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[Author's Note: Here it is for your reading pleasure. Part 16 was longer, but I decided to divide it in half. The other half is part 17, available next week. The reason is that the original part 17, now part 18, has lots of characters in it. Summer vacation is over, so almost all the workers will be there. That is a lot of characters to depict. It will take some time. Meanwhile, Part 16 properly introduces Mariana, the Maltese, whose departure was briefly mentioned in part 2 and who herself was mentioned in Part 11. If this chapter is your first time reading Venom, I suggest reading Part 11 first to get a small glimpse of Mariana and Zesty in action.

Next week, Mariana says goodbye, and has a few words that could spell doom for the girls in the group. Enjoy.]

Venom: Beautiful Killers. Part 16.

"You all are just one big boys club, aren't you?"

[I have just awakened from my latest sleep. I still feel very tired, my mouth is dry, and my hands are numb. It has not been the good sleep that I have had before. For the last five or six hours, I have been dozing off and waking up in quick succession. Every time I wake up, I keep trying to stay awake. Minutes later, I realize that I've been asleep again. Meanwhile the time has just flown by.]

[It's just after six in the evening. There is food in front of me. Now I have a reason to stay up. As I start eating, I reflect on my situation. It has been thirty-six hours since the kidney transplant. It seems to be working well. There is a catheter attached to my penis. On the other side of it is a bag where the urine goes. The bag is full, so the kidney is doing what it should. That is a good thing, but I'm going to be here until the end of the week, so my hopes are not really as high as they should be.]

[I have been dozing off constantly. More often than not, the dreams have been coming with them. The dreams still had those familiar faces. Most of them were short, but it was still sequential, as if as a story was being told. Nothing eventful really happened. Winter spent the night at the apartment buildings where she tried to catch Matthew Ambrose. She spent the night with a nice couple of vacationers. When last I saw her, she was leaving for the nearest bus stop. She went even though it was still raining. Camille and Pamila were trying to keep Damien under control. Tivoli was having a little argument with her housemate. It seems the ocelot is starting to overstay her welcome. That was the last dream I had. I have not had a dream with the red panda in it since yesterday evening. I'm wondering if she'll show up again.]

[It is Tuesday evening here, but in my last dream, it was Thursday. From what I've been able to figure, I believe the year is 2014. I don't know what month it is; it's either July or August. Keeping the dates straight is going to be tricky. At least I can remember faces. I've written down the names of the girls in my dreams; I have them all covered. To avoid confusion, I think I will write down the names of the boys as well. They are starting to appear more frequently and are starting to influence what the girls do. I already know Shiloh (all too well), St. Croix, and Hoeness. They appear the most. I'm trying to get a handle on the others.]

[I'm still really groggy, but after I finish eating, I have to try to walk and strengthen my legs. I at least should walk further than the door....]

* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *

The atmosphere is hot and muggy. The sun is high up in the sky, indicating that the time is somewhere around noon. It shines brightly on the ground, on the restaurants, on the stores, and on the people. It shines and heats everything it can find, without any clouds getting in the way. It shines on an exuberant ocelot. Tivoli is nodding her head and tapping her left foot as she watches a couple of well-muscled men playing their guitars by the road. When they stop, she lightly applauds. Her spirits are as lively as the clothes she is wearing--a white blouse and a white sundress.

She puts her hands behind her back, fully taking in the sun and the song. From out of nowhere, Paraná appears from behind her. He watches her for a few seconds before playfully tapping the top of her head. She turns quickly and chuckles as he hands her a graham cracker waffle cone with pink-colored ice cream in it. Tivoli accepts it gladly.

"What the lady wants, the lady gets," he says. "Strawberry ice cream with sprinkles."

"Thanks."

"I do not understand sprinkles. Why would you want them on your ice cream? They don't add anything. They don't taste like anything. Paper, maybe."

"No. I love sprinkles. They're fun little decorations that brighten up your treats."

"So they are just there to make things look good?"

"Pretty much. Plus they're edible, so they're harmless."

"Ah. So if I want to brighten my coffee, I just add sprinkles. It would be repulsive, but it would look better, yes?"

Tivoli laughs and follows him as he walks away from the guitarists. "I like you. You're funny."

The jaguar clears his throat. "Remember, this is not a date. This is business."

"I know, but this is my first time ever on the 3rd Street Promenade. It doesn't feel like business."

"The mark I have chosen for us is on the way from here. It's a bit far from the office, but I didn't think you would mind. I can see that I am right."

"Nope. I don't mind it at all." She starts to devour the ice cream, taking most of the sprinkles with one bite. "So when's the hunt begin?"

Paraná clears his throat. "My plan is at the beginning stages. I have not planned for the exact time yet. But I was thinking that we should do this...sometime in the next two or three days."

Tivoli stops smiling. "Are you kidding?"

"What?"

"That soon?"

"Well, we don't take chances. When we go after someone, we try to get him as quickly as possible. We find out where he lives and try to learn as much about his living situation. The client...that is, the person who wants us to kill him, provides us with most of the information we need, and we investigate the rest of the...relevant information. His neighborhood, for instance. We try to find a good time to get ourselves in there to do the job, or we try to find another place to do the job."

She nods with understanding. "Do you, the killers, ever meet those clients?"

"I haven't yet. I don't know if the other workers do. As far as I know, only the executives meet them. We just follow orders. Now I have to follow mine. Once I take you to the mark's house, I will tell you how I have planned to finish him off."

"Do we really have to do it now? I'm really enjoying myself."

Paraná shrugs. "If you like, we will come back here in a couple of hours."

"Really?"

"_Absolutamente. _ We will go anywhere on the Promenade you want to go."

Tivoli's patented giggle resurfaces and she sidles close to her handler once again. "I really like this 'business.' I can't wait for the next one."

"You know we're about to kill someone, right?"

* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *

[I wake up with a start. A couple of nurses have entered the room. It is time to measure my vital signs--my heartbeat, my blood pressure, and my temperature. They have brought the electronic scale with them, so I'm going to be weighed too. I've been told that my weight would grow soon after surgery, then start to decrease as the kidney starts to work. I'm not looking forward to getting weighed.]

[I'm starting to feel for some of the anthros in my dreams. For the first time ever, I am actively, though quietly, cheering for Tivoli and Winter. Not only am I hoping for each of them to be successful, but I'm hoping that they somehow become better friends than they are now. It is the complete opposite of the feeling I get whenever Shiloh appears. His nightmare-inducing presence has been tempered a bit.]

[I have what is left of my dinner taken away so I can focus on regaining the strength in my legs. I have been sleeping too much, and not walking enough. My head is swimming with thoughts of furries instead of my health and my family. I have to start focusing on what is the most important to me.]

* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *

The wind is blowing softly across the landscape, stirring the trees and sending leaves of paper hurtling across the Rapid Recovery parking lot. The lot is empty and lifeless, a rarity considering the number of people who work there. It is always one of the busiest, liveliest places in the community, so seeing it empty is almost scary.

There is daylight, so the empty lot means that it is early in the morning. The office is not yet open for business, and there is an eerie calm settling into the atmosphere. The street across from the building is not even that active. A couple of cars pass by, adding noise to the surroundings, but the place remains strangely quiet.

Suddenly, a sign of life appears, turning the corner from the back of the building to the front parking lot. The bipedal figure walks into view, with its hands in its pockets and its head looking at the sky. It almost trips on a fallen twig, but steadies itself and clears its throat. It lowers its head, revealing itself to be a white dog. The light, guttural sound of the throat reveals a feminine presence.

She strolls to the front door of the building and slowly takes her hands out of the pockets of her black jeans. She clears her throat again as she inches closer to the door to look through it. The lobby is dark and miserable, just begging for the lights inside to be ignited. There is a small, brown moth hanging on the other side of the glass door. The dog chuckles and taps on the glass, trying to get the moth to move.

After a couple of minutes, she backs away from the front door and walks to the back of the building. She looks around the much bigger back lot and heaves a heavy sigh. It looks like she knows the area, if not the building itself. At least the back door looks familiar to her. She walks right to it and presses her hands on the glass. Another short chuckle escapes from her mouth; it seems she recognizes something and nods happily.

The dog looks up at the VENOM sign hanging above her. She laughs again and hits the small, wooden board, causing it to spin vigorously. It squeals as it comes to a stop. She hits it again and shakes her head. "Pathetic." Putting her hands in her back pockets, she walks back to the front of the building.

Her familiarity with the place seems to show that she works here. It does not look like she is dressed for the morning meeting, however. Her bangs are messy as is the rest of her white hair. Besides the black jeans, she is wearing a long-sleeved motorcycle jersey. It has a loud and colorful pattern on it that looks like it was hurriedly thrown on the fabric. It would definitely give her a lot of attention.

She makes her way back to the front door and looks through it once again. The moth is still there, now crawling to the top of the door. Behind her, a blue car slowly crawls into the lot. She pays no attention as it stops right behind her. After settling in a parking space, the occupant slowly exits.

Colin Besser, fresh from a long sabbatical that has left him thin and weary, looks around him with his eyes wide open. The scars from his battle with Pamila are clear to see. The most prominent of those are the small stitches on the left side of his face. He barely has a grip on the suitcase he is carrying. He closes the car door, startling the intruder. She turns around quickly, as if caught doing something bad, then puts her hands on her chest in relief.

"Well, aren't you a sight for sore eyes?" Colin tries to smile as he approaches her. He is shuffling his feet, fighting a sudden gust of wind. "I thought I'd never see you again."

She walks over to him and gives him a hug, laughing loudly. "Good morning, Colin!" She puts her head on his shoulder as she envelopes him. "You can't get rid of me so easily."

He barely responds to the hug, merely patting her back. "It's been a month."

"Yeah, it has." She releases him and sighs with contentment. "What's this?" She points at him and snickers. "You cut your hair? Why would you....?" She gasps and leans closer. "You've got a black eye. Were you in a fight?"

"I wasn't in a fight. The fight found me and ripped me a new one. I was lucky to get out mostly intact." He slowly walks to the front door. "I'm just fine, though it's hell waiting for the drugs to wear off."

"Did you just get back from the hospital? You shouldn't have come then. You should be resting."

Colin holds up his suitcase. "I've brought marks."

"What's that?"

"I had the photos of ten marks in my house. I was supposed to bring them here last week. Thanks to Pamila, I was out of commission, so there hasn't been much work for the hitmen, or so I've been told."

"Wait, Pam did this to you?!" She steps in front of him and looks at his face again. Her eyes widen, as if she is just now seeing the full effect of the attack. "How many stitches?"

"I don't remember. Fifteen, I think."

"My God. She really worked you over. "

"More or less." He passes her and continues to the door.

"What happened? Why'd she do that? Was she drunk again?"

"Come on, stop it. I don't talk about the employees behind their backs."

The dog scoffs and steps in front of him yet again. "Forget that! She attacked you. After this, you can say anything about her that you want. She should no longer be an employee."

"But you're no longer an employee." He stands there, looking at her. It looks like he feels bad for what he has just said. He watches as her eyes widen once again. She gasps, as if she's just been given bad news. Something is clearly sinking in because her smile disappears, her head hangs, and her tail droops. Colin holds her right hand with his free one. "I'm sorry, Mariana."

She lifts her head and tries to smile. She swallows instead. "That's all right."

"Open the door for me, would you?"

She tries harder to smile. Her tail wags as she is given the keys to the door. Colin smirks as she turns and inserts the key. "You know, I had aspirations. I had thoughts of owning this place one day."

"You did, huh?"

She turns the keys and opens the way into the dark lobby. She takes a deep breath. "The carpet smells different somehow, but there's no hiding the vulcanized rubber."

Colin laughs weakly. "Your sense of smell is as sharp as ever. Hit the lights."

Mariana flips a switch, causing the fluorescent glow to flood the room. They both squint as they examine their surroundings. It has been a while since either of them had been here, but the newness quickly wears off. The chairs in front of them are back in their familiar positions, facing the flat screen television. The front desk is there, complete with papers, the laptop, and a small stack of laminated pictures ready for the next meeting. The familiar painting hanging above the desk is still in good shape. From the glass windows with the venetian blinds to the dark hallway, everything is just as it was when they left.

Mariana looks down. "You guys got a new carpet?"

Colin looks at the carpet and shrugs. "I didn't know."

"I like it. It doesn't look much different from the last one, but it's plush." She takes off her sneakers. "Would you mind if I sit at the front desk before the meeting begins?"

"Not at all."

Carrying her shoes, she walks to the front desk, savoring each step as her naked feet dig into the rug. A small bit of subdued laughter escapes her mouth. She seems to be having fun.

"Have a seat, boss," Colin jokes. "I'll be in the conference room if you need me."

"Why don't you just drop the marks at the front desk and go on back home? I'll handle things from here."

"I may just do that." He slowly moves through the hallway.

The canine sits on the chair usually occupied by St. Croix and spins, slowly looking at every bit of space in the lobby. She again inhales deeply. "Vulcanized rubber." She spins herself again, quicker this time, and looks at the ceiling. Her happy face shows some signs of resignation. She is not totally glad to be here. In fact, her drooping tail suggests that something is wrong. It had been hanging like that since she stepped inside.

She sighs heavily and spins herself until she is facing the front door. Through it can be seen a couple of cars arriving at the lot. Anticipating meeting some of the other workers, she straightens herself, arranges her collar, and clears her throat. The stack of laminated photos is staring at her. She picks the one on top and looks at hit, releasing another sigh. Grabbing the entire stack, she separates each picture until each individual mark has its own place on the desk.

The front door opens, letting in Inverness, the black Scottish terrier. He holds the door open and waits for the other workers in the lot to enter. He stands there for a couple of minutes, looking at them impatiently. "Well, are you coming in?" Getting no answer, he steps into the room, letting the door close behind him. As he starts to remove his tie, he gasps and leers at the smiling female at the desk. "Oh my goodness."

"Top of the morning to ya."

"That's Irish, girl, not Scottish." He laughs and practically runs to the desk. She leaves the chair and waits for him. The canines embrace like long lost friends. As she rubs his back, the life returns to her tail.

"How have you been?" He releases his grip and stares into her eyes. "I kinda missed ya."

"I know. I remember we were supposed to see the Fourth of July fireworks by the pier. I was so looking forward to it. It would have been my first date in years. I psyched myself out for it and everything." She releases him and shrugs. "I'm sorry. Things just didn't work out."

"But what happened to ya? I mean, I've heard rumors about your actions, but I stay away from workplace gossip. I've also called your number a couple of times after the Fourth. You never answered."

"You weren't here when it happened. I...." Mariana hesitates, searching for the right word to use. Her shoulders droop and she kicks the floor. "I quit."

"You what?" Inverness backs away. "Are you serious?"

"Just like that."

"But why?"

She chuckles nervously. "That's personal. I'm sorry. You weren't here to see it and it's better that you don't know. She wouldn't want me to tell you anyway. Just forget it. Who's outside?"

"Oh, it's just the Italian greyhound and a couple of others. They seem to be reminiscing."

"How is Baua? How are the hunts in general?"

Inverness clears his throat and looks for a chair to sit in. "He's fine. He's doing his job, bringing in pictures of our marks. The job lately has been really slow. Most of the marks are so far out of town, no one wants to do them. I just finished one though."

"Really? How far did you go?"

Before he can answer, the Italian greyhound and two red foxes enter. They are chatting in Italian and laughing boisterously. They make their way through the rows of chairs and start to arrange them for the morning meeting. Once Baua spots Mariana though, he stops what he is doing and approaches her with delight. "Well, look who it is!"

"Yeah! Look who it is." There is a bit of sadness to her chuckles now. Still, she hugs Baua just as tightly as she did Inverness. She really is glad to see the workers. The red foxes greet her as well.

"Glad you're back. You are back, aren't you?"

"We'll see."

While most of the boys talk happily with the white dog, Inverness looks at them confusedly. When Mariana is given room to return to the front desk, he quickly returns to her side. "So wait a second. If you have quit, why did you come back?"

Everyone in the room looks at her, intrigued by the question. Baua nods in anticipation. Feeling the pressure, Mariana puts her hands in her pockets and looks at the floor. "I got a message from Ted telling me to come. It's something he says I have to do. Please, guys, don't make a big deal out of it."

The front door opens, revealing two more of the executives. Robert Crevecoeur and Joseph Luisi enter the room, wearing matching suits, ties, and shoes. They greet the boys without really looking at them. But once they see Mariana at the desk, their eyes really open.

"Hello, boys," she heaves, trying to sound seductive. She walks over to the surprised men and greets them with hugs.

"It's been a while," Joseph says. He drops his suitcase to hug her properly.

"Damn right." Robert steps around her to look her over. He snickers at her jersey. "Where've you been all this time?"

"I heard you quit. I couldn't believe it. What was that about?"

Mariana releases the hug and returns her hands to the pockets of her jeans. "Sorry, Joe. That's need-to-know. I promised her I wouldn't tell. But Simon knows. Ted knows too. They'll tell you when I leave for good."

Baua stands. "So you are leaving."

"I don't want to, but--"

The front door opens again, turning everyone around. They watch as Hoeness leads Ted inside. The German Shepherd has his left hand wrapped in a dressing. His fingers are still loose and mobile. He must have just returned from a hunt. He winces as he closes the door. Despite the injury, he has a very serious look about him. He does not flinch as he takes off his overcoat.

Ted is his usual self. He always enters, waves hi at anyone who will acknowledge him, and makes his way to the conference room. This time, however, the sight of Mariana stops him in his tracks. "Well, well." He laughs. "It won't be business as usual today."

Hoeness looks up to see who Ted is talking to. He frowns immediately.

"Good to see you too, Ted. You as well, Hoeness." Mariana approaches the executive without hesitation or fear. She has a stoic, almost angry look on her face. Her appearance is rigid and passionless. She goes to Ted with purpose and stops when they are face-to-face. "Well, I'm here, just like you wanted."

Ted nods. "Just like I wanted."

Crevecoeur and Luisi slowly leave the room; the day's meeting begins in about fifteen minutes and preparations need to be made. Baua and the rest of the anthros hurriedly face the chairs toward the front desk, but keep their attention focused on Mariana and Ted.

Hoeness senses trouble and moves next to his superior. Now both of them are staring angrily at the white dog. It looks like a confrontation is about to happen. Suddenly, Ted smiles. "Good to see you. I trust that your...month off went well."

"Surprisingly calm and healthful, considering present circumstances." She scoffs at him.

"Very nice. I would like to talk to you in the conference room as soon as possible. That is to say immediately."

Surprised, Mariana watches as Ted passes her. She looks at Hoeness, who growls and backs away. She runs up to her boss, blocking his way. "I know we have to talk, but I wanted to stay here. I'd like to say hi to the other guys coming in. I haven't seen them in a while. I'd like to be here for the meeting too."

"Don't be silly. You can't attend the meeting if you're not one of us anymore. You know that." He passes her again and goes through the hall.

Inverness had been standing by the desk, watching everything. He feels sorry for the girl and tries to comfort her. He gently puts his hands on her shoulders and leads her away from the hallway and back to the lobby. "Come here and have a seat. Don't worry about anything."

More anthros are starting to pop in. Hoeness leaves his seat to open the front door. Three enter at once. Then Shiloh enters. Wearing a pinstripe suit and a pair of designer dress shoes, he looks taller than he ever has. He and Hoeness greet each other with slight nods. The German Shepherd then closes the door, not noticing Camille running to the building.

Shiloh sees Mariana and walks briskly to her. She is talking with Inverness and does not notice him until he taps her shoulder. She gasps as she looks at him, then stands like she wants to get away. The wolf grabs her, literally picking her off the floor, and gives her a big hug. "There you are!"

She grits her teeth as she is picked up, but then chuckles, trying to match his hearty laugh. "Hi, big guy."

"You had us worried there for a moment." He puts her down. "Where've you been, huh?"

"Oh, here and there. Nowhere really important."

"I was there when you left abruptly. I didn't get a chance to talk to you. I had Winter with me and I was showing her around. You left so fast, I couldn't catch up."

Mariana fakes another chuckle. "Me outrunning you. Imagine that."

"Why'd you return?"

She looks around her and sees that she is surrounded by inquiring minds. Shaking her head, she says, "Guys, I had to come. Ted said it was important that I...." Her face changes. She's just thought of something. It does not look like a good thought. "Um...does anyone know what happens to someone who quits this job? Am I in some sort of trouble?"

The boys stare at each other, dumbfounded. Inverness scratches his head. "I don't know, dear. This has never happened before."

Shiloh shrugs. "This is a unique situation. But then again, I've always thought you were a unique individual."

Robert Crevecoeur suddenly appears, holding a laptop and the ubiquitous computer projector. "It's a little early, but Ted wants us to start the meeting now. Everyone have a seat. Mariana, he wants you in the conference room right away."

The front door opens again. Camille finally enters. She is flexing her right hand. Her trousers are dirty at the knees. It looks like she has just taken a fall. She sees the gathering at the front desk, but decides not to investigate. The cat sits down to inspect her knees, not greeting or saying anything to anybody.

Meanwhile, Mariana shakes hands with her greeters as she makes her way to the dark hall. "My destiny awaits."

Inverness clears his throat. "Wait a second. This can't be it. We've barely reminisced."

Baua nods. "Yeah, we gotta talk some more. If I take some time off, could we meet later? Maybe over lunch or something?"

She shrugs. "Sorry, guys. I'm afraid it's not up to me."

Shiloh steps in front of her to push the boys away. "Okay folks. It's time for the meeting. Let her go."

Mariana waves at her sudden, eager fans and puts her hands in her pockets yet again. Heading for the conference room is not easy. The unnatural shade in the corridor has a gloomy feeling about it. Every door is closed and there is no light, save for the glow coming from the lobby. Looking like a prisoner on death row, she is about to leave her friends and head into a dark future. Her feet shuffle and her short tail hangs low. Deep in thought, she takes her sweet time getting to the conference room.

Two minutes later, her destination reached, she breathes deeply before opening the door. She sees Ted and Colin shaking hands. The redhead says goodbye and grabs his briefcase. Seeing Mariana, he smiles and winks. "I'm taking off. Sorry we didn't get to talk more."

"Go home and get some rest," she says. "I've got your number. If I find time, I'll contact you."

They hug once more before he closes the door behind him. Now alone with the boss, she breathes deeply again before turning to face him. Ted is standing on the other side of the racetrack table, holding a manila folder, the object that proclaims the existence of a member.

"Mariana Walker," Ted says, tossing the folder across the table. "Age: 22. Sex: Female. Birthplace: Fresno. Breed: Maltese. Fur color: White." He chuckles. "Likes: Sunsets, bunnies, and long walks on the beach with that special someone. Dislikes: Work, smokers--"

"All right! Stop that!"

"I am sorry."

"I'll bet you are." She sits down across from him, slowly and cautiously. She does not take her eyes off of him. Her eyes narrow as if she is taking aim. She normally is a very sensitive individual and rarely hides her feelings. This time, however, she is showing restraint against someone she is obviously angry with. Her face wants to growl, but her deep, controlled breaths keep her quiet and attentive.

"So, how was your month away?"

"Never mind. Where's Simon?"

Ted shrugs. "Why'd you want to know?"

"Because I want to. He's the one who fired Zesty. I want to talk to him again."

"Simon's out of town until Saturday evening. He's got more important things to do than muse over the past with you. Besides, his wife is sick, so he's had a rough week. The last think he needs is another shouting match."

The Maltese sighs in frustration. "Fine. I mean, it's no big deal. I just wanted to apologize, to tell him that I don't blame him...that it's not his fault he had to stop what he was doing and make the long trek to the lobby and fire her in front of everybody! He's a really nice guy and that's not in his nature. I know he was only following your orders."

"It had to be done."

"But why?! She could work, and she still can! She's never had a problem working in a pinch and she worked even on days she wasn't feeling well. There was no reason to--"

"But being pregnant isn't the same as not feeling well, is it? It's at a much different level. Getting sick is understandable. It happens to all of us and mostly without warning. Getting pregnant, even inadvertently, is avoidable...and, in this setting, irresponsible."

"She didn't....mean to get pregnant." Mariana exhales a shaky breath. She is starting to lose her composure. "It just happened."

"Good one. 'She didn't mean to get pregnant.' You're saying she didn't mean to get down on all fours and take one in the snatch. So what happened? Did she trip into position?"

"Don't make fun of her!"

"You're doing a poor job defending her." Ted stands. "It's not about the pregnancy. That's not the biggest issue; I don't doubt that Zesty can do the job with a bun in the oven. She's one of the strongest females I know. The problem is that she got pregnant on the job. She got knocked up while actually doing her work. The morning after she was fired, I got a full report from Hoeness. He reports to me on all 'hitman matters' as you know."

"Stuck-up busybody. Yeah, I know he does that."

"Apparently, he overheard a conversation between you two in which you were discussing strategy to catch your next mark. I guess the fact that she was pregnant just sort of came out?" He waits for a response. Mariana looks on angrily, saying nothing. "According to Hoeness, Zesty's exact words were, 'Don't forget, this is my last one for a while. I can't believe I'm two months along.' It's not completely accurate, but I'm pretty sure the 'two months' part is."

"First of all, it was less than two months. Secondly, that was said in confidence, and you can't blame us. We were really giddy. We had just come back from a highly successful job and we got paid that very day. We were happy and celebrating a big win. It wasn't as bad as--"

"Which executive paid her?"

"Crevecoeur did."

"Didn't he notice the baby bump? If he did, he should have come to me with--"

"There's no 'baby bump' at six weeks, you idiot!"

Ted sniffs angrily. He is slowly but surely losing his patience. "Look, we don't keep secrets from one another. The executives talk to the killers, and you talk back to us. We keep our existence away from the public, but nothing between us will ever be 'in confidence.' Once she got pregnant, she should have come to me. Better still, she could have gone to the chief."

"Either of you would have fired her anyway."

"We'll never know now, will we? Instead of coming to us, she worked while pregnant. She killed people while pregnant. I don't even want to think about how she pulled that off. Besides, I thought she was single. How could she get pregnant?"

"Doesn't the fact that she could still do the job mean anything?" Mariana's face changes. Her emotions turn from anger to concern as she stares down at her file. "What's gonna happen to her?"

The boss shrugs. "I can't tell you that."

"But I thought we don't keep secrets from one another."

"You don't work here anymore, so you have no right to know. All I can tell you is that we'll monitor her. We'll keep an eye on her and keep her safe, if need be. A couple of the workers will be tasked with that job. In the meantime, let's talk about your future." He looks at her with narrow eyes and tightly pursed lips. It seems he is about to make a big announcement. He waits patiently until the dog is looking at him. "You didn't have to quit, and I'm ready to reinstate you."

She sits erect and perks her head up. "Come again?"

"Why'd you quit anyway? Zesty once told me that you're the kind of person who sees things through. I didn't think quitting was in your nature."

"I quit because I'm loyal. What you guys did to her was wrong. Completely, utterly wrong! If you would have seen her in action the past couple of weeks, I'm sure you'd change your mind."

"What if while in action, something bad happens? She miscarries or dies? What then? Don't you think that could expose us?"

"She's not that careless. She never would have let that happen. Never." Mariana sneers at Ted's quiet laugh. "I also quit because I saw the writing on the wall."

Ted shrugs. "And what does that mean?"

"Simon fired my friend in the lobby, in front of pretty much all the boys. I stuck up for her. When she left the room, I was still fighting for her!" Her voice starts to crack. "I soon realized I was the only one. Nobody else spoke up. No one even tried! I turned to look at everyone in the room--Hoeness, Baua, Pica, Dunn, Stefano...." She wipes her left cheek. "Even that stupid-ass leopard, Loiola, her so-called friend! They were all her friends! But they just stood there like statues and watched me fight with Simon. Nobody backed me up!" She covers her face in her hands and wipes both cheeks. Ted looks on, emotionless. She clears her throat. "When Simon left, I started to yell at the guys. Most of them said nothing, except for Hoeness. He laughed and walked away." She sniffs and continues to wipe her face.

"If you were looking for them to defend her, forget it. They know trouble when they see it. They're not going to support someone who could be a danger to their jobs. I sure wouldn't."

The Maltese nods. "That's right. You all are just one big boys club, aren't you?"

"Stop that. Right now."

"They were her friends! She liked all of them in return! She even gave the group a name. I don't like the name 'Venom,' but I thought it fit, considering what we did. I started to like them too. Then she was fired, and none of them said a thing." She lowers her head and continues sniffing. "I get it now. You guys all look out for each other. If any of them had told Simon to cool his jets, I'm sure he would have changed his mind and she would still be here. Zesty didn't stand a chance...." She has lost her composure. The controlled sniffs give way to deep sobbing.

Ted sighs and stands. "You all right?"

"Leave me alone." She looks at the ceiling. This time, she does not bother wiping any tears. "As for your offer, thanks but no thanks."

"Lots of money to be made. A lot of money. You're saying no to prosperity and denying yourself a meaningful future. And for what?"

"Bring her back! Then I'll return! Not before!"

He walks around the table until he is next to her. He picks up the folder and tears it in half. "I'll tell everyone you're leaving."

She closes her eyes. "Good!"

"You can stay here as long as you want and say goodbye to whomever you want. Just remember to respect the rules and don't let the customers see you. Also remember that we close at eight."

As Mariana softly places her head on the table, he leaves the conference room and quickly walks through the hallway. At the other side, he can hear the workers laughing and chatting. It seems this meeting is going well. Robert Crevecoeur is in full voice, showing off the potential victims of the day. Ted slowly makes it to the lobby and watches the proceedings. He waits about five minutes until there is a break in the discussion. He then quickly calls Crevecoeur over to him.

While the two talk, St. Croix arrives from the hallway, wiping his hands with a paper towel. He sits next to Camille, who is looking at the front desk with the pictures of marks on it. She looks down in the dumps. "What's the matter?" he asks.

She sighs and strokes her whiskers. "Nothing much. Just waiting for Simon to come back and release my friend from her prison sentence. I'm really worried about Pam. She looks disinterested and bored with life. She isn't doing what she loves to do. I just hope Simon gets here soon."

The wolf chuckles. "Don't worry. It won't be long now."

The chatting stops when Ted suddenly steps up to the front desk. He is big, bold, and authoritative. When he there, everybody listens. He looks around, waiting for the room to get quiet. He does not wait for long. "Listen, everybody. I'll make this quick so you can go back to the meeting. I'm sure some of you have seen her, but if you haven't, Mariana is here." He waits for a few seconds, just in case anyone has something to say. "She won't be here long. I've come to announce that this is her last day with us." He waits again. Murmurs grow from the crowd and a couple of the guys ask each other questions.

Camille, the only female in the room, stands up forcefully and angrily, knocking her chair down. As everyone watches, she quickly walks out the front door, as if she has just been offended somehow.

Ted scoffs. "What's with her?"

St. Croix stands to set the chair upright. "Um...Camille and Mariana have been feuding for quite some time. She must still be angry. "

"Tell her to get back here." He watches as St. Croix quickly does as he is told. "Anyway, I'll let you guys get back to work. Don't forget, Mariana is in the conference room if you want to talk or say goodbye. Just remember to stay out of sight." He nods and starts to walk away. "That's all. Carry on."