"Kansas" Juliet spat it. Her collar went off and her fur bristled. She stood up and turned around slowly, glaring up and the Curacao as though he were something to be squashed.
He put his paw over his heart and said, "You do remember me darling, it had been so long. I thought you would have forgotten me. You broke my heart leaving me all hot and bothered in the cold like that. You outta make it up to me."
"What are you doing here Kansas? You just here to harass me? Or are do you have a particular purpose for slithering around?" She tried to control her breathing, she knew a shock was coming on. Her paws clenched in frustration.
He used to thumb to push his hat up and leaned against a trashcan. "Oh, just after a rather slippery fox, maybe you heard of him, a Mr. Wilde?"
She pointed at him, her collar beeped again. "He is my mark Kansas; I will make you a soprano if you weasel in on my score"
"Be still my beating heart. You are such a fiery little thang. Tell you what, have a drink with me at my new club, the Tomcat Lounge, and I will back off. What do you say, Sweet thang? He smiled greasily at her.
"I will be dead and cold before you get anywhere near me. Then again, you might like that, creep. I am going to get Wilde first. Go enjoy your tomcats." Her collar shocked her and she cringed.
"ooh, that hurts the both of us, Darlin. You outta think long and hard about my offer. Things are a changing around here and you wanna be on the right side. I will see you around, perty tail." He winked at her and swaggered off.
Juliet sat, she was shaking from the shock and the anger. Stupid Kansas was on her bounty, this bounty of all of them. She had to work fast. The wolverine said he was not there, so it wasn't worth the risk sneaking in. She would have to come back later that night. She felt awful anyway. She decided to just go back to the hostile and take a shower. She needed to wash the encounter with Kansas away physically and mentally.
They were supposed to be out of the hostile during the day so Juliet had to sneak through the restroom window to get a shower. It was mid-afternoon when she finished her shower and headed toward her bunk. The scene that met her was hardly welcoming.
The ZPD was crawling all over the hostile. They looked startled to see her come out of the restroom, and she thanked her lucky stars she had dressed before she came out. The bunny office she had met before was able to ID her easily, so that was a plus. Apparently a bunch of angry predators in suits had ransacked through the hostile looking for something.
The bunny officer, Juliet remembered her name after seeing her badge, asked, "Aren't you on a bounty for the ZPD?"
Juliet leaned against a bunk and crossed her arms, "Yeah. I am."
"Do you think that this has anything to do with that assignment."
"No idea. You tell me. You're the officer."
The bunny tapped her foot and said, "Have you run into any kind of trouble on this assignment Ms. Hunter?"
"Oh, just the other sleezeball bounty hunter you 'assigned' to the mark. Y'know, Kansas. He is trouble in the worst way, and then some. Other than that I have just been tracking him down."
"Kansas. Right. Well thank you Ms. Hunter. We will be in touch. Be careful." The officers left.
Juliet looked through the hostile and found the owner, a wolf by the name of Aileen. She was cleaning up some glass. Juliet had a pang of guilt and knelt down to help her. Aileen was startled at the sight of Juliet and waved her away. She asked her to sit.
"What is it Aileen?" Juliet asked. She hadn't talked to the old wolf much, except to pay her fees once or twice a month and to handle any complaints the other tenants had about her.
Aileen sat across from Juliet on a battered sofa. She sighed and put a paw on Juliet's leg. "Juliet, we need to have a conversation that has been a long time coming. I am going to get you a refund for the time you have left paid for. In light of events, I think it is best that you go now, before everyone else returns. I don't believe this is your fault, but your occupation does welcome trouble. You are nearly thirty. This is a youth hostel. I have been very gracious with you because of the actions of your father, but I believe it is time for you to move on from here."
Juliet's heart sank. Her collar rang its warning and she scooted off of the couch and stood. She swallowed and was barely able to say, "I don't know if this was my fault, but keep the money to pay for the damages. You won't see me again."
She stormed out of the room, Aileen didn't try to stop her. Juliet threw everything she cared to take with her into a backpack. She threw anything she didn't want onto different bunks to indicate who got to have them. When she was done she left out of the door. She started her bike as loudly as she could and ripped out of the hostile, spitting sand behind her. There were still ZPD cars outside. She weaved around them; ignoring the look that officer Hopps gave her as she sped away.
That place had been her home for a very long time. It hurt to see it go, but she knew it was going to happen someday. Her heart weighed heavy with the feeling of loss. Her collar beeped now and again and she would just hit the throttle to kill the feeling. She knew exactly where she was going to go. She needed a friend right now. She needed Leo. She was going to take him up on that offer.
