The Runaway Adventures ll: Snowbound in Park Avenue

Chapter 40 - Three for Three

With the other puppies all scattering off in their respective directions, XL, Collette and Scavenger went to the only place where the others weren't headed. Together, the three of them went back to the entrance room, which still did not have anyone in it, although the putrid smell of Vendella's smoke still lingered.

"Yuck, it's hard to smell anything here," Scavenger groaned.

"Yeah," XL said understandingly. "We'll keep an eye out for wild dogs while you search."

Scavenger nodded and promptly began to sniff as XL and Collette stood guard. Interested in anything about her crush including his adoptive brother, Collette couldn't help but to be curious. "Scavenger? Sorry to interrupt ..."

"That's okay, what is it?" Scavenger asked as he continued to sniff.

"Well ... How long have you lived with your pets?"

"For a couple of months. It was a miracle that my pets found me in the snow, otherwise I wouldn't be here," Scavenger said. "Why do you ask?"

"Well," Collette said. "Because all of you are so close ... Just like my family. It wasn't that long ago when it was just me, my parents, Annette, Danielle and Scamp ... And when we had a lot more arguing. But we've come to understand each other, which really has drawn everyone closer, and of course ..." Collette began to look at XL, only to see he looked alarmed.

"Are you okay XL?" Collette asked him gently.

"Huh? What? Y-yeah, I'm ok, why wouldn't I be?" he asked, with a smile that can be seen as forced.

"Are you sure?" Collette asked, taking a step closer to him. "You seem very nervous."

XL sighed. "It's just, I'm scared. Scared of losing everyone," XL said sadly. "Scared of losing our pets, scared of losing our families, scared of losing ... you," he said, blushing as his voice trailed off.

Collette also blushed as she smiled slightly at him. "We'll be okay, I promise. We've gone through so much already, and soon we'll be done with this once and for all."

XL looked at to her before turning to Scavenger to make sure he was still there and then turned back to Collette. "I .... I had a nightmare ... Back at the car. I was being chased by the wild dogs. Then I saw a hunter with his dog ... He ... He was staring at me with his rifle and his dog was growling ... I saw a body of a vixen .... My mom," XL said, tearing as he shivered as she too began to tear as Scavenger stopped sniffing to approach his brother-like friend. "I ... I ran away, I heard gunshots and the hunter yelling. I could feel the dog's hot breath on me as I ran, but then I saw the wild dogs chasing me as well. I fell and everyone we know was chained up in cages ... And I saw a wild dog about to kill you, Collette. I tried to stop but I was chained as well! I felt powerless, I wanted to save you but ... " XL tried to finish his sentence but choked up on his words, clearly on the verge of crying. Looking at him sadly, Collette nuzzled him.

"I'm so sorry about your mom ... I had no idea," Collette said sadly, embracing him with a paw around his shoulder. "But I'm sure she's smiling down at you. You've found a loving family and made great friends in all of us, and we're fighting together for the kind of life she'd want you to live. And besides, that was just a dream. There's no reason to lose hope because of that. Instead, we must always look to find hope, even in unlikely places."

"Speaking of unlikely places," Scavenger said suddenly, "What if that's what they'd do?"

Quizzically, Collette and XL looked at him. "What if they'd hide a key outside of their headquarters? To keep us off the scent?"

Collette and XL pondered that. "Well, I suppose it is worth a try," Collette said slowly. "But still, it would be incredibly risky. We've got to sneak out carefully."