Mongrels?

Elliot looked over his shoulder, only to be grabbed at his elbow, like a child being reprimanded.

"Stop looking around," Mimi ordered. She let go of his arm.

She turned to Alessandro. "Canines?"

Alessandro nodded.

Mimi quietly scanned in different directions, her face emotionless.

"Are you sure?"

Alessandro nodded again.

"I'm not picking up anything," she replied.

She studied Alessandro's forehead and taut lips. He was as serious as the day when she'd first met him. She remembered it clearly. He had startled her, scared her, and as a result, she had fallen backward. In that same instant, Alessandro had sensed her imbalance, anticipated her fall -- and caught her. He had softened her impact, predicted her moves. It was a strange, unusual instinct. For Mimi, the boy's intuitiveness changed things.

Mimi pulled her laser gun out of its holster and set it on a higher power.

"Canines are an aggressive species," she said, "with borderline intelligence. Savage. They're not usually interested in communicating. They're more apt to kill, especially people. We should start heading back. You two go first, and I'll cover from behind."

Booomm!! Boooooommmm!!

Before any of them could move, a couple of explosions went off nearby. The unexpected jarring dropped Elliot to the ground, while Mimi braced herself down to one knee.

Booomm!!

Another explosion followed, this time to the right of the threesome. Mimi whirled about, trying to locate where the bombs were coming from.

"Are you alright?" she asked Elliot, helping him to his feet. She looked to Alessandro next, only to find him unshaken by the surprise explosions.

"Get moving," Mimi said. "Go, run!"

The distance to the Center was several stone-throws away; still within launching range, still within danger. Additionally, it was difficult to see the bombs being catapulted through the darkening sky.

Booooommmm!

Another explosion occurred, this time in front of them, preventing the teens' escape.

Off in the distance, three brown canines appeared out of nowhere. Moving across the upper plain, the mysterious animals strutted with stiff upper spines and thick sturdy legs, their strides revealing an undeniable strength. Slowly, the mongrels closed off the path back to the Center. They stopped and stared with black marble eyes, silently menacing, standing as if they owned the place.

"How did those dogs get there?" Elliot said.

"How did they get past the perimeter?" Mimi murmured.

Then, impossibly, three more dogs -- black bulky ones -- appeared from behind. Salivating through their yellow teeth, they barked and snapped in a deranged sort of way. Their bodies strained against an invisible constraint; stretching their necks, pulling, as if being held back by a series of leashes and waiting to be released.

"We've got more company," Mimi assessed.

The three teenage humans were surrounded.

"Hello!" the female officer called out. "You are all on the grounds of a medical treatment facility. Are any of you seeking help?"

One of the brown dogs barked and snipped in response.

"We mean you no harm," Mimi said.

The black canines stepped forward, chomping at the opportunity.

"I don't think they're here to play nice," Mimi said and clicked the setting on her gun to its highest level.

Elliot looked to the brown canine closest in proximity. "Hello," he said in a friendly tone.

The nasty beast was not impressed. He jolted into attack.

Elliot froze. The monstrous animal barreled toward him. He braced for a brutal impact.

ZmzzzZzzz!

The collision never happened.

Mimi intervened with a carefully aimed shot, dropping the charging canine in his tracks.

At the other end, one of the black dogs began to sprint toward Alessandro.

Mimi reached for a knife from her bootstrap and threw it in a swift, overhand motion.

Thhnnkk!

The sharp blade plunged into the canine's neck, instantly bringing him down.

Now Mimi alternated her gunpoint between the remaining sets of dogs. At the same time, she strategically positioned herself between Elliot and Alessandro, urging them onward toward the Center.

At the back end, the remaining black dogs took a special interest in Alessandro. They barked and sneered viciously.

"God's peace to you," Alessandro said, extending an arm.

The canines hesitated and gnawed at the air, shaking their heads and scratching at their snouts. One of them stopped and howled aloud in displeasure.

At the other end, another one of the brown canines broke into a sprint, taking advantage of Mimi's divided attention.

ZmzzzZzzz!

The girl officer shot the canine raider with effortless skill. The brown dog stumbled and slid face-first into the ground.

Now only one brown dog remained.

Meanwhile, the black mongrels continued to fuddle and fuss, held back by an unknown reluctance, as if an invisible barrier were placed between them and the humans.

"Aless!" Elliot called out. He changed his location from the back of the threesome. "Get behind me! I can shield you!"

The shifting of position drove the black mongrels crazy. Jumping and trembling, like a pair of wet monkeys, the canines grew frantic in animation. They shook their heads, causing their saliva to fly. With a growl and sneer, the two remaining black dogs sprung into action.

ZmzzzZzzz!! ZmzzzZzzz!!

Split-seconds later, both canines lay dead, shot down by a certain HP sharpshooter.

Mimi turned to the last canine standing. "We don't want to hurt you, but we need to know why you're here!"

The brown dog snarled as he stepped forward, but then oddly stepped back. He sniffed and snapped at the air. Abruptly, the mongrel turned and ran away, leaving the human campus behind.

The three teenagers breathed a sigh of relief.

"Mimi, are you okay?" Elliot called out.

"Yeah," Mimi answered back, smiling at the question. "I'm okay."

She checked in on Alessandro, only to find him already staring at her.

He gave a slight smile and winked.

Mimi half-squinted in return. She tried to suppress a smile.

Off to the side, Elliot watched as his two friends exchanged their funny looks.

"Okay!" Elliott cut in. "Let's get back inside, shall we?" He stepped in between them, putting his arm around Alessandro. "Come on, let's go!"

"Wait," Mimi said.

She noticed something -- dull lights at the neck of one of the fallen canines. She examined the illumination more closely. Her eyes bulged. There was a subtle electronic display at the end of the canine's collar.

"What is this?"

She scanned the collar and frowned.

No immediate danger had been detected, but the remaining lights bothered her. She snapped the collar device in two, and the powered display turned off.

"Elliot, we need to remove all of these collars," Mimi ordered. "I think we know how the mongrels got past the perimeter."