The cold, damp forest was covered in fog when the car stopped in the middle of the clearing. The men dragged the old man out — he barely resisted, breathing heavily, pressing his trembling hands to his chest.

“Alright, old man, time to pay, isn’t it?” the tallest one said, cracking his knuckles.

They pushed the old man to the ground. He fell to his knees, his hands shaking.

“I… please… give me time… I will pay everything back… I swear…” his voice broke, turning into a hoarse gasp.

“How long are we supposed to wait?” another man crouched beside him, grabbing him by the collar. “You’ve been promising this for three months.”

“I… I will pay… I’ll find the money… I’ll take another loan…”

“We need guarantees,” the man in the leather jacket said coldly. The others began laughing and exchanging knowing glances.

The bandit turned to the one next to him.

“Cut off his finger.”

The old man froze. Then he began to tremble and burst into tears, pleading:

“No… please… I’ll pay everything back… I’m begging you… no…”

The man had already taken out a knife and grabbed the old man’s wrist.

And suddenly… at that exact moment someone stepped out of the forest — someone they least expected to see there

A strange, deep howl echoed between the trees. Not really a howl — more like a vibration, as if the forest itself growled.

“What was that?” one of them asked, turning around.

In the next second, a huge white shape flashed between the trees.

And then he appeared — an Alabai. Huge, massive, with a broad chest and a heavy paw almost like a bear’s. His fur stood on end, his eyes were dark and filled with fury.

“What the hell…” one of the bandits managed to say.

The dog charged without any warning.

With a powerful strike, he knocked down the man holding the knife. The man didn’t even have time to scream — the dog was already over him, growling so deeply the air vibrated.

The bandit tried to hit him, but the Alabai grabbed his wrist with his strong jaws — not tearing it, but squeezing hard enough to make him drop the knife and scream.

“Get him off!” another shouted, backing away.

The Alabai spun around and lunged at the next man. He tried to stay on his feet, but the enormous dog slammed into him with his chest, knocking him to the ground.

The tallest bandit pulled out a club, but the Alabai lowered his head and took a step forward — his gaze so fierce that the man froze. He understood: the slightest movement and the dog would tear into him.

“Let’s go! Now!” someone yelled with a trembling voice.

The bandits ran to the car without even trying to look brave. The doors slammed shut, the engine roared, and the car sped away.

Meanwhile, the Alabai stood in front of the old man, breathing heavily, still alert.

“Oh… my protector…” the old man whispered, hugging his dog.

The dog snorted softly, as if trying to comfort him.