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Venom: Beautiful Killers. Part 37

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"Just lie to me, please."

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[It is now Friday evening. I have effectively been asleep for nine of the eighteen hours of the day so far, having dream after dream. The story has started to develop as well as the personalities of the killers. It's not like back home where I only dreamt of the killers killing. All I saw were nightmarish murders without any context. Now I can confidently follow the resulting story like I was watching a TV drama. More importantly though, now that I know what's going on, I don't wake up in cold sweats when a murder happens. The dreams don't have a hold on me and they don't keep me from sleeping. And as long as I hide the written accounts of the dreams, nobody will think I'm crazy.]

[Though I haven't seen her kill anybody since coming to the hospital, Pamila has been my favorite of the girls, while Camille has been my favorite to look at. She really is pretty when she is not killing people. Winter seems to be the adult of the girls. I would equate Tivoli as the smallest sibling, and not just because she is small. She is inquisitive and quick to learn. All she needs is a trainer; I don't think Paraná will do.]

[I don't know what's wrong with Mieri. In fact, now that I've seen her, I know even less about her.]

[Today is my last day here. Four days after surgery and the kidney is functioning properly. I have been checked and double-checked, and everyone says that the rest of me is doing just fine as well. There are some conditions I have to follow on my first day home, but my doctor will tell me about them in the morning. It's seven o'clock now. In twenty-four hours, I'll be in my own bed, where the recurring dreams started about a month ago. I can't wait, but until then, it's back to the hospital television. I'd like to watch some hockey, but I usually just dose off in front of this thing....]

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

As it turns out, Paraná had arrived at Rapid Recovery after having just left the hospital that very hour. Taking a cab, he eventually made it in time to see the end of that morning's meeting. After making his presence known, he was showered with greetings and congratulatory praises. The news report of the finding of Arlo McDaniels in Beverly Hills has sent shockwaves throughout the mainstream media all over Los Angeles. His death has the potential to make Paraná a rock star among the other killers. After leaving the building, Hoeness invited his feline friend back to his house. Even though it was still morning, it is never too early for them to drink.

Also attending the small party at the German Shepherd's house are St. Croix, Baua, Ravi, Gonal, and Honor, the youngster. Pica, Dunn, and Prosper decide to take rain checks and go their separate ways. Hoeness' house is located in a quiet, little cul-de-sac, far away from the city where the office he works in is situated. The inside of his house is equally quiet and intimate. The three large couches form a semicircle around the mahogany coffee table. There is enough space for the seven males to sit down. Right now, Hoeness is tending to the wine coolers that he promised earlier.

He brings in seven bottles of the same brand and serves them to his proud guests. St. Croix sits with Paraná on one couch, the brothers on another couch, and Baua sits with Honor. The hare has resumed playing his interview on his laptop, inviting attention and garnering the curiosity of the jaguar. Paraná listens intently as the interview plays. While it goes on, Honor extols his own virtues, bragging about his future place in the porn industry. He does it with aplomb, irritating most around him. The other men scoff at his efforts. Hoeness says "Shut up" as he serves the hare.

The jaguar grabs his drink and stands. "Skirt parties?"

"That's how I met my girl," Honor answers. "You wanna see her?"

The German Shepherd shakes his head. "Please don't encourage him. He's been like this since before the meeting."

Paraná shifts his way toward the computer, carefully avoiding the tigers' toes. "Excuse me. I'm just interested. I didn't think you'd have time to find someone doing both porn and hits at the same time."

Baua scoffs. "It doesn't seem hard at all...if you don't mind breaking the rules, that is."

Honor shakes his head. "I know what I'm doing is frowned upon...and would get me in trouble if the chief or Ted found out. Still, it's better than going to meetings day after day and not finding a mark that suits you."

The jaguar expects to get a look at the hare's girlfriend on the computer, but is surprised to see Honor reach into his carrying case and pull out a small photograph. "Here she is. Isn't she pretty?" He hands it over and lowers the volume on the interview. "I've got tons of pics of her in my phone, but I keep that photo closest to me. We're going out later today. Like I told that reporter, she's also in the industry, working for the same company I do. That's a plus because it means we get to see each other whenever we want. Of course, we have to make sure her agent doesn't find out."

"Really?" Ravi puts down his bottle after finishing half the contents. "What would happen if he did?"

"Well, Gladys is petite, you know? Small figure, small breasts, that sort of thing. Her agent wants her to play just two parts in most of her movies; either a naïve virgin or an underage girl, to give the pervs who like that sort of thing something to get their rocks off to. She's gonna be worth a lot of money and her agent doesn't want anyone messing up her good looks. So if we keep this quiet--"

"She looks nice," Paraná says. "Nice body."

"Isn't it though?"

Gonal says something that gets everyone's attention. Ravi laughs and says, "Yeah, that's a good question. My brother wants to know how long you plan to keep this up."

Baua laughs. "Yeah, that's a doozy. I mean, God forbid one of the execs is eager to watch Dominant Species when it finally drops. If any of them decides to buy it and sees you on screen?" He laughs again.

St. Croix nods. "One look at you and you're out of a job."

Honor shakes his head. "Never gonna happen."

"But you haven't exactly planned for that possibility, have you?"

Before the hare could address the question, Gonal speaks again, getting Ravi to ask, "So who do you play in the movie?"

"Ah, glad you asked." Honor puts the laptop on the coffee table and beams at the attention he is getting. "I play a newly-turned twenty-one year old, natch, who has a much older friend. This friend has been all over the country and has had sex with multiple partners, sometimes more than one at once. He's a badger, but he knows how to have sex with any number of species. He could hook up with anyone at all, even avians, and the sex would be as natural as if he was of their kind. Since he's such a good friend, he decides to treat me with a belated birthday party orgy with a number of women."

"Let me guess," says Baua. "Each one a different breed of animal."

"Yep. Thirteen girls in total, each ranging in age from eighteen to forty, and each one a different...something. We got furries and scalies. One of them's a goanna from Australia! I've never seen one before! She's my age too!" He pauses to shake his head; he can hardly believe his own words. "I must admit, I was a bit intimidated meeting the cast, but if there's someone suitable enough to fuck for a living, it's got to be someone like me, right?" He chortles loudly. It is a laugh filled with pride, but softened by nervousness.

Hoeness nods. "When does shooting begin?"

"This weekend. Needless to say, I won't be getting marks for a long time yet."

Paraná hands the photograph over to the youngster and sighs wistfully. "You look like you have your hands full. Can you really have sex with all those women and still keep a girlfriend? It doesn't seem possible."

"Hey, she does the same thing I do. And I'll have you know that she can have sex with as many men as she wants. She'll always come back to me as fresh as a daisy. Or at least I'll treat her like she is."

"How long have you two been together?"

"About three months now."

The jaguar smiles from ear to ear. "Then you have no chance. Your relationship will never flourish if you'll be having sex with all those women. It will be over before your next movie."

Honor frowns. "What do you know about it, old man? You're well past your prime. Your best sexing days are behind you. And I'll bet you're even less virile since you got stabbed. You're lucky your twig and berries are still intact."

"Hey! Knock it off!" Hoeness sits down on the arm of the sofa that Paraná occupies. "You can disagree with him if you want, but don't use the stabbing against him."

"That's right," Baua says. "Don't forget, you're talking to the man who killed the most wanted sex offender in the United States. Singlehandedly, I might add."

"Yeah right!" He shuts his laptop down and stuffs it in his carrying case, then looks at the feline with an undignified smirk. "If you're so good, how come you let him send you to the hospital, huh? If I were the one sent to finish him off, I'd pounce on his back and before he knew it, I'd slit his throat. He gets stabbed, not me."

The jaguar is getting tired of the young man and drinks quickly while he listens. "You don't know because you weren't there. Getting hurt in the field is part of the job. It happens to all of us."

"Not me. All the people I've killed didn't know anything about anything. For most, all I had to do was point and shoot. With a gun small enough to hide, it's a piece of cake. Besides, what's the big deal? You killed a sex offender. My last mark was a pimp. I saved lives and helped the community. _That's_a big deal."

"You can count the number of marks you've done this year on just one hand. You just haven't been there enough times to matter."

"Here, here," Ravi says, raising his bottle in agreement. "Besides, your summer vacation was longer than everybody else's. Even the panda has more kills than you this year...and she's really delicate, as we all know."

Ravi and Hoeness laugh, causing the hare to twitch his nose in anger. He inhales slowly and takes a drink, finishing half his bottle. "No one here knows what he is talking about! I'm telling you right now...I can do this! I can do my job as a hitman, moonlight as a porn star, and have a relationship all at the same time. You just watch me. I might even get a hit before the week's over."

Hoeness stands and finishes his drink. "Care to put that boast to the test?"

"Hmm?"

"Can you get a mark before you go shoot your movie?"

"Of course I can!"

Ravi laughs and translates for his brother. Baua laughs and stands as well. "No you can't," he says. "You've been gone so long, you're totally out of practice."

"Listen to me!" Honor slams his empty bottle on the coffee table. "Just get me a mark and I'll hunt him down. I'll show you all. I can still do this, and in time I'll have more than that sissy red panda by the end of the year."

"Whatever, dude. Just get this one mark." Hoeness places his empty bottle among the others on the table, then stares into the hare's eyes angrily.

"Fine. I'm putting my 'boast' to the test. What do you want me to do?"

"Simple. Get a mark and kill him...or her...before you go to shoot your movie. Better still, we'll choose the mark for you."

He turns around to see that everyone is standing and surrounding him. He clears his throat and shows a brave front. "Good. That's doable." He says it quickly and as angrily as he can, trying to shore up his confidence. The look of greedy anticipation from his peers threatens to cloud his judgment. "I'm with you so far."

"Meanwhile, while you're working, Paraná gets to date your girl."

"What?!"

"Well, yeah! If you don't mind her working in the industry, surely you wouldn't mind someone else taking her out and showing her a good time. If she's gonna come back to you eventually, why not?"

Honor's eyes widen and his ears flop down to the back of his head. His arms drop to his sides as he stares at the German Shepherd with dread. Paraná, on the other hand, shows the widest smile he can muster.

Hoeness continues, closing in on the youngster. "Look, he just got out of the hospital. It's been a real long week. I think he's earned a good time." He turns gleefully to his good friend. "Don't you agree?"

While Paraná nods, Honor whines. "Then set him up with anyone else!" The hare no longer sounds confident and bold. His pitch of his voice goes up, trying to drive away the scrutiny. "Any of the girls we work with! Choose one of them!"

"And have my friend miss out on meeting a future porn star? And a young one at that? Heaven forbid!" He laughs along with everyone. "Besides, you said you could do it."

"Oh yeah? Well...what if I refuse?"

Ravi interrupts Hoeness and says, "If you refuse, you have to admit that the red panda is better than you. I think she's taken, what...six? Six marks this year, am I right?" He watches Baua and St. Croix nod, then continues. "Yeah. I remember that her last one was around the fourth of July. I don't think she's done any since then." The tiger shrugs.

Hoeness clears his throat. "She hasn't, but she's still done more than Honor. He did four, then disappeared for summer vacation."

"Don't talk like I'm not here." Honor folds his arms and looks at the ceiling. Everyone else watches him intently. It is as if they can see his mind racing. After Ravi translates for his brother, Gonal applauds loudly, egging the hare on. "All right," the youngster says. "I'll do it."

"Wow, really?" Hoeness scoffs in slight disbelief.

"Well...it's what you guys want, right? I hunt a mark and sacrifice Gladys. Meanwhile, I prove that I am truly one of you while getting you all to shut up. I like that deal..." He points at Paraná. "...as long as you're nice to her and everything."

The jaguar loves this deal and approaches the hare to show his appreciation. He puts a hand on his right shoulder and says, "Listen, I really appreciate this--"

"No sex."

"Wouldn't even dream of it."

"Oh, stop it!" Hoeness shakes his head and starts collecting the empty bottles. "Of course sex is allowed."

"No it isn't! She's not that kind of girl! If he and Gladys are going out, it's gonna be classy. I'll set it up so that it can happen without incident."

"You just admitted that she met you by presenting her ass to you! She's an out-and-out porn star! What does she know about 'classy'?"

Honor ignores the dog and says, "Okay, big man. When you want to meet her?"

Paraná rubs his hands. "Today would be real nice. This afternoon, if at all possible."

"Damn. We were gonna go out today."

"You wanna win the bet? Set it up for today. Whatever lie you have to tell, just set it up. I can't wait to meet her face to face."

After finishing his bottle, Baua barges in. "Right. And tomorrow, we'll give you your mark."

Honor's sullen face looks at his shoes. "I think I'm gonna regret this."

"Don't worry. We'll make sure the mark is classy."

Everyone but St. Croix laughs. The wolf is more cautious than the others. "Wait a second," he says. "Paraná, aren't you and Tivoli and item? I've seen you two friendly with each other at the office on more than one occasion."

The boys turn to the wolf. Honor asks, "Who?"

The jaguar shakes his head and scoffs loudly. "Hey now. She was just a student. Can I help it if she thinks I'm good-looking?"

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

The silence is broken by the loud, tinny chiming from the grandfather clock in the corner. The chime rings seven times, waking Tivoli from her snooze and indicating how late it has gotten. Her eyes blink open and she moves her head from side to side. They look weary, but still bright; she has not been asleep for very long. Her head is resting on one of the arms of the biggest sofa in the living room. With the small blanket covering her legs and the half-empty bottle of sherry next to her on the table, she looks quite relaxed.

The ocelot tries to get up but stops herself when she sees Fluffy, her cat, lying on her belly. He is easily double the size he was when Paraná first got him. The remote control to the nearby television is under his white tail. She giggles quietly and picks them both up. "Good evening, sir," she chuckles. "Did you have a good night's sleep?" She places the mewing cat on the floor below and turns the television on. As the picture comes into view, the sound of the evening news broadcast announces a press conference being held by the chief of police. The get-together with the media will be held in half an hour and will deal with the death of Arlo McDaniels. The chief will officially announce the gruesome findings in the house and the subsequent arrests that followed a few days later.

Tivoli's heart skips several beats when she hears the name of the mark. She drops the remote control on the floor. It lands on Fluffy's tail. She is too transfixed with the news to care about the cat yowling and running out of the room. She sits up in the sofa, bringing her knees up to her chest and clutching her legs. Her breathing quickens as she watches the newscaster's announcement.

The broadcast shows the Beverly Hills residence in which Arlo lived, then shows the victim's wife crying in front of the camera. Mrs. McDaniels saying that she had no idea her husband was the leader of a child sex ring raises the ocelot's eyebrows. Then the faces of three arrested suspects are shown. She gasps at the sight; two of the faces are recognizable. Those two were the men who were feeling her up the first night she was at McDaniels' house. There is acknowledgement that something bigger is happening and that Tivoli's mark was just a small part of a large syndicate. The newscaster then interviews a human detective who says, "The situation establishes a couple of facts. One, there is a thriving sex trade here in California that we previously knew nothing about. Two, the suspects arrested confessed to being McDaniels' partners. They say he was dead when they found him. Their story checks out, meaning that the killer is still at large."

The ocelot watches intently, taking everything in. She nods her head a lot and hugs her legs even tighter. Fluffy slowly reenters the room and watches her carefully. When the commercials come on, Tivoli starts to laugh. It starts as a slow titter, but ends as a boisterous flurry of happiness and relief. She releases her legs and stretches out on the sofa. Fluffy jumps on her stomach and again tries to lie down. Still laughing, she picks him up and says, "Wow, you've gotten big, haven't you?" He meows in response.

"Oh, I forgot. Dinner's been ready for a half an hour. Wanna get something to eat?" She stands up and straightens her "I Love NY" T-shirt. "I've been learning to make a couple of things that Paraná has told me he's used to eating. Now that we can afford what we want, I can buy the ingredients of anything he wants to eat. Today it's macaroni and cheese. Tomorrow, it'll be something traditional that he is used to." She heads for the kitchen and puts Fluffy on the table.

"You'll like it to, I think. Do cats each cheese? I know I do." She giggles again as she reaches for a bowl in the cupboard above her. "So does he." She hears him mewl again and answers, "Yeah, he's really late, isn't he? He said he'd come here straight here after he's been discharged." She makes her way to the stove, on top of which is a crock pot. Opening it exposes the golden, piping hot bounty. It has been ready for some time; in fact, the heat under it has not been extinguished. As the cat curiously climbs on the counter, Tilvoli serves herself.

"You're gonna love this, Fluffy. This thing right here was passed down to me by my mom two years ago, when I was eighteen." She closes the pot and inhales the steam from her share. "I'll let you in on a little secret, Fluf. Mom can't cook to save her life. She tries her best, but she doesn't have the patience to see things through. We relied on Dad to do all that. But once a week, she'd make this. It's the one thing she cooks well. We'd have this every Sunday and it brought us all together without fail. She got this recipe from her mom and I love her very much, so I'm honored that I know how to do this."

Before the cat can sniff her food, Tivoli carries him and her bowl to the living room. The news broadcast shows the inside of City Hall, where the press conference is to take place. From the scene, a balding, middle-aged man is speaking on a microphone to the newscasters back in the studio. The ocelot points at the TV and gets her cat to look at it. "You see that guy over there? That's Matthew Fox. He usually sits behind the news desk, but today, he's live from the scene. He only does that for important stories, and this is real important because...." Her voice trails off as a picture of the scene of the crime is shown. Only the outside of that unfortunate house is being shown, but the ocelot looks on with deep concern, as if she is still inside it. Then a picture of the murder victim is shown. Arlo's face causes her to drop her bowl and hold on tightly to Fluffy.

She watches on for five more minutes, including the commercial break. As if in a trance, she sits perfectly still. Her uncomfortable cat struggles to escape her arms and makes his frustrations known. A loud meow breaks her out of her state. She looks down at her food and scoffs. "Forget it. It's nothing. Don't worry about me. I'm just fine." She puts the cat down and digs in to her food. The worry that she showed earlier is slowly fading. "But did you see that, Fluffy? Did you see what I caused? I killed a very bad, very dangerous man." She clears her throat with some awkwardness. "Okay, so I didn't actually finish him off, but I mostly got it done and got paid. That counts, right?"

Fluffy reaches for the hot food with a front paw as the ocelot swirls it around with her fork. He keeps reaching as she puts the food in her mouth. She lets out a short laugh. "Bottom line is...I did it. The news media's got a bee in its bonnet and it's all because of me. If I could take the credit, I'd be hailed as a hero. But as long as the police think those Africans did it, I can go scot free and continue to work." She sighs heavily, trying not to get overwhelmed. She is clearly not as happy as she would like to be. "Now if I could actually do my work."

Fluffy meows loudly, enticing Tivoli to pick him up. "Shoot! I forgot about you. Hold on there, Fluf." She stands and leaves the coffee table for the kitchen. "We'll celebrate my victory together."

A key turns, the front door opens, and the owner of the house steps in. Paraná enters slowly, the darkness of night behind him. The wind blows a couple of stray leaves inside and causes Fluffy to shiver and run. He looks at the cat and shrugs listlessly before closing the door. He is only a couple of more steps further in when Tivoli quickly pokes her head through the kitchen doorway and sees the welcome sight. Her eyes and mouth widen with surprise, then an exuberant chuckle escapes her mouth. Paraná just waves. He looks disinterested, but her reaction only blossoms.

She runs across the room, narrowly missing the table and stops right in front of him; her forehead almost hits his chin. She stands on her toes and laughs her loudest, and as he opens his mouth to greet her, she outdoes him with a big, forceful embrace. She traps his arms at his sides with her embrace. "You're back!"

The hug is too tight for his liking and he tightens his eyes shut. It looks like he is in some pain, probably from the hug but more likely from the stab wounds. Five seconds later, she steps back and grabs his hands eagerly. "You certainly took your sweet time. I thought dinner would go to waste."

The jaguar sighs after being released and moves his head from side to side, looking over and scrutinizing the living room. "Wow. You've really cleaned my home. It's almost unrecognizable."

"You like it?" Still holding his hands, she leads him to the sofa she had been sleeping on earlier. "I think it's quite nice myself. And before you complain about anything, I just want you know that I won't spring that 'woman's touch' crap on you. Everything you own is still here. I didn't get rid of anything. I just moved them around so that there's more space--a trick I learned from my mother. Two people live here now, so everything's practical." She sits down and drags him with her. "So what do you think?"

He sits down with discomfort and looks around some more, even looking at the ceiling. "Well, the room does look bigger, but--"

Tivoli quickly pounces on him, straddling his lap and pressing her abdomen to his. Before he is ready for it, she presses her lips on his and runs her hands around his sides to her back. First, there is a closed-mouth peck he is not ready for. Then she backs off slightly and says, "Let the healing begin." She gives a quick smile, then meets him again. He tries to talk, but her mouth grabs his lower lip. Her tongue inches ever so slightly into his mouth and her hands press against his cheeks. Her knees dig into his lap. He cannot stand, so he has no means of escape. She not only wants to kiss him, but the kiss wants to happen.

Tivoli moans and tries to stretch her body while still kissing him. Her bare feet slide on the coffee table and knock the bowl down. The mac and cheese lands next to Fluffy, who again runs screaming out of the room. The noise scares her into breaking up the union. She looks behind her and laughs loudly. "What just happened?"

Paraná raises his eyebrows and looks at her with both pain and disbelief. "You're crazy. I just got back and I'm really sore. Give me a moment, please."

Still laughing, she climbs off and sits next to him, shifting her hair from her face. "Sorry, I've been wanting to do that for...oh no!" She stands and looks at her food. "Damn! All over the carpet! That was good too. I'm sorry about that."

The jaguar's face is not showing any sort of enthusiasm from returning home. He instead looks rather dour. "Don't worry about it," he says quietly. He continues to look around the room, squinting and sighing. It looks like he disapproves.

Tivoli sweeps the spilled contents into the now empty bowl. She does it deliberately and tries not to smear the carpet with cheese. "Don't worry, you say? I'm so glad. I just cleaned this carpet." After picking up the last bit of pasta, she stands up straight. "I'll just get some more. I have plenty. There's enough food for...." The ocelot suddenly lowers the bowl and stares at her companion. Her smile transforms into something less inviting. She blinks a few times as her eyes pace him.

"What's the matter?"

She sniffs in response. "I...don't know. Something doesn't smell right."

"From where? What's happened?"

She starts for the kitchen. "I can't place it, but...." She sniffs again. "It's not the food. I made mac n' cheese. You want some?"

Paraná lowers his head and clicks his tongue. "I guess beggars can't be choosers."

"What was that?"

"I mean sure, I'll have some."

"Excellent. I didn't slave, but it was hard work. You wouldn't believe what passes as 'cheese' in California."

"I'm sure New York has exceptional cheese." He sounds really down, but his response gets a laugh from Tivoli. "Listen, I'm rather tired and I don't feel much like eating. No offense."

"Aw, come on. You've been hospitalized for more than a week. Have some real food. You wanna eat in the kitchen or the living room?"

He enters the kitchen and stands over her as she serves him and reserves herself. While she giddily spoons the food from the crock pot, he stoically watches and sniffs the food. His eyes look small and vacant and his hands are shaking slightly. He has been greatly reduced by the incident with Arlo McDaniels and looks ill-served by leaving the hospital as early as he did.

Tivoli covers the pot and hands one of the bowls to her friend. She purposefully brushes her left shoulder against his chest and leads the way to the living room. Her happy demeanor counters his bad vibes. For the moment, it looks like she is the homeowner and he is just a visitor.

The news on television has left the Arlo McDaniels story and now focuses on the weather. Neither of the felines is worried about work at the moment though. They sit next to each other and eat their meal. Fluffy has not yet returned, so Tivoli forgets about feeding him. "This is truly my best effort," she says.

"Yes, it's really good."

"You don't look like you're enjoying it."

"I see you've been enjoying the sherry."

She notices the half empty bottle and covers a chuckle with her left hand. "Oh, that. I've forgotten how much I've had."

"You look like you've had too much."

"Well I admit, I'm slightly buzzed, but I didn't drink to excess this time. I'm just so glad my hunts are over. I wanted to celebrate, and--"

"Yeah, that's right. How was the hunt? I remember you asked me for advice, but I don't remember what it was. I remember you were going after McDaniels' son."

Tivoli eats faster until her bowl is half empty. "It's all right. Everything went...as well as could be expected. The kid was easy and...." She clears her throat and lowers her head. Her eyes hide from his concerned stare.

"What's wrong?"

"I'm just nervous, that's all. The time has come. It's time to work for real. I just don't know how to get started."

"When you're finally ready, when will you start?"

"I don't know. I don't even know how to begin. In fact, I was thinking of taking the rest of the week off. That said, now that you're back, I'll get some much-needed help." She finishes her meal and reaches for the sherry. "I need a lot of pointers, so I hope that you don't mind if...." Her voice trails off once again and her nose twitches. "Wait a minute."

"What?"

The ocelot blinks a couple of times and puts down the bottle of liquor. "It's you. You smell different."

Paraná puts some of the pasta into his mouth. "The hospital does that to you."

"No, that's not it. You don't smell like that hospital room. You smell like...you've got someone else's scent on you. I mean that you smell like a whole other person. What have you been doing?"

"Well if you must know, I spent the day with friends...and I was on a date."

Tivoli tries to counter, but his last words make her stutter. She vigorously tries to shake off the sudden shock, but when the words don't come out she just looks straight ahead. Her mouth shakes with uncertainty and her hands ball up. Before any real emotions come forth, she feels a hand on her right shoulder. He makes her look at him.

"From the hospital I went to the office. I met some of the guys, and they greeted me like I was a long, lost friend. I haven't felt that good in a long time. You know Hoeness, yes?"

Tivoli waits a couple of seconds, then nods. "Yes I know him."

"He took me out." He releases his grip on her, and leans back to rest his head. "He took me to his house to celebrate my return. I was there with St. Croix, Prosper, Baua, and a couple of others. We talked, drank some wine, and had a good time. There was a younger worker who came along with us. You don't know him. He was opening his mouth and being an idiot. He thought he was better than me, so my friends decided to use me to teach him a lesson. As part of our challenge to him, I went on a date with his girlfriend. We didn't do much. We just - -"

"You had sex!" She shifts her weight so that there is some distance between them. "That's what I'm sensing. It's probably her I smell."

"What can I say? The date turned out better than I expected. She and I hit it off. After she got past her nervousness, we had a good time. I made up a story, telling her that I was an agent and could make her a star. Once she bought it, we just- -"

"What are you doing?"

"What do you mean?"

"Why are you telling me this?" The ocelot's eyes widen, showing off a slight red hue. The effects of drinking too much sherry are starting to show. She shakes her head wildly with disbelief. "You had sex with someone you just met?"

The Jaguar stretches his arms above his head while shutting his eyes pain. He grunts and answers, "Well, one thing led to another."

Tivoli's face changes emotions really quickly. The shock of the news has given way to slight anger. She folds her arms and stares at the television. After half a minute of silence she extinguishes it. Her arms fold again while still holding onto the remote. "So let me get this straight. You took off from the hospital, spent some time with friends, drank alcohol, and had sex. You did all that instead of just coming home and getting better. You were almost stabbed to death two weeks ago, but you're recklessly acting like nothing happened. No wonder you're so sore."

"There's no reason for you to be angry."

"I'll bet you popped a stitch." She bows her head and covers her face with her hands. "It's got to be painful."

"There's really no need for you to be mad."

"Why not?"

"Well, number one, Gladys was a really good lay. She was easy on me." He laughs proudly. "Other than that, she's nobody. Number two, this is how I live. It's been this way since I started this job. I go from place to place, and when I'm not killing someone, I'm sleeping with beautiful women. As you Americans say, I get around. It's just a normal part of my life as a bachelor. I was simply returning to that."

"And you're telling me not to get mad?"

"I've had many ladies come up to me, and I have serviced most of them. But I've never had a girlfriend, or someone who was actually interested in being that."

"But couldn't I be the first?" The ocelot stands and leans forward. "I mean, I thought I already was! We were cozy with each other during my lessons...and I thought we effectively bonded back at the hospital. You were down and I cheered you up. I thought that meant something to you."

"I was sick, and I had just come out of surgery. You can't expect a bond to just form. Not from that anyway."

"I kissed you and you kissed back. What did you think that meant?" She puts her hands on her hips, suddenly looking dejected. "I told you things I never say to anyone. I told you things that are normally embarrassing for me. I expected you to - -"

"Just what are you accusing me of?" Paraná sits up and tries not to look so sickly. "Are you blaming me for being me? That's unlike you. You liked who I was."

"Apparently not! I just thought we had something going. We hit it off right away; I even liked it when you put your hands around my throat. We drank together; we flirted! We've had so much coffee and ice cream together, we'd be qualified to run a Starbucks. Are you telling me I didn't need to bother? You're telling me I made a mistake?"

Paraná coughs weakly and clears his raspy throat. "I'm telling you that you were a student. I was the teacher. I liked you, and...whenever we had free time, we fooled around. It was fun and you were always smiling. But I had a job to do. I was teaching you to hunt and kill. I had never been a handler before, but when I got the job, I took it seriously. You didn't really expect a real relationship to come out of that, did you?"

She closes her eyes and nods. She is enlightened, but still miffed. "And the hospital?"

"I was too sick for anything to happen. I liked it when you kissed me, but that was just a kiss. It wasn't supposed to be the start of a relationship. It didn't mean that I suddenly belonged to you. We were just friends kissing."

Tivoli is so taken aback that she sits back down. She takes a couple of deep breaths as she looks at him. "Wow," she says slowly. "So you're saying that I mean about as much to you as the nobody you just had sex with. Well, way to break it gently."

"I'm sorry."

"Save it." She takes a couple of more deep breaths and closes her eyes. He also closes his eyes and bows his head. He thinks the conversation is over. However, she moves herself closer to him, putting her right hand on his left knee. "I don't want your pity. But there's something I want you to give me."

"What's that?" The jaguar strains to look at her, slowly twisting his body in her direction.

"Hold me. Even if it's a lie; even if it means nothing to you, just allow me to be held. You owe me that. "

She does not wait for a yes or no and slowly climbs on top of him. Before he knows what is happening, she is sitting on his lap with her arms around his trunk and her head on his chest. He waits about half a minute before returning the embrace; when he does, the two look like a typical feline couple. Tivoli closes her eyes and allows her anger at him to slowly ebb. "Just lie to me, please."

"For how long?"

"How about until we are ready for bed? I feel you owe me something. After all, I served you macaroni and cheese."

The Jaguar nodded understanding and gently caresses her hair. "Tomorrow is going to be awkward isn't it?"

"Just shut up and keep holding me."

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

Shiloh woke up at 6 AM. His mate had been sleeping on top of him, but he managed to escape without waking her up. He had an early breakfast, took a quick shower, and watched the news for about 15 minutes. It is Wednesday morning and there is rain in the forecast. When he turns the TV off, he stands and heads to the nearest living room window. There is clearly something on his mind. His face is contemplative, almost hesitant. He presses his hands on the window pane and sighs deeply. The sun is out already, warming the ground to the best of its ability. The robins and squirrels flock on the front lawn and forage for worms and nuts. The outside looks happy and peaceful.

Shiloh spends a bit of time staring through the window. He taps his fingers on the glass and whispers something to himself. Suddenly, his tapping hand balls into a closed fist and he bangs it on the glass, scaring some of the robins away. He growls softly, turns away from the window, and heads out of the living room. He continues whispering as he enters the bedroom.

Winter is under the covers, sleeping soundly. Shiloh nods and takes off his bathrobe. Now totally nude, he rummages through the top drawer of the dresser by the bed. Winter responds to the noise by shifting her body from one side to the other. Now she is facing away from the dresser. Shiloh turns to look back at her for a second, then retrieves a pair of boxers and a pair of black slacks. He dons them as quietly as he can, grunting softly as he threads is stubborn tail through the holes. Attached to one of the closet doors is a full-length mirror. As he inspects himself, Winter stirs again.

Shiloh mulls over whether to apply the cologne or the deodorant. He has one in each hand and takes a few seconds to make his decision. He sprays the cologne on his bare chest and puts the items back in the top drawer. Inspecting his six-pack abdomen, he takes a whiff of the substance he just sprayed on himself and coughs a little. Behind him, Winter inhales too, causing him to shake his head. "Good morning, honey."

She turns to face him and opens her eyes. "Good morning to you too." Still under the covers, she yawns and stretches. "Have I mentioned how lovely I think your back is?"

Shiloh's back shows a lot of muscle definition, considering that it is covered in grey fur. He nods and slides open the door, moving the mirror aside. "Thank you." He pulls out a shirt and a pinstripe coat.

"Where are you headed off to?"

"You mean you've forgotten already?"

"Oh yeah." Winter inhales deeply and frowns. "Death Valley." She sits up and throws the covers aside, exposing her nude, pure white top half. She clasps her hands on her lap, inadvertently squeezing her breasts together. "Who's the cologne for?"

He inhales again, then fishes the closet for a shirt. "Listen, this is really important. For the first time ever, in the history of this business, the hitman is going to meet the client. Directly. Face to face."

"Who is she?"

"You know it's a she?"

"Well, you're not getting all gussied up for a man, are you?"

"Her name is Aurora, and she's the one who wants Aleph killed. I don't think she's used to us city dwellers, so I just thought I'd smell nice."

Winter nods and stretches her bare arms above her head. "And Aleph is...who exactly?"

"You mean you don't remember?"

"Actually, I've been trying to forget that you've taken this mission. It's in a faraway place that's real hot and you've never been to the desert before. Your chances don't seem that great. It's been bugging me forever."

"It's only been two days." He chooses a plaid, cotton shirt from a hanger and starts to put it on. "And you told me last night that you believed in me."

"That was last night." Winter removes the covers, turns herself, and sits in front of her lover. Her naked legs hang over the edge and swing back and forth. "I've had time to think about it and I'm less sure than I ever was."

"Honey, I tried to make it up to you yesterday, didn't I? I did everything you asked of me."

"I wanted to make love to you."

"Except that. I've told you time and again that I don't do that the day before a mission. I know it's bothersome, but it's a very important rule to me...and surely you can go one day without it, can't you?"

"You know, you're being mean all of a sudden."

"I took you to the movies, I took you to Griffith Park, I took you line dancing, we ate sushi, which you know I hate, and we rented a couple of chick flicks, which you know I also hate. I've been making it up to you ever since I decided to take this job."

"And I appreciate you for it, but it hasn't led to the desired result."

"Mm-hmm. And what result is that?"

Winter slowly stands and straightens herself. Her body looks taller nude than it does with clothes on, especially when her tail hangs down behind her kneecaps. She slowly approaches Shiloh, who is too busy buttoning his shirt to notice that she is on her feet. When she wraps her arms around him, he shouts and almost falls forward. She plants her belly to his back. "Don't go."

"Ugh." He straightens his collar and closes the closet door, trying to ignore her. "I guess this was inevitable."

She nuzzles the back of his neck and rides her hands up and down his chest. "I've been putting up a fight all night. I don't give up that easily."

"Well, you'll just have to, because I'm going. It doesn't mean I love you any less, but I'm going."

"Remember what you said last night? I asked you how long you'd be gone and you said a week...at the most. Are you really sure?"

"That's right, girl. At the most. I gotta drive by the Mojave Desert and to one of the lodges near the National Park. Then I gotta somehow elude the park rangers and get to wilderness itself. From there, I gotta find the client, who Simon says is in hiding out there. We'll set the conditions of the job and I'll receive payment from her directly. Then she'll tell me how to best approach the mark. He is supposed to be this elusive loner who lives off the land. But if my senses remain sharp, I could smell him out and off him before he knows what's coming. Shouldn't take more than six days before I'm done."

She kisses his neck and slides her hands onto his shoulders. "Just like that, huh? You make it sound so easy. I was just gonna ask what you would do if something went wrong. Do you have any contingency plans? Any extra money for food or water? A navigation system and a way to phone home?"

"Nothing's going to go wrong. The worst that can happen is I get caught by the rangers. But once I'm past them, it'll be clear sailing."

"And how long will you stay in the Death Valley itself before you find the mark? How will you manage?"

Shiloh shakes his head. "Questions. All the time, questions. Do you have so little faith in my abilities?"

Winter stops smirking and turns serious. She holds a tighter grip on his shoulders. "You're a city boy. You may be strong, but you're totally dependent on other people. That's why you live so comfortably. But your mark lives in the desert. That's his home. The wilderness is his turf, his furniture, his life! He already has the upper hand! You couldn't live off the land if it handed you written instructions!"

Shiloh's head sinks. He closes his eyes and carefully pries Winter's hands off his shoulders. "This from the girl who says she loves me." He heads to the dresser again, only to have his left arm grabbed.

Winter makes him face her. "I'm sorry. That was cruel." She places her hands on his shoulders again and brings him close. Their noses touch and she gives him a couple of light kisses. "Straighten your collar."

He leaves her where she is and goes back to the mirror to inspect his clothes. "It'll be all right. I won't stay in the heat too long."

"Tell me about the client."

Shiloh shrugs. "I haven't seen her myself. Simon briefed me on her yesterday afternoon. She's a coyote who lives in Eastern California, near the New Mexico border. Simon tells me her life is in danger. The mark apparently has a hold on her or something. Either her or her entire family. Whatever. Anyway, she's in hiding. When I'm through with him, she'll no longer need protecting. Also, she could help me get by in Death Valley. I'm actually looking forward to it. You don't have to worry. Everything I need is packed and in the car. Anything I don't have, I will acquire when I get to the lodge. There's nothing to worry about." He leaves the mirror and heads for the dresser, only to see that Winter is sitting on top of it.

"Looking for something?"

He sighs and approaches her. Her legs are blocking the drawers. "Okay, get off. I gotta get my caps."

"What's the password?"

Shiloh shakes his head and laughs. While she laughs back, he places his hands on her thighs and moves closer. "You're making this very hard."

"Good." She wraps her legs around him and leans forward to kiss him. "Because that's the wrong answer."

"Please," he says, before her muzzle touches his. He grabs her hands to pull her off, but her legs tighten their grip.

She holds his head still with her hands and they kiss. When he tries to escape, she grabs his collar and kisses him more sternly. Their tongues touch and help to form a tight bond. Shiloh cannot escape. Winter breaks the kiss to take a short breath, but latches back on. A minute passes.

Shiloh grunts loudly, getting a stifled laugh out of her. Angrily (or maybe feigning anger), he latches his hands on to her bottom and picks her up. She releases the kiss and laughs loudly, but keeps her legs and arms around him. She passionately licks his forehead and says, "Take it easy. I'm fragile."

"I said no sex." The male tosses the female on the bed. Winter's back bounces on the soft mattress before she realizes she has been expelled from his grasp. Shiloh returns to the dresser and takes a couple of baseball caps from the top drawer. He looks at the watch on his right wrist and heaves a sigh. "Still time."

As he once again inspects himself in front of the full-length mirror, Winter springs to her feet and leaps from the bed onto her lover's back. He fearfully shouts out and they both hit the mirror. While he hits his forehead, she latches on to him and playfully bites his ear. He plants his hands on the mirror to prevent from falling and growls. Now he really is angry, but she cannot tell; she laughs loudly and wraps her legs around him a second time.

Shiloh drops his caps and tries to grab to free himself. He yells, "Let go!" as Winter's piggybacking starts to weigh heavy. He swings around until the mirror is at their backs. Winter covers his eyes and giggles wickedly. He is getting angrier by the second and responds by reaching up and grabbing her ears. While she shouts in pain, he manages to flip her over his head and onto the bed. Before she can get back up, he pounces on her.

Soon, all is quiet. The chaotic grunts, shouts, and overall disorder are replaced with calm and reason. Shiloh is lying on top of Winter, holding her still and stopping her playful rampage. Her arms are stuck on either side of her, trapped by her lover's grasp; his left hand is clasped over her right and vise versa. Their raw emotions also calmly fade. His anger slowly morphs into concern for her while her lively smile shortens to a grin. His dark eyes look into her bold, blue ones. "What is wrong with you?" he asks.

She tries to move her arms, but he keeps them locked in place. She then tries to kiss him again, but he turns his head and lays it on her breasts.

"What's the matter, baby?"

"Shiloh, I...." Her smile is replaced with an anguished pout. "Look at me and tell me you're going to be all right."

"Are you kidding?"

"Look at me, Shiloh."

He obeys, but with great reluctance. Slowly raising his head from her chest, he murmurs, "You're making me lose concentration."

"You're not telling me what I want to hear."

"You've never acted this way before. Whenever I leave, you feel bad, but you don't let it get to you."

"I'm sorry, okay? I know this is disappointing for you. I know I'm supposed to be supportive because I know how much it helps you, but my support is at its limit today. I just have a real, real, bad feeling about this hunt. I just don't like our odds."

"Ugh." He buries his head in her chest again. "Woman's intuition--the scourge of common sense."

Winter growls softly. "Hey, you have it too! I know you do! You feel like I feel; there's something bad about this mission that is giving you second thoughts!" She tries to raise her head, but her chest is still being compressed. "Shiloh, I can't breathe."

He raises his head again and they look at each other. "What do you want me to do, huh?"

"Is there _anything_I can say that'll make you change your mind?"

He rolls his eyes and brings himself on his knees. As he straddles her, he also releases his grip on her hands. She takes this opportunity to prop herself up and wrap her arms around his waist. She places her head gently on his abdomen.

"Please don't go," she whispers. "Don't make me beg."

"We're only going in circles. We had this discussion last night."

"I don't care. Just give that damn mark to somebody else."

There is a distant knocking coming from behind them. Somebody is at the front door, and probably has been for quite some time. Now that the room is quiet, the wolves can hear it clearly. Winter tightens her grip on him while he perks his head up. Neither move for a moment. Then the knocking turns into banging.

"Release me. I gotta go."

"If I do that, I may never see you again."

"Can I at least answer the door?"

Her hands slide off and he bounds off the bed. He picks up the fallen caps from the floor and runs out of the bedroom, giving her a quick, worried glance. Once he leaves, Winter heads for the closet to look for something to wear. Halfway under the bed is the nightgown she wore the night before. She does not see it, but reaches into the closet for something else. After fishing through some of her own clothes, she goes through Shiloh's clothes and puts on a large, blue robe.

Her frown deepens as she closes the closet. Shiloh's voice can be heard from far away. She puts her hands on her hips and quiets herself to listen. She hears a familiar, bubbly voice. Her eyes light up and emotional state does an about face. She quickly runs out of the bedroom and stops just short of the living room. Right in front of her, Tivoli is smiling from ear to ear and cozying up to Shiloh. She is wearing a track suit and what look like brand new sneakers. The wolf is equally glad to see her. While they talk, Winter hangs back. She is glad to see the ocelot, but stares intently at her lover.

Shiloh excuses himself and gets out of Tivoli's way. At that moment, she sees Winter. "Hi there!" she shouts happily. "Long time no see!"

Winter grins back at her, but keeps looking at Shiloh through the open windows. "Yes...a long time. I've started to lose track of you."

"Yeah, well, I've been busy. One day, I'm doing a hunt. The next day, I'm visiting my tutor at the hospital...." She shrugs and stops smiling.

"Yeah, Shiloh told me something happened. He heard it from Robert. I'm really sorry. The hunt went bad, huh?"

"Bad...is an understatement. It was, um...." She shakes her head and closes the door behind her. "Forget it. I don't want to talk about it. My tutor didn't show up and I did the job myself. It was messy, but the job got done. Anyway, I came to check up on you. How've you been?"

Winter folds her arms and steps closer. She keeps peeking at the open windows. "Well, I've been better. I mean, everything is good. We're healthy and happy. A couple of successful hunts in a row, followed by a slight setback; it's been a rollercoaster."

"Where's Shiloh headed?"

"Mmm...I don't want t talk about it." With that, the room fills with a weird, awkward stillness that dampens the high spirits that were once there. The girls look at each other and fidget nervously, each one hiding something from the other. Winter clears her throat and moves closer to her friend. "Didn't mean to be short there. I'm about to get breakfast. You want anything?"

"Not right now. I just jogged a mile to get here. I'll jog the mile back and get something to eat then. I just finished my third apprentice mission."

"Hey! Congratulations! You must be excited, huh?"

"In a manner of speaking."

"What does that mean?" Winter closes in and gives Tivoli a hug. "You did it. You're in. You're one of us." She breaks up the hug and laughs. "And that's coming from someone who's only a month into her tenure."

"Yeah, well I'm still trying to feel it." She follows the wolf into the kitchen. "I know I'm now official, but I gotta tell you...those hunts were hard. I thought that--"

"Aren't they supposed to be hard?"

"I did two-thirds of them by myself! And the first one? Well...I ran away while it was happening. The tutor had him in his hands and I wasn't there to learn anything."

"You keep calling him 'tutor.' What's his name again?"

Tivoli sits down at the table and watches Winter sit in front of her. "Paraná. Sorry, I'm just a little frustrated."

"But why? You've done your hunts. You can now move freely in the office. You can take marks and trade them too. This is what you wanted when you found out what it takes. Now you have the prize. What are you worried about?"

Tivoli does not answer right away. Watching her friend pour the contents of the cereal box into her bowl, the ocelot tries to formulate a response. She rests her chin in her hands and sighs heavily. "Winter, can I tell you something? It's something I'm not very proud of."

"You can tell me anything. Does it have something to do with the job?"

She waits a few more seconds to watch her pour the milk. "Yes."

Winter chuckles. It appears she is moving on from Shiloh's absence. "So? What is it?"

"I cheated." Tivoli answers immediately, as if making a coerced confession. "On my third hunt, I cheated."

"Cheated how? How do you cheat? All you have to do is kill the mark." Winter moves to the refrigerator to put the milk away. "Death is final. You kill him and get your money the next day."

"You cheat by telling the mark to leave town and never come back." She looks at the ceiling in disbelief.

"You did what?!"

"By now, he's somewhere in Northern California, hiding from his mother and having what I hope is an uneventful new life with his girlfriend."

"You mean he's not dead?!"

"You don't have to yell. No, he's not dead. I convinced him that he was in danger, and in doing so...I told him who I was and that I worked with other hitmen."

"You did what?!"

Tivoli stares at the wide-eyed wolf. "Again, you don't have to yell. I didn't name any names, so nobody has been exposed. The building hasn't been implicated. Everything's fine."

"I beg to differ!"

Tivoli shrugs. "All right. Everything's not fine. But still, the mark is gone and Ted paid me the day after."

There is silence again as a seemingly offended wolf looks at the ocelot with panicked, pacing eyes. She unwittingly drops her spoon on the floor, startling them both.

"I'm still surprised it hasn't come back to bite me."

Winter picks up her spoon. "How have you gotten away with it?"

"Crevecoeur was my handler. We stayed at the hotel where the mark was staying. The mark's mother was the client. She told us where to go. Since the mark's a kid, Crevecoeur thought I could do this by myself. He led me to the kid's room while he stayed behind. So I was by myself. Once he let me in, I saw how young he was...I changed my mind."

"But why would you do that?!"

Tivoli purses her lips. "I sense you're mad at me."

"Oh really? Whatever gave you that idea?"

"But you're just like me. You're barely a member yourself. How can you be mad at me?"

"Because you didn't kill him. That's pretty much treason right there. That's the ultimate goal and one I take seriously. I failed to kill one mark and was made to give him up. It happened days ago but it still bothers me. That's how dedicated I am to this work. But you--"

"Aren't you going to hear me out before you judge my actions?"

"What possible reason do you have to let the mark go?"

Tivoli rubs her forehead worryingly. "Seriously, I'm telling you this because I need some help. I've chosen to tell you instead of Paraná, even though I'm living with him. I thought you'd be more understanding."

"But I don't understand. If he was so easy, then why didn't you kill him?"

"Oh God...." The ocelot covers her face for a second, making the wolf less angry. "You've seen the news, right?"

"I don't really watch the news."

"Sorry. I forgot. My second apprentice mark was Arlo McDaniels. The third was his son, Keith. Paraná was supposed to whack McDaniels, but when the mark came back instead of my handler, I knew something was wrong. I waited as long as I could before I had to take matters into my own hands. Doing the job myself was really difficult and when it was finished, I was physically spent. A week passed before Crevecoeur gave me Keith. When I saw him, everything that happened with his father came back to me, so I was emotionally spent. I told him I didn't want to kill him and pretty much gave him an ultimatum."

Upon hearing the name, Winter stared wide-eyed at her friend. "I know that name. Robert told me he had been after that guy when he got kicked off the force. You killed him?"

"It was the hardest thing I've ever done, using my knife that way for the very first time. When it was done, I needed help walking away. I just couldn't get through all that again." She lays her arms flat on the table and lays her head on top of them. "I don't think I can keep doing this job."

Winter nods, a little less angry and a lot more resolute. "You need more than help with work. You need a confidence boost."

Tivoli practically hides her face. "If I could just get stronger."

"What's that? I couldn't hear you."

She stands and puts her hands in her pockets. "If I could get a little stronger, just gain a little muscle, then I'm sure things will change for me. I work out, I jog every day, but I don't think I'm doing enough."

"Well, I'm not sure I can help you there. Shiloh's the one who works out. I just eat healthfully. I wouldn't know the first thing to tell you. Besides, getting stronger wouldn't help you kill any more than a strong will can."

"Hey, wait a minute. My first time at the office, the chief was showing me around. He showed me the makeshift gym in the cafeteria and told me that Shiloh didn't need to use it because he had a gym in his basement."

"Yeah, he does. I hardly ever use it."

"Well, can I see it?" Tivoli smiles hopefully. "Can I see what it looks like?"

Winter finishes her meal, trying not to laugh too hard. She shrugs and nods. "Sure, I'll show you." She leaves the table while Tivoli follows. "I think you'll like it better than what's in the cafeteria. But I must warn you, I'm new to weight training so I'm not sure what anything is. But I am familiar with the bench press."

"Oh, I like the bench press. Back in high school, I could lift fifty pounds. I'm sure I can do more than that."

Winter turns on the basement light. Still holding on to the empty bowl, she leads the way until they reach the expertly furnished basement. It has red, wall-to-wall, plush carpeting all over the room. The end farthest from the stairs has a theater-style, big-screen television with speakers on either side of it. Right in the middle of the room stands an assortment of fitness equipment that Tivoli immediately gravitates to. There are two spinning machines standing side by side. Next to them are a stair stepper and a treadmill. To their left, next to a closed door, is where the bench is. Tivoli looks around but sees no bench press weights.

"I like it," the ocelot says. Her spirits are rising every minute. "I love everything in here."

"Yeah, he spared no expense. Most afternoons, when he's not working, he's here. I stand by and watch him, but I'm not motivated enough to join in."

"You don't exercise?"

"Walking and riding the motorcycle--that's my exercise."

Tivoli laughs softly before turning to the wolf. "All right, I told mine. Now you tell yours."

"What's that?"

"Where did Shiloh head off to?"

Winter sighs and joins her friend by the spinning machines. "I think I'm going to be sick."

"What's the matter?"

"Yesterday, Shiloh chose a mark based in Death Valley."

"Oh, you mean Death Valley National Park?"

"Beyond the park grounds. In the desert itself."

Tivoli chuckle with disbelief, but then sees the anger on the wolf's face. "Wow. You're serious. How's he gonna do it?"

"I don't know, but apparently he's got everything figured out!" She breathes heavily and looks at the ceiling. "I really don't know about this."

"You have doubts? I'm surprised. Every time I see him, I think he could pass for a furry Superman. He's really stacked...and since he's been at this longer than any of us, he should be smart enough to pull this off."

"He's a city slicker. Take him anywhere where there's a bunch of streets and tall buildings, and he'll find his way around very easily. But take him out of his element, and he'll be as lost as a foreigner."

"Is he headed there now?"

"Nah, he went to get more supplies. He will leave for the desert at noon and he says he'll be gone for six days. I'm used to his leaving for days on end, but this is going to be drastically different."

"You want me to wait with you?"

"You what?"

Tivoli chuckles and sits on the bench. "Now that you're not mad at me anymore, let me wait with you. We can catch up."

"Well, I'm not mad. Just confused. How did you convince your mark to get lost? And how do you know he won't return?"

The ocelot closes her eyes and inhales deeply. "You know what? I think I will have something to eat after all. It'll take some time to answer that question."