-Well, after I published the two previews her is a completely new chapter. Hope you have fun and don´t forget to leave a review if you do... Well, I go and get some sleep now...-
"And you really sure this guy is worth the money?" Scratch asked his friend again as they stood outside in a little alley somewhere in Hamburg. "I mean it would be a shame if I had to spent the money on a…"
Scratch stopped in midsentence as Seneca laid his hand on his shoulder and gave him a look that meant something like 'Trust me'. That look didn´t dispel his doubts but it made him a bit calmer. He also shouldn´t get worked up about something, at least that´s what the doctor said.
He barely survived the two bullets he received by this FBI agent and actually he should rather be in a bed than in a dirty alley somewhere in downtown Hamburg. It all happened very fast after he got shot. Seneca transported him to a doctor who was a friend of them to patch Scratch back up.
During the transport Scratch had ruined the back seats of Seneca´s car with his blood. The nice white seats had big red stains now. After the doc did his best and Scratch was fairly stable Seneca organized a flight for them with which they got out of the country.
Scratch was a wanted man there now, in his condition it was just too dangerous to risk another confrontation with the FBI. So Seneca combined business with pleasure and flew with him to his homeland. Here in Germany, where nobody searched for him, Scratch was able to recover calmly. And that happened very fast, the mutt was though dog.
Just a week after he got shot he was able to leave the bed, even if the doctors didn´t like that. Walking wasn´t a problem any longer, if he used his cane as aid. It was just a brown inconspicuous stick but it was the only thing that kept Scratch´s balance. Without it he would just fall to the side like a tree cut down by a woodcutter.
Now, after Scratch thought that he had enough rest, it was time to get back to business. That was the reason why they stood in this alley. Somewhere here lived a hacker called Sergej Czagek or how he named himself 'Public Void'. The best in his métier, but also the most expensive if you want to hire him.
It wasn´t easy to find him and usually you would hire him over the internet, but Scratch liked to see his business partners in person before he was making deals with them. Of course Scratch also did a background check on his potential business partners. But he didn´t really found much about this guy, he was pretty good in covering his traces.
The only thing he found out about Sergej Czagek was that he was born in the Czech Republic. His parents moved when he was six to Germany. And that´s all. For Scratch that was an unsatisfying amount of information. He was used that he knew more about the people he was making business deals.
"Here." meant Seneca and pointed at a little doorbell nameplate on which the name Czagek was written. They stood in front of a grey ran down apartment building from which the façade crumbled away. The building wasn´t only filthy, old and had a lot of broken widows but was also abandoned. That became clear as Scratch looked at the doorbell nameplates. All of them except the one of Czagek and another one were empty.
Without hesitation Seneca kicked the door open with the words. "Ringing the bell is too mainstream."
Scratch gazed a bit confused as Seneca walked into the building. It was strange but since they´ve been in this country Seneca somehow changed.
He was full youthful enthusiasm and, what was the weirdest thing, he spoke much more. All in all it was like this homeland visit made him younger. Maybe a bit too young.
By the help of his cane he heaved himself into the building and up the little staircase of the apartment building.
It took him a while until he arrived another door that was already forced open, what was a sure sign that Seneca was here. And immediately after he stepped through this door he could see Seneca holding a small mole in a chokehold.
"Seneca…" sighed Scratch tiredly. "Leave him."
Growling released Seneca the little guy who fall panting to the ground. "Was zum Teufel?!"
"I´m sorry Mr. Czagek, my friend here is a bit… overambitious."
"Overambitious?!" repeated the mole from the ground. "He is sick!"
"I am not sick." Called Seneca in.
"Not sick?!" shouted Czagek. "Of course, it´s normal to kick the door of somebody open and begin to choke him!"
"Again, I apologize for my friend. Sorry." Scratch almost bowed as he said that. "But we are definitely not here to hurt you. The purpose of our presence here is purely business."
"Business, huh?" snorted Czagek and walked to his door. "I don´t think I want to have a business relation with people like you." With a gesticulation he demanded them to leaf his apartment.
"People like us?!" Seneca was about to jump on Czagek again but Scratch stopped him from that with the help of his cane.
"Seneca please." He said to his friend and turned then back towards the mole. "We don´t differ from the people you dealing with usually. And besides." Scratch pulled a wad of cash out of the inner pocket of his coat. "It won´t be your disadvantage."
The small eyes of the mole widened and became twice as big. The same hand that showed them the way out a few seconds before now closed the door. Quick as a bunny ran Czagek past Scratch and Seneca into a room of his apartment. His reaction made Scratch shake his head. Everybody has his price, that was sad but true. However, in this special case it was quiet helpful.
Scratch and Seneca followed Czagek into a stuffy little room that was full of computers. The whirring of the CPU fans was almost deafening and the blinking of the lights was no view for epileptics.
"Welcome in my realm." Shouted Czagek through the noise. "It´s small but, it´s mine."
"Yeah… nice." Screamed Scratch back a bit overwhelmed by all the noise and the lights.
"So what is it? What do you want me to hack?"
Scratch handed the mole a little note.
" ?" Czagek raised an eyebrow. "A streaming service? Why?"
"I don´t want you to destroy the whole platform. But there are certain information about me that… let´s say they shouldn´t exist anymore."
"Aha…" meant Czagek shrugging and began to work. "By the way…" he called from the keyboard. "To whom do I have the honor of speaking?"
"Scratch…"
Czagek stopped working as he heard the name. "Scratch? The drug lord?!"
"Yep. And as you will see soon on this little website was my former name Dudley Puppy."
"Why do you tell him that?!" Seneca shouted from the side and gave Scratch a shocked look.
"Because he will find out anyway. You have to know, five years ago I thought I gave a man a lot of money to destroy all evidences of my old life. He did that pretty well but he stored a few information because he wanted to squeeze more money out of me. Anyway, what happened then is clear I think. I killed that guy but… that information still exists. And that´s why I´m here."
"Well, well…" laughed Czagek suddenly. "If it´s about that it will…" before he could finish his sentence Scratch pulled another wad of money out of his coat.
"Are we speaking the same language now?"
"Yes." Grinned Czagek widely and continued working on his keyboard. I didn´t take much time until he raised his voice again. "Oh cute."
"What?"
"How the server is protected. In a few minute your history should be destroyed. Oh and another thing. Someone else is trying to get access to this part of the server I have to delete."
"And who." The question Scratch asked was more obligatory than really interested.
"Someone from Petropolis… Keswick."
"I knew it" sighed Scratch. Keswick was still trying to get hard evidences that he is Scratch. The only thing Keswick had was what Scratch once told them in the interrogation room. And this conversation was not even recorded! So actually they had nothing. It would be a big triumph if Keswick could hack this server.
Again Scratch reach into his pocket and pulled the last wad of money out. "Can you do me another favor?"
"And what?" asked Czagek deepened into his work.
"Destroy the hardware of this other hacker."
"I had done this even if you hadn´t asked." Smirked the mole and continued hacking.
Scratch and Seneca watched Czagek quiet a long time until the little guy finally turned around and said. "I´m done."
"Done?" probed Scratch unbelieving.
"Yep." Confirmed Czagek confident. "The data is deleted and the hardware of this Keswick is now just worth the metal it´s made from."
"Excellent." Called Scratch gladly. "I think I don´t have to tell you that you we never been here and that you never saw what you saw?"
"That´ll coast a bit more."
"Don´t worry you´ll see twice as much as you have, tomorrow." Meant Scratch smiling. After a short hand shake between him and Czagek, Senca and Scratch left the building.
"Are you sure about that?" muttered the gaunt lion as they both were back on their way to the car.
"You know, I don´t really trust this guy but I think he´s corruptible. And people who follow the flow of money are mostly predictable. Pecunia non olet."
"I don´t mean that" made Seneca clear. "I mean if you´re sure that you burn all evidences of your
ex-existence?"
"To be honest, it´s not something I really like to do. I think it´s better for everyone in my past if Dudley Puppy stops existing and that there are no traces that connect me with him." Even if there was sadness in his words felt Scratch somehow released that the last strings that connected him with Dudley Puppy were cut now.
Finally it was just him who would decide who he would tell his story. Now at that moment, it were just a few people who knew his secret. Bill Young, the culprit of the Petropolis massacre. His old flame, Kitty Katswell. The little guy from the lab at T.U.F.F., Keswick. Parva and Seneca. Those five people knew his secret and only one of them would give this secret away.
But this person hopefully learned his lesson by now. Kitty wouldn´t say anything. She just didn´t want to be concerned with anything concerning him. Bill Young said nothing during the last seven years, there was no reason for him to start talking. And Parva and Seneca, well he trusted them. No it was more, since Nefarius death those two became his little family.
There was this strange German lion who took the position of the uncle in the family. Somehow like a brother and friend to the head of the family. And there was the young girl that was the daughter in this family. Scratch supported her with money and helped her to get into the school she wanted to, to get a good qualification.
Parva wanted to get a normal job and a normal life and Scratch and Seneca helped her with that. That´s what a family does.
Every time Scratch thought about this little family he thought about this releasing feeling he had after he told them who he really was, that his name was Dudley Puppy and that he did that all just to avenge his mother and the victims of the Petropolis massacre.
He always reminisced with joy Parva´s word after she and Seneca listened attentively to his story. "Scratch, your past doesn´t matter for us. You aren´t Dudley Puppy for us, you are Scratch. We are a team. We are your team. I stay. And I think Seneca will stay, too."
Scratch still didn´t really understand the reason why they stayed. But in the end it didn´t matter for him. He was just glad they were here.
A car ride and a long but not unpleasant silence between him and Seneca later, they arrived at a small wooden house which was located on a meadow somewhere in the middle of nowhere.
Around the house no city was visible, just the lush green meadows which were stroked tenderly by a soft wind. The whole scenery had a slumberous effect on everyone who is subjected to it. But the really mean thing about this was that even if you get tired, you never get tired of looking.
So these meadows were some kind of natural hypnagogue. You start looking and then fall into a trance like state.
Scratch felt the meadows affecting him as he walked small gravel path to the house. He was pretty glad as he reached the front door without falling asleep. But before he could open it somebody else did that for him.
"Surprise!" shouted the young cat girl that was wearing her typical blue jeans and black leather jacket. The only thing that was new on her was that she wore her brown hair open.
"What are you doing here?" Said Scratch surprised and gave Parva hug.
"Well, I heard about your little disagreement with a bunch of FBI agents. So I skipped a day of school and took the next plane to Germany. And after a little dispute with a taxi driver, who´s English was… almost not existing, I finally arrived here."
"You shouldn´t skip class." Meant Scratch sternly after hearing Parva´s travel story.
"Seriously? Aren´t you glad to see me?"
"Of course kiddo." Again Scratch gave Parva another hug, then he entered together with Seneca the house.
"Nice house." Said Scratch as he saw the modern furnishing of the house that looked so old from outside. It wasn´t big but it had really everything from a refrigerator with integrated T.V. over tables that looked like they were stolen from a spaceship to a T.V. that was thinner than a finger.
"Thanks." Mumbled Seneca and pointed with his finger at two chair behind the counter in the kitchen, what probably meant 'Please sit down'.
"Beer? Wine?" asked Seneca Scratch as he sat down.
"In vino veritas… so give me the wine." Laughed Scratch.
"And you?" Seneca has turned to Parva but before the girl could answer Scratch intervened.
"No, she is too young!"
"Not in this country." And with a triumphing grin Seneca handed the girl a beer.
Shrugging eyed Parva the beer and giggled. "I could get used to that."
Scratch however just swung the wine in his glass around and shook his head. "Heu me miserum" (Wehe mir Armem)
"Cry me a river." Sneered Seneca and opened himself a bottle of beer.
They sat together for a while. Joked, told each other stories and just enjoyed each other´s company. And the emptier their drinks got, the profounder their talk got. At least between Seneca and Scratch. Parva on the other hand was more than greatly influenced by the alcohol.
"You knooow what? I loooove you twoo." She slurred totally drunken. "Not whaaat you think. I zeeee you two more like my family. And az a family… I loooove you two."
"How many beers she had?" whispered Scratch to Seneca.
"One."
Now a bit confused grabbed Scratch Parva´s empty bottle and studied the label. "Seneca, my German isn´t the best but… I think that´s a stout. It got nine percent. Why do you give her that?!"
The only answer he received from Seneca was a finger that pointed on Parva who now slept on the counter.
"To your question." Laughed Senca suddenly exuberantly. "I did this because we get some time to talk now."
"Yeah okay but was it really necessary to drug her? I mean she isn´t really used to alcohol." A bit worried checked Scratch if Parva was still breathing.
"The kids these days cannot even stand a bit alcohol. Ich trauere um diese Generation!" Seneca sounded like one of these old man who complain about anything. These guys who always say that everything was better back then.
"Yeah, whatever. I hope you don´t want to talk about that?"
"Nope. What I wanted to talk about is Mathew Richards. What you want to do if you got him? If you got the information out of him?"
"Well…" meant Scratch pensively looking at the ceiling. "I thought that the information would lead me to my next…"
"That´s not a plan!" shouted Seneca out and beat his fist so hard on the counter that Parva moved a bit. "This kind of approach kill Nefarius! Dammit Scratch, what happened?! I can remember that you once planned missions back then so detailed that you predicted every step of our enemies. I want this Scratch back!"
"You ask me what happened?" Scratch refilled his glass and took a sip before he continued. "My past, that´s what happened." He said pressing a mouthful of wine down his throat. "This whole thing with the massacre and Young and so on. Also this fear… the fear that you get when you get so close to your goal? To everything you ever wanted to reach? The fear to fail on the last step?"
"Ah, don´t give me this shit!" retorted Seneca and knocked back the rest of his beer. "You actually failed at the point Nefarius died but nevertheless you continued. You maybe had the fear and all of this but you got your shit together and brought it to an end. Your heart, your courage, was still fixed to that aim. But your brain was on this mission somehow totally turned off. And it wasn´t the fear or Young that turned it off. It wasn´t your whole past. Just one woman that disconcerted the living legend so much that he began to make the stupidest mistakes. A femme fatale called Kitty Katswell of which you´re still a fond of." Seneca ended his explanations with opening another bottle of beer and giving Scratch a stern look.
"What do you want to hear from me now? Yes? Or No? Both would be right. I was confused seeing Kitty again but no that what we have is history." The gaze that Scratch gave his wine glass after saying this was for Seneca the confirmation of the theory he had.
"What I want to hear from you is the truth. Unflattering and complete."
"The truth?" Scratch now didn´t refill his glass, he took the bottle and began to empty it. "Okay, here is the truth. I want her back! Every inch of my body wants her back! I get nervous when she´s around and act like a complete idiot. God dammit, it´s like back then at T.U.F.F.! I just cannot think when she´s around. And of course I know that there is no chance for me to get her back. I destroyed too much. Sometimes, I wish I had a time machine to travel back and say my younger I that he shouldn´t leave. That he should stay with her and forget about his revenge. I would tell him, no command him to become happy with her… Is that enough or do you want to hear more?"
"Thank you that´s enough. I want to talk about your plan now. Or if you really don´t have one, we´ll make one."
The fast change of subjects surprised Scratch a bit but he was relatively glad about the fact that he hadn´t to talk about his feelings any longer. "Well, I need the information of Richards first. When we got them the next step would be to interrogate the four conspirators. What will hopefully lead us to the head to all of this. By the way, before you ask. I have a concrete plan how I approach this whole thing to get the information out of them and give them what they deserve. So, enough plan for you?"
"Yep, kind of and I think enough for a start." Nodded Seneca friendly and began to rummage under the counter. As he came up again he was holding some kind of file in his hand. "This here is a little gift for you from me. You´ll get it after you promise me two things. First, plan your next steps like the smart Scratch would do, and second, don´t let this Kitty confuse you again. What you two had is over. Treat the memories you two had with respect and so do it with her but that´s all you owe her. Got it?"
"Uhm… Okay. I promise. But what kind of gift do you have?"
Seneca handed his friend the file who eagerly began to read through it. "Seems like it´s Christmas again." Laughed Scratch impressed as he finished reading. In this file contained one piece of information Scratch was longing for so long.
The whereabouts of Mathew Richards. Scratch had expected much but he had never expected that Richard was imprisoned in the Petropolis prison. That was wonderful, it was like hunting prey that can´t move. Also this file contained two interesting side notes. One was that Kitty went on a vacation and had a stopover in Frankfurt tomorrow and the second was that Jessica Spotrunner was temporally chief of T.U.F.F..
Scratch never had the chance to get to know her but he still knew that Kitty hated her.
"Interessting. Do I want to know how you got them?" asked Scratch and received a head-shaking as answer.
"Okay, then… I have to book a flight back to Petropolis and…" he interrupted his sentence because Seneca held a ticket for a flight back to Petropolis under his nose. "You thought about everything, huh?"
"Yep." Confirmed Seneca grinning.
"Hey wait…" Scratch suddenly said as he took a closer look at the tickets. "Frankfurt airport?"
"I said treat her with respect. I think it would be respectful to if you tell her that you´ll mess up her city. But choose your words wisely!"
"Thanks man." Laughed Scratch and gave Seneca a half sober hug. "By the way… it´s really strange that you talk so much."
"Don´t worry." Winked the lion happily. "When we´re back in your country I´ll be the stoic, silent guy again."