Chapter 5

Balto padded slowly into the house. He looked around. There was no sign of Bolt. He looked down at the blood trail again. Bolt had headed downstairs.

He padded down the stairs slowly. He heard voices.

"You got sliced up pretty bad here. What were you doing?"

There was a chuckle. "Funny you should ask. Actually…"

"Yes." Balto interrupted. "Funny she should ask."

Jenna was still in the process of stitching up Bolt's front leg.

"God damnitt Jen get away from him!" Balto shouted.

Jenna backed away. Balto padded down to Bolt. He grabbed his collar and lifted him into the air.

"Listen to me Balto. I didn't do it. Okay? I didn't kill anyone."

"Shut up!" Balto shouted. He tore out the stitch in Bolt's arm. The dog screamed in agony. "Was that necessary?!!"

Balto grabbed Bolt by the collar. He dragged him up the stairs.

"What are you gonna do? Drag me to hell?"

"That's the idea." Balto replied. He left through the front door, dragging Bolt behind him.

There was a silence between the two. Nothing could be heard but eight feet stomping through snow.

"You realize I'm bleeding all over you, right?" Bolt said.

Balto looked down to see that a lot of blood was pouring onto his fur.

"Jesus Bolt. Keep the blood inside. You're not dead yet."

"You're gonna let them kill me aren't you?" Bolt asked.

"Listen Bolt. First of all you sound like a baby. Second I don't like the idea of you dying. I don't like the idea of anyone dying. But you made your choices in life. You chose to be the Butcher of Nome. So you're gonna die."

Bolt came to a stop. Balto tried to keep going but stopped. "Geeze Balto! I saved your life! I didn't kill anyone! I would never kill anyone! It's all a misunderstanding!"

Balto sighed. "Your alibi?"

"My what?"

"Your alibi. Where were you on the night of the two dog killings?"

Bolt sighed. He had to rat out Seamus. "I was at Seamus's house."

Balto frowned. "What were you doing there?"

"Listen buddy, I'm losing a lot of blood here." Bolt gestured to his arm which was bleeding where Balto had torn out the stitches.

"What were you doing there?" He asked again.

Bolt paused. "I was invited. He didn't believe I had done it. I didn't do it."

"Yeah. We've established that. Do you have proof that you were there during that time?"

"Well…" Bolt paused. He didn't. Seamus hadn't been there when the dogs had been killed. "He…he wasn't there. He was at a meeting in the old mill during that time."

Balto frowned. "That's impossible."

"Why?"

"Because Seamus wasn't at the meeting. I thought he was sick or something."

Bolt froze. He hadn't been at the meeting. He had been somewhere else. Two dogs had died while he wasn't at the meeting.

Suddenly Bolt passed out in the snow.

Balto groaned. "Come on man. Don't faint. Die with dignity."

Then he noticed the blood still pouring from Bolt's arm.

"Oh."

Suddenly a cat padded up to him. She punched him in the face. He fell back unconscious.

Bolt awoke. He was feeling extremely weak. He looked around. He was underground. Mittens was stitching him up.

"Am I dead?" Bolt asked.

"Not yet." Mittens replied cheerfully.

Rhino was there too. Bolt smiled when he saw him. "That was a nice move on the rooftops."

Rhino saluted. "It was a pleasure."

Bolt got up and fell down again. "Geeze. How much blood did I lose?"

"Enough to fill a Hummer's gas tank." At Bolt's confused look she added "That's a lot."

Bolt nodded. "I…I remember…oh god." He remembered about Seamus.

He sat back. "How long till I'm feeling better?"

"Get some sleep." Mittens said. "You'll feel stronger in the morning."

She leaned forwards and kissed Bolt on the forehead.

Bolt smiled. "What was that for?"

"For being alive. Good night wags."

Bolt closed his eyes and fell asleep.

Balto awoke the next morning. He was in Jenna's house.

"What was that about?" She asked.

"What?"

"Yesterday. You dragged that German Shepherd out of here. That wasn't nice."

Balto sighed. "He's not a good person. He's killed so many people."

Jenna's eyes widened. "Was that the Butcher?"

Balto got up and padded out without making eye contact.

"I don't know anymore Jen. I just don't know."