Lorenz stalked through the forest with a hunter’s tread, gun cradled in the crook of his arm. His brother Vincent walked more casually beside him, swinging his rifle back and forth at his side. “Why are you always so serious, Lor?” he laughed, pushing a branch out of the way.
Lorenz sidestepped the shower of leaves that fluttered from the branch. “I know it’s easy to miss,” he said through gritted teeth, “but we’re in the military. We’re told to always be on guard every single day!” Lorenz shot his brother a look of contempt.
Vincent laughed again. “On guard for what? You think the enemy’s out for a little evening stroll? Just look at Lacey; she’ll tell you nothing’s wrong.” Indeed, it was hard not to be reassured by the sight of the smiling face of the German shepard who was the boys’ fierce protector and devoted friend.
“Trust me, Lorenz. I’m your older brother after all. I do know best.” Grinning, Vincent reached down and ruffled his brother’s hair. Lorenz looked up at him with a scowl, but his sibling did have a point; no suspicious activity was apparent. The oaks and maples stood so silent and still, they could have been carved out of stone. The sky was a deep blue, except for a silver halo that highlighted the pearly-bright moon. A creek trickled just out of sight. Still, Lorenz couldn’t settle down. He hated the way the shadows cloaked the trees and made him blind to the rest of the forest.
“Did you hear something?” Vincent whispered to Lorenz, suddenly as uneasy as his brother.
Lorenz squinted suspiciously at him. “This had better not be another joke, or I’ll-“
“No. Shh. Listen.” Vincent was deadly serious for once.
A twig cracked out in the forest, a subtle enough noise, but to the brothers it might as well as been a gunshot. They lifted their rifles in unison, aiming at the spot where the noise had come from.
“Maybe it’s just Lacey,” Lorenz whispered. “I thought she’d wandered somewhere in that direction.”
Vincent opened his mouth to reply when a growling, snapping commotion broke out just a few meters from their location. The brothers hurtled towards the sounds, emerging through a break in the trees to find Lacey struggling against two dark-clothed assassins. The dog was fighting like a demon, biting anything she could get her jaws around. She twirled furiously about their feet, nimbly avoiding her opponents’ waving gun barrels.
A bang from Lorenz’s gun made both assailants look up just long enough for Lacey to leap onto one of their chests, sending them both down like ninepins. The remaining foe didn’t seem half as confident without his buddy to cover his back.
The attacker fled into the dark forest, camouflaged by his black clothing. The siblings pursued him without a second thought, lithe as deer as they shot through the woods like a bullet from a gun.
They separated, meaning to circle around and trap him in a clearing. Vincent dashed through the undergrowth, skidding to a stop as he slid into an open spot in the trees. A murky shape moved on the other side, hidden in the bushes. Not stopping to think, Vincent raised his gun and fired.
Lorenz heard a crack and felt a shock of pain in his chest. Stunned, he glanced down and saw a mess of blood spreading from a neat hole in his torso. The faint glimmer of moonlight off the wine-red liquid grew stronger and stronger as he felt himself float off the ground and down a smooth white tunnel toward the light.
Vincent watched in horror as his victim crumpled to the ground. Faint white light revealed the face of his brother as he slid to the ground, the sound of his last breath leaving his body audible even across the clearing. Vincent’s heart squeezed in his chest, his breath starting to come in great shuddering gasps. His heartbeat, loud in his ears, was the only sound he could hear. The world consisted of a kaleidoscope of stars and pine trees and wiry brown dog fur. The worried looking face of Lacey flashed by, and Vincent reached out for her, bringing her large warm body closer to him as he buried his head in her pelt and broke down in sobs.