FSE

Furry search engine

formerly SoFurry search engine

[Author's Note: First of all, happy new year! Secondly, Part 20 is cut short while I put the finishing touches to its conlusion, which is now Part 21. Sadly, this chapter does almost nothing to further the main plot, but it is good to see how so many furries interact with and respond to each other. A few of them will play important roles in the future. You can read Part 10 to see more detailed introductions to three of them. Please enjoy. Next weekend, Part 21. A few surprises come through the front door.]

Venom: Beautiful Killers. Part 20.

"...dangerous males."

Paraná looks completely dumbfounded as he stands there, his hands at his sides, looking at the gigantic house in front of him. He shakes his head in disbelief and rings the doorbell. It is a calm, cloudless morning; there are barely any sounds as the outside begins to wake up from its long sleep. It is easy to be taken in by the serenity. That would explain why the loud chime of the doorbell briefly startles the jaguar. He turns his back to the door to observe his surroundings. The house has a big front lawn with decorative pink flamingos by the driveway. The lawn itself is impeccably green and even.

He jumps from the door to the lawn below and bends down to feel the grass. A stifled laugh sifts through his mouth. He obviously likes the look and the feel. Before he can get completely lost in it, the front door opens. Slowly, Tivoli emerges from the inside. She blinks a few times as the sun hits her eyes.

Paraná stands and takes notice. His eyes widen at the sight of the ocelot. The clothes she is wearing have his eyes pacing quickly and he excitedly nods in approval. "Good morning," he shouts.

She beams brightly and opens the gold-colored purse hanging on her left shoulder. She fishes inside and pulls out a pair of dark, frameless sunglasses. "What do you think?"

"Hmm. I like it very much, but it's not really fitting for where we're going."

The ocelot is wearing a white blouse and a blue, denim dress. The blouse looks new but the dress looks unironed. She puts the glasses on and scoffs. "What you see is what you get. Actually, what you see is practically all I have. Until I can afford the kind of clothes you're wearing, this is gonna have to do. That is...unless you want me to wear what I wore on our date last night."

Paraná is wearing a black, pinstriped suit with a gray necktie on top and matching trousers. The suit includes shiny, new cufflinks on the sleeves and freshly polished shoes. He innocently shrugs. "I always dress up for the meetings. I know I look good, but when I make those around me look good too, I look even better. You understand?"

"No." Tivoli laughs. "But you do look good. Are we leaving now?"

"We might as well. I mean, there's no need to rush. It's 7:35." He watches as his guest closes and locks the front door. "I like this house. What's your friend's name again?"

"Karen. Karen Barnes."

"I like her house. It suits you nicely. I wish I could live in a place like this."

"You know I'm only staying here until I can afford another place. I'm grateful to her that she's given me a place to stay, but it's more than time to make a move."

"You think you're overstaying your welcome?"

Tivoli hesitates to answer as they walk to his vehicle. "Well, I'll put it this way. We're starting to get in each other's way. Familiarity breeds contempt."

"Nonsense." He opens the front door for her before entering the driver's seat. "So, are you ready for tomorrow?"

She giggles, then covers her face awkwardly. "Sorry. Ask me again when we get there...."

* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *

[The clock on the wall says that it's noon. That much I know. But I am having trouble recalling what day it is. The longer I sleep, the more this happens. It is really important that I find out quickly. If my nurse asks me what day it is and I can't tell her, then I could be here for longer than I should be. I quickly turn on the television and look for a news broadcast.]

[I suspected it would be Wednesday, and it is. Thanks, channel five. Looking at my surroundings, not much has changed. The nurse hanging just outside the door has just emptied the container of urine next to my bed, so my new kidney is working normally. There is one small difference. Today, there is a pump hanging next to me. It contains morphine. There is also a button on my lap. I've done this before. Whenever I can't stand the pain, I push the button and get an extra dose. At the very least , I won't bug the nurses all the time.]

[A uniformed woman has just come in. She introduces herself as my anesthesiologist--the one who knocked me out for my operation. She is doing a study and wants to know if I had any dreams while under anesthesia. I'm pretty sure her research is important, and I'm also sure that I could be a big help since there has been a wealth of information and a virtual cast of characters that have appeared before me.]

[I lie and say no. I saw absolutely nothing. No dreams whatsoever. She smiles, we talk for a while, she says thanks, and walks away. What I did was probably rotten, but I'm not worried about any damn research. I'm more worried about my own well-being. If I told her what I'd dreamt about, and that the dreams were ongoing today, we'd be talking for hours. That's a good reason to not tell her. But there's another, better reason to stay quiet.]

[I'm afraid that I'm starting to care for the beings in my visions. That is not a good thing to tell anybody. I'm starting to learn what is happening and why. I'm starting to get used to the people. Furthermore, I think I'm starting to like what I see. The furries have thoughts, beliefs, and feelings that I can relate to. If I told that to anyone, they'd probably have me committed. It's just one of many good reasons to keep my mouth shut.]

[There is one thing that the anesthesiologist has inspired, however. I'm going to start writing down everything that happens. I'll write down what, when, and why. Most dreams I have are forgotten seconds after I wake up. I'll make sure I don't forget this. I just have to hide my writings from the medical team assigned to me.]

[I'll start with some short bios of the females. Winter is a thirty-year-old white wolf. She has a boyfriend--a grayish timber wolf named Shiloh. Since he is such an important figure, that would mean she is just as important. If the female furries were a gang, she'd most certainly be the leader. She tends to be a bit insecure, but in the past, I've had dreams of Shiloh killing people. If she follows in those footsteps, insecurity won't be much of a problem.]

[Tivoli is an ocelot. It's funny I'd dream up an ocelot; I've only ever seen them in books and nature shows. She is twenty years old and, if I remember correctly, just over five feet tall. She is the shortest of the females. Hell, she's the shortest in the dreams, period. I'm tempted to care about her the most since, with her size, she seems to be out of her element. She looks incapable of killing anything bigger than a mouse. Camille is a bluish-grayish-I-don't-know-whatish cat. I don't know her age, but I take it she's younger than Winter. She has a bubbly personality that reminds me of those stuck-up, rich bitches on the TV who are only famous for being famous. Before my operation, I've dreamt of her killing people with her gun, so she is not out of her element.]

[Pamila is the one I like the most. Not only does she look hot in her semi-revealing clothing, but she seems to be the strongest of the females. She's got an attitude problem and is a tad whiny, but when she's around, business picks up. She's got an impatience and an angry streak that just causes many things to happen. She is entertaining enough that I could dream about her all day. All that said, I've become conscious of a potential problem. I've just realized that the last three or four times I've dreamt about her, I was under the influence of the morphine. Does that mean that if I stop taking it, she won't appear anymore?]

[I probably should get up and regain my strength, but I've decided not to. If I doze off now, I can see what happens next, and see much of it before lunch arrives....]

* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *

When Paraná's black sedan arrives at the workplace, Ted is already there, unlocking the glass door. He is wearing the usual, boring, black three-piece suit. Around here, he is rarely seen in anything else. As he officially opens the working day, he looks behind him to see the jaguar and the ocelot strolling through the parking lot. His normally rigid form loosens a little, and he lets out a laugh. "Well, now there's a sight."

"Good morning, sir. Looks like she and I are the first ones here."

"That you are. If I may say so, ma'am, that is a rather lovely outfit."

Tivoli nervously puts her hands behind her back, bashfully grabbing the base of her tail. "You really think so? My friend here didn't think it was right for the meeting."

Ted nods. "Your handler's right. It isn't. But I'll cut you some slack, seeing that you're new here. Come on in." He turns the lights on, exposing a clean, spacious, and seemingly untouched waiting room. There are hardly any signs that there was a poker game here the day before. The carpet has been vacuumed, the blinds are clean, and the mounted television has just been dusted. With things as neatly arranged as they are, Ted has no idea that anyone was here on Sunday. "You two know the drill. Arrange the chairs and...." He turns to the couple and watches the ocelot closely. She is scoping the entire room, looking overwhelmed. "Hey, you ready?"

She clears her throat in an attempt to gather confidence. "Yes, sir!"

Paraná laughs and pats her on the back. "Get the chairs to face the front desk." He gets to work, lifting three of them with ease. He inadvertently shows off his incredible strength and conditioning to the naively impressed feline; she giggles her response as she starts off lifting one chair. As they pass each other, the jaguar fixes his tie. "Is this your first meeting?"

"Um...no. No it isn't."

"Is that so? How did your first one go? What happened?"

The jaguar is not looking at her, so he does not notice as she rubs the back of her head, recalling that particularly dreadful morning. "I'd rather not talk about it. It wasn't a very good experience for me."

After placing two more chairs, Paraná's smile turns upside down and he looks at his apprentice with concern. "Are you all right?"

"I'm just fine," she answers quickly. She lifts another chair, trying to make this moment disappear. A long, drawn-out breath escapes her mouth as she lifts the next chair. Her smile goes away and the mission of placing the metal, folding chairs into position takes over. She is moving slowly, but thanks to the jaguar's strength, the task takes only a couple of minutes.

Paraná stretches his arms after the chairs are arranged. The job was not that tough, but he shows off a satisfied, arms-folded pose and chuckles with pride. Tivoli, on the other hand, looks winded. She sits down on one of the chairs in the newly-formed back row. Her right hand wipes her brow as if she was wiping sweat. She only moved five chairs, but it looks like she did some really heavy lifting.

"I've probably asked this already, but are you all right?" He moves closer and puts a hand on her left shoulder. She looks at him briefly, then hangs her head. It appears that there is a slight twinge of embarrassment to go along with her exhaustion. "You nervous?" he asks.

"Maybe. I'm just...worried. I still can't believe the hunt's tomorrow. I guess it's finally starting to register. Did you feel like this the day before your first one?"

Paraná shrugs. "Actually, catching people is second nature to me. I used to do that a lot back home. So, when I first started, I was more nervous about the meetings. " He pulls a chair in front of her and sits down. His eyes pierce hers intensely. "Listen; let me tell you two things. First of all, tomorrow's hunt is tomorrow. Don't worry about tomorrow right now. Besides, you're not doing the killing. I am. Secondly, you can't show you're nervous about a mission during the meeting. The other guys will see it and won't want to trade with you. You need to--"

"Will you sit with me?"

"What?"

"Sit with me. You make me feel better."

"Well, I'll try to...." Paraná stops talking and turns toward the front door. Voices can be heard on the other side. They are loud and boisterous, as if a couple of drunk college students are about to enter. They are also not speaking English. The jaguar narrows his eyes, trying to place the voices. Suddenly, he nods. "Excuse me a moment."

The door opens, bringing forth the two tigers who spoiled Winter's hit. Ravi and Gonal come in laughing and singing in Hindi. They are dressed in practically the same clothes they wore at Matthew Ambrose's apartment. Their floral attire certainly looks exotically out of place in this somber setting. It is certainly not the style that any of the executives would want to see. Paraná, however, does not seem too concerned. He bounds over to the tigers, both of whom yell out his name in unison.

Tivoli's eyes widen as she stays behind in her chair. Their clothes look dazzling, and their physical features do not look too bad either. She stares at them as if she has never seen a tiger that close before. When the three males approach, she stands briefly, then changes her mind. As she returns to her seat, her handler leads the tigers to her.

Paraná clears his throat. "Okay, apprentice. It's time to meet some of the boys. This is Ravi. He has been here two years and has never failed a mission, at least not in all the times I've seen him. He kills with his hands the same way I do." He waits with a big smile on his face as the ocelot introduces herself. "The one behind him is Gonal. He came to work here at the same time Ravi did. They're brothers, you see."

An impressed Tivoli nods and shows off a bold smile. Gonal speaks to her as they shake hands. She nods some more and tries not to laugh. "Are you guys twins?"

Ravi laughs loudly; the question was meant for his brother, who only shrugs at her. "Actually, I'm a Bengal tiger. He's Sumatran. We are brothers, but not biologically. My parents adopted him when we were really small. He doesn't speak English. I do his transactions for him in this building. So, if you have any questions for him, ask me, okay?"

She answers, "Sure," as her eyes pace up and down his massive frame. As she returns to her seat, she takes another glance at Gonal, who is strolling to the front desk. He looks around for marks and, seeing nothing, chooses a seat.

Ravi looks around him, paying close attention to the carpet. "There's something different about this place. I cannot quite figure it out. It has a different...scent to it. It's as if major changes have taken place, but most everything looks like it did when we were last here."

Paraná sits next to his apprentice, who looks less nervous as time goes on. "So, Ravi, where did you two spend your vacation?"

"Oh, we went back home to Bengaluru. Gonal finished his latest assignment and got an extra ten thousand. All together, we made about a hundred and fifty thousand in the last two months. It's our biggest haul in that short a time span. So we decided to celebrate...for thirty straight days." The tiger and the jaguar laugh heartily. Gonal laughs too, though he has no idea what is being said. Ravi continues, "We also went to France, Germany, and we saw the Great Wall. It was a real thrill, but I gotta tell you, the money dried up real fast. I certainly didn't see as much of China as I would have liked."

"Well, that's because it's so big. If I were to go on a Chinese vacation, I wouldn't know where to begin."

"We landed in Beijing. After seeing the pageantry of Europe, we wanted to go to a place that was as exotic as our hometown."

"Oh, well, if you think Beijing's exotic, you should see Rio."

Ravi chuckles. "Maybe one day, I will...." He stops talking as his brother walks over to him and whispers something in his ear. "Excuse us for a moment." The tigers escape through the chairs and disappear into the hallway.

Tivoli sighs. "Wow. I'd love to visit Asia. I'd love to see Rio too, for that matter."

"I believe there's no better place to visit," the jaguar says, "especially after the World Cup festivities."

Without warning, the front door swings open and St. Croix meanders inside the room. He is wearing attire that is as formal as what the executives wear. He is carrying a briefcase in his right hand and a cup of coffee in the other. "Good morning, people. Sorry I'm late, even though it's only five minutes after eight." He makes his way to the front desk.

The ocelot smiles and stands; she now scans the timber wolf up and down. "You're looking good, and you're quite early."

"Thanks. Actually, now that I've been entrusted with keys of my own, I've got to be here earlier to open the office. It's truly an honor."

Paraná laughs. "'Truly an honor.' So, do I now have to start calling you sir?"

"Dammit, I'm sick of that. Listen, they're just keys to the building, not keys to the city. I'm not an executive and nothing's changed. I'm still the same old guy I once was. I'm neither human nor your superior; you can relate to me. I mean, we're still friends, right?"

"Of course, of course. I was just teasing you. But if I had said keys, well then...." He turns away from the wolf and faces the front desk, smiling in deep thought. He does not finish his sentence.

Tivoli returns to her seat next to the jaguar. "Then what? If you had the keys, what would happen?"

Before he could answer, Ted appears from the hallway. He eagerly looks around the room. "I thought I heard...ah, there you are." He points to St. Croix and hands him a stack of laminated posters. "Here's today's haul. You know what to do." With that, he goes back through the dark hall.

Tivoli's heart beats a little faster. Unlike the last meeting she attended, she will see this one in full, mark and all. Her eyes beam as she watches St. Croix arrange them on the front desk. Everything now looks so real and so immediate. Very soon, she would be able to see the faces of the damned and the prices on their heads. Very soon, she would be able to pick someone to kill. The feeling makes her giddy. "Wow," she says again.

Paraná taps her right shoulder. "You like that, huh? Well, thankfully, we've already chosen our mark, so you don't have to mess with the pictures today. In fact, since I will pick your other two apprentice marks, you don't have to worry about choosing one for yourself for quite a while."

"Okay. I like that we're choosing from pictures, but couldn't this be done through the internet? Couldn't we just stay home and have the marks e-mailed to us? We could just choose who we hunt without making the trip here."

"That sounds like a good idea, but it is very flawed. Technology today is monitored everywhere. Cell phone calls can be traced. Internet searches can be tracked. We're not allowed to use tablets, if we have them. Pictures of the marks work best for our needs."

St. Croix walks up to the couple and sits next to Tivoli. "You see, it's important we keep our business as low-tech as possible. That's why were paid with cash money instead of bank deposits or checks. No paper trail and no electronics mean no evidence. The usage of the internet in this building is for lending purposes only. Anyway, I'm very leery of doing a web search for anything that could get me subpoenaed." He chuckles.

The sound of footsteps coming from the hallway turns their heads in unison. Once again, Ted stands before them. "I forgot to tell you, I got calls from Stefano, Rory, and Greenleaves, all within the last twenty-four hours. They're all back from their vacations and, coincidentally, have said they would be here today. Arrange the chairs accordingly and get prepared for a full house." With that, he disappears once again.

St. Croix nods in understanding and starts to remove his topcoat. Paraná claps and rubs his hands in anticipation. "Excellent. I can't wait to see Stefano again. It's been quite a long time."

"I know a Stefano," Tivoli says. "At least, I think I do. The name sounds mighty familiar."

"Stefano is a salamander from Southern Florida. We came in to this company at practically the same time. But how would you know him?"

"Well...I think he was...." It takes a few seconds of thinking before she can finally place the name. When she does remember, her eyes light up and she scoffs in disbelief. "That's right. I saw him on my video."

"Your what?"

"Oh, Mrs. Cross gave me a couple of videotapes of some interviews she carried out with some of the workers. Stefano was in one of them. I learned in his interview how he met Shiloh and his brother."

The jaguar scratches his head. "I thought those were supposed to be private. What are you doing with them?"

"I just wanted to learn the names of some of my workmates. Did I do something wrong?"

St. Croix interrupts the banter as he grabs a nearby chair. "You guys help me with these things. We got to rearrange the room."

Paraná shrugs and stands, still worried about what Tivoli has told him. "How are we going to do that?"

"Just like the last time we had a lot of people. We're gonna get more than enough chairs from the storeroom to accommodate everybody. I'm thinking that we should have at least thirty chairs in here. We're gonna make an aisle in between the rows of chairs; the aisle will lead straight through to desk, and everyone will easily grab their marks. You guys get started; I'll get some more from the storeroom."

Suddenly, the front door opens again. It swings wildly, pulled open by a strong arm. Shiloh enters, stopping everyone in their tracks. As often happens, he gets the prolonged attention of the people in the room, whether or not he is expected. His face is serious and his body language is rather urgent. He quickly goes through the chairs and the people moving them. He does not even greet St. Croix, his oldest friend. He quickly makes his way to the front desk and scrutinizes the pictures, running his fingers across the words.

St. Croix turns up his nose. "And good morning to you too. You know we don't go through the marks until it's time for the meeting."

"I'm not gonna be here to enjoy it. I've just come to take my mark and go."

"Go where? What's your hurry?"

"I haven't done this in almost a month. I've been training an apprentice as you know. As you can imagine, I'm not very patient right now."

The jaguar approaches the wolf, eager to interject, but not willing to get too close. "But you can't do that. You might take a mark that someone really wants."

"Oh, stop it. There's more than fifteen other marks here. That's plenty for everybody. Besides, there aren't that many...." He stops talking and gasps. A big smile creeps across his face. "Bingo." He grabs one of the posters from the top of the pile. "I'm going to the conference room to have this finalized. No one will miss it if no one knows about it." With that, he runs through the hallway.

Paraná shakes his head. "That is not right. That could have been a bounty for someone."

St. Croix shrugs. "Forget it. You know that's how he works."

"But how fair is that? He's not even going to attend the meeting and he just gets to--"

"Could you just forget it and rearrange the chairs, please?" St. Croix quickly enters the storeroom behind the front desk.

Tivoli watches with worry as Paraná lifts one of the seats. She grabs a seat too, but holds on to it. "Shiloh must be in a big hurry. He didn't even stop and say hi."

"He's doing it again. He's taking our bounties again."

For the first time in their master-student relationship, the ocelot sees Paraná irritated. It is a subtle change, but it manifests just the same. She just stands there watching him while he reorganizes the seats by himself. The more he arranges, the angrier he gets. It does not take long before he starts growling. The low-pitched, barely noticeable rumble in his throat is easily audible to the ocelot's keen ears. Fascinated but nervous, she takes a step back. "Are you okay?"

Her voice cuts through and eases his anger. He rolls his eyes and sighs in resignation. "Shiloh is...well, around here, he is the main man. He is one with the level head and the best ideas. We should all be lucky to have someone as important as he is working with us. He is like the ambassador to our human masters. The problem is that since he relates to both so well, he has a serious superiority complex. So, he does things for himself at our expense, including taking marks without giving us a chance to look them over."

St. Croix exits the storeroom with five more folding chairs. He steps through the waiting room to see what Paraná is doing. "No, these are too tightly spaced together. We need more separation."

"Wait a minute. Exactly how are we going to arrange these things?"

The wolf looks around the room for a few seconds and nods his head. "This might be a little overboard, but we'll make things as symmetrical as possible. Let's put sixteen chairs here...in four rows of four. Then we'll arrange another sixteen chairs over there, right where Tivoli is standing. We'll form a wide aisle to split them up. Everything's gonna look nice. And before you complain about the obvious, I know that's too many chairs. Just humor me."

Paraná and St. Croix enter the storeroom once again to get more chairs, leaving Tivoli alone in the waiting room. She gently drops the chair she is holding and sneaks to the front desk. There, she looks at the laminated pictures and illustrations. One of the marks is actually depicted as an artist's rendering. Quietly, and with a big smile on her face, she reads the monetary rewards. "Two thousand dollars. Five thousand dollars. Twenty-eight hundred dollars. Fifteen hundred...." She perks her ears up; voices are emerging from the hallway. She looks straight ahead to see the tigers emerging into the room.

Ravi and Gonal stop talking as they see Tivoli shuffle herself away from the desk. "Hey, don't do that. Nobody sees the marks until after the meeting is over. Then, we all see them."

"Oh, sorry." She raises her hands as they pass her by. "One's already been taken, though."

"What's that?"

"Shiloh just came and took one. He said nobody would miss it."

"Shiloh's here? Oh, I've forgotten about him." Ravi turns to Gonal, whose smile vanishes at the sound of Shiloh's name. "We haven't seen him a long time, but we have met his girlfriend. From what I've seen, I have to say...she's a bit of a pill."

Tivoli frowns at the tigers as the storeroom door opens. St. Croix looks around and nods. "Good. You guys are back. Help us move these." The wolf and the jaguar each have three chairs. They hand them off and the waiting room starts to undergo a major change. The men work while Tivoli stands back and watches contently. The wolf takes the lead and the room is arranged to his specifications. In less than a minute, they are finished. The lobby now looks like it is ready to host a small town hall meeting.

"Excellent," St. Croix says. "Now we are more than ready."

Gonal quickly takes a seat in the front row, directly in front of the laminated papers. Tivoli, fascinated by the new look, walks through the newly-made aisle. There, she meets her handler. She smiles at him, causing Paraná to chuckle. He chooses a seat and she sits next to him, close to the aisle and across from Gonal. The tiger waves to her and laughs.

"Looks like he's got a thing for you," Paraná says.

St. Croix clears his throat. "Anybody want coffee while we wait? I'm going to the cafeteria." He hears the affirmative answers and leaves the room.

Ravi is about to sit next to his brother when Shiloh appears from the darkness. It surprises everyone; after all, the hallway shields the timber wolf quite well. His gait is forceful and purposeful; his face looks more like that of a feral wolf. He has his mark in his hand and is about to go for the kill. He stops momentarily to look at the new design of the lobby. "Nice," he says dismissively. He starts to walk out the door.

"Well, hello, big man," Ravi says. "Long time no see."

The sight of the tigers surprises Shiloh a little. He stares at them for a minute, rubbing his chin with his free hand. It looks like he is trying to remember something. They stare back patiently, waiting for him to do or say something. He is taking particular interest in Ravi, the brother he can actually communicate with. The wolf is not angry, but he hardly looks pleased.

"Well, you want something?"

Shiloh's eyes narrow. He opens his mouth to speak, but nothing comes out. Whatever is bothering him now seems unimportant; he shrugs and starts to walk away.

Suddenly, Gonal shouts and points at the wolf. He is pointing specifically to the paper in his hand. Ravi now realizes that Shiloh has a mark, despite already being told so by Tivoli. He nods at his brother and stands in front of Shiloh. "What you got there?"

"My next mission. What of it?"

"Well, how do you know it's not my next mission? Who is it and how much is it?"

"It doesn't matter to you. It's mine."

Gonal angrily yells something at the wolf. Ravi chuckles in response. "He says you sound almost exactly like your girlfriend. 'It's mine.' I'm inclined to agree with him."

The wolf's eyes open wider and he straightens his posture, making himself look bigger than before. "You know, I suddenly remember why I was angry at you guys. Winter told me what happened to her in Chino Hills last week; that you boys took the Ambrose hunt away from her. That was a dick move. Well, I'll tell you what. I'll answer your questions right now." He holds up the laminated paper up to his eyes. "Pamela Daltrey, thirty years old, forty-five thousand dollars. There you go, Ravi. You wanted to know, and now you do. And after what you did to Winter, the fact that you can no longer get this mark is satisfying payback." He tucks the mark under his left arm and starts going on his way.

As Tivoli and her teacher look on, Gonal returns to his seat, leaving Ravi to angrily stew in what the wolf has just told him. He clears his throat. "That's fine, except Gonal and I weren't in town to know that Mr. Ambrose was a mark. We saw in a newspaper that he was a wanted man. Then we found his FBI profile online and followed the clues. We figured out he was in L.A., so we went after him. The reward money was much higher than your mate could ever have made. But we didn't know he was a mark. So, it's not exactly payback, is it?"

Shiloh now looks confused and unsure. His mouth opens, ready to counterattack the tiger's verbal jab. He instead sighs and looks at his feet.

"Ah! Winter never told you that, did she? She obviously wants to make us scapegoats in your eyes. Maybe she wanted you to...I don't know...beat us up?" He turns to Gonal and speaks to him in Hindi, getting him to laugh at the wolf. "When you go home, you tell your girlfriend her ploy didn't work, and that she'd just best forget about Mr. Ambrose. We'll get him and collect the FBI reward; she can just move on to her next mark."

Shiloh points at the tigers. "You just stay out of my way."

Ravi scoffs. "Fine. Meanwhile, I hope you choke on that forty-five thousand dollars."

The staredown between the wolf and the tigers is making Tivoli uncomfortable; she turns to her handler as if looking for help. Suddenly, she leaves her seat and walks through the aisle to the angry wolf, ending the exchange. "Good morning, Shiloh. Good to see you again."

"Hey there," he says, lowering his guard, though it would be more accurate to say that he feels a little embarrassed.

"How is Winter? I haven't seen her since she left."

"She's sick." With that, he gives one last angry glance at Ravi before walking out the door.

Tivoli returns to her place next to Paraná while Ravi sits next to his brother. The room is eerily quiet; nobody says a thing for a couple of minutes. The ocelot looks at the brothers carefully, quietly making up her mind about them now that she has seen how they act under some pressure. The expression on her face does not portend anything good.

Paraná smiles and puts an arm around her, startling her. "Thank you," he says.

"What for?"

"You broke up a fight before it became a fight. It's good to have calm before the meeting."

As she smiles back at him, St. Croix makes his way to the lobby. He has a large tray in his hands, carrying a coffeepot and five mugs. Everyone but the ocelot stands to grab their share. The jaguar takes two cups and hands one of to his apprentice. "Thanks," she says. "I don't drink coffee, but I guess I can make an exception today."

"Why? Because I'm drinking some?"

She chuckles, takes a sip, and sighs contently. "I don't think I like those guys."

Paraná turns his attention to the tigers, who are talking to each other in hushed tones. He acknowledges her concern with a slight nod. "Ravi and Gonal are efficient killers. Ravi's the stronger one, but Gonal is sneakier. They do most of their hunting together, even though it's not allowed. They are pretty defensive about their work because it is their welfare. This job is their only source of income. I think that is why they went after Shiloh the way they did."

"Hmm. Tell me, do you prefer to be strong or sneaky?"

The front door swings open before the jaguar can answer. He and Tivoli look on as someone else enters. She looks at him carefully and gasps, "I know that guy; I've met him already. Bumped into him, actually."

"His name is Inverness. He's been working here for a long time, longer than me even. He is one of the more...quieter hitmen. He is real good at covering his tracks. He also makes good trades; I've learned much from him."

Inverness has a sour look about him. He barely acknowledges St. Croix greeting him and bounds his way to the front desk. Satisfied with the fresh group of marks, he turns back to take a seat. He ignores Ravi's hello.

"What's the matter with you?" St. Croix asks.

"Look, if you really must know, I said good-bye to Mariana today. We talked last night and she told me she was leaving early this morning. She told me it would be okay to meet her right before she left. But this morning, I overslept. She instead called me on my cell a few minutes ago."

"So she's really gone. Tough way to say good-bye."

"Horrible." He forlornly looks around the room. "Where is everybody? Let's start this meeting already."

"Um...it's still 8:10. You want some coffee?"

The terrier nods quietly, then covers his face in his hands. Ravi, startled at the news of Mariana's leaving, sits next to him to get more information. Paraná, who is some distance away, stares at the depressed dog and shakes his head before turning to look at Tivoli. "Poor man. He was really in love with her."

"With who? What's her name again?"

"Mariana. She is the white dog who was here on Friday. She's one of--"

"Oh yeah. I remember now. I didn't think much of her. She called me a kid."

"She is one of the first females to work here. She was liked by everybody. She had a disagreement with the bosses and I guess has now moved away."

The door opens and Camille steps in. With her white sunhat and white, floral dress, she looks more formal than ever before. It is certainly a far cry from her usual Polo shirts and blue jeans. St. Croix is the first to greet her. She surprises him by shaking her hand. "Well, you're happy," he says.

"I am that. Nice place you got here." She looks around and sees Inverness and the tigers. The sight of the terrier only gets a slight wave, but the sight of Ravi produces a big smile. "Welcome back!"

Ravi is startled, but after seeing who it is, he runs to her. They embrace, laughing energetically. Gripping her hips with his hands, he gleefully lifts her off the floor.

"Whoa! Watch it. The chief's right outside."

"She is? Well, I guess I'd better keep my hands above your waist then."

She leans forward and playfully bites his nose. They then release each other just in time for the chief's arrival. Mrs. Cross stops to look around. She looks noticeably impressed. "Not bad. Are we expecting extra company?"

St. Croix nods. "Some of our old favorites are coming back, so I got extra seats just in case."

"Good morning, everyone. Have a good meeting. Try to keep things civil." She disappears through the hall.

"May I sit next to you?" Camille passes Ravi and waves playfully. "Hi, Gonal. Hi, Scottie."

Inverness sighs. "I've asked you not to call me that time and again. What's it gonna take?"

"I call you that because you're so cute."

"Don't call me that either."

St Croix approaches the group. "Calm down. So, where's Pam?"

The cat sits behind Ravi. "She's just fine. In fact, she's out of purgatory and is coming back to work."

"Excellent. I was starting to miss her. Where's she been all this time?"

"Forget it, man. If I told you, she'd kill me. Just know that she's back, although she wouldn't come with me...and she couldn't tell me that she was actually gonna be at this meeting. But she said she'd be here." She looks behind her to the other side of the aisle, where Paraná and Tivoli sit alone. She waves at the jaguar.

As he waves back, the ocelot finishes her coffee and puts the mug on the floor by her feet. "She seems popular. I think I've seen her somewhere before."

"Her name is Camille...and yes, she is really popular. I don't really know why but, apparently, she has a really interesting past. Of all the females, she seems to be the one everyone wants to get to know."

"Hmm. I've met people like that. If you're someone that everyone wants to get to know, it clearly means that your past is sex-related."

"Um...." Paraná chuckles, causing the blue-gray cat to look at him and wave. "You're probably right. As a matter of fact, after she completed her apprentice hunts , she had a bit of a relationship with Ravi. That's why they are so close, as you can see. But those kinds of relationships are frowned upon. Around here, you can't work together and...be together."

"Oh." Tivoli puts her hands on her lap. "Does that mean we can't...?"

They smile at each other, but her smile is a bit more pensive. "I'll see what I can do," he says.

"I like her color. I know a couple of cats, but I don't see too many blue ones. I'd like to get to know her."

The front door swings open once again. Joseph Luisi and Colin Besser make their way in. Colin looks a whole lot better; quite possibly back to the authoritative man he was before the attack. However, Joseph has his arm around him as if guarding him from any harm.

St. Croix stands to greet them as they head through the aisle. "You're looking better."

"That's because I feel better." Colin looks around him. "You did good with the place."

"Listen, I'm not usually the kind of guy who defends rash actions, but if I told you not to think too badly of Pamila, you'd take that into consideration, wouldn't you?" He smiles hopefully. The men stare at the wolf for a few seconds, thinking about the question. Suddenly, Colin starts to laugh. Joseph releases his grip on his friend and chuckles quietly. St. Croix stops smiling. "What's so funny?"

"You're right," says Colin. "I should let bygones be bygones, and I will. As a matter of fact, starting today, I won't hold anything against Pamila. Starting today, she's gonna need your support."

"Well, what does that mean?"

"Oh, I'm sure you'll find out soon enough." Still laughing, they head through the hallway. There seems to be a wave of relief and utopia draped all over them. Their happiness would usually mean good news for the workers. This time, however, all the furries are watching them suspiciously.

"Something weird's going on here," St. Croix says. Before any uneasy feelings can settle in, the door opens behind him. He quickly smiles at the person who comes through. "Mr. Crevecoeur, good morning."

"Same to you. Say! The aisle is back. We expecting more than usual?"

"Ted says at least three called him, saying that they're back from summer vacation. Ravi and Gonal are back too, so I thought...better safe than sorry."

"Good. The competition is coming back. I love watching you guys trade for marks. I learn many things." He waves to everyone and approaches the ocelot. "Glad to see you're fitting in."

She laughs and extends her hand. "I want to thank you guys once again; all of you guys. I don't know what I'd be doing today if it weren't for you."

"Think nothing of it. He's your handler? Good choice." He and Paraná also shake hands, although the feline does not look too pleased to see him. "When's your first assignment?"

"Tomorrow. I really can't wait. This is the first useful venture that I've been a part of in a long time."

"Well, overall giddiness isn't quite the right frame of mind for this job, but I'm glad you're happy just the same. Take care, everyone."

Paraná scoffs as Crevecoeur disappears. He folds his arms, hangs his head, and angrily mumbles something in Portuguese. Tivoli watches him carefully and puts a hand on his shoulder. "You okay?" He keeps his head down and does not respond. "Is something wrong? What just happened?" She gently rubs his shoulder, anxiously waiting for a sign of life.

After a minute, he raises his head and tries to smile. "Sorry. That was rather undignified. There's nothing wrong; I'm just not a fan of his. That's all."

"Oh. I thought something else was wrong. I like Mr. Crevecoeur. Him and Ted; I like them both. Unfortunately they're the only ones whose names I can remember; them and the chief. I still can't believe I'm working under six people. It's all so overwhelming."

"Don't get me wrong. I don't mind working under them, but please understand. It's not rare to...um...dislike the executives. In fact, everyone in here hates at least one executive. For me, it is Mr. Crevecoeur. Please don't ask me why. Of course, pretty much everyone hates the chief."

"How come?"

Paraná exhales in frustration. "You're not a man. You wouldn't understand."

"O...kay." She returns her right hand on his left shoulder. "Hey, after this is over, let's have breakfast together. I'll pay. Hmm?" She laughs at him, causing him to laugh in turn. "You see that? I made you smile. That's gotta count for something."

With about fifteen minutes left until the meeting, the room begins to fill with workers. Every few seconds, another one enters the waiting room. First, Rory comes in, wearing a Hawaiian shirt and cargo pants. He looks undignified, but the boyish smile on his face shows that he hardly cares. The dingo virtually yells his greeting, getting cheers from everyone and a big hug from St. Croix. He has been away for quite some time. As his workmates gather around him, they notice the piercing on his left ear that is showing off a small, clear gemstone. They focus on that for about a minute before they allow him to sit. Then, Benny and Boris enter together, getting handshakes from everyone. The foxes are not greeted as rowdily since they attend these meetings all the time. Seconds later, a bright, red figure comes into view. It is Stefano, the hellbender. More cheers erupt from the masses, causing him to bow. "Thank you! I'll be here all week, and this time, I really will be. No more vacations for a while."

Through it all, Paraná is greeting the incoming guests, leaving Tivoli by herself to stare and marvel. Rory's face and overwhelmingly positive attitude are instantly recognizable to her. The videotaped interview does not do him justice. The dingo has an attractive, dusty-brown color that looks as warm and friendly as he does. He looks completely approachable and hardly has the killer's look that the ocelot is expecting. Benny and Boris are good-looking as well, but unremarkable. She hardly pays attention to them.

It is Stefano that gets the most glances. He is wearing a red cotton shirt that is redder than his skin. His straight, jet-black hair is even more striking. Tivoli watches intently as he greets everyone and takes a seat. He spends a couple of minutes shaking hands, but once he is allowed to sit, he picks up a case that he left on a nearby chair. "There are some good-paying marks available that I'm gonna tell you about later," he says. Unlike everyone else, he looks like he is ready for the meeting. From his suitcase, he produces a folder, a pen, and a notepad.

As things settle down, Paraná returns to his seat. "This is great. My good friends are coming back. The last few weeks without them have been rather dull. You want me to introduce you?"

Tivoli chuckles. "That's great. I'll meet them after the meeting's over. They're all reminiscing and I don't want to get in the way. I've seen Rory before; I have the tape with his interview. He's much smaller than he looks in the video."

"Rory is the shortest of all the males in here. He's only five feet and eight inches which is average for humans, but short for most males of his kind. He makes up for it by being fast. I mean, crazy fast. He was, like, a track champion or something like that back in his hometown. It doesn't help him when catching marks, but he beats me at handball all the time."

"How good is he at his job?"

"He was able to afford a trip back to Australia for a month with his earning, so...pretty good."

"You know pretty much all these guys. Tell me about the one without fur."

"Stefano is a salamander from Florida. He's one of the friendliest killers you could ever meet. He treats the other guys to drinks, he has no problems loaning money to friends, and he never refuses a trade. That's because he is among the wealthiest of us. He, along with Shiloh, are the only ones willing to go outside of California to hunt. The farther you go, the more money you make, so he can afford to be so generous. You like him, huh?"

"Well, he's very..._red. _So, you're saying he's the one I should go to if I want to make a trade?"

"Well, yes, but you'd have to be quick. Everybody wants his services. Listen; don't be stunned by the size or color or friendliness of any of these guys. They are all dangerous people and really good at what they do."

"That's good. I happen to like dangerous males. We could all get along nicely."

The couple watches as the door opens once again. Pica and Dunn stumble forward, dressed in executive-type attire. Their clothes are work-ready, but their faces are not. Their hands and facial expressions look scruffy and worn, as if they have been up all night. They get big, heartfelt greetings from most in the lobby, but they only wave back. They do not look happy to be there. For his part, Inverness, angry at them as he is, hardly looks at them at all.

Tivoli is also not happy to see them. Almost reflexively, she rubs the back of her head. Paraná tsks and laughs. "The bobcat's name is Dunn. The fox's name is Pica. They came before me, so they are among the very first workers. They do their hunts separately, but they're always together every other time. I'm starting to wonder why."

The ocelot scoffs. "Hmm. It looks like at least one of them's been drinking. The bobcat kinda has the same look I get fighting a hangover."

The door opens yet again, producing a voice that yells, "Holy shit! You are all back at once." Everyone turns to see Simon Blank shaking his head. "All this...and more on the way. I guess the quiet times are over." He waves at everyone and rushes through the hallway. Gonal quietly sneers at the executive, getting Ravi and Camille to laugh.

The door barely closes when it is forcefully pushed open by Hoeness. The room applauds at the sight of him. The German Shepherd is wearing a tan, full-length jacket, something that ill fits the hot outdoors. As he soaks up the adoration, Paraná moves closer to his student. "I believe you know him already."

"Yes, we've met." She again rubs her head. "It would be nice to sit down with him; he looks like he has some pull."

"He is Shiloh-lite. The difference between the two is that he doesn't act like your boss. Shiloh can protect you, but you can relate to Hoeness. He is shrewd, calculating, and very--"

"May I have your attention please?!" Hoeness clears his throat and the room quiets down. "I would like to introduce, back to the building after a one-month absence, the one person who makes our lives as hunters easier. Bent but not broken, down but not out, the one, the only...Loiola!"

He holds the door open as the toned, strapping jaguar slowly enters the room. He first pokes his head out, eliciting applause. When he steps further forward, the men vocalize their cheers. When he fully enters however, the cheering softens. Loiola is on crutches and has a brace on his left leg. He is moving really slowly, and the situation looks uncomfortable for everyone involved. St. Croix leaves his seat to approach him.

Hoeness offers to take his crutch and help him inside. Just then, Baua, the Italian Greyhound, appears behind the leopard. He also offers to help Loiola, who promptly nods. He puts his right arm around the greyhound. "My bag," Loiola says.

A voice behind them yells, "I got it!" While everybody looks on, a new face enters. It is a beagle, wearing an ascot and a blue navy uniform. With one hand carrying a brown duffle bag and the other hand on the spotted feline's back, he helps to guide him through the aisle. The applause and cheers return, making the guest of honor wave weakly at the crowd.

Loiola picks out his seat. He has decided to sit in front. He would be sitting right in front of Tivoli. Hoeness and Baua provide support and help him sit while the beagle places the crutches by the front desk.

Everyone is standing to observe him. As St. Croix moves across the aisle to shake his hand, Tivoii nervously whispers, "That's Loiola with an I."

Paraná stops applauding. "You know him?"

"He's on my videotape. He had a good interview, though I thought he was a bit stiff."

"Yeah, 'stiff' is a perfect word for him. Anyway, he is a good hunter, but he also photographs marks for us. The gray guy next to him also--"

"Yes, I know that guy. I haven't seen him in a while, but I do remember his name; I laughed when I first heard it. He also takes pictures of marks. I remember he showed me his equipment...and I had him take a picture of me. I've yet to see it though."

The jaguar raises his eyebrows in confusion. "What could he be doing here? He doesn't look like he can do any work." While observing the leopard's procession to his seat, he barely notices Tivoli sitting down and covering her face. He sits in turn. "Something wrong?"

"Look at all these people. I just realized how many...I mean, Mrs. Cross told me that I would be 'number thirty.' But I never realized how big thirty really is. I...." She slowly turns to her instructor. "Please tell me something. You're not gonna let me get lost in the shuffle when I actually start working, are you?"

"Now don't forget--after we are done with our three hunts, you are on your own. I wouldn't really be able to help you afterwards, but...." Tivoli turns away from him and looks at the ceiling. He puts a hand on her right thigh. "I promise I will give you all the help I can. Look at me. I know you can handle this when the time comes. I'll teach you how to hunt and how to trade. I'll make sure you get good marks." He smiles as their eyes meet. "Didn't you just say that you liked the company of dangerous males? You should be at home here." He leans closer to her. "Besides, there's none in here more dangerous than me."

That gets a laugh out of her. She is still unsure, and there are a few more furries about to enter which could add to her anxiousness, but for now, she seems comfortable. She looks at him with a renewed sense of hope and breathes a sigh of relief.

There does not seem to be a reason for the ocelot to be afraid. Everyone is in a jovial mood, hugging and shaking hands, discussing past exploits, drinking copious amounts of coffee, and having a good time overall. St. Croix and the beagle have their hands on each other's shoulders, acting like long, lost friends. Baua and Loiola shake hands with Paraná and give Tivoli some advice. Of course, anybody who isn't female is fawning on Camille who simply adores the attention.

Out of the blue, forcefully interrupting the socializing, a loud roar bellows from behind the front door. It rattles the glass, vibrates the blinds, and makes most everybody in the room jump a little. Tivoli and Camille grip their seats tightly. Pica, Dunn, and Inverness stand with alarm. Everybody else, however, laughs. They clearly know who it is. Without much hesitation, Hoeness runs to the front door and lets the guest in.

A tall, tan, muscular beast slams his huge, right foot on the carpeted floor. Tivoli's mouth opens in shock. The rest of him quickly enters, revealing an African lion. He is dressed like the executives, but his suit is dark blue instead of black. His dark brown mane is nicely groomed, but still authoritative. His tail curls up, accentuating the rest of him. He looks like a specimen of power and prestige.

All the men in the room cheer. It is so loud and animated that it looks like a party has broken out. Most of them gather around him, shaking his hands, patting his shoulders, and thoroughly giving him a warm welcome. "Now, this certainly is royal treatment," he says.

As de facto leader of the welcoming committee, St. Croix tries to lead him to a chair. "You, my friend, can sit in the front."

"No thanks, son. I haven't seen another female face in a long time. I'd like to sit next to Camille. Is she here?"

"I'm afraid all the seats around her are occupied."

During the exchange, Tivoli's mouth remains open. "What...is that?"

Paraná tries to calm his nervous apprentice. "His name is Greenleaves. Very skilled, very powerful. He can kill with his bare hands, which is a feat most of us are jealous of, so he is not one to be messed with. But he is a voice of reason and a calming influence. Plus, he has a really wicked sense of humor. That's why everybody likes him. He eases tensions and, believe me, tensions run pretty high here."

"He's British."

"Yes, he is."

"I like British accents, but he scares me."

"Don't worry. I'm here."

The excitement is dying down once again and everyone is taking their seats. Greenleaves is greeting Loiola when he spots the jaguar. He quickly makes his way to the couple. "Good morning, old friend."

"Good morning, yourself. I trust you had a nice trip. How's the family?"

"All's about as well as can be expected. Wife and kids all taken care of, and even after spending all that money on them, I still have enough to buy a new car."

"So, life is good, huh?"

"You better believe it." It has taken a while, but he now spots the ocelot. His smile grows in size. "And who in God's blue heaven is this thing?"

Paraná puts an arm around her shoulders, as if claiming her. "This is our newest hire. Her name is Tivoli and she is--"

"You're an ocelot! Fancy that." The lion extends his right hand. It looks to be bigger than her whole head. "I haven't seen one of your kind in a dragon's age."

She timidly shakes his imposing paw. Her handler's arm around her provides some comfort, but her "Hi" is quick and anxious.

"If I may say so without sounding too forward, I think you're the loveliest thing in the building. You know what I'm gonna do? I'm gonna sit behind you. Our kind believe that it's good luck to sit behind beautiful ladies like yourself."

Her smile returns. "Really?"

"Nah. I just made that up. I said that to help you relax. You're looking a bit shaky." He laughs loudly and takes an empty seat behind her. The ocelot may be smiling, but she is shaky, even more so now that the big cat's massive maw is right behind her. As Paraná tries to calm her down, Greenleaves smiles and puts his hands behind his head. "So, it's almost half past nine. That means it's party time! Bring on the executives!"