If Not Now, When?

PART 42 - UNEXPECTED ALLY

 Wei was just catching up when  Yunlan opened  the door, and Yunlan and Longwei ran out in the dark together.

The sound of all the dogs barking at the same time was deafening.

Longwei ran to the kennel building door and went in since the gate was open. Yunlan followed behind him and Wei caught up with them. Wei ran down the second aisle and saw a man carrying a 6 month old German Shepherd from his kennel.

Wei ran to him and clocked him in the neck. He caught the puppy as he fell so it was unhurt. Yunlan saw other kennel doors open in the first aisle and ran back out, ordering Longwei to find their dogs.

Longwei ran out the door and over to a van. A man had a leash on another dog, a larger puppy, and was pushing it into the van. Longwei lunged at the man's leg, gnashing his teeth into the thigh.

The man screamed and dropped the puppy's leash to grab his leg. Longwei switched to the man's arm, jumping on him and pushing him to the ground. The man swung at the dog, but Longwei dodged and barked when the man pulled a gun on him. Longwei grabbed the man's wrist when he raised his arm with the gun. The sound of cracking bones was heard as a shot went off into the air.

"Good boy." Suddenly blue strings wound around the man, pinning his arms to his body and tying his ankles together Yunlan kicked the gun in the man's hand away from him.

Yunlan looked in the van and found 6 more puppies and an unconscious older dog that had just arrived from the animal shelter. There were 3 cages full of cats.

He took three puppies back to their kennels. He knew each one's name and spoke quietly, putting comfort in their minds.

Petting the soft fur made him want to hold them, but he had to check on Wei. He didn't see him come back after he ran around to the second aisle.

He called the night watch at SID and told them to bring the SID van to arrest the two they caught while he ran to Wei.

"You're okay." Yunlan said, looking at the man on the floor at Wei's feet.

"I'm fine. This poor dog is scared out of its mind." He held a puppy. The puppy was trembling and whining. Wei tried to calm him with his animal skill, and he stopped whining but still shook.

Wei looked helplessly at Yunlan. "He isn't paying attention to me. You try to calm him."

Yunlan took the puppy and spoke quietly, scratching his ears. The puppy licked his wrist.

"Aw he likes that too. You and me, kid," Wei said.

"Shen Wei, there are dogs and cats in the thief's van in cages. We should check the other building after we get them out."

When they went out they saw a man going through the pockets of the man tied up beside it.

He grabbed the keys and ran to the driver's side of the van. Wei flattened the front tires with dark energy. Yunlan ran to the driver's door, opened it and pulled the man out.

As the man slid his feet to the ground, he stabbed Yunlan rapidly over and over.

Longwei barked but couldn't get the man because he was between the door and door frame, and Yunlan was in front of the man.

Yunlan bent over in pain and the man jumped back into the van. He floored it in reverse, and the flat tires didn't stop him. He knocked Yunlan over as he backed up next to him, and Yunlan fell to the ground holding his abdomen.

Wei blew up the van's engine with black energy. Da Qing came running and Wei told him to stop the man in the van.

"He has a knife! And dogs and cats in the back." He ran to Yunlan and lifted him so he could see the injuries. Blood was pouring out of the wounds.