Officer Jenkins and I began our patrol for that morning as normal. Things were quiet so far, and that let her curiosity get the better of her.
"So what did this guy want to talk with you about?" Officer Jenkins asked curiously, "If I may ask..."
I sighed and shook my head in the backseat.
"Mostly the lawsuit concerning Leona Washburn's animal-person serum," I sighed after a moment.
"I take it he was in favor of letting people use it?" Officer Jenkins asked.
"Yes," I nodded slowly.
"Well," Officer Jenkins responded, "as I said before, some of this may simply need to be something that people learn the hard way... they think becoming an animal person will make them happy, and may need to actually become one to realize that having fur, feathers, scales, wings, or tail doesn't make one happy."
"Maybe," I nodded in agreement, "but, at the moment a lot of that isn't as much of a concern as it normally would be."
"So the guy is in favor of people dumping their humanity, and it isn't a problem?" Officer Jenkins wondered.
"From the point of view that these people WANT to become an animal," I answered as carefully as I could manage, "certain things may make it "not a problem"... if you understand a few things."
Officer Jenkins gave me a curious look in the rear-view mirror.
"He had some fairly decent points," I sighed, "points I can't ignore. Dealing with animal instincts is a struggle... but Molly and I have managed to control them... so have the other victims of the freak show that transformed Molly."
"So the whole issue of instinct versus sentience isn't as dangerous as you were concerned about?"
"Perhaps," I nodded, "as I said, the man had good points... which leads to the strangest thing out of all of it... the fact that he made sure that neither Molly nor I could identify him... though I'd think people would find it unnerving if we started going around sniffing people to identify their scents."
"Dogs do that all the time," Officer Jenkins teased.
"Yes, just about every mundane animal does," I sighed, "scents are important to them... but Molly and I aren't mundane tigers... we're expected to behave as a human would... largely."
"And hopefully, if these guys win their lawsuit, they'll understand it too," Officer Jenkins commented as we continued our patrol.
+++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++
The rest of the day went by quietly with no major calls. I continued to wonder about who the unknown man was through the day, but I knew I probably wouldn't get any answers until I could talk with Leona. I figured if anyone knew who want her serum on the market, Leona would know. The guy might even work for a company that was interested in the same research, and since neither Molly nor I knew much about genetics or the companies that invested in that research, our only lead into that realm would be Leona.
I found a note waiting for me when I made it into Bandhavgarh Cabin that evening. It read: "Gone with Tabby for our "meds". Will be back. -Molly." I slowly sighed and set the note down. She'd gone down to Kalispell to pick up refills on the various medications that Molly and I had to take to help reduce the risk of picking up various parasites. So for the moment, I was alone.
I left Molly's note on the dinning room table and went upstairs to change out of my uniform and put on something more comfortable. As I did that, I could see a light flashing on the answering machine, which I assumed to be from my dad. I quickly changed and then pressed the button that would activate the machine. The message was from my father, and he had gotten Leona's numbers, both her lab and her "home" number. I wrote both numbers down and then set calling Leona.
I started with her "home" number. I figured she would have called it a day there and returned to her home, apartment, or wherever she was staying.
"Probation Officer Jackson Kearns speaking," came the reply on the other end of the line, "Leona Washburn's residence."
"Jackson? This is George Wayne, is Leona in?" I asked.
"George Wayne? The tiger person?"
"The male one," I sighed, "Yes. Is Leona in?"
"Yeah, hold on," came the answer. I waited patiently until I heard Leona's voice on the other end of the line.
"George?" came Leona's voice, "is something wrong? Are you and Molly okay?"
"We're fine," I answered, "merely dealing with some things that are rather odd... things that circle back to you."
Her voice became very sour very quickly.
"This has to do with that stupid lawsuit, doesn't it?" Leona growled.
I was half tempted to growl back.
"It probably does," I sighed, "Molly and I were recently contacted by an unknown individual who wanted us to urge you not to keep your serum hidden away as it were."
"And give it to a bunch of people who think having fur or some other animal trait will make them happy?" Leona growled back.
"Easy," I half growled in response, "Molly and I are both on your side."
There was a pause for a moment.
"I'm sorry," Leona apologized, "they've been extremely insistent and I haven't had much time to work on what the courts have demanded I work on at present. Trying to undo what Changes forced me to do..."
"I'm sure," I nodded.
"So what has led you to call me?" Leona then asked, "you and Molly can't do much to help and you have your own lives to live."
"Yes, yes we do," I nodded again, even though Leona couldn't see me nod, "it's mostly to try and figure out WHO the guy was. The man who contacted us seemed to be very intelligent on the issues at hand."
"And you think I know who this man could be?" Leona asked.
"Or at least who he works for," I sighed, "he knew what he was talking about, Leona... and for warning, he may be involved with those suing you to get your serum on the market."
"They don't understand the struggles it takes to control the animal instincts, George," Leona grumbled, "they simply think they won't have a problem."
"But we've all managed to control our instincts," I commented, "I mean... Jackson doesn't have a mane yet, does he?"
"No," Leona sighed, "we have not mated yet... and probably won't until my period of probation is over."
"And this guy seemed to recognize that," I told her, "he knew we haven't succumbed slowly to our instincts and had the opinion that these people could control them just as easily as we can."
"Maybe," Leona answered, "but it's like giving a loaded gun to a ten year old kid. In theory the kid can control the weapon. And if properly educated could even keep the safety on, BUT you can not be certain on the kid's judgment with such a weapon, and he could very well shoot himself or someone else by accident... that is my chief concern."
"I'm sure," I commented, "and I'd agree with you on that, but the people doing this are adults. The law may not accept that analogy. If they say they can control their instincts... you may have to trust them. And the fact that all of the animal people incidents have been humans doing something TO the animal people, not animal people going nuts from their instincts may weaken that argument."
Leona didn't answer.
"He also gave Molly and I the warning that others may try to duplicate your work," I told her, "that our existence as animal people proves it's possible..."
"My research was never intended to create animal people," Leona answered, "strengthen the human genome, yes, create animal people, no. Changes read my notes and found it as a scheme to make more money."
"Maybe, but as he told us, it will encourage others to try and at least reach what you've achieved," I warned her, "a sort of "forbidden fruit" concept. People know it's possible and will try to reach it, simply because it's forbidden."
"So I should turn people into animals because they want it, and that will make them stop?" Leona gasped, "I very much doubt it. And I have no doubt that others will try to duplicate what I've done. There were half a dozen pharmaceutical companies that helped sponsor my original research. They will find out that trying to reach this plateau is like playing with fire."
"Do you know if any of those companies might still be interested in your research?" I wondered, "they might have sent the man that contacted Molly and I."
"I'm pretty sure all of them are," Leona grumbled, "they see it as a breakthrough... not really caring that by the standards of my original theory, I am no where NEAR ready to have a finished product. All I have right now is something that turns people into animals... I was still years away from even considering human testing with my original research."
I sighed heavily after a moment.
"If you're trying to find out who contacted you and who he's working for," Leona then continued, "I'm afraid I won't be of much help. There would be too many possible avenues to check, and technically, they haven't committed a crime... why do you want to know who contacted you and Molly?"
"Because he seemed to know what he was talking about," I commented, "and he had some good points... which leaves me wondering why contact Molly and I? Why ask us to ask you to share your formula? It leaves me with far too many questions..."
"I'm afraid I do not have the answers, George," Leona sighed, "although, I thank you for relaying what he's told you... hopefully it'll allow us to get a better defense..."
"We hope you win," I told her, not really knowing what else to say.
"So do I," Leona sighed and hung up.
I then sighed heavily as I hung up my own phone. Leona didn't know who could have contacted Molly and I. She knew there were people interested in her research, but said there were too many of them to really figure out any possible individual. That left me with even more questions that would need answering. Something was going on with the unknown man's appearance... something bigger then a lawsuit made by furry fans. And that made me nervous. What was the unknown man's game? And what would be the implications of it?