Panicking, Max backed away from the large dog. "Dude, I'm not gonna hurt you. I just wanna talk for a moment," the stranger reasoned, taking his hat off his furry head. His face was covered in thick, brown fur. It was almost like a giant teddy bear that magically came to life. Still frightened, Max stuttered fearfully, "If you want money, I only got twenty dollars on me-"

"I don't want your money. I just wanna talk," the stranger repeated, adding while extending his paw forward, "Name's Duke."

"Max..." Max replied, hesitating before shaking Duke's paw.

Briskly nodding his head, Duke went on, "Max, I've got an offer for you. Ya see, my boss is looking for young, strong dogs. And by the looks of it, you seem to fit that description very well."

"For what? Why does your boss want dogs like me?" Max questioned. Gripping his hat in his paws, Duke answered, "I'm not supposed to say but... if you pass, you can receive a huge sum of cash." Max bit his lip. He could use the money. However, he didn't like the fact that this seemed secretive. Sighing, he responded quietly, "I'm sorry but... I'm gonna have to pass."

"That's okay. If you change your mind though," Duke spoke, reaching into his raincoat, "Here's my card." Quietly, he placed it in Max's paw. Looking at it, Max glanced up to find out that the large dog had disappeared without a trace...