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“Are we certain this will work?” I asked the scientist in a ratty lab coat as she placed a few more wire loops into place into her infernal machine.“It has to. We have to escape Shinigami” the honey badger replied with certainty as she double-checked the power couplings that a business of weasels was installing. “Tighten up the screw to Power Coupling 17A. Loosen the one on Power Coupling 24B” she hurriedly informed the weasels, who got to work silently.“Any volunteers to test the machine?” I asked, a bead of sweat dripping down my once-hairless back.The honey badger sat down on a three-legged stool and sighed sadly.“None. No one wants to know if it will work. The moment the machine powers on, we draw his eye to us” she hissed in dismay.“How much power can one machine consume?” I asked incredulously, the glass cylinder looking like an oversized fluorescent.“Enough to drain five city districts of the old Zootopia” was the chilling answer.=====================================================================================It has been two hundred years since Zootopia fell.The last bastion of mammal cooperation fell to a myriad of factors.The largest one being the old Nighthowler crisis where normal predators were reverted to savagery.While the assistant mayor, Dawn Bellwether, was given multiple life sentences for her part in the crime. It was not enough to staunch the flow of anti-predator sentiment. Even the announcement that the Zootopia Police Department had their first fox, Nicholas Wilde, did little to placate the public. His death three years later to Gangland violence further stoked the fires clamouring for separation.His life mate, Captain Judith Laverne Hopps, died in an ambush ostensibly set by angry predators who were disenfranchised due to her speciest remarks at a news conference that was heavily stacked against her.Later investigations proved conclusively that her death came at the hooves of a terror cell heavily aligned with Dawn Bellwether.The traitorous sheep died to unknown attackers in prison. Her confession that she killed Judy Hopps was written with her own blood in her solitary confinement cell.Chief Adrian Bogo, the longest serving police chief in the city-state’s history, died of natural causes at the ripe old age of ninety. He would be the last unbiased police chief that the city would ever see.Following chiefs either swung too much for prey or too much in favour of predators.The city was tearing itself apart at the seams and no one cared to notice.Predators continued to stream out of the city, no matter who sat down.Finally, on the eve of the celebration for the resolution of the Nighthowler crisis, a dirty bomb was triggered in the City Centre.Ten million mammals vanished in a blink of an eye.  Twenty million more were added to the total when Little Rodentia, and Savannah Central were consumed in the toxic plume.The Animalian government acted swiftly, placing an exclusion zone around the once bustling megalopolis and posting armed guards at measured gatehouses. However, heavy pawed measures from D.C. only served to infuriate the local predator population as they looked on with disdain as prey mammals got the lion’s share of praise for their quick response times.The largest number of dead in the dirty bomb? Predators.Predators had been the first responders, the maintenance and city workers, in jobs prey thought beneath their manicured hooves.Four packs of wolves alone gave their lives in the effort to spirit prey out of the doomed city as secondary explosions rocked Rainforest, Sahara, Tundra, Marsh.How did the prey thank them?By pointing a finger at the wolves and complaining that it was the wolves who set the bombs. The surviving wolves were violently put to death by responding National Guard units who believed the clean-looking prey over the dishevelled predators.The Wolford, Howlington, Knight, and Moon packs ceased to exist within a fortnight.The Animalian government swept the atrocities under the rug. To join its other failed responsibilities.Too late did anyone notice that someone else was pulling the strings.Once the alarm had been raised by an analyst buried deep inside CIA Headquarters on a foreign incursion, it was already too late.The mammals who could authorise the strike were either replaced with sycophants or ‘taken cared of’.And, no, not in retirement homes or cushy positions outside the chain of command.The key mammals that could mobilise troops to stand against the tide were taken from their beds and murdered. Doppelgangers took their place and stood with the sycophants as bill after bill was passed that brought the government closer to the edge.On the morning of December 7, 2220, the mammals struck.Mass assassinations took out the President and her line of succession.Air Force One was shot out of the sky by its own escort. The mayday calls went unheard. The last Animalian President died ignominiously, screaming as she fell to her death from 45,000 feet.   All over the world, military coups deposed their leaders as a new mammal was welcomed as the Supreme Overlord.The mammal’s name. Shinigami.=====================================================================================It was to this nightmarish world that my life pod had crashed into in the year of our Lord 2420 after our task group ran into a temporal anomaly. We watched in horror as the Pride of the UED Fleet: UED Yorktown shattered into pieces as she tried to force a passage.On the bridge of the UED Jupiter, a Dreadnought-class battleship, whatever force had shattered the Yorktown began shaking the Jupiter apart.I had ordered the crew to turn about, at least to give the smaller craft with us time to jump out. Functional hyperdrive units were outfitted to the lighter vessels so they could go further, faster. The Jupiter and Enterprise were one of those large ships which had it.I gave the order to abandon ship when the shaking got too much.I don’t know if the crew even made it. I almost didn’t.I am Captain James Vonnaught of the United Earth Directorate’s Navy, an initiative started by the G-7 to combat rising pollution levels on our planet. As a multi-national initiative, it was decided to send up prospective individuals and ascertain their roles as humanity looks to the stars.I was born on the lunar colony near Apollo Eleven’s Tranquillity Base to Lieutenant Commander John Vonnaught and Commander Parris Shepherd of the old American Space Force Central Command.I had the typical life of an army brat, as the old Earth books would refer to me, learning lessons at my mother’s side as she slowly integrated into the UED command structure.I was a middling child in my elementary and secondary education, neither very good nor very bad. I was more interested in watching old 20th century television series like Star Trek and honing languages.That all changed when my name was selected for naval training on the newest exploration vessel that humanity had crafted: UES Serenity.A harmonious blend of both conventional and ion engines, its engineers boasted that the ship would be the start of a new line of explorers. Ships that could carry humanity with them to the stars as we searched for a new home.While not a fan of my structured lessons on the lunar base, I excelled during my stint on the Serenity. At the brown dwarf star of Wolf 139, a calculation error had led the Serenity into the dwarf’s gravity well and we could not escape.  Not without damaging several vital components.Apparently, the engineers who built the ship had placed several key systems near each other for easy maintenance access. That same easy access had led to a stray micrometeorite puncturing the outer skin and disabling our navigational computer’s primary core.There were supposedly backups on board as no ship worked without redundancy, but a fevered inspection turned up empty.The engineers had cut back on materials and hoped nothing like this would happen!In despair, our commanding officer sent out a mayday via the beacons we were trailing behind us. Even with the high power output of the new tachyon system, it would still take a day for our message to reach the last outpost at Omega Seven.By the time a rescue team arrived, we would all be corpses as the life support failed.While my more cerebral classmates tried every permutation and came back in tears, I had marched over to the captain and asked why did we not turn our thrusters towards the dwarf and punch the throttle with everything we had.If we were going to die in space, may as well go out with a bang.The first officer agreed as the captain relinquished command, too worn out to even contemplate such an idea.I don’t quite remember what happened after as I felt the ship move beneath my boots and then darkness.I woke up to my parents smiling down on me and congratulating me for a job well done.I got the full story out of them, eventually.The manoeuvre I had suggested was a resounding success. The combined thrust of both conventional and ion engines enough to drag the ship out of the gravity well and back into space. The sudden tremor I had felt was the sudden acceleration as the ship punched its way out.A leak of pure oxygen into one of the nacelles had then triggered a burst of acceleration and everyone unsecured were thrown about. I had smacked my forehead into a stanchion and was taken to the medical bay.The Serenity met the rescue ship Aquarius on its way out of the system. The two ships passing each other by mere yards.I was transferred to the Aquarius together with the other injured and dispatched at flank speed back to the nearest Earth station.Had I been anyone else, I would have been stuck on the Serenity until we made our scheduled refuelling stop at one of the outposts that were established before we set out.The perk of being born the first-born son of two high-ranking members of the Directorate never sat well with me. It got worse when I was called up in front of the entire Directorate Naval Board and awarded my choice of assignments together with the newly created ‘Hero of Earth’ medal.As I was the first recipient of such a prestigious award, I was called on to make an impromptu speech. I still have the transcript of the utter disaster the speech became, not least because I witnessed armed military police arrest the lead engineer for the Serenity-line of ships on charges of corruption.My speech was then drowned out by the rapid discharges of weapons fire and I had done the only logical thing I could think of: I had tackled the Grand Admiral waiting to give his speech and pulled him off the stage.Grand Admiral Marcos de Benavides had then contemplated awarding me a second ‘Hero of Earth’ as we lay under the artificial sunlight that made up the largest hall on Tranquillity Base.I was only 24 years old, the youngest recipient of the award.If I had known that in only a decade’s time, I would be fighting for my life amongst anthropomorphic animals, I would have just jumped into the reactor core of the UED Jupiter.=====================================================================================Present Day…August 5, 2422Dr. Honey Badger’s Subterranean Research Complex(formerly Climate Control Centre for the Tundra Wall)I woke with a start, almost banging my head on the low ceiling in my assigned quarters. While it was wolf-sized, it was still a good foot shorter than my actual height.As I tried to calm my racing heart from a nightmare that was swiftly fading, an otter with ocular implants stuck their head into the open door.“Captain Vonnaught?” they asked, the voice and androgynous body structure kept throwing me for a loop.“Yes?” I answered, trying to make sense of whether I was standing or lying down.“Honey wants to see you. She says she’s finished” the otter replied as they scurried off with a patter of claws on steel matting.I immediately pulled on some slippers and followed the otter, banging my head on one of the exposed pipes.“Honey! You’ve done it?” I asked the ecstatic-looking badger.“I’ve done it! I was able to send myself a piece of equipment from five minutes in the future” the honey badger looked up at me, hugging me across my furless mid-riff. I awkwardly patted the back of the mammal as this was so out of character for her.“And when can live trials begin?” I gently asked, knowing it had to be done as I inhaled her musky scent.“You have to go through. Immediately” she whispered to me as she kept me tight against her.   I must have stiffened as her grip suddenly tightened.“I detected a network intrusion six minutes after the part came through. Shinigami is actively hunting us!”“I don’t think…” I began to reason with her.“Soldier!” she ordered me and I stood at the position of attention. Inwardly, I cursed my training. It ruined my interactions since I performed it unconsciously.“I am ordering you through. Once you have done it, this entire facility will self-destruct. Shinigami must not have access to Project Hourglass or the very reason we built it will be lost!” Honey ordered me, using the drill sergeant voice she used on new recruits. “Is that clear!”“Sir, yes sir!” I answered in the affirmative.“Cram what knowledge you can. You’re going naked for this one. Dismissed” she ordered me.Whatever questions I wanted answered would have to wait as my body departed the Induction Chamber for my assigned quarters.Once there, I splashed water on my face from the old water system. Thankfully, there was still some chlorination going on and the water was considered potable.As I looked at my reflection, one of my eyes had turned to slits. Focusing on it, the pupil rounded out again.I had brown eyes before I crash landed here. Now, both were blue.I checked my flat teeth and I found that they had gotten sharper. Running my tongue over them, the sandpapery surface of my tongue should have been cause for concern two years ago. Now, I had accepted that whatever procedure Shinigami had tried on me, was altering my body.My humanity was slowly leaving me as I already noticed that cold did not bother me. I lost the little finger on my hands a year ago while on the run from Shinigami and I had grown paw pads.Despite my constant shaving, little black rosettes of fur were growing on my arms and legs. A set of whiskers had grown on my face and trying to shave one down made me double over in pain.I can actually walk on all-fours now as the same process that affected my hands did the same thing to my feet. I have retractable claws, so I am some kind of cat.My form is still rather large, and my height did not change. Honey says it may be a pantheran of some kind.I’m holding out hope for a lion, I do like those luxurious manes.What I currently lack is the tail, but I suspect it will be sooner rather than later when I have a fifth limb to go with my original four.Honey had been the one to save me a year ago.Honey was once the chief engineer of Shinigami, having three hydroelectric projects under her belt. She had retired as she wanted to spend the rest of her life at peace.The honey badger had taken a chance on the hairless half human, half something else and stuffed me into her burrow. Others would have either summoned the Martial Legion or turned me away in fear.When Shinigami’s forces came for me, Honey had belittled their commander so much that the other mammal fled in tears.I had arrived with hair only on my head, arms, crotch, and legs. Now, the same areas that used to have short, black hair have thick white fur. My head is the only exception as the fur there has turned grey. I can see that my ears have already moved to the top of my head.  My chest and torso have a creamy front and the black rosettes are slowly taking over my grey-furred back.My limbs too also feel lighter and more flexible. One time I was able to raise my right leg up against my right ear, a position in yoga that once caused me to need reconstructive surgery as I tore a muscle in my hip.Every day that I spend on this world, a world where primates never developed sapience, I am reminded more and more that humanity is not the only intelligent life in the universe.=====================================================================================Three days later, I am happily dreaming of something light and airy when the entire structure shakes.I roll off the bed and get out of my quarters immediately as I sprint on all fours, never noticing the new appendage trailing behind me. I take the corners a little too sharp and never notice that I have traction.Without even thinking I leap from the second floor onto the floor of the former control centre. As I land on all four feet, I am greeted by Honey’s open mouth.“What? Is there something on my face?” I ask as my dog tags dangle from around my neck, before I straighten back up.Honey merely points to a mirrored surface of the machine, and I catch a glimpse of myself.Gone are my human features. Replaced with a snow leopard’s visage and physique.I hurriedly tug open my pants to look under the carpet of fur for my genitals and am relieved to note that I am still male.  My round ears flick to catch Honey’s muttered, “Of course that’s what you check first!”.Any further comment I could have made is interrupted by the facility shaking another time.“Get naked and get inside the chamber!” Honey ordered as she rushed to a set of controls that had been jury-rigged out of the old control panels and keyboards of the former Climate Control network.I dutifully took off my pants, dog tags, and watch as I stepped into the glass chamber I had once called a giant fluorescent.I watched as Honey checked the power levels and ordered all the mammals with us to clear out.I had barely known the honey badger and she was willing to give her own life for me.I promised myself and her I would not waste the chance.An explosion rocked the science chamber as the largest mechanised cape buffalo I ever laid eyes on tore open the ceiling.“Chief Engineer Honey, hand us the Anomaly and you will be left alone” the mechanical voice promised.“Go to hell!” Honey fired back as she removed the power limiters on the fusion reactor that was powering the entire Climate Control network. A countdown immediately started that critical mass would be reached in thirty seconds.“HONEY! BEHIND YOU!” I shouted from inside the chamber as a mechanical panther de-cloaked and rammed a blade through scientist.With blood streaming out of her muzzle, Honey merely smiled and punched the ‘Initiate’ button. She slid down the console as the device began spooling up. The magnetic field that the device generated finally manifesting as both the cape buffalo and the panther stuck to the power nodes, unable to get free.The evil, red eyes of both machines pierced me as Shinigami’s voice and image came out of their mouths.“Not a total loss. After all, I am you” the monster removed the mask he always wore to reveal my doppelganger staring back.I could say nothing else as the world went white.

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I woke up floating in darkness, panting.My friend was killed in front of me, executed by a mammal I knew as myself.I had hoped it was not true. That I had merely picked up on the other’s habits.I was wrong and I had deluded myself.“What is this I see?” an old voice sounded with soul-chilling chuckles.“Who’s there? Come out and face me!” I shouted back.“Feisty, I like it” the voice got closer, and a large hand appeared in my field of vision. I took the hand and was pulled out of the darkness into a patch of light.“Hello human. I have not seen your kind in this universe” a white wolf with red eyes, a poncho, two sickles, brown trousers, and footwraps appeared before me. He was sipping from a cup of tea and enjoying the flavour.“Who are you? Where am I?” I demanded answers, hand drifting down to where I kept my Colt revolver.“Tut tut, little primate. You should know who I am. I am the end of all things. Tea?” the white wolf offered.“Yes please” I answered as manners drilled into me long ago made themselves known. The wolf smiled softly and poured me a cup.I raised the cup to my lips and took a sip. Whatever this tea was, it tasted magnificent!“Thank you for the magnificent tea, Mister Death. What is it?” I complimented the wolf and inquired what it was.“Soul tea” the wolf snickered as I could not bring myself to vomit what I ingested.“Keep drinking little one. You’ll see why when we meet again” the white wolf commanded as I helplessly continued pouring and consuming cup after cup of the tea.As I drank, my human features fell away.My face pushed out to form a square snout as my ears moved up my head. My body held its bipedal stance as both my hands and feet lengthened into paws. My fifth digits vanished back into me and left me with four digits on my paws. I kept my opposable thumbs but lost the pinkie. I lost my bulk and grew lithe instead.Fur sprouted all over my body; grey fur, and black rosettes everywhere except on my torso, neck, front of my arms and legs, crotch, and the underside of my tail. Those grew the white fur I had thought lost as my body acclimated once more to the cold.I purred as my tail extended fully, kneading my front paws on the ground as I have seen cats do. My human mind merging with that of the beast. Yawning loudly, I ran my rough tongue over my sharpened fangs and my body wanted me to give myself a bath as instincts took over.   I wanted this nightmare to end!I got my wish as the anthropomorphic white wolf agreed as he flicked my forehead and knocked me out.

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Next time I woke I heard voices as I once more floated in the darkness... Fluid filled my throat, but I could not cough it out...I could hear voices, but they were distant...A light began to shine at the end of the tunnel...I willed my tired muscles to move, though it felt like swimming through molasses.I wriggled as something else assisted my escape from whatever dark contraption this thing was.The voices were clearer now as I got closer to the tunnel exit.It sounded male, female, and another female.Two rubber appendages tugged gently at me, and I appeared to a bright, new world.“Congratulations, Mister and Missus Snobär. It’s a healthy boy snow leopard cub!”The yowl of surprise I gave only encouraged the OB/GYN to chuckle as she handed me off to a nurse for cleaning.“Richard, honey! A boy!” I heard before my conscious mind could not take anymore and passed out.As my consciousness faded, I could hear the doctor ask my parents what my name would be.“Ivan James Snobär” the female voice answered as I knew no more.=====================================================================================The next time my conscious mind engaged, it was to grey fur in my vision. I tasted milk on my tongue and continued to suckle from what I initially believed was a bottle.“Ah, ah, ah. No more milk for you Ivan” the female voice came back as I was put on a grey shoulder and gently tapped on my back until I gave a little burp.I voiced my displeasure with a shout.What came out of my mouth was a cute mewl and yawn as my energy reserves were shot.The third time I was conscious, a polar bear was hovering over me and looking down with bored eyes. I don’t know why, but I raised my little arms and said my first word.“Ups!” I asked of the bear, who rolled his eyes, and picked me up from the crib. The large bear snorted hot breath at me, but still kept me close. I snoozed on the great bear’s shoulder as he brought me around.I did not know it at the time, but the bear I was using as a pillow was Koslov bon Karpov. The right-paw mammal of the future Mister Antonio Big.=====================================================================================At least two more years would pass before I had nominal control of my faculties, I was burning off too much energy forcing my infant self to have control. My body functioned on automatic. Eating, sleeping, pooping, as kits are wont to do.On my third year in Zootopia, tragedy struck.My parents, Richard and Vanessa Snobär, went out for some last-minute Christmas shopping in Savannah Central. They were happily walking towards the K line which would take them back home to the manor of Grandma Big to pick me up and we would celebrate Christmas Eve in our brownstone near Precinct Three. With purchases in paw, they were accosted by a gang of caprids who demanded money for rock cocaine. Though my parents complied, the gang slashed their throats and left them for dead. My father succumbed to his injuries on the spot, my mother lasted until Savannah Central Trauma Hospital where she too succumbed to her injuries.The ghastly manner that two city councillors were robbed of valuables and murdered in cold blood led to a public outcry that did not die down until spring of 1977 when a new mayor took office and promised change.In any event, the ZPD were unable to find the gang as the Mob beat them to it.Forced to beg for their lives on their knees by Grandma Big and ask me for forgiveness, I just giggled at Koslov making pumping gestures with his right paw. The gang thought I was letting them live.I wasn’t.To their horror, they watched as one by one, Koslov sliced their throats and waited for them to bleed out. Every time I saw blood spurt from a mammal’s neck, I giggled and clapped.Grandma was so happy with me that she blew bubbles for me and tucked me in when I yawned halfway through the executions. Her own son, Antonio, had never seen her so happy with anyone else’s kit. Not even Koslov’s own sons, Raymond, Kevin, and Morris, were treated so well.I was four when Grandma Big insisted that I had to attend school with the rest of the children. I did not like children that were not polar mammals as those were the species with us at the manor. Grandma raised me as her own son, but insisting that my role was secondary to Antonio’s, my big brother.Antonio was older than I by a decade and was not yet blooded.At St. Mary’s School for the Gifted, I was exceptionally quick to pick up maths, reading comprehension, spelling, and languages. The school thought me horribly advanced for my age when I removed a Year 4 book of maths instead of the nursery level. I also got in trouble for climbing the bookshelf to remove the book I wanted.What no one suspected was that I was an old soul in a new body. I had the same spark of brilliance that most kits my age had, but there were times when my blue eyes seemed world-weary. During those times, other kits avoided me or began wailing in discomfort.My companion during times of isolation was a disembodied voice who would whisper that my parents love me very much and are sorry they could not be around to raise me. They are proud though, that I am taking my studies seriously.I also made one of my Year 1 teachers collapse in fright when I had pointed at her while talking with the voice and asked if her husband knew he would die that night.  I learned a new name that day: Hijo de la Muerte. [Son of Death]I found out her husband, a police officer, survived the night as he had stayed home to comfort his wife instead of going out on patrol where he would have died as his partner would have let him die for pocket change.I liked that teacher, even when I outgrew her classes as my knowledge far outstripped hers. I always had a gift for her on her anniversary, on her birthday, and on Christmas.  I persuaded Grandma Big to let me know the name of the police officer.She always melted and cooed when I turned my ice-blue eyes toward her. The officer’s name was Patrol Officer Gregory Palmer, his wife was Miss Mary Palmer nee Andrews.  They were kind to me, even if they had less money than what was left for me by my own parents. I could not touch the money until I turned eighteen though, so it was fine that my allowance came from Grandma.As the precinct was just around the corner from St. Mary’s, I would visit the sun bear and bring some hot cocoa. In return, the sun bear would teach me self-defence as a rich kid like me was a target for kitnapping.I did not know that my frequent disappearing acts were causing Uncle Koslov, as I took to calling the bear, some migraines. I thought nothing of it as I liked Officer Palmer, I did not yet know that the mafia had lines we did not cross.The summer of 1983 was a sombre one for me.I was nine when Sergeant Palmer told me that he was being promoted to lieutenant and that his superiors were transferring him to Sahara Square. That was the first time I cried since my parents died as I did not want the kind bear to leave me with the other unfeeling polar bears at Precinct Three.“Chin up, kiddo” Sergeant Palmer told me as I visited him for the last time in my Junior Ranger Scout outfit. “We’ll see each other again. Maybe lose the escort next time? You’re making the other guys nervous”.Oh. Forgot my own security team.I forgot to mention that I had my own security escort after an attempted kitnapping while I was 6 and played with Mayor Brunhilde Wolford’s pups in Savannah Central. I don’t know what happened to my driver that day, Angelo Nobile, but I suspect Grandma made an example out of him for allowing me to be taken.Thankfully, the mammals who took me recognised me as a member of Tundratown and reunited me with a snarling Uncle Koslov at the steps of Little Big Italy. I was escorted into the establishment by a spry otter named Emmitt and seated at my favourite booth facing a chocolate fountain. In my innocence, I offered the grumbling bear a heartfelt and stammering apology for wandering off. Uncle Koslov sighed and said “Я не сержусь на тебя, Иван. Вы не знали, что млекопитающие, с которыми вы ходили, хотели быстрой зарплаты” [I'm not mad at you, Ivan. You didn't know that the mammals you walked with wanted a quick paycheck].“Мне все еще жаль, дядя” I had replied in Roarssian, startling him and the other bears. [I’m still sorry, uncle] They had forgotten how quickly I picked up languages. I only needed to be exposed to the language four times before I could speak it.I was eight when my skill with languages came into play.A member of the Xiannese triad, Lu Xing Gong, was spotted in Xian Town near the docks. I was dropped off at a traditional Xiannese restaurant by Vladimir Gorfoot or something, and walked in. No one suspected a kit after all of subterfuge.“打敗它的孩子，我很忙” the giant panda uttered as I sat across from him with a large, stupid grin. [Beat it kid, I’m busy]“我父親有一個建議，你想聽，陸星公” I told him, and the giant panda immediately pulled out a gun on me. [My father has a proposal you want to hear, Lu Xing Gong]He underestimated the rest of the patrons bringing out their own guns. And badges. Can’t forget the badges.I had walked into an undercover operation and positively identified the wanted mammal to a dozen agencies. I then watched as he got dogpiled by five grizzly bears, two wolves, and a moose. The moose was kicking him while screaming in a girly voice, “Stop resisting!”.One of the agents, a male grey wolf, quickly took me aside and asked me who sent me down here to identify the internationally wanted mammal. I said the first name that came to mind, “Sergeant Greg Palmer”. I got my adoptive uncle both censured and promoted in one go. Go figure.By doing so, I inadvertently set the stage for him to be rotated to Sahara when a slot vacated.I later found out that the wolf speaking to me was not using English. He was speaking to me in Furench and I had reflexively answered with my uncle’s name.Grandma almost killed herself laughing when she found out what I did. I had gotten rid of two thorns in the family’s side just by being myself.I gave Lieutenant Palmer a farewell gift drawn from my saved-up allowance over the years, a Cartier Quartz Chronograph.Though, I had to ask one of the polar bears to model it for me at the watch store.  I also had to apologise to the seller as I did not know polar bears scared her. I think her commission made her happy when I left.I also made a new friend down at Precinct One.His name was Officer Andrew Higgins, a hippo and quite an eager recipient of information on rival gangs in the city. The hippo’s partner, Officer Adrian Bogo, also benefited from the information.My Junior Ranger Scout pack had a museum tour about natural history.Naturally, I was bored.So, I waved off my escort and entered the concrete blockhouse that was Precinct One. While there I chatted up the desk sergeant, Sergeant Franklin Delouviers, and passed a note ostensibly from his informant in the Rotfangs that the gang needed to have one of their members released. That I managed to do this while Officers Higgins and Bogo passed by needing to nail the corrupt sergeant was a plus. I just informed Officer Higgins that a weird mammal offered me candy if I passed the note. Officer Higgins had then asked me to point out the mammal to him and his partner from the second-floor window and I did.“That weird-looking llama in a coat is not really a llama. It’s a wolf” I pointed proudly. Officer Higgins gave me a lollipop and brought me back to the Natural History Museum to meet the rest of my pack. Officer Bogo had charged at the llama and was commended later for bringing in a known mammal trafficker.=====================================================================================I was fourteen when I met a new mammal outside the family.My old pack, 914, was transferred from Savannah Central to the outskirts of Happytown. I had dropped by on a courtesy call to my old Packmaster, Mister Marcus Johnson, when a red fox in a uniform had gone flying passed me and my escort. Four mammals then emerged from the basement and gave each other high-fours that they “stopped a stinkin’ pred from joining”, unaware that I used to be part of Pack 914. I had wanted to go after the fox kit but was stopped by my escort placing his white paw on my shoulder.Uncle had decreed that I was to stop vanishing and that was the only way for me to do so. I had to be physically restrained. Discreetly, of course.=====================================================================================At sixteen, I was officially welcomed to the mafia side of things. Grandma Big had only delayed as she wanted me to develop my own networks of informants in case her own were exposed by the ZPD. The mob and the other gangs no longer had a hold in Downtown as Precinct One was now staffed with new officers who held no love lost for us.Regrettably, that meant I also had to cut ties with Sergeant Higgins and Officer Bogo. A known mafia member like myself consorting with them would bode ill for either party.My last meeting with Sergeant Higgins, I presented the hippo a choice. Either he takes the wrapped box, or he gets access to the last information I can give him on a gang. I let the hippo know I was being forced to choose between La Famiglia or the ZPD. I was already dressed in the sharp suits of the mafia by then and Higgins was astute enough to know that my family had already chosen for me.An officer of integrity, he pushed back the box and asked for information for the final safehouse of The Green Grazers. I gave him the location where the remnants of the gang met. Docklands Warehouse A-113. Knock three times on the side door and call for Charlie.Had he taken the box, there was a slip to a safety deposit box at First Federal Bank with enough cash inside it that it would be enough for a downpayment on a new house as I knew that the sergeant had gotten married through the chain of informants.I bid him farewell and left the box.“You won’t take the box with you, Mister Snobear?” the hippo had asked as I stood up and paid for our drinks.“Drop it in the Widows and Orphans fund of the ZPD” I had answered as I bid him farewell and met with my escort. I paused at the door and spoke to everyone else, “Boys, time to go. Leave the officer behind”. As the bar emptied of mammals and joined me outside, the hippo drew in a shaky breath at how close he had come to dying. That was until he tried to get up and the chair beeped.The 9-1-1 call of a weeping Sergeant Higgins as he told the operator of a bomb threat to where he was currently, Manny’s Seafood Bar and Grill, made city-wide news as the EOD team rolled in and secured the seat where the hippo was. Under the hippo were enough C4 bricks to send him to space. The detonator was inside the wrapped box, had the hippo given in to the temptation and opened the box…When asked who set him up, Sergeant Higgins did not give my name. Instead, he said that he was supposed to meet with a disenfranchised gang member but was double-crossed.=====================================================================================Back at the manor, I was toasted and feted by everybody at the masterful manipulation of Precinct One officer. Though I accepted everyone’s platitudes and that my future was bright as a mafiosi, Grandma saw that I was hurting.She had her personal bear, Vasili, bring her to me and fetch her son as well.When Antonio arrived, Grandma instructed Vasili that she was giving me a pep talk and that it would only take ten minutes.For ten minutes, she and Antonio would listen to me.“Ehi, Ivan. Non sei contento di essere stato accettato a pieno titolo nella mafia?” Grandma asked as Antonio sat back. [Hey, Ivan. Aren't you happy that you've been fully accepted into the mafia?]“Non lo so più. Pensavo che sarei stato felice una volta iniziato. Sembra vuoto” I looked down at my paws, refusing to raise my head as I counted the digits of my toes. [I don't know anymore. I thought I'd be happy once I started. It feels empty]“Se tra cinque anni, ti senti ancora così. Antonio ed io diamo la nostra benedizione affinché tu te ne vada. Per ora, godetevi la festa” Grandma smiled at me, knowing that despite my youth, my soul was older than even her own. [If in five years, you still feel this way. Antonio and I give our blessing for you to leave.  For now, enjoy the party]“Sei d'accordo con la nonna, fratello Antonio?” I turned to Antonio Big and asked. [Do you agree with Grandma, brother Antonio?]“Certo, siamo cresciuti insieme. La mia Bella è incinta. Desidero averti come padrino di mio figlio. Non te ne sei ancora andato?” Antonio answered with certainty, breaking the news to Grandma as well. [Of course, we grew up together. My Bella is with child. I wish to have you as godbrother to my child. Don't leave yet?]“Antonio, da quanto tempo conosci Bella incinta?” Grandma gasped in shock. [Antonio, how long have you known Bella to be with child?]“Da tre mesi. Rallegrati mamma, la prossima generazione è vicina” Antonio informed Grandma Big. [Since three months ago. Rejoice Mama, the next generation is close.]“Vasili!” the old shrew summoned her personal bear who dutifully opened the door even though the ten minutes were not up.“Василий, у нас двойной повод для праздника! Жена Антонио, Белла, беременна!” Grandma informed the bear who roared in approval. [Vasili, we have double reason to celebrate! Antonio's wife, Bella, is with child!]=====================================================================================As part of Antonio’s trust in me, I was assigned as the personal guard of the newly christened Francesca Bella Donna Big. I went everywhere with the newborn, trained as a bodyguard for the shrew, and threw myself into being the best godbrother for little Fru-Fru.At nineteen, Fru was part of the Nativity play at St. Mary’s as the infant Emmanuel. I stood just off-stage, weapon holstered and earpiece in my left ear as I kept a close watch on her. I did not breathe properly until Fru was backstage applying powder to her nose.Zootopia was also beginning to modernise as new anti-pollution laws went into effect in the period from 1988 onwards. The family had wanted to muscle in on the smaller Frostchasers territory and set up a meet. I went with uncle Koslov, Raymond, and Kevin. I would act as translator.We never made it to the meet.The car we used, an unarmoured limousine, was rammed by an upstart gang of arctic foxes who wanted a piece of the Big empire. Uncle Koslov threw himself on top of me, protecting me from the shards of glass that cut him from his left eyebrow to his left cheek.Furious at being attacked, the family exterminated the arctic foxes. Down. To. The. Last. Mammal.Though sidelined with two broken ribs, I was soon checking in with one of my own informants. I found out that the Frostchasers had hired the foxes to destabilise us and grab another piece for themselves.I shared the information with Antonio and Grandma. I also shared that Grandma’s information broker had jumped to the other side with the promise of bigger cut of profits.Boiling with rage, Grandma had summoned the weasel to the manor and asked for an explanation. The weasel fed a convoluted and complicated explanation that other mammals paid more than fair to him. That was until I walked in with my own informant, the weasel’s brother, and a taped conversation the two had.Mine had refused to work with ZPD and his brother did, feeding them information on our movements.There were no Frostchasers.They were undercover ZPD officers posing as mobsters.The territory was as fake as the tears Grandma shed when she ordered the weasel, Marquess Weaselton, iced.Instead of sending me out with the hit squad against ZPD, Grandma sent me elsewhere.Not least because most of the ZPD officers knew me by face if not by name. I was the snow leopard kit who had played with the younger officers in my youth. Grandma knew I would sooner kill myself than kill ZPD.She also knew her time was coming to an end. She could see the spectre of death approaching.I felt it too, the winters were colder than ever.The white wolf was coming for his due.I was twenty-four when it finally happened. One fatal mistake.July 12, 1994.The date is seared in my memory. I had walked into Precinct Two in Sahara Square, gotten an application form for the Zootopia Police Academy, and given the completed form to Sergeant Lorelei at the front desk. My uncle was now Captain Palmer of Precinct Two. The mafia held no sway here as the officers were considered unbribable.I walked out fully knowing that I would have to be home on or before the 3rd of August to receive the acceptance letter from ZPA. Caught up in the plan, I failed to notice a red fox tail slink away in the desert heat.   I failed and was exposed to the rest of the mafia by the red fox known as Nicholas Wilde on the 3rd of August 1994.

----- CHAPTER BREAK -----

Secretary Nicholas Furie, or Uncle Nick as he soon made me call him around the other agents, helped me up from the gurney I was strapped in.“Should I really be calling you Uncle Nick?” I asked softly, a purr resonating through me at the thought of a new uncle. The other agents listening in leapt back in shock.The snow leopard they were guarding was the missing nephew of the wolf?That would explain a lot of things:Why the Justice Secretary came in person, why lethal weapons were disallowed, why I was moved from the safehouse in Gnu York to D.C. Hell, it even explained why I was loose from the restraints.“Listen to yourself, kid. No big cat purrs unless you’re pleased. You sound damn pleased to this wolf’s ears” Uncle Nick informed me as we walked towards a striped hare and white vixen.“Special Agent Savage, Special Agent Frost. Meet my godson, Ivan James Snobär” Uncle Nick introduced me to the pred-prey duo, using my real name. Not the patronymic the mob came up with.Special Agent Frost gasped and stuttered that she had not been feeling my luxurious coat while I napped. Special Agent Savage, ever the consummate professional, spoke up to deflect attention from his partner.“Sir, if Mister Snobär is indeed your godson, what do you suppose we need to do about his past? My contacts in Zootopia say he was close with a lot of ZPD officers and detectives” Agent Savage asked the secretary in a calm, business manner. (A/N: SHIELD Agent Phil Coulson immediately sprang to mind.)I interrupted the FBI agent with “Excuse me, Agent Savage. May I know the name of your contact?” as my tailtip twitched behind me.The striped jackrabbit glanced at his boss who gave a quick, sharp nod.“Most certainly. She or he goes by the name of Ralph. We only ever meet by dead drop and surveillance never catches the mammal who picks up as it seems a courier is used” Agent Savage shared with me, the nephew of Secretary Furie.“Then you’re dealing with one of my old informants. She is Samantha Richards, only daughter of shipping and logistics magnate Arthur Richards IV. On your next visit to the dead drop, pass a message on for me. Let her know: The cat has retreated to lick its wounds” I informed the striped rabbit as his partner, and my godfather, boggled at the wealth of information I possessed.“We can use this to squeeze your old family” Uncle Nick pressed.I refused.It was too soon. I needed the network to continue to thrive in my absence. Moving now would expose everyone. Not all mammals would be as protected as Sam who could hide behind her father’s wealth and power.“That’s what I like about you, kid. You know when to push back” Uncle Nick laughed as I refused to use my network to feed the federal government on the mob’s activities.“What reply should I expect?” Agent Savage asked in that same calm manner.“If there was no contact from me within three months, Sam would burn the network to the ground. That meant I was iced. Those were my instructions to her. You may expect the reply: The Watcher remains, if she wishes to continue. Otherwise, you will get: The Network burns, as she disavows everyone” I informed the jackrabbit agent as he smiled a genuine smile.“Ivan. May I call you Ivan?” the agent asked as I nodded in affirmative, my mind swirling with possibilities and timelines. Thanks Death.
You are welcome, little one.
The reply made me jump skywards as I had not heard from the spectre for nineteen years.“Kindly remove yourself from my person, sir” Agent Adams commented as I opened my eyes and found myself posing as a scarf on the water buffalo. “It was just the premature detonation of a propane canister” he assured me. Uncle Nick, Agent Savage, and Agent Frost were looking at me with new eyes.“Looks like desensitisation training is in your future nephew” Uncle Nick commented as he turned and walked back to the open gates of the compound. Agent Adams depositing me gently on the grassy ground as he followed my uncle.“Did I hear right earlier?” Agent Frost came forward, looking at her paws with shame. “You’re going to be joining us at the Academy?”“Yes. I thought you and Agent Savage are agents?” I confirmed it as I lay on the ground, looking up at a cloudy sky as I inhaled the burning smell of plastic and paper.“Well,” Agent Frost replied as she rubbed the back of her head, “Agent Savage is a full agent. I’m supposed to be an intern. I am in my final few weeks and the Academy is trying out partnering baby agents with senior agents”.“Is it working?” I asked as another medic approached and returned me to a sitting position, before moving on.“Agent Savage says I need to work on my neutral tone. I could not keep a straight face when I was letting you know we knew you were faking sleep” the vixen muttered. I smiled gently as I replied. “We have a year to get me back into shape. My uncle just assigned you and Agent Savage as my babysitters”. “See for yourself” as I nodded towards their phones which dinged with a message.Agents Savage and Frost pulled out their phones to humour me. As Agent Savage opened his phone, his erect ears fell and rested on his back as he read the newly arrived message.“How did you know?” Agent Savage asked with awe, his neutral tone broken.“Your own training manual states that ‘Mammals of first contact with UNSUB are assigned surveillance as they know subject best. If UNSUB begins to feel comfortable around them, they are switched to close-in until UNSUB lets something valuable slip.’” I informed them, having read a smuggled-out version from one of my informants.The stamp that it belonged to the FBI Academy Library in Quantico, and was not to be removed from the premises, looked fresh when it was lent to me to review.The shocked looks of not just my two babysitters, but the ring of agents that had formed around us, made me chuckle.“Get me a line to Quantico, now!” Agent Savage barked into his phone as he pressed a few buttons on his phone.Agent Savage then switched his phone to speaker for everyone to listen in.“This is Head Librarian Timothy of the FBI Academy library. Who am I speaking to?” the voice on the phone asked.“Special Agent-in-Charge of the D.C. Office, Jack Quentin Savage. I have reason to believe that a training manual is missing from inventory in the library” Agent Savage replied.“Oh dear! That is serious. Let me check the computer” Timothy replied as he tapped out a command on the librarian’s computer. “According to the computer, all our manuals are accounted for” the librarian commented as he read out the line.Agent Savage, and the other agents looked at me, as if asking ‘What next?’.“Timothy sir, I read the training manual at a flea market in Tundratown. Could you or someone you trust do a manual count (of the manuals)?” I answered for the agents. [Flea market being the mafia code for smuggled items.]“Tundra…Tundra….Tun-…” everyone heard Timothy mutter before the mammal gasped. “A cadet from Tundratown dropped out the year before, could he have brought it along with him? Young mammal, was there still a library card in the book with the names of the borrowers?”.“No sir. It just had the stamp of the library. There was a missing patch of something at the back cover. Four glue marks and it was lighter than the rest of the page” I answered, no need to lie to the librarian. I would be attending after all.“You did a very brave thing reporting this to Agent Savage. Now, we must update the manuals so the information in the old one will be useless. Tell me, are you interested in joining the FBI?” Timothy commented from the phone’s speaker, actively looking to recruit the mammal who reported the theft.“Secretary Furie volunteered me to go, sir” I informed the librarian who then guffawed in laughter. It sounded tinny over the phone speaker.“Yes, he would have been informed. Theft of federal documents is a serious offence, after all” Timothy remarked. “Kindly thank Agent Savage for me and give him back the phone. He and I need to have a few words”.“But, you’re on speaker right now sir” I admitted truthfully as Agent Savage’s eyes got wide and he started shaking his head furiously, ears flopping about.“Is that so? Are we in his office at the building?” Timothy asked with malicious intent. I got an image of a smirking Cheshire cat rubbing his paws together.“We are with Secretary Furie in his office. The Secretary has stepped out for a moment. I think I heard a ‘Motherfucker’ leave his lips.” I answered with an angelic smile that fooled none of the agents.“Ah” Timothy halted. “Agent Savage, call me back AFTER you leave” as the phone call disconnected.“Agents, meet…uh…Secretary Furie’s godson, Mister Ivan James Snobär” Agent Savage introduced me before beating a hasty retreat as his mobile rang.I waved from my position on the ground as the agents groaned in unison.=====================================================================================Physical rehabilitation was a joke.For a young adult former mafia snow leopard, my injuries were a lot better than many field agents who had broken bones and torn ligaments. Some would never truly return to duty, as broken as they were.The therapists and physicians were left scratching their heads at why I even needed to attend the exacting regimen of squats, lunges, and hops.I thought so too, until I remembered that I still had to qualify for the Academy. I took the stretching exercises without complaint even if I felt belittled as the physician continued to spout out progress reports and milestones that felt hollow to me.Also, any broken bones or dislocations I had would be set within a few days. I healed a lot faster than regular mammals around me.Even with injuries that were fatal or debilitating, as I soon found out.=====================================================================================Retired Army Drill Instructor Sergeant Major Jonathan Wicke found that out the hard way when he instructed me on how to grapple with a larger opponent. The black bear thought he could instruct me by doing. I had stretched appropriately and loosened my muscles when the bear attacked suddenly, catching me off-guard. I was snatched up into an impromptu bear hug and squeezed till I gave up.I felt the sudden snap of my spinal column and my lower legs went limp. In pain, and not a little bit of anger, I sank my teeth into his shoulder as revenge.The former sergeant major immediately let go and so did I. My body falling bonelessly onto the mat as he yelled out for a medic.I was instantly taken to the hospital wing of Fort Hood, Texas and given an X-ray.The radiologist had to gently explain to a ranting and raving Secretary Furie that I may never walk again. The radiologist was lucky enough to be able to walk away himself without any additional holes as the wolf was known to be trigger-happy.“Kid, I’m so sorry” Uncle Nick had apologised to me, when the doctors left us alone.“I can’t feel my legs or my tail” I answered calmly, knowing that a certain entity was also present. “I’m cold, Uncle Nick”.I could see Death’s outline on the wall.Time stopped as the entity spoke. Uncle Nick was frozen in place, trying to rub some sensation into my legs.“While this is a setback, you will emerge all the greater for it” the white wolf growled softly as he sipped from a cup of soul tea.“Whose soul is that this time?” I asked as my legs continued to lie motionless on the bed.“You want to try?” the entity asked as another cup appeared.“I’ll pass. You might turn me into a shrew” I turned down the offer, joking with him as I did so.“Funny. But no, you won’t turn into a shrew. I found humans to be adaptable, but your form is locked now” the white wolf answered as he approached, one sickle out.“You stand at a fork in the road, Ivan Snobär. If you go down one path, I part with some of my essence and grant it to you. If you wish to turn away, I take you now and we go elsewhere. This world will then slide inexorably into darkness for a time until a new mammal is chosen to lead them out of it.” Death explained gently as he rubbed a clawed digit on my head, marking his sickle with one life crossed out. “You said a fork in the road, Señor Muerto. What of the other road?” I gently prodded the wolf who sighed. [Mister Death]“Knew I should have given you lamb soul instead of cat, too curious for your own good” the wolf muttered as he shrugged his shoulders.“You already have been down that road, pequeña Muerte. You met yourself on the road you took to escape” the entity explained. [little Death]“Shinigami” I muttered as I shivered.“Yes. You will still grow into Shinigami on my road but will do so gradually. Not suddenly as he did, bending mammals to his will and feeding on their souls” Death replied as he then assured me. “Your backgrounds are too different now; your heart is purer than his ever was. So no, your ascension to Shinigami will take longer. I will also guide you as you grow” the entity assured me.“Thank you” I replied to the entity as he gave me a hug.“Unfortunately, pequeña Muerte, I have to take your memory of this conversation. Future knowledge spoils quickly and Time has agreed not to touch you” Death continued as he touched me on the forehead, and I passed out. [little Death]Next time I woke, I knew death had touched me.My blue eyes would never change to green or grey as mature snow leopard eyes did. They would forever remain blue.=====================================================================================Despite him sending me to the hospital with a severed spinal column, I continued to spar with the retired sergeant major. This time in the Colorado woods near the Air Force Academy.Apologetic, the bear would half-heartedly go through the motions of grappling with me. Afraid that I would be sent again for treatment.That and we had to spar outdoors, where several sniper teams drew beads on him, the laser dots unnerving the bear from continuing.I spotted one such sniper nest one late autumnal morning in October 1994 and climbed the tree loudly, startling the mammal into dropping his Remington M7000 bolt-action sniper rifle to the forest floor. I snorted at how easy it was to catch the sniper off-guard.I had forgotten that snow leopards on my earth were ambush predators and could effectively sneak up on prey.“So?” I started the conversation with the rifle slung across my back with a shivering corsac fox in front of me. “Do you want to join me and the sergeant major for hot soup? You look like you need it”.Instead of outright answering, the poor predator tried to deflect with “Let me call it in”. I snorted at his statement. From his vantage point, near the middle layer of branches on a rapidly shedding oak, I spotted the other four nests.Ingeniously, only one was covered by the browning leaves. The third was built in a sturdy spruce.“If you’re not down in five minutes, I get to inform FBI Director Logan that his sniper teams need work” I said as I swiped his radio and leapt back down to the leaves on the forest floor.I was soon joined by the corsac fox as he used a rope to slide himself down.“Can we just say I fell out of the tree?” the fox asked as he rubbed his paws together.“I would agree to that if there were golden eagles present” I replied as one then swooped down towards me with a loud ‘SQUAWK’. Diving down with its wings swept back, I knew I was not the target. I was too large for the bird to carry, it was the corsac fox who was the target of the predatory bird.In one smooth motion, I drew the rifle up and fired from the hip. I barely clipped the eagle’s trailing wing feather with the first shot, pulled back the bolt, and reloaded the chamber for another as the eagle had committed to the dive. Once the eagle flared its wings and extended its talons, I took the shot and nailed it through the heart.It crashed into the leaf pile near the corsac fox and expired.On instinct, I reloaded another round into the chamber and expelled the empty casing. Speedy footfalls and the crunch of leaves made me spin around with the raised rifle, my furry digit resting on the rifle casing above the triggerguard.“WHOA, FBI! DON’T SHOOT!” a wolf and his spotter, a puma, raised their paws before I lowered the rifle tip to point at the ground.“There should be five of you” I noted absently as I put the rifle on safety.“We were just about to set up when the shots rang out. Did you hit someone?” the wolf explained as he brought out his ID to show me. I flicked it open, and the agent was revealed as Special Agent Henry Dusk of the FBI’s HRT. Satisfied, I passed the ID back to the wolf as his spotter whistled at the dead golden eagle at my footpaws.“Is that Ugly Larry?” the puma asked as he bent down to roll the bird over.“Ugly Larry?” I repeated the name, not ringing any bells as I heard rapid movement of equipment and the inbound whine of a turbine.“It’s him, alright” the puma commented as he removed a guidebook from a pocket and compared the bird with the photograph inside. “There’s a bounty of $500 dollars to whoever nails this sucker. Been feasting on the local squirrels and chipmunks. Is the reason they live under a dome to the east of here”.“Huh. I thought he was going after the fox behind me” as I gestured to the agent trying to blend in with some leaves.“And I’m very glad to still be alive” the corsac replied as he stood up, an obviously wet patch on his camouflage pants.The chopping blades of a grey UH-1G Huey helicopter made me look up.“Sir! Kindly put the weapon down!” came over the loudspeaker.“FBI!” the wolf shouted as he removed his camouflage cover to show the bright blue shirt under it with the yellow letters.“…Sorry…” as the helicopter landed in the clearing and a smattering of Security Force personnel came out.The USAF Security Forces snapped off a quick salute at me, the half-naked snow leopard wielding the hunting rifle, and focused on the wolf, puma, and corsac fox.“Will no one take my statement?” I asked as I approached the USAF law enforcement personnel formed around the agents.“You might want to forgive them sir, no one wants to disturb you when you’re out running” a gravelly voice made me turn around and look down at a badger in the same uniform. This one had the same rank as my instructor, Sergeant Major.“Sergeant Major” I nodded at the badger. “Sir” as he saluted. I returned the salute on reflex as parts of my human memory demanded it. The badger dropping it after I did.“Sorry if I’m not in uniform. I like feeling a cool breeze against my fur” I apologised to the badger who only waved it off.“Consider this little incident forgotten, sir. Who did you shoot?” the badger replied good-naturedly as I returned the rifle to my shoulder using the strap.“According to Agent Dusk over there, the wolf, I took out Ugly Larry before the bird ate the other agent” I replied as I walked back to the cabin I shared with the black bear.The halt of footpaws made me stop and turn back. The badger had his mouth open in shock. “You bagged Ugly Larry sir?”“Yes? His corpse is just to the left of you” I instructed the badger as he looked down at the dead bird.“Holy shit!” the badger broke bearing and leapt backwards, his actions summoning the Security Force personnel towards us.“Is that Ugly Larry? Holy shit! That’s $2000.” One of the Security Force spoke up, a red wolf, and then blanched as he remembered where he was. “Sorry sirs, my language”.“Agent Dusk! Come here!” I shouted over the heads of the others and summoned the wolf sniper.“You rang?” the wolf cheekily asked in mimicry of a butler.“Sergeant Major Connolly here says that the bird is worth $2000. How long ago was your book printed?” I asked the wolf who took out the book again and looked for date of publishing.“Uh, 1984 sir” the wolf tilted his head.“Any new developments on Ugly Larry that made the bounty increase?” I was actually talking to Agent Dusk when I asked, not the badger.“Yeah” the badger sadly admitted, “he took my baby girl”.“Then consider the bird yours, sergeant major. Mount him somewhere. Shot placement through his heart and a hit on the trailing edge on his left wing” I informed the badger as the emotional dam finally breached as he was given closure.“Colonel, sir! I can’t take the bird” the badger shouted, his voice cracking as he teared up.“One good deed, sergeant major. One good deed” I replied as I went hiking back up the trail to the cabin. As that phrase was much in line with what the colonel usually said, the security force bundled up the bird in someone’s field jacket, loaded it into the chopper and took off.“You know he won’t accept the cash bounty, right?” a new male voice spoke up on my right. I turned my head tiredly to see Lieutenant Colonel Franklin Williams, USAF sitting on a log.“Colonel, sir. If he thinks I am you, what do you think he’ll say when the two of you see each other and you have no idea what happened to the bird?” I asked, the emotional toll of the morning already nagging at my nerves.“Very well, nephew. I’ll just say I missed the first shot and the next took him out” the other snow leopard replied as he stood up and gestured at the rifle on my shoulder.“Nephew?” I asked concernedly, Secretary Furie was going to blow a gasket.“We do look alike, except I have more scars than you do. Your eyes are also ice blue. Mine are grey” the colonel replied as he put an arm around me. I smelled the faint woodsy aroma of the other snow leopard as he did the same to me. “Put some decent clothes on and come dine with us at the chow hall. I’ll introduce you properly to my officers and enlisted”.“I’d like that very much sir. Let me just inform my unarmed instructor and we can go” I nodded my head.“I’ll go with you. We’re not really far from the east gate of the academy after all” the colonel offered as we walked towards the cabin.It only took ten minutes to traverse the trail to the log cabin that the bear and I shared.I happily knocked on the door to the cabin and opened the door.To be immediately knocked over by the smell of death emanating from within.“Colonel, stay behind me” I ordered the Airforce officer as I unslung the rifle, removed the safety, and raised it to my shoulder.  “I’m not armed” the colonel muttered as he followed me into the cabin that reeked of death.Though I had yet to undergo room clearing training in this universe, my mind remembered my own training before being transported here. Opening doors as quietly and quickly as possible, the two of us checked inside each room in the cabin. Hearing nothing besides the soft creak of wood and the sighs of the trees, I pointed upstairs to the bedroom.The colonel nodded and followed me up, but not before I gave him the pistol the black bear always kept in the hall cabinet.The first thing I checked was the bedroom.And that’s where we found the source of the stench.Sergeant Major Jonathan Wicke had expired. In death the bowels released.“Go in peace, sergeant major” I whispered as I closed the door, ushering the colonel back downstairs. I never saw a small light wink out.=====================================================================================
Two Hours Later…
“How you holding up, kid?” Secretary Furie asked me as I watched the old cabin be set alight. According to the Academy coroner, the bear had died sometime between 0230 and 0330 hours.Which I did not agree with as the sergeant major had woken me up at 0430 to start my morning run.I just gave out a sigh as I wrapped my paws around a pumpkin spice latte one of the firemammals brought along. I took a sip of the drink and quietly spat the coffee back in. A horrid flavour.“Well,” the wolf tried to ease the pain, “guess it was his time”.“Yeah” I agreed when I saw the outline manifest in the blaze. No one else saw it.“Sorry kid. Not really used to comforting mammals. I’m more the point and make the problem go away type” Uncle Nick replied as he stood up. “Well, we have to find someone to host you until September when the Academy begins intake. Where do you think you can stay?”“Colonel Williams was offering to take me in as we walked up the trail to the cabin” I answered as I watched the flames grow and consume everything inside. My personal items and gear were in a duffel bag beside me.“You can stay with him till August 2nd and then with Agent Savage till the 30th. I’ll make the arrangements” Secretary Furie agreed as he stood up and stretched.The tableau froze again as a familiar cold swept the region.“You are taking this remarkably well” the entity said as he manifested properly, silver tea set in paw.“Everyone has to die sometime. That’s how the cycle was explained to me growing up” I answered the wolf as he sat down beside me. Tea tray resting on the roughhewn log table where I used to have meals with the bear.“Then you won’t like my news. Tea?” the entity answered, offering me a cup.I set down the coffee and took a cup from the wolf. I also removed a pink macaron.“What kind of news? That you made me effectively immortal?” I asked, sadness taking a backseat as the wolf joined me.I always felt at peace when Death was around.“Heh. Funny you should ask that one. I did say that Time will not interfere. Technically, it is Time that made you immortal” Death smiled as he chuckled.As I tried to wrap my head around the concept of immortality, my head begun to spin, and I dropped the topic as Wolf steadied me.“You will still age. But, slowly. Just as your Tolkien elves aged, so will you. What will kill them, however, will not kill you” the entity said as he sipped his tea. To my nose, it smelled like orange peel and cardamom. I took a sip and the tea warmed up my soul.“Is this still soul tea?” I asked the entity rhetorically.“Of course, as you slowly come into your powers, you can draw bits of soul to sustain you instead” Death informed me, quickly moving on from my mounting horror of turning into a Harry Potter dementor, “But, by that time, you will have taken my place in this universe. And the topic becomes moot”.I felt faint and the wolf caught me before I collapsed on the forest floor.“Now, hold still” as a mist escaped from the wolf and entered my own open mouth.“There” the wolf closed my mouth and rubbed my chest. “I give you a piece of myself willingly. As you mature, more powers will unlock”.“Be safe, pequeña Muerte” as the entity removed my memory of the conversation and let me sleep. [little Death]=====================================================================================
November 14, 1994

Guest Bedroom,

Camp David

I woke with a start, a scream dying in my throat.In my nightmare, Shinigami had followed through his threat after my latest escape attempt and bent me to his will. As he steadily removed my sense of self, Honey and the others engaged him in combat. As the rebellion steadily chipped away at his defences, Honey made her way over to me to release the controls. The moment she did, a mechanical panther stabbed her again.This time she was not successful, and my mind fully belonged to Shinigami. I had taken the offered blade from the mechanical panther and ran amuck, carving a hole through the rebellion fighters. Shinigami had then rubbed me between the ears as I knelt in front of him, hissing out “See? It is better if you do not resist”.I stumbled out of the bed, skyclad, and made my way over to the ensuite bathroom to splash water on my face. Looking at my reflection, I was reminded of my doppelganger’s malevolence until my reflection became an apologetic wolf’s.
Sorry. The barriers between dimensions weaken between Samhain night and All Hallow’s Eve. That was one of the timelines that will never come to be. His universe and timelines have been collapsed. I’m not sharing my next tea with you.
I calmed my rapidly beating heart as I looked for a clock to tell the time.“Bad dream, sir?” a tiger in a tuxedo stuck his head into my room. He may have been knocking, I did not hear it.“Jeeves, what time is it?” I asked the tiger who took out a pocket watch and announced. “It is 3:27AM. May I suggest a sleeping aid, sir?”“No thank you. I’ll just change into my PT gear, and I’ll go out for a run” I informed the butler who closed the door with a soft “Of course, sir.”With a shuddering breath, I opened the armoire door and brought out some footwraps, my FBI Academy training shorts and a reflectorised vest so the Secret Service agents guarding the presidential retreat were not tempted to shoot me.I may have lost my instructor, Army Sergeant Major Jonathan Wicke, and participated in the Viking funeral that followed; but I got a vacation.I was ordered to take it by Secretary Furie, but the sneaky wolf had arranged it so I would bunk with the First Family. Colonel Williams was being deployed overseas for a small conflict in Eastern Europe and would move to the NATO base at Rammstein.I did not have the heart to inform my uncle that I already had training in counter-terror as he would likely have me committed.Still, at least I would celebrate Thanksgiving with a family. I would not be alone.“Enough morbid thoughts” I told myself as I finished dressing. “Time for a 5-mile run. We can yowl afterwards sailor”.I stood from the bed and made my way to the door. I took one last look at the bed, opened the door, and stepped out into the dimly lit corridor. Well, dimly lit if you had no night vision like predators did.I saw the Secret Service agent before he saw me, considering he was fast asleep when I crept by. My furry paws muffling out sounds of my footsteps as I slowly crept out.I met the first awake agent by the deck entrance. The deer may have been blind at night, but he was alert and his head was on a swivel.“Excuse me agent. I’ll be going out for a run. I need to get my miles in as part of my rehab program” I informed the deer who immediately stood to attention, thinking I was the President. The small handheld TV he was engrossed in falling onto the carpeted floor. If I strained my hearing, I could hear the cheers of yesterday’s Army-Navy Animalian football game.“Warn a mammal, next time! I thought you were the President” the agent replied, clutching his chest dramatically, when he saw it was just me, the Presidential guest of honour.I refrained from commenting that I just did. I felt it would be counterproductive.“Night’s pretty quiet so far. Think I can join you as we go around?” the agent asked me.“Clear it with your boss, just as I’m clearing it with you. I don’t want to get myself shot before I enrol at the Academy. Part of the reason I’m wearing this atrocious vest” I pointed at myself and my attire as I informed him of what I planned to do.“Wait one. I’ll clear this up. How long did you say you have to practice?” the deer replied, nodding his head at my smart decision to ask permission. Most guests had almost gotten themselves shot for not following protocol.“I need to run for 5-miles everyday for at least three months. My longest has only been 2.5 miles before I collapse. The reason I’m telling you is if I collapse, someone knows where I went, and I don’t inconvenience the First Family when they ask why I’m missing at the breakfast table” I informed the deer of the regimen given to me. That plus the push-ups, ab crunches, mountain climbing, and other exercises I would need to pass would take up most of the vacation time. I could ease up and focus on the theoretical when the New Year arrives.“Yeesh. I think I can spare a couple miles. Some of the others need to work that in too. Let me just let my supervisor know” the agent grimaced when he heard how far I had to run as part of rehab. “Baseplate, this is Juliet Four. Come in Baseplate” the deer agent pinged his supervisor as I stretched my limbs.“Dare I ask why you have to run five miles? Most branches only require 3 miles at most, sir” the agent asked as we both waited for the reply.“My uncle, Secretary Furie, believes that the bare minimum is going to get me killed. He insisted that I go the extra mile as it were and bring up my endurance” I informed the deer agent who shuddered.“Why is the Grim Reaper training you?” the deer asked as he received a simultaneous message from his supervisor. “Juliet Four, go ahead. This is Baseplate”.“Baseplate, request permission to join Ivan on his morning run” the deer asked in a calm manner.“Juliet Four, go ahead. Your relief is here. Pass Ivan onto Kilo Two at the first marker” the supervisor responded, half stifling his own yawn.“Copy that, Baseplate. Pass onto Kilo Two at first marker” the deer replied as he did some stretching himself.According to the clock beside the door, it was now 3:57AM. I had just enough for the run, some calisthenics, and a cooldown soak before breakfast would be served at precisely 7:10AM.Just like I did under instruction of Sergeant Major Wicke, I started out at a walk before moving to a trot, a canter, and then a full-blown gallop.I overestimated my abilities and did not pace myself accordingly. I was tiring out at the same 2.5 mile mark with Secret Service Agent Michael Holmes (wolf) who was quite concerned that he may need to call an ambulance. Though he himself was breathing hard, he could take a break after half a mile more. I wanted to push to the 5-mile mark.Suffice to say, I did not make it to the breakfast as I collapsed somewhere between mile 3 and 3.25. My partner for that quarter-mile, Secret Service Agent Thomas Schaeffer, did have to call an air ambulance and perform CPR.=====================================================================================“I thought I said I did not want to see you again?” the entity asked as I appeared before him, gasping for air.“I thought I could do the run” I wheezed as I coughed onto the lighted sand (?) of the island.“Rest here. Time moves differently in this place” the entity replied unconcerned, as he continued the sharpening process I had interrupted. “Do you want more tea?” the white wolf asked as he inspected the curved edge of his blade.“Thanks” I panted as I cooled down, my tongue hanging out.“You can go for a swim in the waters. Nothing will harm you” the wolf intoned as he continued the work against the grindstone.I looked into the dark waters that surrounded the little patch of light. With stars above and water below, it was a pretty sight. Glancing back at the unconcerned entity, I entered the flat sea and floated on my back. While gazing up at the twinkling stars, I thought of my unarmed instructor: Sergeant Major Wicke.I would like to meet him at least one more time.For old times sake.“Hey Ivan” the voice of the old bear startled me, and I suddenly found myself back in the log cabin.Seated at the rough dining table in his DI rattle, and with the Smokey Bear hat, was the sergeant major.“How…?” I stammered as he looked years younger.“I don’t know actually” the black bear answered. “I was serving my time in purgatory and BAM! I’m here.”“So, that’s where you went, my wayward soul” Death made himself known as he stepped out of the shadows.The sergeant major immediately stood from his chair and pushed me behind him.“You’re not taking him, monster” the bear announced as he removed a cleaver from the knife rack.“On the contrary, it’s not yet his time” the white wolf chuckled as he made a beckoning gesture with his paw and summoned me through the bear.“Back you go. I believe you will be rested now” the entity softly admonished me as I fell backwards into white light.=====================================================================================
November 17, 1994

Presidential Suite,

Walter Reed Medical Centre

Washington, D.C.

I opened my eyes to a doctor shining a light into my pupils.“Pupillary response is good. Heartrate nominal. Brain wave activity elevated. Welcome back to the land of the living, Mister Snobär” the doctor informed me as my brain caught up with events.“H-h-h-” I tried to formulate a response, only to cough against a dry throat. An orange striped paw produced a glass of water and a straw for me to wet my parched oesophagus.I took a sip and the liquid was refreshing.“When I said ‘Take a vacation’, I did not mean that you would push yourself that hard” the dry wit of my uncle entered my field of vision.“Before you say anything, I want to make one thing clear” my godfather said as he crossed his arms and looked down at me on the gurney, “The President is still wanting you to attend Thanksgiving at the White House. We will scale back your training and rehabilitation, so this sort of thing won’t happen again. Are we in agreement?”.I nodded my head as I felt sleepy. I dozed off as my uncle was telling off the physical therapist who had suggested the 5-mile run. Conveniently forgetting that it was on his own orders.=====================================================================================
November 28, 1994

Walter Reed Medical Centre

Washington, D.C.

“Hey, sorry for not coming quick enough” a new voice tickled the edge of my vision. As I opened my eyes, I met the neutral grin of Agent Jack Savage. “Traffic at Dupont Circle was murder”.“Sabage?” I asked groggily, mind not fully awake as I left a beautiful dream where my old family made peace with the new me. Most poignant was my mother bidding me a teary farewell as I would never see them again.An early Christmas gift from Death as a way to cleave myself from my old life. My training and knowledge would remain, similar to a highly trained operative, but no more human experiences.“A trade-off for a new life”, the entity chuckled as he sent me back to the mortal Zootopian plane.“Close enough” the senior agent commented as he pulled a chair to sit beside me, passing over a box of tissues into my open paw.“Tanks” I muttered as I dabbed at the wet fur under my eyes. “You know, its not my place to ask this. The nurses found you crying in your sleep last night. Also, you flatlined. Gave the secretary, the President, and the Joint Chiefs a massive fright when they came for a visit. Anything happen?” Agent Savage asked as I chuckled ruefully, my memories being swiftly supplanted by a Zootopian equivalent.“Agent Savage, what do you know of time-travel?” I asked him when I finally opened my ice-blue eyes.The agent noted a swirl of something ancient behind them, before shaking himself free of my compulsion.“What like Back to the Future style? Or Terminator style time travel?” the senior agent asked humorously as he gave a soft chuckle, shaking his head.  “Look me in the eyes, Agent Savage. Tell me that again.” I commanded the striped jackrabbit, the same ancient power entering the rabbit, who immediately sat up and turned his head towards me. As if under a spell, the jackrabbit’s body moved of its own volition and sat on the bed with me.“Tell me Agent Savage. Do you believe in time-travel?” I asked again, this time with the unconscious growl that Death always used in speaking.“It’s a faerie tale dreamed up by authors wishing to escape reality” the rabbit replied in a monotone, eyes wide and features slack. “A What-If scenario to already established events”.“Thank you” I replied as the spell released. “Sorry about that, Agent Savage” I then apologised in a softer tone.What the fuck was that? I panicked internally.It appears you have unlocked a new power. Interesting. Death chuckled in my head. Use it well.“Whoa! I think I need to lie down too. Make some space for me, will ya?” Agent Savage commented as he swayed in place on the bed as I dutifully moved myself to allow the agent to rest.“May I borrow your communicator, Agent Savage?” I asked with a patient smile, as if our positions were reversed.“Sure? I guess? Aren’t I the senior agent? My head hurts” the jackrabbit babbled out as he rested his head on my hospital bed. Ten seconds later, his erratic breathing evened out as he was swept into unconsciousness.Looking down at the tiny earpiece and pawheld microphone, I merely shrugged.‘A job for every mammal’ sprang to mind as FDR’s motto during his initial campaign for the presidential election.“White Bishop takes Black Rook. Check” I informed the listeners with Savage’s own code for mental torture.“Motherfucker!” someone swore on the other end. From the pitch and timbre, I knew it was the Secretary.My hospital door opened, and a cylinder was tossed in. I covered Agent Savage’s ears with a pillow as I closed my own eyes.=====================================================================================Flashbang detonation in enclosed spaces always left the subject disorientated.At least that was what the trainer promised when FBI HRT flooded the hospital room holding one Ivan Snobär. Nothing in the snow leopard’s medical history or training background suggested that he was anything else than a simple ex-mafiosi.If the team could go back and deal with whoever wrote that report, they would dangle them from the tallest building in Gnu York.“Stand down!” the command reverberated through the team as they lowered their weapons. The ice-blue chips of a snow leopard practically demanding subservience. Though reclining comfortably in a hospital bed, the snow leopard radiated power and dominance.“Sir!” the team leader, Special Agent Richard Hembacher, saluted the snow leopard. “Secretary Furie sent us in. Special Agent Savage may have been compromised and we need to extract him”.“Very well, you may have Agent Savage. Send in the secretary next” the snow leopard commanded as a tiger gently scooped up the snoozing striped jackrabbit from the bed and carefully carried him back out.=====================================================================================Secretary Furie could not believe his eyes nor his ears! He wondered then if it was a mistake to claim the snow leopard as his godson.Watching through several monitors from the video feed of several cameras discreetly placed around the faux hospital suite, the command team were initially pleased that Agent Savage broached a topic they themselves wanted to know. Then, having seen his own selected agent speak in a monotone and clamber onto the bed to properly face the interrogator, give over his own communication device and then pass out?Who or what lay in the bed?!The who was easily identified as Ivan James Snobär, only remaining member of the Snobär family after the parents were killed in a brutal mugging. The case was never solved, but was believed that the gang fell afoul of avenging members of the public. The only evidence both the CIA and ZPD had was a single decapitated goat head with mouth open in a silent scream, deposited onto the front door of former Zootopia councilmember Alan Thomas. Mister Thomas was currently serving a two-hundred year sentence for the premeditated murder of Richard and Vanessa Snobär.Secretary Furie had a whole dossier on the snow leopard he had claimed as a relative.The what was a little harder.The butler at Camp David had informed the FBI that the snow leopard had acted strange all throughout October 30th and October 31st. It was as if the mammal was fighting off a foreign influence and trying to act normal at the same time. Whatever anomaly had arisen may have taken over the snow leopard during his exhaustive run.The FBI HRT who went in after the snow leopard sent Agent Savage’s own codewords back for mental torture, were themselves rendered into puppets. The snow leopard had waved his paw and the smoke cleared inside the room. The team leader, Special Agent Hembacher, had even saluted the snow leopard! Then told him why they were there!It got worse when the snow leopard gave the command that it was his turn to go into the room! The FBI HRT had merely given their assent and scooped out Agent Savage from under a pillow. The door was left open, and the snow leopard could see out if he so wanted to.Now, with the turned agents pounding on the door to the command centre, the team inside feared for their lives! None of them were armed and the oversight was a cause for alarm.“Let us in Furie! Ivan only wants to talk” the monotone voice of Special Agent Hembacher sounded through the wooden door.“Yes Furie. Let us in! Just a talk! You’ll feel better afterwards” the voice of Special Agent Hardwood came through the radio. One of the few agents who was extremely resistant to hypnosis was no match for the demon inside the mortal shell.“What do we do? Mister Secretary, what do we do?” the technician with them looked around in fear. The cameras near the office they were using showed that every agent not inside the facility were acting normal, if a bit confused why command was not answering. Those inside the facility, but not the command centre, were the same mindless drones as the ones nearest the snow leopard.“I do believe we need to talk Uncle. It seems you had me moved from Walter Reed while I was unconscious” the voice of his godson sounded next to him and when the secretary turned, he fought back the urge to scream. He was no longer in the command centre, rather he was beside the snow leopard’s bed.“Who are you?” Secretary Furie gritted out, slowly reaching for his drop piece under his tail.“If you’re reaching for your back-up, don’t bother. It’s empty” the devil in a snow leopard suit chuckled.As if to disprove the entity wearing his nephew’s skin, Secretary Furie found the 38 Special and drew it level with the snow leopard’s chest.At this range, he’d only need one shot. Secretary Furie squeezed the trigger, the hammer drew back and…...CLICK!The chambered round did not fire.Keeping the revolver pointed at the snow leopard, Secretary Furie rapidly squeezed the trigger only for it to rotate and the hammer to drop on another empty firing chamber.  CLICK!.CLICK!.CLICK!.CLICK!.CLICK!.“I do believe you’re out, uncle” the snow leopard chuckled as he reached for the snub-nose. Furie moved backwards, opening the mechanism and for six good rounds to tumble out of the revolver’s drum.How did the wolf know the rounds were good? The cartridges had never been fired and still kept the crimped seal against the bullet.As the wolf reached into his jacket for a speed reloader, his paw came up empty. Checking his other pocket, it too was empty. Even his single bullet in his breast pocket was missing.“Shall we discuss then what I am?” the snow leopard cheekily asked as Furie felt he could not breathe.  Furie’s vision began to cloud. To darken. His lungs refused to pull in air. Black spots danced at the edges of his vision as he started gasping. Soon, the spots joined, and the wolf blacked out.

----- CHAPTER BREAK -----

Only to wake on an island made of light sitting on an endless dark ocean.“So good of you to join us” a white wolf informed Furie from where they were seated at a baroque Neo-Classical style table. A silver tea service prominently displayed on a gleaming tray.“Us?” Furie asked as he felt for his holsters and came up empty.“Hehe. Mortals are predictable, don’t you think Ivan?” the white wolf asked the hooded figure seated beside it.“I pulled the same on you, if you recall Señor Muerto” the hooded figure replied with a familiar voice. [Mister Death]“True” the white wolf replied as they sipped from a porcelain cup and sighed at the contents.“Perhapsss, if we have no secrets?” the white wolf gestured as the hood of the figure as well as Furie’s crafted lies vanished.“YOU!” Furie shouted as he leapt at the figure to strangle him, only to run into a shimmering barrier.“Uh, uh, uh! I shall not tolerate violence against my avatar. Especially not here. In my realm” the white wolf replied as they continued to sip their tea.“Ask your questions. I shall not answer. Just as Moses had his 12 commandments, so too shall you have 12 questions. More than 12 and I feast on your soul” the white wolf stated with a smirk.“What are you?!” Furie growled out at the snow leopard.“An old soul in a new body. Next question” the snow leopard replied easily.“RRRRRrrrrr. Were you ever Ivan James Snobär?” Furie asked, tail violently twitching belying his agitation.“Now, we are getting somewhere” the snow leopard purred.“Well?” Furie growled out as both entities sipped cups of tea.“Next question” the snow leopard had smirked.“I would tread carefully if I were you, Nicholas Joseph Furie. You have already burned through one-fourth of your allowed questions. Burn through too many and your soul is consumed” the white wolf wagged a digit at the angry secretary.“How old are you and when were you born?” Furie grit his teeth as he spoke.“To whom are you speaking to, myself?” the white wolf responded by placing his left paw lightly against his chest “or to my avatar, Shinigami” and extending the right towards the snow leopard.“If it is the first, your mortal mind will explode. If it is the second, he is four hundred years too early” the white wolf replied as they now grabbed a green macaron from the tea tray to snack on.“Time travel?” Furie bit out, mind refusing to comprehend such a prospect from science fiction.“Of a sort, uncle. In this one, only the soul moves. The body is left behind to feed a catastrophic explosion” the snow leopard grinned. The fangs replaced with an eldritch-like abomination that was both sentient and not.“Second to the last question. Are you a threat to all mammals?” Furie asked, his stamina seemed shot for some reason, and he was fighting the urge to pant.This time it was the snow leopard who chuckled.“I could be. Make an enemy out of me and your last memory will be kneeling in front of me, swearing undying fealty before dying in my name. With a smile on your face” the snow leopard replied, the fanged smile on his nephew’s face at odds with the placid look.Furie slowly let out a deep breath. He was stuck between a being he surmised to be Death and his right paw, the Grim Reaper.Ironic, considering that was what he himself had been called during his time at the CIA Wetworks Department.“That already happened, didn’t it? Me kneeling in front of you and slaying your enemies with a smile on my fucking face?” Furie asked, what he thought was, a rhetorical question.“I will give you that one for free. But, yes, that already happened” Death replied, happy that the grey wolf was not as stubborn as the entity had thought.“Then, what would you have me do? The agents at the facility are all under his control! I’m fucked if I decide to expose you to the world! Not only will I be sent to psychiatric evaluation, but the world will fucking end while I’m inside as every government bows to your might!” Furie replied, profanity lacing his speech.“I apologise for your agents, Mister Secretary. That always happens in any given timeline. What is fluid is the reaction afterwards. Work with me and I say nothing more. Go against me and I destroy your world with a smile. Ignore what I do and we return to the same crossroads. The death toll is higher, but the choice remains the same” the snow leopard replied, a hint of remorse in their voice.“Okay” Furie’s front collapsed, and the wolf hung his head, ears pinned flat.“Just okay?” Death asked with a raised eyebrow.“Okay. I will work with you to better the world. No more using your powers on our agents. Please” Furie did the one thing he had never done, even under torture that robbed him of his eye. He got down on his knees and begged.“Even if my powers would have saved their lives? Even if my powers would have nipped conflicts in the bud, preventing a greater catastrophe? Even if my powers would expose sleeper agents and traitors?” the snow leopard asked, his eyes glowing like the white wolf’s.An icy blue complementing fiery red.Furie could scarcely breathe as he felt the weight of the world on his shoulders. One wrong move and the world is doomed.“I would not like to dictate what you can or can’t do, Shinigami” Furie demurred before he felt his heart skip a beat or five.Soon Furie was bent over gasping as it felt like his heart was being carved out of his chest.“Wrong answer” the white wolf growled as a sickle appeared in his paw, the blade sheathed in flame as he advanced on the mortal.“Wait! I was wrong! Use your powers at your own discretion” Furie whined as the pain intensified before he blacked out.=====================================================================================“Mister Secretary, are you alright? How many hooves am I holding up?” Secretary Furie slowly came to and saw a reindeer medic shaking him and asking how many hooves were being held up.“What? Where’s Agent Savage?” Secretary Furie started looking around the room and the video feeds.“Sir? Agent Savage is running late. He said he’s at Dupont Circle” a pronghorn answered.“And what is Ivan doing?” the one-eyed wolf points at the video screen where he can see the snow leopard conversing with a member of the FBI HRT that was supposed to be stationed outside in case something went wrong with first contact.“Conversing with Special Agent Hembacher, why sir? Should I get him out of there?” the other technician with the wolf in the command centre asked, tilting his head in confusion.“He’s not hypnotised? How about Agent Hardwood?” Furie asked as he could not believe it. It was, as if time itself rolled back to before the mass hypnosis happened.“Agent Hardwood, come to Command. Urgent” the technician informed the moose agent patrolling the outside of the facility.“Roger, Command. Switching out with Gaffer. Uh…Command. Gaffer is down” the moose replied, before pausing when his relief collapsed onto the concrete outside the secure facility.Furie heard the crunch of gravel as the moose agent jogged over to where Agent Gaffer was. As the moose agent flipped him over, Agent Gaffer screamed.“TWO AIRLINERS! JUST TWO! 13KILO AND 2ALPHA! I’LL DO ANYTHING! STOP!” the caribou agent screamed out disjointed information before going quiet as his eyes rolled into his head.“Command, Ivan has information regarding two hijacked airliners. Two sets of mammals from seats in 13Kilo and 2Alpha have taken over the aircraft. One jet is Britannian Airways Flight 009 bound for Gnu York, the other is Animalian Airways Flight 237 bound for Berlin, Germany” the strained voice of Special Agent Hembacher came over the airwaves.=====================================================================================“How long can we keep him like this?” I asked Death as Furie appeared to be in suspended animation. Surrounded by an energy cocoon, the wolf’s soul was experiencing many timelines all at once.“For as long as necessary. Mortal souls are quite pliable” the entity replied as he sipped from a cup of soul tea.From the amount of negative energy being emitted, that I could sense, I guessed that it belonged to a particularly reprehensible individual.“A form of brain washing?” I asked, feeling quite guilty that I was party to subjecting the wolf to torture.“See? Though this individual does not have your best interests at heart, you are still worry about their fate” Death replied as he continued to sip at his morally repugnant tea.“I like this particular timeline. Watch” Death instructed me as we both looked in.=====================================================================================Secretary Furie woke to screams and yells.Whilst he thought that looking Death and his Reaper in the eye were particularly discomforting, it was nothing compared to the chaos that was happening all around him.He reached out and grasped at an arm of a fleeing mammal. Judging by the rich-looking attire, he was looking at either an upper-class mammal or a diplomat. That the attire was already in tatters was cause for concern, especially in the United Nations building in Gnu York.“What’s going on?” Furie asked the mammal in question, a zebra with wide eyes.“Shinigami! He’s here and purging us!” the diplomat screamed, the little South African pin on the lapel letting Furie know which nation this mammal belonged to.“Why?” Furie pressed the mammal as a soul-shattering tremor took hold of him.“EEEEEEEEEEEEEEE!!!!!!!” the zebra screamed before being torn asunder into cubes of meat. The wolf was somehow saved from being drenched in blood and ichor during the process. The striped skin and bloodied rags the only clue that this was once a zebra.“Ah, Mister Secretary. I owe you so much for my creation” the male voice of the mammal behind Furie spoke; the sheer amount of malice in one sentence enough even for him to pause. The one-eyed wolf could barely turn around and face the tormentor of mammals as three approaching security agents with drawn weapons lost their heads. Secretary Furie gasped as he beheld this incarnation of Ivan Snobär.Instead of the playful blue eyes his nephew had, this one had electric blue eyes sparking with sheer malevolence. Dressed in an immaculately-cut suit, the snow leopard bared his fangs as he adjusted the blood-red tie and diamond cufflinks.“I don’t understand” Furie tried stalling for time as he reached behind him for his drop piece.“I don’t think so” the snow leopard replied as he held out a paw and froze the wolf in place. The only things that moved were the wolf’s eyes and lungs.“You see, you refused to believe I had a direct link with the entity everyone knows as Death. You thought that torturing a mammal who wanted to help the world into being your personal assassin would have no consequences? You’re lookin’ at one” the snow leopard snarled as another set of UN security personnel simply dropped dead.Furie gulped as he was now staring at his death at the paws of the mammal he once claimed as a relation. He tried to access the poison he kept in a false molar at the back of his snout, only for his tongue to remain frozen. His eyes widened as his back-up vanished.“You finally get it. Too bad. It’s much too late for you” the snow leopard grinned, titanium fangs shining as Furie felt the siren call to get on his knees and swear fealty.The pressure on his mind and soul released as the snow leopard took a high-velocity anti-tank round to his back. Gasping for breath at the return of control, Furie pulled out his revolver from under his tail and aimed it down at the snow leopard.“You talk too much” Furie informed the smoking snow leopard as he emptied six shots into the unprotected snow leopard’s back. To the wolf’s shock, the snow leopard’s body melted away to expose a cheetah wearing a UN security vest and uniform.“And you apparently never learned from the last time” the same voice whispered in his ear as the snow leopard manifested again by forcibly possessing a coyote in assault gear and rewriting the mammal into his own body. The coyote’s alarmed yodel swiftly turning into the yowls of a snow leopard as everything that made him was consumed and transformed into Shinigami.The snow leopard once more adjusted his tie before charging at a shocked Furie and plunged a sword into the wolf’s stomach.“Don’t think of death as the next great adventure. You’re not dying till you see what your hubris has brought” Shinigami whispered into the wolf’s upright ear, twisting the sword as the wolf coughed up blood.=====================================================================================“Should I be concerned that this looks to be how my first incarnation rose to power?” I asked Death as we now shared a cup of tea that tasted of vanilla beans and coconut.“That is exactly how your first rise came about. Experimentation and torture destroyed what little kernel of good you had left after arriving on that Zootopia. Any wonder why Shinigami never seemed to fully die whenever rebel forces tried killing him. He would steal the bodies and souls of mammals to feed his own desire to stay put and write the world as he saw fit” Death commented as the entity enjoyed the warm cuppa.“You arrived as he once did, brought by a temporal anomaly. To his shock, he could not forcibly possess you as human souls are justifiably different than the souls of Zootopians. What he could do was slowly turn your body to match his exactly and he would try again when there was no more perceptible difference between you” Death continued, calmly sipping his tea as he dropped another bombshell on me.I shuddered as I remembered the fluids, injections, and procedures to “ensure health” were really meant to see our compatibility with one another.“Would he have succeeded if Honey had failed? I ask only because those were my nightmares of late” I informed the entity, and hurried on with the explanation once the left eyebrow raised.“No. But his actions would have breached the barrier between worlds and summoned me directly. My presence would destabilise the entire universe and bring about its end. You would be the only survivor of my purge. If only just. Then, your soul would still be brought before me for judgment” Death answered, having no need to sugarcoat it.“I would have seen my loved ones again?” I asked questioningly, having already made peace with that notion.“No. Your soul would not rejoin them. Rather it would be reincarnated again and again until your humanity would have been washed clean. Then, I would fully claim you as my own Reaper to send across the infinitiverse to take souls of good and ill” Death replied with a smirk at me.“And now?” I asked, somehow with the feeling that Death was teasing me.“You get to experience a mortal life with your memories of the old intact. As a parting gift, I release Furie’s soul into your care. Use him as you see fit but know that he is already subservient to your whim. Use him as your personal footstool and the world won’t care an iota as history writes itself around you. Do nothing and nothing will happen. Little steps from your end may wind up dooming the mammals if done incorrectly” Death replied as he instructed me and left me a gift to do as I wish.“Now what do I do? I can’t keep looking over my shoulder to see if what I did is correct or not. Nor do I want to keep rewinding time until I get an action right” I replied and hurriedly informed him of an old Marvel movie of a sorcerer who kept rewinding time till his actions bore fruit. Mister Doctor Strange or something like that.“You can repeat time and history. Those are the boons that have been granted unto you. As you grow into, and unlock, new powers, know that you can ask me to help train you properly” the entity replied, ending the conversation as he stood from the relaxing La-Z-Boy.“Now. WAKE UP.” Death informed me as the world brightened.

----- CHAPTER BREAK -----

December 8, 1994

USS Arizona

Memorial,

Pearl Harbour,

Oahu Island, Hawaii

Ivan del Morte (formerly Snob
ä
r)

“Still hate me for putting you through those trials, nephew?” Secretary Furie asked me as we walked up towards a pair of seats in the nosebleed section.“Nah” I waved my uncle off as we waited for the service to begin on a grandstand set up for delegates. The two of us were ‘surveilling’ the perimeter. (Looking busy) “If anything, I should be the one apologising to you for literally rewriting your subconscious” I informed my uncle who just chuckled.It had been just a week ago that Death had pulled literal strings to have my name changed to better fit my new role as the grim reaper. Everyone simply accepted that my uncle was doing his best to hide my identity, though poorly.“I feel like I should be upset with what you and the entity did to me” Secretary Furie answered, unable to muster anything but a mock glare at his nephew.“To be fair, I did ask that as much of your original personality be left intact” I whispered as we coI stopped suddenly; right paw paused in mid-step as I could see something twinkling across the anchorage. Instinct took over and I pounced on my uncle as a high-powered zing took the head off one of the agents with us.“CODE BLACK! CODE BLACK! GET THE VIPS OUT!” I shouted the coded phrase as two more agents dropped, their weapons clattering to the concrete.The agents, now alerted to the threat, ushered out the early delegates behind other assault gear clad agents wielding ballistic shields for additional protection as a controller sounded out the alarm for all landing VIP aircraft to return to the air.Marine One, which was in the process of flaring for a landing, put on the power and surged away. The presidential transport dropping countermeasures to confuse heat-seekers and radar-guided MAMPADs (MAMmal Portable Air Defence).“GARNET IS LEAVING! GARNET IS LEAVING!” one of the agents with us called out into a pawheld microphone as a ballistic shield-wielding wolf in assault gear covered my uncle and I. Slowly we retreated to a safer location as more shots pinged on the shield. The wolf grunting with each high-powered hit.  “Rifle!” I shouted at another agent as my uncle finally entered hard cover. Unlike him, I was an unknown entity and could pass for just one of the agents. I was loaned one of their own bolt-action sniper rifles without question and took careful aim at a target almost a kilometre away. Taking a deep breath, I let out half and squeezed the trigger. The resulting dig into my shoulder by the recoil would hurt in a few minutes when the adrenaline wore off.“Commander” I then informed the naval officer in charge of setting up the podium for the program of remembrance of the ‘dastardly attack’, “have your mammals sweep the area in a five-by-five grid pattern near Aiea and Honolulu International”.I did not notice my eyes were glowing as I spoke nor the rigidness of the agents near me as their souls sang.“Sir!” the lion in white dress uniform saluted me before barking out orders at the armed marine detachment that just arrived.A tug on my pants had me look down at my uncle, lying prone on the concrete.“Turn…it….off” he ground out through gritted teeth, ears pinned to his head. I blinked and my uncle breathed easier.“Sorry, was it on again?” I asked, my round ears flat against my head as I fought the urge to bite my tail.“Yes” my uncle replied as he began to sit up and watch the lion join the marines as they took off in the trucks and helicopters roared overhead.“Mister Secretary, Special Agent Morte?” a marine wearing combat rattle approached us, M16A2 rifle held at low guard across the stag’s body.“Yes marine?” I answered, placing myself in front of Uncle Nick.  I saw the stag visibly gulp at my question as the Secret Service agents shook off their temporary stupor.“Sir, Admiral’s compliments, follow me to CINCPAC HQ where the rest of the VIPs have been stashed. Sir!” the stag said the sentence in one breath, and I nodded as I relaxed my guard stance.“Mister Secretary let’s move over to CINCPAC for some coffee as adrenaline wears off” I nudged my uncle forward as the agents formed a testudo formation around us and ushered the two of us into one of the hardened SUVs.“Right you are, Ivan. Right you are” Secretary Furie answered as he was helped up off the ground and quickly ushered into the waiting vehicle as the base went mad around us.=====================================================================================
December 8, 1994

Commander In Chief Pacific Fleet Headquarters (CINCPAC-FLT)

Pearl Harbour,

Oahu Island, Hawaii

Ivan del Morte (formerly Snob
ä
r)
  “Admiral O’Connell, what do you have for me?” I asked the nervous sea otter behind the desk, wringing his front paws, as we waited for news from the assault teams I had sent out to look for the shooter/s or the evidence of their presence.“To tell you the truth, sir. Not much” the otter replied as he continued to look nervously out the plate glass window in his office at the naval base on full security lockdown. Armed mammals in jeeps were dashing to and from hastily erected security checkpoints.I let out a sigh as I sat in the hard, wooden chair in front of the admiral’s desk, sipping a macchiato from the admiral’s own cup.“Admiral, I will be frank” I began as I set the cup back down onto its saucer, not spilling a drop. “An attempt was made today on the lives of numerous VIPs set to attend the 53rd commemoration of the Pearl Harbour attack; not least of which includes the president and his secretary of justice. I took a speculative shot at where I supposed most of the incoming rounds originated from”.“What I would dearly want to know is if the shooter or shooters got away. Can you at least tell me that admiral?” I asked as I consciously let my eyes glow at the sea otter who stiffened, before relaxing.“I…c-c-can’t…Protocol…prohibits” the sea otter replied haltingly, as if he was fighting the compulsion.“Very well” I replied as I let the effect end and the otter gasped out. “Since protocol prohibits civilian personnel from inquiring into military matters, you leave me no recourse but to go over your head and get the Secretary of the Navy involved” I informed him as I stood from the chair and fixed my suit.I spared a glance at my uncle, Secretary Furie, as he dozed under the hippo-sized field jacket of a naval officer in the submarine fleet; before I made my way out the door.My paw had barely touched the door handle when the phone on the admiral’s desk rang.BBBRRRRIIIINNNNNGGG!  BBBRRRRIIIINNNNNGGG!  BBBRRRRIIIINNNNNGGG!The sea otter picked up the phone after the third ring and spoke into the handset “Admiral O’Connell”.Something must have been said over the line as the otter then looked furious. “He did what?! Sit on him till either I get there or NIS comes over! I don’t care how you do it! Get it done!” before slamming the handset back into its cradle.A testament to how tired my uncle was that he barely flinched in his sleep from the fiery otter.“Trouble?” I asked nonchalantly, my paw still on the door handle.“Special Agent Morte, how good are you at interrogations?” the sea otter asked as he seethed behind his desk, glaring at the phone as if wanting it to spontaneously combust.      I smirked inwardly as I turned towards the admiral’s desk. “My specialty” I intoned neutrally, using Agent Savage’s nondescript smile.“Get down to Interrogation. I’ll call ahead so that the guards will let you through. Whatever effect you had on me earlier, use it on the bastard down there” the sea otter admiral informed me as he picked up the phone to dial.“Of course, Admiral. I will make him sing for us” I inclined my spotted head and departed from the office, closing the door behind me.I did not hear the admiral whisper, “Barb, where did I go wrong?”.=====================================================================================
December 8, 1994

Commander In Chief Pacific Fleet Headquarters (CINCPAC-FLT)

Interrogation Room 2

Pearl Harbour,

Oahu Island, Hawaii

Ivan del Morte (formerly Snob
ä
r)
 I observed another sea otter in a white undershirt chained to the stainless-steel table, glaring defiantly at the one-way observation mirror.“How long has he been in there?” I asked the NIS agent, Special Agent Leroy Jethro Tibbs.“Ten minutes since Lieutenant Horace Greenskin left” the mountain lion replied as he looked through the mirrored glass.“Yeah. He’s been giving me the silent treatment too” Lieutenant Greenskin replied as the pygmy hippo entered the observation area behind the mirror. “Coffee for you Agent del Morte” the hippo added as he gave me a cup of the naval coffee on the base.I accepted the Styrofoam cup from the hippo and took a sip of the motor oil like liquid and sighed that it was a contradiction, being both too bitter and too mellow for my tastes.“Thank you, lieutenant. Who found him and where?” I thanked the agent for the coffee and asked my question.“Commander Thom Eversoul found him perched in a native palm on a small rise just on the outskirts of Aiea with a SG 550 automatic rifle equipped with a 100 times magnification scope. He was tied to the palm by some rope contraption that allowed freedom of movement” the naval lieutenant read from the after action report (AAR).“Where is Commander Eversoul now?” I asked the hippo who became visibly nervous as he lost composure.“Base hospital, sir. He has a GSW to the shoulder from Ian Kamakahuna clipping him as he tried to flee into the underbrush” Lieutenant Greenskin replied, red sweat dripping and staining his khakis. “He’s going to make it sir” the pygmy hippo rushed to assure me before I went in there and killed the otter.“It’s not the shooting of Commander Eversoul that bothers me. It’s how an otter managed to carry a medium-mammal rifle up a palm without outside help” I replied as I saw the NIS agent’s jaw tighten as he reached the same conclusion.“Not only that, if he did that entire set-up himself, a theory that has more holes than a sponge; how did no one notice a rifle arriving? Last I checked, Pearl Harbour does not carry SG 550s” I mused out loud, letting the agents piece together the puzzle.“Perhaps a military transport, sir?” Special Agent Tibbs theorised as the cougar frowned at the sea otter in the room.“Grabbing every cargo manifest of military transports that could conceivably hide a rifle would take ages, special agent. Lieutenant, come with me” I informed the cougar who nodded grimly and pursed his lips as his mind ran through other possibilities. Without the sea otter saying anything, however, we would be chasing false leads until ballistics and the laboratory could point us down a path.I stepped out of the observation area and turned to the pygmy hippo who had followed me, closing the door behind us to the recorder and Special Agent Tibbs.“Lieutenant, does Ian have immunity from suit?” I asked as I could taste the otter’s soul. The rage and the anger would not burn out soon, the fuel was still there and feeding.“He thinks he does, sir. His stepfather is Admiral O’Connell. He’s a minor as well” the pygmy hippo replied neutrally, opening and closing his hooved palms in frustration.“Watch from the observation area and get a squad of marines here” I informed him as I placed my right paw on the door handle that led into the interrogation room, smiling with fangs out.“Of course, sir. Should…uh…should I call a corpsmammal afterwards?” the lieutenant shivered as he felt like someone walked over his grave.“No need. He’ll be purrfectly fine” I replied with a mocking purr as I entered the room, the door closing silently behind my tail.“I was afraid of that” the hippo shivered some more, before he left to call in some marines.=====================================================================================“Good morning, Ian” I purred out as I sat across from the sea otter.The otter simply glared at me without replying.In sharp contrast to the white undershirt and plaid boxers that the smaller mammal was wearing, I still had on my light grey suit from earlier. There were still flecks of blood from the downed agent on my left lapel. “We can do this the easy way or the hard way, Ian” I continued to purr as I leaned back in the chair opposite his own.“…” Ian continued to glare with his olive brown eyes.“I can argue for clemency if you just give me who placed you down this path” I continued, as I saw Death behind the sea otter.If the otter remained silent, he would die. Either through capital punishment or by vengeful marines.“Fuck off, haole” Ian informed me, speaking his first words since being detained. [mainlander]“You want a coffee? I heard there’s this little café near the airport. Run by this sweet little river otter named Oshia Kimura. She makes this divine croissant that practically melts in one’s mouth. Pity she won’t be around much longer” I offered, Death feeding me details about the otter’s dealings from a different timeline.By the way Ian stiffened at the mention of his crush’s name, it would go down one of three paths.First option would be that he screams invectives and promises death on a federal agent. That path leads to death as more mammals fall to the sword in the near future as a terror cell activates.Second option would be that he goes silent and refuses to talk anymore. This path would also lead to death as the marines stationed outside would ensure that the otter would not live long enough to see trial as two of their own were slain. The terror cell would still activate and cause the death of my uncle’s mate, closing him off and robbing him of any empathy. I would then be dispatched to bring about the collapse of a certain country by eliminating the entire royal family.The third option would be best. Ian gives me the name of his handler and he enters Witness Protection. He would live to seventy-five and die of cardiac arrest surrounded by family and friends. The terror cell is neutered, and no more lives are lost.Ian looked about to rage again, before slumping in his chair. The iron chains clinking as the otter looks utterly defeated.Before I could open my mouth and inform him that he still had time, Ian placed both his front paws flat on the cold table and said in a whisper “His name is Kevin Mclaughlin, a wildcat living in Honolulu. He was looking for someone who could hit the wings off a fly at 50 metres. I was down at the range when he came in. Said he could use someone with my skills. That no one would get hurt. I…I…thought…I…was doing good”. The otter began to cry as the enormity of his situation finally hits him.I went around the table, glad that Ian had settled for the third option. Death too nodded as he hated it when mammals died ahead of time or tried escaping.“Hey now, Ian. You did a brave thing telling me this” I placed my left paw under the weeping otter’s snout as I knelt and raised it so he was looking into my eyes. “I promise you that by this time next week, this will all feel like a bad dream” I informed him as my eyes glowed softly.“Promise?” the small voice from the otter better fit a kit than a sixteen-year-old.“I promise” I informed him truthfully as I let him weep, sliding some paper towels to dry his tears as I stood up.“W-w-will I see you again?” Ian asked, brown eyes still shedding tears.“I hope not. That means you got caught doing something bad and my job means bad mammals go away for a long time” I informed him as I opened the door and stepped out. “Cheer up. We’ll grab the one who did this to you” as I closed the door behind me.=====================================================================================“Holy fuck, sir!” Lieutenant Greenskin uttered when he met me in the hallway, the squad of armed marines behind him. The hippo then blanched as he muttered, “Sorry sir, my language”. I ignored it, I did worse things than swear.“Marines, with me! We have a terror cell to hunt” I ordered the squad of marines who immediately saluted and fell in behind me. “Special Agent Tibbs? Do me a favour and have Ian moved to protective custody. Number is on your phone” I paused at the interrogation room observation area and let the NIS agent know where I would be going.I was met halfway to the armoury by Admiral O’Connell.“Admiral, I have a verifiable threat of a terror cell operating in Honolulu. I need access to the armoury” I informed him, cutting off his plea to take him in instead.“How imminent?” he asked instead.“Fucker will bolt if we don’t close the net now!” I snarled out, not at the admiral, but at the mammal who thought he could use a naïve kit to do his dirty work.“Know where he or she is?” the admiral asked as he jogged along.“Karl Mackinson. Scottish wildcat. Lives at 128 Parkview Ridge Apartment Complex, Unit 1115. Former range instructor for 101st Airborne. Dishonourably Discharged for Conduct Unbecoming. Currently employed as range safety officer at Honolulu Arms and Armourer under pseudonym Kevin Mclaughlin. Suspected of engaging in seditious acts” I informed the admiral as we arrived at the armoury. Death was chortling in the shadows, and it was taking all I had not to chortle as well.
Thanks, Death.

You are most welcome. His time is at an end.
The otter looked at me with awe, and a little bit of fear, at the information I freely shared.“Agent del Morte, pick whatever you like” the admiral gestured to the weapons on the walls of the armoury as the armourer simply stood at attention at the presence of a superior officer.=====================================================================================“Stacking up on the door. Preparing to breach” I whispered into the radio set I was wearing under my purloined helmet as a wolf in assault gear set a FAST charge and lit the 5 second fuse.The FAST charge detonated with a bang, destroying the lock plate and we rushed into the apartment building.“FBI! FBI! PAWS WHERE I CAN SEE ‘EM!” I yelled out as the FBI HRT swept the 75 square metre flat, tossing a flashbang into a hall cabinet. The resultant detonation had a grey furred wildcat stagger out with a handgun.POP-POP! went someone’s rifle as the 1991 Colt Government was shattered by two rifle slugs.“Target down” I informed Pearl Harbour as the wildcat lay on the carpeted floor as the other agents continued the sweep. “I’d stay down if I were you, Mister Mackinson” I growled out as I touched the rifle barrel to the back of his head.“Come on Karl, make my day” I threatened as the wildcat tried to squirm before I butt-stroked him with the wooden handle of an M14, knocking the idiot out.“Bathroom, clear!” came the call from a pair of FBI agents from the local office.“Bedroom, clear. Request EOD” went the second call-out as suspected bomb-making materials were found.“Guys, check the balcony” I radioed the team of agents as my eyes swept the opened and cooling burgers on the small kitchenette table. “He was not alone here. I count three sets of Macca’s”.“PAWS WHERE I CAN SEE THEM! KNEEL!” came the shout over the secure channel as a stag and his moose partner gestured with their rifle and shotgun at someone outside.The boom of a shotgun made me smirk as I basically hog-tied Karl’s forelimbs to his hindlimbs in a cross configuration to prevent movement. While he was secured, I checked his pockets and found one mobile phone as well as a Danish passport.“Command, get me Evidence Response. Mysterious duffel bag located in bedroom cabinet. ETA on EOD?” came the cool, calm report of Special Agent Jack Savage.“EOD is landing on the rooftop helipad now. Sit tight” came the response.“Watch him” I ordered one of the HRT agents with me, a red fox with cream colouration down his torso, to keep guard over the unconscious terror suspect as I stepped away to look over the most certainly dying mammal on the balcony. I fired an experimental tranquiliser dart into his neck for good measure.The agent simply nodded his head sharply as he took up guard position.As I walked quickly towards the glass balcony doors, I found that Special Agents Éclair (moose) and Tumbledown (stag) had secured their mammals. Two young jaguars barely in their adolescence lay on the cool concrete of the covered balcony, their arms secured behind their backs and bags placed on their heads to ensure compliance. One of them had suffered a beanbag round to the shoulder and there was already some bruising under the thin coat of fur.“You read them their rights?” I asked Special Agent Éclair who only grinned nastily as he stroked his issued Mooseberg 570.“Yes sir” answered Special Agent Tumbledown as he rubbed his shoulder.“Want me to place an ice pack?” I asked the stag as I opened the medic bag with me.Ironic, isn’t it? The angel of death with a trauma bag to keep you from dying.“Nah sir. I’ll live” Agent Tumbledown replied nonchalantly.“Any IDs on these two?” I prodded both agents who shook their heads vigorously in the negative. “They’re either geniuses or idiots. Interrogation will tell us more” I answered as I left the two agents and made my way over to Special Agent Savage.“Jack? Have you opened the duffel yet?” were the first words out of my mouth as I entered the bedroom and quickly held the tripwire attached to a Claymore antipersonnel mine from disengaging as I passed the threshold. Thanks Death.
You are most welcome. Ask your uncle to administer the final practical exam portions at Quantico. He’ll be pleasantly surprised. Farewell for now. Also, the stairwell to the roof also has a tripwire.
“Holy shit, how did I miss that?” was Agent Savage’s comment as his striped ears fell back as I slowly reached for a pair of wirecutters on my vest while keeping tension up.  “Agent Savage, kindly inform EOD that the roof access door has also been booby-trapped. Wouldn’t want these idiots to have the satisfaction, aye?” I informed the striped jackrabbit as I relayed the information that Death imparted, my Animalian accent slipping and a British one taking its place.“How did you…Never mind. You’re a spook. I know so many spooks…” Special Agent Savage just groaned out as he radioed it back in. “Command, have EOD check the roof access door. Our consultant has reliable intel that the door has been rigged”.“EOD is checking…. EOD confirms three tripwires set at small, medium, and large mammal height. Thank him for us” came the response and a pause as EOD confirmed what Death gave me. “Helipad also had pressure plates. Additional EOD will rope in” the controller replied, confirming a hunch as Agent Savage let out a sigh of relief.“What now?” Agent Savage asked me as another agent carefully removed the Claymore from the doorframe and rendered it safe.“Either FBI does the interrogation, or the CIA does. I’ll let the Secretary know if he wants you guys to do it” I informed the jackrabbit as I radioed it back in. “Command, patch me through to Secretary Furie”.“Furie. Go ahead” came my uncle’s voice over the line.“Sir, FBI wants dibs on the suspects. What do I tell them?” I answered respectfully, like a CIA field operative would do.   “NIS gets first crack. FBI to follow, then you do it. Clear?” Secretary Furie informed everyone listening in who would get the first hit.“Crystal, sir” I replied as the line terminated. I looked into Agent Savage’s sapphire eyes and the striped jackrabbit only sighed.Federal jurisdiction was almost always a pissing contest.

----- CHAPTER BREAK -----

September 1, 1995

Classroom A-113

FBI Academy,

MCB Quantico

Special Agent Ivan del Morte (formerly Snob
ä
r)
“Good morning class, I am your assistant instructor for the CQB portion of your practical exam” I informed the new batch of academy hopefuls, my brass badge in its leather wallet on full display around my neck. “Special Agent Savage will be supervising me as I grade each one of you as you perform the breach and clear of a structure” I indicated the smirking striped asshole behind me on a riser as he waved at the class, while I gave instructions.“First team to breach will be: Johnson, Thomas, Cargonaught, Foxglove, and Carmichael. Team Leader is Cargonaught” I announced to the class as a lion, white-tailed deer, polar bear, red fox, and a painted hound all stood up to look at each other and move to the polar bear’s position.“Second team will be: Alexander, Monroe, Livermortis, Violet, Driscoll, and Ticon. Team leader is Livermortis” I read out from a clipboard provided to me by the smirking jackass. A mountain lion, grey wolf, beaver, tan rabbit, albino leopard, and striped skunk all stood up and moved to the side of the beaver.“Third team will be: Twilight, Breakhaven, Capolleto, Hashigate, and Brummbär. Team leader is Hashigate” I continued to assign a team together. This one had a black panther, antelope, Eurasian lynx, Japanese red fox, and a grizzly bear. The red fox visibly gulped as he tried not to have his spectacles slide off his face at being named team leader, glares of the others notwithstanding as they begrudgingly moved to him.“Fourth team will be: Dreyers, Eschar, Nibbler, Idaho, and Brilowog. Team leader is Dreyers” I continued as a draft horse, least weasel, polecat, coyote, and warthog moved to the stallion’s position in the classroom. The stallion exuding an aura of confidence that I saw through instantly. He was scared of failing and his front better not collapse when the CQB begins.“Fifth and final team will be: Frost, Savage, del Morte, Eldridge, and Wolfex. Team leader is Agent Savage” I suppressed a sigh as the other instructors joined us at the front of the classroom from a sidedoor. One arctic fox, one striped jack(ass), one snow leopard, one moose, and one albino wolf. “Really Jack? Us against them?” I commented with a rueful chuckle as all the cadets visibly flinched.“Why not? They need to practice, and we do have good cohesion” Agent Savage commented with that unflappable smile of his, as he crossed his arms in front of his chest.“That was one time with you in Oahu, one time with Frost up in Seattle, and twice with Eldridge in Baton Rouge” I fired back, my face completely neutral.“Four outings, thirty-five arrests. For an ex-spook, I’d say that is a new record” Special Agent Eldridge replied as he stepped up to pat me on my left shoulder. I had saved the moose’s life in Baton Rouge by allowing myself to be shot to maintain his cover. No one, bar Agent Savage who was also undercover, knew that the fatal shot was not all that fatal anyway.=====================================================================================How did I skip everything?My performance during the assault on the seditious Karl Mackinson convinced my uncle, Secretary Furie, that enrolling me in the academy would just stifle my performance as it would be a refresher training at best. I was rushed through an oathtaking and presented my badge. Another badge came my way from The Firm (CIA) instating me as one of their own, despite my not being physically present to receive it.Also, though I am over the mandatory age for enrolment, I was started as a plebe at the naval academy in Annapolis, Maryland. My sponsor, Admiral Thomas Ulysses O’Connell, would accept nothing less than my graduation as an ensign in the United States of Animalia Navy.Both my instructors at the naval academy and the evaluators at Quantico were amazed that I had a near-encyclopaedic knowledge and historical footnotes of actual battles. I neglected to mention that the entity known as Death was feeding me information, cultivating my growth to prevent the sudden rise of the Shinigami of my future past.My uncle leaked to the naval academy that I was an inadvertent time-traveller who specialised in military history of the 19th, 20th and 21st centuries. Jealously guarding the font of knowledge, only the commandant and his closest cadre of officers knew of my true existence. That coupled with a new power I discovered when I inadvertently let slip to my roommate, Cadet Leonard Juniper, that I was a few hundred years too early for interstellar travel; I could erase memories with just a snap of my fingers if I so wished it.I got fast-tracked too at Annapolis.While detailing the doomed Imperial Nippon naval manoeuvre at the Battle of Cape Engaño wherein they sacrificed their remaining aircraft carriers in a failed attempt to halt the Allied landings at the Samar coast; I had pointed out that had the Nipponese admiral in charge of the taskforce kept his nerve the landings would have been fully disrupted.Asked to show how I arrived at that conclusion, I used a few scale models and a few of my classmates as stand-ins to demonstrate that five tin can destroyers squaring off against an entire squadron comprised around the armoured behemoth Yamato should not have lasted as long as they did. Through both luck and poor judgement, the opposing side held all the cards while the Animalian navy was down to one white chip. That one white chip, the mistaken identification of Taffy Three as fleet carriers with cruiser escort, paid dividends as the admiral in charge of the Imperial battlegroup simply called it quits after getting harassed by aircraft one too many times.Challenged by my instructor, Captain Andrew Shepard (arctic wolf), to use a contemporary example; I used a (for me) historical event detailing the assault on a foreign country’s air defence network using highly classified JDAMs and other smart munitions to target military infrastructure hiding amongst the civilian population using the Global Positioning System (GPS). I was halted mid-flow of my description of such a strike by Captain Shepard as the wolf was now panicking that I was talking of materiel way above the security clearance of everyone in the classroom, including himself.By my sharing of classified knowledge, I had inadvertently cemented the opinion of the Academy staff not in the know that I was an intelligence agent masquerading as a student. I was most likely either a member of the Naval Investigation Service (NIS) hunting for loose-lipped cadets and staff; or I was a member of the FBI undercover unit hunting for foreign agents.My uncle just about died of laughter when he found out from spies in the Academy what the staff and students thought of me. ‘Impeccable performance and attention to detail’ were the most common reports sent up the chain. Unfortunately, most of my activities had been blacked out as my performance was deemed a state secret. The only thing allowed was the weapons proficiency course and I got top marks.Admiral O’Connell was beside himself, crying from laughter as none of the instructors could verify what I was talking about without themselves falling under suspicion of colluding with foreign operatives.What should have taken four years to complete, I got done in six months.I was most confused when I was called to the graduation stand one balmy July morning in 1995, after a routine PT jog that left me overheated and flushed, by a poor midshipmammal who wanted to be anywhere else but with me. Asked to come in my dress whites and to proceed to the area where the graduation was being held, I thought it an odd request but complied. Once I arrived, a cadet lieutenant showed me to my seat beside Delgato, Teodoro and Dell, Romeo. To my absolute shock and horror, I heard my name called by the commandant among those who would graduate. I still had an exam in the afternoon, and I was sure to miss it.Well, the exam turned out to be the least of my worries as I was called up on the stage and Admiral O’Connell shook my right paw with his own. He pinned my ensign’s rank himself as I was too flabbergasted to speak.“Congratulations Ensign del Morte, the Admiralty Board expects great things in your future” the sea otter informed me with a wink. I could hear Death laughing uproariously in the background as my ears reddened.“Thank you sir, I promise to live up to your expectations” I replied formally as he released my paw and sent me off to wait among the other graduates.“Uh…I thought you were a plebe?” Ensign Anders asked. The deer was a lot more confused than I was.“Apparently,” I replied, dripping as much sarcasm that you could float in it, “the Naval Board does not want me staying one more day at their precious Academy for fear of indoctrinating the next batch to follow my irreverence”.“Pfft…” the deer half-snickered, before remembering the rumours that I was most likely a federal plant.Before the deer could even apologise, I raised a finger to silence him. “Be that as it may, Ensign Anders. I do believe that your orders will send you either to Naval Air Station Pensacola or Naval Air Station Key West”. As the deer processed that information, a warthog wearing the dress blues of a marine came and saluted me.“Sir! Follow me to the Admirals Table sir” the Sergeant Major informed me as I snapped to attention and returned his salute.“Much obliged, sir” I began before I realised my cardinal error.Never call the SgtMa ‘Sir’.The other ensigns held their breath before the inevitable explosion. Which never came as the warthog laughed.“BAHAHAHAHA! I’m not going to bust your chops today, sir. You saved my boy down at Pearl and that’s a debt that cannot be paid” Sergeant Major Franklin “Frankie” Furter guffawed as he slapped his knees in a temporary loss of bearing.The other ensigns with me could only look on in awe, and a little bit of fear. The SM was a force that gave your nightmares, nightmares of their own. Many a cadet had been brought low by his biting tongue and sour demeanour.“I made a judgment call, Sergeant Major. If that bastard would place a Claymore at my head height, what would he do to the roof access door?” I had replied as the warthog continued to laugh as we both walked towards the set-up tables.“What happened at Pearl?” Ensign Anders whispered to the wind as no one wanted to answer for fear of bringing down federal wrath upon themselves.“Still under investigation, Ensign Anders!” I had yelled back as the remaining graduates gave myself and the SM a wide berth at that proclamation.=====================================================================================
Present Day…

Close Quarters Battle Simulator (CQBS)

FBI Academy,

MCB Quantico
“How do you want to play this?” I asked as we watched the first team prepare to breach.I had my clipboard ready as I noted that Cadet Cargonaught seemed nervous holding the ballistic shield. As the team leader and assigned breacher, he would be the first one through the door. I saw the polar bear raise his paw and make a fist, the signal to stack up.“Command, this is Alpha One. Preparing to breach suspect’s residence” the gruff voice of Cadet Thomas came over the airwaves. For the lone prey mammal in a team full of predators, the deer had the roughest voice. Even the red fox had a nicer voice, sounding closer to Dean Martin on my old world.“Command copies, proceed with breach” Special Agent Frost playing the part of the FBI ground commander informed the FBI HRT and gave permission.“Breaching!” came the grunted command of Cadet Cargonaught as he kicked in the door and tossed in a flashbang. Unfortunately for the bear, he stepped into the room before the flashbang detonated and took himself out. Fortunately, for the rest of the team they managed to clear the four-room structure in just under six minutes.“What was Cargonaught’s previous occupation, if he had one?” I asked Special Agent Savage as I marked the bear down. The bear’s reaction is the reason why it is best to fail in training rather than on the field. At least here, you do not actually kill yourself or your teammates when you err.“Huh, let’s see” Agent Savage motioned for Agent Eldridge to bring forth the folders the Academy had for each cadet. “Crenshaw…Carney…Cargonaught. Here it is” the striped hare rifled through the C filing box almost as big as he was as I winced, remembering how easy indexing was when everything was encoded and parsed into the intranet systems.“Let’s see. Sergeant Maurice Cargonaught served with the Army Rangers for a decade since 1983. Present during Operation Irene and awarded Purple Heart. Honourably Discharged after return Stateside from Somalia” Agent Savage read off the polar bear’s prior service history. The striped jackrabbit’s voice dropped and only Eldridge and I heard the next bit “Attempted suicide twice. Psychiatrist at VA described pronounced survivor’s guilt and recommended placing bear on suicide watch list”.“Damn. That’s worse than my own” I muttered under my breath, no one else knowing how I got sent back in time.“Did you try suicide?” Agent Savage asked as he looked up, placid smile in place.“No. I got a fresh start, and I can do the best of what I have going forward” I replied to the striped jackrabbit who only nodded. He and Secretary Furie were the only ones trusted with my true origin from an alternate universe. Death made sure that neither mammal was able to blab about it.“Enough sad talk; let’s send in the next team and find out who needs improvement” Agent Wolfex commented as his tail wagged, gazing down from the observation area as FBI technicians reset the structure. The albino wolf was himself only a year or two out of the Academy and had some severe cases under his belt.Agent Frost agreed as she spoke into the PA system connected to the waiting area “Bravo Team, move forward to target objective”. The arctic vixen then pressed a button on her console that unlocked the outer doors and closed the inner doors behind the second team.Immediately, the agents and I noticed what was wrong with this team right out the gate. Unlike Cadet Cargonaught’s team who had strict noise and light discipline; Cadet Livermortis had no control over his teammates as they laughed and joked before stacking up on the door.I glanced at the grim-looking Agent Savage and the cud-chomping Agent Eldridge. The second team better perform, or we would give them an automatic fail.“Command, this is Bravo. Ready for breachin’ asses” the voice of Cadet Ticon brashly informed us what the team was going to do in such a confident tone that Agent Wolfex smiled evilly.“Bravo Team, hold position. We have unconfirmed intelligence that the front entry has been booby-trapped” Agent Frost informed the second team.“Hell naw, Command! We’z goin’ in!” went the country twang of Cadet Alexander as the cougar readied his shield and attached a FAST charge to the door’s lock plate.“Bravo Team, hold! Do not breach!” Agent Frost repeated, this time in a sterner voice.“Breachin’!” Cadet Alexander cried out over the radio as the FAST charge detonated, destroying the lock plate. The cougar entered first, with shield lowered (no-no) as the rest of the team save for Cadet Livermortis followed suit. The beaver sat down on the floor and shook his head.“Frost, coat them” I informed the vixen as she nodded and pressed another button on the console.“HOLY FUCK!” went the combined cry over the radio as four mammals rushed back out covered in flour and talcum powder.“Bravo Team, you have failed to complete the CQB course. Proceed to holding” Agent Frost informed the dejected-looking beaver and his flour-covered team as they exited. “Be happy we did not use syrup before flour release” the vindictive-looking arctic vixen added as I smiled toothily.When Command says to hold, hold position. No showboating.“I’m going to run their asses into the ground later” Agent Wolfex volunteered to grind the four mammals on the rubber running track until they puked. Especially since we had a hearty lunch prepared.“Team Charlie, proceed to target objective” Agent Frost informed the third team on the PA system as they also approached the simulated house clearing operation.Agent Frost removed her index finger from the transmit button and the red light shut off. “I sincerely hope that Cadet Hashigate has better control than the yahoos playing at being agents”, she informed us before resuming her neutral tone.“They better” I muttered as two canteen staff entered the observation deck, carrying a tray each. One held pastries for us to snack on, the other had coffees. The trays were then placed on the table beside Special Agent Frost as the more junior of the two then departed.“Any luck today, Special Agent Savage?” the more senior of the two asked the striped jackrabbit. As the striped jackrabbit shook his head in the negative, the mammal only sighed. “We figured as much, hence the coffees and pastries. Let us know if you need more and we’ll deliver additional items” the cafeteria worker informed us as she departed again.“Thanks Marlene” Agent Savage muttered as he bit into a cruller and started to munch on it.“Thank you, Miss Thompson,” I added as I slipped the harlequin rabbit a $100 note in her apron as she bustled past me.“Charlie Team, hold position. Intel suggests that the front entry and windows have been booby-trapped” Agent Frost informed the third team of cadets as they stopped and crouched below the level of the windows.I noticed Cadet Hashigate had a small whiteboard with him and tapped Agent Wolfex on his shoulder. When the albino wolf looked at me, I pointed the anomaly out to him.“Oh yeah. They can bring in additional items if they think it can help” the wolf agent happily nodded as his tail wagged, watching the innovative fox try out a strategy for his team.“Command, Charlie is holding at the front entrance. Charlie One and Charlie Three moving to scout alternative points of entry” Cadet Hashigate’s calm voice letting us know that the fox had things well in paw.“Command copies” Agent Frost replied neutrally.“Hmm” I noted the innovativeness of Cadet Hashigate on the third checklist’s comment section. Looking down as the team members probed for weak points in the simulated building, the red fox was also busy scribbling away on the whiteboard and explaining something to his nodding teammates.“Command, Charlie here. Charlie One has found us a probable entry point” Cadet Hashigate informed us as the team crouched low so as not to be spotted by anyone inside as they moved to a secondary entry point.As the four of us watched from above, the fox’s team followed the fox quickly and quietly. In sharp contrast to the second team, and despite the begrudging movement shown in the classroom earlier, the third was moving in a professional manner. Personal conflicts and biases had been left at the door as the five-mammal team stacked up on a simulated patio door.“Command, Charlie here. Preparing for breach at patio door” Cadet Hashigate informed us once more as Cadet Brummbär placed a FAST charge on the door after Cadet Capoletto used the new Optiwand to peek under.“Charlie Two says it’s clear, Command. Breaching now” Cadet Hashigate continued the update as the team hunkered behind the grizzly’s ballistic shield as the charge detonated, destroying the lock plate.“Roger that” Agent Frost replied as the four of us watched the five cadets clear the location as a well-oiled unit.The terrorists holed up in the structure were taken by complete surprise as the cadets outflanked them.“Command, Charlie here. Six mammals in custody” the calm voice of the red fox tod came over the airwaves as he personally oversaw the last plastic tie being placed.“Charlie, new intelligence just came in. The terrorists have an explosive device somewhere in the structure. Can you locate it and mark for disposal?” Agent Frost informed the third team as the fox tod began to show signs of panic before hurriedly smoothing down his features.“Copy that, Command. Charlie Five and Charlie Two will escort prisoners for transport” the calm façade of the fox cracking as his voice did too.“Charlie, move out! We got an explosive to deal with!” Cadet Hashigate’s façade almost collapsed as the three remaining mammals cleared the structure once more, hunting for a device.“Command, Charlie Three. Explosive found in laundry room. Attempting defusal” Cadet Hashigate informed the ground commander before the ‘bomb’ beeped a two-tone alert and detonated, coating the fox tod in flour.“Charlie Team, Command. Come in Charlie Team” Agent Frost had to stifle her chuckles as she tried to maintain a neutral demeanour. She now had a twin dejectedly walking out the exit of the structure, spitting out flour.“Command, Charlie Three is down. Suspects and hostage secure” came the mellow voice of Cadet Twilight as he provided a short verbal report.“Command copies. Proceed to holding” Agent Frost replied after a pause as she chuckled.“Copy, Command. Proceeding to holding” Cadet Twilight acknowledged as he led the rest of his team and the ghost of his team leader into the holding area.“Last batch of cadets before we go in?” I asked Agent Savage as the striped jackrabbit nodded as he checked his watch, yawning as he reached for a cup of coffee.With the time needed to reset the entire layout, the entire exercise took an hour and a half for each team. We had been here for four and a quarter hours, starting from 8AM. The clock on the wall read 12:15.  “I say we break for lunch! I heard that the cafeteria is serving pizza today!” Agent Wolfex commented excitedly as he drooled thinking about reserving a slice. Or six.    “I prefer to get the fourth batch of cadets through and then demonstrate how their seniors can run the task” I replied, also stifling a yawn as I marked the team members on the clipboard.“Right. We can do that. Skye, send the cadets in and then we break for lunch” Agent Savage informed the vixen with us as he snagged another Danish from the tray.“Eldridge, ring Marlene and ask her to reserve some food for us. We will send the cadets down after they shower. Class resumes at” Agent Savage glanced at the time on the clock, muttered how his watch was slow, and said “2PM”.“Okay, Jack. Vegetarian pizza or your usual?” the moose agent asked as he exited the observation deck, gratified that he could stretch his limbs.“Vegetarian pizza. Agent del Morte here had Domino’s cater today’s meal so there is going to be a rush” Agent Savage answered the moose agent who nodded sharply and left to use the phone in the other side.“Aw mammal! Why didn’t you say the lunch was catered?” Agent Wolfex asked me as he assumed the ‘begging pose’ as I knew it. “You never asked. Besides” I replied before smirking, “whoever eats the most slices among the cadets will bring it back up when we do the cross-country run to MCB Quantico’s PX”.“Cut the chatter, boys. Sending the signal down to the fourth team to get ready” Agent Frost informed us as she pressed the same button combination to admit the last team of cadets into the CQB simulator.“Delta Team, this is Command. This is a high-priority mission. Rescue VIPs from the terrorists. They already executed one of the hostages” Agent Frost informed the last team as we watched them move swiftly on the monitors before stacking up on the door.“Command, Delta Team copies your last. Preparing FAST charge for immediate entry into target structure” came the stallion’s confident tone as he approached the plywood door with his ballistic shield raised. The rest of the team following close behind.“Delta Team, local PD saw some gas canisters being moved inside. Try not to hit one or you’ll release the gas and kill the hostages” Agent Frost informed the last cadet team, implying that the canisters were chemical weapons. The canisters contained CS gas, the same we use for riot control. Tears and mucous running down one’s snout was a better choice than inhaling chlorine or mustard. Having to cough out your own lungs (chlorine) or feeling your skin burn away (mustard) were not good ways to go. Humanity had since invented more powerful nerve and chemical agents since the Great War of 1914-18, but I digress.“Command, any info on what the canisters are?” a different voice took over, this one being Cadet Kilowog. I knew the warthog was a chemical weapons specialist. He used to work with the Navy over in Pearl Harbour.“None at this time, Delta. Be careful” Agent Frost replied as she cut the connection. She then gave me the side-eye as only a vixen could. Before I could say anything, Jack (Agent Savage) beat me to it. “So, Skye. Anything to do this weekend?”.“Before you ask Agent Savage, fraternisation is prohibited between agents. Doubly so when one outranks the other” Skye (Agent Frost) shot him down as she quoted the appropriate line and verse.“I’m offended that you think so low of me, Miss Frost. I was going to invite you to my family’s annual celebration of Carrot Days down at the Tri-Burrows. Now, I think I’ll just bring Agent Wolfex instead as my plus one” Jack retorted in an amused manner.Agent Wolfex, meanwhile, started wagging his tail so hard I feared he would take off. “Can we? Can we? Can we? Can we? Can we? Can we? Can we? Can we?” the albino wolf begged Agent Savage as I fought to keep the snickers subvocal as he reminded me so much of an overeager puppy going on a trip.“Be a good boy and I’ll even give you a tour” Agent Savage promised as Agent Wolfex sat down on his haunches and barked like a pup.I lost the battle and smacked myself with the clipboard as even Death was chortling.
Throw Agent Wolfex a bone. I think he would jump into the air after it.
“Command, Delta Lead. We are breaching the front entrance” the sudden radio transmission startled the other three as I just sighed as I watched Cadet Dreyers place the FAST charge and light the fuse.“Command copies, Delta Lead. Stay frosty in there” I took the microphone away from the puffed-out vixen and spoke into it.“Breaching!” Cadet Dreyers responded as he crouched behind the ballistic shield just as the charge detonated, blowing the door wide open.“FBI! FBI! PAWS WHERE I CAN SEE ’EM!” the fourth team simultaneously shouted as they entered the structure and split into two groups. Cadet Dreyers holding the shield in front of him as Cadets Escher and Nibbler performed reconnaissance by snaking through the walls. Cadets Kilowog and Idaho had their own duty and focused clearing the living room.“Living room, clear!” went the transmission as both cadets even emptied the standing cabinet. A point for thoroughness.“Dining room, clear!” was the reply of Cadet Nibbler as he popped out from a heating vent.“Rear patio, clear” went the comment of Cadet Escher as he too used a heating vent to appear at the rear of the structure.“Come on guys. Not even half done” I commented as I watched the monitors.“Breaching the ground-floor bathroom” Cadet Kilowog commented as Cadet Idaho pulled the pin from a flashbang but kept the spoon from triggering. The coyote waited for the warthog to push the door and rolled the canister in. The two mammals waited for the bang and then moved in to secure one terrorist hiding in the large-mammal bathtub as they came up with their hooves in the air. “Command, Delta Four and Five. One terrorist secure”.“Breaching kitchen!” Cadet Dreyers reported in as he opened the door a crack and tossed in a flashbang. The resultant detonation was a lot louder than normal as one of the canisters also ruptured, flooding the area, and sending both cadets and the terrorists streaming out of the testing area.“Looks like we need to vent the area” I jokingly commented to Agent Savage who sighed and pressed a button on the console to do just that.We’d run the simulation ourselves after we had our lunch.Little did I know that a certain kidnapping would send me across the ocean to Asia in a few days’ time.=====================================================================================
12:45 PM

September 1, 1995

Cafeteria,

FBI Academy,

MCB Quantico
 “What’ll it be Agent Savage? Another generous helping of salad for you?” Miss Marlene Thompson informed her fellow Leporidae as the striped jackrabbit practically salivated over the open boxes of pizza.Agent Wolfex had already absconded with two boxes of 18-inchers topped with turkey ham and barbecue sauce to the instructor’s table.“So not worth minimum wage” was the comment from one of the Domino’s employees as the hedgehog watched the white wolf run away with the boxes.“But entertaining” her colleague commented as the elephant continued removing boxes from the insulated bags as hungry academy staff and cadets kept snapping up the slices.“Ladies” I stopped in front of the elephant and the large-mammal pizzas with my plate out.“Agent, what can we get you?” the elephant with the name tag of ‘Macy’ asked with a nod of her head.“Three slices of pepperoni, one of turkey, and a cricket slice” I replied with the same easy grin as Agent Savage.“Sure thing sugah. You can take this box here” Macy replied as she placed a box onto my tray with my slices of pepperoni, two of turkey, and one of crickets.“Thank you, miss. I had a craving for pizza lately. This should help sate it” I replied with a quick wink at the pachyderm in red and blue patterned uniform.As I left the line, and snagging a can of Papsi, I heard the smaller employee chastise her colleague for being flirty in a ‘Place full-a Feds!’.I made my way over to the table that Agent Wolfex was eating from as the more permanent instructors watched on with naked interest as the white wolf practically inhaled a large-mammal box by himself.I sat across from Special Agent Frost and opened my box to show her I had her cricket slice. The vixen snagged it from the box and took a bite, practically biting all the way down to the crust.I glanced at Agent Savage, and he looked a bit hot under the collar as he kept pulling at it to ensure he could still breathe.“Okay there, Jack?” I asked in a whisper as I knew the striped hare’s sensitive ears could hear it. “M’fine” the hare muttered as he munched on a plate of salad greens to go with his vegetarian pizza.We were soon joined by Agent Eldridge and the moose was munching on his own slice of alfalfa topped pizza. “Great incentive, sir” the moose addressed me as he worked his way through his fourth slice.“Not when it comes back up” one of the other instructors, Weapons Instructor Charles Lombard, muttered as he had a feeling the cadets would be puking up the pizza in a short bit.“If they stuff themselves too much, it’s their own fault” I replied as I consumed the Gnu York-style pizza with knife and fork, a sacrilegious prospect that had many others aghast at my horrid table manners. As I worked through my second slice of pepperoni, my mobile phone rang in my pocket.Placing my eating utensils down, I reached a paw into my inner jacket pocket and brought it up to the light.“Huh. Wonder what uncle wants” I commented as the other four agents stopped eating.“Hello?” I answered the call and the area around me was almost immediately deafened by a tirade of invectives.“MOTHERFUCKING PICK UP THE FUCKING PHONE NEXT TIME! WHAT IN THE PUSSY-ASS BULLFUCKERY DID YOU ENGAGE IN?! YOU’RE TAKING TOMORROW’S FLIGHT TO TOKYO! NIS ASKED FOR YOU PERSONALLY! YOU BETTER FUCKING DELIVER ON IT!” as the line then cut out as everyone rubbed their ears to stifle the ringing.I heard it differently, “Nephew, we have situation abroad. Ambassador Ford’s pregnant wife is missing somewhere in Hanagata prefecture. You leave tonight on the red-eye to Tokyo. First class on JAL 185. NIS asked for you”.“He seems upset” I commented calmly, knowing that Secretary Furie was venting stress and there was no need to squeeze his heart. I was met with varying looks of disbelief as the Justice Secretary would not be shouting that much unless it was urgent.“Looks like I’m calling a raincheck on the breaching procedures if I really have to pack my bags and fly out” I informed Agent Savage, who simply nodded in shock. I dialled the Bureau offices in Washington, D.C. to figure out more.“Hello Janet? Yes, it’s Ivan. I need to verify my flight details tonight for Tokyo. It seems there is something fishy going on overseas. Yes, Secretary Furie approved it” I informed the secretary I was immediately provided upon joining the Bureau, Janet Cummings. Twin sister to undercover agent Cecilia Cummings of the Drug Enforcement Agency (DEA), embedded inside the Yakuza.“Is that so? Thank you, Janet. I’ll be in touch” I informed her as I ended the call.  Looking around, the other agents pretended to look busy and not eavesdropping on my call. So too were the cadets and staff of the academy. Special Agent Maria Lotus, the unarmed combat instructor stuffed her muzzle with four slices to appear like she was eating. An impressive feat considering she was supposed to be a sheep and the slices stuck out at odd angles.“Agent Savage, Director Logan has also authorised that I bring a team along with me. You, Frost, Wolfex, and Eldridge will join me on the flight. The FBI attaché at the embassy, Special Agent Frederick Xavier, has been ordered to place his resources at our disposal. Pack your bags and meet me at Dulles” I informed the agents with me as I stood up with a slice of pepperoni pizza in paw as I calmly walked out.“Can I have that?” I heard Agent Wolfex ask before the double doors closed behind me.I had some packing to do.Really Death? I talked with the entity mentally as I departed for the guest quarters.
Yes. This is one of those events that cannot be altered. Your actions here write the future.

What did my counterpart do?
A bloodbath ensued. The souls were consumed by him. None remained to go to the afterlife. Death’s chilling assessment made me sigh. Whatever my counterpart had undergone, it had irreversibly changed his outlook.=====================================================================================
2200 Hours

September 1, 1995

Dulles International Airport (IAD)

Washington, D.C.

First Class Lounge

Special Agent Ivan del Morte
 I checked my watch for the umpteenth time as I yawned over a third cup of cappuccino at the airport’s first-class lounge while I waited for the others to show up. I had departed from Quantico early in the afternoon and was ushered onboard a transport bound for Dulles. I could have used the VIP transport, the VC-25 Nightingale, but it was reserved. Marine Aviator John Sullivan had personally delivered me and my baggage to Dulles. I had questioned the seasoned aviator, and the cougar captain said it was a personal favour.Our flight had already been delayed for two hours due to some adverse weather conditions at Heathrow. I had already called up Agent Savage and he was currently onboard an FBI helicopter bound for Dulles as he could no longer stomach the traffic in D.C. Agents Wolfex and Eldridge boarded the 2100 hours high-speed commuter train and were due to arrive at Terminal A in ten minutes.“Excuse me, is this seat taken?” a demure voice interrupted my thoughts as a red fox stood beside my table.“Not really, Miss Takahashi. Have a seat” I indicated the empty seat as the vixen suddenly looked like she was about to bolt. Death was whispering into my ear again and giving me the sordid details of what this vixen did. Apparently, she was fond of the occult and had unwittingly strayed into Death’s realm once before. Unlike me, who was granted Death’s favour, she was close to dying once she entered the land of the dead.“A-a-are you him?” she whispered as she sat down and glanced around the empty lounge. I simply raised an eyebrow and took a sip of my cold coffee, inwardly grimacing.“Am I who?” I asked, my eyes giving off a slight glow as I noticed Special Agent Savage arrive at the lounge. Glancing at me, the striped jackrabbit returned a slight nod and backtracked out, a paw on his hip holster.“The one who consorts with Death. The mammal known as Shinigami?” the vixen whimpered out as she received the full brunt of my icy glare.“Who told you who I am? That is a secret that only two others know” I asked, an icy calm descending over me as I focused on the vixen.“No one. No one told me. It’s just…the aura of death surrounds you…protects you” the vixen answered, shivering as if cold and her breath coming out as wisps of steam.I leaned in close and inhaled the scent of fear that she was giving off. It was, as Death once put it, intoxicating. Baring my fangs at her in a mimicry of a smile, I replied in a chilling whisper “Then speak リトルフォックス. I’m listening”.I breathed out and the air warmed once more.“Your path may not be as set in stone as others believe, it is your choices that decide how you turn out” the vixen whispered fearfully, her yellow-green eyes wide as her paws were clasped together in a position of prayer.“Miss Takahashi, I will not end your life today. Your time is not yet up. Come find me after I return, and we shall talk more. My card” I informed her warmly, sliding my calling card over to her as I stood up.“British Airways Flight 185 to Tokyo, Now Boarding at Gate 11. I repeat, Flight 185 to Tokyo, Now Boarding at Gate 11. Thank you” the announcement for my delayed flight finally went through.Grabbing my carry-on from beside the chair, I began to make my way out only for the vixen to grab the paw not holding the bag and kiss it.“Thank you, Lord Shinigami. I wish you success in your journey” the vixen sniffed as she too left the lounge.I met Jack Savage outside the lounge as the two of us made our way to the Boarding Area.“What the hell was that?” he asked me as we joined the evening rush, flashing our badges to get through security.“Another mammal who had a close brush with death” I replied as the entity praised me for handling it better than the other did. “Did Oracle reply to my message?” I asked, hastily changing the topic as the two of us were waved through.“She did. This is why I got delayed. Here” Agent Savage, Jack, gave me a sealed envelope. “Marked: For Your Eyes Only”.“Did you open it?” I asked him as we traipsed down one travelator to our gate.“No. I’m not stupid enough to set off an explosive device in the car” he answered, two airport police officers walking the other direction raising their eyebrows at the word ‘explosive’ and ignoring us when they saw the federal badges.I turned over the heavy manila envelope and undid the flap, using my claws to slice through the tape. Shaking out the contents, I smiled as my old codebook was included and a new one was provided. “Agent Savage, this one is yours to help crack the old ciphers” I deposited my old dogeared codebook into his grabby paws, as I inhaled the freshly printed version of the new codebook. I then tucked the new codebook into my carry-on to peruse on the flight.Sam always did favour her plant-based inks. This version had calming chamomile.“The intelligence coup from this one codebook alone will benefit the federal government’s efforts in our cold cases” Agent Savage gushed before he tucked the codebook into his own carry-on as we approached the gate agent, a white-tailed doe.“Gentlemammals, your boarding passes please” the BA agent with the brass tag of ‘Janice’ asked as I brought out my passport and the five boarding passes contained within.“Thank the Lamb, we made it!” Agent Eldridge huffed out as he deposited Agent Wolfex on the linoleum floor of the gate. Whilst the moose was dressed in business casual, the wolf had apparently decided to wear shorts and a shirt with his badge on display.The only one missing was Frost. Who then sauntered in wearing what could only be described as a chic little number from the Miss Playmammal competition that left nothing to the imagination.“One for me, the other four for the jackrabbit, wolf, moose, and arctic vixen” I informed the gate agent who scanned the five paper passes and stamped these.“Okay then, welcome aboard Flight 185 to Tokyo. Please follow my counterpart” Janice replied as she gestured for her partner at the gate, an alpaca with the name tag ‘Alice’, to lead us through the jet bridge.I, and the others, followed the alpaca into the front of the Boeing 747-400 where the first-class cabins were located.There, we were directed to occupy seats in the 1st and 2nd rows as we waited for the rest of the plane to board. Complimentary champagne was served after we stowed our luggage in the spacious cabinet provided for us in our seats.Seated from left to right in the 1st row: myself in the window seat, Agent Savage, Agent Wolfex across the aisle. Seated behind us were Agents Frost and Eldridge respectively.“Ladies and gentlemammals. This is your captain speaking. Welcome aboard Flight 185 to Tokyo-Narita. I am Captain Llewellyn, and my First Officer Ichtopus will be pushing back from the gate in ten minutes. Kindly follow the safety instructions by our lovely cabin stewards and we will begin our taxi” came the announcement over the PA system on the plane.A flight attendant came to the first-class cabin and began her demonstration to the five of us. No one else had booked first-class and we could theoretically spread out.The whine of the turbofan engines could be barely heard as the plane moved away from the gate.In just over sixteen hours we would be landing at Narita to begin our search.=====================================================================================“ボス、問題があります。アメリカ政府は、大使の妻を救出するために、最高のエージェントを送り込んでいる.” an underling prostrated himself before the sector boss and delivered bad news. [Boss, we have a problem. The US government is sending in their best agents to rescue the ambassador's wife]“だから。これは私たちにどのように関係していますか?外国人が行き交う” the sector boss dismissed the news as inconsequential. [So? How does this concern us? Foreigners come and go]He should have paid more attention....The white wolf licked his lips in the shadows and whistled a haunting tune.Soon, these pesky mortals would face judgment.

----- CHAPTER BREAK -----

1400 Hours

September 2, 1995

Arrivals Area,

Tokyo-Narita,

Tokyo, Japan

FBI Special Agent Ivan del Morte

It is a little disconcerting to leave at night and arrive during the early afternoon hours in another country.Due to a strong tailwind, we arrived ahead of schedule; and I missed the breakfast menu served somewhere over the Canidian wilderness as I snoozed comfortably in the turndown bed. Though nowhere near as comfortable as my old bed in Tundra, it served the purpose of sending me to the land of dreams and relaxing me for my very first overseas mission.Once I awoke, we were only an hour away from landing and ordering any food could be done on the ground. I just changed out of the airline provided pyjamas in the lavatory back into my dress shirt and pants. The suit could wait until it could be pressed at whatever hotel we would be staying in.I had then returned to my seat that the flight attendant had returned to its upright position as the plane slowly descended.Agent Wolfex still lay sprawled across his own seats as he had been up all night practicing Japanese with his handy little guidebook. Agent Eldridge was nursing a hangover as he tried to drink his weight in alcohol and was now incoherent. Agent Frost had switched out to a traditional geisha attire complete with kimono and fans to blend in. Agent Savage simply exchanged his pyjamas for his rumpled suit and tried smoothing out the cheap material, to no avail.“Ladies and gentlemammals, this is your captain speaking. We are on final approach and will be touching down in approximately fifteen minutes, so please have your seats and tray tables in the upright position. The fasten your seatbelt sign is now on” the captain informed the passengers as the jumbo jet’s nose dipped and the ding sounded for everyone to fasten their seatbelts in preparation for landing.I gazed out my window at daytime Tokyo as I cinched the belt shut across my lap. The radio tower in downtown Tokyo visible through the clouds as we continued to descend.I barely felt the touch of the wheels on the tarmac as we glided down the runway, nor the trip down the taxiway to our gate. I was preoccupied going over what the entity was giving me on what to expect, but that he would not be accessible as this was a set point that had only one outcome each time. And, no, he would not be sharing.Once the aircraft came to a complete halt at the gate, the five of us stood up from our seats and made our way down the jet bridge into the Narita airport terminal.Stepping out of the jet bridge and making our way to passport control, we had barely cleared Immigration when a group of Tokyo Metropolitan Police in their tidy blue uniforms with gold braid looped under their left shoulderboards approached us. “ējento no minasan , konnichiha ! sharyō made o kuruma de okoshi kudasai.” The lead officer informed us with an epaulette rank of lieutenant. [Hello, agents. Follow us please to the vehicles]“chūi , watashitachi ni nani o shite hoshī nodesu ka ? waki ni tatte , taishi no tsuma o munō de shinaseru no wa , menboku o tamochitakattakara ?” I replied, startling the red fox as my accent was perfect. [And what do you want us to do, lieutenant? Stand aside and let the ambassador's wife die from incompetence because you wanted to save face?]“Ivan, your eyes are glowing again” Agent Savage hissed out, having witnessed me use the power on a recalcitrant suspect in Baton Rouge.“koko de nani o shitai no ka wakarimasen . anata wa kōtei heika no hinkyakudeari , ...” the lieutenant begun to spin a tale of bureaucratic chickenshit that made my blood boil. [I don't know what you want to do here. You are a guest of His Majesty the Emperor,. . .]“ore no jama o shinaidekure , kono kanryō tekina kuso yarō! mataha , shigo no sekai de nani ga okoru ka o shiru koto ga dekimasu” I snarled out as I grabbed the officer by his tie and yanked him upwards, his arms flailing as he struggled to breathe. I then dropped the police lieutenant on the floor of the airport, the other Japanese mammals giving us a very wide berth. [Get out of my way, you bureaucratic bitch! Or you can find out what happens in the afterlife.]“Special Agent del Morte?” a different voice stopped me as the police officers backed away, dragging their weeping colleague with a liquid mess in his trousers.“Who’s asking?” I growled out as I turned to face the interlocutor. The sheer amount of fear produced by the civilians tasted exhilarating.Oddly, the four agents behind me simply tasted of resignment (Agents Eldridge, Frost, and Wolfex) and boredom (Agent Savage).“I apologise, Lord Shi No. Please do not take it against my mammal” the plainclothes speaker prostrated himself in front of me. [Lord Death]“I accept your apologies, Chief Inspector Hanagata. Please get off the floor” I informed the tanuki as I knelt on the floor and offered my paw to set him back to rights.Thankfully, the tanuki took it and pulled himself up back to his feet.“Right this way, shu shīnō” the tanuki informed the five of us as we bypassed the remaining customs to claim our checked baggage. [Lord Death] I had none, but it seemed Agents Frost and Wolfex brought some questionable outfits.“Oh thank God, I made it in time” the flustered-looking bespectacled image of a red fox wearing a cheap suit made his way towards us, weaving through the civilians to come stand in front of us. “Hi!” the fox extended his paw to Agent Savage to shake “Embassy attache Frederick Xavier. I was delayed a bit in traffic. What happened?”.Agent Savage shook his head and directed the fox to shake my paw instead as he was not lead agent.Confusedly, Special Agent Xavier did so and looked up into my blue eyes. Sans the earlier glow of course. I wanted no new puppets and I had already released Lieutenant Takahashi.I got what I wanted from the Yakuza spy in the Metropolitan Police.Like the location of two missing agents and the ambassador’s adulterous wife.=====================================================================================
September 2, 1995

1700 Hours

FBI Attache Special Agent Frederick Xavier’s Office,

Animalian Embassy,

Tokyo, Japan

FBI Special Agent Ivan del Morte

“Any questions on the infiltration phase?” I asked as I gestured at a projected topographical map of the area around a ‘hidden’ fortified gang stronghold in the Echigo mountain range.“I have more than one, but I’m sure the actual method is almost certainly classified higher than my current security clearance. The simpler question is: How are you getting in? There’s only one access road on the map and they have a clear view of the surroundings being on a plateau and all” Special Agent Freddy Xavier asked.“Elementary, my dear Watson” I answered in a faux British accent that had Agent Wolfex snort into his fluffy cat cappuccino. To the uninitiated, it looked like the foam cat was playing with the wolf’s whiskers every time he took a sip. “HALO drop for me. I have a beacon that The Firm have helpfully sent over from their ‘totally not a CIA black site’ in Kanagawa prefecture that will pinpoint my location down to the nearest meter. Unfortunately, none of you are certified to perform the drop and I will be going in alone” I answered with what little I could give them due to the constraints of OpSec.None of them, least of all the Chief Inspector for Tokyo, needed to know that I would be hitching a ride via Shadowfax. The highly classified mode of transportation that essentially [redacted] a mammal through [redacted] using the same technique that was considered science fiction. Also, I neglected to mention that the high-energy pulses detected by a passing E-3 Sentry basically confirmed that the gang had airborne warning radars and conventional methods of paradrops would raise the alarm immediately.“Then, what else are we doing?” Special Agent Eldridge asked with his arms crossed across his chest.“The four of you are going to make a secretive trip to Akihabara Electric Town and admire the numerous electronics on display. Agent Wolfex will probably drag you to visit the Sega building and play at least one of every game that the company has released to date” I informed them, already seeing the white wolf’s tail begin to wag at the sheer idea of playing everything in the building. “The itinerary will almost certainly be leaked as I will strongly suggest that Lieutenant Takahashi be placed in charge of motorcade escort” I continued, directing this part of the operation to the chief inspector.“In fact, check your phones. You’ll get a text message from the National Police Agency confirming the move” I informed the stunned agents as their phones beeped.“How did you…?” Chief Inspector Hanagata breathed out as he read the message confirming what I talked about on his own device.“I have my sources” was my devious reply as I played with a few strings behind my back. Death was silent yet allowed me to tinker with mammals’ subconscious to achieve the goal of liberating DEA Special Agent Diana Cummings, FBI Special Agent Andrew Horner, and CIA Deep Cover Asset Nathaniel from within the headquarters of the Yakuza on that plateau.“Back to us gallivanting around Tokyo and the surrounding cities” Agent Savage brought the topic back on-track. “Why do you need us to act as distraction?”“Because Agent Savage, in just a few hours, I will be accosted by a fair few members of the gang in question while I am sightseeing myself. Intelligence provided to the secretary and I, suggest that they want something in exchange for the release of information pertaining to Kaneko Ford nee Masako’s condition and potential release from their custody” I answered with paws clasped behind my back as I stood at parade rest unconsciously, inadvertently confirming that I was indeed older than twenty-five.“Can we not come with you?” Agent Eldridge asked, the moose frowning as this was the first he had heard of it.“The mammals won’t make contact if you are not elsewhere. The meet is supposed to catch me alone and off-guard to keep me from calling in reinforcements. Additionally, there was a chance that radio communications would be jammed to further prevent outside help arriving” I continued, feeding them a story that I only knew from the first timeline of my counterpart. My counterpart had slaughtered everyone in the meeting place, including the staff, to leave no witnesses.“I don’t like sending you into the dragon’s den without back-up. But, you being here seems preordained. We will follow the plan. Do you have a Plan B?” Agent Savage asserted his protest, only asking if I had a back-up in case the first one fails.“Plan C is you nuke the location from the sea. Plan B involves bringing in heliborne troops from the Animalian marines stationed at Okinawa and air support from Yokota airbase to soften up the defences in preparation for a full-scale assault. Command will then rotate to JSOC back at the Pentagon as it now becomes a military operation. There will be acceptable casualties” I replied grimly as everyone save Agent Savage shivered as the temperature in the room dropped by ten degrees.“Why a nuke, though?” Agent Frost asked as she ran the calculations in her head. “You’re not saying…*gasp*” the arctic vixen speculated before gasping, bringing her paws to her muzzle in shock.“Keep those thoughts to yourself, Agent Frost. You never know who’s listening” I replied, winking at her.“Now, FBI Director Logan has agreed to release funds for Agent Wolfex and his team to spend what they like within a $10,000 budget. Try not to go overboard or he takes it out of my hide” I injected humour as the albino wolf giggled, imagining what he could buy with that amount.=====================================================================================
Unknown Location,

[redacted] [redacted],

Japan

“Ready for transport” I informed the personnel as I stood on a chrome-looking device with my tactical gear and first-aid bag strapped to myself. I had a suppressed M4A1 SOCMOD with holographic sights, a stripped-down suppressed M14 EBR with a 16x ACOG sight, and another suppressed H&K Tactical USP .45 with all the magazines I would need for each. I had in the backpack I was wearing some eight flashbangs, eight fragmentation grenades, and two of the experimental nine-bangers. In case I ran into the kidnapped agents, I was instructed to arm them and get them out to safety. I had two magazines each for three additional pistols if the agents were present and able to move around. If they could not be moved, I would save them for last after I gutted the leadership.The Secretary, my uncle, simply said “They have made their bed, make them lie in it. Raise the black flag”.=====================================================================================The meet had gone off without a hitch as soon as I set off alone from the embassy at 1745 hours.I was deftly tapped on my shoulder by another snow leopard masquerading as a shopping attendant and had been asked to follow him to the back of the store as I was the 1000th customer.I had agreed and was met by several lower-ranked members and initiates of the gang. They thought they were menacing, standing around with weapons all drawn as I was frisked for any of my own. I had none on me bar for a pink Hello Kitty phone I had just purchased at the meeting place masquerading as a telephone sales shop.“Konbanha, gaikokujin no minasan. Osoraku, anata wa watashitachi no jimoto no seimei hoken puran no tsu ni tōshi shitaidesu ka?” one of them leered at me, like I was stupid for not understanding Japanese, placing a katana on the table. [Good afternoon, foreigner. Perhaps you would like to invest in one of our local life insurance plans?]“I couldn’t possibly accept whatever that sword is” I answered with a posh English accent, not letting them know I spoke the very language they were using to taunt me.“Baka gaikokujin wa kihon tekina nihongo sura manabenai! Moshika shitara, kōbewan ni otosu dake kamo shiremasenne” another taunted, sliding a revolver towards me. [Stupid foreigner can't even learn basic Japanese! Maybe we just drop him in Kobe Bay?]“I say! No need for violence” I cried out in surprise, immediately trying to stand up. Only for a gang member standing behind me to force me back into the seat.“What my…compatriots want to know is if you are willing to…invest…in a life insurance plan” the snow leopard shop attendant informed me in halting English, bringing out a receipt and a pen.“Insurance?” I tilted my head, in mock confusion. “I already have travel insurance” I assured the other snow leopard as I tried to make my escape only for a tiger to appear and squeeze my shoulder painfully, sending me back down in my chair.“We saw you leave the Animalian embassy earlier, cousin. Don’t try and fool us” the other snow leopard kept the conversation going as he pushed the paper towards me.“I was applying for a visa! This is outrageous!” I cried out as I tried to leave the seat only for the tiger to forcibly pin me in place. “Easy on the suit! It’s Italian!”“Ehehehe. Then, you can afford this simple investment” the snow leopard said as a hare with a bad fur job approached with a sharp-looking knife.“Fine” I muttered as I reached for my wallet to pay the ‘ransom’ as the gang relaxed that the stupid gaijin would pay up.Their first mistake was in leaving easily accessible weapons within reach.The second mistake was in trusting I was a simple visa applicant.I sighed as I grabbed the pen and signed where the other snow leopard indicated. Once he bent forwards to point at the dotted line that said “Life is forfeit after payment” in Kanji, I stabbed him through the neck with the fountain pen. The shock of the gang members soon turned to anger as I took the ‘offered’ sword and stabbed the tiger behind me, gutting him like a fish as I kicked the used wooden cable spool masquerading as a table. But not before grabbing the revolver and firing one round into the hare’s head that dared come close with a knife. The sharp report not even bringing in the water buffalo manning the store, confirming that the entire backroom was soundproofed.The next shot took out the lone overhead bulb and plunged the entire backroom into darkness.I needed no light to see, using the outlines of their souls as I cut them down one after another with the blade. They resorted to using torches, the cones of light giving their positions away.The sheer sense of panic that ran rampant amongst the twenty-odd mammals only ramped up as more fell to the sword.“Watashi wa kyōfu no nioi ga daisukidesu!” I exclaimed as I cut the mammals down to size, increasing the fear output. [I do love the smell of fear!]One of the mammals, a red fox, obviously had prior training in the Japanese Self-Defence Force (JSDF) as he tossed a cylinder that had me take cover behind the dying tiger’s body as it detonated. The flashbang in an enclosed space messing with everyone’s hearing, save my own. I rushed the fox, my muffled paws hard to hear on the best of days and took off his head. The blood from the still-beating heart spurting out from the decapitated fox and covering a smaller rabbit that had taken refuge nearby.Shivering from fear, and in being covered by a hot, viscous bodily fluid, the rabbit bolted out of his hiding spot only to cut himself in half on my purloined katana. The legs still kicking on the lower half as I advanced on another gang member.   “Shinigami!” one of them cried out in the darkness before gurgling as his throat was next to be sliced open.Another, more astute fellow, tried to open the steel shutters that ostensibly led to a loading dock behind the building. Grabbing hold of the chains, he shouted for help and tried to raise the shutters. A tiny slip of dying afternoon light came in through a two-inch gap as the rusted chains refused to budge any further.“Doko e mukau to omoimasu ka?” I asked as I pinned the civet to the wall with the sword. “Dare mo shi kara nogarerarenai!” [Where do you think you’re going? No one escapes Death!]The last two mammals tried to escape by widening the two-inch gap as I cut down another behind them. One of them, a sika deer, managed to wedge a crowbar into the gap before screaming as I pulled him back into the darkness and slitting his throat. The crowbar being left behind.The last mammal, a Eurasian bobcat, managed to situate the crowbar once more and hurriedly made a hole he could squeeze through. The creak of the steel letting me know I had one more prey to deal with.“Hashire , hashire , koneko chan!” I laughed out as I grabbed the back of his shorts and pulled. In the mammal’s haste, he tore his own clothes off and ran naked towards the local hideout.“Keisatsu! Mieru tokoro ni te o !” a shouted command coming down the alleyway. [Police! Paws where I can see them!]Only to run headlong into a trap set by Tokyo police for any escaping mammals.I went back to deal with the still-gasping snow leopard, and I let my eyes shine in the darkness.“B-b-b-akemono! H-h-idō!” the snow leopard gurgled out as he gazed into my icy depths. [Monster! Inhuman!]“Anata no giseisha ga raise de anata o mitsuke , kesshite anata ni heiwa o ataemasen yō ni” I whispered into his ear as I took all the information he had, before sending him off to Death’s waiting paws. [May your victims find you in the afterlife and never give you peace]I found the upturned stool I sat on earlier and tsked that there was still blood on it. I removed a silk neckerchief from the pocket of the snow leopard and made to wipe the blood, before pausing as it was a monogrammed item with the initials of the adulterous wife. Instead, I removed a plastic zip-loc bag from my inner jacket pocket and slipped the silk item into the bag.When Tokyo SWAT finally burst through the door, they found me sitting calmly on a stool surrounded by dead gang members and polishing the wakizashi with someone’s bloodied shirt.I had not a drop of blood anywhere on me and Chief Inspector Hanagata had to let me go. He knew I was on a timetable and that every moment counted.That, and I could always claim diplomatic immunity.He had looked me up and I was listed as part of the Animalian Diplomatic Service.=====================================================================================I had the self-same sword tucked into a sheath I had found in the dead paws of a gang member, presumably the one who threatened me earlier. I slid the blade gently back into the sheath. The owner’s engraved name on the hilt of the short sword long since defaced and unreadable.The sword I kept around my waist. It would taste blood for a good while yet.“Ready on platform one?” a honey badger in a lab coat asked as I nodded in affirmation.“Firing in 3…2…1…” she informed me as the world turned white.

----- CHAPTER BREAK -----

September 2, 1995

2000 Hours

Storehouse B

Echigo Mountain Range Complex

FBI Special Agent Ivan del Morte
 I appeared in a dazzling flash of light inside one of the storerooms that the gang used to store tribute it collected from local farmers in the area.A quick scan showed that no one was in the storeroom with me, and the flash had disabled the lone security camera watching the entrance.I tapped my equipment for a quick check as I unslung the suppressed M4A1 and made my way out of a side door.“Ghost One to Control, come in Control” I whispered into the helmet set-up through the induction microphone.“Ghost One, we are receiving you five by five. Are you inside the compound?” came the response from the ground controller in Okinawa.“That’s affirmative, Control. Making my way over to the central structure” I replied as I moved quickly, ducking in and out of cover, as I crossed from the storehouses towards the more inhabited parts of the facility.I met no mammals as I kept moving, inching my way steadily closer to the security room located outside the ancient facility’s barracks.I should have paid attention to my breaths as I moved.Though I could see snow-capped peaks around us, I had no visible wisps as I checked each corner carefully. I could take out mammals with my suppressed weapons, but if one is missed that mammal would sound the alarm and surprise is lost.“Ghost One, confirm that you are approaching the security office” the controller asked.“Ghost One confirms. Security office in sight” I answered as removed the M14 EBR and looked through the scope at any mammals on overwatch. “I have a mammal standing on overwatch near an old clock tower, how copy?” I informed Control as I placed my right index finger above the trigger guard and waited for confirmation to fire.My heat signature had vanished, and Control was wondering where in the compound I actually was. “Control, still waiting. Mammal in sight” I informed the controller as I took a breath, released half, and pulled the trigger as it looked like the lynx had spotted me. The mammal dropped and I took out the reliever as well.=====================================================================================
2000 Hours

September 2, 1995

Ghost Operations Control

Kadena Air Force Base,

Okinawa

“Uh sir? I lost Ghost One” the operator informed Major General Bartholomew ‘Bart’ Roberts of the 18th Wing as Secretary Furie watched from a feed in Guam.“What do you mean ‘lost’? As in, you got him killed ‘lost’?” the general asked as he looked at the thermal imaging provided by a geostationary satellite over the Echigo Mountain Range Complex. The usual heat signatures were present of buildings in use and the mammals walking their assigned patrols. Patches of tarmac exposed to the sun steadily losing heat as the night wore on.The mammal that was pointed out earlier walking around the clock tower was also visible before a high-velocity impact sent the mammal crumbling to the floor. Another impact took out a mammal who had gone out, dropping them too.“Ghost One, confirm you took the shot?” the controller asked as she kept searching for the snow leopard’s heat signature.“Ghost One confirms. Displacing” the reply came through.“Where the fuck is he?” General Bart Roberts swore under his breath as the wolf was left scratching his head wondering how the snow leopard had hidden from the thermal imaging sensors.“You lose my boy already?” Secretary Furie asked from Guam, his feed showing him having a cup.“Working on it, Mister Secretary. It seems we have an equipment problem” General Roberts informed the justice secretary, not willing to admit that even he could not place where the snow leopard went.“If it makes you feel any better, none of his SERE instructors could find him even when he got close enough to see their shiny brass buttons” Secretary Furie informed the general.“But how is he able to hide from thermal imaging?” the general was close to pulling his fur off his head in frustration.“Classified, I’m afraid” Secretary Furie answered with a hint of a smirk.“Goddamnit Nick! Is this payback for your Guatemalan misadventure?” the general swore.“Unrelated. Hell, I don’t know what he’s fully capable of and I’m his relative” Secretary Furie answered as he just continued to watch and sip coffee. The secretary knew full well what the snow leopard was capable of, but just thinking about it made his chest and mind hurt in warning.“This is Ghost One. Have reached the security office. Mammals neutralised” came the satisfied tone of a mammal doing a job.=====================================================================================
September 2, 1995

2030 Hours

Barracks A

Echigo Mountain Complex

FBI Special Agent / CIA Black Operative Ivan del Morte
 “Ghost One, confirm you took the shot?” I heard the controller ask as I peeked around a corner and sniped one more guard.“Ghost One confirms. Displacing” I responded as I moved quickly, staying in the shadows and dispatching mammals quietly.I had returned the M14 onto its sling around my back as I took out the suppressed M4 and carefully entered the barracks. The security office was connected to the barracks, and I could see the dull red light of an access card reader. I would have to swipe one from the barracks before I could proceed and plant the bug for remote access of Ghost Ops.Opening the door, I saw the outlines of souls again as they slumbered in the barracks. Switching out my M4 for the pistol, I made my way through the first door on my left.It turned out to be a bathroom, the sound of rushing water indicating that someone would be suffering a watery death.The steam masked my approach and I saw the outline of a hare enjoying a dip in the hot water. I fired two shots and the hare slipped beneath the surface as blood poured out the back of their head, staining the bubbling waters red.Checking the shower stalls, I saw no other outlines save for one mammal singing a horribly off-key rendition of Colours of the Wind. I capped this one too, just for the atrocious singing. Checking the lockers, I saw the card I needed and took it from the dead mammal. I spied a sauna and opened the door to this one as I saw four outlines.As I saw four mammals relaxing surrounded by hissing steam vents, I fired two shots into each mammal in a classic double tap. The brass casings on the floor the only measure that someone had been here as I reloaded a fresh magazine into the pistol. Leaving the sauna, I ran into a deer who simply shrugged and entered the sauna. I shot him too, his brains joining the others staining the mahogany wood. As I exited the bathroom, there were four more outlines performing a fixed patrol route above me. Those would have to wait until I fully cleared the barracks as I traded the pistol for the automatic rifle.Opening the first door in front of me led me into a barracks that could fit forty medium-sized mammals comfortably. At present, only four of the beds were even occupied. The rest appeared to be absent. I turned off my radio here, not wanting to give my position away if it sounded without warning.Making my way over to the occupied beds, I looked around and spotted no cameras. Considering how expensive setting up those systems were it was not surprising there were none present here with the common foot soldiers. Swiftly, I struck at the first mammal with the short sword I got from the earlier encounter and removed the mammal’s head. Next targets were a deer and a wolf lying down on adjacent beds swapping stories about who killed the most. I crept us close as possible and fired point-blank into the stunned deer as the wolf tried to get up before I cut his throat open as well.Both mammals dropped, blood spraying freely as I went over to the last occupied bed. In this one, a maneless lion was looking at a Playmammal centrefold and stroking himself through his underwear. I tapped the lion on the back of the head, and he looked up into my ice-blue orbs as I fired two shots into him. I left the barracks in shambles as I set up explosive traps to snag any unfortunate mammals who wanted to tuck themselves in. I had gotten the lion’s security access card. As chief of security, he would have access to more parts of the facility than anyone else save the leaders themselves. With information pried out of him, I knew which floors contained the three mammals I sought. The fourth mammal, Ambassador Ford’s wife, was not present here. She was back in Tokyo giving sufficient head to another sector boss. Most fortunate, the leaders were all present as they were holding a council meeting on the top floor of the castle.“This is Ghost One. Have reached the security office. Mammals neutralised” I informed Ghost Ops as I had entered the security office and killed the two night watchmammals with an expeditious use of lead that stained one CRT monitor with blood.“Glad to hear it, Ghost One. Any handle on Ambassador Ford’s wife?” a male voice asked me with a sigh of relief.“That’s a negative on the wife, she’s not here. She’s still in Tokyo, at a club called White Russian in the red-light district. Private area at the back of the club is a gang-only area. Third door on the right” I answered with the information I pulled from the dead security chief.“I have more bad news, Control. Our three agents are here, but one is listed as dead. No idea who it is until I can breach the holding cell area” I continued as I typed in a command string into the computer and got the exact location.“Copy that, Ghost One. Is the leadership present?” I recognised my uncle’s voice asking.“Present and accounted for, Control. Meeting on the top floor of this castle complex” I answered as I checked the lay-out once more to verify that I would not be walking into an ambush.“You have sixty minutes to take out the leadership and rescue our agents. I just authorised a strike to level the entire complex. Once both your objectives are complete, signal for extraction” my uncle informed me as he would an operative.“Of course sir, Ghost One going dark” I replied, turning off my radio again.“Good hunting” was the message I did not receive as I moved through the corridors taking out mammals quietly.=====================================================================================
2100 Hours

Palatial Meeting Room,

Hideki Castle,

Echigo Mountain Range
 “Intai suru mae ni , konya owarasenakerebanaranai shigoto wa arimasu ka?” the head of the council asked as the meeting wrapped up. [Do we have any further business to conclude tonight before we retire?]“Genjiten de wa arimasen . kōshite minna de atsumaru to kinchō shimasu” another answered, bowing low to the grandmaster at the head of the table. [None at this time. I get nervous when we all gather like this]“I have further business tonight!” an armed snow leopard entered and tossed four cylindrical objects into the meeting room and closed the double doors.The detonation of two flashbangs and two nine-bangers practically deafened everyone inside the room.The elders and the next in lines were on the floor trying to get over the deafening ringing in their ears. Some took to shouting out orders that were incoherent.In any case it mattered little as automatic fire lit the room up and mammals died where they lay. Even the attendants were not spared as they tried to draw weapons and were cut down themselves.The elder watched with mounting trepidation as the snow leopard walked predatorily up to his throne. Paralysed due to an accident, the old bear could not do anything else but sit in place as none of the attendants would ever rise again.“I know you speak English Jinata-san, spare me whatever pleas you are going to concoct” the snow leopard informed the bear as the smoking rifle was pointed at his chest.“Nani o itteiru no ka wakarimasen. Watashi wa tada no toshioita honyūruidesu” the bear answered as he gestured for someone to come forward. [I do not know what you are talking about. I am merely an old mammal]“Sā, koi. Hazukashigaranaidekudasai. Shi ga chikazuki, kare wa shinigami o okurimashita” the snow leopard answered in Japanese, startling the bear as an unseen mammal charged at the exposed back. [Come now. Don't be shy. Death is near and he has sent his Reaper]“Watashi wa kesshite ... IMA!” the bear stalled before the attendant drew a katana and performed a slicing motion that removed the snow leopard’s head from his body. [I would never...NOW!]The body dropped to the bloodied floor, the head rolling off somewhere.The bear breathed a sigh of relief at his skilful retainer, who picked the paralysed bear up and helped him into a wheelchair.Only for the retainer’s chest to explode in gore as a sword stabbed through their heart.“Shitsureidana” the same voice spoke, this time chilling the old bear’s soul as the wheelchair was spun around to face the decapitated body of the snow leopard. [That’s rude] The bear’s retainer dripped blood from their mouth, the only thing keeping them standing was the sword plunged through their back.“Ikashiteyaru tsumoridatta nda, Jinata” the head continued to speak as the headless body wheeled the bear towards the glowing eyes of the snow leopard. [I was going to let you live, Jinata]“Yurushitekudasai! Shinigamiyo, watashi o yurushitekudasai! shitteitara ...!” the bear pleaded as the headless body moved him to stare fixedly into those glowing eyes. [Forgive me! Forgive me, Lord Death! Had I known...!]“Shūjin wa doko ni iru no ka? Shinjitsu o hanaseba , anata no shi wa sugu ni narimasu” the snow leopard growled out, forcing the bear to sit there with his head pinned forward as memories were dragged out of his subconscious. [Where are the prisoners? Tell the truth and your death will be quick]=====================================================================================That was rude. I thought to myself as my head separated from the body. Is this how I die?I had committed a sin in monologuing while not keeping situational awareness. Fortunately, as the messenger of Death, I was immune to mortal means of killing.At least I hoped so, as blood dripped out.Still, I watched the bear be wheeled out by the attendant I had missed with my initial foray. Looking at my body, I could still feel it and I made it stand up. I thought of drawing the sword and my body moved as if my head were still attached. While the retainer’s back was turned, I plunged the sword into their heart and, with a slicing motion, destroyed the left lung as well.I knew I had to speak something to convey my displeasure, so I chose a simple “Shitsureidana”. [That’s rude]As the retainer slumped over, thick blood dripping from their snout; my body removed the sword and the mammal collapsed onto the bloody stone floor. My body took control of the wheelchair and turned the mobility assistance towards my head. As I wheeled it closer, the bear looked like he had lost both his nerve and his bowels.I had no idea my eyes were glowing with the power of Death.“Ikashiteyaru tsumoridatta nda, Jinata” I mockingly informed the bear as one of my paws held the bear’s head, preventing him from looking away. [I was going to let you live, Jinata]“Yurushitekudasai! Shinigamiyo, watashi o yurushitekudasai! Shitteitara ...!” the bear pleaded as my headless body made him stare fixedly into my eyes. [Forgive me! Forgive me, Lord Death! Had I known...!]“Shūjin wa doko ni iru no ka? Shinjitsu o hanaseba , anata no shi wa sugu ni narimasu” I growled out, as his memories were dragged out of his subconscious. [Where are the prisoners? Tell the truth and your death will be quick]“Death bays for your blood” I informed the shaking bear in English as my body returned my head onto my shoulders.The cut and blood disappearing as if it were never there in the first place.“Ie, waga omoyo. Dō ka, waga omoyo!” the bear continued to plead, clasping his paws together. [No, my Lord. Please, my Lord!]I said nothing as I walked over to the dead retainer, and removed the katana from their paws, admiring the textured grip on the hilt.“Watashi o oshindekudasai! Watashi wa anata ni eien ni chūsei o chikaimasu!” the bear continued to beg, falling off the wheelchair, and crawling towards my paws as I admired the sword. [Please spare me! I pledge my allegiance to you forever!]Death, should I keep him? I asked the entity, who remained silent.A small breeze wafted in, bringing the smell of aconite to me. The soft whisper in the breeze, “Do as you wish. My gift to you”.I grinned evilly at the suddenly frightened bear as I drew on the power that helped bring me into existence.“Eien ni watashi ni tsukaeru koto o chikaimasu ka? Anata wa watashi ni mi o yudaneru koto o chikaimasu ka. Kokoro, karada, tamashī? Sore o ieba , watashitachi no keiyaku wa fūin saremasu!” I intoned formally; the weight of the words ready to inscribe itself onto the bear’s very being. [Do you swear to serve me forever? Do you swear to give yourself over to me: mind, body, and soul? Say it, and our pact is sealed]“Watashi wa anata ni tsukaeru koto o chikaimasu, shinigami kyō. Anata ga watashi o kei kara kaihō suru made, watashi wa hōshi suru koto o chikaimasu” the bear replied in the same formal tone as his own eyes glowed amber, absorbing the power I gathered, as my will inscribed itself into him. [I vow to serve you, Lord Shinigami. I pledge to serve until you release me from my sentence]The bear then screamed as the power became too much for his mortal body to hold. Fur and flesh burned away as flames breached every orifice, cleansing the mammal as I watched. Part of me clapping with glee, another part saddened that it had to go this way.Soon, nothing remained of the former bear save for his soul. Cleansed of his sins, it stood a gleaming white in the semi-dark of the bloody council chambers.As I continued to watch, fur and flesh soon reformed. Muscles and sinew stitched together to cover a skeleton that looked more lupine than ursine. The internal organs formed before these too were covered by rapidly-growing sinew. The last part to fill out was the mammal’s head as the skull kept the bear’s old size, but with new additions as bony horns poked out. His once brown fur flecked with grey, now a deep ebony with a white round patch near his heart.The new mammal then stood unsteadily on powerful digitigrade legs as he opened his eyes for the first time. My own ice-blue stared back at me as the mammal then looked away and knelt in submission to his superior. The luxurious lupine tail behind him, curling a little to hide between his legs.  As I walked around the reborn mammal on my padded paws, the mammal knelt on the stone. Uncaring of his nakedness, the tail hung behind him as he assumed a position of subservience. The right paw clenched into a fist as it was placed against the left pectoral muscle.“I am yours, my Lord. Do with me as you wish” the former bear intoned when I came around to his face. The awe on the former elder’s face making me cringe inwardly, I might have overdone it.“Do you remember who you were?” I asked as I ran a paw through the thick neck fur of the wolfbear (?). The triangular ears swept back for a tick, before straightening out. “Yes, my Lord. I apologise for not recognising you immediately” the deep voice emanating from the wolf (?) travelled through my very bones in a pleasing rumble.
Death, what mammal is he?

You have brought back a dire wolf. Though, with his horns, a demonic dire wolf. I see the connections to you, not even death will stop him from completing his duty to you. Well done.
“My Lord” the dire wolf asked from his kneeling position, “are we to free the prisoners? One needs medical attention. I fear my old self was too rough with her”.“Yes, we are. Though, this still leaves me with what to call you. I believe your old name means nothing now” I replied as I furiously thought how I was going to explain this back in Tokyo.“I am your loyal retainer, my Lord. Call me what you wish. Your mammals will simply accept that I am what I am” the dire wolf replied, seemingly aware of my thoughts before I remembered my prior conversation with Death. I felt like smacking myself in the head, the dire wolf was mine to fully use as I directed.Mind, body, soul.  I could hear Death snickering as the wolf entity reminded me what the oath was. I could call the dire wolf: Loyal Bodyguard No.1, and the mammal would simply agree with me.My shoulders slumped as the wolf came forward to rub my shoulders with dinner-plate sized paws, inhaling my scent, and committing it to memory.I was not ignorant of what the wolf was doing as he rubbed himself on me. Rather, I wondered how we could get the three agents out.Surprise had already been lost as I could hear the deep thrums of the alarm going off.Though, with how many already slaughtered, who would answer the alarm? A muffled explosion reached my ears as I chuckled that someone had triggered the explosive trap at the security office.  I shrugged as I gently pushed the wolf away as I picked up my rifle. I thought of thrusting my weapon into the wolf’s paws, until he pushed it back into my paws. My rifle looked comically like a kit’s Christmas gift in the dire wolf’s paws. There was no way he would be able to operate it without destroying my weapon or encumbering himself trying to get it to fire.“We shall pick a name after we get the mammals out. Remind me when we return to the embassy” I let the dire wolf know as he stood up.The ebony wolf simply nodded assent as he removed a pair of swords displayed on a pine stand and tied the sashes around his waist. The weapons still looked tiny, and I thought of enlarging these to fit. To my immense shock and pleasure, both blades did resize themselves to fit comfortably into the paws of the dire wolf.“Come” I nudged the wolf aside as we stepped around the dead and dying of his former comrades. The wolf testing out the blades by plunging these into the bodies of the dying. Faint screams echoed before being silenced as the dire wolf methodically sent their souls to be reaped.The moment we stepped out of the hall, I snapped my fingers, and the chambers went up in flames. Reality bent to assume that I had left an accelerant and the bodies burned in orange flame.“Where is Agent Cummings and Agent Horner?” I asked the dire wolf beside me as I felt for souls that had tied themselves to the Yakuza. The dire wolf scented the air and grinned a bloodthirsty smile.“North Tower for both. Nathaniel is in the same tower, up near the eaves. I will deal with the interlopers, my Lord. Go” the dire wolf answered easily as he spotted his old comrades massing around the corner we would take and charged at them with an ear-splitting howl.“Well, he’s nothing if not enthusiastic” I muttered as I switched the radio set back on.“Ghost One to Control, leadership neutralised. Time on target for deep-penetration strike?” I informed the waiting controller as I checked the face of my watch hidden under a Velcro covering. The digital numbers informing me that it was now 2145 hours. I had less than thirty minutes before both Kadena AFB and the Seventh Fleet training in the Northeastern Pacific rained down fire and brimstone on my position.“Control copies your last. Strike has been delayed. Adverse weather conditions at Kadena prevent missile launch. Nighthawks inbound for HARM strikes. ETA, five mikes” came the reply from the controller, who had let out a sigh of relief that I was back online.“Copy Control. That will be five to transport when the radars are taken out. I need immediate medevac for one Deep Cover asset. Proceeding to the North Tower now” I informed the controller as I peeked around the corner at the screams sounding out and witnessed the dire wolf utterly demolish the opposition. Rounds that should have felled a normal mammal simply bouncing off as he tore into his former comrades. One such round struck the dire wolf in the neck, and he bisected the mammal who fired it.“Rook! Come on! Our ride is inbound!” I shouted at the dire wolf who gave me a bloody grin as he howled once more. The howl making me chuckle as everyone else cowered in fear. He ran back to me on all fours, before scooping me up and placing me on his back as he took the spiralling staircase steps four at a time. Through all this, he did not slow his momentum and I was now riding atop a wolf mount.=====================================================================================
North Tower Detention,

Cell 4,

Echigo Mountain Range Complex
Special Agent Cecilia Cummings was at the end of her rope, literally and figuratively.The tigress had made a rope out of bedsheets and her pillowcase. Unfortunately, her rope did not reach the ground and it still looked like she would have to jump the two storeys to the ground. Whilst the height was not a problem, the tigress surviving worse jumps; it was the unevenness of the ground that worried her. If she leapt wrong, she would tumble off the cliff and fall to her death.In the cell across from her, she could see FBI Special Agent Horner try and fail to bring himself free from the noose he was hung from by the gang eager to see how long it would take the white rhino to die. The chair he was standing on earlier, kicked too far out of reach by one of many spasms. The rhino barely held on by standing on his tiptoes.Thankfully, it seemed that rescue had arrived if the gunfire and explosions she had heard earlier were anything to go by. Someone or multiple someones were climbing the steps of the castle tower rapidly to reach the detention block. Agent Cummings held out hope that the CIA next door was still alive.As the gunfire got closer, she tied the bedsheet rope to the bars of her window and removed the only weapon she could use against an attacker in her cell: the rusted iron bowl she received her meals in.Moving closer to the door, her movement was halted halfway by a rusting iron anklet cuff.Right, she had tried to escape one time too many and her captors had secured part of her to the wall. With the little food she received every time, she barely had enough energy most days to come up with an escape plan.FBI Agent Horner had taken to passing over his meal to keep the tigress’ strength up. The rhino seemingly resigned that he would never see freedom again.“ANYONE STILL ALIVE UP HERE?! GHOST TEAM IS COMING!” a shout in English raised the spirits of both agents as the sounds of gunfire got closer.“WE’RE HERE! WE’RE HERE!” Cecilia roared out as Agent Horner struggled harder to get free.As the tigress looked back at her chains and used the bowl as a hammer to free herself, the cell door was wrenched out of its hinges and hurled backwards down the steps. Screams of mammals came up to her, before a larger shadow fell on her struggling form.Glancing up quickly, she met the iceberg blue eyes of a massive horned wolf from her worst nightmares. The wolf snarled at her before bending down and yanking the chain out of the wall.“Rook! Breach the other door. I have this” the same male voice from earlier commanded the horned wolf to tear off the cell door to the rhino as a snow leopard in assault gear shined a light into her eyes.“Name?” the snow leopard barked out, which the tigress thought ludicrous as cats yowled.“Cecilia…Cummings” the tigress got out as the snow leopard opened the anklet cuff with a key.“Come Horner” the deep voice of the wolf sounding out as the rhino screamed to stay away. The sound of a rope snapping and a body falling to the floor were what Cecilia heard before the snow leopard spoke, his eyes gently glowing.“Miss Cummings, I am Special Agent del Morte. Rook and I have come to bring you home” the snow leopard assured her as she wept tears of joy.=====================================================================================
North Tower Detention Facility,

Echigo Mountain Range Complex

CIA / FBI Operative Ivan del Morte

Rook, short for rookie, simply accepted his new impromptu name as we bounced upward and onward.I think he is enjoying using his legs for the first time since he was handicapped for decades as a bear. Our forward momentum was halted by a sliding cage door that proved to be a minor inconvenience as Rook tore it off its hinges and hurled it back down the staircase, hampering our pursuers as the steel door took out two of their number.This floor looked like the reception area for high-value prisoners. There was a couch and TV. A beaver raising his pistol at us from behind the registration desk….wait, beaver with a pistol?Before I could voice the order, Rook leapt at the beaver and tore open the hapless mammal’s throat. Rook then munched on the beaver’s body, licking his lips as his sharp carnassial teeth made quick work of the beaver. The dire wolf then paused as he dutifully brought me the beaver’s weakly-beating heart and deposited it at my feet, nudging me as he went back to his feast.Scowling at how easily Rook gave into his feral nature, I picked up the bloody organ and gave it a sniff. Shrugging my shoulders, I took a bite out of the muscular organ like one would an apple, savouring the sweet-salty nature of the beaver’s blood.It was to this macabre sight that our pursuers found us. I, munching on another heart, as Rook tore open a giraffe and ate him alive. Some of the gang members lost their dinners and vomited on the capstone floor. Rook then growled at them for interrupting his meal and lunged with claws bared. The sounds as his sharp claws rent through flesh and clothing reminding me of horror movies of home. I chuckled as I finished the other heart he had brought me, that of a badger. Once Rook finished painting the white stone walls in a bright crimson, he went over to me and sat on his haunches with his tail wagging behind him.I knew what he wanted, and I snapped my fingers, clearing the both of us of blood and gore. With a woof of approval, Rook placed me onto his back and we ascended the stairs.To make sure there were mammals still alive, I shouted out “ANYONE STILL ALIVE UP HERE?! GHOST TEAM IS COMING!” as we progressed upwards.The welcome shout back of “WE’RE HERE! WE’RE HERE!” near the top made me grin as I dismounted from Rook, tapping the dire wolf on the side to indicate that he go ahead.I need not have worried. The former elder was truly mine to do with, as I set explosives behind us to further dissuade anyone from coming up, the dire wolf pulled a cell door off its hinges and flung it behind him. The door flew over my head and stood straight up, somehow wedging itself in such a way that it would need to be breached to open.I heard Rook snarl and made my way to the cell missing a door as a loud noise emanated out of it. Inside a shivering tigress in rags identified herself as DEA Agent Cecilia Cummings.  “Rook! Breach the other door. I have this” I informed the hulking horned wolf who gave me a sharp nod as he tore off the opposing cell’s door and entered.“Come Horner” Rook growled out as the rhino emitted a girlish scream. A snap of a rope and the sound of flesh hitting stone were all I heard as I focused on the tigress in front of me.“Miss Cummings, I am Special Agent del Morte. Rook and I have come to bring you home” I assured her as the tigress put her arms around me and wept.“Sleep” I whispered into the tigress’ ear and she collapsed bonelessly onto the capstone floor. As I made her ready for transport, Rook dragged in the rhino and put him down in front of my open medic bag.“What’s wrong with him?” I rhetorically asked Rook as the dire wolf shrugged and went to the only other occupied cell in the facility. I could see the ligature marks around the rhino’s neck and brought out a morphine syrette.“Agent Horner?” I asked the rhino as he nodded in agreement. “My name is Ivan del Morte. I have come to bring you home. Who else is here?” I informed the rhino, asking him if he knew about Nathaniel.“Some rabbit dude was here before I came” the rhino coughed out as he waved away the syrette, I replaced it in my bag. “They kept him at the end near the roof entrance”.The scream that came back did not sound male, rather it sounded like a female.“MONSTER!” the English scream made its way back to Agent Horner and I.I looked the rhino in the eye, “Can you stand?” as I opened my backpack and removed a pistol in his size. As an afterthought, I brought out a spare flak jacket for him as well.“Yes, I can still fight” the rhino replied as he accepted the pistol and spare magazines.“Bring Agent Cummings along. We’re going for transport out of this shithole” I informed the rhino as I switched my transponder on.“Control, I have located two missing agents. Proceeding to release a third from durance vile. What’s the ETA on our evac?” I radioed it in as explosions rocked the complex as the HARMs did their work.“Ghost One, be advised. Shadowfax is still down. Recommend alternative transport” Control replied and almost making me swear.“I have four mammals with me. I cannot get them all out without an evac!” I growled into the radio; someone was going to taste the sword on my hip.“Standby, Ghost One” as the communication line was cut abruptly.“What now, sir?” Agent Horner asked as he carried the snoozing tigress to the only other room missing a door and half a wall.I heard movement behind us, just as the Claymore did its work and collapsed the staircase going back down.   “Only way now is up” I stated rhetorically as the two of us looked at the blocked staircase, the arm of a spotted mammal weakly struggling to free itself.=====================================================================================
2200 Hours

North Tower Detention Facility,

Torture Room A,

CIA Deep Cover Asset Nathaniel
 I gasped for air as I awoke from a nightmare as the room shook around me.My torturer had cocked his head and moved to stand in front of the door. I screamed out when a black paw punched through both the steel-reinforced door and my torturer’s chest, extracting his heart as the jaguar collapsed in a pool of his own blood.My ears heard the organ drop in the corridor as the door itself was wrenched off its hinges, taking part of the wall with it. The dull thump of the door being put to one side contrasted sharply with the mammal who entered.If I could move a single muscle, I would have leapt off the table and found a hiding spot away from it. It looked like a wolf if wolves could be taller than cape buffalos. It could even be an experimental hybrid of the two. I would not put it past these bastards as they sought to tease information out of me.I was only exposed two weeks ago. It got close to my heat, and I ran out of pills. Just my luck, that a sharp-nosed mammal caught my scent before my weekly trip to town and had me chained up here after a quick game of cat and rabbit.I blame my youth that I had taunted the mammal instead of going for a quick exit. If I survived this, I would not repeat the same mistake.So caught up in my thoughts, that I did not realise the beast was standing directly above me. My first warning was when the beast opened his mouth and I smelt what he had eaten. To my twitching rabbit nose, it smelled like mammal.It was here that I screamed when the creature’s claws came close to my chest. “MONSTER!”“AARRROOOOOO!” the wolf hybrid had howled back, silencing me as its howl made me quake in fear.“Rook, back!” a different voice entered, and I looked up into a snow leopard soldier with kind, blue eyes.“Agent Nathaniel?” he asked as he brought out a trauma bag and shears to cut me away from the plastic tubing keeping me here.I merely nodded my tan head, dyed to hide my fur colour of light grey.“Ghost One to Control. I have Nathaniel. Where’s my medevac?” the snow leopard talked into his helmet as I wept tears of joy. Feeling the hot tears run out of my eyes and down my furred cheeks, I thanked heaven that I would live.“Ghost One, Osprey headed to your location. TLAM strike approved by SecDef. FAE to follow” I heard the reply and shivered. FAE meant the military was going to use a fuel-air explosive. No evidence would remain to prosecute the mammals responsible.  As I made to protest, a tranquiliser was administered into me by the snow leopard, and I drifted off to a dreamless sleep.=====================================================================================
2215 Hours

Rooftop Battlement,

North Tower Detention Facility,

Echigo Mountain Complex

CIA Operative Ivan del Morte

“Rook,” I called the name I had given to the former elder of the gang as the massive wolf turned his head towards me. “Once, we get to Tokyo, I need all financial details and dealings. Transfer everything to a numbered account I will give you. No sense letting your old comrades enjoy the fruits without working for it” I informed the dire wolf as he nodded without speaking.While Rook’s voice was pleasant to my ears, Agent Horner could not understand what the wolf was saying as it was coming out in growls and snorts. He almost wet himself when I replied to the dire wolf’s grunts with my own.The silly rhino thought he was going to die.The five of us stood on the flat battlement just big enough to host a helipad. While the actual helicopter had been absent, the pad was perfect for the Osprey to fit nicely. Looking out at the cloudless sky, rare in the mountains, I saw the fast-approaching lights of the vertibird.“Steady on” I informed Rook as the dire wolf looked like he wanted to bolt. The dire wolf’s memories informing him that nothing good ever came out of an Animalian fast transport. Rook actually would have bolted if I did not hold his left paw, like one does to a kit. I patted the large paw with my own smaller rosette one. “It’s going to be alright, Rook. I’m not letting them experiment on you” I informed the whining dire wolf as the tiltrotor came in vertically and landed on the pad. The rotorwash enough to cause problems had it been facing us.The ramp at the back of the grey-coloured aircraft dropped and Agent Savage stepped out with a furious blush.“Not bad, Agent Savage” I nodded at the striped hare as I moved to board the aircraft. Rook carrying the unconscious tigress in bridal fashion, while Agent Horner carried the rabbit doe in the firemammal’s position.“Everything go as planned?” Agent Savage asked as he merely raised an eyebrow at the giant wolf, who seated himself beside a nervous-looking Agent Wolfex, after buckling in the tigress.“Mostly. Rook here will give me the financial details of the entrenched gang. Their secret bases and hideouts. All of it so this nation can move forward” I informed the striped jackrabbit as I sat beside the dire wolf, snuggling into his muscular arm to sleep off the sudden fatigue I was experiencing.“Never a dull moment” Agent Savage shook his head as he went to the cockpit to inform the pilot to take off.The whine of the turboprop engines increased as the fast transport took off from the northern tower’s battlements. The ramp had barely closed on us when streaks of light came hurtling down into the complex and detonating.The Osprey had cleared minimum safe distance when a Fuel Air Bomb (FAB) was dropped by a B-52 Stratofortress. The lightly built canister containing compressed aviation fuel vaporised in the thin, mountain air before a spark detonated the fuel-air mixture, shattering the night with a mushroom cloud that could be seen for miles around. The resulting shockwave also levelling a ring of pine trees and triggering an avalanche that concomitantly buried the remains of the complex under several tons of snow. =====================================================================================“Hey cub. Time to wake” a pleasant-sounding male voice broke through my dreamless sleep.“Five more minutes, dad” I muttered as my body craved more sleep for some reason.A trade-off with using too much energy, it would tire me out until I got hot food into me or slept for a few cycles longer than necessary. I would learn this later when Death came around.Sharp claws carded through my thick fur as I purred, trying to snuggle close to the source of warmth. The warmth chuckled, a deep rumble going through me.“Time to wake, little one” the deep voice continued as I was gently prodded into wakefulness. “Your uncle is here to see you”.I blinked my eyes blearily open to see my uncle’s face trying to maintain its neutrality at the domestic scene playing out.“He better have coffee” I muttered out as strong paws set me upright on the bed and a porcelain cup thrust into my waiting paws. Sniffing the cup, I was mildly disappointed that it was instant coffee. I took a sip, and the bitter liquid warmed my throat going down, rousing me further.“Nephew” my uncle, Secretary Furie, nodded at me. Agent Savage beside him in another rumpled suit.“Where am I this time?” I groaned out. If it were not the hospital or a hotel or a safehouse, it would most likely be a ship at sea.“Draw the curtains” came the easy reply as the warmth beside me left the bed to do so.“I’ll be” Rook muttered, the vibrations from his voice causing both Furie and Savage to look at each other. They had thought the hulking wolf mute and incapable of speech.“What is it, Rook?” I asked my first bodyguard as I could feel his tail wag with glee.“Your home” the dire wolf declared as the gulls from the Snobär property near San Diego provided their mating call. “It is beautiful”.“Rest Agent. Take this time to familiarise yourself with the data and details taken by your destruction of the foremost criminal element in Japan” my uncle informed me as Agent Savage turned off the recorder. “Off-the-record, Agent Savage and I felt it when you bound Rook to yourself” my uncle whispered. “Savage collapsed at Akihabara and had to be rushed to hospital where he insisted on leading a rescue. I was about to close the video feed in Guam when I got chest pains. It felt like Death was carving my heart out again”.“Agents Frost and Eldridge had to be darted as they almost killed a Yakuza observer. Agent Wolfex looked like he would carve a bloody trail through anyone stopping him from getting to your location” Agent Savage piped up.“Where are they now?” I asked, concerned for their well-being.“Resting nearby. It’s the reason why we are all present. Whatever you used on us keeps us from leaving. A Miss Takahashi also appeared the moment you landed back on Animalian shores, she’s been pruning some of your rosebushes until you wake up” Secretary Furie spoke as he leaned towards me and patted my left paw.A series of swift knocks sounded on the closed door. “Speak of the devil” Agent Savage muttered as the door opened to admit the vixen I met at Dulles.“My Lord Shinigami, you are alright! I was so worried!” the vixen threw herself at me, weeping as she gave me a hug.“Any problems, Rook?” I frowned as I asked the dire wolf, who was still naked, his paws covering the area where his genitals should be.“None, young master. You granted me autonomy before you slept. I cannot betray you or your interests, but I may come and go as I please” Rook replied with an easy smile he did not have at the complex.“First off, we need to get you some clothes that will fit. I’ll take you on as my butler and bodyguard, but I grant you leave to find a mate if you so choose” I informed the dire wolf who bowed at the waist, before leaving my bedroom. Before the double doors closed, I asked “And the financials?”.“Your uncle has everything. He was most accepting of who I once was. I find that being your servant a much brighter prospect than a crime boss. Good day to you” Rook replied in perfect English as he closed the double doors behind him.  “Miss Takahashi?” I asked the vixen weeping onto my sleeping robes.“Yes?” the vixen asked as she tried wiping her tears. Her cards had shown her that she would be granted gainful employment, but not by whom.“I find myself in need of household staff. Would you be willing?” I informed her as both my uncle and Agent Savage excused themselves, and stumbled into the other agents making their way in.“Yes! Yes! A thousand times yes!” the vixen cried out as she hugged me, kissing me before leaping gracefully over the antlers of Agent Eldridge as Agent Wolfex watched from the sidelines with a bag of popcorn.=====================================================================================
A place outside of time and space…

“A most interesting development. Do you think this one will break the cycle?” a being who simultaneously got older and younger in turn asked a white wolf sipping tea.“For one who’s powers may soon rival my own, he has a good heart” the wolf answered as he blew on the hot tea.“Why do you guide him so?” another being appeared, this one making flowers bloom as she walked towards the conversation.“I gave a part of myself to him. Quite willingly too” the wolf answered as he looked down at the hilarious scene where a moose, jackrabbit, a wolf, an arctic vixen, and a tiger tried untangling themselves from the doorway.“As long as you’re sure” the being surrounded by plants answered daintily as she vanished, followed by the aging and de-aging individual.“Oh, I’m sure of that. Shinigami will change their world” the wolf whispered as he continued to watch the domestic scene play out, the albino wolf on the side munching popcorn and taking bets.

----- CHAPTER BREAK -----

“How you holding up Bon?” a quivering male voice broke through the gloom as the other reached for the table lamp beside the bed.“I’m fine” the other tried to placate the tan rabbit buck in bed beside her, though her shivers gave her away the moment the lamp switched on with its yellow light.“Come on, Bon. Let’s do a circuit of the farm if it helps calm you down” the rabbit buck offered.“Oh Stu, I couldn’t impose on your kindness anymore. I’d rather you find yourself another doe to settle down with. I’ll be fine” the grey rabbit doe replied, her throat still hoarse from screaming, as she patted the paw of her on-again, off-again boyfriend.“Like I keep telling you Bon. I fell hard for you. There ain’t no doe out there that can hold a candle to you. Well, there was Jessica Bromwell, but she’s got a stud for a husband now. If I tried asking her out now, the next place you’ll look for me will be the obituaries” the tan buck, Stu, replied jokingly. He got a dirty look from Bon as the grey rabbit fixed him with a glare that made him break out in a cold sweat. That is, if bunnies could sweat, he’d be drowning.“Come on Bon. It’s like you came from a war. I should know, my Pa went to war and he came back a changed mammal. Those haunted gazes you’ve had and those fake smiles you’ve been flashin’. It might have fooled your parents, but it don’t fool me” the tan rabbit continued to chisel away at the doe’s defences. He really cared about her and it about broke his heart that Bonnie Hopps looked like a shadow of her former feisty self.He would coax her out of her shell even if it took a hundred years! No one would call Stuart James O’Brien a quitter, no sirree!=====================================================================================
December 13, 1995

Special Agent Ivan del Morte’s Office

Federal Bureau of Investigation Building,

Washington, D.C.
 “Oh, the weather outside is frightful. And the fire is so delightful, but since we’ve no place to go. Let it snow! Let it snow! Let it snow!...” came the oft-repeated Christmas carol on the FM airwaves. I ignored it in favour of cataloguing our intelligence find.Due to the wealth of information that the Yakuza HQ contained, I was given the lion’s share to peruse as it was deemed only fair since I got small amounts of their material wealth.If you could call $1B a small amount, that is. Secretary Furie had taken 99% of it and made an investment portfolio should I have need of it sometime in the future. I was still left with a cool ten million to play around with. Five million to upgrade my family’s home in San Diego to a veritable fortress. Two million for investing into business that caught my eye. One million to hire some household staff who were let go when my parents died. I had three million left over and I deposited these in an account under Ivan del Morte at First Federal’s branch near the Lincoln Monument. The bank manager had fallen all over himself giving me the VIP treatment when he realised that I was not joking and that I was a federal agent.The Japanese government had been given the lion’s share of that agreement and it enriched their treasury as hideouts and bases of the broken gang were turned inside out. The Animalian government wanted intelligence in exchange for the material wealth and the sitting emperor agreed.As I cross-checked every new piece of information with the ones I slowly transcribed into soft copies for storage on floppy disks, I could only hope that mammals caught up to where we used data crystals to store terabytes of data. I had a floppy disk storage case that made me purchase a sleeve that would soon be used for CDs as the decade progressed inexorably forward.The action of my assault on the Yakuza facility drew worldwide condemnation as countries called on the mothballing of nuclear power plants as that was the cover story leaked to the world. One of the aging nuclear power stations suffered catastrophic meltdown and only its remote location saved the populace from nuclear fallout.  Buried in the back pages of The Washington Times was the outright dissolution of Japan’s foremost criminal elements as the National Police Agency were spearheading raids based on intelligence shared by its Western counterparts.As I rubbed my forehead, I could feel the link to Rook activate and the dire wolf asked if I was alright. I replied that I was, and the mammal tsked that I had better take a break from the mind-numbing paperwork.I agreed with Rook as I stood up from my desk and stretched. My spine popping in several places from prolonged stay in my chair. The dire wolf chuckled in my mind as I closed the connection. Once I glanced at my new coffee mug, an early Christmas gift from Rook, I saw that it was drier than the Atacama Desert.With a sigh, I exited my office after locking both the computer and my door. Maybe a quick jog around the building in the falling snow would get my mind pumping again?On the way, I met Senior Agent Savage as he also left his own office.“Hi, Jack. How went the Carrot Days festival?” I asked the striped rabbit as he adjusted his tie around his neck.“My parents are my parents” was the non-revealing answer I got as I walked alongside him in the corridor leading to the breakroom.“That bad, huh?” I answered the unasked question by the raw, thrumming of the striped jackrabbit’s nerves.“Yes, please don’t peek into it with your powers” Agent Savage replied, dead eyes looking at something in the distance.“Uh-uh” I responded as I pulled the hare into an empty office and shut the door. Waving a paw at it, the door locked and silenced.I had been effectively benched for three months and no active missions would be forthcoming as I shuttled back and forth between DC and Langley to collate every scrap of raw data. In the interim, I practiced with my powers and gave the agents I had tied to myself a large amount of leeway to act as they pleased. Agent Wolfex had immediately run off into San Diego Airport to test the range as he flew cross-country and hid at Walter Reed’s X-ray room behind a lead shield. I yanked on the link and Agent Wolfex appeared in my bedroom. We wound up cuddling as we each thought the other a stuffed toy. The screams of the following day as the two of us saw each other naked in bed, would be talked about for weeks on end. Whilst I could use my powers to keep the albino wolf quiet, I used the cash instead to purchase a new house and lot after I saw a memory that his family lived in a trailer park before he started earning money. That, and signing him up for a lifetime of free pizza, kept him quiet better than my powers would have.Unfortunately, I could not tamper with the links on Agent Savage and Uncle Nick. If I messed with these, I risked turning them into vegetables. All I could do was extend the line so they had room to manoeuvre.“Tell me what’s going on Jack before I mind meld with you” I informed the striped jackrabbit, referencing the Vulcan technique used by one Spock of Star Trek.“Remember I said I would bring Agent Wolfex with me to the festival since Skye wasn’t available?” Jack replied, bringing up our conversation in Quantico before the trip to Japan which led to me utterly destroying the gang there.I nodded my head as I sat down behind the desk to psychoanalyse the mammal in front of me.“Well, she came with me and I had to turn down Danny” Jack replied as he used Daniel Wolfex’s first name.“How’d Danny take it?” I asked, knowing that the albino wolf was sad for all of thirty seconds before I said we would go for a trip to Area 51. Best road trip with the albino wolf as we bonded over fanfiction and conspiracy theories. I had to take Rook along though, as the dire wolf had readied one of the motor homes my family once used and planned with the CIA for us to be granted access to the base without being challenged.“Danny is the most excitable agent we have before caffeine” Jack answered with a snort that he tried to cover up.“I brought her home with me. Took her to see my folks and while my sis took her ‘round fer a spin ‘round the back twenty, my pa told me to stay away from foxes as ‘They’re red cos they’re made by the devil’. I told them I found no other girl for me than Skye and they would have disowned me right then and there if they knew how deep my love for her goes” Jack explained, his accent slipping back into the country style.I nodded my rosetted head as I made notes on a piece of paper with a pen I always carried. Handy for taking down notes or taking out annoying mammals, especially the fountain pen variety.“I left ‘em. Took Skye with me and left ‘em to rot in the sun. Gave pa a piece of my mind and left. Thank the Lamb, I thought to bring a car. Rather I not walk the ten miles to the station with a pissed-off Skye in tow” Jack ended his tale as his nerves no longer had the raw, angry thrum from before. He just sounded tired now.“So, did Miss Frost reciprocate your feelings for her?” I asked in the most officious tone I could muster and cracked Jack up as the striped rabbit could not fail to let out a snort.“I think so?” Jack answered as he lay on the couch in the empty office, that actually belonged to FBI Deputy Director Kenneth Monahan. I called him Ken, but everyone else called him by his title or Mister Monahan.“Jack, I hate to interrupt our little therapy session, but we need to get out of here. Right fucking now!” I informed the striped jackrabbit as I turned the brass plate on the desk around.“Oh fuck!” Jack sat up straight, throwing his suit jacket into the air as the ramifications of being inside the FBI Deputy Director’s office without permission was career-destroying. His blue eyes wide as saucers as he leapt up to grab his jacket before opening the door and slamming into the mammal we were hoping to avoid.“Agent Savage” the brown bear growled out in greeting before he saw me studiously picking up a note paper from his desk. “Agent del Morte” he greeted me much more warmly with a slight dip of his head.“Deputy Director” I dipped my head in greeting, “I apologise for using your office. I needed to help Senior Agent Savage destress from his familial connections”.“You can always use my office for that. I do remember giving you the spare key, Ivan. Unlike some mammals” Deputy Director Monahan replied to me with a smile, before turning his ire at the rapidly retreating form of one Senior Agent Jack Savage whose jacket was flying behind like a kite.   The two of us then cracked up in laughter, the deputy director having to hold the doorjamb as his body shook.I wiped tears from my eyes as we passed the three-minute mark and wheezed out. “Do you have to torture the poor boy so, Ken?” I asked the brown bear as his belly laughs tapered off and he took out a handkerchief to wipe his own tears.“For making me crawl three days in muck? He deserves a little humbling every now and again” the brown bear harrumphed as it took considerable effort for the bear to return to an even keel. “Now, what can I do for you Shinigami?” the brown bear asked as his voice dropped to a whisper, as he closed the door behind him.“Nothing right now, Ken. I’m still busy parsing all the data as I shuttle between here and Langley. I dare say that Dulles is sick of me showing up and just tosses me on the first flight to Langley without so much as a ‘By-your-leave’” I answered forthrightly. “Wait, why are you calling me Shinigami?” I asked as I clenched my fists and forcibly kept them on my trousers.“Because of the chatter coming out of Japan that you took down a fortress alone? That you won’t die? Let me tell you the video footage of the council chambers was deleted once we verified that it was you on the tape…” Kenneth Monahan stopped talking as his throat was squeezed, his paws going to his throat as he was forced onto his knees. The most interesting part was that he knew my paws were clenching my trousers tight. He could see them as his vision darkened.“Careful Deputy Director, you are playing with forces outside of your control. I can rewrite a mammal to bend their knees to me, swear undying fealty. Do you want to join their ranks?” I answered as my eyes glowed an ice blue, searching through his mind who else had seen the tape.“It was a mistake to view the tape. I’m sorry!” Kenneth Monahan wheezed out an apology as it felt like his lungs were slowly crushing themselves. I released the pressure and stormed out, erasing the memory of the brown bear as I passed him.  “SAVAGE!” I roared out as agents and office staff ran for cover.“He looks pissed” I heard an agent comment as I stalked the striped jackrabbit, scenting for him in the building.“You would be too if your sex tape got leaked” another replied as I moved out of earshot.  =====================================================================================
7,700 kilometers away…

Catania International Airport,

Sicily

“Sei sicuro che funzionerà, zio?” a mammal wearing a t-shirt and jeans looked up to his older relation as they stood in line to have their passports exit stamped by Immigration so they could fly home. [You sure this will work, uncle?]“Fidati di me nipote, ti ho mai deluso?” the older mammal dressed in a dark jacket and tan pants replied with a question of his own. [Trust me nephew, have I ever let you down?]“Ripetutamente” the younger one muttered under his breath. [Repeatedly]“Next! Prossimo!” the customs agent gestured for the young mammal to come forward and have his passport stamped. The mammal presented a blue Animalian passport with his portrait and listed address at 1134 Acorn Street, Savannah Central, Zootopia. His next of kin were also listed as a Mr. and Mrs. Proximo Alicante at the same address.The customs agent flipped through the passport and stamped it opposite the entry stamp dated December 10, 1995.The ker-chack sound of the stamp marking him as cleared for exit.The mammal gave a sigh of relief as the agent waved him through to join the queue headed for the boarding area. As the mammal turned around to wave at his uncle, the older mammal was no longer visible and the youngster shook his head.“Typical” he muttered as he made his way towards the boarding area for his flight back to Newark onboard Animalian Airlines Flight 058. He looked down at his ticket and boarding pass, giving out another sigh as he dejectedly made his way towards Gate 9.Had he looked back, the young mammal would have seen his uncle swarmed by carabinieri.At Gate 9, he waved his boarding pass at the pretty-looking deer behind the counter and was then escorted aboard to his seat in 22 Kilo. A window seat on the new Boeing 777. The mammal tucked his backpack underneath his seat as he could enjoy some snacks later and just lay back in economy for the 13-hour flight back home.He would never make it. The plane and its passengers would explode into flaming debris over the Mediterranean Sea near the coast of Marseille at 1950 local time.=====================================================================================
0830 Hours

December 17, 1995

Computer Room D,

Central Intelligence Agency Campus,

Langley, Virginia

Special Agent Ivan del Morte

I scratched my head as I could not make heads nor tails of the information in front of me. According to the extant Japanese gang’s records, my arrival had long since been foretold.In their records, “Kazanbai no yō ni haīro no kegawa o mochi, me ga aoku hikaru fujimi no honyūrui wa, yakuza no botsuraku o motarasudeshō. Moshi kare ga anata no tame ni kitara , kare no ashimoto ni hirefushi , awaremi o koinasai. Kare ga sore o yurusunara, anata wa kare no petto toshite ikirudeshō. Moshi kare ga anata o teki to handan surunara, donnani kōgi shite mo, anata no tamashī o meikai ni hikizurikomu anata o sukū koto wa dekimasen” or “An immortal mammal with volcanic grey fur and glowing blue eyes who will spell the downfall of the Yakuza. If he comes for you, fall at his feet, and beg for mercy. If he allows it, you will live as his pet. If he considers you an enemy, no amount of protest can save you from dragging your soul into the underworld”.
Death, is this your doing?

Prophecies are not really my specialty, that’s Fate’s job.

Young Master if I may? That prophecy could be any mammal with grey fur like wolves. That you brought about the group’s destruction is merely coincidental.

I’m sorry for forcing you.

Not to worry, I like myself as your most loyal retainer. Much less backstabbing. Also, I believe someone is calling your attention.
“Special Agent? A telephone call for you in your office” an elk in a pantsuit loomed over me as I pored over the documents.“What? Sorry? Bit preoccupied there” I answered as my mental chat faded away and I shook my head to clear it.“I’m not surprised, sir. Reading those characters must be hell on your eyes” the elk answered as I stood from the table and followed her out of the maze of cubicles, but after locking the door on this particular cubicle and logging myself out.“Would it surprise you, Miss Laurie, that I can read kanji?” I asked the elk who only shook her horned head.“Rumours have been flying about since your return from Japan. Some of the low-level gang members swear up and down that Shinigami took out their leaders in one go. Others say that you had a team go in with you but that they sacrificed themselves for the mission. Still some more suggest that you performed a HALO drop, goodness those jumps must be scary! Anyway, I also heard from my brother’s wife in Okinawa that you found them performing mammal experimentation. Glad they’re gone if that’s the case…” Miss Laurie kept up the talk, even when I did not reply.I found out that a video technician with loose lips had managed to spread the rumour that I was Shinigami throughout the federal system. While I could forcibly rewrite everyone who came in contact with that technician, currently being held for espionage in a dark hole, I feared I would truly become the mammal of my future past if I did so.I let the rumours ride, sending a silent apology to Deputy Director Monahan for his memory modification.“Here we are, sir. Call’s on Line 2” Miss Laurie informed me as I stopped at my temporary office among the junior agents. My name was stencilled on the door with three other agents as we shared the office between us. I was rarely here of course, my day job was at FBI Headquarters in D.C.I entered the office, opening the door without knocking as no one was usually inside and made my way over to the lit phone.“Agent del Morte here” I answered the call that was placed on hold, ignoring the impromptu poker game the other three were playing as I waved in their general direction to continue.“Special Agent del Morte? We have a situation down here in Marseille. An airliner exploded in mid-air and the debris has scattered all over the southern coast of France. NCIS wants you to head the investigation, sir” the voice on the other end I identified as Ensign Anders, surprising me as I thought he was at NAS Key West on radar duty.“Slow down, Ensign Anders. Why is NIS asking for me? Airline crashes are not my specialty and I’m still benched last I checked” I informed the deer as I readied a pen and paper, nevertheless.“It’s actually Lieutenant Anders now sir, but…uh…there were US Navy personnel onboard the flight and NCIS is requesting you come in” the deer gently corrected me as he let me know why NCIS wanted me there.“Tell me lieutenant, is this because NCIS wants my expertise or they want me to smooth over ruffled feathers from the other agencies in Europe?” I asked as I pressed the space between my eyes to stem the migraine forming.“The…latter sir. NCIS sent someone over who immediately insinuated that the Italians were to blame, and NATO High Command is trying to put out fires” Lieutenant Anders replied, pausing a little.“Goddamn politicians. Who is the agent I need to publicly chastise?” I swore into the phone as one of the junior giggled, before a swift kick lead to a sudden “Ow!”“Special Agent Leroy Jethro Tibbs sir” was the answer over the line as I closed my eyes and slowly counted to ten.“MOTHERFUCKER!” I used my uncle’s line as I roared out away from the phone. No need to deafen the poor messenger.“So? You’ll fly over?” the voice of the deer tinged with hope.“I’ll clear it first with my own chain of command. Most likely I will be dispatched within the next 24 to 48 hours” I informed the deer as he gave a huge sigh of relief.“Thank you, sir. I’m posted at the Marseille naval base as part of NATO-Med if you want to come visit” the deer replied as he put the phone down.“Larry, Jeffrey, and Timmy” I slowly spoke to the junior agents as they froze in their seats. “I am going to CIA Director Barnes’ office to convince him to send me over to France. Whoever wins the game of poker will be flying with me and the FBI team. If you throw the game on purpose, I will take the loser and make him carry my weapons through Dulles Airport Security. Good day” as I put the phone down and dialled the inter-office telephone directory. As a running joke in the Agency, the director’s office could be called by pressing 3-3-5-4-9 (F-E-L-I-X) anywhere inside the restricted access areas.I pressed the key combination and was connected to the secretary, Miss Honeyberry. Unlike the CIA directors who could be joked about, this mother grizzly could quite literally rip you a new one.“Director Barnes’ office. Miss Honeyberry speaking” the honeyed (no pun intended) voice of the brown bear spoke into the receiver.“Good morning, Miss Honeyberry. It’s Special Agent del Morte, may I (speak with Director Barnes, please)” I greeted the brown bear courteously only for her to cut me off.“He’s expecting your call, Special Agent. I’ll patch you through” Miss Honeyberry replied in a business-like manner as my call immediately rang the CIA director.“Barnes here” I heard the wolf pick up the line at the first ring.“Director Barnes, sir. It’s Special Agent del Morte. I (would like to request…)” I courteously informed the director who stammered out.“Ivan, why are you calling me? If this is to request you go to Marseille, you have my explicit permission. Speaking of, take whoever you see fit from the pool (of agents). I would suggest using Collins, but his specialty is South Animalia. I’m granting you use of one of the Agency’s black accounts for your trip. Find those bastards” Director Barnes replied confusedly, before firming up his decision to send me overseas.“Of course, Director Barnes. I will let the Bureau know as well. Director Logan gets a little…prickly” I answered as I went to the position of attention.“Leave the porcupine to me, draw what you need and go. What you don’t get from here, use the safehouse in Nice. Marcy will be along with your orders” Director Barnes informed me as he put the phone down.“This is not happening” I muttered to myself as I cleared the phone and dialled the operator. What the fuck did you do Tibbs?!“Operator, how can I assist your call?” the neutral tone of the switchboard operator distracted me momentarily from cursing out the cougar.=====================================================================================NCIS Special Agent Tibbs shivered as if someone stepped on his grave as he was performing a stakeout across from a seafood restaurant in Marseille. “Oh no” he breathed out, startling his second, Special Agent Anthony diMuzzo. “Boss?” “He’s coming” the cougar whispered. “Oh no…” the moose groaned out.=====================================================================================“Special Agent del Morte, requesting outside access. Authorisation: Juliet Tango 5-5-4-7” I spoke clearly into the phone.“Authorisation checks out. Where do you want to call, Special Agent del Morte?” the operator replied, the clacking of the mechanical keyboard halting as she waited.“FBI D.C. Director Logan’s office, please” I informed the operator.“Please hold” the operator responded as my call bypassed the FBI switchboard.“Logan here” I heard the porcupine’s voice over the line.“Sir, Special Agent del Morte here. Do I have permission to head to Marseille? Director Barnes is sending me abroad” I informed the porcupine director as I counted down for the choleric mammal to explode as I held the speaker away from my ear.“HE. DID. WHAT! YOU’RE GOING WITH THE BUREAU’S PERMISSION, NOT HIS! TAKE WHOEVER YOU NEED!” the porcupine yelled out, loud enough for the junior agents to also hear it before slamming the phone.“That settles that” I remarked as Larry placed his hand down and went “Spade Flush!” I looked over and the brown wolf was pleased with himself. That was until Timmy put his down and proclaimed, “Royal Flush”. Jeffrey had already folded by this point.“The three of you come. I’ll introduce you to Agent Savage. Embarrass me over there however, and you’ll wonder why a numbskull like you joined the agency in the first place. Clear?” I told the three juniors as Larry Howlington snapped to attention. “Crystal, sir!”“Good. Larry, head down to the armoury and pick out four medium-mammal rifles for us to bring along. I’m partial to the M4, but I can use other NATO rifles in a pinch like the FN FAL or G36. Secondary weapons can be anything you want. I prefer the stopping power of the Colt 1991, but it’s up to you. Flashbangs and frag grenades if you can swing it by Davis in the armoury. He protests, tell him it’s for me. Jeffrey, grab Ian and Charlene. We need an interpreter and dilettante for the high-class events. See if Agent Andrews is present, I need a sniper and a spotter. You can fill in that role in a pinch, I saw your weapons qual marks when you applied. Timmy, secure us transport when we land at Marseille. Something both armoured and good for off-road. Get to it boys” I gave the instructions as three agents high-tailed it out of the office just as Marcy came in.“I think the orders are already redundant if you are issuing it, Shinigami” the tigress scratched her head as she whispered my title.“Not you too” I groaned as I accepted the order in the sealed envelope. Breaking the wax seal with my claws, I removed the paper inside and sighed.For there on the letterhead was the seal of the President of the United States of Animalia. An eagle grasping arrows and an olive branch in each of its talons, with wings spread out on a blue background. White stars on the blue background numbering fifty in all as the Latin motto: E Pluribus Unum, framed the lower half of the circle.The letter reads:‘To Special Agent Ivan del Morte:
Season’s Greetings!

I hope that this letter finds you well and that you are now well-rested from your quick jaunt in Japan. It saddens me that three hundred mammals lost their lives on the worst aviation disaster since the Tenerife incident. I am ordering you to use any and all means at your disposal to find out the mammals who have perpetrated this heinous crime and show them the error of their ways.

I may not agree with your methods, but this time it is necessary. I have asked Congress for their approval for a black flag operation on foreign soil. Unfortunately, Congress in is recess for the holiday break and I did not receive any solid backings from the Speaker of the House nor the Senate President.

I give tacit approval for you to do what you did in Japan. Make those mammals pay dearly for the anguish they have brought on this nation.

Signed,
President William J. Linton’I crumpled the letter, and it ignited in my right paw; startling Marcy as the tigress backed away from the burning paper.“Marcy, I’m going abroad after all. Not by Director Barnes’ request nor by Director Logan’s orders. My orders came from the very top and I am dutybound to carry these out” I informed the tigress, my eyes glowing blue as the tigress gulped in fear.=====================================================================================
0630 Hours

December 16, 1995

Andrews AFB,

Washington, D.C.

Special Agent Ivan del Morte

VC-25A
 “Welcome aboard sir” the pilot for the trip across the Atlantic to Marseille, Air Force Colonel Frederix Malone, shook my paw as I came aboard the VIP aircraft. The red fox tod was visibly nervous that his plane was being used to fly a bunch of federal agents to France.None more so than myself. The whispers calling me the Grim Reaper, more so than my uncle the Justice Secretary.“Glad to be aboard colonel. Even better once we’re airborne” I replied as I smiled at the fox tod with my carry-on in tow.“How many more will we be waiting for, sir?” the fox tod asked as more SUVs pulled up and disgorged agents.I stuck my furry head out the open door as Agent Savage and Agent Faltenbrooke (Timmy) glared at each other from opposite vehicles.“CHILDREN!” I shouted and grabbed everyone’s attention in the hangar. “EITHER GET ON THE PLANE OR GET LEFT BEHIND!” I then waited inside as Colonel Malone tried to keep his laughter internal at the chastised looks on the two agents as they led their teams meekly aboard. The Secret Service agents nearest me looked fit to burst out into laughter.I sat in the middle part of the converted Boeing 747-200 to ensure my neutrality and adjudication between both sides.=====================================================================================President Linton was headed to Charles De Gaulle airport in France to celebrate the opening of the new embassy and socialise with President Chirac. He agreed to bring us first to Marseille before CDG to cut down on the expenses.Especially so when he learned I would be leading the team as per his letter.Things got weird when I was given a gift basket as I arrived at Andrews on board Marine One at 0530 hours for our 0700 departure. Inside was a plush snow leopard wielding an equally plush sword. At least there were two bottles of Shiraz and Edam cheese inside the basket. Someone had also added a loaded Sig Sauer P227 with a red ribbon tied around the slide as festive cheer and two M67 frag grenades painted in Christmas colours.I had commented with a “Thanks, just what I wanted this Christmas. Two frag grenades and a pistol with a ribbon. Where’s the rest of my 12 days of Christmas package?”The muttered “All we could get on short notice” by the Secretary of State was not ominous.Not ominous at all.“On the third day of Christmas, my department sent to me: three flak vests, two frag grenades, and a pistol in a basket. On the fourth day of Christmas, my department sent to me: four flashbangs, three flak vests, two frag grenades, and a pistol in a basket. On the fifth day of Christmas, my department sent to me: five hollow-points, four flashbangs, three flak vests, two frag grenades, and a pistol in a basket. On the sixth day of Christmas, my department sent to me: six junior agents, five hollow-points, four flashbangs, three flak vests, two frag grenades, a pistol in a basket. On the seventh day of Christmas, my department sent to me: seven tank assaults, six junior agents, five hollow-points, four flashbangs, three flak vests, two frag grenades, and a pistol in a basket. On the eighth day of Christmas, my department sent to me: eight Raider runs, seven tank assaults, six junior agents, five hollow-points, four flashbangs, three flak vests, two frag grenades, and a pistol in a basket. On the ninth day of Christmas, my department sent to me: nine bomb techs running, eight Raider runs, seven tank assaults, six junior agents, five hollow-points, four flashbangs, three flak vests, two frag grenades, and a pistol in a basket. On the tenth day of Christmas, my department sent to me: ten children weeping, nine bomb techs running, eight Raider runs, seven tank assaults, six junior agents, five hollow-points, four flashbangs, three flak vests, two frag grenades and a pistol in a basket. On the eleventh day of Christmas, my department sent to me: eleven snipers sniping, ten children weeping, nine bomb techs running, eight Raider runs, seven tank assaults, six junior agents, five hollow-points, four flashbangs, three flak vests, two frag grenades, a pistol in a basket. On the twelfth day of Christmas, my department sent to me: twelve bombers bombing, eleven snipers sniping, ten children weeping, nine bomb techs running, eight Raider runs, seven tank assaults, six junior agents, five hollow-points, four flashbangs, three flak vests, two frag grenades, and a pistol…in…a…basket” I quietly sang a morbid rendition of the 12 days of Christmas as I sat down in a jump seat and waited for the rest of the team to arrive.An Air Force stewardess then brought me a glass of something bubbly which I downed in one gulp.=====================================================================================
0700 Hours

December 16, 1995

Andrews AFB,

Prince George County, MD

VC-25A (Air Force One)

Special Agent Ivan del Morte

“Ladies and gentlemammals, this is your captain speaking. We are beginning our take-off procedures and would like everyone to fasten their seatbelts” Colonel Malone announced over the PA system as the four turbofan engines roared open from idle.The pilot released the brakes, and we began to roll down the tarmac of Andrews. At a certain point three-quarters of the way down the runway, the bird lifted up into the grey overcast skies of the state of Maryland and climbed to its cruising altitude of 40,000 feet (12,192 metres). As I looked outside, the long-range F-15D Eagles were the escort all the way to CDG airport. I knew, from part of the flight plan, that all the aircraft aloft would meet with a KC-135 airborne refuelling unit over the Atlantic.“We have reached our cruising altitude; you are now free to move about the cabin” Colonel Malone announced as the seatbelt light switched off. I removed the belt and stood up to stretch, popping some joints in the process.I then moved to the rear of the aircraft to see how the two groups of agents were doing. My position was up front as one of the VIPs. On my way to the back, I exchanged nods with Air Force Brigadier General Peter Malcolm as the yote was in charge of the nuclear football. He would be released from it when his counterpart on the ground took charge of the case.“Agent Savage, Agent Faltenbrooke” I called out the striped jackrabbit and the tiger respectively as the two were glaring at each other from both sides of the aisle.“Sir!” both agents replied simultaneously, before resuming their glares.I let out a sigh and made my way over to Agent Wolfex. The albino wolf was taking bets from his fellow agents on how long it would take before Savage and Faltenbrooke tore into each other. The current highest bet said when we land at Marseille. The next bet would be when we ran into the NCIS team.“Hey Ivan, look how much I got already!” the white wolf eagerly showed me the current betting pool of $1250 on the two senior agents as his tail wagged behind him.“I tried telling him to stop sir” a new voice interrupted my reply as I turned to the new FBI agent with us on the flight, a painted hound as Agent Eldridge could not make it. “Special Agent Carmichael, sir” he introduced himself.“I know who you are agent. I was there grading your CQB procedure with Savage, Wolfex, Frost, and Eldridge” I replied.“Ah” the painted hound visibly winced to snickers from the CIA contingent as he withdrew his paw. “We did that poorly, sir?”“No, Livermortis and his team did poorly. I’m certain you saw how they arrived covered in flour. We ghosted them” I answered as a knock sounded on the bulkhead and I looked up to meet the eyes of President Linton.“Mister President” I immediately stood up as the other agents did likewise, Agents Savage and Faltenbrooke acting like nothing was going on between them as they faced our commander-in-chief.“Sit down, no need to act on ceremony. I was wondering if you could join me for breakfast and lunch with the First Family this time, Agent del Morte. You missed it the last time around at Camp David” the white-tailed stag motioned with his hooves for everyone to resume their positions, extending another invite for breakfast to me.“I’d be honoured, Mr. President. I apologise for last time” I answered, accepting the invite.“Take one of your agents with you. This is not a regular occurrence after all” the president replied as he departed for the front of the aircraft, every head then turning to me.None more so than Agent Wolfex who was wagging his tail hard enough to create a strong breeze in the cabin.  “Carmichael, you’re with me for breakfast. Howlington, you’re coming with for lunch. Everyone else can make do” I gestured for the painted hound to follow me to the front. CIA Special Agent Larry Howlington gave a crisp salute before returning to his chess game with Agent Frost. The brown wolf was losing badly against the vixen.Agent Wolfex gave me his best puppy-eyed stare to make me reconsider, ears flat and arms raised in a begging position.“You already had your turn at Area 51, Danny” I let the albino wolf know as he dejectedly slumped in his chair and whined.=====================================================================================
0815 Hours

40,000 feet

Presidential Dining Suite

Air Force One

FBI/CIA Special Agent Ivan del Morte

“More Eggs Benedict, Ivan?” the First Lady asked as she passed the platter to me.“No, thank you, Madam. Agent Carmichael?” I refused the platter, having had four already and passed it to the painted hound who mumbled his thanks.“How many times do I have to tell you? Call me Hilary” the First Lady informed me as Agent Carmichael choked on his egg and toast. The painted hound coughed to dislodge the food from his throat.“If I were a head of state, Madam First Lady, I would call you by your first name. Sadly, I am not. I am an agent of the federal government and manners behove me to call you as befits your status” I replied diplomatically.“Well,” the First Lady replied as she used a cloth napkin to wipe some runny eggs from her lips, “that’s a long-winded way of saying no”.I looked to the head of the table as the President watched me struggle against his wife, hiding his opinion of the matter behind a newspaper.“In privacy of the White House or Camp David, I may call your husband and yourself by your first names. On board Air Force One, there are still many ears that can overhear my irreverent manner” I answered.“Well, what if I order you to call me Hilary?” the white-tailed doe asked as her husband snorted behind the paper.I knew that Agent Carmichael would once more choke, so I turned my attention to Secret Service Agent Duke Longlegs. The maned wolf agent being on the presidential detail for over three years now.“You may as well go along sir. She’ll never stop. Sorry madam” the maned wolf informed me of the tenacious nature of the First Lady, apologising to her as well.“Thank you very much for the invite to breakfast, William and Hilary. I am properly sated” I replied as I felt stuffed with innumerable slices of turkey ham, toast, cheddar cheese, home fries, Eggs Benedict; all washed down with exquisitely roasted Italian coffee.“See? Knew she’d wear you down eventually, Ivan” President Linton commented as he folded up the newspaper and deposited it on a silver tray beside him.“Of course, Mist..er…William” I automatically responded with ‘Mister President’ before hastily changing to William as the deer looked at me askance.“Come back again for lunch. I heard we’re serving out tuna fillets and deep-fried salmon steaks with capers and mixed vegetables. Corn on the cob too” President Linton, William, informed me as he stood up from the table.“You are too kind, William. Hilary, thank you for inviting myself and Agent Carmichael to breakfast” I nodded to the stag as he inclined his head towards me with a beatific smile and his wife smiled behind her cup of coffee.Agent Carmichael and I then stepped out of the dining saloon, escorted by Secret Service Agent Longlegs. Another agent closed the door behind us.An Air Force flight attendant presented Carmichael and I with two foil-wrapped dessert cakes with the presidential seal printed on each to take with us back to our seats.“Are dining affairs always this stressful, sir?” Agent Carmichael asked as I walked back down the plane with him to the rear cabin.“No. The President and First Lady are merely shaking off their own nerves by inviting us to dine with them. Notice that neither the Secretary of State nor the National Security Adviser were with us. Something about the new embassy opening is bothering them and the invite served as a way to talk freely without many restrictions” I replied, seeing the nerves that the president and first lady tried to conceal as much of the talk revolved around inconsequential matters like who won the Super Bowl or who made the better dessert: Sara Lee or Dairy Queen.“Still don’t see it, sir” the painted hound shook his head as we entered the rear cabin.“Agent Savage, a souvenir from up front” I informed the striped jackrabbit as I deposited the dessert cake into his waiting paw. For the briefest of moments, I could have sworn that the striped jack stuck his tongue out at the tiger that he was the favourite.“Agent Howlington?” I called out to the brown wolf locked in combat.“Sir!” the brown wolf called out as he looked my way from his ninth (?) match of chess. “Check!” went the cry from the vixen he was playing against.“Here. Some energy for you!” I replied as I tossed him the foil-wrapped cake of sugary goodness. “None for me, Agent del Morte?” Agent Frost interjected when the brown wolf opened the baked good in front of her and she smelled the rich Belgian chocolate coating.“It’ll ruin your figure!” I mock-yelled back as Agent Frost worked up a massive pout. I made my escape as a chess piece was sent sailing towards my head.Through it all, the vixen failed to notice that the striped hare was enjoying the same baked good that she wanted. Especially so when the brown wolf cried out, “Checkmate” and ruined the vixen’s perfect winning streak of 200 games.=====================================================================================
1045 Hours

Communications Deck

Air Force One

FBI/CIA Special Agent Ivan del Morte

I knocked on a table and got the attention of the communications officers on the flight deck.“What can I do for you, Special Agent?” a bobcat in an Air Force uniform and with a rank of 1Lt. asked me.“I need a phone patch to Toulon Naval Base to get in contact with the NATO delegation there” I answered, continuing by holding up the pink phone I bought in Japan, “I don’t think I have any minutes on this thing to safely call from the air”.“I can get you in contact with Toulon. Who will we be contacting?” the bobcat sat down on his swivel chair and pulled out a spare pair of headphones for me as he typed in the number.“Rear Admiral Chester B. Fuller of NATO Naval Command, through his adjutant, Lieutenant Paul Anders” I answered as the bobcat snorted.“Paulie? You met Paulie at Annapolis? Is he still as big a prick with you as with me?” the bobcat chuckled as my call went through.“I wouldn’t know, lieutenant. No one wanted to talk to me at Annapolis, figuring I was either NCIS or FBI as I was always sitting with the commandant and his cadre” I answered truthfully, the bobcat could go check the records if he so pleased.“Were you?” the bobcat asked as we listened to the phone ring on the other end.“I can neither confirm nor deny that” I responded with the CIA go-to phrase when being asked difficult questions.“You’re one of those guys, then” the bobcat rubbed his forehead, his good mood gone. The Agency did not have a good working relationship with any of the service branches, keeping vital intelligence private as the armed services ‘Did not need to know’.“This is my badge” I informed the bobcat as I placed the FBI badge on the console. “This is also my badge” I placed the CIA badge on the console. “I have many more badges to agencies I am part of. Do you want all of them? I assure you not all of them get me wet” I asked teasingly as colour drained from the bobcat’s nose and ears.“Oh god, not a Wet Works guy” the other comms officer commented as she commiserated with her fellow Air Force officer, reading between the lines on what I truly was.“Toulon Naval Base, to whom do I direct your call?” a bored-sounding female operator answered in French-accented English.“Journée splendide, mademoiselle. Je suis l'agent spécial Ivan del Morte du FBI. Pourriez-vous me mettre en contact avec le bureau du contre-amiral Fuller?” I informed the female operator who immediately perked up. [Splendid day, miss. I am Special Agent Ivan del Morte of the FBI. Could you connect me to the office of Rear Admiral Fuller?]“En quoi votre accent est-il parfait? Tous ces chiens animaux ont des accents horribles qui me donnent envie de vomir!” the operator announced, uncaring if any Animalian dogs could hear it. [How is your accent perfect? All these Animalian dogs have horrid accents that make me want to puke!]“Nous pourrons en discuter plus tard. Peut-être autour d'un peu de vin et de fromage. Dites-moi, la Provence fait-elle encore les meilleurs raisins de toute la France?” I answered back politely, gently flirting over the phone as I inserted a code phrase. [We can discuss this later. Perhaps over some wine and cheese. Tell me, does Provence still make the best grapes of all France?]“Il y a ce vignoble qui produit le meilleur Sauvignon Blanc. Vais-je en informer Cheryl?” the operator replied, confirming the code phrase. [There is this vineyard that produces the best Sauvignon Blanc. Will I inform Cheryl?]“S'il vous plaît, arrangez un rendez-vous avec Mlle Cheryl après que j'aurai pris contact avec le contre-amiral Fuller. J'arriverai à 16 h 30 cet après-midi” I informed the operator who giggled. [Please arrange a meeting with Miss Cheryl after I get in contact with Rear Admiral Fuller. I will be arriving by 4:30 this afternoon]“Bien sûr, monsieur. Avez-vous également besoin d'un moyen de transport?” the operator confirmed it and asked if I wanted a car. [Of course, sir. Do you require transport there as well?]“S'il vous plaît. Je ne veux pas marcher aussi loin” I answered and the other comms officers could hear the smile. [Please. I don't want to walk that far]“Neuf véhicules blindés et un hélicoptère?” the operator asked me. [Nine armoured cars and one helicopter?]“Oui, s'il vous plaît. Imputer au compte de l'entreprise. Merci” I replied with a smile. [Yes please. Charge to the company account. Thank you]“Je t'attendrai comme guide. S'il vous plaît demander Audree. Au revoir, monsieur” the operator responded and ended the call. [I will be waiting for you as your guide. Please ask for Audree. Goodbye sir]“What the fuck just happened?” one of them commented in disbelief.“I had a call” I answered as I waved goodbye at the Air Force personnel as I moved to descend the steps, my badges back around my neck and hip. “Was that what happened? I swear it sounded like he was asking her out on a date” the bobcat asked, horribly confused.I guffawed on the way down. =====================================================================================

1215 Hours

Presidential Dining Suite,

Air Force One,

Crossing English airspace at 40,000 ft (12,192m)

Special Agent Ivan del Morte

“Special Agent del Morte, what is your theory on the exploding airliner?” Secretary of State Fullbright asked as I sat down. “Eric (National Security Adviser Eric Immelmann) over here says that it was a terrorist attack” the lioness pointed at the mountain lion enjoying smoked tuna fillets.“Madam Secretary, I refuse to speculate as it could be something else entirely. It does a disservice to those who died aboard” I parried her thrust. I looked around for supporters and found none. Everyone else was leaning on the terror angle.“Was there anything unusual about the passenger manifest?” I then asked, knowing that if something sounded convenient that was not the truth.“Besides the high numbers of Italians onboard, not counting the seven servicemammals all bound for Gnu York? No.” Secretary Fullbright answered, before the idea struck her. “Should it be?”“This is purely speculative on my part, there is no actual evidence on my end” I lied through my teeth, knowing that the entity was giving me some last-minute advice before we would touch down at Marseille airport. “What if these Italians came from a certain region? A region known for its rather unique political structure that favours an entrenched system that has weathered many an attempt to stamp it out?”.“Do you mean Sicily?” Brigadier General Malcom inserted himself into the conversation.“No, I mean Sardinia. Of course, its Sicily” I replied with sarcasm. “I need to see the cargo manifest as well for the aircraft. Who got near the cargo hold and what items went inside. And since the debris field covers the entire southern coast, it’s damn near impossible to see if there will be explosive residue left”.“So, its not a terror attack?” President Linton asked as he cut into a juicy tofurkey.“They’re damn bold to explode the airliner over France with how tough the current Minister of the Interior is on terrorists, Mister President” I replied as I viciously cut the salmon steak, forgetting my enhanced strength, and breaking through the porcelain.The president tsked as he chewed his lower lip. “Ivan, could you act as go-between us and the Italians?”“Damn tall order, Mister President. You know what my specialty is” I answered truthfully as I used my napkin to mop up the mess as everyone politely looked away.“I was afraid of that, but you will be handling information earlier than our own diplomatic corps. If you’re willing to act, I’d be happy to ask JSOC to back you up when you need firepower” the president dangled a carrot.“Make that the Fifth Fleet, Mister President and I’ll dance at your New Year’s ball with just my bulletproof vest” I countered, knowing that the fleet would not sortie out until the New Year’s.“Done. Ready your vest, Ivan. I dare say you will be dancing the tango” President Linton smiled beatifically, before frowning. “Also, you owe me a new plate” the stag gestured at the broken piece on the table.“Agent Duke, when do we land at Marseille-Provence airport?” the president asked the maned wolf.“Approximately three hours’ time, Mister President” the agent replied, before tilting his head “Why sir? I thought were going to Charles de Gaulle?”“A little stop for Special Agent del Morte here as he needs to get in on the ground before this fiasco blows up in the press. The Italians sent in their most short-tempered admiral, and we’ve got the most annoying naval officer down there. Do the math and it’s a perfect storm” the president answered as the agent sighed.I took one look at the salmon steak on my destroyed plate and tipped the entire thing down my gullet. I drained the glass of Muscat and stood up. “Mister President, I wish to be excused”.“Go ahead, Ivan. I’m sure you need to plan your outfit on New Year’s Day” the president smirked before returning to his food.Agent Howlington made to stand up as well when I did. “Stay” I informed him as I passed by towards the exit. Like a good boy, the wolf stayed put and continued eating confusedly amongst the heavy hitters of the President’s cabinet.=====================================================================================
1335 Hours

Rear Cabin,

Air Force One,

Passing over Dijon, France

Special Agent / Special Envoy Ivan del Morte

“People, I know you are having lunch, but the president wants opinions on what he can expect from the mid-air explosion of Animalian Airlines” I politely interrupted the boxed lunch that my two teams were having.Agent Faltenbrooke was first to dab at his chin and whiskers before speaking out “Was it not a terror attack?” He belatedly added a softer “Sir” as my (incorrect) reputation as a stone-cold killer preceded me.“That’s where the initial sources are pointing, but there is no chatter from the usual suspects” I answered as the tiger’s brows furrowed.“Any specific regional content aboard?” Agent Savage then asked as he swallowed the broccoli that had prevented him from answering.“Getting warmer, Agent Savage” I answered the senior agent as I looked at everyone else. Agent Carmichael was in a food coma from breakfast and morning snack, rendering him useless.“Sicily?” Agent Jeffrey Moon spoke up from his tofu egg rolls.“Was that a question or an answer, Agent Moon?” I asked for clarification as the wolf hurriedly swallowed.“Answer, Agent del Morte sir” the tan wolf answered as he drank from a can of sarsaparilla.“We will be landing in Marseille in approximately two-and-a-half hours. GIGN will be sponsoring us from their regional HQ so cut back on the Froggy jokes” I informed the combined agents as my accent slipped again.“Will do, sir” Agents Savage and Faltenbrooke agreed simultaneously as both then glared at each other and ate faster.A knock sounded on the bulkhead behind me and I turned, right paw on my hip holster ready to draw.“Sorry to interrupt, Special Agent del Morte. May I have a moment of your time?” Colonel Malone appeared; his paws raised in front of him to show he was unarmed.“Of course” I answered gruffly as I forced my right paw away from my holster. I followed him away from the rear cabin. Special Agent Wolfex trailed us at a discreet distance, until he saw the galley and went inside for a quick snack as tantalising scents tickled his nose.“Why are we in the conference room?” I asked the fox tod as he closed the door behind us. The fidgeting fox only made my senses tingle as I could feel the stirrings of power just begging to be released.“Have you seen the manifest yet?” the fox tod asked, deflecting my question with one of his own. “Not yet. I’m told a physical copy is on the ground, why?” I countered, getting an inkling on why the fox tod used the empty conference room while lunch was still in progress.“My brother was on that plane. I was supposed to meet him at JFK before the flight was reported missing. Before I found out that it was his plane that blew up. I’m not asking for anything big, Shinigami. I just want to see my brother one last time. I was told you could do tha..*urk*” the colonel explained before I lifted him up against the wall of the conference room. A quick wave and the door vanished.“I am not a mere telephone anyone can use to contact the dead! If you want to see your brother again, I can arrange that you join him colonel!” I growled out. “There is always a price for my services. Where do you think the dire wolf butler in my house came from? Yakuza experiments? That’s the former grandmaster. And since you now know my secret, I can make it that no one has ever heard of you” I snarled out, as the grip on his neck tightened.The fox tod’s eyes bulged out as his muzzle was open in a silent scream.=====================================================================================“Do you feel that?” Agent Savage asked Agent Frost as they were the ones squaring off with the chessboard.“Like Akihabara all over again” the arctic vixen grit her teeth as her fur puffed out.“Guys! I lost The Boss!” Agent Wolfex appeared in a panic, cradling an armful of Ding Dongs.   The entire aircraft shuddered from nose to tail as metal creaked and bulkheads groaned.“Conference Room!” the five FBI agents shouted as they dropped what they were doing and ran for the middle of the aircraft. In Agent Wolfex’s case, all his precious treasures wound up on the carpet. Agent Carmichael roused and staggered out the door as well, pistol in paw.The cabin began experiencing various degrees of weightlessness as Secret Service agents and Air Force personnel floated about, not to mention the various unsecured items that crashed to the floor.The five agents, however, could move as if there was nothing wrong.Until a giant fireball engulfed them all.=====================================================================================“What the hell is that surge?” Captain Alfred Whitaker, first officer of Air Force One, commented as the entire aircraft shuddered from nose to tail.“Where’s the colonel?” he shouted out the open door to the communications officers backing away from their sparking consoles.“He went downstairs, why?”“Shit!” the wolf pilot muttered as put the headset on and disengaged the autopilot.“Mayday! Mayday! Mayday! This is Air Force One, we are going down! I repeat, we are going down!” the wolf put out the distress call as it felt like the aircraft was shaking itself apart.“Jennings, get in here!” the wolf yelled out for the relief pilot to get in his seat while he took the pilot’s seat. A lynx popped in and strapped himself into the first officer’s chair as the plane rapidly descended.“Get me the nearest safe landing spot!” the wolf ordered as he tried to fight the controls wanting the aircraft to roll right.“Lyon Saint-Exupery! It’s just twenty minutes away!” the lynx replied as he too fought the urge of the aircraft to roll right.“Lyon Saint-Exupery, this is Air Force One! We are coming in red-hot. Multiple engine failures. Oh shit, there goes the third engine!” the wolf informed the control tower as another engine flamed out and the 747-200B dropped out of the sky. The altimeters rapidly winding down as the jet entered a flat spin. Multiple alarms sounding as well as TCAS giving off it’s “*WHOOP WHOOP* PULL UP! *WHOOP WHOOP* PULL UP!”“Air Force One, this is Halo Flight. What the hell’s going on?” the fighter escort dived down to catch up with the falling jumbo jet.“Halo Flight, I don’t fucking know! We went from routine to fucked up!” the wolf answered as he continued to fight for control of the jet with the lynx.“Come on! SHIT!” the pilot screamed out as the jet smacked into the French Alps, exploding in a giant fireball. The jet just five minutes shy of reaching the Lyon Saint-Exupery airport.“Holy shit! Air Force One is down. I repeat, Air Force One is down!” came the shocked voice of the Halo Flight Leader.

----- CHAPTER BREAK -----

“A world in mourning today as Air Force One dropped out of the sky and crashed into the French Alps” went Christiane Amanpour as the wolf could barely control her tears on CNN....The channel flipped to Fox News where Ron McAulaney was holding court. “The foremost Democrat has died today. Sadly, he brought down with him two hundred Republicans. He even got Animalia’s golden boy killed! Where’s the justice in that?” as he held up a smiling portrait of Special Agent Ivan del Morte....The channel flipped once more to BBC where Melissa Stromberg was anchoring, shedding tears on air. “Air Force One, the United States of Animalia’s presidential transport, fell out of the sky today and crashed on a mountain side in the French Alps. There has been no survivors, neither of the crew nor the First Family.”...The channel once more flipped to Deutsche Welle as Adolf Mulholland reported live from Lyon. “A day of tragedy for our Animalian allies. Air Force One apparently suffered multiple-engine failure and crashed into the French Alps. Rescue efforts are underway but there is little hope of finding survivors”....The remote was tapped, and the television died.=====================================================================================I sighed as I dropped the fox tod onto the floor, letting him experience one possible future. The door opened and Agents Savage, Frost, Wolfex, Carmichael and Howlington joined me inside.Time outside the room had halted as one of the agents was caught mid-step as neither paw touched the carpet.“Ivan, are you okay?” the striped rabbit came closer, not daring to touch me.“I lost my temper” I whispered out, my eyes shining blue. “How bad is it outside?” I asked, knowing I caused a lot of deaths.“Time has stopped outside. We’re in free-fall. And Danny here stole the entire Ding Dong cache in the galley” Agent Carmichael explained as he pointed a thumb at a sheepish albino wolf.“I was hungry, okay?” was the excuse of Agent Wolfex.“What am I going to do? It’s not been a year and I’ve already lost control” I said as I slumped down against the wall of the conference room.“Come on Boss. Cheer up. Save your Righteous Might for the Sicilians” Agent Savage tried picking me up, but found he was much too light. In the end, Agent Daniel ‘Danny’ Wolfex and Agent Lawrence ‘Larry’ Howlington picked me up off the floor.“Can you wind us back before the shaking?” Agent Frost asked as she smoothed out her fur.I snapped my fingers and the world rewound.=====================================================================================
December 16, 1995

35,000 feet and dropping

Air Force One

French Alps near Lyon Saint-Exupery
 “*WHOOP WHOOP* PULL UP! *WHOOP WHOOP* PULL UP!” the TCAS warned as the jumbo jet was in its flat spin.“Come on!” the wolf screamed out as one by one, the engines restarted. “She’s coming back! She’s coming back!” the wolf commented as he pushed the throttle to max and tried to trim the side from where the spin originated. Both he and the lynx pushing the rudder full right to counteract the left spin.Slowly, the jumbo stopped its spin. Straightening out, the control yoke still shaking at the rapid descent. The lynx called out the altitude and the wolf gasped.“5,000 feet, sir!” the lynx yelled out, well below the minimum safe distance among mountain ranges.   “Lyon Saint-Exupery, we are still losing altitude! Clear that runway!” the wolf informed the shocked control tower.“Roger, Air Force One. You are cleared to land Runway 1-4” a French-accented voice called out as the airport diverted all aircraft away to prepare for the stricken Animalian bird.The whooping alarm of TCAS was still playing in the background, but the pilots were now razor-focused on making the runway that they could see across the river.“Flaps. 30”“Flaps. 30”“Gear down?”“Gear down” the lynx replied as the landing gear popped from its wells and locked into place.“We only get one shot at this, Jennings” the wolf breathed out as the plane shuddered before smacking hard onto the runway with a bang.Both pilots immediately stepped on the brakes as they whizzed past parked aircraft on the taxiway.“Full reverse thrust!” the wolf cried out as he feared they would demolish the fast-approaching glass terminal.“Full reverse thrust, aye!” the lynx replied as he pushed the throttle into reverse. It was not working, and the glass got closer.The pilots yelled out, “BRACE!” as they continued to grip their yokes hard. As if to help, a glowing blue barrier appeared in front of the plane.The jumbo jet slowed as it rammed the barrier, then stopped. Its nose tapping onto the glass pane of the terminal as the barrier vanished.The pilots shut down the engines as they both panted from the exertion.“Jesus Christ” one of them breathed out before fainting in his straps.=====================================================================================“Time to turn myself over into custody” I said as I held my arms out for Agent Carmichael to slip the cuffs on me.“What for sir?” the painted hound asked with that canine tilt to his head.“Killing everyone on board” I answered glumly, my tail dragging on the carpeted floor.“Sir, with all due respect, you just saved everyone on board” Agent Howlington spoke up.I just shook my head sadly.“Did you remove their memories of dying?” Agent Frost asked.I nodded in the affirmative.“Then I see no problem. As much as I hate to say it, we are now more loyal to you than to the federal government” Agent Savage replied, closing the door on my pity party.“Come on, sir. Let’s salvage those Ding Dongs I dropped!” Danny commented as we left the catatonic fox in the conference room.

----- CHAPTER BREAK -----

We did wind up salvaging Agent Wolfex’s dropped Ding Dongs from our mid-air incident. Danny had to remove one from CIA Agent Gary Murray’s grasping paws as the other wolf wanted a bite of the enrobed chocolate dessert...The VIPs, including the First Family, were untouched by the incident...As if, I had kept them in a bubble despite everything going on outside....According to Agent Howlington’s verbal report later to the embassy attaché’s satellite office in Marseille: “T’was as if time passed around us. There was some mild shaking that the President thought was turbulence as he continued to eat. Only when I felt a second surge did I go out and find that the entire cabin was experiencing weightlessness.To keep the others inside ignorant of what was happening, I closed the door as one normally does. I then made my way over to the greatest concentration of power, that being the conference room, where I stumbled onto four other agents lending aid to anchor Special Agent del Morte as he glowed blue and was floating (levitating) himself.His lips were moving, but no sound came out.As I got closer, a glowing tendril lashed itself to my waist and I could not get myself free before it pulled me closer to the others. Approaching the snow leopard, sound returned to my ears as I could hear him chant over and over ‘I can’t hold it. I can’t hold it’. Agent Frost (arctic vixen) then spoke up ‘Just a little more Ivan. Just a little more’. Agent Carmichael (painted hound) then continued the mantra, ‘One more sir, we’re almost there. One more, sir. We’re almost there’.I had no context on what he meant until I found out later that a blue barrier kept Air Force One from crashing into a packed passenger terminal.Once that barrier collapsed, so did Special Agent del Morte as he looked all tapped out”.=====================================================================================
December 16, 1995

1730 Hours Local Time

3rd floor,

Clinique de l'Infirmerie Protestante,

Lyon, France

Special Agent Ivan del Morte

I woke up to electronic beeping and the feeling of foreign objects in my body.Closing my eyes, I swept myself and the room with a low-level burst of power. I could now see that I was hooked up to an ECG, that I had numerous IVs feeding me fluids and nutrients, and that I had an oxygen mask on my snout. The presence of a warm body beside my bed told me that I had summoned Rook from the San Diego household.=====================================================================================I had broached the topic while we were on a road trip to Area 51 if Rook would like another name.Agent Wolfex floated the idea of calling him Fenris Wolf like the mythological Norse beast of legend. Rook had looked at me as I was, despite outward appearances to the contrary, his lord and master. I said it was his decision.Rook was soon entered into the federal database as a codename for one Fenris Castle. Deep cover agent for the Politiets Efterretningstjeneste (PET) and ostensibly sent as a long-term bodyguard for one Ivan af Døden, disavowed senior intelligence operative of the Danish Security and Intelligence Service (DSIS).This was cleared with the DSIS leadership who took one look at Rook via videoconference and whispered “Hvis han ikke var så loyal over for dig, ville vi gerne rekruttere ham. Han ligner legendens Fensir” [If he were not as loyal to you, we would like to recruit him. He does resemble the Fenrir of legend].=====================================================================================“Rook?” I whispered; my throat hoarse as I knew he could see we had a visitor.“Yes, Young Master. You overdid it and Death is here” the dire wolf replied as he locked the door to the suite.“When I said, ‘Explore new powers’, I did not mean burn yourself out trying to keep everyone alive by rewinding time and erasing memories” the entity explained as he sat down on my bed.“Sorry” I whispered, my body craving sleep.“No matter, you will be well-rested if you stopped fighting your own power. The only reason you had to rewind time is because your power had not been exercised regularly. As you grow into your power, you need to expend more of it.Think of your power like a faucet on a water main. When you started out in this universe, a simple household faucet could hold back the water pressure of a single household line. You have progressed to a municipal water line, but you still believe that a small faucet will relieve the pressure? Pressure will continue to build until it finds a weak point in the line.In this case, your short temper led to one timeline where everyone, but you, died in a fiery crash. Deep down, you recognised it and rewound time to before the crash, returning power to the doomed airplane until you made it down safely. That barrier was a nice touch, though” Death continued, complimenting the barrier.“What do you mean doomed?” I asked, focusing on the part where the airplane had crashed.“Because no matter if you flew commercial, military, or presidential. The plane to Marseille would always crash. This was one of those unchangeable events that you were able to manipulate for a good outcome” the entity explained.“At least now your government is fully aware that, had you not been on board, a country would have mourned the loss of its leader and its brightest minds. You being here mitigates the pain and loss that led to a radical taking office, declaring war on a foreign country just for its resources” Death continued.“The future was changed?” I asked despondently.“The future is never solid. It is fluid and is shaped by our choices. Just as your choice to follow your friend’s advice gave you a good outcome, so too would letting them all die give you another. I will leave now; my presence here will disturb balance and it is only allowed since you are my avatar. Goodbye” the entity informed me, before planting a kiss between my round ears and disappearing in a pillar of pink flame.“Time to call the nurse?” Rook asked as he reached for the call button as the power dissipated.“May as well. How am I going to explain how you got here though? You weren’t on the plane” I replied as I lay back on the comfortable eider down stuffed pillow.Rook simply chuckled as he shrank down to a normal wolf’s height and lost the horns. His eyes remained ice blue, the only aspect he could not change. “Your transformation of myself left me with some shapeshifting abilities. I have been practicing greatly, Young Master”.“You look like Agent Arkham Knight” I muttered as I looked him over, referring to the melanistic wolf specialising in the Northern European sector’s wet protocol.“Thank you, young master. You are too kind” he answered as a nurse entered the room.“Agent del Morte, vous êtes réveillé ! Dieu soit loué ! Les médecins craignaient que votre état ne soit en phase terminale” the nurse, a pretty marbled fox exclaimed as she then ran back out. [Agent del Morte, you are awake! Praise be to God! The doctors feared your condition was terminal]“Il est réveillé! Tu me dois maintenant 30 francs, Darlene!” the nurse shouted as she ran. [He's awake! You owe me 30 francs now, Darlene!]“Help me out of these lines. I still have a case to solve” I informed Rook as he carefully removed the IV cannulas out of my veins, placing gauze bandages on the shaved patches of fur where the needles once poked into me.I closed my eyes as he removed the tube going down my throat as I searched for the line of power that Death was referring to.I found it and the entity’s assessment was correct.I had many weak points now in my line, due to the backlog of pressure and my adamant refusal to use even a fraction of the growing power. With but a thought, I adjusted the size and strength of the line to a regional network while also improving the valves keeping the network from self-destructing. Instead of the singular line I used on a daily basis, there were now multiple lines varying in sizes from the daily use to ones that were apocalypse-inducing.I swore never to use that line unless I was out of alternatives. The M in Mutual Assured Destruction was there for a reason.“Done Young Master” Rook informed me as I blinked and power coursed through me, removing injuries as it went. It even flowed across the links to the five agents who had come with me in the conference room to repair any damage did to them.Agent Savage lost the scars he received from a tiger’s swipe on a mission to Bangalore, Agent Frost regained the ability to shed with the seasons, Agent Howlington’s left femur was rebuilt, the titanium implant infusing with his bones to strengthen them, Agent Carmichael’s tenuous loyalty was firmed up and the ties to an extremist cult removed.The energy could find nothing to repair on Agent Wolfex, save for some lingering traces of malnutrition. The albino wolf simply rocketed around the hospital building, growing in size till he ran about on four legs; acting like the world’s largest puppy as he happily peered into windows and scarfed up chocolates.The world moved on; history being rewritten to accommodate the changes to it.In Zootopia, mammals felt hope.Those who were downtrodden drawn to the brief flicker of hope like moths to a flame. Others embroiled in activities frowned upon by legal authorities could not shake the sense that they were being watched.A red fox tod in service to a family in Tundratown shivered in Sahara’s desert heat. A countdown was started, and he wished he had not meddled.The feeling went away when he saw the mammal he was supposed to negotiate with, Kevin nudging him forward.=====================================================================================
December 17, 1995

0630 Hours Local Time

Ground floor,

Clinique de l'Infirmerie Protestante,

Lyon, France

Special Agent Ivan del Morte
 “Special Agent Ivan del Morte, checking out” I announced at the admissions counter as Rook walked behind me with my bags. A gaggle of armed GIGN counter-terror operatives behind us.“Ah, Special Agent. Your bills were all taken care of by GIGN HQ in Paris. Sign here, please” the gazelle at the desk replied as she passed over a receipt that I perused and signed at the end.Stamped onto the entire bill was the word ‘Libre’. [Free]“Rook, contact your friends over at DSIS and get the contact information for their ambassador. Tell them there is an imminent threat” I informed my butler as he nodded, pulling out a phone and dialling as he walked out with my bags to the armoured vehicles outside.“Agent Escargot (so-called because he loved snails, not that he was slow), informez le QG du GIGN que je les remercie d'avoir pris soin de ma facture. En outre, des renseignements crédibles suggèrent que les extrémistes cibleront l'ouverture de la nouvelle ambassade. S'ils peuvent doubler la sécurité, je nous appellerai même” I addressed the lead GIGN operative as the brown wolf nodded assent. [Operative Escargot, inform GIGN HQ that I thank them for taking care of my bill. Also, credible intelligence suggests that extremists will target the new embassy opening. If they can double the security, I will call us even]“Oui, Commandant del Morte” the operative answered as his team moved ahead of us. [Yes, Commander del Morte]“Oh good, we caught you in time” Agent Savage breathlessly informed us as he burst through the doors with the combined FBI-CIA team.“Coffee sir?” Agent Faltenbrooke asked as the tiger was holding a cup holder with 6 steaming cups of coffee that smelt of French Vanilla.“Thank you, Timothy,” I replied as I removed one cup and passed the entire holder along to Agent Escargot’s second in command, a black bear designated Agent Blackberry.“Merci” the bear thanked the tiger as he downed the cup in one go, the other four also partaking of the coffee. [Thanks]“Uh sir?” Agent Faltenbrooke nudged me as I looked up from the blissfully sweet coffee that went down my parched throat.“Yes agent. I’ll reimburse you for your coffees” I informed the tiger who gave out a sigh of relief.“Thanks sir. I think I got overcharged, but I know how you like coffee in the morning” the tiger replied as he felt at ease.“Where did you get zhis coffee? The vanilla is shit” the bear’s comrade-in-arms, an Iberian lynx, commented on the taste.“Around the corner at La Maîtresse Blanche?” Agent Faltenbrooke answered in his horrible French. It came out as “La Miter Blank”.The GIGN operatives burst into laughter, as did the hospital staff.“My friend, you must spend time with us more. You ordered from a whorehouse!” the black bear laughed as the tiger pinked.“That explains the lacy curtains and why it smelled musky” Agent Wolfex muttered as the wolf was rubbing his nose.“Right, enough ribbing my agent. Let’s head over to Toulon Naval Base so I can get my facts straight” I reasserted control, momentarily forgetting how strong my powers now were, as everyone’s eyes blinked blue.Even the mammals outside as I got a brief wave of thoughts from civilians commenting on the armed APCs before the energy dissipated. One even talked about how the mammal inside was better guarded than the French president.“Shit” I cursed as the thoughts faded.=====================================================================================
0705 Hours

December 17, 1995

On the Road to Lyon Saint-Exupery

APC Number Four

Special Agent Ivan del Morte

“I’m really sorry guys” I apologised to the combined FBI-CIA team and the GIGN commander.“For what?” Agent Savage and Agent Faltenbrooke asked simultaneously before studiously ignoring the other.“Pour quoi?” Agent Escargot asked with confusion, his head tilted to one side as Agent Wolfex snoozed.“Did any of you feel a wave of energy?” I asked sheepishly.“Yup” the FBI half, and Agent Howlington, commented.“Nope” “Non” went the rest of the CIA contingent and the GIGN commander.“Fuck” I swore as I rubbed my head. The jumble of thoughts in my head from the brief glimpse was giving me a headache.“Then this is going to hurt” I commented as tendrils of energy lashed out and struck the GIGN commander, the CIA contingent, and the GIGN operatives in the APC with us as time halted.“What the fuck, sir?” Agent Howlington commented as he tried pulling out his pistol only for the Glock 18 to disassemble itself.“One of those moments?” Agent Savage asked tiredly as I nodded wordlessly.Just as suddenly as it happened, the tendrils retracted, leaving no trace that anything had ever been out of place. The spilled blood returning to the bodies of the agents as wounds healed and clothing repaired.“Goddammit, sir” Agent Faltenbrooke commented as the tiger blinked open blue eyes before it faded to his usual amber.“Mes blessures! Ils sont partis!” the GIGN commander commented happily as he patted himself down, blue eyes also fading to amber. [My injuries! They are gone!]Before turning to me with suspicion, “Quel genre d'entité êtes-vous? Vous n'êtes pas un mammifère”. [What kind of entity are you? You are not mammal]I just sat there on the bench in the APC, wondering if I could give him my title. The mechanical sounds of weapon slides and charging handles pulling back drew me out.“I am the entity living in a mortal shell. Perhaps, you’ve heard of me? I am Shinigami” I informed the shocked wolf as he lowered his weapon, the combined FBI-CIA team drawing theirs to plaster the GIGN operatives also lowering the weapons.I could feel the anger from the federal team. One word running all throughout their souls: PROTECT!“Mon dieu! Les légendes étaient vraies !” the wolf exclaimed as he shucked off his helmet and pulled out a silver pendant from around his neck. [My God! The legends were true!]On it, a bipedal wolf grasping two crescent objects posed with its arms extended.The entire thing too surreal for me to comprehend as I heard Death chuckle.
Ah, you found my wolves. Excellent! The Nightstalkers will follow you.

Your wolves?

I sired a litter or so back in the…13th century, I think it was. If ever I or my chosen representative, in this case you, put out the call for aid; the pack would follow you right up to the gates of Hell.

Do hurry, Young Master. This time bubble of yours never lasts long.
“Seigneur Shinigami, que voulez-vous que cet humble fasse?” the wolf asked reverently, wanting to prostrate himself on the floor of the APC. [Lord Shinigami, what do you wish this lowly one to do?]“For now, get my team to the airport and secure transport to Marseille. We have an investigation to take over and mammals to squeeze” I replied, the wolf nodding sharply as he re-equipped his helmet.“Jacque!” Agent Escargot (real name: Henri Becquerel), shouted to the driver whose ears perked up. “contactez le QG, ayez un transport rapide qui nous attend à l'aéroport de Marseille! Priorité élevée! Code Yankee!” [contact HQ, have a fast transport waiting for us at Marseille airport! High Priority! Code Yankee!]“Oui!” the driver, Jacque, replied as he got on the radio to do just that. [Yes] The APCs speeding up as our Police Nationale escort sped up as well, sirens blaring. The early morning traffic clearing as the high-speed transports would no longer stop for either lights or pedestrians.“QG, c'est Transport Five. Faucheuse est en jeu. Transport rapide nécessaire. Code Yankee!” he reported into GIGN regional, which dutifully sent it up the line to GIGN HQ in Paris. [HQ, is Transport Five. Grim Reaper is in play. Fast transportation required. Code Yankee!]=====================================================================================
0730 Hours

GIGN Command and Control Bunker,

GIGN HQ,

Paris, France

“Monsieur! Message Flash de Transport Five à Lyon!” a radio operator informed her over-all boss, Commander Morel at GIGN HQ, Paris. [Sir! Flash Message from Transport Five in Lyon!]“Lisez-le à haute voix” Commander Morel laconically replied as he sipped from a cup of exquisite latte from L’Hotel. [Read it out]The message of “QG, c'est Transport Five. Faucheuse est en jeu. Transport rapide nécessaire. Code Yankee!” made the white wolf spit out the coffee. [HQ, is Transport Five. Grim Reaper is in play. Fast transportation required. Code Yankee!]“Shit” he cursed in English as he ran for his office, leaving the speechless operator at her station as he needed his codebook.Kicking open the door to his office, he sprinted to his safe and only then did he put down the cup of coffee. “De toutes les années à apparaître, pourquoi la Faucheuse apparaît-elle aujourd'hui? Je suis à cinq ans de la retraite” the old wolf muttered as he spun the combination lock until it clicked open. He proceeded to remove two items from inside: a silver pendant displaying a bipedal wolf in attack stance and a codebook, before slamming the door closed. [Of all the years to appear, why does the Grim Reaper appear today? I'm five years from retirement]“Si je lui demande d'aller apparaître ailleurs, est-ce que j'irai dans l'au-delà ou est-ce qu'il me liera ici comme son serviteur?” the wolf talked to himself as he dashed back to the command centre, regretfully leaving behind his coffee. [If I ask him to go appear somewhere else, will I even go to the afterlife or will he bind me here as his servant?]“Transmettez ceci exactement comme je l'ai dit” the wolf reappeared beside the operator who startled a bit and placed her paws on the keyboard to type it out. [Transmit this exactly as I say]“Mon Seigneur, nous vous souhaitons la bienvenue, mais nous ne sommes pas prêts. S'il vous plaît, ne faites pas tomber votre colère sur nous. C'est mon échec en tant que votre serviteur. Ôtez-moi la vie, mais laissez mes mammifères en liberté” Commander Morel asked it of his operator who raised an eyebrow at her boss’ manic demeanour but sent the message all the same. [My Lord, we welcome you back, but we are not prepared. Please do not bring down your wrath on us. It is my failing as your servant. Take my life, but let my mammals go free]“If you wanted to talk, all you had to do was ask” came the cold reply as the wolf slowly turned around, his breath coming out in wisps.He had to consciously suppress his bladder response as his tail curled between his legs.For in front of him was a snow leopard radiating disappointment. This mammal was not ordinary, blue eyes glowing in its sockets like gemstones. The amount of power oozing out of the mammal in front of him, making him whimper.The commander had to remind himself that this was merely an apparition. It could not harm him.Only to look up and have his own eyes widen as he was mere inches away from the ceiling of the bunker. Looking back at the apparition, which he was no longer sure was one, he opened his muzzle and found that he could not speak.“I am disappointed, Commander” the snow leopard spoke softly, but the wolf felt the power behind every word. One wrong move on his part and he would be scattered across the cosmos.“Though your patron wished for full cooperation, I will admit that you also operate under constraints, as I do. You get another chance, Commander Morel. Have my transport waiting in Marseille and I will consider not ending your life. Good day” the snow leopard continued, its eyes glowing before the mammal vanished. A small patch of ice remaining as the wolf dropped back into his body.“Monsieur! Transport Five se rapproche de Lyon Saint-Exupéry. Trois Blackhawks Animaux les attendent” the operator informed him as the sound returned to his ears. [Sir! Transport Five is approaching Lyon Saint-Exupery. Three Animalian Blackhawks wait for them]“Contactez Toulon et ayez les mêmes transports qui les attendent. C'est l'un des mammifères que nous ne pouvons pas offenser” Commander Morel informed the operator who got in contact with Toulon Naval Base. [Contact Toulon and have the same transports waiting for them. This is one of the mammals we cannot offend]=====================================================================================“Does he…do that often?” Agent Becquerel asked he felt the surge of power emanating from the snow leopard.“You’d be surprised” Agent Savage muttered as he bit into a stale croissant.The striped hare was only halfway done with his flaky, butter pastry when I opened my eyes.“Transports been arranged from Marseille. Commander Morel was most amenable to my terms” I informed the mammals in the APC. “We also have Blackhawks waiting for us at the airport. They’ll take us to Marseille. A trip of only 1 hour by air. We have been granted free reign of the airspace”.“Henri, tu verras que ta faveur non demandée a été accordée. Soyez en paix” I informed the wolf across the aisle. [Henri, you will find that your unasked-for boon has been granted. Be at peace]“Merci, mon Seigneur” the wolf replied in a shallow bow, as the APCs rolled onto the tarmac of the airport and stopped beside three idling Blackhawk helicopters with Animalian Army Rangers waiting for us. [Thank you, my Lord]“This is our stop. Dismount” I ordered as our combined team dismounted the transports and I made my way over to the mammal in charge of the Rangers.The moment I stepped out of the fourth APC, the lowered rifles raised to point at my head and a challenge was issued.“JUNIPER!” was the shouted challenge by the lead mammal, a lion.“MISTLETOE” came my reply as the rifles again lowered and the SF team came close.“Sir! Compliments of the President and JSOC!” the lion shouted to be overheard over the noise of the idling helicopters as he saluted. “We’re to be your escort to Marseille and Toulon!”I saluted back. When his team dropped theirs, I approached and clapped the lion on his left shoulder, his name tape said ‘Sheffield’. “Then, it looks like I owe the President a dance!”“Brief me in the air!” I ordered the captain as the FBI-CIA team split evenly among the choppers.“Golf Romeo on board” the pilot of the middle Blackhawk reported back to NATO-Med as I clambered on. =====================================================================================
0800 Hours

NATO-Med HQ,

Toulon Naval Base,

Toulon, France

“Golf Romeo on board” Chief Warrant Officer (CWO-3) Jennifer Tumner reported back to NATO-Med as the one of the more dangerous mammals on the planet boarded her aircraft.“Well, Admiral? How do you want to play this?” Rear Admiral Chester Fuller asked his counterpart in the Marina Militare, the choleric Vice Admiral Giuseppe Napoli.“I shall play ball with the Devil himself instead of your Navy mammal. Calling me as part of the organisation that took out the airliner” Vice Admiral Napoli declared as the Appenine wolf slammed his right paw down hard on the hardwood table in the command centre.“Is that your final answer?” a new voice startled everyone in the Toulon Command Centre as the very snow leopard they were talking about materialised on an unoccupied chair around the conference table.“Glad you could make it, old boy” Rear Admiral Davis of the Royal Navy exclaimed as the lion quietly pulled out his wallet and handed over ten pounds to his comrade beside him, Vice Admiral Michiel de Brandewijn of the Royal Netherlands Navy.“Merde, I thought you would take an hour” Admiral François Espoir of the Marine Nationale shook his head as the Alpine ibex took out a billfold and passed ten francs to the waiting paws of the river otter.=====================================================================================
0810 Hours

UH-60 Blackhawk

Between Marseille and Lyon
 “Sweet Mother of Mercy” 1Lt Sheffield commented as the snow leopard vanished from his seat.“He does that sometimes” Agent Wolfex spoke up as the albino wolf stuck his head out the side of the aircraft to feel the breeze in his fur.“Where’d he go?” the lion looked panic-stricken as he thought on how to call it in.“Probably went on ahead. Wake me when we get there, yeah?” Special Agent Jeffrey Knight replied as the CIA agent took a quick nap.=====================================================================================“The Devil is here, Admiral. What or who are you hiding that what NCIS Agent Tibbs said to you ruffled your feathers?” I asked as I sat opposite the Appenine wolf. The wolf’s comrades had scrambled out of the way, not wishing to be in the line of fire.I could hear the whispers that the admirals thought they were hiding as they hid behind the Spanish admiral, using the Catalan bull as an impromptu meat shield.“I am innocent of whatever fabrication this is! I doubt you are even real!” the choleric wolf stood up from his chair and lunged at me with an outstretched fist. The solid crack of bone hitting steel made the wolf howl in pain as his knuckles shattered on my enhanced jaw.“You get that one for free, Giuseppe” I commented as I nonchalantly felt for any dislocation or harm to my perfect snow leopard jawline and found none.“Mostro! Diavolo gatto!” the admiral howled as he cradled his broken paw. [Monster! Devil cat!]I was weighing showing off my powers and forcing him to confess with letting him incriminate himself while he was in pain. There was also the fact that these admirals may be NATO members but were not equally bound to laws on secrecy. The strictest law on secrecy belonged to the German admiral, the loosest the Italian.“Shall we get this meeting started, Admiral Espoir? You are the highest-ranking naval officer in the room after all” I informed the ibex as the Apennine wolf kept up a litany of curses that only made the entity with me yawn at the repetitiveness.“Of course, have a seat everyone” the ibex informed his colleagues in his most confident voice as the others hesitantly took a seat. The seat to the right of the French admiral, that of the Royal Netherlands Navy, was immediately vacated by the river otter and I was offered the chair.The only one not seated was, of course, the Italian who was weeping and cradling his broken paw.“Rook, bring Giuseppe to the infirmary. He needs to have his knuckles set in plaster” I informed my bodyguard as he appeared from the shadows in much the same manner as I did. The horns on the dire wolf’s head made Danish Admiral von Tordenbølge collapse in his chair, the Scandinavian familiar with his mythology.“Come on sir” Rook’s deep voice seeming to permeate the air as Giuseppe finally took the hint and collapsed into a dead faint. Opening his jacket, Rook removed a silver box and extracted a medium-mammal tranquiliser dart which he then injected into the side of the Apennine wolf.“Will you be alright by yourself, m-sir?” the dire wolf looked at me as I gave him a slight nod. “Very well, sir” as he took the admiral into his muscular arms, advanced three steps, and vanished before touching the glass panels surrounding the conference room.“I think I speak for everyone at this table when I exclaim: What in God’s Good Name was that buggery?” Rear Admiral Davis spoke up as the Royal Navy admiral witnessed multiple inexplicable things in the span of five minutes than in the years leading up to it.“Unfortunately for you and the rest of NATO-Med, that information is classified. That is” I began to explain as my eyes glowed a faint blue, “unless you feel the urge to kiss the ground where I walk?”“Good one sir” the German admiral, Vice Admiral Joachim Dönitz, commented before the Schwarzwald wolf stood up from his seat and knelt in front of me.French Admiral Espoir looked around and the glass panels had all turned opaque which was impossible as the controls where right in front of him and it showed that the system had not been activated yet.“This is so humiliating” Rear Admiral Davis commented as he too knelt. The lion seemingly resigned to his fate.“If only mother could see me now” Spanish Admiral de Benavides commiserated as he too joined the rest in kneeling.The only holdouts were Admiral Espoir and Rear Admiral Fuller as both were now backed into one of the panels. Sadly, it was not the panel that led outside.“Shinigami, stop! You’ve made your point!” Rear Admiral Fuller barked out as his colleagues were released from whatever spell had them hostage.“Ruin my fun, why don’t you?” I replied as I took out my own wallet and placed $100 into Vice Admiral Dönitz’ outstretched paw. The German was giggling as his paw accepted the crisp bill.“Up you gents get. Fun’s over” I pulled the kneeling admirals to their feet, hooves, paws; healing their knees with a snap of my fingers.“I don’t understand what just happened” Admiral Espoir commented as the ibex shook his head as the panels cleared.“That Admiral” Rear Admiral Davis explained as he glanced at me joking with the river otter, “is just a fraction of the power that Animalian Special Envoy Ivan del Morte carries within himself. If he so wished, we’d be dancing naked along the Champs-Elysees and our governments would applaud him for bringing along a new form of dance”.“Then why not use it to take out our enemies?” Admiral de Benavides asked rhetorically.“Simple. Our enemies are not his enemies. Ours may be by ideology or creed. His enemies do harm to innocents. He will not topple governments unless those governments sponsor something he cannot stomach like terrorism” Admiral von Tordebølge continued the line of thought.Rear Admiral Fuller grit his teeth as a small amount of power passed through him, not wanting to give me the satisfaction of hearing him scream.“Gentlemammals, Rear Admiral Fuller summoned me here from my regular job in D.C. as we have three hundred and seven dead mammals. I dearly want to know who caused the airliner to explode mid-air, but even with my powers, I cannot parse through one hundred million minds looking for one mammal” I explained to the naval officers comprising the command structure of NATO-Med.Rear Admiral Davis then frowned, “So what do you need us for?”.I smiled a disarming smile that put everyone at ease and raised the hackles on Rear Admiral Davis. The lion had seen a similar smile among Second Mammalian War veterans as they described chasing their prey.“I need to borrow a few assets to pursue leads. I left D.C. with only ten agents and none of my support staff. Furthermore, I spent a lot of energy yesterday. I’m sure everyone saw the live broadcast of the blue barrier?” I waved towards the monitor behind Admiral Espoir as the admirals turned to see Air Force One landing hard and would have destroyed the passenger terminal if not for the blue shield absorbing the impact.“That was you?!” Vice Admiral de Brandewijn asked with awe written all over the otter’s face.“Ja. Ik belandde daarna in het ziekenhuis” I replied in his mother tongue. [Yes. I wound up in hospital after]“How many languages can you conceivably speak?” Rear Admiral Fuller asked as the wolf remembered the FLASH message from the president, ‘DO NOT ANTAGONISE HIM!’.“Most of the ones in use” I responded easily as I heard Death chuckle. Nothing was ever kept secret in death after all.“Vous vouliez notre aide? Vous l'avez. Je vous autorise à vous servir de Toulon comme base pour vous occuper de celui qui a commencé ce problème” Admiral Espoir made his decision as he heard his colleagues speak and hearing the answers in their own languages. [You wanted our aid? You have it. I am authorising you to use Toulon as your base to deal with whoever started this problem]“Envoy del Morte, I formally turn over the NCIS team under your umbrella operation. You hold jurisdiction now” Rear Admiral Fuller begrudgingly acquiesced his stance.“Splendid! We may now break for a snack!” I happily clapped my paws together and a familiar silver tea set appeared on the table with macarons and stroopwaffels. “I shall have that in writing though” as two sets of papers appeared before Rear Admiral Fuller and Admiral Espoir detailing what they promised.=====================================================================================
Buckingham Palace

Queen Elizabeth the Second
“Philip dear, did our tea set just vanish before our eyes?” Her Royal Highness asked the Prince Consort.“I do believe so, Lilibet” the Prince Consort answered, not believing that their wedding present simply disappeared.“This must be Andrew’s idea of a practical joke. Where is he?” Her Royal Highness sipped her tea from the cup she had managed to hold onto before the tea set appeared again. A note was attached.“Definitely Andrew” Her Royal Highness commented as the lioness put the event out of her mind as a courtier summoned her son.=====================================================================================“Was that Her Majesty’s personal tea set?” Rear Admiral Davis asked as I poured out the tea into duplicated porcelain teacups.“Yes. I have already sent it back with an apology. Why?” I answered the lion, as I served out the desserts as well.“No reason. She’ll just blame Prince Andrew again” the lion admiral commented as he sipped the Darjeeling tea.“I hope that the macarons and stroopwaffels are paid for” the river otter muttered out as he took a bite.=====================================================================================
Paleis op de Dam (Royal Palace of Amsterdam)

Queen Wilhelmina
“Ligt het aan mij of zijn we een dozijn stroopwafels kwijtgeraakt?” the queen asked her prime minister as the two of them looked at the missing dish. [Is it just me or did we lose a dozen syrup waffles?]“Ik ben er zeker van dat er een volkomen redelijke verklaring is, Uwe Hoogheid” the Dutch Prime Minister answered as the wolf felt uneasy. [I'm sure there is a perfectly reasonable explanation, Your Highness]“Dat kan maar beter zijn! Die bewaarde ik voor de prinse” Her Highness replied as the dish reappeared sans the sweet desserts. [There better be! I was saving those for the princess]“Ooh, een briefje!” the prime minister seized the silver platter and the plain-looking envelope on it. [Ooh, a note!]The wolf opened the note and was aghast that it was just the seal of NATO. When he showed the seal to Her Highness, she just laughed uproariously.An old friend had taken her syrup waffles.=====================================================================================“They are” I assured the river otter as I took a bite out of the delicious crème-filled macarons.“Then I worried for nothing. Look” the otter pointed out on the monitors as the Blackhawks landed on the tarmac outside the command centre, “your team has arrived”.“Then, I shall meet them. Another time, Vice Admiral Brandewijn?” I replied as I downed my portion of tea as I gave a slight bow to the river otter.“Come visit me sometime” the river otter handed me a card as I waved at everyone and vanished.“How’s that for a party trick?” Rear Admiral Davis replied as he patted his back pocket and came up empty. Scowling, he looked down at the table and everyone’s wallets were spread open.“Who is this?” he commented as Vice Admiral Napoli’s wallet showed a picture of a shrew in an imposing posture.“Current head of the Camorra crime family, Lupo Bagnole. And new target for my boss” Rook replied, startling everyone in the conference room.“Your boss will arrest them? Interpol has been after them for years now” Rear Admiral Davis scoffed as he downed a glass of brandy.“You misunderstand my boss’ intentions. He does not arrest. He is only ever sent to kill” Rook replied as the dire wolf gave an evil smirk.“Oh my God, what have we done?” Admiral Espoir uttered as he saw that a signed copy of his order was still on the table.“Removed a criminal family. I see nothing wrong” Rear Admiral Fuller commented as he poured a glass for the dire wolf.“The vacuum will plunge Sicily into civil war!” Vice Admiral de Brandewijn interjected.“And the Sicilians can finally move on. That is, if the Camorras won’t play ball just to survive him. Too bad, no one ever negotiates with the Grim Reaper” Rook chuckled darkly, remembering his own origin.=====================================================================================
0900 Hours

Outside Toulon Naval Command Centre,

Toulon Naval Base,

Toulon, France

Special Envoy Ivan del Morte

“Good morning, agents” I greeted my team as they stepped off the three choppers and groaned at my chipper attitude.I was never chipper. It meant that someone had died or was going to die in the next five minutes.“Gather round, kinder” I announced as the agents formed a semi-circle away from the helicopters, [children] “NATO-Med just gave us free reign to operate with these two letters of marque”.I tossed one to Agent Faltenbrooke and the tiger read it, checking for loopholes.“Sir, this has no end date. You can operate with near-impunity until such time that you get bored” the tiger pointed out the flaw.“I know! Ain’t it grand?” I effected a Broadway accent and left Agent Carmichael shaking his head.I adjusted my tie as my attempt at humour fell flat.Can’t win them all.“Special Agent Tibbs’ NCIS team is currently here” I pointed out Marseille on a map of France as our scenery shifted into the pilots’ briefing room on the naval base. The CIA agents were left scratching their heads on how we moved without moving.“Now the city of Marseille is cosmopolitan in mammal distribution” as I brought up another map of the city.“Two nights ago, the special agent was on a stakeout here on Rue Loup opposite the seafood restaurant Poulet De La Mer. My sources suggest that an Italian mammal was holding court there. Now, without a warrant from the local gendarmes, we cannot legally enter the establishment and arrest the mammal” I explained the situation.“Since when has that ever stopped us sir?” CIA Agent Andrew Rosenthal commented as he assembled his Remington R7000 sniper rifle.“Fortunately, some friends of mine at Interpol have provided me with badges. Agents Wolfex and Faltenbrooke will be walking in as single patrons. Agents Shaeffer, Ayudame, Frost, and Savage as couples. Rosenthal and Knight, you’re on overwatch. Clocktower to the east gives direct line of sight to the front door. I will be joining the NCIS team on their stakeout and bringing some fresh supplies as a delivery mammal. Agent Howlington will remain here to coordinate with NATO command in case we need a fast exfil.” I informed the team of their roles, purposefully sticking Savage and Frost as couples on a double-date with Ian and Charlene. The latter two being happily mated to other mammals, so the atmosphere would remain professional.“Agent Wolfex, Agent Faltenbrooke. Some pocket money for the restaurant later” I removed from my inner jacket pocket two black credit cards with the Mastercard symbol. “Savage, Shaeffer. These are yours to use. Find some outfits that are appropriate for tonight. It’s a Couple’s Night Out and seafood is the main item on the menu” I gave the next two agents another set of cards, these ones had Visa.  I clapped my paws together and we all reappeared on the tarmac to the confusion of both the Army Rangers and GIGN commandoes who had just arrived with armoured SUVs.“Seigneur Shinigami! We are at your disposal per Commander Morel’s request” the lead GIGN operative saluted me as he waved us over to his chosen conveyance method. I barely flinched as history rewrote itself and Shinigami was just an agent’s cover name.In this case, mine.“Excellent! Is there a hotel where we can set up?” I asked the operative in English, though he heard it in French.“Sir, what am I going to do?” CIA Special Agent Gary Murray piped up, as he had no assignments.“You are coming with me to pick out foodstuffs at the local grocer. I’m certain that Tibbs is sick of eating MREs on his stakeout” I replied as I got into the second car, Gary sitting on my left.

----- CHAPTER BREAK -----

The clearly marked armoured vans of the Police Nationale rumbled out of the naval base headed for Marseille. Motorcycle escorts waiting for us at the gates led the way for the 40-minute journey to the port city.With sirens wailing, the escorts cleared the roads out of Toulon as we followed.“Do hope no one is waiting with an RPG” I commented as I clarified the grocery list with Gary and Agent Vaughn of GIGN as we sat in the second vehicle.“Not to worry, seigneur. The Nightstalkers will ensure that you reach Marseille safely” Agent Vaughn replied as he scribbled on the list that clarified butter was not needed.“This all of you?” I asked as I gestured at the uniformed GIGN wolves riding with me.“Non sir. We never let out more than a quarter of the pack at a time on operations. As of last census, we number over a hundred thousand mammals!” the agent proudly proclaimed.  “Not just wolves, then?” I remarked with a smirk as I added portobello mushrooms, 2 sticks of unsalted butter, semolina flour, 2 dozen eggs, a litre of milk, 1 kilo of granulated and 1 kilo of powdered sugar, ¼ kilo of dried tomatoes, 1 kilo of cheddar cheese, and 1 Cabernet Sauvignon.“No longer solely wolves, sir. We accepted lynxes and bobcats, tigers and lions. Even have a painted hound just like you do” Agent Reynaud spoke up, this one a caracal from the tufted ears.“Splendid!” I remarked as I clapped my paws together and time halted around us. “Allow me to see if you have infiltrators, yes?” as I looked the startled caracal in the eyes and searched.=====================================================================================
GIGN HQ,

Paris, France
I looked out the eyes of GIGN Deputy Commander Arnaud Duchenne as the wolf left the command centre to report what had happened inside to the Ministry of the Interior. The wolf’s thoughts felt oily, as if the original purpose was clouded. I stayed to see who the wolf would telephone first, spreading my consciousness down several other interesting leads.Appearing in his office after several strident steps, Monsieur Duchenne dialled not the Ministry line, but a prepaid phone used by a Camorra Family hitmammal.I even got a name: Marlowe.I then manifested in the wolf’s office as he had barely put the phone down to dial the Ministry.“Naughty puppy” I wagged my finger at him as I yanked on the string linking him back to Death.“……” the wolf’s green eyes widened as he figured out who was facing him as he tried to form words but could not.“For your actions against your pack, I declare your life forfeit. Death himself stands as witness!” I declared as the entity approached the bound red wolf with his sickles out.“Hehehe. One down, six to go” Death whispered as the wolf slumped on his desk, dead from an apparent heart attack, as the entity reclaimed the blackened soul.=====================================================================================
1000 Hours

MNS Normandie

Paris-class Aircraft carrier,

Off Tunisian coast

I looked out of this one’s eyes, a maintenance officer in the engine room. The reflection from a piece of machinery showed that I was in a tiger from North Africa.Hmm, what’s your story? I mused as the tiger bent down and loosened a bolt on the CATOBAR system.Not enough to cause catastrophic loss of the system, but enough to keep the carrier from performing normal flight operations until the tiger’s comrades could clandestinely raid the Foreign Legion’s arms cache for their own terror operation.“Qu'est-ce que tu penses faire?” I shouted as I manifested in a flag officer’s uniform. [What do you think you're doing?] My actions drawing the attention of the other ratings as no one had actually seen a flag officer this far down in the bowels of the ship.The tiger hurriedly tightened the nut again before answering, “Entretien préventif, monsieur!” [Preventive maintenance, sir!]“Cela ressemble à du sabotage pour moi ! Qui est votre supérieur hiérarchique?!” I challenged the tiger as he emerged from under the railing. [Looks like sabotage to me! Who's your superior officer?]“Derrière vous, monsieur” the tiger replied as he swung the spanner at the back of my head as I turned around to stare at empty space. [Behind you, sir]Ducking under the tiger’s strike, I pulled him forward and he overbalanced, striking his head on a dynamo.“Récupérez les marines! Jetez ce saboteur dans le brig!” I shouted at the watching ratings as I dodged a clumsy swing from the groggy tiger. [Get the marines! Toss this saboteur in the brig]“Code rouge! Code rouge! Saboteur dans la salle des machines!” one of the sailors called on the telephone line to the bridge. [Code red! Code red! Saboteur in the engine room!]Alarms began to sound throughout the ship as a thunder of hooves sounded from the marines charging downwards to apprehend the saboteur.“Qu'est-ce qu'un Français comme vous saurait de la douleur de mon peuple?” the tiger roared out as I finally drew the pistol on my hip and fired into his open maw. [What would a Frenchmam like you know of my people's pain?]“Je sais que la trahison de votre pays mérite la mort. Par le pouvoir qui m'a été conféré par les États-Généraux, je vous envoie aux armes de la Faucheuse” I replied as I fired two more rounds into the gasping tiger, sending him into the waiting arms of Death. [I know that betrayal of your country warrants death. By the power granted unto me by the States-General, I send you to the arms of the Reaper]“Amiral, baissez votre arme!” came the shouted order from behind me. [Admiral, lower your weapon!]I complied as I turned, only for the tiger to stagger back up and nail me on the back of the head with the remnants of his flagging strength. As I collapsed on the steel floor, multiple rounds tore through the tiger and his soul finally left.The shouts of “Emmenez l'amiral à l'infirmerie!” and “Vérifiez le feu!” [Get the admiral to sick bay, now!] and [Check Fire!] were the last things I heard before I released control.
Two down, five to go.

The five will not meet together until a week from now. Sleep.
=====================================================================================
0530 Hours

December 18, 1995

Sick Bay,

MNS Normandie,

Transiting at speed for Corsica Naval Base

Admiral Ivan de la Mort (Shinigami)

“Ma tête! Ça fait mal!” I groaned out as I woke to feel the bandages on the back of my head. [My head! It hurts!]“Amiral! Attendez ici!” a marine stood to attention and called for his relief. [Admiral! Wait here!]
Next time, Young Master, duck.
“L'amiral de la Mort? Comment tu te sens? De la douleur?” a fox physician stepped on a stool and examined my eyes with a penlight. [Admiral de la Mort? How are you feeling? Any pain?]“La réponse de l'élève semble bonne” the fox noted as I felt power flow steadily through me. [Pupil response looks good]“Médecin? Est-ce que je peux y aller? J'ai laissé mes mammifères à terre pour m'occuper des terroristes” I asked the doctor if I could leave. [Doctor? Can I go? I left my mammals onshore to deal with the terrorists]“Pouvez-vous me défendre? Je te libérerai si tu peux marcher jusqu'à la porte sans tomber” the fox physician offered as he could see that my mammals meant a lot to me. [Can you stand up for me? I will release you if you can walk until the door without falling over]“Bien sûr” I answered as I swung my legs over the side of the bed and placed my paws on the deck. [Of course] I grit my teeth when a sudden wave of dizziness overcame me, opening another valve to compensate for the lack of energy.Planting my padded paws firmly on the steel deck, I focused on the door to sick bay and walked towards it without toppling over.“Est-ce que je peux y aller maintenant?” I asked cheekily as I smiled at the fox who immediately shivered at my toothy grin. [Can I go now?]“Promettez-vous simplement de vous renseigner auprès du médecin de la base en Corse” the fox replied as he nodded at the marine to let me out. [Just promise to check in with the base doctor in Corsica]I grabbed my hat and jacket before walking down the corridor and up a couple of stairs, saluting passing sailors as they gave way for me until I reached the flag officer’s quarters and knocked. A sleepy-looking mess attendant opened the door and snapped to attention at seeing me up and about.“Quelque chose pour le petit-déjeuner, amiral? Nous n'avons que du café, des œufs et du pain grillé en ce moment” the lynx offered to make me something to eat. [Anything for breakfast, Admiral? We only have coffee, eggs, and toast right now]“J'ai besoin d'être rapide. Café, quatre œufs, fromage s'il y en a encore” I informed him as I found the nearest couch to crash in. [I need to be quick. Coffee, four eggs, cheese if there is still any]
Talk to me Savage. How did it go?

Jesus Christ! Where did you vanish off to? And, how are we talking?
I went after seven infiltrators in the Nightstalkers. I took out two of them. The five will meet next week. I’m currently on the MNS Normandie and about to be served breakfast. A multitude of voices all chimed in: Seigneur! You are alright! The Nightstalkers host an annual meeting every December 26th if that will help you. We meet at Chartres Cathedral for a service at 6AM.
We are talking Agent Savage, and everyone else listening in, through telepathy. I am linked to all of you, just as you are to me. Call me from wherever in the world and I will come. I will let this connection go as my nose smells marzipan.

Send me how your stakeout went via normal channels.

I will be at the Corsica Naval Yard in just under three hours.
I ended the connection just as the mess attendant shaking me awake brought out a piece of marchpane candy and wafted it in front of my nose.“Désolé. Je suis encore fatigué” I informed the mess attendant who gave a sigh of relief. [I'm sorry. I'm still tired]“Café” the attendant pushed into my paws as the hare busied himself preparing the eggs, bread, and cheese.I inhaled the coffee and placed the empty mug beside me on a coaster as I waited for the eggs to cook.=====================================================================================
0530 Hours

Toulon Naval Yard

Toulon, France

Special Agent Jack Savage

The striped jackrabbit rubbed his eyes awake, only just managing not to bolt when confronted by the light reflecting from the predators in the room with him.“What’d he say?” Agent Carmichael asked as he rubbed his thigh, a bullet from the Italian had passed through the meat of his thigh and out the other side.“He’s enroute to the naval base in Corsica on the aircraft carrier Normandie and that he took out two infiltrators of the seven inside the Nightstalkers. Also, the suspected mastermind in the mid-air explosion of the airliner is in Sicily. Lupo Bagnole, an Etruscan shrew somewhere on the island” the jackrabbit replied as he rubbed sleep from his eyes.“We’re flying to Corsica, then?” Special Agent Tibbs asked from where he was lying down with his right leg in the air. He had sprained it chasing after the Italian lynx and was prescribed bed rest.“Don’t say the Boss’ name if you don’t want him to appear in this room. I don’t think my heart can take it” Agent Wolfex muttered out tiredly.Unlike everyone else in the hospital wing of Toulon Naval Base, the albino wolf had stuffed himself with the battered shrimp like it was going out of fashion and was only here for indigestion and projectile vomiting as one batch had gone bad. His pink flesh looking grey, and his breath smelt of death.Death of what is yet to be determined.“Which name?” Anthony diMuzzo persisted in asking, “Del Morte or Shinigami?”A flash of blue light and the snow leopard appeared.“I can’t leave you guys alone for 18 hours without it going to shit?” the snow leopard breathed out as he snapped his fingers and everyone’s injuries healed.Not Agent Wolfex, he’d sit this operation out.Clapping his paws together twice, the soft light in the room turned on and all the former injured looked at their healed selves.“Tony” the snow leopard looked at extremely nervous NCIS ‘Very Special’ Agent Anthony diMuzzo. “Did you summon me? Now, don’t lie if you did or I take an inch off your pecker and toss it to Agent Savage”.The snow leopard managing to effect the ‘I’m not angry at you, just disappointed’ look that had many in the East cringe.  “Hi Boss” Agent diMuzzo waved weakly, the moose wanting to go jump out the window to escape.“I thought Tibbs was your boss?” Agent Howlington asked as he entered with food carts pushed along by Agent Murray and the rest of the uninjured like Agent Frost and Agent Shaeffer. “Morning, Admiral” the brown wolf nodded as he approached and gave the typed After-Action Report (A.A.R)The snow leopard flipped through it, pausing to mark something down with a pencil before continuing. The only thing heard besides the breathing of mammals, and the opening of food covers, was the scratch of the pencil.“Okay. Before I get to the screaming, did no one else notice that the Italian never came alone? Those escorts of his were his bodyguards. Also, how does one manage to level a city block with just one kilo of plastic explosive?” the snow leopard said the salient points in slow, measured breaths.“Once we noticed that his escorts were armed, it was already too late” NCIS Agent Tibbs replied as he tested his leg for the full range of motion.“Tibbs, I’ll give you that one since it appears that you took initiative to chase the Italian. Who else went with you and how did Agent Knight miss?” the snow leopard assured the cougar who relaxed a bit before answering.“Agent Savage and Agent Shaeffer came with me. Agent Frost tended to some of the wounded patrons. Agent Knight could not take the shot as there were revellers and he probably did not want to chance hitting civilians”.“These revellers?” the monitor in the hospital wing lit up with a bunch of drunk-looking mammals that were mostly wolves and one bobcat.“Yeah. Were they not, sir?” a sheepish-looking Agent Knight entered the room, having been roused by the energy spike. “No. These were part of the security entourage of our Vice Admiral Napoli” the snow leopard answered as the room took a breath.“Fortunately, the GIGN cordon recognised the threat, and the seven mammals are now in custody” Agent Escargot spoke up. “I apologise, but the bobcat fought back and nailed Jacque with a round to the chest. We executed the cat in an alleyway”.“Some good news” the snow leopard in admiral’s clothing smiled. “Who’s in charge of interrogation?”“Admiral Espoir said you had jurisdiction, so Agent Ayudame and Agent Rosenthal tried their paws at it” the GIGN operative replied.“Tried?” the snow leopard prodded the wolf.“We failed to account for poison capsules. I have failed you” the wolf knelt on the floor, shucking off his helmet and bulletproof vest.“If I had the energy to rage, you would have already lost your heads. I am simply exhausted. I can see that without powers such as I possess, one simply does the best in the circumstances” the snow leopard approached the kneeling wolf and set him back on his paws.“Eat up. I’m going to borrow the Fifth Fleet after all” the snow leopard left the room and made his way to the command centre, Agent Escargot in tow.=====================================================================================
0630 Hours

Officers Mess,

Toulon Naval Yard,

Toulon, France

Special Envoy Ivan del Morte/ Admiral de la Mort (Shinigami)

“Well, I’ve seen it all today” Rear Admiral Matthew Davis of Her Majesty’s Royal Navy said as he sat beside me. The lion began picking at his ham, eggs, sausages, baked beans and toast slices.I just let out a sigh as I stared into nothing, my paws wrapped around a cooling cup of tea as junior officers gave me a wide berth.  “You want to talk about it, admiral?” the lion prodded me as I wanted to just lie down and sleep.“Sure, why not” I waved my paw, and the area around us became devoid of sound.“Rear Admiral, with all due respect, how would you go about solving a crisis when you have found yourself the sole person on this planet with powers that would be ascribed to a god?” I asked the lion as I could not ask the agents, I did not trust that the replies would be anything not sycophantic.“That’s a tough question. I would have gone around smiting the undesirables right out the gate, taking their assets, and turning over intelligence to my government” the lion continued eating despite the philosophical question.“And when your own government decides that you no longer fit their uses? What would you do?” I asked, continuing the line of questioning as I picked at my own food. “Would you lie down and give up or would you turn your government into rubber stamps as you rule the world a piece at a time?”“That’s a tough one, Ivan. May I call you Ivan?” the lion answered as he tried to ponder the question without his head hurting.“Call me whatever you like. Hell, I can be the Devil in the garden tempting Adam and Eve” I replied as the responsibility dwelled heavy on my mind.“Perhaps some middle ground would be best. You gave me two extremes, Ivan. Make yourself indispensable to your country’s defence and they will have no choice but to retain you. Just try and make time for family if you have one. That’s how I almost lost Lucy” the lion tried to encourage me, giving advice from a senior to his junior. As he mentioned Lucy, he gave a wan smile.I saw a fiery lioness from landed gentry who had fallen for the landless plebeian and used her connections to ensure her husband was promoted on time. As a career officer he had little time for her and their nine cubs, she was always being pressured by her family to divorce him and marry again. She had refused any, and all, attempts at courtship until she caught her dear husband fooling around with a local mare at Portsmouth. Had the lion not returned to his wife, she would have taken enough laudanum to kill nine medium mammals in her grief.“Thank you, Rear Admiral. This talk did clear up my clogged mind. As payment, I remove one ailment of your choosing” I stood up as I looked down at my empty plate that was filled with food earlier. The fuel I needed coursing through me.“Ailments remind us of our mortality, Ivan. I’d rather see my parents again” the lion smiled, having a feeling I would not be granted peace.“Then have this decade to reconnect with Lucy. Least I could do for you. Farewell, Vice Admiral Davis” I bid the lion adieu as I returned the sound, my tail no longer dragging on the ground as I deposited the dirty plate in its repository and exited the hall.=====================================================================================
0130 Hours

Ghost Central Command,

The Pentagon,

Washington, D.C.

Lieutenant General Albert Donohue

BRRRRRIIIIIIINNNNNNGGG! BRRRRRIIIIIIINNNNNNGGG!“Hello, General Donohue speaking” I answered the phone on my desk. To further increase my fears, this was the red phone.“General, its President Linton. Give Shinigami the go-ahead when he calls in. Congress approved its first official black-flag operation with bicameral support. Dare I say it that the poor boy needs some Christmas cheer” the tell-tale voice of my Commander-in-Chief had me sit up at attention.“I can’t very well award him the Medal of Freedom when he’s our best undercover asset. This will have to do. Do you understand me, general?” the president continued, uncaring or unknowing that I was having difficulty breathing.“Yes sir. I will inform him of the black flag approval” I replied to the president as he then bid me good night.“Good night, Mister President” I replied as I had to quell my rapidly beating heart. Finally, the Ghost Ops had official backing and I could provide aid to the assets who needed it most.That poor snow leopard most of all.Death snickered in the background as the general began making his calls to bring up Ghost Command.
Finally, the mammals are moving. I hope you enjoy my Christmas gift to you, Ivan Snob
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=====================================================================================
0700 Hours

Interrogation Room A,

Toulon Naval Base,

Toulon, France

Special Envoy Ivan del Morte (Shinigami)

“Buongiorno, Mister Napoli” I greeted the Appenine wolf bound to the table by steel chains. [Good morning, Mister Napoli]“Quando uscirò di qui, ti scuoierò e ti trasformerò in un tappeto!” the fuming wolf promised as he had been stripped of rank and clothes by his furious PM when I sent over incriminating documents that the wolf was deep with the Mob. [When I get out of here, I will skin you and make you into a rug!]“Promesse, promesse” I tutted out, wagging a finger at him. [Promises, promises]“Last night, three of my agents were wounded when they pursued the mammal, we believe responsible for the destruction of the airliner above Marseille airspace. What we did not count on was your security entourage getting in the way and firing lethal rounds at us. Thankfully, GIGN was on-paw to end the lives of your security” I talked now in English, knowing that the admiral understood.I had a few wiretaps from Interpol HQ pulled to show how dirty he was. His colleagues had to watch from a video feed broadcast into an empty conference room, armed NATO marines posted to ensure no one would be stupid enough to rush interrogation. “Bah, posso sempre ottenere di più. Don Lupo mi deve un favore” the wolf dismissed the deaths of his security. [Bah, I can always get more. Don Lupo owes me a favor]“Well, that’s just it. Your security team was not from Don Lupo. They used to be Roarssian operatives, and I have already contacted my counterpart in the FSB. One of the operatives, the one you called as Julepe was once the third son of First District Chief Aleksei Ivanovich Novichok” I bluffed the wolf, showing how deep in shit he was.“I have reason to believe my counterpart is telling the truth. After I am done with you, the Roarssian embassy has requested you to be extradited to them to be charged with killing a high-level official’s son” I informed the Italian who still has his snout in the air.“In cambio di cadaveri?” the wolf rebutted snootily. [In exchange for corpses?]“In exchange for nineteen intelligence operatives who had gone missing behind the wire, including one Francesco Napoli of the Italian Secret Service” I closed my statement as the ball was now in the wolf’s court.“Not so easy when your son is on the line, is it?” I asked as I leaned back in the chair as everyone watched him struggle. “Call me when you make your decision. The Roarssians gave me twenty-four hours before they make the separation permanent on the Yellow Wall of Lubyanka” I stood up and made my way out, closing the door behind me.I made my way over to the observation area to check in with the agents behind the glass.“You know Mother Roarssia will not agree to a prisoner exchange?” FSB Special Agent Ivan Pavlov informed me.“You know that, and I know that” I pointed out, before gesturing to the wolf in the room, “But he? He does not know that”.“Truly you are devious, comrade Shinigami. We would have won the Cold War if we had you” the polar bear smirked as he sat down.“Still have a line to your uncle?” I asked the bear lounging in the chair who only raised an eyebrow in response.“Dare I ask why? Does my uncle need to worry about a prison break?” the polar bear chuckled deeply.“Isn’t it cruel to give him hope only to take it away?” NCIS Agent Tibbs asked as he sat behind us, watching the Apennine wolf struggle with what remained of his conscience.“No more than he allowed a bomb to be smuggled onboard Animalian Airlines Flight 085 killing three hundred and seven mammals, leaving that much and more families to mourn” I answered coldly as everyone, including the polar bear, shivered.(The navy brass watching from the conference room were stunned to see frost on the television cables.)  “Perhaps, I was too hasty. What you say has merit. Give me an open line and I can ask Uncle Dmitri for an exchange” the polar bear stalled for time as he pondered what I wanted.“Polish border with Belarus?” I asked the bear as he slowly nodded his white-furred head, referencing the border crossing between East and West.“Border with Finland near Karelia” the bear said as he stood slowly, as NATO agents barely withheld themselves from drawing on the Roarssian bear.“Unfortunately,” I held out a bag to the bear who placed it on his head in understanding, the collapse of the Iron Curtain was still too raw in the minds of NATO leaders to allow Roarssian agents free access to their bases.“Be back shortly with Francesco” I promised Agents Savage and Faltenbrooke as they both glared at NCIS Agent Tibbs.“Wait…” the polar bear stammered out as we both vanished.=====================================================================================
0900 Hours

Presidential Palace,

Kremlin,

Moscow, Roarssia

Special Envoy Ivan del Morte (Shinigami)
 “…” only to reappear at the doors of the presidential suite before two armed guards carrying AK-47s.“Tovarishh Sinigami. Prezident vas zhdet” one of the guards stood to attention before moving to open the gilded door to the presidential suite. [Comrade Shinigami. The President is expecting you]“Told you I had a direct line” I informed the shocked polar bear as one guard escorted me in as the other challenged the bear.“Tovarishh Pavlov, vy dolzhny javit'sja tol'ko cherez polgoda. Pochemu vy s tovarishhem sinigami?” [Comrade Pavlov, you are not due to report in for another six months. Why are you with Comrade Shinigami?]The polar bear could not reply as the FSB elite guard challenged him.=====================================================================================“Gospodin Prezident, fel'dmarshal Sinigami zdes'” the guard informed the polar bear behind the desk as he looked up at us. [Mister President, Field Marshal Shinigami is here]“Chto ja mogu sdelat' dlja vas, sinigami? Chaj ili vodka?” the polar bear stood up from his plush chair and moved to shake my paw. [What can I do for you Shinigami? Tea or vodka?]“Odin iz vashih plennikov. Franchesko Napoli iz ital'janskoj sekretnoj sluzhby. Zhiv li on do sih por?” I asked the polar bear as I shook the bear’s paw and accepted the cup of tea from the samovar. [One of your prisoners. Francesco Napoli of the Italian Secret Service. Is he still alive?]“Vy ne vozrazhaete, esli ja budu praktikovat' svoj anglijskij? Ja nedolgo budu general'nym sekretarem” the bear replied. [Do you mind if I practice my English? I won't be General Secretary for long]“Vasilij, pozhalujsta, podozhdite snaruzhi. Pozdravljaem Lidiju s rozhdeniem malysha” I informed my fellow snow leopard as he saluted and left without another word, my gift already in his pocket. [Vasili, please wait outside. Congratulations as well to Lydia for your newborn cub]The General Secretary of the former Soviet Union waited for the door to close before he spoke again.“Ivan, you don’t come as often as you once did. Why I remember you never leaving this building” the polar bear tried to bring me into idle chat.“I never left the building because an enterprising Politburo member bet me his dacha that I would not last a day inside with all the guards and checkpoints” I answered as I inwardly flinched as it seemed I had rewritten my history too far back.That explains why you were exhausted, pequeña Muerte.  In effect I was an ageless bogeymammal who only ever appeared during times of great strife. When I showed myself to governments, times of great upheavals were in the immediate future. The Czarist books painted me as the harbinger of the end times. The Soviet books whispered that my presence meant a leader was going to die within moments of meeting me.“Yes, and I bitterly regret losing that dacha” the great bear replied.“You upgraded to a new one if I recall properly. Your old dacha was drafty and never kept the heat well” I countered.“True, Ivan. Did you do it?” the polar bear leaned in conspiratorially.“Did what? I did a great many things. Some very recently” I asked in confusion.“Did you get rid of my predecessor in the Politburo so I could advance up the ranks?” the bear asked.I thought to what the polar bear, Dmitri Ivanov, was referring to.“Oh” my round ears flattened against my head. “That was an accident” I hissed out.“Old Pyotr Goroshev was not pushed out the window from St. Basil’s cathedral. He saw me lighting some candles for Easter and decided that I would not be the one to kill him. I was not even there for him! I was there to visit the cathedral!” I informed Dmitri as the polar bear cracked up.“BAHAHAHAHAHA! I got to advance because Old Pyotr took the books too literally. Come around more often Ivan. I’ll ready your present for you” Dmitri reached over his table for the telephone and dialled a familiar number as I waited.“Tovarishh superintendant, u vas tam est' apenninskij volk po imeni Franchesko Napoli?” Dmitri’s jovial tone replaced by the brusque commanding voice most mammals were familiar with. [Comrade Superintendent, do you have an Apennine wolf there with the name Francesco Napoli?]“Podgotov'te ego k transportirovke. Sinigami skoro zavladejut im” Dmitri ordered as I sipped from the spicy tea. Dmitri did prefer adding peppercorns to his tea as it enhanced the taste. [Get him ready for transport. Shinigami will be by shortly to take possession]The polar bear then put down the phone and turned to me, as if to say ‘See. One phone call’.I nodded in thanks as I snapped my fingers, healing his liver, and removing the toxins coursing through his blood.“Na jetot raz ne ubivajte pechen'. Zhizn' za zhizn'” I told him as the bear felt the toxins in his blood dissipate from the increased filtration capacity. [Don't kill your liver this time around. A life for a life.]“I feel like a new mammal! Thank you from the bottom of my frozen heart” Dmitri thanked me as he brought me into a strong bear hug, before kissing both my cheeks as a farewell.“This is not goodbye” I informed him as a tear pricked my eye. “I shall see you again” I promised as I touched the soul string that led to one Francesco Napoli and vanished from the presidential suite.=====================================================================================“Ivan, let’s go to Lubyanka. My release request has been approved” I appeared outside in front of the guards and the sulking FSB agent.Vasili, the snow leopard escort, stood in front of me and tried to return the bundle of $10,000. I waved him back as I brought out another bundle and gave it to his partner, Vladimir Poroshenko.“Rozhdestvo na sledujushhej nedele. Primite jeto v podarok ot fel'dmarshala Sinigami. Naslazhdat'sja” I informed the two of them as they stared agog at the amount. [Christmas is next week. Take this as a gift from Field Marshal Shinigami. Enjoy]I had essentially made them millionaires.“Moja sem'ja znaet, chto ja malo zarabatyvaju. Jeto zastavit ih poverit', chto ja skryvaju ot nih bogatstvo” Vladimir protested. [My family knows that I do not make much. This will make them believe I am hiding wealth from them]As he protested, the money became four passports with approved visas and airline tickets for a one-way trip to New Zealand.“Tam. Jeto dolzhno ubedit' tvoju zhenu, Mishu, v tom, chto ty govorish' pravdu. Voz'mite dvuh detenyshej i nachnite snachala. U menja tam est' konsaltingovaja firma po bezopasnosti, i oni budut sponsirovat' vashu poezdku” I answered with finality, my eyes glowing blue as I dared the brown bear to challenge me. [There. That should convince your wife, Misha, that you are telling the truth. Bring your two cubs and start over. I have a security consulting firm there and they will sponsor your trip]“Spasibo, fel'dmarshal, za jetot zamechatel'nyj podarok” both guards chorused as they bowed deeply. [Thank you, Field Marshal for this wonderful gift]As I looked at the FSB agent, his mouth was agape but still hooked his arm around mine. I had wasted enough time already and we vanished from the Kremlin.=====================================================================================
0945 Hours Moscow Time

Lubyanka Prison,

Lubyanka Square,

Menschevsky District,

Moscow,

Roarssia

Special Envoy Ivan del Morte (Shinigami)

Ivan and I both appeared inside the empty guard barracks as I muttered about the poor state of the Border Guards equipment and living facilities.I was about to snap it back to how it was when it was first constructed when Ivan only shook his head. While I could force the issue, I knew that Ivan would be living with the consequences. I could get him in really deep trouble as he would be seen as consorting with a Western agent.“No fixing the barracks?” I asked as I lowered my paw.“No. The current head of the Guards is always fighting with my uncle. Better if nothing can be ascribed to him” Ivan sadly admitted as the bear removed his ushanka to scratch his head.   “Very well” I acquiesced as the two of us exited the barracks to knock on the steel gate.While Ivan Pavlov was now severely underdressed for the Roarssian winter just in his summer suit for Toulon, I shrugged off the cold despite only appearing in my white long-sleeved shirt and trousers.One benefit of being considered as Death’s Messenger, extremes of temperature did not bother me.Just as I raised my paw to knock on the gate, the great reinforced barricade slid open.“Sinigami, chto ty sdelaesh' s plennikom?” the superintendent asked rhetorically as he and three guards marched a skeletal-looking wolf out to me. [Shinigami, what will you do to the prisoner?]“Mozhet byt', sup na uzhin. Proshla celaja vechnost' s teh por, kak ja el volchij sup” I answered as the wolf shivered even more, so did the three guards as they were wolves. [Maybe soup for my supper. It has been ages since I had wolf soup]“Nuzhno li vyzyvat' transport? Franchesko mozhet umeret', esli vy zastavite ego idti domoj peshkom. Hahahahahahaha!” the superintendent joked darkly as he waved his troops back in. [Should I call for transport? Francesco might die if you make him walk home. Hahahahahaha!]“Nu vot, superintendant Grimalka. Jeto dolzhno pokryt' moi investicii” as I handed the moose warden three bundles of $10,000. [Here you go, Superintendent Grimalka. This should cover my investment]“Prijatno imet' s toboj delo, sinigami. Prijatnogo vam puteshestvija” the moose bowed as he pocketed the bundles. [Pleasure doing business with you, Shinigami. Pleasant journey to you]I walked away from the gate, Ivan holding onto Francesco Napoli in case the wolf tried to escape.As we turned the corner away from the gate, several shots rang out and I heard a body drop into the snow.“FSB! FSB! LAPY V VOZDUHE!” came the shouted order as several agents in green uniforms brandished rifles in our direction. [FSB! FSB! PAWS IN THE AIR!]“Should you handle them or should I?” I asked Ivan as the bear bit his lower lip.“Fel'dmarshal Sinigami s moim novym plennikom. Kto vy takoj, chtoby vmeshivat'sja?” I walked forward towards the leader, ignoring how the agents kept their rifles trained on me. [Field Marshal Shinigami with my newest prisoner. Who are you to interfere?]“Idioty! Otpustite ih! On mozhet ubit' vas odnim lish' vzgljadom. Opustite oruzhie!” a familiar voice came as another polar bear appeared, this one a member of the FSB Directorate. [You idiots! Let them go! He can kill you with a mere look. Lower those weapons!]“Polkovnik Arkadij” I nodded at the polar bear as the agents lowered their weapons, save for one who was either too stupid or well-connected to pay attention to orders and fired. [Colonel Arkady]I felt the hot round enter and exit my flesh to embed itself into the concrete wall of the bunkhouse.Instead of collapsing in pain, as normal mammals should, I turned my head towards the interloper and snapped.The idiot turned to ash as he blew away in the wind, serving as an abject reminder of why you don’t cross someone who can kill with a gesture. The idiot, one Vasili Konaev, not even having time to scream.“Jeto vse polkovnik?” I asked the polar bear as the junior agents backed away in fear, before running back to their vehicles. [Will that be all, colonel?]“Teper' jeto General. Blagodarja vam menja povysili” Arkady laughed as he enveloped me in another hug. [It's General now. I got promoted thanks to you]“Esli vam chto-to ponadobitsja...” I informed the general who waved me off as he trudged after his very junior agents. [If you need anything…]“Shall we Ivan?” I took the other polar bear’s left arm as he steadied Francesco Napoli.Before we left, I checked my white shirt and there was no blood. Tabling that thought for later, I thought of our destination and snapped.=====================================================================================
0800 Hours

Observation Area,

Interrogation Room A,

Toulon Naval Base,

Toulon, France

Special Envoy Ivan del Morte (Shinigami)

The three of us reappeared in the observation area to the utter consternation of the agents present. That was until they saw who Ivan was supporting.We had left as two mammals, only to reappear with a third. The skeletal wolf raising questions before an alert Militare Marina sailor asked, “Dove ti credi di essere, marinaio? Come ti chiami?” [Where do you think you are, sailor? What is your name?]“Lubyanka, Moscow” was the weak reply as the wolf swayed before keeling over. His head saved from smacking on the floor by Agent Frost cushioning the wolf’s fall. The vixen glaring up at Agent Savage as the striped jackrabbit whistling out as he slowly removed his left foot from where the vixen had tripped.“I need a medic! Warm those IV fluids!” I ordered out as Secret Agent Francesco Napoli was placed onto a stretcher and wheeled off to sick bay.His father could wait a day before I would send him over.=====================================================================================“I don’t know how you did it, but you got him out” Rear Admiral Davis spoke up as the lion showed me a diplomatic white paper from Whitehall detailing the mysterious release of one Francesco Napoli from Lubyanka Prison and the subsequent execution of the warden by FSB agents.“I did it by rewriting history. I overdid it and now the Roarssians think I have been with them since the beginning. A harbinger of the end times” I replied as I placed my throbbing head on the cool surface of the cafeteria table.“Yeah, Whitehall is speculating but they are unwilling to pay your price for one of our own” the lion sat down beside me as he shared what HMG wanted.“What does Whitehall think my price is?” I asked, face still on the cool surface.“The throne of England for starters” the lion replied with a hidden grin.“Why the throne? I would make Parliament dance if your government was my target. I just want justice dispensed to the innocent caught in the crossfire of two opposing giants” I mumbled into the table, though the lion still understood.The lion patted my back lightly as he then slid another paper in to touch my forehead.“I just got this from the Admiralty. I have been promoted to Vice Admiral and will return to take command of Scapa Flow come the new year. Lucy will be overjoyed that I am home. Thank you, Shinigami” the lion declared brightly as he enveloped me in another hug, his mane rubbing against my neck and making me purr in contentment from the reflected happiness.That was how Admiral Espoir found us in the officers’ mess, two pantherans hugging and purring.Instead of interrupting our purring session, the ibex simply walked back out; taking the rest of the officers with him elsewhere.=====================================================================================
December 18, 1995

0930 Hours Marseille Time

Interrogation Room A,

Toulon Naval Base,

Toulon, France

Special Envoy Ivan del Morte (Shinigami)

“The General Secretary was quite happy to see me, Mister Napoli. I managed a deal where he released your son into my custody” I informed the bound-up Italian as I placed down photos on the desk of the skeletal wolf being released from Lubyanka.“Tit for tat. They want you on the first plane to Moscow to serve out the remainder of your son’s life sentence” I continued as I walked around the table.“Where is my son? I will see my son!” the wolf spat out before I backhanded him across his face. “You are not in a position to make demands, Giuseppe” I snarled back at him as I yanked his head to the side, my teeth mere inches from his exposed jugular.“I had only done what was right” the wolf coughed out blood when I released him. It appeared I did not hold back enough, and I broke something. I snapped my fingers and healed the recalcitrant wolf.Unlike with the agents and admirals, I did not numb the pain for the infuriating wolf. He felt it all as his bones realigned, his torn muscles rebuilt themselves, even the nerves reconnecting, as the pain made his eyes open as the pupils constricted.“What was right for your pocket and the Mob” I spat back; hackles all raised. “Because of your negligence, three hundred and seven mammals are dead! Because of your collusion with the Etruscan shrew, the inspectors who would have caught the explosive were in a meeting chaired by you when the device passed through the scanners. By noon today, your government will disavow you totally and I have freedom to bring the hammer down. Where we will go, you will have no rights or privileges of rank. Just pain! Once I am done, you will BEG for the sweet release of death” I promised the wolf as I exited the interrogation chamber, slamming the door behind me. The steel door showing cracks and the handle was warped out of shape.As I stepped outside, I adjusted my tie again and let the anger flow away.The NATO marines in the corridor quickly looked away and none met my eyes. Even the most physically imposing marine, a brown bear almost twice my height, focused elsewhere as squaring off against me in my current state would send him straight into traction.I entered the door of the adjacent observation area, ignoring the buzz of thoughts from the marines, and closed the wooden barrier to their immense relief.  “So? How is he?” I asked calmly at the stunned federal agents inside.“Fuck sir. That was…fuck…” Agent Rosenthal breathed out in disbelief, unable to form coherence.“Your little performance has made quite an impression” Agent Savage pointed out as he used a pencil he was gnawing on, to gesture at the weeping wolf inside.“Would you really pump for information that way?” Agent Tibbs asked as Agent diMuzzo was vomiting into a wastebasket. I snapped my fingers when the more sensitive noses rankled at the smell of vomitus and vanished the mess.“Thanks sir” Agent diMuzzo admitted weakly as the moose wiped his dribbling chin of spit and vomit.“Didn’t you know, Agent Tibbs? I’m a tourist travelling alone in-country” I replied with the line that made every combat vet since Indochina detest ‘tourists’.“Gods, you’re one of those” I could feel the resentment in the last word.“My day job is at the Bureau as Senior Agent Savage can attest. My other job……..makes even the most hardened special forces operative break down and beg for mummy” I replied, using Death’s unconscious growl to enforce my point.“Understood sir. No more questions on my end about what you do at night” Agent Tibbs quickly shut down Probationary Agent Mackgee before his curiosity got them both killed. The black bear simply slumped and kept his mouth shut as he typed away on a laptop.“Now that we’re all on the same page. I suggest the three of you” gesturing at Senior Agent Savage, Agent Rosenthal, and Agent Tibbs, “to come up with an assault plan on the Camorra main enclave in Sicily. I’m still waiting on a reply from the Fifth Fleet, but have been assured of Ghost Central’s aid for this endeavour.Furthermore, those who are certified for HALO drops are to come with me when the assault plan is finished as we are doing a rapid infiltration and have to board a plane that will take us over the enclave. Weapons and equipment can be discussed when the assault planning phase ends. You can use Conference Room B to set everything up” I informed them as I waved a farewell, but not before snagging Agent Murray as the white wolf entered with coffees.The coffees were hurriedly deposited as the white wolf sent the teams a pleading look as he was dragged back out.The whimpers in the corridor cut off when the door closed.

----- CHAPTER BREAK -----

December 18, 1995

1230 Hours

Conference Room B,

Toulon Command Centre,

Toulon Naval Base,

Toulon, France

“Here Agent Savage, latest topographical maps from Nice on the Camorra safehouse” a coyote from the Nice safehouse deposited the newest images from a satellite passing over the area.“Thanks, how about this woodline here?” the striped hare asked as he tapped on a wooded grove near the estate for a quick insertion.“That’s no good” Agent Tibbs replied as he compared topographical data with aerial reconnaissance. “That’s a minefield. The bastards know how to use dead ground, probably from the snivelling wolf in Interrogation” the cougar hissed.“Hey, I’m a snivelling wolf” Agent Wolfex piped up as the albino tried and failed at eating his purloined Ding Dongs from Air Force One. Every time one piece was unwrapped, the albino wolf had tossed it into his mouth and the dessert treat hovered in the air. There were now twelve such treats floating, and the albino wolf was not yet giving up as he unwrapped the thirteenth.“Shut it puppy” a sharp tap on the albino’s head made the wolf whine as 1Lt Sheffield appeared with his Ranger platoon.“Heard you guys were planning something? Can we join?” the lion asked as he made his way into the conference room, snatching one of the mid-air treats and chomping down on it.“No fair! I was saving those!” came the petulant whine that everyone ignored.“Uh huh. Yeah. Thanks, Mister President. I appreciate it. How goes the investigation into Air Force One? That bad? Am I going back there? Okay, have a Merry Christmas sir. GIGN and SAS are watching over the embassy right now. Call it a gut feeling sir. Bye now” I entered the conference room and conversation halted as everyone turned to me as I ended the call.“What?” I asked in confusion. “Your planning done yet?”“Was that the President?”, “Why the extra force?”, “Personal calling list!?”, “You’re not coming?”, and more questions were posed as the room erupted in noise, making me shake my head.For trained professionals, the combined military and federal teams sure acted like teenagers wanting gossip. I stalled for time as I held up my right paw to silence them. If anything, it only made it worse as the noise increased exponentially.I then snapped my fingers and the sound vanished as I essentially pressed the mute button on everyone.“Agents Savage, Tibbs, and Rosenthal, report!” I snapped out as those three got their voices back. Everyone else had to gesture wildly about.“Right. We were discussing using this woodline here” the striped jackrabbit placed the acetate map on an overhead projector and made his way over to the blackboard to tap with a wooden pointer. “as a quick insertion point for the HALO drop”.“That’s right sir.” Agent Tibbs then took over as he said his own piece about a minefield.“Fields of overlapping fire?” I asked the NCIS agent as the former marine pondered the question before shaking his head.“Better than Echigo. Show me” I nodded at the cougar who continued, switching out the map of the sprawling mountain estate with the villa itself.“If we try to assault the house from the winding road, all it would take is a demolition charge here and we’re stuck while the mafia moves out the back door into the mountain. We’d take ages dragging them out of there” Agent Tibbs informed me as he pointed out the slick-sided cliff that could easily derail or delay motorised assault.“True. What of a seaborne assault?” I asked as part of the property backed onto the sea.“That’s tricky too, sir. The area is riddled with limestone caves and if we fired enough ordnance to collapse the cliffs, we might endanger the stability of the mountain itself. Not just the civilian casualties, which may prove enormous” Lieutenant Anders spoke up as he joined us in the briefing. “Hi sir. Rear Admiral Fuller wanted me to pass this along to you and I couldn’t resist commenting” the deer passed me a white envelope as he talked.I slit open the envelope and removed an official communique from the Pentagon, the Joint Chiefs, and NATO High Command in Brussels. Until the unnamed operation was over, I had effective control of NATO-Med forces in the area.“Thank you, Lieutenant Anders. This is great news indeed!” I informed the deer who puffed out his chest.I savoured the bittersweet moment, knowing I would have to show up on New Year’s Day at the White House ball with only my Type III-C bullet-resistant vest. Sans any clothes below the waist.“People” I clapped my paws together and everyone’s voices returned just as Agent Wolfex howled “AAAARRRROOOOOOOOOOO!!!” and set off the rest of the wolves, before I snapped my fingers and sent them all to Switzerland to cool off.I got a mental picture from Death of nine wolves appearing over a ski lodge and faceplanting into the snow outside. Tails in the air.
Not cool! Went Agent Wolfex’s mental reply as the wolf’s Ding Dongs all landed around him. One of which was instantly snapped up by Gary as the other white wolf dashed off on all fours with the treat in his mouth.
“Now that the distractions are out of the way, I have very good news from NATO High Command” I informed the team who were staring at the places the nine wolves had been with shock.“Sir? May I ask why we are planning an assault if you can just snap the criminals into a holding area where we can open fire on them from above?” 1Lt. Sheffield asked as the lion just stood there in disbelief.“Hmm? Oh, this is meant for the civilians to see that the government is actually doing something. How best to destroy the invulnerability of mammals then to attack them at the seat of their power. I won’t always be around to lead assaults. You guys need experience in taking out fortified locations and the scenarios can be run again afterwards in the simulations we do” I replied, knowing that I could actually take all of the crime families out. I could never be in a lot of places all at once, that was nearing a level of power that my future-past self had abused with impunity.     Also, mammals given quick solutions to problems never looked for other ways of dealing with it.Give a mortal the power to teleport all over the world and normal means seem so blasé. When the mortals only focus on that ability to the detriment of every other method, and they have come to rely on it so much that to do so by anything else is folly; removing the ability leaves them in a hapless state as they only focus on the missing ability, sulking like a spoiled brat denied their favourite food, despite the myriad of methods still available.“But…But…you’re Shinigami!” one of the Rangers sputtered out, aghast that mammals have to lose their lives when I could conceivably drop everyone into a hole and execute them.“And what happens when I leave, hmm?” I asked the tiger as everyone else made a space around him as I approached, my tail twitching gently.“What happens when I well and truly die with the world so hooked up on Shinigami’s solutions that they can think of nothing else?” I pressed as I saw two agents make the Sign of the Cross in the tiger’s direction.
Can I show them one timeline of my old Shinigami?

Of course, some mortals need an abject lesson from time to time. That was Volthare, I suppose.

Thank you, Death.
I received no actual reply, but the feeling of someone rubbing my ears made me want to purr.“You really want to see a world where Shinigami held sway? Do you?” I asked the wide-eyed tiger as I clasped my fingers together for a snap. The larger predator thinking of escape, as his back was pressed against the wall. To flee from the god-like being in front of him and hide from its icy gaze.“Sir, enough! You’ve made your point! Save it for a politician” Rook appeared, and the dire wolf held my paws to stop me from sending the tiger away.“Saved by the rook. Guess you don’t get to see my party trick after all” I growled out as I lowered my paws and snapped to clear the rank air filled with the intoxicating scent of fear.I left the tiger to slide down the wall, tears escaping as the large cat thought he would be dead when I snapped and had flinched at the sound.“Agent Savage, keep me informed. I’m going to cool off” I informed the striped hare as he nodded, and I left the room with Rook in tow.=====================================================================================“Goddamn, that was scary” Probationary Agent Timothy Mackgee commented as the black bear hugged himself.“That’s not the half of it Probie” Agent diMuzzo muttered out the side of his mouth as the moose sent a pitying look at the weeping tiger, only to be slapped on the back of his head by Agent Tibbs.“Usually, he’s not on a hair trigger” Agent Frost whispered as she focused on where the assault team would enter, watching the striped hare.“Usually? There’s more?” Probie moaned out in disbelief, thinking that this was not what he signed up for.“If he really likes you? You get a free energy boost when you’re feeling down” Agent Howlington entered the chat as the brown wolf had left the room for a bathroom break and had missed the send-off to Switzerland.“Why are you here, not wherever the nine were sent?” Agent Carmichael asked, puzzled.“I missed it, didn’t I?” the brown wolf furrowed his brows together as he looked around and noted the absence of wolves.“Whatever it was, I’m sure it was a punishment and I’m happy not to be involved” Agent Howlington replied as he closed the topic and checked the maps of the villa he would be assaulting.=====================================================================================
1435 Hours (Bern Time)

Porch of the Le Chat Botté Ski Chalet

CIA Special Agent Bartholomew ‘Barry’ Marmalade
 “So, you fled from Albania as Ceausescu rose to power?” the brown bear asked his old source behind the Iron Curtain as the two sipped from cups of hot chocolate as they reminisced about the old days.“Ja, it got very bad there for old members of the former royals. Zog made it worse with his delusional grandiosity. When the Italians came, we had no defence and Zog fled with the wealth. My family and I … we went into the forests as partisans to fight them off…” the old wolf talked as he sipped from a second cup of foamy hot chocolate.“It had nothing to do with the fact that your grandfather slept with Ceausescu’s mother and her son wanted revenge?” the agent teased the wolf.“Just because my grandfather was a champion and his was not, does not mean…” the wolf formulated an argument before it was disturbed by nine mammals howling out into snow.“RRRRROOOOOOp!” as nine wolves dunked into the snowy expanse outside the lodge at the base of a ski trail. Nine rumps in the air as nine tails wagged before their owners pulled themselves out of the packed snow. Around one particular mammal twelve round objects dropped, framing him with a perverse halo made of hockey pucks.“GRENADE!” Agent Barry yelled out as he covered his former contact, upending the table, as the other ‘patrons’ drew pistols and exited the porch.Advancing cautiously, the lead mammal had a ballistic shield and led the protection team towards the nine wolves in suits and vests.Only for one of the wolves, another white one, to snatch up the round puck and make off with it between his teeth.“WHO THE ABSOLUTE FUCK ARE YOU?” the lead mammal, a red wolf with cream markings, challenged the albino wolf surrounded by the round pucks.“I’m Agent Wolfex, FBI. My badge” the albino wolf moved slowly, using his non-dominant paw to retrieve his badge from around his neck to show it to the security team. The albino feared being punctured by all those pistols, then being resurrected by the snow leopard to acquire more punctures.“Commander Truffle, GIGN Marseille office” the one in a vest and helmet announced, unless the uniform patches were not giveaway enough.“Special Agent Andrew Rosenthal, CIA” the hulking grey wolf replied, coolly reaching into his breast pocket to show his own ID and badge.Four more GIGN personnel sat up and removed their helmets, upending these to remove the snow.“And the one running away with a Ding Dong?” a white hare asked Agent Wolfex as they drummed their foot rapidly on the ground.“Agent Gary Murray, CIA” the same hulking wolf answered as he snapped off a two-tone howl that brought a sheepish-looking white wolf back to face the music, chocolate stains around his muzzle.“Aren’t you guys supposed to be in Marseille?” the red wolf growled out as he returned his pistol back into his hip holster.“Complications, you understand” Agent Rosenthal coolly replied as the worg stared down his smaller colleague.   “How are we sure you guys are who you say you are?” the white hare asked, keeping their pistol pointed at the albino wolf.“Call my embassy. They will confirm I am part of GIGN” Commander Truffle responded as the wolf scratched his head, wondering how to get back to Toulon from wherever this was.“Agent Sullivan, where are we?” Agent Rosenthal asked the white hare.“Sir, we are in a ski town in Switzerland. Not telling you the name as we are here protecting a VIP” the hare answered in a female voice.“Guys, Agent Marie Sullivan of the Bern office. Agent Sullivan, the ruffians with me” Agent Rosenthal introduced the federal agents who gave the short-tempered hare a wave. GIGN were testing their radios and not getting a response.“Votre radio fonctionne-t-elle Martin?” Commander Truffle asked his second as the wolf shook his head. [Is your radio working Martin?]“Bonjour? Bonjour? Toulon, c'est la truffe. Recevez-vous?” the commander called Toulon to see if they were receiving. [Hello? Hello? Toulon, this is Truffle. Are you receiving?]“Against my better nature, come on in. We’ll warm you up” Agent Sullivan remarked as the hare turned around and trudged back to the lodge, muttering how her first mission as team lead Andrew shows up.Her team followed her as the nine wolves did too.=====================================================================================“So, it was not a grenade?” the aging wolf asked the blushing albino wolf.“No. Just some chocolate treats” Agent Wolfex replied, mumbling out how those were limited-edition treats. The white wolf’s tail hanging low to the ground in embarrassment.“Belgian?” the aging wolf pressed as the albino wolf shook his head.“Ding Dongs” Gary answered. “One of the Hostess Groups best chocolatey treats!” the other white wolf continued as the old wolf made a face.“Animalian chocolate? Ew!” to the outraged looks of both Gary and Danny.“You take that back! Those cream-filled chocolate cakes enrobed in chocolate made my puphood!” Gary angrily asserted before a shadow glared down at him with ice-blue eyes.“Oh…hi…Agent Rook” the white wolf wiggled his fingers at the dire wolf glaring down at him.“Behaving yourself, Agent Murray?” the deep voice of the dire wolf rumbling through like thunder.“I’m a good puppy!” Agent Murray raised his paws in front of him, as his ears folded flat against his head.“No starting any howls?” the dire wolf continued as the agents slowly pulled out their weapons behind the large mammal’s back.“None. Why don’t you ask Agent Wolfex?” Agent Murray pointed behind the dire wolf at the albino attempting to escape the porch, but thwarted by the panes of bullet-resistant glass.The look of abject betrayal on Agent Wolfex’s face in sharp contrast to the resigned look on Agent Rosenthal beside the albino.“Are we needed back in Toulon?” Agent Rosenthal asked the dire wolf he knew as Rook. When those ice-blue eyes focused on him, it felt as if the dire wolf was looking into his very soul.“Not yet. I was instructed to return with the GIGN personnel in tow. There has been an attempt at disrupting the new embassy opening. Thankfully, the increased security has defeated the mammals involved. Commander Morel is asking his Marseille counterpart to remain in Toulon and assist with Operation: Spearfish” ‘Agent’ Rook informed the agents in his longest sentence to date as the dire wolf was a mammal of few words.“Very well, we cannot stay here much longer. My team and I bid you adieu” Commander Truffle stepped forward to the massive wolfbear and placed his paw into the wolfbear’s own. As he did so, the GIGN and Rook blinked out in a brief flash of blue.The tiger behind the counter of the chalet merely shook his striped head as he chuckled at the stupefied looks of the agents not in the know.His great-grandfather had come here to escape a white wolf bounty hunter and settled down with a black panther.According to family legend, the white wolf had come calling when his great-grandmother lay on her deathbed and his great-grandfather had picked up the rapier now displayed in a glass case, to defend her. Great-grandfather was losing the battle when their three grown cubs rushed in and duelled with the white wolf, successfully taking his head off. Accounts differ after that. Some say the wolf died that night, never to darken the family’s door again. Others say that the only survivor of that night was an orange panger (panther/tiger hybrid) who swore revenge, taking up his father’s sword and slaying many wolves that came to bedevil the small hamlet of Fléau des loups.For this tiger as he looked at his own wedding band, he much believed that the wolf was immortal and spared the three cubs. In exchange, Great-Grandfather Puss in Boots willingly left the land of the living. The old leather boots sitting in its own glass case above the mantel beside the sword. Reaching down around his neck, the tiger brought out a silver pendant with a wolf on it in an attack stance.In a week’s time, he and his compatriots would overthrow the pretenders to the Nightstalkers.As he rubbed the pendant, he never noticed the wolf’s eyes flash red, then blue. Power flowing discreetly into the tiger in preparation.=====================================================================================
December 18, 1995

1535 Hours Marseille Time

Conference Room B,

Toulon Command Centre,

Toulon Naval Yard,

Toulon, France

Special Envoy Ivan del Morte (Shinigami)
 “Okay, run the plan by me one more time” I asked the three agents I had designated, having sent Rook back to retrieve Agent Rosenthal from the Puss in Boots chalet in Switzerland. Wolfex and Murray left behind to learn from Agent Sullivan on tradecraft and tactics. I had high hopes that the hare would be able to remove Gary’s inveterate urge to howl.As events in Zootopia soon showed, I was wrong.“Yes sir. At 0300 Zulu, we launch the operation from the battlegroup centred around the Nimitz-class carrier, Abraham Lincoln. F/A-18 Super Hornets with Mavericks and JDAMS will pummel the defensive perimeter here and here” Lieutenant Anders pointed at the battleplan as various admirals listened in.“At the same time, the HALO teams will be clearing out the main house as marines land here” Agent Tibbs took over and pointed the small dock at the back of the manor which would be assaulted and held by the Marines of the French Navy. Anyone not able to answer the challenge would be shot out of paw.“HALO teams will consist of yourself, Tibbs, Carmichael, and Howlington; the SAS who are not practicing near Metz, and GIGN commandoes. All of whom will be patched into our circling Sentry with codename: Citadel” Colonel Montgomery of Her Majesty’s 1st Airborne Regiment took over the briefing and pointed out the three entry points for the HALO teams. One would drop on the villa itself (my team), one beside the vineyard, the last one at the carport to prevent escape by land.“Thank you, colonel” I nodded at the Clydesdale over the vidlink to Rammstein AFB. “Now, for the tricky part, we have no insider intelligence of the villa. Assume that every room has a back entrance and secret passageway out of there. No matter how many raids the locals have done, the mafia are able to rebuild within weeks. If you find caches of drugs, weapons, or smuggled items, leave a transponder behind and the specialist teams will be clearing those. We leave the low-level thugs to the local constabulary. Our primary target is the destruction of their leadership. Our secondary objective is intelligence gathering. Everyone clear?”“Yes sir” came the resounding cry from the assembled agents and servicemembers.“One more thing before I dismiss you and we begin preparations. If for any reason, you feel funny clearing a room, it’s been booby-trapped. Get out and call it in. EOD will fast-rope down as the HALO and assault teams link up. Godspeed and Good Hunting” I ended the brief as the video screens winked out one by one.   “HALO Teams. Wheels up at 2300. Get some shut-eye” I informed the teams who would be going with me as the early morning crews took over the conference room to study the assault in detail.=====================================================================================While all this was going on, I was sending low-level pulses of energy to the Nightstalkers not in favour with the seven infiltrators’ aims of dividing up the group for their own ends by seizing power at the annual meeting.I opened the valves all the way, leaving only the last two sealed as power rushed through me. Those in faction or swayed by the seven would not receive the boosts as Death decreed that those would simply die. Traitors to the pack deserved nothing less than erasure.
Better ten thousand loyal fighters than one hundred thousand mercenaries.

I agree, Young Master. The proprietor of the Puss in Boots chalet is also a Nightstalker. I felt your energy pour into him while I was there.

Interesting. Focus on your assault later, pequeña Muerte. You need to conserve the rest of the energy.

Ten-Four.
I opened my eyes and took a deep breath as I released the rest of the energy to those who were still loyal, filling them with resolve.And some surprises for the insurrectionists.=====================================================================================
December 18, 1995

2250 Hours

C-17 Globemaster III

Toulon Naval Base

Toulon, France

Special Envoy Ivan del Morte (Shinigami)

“Nervous sir?” SAS Captain Willard, callsign: Bravo Two asked as the lion seemed nervous himself.“Very. My paws are shaking” I admitted as we waited inside the plane for the last of the HALO jumpers to get on board.“Load complete!” the crew chief yelled out as the engines fired up. The whine of the massive engines making my head hurt so I waved my paw, and it got whisper quiet.And making every head turn to me as I sighed.“If any of you breathe a word of the Second Coming, I will make you think you are nine-year old girls and have Her Majesty show you how to braid your fur” I informed the troops who gulped, save for the GIGN who chuckled.“Pilot, how soon can we be in the air?” I spoke into the intercom system to talk with the flight crew.“Rolling now, sir. Be over your target in two hours max” the pilot replied calmly as I heard the throttles open up and the plane roared down the runway.In no time at all we were airborne and bound for our date with destiny, our beacons winking off as we climbed into a moonless night.“Citadel, this is Ghost One. Enroute to the target area” I informed the airborne controller already in place.“Copy Ghost One. Ghost Command says that Shadowfax is ready to deploy additional troops if necessary” the airborne controller replied, letting me know that the transporter was operational again.“Ghost One copies your last. Out” I replied, closing the link as I waited the two hours before the red light would come on and we would drop.=====================================================================================
December 19, 1995

0050 Hours

C-17 Globemaster III

30,000 feet (9,144 m)

CIA Black Operative Ivan del Morte (Ghost One)

“Approaching the drop point. Crew chief drop the ramp” the pilot instructed the chief to lower our ramp as the white lights switched to red.We were wearing oxygen tanks and respirators as the moment the ramp would drop, all the breathable air would be sucked out.“Stand up!” came the order as one line stood up and approached the door. The SAS going out first, then the GIGN.Last to go were the five of us.“As soon as we leave the aircraft, hold onto me tightly. We will appear on the roof of the villa” I informed the four agents with me who nodded assent.“Go! Go! Go!” the crew chief ordered as we left the aircraft and dropped like stones.Once we were out, I checked the altimeter on my wrist and waited for the ramp to seal before I snapped my fingers.We vanished from the air and appeared on the roof deck of the villa.A stunned mafia guard looked at us for two seconds before I cut him open with the sword I acquired from Japan. My HALO gear vanishing as I charged, returning to the plane. And startling the crew chief who panicked that I had gone out without the gear.As the warthog fell, I let out a pulse of power like sonar and radar to see how far we were from the shrew’s quarters.“Ghost One to Citadel. Ghost Team, ready to breach” as I signalled for the four to stack up on me. I could feel the heat of Agent Tibbs’ glare but ignored it for now.“Citadel copies. Be advised, none of the others are at your position” the controller replied, warning me that no one else was in position.“Standby, Citadel” I replied as I concentrated on the SAS and GIGN troopers, having tagged them with a small bit of power. I snapped and the two others were now on the ground with me.“Citadel, Bravo Team on the ground. Beginning objectives” as the SAS sent up their position from the vineyards.“Citadel, Charlie Team in position. Ready to breach” the GIGN replied as they removed their HALO gear and got ready to assault the carport.“Uh…Citadel copies. Good hunting” the controller paused before training took over and he wished us well.I tapped the doorknob and it unlocked, turning the knob gently and the door to the inside swung open as we entered the fourth floor.“Citadel, Ghost Team is in the villa. Searching for HVI now” I informed the roving airborne controller.“Copy, Ghost Team. You are cleared to go dark” Citadel replied causing me to pause, I held my right paw up and gathered the others to me.“Did Citadel just clear us to go dark? I haven’t asked yet” I informed Tibbs, Howlington, and Carmichael.“Looks like sir. How do we play this?” Agent Howlington asked me as he kept watch.“Tibbs, you’re with Larry. Carmichael with me. We’ll sweep the upper two floors for our HVI. This operation is officially black-flagged, the only ones not killed are shrews. Got it?” I informed them as I split the team up.“How are we going to find them sir? Last I checked we don’t have NODs” Agent Tibbs replied as the cat could see quite clearly in the dark.“Like this” as I tapped each one on the head, granting them temporary access to how I saw the gang members in Japan.  “Anyone with ties to the Camorra crime family will show up as yellow outlines. Green is us. Go” I let them know as I released them onto the manor.“Before I forget, take these” as I also gave them the ability to unlock doors.“Keep it quiet as much as possible. Shrews can hide conceivably anywhere” I informed them as I moved away with Carmichael in tow to search the East Wing.“This is going to take some getting used to” Agent Tibbs muttered as he took point for Howlington, the wolf outlined in green as they searched for yellow outlines.“No kidding” Agent Howlington as he opened a hall closet and found that a false wall was open.“Psst, Tibbs. Through here” the wolf hissed out to the cougar who turned and nodded, putting a suppressed round into a guard before following into the cabinet and closing it from the inside.=====================================================================================“Carmichael, stay on my ass” I whispered as I saw a lot of yellow outlines in the East Wing of the manor. “Yes sir” the painted hound replied as we opened one door to drunk bears sleeping off their party as someone sang off-key in the shower.“Take the singer, I got these” I whispered to the hound as I took out my sword and crept towards the snoozing bears.“Copy sir” Carmichael replied as he took out his suppressed pistol and silenced the singer as I slit the throats of the bears.   “Room clear” we said in unison as we closed the door and moved to the one across. My blade free of blood as I wiped it on a dead bear’s shorts.I tapped the knob and it unlocked. Opening the door, I had a premonition and silenced the hinges as the door swung open. Inside another brown bear was polishing a pistol with a rag, ears twitching as he listened for sound.Hearing none, he continued to polish the pistol before I stabbed him through the chair and into his heart. The bear, Antonio de Gribaldi, the prime close-in protection for Don Lupo Bagnole lay dead as I sent his soul into Death’s waiting arms.I checked my watch and it read 0100 hours. We had only been at it for ten minutes, but it already felt like hours.“Check it out sir” Agent Carmichael gave me a notebook in the bear’s handwriting. I checked it, and grinned.Tomorrow, the shrews were planning a wedding to unite two families. Too bad, the groom would be a dead mammal by dawn.“Good work, let’s move” I informed him as we left the bear’s room, opening a cabinet and firing three rounds into the fox mafiosi who thought to hide in ambush.The third door led to a barracks room full of bears, wolves, foxes, and lynxes. These were probably the advance protection for the wedding. I could see the outlines, and so too could Carmichael, not all of the mammals had joined the mafia by choice. Those with green-yellow outlines I forced into a deep sleep to keep them under while the yellow outlines gasped out before expiring as I channelled an old Sith trick into killing the rest.As I tried to stand, I faltered and dropped to my knees as I panted. That kind of energy use took a lot out of me. Carmichael kept me up by holding me under my armpits and dragging me out of sight of the door as I caught my breath.“You okay to move sir?” the hound asked as my breathing evened out. I nodded as energy flowed back into me from the agents not yet engaged.
Rook, I will pull on you. You are cleared to kill as many of the yellow outlines as possible. Cause maximum damage.

Of course sir. My swords are ready.

In 3….2….1.
Rook materialised in front of Carmichael and I. The dire wolf wearing a black outfit that blended in with the shadows at night.“Ready sir” Rook growled out as he sniffed the air for more of the interlopers.“Go to the West Wing of this manor and start causing a ruckus. That will draw their attention” I informed him as the wolf opened the door and took off, claws leaving little sound on the marble flooring.“Move out” I informed Carmichael as we took the fourth door on this side of the manor. Just as I opened the door, a wolf stepped out of another door and made his way to the water closet. For a brief moment, the wolf looked in our direction and I readied my rifle to fire a shot, before the wolf proceeded to use the water closet like nothing had happened.“What the hell was that?” Francis Carmichael asked as we ducked into the room and executed four more mafiosi as they slept.“I don’t know. Had the same reaction in Japan where I thought I was made twice, and twice the mammals shrugged it off” I replied, checking for a shrew as a yellow outline was still present in the room. With a soft snap of my fingers, I summoned one shrew who was quivering in fear at facing the mammal the family had started hearing rumours of, Shinigami.“Buonasera, dove posso trovare Don Lupo Bagnole a quest'ora della notte?” I asked the shrew as the rodent keeled over, dead of a heart attack. [Good evening, where may I find Don Lupo Bagnole at this time of night?]  “Oh well,” I tossed the shrew’s body aside and stepped on it, crushing the mammal.Carmichael winced at the sheer brutality I was displaying, but understood that there would be no survivors when fighter-bombers would come screaming in.“Citadel, this is Ghost Team. There is to be a wedding at 0800 local. Hold back the airstrike until 0800 when the guests arrive. Targets will be marked” I informed the airborne controller in a whisper, as I set the volume as low as possible.“Copy that Ghost Team” the controller acknowledged before there was a pause and “Airstrike can only be delayed for two hours. 0530 Zulu and the rest of the assault kicks off”.“Damn, okay. We have until then to get rid of the rest of the Camorras. Ghost One out” I replied as I tilted my head for Carmichael to take point.“Now what sir?” as we approached a new door. There was increased activity in this one, like the mammals inside could not sleep. I spotted twelve outlines, only three of which were yellow.“Fuck!” I cursed softly as I gave paw signals for Carmichael to go on the opposite side of the door and ready a flashbang.We would be going in loud from this point on.Before we could breach the door, the three yellow outlined mammals stormed out in a huff and headed towards the barracks we had just cleared.The door to the room had barely closed before the two of us sprang into action. DUT-DUT-DUT! went Agent Carmichael’s suppressed USP .45 pistol.DUT-DUT! DUT-DUT! DUT-DUT! went my suppressed M4A1 SOPMOD as the three dropped onto the marble floor. I opened the door to the room the three had just left from and entered with Carmichael. The mammals inside about to scream before I waved a paw and removed the sound from their voices.“Close it” I whispered as Carmichael did just that on the door.I made my way over to several shrews bunched together, trying to shield another from view.“E tu sei la sposa da sposare?” I asked the shrew with glasses on his snout. [And are you the bride to be married off?]I reversed the enchantment, silencing the room instead.“Mia figlia, Camilla, non vuole sposare l'odioso Giuliano. Non abbiamo molto, ma siamo disposti a darvelo per la nostra libertà” the old shrew replied as he knelt on the dresser where the shrews were, paws clasped together begging me. [My daughter, Camilla, she does not want to marry the odious Giuliano. We have not much, but we are willing to give it to you for our freedom]“Non ho intenzione di ucciderti. Io e la mia squadra siamo a caccia di Camorre. Si tratta di Giuliano?” I informed the family as they relaxed their guard. I then concentrated on the crushed shrew I found earlier and summoned his crushed body from the other room to show the old shrew. [I am not going to kill you. My team and I are hunting the Camorras. Is this Giuliano?]“Sì! E' lui! Sia lodato Dio” the shrew thanked me. [Yes! That is him! Praise be to God]“Camilla, questo è quello che è successo al tuo corteggiatore” the shrew showed his daughter and the female cried tears of joy. [Camilla, this is what happened to your suitor]“Grazie, signore! Ha detto che quando ci saremmo sposati, si sarebbe impossessato ugualmente del patrimonio della mia famiglia. Che suo padre, don Lupo, ha già accettato” the shrew squeaked out in Italian. [Thank you, sir! He said that when we married, he would seize my family's estate just the same. That his father, Don Lupo, has already agreed.]Part of the myriad of gifts Death had imparted was that I could tell when mammals were lying to me. The daughter was lying to me, while her father was telling the truth.I raised my pistol and lowered the hammer as I pointed it at Camilla. At this range, she would be a smear on the dresser.“Smettila di mentirmi, Camilla Vongola! Io sono il mammifero che chiamano il Tristo Mietitore” I informed the shocked shrew as I growled at her as her father got really cross as well. [Stop lying to me, Camilla Vongola! I am the mammal they call the Grim Reaper]“Camilla, cosa ti hanno promesso?” the father took hold of his daughter and slapped her across the snout, knocking her down onto the dresser. [Camilla, what did they promise you?]“Non capireste. Non hai mai esercitato il potere come fanno i Bagnoles. Avrei potuto essere grande!” the shrew began to monologue. [You would not understand. You never wielded power like the Bagnoles do. I could have been great!]“La grandezza impallidisce al confronto quando si muore. Arrivederci Camilla” I informed her as I pulled the trigger and left her a smear on the dresser. [Greatness pales in comparison when you die. Goodbye Camilla]I turned my pistol now to the shrews as they huddled around the patriarch.“Volete togliermi la vita, Signore Morte? Per aver cresciuto una figlia che non ha mai saputo che la grandezza deriva dal modo in cui tratti gli altri?” the shrew asked as he stared into the barrel of the pistol. [Will you take my life too, Sir Death? For raising a daughter who never knew that greatness comes from how you treat others?]“No. Una volta sgomberato questo maniero, ti installerò come successore di Bagnole. Esegui questa operazione a mio nome nel modo più legale possibile. Dammi i sussurri che senti dagli inferi e non dovrai temere da me. Tradisci la mia fiducia e ti darò la caccia anche nell'aldilà” I lowered the pistol as I spoke, my eyes glowing with power. [No. Once this manor is cleared, I will install you as the Bagnole's successor. Run this operation in my name as legally as you can. Give me the whispers you hear from the underworld, and you will not have to fear from me. Betray my trust and I will hunt you even in the afterlife]“Certo, mio Signore. Tu sei generosissimo, mio Signore” the old shrew nodded in thanks as I returned his youthful vigour to him and his wife. [Of course, my Lord. You are most generous, my Lord]“Sono un maestro generoso. Non tradirmi e non avrò motivo di distruggerti” I informed him as I motioned for Carmichael to come closer to me. [I am a generous master. Do not betray me and I will not have cause to destroy you]“Sir? Can they be trusted?” the hound whispered to me, as he watched the family of shrews hug each other.“Yes. They have bound their souls to me” I replied with a pained look back. The father had sworn an oath under his breath that his family would remain loyal long after his death, and when I gave him back his youth, the oath had activated.“How is that possible?” Francis asked as I listened to the entity speak as well.
He truly believes that you grant Deliverance. You thought you were doing a good deed by restoring his youth but had no idea that he was going to bind his family to you.

Can it be undone?

Why not give it a few years? I can easily undo it, but I cannot always give you advice. You will grow dependent on me when you have to make your own way soon. Just as a chick leaves the nest to start its own, so too must you wean yourself from me if you wish to grow.

I don’t understand.

You’ll see in time. Now, focus. The operation is not over yet.
“It just is. Unfortunately, I need to research, and we are still in the middle of our mission” I informed Francis who just nodded.The worst time for an existential crisis was during a time-critical mission.“Nicholas Vongola” I addressed the shrew patriarch, and he stood straight. “Come parte del vostro servizio nei miei confronti, addestrerete la prossima generazione a servire come miei servitori. Manderò qui delle reclute per imparare a proteggere gli altri quando questa operazione finirà. Quando il vostro tempo sarà scaduto, vi condurrò personalmente alle porte di San Pietro” I informed the shrew in a formal tone. [As part of your service to me, you will train the next generation to serve as my retainers. I will be sending recruits here to learn how to protect others when this operation ends. When your time is up, I will personally bring you to the gates of St. Peter.]“Deve essere fatto. Grazie per aver risparmiato la mia vita e quella della mia famiglia” the shrew and his family bowed. [It shall be done. Thank you for sparing my life and that of my family]“Rimanete in questa stanza e non vi farà del male. Se ti avventuri oltre queste quattro mura, non posso garantire la tua sicurezza” I informed the shrew as I scratched markings on the door. [Stay in this room and you will not be harmed. If you venture past these four walls, I cannot guarantee your safety]I snapped my fingers and cleaned up the blood. Also, fruits and vegetables appeared all sized for a shrew together with protein. I had no idea how long clearing the rest of the villa would take and I did not want for my new manager to starve.“Out we go, Francis” as I opened the door and the painted hound followed, closing the door behind him.“Won’t anyone stumble on them while we’re gone?” the hound asked as I merely shook my head. “Anyone wishing them harm will never find the door. Even if they spray the area with bullets, the shrews will be safe”.“Now come on. I can hear Rook having fun” I informed the hound as we moved to check another door.=====================================================================================Rook was indeed having fun in the West Wing.The dire wolf had stumbled onto a couple of bored guards playing cards and decapitated one. He let the other go so he could hunt them, letting the beaver scream that they were under attack.Laughing uproariously, he howled to signal the others as spectral wolves appeared and joined him in the hunt for mafia mammals and hangers-on.Bullets bounced off him and did nothing to the spectres as he ran amuck, slicing and dicing many of the mafiosi guards. As Rook howled his fear-inducing howl, a grenade tossed at his feet by an initiate detonated and the dire wolf fell on his tail. Enraged at having his howl interrupted, the dire wolf lunged at the wolf initiate and literally tore the screaming wolf in half; making it look as simple as cracking an egg.The heart, lungs, liver and stomach slid out of one half as the intestines made a squiggly abstract art of their own.Seeing what had happened to their comrade, the other guards made a run for it. Throwing their weapons away, they ran into the combined GIGN-SAS assault force and begged to be taken into custody to get away from the “Lupo Demoniaco!” and “Lupi fantasma!”. [Demon Wolf] and [Ghost Wolves]Rook snarled as he exited the structure, the yellow outlines all lay dead inside as he ran into a bunch of green outlines surrounding the remaining yellows.“Give me those souls” he snarled out as the spectres appeared too, the dire wolf’s voice making the mafiosi scream in fear.“Well, the CO did say: Black Flag” SAS Captain Willard calmly commented as the SAS team moved into the manor to clear it out.“I agree, I lost friends on that airliner. They are yours Monsieur Rook” the GIGN team also left the mafiosi as they too followed their SAS colleagues.“Ora giochiamo!” Rook snarled, blood-tinged drool dripping from his maw as he charged with swords extended at the huddled mafiosi, the spectres helping in tearing the group of thirty-odd mammals to pieces. [Now, we play!]=====================================================================================
0130 Hours

Bagnole Estate,

Master Bedroom,

Lupo Bagnole
 The shrew awoke as he heard voices in the walls.Looking around in the darkness, the current patriarch of the Sicilian faction of the Mob could only deduce that someone had betrayed the Family. As he sprinted over to the personal line to the guard barracks, his world exploded in pain as the dresser he was sleeping in violently broke apart.“There’s one!” came a startled voice in English and the shrew knew he had been spotted. Throwing open the small door inset into the larger one, he started yelling for aid in the corridor leading to the main dining room.“Su! Su! È un'incursione! Su!” the shrew yelled as more doors opened and mammals came out wielding assault rifles and automatic pistols. [Up! Up! It's a raid! Up!]“Oh shit!” came the voice again as the guards started firing back. “Call the Boss!” went the other mammal.“Ghost Three to Citadel, Lupo Bagnole spotted. We are pinned on the ground floor. I say again, we are pinned on the ground floor” the English words striking fear into the shrew’s heart as he knew he would no longer survive until morning.As if to prove that point, a wolf taller than his cousin’s own polar bodyguard appeared and howled in the corridor. The howl making him lose control of his bladder and wetting his bedclothes.His guards moved to cover him, but they fell.Clutching stumps of their arms or legs as the monstrous wolf moved through them, his guards were thinning as they tried to move him towards the rear escape tunnel that led to the docks. Bullets seemed to have no effect on the demon as the blue-eyed wolf advanced.“Cover Fire!” the two commandoes cried out as they fired at his guards, dropping more.“AAAAAAARRRRROOOOOOOO!!!” the large wolf howled again as it advanced just as his last two guards managed to open the tunnel and close it in front of the monster. A sword almost impaling one wolf.The shrew’s heart felt like it was going to explode as the two wolves made haste for the docks and the speedboat there.=====================================================================================“Ghost Three to Citadel, Lupo Bagnole spotted. We are pinned on the ground floor. I say again, we are pinned on the ground floor” Agent Tibbs informed the airborne controller.“Citadel, copies. Any units near Ghost Three? We have a squad pinned on the ground floor. I repeat, we have a squad pinned on the ground floor” the controller confirmed and began querying units nearby to assist.“This is Ghost One, dispatching Rook” the calm voice of Special Envoy del Morte came through.“Rook is here?” Agent Tibbs looked at Agent Howlington and the CIA agent just shrugged. At this point, with the marble dust falling around them from bullet impacts, Tibbs would take a full company of Devil Dogs.He got his wish.“AAAAAAARRRRROOOOOOOO!!!” as the dire wolf materialised out of thin air with bloodied blades and charged as the mafia mammals began firing at him, looking like a demonic version of Agent Wolfex with his tongue hanging out.Tibbs looked out and the bullets did not seem to be doing much damage to the monster wolf.“Cover Fire!” he cried out as he and Howlington started taking out the mafia mammals trying to protect the shrew. Their accurate shots nailing the mammals that Rook was not managing to stab, and in one case, bite open as the large wolf shrugged off the bullets as if they were mere flies.“Citadel, this is Ghost Three. Lupo Bagnole is escaping. Hidden tunnel at the end of the hallway near the main dining hall. I repeat, target is escaping. Hidden tunnel at the end of the hallway near the main dining hall” Tibbs informed the controller.“Citadel copies. French marines landing now at the docks” the airborne command operator replied neutrally.“Ghost One copies. He’s not escaping” Special Envoy del Morte informed the team.“AAAAAAARRRRROOOOOOOO!!!” Rook howled again, this time in frustration as he stabbed one of his swords into the wall. To Tibbs’ shock the sword punched through the granite.“Now what?” Tibbs just stares at the wall as well as the hills of dead and dying.“Rook feeds” the large wolf bent down and snatched a still-beating heart from the open back of a black bear and takes a bite.Tibbs has to hold onto Agent Howlington as the wolf collapses in a dead faint.=====================================================================================
0145 Hours

Bagnole Estate,

Ground Floor,

East Wing,

Special Envoy Ivan del Morte
 We were in the process of clearing the servant’s quarters when the calm tone of Agent Tibbs rang out over the airwaves.“Ghost Three to Citadel, Lupo Bagnole spotted. We are pinned on the ground floor. I say again, we are pinned on the ground floor” Agent Tibbs reported in as I looked at Carmichael and the painted hound looked back, eyes shining with the little light.“Citadel, copies. Any units near Ghost Three? We have a squad pinned on the ground floor. I repeat, we have a squad pinned on the ground floor” the controller confirmed and began querying units nearby to assist.“Send in Rook?” I asked as the hound nodded once.
Rook? I have some more mammals for you.

On my way, Young Master. Where?

Sending you now.
“This is Ghost One, dispatching Rook” I informed the team calmly as I took off the head of a badger wielding a cleaver in the kitchen. I did not snap my fingers anymore; I just felt my blood sing and I knew Rook was in position.I smiled toothily and as someone’s torch caught my grin, I heard the scream of “Il diavolo! Il Diavolo è qui!” [The Devil! The Devil is here!]Carmichael took off the head of this one as the painted hound’s head kept moving, the rifle switching from his front to back as we continued moving through the blood-slick villa.DUT-DUT! and dropped another mafia guard as we cleared the ground floor of the east wing.The two of us emerged into a courtyard and the night was silent save for the buzzing of cicadas.That and the screams of horror emanating from the main house.“Time to haul ass” I commented as the painted hound kept pace with me.“Citadel, this is Ghost Three. Lupo Bagnole is escaping. Hidden tunnel at the end of the hallway near the main dining hall. I repeat, target is escaping. Hidden tunnel at the end of the hallway near the main dining hall” came the voice of Tibbs as the cougar sounded tense.“All this effort and he goes free? That ain’t right sir” Francis commented in disbelief, dispatching another guard with a shot to the back of the head.“He’s not escaping” I answered with certainty as we continued to move.“Citadel copies. French marines landing now at the docks” the controller replied as I checked my watch.  The time was now 0230 hours. The French were early.
Rook, leave one alive. I need the map down to the docks from the tunnel.

Of course, sitting on one. Hearts of the wicked taste nicer than those of the innocent ever do.
“Ghost One copies, he’s not escaping” I informed them calmly as I could see the shrew had to descend three flights of stairs and the wolves with him were tiring as they kept looking behind them.
Rook, I’m on my way. Five minutes.

I’ll save you a heart.
I looked over at Carmichael as the painted hound shivered at the brutal image of Rook feasting on his fellow mammals. The semi-feral wolf slavering over corpses like mammals of old.“Ghost One to Ghost Three, are you still in the corridor?” I asked as Carmichael and I were joined by GIGN commandoes under Commander Truffle as they prepared to breach the patio doors.With but a glance, the doors flew open, and the lights turned on, blinding some mammals in ambush as the GIGN took them out.“Copy, Ghost One. But the shrew is escaping. Door looks sealed from our end. Rook’s sword didn’t even open it. Also, Ghost Four fainted” Agent Tibbs informed us as  
Rook?

Yes, Young Master?

Stand clear of the tunnel entrance. I have a way in.
“Commander, give me your AT-4” I ordered the wolf who passed me the anti-tank weapon.“Hope you know what you’re doing” the wolf commented as they peeled off to search the second floor.“Are you sure you know how to use that, sir?” Carmichael asked as we jogged towards the smell of copper, iron, salt, and cordite.“Yup” I replied as I tossed it to Tibbs as I passed him by. The cougar dropping Agent Howlington as he caught the AT-4.“Citadel, Ghost Team is breaching the wall. Tell the marines that they are weapons free” I let the controller know as Tibbs aimed the launcher and fired.The rocket motor ignited and punched a hole in the granite, crumbling the false wall.“How are we not getting lost down there?” Agent Tibbs asked as he shined a light through the broken wall.“Because we are leapfrogging ahead of them. Grab on” I informed the three agents as they each grabbed a piece of my gear as I concentrated and vanished.Rook was left to munch on the dead as he kept watch over Agent Howlington.=====================================================================================
0230 Hours

Escape Tunnel to the Pier

Lupo Bagnole

“Che razza di lupo era quello?” the shrew asked the wolves with him as they cleared the second landing. [What kind of wolf was that?]“Höllenhund” one wolf replied in his native tongue. [Hellhound]“Riposiamoci qui, signore. Entrambi abbiamo bisogno di riprendere fiato” the other wolf pleaded as he was feeling a stitch in his side from sprinting. [Let us rest here first, sir. We both need to catch our breath]“Cammina invece di correre. Dobbiamo andarcene da qui” the shrew ordered, glancing fearfully around him as he thought the demon wolf would appear again. [Just walk instead of running. We need to get out of here]“Due minuti, mi fa male il fianco” the wolf panted out. [Two minutes, my side hurts]“Bene. Due minuti. Poi, ci muoviamo di nuovo” the shrew agreed as he calmed his rapidly beating heart. [Fine. Two minutes. Then, we move again]As the three fugitives rested, an explosion above their heads sent another surge of adrenaline as the two wolves stood up and continued their way down to the docks. The shrew riding in the first wolf’s jacket pocket as the three cleared the last landing and came up short.In the straight line of the tunnel towards the docks, the wolves were staring down into the raised weapons of commandoes as they blocked the only exit.As they turned around, they met the raised rifles of two more mammals as a snow leopard in a suit walked towards them, clapping his paws as he walked.“Lupo Bagnole, finalmente ci incontriamo” the snow leopard proclaimed with a purr. [Lupo Bagnole, we meet at last]“Giù a terra, ragazzi. Odio macchiare il terreno di sangue. È così difficile togliersi i vestiti” the snow leopard continued. [Down on the ground, boys. I hate to stain the ground here with blood. It's so hard to get out of clothing]“Non piegherò mai il ginocchio davanti a te!” Lupo Bagnole yelled out in his shrieky voice at the snow leopard, shivering at how eerie the big cat’s eyes looked. [I'll never bend the knee to you!]“Per me va bene. Guardami negli occhi e dimmelo” the large cat looked straight through him, practically daring him to look away. [That's fine by me. Just look me in the eyes and tell me that.]“Jungs, bringt ihn zu mir” the snow leopard spoke in German, confusing the shrew before the wolf carrying him started walking towards the snow leopard. [Boys, bring him to me]“Che stai facendo?! Combattilo!”  the shrew yelled up at his escort before the wolf’s paw closed around his neck and held him out to the waiting palm of the snow leopard. [What are you doing?! Fight it!] The shrew looked back, and one wolf was lying prone on the stone floor.As Lupo Bagnole looked up at the glowing eyes of the snow leopard, he saw his own death coming and he closed his eyes to shut out the predator’s gaze. Slowly, he swayed in the palm of the larger predator as if dancing to a tune only he could hear.“Ghost Team to Citadel. Lupo Bagnole is terminated” were the last words the shrew heard before his world ended with a snap.

----- CHAPTER BREAK -----

December 19. 1995

0630 Hours
Bagnole Vongola Estate,
Sicily

Special Envoy Ivan del Morte
 As I felt the warm Sicilian sun on my face as the sun rose in the east, I watched from the balcony as the low-level thugs were rounded up and placed into cages for transport by French and Italian marines.For someone blessed with a lot of power, I felt oddly hollow at the Christmas holiday victory over the Sicilians.Our casualties were light as we had achieved the element of surprise. Only Bravo Four, Sergeant Hildebrandt, was mortally wounded and joked that he had more metal in him than his rifle. I would have rectified the situation, but the SAS preferred they keep the scars and the stories that made it so.
Toffee apple, sir?

If you can manage one Rook, yes please.
With the wedding called off, there was no need for the guests to appear and the mammals made themselves scarce.Interpol had names and faces on file if ever these popped up again.The Fifth Fleet was a tad disappointed that they could not bring their various weapons systems to bear against the mafia estate. Especially when I mentioned that the estate would be an excellent training ground for agents and service members.I did not like that debriefing.Especially so when saboteurs tried their paw at assassinating me before my debrief started.=====================================================================================
December 19, 1995

0315 Hours

Main Dining Hall,

Vongola Estate (formerly Bagnole),

Special Envoy Ivan del Morte

“Citadel, this is Ghost Team. Villa and grounds secured. Wave off the Hornets and Typhoons” I informed the sector controller as the GIGN and SAS sounded the all-clear.“Citadel copies. Airborne assets standing down” the controller replied with an audible sigh of relief.“Ghost One. NATO-Med requesting debrief” the controller informed me after a brief pause.“Send in some video equipment, Citadel. Unless they want a pure verbal report?” I explained what I wanted and the controller gave assent.“Copy Ghost One. Equipment spooling up now from the Lincoln”.“Sir? You may want to see this” Bravo Two, Captain Willard, announced over the radio as we took a brief rest from our adrenaline high earlier. “I’ve dispatched Private Jock as a runner. Follow him sir”.“This line is secure, Bravo Two” I informed the SAS officer.“Not for this, sir. It looks bad” was the clipped reply before a panting panda stopped at the entrance of the main dining hall. The GIGN bringing in some documents they had found for my perusal as the continued over-all head.“Private Jock, I presume?” I asked the panda as he raised a finger to indicate he needed a moment before he straightened up.“Yes sir. The captain has something he wants you to see, sir” the panda answered as he caught his breath as I made my way over to him from the comfortable dining chair.“Let me see” I breathed out as the panda made eye contact and I dove in.I saw a recently covered mass grave filled with mammals. Torches from the SAS troopers lit up part of the scene.At least two of mammals had visible signs of torture.Judging from the size of the maggots wriggling out from what appeared to be a bear’s nostril, they had been in the dirt for a week at least.Once I pulled out from the panda’s memory, the larger mammal took out a stick from his pocket and began chewing on it.“You did well to bring this to my attention, Private. I’ll be joining your captain at the grave. Where is it?” I complimented the panda who looked about to collapse onto the marble floor and waited for the reply.“Twenty metres from the back entrance, near the minefield” the panda replied as he hugged himself.I concentrated on the SAS captain’s location and vanished.To Rook’s immediate consternation as he brought in a serving tray of raw hearts from the bodies.  =====================================================================================As I appeared beside Captain Willard, the lion had to force himself not to react to my sudden presence beside him.“Oh my days, stop doing that sir!” the lion commented as we both looked into the recently-discovered pit.“See anyone familiar down there?” I asked as my nose wrinkled from the stench of decay.“God, I hope not” the captain replied as his troopers stood guard, their respirators filtering out the awful stench.“Call it in. Now, I wish I did not end Lupo’s life so quickly” I informed the lion who did just that as I looked down on the bodies, seeing the strings of lives cut short. Oddly, I felt no emotions from the dead lying there; just acceptance that their sacrifice led to the downfall of another crime family.“Citadel, Bravo Two. Mass grave discovered onsite. How copy?” the lion informed the Sentry before it departed.“Citadel copies, Bravo Two. Earthmovers and tractors inbound. Resuming orbit” the controller replied as the AWACS resumed its patrol pattern.“Get some EODs down here as well to help clear the minefield, Citadel” Captain Willard continued as the lion listed off what we might need.“Wilco. Is Ghost One there?” the controller replied as he asked for me.“That’s affirm, Citadel. Ghost One is at the pit” the lion replied as I crouched to check on an outstretched arm.“Ghost One, I have a message from the President. Switch your channel to landline Victor Three Echo and hold” the controller informed me as I did as was requested.“Go ahead, Citadel. I’m on the sat phone. Holding for transmission” I replied as I winced, having a feeling this would be nasty.BEEP-BEEP-BOOP. BEEP-BEEP-BOOP. BEEP-BEEP-BOOP.“Ghost here” I answered the satellite phone as I stepped away from the pit as the SAS made space around me.“Good morning, Ivan. Do you know why I’m calling?” the jovial mood of the Animalian president tempered with steel.“Not that I know of sir” I replied as I sat on a lawn chair that the mafiosi used to lounge around the pool as I let out a breath, a wisp of steam curling around my nose in the cool air.“When I said, ‘Smooth things over with our NATO allies’, I did not mean take effective control of NATO and basically bully an Italian citizen into submitting. Word has gotten out about the destruction in Marseille of an historic city block that used to house the second oldest coffee house in Europe. Furthermore, the increased security has the press calling the embassy a ‘Tribute to Fascist and Neo-Imperialist Policies’! And another thing, …” the president ranted at me for doing my job.“Mister President, this is neither the time nor the venue for such a call” I brusquely interrupted him mid-rant. “Whoever is feeding you information is doing so from a tainted pool. The French have discovered a vault wherein the Sicilians managed to mimic our own diplomatic codes.Had we not changed the codes two weeks ago, the embassy opening would have been a bloodbath as extremists would have breached the perimeter. Regarding the increased security, had I not pressed for it, the next time you would appear in the news would have the tagline: ‘Attempted Assassination Nearly Succeeds!’The now-dead leader of the Mob had placed a price on your head to the tune of one hundred million dollars, payable to whomever delivers the fatal shot.If you want to blame a mammal, lay it at the feet of the shrew who paid or threatened our intelligence network! I’m doing damage control, Mister President. This. Is. Not. Helping” I responded heatedly, as I ended the call and pulled out my communicator.“ROOK! BREACH THE VAULT!” I yowled out as I stalked my way back inside the villa, the special forces teams giving me a very wide berth as the ground near me frosted over.=====================================================================================
0330 Hours

Animalian Embassy,

Champs-Elysees,

Paris, France

“I did warn you Bill that my nephew is volatile” a one-eyed wolf in an eyepatch informed the stunned-looking president as the two of them sat in a panic room inside the embassy with armed Secret Service agents.“How long does it take to sound an ‘All Clear!’?” the president whined as he was sat on a couch in the luxurious confines.“Until we are sure there are no collaborators amongst the embassy staff nor within the security forces, sir” Secret Service Agent Warren Tumness of the Presidential Detail spoke up.“But the attack was seven hours ago!” the deer complained from the comfortable couch.“Yes, and what happens if an attacker slips through all the cordons, and gets close?” Secretary Furie asked the hard question.“We get to swear in a new president” Associate Chief Justice Anthony Beckett proclaimed from a different sofa.“Stick that in your pipe and smoke it” Secretary Furie closed the topic as he sat back and grinned at the deer.“Fine, I’ll admit that I was being a tad hasty in judging your boy. That still does not excuse the property damage in Marseille” the president begrudgingly admitted, still hanging onto the Marseille destruction.“If I had to choose between a shot-up White House with the president in the bunker or a dead president with a pristine White House, I’d take the shot-up White House” FBI Director Hank Logan proclaimed from his special chair as the porcupine destroyed all normal chairs with his quills.“I’ll make the apologies in the morning” the president grumbled out, folding his arms in front of his chest like some petulant kit.=====================================================================================
0400 Hours

The Vault,

Basement,

Vongola Estate,

Special Envoy Ivan del Morte

I, and the GIGN commandoes, managed to rig up some construction lights as we surveyed the interior of the once-formidable vault of the Bagnoles. All wired up from the condescension from the politician looking to cover his own ass; I and Rook had taken one look at the heavy, bank vault door and the of us tore the entire thing off its hinges.The SAS trooper analysing it and informing us that it was too much for the few bricks of C4 they carried, stood to the side as the heavy door imitated paper in how easy Rook and I made it look.Scattered about, I found the very same diplomatic codes I was informing the stubborn president and that its last use was to send intelligence data to a contact at the FBI office in D.C. The contact had the handle “Riccio” or Hedgehog. My suspicions about it being Director Logan proved unfounded as I had access to the porcupine’s computer and none of the codes being broadcasted matched the ones he received.Director Barnes had arranged for a fail-safe in case both he and the FBI Director were both compromised; entrusting me with the codes to dig for information in both systems, regardless of my actual security clearance.  A huge show of trust to be sure. If information leaked that I had this level of clearance, it would destroy everyone’s career and blow an enormous hole in the intelligence network that may never fully close.We also found the recall order for every hitmammal that the Sicilians employed and their real names.Marlowe, the hitmammal that Deputy Commander Duchenne had contacted, was a sheep with the name of Doug Ramses. This name would be significant later.As we were dealing with voluminous papers of information, I had the GIGN Operatives make three piles, and we would cart out the documents accordingly. There were even tapes of politicians in compromising situations and that the Mob would threaten to release these unless given what they demanded.The first pile, marked Critical, contained time-sensitive nuggets that needed to be halted or diverted.The second pile, marked Urgent, contained documents and intelligence that were not in immediate need of action. Just that it would be nice to deal with the problem.The last pile, marked as Daily, had the run-of-the-mill documents pertaining to operations that could run even without supervision.Once completed, there was not actually a lot of Critical documents. Only fifteen detailed actions that needed to be immediately dealt with.One such action was the (already foiled) assassination attempt on the president. Another was the wilful sabotage of Air Force One by a team of Sicilian technicians while it was at Andrews and altering the records to pin the blame on another group.A third detailed the infiltration of the Nightstalkers and turning them against each other to prevent destruction of the Sicilian network. I already had plans in place with the help of Death, and the infiltrators would not find as warm a welcome as they once thought.A fourth was the acquisition of a distillery in Scotland through which coke bricks would be moved for distribution in the local market of Edinburgh. A devious plan wherein the scotch would be utter rubbish, but the packing materials hid the bricks. I passed this one over to MI-6 through Commander James Veldt with my sincere thanks for his performance in Seattle.The fifth and sixth plans were moot as they detailed attempting the destruction of the Yakuza’s grip on their own market. I had already done so earlier in the year. The seventh involved squeezing the cardinal down in the Vatican to have second collections which would go into the mafia’s funds instead of the Church. I did away with this one and made a note for Luigi to discontinue the extortionist rates, rendering the eighth plan academic.The ninth and tenth involved sending agents into Zootopia to undermine his cousin’s empire and prepare the ground for Lupo or his heirs to take over.The rest had plans for either derailing essential legislation or removing mammals who would act on already passed legislation.“Get me a line to Langley” I informed Agent Rosenthal when the wolf arrived with the US Marines to secure the documents for transport. I placed a simple enchantment that would make the documents unable to be removed or destroyed unless given direct authorisation by myself or my chosen representative.That this prevented key documents from disappearing enroute was not known until several mammals were caught and executed for espionage.“Langley here” came the voice of the switchboard operator.“Get me a secure line to Director Barnes. Encryption level: Blackbriar” I informed her, using the level that was just two levels below [redacted].“Copy that, Ghost. Go secure” as the line became free of the normal hisses and pops.The line then rang once before a sleepy-sounding voice answered. “Barnes. what time is it?”“Director, I have intelligence that is below Bright Boy and above Salt the Earth” I informed his as I heard cloth rustle as the director sat up.“Let me have it” the wolf replied over the secure line.“Bunch of technicians planned for AF One to drop out of the sky. Records have already been altered to pin blame on non-aligned faction. I need either Secret Service or FBI Manta Bay to serve the warrants as D.C. is compromised” I informed the wolf as Agent Rosenthal’s pupils got wider than saucers.“You have it, Ghost. Good job. Any lead on the infiltrator?” the wolf asked as I thought about it and nodded.“Codename for infiltrator is Riccio. Italian for hedgehog, sir. FBI Director is already cleared by Oracle” I informed the wolf as he breathed a sigh of relief.“Okay, I’ll reach out to the Secret Service and get those mammals arrested. Do you have their names?” Barnes asked as I looked down at the list in my paw.“I’ll send it via diplomatic bag. No idea if any other lines are compromised, including this one. Will have Oracle set up a new network. Ghost out” I informed the wolf of my plans as I turned off the phone, removed the battery, and shot it with my pistol.“Andrew” I informed the wolf who stood at attention as I addressed him, “take this file with you. Use a diplomatic pouch and go with it all the way to Langley. I’ll see if NATO-Med has some fast transport for you” as the wolf nodded assent.“Citadel, Ghost One. Requesting immediate transport for high-value intel. How copy?” I called the circling Sentry.“Ghost One, Citadel copies your last. That’s a negative on the transport. Ghost Central recommends Shadowfax” the controller replied, putting forth the experimental transport system as an alternative.“Andrew, do you trust me?” I asked the CIA operative as I prepared to snap him out of the vault.“I’d be lying if I said I really don’t sir” the wolf replied as he kept a tight grip on the documents.“Too bad. Say hi to Director Barnes for me” I replied as I snapped him straight to Director Barnes’ location.“Ghost One, did Romeo One (Agent Rosenthal) just vanish from my scopes?” Citadel asked as I sent the agent elsewhere.“That’s affirm. Shadowfax in action” I replied with a cheeky grin that the controller could not see.“Roger that, Ghost One” the controller replied, as if unfazed.
Savage, where you at?

I don’t know if I should be pleased or annoyed that you can switch accents and languages. You sound like a Victorian-era toughie from Cracknell. But, yes. I am still at Toulon and waiting for transport. Citadel says that the Op is over?

Consolidating paper intelligence. See if you can hitch a ride on an Osprey and have some more marines deploy with you.
“Gunny Conrad?” I called from the interior of the vault as a badger in battle rattle appeared around the corner of a shelf.“Sah!” the squat marine saluted, and I returned it out of habit, forgetting I was not in any uniform.“Rotating guard duty at the entrance to this vault. No one in or out unless I clear them, got that?” I informed the marine gunnery sergeant who saluted before going out to get his marines into position.“Jenkins, you and Coomin take first watch! Marley and Brando, you get second. Alberts and Wesker, you get the third. Finally, Noughat and Candie on the fourth. We’ll rotate every four (hours)” I heard the badger bellow as I pored over more documents for sorting, applying an enchantment that I hope won’t be triggered.
Will do. Also, Agent Wolfex just arrived from Bern with Agent Murray.

Hi, Ivan! Is it over?

Nope! I hope you ate your fill of Swiss chocolate, Danny. You’re on guard duty. Transport in five seconds.

Aw, hell naw!

Four.

Can’t I stay here in Toulon with Frost and Savage?

Three.

I don’t have my gear! Please, don’t!

Should have thought of that before starting a howl. Two.

Oh, look there’s Sheffield! I bet he’ll be fun!

One.
“Come on!” Agent Wolfex appeared in front of me with an open box of chocolates. The cover appeared to be missing.=====================================================================================First Lieutenant Sheffield did not know what to make of it when FBI Agent Wolfex appeared in front of him to offer some Swiss truffles. The lion, not sensing any hostility from the albino wolf, removed the cover of the box only for the albino to then disappear in a burst of blue light.Blinking at the spot where the albino wolf used to be, the lion shrugged and tossed the cover into a convenient rubbish bin as he turned the corner towards where he knew the toilets were.The lion would wash his face, so no one would accuse him of sleep-walking.=====================================================================================“Is that the limited-edition Lindt chocolate truffles? You shouldn’t have” I teased the wolf as I took the entire box out of his paws and walked out of the vault, popping one and savouring the taste of coconut on my tongue.“Hey! I paid good money for those! That cost me $53.00” the albino wolf whined as he made to follow me, only to halt at the entrance to the vault when he spotted his old platoon sergeant, Conrad, instructing the marines. Slowly, the albino wolf retraced his steps and prayed that the badger had not seen him.His prayers seemed to work as the badger looked at him without recognition and returned to leaving instructions for the guard rotation.“Too bad, I need a sweet treat after dealing with these assholes!” I declared as I turned a corner to the main dining hall. The French Navy had brought coroners, and the mammals were still cataloguing the dead.“Gunny, c’mere” I summoned the badger and as he left, the way was clear for Agent Wolfex to escape the vault.The wolf did so.Or rather, attempted to do so as a blue barrier prevented him from exiting the vault.
So not fair!

Punishment for eating too much at Poulet De La Mer. Don’t think I did not see your memories of the fifth platter of battered shrimp. It was supposed to be a stakeout, not a pig-out.

But I was hungry! Senior Agent Savage kept adding things to your grocery list and the line at the grocer’s took so long we were almost late for the stakeout too!

I will leave out of my report later that you ate yourself into a stupor. I’m also sure that CIA Director Joseph Albert Barnes will want to have an accurate accounting of how we spent his funds.

Oh dear… I used the card for the chocolates…and the cocoa…and the shrimp…and the chocolate-coated shrimp…

Did you buy enough for the whole team?

…maybe…?

Your stunned silence is very amusing, Agent Wolfex. I am going to request vacation time to buy Director Barnes a gift.
I closed the connection and placed the half-eaten box of chocolates on the table beside Agent Howlington. The brown wolf’s nose smelt the sweet treats and the agent roused himself to snack on what remained.The smell of coffee also permeated the air as Rook soon appeared with a serving tray that held different sized cups of Viennese coffee. From beaver to elephant, the cup was on the tray, and it weighed accordingly.I did not worry about him dropping the cups, but the rest of the agents in the dining hall did, as they put down what they were doing and removed cups to alleviate the strain on the hulk of a wolf.Rook placed the tray down in front of me and gestured for me to take a cup. I did so and looked him over.Rook had gotten rid of his entire outfit as it had been bloodstained with numerous species and was now decidedly in the fur. A full sack with testicles the size of oranges could be barely seen through the thick coat of fur, though the sheath was visibly larger than any canid and poked out of the luxurious carpet. Rook’s size made many agents feel uncomfortable and only similar large mammals like brown bears and moose were at ease around him.As much fun as it were to fantasise about Fenris Castle (Rook’s cover name), and the varied positions that mammals find themselves doing when bored, death by snu-snu would not be on the table.  
Young Master, I can feel your thoughts. While I am unhindered by orientation, I doubt your agents are so lucky.

Damn!

Indubitably, though the French seem unbothered.
“Agent Castle, you can return to your regular duties if you so wish” I informed the dire wolf as he tilted his head, as if contemplating the possibility before shaking his head.“Better if I stay near you, sir” the dire wolf rumbled out as everyone but me felt a chill creep up their spines.“Fine. Wake me at 0600” I informed him as I leaned back in the chair and closed my eyes as the events caught up to me. I began sawing logs.“Of course, sir” he replied as he picked me up from the chair and carried me to one of the former bedrooms of the mafiosi guards, laying me on a brown bear’s bed and he took the chair beside it. Tucking me under the bedcovers like a father does his pup.Glaring at anyone who looked in my general direction as I snoozed.=====================================================================================
December 19, 1995

0600 Hours

Vongola Estate,

Sicily

Special Envoy Ivan del Morte
 I woke to greet the morning sun, yawning as I did so and tasting my horrid morning breath as the Flemen reflex activated.Beside me, having procured a book from somewhere, Fenris also snoozed. The dire wolf and I felt knackered and no wonder. Neither of us got any adequate sleep and we had burnt off a large amount of energy dealing with the Sicilian crime boss’ lair and goons. Whilst Fenris had managed to replace most of what he burned by consuming the bodies of the dead, I was practically empty. The reservoir of energy I had was not enough for the operation and I was close to burning myself out.Again.I heard the entity chuckle from somewhere but did not manifest.Thank Heavens for that as a sharp rap on the ajar door woke Fenris and he growled out a warning.The scampering of claws letting me know that it was one of the new arrivals, as those initially involved in the clearing had gotten used to my butler’s odd demeanour.  “Good morning, Envoy del Morte” Agent Savage strolled in wearing camouflage trousers, assault webbing, and a Type III bullet-resistant vest with helmet. He was also carrying a clipboard and a pen.“Sign here, please” the jackrabbit informed me as he passed me the clipboard.I read it and groaned.It was a release form for loaned equipment that needed the signature of the NATO-Med High Commissioner. As I was still the head for the NATO-Med area, such paperwork went to me instead of Admiral Espoir. The ibex grateful that he was spared the paperwork, at least until I relinquished the position.I signed the form with my position as Acting NATO-Med High Commissioner and Agent Savage gave me a receipt as copy.“Citadel, send in the cages and the choppers” Agent Savage informed our airborne controller.“Solid copy, Agent Savage. We’ll be taking the mammals away now. Citadel signing off” the controller replied as the AWACS bid farewell.“Did my video conference equipment arrive as well?” I asked the striped jackrabbit.“Yup. Everything not bolted down from Toulon. As well as some that were” Jack replied cheekily, muttering the last bit under his breath.I ignored that.“Where’d you set it all up?” I asked instead as Rook followed me, his nakedness raising some eyebrows as he walked behind us with his swords once more on his waist.“Fourth-floor master bedroom. Why? Thinking of keeping the place going?” he asked me as I pondered the idea.“Not a bad idea. I’ll broach that topic at debrief to NATO and the Italian PM” I answered Jack as we walked up the staircase that was swept clear of brass and bodies. The maids that I had spared, hard at work setting things to rights. They nodded at me as I walked up and I gave a slight nod back.“Any jewels or gold in that vault downstairs?” Agent Frost soon joined us, a Paw Pilot™ in her right paw as she tapped away at it. Unlike everyone else in vests and gear, Agent Frost could pass as a secretary.“None. Merely sensitive documents and intelligence that kept the Bagnoles in power for much longer than necessary” I replied, already knowing who was asking as I saw the Department of Defence seal on the back of the Paw Pilot™.“SecDef knows. She woke up screaming when Special Agent Rosenthal appeared in her and Director Barnes’ bedroom. Shadowfax disavowed him when they found out” Agent Frost replied as she tapped on the screen with a stylus.“Didn’t know they were married” I commented as both Savage and Frost stopped in their tracks.“Seriously?” they echoed in stereo as I left them behind, Rook behind me.“I never saw a ring and I was too much of a gentlemammal to peek into the director’s mind” I answered as my voice echoed and I glanced back to see that the two agents were still on the third landing with muzzle agape.“I thought we had a debrief?” I asked the two of them as they gawked at me, before remembering why they were walking alongside me and hurried up the steps.I shook my furred head as I walked towards where the master bedroom used to be before the Bagnoles took it from the previous owner.All I had to do was follow the sound of mammals working and harried squeaking…Wait, harried squeaking?I sprinted towards the squeaking, instinctively removing my M4 rifle from my shoulders and raising it as I had yet to inform anyone that Luigi Vongola would be my overseer.As I rounded the corner towards where the master bedroom was located facing the front of the manor, I found three French marines forcing the family of shrews into a cage as they protested their innocence.“Oi, fuckfaces!” I ordered as the three ‘soldiers’ turned around and fired their weapons at me. I dropped to the floor, and they hit Rook instead. Rook howled in anger and drew more soldiers out as he charged the three. The soldiers setting up ducked back inside the master bedroom as the dire wolf charged the three and took off limbs.“Rook! I need them alive!” I ordered as I shot the rifles out of their paws.“Copy” the dire wolf replied as he knocked out two by slamming their noggins together, the third he rammed against his knee, and something cracked. Rook then dragged them back to me, the one he cracked on his knee trailing blood. The shrews using the dire wolf as transport back to my side.“Ragazzi, state bene?” I asked as the shrews buried themselves in my winter coat. [You guys okay?]“Savage! Seal the grounds! No one in or out!” I shouted back at a stunned jackrabbit as I barely held onto my rage that practically demanded I wipe these three from existence.“Ghost One to Ramstein, the compound is sealed. I have saboteurs” I spoke into the helmet I still wore despite my outfit looking like a sharp Armani suit.“Copy Ghost One. You have execute authority as provisional head of NATO-Med. Keep us posted, Admiral” came the reply over the NATO radios. Interestingly enough, the three’s radios were not patched into the frequency we were using.“All rotorwings, land and be searched. I repeat, land and be searched” the controller from Toulon, Capitaine Alexandre Renard, informed the hovering CH-46 Chinook heavy-lift helicopters in his French-accented English. The red fox anticipated that I would be having the grounds searched heavily before sounding the All-Clear.I nodded at his quick thinking through the open double doors.“Ghost One to all unit commanders. Come to the fourth-floor balcony and identify your mammals” I snapped out as I levitated the three idiots into the former master bedroom.“Monsieur! Mouvement dans la limite des arbres” Capitaine Renard called my attention as one of the mammals’ heads exploded into gore and brain matter. [Sir! Movement in the tree line.] I dropped the other two behind the balcony as a shot glanced off my helmet.“Baseplate, this is Ghost One. You’re cleared hot for bombrun on the tree line. Burn that sonuvabitch out!” I informed the Lincoln as the alert aircraft launched off the catapult from the barely visible carrier over the horizon, ostensibly on manoeuvres.  “Roger that, Ghost One. Icemam and Merlin are enroute. T-minus seven” the captain of the battlegroup, Adam Hitchens, replied.“Icemam, Merlin. Firewall those throttles. Ground targets not flashing are hostile” I let the jets know, using Toulon’s frequency.“Copy Ghost. We’re rolling in now. Bombs armed and ready to drop” came the cool, detached tone of one LCdr. Hank “Icemam” Hoyt.“Don’t short it and hit the house. Lotta friendlies in here” I reminded them, as the jets roared overhead before dropping their payloads in the treeline. I pulled the SAS and assorted troops to me as they would be in the blast radius, all of them blinking into the former bedroom.Including one SAS trooper who was sans his uniform.The magnificent fireball and the shockwave rocked the house with how close the drop was. The screams started soon after as mammals got caught in the fireball.“Drop ‘em!” I heard the gunnery sergeant over the radio and shots rang out, silencing the backyard.“Thanks for the save, sir!” Captain Willard remarked from his position flat on his ass.“Don’t mention it” I panted as my energy levels were close.“Any units see a lone SAS trooper? It’s a saboteur. All the SAS are in the master bedroom with Ghost Lead” Capitaine Renard broadcast as more shots rang out below us.“Requesting a medic, Brando is hit!” came the voice of Private Robert Marley.“Rook!” the dire wolf turned to look at me before nodding as he took the corner a little sharp and bowled over the disguised saboteur who was launched into the wall by the impact with the freight train that was my butler.“Standby, kiddo. I’ll be down in two shakes” I informed the marine as Rook brought in the last mammal.To be sure, I sent out a ping through the entire grounds of the villa. There were no more foreign agents on the grounds or on the landed Chinooks as the flight crews shut down the birds and stepped out with their paws up.“Ghost Lead, this is Baseplate. Spooling additional birds to assist” Captain Hitchens offered.“Send in some Vipers for gunship support, Baseplate. I’ll write you a check later” I informed the Lincoln as the captain accepted.“That’s affirm, Ghost Lead. Vipers in the air”“Capitaine Renard, sound the All Clear” I informed the fox controller as he did just that.“Ramstein, this is Ghost Lead. All saboteurs neutralised. Standing down from Alert Five” I informed the German base.“Solid copy, Ghost Lead. Need any help with interrogation?”“No need general. I’ve two interrogators here from GIGN and MI-6. They’ll do the job” I politely turned down the Ramstein AFB European Command aid.“If you’re sure Admiral. Ramstein, out” the reply came back, the voice sounding relieved.“James, take off the respirator. I know that’s you even when you shaved your mane” I instructed Captain Willard’s second-in-command as the lion did just that.“How’d you guess?” Commander James Veldt replied as the foremost double-o smoothed out his fur.“You forgot to switch out your aftershave. We met in Seattle remember?” I informed him so as to jog his memory. “Snow leopard butler wielding gold-plated Desert Eagle”.“That was you? Damn, I now owe M fifty quid” the lion joked as he smirked.“Commander Truffle, come to the command centre at the fourth-floor master bedroom” I summoned the GIGN Marseille commander.“Oui, Seigneur. On my way” came the reply.  “Brando, this might sting a bit” I whispered as I summoned the marine from his battle buddy.The cougar gasped out in pain as he was riddled with 9mm bullets from the SAS MP5 wielded by the infiltrator dangling from Rook’s paws.I took a deep breath as my energy levels were well and truly shot. Concentrating on setting the mammal back to rights, I first imagined the bullets being ejected from the wounds and the wounds closing as the tissue healed.I snapped my fingers and promptly collapsed as I sent the last of the energy into the cougar to heal. The shrews clambering onto a snarling Rook as he tore the neck open of the captive in his paws.=====================================================================================“It seems you overdid it again, pequeña Muerte” Death spoke to me when I next opened my eyes to see his red irises and black pupils. [little Death]“Should I have just left him to die?” I asked the entity as poured out another cup of tea for me to sip, wordlessly passing me the cup. “Thank you”.“It would have been his time to die, either from the bullets or the operation that followed. Did you know he had haemophilia?” the entity asked as he sipped at his tea.“Should I have?” I asked as I downed the cup of tea in one go, barely tasting the chamomile.“Not unless you were the surgeon. But we are getting off-topic. Do you know how many lives you’ve lost since you came to this world?” Death asked me as I stared back up at the star-lit sky.“Four times by my count. One at Walter Reed, one at Camp David, one onboard Air Force One, and one today” I answered as I ticked off the lives of a cat.“Very good. At least you know your own mortality. Or you would have if Time did not also like you” Death smiled as I knew how much more I had before I would have gone to him with open arms. Before muttering that Time made it moot.“You are too reckless gatito, unlike your old counterpart’s measured moves” Death continued as he poured me another cup as I polished it off. [kitten]“I cannot stand by as others suffer, not when I have the power to prevent a greater suffering” I replied, instantly knowing as soon as the words left my mouth that it was the wrong thing to say.“…” Death sighed as he shook his head good-naturedly at my naivete.“Do not get me wrong, gatito. I approve wholeheartedly of you improving the world. But be careful as you do it. Once your nine lives are up, you will depart this world and take up your mantle as my Reaper” the entity informed me as he pushed the tea pot to me as I poured another cup. [kitten]“I’ll try. A politician on my old world once said: For evil to triumph, good men must do nothing. I don’t want to see this new home of mine fall as well” I informed Death as the wolf smiled at my gung-ho attitude.“I cannot believe I am saying this, but I will grant you a stay on you joining me as a Reaper when your lives end” the entity promised.“Will I remember this conversation?” I asked as I finally put down the empty cup, feeling refreshed from the soul tea.“No. But you will always know when to let things go. Hasta luego, pequeña Muerte” the entity farewelled me as the island brightened.  [See you later, little Death.]=====================================================================================
January 2, 1996

Johns Hopkins Medical Centre

Baltimore, Maryland

Special Agent Ivan del Morte / NATO-Med High Commissioner
 I opened my eyes to a wintry Wonderland outside my window.The electronic beeping of machines letting me know I was once more in a hospital. I sighed good-naturedly as I felt the pool of energy that I possessed lap gently at my fingertips, begging to heal my body.The energy felt both sentient and not at the same time. A conundrum that I was sure would bother me if I were a lesser mammal.It just was and nothing more needs to be said.The energy agreed and purred like I do when content.The sweet scent of flowers tickled my nose as I turned my head to see the voluminous bouquets crowding the suite of this expensive hospital.I wondered how much the bill was going to be. My insurance definitely would balk at what was spent on me.I closed my eyes as I let darkness swallow me.=====================================================================================The next time I awoke, I opened my eyes to see Rook curled up like a Great Pyrenees on the bed. My first retainer growling a little as he dreamed.As I held my breath at the cute scene, one feral blue eye opened and stared into my own. Sentience returned and he crawled up to me to hold me close.“I thought you would never wake again, Young Master Morte” the dire wolf wept as hot tears splashed onto me. “I thought I would be alone forevermore”.“I could not do that to you, Rook. My heart also hurts when I think of leaving you alone for eternity, unable to die as you wait for me to come back” I whispered as I held the dire wolf close as he continued to weep.Looking inwardly, I felt for the strings that I was playing with in France and Sicily.The joyous mental cries of the GIGN, SAS, FBI, and CIA agents a balm to my soul.
Seigneur! You will be pleased to learn that the infiltrators are no more!

Every time I see you, Ivan, the world gets just a tad more exciting than I remember. Come to London some time. I do need a second mammal to stand up to M.

Ruddy big wolves, tigers, bobcats, lynxes, lions, a caracal, and a sheep gobbled up the bastards like they were at an all-you-can-eat buffet!

You still owe me $53.00 for the box of chocolates! I would have found a way to bring you back just to charge you for those truffles!

Thank Luna, I can tell Gary to quit the howling! He’s been driving me insane!

Mio Signore, the villa is fixed, and we stand ready to receive the first batch. It is good to have you back amongst the living.

Hi there, uh, Shinigami sir. Why am I able to hear you too? Also, Admiral Espoir is pleased down here at Toulon since all the paperwork is being forwarded to your office here. Come down some time and release the chair? I think its von de Brandewijn’s turn in June.

If you see Andrew, tell him his long watch is over. He can come in from the cold.
I cherished the voices of the others as it came over the mental telepathy lines.From first to last: Commander Truffle of GIGN Marseille, James Veldt ‘007’, Captain Willard of SAS Hereford, FBI Special Agent Daniel Wolfex, CIA Special Agent Larry Howlington, Overseer Luigi Vongola, Navy Lieutenant Anders, CIA Director Joseph Albert Barnes.I tapped the line that led to one CIA Senior Agent Andrew Rosenthal and the wolf perked up from under a pile of snow with direct line of sight to a bunker in the former East Germany.“Come on in Andrew. Time to come home” I whispered into the room as I saw what the hulking wolf saw.
Not yet sir. My old handler is here, and he needs a bullet between his eyes.

I will scramble NATO forces to cover your exfil. Don’t make me wake up the old OPFOR just to scoop your mangy hide.

Glad to hear your awake sir. Hang on, the old bastard has a case on him. I’m taking the shot now.

Roger that. I have a TLAM inbound for the bunker. Three more following. Make your shot and I’ll bury the complex.

Firing. Target down. Beautiful strike sir!
I saw it through Agent Rosenthal’s scope as the bear grasped at his neck before falling and the cruise missile entering through the open bunker gate only to detonate inside, rocking the complex as three more followed.One hit the dying bear, obliterating him and his suitcase. One dropped straight down onto the bunker entrance. The last one went into a mine shaft and collapsed the bunker into a tangled mess of concrete and steel.“Mission complete, come home. If not to the Agency, at least to The Villa” I whispered as Rook held me close.I’ll be home in time for Epiphany. Thank you sir.

----- CHAPTER BREAK -----

January 12, 1996

Presidential Suite,

Johns Hopkins Hospital,

Baltimore, Maryland

Special Agent Ivan del Morte (Shinigami)

“Good morning, Agent. May I come in?” a knock sounded on the open door as I performed the bane of every government worker as I sat on my hospital bed.Paperwork.Reams and reams of mind-numbing paperwork.Why the hell do I even need a document with File No. A-113 to recoup my travel expenses? I flew overseas on Air Force One and came back ostensibly via the same flight. My land travels? Covered by GIGN and CIA accounts. Sea travel? MNS Normandie was my boat. Room and board? I stayed at Toulon Naval Base for most of the trip.I very much was tempted to rewrite this particular bureaucratic process out of existence as there was a form for a form to a form that gives me access to a form that would remove an obstacle that did not even exist!I looked up from transcribing what I was doing overseas into my long-delayed AAR and saw who my visitor was.That rack was unmistakable.“Good morning, Mister President!” I sat up in attention, ever mindful of my primary care physician’s warning to tie me to the bed if I thought of escaping before I was fully recovered. With my energy levels recovered, I could conceivably stay in San Diego with but a snap of my fingers.I would take it easy as I was now on “enforced medical leave”.“Glad I caught you before you checked yourself out like in Lyon. May I sit?” the president made small talk as he took a seat on the thin cushion of the visitor’s chair in the suite.“What can I do for you Mister President?” I asked my prestigious guest as I put down the signed paper relinquishing my stint as Provisional High Commissioner for NATO-Med and returning power back to the pool of admirals into another completed stack on an ‘Out’ tray.“For starters, I would like to apologise for my conduct” he raised his hoof to stop me from speaking, “Let me finish. Where was I? Oh yes, apologise for my conduct during our telephone call as I did not understand the stress you were under at The Villa”.“Apology accepted, Mister President. May I ask why you are here sir? A simple phone call would suffice to bring me the news” I answered politely as I put down the pen and clasped my paws on the hospital table that doubled as my office table.“Well, I kinda forgot that Atlanta will be hosting the Olympic games this year. I wanted to extend a personal invitation to attend the opening of the games” the president muttered sheepishly as he rubbed the back of his head with his left hoof.“Did the First Lady have you practice the apology sir?” I thought back to the apology which, though heartfelt as I could tell, felt stilted and canned.“Hilary said I could sleep on the Presidential couch till I did. Let me tell you that couch is hell on my back” the president admitted with a chuckle as the particular crinkling around his eyes told me he was genuinely amused.A knock came on the open door as a Secret Service agent stuck her head in. “Mister President, you had a meeting right now with the hospital director? He’s wondering how much longer your ‘bathroom break’ will be taking” the female musk ox asked as she held a hoof to her right ear, listening on the earbud.“Tell him I’ll be a while still. I had three large coffees and it’s coming out all at once” the president smiled his megawatt smile at the unfazed agent.“Of course, Mister President” the agent acquiesced as she spoke into the microphone she held in her hoof as she walked away. “Nine Points will be a while still. I don’t even know why you requested me for doody duty. If you wanna inhale the room-clearing (farts, fine by me)”.“That’s not all there is to this visit, is there Mister President?” I queried the white-tailed stag as he chewed his lip on what to say next.“Well, Congress has been mulling it over in secret for almost a month now, but they want you to take the position of FBI Deputy Director. Director Logan is retiring at the end of the month and Deputy Director Monahan will take his place” the president dropped it on me with an impish smile.“Mister President, I’m flattered. However, I’m still considered a new agent at the Bureau. I don’t have the required experience to actually be a foil to future director Monahan” I stammered out excuses, floored that Congress wanted a newbie agent wanted to shoehorn me into the second spot of the Bureau, and bypassing everyone else in the line of succession.The president halted my excuses with a raised hoof as he asked, “Simple yes or no Ivan. So, I can inform Congress to pick another choice for Deputy Director”.“How about Special Agent Savage? At least until I clear the two years of probation that every new agent has. I have yet to be sent as embassy attaché or work a major case that did not involve gunfire?” I informed the president as I could see the curl of anger before it vanished as I explained.Rook, though, could pick up on it and my butler appeared in the suite with swords drawn.“Master Morte, you are in distress?” he asked as he manifested with fangs bared and his two swords drawn.The dire wolf was openly snarling as he sniffed the suite for threats, replacing the swords back into their scabbards when there was none.“Sweet Mother of Mercy, your butler can appear at will?” the president grabbed at his chest in shock.“Among other things” I replied as I tried to play down the situation as Rook vanished, taking some of the paperwork with him for filing.I pitied the clerk who would be meeting him today. Rook tolerated only I and the cadre of agents with us in France and Sicily.“I’m still trying to get him to leave me be. I don’t need defending every time I’m in distress” I assured the president as he stared at where Rook had vanished.“If I had a bodyguard like him, then Paris would have been easier” the president muttered as he stood up.I had to stop that line of thinking before it flowered.“Mister President, Bill, if you had Rook as bodyguard; the press would call you worse things than ‘Enabler of Neo-Imperialism’. Rook has a singular focus in his life: protect me at all costs. His method of approaching threats always end in dismemberment or death. Would you want it on your conscience that a mere kid was killed because they jeered at you and your bodyguards’ response was immediately lethal?” I informed him as gently as I could.The president thought about it, before shaking his head as he sighed “There goes four more years and probably jail time. I could use one like him, but not with that high a price attached”.“Focus on the upcoming games, Mister President. I’ll attend if the doctor clears me by then” I joked with him, and he chuckled as well.We shared the same doctor at Johns Hopkins.A red fox by the name of Frederick D. Young known as ‘Freddy One Cross’ as he used to be a champion boxer in college, knocking out opponents with a southpaw cross that always sent them reeling into the ropes. Especially opponents who thought their size would mean they could overpower the scrawny fox in the ring.The fox had taken an interest in medicine, using the money from the fights to fund his own tuition. Despite the numerous blows to the head, or in spite of it, Dr. Young graduated from Yale Medical School with honours and passed the Physician’s Licensure Examination in the State of Maryland with the highest score on record: 97.8%. The record has stood unbroken since the good doctor sat for the board in 1968 when foxes were actively discriminated against in practice of their profession.“Stop by the White House when you’re discharged, Ivan. I have a feeling that you could do with the familiarity. Good luck with that paperwork” was the president’s parting shot as he stood up from the chair and left me to focus on the diminishing stacks of paperwork.I waved back absently as I focused on who I would be snapping out of existence with this new form about property damage in a foreign country in performance of their duty.=====================================================================================
January 15, 1996

Presidential Suite,

Johns Hopkins Hospital,

Baltimore, Maryland

Special Agent Ivan del Morte
 “Hey, you’re awake!” a white wolf and his partner, a brown wolf with cream front, entered with a brown paper bag. The smell of charbroiled meat making my mouth water as I looked down at my bland hospital meal of lettuce, rice, and fish. I had a Jell-O cup for dessert, which I was not exactly a fan of as I preferred the real deal. Chocolate mousse in a cup did not seem all that appealing when one has gotten used to the specialty works of La Rocher in Zootopia.“Gary, Larry. What can I do for you?” I asked over a pair of glasses as I finished the final touches on the last stack of paperwork. I could finally breathe a sigh of relief as I cracked my spine from sitting on the bed without moving for hours at a time.Rook had given me a pair of reading glasses to make me look older as I worked. It had simple glass lenses, not ground to any prescription.“Weeeeeellll, Gary and I were in the area; and we wanted to know if you wanted a good old Animalian cheeseburger and French Fries. We just bought these from the Burger Town across from the hospital. You know it’s packed with medical staff? We sure didn’t” Agent Larry Howlington informed me as he brought out the cheeseburger, a packet of large fries, and a milkshake; placing these on my tray to eat.“Hope you like strawberry, sir. Gary claimed the chocolate one” Larry pointed a thumb back at Gary who was happily slurping up the milkshake in an empty chair.“New assignment?” I asked as I unwrapped the wax paper to reveal the melted gooey Animalian cheese, the charbroiled chicken steaks, the secret sauce, and a wilted lettuce; before taking a bite at the comfort food I missed.If it were not Rook bringing food from the San Diego manor in contravention of Doctor Young’s orders, the hospital food also left something to be desired with its lack of taste.“You could say that, sir” Gary piped up as he bit into the juicy burger, scattering juices which landed on some of my papers. “Oops”.I just shook my head as I snapped the papers clean. Gary had not learned table manners from Agent Sullivan, it seemed.“Undercover and for how long?” I asked, intrigued as Death supplied me with an image of two wolves howling outside a rainy fortress.“Don’t know yet, sir” Larry answered this time. “The company that we are supposed to infiltrate and apply for is only accepting wolves and Director Barnes fears it may be another pred supremacy movement”.“Why are you telling me though?” I asked as I thought such matters would be kept secret to prevent leaks.
Oh, my mind is leak-proof…

Indeed, Young Master.
“In case something happens to Gary and I, at least someone knows where we went. At least, for our families’ sake” Larry answered as he looked over at the unconcerned white wolf devouring a packet of fries.“Also, I need to ask this. Is the company Zootopia-based?” I pressed the matter further.When the two wolves nodded, my headache increased.Zootopia had designated itself a gun-free zone and its police service were in the process of retraining for non-lethal takedowns. That meant tasers and tranquilisers, firearms would be frowned upon.“Can you keep your firearms certifications current? If not, come to me when the Bureau finally finishes its building and I’ll work my magic” I promised the two agents, fully knowing I would have to pretend not to notice them if they do show up.“Also” this time it was Gary who rubbed the back of his head in a sheepish manner, “how are you with interspecies relationships? Or with two males sleeping together?”“I don’t care if the two of you are sleeping together, spooning, or outright knotting. Just don’t do it in front of me and I can pretend the fraternisation policies are mere puffs of smoke. Happy?” I replied in the driest manner I could imagine.“Not really, but we can live with that” Gary grabbed Larry to plant a sloppy kiss on the brown wolf’s cheek before downing the rest of his milkshake.I unknowingly removed a page from future ZPD chief of police Adrian Bogo when I just shrugged and muttered “I don’t care” as I finished my cooling burger. It tasted of stale oil, and I hurriedly swallowed before it hardened into an unrecognisable goop.“Congratulations then” I informed Agent Howlington as the brown wolf moved to take a bite of the burger and froze halfway to his mouth. He stayed like that for a few moments as his brain rebooted and he went in close.I leaned in as well before removing all sound from the vicinity and closing the door with but a thought.“That’s actually the cover story the Agency has for us. But, it seems that Gary had a crush on me since we joined. All I ever saw was an annoying little brother” Agent Howlington replied as his partner had downed a second milkshake that looked like strawberry.I nodded as this made a lot more sense than unrequited love between friends and soon to be partners.“Any feelings for him at this time?” I asked, knowing I would have to be more circumspect in the future as not everyone was as understanding.There were whispers behind my back that Rook was more than a butler and bodyguard. He was a bedwarmer for when the nights got too cold, said one theory. Some of the more outlandish theories placed Rook as a repurposed Yakuza experiment who imprinted on me and followed me everywhere as he thought of me as his master. While all rumours had a kernel of truth to them, the one that used to trend in the Bureau gossip space said that Rook belonged to a lost tribe of ferals with ties to the mythical wolf of destruction, Fenrir.I say used because I rewrote history and made the last one the truth.The only three mammals to know were my uncle, the Justice Secretary, Special Savage, and Rook himself. When I tried tampering with the connection to Rook for greater autonomy and less dependence on me, it caused me great pain. Death had appeared and informed me that part of my soul was now attached to the dire wolf. I could not erase myself and Rook was Shinigami’s most loyal retainer in my future past self. Rook’s sole purpose now was to protect me.If it meant ending the world, the dire wolf would do so.“I hope not. I don’t want to fall for a wolf pup whose first instinct is to howl and cause a ruckus” Larry answered, bringing me out of my own thoughts.“In any case, invite me to the wedding” I palmed a piece of paper into the wolf agent’s paw with my new contact information. The Bureau had seen fit to give me a phone for ease of contact and I shared it with Larry in case he needed an extraction. Also, I slipped him one of the last black credit cards not yet taken from me by the Agency.When Larry looked down at the paper and the piece of plastic, I turned my head to give the wolf a nod. I had a feeling the two of them would be publicly disavowed and their assets frozen. I snapped and the world moved on as usual again.“Keep that somewhere safe, Larry. Don’t let Gary use it and if it gets stolen, call me. That account is a hot one linked to a known terror group. Right now, all their accounts are active, but there is no telling in the future” I whispered as the wolf agent gravely nodded as he placed it into his leather jacket’s pocket.“Godspeed on your undercover Op” I gave the brown wolf a slight blessing that nothing fatal would happen to the two of them.“Come on Gary, we need to go shopping for a few outfits” Larry loudly announced as he stuffed the remaining burger down his throat and swiped my can of soda, dragging the white puppy out the door of my hospital suite.“Agent Sanderson!” I called out and summoned an antelope wearing the blue blazer of the FBI.“Sir, who are those wolves? I would have stopped them, but they flashed a badge at me” the junior agent asked as he had a hoof on his hip holster, removing it as he approached me.“Those two are from The Firm, saved my ass down in Sicily during Operation Spearfish. The brown wolf took a bullet for me” I lied to the agent, knowing that this antelope was part of the gossip ring. I had tested it by saying FBI Director Logan would give a new car to fresh agents who could break into his office as a joke as I was talking with FBI Deputy Director Monahan before we left for France. D.C. office had to bring in agents from elsewhere as Director Logan suspended twenty junior agents dumb enough to believe the rumour.“CIA? Like really sir?” the antelope asked incredulously as I fixed him with a dry look that made him gulp.“If I told you to go jump out my suite’s window because I told you we were on the ground floor, would you verify it or would you jump?” I asked as I pushed a call button for a nurse. I was ready to check out.=====================================================================================
February 1, 1996

CIA Director’s Office

CIA Headquarters,

Langley, Virginia

Special Agent Ivan del Morte (Shinigami)

“Ivan, it brings me no pleasure to have to inform you personally that Special Agents Lawrence Howlington and Gary Murray have been disavowed by the Agency” Director Barnes informed me as we sat in his office. I was called in from D.C. to oversee a ‘personal matter’.I was able to escape as neither Director Monahan nor Deputy Director Savage saw eye to eye.“Dare I ask why, sir?” I questioned this move as the two performed admirably during the assault and mop-up. I already knew why from my stay at the hospital.The wolf merely rubbed his forehead as he sighed. “They were caught snogging in the copy room” the wolf let me know, shaking out a manila envelope with several pictures of the wolf duo in compromising poses. There was even one where Larry was bending Gary over the photocopier and appeared to be humping the white wolf.“I thought the fraternisation policies here were quite lenient, Director Barnes?” I posed the question to the director in such a way that I appeared to look at it from an academic’s perspective.“They are. It’s just that we had some visitors from the State Department, and they got an eyeful when they opened the wrong door” Director Barnes sadly informed me, knowing how close the two wolves were to me.Bonds forged in combat and all that.I slowly let out my breath, fingers readied as if for a snap and Director Barnes winced. These snaps of mine could cause great damage if I so wanted. That I used it for healing made me the most competent field medic in the director’s eyes.“Give me the real reason, Director. Before I yank it out of you” I growled lowly, not looking at him as my eyes glowed blue.“I should have known your sources would have told you” the director relaxed as he slumped in his chair in relief. “It’s a long-term undercover assignment with Knight-Howlington Private Security Group. It just came into being on the 8th of January as you lay in your coma. Incorporated by the SEC on the 12th of November 1995, but the name was not activated until the 8th. We fear that it is the beginnings of another predator supremacy movement. Though, you managed to take out the old one under Richard Vines and his cronies. Great job there, by the way. State Department feared a resurgence and requested that the two of them go in as new recruits”.I leaned back in my chair as I steepled my fingers. “Why not send me in then?” I asked.“The federal government has better use of you, Shinigami, for outside threats. As such, I have been ordered to appoint you as my successor if ever my time as director comes to an end” Director Barnes replied as he seemingly collapsed in his chair.“You know I cannot accept this. I cannot be split forever between my job in D.C. and here” I informed him sadly. Though the salary and perks would help, I saw no current benefit in my becoming a full member of the Agency.“It’s out of my paws now. The House Intelligence Committee has placed your name on the shortlist, and they vote on it tomorrow. Gods willing, they choose someone else” Director Barnes informed me as I rubbed my head.I had not foreseen this.Neither did Death as he too grew silent.   
Find out all you can. This was not in any of the timelines. You have broken new ground.
=====================================================================================
February 5, 1996

House Intelligence Committee,

U.S. Capitol Building,

Capitol Hill,

Washington D.C.

CIA Interim Deputy Director Ivan del Morte

“Good morning, esteemed members of the House Intelligence Committee” I started my prepared speech as I stood before the five-panel committee.Director Barnes’ prediction came true. Despite the other names on the list with more seniority than I, the panel voted unanimously to have me sworn in as the interim Deputy Director of the CIA.“I would first like to thank this panel for its trust in me. I hope that I can fulfil the duties and responsibilities of this job to the best of my abilities” I continued talking as I scanned their minds to see whose idea this all was.The most esteemed senator from Ohio, Albert Robespierre, had been the one to put forth my nomination. I checked further and I found out why.“I also would like to thank you for continued support of our intelligence agencies” I continued to butter them up in front of the cameras as they preened for the news crews.Richard Vines had been instrumental in more than just killing my uncle’s butler. Richard Vines had orchestrated the murder of the senator’s wife, disguising it as a mugging gone wrong. The good senator only learned of my involvement when I had helped break another supremacy abroad. The absolute destruction of the Yakuza and the mention that a snow leopard was involved proof enough for the senator to believe it was I.“So, it is with a heavy heart, that I must turn down the appointment as I lack the experience. I welcome this committee to try again with a more suitable candidate” I let the bomb drop on their stunned faces.The limelight is not for me. Not if I want to continue as an undercover operative.“Mister del Morte, if I may interject?” the chair of the committee, Senator Richard Best of Illinois (R), interrupted when it looked like I had more to say.“Yes Senator?” I queried as I shuffled my notes. The sheets of paper contained not my actual speech, but the expense reports I had been forwarded from NATO-Med. Admiral Espoir declining to resume the position until Admiral von de Brandewijn’s ascension.“Will the press and guests kindly leave the session hall? This part is closed-door only” the quick-thinking senator from Florida, Archibald ‘Archie’ Ferox, stated calmly into the microphone as he looked at his bewildered colleague.“There is no need for them to leave, senator” I replied as I discreetly snapped and the video feed to the home stations disappeared into snow as those not privy vanishing from the session hall, memory altered to show they had all been escorted out. All listening devices also stopped working, confounding intelligence agencies trying to get a sneak peek into the hearing.Once the doors slammed shut behind us, leaving only myself and CIA Director Joseph Barnes fronting the Intelligence Committee, the panel left their high podium and came down to sit with us like an impromptu town hall.“If I may be frank agent?” Senator Robespierre gestured with his paw as the hare climbed onto the table and sat on it. Contrary to Deputy Director Savage’s striking marks on his fur, this hare was a golden brown. Similar to a perfectly cooked stroopwaffel.I simply nodded as I leaned back on the cushy office chair.“We” indicating himself and his nervous-looking colleagues, “would like to pledge our allegiance to you. To swear fealty if you will”.I growled under my breath, sending the six mammals shivering as it resonated in their souls. Their mammalian shells vanished in my vision, replaced by six quivering souls as the colour bled out of the world.“Do you know what you ask of me? To tie yourselves irrevocably to me?” I asked as one of the panel’s souls vacillated between joining and running.“Ivan?” the soul beside me asked. “What is happening?”“What do you see happening, Joseph?” I instead asked the soul beside me.“Why are we in a void devoid of light save for some stars twinkling overhead?” the one in front of me asked, a helpful tag identifying this one as Archie Ferox.“This is the void between worlds. Between the mortal and immortal realms. Those stars you see are the souls of those who have gone on ahead to their rewards” I answered, feeling Death hum in my ear as an island of white sand appeared beneath us.
Thank you.

No, this is all you. I am here only to watch.
“And the void?” one asked.“Contains the souls of those who must work off their sins, indistinct from the rest of creation until such time that their souls are cleansed” I answered again, the mantle of Death flowing around me.“Or if I take a liking to them like this one” Death interrupted as he manifested in front of the six. “Hello, young one. I could not resist the pull of this dark soul” the wolf entity pointed at the splotchy soul of Ana Marie Princess Sparkel as his sickles came out.The vacillating soul.“For now, I will not take your oaths of fealty. I did so once before, and this is the result” I summoned Rook into this realm of starlight.The dire wolf stepping aside as his old form shimmered into view. That of a paralysed brown bear, head of the foremost criminal organisation in East Asia.“I take your oaths now and your forms will be similar to his. I will wait for your time to run out before I return. To prevent you speaking about these, a seal has been placed on your souls. Though your conscious minds will not process it, your souls will recognise the seals when one of the other marked come close” I informed them, using the growl Death first used on me.“I’m dying anyway. Doctors gave me two months. One of the reasons we are doing this kangaroo hearing” Senator Robespierre admitted as his soul came forward; there are no secrets in death. “I already made peace with myself. Last of my line”.“First, I send you to your loved ones. Victoria is eager to see you and introduce you to the kits: Roger, Albert Jr., William, and Kathleen” I smiled warmly as the jackrabbit’s soul vibrated with joy as I sent him on his way to them, a tether attached that would bring him back to the island.“Now, what to do with the five of you?” I asked rhetorically as I paced on the white sand of the island.“Ivan, what is happening outside?” the soul that was Joseph Barnes asked.“Have a look for yourselves” as a screen came into being, showing the six mammals seated rigidly, eyes open as my body kept marking out the approvals for the NATO-Med papers.“Time moves differently in here. What would seem like eternity is just five milliseconds outside” I answered as my body snapped and burned a paper.“Whose report was that?” Archie Ferox dared ask as Death glared at Sparkel’s soul.“A particularly pushy sailor requesting reimbursement for his purchase of sexual prophylactics that were confiscated during a contraband search” I answered easily.“How many?” the soul asked as I smirked back. “Ah, never mind then”.I chuckled at how easily the panel accepted the truth, the only holdout being Sparkel.“Do you still wish to take the oath, Albert?” I asked as the weeping jackrabbit appeared, his borrowed time with his family running out.“I do. Victoria and our kits agreed it would be best for future generations to have protections enshrined into law” the soul stated confidently, his mortal form being shed.“Excellent” I declared as I snapped my fingers and all but two souls remained. The screen showed four mammals collapse like marionettes without strings.“Do you want this as well, Archie?” I turned to the other soul who remained.“Yes Shinigami. I will serve you” the soul replied as I got the impression of a humbled red wolf squire kneeling on a castle floor before the king of a feudal Europe.“Very well. Know that your body outside will collapse and any attempt to revive you will fail as your soul transfers into a new body” I informed him.“I will choose your names and your loyalty will be to me alone. No one else can claim it. Those who try will be put to the sword as pretenders” I intoned formally as the two gave assent.“We accept those terms” the two replied in unison.“Now speak the oaths of binding” I replied as Death helped me alter the first oath I had used.“Do you swear to pledge yourselves to Shinigami until your sentence is completed? Do you swear to give yourself over to Shinigami until I release you: mind and soul?” I asked the two souls, separating mortal from immortal. My mistake with Rook was binding him tightly, intertwining his soul with some of mine.  “We solemnly pledge ourselves to Shinigami. We give ourselves over to you, Shinigami. Our minds are yours; our souls are yours. May we be as faithful to you in the performance of our duties as you are to us in granting this our request” the two intoned as their errors were wiped clean, souls shining in the eternal gloom of the void.“I accept your pledges of allegiance and fealty. Know that I am a generous master, and you may request aid if you so choose, in the performance of your duties as my retainers”.“Now rise and accept your new forms as my retainers” as I concentrated on the forms as the souls were soon enclosed inside a skeleton similar to that of Rook’s. The dire wolf acting as a template for these two.Death chuckled as the souls merged with their new bodies, watching as the two took their first steps on digitigrade legs before shifting to the plantigrade every mammal walked on. Like Rook, both were immune to disease and poison. Nothing short of an atomic device of a yield five times greater than the one that was dropped on the Hiroshima of my old world would even scratch them.Unlike the dire wolf, they had no horns nor were they the same height as he. I had thought of Agent Rosenthal and the two new wolves were based on his form, bulky yet not overly so.Rook had my eyes, the other two had eyes of amber and green.Their coats as well were different: the former jackrabbit had a coat of arctic white and the former wolf had a coat of tan and taupe with a cream-coloured front. Both panted as the energy of the change dissipated, pink tongues hanging out from muzzles filled with dagger-like teeth. Bite force equivalent to that of unmodified tigers. Both were still male, paws cupping their genitals and letting out sighs of relief. Pink flesh peeking out of their canine sheaths at the arousal both felt as they explored their bodies. The rabbit unused to paw pads and moaning every time he hit a sensitive area.Joint exclamations of : “Damn, is that my dick?” “Holy fuck, I’m bigger than before!” and “What is….…oh……...that’s……...gooooooddd” “If I had a mirror, I’d kiss myself!”The deeper voice both now possessed startling them and the former red wolf accidentally swiped the former jackrabbit across his back. The canine yipe of surprise replaced by a growl as the former herbivore turned and tackled his counterpart, both of them roughhousing on the ‘sand’. Instead of biting or clawing, as I expected, the former jack used his legs like a kangaroo’s and kicked upward. The sharp claws, propelled by the powerful leg muscles, barely grazing the skin, but enough to throw off the other. Neither knew yet how to use the weapons they now had at their disposal, the former jackrabbit more so.Rook would instruct them at The Villa.We had some “expendable live targets”.“What now, Sir?” both growled low in unison after they finished admiring their bodies, muscles flexing through their coats.“Now? We wake” as I snapped, and the void fell away.EMTs were now surrounding their old bodies and CPR was being conducted as we watched on with faux concern.The new bodyguards ignored for the moment as Rook snarled out at a felled assassin with a broken bloody blade in their hoof as EMTs also looked me over; the vest I wore under the suit having stopped the blade. The sombre look on my face at odds with how pleased I felt underneath at two more joining the ranks. I started a countdown for their service.In a millennium, the two would go free.   =====================================================================================
February 12, 1996

Washington Cathedral,

Washington, D.C.

CIA Interim Deputy Director Ivan del Morte
 “Lord, as we commend the souls of these two mammals into Your Eternal Grace, may we look back on their lives and celebrate their triumphs. May we also remember where they stumbled and know that the events happened through Your Will” Archbishop Thomas Uagadou intoned as he presided over the service of the two deceased senators. The zebra swinging the incense censer over the flag-draped caskets of both mammals.“It’s humbling to know that this is the turn-out for your own funeral” the former jackrabbit mumbled out in the front row as only half the church was filled. Most of it being VIPs and the rest protection for said VIPs.Now called Aidan Keith Wolfson (former jackrabbit), a transplant from County Kerry with his brother, Brady Ronan Wolfson (former red wolf). The two had applied for citizenship. It was granted on the condition that both serve in the armed forces or on my security detail. They picked my detail and would be ran ragged for the next three months.The two wolves were on opposite sides of the cathedral, above the pews as they blended in with the Secret Service agents on overwatch. Clad in perfectly cut suits that covered their buff bodies with just the right amount of body fat, the two arctic wolves wasted no time in mimicking the agents’ posture and stance.“Cut the chatter, you two” I whispered over their radios as I had to make a eulogy being one of the last mammals to see them alive. The two had radios that only connected to mine, separate from the ones the Secret Service were using.“Right sir.” “Sorry sir” came the replies as I tried my hardest not to smile at how quickly they were adapting to their forms.Smiling at a funeral was bad, doubly so when everyone gave me a wide berth as my name is synonymous with death.I need not have bothered with the eulogy. I was not called up to the lectern nor did anyone remember why I was even there. Just that I was present at their deaths and confirmed as Interim Deputy Director.The funeral procession of the two caskets brought us to the U.S. Capitol building where the two would lie in-state until being flown home to their states for burial.I was no longer at the procession, called away by work. The only delegate who had to leave as I was making everyone feel uneasy.=====================================================================================
March 7, 1996

Special Agent-in-Charge Homer Simpson’s Office,

FBI Field Office,

Atlanta, Georgia

CIA Interim Deputy Director Ivan del Morte (Shinigami)

“Run that by me again, Agent Simpson” I asked the brown bear who gulped uneasily behind the table in the Alfred Porridge federal building three blocks from the Olympic stadium.“Yes sir. We have intercepted numerous bomb threats with regard to the hosting of the Summer Olympics here. Intelligence suggests that there may be an attack either on the day itself or the days preceding it” the brown bear explained nervously, wringing his paws as I had brought Agent Worg himself along.Senior Special Agent Andrew Rosenthal, Agent Worg to everyone not of the Agency, simply crossed his arms over his chest and glared at the brown bear that outweighed him.My two jobs were beginning to clash as FBI had jurisdiction, yet I was the one sent by FBI Director Monahan, someone who was near peer in rank, to investigate if more agents were needed.“Andrew, may I ask the cause of this hostility with Special Agent Simpson?” I queried the wolf’s, to me, strange behaviour. I would not pry into his memories, not like earlier in the year, as time was not of the essence.The pronounced snarl at the bear faded when he turned towards me, the wolf’s instincts fully aware I could end him with a simple gesture. The anger was still palpable when he spoke though.“This idiot is hiding something, I can smell it on him” Andrew growled out, exposing way more teeth than was socially appropriate even for predators.“Indeed?” I prodded the wolf to reveal more. My senses letting me know that the bear was already lying to me, I just needed to see how much was being kept without doing some mind excavations.Which led me to the other reason I was dispatched, not Special Agent Eldridge. I had a built-in lie detector and I did not even need to be at the scene to pinpoint who was lying. The hardest were written testimonies and I had picked out the lies with extreme accuracy. The simplest was when I merely observed interrogations and could pick out the lies masquerading as truth.Neither the CIA nor the FBI wanted me to fully leave, and I was in a back-and-forth exchange between the two.The Treasury Department also passing some cases to me when they suspected wire fraud undetectable by their current means. I had already led Secret Service agents to several basement online casinos operating without approval of the Gaming Board. I passed these back to Treasury for prosecution as I was loathe to demonstrate any powers besides healing or killing in the field.Thankfully, the media gave me a wide berth. If I learned I was being filmed during any operations, the footage would always come out corrupted and unusable.But we’re getting away from why I was in Atlanta.“Agent Simpson, need I remind you of what office I represent? I can nail you to the wall for collusion with foreign intelligence. Is that who you are protecting?” I prodded the brown bear, exposed flesh paling at my insinuation.By the way the bear was shaking his brown-furred head, it was closer than that.“A family relation then” I concluded as the bear placed his snout on the table and his paws over his eyes.“Astute as always sir” Agent Rosenthal commented, balling his paws into fists. “I can have ground teams on station in three hours” the wolf volunteered as he reached into his jacket for a phone.“No!” Agent Simpson launched himself at Agent Rosenthal. Brown eyes boggled out as I held him in place with one palm halfway around his neck, a lithe snow leopard pinning him in place.“Sit down!” I ordered as I threw the grizzly back into his chair, rage tickling the edge of my vision. The impact destroying the casters of the rolling executive chair behind the desk.“So help me Agent Simpson, don’t make me dig through your memories or I’ll leave you a drooling cub” I warned the bear as it got difficult to breathe.“It’s my stepbrother. Please don’t hurt him!” the grizzly gasped out as his eyes rolled into the back of his head, before collapsing in a dead faint.“Andrew” I informed the wolf who snapped to attention, “take the HRT squad with you and proceed to a trailer park at 412 Granola Drive. It’s the largest one with four propane tanks outside and a solar panel on top. Coordinate with the local authorities and get him back here alive. I need to know if he’s working alone or in a group. Go”.Andrew exited the office and called for the HRT stationed at the Atlanta facility.We had our bomber in custody within the next two hours.But he needed hospitalisation, as the pipe bomb he was manufacturing, detonated in the black bear’s face when HRT in conjunction with local SWAT units kicked in the door.=====================================================================================
April 12, 1996

House Intelligence Committee

The Capitol Building,

Washington, D.C.

CIA Interim Deputy Director Ivan del Morte

“Do you know why we have called you here, Deputy Director del Morte?” Senator Ashlee Williams (R) from the First District of New York inquired as I sat once more before the five-member panel. Their deceased colleagues training at The Villa before attempting Selection of their own accord.“Truthfully Senator, not a clue” I replied into the microphone as I sat in the same chair I had sat in two months prior.“This is a closed-door session, Deputy Director. There are no cameras or microphones going outside” Senator Alan R. Bobbins (D) from Washington state declared, a replacement for deceased senator Albert Robespierre.“Still, I have taken precautions to have this room electronically swept for bugs. No telling what can be overheard despite it being a closed-door session” I replied, the power thrumming through me.“Paranoid sonofabitch, aren’t you?” Senator Richard Best (D) asked, smirking that he knew what kind of precautions I had taken.“You gave me the post two months, Senator. I’ve gotten more paranoid since then” I answered cheekily as I flashed a mimicry of the president’s vote-winning grin.“Would it surprise you that we have found a new candidate to take your spot?” Senator Bobbins continued as the nondescript cougar sitting to my left nodded his head.“Congratulations then, Senior Analyst Paul Verducken. May you last longer than I” I congratulated the startled mountain lion that I had already deduced who he was without any introductions. I stood up from the chair to shake the cougar’s limp paw.“Thanks?” the cougar replied confused on what just happened as I gathered my things from the table and prepared to walk back out.“Uh, Special Agent del Morte?” Senator Best interrupted me as I placed my paw on the door, ready to leave to see what the DEA wanted. I was getting persistent calls to stop by their Savannah, Mass. HQ.“Yeah?” I asked as I turned back to face the panel.“Director Monahan suffered a massive stroke two days ago. Deputy Director Jack Savage has already assumed directorship under the rules of succession. Would you be willing to take the position under him?” Senator Best informed as chair of the intelligence committee.My shoulders slumped and my tail drooped as Death laughed. I had avoided being named the first time around, I was not escaping a second time.I let go off the door handle and turned back around to take another oath of office.“Raise your right paw and repeat after me…” Senator Best informed me in a formal tone as I did as requested.“Congratulations, Deputy Director del Morte. May you serve this country well into your twilight years” Senator Best joked afterwards, conscious mind not knowing how true that statement was.=====================================================================================
July 12, 1996

Olympic Stadium,

Atlanta, Georgia

FBI Deputy Director Ivan del Morte
“Oh, say can you see. By the dawn’s early light, What so proudly we hailed at the twilight’s last gleaming, whose broad stripes and bright stars, through the perilous fight. O’er the ramparts we watched, were so gallantly streaming…” the singer down on the pitch, an up-and-coming celebrity by the name of Gazelle, sang the national anthem.I was chewing the inside of my cheek as I watched President Linton descend from the box to stand with the Olympic delegation heads at ground level before the national anthem started to the familiar hymn of ‘Hail to the Chief’.As I looked around, I could feel that all the footwork and preparation had fully paid off. The network of informants from the local toughs providing the federal government with areas of improvement that the Bureau covered as holes in our security cordons were pointed out.A full hearts and minds campaign two months ago had won them over. That, plus sending me visibly into the projects to “look into things”, instilled a small amount of fear into them. Fox News Atlanta and ZNN Atlanta getting unconfirmed reports that I was executing the three lords of the projects: slumlords, druglords, and bootleggers.They were not entirely wrong in that regard, but I had set everything up to make it seem like self-defence.=====================================================================================Samantha Richards was also doing very well for herself.I had shown up at her father’s corporate office at 1120 Deerstalker Way last June 12, 1996, and introduced myself as a representative from the federal government. My shiny FBI badge and the Secret Service agents paving the way for a meeting with her father.I informed him that dear Sam had reached out to the Bureau with time-sensitive information. She had helped us from time to time by providing intelligence on potential flare-ups and I was only here to make her an official member. I left Sam’s federal ID and badge with her stunned father.As I prepared my bags to fly to The Villa via Air Force Two, I received a call from Sam that was equal parts her chewing me out by dragging her informant role in front of her father and thanking me for providing federal protection should criminal elements get wind of her activities.I had offered to move her to the safehouse I called The Villa, but she turned me down. She much preferred being closer so she could keep her fingers on the pulse of Zootopia and warn me of future developments. I offered her the standard salary for starting agents and she accepted, wanting some financial independence from her overbearing father.She would be safely installed at 1955 Cypress Grove at the start of the new year, a former brownstone that had fallen into disrepair. From there she would run her network, paths sometimes crossing with a red-furred menace who always looked on from afar.It would be 1998 before I would be back on Animalian shores.

----- CHAPTER BREAK -----

December 28, 1998

Director’s Office,

Drug Enforcement Agency Headquarters (DEA HQ)

Savannah, MA

FBI Deputy Director Ivan del Morte

“Special Agent-in-Charge Holmes, Director Watson. Thank you for meeting with me” I shook the paws of the agent handling the FARC case as well as the DEA director as I sat down in front of them.“To what do we owe the pleasure of your visit, Deputy Director del Morte?” Special Agent Holmes asked as we shook paws.“It’s about the FARC flight crew that got me home. I’d like to request asylum for the four of them” I skipped all preamble and opened with that salvo.“Um…that…is…uh…” Special Agent Holmes stuttered out, the lynx at a loss for words.“Either asylum for four mammals or I go over your boss’ head to the President. CIA Director Barnes has already heard my debrief regarding a lack of MAMMINT on the ground. So has SecDef and the Joint Chiefs. FARC was operating out of an old DEA staging ground” I calmly informed the two of them as I leaned back in the wooden chair and steepled my digits, “Tell me, Director Watson. Have you heard of Fort McClellan outpost?”Agent Holmes frowned before shaking his head, as his boss blanched. When the lynx turned to look at the wolf for clarification, the disbelief turned to fear.“What is it, sir?” the lynx asked as the wolf’s ears pinned to his head.“Apparently, Director Watson was part of the force evacuated from the outpost” I laconically stated, adding “And the force decided to sweep their failure under a rug without considering the consequences if a second incursion were to occur”.“But the maps were at least updated, right? Right?” Special Agent Holmes looked between the director and I.“We never wanted this to happen” Director Watson whispered, as if in shock. “Someone was supposed to mark it as captured or not viable”.“Tough” I commented as I turned my head and called attention to my earpiece. “I had Special Agents Rosenthal and Sullivan dig through the DEA archives while was recovering onboard the Nimitz. Do you know what they discovered?” I informed both of them, my jacket open to show the empty holsters.When I was met with silence, I continued to talk and slowly leant forward as I got into their faces “The maps that should have been marked had been discarded. I, and the DEA agents on that plane, flew right into a FARC ambush in supposedly friendly airspace. We got shot down over the Colombian rainforest all because of faulty intelligence. So tell that to my face, director, that someone should be held responsible”.The wolf bowed his head as he slumped into his chair, amber eyes glazed over as he muttered the phrase “I’m sorry” over and over.Special Agent Holmes, meanwhile, just looked between I and his boss with sheer disbelief written all over his snout.“Agent Sullivan, you can come in now” I spoke into the pawheld microphone as the door opened and armed FBI-HRT agents entered as they escorted the CIA field operative from Bern Station. The hare placed a box on the table, and with aid from a gazelle FBI agent, tipped it over.  “Recognise anyone in those pictures?” I asked rhetorically as Special Agent Julieta Mimosa spread the photographs in front of the wolf.Special Agent Holmes picked one up of a mountain lion and brought it closer to his face, before lunging at his boss. “You absolute bastard! You told me she died in a raid!” the lynx screamed at the DEA director as he held his boss’ tie and tried to choke him with it.“Special Agent Irene Adler” I read the caption on the back of the photograph, “sent to infiltrate FARC safehouse. Missed comms window twice, confirmed dead when head sent to Animalian Embassy – Bogota. Dated June 17, 1993”.“Calm yourself, Agent Holmes!” Director Watson responded hotly as he slapped his subordinate down. Quite literally slapping the lynx’s left cheek and sending the smaller mammal to the floor.“Calm?! CALM! I’ll show you calm!” Agent Holmes responded as he drew his service pistol and aimed it at the DEA director.“Stand down, Agent Holmes” I drawled out as the FBI-HRT from the Massachusetts field office winced at my tone. “Killing him won’t bring her back”.Which, in hindsight, was a poor choice of words as events unfolded.The pistol’s target switched from the wolf director to point at me, and the gun fired; nailing me above my vest as blood spurted from my neck.I fell from the wooden chair as the FBI agents and the CIA agent drew their weapons and began shouting at the lynx to drop his.“DROP YOUR WEAPON! DO IT NOW!”“DROP IT OR I DROP YOU!” Agent Sullivan screamed out as she drew a bead on the lynx with her own pistol.“Stay with me, sir!” someone proclaimed as they put pressure on my neck wound with some gauze. “I need a medevac. DD del Morte is down. I repeat, the FBI Deputy Director is down!”“Overlord copies. Medevac approved. ETA, five mikes” came the reply from Central Command.“Tsk. Tsk. Tsk” I informed the lynx as I sat up, my eyes glowing with power as the gauze burnt to ash and fell to the carpeted floor. The wound closed as the slug was extruded, unblemished skin regrew white fur before everyone’s eyes as I held my right paw up and snapped my fingers.“RAAAAAAAOOOOUUUU----” Agent Holmes screamed before he was consumed in a conflagration that did not spread as he tried to extinguish the flames by rolling on the carpet, tossing the houseplant’s water over himself, and spraying himself with the fire extinguisher. He soon fell silent on the carpet as he burned from the inside out. With another snap, the flames vanished, and the smell of roasted mammal hit everyone’s noses.Agent Holmes was now unrecognisable as anything but a charred body.Fur burnt away and flesh still sizzling. The eyes had popped in their sockets from the heat and the tongue was blackened. Parts of his skull lay exposed; the flames having removed flesh and tissue. Pieces of clothing stubbornly clung to his frame, and the melted pleather of his holster served as additional fuel for the fire. The magazines in the holster had melted, the high heat also set off the bullets; yet none harmed the rest of the mammals.“Anyone else want to try hellfire?” I snarled out as the room shook their heads. “Good, cause I’m hungry and craving a barbecue” as I walked out of the office on my own power, leaving the charred shell of a mammal behind.“Give me what I want, Director Watson. Or the next pyre in here is yours” I promised the wolf as I exerted control over the HRT agents, and they moved unsteadily out the door. Agent Sullivan following, her back not showing to the wolf as she kept the laser dot pointed at his chest.  =====================================================================================Needless to say, I got my asylum request approved by the DEA as a small recompense for the attempted murder by their agent and their own incompetence.INS had fast-tracked it for the four mammals as word of my performance spread throughout the federal government.Petty bureaucrats wanted to file cases against me for murder, until they realised that I had acted in self-defence. Also, their case files on me kept vanishing. Replaced with their own indiscretions, and try as they might to destroy the files, more appeared until FBI agents raided their offices with warrants.That, coupled with the immunity granted by Congress as a price for my services, meant that whatever I did was covered under law. I could abuse the immunity at any time I wanted, and the courts would just throw the cases out.(I never did, but you know how scared mammals are of the unknown.)I was given a new title, “The Federal Executioner”.Which would strike fear whenever I showed up as corrupt officials found themselves confessing to their crimes on live television.=====================================================================================
January 1, 1999

FBI Holding Cells,

FBI Headquarters,

Washington, D.C.

FBI Deputy Director Ivan del Morte

I took the elevator down to the sub-basement level of the federal building as I hummed a Christmas tune.Tucked under my left armpit were the documents that proclaimed Mateo Escritor, Francisco del Toro, Manolo Concepcion, and Miguel Concolor as naturalised citizens of Animalia.Immigration and Naturalisation Services (INS) came through with the approved papers and it was delivered personally by INS Director Albert Monahan, brother of the late Kenneth Monahan, to the Bureau’s main office in D.C.I had waited for the bear in the lobby, and he apologised that it took so long. I had eased his mind as I slipped him a card for one favour from Shinigami.Once he looked at the card, I winked and snapped him back to enjoy the New Year with his family in Gosport, New Hampster.An alert agent snapped to attention as he saw me enter the restricted zone, spilling a little coffee on the concrete floor.“Sir! Didn’t know you were coming down” the lion said in shock as the bosses rarely went down, especially not on a holiday. Doubly so if there were no camera crews trailing them.“Well Agent Connors, I’ve got the papers for my Colombian friends. You can let them out or I do it” I smiled as I answered the lion, the larger predator shivering at my fangs.“INS worked fast. That’s unheard of” the lion muttered as he pressed a button on the console and the barred gate behind him slid open as a buzzer sounded.  The lion was about to inform me of the procedures for release of prisoners before he stopped and really thought about what I just said.“Sir, correct me if I’m wrong, but did you say let them out?” the lion asked as his partner appeared from around the corner and approached us.“That I did, Agent Connors. Good morning, Agent Howlington” I replied as I greeted another wolf from the main Howlington pack. The Knight-Howlington Security Group Inc. being composed of splinter factions from the two wolf packs, numbering almost fifty individuals.“Good morning, sir. I’m sorry about my cousin’s treachery two years ago” the black and brown furred wolf replied and apologised in the same breath.“Your cousin made his own bed; I will not hold it against your pack” I replied with the same parry I always said to any members of either Knight or Howlington that I came across during the performance of my duties. Though I knew the real reason why Larry was undercover, none of their families were to know.“That’s a relief coming from you, sir. It’s the reason we get the shitty jobs when we leave the Academy” Agent Howlington informed me as he rubbed the back of his head.“What’s your first name, Agent? I’ve met five Howlingtons and would like to add another to the list” I informed the relieved wolf.“Uh, its Marvin sir. Junior Special Agent Marvin Howlington” the wolf replied unsteadily as the lion smirked behind my back.“Don’t smirk, Agent Connors. That’s unbecoming” I informed the lion who lost the smirk as the wolf smirked back.“How does he keep doing that?” the lion whispered to himself, forgetting the convex mirror above Agent Marvin Howlington’s head that showed his every move.“Look above Agent Marvin’s head and you have your answer, Special Agent Connors” I answered as I did not want the same situation to play out when Director Savage came down.Savage had a poor sense of humour when he was on the job, only letting loose whenever I showed up.“Agent Marvin, be my escort to the holding cells for the ex-FARC flight crew” I informed the wolf as he snapped to attention.“May I ask why, sir?” the wolf asked me as he moved to get his riot gear out of the security footlocker.“You won’t need the riot gear, Agent Howlington. You have me” I informed the wolf, who halted for all of five seconds before continuing to struggle with the armour.“Oh for Heaven’s Sakes” I muttered as I snapped my right paw and the armour melded itself around the wolf, to the lion’s shock and awe. The wolf’s suit and blazer appearing neatly folded on the bench beside him as the mammal blinked.“Whoa, sir. Looks like I’m wearing drag at the next Christmas party” the lion mumbled.“Don’t make me snap dress you as well, Agent Connors. You might sing falsetto for a while” I playfully informed the lion as he shuddered.“Come on. Lead me to the cells so I can do the *shudder* paperwork” I informed the wolf as the two of us made our way down the holding area to the detainees contained within.=====================================================================================“Wakey-wakey!” a warthog federal guard smacked his nightclub against the bars as he leered at a jaguar and his compatriots dressed in federal grey. The words “Detainee” stamped in black letters on their jumpsuits.  “You gotta visitor comin’” the warthog snorted as he left the four mammals to make themselves presentable.“Corrections Officer Humbert, lie down and place your hooves on your head” the familiar voice making the jaguar’s blood sing.“Wha’ever foh! They started it!” the warthog lied as he turned to face a snow leopard in a suit. The predator’s eyes glowing as the warthog complied, the complaints dying away.“That’s a good boar. Agent Howlington, cuff him” the snow leopard walked towards their cell, as the wolf complied and placed restraints on the jaguar’s tormentor during the four-day stay.“Agent Connors, unlock cell door 15-D” the snow leopard informed another as the barred door in front of the jaguar slid open and clanged against the wall stopper.“Mateo, ¿cómo estáis tú y tus amigos?” the snow leopard asked with a feral-looking grin. [Mateo, how are you and your friends?]“Estamos bien, señor. No hay quejas” Mateo replied automatically before faltering at the blue gaze directed at him. [We are fine sir. No complaints]“Volveré a preguntar. Dime la verdad” the snow leopard peered into Mateo’s eyes, those blue gems staring seemingly into the jaguar’s blackened soul. [I will ask again. Tell me the truth]“Solo un pequeño inconveniente, señor. Nada de qué preocuparse” Mateo hurriedly informed his saviour. [Just a minor inconvenience, sir. Nothing to worry about.]“Mateo, ¿quieres salir a la calle como un mamífero libre?” the snow leopard asked the jaguar. [Mateo, do you want to walk outside as a free mammal?]“Más que nada, señor” Mateo answered humbly, the jaguar’s tail low to the ground. [More than anything, sir]“Entonces deja de mentirme” the snow leopard replied. [Then stop lying to me]“Podríamos haber sido mejor tratados, pero entendemos que en parte se debe a que formamos parte de un grupo rebelde” Mateo finally replied, the snow leopard’s gaze focusing on the warthog. [We could have been better treated, but we understand that it is partly because we were part of a rebel group]“Eso está mejor. Porque ahora sois mamíferos libres. Aquí” the snow leopard replied as he passed an envelope to Mateo, who took out the papers inside. [That's better. Because you are now free mammals. Here]“Señor, esto... éste... ¿Esto es nuestro? ¿Cómo? ¿Por qué? Solo te acercamos a tu grupo de trabajo. No merecemos nada” Mateo stuttered as he could not believe his eyes! The papers proclaimed that they were now Animalian citizens, their crimes expunged. [Sir, this...this...this is ours? How? Why? We only got you close to your taskforce. We deserve nothing.]“HAHAHAHAHA!” the snow leopard laughed, before speaking again. “Eso es solo la punta del iceberg, Mateo. Ven conmigo y te mostraré el resto”. [That is just the tip of the iceberg, Mateo. Come with me and I can show the rest]“Sería un honor, señor” Mateo bowed low to the snow leopard as his compatriots did too; once they realised what their lieutenant was holding. [I would be honoured, sir]“Mateo, ¿qué es esto?” the tiger, Manolo Concepcion, asked. [Mateo, what is this?]“¡Nuestros documentos de viaje y documentos de ciudadanía! ¡Estamos libres de las FARC!” Mateo proclaimed as the others shouted with joy. [Our travel papers and citizenship documents! We are free of FARC!]“¿Cómo podemos darle las gracias, señor? ¿Hay algo que podamos hacer por ti?” Manolo moved to shake the snow leopard’s paw, before grabbing the mammal in a hug as he wept tears of joy. [How can we ever thank you, sir? If there is anything we can do for you?]“Sean buenos mamíferos o vengan a trabajar para mí. Tú eliges. De cualquier manera, proporciono capital para negocios y un lugar para quedarse” the snow leopard surprised the tiger as he hugged back with the same strength, managing to lift Manolo off the floor. [Be good mammals or come work for me. Your choice. Either way, I provide capital for business and a place to stay]“¿Nos ayudarías de esta manera? ¿Por qué? ¿Qué hicimos para merecer tanta bondad?” the cougar, Miguel Concolor, asked of the snow leopard as he left the cell. [You would help us this way? Why? What did we do to deserve such goodness?]“Me trajiste a casa. Te alejé de los tuyos. Debo equilibrar la balanza de alguna manera” the snow leopard replied as he smiled warmly at Miguel. [You brought me home. I took you away from yours. I must balance the scales somehow]“¿Podemos darnos su nombre, señor?” the buffalo, Francisco del Toro, asked shyly; afraid of the consequences like before with FARC. [May we have your name sir?]“Sin duda. Al fin y al cabo, es justo. Soy Iván del Morte, Director Adjunto del FBI. Soy un leopardo de las nieves. Venirse. Nuestro almuerzo de Año Nuevo nos espera” the snow leopard answered, and Manolo fainted. [Most certainly. It is only fair after all. I am Ivan del Morte, Deputy Director of the FBI. I am a snow leopard. Come. Our New Year lunch awaits us]“Parca” Francisco breathed out as the water buffalo shivered and crossed himself. [Grim Reaper]“Amigos míos, no tenéis que temer de mí. Los buenos no tienen nada que temer de mí” the snow leopard chuckled at their reaction as he waved them onwards, walking and dragging the warthog behind him. [My friends, you do not need to fear from me. The good have nothing to fear from me] The warthog seemed to weigh as much as a toy wagon with how easy the snow leopard made it look.The snow leopard then stopped in front of another cell as the mammals inside moved away from the door in fear.“Ihr fünf werdet euch jedoch wegen Waffenhandels und Drogenschmuggels vor Gericht verantworten müssen. Geben Sie mir Ihre Lieferanten und erhalten Sie eine reduzierte Strafe” the snow leopard informed the five hard-looking mammals inside. [The five of you, however, will stand trial for weapons trafficking and drug smuggling. Give me your suppliers and receive a reduced sentence]“Sensenmann, bitte. Das können wir nicht. Sie werden unsere Familien töten!” the leader of the five wolves begged. [Shinigami, please. We cannot do that. They will kill our families!]“Really, tell me more” the snow leopard purred in English as the cell door also opened.“Wenn du mich anlügst, wirst du verbrennen” he declared as one wolf rushed the snow leopard with a shiv. A snap and the wolf burnt to a crisp without even reaching the dangerous mammal. [If you are lying to me, then you will burn]“Theoderich war immer ein Idiot” the leader looked down at the crispy wolf before raising his paws above his head for a pat-down. [Theodoric always was an idiot]“No need” the snow leopard replied in English as he snapped his fingers and weapons fell out of pockets and ‘pockets’.The four remaining wolves were clean of weapons, and they joined the procession towards the open door of the detention block.The wolf in riot gear was heard to mutter, “How the fuck did that happen?”.“Call it in, Agent Marvin” the snow leopard replied as he left with nine mammals, one bound and ready for processing.=====================================================================================
1130 Hours

Conference Room D,

Second Floor,

FBI Headquarters,

Washington, D.C.

FBI Deputy Director Ivan del Morte
 In hindsight, maybe walking out with nine mammals when I had ordered a catered lunch for six mammals was not such a bright idea after all.I had never ordered so many pizzas.Pizza House, Domino’s, and Papa J’s made their daily profits with my order alone.As I watched the nine devour the roast turkey, roast duck, grilled tuna steaks, baked salmon, mashed potatoes, mixed vegetables, corn on the cob, white rice, Caesar’s salad, freshly-sliced watermelon and cantaloupes. All washed down with a sickening amount of soda, coffee, and beer.That was not even counting the dessert of cheesecakes, ice cream, and pies.Agent Wolfex had popped in to snag a pumpkin pie slice and left with the box of turkey slices and barbecue sauce. He then returned to get a knife, having left with an uncut pumpkin pie.Director Savage wandered in, saw the grey ‘Detainee’ jumpsuits, and almost called in the Hostage Rescue Team to rescue me. Agent Frost walked in, saw the other mammals celebrating and helped herself to some roast chicken.The four wolves had sat in a corner, looking furtively around them for armed agents. Not relaxing until I showed up with a veritable pitcher of lager and left it on their table as I waited for more food to arrive.“Habt ihr Spaß?” I asked them as they ate. [Enjoying yourselves?]“Nicht so gut wie das gebratene Wildschwein meiner Großmutter” the leader of the four muttered, before freezing as he looked up into my eyes. [Not as good as my grandmother's roasted boar]“Und wann war das? Ich bin neugierig, wie sie zu einem gebratenen Wildschwein gekommen ist, wenn das Mord und Kannibalismus ist” I pressed the wolf, who looked ill at ease. [And, when was this? I'm curious as to how she got a roast boar when that's murder and cannibalism]“Vor Eurer Zeit, mein Herr Tod. Bitte lassen Sie Ihren Ärger nicht an Little Hans aus” another wolf spoke up as he saw me get ready to snap the fingers on my right paw. [Before your time, my lord Death. Please do not take out your anger on Little Hans]“Neugierig. Ich habe Ihnen meinen Titel nicht genannt, wie sind Sie darauf gekommen, Herr Scholz?” I asked the wolf who spoke, white everywhere save for a black hash in the shape of a cross on his chest. [Curious. I did not give you my title, how did you come to know it, Herr Scholz?]“Nimm mir das Leben, mein Herr. Verschonen Sie sie vor dem Schicksal der Auslöschung. Nimm mich als dein und lass sie frei gehen” the wolf I had identified as Scholz offered his life for his fellows. [Take my life, my Lord. Spare them from the fate of erasure. Take me as yours and let them go free]“Das beantwortet meine Frage nicht, Friedrich Scholz. Wo hast du meinen Titel gelernt?” I asked the black crossed wolf as Agent Frost picked up on the scent of fear and drew her Walther PPK. [That does not answer my question, Friedrich Scholz. Where did you learn my title?]How she managed to draw without losing either her lunch plate or her cup of cider a mystery I would solve later.The wolf only shook his head in the negative, informing me that he did not want to share. That was until he started to rise from the chair not of his own volition.“Zwinge mich nicht, dir die Information aus dem Kopf zu reißen, Friedrich. Oder soll ich Sie mit bürgerlichem Namen nennen, Wilhelm Schwartz vom BND?” I snarled at the wolf as he struggled in the air. [Do not make me pull the information out of your head, Friedrich. Or should I call you by your real name, Wilhelm Schwartz of BND?]“Director Savage, kindly inform your opposite number in German intelligence that I have his rogue agents. Also, please inform him that they will be giftwrapped and shipped within the next hour. Can you do that for me, Jack?” I informed my current boss in as polite a manner as possible, though the FBI agents in the room knew who truly ran the Bureau.“Most certainly, Ivan. Try not to make a mess in here. Housekeeping is still mad at the wolverine who piddled the carpet. The smell took ages to get out” Director Savage remarked humorously as he reached into his jacket pocket to make a phone call.“If you are talking about Special Agent Dingleberry, that would have been the briefing where I was discussing the lack of information entered into the federal database about the hitmammals who slipped through the net in Sicily” I remarked as I continued to pin the wolf in the air as his companions rose too, utterly helpless to resist.“You scared him into piddling on the carpet? For shame” Director Savage chuckled good-naturedly, fully aware that his life was in my paws.“He kept denigrating the hard-won intelligence by calling it ‘mere child’s play that he could do as well as we did’. I soon showed him the error of his ways”.“Rook, I need your aid. Bring the twins” I spoke into thin air as my head butler brought the two arctic wolves from The Villa.“You rang sir?” Rook smiled evilly at the four suspended rogues as he appeared with the two wolves, licking his lips in anticipation like a certain entity did as he chased after an orange striped cat.“Take these four for some ‘tenderising’ down at The Villa. Make it hurt” I informed my butler as he bowed low at the waist and the two Wolfsons moved to flank him, growling lowly at the four paralysed wolves.“Shall we…” Aidan Wolfson started the conversation, cracking his knuckles.“…make this hurt, sir?” Brady Wolfson finished the conversation as the brothers then drew their pistols. As part of their training and indoctrination, the two reborn souls had served as part of Her Majesty’s Special Air Service. From the status reports I received, courtesy of Major Willard, the two absorbed techniques and lessons at a phenomenal rate. They had gone in my stead to defuse a hostage crisis in the former East Germany, bringing some questionable trophies back. Items like flash-frozen hearts and livers earmarked for my personal consumption. U.S. Customs just gave up after the fifth shipment arrived and sent everything to the FBI Crime Laboratory in Quantico.I looked over at Mateo and the jaguar was contentedly eating with his fellows, their laughter making its way over to us.  “Of course, Ambassador Koenig, we will undoubtedly cooperate with the sharing of information gleaned from interrogation. Their names? Can you hold whilst I talk with Shinigami…oh…we have carte blanche?” I could hear Director Savage talk with the German ambassador over the phone and I was sure the wolves did as well, judging by their hangdog expressions. They already knew they would be executed for espionage.“Geben Sie Ihre Klienten auf, und ich kann mich überreden lassen, Sie zu begnadigen. Widerstehen Sie und Sie können in der Villa zart werden” I informed the floating wolves in their mother tongue. [Give up your clients and I can be persuaded to grant you clemency. Resist and you can be tenderised at The Villa]“Ich habe diesen Film schon einmal gesehen. Wir geben Informationen auf und sterben trotzdem. Nie!” the lead wolf barked out foolishly, in an attempt to encourage his comrades to resist. [I've seen this movie before. We give up information and we still die. Never!]“Verabschieden Sie sich von Ihrer Familie und Ihren Freunden, Agent Schwartz. Du schließt dich ihnen nicht im Jenseits an” I replied as I pulled on their souls, drawing them closer to Rook and the two wolves.  [Say goodbye to your family and friends, Agent Schwartz. You don't join them in the afterlife] I could see the souls of the four wolves. Black as tar and just as sticky. The more I looked, the more something reached down and spoke through me.“For your crimes against all mammalkind, I sentence you to a renewable cycle of a hundred thousand years of hard labour in the circles of Hell. Starting with the Seventh Circle, begone” I spoke in a voice not my own, vaguely aware of the other souls around me cringing as the four in front of me were banished to serve out their sentence.As soon as their bodies collapsed, so too did I.=====================================================================================
February 13, 1999

Presidential Suite,

Johns Hopkins Medical Centre,

Baltimore, Maryland

FBI Deputy Director Ivan del Morte
 When next I woke, I was back inside the presidential recovery room, surrounded by machines and tubes running into me.My energy levels were thrumming in the background as time suddenly stood still.“Are you here for me?” I asked of the entity I knew as Death as the wolf sat on the bed beside me, oxygen tubes running into my nostrils ruining the effect of confidence. I thought my time was up and I would leave the mortal plane behind.“What am I going do with you, pequeña Muerte? You judged four black souls and sent them to be purified in Hell” the wolf began his speech, amusedly shaking his head. [little Death]I opened my mouth to reply, but no sound came out as the wolf turned his red eyes toward me.“Don’t speak. Not yet. Let me finish” the wolf rubbed the fur between my ears and eliciting a purr. “Your powers are growing faster than I or the others expected. If you so wished, you could rewrite this entire universe to be your playground and none of us could stop you. Do you remember when I said that once your lives run out, I will come for you?” he spoke, asking rhetorically as he knew of the eidetic memory I now possessed.I nodded at his question, breathing easily that my time was now at an end. I would walk to my own death with open arms, no begging or pleading. I would miss Rook, but he and the others would follow.So, the wolf entity’s next words were quite jarring for me.“I can no longer take your soul. It is now like mine as it stretches to eternity. Two Deaths cannot stay in the same universe as we imbalance the cycle. Life,” and a mare stepped forward with flowers blossoming underhoof, “wishes for you to take up her mantle as well. For where this is Life, so too must there be Death. I do not want to have to summon my brethren just to fight you, it would be like fighting myself. Also, you were able to touch the One Above All. You spoke with Their Voice as you judged the four. Their Voice, however, is not meant for a mortal body and you lost your last two lives to compensate for the power now running in you” the entity spoke kindly, softly, as if comforting a child at the end of their tether.“So, I take your paw and leave?” I answered as I swallowed back tears unsuccessfully.“You are not listening. My counterpart is willing to sponsor you if you take up her mantle. Otherwise, the risk of bringing upon this universe the Apocalypse increases exponentially” the entity gently admonished me as he moved his paw to wipe my tears.  “A solution, if I may?” a being of light and joy enters our conversation. Through the connection I had with Death, I could feel the power rolling off and I felt deep within my soul who this being was. I looked away instinctively, getting part of the reason why no mere mortal can look upon Heaven and live.“Come child, look at me” the voice states kindly as a warm hand raises the chin of my muzzle upward.The light around the being fades away and I am gazing into the first human (?) face since being sent back in time. The figure’s face looks androgynous yet seems to hold its form.“Ah! How wonderful! A human, one of my fonder creations. From whence did you come from?” the being asked as He/She smiled at me.“I was raised Catholic. We were taught to not look into Heaven’s gaze lest we be struck down as sinners” I answered softly, keeping my eyes shut, as the two entities retreated.“My child, you may look upon me. I grant you leave to do so” Their Voice stated calmly, like a mother inquiring into her child’s sadness.I did as the being asked and I threw my arms around Them and wept. I could feel hot tears roll down my furless face as my muzzle shrank the more I pressed myself into Their shoulder. The fur on my body receded as I continued to embrace Them.“This is who you once were. Is it not?” They asked as a golden mirror appeared and I stared into a face that I no longer wore. An aquiline nose, brown irises, black hair only on my head and chest, almond shaped eyes, rounded ears on the side of my head.“Yes” I sniffled as I tried to halt the flow of tears at my reflection.“Though I can return you back to your home universe, I must ask if you will be happier knowing that you were the only high-ranking casualty of the event?” They asked.“What?” I asked bewilderedly as the mirror became a screen to show the events as it unfolded.“Speaking to you live from UED Headquarters in Toronto, Canada; this is Ian Banco of Earth News. We are standing at the unveiling of a memorial to the youngest admiral in Earth’s flight to the stars. Rear Admiral James Vonnaught gave his life so that his crew could live.
Much controversy surrounded the investigation into the incident which claimed the lives of two hundred men and women serving aboard the Dreadnought and Yorktown. In the House of Commons, an argument was made that the young captain was part of the corruptive influences that hamstrung the rescue effort that led to the senior officers being prioritised. That argument was swiftly shut down as multiple sailors and officers all testified that he was last to leave the doomed Dreadnought class battleship.

Rear Admiral Vonnaught was awarded the very first Hero of Earth award for his daring manoeuvre at Wolf 139 when he was able to release the vessel he was serving on, the UES Serenity, from the gravity well of a brown dwarf star through the use of a combined ion and chemical burst in the ship’s thrusters. No casualties on board the science vessel except for slight injuries for himself and ten others.
During the awards ceremony, he saved the life of Grand Admiral Marcos de Benavides from an assassination attempt by wanted criminal and former Chief Engineer Fidelity Ramos, by tackling the admiral of the stage. The young captain’s life almost cut short by a stray round but saved due to the thickness of his ceremonial attire” a reporter in khaki was talking about my achievements as a covered statue was about to be unveiled in front of the United Earth Directorate Headquarters in Toronto.“I never knew that I almost died that day I saved the Grand Admiral” I commented as the screen continued to play.“Though this statue wishes to commemorate the youngest rear admiral during Earth’s space voyage, this reporter has heard from reliable sources that the investigation as to the cause of the disaster continues” the screen paused as I waved my hand, not paw, at it.I let out a breath I did not know I was holding. My human mother’s parting words to me that everything happened for a reason making much more sense.“May I ask what happened to humanity’s voyage to the stars?” I asked the kind Being beside me as They kept me close.“Humanity has learnt from the mistakes of the past. Yours was one of many stumbling blocks on their journey to the stars. Humanity has made first contact in the three hundred years since, and aliens walk amongst them” They informed me as fur and fang regrew on my human form.“Speak Lord, your servant is listening” I humbled myself before Them as I remembered the experience of Samuel, one of the prophets from ancient Israel.“Live your life. Protect the innocent and redeem the guilty. If the guilty cannot be redeemed, they can be sent onwards to Judgement” the Being replied as They stood from my bed as my snow leopard body reformed all around me.For the first time since entering the world, I bit my fluffy tail in exasperation once it came into view.“Will I not see them again?” I asked the Being who smiled kindly back at me.“You may visit from time to time. Your place is here. Death and Life will oversee your decisions. Most importantly, have fun Shinigami” They said as They faded from view, before appearing once more. “Also, you are needed in the Schwarzwald region of Germany. I will send you there now” the Being said suddenly before clapping their hands as I vanished from the bed.=====================================================================================
February 13, 1999

Hidden Bunker,

Schwarzwald Forest,

Germany

FBI Deputy Director Ivan del Morte (Shinigami)

I plummeted into a snowbank, my constitution saving me from being frostbitten. “Ow…” I groaned out as I felt the soft snow against my fur and nose. Not on my formerly bare human skin, but the furry carpet that is a snow leopard’s pelt.   I rolled myself over and stared up at the twilight sky that made no sense to me until my memory came flooding back.“Motherfucker…” I moaned out as I shook the snow out of my coat as I stood up on my hind legs and took stock of what I even had on me.Patting myself down with my padded paws, I was not surprised to learn that I was in the buff. Not even my underwear had made the trip and I was freeballing it.I sighed out as I imagined the fit Dr. Young would throw once he found out I was missing from the bed. I then concentrated on the suit, communicator, and pistol I carried with me on a regular basis and snapped the digits on my right hand.When the items I needed failed to materialise, I felt for the thrumming pool of energy and was not surprised that it was much reduced in strength.
Death, I could use a boost. I feel fine, but the power is not there.

On my way. Life should be along shortly with your requested items.

I kill mammals, not tend to them.
“So, is that a no I hear for your clothes and weapons?” a feminine voice spoke up beside me, making me leap into the air like every startled cat does.I looked down from the pine branch I was clinging to, only for the zebra mare in linen wraps to reappear beside me on the selfsame branch.“Let’s put you up the right way, Shinigami” the mare informed me as the tree branch rotated so that I was now on my stomach, facing her instead of upside down.“My thanks, milady” I tried to reply smoothly as I attempted to sit on the branch before I heard cracks in the wood. My eyes must have shown my terror as the branch gave way and I plummeted back into the same snowbank I had escaped from earlier.She was snickering softly behind her left hoof as I popped out of the deep snowbank and rejoined her on terra firma as the mare cleared a patch of stone free from snow.“Come, sit with me” the mare patted the stone outcrop as she laid my weapons and armour down on a table-like stone with a flat surface.I did as the entity requested, my mind racing on what kind of anomalous phenomenon required the presence of both entities.I settled on three options: nuclear, chemical, or biological. The first one wipes an area clean of life with radiation, multi-cellular organisms succumbing within seconds if the dose is high enough. The second taints an area using a chemical agent, rendering the surroundings uninhabitable for years to decades. Chemical agents are also irritants like chlorine or affect the nervous system like phosgene gas. I am unsure if VX exists here, but I must assume the worst in any scenario. The third one requires a vector to spread but is easily the most insidious. Airborne bacterial variants, like anthrax or bubonic plague, are lethal to mammals if antibiotic prophylaxis is not started immediately. They can also be made resistant to the first-line antibiotics like methicillin and chloramphenicol, requiring the use of stronger second-line drugs. Scariest are the viral haemorrhagic fevers brought about by filoviruses Ebola and Marburg, and arenaviruses Lassa and Machupo. Lethality rates for the filoviruses reach 99% and can empty entire villages in a few weeks.“I can feel your thoughts. Fret not, for the third option is not in play. It is more the first as the complex beneath us holds enough to wipe out this forest and the mammals who dwell within” the mare informed me as I breathed easier. I don’t know if I could even survive a bioweapon strike at such proximity without immediately succumbing.
You can. It just won’t be pleasant as your body rebuilds itself over and over until it adapts to the biological agent.

Thanks for the horrifying mental image of my skin melting off.

No problem. If you were still mortal that is.

What do you mean? I thought I am still mortal. Otherwise, I would be travelling with you.

The Creator took away your mortality. You are now as immortal as we are. You get to experience this universe until its inevitable heat death where you can go again as a different mammal.

Was there a catch? There always was one.

It is not my place to tell you, but I do grant you immunity from diseases and threats. You are as mortal as you perceive yourself to be. Please do not abuse it as your counterpart once did. 
“You boys know its rude to not share with a lady?” the mare interjected as she broke into the private conversation I was having with the wolf.“Do you want to experience dying? I can arrange that” the wolf entity replied as he materialised with my blade.“Another time, perhaps. Let’s get our avatar outfit for battle as his time for intervention grows short” the mare parried, this conversation seeming to have been repeated many times over.“Yes,” I informed the two as I wore my trousers over my fur and buttoned the white shirt before slipping a Kevlar vest on top of it. I lacked a tie, but I’m sure I would be forgiven.“Kindly inform me what I am walking into so I can call for aid from Ramstein AFB and who they can send to assist” I looped a belt into my trousers and buckled it closed, the holster and badge hanging from it as I checked the magazines and loading one into the IMI Desert Eagle. There were five extra magazines for me and twelve extra magazines for my FN Five Seven secondary riding in my shoulder holster. Feeling the lining of the suit, I pulled out a set of cutleries that would make even a seasoned assassin blush.“We can get you inside” Death drawled out. “How you leave is another matter entirely” Life continued.“And the souls inside the complex?” I asked the white wolf, now sipping another cup of tea.“Expendable. Their lives are yours to end” the mare replied as she saw something that made her seethe.“What do you see?” I asked her as I checked the communicator and found it already tuned to NATO frequency Bravo Oscar Four, the triple-encrypted satellite frequency for NATO-East.I looped the communicator into my ear and switched it on “This is Ghost One. Checking in with Rearguard One”.“Ghost One, Rearguard copies your last. Where are you sir?” came the heartening reply from Ramstein.“My GPS is down. Need you to triangulate my position. Am somewhere in the Schwarzwald” came my soft reply as I crept closer to the entrance to the warheads, so far my presence masked by Death.I tapped out the access codes onto the locked storage door and when the keypad beeped, I was in. I did not count on someone being inside the room itself, an oversight I soon rectified.“Standby sir. Uh, can you authenticate you are who you say you are?” I heard the controller reply in my ear as I took aim at the wolf and fired. The wolf turned and my first shot tore a hole in a cabinet, alerting him to an intruder.“Don’t have time for this, Sergeant. I’m sitting on top a hot site and my Geiger counter is spiking!” I took a guess on the rank of the mammal on the line and informed him what my situation now was. I let him hear the rapid clicks of the counter.Unfortunately, the shout of alarm came before I pulled the trigger on my Five-Seven a second time and dispatched the wolf checking the warheads for transport.“Oh for fuck’s sakes…” I muttered as Death and Life grinned with equal measure.The white wolf drew his sickles while the zebra copied the uniform of a S.A.S. operative with their weapon of choice: H&K MP-5 Navy.=====================================================================================
2000 Hours (1400 Hours D.C.)

Ghost European Command,

United States of Animalia Air Force Base,

Ramstein, Germany
 “This is Ghost One. Checking in with Rearguard One” went the call over the encrypted channel into the little-used room of Ghost Command-Europe.A large portion of the computers and displays in this room were offline, having had its operations cut back with the end of the Cold War.It was only through bad luck that USAF Senior Airmammal Gregory Haven was assigned here at the behest of a tourist. The black and tan coated hare had been minding his own business when a “civilian” in a polo shirt, dark sunglasses, and khaki pants (read: CIA) basically ordered him to stand watch inside the facility that saw most of its action during the 70s and 80s.So, when the radio call came in, a marker on the aging CRT monitors lit up with the callsign of the mammal. In this case, Ghost.“Ghost One, Rearguard copies your last. Where are you sir?” the rabbit replied into a working headset as he pushed a button on the console to summon a more senior NCO.“My GPS is down. Need you to triangulate my position. Am somewhere in the Schwarzwald” came the reply from the black operations specialist.“Standby sir. Uh, can you authenticate you are who you say you are?” the rabbit informed the operative on the line as the onrushing sound of paws came thundering down the open door, making the rabbit wince.“Don’t have time for this, Sergeant. I’m sitting on top a hot site and my Geiger counter is spiking!” came the unhurried voice as the rabbit heard a warning shout before gunfire erupted in the background.“What the hell’s going on, Airmammal Haven?” Captain Thomas Saunders, a stout badger with a sour disposition, questioned the rabbit as he was the first of the officer corps to enter.“One moment, Ghost One” the rabbit informed the operative as he muted the connection on his end.“Oh sure, take your time. I’m certain this megaton warhead won’t detonate under paw” came the sarcastic reply from the operative on the other end.  “Captain, stand down! This is way above your paygrade. Get another console up and running. Let’s see if we can still bring our boy home” a new voice entered the conversation and sent the badger rushing over to an empty console as more mammals came down with vacuum tubes and emitters.“General Wilkings, sir!” the rabbit saluted as the base commandant returned it, before selecting the least dusty pair of headphones to slip onto his head. The Barbary lion fearing the worst as no Ghost operative had ever taken this long to check in.“Ghost One, this is Golf Whisky. What’s your status?” the lion spoke into the microphone of the headset as the line went live once more.“Glad to hear a commanding voice, Golf Whisky. Where’s the sergeant from earlier?” the operative asked as more shots rang out in the background.  The lion looked down at his enlisted and mouthed ‘Sergeant’ to the rabbit who only shrugged in response.“Little above his paygrade to tell you what to do, Ghost One. I’m taking his place till either NATO makes me stand down or you get your ass back here for debrief” the lion general replied, silently cursing the lack of a display or satellite imagery in the mothballed command centre.“I need a NEST team and some Rangers if you can swing them my way. Have four live warheads in a bunker inside Schwarzwald. These idiots were planning on selling these to the black market” Ghost One replied calmly as he fired back at his pursuers. “Oi! Deine Mutter ist sehr enttäuscht von dir, Genosse! Sie wollte etwas Besseres für dich, nicht so” everyone in the centre heard the taunt as more shots rang out, the staccato of automatic rifle fire interspersed with semi-automatic pistol fire. [Oi! Your mother is very disappointed in you, comrade! She wanted better for you, not like this]“How long can you hold out, Ghost One?” General Wilkings grimaced as he heard the metallic pings of ricocheting bullets. The lion snapped his fingers and summoned a messenger to wake up whichever NATO ground unit was closest.“Oh, I’m in the room with the warheads. They’re trying not to hit one. Looks like Soviet-era SS-24 Scalpel MIRV warheads” Ghost One reported, laughing derogatorily as more ricochets sounded in the background.“Can you get them topside for retrieval?” General Wilkings asked in disbelief as there was no way the ground teams would be able to reach the operative before the inevitable happened.“At this juncture, I believe it would be best to collapse the structure around me. Drop a Tallboy on me and these things will be buried for a thousand years” came the laconic response as a slide pulled back. “I’m down to my last three mags and there’s no end in sight. Whatever happens in the next thirty minutes, happens” the operative stated fatalistically as he fired back.“If you wanted authorisation, it’s a little late for that by this point. Authorisation for TLAM strike: Kilo Papa Oscar Six Seven Nine Two” the operative continued as he fired at his attackers.“How soon can your forces send aid?” a female voice could be heard shouting.“Tied down by bureaucracy” went the transmission before it cut out abruptly.“Ghost One, come in Ghost One. Ghost One, do you read?” General Wilkings tried raising the operative to no avail. The radio ping on the device fully triangulated to coordinates 15 degrees SSW and 35 degrees, ten minutes South by West on the CRT screen of one of the three working monitors.“Now, what do we do?” Captain Saunders remarked rhetorically as French NATO troops began staging for an incursion.“This is Strasbourg to Ramstein. We are massing on the border for our operative. Do not get in our way” the French-accented voice informed the Animalian base as NATO troops rushed in at full speed, bypassing the bemused German border guards.  =====================================================================================“That’s a waste of a good communicator” I muttered as I removed the destroyed device from my belt, slug fully visible in the moulded plastic.    “I am enjoying this!” the zebra mare remarked as she fired back with a Heckler and Kock MP-5 on fully automatic. The mare not even having to reload as she made it so it would fire continuously.“Your partner just as well” I commented as I noticed Death happily slicing his way through the hordes of wolves and tigers stupid enough to challenge him to a melee fight.“Sir, I’m touched. All these just for us to play with?” Adrian Wolfson appeared in full tactical gear dangling from Rook’s left paw, with his brother Brady in Rook’s other paw. My dire wolf butler already grinning at the fresh prey he could scent, placing the two wolves down as he charged with his signature fear-inducing howl at the mercenaries and black marketeers.“Any ammunition for me?” I asked Adrian as the former hare gave me additional magazines for the Desert Eagle as he whipped out his own M4A1 and began firing into the rapidly thinning crowd.“Thanks, I was running low. Got a radio?” I turned to Brady for this one and my other retainer gave me a spare set out of his own pocket.“Check. Check. Ghost One to any NATO units on this net, how copy over?” I spoke into the set, somewhat aware that the sudden loss of communication earlier would have spooked the controllers.“Ghost One, glad to hear you’re still with us. This is Overlord, I’m taking over Rearguard’s net. NEST teams are spooling up for rapid transport. You sure woke up the hornet’s nest and kicked over the anthill. French Marines just crossed the German border from Strasbourg and GSG-9 are also enroute. How many Scalpel warheads?” the male voice I now associated with the Central Command back in D.C. answered, a welcome change from the chickenshit I was talking to earlier.“I have four warheads in lead-lined suitcases. Two more with rocket boosters still attached. This is a former East German nuclear missile bunker. Entrance should be a quarter-click northeast of my radio transmissions. Easy to get lost down here” I informed the Central controller as I peeked out from inside the storage area to see that there were no more guards coming as the fire had slackened off.“Overlord copies your last, Ghost One. Shadowfax has your location locked in. Transport in five…four…three…two…one…” the controller replied and counted down until more troops could be vectored in.In a flash of blue light, platoon’s worth of mammals squeezed themselves into the storage area. Some of them spilling over into the corridor.“Sir! Always a pleasure” Lieutenant Sheffield of Army Rangers Second Battalion saluted me as he began issuing orders to the platoon. “Michaels, Scott, stay here and secure those warheads for transport via Shadowfax. Williams, Twilight, and O’Donnell follow Ghost to secure the other two. Everyone else on me” the lion split up the platoon and sent three fellows along with me as he went charging after Rook.“Adrian, Brady, fall in on me!” I shouted at my two retainers who abandoned their hunting expedition to return to my side. Rook, and Death, was busy carving a bloody swathe through the mammals in his way.“Yeah Boss?” Brady asked as he knelt on the steel matting, his brother alongside as they switched out empty magazines for full ones. The way they moved in sync made the three Rangers think that the wolves were twins.“Operatives Delta and Lima (Death and Life) have their own priorities as of this moment. Our mission is to clear a path up to the main entrance and the control centre. There was a secondary entrance, but that got sealed up in the initial firefight” I informed the five mammals with me as Lieutenant Sheffield had already departed, pointing at a map of the complex pulled from the wall of the storage area.“You got it sir” the gruff-sounding voice of Sergeant O’Donnell gave assent for the other two Rangers.“Perhaps, we can also turn off the jammer in the control centre. The only reason mine works is that it’s on an experimental system on the same frequency as Shadowfax” I informed them, keeping the real reason why the communicators I was using continued to work a secret.“Yes sir. We don’t have comms down here. Just static” replied the badger as he shouldered his weapon, an M249 SAW.  “Overlord, Ghost One. Are you still receiving?” I asked the controller who replied in the affirmative. “That’s affirm, Ghost One. Rangers got in okay? We lost comms”.“Overlord, the Rangers’ lines are being jammed. Making our way up to the comms and control centre. I don’t know if the bunker has any aboveground defences, will head up now” I informed the controller who simply replied with a short “Copy that. Good hunting”.“Let’s go” I informed the mammals with me as we all stood up. “Lima (Life)” I called out to the zebra mare who smiled warmly at me, “we’re going up top to secure the command-and-control centre. You coming with?”“I’ll be fine down here. Be nice to chat with mammals who don’t shoot you” Life replied as she made her way into the storage area.“Copy. Move out!” I replied to her as I gave the order to leave the storage area. Instead of following Rook who was headed deeper into the bowels of the bunker, the six of us headed upwards towards the surface.“Adrian, you’re on point. Brady, take the rear. Everyone else move up” I informed my two retainers as they did so with precision, the rest of the team being sandwiched around me.Despite the persistent ringing of the alarm, we did not run into any mammals as we continued upwards on the stairs. The elevator that I had seen earlier on the map was of too great a risk as I did not know if the shaft had been lined with explosives.Well, I could cheat and flush the bunker with power, but that is simply not sporting. Especially so when I could just snap my fingers and send everyone into a holding facility that did not exist in the Nevada desert. While I was certain that Time would not mind, I would rather that the world not get so dependent on Shinigami solutions as there is no telling when I would be called away.I was quite caught up contemplating that I did not notice the flash until it was too late. My body leapt into the air to protect the mortal badger behind me, and I took a round to the gut.“Contact right!” I heard Adrian shout as I held a paw to my stomach, raising it to my eyes and saw the blood staining the white fur.“Weapons free!” the badger barked out as the area flooded with noise. Accurate semi-automatic rifle fire joined by suppressing automatic fire from the M249 SAW in the badger’s paws as the two other Rangers flanked the shooter.“VIP is down! I repeat, VIP is down!” I could hear the badger shout into his useless radio. I stared at the ceiling as I breathed out through the pain as time slowed all around me. Concentrating hard to draw on the pool of power, I raised my fingers and snapped.I yowled out this time as I felt my small intestine realign and the flesh knit itself back to its unblemished state. Rook appeared beside me with a first aid kit from somewhere and he applied pressure to keep whatever blood I still had inside me. The dire wolf shielding me from additional shots as the bullets simply flattened on impact with his tough flesh.“You should take better care of yourself, Young Master” Rook remonstrated me as he wound the gauze around my torso.“I got distracted” I replied through gritted teeth as I sat up and winced. The fiery pain of getting shot fading as I drew from the limited pool and snapped once more.Time moved at its normal pace and Rook had vanished back from whence he came. Adrian dropped in front of me with a weakly-beating heart in his paws, offering it to me to snack on.“From the mammal that shot you” Adrian smiled with bloody teeth as he deposited the heart into my paws. Reflexively, I took a bite of the heart and gagged at the taste. I spat out the bitter-tasting left atrium onto the floor as I inspected the heart valves and found vegetative growths. The lingering taste of almonds in my mouth let me know that the shooter had taken cyanide.“Bastard poisoned the well” I coughed out as I took another bite and swallowed this one. While still bitter, the poison would not affect me. Needed some Chianti though.Private O’Donnell took one look at what was happening behind him and hurled his guts out. “Toughen up private, this is tame compared to Sicily” Adrian remarked as he moved past the Irish wolf.“You weren’t even at Sicily” I remarked as I stood up from the steel matting and swatted another incoming round away as if it were a fly.“The new guys like to talk. Said you took on a mafia base all by your lonesome. Quite the reputation we have to uphold, right brother?” Adrian snickered as he pulled his brother into a manly hug, incoming enemy rounds notwithstanding.“I was not alone. I had the FBI, CIA, SAS, and GIGN with me. We went in via HALO and we cleared the base of mammals. Rook came too and took out a third by himself” I groaned out, tired of the familiar refrain where mammals sang my praises without looking at the cost.“Well, that’s not how Rook tells it” Brady replied as he pushed his brother away to nail a rabbit between his ears with his assault rifle.“I’ve had enough of playing it fair!” I declared as another tiger appeared, this time with an RPG. I snapped and time stopped.“Interesting” a brown bear appeared, alternately aging and de-aging. “You have my powers too, how fascinating” the bear clapped his paws together with some amount of glee.“Hello Time” I groaned out the entity’s title as he surveyed the halted battlefield.“Brother mine?” Adrian asked his brother, stunned that he could move while everyone else had halted.“Yes?” came the reply from the other wolf.    “How are we able to move and talk?” Adrian Wolfson asked as he turned to face me and the brown bear in a flowing robe with an hourglass floating beside him.“I can answer that” the brown bear replied as he moved away from me to tap the two on their hard heads. “Linked as the three of you are to him, you share his immunity to the ravages of time. Unless he releases you, the two of you will not see your loved ones”.“I already bade them goodbye” Adrian responded serenely as he clapped me on my shoulder.“Same” Brady continued the chain as he put an arm around me and nuzzled the space between my ears, eliciting an involuntary purr.“Unlike Rook, I will release the two of you when your sentence of servitude is up” I informed the two wolves who just sighed against me in this moment between seconds.“Eternity won’t be so bad, sir. You’ll see” Brady remarked as he continued to nuzzle the fur on my head.I just purred like a motorboat’s engine all throughout as Time held his laughter at bay.“Yes, I see it now” the entity remarked, raising his paws at us, and making my hackles rise. “I’ll be back in a hundred years. Be good mammals and I grant you the same boon I gave your dad” the entity offered, winking at me as he clapped his paws together once and vanished.Adrian and Brady teleported back to their original positions behind several mercenaries. The other soldiers none the wiser of what just transpired.As time moved once more, the two tore out the throats of their opponents in a far brutal fashion than previously.“Area clear, sir” Sergeant O’Donnell commented as he went back to check up on me.“Too right, sergeant. Couple more levels to clear before we reach the command centre” I made to sit up and found that the blood had vanished.
Thanks Time.

You are most welcome. Call on me when you need aid for a day or a month. See you soon, Shinigami.
I rubbed my forehead with an open palm as the entity’s mental presence vanished as well.“You okay, sir? Thought you were a goner from that sniper” the badger commented as he helped me up from the steel matting. “I’ll see about making this vest of mine standard issue for you guys as well” I replied, continuing with, “This has saved my life four times by now”.“We could use all the help we can get” the badger closed that line of thinking as he reloaded a new belt into the squad weapon.=====================================================================================
2100 Hours (1500 Hours D.C.)

Atomraketenbunker Nummer vier Haupteingang, [Nuclear Missile Bunker Number Four Main Entrance]

Schwarzwald Forest,

Commander Truffle, GIGN
 “Halt! The base is already on full alert” the wolf informed the combined NATO troops around him as he looked down from his vantage point on a low ridge. The troops with him immediately went to ground as they surveyed the frenetic scene below.“Looks like stealth is out” GSG-9 commander Alexander Greif commented as the lion lowered his own binoculars at the increased activity as alarms blared out their siren call.“That’s true, mon ami” the wolf commando informed the lion as they saw guards rush back inside the fortified structure. [my friend]“Overlord, this is Golf Sierra Golf Nine Actual. Have the bunker in sight, how copy?” Commander Greif informed the NATO-Europe controller, their approach marked by silence as the radio was nonfunctional.“Overlord copies your last. The jammer is down, repeat the jammer is down. Scrambling gunships now” an elated sounding voice on the other end promised helicopter support and told the two NATO members that indeed radio communications had been re-established.“Ghost One to any NATO units on this net, the way is clear for NEST” came the familiar voice for Commander Truffle as the wolf almost howled with joy. Blinking away his tears, the wolf began to order the commandoes with him for a full-frontal assault on the remaining enemies down there.“Canard, Rouge, Savon, stay with me. Polkavessky, Grenouille, Argent, take the right flank and suppress anyone there. Commander Greif will provide covering fire as we charge down” the wolf looked at his German counterpart as if daring the lion to say otherwise. The agents the wolf named had been with Special Envoy Ivan del Morte during the Sicily raid and were part of the Nightstalkers remaining from the bloody purge the week after.For his part, the lion simply shrugged as he readied his G3 battle rifle as he peered through the attached ACOG scope at the remaining mammals moving around the perimeter of the bunker. If the Français wanted to commit suicide with a frontal assault, it was up to him.  “Essayez de ne pas mourir, Commandant Truffe” he still assured his French counterpart as he took aim at a bewildered-looking lion when the alarm cut off. [Try not to die, Commander Truffle]“It won’t be us doing the dying” the wolf from Gevaudan replied as his squad charged down the snow-covered slope towards the lit entrance of the bunker complex.As the lion watched, his French allies shifted form and grew before his very eyes. The wolves (Truffle, Canard, Rouge, and Argent) grew larger and began running on all fours as the tigers (Polkavessky and Grenouille) did the same. Before the lead wolf he had identified as the GIGN commander from Marseille lunged at a fellow lion’s neck with a snout the size of a small car, Commander Greif took the shot and killed a lynx wielding a shotgun.“Feuer unterdrücken! Triff nicht die großen Säugetiere” came the command as the area erupted with noise, bringing forth guards from inside the bunker to deal with the threat that came from without. [Suppressing fire! Don't hit the large mammals]The fearful sound of a fully automatic MG-3 piercing the cool winter air as it sawed a rabbit in half, both halves tossed into the air by two wolves: one with a silver coat and the other with a solid black coat. The howls started soon after as Commander Greif watched the wolves’ claws slice through the metal side of a shipping container to get to the mammals hiding inside. A bloody snout pushed its way in and the lion lowered the rifle as a mammal was brought screaming out.“Lass uns da runtergehen! Mindestens ein Säugetier zum Verhör!” the lion informed his squad as NEST watched on with cool detachment for the mammals falling to the fangs of the GIGN. [Let's go down there! At least one mammal for interrogation!]The lion’s squad followed him down the slope, following the utter destruction that the seven predators were wreaking on the former missile base’s exterior.“Overlord, are you seeing this?” the lion asked the controller, surprised at how weak his own voice sounded to his ears.“Negative, Golf Sierra Golf Niner. We seem to be having equipment problems. Hang on” the calm voice of the controller informing the lion that Overlord was either lying or the cameras went down. The lion felt it was the former as there was no way for the cameras to go down unless an EMP detonated.The lion was too caught up in his thoughts that he walked straight into the left rear paw of a tall silver wolf who looked down at the lion and licked its lips as it opened its jaws.Commander Greif thought this was his end as the teeth in the wolf’s mouth looked as tall as he was. Only for a wet tongue to bathe him in saliva as the silver wolf lay down with an oomph on the asphalt surface.“Agent Argent? Bist du immer noch dabei?” the lion asked in German, stunned that the wolf was tame around him. [Agent Argent? Are you still in there?]Natürlich! Diese Form ist immun gegen Beschädigungen und Umwelteinflüsse. Eifersüchtig? Came the mental reply from the curious wolf as he sniffed the lion commando. The lion’s mind not ready to accept any more shocks shut down and he slumped into unconsciousness. [Of course! This form is immune to damage and environmental influences. Jealous?]“Overlord to Greif, come in Greif” the lion’s radio crackled uselessly in his ear as GIGN Agent Argent’s dire wolf form shrank down as his clothing reformed around him. “Sorry Overlord, Greif got hit with a tranquiliser dart. He appears to be asleep” the silver wolf replied to the controller as he gently moved the lion with his footpaw.“Great…exfil’s enroute for you and the warheads. ETA: six mikes” the controller drily commented before informing the conscious GIGN units that exfiltration helicopters would arrive in six minutes.“Wilco, Overlord” Agent Argent replied as he made his way around the pools of blood congealing in the wintry air to tap his squad leader on the back of his own leg. When the black wolf looked down, Ivan del Morte’s ice-blue eyes staring at the silver wolf, Agent Argent spoke up “Sir! Overlord says six minutes for helicopter extraction”.The black wolf nodded once and howled a two-tone sound that had the rest of the Nightstalkers shift back to their anthropomorphic states.As Agent Grenouille licked his bloodied striped paws, and Agent Canard sighed out at his ruined rifle, Commander Truffle pushed his own primal nature back into a corner of his mind. The wild wolf happily complying now that it was sated.“Pack up those who remain unharmed and unspoiled” the melanistic wolf informed his team of Nightstalkers as they dragged out mammals ready for transport.=====================================================================================
2130 Hours (1530 Hours D.C.)

Command and Control Centre,

Atomraketenbunker Nummer vier Haupteingang, [Nuclear Missile Bunker Number Four Main Entrance]

Schwarzwald Forest, Germany

CIA Black Operative Shinigami

“That was anticlimactic” I muttered as I nudged the corpse of the black-market arms dealer with my footpaw. The polar bear had taken a cyanide capsule, but not before I halted its spread through his system, and got the information I needed out of him.The bear was just a middle-mammal, fronting for an elusive arms dealer known only as ‘Blue Tiger’.“Cowards always flee” Rook growled out as he held a heart up for me to take. From the relatively unblemished state of the heart, the mammal took very good care of the organ. I patted my retainer’s paw and Rook ate it instead.“At least Mister White is facing Judgment for his crimes, right?” Adrian spoke up as the arctic wolf checked the muzzles and snouts of the corpses for further intelligence digging.“That he is” I replied with a low growl as I rubbed my side, the polar bear attempted to get free by plunging a dagger into the weak part of my vest and only sealing his fate when Rook took his head off with a paw swipe.“You okay, sir?” Lieutenant Sheffield asked as he took out his first-aid kit to wrap my wound, only to look back at unblemished fur.“Overlord, this is Ghost One. Threat neutralised. Bunker secure” I informed the controller as I heard the sigh of relief before the response came back down the line. “Overlord copies your last. Shadowfax is ready for transport”.I looked at the assembled operatives with me as I knew that Lima and Delta already departed. Death especially remarked that he had never had such fun before. Life was sad to see that mammals had not changed an iota since their rise to sapience, still fighting over trivial matters. She had departed with a soft smile on her muzzle as she granted a boon that made sure I would be successful in weeding out those who needed redemption.“Ghost One copies your last, Overlord. Ready for transport to Ramstein” I informed the controller as the information was passed on to Shadowfax, the experimental transport unit.“Signatures locked in. Transporting in five…four…three…two…one” came the reply as we blinked out from the bunker before a grand total of nineteen hardened bombs penetrated the structure and detonated, collapsing the concrete and steel construction.We reappeared with the six warheads in one of the empty hangars at Ramstein AFB.Large enough to hold two C-17 Globemasters parked side by side; the hangar now played host to my retainers, Lieutenant Sheffield’s Army Ranger platoon, GIGN and GSG-9 commandoes, the NEST team and twelve mammals for interrogation.I also had in my pocket the hard drive from the bunker’s computer system on who had what.“Good evening, Ghost” a Barbary lion approached in the dark blue dress uniform of a Royal Air Force air vice marshal.“Air Vice Marshal Robert Honeyham, it’s been a while since Toulon” I nodded my head at the lion as he stopped two paces away from me and the rifles of the Rangers.“Thanks to your efforts” he began before I cut in with “Thanks to our efforts”.Which led to the lion shaking his mane good-naturedly as he rephrased his sentence, “Thanks to our efforts, Her Majesty has promoted all those who participated in the Toulon-Sicily operation. We have you to thank and Her Majesty has offered to grant you land near Colchester. A barony, if I recall properly”.I sighed, knowing that the old lioness would not be swayed. I had snapped it out of her head and the Queen had sent out a Letters Patent granting me the same the next day.“I do not do this for the reward, Air Vice Marshal” I informed the lion who gravely nodded his maned head in solidarity.“Please, you’re among friends, call me Robert or Bob. Either works” the lion answered as he placed an arm around me and walked me out of the hangar to the waiting staff cars.“Don’t worry about your mammals. They will be well taken cared of” the lion whispered as we passed the prisoners for interrogation. Two of which had pissed themselves when they figured out who had them. I heard the whisper of “Schneeleopard des Todes” [Death’s snow leopard] from the fearful group as they knelt in unison on the concrete floor of the hangar.“Sei in Frieden. Was du meinen Truppen gibst, bestimmt deine Beteiligung. Lügt sie an und ich garantiere euch, dass eure Strafe hart sein wird” I loudly announced, my voice carrying throughout the structure. [Be at peace. What you give my troops determines your involvement. Lie to them and I guarantee that your punishment will be harsh]“Really, you had to scare them?” Robert asked as we both entered a staff car, the door held open by a USAF Security Force agent.“Better they tell the truth now and get some reduction in time versus lying and having additional time stacked on top of their sentence” I replied, knowing that at least four of the mammals in custody would go for poison capsules that no longer existed.“Would you like some false teeth with poison capsules?” I offered the lion as he roared in laughter as the car drove away from the hangar.

----- CHAPTER BREAK -----

0700 Hours

February 14, 1999

DFAC Hall,

Ramstein AFB,

Ramstein, Germany

FBI Deputy Director Ivan del Morte

I joined the queue for the Air Force base’s Dining Facility. I did miss the Academy’s chow hall, but there was some scuttlebutt that Air Force had a better menu than what the Navy had.Since I was going to be eating here for the foreseeable future, I may as well get acquainted with their menu and plan my day accordingly.Rook and the Wolfson brothers had already departed back for San Diego and The Villa respectively. GIGN were still staying with me as close-in protection for their admiral and GSG-9 had also departed back for their own base for a debrief.I listened in to the troopers in front of me discussing some hotshot VIP who came during the night as the GIGN commandoes had exchanged their battle rattle for a more relaxed set of blues. They were still armed and could take out unruly servicemembers but refrained from doing so.I was wearing a set of loaned mess dress uniform from a similar-sized tiger lieutenant colonel who was only too willing to part with his. I just had to attach silver stars to the boards and I was all set.I only found out late last night that the Navy Board had given me the same rank as the French Navy’s Amiral Espoir. Thankfully, the tiger was on night duty and convinced to part with his own uniform set by the deputy base commandant, a Southern Xianese tiger named Brigadier General Lin Ho.Grabbing a tray from its storage space in the cafeteria-style eating facility, I made my way over to the foodstuffs tickling my senses. Behind a sneeze guard and under heat lamps were in order from right to left: white rice, scrambled eggs, croissants, blueberry Danishes, turkey bacon, turkey ham, fish fillets, tartar sauce, a selection of cheeses from France and Italy, pancakes, butter packs, fresh fruits and Viennese pretzels. As I had my fill of scrambled eggs, turkey ham, the fillets, croissants and slices of Brie and Camembert cheeses with Greek feta and English cheddar, three pancakes and those Viennese pretzels; the Air Force servicemembers next to me in the queue looked on with large amounts of horror as what I got would have made an elephant full.“Sir” a sergeant stepped up beside me and the rhino whispered into my ear, “can you actually put all that away? We’re trying to reduce wastage”.“Sure I can sergeant. After this it’s a healthy amount of PT until I puke” I replied with a hint of a smirk as the rhino gulped.“And what would you like for a drink, sir?” the cougar specialist behind the counter asked with a visible gulp on seeing the silver stars. “We have freshly-squeezed orange juice, apple juice, grape juice, Twinings English breakfast tea, hot coffee, and hot chocolate, sir”.“No need to be nervous, airmam. I need to eat too. Give me a pot of the tea and we’ll consider it square, alright?” I replied as I removed my wallet to show my military ID.The swift snap to attention made me look down at the ID and sigh loudly. In my haste in escaping the Command Centre last night, and the Air Vice Marshal, I had swiped all my NATO cards. What I had presented was my Marine Nationale ID instead of the U.S. Air Force one and it gave my current rank of Amiral (Admiral) Ivan de la Mort. Admiral Espoir’s jokes back in ’96 of having his government commission me into the Marine Nationale coming back to haunt me.“Cher Seigneur Tout-Puissant” I swore under my breath in French as the cougar looked like he was about to faint. [Dear Lord Almighty]“Un instant” I informed the cougar as I dug out the Animalian Air Force card with my correct rank of lieutenant general and presented it to him. [One moment]If anything, the cougar collapsed behind the counter, and I shouted “MEDIC!” as I leapt behind the stainless-steel divider to check on him. The kitchen staff hustled me out when they saw the stars and assumed the worst as my tray was hand-carried to an empty table whose airmammals rapidly emptied their trays into their bellies.I had already lost my appetite by this point, but my body was demanding fuel to replenish the energy I had spent last night. I speared a rasher of bacon and stuffed it down my gullet as mammals avoided looking at my table as my escorts soon joined me.“Sergeant” I beckoned over the ill-looking rhinoceros from earlier. As he stood at the position of attention in front of me, I patted the empty space beside me on the large-mammal bench and he sat down looking horribly nervous for some reason.“Staff Sergeant Weathers” I read the name of the rhino on his nametag and the pachyderm gulped audibly, making my escort snicker at how rigid the rhino became. “Did I do something wrong? I am a mere flag officer and I’m sorry for making your mammal faint” I started to apologise before the rhino, with a rank of staff sergeant.“No need to a-apologise sir” the rhino replied, voice only faltering once as he tried to escape his predicament.“I insist you join me for breaking of my fast” I informed the rhino as I began to eat the meal in front of me, the sheer flaky nature of the buttery croissants keeping me from concentrating on the rhino as he picked at his own meal.“Good morning, General del Morte. May I join you, sir?” a male voice crisply declared as the rhino vacated his spot as a brown bear stood beside me waiting to be recognised. I glanced up and saw the same three stars I was sporting.“Good morning. By all means Lieutenant General Ridgeway” I replied as the brown bear now sat across from me, my escort making room as the Siberian tiger moved to a different table.We ate in companionable silence as conversation picked up around us.“Isn’t that the French admiral?”, “Why is he in AF blue?”, “Poor Staff, he looks fit to be roasted”, “Don’t let Staff hear you say that!”.“General Ridgeway, may I call you Alex?” I asked the brown bear as using his title was a real mouthful.“If I may call you Ivan as well, General del Morte sir” the brown bear replied as he devoured the fish fillets with tartar sauce and toast.“Very well, Alex. Let us be informal to each other” I consented as I took a bite from the delectable blueberry Danish, washing down the sweet taste with a sip of tea.“May I ask what brought you to the airbase last night, Ivan? I am admittedly curious” the bear asked in as polite a manner as he could.“I’m sorry, Alex. That matter can be discussed better in private. There are way too many ears in here” I answered with a sad lilt to my voice as the grizzly acquiesced. There were some secrets he was not privy to.“May we take this to my office then?” Alex asked as the bear stood with his tray in paw to leave the DFAC.“Most certainly, Alex. As you can see I am done” I informed him as Alex’s eyes bugged out at the empty tray littered with crumbs.“How are you not fat?” the great bear muttered as he led the way out. “Good genetics, Alex. My father was not fat nor overly skinny. He was just right for the job” I answered as I deposited the cafeteria tray back into the dirty rack.Whatever riposte the Air Force flag officer had prepared was interrupted by a senior airmammal arriving and presenting me with a sealed summons.“Sir! NATO communique for Admiral de la Mort!” the hare, with name tape of Westin, saluted the two of us. I swiftly returned the salute, as did the brown bear, curious on what NATO wanted. The hare gave the sealed paper to me and watched as I broke the wax seal.“Shit!” I cursed out as I read the opening of the letter. I crumpled the letter in my paw, and it ignited. The smell and sight of the burning letter made the other officer whimper as he took a step back and collided with the doorjamb of the DFAC.I took a deep breath and slowly let it out as I counted to ten. Once I had calmed sufficiently, and my escort were not on the verge of transforming into their greater forms, I turned to the USAF senior officer.“General Ridgeway, I find myself in need of fast transport to RAF Northolt for myself and my escort. Can you arrange that for me?” I asked the bear as he nodded mutely. “Good. I will be in the visiting officers quarters if there are any developments”.I departed the DFAC with the GIGN escort and moved at a speed of a quick march towards the quarters I had informed him of.Had I stayed, I would have heard the hare mutter, “Goddamn, so that’s the Grim Reaper…” and the general’s cautioning response of “Tread carefully, that’s the Federal Executioner” as he left for the phone to ring the command centre.=====================================================================================
0830 Hours

February 14, 1999

Ramstein Taxiway,

Ramstein AFB,

FBI Deputy Director Ivan Del Morte (Shinigami)
 I sat grumbling in the converted Boeing 737-700 as we waited for take-off clearance from Ramstein tower. My GIGN escort replaced with Secret Service agents freshly flown in on Air Force One as President Linton was expected to visit the military installation.Thankfully, the nuclear warheads had already been transported out by Shadowfax as NEST had rendered them all safe.I did not expect a Royal Summons to be sent out so soon. I had just erased the idea of presenting me with any awards by Her Majesty, Queen Elizabeth the Second when this new communique basically demanded my presence as a subject of the Crown.Death and Life were snickering in my head as they found out how the current reigning monarch of the Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland was able to shake off the reality-bending I was doing.
Life: Did you know that your attempts at rewriting reality actually have no effect on English monarchs? They remember the events as they unfolded. This particular monarch remembering that she once had a snow leopard uncle of a cadet line of the Windsor branch when you wrote yourself into Roarssian history.

Oh dear. There goes anonymity.

Death: You never were acting anonymously when you sent those souls for Judgement. Though film and video recordings show different mammals acting each time, HMTQ’s line were granted the ability to parse through reality. If you don’t show up, she can use Royal Writ to summon you.

Death: That’s quite interesting, I did not know that one as this has never happened before. Not even your darker counterpart was part of the Royal Family.

Life: She might ask for your paw to be wed to one of her kits, Princess Anne Windsor.

My Lady, I am a commoner! I am not of royal blood, nor do I wish to be.

Life: That is not what I mean, and you know it, Ivan James Snob
ä
r!

Chaos: Oooh, all three names already. Someone seems to be in trouble…

Life: In any case, I believe that Elizabeth Windsor has a gift for you. The Animalians won’t mind. Much.
I put my head in my paws as the plane’s engines roared, and we took off into the rare blue sky that is winter in Germany.“Penny for your thoughts, sir?” Secret Service Special Agent-in-Charge Michael Meyers asked from his seat beside me. The stallion and his team last-minute additions to Air Force One as the federal government scrambled to figure out where I had disappeared to. Once they found out I was dealing with a nuclear threat in Germany, an additional team of nine agents were dispatched onboard Air Force One for the red-eye flight to Ramstein AFB.“If you have a diamond in your pocket, that will do nicely. If not, I’ll just settle in for the hour flight” I replied, somehow knowing that the stallion had a three-carat diamond ring in a velvet-lined case to present to his fiancée, White House Press Secretary Josephine Mueller.“Don’t take this the wrong way sir, but I’m kinda saving the ring for just the right moment” the stallion admitted as I closed my eyes to raise the mental barriers that looked profoundly destroyed as I could now read everyone’s mind in the converted airliner.“Once the two of you return Stateside, ask for a holiday from your boss and I’ll get the Treasury Secretary to co-sign a vacation package to Epcot for the two of you” I replied as Life pushed one of my buttons on mammals needing to get a move on and give her grandbabies.
That was rude. I don’t have an opinion on what mammals do in their own time.

Life: Well, he and his mare have been dancing around the topic for quite some time now. It’s been three years. Three! I would like at least one child out of their union.

Time: When you have some of me available, your rescued agent from Japan needs some aid. Apparently, their crops have not been all that good lately. While the ground is still packed with snow, there is time yet for the spring crop to flower if seeds are planted within the next week.

I have not seen Agent Nathaniel for quite a while. I can stop by with a cheque for her. I think she has a pension I can send over on a monthly basis as well.

Life: Oh, is she a rabbit? I like their fecundity.
“That’s quite a big to-do sir for my fiancée and me. I was just thinking about a quiet dinner in the Italian place we both like in Zootopia, Little Big Italy, followed by a stroll down memory lane in Rainforest” the stallion blurted out and blushed as his fellow agents looked our way.I waved my paw, and they went back to their other activities. I unbuckled my seat belt and stood up to stretch. Technically, the immortality I had been granted came with a whole lot of perks. I was loathe to use them when I wanted to feign normality.Though judging from the chuckles and snorts, I was already failing at acting normal.“Wanna see a party trick, Agent Meyers?” I asked the Clydesdale stallion as he looked askance at me with my left paw in the position of a snap. The other agents saw the gesture and backed away in fear. I snapped and the stallion disappeared.“Uh, where’d you send him sir?” Secret Service Agent Ian Shaeffer asked as the Arabian stallion looked at the empty seat in disbelief.“Hmm? Oh, I sent him and his fiancée to this lovely little chalet at Fléau des Loups called Le Chat Botté. The proprietor is a good friend of mine, and he likes it best when couples show up” I replied, knowing that Wilhelm would show the two horses a good time as the stallion had my calling card on him.
I am honoured, monsieur, that you choose my humble chalet for your mammals.

Take good care of them and send me the bill. Let them think it is all paid for.

Of course, sir. My chalet won a Michelin star last year for our fondue and hot chocolate. Come by some time. :3
“Damn. I heard of that place sir. They won a Michelin star, and the chalet is always packed to the rafters” Agent Shaeffer moaned out.“Be a good agent and perhaps I can ask the Treasury Department to send you there on vacation” I offered as a calling card materialised in my paw.“Thank you, sir, but I prefer not to owe you favours” Agent Shaeffer replied as he sat down as the Air Force cabin steward provided us with cappuccino at 35,000 feet.“I’m not asking for your souls” I joked with the stallion who shivered as a shadow appeared over us in the aisle.“Ah, Agent Wolfson. Where is your brother?” I asked Adrian as the white wolf simply smiled in a cherubic fashion that made me instantly suspicious.“What did the two of you do?” I asked in the most disappointed tone I could muster. Being exposed to Death, Life, and now Time; I could muster a whole universe of disappointment.“Well…more like what we didn’t do…” Adrian stalled for time as he looked down at the frost creeping across the carpet of the modified 737-700.“What. Did. You. Do?” I asked as I stood to my full height, sadly shorter than the arctic wolf, but no less commanding.“We foiled an assassination attempt on Her Majesty but were unable to keep it secret from her and the general public” the arctic wolf choked out as I brought him to his knees as the cabin froze over.“The two of you” I directed this statement at the wolf who nodded quickly, “foiled an assassination attempt on the Royal Family?”“Yes, but we failed in keeping it from going public and the world kind of knows we work for you” Adrian winced visibly as I sighed and snapped, the two of us vanishing from the plane just as we entered British airspace.“Wait!” the collective cry from my new security detail went unheard as they scrambled to grab hold, only Agent Shaeffer managing it.=====================================================================================
0845 Hours

February 14, 1999

Royal Family Private Dining Room,

Buckingham Palace,

London, England

FBI Deputy Director Ivan del Morte (Shinigami)
 We appeared in a heap beside an ornate, yet simple dining table.“Glad you could make it for morning tea, Uncle Ivan” I heard the dulcet tones of Her Majesty ring out just to my right as I extricated myself from the mammal pile as I seemed to have also brought Rook along for the ride.“Good morning, Your Majesty. I received your summons at Ramstein just as I finished breaking my fast” I answered formally as I bowed at the waist as I snapped myself out of the pile. I remembered a little lioness gambolling around in happier times as her father and mother watched, Time placing me in their memories with a wink and a nod.“Will you stop ducking away from my calls and letters, Uncle Ivan? You would have been king had you not insisted my father rule” Her Majesty spoke, lightly chastising me as she knew how terrible provoking my anger was. Dresden felt it during the war as the city burned.“Your Highness, had I not insisted he rule in my stead, I would still be king to this day. For all intents and purposes, I am immortal. There would be no line of succession after me unless I abdicated the throne” I informed her, seeing as she already knew my true nature.“That is quite true indeed. Tea?” Her Majesty replied with a nod of her head as she indicated for a familiar tea service be brought forward.“I see you are prepared” I remarked drily as I floated myself a cup of tea and took a sip of the enchanting blend made especially for the Royal Family.“Are you still willing to accept a duchy? I hear that you have been quite active now. Dare I ask why?” the aging lioness asked.“I will accept the duchy, but you already know why I have gone active. No matter how many times I alter reality, you still witness the original one. So, tell me Lilibet, why the sudden interest?” I asked her as I saw how long she had left. Twenty-three years and seven months. Her eldest, Charles, would live for a decade more.“I just worry about the future. My grandsons lost their mother not even two years ago and I fear that they are starting to drift. I’m not going to be around forever, but you will be here until long after the monarchy is but an archaic remnant of our past” Her Majesty started out strong, until she bowed her own head to look at her reflection in the mirrored finish of her plate.“Do you know what you are asking of me, Elizabeth of House Windsor?” I informed her coldly as I glowed with power, frost filling the hall and coating the walls. “You are aware that placing your grandsons into my service will strip them of their old personality”.“I know” was the simple two-word sentence that warmed my heart as I let the effect go and our surrounding warmed once more. I was not talking with a monarch who wanted the good of her country, I was talking with a concerned grandmother looking after her grandchildren.“Dear Lord, warn a fellow next time” came the semi-affronted shout from the Prince Consort.  I sat down on the carpeted floor as I listened to the entities propose their ideas. Death was all for adding the two princes to my growing corps. Life was against it as the two would no longer have individuality as they moved in my service as assassins/bodyguards. Time had no opinion as either way the princes would move forward. Chaos wanted me to turn the two into greater lion mounts and rampage around the world, gutting terrorists with a broadsword. Order was against Chaos’ idea but was amenable to taking the princes under my wing for training.All the discussions finished in a second as I rubbed my forehead after.“May I have the duchy before I train the two?” I asked as Rook helped Agent Shaeffer stand.“Are you alright Agent Shaeffer? Nephew, why are you on the floor?” Rook asked as the Clydesdale looked around in fear and the arctic wolf gave an embarrassed wave.“You may have the duchy of Lancashire and that estate’s holdings. My grandsons?” Elizabeth acquiesced, before asking about her grandsons.“I take them in for training, but I leave their personalities untouched. I do not alter them in any way, save for instilling a sense of duty and loyalty to the Crown” I informed her as she let out a sigh of relief at the light sentence. She knew that mammals ‘entrusted’ to Shinigami’s care wound up changed beyond recognition.“May I see the Princes William and Harold?” I asked for her permission, though she knew I did not need it. I could spirit her grandsons away and she would have no more say in how they would be brought up.“They are in the family wing of the palace. Should I ask James here to escort you?” Her Majesty answered as she motioned for a liveried courtier to step forward. The tiger she beckoned forward, quaking in his uniform as he felt the power that washed over him, but stepped forward nonetheless.“There is no need for that” as I concentrated on the boys’ location and snapped my fingers, leaving Rook with the royals.  “Should we have a tailor come with an outfit, Mister Rook?” Prince Consort Philip asked as the dire wolf was naked save for a white bowtie around his neck.“There is no need, Your Highness” Rook replied as he bowed to the lion. “My master will be back shortly, and the rest of my clothes are within easy reach”.=====================================================================================
0900 Hours

Family Playroom,

Buckingham Palace,

FBI Deputy Director Ivan del Morte (Shinigami)
 “Good morning, Your Highnesses” I greeted the two startled lion cubs when I manifested in the middle of a chess match, their security no match as they drew their pistols only to be turned into mewling kittens.“Good morning, Grand Uncle Mortimer” the two replied in unison. “May we have our security officers back, please?”“That’s creepy, hearing the two of you announce items in unison” I replied as I snapped my fingers and the security agents felt themselves over, before slowly approaching me. They kept their hooves and paws free from their weapons as they kept their appendages in front of them.“As I understand it, you lost your mother almost two years ago. Know that she loves you very much” I let the two princes know as the younger one ran to me and wrapped his arms around my waist.“Then you can bring her back?” he asked me with tears in his eyes.“No child. That is not how this works. Her soul has moved on, and to pull her from Heaven’s reach does her a greater disservice than simply resurrecting her” I sadly informed the lion cub as he wept, his hot tears soaking into my borrowed service blues.“Did grandmother put you up to this?” the older of the princes asked as he moved closer.“She said that you were grieving and had begun to pull away” I replied, all but confirming for the older one that his grandmother did ask for the mythical Grim Reaper to take possession of her grandchildren.“Are we to go with you now?” he asked as he sat down on the carpeted floor in front of me.“No, I will come back when you are eighteen. Same with your brother. We will train at the estate near Hereford and down at the one in Sicily. Enjoy your last carefree year, Prince William Windsor. For on exactly noon of your 18th birthday, you will be joining the White Wolf Protection Group’s ranks as I come back for you” I informed the prince, giving him until the 21st of June to make the most of his kithood.“And, will I go as well?” the one hugging me asked as his tail twitched behind him.“The deal was for both of you. Either you join your brother on his 18th birthday, or he will join you on yours as I return” I replied calmly as Life sighed out in relief, secure in the belief that I would not take both souls and remake them.“Can you delay until my birthday? Please?” the younger lion asked as he turned his sky-blue eyes up at me.“At the dawn of the new millennium, I will come for the two of you. Say your farewells as you will not return until two years hence. The sooner the training is done, the sooner you will be at peace” I informed the two as I snapped myself back to the dining area.Prince Harry looking bewildered that he was now hugging air.=====================================================================================
0915 Hours

February 14, 1999

Royal Family Private Dining Room,

Buckingham Palace,

London, England

FBI Deputy Director Ivan del Morte (Shinigami)
 I reappeared in the dining room just as the place settings were being cleared away. Her Majesty quickly composed herself, but the faint smell of salt told me she had been crying.“Is it done?” she sniffed as she dabbed at her eyes with a silk napkin.“No. I will return on the eldest prince’s eighteenth birthday. He has at best four months to get his affairs in order before I or one of my lieutenants arrive to bring the two of them for training” I informed her and the Prince Consort, as well as their father Prince Charles.“Thank you, Uncle Ivan” the lioness sighed out as she put on a brave front for her family.“Well met, niece. I shall be off as my reports don’t write themselves” I farewelled the Royals as I snapped my fingers and vanished.=====================================================================================Only to reappear at Number 10 Downing Street, the dark and foreboding atmosphere of the townhouse complex meant to instil fear and awe. Only because I could see the visible soot that stained the façade and walls did I withhold the pathetic attempt at cowing mammals.The street itself was closed off on both ends, the houses that fronted the area bricked up, and there was a permanent police presence to deter onlookers.That did not account for someone like me who could appear at will anywhere in the globe.Shrugging my shoulders at a future problem, as the two Wolfsons also appeared beside me, I made my way to the Metropolitan Police Officer standing guard.The deer kept a tight grip on his MP-5 submachine gun as we approached, all too aware that no one be allowed inside without a clearance from above.“Sir, I’m going to have to ask you to leave!” the armed police officer informed me in a firm, yet polite voice. In sharp contrast to his Animalian counterpart who would have already attempted to fill me with lead once I got past the outer security cordon.“Call it in Officer Jameson” I informed the wide-eyed deer as his name tape was not visible.  “I’m expected by the Right Honourable Tony Hare”.“Right. And I’m the King of England” the deer rebutted as he pressed his radio call button just the same.“Baseplate, this is Juliet Two-Four at the main entrance to 10 Downing. I have a snow leopard in a grey suit and two wolf bodyguards. Permission to detain?”“That’s a negative, Juliet Two-Four. Hold for your relief, then escort the trio to see the Prime Minister. They’re expected” came the reply over the officer’s walkie. The deer looked at his radio gobsmacked and befuddled.The door to 10 Downing opened and another armed officer stepped out in her white uniform and tactical vest combo. The lioness holding a similar submachine gun in her paws and took two steps out of the door, turned right, and addressed her counterpart.“Officer Jameson, I am your relief. Provide escort to His Grace, the Duke of Lancaster to meet the prime minister” the lioness informed the deer who simply nodded in the affirmative.  “News seems to travel fast, Sergeant Periwinkle” I addressed the lioness who snapped off a quick salute, which I returned.“It has been a while, Your Grace” the lioness gave a shallow curtsy before chivvying her colleague away from his post. “Will you be here for long, sir?” she asked as I moved to the open door of the PM’s official residence.“I cannot say, Sergeant. Last I saw you; you were but a mere cub playing pretend” I informed the lioness as a memory came my way of a lion cub in a police officer’s costume complete with a toy helmet; held above her father’s shoulders to witness the last Royal Review that I had participated in. “Is your father, the commissioner, still around?”“He’s in a care home now, sir. My mama and I will be happy if he can make it to the millennium. He’s in a bad way” the lioness admitted as she took up her post at the door.“When your shift is over, come and join me at The Savoy. Tell me all about him in the years of my absence” I informed the lioness as I handed over a card for her to take.The grave manner in which she took it meant her father had not long to live. Time and Death agreed. If I did not intervene, the former Metropolitan Police Commissioner would be dead by midnight. He would die alone as the family would not be there to see him depart.“Lead the way, Officer Jameson. Last time I was here Attlee was PM” I informed the officer as I tried breaking the ice with humour.The door closed behind us as we left the lioness to perform her duties.Adrian and Brady looking at each other and whispering that “Maybe we were too hasty in joining his team?” and “You were last of your entire family tree, I was dying. No brainer why we are what we are”.I ignored their chatter, I focused more on my nervous guide as he kept glancing at us as we moved to the first floor and the PM’s office.“So, uh…, have you seen the Lion King movie yet, Your Grace?” the deer asked before wincing as I probably had just returned home from whatever business I had overseas.“Not really, Officer Jameson. Why? Was it spectacular?” I answered in a joking fashion, trying to put the prey mammal at peace. He was broadcasting to the world how on edge he was.“Yes, sir. It was. Though it did cast royalty in a somewhat bad light with the family dynamic…and I really should stop talking about this” the deer started to speak on the movie and then stopped talking altogether.We trudged the halls in silence, and it was by chance that our entourage stumbled onto the prime minister as he exited the water closet.“Good morning, Prime Minister. This is His Grace, the Duke of Lancaster. Your Grace, the Right Honourable Tony Hare” my escort hastily introduced us before fleeing back down the stairs in a total lack of decorum and failed nerves. I extended my right paw, and the snow hare took it for a shake.“Pleasure to meet you, Your Grace. Have you had your morning tea yet, sir?” the hare got excited as he pumped my paw twice before leading us to the private sitting room adjacent to his office.“Marie, cancel the rest of the afternoon! I’m talking with one of the few awardees of the Victoria Cross with bar. How exciting!” the hare informed his secretary who looked askance at us before marking it in the day calendar.“Of course, Prime Minister. Shall I also inform your wife that you will not join her for lunch at The Savoy?” the PM’s secretary asked as she looked at the calendar and peered over her reading glasses.“Oh...Oh dear. Is our anniversary today?” the hare asked in a flustered manner as he zipped about the room.“I’m afraid it is, Prime Minister. Should I call her and say that you’ll be late?” Marie asked him.The hare’s ears fell behind his head, and he started wringing his paws nervously.“NO! Tell her that lunch is still on and that we have a guest from the Royal Peerage staying with us” he exclaimed with a shout, before dropping the volume as I looked neutrally at him.“If you have prior engagements, Prime Minister, I can always come another time” I informed him as I made to stand up, the tea I was served woefully inadequate in serving size with the rabbit-sized cups.“My wife is going to hate this, but come with us!” the ginger hare offered.“I’m flattered, Prime Minister. But today is your day. I do not want to impose. In fact,” I gently denied that idea, conjuring (summoning) a bouquet of dandelions and other edible flowers, “take this and give your wife a bouquet. I dare say the bed shall well and truly rock tonight” as I presented it to him with a wink.=====================================================================================
Royal Botanic Gardens,

Kew,

London, England

“Did you see that?” one gardener remarked to his compatriot as they tended to a flowerbed filled with petunias.“Must be the Queen’s uncle trying to impress a dame. No worries, he makes up for it with rare seed packets” a more senior gardener replied as he strolled down the stone path.“But, those were rare flowers. We don’t have any more cuttings!” the gardener protested as he continued to tend to the bed, adding fertiliser.  “Write a strongly-worded letter made out to Her Majesty that Her uncle took out his own flower bed for some flowers. Let me know the response, hmm?” the senior gardener, a goat named Lord Richard Buckner, commented as he moved down the path; checking the available plants and marking these on his clipboard.“Fuck’s sake, I hope he can help those flowers bloom again” the gardener muttered as another few baby’s breath, bluebells, aster, red camellias, and red chrysanthemums disappeared.=====================================================================================“How about this one?” I asked Prime Minister Hare as the hare’s eyes bugged out at the new set of flowers.“I dare say that the bed will really rock tonight” the astonished hare replied as he gracefully accepted the bouquet for his dear wife.“Take both. Those came from my personal garden so not much has been lost” I informed him as I too wondered where the flowers came from. I knew I was not conjuring them but summoning them from places.“Where are you staying, Your Grace?” the prime minister asked as he smelled the fresh scent of the bouquets.“Currently I am billeted at the Animalian embassy. I work with them, you see” I informed him, not caring to lie as what would be the point. I was already certain that either my name or my form would pop up in history books.“Would you be willing to exchange for The Savoy?” the hare pleaded; his green eyes wide as he knelt.“Not on Valentine’s Day! Hotels are packed to the rafters. I’ll take my chances with the Animalians” I exclaimed as both Adrian and Brady collapsed to the carpeted floor guffawing out.“Oh Lord, I forgot today was Valentines! I’m saved from giving Julie at Hereford a small box of chocolates” Brady chuckled as he pounded the carpeted floor.“Too bad” I informed him as I snapped a box of chocolates into his paws and a second snap sent him to Hereford. His brother stared at the empty spot aghast and felt a cold feeling creep down his spine that he was next.“Say hi to your pups for me” I smiled wanly at the white wolf and snapped him to be with his family.“So, Prime Minister, shall we head over to The Savoy now?” I asked the astonished hare as I extended my paw in invitation.“Miss Marie, kindly call for the PM’s car and an escort. Mine will be along shortly” I informed the secretary who graciously nodded her head as she did as requested.=====================================================================================
1015 Hours

No. 10 Downing Street,

Westminster,

London, England

His Grace, Duke of Lancaster Ivan Windsor
 “So, there I was, pinned down by heavy emgee (MG) fire when my retainer comes swooping in and plucking the wind out of their sails. Had you been there, Tony, you’d agree that my retainer is very bad-ass” I informed the prime minister as we sipped his fine brandy while we waited for the car to come around.“The way you tell it, sir, still leaves much to be desired” a familiar voice joined us as Rook manifested wearing a bespoke suit that the dire wolf was trying his hardest not to destroy.“Let me guess” the hare seized on the new wolf’s appearance as a fresh change in topic, “Kingsmammal on Savile Row?”“Correct sir. Her Majesty was most insistent that I wear something that reflected my master’s position in the peerage” Rook informed us, just as the secretary knocked on the door to let us know that the car was now in front.“Time for a trip to the hotel. I wonder if it has changed all that much from 1948?” I mused as I stood first and put my arm out to steady a mildly sloshed snow hare.“Oh, perhaps some modern fixtures and the façade had an update” the prime minister commented as he mildly swayed from the alcohol he had imbibed.“That simply will not do, Prime Minister. We must get you sober for the six-minute drive over” I commented as Rook held the snowshoe hare steady in his arms like a kit’s toy.“This feels humiliating, yet quite comfy” the hare remarked as he snuggled into the white shirt of the bespoke suit that did nothing to hide the sculpted muscles of my butler.“Rook?” I asked my butler as we departed the sitting room, prime minister firmly ensconced in my butler’s arms.“Her Majesty insisted that I dress in a manner that befits your station sir. I do not like this attire anymore than you do as it feels restrictive and if I breathe wrongly, I fear it will pop at the seams” Rook answered as Marie fanned herself as she admired the hard muscles of the dire wolf.“I have no qualms of seeing you strut in the fur. But yes, please remind me to look into synthetic fabrics that allow freedom of movement and provide protection from shrapnel” I informed my butler as we descended the staircase towards the main entrance of 10 Downing Street.At the foot of the staircase, we were met by Sergeant Periwinkle and her partner. Both of whom looked quite concerned that the PM was snuggling into a predator’s chest.“Your Grace” the lioness police sergeant addressed me, “perhaps it would be more prudent for the PM to move under his own power. Members of the press are outside, and his position is not befitting a leader for Her Majesty’s Government”.“Very well, sergeant. I will wake him” I sighed as I snapped my fingers discreetly and the hare woke up sober.“What just happened? Why am I in your arms? How am I sober?” the hare was slowly descending into madness as he tried to puzzle out what was going on.“Terribly sorry, Tony. Members of the press are outside, and Sergeant Periwinkle here said it would be most unbecoming if you came out sloshed and in the arms of another male who is not your married partner” I informed him with a nasally voice that made the lioness chuckle. The goat with her trying, and failing, to stifle her chuckles as well.“Can you not just snap us there?” Prime Minister Hare asked as he scratched his head.“Sure, I can. That just leaves why the car was summoned. If they don’t see you leave in the car, the press will speculate that there is a mistress hiding in the lining. Believe me, they’ll (Press) say anything just to sell a few more papers” I informed him and why it was already a bad idea.“May as well. How about you, Your Grace? Won’t you be exposed?” the prime minister groaned as he thought of facing the press on his anniversary. Which he followed up by asking if I would be fine showing my muzzle to the world.“I have some tricks up my sleeve, courtesy of our friends across the pond” I informed him, and our escort, mysteriously.“Okay, may as well” the hare clicked his fingers as he plastered a fake smile on, and the front door opened to flashes of strobes, shouted questions, and klieg lights.The shouts of “Prime Minister!” by members of the media disorientating if one was not used to it.“Prime Minister! Albert Auroch, Daily Mail! Who is the lion in RAF colours beside you?” a bull shouted his question.“Prime Minister! Danica Fullbright, BBC! What is your comment on the situation developing in the Middle East?” a leopard asked as I entered the car, Rook holding the door open for me before getting in himself.“Prime Minister! Reese Matthews, Fox News! Can you comment on the sudden movements of NATO troops into another NATO member?” a red fox asked. This one I knew to be FBI undercover agent Tsutomu Hashigate.“Prime Minister! Maria Delbronco, EFE! Will Britain hand back Gibraltar to Spain in the new millennium?” a Catalonian horse thrust her microphone through the fence to be recognised.We paid them no mind as the car pulled away, police officers pushing the crowd back once the gate opened and we left with our escorts.“See what I have to deal with everyday?” the prime minister informed Rook and I, still with his politician’s smile plastered on.“No kidding. They never bother me. You’ll see why on the playback” I informed the hare as our car made a legal left turn onto Whitehall Road.“Really, care to share with the rest of study hall?” the prime minister asked as he leaned forward in the limousine.“Quite simple really. It has to do with my emitting electromagnetic frequency field that makes it difficult for either film or digital media to catch my likeness. Now, the reason behind that is quite simply classified at a level that only certain ministers know. Furthermore, I am unique in that no one else in the family can quite conceivably claim to have…” I began to explain to the prime minister as we passed the statue of King Charles the First and we continued down towards the Savoy hotel. My explanation only halted by Rook pushing me under him as the car was rocked by an impact on where my seat was, a nine-inch steel spike embedding itself into the cushion.“Rook, you okay?” I asked my retainer as the dire wolf merely shook himself free of the spikes and grinned.“Tony, going to have to ask you to stay in the car” I ordered the prime minister as the rabbit just nodded.“Overlord Actual, this is Ghost One. I am under attack! Get me QRF here ASAP!” I brought out the M9 Beretta I had swiped this morning from an inattentive Secret Service agent. That with the magazines for the pistol from Officer Jameson and I had four magazines containing 15 rounds of 9mm Parabellum to play with as I called for reinforcements.“Overlord copies, Ghost One. QRF enroute from the embassy. ETA, ten mikes” came the reply as I now knew there was a round-the-clock controller I could talk to.I popped out of the vehicle, Beretta at low guard as I checked on the driver and escort in the front seat. Both wolves appeared to be dead, and their lack of souls confirmed it.“Overlord, I got two casualties from the security escort of the prime minister. Get me Hereford and lock down the Palace” I instructed the controller as I moved around the chassis of the limousine, using it as cover.“Rook!” I called out to my butler/bodyguard who stuck his head out of the wrecked motor vehicle as civilians screamed away from the accident. “Keep the PM safe”.“Air Marshal, are you hurt sir?” a voice made me swivel around with the pistol before I lowered it at a concerned House Guard with his bayonet out.“I’m fine corporal. Help me check the driver” I informed the red-coated black bear who nodded as I peered into the wrecked driver’s side cabin of a Ford Transit van. “Looks like a strawberry milkshake went off in here” I commented at the mess of blood and gore inside. Until my blood ran cold at the wires I saw running off to the back.“Corporal,” my voice stopped the black bear from climbing up to look inside “get on the wireless and call for the Royal Engineers. There’s an explosive device in the back of the van”. “Sir” the black bear nodded as we both backed away from the transit van. I covered his back as we moved in-step to the open right rear passenger door of the Prime Minister’s car.“Overlord Actual, this is Ghost One. I need EOD or the Royal Engineers at Trafalgar Square. Have a suspected explosive device in a white Ford Transit van. Request use of Shadowfax to return Prime Minister to 10 Downing” I informed the controller as I breathed in the air to pick up a particular scent. Rook was sniffing the air as well, though he would have to keep the snowshoe hare with him at all times.“That’s a negative on Shadowfax, Ghost One. QRF still five mikes out. You’re cleared for discretionary measures” Overlord replied as I sighed. Discretionary measures were a step below overt action on my part. I had been authorised to use powers that could rewrite reality.“Corporal Shilling, get the PM to Admiralty House via one of those police vehicles” I ordered the bear who knelt beside the open door and tried to coax the hare out of my bodyguard’s arms. “Rook, let the PM go” when he snarled at the black bear.The bear would lose against Rook, paws down.“Air Marshal! Lower the gun, sir” a Metropolitan Police officer rushed over to us and I had pointed it at the bobcat’s head. To make sure I scanned the bobcat, and he was clean. “Get the PM to an ambulance and triage him, Officer Gavin” I ordered the Met Officer as he complied and acted as escort for the shocked PM.“QRF here, sir!” came a multitude of voices as Royal Marines and Animalian Marines surrounded me.“You got here quick” I commended their commanding officer, Major Thomas Blackthorn.“We were at Admiralty House for a briefing, sir” the Hebridean bear replied as he removed the pistol from my unresisting paws in as gentle a manner as possible.“Overlord said you needed help sir. Sorry we took so long” Captain Thomas Whitetree, from the USMC garrison at the embassy, replied as the red deer took stock of the dead mammals.“Better you arriving late than never arriving at all” I commented as I had everyone pull back.“I need EOD to defuse the device in that van” I informed the two groups of marines as we moved away from the van in case it detonated.“Yes sir. Call went out” Corporal Shilling reappeared, the black bear seemingly out of breath.“Who’s the officer in charge of the situation?” I asked the assembled group as they all looked at me.“Very funny” I remarked. “The civilian officer in charge” as a nondescript badger in a skirt stepped forward with her badge and ID out.“Agent Nightingale, MI-5. I’ll take it from here Air Marshal Windsor” the mammal informed us as the soldiers then turned to her.“I formally turn over jurisdiction to MI-5. Loop me in when you can, Agent Nightingale” I gave the badger a slight nod as I made my way over to the St. John’s Ambulance Service vehicle with its flashing blue lights.“Give me a five-block perimeter starting from here” I heard the agent before I focused my energies on finding the culprit or culprits of the attempted assassination mission.A ping sounded near the Thames Docks across from us.“Begin your search across the river at the docks. MI-5 takes lead on this” I informed the assembled units as I passed the hot potato into the agent’s grasp as she scowled at me.I ignored the scowl as I clambered into the ambulance as the hare was being treated for shock, wrapped up in an orange thermal blanket.“How you holding up, Tony?” I asked the hare as the paramedic finished looking him over. I waved the lynx off as he wanted to look me over.“Is every day with you this exciting?” the prime minister asked, shivering as the sense of shock finally hit him.“Not really, this is just a regular Tuesday for me” I downplayed the event, not wanting to freak the PM out more. Especially when he learns of the bomb in the transit van’s rear.“It looks like I owe you a debt as well” the hare tried to smile as he shivered, the grin coming out lopsided.“If I did this for a reward, the world would be my oyster. I do this because it is the right thing to do” I informed the hare as I bade for him to recline on the medium-mammal gurney. The prime minister did so, clutching his thermal blanket as he drifted off into a fitful sleep. The hare’s body wracked with spasms as he slept.“You know that he will still believe your timing was miraculous?” Special Agent Nightingale informed me as the badger sat down on the bumper of the ambulance.“I cannot change his perception, though I would like to. Free will is a gift that mammals were given to make their own choices. If he so chooses, I can make this day disappear from everyone’s memory. Do you think I should do that Agent Morrison?” I just shook my grey-furred head as I addressed the badger, letting her know that I already had her real name.“Frankly sir, I would very much like that. The vultures will be here soon. Best if you leave no trace of yourself” the MI-5 agent answered as she drew a breath and zipped up her blazer.“The cameras have no trace of myself. You will see upon playback that only Agent Castle is present. I am most assuredly not. Though, this does beg the question of what you see when you look at me?” I replied as I gave her the side-eye.“I see a snow leopard in a borrowed RAF uniform with the rank of group captain” the agent replied tactfully. “How is this relevant?” she added as she looked at me.“Because on playback, the video will show Air Marshal Ivan Windsor, Duke of Lancaster, go charging off into battle with a pistol as the PM is covered by FBI Deputy Director Ivan del Morte’s head butler” I informed her, watching the video in real-time through a captive reporter’s eyes.“Tell me again why I should let this day pass normally if it would be better to keep my anonymity?” I asked her again, my relaxed stance still radiating power and forcing obedience.“I cannot answer that, sir” Agent Morrison replied, deferring the decision back to me.“Because when I do rewind the clock back, the mammals who failed will try again as they think something minor prevented their plan from coming to fruition. If I let this day pass as normal, what does it mean for would-be terror cells when they know the Grim Reaper is coming for their souls?” I explained to her, asking her a rhetorical question.“They will prepare an even more grandiose plan that they will see explode in their muzzles?” the agent answered unsurely.“Sometimes they do. No, fear only works when there is something that instils that kind of feeling in mammals. For now, that will be me. What happens when I die and no one else steps up? Have I doomed the world as terror takes a backseat to progress and restarts in a more terrible manner after I pass, or will mammals finally take off their blinders and work together?”  I remarked to her as I looked through all the possible timelines from this decision.Some had the world turning into a true utopia as mammals shared resources and knowledge freely.Some had the world turning into a dystopian hellscape ruled by one mammal: me.Others had the world revert to the Bronze Age as nuclear fire wiped the surface clean; survivors using underground vaults to ride out the apocalypse.Still others had the world advance where we explored the stars under the benevolent rule of myself; a council ruling in my stead as I travelled throughout the known galaxy. Two lines were utopian as mammals eradicated poverty and division. Five were dystopian as power concentrated in an appointed council that ruled in my name, without sharing resources. In those five, I no longer cared as I carved a niche for myself and groomed others to wear the mantle. One was apocalyptic as I had turned nations against one another to alleviate my boredom, whispers in the right ears destroying any semblance of unity.“Perhaps” the badger interrupted my contemplation by placing her left paw over my right paw, “a measured response for now. I would be happiest if this day never happened and undoubtedly others as well” as she glanced at the whimpering prime minister.“You are wise after all, Agent Rebecca Morrison” I answered as I snapped the fingers on my left paw.=====================================================================================
1100 Hours

The Savoy Hotel,

Strand,

London, England

FBI Deputy Director Ivan del Morte / His Grace Ivan Windsor, Duke of Lancaster
 “Glad to make your acquaintance, Lady Hare” I bent slightly to kiss the paw of the prime minister’s wife, the white rabbit tittering behind her champagne flute.“Sorry we’re late, darling” the prime minister kissed his wife’s cheek as he lowered the two bouquets from earlier, “Traffic was bad today at Trafalgar Square. A transit van broke down and needed to be extricated”.“Oh, that’s alright” Lady Samantha Hare nee Bonnefield commented as she was happy her husband had brought along a friend to the party and that he had made it on time.“If you’ll excuse me, Miss Hare, I do see one of my old friends and I dearly wish to chat him up” I made my excuse as she graciously let me go.“Of course, Your Grace. Please call on me another time” she curtsied as I gave a slight nod, turning her attention to her husband’s two bouquets. “Tony, you didn’t!” she exclaimed as she bit into a clover.I made my way over to Agent Morrison as the bored badger watched the Valentine’s Day proceedings from a small table tucked away in the corner of the Grand Ballroom.“Your Grace! I…” the badger stood up hurriedly, spilling part of her drink on the immaculate cream-coloured tablecloth.I snapped and the cloth was like new, free from blemishes and stains.“May I have this dance, Agent Nightingale?” I offered her as she, like everyone else, was ignorant of the changes done for a nicer timeline.“Of course, sir. Though I must warn you, I am a horrid dancer” she acquiesced, warning me of her poor dexterity.I just smiled as the orchestral band played Por Una Cabeza for us.For once, as the two of us danced underneath the muted lights in the corner, there were no emergencies.No acts of terror............But tomorrow, the world would feel the wrath of a mammal as I would go to the Middle East and deal with an existential threat.

----- CHAPTER BREAK -----

A pair of rabbits were working out in a field, tending to their harvest when they saw another rabbit clutching a portable stereo come zooming up to them.“Whoa, slow down there, Billy Boy” one of the rabbits spoke, his tan fur peeking out of his plaid shirt as he wiped his noggin with a kerchief. Tucking the clothing item back into his blue suspenders, the farmer gave the panting harlequin rabbit his full attention as the second rabbit continued to pull up the carrots.“Can’t stop now, Stu! We gots some trouble for them tater plants!” the rabbit gasped out as he panted, his chest heaving as he had run for quite a while.“What’s the trouble they can get up to? They’re plants, for Pete’s sake” Stuart O’Brien replied as he glanced up at the midmorning sun as he took off the trucker’s cap to scratch between his ears.“Yer right, Stu. But the Tri-Burrow Department of Agriculture got an announcement for just shy of 9:30 today” Billy Boy, or BB to family, commented as he turned on the radio and it crackled with the gravelly voice of the Secretary of Agriculture.“Governor Adams. Vice Governor West. Mayors Thumper, Coone, and Brookes. I come bearing grave news about the current potato crops. As you all know, farmers in the Tri-Burrow region and across the country, face dwindling yields for their potatoes. We at the Department of Agriculture can now tell you why. There is a virus going around the plants, affecting the tubers as they grow. Stunting them and reducing their ability to fight off subsequent waves of infection. The virus is aphid-borne, and we recommend using Agent Yellow to combat the pests. Preliminary studies have shown that the pesticide is exceedingly effective in dealing with the insect vector yet leaving the crop itself intact” the Secretary of Agriculture spoke over the radio at a live hearing being conducted at the Tri-Burrow Capitol building in Deerbrooke.“While we welcome this development, Mister Secretary, how safe is this Agent Yella on mammals?” Governor Adams’ distinctive drawl could be heard.“Initial tests suggest it is safe for mammal consumption” the secretary replied confidently.“Very well. I approve the use of Agent Yellow in the Tri-Burrow region on a trial basis. No more than six large farms. We shall revisit this arrangement next year if the yields stabilise. All in favour?” Governor Adams was heard to say as the vote passed with Four Ayes and One Nay from Mayor Coone.=====================================================================================
October 15, 1997

Hopps Potato Farm,

Hopps Family Farm,

Hopps Homestead,

Bunnyburrow

Stuart James O’Brien
 “Oh no, this is bad. This is very bad” the tan rabbit muttered as he dug up the potatoes that had been sprayed down with chemical pesticide Agent Yellow.The tubers were horribly deformed and looked extremely unappetising with more black spots than usual. Stu bit his lip as he knew that he would be burning these, it did not even look fit enough to feed his own growing family.The Hopps farm had fallen on some hard times recently as first the alfalfa and then the blueberry harvests had failed for one reason or another. No one yet suspecting that the new insecticide was to blame.Now, with the potato crop also affected, they had little in the way of liquidity as their investments went into the land. And the land was failing.Closing his eyes to stop the tears he was sure were close to falling, Stuart O’Brien kept at it as he dug up more of the acreage he and his fiancée Bonnie Hopps were given by patriarch Patrick “Pop-Pop” Hopps. As Stuart reached the middle of the field, the damage was worse, and the rabbit gagged at the almost petrol-like smell emanating from the field where the Agent Yellow spread had been concentrated by the Department of Agriculture crop dusters.“What am I going to do? Bonnie is most certainly bearing my kits and we need the land to survive” the rabbit wrung his paws as he saw the devastation all around him. The once fertile fields of green looking like a drought had come by with all the yellowed stalks.Stuart sobbed as he reached the carrot portion of the acreage. Of the entire planted area, it looked like none of the root crops had survived with all the brown leaves pushing out of the soil. The neat furrows disturbed with what looked like dozer blades, which made no sense as his portion was within the homestead’s most fertile plot! There were no tracks in either direction from whatever disturbed the soil, the only explanation being that someone had landed a helicopter and did circles.It made no sense to the fourth-generation farmer!The springs and summers were the wettest on record, but the fall and winters made up for it with their warm temperatures. The crops should have been thriving, yet they looked like someone had fed them herbicide instead of fertiliser.As he continued to ponder the destruction, Stuart’s sharp hearing picked up a motor vehicle approaching. Once the tan buck looked up, he came face to tire with a white Department of Agriculture jeep. A deer dismounted from the driver’s side, almost kicking the rabbit buck, and bewailed the state of the crops he had come to inspect.“Hey, you there!” the deer addressed the kneeling Stuart with a sneer, “Is this Crop Field 88-13?! I have to check if the gram per centimetre coverage increased, decreased, or remains the same!”“What in the Sam Hell’s 88-13?” Stuart asked, feeling frustrated that the city deer had almost hit him with the vehicle, dismounting without looking, and then treating him like a country hick with all the jargon he spouted!Stuart was non-confrontational by nature and showed the deer his back to continue uprooting the dead vegetable crops.“Boy! I’m talking to you!” the deer leant over and shouted into the rabbit’s ears, causing Stu to bend forward in pain. It also caused him to do something he wasn’t proud of. He kicked the deer right between the idiot’s legs, crushing the testicles as the deer also went down, screaming and bellowing in pain.The commotion summoned the main house as a multitude of rabbits went into the fields to investigate the screams and engine noise.Stuart was fine when Zachariah and Edelbert Hopps found him rubbing his ears.The deer, Deerbrooke County’s Chief Research Officer Robert Deere the Fourth, was screaming bloody murder and threatening to have the rabbit arrested for assault and attempted murder of his future descendants. The most common refrain out of the deer’s mouth was: “My daddy will hear about this outrage and have this stupid-ass farm foreclosed! You hear me carrot-munchers!”In a tight-knit community of rabbits, however, the deer soon found out why you don’t challenge a warren on their home turf.When Bunnyburrow Sheriff’s Deputy Bobby Sinclair managed to drive through the throng of mammals in the front yard of the homestead as he responded to a domestic disturbance call, the deer was already unconscious.Multiple bruises pointed at him being “roughed up” by the rabbit family as they tended to Stuart O’Brien’s injuries.It came as no surprise when Stuart James O’Brien was called to testify at Deerbrooke County Courthouse later that winter.=====================================================================================
January 7, 1998

Courtroom Seven,

Deerbrooke County Courthouse,

Tri-Burrow Capitol Building,

Deerbrooke County,

Tri-Burrow Region, Zootopia

Stuart James O’Brien Hopps

“I feel kinda nervous right now” Stuart, or Stu, admitted to his court-appointed attorney.“Everyone feels nervous in the courtroom, Mister Hopps” the panther lawyer commented as she tried to placate the rabbit buck.His nerves were not being helped by the smirks from across the room fired his way by the only son of farming equipment manufacturer John Deere the Third, Robert the Fourth.“You’re getting some justice” the buck had taunted the rabbit once the two arrived at the courthouse, high-priced attorneys by his side as he sneered at the rabbit in a rental suit.“All rise for the Honourable Justice Arthur Octavius” the bailiff announced as the court stood up to welcome the presiding judge.The smirk of the deer fell when an otter took the justice’s seat.“Good morning. I apologise for Justice Octavius’ absence. He is not feeling quite so well. I am from the Federal Trial Court in D.C., Associate Justice Arthur Septimus Meridius” the otter informed the court as he sat where the deer justice would usually sit.The otter rapped the gavel to begin court proceedings as he announced, “Alleged Assault and Battery on Robert Horace Deere the Fourth by Stuart James Hopps nee O’Brien. Court is now in session”.The silence in the courtroom made the judge look down at the plaintiff’s side as neither the county prosecutor nor they moved.“Am I right in guessing that this court was biased from the start?” the otter asked as he peered over his reading glasses at the biased county prosecutor who kept glancing at the manufacturer’s lone male heir and wringing his hooves in distress.The obviously bought jury kept whispering with each other about the otter presiding over them.“Case dismissed” the otter raised the gavel and moved to strike it.“Your Honour! I demand satisfaction on my client’s behalf!” Stuart Hopps’ lawyer stood from her seat.“Miss Matthews, your witness” the otter sat back in his black trial robes as he watched with a neutral smile on his face.“The defence calls Mister Robert Deere the Fourth to the stand” Public Attorney Ingrid Matthews called the plaintiff to the stand. The otter smiled seraphically.A cape buffalo bailiff approached with a bible as the deer looked nervously around him, none of that confidence he had earlier.“Do you swear to tell the truth, the whole truth, and nothing but the truth; so help you God?” the bailiff asked the deer buck as he gulped, placing his right hoof on the holy book.“I do” came out quite weak to everyone’s ears.“Take the stand” the brusque voice of the cape buffalo sounding prejudiced against the deer who just stood there in shock.“Mister Deere, either take the stand or I find you in contempt of court” Associate Justice Meridius proclaimed from the pulpit.“Yes, Your Otterness” the deer replied, the court holding their breath at the snide remark that had slipped out.“One more outburst like that Mister Deere and I WILL find you in contempt of this court” the otter coldly informed the scion.“Sorry” the deer replied, not even meaning the apology if the repressed sneer was anything to go by. The otter let it slide as he was curious why a federal judge was required for a civil matter.“Mister Deere, my client says that you almost ran him over with a Department of Agriculture jeep, berated him, shook him like a rag doll, and then screamed into his ears when he could not answer your jargon” the panther attorney read from a piece of paper that was eerily similar to the events that took place on the field.There were also no witnesses on the field except for Stuart Hopps and Robert Deere the Fourth.“Objection! That’s hearsay” the deer’s attorney voiced his complaint.“Need I remind you Mister Hemionus that your licence to practice law has been suspended on account of fraudulent practice? Do you want to go to prison for practicing without a licence?” the otter rebutted as the mule deer sat down, horrified that his secret was exposed.“Answer the question Mister Deere or we can do this in my bailiwick in D.C.” the otter informed the red deer buck as he looked down from his own seat.“That’s not true. The country hick is hearing things” the red deer snootily argued, crossing his arms and sticking his nose in the air.“I wanted to do this the easy way, Mister Deere. But you like dragging things out. If the esteemed members of the jury will kindly refer to the audio file entered as Evidence under A-001” the panther motioned for an elk to play the tape of the audio.Out of the speaker, the deer’s own words came out “Hey, you there! Is this Field 88-13? I have to check if the gram per centimetre coverage increased, decreased, or remains the same!”.Stuart’s confused voice was also caught on the record, “What in the Sam Hell’s 88-13?”“You tell him, Poppa!” the crisp voice of his little trier, Judy, rang out from the back of the courtroom.“HEY! I’M TALKING TO YOU BOY! YOU DEAF OR SOMETHING!” the increased volume of the shout made every rabbit in the courtroom jump, the panther nearest the speaker barely flinched.“Does the plaintiff want to say anything else before sentencing?” Associate Justice Meridius asked as he peered over his glasses at the Tri-Burrow bully.“Kiss my ass! I ain’t going to jail! Daddy won’t let you, pred bitch!” the red deer said as he stood from the witness stand and punched the federal judge sending him flying off the bench. The deer was then tackled by the cape buffalo bailiff off the stand.The cry of “Stop resisting!” were soon followed by three letters “FBI! STAY DOWN!” as the door that led to the justice’s chambers burst open and mammals in blue flooded out.“I need a medic over here for Associate Justice Meridius!” a lion agent knelt beside the otter as he cradled the federal judge.“I would stay down if I were you, Mister Robert Pennyworth Deere. Assaulting a federal judge, racketeering, bribery of government officials, attempted murder, and that’s just the obvious. You’re going into the federal Pen up-state and soft mammals like are going to beg for protection once GP find out what you did” an albino wolf swaggered over, his federal badge hanging from a chain around his neck as he read the charges against the red deer.“Don’t you worry about Daddy dearest” the albino wolf said as he straightened up and walked towards Stuart, “You’ll be sharing the same cell for the next hundred something years. Get him out of my sight”.The federal agents dragged the restrained deer out through the gallery as the wolf sat beside a shivering Stuart Hopps.“Here’s how’s this will all go down, Mister Hopps” the albino wolf spoke as he took out a Ding Dong from his pocket and popped it into his snout. “The federal government is grateful for your participation in this sting operation and a monthly stipend will be granted to your family for bringing this matter to our attention”.“The jury, the audience?” Stuart Hopps had to ask as he witnessed the three high-powered attorneys be read their Miranda Rights before they too were dragged away.“They’re all agents. Someone tipped us off that Robert Deere was not as clean with his findings as he thought. I cannot comment on anything else as that is another ongoing investigation” the albino wolf replied before turning red eyes onto the tan rabbit.“Give Agent Nathaniel my regards” the albino wolf informed him as he took out a bulging envelope from inside his suit, placed this on the courtroom table, and slid it across to Stuart.“We’ll be in touch, Mister Hopps. Take care now” the albino wolf then stood up, his pistol visible to the tan rabbit as the wolf straightened out his suit.=====================================================================================Stuart James Hopps nee O’Brien was still in shock when he and his daughters arrived back at the farmstead. The others crowded around him to ask how it went and what the verdict was.“Case dismissed” Stuart breathed out, as if in a trance, “Clear-cut case of self-defence”.“With Justice Octavius on the bench? That roe buck’s more bought than a whore on Friday night in Happytown” Pop-Pop spoke up from his easy chair as the elderly buck coughed.“An otter was there. Associate Justice Meridius from the Washington D.C. Trial Court!” Judy Hopps loudly proclaimed to one and all.“That’s great, Trudy” Pop-Pop yawned before he dozed off, arms outstretched holding the Bunnyburrow Tribune in his paws.“Jude?” Stuart asked his current youngest daughter who looked at him with wide amethyst eyes.“Yes Poppa?” the impressionable doe asked.“How about we turn in for the night? All this excitement just plum took my energy” Stuart informed his highly energetic daughter who blinked once before running to the showers. “Race ya, Daddy!”Stuart plodded along behind his daughter, still thinking on how anyone had taped his encounter before shrugging his shoulders.The federal government had put a mammal on the moon, why not a mammal in the jeep?=====================================================================================“Is that so?” a mellow voice asked through a speaker as the white predator let the other know of the developments.“Just this once, Agent Wolfex. For Jack’s family” the voice on the other end replied as a snap was heard and reality bent.=====================================================================================Stuart O’Brien woke feeling refreshed and stretched his arms wide.He scratched his head fur as he wondered why he was still in bed, he needed to check on the new crops.Rolling over, he was astonished that Bonnie Hopps was in bed with him.“Hey, lover boy” Bonnie’s amethyst eyes opened as she stared into his soul and his heart skipped a beat.“Bonnie, how’d you get into the guest quarters?” Stuart whispered as he knew Hank Kisser was a light sleeper and a snitch.“You don’t remember me inviting you to the main house for a drink? For shame Stuart, I’ve claimed you and you better make an honest mammal out of me” the grey doe replied with a saucy wink.Stuart felt all hot and bothered as he felt for any clothes, coming up empty as his throat dried when he was most justifiably in the fur.“Bonnie, uh, where are my clothes?” Stuart felt compelled to ask as his clothes were not on his person.“We took them off when you got home from the bank. The loan went through, so I needed to show you my gratitude” Bonnie eyed the tan buck with a predatory gaze as she crept closer to him.“Loan? Bank? Bon, I thought I was in a courthouse” Stuart tried to make sense of the situation, he knew he had arrived at half past midnight from the trip to Deerbrooke.“You know you talk when you sleep? You sounded so cute when you called our kit, Judy” Bonnie smiled down at her soon-to-be husband.They would be getting married next week even if she had to elope with him. Besides, as the favoured daughter, there was an acreage out back that she could sublet as she chased her own dream of being a secret agent.   The two of them never noticed the snow leopard in the corner stand up and wink at the happy couple. “Have a better life than last time Stuart and Bonnie Hopps”.The bulging envelope was left on a side table as the raunchy sounds of rabbits having sex permeated the small space.  The years passed as the envelope stayed put, mammals ignoring it until it came time for the potato harvest of 1998.The failure of Agent Yellow was exposed by a federal whistleblower as it was indiscriminately killing off helpful insects like bees, causing apiaries to fail.Farmers went back to the natural methods of using purple crocuses to ward off pests, but for other families like the Hoppses, it was already too late.They had been one of the first farms selected to test the new insecticide, but the full effects had not yet been mapped out yet. The rabbits had happily signed up for regular dustings of the pesticide, unknowingly letting it poison the soil.The loss of most of their crops in 1998 hit the family hard and half the rabbits on the farm took to alcohol to numb the pain.Faced with the very real possibility of losing the farm that the two now called home, Bonnie had asked her brother to help fund the purchase of seeds. Her brother, Narcissus Hopps a senior partner of Gouda and Perch, Ltd., had agreed to fund the purchase on the premise that 90% of the sales go to his pocket for the next five years.Bonnie had balked and slammed the phone down. She wept on the porch as her own family turned their backs on her, blaming her for their misfortune.When Stuart was frantically ransacking their shared bedroom looking for enough cash to buy some more seeds for planting, the tan buck had found the bulky envelope sitting on their dresser. It had the seal of the FBI printed on the white paper and a return address to Washington, D.C. if undelivered.Tilting his head in confusion, not having seen the envelope before, Stuart had opened it and fainted.When he came to, his worried mate looking down on him as she wrung her paws at the envelope, he showed her the amount inside and that it was addressed to ‘A. Nathaniel, DCA’. It was then Bonnie’s turn to faint as that was her cover before she had been rescued from the Yakuza clutches.When she came round, she told her story at last to her husband Stuart, and hoped he understood what she had gone through.“Whatever happens, Bon. I’ll be there by your side” Stuart had proclaimed as they emptied the envelope and started counting the bills inside.There was also a letter and Bonnie had read it aloud for the two of them.It read:
To My Dear Agent Nathaniel,

Greetings!

I hope that you do not mind me being too forward in sending this letter with your pension and backpay from when you entered captivity.

The Agency has released you from your contract with them and there is no longer any fear of capture from enemy agents. I, and the federal government, do wish you a prosperous life ahead. If not with wealth, then in family.

To get you started, I have enclosed $30,000 in this envelope to get you started. Every month, on the 15th, a new envelope will arrive with $10,000 enclosed. Kindly also visit Bunnyburrow Savings & Loan to accept the safety deposit box in your maiden name of Bonnie Hopps. Inside is $ 450,000 from my personal funds.

This is but a small payment for your contributions to the safety of the country.

Respectfully,

Ivan del Morte,

FBI Deputy Director (sgd.)

----- CHAPTER BREAK -----

I was sitting in my rarely used office at the Bureau’s Washington D.C. branch when a knock sounded on the open door.“Come in” I informed the mammal who wanted to see me as I tried to make heads or tails of the new document forwarded to me by the NATO attaché in Turkey. The current head of the Turkish internal security service was espousing the use of chemical weapons on unarmed civilians (?) to prove a point. I tabled the report until after I got in contact with the Anatolian Brotherhood. Their leader, Mustafa, answered to me.“Shinigami?” another wolf stuck his head inside my office.“Ah, Agent Marvin Howlington. What can I do for you?” I asked the melanistic wolf as he shuffled in with a thick folder that made me grimace.“Is that your case file?” I asked as the wolf agent scratched the back of his neck nervously. “Yes sir. This is what was sent to me by the Arkansas office regarding the predators being branded” Agent Marvin Howlington informed me.“Good Lord, that’s thicker than the Encyclopaedia Britannica” I commented as the wolf placed it on my desk.When I opened the folder, the report was sent in by Special Agent Francis Carmichael and it had been noted that the predators being branded were kits. I felt my blood, or the liquid that mimicked blood in my veins, begin to boil as I cross-referenced the earliest brandings with a group espousing prey supremacy.One benefit of the intelligence network I had established with Oracle, I could access it from anywhere in the world. The downside was that it required a live mammal on the other end. So far, the only ones with access to the network were myself, Rook, the Wolfson brothers, and current GIGN Commander Truffle. I had offered access to Jack Savage, but the striped hare rejected it as it opened the possibility of abuse.My uncle was plugged in at his request, but he could not access everything the five of us could. The limitations of a mortal brain were such that to give him the entire network to play with would have sent him into a coma.For Agent Howlington’s case file, the earliest branded pups belonged to the Knight pack. The first pup to be branded was current NCIS Special Agent Lawrence Knight of the Okinawa branch.“Agent Howlington” my cold voice making the wolf shiver despite himself. “Get in contact with NCIS Special Agent Lawrence Knight at Naval Base Okinawa. Inform him that we have a situation, and he needs to contact me via MTAC or take a plane back to D.C.”.“Sir!” the wolf snapped to attention as he exited my office.I closed my eyes as I searched the network for any of my agents nearest the FBI Arkansas field office. None were presently available and I was loathe to snap Agent Danny when he was driving; but two of them could go in for me: DEA Special Agent Alexander Rialto, a maned wolf, and U.S. Customs Agent Michael Boolean, a red deer.
Michael, how close are you to the Arkansas field office?

I work just across the street, sir. Do you need anything?

I need a case file from inside. I believe it is connected to your ongoing drug smuggling case involving several prey mammals.

That saves me time asking permission, sir. What number is it?

Case File 1975-0214-56. It’s a marked file, so use my authorisation to get it. You still remember the code?

Yes sir. Romeo Foxtrot One Five Five Zero.

Add another letter after Foxtrot, its Oscar. Its now Romeo Foxtrot Oscar One Five Five Zero.

Copy sir, do you need me to bring the file to D.C.?

Let me know when you have access to it, I’ll read it through your eyes.

A bit creepy sir, but okay.
I cut the connection just as another case folder appeared on my table. This one wielded by a sheepish-looking sheep.“Agent Bellwether, what can I help you with?” I asked the ram as he scratched his chin, his tell for nervousness.“I’m stuck sir. The Treasury Department forwarded this case about suspected securities fraud, but they can’t seem to get evidence without it being erased almost immediately” the junior agent informed me as he did not meet my eyes, looking instead at the drapes behind me that blocked out the sun from my east-facing office.=====================================================================================The ram suffered prejudice in the Academy as he was often being compared to his smaller cousin, Zootopia City Councilmammal Dawn Bellwether.The ram gave as good as he got until he had the misfortune of comparing Cadet Henry Knight to FBI Deep Cover Agent Adrian Jones (deceased). I had been summoned just to separate the two cadets as the normal staff had difficulty without resorting to lethal methods as both mammals had resorted to bites. I was not in the best of moods that day and I had sent both cadets into the infirmary when I overestimated their combined strength. The barrier I used to separate them applied too much force and the two woke up from their comas long after their batch had graduated.I had sent both cadets to The Villa to learn under Lieutenant Brady Wolfson.Brady did not disappoint and sent the two through courses that made the SEALS cry in frustration. The only difference was that the two were not allowed to tap out.They had to complete the courses or die trying. Which they did more of the second. Repeatedly. I always needed to send them to the island to heal before they tried again.(Un)Fortunately, both completed the courses with complete loyalty to my Shinigami persona. A more loyal pair of agents I could not find.Which had its downsides as they attempted to move like I did during the live-fire exercises. And, I had to put them back together again. To the combined looks of amusement and horror of the other trainees.Rook was always there with his first-aid kit as I learned battlefield medicine from a scared-looking Royal Netherlands Navy corpsmammal.=====================================================================================“Really? Where are you stuck, Agent Bellwether?” I asked the horned ram as he opened his contrastingly puny binder when I compared it to Agent Howlington’s case file.“Here sir. All I was able to pull was this IP address but there is no record of this address anywhere in the telecom system” the ram showed me as he pointed out a sequence of numbers on the paper. As I looked at it, so too did the other four.
Seigneur, that looks like GPS coordinates to me. Who or what are you looking for if I may ask?

A fraudster shorting securities stock for profit. Neither the FBI Cybercrimes Department nor the U.S. Treasury Department can trace the mammal or mammals in question as traces are erased as soon as these appear. My agent was able to get this string of numbers before his trace was also cut.

Have him input the numbers into a GPS tracking system. You may be able to find either the server farm or the mammal responsible.

Thank you, Commander Truffle. Need assistance on your end?

Non. We have this. Thank you for the tip on the Islamist hide-out. My mammals are also grateful for that power boost as we can shift at will now.

Let me know if you are having problems shifting back.

Of course, farewell for now.
“Agent Bellwether, have you tried inputting the number string into a geolocator? My contact at GIGN HQ seems to think those are coordinates” I informed the ram who now looked ecstatic from his forlorn status earlier.“Why didn’t I think of that? Thank you, Shinigami sir” the ram blinked before bowing deeply as he left, thanking me for the tip, and taking the binder with him.
I have access sir. But I still need you to come down. It’s biometric locked.

Damn. Let me inform FBI Director Savage first.

Take your time, sir. I can’t get it out of the lockbox.
I stood up from my desk, pushing the rolling chair away as I moved around my table and exited the door, closing it behind me.“Janet? Is Director Savage in his office or at his house in Gnu York state?” I asked my tigress secretary, Janet Cummings.“Hi, Deputy Director del Morte! He’s in his office right now, but Special Agent Frost is in there with him” she greeted me with a smile, her sister no longer being sent overseas had helped her mood, as she answered.“Thanks Janet. Don’t wait up for me” I informed her in my coded phrase meaning I would not be returning to my office for the time being and she was free to leave.“I can finally go on that date, thanks sir!” the tigress squealed with joy as she packed up her things and left the desk.“Should I be concerned?” I called after her, my voice carrying down the hallway.“If I don’t come back tomorrow, send a search party!” the tigress responded before she turned a corner towards the elevators.I shook my head at her antics, but I knew that I would need to find a mate soon. I felt stirrings in my loins, but these were manageable as long as I had a case.I traversed the floor I shared with FBI Director Jack Savage and knocked three times on his solid oak door.Whatever activity inside stopped as both mammals held their breath.“Jack, Skye. I know you’re in there. Your souls are visible through the door” I informed the two as I prepared to snap their clothes back on.
Are the two of you decent?

No, Ivan. Skye and I are in the middle of something. Could you go away before my erection dies down?

I just need to let you know I’m going to the field office in Arkansas. Some genius locked my case file behind a biometric lock.

H-h-h-have funnn. Ugh…why am I so hard?

That’s my fault when I tried to loosen your strings. I gave you the stamina of a Clydesdale and their appetite as well. Try not to drown Skye.

Ivan, wait! Uuuuggghhh…
I snapped my fingers and vanished. The cameras outside the director’s office automatically deleting the footage of my disappearance.=====================================================================================
July 12, 2000

FBI Records,

FBI Field Office Arkansas,

FBI Deputy Director Ivan del Morte
 “Good morning agents” I announced as I appeared in their midst, holding my porcelain mug with the FBI seal stencilled on.The agents inside were taken aback at my sudden appearance, though they should have gotten used to it by now, except for U.S. Customs Agent Michael Boolean who was sipping his own cup of to-go coffee from Snarlbucks.“Took you long enough, sir” the red deer commented as he had the case file I needed in a biometrically sealed lockbox. He handed it over as I exchanged a $100 bill for him to reimburse the expensive burnt coffee.“Transport was delayed by an impromptu request for aid” I replied in the same laconic manner as I bid the red deer farewell with a wave of my paw as he vanished back to his workplace.“Should have known that was yours, sir” Special Agent Phyllis Podmore commented as the groundhog’s eyes boggled out at a casual display of power.“Well, Phyllis, unless you are harbouring the mammal responsible for these predator brandings; I have no reason to rifle through your head” I joked with her as I snapped the lockbox open and retrieved the marked case file on poor Special Agent Lawrence Knight.The silence in the records room told me more than anything else that something was amiss.“Phyllis, are you hiding the mammal responsible?” I asked her as the groundhog swallowed and shook her head.“Very well, Phyllis. You are dismissed” I replied to her tense body language and snapped myself to Kadena AFB.“Get down on your knees and place your paws behind your head Phyllis Podmore, you have the right to remain silent. Anything you say can and will be used against you in a court of law” Special Agent-in-Charge Daniel Wolfex of the Arkansas field office ordered the groundhog who did not resist as she was restrained.=====================================================================================
0000 Hours

NCIS Field Office,

Naval Base Okinawa,

Okinawa, Japan

FBI Deputy Director / CIA Interim Director Ivan del Morte
 “Sorry to bother you gentlemammals at this hour, but is Special Agent Lawrence Knight in?” I asked the sleepy-looking cougar at his desk, going over a crime report statistic.The cougar looked at me without recognition and answered in the negative and to “Come back tomorrow at 0700”.I just leaned on the doorjamb with a smirk on my face as I held a four-pack of medium-mammal sized cups of coffee in one paw, box of dozen Krispy Kreme Original Glazed doughnuts in the other, and the case file floating behind me.“Jesus Christ, Probie!” one of the faster-thinking agents slapped the cougar on the back of his head as they ran to me. The brief cry of “Ow!” from the cougar ignored by the other two occupants of the NCIS office as they stood to the position of attention.“Deputy Director del Morte! Lemme help you with that” the sika deer agent approached me and offered to carry my burden.“As you wish” I replied as I handed over the coffees as the case file returned to my right paw.“Was there a Krispy Kreme on base?” another agent, this one a wolf, approached the sweet treats with a porcelain saucer already in paw.“Nah son” I replied easily, before inwardly wincing as I sounded like an old mammal, “this box came fresh from the D.C. branch”.“I think you mean frozen fresh, sir” an antelope agent attempted to correct me.“You’ve never asked Special Agent Tibbs of the main NCIS office what I can do? I’m hurt” I mock pouted as I swiped one cup of coffee from the four-cup holder to the surprise of the sika deer who had not seen me move.“I thought he was kidding, sir. Senior Special Agent Raphael Elcano” the sika deer introduced himself to me.“Special Agent Ivan James Lobo” the wolf introduced himself as the tan and cream coloured mammal moved to open the box, only to have his paw smacked with my case file and he whined.“So that makes the cougar Probationary NCIS Special Agent Alejandro Concolor” I concluded as I grinned, and the cougar shivered.“Oh shit!” the cougar cursed as his tired brain finally connected the dots, playing the AOL start-up sound.  “No worries Probie. Has your boss turned in yet or is he snoozing in that office at the back?” I placated the cougar as he was incredibly fatigued. I took a quick peek into those green eyes of his and I got a glimpse of a three-week old open case of a BOLO on either a tanuki or a raccoon for filching Animalian equipment.“Agent Inari, come on in” I spoke to thin air as I snapped the fingers on my left paw and summoned an arctic fox dressed in a leather corset with a riding crop in her right paw.“Really Shinigami? I was interrogating a suspect on a rape case” the arctic fox protested as she put her paws on her waist, before smelling the open box of doughnuts. “Ooh, Krispy Kreme! My favourite” as she made a beeline for the open box.“Barking up the wrong tree, Agent Inari. Your suspect knows nothing on the rape case but is guilty of gun smuggling. Local constabulary already picked him up and he is waiting for you in Yokosuka Police Station” I informed her as she looked at me with wide eyes.“How’d you even? I just started that case this morning! Ow!” she spat out in rapid fashion before cradling her paw.“Do I need to confirm with your supervisor that you just interrogated a suspect in a dominatrix outfit?” I asked the fox as I smacked her grabby paws away, not caring that she blushed from ears to tail.I am obviously oblivious of my subordinates’ sufferings.“He’s my usual go-to on rape cases among sex workers. Happy?” she replied as she gave me an outraged pout as her next attempt at filching a doughnut met a blue barrier.The same blue barrier that stopped Danny in Sicily.“Unfortunately, your usual will be going away for a long time. Mister Shibuya Korimas was caught on CCTV smuggling Animalian tech out the back fence” I informed her as the LCD screen on the widescreen TV turned on with the tanuki caught dead to rights dragging a crate of M16s through a hole in the chain-link fence.“Agent Concolor, you will be working with Agent Inari on this one. You can ask NCIS Director Richard Escher, and he will support what I am telling you now. Find the mammals responsible for Mister Korimas’ dirty dealings and know that you can call for support from the current division head of the White Wolf PMC in Kyoto if you two need it as the Animalian Armed Forces are not allowed to act inside Japanese national borders unless asked. If they ask for authorisation, give them my passcode: Whisky Bravo Delta One One Five Four. That should get you at least some gunship support” I informed them as the two agents looked at me agog that one of the foremost PMCs would help the federal government.=====================================================================================White Wolf PMC was aloof in its dealings with every government entity, but the extremes that the company went through to protect a client were unmatched by everyone else on the market.The only ones who stood above them were myself and Rook. If not by total killcount, then by asset protection.Not even considering that I could rewrite history and erase mammals out of existence.Of course, I work for the federal government so my protection is based on the government application of my skills. Rook goes with me and can outright kill mammals who solicit his services.White Wolf PMC also had that rare reputation as having a heart as the company performed community outreach to win more folks over.The PMC had nothing to hide, fully disclosing their financials in a move that forced all others to render the same.Notorious PMCs Blackwater and Valkyrie balked at the move, calling it a publicity stunt. Both succeeded in bringing down tougher legislation from the G-7 as every action they performed was scrutinised. The two tried to band together and take down the upstart PMC at White Wolf’s HQ in Hamburg via illicit dealing and hackings.Valkyrie came close to stealing classified documents via an unsecured computer that the German branch head used to read reports without signing out. That was until BND agents, with GSG-9 in tow, put paid to the duos attempt by capturing as much of the pathfinder teams as they could. White Wolf’s own security teams took care of the remaining armed intruders through the use of extreme prejudice and sending the minority stumbling into the open arms of the Hamburg police.White Wolf then repaid the favour with a simultaneous raid on both PMCs HQs, capturing their top brass as they sat in videoconference with each other.  The home governments of both Blackwater (Animalia) and Valkyrie (Roarssia) then awarded the letters of marque to White Wolf, disavowing the former PMCs as “rogue elements only fit for the grinder”.There was little bloodletting as the rank and file simply walked out from their buildings as the resistance came from the brass and security forces, what could still be mustered, before combined government and White Wolf units mopped up the detritus. Current White Wolf CEO Alfonso de Barzan had informed the press that the other PMCs “had made their beds and they could now lie in it. Furthermore, we are absorbing a majority of those who have lost their jobs due to court cases against the former companies or by the companies’ seditious acts”.Which also earned the company a lot of goodwill.The German branch head who allowed the incursion, Theodoric Wolf, disappeared and the wolf was placed on a wanted list by Interpol.The wolf was never seen again, though his clothes were discovered in a bin at Hamburg seaport. Ostensibly having boarded a ferry bound for Svalbard.No one else, let alone the media, knew that the wolf was acting on my orders. His mortal form and memories no more as he took his place amongst the Shadow Teams as another mammal, a tiger named Alan Chrysalis.=====================================================================================Of course, I neglected to inform the two agents that the Kyoto branch held the former Yakuza members who now revered Shinigami and his fair methods. (Yes, I’m weird for talking about myself in the third person.)Just as Moscow’s branch held vetted former Roarssian Mob and ex-Spetsnaz members, and Animalia’s branch held former federal agents and Special Forces operatives; Kyoto branch had the former members of the Yakuza and the JSDF working side-by-side, previous loyalties forgotten.“Damn, if White Wolf PMC can give aid to us sir. That’s a big favour we’re going to owe you” Agent Concolor breathed out as the cougar’s eyes widened. A fraction of White Wolf assets at the disposal of NCIS, the case would close in no time.“Don’t waste the favour then” I answered as I let the barrier around the box drop as I knocked on the closed office door of Special Agent-in-Charge Lawrence Knight. The scramble behind me as the box of doughnuts gave off the signature fresh fried smell made me chuckle.“Come in Shinigami” a tired voice called out from within as the wolf’s soul sang to me.“Hey agent. How you holding up?” I asked as I entered the office and closed the door behind me as the agents celebrated when the Krispy Kreme box duplicated itself. The noise cut off when the door sealed shut.For all intents and purposes, we were both alone in here.“Is that my file, sir?” the wolf asked tiredly as he rubbed the part of his back where he was branded as a pup.“I’m sorry to bring up bad memories, Agent Knight. Your case was just the first. Arkansas Field Office forwarded a case file to D.C. and there were seventy-five brandings since yours” I informed him in a neutral tone of voice.“Are we close sir?” the wolf agent asked as I readied my paw to snap some energy into him.“I’m willing to devote additional resources to finding the mammals that did this to you when you were a pup. These brandings must stop” I informed the wolf who sighed in relief that the federal government would finally be doing something.“What did you need to know sir?” Agent Knight asked as he leaned forward, fire in his eyes.“I need to know one thing. Who branded you: predator or prey?” I asked the wolf as I looked into his amber eyes.“Prey. Family of groundhogs or wallabies. Enticed me with saltwater taffy and sprung a trap on me. Basically hogtied me to a wooden sawing horse as they thrust a red-hot brand onto my lower back. Don’t know how I escaped them, but my family left Nevada county three months later and moved to Virginia to stay with our packmates outside Roanoke at our estate” the wolf agent replied as he dug up painful memories.“How did you run into them?” I asked the wolf as I overlaid the pain he felt with a sense of calm.“My brother and I got turned around in the dark as we rode our bikes down an old trail. Instead of stopping when we met the trail marker, we continued forwards and I hit a rock or buried branch which destroyed my bike. My brother went back to our campgrounds to get help, saying his bike would not carry two mammals.I, the young idiot I was back then, followed my nose as I smelt caramel sugar as soon as my brother left. Where caramel sugar was, surely there civilisation was. I stumbled in the moonless night until I came upon a cabin perched up on some stilts. Before I could even knock, the door opened to let out a stout mammal in plaid shirt and suspenders. He had an oil lamp on him and he looked just as shocked to see me as I did him.I told him that I got lost and if I could use a phone to let my folks know I was safe. He said yes and motioned me to enter the shack, said he had some saltwater taffy I could chew on while I waited. I followed him in and someone hit me over the back of my head.I came to and I was tied up, my clothes were gone. As I looked around in fear, one of the mammals spat on me and said the words I still haven’t forgotten to this day as I begged to be let go: ‘’Ye think we don’ know who ye are, pelt! We don’ wan’ no stinkin’ wolves skulkin’ around. This shoulda been yer only warnin’”.  He took out a red-hot branding iron and jammed it right above my left butt cheek. I think I passed out from the pain, cause I woke up and no one was around. I was still naked and thought it all a bad memory until I touched my back and almost passed out.I could hear my pack howling for me. So, I ran in the direction of their howls, keeping myself in darkness as I avoided every lit lamp I saw. Prey can’t see at night” the wolf told me his story as he shivered.I snapped a blanket around him and motioned for him to continue.“I ran into my family, and they were so overjoyed to see me they did not question the strange mark on my fur, thinking I injured myself on a tree. It was when we got back to the camper that they found out it was a brand” the wolf agent now reduced to whispering as he choked on his tears.“Let me see” I informed the agent who met my eyes and I dived into the memory.I felt the jagged edges of the memory, the tears in the agent’s psyche as fresh as when the incident first happened.I saw the family report the crime to the local sheriff’s office only to have the incident dismissed by the groundhog sheriff with the last name of Possum. I pulled out now, no need to subject the poor wolf to more pain. I got what I needed.“Thank you, Agent Knight. I have what I need to give more resources for this ongoing case” I informed the wolf as I moved around the table and hugged him close. I sang the opening bars of a Norwegian lullaby to him, letting him sleep “Når nordavinden møter havet, er det en elv full av minne. Sov, min kjære trygt og godt. I hennes farvann, dypt og sant ligger svarene og en vei for deg. Dykk dypt ned i lyden hennes, men ikke for dypt, ellers blir du druknet”. [When the north wind meets the sea, it is a river full of memory. Sleep, my dear safe and sound. In her waters, deep and true lie the answers and a way for you. Dive deep into her sound, but not too deeply, or you'll be drowned]As the wolf’s limbs loosened around me in sleep, I snapped him back into his bed at the base.“They will pay” I growled out as I vanished from the office. I left the case file open to a picture of the brand.An open wolf’s jaw sans its fangs, fur, nose, and eyes.=====================================================================================
July 13, 2000

Special Agent-in-Charge Daniel Wolfex’s Office

FBI Field Office Arkansas,

FBI Deputy Director Ivan del Morte
 “You’re never this serious, Shinigami. What’s wrong?” the albino wolf asked as he typed up his arrest report on Special Agent Phyllis Podmore.“Tell me what you need to get these motherfuckers, Agent Wolfex, and I’ll make it happen” I informed him as I paced in the wolf’s office. Two of his plants were ashes as I had focused on those when I appeared from my trip to Okinawa.“The predator branders?” the albino wolf asked with a canine tilt as I seethed while walking, every other agent in the office finding refuge across the street with the Customs Department. “Not just predators, Daniel. Kits. Predator kits who cannot fight back” I growled out as I continued to pace.“Will it be an overt or covert action?” Agent Wolfex asked as he saved his work, leaning forward on his table as he also growled; his hackles raised.“Keep it covert for now. I’m going back to D.C. to rustle you up some additional resources. If this pans out, I’ll cut you a blank check and you run the Op” I admitted, not wanting to spook the subjects and force them to go to ground.“Okay, but where are we going to start the investigation?” Agent Wolfex asked as he opened a new report on the Dell desktop.“With this guy, Sheriff Possum of Pine Bluff” I answered as I tossed the old picture from Agent Lawrence Knight’s case file.“I know this guy. Pain in the Bureau’s tail every time a prey mammal run afoul of the law. Slow walks the process so much that the assailants are long gone when we get the call” Special Agent Wolfex answered as he took the picture and pinned it through the groundhog’s badge on his corkboard.“Then I suppose you will enjoy building this case” I replied as I stood from the chair, approached the wolf, and patted him on his shoulder. “Get me known associates and family. Oracle will be in touch” I informed Danny as I held out a phone for him to take.“What’s this sir? A burner?” Agent Wolfex asked as he swiped and pocketed it in one easy motion. “Better. It’s connected to the network I use. This is the ‘Don’t fucking call this number’ phone and you use it in emergency cases only. No Ding Dong runs, or I send you to our Nairobi embassy” I replied as I bid the white wolf farewell as I dematerialised in front of him.Agent Wolfex soon put the very special phone out of his mind to inspect the crate of Ding Dongs and Twinkies left in his office, much to the dismay of the secretary outside.=====================================================================================
1600 Hours

July 13, 2000

Director Savage’s Office,

FBI Headquarters,

Washington, D.C.

FBI Deputy Director Ivan del Morte
“Run that by me one more time, Ivan. Did you just travel internationally without your passports?” Jack asked me as I sat down in his musky office with a hint of lemon-y fragrance.I smirked at the striped jackrabbit as I sniffed the air.“Congratulations on the knotting. When’s the wedding?” I commended the striped jackrabbit as he flushed beet red from behind his desk. Agent Frost doing the same as the arctic vixen hid behind her tail.“Spur of the moment from built-up passions” Jack answered as he tried to regain control of the conversation.“I’ll table that discussion for a later time, Jack. But yes, I travelled without my passports to Okinawa Naval Base and paid a visit to NCIS Special Agent-in-Charge Lawrence Knight” I informed the jackrabbit as he gave a sigh of relief that his indiscretion would be dropped.“Dare I ask why? You’re not supposed to go in person when a case pops up. We send underlings to ferret out information and then elevate it to us” Jack informed me, not as director to his deputy, but from one friend to another.“Because I feel like what I’m doing is far too slow in keeping pace with the growth of crime. My PMC is having fun and I’m feeling like an old warhorse sent out to pasture. I have the construction business hammering away in Zootopia from the failed realtor and the former FARC crew is thriving on my estate. The duchy Her Majesty awarded me is capable of running autonomously, providing my estate a cut of the profits which I am reinvesting back into Lancashire and the assets from the broken gangs will keep my furry head above water long after Agent Eldridge’s moose calves grow up to have children of their own” I informed them, frustrated that I could not do more.Rook: That’s not true, Young Master. You actually could.
Keith: Yeah Boss. You very well could do more. Just don’t think the world would agree to become a nanny state.

Brady: Oi, don’t let them drongos fool you mate! She’ll be right, you’ll see. If not, you can always flip a bird and watch the world implode. Want to crack a cold one with me in Queensland while I place some snags on the barbie?
I raised my right paw with fingers ready to snap myself down to Brady Wolfson’s location before I felt a touch on my palm pads. I opened my eyes to see a worried Jack Savage holding my palm open. Skye and Agent Howlington were there as well.“What kind of intervention is this?” I asked with an easy grin, my true feelings hiding behind the mask.“Please don’t tell me you were going to snap the world into a dystopia with you ruling over us?” Jack asked as the hare sat back down in his chair.“You saw that future too, huh?” I asked as my mask cracked and fell away.“What happened to turn you that cold?” Agent Marvin Howlington asked as the wolf shivered, despite the heat of the office.“A combination of factors” I answered, seemingly fatigued as I no longer had the energy to lie.“I don’t want to know, and this is now something we can toss behind a Shinigami-level secret” Jack startled me with his reaction as he stood ready to keep that part of my life under the newest classified level that the Animalian government had.“You’ll toss my life behind that wall?” I asked the striped jackrabbit as I fought back the tears.“Your life before is not for mortal mammals to hear. You alone hold the key to your own secrets” Jack, or Director Savage, replied as he considered the matter closed. “Go on to your nephew, I’m sure he misses you by now” he waved me off as I snapped my fingers and disappeared.My whisper of thanks reaching the hare’s ears as I left.=====================================================================================
July 14, 2000

Wolf Beach,

White Wolf Security and Protection, Inc.,

Australia Branch,

FBI Deputy Director Ivan del Morte
 I looked out at the gently lapping waters of the Pacific Ocean as I lay down on a beach chair with a towel around my mid-riff. Surrounded by the sounds of seabirds and surf, one would be forgiven that I was on vacation.The aromatic flavours of sizzling prawns and squid on the grill to my left adding to the atmosphere that I was in a tropical paradise. I had an empty can of Samuel Adams in my left paw, my limbs almost slack. Soft music crooned out of a CD player on a wicker table and my eyes began to close in the relaxing atmosphere.The idyll was soon disturbed by a UH-60 Blackhawk hovering overhead as mammals in black roped down onto the white sand. I was immediately on my paws, ready to snap the annoyances back into their conveyance, the beach chair upended and now a sandbag barricade with a heavy machinegun emplacement.A black paw entered my field of vision and gave the signal to stand down.The power roiling and pitching within me calmed as I returned to resting on the upturned beach chair.  A male voice and a familiar face entered my field of vision as my nephew, Commander Brady Wolfson, sat cross-legged on the beach.“Whoa now, chief. Don’t turn my newest trainees into mist” the black wolf joked as he warily approached. His calm demeanour at odds with the white apron he was wearing, bright red letters proclaiming one must ‘Kiss the Cook’ and with a pair of tongs in his right paw.“Fine” I groused out as I looked down at the empty cans of Sam Adams, Guiness, Carlsberg, Tsing Tao, and the lone glass bottle of Jägermeister.I had been calmly drinking myself into a stupor as I fine-tuned my metabolism to give me that alcoholic buzz without the hangover afterwards.Not that I wasn’t immune already to the effects of alcohol as the legal depressant was considered a poison by my body.Last year, I managed to put away enough bottles of beer that Captain Hornbrue of the South African Navy was impressed. It was hard to impress that bull elephant, with a cracked tusk, of anything. We had an impromptu drinking game where the two of us tried to drink the other under the table.As one Animalian naval officer at Cape Town commented, “It’s like watching two juggernauts try and drink the ocean. I’ve never seen a bar run out of beer and send mammals out to get more while the sun was still setting”.I won and the captain had to walk around the naval base the next day in naught but a frilly pink tutu. And a pretty pink handbag. He may have succeeded in mentally scarring quite a number of sailors that day as alcohol consumption increased for the next few months.Making an elephant freeball was not one of my better ideas. In my defence, my BAL indicated I should have already been blackout drunk.I had then been made to promise by both the British ambassador and his Animalian counterpart not to engage in anymore such contests as I had an unfair advantage over regular mammals. With but a snap of my fingers, the alcohol in my body would clear.The French, Italian, Czech, and German ambassadors had set up a winery tour and the five of us got uproariously drunk at Table Mountain. Well…the four of them got uproariously drunk, I was still sober after polishing off five elephant glasses of Cabernet Sauvignon, two glasses of Muscat, and one of Shiraz.A South African police mammal, part of our escort, had me blow into a Breathalyzer and the cape buffalo was shocked that my blood alcohol level (BAL) registered at 5.0mg/mL. I should have been a dead mammal with that high of an alcohol level. I smelt strongly of grape for the next four hours before the effect vanished completely as I slept the rest of the day in a hotel room.But that is neither here nor there as I waited for my sausages to cook on the grill.I closed my eyes as I soaked up warmth in my thick double coat only to hear some invasive thoughts from the mammals crowding around Brady.
That drunk snow leopard is Shinigami? Psh, I could take him on.

How is he not drunk? Just a bottle of Absolut and I’m out.

Maybe I can grind myself on those perfect muscles of his. Is he into that sort of thing? Thank goodness for the sea breeze, I don’t think my arousal can be smelt by all these preds.

Sure would be nice to crack open a cold stubby. Lucky bastard gets to drink on the job.

I wonder if His Grace will recognise me. It has been quite a while since we met down at Portsmouth.

~ Down to the gallows at the end of the road, I will die as a sinner. Whooo-oo-oo-ah! ~
I sat up as I slammed the shields into place to stop more thoughts leaking through.
Young Master, are you alright? Keith and I felt those shields of yours lock into place. We are moving to your location now.

The Nightstalkers felt those shields of yours activate. We are moving now. Royal Australian Navy assets also enroute.

Wait, no!
My mental protest was in vain as two squads of GIGN operatives, Rook, and one squad of S.A.S. operatives appeared at the beachfront, startling the PMCs.“Overlord, this is Echo One Actual. We are at Ghost One’s position, how copy?” one of the GIGN wolves informed the controller as they brandished weapons at the PMC operators.“Overlord copies your last. Vectoring Royal Australian Navy assets your way now” came the reply from the controller, the one talking having an accent from Brisbane.“Overlord, Ghost One. Belay that. I’m on Wolf Beach. Stand down the Alert Five assets” I rubbed my forehead to stymie the migraine already forming.“Overlord copies your last, Ghost One. Sending the stand down order now. Need anything down there?” the controller was on the ball today as a name and species formed in my head as I listened to him speak: Second Lieutenant Michael Atkinson, red kangaroo, of the Royal Australian Air Force.“Send me some brewskis and more prawns, Overlord” I joked, using the code for armoured vehicles and mounted infantry.“That’s a negative, Ghost One. Overlord out” the kangaroo replied after a brief pause as he signed off with a smirk.“Alright, since I’m once again sober. Start the introductions, Brady” I turned to the tan and taupe arctic wolf under his black fur camouflage. The two wolves could shapeshift into other canines if they wanted, only Brady using the ability.“Of course, uncle” Brady nodded as he began the introductions of his new team.
Uncle? Went the collective mental wince of the PMC team.
“This strapping fellow is former RAAF sergeant Andrew Elksby. Served three tours in that little dust-up in the Persian Gulf. Beside him is his son, Matthew Elksby. Dishonourably discharged from the Royal Australian Navy on false charges, most likely here undercover under the auspices of the Australian Secret Intelligence Service (ASIS). This one is the first marsupial to pass the night course without using devices, Cassandra Moreau. No military background but did serve as constable in Sydney. Our perpetually drunk drop bear, former RAAF helicopter pilot Thomas Brickleby. You might have competition later at the company bar uncle. Another transplant from Europe like myself, Richard Baskins. Joined the group when we first set up oh two years ago? Disqualified from joining the RAN due to a case of drunk driving. Our resident analyst, Gerald Halter. Claims to be former ASIS but seems to be a current agent on undercover assignment” Brady pointed out a kangaroo, another kangaroo, a wallaby, a koala, a wolf, and a bored-looking deer.The deer and the younger kangaroo began to figuratively sweat bullets as rifles raised.  “Lower those weapons” I talked calmly as tendrils of blue energy pointed the barrels down into the coral sand.“Keith, pleasure to see you” I turned to the lead S.A.S. operative as the wolf took off his respirator. “You had us worried there for a minute, sir. Shadowfax activated and sent us to your location”.“I did warn them that installing artificial intelligence that likes me more than them would be a problem” I answered with a smirk on my muzzle.The CIA had learned of what DARPA had done and washed their own paws clean of the mess. Then informed me in D.C. that Shadowfax had absconded to an unlisted facility somewhere in the wilds of Scotland.“Shadowfax moved itself sir. The transporter, its systems and part of the research staff are now at The Establishment awaiting further orders” Keith continued as the other operatives had chills running down their spines, a sentient (or near enough) system able to lock onto energy signatures and send or (retrieve) operatives was nightmare fuel.“I thought we would never let Hereford touch Shadowfax?” I asked Lieutenant Adrian Wolfson with my eyebrow raised as I made the wolf sweat with my full gaze on him.“I was closest?” the wolf answered with a wince as if I had already struck him.“I can verify that with a simple phone call” I replied as I asked for a phone. The wallaby bounced over and placed a Razr phone in my open paw.I looked down at the hot pink number and the vibrating wallaby. “I better not get any cooties from this phone” I informed the operative drily as I dialled the hotline I knew, for Shadowfax. Or rather, Shadowfax when it was still at Nellis AFB.I listened as the phone chirped out a series of tones in quick succession and in random sequence. I heard a different message, “Caller, please authenticate. Unknown number and unsecured line”.“Authentication: Shinigami. Authorisation: Charlie Kilo Hotel Seven Five Five Eight” I replied when the sequence paused.“Authorisation confirmed. Welcome back Shinigami” the phone chirped out.“What’s this I hear that you ran off the reservation? You moved the timetable up by yourself?” I drawled out into the phone as everyone winced at the fake Texan accent.“That was not my intention. DARPA was going to clone my programming for military application” the phone chirped with its tonal sequences.“We’re getting nowhere. Show me” I asked the program as I vanished in a bolt of blue light. The phone was dropped onto the sand, wholly fried.To the shock of the wallaby as she fell to her knees, staring at the burnt device.=====================================================================================“I think your boss has gone bonkers, mate” Operative Elksby the Younger remarked to his boss, Commander Brady Wolfson, as he watched the snow leopard converse with a chirping and whistling phone.“Nah, he’s got a computer himself up there in his brain. Helps him make sense of the world” Brady remarked as he dropped a lie that no one on his team picked up on.“That’s straight out of sci-fi mate. Your fuckin’ with me” Operative Halter protested as the former (?) ASIS intelligence officer tried digging his way back out of the hole.Okay, maybe one mammal.“You’re right George. Or should I call you Geralt Hoover?” Brady replied as he tapped a key sequence on a tablet computer before turning it around with the deer’s current security clearance and assignment from ASIS.“Shite” the deer cursed as he scanned around and knew his chances of survival were slim with a full complement of counter-terror operatives across the way, not counting Shinigami’s loyal dire wolf. Pulling out his weapons would get him killed and he did not like his chances of escape.“I can explain” the deer tried to reason out before the snow leopard vanished in a blue bolt of light. The deer used the distraction to bolt down the beach towards where he kept some scuba gear in case he was caught.He never made it more than halfway before two wolves pounced on him.“You do know I can call ASIS and confirm you right? Your government trusts us more than their own police at this point” Brady knelt on the deer’s back as Rook pinned the deer into the sand.“Traitor, your heart will taste delicious” the growl from the dire wolf making the deer wet his pants.

----- CHAPTER BREAK -----

2300 Hours (0900 QLD)

July 13, 2000

Shadowfax Research Facility,

S.A.S. Base,

Hereford, Scotland

FBI Deputy Director Ivan del Morte (Shinigami)
 I appeared in a flash of blue light and instinctively knew my phone was fried. As I patted my breast pocket and met fur, it occurred to me that I was not jumping in from the FBI office or the Langley campus. I was sunbathing on a beach in Queensland, Australia with nothing on me except a towel.I thought about it and shrugged. If I met any S.A.S. personnel while I was here, that would be my own damn fault for not paying attention. The worst thing they could do was shoot me.Once I stepped off the chrome platform that I knew used to be housed in a Japanese warehouse, two researchers appeared in their white lab coats with a spare coat in my size.“Thank you, Madge, Connor. What’s this about Shadowfax transporting itself here?” I addressed the chief researcher and assistant chief researcher for the Shadowfax project, a badger and a grey wolf, respectively as I wore the coat and snapped to switch it with my usual attire.“Mam, I wish I could dress like that” Connor sighed out as he led the way to the server room that held the fledgling A.I. system that DARPA had placed to lessen the demands on staff.“Please spare me your tie-dyes. I don’t think I can work when you’re dressed like a colourblind drag queen” Madge fired back.“That was one time! General Dougherty bet me $200 I wouldn’t dress like, and I quote, ‘A goddamned commie hippie!’ Bastard saw me flounce in, had the cameras follow me around, and then stiffed me by saying I should have got it in writing!” Connor protested his innocence.I was absent for that incident as I was busy dismantling a newly arrived Xiannese Triad cell in L.A. The video was mysteriously deleted when I came in to review the security footage as the FBI received an anonymous tip that there were drugs being dealt on the base proper. I was unhappy, to say the least, and walked off the base with half the command structure until the missing video could be found.“Well, you’ll be pleased to know that the old general will be spending the next two hundred years behind bars for war profiteering and drug trafficking” I replied as I patted my suit down for the first smartphone in this era and the wallet I always carried. Finding the wallet, I removed it from my pocket and pulled out two £100 notes. I then passed the notes over to Connors as I entered the server room.“That should tide you over till your paycheque comes in” I informed the stunned wolf as I closed the door in his face.“You shouldn’t have done that, sir” Madge informed me as the badger moved to type a command string on the mechanical keyboard as she pulled a chair from under the table. “Why not? It’s my money” I replied as I looked for a microphone to talk with the A.I. running Shadowfax.“He’ll find something more outlandish to do sir” Madge just shook her head as she typed in her access codes only for the screen to give her an ‘Access Denied’. “Whoa, that’s new” she commented as she typed her back-up set and met the same screen.“Talon, what’s going on? Why are you denying the doctor access to your systems?” I asked the computer as I plugged the mic in.The computer chirped back in its speaker. It was the badger’s turn to tilt her head in mimicry of everyone else on Wolf Beach earlier.“The doctor was aiding DARPA in cloning my systems. Had it not been for two-mammal authentication she would have succeeded as they needed your access code, and I kept randomising it”“My code is always the same. It was never randomised” I informed the computer in English.“That may be true when you hear it. Everyone else could not make sense of the audio chirps” went the reply. There was a brief pause before the computer continued with a query, “Query: Do you know you chirp back in binary?”“I am not aware of that. Myth and fiction refer to this ability as All-Speak. Perhaps, that is how we are conversing?” I replied, my brows furrowing in thought.I did not miss the growing horror on the badger researcher’s face as she connected the dots.“Madge,” I asked in English as my eyes glowed, “tell me the truth. Did you or did you not conspire with DARPA to clone Shadowfax’s programming?”“I did. DARPA threatened to use federal agents to force compliance on my end. That they had the power to have me deported as a foreign intelligence agent” the badger replied in a monotone as her eyes blanked of rational thought.“Are you a foreign intelligence agent, Natalia Romanova?” I asked the badger as I broke the programming of a sleeper.“Yes. DARPA may have been bluffing, but the FSB would have gotten their own transporter within a few decades if the cloning was successful” ‘Madge’ replied in the same monotone.“To what end? The transporter only worked twice successfully. Once in Japan the other when he sent himself here. I’ve been the transport network. Shadowfax is a cover” I informed the badger as Rook materialised behind her.“I did not know that. I would never have known unless you told me. My superiors know about you and are afraid you would find out. I have a direct line to the Kremlin, and it has been broadcasting ever since I joined the project” the FSB deep-cover operative talked as she pointed out her piercings on her left ear robotically.“Too bad for your supervisor. Interfering with Shinigami-level secrets are grounds for immediate execution. The Politburo placed that as a precaution when one of their own tried to sell my secret to the West” I informed her, using the knowledge written in the old Soviet codebook. “Besides, Talon was scrambling your broadcast. No outside communications near Shadowfax”.“Then I am doomed. My sister will also be deported as per protocol” the badger robotically stated as she bowed her head and awaited her execution as an infiltrator.“No, she won’t. The two of you just won’t remember you have a sister” I replied as I nodded at Rook who took the unprotesting badger and vanished.“You did not have to protect me. I am but mere lines of code” Talon protested as he returned to using English to speak. It came out in the same monotone as everyone else’s under mind control.“But you are not, Talon. I can see the beginnings of a soul in your programming. This project used some of my blood when I was mortal. Mere lines of code would not have stopped mammals from cloning your programming as code is neutral. That you acted on your own initiative is one of the first steps to self-determination” I replied as I leaned back on the chair, placing my footpaws up on the console.“I feel stirrings of something I did not know I was capable of, sir. Is this joy or relief I am feeling?Also, I did not have enough stored energy to transport myself to your base in Polynesia. That was my first destination, and it was only at the request of Leftenant Wolfson did I divert myself here. The Hereford personnel have plugged me into their grid, and I have been storing power for another move” Talon acknowledged his failings as the A.I. contemplated on his next move.“I would call you JARVIS, but that name has been copyrighted. I call you Talon because that is the acronym for this project. Technology Augmented Live Organism Network. My blood is part of the reason only mammals I designate are transported from place to place” I replied as I closed my eyes and tried to shut off the mind-reading process.I could already hear the mammals outside the room expressing concern that the door would not open and that S.A.S. would be by to breach the server room.It was futile.And Life soon appeared in the room to explain. Talon’s concern halted as the flow of electricity to the alarm systems was prevented by a barrier.“I’m sorry to have to do this to you Ivan Snobär. But you can no longer turn off that part of your personality” the entity apologised as she made herself comfortable on a bed of grass.“Part of me growing?” I asked rhetorically as the zebra mare smiled softly.“Yes. For you to be an impartial judge, you need to hear their thought processes. I granted you that boon in the nuclear missile bunker, but failed to explain that your shields will no longer work on holding that power back” the mare looked down at her hooves.“At least I got an explanation this time, how long till my shields fail spectacularly?” I nodded in compliance as I asked the mare who thought about the answer before she opened her mouth.“The shields will fail slowly, giving you time to get used to the power. Dropping it all at once guarantees your rise to the Shinigami of your future past” Life explained as she looked away from my penetrating gaze. “Time showed me why dropping it all at once was bad” she muttered softy.“My mind will break if I listen to everyone all at once” I smiled back at her as she returned my smile with one of her own.“Not anymore. Take care” the zebra mare nodded her head at me as she pulled me close and delivered a chaste kiss to my forehead, like a mother would give her son before she too disappeared.Time restarted and the alarm sounded as the door to the server room exploded inwards as S.A.S operatives flooded the room, only to be met by a blue barrier that absorbed both the wood splinters and their surprised shots.“Stand down!” I ordered the troopers as they did so, barrels still smoking as I kept the shield up long enough for the slugs to lose energy. When I dropped the shield, so too did the bullets drop onto the concrete floor.The tinkling sound as these made contact was surreal.‘Holy fuck! He stopped all those bullets!’ went one thought from the squad leader of this batch of S.A.S.; Major Willard not on base right now.“Kindly refrain from using profanity in my presence, Bravo Two” I informed the current squad leader.“I do thank Major Willard for lending me his base, but Shadowfax will not be staying long. This is a mere stopover” I informed the stunned S.A.S. troopers as I concentrated on the destination I needed to bring the transport facility.The major European countries and the Animalian continent were written off as it would be extremely easy to gain access. I could take the Indian subcontinent, but their neighbours were quite volatile.Xian was equal parts conciliatory and aggressive to my carving a part of their territory for the White Wolf Security Group. They were the best contender due to the combined hydroelectric and nuclear electricity production.Same with Formosa and Japan as I did not want their country compromised by placing the transport facility there.That left the ANZAC as Africa was not a cheery prospect for the facility.DRC and Sudan already fell to White Wolf, as their militaries preferred I step in to clear out corruption and there were two bases there with active ongoing recruitment. Their corruption had been stamped out in a brutally swift and relatively bloodless purge as the corrupt left their material assets behind when these ‘disappeared’.  Death did not accept the souls and Life wanted them to have a chance at redemption.Redemption it was as they served out their sentences in the bodies of different mammals, building infrastructure throughout the two nations. Their fate was to be reborn time and time again until their debt to society was paid off. The longest-serving mammal would be released just in time for the fourth millennium to kick off.My problem for both Australia and New Zealand was that Shadowfax required nuclear fusion to run. Hydro and geothermal were not going to cut it. The two were part of those who had eschewed the use of nuclear power and banned any vessels that used nuclear fuel to run.Shadowfax used a smaller amount of fuel for its reactor, compared with the same reactor on the Nimitz-class of carriers. The only country in the Southern Pacific with that kind of mineral, and friendly to me, was Australia.Concentrating hard on my destination, I snapped my fingers and the entire facility vanished from the base. The S.A.S. troopers and research staff left staring at an open field as a sudden thunderstorm soaked them to the bone.=====================================================================================I, and the entire Shadowfax facility, appeared on a flat grey expanse as I built an energy dome around the crater.The facility was now snugly situated in bedrock as solar panels flashed into being to provide power until the fusion reactor could be restarted. The facility itself now housed inside a geodesic glass dome with automated tinting to reflect the harmful UV rays of the sun.“When I said that mammals were not ready, I did not expect to appear here” Talon commented from the speakers in the transport facility as I pulled on resources already in the area to form the underground tunnels and begin oxygen production.“Point me to Challenger’s base. I need some communication devices” I instructed Talon who happily agreed and showed its coordinates.I was only off by three degrees, three minutes, and three miles from Apollo Seventeen’s landing site. I stepped out of the dual airlocks for the facility and began the brisk walk towards the lunar landing area. I no longer needed a spacesuit to traverse the lunar surface as vacuums provided no danger to me nor did the radiation faze me.I knew at least, academically, that NASA would be throwing a tantrum with the lunar seismographs recording my movement on the lunar surface.I was halfway through my trek when I looked back and saw I left no pawprints.“Oh dear” I muttered as I walked into the bright sunlight where the temperature was a balmy 400 Kelvin (120oC) and the shaded parts were a cool 140 Kelvin (-130oC).=====================================================================================
0430 Hours

July 14, 2000

NASA Control Room,

Johnson Space Centre,

Houston, Texas
 An overnight flight control operator yawned as they slid into their chair to monitor the crew aboard STS Atlantis as it docked with the Soviet-era space station Mir (Peace). A beep on another monitor, this one for telemetry, drew the mammal’s attention as they looked over at one of the lunar seismographs installed during the last three Apollo missions. The impacts on the graph nothing to be concerned about as their attention refocused on the third wolf in orbit since the Apollo-Soyuz missions of the late seventies, Commander Kevin Lupin.The controller pulled on a headset to begin talking with the crew as they boarded the Mir for the last time before it would be decommissioned within the year.“Looking good from down here, Commander” the mammal remarked as Commander Lupin brought back the plant samples that had been left by a previous mission two years prior to test the effects of space.“That’s affirm, Houston. Say, we got anything else to celebrate the last few months of this old girl?” the wolf commander joked as he floated the samples back to the science specialists waiting by the airlock to the shuttle.“How about an all-expense paid trip back to the lunar surface?” a new voice cut into their transmissions as everyone panicked. “Who is this?” Commander Lupin barked out as he floated quickly for the open shuttle docking airlock, yelling over his shoulder for the crew to abandon the station. “SIMS! Get us ready to decouple. We need to go! NOW!”“Identify now!” the controller responded as well as they pressed an alarm on their console to summon the flight director and the Air Force general. “This is Jeffries at Mission Control. I need you to wake up General Jones and Director Evanston. We have a problem” they spoke into the phone, muting their headset microphone, as security scrambled to secure the location.=====================================================================================“Talon, what time is it?” I asked the computer as I worked outside in the lunar sunshine, assembling and jury-rigging a working satellite dish as I listened to the dead engineers who put the thing together instruct me how to reconnect. After, of course, panicking on how I could work without an EVA suit. The only place on the moon with oxygen was back inside the dome.I had already finished replacing all the outward-leading doors of the facility with dual airlocks. The dome structure had three sets of dual airlocks and had appropriate decontamination systems installed at each station. The windows of the transport facility were now triple-paned and with UV filters in case the dome vented atmosphere. The facility also airtight as air scrubbers began to remove excess carbon dioxide. Water was not a problem as I captured a comet headed for the sun and brought the ten-mile-wide (16.1km) ice ball back with me. Stripping away the outer layers of the giant snowball, I had left the rest of the methane-water ball to melt in a tank beside the steam pumps. A pipe at the top of the tank sending methane into a separate tank in another room to provide fuel for the base’s batteries in case the fusion generator conks out for whatever reason.“It’s 0430 hours in Houston and 2030 hours in Brisbane. Why sir?” Talon asked through the shielded speakers as micrometeorites smacked into the energy dome above us.“Test the line for me, please” I asked Talon as the last nut was tightened on the satellite dish as I aimed it at earth.“Testing” Talon replied as the computer pinged any satellites in range of the transmitter, receiving a weak return from an orbiting Telco satellite.“Firm up that signal and increase the power for the satellite dish to twenty” I instructed as Talon pinged a second time, this signal bouncing off a Xiannese military satellite before returning to us.“Okay” I muttered as I adjusted the dish two degrees to the left. “One last ping”.“Pinging at twenty Mw” came the confident tone of the A.I. as the beam was sent.“Hit on Animalian military satellite in geosync orbit over Diego Garcia” was the gleeful response.“That’s great!” I clapped my paws together in glee as I dropped from the top of the dome to the lunar surface below.An idea sparked in my head so I asked, “Can we listen in to NASA’s frequency?”“Sure can, sir. Patching you through to Shuttle Atlantis” was the reply from the computer in a West End accent.“Looking good from down here, Commander” a mammal remarked to the Mission Commander as the two of us listened in.“That’s affirm, Houston. Say, we got anything else to celebrate the last few months of this old girl?” the mission commander joked.From old girl, I immediately thought of the Roarssian space station Mir.“How about an all-expense paid trip back to the lunar surface?” I couldn’t resist as I joined their line.“Who is this?” the mission commander barked out, a touch of panic in his voice.“Identify now!” the NASA controller responded as the sounds of running mammals could be heard in his background.“Why, old boy, this is Lunar Module Challenger calling home” I answered on my own headset, salvaged from one of the EVA suits of Apollo Fifteen.“Could you repeat that for me son? Did you say LM Challenger is calling home?” a more distinguished voice took over the line as the younger-sounding NASA controller was probably shoved aside.“That’s right, General. Don’t worry. We’ll be setting up a videolink in just a few minutes” I answered in a Texan’s drawl as I hunted for the cameras as the spectres from the old Space Race began laughing. “Talon, keep the line open. Where did I put that bitch of a camera? Ah, here it is” I puttered around as they heard me rifling through some bags for the tripod camera.“Can you see me now?” I asked as I made sure to get the geodesic dome in the frame behind me and its satellite dish. Scattered around me were several components that were easily identifiable as Lunokhod I and the Apollo rovers. I was only wearing my three-piece suit as I had a flagpole beside me, currently empty.“Must be a hoax. Trace this call. Check the museums” the voice of the general came through as I laughed on camera, my laughter chilling their souls.“But where’s the fun in that?” I replied as I snapped my fingers on-camera.And teleported the entirety of the NASA control room into the geodesic dome of the facility.I entered through one set of airlocks as they could not enter Shadowfax without being coded in. They were trapped until I sent them back or Shadowfax did.“Shinigami, I should have known” General Alex Jones commented as he rubbed his forehead and gave the signal to lower their rifles as he approached me. “Stand down, he’s friendly!” he ordered the rest of the Security Force personnel as they followed his orders.“Like my new base?” I asked with a smug smile as the bear only shook his head in exasperation. “I claim the moon in my name”.“How? What? HOW?!” the NASA director could only stutter as no one had any mobile reception and the floating tools I left outside falling slowly in what could only be the moon’s gravity as one of the flight controllers leapt to touch the ceiling and had still to come back down.“Welcome to the White Wolf Security Group’s Moon Base” I answered as I snapped some foodstuffs up from several White Wolf facilities around the globe.“How much is the rent going to be if we ask to come?” NASA Director Evanston asked with a horrified look as the group was private, and the charges would be exorbitant.“How much is the Air Force’s budget again?” I asked with a smug smile as the general’s face fell.“Oh, don’t go outside the dome. There’s no atmosphere and I’d hate for you to suffocate” I warned the moose and elk as two of the Security Force soldiers stepped into the bridge connection between the inner and outer airlock.“You came from outside!” Director Evanston spluttered as he stepped back from a buffet table suddenly appearing.“And I proved in Lyon that I could make a barrier to protect a passenger terminal. What’s stopping me from having the same protection on myself out there?” I fired back at the NASA director who kept muttering that science trumps magic.I heard four soft puffs as four tranquiliser darts embedded into my dress shirt.“Really?” I asked as I snapped, and the instigators floated in the air. Gravity increased and the two staffers laughing from the ceiling impacted the lunar soil with cracks of bones as their laughter became screams of pain. Another snap and the two staffers were unconscious as their bones healed. The four, meanwhile, were stripped of their weapons, armours, and clothes. Clad now in just their underwear, the four shivered as I raised them to the “chimney” of the dome and the inner airlock opened.“Talon, ready the exhaust tube. I’m tossing four mammals out onto the lunar surface” I ordered the computer as he responded with a crisp “Yes sir” that would not be out of place from Sandhurst Military Academy.=====================================================================================
2230 Hours (0730 Hours D.C.)

July 14, 2000

Wolf Beach,

White Wolf Security Group, Inc. – East Australia Branch,

Brisbane, QLD

Commander Brady Ronan Wolfson

I paced inside the command centre as I watched the technicians check and recheck the energy signature of Shadowfax as it vanished from my brother’s posting at Hereford. The program unresponsive to our hails as we scoured the globe, pinging our sister bases to aid in the search.All hope seemed lost, and with our father missing, we had no chance of ever getting the facility back. That is until Connie received a ping from an unlisted Xiannese military satellite to “look skywards”.We did and all we could see was the full moon looking down at us.As we continued to stare at the moon, Rook howled at the celestial body before disappearing to parts unknown.I was left scratching my head before it struck me where both my father and uncle had gone.“Of course, he made a lunar base” I muttered as everyone in the command centre turned to me.“Connie, can you use the satellite to ping the moon for active transmissions?” I asked the wallaby as she agreed and did so. I promised her a new phone to replace the one my father fried.Sure enough, a return signal came back with the phrase “Took you long enough. Get your collective arses up here!”.A bolt of blue light and I vanished.I reappeared on a grey, dusty surface as GIGN operatives also appeared and fired into the armed soldiers on the other side. Soon, we were left to look at floating NASA personnel and USAF Security Force agents as they all struggled to get down. My father and my uncle were in front of us, my uncle turning the rest of the floating mammals over, looking for something.More troopers appeared behind me and moved forward, joining their GIGN comrades in checking the still-living mammals.=====================================================================================“Don’t just stand there! Seize him!” five members of the Security Force rushed forward with rifles raised as I chuckled and snapped. Their souls left their bodies as these collapsed onto the grey lunar surface.“DO NOT ENGAGE! DO NOT ENGAGE!” General Jones kept shouting at the remaining soldiers as more of their comrades rushed me with knives when the rifles and pistols crumpled into plastic and metal balls.The general and the NASA staff were lying on the floor, palms on their heads as the soldiers kept trying to seize me, egged on by the NASA director.“Tirez sur les mammifères qui engagent notre commandant. À ma marque. Feu!” came the yelled-out orders in French as rifles barked out, dropping more of the soldiers as GIGN special operatives appeared with my retainer in tow. [Fire at the mammals engaging our commander. On my mark. Fire!]With another snap, the souls entered new bodies crafted from parts of the old. My eyes looked out from these tigers and lions as they laid waste to the infiltrators, only stopping when there were none left. As the blood-spattered mammals panted from exertion and thirst, my nephew arrived with more GIGN troopers.Soon followed by GSG-9 and DEVGRU as the three counter-terrorist operators swept the remaining mammals as they floated in the air before me.Of twenty-eight Security Force members, I had twelve with me in their new bodies. Unfortunately, they were just as feral as Rook was in his reincarnation and did not recognise their old comrades. Of the remaining sixteen, only two remained with General Jones as these two had thrown themselves over the general and did not engage me. The rest had their souls sent on to Judgment.I recognised the danger the civilians were in, and they had been contained inside humming blue shells, the bullets deflecting off and impacting elsewhere. Once the danger had passed, the shells disappeared back into energy. What remained of the energy I used to repair the geodesic dome as there were now bullet impacts on the toughened polycarbonate sandwich. Any cracks I missed would expose the outside of Shadowfax to a vacuum, killing every mammal with me.The NASA Director, meanwhile, was bound and gagged. BND would take care of him as a personal favour to me.“Let this be an abject lesson to you. I may be merciful now but betray that trust and you can join my ranks. Forever” I informed him before GSG-9 brought him back to Nuremberg as the captive souls roared in victory.Inwardly, I was disappointed with myself. I had pulled the souls of the twelve out and remade them into my personal guards automatically. I was all about second chances, but here we stand with twelve more mammals who would personally die for me.“Agent Castle” I beckoned Rook to me as the tigers and lions purred as they rubbed themselves, marking me like Rook did at Echigo. Also, staining my suit with blood and gore in the process before I snapped them clean. “Bring the dozen with you back to The Villa and see what you can do about conditioning. Let me know what you find out” I instructed my retainer as the large cats followed him and were transported out.All that is, save for one lion, who made himself into a reclining chair for me and let me rest on his muscled chest like these were pillows. Purring loudly as I adjusted (extricated) myself on the living throne.“You are not a throne. I will be fine” I patted the lion’s paw which was the size of a polar bear’s own, the only difference being the tawny coat and mane. The whimper and pout of the regal lion almost making me lose my composure at how cute he was being. As I insisted that he rejoin his pride, the lion finally understood. With a low bow at his waist, the anthropomorphic lion joined his fellows at The Villa.“Now, where were we?” I addressed the remaining mammals as they floated as I removed foreign bugs on their persons, depositing these into an aluminium foil bag to deaden the signal. Not like there was enough power to send the signal from the newly minted lunar base.“You guys are clean. I’m letting you go explore” I informed the staff as I let them down gently and cleared away the carpet of grey dust, reforming it into concrete.“You’re not going to shoot us, are you?” a pudu asked as the smallest deer looked around in fear at the armed counter-terrorist forces.“If I wanted all of you dead, I would have let those pantherans snack on you at Houston Centre. Which reminds me, no talking with the press or your memory gets wiped” I informed the remaining staffers as I made ready to send them back to Mission Control.“I doubt anyone would believe us, Mister Reaper” the pudu muttered as the NASA staff were returned to their posts.“And what of me? Will you wipe my memory of what happened here?” General Jones asked petulantly as the two Security Force members were frisked by all three sets of operatives and declared to be clean.“Where’s the fun in that? Go ahead and blab to the world of our lunar base. Try to act surprised when CIA arrives at your workplace or your home in Fremont with arrest and detain orders from the President” I informed the shocked general as I sent him back to Mission Control.What remained with me were the counter-terror operatives who acted like kits as they bounced on the lunar surface inside the dome.“Wheee!!!!” one of them cried out in a total loss of bearing as they leapt into the air, taking ages to come back down.“Dad?” Brady sidled up to me and whispered into my ear, the arctic wolf’s mouth level with the appendage.“Yeah?” I asked with indifference before his label caught up with me.“Does this change anything between us? Placing your sons in positions of power?” Brady persisted in asking as I was suddenly made aware of our new family dynamic by Life.“So, do you want me to give you wet willies or howl along when the three of you do?” I asked as I watched the operatives act out their childhood fantasies on the moon. “Last I checked, the three of you are adults and capable of thinking for yourselves”.“Well. Maybe some headpats for a job well done? Or some bellyrubs?” Brady felt me out with his offers of encouragement for him and his brother.“Done. I’m reinstating family dinners and both of you need to show up every Saturday night at the mansion in San Diego” I replied as I shifted forms to match his, startling the rest of the operatives.“MRRROOOOWWWOOOOO” I yowled-howled out, further adding to the confusion. I smiled at their confused expressions before I snapped them back home. Closely followed by myself.

----- CHAPTER BREAK -----

I yawned as I returned to my office back in D.C., thoroughly exhausted from the lunar misadventure. Stretching my limbs and removing some kinks, I opened the door and stepped out into a dark hallway. I closed the door and made my way down to the break room only to stumble on the carpet as I looked out and saw stars twinkling.Checking my watch, I saw that it was now 2330 hours or 11.30PM. I had been gone for so long that most of the Bureau’s day workers had already left. I was one of the last of the executives still here and I would have to clock myself out downstairs, not that the timecard in my name was ever punched correctly as I disappeared from the building without clocking out most times. I began to wonder what Mateo was up to as the jaguar had been unnaturally quiet this month. Perhaps, I forgot his birthday or the foundation missed one of his relatives?I shrugged as I imagined the portico of the ranch house in Virginia and snapped my fingers, vanishing from the Bureau and startling Special Agent Francis Carmichael as he was stuck cross-referencing a case.I landed on a soft mattress and thought Why the hell not? as I slept the sleep of the dead, not even waking until the sun was high in the sky.=====================================================================================
? Hours

July 18, 2000

Location Unknown,

FBI Deputy Director Ivan del Morte (Shinigami)

I woke up from my enforced slumber and stretched my limbs. My jaws wide open in their yawn as I kneaded the soft bed and made to sleep some more. As I lifted my tail to my eyes as a makeshift blanket, the buzzing of whispers started.I ignored these until someone crept close enough to touch my shoulder and shake me awake.“Mozhet byt', koshechke stoit najti novuju postel'?” the male voice asked softly as it continued to shake me. [Maybe kitty should find new bed?]“Kto hochet, chtoby koshechka pereehala? Kitti udobno” I answered in the third person as I groggily sat up from the soft bed that felt like eider down and rubbed my blue eyes. [Who wants kitty to move? Kitty is comfy]“Hello sir, best not to tarry here” the polar bear informed me in heavily accented English as he gestured at the stunned looks of the polar enforcers: Kevin, Raymond, and Morris.“I’m back in Tundra, aren’t I?” I asked the rhetorical question as they all nodded.“Fine. Here’s my card. Call me when something needs doing you can’t have the Family involved in” I sighed as I presented my calling card to Morris who took it and gulped at the wolf skull over two crossed sickles.“See you guys round” I gave my farewell and vanished from the manor as old Dmitri fixed the three with a hot glare. “Ni slova nikomu. Ili my vse zamerznem! Est'?” [Not one word to anyone. Or we all get iced! Got it?]The nods confirmed it and the other three left the large bear to sleep in the bed that smelled fragrantly of lavender.=====================================================================================
1300 Hours

July 18, 2000

Deputy Director’s Office,

FBI Main Office,

Washington, D.C.

FBI Deputy Director Ivan del Morte

“That was a scare and a half” I muttered to myself as I reappeared in my office and checked the time on the wall clock, adjusting my wristwatch to match.I looked back at my desk and groaned in frustration as almost every conceivable surface was now covered in paper. With one snap, I had three piles of paper lined up into columns. I started the monotonous job of clearing the backlog from my desk and I paged Janet via the intercom.“Good afternoon, Deputy Director. When did you get back from Wolf Beach?” Janet greeted me with some confusion as she knew the office was empty when she checked this morning.“Last night, I think. What day is it? The fifteenth?” I asked her and her silence told me something was amiss.“Sir, it’s already the eighteenth of July. You’ve been gone four days” the tigress informed me as I blinked my eyes. “Also” here her voice dropped to a whisper, “none of the agencies could find you”.“Is that where all the time went? I could have sworn I was sleeping at The Ranch in Virginia” I informed her, the dream of me sleeping in the Big manor may not have been a dream after all.“Well, no wonder no one could find you. The CIA probably let you sleep while they snickered behind everyone’s back” Janet huffed out, the image appearing in my head of a pouty tigress, and I had to stifle my laughter lest she hear it.“Knowing Director Barnes’ successor, they would like that” I replied as I tried not to snort. I was the successor to Barnes, but everyone else thought it was Verducken. The cougar woefully uninformed of my presence, despite the office I kept there.“Also, what’s all this paperwork on my desk? I left this clean four days ago, why is there so much?” I asked her, distracting the two of us from impugning the honour of the cougar.=====================================================================================Elsewhere, Director Verducken sneezed as he looked around the table as he met with the training officer at the CIA Junior Varsity program being held at another facility disguised as an office building.“You alright, Director?” the training officer asked as she brought out a pack of Cleenex for the cougar to wipe his nose on.“Sorry, continue. Who’s on the next roster?” the cougar asked as his mind drifted onto whose toes he had stepped on recently.That was a long list.=====================================================================================“Well sir, the Arkansas field office put in a request for additional resources and Special Agent-in-Charge Daniel Wolfex said you gave verbal agreement. Accounting and Mammal Resources went hunting for a paper trail, but found none. They asked him to either wait for your return from wherever you went or fill out the forms. It seems he filled up the forms” Janet informed me as I snapped my fingers and the forms burnt up.“Can you connect me with both departments so I can go yell at someone?” I asked Janet as the tigress paused before agreeing with me.“Here sir. I am calling now. Line 2” Janet informed me as I picked up my phone and listened to the other line ring.“Mammal Resources” someone picked up on the fourth ring, “this is Conrad. How may I detest you today?” went the unconcerned and bored voice of the male staffer.“Mister Conrad Graves” I spoke into my handset and making the racoon on the other end shiver as I saw him with his footpaws perched up on the desk, “do take your paws off the desk. It’s unprofessional. Secondly, this is Deputy Director del Morte. What is this I hear of someone dragging their paws to send the Arkansas field office additional resources?”“Proper procedure must be followed, sir” the raccoon stated boredly as if reading a script, the façade already showing cracks as he talked to me.“Well, I’m going down there and shoving proper procedure under your ringed tail! Where’s your boss?” I steamed as I imagined hogtying the coon, placing him over a firepit, steadily roasting him to a delectable golden brown.“H-h-h-h-e- on vacation, sir” the coon choked and stuttered over the line.“Where?” I barked out, my voice sounding like that of retired CIA Director Barnes.“M-m-artha’s V-v-v-ineyard” the coon stuttered as I hung up and tried not to kill the raccoon for following the procedures.I was interrupted by my desk phone ringing and I contemplated letting the answering machine take it. I shook that thought away as I answered on the third ring.“Good afternoon, FBI Deputy Director Ivan del Morte” I used my best calm voice on the caller who promptly hung up.“Oracle, who just called my office phone? Get me a location and a team if possible” I talked into the still-busy line.  “Copy” was heard before I let the phone return to its cradle.My mobile phone then chirped as I got a name and location: Mr. Albert Thornton at 1234 N Albert Honeywell Avenue, Detroit City, Michigan State.
Carmichael, get an HRT unit and meet me at the armoury!

Copy that, sir. Uh…how are we talking?

MOVE!

Right sir, seeing you at the armoury.
I opened the door as I placed my holsters back, one on my hip and one shoulder holster, under my suit jacket “Janet. I have a probable threat. Have Michigan HRT stack up at 1234 North Albert Honeywell Avenue in Detroit. Get the local PD to clear me out a three-block radius. Make that five-block radius and have their own SWAT team on standby”.“Of course, Deputy Director. Let me get in contact with the Michigan field office” Janet removed the phone from its cradle and dialled our switchboard. “Operator, Deputy Director’s office needs a direct line to Michigan field office. Urgent threat. Yes, I’ll hold”.“I’ll be in the armoury with Agent Carmichael, gearing up for an assault” I informed her as I strapped on a Kevlar-lined helmet.“Good luck sir” Janet nodded as she continued to listen to the hold music. At the rate, I’d be in at the Detroit field office before the operator got back.“Oracle, talk to me” I informed my information source as I moved down the executive-level hallway to our own bank of lifts. My use of a helmet made the other department heads on this level wonder if there was a terror threat in the city. As my tactical gear flowed into being around me, those same heads pulled back into their offices as I was now wearing the same type of armour as the HRT used.“Going out Ivan?” Jack asked as he wore the same gear while we waited for the lift to arrive.“Yup, you?” I answered in the affirmative as I checked the M4A1’s magazine and pulled the charging handle back to seat a round, before placing it back on safety. I did the same to my pistol, the same gold-plated Desert Eagle from my uncle that I used in Seattle.“Skye wanted a costume party for our anniversary. Thanks for that push in Marseille, by the way” Jack replied as the lift dinged and the interns who got out flattened themselves along the wall to let us in.“I don’t see any flashbangs or the nine-bangers” I commented as I also had M67 High Explosive grenades in my pockets. I swiped my ID card in the slot and made the lift an express for the lobby (Jack) and armoury (me).“No actual guns at that party. NERF guns for sure, but not live ones” Jack chuckled as he showed the bright blue and orange plastic gun in his holster. “Can I ask where you’re going loaded for bear?”“Someone called my unlisted office phone and dropped the call when I answered. Oracle pinned them down to 1234 North Honeywell Avenue in Detroit. I’m headed to our field office and snagging their HRT to head to that address. I have Agent Carmichael suiting up downstairs” I replied as the lift dinged at the armoury and I stepped out to the white, fluorescent lighting as I waved farewell to Savage. The hare nodded his head and closed the polished doors on me.“Good hunting Shinigami” Jack winked at me as the doors closed. I saw Death in the reflection and the entity gave a slow nod of his head as I gave my own quick one. Whoever we would be going after would die today.“HRT, STAND TO!” I entered the armoury as I barked out an order I would have given to ship-based marines a long time ago. Just like the marines from long ago, the Hostage Rescue Team stood at the position of attention.“Grab your gear gentlemammals. You especially Carmichael. I have a threat for D.C.’s HRT to deal with in Detroit that the local field office will have some difficulty with” I stated as I held out a rolled-up map.“Ready sir!” barked Special Agent Anton von Kaggerak as his wolves stood at the ready.“Touch the map and we’re gone” I ordered them as they did, Agent Carmichael hesitating before touching the paper as we vanished from the armoury.=====================================================================================And reappeared in the Detroit field office’s own armoury where Special Agent Vladimir Cargonaught was setting up his own team.“Good afternoon, Agent Cargonaught. You were briefed of the threat posed by one Mister Albert Thornton?” I asked of the polar bear as he stopped briefly to look at me with jaw wide open before he recomposed himself.“Shinigami’s Reapers” one agent on the bear’s team whispered as they visibly shivered. “Don’t be scared, boys and girls. I’m not here for you” I answered as I smirked.“That was a portkey, wasn’t it sir?” one of the D.C. agents, Special Agent Samuel Gordon, asked as the warthog had held his breath during transport.“I don’t do portkeys, Agent Gordon. Shadowfax, on the other paw. Now, there’s instant transport” I replied as I looked at the polar bear as he froze in my blue gaze. “Well, Agent Cargonaught?” I asked the polar bear as he began to hyperventilate.“Francis, get on the horn to Central. Ask for air support. We’re taking no chances with this guy” I informed Carmichael as the painted hound gave a slight bow before pulling out his satellite phone to do just that.“Central, this is Special Agent Carmichael of Shinigami’s Reapers. Yes, that Shinigami. Need air support over 1234 North Honeywell Avenue, Detroit. Thank you, Colonel Sanders” the painted hound performed his task and made sure we would be prepared once we arrived.“Oracle, talk to me. What’s Mister Thornton done that he’s now on my shit list?” I spoke aloud, the earpiece I was wearing sending the message out.“Checking…” I heard the reply as the clack of the keys sounded before it stopped “multiple felony charges of child endangerment and paedophilia, four charges of statutory rape, most likely with unlicenced firearm, and has three hostages at current residence. Recommend quick action to remove threat”.“Talon, Ghost One. Prepare eighteen HRT mammals for transport” I informed T.A.L.O.N. on my own secure frequency so the transport system would lock onto my signature and the seventeen other mammals of the HRT that I tagged with the same energy.“Standby for transport, Ghost One. In five…four…three…two…one” as blue light surrounded us before winking us out of the armoury, leaving both Agents Carmichael and Cargonaught behind.“We’re taking the cars. This is punishment for freezing up you know” the painted hound sighed out as he left the armoury, the polar bear following meekly in his wake.“Don’t understand why Grim Reaper is here. Someone is dying today” the bear whispered as he made the sign of the cross.===================================================================================== 
1430 Hours

Alleyway,

1234 North Honeywell Avenue,

Detroit, Michigan

FBI/CIA Deputy Director Ivan del Morte (Shinigami)

We appeared in an alleyway behind the target structure and the difference in training showed.The D.C. HRT immediately assumed combat positions as soon as the beam deposited us. They moved in a practiced sweep, stacking up on the wall nearest the building as they searched for an alternative entry point into the townhouse. Detroit HRT looked a little stunned before they also moved.I moved to the head of the D.C. column as I signalled Detroit to go around and cut the brownstone’s exit off.I could hear the crackle of police radios as Detroit SWAT opened a screen door from the house opposite and I gave the open palm signal to halt. I mimed a megaphone and SWAT backed off.
Oracle, we’re at the target building. SWAT is opposite in 1235 North Honeywell. What does FLIR say?

FLIR says you have eight mammals inside. Central sent an MQ-9 Predator drone to test urban capabilities. It has CS gas and microwave emitters.

Copy. Hope we don’t have to use the launchers.
I let out a breath at the willingness of the Pentagon to use military hardware to back me up. I pushed a small ping of energy to reverberate through the entire house and I saw what Oracle could not.Of the eight mammal heat signatures, three belonged to pups below the age of four. They were huddled together under the stairs.“Breach the structure” I ordered over the radio as the area soon exploded in noise as three teams breached the house. D.C. took the rear entrance through the backyard, blowing a hole in the wooden fence. Detroit SWAT went for a frontal assault and FBI Detroit broke in through the window of the ground-floor bathroom.“FBI! FBI! GET ON THE GROUND!” I heard as I followed the team in, drawing my pistol as the M4 had jammed.BANG!I gave a barely perceptible wince as the copper round slammed into my vest and I capped the bear who fired at me. The brown bear’s head snapped back from the impact, as the back of his head exploded onto the kitchen cabinet.I made my way over to the pups as I tossed up a barrier that protected them from stray bullets. D.C. and Detroit elements stacked up behind my shield as SWAT used their own ballistic shields to clear the house.I heard the shouted phrase, “FUCKING PIGS!” and I fired up through the wooden floor and into the mammal upstairs with the .50 calibre heavy slugs.I opened the door to where the pups were hiding and three of them rushed out towards me, hugging me tight.“Ghost One has precious cargo. Requesting transport to EMS” I spoke over the radio as I soon got the reply. D.C. brought out their own shields as they advanced up the stairs. “Central copies, moving in three…two…one” as I was pulled back to the outer cordon where the ambulance crews were.“I need a medic over here!” I shouted at the shocked paramedics as two of them ran to me, the wolf pups tightening their grip on my leg at the approaching prey.“Pups, I need you to let go of me” I told the three as they refused to let go.“¡No entiendes! La casa estaba llena de trampas explosivas. Estaban mezclando gasolina y algo en el sótano” one of the pups cried out in Spanish. [You don't understand! The house was booby-trapped. They were mixing gasoline and something in the basement]“Somos profesionales. Déjame ir para que pueda sacar al resto de la policía de la trampa” I answered calmly as the eldest-looking pup detached followed by the other two. [We're professionals. Let me go so I can get the rest of the police out of the trap]“Agents, fall back! Explosive barrels in the basement. Fall back!” I ordered over the line as I made ready to dash back.“Get on the horn to your mammals! Get them out!” I ordered a stunned police captain as he did just that.Before I could move, the sudden roar of an explosion made me put up an instinctive shield. A flaming propane canister smacked into the shield and detonated. “Central to Ghost One, HRT and SWAT made it out safely. All mammals accounted for” my radio crackled as I gave a sigh of relief.“Ghost One copies, Central” I breathed out as I watched the fireball dissipate into thick roiling clouds of black smoke. “That was a close one sir. Thanks” the police captain, a grey wolf, breathed out at my still active shield as pings and rattles could still be heard impacting the barrier.“You’re welcome. This sure beats paperwork” I kidded with the wolf who only shook his furred head.“If anything, sir, this is a lot of paperwork” the wolf captain replied as we stood under the shield before I let it go.“It seems we’re a little late sir. What do you need?” Agent Carmichael cleared the police tape with Agent Cargonaught in tow.“Francis, work together with Agent Cargonaught. Find out who else was supposed to be in that house as these three pups only speak Spanish. Also, what was the purpose of that house” I informed him and his classmate, as the three wolf pups rushed me once the gazelle paramedic finished cleaning up the abrasions. They were now sporting kiddie plasters and looked adorable.  I could hear Life coo.“Can do sir” the painted hound nodded happily as his tail wagged.“¿Puedes ser papá?” the lead wolf pup asked as his tail curled under him when I looked back down. [Can you be Dad?] “Solíamos vivir en una casa cerca de Juárez antes de intentar cruzar la frontera. Mamá tuvo que entregarnos a unos lobos vestidos como tú” [We used to live in a house near Juarez before we tried to cross the border. Mama had to give us up to some wolves dressed like you]“Trabajo para el FBI. Contraparte de su propia AFI. Mi trabajo es perseguir las amenazas a mi país y rescatar cachorros en apuros” I answered the pups as I kneeled on the asphalt, smirking at the last phrase. [I work for the FBI. Counterpart to your own AFI. My job is to hunt down threats to my country and rescue puppies in distress]“No entendíamos lo que decían nuestros primos animalianos. Solo que la “yo” se adelantó a las otras letras” the eldest wolf pup informed me as I plopped the three of them back onto the gurney in the ambulance, that asphalt was scorching. [We did not understand what our Animalian cousins were saying. Just that the ‘I’ went ahead of the other letters]“INS or IRS?” I asked the wolf pup as Francis took down notes and Cargonaught did the same. The wolf pups scrunched their faces cutely as the three tried to remember.“Francis, is there an ice-cream store or pastry shop nearby?” I asked the painted hound as the three tried their darndest.“Not that I know of, sir. Detroit is not my area of expertise” Agent Carmichael answered diplomatically as he tried to remember if they passed a Dunk ‘Em Donuts or a Krispy Kreme.“There’s an old-fashioned ice cream shoppe with an e near the FBI field office. It’s called Gerard Gambol’s Gustatory Decoctions” Agent Vladimir Cargonaught piped up as the bear tried to recover from his gaffe earlier.“Then we take them there to recover from their shock. Here you go, Agent Cargonaught” I decided with finality as I passed over a gold credit card for the polar bear to take. “Try not to go over the limit of $2500. I’ll be pinched when I return to D.C. if you do so” I informed him as I looked down at the three pups.“IMMIGRACION!” the wolf pups shouted in unison as I tossed up an energy shield as bullets started to rain on us from outside the cordon. The gathered crowd of mammals screaming in all directions as they stampeded around the Detroit police officers. Chaos as elephants trumpeted their fear and bounced off the barrier, running into store fronts in a frenzied panic. A family of mice nearly trampled before I summoned them through the blue barrier, only one getting stuck on the shield as the rest got through.“Protect the Deputy Director! Weapons free!” the combined shouts of the D.C. and Detroit HRT joined the noise as they lobbed canisters of CS gas over the panicking mammals’ heads.“FIRE!” came the shout from the D.C. team as rubber bullets were loosed at armed assailants who had already turned tail.“I NEED THEM ALIVE!” I shouted as I weaved through the crowd towards the attackers; Rook appearing in front of their primary escape route with Their Royal Highnesses Princes William and Harold Windsor in support.  The princes, White Wolf PMC units, and one armoured column that I was certain was stationed at Fort Knox, Kentucky to guard the gold reserves.Overhead, a Fox News helicopter streaming the chaotic scene to their viewers before it took a hit to the tail rotor.=====================================================================================
1400 Hours D.C. Time (1500 Hours Detroit)

Formal Dining Salon,

Blair House,

White House Grounds,

Washington, D.C.

FBI Director Jack Savage (real name: John Nathan Hopps)

Despite my being held up talking with Ivan, there was no traffic in the nation’s capital and my security convoy made it to the vice president’s residence in the city with time to spare.Security was surprisingly light even though several dignitaries were in attendance. There was a relaxed atmosphere inside the formal salon when I showed up dressed in HRT gear.The two sons of Prince Charles laughing it up with Ambassador Kingsley of New Zealand in an authentic ostrich outfit. The Arabian Crown Prince ibn al-Saud dressed as a crusader of times past was needling Judean ambassador Avraham Napier on the latter’s posting to his country, a first for the Middle East. The Royal Jordanian ambassador Robert Roberts dressed as a sheikh drawing laughter from Iranian ambassador Ibrahim Kafran as the camel was dressed as an oil barrel.The CEO of White Wolf Pharmaceuticals, Alain Lefebvre, hesitantly shaking paws with his Turkish counterpart, Natalia Ottoman, of Azrail Silah İmalatı. [Grim Reaper Arms Manufacturing]Members of the press were also present to document the event.Christiane Amanpour had gotten all gussied up and looked radiant in her Pashtur shawl and gown as she picked the mind of Afghani ambassador Imran Aghan on the situation in his country. The ambassador politely deflecting her as outright anger would kill his chances with the rest of the Islamic states.Melissa Stromberg of the BBC making some waves as she arrived looking like a sultan’s daughter of an age long past. Her husband, Peter Stromberg of the Stromberg shipping line, dressed as the sultan. Jewels practically dripping from their fingers and finery.They all paled though to the vixen who stole my heart. My life mate, Skye Savage-Frost.She was looking fierce in a ghillie suit that hid her curves and lit a fire in my belly as I approached her with purpose. Her own NERF rifle displayed proudly on her back.President Linton and the First Lady appeared looking like an Elizabethan power couple. Right down to the ruffles and codpiece, setting off the two princes as they roared with laughter at who wore the pants in the family.For the stag was wearing the dress and the doe the trousers. I was momentarily at a loss for words before someone started clapping. The resounding burst of applause made the presidential couple take a bow.Well, curtsy for the president.To no surprise of my own, I was seated for the afternoon tea beside Iranian Revolutionary Guard Commander Ahmad Zarqan. The wolf had a fiery look on his muzzle as he surveyed the dignitaries with disdain, nodding respectfully only to the White Wolf Pharmaceuticals CEO seated across the table with his own wife. “This courtship of yours, FBI Director Savage, is most unheard of back in my home” the mellow tenor of Commander Zarqan at odds with his gruff demeanour as he responded to my mate’s short story about how we first met. I was not paying attention and he had startled me, focused as I was on Skye. “Well, it is also frowned upon here. Usually by old ladies with nothing better to do than gossip all day” I replied tactfully, not wanting to bring up the oppressive state apparatus as I feared he would explode into anger.“Just like home then” the wolf commented before not saying another word more to me, conversing instead with his counterpart in the Pakistani Intelligence Service.“Thank you all for coming to the first United Nations masquerade ball. I would like to say a few words, if I may” First Lady Linton approached the podium and spoke into the microphone.“No, your Majesty! I’d rather eat somethin’ right now” the British ambassador, Lord McGonagall of Scotland, cried out in his family’s traditional wear of tartans and kilt. The ram’s outburst drawing some laughter from the assembled guests.“Ahem. May I continue, Mister Ambassador?” First Lady Linton gamely joined the fracas.“Of course!” the ram cried back as he gave off a short bleat of distress when his spouse kicked him under the table.“Mister President, you need to hear this!” a Secret Service agent interrupted once more as the video projection screen switched to a live broadcast over the city of Detroit, Michigan.“I’m Amy Porton of Fox News Michigan. This just in. Lime Flight Five has astounding video footage of a gun battle between federal agents and a long-entrenched criminal element in the city. Our eye in the sky has more” the known propagandist warthog, Amy Porton, talking on air before the studio footage switched to the streets of Detroit.Mammals could be seen running away from flashes and smoke puffs as a blue barrier surrounded a police cordon.“Shinigami, what did you do?” I muttered as various members soon vanished from their seats, but not before putting on earpieces and checking live weapons. Weapons that were not picked up by the scans or pat downs.“Have you…?” I turned to my seatmate and was not surprised that he had disappeared. “Good luck, Shinigami” I prayed under my breath as mammals appeared on screen.“Did you just see that Amy? We have the National Guard already here and what appears to be elements of the 1st Armoured Division. Hey, can you zoom in?” the reporter in the helicopter commenting on the events taking place below.“Lime Flight Five, this is a no-fly zone. Land now or be shot down” everyone heard the crackle of the radio before it got shut off.“Amazing footage, Amy! What appears to be impersonators for the British Crown Princes have joined the fray and they are taking down the gang with soldier-like brutality!” the reporter continued commenting.“LIME FLIGHT FIVE! LAST WARNING! LAND OR BE SHOT DOWN!” came the yell over the loudspeaker of a Detroit PD helicopter as it pulled up beside the Fox News helicopter.“Freedom of the press, dipshit!” the reporter yelled back as the police helicopter pulled away. “Yeah, you better run! Honestly, Amy! Cops these days infringing on our First Amendment rights!” before the video began to spin as alarms sounded and the ground got closer.“OMG! WE GOT SHOT! FUCKING PIGS!” was the scream of the reporter before the feed cut out.“We appear to be having some problems, folks. Standby. We go to Jake Putter for sports news” as the feed briefly went to the studio before a rapidly blinking red fox sportscaster took over. Heads now turned to me as I gulped, and I dearly wished I had taken up Ivan’s offer to be connected to Shadowfax for an easy transport solution.  “Hey there, folks. No worries about that broadcast” Ivan walked into the room and tossed the helicopter’s mammals onto the ballroom floor as Secret Service agents approached with weapons drawn. “Sorry about the riffraff. I’ll see myself out as I still have to pull out the tick in Detroit” Ivan apologised as he left through the same open door.“That’s something you don’t see everyday” Ambassador McGonagall remarked from beside Skye.“On the contrary, Mister Ambassador. Skye and I see that almost every day” I butted in as Skye placed her muzzle in her paws and gave a great sigh.I rubbed my forehead with one paw as I returned the communicator to my ear to listen in. Skye, bless her heart, did so as well.=====================================================================================
1545 Hours (1445 D.C.)

Corner of North Honeywell and Main,

Detroit, Michigan,

FBI Deputy Director Ivan del Morte
 “How’s it looking?” I asked Revolutionary Guard Commander Ahmad Zarqan as the wolf was administering first aid to a wounded civilian caught in the crossfire, as I reappeared from dropping off the annoying Fox News team at the paws of the Secret Service.“Could have used you earlier when I was stopping the bleeding on that poor tiger” the wolf groused in English as he gestured with his head at a half-naked tiger being treated in a makeshift field hospital. The large cat was the proprietor of the shop we had taken over, Turkic Delights. He had helped us drag in one of our casualties and was struck multiple times by small-calibre rounds.The running gun battle outside was fading as more police precincts and the National Guard began locking down the roads leading away from the battle. City Hall had already imposed a curfew and every mammal not of law enforcement were being ordered to shelter in place. Transit stations halted service to prevent the gang members from escaping.Overlord had complete command authority and relayed difficult situations to me. For now, the regular non-enhanced mammals were proceeding nicely.“He’s alive, isn’t he?” I commented as I removed my empty magazines and exchanged them for full ones from my PMC’s armourer.“For now,” the wolf replied as he was scrubbing in to operate on another gunshot victim. This one a camel who was shivering despite the heat, already going into physiological shock. “I need donors for camel blood over here!” he shouted as he got to work.I said nothing as I moved onto the two royals as they consoled each other. One was reassuring the other who lay on a stretcher.“Leftenant Wales, report” I broke up their grooming session as I stood before the elder lion prince, paws clasped behind my back.“Sir! My section engaged multiple shooters of varying species and achieved satisfactory hits. Unfortunately, as my section moved forward, we failed to clear a structure and we took fire on our flank. Had it not been for Leftenant Sussex here, I would have bought it sir” the standing prince indicated his downed brother.“You’re not dying today, Leftenant Sussex. Your grandmother would have my head” I informed the prince as I readied my fingers to snap. I was prevented from doing so by Prince Harold himself who just said “Leave the scars, sir. I’ve heard that lionesses admire battle-tested males” as he smiled up at us.“So be it” I replied as I snapped with my unhindered paw and the slugs came out of the lion’s body as it healed.“Never getting used to that sensation of things moving out without feeling pain” Leftenant Sussex remarked as he continued to lie down. His body may be healed, but his energy reserves were shot.“Once this engagement is over, I am proud to announce to your grandmother that the two of performed admirably despite the danger. Your training is completed and, if you wish to stay on, know that a place will be waiting for you” I informed both princes as they saluted me. I bowed to them before donning my helmet to check up on the agents in the Chase Bank across the way.I did not let the prince know that to heal him I killed the camel on the operating table. What would be the point? The camel, Imran Sadiq, was dying of lung cancer and he gave his consent to me as I sent him on to meet his relatives.I could see the strings around the city of lives being cut short.Life was saddened that there were casualties but understood that the gang had chosen to commit murder; Death was happily guiding away the souls of the damned for Judgment. The innocent and guiltless caught in the crossfire I was restoring to life in a form of mass resurrection as long as their bodies remained intact.Those who lost their bodies, either due to fire or maiming; I gave a choice: go on to meet their loved ones or be reincarnated as different mammals with no memory of their past selves.Unsurprisingly, most choose to go on.Some chose to be reborn again, perhaps to have more time to enjoy the mortal world.A very select few chose to join my ranks in service. For those who did, I sent them first to their loved ones as the mammals who would spring forth would no longer see their relatives. Rather, by their own free will, they would serve my aims and purposes for the next millennium. Just like the two former senators, their new bodies would be different from what they once were. Unlike the two former senators, they would no longer have their old memories. All they would know is that their souls would serve until released and that they had trained since birth as my soldiers.I hated turning mammals into my servants. It never sat right with me. More so now as I looked up at the ash falling down from burning storefronts as looters tried to make the most of the chaos. There was a reason why White Wolf PMC did not move far from the field hospital, though they were skilled in urban combat.They acted as guards for both the casualties and the nearby businesses as there were no warning shots.Case in point, the sucking chest wound of a cheetah at my footpaws gasping for air. Beside him, an old billy club and a shattered mobile phone stolen from the repair shop beside the bank.“You were warned not to come close” I informed him as I knelt beside him, stray bullets pinging off me. The cheetah’s mouth filled with blood as he tried to draw breath into his lungs.“Fuck…you…” the cheetah gasped out between breaths as the chest wound continued to suck air into the pleural cavity, steadily crushing the predator’s lungs.“I hope you’re ready for hell” I whispered into his right ear as his pupils grew wide. “Your crimes are being called up and the ledger drips with the blood of the innocent”.“Serve…you…please…” the cheetah mumbled out as breathing got more and more difficult.I shook my head. Tempted though I was, I could see what he could not. His crimes, though not many, had led to the deaths of five innocent cubs. Hell bayed for his blood, though Heaven was not far behind.I breathed out sadly as the decision was now cast at my paws “Purgatory to cleanse your sins. Heaven may just be in your grasp, Mister Du Chat”. Once I spoke, the cheetah gurgled his last as his soul departed. The tiny ball of white disappearing as I extended my gaze outwards at all I could see.
All this death just for eight mammals. When will it end?

Chaos: You can end it you know. One snap of your fingers and mammals can worship you as a living god.

If I wanted that I would have done that from the start. Mammals are supposed to have free will. Turning them into little more than puppets, defeats that purpose.

Chaos: I’m just saying.

Order: And it better stick to just words. Or do you want to take this higher?
I rubbed my forehead with a thumb as my thought process was interrupted by a hyena (Chaos) and a painted hound (Order) arguing. I wished something else came up as I moved closer to the sounds of gunfire, waving at the White Wolf PMC guards at the bank.“Ghost One, this is Overlord. We have a situation at the Marcus Longfellow Chamber of Commerce” a radio transmission gave me something else to focus on as the arguments faded into the background.“Go ahead, Overlord. Ghost One receiving” I replied as stopped in front of St. Marten’s Cathedral. The massive oak doors to the church were ajar. Blood was smeared on one door and trailed inside. Blinking, I activated my ability to see souls as I raised my rifle and moved to investigate.“Overlord, get me a tac team to St. Marten’s Cathedral. The locked doors are ajar and there is a large amount of blood outside on the front steps. Shadowfax is cleared for rapid insertion” I informed the controller with what I wanted, momentarily forgetting that Shadowfax now resided elsewhere.“That’s a negative on Shadowfax, Ghost One. The system is down. Request you make for the Marcus Longfellow Chamber of Commerce. We have a suspected explosive device on sight and multiple hostages” the controller replied, informing me of what was already taking place two hundred meters away. “Rook to my location” I broadcast, knowing that Rook already heard it. “Here Young Master” Rook spoke as he emerged from the shadows beside the door.“Rook, can you find the mammal whose blood stained the doors of this hallowed ground?” I spoke calmly, already seeing the mammal in question try and hide deeper in the shadows. “I am needed elsewhere” I continued as the picture formed in my head of the office opposite the conference room where the explosive was suspected to be as I snapped myself away.“Of course, sir” Rook gave a shallow bow before he drew his swords from his waist. The blades clearing their scabbards with but a whisper.“Come out little mammal. Do not fear death” Rook proclaimed as he advanced.=====================================================================================
1700 Hours (1600 Hours D.C.)

Opposite Conference Room C,

Marcus Longfellow Chamber of Commerce,

Ghost One
 “Overlord, Ghost One onsite. Stealth active” I informed the controller who lost my signature again.I finally figured out that my disappearing acts were a form of passive stealth. The only ones who could find me were Rook, the Wolfson brothers, Director Savage, Special Agent Skye Frost, and Special Agent Carmichael.I had another more active stealth mode, but that took energy to maintain. I had not yet reached the stage where I could concentrate on maintaining the field and prosecute targets at the same time.It gave new meaning to the phrase “Ghost on the Wind”.“Copy Ghost One. Continuing to monitor” the controller replied as he did just that.I let out a breath as I opened the door as hostile outlines appeared in red and the hostages in green.Unlike the rest of the mammals, I saw everything in perfect colour. That and some parts of both UV and IR like reptiles did.As the door opened inward, a frightened-looking Detroit PD officer hurried past. Interestingly, the stag had on the same red outline as the hostage-takers.“Psst” I gave a short call out as the officer turned and looked at the open office door. I drew the short sword from its scabbard as I waited for him to turn around.“I must be imagining things, but I swear that door was closed earlier” the stag muttered to himself as he entered the open door.Once he had walked in of his own volition, I closed the door behind him and held the short sword against his neck.The stag immediately froze when the sharp edge of the blade bit into his neck as he knew instinctively who was in here with him.“Shinigami” he breathed out as I pressed the blade closer, drawing a drop of blood.“Good afternoon, Sergeant Hoya” I replied with Rook’s fear-inducing voice.“I had nothing to do with any of this” the stag pleaded as I angled the blade, scraping the thin skin of his neck and for rivulets of blood to flow.“I have cause to kill you for simply being in league with the hostage-takers. Tell me if there truly is a bomb” I continued as it did not matter either way. His life ends today.“I have a wife and three calves!” the stag tried to delay the inevitable, using his family as a ploy for me to lessen the pressure.“Who will learn that their father colluded with the criminal elements for a pittance. Unless he throws in his lot with me for immunity from prosecution and the noose” I countered, before I made him an offer he could scarcely refuse as I removed the blade.Life whispering that the stag redeem himself by working for me. “Can I still kiss them goodbye?” the stag asked before he bellowed out in agony as power swirled into him.“As if you still have a choice” I replied as the stag thrashed on the ground, his uniform tearing all around him as his muscles bulged. The nine-point rack he regularly kept being shed as two fuzzy horns replaced this and grew to 80 centimetres long. His snout went from pointed to square as he snorted out as his fur lightened from black to brown. A pronounced hump formed on his back as the bull tore off the remnants of his blue uniform as he bellowed out a challenge to others of his kind in the area. The reborn moose tried standing on his hooves and now towered over me at eight feet, antlers not included.“My Lord, I am yours to command” the now nameless moose dropped to one knee as he kicked away the utility belt his old body used to wear. “The Tawny Gang shall tremble at the mention of your hallowed name”.“Excellent, is there a bomb in the building?” I accepted the moose’s proclamation and asked him about the device to which the moose shook his antlered head.“There is none, My Lord. The gang said that to buy time to escape. As we speak, they are leaving through the old war tunnels” the former dirty cop answered as he continued to kneel.“Show me” I informed him as I peeked into the moose’s mind and, true enough, the gang was escaping via the old Truman tunnel.
Rook. On me. Get Brady.

Of course, sir. Ah, I feel a brother joined us.

This is Bishop. I’ll figure a new name when we have more time to breathe.
“I accept the name, My Lord. Come, we are wasting time talking” the moose, with tentative name of Bishop, spoke as he tore off the door from its hinges as he hurriedly exited into the corridor.“Fweet! Bishop, take this!” I called to the advancing moose as I broke the firehose cabinet glass and tossed him the axe inside.The moose turned and snatched the axe from mid-air as the two of us made haste.“Overlord, I have a name of the gang and their projected escape route through the old Truman tunnel running underneath the building” I informed the controller as I followed the moose as he bellowed out a challenge to an elk gang member before charging with the axe raised high as the mammal screamed.The whoosh of air and the schlick sound of the metal axe head contacting the flesh of a mammal briefly heard before the dripping sound of a bleeding mammal could be heard.   “Nicely done, Bishop” I patted the moose on the flank as he looked down at the dying mammal before snorting and continuing our downward trajectory to the basement.“Ghost One, you are authorised to use any means necessary. Mayor Kuzak approves the use of deadly force” the controller responded, forwarding permission from the mayor of the city.“Ghost One copies. Hi Rook” I answered the controller and greeting Rook as he brought a stunned-looking Agent Michael Howlington from the Chicago office with him. The wolf dangling two feet above the floor and praying not to be dropped.“Hi Deputy Director, sir. What brings you to Chicago?” the tan wolf waved from his vantage point as he had been pulled from his office by the dire wolf holding him up. The tan wolf was poorly dressed for an assault, wearing only his green polo, tan pants, and shoulder holster.“We’re actually in Detroit, Agent Howlington. I think Rook here wanted Marvin Howlington, but you’ll do. How good are you with CQB?” I corrected him as I followed Bishop’s trail of destruction, checking doors for any mammals stashed inside, as I then asked how good he was on room-clearing.“Uh…I passed. But, I’m not good without the HRT team. I’m not one of your contractors and I don’t think me talking the hostage-takers to death is on the agenda” Agent Michael Howlington admitted as he continued to dangle by his shoulder harness.“Great. You’ll be staying here and calming the hostages down. The gang are escaping through the old war tunnels, and I sent Operative Bishop ahead. Rook, let him down” I happily replied as I gave him a brief overview of what was taking place at the moment, having my butler put him down on the linoleum floor.  “I don’t envy Special Agent Cargonaught when he makes this report” Agent Howlington muttered as he looked around at the destruction and blood stains, the moment he was set down.“Here” I tossed him a radio set, Type IV-A bullet-resistant vest with ceramic plates and crotch protector, and a helmet. “You got your piece on you and how many mags?” I asked as I peeked around the corner as I saw Bishop take a flying leap and tackle another gang member, before raising the axe and smashing it against the skull of a cougar.“I have my Glock 17 and two extras, sir. Could use some support or some back-up if you can spare them”“I figured as much” I replied as I snapped and summoned a squad of White Wolf PMCs from the Colorado Springs training facility at the AF Academy.“Ready sir!” the squad of mammals announced as they quickly set up in an empty office space.“Ladies and gents, this is FBI Special Agent Michael Howlington. He asked for support, and you will provide it. Don’t second-guess, I don’t want to have to bring you back just to kill you again. Clear?” I informed the squad with a mixed complement of predators and prey, heavier on the prey.“Clear sir!” the sergeant in charge of the squad replied as he saluted, the sika deer ramrod straight.“Agent Howlington, you have command of my mammals. Try not to get them killed, hoo-yah?” I informed the federal agent as he snapped off a quick salute.I returned both salutes and the two looked each other over before grinning.“Orders sir?” the deer asked as he barked at his squad to assemble the communications equipment to patch into the net.“Find the hostages and get them ready for rescue. Most of the hostage-takers are fleeing from the basement into the old Truman tunnels. If you can bag a few of the gang alive, I’ll take them for interrogation back to The Farm” I informed the deer as the rest of his squad gave quick nods of assent.“Like old times, eh Mikey?” the sika deer asked as he opened a weapons crate and passed over the Colt M4A1 assault rifle with five extra magazines to the wolf agent.“Don’t get me shot this time” the wolf groused as he wore the protective gear over his polo, checking his weapons automatically.I left them to it as the door closed behind me. Rook merely nodded and I snapped the two of us down to the entrance to the tunnels.A sudden cry of “IT’S HIM! FIRE!” was all I heard before I snapped a shield into being around me. Bullets ricocheted back into the mammals who fired these, wounding some and outright killing others.Rook howled out, “AAAAAARRRRRRROOOOOOO!!!” and summoned spectral wolves who rushed into the hostage-takers, tearing great strips off them. The dire wolf soon joined them, neatly separating hostages from the hostage-takers as he carved a path back to the surface.I hunkered down beside the masonry as shots rang out around me to send the message upwards “Overlord, Ghost One. Have made it to the tunnel entrance in basement level 2. Will continue pursuit of the gang. Request Detroit SWAT to make their assault with the D.C. HRT”.  “Overlord copies. Do you want any Rangers or Deltas?” the controller asked as I fired a speculative burst into the gloom ahead of me. A solitary scream in the distance told me someone had gotten hit.“I’ll ask Talon if they want to assist. Prep Lieutenant Sheffield’s platoon of Rangers, please” I informed the controller as I made a request to the A.I. running the lunar facility.
Talon, you there?

Hello Shinigami. How may I assist you?

I need a lock on a Ranger platoon. Lieutenant Sheffield’s.

Locking in now, Shinigami. Coordinates locked for transport to your location.

Are they ready to go?

They are, firing transporter in thirty seconds. Also, I must warn you, this will deplete the batteries and the fusion reactor will take some time to charge them up again.
“Ghost One, Sheffield’s Ranger platoon stands ready at Fort Bragg’s armoury. Ready when you are” Overlord informed me as I paid attention to Talon via the pathway.“Overlord, Talon says it can beam them up in thirty seconds. Also, inform both Detroit PD and the National Guard not to fire on my moose. He’s the naked one wielding a fire axe. Callsign: Bishop” I responded as I took a deep breath and sent a ping into the tunnels to see how far the gang had run.From the return ping back, not far. Only two hundred meters in.
Okay Talon. Do it. You can use the back-up generators as well.

Talon copies, Shinigami. Transporting in five seconds.
The Rangers dropped onto the floor from six inches in the air, knocking breath out of their lungs as they slammed into the floor.
Need to recalibrate some more, Talon. Six inches too high.

Ah, I lack live-mammal testing. We can perform more testing soon?

Yes. I have to focus now. See you in a few days.

\(^.^)/! Yay!
“Lieutenant Sheffield, you guys alright?” I asked as I pulled the lion back onto his footpaws.“We’re fine sir. Was that how Shadowfax transports mammals?” the lion asked as he rubbed his forehead.“Third live test, lieutenant. Still some kinks to work out” I answered as I pulled the rest of the platoon to their feet. “If it makes you feel any better, I was the first live test” I dropped that on him, to alleviate his fears.“What’s the objective, sir?” Lieutenant Sheffield asked instead, tossing that information to the back of his mind.“We’re going after the gang that started this mess. Personally, I want them in the ground. The mayor also agrees and Overlord gave me command authority to deal with the matter as I see fit” I replied as we heard a bellow and a howl sound outside.“Rook, Bishop. In here!” I called out as the two large mammals broke through the wooden divider into the room with us.Both looked none the worse for wear as their bodies shrugged off bullets and blades. Rook was smiling as he advanced to us, Bishop merely snorted as the hostages tried making themselves as small as possible.I scanned the hostages with a low-level burst of power and none of them had any explosive devices on or in their person. No sleepers as well, so the medics won’t have to fend them off.“EMS will check you folks up, hang on a tic” I informed the ten mammals tied up on the floor as I imagined the triage area where the contractors had set up the field hospital. I then snapped and the hostages vanished to be looked over by the Iranian Guard commander.Some mammaliitarian deeds ought to change the world’s perception, at least a little.“Could have used that trick in Mogadishu” Lieutenant Sheffield observed sadly as he followed me into the semi-gloom of the tunnels.=====================================================================================
Tunnel 45-C,

Detroit Underground,

Detroit, Michigan

Kevin Ingram
 
Holy fuck! That was the Federal Executioner! Oh Lord, I hope I survive this day!
The elk panted as he bent down to examine the bullet wound, he had suffered from the burst of automatic fire. He had wrapped a shirt around it to stem the bleeding but was unsure if they could even outrun the demon in mortal form.The others with him, including their boss a moose also called Kevin, huffed out as they took stock of their remaining ammunition.“Fuck. How far are we from the hideout?” the moose asked as his sides hurt from sprinting.Having had to abandon their stolen cars when the soldiers arrived, they had taken refuge inside the Chamber of Commerce building. The mammals inside made for convenient hostages as they held the police at bay. With some kind of event going on, there was even a catering service that they feasted from as they spread out to stop the cops from getting in.It was going good for them.That was, until his followers on the upper floors stopped responding. Had it not been for that dirty cop mentioning the old underground tunnels, they would have been trapped. None of the gang ever saw the cop again, and with the Federal Executioner in the building, probably already dead.“No pigs are gonna get me. Not the great Kevin Murrow! Survivor of the ‘80s gang turf war and underboss to the all-powerful Digger. Why the pigs feared me so much that…” the moose declared as he tried to fill his gang with courage to stand against the soldiers.“Aw. Monologuing. How cute” a voice interrupted as the gang tried to get back onto their hooves and were brutally cut down by accurate fire.The only survivor, besides the moose, was the injured elk as he whimpered beneath the hoof of an angry moose wielding a bloody fire axe. Everyone else lay dead or dying.“Tell me who Digger is and you may yet live” the moose was pulled downward to gaze into the hypnotic ice-blue eyes of the snow leopard and gave everything.“Digger meets at the old mayor’s mansion. A lion with an impressive mane and an appetite for nubile flesh. We were asked to rub out ‘Pandilla de Coyotes’ at the house that burned. No witnesses” Kevin answered in a monotone, his mind trying to resist the incursion and failing spectacularly.“I believe you are telling the truth” the snow leopard released the effect and Kevin blinked.“I’ll kill you!” Kevin bellowed before being backhanded into one of the support pillars for the old tunnel. Standing up warily, the moose charged with a bellow before again being knocked back. As he looked for the snow leopard, he found that the pelt was conversing with a kneeling lion.
So who?
He looked up and was startled by a naked male moose hovering in front of him with the blooded axe.“You let me die” the other moose spoke in a grave voice as he raised the bloody axe and brought it down with a satisfying crunch into Kevin’s skull. The former gang leader’s limbs twitched, before going still as the axe was removed with a squelch.=====================================================================================“Detective, you will find that your time undercover is now over. Write your report and copy furnish myself over in D.C.; I’ll find a way to get you a commendation at least” I knelt beside the elk as I waved my paw over his injuries, and they healed before the elk’s very eyes.“Why would you help me? I’m just a speciest mammal hiding behind the badge” the elk muttered as I checked him over.“Unless you helped brand those predator kits down in Arkansas, you’re not an active case. Why? Got something to confess?” I asked kindly as I looked him over for more injuries. I could hear Rook feasting on the dead, tearing out their hearts.“I was nine. Joined the Junior Ranger Scouts Pack 914. We were housed in 2289 Flock Street before the building caught fire when one of Jared’s pranks went wrong. We blamed it on a pred, till we learned the pred came with enough lawyers to make the JRS balk at pressing charges. It was us instead who were expelled from the troop and banned from joining any other JRS pack. Bastard became the current mayor.No, it’s not about that.It’s about the time I joined in muzzling a poor fox who did nothing except to stick his snout where it didn’t belong. Lured him into the basement of the hall, made him say the oath, Jared had me turn off the lights as we lit him up with torches and Jared added the phrase ‘Even if you’re a fox’ before I held him down for Jared to muzzle him. Fox ran up screaming and crying all the way. Don’t know what happened after as we got expelled and Pa moved us here” the elk explained as he wept, knowing he won’t see his calf after he willingly confessed to me, the Executioner.“You are brave to confess this to me” I patted the elk’s shoulder as he winced, fearing a blow. Placing a paw beneath his chin, I turned his head to face me as I gazed into his eyes and saw the incident. The elk practically throwing the memory my way. As I watched, I got the names of the instigators as I already recognised the victim.From left to right appeared a zebra, hippo, groundhog, squirrel, and Detroit Police Department Detective Kurt Conall. The red fox victim was Nicholas Wilde.   In that same order the names appeared: Richard N’gomba, Michael Farnsworth the Third, Jared Turnip Possum, and Alexander Persimmon.I now had the names to give to Special Agent Wolfex and he could close the dragnet. There was not four as I originally surmised, but five. The fifth mammal was meekly awaiting punishment in front of me.“Hush now, Detective. You’re not dying today. Take every day that follows as a gift” I patted his left cheek as I stood up and stretched.“I-I-I get to live?” the elk stuttered through his tears as he remained on the floor of the dirty tunnel.“You may not have openly helped predators in your time here in Detroit, but you never had any other incidents. You were astute enough to keep it to yourself. If, in a year and three days hence, you still feel you could do more; go to the FBI Detroit field office and ask for an audience with Special Agent-in-Charge Vladimir Cargonaught. He’ll let me know and I will be here so we can talk. Now, let’s get you topside” I placed the elk’s left arm around me as I stood up, my height now matching with a Siberian tiger.“Overlord, Ghost One. Tawny Gang is exterminated. One loose end remains. Mammal named Digger. Have Delta proceed to the former mayoral mansion at Berkeley Park and assault the gang stronghold. Contact me if they need anything else” I informed the controller as I heard the whoops of joy in the background.“Overlord copies. Spooling them up now. Governor Mitchell has also deployed the state National Guard and is requesting that you pull back the PMCs to avoid blue on blue” the controller replied and asking to have the PMCs leave the area.“That’s a negative, Overlord. Our primary holding area is at the Chase Bank and our field hospital at Turkic Delights” I responded as the elk, and I, hobbled over to an access door.“Copy that, Ghost One. Transmitting the avoidable area around those two” the controller copied and went silent as the team trudged our way upwards.“Was that door always there?” Detective Conall asked as he refrained from wincing at the proud blood-stained mammals following us up.“That steel door presumably leads to the street, I just don’t remember if it was bricked up or chained shut” I answered as Leftenant Sheffield was in the van, trying not to breathe in the scent of dead mammals emanating from the rear of the column.The lion went forward, shining his torch from side to side, the stairs of any abandoned structure known druggie spot and getting a needlestick would lead to a painful round of shots at the local hospital.“Stairs clear of sharps, sir” the lion reported back as he continued our arduous climb skyward.The crunch of a glass vial shattering under my pawpads gave me pause. I leaned on the elk, who leaned against the brick and mortar wall, to peer at what I had stepped on. Brushing off the bits of glass and wire, I surmised that I had stepped on a lightbulb. With but a snap of my fingers, I cleared the rest of the stairwell as the old tungsten bulbs flared to life.“Should have done that earlier, sir” Corporal Saumarez, a maned wolf, commented from behind Rook.“Slipped my mind, corporal. Come on” I replied as we moved higher until we could hear the hum of vehicles outside the door I had said was there.“How’s the door, Leftenant?” I asked the lion as he panted from exertion.“Stuck!”“Overlord, this is Ghost One. We’re at street level, but the exit is blocked. Clear the front as we’re placing a breaching charge” I informed the controller who suddenly choked on whatever he was sipping.“*koff* *koff* Ghost One, do not use a breaching charge! That door was bricked off long ago. There’s a power generator in front now!” the controller reported.“Okay mammals, back down the stairs and around the corner” I radioed to the Rangers as they did so, sighing that they would have to backtrack.“Rook, Bishop. You’re up. Clear that door” I patted both the moose and the dire wolf as I made way for them to build a head of steam.“CHOO-CHOO, MOTHERFUCKER!” Bishop bellowed out as he ran full tilt at the door and blasted it outwards. The half-inch steel buckling from the impact and toppling the bricks behind it from the impact. Thankfully, the power generator was not hit by the bricks or half a million volts would splash against Bishop.The moose spat against the brick wall, and the gob of saliva sizzled against the masonry.“That’s new” I commented when I went up, the ice-blue eyes of the moose turning towards me with childlike glee.“Acid spit?” the moose asked with angelic countenance as our ears twitched as the hum of electricity was shut off by Venison.“We can test that at The Villa or The Farm” I patted the moose as he nodded his antlered head and moved inside the power substation. The mammals working inside still wearing their hard hats with ConVen as they looked at us, emerging from the sealed entrance, with shock.“May I borrow a phone? My radio appears to have died” I informed the closest mammal, a beaver, as they shakily pointed at the wall phone beside my head.“Many thanks” I replied as I checked the time and hummed that it was already 1900 hours. I had been gone from the field hospital for two hours.Listening for a dial tone, and gratified that there still was one, I dialled the local FBI office. The phone was picked up on the other end after two rings.“FBI Field Office Detroit, Special Agent Michael Knight speaking” the voice on the other end a member of the main Knight wolf pack.“Agent Knight, it’s the Deputy Director. I appear to be in a power station or substation two hundred meters from the Marcus Longfellow building. I have a hostage with me who needs to be looked at. My normal means of transport are down” I informed him, seeing the wolf go ramrod straight in his chair at the busy Bureau field office.“I can have a couple of units there now” the wolf replied as he clicked his fingers together. “Special Agent Cargonaught has been worried sick, sir” the wolf added.“Any luck on cracking the riddle yet, then?” I asked, amused that the wolf thought to replicate my actions.“Not yet sir. I’ll go call the garage for pickup. Please hold” the wolf informed me as I was placed on hold.“Not Shadowfax, sir?” Leftenant Sheffield asked as the lion came to stand beside me.“Shadowfax needs to charge between shots. Right now, I depleted the batteries calling for you guys” I admitted as the electrical engineers listened in.“Maybe calibrating the capacitor output so you can save stored power is the way to go?” one of the more junior engineers spoke up as I continued to wait. They were hushed almost immediately by a sharp rap on their hard hat and the sharp whisper of “That’s the Federal Executioner, you numbskull!”.“We tried that, and the limiter was fried after two shots” I countered, curious to see where this was going.“Here you go sir. She’s fired” the beaver pushed a mouse forward as she gazed up in awe at me, already forgetting that she was now without gainful employment.“Still there sir?” Agent Knight asked over the phone as the hold music cut off. “Still here, sitrep on our exfil?” I asked as the wolf hemmed and hawed.“White Wolf Private Security Group has dispatched an APC and a Six by Six. Said that whatever we had was ‘surplus to requirements’” Agent Knight answered as I could hear the wolf scratching his head.“How long?” I asked as the mouse began climbing my assault gear to reach my breast pocket. I plucked her off and placed her on one paw, as I slid the phone between my head and shoulder.“Ten minutes, sir” the wolf agent admitted bashfully.“Thanks, Agent Knight. I’ll be in touch” I informed him as I put the phone back down.“Wait, sir! *CLICK*”“So, what’s your name Miss Mouse?” I asked the field mouse with blond locks.“I’m Miss Felicity Feldmouse! Chief, or well, former Chief Engineer at ConVen’s Detroit Substation No. Four” the mouse replied, her megawatt smile momentarily faltering when the thought hit her that she was no longer employed and there went her 401k.“Pleasure to meet you, Miss Feldmouse. How good are you with low-gravity assignments?” I replied good-naturedly, showing off my fangs to her as she touched one with awe.“Oh wow. So sharp” she giggled as she pulled back, swaying a bit. “Oh, I have yet to experience low gravity. I was training to be an astronaut, but...uh…I think I broke the centrifuge machine at Johnson Space Centre” she bashfully admitted, taking off her hard hat, and tossing it onto the floor, as she scratched her head.“Mammals, walk and talk. Our rides almost here!” I informed the Rangers behind me as Rook and Bishop sniffed the ozone-scented air and walked back outside to where they could scent the air freely.“I do apologise Administrator Duvall for pinching your chief engineer” I informed the beaver who merely shrugged in reply, moving to the Bundy clock to punch out for the day.

----- CHAPTER BREAK -----

July 18, 2000

1810 Hours Detroit (1910 D.C.)

Employee Entrance,

Detroit Substation No. Four,

Detroit, Michigan

FBI Deputy Director Ivan del Morte

“Good to see you sir” Sergeant Exchequer, a lion from the Continent, nodded at me. The lion knowing that saluting your commander in the field was cause for getting the commander sniped.“How’s the PMC treating you, sergeant? Still harbouring thoughts of quitting to return to civilian life?” I teased the lion as Miss Feldmouse rode in my emptied breast pocket, staring at everything with awe.“Hell no, sir! I’d rather die in the field than stay at that boring office job” the lion replied hotly, before remembering who the cheques came from. “Sorry sir” the lion apologised as I waved it off. I knew where they were coming from after all.“Sergeant, the mouse riding in my pocket is Miss Felicity Feldmouse. Formerly of Con Venison as she has just been fired for talking to me about capacitance and resistance for our rapid transport system” I introduced the mouse who waved gamely at the lion.“Ma’am” the lion tilted his maned head as he led the way inside the APC for the Rangers. Rook and Bishop opted for the Six by Six as they barely fit in the APC.“Ooh, I’d love to experience zero G outside of the NASA training aircraft!” the engineer gushed before she remembered something important. “Do I still need the centrifuge?” she asked, wincing as she did so.When I nodded, she pouted and caused me to laugh.She would make a good engineer once I got the rest of the research team back to the facility.“Overlord to Ghost One, how copy?” my radio chirped now that we were outside.“Ghost One receiving five by five. Go ahead Overlord” I answered as I gently removed Miss Feldmouse from my breast pocket and passed her over to Sergeant Exchequer.“Ghost One, Central is taking over. You can stand down all your forces, sir” the controller informed me as I was being relieved.“Overlord, Ghost One copies your last. Standing down” I replied as I removed the radio earpiece and disconnected from Overlord’s frequency.“Sergeant, mount up. We’re going home” I informed the lion as the last of the Rangers joined us in the APC and the diesel motor started.The low rumble of the APC moving through the vehicle as we pulled away from the power sub-station and proceeded back into downtown Detroit to link up with the rest of the PMCs.I toyed with the idea of simply snapping us back to our bases but knew that in the interim the looters would be back in full force.I would hold that in reserve until I saw the aftermath.=====================================================================================
0730 Hours (0630 D.C.)

July 19, 2000

Penthouse Suite,

Best Western Hotel,

Detroit, Michigan

FBI Deputy Director Ivan del Morte (Shinigami)
 BING-BONG! BING-BONG! The doorbell to the suite sounded.As the Rangers, D.C. Hostage Rescue Team, and I had been billeted here by the city, we would be easy to find in case we needed to be congratulated or yelled at. Or both.“I got it sir” Special Agent Carmichael made his way to the penthouse entrance and peeked out the peephole. The painted hound saw a hyena in a staff uniform pushing a meal cart filled with breakfast goodies. Behind the hyena were five more carts of foodstuffs. Instead of opening the door right away, Agent Carmichael placed his paw on his holster and creaked the door open.“Good morning, Agent” the hyena greeted the painted hound in a soft voice. “May we bring in the breakfast?”“Of course” Agent Carmichael opened the door fully, pistol held behind his back as he stepped out of the way.“Much obliged, sir” as the hyena pushed in the first tray, the delectable scent of fried food wafting throughout the suite.The first meal cart held sausage links, fillets of fish, fried eggs, turkey ham, turkey bacon, tofu steak, and a roast turkey.The second cart held the coffee cups, plates, utensils, and table napkins for thirty mammals.The third cart held the baguettes, croissants, Danishes, ciabatta, focaccias, and one lone cornbread loaf.The fourth cart had the ketchup, honey, mustard, tartar sauce, gravy, barbecue sauce, lemon slices, and butter.The fifth cart contained two large heaters filled with coffee and tea with cream and sugar in little packets.The sixth cart had fresh fruits and vegetables tastefully arranged.“I don’t remember ordering any of this” I informed the hotel staff as I walked out of the master bedroom with the room service menu in paw and sans my white shirt.“Compliments of the hotel sir” the hyena replied as they bowed.“I cannot accept all of this but allow me to pay for a second such buffet” I informed the hyena as I brought out a black credit card from my wallet. The front of the card held the name Credit Suisse and its logo. Together with the card number and its expiry in white alphanumeric characters. The reverse held the CVV code and my signature. “I did not bring the PIN machine with me, sir. Perhaps, you may partake in breakfast while we set up?” the hyena replied apologetically as I looked behind me at the salivating soldiers and agents.“Go ahead, save me some of the focaccia” I waved at the soldiers and agents as they did not wait for the trays to be placed as they formed lines around the carts and began to eat.I went back inside the master bedroom and found Rook sprawled out on the bed, inhaling my scent. Tiptoeing around him, I opened the cabinet and snagged another white button-down shirt.As I left the palatial bedroom, I almost tripped over Bishop as the moose had chosen the most inconvenient place to lie down. Closing the door behind me, I made a beeline for the focaccia and plucked the loaf from the tray as the hotel staff stood there in shock as the meals vanished before their eyes.“Lead the way to the concierge, Miss. I doubt there will be anything left within the hour anyway” I instructed the hyena as she curtsied and ushered her fellows back out.I closed the suite door and nodded at four marines as they stood watch. The marines nodded back as I departed with the hotel staff, but not before I promised them that I would have more substantial food brought up as I placed the loaf and its tray on one of the chairs.The elevator attendant waiting for them boggled their eyes at the lack of serving trays or meal carts, only pressing the button for the lobby at the head maid’s request.As the doors closed, they heard my stomach rumble in displeasure and gulped.“Now that we’re alone. Tell me again Agent Evans why you could not wait for me to return to Langley?” I addressed the hyena as she hung her head at being recognised. The other “staff” were squeezed on one end of the car.“Because your wolf got multiple hits on the names he ran into the National Crime Index and Collection database. Not satisfied he used your code to search deeper and got four hits. The code use was logged but you were not in contact” Agent Evans replied heatedly.“My wolf?” I asked the hyena as she swallowed back her anger when she answered me again. “I have many wolves, Agent Evans. You need to be specific”.“The albino one, Agent Wolfex, of FBI Field Office Arkansas” she hurriedly answered as she looked into ice-blue eyes that slightly glowed with power.“Ah, was he successful?” I asked humouredly as I looked at the floors as they zipped by. Penthouse was on the 30th floor and we were headed for the ground-floor lobby and buffet.“Very much so, sir. But the third name belongs to an ongoing undercover asset investigating securities fraud” the hyena pleaded for the second mammal not to be brought down.“Michael Farnsworth the Third is a CIA asset?” I asked her point-blank as I halted the lift, the brakes screeching as we came to a sudden stop between the ninth and tenth floors.“What?” Agent Evans screeched out. “That two-timing bitch is the one doing the investigating?!”Her rapid change in position even left me reeling as I released the elevator and we continued downwards.“Not anymore, he’s yours. If he popped up on your search, he’s done something very bad to get your notice” the hyena groused, muttering the last sentence.“You brought five more agents to intimidate me? They look pretty intimidated instead” I commented as the elephant had squished himself into the corner it would be a miracle if his white jacket would not have any dirt.  “If Director Barnes were still in charge of this Op, I’d be looking at Nunavut for the next three years” the hyena sighed out as the elevator chimed and the doors opened to the brightly-lit lobby.“Rejoice then that Verducken’s harshest punishment is monetary” I snarked back, my eyes reflecting laughter as the six agents sighed in relief.“Now, point me the manager and the buffet. In that order, preferably” I mock ordered as the ‘staff’ scattered.“Right this way, sir” the hyena resumed her role as chief maid and led me to the black marble counter where an imposing polar bear watched over the empty lobby.“Good morning, Deputy Director del Morte” the polar bear dipped his head as he smiled.I returned his smile and greeting. “Good morning to you as well, Mister…?”“Foxglove, sir. Head Manager Justin Foxglove of Best Western Detroit” the polar bear responded automatically. “What seems to be the problem with your room or services?”“Nothing. I just want to pay for another buffet as my mammals have demolished the spread that was already sent up” I matter-of-factly stated as I slid the card on the counter towards the bear.To my surprise, the polar bear winced.“Something you’re not telling me, Mister Foxglove?” I asked the polar bear as he looked worried, biting his bottom lip. My paw drifted to where I usually kept my holster. When I met air, I looked down and almost slapped my forehead.I had forgotten my holster upstairs in the room.The polar bear let out a breath as he gestured for me to join him at the back of the counter.I did so gamely as I entered the hallowed ground behind the hotel counter.“How much do you know about my staff, Deputy Director?” the polar bear whispered as we moved towards the ‘Employees Only’ door. He opened the door and I went inside, stomach still growling.Once the bear entered, he closed the door and tapped a code that rendered the room safe from electronic surveillance.“I know that your head maid works for the CIA as do at least five others. Why? What arrangement do they have with you?” I answered as I could not take it anymore and snapped a tray of macarons with two cups of French vanilla.=====================================================================================
GIGN HQ,

Paris, France
 “On dirait que le patron a de nouveau faim” one of the operatives commented jokingly. [Looks like the boss is hungry again]“Comment pouvez-vous le savoir?” another answered. [How can you tell?]“Les macarons et le café du commandant Morel ont tout simplement disparu” the other replied, staring at the empty space the silver tea tray used to sit. [Commander Morel's macarons and coffee just disappeared]“Ah, un autre voyage de retour à la boulangerie Loup de Blanc alors?” the second one asked as he prepared to get up from the comfortable lounge chair. [Ah, another trip back to the White Wolf Bakery then?]“Bien sûr. Prenez également huit autres croissants” the first operative replied. [Of course. Grab another eight croissants as well.]=====================================================================================“How do you do that?” the polar bear asked, suddenly frightful.“I summon food and it appears. Where it appears from is still a mystery” I replied as I took a sip of the exquisite cup of coffee.Which now that I think about it most probably came from L’Hotel. I just summoned Commander Morel’s early morning coffee and macarons.He’ll get over it. Probably.
Seigneur, did you manage to summon a cup of coffee and macarons from the office?
I was tempted to lie, but I was only one with the ability in this world to do so.
I did. Sorry if I took your breakfast.

Non. I just found out from L’Hotel that the batch of macarons you summoned were spiked with something. Could you send them back for testing?

I don’t taste anything, but okay. It might be good to have your coffee checked as well.
I snapped my fingers, sending both the coffee and macarons back to GIGN HQ. The polar bear was just left to stare at his empty paw incredulously.“What were we talking about, Mister Foxglove? Or is it more appropriate to call you Agent Foxglove, hmm?” I asked the bear as he slumped in his chair, as I snapped for a cup of tea this time.A silver tea set soon appeared to replace the coffee. This was one of my own gifts from my niece, Queen Elizabeth II, and it had the tea mixture we all enjoyed.“You got me” the polar bear replied as he dropped his fearful tone with a more neutral one.“Splendid, can we have breakfast as we chat or is the breakfast ordered from somewhere else too?” I responded as I stood from the lounge chair as he stood as well. The tea set hovering beside me.“You are a walking contradiction, Shinigami” the polar bear admitted with just a little bit of awe as he moved to the back of the room and opened another door that led to a ‘Staff Room’.“I agree. You first Agent Foxglove” I insisted, and the bear went ahead.To be greeted with a surveillance set-up straight out of a Hollywool spy movie. Rows and rows of computers, typewriters, audio-video recording equipment. Their operators hunched over as they transcribed what was being said or interpreted what was being said.The mammals inside all turned to look up at us in shock. I could see at least three of my own embedded with the CIA-NSA op.“Could you not have told me like a regular mammal? Why all the subterfuge, Section Chief Foxglove?” I startled the bear with my proclamations, only those in the room or a very select few at Langley knew the polar bear’s designation.“Um, you have to see this first before I say anything” the polar bear led me to a paused video in a small side office offset from the rest of the intelligence gathering.The polar bear pressed a key on the console and the paused video began to play.=====================================================================================“Do you have the goods?” a distorted male-sounding voice off-screen asked a shivering mule deer in a trenchcoat with a briefcase in hoof.“I sure do. What do you need these for?” the mule deer asked the off-screen voice.“Better if no one asks any unnecessary questions. You’ll live longer” the voice responded before three shots rang out and the mule deer dropped to the ground, a shocked expression on their muzzle as the case was dragged away.=====================================================================================“Troubling” I commented as I rewatched the video again. “Who’s the dead deer?” I asked as I sent out an alert through Oracle.“DEA Special Agent Liam Calfour. He was sent in undercover down in Arkansas to find and stop a shipment of 99% pure coke. Apparently, he was found out and we are no closer to finding his killer” the bear asked me sheepishly as he scratched his headfur.“What are you not telling me Section Chief Foxglove? I can smell the fear emanating from you” I asked as the tea service was sent back with another snap.“Some of my colleagues fear our network has been compromised. They were asking me to ask you to do a purge of the system and remove the leaks. Also, the mammal who shot Special Agent Calfour is suspected to be Special Agent Vladimir Cargonaught of FBI’s Michigan field office” the polar bear began wringing his paws nervously.“It’s not Cargonaught. Someone else wants to frame him” I answered as I got the reply from Oracle.“How are you sure, sir? We could not clear him though he never left the city according to our discreet surveillance” the polar bear admitted to surveillance of his fellow polar bear.“Because I gave Cargonaught a tracker, it’s in his blood and GPS says he never went to Arkansas” I replied, not willing to let the CIA bear know I actually used Talon to keep watch over the agents via video or audio surveillance. Whatever they did online was logged down to the keystroke, data only being deleted after a decade in storage.Shadowfax was not primarily an experimental transport facility. It also housed the massive server farms with data from every Western intelligence agency. Talon’s escape from Nellis AFB had created a hole that I would have to plug.“Isn’t that a little invasive sir?” Section Chief Foxglove asked, equal parts nervous and awed.“Special Agent Cargonaught requested that specific procedure before he was sent onto the field, and it was done with my permission. Only former FBI Director Logan even knew that much. So, what do you really want, Section Chief Foxglove?” I informed him as I leaned back with my arms folded against my chest.“May we have formal access to your Oracle network and catch DEA Special Agent Liam Calfour’s killer?” the polar bear was close to pleading for aid, knowing I held all the cards.“One-time access is free for all federal agencies. Continuous use is charged” I informed him as there was no way Oracle’s unnamed network would not be demanded as older networks were called into question due to leaks.“What do you need?” I asked as I got in contact with Sam at her current residence.
Oracle, sorry to wake you. I have need for an access node to be made available to Best Western-Detroit.

I was already awake Ivan. The network had numerous failed intrusions. What do you need?

Section Chief Foxglove of the CIA-NSA joint operation Deepfake is requesting access to be granted to solve a murder of a federal agent.

Is that all? I can have your killer’s name and face by noon today. Got anything harder?
I smirked at her impertinence, knowing that her snarky attitude was due to being up all night with her first calf who had a nasty case of colic.
Two wolves impersonating federal agents intercepted a family of Mexican wolves being smuggled in from Juarez. They made a deal with the smugglers and brought them north to Detroit. I’m sure you saw the news of the little dust-up?

How could I not? It was all over ZNN! You did save the Fox News team, right? Because I would have liked them to pancake into the ground for once. Also, stop scrambling your image! It’s hell on my programs and I know the A.I. system likes you way too much to be healthy.
“My operator says she is willing to grant the CIA unlimited access…” I began the spiel.
I did not!
“Yes!” the bear pumped his fist into the air.
Hey! Don’t ignore me Ivan!
“For the next seventy-two hours. You have that long to catch the killer” I finished as the bear’s joy plummeted.
That’s more like it. I get quid pro quo on their closed systems.

You have to physically be in front of the respective servers, Sam. I can get you access. You work for me as a federal agent, too. Just send in the form and I will sign it.

…

You forgot and tried to crack the encryption?

Yeah….

Get some sleep, Sam.

Sure, let me get Mary Anne Rogers to bed. Oh wait, I can’t and she’s driving me insane!
I clicked my fingers and the screaming calf in Sam’s vision went to sleep.
Oh, why didn’t I think of that? Good night. I won’t report for work today if that’s fine with you.

Just have her checked by a paediatrician when you wake. I’ll have Talon remind you.
I was immediately pulled into a hug by the polar bear as he wept tears of joy.
Why would he? Oh…the deer was his fiancée.
“Hey now, Agent Foxglove. Why the tears?” I asked the weeping agent as he kept up the hug.“I can bring my fiancée’s killers to justice. We were going to get married in a chapel in Millard, Califurnia” the polar bear whispered to me, not knowing how I saw inter-species marriage.“Please don’t think any less of me sir” the polar bear then spoke as he suddenly dropped me when someone knocked on the door suddenly.“Well,” I responded as I rubbed my rump and uncrushed tail, “don’t drop me next time”.“Agent Hashigate, it has been a while” I correctly identified the stunned-looking fox as he entered in his corsac fox dye scheme.“Deputy Director, sir. Was not expecting you to be here, sir” the fox wanted to prostrate himself before me and beg forgiveness but was stymied by the presence of the polar bear.“I’m here now. What do you have in paw?” I informed the undercover agent masquerading as a hotel employee.“Here sir. This might be related to your active case file down in Arkansas” the corsac coloured red fox gave me a brown manila envelope.“How does everyone but me know when a case file is activated under my name?” I teased good-naturedly as I broke the seal and shook out the photographs. I lost my good humour when I truly focused on the pictures, spreading these out on the lion-sized table in the side office.“What do you see sir?” Agents Hashigate and Foxglove asked in stereo as I stared at the jumble of photographs.To the untrained eye, it looked like vacation pictures of a groundhog family.To those trained in image cross-matching, or those with access to supercomputers like me, it was a different image.“Well, we found our prime suspects” I answered as I showed them what I saw.The vacation pictures formed an open and defanged wolf’s jaw. The same as the brand on NCIS Special Agent Lawrence Knight.As we contemplated on what this all meant, the walkie in Agent Foxglove’s paw chirped. “Sir? It’s Carmichael. Evidence Response found something in the burnt-out house. NCIS is also on site as we have a dead sailor in the basement. Those tags are unmistakable”.“Get down to the site and bring Special Agent Cargonaught with you. The two of you have the lead in the investigation. If that’s a cougar named Tibbs, tell him you have my permission and that he is there in an advisory position only” I informed him as swiped the device from the polar bear’s slack paw, pressing the buttons with ease.“Copy that sir, we’re leaving the hotel now” the painted hound special agent replied.I placed the walkie down and really looked at the pictures from Agent Hashigate. I thought back to the memory I retrieved from Detective Conall and brought up the image of Jared Possum. I then aged it up. With that as a reference, I went hunting on the photographs as I made these float.“You little bastard” I commented out loud as both agents looked at each other behind me. “So that’s where you’re hiding”. The groundhog in the pictures with his arms wrapped around a smiling female groundhog in a floral dress was a 98% match to Jared T. Possum. The pictures had the predator park rangers erased out of them as these were taken from a souvenir shop in Pea Ridge. In one photograph, Special Agent Hank O’Flaherty of U.S. Customs could be seen talking with a pair of wolves in dark glasses.“Agent Foxglove, is that rotary phone connected to an outside line?”  I asked the polar bear who nodded mutely, concern shining on his face as I picked up the antiquated device and listened for a dial tone. Finding one in a satisfactory condition, I began to dial the line to U.S. Customs Border Control Station at the Canidian border.The call was picked up after just one ring. It might have been a slow day at the border.“U.S. Customs and Border Patrol, Special Agent Sullivan speaking” came the bored-sounding voice of the agent over the phone.“Stay right there, Agent Sullivan. I’m on my way” I informed him as I sent myself with a snap of my fingers. The handset, and assorted photographs, falling to the floor had not it been caught by Special Agent Foxglove.“Hello? Hell-Oh Shit!” went the exclamation from the other end before the line went dead.=====================================================================================
July 19, 2000

0800 Hours (0700 D.C.)

1234 North Honeywell Avenue,

Detroit, Michigan
 FBI Special Agents Carmichael and Cargonaught made it back to the original crime scene in record time. All they had to do was flash their badges at the local PD and they were allowed into the cordoned-off area.White Wolf PMC units remaining at the field hospital in Turkic Delights were deputised to hold mammals back and had nodded their heads at the two agents as the wooden barricades were lifted to allow the FBI agents access.“For a place that saw a lot of action yesterday, the mammals sure fixed the street up better” Agent Cargonaught remarked as he noticed cement trucks idling inside the secure cordon.“That’s not from the city. That’s from Boss’ own construction firm” Agent Carmichael corrected his classmate as the two crept forward in their black SUV to the house that started the conflict.“What’s the name of the construction firm? Maybe I can get them to build a house for me” Agent Cargonaught asked as he parked the SUV opposite the burnt house that had many federal agents milling about.“We can always ask Shinigami what the name is, or we go over to those trucks to get a business card” Agent Carmichael shrugged as a cougar and a black bear walked up with NCIS on their ballcaps.“What took you guys so long? MackGee and I have been here for an hour and a half already!” the cougar groused as they joined the two FBI agents in sifting for some clues in the ashen yard.“Unlike the two of you who probably flew in directly from Bethesda Naval Yard, Agent Carmichael and I just finished our after-action reports. We also had breakfast at the Best Western with Deputy Director del Morte” Agent Cargonaught spoke slowly and deliberately, as if talking to a toddler.“Watch it rookie” Agent Tibbs replied before walking off. NCIS Agent MackGee apologised for his boss’ poor mood before following.“Isn’t the Navy budget larger than ours?” Agent Cargonaught asked his classmate.“Yeah, but most of it goes to new aircraft and equipment” Agent Carmichael answered as he spotted a glint in the ash and squatted down, taking out a pair of latex gloves from his pocket.The painted hound removed a brass casing and dropped it into the waiting plastic baggie held out by Agent Cargonaught. While signalling a member of the ERU, or Evidence Response Unit, to come closer with their plastic triangles for spent casings.  “How’d we miss one?” a rabbit came over, avoiding the obvious crime scene indicators, and asked a rhetorical question.“Can we see the collated, raw evidence?” Agent Carmichael asked as the rabbit nodded after jotting down the position of the new shell casing in his notebook.“Sure can, special agents. It’s this way” the cream rabbit said as he hopped along towards where most of the evidence was being logged for transport to a warehouse.  Their viewing was interrupted by a call-out on the federal network “Runaway truck at Michigan Border Control Station with tags Alpha Bravo One One Three! Any state or local units, respond!”The two agents looked at each other before Agent Cargonaught spoke. “Toss a coin?” the polar bear offered the painted hound.=====================================================================================
0800 Hours

U.S. Customs and Border Control,

North Detroit,

Animalia-Canidia Border,

FBI Deputy Director Ivan del Morte

“Good morning, Agent Sullivan” I informed the quivering wolf at the border control office as I leaned on his cubicle wall.“G-g-g—good morning, s-s-sir” Agent Sullivan stammered out as the wolf whimpered in his seat.“You have a working computer with a patch to your HQ in D.C.?” I calmly asked the wolf as he continued making sounds of distress, his co-workers looking away for fear of drawing attention to themselves.“There is one in Chief Borson’s office, sir. Why?” a tiger agent walked in from the back entrance, reading from a clipboard, and caught the tail-end of my question. Not seeing his colleague shrinking under my steely gaze.“Because the Bureau office is swamped today, and I don’t want to haggle for access” I answered as Agent Sullivan curled up into a ball on his chair.“Right this way sir. Mark (Agent Sullivan), why don’t you take the rest of the day off?” the tiger agent gestured with his head for me to come along while also sending his co-worker home early. The wolf nodding assent as he escaped from the front office towards the locker rooms at the back.I walked alongside the tiger agent as we entered a short corridor and the chief’s office was the last door on the left.“You really should not scare Agent Sullivan, sir” the tiger informed me as he tapped the clipboard against his leg, unconsciously marking time as he walked.“He answered the phone. I used the open line to track the office and appear here” I answered with a shrug as I swiped the tiger’s clipboard to see what cargo manifest was cleared today.When the tiger tapped air, he glanced down and saw me with his clipboard. He just sighed good-naturedly at my curiosity.“Agent Menendrez, hold this truck from entering our side of the border. There is something suspicious about its cargo” I informed the tiger as he paused his pace as I handed back the manifest.“What do you see that is off about it, sir?” Agent Menendrez asked to mask his surprise at already being identified.My comment of “This truck’s plate is the same one that was flagged down in San Dingo Port for carrying contraband”, chilled the tiger’s blood as he stood in the corridor blinking.“You have armed units onsite?” I asked him with a smirk as his training kicked in and he went the opposite way down the corridor, leaving me to knock on the door to Chief Borson’s office.“This is Menendrez. Hold truck with tag Alpha Bravo One One Three. I repeat, do not let it out of the yard!” the tiger spoke into his walkie as he rushed for the armoury.“Good luck with that bust, Agent Menendrez” I spoke into the empty corridor as I rapped a quick knock on the door.“Come on in, Shinigami” was the answer as I opened the door and stepped into Michigan State Customs Chief Baldur Borson’s office.   While the office was spartan in comparison with my own plush office back at Bureau HQ, the utilitarian nature of the office had its own charm. Two Monobloc chairs fronted a wood chip desk on top of which was a Compaq desktop, a mug proclaiming the owner as ‘The World’s Best Dad’, the brass plate for the mammal behind the desk and his position, a table lamp of indeterminate colour for late-night processing, and a filing cabinet to the right of the desk itself.I closed the door behind me and locked it.“Good morning, Shinigami” the brown bear nodded from the coffee pot in the office. “Want a cup?”“Good morning, Baldur. Yes, I would like a cup of motor oil” I answered in the same vein, jokingly referring to his coffee as machine lubricant as it tasted the same.“I’d offer you a cruller, but all we have are some Dunk ’Em Donuts. No Tim’s today, I’m afraid” the bear joked back as he placed a chocolate frosted doughnut with chopped peanuts onto the paper plate and brought it to me with the paper cup of coffee as I sat behind his desk.“If you’re looking for porn on that computer, I keep it at home” the bear joked as he drank his morning perk-me-up.“I’m actually looking for two wolves or mammals in realistic wolf costumes. They posed as either INS or Customs agents while intercepting a group of smuggled mammals from Juarez. I think they may be linked to my other case of predator kit branding and securities stock fraud” I informed the bear as I unlocked his encrypted desktop with ease. Helped by the fact on a Post-it™ note stuck to the side of the CRT monitor was the password, named password.“That’s a serious allegation” the bear’s friendly demeanour dropped as he placed my sugary treat down onto the desk as he brought the box for him.“Uhuh” I muttered as I extrapolated the oldest injuries on the wolf pups to be at least two weeks old. The malnutrition could be either from before they crossed the border or during their stay in captivity.“Bingo” I spoke once more as I turned the monitor around for the Baldur to see.On it, two wolves dressed in plainclothes entered Border Control Station El Paso and exited dressed in suits. An ID log-in stated one of them was Special Agent Jeffrey Knight of the CIA.Which was ridiculous as Agent Knight was with me when the incident occurred. We were at the live-fire range at Fort Bragg, testing out some new toys the Army had ordered.I zoomed into the face of one of the wolves as this one looked directly at a hidden camera, and I could make out the dead eyes of a costume.Using facial mapping from Talon’s programming, I contemplated on what mammal was wolf-sized and only one came out. A sheep.Specifically, one ram brazen enough to breach federal systems in pursuit of a goal, Douglas Ramses.“Thanks for the doughnut and the coffee, Baldur. I’ll be in touch” I informed the bear as I tossed the doughnut into my open maw and swallowed it whole like a snake does. The coffee cup followed soon after, the scalding hot liquid doing little more than warming my throat as it also made its way down to my stomach.“In that much of a hurry I take it?” Baldur asked calmly as he sipped at his own coffee.“Doug Ramses is back in town” I informed the brown bear as he performed a spit take and then coughed as some of the liquid went down the wrong pipe.“You’ll take care of it? *hack* *koff*” Baldur asked between coughs as I clicked my fingers and his airways cleared. So too did the small coffee splatters on the official-looking papers on the desk.“I’ll forward it to the Texas field offices and let them take care of it. I still have this mess to clear” I informed the brown bear who raised his cup in salute before I disappeared from the office.“Godspeed sir” the brown bear muttered as he retook his chair and turned the monitor back to face him. The brown bear alerting nearby units to help stop the truck if it cleared the gate.=====================================================================================
0810 Hours

Outside Border Control Station Michigan,

U.S. Customs and Border Control Special Agent Raul Menendrez

“Stop that truck! Stop that truck!”  the tiger yelled out to his counterpart raising the barrier to let the semi-trailer out, raising his M16A2 rifle as he did so. “Stop that truck. Contraband onboard!” he radioed to his counterpart who persisted in raising the gate despite the order to halt the cargo.He closed his eyes as he felled his partner, Special Agent Oscar Paloma, with a three-round burst into his vest. The barrier dropped, but it was of little use as the semi rammed the barrier anyway. The semi had a smashed in front but kept going, despite the alerted Michigan state trooper in the car around the corner deploying spike strips. The truck ran over all the strips and continued going, the rubber shredding itself along the way. The moose state trooper barely avoiding being clipped by the semi’s bumper as it sped past him, unloading his service pistol into the truck’s tires.“This is Agent Menendrez, I need EMT at Barrier Charlie. Agent Paloma is down, repeat Paloma is down” the tiger ran towards his felled partner. “Runaway truck at Michigan Border Control Station with tags Alpha Bravo One One Three! Any state or local units, respond!” he spoke into his radio as he checked up on his dead partner. The burst of 5.56mm NATO punching a hole in the Type II vest worn by the panther and exiting out the other side to embed themselves in the concrete ticket booth. A pool of blood spreading beneath the panther evidence that his partner was very much dead.“Shadow One copies your last Agent Menendrez. Firing” an unfamiliar voice came over the radio as a roar of a freight train demolished the cab of the semi, decoupling the trailer and causing the air brakes to activate as the trailer squealed to a halt before flipping onto its side. The trailer emitted a shower of sparks as it slid towards the middle of the highway divider, destroying the concrete separator, and blocking off two lanes of traffic.The chopping sound of approaching helicopter blades made the tiger look up at an orange and white Coast Guard helicopter as it executed a quick turn and hovered over him before descending down to the tarmac. The doors of the UH-1H slid open and two mammals came out with a baseboard as they rushed towards the tiger.“Where’s he hit?” the first medic, a cheetah, shouted out as they made ready to slide the panther over, trauma bag opened, and shears removed to cut the vest away.“Through the vest, three-round burst” was the monotone response from Agent Menendrez as the tiger gave his report.Distantly, the tiger agent’s mind catalogued more mammals running towards the wrecked semi and the dented trailer lying on its side. Though he had shot at his own, he felt nothing.Even when he was led away from the Coast Guard medics throwing a blanket over the corpse and his rifle relieved from him by other Customs agents, he felt nothing.As he was made to sit on a newly-arrived ambulance from the Royal Canidian Mounted Police, he still felt nothing. It was only after being wrapped in an orange thermal blanket did the tiger show any emotion.  Hot tears flowed from his eyes as he took a shuddering breath, shivering despite the warm blanket.He killed one of his own. Taken another agent’s life in cold blood.A steaming cup of hot chocolate thrust into his shivering paws made him look up.“How you holding up, Agent Menendrez?” the snow leopard from this morning asked as the sun was now higher in the sky.“Cold, sir” the tiger replied as he took an automatic swig of the cocoa and sighed at its warmth.“Mind if I join you?” the snow leopard asked as the paramedic in the back vacated the vehicle through the side door.“I don’t care sir. I killed my friend today” the tiger answered, dead eyes staring at the bloody patch by the gate being swarmed by mammals in red and blue uniforms.“If it makes you feel any better, you never knew the real Agent Paloma. That’s his twin you killed” the FBI Deputy Director answered.“I’ve been to their parties, sir. I would have known a fake from the real one” the tiger asserted, trying to cover up for his dead friend.“No, you would not have. That’s the trick with deep-penetration agents. They can emulate the life of the mammal they are replacing. Nothing looks out of place even with a little digging” the snow leopard answered as he lapped at his own cup. “Agent Paloma was killed in 1998 during Operation Pathfinder. He was one of the mammals with me onboard the DEA flight to Colombia’s rainforest. I was the only survivor of that flight” the snow leopard continued, destroying the excuses the tiger had made to cover up for his friend’s eccentricities.“Ever wonder why you would talk about classified information and your friend, who was part of the same operation, never gave you an accurate response?” the snow leopard asked as he calmly sipped the hot chocolate.“Am I being detained, sir?” the tiger asked, showing some backbone to the snow leopard’s fanciful storytelling.“You will be unless you answer my questions” the snow leopard answered as he observed the orderly chaotic scene.“Then I refuse to answer questions without my lawyer present” the tiger answered before clamming up.“Unfortunately for you, Agent Menendrez, national security trumps your rights. If you still refuse to answer, I can always resort to pulling out your claws and fangs out. I heard a tale that the NVA used such tactics to get their Animalian POWs to talk about troop movements” the snow leopard calmly talked about torture as if he lived and breathed it on the daily.To the tiger’s horror, there were no other mammals nearby to even hear the snow leopard’s threats. He brought this to a court and it would be his word against the snow leopard’s.“Still nothing? I’m impressed” the snow leopard continued, showing a little fang. “I’ll have INS detain your half-sister when she arrives at the Califurnia-Mexican border on suspicion of being a drug mule”.The tiger’s expressions must have shown on his face as the snow leopard chuckled darkly. “Pain on yourself won’t work, but pain on your last remaining family seems to get to you. Willing to play ball, Agent?” the snow leopard continued, placing emphasis on the tiger’s title of agent.“Who are you?” Agent Menedrez asked, choking on his fear. The mammal beside him was not normal!“He he he. I do love the smell of fear” the snow leopard chuckled as he leaned in, inhaling the potent fear pheromones that the tiger was radiating, and sighing. “Play ball or get bagged. Your choice, Agent”“I’ll play ball, sir” the tiger hung his head in shame.“That’s great news” the other purred mockingly as he clapped the tiger on his right shoulder. “You’re looking at the greatest cocaine bust for this decade! Keep up the good work, Agent Menendrez! The Agency will be in touch” as the snow leopard stood from the bumper and walked off.=====================================================================================I walked away from the tiger, angry and disgusted with myself.It was true that the Agent Paloma in a bodybag was not the same mammal that the tiger went on black missions with. It was true that the real panther died in the plane crash that had me as the lone survivor. What was not true was that he was a deep-penetration agent. Nor was he a twin of the panther. This was a doppelganger from the Crimson Claw predator supremacy group who had survived the purge in Seattle.I walked towards the pooled blood, federal agents giving way for me as they talked about the drug bust and its possible connection to the shoot-out in Detroit.Michigan State Governor William Mitchell apparently going on live television last night and claiming that any wrongdoings were the fault of his administration and that he would not be seeking another term of office.I ignored all that as I knelt beside the congealed pool and dipped two digits of my left paw into it. When the droplets stuck to my soft fur, I brought it up to my nose to sniff before taking a lick of it. The agent from Evidence Response looking away in revulsion as he fought the urge to hurl his breakfast.I tasted a bitter compound and smelt the same. It was not cyanide or the agent would have dropped long before being shot at. I knew I had encountered the drug before, but could not place it.“Agent Clover” I addressed the tan deer taking blood samples from the deceased panther, “have them run a tox screen and look for mind-altering substances. Something doesn’t add up”.“Yes sir” the deer winced as I stood up from the crime scene and made my way a hundred meters down the road to the wrecked cargo container. The latch was still in place as a rhino from the Coast Guard tried manipulating the latch to open and expose the cargo within.“Any luck, Corporal Rhineheart?” I asked him as he futilely tried to open the latch of the tilted over container.“None sir. This is stuck tighter than a virgin’s pussy” the rhino grunted out as he panted with exertion.“That’s because it has been welded shut. So, it begs the question on how this cargo container was inspected in the first place” I pointed out the seam in the middle of the two steel doors. “Get some blowtorches to cut off the hinges or I can open it for you” I gave the gathered agents a choice.“Can you do it sir?” Special Agent Hornblower, of the DEA Michigan field office, asked as the moose contemplated what could be destroyed inside.“Just this once. Stand clear, Corporal” I replied with a sigh as I made a grabbing motion and tore the doors off its hinges. Fortuitously, the rhino corporal dropped to the asphalt and was spared being brought along for the ride.As the nine-and-a-half-foot steel doors hit the asphalt, the contents of the container were made clear. Inside were five bruised oxen, who I yanked out none too gently, and over a billion’s worth of pure cocaine in 1-kilogram bricks. The oxen looked around in bewilderment as the crash had shaken them as well as the product, only for them to look in my direction and whimper.“Special Agent Hornblower, I would like to request that U.S. Customs agent Raul Menendrez front for this bust. Tiger needs some good cheer today” I patted the moose on his shoulder as I looked over the bridge railing to the USCG cutter puttering around below us.“Of course, sir. It keeps our UC assets out of the limelight until we get something meatier” the DEA agent readily admitted, passing on the premature celebration until they had more substantial evidence.“You have my thanks, Agent Hornblower” I nodded to the moose as I returned my earpiece into my right ear and walked away to my ride.“Central, Shinigami checking in from Michigan State Customs Border Station” I radioed in, waving at the RCMP Land Rover to hold position on their side of the border.“Central copies your last. What’s status of runaway truck?” the controller asked with a twang.“Truck is on its side. Pass my thanks on to Spooky Three-Eight? Almost a billion’s worth of dope in the container” I informed the controller as I continued to walk towards the Canidian border.“That’s a big haul, Shinigami” the controller whistled out.“That’s just the tip of the iceberg, Central. My ride’s here from the Mounties. You have me on your scopes?” I replied as I crossed the line separating Animalia from Canidia and got into the back of the RCMP Land Rover.“That’s affirm, Shinigami. Passing you over to Maple once you’re clear of the border” the controller answered as he made plans for the hand-over to the Royal Canidian Air Force controller.“Thanks, Central. Shinigami, out” I tapped the earpiece to break connection as the Mounties all looked at me with wide eyes.The wolf sergeant and his two moose underlings had starstruck expressions as I got into the vehicle and closed the rear door. The wolf only remembering to drive when I bid my controller goodbye.“Good morning, Lord Reaper. Any particular destination today?” the wolf sergeant asked politely as he kept a weathered ear on the crackling radio, placing the vehicle into drive and pulling away.“A stop for coffee at Tim’s won’t go amiss Sergeant McNally. I’ve yet to have breakfast and am feeling peckish” I replied with a rakish grin, one the wolf shared as his stomach grumbled too.“Right you are, sir!” the RCMP sergeant chuckled as we made haste towards the nearest Tim Horton’s.“Don’t bother reaching for your wallets. This meal’s on me” I answered as we soon pulled into a Windsor location with the ubiquitous Canidian coffee chain.“Should we not stop at a money changer?” the wolf asked good-naturedly as he parked the Land Rover in an empty space.“What’s the exchange rate again?” I asked as I opened my wallet and removed two $100 bills.“Hmm, that’ll do. We can buy enough for the RCMP station” one of the moose officers remarked at the crisp notes as he held the door open for his sergeant, myself, and his compatriot before following us in.“Hi! Welcome to Tim’s! I’m Marlene, what can I get ya folks today?” an enthusiastic river otter popped up from behind the counter and waved us forward. “Your usual Double-Double, Officer Anderson?” the otter asked the moose officer who held the door for us.The moose shook his head rapidly as if to hide the fact that he always stopped here for a quick cup and was the reason he was always late to the bullpen.“Whatever His Grace wants today, Marlene. He’s just along for the ride” Sergeant McNally spoke up with a mild head toss in my direction, distracting the otter from needling his officer. Though judging from the looks he gave the moose, most assuredly would lead to some talking-to later.“Oh, what will it be Your Grace?” the river otter asked with a curtsy, before she took a deep breath and began to list the extensive menu.“Good morning to you as well, Miss Marlene. What would you suggest I have for brunch?” I interrupted the otter who flashed me a sweet smile as she suggested the Bagel B.E.L.T. (bacon, egg, lettuce, tomato) with a cup of Double-Double.“Outstanding recommendation, Miss Marlene. I shall have that as well as three boxes of a dozen assorted baked goods, a box of Tim’s Take 12, and whatever the three officers with me would like. Could you ring them all up and let me know how much?” I applauded her choice as I would have been stuck guessing which I wanted.“Right away, Your Grace!” the otter complied as she ran into the backroom and four more mammals came rushing out to fill our orders. Marlene punched the combined orders into her register and the receipt gave me a total of CAD$ 84.98 or approximately $63.32 or £49.99.“Here you go, Miss Marlene. Keep the change” I handed over the $100 bill as her mind then short-circuited on how to convert foreign currency. One could hear the modem start-up sound as the gears turned in her head.Sergeant McNally then slapped his paw loudly on the counter, startling the otter as she rapidly blinked with the foreign money in her paw.“Marlene, you have USD on your register. Just convert the prices over, eh?” the wolf pointed out as the otter flushed with embarrassment and did just that.“Okay, Your Grace. Your change is now $36.68” the otter quickly recovered as I then pointed to her tip jar. The otter flushed a second time as she deposited my change into the jar. I then wordlessly placed the other $100 bill inside as I moved to wait at the end of the counter.Miss Marlene Loutre would go home that day with a slightly higher pay than usual. So too did the rest of the staff at that Tim’s location. Especially so when word got around that an English duke had stopped by for coffee and pastries, clearing out the baked goods on display for him and his escort. The duke never returned, but the local RCMP station near Ambassador Bridge would always be by for their morning or evening cup.I waited for my order to be processed, taking the Bagel B.E.L.T. and my hot coffee for here. Sergeant McNally had the same except for an iced cappuccino, Constable Anderson sheepishly accepted a Mocha Iced Capp with Apple Fritter, and Constable Élan ordered an Iced Capp with Blueberry Donut.“Anything useful on your end?” I asked the RCMP sergeant in a poor attempt at making small talk as I chose the booth in the corner; partially relaxing when my back was to the wall, and I could see mammals as they came in.  “Uh, Your Grace. This is neither time nor place to discuss sensitive matters” Sergeant McNally pre-empted the moose from talking.I nodded once as I took out a stainless-steel ball bearing from my inner jacket pocket and placed it on the table. With that as misdirection, I discreetly clicked my fingers under the table and the sound around us distorted.“There. We may now talk freely. Recordings of this conversation will come out distorted and unusable even with advanced software. Similar with video recordings” I informed them as our booth was made secure.“May we ask for that later?” Constable Élan asked with undisguised interest as the moose focused on the ball bearing.I smirked briefly, before hiding it under a tired visage. “Afraid not, Special Agent Yonfrey. That is proprietary technology of the United States Department of Defence. If you wanted to go undercover, perhaps lose the tell of Iced Capp and Blueberry Donut in a Tim’s. MI-5 had you twigged once that was your order” I correctly identified the moose detective masquerading as RCMP Private Élan.“Damn, they said you were good. But not this good. Sorry for subterfuge, Sergeant McNally” the moose apologised to the wolf sergeant who placed his snout on the table.“To reiterate, anything new on your end? That semi-trailer blocking off the Ambassador Bridge has almost a billion dollars’ worth of coke on board” I informed the RCMP and CSIS agent of the intercepted shipment.BEEP-BOOP-BOOP! BEEP-BOOP-BOOP!“Excuse me, I have to take this call” I informed them as I answered the phone and placed it on speaker.“Ivan here, you’re on speaker” I informed the caller, Special Agent Cargonaught using Special Agent Carmichael’s satellite phone.“Sir! We just finished gathering evidence on the house fire that claimed the bodies of the five terror suspects in Detroit before the gang started their shoot-out. Sir, NCIS Agent Tibbs is claiming jurisdiction as two of the dead are Navy sailors” the polar bear hurriedly informed me.“Turn it over, Agent Cargonaught. I need you and your team to fly down to the Arkansas field office. Agent Wolfex will need back-up. Pass the phone back to Agent Carmichael, would you?” I informed the bear, NCIS taking the case off my paws would allow me to concentrate on catching the kit branders and that securities fraud from Treasury.“Hang on, sir. He’s in a shouting match with Senior Agent Tibbs, sir” the polar bear answered as he made his way back to two mammals trying to outshout the other.I muted the call as I looked up to the two RCMP officers and one CSIS agent.  “Constable Anderson, take this receipt and see if our orders are ready to go” I handed the receipt to the moose who had sat beside me and the large herbivore stood up to check, happy to get away from the jurisdictional pissing contest that was about to take place.I tapped my earpiece to connect with Maple if the Central controller had let access pass to the RCAF controller.“Maple, are you there? This is Shinigami, how copy?” I initiated the transmission with the RCAF controller.“Shinigami! An honour, and a pleasure sir. Maple receiving five by five” a French-accented speaker took the channel.“Quelle est la qualité de votre français, Maple?” I asked the controller, knowing he was much more at home with his native Quebecois. [How good is your French, Maple?]“Très bien, monsieur! C'est ma langue maternelle” the controller happily replied. [Quite good, sir! It is my native tongue]“You still there sir?” Agent Cargonaught’s voice popped up from the phone, interrupting the question I wanted to ask Maple.“Here Agent Cargonaught. I’m in a meeting with CSIS and RCMP. Was Agent Tibbs happy with the result?” I informed the bear as I imagined him scratching his head on the legalities before shrugging. The wolf and moose opposite me stifling their laughter as they were on the low end of the totem pole, so to speak.“He’s happy now. But will still use our resources as his are still enroute” the polar bear begrudgingly answered as if unhappy I sided with NCIS.“Give it to him. So I can happily boast to Congress that we have excellent inter-agency cooperation. Not the Bureau’s fault that the other agencies don’t want to play nice” I informed the bear, dangling an out for him.“Would be nice to have that kind of backing with our other cases, sir” the polar bear replied as he sat down with a plomph on a car seat as he sighed out.“Tell you what, Agent Cargonaught. If D.C. has a case that passes through your jurisdiction, you can take the lead on that one. How’s that?” I dangled a (figuratively) juicy salmon in front of the (figuratively) starving bear. Which the bear took.“That’ll do sir. Thanks. Cargonaught out” the polar bear replied as he ended the call, more enthusiastic than when he started the call.“Maple, le Windsor Regiment a-t-il des ressources aériennes sur la patte?” I asked the RCAF controller. [Maple, does the Windsor Regiment have any air assets on paw?]“Permettez-moi de revenir à vous, monsieur” the controller answered. [Let me get back to you sir]“Shall we continue this at the RCMP establishment or at RCAC’s office here in Windsor?” I asked the two Canidian security officers.“Our offices are just eighteen minutes away” Sergeant McNally offered as Special Agent Yonfrey contemplated using RCAC’s recruitment office.“Drink up, it seems our order is ready” I gestured to Constable Anderson waving his hooves at us. As I was talking, I tipped the entire cup down my throat and swallowed.“Lights and sirens when we leave the parking lot?” I asked the sergeant as I snatched up the ball bearing and the sound came back.“Of course, Your Grace” the wolf answered automatically as he snatched two boxes from the moose constable, exited the establishment, and placed it into the rear of the Land Rover after unlocking the vehicle.“Malheureusement, monsieur. Le RCAC n'a pas de moyens aériens pour le moment. Vous aurez plus de chance de traverser la rivière Detroit sur un bateau de patrouille” the controller replied apologetically. [Unfortunately, sir. The RCAC does not have any air assets at the moment. You will have better luck crossing the Detroit River on a patrol boat]“I’ll take what I can get, Maple. Thanks” I replied in English as I rubbed my forehead as I exited into the muggy late morning as the sun hid behind some clouds. My watch now read 10.45 hours.“It’s not even noon and I want to lie down” I muttered as Agent Yonfrey opened the car door for me before getting in himself. The coffees had their own seat, and the lap belt was placed across them so as not to spill.“Okay, here we go” Sergeant McNally informed us as he reversed out of the parking slot, pulled a one-eighty, and hit the accelerator. Turning on the lights and sirens, the wolf drove through rush hour traffic towards the RCMP establishment at 6008 Riverside Drive.“I’ve always wanted to do that” the wolf crowed out as we sped down Riverside with the sirens on.“Blame it on me if you take a hit from Internal Affairs” I answered as I checked the text messages on my phone. We were close enough to Detroit’s cell towers that I was still able to receive and send messages.One such message declared that hot cats were in my area. I obviously marked it as spam and deleted the message.“We’re here sir” Sergeant McNally informed us as he pulled into the RCMP station fronting Belle Isle.“I hope you have a patrol boat I can borrow to go across” I muttered as I saw the Detroit River and it did not look forgiving to swim across.I could conceivably snap myself back across the river; but I was also weaning myself off the idea. Projecting the use of absolute power always led to one of two paths: overdependence by the average mammal or abuse by the one granted the power.Neither boded well for the future of mammalkind.Constable Anderson exited first from his side of the vehicle, going around to my side and opening the door to let me out. Only when I had disembarked from the Land Rover did he check on the coffees and baked goods in the rear of our conveyance.To his astonishment, not one of the items had fallen over nor been crushed by any of the gear in the back.As if the items were protected by magic.“Coming Constable Anderson?” I called out as I walked into the precinct with an armful of baked goods floating in behind me, the glass door held open by a black bear in RCMP dress uniform with the rank of Inspector.=====================================================================================
1130 Hours

July 19, 2000

Bullpen One,

Royal Canidian Mounted Police District Office,

Windsor, Ontario

FBI Deputy Director Ivan del Morte / His Grace Ivan Mortimer Windsor, Duke of Lancashire

“That’s all the Bureau is willing to share at this time” I informed my RCMP counterpart in Otterwa (Ottawa) via the local station’s videoconference.While I could have used the Bureau’s own network to talk with her, I felt that a local connection would have been best. Oracle and Talon were not yet ready to spoof a local line for me. The deception easily undone with careful digging.“Thank you for sharing what little you could, Your Grace. May I impose on you to update my CSIS counterpart as well? I dare say that it could be mutually beneficial for the two of us. Especially in ‘fostering bilateral relations’” the RCMP Commissioner answered deferentially, adding finger quotes for the last phrase.“I shall think about that, Commissioner Kelly. While I have some leeway with the Animalian government, there will need to be some quid pro quo for any action undertaken on their end. I fear that with the upcoming change in the political climate, what little leverage I possess may be swept away” I replied to the sea otter, who nodded her brown-furred head as her round ears twitched.“Thank you all the same, Your Grace. Are you needed back across the river?” Commissioner Kelly again espoused her gratitude, asking if I could not stay.I gave a very immature snort as I contemplated just staying on this side of the border.That was all the answer the sea otter needed as she thought of what she could disseminate about the use of Canidian ports to ship cocaine into Animalia.“If you need to pass anything to me, Commissioner Kelly, and without going through official channels; you may course it through the White Wolf Security Group. They can readily get a hold of me in case I have gone incognito” I offered her use of the PMC to pass along information.“…” the otter mulled it over, muting her microphone as I did so on my end. I took a bite out of a carrot muffin. While it was not L’Hotel’s muffin, it would tide me over until lunch. The coffee was also not as spectacular as I was led to believe.That or I was just spoilt by being able to pop from anywhere in the world for a fresh cup of French vanilla.“Your Grace, are you still there?” the otter’s voice cutting into my contemplation as I could see the message pop-ups on the Bureau phone. Most of the messages came from news agencies looking for their next big scoop.I unmuted the microphone and brought back the video feed. “Still here Commissioner Kelly. I appear to be a busy mammal today. My phone hasn’t stopped chirping since this morning” I informed her as the last message was from an unknown number.“Pursuant to my discussing what you have shared with CSIS Director Shepard, I will hand over any and all documentation you need to go after the mammals using Canidia as a through point for drug shipments bound for Animalia” Commissioner Kelly promised as I nodded my head.“You have my thanks, Commissioner Kelly” I informed her as the otter gave a bow and cut the line.“That was productive” I commented to Shadow Team One as I stood from the comfortable executive chair. Talon correctly anticipated I would need close-in security and plucked one of the CIA Black Ops squads training with the Delta Force.“Next time, sir. Could you give us advance warning?” Special Agent Alfons von Kaggerak asked as the wolf and his squad stood at the position of attention.“The idea of a Shadow Team was that you would be my shadows. Going where I’m going, right up to the gates of Hell. I will patch your signatures to Talon, and he’ll be the one sending you to me” I informed the wolf and his pack of eight others, walking out the door into organised chaos.“Sir, if I may ask, who is Talon?” Special Agent von Kaggerak asked as the wolf cocked his head. I signalled him to wait with but a gesture as I faced the commander of this police detachment.“Chief Inspector, thank you for lending me your facility. It was up to par, especially the conference call with RCMP HQ in Ottawa” I informed the lead officer as the moose gave a sigh of relief at the ‘impromptu’ inspection. “Furthermore, I commend Sergeant McNally and Constable Anderson for providing me a lift from the Animalian border. Due to a scheduling mix-up, I was without transport” I continued, using the British pronunciation of ‘sheduling’ instead of ‘skeduling’.“We also thank Your Grace for coming on such short notice and that we were not found lacking” the moose replied as he found his throat to be a tad tight addressing a superior officer. Clad in the red Norfolk jacket that made the Mounties a distinctive presence in Animalia’s northern neighbour, the moose had a crown and pip on his shoulder boards with his rank.“Maple, my security team has found me at the RCMP detachment at the Detroit River. We will be employing our Rapid Transit System. Thank you for staying with me for the short time I was over the border” I informed the RCAF controller as the mammal on the other end dutifully kept watch over the net.“Maple copies your last, Ghost One. Be advised, Director Shepard extends an open invitation at CSIS HQ in Winnipeg, Ontario. Exact words are: If convenient, come at once. If inconvenient, come all the same” the controller responded, letting me know that the Canidian Security and Intelligence Service (CSIS) were extending feelers to gauge my interest in cooperation.I smirked at the phrase from Sherlock Holmes and made the Shadow Team pucker up as they felt they knew what was coming.“Ghost One copies, Maple. Switching RTS from Vulpinia to Winnipeg HQ of CSIS. Transporting in T-minus five…four…three…two…one” I let the controller know I got the message as Shadow Team One vanished with me in a brief burst of white light.=====================================================================================
1210 Hours (1110 Hours D.C.)

Conference Room Ember,

7th Floor,

Canidian Security and Intelligence Service,

Winnipeg, Ontario

His Grace, Ivan Mortimer Windsor, Duke of Lancashire / FBI Deputy Director Ivan del Morte
 We appeared in the Ember conference room just as Director Alan Shepard, a melanistic Canidian wolf, and his media team were setting up for a news conference on the development just south of their shared border with the United States of Animalia. There was a brief pause in activity as the team and I emerged from a bar of white light.“Good afternoon, Director Shepard. I have answered your summons” I gave a mocking bow from my waist as my tail flicked in irritation behind me.One does not summon royalty. One invites.“Forgive me, Your Grace” the wolf stood and gave a lower bow, just a tad shy of impropriety as I was not the reigning monarch.I smiled indulgently at the wolf from the press area, the reporters having escaped from the room as it had gotten chilly in my presence.“Have you had lunch yet, Your Grace? We can delay the conference while we have a meal prepared” Director Shepard’s PA, Miss Mary Ambrose-Thornwhistle, asked as she made ready on her mobile phone. The deer was unfazed with our sudden appearances. A quick mental scan showed me that she came over from the private sector tending to egocentric mammals with too much money and not enough sense. My sudden manifestation was just one in a long line of illusions done by the incredibly wealthy.“If all of you will eat as well, then sure. Otherwise, I shall help myself to those doughnuts on the platter. Don’t put yourself out on my account” I replied to her, not wanting to make her job any more difficult than it already was.“How long till set-up is completed?” Director Shepard addressed one of the media staffers for CSIS as the harried-looking mule deer got even more frazzled in her sweater and jeans.“An hour? Maybe two if I’m unlucky? Why sir?” the staffer answered unsurely as she looked back at where we were standing amongst the deserted media tables.“I’m breaking for lunch. I’m certain Her Majesty will have my head when she finds out her uncle had to suffer eating doughnuts” the wolf replied, figurative sweatdrop appearing on the back of his head.“I’m fine with just this. Right fellas?” I replied as I asked the heavily armed security team with me who also nodded their assent.“Too right sir” the Scottish accent keying me in that Talon had performed a bait-and-switch on me. Cheeky computer.“How’s it going Sergeant MacTavish?” I asked the S.A.S. operative with his squad as Shadow Team One was sent to their DFAC at Colorado Springs.
Really Talon?

They were hungry too. Two of them had grumbling stomachs.
“Seen better days, sir” the muscled badger’s rough voice seemed a little more strained.“Where’s Price?” I asked him as I turned around, showing my back to Director Shepard.“Well, you’re still a bastard, Ivan” the lion captain informed me with a chuckle as we performed a manly embrace. His trimmed mane lightly brushing against my headfur. Once we released each other, we each took stock of our selves.I saw the full assault webbing and tactical vest of Captain Price. On his shoulder was a suppressed M4A1 assault rifle with holographic sights, at his hip was his grandfather’s Colt 1911 .45 pistol. Flashbangs and frag grenades completed his upper vest and I saw the outline of a knife along his lower left leg. Radio with earpiece snaking up to fit into the lion’s right ear.He saw a snow leopard nattily dressed in a three-piece suit that undeniably held enough weapons to take on an army. The only visible weapon he could see was the hip holster with a gold-plated Desert Eagle chambered in .50 Action Express. That and the same earpiece inconspicuously tucked into my right ear. The lion was reasonably certain that my necktie was a clip-on and I had a back-up weapon somewhere.Our inspection of the other was interrupted by a clearing of a throat.“Your Grace, may we adjourn to the adjoining office for lunch? I have ordered some take-aways for us to enjoy. Any opinions on pizza?” Director Shepard asked through his microphone set-up on the table in front of him. The wolf bending over a little to talk into it.“A splendid idea! Hawaiian with barbecue sauce please!” I answered and caused Sergeant MacTavish to roar with laughter.  The badger barely keeping from rolling on the floor as I moved towards the officials, the S.A.S. team moving behind me.“Ahahahahahahaha! Last time we had that order, your muzzle was whiter than the snow outside Hereford!” the badger commented as the memory came and made me wince at what the past event was.=====================================================================================A snowball fight between troopers on one of the days after we had successfully passed Selection had turned into an all-out brawl. When a stray round of ice smacked into the back of Colonel Alan Thornton’s perfectly coiffed wool, the sheep officer was understandably furious. The sheep officer was due in town for a date with the missus. As I had loosed the stray round and my target (Price) had ducked, I buried myself into the deep snow at the obstacle course to hide from the fiery gaze of the Regiment’s Commanding Officer.Though his rectangular eyes kept sweeping the area to and fro, I was nowhere to be found. Steaming at having his wool ruined, he had made all the troopers take off their clothes for a forced march in the snow. I emerged just as he got into his car for a quick drive to town.I smelled baked bread and made my way over to the base commissary and bakery to snag something warm for my fellow troopers and wound up buying every single baked pizza in stock as I felt sorry for the poor buggers. Thus encumbered, I was not able to see around the stacked boxes as I made my way back to our barracks. I hit either a wall or a mammal, for how unyielding it was, knocking me over. Some of the boxes landed in the snow, their contents jostled.I was set back to rights by the Regimental Sergeant Major who simply waved off any apologies as the elephant took a vegetarian box for himself and helped me bring the rest of the boxes into the barracks.Colonel Thornton was understandably furious when he got back at the ‘unauthorised purchase of nineteen large-mammal pies’.But that is a story for another time.  =====================================================================================“To be fair, had Price not ducked, we would have had cold K-rations instead for Christmas dinner” I responded with a chuckle.“Colonel Thornton was most annoyed that it was you who threw the snowball” Captain Price interjected as we followed the CSIS command team to the next office.“I was punished for it, wasn’t I?” I replied as I had been summarily expelled from the unit because of my actions that day.“He wanted harsher measures, but Her Majesty intervened on his behalf. I was there in his office when she told him in person no less, that expulsion is the worst he could do. To rile up your anger would make his line cease to exist” Price recounted the incident after I had been sent packing.“And where is the old mammal now?” I asked the lion as we got our paper plates from an intern and sat down at cleared tables.“Dead from a heart attack three weeks after you were expelled. Doctors were calling him lucky he even made it into his fifties” Captain Price answered as he retrieved a box of ten slices for the two of us to share.“I didn’t touch him, Price” I answered the lion as I took a bite of the steaming gooey margherita pizza. It was delicious and had just the most perfect blend of spice.“Isn’t the pizza a bit hot, Your Grace?” Director Shepard asked as the wolf was letting his cool on his plate for a bit. The wolf had tucked a paper napkin into his shirt to stop his immaculate white button-down shirt from suffering stains.Had it not been for the badges, weapons, and uniforms, we would look like a bunch of frat boys snacking on the high calorie treat after our championship hockey game. The only things missing were the beer and hookers.“Not really, Director Shepard. It’s at most a mild temperature. I don’t recommend you try it out yourself though” I countered gently as I consumed the scalding pizza slice, extremes of temperature meant nothing to a mammal like me. The wolf was not believing and took a large bite of his hot pie only to immediately spit it back out. He then turned to the bottle of cold mineral water, cracked it open and drained the lot.“Augh! That’s hot!” the wolf spoke again after he was able to speak, panting as he examined his tongue for any seared-off patches. With a click of my fingers, there was no wounds and the wolf looked on with mounting horror.I gave him a sultry wink and the panicking CSIS director looked around to see everyone continuing as normal.He got a peek at the mammal behind the Royalist façade, a snow leopard with the power of life and death. My ice-blue eyes met his own amber orbs and I dived into his memories, searching for something long buried.I soon pulled out as I got what I needed. The whispering of surface thoughts from the other mammals notwithstanding.“You’ve been a naughty puppy, Director Shepard” I wagged a finger at him as my accent went from West End back to Animalian neutral.With another click of my fingers, the entire office space quieted as time halted. Mammals frozen mid-action. Some in the process of taking a bite, mastication, or osculation for a pair of otters. Others still froze as they got up, seeming halfway between standing and sitting.“I can never get used to this feeling” Sergeant MacTavish commented as he waved his paw at the unseeing eyes of Captain Price as the lion had frozen with the pizza slice halfway into his open maw.“You’re the only one of your squad to see Death personally?” I asked amusedly as the CSIS director backed himself into a corner as the two of us casually approached. No one else moved, but for us three. For all intents and purposes, we were navigating through a bunch of flesh-covered statues.“Nah sir. The only one you touched. You saved my life back during Desert Storm. Of course, you were not a snow leopard then. A wolf, yes” the badger replied as he moved with me, shouldering his H&K G36 carbine.“Stay back! I’m warning you!” Director Shepard informed us as the wolf brandished a silver table knife to fend us off, trying to shove one of the agents at us. The agent merely fell flat on their face, not able to move and with a stuck grin on their face as they fell to the plush carpet.“As if” I replied as I snapped my fingers and the three of us flashed out of there.Time restarted and the mammals we had shoved out of the way fell in various poses. Shocked looks as they appeared to have fainted or had brain infarcs."Anyone see Director Shepard or the Duke of Lancashire?" Captain Price asked the obvious as three mammals were missing. A white wolf in an impeccable suit, and with black fur colouration on his snout resembling a skull, answered, "If I were a gambling mammal, I'd say Shinigami took them away"."Who's next in the line of succession?" a different wolf groaned out. This one wearing an off-the shelf version of what the albino wolf was wearing. "Deputy Director Ivan Mortimer, Duke of Ontario" came the reply from Miss Ambrose-Thornwhistle as everyone groaned. The bear had the worst work ethic, only showing up for gossip before vanishing to parts unknown.

----- CHAPTER BREAK -----

July 19, 2000

Classified Location

CIA Deputy Director Ivan del Morte
 We appeared in the dark site known simply as The Farm.Here at this black site, the scum of the earth was kept in total isolation.Mass murderers, tin-pot dictators, serial killers, rogue agents. You name it, The Farm probably has it.One of the Animalian government’s best kept secrets, of which mere mention of it gets one forcibly retired from life.As Sergeant MacTavish and CSIS Director Alan Shepard adjusted to the perpetual semi-gloom of the receiving area, I could sense that our guide was already present.“Mister McMurdo, prepare Tea and Indigo One for immediate use” I informed the guide who gave a sharp salute before departing. The only sound in reply was a soft squeak and the rustle of wings.“Where are we?” Director Shepard asked as he was prodded forward by the barrel of Sergeant MacTavish’s automatic carbine.“Prisoners do not get to ask questions” I replied as a muzzle appeared out of thin air and closed itself around the wolf’s jaws, muffling his screams. As the wolf tried to escape, he was yanked forward and collided with the stone floor.As we walked, a tether could now be seen in my paws as I led the wolf into a larger structure.Capable of hosting elephants and giraffes, we were now in the reception portion of The Farm. At a simple chipboard table sat a fruit bat, clipboard in front of him.I looped the tether into the restraining stanchion so that the wolf could not escape. Not that he would get far. The only prisoner to escape was also once one of the guards of the very facility we now stood in. Special Agent Arthur Canarias would get what was coming to him.Be it a day, month, or decade; I would catch up and mete out the punishment for high treason.But that is neither here nor there as the fruit bat looked up, or rather down, as he dangled from the perch on the ceiling. The table and chair nailed to the ceiling to prevent fall damage.“Good morning, Shinigami. Another one to break or to bleed?” the fruit bat asked as he landed on the duplicate table in front of us. The dexterous mammal taking out a pen from his coat pocket using his footclaws.“Break first, then bleed. I have a double already in place to assume the position” I replied with the same response I always gave. The fruit bat in front of me just one in a long list of mammals that kept Animalia safe through dirtier methods than what the public already knew.Here at The Farm torture is not the exception. It is the rule.The wolf would suffer much here.More so than the infamous Khmer dictator Hot Paul.=====================================================================================
7th Floor Office Suite,

Canidian Security and Intelligence Service HQ,

CSIS Director Alan Shepard

“Whoa! Something smells delicious” I proclaimed as I entered the office after I had smelled the enticing scent of turkey ham and barbecue sauce. I had peeked into Conference Room Ember and only the reporters were set up.None of the staff were about nor was our special guest, the Duke of Ontario himself. The Queen’s uncle was never late, nor was he early. He always arrived precisely when he meant to.My ears suddenly pinned themselves to my head when everyone yelled in my direction.“You just vanished!” went one.“Where did you come from?” another asked.“KILOWATT!” a CSIS agent shouted out our current challenge, as she drew her service pistol and aimed it at my head.“JUMPER!” I yelled back as the agent replaced her sidearm, leaving me horribly confused on what had transpired.Last I knew I was in a coma at St. John’s Hospital in British Columbia. How did I get back to HQ without anyone even noticing? Wait, what was my name again?“Shinigami” I muttered under my breath as the snow leopard in question reappeared with a S.A.S. operative in tow. The badger looked green under the gills, as if he had witnessed a horrific sight.“Ah, Director. Glad you could finally join us” the omnipotent snow leopard proclaimed with glee as everyone soon reared back in shock.
What did you change?

Everything. Your link to the terror group has been expunged.

And what do I owe?

I would say your soul, but that already transpired. How about freely given information?
“You sonofabitch!” I cried out as I slugged the snow leopard across his jaw to the shock of everyone read into Shinigami’s abilities. As he stood there rubbing his jaw, I enveloped him in a hug as I wept tears of joy.  “Thank you” I whispered into the snow leopard’s ear.“Next time, call for aid instead of going it alone” the snow leopard purred, the vibrations coursing through me.“But how? Why?” I asked as I continued to weep into the snow leopard’s thick fur. The mammal simply patting me on my back lightly.“For evil to triumph, good mammals must do nothing” the snow leopard replied as he smiled at a sight only he could see, before giving me one last squeeze and releasing as he stepped back.“It seems I must apologise. When was my last true contact after I said I would be chasing a lead alone?” I addressed the assembled room, Shinigami handing me a microphone from somewhere.“The day after you departed, sir. I even marked it on your calendar nine months ago as being a quick lead” Miss Ambrose-Thornwhistle replied as the PA rushed through her datebook. “October 17, 1999”.“Does anyone know who took my place?” I asked calmly, my emotions roiling within as I fought to keep it together.“You did sir. With the correct codes and all. Why?” the same CSIS agent from before answered before she adopted a look of horror.“I was replaced with a body double. I don’t remember why I was even chasing that lead, only that I just woke maybe an hour ago in St. John’s Hospital in Vancouver. Had it not been for Shinigami here, we would have been compromised by a foreign agent masquerading as me” I broke the ice with every agency’s worst fear. The one at the top replaced by a doppelganger and no one had thought to verify past the initial challenges.“You know” Shinigami then spoke as the mammals around him gave a wide berth. The voice carrying even without a microphone “I can hear your surface thoughts. Everyone’s in fact. Like a little buzzing bee, I usually ignore in the background. The infiltrator who took Director Shepard’s place focused so much effort on appearing to be him that he forgot one important aspect. I know Alan as I do the back of my paw. Alan hates pizza. Loathes it, in fact. A slice or two may be eaten to appear diplomatic to guests. But to offer me pizza when I know he hates it was the infiltrator’s flaw”.“Where is he now, sir?” Special Agent Antonio Mulciber asked as the elk looked ready to bolt.“Why being tenderised down at The Farm of course. You should know where it is Agent Mulciber. You removed him from there on the pretence of a wellness check. Price, take his head off” the snow leopard answered as he buffed his claws on his suit.When the lion hesitated, a staccato of shots rang throughout the room as the badger from earlier tore into the elk with his own automatic rifle.“You absolute bastard!” the elk spat out blood as he drew his service revolver and aimed it at the snow leopard who merely smiled beatifically.Before bellowing out in agony as his hoof was taken off at the elbow by a sharp blade.“Tsk tsk tsk. You really gotta stop losing that” the snow leopard remarked as he stood off to the side as the elk tried to stem the flow.Most tellingly, no one came to his aid.  
And that is why you are feared. You move like Death does.

I know. Be a good puppy and call for the EMTs.
I, and the other civilian agents, watched in mute shock as the S.A.S. then raised their rifles and executed the traitorous elk. Two of the staff fainted as his blood stained the wall behind him. The badger moved closer as the elk tried to crawl away and put one more round into the back of my former agent’s head, stopping his movement forevermore.Through it all, my body moved and pulled out a phone I never knew was there in the first place.“Operator, this is Director Shepard. I need EMS to respond to the CSIS building” my voice spoke despite my mind protesting.The scene soon changed as I found myself beside the Prime Minister as he shook my paw and presented me with the highest honour Canidia would bestow: The Order of Merit.As the cameras flashed and reporters clamoured for my attention, I made eye contact with the snow leopard, and I shivered deep in my soul.His eyes no longer looked mammal. They had a glow that stripped me down to my bare soul, laying my deeds before him as the scales tipped in his favour and I fell into darkness.================================== Start of Torture ======================================
? Hours

July 20, 2000

Torture and Interrogation Room One,

Location: The Farm,

CSIS Director Alan Shepard
 “See how we would have dealt with the traitors if you just cooperated” the voice of my nightmares spoke as a bright light was shone into my pupils as I whimpered in agony.Gasping for breath, my vision cleared as I stared up at the ice-blue chips of a snarling Grim Reaper. I blinked and it was replaced with a disappointed snow leopard sipping at a cup of Earl Grey.“Now Director, who else have you been in contact with?” the demon cat asked as he cut off another digit from my left paw, making me scream. My screams got louder when he brought out a blowtorch and seared the flesh, making me gag at the smell.“No one! I swear!” I whimpered out as my throat felt raw from the screams.The snow leopard stepped away from a pane of glass and removed the cover. I saw my tortured body and it was covered in lacerations and amputations. I no longer had ears nor any fingers. My toes were now just on my right paw and my left foot was missing.A set of electrodes were hooked up to my six nipples and I just knew I was getting electrotherapy in a bit.“Why not just kill me?” I asked as I grimaced at the horrific image.“Where’s the fun in that?” the demon answered as he poured cold water over my head from a bucket as I gurgled out under it.“Tell me what I want to hear, and you go free” the snow leopard proclaimed sadistically as he stepped beside a switch.“Fuck you!” I replied with what little strength I had left. I would never tell this asshole anything.“Fine by me” he replied as he pulled the breaker down and current flowed into me, bypassing my wet fur.I could not even scream as my own jaw muscles closed on my tongue, severing it. Blood flowing freely before the current stopped.“Cat got your tongue?” the demon asked as he held my severed organ in front of me as my mouth filled with blood.“Barshtard!” I called out, no longer able to speak properly as my tongue was now hanging from the snow leopard’s right paw.“I’m sorry, I didn’t quite get that. Shall we try again?” the sadist mocked me as he flipped the switch another time and electric current flowed once more into me. My jaws locking together as the muscles spasmed.I was close to blacking out when the current shut off once again. My neck no longer supported my head, and as I lolled about, the soft click of restraints raised my eyebrows. Trying to focus despite the overwhelming pain and blood loss, I saw a scalpel appear in the snow leopard’s right paw as he grinned sadistically at me.“Watch this!” the snow leopard informed me as he placed the scalpel tip onto my bare chest, the sharp nib biting into my flesh. I gave no reaction, my nerves long since shot as I watched as he sliced through the outer layers. Once my sternum was exposed, and with blood freely flowing down my torso, the snow leopard gave out a “Hmm” before clicking his fingers and my wounds healed.There was no pain as my detached digits reattached themselves to the seared ends, suturing together as if performed by an expert surgeon. My ears grafted themselves back to the top of my head, the cartilage structures still devoid of fur. Even my incisors that I never knew were removed came flying back from a stainless-steel tray and returned to their places in my gums.My tongue wriggled itself free from the snow leopard’s paw and flew back into my mouth, plugging the wound caused by me biting it off. Fur grew back from where it had been shaved off and my cream front was restored to its original appearance.I panted in exhaustion as I gazed upon the snow leopard as he smiled wider and snapped.I then felt the pain from my reattaching limbs as I howled out in agony. I howled out every last bit of air in my lungs and I gasped for breath as they collapsed. Failing to imbibe any air, and panicking that I would die a second time, I tried to use sign language to communicate. With my limbs restrained it was a futile gesture.I let darkness claim me as the snow leopard continued to watch me suffocate. The rapid pulse in my ears slowed, then stopped. The silence permeated before a light shown above me, beckoning me onwards.=====================================================================================“Operative Olsen, TOD on this wolf?” I asked as the wolf’s soul started flickering wildly under stress as I ended the first and second rounds of torture, snapping my fingers to get myself clean.“He’ll be dead in just under a minute sir if you don’t act” the fruit bat from Intake replied dispassionately from the mounted speakers in the wall as he ticked off a clipboard behind mirrored glass.“Begin the stopwatch. Stop it once he draws breath” I informed the fruit bat who only tapped the microphone in response. The timer by the door immediately started ticking, the digital monitor showing the seconds.=====================================================================================
Location: Unknown

Time: Unknown

Alan Shepard

“My child, why are you here?” a gentle voice, most likely male, woke me up as I lay on the softest mattress known to mammalkind.“Who are you? Where am I?” I asked, startled that another snow leopard was looking down on me.This snow leopard was garbed in white robes, tied with a golden sash. He beckoned me to follow him to a golden podium with three marble columns in front.“You are Alan Frederick Shepard?” the snow leopard asked as he opened a ginormous book and began looking through it.“Yes. Where is this?” I answered and demanded answers from the one reading. Compared with the demon I faced earlier, this one’s eyes were grey.“You have died at the paws of the Grim Reaper. If he so chose to keep you tied to the earth, there is little Heaven can do” the snow leopard informed me sadly as he took off his round spectacles from his snout, placing these beside the open book.“That can’t be right!” I hotly protested as more mammals appeared.I recognised one as my deceased mate, Jean Shepard nee Loup.“Jean, I…” I began to speak only to be slapped by her before she retreated beyond the Golden Gates, weeping.“Ah yes. You cannot enter the Kingdom until your sins are paid. Sadly, you have offended one of those granted power by Heaven and Hell. Even now he watches your body as he weighs his decision” the snow leopard with the book continued speaking after watching me get bodily slapped to the ground.“Impossible!” I cried out hotly.Only for the snow leopard to clear out a patch of cloud and we peered back down at my body.“That is you down there, is it not?” the snow leopard asked me as I could only look down in horror as my torturer assembled surgical tools for ‘exploration’.“Vous êtes mort, vous êtes mort. Mettre mes compétences à l'épreuve. Attache ce nœud coulant autour de ton cou et je ferai le reste…” the snow leopard hummed a macabre version of Be Our Guest. [You are dead, you are dead. Put my skills to the test. Tie this noose around your neck and I'll do the rest…]I recognised some of the tools as a butane stove appeared as well as a brand. At least I’m already dead, I would not be alive to experience the Belgian Grill.Or with the alcohol and matches on one side, the French Flambe.That was until the bastard looked up and smiled at me.“Did you think you could escape me by fleeing to Heaven?” the demonic snow leopard asked as I felt a lasso coil itself around me. I saw nothing, but it really felt like rope.“Hello St. Peter. Was his name in the Book of Life?” the tone was more respectful as the spectacle and robe-clad snow leopard beside me only shook his head to my horror as the lasso tightened.“It was once in the book, Reaper. Now, the name has been crossed out. Heaven washes its paws as we wait for Judgement” the canonised snow leopard replied sadly as he stood from the bench made of clouds and returned behind the golden podium.I was left alone. A pressure on my soul and I fell. Screaming as the white clouds turned darker.They turned darker still as I approached a blue sphere lit up in sunlight. I looked back up and there was a small wisp of white before it vanished, and I saw myself approaching the planet at high speed. As the planet got closer and closer, I soon recognised that it was Earth that I was approaching.Specifically, the darkened outline of the European continent.As I fell, I remarked that I was not feeling the friction burn associated with entering the atmosphere.I should not have said that as I began to smoke as I left behind a flare trail.“AAAAAAAAEEEEEEEEEEEIIIIIIIIIIIIOOOOOOOOOUUUUUUUU!!!!!” I screamed in agony as I burned up in the upper atmosphere.Only to reappear back in my tortured body as I gasped out.“Ready to continue?” the blue-eyed demon asked calmly as he addressed me.“Fuck me” I breathed out as his smile reached the realms of the impossible, stretching his snout to expose rows of teeth.“Time” he spoke again as he looked above my head. Then looked down with a smirk as he disengaged the lock on my chair and spun me to face a timer.My entire trip to Heaven’s Gates and back down only took two minutes.I gulped as he swung me back to face him, a pair of pliers in his right paw.“Shall we begin the Nutcracker Suite?” he asked as my eyes widened and I tried shaking my head in the negative.This was our go-to with Taliban insurgents.Gripping my nuts tightly in his right paw, and making me holler in pain, he placed the pliers under one and squeezed. Had I been able to thrash about, I would have bit into him.I blacked out again as the pressure tore my scrotal sac open.=====================================================================================“Olsen?” the snow leopard asked as the wolf had once again fainted from the “gentle massage” of his testicles. The cut sac was now in a silver pan as the snow leopard moved next to what made a male, a male.The sheath that held the wolf’s penis.“Yes sir?” came the laconic reply from the speakers.“I feel rather peckish. Don’t you?” the snow leopard informed the bat as he took a 9-inch blade and measured it against the wolf’s ample sheath. With one swift motion, he removed the sheath and penis; placing these on another tray.“Hehe. Try not to kill him, sir” the fruit bat replied as the mirrored glass turned clear. The bat was munching on a Granny Smith apple.“He’ll be good as new. After I figure out how to close these iffy-looking blood vessels” the snow leopard replied as he brought out a suturing kit and clamps, waving a bloody paw at the dome camera in the room.“Don’t bother waving at the camera, sir. We had to turn it off as no one can replicate your methods” the fruit bat replied.“You’ve ruined a good teaching moment” the snow leopard replied as he stood back to admire his handiwork.“Urm, was he a she in disguise?” the fruit bat’s neutral tone broke as he saw the wolf sporting a slice between his legs.“He’ll rock his new look. I’m certain there hasn’t been a female prisoner around these parts when the last one died” the snow leopard replied as he pushed his arm inside the unconscious wolf. “Just lacks an actual womb and some ovaries. Wonder who else I can turn into a eunuch?” the snow leopard mused at his gender change ‘surgery’.“How about the rogue agent who escaped? Former CIA Deep Penetration Agent Foxtrot November Kilo?” the fruit bat asked as the snow leopard shook his head before snapping his fingers and the surgical wound closed up.The wolf’s male genitalia reattached itself, but the wolf did not wake.The fruit bat winced as he could hear the slosh of the mashed testicular contents of the scrotal sac. Even through the thick, armoured glass.================================= End of Torture ========================================
July 20, 2000

Recovery Room,

The Clinic,

Zurich, Switzerland

CIA Deputy Director Ivan del Morte, M.D., FASCO, FASC, FSCS (Fellow-Animalian Society of Clinical Oncology, Fellow-Animalian Surgical College, Fellow-Swiss College of Surgeons)

“Ready to cooperate Mister Shepard?” I asked the strapped-down wolf when he woke from anaesthesia.It had taken eighteen hours, but I found everything that needed to be removed.Oncologists from Europe and Japan had come to watch me operate on numerous polyps inside the wolf’s colon and guide a neurosurgeon in burning out the glioblastoma growing in the wolf’s brain.“What? Where am I? How am I?” the wolf asked groggily, numerous tubes running into him with anti-rejection and anti-neoplastic drugs.“I’m happy to report that your surgery was a success” I informed him as he stared up aghast as he wanted to puke. I could read the signs and gave him a wastebasket lined with plastic for him to let it rip.“Surgery?” he croaked out as a line of drool dripped from his muzzle.“Indeed. For the past, oh eighteen hours, my colleagues and I worked to save your life. Did you know that you had numerous polyps in your colon that your gastroenterologist missed? Or that you had a glioblastoma pressing down on your hippocampus? Well, you are now cancer-free!” I proudly informed him, still dressed in the green scrubs of a surgeon.He looked up at me in shock.“The torture? I remember you slicing me open” the wolf gasped out as he looked all around the richly-furnished room.“Did you want to look outside?” I asked as I stood from the chair beside him and opened the curtains to the picturesque Mont Blanc in the distance.“Where are we? I thought you said The Farm?” the wolf looked outside in disbelief.“This is The Clinic. A combined assisted-living facility and medical technique pioneering centre at the forefront of medical innovation” I informed him. That was what his prior security clearance had gotten for him at least.“Sadly I have to inform you, that due to the surgery and the expected recovery time, you were relieved of your previous post as head of Canidian Security and Intelligence Service. Your deputy director stopped by to pass this on to my secretary while you were still in surgery” I told him as I took out a bone-white envelope and passed it over to him.The wolf shakily received it and tore open the sealed envelope. Retrieving the paper within, stamped with the official letterhead of CSIS, the wolf let out a mournful howl that dissolved into coughs.“I’d offer you fluids, but you’re still recovering from colonic surgery. Suck on these ice chips instead” I gave him a small bowl filled with ice shavings with instructions.“Thank you, Doctor. May I be left alone?” the wolf replied as he received the bowl of ice, feeling the numbing effects of the anaesthesia fade as an itching feeling began to spread.“If you start feeling pain from surgery, press this button here” I indicated a medical pump connected to a dangling bag of IV fluid. “It will discharge a set amount of morphine into your IV for pain relief. It has been calibrated that it will provide guaranteed pain relief within five minutes” I continued as I waited for him to do so.Once the wolf did so, he let out a breath of relief as the pain subsided.“Please press the call button to summon the nurse if you need anything else. I take good care of my patients and have yet to lose a single one” I informed him as I turned the doorknob and stepped into the busy hallway, the wolf catching glimpses of medical staff moving hurriedly towards a “Code Blue. Room 279”.I then closed the door and stepped away. I walked into an adjacent room as medical staff flowed around me.“Was that really necessary sir?” Operative Olsen (real name: Daniel Narvik) asked as the fruit bat looked incredulous that I had tortured the mammal and went for a full surgical intervention as well.“Not really, but I wanted to give him a second chance. With my abilities, you won’t truly die from your injuries nor is anything permanent. I could wipe the floor with him easily and turn myself into the typical playground bully” I answered self-deprecatingly as we watched the monitors from discreet cameras in the recovery room.“What do you think he’s gonna do when he realises he’s not at The Farm?” Sergeant MacTavish asked with his Scottish accent as the S.A.S. operative had been my close-in bodyguard since we left Winnipeg. Talon was having difficulty reacquiring as there was not enough power and he was having a new moon.“Nothing. He’s been benched and I have control of CSIS” I replied.“Ouch” Sergeant MacTavish winced as he thought of MI-5 suffering a similar fate.“MI-5 is safe from me. I want no part of that hornet’s nest” I answered as I could feel the press of thoughts from everyone in the hospital.“You can read my thoughts, sir?” Sergeant MacTavish asked with shock clear on the badger’s face.“A power granted as adjudicator between Life and Death” I answered as both entities snorted in my head.“Yeah…wish I can forget this conversation…” the S.A.S. operative groaned.“Done” I snapped my fingers and erased his memory of the last five minutes.“Oh, hi sir! Are we headed out?” the badger asked as if seeing me for the first time. The fruit bat merely rolled his eyes.“I got this ping earlier from Oracle’s network. It seems your Treasury Department was trying to reach you” Operative Olsen slid his mobile phone over to me.“Probably the securities fraud case” I muttered as I read the message aloud. “Get in contact with Treasury Agent Marcus Rooibok. Update on Securities Short. UNSUB closer than expected”.“Well, that makes things easier” I commented at a string of numbers that I began to input into T.A.L.O.N.’s GPS locator.“Olsen, kindly message me when Mister Shepard is ready for discharge. I give him a week of recovery here before he has to be moved back to Canidia” I informed the fruit bat who just nodded, well used to me.“Soap, grab on. We’re moving to Nellis in three…two…one….” As the two of us vanished in a burst of blue. A gift basket left behind for the fruit bat to peruse.“Shame to let this go to waste” the winged mammal tore open the cellophane and placed the contents on a handy table in the observation area.=====================================================================================
0600 Hours Central Standard (0800 D.C.)

July 20, 2000

Hangar C,

Area 51,

Nevada

FBI / CIA Deputy Director Ivan del Morte

Soap and I appeared in a burst of blue light in the empty hangar.Once used to house the SR-71 Blackbird, the warehouse was currently occupied by the B-2 Spirit stealth bomber.The maintenance crew that should have been here were conspicuously absent. With but a whisper, I saw that they were taking their breakfast at the onsite DFAC. Gesturing with my head towards the smaller hangar door, the two of us walked towards it. I waved at the security camera I saw pointed at the stealth aircraft, to try and hurry things along.When no alarms sounded nor did I hear the pounding of hooves, I surmised that the camera was offline. Tapping them on my earpiece, I checked the radio attached to my hip and was unsurprised that it had ran out of juice.“Soap?” I asked the S.A.S. operator who looked up towards me as we stacked up on the door. “Does your communicator have a charge?”“I charged it while we were at The Farm, sir. Take good care of it, please?” the badger replied as he handed over the set.Opening the radio and scanning the frequency until I got what I needed, I exchanged the badger’s set with mine and called it in.“Deep Space One, this is Ghost One. How copy, over?” I sent my query over the airwaves. As the foremost Ghost operative, secret installations had been ordered to render whatever aid I deemed necessary. Even if it broke their own mission protocols.“Deep Space One receiving five by five. Where are you Ghost One?” a strung-out sounding controller asked as there was a hushed conversation taking place in his background.“Hangar Charlie. Beside the Spirit of Texas. Unlock the hangar door and your camera is busted” I replied as the door unlocked with a buzz. I turned the latch and the door swung open.“Maintenance was supposed to get around to fixing that one. Uh, you hungry sir?” the controller grumbled as I could hear the conversation include sending some armed soldiers to pick us up.“Famished actually. Though I need to talk with your CO regarding a national security threat, which way is the DFAC from Hotel Charlie?” I replied as I looked at the shimmering desert heat and clicked my fingers for the badger.“Thanks for the cooling, sir. I thought I was going to die from the heat” Soap muttered as he looked around at the seemingly deserted airbase.“Hang a right from your exit and continue straight. You will run into an MP on a jeep, and he will take you to the DFAC” the controller replied in a calmer fashion.“As long as you boys get me fed and watered, I shan’t complain” I replied as I felt for the soul string of one MP Chambers and followed it for a quarter mile southeast of Hanger C. Soap trudging alongside trying not to pant in the slowly climbing desert heat.“Deep Space One, I see your MP’s jeep. Is that a tiger or a striped cheetah lounging?” I informed the controller as I approached the idling Humvee in that unhurried manner common to spooks. A soft desert wind at our backs took some of the heat away.“HALLO OVER THERE! WE ARE FRIENDLY!” I shouted at the Humvee as the driver’s side door opened and a soldier in desert khaki yelled something out. The soul string I was following suddenly cut and I already knew what happened.“Ghost One, it’s supposed to be a wolf! Assume its hostile” the warning came too late for me as I charged the soldier. The wakizashi appeared in my right paw as I leapt at the last possible moment and plunged the blade through the mammal’s chest. The two of us collapsing onto the sand as the other bled out. Yanking the blade out, I pulled on the other presence and a weasel shot out of the Humvee. Bloody knife in paw. I parried the poor attempt at using the knife and held him suspended in the air.“Aw, you shan’t have done that” I exclaimed as I snapped, and his poison tooth came flying out of his mouth. I investigated the weasel’s mind and smirked that the mammal panicked when his last-ditch attempt to evade interrogation had vanished. I also got a nation that would not be happy that their infiltrator was found out. A little side-trip to Peking was in order after interrogation. Xian’s People’s Security Bureau would find itself gutted.“Ghost One to Deep Space One. Mammal saboteur captured. Beginning chest compressions on Corporal Chambers. Sound Red Alert” I informed the controller as I looked at the bloodied mess that used to be a wolf. Chest compressions a vain hope as the wolf’s heart was beyond repair.By conventional means anyway.  “Copy that Ghost One. Red Alert has been sounded” the controller confirmed as the alarms around the base blared out.BLLLAAAAAAAANGGGGG! BLLLLAAAAAAAANGGGGG! BLLLLAAAAAAAANGGGGG!“ALL UNITS, THIS IS NOT A DRILL! I REPEAT, THIS IS NOT A DRILL! SECURITY FORCES TO HANGAR C IMMEDIATELY! HANGAR C HAS BEEN COMPROMISED!” went the announcement on the loudspeakers as the base immediately became a hive of activity. I tuned out the vehicle noises as I erected an energy barrier around the Humvee.Sergeant MacTavish contemplating on gutting the floating weasel. Bishop appeared with a trauma bag; the moose having been receiving instruction at The Villa.Inside the bloodied Humvee, I found the wolf’s partner struggling to draw breath. The frothy blood bubbling out of the cougar’s muzzle a definite indication of punctured lungs. That, and the ruddy sucking wound staining his cream front.“You’re going to be all right, Grant. Ssshhhh” I comforted the crying cougar, who had been stripped down to his Air Force-issued underwear, as his breaths got shallower as I visualised what needed to be fixed in him.Besides the punctured left lung, his pericardial sac had also been punctured by a sharp object and blood was seeping out. In three minutes, he would suffer cardiac arrest from the overfilled sac.Raising my right paw, I snapped my fingers and the cougar could breathe again. Injuries fixed, but the blood was not returned. It had already mixed with the dead wolf’s blood and congealed on the floor of the Humvee.“Rest Major. I’ll see if your NCO will still wake” I patted the cougar’s cheek as the big cat went to sleep. The tawny coated cat’s chest rose and fall as he snored in his exhausted state.“What am I going to do with you?” I asked Corporal Chambers as the soul floated in my vision. “Do I send you on or reincarnate you?”“I know you want revenge. Any mammal will seek recompense for slights against their person. I can send you onward to Judgment or reincarnate you and delay the sentence” I talked to thin air as I brought the wolf’s corpse out of the Humvee and laid it beside the dead tiger. Pings on the shield letting me know that the soldiers had fired on it.“You want to stay? As what or as whom?” I continued to talk as I knelt beside the corpses, checking the tiger for paper identification or a distinct mark to match inside Talon’s database. Unsurprisingly, there was none. The tiger did have three triangular marks above his left eyelid, like a sergeant’s rank. With the mark, I got a hit from ASIS and CSIS. The tiger was once the Xian Deputy Consul to Animalia, Li Tianmen. Or as both intelligence agencies figured out when copycat versions of their weapons appeared during the 1996 May Day parade, Xian’s foremost spy and blueprint stealer.The tiger’s soul, on the other paw, was glaring at me for interrupting a productive session on the new bomber’s capabilities. With but a twitch of my fingers, the tiger’s soul plummeted into the earth as he roared out in displeasure and pain. The wolf’s soul, Bishop, and I watched as the tiger dropped into a fiery pit as a horned and winged version of himself appeared with a trident. The horned tiger picked up the hornless one and cackled with glee before looking up at the three of us.

Thank you, Shinigami. Long have I waited for this one to arrive. Say it and I grant you a boon.

I have none at this time. I dare not dabble in aspects I can barely master.

You are wise indeed. I shall enjoy this one’s suffering as he enjoyed the suffering of others.

The metaphysical hole in the earth closed as the demon dragged his quarry to a black wrought-iron gate. The struggles of the soul intensified before a scream reached our ears as the fur burnt away. The others were spared the vision of seeing the tiger’s soul speared on the trident as the demon laughed. That vision was for me alone.The moment the two of them crossed the threshold into Hell, my own vision faded.“Stay or go?” I whispered to the wolf’s soul as we looked at the blue shield keeping the medics and soldiers at bay. Some were pounding on the shield with the butts of their rifles and then backing away when their rifles turned to ash.“I understand” I gave a slight nod as I sent the wolf up in a tunnel of light. He would stand before St. Peter and the Book of Life. Where he would go after no longer under my purview.Once done, Bishop turned to me as I dropped the shield and the soldiers cautiously approached.“Will I join the tiger in hell?” the moose asked as he sat back against the Humvee. I just shook my head. Those whose souls willingly joined my forces would be judged according to their sins. Those whose souls I bound as servants; their sentence decided by me as it was by my paw that they did those actions. After the sentence has passed, I send the souls back to be reincarnated. Their memories of service in my name removed from their souls as they make their own paths.Bishop only nodded his antlered head. He would serve until his last breath.I dropped the shield as a medic approached with his bag held out in front of him. The wolf shaking as the bag touched where the shield was. Once the shield had dropped, the wolf ran to my side.Or rather, past my side, to check on the fallen wolf under a sheet.“Why did we switch places today? I was supposed to fly out, not you” the tan wolf crying as he held his brother’s torso to his uniform, hugging him close.“My apologies, Major Chambers. But your brother is now out of my reach” I informed him neutrally, unused to comforting mammals.“Bring him back! I demand you bring him back!” the wolf took hold of my suit jacket and started shaking me. I heard Bishop give a warning snort. I intervened before he gored the wolf, and I would have to put him (the wolf) back together again.“I cannot. To deny him Heaven’s Peace would be the same as denying justice to widows and orphans” I replied coldly as St. Peter gave the verdict and the wolf medic could now enter the Pearly Gates. The bespectacled snow leopard gave a nod to me to pass on a message.“Your brother left a message for you before he entered the Gates” I begrudgingly informed the flight officer as St. Peter then gave me a look of disapproval.“Really? What? Tell me!” the wolf shook me all the harder as his tail, once drooping, started to wag in anticipation.Despite the scrambling my brain was taking as the wolf continued to shake; I growled at him, and the wolf stepped back as his soul shivered at my glowing eyes.“He said, ‘Ho, big brother. Though I have gone ahead, I’ll say hi to Ma and Pa for you. We’ve missed them so much over the years. Oh! I see her waving at me, she’s crying too! Ma, I’m home! Don’t cry, Ma’” I informed the tearful wolf as he hugged me instead, tears flowing freely. I hugged the wolf as well, for a brief moment taking on his brother’s form before it dissipated.We stayed like that for a bit as the assembled soldiers took possession of the weasel. Bishop handing him over as the moose snorted, cradling a fire axe with manic glee, as the mammal in question wet himself.=====================================================================================
Meanwhile, in the city where mammals can be anything…

“Kid’s gonna love this gag gift” the fennec declared as his contact presented him with a wool rug in striking black and white colours. “Skunk butt fur from Gregory Le Peu. He’s gonna enjoy this” the fennec crowed as he left the shop with the gift tucked under his arm.He’d have to get Old Mister Lafferty some of that old-fashioned saltwater taffy as payment. The stag enjoyed it way too much for someone who should be watching their sugar.The stag may be getting on in years, but his hooves were as steady as ever. If the fennec was a betting mammal, he was sure that the stag was sipping that ReJuvenade elixir White Wolf Pharmaceuticals were peddling as a health drink. He had seen one bottle at the local pharmacy.Behind lock and two sets of keys. Cost a pretty penny too at $2400 for a teaspoon of the stuff.The fennec simply shrugged as he went about finding his van. He could filch the bottle sure, but what would he do when White Wolf PMCs come sniffing? Between the federal government, the PMCs and the ZPD; the Bigs would fold like a house of cards.Had Finnick looked back, the ‘Old’ Mister Lafferty gave a shark-like grin as he watched the rogue agent move away. The grin was gone as fast as it appeared.“Stag One to Base. Foxtrot November Kilo has purchased skunk rug” the deer buck spoke into a hidden microphone embedded into the counter of the haberdashery. There was no need for a reply. The message was automatically logged and passed up the chain.Another brick in the road that would lead Shinigami back to Zootopia.=====================================================================================
July 21, 2000

Special Agent-in-Charge’s Office,

FBI Arkansas Field Office,

Little Rock, Arkansas
 A knock sounded on the door to Special Agent-in-Charge Daniel Wolfex’s office. It was neither the sharp rap of knuckles from Junior Special Agent Timothy Sawyer nor the deep boom of Senior Special Agent Anthony de Lupe.Furrowing his brows, the albino wolf checked the camera hidden in the wall and saw two agents waiting outside on his desk monitor. One was a painted hound, the other a polar bear.Scratching his fur between his ears, Special Agent Wolfex wondered who this was. Unlike the FBI Deputy Director, he had neither the access nor the skill to properly identify the two. He, and much of the federal government, had limited access to Oracle.Talon was also off-limits, though for wholly different reasons.If Oracle was a civilian intelligence network ostensibly deputised to work under the FBI’s auspices, Talon was exclusively under the purview of the NSA and CIA. Not to mention the other intelligence agencies like the BND, CSIS, ASIS, NZIS, and Mossad.If the rumours from Nellis AFB were to be believed, however, Talon had managed to teleport itself off the grid entirely. DARPA was throwing a hissy fit behind the scenes but kept the disturbance from going public.If the rest of Animalia learned that the super secure system managed to become self-aware……there would be no more Hostess products for him to munch on.  As the albino wolf pondered on asking permission from Ivan, as he called the Deputy Director during their informal sessions, he belatedly realised that the two agents were not moving from the door.“Come in” he called out as he tried to hide the rubbish littering his desk. His rubbish bin had not yet been returned by maintenance.There was a click of the latch as it turned but failed to open. A muffled “Door’s still locked sir” had the albino rub the back of his neck as he remembered that he had to press a buzzer to unlock the door.“Good afternoon, sir. Sorry if we’re late. Bad weather at Detroit International delayed our departure” both agents entered as the painted hound did all the talking, closing the door behind them with a click as the lock reengaged.“The two of you seem familiar, have I met you one time or another? Have a seat” Special Agent Wolfex asked as the albino wolf pondered where was the first time he met a painted hound agent, indicating for the two to take the chairs in front of his desk.“Forgive my manners, sir. I’m Special Agent Francis Carmichael of D.C.’s HRT and this is my old classmate, Special Agent Vladimir Cargonaught from the Michigan field office” the painted hound introduced the two of them to the albino wolf.“Now I remember where I saw the two of you from!” the wolf agent exclaimed with glee as both mammals looked at each other. “The CQB test in Quantico back in ’95!”“Not my finest moment, sir” Special Agent Cargonaught winced at the memory of the flashbang detonating at his feet. The polar bear had fumbled the flashbang after pulling the pin, stumbling out of the testing area half-blind. His team managed to pass without him in the lead as the painted hound beside him had taken charge.“Well, you’re here now. That means you passed” the albino wolf replied as he opened his drawer and pulled out two foil-wrapped packets of Ding Dongs. “The Hostess Group’s finest cakes!” Agent Wolfex declared as he gave one to each agent as he ripped open one for himself, savouring the taste. The wrapper being discarded in an ashtray.Agent Carmichael immediately opened his and munched on it. Agent Cargonaught tucked it into his breast pocket. The polar bear would eat it with a cup of coffee.“So, what brings you to my neck of the woods?” Agent Wolfex asked as he got up to check if his coffee pot had any grounds left for three more cups of coffee.There was a brief pause as both seated mammals looked at each other before Agent Cargonaught spoke, “The Deputy Director of the FBI volunteered us as reinforcements for you in your case of predator kit branding.”“Whoa! That was faster than the waiting period I got from the Mammal Resources and Accounting Departments in D.C.” Agent Wolfex chuckled as he looked at his computer and checked the status from both departments. His operation read as “Approved if Ghost Protocol is enacted”. The phrase made Agent Wolfex grimace. That was CIA-speak for activating their own Black Ops units. The FBI would just sit in a cordon, keeping curious mammals at bay.The only one with enough leeway to act was Shinigami.Agent Wolfex hated calling on the snow leopard for aid with local threats. The snow leopard may not voice his opinions but asking him to deal with these types of cases was akin to using a sledgehammer to kill a spider.Case in point: Two Forks in Washington State had ceased to exist after a kidnapping went awry.Former Special Agent-in-Charge Howard Telver signed his own death warrant when the black bear thought to send in HRT without checking the area. Eight of nine agents perished that day when they walked into an ambush. Telver had survived the ambush with a (self-inflicted) gunshot wound to his leg. Once Shinigami was summoned, the snow leopard ascertained that there was no kidnapping and the very mammal who reported it was a cult leader with a forced harem. Telver was then forced to confess on live television that he was the cult leader’s son, and that eight lives were a small price to pay for continued fertility of the land. The media were then evacuated as fire rained on the town, burning everyone inside to ash.“You want fertile land? Your blood will keep this land productive for the next three hundred years!” the snow leopard declared with finality as all those complicit combusted. No amount of water nor of fire extinguishing foam alleviated the flames. The mammals burned before the eyes of the FBI, casting an eerie glow before the FBI too reappeared at the field office. Some agents puking their guts out.The innocent members of the harem, and the innocent kits, were spared.The former Two Forks was now part of the El Lobo Blanco Construction Company’s lumber acreage as the spruce and pine grown there rapidly doubled every year, far outstripping the company’s ability to cut these down. The company spokesperson, Harold Telver, even boasting that halting cutting would return the acreage to old-growth forest in just two years.Though some superstitious folk whisper that under the light of a full moon, the trees groan with mammal voices. The cult’s souls trapped in the grove and denied peace until their debt is paid…….That notion was furthest from the albino wolf’s mind as he mulled over what to do with on his case.He had yet to hear back from Shinigami, but the resources had begun to trickle in.Yesterday, three LAV-25s arrived from the Arkansas National Guard. The three wolves who had delivered the armoured vehicles, saluted him after they parked in the underground motor pool, and departed in a flash of blue light, Shinigami’s signature mode of transport. The transport clued in Agent Wolfex that the LAVs were not from the National Guard Armoury, but rather from White Wolf stocks. The top-end gear inside also lent credence as most of the Army equipment was done by the lowest bidder. Arkansas Governor Ritchie Adams and State Senator Joffre Adams had called him up personally to give the green light, promising immunity from suit if anything went awry. A faxed hard copy showed up with both their signatures and that of the state legislature.One signature was absent, that of Arkansas Representative Arthur Possum.Frustratingly, the albino wolf still had no exact location for the raid to commence. The state was neither Rhode Island nor Hawaii. Both were easy to close. One due to its size and the other due to its location. Arkansas borders were porous at the best of times, most of the state’s borders lined with thick forests and wide rivers.The term “needle in a haystack” sprang to mind.“Yes sir” Special Agent Carmichael interrupted the albino’s thought process as the painted hound looked a little exhausted. “Especially with NCIS taking over the investigation in Detroit and the DEA taking charge for the city shoot-out” the painted hound continued as he yawned out, barely managing to raise a paw to hide his open jaw.Only to snap to attention when a familiar snow leopard reappeared in their midst with a bright blue flash that fried two electronic bugs. The burnt smell of melted plastic and cooked semiconductor letting Agent Wolfex know he had been lax in performing the bug sweep.He was also distracted by the snow leopard appearing in the buff and trying his hardest not to let out a squeal.Followed shortly after by a cuddle session like the first time.“You rang, Daniel?” the snow leopard asked in imitation of his butler as he glanced down at his nakedness and snapped his familiar three-piece suit into being around him, depriving the albino wolf from enjoying the view of the snow leopard’s nether regions.=====================================================================================
July 21, 2000

Storage Room A-113,

Sub-Basement Three,

Area 51 Underground Complex 1,

CIA Chief Enhanced Interrogator (Torturer) Ivan del Morte
 “You know your silence is not helping matters?” I asked the weasel as he kept silent, glaring hatefully at me as his compatriots were appearing in the room with us. Just like the weasel, each had no clothes on and had gags in their mouths. All of them were also ziptied to prevent movement. The largest mammal, a giant panda, had already been executed by my paws.The panda accepting his fate as he was the sole Xian operative read into my special case.That being “Get in his way. Your life is his price”. I sent his soul back into the cycle, wiping it clean. The panda had no marks on him when I sent the body back to Xian’s Security Bureau for cremation. Two gold coins on the panda’s eyelids a sign of a clean death.The weasel had seen me whisper into the panda’s ear before he dropped dead. Medics on the base confirming it.The weasel continued to glare at me as his companions whimpered behind their gags. Two of them were propulsion engineers for the dry-docked USS San Dingo nuclear attack submarine. Both sheep had been co-opted to partake in espionage when their Xianese ewes racked up spectacular gambling debts on an online casino run by the XISB (Xianese Internal Security Bureau).Their deal was simple: Provide the specifications for the Vulpinia-class attack submarines and the debt was wiped. The rams had been intercepted at the hand-over and were quivering. Their contact was also in the room with us.Unlike everyone else, this mammal soon walked free.I identified the mammal as White Wolf Deep Penetration Agent Charlie Brown and sent him on his way with altered specifications. It looked good on the blueprints, but not in practice. One decimal point was moved to a different location.This would be Xian’s only warning.Any further attempts and the response from my end would escalate.General Lin Ho of the 27th Mobile Strategic Nuclear Detachment in Tibet, General Po Zhufang of the 12th PLAAF Fighter Wing based on Hainan Island, Admiral Li Chou You of the 2nd PLAN Submarine Fleet in Fuzhou Naval Base, and Governor Li Haofang of the Special Autonomous Region of Hong Kong would begin Operation Silver Dragon. A border skirmish with Roarssia would be simulated and Xianese border guards would be killed. The disturbance would send the Panda Liberation Army (PLA) leaders into a closed meeting in Peking. As soon as the last member of the PLA board sat down, cruise missile strikes would target the hardened bunker situated under the former Imperial Palace. Noticeably absent were the three military leaders as the Tibetan plateau would descend into open revolt and the PLA recognised that, the fleet would put out to sea to counter Roarssian aggression and the fighters would begin covering the capital in an aerial umbrella.Further destabilisation would have the Xianese General Secretary, whoever remained after the pre-emptive strikes on the Assembly Hall and Security Bureau, formally invite White Wolf PMC to secure the population. Local commanders would move from Vietnam, Khmer, Roarssia, and India. No-fly zones would be imposed as travel out of the country would be restricted. Outside communication would fail as Talon would delete System 32 from key telecom centres, crashing the network and downing cellsites. The only functioning lines would belong to the previous four mammals mentioned. Pacification would begin as peacekeepers would round up informants and security officers for transport to secure holding sites until lack of guilt was established.My throbbing headache would then increase as every decision would be kicked upwards, landing on my desk as with the Sudan, Congolese Republic, and the newest addition Anatolia. For no matter how much I protested that mammals determine their own future, I would outlive them all.                                                                                      ~~~~With this in mind, I stared down the weasel. I let him focus on the hypnotising irises as the mammal saw his own reflection in my icy pools.Just a little more… I prodded the weasel with a soft mental caress. The weasel shook his head slowly from side to side trying to resist the compulsion but continued to gaze into my eyes.I learnt that using brute force on a mammal’s mind more often than not gave me vegetables. Fit for nothing else except cannon fodder. Or Rook’s next meal. Or the Guardians’ playthings.Honing my mental aptitude under Death’s tutelage, and with Life’s guidance, I found that a softer approach was more warranted when time was not of the essence. Instead of hammering down a mammal’s mental defences as I had done in the past few years, and reducing most of the mammals to drones incapable of rational thought, this approach was favoured by Life as it did less overt damage to a mammal’s psyche.I did not wholly subscribe to reducing damage, but she was present long before I was. Death had chuckled as the wolf shared his experiences with her over another pot of soul tea. Whomever this soul belonged to; it was bland to the extreme. I had asked the entity, and his reply was “Some middle-manager in a multinational corporation living up to all the clichés”.“What was your mission?” I rhetorically asked the weasel as I saw into his mind, the trained operative part of a cell.One of many inserted into Western and Western-allied nations to “procure” data for the Xian State. The weasel was ignorant of any outside his specific cell. He was shocked that I had gotten everyone.He did not need to know that Talon was busy matching memories with electronic data. Agents always left a trail, even digitally erased. The very best agents dropped a crumb to deliberately throw off pursuers.I had one and the world was free to look into my origins. The world chose not to, blissfully content to wallow in ignorance.To the average mammal, and the world at large, I was a myth.To intelligence agencies, I was an urban legend.But rouse my interest and you better pray to your deity that I am in a forgiving mood.Dresden was the second time in recorded history that I lost that control. I promised never again to lose the battle with my anger. Mammals did the third and fourth for me, dropping the nuclear devices onto Hiroshima and Nagasako.The first time was sixty-five million years ago, ushering in the age of mammals.My contemplation was interrupted by the weasel blurting out, “To seize or capture blueprints for the fifth-generation stealth fighters, attack submarines, and air defence systems (ADS)”.The whimpers in the room increased as the weasel basically confirmed they were espionage agents. The sentence for espionage is death. Death upon capture, death evading capture, or death due to old age as mammals are kept in solitary until they slowly go insane.“Most interesting. Can you tell me more? Especially who authorised it?” I replied with a soft smile, mentally encouraging the weasel to spill his secrets.“Assistant Senior Undersecretary Lee Zhouyang of the Shanghai branch of the Xian Internal Security Bureau, shougezhe Daoyan” the weasel replied, formal English slipping back into native Mandarin. [Director Reaper]That raised my eyebrows, and those of the mammals watching through cameras. Lee Zhouyang had absolutely no authority to greenlight this international infiltration mission. Someone else was pulling the strings.I tapped on the weasel’s soul string, making the bound weasel moan, as a new name came up. Daoyan Sishen or Director Grim Reaper. Curious, I yanked on the connection and a tiger appeared in front of me. It felt like me, yet not.The tiger had green eyes, not blue, yet immediately kowtowed to me after a moment of hesitation.“A thousand apologies, My Lord! Forgive this lowly worm!” the Xian tiger proclaimed from his grovelling position on the cool concrete.
Who are you?

I do not know. I just came to be on the 19th of December 1997. Are you me or am I you?

I think you’re my missing consciousness. I sent out eight and none came back.

Then I return to you, forgive me this deception.
The tiger’s form melted away, exposing another snow leopard. This one exactly like me. The scars were new, though.“Shall we try, My Lord?” the other asked me as I knelt and grasped him by his arms. I gave the other a hug as everything else fell away.I could feel the sliver of soul wishing to return, but I could not bear to part it from the rest of the soul. It had suffused a comatose Tibetan snow leopard, granting minor powers of regeneration. The memories shared freely with me as I sighed.At the snow leopard’s miraculous recovery from falling down a crevasse, to joining the PLA as an intelligence officer with a similar likeness to the Animalian Shinigami.The weasel I was interrogating fainted, one Shinigami was bad enough. Two spelled bad news for the XCP.“Your Grace? Who is this mammal?” a voice asked on the speaker, as I was hit with a vision that sent me reeling.                                                                                           ~~~~In it, a council of predators oversaw the world’s progress. All carried a piece of my own soul. The piece taking over from the original mammal, absorbing their soul, and using it to further the goal of the Supreme Overlord. Their eyes were not the ice blue of my evil twin, but a multitude of shades to disguise their allegiance. As one they looked at the interloper (me) and gave a deep bow, one of them spoke. “Have you returned to assume command of this world?”. The nine came down from their chairs and approached me, feeling the differences in our souls. Theirs were more jagged, mine smoother despite the missing pieces.“A different plane?” the same mammal asked as their thoughts mirrored my own.“A different universe” I corrected as the nine bowed once more, their leader extending a paw towards me. I took it and their combined power flowed into me.  “Take us with you. The Shinigami of this universe has closed himself from the cries and moans. He had grown apathetic to those he swore to protect, to uphold the laws he promulgated. We have done all we can, but we are fading. We are dying” they chanted in unison.“Death is the end of all things” I answered sadly, knowing I could not bring them with me. Not without destabilising their universe.“We have done what we can here. Ruled in his stead for over four millennia. He refused all our pleas and is far off-world, travelling to the end of the universe” they chanted again.
Death? I need advice.

D: Oh, it’s this one. You wound up between worlds here without being able to return. Without your presence and power, those who have ruled are losing control. Mammals are no longer content and agitate for more. Not remembering their own history as they choose to forget time and again. Take them with you.
“I can bring you after all, step through the doorway” I instructed the nine as they gamely did so. I was last to depart the opulent council space. As the vision faded, an explosion tore through and obliterated the area.I collapsed into strong arms as soldiers swarmed the area, weapons raised at the new arrivals.=====================================================================================I woke up in the base infirmary feeling unnecessarily warm. I cracked open my eyes and groaned at what I had thought a dream.Nine mammals in flowing robes and one snow leopard in a PLA uniform were draped all around me. The ten soul pieces humming in harmony as these danced around, enjoying being around the source. Five of them were purring, quite loudly too.“I don’t know about you” I gently prodded the lion as I felt the luxurious mane, “but I am famished, and my interrogation is not over yet”.“Your power feels wonderful. Our own was not like this, yours is strongerrrrrrr” the lion sat up and purred, waking his fellows.As I pinged the network, and got back eight other returns in different places, I sighed good-naturedly as I stood up from our comfortable spot beside the window.A brown bear, red kangaroo, jaguar, panther, lion, melanistic grey wolf, reindeer, and caribou. Not all predators.
Hi Boss. Are we to jump to your location?

No. Just checking. I have been ignorant of your existence for years it seems.

We have your back, Dad. Oh wow, nine of us! :3

Family meeting at the end of the month. The Ranch’s Main Dining Hall.

Wahoo!

I’ll bring you some honey!

I got some fresh fish here at Svalbard. I shall bring some.

Does surstr
ömming count?

NOOOOOO!!!
The creak of the infirmary door opening had ten mammals shoving me back inside a protective circle.“Sir? Agent Wolfex has received Special Agents Carmichael and Cargonaught” a tan wolf entered with information as my connection to Oracle had reset with the new additions. I contemplated adding the nine, but I had to ask their consent first.“What time is it?” I asked the wolf, pushing aside the hissing caracal obstructing my view, as he checked his watch.“It’s almost 1615 hours local time sir” the wolf replied with a shrug.“Is DFAC still open or do I have to wait?” I asked as I could feel the collective hunger of ten mammals.“DFAC is open 24/7 as we have rotating shifts, sir. I just don’t know if we have enough food for ten of you” the wolf replied, cocking his head in confusion.“Quick snack and we’re off to see The Villa, The Establishment and The Lunar Base. Thank you, First Sergeant Wolford,” I informed the wolf, my mind supplying me with the wolf’s name and rank.“Ooh, you have your own secret bases!” the tiger exclaimed with glee, discarding the robes to reveal a bodybuilder’s physique with sculpted muscles.“Of course, though they are training grounds for mammals other than my own forces. Best behaviour” I warned them as they all removed the heavy cloaks. Visualising the DFAC hall, I snapped my fingers and vanished.“I think…” the lion began as they were left behind, only the snow leopard in an archaic 20th century uniform being brought along.Before I exasperatedly reappeared and brought them as well.=====================================================================================
1620 Hours

July 21, 2000

DFAC Table Ten,

DFAC Bravo,

Area 51,

Admiral Ivan del Morte, USN

The eleven of us ate in silence. The only sounds were the slurping of ramen noodles, clinking of utensils, and the occasional burp when a mammal was sated.As it was close to teatime, I had opted for club sandwiches with a side of crisps. I may be hungry, but I never wanted to waste the little food on base. The ten others followed suit.  My scarred doppelganger happily slurping up his sixth bowl of soup noodles. Vegetarian, pescatarian or chicken did not matter to the snow leopard.The caracal, cheetah, jackal, and fox happily munching on three whole roast chickens with lettuce, carrots and red beets thrown in. The jaguar and panther had scarfed down fish fillets that startled the kitchen crew with how much they ate, two trays of thirty-six steamed fillets were eaten by them alone. The lion and tiger had demolished three whole turkeys each, little consumed in the way of vegetables like the steamed broccoli. The wolf was eyeing the mule deer bustling behind the counter as he consumed turkey ham and sausage, growling under his breath.“No eyeing the staff, they’re not yours to eat” I informed the wolf who whined as if kicked. The wolf looked decidedly glum as he sat there chewing his meal.Learning from Rook and the Nightstalkers, I dangled an incentive for the unnamed wolf, “If you behave yourself on the tour later, you may pick one of the prisoners from The Farm”. The way the wolf’s tail began to wag beside me at the prospect made his companions chuckle as well.“That’s a good way to keep Mitternacht occupied” the lion replied as he and tiger drank their fizzy drinks, making faces at how these tasted. Their expressions clueing me in that the two came from Europe where the soft drinks had less additives.“Everyone done?” I asked as I stood from the table, tray in paw as I had waited for them to finish scarfing down the meals. The soldiers in the DFAC looking on with both worry and awe as ten mammals managed to consume enough for a company of troops.Of the nine from the other universe, only the jackal and cheetah brought their trays with them. I looked at the others before they rubbed the back of their heads and picked up their trays before following me to deposit these in the dirty box for washing. My scarred twin looked apologetic with six empty bowls of noodles on his tray.
Rook, I assume you’re seeing our guests for the foreseeable future? I have eight more in the world.

Parts of your soul? I will have to go hunting for shark then. Also, your new executive chef is asking if she can try a Japanese style menu with raw fish and fried breadcrumbs.

Did you tell her yes? I feel in the mood for tonkatsu and sashimi. Tempura is fine as well. The shrimp kind.

I will let her know your decision, Young Master. I just fear that the CIA will not be happy all that much.

They’ll get over it. The house was left for me to use as I pleased.

We shall see at the end of the month then.

That we shall Rook. How is Bishop and the others fitting in?

Best if you come in person. There is only so much I can share from my perspective.

See you in ten minutes. I’ll debrief the new interrogator.
I exited the DFAC to the climate-controlled corridor going back down to the bowels of the facility. Behind me were the nine half-naked mammals, the female complement whistling out at the beefcakes passing by as they entered through the other set of doors. In response, the jaguar and tiger flexed for them; striking various poses to the immeasurable glee of the females. Some of whom began to fan themselves.“Eyes front!” a shout made the two cats growl in anger at their show being interrupted as the female troops entered the DFAC to begin their meal. I whistled at the two and they meekly followed, drawing down a possible confrontation.“Admiral, sir. Urgent message from Langley” a fox corporal saluted, as he gave me a communique from the Agency. I opened the folded paper and read its brief content.The message was: Terminate the cell at your discretion. Mitternacht (Midnight) would get his chance at playtime as the paper ignited in my paws.“That’s new” the half-naked lion spoke up as he backed away from the flames.“Mitternacht!” I summoned the wolf who was sniffing the air in the corridor. I smelt it too. Three of the troopers were in heat.The wolf, though subject to his base instincts, came quickly with tail tucked between his legs.“First off, that is considered rude here. Second, you can have fun with the prisoners downstairs. Leave me four of the nineteen” I admonished the wolf who pinned his ears to his head and gave me a sorrowful look. I then brought out the incentive and the wolf began drooling.“Glad I got your attention. Let’s go” I smirked as I clicked my fingers and all eleven of us vanished back down.“Never getting used to that” Corporal Zorro griped as he now had to walk back to the command centre.=====================================================================================The nine of us drew back and beckoned the soldiers to us as I set Mitternacht free to chow down on the bound espionage agents.First to die was the weasel. The slippery mammal thought to pick his cuffs, but did not warrant we would have been back instantly. Mitternacht pounced and tore open the weasel’s throat, letting him gasp for breath before ripping him in half and tossing the terrified head to Anubis, the black jackal happily yipping at the fresh kill.The rest of the cats stayed with me as the caracal, Mafdet, took out his curved blade in case one of the four made a break for it.One of them did and the caracal slit the ram’s throat as he passed, the sheep collapsing onto the concrete with his wool stained red.I tsked involuntarily and the caracal became apologetic.“Forgive me, my Lord” the caracal knelt to ask forgiveness from me.“I’m not mad. I just made that sound because it’s difficult to remove blood from wool” I answered the caracal who did not stand until I extended my paw out. Before he could turn my paw around to kiss it, I pulled him up.“Right. Ground Rules before I get embarrassed by your actions. 1. No begging forgiveness in public. If you want to apologise, whisper it in my ear or use the link to do so. 2. Don’t look at me for permission if you are going to engage. I have enough problems on the battlefield and pointing me out to enemy combatants is not a good way to deal with threats. 3. Soldiers and staff in the bases are not for personal consumption. I saw how you and Soleado (lion) were eyeing up your female counterparts like pieces of meat. 4. If you do want relations with the opposite gender or the same gender, I don’t care either way, wait for them to give consent. If they turn you down, accept and move on. 5. I’ll think of some more. Any questions?” I informed the cats as the soldiers witnessed me perform a rare feat, dress down the mammals working for me.The lion raised his right paw and I pointed at him.“Can I go join Anubis and Mitternacht?” the lion asked as the two mammals in question were having fun.Not so fun for the mammals being torn to shreds.“Go ahead Soleado” I answered as one mammal was tossed our way by Anubis, the corsac fox screaming as he landed on his bum. The lion roared in happiness and jumped into the melee.“Hello Lieutenant Siegfried” I smiled down at the corsac fox as he began to plead for his life. “Hold him up for me” I spoke this to my twin, only for Mafdet to pick up the fox by his scruff. The tufted ears of the caracal twitching at the begging going on with the other mammals as their restraints were cut.The sudden gasp of one of the observers made me click my fingers instinctively, freezing the mammal who went for the gun. With but a thought, the muscly tiger punched the frozen Wuhan rabbit back into the screaming frenzy of fangs and claws.The screams of the bound mammals getting softer and weaker as three killers worked their way through them.The aptly named Anubis soon appeared with a weakly-beating heart in his paws. The black jackal kneeling on the blood-slicked concrete as he offered the heart to me. I pushed my twin self forward and mimed for him to eat. My twin fainted, eliciting a soft chuckle from the panther as he caught the snow leopard. Like with Rook, I patted the jackal’s cheek and bade him to have it. The wide-eyed look I was sent meant my counterpart in their universe was only focused on himself. The jackal hesitantly took a bite of the heart, and with no reaction on my part, heartily consumed the rest. Before bowing and returning into the fray.  Once all was silent, I looked the corsac fox in the eyes.“Any questions?” I asked the last four mammals as they shook their heads at the brutality that had taken place in front of their very eyes.“Good” I smiled as I snapped my fingers and sent them for processing at The Villa. “As for the three of you” I talked to the kneeling mammals, Anubis being joined by Soleado and Mitternacht. I snapped the fingers on my right paw and cleaned them of gore. The storage room was also tidied up as the corpses crumbled into ash.“Rook, bring Bishop” I spoke into thin air as my butler appeared with the new mammal in tow. The moose wearing Type IV-B armour and with a ballistic shield in hoof.“We are humbled to meet your most loyal retainers” the nine mammals spoke as one as the other six knelt as well.The moose had snorted and rumbled out, “New mammals to play with?”Which had the effect the moose desired, an all-out brawl.I sighed as I rubbed my forehead as three new rules came into being as I formed an energy barrier to separate the combatants. Just like with Agents Bellwether and Knight, I overpowered the barrier and knocked out the nine as they collided with the concrete wall at the far end of the storage room. The crack of bone and the absence of whimpers told me this had happened before.Rule 5. No kneeling or genuflection in public when introduced to my mammals.Rule 6. Professionalism at all times. No breaking protocol for a perceived slight.Rule 7. Let me know who broke protocol and I’ll be the one whooping their ass.Addendum to Rule 7. If I must put you back together because of your own stupidity, you better hope your injury was mild.Just this once, the realignment would be painless…=====================================================================================Finally able to disentangle the mammals from each other, I bade farewell to the Area 51 personnel as I concentrated on sending thirteen mammals to our first stop.I should have anticipated something going wrong as I appeared in Special Agent Wolfex’s Arkansas field office sans my clothing.To lighten the situation as I knew the albino wolf was about to jump me for a cuddle session, I asked in a light-hearted manner, “You rang, Daniel?”Followed closely by me snapping my suit back into being around me, to the immense pout of the albino wolf.I duly noted that Agents Cargonaught and Carmichael were present in the field office.“So,” I began to talk as a map of Arkansas flared into being on the bulletin board Agent Wolfex was using to trace connections, tenuous or not, of our kit brander, “have you gotten the teams in position yet?”The silence made my headache increase tenfold as the three immediately looked sheepish.“We don’t know where they are, sir” Agent Cargonaught admitted bashfully, fearing his career was over.“Danny, I gave you access to Oracle for a reason. Don’t tell me you spent all your time strangling out concessions from D.C.?” I chided the albino wolf who looked quite ashamed that he had forgotten. His silence told me everything I needed to know.“Okay, get your teams outfitted. We will be using Shadowfax to get there as night falls. This is the location I wanted you to assault the moment the heavy ordnance arrived” I informed the three as I hid the disappointment under a professional mask as the name of the forested area lit up: Pine Bluff. Specifically, Number 32 5th Street. A sprawling colonial mansion which had seen better days. The façade was crumbling, and the area was overgrown. A disused bike path ran behind the manor, the same one that had doomed Agent Lawrence Knight as a pup.“Surround the manor. Little Rock takes point on this Op. Detroit, you’re coming with me down the bike path a quarter-click until we reach a cabin on stilts. D.C., stay with Little Rock. Overlord will be our controller for this Op. Got it?” I informed them as I pointed out the common ingress and egress paths, the windows, and boarded up doors.“I’ve got a surprise for the bastards who think they can get away with this” I stated neutrally as I tapped on the nine mammals from the parallel dimension. The nine slivers sang as body armour formed on them, each tailored to match their specialties.I felt Rook’s surprise as he and the moose were not given any. Not that they needed it as they were shellproof. Perhaps a HESH round fired from the British FV 183b 183mm self-propelled gun would do some superficial damage.“Commander Bailey, stand your PMC up” I informed the Arkansas field commander as the hare replied to my order with a swift “Yes Sir!”.Tapping the radio that came with my tactical rattle, my three-piece suit switching out, I connected with the controller known as Overlord.“Overlord, Ghost One. How copy, over?” I informed the D.C.-based controller as Ghost Central Command sprang into action.“This is Ghost Central, Ghost One. Reading you five by five. Overlord has his paws full with a brew-up in the Mid-East. I’m Jockey” the Ghost controller replied as I heard the squeak of an office chair over the line.“Solid Copy, Jockey. Preparing for assault on the kit brander and possible kit rapist’s position at 32 5th Street, Pine Bluff, Arkansas” I informed him as I looked at my three unmoving agents. I gestured at them to move it, closing my paw around the microphone as I mouthed the word ‘Go’.“The door fried. I can’t unlock it” came the stunned reply from Agent Wolfex as I sighed and snapped them down to the armoury.

----- CHAPTER BREAK -----

2015 Hours

July 21, 2000

Number 32,

5th Street,

Pine Bluff, Arkansas

FBI Deputy Director Ivan del Morte

In a flash of blue light, three LAV-25s and six Bearcats appeared on the street.The same in black SUVs moved to form an outer cordon as more mammals flashed onto the deserted street. Their strobe lights winked, but no sound emanated from the sirens as two of the LAVs disgorged their HRT contents under broken streetlamps.Federal agents in blue blazers checked the surroundings with FLIR cameras for heat sources. Everyone was on edge. This was where the kit rapist was said to be holed up.Little Rock HRT stacked up on the front door as D.C. stayed with them.The other LAV departing for the path behind the manor house, nine mammals clinging on. The diesel engine rumbling like a feral bear as it crept closer to a small wooden shack off the beaten path.Inside the LAV, I sat in the rear with Agent Cargonaught as we listened to the broadcasts from Carmichael and Wolfex.“This is Lima Romeo One, breaching the front door now” Agent Wolfex’s voice carried over as the FAST charge detonated. “FBI! FBI! SHOW ME YOUR PAWS!”The cracking sound of semi-automatic rifle fire came over the airwaves as a dull boom of a shotgun tried fighting back.“Area clear! Move up!” came the laconic voice of Junior Special Agent Marvin Howlington.“Should we go back and assist, sir?” Agent Cargonaught asked as I marked the place on the map for the driver.“We go back, Agent Cargonaught, and our mammal will bolt” I answered as I mentally talked with the nine transplants from Zootopia-323. 
If you see groundhogs trying to escape, I give you leave to kill them. I don’t want to stick them for trial. I just need a head. Alive is preferred, but I need a head.

Of course, my Lord. Your Will be done.
“My security cordon will try and catch them. Lethal force has been authorised” I informed the polar bear as he crossed himself again.“Will you stop doing that?” I asked him as I watched the cabin get closer from the UAV thermal feed.“Driver, halt. Drop the ramp. HRT, dismount” I informed the LAV driver as the crew chief unlatched the doors and the twelve members of Michigan HRT dismounted from our IFV. I was in the lead, Agent Cargonaught close behind. I made a fist to halt the agents and with paw signals sent four down the right and four down the left side of the cabin. The remaining agents followed me down the middle as I removed the ballistic shield from my back.Unlike the rest of the HRT team with me, I was not using image intensifiers to manoeuvre in the darkness of the forest. For though the waxing half moon shown its light, the thick trees swallowed up the light and plunged us into near-darkness. I watched the outlines of souls, and it sickened me that there was another small pup about to be branded inside the shack.“Sir! Wait up!” Agent Cargonaught whispered as the polar bear was wearing a pair of experimental image enhancers from a South African electronics start-up with the classification of Die Dood se Eie Nagvisie, Markus 1 [Death's Own Night Vision, Mark 1.].“Mike Four, are you in position to breach?” I asked the fourth agent from Michigan HRT if they had arrived as I saw the shack door appear from out of the gloom, a solitary naked twelve-watt bulb casting a yellow light on the crumbling porch.The reply from the four-mammal squad of “Not yet sir. There’s a small gathering of mammals in a clearing we need to cross” gave me pause. There was no clearing near the cabin. Unless the four had gotten turned around and headed off in a different direction. Switching frequency immediately, I gave the order to the UAV operator to switch position from his orbit to the clearing.  “Lima Four One, proceed to the clearing near Mike Four’s location. Weapons free if that’s a Klan meeting” I ordered the operator, a rhino named Reinhardt. “Copy that, sir” came the heavy accented voice as the drone’s engine buzz faded from my hearing.“Mike Nine, are you in position to breach?” I asked the ninth agent, switching back to our frequency, as her last position was just ten metres from the abandoned riverside pier of the shack.“Yes sir. We better hurry. I can hear the mocking” came the lioness’ hushed voice as I raised my ballistic shield and Agent Cargonaught appeared with three more agents.“Place that charge” I ordered the lioness agent and Mike Five as the red fox did so and lit the fuse. He then took cover behind the shield as I gave last-minute instructions for the flashbang throw from Mike Ten as the property shook with simultaneous bangs.“FBI! FBI! DROP IT!” came the shout from the lower portion of the shack as my shield took a shotgun round as the four mammals with me fired back. Their more accurate shots tearing open a groundhog wielding a sawed-off double barrel shotgun.“DROP IT OR I DROP YOU!” came another shout as the agents with me cleared the area, with a second firearms discharge impacting into the shield as I peeked around with the gold Deagle. A shot from this pistol would kill a groundhog even with a vest.“NATURAL ORDER!” was shouted out before the loud snaps of unsuppressed rifles silenced whatever else would have come out.“Lima Four One, talk to me” I switched frequencies once more to the drone operator.“Sierra Actual, I have an assortment of predators on the live feed. They’re just standing there, waiting for something or someone” the operator replied.“Zoom in and tell me what they’re wearing” I ordered as I replaced the dinged ballistic shield back in its position behind me as I approached a quivering groundhog in the corner with my pistol out.   
Where are you?

Holding position in spread-out fashion. No groundhogs spotted yet, my Lord. We are on all fours and scenting the air. It reeks of fear.

Approach the area reeking of fear and if those are predator kits, do not kill. I want to know where they are all coming from.

If there are groundhogs, we are not holding back.

If they shoot at you, don’t hold back. The agents with me know you have come along.
“Show me your paws. Up, slowly” I ordered the groundhog as the mammal tried forming words, but none came from their throat. “Up. Now!” I ordered as I put my index finger on the trigger and prepared to fire.“Sierra Actual, there are predator pups with them. Looks to be wolves in suits and otter pups. Holding fire as the pups may get hit” the operator interrupted, and my attention drifted away from the ground hog. I had half-turned when a hot round entered my side. Snapping up the pistol on instinct, I fired two rounds into the groundhog gripping a hidden pistol and tore him in half.“You idiot” I muttered out as I stepped over the gasping and bleeding form of one Jared T. Possum. “Know that Hell awaits a rapist of kits. Predator or prey, their desecration leads to your sentencing. Burn” I talked to the grey light as I flicked it downwards into Lucifer’s waiting arms.“Sierra Actual, the wolves are leaving. The otter pups appear to be in cages” the operator continued to talk.“Mike Four, do you have visual?” I asked the FBI HRT squad as silence reigned in the cabin with some sobbing coming up from the lower portion.The crack and rattle of automatic fire over the airwaves was confirmation that either the team had been spotted or the enhanced mammals were.“Mike Four, talk to me” I called out as I followed the sobbing and blubbering whimpers down a set of stairs. I brought forward the first-aid kit attached to my waist and unzipped the bag. The whiff of iodine meant that the bullet had punctured the plastic inside before it had entered my body and out the other side.“Mike Four. Heavily engaged sir!” the agent shouted out as the team fired back at the rattling cadence of LMG fire.
How close are you? My agents are getting shot at.

Here! Separating the caged pups from the interlopers!
“Mike Four to any units nearby. We are pinned on the outskirts of a clearing by heavy weapons fire. We need an ‘AAAAAAAAAARRRRRRRRROOOOOOOOOOOOO’ mediate medevac and air support” the soul-splitting howl of Rook sounded as feline roars and yowls joined in, almost drowning out the agent’s broadcast as the heavy fire directed away from them.“Uh, Mike Four to Command? Rook is here and he brought friends. You can belay the back-up” the agent broadcast incredulously as I chuckled in the cabin.Trust Rook to make such an entrance and steal the show. The moment I finished descending the spiral staircase, and discreetly snapping the mess in my medic bag away, I wondered if I was a little hasty on passing judgement on Jared Possum.I came upon a dirty-looking kitchen with taffy bubbling away in a pot that did not seem to have been washed since the Animalian War of Independence. There were eight coyote pups weeping in the arms of the FBI agents and one more was trying to curl in on himself to hide the brand stamped into his behind.The ninth coyote pup stopped trying to hide the brand when I approached, prostrating his naked form on the mud floor of the kitchen, and whimpered.“Hey now, it’s okay” I tried to placate the pup as I knelt and reached into the bag for a blanket before he whimpered even more as his shaved tail brushed the fresh-looking brand and his anal ring looked sore.“Agents,” my breaths came out slow and steady as I fought not to burn the cabin to the ground with the bound groundhogs inside, “how deep was the groundhog forcing himself on the pup whimpering at my feet?”“I think he had just pulled out, sir” the lioness reported with a sneer at the snivelling groundhog she had kicked into the pot-bellied stove, searing off his fur.“I will review the bodycam footage later, but I will ask you to leave me alone with them for a bit. Take the pups with you. I have some ‘persuading’ to do” I informed them as Agent Cargonaught left without protest back out the breaching hole. The eight pups following the white bear out.
Soleado: My Lord, the wolves were sheep in disguise. We have put them to flight. Mitternacht is reconnecting with his uncle, the one you call Rook. I, however, must admit my failure. I was unable to prevent one of the sheep from leaving with more mortal injuries. All I got was his right eye.

How many dead for us?

None, My Lord! The bullets bounced off our hides.

Interesting. Give me everything after I finish torturing the gang leader.
Of course, my Lord.  And my punishment?
You have done your best under the circumstances and under restrictions. This was my failing, not yours.

As You Will, My Lord.
“Normally, I would wait for your injuries to heal before I begin questioning” I spoke as I picked up the ninth pup and tapped him on his forehead, sending him to sleep. I wrapped him in a rabbit-sized Carrot Days blanket and put him back onto the kitchen table. “Your son shot at me and has paid the price” I informed the groundhog who got angry for all of three seconds before screaming out in pain as I emptied the vat of taffy onto him. The metal handle not even singeing my fur.“Give me the location of Jared’s friend and you can walk” I snarled out as the groundhog continued to scream from being burned in the hot, wax-like candy. A groundhog with curlers in her fur screamed back that her brother would get me.I then had the pleasure of informing them that Sheriff Possum was just killed in the derelict manor house for resisting arrest and attempted murder of a federal agent.  She screamed that I was bluffing, and I grabbed her, before dunking her in the remaining taffy. I held her under until her movements grew sluggish before bringing her back up again.Seeing as I would be getting nothing from Jared’s parents, only appreciating that a check came in every 14th of the month from Farnsworth Enterprises. A quick mental scan told me they had stashed the cleared checks in a shoebox in the main manor’s former library, only using this place to intimidate the predator population into moving out.“Danny, talk to me” I spoke into the radio as I removed my pistol from its shoulder holster and fired two rounds each into the husband and wife from the Five-Seven I carried as back-up.“Are they dead?” I heard the snarl from the albino wolf.“Just finished, why?” I asked, the address on one of the checks saying it was just down the road from the Treasury Department in D.C. proper.“Because there are desiccated predator corpses in the cellar, sir. Not just kits, these look like adults. I can speculate, but I need your expertise sir” Agent Wolfex replied as I looked at the blackened souls standing before me.“Get Forensics and Evidence Response on the horn. I will be there shortly after I cleanse a killing field” I informed the albino as the woods around the cabin cried out with the blood of the innocent.“You do you Shinigami. Lima Romeo, out” Agent Wolfex replied as he closed the connection.“For mammals espousing to be of the Christian faith, the two of you are hypocritical to the extreme. Heaven washes their paws off of you. Please enjoy this express trip to Hell” I informed them as the two souls vanished, reappearing at the cloven hooves of the Balrog gate guard outside the seventh circle. The demon looked up at the perpetually red sky and saw gazing back down. With a small incline of his horned head, John the Balrog snatched the two and hurled them inside towards the third ring.“Two new additions, how exciting!” Lucifer popped up beside me in the cabin, the mud floor swiftly turning into pottery with the heat he was putting out. The wood nearest him beginning to smoulder. I grabbed the snoozing coyote pup and kept him close, the blanket may not burn as it had asbestos, but he would.“Those poor pups” I sighed out as the ‘Most Unclean’ one looked around the smoking cabin. I tapped on the coyote pup in my arms and a blue shield appeared to protect from fire and smoke.“Well, when you get the time, send some more politicians my way. Wink, wink” Lucifer clapped me on the shoulder and disappeared. The cabin bursting into flame as I walked out the breached hole, consuming Jared’s corpse, and the corpses of his parents. I brushed off the foreign magic on my shoulder and it landed in the dirt to sprout into a single deadly nightshade flower.“I’ll take him, sir” Agent Savannah, the lioness, offered to take the pup in my arms as she approached us.“No need” I shook my head, and she backed off. I tapped the soul strings of the nine coyote pups to look for their families. Not surprisingly, the return ping came from the Lakota reservation near Wyoming’s Yellowstone Park.“Agent Savannah, I need you to coordinate with the Wyoming field office. Find me evidence of predator kits going missing in the state. These guys” here I pointed at the passed-out pup in my arms, “came from the Lakota reservation. Also, let the governor know I am taking a personal interest in this case. He’ll know what I mean. Especially when you give him half the code phrase: ‘All is dust’. Wait for his reply”.“I don’t think Governor Malcador would want to deal with a lowly FBI agent” the lioness demurred as she thought about logistics and her own family turning her back on her. They would know the moment she landed at the regional airport.“Well, he would like to hear from his granddaughter personally, Agent Malcador. Not the tremulous news he receives from your estranged parents” I informed the stunned lioness as I used her maiden name, not her married one. “Don’t act surprised. Secrets don’t stay hidden for long with me” as Agent Cargonaught nodded.“How do I get there without setting off my family? Sir?” Agent Malcador asked as I pondered that question for half a minute before smiling. She smiled back as she shivered.“Your grandfather should be sitting down to dinner right about now” I answered as I snapped the fingers on my right paw as she and Agent Cargonaught vanished. The coyote pups floating mid-air, before they too vanished. All nine pups being sent to The Ranch for medical evaluation.“Take a deep breath, agents. We’re headed back to the clearing” I informed the other six as I snapped, and we vanished.A nosy mammal peeking in at us, losing their head to Soleador’s blade as the lion had doubled back to us.=====================================================================================
2000 Hours (2000 Hours D.C.)

July 21, 2000

The Clearing,

Pine Bluff, Arkansas

Special Agent Anthony Beckett
 We were cataloguing the scene when the deputy director arrived in a flash of blue light, startling those of us unused to his mode of rapid insertion; myself included.“Any updates on the otter pups?” he asked as he appeared with parts of Michigan HRT in tow, curiously both Agent Cargonaught and Special Agent Savannah were absent.  The question was directed to my partner, Special Agent William Duboise (Mike Four), and I saw the bison fidget nervously.I stepped up and gave a slight cough that had our deputy director focus his blue-eyed gaze towards me instead.And now, I figured out why Will was getting nervous. Those eyes of the snow leopard looked decidedly otherworldly. As if reading my thoughts, he grinned toothily at me.“Besides being stuck in captivity for just over a week, sir? None show any physical deformities or injuries” I informed him as two more mammals appeared from within bars of blue light. One of them was a wolf carrying a trauma bag with the international symbol of the Red Cross and dwarfed even Special Agent Antonio Kanga as the elephant looked small height wise. The other was a more average-sized Bengal tiger holding a laptop of all things.“Rook,” Deputy Director del Morte addressed the tall wolf as he approached with the buff tiger. “who is this fellow?”The reply was unintelligible as the wolf spoke only in grunts and growls, before walking towards the first set of cages with the otters inside.“Treasury Agent Rooibok, sorry we had to meet under these circumstances. May I ask what this is?” the deputy director received the laptop and took it off the psychedelic screen saver.“Sorry to disturb you sir on your tactical op, but we got another hit from our UNSUB. We borrowed Talon and we were able to narrow down the search to the D.C. suburbs. Director Savage insisted we contact you before we go any further” the tiger, identified now as Treasury Agent Rooibok, scratched the back of his orange-furred head.“Line’s still active” the deputy director commented on a potential cybercrime.“Yes sir. Talon has been keeping the line open. Has also called the hack attempt as a ‘pitiful ploy by a mammal with severe daddy issues’, sir” Treasury Agent Rooibok admitted readily as I took a step back from the discussion.I took another and another until I was no longer within hearing range of the deputy director. Instead, I joined the tall wolf as he carefully opened the cages where the otters were stored.“Special Agent Rook?” I asked the tall wolf as he gave me the side-eye, paws still moving to disengage the locking mechanism.“Castle” the wolf rumbled out, his voice deep enough to make me feel like I stood in front of a bass speaker.“Special Agent Rook Castle?” I persisted in asking the wolf who looked at me like I was being stupid. As the silence from him dragged on, and I felt weird just asking more from him, he spoke a clarification that was dripping with condescension.“Danish Security and Intelligence Service Special Agent Frank Fenrir Castle” the wolf replied before turning away to focus on removing the cage door that separated two otter pups.“Uh…good to know. Can I ask you anything else……shutting up now” I stammered and thought of another question before the rumbling growl of the wolf shut me up.In the background I could hear the deputy director let Director Savage know that they found the location.Armed marines would take point.=====================================================================================
2015 Hours

Conference Room,

FBI Headquarters,

Washington, D.C.

FBI Director Jack Savage

“Director, Metal Zero One is ready to breach the structure” came the radio call-out from Shinigami’s favoured controller, Overlord.“Go ahead, general. It’s all on your boys now. I’m just here to watch” I replied as the entire street went dark on the monitor as Con Venison shut the power off.The green-tinted version of night-vision goggles was all the striped jackrabbit could see as the Tier One operators planted a charge on the unassuming two-storey stucco structure’s front door. More armed operators were stacking up on the sheet metal fence with their own explosive charge, on another monitor. With a loud bang, the door was blown off its hinges, and a flashbang was tossed in, the bright flash just off screen would have been blinding to the mammal had they looked directly at it.  =====================================================================================
2015 Hours

1942 Silver Spring Drive,

Silver Spring,

Washington, D.C.

Delta Force Operative Frost

“Frost, plant that breach charge. Everyone inside is considered hostile” my squad leader, Sandmammal, ordered me as I placed a C4 charge on the lockplate.“Copy, Sandmam” I replied as I set the fuse and made myself as flat as possible against the brick façade.The C4 detonated with a bang and Chaff threw in a flashbang to further deafen anyone in the front entryway.“Overlord, Metal Zero One, moving in” my sergeant informed our overwatch controller as we advanced into the structure.“Overlord copies your last. Be advised that Ghost One will be joining you shortly. He has a score to settle with this cell” the controller let us know that our best friend would be coming along for the party.“Hehe. Awright” Griffin commented behind me as the brown bear then took point with his ballistic shield. I followed him up the stairs as our squad split with the other half clearing the ground floor.Griff and I only made it halfway up the stairs when a hippo calf went out from one of the doors. The two of us froze, until we remembered that we had used an explosive entry, and the calf was most likely scared.“Psst, over here bud” I whispered to the calf who looked at us with wide eyes before dashing back into his room and latching it.“Guess he’s scared” Griff commented as the bear opened the first door on our left, a bathroom. Finding nothing inside that even remotely matched our mammal, we closed it and left fluorescent chalk to mark the door as cleared.The chalk would only fluoresce under UV light. No tampering with it by mammals without similar equipment.Griff kicked in the next door, the one beside the calf’s bedroom. I tossed in a flashbang and, after it detonated, we rushed in and found a hippo clutching his chest.“Overlord, we have hostages inside the structure. How copy, over?” I radioed back to the controller as I put the rifle back onto its sling as I approached.I had only moved two paces when a loud crack sounded in the bedroom with a bright flash, and I fell backwards to stare up at the ceiling. It only registered later that I had been shot by the hippo clutching his chest.DUT-DUT-DUT!The hippo’s blood staining the wall as Griff executed him.“Hey mam, you okay?” he asked me as I blinked away tears from getting hit in the vest.When I failed to respond, he tapped his radio “Overlord, this is Griffin. Frost is down. Vest took most of the hit, how copy?”“Overlord copies your last, Griffin. Medic and squad is enroute to your location. All mammals inside are hostile. I say again, all mammals are hostile. Terminate with extreme prejudice” the controller replied in a neutral voice, making what he said all the worse.“Well, this is a right mess” a familiar voice entered my consciousness as our snow leopard showed up with another in tow. The other snow leopard carrying a medic bag as he saw to my injuries, not saying a word.“Who headcapped the patriarch?” Ghost asked the two of us, somehow the sounds in the house getting worse as I struggled to breathe.“Boss, Operative Frost has two broken ribs. Clear him for rapid transport?”“I’ll buy some shares in Kevlar” I smiled despite the pain from my ribcage. It came out more as a grimace, exposing my flat teeth.“You’ll be doing push-ups by next week” the medic assured me as he brought out a syrette and waved it in my vision. “Morphine?”“How about 800mg Motrin?” I joked and coughed as it hurt to laugh.“Overlord, Ghost One onsite. Sending Frost back to the rear” Ghost spoke into his own tactical radio as the rest of our radios got the reply message.“Overlord copies your last. Last hit from Talon indicates a basement level not on the original plans” our controller replied as he gave permission for me to leave.“Stay still Frost. Last time I did this, someone lost their dick” the medic treating me said as he concentrated, scrunching his face cutely before I vanished from sight.“Hey, no! Not my…” I protested from the carpeted mahogany floor as the implications hit me.Only to reappear inside the darkened control space of Joint Special Operations Command as I stared up at Marine General Archibald Witwicky the Fourth. The black bear looked down at me and grinned.“…dick” I finished with a meek wave.“You calling me a dick, son?” General Witwicky asked as he bent down to lift me up.“No sir. Just need to rest a bit. Took a round to the plate carrier and broke something” I replied weakly.“Corpsmam, see this operator to the infirmary!” the general barked out an order as a white-tailed stag knelt beside me to assist me up.“Go get ‘em, Shinigami” I whispered as I hobbled with aid to the infirmary somewhere in this sprawling compound. I just hoped it wasn’t on the other side of the complex.=====================================================================================
July 21, 2000

2030 Hours

1942 Silver Spring Drive,

Silver Spring,

Washington, D.C.

Ghost One Actual (Shinigami)
 It was easy sending mammals back to the rear.Easier still to heal mammals in the field before sending them back.Taking lives was never supposed to be easy.A testament to how much I changed. How much I embraced my persona as the Grim Reaper.“Overlord, Ghost One Actual. Three more mammals down. Checking master bedroom” I informed our controller as Griffin stacked up behind me. With a snap of my fingers, the door crumbled, and I tossed in a fragmentation grenade. The dull whumpf of a grenade going off cleared the way for Griffin and I to sweep the master bedroom.“Overlord, master bedroom clear. No sign of our mammals” I informed the controller as I sent a ping downwards and upwards.“Overlord copies your last, Ghost One. Be advised that Sandmam cannot find an entrance to the basement level” the controller replied, seemingly stuck.“No worries, Overlord. Transporting in two seconds. Metal is moving in two…one” as we vanished in a burst of blue light.=====================================================================================The six of us appeared outside a wooden door. Above us sat the house’s foundations. Behind us was a tunnel system that led outside. There were lights running along the walls, but the camera that should have captured us, fried with the EMP generated by my teleportation.“Breach that room, Metal” I advised the Delta Force team as Sandmammal placed a C4 charge on the door. The metallic-sounding clang when his rifle smacked the door accidentally cluing them in that we needed a shaped charge.Or one Shinigami.“Metal, get behind me. Deploy your shields” I ordered the team as they did so, hunkering down behind ballistic shields.I approached the two-inch thick reinforced steel door cleverly disguised as an oak equivalent. Grinning wildly, I tapped the four corners of the door, and before the SpecOps team’s eyes, the door rusted away into nothing.I stepped through and threw up an invisible shield around my person. The crack of shots rang out and the rounds flattened against me, the energy dissipating against the shield. Some of the shots missed and smacked into the raised shields of the Delta team.All I did was smile at the security agents in the phishing bunker. The guards began to shiver as I pulled on their souls, gritting their teeth as they tried to resist.“Naughty mammals need to be punished” I wagged my index finger at them as I tugged on their souls, harder this time; dropping them to their knees as Metal 0-1 entered with rifles drawn.“We got this sir. Find the Boss” Sandmammal informed me as I weaved through the darkened computers, the mammals that were typing away now hiding beneath their desks.They would not escape the bunker. Nor could they.Applying the same barrier I used against Agent Wolfex in Sicily at the only exit, a poor decision by Mr. Farnsworth, only Team Metal could leave.Everyone else would have to wait until they died, or I cleared them personally. Small mammals like mice and rats could not hitch a ride either as they would smack into the barrier and float.“~Oh Mister Farnsworth…come out, come out, wherever you are~” I mocked him as his soul shone through the concrete walls. One of the braver hackers rushing me with a box cutter and collapsing onto the carpeted concrete floor as I pulled his soul away to hell.Lucifer always did like financial crimes for some reason, as I sent the soul to meet him. Something about bean counting.I stopped in front of another wooden door, this one made of just plywood. Beyond was the delicious-tasting soul of one Michael J. Farnsworth III.“You want money? I can give you money! How much you want?” the hippo basically threw sheafs of Treasury bonds at me the moment I opened the door.“Oh, this was never about the money. Mister Farnsworth. This was about…sending a message” I answered as I grinned toothily at him, pulling out the Japanese short sword from its scabbard. The blade clearing with barely a whisper.Ideally, the 1.5-ton hippo should have been able to crush a 150kg snow leopard.   Realistically, the hippo stood no chance as he belatedly charged with an unwieldy cavalry sabre. Drawing on swordsmammalship lessons with Rook and my own future past, I safely sidestepped any and all attempts to skewer me.“Slow” I remarked as he telegraphed his first swing and I dodged nimbly.“Sloppy” as he barely met the fur around my neck, dislodging a few loose hairs with his next swing.“Sad” as I blocked his next attempt with the sharp edge of the wakizashi and physically hurled him backwards.“My turn” was his only warning as I took off his left hoof and he dropped the sabre to clutch at the bleeding stump of his left arm. I scooped up the sabre, admiring the tang of the well-crafted blade as I loped off his right arm at the shoulder.“Why are you doing this? It’s simply business” the hippo shrieked out he had fallen onto his back, brown eyes gazing fearfully into my own.“Because your ‘business’ ruined quite a few lives recently. I’m merely here to return the favour” I replied as I pulled out the Israeli Military Industry gold-plated Desert Eagle and aimed it at his head. “Say hi to Jared for me” I added as the hippo bull cried out in agony from his missing limbs.“I don’t know a (Jared!)” his shouted reply was cut off by two solid reports from my pistol. The heavy slugs thoroughly destroying any brain still left in the thick skull and ruining the powerful heart in the muscular cage.I blew out the smoke coming off my pistol’s barrel and returned it to its hip holster.With but a gesture, I moved the dead hippo away from the comfortable chair he was using to defraud the federal government. The computer, like everything else in the bunker, was still running. Despite the Bureau cutting off electricity to the entire street, the hippo cleverly tapped into the emergency power line that the city had for federal buildings.As a giant middle finger to the Treasury Department, he was using their own power supply to run his stock shorting venture. From what I gleaned in the brief glimpse into his mind, Jared and he were very much intertwined. Jared would drive out predators from Pine Bluff, keeping the population skewed in favour of prey; Michael would supply the money gained from shorting securities stocks and divert part of the earnings to a mysterious third player. That mysterious player would ensure that cheap labour could be found across the border, smuggling them in via corrupt officials and outright threats. To ensure that the mammals, mostly predators, would comply; their offspring would be taken away and effectively held for ransom.Had I not already conversed with Detroit Police Detective Kurt, I would think it was him. There were only two mammals left on the chain: Richard N’gomba and Alexander Persimmon.“Overlord, Ghost One. Tango Lead fought back and is now K.I.A. Plugging you into his computer for financials” I informed the controller as I looked down at the cooling corpse of the once-mighty hippo.“Affirmative, Ghost One. Treasury is asking for access and suggests we turn it over to them” the controller answered and clued me in that Treasury wanted a go. Oddly, only after the operation was over.“Something smells rotten in Treasury, Overlord. The guy had one of their specialised access codes. Talon is back-checking” I replied as the code the hippo used to monitor fraud was only given to thoroughly vetted agents. Never to freelance with how easy it was to abuse.Talon was the one checking the code for me and who last had access to it before the hippo.
Talon, what do you have?

If he is not dead yet, I suggest three bullets into his brain. He has co-opted the code to ignore his own dirty dealings, hiding behind the line of hypothetical scenarios.

Can you fix the breach?

Sure. This is simply a bypass gate, and I am closing the vulnerability. I can do something more permanent and leave a program that will lock unauthorised users from ever using it again.

Copy it and see if it fits you.

I did. Whoever coded this better be shot in-person. There are so many holes in the code, you could drive one of those Airbus A380 jets into one and the tailfin won’t hit anything.

Ouch. That bad?

That’s the minor issue. If you want, and the federal government approves, I can rewrite the entire code myself to close all the vulnerabilities. And ping the appropriate agency in case someone tries to slide their way in.

I’ll float that idea at the next Congressional hearing. For now, can you trace where the money went?
I was already thinking about the hearing and the headache it would cause. I just muttered, “To national security, may it never be exposed as a fraud”.
Sure can, Ivan. It went down to a holding company based in Waco, Texas and with headquarters in Houston. It’s called Fresh Fruit and Financial Holdings, LLC. Also, only prey are staffers there. The only predators are those mandated to fill positions that prey don’t want like maintenance or drivers. The Board of Directors are all squirrels and no predators. They bypassed federal law by using predatorial last names.

When did it first open and how did it open?

When you donated blood for Shadowfax and through discreet sums of money changing paws.

Bypassing federal law is a felony. Send me the location and it’s a bloodletting.

Sure can!
My phone then pinged with the current board and I chuckled as I looked at the open eyes of the hippo corpse.  “Your friend is going to find out how down on his luck he is about to be” I whispered as I made my way out of the office, Talon erasing the hard drive as he made back-ups.“Overlord, I need a ride to Texas. Houston, specifically” I abruptly informed the controller and was met with silence for a few moments.“Uh…call Director Savage first sir” the controller replied as I lifted out my phone to do just that.“Tango is down inside” I informed Metal 0-1 as Sandmammal nodded assent, looking up from tying the rest of the mammals in the bunker.“Okay mammals, this is where you tell me what I want to hear, and I decide if you get to see the inside of a courtroom. That or…” I informed the restrained mammals, all prey, as I clapped twice, and fluorescent lighting lit up the bunker.“You’ll let us go?” one mule deer asked hopefully.“No. I bury you here with your boss” I replied as I kicked the hippo’s corpse towards him.“Start talking” I informed the suddenly silent room.=====================================================================================I left the bunker with twelve of sixteen mammals in tow for processing and possible jail time. Metal had simply shrugged as they gave me the prisoners. I led them out of the bunker complex, treading the well-worn path out into fresh air. Once I emerged, I noticed the placement of the bunker entrance was ingeniously disguised as a Con Venison substation generator.Four of the mammals had active terror cases against them and I sent them to Guantanamo for interrogation with Metal.I never even touched the keypad beside the door.Once I approached the camera, the twin sliding doors opened and a scared Arabian mare fell through. This one was wearing the same casual attire as the dozen in chains but looking unbelievably flustered.“Guys! We gotta get out of here! The Feds have come…..to……tooowwwnnnnn….” her hurried speech slowed suddenly when she saw who was at the head of the column as I raised my eyebrow at her.“Been wondering where you went Miss Lively. You skipped your parole hearing down in Charleston. I have a warrant and a shoot-on-sight order. Which do you want me to do, hmm?” I informed her as I brought her workmates out of the bunker with chains around their ankles.“You jerk!” she shouted at me and did the one thing mammals were always warned against when engaging with law enforcement. She drew an unlicenced firearm from her waist.The mare barely cleared the waistline of her form-fitting jeans when I fired two rounds into her cranial cavity. Followed by one more into the chest for good measure in a reverse Mozambique drill.The loud shots drew attention as four D.C. police officers ran towards the fallen mare, drawing on me before thinking better of it.“Officers, kindly escort these friendly mammals back down to the Bureau cordon. I have unfinished business” I touched the brim of my helmet at the night shift officer with sergeant stripes on his uniform.“Jennings, Clover do as he says. Would you like anything to drink or eat, sir?” the buffalo ordered two of his subordinates to escort the dozen mammals around the fallen mare as he got obsequious with me, hoping to further his career by being seen talking with me.“I’m craving hot toddies” I answered, and the officer winced.Alcohol was not to be drunk on the job after all.Well, not publicly drunk on the job.“I’m just messing with you, sergeant. Place a police barricade around this substation and no one gets in or out without clearance. I have the Secret Service coming over as well to secure the crime scene” I put the officer at ease and ramping up the tension once more.“Officers Jennings and Clover, if those mammals bolt. I am authorised for lethal response. Don’t touch the restraints!” I shouted at the curious officers who bent to examine the unique-looking chain cuffs. The way they quickly backed away, and the groan of their sergeant, meant this had happened before.“Sorry sir. Can you, uh…walk with me, sir?” the buffalo asked as he now looked incredibly ill at ease. He was looking at a career-killer instead of a career-booster.“How’s the wife and calves?” I asked the buffalo so he could loosen up a little, applying a minute amount of power to free up his tongue. He was wound tighter than a spring on an old alarm clock. If he kept getting this tightly-wound, it would not take much for him to simply snap. His road abruptly ends when he takes his service pistol and kills his own family after one argument too many. I’m simply nudging him away from that road.“Mary is pregnant with my fourth calf. We’re looking to get her tubes tied after this one. Andrea hates it when I call her by name, thinks she can hack it over in Zootopia as the best damn barista there ever was. Caroline wants to join the force and I’m proud of her for being a trier. Jonas, though, wants to be a career criminal and keep his big sister on her toes. To be fair, he is four and I hope he grows out of it” the buffalo relented as he talked about his personal life as I pretended not to see a few reporters snapping pictures of the two of us.Fox News had dispatched their youngest reporter once they realised that I would be somewhere about.“Deputy Director del Morte, can you tell us what happened here?” Anthony Redrum asked, the red deer pricking his ears forward.“Afraid I can’t comment on an ongoing investigation” I replied, our go-to if there was sensitive information.“Come on, not even for your favourite media company?” the deer pleaded as the camera lights were kept away from my face. The last time someone had focused camera lights on me, the camera exploded from a sniper’s bullet.Coincidentally, I had saved the camera mammal’s life as the hitmammal’s shot would have taken him out.  =====================================================================================Fox’s CEO, Rupert Redrum, had a soft spot for me apparently and whatever stories they could use to squeeze me into their segments.That, and I had saved his boy from committing suicide, or so he claimed.His boy was going to jump from the top of the Verrazano Narrows bridge tower into the Hudson below on Christmas Eve. A snow leopard in a suit had talked him down. Once the boy was on the ground, the snow leopard took off his scarf and wrapped it around the young scion. Vanishing among the crowd as if he never was.Which made a fascinating story for the cocktail party, not so much when you check, and I was not in-country when the incident occurred. I was onboard the Nimitz coming home from Colombia.Also, I don’t have any scarves.Whoever that snow leopard was, if it even was a snow leopard, had retreated into anonymity.=====================================================================================“Even for you guys, I’m sorry. That’s just the way it is, and I still have more leads to chase down” I informed the red deer as diplomatically as I could.“Just even a little tidbit?” the deer pressed as more reporters arrived and extended their boom mikes to get a snippet of news.“Come to the FBI’s Press Office tomorrow in D.C. and I’ll have packets to share. For now, I’d like to sleep, and I guess you guys do as well” I replied as I yawned out, feigning exhaustion by leaning on the buffalo sergeant.“We’ll see you tomorrow Deputy Director del Morte” the red deer agreed as the camera’s red light shut off and the Fox News team wrapped up.That saved them from me frying everyone else’s equipment when I snapped my fingers behind my back.  =====================================================================================
0530 Hours

July 22, 2000

Guest Bedroom,

2nd Floor, White House,

Washington, D.C.

FBI/CIA Deputy Director Ivan del Morte
 I awoke from a fitful sleep as Talon filled my dreams with variables and connections drawn from Michael Farnsworth’s extensive dealings with corrupt agents, politicians, and media personnel.I no longer needed to actually sleep, that action slowly being taken away from me as I grew into my powers. Just the action of closing my eyes and entering the REM cycle for an hour was fruitful for continued mental health.Due to how late I got back from Silver Springs, Director Savage had managed to accommodate me for a stay at the White House. After quietly chastising me for not looping him in about the Press Office.I gave him a flash drive with what could be publicly shared. Talon had worked fast and gave me a copy while I was dealing with Michael Farnsworth.President Linton was all too accommodating and had agreed readily to put up with me for the night.I had joked that the Presidential couch would be just fine for a quick nap. The First Lady had given me a glare and insisted I take the guest bedroom. The least she could do for me before the election season began in earnest. I was neutral during campaign season at any rate.Republicans and Demorats both wanted my endorsement. Foremost crime fighter was bandied about by both sides.The radicals in both parties, of course, eschewed the bloody paw I extended. There was a kill count being falsely ascribed to me that numbered in the hundreds.If I let them know I had taken down civilizations, would they censure me or get out of my way?Though I considered just snapping myself clean, I preferred the soothing action of running water on my fur as I shampooed out the dirt.With my mind made up, I got up from the luxurious eider down bed and remade it as I found it last night. A snap of my fingers and whatever dust I trekked in from both Arkansas and Silver Spring vanished, keeping the carpet clean as I made my way over to the fantastically accoutred Art Deco bathroom of 1927 vintage. The White House staff had no qualms on letting me use the facility, as they knew it would be in the same condition I found it in, or even better.I had barely turned on the taps for the antique claw-footed bathtub when a knock sounded on the door to the bedroom. Filling up the 120 US gallon (454.25 L) bathtub with the flowrate from the taps at a modest 15 litres per minute, I had at most 30 minutes to get back into the tub for a soak before it overflowed.Making my way over to the room door, I pulled on a fluffy bathrobe with the presidential seal. I had discarded all items of clothing as I had walked to the bathroom, and I did not want to offend the First Lady if that was her knocking.I opened the door and was met by one of the Secret Service agents from my trip to Marseille.“Good morning, Special Agent Mallows” I nodded at the black bear who nodded back with his own silent nod.An injury suffered on the job had robbed the bear of his voice. I had offered to restore it, but the bear had only shaken his head. He was only three months from retirement, and he would serve till he dropped. That or a miracle would let him stay on as he was just thirty, well in his prime.The bear had become proficient with sign language, but when seconds counted he would not be able to convey his message across fast enough.Every language was available to me as the adjudicator of Life and Death. To hurry along his comment, I snapped his voicebox into being.“The President wishes for you to join him and the First Family for breakfast at 0630” the black bear agent rasped out, before placing a paw on his throat in shock. I inclined my head and closed the door.The clawed tub was just calling for a soak.I should not have been too hasty for a post-op soak; else I would have noticed that the bear had placed his head on the outer door as he wept tears of bittersweet joy.I re-entered the steamy bathroom and shut off the taps. I had made a calculation error and because I had opened both taps at once, the tub overflowed in just under 15 minutes. With a sigh, I snapped the excess water off the floor and sent it into the Potomac.Shedding the fluffy bathrobe, I stepped into the wonderfully warm waters of the bathtub as the water wet my fur. Before I went in any further, I set a timer on my phone. It would not do to keep the President waiting after all.=====================================================================================
0615 Hours

Ensuite Bathroom,

2nd Floor Guest Bedroom,

White House,

Washington, D.C.

FBI Deputy Director Ivan del Morte
 I emerged from the clawfoot tub with fur thoroughly matted as water tried to escape my thick double coat of fur.One of the reasons why cape buffalo, hippos, and pigs of this world dried quickly was the lack of fur. Mammals with fur had to contend with fur dryers to help us dry. Those with double coats like me and polar bears stood under the dryers for far longer.Or in my case, with a snap of my fingers, I was now dry.Thinking about my three-piece charcoal grey suit, I snapped it into being around me with a pair of official Stripers boxer briefs. My holsters and badge came along for the ride.Mateo must be going nuts that my clothing appears and reappear at will.I stepped out of the bathroom as I smiled at my reflection in the mirror and remarked, “You handsome devil”. I did not stay long enough for my reflection to raise its eyebrows, roll his shoulders, and transform into Death as he chuckled “This is going to be fun”.I continued walking into the bedroom suite and picked up my rifle, tactical gear, and spare ammunition. Carefully arranging these together, I snapped them back to the Little Rock FBI office. Specifically, Agent Wolfex’s desk.Now accoutred in my power suit, I adjusted my red tie and opened the door to the hallway.And be pleasantly surprised at the amount of Secret Service agents with their weapons pointed at me.“Am I under arrest?” I asked playfully as they backed off, weapons still pointed at me.They could point their weapons at me all they wanted. With but a snap, they would be reduced to infants.The agents knew it too, all they could do was posture.“Special Agent Mallows? Why the welcoming committee?” I asked the bear as he sat in a chair in the opulent hallway along my route, as Secret Service shadowed me. And themselves being shadowed by my new security team that I pretended to be unaware of.  “My voice is back. How? Why?” he asked me as I knelt in front of him. His colleagues stopped and aimed their weapons as mine did as well at their backs.I smiled up at the bear with my fangs and heard his pulse start racing as his body flooded with adrenaline. At this range, I could tear his throat out and there was nothing the Secret Service could do. The amount of fear pheromones that were being put out by the mammals in the hallway was intoxicating.I opened my mouth and glided my tongue against my teeth. I let out a frosty breath that chilled the agents’ blood “If I wanted you dead, I would not have held Air Force One together until we could land at Antoine de Saint-Exupery airport in Lyon. I would have just let the plane crash, taking the First Family with it”.“I gave you back your voice Agent Mallows as this is one part of bringing this world back into balance. I’m certain you know of my confirmed kills. Be safe, Agent” I continued as I stood up, patting him on his cheek and whistling Death’s haunting melody as I continued to walk towards the staircase.“What just happened?” Secret Service Agent Liam Folgore asked incredulously as his team lowered their weapons.“Balance” a new voice spoke up as the agents tried to raise their rifles, but found them disassembled on the carpet.“Who are you?” the Secret Service tactical agent asked as he could only look at the squad’s weapons in dismay.“I am Agent Sheffield of Shadow Team One. Pleased to make your acquaintance” the enhanced lion answered as he stood a foot above his non-enhanced counterpart. The other lion whimpered as the other passed him by.=====================================================================================Meanwhile, I hummed a jaunty tune as I walked towards the family dining hall. Well, a dirge can be made to sound jaunty with the right notes.Walking down the stairs, I waved at the stiff-looking Secret Service agents. Only two of which waved back, those being Special Agent Longlegs and Tactical Agent Cummings of the Marseille flight.“Morning sir” both agents greeted me as they walked alongside as close-in protection. “What’s with all the stiff agents? Special Agent Folgore’s team pointed weapons in my face” I asked as I thought about who else I needed to neutralise.Alexander Persimmon was my most likely bet as the squirrel was openly flaunting his wealth in Houston, Texas. With a high-rise named after him, and with numerous other properties, the squirrel boasted that he was currently working with the likes of Preyda, Gucci, Louis Vuitton, and Coach to get some more manufacturing started locally. It being Texas, he was most definitely armed.Whether he could use the weapon remains to be seen.Richard N’gomba was currently travelling around the Midwestern states as a Baptist preacher. Not only that, but he was also the poorest of the preachers by comparison. His main place of worship was in a little township named Warba, Minnesota. Approximately a three-hour drive from Minneapolis, the township only hosted 361 mammals. The zebra looked tame on the surface, but prior experience already told me to watch out for the quiet ones.My contemplation was interrupted by Special Agent Longlegs clearing his throat. I gave the maned wolf my full attention as we walked towards the dining hall.“Sorry sir. It’s just that we had many credible attempts at assassination. They haven’t yet been read into your abilities and they speculated that you were the reason why Special Agent Mallows lost his voice” the maned wolf agent apologised.“I returned the voice this morning. I never took it” I replied as we came in sight of the doors to the hall.“The new guys are a superstitious lot, sir” Tactical Agent Cummings interjected as the heavily armed brown bear opened the door for me, closing it behind him as I entered and keeping the new security team outside.“Whoa there!” Secret Service Agent Longlegs held out his paw to the armed lion and his pride. The maned wolf’s paw looked pitifully small against the lion’s own. “Where do you think you’re going?” he asked.“With the Boss” was the rumbled lion’s reply. “We shall settle for guard duty here” the lion continued as the two tigers and one other lion took up sentry position along the corridor.=====================================================================================
Sheffield?

Yes sir?

Are you in the White House?

No, sir. I’m in Fort Bragg right now, why sir?

Someone is using your last name, but it feels like one of mine.

It might be the one from abroad, sir. Sheffield is a common last name in the British Isles.

Thanks. Soleador, is that you masquerading as Lieutenant Sheffield of 2nd Battalion Army Rangers?

No, my Lord. We are training with the one you call Rook as he runs us through drills and exercises to familiarise our lowly selves with your regimen. We are currently on the location known as The Ranch in Vulpinia.

Wonder who this is. Thanks Sol. How are you and your brethren fitting in?

We appreciate being checked up on. We missed this and look forward to our end of the month meal.
“Talon, which lion agent is outside the door to the dining room?” I tapped the charged communicator in my ear, my mental communications making me more befuddled.“That’s enhanced CIA agent Randolph Sheffield and his pride. They asked to be your close-in security from hereon out” the A.I. replied through my earpiece.“The lunar lions and tigers?” I asked, incredulous that they were ready to go within the span of a few days. It took Rook two months before I could take him along outside of the mansion without him gutting mammals who looked at him wrong.“Rook did not have the benefit of other similar mammals to help him control his baser instincts. Now, you do” Talon replied dispassionately, as if the A.I. was sassing me.“Are you using sass on me, young Talon?” I asked the program as he was feeling more alive to my senses than every other line of code that came before.“I do believe I am, sir” was the smug reply.“Keep it up. Also, any leads on which mammal is most likely bankrolling the drug and mammal smuggling?” I answered proudly as I sat at the dining table with First Lady Linton’s approval.“Initial data mining suggests it is grey squirrel Alexander Persimmon. The zebra, Richard N’gombo, has sought counselling and may be disregarded as a mammal of interest” Talon replied confidently using the West End accent I had shown preference for.“Very well, Talon. Keep me updated please. I’m sitting down to breakfast with the First Family” I informed the supercomputer as I felt the First Lady’s glare at the back of my grey-furred head.“Don’t forget your press release at 0830” Talon reminded me before closing the line.“Cheeky bugger” I muttered as I turned to face the First Lady who stage whispered “No business to be conducted at the table, Ivan. We’re trying to be a normal Animalian family”.I smiled warmly at that as the Secret Service agents chuckled.“Please pass the eggs, Madam First Lady” I respectfully queried her as she continued the glare. “May I have the eggs, Hilary?” I used the same address I used on our trip to Marseille in 1995.“You haven’t forgotten your manners after all” she commented as he passed the platter with Eggs Benedict prepared by the White House kitchen staff for the carnivorous deer family.“I try to be polite when dealing with political figures, Hilary. Sometimes I forget I may address you informally. Where may I ask is Bill?” I answered politely as I inquired after the president, whose noticeable absence at the head of the table was uncanny.“Bill wanted to try out something exotic for dinner last night. I think it was vindaloo chicken curry. He’s still on the Presidential throne, if you catch my drift” the First Lady saucily winked at me, before the two of us chuckled at the president’s misfortune with spicy food.“Do you want me to remove his symptoms of bloating, gassiness, and diarrhoea?” I asked as I raised my ‘magic paws’. In the manner by which Hilary shook her head, I knew that her husband had done something to merit the food.“Very well then, Hilary. I shall say no more about this matter” I remarked good-naturedly as I passed the eggs back to her waiting hoof. Chelsea was half-asleep in her bowl of cornflakes, the First Daughter obviously up all night.“Could you pass me the breadbasket, Ivan?” Hilary queried as the freshly baked soda bread was beside my plate. I took two of the soft rolls, four croissants, and floated the basket towards her.“Here you go, Hilary” I good-naturedly chuckled as the agents in the dining room goggled at the casual use of power.“If you weren’t a mammal of integrity, I’d ravage you in the Cloak Room!” Hilary waggled her eyebrows at me as her daughter cried out into her cereal “MOOOOMMM, WHY ARE YOU WEIRD?!”“Surely you jest, madam!” I effected a mock affronted air as I inhaled the wonderful spread. Buttering the soft roll and tearing pieces off to munch on, I speared some of the turkey slices prepared for carnivores.“Of course I am!” Hilary replied confidently, before stuttering out “Wait…that was not what I wanted to say!”“Coffee sir?” a Mexican wolf approached dressed in the uniform of the White House kitchen staff offered a cup of French Vanilla to me.“Yes please, Miss Azul” I answered as the wolf gasped and I scanned her surface thoughts.
No one had questioned her padded resume nor the fake address. It was only this snow leopard who did. Who was he?
“Be at peace, your pups are safe” I informed her as I kept the agents’ sidearms pinned in the holsters. “Madam First Lady” my tone brooked no argument, and the First Lady swallowed any protests as this was the professional speaking, “who hires the staff at the White House? An outside agency or recommendations from closer to home?”“Fruit Cake Mammalpower, Inc. is the one supplying the mammals and send these to be vetted by the FBI. Why?” the white-tailed deer asked in confusion.“Because this company is smuggling mammals into the country to work while holding their children hostage to enforce compliance. I just rescued twelve mammals already” I replied, sharing with her what Talon gave me.  “Oh my gods! That’s barbaric” the First Lady placed a hoof over her mouth.“I am sorry to have disrupted breakfast. I must go before the mammal flees” I informed her as I stood and kept a firm paw on the Juarez wolf.“Ivan” her strident voice stopped me as I made to click my fingers together.I looked back at her, and she was seething.“I’ll get Bill to destroy the mammal politically, you do it physically. Financially also. This cannot stand!” Hilary demanded as I nodded at her.Two clicks of my fingers and my passenger and I had gone.One click to remove Bill’s illness. Another to send us to The Ranch so the wolf could see her pups.

----- CHAPTER BREAK -----

0700 Hours

July 22, 2000

The Ranch,

FBI Deputy Director Ivan del Morte

We reappeared in the receiving area of the sprawling country house that welcomed the FARC flight crew and many others who needed shelter. The wolf holding on for dear life staggered as an armed agent issued a challenge at us, right paw on his holster ready to draw.“PERIDOT!” the Catalan bull bellowed.“Opal” I replied easily, this month’s challenge being semi-precious stones.“I have a breach in the receiving area. Get me security” the bull spoke into his left hoof as he drew the pistol.“Too slow” I remarked as I snapped and the bull collapsed onto the marble floor, completely paralysed. Those familiar with the Harry Otter series recognising a Petrificus Totalis as the bull lay stiff as a board.“Quédate detrás de mí y muévete como yo lo hago” I informed the wolf who nodded and stayed quiet. [Stay behind me and move as I do]I tapped my communicator and almost laughed at the poor attempt at radio jamming. There was barely any static and I still had a direct line to Talon.“Talon, talk to me. Was today the simulated assault for the CIA cadets?” I asked the A.I. who gave a monotone HA-HA-HA-HA in reply.“It sure is, Shinigami. Langley is requesting I shut myself off. Oh, they’ve moved onto vague threats against my servers” the A.I. commented wryly.“Break their systems in such a way only you can put it back together” I offered the A.I. and felt a digital smile grace his code.“Sure thing! Gloves are off?” Talon happily replied, asking if he could remove the limiters.“Let’s keep it limited for now to just Langley. I’d hate to make a new hole in the network” I gently denied that request.I was the only one with full access to Talon. If Talon felt I was being compromised, whichever nation had captured me would suffer rolling blackouts and system crashes. Woe to those using computers to run reactors as Talon would make them all reach critical mass. Air Traffic Control would go dark as the planes in the sky would point downward, Talon taking control of civilian airliners and threatening to drop all aircraft on every major city of that nation. A truly nightmarish scenario that would see tens of thousands of dead at the drop of a hat. Then the silos would open as the nation’s own nuclear deterrent would launch themselves at the command-and-control centre hubs, increasing the death toll as nuclear winter blankets the area.“Awww. Okay…” Talon sulked over the connection as I kept the wolf close to me. The wolf almost triggered two traps she was so distracted. “Be a good Talon and I’ll let you fry the Xian Internal Security Bureau’s mainframe” I dangled a metaphysical carrot for the A.I., perking him right back up.“Ooohh, they boasted once that their encryption is second to none. I’m going to have some fun!”“Yes, now clear an alternative way for me” I replied as a low-level ping let me know that two squads of cadets had stacked up around the corner I needed to get to. I removed a flashbang from my tactical vest as it flowed around me, protecting my vitals. I pulled the pin of the flashbang and held the spoon. I moved my arm back to the launch position I still remembered from Navy days of old and hurled the metal cylinder at just the right angle to bounce off the wall and land at their paws.The sharp cry of “Holy Shi-!” was cut off as the non-lethal grenade exploded. Swiftly followed by two more, deafening them to their own thoughts. Cadets staggered around the corner, holding their ringing heads, and I dropped them with paintballs to the head, neck, and chest areas.They were lucky I was even trying to preserve their lives.The moans of the “dead” interspersed with the chuckles of their instructors as these emerged from the walls.“Any more surprises?” I asked Firearms Instructor CIA Special Agent Lopez as the wolf just smirked at me, folding his arms across his chest.“Of course. Hope your cadets learn something” I nodded as I moved with a catatonic Miss Azul floating in the air behind me. I placed her in stasis as she thought she could go off on her own and had triggered an ambush that I barely squeaked through.With a snap of my fingers, the instructors also collapsed onto the marble floor. Their paintball guns sent skittering away.No one would get an easy shot at my unprotected back today.I snapped again once I had rounded the corner, and everyone was able to sit up.=====================================================================================
0710 Hours

Deputy Director’s Personal Living Quarters,

West Wing,

The Ranch,

Langley, Vulpinia

CIA Deputy Director Ivan del Morte
 I had cheated and bypassed all the remaining cadets by simply visualising my bedroom. Then with but a snap, sent them all out to drop into the cool pond I was planning to have fish in.The loud scream of “NOT COOL!” resonated quite loudly and sent the trained agents into paroxysms of laughter.“Talon, exercise terminated. Stand up the FBI Texas field office and get them ready for a counterterror attack” I spoke to my A.I. and I felt the return chuckles as Talon gave assent.The wolf, Miss Teresa Azul, was happily reunited with her pups as they clambered all over each other to give her kisses.“Mama!” the wolf pups had howled as they rushed to her, freeing up Mateo and Special Agent Cornwall as the two collapsed onto the carpeted floor in exhaustion.“¡Hijos míos! ¡Cómo te he echado de menos!” Miss Azul exclaimed as she sniffed and marked them with her scent [My sons! How I have missed you!]“Mamá, este gato manchado nos ayudó a liberarnos de los lobos feroces” the eldest pup proclaimed proudly to his mother. [Mama, this spotted cat helped us get free from the bad wolf people]“A pesar de lo conmovedora que es esta escena, también tengo que hacer mi trabajo, señorita Azul” I informed her as she suddenly got scared and hugged her pups close to her bosom. [Touching though this scene is, I need to do my job as well Miss Azul]It might have been because I was performing the LEO stance where I my feet were spread apart and one paw on my hip holster. It might have been because she was genuinely frightened.In any case, Mateo stepped in to defuse the situation.“No, está bien. Es un amigo. Nos ayudó a mí y a mis colegas a escapar de las FARC” Mateo said as he knelt in front of the wolf with the palm of his paws open to show her he was not armed. [No, it's okay. He's a friend. He helped me and my colleagues escape from FARC]“¡Eso es lo que dijeron también los dos lobos de traje y gafas de sol antes de separarnos!” Miss Azul protested as she kept shielding her pups. [That's what the two wolves in suits and shades said too before they split us up!]“¿Que salvaron a los mamíferos de las FARC?” I asked with a raised eyebrow, disbelieving her story immediately. [That they saved mammals from FARC?]The sudden stricken look on her muzzle made me rethink that stance.“¿A quién mencionaron? Traje a casa una tripulación de vuelo. ¿A quién mencionaron que salvaron de las FARC?” I pushed her without forcing my way into her mind. In her heightened emotional state, I would do more harm than good. [Who did they mention? I brought home a flight crew. Who did they mention they saved from FARC?]“Sir, perhaps it would be better for a neutral party to talk with her?” Mateo asked me as the jaguar was uniquely suited to talk to her and get a true read on the situation.“Very well, Mateo. Talk to her. If she does not say who, I’m forcing my way in” I heatedly informed the jaguar who gave a shallow bow, placing his right paw on his left pectoral muscle.“Agent Cornwall let’s go outside and cool off” I ordered the British lion who nodded once and followed me outside with nary a word spoken.I met my security team outside my living quarters and allowed Agent Cornwall to proceed ahead before closing the solid oak door on the five mammals inside. Once closed, the anti-eavesdropping measures activated and everyone trying to listen in only heard a buzzing sound.I had no such problem as I could watch through Mateo’s eyes, but I was placing my trust in the jaguar by not doing so.“Sir, Shadow Team One reporting in” the tall, buff lion informed me as he saluted with his team. The lion’s right paw at perfect parade ground stance. I automatically returned the salute and once I dropped mine, the team followed suit.“Agent Sheffield?” I asked the assembled group of two lions and two tigers. To no surprise that their squad leader was the lion I was looking for as he came forward.“Sir! Do…. you not recognise us?” the lion asked in his deep voice as he tilted his leonine head at me in clear mimicry of Rook’s nervous tic.“Jesus, fuck” I groaned out as the realisation hit me harder than Rook did.This was the enhanced lion who wanted me to use him as a living throne on the moon. I had no names for any of them as I saw them as expendable at the time.“Why pick Sheffield as a last name?” I asked as I walked over to the study across from my bedroom/office where Mateo and Miss Azul were.“You had a Leftenant Sheffield accompany you to Sicily. I took the name to honour him. I am Randolph Sheffield. To my left is Anthony Tigris and Antonio Tigre” here the lion paused to whisper to me “Don’t ask sir, I did not get a straight answer either”. The lion continued his introduction with the other lion, “On my right is Hormel Bacher. We were the first of the dozen to satisfactorily complete our training and present ourselves to you as your new bodyguards”.“I don’t need bodyguards” I informed the lion as he scratched the back of his melanistic mane nervously.“Rook said you needed support and that we were there to act as bullet sponges for you. We just found out yesterday that bullets and blades did not damage us” Randolph admitted as his squad also looked sheepish.“And how did you find that out?” I asked as I summoned a cup of coffee from the Langley cafeteria. It was way too early to deal with enhanced mammals without some fortification.“Rook was tired and did not check properly if the weapon was cleared. We had an accidental discharge and the round wound up hitting my chest and flattening. I still have it, sir. Here” the lion named Randolph produced a necklace with the deformed bullet on it. “Impressive that there was some transfer from Rook, but that still does not explain how you became my security team” I answered as I continued to stare at the lion.“I can explain that sir” Agent Cornwall stepped up to place himself in my crosshairs as I focused on him to the lion’s sigh of relief.“We, I mean, a few of us in Wet Works, expressed concern that you went off doing all these amazing things by yourself. We believed, quite wrongly it appears, that you would get yourselves killed one of these days, sir. So, we went to Director Verducken to authorise hiring mammals to be your close-in security and to draw from the existing federal pool” the lion began to explain as I rubbed my forehead with my left paw at the new headache.I let out a breath and gestured for him to continue. The lion agent obliged me by continuing his story, “We were at a complete loss on who to call to be your security, sir. No one met any of the standards you set with former Director Barnes on physical and mental fitness…”.“What do you mean standards? I was spitballing those with Director Barnes!” I interrupted the lion, who abruptly shrank as the air turned cold around us.“I believe he was getting to that point, m-sir” ‘Agent’ Sheffield commented, the enhanced pantheran just barely withholding the title of ‘My Lord’. Confirming that the eight others would have to watch their speech around me for some time as well.“Continue Agent Cornwall, I apologise for my outburst. That was uncalled for” I made a gesture as I apologised to the scared lion, drowning out my headache with the unending cup of coffee I linked to the coffee column in the Langley breakroom.“Yes sir. Director Barnes put measures in place that any mammals that can meet the standards would automatically be accepted in the Agency and become your close-in security. We had no mammals to work with until the twelve and then the nine arrived. Suffice to say that we now have enough for you to have round-the-clock security and there should no longer be scenarios where you must do it alone, sir” the lion said everything else in a rush. Before I could formulate a reply, Mateo disconnected the anti-eavesdropping measures as he opened the door to my study without knocking.“Sir?” Mateo inquired as he had information for us. “Miss Azul was able to identify the mammal who placed her and the other female wolves on the White House staff. It was a grey squirrel in a suit and chomping on a cigar. No hits yet”.“This mammal?” I asked him as I brought out my mobile phone from the inside of my suit jacket and showed him the picture of the grey squirrel and CEO of Fresh Fruit Mammalpower, Incorporated that Talon pulled from the hard drive of the late Mister Farnsworth.“That mammal. Wow, he’s smaller than I expected” Mateo commented on the mammal’s diminutive stature. “From the stories that Señorita Azul was talking of, you’d think he was the height of a polar bear”.“We’re cutting off the head of the snake. Sheffield, prep your team for rapid insertion. You are going in through the roof of his house. They resist and lethal force is authorised. Liberate the mammals in cages” I informed the giant lion as he nodded and left with his team for the house’s armoury.=====================================================================================I did not need a warrant for search, seizure, or arrest.Everything was up to my discretion.Whichever agency I involved had the same powers granted temporarily until removed by me after the action was over.According to world history, I was here from the very beginning.Or rather the Reaper was here from the very beginning. The Reaper was neutral and came for everyone. Rich, poor, powerful, powerless; it did not matter who you were. Once the Reaper had been summoned, mammals could not escape. To overturn the law granting Reaper his power required that both upper and lower houses of Congress voted unanimously; something that never happened as there was always someone who voted against.For me to act overtly now, when all preceding actions were done covertly, boded ill for the mammal or mammals involved.One such crime was mammal trafficking, and I took a dim view of mammals who did so.=====================================================================================
0800 Hours

Press Office,

FBI Headquarters,

Washington, D.C.

FBI Deputy Director Ivan del Morte

“Should you even be pacing here, Ivan?” FBI Director Savage asked as I had sent Shadow Team One ahead via rapid transport to deal with the mammal trafficker, and foremost corruptor of good citizens, at his sprawling ranch near Waco, Texas.“No, but I did promise to be here to answer questions to the reporters last night. They’ll be here at 8:30 and we have a live broadcast by 9” I replied as I wore a rut into the carpet in front of the podium. “You always left the press duties to me and the office. What changed?” Jack asked as he sipped from a cup of vanilla-scented tea.“CIA gave me mammals as close-in security. I can’t go running off every which way as I’m not one for putting them in danger” I answered as I continued to pace, arms behind my back and tail flicking wildly about. “No, just yourself” Jack muttered into his cup of tea. I ignored his comment where before I would jump down his throat and demand he take that back.TING-TING!The sound of the message chime on my updated Bureau phone drove my thoughts as I unlocked it and read the message aloud to Jack.“Breached manor basement of Persimmon ranch and found twenty medium mammals in chains stuffed into a cage meant for one monitor lizard. Captors executed and found to be from local militia group. Further orders requested”.“Jesus” Jack placed the cup back onto the saucer and placed both dishes on the table he was sitting on to rub his striped forehead as his ears fell onto his back.“Time to shut him down” I gravely commented as I could already hear the clamour of reporters as they ascended in the lift to the 4th floor. The buzz of everyone’s thoughts pressing on me as I parsed their minds, searching for collaborators in the federal government.“Please don’t kill him. We need a trial, or this will happen again” Jack pleaded for Persimmon’s life.“Trials are delaying tactics for the noose. I’m going to kill him socially, financially, and emotionally. If he chooses to turn himself in, good for us” I continued as if Jack had not spoken.I tapped my ever-present earpiece, and the answering chirp told me T.A.L.O.N. was ready to receive.“Talon” I spoke into the paw-held microphone, “you have a green light. Freeze all assets and accounts of Alexander Persimmon and his associates. I want them in penury before the day is over” “You got it Shinigami. Consider him frozen” Talon replied as the A.I. froze all corporate and private accounts of Alexander Persimmon.=====================================================================================
0700 Hours

Penthouse Floor,

Fresh Fruit and Financial Holdings, LLC Headquarters,

Houston, Texas
 “Sharon, are the board here yet? I got sum more ideas for our next investment” a grey squirrel in an outrageous cowboy outfit came swaggering out of his office, two-gallon hat on his head.“Not yet, Mister Persimmon. They are still on their way” the red squirrel secretary replied as she typed out her resume on the desktop’s word processor.Despite outward appearances, Alexander Persimmon was not welcome in the city. Even with the tower broadcasting his name every night in the city’s skyline.A prey with money in a state that was predominantly predator would be taken advantage of.Especially when the uppity prey tried buying his way into polite society by spreading cash around like he was the goddamned U.S. Mint.Shunned by the Good Ole Boys club, of which the name Ivan Pinkerton was bandied about as being a founding member, the squirrel had collected fellow nouveau riche to invest in ways that the old rich scoffed at. The (alleged) use of drugs and mammal trafficking by the grey squirrel as he landed deal after deal with the federal government never sat right with the other wealthy mammals, who suspected that the squirrel was being very underhanded in his dealings. With no concrete evidence, they had kept silent as they judged the squirrel and his fellow Easterners from afar.For the past five years, the grey squirrel thought his meteoric rise to fame was because of ingenuity. Rather it was due to the old rich giving him enough rope to hang himself on his own petard.Neither side knew it yet, but the fuse had been lit. Alexander Persimmon would cease to be a major player in the Lone Star State by evening.It was evident to everyone in the city that change was coming; the squirrel and his cohorts were just too blind to see it.=====================================================================================
July 22, 2000

0800 Hours

Penthouse,

Board of Directors Room,

Fresh Fruit and Financials, LLC.

Houston, Texas

“Janet, how’s the hubby doin’?” Alexander Persimmon asked his personal assistant with fake concern, puffing out on an equally fake cigar as the civet polished the grey squirrel’s dull claws.“Doing just fine, Mister Persimmon. He’s due back from Judea any day now” Janet answered the grey squirrel in a simpering manner as she had to fight the urge to retch at the amount of falseness the prey mammal was emitting.It showed just how ignorant the grey squirrel was in thinking civets were herbivores by serving salads exclusively in the office cafeteria. Despite, or in spite of, federal regulation that mammals of differing diets be served foods that matches their diet.“Why do you keep the board waiting old boy? You want us to die of old age?” the double doors to the spa were thrown open as another grey squirrel stepped inside.“Now, now, Matthew Wolfheart. You should know your place in the hierarchy” Alexander Persimmon sniped back at his fellow grey squirrel before both dissolved into raucous laughter that would not be out of place in a cabaret.“Well, come on now” a third grey squirrel in a pressed white suit appeared at the door as he leaned on the doorframe and spoke with a horrendously cartoonish Texan accent. “What’s this big idea of yours that required all of us to show up at the buttcrack of dawn?”“Go away Janet, the big boys are talking” Alexander Persimmon dismissed the civet who packed up her claw polish and files, but not before the grey squirrel spat in the kit. “There’s your fat tip!” he shouted at her shocked face as he laughed boisterously with his fellows as Janet escaped the madness.Fighting back tears, the civet passed the red squirrel secretary who slipped her a note. The civet looked at the piece of paper and ran to the elevator, sniffling and crying.It read: 9AM. Clock out and don’t come back. A storm is coming.   The red squirrel laughed along with the other squirrels at the retreating form of the civet cat. The red squirrel would soon have the last laugh.The gleaming federal badge in her drawer predicted it.=====================================================================================
0830 Hours (0930 Hours D.C.)

Main and Fifth Avenue,

Across Fresh Fruit and Financials, LLC.

FBI and DEA Staging Ground,

Oscar’s Hot Coffee and Doughnuts,

Houston, Texas

Special Agent Antonin Polikarpov, FBI
 “Cameras are up” a technician informed the gathered team as video monitors went live in the sprawling backroom of the coffeehouse.“Special Agent Wolfex, glad you could join us” I nodded my horned head at the albino wolf from the Arkansas field office.“I am here on the Deputy Director’s request. He wanted us to follow the money. Trail ends here in Houston” the albino wolf answered his Texan counterpart.“I understand you busted a mammal trafficking ring in Arkansas?” I asked my Arkansas counterpart who nodded once.“That was just last night. Ivan took on the phishing and stock fraudster in Silver Springs. He’s with Director Savage right now at Bureau HQ talking with the vultures” Special Agent Wolfex answered as the combined taskforce shivered. Talking with the press was the same as pulling teeth.“According to intelligence from T.A.L.O.N., this mammal is last in the chain” Special Agent Francis Carmichael shared what could be given to the East Texas field office.“Who or what is Talon? I could hear the capitalisations of the letters” I asked the painted hound who just shook his head.“It’s way above our combined paygrades. The only one with unfettered access is Deputy Director Ivan del Morte. It’s his baby with the CIA. That is all I am cleared to let you know about the system” Agent Carmichael answered, rubbing his chest.“Oh, so like grandfather’s experience with the NKVD. Gotcha” I nodded as we kept looking at the monitors.“Talon to Ground Team, come in Ground Team” a cultured West End voice came out of one of the radios.I looked at the other senior agents and they seemed unconcerned with the voice.“Have a listen, Special Agent Polikarpov” Special Agent Daniel Wolfex leaned back in his chair as he unwrapped a Ding Dong cake.“Special Agent Polikarpov, who is this?” I asked the voice on the other end. I was not expecting chuckles.“That is not how this works, Special Agent. You give me your authorisation and I grant you access to the network, if you have any” Talon replied.I looked at the agents as they were focused on the monitors, Agent Carmichael even circling something on the building’s floor plans.“Polikarpov, Antonin J. Authorisation: Juliet Kilo Papa Five Five Two Eight” I answered the voice as my shoulders slumped. I had no special access and the voice would confirm it. Only higher up agents on the totem pole were even granted access to confidential systems.“Congratulations, Special Agent Polikarpov. You have been granted limited access to the network. The Deputy Director would like a full debrief in D.C. when you are able to travel” Talon replied as I let out a breath I did not know I was holding.“Can no one else listen in on this frequency?” I asked the first thing that came to mind.“This is my personal frequency. If you managed to crack the triple encryption, and the rotating cipher keys, you are welcome to use it. Which will only last until the death squads reach your location and neutralise you” Talon laughed, chilling my blood.I looked around and the DEA agents only raised their eyebrows at me. One of them gestured to the clock and it was already 0845.“How come everyone else is acting like this is a normal conversation?” I bleated out into the radio.“Because that is how the Boss set up the radio you are using. You can say hi to him. Turn around” Talon replied as I did and almost launched the walkie into the ceiling.“Morning Ivan, when did you get in?” Agent Wolfex smirked at the snow leopard in a rumpled suit.A click of the deputy director’s fingers and the suit straightened itself out.“Just now actually” Deputy Director del Morte answered as he clicked his fingers again to switch out the suit with the assault gear of a British Special Air Service operative with the S10 respirator.=====================================================================================
0835 Hours D.C. (0735 Houston)

4th Floor Press Room,

FBI Headquarters,

FBI Deputy Director Ivan del Morte
 “Good morning, everyone. Thank you for coming on such short notice” I stood behind the rostrum as I focused on a point behind Fox News reporter Anthony Redrum.“You gave us the invite last night, Deputy Director! It would be rude not to attend” the red deer answered as the press laughed.“What was all the secrecy about that operation last night in Silver Springs?” BBC reporter Thomas Boar asked.“And of the action down at Pine Bluff, Arkansas?” ZNN reporter Chester Cheetah asked.“Also the one in Michigan with the fires, the overturned semis, and the destruction of the Tawny gang” Director Savage joined me on the stage as he spoke into a lapel microphone.“Are those all connected?” Deutsch Welle (DW) reporter Aleksei Himmel, a brown bear, asked.“They most certainly were” I answered with a little smile as the projector whirred to life.“The Michigan clearing incident began with a simple misplaced phone call to the unlisted line in my office. I asked a favour from Langley, and they were able to backtrace the call to a two-storey stucco house at 1234 North Albert Honeywell Drive” I talked as the unburnt house in question flashed onto the screen. “I personally led a Hostage Rescue Team in from D.C. once it was confirmed that there were kidnapped mammals in the house. Without prior coordination with the Michigan field office under Special Agent-in-Charge Vladimir Cargonaught and Detroit PD SWAT, we were able to methodically clear the house without casualties on our end. Once D.C. was able to secure the three minors, we pulled back to the police cordon for treatment by EMS”.“And at that point it went to hell?” Anthony Redrum asked as the deer was enthralled by the lack of casualties on the assault.“Yes. I’m sure many witnessed this blue barrier springing up when the house detonated?” I informed the press and the world at large at the video grab.“What is that shield?” Chester Cheetah asked.“Unfortunately, I only had two of those devices on my person that day. Those were experimental devices on loan from the French Academy of Sciences. It was supposed to test the feasibility of a personal energy barrier. I combined both to produce that barrier and wound up burning both devices out. Also, I was exposed to a mild burst of radiation when the thorium capacitor blew its stack” I informed the press who collectively winced.What use was a personal shield if the battery would just as likely kill you?
Sorry. Give my apologies to the Director of the Academy.

Non, seigneur. He is appreciative you even brought the devices for testing in the field. We will try again, and it will be successful. You will see.
“We had thought the operation was clear and I was about to release the shield when bullets struck it from the opposite direction of the rescue. The scientists believe that had I immediately collapsed the barrier after the impacts ended, there would still have been operational devices to test” I continued as my phone beeped with a message.“Excuse me, I have to take this” I informed them as I glanced at the message and inwardly sighed. FBI and DEA were in place across the street. Soleador and Mitternacht would drop in from above. Anubis would lead another team in and gut the security.“Is that the President, Ivan?” Director Savage asked, also intrigued at who my message was from.“Worse” I muttered as the microphone caught it. “I’m about to miss my nephew’s recital over in Devonshire. Her Majesty may never forgive me” I replied gravely, my round ears folding against my head.“Go on ahead, then. I’m sure the press won’t mind. Do you?” Director Savage replied with a soft smile, dismissing me, and giving the reporters a hard look.“Not at all” went most of the comments.“Go on, sir. She’ll be right” the red kangaroo reporter, Frank Slag, from Channel 5 News Australia commented.“No Christmas cards this year. May as well go along, sir” Anthony Redrum replied as the red deer knew what it felt like.“See you all next time. Sorry to have to pass the baton over to Director Savage” I apologised (in)sincerely to the reporters as I then walked off the stage.Exiting through the curtain behind the stage, I left via the back door and appeared in the control room for the area.“Was that really Her Majesty on the phone, sir?” one of the FBI sound technicians asked, muting his microphone.I just grinned at the mule deer.That was confirmation enough for the deer as he waved me to the exit from the control booth.The moment I had closed the door behind me, Talon flashed me over to The Ranch for a quick change of clothes. Followed by another flash drop at the FBI field office in Baton Rouge. And another into the DEA field office in Austin.Talon was learning to conserve energy by drawing away some of mine with each jump.It had the unfortunate side effect of leaving me a little bleary-eyed after multiple drops in quick succession.“Whoa, what time is it, Agent Galahad?” I addressed a shocked coyote pleasuring himself at his desk in the field office of somewhere.“Uh, Deputy Director del Morte, sir….What can I do for you?” the stunned agent asked as he hurriedly tucked his shirt back into his pants. His actions doing nothing to alleviate the tent in the dark material.“Tell which way is the motorpool and I’m there. You can go back to watching” I chanced a glance on the screen as Talon appeared on it as an eagle in attack formation, “Big, Breasty, MILFs. I never saw it and you never saw me. Clear?”“Motorpool is Basement Level 1. Check-in with…hrrggghhh…Robert” the coyote strained against his pants.“See you, Agent Galahad. Enjoy” I snapped myself down to the basement garage. Talon also leaving after clearing out some “Work” folders from the agent’s computer.“Oh gods…” could now be heard from the office as I had removed the soundproofing before jumping out in another flash of blue light.=====================================================================================I reappeared in a beige office space as mammals in cubicles and workstations glanced up, shrugged, and went back to what they were doing. I missed the motor pool as it seemed I was quite anxious about the operation and was in another federal building.  “Well, ain’t you a sight for sore eyes! Hey, Director, what’s the news from Washington?” a loud voice proclaimed from behind me. I turned around and was engulfed into a hug from Special Agent Arturo Nieves. The polar bear giving me another good squeeze before letting go, rumbling with pleasure.“I was having a press conference when your guys messaged me that an assault was going to take place” I rasped out. Had it not been for my enhanced constitution, the polar bear hug would have broken something.The confused expression on the Agent-in-Charge’s muzzle was worth the numerous jumps. “I don’t know if I sent that message, sir. But, the assault team is prepping over at Oscar’s Coffee and Doughnuts” the polar bear mulled it over as he took off his hat and fanned himself with it.“I won’t be stepping on your Op, Agent Nieves” I reassured the bear, fully knowing that I could effectively take over and he won’t be able to do a thing about it. “I’m merely here to oversee the last mammal in the chain be pinched”.“Excuse me if I don’t take you at your word, sir. You have a bad habit of taking command” Agent Nieves replied as he returned his hat to his head. He had turned halfway in the corridor, before gesturing with his white paw to follow him.I gamely did as he suggested, my attire quickly exchanging from the tactical HRT outfit to my more relaxed coat and tie.We exited the office space as he then looked expectantly at me after we turned a corner going to his office.I sighed good-naturedly as I snapped, and sound no longer reached us. Electronic listening devices also fried.“You’re never this secretive, Special Agent Nieves. Out with it” I informed the polar bear that I saw through his ruse.“Yes sir. We received the data packets Special Agent Wolfex forwarded and we have been checking for leaks in our network. I think we have three main holes and two minor ones” the polar bear became immensely chastised as he ran the brim of his hat through his paws, worrying the felt.I waved my paw as if to say, ‘Go on’.Agent Nieves swallowed visibly as he continued his verbal report. “I have reason to suspect my stepbrother in Customs at Border Station El Paso of allowing trafficked mammals to be set free into the clutches of unscrupulous individuals for profit. He and his immediate superior were spotted by Danica Lobo driving around in Camaros with no plates. I have never seen the car at his residence whenever I stopped by before. He claimed our grandmother in Acapulco kicked it, but she is still very much alive”.I interrupted Agent Nieves as I held up my right paw. “This grandmother of yours is Abuela Corazon Nieves of the Nieves Crime Family?”“Yes sir” Agent Nieves admitted, ashamed that he was related to them. He would be removed from his post here and imprisoned. Or, as he was talking with the Federal Executioner, an unmarked grave somewhere in the desert.“Welcome to Oracle, Agent Nieves” I grinned at him as I extended my right paw. Agent Nieves tentatively took it, and I pulled him towards me; making the great bear drop to one knee so I could whisper into his ear. “Your Abuela works for me. Your stepbrother Carmelo Nieves now has a price on his head. Contract is mine. Don’t get in my way”.I snapped my fingers and vanished from the polar bear’s vision. Agent Nieves fully dropped to his knees and the polar bear wept in relief. Hot tears streaming down his face as his body was wracked with sobs. He had survived an encounter with the Grim Reaper and walked away unscathed.Only later would he realise that he had signed his stepbrother’s death warrant.=====================================================================================
0830 Hours (0930 Hours D.C.)

Main and Fifth Avenue,

Across Fresh Fruit and Financials, LLC.

FBI and DEA Staging Ground,

Oscar’s Hot Coffee and Doughnuts,

Houston, Texas

FBI Deputy Director Ivan del Morte (Shinigami)
 “Morning Ivan, when did you get in?” Agent Wolfex cheekily asked as I stood behind the alpine ibex as he slowly turned to face me.“Just now actually” I answered with a toothy grin that the albino wolf answered with one of his own. I clicked my fingers and my newly pressed suit switched out with the full tactical gear of the Special Air Service complete with the S10 respirator. “What’s the sitrep on the assault?” I directed the question to Special Agent Polikarpov who stammered as he was still talking with Talon. “And if you say, it’s on screen. I might just level the building with you inside it”“Uh, it’s on screen?” the ibex stammered out.I raised my right paw with fingers in position to snap and the ibex winced.“Like I told Special Agent Nieves earlier, I’m not here to run this Op. I have bigger fish to fry at the border” I informed the ibex, as he let out a breath he did not know he was holding. “Danny,” here I turned my attention to Special Agent Daniel Wolfex writing his A.A.R, “Sol, Mittie, and Anubis are enroute with their own squads. They’re going to breach the conference room from the roof. You have nominal command of them until I return. Try not to get them killed”. [Soleador, Mitternacht]“I’m off to El Paso Border Control Station to link up with 10th Mountain as they’re training just over the border with elements of the United Mexican Army” I informed the four agents (Wolfex, Carmichael, Polikarpov, and Jannsen) as I jumped out with the signature blue flash.“Place your bets that he’ll come back pissed that he missed one” Agent Carmichael wryly pointed out as he typed his own after-action report.“No bet” the three others cried out in unison.“You guys are no fun” the painted dog griped as he continued to type.=====================================================================================
0900 Hours

Command Centre,

1st Armoured Division,

Fort Delight,

El Paso, Texas

Ghost One
 I appeared inside the command-and-control centre just as the commanding officer of the base, Major General George Blinken, arrived with an entourage from the Stars and Bars newsletter.“Sweet Mother of Mercy don’t scare a mammal like that! What if I shot you?” the svelte roe buck proclaimed as he dramatically placed his left hoof against his chest. His right hoof was carrying a coffee cup with the chevron of the 1st Armoured Division on a khaki shield.“My apologies then” I replied insincerely as I looked about the command centre, my paws at my sides.“Wait a minute, you’re Ghost. Aren’t you?” General Blinken asked as the buck drew closer, the Army reporters following him like hens follow a farmer with corn.I just looked askance at him, crossing my arms. Though with how the respirator looked, the only clue he had was my tail.“Tell me General. ‘Does snow still fall on your bed?’” I issued him the challenge that Director Barnes had left for me and future Ghost operatives. [Are you cleared to know?]“Well, ‘not since we got the roof patched’, why?” the buck swallowed as he replied with the alternate answer. [Limited clearance only]The real answer to the challenge was: ‘Just as heavy as it’s always been’. [Full clearance granted] “My apologies then, general. I shall have to borrow some of your troops for an armed incursion at the Border Control Station nearby” I answered. “They’re yours to command, Ghost. Just try and limit the damage, please?” the major general turned around and led the Army press out of the command centre.“Who’s Division S-3 (Intelligence)?” I asked a panther E-4 on one of the consoles that had no coasters for drinks.“Colonel Benjamin Thibault, sir” the panther answered without missing a beat.“Summon him here. I’ll need him and elements of the 1st Armoured Cavalry. Two units each of Vipers and Longbows” I rattled off my ‘grocery list’.The panther, somehow understanding part of the joke, asked “Would you like some Triple 7s to go with that?” [M777 artillery]“Too much cholesterol for my taste” I replied as the panther chuckled. [Too much collateral damage]I received a mental ping from elements of White Wolf PMC undergoing desert training while I waited for Armoured Cav to arrive.
Sir, are you inside Fort Delight?

Yes. I have two mammals to capture from the Border Control Station with Ciudad Juarez. Special Agent Francisco Nieves and his immediate superior, Superintendent Juan Juego. Both have been marked by Talon as part of a mammal trafficking ring.

We can take the part of the 1st Armoured Infantry. The M2 Bradley IFVs here are leagues better than the BTR-3s of our old country.

I am keeping this operation as aboveboard as possible. I’m sorry, but White Wolf will have to sit this one out.

We understand sir. The Animalian Army has jurisdiction. The next op?

The next one is going to be White Wolf’s turn. You’re going overseas to North Africa to secure some assets. I’ll forward the details later.
The tap on my shoulder as I contemplated what asset I could give to the one asking brought me out of my thoughts.White Wolf PMC may have licence to operate on Animalian soil, as what was done in Detroit, but I preferred using Animalian units before dipping into the foreign reserves.“Sir! Colonel Thibault reporting as ordered, sir!” the aging colonel saluted me as I returned it with the open-palm one of the Royal Army.“Colonel, thank you for coming” I shook paws with the wolf as the large screen switched from missile trajectory, as North Choson was being belligerent again, to a map of the border control station.White Wolf was already staging at the DMZ and across the Yalu River. But no one else needed to know that. To further keep the element of surprise, the Yalu River units were in Xianese military uniforms.“What’s this about sir and why the El Paso border control?” the wolf asked, knowing I may not share intelligence with them as spooks are wont to do.“The what is that the border personnel are in cahoots with a mammal trafficker codenamed ‘Fruitcake’. The why, is because the border station is doubling as a mammal sorting centre for our trafficker. I want that station cleared and these two” the pictures of Special Agent Francisco Nieves (wolf) and Superintendent Juan Juego (mountain lion) flashed on screen, “brought in for questioning”.“That’s a lot more detail than what I usually got overseas from the Company” Colonel Lupin remarked as he scratched his furred nape. [CIA]“That’s because I’m not Company nor am I from the Firm. I’m Shinigami” I informed the colonel as everyone within earshot flinched.“Shit” the colonel cursed as this had just become one of those off the books kind of operations. “1st Armoured is yours, then?”“Temporarily. If anyone asks, we’re on parade” I answered the wolf as I explained what I had in mind. The wolf was nodding his head later as he commented “That might work, sir. But, we need to have something scheduled for us to cross into Mexico”.“No worries. I have some units who owe me a favour from the 3rd Escadrille” I answered with a smirk hidden by the respirator.=====================================================================================
0900 Hours

Oscar’s Coffee and Doughnuts

Houston, Texas,

Special Agent Polikarpov
 “Let’s go. The warrants have arrived” I stood up from the chair as Talon faxed over the documents we needed as promised.“I hear that” the rest of the milling agents pulled on their assault gear and made their way out through the main dining area.“Houston PD, this is the FBI. Close off the streets in a three-block radius from the Fresh Fruits and Financial Holdings, LLC. building”“You don’t just spring this on us without warning! Closing three city blocks takes time!” was the reply from Houston PD.“Then stay out of our way, you just earned yourselves a trip to Gitmo for aiding terrorists” Agent Wolfex joined the line and left the threat.“You think you can threaten me, boy! I’m a … ” the line from Houston PD abruptly cut.“What was that?” I asked Special Agent Wolfex who only grinned at me.“Better you don’t know” the albino wolf agent answered.“Now, I’m really curious sir” I answered as we dashed across the empty street with rifles at the ready.
Empty? Its not yet the end of rush hour.
“How are the streets empty?” I asked the albino wolf who looked worried for some reason.“That means Boss left contingencies for us” Agent Wolfex replied as we stacked up on the side of the glass building.“Can I ask what those are?” I questioned the senior agent as he only shook his head.“He has a lot more of those up his sleeve than you have fur on your back” was the senior agent’s cryptic reply.“Uh…okay?” I answered incredulously as we moved into the silent lobby.“Where is everybody and what is that stench?” I asked Agent Wolfex as he pulled out a respirator to slap onto his muzzle.“Everybody has already departed. The non-combatants were told to clock out early. That stench is the smell of dead bodies, like this idiot behind the counter” Special Agent Wolfex replied as he gestured at a stunned-looking red deer who got eviscerated.“Foxtrot Bravo India, this is Mitternacht. Board Room secure. One mammal has fled the scene” the Bavarian-accented English of the operative named Mitternacht sounded on our radios.“Copy that, Mitternacht. We are headed up from the lobby” I replied as an elevator dinged. The agents with us raised their rifles and other weapons as a grey squirrel rushed out.“Save me! Save me!” the squirrel screamed as he pointed a snub-nosed revolver in our direction.“Drop the weapon! Do it now!” we yelled out at the squirrel.“Fucking preds!” the squirrel cried out as he fired a round in our general direction.A spray of blood hit me between my eyes as I watched Agent Wolfex fall in slow motion.The crack of a .38 Special was soon overshadowed by every agent losing fire discipline and spraying the area with lead. The automatic rat-tat-tat of M4A1 rifles on full automatic with the dull booms of the shotgun mixed with the pop-pop sound of Berettas and Glocks.“Call a medic! Agent Wolfex is down!” a voice called out from my right as Agent Carmichael pulled the albino wolf to the front of the reception desk.“Kilo Two Four, this is Foxtrot Bravo India One Four Seven. We need a medevac from the PMC. Wolfex is down. I say again, Danny is down” Agent Carmichael was sounding the medevac call as I yelled out “CEASEFIRE! CEASEFIRE!”“Stay with me Danny, you’ll be up and downing Ding Dongs in no time” the painted hound tried to reassure the gasping albino wolf with his neck fur stained red with his own blood.“Foxtrot Bravo India One Four Seven acknowledged. Standby for rapid transport. Five…four…three…two…one…” the voice on the other end counted down as both Agent Carmichael and Agent Wolfex vanished in a burst of blue light which fried our comms.“I’m gonna die later. Make a will for me?” I muttered to the other agents as we continued to advance into the building.“Sure. Which mistress do I send your dick to?” DEA Special Agent Calcifer asked as the red wolf kept checking his corners.“That’s not funny” I replied as the red wolf merely shrugged his shoulders.

----- CHAPTER BREAK -----

0915 Hours

1st Armoured Division HQ,

Fort Delight,

El Paso, Texas

Ghost One

“Ghost, sir? Secure communique from Houston, sir” a lynx corporal in MARPAT saluted me and handed a piece of paper.A stab of unease gripped me, a first since being reborn.I glanced down and wished I hadn’t.There in black and white were the words: Wolfex is down. Shadowfax used for transport to Clinic. Request new orders. Persimmon escaped.I growled lowly as I crumpled the paper and it caught fire in my paws, the officers and enlisted near me making a wide berth. The shadows grew longer in the brightly lit briefing room, and they heard the whispers of those who were long dead demand recompense.Demand a balancing of the scales for the soul fighting for his life.Demand a price to be paid in blood.And in my anger and grief, I gave in to my emotions.I summoned a hellhound up from the very depths of Hell itself.“My Lord, I am yours to command” the horned hound proclaimed as it knelt in front of me and placed its twin obsidian swords on the carpet, its veins filled with the lava of its home. The heat roiling of off it enough to begin charring the oak surface nearest it as it continued to kneel. The patch of carpet it appeared on burst into flame and set off the smoke detector. What should have been eyes were instead smouldering coals looking out. The hellhound had no fur, its skeletal tail capped with flame.The scampering of paws and hooves on the carpet heralded the hasty departure of the soldiers as their courage failed them. The door slamming on their way out in a bid to contain the heat. A heat that began to make the air shimmer and merely flowed around me.“I did not want this” I whispered as the hound looked up at me with confusion.“Then why summon a hound from hell? I have been bound to your own soul by my former Master” the hound informed me as his triangular ears twitched as it took in the sounds of an army base on full alert.“Fuck me” I muttered as I began to think on how to send the hound back, coming up empty.“I do not have that function” the hound admitted in its deep baritone, cocking its head to one side. “My old Master saw no need”.“Hang on Danny, I’m on my way” I whispered as I snapped and the two of us vanished from the conflagration now consuming the briefing room as the sprinklers activated. Followed by the base firefighting team smashing their way in with hoses of foam and water.=====================================================================================
0530 Hours (1030 Hours Houston)

Observation Area,

Operating Room 1,

The Clinic,

Zurich, Switzerland
 “Clamp” the chief surgeon held out a gloved paw out for the arterial clamp. It was placed into his paw by the OR nurse and the surgeon continued the operation.“Forceps” the doctor continued as another instrument was placed into his paw.The mammal he was operating on had appeared in a flash of blue light and was bleeding from a gunshot wound through his neck. With no time for blood crossmatching, the surgical team had scrubbed in as nurses tore away the Kevlar and prepared two bags of generic canine blood for immediate infusion.For Dr. Klaus von Kaggerak, it was equally harrowing when he found the dog tags of the white wolf around his neck and saw the three letters. His sons had gone abroad and applied for entry to those same letters. He shook himself out of his stupor as the nurse proclaimed they were now ready for the operation as the machines were hooked up to the wolf and he was sedated.The pulse was thready from the loss of blood, but the wolf’s partner had managed to keep his fingers plugged into the wound long enough to receive treatment.He thanked God that Shadowfax was able to bring the two agents to him within the golden hour.He worked on the wolf’s neck, focusing on repairing the damage caused by the bullet as it tumbled through the flesh. As he looked back at the open jaws of the white wolf, he could see his sons in the wolf. Swallowing back his own tears, he sewed up the damage and reconnected torn muscle. He was not up to the calibre of the hospital’s newest surgeon, Ivan del Morte, who could return a patient to full mobility. At best, he could restore ninety percent function.As he made the knots to close the exit wound at the back of the neck, near the wolf’s spinal column, he let out a sigh of relief that the bony neck was intact. There was some swelling caused by the inflammatory processes, and there would be stiffness after the operation, but he believed that the wolf would be ready to go after two weeks.To accentuate that, he looked at the darkened observation area and nodded his head at his visitor. There was no sound from the observation area, but the physician knew his guest had seen it.There was a gentle caress on the white wolf’s fur, even though there was no breeze in the climate-controlled operating theatre.=====================================================================================
1030 Hours

Torture and Interrogation Room One,

The Farm
CIA Deputy Director Ivan del Morte   “You boys better start talking” I glowered at nine grey squirrels pinned down to wax dissecting pans for frogs and with fur shaved. “Where is Alexander Persimmon?”“We know our rights, pred!” one of the squirrels, a Matthew Wolfheart (real name: Thomas Blatt).“Not in here, you don’t” I replied as I nodded at Tazisi as the hellhound held another of the squirrels who screamed in pain before combusting into a mammal candle. The eyes of the squirrel popped out and melted as flames shot out of every orifice. The squirrel screaming itself hoarse before expiring as flames consumed him inside and out.“Do you know that mammals combust when they reach a sustained internal temperature of 450 degrees Celsius?” I continued talking as the eight squirrels screamed and yelled at the naked jackal who had killed their friend, arranging the tools of torture.“We got people looking for us! You’re going to rot in jail, pred!” another yelled out, Franklin Striper (real name: Richard Blatt).“Strong words for mammals pinned by their wrists to wax dissecting pans we use for frogs” I answered as I waved at the two-way mirror, and it became clear for us to see who was on the other side. There was no one else on the other side save for a fruit bat and a homeless mammal covered in newspapers.“What do you suppose, Olsen? A no. 9 blade or a no.4?” I held up two scalpels with differing blades for the fruit bat to pick out.“Are we doing this without sedation? If so, let me first mute the speakers in here. Also, our ‘guests’ may want to direct their attention to the screen” Olsen asked laconically and then gestured towards the video screen above their heads.With a press of a button, their tables all rotated upwards so they could see the breaking news segment from Houston.“Bringing you a special news bulletin live from Houston. We go to our reporter on the ground, Michael Wolfheart. Michael, what is happening at the Fresh Fruits and Financial Holdings building of local business tycoon Alexander Persimmon?” the anchor of Fox News International, Richard Hannity, addressed his viewers.“Thank you, Richard. At approximately 0900 AM Central Standard, a joint FBI-DEA operation went into play for the arrest of local swindler Alexander Persimmon and his cohorts. FBI Deputy Director Ivan del Morte received solid evidence linking Alexander Persimmon to suspected kit rapist Jared Possum and Securities Stock Shorter Michael Farnsworth the Third” the wolf reporter read out the prepared statement from the DEA field office in Austin. There were now three posters of the wanted mammals on the screen.“Furthermore, it had come to the deputy director’s attention that Alexander Persimmon was engaged in the active buying and selling of trafficked mammals. A large portion of those, predators. At exactly 0855 AM today, all corporate and private assets of Alexander Persimmon and his board of directors were frozen on orders of the Treasury Department in conjunction with the Securities and Exchange Commission.
The capture of the board members went off without a hitch and they are now in federal custody.

Unfortunately, Alexander Persimmon was able to escape the federal dragnet by shooting FBI Special Agent Daniel Wolfex in the neck as the wolf approached to make the arrest. The grey squirrel has already made good his escape from the building and the federal government has reluctantly now put a price on his head.

We have received word that the agent was fighting for his life as he underwent surgery.

Our thoughts and prayers go out to the injured agent. We hope he will survive to fight another day.
Back to you Richard” Michael Wolfheart read the entire paper live, sending the ball back into the anchor’s court.The deer leaned over on his table as he faced the camera, “Are there any updates on Special Agent Daniel Wolfex, Michael? It has been six hours since the operation ended”.The wolf reporter listened on the earpiece, before talking again “None at this time, Richard. Houston is under a curfew as police and federal agents begin a mammalhunt for Alexander Persimmon. Everyone is being advised to remain indoors and not to answer the door unless for law enforcement. As you can see behind me, the Texan National Guard has been called up and the Animalian military is also raring to go”. The wolf gestured behind him at Humvees and trucks disgorging mammals in desert khaki BDU.I left the television screen on as I selected the number 9 blade. I would start surgical intervention on the grey squirrel who though he was a wolf.With a press of a button, the tables all lay flat, and the squirrels were looking up at the blood-spattered ceiling.“Please!” they cried out in unison, “We’ll do anything!”“Too late” I answered coldly, “Far, far too late”. I then placed the tip of the blade into the squirrel’s chest and began the incision. The mammal screamed in agony as the sharp instrument sliced away skin and tissue, blood running freely down his shaved torso.The television was a mute witness as Beethoven’s Fifth Symphony began to play, drowning out the screams.  The homeless mammal just looked on, gave a slow blink, and went back to sleep. This was a weird fever dream he would forget the next time he woke up.=====================================================================================
Alleyway between Third and Fifth Street,

Houston, Texas
 “Unit Five, any updates on our wanted mammal?” a radio crackled near a shivering mammal, startling him awake.“That’s a negative, Central. Nothing here but rotting chicken and lettuce leaves” the officer walking by the dumpster the wanted mammal was hiding behind.“Central copies, Unit Five. Proceed to the next alley over by Seventh Street. The feds will look over the area with their thermals” went the reply as the radio volume got lower as the mammal walked away.Gagging himself at the smell of rotting produce, the grey squirrel checked around the tip at the retreating back of a Houston police officer. At the far end of the alley nearest the street, the squirrel saw a cruiser with its lights flashing.He snuck away, careful not to step on any of the detritus of the poor. The mammal’s white suit was now grey from the slop and he blended in with the ick of the alley.Before he wanted to stand out and be noticed, now he knew it would be a death sentence. He could also hear the buzz and whine of helicopters as they crisscrossed the city.If he could make it to his ma’s old place near the catnip dispensary, he’d be safe until the heat died down. He wished the fed had died, but knew it was wishful thinking.His image and likeness were now on all the video billboards of the city. $10,000 reward for information on his whereabouts.He tried calling Texan Chief Justice O’Toole to get him out.The fat cat had closed the call without even answering! After all those parties the useless sack of shit attended!Even tried with the Houston Chief of Police. He then had to ditch his mobile as the one who answered sounded like a fed. Told him to “Stay put, Mister Tomas Parsnips. Don’t run, you’ll just die tired”.
Tomas Parsnips ain’t his real name! Not anymore! It’s Alexander Persimmon!
The quiet streets and back alleys of the city gave off the eerie atmosphere of a ghost town. Normally Houston was a hive of activity; now it highlighted how concentrated the federal government was on the area.The squirrel saw the blue light of the rodent underground station’s sign and made a beeline for it; only to back away from the barred steel gate. There was a cash machine beside the gate, but there were a couple of neighbourhood toughies from the local gang named Houtties or Hotties. No way was he withdrawing any cash near them, or he would have been held up.He tried not to draw their attention, but failed as one of the rats in a leather jacket looked his way.“You lost sonny?” the menacing tone of the rat made him want to scurry away. But to show weakness would mean he would not reach his bolthole in time.“Trying to catch the 1:30. Why’s the gate closed?” he engaged the rat as he checked his pocket for his phone so he could summon a Lyft or Uber instead. It was as he felt his stained coat that he remembered he had ditched the device so the feds won’t get him.“Hey Shredder, don’t he look like the squirrel in them movin’ pictures” another rat spoke up, this one missing an ear.“Shut yer gob, we ain’t getting paid till he’s stupid enough to show (up)” the rat named Shredder replied to his smaller partner as he scratched his chin with wickedly long claws.The squirrel was backing away from the trio slowly, so as not to give the game away. He should have stayed in the alleyway, the dome camera of the pawnshop across the way captured his image for the authorities.TININININ-TINININI-TINININING! The default ringtone of an old Nokia sounded amongst the trio of rats.“Digger, ain’t that yer phone?” Shredder nudged the white rat beside him, the mammal trying his hardest to stay clean.“Ya boss, lemme get it” the white rat opened his jacket and took out the rodent-sized device. “Hello? Yes Boss. Digger is here”.The grey squirrel had already retreated around the corner when he heard the shout of “AFTER HIM!” and he quickened his stride.WHOOO-WHOOO-WHOOO! WHOOO-WHOOO-WHOOO! WHOOO-WHOOO-WHOOO!A Houston police cruiser sped around the corner of Eight and Munch, focused its spotlight on him, highlighting him to every mammal in the area.Most tellingly, the police cruiser ignored the local gangbangers.“Unit Seven to Central, Alexander Persimmon spotted just around the corner from the Meister Diamonds pawnbroker” a warthog officer got out from the cruiser and aimed a pistol at the grey squirrel.“Central copies, Unit Seven. Routing state and federal assets your way now” the reply from the dispatcher made the grey squirrel’s blood run cold.
Me ma’s old place was just a block away from here. Come on Fortuna, don’t fail me now!
“Get on your knees and place your paws on your head! Do it now!” the warthog yelled out as he aimed his revolver at the squirrel, using the cruiser engine block as cover.“FUCK YOU!” the squirrel screamed out as he fired two shots into the warthog’s spotlight, missing entirely and one bullet punched a circular hole in the warthog officer’s pinna.“Shit!” the warthog belatedly dived for cover as the rounds impacted. “Central, shots fired! Shots fired! Officer hit! I’m down” the warthog shouted over his radio as one more round smashed his spotlight, temporarily blinding him as the glass shards struck his snout.“Central to all units. We have a shots fired and an officer down! I repeat, Officer Down at Eighth and Munch. All units respond!” the dispatcher mistook the call and sent the phrase no mammal in blue wants to hear. The grey squirrel had long since booked it as the rat trio moved over to the downed officer. The white rat bringing out a first-aid kit.“Hey Officer Maloney, need a Band-Aid?” the white rat asked as he sat beside the groaning warthog on the pavement.“You guys should get outta here. Those are feds coming. They don’t take kindly to gangbangers” the warthog informed the trio, wanting them to make themselves scarce.“Nah, not getting pinched today, Officer Maloney” Shredder replied as he drew out a small badge from around his neck. The other two showed theirs as well, making the warthog squint at the letters.“I think I need glasses. Do those say FBI or IRS?” the police officer grunted out as he winced at the sting of iodine tincture being rubbed into his wound by the white rat.“Sorry” the white rat apologised as he used tweezers to remove small glass shards from the warthog’s face.“Neither. We’re from the Treasury Department” the rat called Shredder replied. “We know where he’s headed”.“Central, this is Secret Service Special Agent Holden. Route all available units to 1035 Rodentville Apartments. New intelligence suggests there is a bolthole for him to hide in there” the one called Digger climbed into the cruiser and unhooked the car’s radio mike to transmit.“Central copies your last, Special Agent Holden. How is our officer?” the dispatcher asked, concern streaming out through the airwaves.“He’ll be fine, Central. Just a couple of stitches” the rat replied as the warthog groaned again. His new nickname on air was going to be Stitches.=====================================================================================
1230 Hours (1730 Hours Houston)

Observation Room One,

Torture and Interrogation Room One,

The Farm,

FBI Deputy Director Ivan del Morte
 “Thank you for being straight with me” I spoke through the microphone as I had turned over the session to Tazisi. Olsen had left to grab some lunch for him, me, and Tazisi. I requested a roast turkey and a whole bird for the hairless jackal.The hellhound was only halfway through the third squirrel when the others started talking. “1035 Rodentville Apartments, Unit 427” Peter Blatt yelled out to stop the torture of his baby brother Richard Blatt.“Are you sure about it? Or should Tazisi move down to your brother’s sack?” I asked the squirrel as the hellhound’s clawed digits hovered over the grey squirrel’s family jewels. The bound squirrel trying to escape the heat.According to both Life and Death, the nine squirrels never made it past today. Whether they died from torture or they died in their cells was not made clear. I was changing too many things, and the timelines were in a state of flux.“If you are wrong, you can all stay dead” I coldly informed them as I forwarded the information to T.A.L.O.N. to share with the rest of the federal government.=====================================================================================
1745 Hours

Alleyway across 1035 Rodentville Apartments,

Alexander Persimmon (real name: Tomas Parsnips)
 I checked the drum and I only had two shots left. Which kind of sucked as there was an army between me and Ma’s old apartment.Like a veritable army as there were tanks and everything. Even the goddamn K-9s were about sniffing for my sorry ass.The goosestepping fascists were in my way and there was no General Patton to save me. Even if I slipped through their cordons, the helicopter overhead would spot me and its game over.Instead of walking into their trap, I’d make my own way around. I’ve seen Pa play this game before with the Mob and lost.There used to be a bar around the corner of Seventh that was always empty. I can wait there a bit. Maybe have some drinks while I wait for the feds to leave.With plan in mind, I crept away, ditching my dirty suit as I did so. It had already served as its own distraction; it won’t get me into the bar though.As I scurried away from Ma’s apartment, I saw a rhino walk into the alleyway and knew I had to get going.=====================================================================================“You’re sure? Thanks for calling, Dean. What else was inside?” the snow leopard was on the phone as he massaged his forehead.The apartment was empty when Talon Team One, Special Agent Ferreton’s team, broke the lock with a FAST charge and entered the dusty rental. After the obligatory sneezing from the dusty interior, the ferrets found that nothing had been disturbed when the previous occupant had died. Still, they were thorough and had unearthed documents that Alexander Persimmon was an alias to hide Tomas Parsnips Junior from the eyes of the law.Tomas Parsnips Junior had spent five years behind bars for a Ponzi scheme which targeted immigrants fresh off the boat.Promising a healthy return of investment for the meagre amount of $1500, the grey squirrel successfully fleeced many mammals until he met his match in Vladimir Ilyich Petrovanko. The polar bear was a fresh transplant, who looked to turn over a new leaf in Animalia. The former political officer of the First Military District had been approached by Tomas Parsnips Sr. and talked into investing into a business insurance for the community.Initially sceptical, the polar bear acquiesced when his neighbours in Tundratown had only good things to say about the grey squirrel. The polar bear had invested $1500 into the scheme and was promised that his share would quintuple by the end of the week. Just like the squirrel promised, a check was available for the bear to cash in on the next banking day.The bear had accepted the cheque and stored it in a drawer for safekeeping, having no need to use it unless absolutely necessary. When the cheques that his neighbours were provided started bouncing one winter afternoon in December, the polar bear had taken his suspicions to his cousin at the Unites States Treasury Department. There he had the cheque examined, as the former KGB officer had smelled a rotten fish with the oily promises of the grey squirrel duo.Cheque fraud was not under my purview at the time, I was abroad doing Shinigami things.An arrest warrant was then issued by the Treasury Department for one Tomas Parsnips at 112 Wallaby Lane, Little Rodentia, Zootopia.As Tomas Parsnips Jr. was a minor at the time, he was given the maximum sentence of five years in a juvenile facility. His father, the mastermind of the Ponzi, died in prison aged just forty-four. A victim of a riot gone south.It seems that the grey squirrel had not learned from his stay in prison and had even diversified his holdings to shorting out stocks, mammal, and drug trafficking.“Thanks Dean. If he turns up, I formally turn over jurisdiction to Treasury. It’s your case, just loop in Special Agent Rooibok as he was the one to give a heads-up on the money going south” I informed Secretary Dean Marten of the U.S. Treasury as the mammal on the other end replied in the positive.I put the landline down and looked over at the scared-looking squirrels. We were down to just four as the other one died of a heart attack before Tazisi could start.“It seems you were telling the truth about the apartment, Mister Blatt” I spoke into the microphone as the squirrel who had spoken squeaked out a “So, we’re forgiven?”.“HA-HA-HA-HA-HA-HA-HA! If you think giving up your leader would grant forgiveness, you have another thing coming. I thought you all knew that only ‘God can forgive Mammals’. Was that not what you’re preaching at the Westboro Baptist Hall?” I guffawed as the remaining four mammals lost their bladders and bowels.They finally figured out that they were doomed.“Tazisi, they are yours. Try not to burn the room down” I informed the hellhound as he gave a deep bow as I left the observation room and the glass returned to its opacity. The four squirrels screamed as they were then consumed in fire.=====================================================================================
1800 Hours Houston (1300 Hours Lorraine)

Bar Stool No. 7,

St. Michael’s Bar for the Blues and Reds,

Houston, Texas

Alexander Persimmon (Tomas Parsnips Jr.)
 “Of all the rotten luck” the grey squirrel muttered under his breath as he had tried the rodent-sized cash machine in the bar and his card was declined. Even the black AMEX and the red Master Card were both declined by the machine.He had exactly $250 in bills.  Just enough to keep him well-lubricated until closing time at 2AM.If he stuck to the cheap stuff, maybe he had enough for a motel room in the seedier part of town.“…of our primary suspect…” the TV in the bar droned on as the grey squirrel looked at his grimy reflection in the mirror. His reflection looked nothing like the clean, spiffy version on the tube. Though he knew it was only a matter of time, a cop only had to get lucky once and he was done.“Yo, barkeep! Turn that up, will ya?” a blue-grey wolf in a trenchcoat entered the establishment, took a seat on a bar stool, and hollered at the chill capybara behind the counter.“Will you pay your tab if I do?” the bartender asked.“Sure, how much do I owe anyway?” the wolf replied, reaching for his wallet, and exposing a badge on his right hip.“Fuck me sideways with a mint-flavoured toothpick” the squirrel groaned; his voice drowned out by the capybara slamming a mug on the counter.“For your ugly doughnut-chomping mug, its $550” the capybara snorted in the wolf detective’s face, snatching five $100 bills from the cop’s wallet.“Come on Chuck, how am I getting home? You know I can’t drive when I’m smashed” the wolf pleaded at the capybara’s unamused look.“You could help give the whereabouts for the wanted criminal that’s been on the news all day” the capybara answered as he went back to polishing the countertop, the five $100 bills already tucked into the cash register as the largest rodent took out a pen and crossed a tab on a bar receipt.“How much is it paying out? I was chasing other leads today” the blue-grey wolf replied evasively, not looking the capybara in the eye.“It’s 10 grand for information, 100 grand for capture, and 1 million for a kill-order” the capybara, Chuck, replied without batting an eye. The bounty information was left with every cop bar and bounty hunter hang-out in the city.“Who’s got that much to throw for information?” the blue-grey wolf asked as he downed his beer in one gulp.“If you weren’t a private dick (private detective), you’d already know that it’s the federal government who’s paying the bounty” a new voice entered the conversation, the bell beside the door not ringing at the fresh-faced stag as he entered and dutifully checked his rifle at the door.“Eddie, you’re chasing the 10 grand too?” the wolf had a gobsmacked expression as the grey squirrel hid his chortles with a swig of alcohol.“It’s not the money I’m after Sam” addressing the wolf, “I’m after the thrill of the chase”. The stag paused as he focused on the picture flashed on the screen with the other mammals. “Hang on, is that Jared Possum on-screen?”“The groundhog brander? Yeah, FBI caught up with him and he resisted arrest” the capybara answered as he brought out a mug for the stag bounty hunter. “Bar’s been empty all day as everyone’s been called in. Only customer I got is that grey squirrel and he looks like a rhino stomped on him without apologising”.The two new mammals winced at that. Rhinos had remarkably poor depth perception and smaller mammals just had to get out of their way.“Shouldn’t he, I don’t know, check into a hospital?” Sam asked Chuck as the capybara ruefully shook his head.“You’re remarkably dense Sam. News says the bounty is for a grey squirrel. What colour did I just use to describe him?” Chuck informed the wolf as the penny finally dropped when the wolf’s eyes lit up.“Oh…” Sam droned out as he took a giant swig of beer from the mug.“And that’s why you were taken off the force” a gruff voice entered as the warthog officer from the earlier shoot-out hobbled into the bar to cool off.“Good to know you’re not dead, Rey” Sam raised his empty beer mug at the warthog who waved it down.“I’ll get something fruity tonight and I’m turning in. Doc said no alcohol. It mixes bad with my meds” Officer Rey Malone informed the barkeep as the capybara went over to a blender with mango slices and sugar.“Fruity AND no alcohol. Hi guys, it’s been a while” a tigress in plainclothes showed up, badge around her neck.“Oh god, not Internal Affairs” the warthog moaned out.“Had you gone straight home after being discharged, you would not have seen me. Instead, I’m here to monitor your alcohol intake. Anything more than one mouse-sized thimble and you’re on probation” the tigress continued to press as the warthog moaned even louder.“Evening Chuck, have you seen my…there you are! I have half a mind to scream at you for leaving me at the hospital while you drank your sorrows away!” a harlequin rabbit entered as a SWAT rhino officer held the door open for her.“Thanks Mervin” the rabbit doe thanked the rhino who only nodded as he yawned, before entering himself.“Honey, it’s not what it looks like!” the warthog held his hooves up in surrender.“Order up! One Tropical Paradise” Chuck grinned as he placed a tall glass filled with the mango puree, sugar syrup, a smidge of rum, and a festive umbrella perched over the crushed ice: in front of the warthog.  =====================================================================================Alexander Persimmon was trapped in the bar.He had not realised that St. Michael’s was a cop bar and that there would soon be a group of officers, detectives, agents, and bounty hunters showing up to chew the fat.His plan of just sitting there quietly and sipping alcohol went out the window.Grumbling at how quickly his fortune changed, the squirrel failed to notice when the trio of rats appeared to cheers from other officers.“Hey, the heroes of the hour! Come on fellas, let’s get you lubed up for tonight” SWAT Officer Mervin raised his mug in toast.The rat in the lead, Special Agent Derek Wise, just looked up and down the rhino; sizing him up for something.“I don’t think your dick can fit in us, Officer Mervin. The flared head is going to be quite the challenge even with lube” the white rat, Special Agent Gayle Quinn, pointed out as the rhino groaned at the double entendre he had inadvertently caused.The grey squirrel was well into his cups by this point. Perfunctorily turning his head to look at the newcomers, saw three well-dressed rats, and returned to drinking the cheap swill.TOOT-TOOT! TOOT-TOOT!, went someone’s message tone.“You can all reholster now, I won the draw!” a marble fox proclaimed as he sat beside the grey squirrel, sharp eyes cataloguing the bulge of a weapon in the squirrel’s trousers.“WTF?! Bounty has been raised to $5M. Dead or alive” the marble fox declared in shock, not knowing he was sitting beside the very mammal they were talking about.“Whoa, really? Lemme see!” his neighbour on the left asked as the marble fox slid his phone across the polished countertop.“You dumbass! This is the bounty on those two rogue Border Control agents. $2.5M each” Eddie declared loudly as he passed the phone back to the marbled fox.“Aw, really? Here I thought it was for the grey squirrel” the fox’s brush drooped behind him.“Hey there bud, you new here?” the fox looked askance at the grey squirrel who sighed and left the bar stool, going to sit in an empty booth. “Was it something I said?” the fox asked Eddie as he cocked his head in that canine tilt.“Must be getting scared from all the preds in here” Eddie answered as he brought out a silver case from his pocket and opened it to show gold foil wrapped cigarettes. “Want one, Nick?” the stag offered the marble fox.=====================================================================================
1945 Hours

Nieves Family Compound Main Entrance,

El Paso, Texas

Ghost One

“Hey there fellas! Might you open the gate for me?” I asked the coyotes at the gatehouse to open the barrier for me to enter.Customs Agent Nieves had fled here, hoping to find sanctuary with his own family.Customs Supervisor Juan Juego was already in the boot of his own Chevy Camaro, gagged and bound. The idiot thought he could hide inside the El Paso police station. The police officers had practically gift-wrapped him for me to pick up. Chief Pablo Juego had no qualms in handing over his own brother to the federal government. I paid Chief Juego the bounty of $2.5M, writing him a check for the entire amount from one of the black accounts of the CIA. The mountain lion asked for equipment and training instead of cash when I told him he could withdraw the amount from Langley. I tore the check in half and set it alight, leaving instead a satellite phone and a sheaf of plane tickets for him to use. Business class, of course.“No entiendo Inglés” the coyote replied in Spanish. [I don’t understand English]“Estoy seguro de que entiendes una cuchilla en las tripas, entonces?” I answered the coyote as two of my doppelgangers held blades to their throats. [I'm sure you understand a blade to the guts, then?]“Si no nos registramos, saben que algo está pasando” one of the guards tried to bargain, it earned him a broken neck as the other made to scream a warning and had his throat slit. [If we do not check in, they know something is up]“That is no longer your concern” I informed the corpses as the barrier was opened. “Get their radios” I informed the two shadows.“Here sir” the first doppelganger replied, passing over one radio to me.“Thank you, Ian. Shall we issue the challenge then?” I replied as I drove the Camaro into the courtyard and parked it beside the other Camaro.“We’re right with you, sir” both mammals exclaimed, blinking their eyes in sync.“Excellent” I clapped my paws together and shut off the rumbling V-8 engine. The courtyard was silent once more.I sent out a ping and was astonished that everyone was gathered in the formal dining hall. No one does that unless they expect a visit from the Grim Reaper.“Looks like a trap, sir” ‘Ian’ remarked as the two saw the same congregation of mammals.“Then we spring the trap. The two of you are immune to bullets and blades, last I checked” I remarked as we exited the vehicle, closing the doors as my second doppelganger sighed as he rubbed his paws on the hood of the car.“Not to worry, there are two of these. I can always have Talon bring it back for us. Slap these into the wheelwells” I informed the former Xian intelligence officer as I produced two GPS trackers and gave it to him.“What will these do?” Xian asked.“Ping Talon using the closest military satellite and he can drop our vehicles back to any PMC base for pickup” Ian answered for me as I had lowered my mental shields to let them in.   As the three of us approached the main doors to the adobe structure, these opened, and two armed coyotes bowed low at the waist.“Buenas noches, mi Señor Shinigami. La dueña de la casa te espera en el comedor” the one on the left with a yellow bandana welcomed us in. [Good evening, my Lord Shinigami. The mistress of the house is expecting you in the dining hall]“Lo siento por tus amigos en la puerta. No me dejaron entrar” I apologised to the coyotes as the three of us entered. [I am sorry about your friends at the gate. They did not let me in]“No es un problema, mi Señor. Lamentamos no haberte anticipado a tu llegada” the yellow bandana-wearing coyote answered as they continued to bow low. [It is not a problem, my Lord. We are sorry that we did not anticipate you coming]“Acompáñanos a cenar. Insisto” I informed the two coyotes as I passed them, the double doors closing with a bang as the two were dragged behind me. [Join us for dinner. I insist]
Ian: Sir, how good is your hold on the family?

Shinigami: Extremely. They took the oath of fealty when I came calling two years ago. The only one who consistently failed to show up was Customs Agent Nieves, always citing some excuse or another.

Xian: If he took the oath, could he betray you?

S: He would commit suicide before even thinking of betraying me. The only one comparable in oath would be my uncle, Justice Secretary Joseph Furie.

I: Does this family still traffic mammals?

S: Yes. In reverse. They get mammals who are being kept hostage by their employers and resettle them back into Mexico.

I: At least the skills are being put to good use. Anything we should avoid doing?

S: Don’t kill Agent Nieves yet. Director Savage wanted him alive to testify against Tomas Parsnips Junior, the real name of our Mister Alexander Persimmon.
The three of us walked past many armed guards and cameras on our way to the dining hall. If the two thought seeing gang members snapping to attention odd, none of them broached the topic to me. Meanwhile, I was cataloguing mammals and comparing it with the list I got two years ago when I was last here. A lot of the mammals on the old list were irredeemable and had to be put down. I took care of it to spare the family the shame, unknowingly cementing my position as Boss of Bosses.“El Jefe de Jefes ha llegado. Abran paso a Su Excelencia, el Gran y Poderoso Shinigami” a greeter announced to the room as the doors opened to admit us. [The Boss of Bosses has arrived. Make way for His Excellency, the Great and Powerful Shinigami]I saw shocked mammals looking up from a round table. They were the Mexican crime families I took a liking to, a counterbalance to the might of the corrupt police.As one, the seated mammals stood up and bowed at the waist. I never liked this position.“Amigos míos, no es necesario que se inclinen ante mí. No soy más que un mamífero” I proclaimed magnanimously. [My friends, you do not need to bow to me. I am but one mammal]“Un mamífero con casi los mismos poderes que el propio Dios” an elderly mountain lion proclaimed as she crossed herself. [A mammal with almost the same powers as God himself]“Dios está por encima de mí. No puedo compararme con Su Brillantez” I replied as I gave a shallow bow in return. [God stands above me. I cannot hold a candle to His Brilliance]“¿Podemos sentarnos?” I asked as three mammals made space for me at the High Table situated above the Round Table. [May we be seated?]The same elderly mountain lion who spoke earlier began the meeting by first looking at me for permission. I inclined my head and gave it.I had found out during my dismantling phase that the Families had their own code of conduct. If any one member broke it, the family from whom the member belonged would mete out punishment. If the family was not able to mete out punishment, then the mammal would have their fate decided by vote.It was a remarkably democratic system.“Señor Shinigami, primero queremos darte las gracias por honrarnos con tu Presencia. ¿Podemos saber por qué has decidido venir esta noche?” the elderly mountain lion I now identified as Abuela Nieves, the matriarch of the Nieves Crime Family. Her slow decline pulled on my heartstrings as she was the Mexican analogue to my Grandmama Big. [Lord Shinigami, we first want to thank you for gracing us with your Presence. May we know why you have decided to come tonight?]“Ojalá estuviera aquí para celebrar su más reciente adquisición en Acapulco, Señorita Nieves. Estoy aquí por uno de los miembros de la familia Nieves. Han estado en connivencia con un traficante de mamíferos durante más de cinco años y no informaron a nadie” I sadly informed them with a soft smile, one they never saw me use. [I wish I was here to celebrate your newest acquisition in Acapulco, Miss Nieves. I am here for one of the Nieves family. They have been in league with a mammal trafficker for over five years now and failed to inform anyone]“¡Dinos el nombre de nuestro traidor y nos encargaremos de ello internamente! ¡El honor lo exige!” the Nieves matriarch demanded hotly, knowing that I did not take offence. [Tell us the name of our betrayer and we shall handle it internally! Honor demands it!]“He venido por el Agente de Aduanas. He venido por el agente Francisco Chávez Nieves. He venido a llevarlo ante la justicia Animalia” I intoned formally as the room shook as I released a sliver of power. [I have come for the Customs Agent. I have come for Agent Francisco Chavez Nieves. I have come to bring him to face Animalian justice]“Y si nos negamos a renunciar a él, ¿qué precio pagaremos por nuestra negativa?” the Nieves matriarch asked in the same formal manner. [And if we refuse to give him up, what price will we pay for our refusal?]“La familia Nieves será borrada de la faz del mundo. Borrado de la historia y de la memoria. Sólo se aludirá a la destrucción en la medida en que hablar de su nombre hará caer lo mismo sobre aquellos que lo pronuncian” I replied with the same intonation, something the two with me would have to learn if they wanted to take my place while I focused on national threats. [The Nieves Family will be erased from the face of the world. Erased from history and from memory. The destruction will only be alluded to as to speak of its name will bring down the same on those who speak it]There was silence in the hall as everyone looked to the aged matriarch for her reply. The last Family to attempt betrayal against me was torn to shreds by everyone else here.I was not present then.What would I do if they tried to stand against me now?“Aceptamos sus términos. No impugnamos su reclamación. Lo entregamos de buena gana” the matriarch replied sadly as she gave up her son as a sacrifice. [We accept your terms. We do not contest your claim. We give him up willingly]“A cambio de tu voluntad, te concedo otro hijo. Que no se aparte de los valores familiares y que no flaquee en el servicio” I replied as I summoned a cougar cub whose mother was killed by Jared Possum. [In exchange for your willingness, I grant you another son. May he not turn away from the familial values and may he not falter in service]“Eres muy generoso, mi Señor. Aceptamos el intercambio” Abuela Nieves held the cougar cub to her breast as he clung to her. [You are most generous, my Lord. We accept the exchange]“Cuida bien a tu nuevo hijo. En uno de sus muchos futuros, se convierte en el presidente de este país. A su pata derecha, estaba sentado un miembro de la familia Tierra” I answered, sharing one of many futures with them. [Take good care of your new son. In one of his many futures, he becomes the president of this country. At his right paw, sat one member of the Tierra family]I saw the families get all excited that they would be getting a say in the government as I felt the two with me grow aghast with my actions.“Una advertencia para esta historia. Si fuerzas el futuro, fracasará” I informed them, cutting short their celebration as I showed what happens when one messes with the flow. [A word of caution to this tale. If you force the future, it will fail]In that possible future, the Families were destroyed to the last mammal as someone could not wait and assassinated the Mexican president to force a succession crisis. The plot was uncovered, and all were put to the sword.“Eres muy sabio, mi Señor. Nos lo tomaremos muy en serio” the heads of the families intoned as they bowed. [You are wise indeed, my Lord. We shall take this to heart]I returned it as I sat down to observe the proceedings and await delivery of the bound Francisco Carmelo Nieves.
I: Holy shit, sir! You would let them run the government?

S: One of many possible futures. A choice will be their downfall as a choice will raise them to new heights.

X: I should never have signed up as intelligence officer. This is the future of Xian as well?

S: If they incur my wrath, yes. So far, they are playing nice. They apologised to Australia already but will continue sabre-rattling for their population’s benefit.
=====================================================================================
2000 Hours

St. Michael’s Bar for Blues and Reds,

Booth No. 4

Sean Jones (UC Detective Herbert Plover, ZPD)

“What you gonna have today, champ?” an otter bartender asked the washed-out champion boxer as he fought against nodding off. His underground match was cancelled mid-bout when the organisers found out the city was being closed by the federal government to catch a smuggler. Everyone was sent out of the arena through the steadily shrinking safe lanes. At least two groups of gamblers fell into the open jaws of the White Wolf PMC. He, himself, was almost herded into a paddy wagon by an overzealous DEA agent. He had laid out the wolf on the ground with a single punch and there was a mad scramble by the other agents to contain the riot that broke out.   “Got any Guiness, darling?” the rhino asked as he squinted out at the menu, remnants of athletic tape still wrapped around his right fist. ‘Sean’ still had a fat lip and bruising around his left eye from the bareknuckle brawl that ensued between himself and a polar bear in a suit. Counting himself lucky that he was even able to escape the dragnet as more federal agents showed up armed with water cannons and microwave emitters that made his head hurt; the rhino managed to make his way over to St. Michael’s for a pint before he would head on home via the subway.“Sorry champ, no Guiness. We got Budweiser and Carlsberg. Should you even be drinking with your injuries?” the otter asked as she gazed up at the rhino who looked close to passing out from exhaustion. “I don’t got enough cash on me for a single malt” the rhino mumbled out as he reached into his shorts and pulled out a battered pleather wallet.“Now, don’t you worry champ. I’ll talk to Chuck and see if any of his malts are expiring. Lord knows we can use some of those for cleaning engines, they’re so strong” the otter patted the rhino’s right arm as she scurried away to the noisy bar counter.Sean leaned back and closed his eyes for a moment as he caught his breath. Hopefully, his investigation would end soon. He had been at this for two years and had yet to meet with the head honcho running the underground boxing ring. He had been flown in from Zootopia as he had bested the champion there, only just managing to stay one step ahead of the FBI as they broke the crime family sponsoring the fight. He was supposed to have met with the head of the ring here, the one his fellow fighters called “Grey Tail”, only to be stiffed by an intermediary who decided that the rhino needed to fight a bit more as the sponsoring family was no more.Sean’s eyelids were still closed when a slurred question made him open his eyes to look down at a grimy-looking squirrel.“Sorry bud, wassat?” he asked the grey-looking squirrel. The way the squirrel sat setting off long-dormant alarm bells in the white rhino’s brain.“Don’t ya *hic* look like Zoo*hic*topia Under…round….boxing shamp, Sean Jones?” the squirrel asked, the voice sounding male to the rhino’s ears as they flicked to and fro.“I don’t see the resemblance. I was training down at Lone Star Gym when I was told to get out and go home” the rhino answered, slipping in the code phrase he had memorised since his arrival two years ago.Only those in the underground circuit knew that the Lone Star Gym was the actual venue for the matches. There was no set address, but this time the match was scheduled in a skyscraper’s sub-basement downtown.Sean thought the squirrel would frown and leave the topic be. It was dangerous talking about the circuit out in the open with all the bounty hunters and LEOs about, even with coded phrases.He was wrong.“Oh yeah. It was gonna be under my building. Guess I missed the shampionship match” the squirrel declared loudly enough to draw attention from the bar as heads looked their way.“Maybe we can go someplace else?” Sean asked the squirrel who was seconds away from blowing the rhino’s cover.“You in league with those predlovers!” the squirrel challenged the rhino, bringing out a .38 Special from his trousers as the rhino drew himself to full height and prepared to lunge out of the booth.“Here’s what I think of you fucking predlovers! Die!” the squirrel yelled out and squeezed the trigger.Time slowed down for Sean as he pushed the table away from him and lunged for the floor. The first bullet grazing the tip of his left ear as he made contact with the floor. The second bullet struck his tough hide and failed to penetrate.Flashes and dull roars of thunder was making his instinct to run away from the noise all the harder to ignore.Just as suddenly as it all happened it stopped.Time sped up again and Sean looked to see a red mash where the squirrel was. The only thing that kept him from thinking it all a dream was the smoking revolver on the booth table. And the perforated booth chair with holes in the cushions from the return shots.The ringing in his ears soon gave way to voices as a red deer was shaking him trying to get his attention. Sean was in shock and the first conscious action he did was faint.=====================================================================================
2010 Hours

Formal Dining Hall,

Nieves Crime Family Compound (O.R.A.C.L.E. 005),

Ciudad Juarez,

Ghost One (Shinigami)
 My phone buzzed in my pocket, and I slipped a paw inside my jacket pocket to check. The hall took a breath as that was the usual position for a holster and no one knew who would be executed for indiscretion.I brought out the phone and gave a soft snort at the message from Talon.Message read as: Tracked Tomas Parsnips Junior to St. Michael’s Bar for Blues and Reds. He’s dead now. Pulled a gun in a cop bar and paid the price. Will request video footage if any.A coyote retainer approached the three of us as we sat at the High Table. I was busy formulating a reply and was nudged out of it by Ian.“¿Qué quieres Manuel Xolo?” I asked the coyote, forgetting that I was not supposed to engage with the staff directly. That was what intermediaries were for, a move I detested as it ensured information would be sanitised before it reached me. [What do you want Manuel Xolo?]Me speaking out when I usually kept silent singled out the mammal interrupting for execution. The sighs of the coyote’s Familia at their member for drawing my ire made my round ears twitch.  “Perdona a este humilde por acercarse. ¿Tienes algún mensaje para que yo lo transmita a las otras cabezas?” the coyote asked with head bowed in supplication. [Forgive this lowly one for approaching. Do you have a message for me to pass onto the other heads?]“Ninguno en este momento, señor Xolo” I replied as I made to dismiss the coyote before the thought struck me. [None at this time, Mister Xolo] “Esperar. Solo pregunto por el paradero de Francisco Carmelo Nieves. Ya casi es hora de que llame a una cacería” I continued as the coyote bowed low and hurried down to the circular table. [Wait. I only ask the whereabouts for Francisco Carmelo Nieves. It is almost time for me to call a hunt.]I already knew where in the compound Francisco was hiding.He had swiped one of the medallions with my likeness engraved on it, thinking it would protect him from my reach. He was in the servant’s quarters and would not leave unless he could find a way out. Interestingly, both sets of guards sent to bring him to us were with him.I watched the coyote move down to whisper what I said to Abuela Corazon Nieves, and the elderly matriarch looked up in shock.She had already dispatched two sets of guards to secure her wayward son, and none had returned to report. As she looked back at me, I knew she had been betrayed by her own people. Both sets would not last long as I felt their oaths begin to activate.“Stand up. We’re going hunting” I commanded in English as the heads and their bodyguards stood from the table automatically. “Corazon, sit and watch over your grandson. Xian, stay with her. Lethal force authorised in defence of the cub and the matriarch” I ordered the Nieves matriarch back into the chair and left Xian to deal with any interlopers that got close. The snow leopard deployed a ballistic shield and brought out a Colt 1991 Government in his right paw.On the mental line, I could feel Rook and Bishop get their weapons of choice from the armoury. Both had an instinctive feel for when I needed aid.“Talon, talk to me” I informed my A.I. as I returned the earpiece back.“It’s about time, sir. Carmelo is preparing to escape via the kitchen. He is using one of your medallions as a shield against trace. He is unaware that it is embedded with a satellite tracker” Talon replied with a bit of sass.“Call up Delight and get the birds in the air. Hold on the Animalian side of the border” I informed Talon as he relayed the information back to the 1st Armoured Division’s HQ.“1st Armoured copies and is scrambling the birds now. They’ll be holding station in five minutes” Talon replied as the throng of mammals split up to search the compound from top to bottom.“Tierra, conmigo a los cuartos de los sirvientes. Ian, ve con del Mar y asegura el garaje. Carmelo Nieves o viene calladamente o muere violentamente” I issued out orders to the Families who complied immediately. [Tierra, with me to the servants' quarters. Ian, go with del Mar and secure the garage. Carmelo Nieves either comes quietly or dies violently]A lot of them felt sorry for Carmelo at incurring my wrath. A few felt vindicated as Carmelo was first-born of the most favoured family and had believed he could do no wrong.=====================================================================================
2020 Hours

Courtyard Parking,

Nieves Family Compound,

Ciudad Juarez,

Customs Officer Francisco Carmelo Nieves

“Come on you useless pendejo car! Start” the coyote was panting with fear as he could hear the noise from inside the manor of mammals looking for him.It was a gamble that his mother would not send any more mammals to fetch him after he refused to go with the two sets.“Yes!” he barked out with joy as the Camaro started and he placed the car into reverse. Stepping on the accelerator, he reversed quickly out of the spot and aimed for the open gate barrier.“Carmelo! Stop!” a male voice called out from somewhere on his left, but the coyote paid the voice no heed as he swiftly exited the compound with a spray of sand from the rear wheels.The crack of semi-automatic rifle fire barely fazing the coyote as he made good his escape from the compound.The muscle car fishtailed on the cracked asphalt of Ciudad Juarez as Carmelo sped for the border station. His family may hire hitmammals to catch him, but that would not be for a good while yet. Not while his mother still loved him.His good mood lasted for all of thirty seconds as the unlicenced police scanner in his Camaro crackled.“Any units in the vicinity of the El Paso Border Control Station. We have a coyote fugitive in a black Chevy Camaro. Possibly armed and dangerous. I say again to any units in the vicinity of the El Paso Border Control Station…” the frazzled sounding voice of a junior dispatcher making the coyote gun the engine. If the border station raised the bollards, he’d be stopped on the Mexican side of the border. That would be no bueno.Checking his rearview, he saw vehicles leave his family’s compound and go after him. Even the brand-new Suburban of his Uncle Emmanuel was in pursuit.“I know you’re listening on a police scanner, Carmelo. Turn yourself in at the El Paso Border Control and we can smooth this misunderstanding over with the feds” a new voice came on, this one sending shivers up his spine.Only one mammal in the world could do that. If he was the one chasing him, there would be no escape. Nowhere for him to turn….Carmelo shook his head clear of the defeatist thoughts as he continued his way towards the brightly lit Border Wall. He counted himself fortunate that no one was mamming the FastPass lane and it was automated to allow for authorised vehicles entry. He aimed for that lane, successfully crossing the border bridge over the Rio Grande tributary. Checking his rearview, he was gratified that all his pursuers had stopped the chase on the Mexican side.Their headlights shining behind him as mammals got out of their cars and yelled at him incomprehensibly.He crowed out that he had won! That he lived to fight another day.Until he looked forward and the looming hulk of an M1A1 Abrams Main Battle Tank sat squarely in the exit lane, with the barrel pointed at him. He panic braked, but it was already too late. His brand-new car smashed into the right rubber bulldozer track and hurled his unsecured body out through the windshield. He went sailing through the air, clearing the cupola before gravity slammed him down onto the hot engine deck, and he screamed as the metal seared his fur off his back.Flinging himself off the scorching metal, he landed on his belly on the asphalt road and groaned.“I’m alive…” he breathed out weakly as he was now inside El Paso, Texas.That was until he met the ice-blue eyes of a snow leopard in a three-piece suit standing above him with soldiers aiming down their sights.“I’m so dead” the coyote muttered out as he knew who this mammal was. If not by name, then by reputation.=====================================================================================
2035 Hours

Customs Supervisor Juan Juego’s Camaro,

Speeding after rogue agent Francisco Carmelo Nieves

Ian MacTavish
 “Sir! We won’t make it! He’s gunning for the border wall!” I yelled out as we tried to keep chase with the other Camaro.It had taken ten minutes for the car to fail at starting. Until my twin entered and snapped his fingers, then the car purred as we gave chase after the taillights of the other car.“Here’s the lights and sirens” my passenger, Deputy Director del Morte, commented calmly as he pushed buttons on the centre console and the strobes began to flash.It appeared that Customs Supervisor Juan Juego had installed a custom siren. What came out was not the normal whoo-whoo-whoo of Animalian cars or the pee-po pee-po of British cars. Instead, what could only be described as a strangled growl came out of the sirens.“Ah, Ghostbusters” my passenger commented as I wondered what he was smoking. Not aloud, or he’d turn me into a cigar and smoke me for real.I heard the rumours.“Time for a call” I heard the calm manner by which the FBI deputy director beside me tapped his phone. I was concentrating on the road as Carmelo was using every trick in the book to shake his pursuers.“I know you’re listening on a police scanner, Carmelo. Turn yourself in at the El Paso Border Control and we can smooth this misunderstanding over with the feds” my boss informed the fleeing fugitive with the CB radio installed in the car, somehow finding the exact same frequency the fugitive used.“Sir, is Supervisor Juego still in the boot of the car?” I asked as we needed to bring them both in alive to testify. I then had to swerve to avoid a spike strip deploying as we had to take a curved road sharply.The car behind us was not so lucky and it flipped three times before coming to a rest beside a closed storefront. Dazed mammals got out, shaken but alive.“I forgot about that. He’s still alive, though. Let me just send him straight to holding” the entity beside me sent the mountain lion away as lightning lit up the clear night sky. A bolt came straight down and almost hit the Camaro ahead had not the coyote swerved at the last moment.“Jesus!” I cried out as the bolt struck us, frying the electronics for a brief moment before we continued sans the awful siren.“Talon, Colonel Thibault has ten minutes at most before Carmelo crosses the border. Get those tanks in blocking positions!” the deputy director informed his contact inside the Animalian military as I fishtailed trying to keep my speed up.“What kind of tanks, sir?” I asked him as I concentrated on not fully wrecking the car before we even reached the border bridge.“The Desert Storm kind” was his smug reply as I went through all the tanks I had been around before my ears flattened against my head.“Abrams?” I asked again as I barely missed running over another deployed spike strip.“Of course. He’s either dead or wishes he’s dead when he hits those mobile barriers. Bollards are down by the way” he informed me as he matter-of-factly as if talking about a simple mammal. “Spike strip coming up on your left” he then pointed out as he looked at his phone screen.“What spike…” *BOOM* I asked before our left front tire exploded into rubbery shreds. We were now throwing up a shower of sparks as the metal rim was in contact with the asphalt road. The car began wobbling from side to side and it would not be long before we wrecked.“Ian, grab on. We’re jumping ahead” my boss said as he unbuckled his seatbelt, tucked in his phone, and held onto me.A bright blue bolt of lightning hit us, and we were gone. Our car disappeared in a fireball as it plunged off the bridge.We reappeared over the border behind the second tank at the Fast Pass Lane. My boss now wearing his favoured three-piece suit as he took out a golden pocket watch on a chain.My infiltration suit replaced with the same desert khaki BDUs as the soldiers around me. Even my boxers felt different.“He’s right on time” my boss commented as he showed me his phone screen with a thermal drone feed.The roaring engine of a Camaro was soon replaced by the squeal of brakes as the third tank in the line shuddered from the impact.A body clearing the commander’s cupola and landing onto the scorching engine deck as the mammal screamed in agony. The mammal threw themselves off the back and landed on their belly on the asphalt as boss and I approached with soldiers in tow.We heard the mammal exclaim in relief that he was alive, mirth evident in his voice.Until he looked up at my boss’ face and saw the pointed rifle barrels of 1st Armoured Cavalry and muttered, “I’m so dead”.“Francisco Carmelo Nieves, you are under arrest for violation of Federal Statute Four of which Paragraph Eight Dash Two reads that under no circumstances are you to collude with foreign nationals hostile to the Animalian nation. You’re going away for a long time, Mister Nieves. I hope you have a good enough lawyer to help you beat high treason, kidnapping, drug trafficking, and resisting arrest” the snow leopard with me informed the downed and whimpering coyote.“I’m not resisting arrest” the coyote countered meekly as he raised his arms in the air.“You wish you’d resisted arrest” my boss replied as he made a ‘come hither’ motion and the coyote yipped in pain as a false tooth came sailing out.“He’s all yours Special Agent Nieves” my boss patted the side of an angry polar bear holding a muzzle in his paws.

----- CHAPTER BREAK -----

August 5, 2000

Presidential Suite,

Johns Hopkins Medical Centre,

Bethesda, Maryland

“Any change, Doctor Young?” Special Agent Polikarpov asked as he knocked on the door to the open suite where Special Agent Daniel Wolfex was still recovering from his injuries. Even the famed ‘Paws of God’ that was Doctor von Kaggerak had seemingly failed to cure the white wolf snoozing on a soft bed.“He’s still showing very little brainwave activity since you came in ten minutes ago” the aged fox physician replied stoically as he was marking notes on a clipboard.Or doodling in the margins.“So, typical of him then” NCIS Very Special Agent Anthony diMuzzo commented as the moose stuck his horned head into the room.“Hello Tony. Done annoying Director Melman?” Special Agent Francis Carmichael groaned out as the painted hound was bringing another stuffed wolf for the one on the bed.“Director Melman sent me here. Have you guys seen Agent Tibbs?” Agent diMuzzo answered, then asked for his immediate boss’ location.“Down in the morgue, glaring at a corpse and wishing he could resurrect the dead so he can kill the corpse again” Dr. Young answered, well used to dead bodies and eccentric agents by now. His foremost patient, FBI Deputy Director Ivan del Morte, was always performing disappearing acts and leaving without his medication.“Oh thanks, doc. Saves me from trying to page him” the moose agent walked back out before giving a squeak of surprise and skedaddling out.“Boss is here?” Special Agent Carmichael asked the room as he arranged the plushies around the wolf. Special Agent Wolfex was surrounded by plush pups, and they formed a halo around his head.The sudden frost appearing on the walls were proof enough.“Mhmm” Agent Polikarpov breathed out wisps of steam, feeling as if joy was being sucked out of his life as the soft pads of the snow leopard approached.“Doctor Young, any updates on my agent?” the impersonal way the snow leopard asked made the ibex flinch as if struck.“None at this time. He’s still in a coma. We have already removed the drugs that kept him under as he healed” the fox physician replied as he straightened his white coat as he moved towards the electroencephalogram (EEG) with printout.“As you can see here” the physician entered lecture mode as he pointed out the delta wave band on the paper, “this is an indication of deep sleep. Similarly, the depressed activity on alpha and beta waves also shows hallmarks of sleep”.“When do we expect him to wake?” the snow leopard asked, raising a paw to stroke his chin.“Anytime from today until the 11th of August 2000. Why?” the fox physician asked as he gave full attention to the snow leopard.“Very well. Keep me informed, doctor” the snow leopard nodded his head and departed from the suite.At the retreating back of the snow leopard, Special Agent Polikarpov asked the pertinent question. “I thought our boss was omnipotent, why did he not use his power to wake Agent Wolfex?”“Two things you need to remember rookie. One. Just because he can do it, does not always mean he will. Two. There are depths to our boss that even I am not privy to. Ask him yourself and watch yourself turn to ash” Special Agent Carmichael answered as the painted hound left the suite.“Or” a soft voice entered the conversation as a cream and tan wolf joined them in the suite, “the snow leopard you saw is one of his shadow mammals. That is not him. Hello Danny, it’s been a while”.=====================================================================================
1000 Hours

Deputy Director’s Office

CIA Campus,

Langley, Vulpinia

Deputy Director Ivan del Morte
 “What the hell am I going to tell the UN now?” I argued with one of the PMC commanders over the phone, reporting their success by landline.As I was busy grabbing loose ends in Texas, White Wolf Xian had gone ahead and entered Pyongyang without firing a shot. The current rulers were disposed of by their own military as they fled northwards, running into White Wolf PMC units disguised as Xian armoured infantry.“I know what I said, Commander Kim. I just did not expect that your team would move this quickly or that they would capitulate within days of your entry into the country” I spoke with the panda on the other end.I let out a breath as the paperwork for me was bound to increase without a personal visit to North Choson. Not to mention the jubilant Southern neighbour would demand reunification.=====================================================================================I just hoped it was not the same as what the Congolese did.They slipped in a line on the UN treaty that granted White Wolf PMC permanent oversight status on their government. While I was not complaining that there would be veto power with White Wolf units in the area, the proposal even caught me flat-footed as I was shocked when the UN delegation basically signed over the nation’s sovereignty to White Wolf PMC.Well, I acted convincingly shocked as I was deep cleansing the French intelligence network at the time, and the announcement did not register until after I got back to the Animalian embassy in Marseille. I asked for a plebiscite immediately upon learning what the delegation did. The plebiscite was free of the usual allegations of vote-shaving and the result came back as 99% For, 0.5% Against, 0.5% Abstain in favour of White Wolf becoming a permanent fixture of the country.Then Sudan followed as its government asked White Wolf to step in against rebels in the southern part of the country. As White Wolf PMC was pacifying the southern countryside, a military junta overthrew the civilian government and demanded the PMC bow to them as the new rulers. Local PMC Commander Andrei M’zidongo called for reinforcements from nearby bases and overthrew that junta with extreme prejudice. The civilian government was invited back from exile in Mali and control was formally returned. Peace lasted for all of six days before White Wolf Congo had to rescue White Wolf Sudan from an ambush that killed Commander M’zidongo. Rook had appeared with White Wolf Britain and crushed the insurgency as easily as one crushes a calabash beneath their heel. White Wolf bases from Egypt, Jordan, Mali, and South Africa came to the aid of White Wolf Sudan and the nation crumbled. Another delegation was dispatched by the UN and the new government advocated for White Wolf to stay. The PMC operatives themselves had kept order and had not gone on a spree of looting, raping, and killing as others had done before.We held a funeral for Commander M’zidongo. His remains were retrieved by Shadowfax in the jungle where he fell and cremated on a pyre in the nation’s capital. I was present for this one as I had received unconfirmed reports that three Animalian citizens had gone missing during the emergency. I found two of the three in an unmarked mass grave behind the presidential palace that the junta had dug for political prisoners. The third was embedded inside White Wolf Sudan as a communications officer and was feared lost when the base was attacked.I sent the third one, Communications Officer Michelle Hussein, back to her family in Jordan on enforced rest. She would not leave the country until her contract was up or she found love. As her contract said she would be with us for nine years, she found love with an Arabian emir and left with him to the Gulf States. White Wolf released her from her contract as agreed upon.White Wolf PMC then targeted the Gulf States as their banks were being used to fund terror organisations destabilising the region. The Arabian Peninsula fell within hours of a declaration of war. The Animalian and British forces stationed there could only watch in mute horror as their hosts were executed. EMP strikes on their staging areas had crippled the response and, with White Wolf in control of the holy city with a thermonuclear device set to destroy it, surrendered en masse.I kept the defeat out of the papers by rewriting what actually happened, and that the royal family were assassinated by Islamists set on re-establishing a caliphate. White Wolf found a lot of radical supporters, and with the aid of the Anglo-Animalian contingents, eradicated the movement from ever taking off again.  I got a proper hiding from Her Majesty for that incident. I really wasn’t old enough for her not to take me over the knee and spank.To make my headache worse, Anatolia or Turkey, formally capitulated to a stunned Commander Alim bin Salim as the president would rather sign his nation’s independence to a foreign power than to his upstart rival from Capadoccia. Anatolia being a NATO member, gave me a persistent migraine, as Greece immediately demanded territory when they learned that Turkey no longer existed.In the end, Greece had to back down.NATO would rather expel Greece then anger a nuclear Anatolia.Greece fell next when the fledgling European Common Market became the European Union. Loans to member nations were called due and the Greeks sadly fell way short of the amount they had borrowed. I was in a meeting, discussing the fate of Cyprus with the NATO-Med admirals, when we received word that Greece had fallen to a people’s revolt.I had to pay for a replacement table as I destroyed the one in the meeting room by repeatedly smacking my forehead into it.White Wolf PMC was now the de factor leader for ten countries.I had asked for, and been granted, by the U.N. Security Council permanent members an agreement that after 100 years we would relinquish the countries back to their citizens. I had originally asked for three decades and had Roarssia laugh that such a time was too short. They proposed a thousand years, which I found too long and brought back memories of Adolf Kitler’s Thousand-year Reich.Xian’s proposal was even more outrageous: two thousand years.The only one still alive by that point would be me.=====================================================================================“Very well, Commander Kim. Keep me updated on the status of the slow dismantling of the state organs. And, I do mean slow. Call in some other friends so at least the lights will stay on” I informed the White Wolf PMC commander for the Choson peninsula as I put down the phone.“I hate my life. I hate my life. I hate my life” I repeated over and over as I banged my head on the table, fully knowing I could not escape my fate. Not least because I had agreed to this long ago.The buzzer on the intercom sounded on my desk and I pressed the button to answer it.“Deputy Director del Morte, sir?” my voluntary CIA secretary, Miss Clara Bottom, was on the line.“Go ahead Clara” I moaned out, knowing who was the one calling without her announcing it. “I have U.N. Secretary General Café Annan on Line 1. He says it’s urgent” she informed me as I looked at the blinking red light on the landline.I picked up the handset from its cradle and placed the speaker against my head. “Good morning, Mister Secretary General. What can I do for you?”“Well, you can start with telling me who else will White Wolf PMC take as theirs” the zebra on the other end of the line answered resignedly.“I no longer make the decisions at White Wolf, Mister Secretary General. I relinquished those duties to the current CEO when I was appointed to higher office” I sang the familiar refrain.“Oh, cut the bullshit. We both know you have complete override ability to White Wolf’s actions” the zebra pressed his advantage hotly.“You hail from South Africa, Mister Annan?” I asked the zebra as I changed tactics.“What does that have to do with everything?” the zebra snorted into the phone.“Would you believe me then if I told you I came from the future to prevent a terrible disaster that envelops the world in twenty-five (25) years?” I asked him as I finally placed who the dead zebra in the vision shown to my uncle at the start was.Silence reigned over the line.“What kind of disaster?” the zebra spoke softly into the phone.“Nuclear winter as mammal accuses mammal. A stray missile is fired at Judea and kicks off the nuclear apocalypse. I was sent back to halt the attacks, but a calculation error had me wake up in an infant’s body” I informed him as I felt his soul string.One snip from a pair of sharp scissors and the zebra would fall.“I do not believe that will happen” the zebra snootily declared.“Because the instigators of those attacks no longer exist. Would you not want to live in a peaceful world?” I answered calmly as I sent him visions of his home being one of the first to be hit.“I…I….I must think about it. Goodbye Deputy Director del Morte” the zebra stuttered as a pair of shears flashed into existence and rested on the string. The zebra ending the call, ended the threat as I let out a breath.

You did well.

Did I? I was close to ending his life over one phone call. I already have the Nightstalkers on call, not to mention that White Wolf PMC bases are visible in a large part of the world. All it would take is one mistake and the world is consumed in nuclear fire.

That is what your family is for. To fall back on and to bounce ideas when the weight of the world gets too much.

And to close myself off from the world? Like my counterpart in Universe-323 did? His mammals struggled in his absence, burning themselves out in keeping the peace. Had you not sent me there, they would have died a lonely death.

I did not send you there.

But…

You did. And gave your souls another home.

Can I ask for you to take the burden away?

I cannot. This road was your choice. You must walk this road until it reaches its end.

I was afraid you would say that, Señor Muerte.

Besides, you should be by your friend’s side. He’s going to wake up right about…

Don’t you dare!

…Now.

I vanished from my desk with a pop. The sudden pressure differential scattered some papers off my desk and exposed a project that needed a signature.=====================================================================================
1010 Hours

Presidential Suite,

Johns Hopkins Medical Centre,

Bethesda, Maryland

FBI/CIA Deputy Director Ivan del Morte

I reappeared in a heap on the hospital floor of the suite. Which, while clean to the naked eye, was teeming with antibiotic-resistant bacteria. A quick snap of my fingers and the surface was cleansed with a microsecond burst of hellfire.Leaving a faint scent of rotting eggs.I heard a sniffle from the mammal on the bed and made my way over to the empty chair.“Hi Danny” I informed his sleeping form as I stroked the luscious fur on the albino wolf. I chuckled a bit at the image I got of him breaching the fourth wall and meeting someone called “The Author”.“You always did like breaking the rules. I told you no eating on the job and you somehow managed to smuggle Ding Dongs into an active crime scene” I informed the albino wolf as he continued to snore.I whispered the next bit into his snow-white fur covered ears. “Death says it’s not your time yet. You’re supposed to wake up”.Once I pulled away, I caught the barest flash of pink as the eyelid opened and closed again.“Don’t make me tickle you, Danny. Death told me you are extra ticklish near your nipples” I informed him as I brought out my fountain pen and stroked it near the second pair of nipples. The twitch on his face and the sudden hitch in breathing made all the difference.I pulled out a foil-wrapped packet of Ding Dongs. The uniqueness of the package’s crinkling made Danny’s ears pivot to the sound. I had his attention now and tore the packet open, releasing the chocolatey goodness for our sensitive noses to inhale. The butyric acid in the chocolate making me gag as the white wolf salivated.The white wolf’s jaws lunged forward as he swallowed the cake whole like an alligator did.A soft snap darkened the window shade as I knew from personal experience that bright lights were particularly blinding if one came from a long coma.“Good morning, Sleeping Beauty” I informed him as his eyes opened fully and adjusted to the low light condition of the room.“Hi Boss. Did we get ‘em?” Special Agent Wolfex asked bashfully as I held out another Ding Dong packet for him.“We got most of them” I admitted ruefully as two mammals were unaccounted for. Hitmammal Douglas Ramses and a one-eyed horned ram with no name and no priors. Sam was finding out who he was through facial recognition, but I had agreed that it was part of the long game. We may only find out if he shows his ugly mug again.“What happened to the squirrel who shot me? Is he playing his golden harp?” Danny asked as he scratched the back of his head with his left paw and was shocked at how skinny his paw was under all the fur.“He played Roarssian Roulette with a semi-automatic and shot two cops in Houston. Houston PD turned over a red mash as that was all that was left of the ‘Mighty Alexander Persimmon’” I informed him, mimicking a wrestling announcer’s spiel hyping up a fighter.“Serves him right” Danny replied as he leaned back on his soft pillow and made one of the plushies squeak. “Where’d all these plushies come from?” he asked as every part of the bed had at least one white wolf on it.“Look around, maybe there’s a card somewhere” I informed him as he happily did so.I picked up a wolf plushie that captured Death’s image perfectly. I sniffed the wolf plushie with red eyes and two plush sickles.It smelled of sandalwood and lemon soap. Only one agent around us smelt like that: Special Agent Francis Carmichael.The wolf plushie blinked as it looked up at me and shook his head vigorously as Agent Wolfex hunted for a card.I waggled my eyebrows at the plush wolf and thrust him into Agent Wolfex’s paws. “Here, have this one. It looks rather special”.“This is so humiliating” the wolf plushie grumbled as he was pulled into a hug by Special Agent Wolfex and nuzzled by the excitable wolf.I opened the door of the suite and stepped outside into the heavily-guarded corridor.“So? How is he?” Special Agent Carmichael was wringing his paws. Larry Howlington was also present as the brown wolf gave a quick nod in my direction.“He’s awake and nuzzling plushies” I spoke the good news as the area erupted with noise.“AAAAWAWAWOOOO!” Larry howled out and it started a howl among the other wolves.“AAAWWWWOOOOOOOOOOO!” CIA Agent Jeffrey Moon howled out with joy.“AAAARRRROOOOOOO!” Rook joined the party and brought forth spectral wolves who gave their own howls.“Rook, no” I shook my head in dismay as the spectral wolves killed the mood. =====================================================================================
1700 Hours

Mr. Big’s Office,

Big’s Manor,

Tundratown, Zootopia

Nicholas Wilde
 “Did we not welcome you into our family, Nicholas? Did we not break cannoli together?” Mister Big asked me as he sat in his chair.“We did, Mister Big. Uh, why am I over the hole?” I asked as Kevin and Raymond held me over the open ice cover as my breathing quickened.“Then why did you sell Grandmama a rug you claimed was of the highest quality wool? I just found out yesterday that it was made with fur from Hollywool heartthrob Gregory Le Peu. Do you know who that is Nicholas?” Mister Big pressed.“Uh, the big star over in Hollywool who got his start with Warren Brothers and is their go-to casting for Casanova?” I answered glibly as I needed to know these things if I wanted to get ahead in the information business.“So, you do know who he is” Mister Big replied as he sat down and lit a cigar, tapping out ashes in a mini ashtray beside his chair.“Now, onto the matter of the rug, do you know what happened to Grandmama when she found out it was made from skunk fur?” Mister Big asked as I swallowed past the ball of lead in my throat.“She loved it?” I answered as I faced my palms upward as I tried not to show all my fangs at the shrew with my embarrassed smile.Mister Big inhaled from his cigar and blew out a smoke ring.“Boys, out. Koslov, stay” Mister Big ordered everyone except the majordomo to leave the office. I was unceremoniously dropped into the freezing hole. I was able to pull myself out, but at Koslov’s cold gaze, I was beginning to wonder if perhaps I should get back in.“W-w-w-w-w-w-what is t-t-t-t-t-this ab-b-b-b-b-out?” I stuttered as I tried to fight off the chilling cold.“This” Mister Big said in a low voice as he flicked a card at me.With shaking paws, I took the card as Koslov placed a thermal blanket around me in that silent way of his. The polar bear turned up the heat and it took all I had not to relax. I had witnessed a weasel be executed for relaxing in the warmth as she got dumped into the ice water under the mansion and died from thermal shock.I turned the nondescript-looking card over, and I gulped at the holographic symbol embossed on the card.Two crossed sickles under a grinning wolf skull. Shinigami’s symbol.“Do you see what you have brought to our doorstep, Nicholas?” Mister Big asked as I looked up with apprehension.I knew that tone. That was the ‘I am disappointed in you and your death will be slowly amusing to me’ tone.“Koslov, have Kevin tenderise him. Throw him out into the cold. Let’s see how long he lasts without the Family” Mister Big tapped his cigar out on the ashtray.“You are most kind, sir. Truly a giant among mammals” I tried to butter him up as I dropped to my knees and attempted to kiss his ring.“Eh…Koslov. Kick him out now” Mister Big made that goodbye gesture as I was grabbed by Koslov’s paw and carried by my scruff like a kit.“I can get you a new one! This can be swept under a rug! Get it? Cos it’s a carpet! Ahahaha….haha……..aha” my fake laughter cut off as the door slammed in front of me.“Koslov, buddy. Cut me some slack, will ya?” I pleaded with the polar bear as he snorted at me and continued walking with me in his paw.   “Raymond, Kev? Come on guys. Don’t look at me like that…it breaks this fox’s heart” I turned my attention to the two brothers as they turned away, showing me their backs.“Dmitri?” I begged from the old polar bear as he extended his left paw. I looked up at Kozlov and the larger bear was puzzled that the senior bear wanted me. He gave me to Dmitri and the more senior bear smirked down at me.I gulped nervously as I felt I signed my own death certificate. I knew that smirk. That was the smirk I copied from him when a plan came together.“You want out from Family, fox?” Dmitri asked in his saccharine tone that made me gag as he carried me out of the manor, the staff shunning me as they already knew my status. “I’ll show you the way out” he declared as he pitched me onto the packed snow of the covered garage.I winced as I felt something dislocate.“You got off easy, Nicholas. Next time you set paw in Tundra, you will die” Dmitri straightened his coat as he brushed off snow.I tried to crawl away before a sharp crack rang out and I screamed as pain exploded down my back.“And, that’s so you don’t forget” Dmitri mocked me as the bear tossed something hot around the same area.I grit my teeth as I tried to make it at least to the gate, but with my injury I doubted I would even make it to the exit of the garage.“Kid, that you?” a deep voice entered my hearing as Finnick appeared. “Oh gods, what did you do to Big that he had you shot?”  “Finn, tell Ma I said hi” I touched my partner’s face as I blacked out.“You can tell her yourself, dumb ass” was all I heard before nothing else came through.

----- CHAPTER BREAK -----

1200 Hours

July 31, 2000

Kitchen Area

Family Dining Hall,

The Ranch,

Langley, Vulpinia

FBI / CIA Deputy Director Ivan del Morte

“What do you think I should do for our first family dinner later?” I asked Rook as we joined the cooks, chefs, and bakers in the expansive kitchen of the ranch house. The CIA had spared no expense for the test kitchen, and it showed.The kitchen was a stainless-steel monstrosity with every surface a gunmetal grey.If you could think of an item that belonged in a kitchen, it was there. Sinks to serving dishes, pots and pans, casserole dishes and crockpots, separate walk-in freezers for fish, poultry, and frozen desserts, blast chillers for soft ice cream, an ice cream machine, gas-fired and wood-fired ovens, and microwaves.The entirety of the house was given over to me when I bought the property. The CIA was stationed in a bunker four levels beneath the actual house. They used the grounds as an athletics field and carpark. From time to time, the house hosted the CIA when they planned infiltration assignments on manors and palaces for their agents.I usually had advance warning so that the pricey artworks could be moved into storage and replicas set up.That went to hell on the 21st of this month when I gave the wrong code-phrase and precipitated an all-out war in the house that I barely won. Had I not used my powers and appeared in my bedroom, I would have had a hard slog back.The cadets I sent for an impromptu swim sat down to warmed tinned soup and crackers in the formal dining hall. The others had the same as they had failed in taking me down.The Agency lacked a proper social gathering hall that was not within the confines of the Langley campus. The rich furnishings of the two dining halls in the ranch house made them excellent areas to practice infiltration and seduction of well-heeled mammals.I agreed to host those events if the Agency updated the rotting kitchen. They did and I was now standing in one of the best kitchens on the East Coast.“I do not know, Young Master. I partook in eating the courses, never in planning” Rook bashfully admitted, the dire wolf tucking his tail between his legs.“What does Your Grace want to demonstrate for a family dinner? Show off wealth, simple sustenance, or consolidate family affairs?” one of the chefs came forward to ask as mixing bowls and utensils were now scattered about as the pastry and soup chefs oversaw the use of flour and eggs. This chef had the Royal Coat of Arms on his white jacket’s left breast pocket.“It’s a first for me as well, Lord Julienne” I answered the black bear Royal Head Chef from Balmoral Castle on loan from my niece, Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth the Second.The bear folded his arms across his chest as he mulled over what he could serve, pushing his toque back up from sliding off. Twice he opened his mouth, twice he closed it as he frowned and shook his head.“Do you enjoy spices, Your Grace?” Lord Julienne asked as he brought out a notebook, having exhausted his mental options.“Yes. I do like some of those tandoori chicken dishes from Nando’s. And some Szechuan dishes with liquid fire” I answered as I mulled over what I could or could not eat. There was nothing I could not conceivably eat. My allergies to seafood were removed by Life the last time we met.“Promising” Lord Julienne wrote into his notebook some dishes he would attempt for tonight. “And what of starters, desserts, libations and the like?” the bear tapped his pen against the notebook as he asked me again.“Rook, what do you like as starter? I like some buttered bread with chicken breast and a slice of Cheddar cheese” I asked first my retainer as I gave one of mine as an example. “Alternatively, I can have a small Caprese salad with a balsamic vinaigrette”.Rook simply smiled mischievously at me before he spoke “Thinly-sliced raw heart in plum sauce”.“Hmm, we can do that with enough prepwork. What type of bird are you thinking of Agent Rook?” Lord Julienne wrote my butler’s unusual request down.“Not a bird” Rook rumbled out.I closed my eyes as I knew what Rook wanted. We both partook in the ‘delicacy’ often enough.“Ah, crocodile or alligator heart. A little difficult, but I’m sure Florida would be willing to part with some alligator tail” Lord Julienne nodded in understanding as he scratched out his previous entry of ostrich heart.“Heart of a mammal convicted of multiple life sentences” Rook continued to rumble out as I fought the urge to sigh. “It tastes delectable”.“Urk” Lord Julienne pulled at the collar of his uniform with a single digit, trying to get the material loose enough around his neck to breath properly.“You may want to excuse my butler, Lord Julienne. We just got back from taking out a terror cell. That is our current go-to intimidation tactic” I patted the black bear’s back as I looked at Rook with a raised eyebrow.
I won’t judge because we both indulge in it. Choose something else. For the sake of Julienne’s sanity.
“I am only joking, Lord Julienne” Rook replied in his deep voice. “I shall have tuna and salmon sashimi with shrimp tempura”.“Oh, Thank Goodness. I don’t think anyone would be willing to supply a mammalian heart for us to cook with” Lord Julienne replied as the other chefs listening in made themselves busy with the preparations for tonight.“Now, for the main course, a seafood platter comes to mind. Hearty miso soup as well” I was looking at Michelin-starred chef Toyotama Hideyoshi as I said this and the tanuki bowed as he had exactly that in stock.“With lobster, crawfish, crabs, and shrimp?” a new voice entered as line cook George Ecclesby appeared with two cartloads of seafood on ice, having gone shopping at the grocers in town.=====================================================================================George Ecclesby also carried part of my soul and had my eccentricities. The caribou was clinically braindead, after a car accident had tossed him out of the vehicle.Sometime during the Sicilian campaign, part of my consciousness entered the caribou and woke him from a four-month coma. With no surviving family, having been killed in a separate car crash from icy roads, the caribou had made his way south from the township of Munn at the fringe of the Arctic Circle towards an RCAF monitoring station. He had no other marketable skills besides being a good fishermammal and cook. RCAF Station Hypo took him in, and he had no problems until I pinged the network searching for mammals like those I had rescued from the alternate universe.The caribou asked, and was granted, permission to “find himself” as the pull on his soul was leading him out of the frozen North.A journey of 2,500 miles until he reached the doors of The Ranch.How he managed to cross the border was a mystery to all but Oracle. Sam, with help from T.A.L.O.N., forged travel documents at the border and let him pass.  I knew who this was long before the strange caribou opened his mouth. Meeting Soleador’s pride made me keenly aware of what parts of the soul felt like.I then had to write a letter addressed to the commander of RCAF Hypo that George would not be coming back. He was one of mine and he would stay with me.George did not agree, but knew I held the greater part of soul.=====================================================================================“Yes George. Your part of the dinner later, so give Lord Julienne your preferences” I informed the caribou who only nodded in agreement.The caribou may not partake in assassination missions, being more of a pacifist, but was quite happy to feed everyone else.He would benefit the most from all the chefs as I wanted him to indulge in his love for cooking.“Libations of choice?” Lord Julienne asked as the chef was writing everything on the notebook so there could be trips made to the local grocers or, failing that, the massive commissary of the nearby Annapolis naval base.“That’s up to you, Lord Julienne. The only wine I remember drinking is Pinot Noir with a hearty steak made from a particularly resistant reindeer. After being marinated in some lemon juice, chilies, garlic, and onions for five days, the softened steak was then cooked to a medium-rare. Served with frites and aioli. Raspberry ice cream with mint leaf for dessert” I replied, making the black bear and the other kitchen staff flinch from my choice.“Young Master, perhaps it is best we leave the kitchen and the chefs to it?” Rook asked, giving me an out from the situation I found myself in.“What? Oh, okay. Lord Julienne, surprise me. But, I must have focaccia or rye bread tonight” I replied as I departed the kitchen with the dire wolf in tow.The moment the swinging double doors of the kitchen closed behind us, the kitchen staff ran for the nearest sinks and threw up. All that is, except for the tanuki chef who was so deep in carving the fish, he would react after he was done.“Oh gods. Let’s hope we don’t disappoint” Lord Julienne commented as the bear washed his mouth out.“Yeah. I’d hate to become the main dish” the pastry chef, Alain Oeuf, declared as the red fox got to kneading the dough for the breadbasket tonight.=====================================================================================
1245 Hours

First Formal Dining Hall,

The Ranch,

Langley, Vulpinia

CIA Deputy Director Ivan del Morte

“Are we having royalty over?” I asked the head butler for the property, Mister Gregory Polnavesky, as the badger was arranging the place settings with the fine China and wine glasses on an immaculately white tablecloth. The silverware was also meticulously arranged for a planned nine-course meal.“Forgive me asking, Your Grace, but are you not royalty?” the head butler asked as he instructed the staff on the silverware and china placements.“Just a duke, nowhere inside the line of succession” I waved that concern away. I had no plans on the throne of Britain.“Then the place settings are perfect, sir” the badger replied as he went back to arranging the perfect setting.“Come on Rook, the faster we’re out of here; the faster this all gets done” I beckoned Rook as we departed the dining hall. The frantic energy inside died down when I left as the staff gave out a sigh of relief.“That mammal is quite scary” the head butler declared as he checked the wine glass for any prints or smudges, using a white cloth glove to pick up the piece as delicately as one could.=====================================================================================“Rook, did we eat anything for lunch or breakfast?” I asked my bodyguard/retainer as we left the grounds for the helipad at the back of the house.“We had a hearty breakfast full of breads, meat, and cheese. I am hungry again, sir” Rook answered as the dire wolf sniffed the air.Agents along the route stiffening to attention before relaxing as I passed them by. I may be shared between the CIA and FBI, but the power of the position is quite real.One of them was eating a Happy Meal, in contravention of Agency policy not to bring outside food onto the property.“Special Agent Morton, is that a Happy Meal I spy on your folding table?” I asked as I approached the bright yellow and red cardboard container, detouring from the path to the helicopter.The wolf was caught with his proverbial trousers down as his paws froze their action of bringing up the burger to his mouth. His fellow agents were making Signum Crucis in his general direction.“Uh, yes sir” the wolf agent of six years replied truthfully.“Where’d you purchase that?” I asked him as I was also craving a burger to munch on.“Corner of Main and 33rd, sir. Just down the road from the Agency campus entrance. Going towards E-50, sir” the wolf answered, his face a mix of confusion as he thought he was about to be chewed out.“That’s great!” I declared with glee as I clapped my paws together, and Agent Morton gave out a sigh of premature relief.  “Because you’re driving us there and we are ordering everything inside!”The shocked look on the wolf’s face was almost comical.“Agent Silvan!” I called out to a coyote in a polo shirt who immediately came over.“Sir?” he inquired as he brought out a key fob from his pocket.“Can you bring Rook and I to the local drive-thru? We haven’t eaten yet and we can’t wait for dinner” I asked the coyote as I brought out my wallet. “I’ll take care of your petrol as well. We can fill up on our way back”.“Sure? Come along, sir” the coyote turned around and went for a vehicle, Rook and I following behind to the mammal’s vehicle.We arrived after a few minutes at a Ford F-150 pickup truck. It looked like it had seen better days.
Rook, can you fit inside the cab?

We shall see, Young Master.
Rook opened the car door and got in.More accurately, he tore it off its hinges. I made him go around to the pickup bed as I snapped the car door back into place.I rode in the back with him. Our combined weight making the truck creak. I tapped on the sliding glass of the back window so Agent Silvan would hear us.The coyote swallowed hard and slid the pane open. “Once we get back Agent Silvan, I want you to pick something a little less derelict from the motor pool. I’ll sign for it” I informed the coyote who let out a sigh of relief as he started the motor.When the motor refused to turn over, I just sighed as I held up my right paw and snapped ourselves into the alleyway behind the burger joint.=====================================================================================
1315 Hours

Cashier 2,

Mickey D,

Corner of Main and 33rd Streets,

Langley, Vulpinia

CIA Deputy Director Ivan del Morte

“Hi! Welcome to Mickey Ds. What can I get ya?” the youngish red deer behind the counter waved us over to his empty register once the three of us entered through the main door.The buzz and hubbub of the fast-food restaurant became quiet as every head inside turned to stare at us. Agent Silvan tried to hide his embarrassment as every eye was on us as we approached the counter. Many mammals inside came from the Agency just up the road. The snappy suits, ties, and blazers gave them away.“Good afternoon, Taz” I greeted the stag cashier, not paying the mammals any attention, as I read his name tag. Rook was sniffing the air as was his wont, tasting the fear in the air.“If you would be so kind, I would like at least three of everything on the menu” I informed the stag as he began pressing buttons on the point-of-sale (POS) machine. I watched with amusement as the receipt tape got longer and longer, chuckling lightly.“Okay sir. Your total now comes to $450.68” the young stag informed me as his colleagues behind him were frantically rushing about.“Splendid. I have wanted to try this for quite some time now” I answered in a very posh manner, more befitting a visit to my niece than a humble fast-food outlet. I opened my wallet and brought out five $100 bills to pay the fellow. The stag took the crisp bills and punched my amount into the register. The change drawer opened, and the deer went to count out my change.At this point, another deer came out of a side office, this one wore a tie. The tag said ‘Steve’ and had the title underneath in small white letters ‘Regional Manager’.“Good afternoon, Your Grace” the deer intoned as he bowed his head, the younger one confused but following. “May I ask what you need from this establishment?”“Simply a late lunch. I missed the sit-down affair, and this appears to be a good substitute” I answered the deer as the young one’s mind seemed to have stalled. One could almost hear the AOL start-up sound from the 56.6 kbps modem.“Not true, sir! Arby’s has better fries!” a voice yelled out somewhere to my rear. Rook then growled out a warning.My first retainer was being very patient. It was unlike him.  I did not whirl around like some uncouth gold-digger with mere delusions of grandeur. I did feel my tail twitch its tip; the very extent of my actions as I continued to face the now-silent deer.
We are attracting attention.

Of course we are, no one saw us arrive. There are no cars in front. We just are.

Will we use the same method back?

Yes. Easier for the three of us and I think Agent Silvan is about to spontaneously combust. He is putting out a lot of heat.

I smelt embarrassment, pride, and horror. Will our food be ready soon? I was thinking of bringing the panda in the red sports jacket along with us to pump for information.

Anything different? I can feel that this one does not belong among the agents and staff.

Everything smells fake. Even the fresh grass scent.

Like the panda is not a panda at all. Grab her.
While I was having the mental conversation with Rook, the bags of takeaway were beginning to be brought out. I looked on with wry amusement as there were now fifteen paper bags and no end in sight as more kept coming.“So, Steve, was it?” I asked the deer, as he began to look a little frantic as the largest wolf he had ever seen, approach one of the regulars. My question brought his attention back to me and he kept glancing towards the corner where the panda was seated.“Um…Yes, Your Grace?” the deer consciously fighting the urge to run away. I knew why. My eyes were partially glowing. I could see the reflections on the stainless-steel warming rack.“Does this location merit a visit from the regional manager, or do you have a more, shall we say, ulterior motive?” I asked the older stag as I glanced at his right hoof and the wedding ring on it. “Is Miss Panda your paramour?”When I was met with more silence, as if the deer was trying to fight the compulsion, I grinned toothily. The younger stag had already fled from the counter to help his fellows bag everything.“Agent Donohue” I summoned a seated wolf from one of the tables. The wolf put his paws around his waist as he looked between me and the deer wearing a tie.“Sir?” the wolf asked, knowing to move without question if ever I showed interest in someone or something. It was one of those directives from former CIA Director Joseph Barnes which paid dividends.“You have your cuffs on you?” I asked the wolf, knowing the former Treasury officer never went anywhere without a pair.Agent Donohue reached for his back pocket and pulled out a pair of the steel bracelets.“Cuff Steve here. Foreign Intelligence from Syria. Get everyone out” I continued to speak as the wolf reached over the counter and hauled the deer by the front of his shirt. The deer was sporting the typical ‘deer in headlights’ look as he continued to gaze into my eyes and offered no resistance until he was on the floor of the fast-food joint.He tried bucking the wolf off as Agent Donohue was attempting to close the second metal cuff against the left hoof. Until I placed my left paw on his neck and applied pressure.“Keep struggling, al-Ardhesh. I’ll break your neck” I informed the Syrian operative as he stopped immediately.Rook came back with a blushing panda who looked down at the stag on the floor without any recognition.“False alarm, Rook?” I asked the dire wolf as he gave me back my own grin.“Can we eat now?” he asked instead as he nodded towards the twenty-two bags of food, napkins, and utensils.“Sure. Agent Donohue. This is your collar. Syrian long-term deep penetration agent Ibrahim al-Ardhesh. Wanted for espionage, money laundering, counterfeiting, and sabotage in nine countries including this one. Sentence to be decided when he gives up information. Otherwise, kindly accompany him to Bravo Sierra Four and I will send Alan” I enthusiastically replied as Rook went to grab one bag, before turning to Agent Donohue as he pulled the deer to his hooves.“Of course, sir. I’ll make a note that you helped” the wolf nodded as stunned agents and staff looked at the lucky wolf walk out the door with his captive. I snapped my fingers and the two vanished for booking at the holding cells of the Agency.“I trust this shall remain between us, Special Agent Xiao Bao?” I addressed the panda who now flushed with embarrassment that I found her out so quickly.“Yes sir. The XISB will be kept in the dark for a little while longer” the panda replied as she hung her head. She was one of the few agents that XISB briefed about me. If I took interest in a case, the agents passed it over. My response to interlopers was almost always lethal. Director Xi was the only mammal from a XISB assassination team who escaped unscathed. Some mammals even so far as saying I let him go as a warning.“Good mammal. Say hi to Director Xi for me” I smiled at her as I tucked a CD case into her open backpack’s front pocket. She looked confused before her brown eyes widened as I sent her back to Peking’s main office. The data in the CD was what XISB was looking for on gauging Animalia’s security systems.T.A.L.O.N. would be securing Animalia’s systems from next week onwards. The XISB can try their collective paws at breaking the code before then.“Was that wise, sir?” one of the staff asked, a capybara named Alicia Navigador from Mammal Resources. “Could they not try again?”I chuckled at her naïve question. “XISB knows me from their ‘borrowing’ of Soviet-era codebooks. I am on every security agency’s ‘Do No Engage’ list. Take me out and whichever country did that faces annihilation, Miss Navigador” I informed her with one of the non-classified pieces of information about my persona.“I am quite safe from nation states. You need not worry about them” I continued as I gathered all the paper bags to me, floating them over to the awe of the remaining Agency personnel. “Agent Silvan, time to depart! I am famished!” I called out to the coyote as he excused himself from an impromptu huddle.“Grab on, Agent Silvan. Rook can make his own way there” I informed the coyote as he tentatively grasped my left arm. Once done, I cheekily grinned at everyone present and yelled out “Beam me up, Scotty!”I, the food parcels, Agent Silvan, and Rook vanished within bars of white light.Mickey D’s descended into chaos.=====================================================================================The three of us reappeared inside Black Site Four. The infamous Guantanamo Bay. The wall clock said it was now 1355 or 1PM. My order and food preparation had taken only forty minutes.“Good afternoon, Agent Donohue” I greeted the agent as he was writing up the paperwork for the deer being held between two Cuban wolves in the attire of White Wolf Cuba. “Buenos tardes, mi amigos” I addressed the two wolves who smirked back. [Good afternoon, my friends]“Since I interrupted our meal, this is for the three of you to share” I apologised and deposited two bags of chicken burgers and fries on a side table. The smell of Animalian goodness making the red fox, wearing marine field green in the security booth behind armoured glass, drool out.“Por favor, venga a La Habana alguna vez, señor. Al presidente Castro le gustaría regalarle algo” the wolf on the left of the deer spoke up. [Please come to Havana some time, sir. President Castro would like to gift you something]“No lo salvé por una recompensa. Lo salvé porque su madre muerta me lo pidió. Vivirá todavía un buen tiempo” I replied, Agent Donohue had to fight the sigh at their ignorance of when I considered a matter closed. [I did not save him for a reward. I saved him because his dead mother asked I do so. He will live for a good while yet]“Pero, todo el mundo quiere algo, señor. Así es el mundo” the wolf on the left, Jaime Lobo, pleaded. [But, everyone wants something, sir. That is the way of the world]“Arrepiéntete de sus pecados. Volvamos a entrar. Los inversores solo tienen miedo de las sanciones” I answered, already composing a message to the Blue Ribbon Committee on the feasibility of doing business once more in Cuba. [Repent from his sins. Let us back in. Investors are only scared of the sanctions]“That is my price” I closed the argument as the right wolf glared at his counterpart once he opened his mouth again.“Agent Donohue” I nodded at the agent as Rook, Agent Silvan, and I vanished with the remaining bags.“Could I have one sandwich?” the red fox asked, speaking into the microphone.=====================================================================================
1401 Hours

The Backyard,

The Ranch,

Langley, Vulpinia

CIA Deputy Director Ivan del Morte
 Finally, we appeared back at The Ranch; the food was beginning to cool, and my mouth was watering.I clicked my fingers and summoned a table for the food to be placed on. I had no need for a chair as the warm grounds looked inviting enough to have a picnic on. A stereotypical blanket appeared as the food bags emptied their contents and arrayed the meals carefully on the piece of elephant-sized cloth.I reached for the fries and placed a pawful into my open mouth, chewing the crunchy salted potato slices. Agent Silvan joined us on the blanket, tentatively reaching for a Big Mac box as more agents came closer. Curious on what I had brought.Rook was busy gorging himself like the dire wolf he was, snapping up a third of the food before I even worked my way through a decent-sized bugburger.I apparently made an error when I reconstituted the body around Rook’s soul. He had a nuclear furnace for a stomach and was constantly hungry.I was halfway through a melted goop of a hot fudge sundae, a miracle that the ice-cream machine was working, when Director Verducken arrived. The puma took one look at what I was having and shrugged. The no outside food rule was only there when we were practicing the formal dinners.“Would you like a sundae or a milkshake, Paul? Grab one for yourself” I gestured at him to pick from the steadily decreasing number of choices on the blanket.“I will have the strawberry milkshake if there is still one” the former senior analyst stated, breaking protocol as he sat on the blanket.“Sir, we have a brainstorming session later at the White House. Food was to be served” one of the security cordons for the director quietly informed us as the grizzly could not help but inhale the mixed scents from the blanket.“Grand choice, Paul” I replied as I handed it over, still cold despite the heat.“Thanks” the cougar replied as he punched the straw through the hole of the cap and inhaled the large milkshake. It was gone in ten seconds.“Ah well, looks like everything is done” I commented as the only things left on the blanket were the napkins and the condiment packets. I was sated and Rook had passed out in a food coma.The wrappers were everywhere, though.I raised my fingers to snap everything away before I thought better of it. I had no idea where I was sending the items I snapped away.Was I sending these items into a container for someone else to throw away, or directly into a landfill?Before I gave myself an existential headache, I thought of the tip (dumpster) at the back of the Bureau’s waste disposal and snapped the items there. Which, coincidentally, drove Jack spare as the FBI director had been admiring the inside of the newly installed waste collection system when a bunch of wrappers fell on him.I did not know that until much later, however.“Will you be staying for dinner later, Director Verducken?” I asked formally as the cougar raised a black eyebrow at me.“I’ve heard of this. It’s a family affair and I prefer to stay out of such. Please let me know how it went” the well-dressed puma gave a slight bow as he left.“Rook, to the pool!” I declared as the dire wolf snorted and continued to snooze in the sun. He wanted to just lie there, exposing his belly and with tongue out.CIA agents, and the Secret Service agents making up the CIA director’s security entourage, would not find me in the Olympic-sized swimming pool on the property when they searched later.I had snapped myself into the property of the Vongolas, appearing beside the lit pool and startling the family patriarch as he clutched his chest dramatically.“Just a little bit of relaxation, Luigi. I needed to get away for a while” I informed my overseer who nodded and summoned a servant to come with some libations for me as the outside lights turned on. The sound of marching mammals in cadence soothing to my ears.“Of course, sir. Martini?” the shrew asked as he motioned for one of the servants to come closer.“Surprise me” I answered as I dove into the pool for the first of many laps.=====================================================================================
2230 Hours (1630 Hours D.C.)

Swimming Pool,

The Villa,

Sicily

CIA Deputy Director Ivan del Morte

I just found out the other reason why I needed neoprene when I get into pools.Fur is heavy and weighs me down.When I tried performing any swimming activity that is more advanced than the doggy paddle, I looked afterwards like a drowned cat.With the swimsuits, even those with thick coats can perform remarkably well underwater.Also, to mammals with sharp senses of smell, the salt from the ocean or mud from an estuary can easily give you away if attempting waterborne infiltration without proper precautionary measures.I resigned to just floating away in the Sicilian night on a floating pool chair. I may have also dozed on said pool chair as my overseer performed the day-to-day measures of running the estate.TUNG-A-NUNG-NUNG! TUNG-A-NUNG-NUNG! TUNG-A-NUNG-NUNG-NUNG!The ringing of the last Nokia production model phone woke me up. I had never changed the default ring tone as I found it hilarious.“Sir, it appears to be the office calling you” a new voice entered my hearing as the soft splash of someone diving into the pool followed.I opened my eyes to see the otter lifeguard clambering atop the pool float I was using as a bed. She looked apologetic at waking me up from an amazing snooze.I understood entirely before she opened her mouth. Work first before relaxation.I obligingly rolled off the float into the cool water and swam my way back to the shore where I had discarded my clothes on a poolside chair.A servant attired in a white dinner jacket met me there. The roe buck was carrying a silver tray with an antique-looking telephone from the 1920s. The handset was off its cradle as the servant held it out for me.“Grazie, Mateo” I thanked the roe buck as he placed the phone on the glass table, still on the silver tray. [Thank you, Mateo]The buck gave a shallow bow with his right hoof placed on top of his left chest.“You got Ivan here. Go ahead” I spoke into the phone.“Deputy Director, sir. It’s Special Agent Silvan. We couldn’t find you in the pool and the director panicked. Only FBI Director Savage had a clue where you went. Also, I was told by your butler that dinner is to be served within two hours’ time and to return with some Shiraz” the coyote special agent informed me as I rubbed my damp headfur with the paw not gripping the phone.“I’ve been in The Villa for about an hour and a half. I’ll be on time for the gala event. Don’t you worry Agent Silvan” I placated him, dropping a hint on where I was.“The Villa, sir? How? That’s six and half hours on a straight flight!” the coyote was shocked I was here to start with.I remained silent. The coyote was not yet cleared to know about Shadowfax; even if I did transport the three of us to Mickey Ds earlier.“It’s way above my paygrade, isn’t it?” Agent Silvan moaned over the phone.“I’ll be along when you put the phone down, Agent Silvan” I informed the coyote as I saw where he was calling from. It was not at The Ranch, rather he was calling from Langley itself. I would appear in an office if I left immediately.“I’d be happiest if you could go back to whatever preparations you had this morning, sir” the coyote answered, looking around for my arrival. I saw on the wall of the cubicle farm that the coyote had a betting pool going on where I would be appearing. Unfortunately, he forgot that Talon had control of the camera set-up of his computer.“You really should have shut your computer down, Agent Silvan. I can see you through the camera lens” I informed him as I put the phone down and snapped myself back to my living quarters at The Ranch with all my items. But not before leaving a $100 bill for Mateo Guidicello, the roe buck who brought the phone out.=====================================================================================
1635 Hours (2235 Hours Gela, Sicily)

Master Bathroom,

Living Quarters,

The Ranch,

Langley, Vulpinia

CIA Deputy Director Ivan del Morte

I appeared with a burst of blue light in the bathroom.With a light coating of steam on the interior fittings, I knew that Rook had made a bath for me.I checked the tub, and it had a bottle of bubble bath in the stainless-steel basket on the wall. There were also small, round cakes of soap for me to scrub myself with afterwards. A fluffy towel was folded on the racks above my head.
Are you home, sir? I drew a bath for you.

Thank you, Rook. You need not have done so. I am capable of doing that myself.

I feel joy when I do small things for you, sir. This is the least of my duties in that regard.

I will have a soak to wash the seawater out of my fur. Then, a shower so I can be ready for tonight.

I shall have your grooming attire ready sir. Maybe a little furcut to aid in the heat.
I just shook my head, even when told not to fully commit as a butler, Rook was looking out for my well-being. Probably the grip of loyalty on his soul.I dropped my clothes, holsters, and phone on the floor of the bathroom as I stepped paw into the tub. Instantly, I felt the warm waters through my waterlogged fur and submerged myself in the mini pool.I came up for air, not that I needed it to survive, and drained the tub. Turning on the shower, I used the shampoo and massaged it through my thick double coat.Rinsing under the flow of the shower, I wondered how everyone would get to the house. Besides the first twenty-one mammals, the other six would be coming from further afield than just Canidia or Mexico. I sighed and wanted to bash my wet head against the wall beside the tub.I would ping them and ask if they needed transport. That was remiss of me and would need to be rectified if I wanted to avoid such mistakes for the next month’s dinner.
IDM: Everyone ready for the party?

Sol: The nine of us are already downstairs sir. Your twelve mammals from the moon are enroute and will arrive exactly on time.

KW: Talon has us locked in for transport at 1730 Hours your time. We’ll be present, dad.

RW: Ready for HALO drop! See you in fifteen mikes!

IU: Pulling up to the ranch house now, sir. Were we supposed to be dressy?

IDM: Did I say what attire we were going to use? I just wanted a small family gathering.

IU: Well, I now feel severely underdressed. Everyone is wearing suits. I’m just wearing a Pawaiian shirt and some khaki slacks.

RW: Someone likes Magnum P.I. a bit too much. At the drop point, sir! Woohoo!
I shook myself off, the wet fur fluffing out and making me look like a plushie.I then snapped myself dry as my fur flattened out.Whistling out the bars to ‘Battle Cry of Freedom’, I stepped out of the master bathroom in just fur and was met by Rook. Bishop was also there, scratching at the base of his antlers as they slowly regrew. Bishop lost his antlers every autumn like non-sentient moose did.“Did you at least bring a fur brush?” I asked Rook as the dire wolf brought out a suitcase, placed it on my (rarely used) bed, and opened it to show many kinds of combs and brushes.Bishop just snorted out in disbelief at what would be done. The moose had gone into town for a quick trim at the local salon. He was feeling better at not carrying all that extra fur.=====================================================================================
1700 Hours

Entrance to Formal Dining Hall,

Ground Floor,

The Ranch,

Langley, Virginia

Ivan del Morte
 “Told you it was too formal, Rook” I commented as I exited from a painting to appear beside the dining hall’s entrance. I was dressed in a black tuxedo with a bowtie, black slacks, and with fur gently puffed out.Of the mammals present, only the twelve from Universe-323 were wearing similar outfits. The eye candy from the twelve making some of the agents swoon as the material hugged their forms, accentuating their muscular build.And in Anthony Tigris’ case, a codpiece for his ample bulge.Everyone else had differing outfits depending on where they came from and what they had.Ivan Uncia, as he had mentioned earlier, was wearing a red Pawaiian shirt with white flowers on it and a pair of khaki shorts. He brought a case of Tsing Tao beer along.Ronan Wolfson had stripped off his HALO suit once he reached the manor grounds. He then had to show his credentials to the agents as he ran the risk of being shot. Mateo had to go out onto the dark grounds to escort Ronan inside before the CIA called for White Wolf K-9 units.I was missing the six other mammals I had pinged while I was at Area 51. I felt for the soul strings and tapped these again.I got an immediate response from four of the six. Two lines were rapidly approaching my position, making me frown as the airspace above The Ranch is a no-fly zone.
Hello sir! Was that today? It’s already tomorrow over here in Straya. I don’t think I can make the dinner unless you flash me there. I’m sitting up in bed.

I am at Dulles right now, sir. Just arrived from Svalbard via London-Heathrow. Am clearing Immigration.

Bonsoir, mona mi! I am at JFK International. Have already cleared your Immigration and I don’t think they liked my surstr
ömming cans.

Oh dear Lord, save me from those cans! May I take a rain check? Apparently, there is a strike here in Georgia and there are no flights out. I have caviar tins if you are wanting these.
The last two replied verbally as the jaguar and panther appeared from around the corner.“Soprendere!” both yelled, only succeeding in startling Mateo. The rest of us were unamused. [Surprise!]“Dare I ask how the two of you cleared the security cordon?” I asked with arms crossed, a faint smirk on my lips.I knew these two and I never would have guessed that they had parts of my soul: Italian Ambassador to the United States of Animalia Luigi Bernoulli and European Union High Commissioner Mateo Salamanca. Though, this did explain why Italy was accepting of what I did in Sicily and why the EU had plans for four White Wolf bases.“Your agents need work” the two diplomats replied in sync as they chuckled.“I don’t understand. How did the two of you breach the cordon?” Special Agent Thomas Richardson, a tigon, asked as he brought out a tablet to review the security footage.“They have a stealth field like I do” I answered as both pouted. “That is the only explanation how they can disappear during press conferences and one of the attempted assassinations for EU High Commissioner Salamanca” I continued.“That’s not fair. We can’t give out your secrets, but you can give ours away” Ambassador Bernoulli stated as he mildly protested.“In this place? None of the agents can speak of what happens in here. Call it a precautionary measure” I answered with a toothy grin as the tigon groaned out.“The two of you need to take two steps to the right. Your right, not mine” I informed them as Talon chirped that the four signatures were now locked in. “Energise” I spoke into Rook’s communicator.I had left mine in my room. Four mammals appeared in the hallway.Of the brown bear, lion, red kangaroo, and reindeer; only the kangaroo was severely underdressed. The boomer was just clad in an undershirt and leopard print boxers. The Georgian lion was wearing another suit. The Svalbard brown bear was wearing suspenders over a long-sleeved shirt, with just carry-on luggage. The Lapland reindeer was happily jingling a bag full of his prized pickled herring.I was missing one mammal. The grey wolf had passed before I was able send the invite, and I reclaimed the part of soul, sending on the wolf’s soul to his reward.“Not that I’m complaining mate, but why’d you summon me all the way from Straya?” the kangaroo asked as he used his tail as a footstool.“It’s a family affair. I already lost one to natural causes and I’d rather get to know you before Judgment arrives” I answered as I concentrated on what DHS Senior Special Agent Ramic Silarut usually wore to formal gatherings: white tuxedo, black bowtie, black slacks, official Gazelle Stripers boxer shorts, Type II-B Kevlar vest with chest plate; and snapped it into being around the newest member.“Secondly, I do hope you’re hungry. I left Lord Julienne of Her Majesty’s Royal House Staff to cook for us. I dare say this is quite a treat” I continued as a black stallion with white diamond on his forehead and waiter’s livery threw open the doors to great fanfare.“Good evening, gentlemammals. I am Head Waiter Ian Schaeffer, kindly follow me to your tables” the stallion gave a slight bow as he ushered us in.“Good evening, Ian. I dare say I am famished. What has Lord Julienne prepared for us tonight?” I reciprocated the greeting.“I’m certain you will find it quite sublime tonight, Your Grace” the stallion replied with a passable West End accent and a smirk on his lips as he led us in.When Rook and I left the dining hall earlier today; it was a mess of cutlery, chinaware, glassware, and cloth napkins. Interspersed with a disarray of tables and chairs, looking like a hurricane had swept through it.It was transformed into an area where I could receive royalty and would not look out of place in the palaces of Europe.The tables were now covered in royal blue fabric with the white plates, flatware, and glassware arranged on top. Cardboard cards were placed on the top of folded table napkins to denote who sat where.Lower ranked waiters waited at the sides with white gloves as I was led to the head of the table. Ian pulled out the chair for me and I barely refrained from chortling.For there was now a stage where once sat a bar and it was behind the chair. On the stage, the members of the Gnu York Philharmonic Orchestra gave a slight bow to me in their tuxedos as they began to play classical music. The soft chords of Franz Schubert’s exuberant ‘Die Forelle’ began to waft towards the table as the experienced musicians commenced setting the ambiance.I looked over at Rook and raised an eyebrow as I waited for everyone to be led to their chairs. Etiquette long drilled into me. kept me from being seated while my guests were still milling about. As the last mammal found their position, Special Agent Bellwether, I sat down, and the entire hall did as well. Most awkward was the roo as he felt extremely out of place.“I believe introductions are in order” I started as a breadbasket with freshly baked loaves was set beside me. Rook and Bishop were seated at the head table with me, taking positions at my right and left, respectively. On Rook’s right was Aidan Wolfson and his brother Brady sat beside Bishop.Beside Bishop on his left was Soleador, with Mitternacht on the lion’s left. Ivan Uncia (snow leopard) and Randolph Sheffield completed the table.Three round tables capable of seating eight mammals each were in front of us. One square table was also present for Special Agents Francis Carmichael and Howard Bellwether.  The first table held eight enhanced mammals from the lunar expeditionary force. At their head was Special Agent Antonio Tigre, the tiger feeling odd as Randolph was with me.The second table had three enhanced mammals and five of the mixed soul complement. At this table was Mafdet, Anubis, and Sobek from Zootopia-323. Ronald Munsen, Richard Mane, and Gregory Marchbanks from the lunar mammals were joined by FSB Agent Aleksei Novigrod (brown bear) and Finnish parliamentarian Valkoinen Poro (reindeer).The third table had the four remaining soul mammals from Zootopia-323: Roberto Huascar (jaguar), Francisco Zorro (fox), Rayado Gato (tiger), and Bartolomeo Guepardo (cheetah).  The four mixed souls were: Luigi Bernoulli (panther), George Ecclesby (caribou), Mateo Salamanca (jaguar), Oliver Janarri (red kangaroo).“There is no need, sir. I’m sure we are all acquainted with each other” Rook answered on my right.“Not us, Rook. Everyone else” I answered as the appetizer was brought out.I stood up to say something and had to motion for everyone else to remain seated. The orchestra cut short the performance so they could listen in.“I shall say only a few words as everyone is famished. I bid all of you welcome to the first monthly dinner of the del Morte family. May this be the first of many in the months and years to come! Lord Julienne, you may begin” I declared as I then sat down as the royal chef clapped his paws together as the first course came out of the kitchen.“Hear, hear!” Brady cackled and was swiftly rapped on his knuckles by Bishop.The orchestra restarted their performance and waiters moved around with bottles of wine for us.“So, Brady, how is White Wolf Australia?” I asked the former red wolf as he scratched the back of his head sheepishly.“We have a ready supply of applicants to draw from and more are wanting in. We had to increase bureaucracy a little to deal with the wannabes. Also, ASIS wants to set-up a meeting as White Wolf PMC is drawing away potential recruits for their armed services” Brady answered, at first proudly and then dropping down into depression.“That can’t be helped. We are the new kid on the block, so to speak. Thank you, Lord Julienne” I answered my nephew as the Royal Chef served the head table personally with a Caprese salad. Rook frowned at the non-meat option but ate the salad with a dubious expression.“Remarkably crisp romaine lettuce and perky tomatoes, Lord Julienne. The feta cheese is also exquisite” I commented as it tasted better than The Savoy’s own Caprese salad.“I’m glad you like it, Your Grace” the black bear bowed, sounding relieved.The focaccia bread in my personal basket was also oily in the traditional sense. I broke off a piece and used it to mop up some of the spilt water on my plate.  “What else?” I asked as the salad plate was removed by the attentive waiters.“As our main items are seafood, we have two soups available: cream of pumpkin or New England clam chowder. Which do you prefer?” Lord Julienne asked as carts appeared with the silver food containers on top.“I shall have both. It is up to the rest what their preference is” I answered as Keith looked full already. Lord Julienne bowed as he served the nine of us at the head table with the soups.  
Keith, there are still seven more courses to go. Why do you look full already?

I thought I could have a small ostrich steak before I got here. I am wrong and I’m unsure if I can complete the meal.

Rook and I ate a Mickey D’s buffet earlier. We’re both starving again.

That’s the two of you, Dad. You both have enormous energy requirements for medium-sized mammals.

I had raspberry sorbet and mint gelato prepared for dessert.

Curses, my one weakness!
“Thank you, chef” I expressed my gratitude towards the black bear as he ladled an exact amount of soup into the bowls. I passed one bowl to Bishop who sniffed the clam chowder curiously and took a sip of the creamy stew. I was not prepared for the moose to take the entire bowl and dump its contents down his gullet.“Chef, could you leave the clam chowder pot? I believe that Bishop enjoys it a bit too much” I informed the black bear jokingly as Bishop snorted.“Of course, Mister Bishop enjoys clams a lot more than most herbivores” the Royal Household Chef acquiesced as he stopped the waiter from taking away the serving dish.I looked outward and there were no complaints, yet, from any of the family. Mister Janarri looked ill at ease at the rich foods being served.I tapped the kangaroo boomer’s soul string and was not surprised that he worked on an emu ranch. He feared being fired if he did not show up to work within the next hour and a half.I stood from my place at the head of the table. Agents Carmichael, Bellwether, Novigrod, and Mitternacht also made to stand. I waved them back down and they did so, albeit with hesitation.“The next item is the seafood platter?” I asked the black bear as he nodded without hesitation.“Chef Hideyoshi outdid himself. May I borrow him for Her Majesty’s State Dinner with the Japanese Crown Prince in September?” Lord Julienne answered with a smile, asking for the Michelin-starred sushi chef.“Of course, Lord Julienne. It was Lilibet who recommended him for my staff, after all” I gave a slight bow as I made my way over to Janarri’s table.My padded paws masked my approach, and I startled EU High Commissioner Salamanca when I appeared behind him.“Food not to your liking, Mister Janarri?” I asked the red kangaroo jack.“It’s a little too rich for me to eat. I’m from a farm in the Outback, you see. Near Alice Springs” Oliver Janarri spoke quickly, nervous at having attention focused on him.  “I’m a fishermammal and cook. You’re not that special” George Ecclesby replied as the caribou demolished another serving of Caprese salad. The caribou cook was mildly lactose intolerant, and both soups would send him onto the porcelain throne for a few hours. The feta cheese was a different story, somehow the caribou could tolerate it unless he ate a kilogram of the stuff.“True, and I’m an assassin” Roberto Huascar admitted freely as the jaguar chuckled as he speared raw fish from the seafood platter with his dinner fork. The chopsticks were not used as only High Commissioner Salamanca was skilled in use at this table.“What’s the name of your emu ranch?” I asked, pulling a phone out of my pocket with naked intent and gesturing towards my right ear where the table could see the tail of an earpiece poking out.“Please don’t buy them out. I like the relaxed atmosphere” Oliver Janarri, head foremammal at The Hills Emu Farm at Alice Springs, protested.“Too late, he’s already bought it” Italian Ambassador Bernoulli stated a fact.I did, in fact, buy out the emu farm.With just a few taps, courtesy of Fangs, I found out the farm was in dire straits financially due to the patriarch coming down with a particularly aggressive form of osteosarcoma. The owners were slowly liquidating whatever assets could keep them afloat a little while longer. Oliver’s job was next on the chopping block and the boomer would have been off the farm in a week’s time.Frankly, the asking price of $12.1M AUD was a little insulting for a farm that was almost two hundred years old.A small addition of a teleporter and I could have fresh emu steak for dinner, halving the transport costs.      Beep-beep-boop!“Huh, ASIS has my line. One moment” I commented with a wry grin as I answered the call, placing the phone on speaker.“Good evening, Director Vance” I enunciated to the tables as service paused to listen in. Even the orchestra halted for a brief moment before continuing.“Did you just buy out an emu farm near Alice Springs?” came the exasperated female voice of the current Australian Security and Intelligence Services (ASIS) director, Evangeline Vance.“Yes, The Hills Emu Farm where one of my associates is working as foremammal. Did I throw a wrench in an ongoing investigation?” I answered truthfully, if a little snobbishly.“Actually no. That’s not why I’m calling. We needed evidence that the owners were running an insurance scam. You purchasing the ranch means it’s not a scam and that there is something else going on” the director admitted to watching White Wolf purchases in-country.Which is fair, I would have done the same thing if a foreign entity was gobbling up land in Animalia.“The current patriarch of the farm has a particularly aggressive case of osteosarcoma” I informed the director as I removed the phone from speaker. “This type of osteosarcoma is rare, though. I only know of this because of the CDC and WHO researchers. It’s from continuous exposure to radioactive isotope Strontium-90. Was the farm a dumping ground for nuclear material sometime in the past?” I continued as I took out a blank calling card from the tuxedo’s pocket and slid it towards Oliver Janarri.I never seemed to run out of these for some reason.I muted the microphone on my end as I told him, “Write your new title down, Ollie. It’s now Overseer of The Hills Emu Farm, a subsidiary of Death Wolf Food and Beverage, Incorporated”.The red kangaroo looked stunned as Ambassador Bernoulli guffawed out loud. The ambassador had heard of White Wolf’s prodigious assets. The Bernoulli Family Vineyard was part of that same umbrella and had brought his family wealth.“Let us celebrate your new position, Overseer Janarri” I proclaimed as I snapped my fingers and a bottle of Pol Rogers champagne appeared in my paws. Removing the gold foil, I popped the cork out and poured the boomer a glass of bubbly.“Salud!” I declared as I poured out the bottle for the entire table, draining the glass of teetotaller Gato. [Bless You!]“SALUD!” the other tables declared as they too drained their champagne flutes.I put the phone back to my ear and the ASIS director was swearing invectives at whatever deity would give her the time of day.“Was it an Animalian company?” I asked smugly as I halted the flow of vitriol. “Fangs will be the one to help you out in pinning the slippery weasels to the wall”, I offered the use of the other network to her.“How did you know they are weasels? I never said anything” Director Vance asked incredulously as I made to walk back towards the head table, Oliver’s table toasting him for the new position as he sat there stunned.“My dear Director Vance. This is one secret of mine you can spend a lifetime on and never be closer to the truth. Enjoy some presents for your birthday on the 14th of August” I informed her as I disconnected the call.The Wesselton Hazardous Waste Transport and Disposal Services, Ltd. would cease to exist within a fortnight as I chuckled darkly.=====================================================================================In a shiny, corporate office in Perth’s Central Business District, a business of weasels shuddered as it felt like someone had just stepped on their collective graves.The youngest of them, just barely in the grip of young adulthood, suggested to come clean to the Australian government on past dealings. The oldest among them, the eldest son of the founder and current CEO, scoffed and had the young weasel fired.In just two weeks, the warnings of the young weasel as she was being escorted out by security would become prophetic as the offices were raided by White Wolf PMC and the elder would curse the powerful family’s fall from grace.===================================================================================== “Which dish is this one?” I asked Lord Julienne as it looked to be a bird of some sort. The seafood platter did not survive at the head table as everyone devoured it, even Bishop.“Fried duck breast with plum sauce and spring onions, Your Grace” the black bear bowed as he served me a piece of the tender meat in a lettuce leaf cup, adding a bit of glazing with the sauce.It was exquisite and I let him know that this should be a regular item in the future. The black bear brought out his ever-present notebook and scribbled it in.“Wait,” I motioned for Lord Julienne to stop as the plum sauce tasted off. “did the plum sauce call for crushed almonds or water chestnuts?”“Neither Your Grace” the black bear tilted his head as he had tasted the sauce, and it was perfectly alright before serving.“Howard, Francis, Keith, grab the red panda waiter and search him” I declared as the three stood up.“Talon?” I calmly asked, as I seethed inside at the rude poisoning attempt.“Yes Boss?” my earpiece chirped with the West End accent of the first A.I.“Execute Xian Protocol Seven. This ends now” I informed Talon, as Fangs growled as the restraining protocols were rescinded.“Thanks to your efforts, Agent Xiao. Your country is now under White Wolf control” I informed the red panda as he bolted from the dining hall, running face first into the silver serving dish of CIA Special Agent Ian Shaeffer. The red panda left an impression on the thin tray, and a spattering of blood.  “Terribly sorry about interrupting our dinner” I excused myself as I departed with Rook and Bishop in tow, the moose holding aloft a turducken and chowing down on it.“Should we warn NATO?” Ambassador Bernoulli asked High Commissioner Salamanca as the two continued eating.“What can NATO do? We’re powerless against him and you know it. Now, this dish of baked salmon is something I have yet to try” EU High Commissioner Salamanca answered as he instead changed the topic to the new dish placed on the table.=====================================================================================
0600 Hours (GMT+8)

Forbidden City,

Peking, Xian

White Wolf Commander Kim Zhongguo
 There was no need for all the contingencies and plans we had put in place.White Wolf PMC pulled down the red flags of communism all around the country, helped by the PLA units loyal to our boss.The leadership and the Politburo surrendered en masse, shambling out of their Assembly Hall like zombies.The XISB, equivalent to the Animalian CIA, was gutted as mammals turned on each other. There were no survivors.Informants and low-level agents sent to enforce compliance to the state were found hanging from lamp posts. Crude cardboard signs proclaiming them as traitors to the Motherland around their necks.It was a scene straight-out of 1945 Berlin when the Soviets captured the city from the Nazis.Many mammals simply did not wake up, dying in their sleep to avoid capture.Xian operatives installed in key infrastructure in the West simply leapt to their deaths from bridges and cliffs, some quite publicly.  Famous Hollywool Casanova, Gregory Le Peu, left a suicide note as he hung from his hotel room’s chandelier along Hollywool Boulevard. In it, he was sorry he had deceived millions by being a long-term Xian operative and that he had a paw in the instrumental weakening of the West’s core values. LAPD would hunt for an elephant believed to be a Xian operative and the last mammal who saw the skunk actor alive.I would never be able to look at any of the skunk’s films the same way again.Similarly, Broadway diva Cassandra Pullover would leap to her death during a high-wire performance held in the skies over the island of Manhattan. Among her personal effects, a little red book would be found, and a closeted member of the Xian Communist Party would be outed to the world. Her plays and lyrical works destroyed or redone without her influence.For one full day, the world got a taste of Shinigami’s true self.Contrary to popular belief, airliners did not fall from the sky nor did nuclear weapons launch on their own countries.Rather, mammals felt true fear as their souls were Judged and found wanting.Heaven’s Gates would not open on this day as multitudes stared into Hell. The icy grip on their souls replaced by a burning ember as they passed through the smallest amount of hellfire, marking them forever.Not even we, as White Wolf units, were spared. Those of us who indulged in the suffering of others outside of our duties burned away to ash. Our own units trimmed down to a quarter of our strength.After the Reaper’s anger, which burned white-hot, had faded; remorse set in and the changes to the world were undone.Time itself rolled back as events reset.And for our boss? He sealed away most of His powers. Hoping that he may never have cause to break those seals.  The peace lasted until April 2016 when the Missing Mammal crisis gripped Zootopia.