CHAPTER 7 — The Man Who Created the Guardian
No one moved.
Snow drifted silently between the old man and Titan.
The wolves lowered their heads—not in fear, but in respect.
Mason tightened his grip on the rifle.
"Who are you?"
The old man slowly removed his weathered leather gloves.
"My name is Jonathan Reed."
The name meant nothing to Mason.
But it meant everything to Titan.
The giant guardian walked forward without hesitation and gently rested his massive head against the old man's chest.
Tears filled Jonathan's eyes.
"I never thought I'd see you again..."
Emily stared in disbelief.
"You know him?"
Jonathan nodded.
"I raised him."
The words hit Mason like lightning.
"What?"
Jonathan looked toward the mountains.
"Forty years ago, I wasn't a rancher."
"I worked for a classified government wildlife conservation program."
Mason frowned.
"What program?"
"A project that officially never existed."
Jonathan explained that decades earlier, several rare wolf populations across North America had been pushed to the edge of extinction.
A secret team of biologists, veterinarians, and military trackers created guardian dogs capable of protecting both livestock and endangered wildlife without harming either.
Titan's bloodline was their greatest success.
Not genetically engineered.
Not a monster.
Simply the result of generations of careful breeding, intelligence, and trust.
"There were only five guardian puppies ever born."
Jonathan's voice shook.
"Four died."
"Titan was the last."
Emily whispered,
"So he's priceless..."
Jonathan slowly shook his head.
"No."
"He is irreplaceable."
Before anyone could speak again...
A helicopter appeared over the ridge.
Its black paint reflected no markings.
The aircraft hovered low above the valley.
Jonathan's face turned pale.
"They found us..."
Mason looked up.
"Who?"
Jonathan answered only three words.
"The Black Crest."
The helicopter door slid open.
A sniper leaned out.
A laser sight landed directly on Titan's chest.
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Then...
A shot rang out.
