{{Our episode title is the closest I could come to presenting the theme from Jaws in text, the option link from the last episode to this one is a line from the Jimmy Buffet song "Fins", and all violence is implied but hasn't happened.
Yet?—tmw.}}
Leon Talbot sat in the front seat of his cousin Eugene's Washington State Trooper cruiser on their way to Moon Lake General Hospital to check on his son Peter, who had been shot by would be carjacker and all around bad boy Daniel Parker, son of noted west coast mob boss Fredrick Parker, more commonly known as Freddie the Shark.
"I will have to go back on patrol by dusk tonight King Uncle," began Eugene, "unless you can inform my superiors of a more pressing need for me to stay here."
"While I wish the circumstances were far better, it was good to see you again Eugene, but alas I cannot think of one," admitted the werelion king of Moon Lake.
"Not even the fact that we're being followed?" asked Eugene, while taking a glance in his rear view mirror again.
"Oh?" asked Leon, keeping his head still while turning his eyes to look out the side mirror attached to the passenger door.
"Yes. Ever since we left the courthouse," added Eugene.
"Some of Parker's... employees, I imagine," realized Leon, "although I fail to see what he hopes to accomplish."
"Men like him are used to getting their way by fear and intimidation, if not outright violence."
"I shall do all that is within my power to protect Moon Lake and my family, but if this shark pushes me too far, he will not live to regret the day he discovered that lions have teeth AND claws," vowed Leon, as he reached for his cellphone.
AT THAT MOMENT...
"Doesn't look like no one's home," one man said to the other as they got out of their rental car and walked up the driveway.
"Well, the boss did send us out here the moment he ID'ed the old man in the court room. Guess the rest of the family's at the hospital checking on the kid," said his partner, as they approached their destination.
"Hmmm... nice place," one man said to the other, as they peered into the garage windows of Talbot Restorations.
"Yeah. Is that a Camero in the corner?" the second one asked. They had been sent by their employer Freddie the Shark to check out these Talbots and see how much resistance, if any, there might be if the worst should need to fall upon them.
"I think so, and that looks like a Woody Station Wagon over there. I remember my grandfather telling me about them once when we watched some old beach picture together. He had a thing for Annette Funicello, who was a pretty hot dame in her time."
"So I hear. Good chest, all natural, and—" but whatever else the second man was going to say was lost as he started sneezing.
"Keep it down. We're supposed to be quiet and nonchalant. Remember?" the first man asked.
"Sorry. Can't help it. They must have a cat somewhere around here. I'm allergic to the damn things," complained the second gangster, not knowing about weres in general or werelions specifically. "This place will go up easy enough if we have to torch it. Let's go check out Talbot's house."
"No. I'll do that. If there is a cat around, the last thing we need is you getting closer to it and announcing we're here. Stay here and act like a customer disappointed the place's closed for the day," said the first, pointing out the 'CLOSED. FAMILY EMERGENCY.' sign on the front door of the garage.
But neither hoodlum knew that one little sneeze had alerted the Talbot family's were neighbors!
MEANWHILE...
Thinking everything was covered now, Sheriff Cooper was about to reach for his desk phone to call Tachibana no Akane and arrange for the Elders' Council to help in the Freddie the Shark situation, when it rang again.
"Sheriff Cooper," he said, answering the phone.
"Sir, we already have one unit responding, but dispatch just reported a potential prowler at Talbot Restorations," said the officer on the other end.
"DAMNATION!" swore Cooper, as Special Agent Brooke Reed's recently acquired werewolf's acute hearing heard both sides of the conversation. "Send backup immediately, and tell all responding officers that as long as the Closed signs are plainly visible, to play it totally by the book and arrest the suspects for trespassing only if they step onto Leon's private residence, which also happens to be right next door to his shop."
"Will do Sheriff," said the officer, before ending the call.
"Definitely got to call Tachibana," said Cooper, before taking a couple of aspirin.
CONCURRENTLY...
Although they were both in their human forms, one werelion said to another, "Let's move. Our liege has spoken!" as he hung up his cellphone.
"What's the problem?" the other werelion asked, even as he opened the weapons safe for their guns.
"The father of that normal who shot our Prince last night appears to be stirring up trouble," explained the first man, while accepting his handgun. "The King wants two security details established immediately. One at his home/business, and the other at the Prince's hospital room."
"I think the Royal Family is out and about this morning, so the Prince's room should be our first priority," suggested the second man/lion.
"Agreed," said the first as he picked up his cellphone again to start summoning the others.
ELSEWHERE...
He failed to see what was so urgent about this. Having suffered a gut shot himself once, the mobster knew the man wasn't going anywhere for a while, but orders were orders and when Freddie the Shark spoke, you obeyed.
He walked into Moon Lake General Hospital carrying a live plant, acting as if he was visiting a patient.
In truth, his mission was to check out the security situation of both the hospital itself and any surrounding Peter Talbot, for the boss once again may have to clean up his kid's loose ends if he couldn't get the family to play ball and see Daniel Parker go free before the Feds hauled him off to who knew where.
I could easily plug the Talbot kid myself right now, if necessary, but the boss wants to give his old man a chance to see the light of day first, so I just do as I'm told, the hoodlum thought confidently, not knowing the furry surprise that awaited him inside if he opened the closed door to Peter Talbot's hospital room.