Chapter 8 - Suspicion
God damnit after all that Levi put me through yesterday, he bailed on our gunplay session. Got caught up with some security shit or something I guess. If you ask me he's finally testing that jack-O-matic.
Now I'm stuck here doing my actual job. Wearing a respirator that smells like a sock, cleaning up another mammal's mess.
Someone put biological waste in a plastic recycling shredder. There is just gore and blood in all the shredders. Had to take the whole machine apart. Spray and sanitize everything.
As I'm finishing the reassembling of the cutting wheels, I realize I have a piece left over. I turn the metal pin over in my paw, it's maybe 3 inches long, probably titanium, bottom is half as thick as the top with notes in it and some numbers imprinted on the side. I put it in my pocket and climb out of the access duct.
I look through my manuals and can't find any references to this component, it says this machine shouldn't even have any titanium components.
I remove my gloves and use my cellphone to take a picture of the pin. An image search of this item reveals it to be a titanium pin for a dental implant.
I start to feel nervous, this wasn't just some biological waste I was cleaning up. This was somebody, and I just power washed and chemically burned up all the evidence of wrong doing, except this pin.
I need to talk to Levi about this.
Radio in, "Unit 113 has been sterilized, who made this mess in the first place?"
My supervisor radios back, "probably some new intern, he's getting chewed out I'm sure. If you are done there, service unit 115 and 117, maybe you can finish both and save yourself a trip tomorrow."
I respond jokingly, "Aye, aye captain."
I remove the rubber boots and head to the security office.
When I arrive I approach this scrawny jackal behind the desk.
"I'm looking for Levi Wolfard."
"He's currently unavailable, what do you need..."He sits up to get a better look at my name tag, "Kyle Wulfric?"
"He's my brother, I was suppose to meet him this morning, but he told me to rain check, I'm here to rain check."
"Ok, well, I can leave him a message for you, I'm sure he will get back to you soon."
"Ok, tell him to call me please."
"You got it, Kyle Wulfric."
I return to my work area and begin working on unit 115. I'm just about finishing with it when I'm startled by a paw on my shoulder. I pin the paw on my shoulder with my own and look over my shoulder to see an equally startled Levi. "You're jumpy." He looks down at my free paw griping a torx driver like a dagger. "What were you going to do with that?"
I release my grip on his paw and put the torx driver back in my tool belt.
"I was going to tighten your ass up." I grin but he does not, he steps back and adjusts his uniform.
"Sorry about this morning. We can go shoot now if you would like, I was just very busy with some duties this morning."
"Actually, I wanted to tell you about something, I think someone fell or was pushed into the recycler."
"What makes you say that? No one was reported missing today."
"Well, I was tasked with cleaning a biological contamination. The machine was full of gore and blood, what kind of contamination is just blood, purée bone and gore?"
"I don't know, maybe it's excess meat byproduct, or just something you are mistaking for blood and bone."
"Well, do you know what this is?" I pull the titanium pin from my pocket.
"Piece of a machine?"
"It's a titanium pin for a dental implant."
"You found this in there?"
"Yes. Now, maybe it's just coincidental and this is something they manufacture that happened to be mixed in with a carcass or meat byproduct. Or maybe someone died, either by accident or intentionally. Don't you think it's worth investigating? Why do you seem apprehensive about accepting this possibility?"
"I just don't want to believe something like that could happen here." He extends his paw, "Let me have the pin. I'll make sure it gets in the right paws and this is investigated thoroughly." I place the pin in his paw, he turns it over in his paw, and plops it in his pocket. "Do you want to come shooting this afternoon? I'll get you out of duty early."
"Ya know what? Absolutely." He pats me on the shoulder, "let's go."
"I was beginning to worry you got murdered."
"Me?"
"Yeah."
"Didn't see you this morning, my first job is to clean up some bloody mess. And then I found the pin."
"I'm touched you where so worried about me."
"I just didn't want to see Kaia cry at your funeral"
He laughs, "you'd miss me, if I'm gone who will get you out of work all the time."
"Good point, there would be no one to trick me into jerking off with a fake goat pussy."
He cringes at that, "I'm sorry about that, but it was very funny. Also it was sheep."
"Oh yeah, that makes it better."
He leads me back to the security team deck, towards the back they have a 50 yard indoor range, with adjustable targets.
"Feast your eyes on this". He opens a gun case and hefts an assault rifle in one paw.
I know this rifle, this is a spitting image of an XM8, a service rifle Hechler and Koch made to replace the colt m16/m4. It failed for a lot of reasons-more weight and short battery life for the integrated reflex sight and overheating issues, which they fixed by adding even more weight.
"This is our latest modular weapon plate-form, designated XM8. It can be modified to perform a wide range of functions." Oh, you don't say, that sounds like the exact same line I heard back in 2002 when we tested and critiqued a batch of these rifles.
He takes a few minutes to explain firearm safety, and the operation of the rifle. He puts a few rounds down range into a 6 inch silhouette target to demonstrate the weapon. I notice he stands with a very upright stance, elbow sticking straight out while pulling weapon into your shoulder pocket. Russians use to shoot like that back in the day.
I lean forward, very square with my target. My elbow pointed at the ground, while my stabilizing hand uses a Clamshell grip on the heat shield covering the barrel. We take turns firing, 10 round groupings.
"You're a natural, this really your first time shooting?"
"Yessir."
He fires his 10 rounds and then passes me the gun.
"Yep, I like this stance you are using. I've never seen that before,"
I fire my 10 rounds and pass the gun back. He holds it in a similar stance to myself,
"It just feels right to me," I lie, that's how I was trained to handle a weapon.
"Think you can handle full auto?"
"Sure."
We take turns firing in full auto. He seems very impressed with his new tighter grouping during rapid fire when using my c-clamp grip.
"Yeah, I like that a lot. You are a natural, you're wasted on repairing garbage machines."
"Feel free to use it, I don't own the rights."
"You should come work with our tactical teams. I could train you up, teach you to fight and shoot. Operate with a team."
"What kind of operations does your team perform?"
"Security for Apex industries and asset defense. We have a contract with the Zpd, anything the Tactical Urban Security Korps, or T.U.S.K. teams can't handle, we handle."
"I'll think about it, how's the pay?"
"Real good."
"How often do you do opts?"
"Can't tell ya unless you sign up. We just happen to have an opening I'm trying to fill. You could start training Monday, pays better than the police will."
"I'll see what Kaia says. She told you I wanted to be a cop?"
"She mentioned it."
I remove an empty magazine from the rifle, check the chamber to make sure it's empty, and pass him the rifle and magazine separately.
Levi checks the rifle and says "Ya know, I feel like we've spoken more this past 4 days than the 40 before it. But something is different about you."
He puts the rifle in the case.
"Such as?"
"Everything, the way you stand. The way you talk. Fighting those predators to help a kid. I always took you for a ball-less weak piece of shit. But now..."
He closes the case and turns to face me.
"I even thought maybe you where an impersonator. Some kind of high end cosmetics or something. I even lifted some fur off you, maybe loose fur can be faked, if you're clever. But sperm is harder, but still, it's you, same DNA and everything."
"Are you saying you tricked me into fucking a sheep pussy, so you could see if I'm an impersonator?"
"Yes, and it was very funny."
"So are you satisfied?" I say, crossing my arms.
He shakes his head and says,
"Not really, maybe that big jaguar hit you so hard, you have a change of mental status, or maybe you're an alien. All I know for sure is Kaia was crying about you on Friday and now she can't seem to be happier."
"Why was she crying about me?"
He pokes me in the chest and says, "Why don't you tell me?"
"I really don't know." I say shaking my head.
"My sister is tough, tougher than me, that's for sure. For her to be so sad she complained to me crying, it must have been something serious."
I think back to when I first woke up here, she didn't seem sad... just very worried about me, but I was acting strange from her perspective.
"I can't imagine..." he starts to speak cutting me off.
"As long as Kaia is happy...". He trails off before continuing, "but if she isn't, my curiosity about you will be insatiable and I WILL get a satisfactory answer."
"Are you threatening me sir?"
"Absolutely."
"Ok, well, may I go?"
"Of course, my brother,". He puts his arm around my shoulders and leads me out to the main entrance to security.
"I'll see you tomorrow, at the BBQ."
I turn before exiting through the doors.
"I know you love your sister, but believe that I do too. I love your sister, I love Gavin, and until a few minutes ago, I thought of you as my brother."
He stares at me, after a few seconds of silence, I push open the door and exit the security offices.
Well, that was exciting. My ride home was less so. I text Kaia that I'm running late. She texts me that she found a few options for Gavin's school she would like me to look at. I call Bianca from my burner phone.
"What can I do for you, Mr. Wolf?
"If you had cubs what school would you send them to?"
"These types of questions are not why you have that phone."
"All the same, which school?"
She sighs loudly before saying, "I don't have cubs, but I suppose if I did, and I was you, I would send them to Apex Predator Learning Academy in Savanna Central. They have K-12 curriculum, plus vocational schools."
"You seem to know a surprising amount about this place."
"I've secured placement for many of our affiliates."
"How quickly could you get my son in?"
"Monday, if you tell me tomorrow."
"Very good, I'll be in touch."
She hangs up before I can say thank you. I wonder what this will cost me. I dismiss the concern, whatever it is, it'll be worth it.
I scroll through my phone and look at the picture I took of that medical pin I took earlier.
I call Bianca again.
With a deep sigh she says sarcastically, "two calls in 5 minutes? To what do I ow this privilege?"
"I have a serial number for a medical device, what are the chances you could track this down to its owner for me?"
"Why?"
"I found something and want to know who it belonged to before they died?"
"Why?"
"Is curiosity not enough?"
"No, for us to become exposed investigating a medical device from a corpse, this needs to have an intrinsic value to us. Does it?"
"No, I suppose I'll have to find my own resources."
"Be careful not to bring unwanted attention upon yourself that may pass to us."
She hangs up.
What a rude bitch...
I'll look more into this tomorrow.
On my last stretch walking home from the bus stop I see that red fox I mistook for a coyote on day 1. Wearing a green bomber jacket on the corner with a folding table. There are all types of stuffed children's toys on the table, with some throw blankets draped over 3 folding chairs on the left. His green eyes lock on mine as he notices me looking at his wares.
"My good wolf! You look like the family sort, perhaps a cuddly, squeaky, fuzzy toy for your boy or girl!" He holds up a Grey fuzzy ball, with a wolf head on it, and 3 tails dangling beneath it. He squeezes it and it squeaks. "Comes in 4 sizes, small, medium, large and Extra-Large!" He says it likes he's said it a hundred times and rehearsed it a hundred before that.
"I think I'll pass." He darts in front of me holding a throw blanket "perhaps a warm blanket for the misses, comes in 3 colors, black, pink, baby blue! Just feel that softness". He holds out the blanket. I run my paw over it, it is very soft. "How much is the blue one?"
"You're in luck, normally you couldn't put a price on such opulent luxury, but today, for you only. The price of comfort is a mere 40 dollars."
"That's kinda heavy for me right now, I'll need to think-" he cuts me off, "sir I can tell you are a social man of impeccable taste and circles of friends, if you would just tell 10 friends about my products and services here today. I will let this go for 20, but just for you and it's our secret!"
"Ok, I can do 20,"
"For just an extra 5 I will include this extra large wolf squeeker, normally 10, in the name of friendship! Will you be my friend today sir?" He pulls out that child's toy from earlier, but twice the size.
"I'll take that, but one size smaller. That one may not fit in Gavin's mouth."
"Very good my dear friend, that comes to 25 dollars, but for an extra 15 I'll throw in a second throw!"
I start to laugh, "ok, I admire your salesmanship."
"Thank you my friend, I see you walk through here nearly every day. Do you live nearby?"
"Yeah I live like two blocks from here, Mr?"
"Wilde, Nicolas Wilde, entrepreneur and purveyor of the finer things. If you want it, I can get it. If I can't, you didn't need it." He smirks are me with a closed mouth, in fact, he's always smiling but his teeth are never showing.
"Ok, I'll have to remember that. Do you have a card?"
He flicks out a card, it has his name and number on it, the edges looks like it came from a giant perforated sheet. He must have printed them himself on a home printer.
He must have noticed me scrutinizing his card because he says, "We cut costs on advertising to bring you the very best prices,"
"Do you take credit cards?"
He pulls out a terminal from behind his table "yes sir, we do! normally that's a cash price and cards have a surcharge. But for you, my friend, I'll waive it this first time."
He charged my card, wraps my stuff up and sends me on my way. No sooner than the second I've stepped away, I hear him repeating the same lines he told me to another customer behind me, and it seems to be working.
When I get home, Kaia and Gavin are playing a game on the coffee table. It's a tower made of logs and they take turns pulling one out, the last one to pull a log before it collapses is the loser.
I kiss Kaia on the head, "I got you something." She looks at me curiously, as I pull the throw blanket out of the box,
"I got you a blue one and a black one, and Gavin I got you something too."
I give him the squeak toy, he squeezes it in his paws, And then gnaws on it making it squeak with every chew.
I turn to Kaia, who is rubbing one of the soft blankets against her cheek. She takes me by the paw and leads me to the bedroom. I didn't expect her gratitude to be so extreme, Gavin is still awake in the other room.
"Kyle, I like them, I really do, but how much did these cost?"
"A couple of bucks, I just thought I'd like to get you something to show my appreciation. I love you." I hug her and nibble on her neck, eliciting a little yip out of her.
She cuddled into my advances but then places her paws on my chest and wiggles free of my grasp, her smile fading to a more somber expression "wait, wait, I need to know, we don't have a lot of money for gifts and surprises. What did all this cost?"
"40 dollars, I put it oh my credit card, it's ok."
"40 dollar?! You know we have to pay those credit cards every month or we get hit with interest charges. Have you bought anything else on our credit cards?"
"Not really, just this and an application fee?"
She pulls out her cell phone "140 Dollars?!" She sits back on the bed,
"Kyle, you can't spend this kind of money without talking to me about it."
"It's just 150 dollars." I say
"Kyle, I barely make 150 a week in tips, you make 336 a week. 140 is a lot of money for us. Please be more careful with our money."
I ask, "How much is our rent?"
"1100, after cellphones, cable, utilities, we have 400 a month for food and incidentals. I try to save whatever we can for our future. Another cub, clothes, and maybe eventually we'll be able to save more money for our children's futures,"
I hear Gavin squeaking his toy in the other room.
"What schools did you want me to look at?"
"I saved some links." She sits on the edge of the bed and scrolls through her phone.
"What do you think of APLA?"
"We can't afford Apex Predator Learning Academy, that place costs more than we make cumulatively."
"What if I told you I have a connection, that can get Gavin enrolled?"
"I'd say it's too good to be true."
"Well?"
"Nothing is free Kyle, what does this friend of yours get in return?"
"I did him a favor, maybe he'll ask me to do the occasional odd job."
She looks at me skeptically.
"Trust me, it'll be ok."
"Famous last words." She rubs her eyes and runs her paws through her head fur.
"Relax, I'll take care of everything." I kneel in front of her and take her paws in my own.
"I'm afraid of this blank check your writing. It's for a good reason, but it just feels dangerous to me."
"It's not a blank check, I did the guy a favor. He wants to make it up to me."
"Must have been a big favor, or a rich guy?"
"Yeah, I found an opportunity for Gavin to have a great education. Without fear or pain of a collar. Right?"
"I want to meet this wealthy benefactor of ours."
"Ok, I can arrange that."
"I'm scared, but I'm going to trust you. I can trust you, can't I?"
"Of course, I wanted to ask you about something else too. Your brother offered me a job working with his security detail."
"Oh! Absolutely not. The money isn't worth it. I worry about my brother, but you're not a warrior, you will get hurt or worse."
"Would you be comfortable with me being a cop?"
I can still hear Gavin squeeking his toy in the other room.
"Far more so than working with my brother. You know my brother hates you. He doesn't know you like I do."
"I didn't get that feeling from him, we've been shooting and testing delicious meat from Apex."
"Really?" She looks surprised
"Yeah, we are getting along great. But I want to ask you a question."
"Ok..."
"Did I do something to make you sad Friday?"
"Did Levi tell you I was sad last week?"
"Yeah, he did. He said you called him, you were sad because of me."
"Can we talk about this tonight after Gavin goes to sleep? I should make dinner, he was hungry before you got home."
"Sure, you can tell me anything. I won't stop loving you."
She smiles and nods unconvincingly. I kiss her paws and help her up off the bed.
"C'mon, I'll help you cook."
"Why don't you play jenga with Gavin, and I'll cook."
"Sounds like a plan."
The apartment fills with the delicious smell of breaded chicken while I play jenga with Gavin. We play 3 games, and I win 1, for being a little kid he's really good at this log tower game in particular.
We eat homemade breaded chicken breast and pasta shells drowning in cheese. After we eat Kaia gets Gavin ready for bed. While Kaia is busy with Gavin, I put a little spritz of my sea salt cologne on the light blue throw blanket, and drape it across the sheet on Kaia's side of the bed, then I tuck the blank in over it.
When Kaia comes back into the room, she pulls back the blanket on her side and smiles, sitting on the light blue throw, she hugs some of the blanket against herself sniffing it. She looks up at me and smiles.
"I really do like this soft blanket, even more now that it smells a little like you."
I sit next to her Indian style, and she turns to face me sitting on her crossed legs.
"You are really sweet, you remind me of how you were when we first got together. You were so sensitive and charming. You always knew how to make me smile. Maybe I didn't notice how much you changed, but you were increasingly... absent. You would just watch tv. I think you where depressed, I'm not really sure, you never told me. You would seldom talk, you were becoming very distant. Thursday I found some packed suitcases hidden in Gavin's closet of all places. I think you were going to leave. I confronted you and you denied it. All I've ever done is love you and be patient. Always hoping you would return to being the man I remember, and you were going to leave me. The next day you had some kind of accident at work. You came home confused, dizzy, and vomiting. I had Dr. Grover come over to check on you, he said to call if you where sick or showed symptoms over the weekend. 3am, you woke up confused."
"When did you talk to Levi?"
She shrugs,
"Friday morning... I love you, and I want you to be here with me forever. Because you love me back and want to be here. But I don't need you, I can raise Gavin on my own. If you ever want to go, don't stay, just go. I'll be okay." She's fighting tears, I can see her eyes watering.
I try to think of something soothing to tell her, I just say what I feel.
"I love you and I want to be here with you forever, grow our family, be a great father to our children and husband to you. Until death and we are reunited in moon light." I smile reflecting on my statement. Kaia hugs me and says, "I believe you."