American Apocalypse IV - Chapter 10e by Nova

Left in the dust by Woof but coming on quick was the light patter of Zane's footsteps.  Behind him I heard a woman yell "Kid! Get your ass back here!"  Then a muttered "Shit!"

"Help me up kid."  He was useless for it but it helped motivate me to get up.

"You okay Gardener?"

"Yeah. I'm fine."

Damn. It hurt to breathe. It hurt to walk. Someone had hit me hard in the thigh were a rake had bitten me once. I think the other side hurt too but I permanently numb in places there. Nerve damage or something.  My rib cage hurt, especially one rib.  Jesus. No wonder you only had to do twenty years in the military before you could retire.  At this rate I would be ready to retire next month. That thought made me laugh. That was a mistake.

"Call your dog off before they shoot him." I hobbled as fast as I could over to the door, leaned in, and said "Sherri. When they ask it was just the guy who worked here."

"Go away!"

I heard the same woman who had yelled at Zane to come back yell at me "Freeze! Hands in the air! Now!"

They had not impressed me. Way to cautious coming in.  Even a two man team without backup should have pressed harder. Her partner, a white male who was smaller than her, she was a big boned woman, lit me up with a laser dot. She was advancing towards me slowly talking into the mic that hung off her shoulder while she did. She was asking for a medic ASAP.  A little late for the dipshit on the floor but good for Sherri. 

I was trying to raise my hands in the air but I couldn't. It hurt too much.  "Officer" I told them "I am injured an unable to comply. You have another..." Jesus it hurt to talk. "Injured woman" I stressed the "woman" maybe she would pick up on it "inside the room."

"On your knees then!"   The female officer started to go around me and then really looked at Woof. He was standing next to Zane and blood was dripping from his muzzle. The guy who was supposed to take care of Woof looked like a chainsaw accident.

"That dog moves kid I'm shooting him"

Zane told her scornfully "Woof only eats bad people."   Woof licked his chops then.  She looked less than pleased about it but she turned her back to them and went in the room.  I heard the sound of boots running from the lobby, their backup was here.

Thirty minutes or so later they let us go after taping my ribs up.  Sherri had verified that it was just PFC Stark, he actually had a name, I don't why I was surprised, who did it. If there was anyone else she didn't see them.  I said we had come to see the dog, heard her cry for help and did what we could.  Nobody believed it but they were letting it ride.  My guess was they wanted to spin it that way for their own reasons.  It wouldn't do their public relations much good for the place to become known for gang rapes.  A wacked out PFC, damaged from prior trauma was a better play.

We took Woof with us. Nobody argued much.  They just said to make sure to clean up after him if he took a dump.  "That's your job from now on Zane"  He didn't argue.  "As for you" I told Woof. "I know who's side your on. He just laughed at me. Woof was in a good mood.  So was I. I wouldn't have to pay the other half of his kennel fee. I wasn't going to tell Woof anytime soon but he had made the right call.