Being a husky, Everest was one of the few dog breeds in the entire world who actively enjoyed being out in the dead of winter. Her oversized coat was perfect to block out the freezing wind and swirling clouds of snow, allowing her to peacefully walk outside on days most would be inside sitting by fires. Living in Jake's ski resort was seemingly the calling of her dream; endless snowboarding, endless snow, and a loving owner to carry her through it all. Every day she would wake up in her dog bed, jump up happily, wolf down breakfast, and spring outside with her snowboard.

Unfortunately, today was met with a grinding halt. The bad news was shared over breakfast in the ski lounge, where her owner had to stop her in the nick of time before she charged through the doors.

"Hey- wait!" Jake held out his hand at the speeding dog, nearly knocking over his cup of coffee. Everest skidded to a grinding stop on the old hardwood floor, her snowboard still in her teeth as she looked over at Jake with a confused expression. With an exasperated sigh, her owner leaned back in his chair with his drink. "No skiing today, pup." He said, morning exhaustion still dragging his words. "The resort is closed for the time being."

"Closed?" Everest spat out her board, letting it drop to the floor with a loud clang. "Wh- why? You can't close the resort, I wanna break my record!"

"I just did."

"Jake, that's not fair!" The husky stomped her paw, turning to him. "You can't just shut everything down, what about all the people who want to ski?"

"They can't." Jake was getting visibly agitated over her persistence. "There's a snowstorm coming in, weather report says we're gonna be hit pretty hard." He said, sitting his coffee with a spoon. "It's too dangerous to be out there, I don't want to risk anyone getting hurt."

With a sharp huff, the winter dog harshly sat in a pout. Her muzzle grumbled for a few seconds, likely trying to manufacture some argument, but the owner's word was law. "Why don't we just enjoy being inside for once?" Jake stood up, brushing off his bathrobe. "We could binge a few movies, what do you say?" He turned to walk into the kitchen, and soon the sound of rustling dishes could be heard.

Tapping her paw for a moment, Everest sighed in defeat, but perked up optimistically. "Alright, that works." Her tail wagged as she nonchalantly kicked her snowboard away. "I guess I could always… ski another day."

The smell of freshly brewed coffee filled the air, an aroma that made the dog's face twist. She had never understood for the life of her how humans could drink that vile stuff and not retch instantaneously.

"But," Jake continued, emerging from the kitchen with a new mug of coffee. "We may still go outside a few times. That blizzard will mean trouble for the signal towers, I'll have to suit up and inspect them every couple hours." He explained with a grim expression, fearing the terrifying ordeal ahead of him.

Everest hopped up on a dining table, inspecting Jake's empty plate where bacon and eggs once existed. "I still think we wouldn't have these problems if we…" she held the last word, easing into her sentence. "Didn't have the towers to begin with?"

"Hey, people pay good money to build their communication sites up here." Jake pointed with his finger, quickly shutting down her argument. "And the bigger the tower, the more they pay us."

"Money isn't really that important to me, I'm a dog after all." Everest countered, pointing right back.

"Well it does to me," Jake hit her with a side-eye, taking a sharp chug of his drink. "Organizations from all over the world come up here to build their satellites, I think the last one we had was military."

Lowering her head, Everest pawed at the empty plate, searching for any remaining piece of bacon. "I just get worried with how much stuff we have to do. You barely snowboard anymore," she said with a crestfallen tone. "It's all just… work. Maintenance and all that."

Stopping in place, guilt flashed over Jake's face, and he began stuttering for a response. When nothing but garbled mess could leave his mouth, he sighed and turned back to his pet with a frown. "I… I know, and I'm sorry. This is just how I make money now, it is what it is."

"Hmph," the husky turned her head away, lowering her gaze to the table. "It's okay I guess. I just get lonely sometimes."

"Why don't we invite the PAW Patrol up here once the storm is over?" Jake offered, trying to lift the mood. "I'll have to inspect the towers as usual, but you'll have them to sled with."

"I'm not actually sure any of them like sledding. They probably just do it because they want to be nice to me."

"Everest, I'm positive they don't think that."

"What makes you think so?"

"Because-" Jake stammered as he tried to form a response. "Because why would they even do that? They're honest dogs, if they didn't like sledding they'd probably tell you."

"I guess. Can you make me some toast please?" Everest sat politely, curling her tail around her paws.

"Wh- toast? Seriously?"

"I'm hungry!"

"You already finished your bowl!" Jake protested, pointing at the completely cleaned out fossil that was her food dish.

"Well maybe I'm still hungry." She fluffed out her coat, sass bleeding from her voice. "And those food pellets taste like dirt, I want toast."

"I'm not making you toast." Jake swiftly turned away, heading for the stairs.

The husky jumped up, sharpening her ears. "I'm your pet, you're supposed to feed me!"

"I am not making you toast."

"Then I'll make it myself!" She suddenly jumped off the table, sprinting for the kitchen.

Now Jake was on full alarm, he stopped in his tracks and spun back around with an expression of dread. "What?! You don't know how!" He was already speeding back over to contain the animal.

"Then I'll learn!" Everest could be heard jumping onto the kitchen counter, knocking over silverware to crash to the floor. "If I burn this place down so be it!"

"Oh for God's sake!" Two arms suddenly grabbed Everest's waist, lifting the defiant puppy away from the counter. "Just go sit in your bed, I'll make you the damn toast." Jake said, giving in to her persistence and tossing her out of the kitchen like a stuffed animal.

The husky flopped to the ground, landing with a squeak. "Yay!" She wagged her tail happily, "with cheese!" She made sure to add, running off back to her bed and leaving Jake to silently curse to himself. Only his annoyed expression suddenly turned to a smile, and quickly an endearing chuckle left him. As much as Everest got on his nerves sometimes, he wouldn't trade her for anything in the world. Quickly downing the rest of his coffee and putting up the mug, he turned back to the kitchen to make the dog her meal.

-.-.-.-.-.-.-

Much to Everest's disappointment, Jake had been right from the beginning. Merely an hour after noon, the sky around the mountain turned pale as freezing winds took the lounge by storm. Alongside it came a hail of snow that painted the windows in frost, and no matter how much Everest squinted, she couldn't see three feet outside without wiping the front from the window. Jake made haste to shut off all the taps and waterlines in the building, taking care to prevent future ruptured pipes. While he worked, Everest got comfortable before the fireplace with a blanket and a cup of hot vanilla.

Sitting in the fire's warmth became boring fast, and the husky looked around for anything she could do. Elation spread across her face as she spotted a pup-pad sitting on a far shelf. No doubt it was Jake's, but after the puppy discovered how many games she could download on it, she spent more time using it than its actual owner. She knew Jake was outside in the blizzard, likely tending to the several communication towers they were paid to host, and the image of him shuffling around in the snowstorm sent a whine up her throat.

He'll be fine, he always has been, she told herself. She pushed away her worries and walked over to retrieve the device. Within minutes, she had gotten lost in one of her favorite games; a world where you could place singing animals and create weirdly incredible songs. An hour had passed before she knew it, until something snapped her out of her hypnotic gaming.

What sounded like a massive crack of thunder echoed from afar, making her jump out of her blanket. A squeal of surprise emitted from the puppy, her fur standing straight up as the blanket shot off her. A sharp wave of vibration shot through the ski lounge, causing wall-mounted pictures and other objects to sway on their surfaces. The windows shook for a fraction of a second before falling quiet, and Everest was left in her bewildered expression. She landed on all fours and looked around with a startled expression, her heartbeat surging within her. Breathing quickly as she tried to calm herself, she brought her paw to her dog tag and activated its radio.

"Jake did you-" she struggled to calm her heart rate, still too startled to lie down again. "Did you hear that!?"

It was a moment before her owner's voice came through on the radio, and when it did, the static sound of the raging blizzard accompanied him. "I did." He said, sounding a little startled himself. "Don't come outside."

"Was that thunder?"

"Blizzards don't come with thunder, Everest." Jake explained, audibly breathing heavily. "That sounded more like an explosion."

"Did a tower blow?" The puppy asked, weary. "Or a transformer?"

Grunting through the radio, her owner's voice was strained. "I… I don't know, maybe. I'll double-check the radio towers, but it sounded much farther away."

"Are you going to be okay out there?"

"I'll be fine, Everest." Jake let a chuckle slide through. "Remember who it is you're talking to. Snowstorms are nothing to me, now get some sleep, okay? I'll come back inside in about an hour."

Everest still wasn't convinced, walking up to the glistened window and trying to peer outside. "What about the explosion, what if there's a fire somewhere?"

"Then I'll take a walk around the perimeter, I won't go farther than the property line. Now please, get some sleep. I may need you in the morning to dig out any equipment buried in snow."

"Alright then…" the husky deflated, but still tried to keep her hopes up. "Be careful out there, goodnight Jake." She sighed and tapped her radio off, mind still churning with a storm of its own. Unease burned within her, the sound of the explosion still ringing in her ears. Even then, she knew there was nothing she could do about it, especially after Jake's orders to stay inside.

The atmosphere of the ski lounge had shifted. The gentle crackle of the fire was the only thing to break the now deafening silence. What was once a warming glow to ease the freezing temperature had become the only source of light defending Everest from the surrounding darkness. Anxiety followed her gaze, as she glanced at every dark corner of the room like something could be hiding in it. Her ears lowered as she closed herself further in the security blanket, she knew it would be impossible to get to sleep tonight.

-.-.-.-.-.-

A sharp ringing sound shot into her ears, jumpstarting the husky from her sleep. "Gahh!" She sprang up in surprise, the blanket being shot off her for the second time. Briefly paralyzed as she landed on her back, her mind struggled to pull itself together as she was forced out of slumber. Once her perception focused, she realized the ringing sound wasn't stopping. "What- who?" She stammered, blinking the deliriousness from her eyes as she looked around frantically. The fireplace had died down, reduced to mere embers as the logs had been consumed by the flames. She had no idea what time it was, but still the lounge was bathed in the darkness of the night.

"Where… what," Everest shook her head of the nerves, thinking for a moment the ringing sound was coming from her brain. Once she had fully awoken, she looked to the floor and saw her pup pad. Someone was calling her, making the tablet produce an irritating ring. Steadying her breathing, Everest pulled the tablet over and grumbled who in the world could be calling at this hour. Her confusion only increased, as she looked at the screen and saw there was no caller ID. The screen wasn't displaying even a scrap of information, the serial number on display was discontinued, there was no photo, and quickly Everest's unease went on the rise. Although her instincts were screaming at her of the red flags, she was eager to cease the terrible ringing noise. Picking up the tablet, she accepted the call.

She was instantly met with a black screen, but the call was active. She hesitated for a moment, before speaking up. "Who is this?" She asked wearily. "Your number is decommissioned, why are you calling me?

A familiar voice came through the tablet, piercing the black screen. "Everest, it's me."

Drawing back slightly, the husky narrowed her eyes before it clicked in her mind. "Chase?" She asked, recognizing the voice of the PAW Patrol leader, the German shepherd who led the team in their owner's place. "I can't see you, your screen is just black."

There was silence for a few seconds, until Chase's voice came through again. "I think my camera is broken."

"Why are you calling me on a discontinued pup pad?" Everest asked, more curious than anything, but still unsettled in the back of her mind.

"Because I need your help," the shepherd's voice turned serious. "I need information, and I don't need anyone tracing this call."

If the husky wasn't uneasy before, she certainly was now. This secretive, almost felonious behavior wasn't normal for Chase. He was a police officer, and the more he spoke in his cold tone, the more Everest became weary. Her ears drew back in surprise, her words stuttering over one another. "Why would someone trace our call?"

Chase noticeably dodged the question. "Have you ever heard of the ACG?"

"The who?"

"The assault and…" He paused for a moment. "Control… something, I don't remember. But these military dogs are showing up all over Adventure Bay and we don't know why." There was a faint growl in his voice. "They hurt Rocky and shut down one of our missions."

"What!?" Everest recoiled in shock, fearing for her close friend in the patrol. The mental image of Rocky in pain made her sick, her mind going into a panic as she struggled to comprehend Chase's words. "Is he okay!?"

"He's fine," Chase said dismissively. "But I know about the communication sites for rent on your mountain outpost." He spoke with a hushed tone, like he was preparing to blackmail someone. "I know that tons of teams pass through your mountain to set up their radio towers."

Everest flared in alarm, knowing the confidentiality of Jake's operations. "How can you possibly know about that? That's classified information." She fearfully glanced to the side, even though she knew full well there was nothing there.

A sheepish laugh came through the tablet. "I may have... bypassed a few of Ryder's locked files."

"What?!" Came the husky's jolted disbelief, rearing back with wide eyes. The idea of a dog going against their beloved owner was the highest form of taboo, a disgrace among household animals. "Chase, you went behind his back?"

Sharp retaliation hit her through the screen. "Hey! I'm the leader of this team! It's my job to be in the know." Everest flinched sharply at his tone, suddenly feeling fearful of Chase's attitude. She had never realized how terrifying a German shepherd could sound.

"You should not have done that." Said the husky with a whimpering tone, using her tail to smoothen down her spiked coat. "If Ryder finds out-"

"He won't. Now, are you going to help me or not?"

Swallowing her fears, Everest was swiftly defeated by her inner desire to be helpful. "Fine… what do you want?"

"Surely the ACG secured a tower up there?" Chase said with an interrogative voice. If his camera was working, she'd probably see him circling in his kennel. "If they're not from the city, they must've come long-distance. A comm site, a radio tower, satellite, was anything passed through there belonging to them?"

"Chase I can't just dip my paw into classified files." She swiftly fired back, taking every chance she could to protect Jake's integrity. "Unlike you, I keep in line."

"Damn it, Everest!" Chase snapped through the call, a vicious snarl leaking his muzzle. "Those dogs hurt Rocky, he's probably traumatized! As law enforcement, I need to know what I can to stop more pups from getting hurt!"

"Gaah! Fine!" Everest forced herself to bark, trying to hide the visible fear on her face. "Just calm down, sheesh!" Tossing the tablet aside, she wiped her eyes and hurried off with hastened breaths. Why was her friend acting this way? His voice had never sounded so cruel before, nearly bringing her to tears as he yelled at her.

She nervously crossed the room, walking to one of the several computers sitting up against the corner. Lip quivering, she quickly logged on with Jake's passcode and loaded up the files on the computer. "Asshole…" she said silently, "talking to me like that." Her nerves were screaming with every folder she entered, anxiety rising with every official file her eyes glanced over. If Jake were to walk in at this very moment, Chase would probably instantly hang up and leave her to the owner's mercy. How would she even begin to explain this? She wasn't supposed to be doing this, she repeatedly told herself over and over in her mind. But she wanted to make Chase happy, the desperation to be liked overwriting any common sense in her mind.

Sure enough, her eyes glanced over a file with a notable name. ACG, the exact abbreviation Chase had mentioned. This was it, and Everest took a sharp breath as she printed out the file. A printer nearby buzzed to life, screeching through the silence as its age-old workings groaned and creaked. After a few seconds that seemed like ages, a paper wheezed out of the machine, warm and freshly created. Still unsure of herself, Everest stood up on her hind legs and gingerly grabbed the paper in her mouth. Making haste back to the call, she instantly braced herself for a verbal lashing.

"Okay, here." She waved the paper in front of the camera.

"What's that?" Came Chase's question, riddled with impatience.

"An agreement of construction," she explained, dropping it to the floor. "Everyone who builds on our site has to pay and sign one." She hated how much information she was spilling, knowing all the agreements she was violating by doing so. Chase didn't respond to her statement, likely unsatisfied with her answer and desiring more. Swallowing her anxiety, Everest nervously read off the paper's heading. "The Assault and Containment Guild." She said, a twinge of fear passing up her spine. "They passed through a few days ago and set up a radio tower and some communication lines. Paid a couple hundred thousand, and the agreement was signed by a dog named Bella." She squinted at the name.

"Bella?" The shepherd asked.

Everest remembered the dog once she had read the name. A bright Labrador retriever had arrived in dark clothing, a trail of larger dogs behind her. Everest had made attempts to make small talk, eager to make peace with the fascinating animals, but they had all ignored her. They paid Jake, set up their radio tower, and drove away into the snowy night without another word. "I don't know if she was an officer, a supervisor, or a regular dog, but she left a contact number."

"What is it?" Chase asked almost instantly, perked up in his mood.

The husky was hesitant, knowing full well she was giving away classified information. On greater scales, what she was doing could be considered espionage, a crime punishable by death. "Chase, I don't know..."

"Everest, tell me," he growled,

Against all instinct, Everest just wanted this insufferable call to end. "Alright, get a pen and paper, I'll read it off."

She wasn't proud of herself for what she did that night, but it made Chase happy and he ended the call soon after he got the number. He hung up the chat and shut off the tablet, leaving Everest alone in the darkness of the room. Feeling sick to her stomach, she nervously kneaded her paws on the wood floor as she pondered over her crime.

Her mind couldn't place heads or tails of what to do now, frantically she went over every option she had and wrote off each one as abysmal. The building settled around her, singing a typhoon of uneasy creaks and wooden groans. Shaking her head, Everest absently walked to the window to stare at her own reflection, trying to idle her mind. Standing before the glass with shaken breaths, she wiped off the layer of frost and stared outside. At first she saw only herself, a blank canvas now dipped in tar, and she hung her head sadly as she tried to think of any way to rectify her sin.

Then her vision narrowed, suddenly focusing on a small shape standing outside. Her brain had merely written it off as a trick of the light, until she focused her gaze and realized it was anything but. She had to squint through the window to place it, but quickly she went on alarm.

There was a dog standing outside.

She couldn't spot a single detail, the shadow was much too far away and barely visible beside the large floodlights that illuminated the surrounding area. Only the dog's shape was visible, a featureless build hidden in the shroud of the blizzard, staring through the freezing winds at the ski lounge. Everest's first instinct was to raise the alarms, declaring a dog trapped outside in the freezing snow. Her fear only increased as the dog was completely motionless, and she stared out in horror thinking it was frozen.

"Jake!" The husky barked over her shoulder, "there's someone-" She stopped, knowing he was probably asleep. Praying the dog could hold out while she went to wake him, she turned back to the window. Only then did she stop in confusion, her face narrowing in bewilderment.

The dog was gone.