Operators sounded skeptical at first, but desperation laced Marcus’s voice. He emphasized the criminals’ violence, the stolen dog, and the elaborate scheme involving raccoons. Eventually, they agreed to send a team. Mr. Thompson eyed the bruises on Marcus’s arms, muttering reassurance that help was on its way.
Still soaked in mud, Marcus waited in tense silence. His body throbbed, but his thoughts stayed locked on Luna. Minutes stretched like hours before a pair of police cruisers arrived. Their flashing lights cut through the swampy gloom, a promise of order in an otherwise lawless night.