Eyewitness (2017) by Yoteicon92

Eyewitness (2017)

Yoteicon92, Coverup, Crime, Doberman, Drama, Husky, Murder, Police, Rottweiler, Shooting, Shootout, Suspense, Thriller, Violence, Violence (Not In Yiff), Wolf, Wolf Dog, ohio

Sometimes you're in the wrong place at the wrong time.

Part of my Series on FA: http://www.furaffinity.net/journal/2143509/

I wrote this story in January 2017 in the span of about three or four days. This came about with a daydream after watching the 1985 film, "Witness"~

Eyewitness

Prologue:

The second day of January was mild, the slate gray sky low to the ground at Rickenbacker. A cool southerly breeze whistled past Joey, the black and tan Doberman standing beside his little nephew Alvin. The two Dobermans stood waiting to say goodbye to Rob, who was getting ready to depart for Italy to work on aircraft he had purchased the year before. Joey watched his husband Rob stand with his friends Mark and Tanner, discussing on how to load his Corsair into the cavernous belly of Mark's C-5. The two wolves and wolf-hybrid were dwarfed by the monstrous Galaxy, their ride to Europe.

As work went on, Alvin stood videotaping, with his uncle's old Betacam. Formerly Rob's broadcast camera in high school, the 1985 Ikegami was shouldered by the twelve year old, who recorded the sight of Rob's F4U-5 slowly beginning to be loaded aboard the Galaxy, its gull wings neatly folded up.Panning the camera over, Alvin focused on Rob turning and walking towards them, dressed in his flight suit carrying a clipboard in his grip.

"Well we're about ready to depart." Rob said as he met up with Joey.

"You have a safe flight, and be safe over there! Don't get yourself killed~" Joey smiled at his wolf-malamute.

"Heh thanks." Rob said in response as he gave Joey a tight hug and a kiss to say goodbye. "My Connies and Folgore are calling~"

"And make sure you eat some of that insalata caprese for me!" grinned his Brazilian lover.

"Okay. Will do~"

"I have everything under control here." Joey smiled.

"Have a safe flight Uncle Rob!" grinned Alvin. "You're gonna bring me back another little surprise from Italy right?"

"I'll find something nice for you." Rob smiled. "I promise."

"Cool!" cheered Alvin. "Bye Uncle Rob!"

Joey and Alvin waved goodbye as Rob turned to head back to the towering C-5, which was painted up as an early model with upper half painted white, and lower half gray, with a light blue cheat. He met up with Mark and Tanner as they all climbed aboard, slipping from view as the hatch was shut.

Alvin turned the camera back on, watching the Plumbicon tubes warm up to generate a picture. He proceeded to record as the first turbofan was spooled up, engine three beginning to ignite. The howl of turbofans resonated off the pavement as the giant Galaxy warmed up in preparation for takeoff.

Slowly, the big C-5 began to turn, the giant plane piloted by Mark Prince and his husband Tanner Rodriguez. They both waved from the cockpit, Joey and Alvin waving back as Rob waved to them through the open upper hatch. The C-5 slowly taxied to the runway, coming to a brief half to let traffic off before it turned and began its takeoff roll.

Thundering down the runway, the white and gray Galaxy slowly climbed into the air, roaring skyward. Joey and Alvin watched it slowly slip away to the east, its huge shape dominating the sky until it disappeared through the clouds.

"Uncle Rob is off on a fun adventure!" Joey said to his nephew as they turned to walk across the tarmac.

"We're gonna have our own fun adventure!" Alvin laughed as Joey put his arm around him.

"Oh indeed~ Lots of fun! With Felix, Tony, and Toby- like we always do." Joey smiled warmly.

"And Spencer and Jordan too!" giggled Alvin.

"Them as well." Chuckled Joey.

Joey and Alvin walked across the tarmac, watching as one of his DC-6A's rumbled by, the Liftmaster returning to Rickenbacker from a cargo run on the east coast. Briefly checking on his hangar, Joey exited the tall building to find his truck parked close by, his iridium colored GMC awaiting them.

Hopping in, they took off for home in his one ton, which rumbled down the road with the burbling chug of its diesel engine. Hopping on I-270, Joey merged in with the traffic as the first drops of rain splattered against the windshield.

Alvin reached forward and turned on the radio, adjusting the frequency to one of the local Newark stations. The tail end of "Second Hand News" tailored off as the local news began to sound off.

"KOOL! One oh one, point seven! And now here is your local Licking County news!" announced the host in his enthusiastic tone. "Questions continue to mount in Pine Ridge over the recent case of disappearing evidence following a sting operation. On the twentieth officers of the Pine Ridge police department staged a raid on a home suspected of harboring illegal firearms. Twelve assault rifles were recovered from the home by Officer Eli Lamp, but the evidence subsequently went missing. Pine Ridge PD is tight lipped over the whole situation, but Lieutenant Magnus Dixon released a statement expressing 'confidence that the whole matter will be resolved shortly.'"

"Didn't you and Grandpa build some rifles for that police department?" Alvin asked his uncle.

"Hah! Yeah, me and Grandpa built twelve of our Carbon fifteens for them. They're a rather lousy police department, in a rather lousy town. I always hear from people there that they're supposedly blatantly corrupt, top to bottom." Joey explained.

"Oooh, someone's in trouble!" Alvin giggled.

"So losing evidence wouldn't surprise me one bit! It's the blind leading the blind they say~" laughed Joey cynically as he drove back to Newark with Alvin.

Eyewitness

Snow flurries sputtered from the low hanging clouds. The light flakes splattered against the windshield of Toby's truck as he drove Alvin and his friends out to his family farm. The tan Silverado rumbled along Watkins Road, a rough two lane country road surrounded by woods. The malamute drove with his girlfriend Tabby, a red Doberman with flowing brown hair. The backseat was occupied by Alvin, Spencer, and Jordan, along with their hodgepodge of video equipment.

"It's got all kinds of cool stuff! Woods, a pond, a barn! Even a grass runway for Uncle Rob and Felix to land on!" Alvin explained to his friends.

"Well...until my brother destroys the barn." Joked Toby, taking a jab at his older brother Brian.

"I want cool shots of the woods. For the science project." Said Jordan, a brown wolf. "We're going to have the best project in class- on why trees lose their leaves."

"It'll be on video too! Let's see the others try this!" grinned the young Doberman.

"Thanks to your Uncle for giving you that camera!" added Spencer, an eleven year old Swedish husky with blonde hair and blue eyes.

"It's a cool camera! It's older than all three of us combined!" Alvin explained. "It's from 1985 I think!"

"That's old. I'm amazed it still works." The husky said in a surprised tone.

"Uncle Rob repaired it for me and he gave it to me for my birthday last year." Smiled Alvin. "He used to use it in high school."

"Oooh~" Jordan and Spencer cooed.

"It stopped working a long time ago. But he dug it out, cleaned it up and put new tubes in it and it runs great! I like it so much!" Alvin added.

Toby pulled into the gravel driveway of his parents' home, the small ranch home making up part of the O'Donnell farm. He pulled his 3500HD next to his brother's black Ram pickup, in front of the garage to the single story home where everyone disembarked. Immediately, the sounds of an argument filtered through the cold air, everyone turning to see his brothers Brian and Shawn fighting among the ruined barn doors, with Brian's car crumpled in it. Standing and arguing were their parents, Michael and Shannon, immigrants from Ireland.

"Just another day huh?" chuckled Tabby to her boyfriend as they shared a laugh.

"It's Brian, what do you expect~" the meaty malamute sardonically quipped.

Alvin and his friends followed Toby as they saw the melee unfold, the screaming and yelling going back and forth over the damage to the barn.

"You're always yelling at me!" Brian exclaimed, the flippant, effeminate malamute looking disgusted at everyone.

"You're the one who backed your car into the barn!" yelled Michael.

"I saw a spider and it freaked me out!"

"Saw a spider...what after you tweaked out on meth?" Shawn hissed.

"You all just blame me for everything!" Brian yelled.

"Your car is sitting in the barn!" Shannon yelled.

"Children! Children! Children!" Toby yelled. "Stop the screaming! We got guests here!"

Everyone stopped their screaming match as they saw Alvin and his friends visiting.

"Oh god, you brought the runt and his little loser friends along?" hissed Brian, glaring at the three kids who only glared back at him.

"Hey! Watch your fucking mouth." Toby growled.

"You bring these fucking loud ass kids along, ruining even more of my day!"

"Don't be a little bitch..." Shawn rolled his eyes.

"BRIAN!" Michael yelled. "Just....just go! Get out of my presence!"

"Hmph." Brian hissed as he marched away with his effeminate swagger.

"Lord have mercy..." Michael prayed as he walked over to greet Alvin. "Hello! Hello!Welcome back here to the farm. Sorry about the mess!"

"Oh its fine Michael." Smiled Alvin. "We want to shoot some scenery shots for a science video!"

"Well have at it! We got plenty of woods and scenery for ya~!" the forty-four year old malamute exclaimed with his Irish accent.

"And when you're all done, we'll have a nice lunch together." Shannon promised.

"Oh okay!" the three kids agreed.

The snow flurries danced through the cold breeze as Alvin, Jordan, and Spencer began their trek, across the naked corn field for the tree line. Alvin lugged his HL-95B on his shoulder, followed by Spencer who carried the tripod, and Jordan in the rear, with a backpack of spare batteries and tapes. They stepped over the twisted, uprooted corn stalks of the field, crunching through the frozen soil to make their way to the woods.

"This scenery is so cool! We're going to have a great video~" Spencer exclaimed as they followed a narrow path among the tall, naked trees.

"Indeed!" Alvin grinned. "Everyone is going to love it."

"I would hope so. Its cold out here!" Jordan laughed.

"Oh a little cold won't hurt us!" Alvin giggled.

"Frostbite will." Spencer joked with a laugh.

The dirt trail was the path that Toby and Shawn used on their dirt bikes, a rough winding path among the trees that had the wind whistle through its naked branches. Alvin and his friends took their time playing around with the old broadcast camera, shooting various shots of the landscape, and close up of the naked branches, that twirled and danced with the wind and snowflakes.

Continuing on, the trio found that the woods ended near a road, a desolate country road surrounded by woodland. Concealed by shrubbery, Alvin aimed his HL-95 and recorded a car passing by, its headlights comet tailing heavily in the camera's pickup tubes. The car zipped past, with a "whoosh!", Alvin zooming out to get a wide angle of the road. Before he hit pause, he saw another car emerge over the apex of the hill, a silver sedan followed by an unmarked blue cruiser with its lights on and flashing.

"Oooh~" Spencer and Jordan murmured together as Alvin zoomed in slowly, the bright strobe lights from the Crown Vic saturating his camera's Plumbicons. The red and blue strobe lights left very heavy image lag in his camera's Plumbicons, Alvin trying his best to avoid burn-in on the tubes. The Impala stopped within 200 feet of them, pulling off onto the berm with the sedan stopping behind him. Concealed by the shrubs, and wearing drab colors, they were all but unseen.

Through his viewfinder, Alvin watched as two figures emerged from the Crown Vic. A black wolf stepped out first, Alvin noticing his unique yellow blonde hair that was coiffed between his pointy ears. A burly Rottweiler stepped out next, his big square head and hulking frame intimidating. Both figures wore dark colors. The black wolf had a deep blue turtleneck on and black slacks, the Rottweiler in slacks and a black sweatshirt. Alvin zoomed in as far as his lens could go, but he could not get a good view of the driver, who was merely a silhouette behind the windshield.

"Wonder what he did?" Jordan mumbled to Spencer.

"Maybe he was speeding..." the white and beige husky shrugged.

"But unmarked cars usually don't pull people over..." Alvin mumbled.

Alvin zoomed out slightly, the bright lights streaking across in his picture. He could barely hear their conversation, but got the "I need to see your license and registration please". The wind muffled their voices as they stood talking for a moment. Yet, to Alvin, something didn't seem right.

The black wolf looked nervous, irritated, as Alvin zoomed in on him. He paced around, looking agitated. He swung the camera to the left, refocusing on the Rottweiler who paced around the car, a hesitant expression on his face. There was a conversation going on, a few words occasionally filtering back to the trio who silently watched. The wind managed to carry some of the conversation to them.

"Buddy you're in the wrong place, at the wrong time!"

The black wolf suddenly pulled a pistol, raising it and firing it into the cab. The loud report shattered the silence as Alvin jumped in shock, the three kids terrified. Alvin held onto his camera, continuing to record as he watched the shadowy figure in the cab slump forward from being shot.

"That's for snooping around buddy!" laughed the Rottweiler. He had a burly laugh with the wolf who holstered his pistol. The two proceeded to throw the driver's door open and search around, removing some paperwork and a gun.

As Alvin proceeded to zoom in all the way, his foot slipped lightly on the leaf litter. He stumbled and broke a branch, which sent a loud crack through the air. It got the attention of the Rottweiler and wolf who suddenly looked up, the black wolf staring right into Alvin's tight shot.

Alvin's eyes went wide as he suddenly bolted. "Let's go!" Alvin quietly said as Jordan and Spencer took off with him. They ran down the trail, trying desperately to find a hiding place.

The Rottweiler yanked out his gun, a .40 caliber Smith and Wesson. Following the wolf, they ran to where they heard the sound, jumping over a small ditch to climb the hill in search.

"I heard it from over here!" the black wolf said as he noticed the trail, his boots clomping against the hard earth as he scanned the woods. "It was a loud crack! Like a branch breaking!"

"I don't see anything." The Rottweiler huffed.

"I thought someone was here..." the wolf growled.

"It was probably just some animal- a deer more than likely! You're getting paranoid Eli." Chuckled the Rottweiler.

"I guess you're right... Come on...let's get out of here..."

The wolf and Rottweiler turned around and left, climbing down the hill and returning to their sedan to make a quick getaway.

The sound of their sedan filtered through the woods as it departed, making its way back to the three kids, who lay hidden in a small ditch, concealed by the bleached trunk of a fallen tree.

Wide eyed, they breathed shallowly, terrified as they couched for cover. Alvin clutched his Betacam tightly, realizing that he had just videotaped someone getting murdered.

"Oh my god guys, they killed him!" Alvin muttered.

"We gotta get out of here..." Jordan muttered.

Spencer poked his head up, noticing no one around. "Now's our chance! Let's go!"

The three kids got up and ran as fast as they could, running through the woods and through the farm field back to the O'Donnell's home.

At the house, the argument with Brian continued, the back and forth yelling between Brian, his brothers, and his parents ongoing in the kitchen.

"You have a serious problem Brian. With everybody." Michael glared. "I didn't raise my son to be like this~"

"Oh fuck off Dad. Spare me that bullshit!" hissed Brian. "You fuckers are all against me because I am gay! Plain and simple!"

"Oh wow, that's totally why me and Shawn stopped that guy from bashing you..." Toby rolled his eyes. He was cut up by the kitchen door being suddenly thrown open, the sight of the panicked kids getting everyone's attention.

"Somebody got killed!" Alvin yelled, his words chilling the entire mood.

"What?!" Michael exclaimed.

"Someone on the road got killed!" Alvin reiterated.

"Somebody in a blue car with police lights pulled over this silver car and they shot him!" Spencer exclaimed.

Michael looked at his wife Shannon with a look of immediate concern. They both immediately ran over to their gun safe, Michael returning with a pump action 12 gauge, and his wife with a bolt action hunting rifle.

"Toby and Shawn! Watch after them! Call the Sheriff's department. We're going to take a look!" Michael commanded as he and his wife rushed out the door.

The two malamutes hopped on their four wheelers and sped off, heading across the field and into the woods where they followed the trail Alvin had been on.

"Looks like they were around these parts!" Shannon called out as she came to a stop. "That's their footprints it seems!"

Michael hopped off his four wheeler to follow the footsteps through the leaf litter, which took them to the road. Looking to his left, Michael saw the sedan, still running with its headlights on.

Climbing down, Michael and Shannon approached the idling vehicle, to find its sole occupant dead.

A gray and white husky sat in the driver's seat, his fur mattered and stained red by blood. He was shot in the face three times, all three shots looking fatal. Thick, oxidized blood mattered his fur, thick coagulated chunks staining his fur a reddish-brown.

"He's dead." Shannon muttered.

"Looks like it. Poor lad~" Michael shook his head.

Joey screeched into the congested driveway of the O'Donnell farm, the house surrounded by multiple cruisers from the Sheriff's department. The Doberman hopped out in a hurry, rushing to the house after getting the call from Toby.

Stepping inside, he saw Alvin sitting on the couch with his friends, being questioned by Sheriff's deputies along with Michael and Shannon. Upon seeing his uncle, Alvin bolted from the couch, running over to give his uncle a tight hug.

"It's okay Alvin!" Joey said, comforting his worried nephew who clung to him.

"It's terrible. That man was killed!" Alvin cried out as Joey hugged him.

"You're safe though..." Joey said, breathing a sigh of relief.

"These people just came up to that car and shot him!" Alvin exclaimed.

"What happened? What's going on?" Joey asked his nephew, when a Sheriff's deputy grabbed him.

"Are you his uncle?" the German Sheppard asked.

"Yes." The Doberman nodded.

"Okay. Your nephew Alvin Paulo, along with his friends are the sole witnesses to a murder." The deputy explained. "Alvin got it on videotape, but we need to play it back. And according to your nephew, that camera he has is unable to play back the tape on its own."

"I can call my husband's business and get a playback unit sent here." Joey said. "I want to know what happened?"

"I'm not at liberty to say much, but the homicide victim was a undercover police officer, Columbus PD." Explained the deputy in his monotone voice. "He was part of a classified investigation run by the Columbus PD."

"I see~" Joey nodded.

"We would like to see this tape. Could you make that call please?" asked the deputy.

A phone call to Rob's business got Marcus Barion to drive out with a Betacam VTR.

The white and gray Nordic husky hooked it up to the O'Donnell's television set, switching it on and accepting the tape from Alvin. He rewound the tape and hit play, a picture bursting onto the screen showing a lonely brown leaf fluttering on a naked branch. The shot cut to the road, showing a car descending the apex of the hill, its bright headlights spread out as a four point star. Every movement of the camera smeared the bright highlights around in the tubes;heavy, reddish colored comet tails streaking across the picture. The strobe lights on the Crown Vic flickered from the tube's refresh rate, saturating the picture in a barrage of red and blue flashes that stuck in the picture momentarily.

Deputies stared and murmured at each other as they watched the tape play back.

"That's a police cruiser." Joey said to the deputy as he pointed at the screen.

"Could also be someone posing as one. Those lights are a dime a dozen." The deputy refuted.

"Can we turn this up? There's some sound I think." Another deputy called.

Turning the volume up all the way, the faint sound of a conversation could be heard, though the wind noise drowned a lot of it out. Joey watched without flinching as he saw the black wolf on camera pull his gun, firing the first shot that clipped in the microphone. The entire shot shook violently from Alvin's flinch, a sea of red streaking around from the bright lights that saturated the Plumbicons. Each gunshot clipped badly in the microphone, the sound of shuffling feet and gasps of shock adding to the medley. Alvin managed to zoom back in, showing a smoking pistol and a gloating black wolf who began to snoop around inside the Impala. The other figure, the Rottweiler was not in any good angle to get a close up of his face, his back turned mostly to the camera.

Marcus paused the shot the moment the black wolf looked up, freezing it perfectly on his face, who stared directly into the lens of the camera. Joey analyzed the frozen picture. The black wolf was slender, with blonde hair that was greased back and styled. His face had raw emotion all over it, a mixture of sinister satisfaction and shock. The shot was grainy and somewhat smeared, the Betacam format unable to render any more detail out of the shot.

Deputies looked puzzled, staring intensely as one snapped a photo for initial evidence. "We need this tape digitized."

"I can digitize this and give you the raw digital format for analysis." The husky explained to them.

"Good. There will have to be a deputy present during the digitization."

"That's not a problem." Nodded Marcus.

"Well...I think we got all the information we needed for right now. Mister Paulo, I'd suggest you let your nephew rest and mentally relax. We'll have an investigator come tomorrow and ask him a few more questions."

"Okay." Joey nodded. The Doberman glanced out the window to see Jordan's brother Taylor arrive, along with Spencer's parents Varg and Lily Eikemo, all of them rushing to the kitchen door.

On a glossy sheet of paper stared the piercing gaze of the blonde haired black wolf, a still shot from the video. Joey sat looking at it as the news played on the television in the TV room. At the kitchen table, the Doberman sat looking glum, yet serious at the fact his nephew had to witness a murder. It bugged him at who this figure was. He was cold and calculated, working his handgun like a skilled master. He knew that weapon like it was a part of him, muscle memory enabling such reflexes in the video Alvin captured. The tape was stored away safely, its digitized copy in the hands of the Sherriff's department as evidence. They were still tightlipped over all the facts, other than an undercover cop was killed by unknown assailants.

"Uncle Joey! The news is on!" came his nephew in the TV room. Joey got up and ventured into the room to sit with everyone around the big screen TV bolted to the wall. He sat on the small couch with Alvin, with Felix Barion and his boyfriend Tony lying on the floor, their houseguest Tobes leaning against the doorframe with his beefy arms crossed.

"An undercover police officer was killed in the line of duty today. Forty-one year old Roger Kennedy of the Columbus Division of Police was shot and killed in his car today in Licking County on Rutgers Road. Investigators believe that he was targeted due to an ongoing investigation about suspected gun running in the Central Ohio region." Explained the anchorman on the evening news. The shot turned to a taped interview of the Licking County Sheriff Bo Braddock.

"We are in the initial phases of piecing together what exactly went down, and we're not at liberty to explain everything in detail." Bo explained. The salt and pepper furred wolf sat at his office in downtown Newark, looking serious to the reporters. "We are in communications right now with the Columbus Division of Police, trying to synchronize our investigations into one."

"Was there a witness?" the reporter asked.

"I have one witness who saw what happened, but I cannot elaborate further for legal reasons." Bo explained on camera.

"You okay Alvin?" Joey asked.

"I am okay." Alvin smiled back at his uncle. "I needed time to calm down."

"It's okay to be upset and sad about what happened." Joey nodded. "Nobody your age- no, nobody should have to see someone die like that."

"Except Rob..." smirked Tony.

"Okay, I can make an exception about Rob~" Joey shook his head, the Doberman trying not to laugh.

"Rob's the grim reaper yo~"

"Now is not the time for morbid humor!" Joey exclaimed with a laugh.

The evening news began its new headline, an award being given to a Pine Ridge police officer, involved in the town's youth program. "Alternative Way, the youth program founded in Pine Ridge two and a half years ago by members of the Pine Ridge Police Department has been awarded a state prize for its exemplary service to youth in Licking County. Officers Michael Matix, and Eli Lamp were awarded the prize for their outstanding contribution to the youth program."

On the screen showed the photos of the officers involved. Michael Matix, a red furred Doberman with a flattop hairdo of ruddy hair, and Eli Lamp, a black wolf with blonde hair, and eyebrows.

Alvin looked square at the screen at Eli's photo, his head tilting some as a look of thought glanced on his face. His hair was coiffed and combed back, having a sheen of brylcreem through it. A benevolent, yet smug smile graced his face as the narrator explained more about them.

Joey stared with Alvin at the wolf's portrait, a feeling among both of them that his face looked familiar. His photo was replaced by a video of him being awarded, before it cut away to an interview.

"Uncle Joey?" Alvin said, looking at his uncle, who also had a deep look of thought on his face.

Joey got up from his seat to quickly grab the photo that sat on the dining room table. As Eli talked on the news, Joey held up the photo, looking in shock that it was a dead match.

"Oh my god." Muttered the Doberman.

Alvin looked at the photo, then the screen, and pointed. "That...that's him!"

A morning snowstorm turned the landscape white, as Joey and Alvin braved the elements driving to Pine Ridge. His iridium colored 3500 sloshing through the snow and slush, they traveled north on Route 310, destined to meet with the head of police.

"I hate the cold." Joey scoffed as he watched the snow fall, like a thick gray haze all in the distance.

"But you can build a snowman and play in it!" Alvin giggled, looking happy, yet tired, after a bad night of sleep.

"I don't have a thick enough pelt for this crap." Laughed Joey cynically. "I like the sun! Warmth! Beach fun and sand, and tanktops to show off my muscles."

"You're funny Uncle Joey!" smiled Alvin.

Route 310 took them into Pine Ridge, a small town on the western half of Licking County. It was a community of six thousand people, a rather rural town that, like Newark, suffered from poverty and unemployment. Yet, it had a police department that was, for the town's rather small size, rather large. Nine officers, a detective, sergeant, lieutenant, and chief of police made up for the Pine Ridge force, tucked neatly away in their headquarters near the heart of downtown Pine Ridge.

Rounding a shallow bend, Joey passed the town's maintenance depot, where the City of Pine Ridge kept their trucks and supplies at, behind the barbed wire fence. The road straightened out where the speed slowed down further, the city of Pine Ridge coming into view.

It was an old town, the first buildings coming into view being old brick structures, interspersed with some homes that were built in the 1920's. Pine Ridge had an old look and feel, a rust belt town of empty buildings that sat silent and boarded up. Joey's long bed truck rumbled into town, turning onto Main Street, where the police department resided at.

The headquarters of the Pine Ridge Police Department was a towering building, an ominous backdrop behind city hall. Two stories tall, the building was designed like two large squares, the second floor protruding out further than the first. It was made of poured concrete, with sharp angles and narrow, tall windows all around the second floor, a cold brutalist design with fascist overtures.

Pulling up front, Joey hopped up and looked up at the ominous building with his nephew. He didn't want to be here, but he felt he had no choice. His phone call to the Sheriff's department, telling them that he suspected a Pine Ridge officer did the killing didn't go anywhere, with the Sheriff's department brushing off the idea that a "respected man in blue would do such a thing". It was an ironic answer to Joey, who barely two years before fought the former Sheriff of Licking County, a corrupt despot who used his power and influence to help the trafficking of women. Even his call to the Columbus police went almost nowhere, with a "we'll look into it as the evidence unfolds" as their answer to Joey.

Through the glass double doors was the lobby of the department, an open square area of wood paneling and red carpet on a dark granite floor. A receptionist sat behind a large glass window, busy writing something out as Joey stepped up.

"Yes, may I help you?" asked the receptionist.

"Yes, I would like to speak to a member of the Pine Ridge police department, over a concern I have with the conduct of an officer." Joey explained in a calm voice. The receptionist nodded and picked up a phone, where she proceeded to dial a number.

"I have a person here who would like to speak to you concerning an apparent conduct issue with an officer. Thank you."

The wolfess put her phone down as she told Joey and his nephew to take a seat. "Our Lieutenant will be with you shortly."

Joey took a seat with Alvin, who sat beside him on the small couch provided in the lobby. It didn't take long for a door on the other side to open, revealing a burly Rottweiler dressed in a shirt and tie.

"Hello!" he greeted Joey. "I'm Lieutenant Magnus. How are you doing today?"

"I am good thank you." Smiled Joey. "I'm Joey Paulo. This is my nephew Alvin."

"Hi." Smiled the young Dobie-Rott.

"Well it's so nice to meet you." Smiled Magnus as he shook Alvin's paw. "Please! You two come back to my office."

Joey and Alvin followed him down a hallway to his office, located on the left side. It had the large windows that overlooked Pine Ridge, his desk placed immediately in front of them. The walls were the same wood paneling, adored with certifications, awards, and family portraits.

"So what brings you two here today?" Magnus asked as he sat down at his desk, clasping his big paws together.

"I come here today to voice a concern and suspicion." Joey said to him. "In light of yesterday's death of that undercover officer."

"Yes. I'm devastated that a police officer was killed in the line of duty. We just left a terrible year of law enforcement deaths, and we start 2017 with a tragic death close to home." Magnus said with a melancholy expression.

"My nephew here witnessed the shooting. It really shook him up." Joey said as he looked over at Alvin who nodded.

"I was out with my friends and our camera when we saw this vehicle get pulled over by this car with the lights on it, and the next thing we know, this fella pulled a gun and shot and killed him." Alvin explained.

"Alvin managed to get the whole fiasco on videotape, which is why I am here today." Joey said as he reached into his pocket to pull out the folded up photo. He unfolded it and turned it around to show Magnus, who stared at the tight in shot of Eli Lamp's face.

"I have reason to believe that this person here is Officer Eli Lamp, of your department." Joey said bluntly. "This is a still shot from the video that Alvin took yesterday. The master copy and the digitized copy reside with the Sheriff's department."

Magnus took the photo and examined it, a look of shock forming on his face. "This, this is terrible Joey. I can't believe it."

"It is unfortunate I know." The Doberman nodded.

"When you think you know somebody..." Magnus shook his head.

"There was a second assailant, but Alvin was unable to get a good facial shot of him in the video." Joey explained.

"I want to thank you for bringing this huge injustice to light. I will personally investigate this since I am in charge of our department's ethics operation. This is a serious accusation that I will not take lightly. But I ask that you keep this just between us in this department- so I can work forward with my superiors on how to move forward in this investigation."

"Sure." Nodded Joey. "I want the perpetrator brought to justice."

"I will see to it personally Joey. Thank you for bringing this to light." Magnus said.

With handshakes and a goodbye, Joey and Alvin departed, Magnus closing the door to his office. He looked at the photo of Eli before setting it on his desk, the Rottweiler making his way to the large windows to see out over the city. He watched Joey's crew cab truck back up slowly and pull away, heading down Main Street for the highway as his eyes watched the vehicle slip from view.

"What sounds good for lunch?" Joey asked as he rounded the bend on 310.

"Tee Jay's sounds good." Nodded Alvin. "Maybe we can get Grandma and Grandpa to come!"

"Oh boy...with Grandpa he'd be breaking the bank with his appetite." Laughed Joey.

Hitting forty-five, Joey drove his GMC cautiously, the roads covered in snow. Out of the corner of his eye, he saw a Crown Victoria round the bend, a blue Crown Victoria with a cow catcher bolted on the front. Alvin looked over in the tow mirror to his right, noticing the vehicle come close and shadow them. The Dobie leaned forward to get a better look, noticing two figures in the car, one of them with blonde hair. Alvin was unable to alert his uncle when the lights came on the unmarked cruiser, flashing red and blue as Joey looked up.

"Oh shit..." the older Doberman muttered as he turned his hazards on and began to slow down to pull over.

"Uncle Joey..." Alvin muttered.

"Don't worry Alvin~" Joey said as he came to a stop. He pushed the column shifter into park and rolled his window down, proceeding to grab his wallet and fetch his ID.

The doors to the Crown Victoria opened slowly, the driver being a red Doberman. The passenger door opened to reveal Eli Lamp, dressed in his black uniform, complete with shining badge on his shirt pocket. He walked with an arrogant swagger, approaching the vehicle with a smug smile on his face.

"Do you know why I pulled you over?" he asked Joey. His voice was medium pitched and slightly nasally.

Joey handed him his ID. "Depends how long you were following me~" His response was mockingly cynical.

"You were going forty-five in a forty." Eli said amusingly as he examined Joey's truck. "You got a nice pickup man...just a shame that you're in the wrong place...at the wrong time..."

"UNCLE JOEY!" screamed Alvin as he saw Eli pull his gun.

The Doberman reacted swiftly as he grabbed the gun. Deflecting it away from Alvin it went off with a terrific BANG! The windshield cracked as a bullet shot through it, radiating cracks shooting all around as the smell of cordite filled the cab. Alvin screamed in terror as Joey struggled with the gun. The young Dobie lunged for the cranked column shifter. He managed to slam the truck into drive as Joey slammed his foot onto the gas.

The tires spun against the slick pavement, kicking up slush and snow as the GMC struggled to take off. Eli was dragged as he continued to fight with Joey, who held onto his arm as they began picking up speed. The red Doberman, his service arm drawn was unable to fire, with Eli precariously dangling from the side.

His boots scraped against the pavement on 310 as Joey refused to let go, the cab filled with screams. Eli held onto the window sill, trying desperately to free his gun arm as Joey slammed it against the steering wheel. The Smith and Wesson, a black Sigma fell from his grip, landing on the floor of the cab with a thud as Joey slammed his elbow into Eli's face, knocking him from the truck. At nearly fifty miles per hour, the black wolf landed and rolled onto 310, bucking with each blow against the pavement as the blue Crown Vic screeched to a halt.

Shaken, and bleeding from his nose, Eli limped over to the Crown Victoria as he jumped inside. "Let's go Matix!"

Spinning its tires, the sedan took off with its siren blazing, pursuing the GMC.

Breathing heavily, Joey tried to outrun the sedan, but the treacherous, slick roads made it impossible. He couldn't go past fifty without the lightly loaded tail wanting to fishtail.

"Oh my god they're gonna kill us!" Alvin cried out.

"No, no they won't." Joey reassured, only to suddenly hear gunshots blow out the back window. Alvin screamed as bullets whizzed by, the rear windows exploding as Eli fired at them with a rifle. His shots tore through the tailgate and blew out the rear taillights of his GMC.

Joey slammed his foot on the brakes, his tires locking up as the Crown Vic slammed into the rear of his truck. The impact crumpled the hood, the rear of the 3500HD slamming onto the Crown Vic, which skidded in response. Joey slammed it into four wheel drive and slammed his foot on the gas, his Duramax sending all its power through the front tires, which pulled them apart. The cow catcher on the Crown Vic scraped against the pavement as Eli reloaded his rifle, slamming another thirty round magazine into the receiver.

He stuck his upper body out of the window, taking him through his red dot at the truck as he unleashed another torrent of bullets that sparked and tore through the GMC.

"Get down Alvin!" screamed Joey as bullets cracked the windshield further. The headrest above Alvin exploded in a puff of fabric as a 5.56mm round tore through it. There was a loud bang as Joey felt a tire burst, a warning light illuminating in his cab about "low tire pressure". He slammed his foot on the brakes again, just as the other rear tire was hit, the Crown Vic smashing into the back of his Sierra, tearing the tailgate off.

The impact knocked Eli almost out of the car, the Crown Victoria sliding on the snow as Joey cranked the column shifter into reverse. Slamming his foot on the gas once more, the rear tires began to shred rubber as they flopped against the road, the rear of his GMC crumpling up the driver door as he slammed the Crown Vic into the guardrail near the 161 overpass. Joey repeated the process, demanding all the power in his truck to disable the Crown Vic as much as he could.

Alvin was nearly hyperventilating from the adrenaline surging through his veins. His eyes noticed Eli's pistol lying on the floor, at his feet. The young Doberman grabbed the gun and raised it up, firing through the shattered passenger window at the Crown Victoria's hood. The recoil was harsh on his paws as he fired the entire magazine into the hood, watching as steam shot through the bullet holes from the ruptured radiator. The slide locked back just as Joey got enough traction to begin crawling away, his badly wounded Sierra limping across the overpass to slide into the guardrail to the on ramp for 161 to Newark.

The Crown Victoria limped for a few feet and died, its engine destroyed. Eli jumped out of the vehicle and ran to the bridge, watching the wounded Sierra limp away onto the highway.

"GOD DAMNIT!" he screamed at the top of his lungs.

"You okay Alvin?" Joey asked his nephew, the two of them breathing heavily.

Alvin held onto the still warm pistol, realizing what he had done. Joey snatched the gun from his grip, realizing that his nephew helped disable the car by shooting its radiator out.

"Alvin! Oh god..." Joey muttered at the realization that his nephew could have gotten killed.

"I had no choice!" Alvin exclaimed.

Joey's mind raced multiple thoughts at once as he felt the truck shudder and vibrate from its destroyed rear tires. Bits of rubber were shed as the rims sparked on the highway, the GMC struggling to stay up to speed. Looking at his dashboard, Joey noticed the fuel gauge was much lower than what he remembered it, his eyes noticing the needle slowly dropping. Looking out to his rear, he saw the sparks, and a trail of diesel fuel soak the road, his fuel tank punctured.

How could Eli have known where he was? Who tipped him off? Joey thought as he looked over at Alvin. The only person he talked to was Lieutenant Magnus, at the station.

It suddenly made sense to Joey.

There was no way of denying that Magnus had to be corrupt. Joey figured he must have tipped Eli off after they had left, knowing now that there was a witness to his crime. The rumors and cynical stories that he had heard about Pine Ridge's police department were true; they were corrupt, top to bottom. From arbitrary traffic stops, profiling of people, to brutality, rumors he had once brushed off as "hyperbole" were very well true. Thinking deeper, Joey saw Alvin's video play in his mind, his mind recalling the other figure in the shot. Remembering how Magnus looked, it was obvious the features matched; the square head, burly frame.

"Magnus was the other guy in your video..." Joey muttered.

"They're gonna kill us Uncle Joey..." Alvin said, looking terrified.

"Over my dead body..." Joey promised, just as his truck ran out of diesel.

His torn up Sierra died on the side of Route 161, halfway to Newark, near the Route 37 overpass. The Duramax sputtered and backfired as the truck came to grief. Joey hopped out to examine the damage sustained. His bed and camper shell were to cut to ribbons, with large gaping holes from bullets flying in and out. The windows and windshield were destroyed, and the seating was all chewed up from bullets. It was a pure miracle that they weren't hit by any of the erratic firing.

"Well you can tell a cop shot...they hit everything but the target~" Joey rolled his hazel eyes. He turned his attention to Alvin, who stood on the other side, looking bleak and scared.

Joey ran over and gave his nephew a tight hug to comfort him as the snow fell around them.

"I'm scared Uncle Joey..."

"So am I Alvin... it's okay~"

Each ring made Joey more impatient on his phone.

Sitting in the office of his friend Reid, he tapped his foot on the carpet as he desperately waited for Rob to answer his phone. On the opposite side of the desk sat Reid, a detective with the Newark Division of Police. The thirty-nine year old was the eldest brother of Rob's ex, sitting with his head propped up as he talked on the telephone with the Sheriff's department.

"Rob here." Came his lover's sharp message.

"Rob! Rob! I need you to come back!" Joey exclaimed.

"I'm in Kyiv, Ukraine right now. What's going on? Is there an emergency?" Rob asked.

"Yes there is an extreme emergency. Alvin is in grave danger." Joey exclaimed into his phone.

"What!?" was Rob's shocked reply.

"Alvin witnessed a cop shoot and kill some guy in a car when him and his friends were at Toby's shooting video yesterday. I went with Alvin to the Pine Ridge station where this cop is from and told them our suspicions, and the next thing I know this fucking cop is trying to kill us on 310!" Joey explained.

"Okay calm down. Where are you at now?" Rob asked.

"I'm with Reid, at the station with Alvin."

"Okay. Until this cop is secured, I need you to get Alvin and his friends out of here. Someplace safe. I have to fly back to Naples and get Mark and Tanner and the C-5 ready. But it will be some time before we can get back to the US. So until then, I want Alvin, and his buddies out of this state."

"I can call Kurt and get them down to Miami." Joey added.

"That works. Okay. Keep me updated! I have to go." Rob said.

"Be safe flying Rob. I love you." Joey said.

"I love you too. Do what you have to do to protect Alvin. Worry about the legal shit later. Bye."

Joey put his phone down as he saw Reid finishing up his conversation.

"Thank you. Goodbye." The chocolate brown wolf said as he put the phone down. He looked up and made eye contact with Joey. "I just got off the phone with Bo. He spoke with the Chief of Police at Pine Ridge, and they're saying their officers were ambushed by an unknown assailant that caused their vehicle to crash."

"Enemies change, the lies stay the same~" Joey shook his head.

"Something is not adding up here." Reid explained. "I'm sorry, I'm out of the loop on this whole murder thing, so I have to get caught up here."

"You're the only person I trust at this point." Joey said in a serious tone.

"So you go to the station, you speak to the Lieutenant, and then this Eli Lamp fella pulls you over and pulls a gun on you?"

Joey reached into his jacket and pulled out the Smith and Wesson, wrapped in a sandwich bag. He tossed it on the desk, landing with a thud on the wood. "Would I lie?"

Reid picked up the gun, its slide still locked back. "Smith and Wesson Sigma, forty caliber semi-automatic. Law enforcement model."

"The gun of Eli Lamp." Joey pointed.

"I'm going to make a safe assumption that the Chief of Pine is lying to the Sheriff's department."

"Indeed." Nodded the Doberman. "I also suspect that is the gun used in the murder of the undercover cop."

"We will have to run forensics on it. They left for the night, it will have to be done tomorrow morning." Reid said in a dull tone as he examined the gun.

"You have got to be kidding me...there's nobody who can check that thing out?"

"I'm sorry Joey, but you have to deal with the bureaucracy."

"There is a murderer lurking out there, with a badge and a gun Reid. My nephew and his friends- myself! In danger." Joey stared.

"The Newark Division of Police is not involved in this investigation being waged by the Sheriff's and the Columbus PD. I'm not even at full liberty to look at half the files they have!" Reid tried to reason.

"The files...other police departments can see different cases?"

"Interoperability." Nodded the wolf.

"Oh my god...if Pine Ridge finds my information and Alvin's friends...they're going to get targeted. I have to get them out of Ohio." Joey exclaimed.

"You have to let the investigation run its course. Now that we have the gun it can go faster. If this is indeed the gun used to murder Officer Kennedy, then we have our man." Reid explained as calm as he could. "You just can't jump the gun Joey! No pun intended~ This isn't Dirty Harry, or Miami Vice! If they grab Eli now, he walks because of a lack of evidence. Then double jeopardy. You have to trust law enforcement- they know what they're doing."

"This is a life or death situation. A unique case of the lawman being the law breaker!" Joey snapped. "I need all our information taken off the investigation file..."

"Joey, that can't happen in an ongoing investigation since you and Alvin plus his friends are witnesses to a heinous crime."

"That is my family that is being put in grave danger..." the Doberman growled.

"Let's give this gun over to the Sheriff's and let forensics get their smoking gun. We have the evidence now. All we need is time." Reid said in an effort to calm Joey down.

"It all makes sense. Eli Lamp confiscates in a raid twelve automatic rifles from a home. The evidence is never recorded in police storage, it simply disappears. Like it never even existed. An undercover officer assigned to investing gun running in central Ohio is killed by Lamp. Covering his tracks. It all makes sense Reid. That Sigma is the smoking gun. There is enough evidence now- a conspiracy to get Eli and Magnus off the street into a jail cell!"

"That gun has to be processed, it has to be fired and checked against the recovered bullets from Officer Kennedy's autopsy. Then a warrant has to be filed, and approved by a judge. I know you're worried, and rightfully so, but let the law take these guys down." Reid pointed out.

"...sometimes the law works."

"And sometimes it doesn't!" Joey snapped.

Joey left his friend's office feeling dejected, upset, and scared. An ominous feeling of death lurked in the back of his mind, a feeling that he was on borrowed time. Returning to the main lobby, he found Alvin talking to two Sheriff's deputies, who were concluding their questions to him for their investigation.

Whisking Alvin with him, Joey and his nephew left for Rob's pickup truck, a gray Silverado. Boarding his 2500HD, Joey backed it out and plowed through the snow, the weather in Newark deteriorating further. The snowstorm enveloped central Ohio, the sky low and dark with thick flakes falling from the heavens. It was a slow and tense drive back home to Karen Parkway, with Joey and Alvin mute the whole time as they slid their way back home in the choking snowstorm.

In the shadow of the corner stood Joey, his phone held close to his cropped ear as he waited for his business partner Kurt Tanager to answer. It rang and rang until finally he picked up.

"Hey Joey!" Kurt started to say when Joey cut him off.

"Kurt my nephew and his friends are in danger. I need your help."

"What's going on?"

"Alvin and his friends videotaped a crooked cop shooting and killing an undercover police officer, and they're being targeted. I need to get them out of here." Joey explained.

"You mean down to Miami?" Kurt asked.

"Yeah."

"Well sure. I can host them down here. How long?" asked Kurt.

"Until they get that cop and his accomplice booked and charged with murder." Joey sharply said. "A few days at minimal. Look I'll pay you and-"

"Get them down here. How soon?"

"I'd like to fly out tonight."

"Are you crazy? I saw on the news here that Ohio is getting slammed with a major snow storm!" Kurt exclaimed.

Joey turned to watch the snow howl outside. "I guess I am."

"That's gonna be some pretty rough turbulence, and icing conditions." Kurt hesitantly said. "Keep me posted okay?"

"Will do." Joey said, concluding his phone call. He put his cell phone down and turned to look at everyone in his living room, the mood being somber. On the couch sat Spencer's parents Lily and Varg Eikemo, his neighbors, and on the chair sat Taylor Fernando, the older brother and legal guardian of Jordan. Also in the group was Joey's parents, Marie and Andrew, standing by the lamp accompanied by Felix, Tony, and Tobes.

"Okay. Kurt said he can host Alvin, Jordan, and Spencer for a few days until things are safe again." Joey announced. "I'm hoping we can fly them out-"

"Sorry no can do on that." Felix cut in. "Geert told me there was a fatal plane crash at Newark-Heath about an hour ago. A Navajo hit the runway hard due to a downdraft and the pilot and passenger were killed. Airport's closed until they can get the wreckage off the runway, but the snow is preventing that tonight."

"What about Rickenbacker?"

"Level three snow emergency declared for Franklin County. Level two in Licking but will probably move to level three for the night." The tan furred Doberman explained.

"Fuck!" Joey snapped. "All our options are exhausted."

"It's too dangerous." Felix added. "Visibility is practically zero in spots. Whiteout."

"What about everyone's safety?" asked Lily, an Estonian wolfess. "If those police officers know the kids saw that murder, what about all of us? We're all witnesses."

"The kids are in the most danger. They were there." Joey nodded. "I have to get them down to Miami."

"The weather is supposed to clear tomorrow. So if they can get the wreckage cleared out in time, then we can get them aboard Coneflower and fly them out ASAP." Felix explained.

"Okay. That'll be the best course of action." Joey said. "In the meantime. I suggest that we keep Spencer and Jordan here for the night. I got the firepower to keep them at bay."

"You gotta protect my little bro." Taylor said to Joey.

"I will~"

The plan was agreed upon. Joey and Felix would fly the three kids out to Miami tomorrow morning once the storm cleared and the airport cleaned up and dug out.

Flipping on the light to his bedroom, Joey threw open the flimsy closet doors to reveal his gun safe. Punching the code in, the Doberman opened the heavy green safe door, revealing his assortment of automatic rifles. Next to Rob's plum AK-74 sat his G3, the menacing black rifle complete with collapsible stock. Joey grabbed it and tossed it on his bed, proceeding to grab a bunch of his thirty round magazines. As Joey worked furiously to get his flak jacket and ammunition ready, his father stepped into the room.

"Joey. Everything is going to be okay." Andrew said with his Portuguese accent.

"It's a war Dad." Joey said in a serious tone. "It's a war on us. By the Pine Ridge Police Department."

"You got our support. Me and your Mom are going with you to the airport tomorrow. Armed. We're not going to let anyone hurt Alvin, or his friends." The sixty-two year old said.

"We're all in danger. But I'm not going without a fight." Joey promised as he examined his G3A4.

"You're nervous you don't have Rob to back you up." Andrew probed.

"...yes. I don't have Rob to bring up the rear, or go on the offensive. He's stuck in Bratislava. Oil leak on his Corsair as he was flying back to Italy, from Ukraine."

"He'll be back soon."

"Not soon enough Dad." Joey shook his head.

Joey nearly jumped when he heard the telephone go off, the shriek making the fur rise on the back of his neck. He walked over to the phone that sat on the night dresser, noticing on its caller ID a blocked number.

Joey looked at his father as he picked the phone up, his index finger hitting the speaker phone.

"Hello." Joey spoke.

There was a long period of silence, but Joey knew there was someone on the other end. He stood there feeling every beat of his heart as he waited for a response.

"Hello Joey." Came Eli's voice. "Nice to hear from ya old friend of mine~"

Joey froze, his face showing his tension as Andrew took a few steps forward.

"You're a very lucky Dober. You know that right? The last guy wasn't so lucky. But you? You're a really lucky fella. So is your nephew. He's a really cute kid. It's a shame that he had to witness what happened...had I gotten my hands on him...well...it would have been a huge mess...."

Joey took the phone off speakerphone as he slammed it to his face. "Listen here you fucking son of a bitch..."

"He talks!" laughed Eli, a mockingly cynical laugh.

"When I find you. I'm killing you." Joey growled.

"Threatening a police officer. Tisk tisk..."

"You're not a cop...you're a murderer. With a badge."

"Heh, I am many things. I hope this tension is not getting to you. The thought that you don't know when I'll strike. Could be midnight, could be two in the morning...could be now... who knows right? I hope you have a good night ole Joey boy, I look forward to meeting with you again soon~"

The line went dead on Joey, who immediately tossed the phone and grabbed his rifle. He ran out to the living room, looking through the windows on all sides of the house, only to find nothing but blowing snow around.

"Joey! Joey!" Marie exclaimed.

"It was Eli Mom!" Joey shouted. "He was on the phone...taunting me."

"Son!" Andrew called.

"I'm fucking killing him!" Joey yelled, his rifle tight in his grip.

"Joey!" Andrew exclaimed. "Please calm down!"

"Calm down?! My nephew is at risk here!" Joey snapped at his parents. "Nobody is going to hurt that kid~"

"Nobody will. You got us to back you up." Andrew said, who gave his son a tight hug.

"God I love you Dad~" Joey said in return.

A cold wind blew glistening snow through the morning rays of light. A frigid dawn greeted Joey and everyone as he boarded Alvin, Spencer, and Jordan into the back of Rob's Silverado. Andrew loaded suitcases of clothes and other items into the long bed of Rob's crew cab truck, its gasoline engine burbling under the hood.

"Okay, now you boys have fun!" Lily said, with a somewhat forced smile given the circumstances. Her adopted son Spencer could barely muster a smile as he agreed, an icy fear through the backseat among the kids.

"Okay. We almost ready?" asked Andrew, who had his FAL rifle slung across his body.

"Yeah." Nodded Felix. He held his bleached stock AK-74, his boyfriend Tony slinging his German K.43 rifle. Even Joey's mother Marie carried a gun, her 10mm Glock. Joey wore his flak jacket that had pouches for his magazines, his menacing G3 being tossed into the cab as he climbed aboard.

"Let's go." Joey called to everyone.

He drove first, followed behind by Tony and the others in Tony's red Suburban. Armed to the teeth, they were ready for a fight.

Joey turned onto Karen Parkway and began his trek to the airport, where he got in contact with Geert, Rob's friend, and co-owner of Newark-Heath.

"Geert...how's the runway."

"It's cleaned up now." The Dutchman said. "We're just about ready to open it."

"Good. I need you to get Coneflower ready. I need it fueled, and all engines running. If there is a problem, get something flying. The Convair, DC-6, I don't fucking care. It has to be running and ready to go. This is an emergency."

"Rob kept me updated. Thank you Joey."

"Thank you Geert." Joey said as he put his phone away.

Joey looked back to see Alvin and his friends have a look of terror on their faces.

Joey forced a smile. "It's okay guys! We'll get you all to safety. It'll all be over soon."

"I sure hope so..." frowned Alvin.

"I'm scared Joey." Jordan nodded.

"You're going to be okay Jordan."

Joey turned onto Granville Street, the road being completely dead. His tires spun on the slick pavement, the Silverado slowly climbing the shallow hill near the entrance for Newark High School. The Suburban followed close behind, driven by Tony as the others clutched their rifles.

Joey made the turn onto 11st street, heading down the hill under the Route 16 overpass. The light at the intersection of Church was green, Joey proceeding to pick up speed going down the hill. He breathed a sigh of relief as he approached the intersection, knowing that he was getting closer to the airport.

"We'll be there in-"

Before Joey could finish his words, a tremendous impact hit the Silverado, the side curtain airbags exploding. Alvin screamed as the door contorted in, from the impact of a police SUV. The cab of Rob's three-quarter ton filled with dust from the deflated airbags, the 2500 skidding across the intersection to bump the curb.

Tony slammed on his brakes as he saw the impact, his Suburban sliding to a stop into the side of the gray Tahoe. A Tahoe that belonged to the Pine Ridge Police.

"NOBODY MOVE!" screamed officers as they poured out of the Tahoe, armed with AR carbines. Dressed in black with their black carbines the officers swarmed the Silverado. Two more Pine Ridge cruisers screeched to a stop on Church Street, with Eli Lamp emerging from a Taurus interceptor.

Dazed, Joey shook his head and blinked, just as he saw the driver door get ripped open. He felt paws immediately grab him, his eyes recognizing the officer as Michael Matix, the driver of the Crown Vic that shot at him. Joey shoved him away, his paw grabbing his G3 as he flung the butt of his rifle into Matix's face, bloodying his nose and stunning him as the Doberman went on the offensive. Lunging for his .40 cal, they struggled against each other, just as Tony and the others poured out of the SUV.

Eli, breathing heavily through clenched teeth ripped the damaged door open, his paws throwing Alvin out of the vehicle. His friends tried valiantly to hold onto him as they screamed and struggled, Jordan and Spencer falling out, only to whisked into the hands of the corrupt officers.

"DROP MY GRANDSON!" screamed Andrew, who took aim with his FAL. Eli spun around and held his pistol to Alvin's head, threatening to kill him.

"I'll kill him!" screamed Eli who used the young Doberman as a shield. "I'll kill this fucker!"

Bullets suddenly rang out as an officer opened fire with his carbine, forcing Andrew to dive behind the Suburban as windows blew out. Marie jumped up from the hood and fired with her 10mm, diving beneath the engine as bullets tore through the hood.

Eli shoved Alvin into the back seat of his cruiser, moving aside as another officer forced Jordan and Spencer into the backseat.

"GET IN THERE!" screamed a German Shepherd to Spencer who struggled against his grip.

"NO!" Spencer screamed, just as the husky took the butt of the officer's carbine to his face. The force of the impact broke his glasses in half, the strike gashing his forehead as he was knocked back into his friends.

"Let's go Paul!" yelled the black wolf as he jumped into the passenger seat of the Taurus.

"JOEY! They've taken Alvin!" yelled Andrew, who fired back at officers with his rifle.

"GREAT!" snarled the Doberman who got his head slammed into the door of the Silverado by Matix. Shoved back, the red Doberman had succeeded in pulling his pistol when Joey watched his forehead explode in a mist of blood. Matix's head flung back and splattered against the rear doors of the crew cab, soaking it in blood as he collapsed to the ground with a thud. Joey looked up behind him to see Tony with his K.43, a stern look gracing his face.

"Get Alvin! Joey!" he screamed.

Joey looked up to see the Taurus spin its tires as they tried to make an escape. Extending his stock, Joey took aim, only to realize if he missed, he'd kill his own nephew, or one of his friends. It was simply too dangerous to proceed. His thoughts were interrupted as bullets flew near him, by three of the officers with their AR's. Joey dropped to the ground as he tried to take aim.

"That's my grandson!" screamed Andrew as he charged at the Taurus, his FAL in his grip. Eli took aim with his rifle and fired through his window, striking Andrew multiple times in the shoulder and arm, as the portly Doberman collapsed into the snow.

"CROSSFIRE! CROSSFIRE!" screamed Felix.

"Andrew!" Marie yelled. She fired her Glock, hitting one deputy in the chest as her bullet punched through his ballistic vest. He fell and landed against the Tahoe, only to fire a bust from his rifle that struck Marie in the arm. The lady Doberman yelled as she fell, blood pouring from her wounds.

Joey threw himself up against the hood and fired at the other deputy in the back, striking him multiple times with a loud blast from his G3. Blood blew out against the gray SUV as he fell, the Doberman jumping around to watch the Tahoe escape away.

"DAD!" screamed Joey, seeing the snow red with blood around him as he languished on the ground.

"DAD!" he yelled as he ran over to find four gunshots to his shoulder and arms.

"Get Alvin! Get Alvin!" Andrew yelled through clenched teeth. "Get him!"

"Marie's been hit!" Tony yelled. "I'll take care of this!"

"Get Alvin!" screamed Felix.

Joey pursed his lips and charged for the Silverado. Battered and damaged, Joey hopped in and floored it, his tires kicking up snow as he spun the truck around and took off, just as a Newark cruiser screeched up at the sight.

As Joey escaped, his friend Reid jumped out from the Crown Vic, armed with an Mp5 as he saw the carnage of dead and wounded Pine Ridge officers.

"Jesus fucking Christ." Reid grumbled. "Marie! Andrew! Tony!"

"Send for backup. Shots fired." Reported Reid's partner who ran over to treat Andrew.

"They got Alvin!" Marie cried out as she held onto her bleeding arm. "They got my grandson!"

"Who did this?" Reid asked.

"Why don't you look at the fucking SUV that's sitting here yo!" Tony pointed out.

Reid toggled his radio, calling for additional backup. "I need Sheriff's Department, FBI, we got ourselves some crooked cops here."

With Route 161 plowed, the Taurus raced along, heading back to Pine Ridge.

"Magnus, this is Eli. We got them." The black spoke into the radio.

"Excellent. I'll meet you on 310. Over."

"Acknowledged." Eli concluded. He released the toggle as he turned around to see Alvin Jordan and Spence staring at him, wide eyed and full of fear.

"Why so serious guys?" Eli cackled with a grin. "It's like you've seen a ghost or something!"

Spencer winced from being in pain, dried blood matting his soft white and beige fur.

"You boys have caused me a lot of grief..." Eli glared. "Especially you...cameraman."

Alvin gulped.

"You know...I don't like considering myself a bad person...but you have to see the circumstances. Loose lips sink ships."

"You're a mad man." Alvin hissed.

"And you're a little runt." Eli scoffed in return.

"You're going to pay." Spencer glared.

"Oh please. You three will be nothing but a note in the obituary section." Eli glared.

"Same to you." Spencer hissed, only to suddenly get blasted in the face with mace. The husky screamed and cried as his eyes furiously stung, with tears and snot dripping from his eyes and nose.

"SHUT UP!" Eli screamed.

"Uh oh..." his driver muttered.

"What do you mean UH OH!?" Eli yelled when his eyes took notice of a truck approaching on 161. A gray Silverado. "Oh fuck."

Closing the gap slowly was Joey and the battered Silverado, racing along the plowed lanes at 50 mph. Shuddering slightly from damage, the 2500HD groaned along, Joey clutching his rifle in his right paw.

"Fucking kidnap my nephew and wound my parents with the gun I built!?" Joey thought to himself. "It's on."

The Taurus attempted to pick up speed, only for its tires to slosh around on the patchy pavement. The much heavier Silverado barreled through on four wheel drive, approaching slowly.

"Don't worry Alvin! I'm coming!" Joey yelled to himself.

The Pine Ridge Cruiser barreled onto the off ramp to 310, followed by Joey as the corrupt officers tried their best to reach backup in Pine Ridge. Attempting the turn too fast, Paul lost control, the Taurus slamming into the guard rail and bouncing off it. It gave Joey enough of an opening to power slide across the turn, his paw turning the wheel furiously to correct. With skill he straightened out, watching the wounded Taurus scrape along.

Slamming his foot on the gas, Joey pulled up beside the Taurus and began slamming into it, grinding the Taurus into the guard rail. Sparks exploded off the Ford as the Chevy ground it around. Paul slammed the Taurus into the side of the truck, but the heavier vehicle was not fazed by the blows. Joey slammed his truck one final time into the Taurus, which send it flying into a ditch.

An explosion of snow met the Taurus as Joey slid to a stop. He jumped out of his running truck with his G3 drawn, yelling for Alvin and his friends to escape.

"GET OUT!" Joey screamed. Alvin was the first to throw the door open, the Doberman dropping to the ground as Paul jumped out, armed with a Beretta. Joey fired an automatic burst at him, striking him in his chest and shoulders that blew out his backside. The Shepherd collapsed into the door and slouched, with blood pouring from his wounds.

Eli jumped out, attempting to get a shot at Alvin when Joey struck him, his .308's making lethal contact. A mist of blood and fur exploded from his throat as three rounds tore away his neck, the black wolf immediately collapsing on the ground, writhing as jets of blood shot everywhere from his severed jugular.

"I can't see! I can't see!" pleaded Spencer, who Alvin held, his face stained orange by the mace and his blood.

"It's okay Spencer! I got you!" Alvin said, trying to comfort his friend as his uncle ordered them into the truck.

Joey watched Eli writhe in his death throes as the blood continued to shoot everywhere, his paws futilely grasping on what was left of his neck. The Doberman cringed in disgust for a moment, before he saw a police SUV come barreling towards him.

Another Pine Ridge Tahoe raced over the bridge over 161, an officer firing at him from the passenger seat. Joey fired his G3, which roared and shot flames out of its barrel, his rounds striking the cruiser and windshield. He retreated as everyone got in the truck, the Doberman jumping in and peeling off towards the town of Pine Ridge.

"Can't get out that way!" Joey exclaimed.

"Oh god why me..." cried Spencer who could not open his swollen eyes. Alvin and Jordan, despite the situation they were tried to comfort him as best they could as Joey attempted to gain speed.

"Let's go...you son of a bitch!" yelled Joey, realizing the damage to Rob's truck was inhibiting its speed.

The 2500 barely hit 60 as the Tahoe pursued, its lights and sirens flashing. Joey called for everyone to buckle up as he held the truck steady on the slick roads.

His mind raced a thousand miles an hour. He was running out of options, and didn't know what to do other than fight his way out. But he was out numbered, and outgunned.

"They're gaining on us Joey!" Jordan cried out.

Joey turned his head to look back, puzzled at why they weren't firing at him. He turned his head to watch the road when he suddenly saw a third Tahoe slide to a stop to block the road. His eyes going wide, he screamed for everyone to brace as he slammed his foot on the brakes, the tires locking up but sliding on the ice and snow.

With a tremendous impact, the Silverado smashed into the Tahoe, which sent the truck spinning. It hit the ditch hard and flipped, the truck rolling violently five times down the embankment from the turn, and smashed through the fence of the maintenance depot for the city.

The gray truck came to grief on its roof, the entire frame crushed in and contorted out of shape as steam shot from the radiator. Joey blinked through the dust and debris as he laid on the roof of the Silverado's cab. He heard the pain filled cries of Alvin, Jordan, and Spencer, who were bloodied and injured from the roll over.

"My arm! My arm!" screamed Spencer. Joey glanced at the husky, seeing that his arm was clearly broken at the elbow.

"Uncle Joey! That hurt!" Alvin cried out.

"Don't move!" screamed an officer as he slid down the embankment, his "Paulo Carbon-15" tight in his shoulder. "Don't you fucking move asshole!"

Joey grabbed his 9mm Taurus. He spun around and fired from the window, striking the officer in the legs as he fell face first into the snow.

"Let's go! Let's go!" Joey yelled. He grabbed his G3 and pistol and shimmied his way out of the destroyed window. He yanked Jordan out first, followed by a screaming Spencer, as Alvin climbed out himself.

His nephew was bloodied, from a gash to his forehead, but otherwise unhurt as he ran for safety behind his uncle.

"Run kids!" Joey yelled as gun fire erupted, from the other deputies, now joined by Lieutenant Magnus.

Jordan dragged Spencer along as they ran behind the corner of one of the depot's buildings, followed by Alvin. Joey shoved his nephew beyond the curb, just as a ricochet struck him in the leg.

"MMMMMM!" Joey groaned as he fell and rolled.

"Uncle Joey!" screamed Alvin as he tried to help his uncle.

Joey grabbed his right leg, feeling his jeans wet. He pulled his paw away to reveal it stained red with his blood, his entire pants leg soaked red with blood.

"You've been shot..." Alvin said.

"Let's go. Let's go!" Joey motioned. He looked around for a hiding place at the large depot, made up of two large storage buildings and other odds and ends that sat around.

As officers closed in, Joey opened a side door and whisked Alvin and everyone inside, shutting the door behind him. Inside the large building sat a dump truck that was undergoing maintenance, with a large stack of concrete behind it. Eighty pound bags of concrete formed a tall pile that was nearly two stories tall. Joey limped over and tossed everyone behind the concrete, with himself jumping over as he winced in pain.

"They got us surrounded..." Joey breathed heavily as they hid. The sounds of yelling and boots stomping echoed around them as they hid.

"What do we do Uncle Joey?" Alvin asked.

"I don't know...we gotta get help. Somehow..." Joey quietly said, wincing in pain from his bleeding leg.

Alvin tried his best to hold his paws on the bleeding wound, the young Doberman fearing for his uncle's wellbeing.

"My arm is numb...I can't move it..." Spencer sniffled, the husky clutching his bloody, hurt right arm with his left.

"Great..." Joey frowned, seeing how badly hurt Spencer was. His face was gashed, his eyes bloodshot red, and his fur stained orange. He was a sad sight to all of them. Joey's concern was short lived as he heard the door get kicked open to the storage depot.

A lone officer, clutching his Carbon-15 scanned the room, in search for Joey and the others. From behind the concrete, Joey and everyone was silent, as they thought of what to do.

Alvin motioned to Joey about the concrete, Joey instantly understanding what he meant. The concrete "mountain" was tall, and if they knocked it unstable, they could incapacitate the officer with the bags. Joey motioned for them to be silent as he saw a small piece of wood lying beside him. He tossed it to make some noise, which got the officer's attention towards the concrete.

With his rifle tight in his shoulder, he approached where he heard the noise, his boots scraping against the dusty concrete floor.

Joey listened to his footsteps, which grew closer to where the concrete pile was. When he felt he was right on them, Joey and Alvin immediately lunged at, and shoved the bags of Quikrete, which immediately wobbled and fell in the opposite direction.

"SHIT!" screamed the Labrador as concrete landed on him. Two thousand pounds of concrete smashed atop of him, clouds of gray dust exploding as he was crushed beneath it.

"Come on!" Joey shouted.

The commotion got another officer's attention as he ran to the door, only to be gunned down by Joey who fired a burst of rifle fire through him.

"Alvin I want you to help Spencer and run for help! I'll create a distraction!" Joey told his nephew. He handed Alvin his 9mm, the young Dobie realizing how dire the situation was.

"Take it Alvin. You know what to do." Joey said.

"Please don't die Uncle Joey..." Alvin frowned.

"I promise." Joey said as he hugged his nephew. "Now go!"

Joey ran through the door, firing his G3 from the hip as he held the remaining officers down under fire. Alvin and Jordan dragged Spencer with them as they ran for the other building, nearly diving beyond its corner as a few stray bullets splintered the siding.

"Behind these drums!" Alvin yelled as gunfire echoed loudly. They placed Spencer and themselves behind the empty drums as they all breathed heavily.

"I can barely see..." Spencer groaned.

"It's okay. We got you." Alvin smiled. "We gotta help Uncle Joey..."

"How?" Jordan asked. "We don't have a cell phone to call for help!"

"There has to be something!" Alvin exclaimed.

Jordan poked his head up briefly, scanning around. His eyes took notice to a tornado siren, an old square horned Thunderbolt sitting on a pole, the town's only siren.

"Hey Alvin, doesn't Rob have one of those tornado sirens?" Jordan pointed.

Alvin crawled over and looked up himself, a smile emerging on his face. "I got it! Let's turn on the siren, that will get people's attention!"

"Do you know how to work it?" Spencer asked.

"It's a Thunderbolt siren! It's got a control box...right...THERE!" Alvin exclaimed. "I just need to get to it..."

"There's a ladder close by too!" Jordan exclaimed. "We just have to get to it."

"I can't do it...I can't see or move anymore guys..." Spencer moaned.

"Watch Spencer...I'm going!" Alvin announced as he took off running for the siren's location. Jordan crouched behind an oil drum as he watched Alvin run, using parked vehicles and a dumpster as a shield as gunfire continued to roar around them.

The young Doberman saw he had a straight shot for the siren, which had its control box mounted half way up the pole. A derelict garbage truck was parked right next to it, giving Alvin a shot to climb up and turn the siren on manually.

He took off running, at full speed, only to suddenly see Lieutenant Magnus charging at him.

"GOTCHA!" he yelled as his big paws threw Alvin to the ground. Magnus grabbed him as Alvin screamed, struggling against his immense grip as Jordan watched, unsure of what to do.

"JORDAN!" screamed Alvin. "JORDAN!"

"You're coming with me buddy!" yelled Magnus who held the young Doberman at gunpoint.

"What's happening?" Spencer asked.

"Alvin got captured!" Jordan exclaimed.

"You're going to have to go for it. I'll be okay here..." the husky said.

The young brown wolf pursed his lips and took off running, using the trucks and dumpster as a shield. He did not stop as he ran across the gap, his little paws gripping the mirror of the dump truck as he climbed up on it, the window sill being his foot rest as he climbed up onto the roof of the cab. He saw the yellow control box mounted half way up on the pole, a little circuit breaker that bore a faded Federal Signal logo, "THUNDERBOLT" proudly stamped on it in faded red letters.

Opening it up, he saw a timer and control box, with three buttons. "Test", "Alert, and "Attack" were marked in black and red.

"Since we're under attack here we go!" the brown wolf exclaimed as he pressed the last button. He immediately shielded his ears as the siren went off, a tremendous blast of sound deafening his ears as the big square horn began turning. It had a very low pitched, menacing growl as the sound waves hit Jordan hard. He jumped down and ran for safety behind the dumpster, as the siren sounded its hi-lo attack signal to Pine Ridge.

The siren's roar did not stop the fight as Joey continued to fire back, against two remaining deputies. He crouched behind the corner, reloading a magazine as he blinked a few times. His breath wavered in the frigid morning air as he charged the gun and swung it around, to fire again against the other building as wood and siding splintered to a hail of .308's.

Joey retreated as bullets splintered around him, the Doberman emptying another magazine to get a fresh one. He felt the fatigue from blood loss from his wounded leg, which grew weak and numb. Chambering another round in the chamber, he knew he wasn't going to last long; he was growing weak, and he was running out of ammunition.

Joey fired at an officer who ran across the opening, his bullets kicking up snow and rock from the depot's gravel lot. The second officer, a white wolf returned fire to cover his partner as Joey retreated away. Another hail of fire splintered the wood as Joey shielded himself.

Taking a deep breath, he swung around and caught an opening. His burst of fire hit its mark, striking the white wolf who was flung back from the hail of 7.62. The other officer mistimed himself, distracted by his fallen comrade as he too was struck, Joey's bullets ripping into his arm as he was flung back, spinning to a hard landing in the snow.

Joey breathed heavily, his energy dissipating as he dragged himself along. The snow behind his leg was speckled with drops of blood as Joey dragged himself along, hearing the sounds of Alvin yelling for him.

Joey rounded the corner of the second building, his rifle held at his hip, mouth agape slightly at the sight of Alvin being held at gunpoint by Magnus.

The burly Rottweiler looked desperate, wild eyes staring at Joey as he held his .40 cal Smith and Wesson to the young Doberman's head. Alvin looked petrified, his eyes wide as saucer plates as he trembled in fear to the cold barrel of a gun to his temple.

"Drop the gun Magnus!" Joey demanded.

"Put the gun down Joey!" yelled Magnus.

"Let him go!"

"Put the god damn gun down!"

"I'll fucking blow your brains out!"

"Put the gun down!"

"LET HIM GO!"

"I'll kill him Joey! I'll kill him!"

Joey's heart pounded in his chest, his nephew in mortal danger. He didn't have the strength to raise his gun up any higher. Even if he could take the shot, he risked killing his own nephew.

Joey lowered his G3.

"The fucking gun is down!"

"You really fucked up now you faggot! Put the goddamn gun down!"

Joey dropped his G3 and raised his hands in surrender. "The gun is down! Gun's down! Please...don't hurt my nephew..."

Running as fast as he could, Jordan returned to the oil drums to check on Spencer. He dove behind the barrels, the brown wolf crawling to Spencer who sat leaning against the drum clutching his arm.

"The gunfire stopped." Spencer said.

"I know. I don't know what's going on..." Jordan admitted over the siren's blare.

"Is help coming yet?" Spencer asked.

"I don't know. But let's get out of here..."

"Yeah..."

Spencer moaned as Jordan struggled to lift him up. The twelve year old put his arm around Spencer who struggled to lift himself, the two planning to shelter behind the dumpster. Dragging Spencer along, Jordan aided his wounded friend, who sobbed about his broken arm. Looking ahead, Spencer noticed on the highway a single vehicle approaching, a yellow truck. As it came closer, Jordan realized that it was a city truck.

"Look!" Jordan pointed.

"I can't see. What's going on?" Spencer asked.

"Help is coming!" the brown wolf cheered.

A yellow city truck was followed by another city truck, Jordan watching in amazement as a fire truck and ambulance pursued the sound of the tornado siren with its hi-lo cry.

The first truck, an old Chevy K10 pulled up at the entrance, its occupants stepping out to see the carnage that lay. Two hard hat clad workers, in thick Carhartts looked in disgusted shock and terror at the sight of dead and wounded officers littering their depot, blood turning the white snow pink.

Spencer saw through his blurred vision the outline of a fire truck, a smile emerging on his face for the first time. "They've found us!"

"Come on buddy! Let's get you help." Jordan smiled as he aided the wounded eleven year old.

On the other side of the depot, a sobbing Alvin was forced along with a weakened Joey as Magnus escorted them with Joey's own rifle probing their backside. The Rottweiler watched as a crowd formed, made up of city workers, paramedics and firemen, who stood watching in disbelief at what had just happened. A bloody Spencer held onto Jordan as they too stood watching Joey be held at gunpoint.

Magnus kicked Joey, who fell face first into the snow. Alvin tried to grab him as Joey struggled to get up.

"It's alright folks! I'm a police officer here! This man is wanted for murdering these policemen! STAND BACK!" Magnus screamed.

"No!" Spencer cried out.

"Joey is innocent!" Jordan yelled.

Joey forced himself to his feet, finding energy deep inside his body to keep fighting. "What the fuck are you going to do Magnus...HUH? You gonna kill me? You gonna shoot Alvin? You gonna kill Spencer and Jordan?"

Joey's words made the husky and wolf flinch in fear.

"HUH MAGNUS!? What are you gonna do huh? You gonna kill all these people? All these witnesses?"

Magnus stood with trembling paws holding onto Joey's rifle. Mouth slightly agape, his jaw quivered at the staring eyes of shocked employees of the city. Paramedics looked on in disgust at him, the faces of all the men and women, of different breeds and backgrounds being universal; disgust.

"IT'S OVER! ENOUGH! You aided Eli in murdering that undercover officer!" Joey yelled.

The Rottweiler realized that he could not escape his crime. Even if he shot and killed his primary witnesses, there were too many eyes- too many witnesses, too many ears who had heard Alvin and Joey's cries. Magnus knew the jig was up.

The defeated Lieutenant slowly lowered Joey's gun, his face showing the sign of defeat as Joey limped forward. The Doberman yanked his rifle away, ripping it from Magnus's grip. He ripped his Smith and Wesson away, the Doberman's face full of pure rage as he stared down Magnus with clenched teeth that were bared at him.

"You...fucking shoot my parents...you fucking shoot me with the gun that I designed and built for your department?!" Joey snarled. "You threaten my nephew...and his friends? I'd kill you right here...but I'm not going to let Alvin see any more death....you fucking son of a bitch."

Joey shoved Magnus to the ground, who crawled back from the Doberman.

The Rottweiler looked down at the ground as he sat in the snow, awaiting his fate.

Alvin ran over to put his arms around his uncle. Alvin took his long G3 away and slung it around his body. "It's okay Uncle Joey...it's over now."

Alvin watched as his uncle collapsed, Alvin catching him and softening his fall. His whole leg was soaked in his blood, his uncle looking flushed from losing so much blood. Paramedics rushed to help Joey and Spencer as Alvin took a step back, blinking in disbelief at what had happened. All the while, more people arrived to witness the carnage, led by the wailing scream of the town's tornado siren.

An FBI van pulled up to the road block on 310, unloading more of its agents as the highway was blocked by a congestion of Sherriff's and FBI vehicles. Yellow caution tape surrounded everything as multiple paramedics worked to tend to the wounded, and cover the dead.

In all, nearly the entire Pine Ridge force was killed. There were only five survivors, the uninjured Magnus, an officer shot in the legs, and three that were critically injured; one in Newark, and the two at the depot. The rest of the department, including the chief was killed in the engagement.

At the scene, paramedics lifted Joey up on a stretcher. A medic held an IV line while another a bag of O positive blood, transfusing the Doberman. A tourniquet clamped around his leg slowed the bleeding as he was whisked to the waiting ambulance, his leg needing surgery.

"It's going to be okay Uncle Joey." Smiled Alvin as he held his uncle's paw. The menacing G3A4 was still slung over his back as the young Doberman comforted his ailing uncle.

"Don't you worry about me Alvin. I'm a fighter~" Joey mustered a smile.

"Up you go!" a paramedic said as they hoisted Joey aboard the ambulance.

"I want to travel with him!" Alvin pleaded.

"Sorry kiddo, no can do." One of the medics said as Alvin frowned.

"It's okay Alvin! I'm in good hands." Joey comforted.

"I'll see you in the hospital!" Alvin shouted as the doors were shut. Before they closed, Joey waved goodbye as Alvin waved back, watching as the ambulance sped off for Licking Memorial back in Newark.

Alvin turned his attention to his friend Spencer, who was being tended to by medics who irrigated his badly irritated eyes and broken right arm.

"How are you doing Spence?" asked Alvin.

"Could be better Alvin..." Spencer quipped.

"They're going to make you better." Alvin said to reassure his friend.

The Dobie watched his friend be loaded up into the ambulance and driven away, following the ambulance carrying his Uncle. Alvin took a deep breath and watched as they slipped from view, his young wedge shaped face looking stoic.

Turning around, Alvin saw an FBI Suburban parked with two agents standing around, chatting and smoking together as Lieutenant Magnus sat in the backseat. He looked sad and guilty, his arrogance stripped away from him. Alvin knew deep in his heart that his sad expression wasn't from any guilt of his crimes, only from getting caught.

"Hey buddy! How are you doing?" came an FBI agent, dressed in his thick blue jacket with "FBI" in yellow. "Special Agent McFee. That's a pretty big gun you got there!"

"It's my Uncle's. My name is Alvin Paulo." The young Dobie smiled.

"You mind if I see that gun?"

Alvin removed it from around his body and gave it to the agent, who placed it within an evidence bag that was whisked away by another agent for evidence. Agent McFee, another Rottweiler took the young Doberman back to his vehicle, where he was given a doughnut and hot chocolate to warm up.

"You're a real hero buddy~" the agent said to him.

"Am I?" Alvin asked. "I don't feel like a hero. I did what I had to do."

"You're a hero because you brought justice to that police officer who was killed."

"It was only a coincidence. I just happened to be at the wrong place at the wrong time with my video camera." Alvin explained. "My Uncle Joey is a hero. Even if he had to shoot all those police officers."

"Sometimes we have to do things that society doesn't deem acceptable. These people were no longer police officers. They were criminals." McFee explained to Alvin. "You brought light to their actions."

Alvin frowned. "I hope my Uncle Joey is okay..."

"Your Uncle's gonna be just fine kiddo~"

On Route 310, the roadblock came into view as Felix watched from the backseat of the Silverado. Screeching to a stop, Marcus Barion's 3500 came to a stop before the FBI vehicles, all four doors of the truck opening up. Felix and his boyfriend Tony jumped out, followed by Marcus and Reid Johnson.

"Crime scene! None can-" a Sheriff's deputy called as Reid flashed his badge, granting access for the group. Felix ran past, the tan furred Doberman running down the road towards the crime scene with his boyfriend behind him.

"Where's Alvin Paulo?" Felix asked multiple agents and deputies, who pointed him in the right direction.

From his view, Tony watched as the coroner carried bodies away to his van, to be taken to the morgue. "Jesus Christ Felix..."

"A bloodbath..." Felix shook his head.

Felix found Alvin sitting and chatting with an FBI agent in his Dodge Charger. Alvin took notice of him, a happy smile forming on his face as he opened the door up to the cruiser.

"When can Uncle Joey get his G3 back?" Alvin asked.

"When we conclude our investigation and trial, then he can have it back Alvin." Smiled McFee.

"Good. Because that's his favorite rifle! And I like to shoot it too!" grinned Alvin. "Nice to meet you Agent McFee!"

"Take care Alvin~" waved the agent.

"Felix!" Alvin called as he ran up to the twenty-one year old Doberman. Alvin threw his arms open and hugged Felix tightly, the young Doberman treating Felix like his older brother.

"Alvin are you okay buddy?" Tony asked.

"I'm alright big Tony." Alvin smiled. "You're not hurt?"

"Nah. Tony's a-okay!" the older Doberman chuckled. "Not a scratch."

"Same can't be said for that one officer..." Felix cynically chuckled.

"What a mess..." Tony shook his head. "As long as you and your friends are okay little man."

"Spencer broke his arm. Jordan and myself are okay." Alvin nodded.

"We're gonna get you home." Tony said to him.

"How's Grandma and Grandpa?" Alvin asked.

Felix looked at his boyfriend who nodded at him. "Grandma and Grandpa are at the hospital. They were shot and wounded in the first shootout."

"Oh no!" Alvin exclaimed, with tears welling up in his eyes.

"Grandma is okay! She just got wounded in her arm. Grandpa is in surgery, but nothing vital got hit, so he's gonna be okay once they remove the bullet in his shoulder."

"Whew..." Alvin sighed of relief. "I can't believe this all happened."

"Come on buddy. Let's get your friend Jordan and take him home." Tony nodded.

Alvin walked and found Jordan sitting by a power line pole, looking glum on his face.

"Come on Jordan. Let's go home." Alvin said, holding his paw out.

"Okay." Jordan nodded as he accepted his friend's paw and was helped up.

"You okay?" Alvin asked him.

"How are you so calm?" the brown wolf asked him. "I'm so shook up."

"Uncle Rob taught me that you can't panic in an emergency. Panic clouds judgement."

"I've been in panic mode since we got here." Jordan said, breathing a sigh of relief. "I'm glad this is over."

"Hey! We can write about this in class now." Alvin joked.

"Heh, it would be fun for writing class huh?" Jordan smiled.

Jordan walked ahead, being lead back by Marcus as Alvin walked with Felix and Tony.

"You sure you're okay?" Felix asked him.

"I'm sure. It's just...I was more scared for Uncle Joey than myself really, since he got shot in the leg. You know, he could have bled to death and none of us could have done anything to stop it."

Alvin looked over at what was left of Rob's gray Silverado, his brand new truck lying smashed up on its roof. "We could have all been killed in that wreck."

"It's okay to be upset Alvin." Felix told him, the tan Doberman putting his arm around the young Dober.

"I could have lost my uncle and grandma and grandpa today..." Alvin said, the emotions flooding him as tears dripped from his eyes.

Felix put his arms around Alvin and held him close as he cried. "Let it all our Alvin... let it all out buddy. You deserve it."

Epilogue:

"This TV show sucks!" Andrew scoffed.

Joey shook his head as he changed the channel on the TV set. Resting in bed, the Doberman shared his plush bed with his Dad Andrew, who was recovering from surgery to his left shoulder and arm. Joey sat up in bed, his right leg bandaged up after surgery to stop the bleeding.

"Hey it's the Price is Right! Let's watch this!" Andrew exclaimed.

"Ugh. The Price is Wrong!" Joey laughed. "I'm not watching game shows. And no Jeopardy!"

"How about Playboy?"

"I am not watching scantily clad women with you Dad..." Joey stared.

"Hey you like women too! That's what bisexuals are noted for!" Andrew laughed.

"Not watching women with their tits out with my overweight father." Joey shook his head.

"Okay...how about the news."

"Yes! Let's watch the news. That I agree with." Joey said as he flipped to Channel 4. The television showed a live news conference from Pine Ridge, with the mayor of the city before the cameras and journalists.

"Hello everyone." Mayor Harold Quinn greeted at the podium, the camera zooming in. "I have brought you here today for a major announcement concerning the city of Pine Ridge Ohio. In light of the murder of Officer Roger Kennedy by a member of the Pine Ridge Police Department, and the subsequent assault and attempted murder by Pine Ridge Officers against a witness of the initial crime, I have decided to disband the Pine Ridge Police Department, effective immediately. The city of Pine Ridge will have its law enforcement needs met via the Licking County Sheriff's Department. This wanton act of barbarism by our town's police force, who we trusted with serving and protecting our community will not be tolerated. I, Mayor Quinn, members of city council, and all the citizens of Pine Ridge, would like to express our deepest condolences to Mister Joseph Paulo and his nephew Alvin Paulo, who went above and beyond- well beyond any comfort level to ensure that justice has been served for Officer Roger Kennedy, of the Columbus Division of Police. Thank you."

"That was a nice speech." Nodded Andrew.

"Indeed. I needed a little ego stroking..." chuckled Joey with a grin.

"What? You're not stroking anything else?" teased his chubby father.

"Hey...at least I can still stroke mine. What do you use? A vacuum cleaner?" grinned Joey.

"Funny! Just ask your mom what I can still do!" Andrew laughed, watching his son feign a gag.

"Ugh, no thank you." Joey shook his head.

"Speaking of her... MARIE! Where's my Funyuns!" Andrew called.

Stepping into the room was his wife Marie, who glared at him as she held a bag of onion rings. "You know you could be a little patient to your wife...who's recovering from getting shot too...asshole."

"You call that a wound? That's nothing! Try getting shot this many times!" Andrew complained.

"You are such an insensitive jerk Andrew! That was a painful shot and you just sit here and make fun of me?"

"Oh here we go with that crap Marie..." Andrew scoffed.

"Okay crazies...we are all recovering from getting shot." Joey rolled his eyes.

"I got shot five times in Brazil back in eighty-three! Lost my left ear! Now four more times getting shot! You hear me complaining?"

"Yeah! When I don't get your fat ass food to you fast enough!" Marie complained.

"Okay this is not a pissing contest to see who got it worst. Besides Dad, you'd still come in second place...Rob got shot more times than you." Joey sighed.

"Then its settled!"

"Uncle Joey!" came Alvin, who carried a couple sandwiches and a drink for his uncle.

"Thank you!" grinned Joey as he accepted his lunch from his nephew.

"Where's my lunch at?" Andrew asked his grandson, who giggled with a smile.

"Uncle Rob has it!" Alvin pointed out as the wolf-hybrid entered the room, carrying a McDonald's bag for him.

"Oh boy! McDonalds!" grinned Andrew.

"Heh, whacha do Rob? Fat ass that meal size for Dad?" chuckled Joey to his lover.

"Funny!" Andrew scoffed. "You're always putting me down for being chubby! I'm so sorry I can't have a six pack and bulging arms like you Joey!"

"Sure you can! If you stopped eating like a garbage disposal." Laughed Joey.

Alvin climbed up onto the bed and took a spot between his Grandpa and Uncle. Joey handed a sandwich to his nephew as they watched TV together.

"You're a hero Alvin." Joey smiled.

"That's what an FBI agent said to me. But I was only doing what was right!" Alvin exclaimed.

"Sometimes we have to do the right thing...even if society says otherwise." Rob nodded.

"There's a family out there that can get closure because you got the truth out." Joey said as he put an arm around his nephew.

"But you did all the dirty work." Alvin told Joey.

"True~ But you were in the right place at the right time. That alone was the nitty gritty." Joey smiled at him.

The bed groaned on Andrew's side as the entire frame shuddered. Andrew dropped a foot as the springs and frame gave out, the Doberman bouncing as he grabbed the bed's backrest.

"Holy shit!" Andrew exclaimed, having just taken a bite from his Big Mac.

"Wow Dad. Your fatass broke my bed." Joey shook his head.

"And my side too..." Rob sighed.

"You see what you do Andrew? I told you to lose weight! What did the doctor say!?"

"Oh will you shut up Marie!" Andrew scoffed as the argument resumed in the bedroom.

"Don't you just love our dysfunctional family?" Joey asked his nephew.

"Indeed!" smiled Alvin, who gave his uncle a warm hug.

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