Skye and Zuma both waited in the small hut, right by the wounded Dalmatian. Marshall bloody paw was wrapped intensely with cloth. Both of them had noticed it wasn't professional medical cloth, but it worked just fine.
Marshall breathed in and out slowly, still alive but not conscious. The cockapoo looked at her unconscious friend and sighed, knowing one problem had been solved and then more burst into her mind in unison. What were they going to do about Chase, Rocky, Rubble, and Ryder. Now they are all in the clutches of that slimy liar Lou.
Skye looked over to her side to see Zuma, looking anxious and torn by guilt. On the verge of tears even, his breathing wasn't at all like Marshall, very fast pace like he was suffering physically. "Zuma, calm down, The cat said Marshall is going to be just fine" This didn't affect' the labrador's mood at all, however. "It's not that Skye, I was so stupid. I can't believe I let Lou fool me like that. I shouldn't have twust what he said, This is my fault" He said, hanging his head low.
"Don't say that Zuma, Its not just you, It was all of us that put trust in him. You did the right thing by looking around and finding that file. I can't say I would've done the same, you're a lot braver and stronger than I could be" Skye said firmly.
"Weally?" Zuma asked as the two locked eyes for a moment, enjoying each other's comfort for a few seconds before seeing the Hut's door swing wide open, The cat from earlier that had tended to Marshall. "Hi just checking…. Am I interrupting something?" The cat asked as he saw the two, very close to one another, almost like they were about to come onto one another. "Nope!" Both shouted, their eyes shot away from viewing each other and in the opposite direction.
"Ah, Okay. Well like I said earlier, your friend is going to be just fine" He said, as another cat came into the tent. His fur was white with brown patched with brown eyes, and a little white patch of fur on his nose even. He was decked in colourful robes and peace symbols with the classic orange tinted shades over his eyes. "Whats going on dudes" He said.
Both Zuma and Skye waved at him before he introduced himself. "My name is Klaus, and welcome to the free paws refuge commune" He said with his paws extended out, walking up to the two canines to embrace them in a large hug. "So good to have more dogs here dudes, it's a safe place here, free from bogus discrimination for being a dog" He said.
"Oh yeah, this is the commune doctor, Alto, He's totally skilled in what he does" He separated from the dogs to the doctor cat's side, Alto being a bit uncomfortable from being put on the spotlight so suddenly as a result. "Well, I was only a certified doctor for a few weeks so….." He pointed out his life before Klaus referred himself back to the two dogs. "Well, my name is Skye and this is my friend Zuma, So you run this whole village?" She asked, the white and brown cat shook his head in a bit of a disappointing manner, but still with a smile on his face that hadn't left his face.
"Nahhh, We are all leaders here man, Everything here we made together. Enough about us man, what's hang'in with you guys, what happened to your friend back there?" He asked, both Skye and Zuma looked back to see Marshall, still unconscious in the small makeshift bed with the old, stained mattress. "It's a really long story" Skye said.
"Let me guess, Sheriff's Department" Klaus assumed.
"You'we half wight, and someone named 'Lou'" Zuma pointed out, getting a node from Skye as well. Both Alto and Klaus turned wide eye as they looked at each other in fear as the two canines spoke of the human's name. "Lou, I'm so sick and tired of hearing his name in this commune. He's just as much of a problem as his dad" Klaus spoke of him.
"You know him?"
"Yeah man, he's a real pain, He killed one of my friends. Real nice dog, a German shepherd. We had a plan to send him out as a distraction while we tried to get out a signal to a group of dogs outside the county, 'Paw Patrol' was their name" Klaus said, unbeknownst he was speaking right with them.
"Hey that's us, We're Paw Patrol" Skye stated, seeing Klaus's face light up with happiness afterward. "Rock on dudes, We're saved Alto, We're saved!" Klaus hugged the medicine cat to his side, Alto was happy that the dogs were here, but not on the same level of happiness as him. "Yeah, I see" He said with a small smile. "So where's the rest of you dudes?" Klaus asked, Skye and Zuma started to display a distorted frown as Zuma hung his head down low again. "Captured by Lou, We barely escaped with our lives" Skye said.
"Then we need to get your friends back" Klaus responded.
"Sounds like a plan, but we cant weally do much without ouw equipment, and that's all in the paw patrollew" Zuma stated, he was right. Granted they were still the paw patrol with lots of experience with or without the gadgets, but it would make a world of difference if they had them.
"…. Impound" A voice spoke up, Sounding very faint and hurt. Zuma and Skye perked up more than any of the cats, knowing that voice was very familiar to them. Turning back to see Marshall, sitting up slightly in his bed. "Marshall, I'm so glad you're okay!" Skye nuzzled the Dalmation, so happy to see he was still alive. "You'we one tough cookie bwo" Zuma commented with a smile, nudged him in his side just a little bit.
"Good to see you guys again, but listen, The Paw Patroller is impounded"
"How do you know?" Skye asked.
"When I was with Jello in his office that night, He told me the police wanted to search it and impound it" Marshall said. "All of our stuff is in there, We can't let them have it" The cockapoo said, determined to take back all their stuff. "I totally know where the Impound lot is, I'll lead you dudes there tonight. You guys can sneak in, get your stuff, and sneak out. It'll be like one of those heist movies" Klaus referenced.
"Whether its night or day, The impound lot will still be crawling with deputies" Alto said as he walked over to the Dalmatian to examine him more about his wounded paw. "Good that you're awake, but you still need rest"
"No way, Im totally fi….OUCH OUCH OUCH" Marshall yelped in pain as he put a tiny pressure of his body down on his paw, falling back down onto the bed in a flash. Marshall sighed, knowing there was no point in fighting it. "Just west up buddy, Skye and I can get this done"
"But what about the others, are they fine too?" Marshall asked.
"More than likely your human friend is behind bars in the Station in town, but your dog friends…. well" Klaus came into the conversation, a bit uncomfortable to say what was true. "What, Where do dogs go?" Skye pressured the feline.
"The Concrete Kennel, It's a big prison in the mountains along the county, only dogs go there. The abuse in there is tight and the security is even tighter, it's a fortress" He said, getting a nod from Alto who shared the same opinion on the prison.
"If they're there, Then we have no other choice, we sneak in" Skye said.
"Are you sure?" He asked
"Ouw fwiends would do the same if we wewe in thewe, We'we going in" Zuma said, giving the same energy that Skye did. Alto and Klaus looked at each other with concern, knowing this wasn't going to be a walk in the park. "Alrighty then dudes, I'll get to brainstorming" Klaus said with a nod.
"I just hope everyone else is okay, wherever they are" Skye and Zuma wished, holding onto whatever slither of hope that was out there that they could be alive and hopefully well.
Ryder was led through somewhere; he couldn't really tell for sure because of a brown bag over his head. He could feel the tiny paws from cats down at his ankle level, every time he would slow down they would scratch and bite at him. Yes they were just cats, but nonetheless the cats that had access to firearms as all the deputies did. Whether or not, it would still kill him. Ryder knew complying would be the best option for now until a new one arose. "Stay" The cat said, nipping at Ryder's ankle until he got the message.
Afterwards, hearing the sway of a door opening. He couldn't see it, but he knew it was there. "In, Now" The feline ordered, scratching his ankle one more time as the Paw Patrol leader walked in without question but with a bit of hesitation. Ryder flinched as he heard the door slam shut hard right behind him. Ryder soon after felt an arm grab him by the bicep, dragging him over to a chair and making him sit down. "Oh yeah, forgot" A voice said, male and very familiar to Ryder. The bag was lifted off from Ryder's head as he looked around the room. It was an interrogation room, classic chairs separated by a large table, single lightbulb in the middle and bland one colour walls. Ryder looked behind him to see Lou, looking right back at him with a sarcastic smile.
Ryder didn't say a word, only spitting down near his feet. Giving the good old nonverbal 'Piss off' to the person he once considered a friend. "Something tells me this conversation is going to be interesting" Lou stated, walking away from Ryder to the other chair on the other side of the table. "So Ryder, I'm gonna offer you a little deal" He said.
"Theres nothing to offer me Lou, I'm not agreeing to a damn thing you say" Ryder said, adamantly.
"Tisk Tisk Ryder, I have your mutts, and you….." Lou specified before sliding over a small clip board with a single document pinched onto it, along with a singular pen that he rolled over to him. "have property….Your Lookout Tower, sign it over to me and I'll let them go"
"What do you want the Lookout tower for?"
"None of your business, Just sign the damn thing and those dogs will be let free"
"Not a chance, and even if I would consider it, Who's to say when I sign it over you wont just keep my friends locked up anyways" Ryder said, seeing Lou get more agitated by the fact Ryder was poking holes in his own logic. "How about a little incentive then, huh?" Lou replied, reaching down to his waistband and pulling out his firearm, aiming it right at Ryder.
"Sign it"
"You'll have to kill me first"
"What, you think you'll die here with honour?!" Lou got angry, slamming his hand down onto the table so much that it propelled the black ink pen against the wall. "You know what, People get desperate in times of suffering, so we'll just play the waiting game" Lou said, putting away his gun down in his holster before getting up and grabbing Ryder against by his arm.
Violently dragged Ryder outside the room to walk back down the hallway, only this time he could see where he was going. Soon leading him into another room, inside were Jail cells lined down another long hallway. It was dark for sure, no windows to provide natural light. Whilst Ryder was being dragged, he looked through the metal bars of the cells to see it was all cats, no dogs. "Have fun with your new cellmate" Lou suddenly stopped at one, opening the metal barred gate to throw him in before locking it once again.
Ryder cushioned the fall with his shoulder. He grunted for a moment before seeing a flash of Lou walking away back down the hallway. "Hi again" Ryder heard a voice, very unemotional and straight forward. Ryder looked up to see Mr. Maple standing over him.
"Wha-How'd you get here?"
"Was just about ask you the same thing, Deputies came and arrested me, Charged with 'Conspiracy against the Sheriff's Department', I guess they had to find out sooner or later" Mr. Maple said, still as emotionless as ever as he licked before hoping right up on the bottom bunk of a bed in the corner. "Mr. Maple, I think I need to confess something about why you were arrested" Ryder couldn't help but feel guilty for why Mr. Maple was behind bars.
If he hadn't of helped Lou with retrieving that folder with the photos, this wouldn't have happened. However, Ryder was surprised as Mr. Maple didn't even react to his words. "You don't have to explain, Lou already did, He tricked you and I get it, I would have done the same thing to try and help the dogs" The cat said, as he curled up on the bottom bunk.
"You can have the top bunk, I don't care" He responded. Ryder sighed, looking back behind him to press his face against the metal bars. Trying to maneuver his body anyway he could look up and down the hallway for any chance of escape.
Ryder soon heard grunting, coming from directly in front of him in the next cell. Inside was a white furred fat cat that he knew as well. "Jello?" He asked out. "What, huh, How do you know my name?" He asked as he too pressed himself against the bars to stare directly at the human. "I am so so sorry that you're in this place, Its my fault you're in here" Ryder confessed.
"Huh, I-I don't understand" He said.
"He worked with Lou" Mr. Maple said, overhearing the conversation between the two. "Lou, That slimy trickster, It wasn't your fault kid. This is what he does, he lures you in with his charm and then….WAM, he cuts you off like that, I always knew there was something up with him" He said.
"So wait, you both know Lou?" Ryder asked.
"Lou is the mayor's adopted son; He has a lot of influence between the scenes. He does the dirty work the Sheriff's Department that other minion cats can't get away with so easily. To the cats he's fooled, he's their two-legged saviour, to dogs and the small minority of cats that want equality for both species, he's their worst nightmare" Jello said.
"Im sure there'll be a trial and a hearing after this, they can't just lock us up down here forever, right?" Jello hoped his question would get the answer he hoped for.
"They do it all the time to the cats that dont obey the Mayor's thinking, We won't be seeing daylight for a long time I'm afraid" Mr. Maple said, no horror in his voice like usual, just emptiness.
After hearing the dreadful news, Ryder looked over to see Jello start to panic, the cat started to hyperventilate as he came to the realization that he wasn't getting out. "Oh my gosh, Oh my gosh, I-Im never going to see my poor little Polko again, my sweet boy, he'll grow up without me, and my loving wife too" Jello fell to the ground.
Quite the sad display as the white cat lay on the floor, sobbing to his heart's content that this was his life now. "Don't worry Jello and don't worry Mr. Maple, I'll figure out a way to get out of here."
"Wake me up when you have a brainstorm kid" Mr. Maple said, stretching his feline body all across the bottom bed.
"But it's the afternoon."
"Then you have more than enough time think before the sun goes down" He replied, Ryder couldn't argue with that logic. Giving into Loy's demand of signing over the lookout was out of the question, even if he had no actual use for it. Ryder gentled banged his head against the metal bars in an effort to get his brain to do some thinking.