Different Horizons-A Paw Patrol Story

Chapter Seventeen

Ryder and the others walked down the streets. Ryder checked the GPS on his found, typing in the address on the card. The place was a mile away. The GPS estimated walking time at thirty minutes through the city while taking a cab would take an hour and a half through heavy traffic. To move the eight members would take two or three cabs, so they decided to take the more physical route.

Ryder and the others looked around the city as they walked. They passed remarkable things, such as street performers, enormous LED signs and lights, people in lines to watch an opera, and billboards that lit up the streets.

"This is nice," Marshall said. "I could get used to this."

"No kidding," Chase exclaimed. Chase noticed two girls about the same age as his human form staring at him. One was a blonde, while the other had a more Hispanic complexion. Chase, being polite, smiled and nodded at them, making them wave and giggle.

Marshall, who was next to him, saw what was happening. "What's going on here?" he asked as he nudged Chase with his elbow.

Chase laughed. "Nothing, Marshall. If anything, they were looking at you," he teased.

Marshall fixed his pose. "Of course. Why wouldn't they?" he asked sarcastically. They both laughed at the joke. Everest and Skye, who were next to them, looked at each other in confusion. They looked forward and gasped, causing the others to stop in their tracks.

"What's wrong?" Ryder asked.

Skye pointed at a box near the entrance of a large building. It had curtains on either side with camera film with pictures wrapping around it. "A photo booth," she said. "I've wanted to try those out."

"Me too," Everest said. The girls sped up and entered the empty booth. The others surrounded as they took photos. After three minutes of laughing and taking pictures, they walked out holding some pictures in film form.

"These came out amazing," Everest said as she looked at them. "You guys should all try it out." She grabbed Marshall's arm and pulled him into the booth.

The group ended up taking photos with one another. They got pictures in groups of two, three, four, and all together. They took silly, serious, happy, and chaotic ones. They spent about twenty minutes taking them. When they received the photographs, they all laughed at the faces made and how they turned out. Ryder handed the pictures out to the team to take care of some. They each put them in their wallets and kept walking.

As they walked, they talked about how great their day was fun and their favorite part. "For me, it was driving the boat," Zuma said, which was obvious.

"For me, it was the food," Rubble said.

"I can agree with that," Marshall said. 'Ryder, don't let us eat dog food again." They all laughed.

"I enjoyed the shopping," Skye said. "There was so much to choose from, but not enough time to see it all."

"Yes," Everest agreed. "But the photos were more fun for me."

"The photos were my favorite, too," Chase said.

"Mine too," Ryder agreed.

They kept on walking, turning left into a well-developed block. Instead of the flashy lights and stores like earlier, this street passed between tall glass buildings on either side. The lights were off with some on.

"These buildings must've been fun to design," Rocky commented.

"And more fun to build," Rubble said. "To just stand back and admire the building, thinking to yourself, 'I built this,' must've been a great feeling."

"Yeah," Ryder said. "Observing people use the office space daily must've been so satisfying."

The others looked at them in confusion. "It's a builder's thing," Rubber said. They all laughed and kept moving forward.

A large semi truck passed dangerously close to them. From that point on, Chase stood between the street and Skye. Marshall did the same with Everest. They didn't know why they did it, but it felt right.

Ryder walked ahead of all of them, following the GPS. The phone took them into a neighborhood with high-end houses. Perfect lawns, beautiful landscaping, and grand entrances lined the streets. Each house was more impressive than the last, with some having luxury cars in long driveways. It was clear that the residents took pride in their homes, creating a place with a perfect balance of comfort, peace, and elegance.

The GPS led them to a large mansion surrounded by a brick wall eight feet tall. Despite the wall between them and the property, they could still see the house on a hill. The yard was bigger than any of the other ones in the neighborhood. The Maserati they saw Gabriel get into earlier was in the driveway in front of the house. The house itself was an architectural masterpiece. The two-story building wrapped around the driveway on either side. Four white columns held up part of the roof, working as a cover and shade to the front entrance. The walls were covered in masoned stones, contrasting well with the white window seals. Bushes separated the house from the driveway, while roses led the path to the front entrance. The front entrance had two mahogany oak doors in stone frames, guarded by two guards in black suits. This entire property seemed like it came out of a movie.

Ryder whistled in awe. "Now, this is a home," he exclaimed.

They walked towards the front entrance, where two stone columns held a large black gate up. The left side column had a communication box embedded in it. Ryder pressed the button, and the box began ringing.

"State your business, please?" A woman asked through the box.

Ryder looked at the other before talking into the microphone. "Um, we're here for a 'fighting chance' with Gabriel."

"One moment, please," the woman said. There was a small silence before a buzzing sound went off, and the gate began to open. "Please walk to the main entrance."

The team did as the woman said and walked forward. They reached the entrance, where Gabriel was waiting for them. He spread his arms out like he was expecting a hug from them. "Welcome to my home," Gabriel said. "Please come in. We have much to discuss if you are who I think you are."