beaver, which made the pack members even happier. However, Spike was a bit disappointed as the ham obtained by Nei’s team turned out to be larger than his catch. However, all grievances and troubles were forgotten when Alex, as promised, organized a feast for his furry friends.
From that point on, the life of little Alex slowly but surely began to improve. Occasionally, he and his pack embarked on similar adventures to procure various meat products, which improved over time. They sometimes even managed to get grains for free – the key was knowing where and when. And, of course, the pack never forgot about hunting. All this eventually allowed the dog pack to no longer feel the need for food and live a relatively happy and satisfied life. Alex decided not only to be content with what he had but also to give something to those who, in his opinion, might still need it. Often, the entire pack couldn’t finish all the food they acquired before it spoiled, considering that each pack member typically consumed the meat along with porridge. However, Alex tried to engage in such charity exclusively in the morning, when all the wandering people and animals were still asleep. This was necessary to avoid attracting unnecessary attention and potential problems. For all those whom little Alex helped in this way, the mysterious benefactor remained unknown. For a long time, Alex and his pack lived free from any hardships, but one day everything changed.
After another hunt organized by Nei, Alex arranged a real feast not just for friends but for his family, and the whole pack gathered in their warm basement for this grand dinner in the evening.
«And Alex isn’t that bad at hunting for a human!» Boll said with a smile.
«He’d make a good dog out of him,» another dog added, munching on something.
«I don’t know about you, but I think his hunting achievements today still can’t compare to what our Alex did a couple of weeks ago. Imagine biting that human on the hand so he drops the gun, allowing those weak people to escape. I just can’t forget that…» said the dog sitting next to the leader.
«I just did what you guys taught me…» Alex replied, after which some dogs burst into laughter together.
«Little guy has a real passion for good deeds,» Spike said as the dogs laughed. «One moment, he’s sharing his food with everyone, and the next, he’s saving people from other people…»
«I still can’t believe that such things are still happening on the streets of our city,» Nei said. «I remember being told that in five years, the police would completely eradicate such manifestations of crime in the city. And there was a time when I believed it…»
«Are you reminiscing about your police stories again, Nei?» Boll asked with a smile.
«Well, how can I not remember?..» Nei replied.
«I didn’t know that Max is also good at hunting,» Alex remarked.
«I’ve had this talent since childhood,» Max replied with a smile. «I just happen to be even better at begging for food from people!» he added and burst into laughter.
Suddenly, their evening meal was interrupted by a dog that rushed into the basement, barking loudly to get the attention of the entire pack.
«They’re here! The dog catchers! They’ve got a whole van!» he shouted, barking between words. «I overheard them saying something about ’putting to sleep’! They’ll put to sleep those they catch!»
At that moment, all the dogs panicked.
«What should we do?» Alex asked.
«Run!» Nei shouted loudly and dashed out of the basement.
Following Nei, every member of the dog pack moved in the same direction, and Alex was no exception.
When Alex ran out of the basement, a horrifying scene unfolded before him. Some members of his pack were already caught in nets. Among them were Nei, Boll, and even Max. Some dogs lay unconscious near the dog catchers for some reason.
The sight infuriated little Alex, and he rushed to the aid of his canine family members. He fiercely attacked one of the dog catchers, hitting him as hard as he could, shouting, «Let them go! Let them go!»
«What’s this little brat…» the dog catcher muttered, trying to push the enraged boy away.
However, in response to the catcher’s attempts, Alex began to bite like a dog.
«Help me get him off, Ray!» one catcher shouted to the other, and then both catchers tried to restrain the unruly Alex.
Meanwhile, the other two catchers loaded the captured dogs into the van. «No! Let go!» Alex screamed, still trying to break free. However, against two grown men, his attempts were entirely futile.
«He got you good!» one of the catchers, the most bitten by Alex, remarked to his companion. When all the dogs were loaded into the van, the bitten catcher, now angry, exclaimed, «Thought you were a dog, kid, huh? Fine! Then you’re riding with them!» He threw Alex into the van with Nei, Boll, Max, and the other dogs, slamming the van door in front of him. Meanwhile, outside the van, they could hear, «Did you go too far with the kid?» «No! A brat needs to learn some manners! Let him learn a lesson!»
Soon, the catchers got into the front cabin, closed the doors, and the van started moving. «How are you guys in there?» Alex asked. «I can’t see anything!»
«No better place to be!» Boll sarcastically replied.
«How did you manage to get caught?» Alex asked.
«How did you end up here?» Max countered.
«I tried to save you, and they caught me…»
«We tried to save others!» Max replied.
«Sorry!» a whimpering dog apologized.
«No point apologizing,» another dog said. «Can’t change anything now!»
«What about you, Nei?» Alex asked. «Why are you silent?»
However, Nei didn’t rush to respond, at least not initially.
«What’s there to say?» Nei said with seriousness. «The main thing is that most of the pack managed to escape. I fulfilled my duty, and that’s what matters. I’ve been running from catchers for too long… And fate finally caught up with me.»
«Why are you all so sad? We can still escape!» Alex exclaimed.
«Alex,» Max said, «don’t! You’re still too young, and you don’t understand much yet. There’s no escaping them. Everyone in this city knows it. No one has succeeded over the years. Getting caught here means the end for any dog. There are only rumors around the city about those who managed to escape. It’s impossible. This is the end for us…»
«No!» Alex suddenly burst into tears. «If I lose you all, then… I don’t know how I’ll go on living!»
«It’s okay, Alex!» Nei said. «You’ll find the strength. I know it!»
After those words, Boll even managed to smile for some reason. «And what?» Alex asked. «You’ll just give up?»
«Well…» Boll began, but suddenly the van jolted forward, as if it had collided with something while still in motion. Alex hit his head slightly and felt disoriented. Most of the dogs in the van were also recovering after the impact.
«What happened?» one of the dogs asked.
«Don’t know,» another replied.
«We clearly hit something!» Boll said.
Suddenly, footsteps of a lone person could be heard on the other side of the van, approaching from the front to the back. Inside the dark cargo space, nothing could be heard. Then, after a few more moments, the van door was forcefully opened by a huge and intimidating figure dressed entirely in black. The surroundings were too dark to see the face of this strange stranger. The dogs started barking loudly at the frightening person in black. However, in just a couple