It was very late on Friday night before Kiara could slip out without her granny noticing. Part of her had hoped that something would go wrong and that they would have to call off the plan to rescue Chain Dog. But so far, everything had gone exactly as predicted. She’d watched as the gangsters had loaded the dogs from the cages into vans and cars, and had driven away, hooting and shouting. She’d seen that they had not taken Chain Dog with them, but had left her, chained as always, in the yard.

Now Kiara was walking quickly down the dark street to the corner cafe where Jaydon and Zaakirah had agreed to meet her. It was a relief to see the two of them, one small, one so tall, waiting for her in the light that shone from the cafe door.

“Hi!” said Zaakirah. “So you got out OK? Isn’t this great?”

Kiara could see that Zaakirah was very excited. Her eyes sparkled and she bounced on her toes, as though she were ready to start jumping about.

“Hi Kiara,” said Jaydon in his usual calm way. “Did they go?”

“Yes,” said Kiara. “I think they took just about all the dogs from the cages. Not her, though. She’s still chained up near the gate.”

“Fantastic,” said Zaakirah. “This is so cool. OK. Let’s go.”

“Let’s go over our plan again first,” said Jaydon.

Twenty minutes later, Kiara was showing Zaakirah the way she’d gone when she’d run away from Marky and his friends. It had been decided this was the safest way – no-one would see them enter from that quiet spot. They also agreed that the two girls would be the ones to go into the Gang House yard and free the dog. Jaydon would stay on the outside, keeping watch and waiting for them near the gate.

“Somebody has to stay outside to go for help if anything goes wrong,” Zaakirah had said. But the real reason was that Jaydon was just too big to fit through the gap in the gate – the one that they would use to get out of the yard.

Jaydon had made them wait until they saw the guard go back inside the house. If he stuck to the pattern that Kiara had seen from her window, it would be at least another twenty minutes before he came out again. Now Kiara led Zaakirah down the way she’d run from Marky. Everything looked very different in the dark.


“You sure this is the right way?” asked Zaakirah in a voice so loud it made Kiara wince.

“Shh! Zaakirah, please. Somebody might hear us,” she whispered.

“Oh. Sorry,” whispered Zaakirah, still too loudly for Kiara’s peace of mind.

Zaakirah just couldn’t stay quiet for long. Soon she was speaking again. “Phew,” she said. “It does stink here. Shouldn’t we have turned right back there? I’m sure we’re going the wrong way. Maybe we could just–”

Just then Kiara spotted the wall. The moonlight glinted off the broken glass along its top.

“No, there it is,” she whispered. She hoped that Zaakirah would not hear the fear in her voice. She swallowed, her mouth dry. What she really wanted to do was to call the whole thing off, and go back to her warm, safe bed. “I’ll go over first, OK?” she said, and took hold of the rough stones.

It was much more difficult getting over the wall now. The previous time she’d been in a panic, and fear had lent her strength. Now she had to pull herself over the top, expecting at any moment for somebody to shout or shine a light on her. At last she was on the other side of the wall, watching as Zaakirah lowered herself down to join her.

“So far, so good,” whispered Zaakirah. “Looks like they took all the dogs with them.”

Indeed, as the girls walked down the row of cages, one after the other stood empty, some with their doors open. Then Zaakirah stopped so abruptly that Kiara nearly walked into her.

There was a dog in one of the cages. Kiara could see the light glinting off its eyes, and hear the scrape of its claws as it got to its feet. She closed her eyes, expecting the explosion of barking that would draw the guard’s attention to them. But instead, she heard the rustle of plastic. She opened her eyes to see that Zaakirah was taking something small out of her bag.

Kiara could hear the dog sniffing, and the rumble of its growl. To Kiara’s surprise, Zaakirah stepped closer to its cage, holding the object before her. Kiara couldn’t make out what it was.

“Here, boy,” said Zaakirah. “Got you something nice here. Come on. Good boy.”

The confident sound of Zaakirah’s words seemed to calm the dog and he sniffed more loudly. Then Zaakirah was right up to the cage and pressing the object through the wire, right into the dog’s mouth.

“Bone,” she whispered to Kiara as she stepped back, wiping her hands on her jeans. “That should keep him quiet.”

And it was true. Now all they could hear was the crunching as the dog chewed on the bone.

They walked quietly on. They could see the yard now, where Chain Dog stood, watching them. Beyond the dog, light was coming from the Gang House window: the blue, flickering light of a television.

Good, she thought. He won’t be able to hear much with the TV on.

Still, the crunching of their feet on the gravel sounded very loud to her. Chain dog was on her feet, her head up, watching the two girls. Zaakirah had another bone in her hand.

“Good girl,” she whispered. “You’re going to be quiet now, aren’t you? Here’s a nice bone for you.”

Chain Dog looked bigger than ever and Kiara could not help imagining what would happen if those powerful jaws were to grab one of them. The dog certainly was not interested in the bone. She looked from Kiara to Zaakirah and back again, her eyes glinting in the light from the street outside.

“You’re going to have to help me,” said Zaakirah. “Here’s the collar and leash. You put it on her. I’ll cut the chain.”

Before Kiara could protest, Zaakirah had shoved the collar into her hands and was pulling the bolt-cutters out of her bag.

If this dog was going to attack, she would have done it already, Kiara told herself. Look how calmly she’s standing there. She won’t hurt me. All I have to do is put this collar round her neck.

Feeling weak with fear, she stepped right up to the dog. Zaakirah was already busy with the chain, swearing softly under her breath. Kiara would have to hurry if she wanted to get the collar on in time. She took a trembling breath and held the collar out to the dog’s face. To her surprise, Chain Dog pushed her nose through the collar as though she knew exactly what Kiara wanted.

At first Kiara thought the collar was too small, but then it slipped over the dog’s broad head and settled round her neck.

The gentle way the dog accepted the collar was reassuring. “Good girl,” she whispered. Chain Dog turned her head and sniffed Kiara’s hand, touching it gently with her nose and lips.

Slowly, Kiara moved her hand, stroking Chain Dog’s head, passing her fingers over her ragged ears.

How soft her ears are, she thought.

Then there was a sharp clink and Zaakirah straightened. “Right!” she said. “Did it! OK Kiara?”

“OK,” whispered Kiara. “Let’s go.”

She’d been worried that Chain Dog would not want to go with them, but she didn’t even have to tug on the leash. The dog walked with her quite obediently and waited while she pushed her way through the gap in the gate before following after.

It’s like she knows we mean to help her, thought Kiara. Then she nearly squeaked with fright as somebody stepped out of the shadows.

“It’s me,” said Jaydon. “You got her?”

“Yes!” laughed Zaakirah. “Jaydon, you nearly made me wet myself.”

“Let’s go,” said Jaydon, and the four of them, three teens and the dog, went running down Esther Street. Kiara still marvelled at the way that Chain Dog followed her, so obediently. She was sure the dog would stay close beside her even if she took the leash off.

They ran all the way to the play park, and then stopped there, laughing and out of breath.

“What now?” said Kiara when she’d got her breath back. “What do we do with her now?”

Their laughter stopped, and they stared at one another. This was one thing they had not planned for.

“I can’t take her home. We live in a flat,” said Jaydon. “And my mom would go crazy. Can’t you take her, Zaakirah?”

“No ways!” said Zaakirah. “My dogs will kill her. Or,” she said, looking at the big dog, “actually, she’ll probably kill them. And anyway, I live far too close to that place. The gangsters will see her in our yard and just take her back. Or come for us in revenge.”

Kiara felt as though somebody had poured a bucket of iced water over her. How could they have been so stupid? “I can’t take her either,” she faltered. “We also live in a flat. And my granny…”

They stood there, looking down at the dog, who looked back at them.

What is she thinking? Kiara wondered. She looks so trusting.

Zaakirah started saying something but at that moment a police van came rumbling round the corner, its rotating light gleaming blue over the swings and benches in the park. The three of them were blinded by the headlights, and then, as it drew nearer, by a spotlight shone onto them.

“Stay where you are!” said a loud voice. “What’s going on here? Put your hands where I can see them. Don’t move.”

A door slammed as a policeman got out, but Kiara was blinded by the spotlight and could not see.

What will granny say, she thought in a panic, if I’m arrested for stealing a dog?

***

Tell us: Like Kiara putting the collar on the dog, have you ever done something even though you were very afraid? What was it?