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Venom: Beautiful Killers. Part 27.

"...skinned...."

_ _

"You know, before the night is over, you're going to talk to me. I know you're really young and you've got a long, uncertain future ahead of you, and that's fine. One could even call it cute. But still, you're going to have to say something, sweetheart. After all, you don't want to be rude to your new family tomorrow."

Tivoli keeps her mouth shut, tightly pressing her lips together and trying not to react to having her back delicately rubbed by Mr. McDaniels' right hand. His hand is under her T-shirt, gently stroking her fur as he leads her up the stairs to the room where she is to spend the night. He only releases her to unlock the door. Paraná has stayed behind, below the stairs, where he patiently waits for his mark.

Mr. McDaniels opens the door to the bedroom to reveal a pitch black room. It feels cooler than the rest of the house. He flips a switch to illuminate the room. The light reveals a large bedroom with white, plush carpeting and white wallpaper with a pink floral design. There are a couple of white cabinets leaning to the left of the door. The bed in the center of the room has a white headboard, a white blanket and pillows dressed with pink pillowcases. There are a couple of plush animals on the pillows, two of which are tigers. On the far side of the bed is a big screen television with a video game console attached to it. The console is on top of a smaller, white cabinet, inside of which is a small collection of games. The bedroom looks to be the most expensive room in the house and is clearly a girl's room. With the exception of the television and the closet, everything in here is either pink or white.

As soon as the light is turned on, Tivoli gets away from McDaniels as quickly, but as cautiously as she can, slipping herself away from his grasp. She stops to look at her new surroundings. She is surprised by what she sees, but tries not to make it obvious in front of him. Her feet shuffle forward slowly; she is deliberately sliding the soles of her shoes across the carpet. As her shoes dig into the thick plush, a smile slowly appears on her face. She likes this kind of feeling. Her head swivels from side to side, trying to take in everything. When she notices the closet, she starts to walk toward it.

"Oh, you like that huh? You wanna see inside?" Mr. McDaniels passes her and opens the walk-in room. He flips a switch and the closet illuminates brightly. There is an assortment of clothes inside, all hanging neatly and shining as brightly as the light bulb is. Eerily, every single article of clothing inside is either white or pink. Every dress, skirt, miniskirt, and blouse matches the color scheme perfectly. Most of the clothes are either lacy or are covered in floral patterns. There are two or three shirts among the dresses. There are no trousers, but there are a couple of white shorts. Still moving toward the closet, Tivoli looks at it with wonder, as if she has never seen so many clothes. It doesn't seem to bother her that there are no clothes inside that are meant for adults.

Suddenly, she trips on the carpet and falls forward, landing face first on the soft bed. Panicked, she quickly tries to pick herself up, but her hands slip on the soft blanket and she falls on her face once again. McDaniels looks on and laughs at her struggling attempts to save face. Slowly, she presses her hands on the bed, clutching the blanket, and sits herself down. She looks at her host angrily.

"It was your tail, wasn't it? You tripped on it, didn't you?" He watches her turn away from him. "Aww, no need to worry 'bout that. That happens more often than you know on such a soft carpet. But that's pretty much why I don't care for long tails. They tend to...wrap themselves around things. Anyway, that's the closet. Tomorrow, we'll choose something classy for you to wear on your big day. But first, you'll need some sleepwear." He enters the closet and opens a white box at the very end. When he exits, he throws a couple of articles at the ocelot. "There you go. A nice pair of pajamas, about as soft as you are. As you can see, they're a bit different."

Still angry, Tivoli unfolds the clothes she has just been given. Both the top and bottoms are blue, the same shade as her jeans.

"They're the right size for you...and they're not human pajamas. If you look closely, they've got the hole for the tail to go through, so you'll be quite comfortable." He turns out the closet light and approaches the unsure feline. He stares at her while she unfolds the pajama bottoms. He mostly stares at her chest, not with a suspicious glance, but with a smile that looks anything other than friendly. When he has had enough, he flicks her left ear to get her attention. "Well, Betina, I have to be going. Your uncle and I have some clients to meet. You can watch the cable TV or play video games. There's a bathroom up here if you need to use it. It's across the hall."

She stays seated on the bed and tries not to acknowledge him too much. She continually avoids looking at his face in the hope that he will lose interest. Once he backs away, she silently exhales with relief.

"Don't say good night or anything. I should be back in about an hour." He waves at her before closing the door behind him.

Behind the bed is one of two windows in the room. From where she is sitting, Tivoli can see the closed front gate. As her nervousness returns, she gets of the bed and squeezes her way behind the headboard to look out the window. Breathing heavily, she waits for signs of movement. It does not take long before Paraná and the mark come into view. They talk for a while before the mark leaves the jaguar and enters the garage. Once she sees him standing alone in front of the fountain, Tivoli knocks on the closed windowpane. They are not too far from each other. Her handler looks up at her, smiles, and waves. She returns the smile and waves back, fixing a loving gaze at her handler. Her heart rate slows and her breathing eases. She starts to gently tap and rub the glass, pretending to stroke his head. However, the feeling does not last long. Mr. McDaniels' car appears and Paraná quickly enters. Her smile vanishes once she sees the gate open. The white luxury sedan slowly makes its way out of the residence and out of sight. The gate slowly closes, causing Tivoli to spring into action.

As fast as she possibly can, she brushes past the bed and runs to the door. She finds a light switch to the hall and flips it upwards. The light shows off a long, carpeted hallway that is decorated by four doors on each side. After looking around confusedly, she decides to open the door next to the pink-and-white bedroom.

She opens it slowly and shudders as a rush of cool air flows past her, then turns on the light to reveal a more extravagant bedroom than the one she had been introduced to. The wallpaper has a design of black tiger stripes on a red-orange background. The carpet has a leopard print design. The bed sheet and pillow cases look like satin. Above the headboard of the bed is a mounted (feral) tiger's head. To the left of the bed are two tall, reddish brown armoires. They are both made of cherry wood and are shining brilliantly in the light. In between them is an oak dresser with six drawers, decorated with bronze handles. It does not look as expensive as the armoires, but on top of it are expensive accessories--three jewelry boxes, spaced evenly, and two humidors. Surrounding them are six framed pictures of Arlo McDaniels. Each one has him posing with different people, one of whom is current California governor Benton Cartwright. It had been taken a long time ago. He is obviously a person of some influence and with very expensive tastes.

Tivoli looks over the room in shock; the mounted tiger's head is really bothering her. She approaches it closely until she bumps in to the bed. She shivers, either from the cold or out of fear. A minute later, she shakes her head, forcefully expelling the tiger's image from her mind, and heads to the dresser. She accidentally knocks over one of the pictures as she opens the jewelry box on the left. Inside, the box is festooned with necklaces and pendants that hang precariously from the inner doors. The drawers of the box are filled with rings and watches of expensive-looking colors and various sizes. She quickly opens the other two boxes. Looking around carefully, she eventually sees the blue gems that she had been told to find.

Tivoli nods and leaves the room, leaving the jewelry boxes open. She runs down the stairs and makes a beeline to the living room. She looks out the window next to the front door, trying to possibly catch a glimpse of Paraná. There is nobody in sight. Besides the driveway and the big, stone fountain, there is only the foreboding black gate. "The gate," she whispers. She closes the curtains and runs into the hallway.

While the ocelot had been doing her undercover work, Robert Crevecoeur had been waiting impatiently just outside the gated house. He had been worrying about Tivoli while continually looking at his phone. Whoever he had been expecting to reach him by phone obviously has not done so. He mutters something to himself and breathes deeply, as if anticipating something bad in the near future. His eyes are heavy and want to close. Even though he has a tight grip on the steering wheel, it is only because he is forcing his hands to hold on. They look like they will drop eventually. Sure enough, as quietly as he can, the executive drops his head on the steering wheel.

Suddenly, a loud, clanging noise booms through the air. Crevecoeur is startled awake; he sits up as straight as an arrow and his eyes dart all over the place. He has trouble finding the source of the sound and his breath trembles in panic. The normally cool and collected human being looks scared to death. Seconds later however, he sees the front gate moving. Gritting his teeth angrily, he starts the van and waits for it to open fully. He curses at himself for being as frightened as he was and zooms into the front yard. Just then, a loud blast of music emerges from the dashboard. It is the ringtone of his cellular phone. He quickly picks it up and puts it to his ear, barely giving the music three seconds.

"About time. Talk to me, Mike. Tell me you've got more info I can use."

The man at the other end of the line speaks loudly and out of breath. "Sorry I'm late. I couldn't get away from the rest of the group. We've been meeting people all day. I'm still getting used to the routine."

"Relax. You've been entrenched with the traffickers for the last five days. You should know more than the basics by now. Who are the people that Mr. McDaniels is seeing?"

"Well, from what I know of them, they come from Central Africa and are here in the guise of entrepreneurs on a business trip. Their group is supposed to meet with us as soon as McDaniels arrives, and everyone's getting tense, because we stand to make a lot of money out of this. Apparently, ocelot kittens are worth a mint."

"Wait a second. You said 'supposed to meet.' You mean they're not there yet?"

"Dude, I don't even know what they look like. They're late as hell. I'm just here with McDaniels' men; we're lounging around and filling ourselves up with free breadsticks."

"Where exactly are you?"

"We're in this Tex-Mex restaurant, trying to stay awake. They keep talking about work and I'm getting a lot of info from them. But, because I'm 'new,' they don't tell me everything. In general, these guys travel the world for McDaniels and have meetings with worldly clientele who wish to have young, furry kids for their customers. The more exotic the cub, the more money comes to McDaniels. He keeps half and the parents of the cubs get the other half."

"And meanwhile, the cubs are sold into the sex trade in...whatever country the clients are from."

"That's supposedly the gist of it. This time though, the clients are very late. So, how's the hunt going?"

Crevecoeur parks his van by garage and cuts off the engine. "So far, everything seems fine. Mr. McDaniels has just left and, as far as I know, Tivoli is safe. I still don't feel good about this."

"Remember, once McDaniels bites the dust, I get half the cut."

"Don't worry about it. I've already told you that you'll be well taken care of. Listen, call me back as soon as you learn anything new. I'm going inside McDaniels' house. You be careful." Crevecoeur hangs up and leaves the vehicle.

The man is not armed, but sneaks through the compound as if expecting a skirmish. Once he sees the gate close, he nods in satisfaction. He is now assured that he is alone outside while the ocelot is by herself inside the house. Wasting no time, he heads to the front door and tries to get it open. Surprisingly, he does not have to struggle. It is unlocked.

This was never part of the plan laid out earlier in the evening. Nevertheless, his concern for the ocelot has him entering anyway. He closes the door behind him and looks around the living room. "Not bad," he says as he steps past the sofa. It seems that Tivoli is not in this room. He does not call out to her, but instead heads for the kitchen, drawn in by the smells. He takes his time, looking at the stove and inspecting the items in the pots. The ocelot is not in this room either.

He grabs a stray spoon that is lying on the stove and uses it to sample a bit of the macaroni and cheese in the biggest pot. The food is quite good because he digs in a couple of more times. As he closes the pot, his senses start to alert him to danger. His head perks up quickly as if he has just heard something out of place. With the exception of the low hum of the refrigerator, there are no sounds emanating anywhere. Still, he suspiciously starts to sneak out of the kitchen.

As he steps back into the living room, his phone starts to ring again. It takes him by surprise and he starts to fumble with his pockets. The ringtone fills the room and sounds loud enough to attract unwanted attention. His nervousness makes him clumsily drop the phone while fishing it out of his pants.

Robert Crevecoeur no longer looks like the composed executive that everyone back in the office knows him to be. Today, he looks like a bundle of nerves trying desperately to function. Even the simple task of answering his phone seems to be overwhelming him. It has bounced to the sliding doors that separate the living room from the hallway. He runs over to it and picks it up, looking at the number of the person calling. The look of determination on his face means that he recognizes who is calling. As he opens the doors in front of him, he puts the phone to his ear and answers, "Talk to me, Mike."

Suddenly, the human bounces backwards and stumbles. Shouting loudly, he falls on his back. His phone flies out of his right hand and lands out of sight. Just as quickly, Tivoli steps forward from behind the sliding door. She is breathing heavily, with as angry an expression as she can muster. She is holding her knife in her right hand and is ready to use it. The ocelot runs over to the fallen human and holds it up. That is the moment that Crevecoeur sits up frantically. Now the two can see each other.

Tivoli gasps and tosses the weapon behind her. "Oh God! I'm sorry! I'm so sorry!"

Crevecoeur lets himself fall back on the carpeted floor. He lies there, breathing heavily himself, and shakes his head. "You," he says simply.

"I'm sorry! I forgot for a moment."

"You mean you forgot who you were opening the gate for?"

"I said I was...what's that sound?"

"What sound?" Crevecoeur raises his head again and watches the ocelot as she looks around the room.

"I hear music."

"Ah crap. My phone." He lumbers onto his feet and presses his hand to his chest. "Help me find it."

"Are you all right?"

"Just help me find it." He turns around and heads toward the noise, tripping over the coffee table in the process. It sounds like the ringtone is coming from behind the big couch. He looks around the cushions and bends down to look under the table.

Tivoli just stands at her place, watching him search instead of helping like she was told to. Her hands are clasped in front of her and she looks about as apologetic as she has ever been. "I'm sorry," she whispers and she shuffles herself forward, keeping her distance. It looks like she is trying to hide from him even though she is not really going anywhere.

Crevecoeur heads behind the couch. "Where is that damn thing?"

Feeling at fault, the ocelot looks at her feet bashfully. Suddenly, she looks up again and yells, "I've found it!" The black cell phone is just inches from her feet, partially under the couch. She picks it up and gently tosses it to her partner.

By the time the executive catches it, the ringtone has stopped. He shrugs and puts it in the pocket of his cotton dress shirt.

Tivoli clasps her hands again. "I'm sorry."

"Stop apologizing." He wearily sits on the couch and gently rubs his chest with his right hand. "You're pretty strong...for your size. You know that?"

"I work out. Well, I try to. Lately, I've been concentrating on the job more than my own health. I'll bet that's normal for the other hitmen."

"They have a gym in the cafeteria." Having had the wind knocked out of him, he lays his head back and blows out a painful-looking breath.

"I don't think you should get comfortable."

He looks at her angrily. "Where's the knife?"

"Oh shit." She turns around and finds it on the floor behind her. "Sorry about that. I heard the door open and footsteps, but no voices. So, I thought that the worst happened and Mr. McDaniels got the better of Paraná. I forgot that I opened the gate to let you in. I wish I wasn't so jumpy."

"This is definitely not what I envisioned when your handler told me he had a plan to get this mark. I don't like this plan at all."

"You don't have to worry about it. It's working exactly the way he told me it would. Paraná just left with him. Before they get to wherever Mr. McDaniels is taking him, he's going to do the job and get back here in the mark's car. Then we can all leave this place together."

"Well, I'm glad someone likes it."

Tivoli scoffs. "Why? What's wrong with it? It's a good plan."

"You're being used as bait. It's not necessarily a role I'd like to see a rookie take."

"I know that. I was uncomfortable at first, but I helped bait Mr. Moros, and that hunt worked to perfection. Well, actually, I got scared and ran like a child, but mission accomplished. It's gonna work with Mr. McDaniels too. I can feel it. The only drawback is...he keeps touching me."

"He's a child trafficker. You know that, right?"

"Yes!" The ocelot gives the executive a surprising blank stare. "Paraná's been to the morning meetings and he's told me everything he's learned about this mark. I knew what I was in for! I knew I had to dress like a kid...and act like one! But I also know that Paraná won't let anything bad happen to me."

"Neither will I. Believe it or not, I care about you." Crevecoeur shakes his head. He looks offended that the usually meek feline is yelling at him. "I don't want anything to happen to you either. I just think your handler's course of action is extremely flawed. You don't put the apprentice in this kind of danger until you go through every possible scenario. Sometimes it takes weeks, and lots of rehearsal, but in the end no one dies who isn't supposed to. Or in this case, no one gets sold into the sex trade."

Tivoli puts her hands in the pockets of her jeans and sighs with exasperation. "You know, for someone who says he cares about me, you're really showing little faith in me."

The human looks just as annoyed as she does, and they stare at each other for a couple of minutes. The silence is awkward to say the least. She continues trying to hide her midriff with the short T-shirt she has on. He continues to clutch the part of his chest that the ocelot slammed herself into. He looks uncomfortable, but he has no thoughts of moving from the couch.

The piercing sound of the ringtone comes alive, suddenly waking up the two. The ocelot turns away while Crevecoeur pulls the phone from his trousers. He automatically knows who is calling and wastes no time answering. "All right, Mike. What's going on?"

While the phone conversation takes place, Tivoli crosses her arms and sighs a couple of times. Her demeanor tells that she is waiting nervously for Paraná's return. He has barely been gone for half an hour, but her face has a look of deep longing in it. She closes her eyes and whispers his name. Her ears droop and her tail hits the floor. The defiance she showed against the executive has all but gone.

Suddenly, Crevecoeur stands. The discomfort he once felt gives way to stress and urgency. He runs to the ocelot and puts a hand on her shoulder, making her face him. "We've got problems."

"What happened? Who was on the phone?"

"My man on the inside. He's in McDaniels' group, telling me their every move. The group is supposed to meet the guys that McDaniels wants to sell you to. But Mike just told me that the buyers are not at the meeting place, nor do they intend to be. They're coming here instead."

Tivoli blinks a few times before the weight of the announcement registers. "They're what?"

"They're coming this way! They want to see you in person! You're about to be bought and sold...unless you choose to blow your own cover."

Her breathing quickens and arms become rigid. She clasps her shaking hands and whispers, "Oh my God."

"What's that?"

"I...I thought he would have killed him by now."

"Well, he can't anymore, can he?"

"Sure he can! Paraná will kill him and come back here. Then we can go before anyone arrives."

"McDaniels called his men to let them know: the buyers called him first and he's already introduced Paraná to them. It's too late to kill him now!" He pauses to watch the ocelot put her hands on her head and interlace her fingers. She is breathing so hard, practically every part of her body is screaming. She closes her eyes and starts to whimper. The human relaxes and closes in on her, realizing that his yelling is only worsening the situation. "Are you all right?"

"I need to sit down."

He puts his hand on her back and guides her to the couch. "All right. Listen to me. Right now, Paraná can't do anything. McDaniels is obviously driving them both back here...and once they arrive, the three of you will be waiting for his customers to come here. We can't risk them seeing a dead McDaniels; we don't know what'll happen if they do. So, the hit cannot go down today." He stops to observe the ocelot again.

She has her hands down now, on either side of her, and her breathing has slowed agreeably. She is still scared, but she no longer sounds like she is hyperventilating. "What happens now? What do I do?"

Crevecoeur shakes his head. "I don't know. For now, just sit there and look pretty. You're gonna have to keep up the act. What needs to happen is that Paraná's got to do a lot of convincing. He needs to make sure that the sale doesn't happen--"

"I wish I could call him so he'll know what to do."

The executive raises his eyebrows and nods fiercely. "Do you have his number on your phone?"

"I didn't bring my phone with me! I'm playing a child, remember?"

"Damn. If I can make a discreet call on his cell, I can tell him what to do and what not to do."

"I know his number by heart! I'll give it to you!"

Tivoli loudly discloses her handler's phone number before covering her face with her hands and leaning her head back. She starts to hyperventilate again and looks about to cry. In response, Crevecoeur sits next to her on the big couch. He puts an arm around her while he dials the number given him. "I need you to calm down, okay? If the mark comes in now and sees you doing that, what will you tell him? Take a deep breath for me."

She straightens herself and lets out an unsteady breath. Her attempt to calm herself is pathetic at best; she does what she is told but only because he told her to. She cannot seem to relax.

"His phone is ringing. Don't make too much noise." He scoots closer to her and puts his cell to his ear. "There's a reason we don't discuss business with cell phones. I hope Paraná can understand what I say without me having to go into detail."

The ocelot intends to hear her handler's voice, so she leans in until her ear is close enough to Crevecoeur's phone. "Any chance I can talk to him? Just to say hi? It could make me feel better."

"Don't...." He shakes his head. "You want McDaniels to hear you?" He releases his grip on the scared feline just in time to hear the "Hello" on the other line. "Paraná? It's Crevecoeur. Don't say anything. I'm in the mark's house. Your trainee is here too. She says hi. I'm gonna tell you to do something for me. I want you to clear your throat if you're in the mark's car." He waits a few seconds and nods his head. "Okay. Clear your throat again if McDaniels got a phone call." Another short pause follows. "Clear it once more if you're returning to the mark's house because of that phone call."

Tivoli leans so close to the executive that her nose is so close to touching his cheek. "Is he doing it?"

"Now listen to me carefully. It's too late for this job. By now you know everything. The mark is expected to show Tivoli off to his clients as soon as you guys come back to this house. You're gonna let it happen; the hit is officially off. The clients will try to buy Tivoli...but you're gonna call off the sale until another day. Whatever happens, and I don't care how you do it, you cannot let her be taken. Tell him that you will call later in the week and set up a future meeting. You can do the job then."

The ocelot is clearly disappointed that the mission is over, but in exchange, her demeanor is slowly normalizing. Her breathing is returning back to a state of balance and her hands are not shaking anymore. She impatiently listens to Crevecoeur giving the jaguar quiet orders, hoping to use the phone too. She continues to lean in, trying to get just a small touch of Paraná's voice. She leans an inch too close however, and the human stands up.

"Good luck, man. Try to keep a cool head. I'll see you when this whole thing is over." He breathes a sigh of relief and ignores the angry look that Tivoli is giving him. "Damn. I wish I could've gotten him to tell me how close they are."

"I wish you would have let me talk to him."

"Knock it off. I want you to focus. What were you doing the last time McDaniels saw you?"

Tivoli stands and clears her throat. She looks prepared for her long day to become even longer. "I was in the bedroom upstairs. He showed me around and left me there before he went away. It's a good thing he didn't lock the door."

"Good. Go back upstairs and try to look pleasing. It is important that you make him as happy as you can because Paraná's probably gonna disappoint him when he calls off the sale. If you want to get this mark, you must make him want to see you again. All right? I gotta go quickly; they could be here soon. Open the gate once I go out the door."

"Make him happy? I guess that means I better change into those pajamas." She turns to look at her boss. Her face reads like someone who is confused with the instructions given to her, even though they were laid out as simply as possible.

"What's wrong now?"

"I'm sorry, Mr. Crevecoeur. I'm just not looking forward to acting like a sex slave."

"It's not your fault. It was a bad plan. Paraná didn't vet it long enough. If he did, he would have planned for this eventuality."

Tivoli closes in on him, her eyes begging to be heard. "But he tried so hard to make this work. We did work on a strategy. We spent a couple of days going over different scenarios. He didn't tell me I would have to play a kid until the last minute, but I was still okay with it."

"He was impatient and foolhardy. We didn't know enough about the company that the mark keeps. If we did, we would have avoided this problem. We don't need to be in this kind of danger when we could just be--"

"Is there anything he does that you like?" She is becoming angry again.

"What the hell do you mean?"

"A couple of weeks ago, Paraná told me that each worker hates at least one executive. He didn't mean to, but he let on that you were the one he hated. I think I can see why."

Tivoli matches the human's impatient face with a judgmental look, silently rooting or her fellow feline. There have been many things tonight that she could do nothing about. But the one thing she can control is Paraná's standing in her eyes. Even though his plan has been ruined, she is determined to make him look respectable.

Crevecoeur hardly cares; he just shrugs and makes his way out of the house, leaving her alone and angry. She stares at the front door for a minute before remembering to open the front gate. She whispers Paraná's name again as she heads for the hallway. The executive leaves the property in short order, but does not stray too far from the house.

Once Tivoli is satisfied that the executive's van has vanished into the night, she scampers to the hallway, operates the gate, and runs up the stairs. She heads to the bedroom where she quickly takes off her jeans and T-shirt. She practically rips the clothes off her body as if they were on fire. Breathing heavily, she scampers across the bed and heads for the window. There is nobody in sight; her savior is not available at the moment.

Still in just her underwear, the ocelot calls the jaguar's name again in a pathetic, mournful voice. She calms down long enough to find the clothes that the mark had picked out for her earlier. The pajamas feel soft and comfortable against her fur. She rubs the shirt across her right cheek, taking in the smoothness of the fabric. It has probably been a long time since something so soft has come across her body. The feeling causes her to giggle with pleasure. She may be starting to feel at home in a stranger's house. She sits on the bed and dons the shirt. It is made for a preteen, so it barely fits her.

It has been two hours since they arrived and the mission has gone to hell. Tivoli understandably would like to go home now. She stretches and lets herself fall on the bed. "Where are you?" she whispers sadly. She turns her head and squirms; there is something underneath her. Surely enough, the pajama bottoms are under her head. She turns on her belly and examines them. They look small for someone her size, but then again, the clothes are meant for someone younger, just like everything else in the bedroom.

Out of the corner of her eye, she catches the plush tigers lying at the head of the bed, staring at her. She smiles and crawls to them, grabbing one and looking it right in the eyes. "So, listen to this. Me, Paraná, and Fluffy living together in his house. What do you think?" The tiger does not answer of course, but Tivoli interprets its stare as a sign of approval. "I think it's a good fit too. He's a really nice guy. You can join us if you like." She puts her head on the pillow. Her tail dances above her back. "Do you think that if I wear something like this, he'll be enticed enough to ask me to stay with him?" Again, no answer from the plush tiger. "What's that? You say I'm not wearing any pants?"

The pajama bottoms are lying to her left. She sees them and chuckles. "Well, if all I'm wearing is a shirt and panties, that should get his attention, shouldn't it? He'll want us to live together then." She laughs and gently places the tiger on the pillow. "Do you think I should ask him tonight?"

Suddenly, her ears stick up, acting like they have just heard a noise outside the room. Tivoli carefully stands and goes to the window. Sure enough, McDaniels' car is crawling across the driveway. The gate had opened without her knowledge and is now slowly closing. "Shit." She grabs the pajama pants and quickly drags her legs through them. They look a little tight around her waist, but just like the shirt, they just about fit. She puts them on so hurriedly that her tail does not even appear through the hole at the back. It is pinned inside the pants, against one of her legs. She does not notice and heads back to the window. The mark's car is gone.

Muffled voices can now be heard from below. The jaguar's accent is unmistakable. Both he and the mark sound uncompromisingly healthy and normal. McDaniels is most clearly alive while Paraná hardly sounds like he had just killed a man. Tivoli runs out of the room, trying to hear the conversation the men are having. The closer she gets to her fellow feline's voice, the bigger her smile gets.

"Once again, I'm sorry 'bout all this; I know it has been rather inconvenient, but I'll bet that Betina will be very happy to see you back so soon."

"It is too quiet in here."

"Ah. She must be asleep. You wanna check on her?"

"Yes, I'll do that."

It does not take long before Tivoli hears footsteps approaching and her heart skips several beats. She straightens her collar and brushes some lint off the shirt. Even though she looks unmistakably adorable, she continues to fidget and fix herself, trying to look presentable for her handler.

The footsteps stop and Paraná is upstairs. Seconds later, he appears in front of her. His suit, tie, and trousers look as impeccable as they were when the felines first arrived. It means that he did not even try to kill the mark. Tivoli is not worried about that. Her relieved smile is still on her face. The jaguar does not look as happy. In fact, he looks embarrassed and apologetic. He opens his mouth to say something, but a glance at her smile starts him laughing.

She quietly approaches him, probably about to give the biggest hug she has ever given anyone. He starts to approach too, still laughing, but just as glad to see her. Suddenly, he stops and puts an index finger to his lips. It stops the ocelot in her tracks. The mark's voice is audible below them. It sounds like he is talking to someone.

"You're here. Excellent. Stand by, I'll open the gate."

The cats look at one another nervously. Paraná shrugs and whispers, "I'd better get down there. You just stay here and wait. He'll be calling you down soon."

Tivoli swallows. She wants so badly to say how glad she is to see him; how she is glad he has returned; how much she wants to go home, quite possibly his home. All of that has to wait now.

"Hey, Paraná! Our clients are here. Let's not keep them waiting now."

The jaguar sighs in frustration at the sound of the mark's voice. The mission has to fail today, something he is clearly not used to. He slowly descends the stairs, looking back at the ocelot the entire time, until she is out of sight.

McDaniels meets him halfway down. "Have a seat. We're about to meet the head of their operation. It's quite disappointing that this had to happen. I mean, you'd think that even he would know what an ocelot looks like. Oh well." He heads for the living room with the jaguar at his heels.

Paraná refuses to sit and waits by the door with the mark. As his guests approach, McDaniels opens the front door for them. There are four men right outside, all hard to see because of their dark skin and dark clothes. Once they step inside however, they are hard to miss. They are each wearing dark three-piece suits, dark ties, and dark shoes. The clothes are basically uniforms, showing off their size, affiliation, and importance. Their appearance changes the mood in the house. It goes from an empty mansion to a place of serious business. Three of them sit around the living room; two of them share the big couch. The fourth, carrying a satchel over his left shoulder, shakes hands with McDaniels.

Paraná looks at each one of them with an angry eye. He is in the company of hardened, well-funded criminals and is about to take part in a sale of a living being. Each of them looks sleazy and eager to see their prize. The fact that they are doing business with the mark makes the jaguar look bad, since he usually gets a mark killed only minutes after meeting him face to face. Now that the situation has become unpredictable, he accepts that he can hardly do anything at the moment.

McDaniels is beaming. "Welcome to my home. Everyone get settled. I usually don't do this kind of business here, but I didn't feel like going overseas this week. I'd like to apologize for dragging you out of your homes last week, and bringing you guys all the way to the States. I hope my associates made you all comfortable in your hotel."

The man with the satchel nods and says, "We'd like to thank you as well for accommodating us."

McDaniels takes this time to introduce the jaguar. The Africans line up to eagerly shake his hand. He is not enthusiastic to see them, but they are more than happy to make his acquaintance. McDaniels turns serious and adds, "You boys have me running all over the place. At first, I told you about Paraná's phone call and asked if you would be interested in another young exotic cat. Once you said yes, I thought we would follow the usual protocol and meet after I brought the cat to you. Suddenly, you say you want to meet the day before I buy her for you. So, I had my men set you up in a nice hotel, underneath which is the restaurant where we agreed to meet. They would even pay for everything. But, no. You want to meet me in my house. One would think you boys didn't trust me. Tell me that's not true, Eric."

The man with the satchel scoffs. "You told us that the caller was a jaguar, then you tell us that his kid is...." Eric clears his throat and drops the satchel at his feet. "What was she again?"

The mark shakes his head and slowly walks to Paraná. "You can bring her down now. They'll take a quick peek at her and then she can go back upstairs." As the jaguar obeys, the host scoffs. "I can't believe that you people have never seen an anthro ocelot before. I know they are not native to where you come from, but most of my clients are used to felines of all backgrounds."

While the buyers protest, Paraná has stopped at the foot of the stairs. He does not need to go up to bring Tivoli as she has overheard what has been said and is coming down on her own. She walks slowly to the jaguar and lets out a soft "Hi," and embraces him.

"Don't worry. This will be over soon. Stay close to me." Wasting no time, they step through the double doors.

Once Tivoli enters the living room, all conversation stops. McDaniels and his clients look on with wide eyes and hushed tones. Paraná has a hand on Tivoli's back, rubbing it softly. Meanwhile, she plays her part as a little girl pretty well, wrapping her arms around his waist. She looks at everyone and smiles shyly.

"You look fantastic," McDaniels says. He approaches her and places his hands on her shoulders. "I knew you'd look good in those." He looks at Paraná and nods. "You ready to let her go and show her off?" He laughs and pats him on his right cheek. "Don't worry about it. A lot of the guardians are nervous when they see their young relatives off, but they feel much better once the monetary rewards start coming in." He walks to the clients and announces, "This, gentlemen, is what an ocelot looks like. She's a mighty fine one at that."

The jaguar gently pushes Tivoli forward so she can stand out. She creeps to the center of the living room, near the coffee table. First, she keeps her hands clasped behind her back, but after seeing the overwhelmingly positive reaction from the buyers, she gets more confident and stretches her arms out. Her full figure is more visible this way.

Eric suspiciously whispers in McDaniels' ear. He nods back and closes in on the ocelot. "Excuse me,

Betina, but could you remove your shirt and...show us your colors?"

Her anxiety returns and she quickly turns to Paraná for help. He responds by giving the thumbs up with both hands. There are no objections since a sale has yet to happen. The ocelot reluctantly and slowly unbuttons the pink shirt and gently slides it off, exposing her sports bra. It must have looked seductive to the clients, because they leave their seats for a closer look. Whispering in their native language, they marvel at the brilliant, dark spots that dot her smooth, yellow fur. They look at her as if she were designed and not born. With a little coaxing from McDaniels, she turns around, showing off the muscled details of her back.

While his friends continue to marvel, Eric has an angry look on his face. He turns to McDaniels and says, "Okay. I'm convinced. Sorry for disbelieving you. I just never thought such a creature existed."

"Hey, how long have we known each other? Have I ever given you reason to doubt me? Is she not as good-looking as I said she would be?"

"So, what are the terms?"

"Let's head to the kitchen." McDaniels beckons Paraná forward.

The jaguar looks at Tivoli with concern. She is putting the shirt back on. He nods and says, "Have a seat on the couch. I will return shortly," then follows the mark into the kitchen.

He sits by the long table and watches patiently as McDaniels and Eric discuss price. Eric is still cautious about being robbed, but does admit being impressed by what he saw. He compares her looks to those of other exotic cubs he has bought before. "If I were to rank her, I'd say she's the second best looking exotic animal I've ever seen."

The humans spend the next five minutes haggling over how much Tivoli would be worth. They do not pay much attention to Paraná, who is flexing his hands, as if he is preparing kill the mark right now. His face is angry enough to do the job. He is mentally ready, and has been for most of the day.

McDaniels and Eric are having trouble coming to terms. "Did you even bring the money with you?" the mark asks.

"It is in a bag that I left by the front door. One hundred thousand dollars. If I thought that you'd charge me more than that, I would have stayed home."

"No you wouldn't. Your business needs girls like Betina. She's cute and obedient; her good looks will lure in more customers than you've ever had. So, if I ask you for two hundred grand, you'll gladly give it to me. You stay here and I'll get your bag."

"No rush. We can do this all night, but I want the girl."

McDaniels scoffs and leaves the kitchen through the open doorway. The brown satchel is just a few feet away. He goes to pick it up, but suddenly stops a soft whimper. When he turns his head, he can see what is going on.

Eric's three friends are with Tivoli, who is seated at the center of the sofa. Two of them are seated on either side of her. The man on her right has his left hand around her shoulders and his right arm underneath her shirt. He strokes and caresses her belly, then tries to reach higher. The man on her left is caressing her thighs with his left hand while gently caressing her neck with his right. They look like they are having a good time. The third man is behind the couch, suspiciously feeling and inspecting the tufts of her ears. "What do these actually do?" he asks in English.

The ocelot is angry and scared, but she is not doing anything about her predicament. Her hands tightly grab the cushion she is sitting on. She squirms with discomfort at the hands touching her. She continues to play to type; if she is strong enough to get away, she is not showing it.

"What the hell d'you think you're doing?!" McDaniels voice is loud enough to summon Paraná from the kitchen. By the time the strangers see the tall, angry blur of the jaguar running towards them, it is too late for them to get away. The man behind the couch is pushed so hard that he falls on his back. The one to Tivoli's right escapes, freeing the ocelot as he does so. As she runs behind Paraná, he decks the third man with an uppercut.

Eric comes out just in time to see two of his friends on the ground and the felines standing over them. He turns to McDaniels, searching for answers, then angrily runs to Paraná and yells, "Did you do this?" In responds, he gets knocked down by the jaguar's heavy right cross.

"Serves you right," McDaniels says angrily. "Until you've bought 'em, you don't touch 'em, especially not with the guardian in the same room. What were you all thinking?!"

"That's never been a problem before!" Eric answers.

While the men argue, Parana bends to Tivoli's eye level. "Are you okay?" She says nothing, but she smiles from ear to ear and stays in character. He stands and leads her to the kitchen while McDaniels tends to his beaten guests.

"Talk to me," he says keenly. "Are you all right?"

The smile disappears and Tivoli can be herself for the moment. "I was getting felt up!"

"Don't yell. They may hear you...and I guess you don't have to answer my question. If you are this agitated then you must be okay."

"I thought I was gonna have to fend for myself. I wanted to fight back, but I couldn't--"

"I know. I'm sorry I took so long. I had too many things on my mind. I was...." He sighs and his face droops in anguish. "I was mad at myself. I took too long to do what I was supposed to do. If I was more decisive, we would be home by now."

"But now?"

"Like Crevecoeur said, we end the day here. I'll take you home and meet with him tomorrow at the office. You just rest and get yourself together. Once again, I'm sorry."

She takes a seat at the table and takes a breath. Now that he is here, she feels tons better. Her heart rate lowers and as he talks, her smile cannot help but return. "My hero," she says.

"I think he's coming. Come here. Hold on to me." Paraná faces the doorway while the ocelot puts an arm around his waist. "Try to be angry."

"That'll be easy."

They only have to wait a couple of seconds before McDaniels enters. "There you are," he says. He is holding a folded wad of dollar bills in his left hand. The enthusiasm that he usually exhibits has been replaced by embarrassment and worry. He looks hesitant to go face to face with the jaguar, but being a good host, he tries to calm things down between both sides. "I'm so, very sorry about their behavior tonight. They usually don't act so impulsively. It was wrong and...I should have stopped it sooner."

"We'd like to leave," Paraná says, wasting no time. "Immediately."

"Whoa. Just like that? But we were about to close the transaction"

"Just like that. She's too scared to go anywhere today. It's time to take her home."

The mark angrily takes a seat at the table. "Paraná, listen. These guys are a bag of money away from making you rich. This is money you and your poor family can subsist on. Isn't that what you want?"

"Betina's well-being is too big an expense. I will not let her leave if she doesn't want to go. She's scared of them...and that wasn't supposed to happen."

"Yeah...I know. I won't argue with you. It was inexcusable. But still, does this mean we're finished?"

Paraná shakes his head vigorously. "I just...don't know."

"I mean, what is it gonna take to have you back doing business with those guys in there?" He points to the doorway where the four traffickers are waiting. "Hold on a minute." McDaniels smiles again; it looks like he has an idea. He hurries back into the living room, allowing the felines a few seconds alone.

Tivoli's relief is indescribable. She gratefully looks up at her handler and says, "Thanks."

While the jaguar nods back, McDaniels runs in, holding a wad of folded hundred-dollar bills. "Look, here's five thousand dollars...as an incentive to get back in touch with me. Now, it's five grand, but your Betina is easily worth ten to twenty times that much to these guys. If you want to charge an arm and a leg for her, you can. Take this, and think about it, okay? Just think about it..."

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

[The dream abruptly ended. I was awakened by a random, loud noise on television. I always sleep with it on and when there is nobody in the room with me, I like it loud. It's too bad I woke up when I did. Now I'll be spending all day wondering if Paraná took the money, and if the hunt will actually take place.]

[That dream was four hours ago. It is now three in the afternoon and I haven't been able to get to sleep since. For the first time in my stay, the pain of my scar is keeping me awake. It also itches a lot. I can't scratch it, so I tap it slightly. I can't help but do that, even though it causes more pain.]

[I'm thinking about home now. That tends to happen when mom comes to visit. She's glad I'm doing well and cannot wait for me to return. She will overcompensate my return with lots of food and soda. I can't wait.]

[Actually, that's not entirely true. I can wait. Thing is, these dreams started at home, but they were only of murders--the hits put on other people by anthros like Shiloh, St. Croix, Hoeness, and the like. It was only when I first got to the hospital that I started seeing the girls, and it was here that the killings were put into a discernable context. If I go home, I might lose that. That would be unfair to say the least.]

[Anyway, back to the morphine....]

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

It is now morning in Los Angeles. A new day has begun and Tivoli starts it off the same way she always does. She lumbers out of bed and heads for the shower. A quick blast of water usually wakes her up from her zombie-like state and transforms her into her usual, bubbly self. Truly, her excited personality, from her tail twirling to her too-cute giggles, all come from her morning shower. Today, she stays in there for about five minutes.

She exits the bathroom with a dry, white towel around her. Her face looks about the same as it did when she woke up this morning. She yawns loudly and steps through the living room. This shower doesn't seem to have worked as she walks slowly and passively into the kitchen. Another loud yawn escapes her mouth as she opens the refrigerator.

Breakfast today is scrambled eggs and toast. It seems like too plain a meal for someone who is in a business that has the potential to make her a lot of money. However, she is still living in someone else's house, still living with limited resources. She has no access to goods or space of her own, only what is provided her by her human housemate. She still lives in an affluent setting, but she lacks actual freedom to make her own decisions.

After a short, unsatisfying meal, the ocelot changes clothes in her bedroom upstairs. She returns to the living room in her white "I 'heart' NY" T-shirt and pink shorts. Her demeanor looks sadder than usual, as if something bad happened the night before, or maybe she is still thinking about the failed hunt. Her gloom vanishes with one look at the small, white cat on the coffee table. Fluffy is struggling to wake up.

"Hey there, big guy. How are you this morning?"

The cat hardly notices. As Tivoli sits on the couch, he slowly crawls away from him. He slides close to the edge of the table.

"Hey, careful." She sprints around the table and catches Fluffy before he falls to the floor. "You all right?"

The cat meows loudly and tries to scamper away from her. She holds on gently and sits on the floor. "You wanna watch some TV?" The big-screen television is right in front of her. She holds Fluffy close while searching for the remote control. "Now, where did Karen put that thing?" She looks around but does not actually stand to find it. Instead, she lies on the floor and releases Fluffy who promptly starts to walk away from her.

"Speaking of television...." Tivoli turns to face the escaping kitten and starts to purr while reaching out to him. The purring attracts him and he slowly turns. She keeps it up and Fluffy eventually crawls toward the soft noise. She lets him crawl to her chest, where he gently clamps on.

"It works." The ocelot giggles while Fluffy crawls toward her mouth. "I learned that from a nature show I watched last night. Apparently, it's quite effective." She carries him off the floor and rolls on her back, letting him rest on her chest. Her sad face returns. "I'm sorry I haven't been taking real good care of you the past couple of days. And it seems that Karen isn't bothering to care for you at all." She releases a loud, closed-mouth sigh. "I'm not worried, though. Very soon, I'll make enough to get us both out of here. It won't be long now. I've got a big job today."

Fluffy meows fussily and tries to again escape her grasp.

"Hey, I said I was sorry, okay? I'll never leave you alone again...well, at least not after tonight. Just believe in me, okay? In just a couple of days, I'll have enough money to care for you properly. Just give me--"

A knock on the front door stops her speech. It startles her to her feet. There really should not be anybody outside the door. Her housemate is at work and it is too early in the day for the postal worker to arrive. Still, Tivoli tries to justify the noise. "Karen must have forgotten something."

She places her kitten on the couch and runs to open the door. She takes a breath before opening, expecting to have a few words before sending the housemate on her way back to work. "Don't worry, Fluffy. Breakfast is coming." She pulls open the wooden door and reveals Paraná on the other side. He looked stoic before he saw her, but now he is smiling from ear to ear.

Tivoli stands back in surprise. It takes a couple of minutes for his presence to register. In fact, the second she opened the door, she looked stumped, like she had forgotten who he was. "Hi," she says. Her eyes twinkle in the morning sun while they stare at his tall frame. Suddenly, she remembers what she is wearing, "Oh, no!" and runs back inside.

Paraná slowly follows her in, watching her run to the couch. When he enters, she is trying to hide her lower half with the cushions of the couch. He laughs and closes the door behind him. "Hi to you too."

"No, don't look. I'm not dressed."

"You look fine. I've seen you in shorts before. You wear good clothes."

"These aren't clothes! This is underwear!" The look on her face shows just how uncomfortable and awkward the circumstances are.

"I wear boxers."

She looks down to make sure that she is well covered, then looks back at him. "Sorry about this. I just wasn't expecting you. You're really hard to track down. Why didn't you call first...and why haven't you been returning my calls?"

The jaguar puts his hands behind his back and bashfully turns away. "I...just needed time alone, you know? Time to think. I needed to cope with what happened on Wednesday night. I've never had such a problem before."

"You needed to cope? I was almost--"

"I know what happened that night. You don't have to beat me up with it. I still haven't forgiven myself. I was supposed to protect you and I couldn't even do that very well. I hate that I didn't kill the mark sooner so we didn't have that problem. I didn't feel good about it, so I just--"

"But why haven't you been returning my phone calls?"

He turns back to her, not really thrilled about having this conversation. "The next day, Thursday morning, Ted and Crevecoeur saw me after the meeting. They were glad I came back safely and that you were all right, but they didn't look happy. Crevecoeur had complained to Ted that I rushed into the job and put you in danger. Ted agreed with him on everything and didn't waste any time. I'm no longer assigned to you, so you're no longer my apprentice."

Gasping loudly, Tivoli forgets about the cushions and stands. "That's awful! But didn't you argue your case?"

"There was no point."

He turns away again, slowly heading for the door. She quickly moves in closer. "Well, wait a minute. If you're not my handler anymore, who is?"

"Crevecoeur should have called you yesterday. I believe he is taking over."

"Yeah, he did." The ocelot looks at her feet, clearly disappointed at the sudden news. "But I didn't know that...damn! This really bites."

"Don't worry about it. I'm still on the job. I'll be doing the killing after all. You'll be there as an appetizer, and McDaniels will fall into the trap like he did before. When it's over, we'll share the money equally. There will be nothing different."

"Except you won't be close to me."

"Don't think of it like that. I'll still be there. In spirit anyway. I'm doing the dirty work so that you don't have to." He looks at his watch and shakes his head. "The time is getting close. I'll see you later tonight."

"Wait a minute!" She reaches over to grab one of his arms, but trips and falls on all fours. She does succeed in preventing him from leaving. He joins her on the floor, putting his right hand on her left.

"Are you okay?"

"Don't leave yet."

"Why not? I came to say I'm not your teacher anymore and good luck with the hunt tonight. What am I staying for?"

"Um...." She looks around the floor as if searching for an answer. Then the white kitten comes into view. "Fluffy wants to say hi." She picks him up and practically shoves it into Paraná's face. "Say hi, Fluffy."

He laughs and takes the kitten with both hands. "How is he?"

"He whines and cries a lot. It'd be annoying if he weren't so cute. I was about to get him some breakfast when you came by."

The longing look is back once again. Tivoli watches closely as the jaguar growls playfully at her little pet. A warm smile creeps across her face. It probably doesn't escape her that seated together as they are, they look like a couple caring for a child. She scoots closer to him until she is able to look at his eyes.

"Could...I ask you something?"

"What?"

"Have I been a good student?"

"You were all right. You were a little ham-handed at the beginning of your lessons, but you've grown so much in the last week."

"Ham-handed?"

"I learned that phrase from Hoeness. I like it a lot. It means--"

"Clumsy?"

"Well, I prefer ham-handed. But, yes, you were a good student. Why do you ask?"

Feeling more comfortable now, Tivoli sits on the floor and crosses her mostly bare legs. She puts her hands on her thighs and softly digs her fingers into the fur. "I'm...stalling. I was calling you the last couple of days because I wanted to know if it would be okay for me to live with you. I was only going to gently broach the subject, but now that I know you're no longer my handler, I was wondering if you could instead be...." She clears her throat and takes a deep breath.

He sits next to her and puts the kitten down beside him. "Be what?"

"How do you tell someone you like that you like him?"

"But you already like me. And...I like you."

Her eyes sparkle again under the light above her. "I want to live with you in your own house." She quickly turns her head away, only to forcefully look back at him. Now is not the time to act wimpy. "I want us to live together...and before you say anything, I know it sounds like a big step--"

"Huge!" His eyes stare back at her in disbelief.

"Yeah, well, my reasons are practical enough. Besides the fact that we like each other, I've outlived my usefulness in this house."

"What does that mean?"

"Yesterday afternoon, I had come back from a jog...really early. It started raining out of nowhere. I returned here, went upstairs to change, and immediately...." She starts to laugh. "I ran into Karen. She was in the middle of coitus with her boyfriend on the staircase." She giggles at Paraná's hearty laugh and their connection starts to grow stronger. "Good. You know what coitus means. That saves me from saying the S word."

"How did she take it?"

"She yelled at me, and it stung. But listen, this is great. If I live with you instead, good things will start to happen. Karen won't be suspicious of any money I take in, Fluffy will be out of her hair, and I won't feel in the way. I promise I'll be a really good guest. I'll cook and help clean. I'll pay rent with my earnings, and most importantly, I'll have someone with similar interests to talk to." Acting bashful, she turns away again. "You do know what I mean by 'similar interests,' don't you?"

Paraná looks at the devious smile on his friend's face and shakes his head. "You know I'm a man, right? I live in a man's house."

"I've been to your house seven times. I know that. It's not exactly the Ritz, but that doesn't bother me. I know we can still make it work. Don't you think so?" Tivoli is silently, desperately hoping he will say yes. She gets as close to him as she can without touching him, but he can feel remnants of her breath on his cheek.

The jaguar face has a look of uncertainty about it. He takes a minute to weigh his options, but then stands without answering. The ocelot's face morphs from happy and hopeful to confused. "What?" She stands and follows him closely. "I don't get it. We have a good rapport. We make each other happy." She runs to face him. "Are you afraid of something?"

"Look, let's wait, okay? I'm not ready yet; everything you say about us is true, but we're still...technically teacher and student. I'm just not your teacher for this mission. After this hunt, and your third, then we'll really talk about you living with me. Just give it a few more days." He sighs and relaxes, putting his hands in his pockets. After a bit of a scare, he suddenly feels better. "Besides, you have to prepare. I need you to focus on that."

Tivoli, on the other hand, is more determined. She closes in on her counterpart and stands right in front of him; her toes are stepping on his. "I trust you. I won't force you into something you don't want. I also know how important today is. I'm ready to meet and seduce the mark. We'll kill him quickly and go home."

"Good. Keep thinking like that. But please temper your expectations, okay? Even if I did allow you to live with me, any relationship at this time would be really awkward."

"Well, that's fine. I can wait. Just let me say this. I've kissed you twice since we first met. Both of them were short and sweet, and then it was back to business afterwards." She smiles flirtatiously. "The third time it happens though, I expect some good news."

Paraná responds with a smile of his own and decides to sit on the couch. While he makes himself comfortable, Tivoli makes him, and Fluffy, some breakfast. While they eat, they discuss the strategy against Arlo McDaniels. The plan of action is not complicated. He has already called the mark and asked for a different meeting place. The location has been set and they are to meet him later in the evening.

The jaguar tries to take her mind off of romance and on the mission. Tivoli obliges, but not without some physical interaction; holding hands, rubbing her feet on his, playfully rubbing his head. He goes over the plan twice, but the rest of the time, they make small talk. In total, he stays for an hour before they hug each other goodbye. As he releases her, he says, "I'll see you in ten hours. Please try not to think about any future plans until this hunt is finished."

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

It is now evening, although it would be hard to tell. The atmosphere still has the feeling on noontime. The conditions outside are still hot and muggy and there are no clouds around to provide relief. Even though it is Saturday, the hitmen are in business. A couple of workers, Rory and Inverness, have just left the building with wads of cash in tow. They don't do much to hide the fact that they have just been paid. Once they go their separate ways and leave the vicinity, Tobias exits the front door, lugging a big, cardboard box. He gently takes one step at a time as he approaches his car, parked at the far end of the front lot.

While he puts the box on the ground, a shiny, black sports car sidles quietly behind him. It parks near the door, across three parking spaces. When the engine shuts off, Tivoli practically jumps out from the passenger side. She looks excited to be there; her face is lit up with a big smile. Her clothes look just as sprightly as her attitude; she is wearing a red-and-black plaid skirt and a white blouse. Her blond hair has been shortened and fixed up with two pigtails. Her black shoes have sequins on them. She is wearing a small, jewel-encrusted ring on her left pinkie.

Tobias has put the box on the hood of his car and is headed back inside the building. He stops to take a quick look at the ocelot, who is looking up at the clear sky without a care in the world. This is not the first time they have been in each other's presence, but that was a long time ago. He shrugs and heads inside, only to come out with another cardboard box. His struggles to bypass the doors with the box in his hands attract the attention of the curious feline. She clears her throat and starts to approach him. She may even be trying to help him.

"Stay where you are."

Tivoli looks behind her where the voice came from and obeys. Now she only observes Tobias as he slowly steps forward; the box is partially covering his view. He passes her without noticing and almost trips at one point, but manages to place the box next to his car without too much hassle.

As the boy turns to head back inside, he passes by the ocelot. When they see each other, she puts her hands behind her back. "That looked heavy."

"Yeah, it was." He tries to look at Tivoli without ogling her. After taking one look at her short skirt, he starts to back away.

She steps forward with her hand extended. "Hi. I'm Tivoli. What's your name?"

Before he can answer, Paraná exits the car behind them. He is wearing a fancy tuxedo that makes him look taller than he is. His face is wearing a frown that makes him look like he is stalking someone. He passes the couple. "Hey, don't talk to the help. Just wait here for me. I've got to find out where that bastard went." The jaguar huffs angrily at Tobias before he enters the facility. Seconds later, he has disappeared into the hallway.

The ocelot smiles shyly at the kid. "Sorry about that. He's not usually this tense at the start of a job."

"I'm Tobias," he says hoarsely. He sounds like he has been hard at work. "I clean the place. I'm related to one of the bosses."

"Oh yeah? Which one?"

"Robert Crevecoeur."

"That so?"

"If you don't mind my asking, who's Paraná looking for? Who's the bastard?"

"Crevecoeur. Again, sorry." Now she is backing away.

Before Tobias can respond, the front doors fly open and Camille runs outside, yelling, "Leave me alone, Baua! I told you I'm not interested! I don't care what color your bike is!"

The Italian Greyhound is on the cat's heels. "Well, what is it gonna take? It's a good trade. I'll give you the Ducati for a week and I take that mark of your hands. You get to be the envy of--"

"I'm not trading a five-figures job for some dumb bike." She stands in front of him with her arms folded.

The dog stops in his tracks and stands toe to toe with the cat. "Look, I know what this is. You're still mad at me for what happened to Pamila. Well, I wasn't there, so you can't take it out on me."

"Yes I can! I'm mad at you! I'm mad at everybody! I knew Pam was hiding something from me. I knew something bad had happened. I can't believe I had to pry it out from the damned janitor!"

"I said, I wasn't there." Baua backs away and tries to act less confrontational. "Look, you can't bring personal baggage to our work environment and use that to prevent a legitimate trade. That's not fair to the rest of us."

"Who's going to be fair to Pam?!"

"I don't know what happened, but I'm sure she got what she deserved."

"Listen, bitch, I don't want your mark, I don't want your bike, I don't want anything from you!" Camille is much smaller than the Greyhound is, but she does not look it right now.

Baua shrugs. "Your loss." He turns to go back inside but catches a glimpse of the ocelot. He scans her carefully before he recognizes her face. "Hey there. Long time no see."

Tivoli chuckles nervously. "Yeah, I remember you."

The dog closes in. "You look great. How have you been?"

"Get away from her!" Paraná suddenly appears in front of the glass doors. "She busy memorizing her lines."

"Damn. Everybody here's so uptight." He smiles at the ocelot before returning indoors. Tobias also chooses this time to take his leave.

Paraná moves aside to let Baua and the janitor pass him, then looks back at Tivoli. "Crevecoeur's not here. He's at the meeting place. Just let me fix my tie and then we'll go."

The ocelot nods as she watches the jaguar disappear again. She puts her hands behind her back; her fingers grab on to the base of her tail. When she turns her head, she sees that Camille is looking at her. The cat is still angry at Baua and Tivoli wants to avoid any confrontation. She nods and says "Hey," and heads for the sports car.

"Hey yourself. And what are you? A date or something?"

"Oh, no. Not at all. I'm with Paraná. We're about to--"

"Oh, right. You're his apprentice. That means...you're doing the McDaniels hunt, aren't you?"

Her smile disappears as she quickly nods her response. She is hoping to get away from any negative energy.

"That figures. One of the more important hunts we've had this year, and he passes it off to a rookie."

Tivoli squints. "Did I do something wrong?"

Camille turns away from her and folds her arms. Her anger slowly dissipates. "No. It's just that, last I checked, McDaniels was worth over thirty thousand. That's a lot of money. It's more money than my last five marks combined. A lot of us were really fighting for that hunt. I fought the hardest, but lost out on a technicality. When Paraná got it, I thought it was okay. I mean, there's no shame in losing out to a hunter as good as he is. But now I see that you're doing the hunt and...." She lets out an angry scoff. "I don't know. Are you even fifteen years old?"

"Look I'm not actually gonna kill McDaniels. Paraná is. I'm just the bait. You don't have to be jealous."

Camille is a bit taken aback by those words. "What's your name?" She smiles a little, looking as friendly as possible for someone who was angry seconds ago. However, her fellow feline keeps her mouth closed. "All right then. A little word of advice." She closes in on the ocelot, who is firmly standing her ground. "Get out. Get out of this business and away from this place as fast as you fucking can. After your apprentice days are done, you're on your own. Quite frankly, as delicate as you look, you've got no future here."

Tivoli watches angrily as Camille turns away, headed to her car. Her mood changes quickly. The beautiful smile has now turned into a judging frown. "And what the hell am I supposed to do then?!"

"I don't know." The cat turns back to her, but keeps her distance. "But I mean...it's not like you don't have a lot of options. Look at you in those clothes. You've got a cute baby face and you're wearing a real short schoolgirl outfit. If I may say so, you're quite good-looking in that thing. You could have a bright future in modeling...."

Parana quickly appears and steps in front of the ocelot. "I'm ready. Let's go."

"...or porn. Or prostitution."

"Are you bothering her, Camille?"

"Don't worry, I'm going." She waves and walks away.

Tivoli stares angrily at the blue cat, watching her drive away from the lot. It takes a snap of the jaguar's fingers in her face to break her out of that spell.

"Is something wrong?"

"No, nothing."

"What's your name?"

She clears her throat. "Betina."

Paraná smiles. "Good. You'll do just fine. Let's hurry. It's a long way to Beverly Hills."

The jaguar pats her gently on the back and they head off to their destination. During the trip, he tries to calm the overly excited ocelot into focusing on her job. He pretends to be the mark to get her to remember what to say to the real thing. She recites the agreed to lines with vigor and delight, as if she cannot wait to get to work. But she is really just happy to be close to him as they work together. The teacher tries to stay serious, but the student is just too giddy. He laughs along with her for most of the trip. The times they weren't talking, she would look at him longingly, almost greedily. She has a lot on her mind and tries to communicate her feelings. However, Paraná makes sure to tamp down any talk that has nothing to do with the work at hand.

The trip takes about an hour. They are using a set of handwritten instructions to get to where they are going. Paraná drives while Tivoli navigates. They have good chemistry together and they smile most of the way to their destination, even though this is a rather serious time. They arrive at a five-story building with tinted windows, part of an office complex that includes a large lake with a fountain in the middle. The lake encompasses so much of the area that it is the backyard of at least five office buildings. Business is closed for the day, but there are still a few cars dotting the front lots. Included among them is Robert Crevecoeur's black minivan.

Paraná drives on suspiciously as the two look for the right address. He finds the minivan in between two other cars. He takes a spot nearby and the felines exit the vehicle. Tivoli bounces on the balls of her feet excitedly and takes in a deep breath. "I smell a lake," she says.

"You're too happy, you know that?" Paraná looks around for signs of life. Besides the four cars, the place is empty and quiet. "But maybe that's a good thing."

"Are nighttime hunts different from daytime hunts?"

"Not too different, not for me anyway. My eyesight is quite suitable for nighttime ventures. But it is more dangerous. In the day, you know what every sound is and where they come from. At night, a slight creak could be anything. Anything could by anything. It is a time you really have to trust yourself and your instincts. You don't have to worry about it today though. You'll be indoors."

"And I won't have to actually deal with the mark, right?"

"I'll make sure he doesn't get past me." He looks around him and folds his arms angrily. "Where the hell are we meeting?" He walks in front of Crevecoeur's van with the ocelot trailing closely. "Is it out here in the parking lot?"

"If it's here, we'll be seen, won't we?" Tivoli is so close to the jaguar's back, she is pretty much hiding herself behind him. "I don't like that you're not my handler anymore. I'm not sure Mr. Crevecoeur knows what he's doing."

"Don't worry. On our final mission, it will be just you and me. We'll finish that and you will be an official member. By the way, for that hunt, I'll let you choose the mark. How does that sound?"

Tivoli answers with a sharp scream that pierces the silence. She jumps backwards, bumping into Paraná's back. He falls on the hood of the van, his body jolted with fear and urgency. "What happened?! What's wrong?!" He turns quickly around even though she is leaning into him, and tries to find the cause of her panic.

There is a face peering at them, slightly left of where they are. The dark face is sticking out from a pane of glass. "Hey, be careful!" it shouts. It is hard to see since the light outside is starting to fade, but the eyes are clearly visible. They are probably the reason Tivoli screamed so loudly.

Paraná straightens himself and puts his hands on the ocelot's shoulders, successfully calming her down. She backs into him until her back is against his chest. Once she feels him, she starts to breathe normally.

The dark face turns away from them and yells, "They've arrived. Get everything ready." It then steps outside to reveal more of itself. There is still enough outdoor light to reveal that the stranger is a black Doberman. He is wearing clothes just as shadowy as he is. "All right, you two. Come inside. Quickly." He holds the door open as Paraná and Tivoli do as they are told. "Follow me."

The dog leads them through a shiny, well-lit lobby that houses a restaurant on the left side and a bank on the right. The footsteps of the three echo through the eerily quiet room; the loudest echo emanates from the squeaking of Tivoli's sneakers.

"Who are you?" Paraná asks.

"Not yet," the Doberman answers. He leads the two to the end of the lobby where there is the door to an office waiting for them. The room is lit and the cubicles can easily be seen.

Tivoli reads the insignia on the placard by the door. "Expediency Enterprises. Do you work here?"

"Yep. Accounting. It's how I make my bread, when I'm not working for Crevecoeur." He knocks loudly and seconds later, a second Doberman arrives from around a corner. "That's Jim. He's gonna let us in."

As the door is opened for them, Tivoli grabs her partner's hand. She has seen many Doberman Pinchers before, but it looks like these two somehow have her spooked.

"McDaniels arrived just a minute ago," Jim says. "It's time to act." The dogs lead and the cats follow. She continues to hold on to Paraná even though she is slowing them both down. They are led to an inner office where they see their human master sitting on a chair and looking out the window.

Upon hearing them enter, Crevecoeur stands and wastes no time. He is holding a pair of small binoculars in his left hand. The jaguar is barely getting situated when they come flying at him. He catches them before they hit him in the face. "Quickly. Look through here." The human gives way and the jaguar takes his place in the chair.

Paraná puts the binoculars to his eyes and focuses on the area that the human was spying. The window provides a view of the lake and the other buildings in the complex. He sees nothing out of the ordinary at first, but he has to look beyond the lake, the fountain, and the other buildings. Tivoli asks, "What are you looking at?" but he ignores her. A minute later, he sees a group of four people hanging by a residence in a nearby gated area.

"Do you see anybody?" Crevecoeur asks. He gets a quick nod in response. "Good. Now listen carefully. You're seeing McDaniels there with two members of his trafficking posse. The third guy, the guy in the red shirt, is Mike, our guy inside. We just recently had him wired. Since then, we've got a wealth of new, useful information. He's the reason we know more about this group than we ever did before...."

While he talks, Tivoli goes over to the window and puts both hands on Paraná's shoulders. She feels more comfortable when they are close to one another, and while she cannot see what he is looking at, she stares through the glass just as intently.

The new handler continues. "We now know that he has a second home where he spends the weekends. He hosts small get-togethers with friends and sometimes brings in a lady for the evening. Most importantly, as it turns out, his weekend house is only a couple of minutes away from this office. That's why I had you tell McDaniels to meet you near here when you called him yesterday. You and Tivoli won't be too far from us. If something goes wrong, we'll close in."

Paraná lets out a disrespecting snort. "So this is why the leadership role was taken away from me."

"Is that all you can think about now? Let's get something straight. On Wednesday, you didn't allow for any thorough research to take place before you started going after the mark. You might as well have gone in blindfolded. You forgot that we're not facing just a mark, but an organization of criminals who follow his orders. My way, on the other hand, ensures that we get the mark by himself. We have the help of Mike and a couple of other contacts. Speaking of which...." Crevecoeur points to the two dogs behind him. "This is Kris, with a k, and Jim. Kris works here, we're in his office in fact, and Jim works on the force. He has been for more than five years. They are my personal contacts."

As the dogs wave, Tivoli scoffs in disbelief. "Jim's a cop?"

Jim nods proudly. "Surprised?"

"But how can you do this and work for the Beverly Hills police?"

"That's personal, but I'll you this. I know of about five members of the Los Angeles police who work with a couple of the killers in that loan building you guys work in. I'm not the only one."

Crevecoeur claps his hands loudly, getting everyone's attention. "Okay, here's the plan. You go to McDaniels alone and ask to see the money he brought to buy Tivoli. She stays here with us until he shows you the money. That way, we're sure he won't just have his men take her by force. Then I'll drive her to meet you. He'll most likely take you two to his home. Once you're there, use your own discretion. You'll have plenty of space and time to finish him off. It should be just you, McDaniels, and Tivoli. Enough said."

While the boss talks, Paraná and Tivoli look on with eagerness and determination, although it looks like the jaguar is more angry than determined. He growls softly while being briefed. The ocelot hears it and gently grabs his right hand with her left. It helps to calm him down.

Kris clears his throat. "Basically, you two will surround McDaniels inside his house, while we surround him from the outside. We won't be too close, but close enough. He won't get away." He opens a drawer at his desk and takes out a baseball cap. It has holes on the top where the ears of its wearer could stick out. He tosses it to Paraná. "Put this on. When McDaniels shows you the money, take it off and Crevecoeur will bring Tivoli over."

"This won't fit me," the jaguar says as he inspects the cap.

"Put it on anyway," says Crevecoeur in response. "It's the only signal we could think of that wouldn't look too suspicious."

While Kris takes the binoculars from him, Paraná does as he is told. The baseball cap barely fits him; he tries to adjust it, but his ears just cannot fit through the holes on top. He gives up with a shrug and asks, "How do I look? Is it as bad as I think it is?" He looks to Tivoli who chuckles at him. "That bad?"

"They're gone. McDaniels is alone." Crevecoeur points at the jaguar. "All right, you. On your way. Keep the atmosphere as friendly as possible. If he wants to engage in conversation, then talk to him. Don't be nervous and he won't be either."

Paraná snorts again. "You're talking to me like I haven't done this before." He turns to the ocelot. "Will you be all right?"

When she opens her mouth, a squeak comes out; her voice cracked as she tried to answer. She quickly covers her mouth with her hands and nods.

"I'll see you later then." He continues to adjust the cap as he leaves the office, still angry at being given orders. Once he is gone, the mood changes. Another wave of nervousness overtakes the ocelot and she backs herself into the window, right next to Kris. It now looks like she is being cornered by three people much taller than she is. She probably expects the worst, so it comes as quite a surprise when Kris stands and extends his hand. He introduces himself with a big smile.

"Crevecoeur has told me lots about you. He said getting to know you was key for this job." He withdraws after the handshake and nods at Tivoli's attempt at a smile. "So, how do you like it so far?"

She nervously tugs on her skirt. "Well, it's been almost a month since I first started. It's a little intimidating; there are a lot of people there and some of them aren't very friendly. A couple of them look worn out, like they've been doing this job for years. That makes me a bit nervous, but still, I've made a couple of friends and I'm learning a lot about the job. I'm learning a lot about myself too."

"I'll bet you've had to study real hard to get this mark."

"Yeah. I knew this would be complicated, but I didn't know how much would be required of me."

As Jim steps forward to shake her hand, Kris clears his throat and turns serious. "I gotta tell you something, boss."

Crevecoeur puts his hands in his pockets. He looks like the veteran in a room full of students. "What is it?"

"There was something strange about Mike just now. The look on his face left me uneasy. It looked like he was just told something that didn't sit well with him. At first, he seemed just fine, but then McDaniels arrived. Since then, he's been a little bit fidgety."

Now that Kris has everyone's attention, the mood in the room has more tension than before. "You think he knows something and he's not telling us?" Jim asks.

"Well, he can't talk to us if they're with him. He hasn't been able to shake them, so we don't know what they're saying to him right now. But I think it's clear that something's wrong. I hope it doesn't affect what we're trying to do."

Crevecoeur heads for the window with the binoculars. "Now you're making me nervous. I hope Mike calls us soon."

Tivoli listens to the exchange carefully, taking in every word. In a few minutes, she will be sent into the line of fire once again where she is expected to act young and cute. The thought of that, coupled with Paraná's absence, has given her a heightened sense of awareness. Her body tightens from head to toe. Her mouth is tightly closed and her hands are clasped in front of her. She takes a sharp breath through her nose.

The Dobies observe her with concern and get closer. Once she sees them close in, she smiles uneasily. They know that she is not as happy as she is letting on. "Are you okay?" Kris asks. Before she can respond, they hear a "Shit," from Crevecoeur. The three approach him by the window.

"Paraná's there already...and he's taken the cap off. I don't know if he's seen the money or not." He notices Tivoli crowding him and decides to hand her the binoculars. "He's deliberately disobeying me."

The ocelot eagerly looks through the lenses to see the jaguar and the mark talking. She leans in closer until the binoculars hit the glass with a loud thunk. It distracts the men a little bit, but they immediately refocus. Jim says, "I guess that means we go now."

"Shit." Crevecoeur looks stressed and unsure. He has lost some control of the situation. Still, he tries to deal with what is in front of him. He snatches the lenses from Tivoli, causing her to violently turn to his direction. "Are you ready?" he asks.

She takes a couple of deep, angry breaths and tugs on her skirt once more. She does not look confident facing the executive as she did with Paraná by her side. A quiet "Yes," comes out of her mouth.

"Are you sure you're ready? There can't be any doubt."

"I said I'm fine!" She passes between the two surprised dogs and heads for the door. "Let's just go!"

The desk telephone suddenly rings, making everyone jump in shock. Tivoli is the most surprised; she puts a hand to her chest and swallows.

"It's gotta be Mike," Kris says as he runs to his desk. "Nobody else knows I'm here on a Saturday." Instead of picking up the receiver, he simply pushes a button. "Hello there."

The voice on the other end can be heard by everybody. It is loud and laced with static. "Howdy, fellas. Sorry I couldn't call sooner, but it's quite hectic right now. It turns out we're gonna have company soon."

The men start to crowd the phone. Jim asks, "What do you mean?"

"I've just learned that the Africans, the men that want to buy the ocelot, will be coming to McDaniels' house later this evening. They want her right away because they're leaving the country later tonight. Right now, they're cooped up in some hotel a few miles away. I assume that after he takes the ocelot home, you guys have about half an hour to kill the man, because he'll call them as soon as he's got her. I assume the sale will start right then."

Tivoli breathes hard while looking at the telephone. She wants to ask about Paraná very badly, but when the executive barges in front of her, she gives up and takes a step back.

"Mike, it's Crevecoeur speaking. What do you know about McDaniels' clients? Are they gonna give us problems?"

"I've told you everything I know already, but I'm about to go, with a couple of the traffickers, to meet them at the hotel. If I learn anything new, I'll share the information."

Right after they say good-bye, Crevecoeur covers his face in his hands in frustration. "We'd better move now. You ready, Tivoli?"

The ocelot trails behind slowly. She looks more insecure now than ever. "Thirty minutes?"

"Don't worry. He'll be dead before then." He turns to the dogs. "I'll drive Tivoli over to the mark and come back soon. Then, we'll wait about ten minutes before we head to McDaniels' house, so we can give Paraná a head start."

Jim and Kris wave as Tivoli and her handler leave the office. They quickly go through the lobby. The echo of their footsteps sounds eerie and makes her walk faster. Soon, she is practically running out of the building and is the first to Crevecoeur's minivan. She pulls the door handle to the front passenger side. When it fails to open, she pulls more fiercely.

"Whoa, wait a second! Let me unlock the car." Crevecoeur pushes a button on his keychain and all the doorknobs spring open. "Relax a little."

Seconds later, they are on their way to the meeting place, where Tivoli will soon meet Paraná once again. Once the van starts moving, the ocelot breathes normally and settles into the seat. She is trying to get comfortable, but it is clear that she is still in need of the jaguar's company.

"Fix your hair," Crevecoeur says. "You're looking more adult than you should be. If you're not careful, the mark will get suspicious."

Tivoli looks at herself through the rear view mirror. She runs her fingers through her hair once, but does not do much else. Her pigtails dance to the rhythm of the moving van. "I look fine," she says.

"I know you're mad at me for taking over Paraná's duties, but it needed to be done. His idea was risky and it nearly cost us. This way is more coordinated and more thoroughly planned. This time, we'll get the desired results."

"You're just so damned sure of yourself, aren't you?"

"Hey, I've been a cop for fifteen years and a detective for five. Why shouldn't you trust my judgment?" He makes a left turn and soon the jaguar and the mark are in view. They are standing casually and making small talk. Crevecoeur observes the suddenly happy look on Tivoli's face. "I guess I shouldn't be too surprised at your reactions. The way you had your hands all over him back in Kris' office, one would think you're relationship with him was getting...dangerously non-platonic."

"You don't know what you're talking about. I'm just worried about him. That's all."

"Don't get angry. McDaniels is gonna see you in a couple of minutes. You need to be smiling."

"I hate that man. I can't stand the thought of being near him again. I hope the money is worth it."

"Well, that money will be split up between you and my contacts, but you and Paraná will get the most." Crevecoeur turns into a side road and stops right in front of a house where the mark and the jaguar are waiting. As Tivoli gets out of the vehicle, he says, "Don't forget to smile. I'll see you when the job is done."

The ocelot closes the door and runs to Paraná. She wraps her arms around him and leans into him as if she had not seen him in a long time. McDaniels, looking as sharp as ever, bends down to her eye level and greets her by rubbing her head. The ocelot is playing her part rather well. Crevecoeur hears him laugh before he quickly pulls away.

A few minutes later, he is back with his contacts in the office complex. The mark had just left with the cats and now, everyone is biding their time. The Dobermans are readying themselves for their part in the hunt; Kris has taken a couple of snack bars from his desk and they have started to gorge. Jim offers one to Crevecoeur.

"No thanks," he says. "Remember, we give Paraná ten minutes before we head to McDaniels' house. We act only if the mark escapes."

"You look worried," Kris says. "What's the problem? You think the big cat's not up to it?"

The human chuckles angrily. "I haven't been a handler in a long time. I've kinda forgotten how much stress it gives me. This is the part I hate the most, the waiting while your apprentice tries to remember what you told him."

"In this case, it's a her...and a pretty small 'her' at that. Correct me if I'm wrong, but on the third kill, doesn't the apprentice have to do the killing herself? How's she gonna do that?"

Jim clears his throat. "What's her name again?"

Crevecoeur starts to pace. "Her name is Tivoli and I'm not worried about her right now. I'm more worried that Paraná's inexperience with teaching is showing. He almost got her sold three days ago. I'm sure he had plenty of opportunities to kill the mark before it got to that point."

"Not to mention the fact that she didn't fight back."

"She couldn't. She had to play a minor."

Kris laughs. "That's my point. I was refused the hitman job because Mrs. Cross thought I looked too much like a cop for her liking. Why shouldn't she be refused for looking too much like a kid? And anyway, if she's officially a member, what's her first job gonna be? And how's she gonna pull it off? She's gonna get killed."

"No she won't. She's not that weak."

Jim shakes his head. "She looks like she can barely lift a butter knife."

Crevecoeur looks at his watch. "How much time has it been?"

Suddenly, the black phone on Kris' desk rings. The loud, blaring tone forces everyone on their feet. They run to the phone as if they were dependent on its call. Kris pushes a button and shouts, "What you got for us, Mike?"

There is heavy breathing on the other end of the line; it is a panicked, wheezing breath that goes on for quite some time. It is soon followed by the sound of running footsteps. The men gather closer to the phone in total confusion. Then a voice cries, "Guys...we've got problems. Big problems!"

"Don't yell," the executive shouts. "What's the matter?"

"The buyers...they're not who we thought they were, which means...Mr. McDaniels isn't who we thought he is."

Kris sees that everyone is crowding the phone and backs up slightly. "Well then, who is he?"

"He's not a child trafficker." Mike takes a few seconds to catch his breath. "He's a fur trafficker. He has stock in the illegal fur trade. His buyers aren't child traffickers either. They're fur traders!" He pauses, hoping to get a reaction from them. He gave them the news with urgency in his voice. This is apparently important information, but the men around the phone look at each other with even more confusion. It seems there is not much to take away from the news.

Crevecoeur looks at the phone angrily. "Let me get this straight. He traffics fur?"

"Black market furs. He's buys 'em, sells 'em, and trades 'em. He deals with other exotic items too, but his thing is mostly fur. He's part of an enormous underground network. That's why he travels the world so much! He looks for furs and other items that the American market demands, and--"

"What the hell does this have to do with anything?! Is this in any way relevant to what we are doing here? The mark sells kids to the sex trade. That's how he's made half his wealth. That's why he's a wanted man. Stop dwelling on his meaningless side projects."

"I'm telling you, that sex trade thing is not what he does! He wants kids all right, but not for the reasons you think he does!"

While Kris stares at the phone in disbelief, the other dog leans in as close as he can. "Mike, it's Jim. I just wanna ask...what do they want with Tivoli if they're not interested in her?"

"They are! It's just for a different reason!"

"But if they only want furs, then what're the buyers doing there? What do they want the ocelot for?"

A short pause follows. Then Mike suddenly yells, "Think about it!"

Jim opens his mouth to speak, then suddenly stands upright. His mouth still open, he looks at Kris whose eyes look like they are about to pop out of his head. "Oh my God," he whispers. Kris nods back, the look of revulsion planted in his face. The dogs look at each other and understand what is going on.

The situation has drastically changed. Crevecoeur however does not seem to notice. He angrily chides the man on the other end, sounding a lot more like a police chief than the retired veteran that he actually is. "Just go back there and keep your ears open and call us back if you think the Africans are close. Quit horsing around."

Jim taps Crevecoeur's shoulder. "Um...Robert?"

"We are so close to finally getting McDaniels after all these weeks. We are closer than even the police have ever been, and we're finally gonna stop him in his tracks. The plan is working fine. Paraná is fine, Tivoli is fine, and our plan will finish off their sex business."

"Robert?!"

"What, Jim? What?!"

"You dumbass," Mike yells. "They don't want her for sex! They want her for clothes."

Crevecoeur stands up straight, still confused and oblivious. "They want her clothes?" He looks into the eyes of the disturbed dogs and shrugs. "Am I missing something?" He looks back at the phone, bewildered in his ignorance. He is looking for answers from everywhere, even the inanimate objects in the room.

Mike lowers his voice. "Our group got a call from the buyers a few minutes ago. I heard them say they're after exotic fur and that they'll pay handsomely. I think the ocelot is unique enough for their liking. This obviously changes things a bit, but I couldn't get to you right away. I had to wait several minutes before I could find a place to call you in private. By now, the fur traders would have left the--"

"Oh my God." The suddenly flustered human puts his hands on the top of his head. His mouth opens, trying to find the words to regain authority. But he again stutters, "Oh my God!"

"Finally getting the hint, are ya?" Mike pauses, waiting for an answer. However, the three concerned men have nothing to say. The circumstances have taken a turn too dark to fully grasp. Kris backs up slowly until his back runs into the nearest filing cabinet. Jim looks at the ceiling and puts his nervous hands in his pockets. Crevecoeur just stands in place and stares at the phone. The only thing that is audible now is quiet breathing, which means Mike probably hears nothing on his end. "Is there anybody alive in there?!"

Jim looks down. "We're still here, Mike."

"Good. Listen, Robert, this is no longer about whacking McDaniels. This is now a rescue mission. By now, the hit should have been completed. But if your boy somehow fails, then your apprentice is gonna be sold for parts."

"Oh my God." Crevecoeur slowly sits at the chair by Kris' desk, completely beside himself with worry.

From the other side of the small room, Kris runs over to his desk and pats the human on the back. "Hey Mike, how long has it been? I mean...how long do you think it'll be before McDaniels' customers get there?"

"I don't know. When they called our group, they said they were already on the way. But you know what to do, and it shouldn't be a problem if you make haste. Get over there, make sure the job is done, and get her away from that place as quickly as you fucking can!" The sound of footsteps can be heard through the telephone. Mike is running. "I gotta go before I'm missed. I'll call back at the soonest instance. Good luck."

Kris pushes a button to hang up and looks at his boss, who continues whispering "Oh my God" like he was hypnotized into doing so. His eyes are wide and vacant. His hands are interlocked onto his head. His feet tap rapidly on the floor. Jim closes in on him and puts a hand on his shoulder, trying to shake him out of his trance.

Before anyone can speak, Crevecoeur stands and grabs the binoculars. "We gotta go! Let's move! We're going to that house!"

"Wait!" Kris steps in front of him, equally as scared. "What about the jaguar's space? It hasn't been ten minutes yet. What about the element of surprise?"

"We gotta race, you jackass! We gotta get there ahead of the buyers! We gotta kill McDaniels if at all possible!"

Crevecoeur is starting to lose it. Jim steps in front of him and holds out his hands. "Whoa! Calm down, okay? I trust the jaguar. He's probably got the job finished already--"

"Do not tell me to calm down! I've just sent Tivoli to her death!" He gasps and whispers, "I've just skinned my student." Quickly, he bolts out the office door.

The dogs look at the man suspiciously as he flees. Kris shakes his head. "We're only supposed to surround McDaniels. He didn't say a thing about killing him ourselves."

Jim shrugs. "Plans change, cousin. Let's go."