through the door and the soldier’s chest, sending him flying backward.

“Take cover!” the Leader shouted, everyone hiding again as a pumping sound was heard and another shotgun blast tore through more of the door, the pellets hitting the walls. Balto pumped the shotgun and fired a third time, pumping it to get ready for a fourth shot before taking cover again as a hailstorm of assault rifle bullets hit the door and came through the large hole he’d made. One of the Spec-Ops soldiers threw a hand grenade through the hole. Balto saw it and grabbed it in mid-air, lobbing it back and killing two soldiers in the explosion.

“Balto, are you alright?” Jenna asked him after she heard the explosion, slowly standing up again.

“Yeah… Yeah, I’m fine…” he said, grinning at her, “Good news, Jen… We’re winning…”

No sooner had Balto said that than the door was kicked open, slamming the wolfdog against the wall. The soldier put his handgun to the hole in the door and pulled the trigger, hitting Balto somewhere in his torso. He howled in pain and Jenna drew her revolver, firing two shots into the dog’s spine, watching him fall to the ground. Jenna ran over and pulled the door away from Balto, seeing the bullet-wound on the right side of his abdomen, not a lethal shot fortunately.

“Balto, are you alright?” Jenna asked. Balto nodded slowly, then suddenly, his face got serious.

“Jenna, it’s a trick!” Balto cried out, pushing Jenna away from the doorway just as more assault rifle fire chattered through the silence. A few bullets struck Balto in his leg and he fell to his knees on the bloodstained tiled floor. He glared at the two remaining soldiers, a normal fighter and the Leader. Another bullet struck him in his right shoulder and Balto nearly fell to the ground. Growling, he slowly and uneasily raised his handgun and shot six times, killing the last remaining soldier.

Outside, Colonel McIntyre pulled up along the side of the road in front of Balto and Jenna’s house. He sighed softly, knowing he probably shouldn’t be disturbing them. However, Balto had been a longtime friend of his and he was concerned for him. So, wanting to make sure his friend was alright, Jason stepped out of his car and noticed a third car pulled up in their driveway: a black SUV. Glancing to the front door, he saw it was smashed in with three bodies lying there.

“Oh shit…” he muttered and ran up the lawn and toward the front door. The Spec-Ops Leader saw Balto beginning to lose his strength and vigor and grinned. He dropped his assault rifle and drew his handgun, a black Desert Eagle, and began advancing on the fallen agent. Balto’s vision had gone blurry from his injuries and his breathing became heavier. He continued to pull the trigger at the approaching soldier, despite the clicking of an empty magazine.

The Spec-Ops Leader reached Balto and laughed, grabbing the wolfdog by the throat and lifting him up into the air. He punched Balto in the stomach three times, the wolfdog groaning and coughing, some blood beginning to drip from his muzzle. He glared at the Spec-Ops Leader, growling softly under his breath only to be laughed at yet again.

“Well, the boss was right about you… You really are the fighting type, huh?” the Leader asked mockingly, placing his handgun to Balto’s forehead, “But orders are orders… You die first, then the bitch, then your son…” Balto’s eyes widened slightly, then narrowed even farther than before. “Say goodnight, little hero…”

“Hey, you!” came a voice behind the Leader. The dog turned and saw a German Shepherd standing right behind him, dressed in a military official’s uniform. “Let go of my friend…”

Before the Spec-Ops Leader could even speak, Colonel McIntyre brought his boot up and kicked the handgun from the soldier’s grip, the gun going off and hitting the ceiling before clattering to the floor. He then grabbed the Leader’s shoulder and kicked him hard in the back of his knee, dropping the dog to the floor and forcing him to drop Balto, letting out sharp cries of pain. Jason pulled out a .44 Smith and Wesson revolver and put it to the Spec-Ops Leader’s head.

“Who are you and who do you work for?” the Colonel asked, his voice fierce and sharp, “Answer me!” The dog just laughed insanely and shook his head.

“Go to Hell, you bastard…” he said, still laughing for no apparent reason. Jason pulled the hammer back on his revolver and growled.

“You first…” he replied, then pulled the trigger before tossing the Leader’s body aside and kneeling next to Balto, “Balto, can you hear me? It’s me, Jason McIntyre… Your friend…” Balto’s eyes slowly opened halfway, his vision blurred and he could hardly see or feel anything.

“Ja-son?” Balto asked weakly, coughing again and trying to sit up before Colonel McIntyre gently pushed him back down to the floor again, “I… I can’t… can’t feel my… whole body…”

“Just relax and rest, Balto… That’s the best thing for you right now…” he said calmly, looking up as Jenna ran over to them and knelt beside Balto as well.

“Oh my God, Balto! Oh, Balto… How could this have happened?” Jenna asked, tears streaming down her face and falling from her muzzle onto Balto’s chest, “Just hang in there… Jason and I are going to get you help…”

“Jenna……” Balto whispered, his voice barely audible now and his eyes closing. His head rolled to the side and his body went limp. Jenna gasped sharply and immediately began to fear the worst. Jason checked for a pulse and looked seriously at Jenna.

“Jenna, give him CPR until he begins breathing again… I’m going to call an ambulance…” Colonel McIntyre said, pulling out his cell phone and calling the hospital. Jenna began to push down on Balto’s chest, counting out softly before exhaling into Balto’s mouth and repeating the process. In a few short moments, Balto was breathing again, but remained unconscious. Jenna sighed with relief, then looked up at the Colonel.

“Don’t worry Jenna… He’ll be alright…” he replied softly, staring down at Balto before pressing his cell phone to his ear, “Hello, hospital. This is an emergency, and I need an ambulance right away…”

            Bang! Balto’s gunshot tore through the air, managing to hit Brad in his right side. The wolf stumbled forward and cried out in agony, but kept on running. He ran out into a small shopping plaza and fired his handgun twice into the air, causing everyone to scream and run for cover. As Balto approached, all he could see were panicking civilians everywhere.

“Damn it…” Balto muttered to himself, scanning the rapidly moving crown for any sign of Brad. He then caught a glimpse of him rushing down an alleyway, Balto quickly giving pursuit. As soon as the wolfdog had managed to get to the alley, he noticed small puddles of blood trailing down the alley. Balto gripped his Beretta tight and proceeded, following the trail of blood down the many various connecting alleys.

After several minutes of tracking, Balto heard something crash farther down the alley. He ran after the sound and found Brad’s gun lying out in the middle of the alley, the fallen form of Brad slumped against a stack of trash bags. He looked up at Balto and grinned weakly, clutching his side tightly to try and stop the bleeding wound inflicted by Balto.

“Well done, Balto… You’ve defeated me…” Brad said, his breathing becoming more erratic with each passing second, “You… got me in the kidney… If you don’t kill me… I’ll bleed out in a… matter of minutes…” Balto merely gave the wolf a look of pity and disappointment, shaking his head sadly.

“Why Brad? Why did you do all of this?” Balto asked, still not understanding, “Doesn’t your country mean anything to you? I just can’t understand why someone would betray their country so willingly…” Brad laughed weakly and coughed, looking up to Balto again.

“You’ve got… spirit and patriotism, Balto… You have what it… takes to be a great agent… I never… had any of that stuff… I guess that’s why I went crooked…” Brad explained, his eyes darkening as the life was slowly drained out of him, “Here… These are the… top-secret military plans and files… Baker had with him… Take them back… Keep them safe…” Balto took the manila folder from Brad’s shaking hand and looked at it before turning his gaze back to the dying wolf he’d looked up to for so long.

“Brad…” Balto said softly, “… I’m sorry things had to end up like this… I wish that this had never happened… That you and I had never come here…” Brad grinned slightly and nodded slowly.

“I do too, Balto… But can I ask one last… thing of you?” Brad said, a pleading look in his dimming eyes, “Please Balto… I’m sorry for what I’ve done… But my crimes are unforgivable… Just give me this one final mercy… Kill me… Kill me now…” Balto felt a lump form in his throat as he looked down at his Beretta, slowly raising it and pointing it at Brad’s head.

“I’m so sorry Brad…” Balto said, his voice shaking as tears formed in the corners of his gold and brown eyes, his hand trembling ever-so slightly.

“I’m sorry too, Balto……” Brad whispered closing his eyes and taking a deep breath, “Go on… Set my soul free…”

Balto clenched his teeth together for a few long moments. Everything was still and silent for the longest time, nothing seeming to move at all. Then, a single gunshot tore through the quiet night air… Balto slowly lowered the aim of his Beretta back to the ground, and turned the safety on before holstering it. He stared down at the body of the brown wolf, his friend, his mentor, and fellow agent. The tears in his eyes began to fall slowly, cutting through his brown-gray fur before falling to the concrete below.

“Goodbye, Brad…” Balto whispered before