Hector is a dog and an important character in Cave Canem, the third book of Felidae series. Hector is described as an ex-police dog of brownish colour, possibly a German shepherd. Despite not being young, he is considered a capable investigator by the dogs of the city.
Investigation with Francis[]
Because of his experience, Hector is dispatched as partner for Francis to investigate the murderers of a number of animals. Hector display a friendly, loyal and polite behavior only to be met with diffidence by Francis. However, little by little Hector earn the respect and trust of Francis. Despite being less smart than his partner, Hector is intelligent and displays great reflexes and physical abilities that saved Francis's life in two separate occasions.
The first time was when Hector follows Francis after the cat declared his desire to kept on an individual job. While investigating into a ventilation tube of a large dog's pound, Francis is attacked by mysterious deformed dogs that are later revealed to be former comrades of Hector. Hector manages to grab Francis and drag him away in safety.
When later Francis kept on his investigation into the General Horch's home, unaware that it was also Hector's residence, the cat falls into the piranha aquarium of the General and again Hector manages to find him and save Francis's life.
Hector past is shown step by step: he was actually an ex-military dog involved in peacekeeping operation after the Yugoslavian Wars. In that period he was shocked by the brutality of war, but without being affected as many other of his comrades. The dog provides valuable information for the investigation when he has the idea to search for information from Andromeda, an old female dog that gives more clues.
Ultimate Fate[]
Hector refuses to believe that his master, the General Horch, could have been responsible for the killings, and when the identity of the murderer is exposed as Mars, another ex-soldier, Hector follows Francis into the final confrontation. Hector tries to attack the man, only to be defeated and mortally wounded by him. In his last moments of life, Francis's feelings are exposed: he regrets misjudging the dog and remains close to his friend.
Hector, as all the other victims, will be later avenged by Moses and the other cats of the Council after a wounded Francis exposes the truth.
Trivia[]
The true reasons of the sick deformations and the abnormal and aggressive behavior of the ex-comrades of Hector are not clearly explained. However, this can be explained by the use of depleted uranium bullets and other radioactive weapons by NATO forces in Yugoslavian Wars. Local inquiries among European NATO participants has exposed symptoms by radioactive pollution, including deaths due cancers, among human participants in peacekeeping operations. NATO and American officials rejected the allegations.