My energy is spent at last
And my armor is destroyed
I have used up all my weapons
And I'm helpless and bereaved
Wounds are all I'm made of – Blue Oyster Cult
The main lights were out, and the room was only illuminated by four sets of safety lights, barely enough to see each other by. The din of the barking dogs, reverberating off the concrete, tile, and Plexiglas was nearly deafening, and the only dogs who were not barking could barely hear each other.
What the hell is going on?
Shut up, Fang! shouted Ranger. Never had Kid seen Ranger be so completely in control. The image was so different from the passive, confused dog that Kid had always seen before. Pay attention! They're coming . . .
Who? Who is?
Listen! They'll be here soon. They'll break the locks on all these boxes. When they do, the four of us will stick together and run out in all the commotion. Kid, you know the best way out of here, right?
If the plans I saw were correct, yes, I think.
Follow Kid. He's going to lead us out of here. Don't let any of the humans get a hold of you. Whether it's a coat or an activist. Don't let them get you.
What do you mean, not the activists? They're coming to take us out of here, aren't they? Fang was pacing now. Kid could see moving flashlights and hear the sound of human voices.
Ranger put a paw on his divider. Fang, listen to me. The only way to get out of this is to escape. We need to escape all the humans and get completely away, away from here, away from where humans can get us. Because if they catch us, we're either dead, or we get put back in the box.
Blood piped up. The coats will never stop until you're dead, Fang.
Ranger continued. He's right. They'll keep gassing you, or find some other new experiment for you. They'll keep implanting nano-chips in Kid or any other dog that fits their profile for testing. It has to stop. We have to get away from all of them. Do you understand? Use your strength, use your teeth if you must, Fang. We need your help to get out of here! Get ready, now.
All four dogs crouched in wait. Fang started a low growl, and his paws were twitching. The boars are replaced by bipeds this time. The paddock is wide open. I am going to win this contest. No survivors. All of them are Mac, and no more of this shit. Kid looked at Fang in confusion. He wasn't sure if Fang meant to have that overheard. Kid hoped, based on what little of Fang's past that he knew, that Fang wouldn't lose complete control. So much of their escape hinged on them being able to count on Fang's strength.
There were quite a few activists, dressed in black, many with stockings or ski masks on their faces, some even wearing camouflage greasepaint. Two of them had come down their row and had broken the locks or simply smashed the Plexiglas. Most of dogs were cowering, allowing the humans to take them away. One human finally broke open Fang's box, and he leapt out with a roar. Finally all four boxes were open, and the other dogs jumped to the ground. Kid, intending to run to Fang, was suddenly snatched by human hands.
Fang! Help me!
Fang snarled and snapped at the human's hands, narrowly missing taking a chunk out of Kid. The human released the Corgi, and Blood jumped to Kid's side.
C'mon, Kid, get us out of here!
The four dogs ran through the door that they had been carried through so many times before. The main lights were out in the hallway, too, but the safety lights continued their eerie glow. Kid made an abrupt turn to the left, and the others followed.
This way! Hurry!
There was chaos everywhere. Not only did the activists break in, but the lab workers were running around too, trying to get the animals rounded up. The police and animal control, who had been tipped off to this event tonight, had also arrived, adding to the frenzy. Everyone was trying to grab animals left and right. Not only were there dogs, but rabbits, apes, goats, birds, and cats. However, all of the animals, save four, ran only from their pursuers, not with a destination in mind. Kid skirted through the crowds easily, staying on his path. The larger dogs had a harder time because of their size. Fang had to be used several times as a battering ram.
We're almost outside!
Blood leapt at the crash bar, and the four dogs burst through the door and into a side yard. Kid had never been outside before. His nose was assailed by so many different and new scents. The little dog had been bred in a laboratory and had spent his entire life in cages and on tile floors, and now that he was outside for the first time, the earthen ground was so alien under his paws.
Blood, what's this . . ?
Never mind, Kid, get to the fence!
There was a chain-link fence at the far side of the yard. Fang threw himself at it, growling.
Not that way! Dig! Dig! Hurry!
The dogs began digging furiously, and after a short time, had managed a scrape deep enough for Kid to wiggle under. Then he began to dig furiously from the other side.
"Fred! Over here! There's four of 'em out here!"
Kid froze in fear. The humans . . .
Keep digging, Kid! I'm not gonna let no fucking coats get us now! Fang turned, growling, teeth bared. He crouched into an attack position, daring the human to come closer. He barked, twice, and scooted closer to the human. Fucking coats! Then Fang's eyes went wide with recognition: it was one of the coats who put him in the tank with the gas. But at the same time, it was Mac. Mac, who had beaten him bloody, starved him, and forced him to fight for his life against savage boars, and receiving no reward for surviving other than gunpowder-laced rotten food, and more beatings.
Mac. Mac, you fucking son of a bitch. You should have stayed dead. Now, I get to kill you twice.
Rage took over, and the Newfoundland leapt at the human, knocking him to the ground. Fang lunged at the human's face and easily tore through the flesh, down to the bone. Screams and the scent of blood filled the air.
Kid gasped. Fang! Don't!
By now Ranger was halfway under the fence. He can't hear you, Kid! The dog's taken back over! Keep digging! Ranger squeezed the rest of the way through, and kept moving dirt to let Blood under the fence.
Kid couldn't move. His eyes were transfixed on Fang and the human, which now resembled a bloody pile of rags. Gore dripped from Fang's head as he lifted it to the sky, howling. Fang! Stop it! Hurry! Get under the fence!
Fang shook his head, and then looked over to Kid. Kid could no longer see any glimpse of the intelligence that used to be in Fang's eyes. Now those eyes were completely taken over by pain, fear, and longing. Then, there was a glimmer of recognition. Kid. It's over. Get out of here. I'm done. Finally done. Fang's head turned to a noise. Kid looked too: a coat with a gun. Fang reared back to lunge, and there was the most horrible noise. A terrible smell filled the air.
Fang flipped over, fell to the ground and did not move again.
FANG!
By now Blood had made it under the fence. Run, Kid, RUN!
. . . But – Fang!
Fang's out of it now, move your ass! Hurry!
Kid took one last look, and then joined the other two dogs, running across the field into the night.
Spike couldn't sleep. Once again, he'd been deprived of his favorite dreams of the extremely agile and experimental Esperanto-speaking women in brass bikinis and high-heeled boots because of another headache. A bad one, this time. Another side effect, he thought idly, as he limped down the hall from his room on bare feet. His feet were cold, but he didn't like the feel of shoes and he was unsure in socks on the slippery floor. And slippers made him look like a codger, and it was bad enough the he felt like one.
He made it to the couch and sat down with a sigh. In one hand, he held a vintage and battered lighter, confiscated back from Faye and their old and private game of keep-away. He also held a deck of smokes that he had found underneath some socks in one of his dresser drawers. He had no idea how old they were, and he had a feeling that they were past their prime, but they were dried leaves rolled in thin paper that he could set on fire and fill his lungs with the smoke. Good enough.
But when he finally shook one out of the pack and lit it, Spike was dismayed to find that the taste was not so much nicotine as it was a carload of assholes. I think I'll swap these out with Faye's stash, he thought idly, when he began to hear the soft whimper of a dog.
"Ein?" Spike looked around, and in a corner, saw the sleeping form of Ein, but he was running furtively in his sleep. Frowning, Spike got up, leaving his excuse for a cigarette in the ashtray. He made his way over to Ein and clumsily sat on the floor next to the agitated, but sleeping, dog. Spike reached out to pet the dog's head, and when his fingers touched the dog's fur, he felt a sensation not unlike a head rush from getting up too fast, and his mind flashed on an image he was completely confused by: a dark room, with the barks of many dogs, and then a gunshot. Spike gasped and drew his hand away.
Ein stirred suddenly. Blood?
Spike was confused. No. It's Spike. There's no blood.
Ein shook his head. Dreaming.
Ein? What blood? Where? But the dog didn't answer, and Spike stayed where he was for a few moments. Then he gingerly reached out with a hand and scratched Ein's ear. No images flashed into Spike's mind, for which he was grateful. Ein stretched in sleepy agitation, but did not speak again.
Kid had finally made it to the top of the hill, were Ranger and Blood sat, panting. Kid flopped onto his side. Ranger gave him a nudge.
We have to keep moving, said Ranger. They're still close.
I can't, Kid whined. I'm so tired, and your legs are longer than mine.
I'm sorry. We just have to go a little further.
You said that on the last hill.
I know, Kid. But we have to keep moving.
Fang –
Enough of that shit, let's go. I smell water. Ranger leapt to his feet and took off down the hill. Blood got to his feet as well.
Blood?
Yeah, Kid?
What are we going to do?
Do? For right now we're following Ranger. And not talking about Fang. It's over for him. We're still going. C'mon, let's move.
The two dogs trotted down the hill after Ranger, who stood in a small valley looking up at the sky. I keep hearing noise, said Ranger. And it's not thunder. This way. Into the trees.
The dogs ran into a copse of trees that had a lot of brambly undergrowth. The larger dogs jumped through with ease, but Kid had to struggle and crawl under branches. Again Ranger stopped and looked up towards the sky, listening. Kid could now hear it too. It was a continuous rumbling noise that kept getting louder. In the distance, dogs were barking.
Fuck! snapped Ranger. How the hell do they keep following us? And I know that noise. I've heard it before.
So have I, said Blood, panting. I think it's . . . oh SHIT!
Kid looked up to see the trees swaying violently, as if they were caught up in a strong wind. Above the trees, in an open patch of sky, a large machine hovered.
What is that? cried Kid.
It's a helicopter! Run! Ranger took off deeper into the trees. Blood started to follow, but the undergrowth was too thick for Kid to fight his way through. Blood snatched Kid up by the scruff and took off, running after Ranger.
We have to lose them, yelled Ranger.
They must be tracking us somehow, replied Blood.
Ranger leapt over a patch of brambles and landed awkwardly near a riverbank. Oh, fuck, how could I have been so stupid! We're CHIPPED, goddamnit, they're tracking us because we've got fucking GPS chips!
What are GPS chips? And what was that . . . helicopter? Kid cried.
Shut up, Kid, hold still. Get in the water! Blood jumped into the shallows with Kid still in his mouth. Ranger came close, panting, but concentrating intently on Kid. Blood, I see it. It's in his scruff. Right in your mouth. Bite through.
WHAT?
Bite through it, take out that chunk of skin. And so help me, Kid, if you fucking make a sound I will tear out your throat myself. Do it NOW, Blood!
Without warning, Blood bit through Kid's skin, removing fur and flesh. Kid dropped into the water, bleeding, but too terrified to make a single sound.
Spit it out in the water, Blood. It'll float downstream. I see yours now. Hold still. And Ranger lunged at Blood's rear flank, taking out a piece of flesh. Ranger spit out fur and blood repeatedly. Goddammit, Blood, why do you have to have such long hair? It'll take me a week to get it out from my teeth.
Where's yours, Ranger? I'll get it.
In the scruff. Right where Kid's was. Hurry.
Blood ripped through Ranger's scruff, removing the same size piece of skin that he had from Kid. He spit it out in the water, and watched as the piece moved downstream. Now what?
Kid, meanwhile, had collapsed from fear and pain in the shallow water. Blood ran from his neck and drifted downstream. Ranger nuzzled Kid for a moment, and then said, First, we better help Kid get some mud on those wounds. It'll help stop the bleeding.
Blood and Ranger managed to get the bleeding stopped. Kid remained silent and still. C'mon, grab Kid. It's time to move upstream. Now they'll follow those GPS units downstream. Let's go.
Blood gingerly picked up Kid in his mouth. Kid did not complain or cry, and his fear was now being replaced by exhaustion. The dogs began moving upstream in the shallow water, at a slower pace now. They were still under cover of the trees, and the sounds of the dogs and the helicopter drifted away from them, in the other direction.
Good call, Ranger.
Thanks, but goddamn, that did hurt. Is Kid okay?
I think so. He's smaller and younger, so he'll probably hurt worse. And then . . . you know.
Yeah. I'm real sorry about Fang.
Me too. He was a good dog.
One of the unspeakable in full pursuit of the uneatable now.
I wish you'd give up that goddamned fox-hunting shit, Ranger.
Don't knock it 'til you tried it, you fucking sheep-herder.
Ain't nothing wrong with sheep-herding, asshole.
Ranger chortled. No. There isn't. Maybe we'll see some cows. See if Kid can do some herding himself.
Yeah. Hear that, Kid? We'll test the theory of 'nurture versus nature'.
Kid stirred. What?
Never mind, Kid. Get some rest.
Ranger gave Kid a small head-butt. Yeah, Kid. Get some rest. You did good.
The dogs moved on again, and the moon began to rise. Kid remained quiet, almost asleep, wondering about the unspeakable and uneatable that Ranger kept talking about. And where Fang was now.