Friend or Killer?

Chapter 21

Gidget and everyone else knew what would happen the moment Benedict entered Max's apartment. The instant he saw them and the carrier they had with them, Tiberius immediately freaked out. Norman was also shocked by this since none of the others told him that this was the plan. Putting himself in front of his friend, he cried, "You can't! It's not him!" The rest of the gang moved to the sides of the apartment and remained quiet while Benedict and two other dogs approached the guinea pig and the red tailed hawk. Whipping out a stick with a loop on the end, the German shepherd grumbled, "We can do this the easy way or the hard way. Your choice savage." The two dogs with him got out sticks with loops as well while the other five animals of the team pulled out their dart guns.

That was a bad choice.

One look at the guns sent Tiberius into panic mode. He was already moving before anyone else did and the next thing anyone knew he was under the couch. Benedict quietly made his way towards it with the stick. Norman went to stop the canine but Chloe grabbed him. All the while, the rest of the gang watched in dead silence, saddened by the sight playing out in front of them. Bending down, Benedict growled, "There's no use hiding. You're coming with us." Without another word, he pushed the stick end under the couch. Based on the shriek she heard, Gidget assumed Tiberius had been harshly poked at. A moment later, the old hawk scrambled out from underneath and narrowly avoided another looped stick and four darts. Her heart plummeted when she saw that he was racing towards her for safety.

Benedict must've noticed this too cuz he quickly got his stick and successfully got the loop around Tiberius's neck. Collapsing on the ground, the old hawk struggled to get himself free but the loop had already tightened, choking him. A firm grip on his stick, Benedict started to drag him towards the carrier and a cat who was holding a muzzle. Digging his talons into the floor, Tiberius looked over at Gidget with pleading eyes. "Gidget, help me!" he begged, frightened. Trembling, the Pomeranian met her friend's gaze. Backing away from him, she whispered, "I'm sorry Tiberius, I can't help you, not this time." The old hawk froze when she said that. Still backing up towards Max and Snowball, Gidget reassured him, "It's gonna be okay, Benedict will be able to help you with whatever it is that's going on with-"

"I trusted you..." Tiberius mumbled, sadness glistening in his bloodshot eyes. The fight leaving him, the hawk bowed his head. Hearing those words, Gidget's heart broke in pieces as she turned away and hid her face in Max's fur. She didn't want to see anymore of what was going on. The others, meanwhile, watched as Benedict managed to get Tiberius over to the carrier with a simple tug on the looped stick. The red tail didn't protest as he padded over, his head hanging. The cat harshly put the muzzle on before Benedict took the loop off and pushed the hawk rather hard into the carrier and locked the door behind him. While a greyhound picked up the carrier, the German shepherd pointed out, "You guys did the right thing."

"No we didn't..." Gidget mumbled once they were gone, tears running down her face.