“Please stop,” Riley pleading; “I don’t want to die.”
“You’re not dying,” a were-tiger growling as he lays in a kidney shot on the were-rat; “we are just making sure you told us everything Jack Crawford has planned.”
“I have,” Riley screaming; “I told you everything.”
Standing in the shadows, quietly observing the cruel work being done is Far Huojin and his grandson Kai Hǔ Wáng. Both white were-tigers listening as for the past few hours Riley screamed between pleas of mercy, everything Jack Crawford told him to do. Even letting slip the plans the rat overheard when the were-panther thought he was out of ear shot. Most is what Far and Kai already knew thanks to the program Kai slipped on Jacks computer months ago. Yet it was Riley screaming what Jack ordered Arnold Steward Stevenson to do that made the two were-tigers once again step out of the shadows to talk to Riley once again.
“You have more to share,” Far looking at the strung up were-rat; “what was Arnold supposed to do?”
“I don’t rightly know,” Riley whimpering; “I was going to meet him when you bastards started torturing me.”
“Perhaps we should collect this Arnold,” Kai staring at the were-rat and messing with him by drinking some water; “see what he has to say.”
“If you harm the were-donkey,” Riley trying to summon up some defiance; “then you play into Jack’s paws.”
“How so,” Kai growling; placing a pair of hedge clippers at the base of Riley’s tail and slowly bearing down; “Speak or you lose your tail!”
“Enough Kai,” Far looking at his grandson disapprovingly; “we don’t want him maimed. Now Riley,” Far looking at the simpering were-rat; “why does harming the were-donkey help Jack’s cause?”
“He is Kenya’s campaign manager,” Riley crying; “I can only guess our meet up was involving Kenya’s plan to announce her running for Mayor.”
Far looks at the were-rat; bruised, bloodied but otherwise whole. He signals his helpers to set the poor fellow down. Speaking in Mandarin he instructs one of them to break the were-rats legs for good measure before carting him back to Jack Crawford’s penthouse condo in Seattle, with a business card of Wang Technological Consortium attached.
Hearing Riley let loose a blood curdling scream as they leave the warehouse they rented in the outskirts of Seattle; Far and Kai step into the limousine with heavily tinted windows. Both were-tigers refusing to shift into their human forms; preferring to remain in their fursonas permanently, they head back to Moon Lake completely unaware what has transpired recently.
*******
Sheriff Cooper pulled up to the motel that Frederick Parker was staying at. With his cruiser lights flashing and in his uniform; Sheriff Cooper made sure to put on a show for anyone who may have witnessed his arrival. Unsure of how the mobster will react with the news he was about to present, Douglas made sure to inform his dispatcher of his current location and to have a radio request for a report in ten minutes.
Stepping out of his cruiser, the sheriff is greeted by a few of Freddie’s men. Cooper makes it clear that if they don’t step aside, the men will soon learn to start sucking their meals through a straw. Refusing to be intimidated by the large man; Freddie’s goons were about get rough with the sheriff before Freddie stepped out of his motel room and waved them off.
“I take it you have a good reason for being here sheriff,” Freddie staring at the man.
“Several of your men are dead and one is now in jail,” Sheriff Cooper speaking; “they made the stupid mistake of breaking into Benton Knight’s Estate.”
“And why tell me,” Freddie sneering; “are you trying to get me to cop to a crime I have no knowledge of?”
“Oh I know you have no knowledge of this crime,” Sheriff Cooper grinning; “the surviving goon said as much when he talked to your son before lawyering up. But I do have to warn you,” Sheriff Cooper chuckling; “get your affairs in order, Benton Knight will be coming after you. And if you think the feds are giving you a hard time with your business ventures,” the Sheriff heading back to his cruiser; “wait until the man who runs the largest multi-national conglomerate puts you in his cross hairs. Especially after his daughter was home when your goons paid a visit.”
Freddie glares at the sheriff as he drives off. Unsure of what to make of what the man said, he heads back inside his motel room to see his assistant goofing around playing solitaire on his laptop.
“Get off your ass and start researching a man,” Freddie barking at the spooked man; “I want to know everything there is about Benton Knight.”
“Any particular reason,” the assistant asking.
“If what the sheriff just said outside was true and not some scare tactic,” Freddie is thinking; “then we may need to modify my son’s escape plan.”
Sitting down to watch the sports update; Freddie sours when his San-Francisco 49ers get clobbered, highlighting their quarterback being the most sacked in the league. His moods sours even more when a man enters his motel room to whisper something in his ear. Whatever it was, Freddie had a look of disgust on him; the assistant could only guess that whatever the sheriff said was true and this Benton Knight had something to do with it.
“Someone find out where Chelnik is, “Freddie barking; “I need him back here pronto!”
******
Sitting in The Diner; the same diner in which Peter Talbot was shot just outside last night, Chelnik was taking a brief break to enjoy his repast. Dining on liver and onions, the Ukrainian who at one time was a Spetsnaz took stock of the recon he did during the day. Knowing the Talbots could summon a large group of men meant that his boss would not find the man an easy push over. Sure he could end it by assassinating the Talbot Patriarch; yet Chelnik knew he could not so easily perform the task even if ordered to do so. As Chelnik walked to The Diner to get something to eat after observing his boss’s men get roughed up and then arrested; Chelnik knew he was being followed, and who ever was following him was good. Even after several attempts to double back and try to find out who was following him, Chelnik could not shake the person. So the dangerous man decided to wait the person out as he ate a meal.
********
Agent Brooke Reed was waiting outside The Diner watching Chelnik eating. Noticing the man walking downtown a few hours earlier she began tailing him in earnest. Thanks to her newly enhanced senses, stamina and agility; the FBI agent and werewolf was able to evade all of Chelnik’s tricks in dropping her as a tail. Now waiting as she noticed the man walk inside to eat, she breathes a sigh of relief as a man who identified himself as Yamoto Tachibana. Thankful that someone got her frantic texts and cryptic messages from the assorted numbers Daisuke and Evan gave her to contact them, she leave Yamoto to take up watching Chelnik as she heads to a friend’s place to rest up.