On the state border between Louisiana and Mississippi stood the town of Vicksburg. Sitting east of the mighty Mississippi river, this town was steeped in history; not all of it of the good and happy variety. It played a role during the American civil. Once an important confederate river port, it soon surrendered to Ulysses S. Grant. This took place concurrently to the Battle of Gettysburg, marking it a turning-point of the civil war. During the reconstruction era, the town became a hot bed for racial segregation. As a former supporter of slave ownership, the inhabitants were none too happy with freed slaves taking up farming the lands for pay instead of the whip of the various plantation foremen. Naturally they were run out of town or lynched; this was a common practice up until the civil rights movement when desegregation was imposed on the racially divided community.
These racial biases came back when the Fury pandemic swept through the states during the Thanksgiving holiday of 2023. Many people becoming furies only to be shot and killed by the so-called “Southern Gentleman”. Said individual was the average redneck with a shotgun, beer gut and an education that barely made it past high school. Leaning towards the teachings of the local bible thumping pastor and the fire brand rhetoric of the local chapter of the Ku Klux Klan; these bigots soon found a reason to vent their hatred over the ills of the world by trying to rid their community of the furies running rampant. Individually they were no match against a single fury, but in groups they soon were patrolling the streets of their town as the self-professed law of the land.
One member of this group a man named Jacob who was wearing a heavily stained white tank top, with ripped blue jeans and a dirty hat displaying an iron cross on it. He was holding a twelve gauge shotgun in one hand and an open beer in the other. Taking a large sip from his beer he sneers at the two furies that are currently hog tied and gaged in the local jail cell. Several of the militia had enough brain cells in them to make sure they couldn’t move or speak once captured. Using tranquilizer guns to subdue them before binding them. Their reasons were valid for this; furies being able to cast magic, they didn’t want these two to escape and cause problems.
“I just can’t wait,” Jacob drinking his beer as he speaks with a southern drawl; “I can’t wait to see you two swing. It’s been such a long time since we had a good hanging. Not since my great grandpa’s days when a nigger dared to speak to a proper white lady and paid for it with a short drop and a sudden stop.” Jacob finishes his statement with a belch, followed by spitting in the direction of the bound furies.
The furies just glared at Jacob. One was a male Duckbill Platypus Fury, while the other was a female civet cat fury. Their glares being met with a sneer from Jacob as he cracked open another beer and proceeded to chug the can in one long gulp.
“BELCH,” Jacob smirking as he chucks the empty can to the nearest trash bin; missing as he flops down on a swivel chair.
“Oh we’s gonnan have a hanging,” Jacob starts singing; “a wondrous hanging.”
The furies just look at each other and nod as they see the drunken bigot getting distracted with his celebratory inebriation. Adjusting their position on the cold concrete floor, they began using their claws to quietly cut the ropes that are currently binding their wrists behind their backs.
“There will be pies and cake for the children,” Jacob continuing to sing horribly as he opens another beer; well on his way to getting blackout drunk.
The Civet cat fury makes a satisfying smile as her bindings are loose enough that she could wriggle her wrists out of them. With her arms free, she quickly breaks the ropes of her male companion and they both soon removed the bindings tying their legs together.
“How do you want to work this,” the male fury whispering as rubs his wrist, working the circulation back to his hands.
“quietly and quickly,” the female fury answering as her runes glow and a klick of the jail cell lock could be heard, allowing the door to be open.
“The fool is so drunk,” The male whispering; “that he didn’t hear the door creak open.”
“That’s because he is paralyzed,” the female fury now speaking in a more normal register; her runes glowing as they approach their drunk guard. Seeing him sitting still as the beer he opened empties onto his shirt as he was in mid sip.
“Smart,” the male Platypus fury nodding as he stares into the man’s face. Seeing the fear in his eyes as he takes the shotgun. Emptying the firearm of its double aught buck ammo, his runes glow and the weapon soon melts in a puddle of molten metal. “don’t want the ammo to go off,” the male managing a grin despite his duck bill.
“You want to do the honors or shall I,” the female placing a fury clawed hand paw on the man’s shoulder.
“Let me,” the male approaching the paralyzed drunk and using the claws on his hand paws, leaves several deep scratches on the man’s arms, drawing blood.
“Let’s make sure it takes quickly,” the civet fury spinning the man around and planting a deep kiss just as she cancels the paralysis spell.
“Let me go you filthy beasts,” Jacob clearly slurring his words as his inebriation mixes with the fury virus’s making him horny with sexual desire.
“Just as soon as you are of the right mindset,” the male fury helping his companion removed the man’s meager clothing.
They work on him quickly, exploring his body as he fondles the civet cat fury’s large breasts. The male fury stroking the man’s penis as he begins to rapidly change. The fur covering his body and the muzzle pushing out of his face and pink hairless tail showed he was becoming an opossum fury. His change done as he cums from getting his dick stroked, the new fury collapsed back in the chair, still drunk but now with a satisfied smile on his muzzle as he moans in contentment.
“Now,” the female fury speaking as she takes a couple of beers; tossing one to her companion before turning to stare at the opossum fury, “when is your relief supposed to show up?”
“Not for a few hours,” Jacob sighing as he enjoys the hazy afterglow; “can we go again? I wouldn’t mind a quick tumble.”
“Perhaps later,” the male platypus fury answering; “who is too relieve you in a few hours?”
“my cousin, Sargent Jackson;” Jacob trying to stand but failing miserably.
“Well this complicates things,” the platypus fury shaking his head as he cracks open the beer in his paw and takes a sip; “he is so drunk we need to drag his ass out of here.”
“We could always leave him,” the civet cat fury drinking her beer; “but then they will want to question him as to how he got out.”
“So we sober him up,” the Platypus fury putting down his beer and looking around the police station; “is there a coffee machine here?”
*********
Several hours later Sargent Jackson enters the police station and swears bloody murder. Seeing the cell doors open, the remains of the rope and gags that bound the two furies. Noticing several empty beer cans, the grizzled bearded man in a homemade ghillie suit screams as Jacob is nowhere to be seen and there is an empty cell where two furies he help capture once resided.
“That useless beer soaked drunk,” Jackson pulling out a walkie-talkie; “Boss I’m at the station! Jacob is gone and so are our prisoners.”
“Find them,” a bark more of a response came back from the device. “And shoot them dead. Jacob included, assume he is now one of them.”
“Rodger,” Jackson responding as he puts the device away. Scanning the room to see if anything looks out of place, he chambers his bolt action rifle and fires off a round. The loud discharge would have made any fury who cast an invisibility spell to scream in pain thanks to their sensitive ears. Not hearing any screams in the room or in the nearby rooms, Jackson concludes that they somehow managed to flee the jail.
“The hunt is on,” Jackson commenting as he walks out of the room.
“Shit that hurt,” Jacob panting as his ears wouldn’t stop ringing.
“Be thankful I casted a sound proof bubble,” the male platypus fury managing to hold back his own scream; “or else he would have heard us despite Rebecca’s invisibility spell.”
“Let’s get out of here,” Rebecca speaking; “before he comes back.”
“Make it quick,” Jacob still dealing with the massive ringing in his ears; “Jackson isn’t stupid. His army ranger training makes him one of the militia’s best marksman and hunters.”
“How do you know,” Rebecca looking at the opossum fury questionably.
“Because he is the onlt family member to not get kicked out of the military,” Jacob shaking his head; “and he considers himself a direct descendant of General Lee.”
“Oh great,” the male Platypus fury; “another one of those who believe the south shall rise again types!”
“We aren’t related to the general,” Jacob Adding; “but my cousin refuses to accept the evidence.”
“We can discuss family trees once we get out of here,” Rebecca checking to see if the coast is clear; “lets play it safe and become invisible.”
Sneaking out of the police station was easier said than done. Just about every member of the Vicksburg liberation militia was searching every room, every nook and cranny that could hide a person or a fury. They had to be fast and silent. Jacob having a few close calls as his bladder nearly betrayed him. Full of beer and coffee, he was nearly fit to burst. The other two furies sighed as he bolted into a washroom and entered a stall and let the torrent of piss fly into the nearby toilet. They held their breath as a lone man entered the room; also with the same ideal in mind as he places his shotgun next to the nearby urinal and proceeds to pee.
Rebecca getting an idea motions for her companion to follow her lead as she whips the man around planting a massive kiss as the male platypus fury destroys the soon to be new fury’s gun the same way he disposed of Jacob’s.
“Now there are four of us,” Rebbeca admiring the new zebra fury that was once a militia man.
“It still doesn’t get us out of here,” the platypus fury grumbling; “it just means more of us that these bigots could bump into as he sneak out of here.”
“Try the roof access,” the new zebra fury moaning in satisfaction as he continues to pump his seed into Rebecca. His equine like cock too much for the civet cat fury to resist as she bent over an allowed him to rail her. “Here is the key card,” he motions as he points to the remnants of his clothes.
“Now that is a sound plan,” Jacob feeling better after his sobering piss; “my cousin will not expect it.”
“Is that you Jacob,” the Zebra fury recognizing the voice; “Jackson is up on the roof He is using it as a sniper’s nest.”
“And escaping the roof is your plan,” the platypus fury looking at their new ally suspiciously.
“Quite Steve I’m thinking,” Rebecca mulling their options. “Jacob what would happen if your cousin switched sides?”
“Your guess is as good as mine,” the opossum fury shrugging his fury shoulders; “but if you intend to infect him, it would need to be a group effort from all of us.”
“The let’s do it,” Rebecca snarling; “that bastard caught us off guard by the river. I’m not going to give him a second chance."
******
Scanning the ground below, Jackson waited as he knew the furies he captured were still in the building. Determined to cut them down the moment they fled through the front door. It was the only entrance he purposely made sure wasn’t secure as they tried to make their escape. His drunk cousin Jacob would also be shot, just for letting the two escape. He was so engrossed waiting for the door to swing open he never noticed the roof hatch opening and four furies quietly climbing up.
The furies pause as they spot what looked like caltrops on the tarred roof; clearly Jacob’s attempt to stymie a fury’s attempt to jump him from behind. Unfortunately for him, he wasn’t dealing with two or three furies; he was now dealing with four. Whether it was the subtle sound of the loose gravel being shuffled or a shift in the wind; Jackson whipped around and managed to get off a shot just as the four furies jumped him. One of them screamed as the remaining three punched and clawed him as he struggled to break free. Pulling out a large knife just as he pushes them back, Jackson tried to stab another fury only to see a flash of grey fur strike his throat. He felt the rush of blood more then he felt the pain from his throat as an opossum fury stood over him; a hand paw on his abdomen as he tries to stop the blood flow.
“You brought this on yourself cousin,” Jacob gasping as he collapses on the roof just as Jackson’s visions fades to black.
“Jacob,” the Zebra fury rushing to the fallen opossum fury; “stay with us.”
“Get out of here while you can,” Jacob coughing; “before the rest show up.”
“Lets go,” Steve pulling the Zebra fury up; “his sacrifice will not be forgotten.”
“Alright,” the Zebra fury waving a hoof hand; his runes glowing as the roof hatch slams shut. “That should buy us a few seconds to get into the shadows.”
“Jackson report!”
The three whip around to see the dead man in a ghillie suit. The radio on him crackling as the voice on the other end demands an answer.
“Reverend Simon,” the Zebra fury picking up the radio; “Jackson is dead. The furies got him.”
“Fuck,” the man on the other end responding; “did he at least get one of the escaped devil-beasts?”
“Yes,” the Zebra fury looking at Jacob; “but don’t worry, we’ll get you reverend.”
There was a silent pause before the radio crackles again. “For such men are false apostles, deceitful workmen, disguising themselves as apostles of Christ. And no wonder, for even Satan disguises himself as an angel of light. So it is no surprise if his servants, also, disguise themselves as servants of righteousness. Their end will correspond to their deeds.”
“2 Corinthians 11:13-15,” the zebra fury finishing as he responds on the radio. “I know scripture just as well as you Simon.”
“And I have the lord as my sword and shield,” the radio crackling in response; the sound of the roof hatch being bang on as Rebecca and Steve look to jump off the roof.
“Until we meet in person reverend,” The zebra fury smashing the radio as he joins the Civet Cat and Platypus furies and leap into the darken night streets.