We got it! The real location for the Well of the Souls! Now we just need to dig for it without attracting attention.

Rubble said that he could employ his family to help out and be able to get miles down throughout the night. Hopefully, no one will see us.

However, I couldn't help but notice that Rubble has a bit of reluctance in his manner lately. Almost like he's second guessing everything that he does. He claims that it's just his nerves about the Ark of the Covenant, but I think he's hiding something more than that.

I don't think by any means that Rubble is going into business for himself, but I find it weird how when I brought up the concern of whether or not anyone will see us, Rubble just shoos me away every time. Again, I don't think that Rubble has any aspirations to turn on me, but….he's starting to make me very nervous about all of this.

Zuma, I hope you are watching over me right now, cause I really need you right now, pal.

Chapter 8: Raiders of the Lost Ark

It was now very late into the night as Rocky, Rubble, and the crew continue their dig.

Gone with his disguise and now with his typical baseball cap and dogpack on, Rocky steps away to take a breather while the crew continues to dig. Singing a joyful song to pass the time a little.

While they do that, Rocky scans over excavation camp below them, surprised that no one from the camp has noticed and confronted them. Even though they were a bit far from the camp, they were still within eyesight for someone to easily look in the general direction and see what was going on.

It made Rocky nervous a little. Making him think that his sister was actually anticipating for him to get the ark just so she can swoop in and pull it right from his paws. In that case, he thought that maybe this wasn't a great idea. Maybe he should've waited until Scarlet and Harold gave up, tore down camp, and then come dig when they were gone. However, Rubble was strongly insistent that they carry out the excavation. Striking the mixed breed to be a little weird considering that Rubble himself has been nervous about digging the ark up.

It was a strange thought, but it only came to Rocky just now, after they'd spent nearly half the day digging, so there was no turning back now anyway, so Rocky will just have to go with whatever happens.

"Guys! Guys! I've hit stone! I've hit stone!" Charger lights up with a wide smile on his face.

The group converses around him as Rubble digs his shovel in, confirming with a scrape that Charger had just hit the stone floor.

"You sure did Charger! Come on everyone! Clear it off! Find the edges!" Rubble calls as he and the crew dig into the ground with their paws around Charger's found spot.

As they clear off the area, Rocky looks on with glee. Due to how long they took, he was sure they wouldn't find anything at all. At least on the same night, forcing them to somehow come back the next day, but only several hours in, they found the temple which gives the edge over his sister by a mile.

The crew dug furiously, their excitement overcoming them as they wonder what they will find.

"Motor dig! Dig! Di-Ow!" Motor yelps as her paw scrapes the surface of the stone. She shakes her paw and continues to dig around the spot.

"Oh boy! This is so amazing! We're going to get to that ark in no time!" Mix pipes off as she continues to dig.

"Yeah! And best of all, Harold and Miss Scarlet won't even get a chance to lay a paw on it!" Wheeler adds in.

The crew howls in agreement, all except for Rocky and Rubble who cringe at the sound.

"Watch it crew! You keep howling like that and they will get a chance." Rubble points out. "Keep focus and find the edges!"

Rocky watches in delight as more of the stone is uncovered. Unveiling an almost massive stone slab stuck into the ground. They finally brush off the edges fully revealing it to be a stone hatch that sealed whatever was below it.

"Alright fam! Get the crowbars out and pry it open!" Rubble directs as he barks out his crowbar and sticks the long end into the crevice.

Shortly, everyone else got in positions around the stone, sticking their crowbars in the crevices in front of them and stood ready.

"Okay everyone and…..Push! Push!" Rubble calls before he starts to push on the bar, prompting the others to start their push.

The entire crew groans and grunts as they push as hard as they can on their crowbars to crack open the stone hatch as lighting suddenly streaks and thunder cracks the sky. Surprising everyone considering that there weren't really any sorts of clouds in the sky.

"Come on guys!" Rubble grunts. "A little more!"

"Motor's trying! Motor's trying!" Motor groans as she pushes as hard as her body could. "mmmmmmngrnnnnnuhhh!"

"Come on crew! Get 'em in there! In there!" Rocky encourages, as they finally seem to be lifting the stone. "Good! Good! Watch your toes! Watch your toes!"

After finally opening the hatch up enough, the crew slowly start pulling the stone away from the hole with their paws, while Rubble and Wheeler hold on with their crowbars.

"Almost there! Just a little more!" Rubble encourages as he helps pull the stone away. "Carefully! Carefully!"

After some more pulling, the crew was finally done, having moved the slab far enough to peer down and get into the chamber. The dogs all fall to their sides and bellies, heaving for air.

"Good….looooooord that sucker's heavy!" Wheeler gasps out.

"You're telling us? We had to move it!" Mix heaves.

Rubble went up to her and patted her. "I know fam. You all did great. Take your rests, you deserve it."

Meanwhile, Rocky was peeping in the top of the chamber. He unfortunately couldn't see anything due to how dark it was in there. Rubble gets next to him and a flash of lightning scares him along with a statue of a scary looking beast in the chamber glaring right at him.

"Geeyah!" He screams away, scaring Rocky as well in the process.

"S-Sorry Rock." Rubble apologizes before he looks in with Rocky.

Rocky takes out a flashlight from his pack and shines it around the room. Seeing it congregated with pillars, big statues depicting beasts, and gold walls. There were steps that lead up to a big stone altar that was covered by a golden canopy. However, what immediately drew his attention was the floor, which looked more like a brown sheet covering the center of the chamber.

He gets a sick feeling, prompting him to throw a rock down and hoped it wasn't so, but it of course made an audible splash and ripple. Confirming to Rocky that the room was flooded with water.

Rocky cringes. "Of course…water…why did it have to be full of water!"

Rubble takes a closer look. "Well….it is a well after all." He then pats Rocky's back. "Don't worry Rocky, you'll be alright!"

Unfortunately Rubble patted a little too hard as the force of his paws knocked Rocky's balance off, making fall into the room, screaming on the way down before plummeting into the water. Luckily, the water wasn't as deep as he feared, as Rocky was able to quickly push up from the floor and surfaces easily. Immediately treading water and spits out the nasty stagnant water.

"Aw, Koff-Koff. Yyyuck!" Rocky coughed up. "The one thing I hate more than getting wet, a mouth full of water! Yuck!"

Rocky looks around and could hardly see anything due to how dark it was. Hearing a call from up above.

"Rocky! Are you alright?!"

Rocky looks up at the top where Rubble was panning down to him. "Yeah, I'm alright! Thanks a lot pal!"

"Oh thank the bones! Hang tight! I'm coming in after you!"

Rocky swishes around and notices that the room was not as flooded as he thought. The chamber's floor slightly dipped on all the sides down to the center of the room. If he had to guess, the water was probably about five feet deep roughly.

Ahead of him were two flights of stairs leading up to a big stone altar at the far end. A little sting of worry hits him. Assuming that if the Ark was here, it more than likely would be sitting on top of the altar.

Rocky paddles over to the stairs, gets up on them, quickly shaking himself dry.

"Seriously, is there any good reason for water being so wet?!" Rocky groans. "Twenty-six years and I still haven't found a good answer. Yuck!"

Clunk!

In his rumbling, Rocky didn't notice where he put his back paw, and stepped on what felt like a level giving under his weight. He yelps away. "Great Rocky. What did you do now?!"

The instant he says that, Rocky hears a slight grinding and before he knew it, the water suddenly started to drain through the center. Sounding like a big giant bathtub whose plug had just been pulled.

It fully drains revealing a sizable grate down in the middle of the chamber. Rocky slightly smiles at this. "Well….that solves the water problem."

Hissssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssss!

Like a streak of lightning, Rocky's ears catch a loud and long hiss. Rocky gets out his flashlight and shines it beside him and nearly jumps to the roof.

Right off the side of the steps, was a cluster of snakes, all on top of each other like a big bowl of spaghetti, running all the way to the wall. He hears another hiss from behind him, triggering him to spin around towards the other side, revealing that it was much of the same. Jampacked with snakes. His light shining right on a cobra who was perched up and snarled at him.

"Uh oh." Rocky squeaks, as he shines his light all over the chamber, revealing more and more snakes covering the entire place. Slithering so much that it seemed that the floor itself was moving. From rattlesnakes, to cotton mouths, cobras, serpents, and of course, water snakes.

Rocky then spots a rope being draped down to the floor. Assuming that it was Rubble on his way down.

Rocky howls. "Rubble! Bring torches down with you! We need them!"

Zuma awakens in the cold of the night. Immediately shivering under the thin blanket he'd been given by Scarlet, who was across from him on a laid-out bed. Sleeping soundly around her paws.

As he glares at her from a distance, his mind dwells on the horrible misdeed he made the night prior. Where Scarlet released him from the chain and unmuzzled him to his surprise. He couldn't get far thanks to the armed cats that stood guard at her tent.

But rather than chain him up again, Scarlet prepared some fruit and invited him to eat and drink.

Big mistake. While Zuma does have a wide limit when it came to alcohol, he blunderingly had no discipline. He would be fine after one or two swigs, but after a third one, Zuma gains the need to want more and after about five or six drinks, he goes all in with no effort of slowing down. Scarlet knew this and played him like a fiddle. Quickly getting him drunk while she either has a high tolerance or didn't drink a drop without Zuma noticing.

Using this, it didn't take much to pry everything out of him. Getting him to open up about everything involving Rocky and what had happened since Rocky came back into his life. It also included Rubble's involvement in the screw job, and it was all downhill from there.

Zuma beat himself up about it. Having no one to blame but himself for falling into Scarlet's trap and compromising Rocky's plan to swipe the Ark of the Covenant right from under their nose. Yeah, his relationship with Rocky was still in shambles, but Humdinger getting his hands on a powerful artifact such as the ark was worse. On top of that, Rubble was now put in a critical situation with his daughter and his family dangling in front of him. Being forced to betray Rocky just like Zuma just did himself.

Zuma has to make up for it. He has to find a way to stop this disaster from happening or Humdinger will get the ark, no telling what will really happen with Rubble and his family….and….Zuma will likely never see Rocky again.

A part of him wanted that….but another part….wanted to hold out for him and accept him back into his life.

He just needs to find a way out of this tent and warn Rocky of what's coming.

In this thinking, he noticed that the chain around his neck was actually a bit loose. Maybe just enough to pull his head out of the chain.

The lab proceeds to take the chain off, easily getting up to his nose until it snugs. Fighting through the pain, while also trying to keep his whimpers and yelps low, slowly rolling the chain across his nose, making it harder to keep quiet. The last few rolls feeling like someone was mashing his nose on a metal grate, but he toughed it out until finally, he broke free. The chain falling to the ground like bb's. He was still muzzled but that wasn't important right now, getting to Rocky was.

Zuma looks over to the still sleeping Scarlet with relief. Shortly beginning to tiptoe out the tent as quietly as he could.

Unbeknownst to him, Scarlet suddenly lifts one eye open, eyeing him out of the tent with a smug smile.

Torches now circle the center of the chamber as Rubble quickly made his way down to Rocky. Rocky was back in the center of the chamber, repelling snakes away from them with a torch of his own, while he helped Rubble off the rope.

"Geez, that is a lot of snakes. What are they doing down here anyway? This is the last place I'd expect them to be."

"I have no idea," Rocky answers while still waving at hissing snakes. "But I don't think that matters right now."

Rubble then eyes the stone altar up top the stairs. "Is…Is that the Ark?"

Rocky glances at the altar and then at Rubble. "Yeah. Just like the stories Ryder used to tell right?"

Rubble pops a brow. "Uhhhh…."

"Nooo!" Rocky groans. "I think someone got to it before we did!"

Rubble eyes it closely and then notices that the stone slab seemed to be in two pieces on top of each other.

"The top comes off." Rubble says out loud.

"Huh? What did you say?" Rocky asks.

"The top. Up there!" Rubble points. "It must be concealing the ark."

"What are you talking about pal?"

"Look!" Rubble then runs up the stairs to the stone as Rocky goes up after him.

Rubble points Rocky's attention to the side of the slab, where the mixed breed finally realizes that it was separated into two halves, seeing the top's legs saddle just beside the base.

Rubble gets under the left edge. "C'mon Rock, help me get this off."

As told, Rocky gets to the other side and crawls under the right edge. Setting himself along with Rubble.

"Alright Rock, Push!"

On cue, both Rocky and Rubble push up on the edges with their backs, using all their power to lift the top as stone grinds against stone. Both felt like they were lifting a whole car, feeling their backs would give out at any second. Thankfully, they finally lifted it off before they could and with one sync groan, tossed it crashing down the stairs.

Then, Rocky and Rubble's eyes freeze, as they realize what was in front of them.

There it was. In all it's golden glory. Just as Ryder used to describe to it. The fabled lost Ark of the Covenant. A relic that is said to house the sacred stone tablets the Ten Commandments on. A chest so divine, even looking at could be deadly to many.

The Ark looked to be a medium sized golden chest that nearly blinded both Rocky and Rubble. The top looks like a roof of a house with two golden angles facing each other on top, with their wing tips touching in the middle. Looking like a handle of sorts. The chest looked wooden encrusted with gold and scripture on the sides which were assumed to be in Hebrew. Two round rings are attached to the upper legs where someone could stick a stake in and carry the Ark.

Rocky stares dumbfounded as the gold easily blinds his eyes, but he couldn't look away. After hearing all the legends and wondering if they were true, Rocky has finally uncovered one of archaeology's greatest finds that many thought would never happen.

In his peripheral vision, Rocky sees Rubble almost make a fatal mistake.

"Don't touch it!" He barks at the bulldog, making Rubble yelp away from the Ark. "It can never be touched, not by us."

After Rubble composed himself, he looks at Rocky. "Well, how are we going to get it out of here."

Rocky then focuses his eyes on the two rings on the side of the Ark then looks back at Rubble. "You have any poles or something?"

Zuma could see in the distance where his destination was, thanks to the sun starting to come up and the movement of dogs on the hill.

He'd been careful not to alert anyone on his way, dodging and weaving out of the guard's sight. Their lack of attention to what was going on a few yards in front only reminded him of how quickly he had to get to Rocky and warn him about what was coming to him.

He was almost out of the camp but then he "marshalled" and tripped over a tent stake. Falling face first into the sand, thanking God and heaven that he was still muzzled or he would've yelped the whole camp awake. He looks at the tent like a criminal in the spotlight, hoping that the scuffle didn't' alert anyone who was in the specific tent.

Thankfully, nothing seemed to stir from the tent, making Zuma sigh in relief. But he turned right into Tabby, who'd somehow snuck up behind him with a menacing, mocking laugh.

"Where do you think, you're going Zuma?"

Zuma quickly retracts from the cat, immediately turning to run but was stopped by Harold and flanked by Scarlet and two cats.

"Geez Zuma, I didn't know you were this excited for the show." Harold mocks with a chuckle.

Zuma growls as much as he can despite being muzzled.

Two cats pounce on Zuma from behind, digging claws into his back making him yelp sharply even with him muzzled, earning laughs from the group. A massive grin formed on Harold's face. "Not to worry Zuma. We will make sure you'll have a front row seat."

After retrieving two long wooden poles from the crew, Rocky and Rubble set them through the rings on the side of the Ark.

Rocky of course being resourceful, took two doused torches and lashed them across the ends on both sides. Effectively creating a bar for the dog packs to push up on to carry the Ark.

On the count of three, the two dogs lifted the Ark from its casing and slowly carried it down the stairs. Its golden body being enough to reflect on the walls as they carried it, sending chills down their spines.

They get to the center where a crate was sitting, strapped to a pully system up top to raise the Ark out of the Well of the Souls. Strangely enough, when they were carrying the Ark to the crate, the snakes that were once hissing and coiling at them, all stop, as the chamber fell completely silent.

They set the Ark inside the crate, took the poles out, closed up the sides and howls to the crew above, to pull the Ark up and out of the Well of the Souls. All the while Rocky and Rubble wave torches around, as soon as the Ark was covered, the snakes were agitated again and were threatening them.

Once the Ark was out and secure, a rope was dropped down for them.

"You go first pal." Rocky volunteers.

"You sure?" Rubble asks.

"Yeah. I'll be alright."

Given the okay, Rubble saddles himself on the rope, tugs on it, and rides the rope up and out of the chamber while Rocky was still down below, repelling snakes away from him. He looks up to see Rubble climbing over the edge and waited for the rope to drop back down.

Up at the top though, the bulldog was immediately met with a gun in his face. Harold, Scarlet, and Tabby were there to meet him with menacing amusing smiles. His family on their bellies, and Skylar chained to Tabby's side like a slave. Rubble stands still at the edge, his back paw standing on the rope.

Harold widened his menacing smile. "Time to fall in line, Rubble."

"Daddy please….Don't! Uncle Rocky's down there!" Skylar cries, earning her a quick yank from Tabby.

Rubble was reasonably hesitating. Skylar was his life. He would sacrifice anything he treasured for his dear pup. However, Rocky wasn't just a good friend. The two practically grew up together along with the others. Betraying him would feel like gasping his last breath.

In the few moments of silence, Harold sighs, annoyed by Rubble's obvious hesitation. He walks over to Tabby and the whimpering Skylar, pointing his pistol point blank right into her neck. Charger, Mix, Motor, and Wheeler all cry out for her, while Skylar shakes like a baby deer, whimpering profusely. Harold then glares at Rubble, not saying a single word.

Rubble locks eyes with his daughter, and her scared magenta eyes made the decision for him. Bowing his head with tears falling down his cheeks, Rubble brushes the rope back with his paw, letting it fall into the chamber behind him, leaving his sworn brother stranded in the snake infested chamber.

Harold smiles again as he pulls his gun away and nods to Tabby who in turn, unleashes Skylar to run to her father. Clinging onto him for dear life.

Meanwhile in the well, Rocky watches the rope hit the floor and he felt a cold shiver through his body. "Huh?! Rubble what the…

"Hey! Rocky! Yohoo! Up here!"

Rocky snaps his head up and sees his sister's head peering down to him, comically waving down at him.

"Hey Rocky! What are you doing in such a dark decrypted old place?"

Rocky grits his teeth hard, growling his response. "Why don't you come on down here?! I'll show ya!"

"Well thanks Rocky, but I think we're going to pass on that! We are quite comfortable up here!" Scarlet responds, earing chuckles from Harold and the cats. "Right guys? We are very comfortable up here!"

Rocky crunches his lips as he made sure no snakes were at his feet.

"Once again brother, your choice in friends remain consistent." Scarlet ridiculed. "Although I have to be honest with you, I would've never thought one of your very own would betray you so coldly."

Rocky felt a cold stab straight through his heart. "No! Rubble! No!"

"I wouldn't worry about Rubble, Rock!" Scarlet mocks. "You're about to make yourself home in the Well of the Souls!" Scarlet then starts to choke up though keeping the mocking tone. "Never thought it would end this way for you brother. I-I just don't know if I can ever get over your fitting en-end! I'll miss you!"

"Yeah, Yeah, whatever bitch!" Rocky seethed through.

Harold then gazes down himself, matching Scarlet's shit eating grin. "I must bid you my farewell and thanks Rocky! Our prize awaits us in Foggy Bottom." His grin then grows as he softens his voice. "But we do not wish to leave you down in that awful place, all alone."

"Let go of me you creeps!"

Rocky gasps at the voice he instantly recognized.

No, it can't be.

But it was. Two cats drag a now unmuzzled Zuma to the hole with the lab fighting them every step of the way.

"Zuma?!" Rocky cries out, in total shock.

On that, the two cats then push Zuma in. Falling a few feet before landing on one of the statue's arms. Holding on for dear life.

Rocky runs under it and calls out to him. "Zuma! Zuma! I-I got you! Just…Just fall! I-I'll catch you!"

Before the lab had any time to think, the statue's arm gave, sending Zuma down below to Rocky whether he planned to or not. However Rocky wasn't totally ready, as Zuma fell right on his back. Mashing him to the ground with a sharp yelp.

Zuma immediately gets up to check on him, but a cobra pops up to him and coils. Freezing him in his tracks. Rocky slowly gets up and shakes the dizziness away before being clinged to by a now petrified Zuma.

"Rocky! Rocky! Sn-Snakes! Snakes!" Zuma shrieks. "The-They're everywhere!"

"I see them Zuma! I see them!" Rocky howls.

Scarlet smiles smugly at the sight as Harold walks away from her and passes by Rubble, who looked on the dooming sight with utter shame as his pup was stapled to him.

Harold then shifts his eyes to Tabby and nods before Tabby suddenly grabs Skylar and forcefully pulls her away from Rubble. Skylar screams and flails as Rubble prepares to attack the cat but gets a sudden stomp to his back paw from Harold himself. Rubble winces and then Harold kicks Rubble down to join both Rocky and Zuma in the well.

"Daddy!" Skylar screams as Tabby retrains her.

"Rubble!" Zuma cries out, as Rubble howls all the way down to them. Pounding the ground on his side, feeling something crack within his body. Gasping for air until he eventually blacks out completely unconscious with snakes all around him.

"Get him away from the snakes Zuma!" Rocky says as he looks back up to his sister while Zuma runs over to the bulldog.

"Yes! I did it! I did it!" Harold celebrates while pumping in the air like a child. "I got the Ark and I eliminated three Paw Patrol pups all in one! Uncle Mayor will be so proud!"

Zuma whips his head up to him. "You bastard! I'll get you for this!"

Harold shakes his head at the proclamation and waves. "Yeah, sure you will. So long Paw Patrol!"

Upon that, a group of cats pick up the big stone slab and slowly move it close to the hatch. While Rubble & Crew quietly weep and Skylar screams for her father, they successfully seal Rocky, Zuma, and Rubble into the Well of the Souls, never to be seen again.

Oh no! What a cruel double cross! As Harold and Scarlet swipe the ark away, the Paw Patrol have been sealed in a snake death trap that is the Well of the Souls! Will they find a way to escape and get the ark back, or is this the end of three more members of the Paw Patrol?

Find out next week when Chapter 9 is released!

Please review let me know what your favorite parts are and if you have any questions about the story or anything else, leave a comment or message me and I'll get back with you as soon as I can.

This is Sean Thames of DragonsFire Entertainment signing off!