The Runaway Adventures

Chapter 16:Saved By Love

As the parents left the premises of the pound, Lady still was thinking of the astonishing story that Toughy and Bull told her about Angel and her past. Lady could not believe that Angel, who seemed so cheerful and carefree before she ran away, had such a traumatic past. She told Tramp and Pongo the sad story of how Angel had to grow up in the pound, how Angel was thrown out of homes and that she joined a street gang to srive, and how Angel was unable to see her mother for months.

"Poor girl," Tramp told Lady when she finished. "She had a lot of bad luck, even for street dogs."

"I had no idea she had a life like that," Lady sighed sadly. "It only makes me feel more worried for her. You do think... that she's safe?"

"Come on Pidge, she and Scamp are just fine," Tramp comforted her. "Hey... maybe..." Tramp began to smile, and declared, "Follow me," and he walked in the sunset's glow on a path that was all too familiar, with chicken coops and all.

"Hey, what are those things?" Pongo asked.

"They're chicken coops," Tramp explained. "They're fun!" Lady looked at Tramp fearfully. Then, Tramp remembered what happened with their last chicken coop experience. He then added, "But they're also pretty dangerous. We'd be better off to avoid them."

Lady gently smiled at Tramp. She appreciated that Tramp was kind enough to spare her from another experience with the chicken coops. Perhaps he had learned some lessons from their last time out after all. Lady hopefully entertained that thought in her mind as they rounded a corner, but then suddenly, Lady heard some rustling nearby.

Lady turned, and then she heard a voice say, "Aha, there you are!" This voice had an Italian accent and sounded cruel and vaguely familiar to Lady. Tramp looked thoroughly annoyed.

Coming out from the bushes was a big, short-haired black and brown dog. His build was sturdy and muscular and his eyes were dark and small and Lady instantly saw pools of hatred in them, which matched with a devilish look on his face. "Well, well, here you are, Tramp, along with your pretty little girl and a couple of spotted fools," he smirked. "And what brings you out here, housedogs?"

"Who are you?" Lady asked fearfully. But she thought she already knew, for she had seen him in her dream.

"Looks like he wouldn't even talk about me to you," the dog told Tramp. "Not that you, the queen of the kennel club set, would need to know. My name's Buster, and I'm the leader of the junkyard dogs, the toughest gang in town!"

"I heard... about you," Lady muttered sadly. "You... you...hurt my son!"

Buster ignored Lady and then barked, "Anyways, none of you answered my question! What are you doing?" Buster demanded.

"Looking for our puppies," Perdita told him boldly. "We must find them."

Buster devilishly smirked at the parents. "It's useless for you to try," he growled.

"Why?" Pongo asked.

Buster continued to smirk and maliciously told them, "You don't need to look! They're all part of my gang! Scampster, Angel-Cakes, Patchy, and those other two!"

"So where are they?" Pongo asked boldly, but he couldn't help but to feel a bit nervous. "How come they're not with you?"

"They're in the junkyard," Buster replied with malicious amusement, delighting in the worried atmosphere. He paced back and forth in front of the parents, taking in their frightened expressions. "So don't bother looking for them. I told them that if they see you again, they should turn you straight into kibble. And of course they'd do it. They all hate you that much."