After a long day of watching a race, Richie and his crew went back to Redshore. As Richie walked through the streets of Redshore, he couldn't help but notice that someone was following him. He tried to lose the pursuer. Richie decided to hide in an alleyway. The same pursuer tried to find him, but was pulled into the alleyway as Richie pulled out his wrist knife. The pursuer pulled back her hood to reveal it was Kayla Flasker much to Richie's relief.
"Richie!" Kayla said.
The two lovers shared a deep kiss as Richie held her face with his left hand. "I've... missed you so much," Richie began.
Kayla held Richie's hand in hers as they kissed in the alley. Fearing he maybe discovered, he hid Kayla in the shadows as he looked out of the alley.
"I'm tired of all this," Richie sighed. "Our love should not be hidden like it's some kind of wrong thing!"
"Richie, you're almost close to discovering Shendu's plot. And then..." Kayla began.
"And then what? Special Ops aren't supposed to have relationships. Ugh, it doesn't matter."
"It does matter. We knew it would be like this. Perhaps things can change after the mission is over. But, for now, your country and your friends need you. Especially Dax and Sam. And in the shadows of Redshore, or any other city, especially in Jasper where we first met, and most importantly, in my heart, I will always love you," Kayla said.
Richie smiled at Kayla's words as he looked into her beautiful eyes.
"Well, you do look really good in the dark," Richie said.
"Rich," Kayla said as they both shared a kiss. And with that, the two parted ways, Kayla going back to her hotel and Richie off to rendezvous with his friends and colleagues. But not five minutes into his journey, Richie received a text from Sam that made his blood run cold and his legs move as if they had a mind of their own.
Sam: Crytal's thugs at the hotel. May need backup.
Needless to say, Richie was running on pure adrenaline as he reached the hotel, completely oblivious to a sedan that burned rubber out of the parking lot, his heart pounding in his ears as he made his way towards the room that Sam had texted shortly after the one before. But the moment he stepped out of the elevator, he noticed that the door was ajar, which did not sit well with him. But the closer he got, the more he was able to clearly hear a conversation through it.
Listening closely, Richie was able make out Sam's voice, a clear sign that the threat was either averted, or as he was able to peak through the door, subdued, as evident by the bound and gagged Peter Canis and Mario Fellers. But the moment Richie focused his attention on the conversation being had, he heard a startling confession from behind the door.
"Now," he heard Sam say, "I'm sure you all have many questions…but for starters, I think Dax and I need to share something with you lot."
A moment of silence followed, only for Charlie Lane's voice to sound next. And with what he said, Richie lost it.
"S.U.C.M.?"
"S.U.C.M.!" Richie exclaimed, barging through the door, gun at the ready. And it went without saying that the shepherd's sudden arrival had caught everyone off guard, some even cowering as he seemed to brandish his gun indiscriminately. But then again, it was hard for him and everybody else to learn that Sam O'Brian and Dax Sterling, two of the most renowned authors in the world, were once special ops agents.
"Would you put that damn thing away, Richie?" Dax finally interjected, the Texan clearly annoyed by his friend's paranoia, but then again, he couldn't blame them. But luckily, Richie began to lower his gun, careful to keep his finger off the trigger, lest it accidentally go off. But that still didn't stop the sneer that formed on his muzzle as he looked at his friends who he had just learned had been a former government operative all these years. In truth, he had only been told that they were combat experts, which he assumed just meant they had been in the military. But this was quite a shock.
"I-I," Buster stammered after Richie seemed to relax, the koala very confused by this new development that had presented itself.
"I don't understand."
"I kinda figured," Sam promptly answered, a relaxed, neutral expression on the wolf's muzzle as he addressed Buster, all while Richie, who had been watching his two friends with great scrutiny, kept his Walther in his right hand, the gun pointed at no one in particular, but merely as a silent warning. And needless to say, Dax was getting pretty nervous, though mostly annoyed, especially when he watched as the others instinctively flinched whenever Richie moved even the slightest bit.
"So, what are you, a couple of sleeper agents or something?" Ash inquired, the porcupine nestled into Clay's side.
"I thought they were volunteering for this," Porsha whispered to Cherry, the saluki/setter looking at her girlfriend incredulously for a moment before letting out a quiet giggle.
"I love you baby," she whispered, "but you can be such a ditz."
"Yeah," Porsha responded with smirk, clearly not bothered by her girl's statement, "but I'm your ditz."
However, the mirth between the two was replaced by confusion, their confusion mingling with the others as a result of Able adding in his two cents to the conversation.
"Not really volunteering, Ash…just willingly shanghaied."
The others were confused by this.
"Alright you lot," Johnny said with a deep sigh, "you better start making a hell of a lot more sense before the rest of the precinct gets here."
"Johnny," Ellie warned as she jerked her head towards Matt, "little pitchers have big ears."
It was at that moment that the adults in the room remembered the presence of the little pup, Able actually taking the initiative to instruct Rachel to take their son upstairs, out of earshot. Rachel was more than happy to oblige, the mother wolf calling for Matt, who hopped out of Sam's lap, the young boy offering the adult an enthusiastic high five, which was returned with a warm smile, the sight alone making the others feel more at ease. But, once Matt was out of sight, the levity passed like a fleeting shadow. And once they were gone…
"Precinct won't be getting here. They are under orders not to respond to any emergency at Crystal Towers unless it comes from me…Because I'm involved, too."
"WHAT?!"
The outburst from everyone made the three agents jump a bit, even though they knew that Able's revelation would have come as quite a surprise.
"Coming to Redshore so my son could get proper treatment for his cancer was both true yet misleading," Able continued to clarify.
"I was actually also here on my brother's request. You see, twenty years ago, Jimmy Crystal was the son of high-end theater magnate. Had everything fed to him on a silver spoon. But after his old man croaked fifteen-years-ago, he found himself struggling. So, he reached out to my brother."
All eyes turned to Cain as he puffed a cigar as he stood beside Nick, both holding a glass of whiskey, The fox looking at the dark wolf with a frown as he took a sip of his drink.
"I had just made my first million as one of the major crime bosses on the west coast, with ties on the east, including some of the major crime families in Zootopia, such as Mr. Big," Cain added.
"A middle-mammal got with me and told me Jimmy was looking to make a deal. Naturally it was hard for me to refuse. So, I gave him some 'investments,' and he was able to build himself back up. But he still had to pay me back. Which he did faithfully for ten years, but then there came a problem."
"And what was that?" Buster inquired, very inquisitive as to the mystery surrounding Cain's story. But the Dark Wolf merely grinned as he continued.
"Four-years-ago I got a call from one of my middle-mammals here in good-old Redshore that Jimmy was getting himself into some financial trouble because of, let's just say, legal problems. But about a couple years ago, his reimbursements started to turn up lighter than usual. When I asked him, he said he was having trouble with his funds again. Though from what I understand, his 'secondary means of income' should have helped him out."
"'Secondary Means of Income?" Nooshy inquired, her confusion turning into annoyance at all the dancing around that Cain was doing. Catching on to the aggravation present in the lynx's voice, Cain sent her a teasing smirk as he began to speak.
But in a surprising turn, Suki dropped the bombshell.
"Crystal has been embezzling money from his own company."
This caught everyone off guard.
"What?" both Buster and Porsha asked, both clearly shocked at this revelation. Buster was especially confused, the koala thinking Suki, as a talent scout, couldn't have known, or even have any control over the finances that flowed into Crystal Entertainment. But to hear that Crystal had been skimming money off the top right was hard to believe.
Well, not really, Buster mentally corrected himself.
"Suki contacted me two-years-ago," Cain answered, "saying that she had noticed certain discrepancies in Crystal Entertainment's fiscal reports."
Suki, at that point, took over, ignoring the curious gaze from her boyfriend and the others, each wondering how the hell she would have contact with Cain. But given Suki's past with the Crystal family, it would come as no shock when the truth would be revealed in court.
"Now, during those previous two tax seasons, Crystal Entertainment had been making a pretty hefty margin through reservations and revenues from the theater and hotel. However, since Crystal always dumped doing the taxes on me, I was able to see that, as Cain said, that certain payments and refunds filed for the company and through Crystal personally, had started showing some discrepancies. Crystal's taxes showed he had made more, and the company made less than what was on the profit reports."
"When that happened," Cain interjected, "I got in touch with Charlie to get with Suki to check it out."
"What?" every gasped, save for Suki, all turning to the Saluki lawyer, who while uncomfortable, maintained a clam exterior.
"Yeah," Cain clarified, "he owed me one."
"You 'owed him one?'" Buster inquired; his eyes still wide at what he had just heard. But the moment Charlie sent him a somber smile, Buster began to get an idea of what the Dark Wolf meant.
"Cain was with the R.C.A.F. during my tour when I was wounded," Charlie explained, sending the black-furred lupine a warm, grateful smile, one which was returned with equally warm camaraderie.
"He was the one who pulled me from that chopper."
As Charlie spoke, Cain had walked over to Charlie, having snuffed out his cigar and setting down his whiskey, his hands now free to rest on both of the seated saluki's shoulders.
"We've been friends ever since," Cain finished, lightly squeezing his friend's shoulders.
"So does that mean Charlie's dirty too?" Richie sneered; his hackles raised as he looked at the most respected lawyer with burning contempt. But to the shepherd's surprise, Charlie's face took on a look of great insult, the saluki actually seeming to poise himself to abruptly stand in his defense, as though he were in a courtroom. But luckily for Charlie, Cain came to his defense.
"No, we just stayed in contact. Kept each other up to date on family and stuff."
Speaking of staying in contact…
At some point during the conversation, Dax's phone buzzed. Pulling the smart device from his pocket, the silver wolf opened up his messages to see a new one from Diane. And when he read it in its entirety, he showed Sam, who was surprised, but also very intrigued.
DF: Was keeping watch across the street with Wolf and the gang. Charlie came here with Linda Le Bon. One of Shendu's girls grabbed her and drove off. Following them now.
Dax wasted no time in sending a reply.
DS: Stay hidden. Report back when you're finished.
DF: Will do.
And once his phone was back in his pocket, Dax returned his attention back to the conversation, which now included Nooshy taking some jabs during Lane and Adlan's investigation into Jimmy's finances.
"Well," Nooshy said with a laugh, "if it's taking you guys so long to get this far, you did a pretty shit job."
"Well," Suki added, sharing Nooshy's laugh, "it hasn't been easy. Those records were always locked up tighter than Crystal's liquor cabinet. From what I understand, apart from when I filed the taxes, only two people were allowed 24-hour access to them: Crystal and Jerry."
Cain's ears perked up at the mention of Jerry. If Jerry was the only other person who had access to those financial records, then that could prove a serious motive for Crystal to have him hidden. And if they could find Jerry, then they had a good amount of leverage over his employer.
"Suki," Able asked as he turned his attention to the female saluki, who suddenly tensed up as all attention was now on her.
"You had been at Crystal Entertainment for ten years, correct?"
"That's right," Suki readily replied.
"Jerry was there before you?"
"Yes," Suki responded quickly, seeming to know where this conversation might lead.
"How long had Jerry been employed with Crystal Entertainment?"
"Until recently, about twenty days shy of sixteen years."
"Did you know his occupation before he became Mr. Crystal's secretary?"
Now everyone was intrigued, even Suki, who had to admit that she really didn't know anything about the usually ass-kissing cat's professional past. Though she had probably reasoned that since it was Jerry, it was worth the time or effort to find out.
"No?"
Able let a small smirk spread on his lips as he gave the answer.
"Treasurer and Accountant. Titles maintained after his promotion."
"In other words," Sam added in, "the fucking Bookkeeper."
"Well," Suki finally said after a moment of contemplation, "it makes sense. Jerry was always meticulous. Had an eye for detail in certain respects. Crystal definitely would have noticed early on that Jerry had a penchant for finances and could definitely skim enough of the top without drawing too much attention."
"Well, he failed in that category," Ash responded with a huff, the small chuckle joined by Clay.
"And now with him hidden, it's gotten a whole lot harder for us," Charlie growled.
"Especially with the dirt he has on Sam."
All eyes turned to Dax, the Texan sharing a somber expression with his Irish colleague.
"What?" Richie inquired, wondering what kind of information Jerry could have on Sam. But the moment the Irish wolf opened his mouth, what came out was a great shock.
"Samuel John O'Brian, Renowned Author and Historical Commentator, was the life created for me fifteen years ago. My real name is Collin Fayard Davis, Espionage Agent and assassin for the Strategic Undercover Criminal Monitoring Agency. Infamously known by all the major crime families as 'The Faolahd.' You see over fifteen years ago, Dax and I were members of S.U.C.M. Along with a female associate who would be the mother of Dax's son, Eric. You might say we were the best the agency ever had. But around that time, I decided…I didn't want to do that anymore."
"So," Dax added with a laugh, "the then director of S.U.C.M. took the liberty of getting Sam a new identity. Birth certificate, Social Security number…medical records didn't need tampering since folks usually can't connect the dots. We just needed an alibi to explain why his alter ego was out of the picture."
"Luckily," Sam added back in, "around that time there was a planned assassination operation against a member of the Lords of Prey. I figured the easiest way to get what I wanted…"
"Was to fake his death," Big Daddy finished, causing all eyes to turn to him, each confused and a bit shocked that the former criminal was able to quickly deduce the Irish-wolf's plan.
"How did you know that dad?"
Big Daddy suddenly went tight lipped, the former robber's eyes going wide the moment that he realized that he had finished Sam's sentence a bit louder than he had intended. And while Big Daddy wished he could lie and tell him he also read it in the news, the former criminal couldn't keep on keeping secrets. So, Big Daddy looked at his son, then at Sam.
"15 years ago, I was part of a very well-organized group of criminals. Oh, the things that we did was something that still haunts me to this day," Big Daddy said, his eyes starting to tear up.
"One day as we were moving a convoy of trucks towards another meeting with a client, we were hit by S.C.U.M!"
Johnny placed a hand on his father's shoulder as the bigger gorilla went on with his story, gesturing to the two former agents as he did.
"Our good friends here and their lady love wiped out all of my partners. I would have been killed if not for Sam showing me mercy. But I want to know why did you chose not to kill me?" he asked Sam.
Sam, after taking a moment, leaned back on the couch as he looked Big Daddy square in the eyes.
"You were just a kid hanging out with a bad crowd. And also, because I felt that it was just the right thing to do," he admitted calmly.
"After that, well, I kind of took up the life of a small-time crook so as not to draw attention to myself. I couldn't risk letting you grow up without a father, Johnny," Big Daddy said hugging his son. The younger gorilla began to silently cry into his father chest, as he finally realized how close he was to losing his father.
"HANG ON!" Porsha added in, the wolf's face scrunched up in confusion as she attempted to wrap his brain around what he had just been told. But as she began to possess this, a giddy smile formed on her muzzle.
"So, this whole time you two have really been government agents…and Suki and I got to fuck them?!"
Everyone looked over at Dax and Sam who seemed to be embarrassed by Porsha blabbing about her lover's little private life. But at that moment, Ellie sent an accusatory glare towards Able, the police wolf shrinking a bit under the Celtic woman's gaze/
"When did you plan on telling us this?" she asked.
"It was need to know, Ellie," Able responded with as much calmness as he could.
"And you didn't need to know."
"But everything that has happened, we figured it was time the truth came out. Especially with recent developments."
"What recent developments?" Buster finally chimed, the koala clearly frazzled by what he was hearing, which did not go unnoticed by Rosita or Suki, both women sitting on either side of Buster offering a tender hand to help relax him, which seemed to help, but only a little.
"We found Jerry," Dax promptly responded, his face relaxed but his voice tense as he looked at a new text that Diane had sent.
DF: Le Bon is safe, we have Jerry, Shendu's girl fled. Will keep you updated.
DS: Roger.
"What are you talking about?" Richie asked again, his tone more even but the hostility still present.
"One of Sam and I's former colleagues contacted me about ten minutes ago," Dax answered.
"Turns out Linda Le Bon had a change of heart…and that got her kidnapped."
Everyone was stunned, save for Charlie of course, the saluki sitting back in his chair as if Dax was only making polite conversation.
"I was surprised too when she came by the house," Charlie clarified, all eyes on him now.
"Apparently when everything came out about what happened to Porsha, some of Le Bon's female crew came forward. Said that Crystal raped them too. Evidently, she had started having misgivings about her role in Jimmy's plan and came by to offer some incriminating material she had been gathering. She got jumped at her apartment and called me to meet her. She drove me here."
With that, Charlie reached into his pocket, procuring the thumb drive that Linda had provided him with. And as he continued to speak, he noticed a few sheepish looks from a fair number of those present, namely his sister, daughter, Buster and Porsha.
"This has all the dirt on some of some certain 'escapades' that Le Bon and Crystal have been gathering on you guys."
With that, Charlie handed the drive over to Sam, the Irish-Wolf taking it without question. At that moment, Dax's phone vibrated, the Texan was actually surprised that Diane was calling him this time instead. Answering the call, Dax placed the phone to his ear.
"Must be real important if you're calling," he joked, only for his smile to fall as Diane relayed the information she got.
"Uh huh…Yeah…alright I'll let'm know."
With that, Dax returned the phone to his pocket before turning to the others, each very curious as to the conversation he had.
"Guess our timing couldn't be more perfect. My friend says when they found were they took Le Bon, Jerry was in the process of disposing of documents. Burn 'em, shred 'em, flush'em, you name it. Little punk tried to run, but we got him. He had already destroyed a good chunk of the documents he had, but the ones left gave us the evidence we needed, not just embezzlement, but evidence that can link him to various homicides."
"Turns out Crystal rarely liked getting his hands dirty," Cain started to clarify, "he always sent people to do his dirty work. But he always kept highly confidential records of them before the schmucks got taken out. Jerry kept careful track of them. Even who supplied the muscle. Unfortunately for him, he is being too tight-lipped about it."
"But we can pry it out of him," Dax countered.
"We just have to give him something in return. And according to my friend Jerry might be willing to give us valuable information and testify in return for a lesser sentence and…protection."
"Protection?" Suki inquired, curious as to what the wolf in front of her was getting at.
"The info he has won't let him stay in Jimmy's good graces."
There was a minute of silence, Charlie and the others just stared at Dax, each wanting to know what the hell was going on. And it was only after he couldn't take the silence anymore that Dax let out a loud sign of annoyance as he decided to clarify.
"Witness Protection."
It all started to click together for the others.
"And as for the note Rosita received," Sam added, his gaze turning to the two bound and gagged bodyguards, "it was Fellers we come to find out."
All eyes turned to the still bound and gagged Cheetah, who tried to offer his best smirk with a dark chuckle. And at the present time, all of the Jasper wolves looked at the cheetah darkly, the sheer amount of murder in their eyes making the feline shrink back a little, the chuckle turning into a light whimper.
"Well, one thing's for sure," Charlie suddenly said, turning everyone's attention back to him, "despite the headache this has given me…you have definitely still helped me."
"How's that?" Sam asked, only to get his answer in the form of a cheeky smirk from Charlie.
"All in good time, Gentlemen…but know that you have still helped me."
It wasn't really that comforting, but the quartet of Jasper wolves would take it.
"Dax, have your friend bring Jerry to the courthouse tomorrow. It all ends then."
"Sure thing, Charlie," Dax said as he and his fellow Jasper boys rose to their feet, leaving without a single word with Nick and his family in tow. Not ten minutes later, Charlie left as well, but not before wishing everyone a good night, kissing his family goodbye before finally departing. Though as Charlie observed, files clasped in his hands…his knee was killing him.
But unbeknownst to the group, throughout the entire conversation, Fellers had been loosening the restraints on his wrists, taking advantage of the fact that Fangmeyer was busy watching porn and sexting Sarah Flasker and Delgato was busy fixing himself and Fangmeyer some Old Fashioned drinks. And the moment Fellars felt his bindings give way, he once again smirked through his clothes. Now that he was free, he and Canis just had to wait for the perfect time to strike.
Suki sighed as she sat in her room. Outside the windows, she could see and hear the vibrant city life as it passed before her. But, given the fact that she and her friends were still being put under heavy guard was still a drag on her mood. But she really couldn't complain too much, as it gave her the opportunity to have privacy with Buster, the saluki having been quite adamant that she and the koala share a room. And if Suki was being honest with herself, apart from Porsha and Charlie, Buster had been her rock through so much of the pain and hardship she faced in the past few months. And the more she thought about it, the more she realized just how much she had fallen for the koala.
"Hey Suki," a pleasantly familiar voice called. Try as she might, Suki couldn't help the loving smile that spread on her lips, lips that tingled whenever she thought of every time they had met Busters, weather it was a quick peck, or a tongue-filled mess as their bodies mingled. Looking toward the door, Suki could make out the form of Buster, his usual attire now just his white undershirt, unbuttoned at the top and his sleeves rolled up, and her blue trousers ending in his brown boots, carrying two cups of freshly made tea
"Hello, Buster," the saluki responded with a loving look toward the koala, who without saying a word, crossed over to their shared queen-sized bed, the door closing behind him. Upon reaching her destination, Buster sat just beside Suki who had beat him to the bed, handing her cup of tea as he took a slow drag from his, both releasing a content sigh as the warm fluid traveled down their throats.
"Thanks," Suki said in gratitude, taking Buster's hand into her own, a gesture the koala greatly appreciated.
"Anytime. I thought we could both use a little pick me up," the Koala answered. But upon hearing "we," Suki looked at the koala somewhat confused.
"But wouldn't you want to be close to your friends instead of me? What with everything happening?"
The question itself seemed to cause Buster's smile to falter a little as she answered Suki's question.
"They'll be fine," Buster continued, squeezing Suki's hand as he spoke.
"Besides, I don't mind spending time with my girlfriend."
THAT truly caught Suki off guard.
"G-Girlf-f-friend?" she finally managed to stutter out after a few moments of shock. Buster, his smile never once leaving her face, shrugged her shoulders as she responded.
"Well, yeah!" he responded in half of his usually positive demeanor, "I figured, after everything that we've gone through..."
However, upon seeing the passive expression on the shocked saluki's face, Buster couldn't help but grow nervous, his smile falling with each passing second his companion didn't respond. Unable to take anymore silence, Buster cast his gaze down as he tentatively continued to speak, unaware of the smile that began to form on Suki's face.
"Unless you don't wanna be called..."
Buster was quickly cut off as his face was lifted by two soft hands, his lips making contact with Suki's Recovering from the shock, Buster closed his eyes as he leaned into the kiss, sighing in content as he did so. Pulling away from the happy doe, Suki pressed her forehead against her new boyfriend's, laughing as she began to speak.
"No, no," she huffed out, a smile still very present on her face, "I LIKE girlfriend."
And for the next few moments, the two sat in silence, savoring the experience they were having. Unfortunately, that sweet moment passed in an instant as a cold, mocking voice filled the room.
"Oh, that is touching, truly it is."
Pulling away from each other, both koala and saluki sprang to their feet, Buster's eyes scanning the dimly lit room for the intruder, while Suki's eyes widened in sudden fear. The fear multiplied exponentially as both Canis and Fellers walked through the door, a sick, twisted smile on their muzzles as Fellers continued to speak.
"But it is making me sick, and we really must be going. Jimmy is waiting for you."
Upon hearing this, Suki shrank behind Buster, who at this point took on a sour expression as he put herself in a defensive stance between the two hitmen and his girlfriend, clearly ready to protect Suki as her whole frame began trembling in fear.
"Over my dead body!"
The cruel cackle that came from the wolf filled Suki's entire body with dread, a cold chill running down her spine.
"Well, there's an idea," Canis mockingly cooed, "but the boss was pretty clearly he wanted both of your hearts pumping…for now."
In that moment, upon seeing Fellers move in the corner of her vision, Buster turned just in time to receive a savage blow to the head, a sickening smack echoing in the room. In an instant, the koala was on the floor, unconscious from the blow to his head, a small puddle of blood forming around a gash that had formed on his left temple.
"Buster!" Suki screamed as she started to rush toward the fallen koala. But before she could, she was grabbed from both sides by two water deer. With another cruel chuckle, Feller issuing orders.
"Grab the koala. I'll tall, red and sexy."
And with that, the two bodyguards smashed through the windows, taking Suki and Buster with them, but not before the terrified saluki let a pleading scream for help. But just as the guards burst through the doors, Suki, Buster and their captors were gone, leaving behind a shocked Porsha who had come in just in time to see them vanish into the night. Upon realizing what had happened, Porsha ran down the stairs of the two-story suite, only pausing briefly to gasp in horror at the sight of Fangmeyer and Delgato lying by the bar, both unconscious.
As all this was happening, the quartet of Jasper Wolves and Richie made their way down to the lobby, each having purpose in every step they took. But as they continued walking, a feeling of great tension was felt between the Shepherd, the Texan, and the Celt.
"Why didn't you two tell me that you and Dax were the S.C.U.M agents who ambushed the convoy? I had a right to know," Richie said, the group having made it to lobby and making their way to the front door. Cain and Able, quickly picking up the imminent personal matter, walked further ahead to give their colleagues a bit more privacy.
"Why would we tell you what you already know?" Sam asked.
"But, still, you two are my best friends."
"We know, partner. We're sorry. We didn't mean to hurt you and lie to you," Dax said. Richie let out a deep sigh, the shepherd looking at his friends with an understanding smile, which did his heart good to see returned. But at that moment, a frantic and panting Porsha bolted out of one of the elevators, rapidly scanning the otherwise deserted lobby for any sign of her friends. And the moment she saw a trio of familiar canines, she felt hope.
"Richie! Dax! Sam!" Porsha called, finding her second wind to sprint right towards them, Sam being the first to meet, stopping her from barreling right into by brace his hands against her shoulder.
"Porsha, calm down. What's Wrong?" Richie asked, the dog along with the two wolves staring wide-eyed and confused at the clearly despondent she-wolf.
"Suki and Buster have been kidnapped! It was Shendu's girls. And they took out Fangmeyer and Delgato."
"Don't worry, we'll get them back," Dax said. What Porsha did next, neither Dax, Sam or Richie expected; Porsha went up to each male and gave them their own big, wet kiss. Not that they were complaining.
"I knew I would count on you three."
"Always," Sam said with a smile and he, Dax and Richie ran out of the hotel, running to the adjacent parking lot where Richie's truck was waiting. And as they got there, Richie quickly hopped into the bed, opening some storage compartments to reveal some Kevlar vests which eh tossed to Sam and Dax, both wolves surprised, but not grateful for the added protection.
"Alright, new objective; get Suki and Buster back," Richie said as he hopped out of the bed and into the truck itself. However, as they sped off, they realized they had no idea where the hell they were going. But lucky for them, a certain biped arachnid had been monitoring the security feeds to keep an eye on everyone. And once Sam got a message from Webbs, he knew exactly where to go. Before long, the group had arrived at the docks, the truck coming to a stop in front of an old, rundown warehouse.
"Remember," Richie warned as they walked towards the old building, guns drawn and ready.
"Watch your aim."
To say Buster and Suki were scared at the moment would be an understatement. In fact, it was taking all of Suki's will power not to pass out from fright. And the fact that her abductors had placed a sack over her and Buster's heads, as well as bound their hands behind her back, was not helping. If anything, it was making her feel claustrophobic. And thanks to the stuffy sack, Suki had no idea where she was. But one thing was certain, it sure was dark and musty. Before long, the terrified saluki was forced on her knee by a pair of strong hands. With a groan, Suki managed to steady herself. And just as she did so, the sack was quickly yanked off her head, the sudden exposure to some overhead lights slightly blinding her, forcing her to look away. But when she looked to her left, her heart felt like it stopped.
"What do you two want with us?" Buster asked.
Buster, Suki thought to herself, her eyes widening in terror when she saw Buster, also on his knees, glaring defiantly at Canis who had a gun pointed at the koala's head. But if Suki was being honest, she found it very admirable, even arousing that Buster had such spunk and defiance. But then again, this was the man who put on a show behind Jimmy Crystal's back, knowing full well what could happen. Recovering slightly, Suki quickly glanced around her surroundings, which appeared to be a cavernous, rundown interior of an old building, which she theorized must have been one of the old Warehouse at the Port of Redshore.
"What do you want with us?" Suki heard Buster say, bringing her attention back to her boyfriend, who was trying to sound unafraid, although the crack in his voice gave away his true emotions. But upon uttering the question, Buster received another viscous blow to the head, this time from the back as Feller's pistol-whipped him, leaving Buster slightly disoriented, but still able to keep herself steady.
"It's not really what we want, but what the boss wants. And what he wants is for you two to drop the charges."
Buster, much to the three others' surprise, was quick on the response. And with what he said, Suki could have sworn shed be aroused if she wasn't so scared.
"FUCK OFF!"
This earned Buster a hard backhand from Canis, the koala guessing at this pint that he might have a concussion. But at the present time, he was too disoriented to care. As for Suki, the poor dog was brought to her wits end, the saluki throwing out all rational thinking as she screamed out as loud as she could, much to the amusement of her two captors.
"Help! Somebody!" she called, hoping to whatever God or Gods were listening that there would be someone or something to provide a miracle. And luckily for her and Buster, the miracle came in the form of a single German shepherd, his casual clothes now covered with Kevlar and other protective equipment, as he came dropping down from one of the low hanging catwalks in the warehouse, catching both Fellers and Canis by surprises.
"Hello there."
"Richie Barkin," Peter laughed, recovering from his shock, the wolf clearly enjoying this surprising turn of events, especially when he saw two more of his fellow canines flank Richie.
"And Sam O'Brian and Dax Sterling…you all are bold ones."
Turning to Fellers, Peter gave an evil smirk, one which was returned by his friend as both procured a couple of hand butterfly knives. And much to the trio of rescuers' annoyance, the two nitwits thought they could intimidate them by showing off so some knife-play. Needless to say, the boys were not impressed. So much so that Dax and Sam simple aimed an…
BANG!
Both bodyguards fell like two marionettes cut from their strings.
"That was easy," Richie said with a laugh as he ran to Buster and Suki, both incredibly grateful to their friends for showing up when they did.
"Nitwits like that usually are," Dax added, the Texan and Sam keeping watch at the door, guns at the ready in case things went south. Luckily, they didn't have to wait long as Richie joined them, followed by Buster and Suki.
"Alright," the German shepherd muttered, "let's get the hell outta here."
"You four go ahead, I'm right behind you," Sam muttered, keeping his gun up and ready in casethe two corpses on the floor thought they would become the undead. Although hesitant at first, Dax knew better than to argue with his friend. And so, with great reluctance, he made his way out of the warehouse. But as Sam was about to follow, he failed to consider a dying Canis as he pulled out a remote detonator, his blood-filled throat and mouth barely able to gurgle out one final sentence before her pushed the button.
"See you in Hell…Faolahd."
Sam was just about halfway out the door right behind Dax and Richie and their charges, when he started hearing a loud string of beeps. Looking to his right at a bunch of stacked crates, Sam noticed a small device that looked like an old pager. And at that moment, it was releasing the loud beeps he had heard, as well as a rapidly flashing red light. But the moment he took into account what the device was attached to, he only had enough time to utter a single word.
"Shit."
The remainder of the group were all knocked to their feet the moment the moment a massive explosion occurred behind them; courtesy of a detonator attached to five barrels of gunpowder. Richie's ears were ringing from the blast, his gaze disoriented and blurred from the smoke and dust from the one corner of the warehouse that had been blown out, sending concrete super-heated debris everywhere. But the moment he was able to regain his senses, Richie went into full assessment mode.
"SOUND OFF IF YOUR HURT!"
"Suki and I are fine!" Buster responded, he and the shaken saluki having gotten a few kicks from the debris, but otherwise unharmed. But Richie at that moment realized that he, Dax and Sam were closest to the blast. But the moment he turned around, Richie saw a truly shocking and heartbreaking sight as the dust settled. There was Dax, kneeling beside a prone and disoriented Sam. And the closer Richie got, he felt the urge to vomit when he saw the state his friend was in, the Kevlar having offered no real protection as his right arm and side severely lacerated and burned, the fur on the right side of his face around his eye and upper cheek slightly singed, a clear sign that he at least had enough time to lift his arm to protect his face, and blood being coughed up.
"Sam…oh God!" Richie whimpered, choking back a sob as he watched Dax apply a makeshift tourniquet to his friend's arm, which appeared to be bleeding heavily. And once Buster and Suki arrived, Suki gasped in horror at the sight of one her lovers in such a sorry state.
"Come on! We got to take him to the hospital," Buster suggested with great urgency, the koala actually making a clear path to Richie's truck as the other three formed a "stretcher of arms" to help carry Sam, with Dax and Richie supporting his head and torso while Suki held his legs. Off course to keep a better eye on the wounded Irish-wolf, Sam was placed in the truck-bed with Dax and Buster watching him as Suki sat in the passenger seat, all of them hanging on for dear life as Richie drove like hell to the nearest hospital. But in the back of the truck, Buster and Dax watched Sam with great worry. Thought the Texan felt some relief when he heard his friend give off low moans before his eyes managed to crack open. And the moment he laid eyes on his friends, Sam let out a quiet whimper.
"Dax…I don't…I don't feel so hot."
Dax was on his friend in an instant the moment she heard that weak, horse voice, his mismatched eyes meeting his friend's hazel eyes, with the right having a fair amount of red thanks to some burst blood vessels. But Dax didn't care as he took a firm hold of his friend's uninjured hand with both of his, squeezing it tight to let his longtime friend know he was there.
"I'm here, Sammy. Don't worry, yer gonna be alright."
At that moment, Dax didn't know if he was trying to convince Sam…
Or himself.
But in an instant, Dax knew it was to convince himself the moment Sam started coughing up a mouthful of blood, the silver wolf moving quickly to roll Sam onto his uninjured side, allowing the blood to drain from his mouth and onto the truck bed. Though if Dax knew anything from his past experiences, Sam's condition was far worse than he thought. Banging on the rear-view window, Dax screamed as loud as he could to be heard.
"STEP ON IT, GODDAMN IT! HE'S PUKING UP BLOOD BACK HERE! I THINK HE'S GOT A PUNCTURED LUNG!"
Richie did not need to be told twice as he floored the accelerator, going way over the speed limit in order to get his friend vital help. And the moment they arrived at the hospital it was pure bedlam as the Dax, in a great fit of adrenaline, effortlessly picked his friend up, carrying him bridal-style through the sliding doors of the emergency entrance while screaming at the top of his lungs.
"HELP! ANYBODY HELP!"
Needless to say, it took no time at all for a team of nurses and trauma specialists to get to the group, taking Sam from them and putting him on a gurney before rushing him out of the waiting room, the quartet he arrived with following as close behind as possible. But the moment they heard a rather unpleasant comment from a doctor, they faltered, eventually coming to a stop as Sam was wheeled away.
"Pulse is weak, we gotta work fast!"
With that, Sam was wheeled out of sight, leaving his friends back in the waiting room, all with a wide range of emotions going through them, whether it was Buster who was in pure shock, Suki in traumatized sorrow, or Dax who was a combination of the two. But for Richie, what he felt was even worse than all of that. And the moment he stepped outside to breathe in some fresh air, tears fell from his eyes as he whispered into the night.
"This is my fault."
One hour had passed since Sam was brought in. In that time, the group had been told that he had been moved to surgery, and the initial prognosis was not good. And at the present time, everyone was a nervous wreck in the waiting room, everyone dealing with the stress in their own way. Buster was gently caressing an exhausted Suki's head as she rested it on his shoulder, the koala's own tired eyes watching as Dax paced the floor that a caged beast, the Texan having for the past hour refused any aid aside from rubbing alcohol and topical antibiotic. As for Richie, he just sat silently beside Suki, his head bowed as if in deep contemplative thought. And Suki happened to notice this.
"Hey, are you okay?" Suki asked, placing a gentle hand on Richie's shoulder, the shepherd looking at her with somber eyes that made Suki feel even more terrible about the whole situation.
"It's my fault Sam's in here. If I hadn't been so distrustful towards him and Dax, he wouldn't be here."
"You're being too hard on yourself, Richie. There's no way you could've known this was going to happen to him," Buster said. Unfortunately, Buster's words did not seem to comfort Richie as he stood to his feet, walking down a hallway adjacent to the waiting room.
"I think I need to go to the chapel," Richie said as he left, leaving his friends in silence, all three understanding that this was a very hard time for Richie, so they just let him go. But that didn't mean Dax was just going to let his friend wallow in self-pity.
"I'm gonna call Diane and Tony," Dax said as he fished out his phone, the silver Texan feeling that it was best to inform the others about what was going on. He also felt it might be best for Richie to have some extra friends nearby. And not ten minutes later, Diane and Tony burst into he waiting room, followed closely by Wolf who frantically search the area.
"Where's Richie, Dax?" Wolf asked. Though the nonchalant yet firm answer from Dax seemed to rub Wolf the wrong way, especially with what he was told.
"He said he wanted to spend some time alone. I think he's over at the chapel," Dax said.
"He's got to go to church now?" Wolf exclaimed, clear irritation in his voice as he tried to fathom why Richie wouldn't be in the waiting room. And needless to say, Dax, who was already at his wits end, found his southern temper starting to boil over.
"He's praying, damn it!" the Texan suddenly snapped, his hackles slightly raised as he gazed at the now stunned Wolf, who could only release a tiny whimper. And luckily for him, that was enough to at least get Dax to calm down some, especially when he saw Tony and Diane looking at him with cocnenred expressions. It was only then that Dax noticed that the fur on his cheeks were damp, though not from blood. In his outbursts, Dax failed to rain in the tears which finally had the weight to fall, the whole gravity of the situation starting to take it's toll on him.
"He's praying…Which under the circumstances is not such a bad idea."
And if only Dax knew how right he was, for inside the operating room, Sam was splayed out on the operating table, the surgeons working fast to stem the bleeding from his arm and the multiple lacerations on his side. And right now, it wasn't looking too good as he had lost about one and a half liters of blood, as well as severe trauma to his chest. Bu unbeknownst the doctors, standing in a darkened corner, trying his hardest to enjoy the sight before him, was Death. But Death stared upon the wolf that lay upon the table, he found himself feeling very different this time. He wasn't smiling or laughing. He didn't even feel the desire to whistle. In truth, the immortal wolf thought that finally claiming the soul of Sam O'Brian would feel good. That it could be one of his greatest achievements in his long existence. But as he gazed at the broken body of a wolf who had sacrificed so much already, and still had some many things and people to live for, Death released an exasperated sigh, mumbling sadly to himself as the image of Sam and his family flashed before his eyes.
"¿Por qué diablos fui a jugar con mi comida?"
At that moment, the room was filled with erratic beeping from the heart monitor. And Death knew at that moment that every heart in the room skipped a beat. And he definitely knew if he had a heart, it would have joined them.
"He's hemorrhaging," a pig nurse called, immediately rushing to the defibrillator that was on hand, immediately handing the paddles to the doctor.
"Give me 300 joules…CLEAR!"
The electric pulse caused Sam's back to arch off the table, though the heart monitor kept going crazy.
"500 joules…CLEAR!"
At that moment, Death could see what could only be described as an ethereal mist emanating from Sam, which Death immediately recognized as the Irish-Wolf's soul. And at this point, Death would be lying if he said he didn't feel any pain at watching this usually strong wolf's body give up after so easily.
"600 joules…CLEAR!"
At the point, the monitor was o the verge of flatlining, Sam's soul taking the form of his dying body. It was at this point Death made his decision. And so, walking up to the head of the table, Death reached forward, tenderly cupping Sam's head as he spoke, using an old forgotten technique one would not expect Death to have as he started focusing his energy on the wolf. And as he did, the whisp of a soul began to return to its owner.
"I don't think so, Amigo…the living aren't done with you yet."
"700…CLEAR!"
BEEP…BEEP…BEEP…
"Hasta La Muerte."
"He's stable," the surgeon said before getting back to work, each of the occupants now breath a steady sigh of relief knowing that they would not have to call it just yet.