He lies on a bed in a small white holding cell. The front wall is made of clear, hard polymer with a talk port in the center. The moment he sees me, he runs to the port and throws himself against it.
My throat tightens when I see how afraid he is. I shake my head, struggling not to cry out.
“We waited for you as long as we could, then we started to hike out and they came for us.”
“I heard all about it,” I say.
“I tried to fight them off, but there were too many of them. They grabbed Junebug and me.”
“You were very brave. I’m sure you did your best.”
I see the earbud in his ear. Rupani must have let him keep it so we could speak.
“Did you come to get me out of here?” Chance asks.
I swallow hard. “Soon.”
“But not now.”
I shake my head, and his face droops with disappointment. He glances behind me at the Maelstrom soldiers who stand guard at the end of the hall.
“Are you a prisoner, too?” he asks.
“I’m afraid so.”
“What about Junebug? They separated us, and I’m worried about her.”
I debate whether to tell him the truth but decide it’s not the time or place for it. I need him to stay positive and not lose hope.
“I’ve seen her,” I say. “She’s okay.”
“They captured us and put us on separate helicopters. They asked me a lot of questions about you, but I wouldn’t tell them anything. You believe me, right?”
“Of course I believe you. It’s not your fault, Chance. None of this is your fault.”
“Who are these people?”
“Dr. Pao was right. Animal Control is the cover for Maelstrom. We’re inside their base.”
“How do we get out? What do they want from us?”
“Not us. Me.”
He stares, curious, but I perk up my ears and point my muzzle around the room.
They’re listening, Chance.
He blinks, signaling his understanding.
“For now I need you to take care of yourself and trust me.”
“Tomorrow,” he whispers. “That’s the day my mom gets out of treatment. I’m not going to see her again, am I?”
He sniffles, holding back tears. It rips me up inside to see him like that. I want to yelp and lick his face, but I can’t get to him through the dividing wall.
“I’m going to get you out of here,” I say. “I promise.”
Chance puts his palm on the clear wall, and I press my head against it, right where his hand is. I can’t feel him petting me, but I know that’s what he’s trying to do, and it fills me with joy.
We were both alone when we met, but now we’ve got each other. He’s my boy, and I’m his dog.
“Be careful, Wild.”
“You, too.” He does his best to smile.
The guard whistles to signal our time is up.
I look at Chance for a long moment, memorizing every detail of his face and smelling his familiar scent through the holes in the talk port.
The guard grunts, and I reluctantly turn away from Chance and head for the door.
General Rupani is waiting for me in the hall outside.
“Did you have a nice visit?” he asks.
I growl at him, barely suppressing my rage.
“Tell me what you want me to do,” I say.