Always Go Back (Jack Reacher Fanfiction)

The scorching temperature of the Afghanistan landscape. A dark brown and black male German Shepard panted as he rode in a convey, on his way to base camp. He could smell the scent of fear and sweat in the air. It was just impossible to tell exactly where it came from. There was far too many people in far too little of a space. It was certainly uncomfortable, but it was a reality of the war that they were facing. They just had to hold out until then.

The German Shepard turned his head and saw that another, slightly younger and smaller German Shepard quaking where he stood. Whimpers were emitted from his throat every now and then while his eyes were nearly glazed over.

He clambered over legs and backpacks to make his way over to the German Shepherd. He extended his nose and touched it to his ear. "Hey, kid, whimpering like that isn't gonna help anyone."

The pup looked over and gulped. "Y-Yessir!"

"You don't need to address me as your superior, pup. The name is Gunner," introduced the senior German Shepard with a dip of his own head.

The younger one smiled. "It's good to meet you, Gunner. My name is Ranger."

"Couldn't they have gotten more creative with our names," joked Gunner as he closed his mouth and sent saliva flicking a bit as he did so.

That seemed to make Ranger relax a bit as he pawed at the ground. "Certainly."

Suddenly, there was a blast. Fire, dust, and smoke filled the air. Screams followed as well as commands and shouts. Ranger tightened up, but Gunner had been through his numerous times. He knew what he had to do and how he had to do it.

"Ranger, with me," he ordered as he leaped out of the convey with his handler, Hugh. Hugh whistled for him to stay close and he crawled forward with his stomach nearly grazing the ground. He stopped behind a rock and heard shouts from the enemy, but he couldn't tell who the enemy was or what they wanted. It was just shouts that he couldn't make out.

"Gunner, scout," ordered Hugh with his weapon now drawn.

Gunner lifted slightly as he crept forward. He didn't want to leave Hugh, but he knew that he had to obey. He looked around and ducked behind one of the tires of a trunk, that had been overturn. He plastered his ears against his head as he tried to block out everything else around him.

He growled as he saw one of their own heading toward Hugh. He lashed his tail as he leaped into the air, taking him down immediately. He sunk his teeth into the neck of the man and ripped it until blood gushed so much into his mouth that he couldn't breathe any longer. He spat it out harshly before he looked up to hear a whimper and see Ranger's fallen body in front of him.

He leaped off of the fallen solider and came over to Ranger. He arched his neck and touched his nose to the underside of his jaw. He grimaced when he couldn't find a pulse. He swore under his breath before he heard shots ring out close beside him.

"Hugh," he whispered as he looked back and saw his handler fall with a thin line of blood trickle from his mouth.

Gunner saw who had done it, but he didn't recognize him in the slightest. He wiggled his haunches before he pelted forward. He reared on his hind legs and leaped into the air, his paws outstretched, ready to land.

However, his paws never connected. Instead, he heard something before he felt agony course through his shoulder. He fell to the ground and whimpered with his face twisting in agony. He looked at his shoulder and saw bright, crimson blood gushing from it like a waterfall. He turned back and saw someone standing over him, for the sun had been shielded from his eyes.

The man looked at him and lifted a combat boot, before the entire world went black for Gunner.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~