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Dirty Laundry

Chapter Twenty Three

By Roofles

“How could he…?”

Lorrell was at a loss for words as she bit down on one of her nails staring, wide eyed, at the spot Sloan had disappeared from. He left. Sloan had left The Pride, left her! Left Enzo! Turned his back on the family! And for what? For that… that human? That dog! How could Sloan betray her like this? After everything she had done for her brothers and this was how Sloan repaid her kindness.

She was going to let him have his little human. After revealing to Sloan who Logan was, of course. The lion would be broken finding out his lover was in fact an undercover cop. Something she had learned from her contact on the other side.

She’d be kind, merciful and be the loving, daunting sister just watching out for her older brother… while pulling him further into the family, indebted to her. She’d keep his secret and he could have his lover on the side. That was how it was supposed to go!

But now, it was ruined because that human had interfered. Why did everyone keep interfering. They needed to learn to keep their nose out of Lorrell’s business.

This wasn’t just an insult to her, to her pride, but to the family itself! The family… such words had been drilled into her just as they had been for Sloan. She was sure the lion, her elder brother, would understand the importance of them. Even without their father in charge, Sloan was the smart one! The reasonable one! The one who was an outside perspective of everything.

And everything she had planned to use Sloan for was going up in smoke, just like the smell in the air. Smoke.

Lorrell couldn’t focus on that, however, right now as there was a loud cackling sound from across the room and she shot a death glare at the two sister hyenas laughing at her expense. The twin sisters of the newly formed Cackle, a group of hyenas that were slowly encroaching on her territory…

“I haven’t had this much fun, since… ever!” One of the two laughed loudly getting several looks.

“What about that hippo you were seeing?” The other just asked, the two seemingly forgetting about where they were.

“Oh! Hugo was fun sure, but it was over far too fast. This. Now this I can savor.” The mohawk sister glanced over at Lorrell and gave her a shiny smile full of gold capped teeth. “I’m just loving this.”

Lorell was having none of it as the two sisters across the way laughed up a storm. Mocking her, ridiculing her, and talking loud enough that everyone could hear. That “this was why you leave a man in The Pride to lead.” Unable to “keep the family together.” One thing after another. Words that hit too close to home for the lioness who gripped the table with clawed fingers, her manicured nail covers cracking from the strain placed on them as she took several heavy breaths trying to calm herself. Regain control to pull it back in.

Sloan hadn’t been the only one to inherit their father’s anger.

Everything was spiraling out of control. She had hired that tiger to take care of things. She had worked with the remnants of The Pack run by the crazed alpha Vicky in order to usurp the rule, the control from her father. It was Lorrell who had placed Enzo on the throne and gotten rid of those who were poking their noses where they didn’t belong. She had plotted and schemed, gambled and risked it all… why wasn’t she on top, yet? What more did she need to do to get there?

Who else did she have to have killed before she could enjoy a meal.

Everyone around them was muttering, talking about something. She wasn’t sure if they were addressing the smell of smoke in the air or what had happened in the arena. It was hard to tell, hard to focus and she was only pulled out of it when Enzo grabbed her arm, tugging on it like a child.

“Lorrell? What about… Sloan?” Enzo asked, uncertain and confused as he looked around. “What’s happening?”

“I’ll deal with it. I’ll deal with it…” Lorrell just said about to give orders to their guards.

Before she could say another single word, the nearby twin doors leading in from the side were kicked open and a pair of wolves walked in. Holding guns. Everyone went silent as they processed what was happening. The wolves, The Pack, used to run this place. They had been in charge for so long it was strange not to see them here, now.

To see the two walked in was almost natural for them all until it seemed to click in their back of their skulls; The Pack was no more. These wolves shouldn’t be here and-

“Get down!” Lorrell shouted at her brother, diving for the floor.

Holding an uzi, Barreth opened fire on everyone before him. The wolf focusing in on the lions nearby. Spraying and praying as the wolf, dressed in a classy black suit, was the one to turn the tables on their little party…

…

The gunfire was drowned out in the tunnels as Clem, Sloan and Logan stopped long enough to look back at the sound. There were howls of all kinds as the gunfight started up and it was Logan of the three who encouraged them to keep going.

“It’s the only way out…” Logan just said as he looked over at the bat, Klaus. “Right?” He asked and the bat quickly nodded. The announcer, Klaus, they had dragged along with them didn’t want to end up going back that way either. The fear was written all over his face.

“We have the holding cells this way. There’s a way out from where we-we bring them in. That leads to the outside!” Klaus was more than happy to help if it meant saving his own skin. Selling everyone else out in order to stay alive.

It sickened Logan who had half a mind to leave the bat to rot in one of these so called cells.

The long winding tunnel wasn’t a straight path and it was only with the bat’s assistance they were able to get to the cells in question. Instead of taking the easy way out, the three ended up going further inside to where the “merchandise” were kept.

“Logan…” Sloan started up with making the human roll his eyes. He really didn’t want to talk about this now.

“Officer Smith,” Logan corrected giving him a sideways glance. “I work for the Seattle Police Department. I’m an undercover cop that worked his way up to investigator.” The human just laid out quickly, flatly with an almost monotone voice as if he’d rehearsed it numerous times in his head beforehand. “I was on the Kincaid case…”

“Oh…” Sloan slowed down. Logan stopped with him and the other two kept their distance as the human faced the lion. Clem made sure to keep Klaus from escaping.

“My job was to investigate the Kincaid family, The Pride, and see what they were doing here in the city. I volunteered to join Inc. Co. as an intern in order to get close to you, Sloan.” Logan didn’t hold back as he just explained everything. “After The Pack was destroyed during Diamond’s coup, the police turned their eyes on the last remaining larger gangs. The Pride.”

“And that’s where I come in.” Sloan just said, staring at the human. The larger male’s shoulders slumped and he looked away from the human before him.

“I made sure to thoroughly go through everything you’ve… are…” Logan stumbled with his words, unable to meet Sloan’s eyes as the lion looked at him. There were so much pain, so much sorrow behind those eyes Logan wasn’t even sure he’d be able to handle it all. That he would drown in the misery Sloan was going through. “I just didn’t realize I’d come up with nothing...”

“I was kicked out of the family, didn’t have ties to them… at the time, other than blood.” Sloan just stated and Logan gave a single nod. “Once you found nothing…” Sloan dared to ask.

“I left.” Logan took a moment, taking a breath and letting it out. “But I… I couldn’t stay away, from you.” The human admitted with a reluctant sigh, rubbing the back of his head as he shifted position before facing the lion once more. “I was worried, about you, Sloan. I didn’t… I didn’t want to see you getting hurt. I love you, Sloan.” Logan admitted and all three of the others jaws nearly dropped to the floor. “Or as much as I think I… can… I can, love someone.” The human rubbed his arm. “I don’t want to see you die…”

Was that love? Was that pity? Or did Logan just not want to lose anyone else? He wasn’t sure.

“What does that mean…?” Sloan frowned, unsure how to respond to the confession. It was the first the predator had ever got in his life. He wished it was under better circumstances. “That you… do? Or can’t?”

“My ex, Milo, is a tiger that brought my brother here to be…” Logan struggled with the words, trying to explain this. He told so many people about this in the past couple months, he wasn’t sure if it was much of a secret anymore. “My brother… Robbie, was kidnapped by our neighbor and brought here to be…”

And still, even now, Logan couldn’t find the words as he covered his mouth with a hand looking away. Wow was this so much harder to admit to the lion than it had been to everyone else. Maybe, maybe Logan didn’t want Sloan to see him as weak as he really was.

“I lost my brother, too, because of this… place.” Sloan nodded though, getting a look from the human. “Jeron got too close to The Pack. He learned things he shouldn’t… he shouldn’t have been here to begin with. I went back to the family, The Pride… because I wanted to learn what happened to Jeron.”

Logan was sure there had been several reasons why Sloan had done what he’d done. Or so he wanted to believe… not wanting to think this lion had willingly come back to this place. To that family.

“Vicky would know.” Logan just said instantly before stopping himself. “The Pack… and The Pride had an alliance underneath the old alpha, Bale. But he’s not with us anymore.” Logan wasn’t sure what happened to him. No one really did. It was written off that he’d been killed that night during the raid on the mansion up on the hills.

No body had ever been recovered, though.

“She’s the only one who might know.” Logan corrected. “If Jeron was a liaison between the two gangs… Or was he a spy?” Logan was a bit confused on who Jeron was at this point other than Sloan’s brother.

Sloan shook his head. “Jeron wanted to broker peace between the two gangs… and look where that got him.”

“Yeah. It’s hard to breach that divide between two groups…” Logan took a step closer, reaching out a hand to touch one of Sloan’s bloody ones. “I’m… trying?” The human offered and got a look. “Trying not to see predators… like my neighbor. Trying to see you as… you?” Logan hated the fact the two had an audience right now. “I’m sorry, Sloan. For hurting you…”

“There’s a difference between a predator, Logan. Then a carnivore.” Sloan just pointed out and they left it at that for the time being as they continued down the hallway, towards the light at the end of the dark tunnel and hopefully to freedom.

Beaten, bruised and battered the trio just trudged on hoping for some good news around the next corner. They couldn’t get such luck, though.

They could hear a couple guards in front of them and the group slowed once more.

Logan didn’t even hesitate as he moved forward, sneaking behind one of the two guards from the dark hallway they’d come from. Logan slipped out of the shadows and grabbed the jackal, strangling them in a tight neck lock while dragging them back into the dark hallway just as quickly.

Sloan was at a loss for words as he watched Logan work. Knocking out one of the two jackals before moving in for the other. The other jackal quickly noticed as Logan came up and the human didn’t even falter as he brought the palm of his hand up against the jackal’s nose, breaking it, and stopping them from speaking with a quick jab to their long throat.

Coughing and sputtering the jackal reached for his gun as Logan closed in. Stepping on his bare foot with his shoe, Logan brought an elbow up under their chin before grabbing the front of their clothes and spun them around roughly against the wall to smack their face against it.

Disorientated, it didn’t take long for the human to choke the other guard out. Logan left their unconscious bodies where they were as he grabbed one of their guns. He hefted it up, checking to see if it was loaded before passing the other to Sloan.

“I prefer smaller weapons.” Logan just said, taking a Colt M1911A1 for himself.

The lion just gave him a look.

“You ever fire a gun?” Logan asked as he checked over the weapon before stealing the holster from the jackal and putting it on. He checked the switchblade Domino had given him and made sure the blood wouldn’t stop it from opening before hiding it once more in the back of his pants.

“Who… are you?” Sloan could only ask, holding the weapon loosely with a hand. Logan ignored him.

“Clem.” Logan ordered and the boxer quickly came over. “Sloan, hold the bat.” Logan glared at the flying mammal who tried to hide away from his gaze. “Clem, take the shotgun. You’ve used a sawed off before?”

“The wolves prefer them, yeah.” Clem nodded as he took the gun and checked over it quickly.

“Burst fire, only.” Logan said in warning, talking to Sloan, before turning back to Clem. The boxer was already crouching down in front of the human as the two went over the game plan. “We’ll find the mayor, police chief, anyone else while we’re down here… then get the hell out of here!” Clem just nodded, stubby tail wagging and glad to be part of the team. “I’m glad you’re okay.” Logan added with a smile and the boxer grumbled at that, wiggling his hips with the wag now.

Sloan cleared his throat and Logan turned to him.

“Thank you for saving me, saving us really.” The human gestured at Clemm not wanting the lion to feel ignored right now. He needed Sloan. “This is my partner, Clementine. He’s the bestest dog you’ll ever find. We’ve been on the force for a while together.” Logan added with a smile, nudging Clem’s side. “Couldn’t have a better guy watching my back.”

“Right… no last name?” Sloan asked eying the canine. Sloan wasn’t familiar with dogs and hadn’t ever needed to work with them.

“Most canines don’t.” Clem quickly explained. “We usually take the last name of our pack or family, back in the day, that adopted us.” The boxer just shrugged it off as Logan continued. “I’ve been a lone dog as long as I could remember.”

Sloan gave a simple nod at that, unsure what to say.

“I don’t know what we would’ve done without you,” and Logan took a step closer before giving Sloan a soft kiss on the lips. “Thank you for saving us, Sloan.”

The two got a look from the other two who were at a loss for words.

“Uh, Logan. Are you sure this is a good idea…?” Clem asked and he wasn’t talking about the game plan as he looked between him and Sloan.

Clem was the only one aware of Logan’s fling with Domino and how the wolf would handle it finding out his human was also seeing a lion, a member of the rival gang.

Logan just gave him a wink before moving ahead while Sloan’s brain tried to catch up what the actual fuck just happened. Logan was still pulling his strings and needed too while they were down here. It was the only way to make sure they all could get out of here alive. He couldn’t afford for the lion to second guess himself. He needed Sloan to watch their backs and if it meant lying to the lion, what could go wrong?

Ducking into the room, Logan lifted the gun up as he turned one way then the other to make sure no one else was here.

“Where is everyone?” Logan demanded to know, confronting Klaus on the matter who was more than happy to spill the beans.

“They’re all watching the show! Uh, were watching the show… Or at the open market.” The bat quickly stammered out. “It’s prime season during the fights! All the sales make them go wild!”

“Only the rich can afford to watch the show…” Sloan was the one to point out and Logan gave him a nod at that. “The Kincaid family always had a table there…”

“I was surprised to see you here,” Logan just nodded as if answering Sloan’s unasked question. “I’m glad to see you didn’t… eat, anything.”

“I never do.” Sloan voice was low and he couldn’t look at the human.

Logan didn’t press or pry as he moved through the long open rectangular room ahead of the others. Large crates had been set up lining both sides of the wall with an exit on either side as well as the one they had come from. Each of these crates had bars over one side and Logan could tell these were the fabled cells they had been talking about. They reminded him of cages one would see at the zoo to hold their… exhibits.

“They’re cages…” Logan frowned noting the straw, the hay and the pitiful excuse for flooring they had added to these otherwise empty cells. Most the cells were empty, and Logan could only figure those who had been brought out to the arena had been kept in here. “Where’s the mayor?”

“The mayor?” Sloan asked, confused.

“She was kidnapped by The Pride.” Logan quickly explained while leaving their police chief’s involvement out, for now. “And the chief.” Logan added turning the gun on the bat who tried to pull as far away as possible in Sloan’s vice like grip. The lion’s nails prevented the bat from retreating far.

“They’re down there!” Klaus just said, pointing towards the far exit.

“Of course they freaking are,” Clem grumbled. “Why can’t they just be here with the rest?”

“Let’s go then.” Sloan just said as Logan took a step forward and smashed the butt of the gun against the bats muzzle who cried out in pain. “Logan!” Sloan actually jumped, startled by the brutal display.

“What’s down there?” Logan threatened once more lifting the gun up to shove the barrel into the bat’s face. “I dare you to fuck with me...” The human warned and the bat’s large ears folded backwards as he held back a weak cry. A mix of fear and pain.

“A couple of guards!” The bat whimpered pitifully as blood dripping from their nose. “Really! All the security was brought up to watch the market! Only a few guards here and there were left around, pairs of two! Just in case…”

“Then you won’t mind going first…” And Logan took the bat from the lion and shoved him ahead, forcing Klaus to hold up their winged arms. “Make one wrong move and I will happily pull this trigger.” The human just spat from behind. “We don’t exactly need you anymore…”

Klaus nodded several times as he led the way, closed eyes as he tried to hold back the whimpering cry building in his throat. He was noticeably shaking at this point.

“We only do this so the other gangs don’t kill us!” Klaus tried to explain his actions, seeking some sort of sympathy.

“Then you should’ve come to the police.” Logan just said, even knowing what a joke that sounded like. The idea though that Klaus was trying to win them over with the pity card made the human want to laugh in his face and hit him again.

How many had the bat just watch die? All to save his own skin and make a profit while he was at it.

“The police don’t do anything for us! We’re carnivores! We need meat.” Klaus just went on, talking as if he’d rehearsed this speech a thousand and one times over. Logan was sure he had. It was something they’d say in front of the jury as blood dripped down their mouth. “The police can’t do shit!”

“There’s the FBI, too. Don’t try to get out of here blameless.” Logan just said. “They deal with trafficking. It’s a federal crime, not a state. This kind of thing? Fuck, this…” Logan could feel his blood beginning to boil and it was Clem who had to calm him down.

The group stopping for a moment.

“Like they’d even-,” Klaus voice grew louder and Logan was already aware of what was happening before the bat pulled away with a jerking motion, running ahead of the others.

“Take cover!” Logan shouted as he dove out of the way, hiding behind a crate as the bat pushed free. The other two noticed a second later and took cover as Logan hid.

“They’re over here!” Klaus shouted but was soon silenced as a barrage of bullets filled the hallway, taking the bat out turning him into Swiss cheese.

Clem and Sloan jumped to the other side as the bullets whizzed past them.

Logan didn’t bother firing back and motioned for Clem to hold back as well. The boxer lifted the sawed off and nodded once to the human.

“What happened?” Logan called loudly. “I can barely see anything!” He said with fear dripping into his words, but it didn’t showcase on his face. The bullets stopped. “I thought the exit was this way? Klaus? Klaus are you okay?” He called out and was reward with the soft sound of metal hitting against the concrete. “Get back!” He warned as he hid further behind the metal crate.

A grenade rolled out in front of them and Logan covered his face just as the flash bang went off. The blinding light was only half of the device’s purpose. The sound that followed it left Logan’s ears ringing as he huddled against the wall. He could hear, he could barely see as he counted out.

Logan had experienced a flash bang and, according to Bosch, human’s dealt with it far better than canines or felines did. Both Clem and Sloan were disorientated from the tool originally used by those on the riot force.

“One… Two… Three…” Logan counted out.

Logan had experienced this before. He had purposefully had Bosch hit him in the face with pepper spray, been stunned by a stun gun and even been sedated at one point. All so the human could experience it first hand. TO know how to handle it, how others would handle it.

And without even looking, Logan opened fire down the hallway they were trying to go down as he blind fired at the approaching guards.

There was a startled yelp before he heard a body fall, rewarding him with one target down. Logan pulled back quickly as the gun clicked empty.

“You little!” The other guard, a rather lithe cougar, closed in on the human. Their focus and attention were trained on Logan who had pulled out the switchblade. Not that Logan needed it. The guard didn’t even see the lion that pounced on top of them from behind.

The smaller mountain cat was crushed underneath the bulky weight of the lion who snarled above him, holding him down as Clem quickly disarmed the guard. Logan traded the empty gun out for the one Clem gave him.

“Fuck, my ears are still ringing.” Clem whined softly, rubbing a finger in an ear then the other one and tapping the side of his head as if to get water out.

Sloan snarled in agreement above the guard.

“Where’s the mayor.” Logan asked, crouching down in front of the feline who just hissed at him, baring their teeth at the human. Logan rolled his eyes and with a tap slapped the top of the cougar’s muzzle back close. “Where is she?” Logan shouted now in their face.

The cougar struggled, cursing out and spoke in a language Logan didn’t understand but figured it was Spanish or something close to it.

“They said you can eat their hair balls. Or hairy balls… Roughly.” Sloan translated and Logan gave him a smile at that. The lion looked down at the cougar and spoke in broken Portuguese asking the question Logan had inquired.

The cougar chuckled, struggling to breathe before spitting out a reply.

“We don’t have time for this.” Logan just said as he pulled out his gun and, looking away slightly, he shot right in front of the cougar’s face. That got a reaction from them as he put the smoking barrel against their forehead as they stared down at the hole in the ground in front of their face. “Answer. The. Question…”

It didn’t take long from there and the three agreed to lock the cougar in one of the cages for his help with the other knocked out guards before proceeding forward. They followed the directions roughly down the hall, down another flight of stairs to what could only be called a wet prison cell. The trio came to a stop in the room.

There was only a single entrance and exit. There weren’t any lights and Clem, Logan and Sloan had to pull out their phones to see. The room was cut in half with a set of bars before them. The stones around them were dripping and there was a feeling of damp air coming from somewhere Logan couldn’t locate. It was as if this very room had been built underneath one of the rivers above.

A wet, dank, dark cell for their guests of honor.

On the other side of the cage, Logan saw one of the two they were looking for.

“Chief!” Clem gasped looking at the saint Bernard chained up against the far wall. Logan ran over to the door and was already fussing with the lock. “The fuck did they do to him…?”

“I don’t see the mayor…” Sloan pointed out, staying close to the door.

“We’ll just have to ask the big boy about that.” Logan took a couple more minutes with the lock before pushing the door open. Once the door had been pushed open, Logan was already moving into the room to check on the saint Bernard.

He wasn’t looking good.

Chief Barnard’s fur was a mess. Dirt, grime, and caked blood was over his face, chest and arms. A spot on his lip was still bleeding from where someone had smacked him. There were numerous cuts and burns showing even through his thick fur along his arms. Several spots of fur were just missing as if someone had taken a roll of duct tape and began sticking and ripping it off the canine’s body for fun.

“They tortured him…?” Clem couldn’t look any further and looked away.

“What did he expect, the stupid freaking… idiot.” Logan knelt, checking for a pulse through the thick rolls of fur on the saint Bernard’s neck. “He’s still alive. At least.” The human took a moment to look over the locks and cuffs on the canine’s wrists. “Sloan. I’m going to need a hand here.”

The lion moved over and the two began working on the locks. Logan ended up using the lion’s nails as a sort of lock pick to work on the cuffs, practicing on one then the other.

“Where’d you learn… this?” Sloan asked as he felt the human maneuvering and playing with his fingers skillfully.

“I’ve known big cats for a real long time, Sloan.” Logan looked over at him before turning back to his work. “After things went south with Milo and I… I ended up meeting up with a jaguar who helped me learn a lot of things in a short amount of time.” The human replaced one of Sloan’s nails with a lock pick from his pocket. “He also gave me a lot of stuff too,” he added getting another look from the older lion.

“I see… I’m impressed. I always knew you were a skilled assistant. I just wasn’t aware of how capable you were.” Sloan said with a bit of pride in his voice.

“I… thanks,” Logan just gave a nod before continuing his work.

“I mean it. You seem to be able to do anything you set your mind too. Other than cooking.” Sloan chuckled heavily with a shake of his head, enjoying what closeness he had to the human.

“I could cook.” Logan just shrugged that off. “I just have no need too. I can buy whatever I need too if I must impress someone.” He gave Sloan a wink. “Seemed to have work.”

“True. Makes you wonder… how much of what you do is… genuine or…?” Sloan started, unsure how to touch the delicate situation they were in.

“Let’s go on a date.” Logan just said getting a look as he pulled off one of the locks and began on the other. “After this, I mean. We’ll go out, you and I, to a nice restaurant of your choosing. Or back to your mom’s place.” Logan smiled softly. “And we’ll try to make this… work? You can meet the real me and, hell, maybe you’ll like what you see when no one else does…”

“Sure…” Sloan gave a single heavy nod before catching the saint Bernard as Logan took off the next cuff, the only thing holding him up at that point.

“Hey there big guy,” Logan began slapping the side of the large canine’s face. “Wakey, wakey. Eggs and bakey!” Logan gave a harder slap. “I wish I had my smelling salts on me.” He grumbled. “We don’t have time for sleeping beauty.”

“You have smelling salts?” Clem was the one to ask.

“You never know when you need them!” Logan just said in his defense.

“How often do you knock people out?” Sloan asked with an uncomfortable laugh. Logan chose not to answer that as the large canine began to stir in the lion’s arms.

“L…Logan?” Police Chief Barnard’s voice was nasally and heavy as he spoke. “Clem? Where…?” The saint Bernard struggled, and Logan placed a hand on his shoulder.

“Easy, easy there… Chief.” Logan said getting the dog looking at him. “Where did they take the mayor?”

“The… mayor?” The saint Bernard took a moment, looking around trying to figure out where they were. “Oh,” he said with a gruff laugh. “I’m still here…”

“They won’t let you die that easy.” Logan frowned. “Where is the mayor?” He asked again, pressing a bit harder now.

“I don’t know.” The saint Bernard struggled but managed to get to his feet with Sloan and Clem’s help who quickly came over. “She was taken.”

“BY who?” Logan just asked trying not to roll his eyes. He got the fact their police chief had been through hell these past couple of days but, fuck, he needed to get some answers.

“I don’t know their name…” The canine rubbed the side of his head, wincing as he touched a rather fresh goose egg forming behind one ear. “He came in. Took her and…”

“Who. Who is he? Did they say where they went, anything?” Logan stressed his words.

Chief Barnard shook his head before groaning out.

“We should get him out of here…” Clem said looking over at Logan who just nodded. “We’ll have to question someone else…”

“Maybe the wolves will know?” Logan muttered, thinking about it as he got up.

“Wolves?” Sloan asked suspiciously. Clem gave Logan a look at that, a soft whine escaping him.

“I have an informant in the wolves that have been keeping me up to date with things.” Logan half explained, waving off the rest.

“Like I’m an informant…? Or…?” Sloan’s ears splayed out, tail flicking.

“Let’s get out of here, for the time being.” Logan purposefully ignored Sloan’s question. He went underneath one of the saint Bernard’s arms as Clem took the other. “You got so many things to answer for…” Logan sighed heavily as he hauled the Saint Bernard up the stairs with Clem’s help.

“I thought this would… for everyone… I was trying to make a difference…” The police chief mumbled coming in and out of consciousness as they trudged up the steps and back out into the hall.

Logan made sure to check there were no other rooms they missed before heading down the long winding hallway.

“The tiger…” His boss said softly, and Logan felt his feet coming to an abrupt halt as his chest tightened. Clem nearly stumbled over and growled at him before stopping.

“What tiger?” Logan dared to ask, getting right up in the Chief’s face. “What tiger!” He nearly shouted shaking the dog and keeping him awake.

“He came. Got the mayor… took her away and…” The saint Bernard grumbled before nearly falling over on Logan. The human stepped out of the way and Clem yipped as the large canine nearly took him down with him.

“Fuck. Fuck, of course. Of course he’d do something like this!” Logan cursed, cursed again, and then hit the wall with a closed face, breathing heavily. “Okay! Okay… calm down, focus. Think.” The other two looked at him. “New plan. You two need to get out of here with the police chief. I’ll get the mayor and-,”

“Like hell.” Clem growled as the boxer got back up, Sloan coming over to help pick up the police chief.

“Logan, I’m not about to leave you after everything that happened!” Sloan snarled louder.

“We’re in this together.” Clem growled, even louder as if trying to best the lion standing nearby. “I’m not leaving unless it’s with you.”

Logan could only look at the other two. He opened his mouth, about to say something before closing it. Rubbing his chin, looking away he took another chance. And still, no words came out. He was better at one on one. He could use Clem’s insecurities about being a bottom dog that was all bark and no bite. Or he could use Sloan’s pride and self-worth in order to get him to back down.

In front of the two, Logan wasn’t sure how to phrase things to get both of them to go. To get one of them to leave wouldn’t be too challenging. He’d say something along the lines of “calling for backup” to get them too… but which of these two should he send off and who should he rely on in that moment.

Logan trusted Clem more than Sloan. The lion was unbalanced after learning everything, dealing with his family and just overall his relationship with Logan were shaky at best. However, Clem was almost hopeless in an actual fight. A good dog that could listen but not one who took the initiation. He’d freeze up unless Logan told him what exactly to do.

On the other hand Sloan was far more reliable in a fist fight and despite the lion never using a gun, Logan could use his size and status as a lion in order to help escape. Unless he came across wolves…

“This way,” Logan just said as he mulled it over. How to do this. What was the best way to get them all out of here alive… he had a sinking feeling in his chest.

The best, easiest way to rescue someone was either a full coordinated team working together to save the hostages. Such as a swat team. Or a small group of elite specialist to sneak in and get the job done. They were neither. Logan would be better off solo but he didn’t dare leaving Sloan and Clem alone right now, let alone hauling their half-dead boss.

“Let’s at least find an exit.” Logan said aloud, voicing his thoughts. “We need a way out above all else…” Logan then could figure out how to get them to go while he went back in to face off with the tiger in question.

Mikhail. Milo. Whoever he was now… Mikhail had ruined Logan’s anonymity. The tiger had told everyone about him. He’d set up a trap and used Clem as bait to get Logan out of hiding. He had taken the mayor, keeping Logan from just cutting his ties and running for it. The tiger was still always one step ahead of him. And he hated it.

Logan clenched his fist.

“Dammit.” No matter what he did, that tiger was always there and yet not. Mikhail was smart. He kept out of the headlines, he stayed in the shadows, stalking him but never revealing himself.

After all these years, when was the last time he saw the tiger? Had a chance to even talk to him…

Since the day Logan had helped him escape, he supposed…

…

Logan had been young, misguided and taken in by the tiger’s charisma and charm as so many others had. Captured like a fly in the spider’s web. Mikhail, or Milo to him, was a brilliant and smart man with a dazzling smile and a voice that sent shivers down the human’s spine. Puberty had hit Logan had and Mikhail was more than happy to use that against him.

They had been close, best friends, growing up next door to each other. In any other situation, it would’ve been a perfect dream come true. Childhood friends’ discovering each other’s interests and eventually dating, going to prom together and just…

Everything Logan, in a way, at that time had wanted… a simple normal life. Growing up like any other person. Despite knowing how different he was.

Logan wasn’t cold, nor was he callous. He just… didn’t feel the same for others as he saw from his friends and family. It was an apathy he had for others that left him looking in. A man who could be surrounded by people and feel utterly alone. Logan knew how to act, how to fit in and was a master of manipulation. He really should’ve become an actor. He got his teachers to trust him, his parents to buy his lies and even his own little brother to blindly follow him wherever.

Logan never wanted to harm others but didn’t care if harm came to them. Able to beat the shit out of a classmate for picking on his brother, stealing from those who trusted him, using others and ever later on sleeping with them to get his way.

Logan never felt good about it. But… he didn’t feel guilt for it either. Not in the way he was sure he was supposed to. He just knew he was different than those around him. An outcast in his own right. If he wasn’t good looking and outgoing as he was, Logan was sure he would’ve been a loner.

That was until he met Mikhail.

The tiger family moved in next door, taking in their grandparents and being the only non-humans on their block. Logan hadn’t been as interested as his brother Robbie was. He found the whole thing to be rather silly, all the fuss everyone was making about some tigers moving in.

Who cared about a couple of tigers moving in? What was the big deal? Why did his parents constantly talk about it? Logan… Logan didn’t understand such feelings on the matter. He could see it from a logical view. But held no animosity or love for their neighbors. They were strangers and little more to him.

That was until he met their son. Milo, Logan could tell, was just like him. Or so he thought.

Mikhail was everything Logan was looking for. Someone who could understand him, see him as no one else did. And it was nice. Nice to have someone, for once, Logan could talk too without omitting something. To hide how he truly felt, to sugar coat his words or tell a white lie in order to save someone else’s feelings. Feelings he didn’t care, at the time, for protecting.

The two of them would stay up late, sitting on the roof as they just talked. Talked about the city, the people in it, the people they didn’t like or the things, the policies in this society that rubbed them the wrong way. How the two of them were different pieces for the puzzle of life. They fit in and matched but weren’t right for this world.

That something was off…

“You’re the only one I can actually talk too!” Logan rested back on the roof, looking out over their neighborhood and towards the city in the distance. “No one else… listens. They just hear what they want too. They don’t see things like this.” He gestured outwards. “I could get away with murder and no one would even bat an eye at good old boy scout Logan.” He rolled his eyes. “Can’t even talk to them…”

“I’m the only one you can rely on.” Milo just purred, brushing his hand against Logan’s. “No one else sees me as you do…” Milo continued staring blankly forward as he held Logan’s hand. “My parents? My grandparents? No one, but you.” He looked over at the human. “Strange…”

“What?” Logan just asked meeting those brilliant, bright eyes. The tiger’s face was illuminated by the moon above. Underneath this light, Milo looked like an entirely different person.

“How a human, like you, can make me feel like this. Not my parents. Not other tigers! Or cats! But… you.” Milo took a moment to ponder that, thinking of it as he mulled the thoughts around. Chewing on them. “Logan, you’re the only one I have here… Anywhere!”

“Anywhere?” Logan asked with a laugh as he looked over at the tiger. The human curled up on his side to face towards Milo as the tiger laid back to stare up at the stars above.

“I looked online. I’ve been reading… things. Posts. Forums. Checking things out. There are others like us. That don’t fit in. They see things… different. Other predators. Hunting. Looking. Hungry for something… more.” Mikhail frown only grew on his face. “Trying to figure things out for… for us.”

“Us?” Logan asked.

“We’re not like our parents. Or siblings,” Mikhail noted looking over at Logan. “We’re different. We don’t… care, when things get bad. Get ugly. We get the job done. A fight? A lie? Cheating? Whatever it is. We don’t have trouble sleeping after the things we’ve done…”

“Is this about the neighbor’s cat, again?” Logan brought up. “I mean, I know you said you hated it.”

“It was peeing everywhere! That stuff stinks.” The tiger hissed, flaring his nostrils out. “Feral cat piss marking our house every night… deserved what we did to it.” The tiger lifted his other hand, nails springing out like a deadly trap as he stared at them under the moonlight.

Logan just shrugged, not really caring. He was still holding the tiger’s other hand the entire time.

“Does it bother you… what we did?” Milo asked daring to look at the human again. Fear written all over his face to what Logan was going to say. That maybe Logan would rat him out and squeal on the tiger for what he’d done.

“Not really. Ms. Johansson is still looking for her cat…” Logan noted but just shrugged the rest off. Mikhail lips curled into a fanged smile, tailing lashing at his side.

“That’s what I’m talking about! You get it! You realize the risk of what we did to that stupid feral cat… but you don’t mind at the same time! You know how to talk sweet to Johansson. To her face without even breaking that mask of yours. Make sure she doesn’t suspect you…” Mikhail snarled though, shaking his head.

“She suspects you did it.” Logan pointed out, not even looking at the tiger. Just stating a fact.

“Well, I am a tiger. Everyone thinks I do things…” Mikhail grumbled bitterly.

“But you did do it. You bashed the cats head in with your dad’s shovel and buried it in the back yard.” Logan motioned with his head towards the tiger’s home. The human just said it without even the slightest trace of regret or remorse on his face.

Talking about killing the neighbor’s cat as one would do about getting the morning paper. Just another thing that happened.

“So, what!” Mikhail fur stood up as he sat up glaring at the human. “They always think I do things. Do shit even when I don’t do it! So, what if I end up becoming exactly what they want me to be.” The tiger hissed out, clenching his fist. “So… what?” Mikhail couldn’t hide his emotions as well as Logan could and that anger was showing with the tiger’s fur sticking out, fangs bared.

Logan squeezed his hand. Not because he felt for the tiger in that moment, no. He squeezed his hand, comforting Milo because that’s what he knew he was supposed to do in this situation. That’s what you do for a friend.

“So, you’re saying it’s okay… because they would accuse you of doing it anyways?” Logan just asked, unsure how to follow such logic.

“No!” Mikhail said before adding on. “Yes. Well, no. Yes, I don’t know! I just didn’t want the cat to piss on our bushes anymore! It was a problem. I took care of the problem. As simple as that.”

“True…” Logan noted, thinking about it before sitting up. “Milo?” He asked and the tiger looked over at him, his round black tip white marked ears splaying out from the soft voice Logan had used. “If there ever was a problem I had, you’d take care of it. Right?”

“Of course. Just as I know, if I ever had a problem… you’d help me out.” Milo offered a hand and Logan took it, the two shaking on it before heading in for the night.

A promise made. A promise that would go broken and the life it would cost.

Did Logan trust Milo? It was hard to say. Hard to recall how he was back then. He was still learning, in his own way, how to fit in. How to pretend, to act. Act how everyone wanted him to be. Playing a role that could fit into any place. The missing piece to so many people’s puzzles. Logan had even been able to trick Milo a couple of times.

Testing the waters as it were. Playing with the situation, toying with it, toying with him… his best friend. All in order to figure out how to fit in better. Tricking the tiger.

Just as the tiger had tricked him…

It was late that night. The two were about to graduate from high school. They had a college set up and everything. Milo and Logan. That’s how it was supposed to be. The two were dating, secretly, and had a whole future planned.

Then the cops showed up.

The sirens were blaring out front. The red and blue of the cop cars that had driven up onto Milo’s front lawn illuminating the otherwise dark house. There were numerous cops out and about. They had set up barricades, someone was on a blowhorn yelling at the tiger family to come outside with their hands up. Guns were drawn. The news van was pulling in.

Everything had happened so fast.

Robbie went missing, Logan didn’t know where his brother had gone and instantly told his parents before confronting Milo about it. No, he had confronted Mikhail about it. Mikhail, Milo. It didn’t matter. The two tiger’s Logan knew were melding into one. Two names for the same person with the twisted soul.

Milo. His loving, caring friend that was always there for him. Understanding him, helping him, making love to him… then there was Mikhail. The darker half of his friend that the tiger was keeping from the human. The killer. The predator. The one that took care of problems that arose in their life…

The one that had sunk his claws into Logan’s back.

“They’re after me!” Milo had pleaded and begged that night when Logan had come over to tell Milo what had happened; Logan hadn’t suspected his friend at that time. How could he? He was supposed to be able to trust Milo. “It’s my parents fault they found us out!” Mikhail snarled viciously, baring his fangs. “My grandparents couldn’t keep their damn traps shut!”

Logan didn’t understand, not fully at that time. There was a smell in the air. He recognized it to be blood. Logan knew what that was like. Those at school that wronged the two of them smelled like that after they were done teaching them a lesson.

It was everything else Logan was trying to wrap his mind around. Where were Milo’s parents? Where were his grandparents? Why was the house so dark? Where was Robbie…?

All he had at that time was his best friend, the only one he could talk to in that moment was Milo. And Logan did what he thought he had too. To have his friends back.

Logan helped the tiger out the back window of his house, across the lawn and towards the side fence leading to Logan’s home. There was a helicopter up above with a spotlight searching around the premises. Logan quickly got Milo through the side window before jumping in after him, shutting the window behind the two just as the spotlight came over towards Logan’s house.

Calm. That’s how Logan felt as the agitated tiger next to him began to pace.

“I need to hide!” Milo pleaded and begged, turning on his friend with clawed hands. Why was there blood on those fingers? Why was Mikhail’s muzzle dripping…?

“We need to get you out of here.” Logan nodded though, focusing on getting his best friend to safety. They were just blaming him, right? Because he was a tiger, right? That’s how this worked. Society labeled them, chased them, prosecuted them for just being who they were…

“They won’t trust me! I’m a tiger! I’m always the one they come too. The one they blamed!” Mikhail snarled, grabbing at his head as he paced back and forth. “They always come to the tigers. Always question us. Blame us. I can’t just go unnoticed!”

But you were the one who did it, just like back then with the neighbor’s cat…

“We need to figure out what to do.” Logan just shook his head, taking control of the situation. He shouldn’t have been as calm as he was in that moment. But he was. The tiger was pacing in front of him. His brother was missing and Logan… Logan just figured out what to do. “I’ll distract the cops…” Logan said getting a look from the tiger.

“What? But you…?” Milo took a step forward, grabbing Logan’s arms and looking him in the face. “You’d do that… for me?” His eyes were wide, pupils contracted and in that moment Logan felt a tingle of fear run down his back as the tiger, his best friend, gripped his arms so tightly Logan couldn’t get away.

“Of course. We got to cover each other’s back, right?” Logan just said slowly, carefully as he watched his friend. Seeing what was behind the mask Milo wore.

“Right. Right!” Mikhail laughed was uneasy and loud as he let go of the human as if in apology. He took a step back. “The first kill is always the messiest…” Mikhail noted as if he read it somewhere online. On one of those forums he had mentioned. Talking to himself as he looked away from the human.

“Do you have somewhere to go?” Logan dared to ask, keeping his distance from his friend in that moment.

“I know a place. Well, all predators know a place.” Mikhail nodded before facing the human. “If I can get to the market, then I’ll be fine. I can survive there. My grandparents took me several times.” Logan didn’t understand what the Saturday market had to do with this… “They accept people like us, Logan! Once I’m safe… I’ll come back for you.” The tiger took a step forward.

And Logan took a step back.

“I’ll come back for you. We can… we can go together! Just the two of us, as you promised…” Mikhail said and Logan understood what Mikhail was doing then and there. “You promised. We’d be together. We’d move out. We’d start our life together. You promised…” Gaslighting the human, guilting him, tricking him, trying to pull his strings… “You promised!”

“Right.” Logan lied then. The first lie he ever truly said to his friend. “I promise.” He said to save his own skin in that moment as the tiger’s eyes gleamed in the light coming from the window.

It was the first and seemingly last time Logan had ever seen the tiger show his true colors.

“Promise…”

…

…

“Logan?” Clem asked as the human stopped at the nearby stairs leading upwards. They could smell the smoke. It was getting worse. Filling some of the tunnels, forcing the group to flee in the opposite direction.

“It was my fault.” Logan feet came to a stop. “It’s my fault that we’re here…”

“It’s not your fault, Logan.” Clem said misunderstanding what Logan had meant. Who he had meant in that moment. Unaware he was thinking of the tiger.

“This place. Maybe I was destined to come here,” Logan laughed at such a notion smiling over at the boxer. “This is a place for predators, after all… It was made for people like me… Clem.” He said the name, looking at the boxer with slightly unfocused eyes, tears burning the corners. “Can I trust you…? Can I trust… anyone?”

Logic dictated that Logan abandon the others. To save his own skin. To flee from this place and never come back. It was the smart thing to do. Cruel? Yes. Cold? Yes. But smart. It was what Mikhail had done. Abandoning Logan to save his own skin, using others to save his own skin and Logan should do the same…

But looking at the boxer, now, Logan knew he couldn’t. Maybe he wasn’t as dead inside as he feared.

The boxer’s ears folded back as his eyes widen, taking in the tone Logan had used. Canines were always perceptive of how others felt, and Clem knew something was wrong. This, whatever this was, was Logan’s breaking point. Clem had seen it before. So many times he’d seen the wolf back home at the precipice, looking over that ledge. Wanting to take the plunge. To jump. He just didn’t know what it was in that moment.

All Clem knew, was that he needed to be there for Logan. As he’d been there for Reese.

“You just… just had a hard life. That’s all. Like Reese!” Clem pointed out, stubby tail wagging. “Trying to fit in. Blend in. Trying to have a normal life,” the boxer took a step closer before placing a heavy hand on Logan’s shoulder. “We’ll figure it out. Together. I’m sure Alan and the others back home are looking forward to seeing you again. We’re all looking forward to having you there, with us.”

Logan let out a snort at that.

“You just can’t stop thinking about food, huh?” Logan teased but his voice was as hollow as his face looked. “It would be nice, to have a normal Thanksgiving…”

“You will! We will!” Clem assured him, grabbing Logan’s other shoulder, and facing the human towards him. “We’ll have a big roaring Thanksgiving with everyone! It’ll be great. Everyone will be there. It’ll be perfect, I promise.”

“Promise, huh?” Logan gave him a look before fixing his mask, smiling at the canine. “That would be great, wouldn’t it?” Logan asked as the canine just gave him a broad smile, splitting his muzzle. “Let’s keep going.”

“Right.” Clem nodded and Sloan followed behind, watching the exchange closely as he half carried, half hauled the police chief with him.

The trio heading up the steps, Logan checking the door before entering. The group came out onto one of the loops of the market, overlooking the stands Logan had walked past a couple hours ago and the three were at a loss for words.

Fire.

There was thick black smoke in the air and an unnatural silence had fallen on the room as the three looked out over the massacre that had taken place. While everything burned.

Bodies were laid out, piled up or just tossed aside. Stands were burning with the product and merchandise going up in flames. Everything the market had been known for, everything that kept the cities criminal underworld flowing were going up in smoke.

“What happened…?” Clem just whined, covering his nose from the rotting, burning stench of seared fur and sizzling flesh and meat in the air.

“The wolves came knocking…” Logan just said, motioning for the group to head towards the side. “Stay low, stay close and try not to barf.”