FSE

Furry search engine

formerly SoFurry search engine

Venom: Beautiful Killers. Part 34

"Now you know what the stakes are."

"We have our own health care, our own psychiatrist, our own exercise room, and our own showers and lockers. We even have our own vernacular. My boss is called a handler. You are what we call a mark. Every day, a group of pictures of marks are set on a desk for us and we are told who they are and how much they are worth. Once it's pay day...well, from what I'm told, every day is payday. We're paid every evening after our job is done. When it's time to get paid, we just show up and--"

"Wait a second. Wait a second! My picture was available to you guys?"

"Actually, your picture was given directly to my boss, directly from the client, and shown only to me."

"And the client? Who is that, exactly?"

"Um...." Tivoli fidgets as she pulls off the highway. She wiggles her fingers as she loosely grabs the steering wheel. "Yeah, about that...wouldn't you just rather not know? I mean, someone wants you dead. That person's probably already paid my boss the money and is waiting for me to deliver. I'm trying to save your life in a way that helps both of us. You should be more focused on that." Her widened eyes dart back and forth as she drives away from traffic. She turns the headlights on and sees a row of houses in front of her. "Is this the place?"

Keith McDaniels, more frightened and confused than before, takes a while to stare at the ocelot some more before looking straight ahead. "Yeah, it's just a few blocks straight ahead."

"Good." She backs up and goes the opposite direction, speeding away from the quiet houses in the neighborhood.

"Wait! Where are you going? My girlfriend's house is the other way."

"We're going someplace more secluded. We need to plan the end of your life. We're not gonna do something like that in public." The way she says it is so serious, she actually gasps afterwards. Keith hardly knows it, but she is just as scared of taking his life as he is scared of dying.

She hastily takes them back on the highway where they speed away for about five minutes. The boy is too busy contemplating what he has just been told, so he asks no questions and mutters few words of protest. His head hangs low, so he mostly does not see where he is being taken to.

"As I was saying, when we want to get paid for a job, we just show up any weekday evening...or they send the cash we've earned to our houses. That's how I got my thirty grand...um...for your father." She pauses and looks at him for a split second, trying to gauge his reaction. "It's the reason I took the job. The thirty thousand was very welcome because, even though I've been living here for over six months, I'm still new to this city and trying to live comfortably. The only money I had at that point was from my parents. It was starting to run out when I started my trial run as a hitman." She lets out an awkward chuckle. "Hm. It still kinda sounds funny when I talk about myself that way."

"Where are we going?!"

"There." Tivoli points her right index finger forward. She hits the windshield accidentally as she shows him the nearest highway off ramp. She gets off the highway, turns off-road, and runs the Cadillac through some shrubbery. When she drives through a gathering of trees, she hears the boy's breathing escalate. "Stay calm. Nothing bad's gonna happen." Her voice tries to be reassuring while it shakes with uncertainty.

When the trees get thicker and denser, she slows down. For the moment, it looks like she is lost in a small forest; twigs and stray branches hit the Cadillac as it moves along. Every snapping sound that hits Keith's side of the car makes him more nervous. "Aren't you gonna turn the lights on?"

"Don't yell at me," the ocelot warns, but the lights are indeed off and darkness is settling in. Seconds after she is asked, she turns on the high beams. There is a tree right in front of them. Tivoli hits the brakes and stops just sort of the big trunk. They lurch forward violently and are quickly pushed back by their seatbelts. They breathe heavily as she decides to park the car right where it is.

The two take a minute to breathe away their panic. Tivoli keeps a tight grip on the wheel with both hands. Keith McDaniels covers his face with his hands. He looks like he is in some pain as he pushes his palms on his closed eyes. As the feline gathers herself, she smiles slightly at the sight in front of her. "We're here," she says.

"Where?!"

"Open your eyes and look ahead."

He does what he is told and widens his eyes. Unbuckling the seatbelt to get a closer look, he scoffs in bewilderment and surprise. "You brought me to the fucking tracks?!"

Tivoli stops the engine, leans back in her seat, and relaxes. "When I first came here, I took a job at a food pantry. I made some friends back there. During the weekends, late Saturday and Sunday nights, a few of us would park our cars on the highway, sneak over the overpass, and wind up here. While some of them would smoke pot and a couple of others would have sex, I would sit back and look at the stars. I also really like trains, so whenever one came by, I'd try to get as close to the action as I could."

"It looks like the kind of place a homeless person would find a body."

"That's pretty much the point."

They both look straight ahead at where the lights are shining. In front of them is an open grass field. About a hundred yards in front of them are the train tracks. Even with the light shining on them, they blend seamlessly into the darkness. After about a minute of looking ahead, Keith turns to look at the ocelot. He notices that she has now become calm and contemplative. Either the sight of the tracks has calmed her down or she is at peace with her decision. Her left hand is slowly patting her left leg, the leg that her knife is currently strapped to. He watches her carefully and tries to read her thoughts. She has brought him this far instead of killing him at the hotel. There could be the slight possibility that she is changing her mind and will kill him anyway. The boy purses his lips and clenches his fists as he tries to look strong. He will have to defend himself just in case.

Keith turns back to the tracks and opens his mouth. "From what you told me, your killing me would get you some money and some kind of life. So why are you trying to save my life?"

Tivoli keeps her gaze forward but nods at the rather urgent question posed to her. She keeps her stoic look, making it impossible to gauge what she plans to do next. She blinks a few times and licks her lips, but keeps her mouth shut. Keith sighs impatiently awaiting a response. "Whatever," he says.

Suddenly, the ocelot quickly pulls the knife from her hidden holster and slams its tip into the dashboard. The unexpected stab frightens Keith into yelling out. He opens his door and bolts out, but does not get very far. He trips, probably over a tree root, and falls face first on the cold ground. As quickly as he can, he scampers off his belly and on his back. Sitting up quickly, he observes the ocelot. She is still on her seat, looking at him through the open door. She gives a nonchalant shrug and quietly says, "Come back inside. I told you I'm not gonna kill you."

Keith grunts in pain and looks at his right hand. There is a foreign object dug into the palm of his hand. It is either the splinter from a stray branch or an insect; there is not enough light to determine what it is. He tightens his eyes closed and slowly stands up.

"Let me see it." The ocelot, still in her seat, beckons him from the opening. The boy enters the passenger side and slowly offers her his palm. "That's nothing. It's not in too deep. Hold still." Her sharp eyes can see what it is, but she reaches for the light on the roof and turns it on. A thick splinter has housed itself in his palm. She gently tries to pull it, causing him to hiss loudly.

Tivoli clears her throat and holds his hand in both of hers. "You see that knife up there?" Her head motions toward the weapon and he looks at it cautiously. "I killed your dad with that. It was...um...." She looks up at his face, which stares at the knife for a moment before focusing on the hand. She sighs and slowly strokes his fingers. "It was the worst experience of my entire life...just as I'm sure learning that you're supposed to die is about as bad an experience you could ever have."

"It's still quite unbelievable."

"What is? Don't you remember what happened an hour ago? I was on top of you ready to strike you down. I was on top of your dad too. When I saw you struggle, I tried to end it quickly, but then it all came back to me. Everything came flooding back to me. The blood, the sweat, the smell, the...." She stops abruptly to swallow. It looks uncomfortable and she strains to get it down. "Sorry. I'm just--"

"So wait. You're not killing me anymore because you feel bad?"

"A lot happened that night. Your father overwhelmed me. He pinned me down and put his big-ass hands around my throat. My eyes closed a few times. I almost died!" She inhales loudly through her nose. "Thank goodness I had an extra accessory. My tail saved my life." They look into each other's eyes. He is less nervy now and has momentarily forgotten about the foreign object. "Actually, scratch that. I've got no reason to lie to you. It wasn't a good thing at all. It's actually embarrassing. I used my tail to distract him so I could escape and kill him. But I'm supposed to be stronger than that. I'm supposed to catch him by surprise and end it right away. My tail should be an afterthought in this kind of work. Worst of all, I wasn't the one whose job it was to kill him!"

Tivoli angrily rips out the object from Keith's palm. He wails in pain and snatches the affected hand away from her. They look at each other again. This time he is the angrier of the two. He sneers at her for a moment, but then turns to his hand. The wound is covered in blood, keeping him from getting a proper look at it. He clenches the bottom of his shirt, trying to stop the bleeding.

"You all right?" she asks.

"Just fine." He sighs with dread, stinging from the pain in his hand and inches away from the knife he had been trying to fight off earlier in the day. What started out as a joyous day has now become one to forget. He takes a peek at the weapon, then back at her. "Question. What are you going to do about mom? She and dad were separated, but she would still want to know where he was."

"My boss has that covered. Don't worry about it."

"Maybe I'd better call her and tell her I'm fine. If I tell her that dad's with me, she won't worry too much."

"Yeah...speaking of which, you gotta give me your smart phone."

"What? How come?"

"Your smart phone is no longer yours if you're dead. Give it to me."

"No way!" He pulls his phone from his shirt pocket. "This thing is my lifeline. I use it to chat with my friends and my girlfriend. I browse with it and I got a Facebook page...because I don't have a computer. I'm not giving you my phone."

"You still don't get it, do you? Your life is--"

"I'll just go into hiding with my girlfriend at her ranch. But I still need the tools to communicate with my friends."

"Are you insane?!" She leans in as closely as she can, even though the volume of her voice rises little by little. "Going into hiding isn't enough, no matter where you go. Someone's paid money for your life and the organization I work for doesn't waste time. You are not safe anywhere as long as you're alive! Your girlfriend isn't either!"

"And I'm telling you...even if what you say is true, and someone is coming after us, we'll be fine. Nobody will find us."

"The other hitmen will."

"Oh please. How many of them are there?"

"I work with thirty of them, okay? They love one thing more than killing and that's money. You're worth five figures, and from what I've seen in our meetings , a mark worth that much is at a premium. We have to plan your death, and we have to fake it well, because if they know you're still alive, they'll send someone else to you. I believe they will do the job. You don't stand a chance unless we follow a plan."

"We don't need to fake my death, okay?" Keith looks at his hand. The blood flow has been stopped by his clenching his shirt. He flexes his hand and clears his throat with a pomposity that irks the ocelot. Now that he knows he is not going to die, the situation is just as urgent as before. He goes from flexing his wounded hand to flexing his arms, showing off his biceps. "I'm going to live with Emma in San Diego. We're going to be there happily for a long time, and I'm gonna live for a long time. Just take us back on the highway and drop me off at her house. I'll surprise her, we'll stay at her house tonight, and we'll be off in the morning. I'll just tell my friends I've moved."

Tivoli turns away from him and hangs her head. Her heart is pounding again and she struggles to breathe evenly. She tries not to let it show, but the panic has returned. She takes a couple of deep breaths, but it does little to hide the fact that her plans are unraveling.

"Hey, come on, bitch. Get this thing moving." The teen looks at her scornfully, looking a lot like a school bully than a mark. "And take this knife out of the dash. It's ruining the leather."

She looks at his angry face for a few seconds before turning away. She fiddles with the keys in the ignition and looks ready to start the car, but the look on her face hints that she is unwilling to take orders from him. "All right, if that's what you want." She turns the key until the radio comes on, but she does not restart the car. "Can I ask for one small favor first?"

"What? What could you possibly want from me?" He looks at her with impatience.

"May I use your phone?"

"What for?"

"It's been almost two hours since I left my handler. I need to report back to him and make something up regarding my mission. It won't make him happy, but it'll make him less suspicious. At any rate, it'll take the heat off you."

He looks at her suspiciously but is convinced enough to slowly ease the electronic device from his shirt pocket. "Just be careful with it."

"How do you put it on speaker?"

Keith pushes a couple of buttons on the screen and hands it to her, smirking the entire time. He turns to the dashboard and gently touches the fancy-looking knife, stroking the pearl inlay handle. He does not try to pull it from the dashboard even though he demanded it earlier. The design on the handle draws him closer and he leans forward to get an even better look at it. While he looks, a voice on the phone shouts, "Hello!" It is a female voice.

"Hello, Mrs. McDaniels?"

"Speaking."

Keith's eyes widen in alarm as he turns away from the knife and toward the voice on the line. "Mom?" He breathes heavily and leans toward the ocelot. Shakily, he breathes on her.

When Tivoli feels his breaths on the device, she drops it on her lap and tries to quiet Keith. He tries to reach for the phone with both hands, pushing her back. She immediately plants her left hand on the boy's mouth and pushes his head against the passenger-side window. The palm of her hand presses against the lower half of his face, clamping his mouth tightly. He grabs her left arm with his hands in protest.

"Please stop," she whispers. "You'll only make it worse. Please, just listen." With her free hand, she picks the phone from her lap and holds it to her face. "Mrs. McDaniels? This...shit!" After pushing harder against the boy, she swallows and tries again. "You don't know me, but I believe you know my boss...Robert Crevecoeur." She pauses to grunt in pain; Keith is slowly starting to bite her hand. "He's chosen me to do a job for you. I have your son here. He's right here with me. He's all tied up...and gagged...at the moment." Her emphasis of the 'gagged' part of the sentence causes the boy to stop biting and hold still. She leers at him even more until he releases her arm.

Tivoli sighs and adds, "Anyway, I just wanted you to know that, per your orders, the job is ready to be done. Before midnight, you son will be dealt with. I just called because, aside from what I've been paid to do, is there anything from him...any of his possessions you would like brought back to you?"

His mouth is still covered, but it is still easy to see the disturbed look on the young man's face. His mother's voice has brought about a change in him. He is no longer cocky or defiant. His eyes have tightened with anger and his hands are gripping his seat. His breathing picks up; strands of saliva are probably coating the ocelot's hand. They sit in silence, waiting for a response. The woman on the other line is taking her sweet time answering the question posed. Tivoli swallows and looks at the smartphone. Her reaction is slowly matching that of the mark. A minute passes.

"I want the Cadillac," McDaniels answers. "The Cadillac and everything in it, intact and undamaged. I want his smartphone so I can keep tabs on his insolent friends. I want an article of clothing he's currently wearing as further proof, and...." She sighs a little, causing the ocelot to sigh as well. Tivoli feels very uncomfortable listening to the woman. She keeps her eyes on the mark, who is just as uncomfortable.

After a few seconds, the demands resume. "And I want the necklaces he wears around his neck. Both of them. The ones of Christ and St. Peter. Then I'll have all my jewelry back. He's never without those. If someone hands them over, I'll know for sure. You got it?"

Tivoli's left hand drops from the crushed boy's mouth. Seeing the look on his face makes her eyes start to water. She raises her hand again, only this time to stroke Keith's left cheek. The boy angrily slaps it away, making her drop the phone. She gasps and quickly picks it up. "Yeah, Mrs. McDaniels. I got all of it."

"Good. Have your boss send them to me. Don't call me at this number again."

Tivoli watches as Keith covers his face with his hands, muffling a pained squeal that could probably be audible through the phone. He is not taking this well.

"By the way, tell your boss, Crevecoeur, that he does good work...and that the balance of the money will be in his account by Monday morning. Tell him also that there's no rush on Keith's belongings. He doesn't have to send them to me right away, but any time before next Friday would be nice."

"Yes, ma'am." The ocelot tries to remain tough, but she is speechless and offended. She gives the phone a look that would scare most people away. The screen displays that Mrs. McDaniels has hung up. She reaches in front of Keith and places the device inside the glove box. The atmosphere inside the car is thick with vapor and sourer than a sad movie. The situation is so surreal that they are laboring to breathe normally.

Keith's hands still cover his face. He leans forward until the back of his hands press against the glove compartment. Tivoli very carefully removes the knife embedded in the dashboard and gently replaces it in the holster on her thigh. She leans back on her chair and looks at the roof. Nothing is said for a few minutes as the client's words start to sink in.

Suddenly, she hears a bang beside her. She turns to see Keith still hanging his head. His face now uncovered, she can see the young man's heartbreaking reaction. She tries not to watch as the inevitable tears flow. "I'm sorry you had to find out that way," she says, looking out her window. "I tried to see if your mother's contact info was on the phone, and once I found it, I had to do what I did. I wanted to make it soft, but I couldn't control what your mother was going to say. I just wish...." She hears Keith sobbing and shakes her head. "Well...at least you now know it's real. Now you know what the stakes are. You've got to hide."

Keith presses his forehead against the glove compartment while the scared ocelot looks on. He heaves angrily and bangs a fist on the dashboard again. He keeps his sobs quiet, but it is clear that he is much angrier than that.

"Are you all right?" she asks.

The boy responds by opening the door and bailing from the car again. He tries to run, but trips and falls on his belly. His face bounces off the hard, cold ground. Tivoli panics and struggles with the seatbelt, but quickly comes out after him. She stumbles too but keeps her footing and manages to chase him down. He struggles to get up again, but his hands betray him.

"Please calm down! Everything's going to be fine."

"Shut the fuck up!" He wheezes loudly as he tries to catch his breath. Quick movements cause him to slip, so he slowly pushes his belly off the ground. Soon, he is on all fours, looking at the ground and fuming at his circumstances. He is still crying, but his frame shows signs of defiance rather than collapse.

Tivoli carefully squats beside him, not knowing what to do. Her face shows tenderness to the human, which signifies once and for all that she is not going to do the job. She raises her right hand and tries to pat him, or caress him, or something, but she soon lowers it and heaves a weary sigh. The strong words he yelled earlier stung a little, and her lips quiver slightly before she opens her mouth.

"I've already told you what happened the night I killed your dad. Do you want to know the other reason I'm saving your life?" She stands and leans back against the nearest tree. He does not raise his head, but he quiets his sobs. She takes that as permission to continue. "It was the story you told me...about you and your girlfriend, and how it was true love, and how you're gonna run away together. I think that stuff is hopelessly romantic. It's brave and cowardly at the same time. I felt for you after I heard all that. I have a boyfriend myself and...after I had finished killing you, I was planning to go back to him and tell him how much he means to me."

Keith raises himself until his is on his knees. He wipes his eyes and turns his head toward the train tracks ahead, and away from the ocelot.

"I planned to do all that. Then you told me your story back in the hotel. It made me realize that I may love him, but I may not have any long term plans with him. My boyfriend is a hitman, just like me you see, and we work for the same people. I realize now that I have to plan a future with that in mind. Getting killed is a giant possibility. Your dad himself showed me so. I need to think about setting up accounts, 401k's, life insurance...all that shit." She wipes her brow with her left hand and chuckles. "My future's uncertain. I never needed to think so hard about something so...hard."

Keith stands and wipes his eyes. "Mom wanted to kill me. She killed dad, now she wants to kill me." His voice breaks weakly.

Tivoli puts her hand down to notice that he is now looking straight at her. "I'm so sorry."

"Why would she ever do that?"

She shrugs. "I...don't know. I couldn't tell you that. I don't think hitmen are supposed to know what the answer is anyway." She walks toward him until she is only a foot away. "I thought you hated your mother."

"That doesn't mean I don't ask her for money...or for favors! I mean, I usually ask her to get my friends to do something, but yeah, I still get help from her all the time."

"Wait. Stop for a moment. She knows your friends?"

"Most of them. She doesn't like them, but--"

"You know what this means, right?" She steps a bit closer and looks at his face. She has to look up at him, but size is hardly an issue. Her glowing eyes pierce his. "You can never see your friends again...ever! If we're going to save your life, we have to plan." She shakes her head. "There's that word again. I've got a feeling I'll be saying that word all the time now."

Keith nods. "What do you want me to do?"

Tivoli nods back and approaches him. He is more receptive, so he does not fight back when she brushes against him. "First of all, she only wants your stuff, not your head. So we don't have to take a picture of you lying on the ground with a fake cut on your neck...or something like that. You need to just give me everything you have." She passes him and heads for the car.

"Everything? That can't be right! I can't live with my girlfriend without some of my things."

"Well, you gotta give me anything you have that connects you to your mother. Your smartphone, the necklaces, the car. You can't keep anything your mother just asked for."

"Screw that. I can't live in a new place without a car of my own. What do I tell her when she asks where it is? How do I tell Emma to buy me a new car when I've had this one for just seven months?"

"That's not my problem, and it's a much smaller problem than you think. The bigger problem is dying. If your mom gets the car, she'll think the job is done. She'll be none the wiser and you can live the rest of your life without her knowing that you're alive. Just share your girlfriend's car." She clears her throat and stands up straight, secretly enjoying her dominant role. "About your girlfriend by the way, does your mom know her?"

Keith narrows her eyes suspiciously. "Why?"

"Well...just like with your friends, your girlfriend would be a liability. You two being together won't help you. Maybe you could just--"

Before she can finish, the upset human grabs her collar and pulls her to him. She almost falls on her knees. "You leave Emma alone! She's innocent! She has nothing to do with anything!"

"If your mother knows her, then you're still in trouble! "

"Why?!"

"Because she's a loose end! If they know each other, then I can't save you!"

The boy exhales a couple of times, still trying to toughen himself up despite his bad day. Reluctantly, he releases Tivoli. "I told mom a while back that I had a girlfriend, but that's all she knows. I didn't tell her Emma's name."

Tivoli sighs with relief and returns to the car. She collects the smartphone on the driver's seat before turning back to him. "Listen, you have to convince your girlfriend somehow to move somewhere else, somewhere further. You have to do it without mentioning anything I've told you...or the danger you're in."

"No! Forget it!" He wipes his eyes for what he hopes is the last time. "Don't you know where Sacramento is? It's all the way in butt-fucking England as far as L.A. is concerned. We won't be found."

The frustrated ocelot shakes her head, passionately and wildly. "This is a mistake!"

"Her home is in the outskirts of the city! She lives in a ranch! How much more away from L.A. can you get?"

"Out of the country would be nice!"

"Seriously?!"

Tivoli covers her eyes with her hands and sighs with exhaustion. "This isn't good."

Keith hangs his arms at his sides, calming himself and thinking clearly. "Look, I believe you, okay? You've convinced me. Mom wants me out of the way. Fine. I don't know what I did, but it hardly matters now. Thanks for trying to save my life, but I'm not going to lose my car and I'm not gonna pressure Emma into moving anyplace she doesn't know. I'll do anything else you ask. Just not those."

She folds her arms and leans on the Cadillac. "If there's any hint, any sniff of your still being alive, I'm in trouble. But more importantly, you're a dead man. There's no shortage of people who will come after you, especially if your mother increases the reward money for your head as she did for your dad. You need to do everything I ask. You can no longer see your friends again. You can no longer come into L.A. again. You need to leave your stuff here so your mom really thinks you're dead. That means the phone, the car, your jewelry. And if you're going to stay with your girlfriend, you both need to hide somewhere far away and keep her in the dark so she doesn't call the police or something. You can't come back to L.A. for _any_reason!" She takes a few breaths and softens her voice. "Please...just don't think about it. Just do it."

An awkward silence follows. It only lasts a few seconds before they hear a noise inside the car. It is the piercing tone of the cellular phone the ocelot had been given earlier. She looks inside but does not go after it. Instead, she turns to the boy. "That's my handler. It's very late, so I'm sure he's wondering where I am. Very soon, I gotta tell him what's up. So...what's it gonna be?"

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

Mieri, the red panda, takes a couple of deep breaths before stepping out of her car. It is parked in a half-filled lot, surrounded by other empty cars. She closes the door and takes a tentative look around her. She is in a park, the same one where Robert Crevecoeur and Mrs. McDaniels finalized one transaction and started another. (Unbeknownst to her, she is about to pass the very bench those two sat on that day.)

It is morning, not quite midday. The sky is cloudless, making the sun ever so powerful today. Luckily, there is a stiff breeze blowing that softens the blow. This is clearly Mieri's kind of weather. She puts her hands in the pockets of her denim shorts and shows a broad smile. Stepping on the hiking trail, she starts to take a stroll. She says hello to everyone she passes; bikers, joggers, and even a young rabbit on a unicycle. She looks around at the people, the trees, and the camping spots with wonder and delight. It seems not to occur to her that, thirty minutes later, she has hiked half the park.

She looks at her watch and says, "Half past ten," then looks around and decides to head back. As she does, she hears a sound that had eluded her before. It is the sound of children at play. Their voices are loud and they move as one. They scream in waves as if they were on a rollercoaster. The curious red panda moves toward the noise, walking faster like she was anticipating something good.

A group of children of all shapes and sizes are on a greed field, chasing around a soccer ball and the kid kicking it. The one with the ball is quite good, putting on a dribbling clinic that enthralls and frustrates the other kids. They zig and zag all over the place while above them, a group of adults congregate at the nearby lot, talking and laughing amongst each other. Mieri gets closer to them as she watches the children. When her sharp ears start to pick up the adults' conversations, she slows herself down.

Suddenly, a whistle blows, startling her. Then a low voice shouts, "Okay, kids. Gather around. Let me talk to you for a moment." The sound can be heard from a long distance. It causes the red panda to smile; she forgets about the parents and heads toward the children. The voice seems very familiar to her.

Without thinking about it, she actually steps on the field of play. She is close enough to see the entire field and all the children, but not close enough to be noticed. She is behind the group of kids, who are gathered around a larger figure, the one who blew the whistle. They obscure him, but his voice is unmistakable.

"Listen, Jeremy, I like your handling skills and your speed is exceptional, but I need you to remember that you have nine teammates waiting for you to pass them the ball. Never forget anyone who is open. They can help keep the pressure off of you." He clears his throat and stands from his crouching position. It is Greenleaves, looking very much like a soccer coach. His jersey barely conceals his muscular frame and his blue shorts stretch all the way to his knees. These clothes really show how tall the lion really is.

Mieri giggles quietly as the coach leads his charges to the middle of the field. "All right. The practice is almost over. Before you go home, is there one more thing we need to do?"

A young rabbit shouts, "Cool down exercises!"

Greenleaves grins. "That's right, Mary. We...." He notices the red panda after a quick look up, but looks right back down at the children. "We do our cool downs. We stretch to relax our muscles. Everyone bend down and touch your toes for a moment and I'll be right back. Don't forget to breathe like I taught you."

As the little urchins touch their toes, he peels away from the group and makes a beeline to the familiar guest. Mieri watches him close in on her; his gait and his swinging arms are pretty large and she backs away slightly. However, she smiles brightly and takes her hands out of her pockets. Her attempts to look braver than she is do not escape the lion, who chuckles a bit as he stops a few feet in front of her.

"Good morning, long tail! Long time no see! How are you this fine day?!"

She folds her arms and raises herself on her toes, playfully mimicking the six-foot-tall feline. "I'm just fine, Greenleaves. I was just...." She stops talking as the lion closes in some more.

"Well, what do you think?" He extends his arms and exposes his large wingspan. "Do I look like a coach?"

After squinting for a few seconds, she scopes him up and down. Looking at his feet, she says, "Well, you look like you ate the real coach...then put on his clothes." She looks up to see the lion's sullen face. She responds by feigning excitement. "No, don't get me wrong. You look good. So this is what you do in your spare time! You're a coach! You look a bit out of place, but you look good. You look authoritative."

He nods, feeling better about himself. "Thank you."

"But it is a little bit scary. Every time you smile, you look like you're about to eat one of the children."

"Careful there. You're starting to sound like me wife." He laughs heartily, making Mieri back up some more. "Actually, it's what those folks up there like about me." He points to the parents behind him in the parking lot. "I exude authority. The kids know it. I almost never have to raise me voice. The appearance alone keeps their kids in line."

"I can see that." She covers her mouth and clears her throat.

"Something wrong, love? You look a bit apprehensive."

"No, I just didn't expect to see you until Monday, but now that you are here...there's something I really need from you."

"Yeah? What's that?"

"Your mark."

"My...what?"

"I want to make a trade. I'd like to do so rather quickly."

His smile starts to wane. "Now, come on, love. You know I can't...." He stops and sniffs. "Hold on." He turns around to see a young boy sneaking up on him. The boy is a third the size of the lion. His shoulder length, blonde hair hangs over his eyes. There is a small bandage on his left cheek. His knees are dirtier than the rest of him. This is the boy who was putting on the dribbling clinic earlier. He approaches the two anthros without showing any signs of worry. He even tugs at the lion's shorts even though he has already been noticed.

"Mr. Greenleaves, my mom would like to know if it would be okay for me to skip Sunday's practice session."

He raises is brow in response. "But we begin our drills tomorrow and the first game is in two weeks. Are you sure you want to miss it?"

"She wants me to go to court with her on Monday. She wants me at home tomorrow to practice when I get called to the stand. She said you'd understand."

Greenleaves takes little time to think about it before he nods and chuckles. "Sure thing, Jeremy. It completely slipped me mind. You go on ahead."

"Thanks!" The boy turns and runs up the hill to the adults above them, tripping and falling in the process.

The lion laughs as he watches the boy scamper. "That's Jeremy. He's one of our best players. This would be my second year coaching him. The kid is a delight to watch."

Mieri nods as she watches Jeremy hug his mother. "Yes, I saw him in action earlier. He really knows how to move."

"That he does. His mom tapes most of his games and shows them to people. By the time the season is over, the jumper will be getting looks from scouts all over the nation."

"Excuse me. The what?"

"Oh, they call Jeremy "The Jumper." His mates call him that because he jumps over the fallen keeper after he scores." He chuckles slightly as he leers greedily at the boy's mother. "He's been told not to do that...warned even. But he still does it. He's a lucky kid. His mother's not bad to look at either. She's totally into me. If I weren't already married, I'd totally hit that."

"Careful there, big guy. There's a lady present."

"Well, no offense, but you can't blame me, can you? Look at the mother. As far as soccer MILFs go, she's the best looking I've seen so far. I forgot that she is getting divorced, hence the court date. That will make going to her house all the more pleasurable. Knowing she's one of the parents makes me look forward to this line of work every day."

Mieri clears her throat nervously. "Speak of work, I'd like--"

"The answer is no."

"What's that?"

"No, I'm not giving you my mark."

She backs away a little as her apprehension makes a comeback. "But why not? You didn't even hear me out."

"Sorry, love. I'm not interested. Besides, you know the rules. We cannot talk about this outside of the workplace."

"But you have two marks, each one over ten thousand. Mine's only worth half that. The one you have that I'm interested in, Mr. Reed, lives in my neck of the woods. I can get to him easier than you can. Besides, the mark I have is British; you could relate to him more than I can."

"You've thought about this."

"Well...I haven't actually hunted since I came back from summer vacation. I haven't really solved my personal problems. I gave up on a mark to concentrate on those. Now that I've regained my concentration, I'd really like to resume my job with a mark that can really enhance my confidence."

"Hmm. That's rough justice love, but I still can't help ya. I just can't give you Mr. Reed, not after all the work I've done to study and get close to him."

Mieri heaves a frustrated sigh. "Fine. Give me the other one you have."

Greenleaves sighs and puts a hand to his forehead. Before he can answer, he hears someone calls his name nearby. He and Mieri turn to see Jeremy's mother waving at him. The parking lot is almost empty and they are about to leave as well. "Hold on a moment," he says, and he leaves the red panda to give the two a proper good-bye. She remains where she is while watching him clamber up the hill. Her face scrunches in disappointment.

(The most enigmatic of the five girls in the group of killers is always seen but rarely heard. She either makes herself scarce or fails to speak up. It's starting to get frustrating whenever she appears.)

Mieri gets bored waiting for Greenleaves to leave the company of the woman he is currently smitten with, so she looks around for something to occupy her time. After a quick glance at her feet, she notices a small, white flower, standing lonely among the sea of grass. She bends down to get a closer look at it and grins as she touches it. It seems to slowly alleviate her anxiety. By now, all the children have left the field of play and the surroundings are quiet, making her the only one there. She strokes the flower's petals gently, slowly becoming one with her environment.

Seemingly out of nowhere, Greenleaves has appeared in front of her. His arms are folded and his face shows a slight frown. "All right. I've thought about it." His words startle the occupied red panda. He shrugs and closes in on her. "I'm about to head to The Shark Pit. Why not come with me? It will open soon. We'll think more clearly with a drink."

"Are we gonna talk about a possible trade?"

"I have the feeling we're gonna talk about many things. You wanna come with me or will I meet you there?"

Mieri says she will meet him at the bar and decides to stay at the park for a few more minutes. As soon as Greenleaves is out of sight, she sits down in front of the lone flower and looks at it. Her head hangs in disappointment as she is obviously thinking about her exchange with the lion. Out of nowhere, a single tear flows from her left eye. She is too busy picking the flower from the ground to notice. The white flower looks back at her. As she slowly plucks the petals, she makes the long hike back to her car, savoring the good weather while mulling over her personal problems. She eventually wipes the tear that fell and takes a big breath.

The drive to the bar is a long one, made even longer by Mieri turning her radio off. Whatever she was crying about, it now has to completely slip her mind. The Shark Pit is not a place for those with fragile minds. It contains killers and their friends, among other customers, so she will most likely run into some workmates. Any signs of weakness could affect future trades.

By the time she gets there, the time is eleven thirty and the bar is open. It takes her a while to find a parking space in the medium-sized lot, but she eventually does. The lot is almost totally filled, a strange sight for this early in the morning. Mieri takes a long, dumbfounded look at her surroundings, then heads inside. She is just as surprised to see the inside.

The place is completely packed, filled wall to wall with patrons. There are probably twenty of them at the bar alone, sitting and standing. The panda immediately notices Dunn, the tan, swift fox, sitting on the near side of the bar, the side closest to the door. She also sees Pica, the bobcat, at the farthest end of the bar. Between the two is a collection of guests of all species, shapes, and sizes. Behind the bar, more guests have taken seats. Next to them, the pool tables are all occupied with more customers. The background music is loud as well. The atmosphere is as chaotic as it has ever been. Behind the bar, of course, are the two owners. Casey, the bloodhound, is serving drinks as fast as he can while Bruno, the bulldog, takes orders from a pair of overeager red foxes.

There is one table that is mostly empty; it has only one occupant. Greenleaves is looking around, talking to people who pass him by. He gives a quick handshake to Stefano, the salamander, whose baseball cap covers his jet black hair. As soon as Stefano leaves, he immediately sees the red panda. He stands to invite her to his table, but the noise drowns his attempts to call her. He waves boisterously, but she is looking away from that table and at the bar, most likely looking for him.

Mieri fishes in her pockets for money and takes out fifteen dollars. She walks to the bar, but with every stool taken, she stops short of the bar itself and waits for Casey to stop pouring drinks long enough to see her. The bloodhound is really busy and almost bumps into his partner as he leaves one paying customer for another. She raises her hand with the money in it and waves to the dogs. A couple of other drinkers follow her lead, shaking their money vigorously.

Greenleaves snakes his way through the crowd and reaches the woman, gently touching her shoulder to get her attention. Mieri is startled twice, first by the touch and then by the closeness of the lion's face.

"You've arrived!" He has to yell to be heard even though their noses are almost touching. She responds with a nervous wave. He laughs and points to the empty table nearby. "I've saved you a seat! You can go save that spot for us and I'll order you whatever you want."

"Okay! But tell me something! Why is this place so damn full?!"

"I'm sure I don't know, love. Just go save our seats before....." He stops talking as Casey notices him. They wave at each other.

Mieri sees her opportunity. "Hey, Casey! I'd like to order!"

The bloodhound's hearing is impeccable today as always. Sadly for him, there is so much noise right now. He motions the red panda to move closer and she squeezes herself between two sitting customers.

She shows the dog her money. "I'd like a Suntory!"

He shakes his head. "Sorry, girl! We're all out!"

"Are you kidding? How?"

"Look around, why don'cha!"

Mieri gives up and walks back to Greenleaves, who was amused by the exchange. "How could they be out of Suntory?" she asks.

The lion leads her away from the bar. "Just go to that table over there and save our seats before someone else gets them. " With that, she obeys, reluctantly leaving the bar. Greenleaves chuckles and faces the bloodhound. "All right. Tell me true. No Japanese beer?"

"We have Japanese beer; just no Suntory. We're also out of Drambuie and triple sec."

"How can you possibly be out of anything now? You've only been open thirty minutes."

Casey serves while he talks. "Look, not just one, but two new bars are opening tonight. One is a night club down the street. It's a joint venture run by a human and an antelope...or some kind of dude with horns." He pauses to make a couple of cocktails.

Greenleaves waits intently for him to finish. "Damn. Just what we didn't need. More competition."

"The other is a bar a couple of miles away. It's the one that's been all over the news; the one that'll be run by ex cops. Me and Bruno were interviewed about that a while back."

"Ah, yes. That one. It's opening tonight, huh?"

"So to answer your question, we're out of certain drinks because everyone's coming to our support. Before our new rivals open, our customer base wants to send them a message by spending here. It's admirable, but in thirty minutes, I've served maybe a hundred and seventy five drinks. Most everybody has ordered the same thing. It's like the whole damn furry population of the city's congregated here. 'Scuse me, I gotta go."

"Wait! I didn't order!" The lion shakes his head as Casey disappears below the bar for a moment. "Damn. Where's Bruno?" He walks to the end of the bar where he bumps shoulder-to-shoulder with another patron. He turns to apologize...and sees Hoeness staring right back at him. The lion laughs and grabs his shoulders. "Well, look who it is!"

"Good morning, Limey. You're here too?"

"I'm told everybody's here."

"In the last minute, I saw Boris, Benny, Stefano, and Inverness here, just outside the door. Now I think I see Dunn too. For a moment, I thought this was our new workplace. Why's The Shark Pit so full?"

Greenleaves laughs as he releases Hoeness from his grip. "Didn't you hear? Wanker's is opening."

"Wanker's?"

"The bar being run by Ted and our other employers. You know what I'm talking about. This place is full so early because, according to Casey, everyone here is showing support. If you ask me, I think everyone here is scared that Wanker's, and the other bar opening tonight, will do really good business."

Hoeness nods. "Actually, that would be bad news for our bar. If Ted's place does well enough, our friends here will have really stiff competition. We'll also never hear the end of it at the morning meetings."

The lion winces. "Yeah, I forgot about that. I can't make fun of Ted anymore if his pub outperforms this one."

"Right. So, let's do our duty, shall we?"

"Agreed. But I should tell you, they're out of a few drinks."

"They're out of Budweiser?"

Greenleaves laughs. "That one, I'm sure they have plenty of."

The two walk to the bar together and manage to grab Bruno's attention. The pinstripe-suited bulldog smirks at them and approaches. He has just finished serving someone and can now take their orders. "Welcome, strangers. What'll you have?"

"Finally." The lion pulls out his money. "I'll have a Guinness and...something Japanese. Mieri's joining me. "

"And you, Hoeness?"

"Budweiser, the regular stuff. And, if I may say so, congratulations for your haul. This is absolutely amazing. You guys are gonna make serious bank by the end of the day."

"Yeah, yeah. Thanks."

"You don't look too happy."

"Well, there's something else bothering me, and it has to do with you guys." Bruno's eyes narrow as he starts to turn angry. "Actually, it has to do with that negress boss of yours."

Hoeness raises his eyebrows and braces himself for bad news. "What is it?"

"I'd like to ask you to tell her to stop eye-banging the Governor. Every time I watch the news, I see him doing a stupid stump speech, and I see her in the background with...." He shakes his head at Hoeness' reaction; the German Shepherd is gnashing his teeth. "I'm sorry, man. I know she's your boss and you're supposed to respect her and shit, but she's got that do-me look on her face when she stares at him. You realize that Governor Cartwright is the enemy, right? Surely, she realizes that, right?"

"She's just there to support him, and possibly contribute to his campaign. There's nothing I...or the other workers...can do about it."

"Look, it's bad enough we've got new rivals. Now we have to deal with this too. She supports the governor who, in case you need reminding, wants nothing less than to shut us down. He used to think this place was just a den of iniquity. Then the bombing happened. Now he thinks it harbors criminals. If he mentions The Shark Pit in one of his speeches, we'll be in real trouble. Couldn't you guys do...anything?"

"Our boss does what she wants and that's just the way it has to be. We leave her alone, she leaves us alone, and we can work smoothly in the same building."

Bruno snorts in disapproval. "You're real pals."

"Look, nothing's gonna happen to this place. I won't allow it."

Greenleaves nods defiantly. "Right. Besides, we'll just vote the tosser out on election day."

The bulldog takes the ordered drinks from his partner and puts them on the table. "You can't vote, Greenleaves. Besides, I've heard those promises to vote during the last election, and Cartwright still won. The furry community didn't show up."

"Yeah, we did!"

"Eight percent of the entire voting bloc doesn't count as showing up." With that, he walks away to take more orders.

Hoeness takes his Bud. "I tell you man, I'll do what I can, but when it comes to voting, we'll always be outnumbered by humans. We'd have to get most of them to our side."

The lion takes his drinks. "Forget about it for now. I've got a table saved over there. You want to join me?"

"Nah, I'm waiting for someone. Someone I haven't seen in a while. She should probably be here already."

"Good luck finding her in this crowd. I'll see you on Monday." He leaves Hoeness and gingerly holds his beer bottles close to his chest as he again makes his way around people. He spots Mieri sitting by herself, watching one of the many games of billiards behind her. She jolts in surprise when he slams the bottles on the table. "Here's yours," he says.

"Mmm, thanks." She inspects the drinks bought for her and frowns. "Kirin? Really?"

"Don't shoot the messenger, love. You'll just have to make due. Besides, what's the difference, really? I spent my own money to buy it, so it's free beer as far as you're concerned."

"Sorry. I'm very particular when it comes to beer."

Greenleaves takes a seat next to her, instead of across from her, so they can hear each other. The noise is just too unforgiving. "Now, where were we?"

"I want Mr. Reed. If I can't have him, then I want the other one you have. But Mr. Reed lives where I live, in the same neighborhood. My mark is British, like you. I'm willing to trade mine for someone who'll be easier for you to handle, and get someone close to me. This is a win-win for both of us."

"Yeah, listen. I'm afraid it's just undoable. Mr. Reed was given specifically to me by Ted himself. It once belonged to Shiloh, but for some reason he's been MIA, so he chose me. He didn't have to, but I'm glad I get one of Shiloh's marks, and--"

"That's not right! Those marks are for all of us to share! We get to see those when the meeting's over! Why do you get special treatment?"

"It's not special treatment. Mr. Reed is about to become a member of the Cartwright campaign. A few people working for the governor have been marks. Those are special because, as you know, they get special protection. Ted has decided that only the best hunters get those from now on." He pauses as Mieri takes a swig of her beer. "My job is to get to Reed before he gets to the Gov. on Monday. That way, I can claim him before he is able to get Secret Service protection. It's a bit nerve-wracking, being on a deadline, but I'm up for it. And you've got to admit, it suits me." He takes a drink from his stein, finishing more than half of his beer.

"But what if it suits me?! I can handle any mark I come across. All of us do our jobs well, so there should be no difference who gets what mark. Besides, Pamila successfully killed Cam Morris...and he also worked for the governor."

"Yes! And look how that turned out! She blew up the governor's aide in a restaurant full of people. She killed him and a couple of innocents. Because of that, the police are everywhere. They think a furry did it, so they're trolling our favorite hangouts. This place has been raided twice and is being watched constantly. Ted has learned a quick lesson. From now on, only the best get these kinds of marks. They can't be given to just anybody, let alone to you girls. No offense meant, love."

She takes another swig of Kirin and sneers at him. "And just what exactly makes you 'the best?'"

"Honey, look at me."

She shakes her head and turns away from him to watch the billiard tables. "It's not right."

"Take it up with the boss."

"And what about the other one you have? Surely, you can do without it."

"The so-called other one happens to be the soon-to-be ex husband of Jeremy's mother. You remember Jeremy, right?"

Mieri scoffs. "Uh-huh. No wonder she's so into you."

"You stop that." He finishes the last of his Guinness. "I'm already too invested in that one, so I can't give him to you. You'll just have to...." Greenleaves pauses and widens his eyes. "My God, but you are beautiful."

"Well, thanks. I...." The red panda turns around just in time to see the lion stand and greet a familiar face.

"Come here, beautiful, and sit by me. Take a load off. Lucky for you, this table's the only one scarcely occupied. Now, what was your name again?"

"Tivoli!" The ocelot laughs energetically and nods thankfully as she takes an empty seat at the table.

"Come to chat me up, huh? I'm flattered. I haven't seen you since the day I returned from vacation."

"Actually Greenleaves, I've been here about thirty minutes. I managed to get my drink and was just wandering around saying hi to a few people. I'm glad I finally get to sit down."

"And how have you been? You look in good spirits."

"Yeah, well, I've just come back from the hospital, and Paraná is just...." She gasps as her eyes catch the person sitting across from her at the table.

Greenleaves slaps his forehead with his right palm. "Where are my manners? Tivoli, this is Mieri. She's a red panda who has been with us since the summer of 2012. She was one of only three females at the time, but she's adjusted well. Mieri, this is Tivoli, our newest member. I don't remember, but I've got the feeling you two've met already."

This is the closest the ocelot has been to Mieri, so this is the best view she has had yet. The videotape she first saw her with does not do her justice. The Asian-born female truly is striking to look at. The red-and-white coloring on her face is both deep and pure. The black on her hands is as dark as night. Tivoli gasps again at the shape of her ears.

"Well, don't be rude. Say something." Greenleaves' smile borders on annoying now.

"Hi," Tivoli says quickly. "It's nice to finally meet you at last." She extends a hand.

Mieri also stares at her counterpart, but does so with fear instead of curiosity. Her breath shakes, her eyes blink rapidly, and her feet fidget nervously. She extends a hand to meet the ocelot's but only touches it. When Tivoli shakes it, she presses her lips together, muffling a squeal.

Tivoli looks just as nervous, but simply laughs it off. "I'm sorry. I'm just too happy today. I just finished my third apprentice hunt last night."

"Congratulations," the lion says.

"Thanks. Crevecoeur's gonna pay me on Monday. I can't wait. Plus, my boyfriend's doing much better and should be getting out of the hospital this week." She turns back to Mieri. "Now I get to meet you. My meeting you is like meeting a celebrity. Let me explain. I was given these VHS tapes by Vivian...I mean, the chief. She felt sorry for me 'cuz I was blowing it during the interview. So she gave me the tapes and allowed me to see past interviews of those I would be working with. You were one of those being interviewed. I thought you did great. I can't wait to work alongside you and...." She tilts her head confusedly. "Um...are you okay?"

Mieri looks queasy. She shakes her head and scoots from her seat. "Excuse me! I've got to go!"

Tivoli looks at Greenleaves who is equally confused. "But you just got here. And you haven't finished your drink."

"The drink is crap! And I gotta go!" Mieri trips on her own feet as she stands. She looks back at the ocelot for a second, takes a strained breath, and runs off. She does not make it to the door before she slams into Hoeness' back. The two trade angry glances before she leaves.

The ocelot watched her the entire time. When the red panda is gone, she looks at the lion and shrugs. "Did I do something wrong?"

Greenleaves shakes his head. "Just like Mieri. She hasn't been the same since she took that mark."

"What mark?"

"Mmm? Oh, it's nothing." He laughs and sits down, sliding next to her like a pickup artist. "So, let me buy you...wait. You already drank. Well, let me buy you another one." He puts his hands in his pockets and fishes for a couple of seconds. "Damn. I thought I had more. I was gonna buy me another pint as well. You got any on you?"

"I don't have any more money. Sorry. I spent it all on a Rob Roy."