Well, this is quite the predicament, isn’t it? Scents and, if we could find them, paw prints, are basically useless too. There’s too much commute down any given lane to have any solid trail. I think it would be best to tell everyone to look out for anything suspicious that they may see.”

“Aren’t they already doing that? What with the murders and all?”

Denali took a moment to think of how to reply. “Alright, I have an idea. From now on, you aren’t allowed to be right. I don‘t like feeling outdone.”

“Now you know how we feel,” she smiled again.

“Bite me.”

“Where would you like?” she giggled.

He backed away from her slowly and was about to speak again when he heard a thump upstairs. Denali shook his head and looked up the staircase.

“You didn’t bother checking upstairs, did you?”

“Well, I didn’t think that it’d be polite!”

Denali sighed, “I love you sometimes Sis.”

Saba followed him as he proceeded up the stairs. Denali put his ear up to the first door on the right and listened.

“Grandma? You in there?”

“Yeah Grams, it’s us!”

There was a muffled sound behind it, but then a voice came through that sounded like Duchess’, although it sounded rather hoarse.

“Yes. I’m in here. I just have a nasty cold,” she said through the door.

“Mind if we come in?” asked Saba.

Duchess drew in a breath quickly from the other side of the door. “Yes. I don’t want you to get sick too.”

“Are you sure?” Denali asked warily.

“Of course… Just, tell Ritchie when he gets back that… I love him.”

“But Grams-”

Saba was quickly cut off by Denali as he put a paw over her muzzle.

“Alright, we’ll let him know Grandma. Bye.”

He nodded to her and walked back downstairs.

“But Denali, she doesn‘t talk-”

“I know, I know,” he interrupted, “but we can’t take the chance of her getting hurt. But we have to find a way to help her. We’ll keep watch,” he whispered.

They walked out of the house, making sure that they made their exit loud and clear. Behind the door, Duchess stood with a claw at her throat.

“I despise you with a passion that you wouldn’t believe,” she hissed.

Soon she was hastily being ordered to move it as she was pushed out of the window they had opened coming up, getting out just in time to miss Saba’s and Denali’s eyes.

~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~

“Nothing. Absolutely nothing,” Kodi said, quite frustrated.

It had been hours since the search had began anew, and they were just as far off as ever. The fliers that Mr. Simpson had handed out didn’t do any good and of course he had been stuck with the rookie on his team. She had spent the whole time doing nothing but standing around gawking as the others worked. They walked up the northern half of the main street for what seemed like the umpteenth time.

“Hey, we haven’t been in here yet,” Kodi said.

He looked up at a sign. It was quite faded, but he could make out a picture of a clown, and the word ‘Chuckles’ but nothing else. Lilith’s look suddenly became fearful and she rapidly stepped in front of the open hole in the door before anyone could enter.

“Oh you don’t wanna go in there,” she said worriedly.

“And why not?” Kodi asked.

Her voice failed her momentarily, “Ugh… You mean you… haven’t heard the stories?”

“What stories?”

“About this guy. He’s a real nutter okay, and very, very mean. You don’t even want to know what he did to the last dog that went in there.”

“Oh c’mon Lilith. It’ll just be a quick-”

“Do you want your head blown off!?” she suddenly yelled.

The other dogs were taken aback by her outburst. She stared at them wide-eyed, her whole body trembling and her breathing quickening.

“Lilith.. It’ll be okay. No one’s going to lose their head,” Kodi said reassuringly and he reached a paw out.

She looked at his outreached paw in horror. “Don’t touch me!”

He withdrew his paw hastily, “Calm down.”

“…I don’t have to…” Her voice suddenly rose to a hysteric wail, “…You’re with her! Oh god! You’re with her! I knew it! You’re all trying to go behind my back, trick me, just like she did. You’re going to do just like she did to mom! Make friends with me, then get the butcher and his gun, and while I’m running away, he’s gonna blow my brains out, just like Mom! But no… Heh, I won’t let that happen… I’ll get you first, that’s it!”

There was a brief silence as the other sled dogs stared at her, open-mouthed and dumbfounded. Her eye twitched as a grin tugged at the corners of her mouth. They heard a quiet chuckle that was quite unsettling. Her chuckle soared into a shriek of laughter and by now her grin was far past obvious. The dogs started to slowly back away as her eyes opened even wider. Lilith sucked in a deep breath of cold air as she felt tears.

“Ha Ha HA! You’ll get yours! Each and every one of you!” she yelled manically.

She fell to the ground and began to pound it with a paw as she continued to shriek louder and louder. By now she was alone as the others had already fled. She felt a paw tap her from behind and she nearly flipped again, but was brought back to her senses.

“Brother? It is you… right?”

Burt nodded his head and gave a gentle smile. He patted her on the head and she was glad to accept it.

“Come by tonight, and we can talk.”

~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~

Kodi rushed into the barn followed by his teammates and was thankful when he saw his father already there. Balto saw his son and almost smiled, before he saw Kodi’s troubled look that is.

“Hey Kodi, you alright?”

He shook his head slightly, “Not quite. I think we have a problem. That Lilith, well, she doesn’t exactly seem sane.”

“Are you kiddin’? She’s Nuts!” blurted out another dog, “Said she’s gonna kill us all!”

“Whoa, easy now. Can you start from the beginning?”

Kodi stepped out from the small group and up to Balto. “Well… We were looking around town like you asked, and we came to this building, and when we were about to go in, she flipped out, and I really mean flipped out. But since I don’t know her that well, it could just all be some act. She could be trying to hide something. ”

Balto thought for a moment. “Normally I would advise against something like this, but maybe we should watch her. It may be the only way we can find Star.”

“Good idea, we’ll start when she gets back, then she should hopefully have calmed down.”

The dogs in the room nodded in unison, and as if on cue, Lilith softly padded into the barn. She saw that stares that were directed at her, and her ears folded back and she looked quite ashamed.

“I’m sorry about what happened back there. Just… brought back really bad memories,” she whispered as she crossed her front paws.

Most of the dogs then looked away from her, trying to preoccupy themselves with other things, all except for Kodi who made sure to keep a tight gaze on her. There was a creaking sound as the barn door opened again and Mr. Simpson stepped through.

“Well team, I’ve handed out all the fliers I could, so now we just have to wait and hope someone sees him… Oh! And before I forget.”

He rummaged through his pack and pulled out two bottles and a spoon. The first bottle he opened was a peanut butter container. He scooped a small amount of peanut butter onto the spoon and then placed a pill from the second container into it. He walked over to Lilith and held the spoon eyelevel to her and she quickly lapped it up.

“Good thing I saw your owners on the way, or I wouldn’t have known about this.”

When she finished, he placed all of his things back into his pack. He stepped back to the barn door and opened it before waving goodbye, telling where he’d be, and then shutting the door heavily.

~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~

The moon by now had risen high into the evening sky, revealing it’s near complete whiteness, except for the faintest of slivers. A bitter wind rolled through the streets, chilling anyone brave enough to be out to the bone. A small dog shivered as she sat on a porch and stared at the stars. She wore a frown as she continued to debate to herself. Finally she walked back into the house and felt a wave of heat suddenly hit her, almost bringing tears to her eyes from a slight stinging. Even though there was a warm fire crackling in the hearth, it only seemed to dampen the mood that she felt. She saw a red and white dog staring into this fire, and she coughed quietly, catching the dogs attention. She walked over to this dog and looked at the clock briefly, catching the time of Six. She tried to distract herself before she spoke by admiring the way her black and white fur seemed to swirl together on her front shoulders. Finally, she drew enough courage to speak.

“Aunt Jenna? Can I show you something.. really cool?” She shuffled uneasily in her place.

Jenna was only happy to oblige, “Sure thing Becca. What is it that you want to show me?”

Becca bit her lip unintentionally, but stopped when she realized, “Well, it’s a surprise, I have to lead you there so you can see it.”

Jenna thought for a moment, it couldn’t be that bad, it was just like a little game that she remembered her own pups doing, and it did feel good to feel needed again, even if it was just for pleasure.

She nodded, “Alright then.”

She rose from her basket and started for the front door before she heard a shout from behind her.

“Wait!” Becca suddenly realized that she made a mistake and shut her mouth and though quickly. She saw Jenna’s leash dangling from a window seat. She walked over it and looked at Jenna. “We should use this, that way I can lead you and so I know you won’t see.”

Jenna cocked her head. She had to admit this was a bit eccentric, but what could you expect from a pup?

“Well, alright I guess. I haven’t worn that in such a long time, so we’ll have to see if it still fits,” she smiled.

Becca returned the gesture as best as she could before Jenna slipped her head through noose of the leash, and

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