room.
Steel sat back on his haunches and recomposed himself by rolling his shoulder and cracking his neck to the left. He then looked at Kodi. "So my offer still stands if you want to go."
Kodi would have been lying if he said he wasn't tempted to say yet and go. What Steel had done to Sarge felt like a huge weight had been lifted from Kodi's shoulders. And the look of fear and shock on both Dusty and Sarge's faces was like a dream come true. But the warning his parents had given him still weighed heavy in his mind.
"I don't think I will tonight Steel. But maybe on the day after tomorrow?" Kodi asked in an optimistic way.
Steel smiled and gave a slight chuckle. He knew he had him now. "Sure thing Kodi. I'll be sure to stop by and see you when you get done with the mail run." Steel turned and swished his tail as he strolled off. He then turned. "And remember Kodi, you're the leader, so act like it to these chumps." Steel turned and strolled up around the corner of the boiler room and away.
Kodi turned and pushed the door open. The ice around the edge cracked perceptibly and grinded a little on the wood floor as the door swung wide. Kodi stepped in and turned and pushed the door shut with a solid shove from his shoulder.
Behind him he could tell there were eyes staring at his back, glaring bitter eyes which questioned his motives and wanted to hurt him for it. There was nothing Kodi could do about them but try and pretend they weren't there.
Slowly Kodi turned and walked under the back shelf. There he curled around three times, ignoring everyone else in the room as he did so. He then lay down, closed his eyes, and quickly fell asleep.
"Did you see the look on his face?" Sarge said as he slowed to a walk. He breathed hard, even though he hadn't been running for very long or very far. "He would have eaten me alive if I didn't get out of there." He said looking at Dusty as she walked in front of him, turned to face him, and sat.
"I saw." Dusty replied solemnly.
"I think this is just getting to serious Dusty. I mean, I want to help you out, but I don't want to get my butt handed to me by that … that, brute." Sarge said with a shiver running up his spine. He looked at Dusty to reply.
Dusty gazed blankly at a point in front of her paws. Her eyes appeared to be hollow and without emotion. The rest of her face spread slowly away with the same blankness.
"Dusty?" Sarge asked as he pushed his head up in front of her vision.
Dusty blinked what she had been thinking away from her mind and looked at Sarge while flattening her ears. She looked ruefully at Sarge. "I don't want you to get hurt. I just wanted Kodi to get jealous, but it only seems to be sending him further away."
Sarge's ears flattened as if a heavy weight had been set upon him. But then his eyes seared into Dusty. "Okay Dusty. But if I continue this charade of being your boyfriend, you're going to owe me one. Got it?"
"Got it." Dusty replied sternly, and meant it as she looked off to the right at nothing and thought.
"Okay." Sarge said to fill the void of the conversation. He let his eyes drift back down the alley they had just come down. Something in Sarge's mind told him eyes were upon him, searing acrimoniously into his flesh, and plotting to execute him in one foul swoop. But Sarge shrugged and shook his fur and let this idea fall away as nothing more than a bit of paranoia.
Dusty's face looked deep in thought, her eyes searing into nothing in particular. She then stood and turned and began to walk down the street. "Come with me Sarge. I need to go talk to Balto and Jenna."
Sarge didn't hesitate to bolt to Dusty's side. No way was he going to be left out in the dark after being threatened by that dog. "So why are we going to see Balto and Jenna?" Sarge asked.
Dusty looked sidelong at Sarge. "Because they know something about that dog Kodi was with." They walked on, their breath combining and rising over there heads as they went.
"Shhhh!" Dusty growled as she stopped and held her breath. Her ears swiveled around on top of her head like miniature satellite dishes searching for something lost in the night.
Next to her Sarge listened in the same way. After a few moments he exhaled and turned to her. "Dusty I-"
"Quiet!" Dusty barked. She continued listening with the same keenness.
Sarge feigned listening, thinking Dusty's senses had caught a cat creeping around or something else which didn't matter. He rolled his eyes and was about to continue on despite what she said when he heard the groan.
It was a moan, deep and painful, struggling against something immovable and terribly oppressing. "Uhhhhooooowww."
Sarge's face twisted up in shock as he looked at Dusty.
But Dusty wasn't there to look at as she bolted forwards down the little street, then cut sharply into an alley, almost loosing her footing and sliding into the side of a building. Yet she managed to right herself and quickly ran out of sight.
Sarge quickly followed after her and turned down the alley with the same slick motion, trying to keep his traction. At his feet he noticed a long line in the snow where something had been drug along. Looking up at the end of the alley Sarge noticed a large piece of carpet with something lumpy under it. The lump moaned. "Ooouuuhhhhh."
As soon as Dusty reached the carpet she latched onto it with her teeth and pulled it back off the lump. Kirby, his right eye swollen shut, his nose leaking blood, and his fur ruffled, moaned and turned his head weakly. "Dusty?" He said shivering, his good eye rolling around in his head like a marble in a bowl. "I … I … thoug … thought i… it's them." He said shivering and trying to move his stiff and shivering paws to stand up. But they refused to work with him and could only kick feebly at the air.
Sarge stepped to Kirby's side and looked at him with a reserved and overly aghast face. "Who did this to you?" He blurted out without thinking. "Who hurt you?"
But Kirby couldn't answer as his good eye rolled up in his head and he stopped kicking. His paws fell to the snow.
Sarge's eye's widened in shock and fear. "Is he dead!!" He looked for Dusty to answer.
Dusty leaned down and put her ear near Kirby's muzzle.
"Is he dead! Tell me, is he dead!" Sarge asked again, shaking all over.
"No." Dusty said looking up at Sarge. "But we need to get him someplace warm soon or he will be."
Sarge looked up and down the alley. There were no lights visible, and he didn't know anywhere nearby they could go. He looked back at Dusty. "Where?"
Dusty thought about it, her eye's shifting around as she thought. "We'll take him to Jenna's. She's not far from here."
Sarge looked franticly at Kirby. "How do we carry him?"
Dusty's looked at the carpet she had pulled off Kirby. "The carpet! Spread that out Sarge, and I'll pull him onto it, and we'll drag him."
Sarge didn't hesitate as he bolted to the ruffled carpet and spread the corner out in the little alley with his teeth and his paws.
Dusty, meanwhile, stepped over Kirby and latched onto the scruff of his neck. Then digging her paws into the snow like hooks, she heaved on his body. Kirby slid a few inches in the snow. She then heaved again, and again Kirby moved.
After a few moments of tugging on his fur Dusty managed to get Kirby placed mostly on the carpet. She then stepped over him and stood next to Sarge at the far end of the carpet. She picked one corner up in her mouth and looked at Sarge. "Now come on and pull." She mumbled.
Sarge grabbed the other corner of the small carpet and quickly ran with Dusty down the alley towards Jenna's.
At first it sounded like something was sliding off the roof of a distant building. Yet no hollow thump followed to signal this was so. Instead the sound grew and grew until it became a dull roar working into the little room like an outside chill.
Balto lifted his head off Jenna's shoulder. "What is that?" He said looking at the door to the shed.
Jenna, half asleep, followed Balto's gaze to the door and curled her ears around to listen. "I'm not sure." She replied.
Balto stood and walked around Jenna to the door and waited, listening. Outside the sound grew closer and louder. Then it sounded as if a pair of paws was running along with the sound.
Behind him Jenna sat up and yawned. "Open the door, see what it is."
Balto pushed his shoulder into the door and it grinded open.
Two dogs ran quickly around a far corner, struggling with something like a blanket in their mouth. They pointed and made a beeline towards Balto standing in the door.
"What is it Balto?" Jenna said marveling at Balto's stare. Then she stood up and moved forwards to his side.
As Balto watched the two dogs come closer he recognized the fur color and body build of one dog. It was Dusty. Balto smirked. "What are you doing Dusty?" He said coyly. But his face fell as he saw the look of terror in Dusty's face and the exhaustion in the other. He knew she wasn't bringing good news.
Dusty slid to a stop in front of the shed, dropping her corner of the carpet, revealing the crumpled brown form on the back. "It's Kirby, he's been attacked." She looked at Jenna standing in the door now. "We need to get him inside." She finished with a gasp.
Balto and Jenna both stepped to the side as Dusty picked up the corner of the carpet and pulled on it. Sarge pulled as well, and soon they had the whole carpet, with Kirby on it, inside.
Jenna stepped in, quickly followed by Balto as he pulled the door shut against the cold.
"Who did it?" Jenna asked indirectly to everyone present.
"I don't know." Sarge replied as he struggled to breath. "I didn't …take time to see … if I could smell anything."
Jenna's eyes turned to Dusty. "What about you Dusty?"
"I didn't smell anything." Dusty replied. She didn't breath as hard as Sarge, but she was used to hard labor. "But Kirby might have." She said looking down at him.
"Did he say who did it?" Jenna asked bluntly.
"I don't know, he just sai…"
Meanwhile Balto's set his paw onto Kirby's shoulder where his fur was upset and bloody. Kirby felt cold to the touch, as if death's hand was firmly wrapped around him and still struggling to wretch Kirby from them. "We need to warm him up now." Balto stated firmly and forcefully between Dusty and Jenna's conversation. All eyes fell on Balto with a hushed grimness. Balto continued. "Because if we don't warm him up, he'll be dead before he can tell us anything."
Everybody looked at Balto and felt the words as if he had announced Kirby was dead. Quietly they all stepped around Kirby and began to lie down against him. He didn't shiver, which meant he had gone beyond the point of being able to shiver, which wasn't good. He felt cold to the touch, very cold, stone cold. But they all lay down with as much of their body against his as they could. Trying, almost beyond hope, to bring Kirby back.