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Venom: Beautiful Killers. Part 36

"...rookie-stupid...."

The office is open and all the lights are on. The business day is just about to begin. Hoeness is right outside, wandering around the empty parking lot, but he not entering the building. Hands clasped firmly behind his back, he is pacing from one end of the lot to the other and muttering something to himself. He looks uncharacteristically nervous. A stiff wind blows in his face, making him more uptight. The dog tightens his eyes closed and struggles to find his way. He trips on the stairs, but is able to find the door handle and lean against the glass barrier. It provides some protection from the wind, but not much.

A couple of minutes later, he opens his eyes. The wind has slowed a little, but is still blowing with noticeable fervor. Still, the German Shepherd does not go inside. He slowly goes down the stairs, presumably to resume pacing up and down the lot. The second he turns his head, a pair of furry, black hands tightly cover his eyes.

"Guess who!" The female voice is annoyingly sing-songy.

He shudders for a split second, trying to figure out what is happening. It takes a while, but he relaxes and smiles. "Come on, woman. Don't do the 'guess who.' My instincts almost took over." He gently pulls the strange hands from his face and turns to face their owner.

She is also a German Shepherd who, besides the longer lashes, whiter teeth, and completely black fur, would look exactly like Hoeness. She is the same height and is more or less of the same build. She is wearing a short-sleeved blouse that shows the dark sheen of her arm fur; it looks like her upper body is well toned. She has long, shiny black hair that goes down to her shoulders. Her red skirt stops above her knees, showing the detail in her lower legs. The woman is clearly well-built.

"Hi," she says, sweetly and simply. She puts her hands behind her back and bounces up and down on her feet. She does it for a few seconds and gets a laugh out of Hoeness.

"Hi there." He shakes his head, trying to shake away the laughs. "So you showed up."

"I told you I wanted to see where you worked. I didn't believe you when you told me you were working for this place. I mean, Rapid Recovery is a really big deal in business circles and the governor has mentioned it once or twice. I didn't think you would--"

"Well, here you are...and here it is. Time to go."

"Can I see it?"

"What?"

"Let's go inside."

"Aw. I was afraid you'd ask that."

Her smile widens. "And why is that? What's wrong? Would I make you uncomfortable?"

"Well...my boss is in there and--"

"It doesn't open for another hour...and there are already people in there. Come on! Be a pal."

Hoeness releases a heavy breath and hesitates for about a minute. He looks through the door again, scrutinizing the area behind it. The female stands next to him with anticipation. She watches his slow, unwilling movements and laughs quietly. He shrugs away the doubt and eventually opens the door for her. "After you," he says.

"Yeah!" She eagerly prances inside. The coolness of the indoor air hits her nose and causes her to sneeze. The air conditioning makes her shiver a little, but she gathers herself quickly and looks around. As quickly as it came, the hopeful look on her face disappears.

The lobby is a bit disorganized with a couple of chairs removed from the normal town-hall style arrangement. Three of the chairs are directly in front of the television in the corner. St. Croix and Baua are sitting in front of it, watching the morning news. Sitting in the front row, in front of the desk, are Prosper, the beagle, and someone new to the office. He is a snowshoe hare, tan all over except for his white whiskers and the black tips of his ears. He looks really young, practically a teenager. He has on his lap a black laptop with a flash drive connected to it. Prosper sits next to him, looking on intently.

"Ew. This is where you work?" The stranger wrinkles her nose with disapproval.

"You like it?"

"Hardly befitting of a place with as huge a reputation as I've been hearing."

"Don't go pompous on me now." Hoeness stops smiling and takes a look around. "But I kinda agree with you. I assure you though, it's not often like this."

"I suppose not." She notices the wolf and the greyhound. "Hey, introduce me."

"Okay." He walks over to his coworkers. They smile when they see his face, but stare in surprise at his guest. "The wolf is named St. Croix and the dog's name is Baua."

Hoeness has just mentioned them by name, and just minutes before their hitman meeting. The wolf and the Italian Greyhound look at each other nervously, as if Hoeness has just given away a big secret. Still, St. Croix, being the cordial wolf that he is, stands and shakes her hand. "And who's this?"

She smiles at him and proudly straightens herself. "Call me Sunny. That's what all my friends call me, even though my real name is Sunset." She shakes his hand exuberantly with a strong grip that surprises the timber wolf. "Nice to meet you. Are you the boss?"

"I man the front desk."

"You mean 'wolf' the front desk." She laughs and turns her attention to Baua. "Nice to meet you too."

Baua is less cordial. He shakes her hand and gives a little smirk, but looks at Hoeness and calmly tells him, in German, that there are marks on the front desk.

Sunny giggles. "Ooh, German. That's neat, though I have no idea what you just said. Was that a greeting?"

Hoeness sighs and nods with understanding. "He says it's time to work." He puts his hands around the female's shoulders and guides her from Baua's sight. "Say good-bye now."

"Man! I barely got to meet anybody."

"Well, if you come back when you need a loan, then you'll see many of them."

"Ha! You wish. Though I must say, I'm rather curious. I don't see too many furry-owned businesses. There's The Shark Pit, and my mechanic, and...that's it."

He guides her out the door. "Our boss is a human."

"Oh. That's a bit disappointing."

"How come? It's a really big deal. She and the governor are great friends. The importance of this place grows every day. The more he mentions us in the news, the more people come here." He smiles proudly while leading her back to the parking lot. "Well, what you think?"

Sunny stops smiling and stares at him. Her face has suddenly become all businesslike. "Can I ask you a semi-important question?"

"Shoot."

"Are we...or aren't we a thing?"

Hoeness scratches his chin. "Well...."

"Because every time we try to make a transaction, every time we plan something to do together, we get interrupted. The first time was that police raid, remember? I was about to give you my phone number."

"Yeah I remember."

"And for the last two weeks, we've been cut short by your job constraints. I was beginning to think you value your...loan job over me." She folds her arms. "So?"

"So...sorry. I'm fairly new at this. As I told you back at the bar, I've never had too many female companions. You're my first in a long time."

Her smile returns and her hands fall on her hips. "Let's play hookey."

"Come again?"

"Let's ditch our work for the day. Take me to a movie. Take me to the park." She walks toward him and wraps her long arms around him. "Play with me!"

The man looks nervous; he does not know what to do with her hands and hesitates to embrace her. "Look, I--"

A horn blares nearby, interrupting the couple. A blue car pulls into a space next to them. Inside are Pica and Dunn, jovial and well-dressed. They laugh at the couple. Dunn points and shouts, "Shame, shame! We know your name!" *

She is startled, but Sunny laughs after a few seconds. It is funny enough that she plants her forehead on Hoeness' chest and laughs herself silly.

He is not as happy as she is; he hates being startled. "I told you two to stop quoting that stupid movie!"

As they exit their car, Pica scoffs at him. "Hey, the rules are clear. No fornication."

"Has the meeting started?" Dunn asks.

"Not in front of her, you idiot." Hoeness looks on angrily as the swift fox and the tan bobcat make their way inside. He then looks down at his companion as she tries to collect herself. "It wasn't that funny."

She smiles and shakes her head, pretending to be angry even though she is smiling. "Interrupted again. Listen, chump, I gotta bounce. Forget about today. Just call me whenever your work doesn't tie you down." She kisses his left cheek and quickly heads for her car, parked on the farthest corner from the building. She waves again before getting inside.

He ekes a smile while watching her go, but shakes his head as soon as she disappears. The look on his face does not seem to predict a relationship with her. He shrugs and reenters the building, where anger immediately takes over. He can see Pica and Dunn standing near the front desk. They are still laughing and carrying on, probably still at his expense. He huffs and marches toward them, probably about to shout obscenities at them. As he gets closer however, he sees they are occupied with something.

The fox and the bobcat, along with St. Croix, Baua, and Prosper, have gathered around the tan hare as he shares with them a streaming video on his laptop. It seems that everyone is laughing and having a good time. The German Shepherd's interest is instantly piqued. "What's going on?" he asks.

Prosper smiles and looks back at him. "Honor's been interviewed."

The hare smiles. "My very first...of many, I hope. The moonlighting job's already paying huge dividends. The murder-for-hire thing's good, but this one will make me famous. Very soon, I'm gonna--"

Hoeness shakes his head. "What interview? We're not supposed to be on TV. We're not supposed to be seen in public. What's the matter with you?"

"It's not TV. It's an internet program."

"That doesn't matter. If anybody recognizes you, then we'd...wait a moment. This is a porn site!"

"Nothing gets by you."

"Why are you getting interviewed in one?

"Relax, chief! Listen and learn. There's more to me than just a hitman." Honor increases the volume and the men around him pay attention to the picture once it is enlarged.

Hoeness and St. Croix look on with scrutinizing eyes while the rest of them smile and wait eagerly. Suddenly, music blares from the computer, startling everybody. The intro is meant to be loud, with trumpets, trombones, and other brass instruments providing the sound. Honor says sorry and decreases the size of the picture to lower the volume.

The music stops and a young man comes into view. He is a dark-skinned man wearing thin glasses, a gold crucifix, and a single earring on is right lobe. He is young, most likely college-aged. The lack of hair anywhere on his face makes him look unnatural behind the microphone he is holding. However, it looks like he is the moderator of this program.

"Good evening," he says, "and welcome to The Invisible Interview, the news magazine where you see the news...and not the reporters. That's because we're all about the news, not about the egos. Our news is proudly uncompromised and unflinchingly honest. You see the interviewees, not the people interviewing them. That, we believe, is real_news...and in just our second month of existence, we're starting to make inroads into the mainstream. I'm Ross Regal, and thanks for watching."_

While everyone looks on, Honor slowly increases the volume again. "This is a tad long, so I'm gonna fast forward a bit from time to time. Could someone be on the lookout just in case any execs show up?"

"I'll do that," St. Croix says. "I should be at the front desk anyway."

The moderator continues. "Today, we're in Los Angeles, where history is about to be made. After learning about two new full bars opening in the city, we were reminded of the establishment called The Shark Pit. It is famous for being the first, and only, furry-owned bar in the state of California. After four years in business, it is the number one watering hole in L.A., according to numerous financial publications. It got us wondering--just how many other businesses are owned by members of California's anthropomorphic population? After days of research while trying to find the answer, we stumbled across the man you're about to meet tonight. His name is Ed Mays, he's a director. He is also a Tabby...and just five months ago, he became the first anthropomorphic director in the history of Hollywood. That's history-making by itself, but the bigger news is this. He doesn't direct mainstream movies. He directs porn."

Baua and Prosper laugh loudly. "This looks like one of those gossip-type shows," the beagle says. "There's no way you can make a name for yourself appearing in one of these."

The hare scoffs. "Just shut up and pay attention. This news magazine is the fastest growing in its field. Don't make fun of it just 'cuz it's on the internet. This show's gonna be huge and it's gonna make me huge too."

"Please don't say huge."

"Hold on, I'm gonna fast forward to the good parts." He pushes a couple of buttons and everyone waits a few seconds until the face of the director pops up. "There he is." Once he plays the video at normal speed, even St. Croix stands up to take notice.

The Tabby is a portly individual; his weight is the first thing everybody comments on. He is wearing flip-down sunglasses, a red beret, and a brown overcoat that partially covers a sweater with a lewd illustration on it. For some reason, it is blurred in the video. He sits down across from the camera that zooms in on his face as he talks. The interviewer is heard but never seen.

"So tell us, Mr. Mays. How do you like directing?" The female interviewer's voice echoes a little; it seems she is not wearing a microphone.

"Well, Sharon, I think it's fascinating work and I've really have fun doing it. The producers have been understanding...and forgiving. The crew has been really supportive and easy to work with. Most importantly, the actors and actresses have been on point. They are really good at what they do."

"Speaking of the actors, let's talk about your latest project. You're currently making a movie with more than thirty of them, representing no less than thirteen different species of beings! That's a lot. Some would say too much."

"Trust me, it's not a problem."

"But your past work usually focused on certain fetishes that catered to many particular types of viewers. Your first movie featured amphibians. Your second movie exclusively had huskies playing the parts. Your latest one has, among other species, a rabbit, a salamander, a chinchilla, and a possum. Why the sudden, extreme change? Are any of these people compatible with one another?"

"My latest movie, Dominant Species, showcases the next generation of adult movie stars. The fact that they're all of different makes and models was icing on the cake. I wanted to prove that it would be possible to have all of these future stars together, under the same direction, and to have them work together despite their differences. It's quite amazing. This movie will raise their profiles and, of course, make them a hell of a lot of money."

The interviewer laughs. "Tell me about some of them."

Honor is almost bouncing on his seat. "Here it comes, guys. I'm about to be introduced."

"Someone's coming!" St. Croix shouts. "Put that away."

Honor and the others look behind them. They see a couple of co-workers behind the glass door. They are talking to each other, but will probably enter the lobby very soon. St. Croix looks carefully from behind the desk, enough to see the white tail of one of the individuals. Hoeness moves closer, bumping Pica out of the way. Prosper stands. There seems to be panic among all of the men.

Honor half closes his laptop and is about to stand as well when Hoeness announces, "At ease, fellas. It's just Dumb and Dumber."

"Who?" Prosper asks.

St. Croix smirks. "Shiloh and Winter."

Everyone but Honor, Pica, and Dunn laughs. The fox and bobcat are still mad at her while the hare has no idea who they are. Prosper coaxes his long-eared friend to restart the broadcast. "Will they bother us?" the hare asks.

"Nah. They're just gonna fool around outside until an executive appears and tells them it's time to go in. It's really annoying."

Everybody goes back to their places next to the front desk. Honor fully opens the computer and advances the video to its halfway mark. "Looks like we'll have company soon. I'll skip a bit further." He bypasses most of the porn director's interview, but stops near the end.

The reporter asks, "You're hosting a huge party in a couple of days. Where and why?"

"Well, it's at my house. The mansion is going to accommodate a great, big get-together with all the actors I've directed and all the crew who've worked with me. I'm trying to milk my success for all it's worth. You all are invited, of course. The more, the merrier. We're gonna have the old veterans and the young stars all at the same place. It's not quite a passing of the torch, but it's a good way for them to form some lasting friendships. That's something you need in a business like this."

Ross Regal returns in a cutaway, wearing different clothes. This time, he is standing in the front lawn of a two-story mansion. The camera is far enough away to show the building's entire front side and most of the ornaments and sculptures decorating the front yard. "We are now in Hollywood, California, and standing in front of the home of the Director Ed Mays. The porn auteur, whose stock is rising by the day, is hosting a party from here, celebrating the greenlight of his latest movie. The film, Dominant Species, features mostly young actors who are each commanding hundreds of thousands of dollars per film. It is an expensive venture, but with so many breeds and types of furries and scalies in it, it is sure to cater to more than a few viewers."

Honor beams proudly and increases the volume. "Okay, watch this, folks."

"Stop saying 'watch this.'" St. Croix looks behind him with concern; Shiloh and Winter are kissing behind the front door. He continues to look behind him throughout the video.

Ross continues talking as he walks to the front steps. "As silly as it may sound, we are about to meet the future of furry adult films; the hungry young guns who are about to make a living having sex on camera for bucketloads of money. For the next twenty minutes, you'll meet three of these trailblazers. The first one is the youngest, at just twenty-one years of age. He goes by just one name--Honor. "

Another cutaway later, Honor appears. He is sitting on a chair in front of the fireplace. The sounds of the aforementioned party provide the background noise. A different female interviewer is talking with the tan hare. "Is this your first porno?"

He chuckles nervously in response. "Well, I was a guest star in a few, smaller productions...five in all. They didn't satisfy me much, but I did get my foot in the door."

"Do you have other work besides adult movies? Did you have any other jobs before this?"

"Well...." He scratches his head.

Meanwhile, Baua clears his throat with disapproval. "You didn't give anything away, did you?"

Honor lowers the volume on the interview. "Of course not. I wouldn't do that. You guys gotta have more faith in me."

"Head's up! The chief's here." St. Croix makes his way to the front desk. "She's talking to the wolves for now, but don't get too comfortable."

Pica and Dunn turn to look at the wolf couple for a few seconds. The bobcat whispers angrily into his partner's ear and gets a determined nod in response.

The interview is advanced some more. Now the reporter asks, "Just a couple more questions before we let you get back to the party. We wanted to ask you...could you tell us what a 'skirt party' is?"

The hare raises his eyebrows and, after more nervous laughter, he shifts in his seat. "I don't know if I should tell you. It's kind of a trade secret among furry porn stars. It's not something the veterans want humans to know about. No offense meant."

"Oh really? Is it illegal?"

"Um...well, no, but...." He clears his throat and leans closer to the out-of-sight reporter. "Okay, listen. It's not that I don't want to tell you. It's just that the old guard likes things the way they are. That, and some of the production companies could lose some leverage."

"We were told that you met your current girlfriend through one of those parties. Is it, like, a dating service?"

The hare smiles. "Well, it is of sorts. Skirt parties are get-togethers specifically for anthropomorphic adult film stars. It's a well-known fact that we are all friendly with one another. We know each other, we refer one another to certain projects or with certain directors and producers. We help each other out. A skirt party is the kind of social gathering where we, the workers, get together and relax. We invite all of our friends in the business to a certain location and just hang. We do this once every couple of months. We dance, sing karaoke, compare notes, give each other tips on which directors are good, which ones to stay away from, and so on."

"But why are they called skirt parties?" The reporter sounds really impatient now, causing a resigned sigh to emanate from the hare's mouth.

"They're called that because the women are required to wear skirts. They can wear their skimpiest outfits, but a skirt has to be a part of it. You see, we invite all actors regardless of who we work for. Our contractual obligations state that we're not allowed to hang out with or date other workers, especially if they work for rival porn companies. Thanks to those rules, we can't ask anyone out and we never know who's interested in whom. I could fu...um, I mean have sex with a girl on screen, but that doesn't mean I'm interested in her sexually. If I happen to meet someone I like who works for a competitor, then I'm out of luck because we're not supposed to date. Skirt parties help solve that dilemma. We use social media to arrange the get-together, mostly under the noses of our respective companies, and we just hang out. We bring the food and drinks ourselves...or someone hires a catering service."

"And the skimpy outfits?"

"Well, they're cosmetic but they're practical too. The girls come in all dressed in their skirts and...they wear them with their tails inside. That means...." Honor shakes his head and stutters; he is having a bit of trouble explaining the concept. "They don't put their tails through the holes in the back of the skirts. Instead, they hang their tails under the skirt. Either that, or they wear human skirts...because those have no holes."

"But what for? If I were in such a party, why must I wear a skirt? What would I be doing?"

"Well...." He chuckles with slight embarrassment. "You would come in, the party starts, and you do anything you want--eat, dance, talk to others, sing karaoke, whatever. The main reason for the skirts is presentation, making your case. If, during the party, you meet a guy or girl you really like and want to get to know better, then you present yourself. You turn your back to him and lift your tail up, showing your...um...hind parts to him. You could wear undies, but that's not necessary. You could even bend down if you want, but that's not necessary either. If you presented to me, and if I weren't already taken by another girl, I'd later introduce myself and we hang out together for the rest of the night. We'd talk and make plans for the future. Skirt parties are meant for people, mainly furry singles, who want to date someone in the business. Since anyone can be invited, regardless of who he or she works for, I can date a girl who works for a rival...all under the noses of our employers, of course."

"But all that sounds impersonal. Why present your backside when you can just go up to the one you've got a crush on and tell 'em?"

"Just in case any studio heads had infiltrated the party. Only the workers know what lifting the tail means."

"The men don't present?"

"Nope. Just the girls."

Hoeness scoffs and scratches his head. "You know, that's actually really smart."

Baua nods. "I agree. Wish I thought of it."

The reporter asks, "You met your girlfriend at such a party?"

Honor nods fondly. "Gladys. She's a beautiful rabbit. She had a cute baby-type face and pierced ears when I first met her. I was about to leave when she offered me a drink, even though I already had one too many. I said okay and while she walked over to the table with the punch bowl, she...." He leans in toward the camera. "Can I say ass on T.V.?"

"Sure you can."

"Good. We rabbits don't have much of a tail to speak of. She lifted her skirt with her hands and stared dancing...gyrating...rubbing her ass...really asking for it, right? Turns out, she was in heat. I got the hint without much trouble. We met outside and she told me she really liked my work, even though I played bit parts. She said she liked my endurance and wanted to see it firsthand. Then I took her to my place."

"She works for a rival company?"

"No, thank goodness. We wouldn't get together as often if she did...."

The front door opens and the men start to scramble. Honor quickly closes the laptop and St. Croix helps to straighten the seats in the front. Hoeness turns the television on and takes a seat at the front. Meanwhile, Shiloh enters with his arm around his mate. Vivian Cross follows closely behind them, smiling from ear to ear. "Okay you two. Get inside. It's...what the hell? It's 8:45."

"Uh-oh." Shiloh is still smiling but urgently releases his mate. "The meeting's late?"

"No it's not!" yells Joseph as he bursts through the front door, surprising everyone. Joseph Luisi is the smallest of the executives and gets looked down upon by many of the workers. But when Simon Blank or Robert Crevecoeur are not there, he moderates the meetings. He has in his arms a stack of laminated papers, probably hastily done that morning. As the door closes behind him, he stands up straight and stares at his boss. Embarrassed, he bows his head slightly before taking notice of the wolves. "Sorry. I should have been earlier."

"You gonna use your kids as an excuse once again?" Vivian raises her eyebrows.

"My wife works two shifts, as you already know."

"Just get started. I'll see you at lunch. Good morning, everyone." She waves to the men in front of her, completely oblivious to what was happening earlier. All the chairs are arranged neatly, the laptop has been put away, and the males innocently sit there and watch as the company's owner makes her way past them.

Once she is in the hallway, Joseph quickly makes his way to the front desk, where St. Croix helps him set things up. "Sorry for my tardiness, guys. I'm...." He stops for a moment to notice the tigers, Ravi and Gonal, entering the room. They enter quietly, scoping the scene before choosing their seats. Joseph nods and continues. "First let me see who's here. It may look like we're in high school and I'm taking attendance, but trust me. It's for a good reason. Let me see...." He stands rigidly as he points at each worker present. "Prosper, Hoeness, Baua, Pica, Dunn...well, good morning, Honor. Welcome back."

The hare chuckles halfheartedly, slightly self-conscious. He uses his feet to push his computer under his seat.

"Shiloh and Winter are in the middle there and the tigers are in the back. And...apparently that's everyone. All right, let's get started. There is a reason I was pointing you guys out. The first picture I want to show you is of someone who is turning into a budding serial killer. We're gonna do something special with this picture. This guy is of a species I've never seen before and I want you all to get a good look at him, so I'm gonna hand off the picture and you guys pass it around, okay?"

A couple of the guys raise their eyebrows. Winter sits up and dutifully pays attention. She looks really excited today. Shiloh shows his interest in the mark by raising his head, but soon slouches back into his seat. He looks positively tired compared to his mate.

Joseph hands the picture to Prosper in the front row. Showing little interest, the beagle passes it to his right where Honor eagerly grabs it. While the picture is going from hand to hand, Joseph holds up a note card and reads the information from it.

"Try to pay attention. I just got this research from the client, who herself got it from Simon, who is still out in the field. The person in that picture goes by the name of Aleph. He is forty-one years old from Tempe, Arizona. Until recently he worked in the Forestry service. Now, according to the people who last saw him, he 'lives off the land.' It seems that he had grown tired of just working with nature instead of completely becoming one with it, so he left his job. He did so violently, killing two co-workers in the process. That was over two years ago. Today, he's turned into what you see in that photo."

Hoeness, who now has the picture, is holding it as close to his face as possible without breathing on it. He squints. "What the hell is he?"

"According to Simon, he is what would be technically called a coywolf. Apparently, that's a real animal." He puts the index card down and looks around. Hoeness, unimpressed, sighs and hands the photo backwards to the wolf couple behind him. Everyone else looks at Joseph confusedly. Baua asks him to repeat himself. "I said a coywolf. C-O-Y-W-O-L-F. "Coy...wolf."

Of everyone in the room, the Italian Greyhound looks the most perplexed. "The hell is that? Is that like a made-up combination or something?"

"Hold on, let me read this thing." Joseph retrieves another index card from his pocket. "A coywolf is a hybrid, the product of a union between a coyote and a wolf. They are most prevalent in...um, that is to say limited to...the southern part of the Southwestern U.S. You understand?"

Shiloh clears his throat. "You mean Arizona and New Mexico, right? Those places?" He watches as Winter inspects the photograph before handing it off to him. She smiles and leans back in her chair.

"And maybe western Texas...and also maybe southeastern California. It says here the coywolf population doesn't spread much further east or west, and they don't go further north than that either."

Dunn shakes his head. "Bullshit. I'm from New Mexico. I've lived there for more than twenty years. I've never heard of any...coywolves. It doesn't ring a bell. Besides, 'coywolf' sounds stupid. The name doesn't quite roll of the tongue."

"Well, they've never heard of you either. You're ignorance is exactly what they want. The thing is that most of them are poor and are pretty much stuck down there. A few coyotes and wolves have lived there for many, many years, unknowingly living next to each other. They had been separated by acres of desert. However, when one tribe found out about the other's existence, bingo. The wolf and coyote families started to get together. Some bond formed between 'em...which was easy since there weren't enough of either species there in the first place. There's a drought down there, you see. Those who can't afford to move stay there. Anyway, they got together, they had sex, and what do you know? They're compatible. They can have kids. The kids are called coywolves. You got all that, Shiloh?"

Shiloh is still looking at the picture. It looks like he is not paying attention to Simon, but still says, "Yeah, I got it. This guy looks rough."

"That he is...and so is the terrain."

"What's his twenty?"

The executive clears his throat and hesitates to give the answer, but he does not wait too long to say "Death Valley."

Smatterings of laughter and a loud "What?!" come from the workers in attendance. The only ones not making a sound are Shiloh and Baua. The thought of going that far out of their way for a mark seems ludicrous to most of them. Pica is shaking his head with laughter. "Impossible," he says.

Unfazed, Joseph keeps going. "He's also worth twenty-five thousand. The client is adamant that we get to him soon. She's so anxious for this mark's death that she's willing to pay all the money up front." The laughing stops and everyone sits straight. "I'm not gonna lie. This is going to be hard. Aleph is well protected. Not only is the environment he lives in protecting him, but he's been able to live there for quite a while, and live in relative comfort. So someone's giving him aid. He's been on the lam since he killed his fellow employees. He is also rumored to have killed a couple of park rangers here in California. All told, he may or may not have killed ten people in and around Death Valley in the past two years. Details are sketchy, but like I said, he is well protected."

Shiloh hands the picture off to Winter and stands. They seem to have forgotten Gonal and Ravi behind them; they are still waiting for the wolves to give them the photo. "So, how can we get to him?"

"To even get close to him, you may need to infiltrate his circle and get the trust of the local coywolves who are friends of his. Think about the situation he's in and offer to help him. That way, they'll be more likely to let you meet him." Joseph stops to observe the strained and puzzled looks of the workers. "Or...you could just go right over to Death Valley and take your chances."

Everyone looks around, curiously waiting for someone to take the job. A couple of them look at Shiloh who is still on his feet and mulling over the picture. Even Winter is surprised by how long he has looked at it. He scratches his chin while getting a good look at Aleph's face. Meanwhile, the tigers behind him are getting impatient.

"Hey, do you mind letting us see it, please?" Ravi folds his arms angrily. "Don't pretend that you don't know we're here."

The wolf waits a few seconds, snorts at them with disapproval, then throws the picture at them. He specifically throws it at Ravi's face. Gonal reaches to his right and snags it with both hands. "Idiot," he says, surprising everyone. It elicits a few gasps from some of the men.

Joseph is not looking. Instead, he arranges the pictures on the table in the hopes of speeding through the meeting. He hurriedly looks at his watch and clicks his tongue in frustration. "No good. Listen, folks, I'm afraid this mark is not tradable...and we don't have enough time anyway. The client wants the coywolf dead in a couple of days. We need to give this to someone who's good at infiltration and espionage; the kind of guy who can sneak into political gatherings as if he were one of the group already. So who's getting this? We gotta decide by tomorrow before the client leaves for a family gathering with the mark."

Once again, everyone looks at one another. There is more anticipation and nervousness than before. Everyone seems to have suddenly forgotten that the mark is currently situated in the hottest area in North America. Pica and Dunn look at one another with smarmy grins on their faces. They know they are not going. Ravi and Gonal take a good look at the mark, pointing and commenting quietly. It seems one has an interest in going while the other is not so sure.

Joseph sighs with impatience. "Well, I'm sure this hunt is up somebody's alley. Baua, what about you? Your hunting skills are excellent and you're a great judge of character. You can get access to this kind of place easily."

The greyhound stands and clears his throat loudly, as if demanding everyone's attention. "Sorry human. I don't hunt fellow furs. Just you humans." He straightens his tie as he basks in the pomposity his statement just created.

"Yeah, I forgot. Ted told me you don't do that. Hoeness, you don't hunt just humans, do you?"

The German Shepherd half-closes his eyes with suspicion. "No. Why?"

"Well...you could do this. You go in disguise all the time. You recently had a successful hunt dressed like an Akita."

"True, but I'm not going all the way to the fucking Mojave Desert."

Joseph shakes his head and starts removing the other pictures from the front desk. "Well, gang, I must say that...I don't know what to say. I thought for sure someone would jump at this. The client's offer is high, the mark only gets around on foot, so he'll always be within sniffing distance. Everyone in this room is good enough to track him down. I frankly don't see what the problem is. If you need to be driven to the desert, than I can easily arrange--"

"I'll do it." Shiloh steps forward. "Give him to me."

"What?!" Winter stands. "Wait! Wait a minute!"

"What's wrong?"

She softly touches her mate's left shoulder. "Shiloh, no. Don't do this one."

"Why not?"

"Are you kidding? What do you mean why not? You're not seriously thinking about going to Death Valley."

"We're hunters, babe. This is what we do."

"Yeah, but...." She looks around the room quickly; there is a faint hint of snickering in the air. It is coming from Ravi, but it takes her a while to notice. She wants to turn around and belt him, but everyone is watching her with interest. She stutters and shakes her head. "Just no."

Before Shiloh can protest, the front door opens. Everyone turns to see Mieri, the ever so timid red panda, slowly enter the lobby. She holds the door open to look around the room. The look on her face is about as unready for this meeting as her clothes are. The red dress she wears has some wrinkles on it, as if she just threw it on. Her hands shake and slip from the door, basically causing her to fall into the room. As she turns to watch the door close, she asks, "Am I late?"

As more snickering comes from the men, Joseph picks up the last of the pictures. "Very." His angry tone causes her to pout, but he hardly cares. "All right Shiloh, come and see me at the conference room and we'll make this official. By the way, where's your girl?" He waits for her to look at him. It takes a while since she is still looking at her mate.

"Shiloh, please...." She whispers. Her eyes look deep into his, even as he tries to get her attention to Joseph.

"Listen, Winter, you're officially out of the running for Mr. Ambrose. Ravi and Gonal are gonna take over."

Her expression changes from love and concern to confusion. "What?" To anger. "What did you say?"

"You heard me. We're taking the Ambrose hunt from you."

"You gotta be kidding! And you're giving it to those two?" She looks at the tigers behind her. Ravi is smiling smugly while Gonal is still looking at the picture of Aleph.

"They insisted. They've confessed to me that they've found the mark's apartment and are going through the clues that they say will bring him closer to their reach."

Shiloh looks at Winter with concern as her blood quickly begins to boil. "Oh really?" she asks. "Did they also tell you that Mr. Ambrose is wanted by the FBI? And that they'd rather be turning him in for the reward money instead of actually doing their jobs?"

Joseph sighs and nods. "They told me that too, but they swear up and down that when they get to him, they will not go after the reward money. They will kill him just as the client has requested. You shouldn't be too angry. You gave it your best shot, but the tigers are closer to catching him than you are."

"No they're not! Not at all! They don't know where he is either! They're just living in his apartment!" She slowly approaches Joseph, stopping a few feet from the front desk. She would step further if not for Shiloh holding her back. "You can't just take a mark away from someone who asked for it! You were the ones who made it official!"

"I'm doing the client a favor. He wants the mark killed posthaste. Just get his picture back to the office as soon as possible. How long have you had that thing anyway?"

"But you can't...." Her angry verve is quelled by her mate, who quiets her by placing his hands on her shoulders. It is something he does whenever her emotions surface, especially if she is in mixed company. She closes her mouth tightly and hides an angry squeal.

For his part, Shiloh is not as angry; he probably knew the assignment would be taken away from her. Still, he is more concerned for Winter's well being. When she gets upset, he gets upset too and runs to her defense. To that end, he turns to Joseph with as fierce a face a wolf could possibly make in front of his boss. "You know, this is why Pamila did what she did to Colin...because of crap like this."

"Do you want the coywolf or not?" Joseph tucks the pictures under his left arm and waits for a response from the angry wolf. "Don't make me take it away from you."

Ravi chuckles. "I told you we'd get you back. You shouldn't have pointed those guns at us."

Now Shiloh's eyes close tightly, showing his anger about to break through. However, he hides it from his boss and instead turns to the tigers. "All right, give it to me."

Ravi sneers at him. "We're hunters, babe. That's what we do." His low-voiced attempt to mock the wolf elicits impulsive chuckles from some in attendance. Even Gonal understands the jibe and laughs along. The atmosphere is thick with brazen testosterone, most of which is aimed at Winter. The tigers remember what happened days ago at Ambrose's apartment. Pica and Dunn are still sore about missing out on a lot of money, and are clearly enjoying what is going on. It looks like the only female in the room has no friends in the world. Satisfied with being the subject of their ire, Ravi throws the photo of the coywolf at Shiloh, who catches it without much effort.

Winter is angry and unsure all at once. She is torn between lashing out at Ravi and following her love as he follows Joseph into the darkness of the hallway. "Wait," she stutters, and after one more angry glance at the tigers, follows Shiloh. She runs to him and holds his hand.

"Wait a second." Prosper runs next to the executive. "How about leaving the rest of the marks with us, Joe?"

"You guys only have ten minutes before this place opens for business."

"Come on! Just let us have a little look see. We're starving for marks here."

"All right, fine." He takes the pictures from under his arm and hands them to the beagle. "Bring them to the office when you're done. Don't stay here too long."

Baua laughs excitedly. "We'll be out of here before you know it."

St. Croix makes room at the front desk while still looking toward the hallway. He is still concerned about Winter being dressed down as she was. In the meantime, Baua, Honor, Hoeness, Ravi, Gonal, Pica, Dunn, and Prosper look over the marks. There are nine in all, one for each of the men there.

Mieri, on the other hand, stands in the middle of the room, thoroughly ignored and alone. In front of her, the men go through the marks like vultures surrounding carrion. The red panda watches them with the mopey expression on her face that has become her trademark of late. She stands there for a minute, shuffling her feet, unsure whether to leave the room or join in. She simply watches as the males revel in Ravi's joke and their overall superiority. Even the normally approachable St. Croix smiles like the killer he is as he busily hands out random marks to the eager hunters.

She sighs to herself and is about to walk away, deciding not to get a mark today. She is on her way to the hall when she catches something out of the corner of her eye. It makes her turn around and take heed; there is someone closing in on the front door. She looks at the person but does not investigate further. It is not a customer, or she would have surely said something. Not willing to stay in the men's presence any longer, she trudges out of the room.

With about ten minutes left until opening hours, the front door quietly opens and the guest slowly steps in. The hitmen take no notice and continue looking over the pictures. Hoeness looks the happiest with what he has chosen. "This guy's worth eight thousand. Not bad. Anybody got someone with a bigger bounty?"

Everyone answers no, but then St. Croix says, "Ten thousand here, but I don't feel like going to Palm Beach. Anyone willing to travel?"

Again, everyone says no. Hoeness responds with "Let me see it," and receives the photo that the timber wolf was once holding. "Palm Beach, huh?"

"That's what it says."

"You know, I haven't had a vacation yet this year, not like you guys. I could do this Palm Beach thing."

"Nobody likes going that far to get a mark, so you're welcome to it."

"Hey, why should Shiloh's brother get all the cross-country assignments? I can do this. I don't have an excuse not to."

"You never did. You could have said yes to any of the marks that Stefano has told us about."

"Yeah, well I was busy with personal issues...and dressing up as an Akita."

Everyone laughs. Baua tosses aside the picture he is holding. "Don't forget, Winter chose Mr. Ambrose that way. She chose without researching whether or not she could. Are you really gonna do the same thing just to take a vacation in Palm Beach?"

"I got nothing in common with that bitch. The fact that she lost her mark proves that she's as rookie- stupid as I thought. I could have solved the Ambrose thing in half the time it's taken her to do it thus far. Um...no offense, Ravi."

The tiger tosses his picture. "None taken, but I believe Gonal and I are very close."

"Tell the truth. If you find him, will--"

"When!"

"Sorry. When you find him, are you really gonna whack him, or will you send him to the feds for the cash?"

"Haven't decided. We're still sitting on a pile of his money, so I guess it wouldn't hurt my feelings if we did him in."

Baua clears his throat. "I dunno. Sounds risky if you ask me. I mean, what if you find Ambrose and you get to him while he's being tailed by an FBI agent or something?"

"Nah, he seems too smart for that. Besides, Gonal and I haven't found him yet, so there's no way the FBI has."

"Come on, guys. Hand 'em to me." St. Croix starts to collect the pictures from everybody. "We have five minutes to get out of here. Unless you've got a devoted interest in one of these, I'd wait until tomorrow's meeting to get more information on all of them. That's what I'm gonna do."

As everyone obeys, Ravi approaches Hoeness. "So listen, can you tell me about the cuts to our wages? Are they still going on?"

"They're gonna continue for the time being." He shakes his head with worry. "The chief has her reasons."

"Did you get your pay cut for that Akita job?"

"Yes, and that really sucked dick. For all the work I put in and for all the makeup I let Loiola put on me, I deserved to be paid in full." He glances to his right to see the tan hare chuckling at him. "What's so funny, Honor?"

"You dressed up like an Akita?"

"Yeah. It was necessary to do so. What of it?"

"Nothing! It's just...you German Shepherds are tough and crass. That's why you all make good police dogs. You're rough and battle-ready. Akitas are...cute and cuddly." He laughs louder. "They're pets for little human girls."

"I'm gonna excuse that shit from you because you're barely old enough to drink, but just remember, you haven't earned enough in your time here to make fun of me."

"Whatever."

"And for your information, the Akita costume was well done and nobody here could tell the difference. It also fooled the mark, and that's what counts!"

Paraná clears his throat and says, "I still say it made you look like a bum."

"What the hell...." Hoeness joins the others and turns to the condescendingly low voice. They see the jaguar and everyone, save for Honor, shouts in surprise. The noise is loud enough to be heard even in the rooms beyond the hallway. Hoeness and Honor stay in place while the other guys crowd Paraná. The jaguar gets hearty handshakes and man-sized hugs from his friends. Everyone is talking at once.

St. Croix seems to be the most excited; his hug almost picks Párana off the floor. "Welcome back, big guy!" he yells. "We missed ya!"

"Yeah, well you can stop now." The jaguar laughs and takes another handshake from Ravi.

Pica is standing behind him. "We heard you were stabbed! Did the mark do it?"

"It doesn't matter. He's dead now."

"Excellent! That's what I like to hear."

Dunn concurs. "Yeah, me too. If the mark gives you problems, you knife that son of a bitch. That's how it's done."

Ravi applauds. "Yeah, good job. Take no prisoners."

Baua shouts, "Indeed! I was at home when I saw the news report on Mr. McDaniels. You really did a number on him."

Paraná simply nods and soaks in the adulation. He decides to keep his mouth shut and let it happen. He does not try to correct them or calm them down, but instead just basks gladly. His smile is hesitant, almost forced, and his posture is not as cocksure as normal. The overwhelmingly positive vibes from those around him make him look stronger than he really is. He looks fatigued, probably hungry or dehydrated. He takes a high five from Gonal before the noise around him dies down.

Hoeness clears his throat loudly, causing everyone to move aside. The dog slowly approaches the jaguar, inspecting him like a new car. He frowns a bit as he approaches. Paraná stops smiling and gives him a serious gaze, but the smile returns as he is clearly glad to see his friend. "Hi," he says simply.

Hoeness responds by embracing him. "Long time no see. I tried to visit, but the nurses said you weren't having it."

"I just didn't feel like company."

While they hug, the rest of the men disperse. They follow St. Croix and the pictures of the marks through the hallway. When the two are alone, Hoeness releases Paraná and just stares at him. "So, any changes? I mean psychological changes."

"If you're asking if I'm angry enough to go crazy, then you don't have to worry. The man is dead, so there is no reason for me to be angry."

"You don't look all that well. You didn't leave the hospital early, did you?"

"I felt I had to. It's not good to be a killer for hire and stay too long in those places."

"Any physical changes? Any scars?"

The jaguar pats his belly. "No more spleen. That's it though."

"Good." Hoeness frowns again. "By the way, you didn't kill Mr. McDaniels. Your apprentice did. I gave her Mr. Crevecoeur's money myself."

Paraná closes his eyes. "Don't tell anyone. I'll never live it down. I already feel useless enough."

The dog puts his arm around the big cat and they head off to the hall. "No one else will ever find out." As they enter the dark corridor, they see Pica and Dunn looking through the partially obscured windows of the conference room, where St. Croix has just entered to return the marks. The dog tsks at them and asks, "What are you guys doing?"

Dunn shrugs but says nothing. Hoeness approaches them and eventually sees what they see. Inside, Shiloh and Winter are waiting as Ted officially marks down the Death Valley hunt in his book. "Oh my God. Are you two still angry at her for what she did?" He looks at them expecting them to remain silent. The question was rhetorical anyway. "Look, just leave her alone, okay? You can't do anything to her while Shiloh's there. Besides, Paraná's back. It's time to celebrate. None of us are hunting right now, so let's all go to my place. I got some wine coolers." He watches as the fox and the bobcat slowly leave the area. He then turns to the jaguar. "Are you allowed to drink so soon after surgery?"

Paraná shakes his head. "I don't care. You said wine coolers, now I expect you to deliver."

With that, the four men head through the hall and into the cafeteria where the outside awaits and not a moment too soon. It is well past nine o'clock by now. As soon as they disappear, the door to the men's restroom opens. Pamila appears, struggling to carry a black trash bag that is about half filled. There is a small object sticking out of the bottom of the bag, but there is no danger of anything getting spilled. She heaves a heavy sigh and heads to the nearby locker room.

Seconds later, St. Croix runs through the now opened conference room door. "Thanks a lot sir. I'm heading to the front desk now. We should have company any moment." He runs through the hall and into the lobby. Shiloh holds open the door for Winter and then goes through himself. She leans against the windows and angrily watches her mate pass by. He looks to be heading for the cafeteria and is expecting his mate to be by her side. He disappears through the opening while she just looks on and huffs.

"I don't believe this," she whispers.

The timber wolf returns, surprised to see her standing there in almost total darkness. "Honey? Where are you?" His eyes get used to the dark quickly and he approaches her. "Why're you so mad?"

As he leans forward to touch her, Winter quickly grabs the collar of his shirt. Before he can say anything, she plants her nose against his, lets her anger fade, and gives him a deep kiss. She pulls him forward until her head bumps against the conference room glass. He is forced to lean into her and has to use his hands to prop himself, or they would both fall. She greedily smooches and licks his muzzle, moaning softly and embracing his face with her hands. It is not long before the forced kiss becomes tender and loving. Winter's hands slip from his cheeks to his neck, then she wraps her arms around his head; her hands hold the back of his head. She wants this to last a long time.

Shiloh puts his hands around her waist and carefully pushes her back. "Are you crazy? It's past nine. We should be out of here."

"I can't believe you took the job. I can't...believe Ted signed off on it."

"So...you're saying I can't do this?"

"You can do anything. I know that. It's just--"

"You don't want me to. I know and I understand."

"But you're gonna do it anyway." Winter folds her arms again and closes her eyes. "I don't like this. It's clearly a suicide mission."

"All hunts are. Besides, this is me you're talking to. Have you ever known me to fail?"

"But you've never been to Death Valley. You're a city boy; you've been so for as long as I've known you. You could never survive in such extreme conditions."

"So you are saying that I can't do this."

She reaches to him and hugs him, laying her head on his chest. Even though she is only a couple of inches shorter, she makes herself look much smaller as she sinks herself into him. "Don't do this," she whispers.

Shiloh sighs and rolls his eyes. "This...is exactly why I didn't want to tell you what I did for a living when I first worked here."

"But you know I'd keep asking. You had to relent some time."

"Well...you were starting to whine."

She laughs softly. "If that's what it takes to get you not to do this hunt, I'll whine all night."

"My strength is one of the reasons you fell for me, wasn't it? You know I can do this. I'll go to Death Valley, kill the mark, and be home by breakfast." He laughs as she holds him tighter. "Hey, it's possible."

"But not likely."

"Look, we'll talk about this in the car. We gotta go."

Winter releases her embrace. "I gotta use the restroom. Could you wait a moment?"

"I'll be outside." He leans forward to kiss her again. She wants to grab him but he clasps her hands in his and gives her a peck on the nose. "Don't take too long."

She tries to smile at him but is just too frustrated. After he disappears through the cafeteria opening, she shakes her head and slowly heads for the ladies' room. She can hear the sound of St. Croix talking to someone in the lobby. It sounds like the first customer of the day has arrived. Keeping her mouth tightly shut, she pushes open the door and quickly heads to the nearest stall. That is when she hears something unexpected.

Someone is quietly sobbing nearby. It was quiet enough for Winter to not notice once she walked in, but now she can hear it. The wounded stranger sniffs and coughs while she weeps, completely overwhelmed with grief. She rarely takes a breath. The wolf raises her eyebrows confusedly and creeps even closer. Whoever is crying is in the center stall.

Winter stops just in front of the leftmost stall and mentally strains to push it open. The sobbing next door keeps her hands still and makes her uncomfortable. She closes her eyes and swallows, trying very hard to ignore the sounds. All she has to do is get inside and do her business, but the unwanted guest is doling out one cough too many.

The white wolf clears her throat. "Um...hello? Hello in there?"

"What?!"

The voice is shrill and immediate. Winter is startled into stepping away. "Um...are you okay?"

The female inside waits a few seconds. "Go away, Miranda! I don't want to talk to you!"

That was Mieri's voice, but Winter has never met her so she cannot place it. She quietly pushes the stall open, but then changes her mind and watches it close. The crying is getting louder and the wolf is getting more uncomfortable. She backs even further away until her back bumps against the restroom door. "I'll just...go use the one in the chief's room."

Without sparing a second, she bolts from the room and heaves a sigh of relief. Just to her right, the Vivian Cross door is open. Smiling with more relief, and keeping as quiet as she possibly can, she jogs to toward the open door. Just inches away, the opening widens and the furry red janitor emerges. Winter stops in her tracks.

Pamila's trash bag is fuller and heavier, but she carries it with ease. She is actually smiling as she leaves the room, but it gets bigger when she sees the wolf. She gasps sarcastically and grins, showing her white teeth. "Good morning," she says, bowing her head. "And what a lovely morning it is." She raises her head to see the wolf's glare. "Aww. What's the matter? Did I do something wrong? I'm terribly sorry. I do ever so humbly apologize." She scoffs at Winter's low growl. "Hey now, you better put those teeth away if you're not gonna use them. After all, it's up to you whether or not we're done kicking each other's asses."

Winter passes her, bumping her right shoulder into the fox.

"Well! Someone woke up on the wrong side of the man this morning."

"Leave me alone, bitch."

"Shit! I was saving that for Pica." The fox lofts the bag over her shoulder. "What are you doing in there, anyway? They're no marks in there." Not getting an answer, she walks inside the office just in time to see the door to Vivian's bathroom close. "Hey! The chief comes back tomorrow morning! You can't just...." She shrugs and decides not to argue with the door. "Whatever. Make sure you get your tail out of the way when you poop! I don't want to have to clean that room a second time today!" She hums happily to herself and is about to walk away. Then the door opens.

Winter's angry face peers out. "I'm going to get you."

Pamila stops, but does not look at her. "Oh, are you now?"

"Yes!"

"That's fine. Of course, I don't see how. There's nothing you could do that I wouldn't see coming. Sure, you can punch now, thanks to me, but you can't do much else, can you? I'll bet that after I broke your bike, you went running to papa Shiloh...and I'll bet he gave you some tips. If you're relying on him for help, I'm still gonna win."

"You're not as clever as you think you are. I'm gonna prove it too. Very soon, when you least expect it, I'm gonna get you good."

Winter goes back into the restroom and closes the door. Pamila leaves the office and heads through the cafeteria. This room's trash bin is near the refrigerator. She empties the contents inside the trash bag and takes it outside to the dumpster. She grunts as she lifts it up and throws it in, but the weight is gone with very little effort. "Done."

She closes the dumpster and turns around. Right in her face is the tall, angry, alpha male. Shiloh is leaning up against his car, parked just one space away from the cafeteria door. His arms are folded and his ears are taut. His nostrils practically double in size. His anger is under control and toned down; it is the face of someone who wants to talk, not fight. "Good morning, Pamila."

The fox does not know what to make of his presence. She is not completely taken aback, but is still surprised to see him. "Hi there. It's been a while."

"That it has. So how are things?"

"Like you care."

"You're right. Let's just cut to the chase." He encloses his right fist around his left hand and cracked his knuckles. "Look, I wanna talk to you."

She stares at him warily; she has no idea what to expect from him. "Okay...sure. And I'd like to talk, but I'm a bit busy at the moment. I'm doing Tobias' job, after all."

"The office is open for business, so you have to stop now anyway. Just finish what you're doing and get back out here. We're going to talk, today."

"Mmm-hmm. And just what, may I ask, are we talking about?"

"You owe me five grand for the bike you trashed."

"Yeah, I had a feeling that would come up soon. And...since your girlfriend's still inside, it would seem that I'm surrounded." Pamila clears her throat and smiles again. "I'll tell you what. Let's me go the conference room and punch out, and I'll be right back. You, me, and her...we'll all talk."

"Sounds fine to me."

"Good. Wait right here." The fox scampers up the stairs and back into the cafeteria. She turns back and looks through the door to see Shiloh patiently waiting for her, then heads for the hallway. It looks like she plans to make an escape through the front on the building.As soon as she enters the dark corridor, she starts to move quickly. It is not a fast run, rather a slow trot. She looks behind her, confident that she has given Shiloh the slip.

Suddenly, just in front of her, Mieri walks out of the ladies' room. Pamila stops right in front of her, almost bumping into her.The red panda has her back to her; she is slowly closing the door, but gets a surprise when she turns around.

"Hi there," says the fox.

"Excuse me." She tries to pass only for the fox to place her hands on her shoulders.

"Hold on a minute!"She shows a smile that looks sincere enough. "Listen, I just wanna say thank you. Right after I started cleaning this place, you tried to warn me about Hoeness and the other men having it in for me. You tried, but I didn't listen. Now I know you were only looking out for me and I shouldn't have been short with you."She looks behind her for a split second before turning back to Mieri. "I just wanted to say thanks...for keeping me on my toes. And to make it up to you, there's something I wanna give you.I'm really grateful."

Mieri just wants to leave.She forces her way past the fox."You don't have to do anything.You didn't want to listen anyway."

"Yeah, and I was wrong to doubt you." Pamila catches up to her, showing what looks to be a sincere smile. "It won't happen again, and I'd like to give you a gift to make it up to you."

"A gift?"

"A small one.Something from the heart."

"Okay, but...." Mieri looks at her hands, rubbing her thumbs against her other fingers. There is a stickiness to them that is quite visible. "I forgot to wash. I'll be right back."

"I'll be waiting."The fox looks on as the red panda reenters the room. She has clearly cried a long time because she looks exhausted; she hardly notices when the restroom door closes on her tail; half of it is sticking out into the hallway.

Once the issue is corrected and the tail disappears, Pamila hurries off. She chuckles menacingly as she enters the cafeteria and runs right to the refrigerator and opens it. It is virtually empty compared to most days. Inside, on the center shelf, there are a few full water bottles, two tallboys, a bag of apples, and a small bowl flimsily covered with tin foil. The fox sticks her head in and sniffs the tin foil before carefully taking it off to look at the contents.

"Oh, I remember this."She pulls the bowl out and gently sticks her muzzle inside to give it a really good sniff, then yanks her head backwards in response to the smell. "Wow.No thanks." She gives a slight laugh and is about to toss whatever is in the bowl into the nearby trash bin, but stops. The bin is not lined with a trash bag. "Damn. I knew there was something I forgot to buy." Disposing of it in the cafeteria is not an option now and she is left holding the bowl and wondering what to do.

Seconds later, Pamila walks into the hallway, still holding the bowl. Her sharp hearing is able to determine that Mieri is still in the restroom.Behind her, the whirlwind splashing of a toilet flush is barely audible. She smiles and backs her way into the CEO's office.

Despite the restroom door being shut, it is possible to hear what is happening on the other side; Winter is washing her hands after using the chief's private bathroom. It sounds like she is softly humming as she turns off the faucet. Pamila hums along, recognizing the song that the wolf has on her mind. She steps quietly inside the office and stands just inches away from the closed door. The bowl of whatever is still in her right hand. A devious smile creeps across her face as she listens in on the wolf drying her hands on her clothes.

The door opens slowly; Winter has the knob one hand but is wiping the other hand on her blouse.After drying it thoroughly, she reaches up to turn the restroom light off. She sighs with deep satisfaction and widens the door to leave. That is when she sees Pamila looking at her. She hardly gets a chance to take a breath when the fox smashes the bowl into her face, smearing the contents all about her muzzle. Pamila shows her strength as she pushes the wolf back into the restroom and lands on top of her. Winter falls quickly; her back slams against the toilet. She lifts her hands to defend herself, but cannot even see what is going on.

The angry fox grits her teeth and mashes the bowl even harder, grabbing the back of Winter's head and forcing it forward for full effect. The grey, goopy substance inside the bowl smears all over the wolf's face and clothes and most of it enters her mouth when she tries to shout. She is able to grab the fox's ears and squeeze, but the result does not change.

"No use fighting back," Pamila grunts. She grabs the back of Winter's head and pulls it back, then slams the empty bowl on her forehead. "Oatmeal's good for you."

Winter spits and coughs loudly, trying to expel cold oatmeal from deep down her throat. She rubs her face vigorously and climbs on her knees.By the time she is actually able to look in front of her, all she can see is the open door and the empty office beyond. The fox is gone, but she keeps her ears open; Pamila's footsteps tell her where she is going.She nods angrily and spits once more, determined to make it a short-lived chase. When her wits come back to her, she quickly springs to her feet, only to slip and fall to her knees. There is oatmeal all over the floor.

Winter's breathing tenses and shakes. Her teeth gnash with ire as she wrings wet food off her hands. Without wasting any more time, she runs out of the restroom, through the chief's office, and into the relative darkness of the hallway.There, almost at the other end, is her nemesis. The fox has her back to the wolf. There are a couple of male voices emanating from the conference room; the men inside are about to leave the room and start work. Whatever the wolf is thinking of doing, she had better be quick.

She starts to walk as quietly as her anger will allow her. Her shoes slip on the uncarpeted floor, but her feet stay on the ground. Before she gets too far, Pamila turns her head and sees her. The fox nods, smiles, and waves good-bye. Winter picks up the pace, breathing heavily and clenching her fists. She starts to close in on her adversary.Suddenly, the fox steps aside, revealing the red panda, who is looking at her hands, at the small something that she has just been given.

Winter tries to stop, and almost does, but when the fox forcefully pushes Mieri forward, the two collide. Winter had been running full speed. The push jerked the panda's head up and her nose slams into the white wolf's chin.They both scream out loudly.Winter falls backwards, aided by her slippery shoes. She lands on her back. Mieri doubles over and wails, dropping the item she had been given. Her hands shake as they cover her face.

Satisfied with her handiwork, Pamila says, "So long, losers," and trots away, breaking the rules by going through the lobby. Luckily, there are no customers present, but St. Croix gives her a panicked, wide-eyed stare as she leaves.

Meanwhile, an embarrassed red panda scrambles to her feet, rubbing her forehead vigorously. She looks around, pained, disoriented and confused. She is standing on her own tail but is more worried about her head.She sneezes and winces in pain, then covers her nose with her left hand as she inspects herself for injury.

Winter is slower to stand.She lies on her back for a few seconds, massaging her jaw and breathing heavily. The look on her face says it all--the crafty fox has gotten the better of her once again. The wolf is not usually prone to such fits of anger unless on the hunt. Now her emotions have been used against her quite effectively. She curses under her breath and pushes herself off the floor.

Suddenly, Mieri approaches her and belts her nose with a right cross. "You stupid...." Startled by her own loud voice, she does not finish the sentence, but angrily looks at the wolf, who again falls on her back. "You cut me." She stands over the wolf, pressing her left hand to her left cheek and inspecting the damage.

Winter sits up to see Mieri menacingly standing over her, and tries to face her. She plants her hands on the floor and tries to stand, but slips and falls back down. Even though there is an open office right behind her, she looks cornered.Squinting in serious pain, the red panda approaches Winter only to remember who got her to this point. She turns around and calls out Pamila's name, just now realizing that she was only a shield. Pamila's gesture of kindness was staged. (The "gift" that the fox gave her also seems to be missing.) Distraught, she turns to face the wolf. Suddenly, as if thrown, her head jerks backwards and she falls back on the floor.

"You get away!"Shiloh, seemingly out of thin air, has arrived. Heaving angry breaths and sporting the killer stare that he normally saves for killing, he snorts at the girl he pushed down, then quickly kneels next to his mate."You all right? What happened?"

"Ugh. I'm okay. Help me up."Winter strains to stand.

"No, let me see you first."He uses the lights in the chief's office to gaze carefully at his lover's face. "You're bleeding from your mouth."

"No, I'm pretty sure it's hers."

"What happened?"

"Pamila happened. She just--"

"Unprovoked?"Shiloh's anger deepens, as if that were possible. He shakes his head and feels his mate's forehead. "What the hell is this?"

"Oatmeal. Just forget it. Help me up and I'll clean myself off in the restroom."

"The chief's restroom?"

"So what?" Winter pushes him away and holds out her right hand, expecting him to pick her up.

He lovingly rubs her head with his right hand and caresses her face with his left, trying to get the oatmeal off.

Behind them, Mieri has pushed herself up. She rubs her left shoulder and winces, feeling what could be yet another injury to her body, to say nothing of her damaged psyche. She puts her hands to her sides and approaches the pair in front of her. The look on her face shows that she has clearly had all she can stand. Shiloh is in the middle of pulling Winter on her feet.The red panda promptly walks up to him and, letting out a strained yell, punches him in the back of the head.

He shouts and falls forward.Winter screams as the huge mass falling on top of her. She falls on her back once again, then braces herself as the bulk of Shiloh's massive size lands on her chest. One of her knees finds his crotch, and now he is wincing in pain.

At this time, the door to the conference room opens. Ted and Joseph step out, ready to work and unaware of the goings on. They stop in their tracks when they suddenly see the red panda; this usually docile creature now has the angriest they have ever seen on her.Ted takes a step forward while Joseph cautiously takes a step back. The boss, angry and baffled, opens his mouth to speak, but watches on as Mieri steps forward. She steps toward both, but points at Winter.

From the top of her lungs, she shouts, "You and Pamila! You stay away from me! Both of you!"She grits her teeth and wants to lay in on Shiloh as well, but she hears the "ahem" of someone behind her. She turns and shudders at Ted's angry face; the fury disappears immediately, replaced by fear and humility. The boss says nothing and does not have to; he lets his silence scold the poor girl. Mieri is already filling in the blanks and imagining getting dressed down in front of her peers. She shakes her head fiercely and tries to talk, maybe explain things or apologize.Her throat seizes up and a tear streams down her left eye. She gasps and tries to rub it away. "All of you," she whispers.

She sees that Shiloh is about to stand and decides to take off, running through the opening that leads to the cafeteria. She is out of sight in seconds, despite the angry wolf's attempt to reach her. He then helps his mate on her feet. She looks embarrassed when she sees the executives looking at her and scampers back into the office. Shiloh waves at the men and follows her.

Joseph chuckles slightly and closes the door behind him.

"What's so funny? Ted asks.

"Oh, nothing. It's just...I thought these days were over.Zesty and Mariana are gone. So why's this still happening?"

Ted heads for the lobby."Guess I'm just gonna have to keep firing people until the message sticks."