Rogue (NCIS K-9)

Chapter 9: Campfire (Has been Revised)

(Gibbs POV)

The quiet beep illuminating from my flip phone mixed with the echoes and noises of the woods. I had found a few tracks that might of belonged to Rogue, but I couldn't be sure.

I had been tracking her for a few hours now, but it seemed like days. The sun had gone down an hour go and they only thing that lit my way now was the heavy duty flashlight my father had given to me as a boy. What do I do when I find her? Will she attack me? Is she hurt? Why had she run?

These questions burned through my mind as I kept trudging on. It didn't take long, until I came to a wide clearing. I brought the flashlight up from the ground and shined it into the clear view. My heart stopped.

Blood, red blood, the thick paste's weight made the blades of grass bend and touch the dirt floor. The light of the moon seemed to reflect off the liquid making it seem brighter. I made my way swiftly into the clearing passing most of the blood and that's when I saw them.

Six bodies, their throats torn and their parts scattered across the plain. The deer's black eyes were glazed over and cold as ice, terror still frozen on their faces or what was left of them. The steam still protruding off of their parts meant she had been here just a few hours ago.

"Rogue....what did you do?" I asked myself outloud. I looked at the tracker it had stopped, only a few miles east. I turned in the direction of the red dot and continued on cautiously.

(Rogue's POV)

I had slept for awhile, but not long enough. The moon shined bright in the cloudless sky. I stretched out and heard the stiff crack of my joints. I hadn't run this much in a long time , so it wasn't a surprise that my muscle's had grown sore.

I rose from the ground and shook my midnight fur. My throat quenched for a drink, I decided to head back to the river I had taken a bath in. Hopefully the water had filtered out the blood that had been rinsed off of my body. I started to make my way when I heard a loud crack to in the woods to my left.

I snapped my neck in the direction of the sound and listened intently. I could hear a deep breathing, heavy as if someone had been carrying a weighted sack all day. I turned my body and brought my head low to the ground. Sniffing at the strange stench, that had arose from the trees and drifted my way.

It smelled like grease, sweat, and blood. A very familiar stench, that I knew all to well. My hair quickly stood on end, my breathing increasing. I barked into the dark night and just after a few seconds, a small chuckle replied.

"Hello Beasty" A deep voice spoke as a man stepped into the light of the fire. His gruff features could not be mistaken. It was him and he knew I had made the connection. David Smith, my old master.

I growled and barred my teeth, after everything he has done to me I wouldn't miss a chance to rip is heart out, if he even had one left.
"Easy, I've come to take you back home" he stated taking a step closer, clearly unfazed by my aggression toward him. David narrowed his eyes at me, looking me up and down he noticed my new collar. His smirk faded, replaced with a scowl, "Someone's been busy" He spoke, sternly.

I growled louder and stood my ground, if there was a time to face my fears, it was now.

"Now, now that's no way to act towards your master, now is it?" He asked sternly. I kept growling as he took a step closer. I began to move as well, we circled each other, sizing one another up.

"Rogue you don't want to do this" he warned, as he reached his hand behind his back. I barred my teeth and snapped my powerful jaws in his direction. He replied with a quick movement of his arm, pulling out a gun from behind him. I only had a few seconds to react, I lunged. But my action was faltered, by a sharp pain in my chest.

I dropped to the ground instantly, the affliction in my chest was unimaginable. David let out a chuckle as he made his way over to me. I couldn't get up, and now my confidence had shrunk away. Replaced with terror, I let out a whine. David now standing above me brought his dirty boot up to my head and pressed down. Pushing my skull into the dirt.

"Time to come home, Daddy's got a job for you" he stated, as he leaned in close to my face, his breath horrendous and strong. My vision started to blur and I blacked out.

(Gibbs POV)

I was close, I saw a small glow of what looked like a fire. Campers maybe? I decided to head over to them and warn them about Rogue, but before I could take a step closer I heard a gun go off.

"Rogue" I whispered, my eyes widening in fear. I ran towards the light, hoping that she was still ok. When I grew closer,I saw three men pick up, what looked like a dog, and put it in the back of a red pickup truck. I quickly dropped to the ground, to obtain some sort of cover. I spotted a bramble of dead brush and slowly army crawled over to it.

"Whens the next event Smith?" A man asked, as he shut the tailgate of the pick up truck.

"I'll need a few days to set her straight. Sign one up for Saturday and get ahold of Aaron" a buff man replied.

Smith? That name rang a bell, Smith? David smith! That's Rogues handler. I watched them pack up, douse the fire and leave. I pulled out my phone and called the team in. We have to get rogue back before her state of mind leaves for good.