#bergen_county

From the front? She sees a tree that has grown wrong, like a U almost..poor thing.

No one in the front yard. The house looks fancy, not upper upper class, but certainly upper middle with a few frills

She heads around the side. Maybe there's a back gate?

No. But looking over the back fence reveals something... There's a large wooden corral. Possible around a ten foot pit

well, pit is too strong a word. An indention? A lower area?

Brow furrow.

And a whimper from there...

"God, ssuch a wuss" A door opens. A college age man with perfect teeth currently in a grimace.

Ah ha.

She watches.

She may have to pull up on the edge of the privacy fence to see better, but that risks being seen more. A gamble. SHe does see the head of the guy bob along "How are you supposed to become a killer with an attitude like that. I didn't pay for a purebred bait dog"

Eyes narrow.

The guy lifts his hands and puts on something that looks like.. it's padding, but it's also a puppet , in the shape of a dog head!

"See, this is the other dog...get mean, or it'll hurt you" And.. she can see .. he's bending down

She crouches to snag a buckeye.... then pops back up to YEET it at the guy.

WHAP!

"SON OF A BITCH!" A thump "What the fuck??"

A whimper, not Brown Dog

Dag grabs a handful of others... waiting for the guy to raise his hand again. He wants to cause pain? Fine. She'll give him a welt for each time he thinks about hitting the dog.

He moves and pinches the dog with the 'puppet' hand...

PELT

"OW! Who the... " And he comes into view and charges the fence, there's a shuffling sound as he vanishes.. and.. he's got some kind of step stool and is about to get a GOOD look at her

She plants her hands on her hips.

"Hey, this is private property bitch! Beat it before I call the cops" She can see the dog now, the 'pen' it was being trained in open, it has moved to the far side ...

It is not quite a puppy anymore, but not grown. (And if you could look past that fur, you'd see the bruises)

"Yeah? Good. Do it."

"I thought you LIKED pain, Redneck Dunham."

"redneck? Look, trash, my parents could buy and sell your ass. I could SHOOT you and the police would buy any self defense I -"

GRRRRR and several fierce barks from Two bit

"Oh, you think you're tough." She laughs.

"You beat dogs and think you're a big man because you managed to scare a defenseless puppy!"

"How much for the mutt? I could use a bait dog" He says "I bet you'll take your hundred and shut up for all your preaching"

"Or is your price TWO Hundred?"

Meanwhile, that dog against the far fence, shivers.

"How about you give me that poor cur and you never touch another dog, you miserable, pathetic excuse for a man?"

"No way..." he grins "Gonna get some extra cash" Something PINGs... the word, Extra

He's offering 2 hundred, but has money concerns?

SNORT. "You ain't rollin'."

"Can't do anything worthwhile, so you're trying to hustle by fighting dogs."

"How.." Now he looks spooked "I don't know what you're talking about." Lie. "My parents are loaded." True "They got me covered." False!

"Sure, your parents are so proud of their wannabe Michael Vick."

"Hey, you know, if I call my parents they'll haul the cops on your intruding ass" Lie? he's not as sure

"And I got their support, trying to get into my own biz" LIE

"No sign, and I'm on this side of the fence. Besides, I'm sure the cops would LOVE to see that poor dog. You know damn well your parents are too bougie to go for something like dog fighting. It's a felony."

"I mean, ONE of us here is the criminal, and it ain't me, dumbass."

"Well fine.. you can't prove shit so. Big woop"

That he believes

Though he looks nervous

"I don't need to. YOU have the pit, YOU have the bruised dog, YOU have the 'training' equipment, Lambchop."