The dog whimpered, his head dropping as if surrendering at last. His body eased just enough to let the rescuers lift the fabric fully away. He nosed the kittens gently, whining, eyes wet with exhaustion. He hadn’t trapped them. He had saved them by keeping them warm.
One kitten let out a thin, plaintive mewl, its voice eerily like a weak infant’s cry. Tina shuddered, realizing how easily she had been convinced, how desperately her mind had filled in the blanks. But in truth, their cries were no less urgent.