Chapter 2 - The Prelude

James held the knife steady across his face, looking quickly from left to the right and above him. There was nobody here. Cautious, he stepped off the porch and surveyed the area some more.

The town was asleep, except for the crickets. The darkness of the night still had its grip on the village. He searched around the front and back yard, but there was still nothing. The source of the knocking remained unknown.

"(Hmm…maybe it was the wind…or someone's playing a joke on us.)" he thought to himself.

James decided to give up, and walked back to the front door. Before he stepped inside, he took one last look over his shoulder…and did a double take.

"!"

He thought he saw a figure some distance away…staring at him, motionless. James focused and looked again…but the figure was gone. The fox stood there a while, grip still tight on his weapon. He was thinking whether it was his imagination…or somebody really was there.

He shrugged his shoulders and went back in the house, then put the steak knife back in the drawer. Entering Fox's bedroom, he looked at Julia kneeling at bedside, watching over him. Their son was snoozing peacefully on his stomach, with a stuffed kangaroo in his arm.

"So what happened? Was anyone there?" she whispered, not wanting to wake Fox.

"There wasn't anybody. I looked around and found nothing."

"Nothing?"

"Yeah…nothing. Nobody. Everything okay in here too?"

"Everything's fine. Fox hasn't made a peep."

"That's good to hear."

"...Well…that was weird James…real weird…and creepy too…"

"Ah well…I wouldn't worry about it Julia. It's probably the wind or something…let's just go back to sleep."

"Okay."

Julia walked back to the bedroom with James' paws firmly on her shoulders, comforting her. The two tucked themselves under the covers and went to sleep. The rest of the night went on undisturbed.

The next morning James' side of the bed was again plagued with twisting covers and clutter. Snoring and drooling struck him again. His right hand was in the same place as last time, except this time there were no boxers to hide it. His wife slept in a quiet and neat manner.

Of course, no morning would be complete without some commotion from their only son. The crash of a shattered object was the alarm clock for the husband and wife.

Julia hissed. "Great…"

"Mmm…your turn hon." James mumbled, refusing to open his eyes.

"I know…I know…" she muttered back. Unlike him, she can get out of bed on her own.

She tossed back her hair and put on a blue morning robe. James tumbled back to sawing logs as Julia left the room. What she saw instantly flared up her temper.

"FOX DAVID MCCLOUD! TAKE THAT OFF RIGHT NOW!"

"But moooom…"

Fox was parading around the living room in a pair of red boxers, sunglasses, a white bath towel for a cape, a big wooden stick in his hand and…one of Julia's bras for a hat. The D-cups fit over his ears almost perfectly.

"I'm Captain Courage! I'm gonna save the dinosaurs! Up, up and awaaaaay!"

The worlds a young mind can create.

"I don't care! Take that stuff off right now! GIVE ME BACK MY BRA!"

"It's not a bra silly! It's a helmet!"

She took a step forward, making the now-cautious Fox take a step backward. The more she advanced, the more he retreated.

"Fox…take that stuff right now…"

Fox giggled out loud as Julia began chasing him around the living room and kitchen. His 'cape' flowed freely as he ran.

"Fox."

She climbed over a couch to grab him, but he was too fast. They circled back and forth around the coffee table, with laughter and grumbling exchanged between them.

"Fox!"

Julia tried grabbing him from across the table, but he dashed right under it for a quick getaway.

"FOX!"

She had about enough of this wild goose chase. "JAMES! COME IN HERE AND HELP ME!"

"ZZZZZZZZ…"

"JAMES!"

"ZZZZZZZZ…"

She stormed back into the bedroom and shook him by the shoulders. "James. Wake up!"

"Hmm? Wha…what is it dear?"

"Fox is running around the house wearing my bra on his head. Help me get him."

James' face puckered up and he tried hard not to laugh, but did sneak out a chuckle. "He…Re…Really?"

Julia, not amused, picked up a pillow and walloped him on the head with it. "It's not funny James! Get up and help me catch him!"

"Alright…alright. I'm getting up. I'm getting up." he said, and then put on another pair of black boxers.

He and the wife entered the living room, where Fox continued jumping around and making heroic poses. When he saw them, he stopped and became wary again. The fox backed up into the kitchen.

"James, guard that exit. I'll take this one."

In doing so, they had Fox trapped. The two exits out of the kitchen were blocked by his mom and pop. The seven year old looked back and forth frantically. No way out. A moment later he decided to bum rush toward James' exit, but he got caught and lifted up by the waist.

"Son…you know better than to put that on your head. C'mon now…take all that off and put on your own clothes."

"Aww dad…do I havta?"

"Yes you do." he replied. Without warning, James grabbed a handful of Fox's tummy and tickled him, making him squeal, wiggle, and laugh out loud. He looked so overjoyed.

"HEHEHEHEHE! AHHHHHH! DADDY! DADDY! STOP! HEHEHEHEHE! DAD! OKAY! OKAY!"

James carefully put the smiling fox down. "After you do that, we'll have some good ol' chocolate puffs."

Fox gave him his 'helmet' and scurried to his room.

James held her undergarment by his fingers and jiggled it like it was bait. "Here you go."

Julia quickly snatched it away, and began to pick up the other pieces of clothing scattered along the floor, which somehow got there last night. She threw them in the dirty clothes hamper that sat in the back of the kitchen.

Julia went to the counter and started to fix her coffee as well as two bowls of cereal. "That kid…I swear. That kind of behavior is from your side of the family."

"MY side? Heh heh…maybe." he laughed, leaning in and closely looking over her shoulder.

She turned her head for a brief kiss and James sat down at the table, waiting for his breakfast. Fox arrived in a pair of sweatpants, socks, and red shirt with an image of a cartoon mongoose on it. He was just in time as the cereal was passed out.

It was the usual. Two vulpine noisily chomped their cereal, while the other sipped and read quietly.

"So what exactly were you dressed up as, son?" James asked with a soggy chin.

"I was Captain Courage! I was saving the dinosaurs!"

"What's with the big stick?"

"It's not a stick dad, it's a staff! It's got magic powers!"

"Really?"

"Really!"

"Is that so? Saving dinosaurs with a magic staff. You've got quite an imagination."

"I know!"

James finished his meal and got up to throw on a pair of sweatpants from the bedroom. He patted Fox on the head. "I'm off. See ya around, son."

"See ya dad!"

He then bent down beside Julia and looked at her, who paid no mind. She just kept on reading. James looked at the book, then at her, then at the book, and back at her. His tail flickered in playfulness. He leaned in close and gave her a tiny kiss on the cheek, before getting up and heading out.

"Eww…" Fox commented. "Daddy's weird."

"No Fox. Daddy's just an idiot. A very sweet and charming idiot."

The weather was nice and sunny, just like yesterday. The temperature was slightly higher than before at this time of day.

At five before eight, James arrived at work with Benjamin shortly after. The fox had on a gray shirt with a large four-leaf clover on it. The bear wore long denim shorts and plain white t-shirt. Luckily for them, the standard task of redundant farm labor would take a break today.

Old straw-hat wearing Smit stood there before them, with a straw in his mouth. A big red pickup truck sat behind him, loaded to the brim with various goods.

"Good mornin' James. Good mornin' Benjamin."

"Mornin'."

"Guess what? You two get to take it easy today. No shoveling or shucking for you. See that truck behind me?"

The fox and bear nodded, showing a sign of confirmation as Smit continued on.

"The person that was supposed to deliver this cargo has called in sick this morning, so I need you two to take this truck to a friend's house. It's about ninety miles away from here."

The otter handed James a map, and the two inspected it closely. Smit's farm and the destination are marked with blank ink.

"The easiest way to get there is up north on Mattipany Road, take the East 60 highway for the majority of the trip, and then take Exit 32 off. Make a right onto Carol Road and go on it for a few miles, make another right onto Nine Mile Road. You'll see a small red house on your right. That's your destination. There's a lot of heavy stuff and my friend is pretty old, so that's why I need you two to bring the goods off the truck and put them where he tells you to. Do you have any questions?"

"Nope." James replied, and turned to his friend. "How about you Benji?"

"Nah. I'm cool."

Smit handed the bear forty dollars. "This money is for meals and whatnot. You don't have to worry about gas. The tank is full. You have enough for the round trip. You'll get paid the usual amount once you return here with the truck and my friend confirms the delivery."

"Okay." Ben said.

Smit then tossed James the keys, which he caught with an overhead swipe.

"Any other questions?"

"Nah…I think we're good. Right J Mac?"

"Ready when you are Benji."

"Good…then I will see you two later. Be careful." Smit told them with the straw still in his mouth. He turned and walked back to his little home by the barn.

The massive, dirt-plastered pick-up truck was awaiting them. James jumped in the driver's seat as Benjamin took the passenger's. The inside of the truck was rugged. The tan leather seats were worn out from years of use. The air was rife with stale cigarette butts still in the ashtray. Both of them had to push their seats back to get into a comfortable position.

Benjamin put on his seat belt. "Awright…a road trip. Haven't had one of these in a long while."

James put on his as well and started up the ignition. The truck churned for a few seconds before the engine roared to life. "Yeah…this is almost like a vacation."

With a quick push of the stick and foot on the gas, the vehicle left their place of employment and started its journey.

Mattipany Road was narrow and winding, with a forest of trees looming overhead. Sunlight and shadow alternated as James drove forth. Both windows were halfway opened. Their fur waved wildly in the wind.

"So…how's it going?" the fox asked.

"Oh man J Mac…don't get me started."

"Another troublesome chapter in the Dotson family saga?"

"Tch…you wouldn't believe what happened last night."

"Details Benji. Details."

"Welll…it was the same old thing. We were talking, and it blows up into an argument. Now…I guess by this time in the relationship, we were both sick and tired of each other. Night after night, day after day, this and that, this and that. But last night…damn…that was it…it had gotten so bad…"

"Yeah? What happened?"

"Well first, it began when I came home from work last night. I noticed that she didn't cook any dinner, and I asked her about it. She gets all mad and says she can't juggle two rowdy kids all day long, clean and take care of the house, and have time to cook dinner, then she gets the nerve to call me lazy and it's my fault that the kids turn out that way."

"Wow…she's doesn't too happy." he replied, slowing down for the car turning off ahead of him.

"Tell me about it. I mean seriously, where does she get the nerve? What the hell does she think I do for six days a week, nine-plus hours a day? I'm the one who puts the roof over our heads. I'm the one who provides the food."

"True. Very true. She should be grateful, I think."

"Seriously…after we scream our points across, it goes into name-calling. Then threats. Then more name-calling. Then we throw things, this time out of the house."

"Out of the house?"

"Yeah. Chairs, coffee table, dishes, out through the front door. I had gotten so pissed that I threw a sofa out through the window."

James reached a main intersection, where the morning commute traffic blazed along the East 60 highway. There were three lanes on each side. Once he made sure traffic was clear, he eased on out and pressed on the gas. The speed limit was sixty-five. He went seventy, always five above it. Miles upon miles of trees lined both sides of the road.

"Then what happened?"

"We threw more things, yelled some more. Just about everything in the living room was now in the front yard. That wasn't the worst part of the night though."

"I'm almost afraid to ask."

"While we were still hollerin' at each other, I was stomping and swinging around my arms in anger. I was real pissed. I didn't know my son had entered the living room. He stood behind me…and I…and I…"

"Oh no…"

"I…I accidentally smashed him in the face with my elbow. He laid on the floor crying and screaming…covering himself. I…broke his nose…and his face was a bloody mess."

"Oh my god…is he okay?"

"Yeah. He's fine. He's in the hospital now. I decided right then and there…that a divorce would be the best thing for us. No use dancing around this bullshit any longer."

"I'm sorry Benji.."

"Don't be. It's not your fault."

Benjamin stretched his arms out and yawned, while James remained silent. The bear lowered his window somewhat. Now would be the perfect time to change the subject.

"So…how was your night J Mac? Oh wait! Wait! I got it! Let me guess…you stuffed your wife like a holiday turkey."

"PBBBBTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTH!"

"HAHAHAHAHAHA! I'm just messin' with ya James. I'm happy that you and Julia get along so well. Heh heh…a little too well.."

"Hey now. There's more to a relationship than just bed squeaking."

"HA! Says you! What's the longest you've been with Julia without doing it?"

"…"

"A month?"

"…"

"A week?"

"…"

"6 days?"

"…"

"5 days?"

"Tell me if I'm getting warmer J."

"…"

"Hmm? Can ya speak up? I can't hear you."

"…Boy the weather sure is lovely today."

"Haha…nice save."

"Alright alright…I get the picture Benji. I love Julia that much."

Benjamin rubbed his chin with a sneaky smile on his face. Something quite interesting was on his mind. "Say James…how about we have ourselves a little bet between friends?"

He looked at the bear out of the corner of his eye, intrigued. "…What kind of bet?"

"Simple. The bet is this. I'll bet that you can't go a week without knocking boots with your wife."

"A week? That's it? I can do that Ben, no problem."

"Surrrrrre you will."

"I detect sarcasm."

"Maaaaaybe."

James passed a slower car by changing to the right lane.

"So what's the wager? What happens if I win or lose?"

"If you win, I have to pay you a hundred bucks…AND…I'll wear a pink dress to work for a whole week. If you lose, then you pay me and you'll have to wear the dress."

The fox laughed out loud. "Hahaha! A pink dress? Oh man…that's brutal Benji. That's real brutal. You can't be serious."

"If you don't think you can handle it…"

"…Oh I'm more than capable of handling it…just you wait…But how will you know if I lose the bet or not?"

"Ohh…don' t you worry about that…I have my ways…"

James slowly turned his head and looked at him funny, but soon turned back his focus to driving. He put one hand out, waiting for a handshake. "Alright then. You're on!"

The two shook on it.

A few hours later into the trip, the trees have been replaced by buildings of various shapes and sizes. The red pickup truck was on an overpass looking into the burg below. Cars and trucks traveled through the numerous streets. The drivers traveled to whatever business they had to attend to. The sun above told that it was close to noon.

Benjamin's stomach growled loud and clear, making both of them look down at his belly. "Heh…I guess I'm gettin' kinda hungry James."

"I've noticed."

"Can we stop somewhere for a quick bite?"

"No prob Benji. I think I'm getting hungry myself. I think I see a place down there."

James signaled and turned into the upcoming exit, then went down the arcing one-way street into town below. Right across the intersection was a quick stop store on the corner. The truck was parked right in front of it.

The two had a much needed stretch after being cooped up in the truck for so long. They were about to enter the store, but Benjamin stopped and walked to the pay phone.

"What's wrong?" James asked.

"I need to make a call…to…my wife."

"Ah. Are you trying to finish things up with her?"

"Something like that."

"I'm getting a ham sandwich and some cherry soda. What would you like? I'll get it for you."

"A footlong dog with the works. Ginger Ale for me. Thanks man."

"No problem."

Benjamin leaned over and made sure James was inside the store, then inserted a quarter and dialed a number. Three rings later, he made contact.

"Hello? Mrs. McCloud? Yeah…this is Benjamin. Hey…yeah…I'm fine. Thank you. Anyway, me and your hubby had just made a little bet…Yeah…here…let me tell you all about it…"

James put the two cans of sodas on the counter and politely asked, "May I have the toasted ham sandwich and footlong dog with the works please?"

"Coming right up." The teenage female fox replied, with a friendly smile and southern accent. Her fur was a silky orange, with soft brown eyes. Her denim shorts and white t-shirt were a couple sizes too small. She was shaped like an hourglass and her flowing blonde hair was shoulder length, definitely easy on the eyes. This girl was quite a looker.

James stared at nothing in particular as she prepared the food, his mind beginning to wander. Before he knew it, the clerk was looking at him, just gazing. The hotdog was already prepared, piled generously with toppings and put in a cardboard holder.

"…Is something wrong?" he asked, noticing her stare.

"Hmm? Oh no no…I'm just waiting for the toast to pop up, so I can finish your sandwich.

"Oh…okay."

"…"

"Is there something on my face?"

"Oh no…I just think you're pretty cute. What's your name?"

That came out of nowhere. "Uhh…thanks. I'm James. What's yours?"

"Cherry."

He immediately thought of a joke, but quickly disregarded it. "…That's a pretty name."

"Thanks! I also like your eyes. One's blue, one's green. How'd you get them like that? Contacts?"

"Nah…birth defect."

"Birth defect…I see…I think it's more like a blessing than a defect. They're real pretty."

"…Thank you."

"You're quite welcome. How old are you?"

"Thirty-three."

"Wow…you're thirty-three? You're kidding right?"

"Nope. That's my number."

"You sure are a lot younger than you look… It's a shame you're married." she said, eyeing James' gold ring. "Your wife is a very lucky woman."

He raised his hand, showing his commitment finger. "Yeah...heh heh… This fox settled down and has been put on a leash."

"How long have you been married?"

"About eight years now."

"Kids?"

"One son. He's got a lot of spunk. He drives Julia nuts. She insists that he got it from me."

"Julia?"

"My wife."

"Oh."

"I'm sure she's right…whoop…the toast is done."

The cooked slices of bread were quickly piled with thin-sliced ham, lettuce, and mayonnaise, and also put in a cardboard holder. The whole package smelled delicious.

"Okay…one ham sandwich…one footlong hotdog with the works…one can of cherry soda…one can of ginger ale…that'll be $5.50 please."

The fox handed her a twenty dollar bill, and received his change shortly after.

"Thanks for stopping by. Have a nice day James."

"Thanks Cherry. You too. Take it easy."

"Oh I will…" she replied with a wink.

Benjamin was waiting by the pay phone when his friend walked out of the store with their lunch.

"So…how'd it go with the wife?" James asked, then handed him his dog and drink.

"Oh…um…no one answered. I don't think anyone was home."

"That's too bad…are you going to try calling her again?"

"Nah…I don't think so. I'll just talk to her when I get home."

"Alright. Are you ready to hit the road again?"

"Let's roll J Mac."

The two hopped in the truck and the road trip resumed along the East 60 highway. Ben wolfed down on his hotdog with monstrous bites. James steered with his left hand while eating his sandwich with the right. Bread crumbs stuck to his whiskers, which he didn't bother to clean.

After an hour of changing lanes and radio stations, the truck took the Exit 32 off ramp and made a right onto Carol Road. This region looked just like his home back in Florence. There were acres upon acres of crops as far as the eye can see, complimented by the rolling hills.

Another right onto Nine Mile Road and there it was, a small and modest red house with a gravel driveway, two cars wide. An equally huge blue pick-up truck was parked in the closed garage. They pulled up and stepped out onto the yard, then gave themselves a moment of rest.

"Well…we're here James. Finally."

"Yeah…it's been a long drive."

James stood on his tiptoes and raised his arms to stretch. Benjamin leaned back against the trunk of an old oak tree just a few feet away.

"I'll let the man know we're here." the fox told him.

"Go for it."

James' black feet crunched against the gravel as he walked toward the porch. He could see inside the house through the screen door. It was exactly what you would expect inside a senior citizen's home. Antique doodads and quilts were spread about. Gently, he rapped on the door. He waited for several seconds, but no answer. James tried again, this time a little louder.

"Hello? Is anybody there? Smit has sent us to deliver some goods to you."

Still, nobody appeared.

"Maybe he's using the john or something." Ben suggested.

"Yeah…maybe. I'll wait a few more minutes."

Five minutes later, James decided to try again.

"Helloooooo? Anybody home? We have a delivery from Smit…huh…still no answer."

"Why don't you just go inside and take a quick look around?"

"I'm not gonna just stroll in some stranger's house without permission, Ben."

"You heard what Smit said. The guy is old. He won't care."

"Yeah…and he'll probably die of a stroke when he finds some big bear snooping around his house."

"Bah…don't be such a worrywart. If you won't, then I will." he said, stepping right up to the front door. "I'll be back. This won't take more than a couple minutes."

"Ben…you shouldn't…"

Before James could finish, he was already in the center of the living room. There was no one here. An unusual scent filled his twitching nose. For a man of his size, Ben was surprisingly quiet as he slinked through to the kitchen. The thirteen-inch television that sat on the counter was still on, tuned to a public service channel. A half-eaten bowl of corn flakes remained on the square table.

"Hmm…nobody here."

He went to the other side of the house, into a narrow hallway. The only bathroom available was at the end. It was empty. The small bedroom to the left of it was barren as well. The bed wasn't made. At least ten bottles of medication sat on the wooden dresser, all lids removed.

"Hello? If anybody's in here, say something."

Except for the ticking of the grandfather clock, there was not a sound. He went out to the back porch and did a visual sweep. Not a single person was seen in the vast fields.

"ANYBODY OUT HERE!"

He waited for a sign, but still none.

"HELLO? ANYBODY!"

He received the same reaction. The bear went on and checked the last place in the house, the garage. He took a peek in the pickup truck, as well as under it. Cans of paint and various tools sat along the shoddily-made shelves. This room was a bust as well.

"Ah...screw it."

Since the house had been searched inside and out, Ben decided to return to the front porch where James was waiting.

"Anything?"

"Nothin' man. He's not in the house. He wasn't in the back. We sure as hell didn't see him in the front. Where could he be?"

"Maybe he isn't even home."

"I doubt it. The truck is still here. The front door wasn't even locked. The TV in the kitchen was still on. And there was an unfinished bowl of cereal on the table."

"Maybe he took a walk somewhere."

"I don't think so. I think the guy is on his last legs."

"What makes you think so?"

"I saw a lot of open bottles of medication on the bedroom dresser, at least ten I think."

"I see…"

"Well J…what do we do now?"

"Mmm…there's a phone in the house right?"

"Most likely."

"You should just call Smit and tell him that the guy isn't here."

"Yeah. I'll do that. He'll know what we should do."

"I'll be right here."

Again, Ben stepped inside the house. He turned around and waved James to come along, but the fox refused.

"C'mon man. Don't be scared. No one is home."

"Nah. I'm still not stepping into someone else's house without permission."

"But YOU don't have a problem making ME go in the house and use the phone?"

"You already went in the house once. It makes no difference now." he said with a smirk.

"Heh. Ass. Fine…have it your way."

The huge mammal went into the living room and picked up the phone. After dialing the number, it was only a short time before he got a response.

"Hello? Smit? Yeah…we're at his house but no one's here. No…yes…uh-huh….no….okay…gotcha. Thanks. You're welcome. Yeah I know. Bye."

"So what'd he say?" James asked as Ben rejoined him on the front porch.

"He said not to worry about it. Just carry the goods around to the backyard and leave them there."

"Just leave them in the backyard?"

"That's what he said."

James and Benjamin proceeded in carrying the many huge bags of potting soil, seeds, buckets of vegetables, gardening tools, and other supplies from the back of the truck around to the back. There was still no indication of the resident.

"I hope the man is okay, where ever he is. I'm kinda worried." James said as he carried a forty-pound bag over his shoulder.

His friend set two buckets of corn onto the grass. "Yeah…me too. I'm thinking what if he got kidnapped?"

"I don't think that would happen…but you never know…"

Twenty minutes passed and they were finished with moving all the cargo. Ben did one last-minute check through the house while James searched around the outside. There was not a single person in sight. It was twenty minutes 'til three.

"Still nobody?" James asked.

"Nope. You?"

"Not a soul."

"Huh."

The two were silent for many seconds, looking down at the grass. They could barely hear the television in the kitchen.

"Well…no use still worrying about it. Let's get back." James finally said.

"You're right. I'm sure he's just fine."

The two friends walked back into the truck, and the fox started the engine. He took a quick look back and forth before shifting the stick into reverse. With a quick push into drive, he quickly accelerated down the road.

James was tapping his fingers and nodding his head to one of his favorite rock songs that blared from the speakers. Ben faced out the window and rested his arm on the sill. They felt their stomachs drop as they rode over a sharp hill.

"You know…if we're lucky, Smit might give us the rest of the day off." James said.

"I hope so. I could use the free time. You know what..."

"What?"

"I think I'll take a vacation, for a week. And get things finally straightened out once and for all."

"That's an excellent idea Benji. You'll have plenty of time to sort things out."

"Yeah…"

"If you need anything, don't be afraid to ask. I'll do my best to help you. Okay?"

"Appreciate the thought J Mac, but I won't need it. Thanks."

James stopped at an intersection, waited for a car to pass by, and then made a left. He continued along the road, sitting back and taking it easy, when things took an unexpected turn.

"Hey J…think you can make a stop on the way back? I'm gettin' hungry again."

He smiled. "Sure."

"WHOA!"

Suddenly, something big collided with the windshield, causing a huge crack that spread. Both James and Ben nearly leapt out of their seats. Whatever it was, it tumbled over the roof of the truck and landed on the road behind them with a sickening thud.

Ben turned around to get a better look. "What the!"

James remained alert yet stable as he slammed his foot on the brakes. The truck swerved into the other lane. Ben held on tight to the seat, heart pumping. The tires smoked and squealed as the fox turned the truck 180 degrees. It came to a complete stop. They were now facing what had collided with the vehicle, lying motionless several yards down the road. James and Ben quickly bolted out of the truck and stood before it.

"The hell!" Ben yelled.

"Dear God…"

There was the contorted body of a stout, bearded, elderly black cat, in khaki pants and suspenders. His brown eyes were open, but lacked that spark of life. Splotches of blood were marked all over his body, soaking through his fur and clothing. James began to pant. Panic was setting in. He bent down to get a closer look.

"Holy Hell James! Did you just run over somebody!"

He shook his head. "N..no! No way!"

"Well it sure looked like it to me!"

"N…no! No! I didn't even see him! He just came outta nowhere! I swear!"

"An old man came out of nowhere, in the middle of a slow country road?"

"…Well…did YOU see him?"

"Nope…I wasn't watching the road."

"Huh…"

James gently placed two fingers on his neck, checking for a pulse.

"Well?"

"He's dead Ben. He's dead…"

"Damn…"

"…"

"…"

"You know…I think he's been dead for quite a while. I'd say for several hours at least."

"What makes you think so?"

"He absolutely reeks. He's been decomposing. There's no way he would already smell this bad if I had killed him just now."

"You sure about that?"

"Yeah I'm sure. Don't believe me? Go ahead. Come down here and take a whiff."

"Uhh…that's okay James. I can smell it from up here. Damn. Dude is rank."

"…Something's going on here. Somebody killed this man, and he comes flying into the windshield."

"Maybe that 'somebody' threw him into us?"

"Why would the person do that?"

"I dunno. To scare us?"

"Hmm."

"How do you think he died?"

"I don't know…but I don't see any gunshot wounds or stabs..."

"Poisoned maybe?"

"Maybe. Or strangled to death."

"…"

"…"

"Hey J."

"What?"

"Do you think that cat is the guy that lived in the house we just left?"

"Mmm…might be possible. It would explain a lot."

"What irks me is who would kill some old defenseless man?"

"We got nothing but questions, Benji. I don't think we'll get answers anytime soon."

Ben exalted a big sigh and crossed his arms, trying to get a clear head. James eventually stood up to get himself some air.

"Want to call Smit and tell him what happened?" the fox asked.

"Yeah, that might be a good idea."

"Good. You take the truck and go back to the house and call him. I'll stay here."

"What are you going to do?"

"See that corn field across the road? I'm going to move the body into there and keep watch. I'll keep him out of sight. We don't need any unwanted attention right now."

"Yeah…that's the last thing we need. Awright. I'm going. Don't get yourself into trouble."

"Don't worry. I won't. Come back okay?"

"I won't forget ya J Mac."

Not a single car had passed ever since that odd collision, which was a good thing. Ben started driving the truck back down the road, and James carefully picked up the mangled corpse by gripping its belt buckle and lifting with both hands. Swift like the fox he is, he darted across the lonely road with his dead weight. There were still no cars. He entered the corn field and nestled the body down deep into the stalks, face up.

"(Yeah…this is a good hiding spot…)" he thought.

James stepped out and waited by the side of the road, acting nonchalant with his hands behind his back. He looked back and forth along the road. It was still eerily quiet.

The bear roared into the gravel driveway and leapt out, engine still running. He jetted into the house like it was his own and dialed in the phone. Four rings later, Smit picked up.

"Hello Smit? Yeah…it's me again. I have a question. Yeah. Is your friend that old black cat with a long beard? Uh-huh… Well, I got some bad news. Yeah. He's…well…dead. I don't lie. James was just driving along when he collided into him. No no! He didn't kill him Mr. Smit…I swear. He was long gone for hours. Yeah. Yeah. He's down the road right now with him. No…no…I don't know either, but that's how it happened. I know it sounds weird but you gotta believe me. Okay…okay…just take it easy. Calm down. Okay…Awright. Awright. AWRIGHT. We'll be waiting. Bye."

Ben placed the phone down quick. "Sheesh…"

Chapter 3 coming soon…