Chapter 4 - The Poisoned Well
We descended the spiral marble staircase into the dark gardens, guided only by the moonlight and the low, swift movements of the three Malinois moving in a tactical delta formation ahead of us.
Dante led the way, his nose low to the damp grass, leading us toward the isolated stone pavilion near the lower kennels.
The air grew heavy with the sweet, metallic scent of fresh blood.
"Marco!" Matteo called out sharply.
No answer.
We rounded the stone corner of the pavilion, and I gasped, pulling my hand to my mouth.
Lying on the flagstones beside the kennel water filtration system was one of the junior security guards, a young man named Paolo. He was lying on his side, pool of dark blood expanding beneath his chest.
Matteo rushed forward, dropping to one knee, placing two fingers against the boy's neck. "He's still breathing. Barely."
I knelt beside him, ripping a strip of cloth from my shirt sleeve, pressing it firmly against the deep puncture wound near his collarbone. "It wasn't a gunshot. It was a tactical blade."
Paolo’s eyes fluttered open, slick with pain and shock. He looked at Matteo, his bloody fingers grasping Matteo’s sleeve.
"Don... Matteo..." Paolo choked out, blood bubbling on his lips. "The... the water... they put it in the water..."
"Who did this, Paolo?" Matteo demanded, his voice shaking with a rare, terrifying panic. "Who was it?!"
"The... the whistle..." Paolo whispered, his eyes rolling into the back of his head as he lost consciousness.
I didn't wait. I scrambled to my feet and ran toward the main water reservoir that fed the kennel system.
The large stainless-steel lid of the water tank was partially open. Floating inside the clear water was a heavy glass vial that had been shattered, releasing a dark purple chemical dye into the main line.
"Don't let them drink!" I shrieked toward the garden.
It was too late.
Nero was already standing at the automated drinking bowl inside the main run, lapping up the fresh water.
"NERO! NO!" I screamed, sprinting across the gravel, throwing my entire body against the heavy iron gate, sliding into the run.
I grabbed Nero by his heavy neck harness, yanking his head away from the bowl just as he swallowed his second gulp.
The effect was instantaneous and horrifying.
Nero let out a sickening, high-pitched yelp. He collapsed onto his side, his legs kicking violently as grand mal seizures took over his entire body. Foam began pouring from his jaws, his eyes darting frantically in terror.
"MATTEO! HELP ME!" I screamed, holding Nero's heavy head off the hard concrete so he wouldn't fracture his skull during the fit.
Matteo burst into the run, dropping his gun, slamming his knees onto the wet concrete beside me. "What is it?! What did they give him?!"
"Organophosphate poisoning!" I yelled, my heart breaking as I watched the majestic animal writhe in agony. "It's a high-grade nerve toxin! It causes respiratory paralysis within ten minutes!"
"Is there an antidote?!" Matteo roared, grabbing Nero’s front paws, his own eyes wild with a desperation I had never seen before. "TELL ME WHAT TO DO, CHIARA!"
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"Atropine!" I yelled back, tears spilling over my cheeks as Nero’s breathing began to rattle. "We need atropine and pralidoxime! NOW!"
"Marco!" Matteo screamed into his radio, his voice echoing across the entire estate like thunder. "GET THE ESTATE PHYSICIAN HERE IN THIRTY SECONDS OR I WILL EXECUTE EVERY DOCTOR IN POSILLIPO!"
