Chapter 10 - THE NEW PACK
The afternoon sun began its slow descent toward the western horizon, casting long, golden shadows across the dusty training yard of the NSW K9 Annex.
Evelyn walked down the central aisle between the kennels, carrying three heavy black tactical harnesses fitted with reinforced grab handles, side-mount camera brackets, and Kevlar chest plates.
She unlocked the gate to Enclosure Four once again.
This time, there was no pacing. There was no growling. There was no cautious hesitation.
Ares stood up immediately, stepping to her right side and placing his shoulder against her hip. Zeus walked out from the shade of the wash rack, his tail wagging in a slow, rhythmic circle. And Thor stepped directly in front of her, leaning his head against her chest as she knelt down in the dirt.
Evelyn lifted the heavy tactical harness, slipping it gently over Thor’s head and buckling the side straps across his broad ribcage with clean, practiced clicks.
"Alright," Evelyn whispered, running her hand along the dog's back, feeling his muscles relax beneath her touch. "Let's go to work."
Behind her, Staff Sergeant Petrov stood at the open gate, holding a tactical leash assembly. He smiled faintly—the first real smile he had worn in over two months.
"Where to first, Captain?" Petrov asked.
Evelyn stood up, her blonde ponytail catching the golden evening light, her three Belgian Malinois standing in a tight, disciplined formation at her side, ready to move as one cohesive unit.
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She looked toward the open training fields stretching out toward the mountains, where the shadows were long and the air was cool.
"Out into the light," Evelyn said firmly. "We've spent enough time in the dark."
