I don't own anything other than OCs

CH3

Chase was only a meter in the hole and he already had to suck in his stomach in order to fit. He clawed past rocks and roots and proceeded to squeeze through the bend. The tunnel now appeared to be a straight crawl all the way to a dark chasm, it didn't look natural at all.

He continued to crawl regardless, he was getting his pup tag. He pushed himself harder as he couldn't hold his breath any longer.

He poked his head out of the tunnel and lit up the chasm, it was a small cave with only a two foot drop below him. He braced himself and pushed forward, hitting the ground below with a soft thud. He pulled himself up and gazed around at his surroundings.

"Hmm, didn't know there was a cave down here." He remarked, perplexed.

"Chase."

Chase immediately glanced around wildly at the sound of someone calling him.

"Chase, are you there?" The voice came from a light at the far end of the cave. His pup tag!

He ran up to it through a dip created by rain runoff. He picked it up to see it was Skye on the other end.

"Yeah I'm here." He answered as he clipped it back on.

"Chase!" Skye exclaimed, startled by the response. "Are you alright, what happened!?"

Chase rubbed his sore paw. "I hit a hole with my motorbike and my pup tag fell down it, now I'm in a cave."

"Ryder's on his way, can you get back out?" Skye asked.

An annoyed scowl immediately came across the police pup's muzzle. "You didn't need to get him, I could get out."

"You sounded like you were hurt." Skye said with concern.

"Yeah I ugh, might have sprained my paw." Chase answered.

Skye sighed on the other end. "Just be careful getting out."

"I will." Chase stated simply as he cut the call.

He turned to make his exit when something caught his attention, some object at the back wall. He shown his light to reveal a concrete platform of sorts with a metal object on top. His interest peaked, he began to walk towards it.

No way they have sewers this far, he thought.

Upon closer examination, the metal object was a grate with thin bars. Maybe a ventilation shaft of some kind?

Chase aimed his light down in it and could make out some junction boxes.

"Gah!" He recoiled when his nose caught the scent coming from it, fecal matter with a hint of decaying flesh. "Maybe this is a sewer!"

He froze when his ears caught tapping. He listened closely, it was faint but it was getting closer. It was like the tapping of dog nails on a solid surface. It neared and grew louder, but the pacing slowed. It eventually came to a stop just outside the vent.

Chase angled the light and stopped when he could make out two small orbs in the back darkness. They remained elevated for what seemed like minutes before they blinked, revealing they were eyes. Chase adjusted the light in an attempt to make out what it was, but it remained just out of reach of the beam.

"…Hello?" Chase called curiously.

As soon as those words came out, the eye shine turned away and a loud scratch echoed through the underground area. The only thing down there now was the sound of frantic tapping and clawing dissipating further down the tunnels. It was dead quiet now.

"Hey I'm not going to hurt you! Come back, are you trapped!?" He called out in vain. Whatever it was was gone now.

"Chase! Get up here now!" He heard Ryder holler back from the hole.

Chase immediately limped back to the hole and quickly started to climb through it. Curiosity still nudged at him but the command from Ryder almost completely overshadowed it. The only thing now was to see why Ryder sounded peeved.

He eventually crawled out of the hole and into the light, he looked up to Ryder who had his hands on his hips glaring down at him.

"Hey Ryder, had a little accident but I've got it now." Chase said sheepishly.

"What did you see down there?" Ryder asked directly.

Chase froze up at Ryder's question but answered. "I saw an underground building or something… but it looks like there's an animal trapped down there that might need our help!"

"MMPH!"

When Chase blurted that last part out, Ryder's hand went for his muzzle and immediately clamped his mouth shut. Scared, confused, and shaking, Chase's wide eyes met Ryder's ghostly stare. Ryder put his finger to his lip and shook his head no.

Ryder released his muzzle but Chase didn't move. Ryder then let out a stressful sigh and stared down at the ground for a minute. He eventually looked back at Chase with a saddened yet serious look.

"Whatever you saw down there it's over, you can't say this to anyone or ever speak of this again, DO YOU UNDERSTAND?" Ryder ordered grimly.

Chase nodded. "Yes sir." His voice dripping in defeat."

Ryder gave a firm nod and moved towards his ATV. "Go back to the Lookout and rest. We'll be back to give you a bath and do something about that paw of yours." He added.

Chase looked gloomily back to the hole. "But…" He didn't mean for Ryder to hear that but he did.

"NO!" Ryder's shout cut him off before mounting his ATV.

Chase winced as Ryder Drove off, he didn't snap like that very often but it hurt when he did. He felt tears creeping in as he sat there, hurt and deeply confused. He'd never seen Ryder act like that during the few times he caught mad and then… this cave, he had so many questions. He eventually got back on his bike and made for the Lookout. Tomorrow will be a new day and hopefully he'll have some answers by then.