Hero Read online

  “You’re okay, buddy,” Ben said softly to the pup. He cradled Scout in his arms. “Let’s get you out of here.” Ben turned to head toward the back of the barn.

  Mitch stood right behind him. And this time, he had a knife.

  Ben’s breath caught in his throat. He suddenly understood what it was like to feel real fear. The kind of fear that sent your brain into overdrive and made your arms and legs freeze in place.

  Ben heard his dad’s voice in his head. Breathe, Ben. Think.

  Ben wasn’t sure how that advice was supposed to work when there was a man pointing a blade right at him, but he realized that his chest hurt. He’d forgotten to breathe. He inhaled sharply and exhaled slowly. It worked. He felt more in control of his body. His mind felt clearer. He gripped Scout tightly and tried to plan an escape route . . . but his feet were still paralyzed. He was too scared to move.

  “I’ve really had it with you.” Mitch snarled. “You just don’t know when to quit, do you?”

  Scout growled at Mitch from Ben’s arms. Ben gripped the puppy tightly.

  “Why can’t you just forget about this dumb dog?” Mitch said.

  Ben found his voice. “He’s not dumb,” Ben said angrily. “And I am not going to let you send him into that ring to get killed.”

  Mitch’s lips turned up in a cold smile. “I’ll make a deal with you,” Mitch said. “Let’s put him in the ring so you can see what a scrappy little fighter this pup is. If he wins, I get to keep him. If he loses, you get to take him.” Mitch let out a harsh laugh. “Well, whatever’s left of him, that is.”

  “You’re disgusting.” Ben’s voice was calm, but his mind was racing. There was still a knife in front of him, but he didn’t care. There was no way he was letting Scout fight. He had to think of a way out of this.

  Before Ben knew what was happening, Mitch’s hand flew out and snatched Scout from his arms.

  “No!” Ben shouted.

  With an angry yelp, Scout bit Mitch hard on the arm. Mitch screamed.

  Suddenly, Ben saw a flash in the shadows behind Mitch. It was a blur, and it was getting closer. Mitch wasn’t paying attention—he was looking at the bite wound on his arm, which was oozing blood, his face screwed up in anger. The blur kept coming, and then it was leaping into the air toward Mitch’s back.

  Ben sucked in his breath when he saw who it was: It was Hero!

  Hero soared at top speed, front paws extended, teeth bared, and ears pointed back. He was in full attack mode, and he had one target: Mitch.

  Mitch had no idea what was coming. He let out a confused grunt as Hero landed on him. Ben watched Mitch’s eyes grow big as his body fell forward, Hero on his back with his teeth clamping down on the back of Mitch’s neck.

  Scout flew from Mitch’s grasp and skittered away. Mitch fell facedown onto the concrete floor, his head hitting the ground with a sickening thump. Hero stood on top of him, growling angrily. Mitch was out cold.

  “Attaboy, Hero!” Ben said. He scanned the room for Scout. He spotted the puppy running toward the back of the barn. “Hero, find Noah!” he said before bolting after Scout. Hero darted off in search of him. As Ben closed in on the puppy, he heard the sound of paws on the concrete behind him. Had Hero found Noah so fast?

  He looked back over his shoulder and nearly tripped when he saw who—or what—was chasing him. Fast on his heels were two of the most ferocious-looking beasts he had ever seen. They raced toward him at top speed, their ears flat against their heads and their sharp teeth flashing. They were bloodthirsty demons.

  And it was his blood they wanted.

  In the distance, Ben heard a man shouting, “Mitch! Mitch—are you okay, man? Wake up!” One of the other men had found Mitch lying on the ground, which meant that in a few seconds, the dogs wouldn’t be the only ones coming after Ben.

  Ben couldn’t see Scout anywhere. The dogs were getting closer. Soon they were going to have him cornered in the back of the barn. Ben ran through his options: He could save himself and run through the back door, but then he’d be leaving Noah, Hero, and Scout inside. He could never do that to them. He could try to fight off the dogs, but with what? He had no weapons, nothing.

  Ben was rapidly approaching the back wall of the barn and a miserable fate. He could practically smell the dogs’ sour breath, and their angry growls vibrated in his bones. They would be closing in on him in three . . . two . . . He waited for the pain of their teeth sinking into his flesh.

  Nothing happened.

  Ben heard a loud and horrifying yelp behind him. He skidded to a halt and spun around. One of the dogs was on the ground, bleeding. The other was crouched down low, circling his opponent: Hero.

  Hero faced the dog, baring his teeth, a savage growl emanating from his throat. All the fur along his back bristled.

  Hero had saved Ben once again. And now he was putting himself in harm’s way to buy Ben time to go find the others.

  Ben hesitated. He hated to leave his dog locked in a showdown with that rabid-looking monster, but he also understood exactly what Hero was doing. No—as much as Ben wanted to stay and help Hero, that wasn’t what his dog wanted. Hero wanted him to go save Scout and Noah.

  Ben took off running back toward the front of the barn. He stayed close to the wall, in the shadows. Behind him, he heard Hero ruthlessly attacking the dog, followed by agonized cries. He pushed the gruesome sounds out of his mind and moved forward.

  He looked around for Noah or Scout, but he didn’t see either of them. Up ahead, he saw a man helping Mitch to his feet. Ben stopped and pressed himself against the wall. But he wasn’t fast enough.

  “There he is!” Mitch called out. “Hey, kid—stop right there!”

  Ben was out of time.

  He stepped forward and raised his hands in the air. Mitch stumbled toward him, one hand holding his head, the other pointing the knife at Ben. Mitch’s face was filled with rage and pain. The other man followed him as he closed in on Ben.

  Ben just wanted to rewind everything, or at least hit pause. Just for a second, so he could clear his head and figure out what to do. But life didn’t work that way. Ben exhaled. He tried to slow down his racing heart. He tried to push aside all the useless fears and worries. He tried to think.

  Ben glared at Mitch, wishing he could communicate with his eyes all the disgust and hatred he felt. Mitch was close enough now that Ben could see a look in Mitch’s eyes that made Ben’s blood run cold. Mitch wanted to hurt Ben. Badly.

  Ben swallowed hard. He tried not to let his fear show. He didn’t want to give this idiot the pleasure of seeing him scared. He took sharp breaths through his nose. He would face whatever was about to happen with his head held high. But he felt terrible for his parents and Erin—for whatever he was about to put them through. He just hoped they would understand that he had been trying to save Hero and Scout.

  Ben’s mouth was dry, and his pulse was pounding in his neck. He kept his eyes locked on Mitch’s.

  “You’re all out of chances,” Mitch said, his voice weaker than before.

  “Hey, meatheads! Over here!” came a shout off to Ben’s left. The men spun toward the sound. Noah stood about ten feet away. In one hand, he held Scout. With the other, he gripped Hero’s collar, holding the dog back as he strained forward, bleeding from wounds on his nose and shoulder. Hero growled at Mitch.

  “You want this puppy back?” Noah yelled at Mitch. “Come and get him.”

  Mitch lurched toward Noah and the dogs, followed closely by his henchman.

  Noah stared them down as they closed in on him. The men were just a couple of feet away. “Oh,” he said with a wicked grin, “and you can have this one too.”

  And with that, Noah let go of Hero’s leash.

  20

  “GO GET ’EM, HERO,” NOAH CRIED.

  Hero dropped into a fighting stance, his front feet splayed out and his chest low to the ground. His eyes burned with hatred, and when he opened his mouth to snarl at the men, Ben saw blo
od on his teeth from the other dogs.

  Mitch held his hands out in front of him. “It’s okay, buddy,” he said in a voice that was so obviously fake it made Ben want to barf. “We’re all friends here,” Mitch cooed. Hero growled and tensed every muscle in his body. The fur on his back stood on end. Hero launched himself into the air, straight at Mitch. Ben sucked in his breath as he watched Hero soar, pure muscle and power and instinct.

  Ben watched the next few moments as if they happened in slow motion. Hero planted his front paws in Mitch’s chest. Mitch grunted as the wind got knocked out of him. He tipped over backward and fell into the man right behind him. The two men toppled like dominoes.

  Hero landed on top of Mitch, his paws still on the man’s chest. Mitch wailed in pain as his head smacked the concrete again. The knife popped out of his hand and went spinning across the floor into the darkness, far out of his reach. Hero bared his teeth in Mitch’s face and let out a low warning growl. Mitch covered his face with his arm, protecting himself from Hero. The other man pushed himself backward, terrified of the big dog.

  Ben knew what Hero was doing. This was their window to escape, once and for all.

  “Noah!” he yelled, gesturing to him to follow. Clutching Scout firmly under his arm, Noah ran toward Ben. “There’s a door back there,” Ben said, jerking his thumb toward the back of the barn.

  “Let’s go,” Noah said, “before that moron gets up.”

  With a last look at Hero, who still stood guard over Mitch, Ben took off running. Noah followed close on his heels. They ran past the two dogs Hero had fended off, who lay on their sides, panting heavily, too injured to try to stop Ben and Noah.

  They were almost at the back door when Ben heard the sound of paws on concrete behind them. He turned to look—Hero was catching up to them! That meant they could all get out at once, which was good. But it also meant Hero wasn’t keeping the men from following them anymore, which was bad.

  “Did they get away?” Mitch’s angry voice rang out across the barn. Ben heard heavy footsteps.

  “What do we do?” Noah’s voice was tinged with panic.

  “We can’t leave Hero,” Ben said firmly.

  But the men were close. Ben grabbed Noah’s sleeve and pulled him into the shadows by the door. Hero had stopped to face Mitch and the others.

  “Hero!” Ben whispered. Hero’s ear flicked at the sound of Ben’s voice, but he stood still. Hero was going to hold off the men. Ben was terrified for his dog, but he knew he didn’t want to waste Hero’s sacrifice either. He tapped Noah and pointed to the door. Noah followed his gaze and nodded in understanding. Ben held up his index finger, indicating that they should wait. Noah nodded again.

  Hero growled. Mitch and the other man skidded to a stop right in front of him.

  Ben held his breath.

  Mitch looked jumpy, like he was prepared for Hero to pounce on him again. The other guy stood even farther back. Mitch took a tentative step forward and reached out a hand to grab Hero’s collar. Hero went quiet and ducked his head.

  For a second, Ben thought that Hero was letting Mitch catch him. What was he doing—Hero would never give up, would he? But then it clicked: Hero was tricking Mitch. He was going to let him get close, and then . . .

  Hero snarled and snapped his head sideways, latching on to Mitch’s calf with his powerful jaw. Mitch cried out in pain, but he couldn’t get away. Hero held on tight, his eyes narrow slits.

  “Okay, Hero!” Ben yelled out. Hero released Mitch’s leg, tearing off a large scrap of his pants as he did. Mitch doubled over in agony and fell to the ground.

  “Get him!” Mitch yelled to the other man, who looked petrified. Hero’s lip curled up, revealing his sharp fangs, and the man backed away. Hero was about to lunge at him when Scout suddenly let out a fierce bark from his spot in Noah’s arms. Ben had never heard Scout bark like that before—he sounded like a much bigger and older dog. Scout wanted to help Hero.

  Hero’s ears twitched. Distracted by Scout’s cry, Hero half turned his head in Scout’s direction. It was just for a second, but that was all it took. The man saw his opportunity and bolted toward Hero. He reached for Hero’s collar but missed and went falling forward. He landed on top of the dog, tackling him to the ground and pinning Hero under all his weight. Hero let out a horrible squeal of pain—a sound that turned Ben’s stomach. Hero was hurt.

  “No!” Ben cried out. Desperation shot through him. He looked around frantically for something—anything—that would help him save Hero. Ben spotted something leaning against the back wall by the door. He reached for it—it was a long, rusty shovel with a splintered wooden handle. He hefted it with both hands and ran toward Hero and the man who still lay on top of him. Before the man had time to react, Ben swung the shovel high in the air and brought it down fast onto his head. With a groan, the man passed out cold and fell to the side, off Hero.

  Ben dropped to his knees next to his dog. Hero lay still, panting shallowly, his tongue hanging out of his mouth. He looked dazed.

  “It’s okay, Hero.” Ben choked up. “I’m here.”

  Noah raced over and, with the hand that wasn’t holding Scout, helped Ben scoop up Hero. He winced a little when they moved him. Hero looked up at Ben. Ben held his dog’s gaze and fought tears.

  “Let’s get you out of here,” Ben said.

  Holding Hero tightly in his arms, Ben led Noah and Scout to the back door, and they scrambled through it, to safety.

  21

  BEN AND NOAH SAT SLUMPED IN the molded plastic chairs of the veterinarian’s waiting room. A television droned on, high up in the corner. The women behind the reception desk chatted about their lives. Phones rang, and cell phones chirped with incoming messages. Ben’s phone buzzed in his pocket. It was probably his parents wondering where he was.

  Other people in the waiting room stared at Ben and Noah, who were covered in dirt and dust from the barn. Ben didn’t care. It was all a blur to him. All he cared about was Hero. Hero had seemed so out of it when they burst through the vet’s doors.

  Would he survive? Had Ben killed his own dog? The medical techs had taken Hero from him immediately and pushed Ben away. They had run with Hero through a door, and he hadn’t heard from them since. It felt like they’d been waiting a lifetime.

  Whatever happened to Hero, it was Ben’s fault. The guilt and worry were a physical pain in Ben’s chest, and his limbs felt like they weighed a thousand pounds each. He had never felt so drained in his entire life. Scout slept on Noah’s lap, his body twitching with his dreams. Noah stared off into the distance.

  Ben had asked the receptionists about Hero a couple of times, and they just kept saying they’d let him know as soon as they heard from the doctor.

  Ben rubbed his face with his hands and let out a long exhale. He slipped his phone from his pocket and texted his mom and dad. He wasn’t ready to tell them everything yet—he would, eventually.

  Ben knew he deserved whatever consequences were coming his way for going after Hero and Scout alone, for putting Noah at risk, and for being out past his curfew. He didn’t care. There was no amount of punishment in the world that was bad enough for what he’d done that day, or that would make him feel worse than he already did. Right now, he just needed his parents’ help.

  Hero hurt really bad, he wrote, his hands shaking. Don’t know if he’s okay. Please come to vet. Tears filled his eyes. He almost couldn’t see the words as he hit send.

  Ben sat back in his chair. His phone lit up instantly with a reply from his mom. They were on their way. He felt some small measure of relief that they would be there soon. The door next to the reception desk swung open, and a man in scrubs stepped through it. He held a medical chart in his hand. “Landry?” he read from the chart.

  Ben and Noah jumped up and ran over to him. Scout tumbled off Noah’s lap and landed on the floor with a clatter of toenails. He waggled after them and sat down on top of Ben’s left foot.

  “That’s me,” B
en said. “Is he okay? Is Hero going to be okay?” Noah gripped his arm.

  The doctor smiled at them, and Ben sucked in his breath.

  “Hero is going to be fine. He has a mild concussion, and his leg is sprained. We’ve patched up his cuts and bruises. But I think he’s going to heal nicely.”

  Noah pumped a fist in the air and let out a “Yes!” Ben grinned from ear to ear.

  “That’s amazing,” he said.

  “But listen,” the vet added in a serious tone. “Hero is going to need a lot of rest over the next few days.”

  “Sure—no problem.” Ben nodded. Scout yipped at him from the floor. Ben leaned down to pick up the puppy, stroking his head to quiet him.

  “You can take him home soon.” The doctor looked past Ben to the waiting room. “Are your parents here?”

  “They’re on their way.”

  The vet clapped a hand on Ben’s shoulder.

  “You did good, son. You did the right thing getting Hero here as fast as you did.”

  Ben wanted to tell the doctor that it was all his fault—he was the reason Hero got hurt in the first place. But he just nodded and muttered his thanks. Someone came up in the doorway behind the vet.

  “Excuse me,” said a familiar voice. The doctor stepped aside to let someone out of the back rooms of the office. Ben was shocked to see that it was Jack.

  Jack’s face was red, and his eyes were puffy. It looked like he’d been crying. He was staring at something in his hands, but looked up and saw Ben.

  “Ben?” Jack said.

  “Hi, Jack,” Ben said, too exhausted to care about any bad blood between them. Ben looked at what Jack was holding. He was clutching a worn leather dog collar with a tag dangling from it. Something registered in Ben’s tired brain. His eyes shot back up to meet Jack’s.

  “Your dog—Holly?” Ben asked quietly.

  Jack nodded, tears filling his eyes.

  “She was my best friend,” Jack said. “But she was really old and sick, and we had to . . .” He trailed off. His mom appeared in the doorway behind him, holding a bunch of papers in her hand. She put her arm around Jack’s shoulders to lead him toward the door.