Damien and Greg moseyed through the mall in an attempt to get out of the house. They didn’t like to leave unless they had to, but being cooped up inside was beginning to drive them mad. They didn’t need more groceries, nor did they need anything from Walmart, so they decided to take Robin Sparkle’s advice and went to the mall.

Everything was going fine until they came upon a pet shop. Greg stopped dead in his tracks and stared at the variety of cute puppies playing in the front display windows.

At first, Damien was afraid he would have to talk Greg out of getting another dog. He was sure Bertram would eat it, not caring it was supposed to be his sibling. Then he noticed Greg’s angry expression and realized he might have the exact opposite problem.

“You okay, babe?” Damien asked.

A tear rolled down Greg’s cheek as he shook his head. “Those poor puppies look so miserable.” He placed his hand against the glass as a husky stood up to greet him.

“It looks pretty happy to me.” Damien saw the husky's tail furiously as it licked the glass. “Are you sure?”

“I hear its soul crying, Dames. It yearns to be free.” Greg crouched down and tapped on the glass, which excited the other puppies. “As Goddess as my witness, you shall be free.”

“They will find good homes, I’m sure of it.” Damien tried to lift Greg so that they could continue browsing, but he refused to move. “Come on, let’s leave the puppies alone.”

The tears didn’t stop once Greg was finally up. He continued to stare at the dogs and wept. An employee came out and asked him to leave because he was upsetting the dogs.

“I know you love dogs and all, but you’re being silly,” Damien said. He learned quickly that was a mistake.

“Don’t you know that pet shops like that don’t care where those puppies come from?” Greg shouted, drawing attention from passersby and mall security. “Horrible people run puppy mills where they force dogs to breed and pump out puppies to be sold in stores like these. It’s awful!”

Damien silently signaled to security that everything was okay and ushered his distraught partner outside. He didn’t know about the awful conditions, but he didn’t see why it would cause Greg to cry so much. “It’s okay, Greg. Those puppies will find nice homes.”

That wasn’t enough for the puppies to find nice homes. The puppy mills had to be stopped. Something had to be done, and Greg decided he would be the one to do it.

When he got home, Greg hit the internet and found the puppy mill that supplied the pet shop. Once he found the address, he shut his laptop and stormed downstairs. He found Damien watching the Food Network. He cleared his throat and got his attention.

“Uh oh,” Damien said, turning off the TV. He saw the glint in Greg’s eyes that told him that shit was about to get real. “What’s wrong?”

“Call Divi,” was all Greg said. He waited until Damien picked up the phone before he went to the shed on the patio. He broke out the bolt cutters and other tools he thought they might need. He came back in with a duffel bag and set them on the floor. “Is he on the way?” he asked.

“He is, but what…” Damien gazed at the bag at Greg’s feet and sighed. There was no point in talking to him;he’d just have to go with it and hope everything worked out.

***

Damien pulled up to Daisy Hill Puppy Farm later that night. He, Greg, and Divinity peered through the car windows at the dark barn on top of the hill. They could hear the faint sounds of barking against the hum of the car engine. He sighed and unbuckled his seat belt.

“Do you have a plan for how we’re going to fit all those dogs into the car?” he asked. “There’s not a lot of room in here.”

“If we leave Divi here, we could fit a couple more dogs,” Greg replied.

“Ew.” Divinity smacked Greg in the back of the head. “Your negativity is not appreciated in my bubble.”

Greg hadn’t thought far enough ahead to figure out how to transport all of the captured dogs. He thought he would just open the cages and set them free to roam the land as nature intended. He realized it would be irresponsible. “I guess we’ll have to make multiple trips.”

“Bitch, are you nuts? Gas is like three dollars a gallon right now!” Divi went to give Greg another smack but thought better of it. “Hold up.” He took out his cell and began texting. “I know some guys who know some guys who might be able to help. You two go help the poochies, and I’ll work on transportation.”

Greg and Damien didn’t waste time getting out. They ran toward the barn at a breakneck speed Usain Bolt would be envious of. As they approached, a foul scent hit them. They slowed down as they recognized the musky odor of decay and feces. They glanced at each other for a second before they continued. They had an idea of what to expect once they opened the doors of the barn, but they wanted to be sure.

The doors were locked, held tight by a chain link. Greg retrieved the bolt cutters from the duffel bag and made quick work of it. He pulled the doors open and was greeted by what seemed to be thousands of sad dogs in cages. He let out a sob before he ran inside to assure them everything was okay. Damien wasn’t so sure.

As they looked at all of the caged pups, they realized their suspicions were confirmed. Some were hairless with sharp spinal ridges and looked like drowned, harassed rats; these were chupacabras.

“Greg...” Damien started.

“Baby Berts,” Greg replied sadly. “We have to help them.”

“That’s why we’re here.”

Greg started opening cages, giving each puppy a hug and a kiss before releasing them. His heart was beating so hard that he could hear it thrumming in his ears. The rush was almost deafening. That was probably why he didn’t hear the low growl coming from the back of the barn. It wasn’t until Damien shook his shoulders that he stopped to listen.

“What is that?” Greg asked. Another growl answered his question. He stared into the darkness as red eyes blinked into existence. He gulped and took a step back. “Is that…”

“Mama? Yeah.” Damien also took a step back.

Mama Chupa stepped out of the darkness and glared at the two intruders touching her babies. She snarled as drool dripped from her lips. She was five feet tall and slender. Her features were much more prominent than Bert’s were, with longer spines, thicker muscles, sharper teeth. She eyed Greg as he was holding one of the puppies.

“Put the dog down,” Damien whispered.

“But…”

“Put the puppy down.”

Greg held the puppy in front of him and slowly set it down. It waddled over to Mama and barked for her attention. After sniffing it, she continued her approach.

“Okay, on the count of three, we book it for the car and pretend this never happened.” Damien didn’t take his eyes off Mama as he stepped out of the barn. He was ready to run like he never ran before, but he saw Greg was not following him. “Greg!”

Greg stood still and spoke softly to Mama. “We’re not here to hurt your babies. We’re trying to set them free.” He slowly raised his hands to reach another puppy. Mama snarled and jerked forward, but Greg didn’t flinch. He gently took a hairless puppy from its cage and set it down. “See? Freedom.”

“I don’t think she understands, babe.” Damien wanted to grab Greg and run, but the chances of making it to the car in one piece were slim. “I think we should just cut our losses and go home.”

“No.” Greg continued to release the puppies under Mama’s supervision. Without making any sudden moments, he went to each cage and opened them. Mama’s watchful eyes never left him. When it appeared he had gained her trust, he beckoned for Damien to help him.

Ten minutes later, Greg and Damien had freed all of the puppies. They all gathered around Mama for warmth and protection. Mama looked at Greg and Damien with what seemed like gratitude. She was no longer snarling and drooling; she was grooming her pups lovingly. When she was satisfied they were all cleaned sufficiently, she slowly passed the two men, her puppies trailing behind her.

Greg and Damien watched them walk away into the wooded area beyond the barn. It brought tears to their eyes to see a family reunited and free. The two hugged each other as they headed back to the car.

“I guess you were right, babe. We did a good thing,” Damien said.

“You don’t think it’s silly?”

Damien stopped and kissed him. “It’s never silly to think with your heart. You saved those chupas. Bert would be proud of you for saving his brothers and sisters.” He took Greg’s hand and squeezed it. “I’m proud of you, too.”

“Awww, bitch,” Greg said affectionately. They stared into each other’s eyes lovingly for a moment before they were startled by a car horn.

Divinity was in the front seat, flashing the headlight. “Hurry up! The cops are coming, and I am too pretty for jail!”

“Why do we even hang out with him?” Greg asked. They chuckled as they ran back to the car, hoping to be long gone before the cops arrived.