7:26 pm

"Duke!" Max and Gidget barked at the same time. They hadn't seen the Newfoundland mix since that morning. He looked awful. Clearly he was exhausted from a whole day of racing around and evading capture. His fur was disheveled and he stumbled around before collapsing on the sidewalk. Worried for his brother, Max ran up to the bigger dog and yelped, "Duke! Come on Duke, say something!"

"So... hungry... need food..." Duke whined, rolling over onto his side. The mutt's tongue hung out of his mouth as he panted heavily. Max jumped when he heard a huge growl out of nowhere. Based on how his brother whimpered with pain, the Jack Russell terrier guessed that the growl came from Duke's stomach. Did he really go all day without food?

"Oh you poor thing, you must be starving," Gidget murmured quietly. She placed a caring paw on Duke's and gently petted him. Still panting, the mutt mumbled, "Constant... running... no... breaks... no food..." Sympathy flashing over her face, the fluffy white Pomeranian murmured, "You poor thing..."

"Don't worry Duke, we're gonna get home and we're gonna get you some food. I promise!" Max vowed. Shaking his head quietly, Duke rasped, "Impossible..."

"Duke, look at me," Max commanded. Wheezing, Duke lifted his gaze. Looking his brother in the eye, Max stated, "We're gonna get home. I know we can. Just... take a look around. Look where we are." Taking a moment to let his words sink in, the terrier continued, "We're only a few blocks away from the dog park. We are almost home. We can do this."

"We... can?" Duke repeated, a hint of hope in his voice. Nodding his head excitedly, Max answered, "Yes, yes we can. And you know what? I bet everyone is gonna be waiting for us with a whole buffet." He wasn't really sure if that was true but he needed to get Duke back on his feet so he kept talking, "There's gonna be food."

"Food..." Duke whispered wistfully. Turning his attention away from Max, the Newfoundland mix stared at the road ahead. He was near the finish line, he was close to finally having something to eat. Nothing could stop him. Hope surging through his veins, the large mutt mumbled, "Gotta... go... fast..."

"Yes, gotta go- wha-" Max found himself interrupted by a speeding whirlwind of brown fur.