Doctor Nikolai Katzendale walked past his cellphone for the umpteenth time. This time, and every time before, he saw the blinking notification light. Just like every other time, he deemed it unimportant.
Hours went by, including a deliberately skipped lunch break. The late afternoon had at last crawled into the present, at last Niko could take a moment's repose before heading back to the apartment.
The european wildcat wore glasses to correct his long sightedness and regularly trimmed his mane to keep a clean, professional appearance. He sat in a quiet office on the ground floor of Franklin Moosefelt General Hospital, the same building he'd worked in since medical school.
All week he'd been doing busy work for everyone else - thanks to a tepid reception following being held hostage for a year and a half - while his medical license sat in the hands of a committee, being 'reviewed'.
Niko could not be fooled so easily - the district health board just wanted to make sure he hadn't lost it. If it really concerned them that much, they'd have just revoked his license and called it a day.
The board claimed suspicion due to the 'mysterious' disappearance of every screed of work he'd been forced to carry out by his captor. His situation at the time, while definitely horrible, provided the perfect setup for continuing his private research into divergent evolution.
The fruits of his secret labors are now so secure not even Niko himself can access them - safe within a damaged laptop that he has not the technological prowess to access.
Niko stood briefly to retrieve his phone, quietly flopping back down on his chair. Now, with his responsibilities cared for he could finally deal with that blinky light that had been bugging him all afternoon. His fur bristled upon seeing the name at the top of the notification: Isaac, his kid brother, he'd left a voicemail at ten fifty-three AM.
Isaac hated leaving voicemails. Niko immediately listened for something to explain this anomaly:
"Hey bro, I got a job. It's a one-off but still, I have to take what I can get. I'm going to be away for a couple of days, while I'm gone can you make sure Mom's caretakers are doing everything right? I still don't trust the fat one.
"A friend recommended me to some posh wrinkly guy who said my skills would be put to good use. Call it wishful thinking, but I'm hoping this leads to something a bit more permanent.
"Anyways, better bring this to a close. I really need to pack my things and get moving. Later bro!"
None of it made any sense as Isaac didn't get out much. Since the young tom lost his job, he didn't seem to go out at all. Caring for their mother kept him busy, but that's no life for a twenty year old bachelor.
Isaac had always abhorred change and the unknown terrified him, for him to quite suddenly travel out of town for more than twenty-four hours to God-knows-where had Niko absolutely baffled.
Niko thumbed in Isaac's number and held his cellphone to his ear with bated breath.
"The number you are trying to reach is either disconnected, or outside of our service range. Thank you for using PB&J."
Niko dropped his phone on the table and sighed, he slid his glasses off and held his face in his paws. Pangs of regret hung from his chest as he wished he'd paid closer attention to his family.
The Phoenix Cooperative recovery team had been on the road for many hours. The glades and meadows of the countryside as well as any signs of civilization had long disappeared after the vehicle crested a hill many miles ago, replaced by deciduous woodland.
Heavy cloud cover from the foretold storm had rolled in and the rain had started to fall, at first pretty light, but seemed to get heavier by the second.
The trip had thus far been pretty quiet, everyone in the vehicle had seen each other within the past month and very little of interest had transpired that hadn't been talked to death already.
Major Pearce checked the on-board GPS and compared the data with an assortment of less advanced navigational tools.
Isaac began driving more cautiously as he said "We're running out of visibility pretty fast here, guys."
"It'll only get worse as night falls, we'd better call it until morning - this rain is going nowhere," explained Pearce.
"But Major," started Nick, "We really have time for that?"
Judy interjected, "It's bad enough to brute-force the rain in daylight, suicidal in the pitch black of night."
Pearce grunted approvingly.
"Good point. It'd be like roadside assistance locking themselves out of their tow truck," remarked Nick.
"I can just make out a clearing coming up, nine O'Clock," said Pearce, delivering an authoritative tap to Isaac's shoulder.
Isaac threw up a salute and brought the vehicle into the spot Pearce indicated, parking beneath the cover of some convenient spruce trees. At the Major's behest, the vehicle's occupants piled into the trailer for a meal.
The inside of the trailer resembled a section of a bus, two rows of upholstered seats faced each other at the front and back. A hinged door on the right side with a fold out table on the left, topped off with overhead stowage in the form of a small cargo net hooked onto the roof handles.
"I hope the expedition team are eating even half as good as we are," lamented Isaac, between mouthfuls of tomato soup.
Pearce huffed, "They left with a month's worth of non-perishable food for all four members. Unless their rationing is as terrible as their adherence to comm protocols…"
"That's a little bad taste, sir. The issue behind the communication breakdown might've wiped their food too. I'm expecting some pretty hungry nerds," Nick admonished.
The Major turned his attention to his meal in an attempt to veil his disapproval over Nick's comments.
"Here's a thought, why didn't they just send an ornithopter?" asked Isaac idly.
Judy looked over at the Major, he still brooded in one corner. The rabbit pulled up a map of the area on her smartphone and scooched over toward Isaac's corner.
"Okay, so we are here, halfway between Bunnyburrow and this huge valley," explained Judy, pointing out a grid square, adding "we learned about this region in high school geography, it's called the 'Valley of Souls."
"We're not supposed to read too much into that name, right?" asked Nick snidely.
"Of course not. The terrain is just so uneven that no aircraft could ever land anywhere," replied Judy.
"They gave it a spooky name because the ground is a little rocky?"
"Like any far out wilderness, there's plenty of ghost stories surrounding it - monstrous beasts and whatnot," said Judy, mockingly.
"I asked and you answered and yet I feel like I got more than I bargained for. Not sure If I feel better, but thank you all the same," said Isaac.
"You're welcome."
Everyone quietly cleaned up the cooking mess and prepared to retire. Major Pearce and Isaac returned to the car, leaving Nick and Judy to bunk up in the trailer.
The seats in the trailer slid forward and folded back to provide a sizable sleeping space when required. With enough space for three six foot mammals to lay side by side, a two foot bunny and a four foot fox had plenty of room to maintain professional distance.
'Goodnight, Carrots," said Nick as he tucked himself in and rolled over.
"Good night, Nick. See you in the morning," said Judy, doing the same whilst turning off the lamp she had beside her.
The temperature had dropped sharply when they first stopped, within an hour, Judy struggled to keep herself from shivering. A low fat to muscle ratio is not ideal for cold climates.
Still unable to sleep, Judy focused her keen hearing on her surroundings. That focus didn't travel much further than Nick's breathing, inconsistent and fairly audible, evidence that the fox couldn't sleep either.
Judy rolled over to look at Nick, in the black of night she saw nothing. A quiet rustling told her that Nick had followed suit.
"You okay?" he asked.
"Yeah. I'm actually okay, it's just a lot colder than I thought it'd be," replied Judy.
"Roll over, then."
"Huh?"
Nick sighed, "Roll over toward me so you can borrow some body heat. It doesn't have to be complicated, Carrots."
Judy's blood ran cold. A short time after being freed from Ezra Bisonhower's captivity, She'd acted on her growing feelings for Nick with a very innocent peck on his cheek. Ever since, moments like these just made her feel so . . . Awkward.
"Offer still open."
"Give me a minute, every time I shift it gets draughty," murmured Judy.
Judy gently shimmied over until she felt Nick beside her. She felt him softly face her toward the wall and wrap his fur covered arms around her waist, pulling her close to his chest. She let out a sigh of comfort as Nick's warmth flowed through her body.
In the main vehicle, the front seats had been folded back for sleep much like in the trailer. Isaac frowned at an owners manual whilst Major Pearce checked over all his equipment.
Pearce held his carbine in both paws, twisting awkwardly to peer down the sights in the cramped space. He lowered the weapon and removed it's magazine, briefly examining the cartridges inside.
Placing the mag down beside him, Pearce tugged on the bolt to ensure an empty chamber before checking the safety, fire selector and trigger mechanisms. He wiped some loose dirt off with a cloth before engaging the safety and returning the magazine to it's well.
By this point, Isaac had let go of the manual and began watching the Major. The timberwolf noticed, glancing toward him as he slid the rifle into a custom rack in the center console.
"What kind of gun is that? If you don't mind me asking," said Issac.
"Continental bullpup carbine, .30 caliber, M50A2. Select-fire, twenty round straight magazine. Four hundred meter effective range, cyclic rate of fire of six hundred and fifty rounds per minute," recited Pearce.
Isaac nodded thoughtfully and asked, "Does it have some reliability issues?"
The Major's blank scowl turned to a confused frown.
"It's the third time I've seen you give it a once over, I wondered if maybe the M50 is a bit janky," explained Isaac.
The Major's neck fur bristled as he prepared a biting defense, making reference to his training. He paused when he turned and saw the young cat's expression; innocent, curious. This being a teachable moment, Pearce daren't let it go to waste.
"I see you like to understand what's around you," said Pearce, adding "learning as much as you can is important and useful, providing you don't forget what you're doing at that moment."
Isaac nodded.
"The original M50 was, as you say, 'janky.' Being a bullpup redesign of the M41, it carried with it the feeding issues, sticky bolt and unchromed barrel that quickly led to the M50A1 that resolved all those fatal flaws," explained Pearce, pulling his weapon back out and holding it in front of him.
"This is the A2 model; featuring ambidextrous controls, improved aperture sight, and polymer furniture. It's a little big for you, but have a hold and see what you think," said Pearce, removing the magazine and checking the chamber before passing the weapon over.
Isaac took hold of the carbine with both paws, getting a feel for its weight before pointing it outward - away from anything he wouldn't want to shoot, of course - at the tree line outside.
"It's lighter than I thought," Isaac commented, passing the weapon back.
The Major hummed agreeably as he stowed the weapon, adding "Okay field mechanic, get sleep, I need everyone on point tomorrow."
Isaac grinned and threw up a salute before tucking himself in for the night. Major Pearce eyed him briefly before leaning back with a suppressed sigh.
Pearce took first impressions at face value but gave mammals the chance to show their stuff. Regarding Isaac, for now it seemed to be paying off. Looking at it pragmatically, the kid can drive well enough and at least understands the concept of a firearm. At the end of it, the aging wolf just hoped that murphy's law wouldn't call upon the cat's mechanical skills.
Judy awoke to a warm breath on her face, during the night she'd rolled over and nestled herself into Nick's chest. Following an adventurous thought, she reached up and ran her paw along his jawline, drawing a finger down his scruffy neck.
The sun had yet to come up, but enough light crept through for Judy to see the outline of Nick's features. Rain pattered on the thin trailer roof, as it had the whole night through.
'You clever bastard. You just wanted to snuggle, didn't you?' Thought Judy with a smirk.
Nick yawned and held Judy a little tighter.
"Good morning Nick," said Judy softly.
The fox tensed up and replied, "Carrots! You're awake, of course. Good morning."
Before the two could really savor their shared warmth, Major Pearce delivered a series of hard taps on the trailer's side door before pulling it open. The timberwolf's brow furrowed upon seeing Judy and Nick cuddled up.
"I trust you had a pleasant sleep," said the Major with the slightest hint of cheek, "I know it's chilly, but we need to get a move on. Put on a parka and mount up, kids."
On the way to his seat, Pearce staggered and had to lean on the vehicle for support. Isaac had just completed a mechanical check on the car and saw it happen, he dashed over to help.
His voice battling the wind, Isaac called out "Major, are you alright?"
Pearce looked up at Isaac and said nothing.
"Liam, are you okay? You look like you've seen a ghost!" asked Isaac, gripping the wolf's arm reassuringly.
Maybe he had. The sight of Judy and Nick's fraternization had at first warmed his blunt and stony heart. That warmth faded quickly, replaced with bitter memories from his past.
"What, cat? What did you say?"
"Um, never mind," said Isaac awkwardly, trotting back to the driver's side.
Having just caught the tail end of the interchange, Judy and Nick could only exchange glances as they boarded the car to embark once again.
The weather had not improved. Nature added gale force winds to the meteorological cocktail, rocking the car from side to side as Isaac brought the vehicle back on the path to the valley. In just an hour or so, they would descend into the valley of souls.
End Notes
The M41 carbine could more or less be described as resembling an M1 carbine from real life with some fancy, modern, synthetic furniture.
23/09/21 - Retcon of minor details.