"Is that blood?"
"....No?"
Scout took a step closer, tilting her head. "Lewis, you answered that like a question. Let me see."
The maned wolf stepped back, shaking his head. "It's fine. Nothing to worry about right now." He pricked an ear up. "Someone's coming."
"Fluff." She huffed. "Stay low. Let's get out of here. This should have been more than a two man mission."
"Agreed." He crouched down behind her, looking back over his shoulder. "You lead and I'll follow."
The bush dog nodded and sleeked forward, darting between the shadows as she snuck though the compound. As she got to the edge, she stopped and looked back. "Lewis?"
He wasn't behind her. She was alone.
"Lewis--" However, before she was able to go back in, there's an explosion, forcing her to duck down to avoid being hit with debris. Ears ringing, she lifted her head, mouth agape as she looked at the flames and smoke now covering the building. "LEWIS?!"
And for a moment, she felt trapped. Her second in command was still inside...But she has two other teammates to worry about back at the zoo. The risk is too high that something could happen to her as well if she goes back in alone.
Scout lowered her short tail and head and her ears drooped as she walked back home to the zoo. Grimacing, she mentally rehearsed how she could possibly break the news to her team. Pixie would be crushed. He was practically an uncle to her. Cooper would probably miss him too, though they had their issues.
The canine sighed, squirming under a hole under a fence. Maybe he was okay. He had the same training as herself. Maybe he escaped and would be trotting home soon right behind her and everything would be okay. Or, or maybe he's trapped but an extraction team can rescue him?
Her ears perked at the thought and she sprinted for the zoo. If there was any chance he might could be saved, she had to take it. She had to call Director Grace.
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