Nine Lives - Chapter Seven (the Crownedclown13 Roundabout Project)
"Hold on there, sport." Asher's voice commanded. "You're not well enough to be moving around. Besides," he said, shooting a look at his sister, "There's something about me and Claudia that you need to know..."
***
Asher waited for Cory to respond before continuing. "You need to know that we aren't exactly who we say we are"
"Oh Fuck. Let me guess, organ harvesters? You two going to cut me up and sell me on the black market? I'm outta here before that happens." Cory made another groggy attempt to get up only for Asher to gently bring him back down again.
"No we aren't going to cut you up and sell you on the black market, idiot." Asher placed a paw on each of Cory's shoulders firmly. "Although neither Claudia or I are a danger to you, there are others out there who are a danger to us, and to you. Claudia and I perform tasks for those who need a task performed. Whether something like reminding someone of their debt or collecting on said debt, and even some more unpleasant jobs which I will spare you the details..." Asher grimaced at the conclusion of his brief monologue as if remembering some of the more unsavoury moments in his past.
"So why exactly are you telling me this again?" Cory asked suspiciously.
Asher was happy to reply with "Because I have a funny feeling that you will be sticking around..."
"and why is that?" Interrupted Cory, causing both tigers to glance at Melanie grooming herself on the kitchen counter. "The cat?" Asked Cory.
"Yes, the cat." Claudia butted in. "She's never been wrong about someone yet!" She exclaimed in a falsely sweet, sing-song voice which earned her a scathing look from her brother.
Cory let Asher's almost-confession sink in and he wondered about the legitimacy of the tiger's words... "so I you two are telling me this so one, I am 'safe' and two, as a way to keep me around... Yes?"
"Not really if you put it that way but to save time, yes." Asher replied bluntly before asking. "Any questions?"
"Can I see my kids now?"
Asher shook his head and chuckled. "Of course you can."
Without a moment's hesitation Cory whipped his phone out of his pocket and dialled his Ex-Wife's number but instead of the normal ringing sounds he received an automated message telling him the number he had dialled no longer existed. His stomach dropped, he knew that something wasn't right and both Asher and Claudia sensed the change in his demeanour. The tigers remained exactly as they were except their sensitive hearing was now trained on the handset in Cory's hand.
Cory attempted to dial several times but between fumbling with the keypad and receiving the same message over and over, he was getting nowhere. He looked at Asher pleadingly "Would we be able to drive somewhere?" He sounded desperate and Asher would have said yes any other time he asked, so the tiger obliged, leading Cory to the garage and opening the passenger door to a new, yet basic, generic car that would attract little attention no matter where it was.
They drove across town, silent except for the directions generated by the sat nav and as Asher brought the car to a stop outside the house he could already see that it had been abandoned. A note was taped to the door and Asher already knew to whom it would be addressed and what it would contain, he had seen this countless times before. Karrie had taken the children and fled the country.