Chapter 25 Loyalty Without Limits
Chapter 25 Loyalty Without Limits
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“Wool, woof, woof!” Summer barked furiously, pacing back and forth as if saying, “Those freeloaders ate your food!
Theresa smirked, crouching down to ruffle his fur. “Good dogs don’t need to be tied down. Let them go.”
She walked to the gate and opened it wide, motioning for the dogs to leave. They hesitated momentarily, ncing back at her with what seemed like gratitude, then dashed out.
Even the injured dog she had saved limped after them, dragging its damaged legs but still holding onto a piece of beef. Before leaving, it hobbled in a small circle around her as though offering onest silent thank–you and catching up with the others.
Curious, Theresa grabbed her e–bike from the domain and trailed behind them, with Summer loyally trotting alongside.
The dogs didn’t go far. They returned to the spot where they’d been abandoned days earlier. Once there, they dropped the beef on the ground, paced around, and began howling toward the city as though calling for their owners.
Theresa stopped at a distance, watching quietly. <i>Even </i><i>after </i><i>everything</i><i>, </i><i>their </i><i>loyalty </i><i>hasn’t </i><i>wavered</i>. <i>Their </i>first <i>thought </i><i>after </i><i>eating </i><i>isn’t </i><i>themselves</i><i>–</i><i>the </i><i>humans </i><i>left </i><i>them </i><i>behind</i>.
Her chest tightened. <i>In </i><i>a </i><i>world </i><i>where </i><i>trust </i><i>is </i><i>a </i><i>dangerous </i><i>gamble</i>, <i>these </i><i>dogs </i>still <i>hold </i><i>onto </i><i>hope</i>. <i>Military </i><i>dogs </i><i>never </i><i>abandon </i><i>their </i><i>owners </i><i>once </i><i>they </i><i>form </i><i>a </i><i>bond</i><i>. </i><i>Even now</i>, <i>they’re </i><i>waiting </i><i>for </i><i>their </i><i>owners </i><i>to </i><i>return</i><i>, </i>she thought, her usually cold demeanor softening.
She crouched and hugged Summer tightly, her voice barely above a whisper. “I’m sorry for everything before, Summer. I hope I’m better now.”
Summer barked softly, nuzzling into her chest. He didn’t understand why she was apologizing, but he stayed close, offeringfort in his own way.
After spending some time observing the dogs, Theresa headed back to the bunker with Summer by her side. That evening, she returned to the dogs with fresh food and bandages. Summer sat nearby, ring at the group as she tended to their wounds.
“Woof, woof, woof!” he barked, his tone clearly usatory<i>. </i><i>How </i><i>dare </i><i>you </i><i>take </i><i>my </i>owner’s <i>food</i><i>? </i>
The military dogs shrank under Summer’s fierce gaze, softly whining as they cowered. Yet when Theresa approached, they perked up, wagging their tails and pressing against her legs for attention.
Over the next two days, the dogs stayed near her bunker, keeping watch. Every time a vehicle passed, they chased after it and barked excitedly. When they realized it wasn’t their owners, they returned to their spot, visibly deted.
In the meantime, they worked tirelessly to keep her bunker safe. Any zombie that wandered too close was immediately taken down, and not a single one got through.
Moved by their dedication, Theresa made it a habit to visit them daily. She brought food, checked their injuries, and ensured they needed what they needed.
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Chapter 25 Loyalty Without Limits
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On the evening of the third day, Theresa noticed something different. From a distance, she saw the dogs running toward something with more energy than she’d ever seen from them.
She followed, stopping at a crumbling wall she often used to get a better view.
In the distance, a convoy of green military vehicles was making its way down the road.
Theresa’s breath caught. It’s them. <i>Their </i>owners <i>have </i><i>finally </i><ie </i><i>back</i>.
The dogs raced toward the convoy, barking and wagging their tails. Their excitement was infectious, though the soldiers inside the vehicles seemed startled by the sudden appearance <i>of </i>a pack of dogs.
One of the trucks slowed to a stop, and a young soldier climbed out.
As soon as he stepped down, one of the dogs rushed to him, its tail wagging furiously. The soldier knelt and wrapped his arms around the dog in a tight hug.
The others quickly surrounded him, barking joyfully.
One dog ran back to its old spot and returned with a piece of beef. It proudly presented it to the soldier as if it were a gift.
The young man hesitated; his expression conflicted between surprise and sorrow. He gently ced the meat back on the ground and stood, his eyes heavy with regret as he returned to the truck.
They hadn’t had a choice. The camp had ordered them to leave the dogs behind to make room for survivors. Orders were orders, and no matter how much it pained them, they had to follow through.
The vehicles started moving again, engines roaring to life. The dogs barked frantically, chasing after them as if begging not to be left behind.
The dog that had been hugged ran alongside the truck, still holding the piece of beef in its mouth. It leaped toward the vehicle, but instead of being weed back, it was met with the cold m of the door.
<i>Vroom</i>. The convoy sped off, leaving the dogs in the dust.
From her vantage point, Theresa could hear the survivors shouting inside the vehicles.
“Why are there dogs here?”
“Get them away from the vehicles!”
“They might be infected!”
“Keep them back!”
The dogs didn’t give up. Barking and howling, they chased the convoy with everything they had. No matter how hard they tried, the yehicles kept pulling farther and farther ahead.
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