You and Luggins

Wolf's eyelids felt like lead, dragging out and up. The blackness blinded him for a second, and a second later he realized his sight was still murky. Several bits of information came into his head.

1) His head was rolled back. It took a while for the receptors in his brain to figure that out.

2) If his head was rolled back, that meant he was looking up, right? His vision cleared more and more. There before him was a tall airy metal ceiling where darkness seemed to hide in the recesses of its blackened space. Then how was he seeing it?

3) he was in a chair. Tied. The stiff movements of his wrists and feet told him that much. The lingering stinging tingling sensation roped up and down his body. Where did that come from?

4) His memory.

By that time, he slowly turned his head to the level position and made out the blinding headlights of a car. "Oh good, you're up," said a familiar voice. The memory sharpened. He was kidnapped by Lambs.

The lights flickered off and the sheep waltzed up to the wolf in her black suit. "Ugh, what happened?"

"You were kidnapped."

"I know that ugh," Wolf grumbled, trying to rub his head. The restraint on his hand reminded him of his predicament. "No thanks to you."

"Sorry about the knockout."

"Ugh, not the best hostage situation, but," Wolf's eyes snapped open wider. "My friends-"

"They're fine. I only had to make sure they were out of the way to take you."

"Why kidnap me?"

"Because your girlfriend's the governor."

"She's not my girlfriend," Wolf said. Crossing her arms, Lambs smirked and stifled a chuckle. "She's not!"

"Sooo when we met at the diner?" Lambs raised an eyebrow.

"I... like burgers?"

"Lamb or beef?"

Wolf narrowed his eyes. "That's a trick question. Saying either one would get me killed."

"Not really, but I appreciate the veggie burger you had," Lambs crossed her arms, "But that doesn't answer my question about your fox 'friend'."

"I'm working on it, alright?"

"Work faster, buddy. You don't have many dog years left."

"Hey!"

Lambs smirked wider, walking over to a small metal table. Wolf took in the scenery. It was a small tall silo-like structure with metal walls sliding down its form. Light came in from four flood lights near the bottom of the room. "Are we on a farm or something?"

Lamb glanced over her shoulder. "What makes you say that?"

"Dunno. Place just looks like one of those tall things on farms."

Lambs made a tiny noise like she was impressed. Maybe they were on a farm? Wolf grumbled under his breath, moving his shoes around a bit. "What's the matter?" Lambs asked.

"Nothing, just... got an itch in my shoe."

"Hm, you're relatively calm for a hostage you know. Calmest one I've had yet."

Wolf's eyes went round. "What do you mean?"

Facing him, Lambs rested her rear against the table, folding her arms together. "You should already know that I'm more dangerous than most of the people you face."

"That much I know, but I don't really worry much under pressure."

Lambs chuckled, "I saw your little scene with the Golden Dolphin." Wolf grumbled under his muzzle. "I'm pretty sure I saw sweat coming out of your eyes back then."

"Yeah, well things are different now. Plus, I know my friends will figure something out."

"That's good." A small frown rested on the sheep's lips. She sighed and pushed off the table, looking up in the darkness above the room. "What I wouldn't give to trust someone right now."

Wolf's glare softened as did his voice. "Hard life?"

She looked at her wrist and sighed, rubbing it with her hoof. "Yeah."

The air thickened. Wolf could feel the familiar pangs in his heart being tugged. The only way to satisfy both his mind and his heart was to ask the question.

But the sheep looked fragile for a moment. She kept rubbing her wrist where her tracking watch had been. She shut her eyes to the point that Wolf thought she would cry. She gave another sigh and remade the neutral cocksure grin she had before. The canine's stare hardened, "What's the whole deal with you and Luggins?"

Lambs' eyes narrowed. "What did you do with the file I gave you?"

"We looked at the police databanks. There was nothing there."

"Grrr," Lambs grunted, ambling around a bit. "Of course, she would wipe them from the hard drives."

"Why are you after Luggins?"

"To right a wrong," Lambs said readily as her tone sharpened. "Why were you at Luggins' house?"

"We were trying to protect her."

"Protect her?" Lambs' eyebrows rose all the way up. "Why on earth would you protect her of all people?"

Wolf took a deep sigh. What she had asked vibrated some deep pain that had been aching in his chest since the very beginning of this ordeal. He had been asking the same question this entire time. Why bother with someone who never dared to lift a pinky in their defense? The one person who could simply set them up and throw away the key. The one who constantly threw their moral failures back at their faces as they tried to atone. Why do all of this? For safety? For social approval? Because of instinct?

No.

"Because," He said in a deeper, serious tone. "It's the right thing to do."

Lambs stared at him. "And if she was the bad guy in disguise, what would you do then?" She smirked a little. The wolf said nothing, keeping his poker face on.

"My friends will find me, Lambs," He replied.

Lambs smiled as she pulled up her phone. "I know. I'm just going to give them a little help." She dialed a number and waited for the tone. "Ms. Governor. I think you should pick up your phone."

"What are you trying to-"

"Hang on," Lambs murmured, then dialed the number again. "Gov. Foxington. Thank you for allowing me this time." A pause. "Don't worry, Wolf is perfectly fine. Perfectly safe, perfectly alive. The only thing he's complaining about is the taste of electricity."

Another pause. "Sorry about that Snake. Comes with the taser. I have a little... proposal for you," Lambs replied. She quickly wrapped a cloth around Wolf's mouth and put the phone on speaker. "Can you hear me?"

"Just tell us your proposal already," Foxington chided.

"Where is Luggins? I'll give your doggie back if you tell me where Luggins is?"

Wolf narrowed his eyes. Why ask where Luggins is? Why not have them bring Luggins to her?

Or why not just ask Wolf? The wolf knew the only logical place to put her would be in the Lair, as much as he hated the idea.

"Why should we tell you?" Snake asked.

"Because you and I both know that this proposal is a good deal. I'll bring the puppy to a place, and you'll bring me Luggins' location. You've got 24 hours to give me the chief's location, understand?" She hung up the phone, giving a small sigh. "Well, I think that takes care of that." She took off the gag. "Sorry, but I couldn't have you screaming at the top of your lungs to have them come and get you."

"Why not?"

"They don't need the panic," Lambs said simply. Wolf glared.

She was right, though.

He tilted his head, staring thoughtfully at Lambs. "You're... not trying to get Luggins, are you?"

Lambs smirked, crossing her arms, "You catch on quickly. Quicker than she probably is. By the way, did you tell her about the file?"

"No."

"Why not?"

"Why should I tell you?"

"Because it's the right thing to do?" Lambs smirked. "And it doesn't make sense to hide it."

Wolf smirked back, "Let's say we make a deal."

"A deal," Lambs chuckled, "You're not really in a spot to be making deals."

"Which means you stand to win here."

"Oooh, smooth," Lambs grinned. "What's the deal?"

"I answer your question, you answer mine."

Lambs shrugged, "Alright, I'll play."

"We suspect that she has information about you that we don't know. Trying to play our cards close to us."

"Oh, this is gonna be good," Lambs laughed, rubbing her hooves together.

"Now it's my turn to ask a question," Wolf's face dropped all signs of humor. "What's really between you and Luggins?"

"Oooh sorry hun," Lambs sighed, "I can't tell you any more than she and I know each other."

"Alright, I guess that's fair," Wolf said, relaxing back into his tied confinement. "It's just that Luggins said that you were a bloodthirsty merchant, killed a lot of her friends, and escaped to get revenge on her. The whole thing seemed like a crazed ex-girlfriend thing," He chuckled.

Lambs didn't. Her eyes glared into Wolf, making the dog shrink when he saw her pull out her gun. "Wait, Lambs! I didn't!"

POW! POW!

Wolf slowly opened his eyes and looked around his body. He was okay. He looked at the angle of Lambs' gun. On the side wall was a picture of Luggins with two new holes. "Of course, she would say that," She practically growled. Glancing at Wolf's shocked face, Lambs took a deep breath and put her gun away. "That's not the case."

"I got that much," Wolf gulped.

"Good."

"But then, what is the deal between you and Luggins?"

Lambs sighed, "I think it's best to let Luggins' actions speak for themselves than my words."

"Which is?"

Before she could say anything, her phone rang. "Hello? Ah, Ms. Govenor. Ah, thank you for your participation. You know dock seventeen on the southwest side? I'll drop off Wolf there. See you then." She hung up. "Looks like you're going back to your friends."

"You didn't answer my question."

"Like I said. Luggins' place has more answers than I do."

Wolf narrowed his eyes in thought. She quickly draped a dark cloth back over his head and shuffled him into another seat.

Continued...