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Venom: Scenes of Chaos. Part 2

"Pity."

My ex-girlfriend has found my character synopsis sheet. She said she found it in the front seat of her car. It was the first paper I wrote to record the recurring dreams I had been having. It started out as a small summary of the characters, then turned into a more detailed bio sheet. In time, I went from summarizing the characters to actually putting their stories down on paper. The bio would be amended with every newcomer to the story that made an impact, not including the marks themselves. The additions have slowed down to a crawl in recent weeks. I think everyone who is going to be in the story is already there.

Suni says she has read the first five chapters where all but one of the female main characters has been properly introduced. I put the women first since they are clearly the focus, as slipshod as the focus can sometimes be. Impressed with the results so far, she reads the character bio.

_ _

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

Theodore Mullins: Everybody calls him Ted. That means everybody, from his boss to his peers, from the hitmen to the janitor. That and his sometimes aloof demeanor make him the least formal leader in the business world. He started the hitman project, which flourished from a two- to three-man operation to a company within itself, although with less mature members. The thirty or so killers are helping to make the company money while making a rather good living for themselves. He silently reaps the rewards of the project while working for the loan company in which his workers call home.

Colin Besser and Joseph Luisi: Underlings who work under Ted Mullins, who work on both sides of the spectrum. On the legal side, they evaluate applications and reject or award loans to eager customers. On the hitman side, they give out the reward money to the furry workers at the end of the workday. Nobody in the office works harder than they do, but their roles are muted by circumstance. They’re work is not really recognized by the higher-ups, and the hitmen only like them when they are getting paid. That said, Colin was attacked by Pamila after a disagreement, so he may still have a part to play. Joseph is the guard of the Treasure Chest, a deep intrawall vault where the hitman money is kept.

Simon Blank: The company’s road warrior. He scours the internet, specifically the obscure and code-filled website where the hitmen’s clients make requests for help. He then makes contact with and travels to the clients at a pre-arranged meeting place. The client orders the hit, making a down payment, then he and a fellow worker make the hit official. He laminates the picture of the future victim, posting everything from last known location to reward money. Deeply involved with the hitmen, he was also the handler for two of them, Pamila and Camille. He does virtually nothing for the loans side of the business.

Robert Crevecoeur: Not only a former police officer like the other execs, but a former detective. Like Simon Blank, he keeps the side project going. He scours the website, visits clients, gets pictures and a down payment, and sometimes conducts the daily meetings. Unlike the other executives who help the project run, he helps with the hits. He has people on the field, former police like him, who facilitate the harder and more dangerous hits. That can make him invaluable out on the field. He is good friends with a couple of the hitmen, Shiloh, one of the first, and his girlfriend Winter. He has been integral in a few happenings within and without the company. He may have many parts to play yet.

Vivian Cross: She is the CEO of Rapid Recovery and in effect owns both the business and the business within. She humored a request by Ted Mullins, at the time her only coworker, many years ago. Because of it, she has now inherited a colony of hitmen about thirty members strong. She presides all of that while also leading the loans part of her business. Even with all of that on her plate, she still finds time to leave her company and support the incumbent governor of California when he comes to town. She is in the news for her business prowess and because she is friends with the governor. The hitman side of the business gives her problems with constant infighting and the odd bit of carelessness, but she has been able to cope very well.

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

“The cafeteria food is not half bad when you are hungry,” Winter tells herself. She is digging into a Texas omelet like it was the last one that will ever be made. On the plate next to it is a bagel with cream cheese liberally spread. It is not as much she usually eats in the morning and the eggs are gone in short order.

She is still in St. John the Baptist Hospital and this is the rare occasion that she is not by her boyfriend’s bedside. She has been there, living with him, for the last two weeks, watching his rehabilitation progress slowly and steadily. For the most part, she has never complained, never gotten scared, and apparently never longed for home. In between bites of her breakfast, she stares off into space, reminiscing or reflecting. Whatever pops into her head makes her smile, even chuckle. At one time, she sits there for five minutes straight with her chin resting on her right palm, her right elbow dangerously close to slipping off the edge of the table. It is a happy memory to be sure. She closes her eyes and sighs with content.

“…Are you working tonight?”

“Yes, ma’am. I am.”

“Pulling a double shift?”

“I have to. Big storms coming in tonight. We’re expecting a lot of accidents. It’ll be pandemonium. I have to be here twelve hours from now.”

“I feel for you, girl. I really do.”

“Yeah, I feel for me too. What time is it?”

“It’s…shit! It’s 7:30. I don’t even have time for coffee.”

Winter gasps and automatically breaks out of her trance. She repeats the time to herself and quickly devours what remains of her breakfast. She almost knocks the chair over while standing up, and runs into the two chatting nurses on her way out of the cafeteria.

The wolf jogs to her destination, but on the way, she stops at the front of a store. It is a gift shop, just one of several in the compound, and it has just opened. She nods and steps inside. There is a fine assortment of items that would make interesting and thoughtful gifts. She greets the shopkeepers and looks around, quickly scanning every item on every shelf. She smiles once she makes her choice and eagerly picks an item from the accessories section. It is a motorcycle scarf, proudly displaying the emblem of the motorcycle her mate bought for her. He rides it too, but not lately.

Winter wastes no time in making the purchase. She inspects the design and decides to try it on, wrapping it snugly around her neck. She leaves the store and runs to her destination, giggling to herself. The Harley Davidson logo boldly flaps behind her neck as she runs, getting the attention of many a passerby. She adjusts it once on the elevator, and readjusts it when she gets to the ward her mate has called home for the last two weeks.

While clearly happy, Winter forces calmness on her face as she traipses through the somber-sounding hallway that leads to the nurses’ station. She passes a line of open doors, each revealing a sick or dying individual. The new scarf lies limp around her neck, also giving the sick their respect. Five doors later, she reaches Shiloh’s room.

Her smile returns when she sees Shiloh’s face, then opens up upon seeing Robert Crevecoeur. She waves at the human while closing in on her beau. “What are you doing here? Shouldn’t you be at work?”

He watches the wolves kiss and politely lowers his head. “Well, you did tell me there was a chance he’d be going home today. Since you don’t have transport, I thought I’d step in.”

“Aw, how sweet, but we would have been okay calling a taxi.”

“No, we wouldn’t,” Shiloh says gruffly.

Crevecoeur nods. “I agree. Seriously though, you two are worth the trouble. You’re the best worker in the company, bar none.” He points at Winter and smiles. “And you, my friend, are coming into your own quite nicely.”

“Really?” Winter giggles and sits next to her man. “How far along am I from the others?”

“I don’t know. We don’t have a point system.”

“I’ll bet no one makes more than me though.”

“Not at the moment.”

“Yes.”

“Except for Pamila, from what Ted tells us. She’s worked tirelessly since her suspension and she’s done a job a night this week.”

Winter shrugs and holds Shiloh’s hand. The name of her rival seems to have no effect. “I could do that.”

“No, don’t try,” Shiloh says. “That girl’s crazy. Don’t do what she does.” He turns to the executive with a pained look on his face. “Question, Robert. You’ve had concussions before, haven’t you?”

The human chuckles and nods. “Of course.”

“How long do those subside?”

“No real way to know for sure.”

“I can’t remember anything.”

“You can’t remember what happened that day?”

“I can’t remember anything. I can’t remember where I went. I can’t even remember the client’s name.”

“But you remember you had a client.”

Winter licks his right cheek, getting his attention. “Is that really a priority right now, Shy?”

“Well, I fell it’s rather important to k now.”

“Isn’t it enough that you’re safe and about to go home?”

Shiloh looks at the ceiling and rolls his eyes in frustration. “This has never happened to me before.”

“Us, baby. Both of us.” She crosses her legs under herself and closes her eyes. “Just remember not to remember without me. We don’t need you flying off the handle like you did the last time you got injured.”

Crevecoeur nods. “Whenever my wife wanted me to keep stuff in mind, she’d use pneumonic devices and force me to remember them. As much as I tried not to rely on them, they worked when I was patient enough and really needed to remember anything of importance. It could work for you.”

“And how long would that take?”

“Like I said earlier, there’s no real way to know for sure.”

“Well, that’s okay. He’ll have plenty of time to do so because he’s not going to work for a while.”

“You guys got a long time off planned?”

Shiloh continues to look at the ceiling, listening to his girl plan his near future for him. “We’re taking three months off of work. That’s my mandate. I don’t care what the doctor says and I don’t care how much Shiloh would think it’s a bad thing weeks from now. Three months off. That’s my rule.”

The wolves look at each other. She looks at him lovingly, with a happily ignorant, carefree smile. He looks at her with businesslike scorn. It seems he hardly agrees with what she has planned. Her smile borders on annoying to him, so much so that he lowers his head in a manner that denotes acquiescence. His eyes are glassy, his right arm is in a sling, and his hands are shaking. If there was ever a time before when he looked so helpless, this moment probably surpasses that.

Winter puts her left arm around him, being careful not to press on the injured clavicle. “I’m sorry. I know this hurts, and I don’t mean just your shoulder. You’ve come a long way to be the best in the workplace and the main breadwinner in our house. You should be proud of that. I’m proud of that too, but….”

She stutters and stops, taking in a sharp breath and looking at Crevecoeur, who just shrugs pointlessly. She joins him in looking at the floor, clearly frightened of what she stopped herself from saying. She takes a couple of more silent breaths, drawing the attention of the men who wait for her to finish her last statement.

Keeping her head down, she says, “You know, I’ve been hesitant to ask you this, even when I thought you needed it, but if we took a short vacation, we….” She stops to listen to Shiloh inhale sharply, clearly disapproving. She raises her head with him. “Hear me out, please. You’ve got nothing to prove to anyone. You’re already the best at what you do. You’ve made enough money over the last couple of months to buy ten Harleys. You’ve been great. But now, it’s time to stop. Just for a little bit.”

“With you, there’s no such thing as a little bit.” Shiloh huffs and looks at her. He is not so much angry as a bit disappointed. Seconds later, he looks at Crevecoeur standing right in front of him. “Behind you,” he says. The man turns around to see a couple of white-coated individuals coming through the nurses’ station.

Winter looks beyond the human to see them and realizes the return home is just hours away. She nods happily, but is still focused on talking with her mate. Despite his last statement, she is not deterred. “Let’s go to Paris,” she whispers at him.

While he looks at her in surprise, Crevecoeur starts to back away. “That’s my cue. The discharge process usually takes a couple of hours. I’ll be in the waiting room when you two are ready. Hey Shiloh, don’t even worry, okay? You’ll be fine.” He walks slowly through the door, passing the feline doctors on the way.

The doctors are still feet away, looking at files and talking to the other nurses. The gray wolf turns to his lover and winces. “Paris?”

She looks at the arriving physicians, whispering, “Why not?”

“I don’t speak French.”

“Neither do I, but plenty of them speak English. It’ll be fun.”

“I’m not going there.”

“Aw, come on.”

“You don’t speak French, you never been to a French-speaking country before, and you don’t know how to travel once you get there. If you want to go on vacation, why don’t you pick a place that officially speaks what we speak?”

“Like where?”

“You don’t have to keep whispering. Why not Canada? Vancouver’s directly north of us. Why not there?”

“Does Vancouver have the Eiffel Tower?”

Shiloh raises his eye brows. “Eye-full Tower? What’s that? That some kind of building?”

“Come on, stop kidding around. I really wanna go.”

“Well, you’re going to ‘wanna’ do a lot of things that you won’t be able to.”

“So, that‘s a no to Paris then?”

“That’s a no to vacations. Even if I didn’t have the embarrassment of this thing on my arm, I’m still not going. You can go if you want to though I’d suggest you vacation in Canada.”

She pouts. “Too cold.”

“You’re a wolf.”

“So?”

Shiloh laughs and leans into her. “You know a place I haven’t been in a long time?”

“What’s that?”

“Juneau.” He laughs again as he feels his mate turning away from him. “I know you don’t think too much of mom, but it’s been almost a year.”

“She doesn’t think too much of me either.”

“Yeah. She hates white people.” He laughs heartily as the doctors enter.

“We’ll discuss this later,” Winter says. She is a little peeved, but that goes away quickly as the more urgent matter surfaces. The three white cats in white lab coats enter and extend their hands. Included among them is the one who led the surgery team. It was a team, she says, of ten people who took more than ten hours to get the wolf into shape.

“Your husband’s a big boy,” the doctor says, laughing. “And he’s lucky we had just enough donor blood to keep him alive for the whole thing. Because when it comes to saving lives, we doctors need all the help we can get.” She leans her face close to Winter’s eyes. “Hint, hint.”

The white wolf clears her throat nervously. “I don’t like needles.”

The doctor smirks in response. “Pity.” She then turns her attention to the patient. “You ready to go home?”

Shiloh is still giggling at his earlier joke. “About as ready as I can be.”

“You’ve got Oxycontin coming your way. You think you can handle it?”

“Of course. I’m not working for the foreseeable future.”

“Stay off your feet for at least a week longer, okay? And don’t forget to change the dressings on your belly in a couple of days. Now lift your shirt. Let me listen to your lungs.”

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

Winter and Shiloh are sitting in the back seat of Crevecoeur’s minivan. The gray wolf looks straight ahead like a statue, only looking behind him occasionally. He feels neither happy about leaving the hospital nor sad about his condition. Sometimes he takes the occasional deep breath, but throughout his emotionlessly blank.

Winter sits next to him, constantly licking and kissing his right cheek. She seems oblivious to the happenings of the past week as she loves on him like nothing bad ever happened. She holds both his hands and rests her head on his shoulder. Her feeling of calm seems not to transfer to him as he continues to brood.

Crevecoeur is stuck in the morning rush hour traffic. There is nothing for him to really do but relax and wait. He puts the car on park and folds his arms angrily. “Nowhere to go in the next few minutes he says,” but he is speaking to nobody but himself. Behind him, Winter is whispering in Shiloh’s ear, seductively and incessantly. He hears “Kiss me. Please kiss me,” over and over for five straight minutes, then looks in the rear view mirror to see him submit. “Hey, keep it clean back there,” he says.

Winter giggles and sits on her mate’s lap. She guides his face towards hers and presses her nose firmly against his. He responds by rubbing her thighs with his free hand. When she leans on him, she is careful to mind the sling, but still manages to get a couple of tender pecks on his muzzle. She tends to get lost in his kisses, and that is just about to happen here until he suddenly looks up at the roof. “Aw, shit!”

Winter recoils. “What’s wrong?”

“I think I just….” He hangs his head and strains his eyes for a couple of minutes. Without a word, the moment passes.

“Did you remember something?”

“Thought I did.”

“And it went away?”

“Could you get off my lap, please?”

She looks at him for a few seconds with a puzzled look on her face, but she eventually does what he asks. “Are you okay?”

“I just need to think for a minute.”

“Don’t think too hard. If it won’t come, that’s all right. Don’t beat yourself up.”

“Try and remember. That’s stupid advice.”

Crevecoeur clears his throat and steps on the gas pedal. “If you can’t remember things you can’t control, then you should at least know about the things you did.”

“Yeah? Like what?”

“For example, the car. Which car did you take and where did you park it?”

Shiloh looks at the back of the driver’s head with a bit of shock. He stammers as his girl looks on. “It was the station wagon,” she says. “You filled it with supplies and clothes. We kissed each other goodbye and you drove away.”

“The baseball caps,” he says.

“Hey, you remembered something.” She smiles and kisses him again. “Just watch. In a day or two, you’ll have it all back.”

The rest of the trip home goes without much said. Winter looks the happiest she has ever been while Shiloh looks about as miserable as someone with his luck can possibly be. His eyes flutter with desperation as he tries to gather anything he can from the day he left or the days he spent in Death Valley. His hands twitch with silent rage at his failures.

Winter notices the overpass above them and realizes they are almost there. “Robert, could we stop at your house first and collect our mail?”

“Of course. I almost forgot. It’s been piling up. You two must be really popular.”

“Yeah, real popular. The bill collectors just love us.”

“It’s not as bad as all that.”

She smiles. “You haven’t been reading any of it, have you? Speaking of which, I got to get the mail Tivoli has as well. But you don’t have to take me.” She looks at her boy once more and tries to smile through the deepening concern. “I’m sorry, baby. I didn’t realize we’d still be in the hospital after leaving it.”

Shiloh scoffs. “Don’t say that. I’m not senile.”

“I didn’t say you were, but you’ve still got a long way to go. You remember where the station wagon is?”

“Don’t rush me. I’m still trying to remember what day it is.” He leans closer to her and smells the top of her head. “You smell different. Did you just come from an auto parts store?”

“Huh? Oh, yes!” She unwraps the scarf that had been around her neck the whole time. “For you. Happy Birthday.” She folds it and hands it to him, smiling mindlessly while watching him unfold it.

His face does not lose its stoic burn. He does raise his eyebrows when the length and design of the scarf are completely exposed. Shiloh loves Harleys and the memorabilia that accompanies them. His basement mancave is teeming with motorcycle accessories and books on maintenance. Surely a motorcycle scarf would fit in with his massive collection. He drapes the long cloth around his neck and hangs his head once again.

“Wow. Some thank you.”

“My birthday’s not ‘til March.”

“I know. I was kidding. This is my reward for recuperating so quickly.”

“Leave me alone.”

Firm and undeterred, she kisses his forehead. “Just for that, you’re staying in the car. I’ll get you some of Robert’s barbecue. If it doesn’t cheer you up, nothing will.”

Crevecoeur laughs. “Sorry, friends. Kids took it all. If you’re willing to be patient though, I’ll make you both something.”

The trip to the Crevecoeur household does not take long. Winter looks forward to the trip as the break from the long drive could ease the tension in the car, and maybe lighten her boyfriend’s surly disposition. Five minutes later, Crevecoeur parks his minivan on the curb right across from his house. Winter wastes no time getting out and waiting by the front door.

Shiloh looks on helplessly as his lover and their friend enter the house, stroking his forehead with his free hand. “Where did I park that car?” he asks himself.

Meanwhile, Winter peruses her boss’ living room giddily. She sits down on one of the couches by the window. “I haven’t been here in a while,” she says.

“You haven’t been in an actual house in a while,” Crevecoeur answers. The mail’s in the kitchen. I’ll be right back.”

Winter stretches her feet on the coffee table when she notices a black envelope on it. She stands and picks it up. It has already been opened. “It seems your kids got to the mail first,” she says. She takes the letter out and notices a bill for the motorcycle Shiloh bought her. She unfolds it, reads it for a couple of seconds, then returns it to its home.

Crevecoeur returns with a handful of stuffed envelopes. “You got a couple here from work. One looks like it’s from the chief.”

“Aw. She’s been thinking about me. Or rather, him.”

“They’ve been opened too. I’m sorry about that.”

“If your kids read them, they might know about what you really do for work.”

“Nah. The chief wouldn’t be stupid enough to actually write to you guys while exposing what you both do in a letter. At least she does the snail mail route when writing the hitmen. Can you imagine what could happen if she sent you well wishes through email?”

Winter laughs as she takes her mail from him. “Dear Shiloh. Glad to hear you’re doing well. Now come back to work and kill somebody.” She places the mail on the coffee table. “No, she’s not that dumb.” She reaches out and embraces him, planting her muzzle on his forehead. “Thanks for everything.”

“Anytime, girl.”

She laughs again. “You remember the conversation we were having before we were rudely interrupted by the phone call from St. John’s?”

“Hmm? What conversation?”

“You know, you moron.” She raises her eyebrows in anticipation of an affirmative answer. “We were at Ted’s place and I had just brought up the idea of--”

“Aw, shit. I’m sorry. I completely forgot.”

“You forgot?”

“Well, I’ve been rather busy with work and other outside projects.”

She releases him. “And you never had time to think about what I asked you?”

“Well, I’m not even sure it’s that big a deal. Tivoli actually showed up to two meetings this week and--”

“And? Did she take anything?”

“Well, the first time, she didn’t. The second time, I was too busy to notice.”

“Robert, she’s obviously suffering from something. It’s got to do with her botched hunt. She’s obviously still nervous.”

“Hey, the hunt wasn’t botched.”

“Mr. McDaniels only died because you killed him.”

Crevecoeur turns serious and points at her sternly. “Hey, you realize what you’re saying, right? You don’t think she can hunt anymore. You’re ostensibly saying that she shouldn’t be hunting at all. You’re saying that Ted made a mistake in hiring her.”

Winter picks up the mail from the coffee table and backs away, clearly disappointed. “That’s really too bad.”

“Give her a chance. I think she can get back to normal once she actually takes a job.”

“Those men will eat her alive, and you know it.”

“I can’t just give her a mark. The boys are angry enough at Shiloh for taking work from them. They don’t need a female version of him to hate as well.”

Winter opens the front door, but stops to think for a moment. She releases a couple of deep, uncomfortable breaths and opens her mouth to speak. At that moment, the minivan’s horn blares as an impatient grey wolf reminds them of his presence.

“Look, I’ll think about it, okay? Let’s just go before your boyfriend breaks the steering wheel.”

Winter kisses his cheek as he passes her. “I’m already that female version of Shiloh you’re talking about. Tivoli will be fine. I’m just asking you to throw her a bone. I’m sure she’ll appreciate it.”

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

Miranda is all alone in the Rapid Recovery lobby. She has turned one of the chairs around to face the television. More news of the upcoming governor’s race and a major shakeup at the LAPD. She watches the broadcast while hurriedly looking at watch again and again, several times a minute. There is a big, round clock face on the wall just inches behind the television that could do the job just as well. Whoever she is waiting for is a bit tardy.

On TV, the challenger for Governor Benton Cartwright’s seat is making news for an unusual reason. It seems that at a gathering in support for a downballot candidate, his daughter sang the national anthem, only she sung its second verse, instead of the more well-known first verse. When asked why she did was she did, he answered, “Because the first verse ends with a question. The second verse answers it.”

Miranda shakes her head in smug disapproval. “You’re still not gonna win.” Suddenly, the front doors jiggle, taking the psychiatrist by surprise. She looks through the doors to see a young, red-haired girl banging on the glass. “About time,” she whispers. She has taken off her high heels to get more comfortable and runs to the double doors.

The girl takes off her baseball cap to reveal that her hair and fur match. She tries to brush the hair off her cheeks. She is a young, red fox, most likely younger than twenty. “Sorry if I scared you. I thought I was being followed.”

“That’s all right.”

“You got a big office.”

“Nah. This is just the lobby. My office is nearby. I’ve got a place to hang your coat there. Follow me.”

The fox places her coat on the nearest chair. “Actually, couldn’t we just stay here? It feels really warm and comfortable.”

Miranda stops and looks at her watch. “Well, I guess ten minutes wouldn’t hurt. You can tell me your problem here and I can diagnose you in my office.”

The fox giggles. “Great!”

“But we do have to leave the lobby by eight o’clock.”

“Oh, no problem. Actually, now that I’ve seen you face to face, I’m less nervous about spilling my guts.”

“Really? That’s a good start.”

The fox sits and clears her throat. “This won’t take long. You see, a friend of mine is getting married to her long time boyfriend. The guy is a rich Wall Street type, you see, and Doris is a wolf just like he is. She’s a dear friend of mine, along with my two other friends, Ruth and Danae. We’ve been close since sophomore year. None of us came from money, but Doris had known Patrick since middle school. His family’s rich, to say the least. We were jealous of Doris at first, but in time we came to know Patrick. Also, as we got close to graduation, we leaned on Doris because she’s marrying into a wealthy wolf tribe. We’re kind of hoping she won’t forget us after she gets married, and that she’ll let us in on some of her newfound wealth.”

Miranda sits on the front desk and laughs. “Naturally.”

“Of course, Doris, being the friend she is, calmed us down and said yes. To prove it further, she arranged a party for us! A bachelorette party of sorts.”

“Isn’t that backwards? Aren’t the guests supposed to surprise the bride-to-be?”

“I’m telling you, that’s how considerate Doris is to her buddies. None of us had any thoughts about throwing her a bachelorette party. She surprised us instead. It was her way of saying she’d never forget us after she got married. Anyway, during the party, which was held at my house, she got a phone call on her cell. It was from a neighbor of hers…who just spied Patrick leaving his house with another woman. They just headed into his car and drove off.”

“Oh, man. That sucks.”

“The next day, our worst fears were confirmed. Patrick and that woman were in “more than friends” territory. Long story short, the wedding’s off. They still plan on marrying, but me and my friends…we’re not gonna be seeing that money any time soon.”

“Oh. So…that’s it?”

“Huh?”

“Well, the problem you told me over the phone was…kinda different.”

The young vixen’s face suddenly turns sour. She hangs her head and brushes her hands over her curly hair. “You’re right. It’s all bullshit. Everything I’ve told you…that was all just a stall. My problem was what happened at the bachelorette party.”

“Do tell.”

“You’re not gonna think bad of me or anything, are you?”

“My feelings don’t matter.” Miranda leaves the desk and crouches in front of her. “Trust me. Nothing bad will happen and nothing you say can be repeated. Come on. Raise your head. What happened at the party?”

She sighs in response. “I’m…not a virgin, but it had been a couple of years when I last had sex. I just wanted to start with that before I told you.” She stands and puts some distance between her and Miranda. “The party was scheduled for three days ago. Friday. All week, Doris said she’d surprise us with something we’d all enjoy. We were so excited. Then the day of the party came. Me, Danae, and Ruth were in my house, waiting for her to arrive.”

Miranda’s sight leaves the patient for a moment to gaze quickly at the doors and windows. Nobody seems to be pulling up to the front lot. Satisfied, she returns to the conversation. It had continued without her mental presence, so she has missed some information.

“…She came into my house with a human. Doris had a regular, good-looking, old-fashioned human male with her. They walked in arm-in-arm as if they were dating. Everyone looked at him, then looked at Doris. She was smiling from ear to ear. I asked her what the hell was going on.” The fox swallows with trepidation.

“Well? What she say?”

“Well…she reminded us of a dinner we went to after prom a couple of months ago. We were talking about our sexual exploits right after she brought up the fact that she and Patrick recently did it for the first time. She was bragging about how good it was and how long she was able to last. I forgot how long she said she lasted before cumming, but Danae call bullshit on it and bragged that she had more endurance. One thing led to another and…we started comparing each other’s sexual will power.”

“And…how long did you say you lasted before--”

“It doesn’t matter. There was no way to test it, so we forget about it. After dinner, we just returned the prom dresses from where we rented them, returned to our homes, and never brought it up again.”

Miranda gasps. “Oh, so that’s the reason Doris brought the human to the party at your house.”

The fox nods. “You catch on quick. Doris said, ‘It’s time to find out, once and for all, who’s the toughest.’ Ruth and Danae laughed like it was nothing. I was completely horrified. You don’t just spring this on people when they’re not ready.”

“Now that is a surprise. Who was the guy? A prostitute?”

“Some guy from the Chinatown area doing escort work on the side. I objected harshly, to the point of embarrassing myself in front of everybody. Doris was unmoved. She said she’d make it worth our while. We each get a turn with him. Whoever takes the longest to cum wins a thousand. If you’re the first to make him cum, you get an extra thousand. Since it was her fiancé’s money she was playing with, it seemed okay. I stopped complaining because I knew I needed the dough. We all did. So we greeted him, then we cut a deck of cards to determine the order. Just my luck, I drew the ace.”

“Of course.”

“We set everything up in the basement. We moved all the furniture to the side and Doris got a mattress from the nearest bedroom. She set it down on the floor and we just got started. Even though he was eager, I gave the orders. After I got past my initial nervousness, it was actually quite fun. Then the doubts started.”

“Doubts?”

“The foreplay was great. He was gentle and caring. His hands knew where to go. Everything was great…until I tried it out. First of all, I didn’t think he’d be so…prepared for someone his size. I don’t mean to be rude, but I thought Asians were supposed to be…you know….”

“Small?”

“And second, his bent at an angle. I didn’t know human dicks were supposed to do that.”

“Some don’t. Were you on top?”

The fox nods bashfully.

“And what happened?”

“I felt feelings I hadn’t endured in a very long time…or ever. I wanted to stop right away, but there was money to win. I started slow, of course, and it took me time to get used to it. Matter of fact, Ruth complained that I was stalling, and therefore cheating. So I sped up and let his member all the way in. I didn’t know it was supposed to…feel like that.”

“So it was different than before?”

“I felt a jolt. My tail stuck straight out, like it was being pulled. I felt faint for a split second.”

“Did it hurt?”

The fox sniffs and crosses her legs. “It was a different kind of pain. It felt the way it was supposed to feel, but not before this intense spark. It made me shudder. Like I said, I wanted to stop, but the others were egging me on, so I had to get used to it right away.”

“I take it you lost.”

The patient hangs her head. “I squirted.”

Miranda presses her lips together, wincing as if in pain. “Oh, I’m so sorry.”

“Right in front of everybody. Something else that was new to me. I didn’t know I could do that. I felt horrible.” With her head still hung, she angrily kicks off her shoes and gets comfortable in her seat. “I lay on top of the man, shaking. The other girls said nothing for a while. I think I stained one of their shoes.”

“How did you feel?”

The patient looks at the doctor with tears in her eyes. “I felt delighted. I mean, it felt really good as it happened. Then I remembered where I was. So…delighted, then ashamed. I felt so dirty, so undignified.”

A knock on the door startles them both. Miranda gasps and looks at her watch. “Shit. We may have overstayed our welcome.”

The fox stands, wearing after bearing her soul, and carefully puts on her shoes. “I think I’m going to be sick.”

Miranda carefully sneaks up to the glass doors, sighing after seeing who is on the other side. It is not a worker. She sighs with relief and opens the door. “I’m sorry. We don’t open yet for five more minutes.”

“Um…I was told to come here by 7:45. I know I’m ten minutes late, but--”

“Shit! I mean…Is your name Elsie?”

The girl is Basset Hound about half Miranda’s size. Barely a teenager. She is wearing a sweater with the logo of a local college and a pleated cheerleader skirt. “I’ve got the money, but I don’t have much time. I figured I’d pay half for half a session.” She smiles bashfully. “Is that all right?”

“Shit! I double-booked!” She turns to look at her current patient, who is still stinging from telling Miranda her secrets. The girls look at her impatiently, expecting her next move. The sight of their shrink panicking rightfully unnerves them both. “I’m sorry about all this,” she says. “It’s almost eight. Let’s get out of the lobby and into my office, before anyone else shows up.”

Breathing heavily, Miranda locks the front door and hurriedly makes her way to the hall with her patients in tow. They have left just in time, because a couple of cars are slowly creeping their way in the front lot. She leads them to her office and turns on the lights. “Both of you have a seat.”

The fox exhales with great pain. “Are you gonna help me or not?”

“Give me a second, okay?” She paces back and forth by her desk. “You two just have a seat. Let me think this over. I’ve got an appointment at nine, so the quicker we finish, the better. I….” She stops pacing and looks at the girls. “I don’t suppose you will allow me to diagnose you both at the same time.” She chuckles as the girls look at one another. “As a matter of fact, you two have just about the same problem.”

Elsie raises her eyebrows, still looking at the young fox. “You’ve got issues with your human boyfriend too?”

While the fox tries to stutter an answer, Miranda calmly sits on her desk. “The both of you have been forced into situations that you thought you could handle that eventually went beyond your control. For you Elsie, you were forced by peer pressure. Frankly, I thought the pressure to lose your virginity before you got to college was a relic of the ‘90s. I didn’t know it was still a thing.” She points to the fox. “And for you, Peg, it was money. And because of your immediate needs, you both experienced sex with a human for the very first time. Now, we already know how it made you feel, Peg.” She points to the hound. “How about you, Elsie?”

She chuckles in response. “It’s no big deal.”

“That’s not what you told me over the phone when we were scheduling this appointment. “

“My boyfriend’s big. Bigger than I ever thought was possible. I thought I was ready, but I was sorely mistaken. I was on top…and I wanted to get off…but he wouldn’t let me.” Elsie surprises herself with her sudden bravado. She pauses for a couple of seconds, then leans forward. “I even screamed to stop, but he was too busy cumming. He just held me down with his tree trunk arms and came, roaring like a beast.” She looks around and chuckles again. “Huh. I didn’t think I’d say all that out loud.”

“He didn’t…violate you, did he?”

“I can understand that it might have looked bad to someone who wasn’t there, but I assure you, everything’s all right. We talked it out and he promised that he’d listen to me next time we had sex. I just….” Elsie crosses her feet under her and loses the bluster. Her voice is suddenly softer and full of concern. “I just wanted to know if you think this’ll be an issue in the future.”

Miranda raises her eyebrows. “How much have you talked to your boyfriend about this? This sounds like something--”

“I know I should have brought it up with him, but I’m really shy about it, so I don’t want to. I love him very much and…I don’t want to think of him being overly aggressive and unresponsive when we make love. That’s why I came to you. Do you think this is gonna be a problem?”

“Hmm. Maybe you ought to bring him over for a future session.”

Elsie shakes her head in disagreement, but before she can say anything, Peg stands up in a huff. “I’m sorry!” she yells. “I don’t want to share my problems with somebody else in the room.” She picks up her coat from the arm of the couch and starts to walk out.

Miranda stands and runs toward her. “Wait a minute! I’m sorry, okay? I didn’t mean to book you and someone else at the same time. As you may have guessed, I’m pretty new at this.”

“You sure are.”

“But look, you and Elsie aren’t so different. I can help you both at once. I promise it won’t be embarrassing. Besides, you came all the way here to get my advice. Your issue is serious enough that I think you should stay.”

With Elsie looking on and probably having second thoughts herself, Peg takes a couple of unconvinced breaths. “Where’s your restroom?”

“Across the door, right behind you. Look, just think about it, okay? I know it’s inconvenient having someone else here, but I think your issue will be a learning experience for you both. Let’s try to use this nuisance into an advantage.”

Peg nods, but says nothing as she opens the office door. The effects from her confession have sullied her appearance. Far from the confidence she had when she first came in, she now looks inconsolably hurt. He grips her shoulders with her hands and starts to cry on her way to the restroom. She stops at the door and dries her tears before pushing it open.

Right in front of her is a short, colorfully-dressed, colorfully-furred ocelot. “Whoa! Excuse me,” Tivoli giggles. She brushes past the fox and runs through the hall and into the lobby, which is now teeming with furs. Peg starts wide-eyed at the ten or so hitmen with a mix of wonder and anxiety. Most of them are the main cadre of the whole group, the people who are the faces of the seedy side of the company.

Peg stares at Hoeness, Ravi, and Gonal sitting in the front row. They are the only ones sitting. Gonal is grooming his brother, inspecting each tiger stripe on the back of his neck, as if there had been an injury during work. Chatting and hanging around the front desk are Stefano, Boris, and Benny. At the far end of the room, near the front double doors, are Tivoli, Paraná, and Greenleaves. The ocelot is easily the smallest thing in the room.

Wandering around the lobby, arranging the chairs into morning-meeting position, is St. Croix. Some of the fur on top of his head is sticking straight up, held in place by static electricity. Hoeness mentions his condition, saying, “You look like you’ve been struck by lightning.”

A few of the guys poke fun at St. Croix’s expense, drawing out some self-deprecating humor from the wolf. The area is very loose and casual, with no discussion of work or the upcoming meeting. Everyone is laughing and joking with one another and the atmosphere seems friendly enough.

Having never been here before, Peg is understandably concerned, but not put off by the presence of so many big guys in one place. She looks back at the door to Miranda’s psychiatric office and shakes her head, probably resolving not to continue seeking the help she came for. Surely enough, she takes a couple of steps out of the hallway with the intention of leaving through the front doors.

Two steps later, those doors open and two more beings enter. Simon Blank, dressed in a three-piece, wool suit and a wool tie, something a bit different from his usual executive clothes, holds the door open for Honor, the white rabbit. “Thank you sir,” he says exuberantly.

The human has barely entered when he clears his throat and yells, “Everyone listen up! I’ve got an announcement.”

Immediately, Peg shuffles herself backwards. She leaves the lobby and lets the darkness of the hallway swallow her up. She missed being spotted by less than a second. Meanwhile, everyone in the room gathers around the executive and the room loses its buoyancy. The hitmen stop being friendly and start being starkly honest. Peg can see it too.

“Ted is in the hospital with appendicitis and won’t be with us all week. Normally, he wouldn’t tell you all he was sick since you have five of us to rule over you, but this situation is different. He had an announcement to make…and since said announcement is really important, someone has to make it. I felt it had to be today. This announcement, I feel, is important for team morale, which I and a couple of others thought to be quite low. The complaints had risen, the recriminations have come back, and it’s been a pretty shitty place to work for the last week. So I thought that--”

“Cut to the chase!” Hoeness yells.

Simon sighs heavily. “The so-called Petrescu tax has been lifted. Your total pay is now total again.”

Hoeness, St. Croix, Benny, and Boris know immediately what he means, and are the first to applaud. The news eventually comes around to the others, who smile and nod in agreement.

“Make no mistake,” Simon says, “the chief, who’s also out for the day, sends her regards.”

Hoeness spits. “She should send us apologies.”

“Don’t badmouth her, sir.”

“Doing no such thing. Just stating a point of fact.”

“Whatever. Don’t hit her too hard with your blame. Mr. Petrescu’s done his small job and he’s gone forever. If anyone else gets here, give them the announcement after the meeting, okay? Now let’s get set up.” The crowd disperses and Simon is free. He starts to walk forward, then shouts, “Shit! The pictures,” and runs back outside.

With Simon gone for the moment, the murmurs increase. Honor laughs and shakes his head. “Why doesn’t someone tell these ‘executives’ that Pamila’s the reason for the lower morale?”

St. Croix throws an admonishing stare at the young man. “Don’t say that. That’s not the reason.”

“Well, she is the reason for my lower morale,” Ravi says, laughing. “Since coming back, she’s done nothing but whine and brag.

“Just ignore her. She’ll ignore you, and we’ll have peace again. Or at least relative peace.”

“Hard to disregard someone who’s cockiness chooses her marks for her.”

St. Croix smiles. “Come on, tiger. If Hoeness can ignore her, you can too.”

The German Shepherd scoffs. “I’m not ignoring, I’m totally avoiding her. As long as I take my mark and leave the room, I don’t have to worry about taking any guff.”

“It’s not bragging if you can do it.”

“Hey, I know she’s a friend of yours, but I’m telling you. Stop defending her, church boy.”

“Hey, she killed a mark a day last week. Match that, then I’ll stop.”

With that, Hoeness returns to his seat. As Peg looks on, wondering if she heard what she thought she heard, Honor steps away from the door and grabs a seat in the back row. “You’re gonna run away from her? Just like that?”

Hoeness turns to look at him for a second, then tries to ignore him.

“Now for me, I’d just say, ‘Bring it on, bitch.’ Then I’d take seven marks all at once. I’ll do one a day, just like her. No big deal, right?”

Paraná laughs as he and Tivoli sit beside the white rabbit. “Can you really do it? What about your career in porn?”

“My what? Oh yeah, I’m done for a while. My last one made me some money and I’m ready to get back to real work.”

“Really?” Hoeness asks. “Won’t your porn company want you for their next film if it calls for a young, male, white rabbit? Can you match Pamila while you’re doing that?”

“Don’t sweat it, old man. I’ll take my seven today and kill ‘em al before I’m needed back in the studio. I’ll kill a guy today even. Y’all just watch.”

Ravi laughs. “Remember, you’re not supposed to be in public correspondence while you kill people. If the chief finds out, you’re finished.”

“Why does anyone need to remind me of that? Stop talking to me like I’m a retard! I’ll be careful. Now if Simon can just get back with the marks, I can kill one by tonight.”

Peg gasps and runs. She has violently decided not to leave through the lobby. She has heard everything the workers said and runs the other way with a terrified gait. She gets halfway through the hall when she hears voices coming through. She turns her back toward the lobby, but remains frozen in place.

The light from the cafeteria exposes the two beings for a split second. Pamila is on the left. Crevecoeur is on the right. They are coming right toward the young fox. She whimpers and shudders, caught in a den of killers. She quickly does what her fight or flight response demands and bolts through the nearest door. She closes it behind her and presses it closed. Her shaky breaths are making noise, so she mashes her mouth closed.

Miranda and Elsie are right behind her. "Welcome back," the psychiatrist says. "We've had a breakthrough and I think Elsie's solution could very well be yours too. Um...are you okay?"