Chapter 6: Watching

Two bothers and a cat come to terms with the changes that they face.

He stood in the shadows and watched as the others did their business with the pudgy camel who acted as if he was royalty as he sat perched on his divan. Occasionally Salazar would take a puff from his hookah or sip his chilled red wine as he gave out his orders, he was haughtily benevolent to those who faithfully served him and without mercy to those who failed. Storm Kole was among the later and although he had performed all his subsequent jobs efficiently, he was not yet forgiven for his act of kindness by allowing the waitress to live. Salazar kept him on a short lease, even requiring the fox to live inside the villa, abet in a small dank basement room. Always the threat of the contract on his father was dangled over him like the proverbial Sword of Damocles, although the fox maintained the attitude that he didn't care. Many nights after his work, he would find himself wandering down the back streets to the brothel and into Jasmine's arms. More the once, he would awaken in the vixen's embrace during the predawn hours only to have to slip back into the villa before his absence was noticed by Salazar's goons.

Watching others…he had done that since he was the tender age of fourteen when at his request, the mobsters came for the perverted warthog who abused his mother. He watched to make sure the coast was clear when they hauled him out of his office and then watched some more as they drove their knives into the fat boar's chest, before they shoved his lifeless carcass over the boat's railings to the waiting sharks. Later Storm found himself repaying the mafia as a messenger who ferried information from one mobster to the next, always by memory so if he never had any incriminating evidence upon himself if he was detained by the police or a rival gang. His life had changed that day, because he had become part of the Family and once you join you can never leave.

The days turned into weeks before one of his simple jobs took him back to the part of the city where he grew up, it was not a dangerous job but rather routine. Storm had a feeling it was just another test of loyalty, to see if he contacted any of his family or old friends and so he kept to the shadows. However, he found himself standing on top of a tall hotel and watching the beach below him with a smile as this time what he watched the joyful scene of his brother Stone trying to teach a young arctic wolf pup how to surf. The small white fox's fur had been trimmed closer than usual almost making him look like an albino grey fox except of his shorter ears and muzzle. The grooming was an obvious attempt to make the little guy more comfortable with the warmer weather and the salt water. Storm chuckled as the snow fox's tail happily wagged as he grabbed his surf board and followed the slightly larger fennec fox into the surf.

Sitting back with his feet dangling off the building's roof, Storm watched his bother and the young fox as they bobbed in the waves, it reminded him of the couple of times when Stone tried to teach him how to surf and failed. A crowd of surfers of various sizes had gathered to watch as the pup caught a wave and wobbling some, finally stood up to ride his board towards the shore before taking a spill into the water. The tan fox on the roof gave a small smile as the surfers cheered the puppy as he swam to shore.

Finally he clamored to his feet and with one last look back at his brother, slipped into the hotel's interior and down the stairwell towards the ground floor where his black sedan awaited him. Within a few minutes, he adjusted his sunglasses as the small car zoomed down the highway away from the coast and towards the desert beyond.

He floated on his surfboard in the warm sunshine and watched Anton catch the wave, Stone Kole had a sudden feeling he was being watched and looked around but didn't see anyone except the usual crowd of surfers who were yelling words of encroachment to his protégé. He watched the young fox tentatively stand up on his board with a grin and then struggle as he tried to stay upright on his board for the first time as he rode the wave. "Not bad!" Stone mumbled to himself and snickered when the little surfer slipped and splashed into the foamy water. Once the fox's head popped up in the surf, Stone relaxed and cheered with the rest of his companions before he caught the next wave towards the shore.

Anton enthusiastically was begging to go again, but Stone looked at the receding surf and then the sun before sadly shaking his head no. "It's getting late and we need to clean up before we head back to Mallard's Hall," Stone told the younger fox. Mallards Hall was the private institution where Anton was now living. Somehow the young fox had a benefactor who was paying all his bills, along with all those of the others who lived in the vast snow covered grey stone mansion which overlooked the icy cold waters of the Polar Straits. "Run to the showers and wash up. Then we'll sneak over to get a snowcone, but only if you promise it won't ruin your dinner. You know how mad Miss Jenkins gets at me if you don't eat her cooking!" The fox was all smiles as he happily trotted towards the outdoor shower.

"He's getting better," a familiarly haughty voice called over to Stone and he turned to see Bonaparte standing there with his board. The fox was surprised that the mongoose was talking to him, the two had for some reason become bitter rivals. "The kit has a lot of natural talent, so we both better keep an eye on him because he's going to one day be better then you and maybe even me."

"Your modesty is overwhelming," Stone sarcastically replied. "As for your being better than me, we shall see once the season begins again. You're good mongoose, but not that good!"

The rival surfer gave him a thin smile and shook his head as he walked away, leaving Stone somewhat perplexed about their conversation. "Was that Bonaparte?" Anton excitedly asked from behind him. "He's really, really good and almost as good a surfer as you Uncle Stoney!"

I'm now his Uncle Stoney? the fennec fox was startled that Anton had called him that, he had gone from Mister Kole to Uncle Stoney all since the lesson this morning had started. He pondered whether he should correct the other fox, but then realized that Anton had just let it slip out.

"I'm sorry Mister Kole," Anton suddenly continued. "I should not have called you that."

"Why did you?" Stone asked as he looked over at the young arctic fox who was blushing with embarrassment.

"Some of the others at the hall tease me about surfing, so I told him you were my uncle," he sniffled. "I know I shouldn't have done that, but I was mad."

"Uncle Stoney…" the fennec fox pretended as if he was deeply thinking about it and then smiled. "So I guess there's no harm with you calling me Uncle Stoney." His words were greeted with a smile and the wagging of Anton's tail.

Across the globe, she watched as the early morning sun rose in the east. Karen greeted the sunrise with a sip from yet another cup of coffee. Her new job with the corporate office had taken her away from the hotel where she had worked all her career and now she was traveling too much, but the pay was much better. "Why are you knocking yourself out like this?" she muttered to herself as she looked out the window and to the east, almost hoping in vain to see the blue sea from this foreign city's vast downtown. At first she found her new job rewarding, taking off to one place after another to observe and report on one of the chains many worldwide hotels and resorts, but she missed Stone and the sea.

"Look I have plenty of money now that the treasure has been sold off," her lover had called to her as she dressed to leave on her latest trip. She looked over at Stone, who was still in the bed propped up on the pillows with his light tan bare chest showing. "I mean we're not filthy rich like I hoped, but a few million is more than enough to live on comfortably."

"Stone you don't have any insurance or even medical coverage except what the city provides," she replied with a shake of her head. "Besides I like my job."

"You're going to be gone for another two weeks," he complained. "That's like forever!"

"You know you could travel with me and see all kinds of exotic places?" she added with a smile.

"But I'm training for the upcoming qualification rounds," he objected. "Do you want me to give up surfing?"

"No, I would never ask you to do that!" she softy sighed. Pulling on her blue blazer, she walked over to the bed and kissed him. "I'll be back before you know it Stoney."

Sipping her coffee again she stood and stretched. Since the winter holiday, she had been traveling many more days than she stayed home. Absently her paw twisted the blue diamond engagement ring, a gift that a charming ghostly pirate named Jack Sparrow had given to Stoney the night they battled the Voodoo Queen and her undead zombie minions. A few days later, Stone had knelt where the beach met the sea to propose to her while they were on Saint Sylvester's Island. "Why can't he give up surfing to be with me?" she growled softly. Then she remembered why she had fallen in love with Stone in the first place, he was a rogue of a fox with a surfboard. Her ears flattened when she also thought of Anton, the young fox pup who Stone was mentoring, the little guy had lost his entire family and now Stone was all he had left. Sitting back at the desk, she opened her laptop and returned to what she did best…her work.