Chapter 12- Recovery: Part 3
Ryder checked the time on his pup pad. It read 3:44pm. Ryder, Everest, and Rubble went to Jake's cabin to pick up Everest's stuff. When she and Jake walked out of the bedroom, Ryder told her if she wanted to stay with him for now on. Everest did say yes but it took awhile. Ryder had Rubble come along to help carry the stuff. Everest said she doesn't have much but Ryder wanted to make sure they can get it all. Since Ryder's atv can't really carry anything, he didn't see the point to bring it. So he took a ride on the back of Everest's vehicle.
After sitting the last of her possessions in her snow plow, she stares at the cabin. Her head started to fill up with memories of her and Jake.
-Ryder: Hey Everest.
Ryder sits beside Everest, legs crossed.
-Ryder: How are you doing?
Everest doesn't bother to say anything, so she faces the ground, eyes closed, trying to hold in the tears. Ryder starts to pet her.
-Ryder: I'm sorry about what happened. If I could I would help any way I can. But this is one of the time heals all wounds kind of deal.
-Everest: I know.
-Ryder: Are you able to drive back?
-Everest: I...don't know.
-Ryder: It's okay. Are you ready to go?
-Everest: Yeah.
Ryder stands up.
-Everest: Woah!
Ryder picks Everest up and lays her in the passenger seat of the snow plow. Ryder starts the engine, which was soon followed by Rubble starting his engine.
-Everest: Are you able to drive this?
-Ryder: Why not? There's peddles and a steering wheel. You just relax and clear your head while we go home.
Ryder, Everest, and Rubble drives back at the lookout. Ryder had a little trouble driving since there wasn't a lot of room, but he was able to drive.
Chase, Zuma, Rocky, Marshall, and Skye sat in the lookout with Jake. They all asked what they can do to cheer him up, but he told them they didn't have to. So they decided to watch a movie together.
All of them sat on the couch. Jake would pet one for a few minutes then go to a different pup and pet. The movie ended and the credits showed.
-Zuma: That movie sucked.
The rest agreed before Jake took the movie out of the DVD player and placed the tape back in the case. When putting the tape up, he looks out the window and sees Ryder, Everest, and Rubble pulling up the driveway.
-Jake: Hey pups! Ryder is back!
The pups howl and they all went towards the elevator, taking it down to the bottom. At the bottom, they all ran to Ryder, Rubble, and Everest. When Jake gathered around the group Everest jumped up on him, nearly knocking him on the ground, but Jake caught her. Everest started to lick his face.
-Jake: You was only gone for an hour. I don't need this much attention.
Everest jumps down, a little embarrassed now.
-Everest: (smiling) Sorry Jake.
-Jake: So, where are we putting all of this stuff?
Ryder picks up Everest's dog bowl and anything else he was able to hold from the scooper on Rubble's bulldozer.
-Ryder: Inside for now. We'll sort it out later.
They all help put Everest's belongings inside of the Lookout. All the stuff went on the left of the elevator on the bottom floor. Ryder still held the bowl.
-Ryder: Why don't you all play a game while I put this bowl with the rest?
Jake and the pups agreed, but didn't know what they were going to do. That was soon answered when Skye touched Chase's nose.
-Skye: Tag! Your it!
All of the pups, including Jake, ran away from Chase. Chase started to run after them. Ryder takes the elevator up, places Everest's bowl down with the others, then went back down to join Jake and the pups.
Jacob stood beside Mark Gruut's body in a private room in the Police Department building. He hears the only door open and Sam walks in.
-Sam: Found anything?
-Jacob: For the injuries, just the two bite marks. I talked to a doctor and he confirmed that Mark died from getting his coritid artery ripped. For the searching part, a flip phone with nothing on it and a wallet with $152, a license, and a gift card with $12 dollars left on it.
Sam lays a folder on the silver desk. He picks up the license and looks at it.
-Sam: Mark Gruut. I'll look up his name on my computer.
Before Sam could step out a ringing sound occurred. Sam and Jacob looks at the phone that laid on the desk, vibrating. They both share a glance to each other and they both run to the phone. Sam picks up the phone and hands it to Jacob.
-Sam: Your the investigator.
Jacob flips open the phone and holds it to his ear.
-?: Did you get one?
Jacob thinks for a moment before answering.
-Jacob: Yes?
-?: Good. So bring it here.
-Jacob: I can't remember where you said to go.
-?: How did you forget! You told me you would remember!
Jacob, have been doing this before, acts like he is Mark.
-Jacob: I just got attacked by seven dogs and somehow captured one. I've been bleeding a lot and I can't really stand up straight right now. So I can't really remember at the time.
-?: Uh, alright.
Jacob sees Sam pulling out a notebook and a pencil, so he holds the phone up close to Sam's ear too.
-?: I'll meet you in the abandoned building right beside that Walmart that just opened. Tonight, 7:30. Okay?
-Jacob: Okay.
Jacob hangs up the phone and looks at Sam. Both of them smiling.
In a lightened room, a person talks to someone on the phone.
-?: Okay?
The person gets a response and then hangs up the phone. He turns to his partners.
-2nd?: So?
-?: He must of either died or got caught.
-3rd?: Really? How?
-?: The man that answered was definitely not Mark. I can tell since he didn't talk very bitchy like usual.
The person presses a button on his computer.
-?: And he didn't break his phone yet. I can still track it.
-4th?: Didn't you tell him to meet you at a Walmart?
-?: Pretty much.
-2nd?: Why?
-?: To mess with them. Duh!
The first person stands up and lays his hands on his desk, holding him up.
-?: Mark already faced the dogs once, I can't believe he couldn't just get one.
The first person slams a fist on his desk, a second time.
-?: There just dogs! How many people do we have to hire!? The first three was the best ones we could find!
-2nd?: Well, we still have Tristan and Arnie.
-?: Yeah. I guess we will send Tristan next. Maybe he won't mess up this time. And to make sure he doesn't mess up, I'll have him hire a good bit of people to help.
-4th?: Is there a special way you want to capture them with Tristan?
-?: Yeah. I already planned it out. You are going with Tristan.
-2nd?: Okay. How are we going to do it?
-?: Lets just say it will work. If it doesn't than I will be down about $100,000.
The time was 8:30pm.
-Jake: Sorry, but I got to go.
Jake jumped in the red truck he still was borrowing.
-Everest: Are you going to visit tomorrow?
-Jake: Of course. I'll stop by in the afternoon. I want to do something in the morning.
-Everest: What are you going to do?
-Jake: I'm gonna snowboard on the biggest ramp around!
-Everest: Hey, I can go with! I would love to go snowboarding!
-Jake: Sorry Everest, but this will be dangerous. Like, extremely.
-Everest: If it is dangerous than why would you go on it?
-Jake: Well...
-Everest: Don't bother explaining.
Everest holds her head down and starts to cry. Ryder picks her up and holds her, letting her cry in his vest.
-Ryder: Go ahead Jake. I'll meet you tomorrow.
-Jake: I hope Everest will be okay.
Jake starts up the truck and leaves. Ryder carries Everest inside, the pups following. When at the top, Ryder lays Everest on the couch.
-Ryder: Sorry Everest, but I need to make your dinner.
Ryder moves to the kitchen to find a bag of dog food to start making their dinner. Marshall jumps up on the couch and cuddles Everest, trying his best to get her to be happy. Ryder finishes making the dog food and the pups ate. Everest took her time to get to her food bowl, which was on the very left, beside Marshall's. Ryder ate some grilled cheese sandwiches. Ryder finishes eating the same time the pups did.
-Ryder: Alright pups. Bedtime.
The pups walks over to the elevator and, before pressing the button, looks at Everest.
-Marshall: Are you coming Everest?
Everest looks at them, then at Ryder.
-Everest: Ryder, can I sleep in your bed tonight?
-Ryder: Uh, sure.
The pups takes the elevator down and walks to their puphouses. Everest follows Ryder to his bedroom.
-Ryder: So, why do you want to sleep with me?
-Everest: I usually sleep beside Jake on Mondays, Wednesdays, and Fridays.
-Ryder: Why?
-Everest: It was just something we did. So we wasn't lonely.
Everest jumps on the bed and lays down.
-Ryder: Well, if it was something you did together, I won't say anything if you continued to do it.
-Everest: Thanks.
Ryder walks over to his dresser.
-Ryder: Don't get too comfy.
-Everest: Why?
Ryder gets out a first aid kit he had laying on top of his dresser. He left it there from last night.
-Ryder: I need to switch your bandages for new, fresh ones.
-Everest: Oh, right. I forgot about the bandages.
Ryder takes off Everest's old bandages and replaces them.
-Ryder: Your wounds are healing fast. The cuts should be healed by tomorrow, but the bruises will last about three days.
Ryder throws away the old gauze in a trashcan beside the bed.
-Everest: Thanks.
-Ryder: Your welcome. Just doing my job as a caretaker.
-Everest: What about the other pups?
-Ryder: Remember when I asked Marshall if he could give all of you a checkup?
-Everest: Will he remember?
Ryder starts to switch into his night clothes.
-Ryder: Marshall might be clumsy, but he isn't forgetful. The checkups should happen before they go to bed.
Ryder hops in his bed.
-Ryder: Goodnight Everest.
-Everest: Goodnight Ja... Ryder.
Ryder looks at Everest, hoping she will get through missing Jake faster than he thinks, but he knows it will last a while. So, to make her feel better, Ryder petted Everest intill she fell asleep. After knowing she is asleep, Ryder also passes out.
The pups reach the bottom of the lookout.
-Chase: Goodnight everyone.
-Marshall: We're not going to bed yet.
-Chase: What do you mean?
Marshall walks over to his puphouse, the other pups watching him since they are also confused. He barks for his ambulance truck.
-Marshall: 'bark' Ambulance truck!
Marshall's puphouse goes down in the ground and his ambulance truck comes up.
-Chase: I was wondering if Ryder asked you about the checkups.
-Marshall: Yeah, he asked this morning. And since he told you you are going first.
-Chase: Oh well. As long as we get it done.
Marshall jumps in the back of the truck and, one by one, gives each pup a checkup. Marshall checked their wounds, patched them, and told each one how long it will take to be fully healed. Zuma, the last one, hopped out of the truck. Marshall sticks his head out the doors of the ambulance truck and looks at the pups.
-Marshall: Is that all of you?
The pups look at each other and nods.
-Marshall: Then, goodnight pups.
The pups says goodnight and they all go to bed.
Chase looks around the barely lit room. He sees Ryder in the middle of the room, tied to the chair he sat in, facing a small tv on the wall. Then Chase sees the other pups. They were all in cages, including him. The cages was aligned at the walls in the room, three on one side and three on the other. Everest was in a cage in the back of the room. Just then the tv turns on, but only shows static. From the light of the tv, though, Chase seen the blood and cuts on Ryder. Ryder wasn't trying to break free or anything, he just sat there, letting blood that came from his mouth drip on the floor. Chase can here the whimpering from the pups and the breathing from Ryder the whole time. Chase scanned the area, but the noises just suddenly stopped. Then they all stare at Chase, which surprised him. The pup's eyes turned completely white, and everything else started to turn red. The floor, the ceiling, the pup's bodies, Ryder's body, the tv, everything turned completely red. You couldn't make out what or where anything was anymore. The only thing you can see is the pure white eyes. The eyes started to move now, to Chase. Chase backed up and backed up, not being in a cage anymore. The eyes moved toward each other intill they all grouped into two huge eyes. But they kept growing. Chase kept backing up until he hit a wall. Looking at the eyes, they kept getting closer, getting bigger every second. They covered pretty much half of the room now, even though there was no room anymore. Chase didn't know what to think. The only thing that ran through his mind was that the eyes are going to kill him.
-Chase: Don't do this! Just stop! Please!
Chase hears a very familiar voice scream from the eyes, almost like a mixture of screaming, which, if real, would have scarred Chase for life.
-Chase: NOOOOO!
Chase jumps up from his bed, feeling scared, sad, and for some reason angry. He looks around, seeing his blanket and the clock on the wall. He was back in his puphouse. Chase wipes off the sweat and tears from his face, then pushes his soaked blanket to the side.
'Knock Knock'
Chase hears someone knocking on his door.
-Chase: Who is it?
-Skye: It's Skye.
Chase unlocks the door and opens it, showing a worried Skye.
-Skye: Chase, is something wrong? I heard you shouting.
-Chase: Uh, no. Nothing is wrong.
-Skye: Sure there isn't.
Skye walks in, closing the door with her rear foot.
-Skye: Tell me.
Chase lets at a sigh before answering.
-Chase: It's my dreams. For a while now I've been dreaming of all of us being captured.
-Skye: Why?
Chase lays down, which was followed by Skye doing the same.
-Chase: I don't know, but it is bothering me more and more. They feel so real.
Skye lays her paw on Chase, which Chase turned his head to face her.
-Skye: Chase, there dreams, and that's all. You keep having them because you believe that they will happen.
-Chase: What should I do then? I can't stop believing in them, I tried.
-Skye: Try harder then.
-Chase: (smiling) I'll try.
-Skye: (smiling) Good.
While both was laying, Chase grabs Skye and pulls her over to him, hugging.
-Chase: I need something to hug.
Skye giggles before giving Chase a kiss on his cheek, and before they fall asleep. Chase was able to look at the clock before he passed out. 2:23am.