\n From Zero to Hero.
\n By Wolfie Steel.
\n Part 1.

\n As with most of my stories, this one will contain acts of violence, bad language and gay sex, it will also deal with gay relationships. If any of this content is not for you or you are not old enough, then please don’t read any further, otherwise enjoy!!

\n I stretch and yawn as I begin another day in the pound. I grow increasingly tired of constantly having to stand my ground against the other dogs in this miserable place, I mean come on, let’s face it a dog pound is no place for a pure bred Doberman such as myself, by the way the name is Chance and I guess you have already guessed that by breed I am a Doberman.

\n Why am I in the pound? Am I a security dog with huge responsibility, nah I’m one of the fucking inmates, why? Because of a hyena that I have a really huge grudge against. This guy pulled a gun at a convenience store where I was working, he shot two workers plus the manager then threw the gun down at my foot paws and ran off, of course like an idiot I bent down to check on the condition of my three colleagues just as the fucking cops burst in.

\n Picture the scene, a frightened looking Doberman leaning over three dead bodies with the murder weapon just inches from my paws, so without asking questions I’m cuffed and flung into the back of a police van. I spent three days in the town lockup.

\n When I finally get to court I find that I am yet another victim of a miscarriage of justice, the bastard judge puts me here on death row. I guess I’ve been here for best part of four years now, my once proud and shiny fur now matted with dried blood and sweat, however after today I will be able to get a shower, some new clean clothes and freedom, yup my life is about to change for the better and here is the story of how it all happened.

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\n It is raining hard, thunder is rumbling all around, lightning flashes and brightens the sky with a brilliant light show, after my tenth stretch and yawn I lie back down on the soaking wet muddy ground and try to fall asleep again.

\n My eyes are near closed when I hear a huge explosion, I look up towards where the sound had come from and realise that the pound office has been struck by lightning, there is now a fire beginning to take hold, at first I ignore it and begin to doze off to sleep again, it’s then that I hear it, one of the officers is trapped inside the burning office and is screaming for help.

\n My brain tells me to let the bastard cook, but my instincts take over, I stand on my paws and run towards the office. I look for a point of entry which would give the officer the best chance of escape, I see a window not four feet away from the officer but it is going to require a leap a lot higher than I have ever leaped before.

\n I get onto all fours and I back up as far as I can my butt now pressed against the fence, I dig my paws into the ground and summon up all of my strength and power and begin my run, I pray to god as I near my target then I make my leap. Thankfully my leap is on target the window shatters and I land on the floor next to the officer.

\n He sees the window and then he picks me up and runs towards it, he throws me out and then jumps clear himself. I land on the soft wet ground and run away from the growing flames, suddenly I spot the officer now sat in the spot where I had been just minutes before so I run up to him.

\n Shortly after there is another huge explosion as the propane gas cylinder behind the office explodes. I lie down at the officers side but suddenly he is beating my back with his jacket, well there is gratitude for ya, I risk my life to save him and he beats me, it’s then that I smell burning fur and realise that the officer wasn’t beating me at all, he was beating the flames out that were on my coat.

\n I hear sirens as the fire crews arrive to put out what’s left of the office fire, and then I feel a gentle but shaking hand on my head fur. The officer turns my head so that my eyes are looking straight into his and he speaks.

\n “Oh fuck do I owe you one Chance”

\n The medics check the officer over and give him the all clear. The rest of the dogs from the pound are bundled into vans and taken to other pounds, but for me, once the doctor has checked my back out I will be going to stay at the officer’s house until the following morning, when I have to stand in front of the judge again.

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\n It is the morning after the explosion at the pound; the officer looks at me with a weak smile on his face.

\n “Ok Chance, time to go”

\n The officer walks to his front door and opens it, I could make a bolt for it and run, but then I would be giving the excuse that they needed to hunt me down, and I wasn’t about to give them that satisfaction. I follow the officer out to his truck, he opens the passenger door for me and I get in, he closes the door and then gets into the driver’s seat and drives us to the local courthouse.

\n Once at the courthouse the usher calls us in. I get led to the dock whilst the officer walks to the witness stand. After all the swearing on the holy bible and stuff the judge looks directly at me and speaks.

\n “Chance McNally, four years ago you were brought before this court and convicted on three counts of murder, you were sentenced to be placed on death row with no likelihood of parole, however two things have changed since that day, first it seems that new evidence has come to light which clearly points to the fact that it was not you that fired the gun which ended the lives of three of your colleagues. The second thing that has changed regards the events of yesterday at the pound, now if I’m reading my notes right, it says here that after a lightning strike to the pounds office there was an explosion and fire, apparently you selflessly jumped through a window and led the attending officer to safety”

\n The judge lets out a sigh and continues.

\n “I cannot believe that my predecessor sentenced you to death without having had the proper investigations done. But in a twisted way it was a good job that he did send you to the pound, because without you, Officer Jordan would have died. With the new evidence and the extenuating circumstances you are hereby cleared of all charges, you are free to go, case dismissed”

\n The judge banged his gavel and I was led back into the waiting room, it was several minutes before Officer Jordan joined me; again he had his usual smile on his face.

\n “Well Chance, how does it feel to finally be free?”

\n I turn to Officer Jordan and give him a smile of my own as I reply.

\n “I will let you know as soon as I have tucked into a decent meal”

\n My smile soon faded though, I had just been released from being locked up for four years, all of my money and possessions had been lost in the fire, Officer Jordan saw my muzzle drop.

\n “What is it? Oh whoa, your personal effects and money were in the office when it went up weren’t they?”

\n I nod sadly, and then he continues.

\n “Well, we can’t let a hero go hungry and thirsty now can we? Ok, head out to the truck and I will treat you to a huge meal”

\n As if on cue my stomach begins to rumble, but with my tail wagging I head out to the truck. Officer Jordan unlocks the doors and I get in, I hold my paws out in front of me once I have strapped myself in, Officer Jordan lets out a sorrowful sigh.

\n “Chance, you can put your paws down my friend; you are a free dog so there is no need for paw cuffs”

\n I drop my paws back to my side and Officer Jordan gets into the driver’s seat of the truck. Once he is strapped in we head off to the local burger joint where he orders enough junk food to keep a teen happy for a month, as I take a bite of the first burger my memories come flooding back, how just before work I would come to this very burger bar and get something to eat and drink. The taste of my first burger in four years makes me whimper and groan with delight which causes some of the patrons to give me a strange look.

\n I pay them no mind though; all I’m worried about right now is getting some food inside me and then where my life goes from there. I look at Officer Jordan and speak.

\n “I need to find a job and get myself a place to live; I can’t live off your generosity forever”

\n The Officer looks at me with a serious set of eyes.

\n “You know Chance, you could sue the Judge who put you away, after all you have effectively lost four years of your life which you shouldn’t have, I mean think about it, wrongful imprisonment, no proper police investigation, hell you could even sue the town for the conditions in which you were kept. Having known you for four years though it does mean that I know one thing for certain, you are going to be looking out for the guy that took everything away from you. As an Officer of the law I can’t condone that, but as your friend I will help in any way that I can to find the guy”

\n After the meal we head back out to the truck to begin the journey back home, as we drive we pass the convenience store where my four years of hell first began, there is a sign in the window asking for help, I ask Officer Jordan to pull over so that I can go in and maybe find out more.

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\n I enter the store and instantly I recognise the brown and white horse operating one of the checkout tills, it is Taylor Dryfus the guy who used to be the deputy manager, but looking at his name badge I see that he is now the general manager. I walk up to his checkout, he looks at me with a surprised look on his muzzle and then a smile begins to form as he speaks.

\n “Chance? Chance McNally is that you? Geez talk about being a sight for sore eyes, how the hell did you get out from the pound? Oh wait; please don’t tell me that you are on the run?”

\n I let out a slight giggle and place my paw on top of his hand.

\n “Relax Mr Dryfus; apparently I’m a free dog again, something about new evidence, miscarriage of justice and being the hero of the explosion at the pound”

\n The horses’ eyes go wide as dinner plates as he hears the information.

\n “That was you? Geez I never knew that you had it in you my son, anyway what brings you to my store?”

\n I let out a small sigh as I reply.

\n “Well the thing is I need a job, all my possessions and money got burnt up in the explosion, I also know that I’m gonna need to find a new place to live because my old apartment is probably being lived in by someone else now. I was being driven passed the store and I saw your sign saying help wanted and I was wondering if I could get my old job back?”

\n The horse lets out his own sigh and replies.

\n “Sorry Chance but your old job is gone”

\n I begin to get teary eyed as I start to walk away, and then the horse continues.

\n “But I do have a spot for deputy manager. Remember I was there the day of the shooting, I saw you trying to help the boss and your three colleagues, I even told the cops that but they didn’t seem interested. Most people in this town wouldn’t give you a second look, because in their eyes you are a dog with a criminal record, they won’t look at the fact that you have been cleared, me though I’m not like that, whilst you worked here you were a damn fine worker, I would have given anything to have had other workers like you. So what do ya say? Wanna come back as the deputy manager? It will mean a much bigger salary and a lot more work, but I think that you will fit in just fine”

\n I stand there for a few moments in shock at being offered the deputy managers job, then I rush back to the horse and shake his hand gratefully.

\n The horse looks around the store and sees that it is practically empty so he asks one of the workers to man the checkout; with the checkout now manned Taylor puts an arm around my shoulders and leads me to the office. He speaks to the accounts manager.

\n “Mandy, I have just taken Chance here on as the new deputy manager, but he has no place to live and no money, so I want you to make a pay packet up that takes into account four years of service at the grade of shop assistant, then as of tomorrow I want him on the deputy managers grade”

\n The accounts manager smiles and nods and then replies.

\n “It will take me half an hour or so to get the pay packet together as it works out to quite a tidy sum, but I get right on it”

\n Again the horse wraps his arm around my neck and leads me from the office and takes me on a tour of the shop. A lot has changed in four years, for one thing the shop has been extended, and of course there are some new faces working the shop floor, but despite the changes I soon get the warm and friendly feeling I used to get when I worked here.