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Venom: Beautiful Killers. Part 44.

"...we're warriors, not negotiators."

The sun is up, almost at full power. The sky is sparingly dotted with clouds, so any reprieve from the sun's rays will be fleeting. Death Valley will live up to its name for yet one more day. It will be a long time before the valley, not to mention its inhabitants, will be relieved of the onslaught. Luckily for two of the coywolves, they are waking up to the shade and the security of the Leadville mine shaft. Livinia and Drinkwater had been sleeping in front of the yellow VW bug. Now they are stretching their limbs and rubbing their eyes as they look out at the vast expanse beyond them.

The area just inside the shaft is still covered in shadow, but agreeably warm enough that Drinkwater takes off her top and lies across entrance. Her back is against the left-side wall and her legs are stretched in front of her. She lifts her head and slowly rubs her neck with her hands. She moans softly and seductively, drawing Livinia's attention.

"You all right?"

"Mmm...just fine. You should feel this."

"Feel what?"

"Right about now, when the sun has surpassed the horizon, is the best time to be right here, at this very moment."

"Right at the doorway?"

"The sun feels so good." Still rubbing her neck, Drinkwater inhales deeply. "The sun is strong enough for you to feel it, but still weak enough to tolerate. You can sunbathe here without getting fried. Of course, it doesn't last long. Maybe an hour."

"What's wrong with you? Aren't you nervous?"

"What's to be nervous about?" She scoffs at Livinia and crosses her arms. "Aleph's gonna die and our fate will improve. Life in the desert will be better than it ever was. Just relax."

Still stretching, Livinia sits on the hood of the car. "And when Aleph's gone, will you take over?"

"Hmm. I imagine his brother will take over...that is if he stops crying long enough to actually lead."

"We've known no other leaders besides Aleph. He's led the commune since it was founded. What happens when he finally eats it? Are we strong enough to survive on our own?"

"We won't be on our own. Someone will rise up to take Aleph's place and hopefully, he will learn from the old guy's mistakes. If there's a fight for the position, and they end up killing each other? All the better for us."

Livinia shakes her head morosely. "All we do is eat, sleep, and have sex with each other. In the interim, the men go hunting and the women just gossip, cook, clean, that sort of thing. We know nothing about taking the lead. Without Aleph, we--"

"Without him, we follow the plan that Aurora told us. Aleph dies, our hired gun skips town, and then we blame our rivals for the murder. The men go after the rival commune...and hopefully die accordingly. Then Aurora, our fearless leader, makes a deal with our rivals and we get assimilated. As a result, we live closer to the big cities. No problem."

"Yes problem!" Livinia startles both of them with her yelling. "Sorry about that, I'm just--"

"You're scared. It happens."

"The fact that you're not scared scares me even more. We don't know if the men in any other commune will be nicer to us than Aleph was. We don't know if we'll be welcome and what would happen to us if we're not. There may be overpopulation concerns. We may even have to do the hunting. There are just too many possibilities."

"Funny, you're only going through the negative ones." Drinkwater stretches her arms out and sighs. "No more Aleph. No more dictator bullshit. A better life for the weakest among us; Clio will finally get the happiness and security she deserves. We'd even meet females who think like we do and won't easily say yes to sex. I know we gotta increase the population, but it doesn't have to happen right away. We also don't have to do it with anyone we don't like."

Livinia nods. "Well, I guess the positives and negatives are about even." She leaves the car and sits next to her friend by the doorway. "Of course, all of this assumes that our hired gun wins."

Drinkwater scoffs again. "Knock it off. Of course he'll win. Odds are two to one that he does."

"Oh yeah? Well what about the over/under of the number of stab wounds he gets? I say fifty...and I say over."

Drinkwater laughs, then Livinia laughs. The mood is somberly jovial; just as they see each other laughing, they try hard to stop themselves. The tall one stops first, only to see her friend try to stop. They both then laugh at their efforts.

"You really think he's gonna lose?" Drinkwater scratches her nose and interlocks her hands on her belly. "You're too cynical."

"I haven't yet seen anything to doubt Aleph's power or fighting prowess. I know he has weaknesses, but...I just haven't _seen_them."

The girls relax as the sun rises. Slowly, they let the calm take over as they listen to the natural sounds outdoors. Drinkwater relaxes well enough that she closes her eyes.

"Hey, listen." Livinia brushes against her friend and clears her throat. "Have you ever thought of just...taking the bug and driving away? You ever think of that?"

Drinkwater scoffs yet again. "I can't drive stick."

"I can. I've been coming here during my free time, trying to remember how it's done. I've taken the thing out for a couple of test drives to boost my confidence. I think I'm doing quite well."

"So you've thought about driving away?"

"Not by myself, of course. If ever an opportunity arose, I'd drive us all away. You, me, Clio, Aurora, and Amanda. Aurora can also drive stick, so if something happens to me, she could do it. We just wouldn't know where to go. That's the only drawback. The only family I know is here."

"Wish I could drive it, but...man! Manual transmission sucks!" She laughs loudly and lifts her legs off the floor to retrieve her tank top. "I can't understand how anyone can drive those things."

"Um...where is Amanda?"

"Oh, she was invited to a threesome last night. Since Aurora said to keep everyone busy to guarantee her alone time with Aleph, Amanda felt she had to make the sacrifice."

"Oh, yuck! That's insane."

Drinkwater turns away from Livinia and looks outside. She gets a good look at the sun. "Shit. Didn't start soon enough. Better put this on before my nipples get sore again." Satisfied with her sunbathing, she starts to put on her top. "Anyway, don't worry about it. Amanda's tough. She's got this covered."

"I'm trying to think of the payoff, but I can't get past it. I'd never be in a threesome." Livinia stands and heads to the car. "There's some water under the car. You want a bottle?" She gets down on all fours and slides a couple of bottles from under the front end. She takes them both back to the entrance and puts one next to Drinkwater. "I'm trying my best. I want to be optimistic without setting myself up for disappointment. I want to look forward to the future without ever regretting that I did. If you never heighten your expectations, you'll never be let down. Know what I mean?"

Drinkwater keeps looking outside at whatever there is to see from the mine shaft. Her whiskers and ears are all taut, as if ready for something big. Whatever she sees, she seemingly ignores Livinia, who drinks half her bottle and hardly notices.

"I'd just feel better if Aurora brought in more than one person to do the job. That's my only beef. Otherwise, the plan sounds flawless. I guess I should be more excited since it's now underway." She finishes her bottle and tosses it aside. "Oh, by the way, I forget. How do we set the scene when Aleph's body's finally brought back here?"

"Quiet. I think I hear something."

Livinia gets a good look at her friend and gets up on her knees. She notices Drinkwater's cautious, almost scared reaction and quickly stands. "What is it?"

"Shh." Drinkwater rises to her knees and squints. "I don't see anyone, but I think I hear something."

Whenever there is a sound that is not natural to the environment, the coywolves' sharp hearing can detect it almost immediately. So little happens in the desert from one day to the next that any foreign noise is spotted with little effort. This environmental certainty makes the breed highly resilient since it means nobody could possibly get the drop on them.

Livinia takes two steps outside the mine shaft entrance. She shields her eyes with her hands to prevent from squinting. "I don't see anything."

"It's not a thing. I thought I heard a voice in the distance. It doesn't sound indigenous."

Now Livinia squints, trying hard to see what is out there. "Someone's here?"

"There it is again." Drinkwater stands and joins her outside the cavern. "You hear it?"

"Is it Aurora coming back?"

"Shh. You hear that? 'Is anybody out there?' You hear it?"

It takes several seconds of silence while the girls listen for whatever is out there. Suddenly, they gasp at the same time. "I hear it." Livinia whispers. "That's Aurora's voice."

"No, it's not. Aurora would never yell out like that, not as laid back as she normally is."

The girls fall silent again and listen as the voice gets closer. Through the wind blowing in their ears now comes the audible bellowing of someone calling out. "Who could it be?" Livinia steps a little further out of the shade.

"Someone's coming. You see it? There's a shadow right down there."

Livinia sidles next to Drinkwater as a dark two-legged something appears into view, shielded by the steamy waves of the sun's heat. The girls stand as still as statues and wait for the figure to get closer. A minute later, the figure starts to run. Drinkwater's breaths grow sharper. "We've been spotted."

"You say it's not Aurora? Is it Amanda?"

"Why would she yell out 'Is anybody there?' like she's lost? She knows where this place is and she knows we're here." Time passes and Drinkwater is getting nervous. She backs herself to the mine slowly, but still remains outdoors. A minute later, her keen eyes are able to make out who the stranger is. She groans and turns her head. "It's Xanthippe."

Livinia scoffs. "You sure?"

"All that excitement over nothing."

"But only five of us know about this place. She's not one of them." Livinia shrugs and puts her hands down. "Better go see what she wants." She yawns and starts walking away from the mine and towards the speeding stranger in front of her.

"Maybe she's tired of getting porked and wants to take a much-needed break."

"Remember, sister, she's our elder and we have to be respectful; though I understand the sentiment."

Drinkwater folds her arms and watches Livinia stray further into the light. "I can't respect someone who spends half the day with her ass in the air."

"Unless you plan to tell her that when she arrives, you'll keep your mouth shut and let me do the talking. We don't need more enemies when we've got...." She glances at something to her left. She thinks nothing of it at first, then does a double take. "Oh my God!"

The shout is ear piercing and eerily stark. It startles Drinkwater into running out of the mine. "What's wrong? What's happened?"

No answer is forthcoming, so Drinkwater runs to Livinia. In a blink, she passes her and sees Shiloh.

Livinia is on all fours next to the crippled wolf. She is trying desperately to cover every wound on him with her two hands. He simply lies there, limp and unconscious; every ounce of energy in him has been spent. He has two stab wounds on his chest, two on his stomach, and the almost-ear-to-ear slash right below his neck. The wounds are deep and leaky, each bleeding at a different pace. The coywolves panic at the sight of their hired gun, forgetting about Xanthippe for the moment.

"What happened?!" Drinkwater is less put together than Livinia is. Her legs start to shake. She almost falls on Shiloh as she squats next to him.

"What do you think?! Aleph got him!" She grabs his shoulders and shakes vigorously, but nothing happens. The wolf's head wobbles dangerously in her grasp. "Get some water! Quick!"

Drinkwater nods and scampers on her feet and runs back to the mine.

"Forget it! Get back here! Help me carry him!"

Drinkwater slips and falls as Livinia's words drag her back to the fallen wolf. "Make up your mind!"

"We gotta get him out of the heat!" Livinia starts to whimper, something unexpected of the usually reserved woman. "Aw, man...this is really bad! He's lost so much blood!"

"Yeah, I see the blood trail. Did he crawl all the way here?"

Drinkwater takes Shiloh's arms and Livinia takes his legs. They struggle to lift the tall, brawny wolf and he slips from their grasp a couple of times. The girls strain and heave, but they eventually lift him.

Livinia steps backwards carefully, straining to help. "His neck's been slashed. It's pretty deep."

Drinkwater stumbles and almost falls on her knees. "We've gotta stop moving his head around!"

"But we can't leave him in the...ah!" She stumbles and falls on her backside, dropping his legs. Her friend stops moving, but holds on to his arms.

"You all right?"

"Is he breathing?"

"You tell me! I've never seen anything like this before!"

"What does that mean?!"

Drinkwater now drops Shiloh's arms. "Anytime I see someone stabbed, they're usually dead because of it! I've never seen anyone ever survive a stabbing! I don't know what to look for!"

"I only asked you if he was breathing! You can tell that, can't you?!"

Before waiting for an answer, Livinia kneels next to the wolf and moves his head face up. As she leans her face closer to listen for breath, Drinkwater scans the horizon. "Xanthippe's slowed down," she says. "She's getting closer. We're in serious trouble."

"Good. She can help us move him. I don't hear any breathing."

"What are we gonna tell her if she sees him?! She's not the type to welcome strangers."

"Aurora introduced him to her last night, so she knows who he is. As for the injuries we're just gonna have to tell her everything."

Drinkwater turns back to her friend with disbelief. "Everything? Are you crazy?!"

"Look, I'm kind of frazzled right now and I don't feel like lying! After she helps us carry him to the shade, we'll tell her everything."

"Then she'll tell Aleph! He'll kill us!"

"I can't think of a convincing lie! We didn't plan on this happening! We were supposed to win!" Shiloh's chest starts to move. Livinia panics at the slight of extra blood oozing from the slash by his neck and covers it with both hands. "He was supposed to do the job! Now that this is happening, I can't think of what else to do!"

"Well, don't ruin our lives! Just don't tell her anything!"

"Then why would she help us?! Don't be an idiot! There's no time to explain something that didn't happen! The sooner we level with her, the sooner we can save him!"

"Forget about him! He's practically dead! We can still save ourselves!"

"Would you just shut up and let me think?!"

Drinkwater backs away from her friend and folds her arms angrily. "Fine. But just so you know, we're holding on to a bad investment. Our hitman is just about finished. You can't stop that now. We've just wasted fifty grand, but I'm willing to live with it as long as we save our own lives!"

Livinia looks up at her angry friend, then turns her head to see Xanthippe just a few yards away. "She doesn't know what Aleph did to Clio."

"Yes, she did. She knew about it and did nothing."

"Well, if she did, then she knows what an asshole our leader is. I think she can help us."

"What are you talking about?! We can't trust her!"

"Would you just follow my fucking lead?!"

The two coywolves pant angrily at each other as the urgency to act increases. They hear Xanthippe's footsteps close in and turn to watch her strut her way towards them. They neglect Shiloh for the moment to brace themselves for whatever trouble is about to befall them.

The elder coywolf smiles at the scared couple and waves. She is also panting, but only out of exhaustion. She ran up to them at a quick pace and covered a lot of ground. Upon seeing them up close, she smiles and puts her hands on her hips, slowing her breathing. She is wearing denim shorts that used to be blue jeans and a short T-shirt that shows off her midriff. For someone they call the old lady, she has the muscle tone of someone Drinkwater's age. She seems to be the fittest of the three.

"Well...I knew it was you." Xanthippe puts her hands on her knees and laughs heartily. "I thought I smelled something wrong in your behaviors last night." She stands up straight and stretches her arms high. "You guys were invisible for most of the week, you know? Running away from the daily chores is a bit like skipping school, foolish and irresponsible. That's unlike you two. It's almost as if you were avoiding the camp."

Clearly offended, Drinkwater turns her back on her. "Really. I'm surprised you were able to stop having sex long enough to notice."

"Knock it off." Livinia approaches Xanthippe with the urgency the situation requires. "We need your help."

"Clearly. You look like you're fleeing the scene of a crime. What's wrong?" Xanthippe steps past Livinia to get a good look at Drinkwater, then sees the wolf and smiles curiously. "Who you got there?" Once she sees Shiloh's dire state, her attitude changes. She kneels next to him and leans in to get a close-up. "Who is this?"

Drinkwater interrupts Livinia. "That's Shiloh, Aurora's boyfriend. You met him last night at the after-hunt party. Don't you remember?"

"What's happened to him?" Xanthippe places her right hand on his neck, using her index and middle fingers to search for a beat. "His pulse is weak. What's going on?"

Livinia is desperate. "Could you help us move him to the shade?"

"What shade?"

Drinkwater scoffs. "There's a mine in front of you. Open your eyes."

"Look, stop hounding me, okay? I've had a bad start to the day." Xanthippe looks up to chide her adversary and ends up seeing the dark opening to the mine. Her mouth gapes open in amazement. "What is that?"

Livinia snaps her fingers in her face. "Help us move him, please! He's running out of life!"

She grits her teeth in response. She looks at the duo, then at Shiloh, then sighs heavily. "Why don't I know about this place? I know I don't travel, but this is--"

"You're honestly telling us you never knew we lived near a ghost town?"

Once again, Livinia takes Shiloh's feet by the ankles and Drinkwater grabs him by the wrists. Xanthippe tucks her arms under his back and does the bulk of the lifting. Each of them strains, but the task is much easier with a third contributor and they are in the mine shaft in less than a minute. Once they enter, they drop him and crowd around him.

Xanthippe again looks for a pulse. "I'll handle this. Give him room, would you please? Give him some air. Get me some water...and somebody tell me how this happened."

The two girls stand behind her and look at each other as she dotes on the wolf. They are stunned that she is taking charge, but do not argue. Livinia heads to the car. "There should be some bottled water in the front seats."

"Good. We're gonna clean up these gashes. It's too bad all the dressing is back in the compound." Xanthippe sneaks a peek behind her and sees Drinkwater looking on with fear. "Well? Are you gonna tell me what happened here or not?"

Drinkwater pouts and hangs her head. After a couple of shaky breaths, she swallows and sits next to her. "You gotta promise not to get mad."

"Honey, that's not something one can promise."

"Well, can I have assurances that you won't get mad?"

"Why would I get mad over someone I only first met last night?"

"Because once you learn who he really is, I don't wanna have to defend myself."

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

[I'm still very tired, so the trip home is eerily quiet. When we finally arrive home, my dad is doing all the talking. He's giving me instructions and asking over and over again if I'm all right. A bit more sleep and I'll be able to answer that. Right now, even though I've spent all that time in bed, I just want to go back to bed. I hold my notes tightly against me as dad opens the front door. There are lots of things to write down and lots of things to look forward to.]

[The dreams have been disturbing of late, but I guess it means that everything will be getting back to normal. The plot or plots will disappear and I'll be dreaming about random killings committed by the hitmen. This time, Shiloh may be among them, or he might not be considering present circumstances.]

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

The time is closing in on 11 o'clock, almost time for The Shark Pit to open. Bruno and Casey are putting the finishing touches on their workplace. The bulldog is wiping the bar and placing new bottles of alcohol on display against the wall. The bloodhound has just removed the last of the chairs from on top of its table. Now all the chairs are set. He bends down to pick up a couple of cigarette butts from the floor. "How could I miss these?" he asks himself.

Holding the cigarette remnants in his hands, he makes his way to the back of the bar. He meets his partner and smiles heartily. "You ready, bulldog? There's a sizeable crowd at the door."

Bruno smiles back. "Ready, bloodhound. Let's do it."

Casey turns around to see at least six patrons lined up just outside the door, and four more looking through the left-side window, including the greyhound Baua and the dingo Rory. His eyebrows furrow as if he is not looking forward to serving so many people this early in the day. He takes a deep breath and heads to the door.

"Two minutes early?" Bruno asks.

"Might as well. The support we've been getting has been outstanding. We're gonna win this bet yet."

"Hmm. I keep forgetting about that. You think the owners of Shapely Bottoms are sweating?"

"I wouldn't know, partner. But I'd say we're ahead of them in one important aspect."

"What's that?"

"Loyal patrons." Casey goes to the window and plugs in the neon OPEN lights before unlocking and opening the front door. He holds it open as ten people file inside one by one. He bumps fists with everyone, but shakes hands with Hoeness. "It's been a while, big dog. Work keeping you away?"

"Ugh. I'm up to my knees in dead bodies."

"Huh?"

The German Shepherd smiles. "Just kidding. Get me a Bud."

"The less often you remind me of what you do, the better it is for all of us."

"Just get me drunk. Then you can count on me not reminding you."

The bloodhound lets the last of the early customers in and takes his place behind the bar. The ten orders are taken quickly and quite happily. Everyone disperses with their drinks, making the bar look fuller than it really is. While everyone else is watching television or setting up a billiards game, Baua and Hoeness sit next to each other at the bar. They begin trading stories of the marks they have received for the last couple of weeks. Baua is smiling but Hoeness looks quite serious. Rory finishes his drink, says goodbye to them, and leaves.

A few minutes later, Hoeness orders another one, bringing Bruno to the bar. "What'll it be?" he asks.

"Hard cider. Let me try that new one over there." He points to one among the display of bottles behind the bulldog.

"Excellent choice. We started serving that last week. It's a popular seller."

"In this place, everything's popular."

"Say, whatever happened to that acquaintance of yours? There was a lady German Shepherd who used to frequent here. She eventually took a shine on you. I haven't seen her in weeks."

"Why you wanna know that?"

"Just curious. It's about time our esteemed playboy had a relationship with someone other than the bartenders."

Hoeness sighs and finishes his beer. "It's the middle of August; she's a school teacher. Do the math."

"Man, that's tough."

"Her hours are impossible. For us to get together any time soon, I'd have to change my 'hours.' Of course, if I wanted to, I could opt for no hours, but that means no work. I've got no good options, short of waiting for her at the school while it lets out."

"Why don't you do that?"

"I don't do too well around kids. Can't stand 'em."

Baua bumps Hoeness with an elbow. "Besides, it wouldn't look right. You waiting on a woman at an elementary school? You'd look like a creeper."

"Stop it. It's not an elementary school."

"Middle school?"

"No."

The greyhound furrows his brow worriedly. "Kindergarten?"

Hoeness strokes his chin and shrugs. "She doesn't dwell on her work that much. Matter of fact, I've forgotten where she works."

Casey arrives with the hard cider. "Here's your drink. How could you forget where she works?"

"Just leave it alone, okay? Like I said, she doesn't dwell on it."

Baua chuckles and takes a sip of Hoeness' drink. "Maybe she's hiding something."

"Hiding what? Gimme that. Go away."

Casey nods confidently. "Pretty much anyone who comes here has something to hide...and the secrets are pretty damning. Maybe your girl is a former sex worker? Then it would make sense if she were reluctant to talk about teaching kids."

Baua laughs. "Yeah, or maybe she's one of those cougars who trolls bars like this. You must be her latest conquest."

"Yeah. Aren't you too big to be a trophy?"

Irritated, Hoeness finishes the hard cider in one go. "Leave me alone, you dickheads. One more, Casey."

Casey joins Baua in boisterous laughter as he replenishes the glass. Meanwhile, the greyhound abruptly stops himself and clears his throat. "Actual dickhead on your five." He points, getting Hoeness to look behind him.

Among a smattering of patrons coming and going stands Pamila, the much maligned red fox, in the flesh. She has made sure that she is not hard to spot, wearing probably the gaudiest, glitteriest sequined dress that anyone in such a place has ever seen. She certainly draws more than a few eyeballs to her direction.

The eyeballs appear to be friendly. The first place she visits is the table closest to the door, where she greets a group of four people sitting together. Three of the four wave at her; one of them, a female porcupine, shakes her hand. She then traipses past a few other tables to the nearest pool table. There, she greets a group of five in the middle of a game of nine-ball. They are not fellow workers, but regulars to The Shark Pit like she is. Three of the five give a friendly wave while two of them, red foxes themselves, rudely end their game to get away from her.

While greeting everyone, Pamila speaks in short, subtle words. She lingers around those who return her greetings and ignores those who turn away. She is not interested in troubling anybody and allows those who want space to have it. After spending a couple of minutes at the pool table, she struts to the front of the bar and sits down at the nearest empty table. There are empty barstools in front of her, but she decides to keep her distance. She does eventually gain the attention of the bartenders.

First, Casey looks at her while still serving incoming customers. Then Bruno notices her as he wipes the bar. They see her but continue working. There is even a five-minute stretch where nobody orders anything. Neither of the vendors makes the short trip to her table. The whole time there, she never notices Hoeness, who stares at her at the cost of finishing his drink. Since being alerted to her arrival, he has kept his eyes only on her. His mellow mind-set changes dramatically as the minutes pass. She is now happily staring out the window, nonchalantly tapping her fingers on the table, oblivious to his presence. She does not know he is there. And now, she never will.

Hoeness puts down his full glass, springs a fifty from his pocket, and puts it on the bar. He quietly says goodbye to Baua and, surprising the owners, hops on his barstool and jumps over the bar. He enters the kitchen, presumably to leave through the backdoor. Those who notice look on in awe, but keep silent. Pamilia's head was somewhere else and she never saw what happened.

After that quick event, things return to their normal state. A couple of more regulars enter; two lynx, both female. They smile and wave at the red fox before sitting at the bar. Pamila acknowledges them before turning away from the window. She looks at the bartenders eagerly but they stubbornly stay behind; they know she wants service, but are reluctant to approach her. The fox nods slowly and quietly without saying anything, totally playing against type.

She has been carrying a black-and-gold-colored designer purse with her the entire time. It has been draped over her left shoulder, making her look even more garish. It shines brighter than the sequins do. From the purse, she pulls out a stack of twenty dollar bills. The bills are rolled tightly and tied with a single rubber band, something she has most likely done herself. She unravels the bills and spreads them, side by side, on the table. This garners the attention of the bartenders and a couple of patrons. Casey shows the most interest and finishes serving a couple of newcomers to head her way.

The bloodhound is rightly angry considering the trouble he and his partner undertook the last three weeks. His face scrunches as he watches the fox play with her money. He is interested and approaches the table. Most of the people inside are watching the display, waiting to see what will happen. Baua puts down his drink and intently watches the scene. The bar has quieted down, making Bruno uncomfortable. He huffs at the fox and folds his arms; he is just as angry but stays behind.

Pamila looks like she knows what she is doing while she teases everyone with the money on the table. When she sees Casey getting closer, she starts to pack it into a small pile. She smiles deviously and picks up the stack as the bloodhound takes a seat in front of her.

"What the hell do you think you're doing?" Casey's whisper is loud enough in this quiet place for everyone to hear.

"Good morning to you too. How've you been?"

"What the hell do you think you're doing?"

"Oh, nothing. Just hoping to remind you guys that money is green, no matter the donor."

"You think you're just gonna be welcome back here with open arms, huh?"

"Fact is I know I will be. Maybe I won't get a hug from you guys, but I know I'm gonna get a drink."

"Is that right?"

"Come on now. Is there really any reason not to serve me?"

"I think half the people here have plenty of reasons."

"And what do _you_think? Should I be served?"

"Well, Bruno and I didn't last this long serving just anyone. We've successfully weeded out the riffraff, the troublemakers, and the youngsters who bring those weak-ass, fake IDs to fool us. We've also gotten rid of any unwelcome visitors, including the mostly human supporters of our dear Governor. It's given us the dubious honor of being labeled 'furry only,' but our fans don't mind. We're popular for a reason. Don't think we'll take it for granted just because you want a drink."

Pamila gasps and smiles. "Impressive. That's a well-rehearsed history lesson, I must say. But, I'm frankly taken aback...taken aback I say, that you don't want to serve me!" She chuckles and returns half the bills into her purse. "I'm not, as you say, a riffraff, and I certainly am not underage. I hate the Governor as much as anyone else here. I'm one of you." Her smile starts to fade. "So why would you not serve me?"

"I'm more than tempted to throw your ass out of here for everything that's happened to us..." Casey points to the bar behind him. "...and to them. Spending hours getting questioned by the pigs is not how we want our customers to remember The Shark Pit. At least the regulars have all been ruled out as suspects now."

Pamila sighs and stops pretending that the conversation will end agreeably. "Look...." Her voice lowers to a whisper. "You'll appreciate this. A couple of weeks after I bombed that fucking place, I was told to stay away from here. It was Shiloh's girlfriend who gave me that warning. You know what? I heeded it. Didn't want to, but I did. So I paid a price too."

"Yeah, right. It's not like you couldn't have gone somewhere else to drink."

"I did. It wasn't the same. Anyway, I wasn't exactly banned from The Shark Pit. I was just told not to come and I followed that advice. I also promised my coworkers that I wouldn't come here for a month, so if any raids happened, the police would have nothing. As long as everyone in here lied and played dumb, no one would be in trouble, least of all you guys. You haven't been raided in two weeks. The heat's died down. So my plan worked. Can you honestly say you'll throw me out?" The fox waves her money in the bulldog's face, waiting for a sign of approval. He does not look like relenting. "Look," she says, "can't we just admit that we need each other and return things to normal? I'm a regular customer with disposable income. You're the reason I live and breathe. There's no reason our bond can't still exist. I'll even keep my mouth shut for the rest of the time I'm in here, except to place an order. What do you say?"

Casey hopelessly looks behind him to see the disapproving stares of Baua, Rory, and his business partner. After a few seconds of deep thought, he shrugs and stands. "What do you want?"

"A rum and Coke for starters. Can I come to the bar?"

"That depends. Does 'keep my mouth shut' really mean what I hope it means?"

"You won't hear a peep. We can heal slowly that way."

"Follow me. Quietly." Casey leads the way and, to Bruno's consternation, leads her to an empty stool. That she sits in between Baua and Rory makes the bulldog nervous.

Bruno closes his eyes as he would rather not look at the fox; she is sitting right in front of him. "So," he asks, "you all work in the same place. Is this gonna be a happy, tearful reunion? Or am I gonna have to break up a fight?"

Baua and Rory look at the bulldog, then at the smiling fox. "No," Rory answers. "There'll be no trouble."

"Good. Take over, Case. I'm going to the restroom."

As Bruno takes off his apron, Baua puts his half-finished beer on the table and springs off his barstool. With everyone looking on, he heads for the exit. "See you all later."

"Hey! Get back here. You haven't paid."

"I'll be back when the bitch is gone." The greyhound says it loud enough for her to hear it. He pushes the door open and leaves, leaving a surprised, silent bar behind him.

Casey takes Bruno's place at the bar and starts to serve. Meanwhile, Pamila and Rory are the only two now seated there. She returns the bills to her purse for safekeeping and takes out her Smartphone. After pressing a few buttons, she sees the smiling face of her feline friend and sighs with a satisfied grin. She checks her messages and is about to call. When she holds up the phone to her face, she notices the dingo looking right at her.

"Care for a pint, Sheila?"

Pamila opens her mouth and stutters, but then closes it and shakes her head.

"Oh, that's right. You've already ordered. It was so quiet in here, your whispering could be heard from across the room." He finishes his drink, watching the fox the entire time.

She puts her purse on her lap and clasps her hands on the bar. The smile on her face is replaced with nervous anticipation of her first drink in this establishment for more than a month.

"I defended you, you know."

Pamila turns to look at Rory once again. Her mouth opens in surprise and her breath stops for a few seconds.

"It's true. I didn't defend your actions per se. It's just that...." He faces forward, turning away from her stare. "Don't judge me, okay? It's just that of all the killers who attend those bloody morning meetings, I'm mad at you the least. I don't want you to lose your job. It's just that you make it so hard to root for you. Know what I mean? And while I did want to see you clean a toilet, it wasn't my intention to see you hurt."

She politely clears her throat. "Exactly what is the point of this speech? Looking for forgiveness?"

Casey walks up to the couple with Pamila's order. "Hey! Not a peep. Remember?"

The fox returns to smiling and waits for him to turn his back to her before nodding. She picks up her drink, sniffs if a couple of times, and slowly takes it in.

"Tasty, isn't it?" Rory chuckles, genuinely showing interest in her. He even scoots himself as close to her as he can. "I'll bet it's extra tasty to you after all that time away. Just like you, I wouldn't trade this place for anywhere else in the world. Well...there is an exception. There's this place in Brisbane I love to go to. Just like this place, it has the warmth and the camaraderie I like. It also has Victoria Bitter, which this place...doesn't have. But still...."

Pamila listens on even as her smile disappears. She is uncomfortable with how close he is but finishes her drink anyway. Once done, she slams the glass down to get Casey's attention. "Boilermaker," she yells. "Serve it in a stein, please."

"Ooh, let me. I got this one. However much it is, I got it." With both hands, Rory reaches into his pockets. "I'm not pandering, mind you. I'm just subtly welcoming you back to our beloved watering hole. I know the next couple of days are gonna be hard. When you get back to work, everyone'll want a piece of you, Shiloh will be calling for your ouster, and the executives will monitor your every step. That's not to mention the chief, who will return to her angry self. I mean...a month with you away was like a vacation for her." He laughs softly.

Pamila blows out a frustrated breath as Casey serves her the two drinks that will combine to be her boilermaker. One of them is a beer served in a glass mug. She watches Rory put some money on the table and shrugs inquisitively.

"I'll take care of that for you. That's for your boilermaker. As for the rum and Coke, I'll have the boys put it on my tab. You don't have to pay for anything today. That's my way of saying welcome back to the pub."

She does not want to talk to him, but still gives a nod as she grabs the mug.

"Excellent. Glad you like it. And when you come back to work tomorrow, or whenever it is you'd like to return, I'll be there to make sure that smooth sailing is had by all. I'll even give you my mark in exchange if you ever ask. Just make sure you stay away from Hoeness. He'll be sore to see you. You might want to avoid the executives too, just in case." He laughs and empties half his drink. "Also, try not to provoke the rest of the guys like you're always keen to do. You want them to slowly grow into your presence again. Just a suggestion." He smugly puts his glass down and turns to Casey. "So how much is that all together?" He pulls a ten from his shirt pocket. "In the words of the immortal AC/DC, have a drink." He tosses the ten to the bulldog. "On me."

Before the bloodhound can take the note, Pamila stands, rears back, and smashes the beer mug on the back of the dingo's head. Beer flies everywhere and Rory is effectively knocked out; his face slams on top of the bar. Everyone inside quickly stands and looks for the unexpected noise. Even though her act was successful, Pamila slams the now empty mug on the back of his head again. Then she pushes him off the barstool.

Rory lies there, flat on the floor, like he was asleep. His head is just inches from the nearest table. There are a few gasps from the crowd and everyone speaks in hushed tones. Pamila hears a couple of rebukes, but ignores them to stare at the dingo with the angriest face she can conjure. To Casey's unsurprised dismay, she grabs Rory's half finished beer and sits down on the dingo's chest. As everyone gathers around her, she takes a sip and looks up at them like she was being questioned. "What? Was he not being literal?"

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

Shiloh is in deep trouble. Even though he is in the shade of the mine shaft, the three women around him have not moved him since. He has just been lying on the floor for more than five minutes while the girls argue. All secrets have been spilled and Shiloh's cover has been blown. Xanthippe now knows that the wolf is not really Aurora's girlfriend. She now knows what he is really doing here. The news has scared her enough that she has to do something, but for now, she just closes her mouth and sits down with her back against the wall. She spends a minute breathing deeply to stop her heart from pounding so fast. "To think we had an assassin in our midst," she says. "Unbelievable."

Meanwhile, Livinia and Drinkwater impatiently wait for their colleague to act. Shiloh's condition is worsening by the minute. Drinkwater kneels down by him to check the damage. His wounds are covered by strips of clothing. The four long strips are tied around him covering the five wounds Aleph and Bonan gave him. Some blood has soaked through, but it looks like the bleeding has stopped overall.

Drinkwater sighs and shakes her head. "My best dress."

"I'll buy you a new one," Livinia says. "At least it's working. How is he?"

"He keeps waking up and passing out. He's up again and panting slightly. I'm afraid the next time he passes out might be the last time he does."

The girls stop talking and stare at Xanthippe, who sits cross-legged in front of all three of them. "I can't believe you wanted our patriarch killed."

A stressed out Drinkwater balls her hands. "I promise you, you were never in any danger. Neither was anyone else in camp. Just Aleph."

Livinia groans angrily and moves across the floor to face Xanthippe. "All right, look! I've got a hunch and I'm gonna play it. Stop me if I'm wrong, but I don't think I am." She waits until the elder coywolf is looking right at her. "You don't like Aleph either." She pauses to see what Xanthippe does. Getting nothing but a cold stare, she continues, "You hate that he has so many lovers now when it used to be you exclusively. You hate that he won't let you love the one you've now actually fallen in love with. You hate sitting around in the heat all day with nothing to do. You hate that he disallows women to join in hunts. In fact, he disallows the females to do much of anything."

"You talk too much. You don't really know him."

"He's not the benevolent leader that most of our sisters make him out be. He's slowly losing his grip day after day. If everything is not perfectly controlled to his whims, he'll force control. It wasn't like that in the beginning, but I think the pressure of running a colony is getting to him. You've seen it too, or you'd be sleeping with him more often instead of those red guys."

"You can't talk to me this way!" Xanthippe's anger startles the other coywolves. "It may be true that our relationship is rocky...so to speak, but that's what comes with living where we live. We have to sacrifice certain things and give in once in a while."

"He never has to give in to anything."

"Livinia, you don't know what you're talking about. Things are fine. Nothing happens here without someone leading the way."

"Yeah. Things are so fine that Clio was raped last week. I told you that earlier and I saw the look on your face. You know Aleph's capable of this. Aurora knew too. We thought it was worth all that money to get rid of him. Right now I bet you're all conflicted and shit, wondering whether to report us to our 'patriarch' or save the hitman's life."

"Just shut up. I'm thinking."

"Think quickly, because I do intend to save his life, and you're not helping just sitting there."

"What do you want me to do, huh?"

Drinkwater bends down to examine Shiloh up close. Livinia continues, "Aurora planned it and we both paid the money we had. Amanda too. We've told you everything and you're well within your rights to tell Aleph or Bonan. But before you do any of that, I want you to acknowledge how bad we've had it under his leadership. Even you aren't happy with him lately. Clio's rape is just a harbinger of things to come. None of the women are safe."

Xanthippe stands, scaring Livinia a bit. The elder is angry, but after looking at the wolf's state, she sighs heavily and bows her head. "Well, I'm glad you told me. Now I know. But I don't hate Aleph like the rest of you do. He's incorrigible, but I can handle him. Full disclosure, I hate his brother. I hate him with a passion. Do you know what he said to me this morning? He--"

"I don't care! Help us save him."

"Yeah...think about that for a moment. Why would you want to do that? Why don't we just let the hitman bleed to death? We'll bury him afterwards and that'll be that. In time, we'll forget about him. At least he won't be eaten."

"We're not going to do that! We paid for him and brought him all the way over here. We owe it to him to take him back. He needs serious medical care. As soon as we get him back--"

"And where are you taking him?"

"He's got family back in Los Angeles. We practically bought him from there with all the money we promised. It's only fair that...." Livinia stops talking and angrily watches Xanthippe laugh. "You think this is funny?"

"You're going all the way there?"

"My workplace is only thirty miles from L.A. I walk all the way there every weekday. As luck would have it, we have the vehicle for this. We can get to a hospital much faster."

"What you're planning is impulsive at best, suicidal at worst. Even if Aleph doesn't kill you two for bringing a car to this place, any hospital you go to is, by law, going to report what happened to him to law enforcement. You would be asked a lot of questions. You might even be tempted to tell the police about our commune, damaging everybody. No matter what you decide, you'd never get away scot free."

"Boy, for someone who values desert life, you sure seem to know everything about big city policing."

"Aleph taught me everything I know."

Drinkwater suddenly pants furiously, drawing the attention of the other girls. She is pressing her hands on Shiloh's chest. "He's passed out again! I can't seem to revive him!"

Livinia and Xanthippe trade worried glances before gathering around the wolf. They crowd him, ignoring Xanthippe's earlier call to give him some air. As the elder feels for a pulse, Drinkwater backs away, clasping her hands behind her head.

"Are we out of water?" Livinia asks.

"Yeah. I've fed him all that was left. We need to get him out of here."

Xanthippe looks like a doctor as she applies her paws gently over most of Shiloh's torn body. "His pulse is getting weaker and his temperature is rising. He won't last long. If we just put him out of his misery, we won't have to bother."

"Why are you so intent on killing him?!"

"We are not his guardian angels! He chose his own destiny! He knew the risks of his job and this happens to be one of them. We don't have to save him if we can just leave him here and go about with our own lives." She shakes her head at the angry faces staring back at her. "His family back home will never find out and they'll never come here! In the end, we win, because nothing bad happens to us!"

Drinkwater fumes. "That's unacceptable!"

"Well, it doesn't matter anyway. The red ones are coming for him."

While Drinkwater stutters, Livinia drops her jaw and starts to shiver. "What's that?"

"Aleph ordered Benin and Enugu to finish him off. That was quite some time ago. He told them to follow the blood trail. They should have been here by now, but knowing them as I do, they probably stopped to eat breakfast."

"Why didn't you tell us that when you first got here?!"

Xanthippe arrogantly folds her arms in response to being yelled at by her peers. "Look, I just left camp to see the body that Aleph was talking about. I didn't know anybody would be here. When I saw you guys trying to save his life, I just...forgot."

"But they're surely coming?"

"Yes."

Livinia nods and kneels down to reach under the car. "We've got to move him now."

"You're still going?"

Livinia grabs a pair of sneakers from under the bug and quickly ties them on. "You can forget about talking us out of it. Your attempts are pathetic. We're driving him out of here and back to L.A. We'll just put him in the back and burn rubber."

"Fine. Don't listen to reason. But where will you guys go with him?"

"We'll think of something on the way."

"Look, I feel for him, okay? I really do. Bleeding out and getting cooked in the heat is a horrible way to die, but I still think it's best for all of us."

Drinkwater takes Shiloh's shoes and socks off and tosses them aside. "Xanthippe, if you're not gonna help us, then get out of our way."

Livinia wipes Shiloh's mouth with her left hand. "Besides, your discouragement is only trying to glorify a man we no longer respect. We see through you and we don't like Aleph enough to care. We're getting Shiloh some help."

Xanthippe looks on in shock as the younger coywolves knock down any authority she thinks she has. She drops her arms to her sides and disappointedly exhales. "I see fresh blood on your hand, Livinia. It came from his mouth, didn't it?"

"What of it?"

"You think your lack of common sense can fix his collapsed lung?"

Drinkwater huffs. "You don't know that for sure!"

"Whatever. If you don't want to listen to reason, that's fine. But you two should just drive a distance, dump him on the side of the road somewhere, and get back. It's the only thing I can think of that will get you in the least trouble."

The young girls watch her speak and acknowledge her attempt to help them. Livinia nods and squats to grab Shiloh's ankles. "Help us lift him out of the mine, then you can criticize us some more, okay?"

With that, the coywolves grab the wolf and lift him off the blood-tainted ground. They strain and struggle with his height, but take him out of the shade. They rest him against the wall of the shaft, on the left side of the opening. The wolf's head wobbles and hangs effortlessly.

Livinia and Drinkwater look him over carefully and check his wounds; they are still bleeding, but slowly enough to not generate any further panic. They are about to reenter the mine when they hear an "Uh-oh" from Xanthippe. They quickly rush to her side to see what she sees. They may be out in the distance, but the shadows of two hulking figures are getting closer to them.

Drinkwater gasps. "It's the red ones!" She dashes back to the mine shaft.

Livinia faces her adversary. She nervously clears her throat. "I want you to know that I respect you more than the other conspirators do. Drinkwater, Amanda, and Clio hate your guts. However, I know that someone with your age and experience is useful more often than not. Thanks for telling us how to dress those wounds and make him comfortable. Your help won't go unnoticed. We're going now."

"Your hitman's gonna die whether you make it to L.A. or not."

"Please don't make me regret what I said just now."

Xanthippe closes her eyes and nods. "I'll distract Benin and Enugu. I'll buy you time. Just leave quickly so they don't see your faces."

"You're a pal. Tell Aleph we went out exploring or something. We'll be back as soon as we can."

"Don't make stupid promises. Just go." After watching Livinia run off, Xanthippe takes off herself, running towards the shadowy, distorted figures. She stops running when they come into perfect shape.

Benin and Enugu are almost totally naked. Benin is wearing old, tattered, boxer shorts while Enugu is wearing a loincloth. It looks like something hastily put together since it has a small, white tag sticking out the front of it. Benin holds by his side a knife with an eight-inch blade. Its handle has green-black camo coloring. Enugu is armed with a spear that looks like it was formerly a tree branch, something he most likely made himself. They step in unison as they follow the fading blood trail and their noses to Shiloh. When they see Xanthippe, they stop, look at each other for a second, then continue. Benin is smiling. Enugu is not.

"Good morning, boys. How does the day find you?"

"Good morning, lover." Benin's voice is low and suave. He puffs out his chest gleefully and slows to a trot. His greedy eyes paw at her ample, barely hidden chest. "Gonna be hot again today."

Enugu huffs and passes them both. "Morning."

Xanthippe follows him. "What's wrong with you?"

"Oh, nothing really. I just don't like getting yelled at first thing in the morning."

"What are you talking about? I don't remember that happening. I mean...I may have demanded you to fuck me a little too harshly, but that was the orgasm. I wasn't yelling."

"I meant Aleph, dumbass. Weren't you there?" Enugu walks faster. "You may not care what he thinks of me as a bodyguard, but I do."

He is walking too fast for Xanthippe to catch up without running. She and Benin watch him walk away for a couple of seconds before she decides to go after him. While running, she steps on a stray rock, nearly tripping. She looks down and sees it, then picks it up and throws it.

The rock hits Enugu in the back, disintegrating on impact. He stops and turns angrily. Xanthippe quickly regrets doing that and starts to worry as the angry coywolf marches right back to her. She calmly takes a breath and readies herself. Meanwhile, Benin steps in between them.

"What was that for?!" Enugu yells.

"That's for this morning, when Bonan said what he said to me. You just sat there like an idiot and watched it happen. Both of you did. None of you defended me."

"Aw, come on now." Benin plants a kiss on the woman, then playfully plants one on Enugu. "You're both lovely. Don't let what our leader and his brother say put you down."

Enugu growls and turns away. "We have a job to do. Better go do it." He is about to walk away again when Xanthippe places her hands around his waist. He stops and grunts impatiently. "What is it now?"

"I'm sorry. Forgive me, okay?" She kisses the back of his neck. "It's not your fault that you work for a douche. I just wish you'd act more sympathetic to my needs."

"I have sex with you, don't I?"

"Yes, but if you two want to keep having sex with me, if you want to have it continue for a long time, we need to rein in the brothers. You understand? You two work for him, but we can't let them just knock us down like they did this morning. You understand?"

Benin puts his hands on her shoulders and gets her to look at him. "Please understand, our duties are our lives. We learned from a young age to take care of those who need us and never question our orders. We don't talk back to the people under our charge."

Enugu stands next to his partner as they both stare down the female. "Besides, we're warriors, not negotiators. What you're asking for is sacrilegious."

Xanthippe sidles up to them and embraces them, barely fitting them in her arms. "But won't you two be my warriors?"

The men look at each other quizzically. Benin drops his knife to return her embrace properly and says, "You know, brother, maybe we can defend her honor without offending the big guy."

"You won't go soft if you just look after me a little. I promise." She smiles confidently and kisses Enugu's nose. "Mull it over a bit."

Xanthippe has managed to keep their backs to the mine shaft a hundred yards away. As the men confer with each other, she watches Drinkwater and Livinia pushing the VW Beetle out of the large tunnel. They struggle with it, but manage to push it all the way out in the open. They each grab Shiloh and walk him to the passenger seat. Livinia enters the front and Drinkwater gets in the back. Xanthippe nods and closes her eyes, bracing herself for the inevitable sound of the engine.

Benin and Enugu's banter is starting to get heated; Enugu is still allowing Aleph's words to sting him. They raise their voices, oblivious to anything going on behind them. When the bug's engine turns over, the loud noise startles them both. Enugu drops his spear as the men turn around. The yellow vehicle kicks up some dust from its rear tires as it speeds away from the mine shaft. It peels away before the red coywolves even think of chasing it.

They leave Xanthippe behind and follow it until it is well beyond them. She sighs and shakes her head, chuckling to herself and heading for home. "Come back soon, you guys."