My name is Christopher (Chapter 2)

My talents seem to include making people pretty damn angry. If you were here with me, you'd know. It only takes one look at Tessa during one of these lectures to see I have a knack for pushing several buttons with a single finger. It was weird, really, she was completely human right now, red hair, fiery emerald eyes, and that…scowl. Yet, the whole effect of her seemed to be what was behind all that, a rather angry animal; her look said I might make better food in her eyes right about now.

Sitting in our dingy little living quarters, it was hardly ever used; it was for sitting around when you weren't contributing in any other such way to this outlet of the Wolf's fang. Me and those who knew me sometimes nicknamed it Tessa's rant quarters, it was perfect for it, really, cheap couch in the middle of the room, desk and seat in the corner, you only needed a lamp, dimmer wall paper, and a couple of chairs, a bit of furniture arrangement and Tessa could turn it into an interrogation room. Julie was sitting at the desk, leaning over the back of the chair, watching, and almost perpetually wincing.

Tessa was a fox, which suited her on the cunning side, Tessa was very clever, and great with her tactics, I suppose her snapping at people added to the same image. This and that she was an ex-mercenary did little to help me forget my loss at the hands of that woman last night, which was a pity, it removed the only good quality I found in her anger, you could at least forget everything else. My head left the clouds, and her voice started to come back.

"…you should know better than anyone how long it took to get that door code! Now those bastards will change it and re-double security!"

I opened my mouth, Julie shook her head at me with wide eyes from behind Tessa, and so I closed it again. Julie is, as far as I know, was a zoanthrope, but I've never seen her change, Farel tells me she's a cat, but he tends to kid around, still, it did suit her, Julie was, in her own right, reckless, like me, but she went about it so much more quietly. I don't think Tessa has chewed her out once since she joined. She was helpful enough that a lot of the more experienced members simply turned a blind eye or winked, fair enough really, she never did anything quite as reckless as...

"Tell me you've been listening, for god sake."

Damn, I took my eyes off hers. Didn't I?

"Yes Tess. But if you'd try listening to me for a..."

"What doesn't go around does not come around. You better start paying attention and taking orders if you want just one drip of attention back around here! Whether or not your Fox woman is real.."

And she knows I'm not making that part up, I realized, she just does this to try and beat me down, she wasn't a good liar, strictly speaking, she was too good at being direct to be a good liar.

"..you still raised one hell of an alert, if they haven't changed the codes, they've simply run off somewhere else by now, and that's just them. What if they contacted any buddies in the area? Do you know how much this could set us back?"

It won't. I thought, not anymore than it would have anyway. That woman would have been there, with or without me, and when they found their data missing, they wouldn't have taken it much lighter than me breaking my way in. Again I opened my mouth, and again Julie shook her head. I sighed, putting a palm over my face.

"It w…I…"

"I'm suspending you from field operations. This has gone far enough, you're not to look into anything until I tell you to, and that's me. I wouldn't care if one of our founders walked in here right now and ordered you out, it's my order."

"What? Now hang on just a damn…"

Julie was shaking her head again, she was right, and I knew it, I could only worsen this, I clenched my fists, bit my lip, and paused for awhile.

"Yes…Tess."

"I can't hear you."

"Yes, Tessa!"

If she hadn't gestured for me to leave, I might have given us a new couch, and I'd have to deal with Farel winning the pool on which zoanthrope breaks the couch next. I was never sure if him betting on me was a vote of confidence when he knew I was going out onto the field or not, I usually got chewed out, success or no. I left the room into what we like to call our recon room, which was mostly just computers and filing cabinets, we gathered and brought information here, it was early, so it was empty.

I took a few deep breathes, and added a new dent to the bottom of the nearby filing cabinet with my foot before taking a seat, sighing. I could hear Tessa talking to Julie, but I couldn't make out their conversation. So I simply tipped my head back and took deep breathes, closing my eyes. Interrupted by the door, Julie came in, the recon room was pretty much her home, she was here so often.

"I'm sorry Chris. I'm suspended from giving you information…"

"What? But I thought she didn't…"

"She found the disks, I'm afraid. I don't know how she roots these things out."

"That's my line; this must be the first time you've been suspended from doing anything."

"Well, she was a lot quicker about it with me."

"I'll bet. I don't think we have any information that can help right now anyway."

I kept looking at the ceiling from where I was, head leant back. I couldn't find out who that woman was with what I'd seen. There were plenty of mercenaries, and that wasn't including the eye and claw, she could be anyone. Brown haired, brown eyed fox zoanthrope in military clothing, and I hadn't got a good look at her human face, all I had was the glow from the computer terminal to see it.

At least I'd pegged the basic details when I saw her hanging, though.…if I could just see her again in her transformed state then…I heard Julie sigh, I lifted my head, to look at her, arching a brow. Her hair was raven, tied into a pony tail, and her eyes were a deep blue, she was a small woman, all things said, in contrast to Tessa, whose hair remained wild, and who was somewhat taller, and a touch more heavy set.

"What?" I said.

"Tell me you're not going to the pits."

I wished I wasn't. When you had no leads, you went to the pits, nearly every zoanthrope passed through them at one point in their lives in this city, at least those involved in this sort of thing, or just those with a shady disposition. I'd call it a meeting place, but it was more like…well…a pit; people stumbled upon it more than visited it, at least, on the first time. And only the rougher types went there for pleasure, excluding gamblers…

"Last time you went to the pits, Farel and Tyson had to drag you home in pieces."

"My pride hurt more than my bones, Julie."

"Only because you have too bloody much of it."

I looked at her eyes, she was like this about the pit to anyone, but she always seemed a lot angrier when I was going.

"Would you be happier if I took Farel with me?"

"What makes you think he'll want to go with you?"

"Well, he does get bored of our. 'Who will break the couch next?' Pools, doesn't he now?"

She glared right into my eyes. I kept my expression blank.

"Fine, but if you get caught, by Tessa or anyone, don't expect me to hold back."

"I never do. It's not a field operation, anyway."

I got up, rubbing my forehead, yawning a bit, I'd just have to eat and wait for Farel, I'd rather not go to that place alone anyway, I hate that place.

"It's just a…"

"'Recreational visit.', sure, Chris, no wonder she gets so mad, do you feed her that sort of crap often?"

"Almost every other day, a few weeks ago. But those times…"

"You actually brought something back."

She had to rub it in my face, didn't she? The minute the pits were involved. I looked at her for a moment, paused, and headed out of our little base. Calling it a base was a bit of an overshot, I always thought, looking back at the run down building, but it was practical, practical is good, appearances don't mean much in our business. Count the ways!

End of chapter 2