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Chapter 10 - Ghost Hunting

It took us until the following week before we could go out and look for this ghost, the reason being that the weather just didn't cooperate; the days were warming up and the snow had melted but that also meant chilly winds and icy rains. On days we worked we were usually so tired anyway that we just wanted to sleep. It felt colder than when the snow was around -- I think the water played into it. Thankfully I had my long coat and hat, which I could actually tuck my tail up and inside so it wouldn't get wet.

Finally on our day off, Sunday, the rain had stopped but it was still overcast and rapidly getting dark. After supper we had gone out with some supplies, me with a lantern and Billy with, of all things, a knife. I still had my kit bag slung over my shoulder from work. I didn't like going anywhere without it. Not that I didn't trust my coworkers, but you knew where your tools were if they was always by your side.

One thing that I haven't mentioned yet was the London fog, which was rolling in now and starting to make the roads harder to see. That was fine, this was going to make our adventure a little more fun, a little more atmospheric, as Bensley would probably say.

We were all jokes, laugher, and quiet snickers about ghosts and demons until we got to the neighborhood where Avery said the ghosts were. We started to slow down and look at everything around us, having much less to laugh about now.

This part of London was the poorest, save for the very edges of the city. Here the tenements ran high and twisting, some jutting out across the cobbled streets like broken rocks on the side of a cliff, wood so ancient it looked half rotted and could fall over from a slight breeze. Shutters hung on for dear life, trash seemed to be in every corner.

Where we lived, we were in a poor section too, but we still took care of our little area. We cleaned up with the rest of our neighbors. It was our home.

But here, it was like the people had given up. The people here, the ones we could see, were a kind of tough that didn't just come from a hard job and a backhand in life. No, these people were from far off, crossing all of Europe to come to London for wealth and a better life.

The sounds echoed around us were a mixture of languages, English, French, Dutch, German, and others I couldn't even recognize. These people looked tired and angry, the kind that knew they had been shat on all their lives and were ready to take it out on something weaker than them. The trick was to never be the target, never let them get to you. The best way to do that was to always looked like you belonged, so as we walked and passed alleys and twisting roads I walked with my lantern down, as if I was walking home for the millionth time and could do it with me eyes closed.

When we turned down what appeared to be an alleyway, darker than the rest of the world around us, Avery stopped and grabbed the back of my coat and Billy's overalls. "It's supposed to be around here," Avery said with a slight nervous twang to his voice, eyes flicking to the left and right. "I... I mean, I dunno where exactly, but..."

"You 'dunno' where?" Billy said incredulously, a hand on his hip. "Oy, how we supposed to find the ghosts if we dun know where they haunting, Avery-boy?"

Avery scrunched his nose up and flicked his large wolf ears higher. Out of the lot of us his hearing was the best. "You just need to follow the sounds!" he retorted, and turned his head left and right. "Come on." He grabbed the lantern from me and used a match from his pocket to light it. The world around us was lit up in the comforting light of the flame, but it also had the added effect of casting our shadows along the brick and wood, making monsters lurk and jump out of us. I felt Billy grab my arm and jump when we heard a heavy thwap of a door slamming.

"Ah!" the tiger yelled, looking around and flattening his ears.

I smirked and reached over, patting the hand on my sleeve. "It's alright, Billy. I promise to protect you from the spooks and the demons." Truth be told I was also a little anxious but I wasn't about to let my friends see. I had an image to maintain!

At my tease Billy scowled and let my sleeve go, shoving his hands in his pockets, but staying much closer to Avery and I than he had been a few minutes ago. "Let's go. Avery, you lead the way."

"Making the smallest one walk first, that's kind of you, Billy," Avery said with a dramatic sigh and started forward. I took up the middle and Billy the rear. We had wandered down dark alleys now, turning in the rookeries of old homes and tenements. It was like a rabbit warren of passages. This part of London was just not maintained very well.

Some roads were the kind you just didn't want to go down. Dark and lacking any kind of light, the lanterns having been long absent of oil and wick. It was here, in these dark passages that ran like veins through the city, that you could end up with a knife in your side, your money stolen, or worse, cut down and dead before you knew it. This was not a forgiving place, a place that Alister often told us to never go alone, and only if he was in the area.

"You hear anything?" I asked, turning my head back to look at Avery. I watched my friend twitch his ears and strain his head up. He pointed down another dark alleyway, dense with fog and growing harder to see through.

"Down there. I can hear voices. Someone is yelling... I think. It's hard to make out." He swallowed, looking up at Billy and stepping back into him. Surprisingly I watched the tiger curl an arm around the small wolf, as if protecting him.

"Well," I said, hiding the warble in my voice. "Let's carry on then. I don't want to be out till dawn and then have to do a day's work. Let's get this over with." I said with the fake confidence that had always done me so well in the past.

Have you ever had moments where you feel like you've been watched? That there are eyes on you from the shadows you cannot make out, that something either physical or not is following your every movement? I was having one of those moments now.

The buildings were so damaged in this part of town it was hard to imagine anyone living in them.

"These homes'd be chilly to live in, but I guess perfect for ghosts, eh Simon?" Billy said, his grin barely hiding his nervousness. The wind was cutting down the alley and ruffling fur and clothes alike. I closed my eyes and strained my ears too. I could hear... something. It sounded like someone was in pain.

"I can hear it!" I said, more surprised than excited. "I... It sounds like someone's been stabbed, or broke a bone... they sound like they're hurting a lot." I swallowed and looked at Avery who slowly nodded.

"Y-yeah," the wolf agreed, motioning to the west with his muzzle. "That... that's where I can hear it too. It doesn't sound friendly."

Billy let out a nervous laugh. "When's a ghost supposed to be friendly? You want to offer him some tea or something next? Ah Avery..." He walked forward into the darkness and outside of the ring of warm light that we had made with the lantern. "It's probably just some drunk having a bit of a stomach issue. You know how Albert sounds when he has some of that cabbage from the market? I swear it sounds like--"

I'll be honest. I wasn't watching Billy. I didn't even have the lantern in his direction, peeking into the house we were standing near. But when I turned and said something to Billy, he was gone. I blinked and looked around, stepping to the edge of the road and peering around a corner. I narrowed my eyes, and I swear I could see his tail turning a corner -- it was hard to miss with that bandana around the end of it. He always wore one on his tail because he said he always lost them in his pockets. He would also fail to mention his pockets often had holes in them...

"Oh for the love of..." I muttered and sighed. I could hear him walking. Two pairs of feet actually, walking down the road I had seen and away from us. I ground my teeth and looked at Avery. "Billy wandered off... and I think he's with someone."

"W...Why would he be with someone?" Avery asked, looking at me curiously and nervously. "And not say anything?"

" 'Cause this is Billy!" I said with a frustrated sigh. "Ye know how he is; he sees somethin' shiny and he goes walkin' right off a bridge ta fallow it. I swear we need ta keep a leash on him sometimes. Remember when we got separated at the market last year?"

"O... Oh," Avery said, nodding in thought. "Yeah, now I remember. He ended up on the other side of down because someone said they were selling candies there..."

"...And we had to follow him and nearly watched him get mugged for his trouble. Now, we gotta bail that cat out again. C'mon, Avery. I'm sure he went down here."

I motioned with my hand and watched Avery look around nervously. He didn't move. I tilted my head to the side and lifted my brow. I guess Avery was still scared.

"Avery, you can hear him right?" I looked down at my friend, who was clinging to the lantern as if his life depended on it. I walked over to him and helped him up to his feet. "Avery! C'mon mate, snap out of it!" I said and shook him. My paws were shaking, and I held them out between us. I had to clench them and my eyes, gulping and willing away the fear. "Avery!"

My friend, he stared at me with a petrified expression of a boy in over his head. He was scared, I could smell it on him and being this close, he quickly shoved himself forward into my chest, getting me to curl an arm around him protectively. He was shaking like a leaf!

"Avery," I said, touching his shoulders and pulling him back a bit. "You... You need to focus right now. We can't be scared. Billy... someone may have got Billy. We have to help him."

Was I trying to convince Avery or myself? I wasn't sure.

Avery, for his part, remained still. The lantern in his paw was shaking so badly that I plucked it from his fingers and held it. He was muttering something under his breath... it sounded like a prayer. Avery always did pay attention to church sermons. I was about to slap him, get him to snap out of it, when he shook his head and pointed down the road with a trembling paw. "That... That way. They went... they went right at the corner... I can still hear 'em. A bit. They're heading toward a lot of noise."

I grinned and slapped Avery on the back. "That's my Avery! C'mon then. Worse that happens is we die, or somethin'. At least when we get to heaven we can say we was killed by a demon. Not many people can say that, eh?" I was trying to be funny but I could tell it was falling on deaf ears. Avery wasn't in the mood for jokes and I was never good at telling them. So I took his wrist and started running for the loud sounds in the distance.

It was also taking us away from the thing screaming for mercy in the night.

---

We had followed the alley toward where Billy had been led. It was becoming clear that maybe it wasn't so much a demon that had kidnapped him than it was a living person, and honestly that was scarier. It made it feel real.

In a moment of serendipity Avery turned a corner sharply where light was beaming down and bumped into something loud enough to send him onto his bum. He groaned and looked up at what, or who, he had bumped into. It was another wolf, much taller than Avery -- but just as familiar.

It was Gideon.

"Oy!" the taller wolf said, growling in that low voice of his. "Watch where you're running, you grubby little -- Simon?" he said, seeing me standing there in the darkness and moving over to help Avery onto his feet.

"Hey Gideon," I said with a smile, ears turning a little red as I quickly looked at Avery. "You alright? Nothing broke? He's built like a brick wall and you was runnin' awfully fast..."

"Yeah, yeah I'm fine." Avery said with a wince, rubbing his rump and looking up at Gideon. They couldn't have been more different even if they were the same species. Avery was small, lithe, and grey. Gideon was tall, muscular, scarred, and brown. It was almost silly seeing them stand next to one another. This was one of those rare moments where my worlds crossed paths. It made me anxious, but I had other things to be concerned about.

"Wait," I said, holding up the lantern more. "Gideon, what're you doing here? The Howlers territory is..." I just lifted my arm and motioned in the direction of the factories and tenements closer to home.

"Ah, well..." I could see Gideon dance around the subject a little bit, but he kept flicking his eyes to Avery. I could tell he wanted to know if the fellow chimney sweep knew my little secret. He was a good 'un though, so I trusted him.

"Av," I said, touching his shoulder. "Gonna tell you something, but you gotta keep it secret. Not a word to anybody. Not even the confessional at church. Got it?" His eyes got wide at that. I don't think anyone had ever asked him to keep a secret from God before.

"S... Sure..." He looked between the two of us. "You two ain't, like, killing people or nothin', right?"

Gideon snorted a controlled laugh, crossing his arms and leaning a shoulder on the bricks. He was silhouetted by the beaming lights from behind him. "Nah, mate. We ain't no killers. Well, not together anyway. I think I've killed a bloke or two..." he said thoughtfully, tilting his head to the side as he tried to remember.

"Gideon!" I snapped, more playfully angry than I actually was.

He grinned that wolfish grin of his that always made me feel weak in the knees. I could feel the blood rushing to my face, and my groin. He stepped over a little closer to Avery. "Nah, we don't do anything like that. Just old fashioned buggery. Sodomy. You know, man on man."

I've tried to explain several times now what Avery's face looked like when Gideon just casually told him. It was not something you talked about, not so openly. Being a homosexual was dangerous. You could be arrested, tortured. It was only recently that they stopped outright killing you because of it. But I know why Gideon did. If Avery made a fuss he'd probably do something to the little wolf. Gideon's answer to a lot of problems was violence. Nonetheless, Avery exhaled.

"That...that's the secret?" the shorter wolf asked as he looked at me. "You know we have a runnin' pool back home about what you always doing running off. Someone said you was working for the Queen or something. I didn't think you'd be doing....that." Avery looked back and forth still, between me and Gideon. I could tell he was trying to figure out how we paired up in bed.

"Not a problem, is it?" Gideon said with a heavy growl.

"What?" Avery stepped behind me in surprise. "No! No no. I ain't one to judge someone like that, Mr. Gideon. I don't care. Promise."

I sighed. Gideon was scary to people who didn't know him. Well, come to think of it, he was scary to people who knew him as well. I looked around the alley and then back up at the scarred face. "So what's our secret gotta do with you bein' here at this hour?"

"Oh!" As if he had forgotten. He grinned sheepishly and rubbed the back of his head. "Was just visitin' a Molly House down that way. It's the best one in this area. Always got a crowd, and the guys are... well, eheh."

I knew Gideon went to places like these. He promised me he would not bed the men there completely, and even though he was a scoundrel and a bully, I believed him. Gideon knew my secrets and then some, he was not someone to betray my trust. Still, I won't lie, it made me a little jealous. Gideon had the kind of freedom I longed for, but I wasn't cut out to be in a street gang. I knew better than to run away and join him, much as my loins begged me to.

"Gid," I said, holding my lantern up again, "we're lookin' for a friend of ours. Tiger, taller than me, shorter 'n you. We was looking for the demon ghost in these parts and back there," I motioned with my thumb, "but something may have grabbed him when we was looking around and bolted off this way. We think he came here but..."

"You can't smell him," Gideon finished and even looked at Avery. "Am I right?"

"Yes, sir," Avery said. Avery must have still been afraid of Gideon. "It's too wet. And this way there's a lot of scents, it's too faint. All I know was he came this way but... at the intersection here it's just... too much."

Gideon looked thoughtful for a moment, crossing his eyes and crouching down, breathing in deeply through his nose. Maybe Gideon could smell better than Avery. He wasn't a chimney sweep so his nose was probably in prime working order. After a moment he snapped his fingers and pointed toward the lights. "That way. Young tiger. Fresh. He's in the...oh lord. He's inside Tapestry, the Molly House."

"What?!" I said with surprise. "Why would he be there? Why would anyone take him there?"

Gideon gave me a look and it was Avery who actually stepped in to answer. He looked nervous but still comfortable enough around me. "Simon, those... these places, they can lure handsome lads. Make 'em work the bedsheets and wait tables. Who would come looking for someone like that? I bet whoever grabbed him didn't think we'd follow so close."

"Jus' one thing on me mind," Gideon said with a rub to his chin. "Miss Lamarie, the Mistress, they don't keep men like that. So..."

"Then why would someone take him there?" Avery asked, eyes wide as saucers. "If they can't make him work..."

"Don't mean they can't entice him to climb into bed. Tapestry is a good place, but it's still not a place you want to just wander into all alone and unknown like. My guess is someone wants your friend between the sheets, or against the wall, or leaned over something..."

"Gideon!" I shouted with a growl. The wolf grinned at me with all his teeth showing. He was enjoying himself. He always did this when he knew I was nervous.

"Well, we're wasting time." I said with a sigh, opening the lantern and blowing the flame out. I stuck it behind a barrel and smoothed down my coat. "Let's go find Billy and get out of here. I'm done looking for demons."

---

Tapestry was not like anything I had ever seen before. For one thing, the entrance had been behind a door that looked ancient. Gideon had said something to the bouncer and we were ushered inside. Gideon had stopped and looked back at Avery and eye, flicking his gaze between us.

"Now you two gotta be careful here. Stick with me or you're liable to be picked up and taken to a backroom." He grinned and laughed as he proceeded down the narrow hallway of warmth and smoke. I wasn't sure if he was kidding or not.

The interior, or the main club like place if you would, was a large room with slapdash furnishings. Tables and chairs of all kinds of makes, some glued together, some chairs were boxes. But they tried to make it look nice at least. There were colorful tablecloths over them, and small candles burned. The bar, manned by a jackrabbit hopping along and serving drinks in a handsome vest and bow tie, was against the back wall.

In the corner on a small stage there were four men, one of whom was dressed like a lady by the look of things, playing instruments. The music was nice and happy but also energetic. Some people sat and watched, others just did their own thing, but it was clearly a place where men found men. Everyone was a man as far as I could tell in this old, dilapidated place. You could see couples curled against one another, muzzles touching, holding hands.

It was surreal to see it. I looked at Avery who had his eyes firmly locked on the ground. He didn't seem disgusted, just... uncomfortable. To be honest, so was I. I'd never been to a Molly House before. I'd never seen other men be so open with their affection. It made me smile a little and wag my tail. Why couldn't the world be as forward-thinking as this place?

Gideon led us to the bar and he knocked his knuckles on the wood. "Oy! Claude!" the big wolf yelled to get his attention. The jackrabbit held a hand up and poured a drink for another customer before bouncing over to us.

"Giddy m'boy, I thought you was all done here. Oh, who're your handsome guests? Ain't they a little young to be here?" The Jackrabbit smiled a little, leaning forward on the bar top. "First time at the Tapestry, eh? Gideon, you should know better than to bring a bloke here on a first date. And two of 'em at that! Ah, to be your age again..."

Gideon flushed a little bit and narrowed his eyes. "First of all, no, I did not bring both of them here for fun. Second of all, that's quite the welcome. You want to yank your cock out next and really give their reality a whomp?"

The two stared at one another, looking ready to fight... but then I saw the corner of Claude's lip turn up into a grin and they both started laughing. Gideon slapped the counter and he grabbed the rabbit, pulling him close and kissing him on the forehead. "Look, Claude, I need your help."

"Oh?" the jackrabbit said and made a show of fixing his bowtie. "I don't get off for another two hours, but if you want to stick around..."

"No!" Gideon rolled his eyes. "One of our friends. He was not too far from here. Wandering the allies like idiots." Gideon glared at the two of us. I felt Avery slink back behind me. I just shrugged a little bit with that charming smile that either disarmed people or got me a blinker.

"They says someone came running down the alley and picked him right off the road and ran here. Now, I know the Tap doesn't partake in forced work or anything, but did you see someone bring in a... what was he again?"

"Tiger. Taller than me but shorter than Mr. Gideon here, sir," the small wolf said, holding his hand up to about Billy's height.

"Right." Gideon looked back at Claude. "Tiger, that big. May have looked a little reluctant? Would have to be with someone who could run and carry someone that size."

"Hm." Claude thought and drummed his fingers on the bartop. "Come to think of it... yes, I do remember seeing a tiger come in not too long ago. He looked mighty nervous but that ain't too uncommon in a place like this, I just figured his first time. He had that look about him, you know? The kind who barely know the inner workings of their cock and balls. Was with a... bear, I think. Yeah, a brown bear. Went to the private rooms." He thumbed over to the doorway on the wall next to the bar, leading to a set of stairs.

"Thanks Claude!" Gideon said. "I owe you a drink."

"You owe me three, but who's counting? Go find your friend. If you need help just remember to yell the code word."

"Aye, aye. C'mon," Gideon said to us and hurried to the stairs and took them two at a time. Avery and I followed right behind him.

"Code word?" Avery asked as we got to the second level. It was just a long hallway with various doors and passages. There were small lanterns lit and lining the floor. The overwhelming scent of sex hit my nose, causing me cover it. Avery too... but surprisingly the small wolf did not turn tail.

"Aye," Gideon said with an exhale. "If there's trouble there's a code word you can yell. Eggplant. It's a signal to anyone that something is wrong and you should come help. It's part of the code here. If there's a problem, you help. We gotta take care of ourselves, you know. The constables ain't gonna do a damn thing but throw us in jail if they ever caught us."

"Eggplant?" I said with a quirked brow and a smirk, still following Gideon. "That's the secret code word?"

"Shut it, Si," he said in a serious tone. "This place is one of the few in the whole city where you and I can be ourselves. If that's the word the Mistress of the House wants to use, that's the word we use."

Gideon was using his nose to find our friend. I guess there wasn't any tigers in the club -- they weren't exactly the most common species in England, and stopped at a door. He reached down and grabbed the door knob, trying it. It was locked.

"Alright. If something bad is happening in here, you two stay out here and let me handle it. You'll know if it's bad or not."

Avery had stepped behind me, peering around my arm as Gideon grabbed the knob with his large paw. I watched in awe as his bicep bulged and the muscles tightened under skin and fur. I watched him grit his teeth and with a surprising lack of effort the doorknob broke into a few pieces, dumpling down. He shoved the door open and quickly moved inside, arms up and ready for a fight.

The room had a mattress on the floor and a table with some candles and lanterns about. There was a bottle of wine, opened, with two glasses and one tipped over, some of the reddish liquid dripping out onto the floorboards. Beyond that the room was bare, and small.

On the mattress was Billy, his overalls were undone and hanging loose around his waist. I could see his shirt mostly off, hanging on by a single shoulder and sleeve. The bear looming over him had his muzzle buried into his neck and kissing, letting his lips work up and down the tiger's exposed throat while his huge paw was roaming along the outside of Billy's leg.

I moved in and watched as the hand moved up and down Billy's clothes and I knew what was happening, and blushed a little bit. One of the things I tried really hard to do was not imagine my friends, my coworkers, like this. It was hard enough just keeping myself in control, but allowing myself fantasies of other men I saw daily would be... risky. Not that I couldn't hide it, but this was tempting fate it felt like.

For Billy's part, he certainly didn't look like he was hating the experience. He had his hands up and against the broad shoulders, arching his back and leaning into the bear. We could see his claws flex out and grip the heavy jacket the man wore, and the sounds Billy made were not something I had heard him ever make.

Thankfully it was Gideon who ended the display. He growled and grabbed the bear by his shoulder, hauling him up and throwing him out of the small room and against the wall, rounding and pushing Avery behind him so he was between us and the bear. "Cuthbert!" Gideon snarled.

The bear, for his part, rose up to his full height and grinned a little, wiping his muzzle with the back of his hand and adjusting his trousers with the other. I could tell by the outline he was not a small fry. I swallowed. Gideon was big, but this bear was bigger. Probably stronger, too.

"Howler Gideon," the bear said with a devious chuckle. "If I had known the kitten was yours I woulda asked for permission first, mate. But seein' as how he's got a nip of the wine in him and seems to be in the mood, how do you feel about sharing him, eh?"

Gideon's hand grabbed the door frame and flexed hard enough that I could see it splinter where his fingers pushed inwards. He growled low, his fur fluffing out and his shoulders square. He only looked like this when he was absolutely mad... absolutely angry. He hated getting this way, he said he didn't think right... But I heard him speak, holding onto Avery. "Cuthbert, I swear, you were TOLD to stop coming around this part of London and doing... this! You can't... you know it's wrong, Cuthbert!"

The bear shrugged a little bit and looked around him at the tiger, then at the wolf. "Ah, I do remember something of a warning or two. But I just couldn't help meself. You see, I never had a tiger before, and he was so close to Tap, I figured he was definitely someone who played on our side of the river, ya kin?"

"So you ASK!" Gideon said loudly. "Not lure them out of the street, give them some wine with some drug in it, and have your way with them. They may like it, but it ain't your call, and you KNOW this!"

"What, are you upset it worked on you when you were about the size of that wee pup behind you? You said it changed your word, showed you what you liked." The bear snickered, leaning his shoulder on the wall. "Or were you lyin' when you were moaning my name and holding onto me like that kitten back there?"

Gideon was a kind of mad I didn't see often. He said it was like seeing red. He tunnel visioned and could only focus on fighting, hurting, killing. He said it happened only a couple times during fights but this was not a place for it.

I slipped back into the room and grabbed the wine bottle. I slammed it against the door frame and wormed my way in front of Gideon, holding up the busted bottle in front of me like a knight held up his sword.

"Oy, what's this? A little dirty fox?" the bear said, stepping forward. I cleared the distance between us and put the bottle right against his cut, the sharp edges poking right through his fur.

"No, mate," I said with my favorite grin. "I'm the guy who will spill yer guts if you don't get out of here. And don't think I won't." I pushed forward just a little. This was a chance to see how good I could bluff.

For a while Cuthbert stared down at me. Gideon had his arm on my hand and was trying to pull me back but I wrenched myself away. I could tell the bear was thinking about trying to get away and continue his little argument with Gideon. Finally he huffed, holding his hands up.

"Fine, fine, I'll get goin'. The kid wasn't gonna be any fun once he woke up I think anyway. Not like Gideon there." He chuckled and put his hand on my arm, shoving me aside so hard I went flying down the other side of the hallway. I knew I scratched him with the bottle, but not enough to stop him. I heard heavy footsteps run down the hallway as Gideon and Avery rushed over to me.

"Simon!" Avery said, throwing his arms around my shoulders. "You... that was so stupid!"

I rubbed my head and picked my hat up, putting it back on. "Yeah, but I gotta protect Gideon sometimes." I grinned and winked up at my friend, who huffed. I could tell he was angry I had stepped in for him, but the alternative was a bloodbath, or worse. He reached down and helped me up.

"You're an idiot, but a cute idiot." He said as he led us back to the room. Billy was awake, or mostly awake. He was fixing his shirt and looking around. I had no idea what this Cutherbert had given him. Gideon seemed to know and didn't act worried though.

"Billy, you alright?" Avery said, rushing over to him. He shook the tiger a bit but he barely registered, lifting an ear up and half a droopy eye. When he looked right into Avery's face he smiled and pulled the small wolf in.

Then, Billy kissed him. The tiger held Avery by his arms, kissing him in a way Gideon had only kissed a few times ever.

I blushed brightly and rushed over, pulling them apart. Avery looked... well, I don't know how to describe how Avery looked. Billy looked pleased, if not drunk.

"He's drugged," Gideon said, bending over and picking up the neck of the broken wine bottle. "Cuthbert likes to introduce new'uns like that. It's banned in this part of town, but easy to slip in and out of here. He's gonna be drunk and sleepy for hours. We need to get him home. Being here is... risky. And the drug also keeps you ah... eager."

Gideon shifted warily and tossed the neck of the bottle into the corner of the room with a sigh. "Bert was right though, he'd probably be popular." Gideon grinned, walking over and helping Billy fix his overalls. The tiger tried to kiss him but he held his hand up and kept the tiger back.

"Mr. Gideon!" Avery protested. "You really think that's necessary? He's drugged... or drunk... or something."

"Eh?" Gideon quirked a brow, then looked between Billy and Avery. "Listen, pup. I ain't one to judge someone, but the way Billy is actin' right now I'm thinkin' this is more of a release for him. He wouldn't be trying to kiss me if he wasn't at least interestin' in the idea." GIdeon said this as he had a hand on the tiger's face, keeping him back from being kissed. "And, to be fair, if he's into it, he could make a whole lotta money working here than he could ever make being a sweeper. No offense or nothin', just know how coin is made."

"He... he wouldn't..." Avery said, looking stunned. "He's... you really think he'd do that?"

"Avery," I said, walking over to the small wolf and pulled him in for a hug. "Whatever happens, it's still our Billy. Let's not forget that, got it?" I felt him nod and then looked at Gideon. "Ready to go?"

"He won't be in any form to walk. I'll carry him back," Gideon volunteered as he headed out of the Tapestry.

I shivered once we were out of ths tuffy and incredibly warm Molly House and into the icy air of London, the fog three times thicker now. I exhaled as the wet air filled my nose. Gideon was already turning to go down the alley.

"You guys go on ahead, I'll catch up. I need to get my lantern and I want to make sure Billy didn't drop anything in the alley. I'll be back on the main road in a jiffy!"

Gideon paused, but nodded. "Alright. But if you need anything you scream, alright? This is not a good part of town, Si."

"I know, I know," I said as I headed back down the way we had come. "Just don't go into that blood rage you was almost in back there. I won't be around to save you!" I then hastily jogged away from them.

The sun had gone down further and the moon was covered by clouds, casting the whole place in more shadows and darkness. I needed to get that lantern. Thankfully it didn't take me too long, which was good; I kept jumping at shadows everywhere, reminded of why we were even here in the first place.

"Stupid ghosts," I muttered to myself and came to the barrel with my lantern hidden behind it. I picked it up and fished around in my pocket for a match.

That was when I heard it -- a scream unlike anything I had heard.

I had heard people scream from shame, anger, frustration, intimidation... but this was bone-chilling. The scream continued. It was like someone was terrified they were about to die, as if they had seen the Devil himself.

I know I shouldn't, and I really shouldn't have. But I did. I had to see. I followed the screams, panting heavily. The cries echoed around me, and as I got closer, I could make out some of what was said.

I heard things like 'Please, no!' and 'He's a monster! Someone save me!' and various other things inbetween. I could make out more words, panting more as I neared a junction, and swallowed. Instead of turning around, I looked about and saw some boxes against a wall. Jumping onto them, I lobbed myself up and onto the slick roof of the house, taking care to step in places where I wouldn't make a sound. Everything I did for work was paying off right now. I neared the far side of the home and peered over.

I wish I had just gone with Gideon.

There, on the ground, was a tiger. He was well built, handsome. But the thing that startled me was the amount of blood pouring off him. He had whole stripes missing, crimson rivulets running down his body and into the cobblestones. He was on his back on the cold, wet ground, trying to push himself away from the light to our left. He was panicked, worried. I could see he was also scarred on his wrists and ankles. All kinds of tiny little wounds, but the fur there had seemed to be rubbed raw.

"Stop this! I swear I don't know anything more!" the man screamed, pushing himself back against the wall of a building. No lights went on, no one came out. I think all these homes in this section were empty, or had so few people in them... and then those few probably weren't the kind to stick their necks out for someone screaming.

I pushed my body flat against the roof and peered over the top with wide eyes. I was so scared, shivering, shaking. Nothing about this felt right in any sense of the word. But when I saw the shadow starting to head to this small courtyard, my heart stopped.

A... thing, had taken a running leap from the light and landed right in front of the wounded tiger. I say 'thing' because I can't tell you what species it was.

He, and it was most definitely a he, had an erection.

He was tall, muscled but not broad. His yellow fur shone slick in places, crimson. He was naked and erect, and he wore a metal claw on his right hand. Long, curved fingers glinting in the light. Over his head was a mask that would end up haunting me for the rest of my days, I believe.

It was demonic. Metal with sharp edges, made to look like some kind of hellspawn but also indistinct. Its eyes were glassy red that caught light and glowed, and its muzzle opened with smoke coming out like he was smoking a cigar.

He stood over the cowering man, trembling in terror, one hand up. "Please, you don't have to do this, you --"

But that was the last words he said. In a quick motion the 'thing' had sliced down with its hand and gouged out the tiger's throat in one swipe. Blood spurted from the wound and splattered across stone and wood. The gurgling wet sound of a man choking on his own blood was loud. It was at this point I gasped.

And he saw me.

Those red eyes saw me. Just a brief glance as I let go of the roof, sliding down the shingles and wincing as it cut and tore at my shirt. I felt the roof come out from under me and I fell, slamming onto my back with a thud. My pack exploded, my tools and lantern shattering on the ground. I got up, quickly grabbing everything and shoving it into my pack, hastily, looking up at the roof and the corner. I could see someone moving in the shadows towards it.

I ran.

I ran and I ran and I ran.

I ran all the way home, running around corners, past old women, past constables who whistled at me to stop running. I couldn't stop running. I thought if I stopped even for a moment, I was a dead fox. I didn't stop running until the scents got familiar and I could see Gideon waiting outside Alister's, smoking a cigarette. He saw me and I barreled into him, curling my arms around him and cried, cried hard. I can't remember the last time I cried, but here I was. Trembling, shaking, petrified.

"Simon!" Gideon said, the cigarette falling from his lips. "What's the matter? What's wrong?" His big hands came down and held my shoulders.

"I saw him!" I screamed into his chest. "I saw him!" I couldn't think of the words, but eventually they came. I pried my face up, staring up at Gideon with what I felt was pure terror. "I saw him. Spring Heeled Jack. I saw him kill someone. And, and..."

It took me a few seconds to catch my breath and say the most dreaded sentence:

"...I think he saw me."