Over the Hedge: Second Generation

by starwars4life

Set 15 years after Midsummer Crises. The kids and young adult hedgies are now grown adults and must continue to carry out what their parents have taught them about heists, fun, friendship, love, and family. But will the problems they now encounter as parents and mates make the hedge family grow stronger and larger, or break apart and get smaller?

9. The Rescue

Chapter 9: The Rescue

The building where Team 6/Mustelid has been observing for the past seven minutes is similar to Team 1's/Raccoon's except it's three stories tall, surrounded by a 10-foot high brick fence with barbwire at the top, a large parking lot, and its two grassy sections that are fenced off with regular fencing have a guard dog in each.

Everyone tenses up when Richie's phone rings and he answers it by putting it on Speaker mode.

Gertrude's voice comes over loud and clear. "Team 6? You there?"

Richie: "What've you got to tell us, Gertrude?"

Gertrude's voice: "According to our 'involuntary assistant,' Roaster is at your location. But we're not going to call the other teams until you folks confirm it."

Ted's voice is heard in the background when the bear notes, "What happened to your accent? Were you just faking it the whole time?—" A loud Smack! is followed by Ted yelling, "OUCH!"

Clara's overdramatic-angry voice yells out, "That's for askin' stupid, worthless, questions!"

Kale's overdramatic-angry voice yells out, "And keep dat big mouth of yours shut! We's not payin' you for commentary!"

Gertrude's voice: "Gotta go. We'll await your call."

She hangs up and Team Mustelid goes over their plan again.

Rick: "Okay. A frontal assault is suicide because of the cameras around the buildings, as well as any human in the parking lot, will see us coming through. So Amy, Jay, Eiyla, Martha, and Jack will go through the drainpipe and enter the building from the sewers below."

Jay: "Looks like we'll be needing a good, long bath when this is over..."

Amy and Eiyla sigh but nod yes. When Eiyla notices the minks don't seem bothered, the young otter asks, "You two aren't cringing about swimming in sewage water?"

Martha shrugs and nonchalantly says, "It won't be much worse than what we already smell like..."

Jack nods and adds, "Besides, our fur is waterproof like yours."

Richie ends any further debate by saying, "We're trying to save a dear friend from our extended family. If I had to travel in the sewers to save him, I'd do it without a second thought. Go on, Rick."

Rick: "Since not all of us are skinny enough to fit through an indoor pipe like the otters and minks; Nukalawa, Kelly, Richie, Chloe, Lauren, and myself will need to climb up the building's wall and enter the ventilation ducts through the roof. Leslie will also be with us, but she won't have any issues with that since she's a flying squirrel."

Leslie: "Because there are no nearby trees to jump from, that will draw a lot of unwanted attention. So you folks will need a distraction to get past the surveillance cameras on the inside and outside."

The group looks at Tiger who explains, "Because I am a cat, there is no threat to me waltzing in through the front. I must risk life and limb to go into one of the yards with a guard dog so that the ruckus will attract the attention of any camera-monitoring humans from inside. The humans will take me into the building and before they can put me in a cage, I will break free and lead them on a wild cat chase, thus distracting them from their normal duties. You all have great hearing, so you will know when the humans will be too busy trying to catch me. That will be your chance to move into the parking lot."

The group then looks at Percie and Boombata, which prompts the former to say, "Ta ensure dey stay distracted, I'll start a conversation with the guard dogs. Given how tall and proud dare posture is, I'd say they think highly of demselves. It's all a matter of either feedin' or insultin' dare egos."

Boombata: "I can'nah climb like my beloved, so I use my chemical weapon to cause guard dog to be nose blind to the main group's scents."

Rick: "We all have walkie talkies," (Holds his up) "so whoever sees Roaster first will need to tell Richie, who will then call the rest of the teams to tell them to come here. The closest is Team 3/Possum. With the exception of the otters and minks, who will leave out the way they came in, the rest of us will need to formulate an escape plan of our own based on what the situation will be like once we have freed Roaster. But be prepared if we are forced to change our original plans, depending on how things unfold."

After a short pause, Rick closes with, "This will be very dangerous. Practically every human in that building knows how to capture wild animals like us in our natural habitat. And we'll be right in theirs; the place they know the best, where they will have full control. They may not kill us on-sight like Verm-Tech, but we can't be too sure about that either. Any questions?"

Lauren: "My mom told me a certain true story many times. If my biological uncle—or BU—RJ could save all of his family from Verm-Tech by himself, then we can all save Roaster."

The spirit of Percie, the one who feels the most stressed, lightens so much that she just has to say, "Dat's the spirit, Lauren. Let's keep our optimism and confidence high, no matt'a what happens."

Rick: "Then we're all good?"

Team 6 in unison: "Yes!"

Rick: "Then let's get this show on the road!"

With that, they separate and proceed to put their rescue plan in motion.

---

It's not long before Tiger crosses the main road and is at the large gap in the brick and barb wired fence where cars can enter and leave. Being quite past his prime, he would prefer it if a human could see him and bring him into the building. But with it being the night shift, there aren't that many vehicles or people in the parking lot, which means he must go toward the guard dogs. Even so, he puts on a convincing performance of a domesticated-cat-gone-feral on the off chance that the person watching the surveillance camera feed from inside the building will send for humans to capture him before getting the dogs' attention.

Tiger walks erratically and sluggish, bumps into a few parked car tires, and hissing at nothing. Meanwhile the guard dogs are having a casual conversation about female dogs they know to pass the time. One is a Bullmastiff named Bomber, and the other is an oddly light-colored German Sheppard named Sarl.

Bomber: "So after digging up the bone and tossing it on top of her skull, I told her, 'Don't be such a Bone-head'!"

Sarl laughs, but the humor seems forced.

Bomber: "Why're you faking it, man?"

Sarl: "You actually have a girlfriend, I don't. Your name alone gets lady dogs to ask where you got it from, and the story is so interesting: you were just a day old when your masters at the time took you to the famous marathon running contest, which turned into the Boston Marathon Bombing of 2013."

Bomber: "Your name gets lady dogs interested in knowing its origin story too."

Sarl: "Until they hear that it's because I'm a Saarloos Wolfdog. My dad was a purebred German Sheppard, but had puppies with a female wolf. The ladies think my 'predator instincts' will kick in at any second and I'll tear them or humans to shreds."

Bomber: "Have you told them how you started out as a captive here, then single-handedly stopped a prison break when some would-be escapee freed you and some other animals, and you recaptured them all? That makes you like a war hero."

Sarl: "It makes me sound like an ex-con who conned his way to become a guard of the very place that once held me prisoner. In other words, a hypocrite. And re-catching minks and skunks isn't much of an achievement compared to stopping wolves and badgers like you have."

Bomber: "I call yours a story of injustice, struggle, suffering, and ultimately redemption."

Sarl (puts a finger to his chin): "Hmm. Maybe that's how I need to phrase it. Thanks man!"

Bomber: "You're wel—"

"Mrrrrr-EEEEEEEEOOOWWWWWWW!"

Both dogs turn their bodies over to the direction of the sound and find a Persian cat with its teeth showing, back arched, tail swishing, and eyes wide. It then lets out a loud hiss that would be bone-chilling to the untrained mind. Unfortunately for the feline, these dogs are not so easily startled.

Bomber: "Well someone's disturbing the peace, and rudely interrupting our conversation."

"Rrrreeeoooww-wowwwwww! *HHHHISSSSSSSS* RRRREEEE-OOOOOOOOOWWWWW!"

Bomber: "Yeah, yeah. Bully for you too."

Though still unafraid, Sarl takes his job more seriously because it's the only job he can ever have. If he fails at it, it's out on the street with him—or worse getting put to sleep. So after seeing the cat drool and then strike the fence in front of it, Sarl says, "Bomber, can't you see this cat's messed up in the head?"

Bomber (rhetorically): "Can't you see I don't care?" (Looks at the Persian cat) "Look, fitty-kitty, this isn't an animal shelter, it's Animal Control Headquarters. So unless you wanna be caught and euthanized, move along."

Sarl: "That's our only warning, and we're not bluffing."

The Persian cat stares for a few seconds, then is climbing up the fence and in the yard with Bomber in about three seconds. Its first strike is a miss when Bomber side-steps out of the way. The Bullmastiff then says, "Alright, the hard way it is."

Bomber chases the fleeing cat around the yard, barking aggressively the whole time. But despite his speed and strength, every time the canine zigs to bite the feline, the cat zags to avoid him. Sarl has also been barking up a storm and snapping his jaws threateningly at the yard where the action is taking place.

Both dogs' actions have the desired effect of making the outdoor lights overlooking the two yards come on, indicating the human camera monitor has noticed the ruckus. A few moments after that, a woman named Jalen, armed with a net, opens a door that connects the inside of the building to the inside of the yard where Bomber is still chasing the mad cat.

Jalen: "Herd it over this way, Bomber!"

Bomber does as he is told and the cat is quickly caught in the net which, thanks to a sliding lock system, closes its top when the woman pushes a foam handle forward. This nifty advancement in net technology allows the wielder to not worry about the animal escaping if caught when the open section of the net is facing toward the ground, since it means the net does not need to be flipped back over. Still, the cat is screeching like a banshee and keeps clawing and striking even though it does nothing against the strong net fibers.

Holding the net with one hand, Jalen walks up and pats Bomber on the head with her free hand.

Jalen: "Atta boy, Bomber! This cat is going into the holding pen where we'll test it for rabies. Take a treat, you've earned it!"

With her free hand she digs into one of her cargo pants' side pocket and emerges with a bone-shaped doggie treat that she puts on the ground in front of Bomber who gobbles it all up. The woman then walks back into the building with her new captive.

Now finished eating, Bomber looks over at Sarl who looks disheartened.

Bomber: "Why the long face, Sarl? Y'know, besides just genetics?"

Sarl: "I was hoping you'd eat half of that and then give the other half to me. My barking and snapping helped make the camera operator notice what was going on around here too..."

Bomber: "There's one camera that shows both yards at once, so the monitor inside obviously saw me doing all the hard work, then relayed that info to Jalen."

Sarl: "But don't you see? Humans, and even feral cats, favor you over a wolfdog like me. I try my hardest, and get no credit...And I was really hoping you'd understand that about us since we're friends."

Bomber raises his eyebrows in realization and says, "I...uh, sorry man. You're right, I should've shared it. Next time, I will. Promise."

Sarl smiles and says, "Looking forward to it." But as the night becomes quiet again, in his mind, he is moping, "You said the same thing three times before, and you always forget...Is there no one who will notice me for who I am?"

The quietness of the night is then suddenly interrupted with a, feminine, Hispanic/Latino-Mafia accent saying, "Hey! You's two mutts see a crazy cat come trew here?"

Sarl and Bomber look in the direction of the voice and see a wolf hiding under one of the parked trucks. Normally the night sky coupled with the shadow of being under the vehicle would make her invisible to people, but the guard dogs have canine-inherited vision that sees better at night than human eyes.

Now seeing the cause of his recent misery, Sarl talks at the wolf with an attitude, "So you're the one who drove that cat here. Get lost, whoever you are!"

Wolf (returns the attitude back at Sarl): "Well ex-cuse me, your highness, but a lady's gotta eat what she can with humans takin' over more and more land and drivin' out the regular animals I eat. And my name is Percie, not 'You.' " (Relaxed and normal tone) "But we's got started off on da wrong foot. I was pretty impressed with how you's caught that cat. Ta catch somethin' that outran me, is quite dee accomplishment."

Bomber, noticing how attractive this wild animal is, goes ahead and puts on the lady's-man bravado when he speaks.

Bomber (fake southern accent): "We-ell, tweren't nuthin', sugar piiiiiee-eee." (Normal tone) "Name's Bomber, and I'm a purebred Bullmastiff who comes from a lone line of guard dogs. My father was a guard dog, his father was a guard dog, I'm a guard dog, and when I have puppies, the first male of the litter will be a guard dog too. It's all in the genes."

Percie: "I wasn't talkin' to you, ya's blowhard, fame-seeking, bonehead. I was talkin' ta him."

She points at Sarl who asks, "Me?!"

Percie: "Mi papá has a super-wolf sense of smell dat he passed on ta me. I can tell by your scent that you's half wolf."

Bomber: "You said you were impressed with outrunning the cat that you couldn't even catch. That was me who did that. How can you be talking about Sarl?"

Ignoring Bomber, Percie says, "Oooo! 'Sarl'? Nice name. It's like 'snarl', but without an N."

Sarl says in an unsure tone, "Um, that's my name don't wear it out." He mentally berates himself with, "Idiot! Wrong thing to say! Now your social awkwardness will cost you another girlfriend!"

But to his surprise, Percie giggles at his would-be blunder and says, "You's funny. I teenk I like ya's."

Bomber: "Need I remind you he didn't catch the cat."

Percie: "Quit interruptin' us, dog! And because you a dog, nothin' you's do will ever be a worthy of an accomplishment of the canine species, just FYI. Only wolves, or half-wolves like Sarl here, can do that! And If I wants ta talk to ya's, I'll talk to ya's! Go sniff your own butt while I talk to a real man here! 'Cuz if it weren't for his barking and snapping his teeth, the humans wouldn't have noticed what was going on out here. His barking and teeth gnashing was far more aggressive, more elegant, and more heart-pounding than a measly woof from you."

Bomber lets out a snarl and says, "Why don't you come over here and say that to my face!?"

Percie: "Love to, but I'm not stupid. If I step out in dee open, da cameras will notice me and then out comes the dog catchers."

Bomber: "Then we'll bark and snap at you from where you are until the humans come out, see where we're pointing, and catch you anyway! C'mon, Sarl! Join me and I'll let you have the whole doggie treat this time."

Sarl doesn't know if it's the wolf's words, his wolf-heritage, or the years of pent-up rage that is causing it, but deep inside he feels something welling up that he has no choice to release. The fact that Bomber is risking ruining Sarl's chance of getting to know a female who is fully interested in him for a change is bad enough. But add to it the pompous confidence that Bomber is certain that Sarl will help him, and how Bomber is bribing him with a trivial dog treat as if that could make up for all the mistreatment Sarl has endured; this all makes the wolfdog stand up to his colleague.

Sarl: "How about you shut up for once, Bomber?"

Bomber: "What. Did you say. To ME?!"

Sarl: "I said for you to shut up. I'm tired of you hogging all the glory and getting the ladies, while I'm always getting back-seated, underappreciated, and worst of all: unnoticed! This wolf is interested in me, not you, so be a good boy and don't ruin this chance for me! And if you try to blow her cover, I'll give body posture and noises that'll make sure the humans will believe you're just imagining things."

Percie glares at Bomber and says, "And if you's so good at your job, why do you need a second helper, Mr. Oh-I'm-So-Better-Than-Everyone-Else?" (To Sarl) "No offense, just supportin' you's."

Sarl: "I appreciate it."

Bomber: "Fine, she's a wild animal anyway. Probably has worms and Lyme Disease. Not the kind of gal I'd share a kiss with."

Bomber walks over to the farthest end of the fence to be away from Sarl and Percie. The Bullmastiff tones out their conversation and tries to focus on his guarding job, but a sudden terrible smell makes that hard.

Now more confident, knowing this wolf is okay with him whether he says things the wrong way or not, Sarl says, "And what you said about the lack of an N in my name was intentional by my former human master. He wanted to call me Snarl because I did that a lot as a pup, but decided that would not make me sound like a nice dog, and named me partially after my being of the Saarloos Wolfdog breed."

Percie: "So, you was originally gonna get named after a talent of yours...? Dat's how real wolves get named. I'm named Percie for how persistent I am."

Sarl: "I wouldn't know that, since I've lived as a dog my whole life."

Percie: "But somethin' tells me dat somewhere, deep down inside of ya'self, dare's a beast ready ta roam free and wild."

Sarl: "Again, I wouldn't know if there is."

Percie: "Search your feelings, you know it to be true..."

Sarl: "That's a line from Star Wars."

Percie: "Oh, a wolfdog with class, me likey."

Sarl: "How does a wild animal watch movies?"

Percie: "As a wolf, I use my senses ta listen into the human world and learn as much as I can. Knowledge is power, after all. And most of the time, humans are focused on wasting time watching TV and movies."

Sarl blushes and starts to say, "Well I..." then he stops when he also smells a rank odor. "Ugh. What is that horrible smell?"

Percie: "Probably some skunk nearby."

Sarl: "No, I've smelt skunks before, and this smells worse."

Percie: "We's not close to it, so just breathe trew the mouth."

Suddenly, the gears in Bomber's head start working. And he walks back over to Sarl while saying, "That reminds me. A wolf was brought into this building a few hours ago, and you smell like him."

Sarl: "For the love of God, Bomber, I will slap you through the fence if you don't—"

Bomber: "Smell her, then smell the wolf from inside! You're supposed to be doing your job, not flirting."

Percie: "I told you's to not speak unless I want you's to!"

Sarl: "No, he's right, Percie. I do have a job to do. It'll only take a second."

He takes a long smell, then coughs four times.

Sarl: "Gosh, that skunk smell is overpowering!"

Bomber: "I smelt her before the skunk came in. She smells just like the wolf inside."

Percie: "He was probably my competition. And if he's been captured, then it'll mean more food for me if he's not roamin' around no more."

Bomber: "Your competition, or your relative?"

Sarl: "Bomber, there's a lot of wolves in these woods, and the odds of finding two family members are like 1,000 to 1."

Bomber: "Maybe she's been distracting us instead of getting to know you for you."

Percie: "That's not—"

Ignoring Percie, Bomber asks Sarl, "Who're you gonna trust: your fellow guard dog who you've known for five years, or a wolf you just met? And all wolves are schemers."

Sarl slowly looks from Bomber back over to Percie, his voice and expression growing firmer with each word he says. "I...I...I..."

When an alarm goes off from the inside of the building—which Bomber identifies as "The escape alarm!"—Percie prevents her nervousness from showing on the outside, but it is a raging storm of anxiety on the inside.

Using his wolf genes, Sarl takes another sniff and this time ignores the skunk smell. When he finishes, he says, "Now that I've smelt you, you do have a similar scent to a wolf that was brought in a few hours ago."

Percie can no longer hide her emotions, as her ears droop. Sarl looks at her with cold eyes that show betrayal as he says, "I'm sorry, Percie. But I need to ask you, are you related to the wolf that was brought here? Have you been distracting me while other animals are trying to rescue the wolf inside? If you truly meant everything you said to me, you'll tell the truth."

Percie: "...Yes...To all your questions."

Bomber: "I knew it! C'mon Sarl, let's scratch at the door so the humans inside will let us in and we can help recapture her family member!"

Percie: "But since I'm telling the truth, know that I really do like you too. You remind me of my brother who's inside. You feel worthless and overlooked and want the world to notice you, not for fame, but because of the injustice done to you in the past. And like me, like my whole family, you won't stop fighting until you get the recognition you deserve. If that's you helping recapture him, then so be it. All I can say is, you won't succeed. I won't let you if you get in my way, which is somethin' you really don't wanna do. I'll give ya a demonstration. 'Know how heavy this truck is?"

Sarl's and Bomber's mouths feel like they hit the ground upon seeing Percie pop all four tires by hitting them with her four paws, then lift the whole truck up one inch off the ground!

Percie: "Not heavy enough. If I'm stronger than it, you don't have a chance. I'm gonna bust through the front door—literally. And if I see you two inside trying to stop me, or my animal family and friends, you won't live long enough to even regret it. But if you stay out here and mind your own business, the humans won't blame you for anything, and you'll keep your job—if you want to be treated like a lackey for the rest of your life."

With that, Percie lets the car down, then runs to the front door that she busts through as promised, leaving Sarl to ponder about all she has recently said. "I only just met her, and she practically knows every personal thing about me. My inner frustrations, pain, and hopes and dreams..."

Bomber: "I'd, uh, want to try and help recapture her brother, but...We can't fight that dame."

Sarl remains silent as he enters an existential crisis that only he can get himself out of.

---

While the events were transpiring above ground, deep below, the thick, black, greenish, oily sludge stinks worse than anything Amy, Jay, Eiyla—and even Martha and Jack—have ever smelt before. They had come in knowing it would be bad, but the foul-smelling tunnel would make the worst of what humans called "ghetto," "rundown," or "dilapidated" seem like a vacation paradise. The mustelids stay away from the middle of the circular tunnel where the liquid is, and keep to the side as much as possible, but the silty goop occasionally laps at their paws, sloshing sometimes deeper than their ankles (1).

The tunnel is dimly lit with light fixtures every 12 feet, but even if it was pitch black, the mustelids would have no problem navigating. Minks have enhanced vision that enables them to see well in the dark, while otters' vision is even better and can see in the dark both on land and in unclear waters. But sewage water is something no creature wants to get in their eyes, which is why they are avoiding it like the plague.

Eiyla: "For once, I curse the fact that I'm an otter. If I wasn't one, I wouldn't have to come down here."

Jay: "I know, pumpkin, but we're the only ones skinny enough to climb through small drains. Isn't that right, Amy?"

When he looks over his shoulder, Amy is far behind the rest of them as she is meticulously timing every step to ensure she doesn't touch the water. She answers his question with, "Do not distract me, Jay. It's bad enough that the air will put the stench in my fur, but if I get wet sewage on me, I'll go nuts."

The others ahead turn around to wait for Amy to catch up, and to ask her another question.

Jack: "We have waterproof fur, so it don't matter if you get wet."

Eiyla: "Then why're you trying to avoid touching the sewer water?"

Jack: "So I don't slip and hurt myself. But what's with yo mama?"

Jay: "She's a neat-freak who's obsessed with being as clean as possible. She doesn't like getting dirty or being near liquids that smell bad. She really doesn't like them." (1)

Jay knows this better than even Amy's own parents and brothers. In fact, it was the reason why the two had fallen behind Team 6 and had to rush to catch up with them when they separated from the hedgies. Even before breaking into their teams, the family decided that all the otters would infiltrate their designated buildings from the sewers. Upon being assigned to Team 6, Amy decided to take a good bath and with a sweet smile, assured Jay that she'd be gone for three minutes, and went toward a pond with a waterfall. When three minutes had stretched to six, Jay went to look for her and found that she was still bathing. (2)

"How much can you wash?" Jay asked indignantly, "You could clean your fur after the rescue when we'll need it more, especially given how we're going to enter our building. Finish up now, the others have already started moving and we're about to fall way behind." (2)

Amy answered, "I am a lady, and must always be clean and tidy! Regardless of where and how we are getting in."

Jay shook his head side to side as he remarked with a smile to himself, "Oh ladies, ladies, how difficult it is sometimes for us males to understand you."

Jay had waited two more minutes for Amy to finish bathing and putting perfume on herself and then they had hoofed it to catch up to Team 6.

Back in the present, Jack pokes fun of the germaphobe otter by saying, "Be careful Amy, the sewer slugs like ta go aft'a clean animals first; to make 'em smell as bad as they do." (1)

Amy: "Jay, if you don't tell that kid to pipe down, we're not taking that private bath together when we come back."

Jay turns toward the 18-year-old mink and walks toward him while saying, "You heard my mate, Jack. Zip it, or I'll toss you into the water."

Jack: "No need ta fuss. I was jus' havin' some fun."

Making eye contact with Jack while stepping forward Amy adds, "Say you're sorry too—"

She gasps as she slips and nearly falls into the sewage, but catches herself by putting one paw into the goop. When she pulls that paw out, it's as dark as the stuff that covers it. She shakes her paw violently in a vain effort to get the smell out of it. (1)

Jack chuckles out, "Watch out fo' those slippery steps, Ames. They'll catch ya when ya least expect it—Woah!" (1)

Jack skids and lands bottom-first in the sludge. He stands up quickly, but not quick enough to save himself from stinking something fierce. Amy laughs so hard Jay thinks she might fall again. Jay also fights hard against his own grin, and harder to not let out a chuckle. It serves Jack right, but bad things happen when you tempt fate, and Jay doesn't want to be next. (1)

Martha: "That's Karma for ya, Jack. No more messin' around with anybody for the rest of this walk."

Jack: "Yes ma'am."

They remain quiet as they walk for another 40 feet. The large circular tunnel now branches of into human-sized smaller tunnels.

Martha: "We approachin' the areas with the smaller pipes. Listen closely so we know which one will lead to Roaster."

Martha and Jack immediately go down a separate path, and Eiyla is about to, until Jay puts a paw on her shoulder and says, "Want me to come along with you?"

Eiyla sighs in annoyance and says, "No dad, I'll do fine."

Amy: "You sure about that, sweetie? This is the first time you'll be on your own."

Eiyla: "Which is a good thing."

Jay: "The last time we left you by yourself..."

Eiyla: "I was six-years-old when I broke my arm while swan-diving into a pond with submerged rocks. I've learned a lot since then. Besides, there's three of us, and three more empty tunnels. If we leave one unmanned, we may not be able to figure out where Roaster is. Don't worry, I got this."

Jay and Amy look at each other with concern, but also know their daughter is right about making sure there is a listener in each tunnel.

Jay: "We won't be too far from you if you need us."

Eiyla: "Got it."

Amy: "Be careful, pumpkin."

Eiyla: "You too."

Jay: "And if Roaster's whereabouts is in one of your tunnels, don't try to get to him. Come and tell us first and then we'll all help him together."

Eiyla (annoyed tone): "Alright. I get it. Let's do this already."

After that, the three separate. As each animal now walks into a branching path, the watery goo reflects the pale glow of the overhead lights onto the walls of the tunnel in eerie, rippling waves. The smallest sounds are magnified and echo, lapping back at them from the hard concrete walls. (1) It's unfortunate that they can't pick up Roaster's scent due to the stench of the sewer. Thankfully, otters and minks have great hearing, and they are able to use it selectively to listen for any sounds (or lack thereof) as they try to pinpoint the wolf's location.

They hear many things such as human voices, animal voices or sounds, and sound of water coming through pipes. It all seems normal, until walking footsteps turn into runs, the calm voices of humans turn into frantic yells, and the animals get loud and restless.

"What's going on?!" asks a human.

"That darn, feral cat scratched my face and ran off!" said a second.

"Oh shoot! It just unlocked the slide locks for the coyotes and cougars! Sound the alarm!" cries the first.

"Right!" confirms the second.

An alarm blares a few moments later, but even through that the mustelids in the sewers can distinguish more human voices and rapid footsteps. Minutes later, the voices and footsteps are especially frantic when a loud CRRRR-AAASSSSSSSH! sounds.

Another human yells, "Holy moly! That wolf just frickin' busted down the front door!"

The animal listeners know this means that Percie just made her big entrance.

After a snarl comes out of her muzzle, the human is stricken with fear. "No, no, noo-ooo! Stay away from me!"

Even though Percie understands the human's words, she ignores them and dashes for the poor sap, who screams while running deeper into the building. This process involves the human having to use a badge to unlock steel doors that would normally keep even Percie out, allowing the wolf to enter deeper into the building to cause more chaos and search for Roaster.

Down one of the sewer tunnels, Jay's echoing voice announces, "We won't be down here for much longer." (1)

Amy, Eiyla, Martha, and Jack say, "Good," in unison. They would rather tussle with humans than endure this guck much longer. (1)

Eiyla muses, "You'd think we'd get used to the smell after a while..." But it seems to constantly shift, going from bad to worse, bringing forth stinks she never thought possible. (1)

Eiyla's thoughts are then interrupted when hears a groaning growl coming from the pipe above her. It's one of rage. She hopes it's Roaster, but doesn't want to call in everyone else from their current listening posts without confirming, because if she's wrong they may miss hearing where Roaster really is. Not to mention the pipe is pretty high up and if she falls, she could injure herself. Worst of all, if she's wrong her parents will patronize her more than ever. They would be nice about it, but she will have to endure weeks, maybe months, of gentle ribbing calling for help over what could just be a toilet drain. (3) So it would be best to stay put and keep listening before doing something rash.

Eiyla's teenage angst then tells her, "But what if you're the only animal here who doesn't accomplish squat? Show some backbone." (4)

That makes her decide what to do. Eiyla has been pretty sheltered for most of her life; her parents always keep a close eye on her and have done almost everything for her, even when she insists she's old enough to do things on her own now. Amy's and Jay's big excuse is that she is their oldest daughter and they want to take great care of her, but there is such a thing as taking too much care of a child to the point where they'll never discover how to do things on their own without trial and error. Eiyla is jealous of Jack whose mother (and godmother) clearly trusts him enough to take care of himself, so she finally feels free from her parents' overprotection for the first time in 11 long years since her broken arm accident.

Eiyla thinking: "My parents told me to stay put, but I won't be gone for a minute or two—and maybe when I get back, I'll have something to tell them, a real contribution to this rescue op that proves I'm ready to be treated like a real lady now." (4)

She starts climbing the wall and easily gets into the pipe where the groaning is coming from. She nearly loses her footing—and dinner—when a jet of foul water flushes into her from an offshoot pipe. But she jams her eyes shut, holds her breath, and grips the wall tight with all four paws. When the water is past her, she resumes her climb.

When she reaches the top, standing in front of her is a circular grated drain. The gaps in it allow her to see a good deal of the room. Not even a full three seconds of searching pass when she sees Roaster in the cage on top of a table. He was the one making the groans of rage—rage at being unable to get revenge on the humans while they are chaotically darting back and forth outside his room.

Eiyla: "Roaster! It's me Eiyla! I'm down here under the drainpipe!"

Fortunately, Roaster is facing toward the drainpipe so Eiyla can clearly see his expressions as he communicates with her, starting by groaning out "Huh?!"

Eiyla: "Your family and friends have come to rescue you. Come down here."

Roaster shakes his head no.

Eiyla: "Just rock back and forth until the cage falls off the table."

Roaster groans out "I can't."

Eiyla: "Oh, the cage is too strong? No worries, lemme unscrew the grate, come to you, find something to pry the cage open, and get you free."

She sets to work untwisting the screw in the center of the grate, but stops when Roaster frantically shakes his head no while going, "Uh-uhh. UH-UUHHHHH!"

Eiyla: "Why not?"

Roaster points his tail to a corner high in the wall where Eiyla sees a surveillance camera.

Eiyla: "Don't worry. Tiger and Percie are running amok in the building, so the humans are too focused on them than looking at you."

Roaster mumbles something out that Eiyla guesses aloud.

Eiyla: " 'No chances?' "

Roaster nods yes.

With that new information, Eiyla knows what she now must do.

Eiyla: "Hold tight. I'm gonna get my dad who has a walkie talkie and tell him to tell the ones in the ventilation ducts to cut the wires for all the surveillance cameras in the building."

Roaster nods yes again and Eiyla makes her way down the drain again with a big smile on her face for all that she had been able to accomplish.

That sweet feeling is ultimately her undoing.

Eiyla feels so good about herself that she doesn't watch her footing, and slips. Her head falls forward and hits the rim of the pipe's end, knocking her unconscious as she falls directly into the sewage water. (2)

Note: (1)=Based on Star Wars: Shadows of the Empire by Steve Perry.

(2)=Ideas suggested by Shkiper

(3)=Based on Resident Evil: Zero Hour by S.D. Perry

(4)=Based on Resident Evil: The Umbrella Conspiracy by S.D. Perry.

---

A few minutes before Tiger was brought into the building, Chief Hank's female secretary—a pencil pusher named Larcie—continues to drone on. "And this staff lounge here is where we have come up with some of our most ingenious ideas on how to plan capture and release operations."

Dilbert is bored beyond belief, but continues to nod his head and look the speaker in the eye whenever Larcie looks at him in order to give the impression that he is invested. It makes him seem like an overzealous war monger, but he silently wishes the wolf downstairs will do something, anything, to make his extra time here be eventful.

Larcie: "And these offices are not empty because our day and nightshifts share the same space. When one shift is over, the staff takes their documents to the file storage room and then brings out the next shifts documents before leaving. Does Verm-Tech do something similar?"

Dilbert: "Verm-Tech has enough room for all personnel to have their own spaces. I think that works better, but how you make it work here is very impressive."

Larcie: "I'm so glad you're appreciating this tour, Mr. Stanton."

Dilbert thinking: "No, what I really want is for that wolf to go berserk down there so I can dispose of him the proper way."

Larcie: "So if you'll follow me through here..."

When she opens a door leading to a hallway, a man named Vernon comes running down the hall, prompting Larcie and Dilbert to step to the side to avoid getting run into. Vernon doesn't even say "Excuse/Pardon me," and keeps rushing past them.

Dilbert: "What's your hurry, man?"

Without stopping, Vernon answers, "Got some urgent matter to tell Chief Hank. He needs to know there is some kind of tiny metal particles that's interfering with the wolf's collar tracker."

Larcie: " 'Tiny metals?' Now what could he be talking about?"

Dilbert's eyebrows furrow because he knows exactly what the tiny metals are.

Dilbert muses in worry, "The nanobots. The illegal nanobots." He briskly walks to catch up with Vernon while stating, "I'll come with you. If it's something that my Verm-Tech's expertise can assist with, I'll be the most helpful person in this building."

More occupied with getting to Hank's office than listening to what Dilbert just said, Vernon says, "Yeah, sure."

Being young and in great shape, Dilbert catches up to and matches Vernon's pace in no time. The two go down a stairwell that takes them to the first floor, past the animal holding areas, down a hallway, into a series of offices, and finally in front of Hank's office door.

Vernon knocks and from inside, Hank says, "Come in."

The two men enter to find the Animal Control Chief signing some documents. When he's finished, Hank looks up and says, "Oh, Mr. Stanton. Enjoy your tour?"

Dilbert: "Yes sir."

Hank: "And I see you've met Vernon. He's one of our best computer techs."

Dilbert: "I didn't really meet him. Just tagged along with him as he—"

Vernon: "I'm sorry, Mr. Stanton. But Chief, I was testing out the tracker collar we put on that wolf and discovered some kind of tiny metals inside its body were interfering with the collar."

Dilbert: "I'm sure it's just some kind of metal the wolf ate, like an earring or piercing it bit off a person when it rampaged downtown."

Vernon: "The collar is on its neck. If the wolf ate any of those, they would be in its stomach."

Hank: "Not to mention a mere metal like the ones you've said, Mr. Stanton, would not interfere with our collar trackers. I've seen and approved of the specs myself, and only an electronic metal can interfere with the tracker. But why would any kind of metal be in its neck? This wolf is quite the peculiar one..."

Dilbert does his best not to sweat, but it trickles down his head anyway. Then he and Verm-Tech are saved yet again when Tiger's attack and subsequent release of some of the animals triggers the alarm.

Dilbert: " S'that'a fire drill?"

Hank: "No, an escape alarm! Some animals in the holding area must've gotten loose somehow. Stay in here, men. Let our staff do their jobs."

The fatigue wrought from the boredom Dilbert has been feeling for the past half-hour is instantly replaced with energy.

Dilbert: "No way Josè! I'm going out there and helping your staff! Just give me some way to communicate with whoever's in charge of the indoor surveillance cameras, and I'll do the rest."

Without a moment's hesitation, Vernon hands Dilbert a police hand radio and tells him in a rushed tone, "Channel 6. The woman's name is Josephine, but we call her Joey. Go get 'em, sport!"

The reason for Vernon's haste is that, despite working for Animal Control, he has a huge fear of canines after being chased and attacked by one while riding his bike as a kid. That's why he works with the technology division, and took the night shift when most of the animals in the holding pens are asleep. Because of those intentional career choices, he has never dealt with an escaped animal scenario, and is in no mood to start now, especially if any coyotes and other wolves in the pens are among those that are now freed. So he is more than willing to stay with Hank and let the Verminator go out where the action is.

Dilbert: "Lock the door and barricade it and the office window."

Hank: "We're not dealing with a gunman, Mr. Stanton."

Dilbert: "Trust me, you'd rather be dealing with a human shooter than the wolf that was brought in, if it's free."

Just as Dilbert grips the doorknob, Hank gives him a warning.

Hank: "Just remember, that wolf—and all other animals in this building—are under Animal Control's jurisdiction. We plan on releasing them back into the wild—alive. Violating this will be a felony. Understood?"

Dilbert's anger causes him to grip the doorknob hard, but he responds evenly with, "Got it, sir." And is quickly out the door before either of the two men in the office can question him about why the doorknob was rattling a little.

Now out in the hall, Dilbert tunes his radio to channel 6 and says, "Joey, do you copy?"

Joey's voice: "This is Joey, but who is this?"

Dilbert: "My name's Dilbert. I'm the Verm-Tech guest in the building tonight, and have permission from Chief Hank to help you all recapture the escaped animals. I need your help to do it, so tell me what our problem is and where I can go."

Joey's voice: "10-4. A Persian cat freed two bobcats, one puma, and three coyotes. The Persian is running through the first-floor office cubicles with personnel after it. The bobcats are making their way to the second-floor conference rooms, the coyotes are in the main hall on the first floor, and the puma is climbing the stairwell to the third floor."

Dilbert: "I'm near the main hall on the first floor. I'll deal with the coyotes and work my way up to the rest of the animals. Keep me posted."

Joey's voice: "Got it."

Thankfully, throughout the boring tour, Dilbert paid more attention to the location of rooms than the guide's mumbo-jumbo talk, and therefore has a good understanding of the building's layout. He gets out a tranquilizer pistol—not loaded with nanobots—with one hand and a dog whistle in the other as he walks to the door that will take him to the main hallway.

Dilbert gets out the radio and asks, "Joey, I'm at the door that'll go into where the coyotes are. Are they near me?" There is no response, meaning she is probably busy talking to other animal control personnel. Dilbert sighs at this since he may run straight into the canines, but steps through the door blowing the dog whistle in his mouth.

The whistle's volume and pitch go higher than normal when Dilbert basically scream-blows it as he narrowly avoids a coyote that comes running past him the instant he steps into the hall. But thanks to the dog whistle, the predator and its buddies down the hall are reduced to sprawling, writhing puppies that are then easily pacified with Dilbert's tranq pistol.

Dilbert: "Joey, this is Dilbert. The coyotes have been tranquilized. I've also changed my original plan and am moving to the elevator that'll take me to the third floor since the puma is a bigger threat. Give me an update on the other animals when you can."

Again, there is no answer, but Dilbert doesn't wait for one. His mind is already formulating a way to deal with the puma since a dog whistle won't work on such a large and fearsome predator. By the time he enters the elevator, he knows what he must do. He presses the floor three button, puts away the dog whistle, and pulls out a specialized airhorn Verm-Tech developed for the specific purpose of disorienting larger predators.

The instant the elevator starts moving up, there is a loud scream from the person who had been at the front desk, "Someone stop this wolf!"

Dilbert immediately hits the second-floor button while mentally explaining his reason with, "The puma will have to wait." He jumps in surprise when Josephine's voice blares out from his radio, "Dilbert! A wolf from outside has entered the building and is now in the same room as the coyotes."

Dilbert: "You're a little too late for that."

Joey's voice: "I know. I was so busy aiding other staff catch the bobcats that I didn't notice until recently. I've also contacted our dog handlers and they're about to bring in our guard dogs to help deal with the animals running around."

Dilbert: "Thanks for that. And no worries about the lack of communication. You have to multitask." When the elevator opens on the second floor, he continues, "Just got off the elevator on the second floor now and am taking the stairs back down to the first where the wolf is."

Joey's voice: "Be careful. This wolf is strong enough to break through the locked front door."

Dilbert's pulse quickens as he knows exactly the kind of wolf that has that kind of strength. And is 100 percent certain he knows why it's here.

Dilbert: "What about the wolf that was brought in just today?"

Joey's voice: "There's no point in checking in on it. It's tranquilized, has a muzzled mouth, is in a cage, and in a locked room. We're more worried about the wolf that is free and roaming the halls."

Dilbert: "Doggone it, lady! You want my help or not!? Give me a gosh-darn update on the wolf in the solitary cell!"

Joey's voice (stern and loud): "Mr. Dilbert. Watch. Your. Tongue. There is NO excuse for you to speak so rudely! And you have no authority over me since you don't work here."

Dilbert says, "I'm sorry," but doesn't mean it since he is too focused on Joey fulfilling his demand. So he immediately follows up with, "The wolf that just arrived is the captured wolf's mother. I've got to know what the status of the male is, NOW!"

Joey's says, "Give me a second," over the radio. By the time Dilbert enters the stairwell Joey says, "He's awake and it looks like he's making a lot of noise; like he's howling and barking. He seems to be looking at the drainpipe cover on the floor."

Dilbert: "Alright. Thanks."

Joey's voice: "Just don't talk rudely to me again, or I'll—What the?! The video feed for all the cameras just shut off! The cut wire indicator button is also flashing on my console. Something cut through the wires! How did that happen?!—Wait. I hear something."

Dilbert had heard the noise even over Joey's shouting and has been around one of his father's non-Verm-Tech friend's power tools enough times to know what's causing the noise. "A handheld circular saw?" he ponders out loud.

The sound that Joey heard once she quieted down was just the last second or two of the saw going from active to neutral. But a sound only Joey can hear is the one she thankfully says out loud, "There's something moving in the vent shaft! Probably the same things that cut my surveillance feed."

Dilbert already figures out the full picture of what's going on as he says in his mind, "That group of animals has engineered another well-thought scheme to rescue their wolf companion. Have the cat free the animals in the holding pens to cause a distraction; let the mother wolf barge in when no eyes are on the outside; have another animal go through the ventilation system via the roof and make its way to sever the camera wires; and yet another come up from below the room where the wolf is being held.

"But they forgot one very important detail: Me."

Armed with this knowledge, Dilbert presses the talk button on his radio and says, "Joey, I trust your staff to recapture the puma and house cat. I'll deal with the wolves. I'd also appreciate the help of those guard dogs and their handlers, as long as they don't get in the way."

Joey's voice: "Roger that, I'll put in the request. Be careful."

Dilbert puts the radio away and goes down the stairs as fast as he can, reaching the first floor in just 5 seconds. Not knowing what to expect, he has his tranq gun in one hand, the specialized airhorn in the other, and kicks the push bar door open with his foot. Dilbert blows the airhorn, and looks to the right. There is nothing there. But when he looks to the left, he is greeted by a snarling canine that he immediately tranqs.

"What the heck?! You shot Bomber, you trigger-happy schmuck!"

Only after a slap to the face does Dilbert realize he just tranqed one of the two guard dogs.

Bomber's handler, Jalen, then shouts, "You dog killer! That was my best guard dog! I'll kill you for that!"

Dilbert: "Jeez Louise, it's just a tranquilizer, you drama queen!"

His comment saves him from another slap, but not from more ranting as Jalen yells, "Don't. Call me. 'Drama queen'. Got it?! And who the heck are you?!"

Dilbert: "Dilbert Stanton. I was with the Verm-Tech team who helped capture the wolf in the solitary cell. I took out the coyotes and was on my way up to deal with the puma, until I heard another wolf came into the building. I know it's the mother of the wolf that we brought in, and am on my way to make sure she doesn't break in and free him.

"And sorry about the mistake with your dog. But with the cameras down, Joey couldn't tell me what was waiting behind the door I just walked through, so I was a little on-edge."

Now calmer Jalen says, "So you're the person Joey told me to find and work with. Well, in that case, sorry about hitting you. I love my guard dogs more than my own parents. They mean everything to me. But we at least have Sarl. He's good too, so let's wait here for the wolf to arrive."

Dilbert: "We need to head into the room where the captured wolf is. There will be less space for it's mother to move around and I can get a better shot."

Jalen: "Not a good idea. We're in the middle of this long hallway and can see the wolf coming at us from far away no matter which door it comes from, which gives you plenty of time to aim. Besides, going into the room with the captured wolf won't accomplish anything since its cell is locked with a numeric keypad. Without the code, nothing can get through."

Dilbert: "This wolf's mother can. But you're right about remaining out here."

As Sarl had listened to the humans, he felt another pang of shame when Jalen called Bomber her best guard dog. He also feels like a lackey more than ever when Jalen came to get them, told them they had to help stop Percie, and he had no choice but to follow his handler's orders. After witnessing what Percie did with the truck, he knows it's a lost fight. Plus, he doesn't want to fight her because, in spite of how she used him, he actually likes her for sticking up for him, how she knows his personal feelings, and let him know just how much of a doormat he's been for most of his life.

A peculiar noise makes his ears perk up; the sound of the air conditioning blowing on full power, instead of its automatic run cycle. Then he does his best to cover his nose when that horrid stench he had smelt outside is now flowing into the building—through the AC vents. Sarl barks and tugs on the leash that is secured to him on a harness which draws the humans' attention.

Jalen: "What's up Sarl?—Uggghhhh! What is that smell?!"

Dilbert coughs out "Skunk!" He reaches into his cargo pants pocket and pulls two small half face mask respirators, which are basically miniature gas masks that goes around the mouth.

He hands the extra to Jalen, who puts it on before he can, and once she does she says, "Thanks. I see that the filters are small. How long will these last?"

Dilbert has now put his on, but coughs three times before he can speak. "No more than five min—"

The sound of a door slamming open draws all three's attention, and they see the frightened lobby desk woman still running from Percie, who is hot on her heels.

Dilbert raises his tranq pistol, but the woman is in the way, so he orders, "Get down so I can get a clear shot!"

Lobby desk woman: "No *Cough* way! I stop, I die!"

As a Verm-Tech student, Dilbert was taught by his professors and father that Verminators will need to make tough choices to ensure human lives are saved by rampaging animals; choices that others probably won't understand—or forgive—for as long as they live. It's a conflicting choice similar to what soldiers must do out on the battlefield, something akin to "casualties of war."

Dilbert is about to do something incredibly...stupid. Something that will condemn him in the eyes of animal control for life. Dilbert sighs and says in his head, "Oh well, I tried..."

Then, he shoots the woman with the tranquilizer, and she instantly falls to the ground.

Just before Dilbert can shoot Percie, Jalen shoves him into the wall with both hands and says, "What're you thinking?! You really are a trigger-happy, piece-of-snot! Why'd you?!—"

A small but painful prick shuts Jalen up. She looks down and sees a tranquilizer dart in her stomach, then she falls to the floor fast asleep.

Dilbert scolds her silently with, "I told Joey that my help should not get in the way..." He then looks over and takes aim at Percie. In those few seconds, the young man finds three things most odd. One, that the wolfess has not tried charging at him. Two, that she is not mauling the front lobby woman. And three, that the canine finishes yanking a key card free of the unconscious woman's hand.

But Dilbert has Percie directly in his sights, and no matter how strong or fast she is, she will not avoid his shot. Just as he squeezes the trigger, someone else makes an incredibly stupid decision that will cause condemnation for life.

Sarl bites Dilbert's leg, causing the shot he fired to miss, and yanks him to the ground. Sarl lets go of the man's leg and focuses on biting his hand and clawing his chest. Dilbert's rage overrides his shock and pain, and he jabs his fingers repeatedly into Sarl's throat. This forces the wolfdog to let go and gasp for breath, which is made worse by the stench enveloping the whole hallway. This gives Dilbert the time he needs to aim his pistol at Sarl and squeeze the trigger.

A light Click! signifies that the gun in out of ammo. Still, Dilbert uses it to start hitting Sarl on the head, which keeps the dog from attacking him. Sarl then receives help when Percie finishes running up to Dilbert and bites off the mask's back straps, fully exposing him to the smell of Boombata's spray. Too focused on coughing, Sarl resumes his attack on Dilbert whereby the canine fully unleashes the ferocity deep inside his genes he had inherited from his wolf mother. The pain plus the smell soon drives Dilbert unconscious.

After panting three times, Percie says, "Tanks, Sarl. You saved me."

Sarl pants four times and replies, "He shot my dog handler. What else was I supposed to do?"

Percie: "Heh-heh, somethin' tells me dat's not dee only reason you attacked him."

Sarl: "I also couldn't stop you. Not with your strength."

Percie gives him a sideways glance while slyly saying, "That's still not the reeeeaaa-sooooon..." Getting serious, she says, "But now's not the time for small-talk. I've got a little brother to rescue."

Percie picks up the key card in her mouth, and in a split second, Sarl makes another life-changing decision that will likely put him back into his old holding pen. "That key card won't open the solitary door," he says. "There's a numeric keypad."

Percie spits out the key card and asks, "Who knows the code?"

Sarl: "The Animal Control Chief, Mr. Hank."

Percie: "Where is he?"

Sarl: "Most likely in his office, but he can't understand our language. How will he know you want the code for the solitary door?"

Percie: "Kyaa-ha-haaaa! Let's jus' say I'm very 'persuasive.' He'll know what I want from 'im. But if you'd be kind enough ta show me where his office is, that'd be great."

Sarl: "But if any human personnel see me helping you, I'll lose my job and go back to being a prisoner here..."

Percie: "Den let's make it look like I'm forcin' you's. But ta make it look convincing, it's gonna hurt, just a heads-up."

Sarl (nervously): "As long as I don't look like I'm willingly helping you, o-okay."

Percie: "Grab the key card so it'll open the door outta here."

Once Sarl does that, Percie runs toward him as he growls while taking a defensive stance. He tries to bite where he thinks she will move, but she moves in the opposite direction and latches her maw onto the scruff of his neck. She slams him to the ground and drags his face a few feet. The whining sounds Sarl makes are genuine, but Percie doesn't let up as she yanks him to his feet and makes her demand.

Percie: "Take me to your leader!"

She loosens her grip enough so that he can take the lead, but her teeth never truly leave their current location in his neck scruff. She points at the touch-activated key card reader at the door that leads to the offices, and he tosses the card at it. The door unlocks, opens automatically, and Percie drags him through.

The lack of human personnel indicates that the others are doing well at their jobs of distracting the humans. "Keep it up the good work," Percie says in her mind.

---

Once they got on the roof, Rick, Richie, Nukalawa, Kelly, Lauren, Leslie, and Chloe open an exterior vent that leads them into the building's air ducts.

Oddly, the normally brave Nukalawa is hesitant. Noticing her refusing to move, Richie asks, "What's wrong?"

Nukalawa: "I fear small spaces. I used to large, open areas all my life. But when I captured and brought to America, dee cage I was in during plane ride was more than prison. It feel like it watched me, and there was no way to escape it's gaze. No matter where I turn, or try to ignore, it had full control of my fate and I powerless. I also feared plane would crash, or suffer hull breach and suck me out into air where I den fall to my death."

Leslie: "Why didn't you tell us you're claustrophobic until now?"

Nukalwa: "I...too proud to admit I have childish fear."

Rick: "There's no need to be ashamed. It's not a childish fear, it's a true phobia brought about by perfectly understandable reasons."

Richie: "And we'll be with you all the way to help you out. If you feel the walls are closing in or watching, tell us, and we'll make sure you don't get too afraid."

Nukalawa hesitantly says, "I..." as the honey badger wants to refuse. But after seeing the reassuring looks in the others' eyes, she gathers up her courage and finally says, "Alright."

Chloe: "Take my paw." (Offers it)

Lauren: "Mine too." (Offers it) "We'll help get you through this."

Rick: "That's so sweet of you, girls. But I've read on how to help someone with claustrophobia. I'll stay with Nukalawa."

Nukalawa: "All three of you can stay wit me."

Rick: "So be it. And we'll be in the back, just in case Nukalawa has to leave."

Richie: "Then I'll lead. Let's go."

As the animals proceed forward, Rick softly tells Nukalawa how to keep her fear at bay.

Rick: "Count three as you take a deep breath in, then count to three as you let that deep breath out. Focus on something safe, like holding the girls' paws. Remind yourself that the fear will pass, and visualize a place or memory that brings you calm."

Nukalawa: "Like my beloved Boombata...And being home in Africa with parents."

Rick: "Yes..."

Nukalawa does all those suggestions, and the walls of the vent ducts lose their hold on her mind. She relaxes, especially with the warm grip in each forepaw being held by Chloe and Lauren.

When Kelly announces, "We have a long vertical drop here. We're gonna need to climb down nice and easy," Nukalawa's fear returns full force.

Nukalawa: "I-I-I need s-s-ome fr-fre-esh air."

Chloe and Lauren start nuzzling Nukalawa's torso.

Nukalawa: "What are you doing? You will stink if you keep—"

Chloe: "We don't mind."

Lauren: "We'll take a nice bath when this rescue is over. You're more important than us smelling good."

The raccoon kits now hug the honey badger while nuzzling her, and their efforts have the desired effect. Nukalawa feels loved, cared for, and comforted.

Nukalawa: "Thanks you two. I ready."

Lauren: "I've always been good at calming down hectic situations. Just ask my parents and siblings."

Chloe: "Let us climb on your back and we'll keep doing this to you all the way down."

Nukalawa: "Sound good to me."

She makes it down the vertical shaft and is much calmer when they are on solid ground. The animals then hear Joey's voice coming from deeper down the vents.

Joey's voice: "That's right. The bobcats are behind that door. One is prowling on the conference table, and the other is investigating the coffee maker."

A male animal control officer's voice comes over her radio asking, "Are they facing the door?"

Joey's voice: "Not right now."

The man over her radio replies, "Then we're moving in now!"

Joey wishes them, "Good luck!" then switches her radio channel and says, "Jalen? This is Joey. You copy?"

Jalen's voice: "Loud and clear."

Joey's voice: "Get the guard dogs and have them help us round up these animals."

Jalen's voice: "Roger that. Where do you need me?"

Joey's voice: "That verminator Dilbert has the coyotes covered, so go after the puma. It's trying to break into the third floor offices."

Jalen says, "No problem," then turns off her radio.

Joey is about to check on the Persian cat, when she notices the front door blown open—or rather smashed open to smithereens by a wolf!

By now the team of animals can see Joey through the vent grate, and more importantly, see the surveillance camera monitors that she is controlling with expertise. Most important of all is when they see Roaster on one of the monitors.

Kelly: "There he is! There he is!"

The animals ignore what she says about Tiger and her conversation with Dilbert about Percie's entry, as they quietly converse.

Richie: "I'm gonna text the other Teams. Y'all think of a way to cut the wires to that woman's station so the cameras go blind."

Leslie: "It looks like there's a vent opening near the floor by the monitor station. We just have to use our sense of direction to follow the vents we're in to reach that point. Follow me!"

The others keep up with the quick squirrel, even Nukalawa whose determination to free Roaster has her full attention rather than claustrophobia, making it easy for her to climb down another vertical shaft. There are three branching paths to choose, but thankfully, Joey's and Dilbert's voices losing their tempers makes it impossible for the animals to get lost, and provides a sure-fire way to reach their destination.

Richie has been wearing a fanny pack across his body like RJ's golf bag and pulls out a small circular saw that he uses to saw through the metal vent and give the animals easy access to the monitor station's nest of wires.

Kelly: "There's so many. How do know which ones to cut?"

Leslie looks for a half-second, and then chuckles. "Human laziness, Kelly. Human laziness."

She is pointing at the part where the wires meet the station, and there are labels printed on tiny plaques. One of them reads, "Main Fuse." Richie pulls out some wire cutters from the fanny pack, finds the Main Fuse wire pugged into the wall outlet an arm's length from their cut-out hole, and snips it.

Chloe high-fours her father and the animals head back out the way they came. While doing this, they again ignore what Joey and Dilbert are saying, and instead talk to each other.

Kelly: "What do we do now?"

Nukalawa: "Hope'flly leave dis labyrinth."

Rick: "Just because the cameras are down, doesn't mean we're in the clear."

Richie: "You read my mind, Rick. The humans have their radios, and can still coordinate with each other to prevent us from rescuing Roaster."

Lauren: "And Dilbert is in this building too. So how do we stop the humans from getting in the way?"

After smelling her raised arm, Chloe says, "And no offense, Nukalawa, but you weren't kidding when you said we'd stink from touching you."

Richie: "That's it! Dilbert will have a fully-functional gas mask on him, but animal control officers won't! I know this from previous experience, when a skunk friend of mine told me how he drove away an animal control officer because the human just had a dust mask on. Nukalawa, we're going back up to the roof, turn on the AC full-blast, and have you use your chemical weapon—"

Nukalawa: "—To gas dee building so humans flee or pass out, brilliant! We must tell Boombata to do dee same on first floor, the more places for our stench to spread dee better."

Rick holds up his walkie talkie and says, "We'll get a better signal to call him once we're on the roof. How long does it take a human to pass out from your, uh, stench?"

Nukalawa: "Average of two minutes or less."

Rick: "We'll head back in after that to help the others if they need it."

Richie: "Sounds like we've got a plan!"

Leslie: "Then what're we waiting for?"

The team backtracks without error and carries out the next step of their plan just as easy. Roaster will be saved in a matter of minutes!

---

While things have been going well for those on the roof, things are going horribly for the ones in the sewers.

Loud howls and barks have drawn the attention of Jay, Amy, Martha, and Jack to where Eiyla had been sent. But Eiyla had not answered their call as they moved, and they still don't see her even when they have arrived directly below the spot where the howls and barks are originating.

Amy calls out again, "Eiylaaaaaaa! ¿¡Dónde estás?!"

Jay: "Where are you?!"

Jack: "If she didn't answer befo', she ain't gonna answer now. So she's obviously not lost in da maze of tunnels."

Martha: "Listen!"

Roaster has stopped howling and barking and now is groaning from above the pipe. "Aaah-er!"

Martha yells, "'Otter'?"

Roaster's voice from above groans out, "Uh-uh! Aaah-ttt—errrr!"

Jay: "We don't understand!"

They hear Roaster make a squish sound from above, followed by "El in aah-ttt-errr!"

Amy: " 'El in ah-ter'?—OH! 'FELL IN WATER!' "

Roaster: "Eeeeahssss!"

Their parental instincts kicking in, Jay and Amy don't think twice before diving straight into the filthy water. (1)

Martha: "Let's run farther away and enter down there," (Points in the direction they came from) "in case the water current carried her away!"

Jack: "Hokay, godmom!"

The minks go as fast as they can without risking slipping and arrive at their insertion point. But they are saved from exertion and embarrassment, when Amy surfaces carrying Eiyla with her. Jay, sensing the disturbance above the water, surfaces one second later. He only has to move his tail once to get a speed boost that puts him next to his mate whom he helps bring their daughter to the concrete tunnel.

Amy: "She isn't breathing! And she's got no pulse!" (2)

Jay: "Gimme some room to do CPR!" (1)

Amy backs up and Jay gives Eiyla mouth-to-mouth by doing quick, short breaths followed by chest compressions. He repeats the pattern over and over, but nothing happens. Eiyla still is not breathing and still has no pulse. So more quick, short breaths followed by chest compressions. (2) Amy's hopes are high at first, but after one minute and no signs of life from her daughter, she begins to fear the worst.

Jay can feel Amy's panic racking up. He can almost hear the wail of anguish that is just behind her lips, ready to burst forth the second he gives up and calls it. So Jay doesn't give up and doesn't call it. Another round of short, quick breaths followed by chest compressions. (2)

Amy: "Why isn't it working?!"

Martha and Jack are next to her, and the former puts a sympathetic paw on the otter's shoulder while saying, "We don't know how long she was unconscious underwater before you and Jay got her out."

She doesn't need to say it out loud, because all the listeners know that anything unconscious will not know to hold its breath.

Jack tries to reassure her with, "Don't give up hope, Amy. She's gonna make it," but he sounds unsure.

Another twenty seconds pass, and Eiyla still has not shown any signs of life. Jay finally does the thing he hoped he would never have to do. He stops doing CPR.

Amy: "What're you doing?! Keep going!"

Jay says "Amy...Amor de mi vida—love of my life—our daughter's..." with tears falling from his eyes.

Amy breaks down, "NO-OOOOOO! Whhhhhhhhy?! EIIIIYLLLLLLLLA!"

Jay embraces her in a hug, gently pats her head and back, and kisses her on the cheek to try and console her. But the reality of their oldest child's death gets even to him.

Jay: "I tried everything I could! It wasn't enooooo-uuuugghhh! We were too laaaaaa-aaaaaate!"

Amy breaks free of Jay's hug and kneels by her dead daughter's side. Just as she finishes kissing her on the forehead, sewer water explodes from Eiyla's mouth and nose. She gasps for air and looks about, her eyes wild and uncomprehending. (1) & (2)

Amy: "EIYLA! You're alive!"

Jay: "It's a miracle!"

Eiyla: "M-mom? *Cack!* Da-ad? *Cough* What are you doing *Hack!* here?"

Amy: "You drowned, pumpkin. You were dead! But you somehow came back to life!"

Jay: "Bless Mother Nature! But how are you feeling, baby?"

Eiyla: "Like I swallowed a lot of sewer water. Ick!"

Jay (rushed tone): "Oh my goodness! That's bad. You could die of disease. Eiyla, no time to think about it. We gotta make you throw up! Amy, hold her arms back so she won't interfere."

Amy: "Got it."

Jay: "I'm gonna stick my finger in the back of your throat. Do not try to fight it."

He doesn't give Eiyla a chance to even say yes before he does what he said he would do. As if the smell of sewer water was bad enough, sewer water plus vomit is even worse. Jay also has to make her to throw up four times, until the vomit coming out of her stops looking like sewer water.

Jay: "All done, sweet pea. You did so well."

Eiyla has lost so much strength, she can only give him a thumbs-up as her response. She then points to the pipe above and whispers out, "He's up there," in a scratchy voice. "In a cage that's stuck to a table. Cameras watching. I heard him groaning, climbed up there, and was on my way back down to get you all, when I slipped and hit my head."

Jay: "Why didn't you come get us as soon as you heard him?"

Eiyla: "I...wanted to try to save him...alone. To impress you and mom."

Amy: "You didn't have to impress us."

Martha: "Sorry for interrupting, but I can tell this is gonna turn into an argument about her reasoning and your parenting. But we gotta save that fo' later and save Roaster now. Call the team members on the roof with your walkie talkie, Jay."

Jay: "Okay. Good thing it's waterproof." (Presses the talk button) "Hey? Richie? You there?"

Richie's voice: "There you are, Jay. We were starting to get worried that a sewer gator had eaten you."

Jay: "We found a drainpipe that'll lead us to the room Roaster is being held in, but he's in a cage that's bolted to a table. We also can't move in until the cameras are taken out."

Richie's voice: "The cameras have already been blinded."

Jay: "Perfect, we're on our way up."

Richie's voice: "But we're about to have Nukalawa and Boombata use their spray in the air ducts to make the humans leave the building or pass out."

Amy walks up to the walkie talkie and says, "We have been wandering the sewers for over 10 minutes, Eiyla slipped and hit her head and fell into the sewage, we dove into that disgusting water, found her, brought her onto the concrete tunnel, and did CPR. We thought it didn't work at first, but then she spat out the water. We also had her stick a finger in her throat to throw up all the sewer water she swallowed while unconscious... (1)

"Right now, we smell worse than a slaughterhouse on a hot summer day, at a sewage plant, next to a garbage dump the size of a mountain, in an ocean-load of festering port-o-potty filth. But I'll do it a hundred times over for my daughter." (1)

Jay: "Long story short: us three are currently the stinkiest animals on the planet. I doubt we will even smell Nukalawa's and Boombata's spray over what's covering our bodies right now." (1)

Jack laughingly says, "You can come to the skunk sector and wash off there. No one will mind the smell comin' from you three otters. In fact, in the skunk sector, those who stink the most are in charge. So you all be treated like kings n' queens. You might wanna consider moving and livin' there from now on." (1)

Eiyla: "No thanks. I wanna get this stench out ASAP!"

Martha: "But not until saving Roaster first."

Eiyla: "Then follow me...Up that pipe." (Points)

Jay: "You stay here and rest. I'll lead."

Eiyla: "You'll need my help to free Roaster."

Despite having drowned, been dead for at least a minute, and emptying the whole contents of her stomach, Jay can see the iron-set look in his daughter's eyes, and hear the steel in her words. "She really wants to prove something," he tells himself. "You can't stop her, and the longer you argue, the more time you waste." Out loud he says, "Then lead."

The five mustelids climb the wall and enter the drain pipe in single file. No water from offshoot drains happens this time, so the short trip is even shorter. When they get to the grate cover in the room where Roaster is being held, Eiyla tries to un-twist the screw, but has lost so much strength that she can't do it. Her father is directly behind her, but rather than admit weakness, she simply says, "I need you to unscrew the grate cover, dad."

Jay: "No problem, pumpkin."

She presses her body to one side and he is able to snake his arm past her and undoes the screw. He knocks off the drain grate cover after a few hard taps, and the mustelids finally arrive in the room with Roaster. There is a dull green haze that dims the lighting slightly, which the new arrivals correctly theorize is Nukalawa's and Boombata's spray circulating through the building. Fortunately (or rather unfortunately) for the otters and minks, the sewer stench that still clings to their bodies makes them nose blind to the zorilla's and honey badger's "chemical weapons."

They all climb up the exam table and when Amy reaches the top first she looks Roaster in the eyes and says, "Sorry for the delay...and the smell. My gosh, the smell."

Martha: "But we fine'ly gonna get you outta they'ah."

Jack: "The cage is magnetized to da table, but there'ahs no lock. Talk about stupid humans."

Jack opens the cage and Roaster walks out. After noticing the muzzle, Jay says, "Lemme help you with that," and it's off in less than a minute.

Roaster: "Thank, friggin', God dat thing's finally off, and for lettin' me outta that cramped cage. But you's all smell like dee intestines of a constipated carnivore dat's been dead n' rottin' for three weeks in da hot sun."

Amy: "You would too after diving in raw sewage to save someone from drowning. But enough of that, let's leave."

Roaster: "The door won't open. Not on this side, and not without a code. Humans' intelligence and stupidity can be annoyingly inconsistent. Like you said, Jack, dare too dumb ta put a lock on my cage, but not dumb enough to put me in an inescapable room."

Eiyla: "So we're trapped too?" (Angry) "That's just great!"

Roaster: "Wrong, chica. You's five are small enough ta go back out da way you's came. I'm dee only one who's trapped."

Jay: "We'd rather be trapped in here with you than go back into that sewer!" (Shudders) "Uhhhh!"

Jack: "So how do we get free?"

The answer to his question literally walks into the room behind the sound proof glass, but to understand it requires knowledge no one in the solitary cell has.

Note: (1)=Ideas from Shkiper.

(2)= Based on Mega 5: Murder Island by Jake Bible.

---

While Eiyla was being saved down in the sewers, Hank and Vernon are still hunkered down in the Chief's office. The door and window have been barricades with the desk, filing cabinet, couch, and chairs.

Hank had been hesitant to do that, despite Dilbert's warning, because the chief knows that none of the animals here have the strength to break down his strong wooden door. And even if they can jump through the window, they don't have the courage to actually do it. But Vernon's fear of wild animals had convinced Hank to help his employee out. With nothing happening near the office, one would think the two would get bored. However, hearing the commotion from the hallways as Dilbert dealt with the coyotes, the sound of the front desk person being chased by a wolf, and the sudden loss of surveillance camera footage (as told to Hank over the radio by Joey), has changed Hank's mind completely, and he is glad Vernon convinced him to follow through with the barricades.

Hank mentally reminds himself, "I need to make sure to thank Dilbert for all his efforts...And to think, I took him as a Verm-Tech zealot. Now, I'm willing to trust him with my life. The man may be an eccentric, gung-ho, and sporadic mood swinging guy, but he knows his hostile animals."

Hank immediately second-guesses that compliment when foul-smelling air comes through the vent. The two men pull their shirt collars over their noses and mouths, but it does nothing.

Vernon: "UHHH Pee-ew!"

Hank: "It smells worse than a skunk!"

Between coughs, Vernon asks, "You got any gas masks?"

Hank nods yes and says, "Just one. Back when I was a former SWAT Team member." He opens a desk drawer and pulls out a transparent shield gas mask used by SWAT teams. "We'll have to take turns."

Vernon coughs while nodding yes, and Hank presses the gas mask hard to his face without fastening the straps, and takes in a breath of fresh air. He then hands it over to Vernon who does the same, and they repeat the process for three minutes. Just as Hank takes in another fresh breath, the door slams open, shattering his desk into splinters and splitting the couch in half. Coming through the doorway is Percie, and behind her stands Sarl who stares wide-eyed at her strength that is both amazing and terrifying. Vernon screams and gets behind Hank, using his boss as a human shield in case the canine attacks.

Hank would have verbally chewed out Vernon, but his eyes become focused on Percie when the wolf looks over her shoulder and communicates to Sarl in animal language. Without any hesitation, the wolfdog points at Hank. Percie locks eyes with the man, who brings Vernon forward to use as a human shield.

A sharp bark, followed by a snarl and show of teeth, makes Vernon break free of Hank's grip. With an angry wolf blocking the main exit path, the frightened desk jockey foolishly tries to jump out the window on pure fear-blinded instinct—forgetting that the filing cabinet and chairs are in the way. He hits his head hard and falls awkwardly on the chairs in a way that will give him some serious back pain for the next month—if he survives.

As for Hank, Percie moves forward toward him so fast that the Chief actually believes the wolf had teleported! The next thing that passes through his mind is the pain of his wrist being bitten. He is then pulled out of the door by the wolf, his efforts to resist (including hitting the wolfess on the head with his free hand) seeming to make things easier for the predator instead of harder.

Once out of the office, Hank glares at Sarl in a mix of betrayal and rage; at how one of his own guard dogs is apparently in cahoots with the intruding canine. Hank only has enough time to see Sarl lowers his head in shame before he is yanked by the wrist again and is forced to keep up with the wolf as she rounds a corner. Using her hindleg, Percie kicks the card reader door that will lead them to the hallway where door to the solitary cell is located. She also points her tail up at the card reader's direction so there will be no second-guessing on Hank's part. The human still hesitates out of disbelief that this wolf is demanding him to open the door, but his stalling only earns him another hard yank. He pulls out his key card and the automatic door slides open, Percie drags him into the hallway, then forces him to open the door to the room with the solitary cell.

Inside the observation room, Roaster and the mustelids (who also have great senses of hearing) hear through the sound proof glass as Percie and Hank come through.

Having just asked how they would get free, Jack says "Never mind. We covered."

Hank already knows what the female wolf wants of him, and even after losing a lot of blood, he knows what Percie wants of him, and doesn't dare to pass out. He types the code at the numeric key pad and the door hisses open.

To ensure there is no interference—and to get some sweet revenge—Roaster punches Hank in the groin hard enough to make the man pass out. He then runs out and puts a foreleg around his sister while wagging his tail as he says, "Percie! ¡Mi hermana mayor al rescate!"

With her promise to save her little brother kept, Percie wraps both forelegs around Roaster and sheds some tears of joy while saying, "Sí hermanito, your 'Big sister' has come 'to the rescue.' "

Feeling her tears fall on his fur, Roaster asks, "You's okay?"

Percie cleverly covers up her emotions by fibbing, "Yeah. The smell in this building is so bad it's making my eyes water. And don't forget dat I'm not dee only one who saved you's. Others did too, like the minks and otters who met up with you, our family members on the roof who took out the surveillance cameras, and Nukalawa and Boombata for stinking up the building."

Roaster: "Yeah, I knew dat smell was worse than a skunk's. But how'd you's pull it all off? Dis place is heavily guarded on dee inside and outside."

Percie briefly recounts the part that each member of Team Mustelid played to rescue him. When it's over, an impressed Roaster nods his head and says, "Now dat's some plan."

Having followed Percie the whole way, but keeping out of sight, Sarl decides to now enter the room to say, "She couldn't have done it without me, either."

Roaster looks at the wolfdog and asks, "Who're you?

"My name is Sarl. I'm a wolfdog and was guarding this building when your sister, shall we say, 'seduced' me into helping you and your family rescue you."

Having inherited a fraction of her mother's superiority complex, Percie toots her own horn by butting in with, "What can I say? I'm a charismatic gal. But let's talk while leaving dis dump."

Jay holds up his walkie talkie and announces, "I'll tell the others that we're all done here."

As the otter does that, Sarl continues, "She made me realize just how pathetic my life has been, and now, for the first time ever, I feel like I finally did something worth living."

Percie quips, "And how does dat make you feel?"

Sarl speaks upbeat with, "It felt like a won a prize," then with dead seriosity with, "but it was scary."

Percie raises an eyebrow and probes, "How so?"

Sarl's voice is still serious as she explains, "I had never felt that kind of power before."

Percie pops another question, "What about all the times you attacked oth'a animals while guarding dis place?"

Sarl slowly shakes his head no and says, "That's not the same. They never had much power to begin with, over a wolfdog that is. But humans have power, they're stronger, craftier, and can hold weapons. The fiercest and strongest animal in the world will always be no more than a worm against a firearm."

Percie smiles as she says, "I'm da strongest and fiercest animal you's ever gonna meet, and don't you forget it."

Sarl looks into her eyes, "This isn't a game, Percie! Everything I have ever lived for and believed in, and all my hard work to get to where I was, I just betrayed that. The foundation of my world has been destroyed, and to make matters worse, Chief Hank saw me help you out, so did that Verm-Tech guy. I'm gonna be put to sleep for helping you all..."

Roaster breaks Percie's next thought by announcing, "Jay just said we don't know where Tiger is. We gotta search da building using our noses. We'll smell his scent through the stench, which won't be easy. You's two can finish what you's doin', but when it's done, and if we haven't found Tiger, you's gotta help us out."

Roaster starts trying to track down Tiger's scent, and Percie looks deep into Sarl's eyes and makes a life-changing proposition. "Then come live with us. With me, and my family. Leave this place, leave your old life behind, and never come back. Become free and wild, like a wolf should be."

Sarl sighs and hangs his head as he says, "I'm only half wolf..."

Percie reassuringly says, "A half wolf is still a wolf. And even if you were a full-blooded dog, you're still an animal. All animals should be wild and free..."

Sarl raises his head to look at her, but the reluctance in his eyes (and scent) makes Percie continue, "I know it won't be easy for you to leave your whole life behind, but I'll be here for you every step of the way. And so will my family. You're going to love them. And better yet, you're already in good graces with them for helping save my little brother."

Sarl is still nervous, fearful of the unknown, but the look in Percie's eyes, the sincerity (and proper grammar) in her voice, and the things she has said visibly give him more confidence. He shrugs and says, "Beats being euthanized," in a matter-of-factly way. Hearing Percie giggle after that puts him in such a better mood that he nonchalantly says, "And I never liked this job anyway."

Percie fist pumps while saying, "Yes! Now let's try to locate the Persian cat that you and your co-worker—I mean, ex-coworker—saw from before."

Sarl nods and he does his best to sniff out the cat's scent, but only coughs from the smell still circulating in the building even though Boombata and Nukalawa are no longer spraying their "chemical weapons."

Sarl: "Sorry. All I can smell is that horrible stench."

Percie: "No worries. We'll need to work on having you tap into your inner wolf senses while you live with us. Leave it to me and my brother."

Sarl: "Gladly..."

She moves past him and the otters who have been calling out for Tiger, and gets next to Roaster, not wanting to let him leave her sight until they are safe.

---

Tiger had been leaping from one cubicle wall to another, age having not slowed down his cat-inherited speed and reflexes. But once news of a wolf breaking in spread, the humans change their priorities by ignoring a harmless house cat and going after a true threat.

This also works into the feline's favor because with no one watching him, Tiger goes to the nearest air vent, opens it up, and enters the ducts. He plans on going to the third floor and joining the rest of the team, but when is halfway up a vent shaft, he feels lightheaded and dizzy. Then his chest hurts as if there's an empty hole in his stomach and his mouth becomes suddenly dry. He eases his way back down the shaft until he is on flat ground again. By now, his body breaks out in sweat and he starts seeing stars.

Tiger thinking: "I must have pushed myself too hard...I'm not as young as I once was. Just...have to...rest..."

He lies down, his chest heaves, and he fights to stay conscious. Had it not been for the AC kicking on full power, he may have passed out. And had it not been for his inability to smell, the stench of Nukalawa's spray would have knocked him out. He stays where he is for a three minutes, long enough to feel he is ready to stand on his four legs. He makes his way out of the vent slowly and cautiously, making sure there aren't any humans nearby who can catch him. He uses his cat senses to determine that no humans are in the room, likely having fled to escape the smell.

"All for the better," Tiger muses as his eyes lock onto a water fountain. He walks toward it, leaps onto it, and starts drinking. He doesn't stop for two minutes, and when it's over his head feels clearer and his body feels stronger.

A voice calls out "Tiger!", and the Persian cat looks into the direction it came from: one of the vents at the room's ceiling.

Tiger: "In here!"

"Fressshhhhhh meeeeeeeaaaaaat..."

Tiger turns to the sound of the new voice coming from behind him, and feels his heart race when he sees a puma prowling behind him.

Tiger: "We are both felines, my wild, mountainous brother. You should not eat me."

Puma: "I don't care. I'm hungry, and have been missing the taste of flesh in my mouth since getting captured."

Tiger (rhetorically): "Do you recall that I am the one who freed you? By honor, you should return my gratitude by sparing me when I say you should not eat me."

The puma begins making its way toward Tiger with a predatory gait. Tiger starts backing up, but knows he is too tired to run or jump away anymore, even with his adrenaline starting to kick in from the fear.

Puma: "You're right. I am free. Free to do whatever I want. And I want to eat you."

Tiger: "Eat one of the humans, your former captors, instead."

Puma: "I'd have to work harder for that since there's no more left in this room. But you're right in front of me. And from the way you're walking, you're too tired to escape me."

Tiger is backed into a corner of a cubicle, with no way to escape. He now uses his best ammo to bargain. "I saved your life. You owe me. And you should return the favor by sparing me. Just walk away and leave into the woods and be free again." The puma still comes closer, making Tiger shout, "Have you no honor?!"

Puma: "Of course not, I'm an animal. But enough talk, time to chow down!"

Just before the puma can pounce, Percie busts down the door and Roaster dashes in. Having heard the conversation with his wolf hearing, he yells, "Get away from him, NOW! Dat cat's with me."

Puma: "A predator helping a housecat...What's this world coming to?" (While turning away from Roaster to face Tiger) "But I'll deal with you in a sec. You won't distract me."

Just as the puma lurches forward, he is bitten in the tail and dragged away from Tiger. Had it not been for that, Tiger would have been fatally bitten. The puma snarls and rounds up on Roaster with a claw swipe. Roaster dodges that attempt and the next three. Just as the puma is about to pounce, Percie lands on top of and uses her strength to keep it from moving.

Puma: "Hey! Get offa me!"

Percie bluntly says, "Hmm?...Nah!" and then grips the back of the puma's head, pulls it back, and then slams it to the floor, knocking him out cold. She then walks over to Tiger and says, "Dare you is. Let's leave."

Tiger: "Sounds like a fantastic idea. Can I ride on your back. I am exhausted."

Percie: "No problem—"

A sharp-sounding SNAP!, and Percie and Tiger turn to stare in horror at Roaster who just broke the neck of the unconscious puma.

Roaster: "That idiot...I would'a let him live if he hadn't threatened Tiger. Now dare's one less vengeful predator ta worry about."

Tiger: "You didn't have to kill him!"

Roaster: "I'm not called Predator-Queller Roaster for nothin'. Being captured will hurt my rep, and I've gotta get it back up. Startin' by killing a predator who was despicable enough to eat the very cat who freed him."

Percie: "Only the last part of what you said makes sense. No predators knew you was captured, so there's no way your reputation was in any way ruined."

For some odd reason, Roaster looks at and speaks to Percie like she's the one who is in the wrong when he flatly says, "Grill me later. Let's get outta here now."

He turns and runs back down the stairwell he had entered from before Tiger or Percie can say anything else, pushing past Sarl on the way. Having heard what had happened, Sarl ask Percie, "If that's how your family is, I'm not too comfortable moving in with you."

Percie: "Me and my wolf family are nothing like that. Only Roaster. He has certain 'issues' that we're trying to help him with. But he did that out of nowhere...It's like...he wasn't himself."

Tiger: "But he did have a point in that we should all get out of here now."

Percie nods, decides handle this latest "issue" with Roaster later, and follows her brother's only sound advice.

---

It was a long and difficult process for Team 6/Mustelid to get into Animal Control Headquarters. The journey there took a while, getting inside was indisputably tricky, and the rescue efforts were harrowing, if not death-defying at times. But as all the team members enter the parking lot, they instantly realize that getting out is going to be a lot harder than getting in.

Police cars and SWAT vans are blocking the only way out, having responded to a 911 call from one of the people working in Animal Control HQ. And from the sounds, sights, and smells that the animals' senses feed to their brains, there are gunmen already aiming at them. Even if they try to climb the brick wall, the shooters will notice and open fire. It's a sight that numbs the mind and freezes responses, driving well-learned lessons out of the brain.

Rather than "out of the frying pan and into the fire," the correct analogy of their current situation is hopeless.

Boombata: "Even if we had full su'pply of chemical weapon..."

Nukalawa: "We short-ranged fighters, not long-ranged like them..."

Martha: "Bullets travel farther and faster than any of us can move, anyway..."

Leslie: "I guess this is it...There's no way we're getting out of this alive..."

Chloe grabs Richie's paw tightly and says, "I'm scared daddy..."

Richie hugs her tight and says, "Me too, Chloe. Me too...Just close your eyes."

Roaster: "Percie and I will draw their fire, the rest of you's try to escape."

Rick: "There is no escape..."

Eiyla: "Roaster, in case we die, I want to thank you for saving my life. Without you, I would have died in the foulest way imaginable."

After making a sigh in acceptance of their predicament, Roaster tells her, "You're welcome, Eiyla."

Jack: "It's gon' take a miracle ta get outta dis one..."

Jay's tone is slightly sarcastic but mostly melancholic when he asks, "Does anybody have any more miracles...?"

Sometimes, when folks least expect it, the old saying "Ask and you shall receive" comes into play. Because the moment after Jay finishes speaking, the sound of what everyone—animals and humans alike—believed to be helicopter blades becomes a loud buzz, and is shortly followed by a chorus of panicked and unbelieving yells that draws the police and SWATs' attention away from Team 6.

Four humans speak simultaneously.

A SWAT member exclaims, "What the?! MOVE! The SWAT van is flipping over!"

A cop loudly questions, "HOW?!"

A different SWAT soldier shouts, "Ohmygah, ohmygah, OMYGAAAH!"

A different cop yells, "Don't just stand there, RUN!"

But the weight of the armored SWAT vehicle—which is loaded with extra weapons, ammo, and gear—makes the step van fall faster, and no human is fast enough to avoid it. The legs or feet of ten people are pinned under 8.3 tons of steel. The onlookers also see what was partly responsible for the large truck tipping over: four heavy-duty xFold dragon drones. Distracted by the aerial vehicles, the six most trigger-happy humans open fire on those—completely ignoring the three wolves and one bear who had also tipped over the step van.

Percie: "It's mom, papá, and Boxer!"

Nukalawa: "And dee bear from our mink students' initiation!"

At the same time, Richie answers the ringing cell phone and Mary's voice comes over it by saying, "No time to explain. Just wait for our signal before making a run for it!"

Kale, Clara, Boxer, and Ted attack the six gunmen who are focused on shooting the drones. When that happens, those six don't have any backup because the rest of the cops and SWATs are too busy trying to lift up the overturned van to save their unfortunate colleagues who are pinned by it. Only one drone is still operational, and it flies away.

A human's voice somewhere off the side wall of Animal Control HQ's parking lot shouts, "Open fire!"

Ten total SWATs (five from the wall on Team 6's left, and five from the right wall), standing on A-frame ladders, come out of cover and aim their guns at Team 6. Before any triggers are pulled, Jeff and his family come swooping down on the left ones, pecking at their unprotected faces like crazy. Meanwhile, Elroy, Rebecca, Rachel, Jacob, Miranda, Grace, Stratford, Ike, Stevie, Jude, Hubert, and Lizzy violently shake the ladders of the SWATS on Team 6's right until the humans fall off.

If that isn't enough, the drone returns to the front of the parking lot and crashes into a police car like a kamikaze. That car is totaled (as is the drone), but the large and sturdy drone had been flying so fast that the impact makes the car flip over and land on top of another car, which is pushed into a third car and gives is one big fender bender.

Mary's voice screams "GO NOW!" over the phone.

Team 6 does as ordered, and runs as fast as their four legs can carry them toward the pileup of police cars and one overturned SWAT van. Gun shots go off, and there are a few yells from the animals, but Team Mustelid doesn't stop for a second, mentally telling themselves they will deal with that later.

Once they get to the vehicles, the men and women who had been caught under the toppled SWAT van have been saved, but are in too much pain to fight. Those who rescued them are busy fighting off the wolves and bear. Those people's backs are turned to Team 6, who, after seeing Clara and Ted struggling to move fast, decide to help their rescuers. Percie bites the back of a cop's thigh, then uses her super strength to whip him one way then the other, making him hit those beside him and dropping them to the ground. There, Boombata, Nukalawa, and Roaster claw and bite them until they pass out. Before any other humans can attack Team 6, Martha and Jack use their mink spray and envelop the whole area in a cloud of foul-smelling gas.

Although the SWAT at the parking lot entrance have gas masks, they now can't see through the thick cloud, which is made thicker when De'Ausha and Damon spray as well. This chaos allows Roaster to unleash his full hatred against the humans who apparently shot Clara, and he is able to bite the throats of four without receiving criticism from his family.

Somewhere in that fray, the animals hear Kale shout, "Les'all go, everyone! ¡Ándale!" as loud as he can.

Somewhere beyond the fray, De'Ausha shouts, "Follow me an' Damon's voices!"

She and Damon yell and shout to give the animals a perfect idea of where to run since they can barely see, smell, or breathe in the putrid mixture of mink/skunk-spray cloud. Since Kale was so loud, the other animals on the outer left and right walls also heard him and leave once they are sure the humans they have been attacking will be too distracted by their injuries to retaliate.

When they get deep enough into the woods to not fear being followed, Richie calls Mary's phone and asks, "Is everyone okay on your end?"

Mary's voice: "Hubert got shot in the tail, Jacob got knocked out, and Jeff lost a chuck of feathers. Other than that, we're good. What about your group?"

Roaster runs up to Clara and asks, "Where'd ya get shot mom?!"

Richie selects the speaker on the cell phone and brings it to Clara who responds in embarrassment with, "I got shot in da rear end. But it was a forward-facing bullet and grazed me instead of going trew me. So it's just a scratch."

Boxer: "My stitches came undone. Gonna need someone with opposable thumbs ta re-dress my wound."

Percie: "Where's dat bear who helped you's out?"

Kale: "First off, we forced him ta come along and threatened him with a fate worse than death if he didn't try his hardest to help us rescue Roaster. And second, he didn't make it. Last I saw of him, he fell to the ground after Clara forced him ta be our bullet sponge."

Clara: "I shed no tears for him. He desoived it, 'cuz he's one of da predators who attacked our home while most of us were gettin' the antibiotics for dat mink. We also forced him ta tell us who helped him."

Kale: "And from that info, we's got some tough days ahead of us, because it turns out he and all dee other predators we forced to be targets for the minks' training are a bunch of crybaby, sore loser, drama queens who went squealin' to their other relatives after their humiliation."

Roaster: "I told ya's you should'a let me fry 'em all to crisps that night!"

Kale gets in Roaster's face and keeps walking toward him—causing Roaster to back up—while Kale says, "I'm sorry, did I just hear my youngest son try ta rub somethin' in?" By now Roaster is up against a tree and Kale leans more into his face as he continues, " How about a 'Thanks for savin' my hide mom, dad, and everyone else'?"

Roaster: "I-um-uh, Tanks for savin' my hide mom, dad, and everyone else."

Kale gets out of Roaster's face and says, "Tha's better."

Rick takes the phone from Richie, holds it close to his mouth and says, "Sorry y'all had to hear all of that. But where should we go? Our regular home isn't safe right now."

Heather's voice: "How about Kale's and Clara's downtime spot, at that rundown bomb shelter?"

Kale: "Perfect idea, Zarigüeya con Actitud—Possum with Attidude. It's big enough ta hold us all, and has only two entrances that'll be easy ta protect from intruders."

Heather's voice: "I'll make calls to the other teams. We'll all meet there and have a good night sleep. Everyone's earned it."

Team 3 and 6 in unison: "Amen…"

Now that they have time to breathe, it doesn't take long for the animals in Team 3 to smell the otters.

Boxer: "Madre de Dios—Mother of God—you's otters stink."

Jay sighs and sarcastically says, "Oh I'm sorry, how inconvenient for you." In an angry tone, Jay adds, "Think about us! How we feel! I'm not nearly the neat freak Amy is, and I'm more bothered by our stench than her! Furthermore, I am in a very romantic mood after our successes tonight, and I can't even kiss my own mate until we've taken two-hour-long baths, and sprayed five full bottles of perfume and cologne on ourselves!"

Amy only grins at her mate's comment that now she definitely needs to wash and, nodding in agreement, says, "You might think someone here is very worried about my temporary smell." (1)

"Not at all," Nukalava assures with a smile, "there no need to be embarrassed, because you one of us: brethren mustelids." (1)

Jay decides he's too tired to argue anymore, and adds his voice to the chuckles. Once those die down, the two teams take time to tend to their injured and then move out.

While doing that, their hearts and minds are mixed. They feel amazing for rescuing Roaster, defeating cops, and SWAT teams, but feel fearful of what the future holds for them with vengeful predators out to search and destroy them.

And despite Kale's warning, things are going to be tougher than he or the hedge family can ever imagine.

Note: (1)=Ideas from Shkiper.

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Although finishing this chapter took longer than expected (I thought it would be 2 weeks after chapter 8's posting), I hope you enjoyed the ride!

The next chapters won't be as action-packed for now, but more focused on the character relationships and conflicts, which my previous stories have proven can be just as engaging!

See you around!