The Miami Broncos

Chapter 25: Opals and Rough Diamonds

Written by Francois Guint-Riel (FGR)

It felt strange as I looked down on Syndey as we were going down with the plane, like if the picture was something I was supposed to remember, but somehow there was something that stopped me from doing so.

I’d left when I was eight, accompanied by a friend of the family who had promised me that we’d be making a new start in America, just days after my parents had passed on in a car accident that had left me completely traumatized. What would happen after didn’t do anything to heal that, as his intentions were actually to sell me into a private adoption that he’d brokered to make a fast buck. Fate had worked out so that Don Kaline, the Don of the Miami Broncos at the time, had learned about the network that he was member of, and had sent some of his boys to intercept him as soon as we left the airport. We were taken to the mansion before being separated, that sinful bastard to be interrogated by none other then Badger, Kaline’s point in the days, and myself brought to the lounge to talk to the good old panther. He’d been so nice, so sweet, that I almost saw a new father in him instantly. I had hardly spoken a word since the accident, but as he asked me about myself and where I’d come from, I didn’t feel that it was necessary to be shy anymore.

-What’s your name, kid?
-Vincent, I replied. Vincent Reeds. Am I okay?
-You are, nodded Kaline, you’re fine now. Where are your parents, Vincent?
-They died last week. Our car got hit by a truck, but I didn’t get too hurt myself. My mom and dad didn’t more anymore and... and...
-That’s okay, that’s okay, hushed the panther as I started crying, taking me in a loose hug. So you don’t have anyone back home?
-No, I don’t. He told me that we were moving here to get a new house, but I don’t think he was telling me the truth. I don’t know where I’ll live now, though.
-Where did you come from, Vincent?
-Near Leigh Creek. My father drove a big truck, and I noodled for opals with mom to get some more money sometimes. We were just the three of us.
-Vincent, would you like to live here? It’s okay if you don’t know anyone right now, we’re all nice here.
-Sure, I shrugged, I’d like that. Thanks.
-I’m Kaline, said the panther as another young cat tree years older then me walked over. This is my son, Ulrich. Ulrich, this is Vincent.
-Hi Vincent, he said as he gave me a cuddle. Want to go play soccer outside?
-All right! Let’s go!

That had been the start of my time in the Broncos, growing up with that crazy Ulrich.

Now though, all that I seemed to be able to remember was the confusion that I’d felt when I’d left. Still, I knew it was just a passing thing, something I was glad I had the chance to face now with Tracks holding me. Sometimes I was strong for him, sometimes he was strong for me. We had seen really rough lives before joining the Broncos, sort of the reason why we so close, other then the fact I thought he was a total hunk and he found me absolutely cute, as well as the bond that had formed between us. He even seemed to know how I was feeling right then and there, giving me a peck on the muzzle.

-Looks like you were somewhere else there, Jumpy.
-Bah, just trying to remember last time I was here, I replied as I reached back to rub the deer’s neck. How about you?
-I was imagining you in a tight Speedo on a surfboard, but I just couldn’t seem to get the Speedo to stay in the picture too long. The rest was fine though, speaking from experience.
-You’re a dirty rack of antlers, I teased as I saw the seatbelt light come back on. Whoops, looks like we’re going to be hitting the tarmac soon enough.
-Yep, better get ready.

The airport was pretty crowded, even for a Saturday evening, but we didn’t really have any luggage to speak of other then the small suitcase that we’d both stuffed our things into. We were pretty much a single force, Tracks and me, and there wasn’t really a limit back in Miami where his things ended and mine started, just a sort of continuum where the only bound was that some things he had didn’t fit me and vice-versa. I grabbed the black Kevlar roll-along suitcase off the conveyor, feeling it pretty heavy considering that we’d packed our guns in the compartment concealed in the center of it, away from prying eyes and metal detectors, supplemented by a few other less legal items that our new friends in China had given us, specifically a professional lock picking kit and a pair of sapper gloves. I didn’t know what sort of use we’d have for them, but nonetheless, it was better to be too equipped then to be left wanting considering our situation.

Honestly, I wasn’t too certain how we were going to go about setting up a Family in the country. Obviously, the best place for one to be was in one of the major cities, concealed in the crowds. Still, the actual structure of organized underground groups in Australia had always been sort of mixed and muffled. From the Golden Dragon and other investigations I’d made previously, I knew that there were a few Triads from mainland China and some Japanese Yakuza groups that had a stake in the country, but they didn’t seem to had interest in building too solid a presence, just because the actual scope of possible activities was sort of limited. I considered that point of view to be sort of difficult to accept, seeing as how with a decent foothold, it would be possible to run some serious smuggling operations, though of course seabound, rather then over land as we were used to. Other then that, real estate offered a lot of opportunities to get some legitimate funding in a pinch.

No matter if they didn’t take their presence to seriously, international relations with those already dealing in the black markets of the country would have to be considered. If anything, should we act carefully and take the right approach, this would offer a chance to build another bridge. I supposed the only reason for their presence was to insure that they could do business in the country without having to be dependent on perhaps more chancy partners, so should we present them the opportunity to deal with the devils they know, so to speak, the reason for their involvement could be eliminated and a potential trade route between us would be opened.

All this raced in my mind as we left the airport in search of a place to stay, though we didn’t really feel too picky and walked into the first hotel we saw that could fit the bill for our accommodations. We were still pretty messed up from the pace we’d been pushing ourselves to suffer through, and the first thought we had was for rest, at least enough for us to have the energy to get down to business with our mission, as it could be called. I didn’t bother turning on the lights, but simply went and huddled on the bed, just giving a small grunt as Tracks pulled up behind me and threw a sheet over us.

-It’s special to be alone together like this for a change, said the deer. You know, not just together in a room, but with some distance from the rest of our world.
-I know what you mean, I replied as I reached over and stroked his face. It sort of makes you feel like we’re just two normal guys, eh? Just two nuts in the sack, nothing more.
-Right, giggled Tracks. I know we never got married or anything, but it seems like we’ve been together since forever.
-Yep. Now, how about we get some sleep, big guy?
-Aw, I’m not big at all, I’m just a buff old set of antlers here, he retorted with a smile. Still, I’m not tired enough to sleep yet, to be honest.
-I suppose I’m not either, I muttered as I get out of his grip and sat up. Maybe something like a little picker-upper to clear the throat might be nice.

Tracks nodded and kicked to his hooves behind me, giving my butt a slap before we left the room. The restaurant had a little nook already, but we felt like having a bit more fun then that, something more exotic, maybe. Those places had a tendency to be too prim and proper, sort of sanitized to give the visitors a sort of standardized, predictable experience, nothing like the rest of the shops and bars on the street we were on. One of them had some cool tunes playing loud enough to be heard in the street and looked pretty alive with enough traffic walking in and out, sort of luring us to it until we stepped in and asked for a table for two. We were shown to one and given a pair of Foster’s off the bat, to ‘get us in the mood’, as the waiter said it before he strode off to get us the salad we’d ordered to go with it. Before we knew it, the bottles we’d been given were empty and another round was on its way to pick up where they left off.

By that point though, the crowd had sort of changed, as the less enthusiastic drinkers were replaced by much more convinced ones who were putting away their consummations as if their lives depended on them. One of them, a wallaby in his late forties, was pretty much stinking, shit-faced drunk, and was talking loud at the barman, who had become pretty reluctant to further indulge his alcoholic passion. Tracks wasn’t too happy about his behavior either, but I was in a better position to seen him at the bar. I didn’t expect for anything to happen save for the man to get bounced from the place by one of the attendants who had become quite interested in him as well, but things would unfortunately escalate to the point that the wallaby pulled out a revolver and almost shoved it into the barman’s muzzle with a very enthusiastic request for another glass. Seeing as how a very judicious act that pulling a gun in public and threatening to put a piece of lead in one or many of the people in the attendance represents, my reaction was pretty much a given as I drew my silenced Inglis and drawing as good a bead as I could on the fellow, send a good, fight-stopping shot that hit him in the arm, right below the shoulder.

As my deafened projectile finished it’s duty and the man fell to the floor clutching his wound, two of the tougher-looking fellows showed him out back, sort of giving me a look to tell me that my help had been more then a little appreciated. Tracks looked at me with a bit of a snarl, shaking his woods in indication to hide my piece as quickly as I could, just in case things took another bad turn. After all, taking a shot at someone in a crowded restaurant didn’t go unseen by a good few eyes, a few that might not agree that my actions had been anything else then chivalrous. Placing it back in my back holster, I returned to my beer as if nothing had happened, sort of the best way I could indicate that I hadn’t meant to use violence maliciously. Nonetheless, after a few minutes, I could hear a siren somewhere in the distance, and trading nods with my buck, placed a few bills on the table and pretended to head for the washroom with him, though we actually took the back way out of the place discretely, squatting in the alley until the police showed up and parked in front of the main entrance. As soon as the two law enforcement professionals were inside, we made a break for it down a few blocks until we stopped to catch our breaths.

For a second, I thought that someone with a weak stomach who had seen me cap the drunk at the bar had somehow managed to find us by some backwards twist in string theory, but as soon as we heard the muffled scream across the street, we saw a bandicoot grappled by another figure behind him, and two others talking together, though their attention was most definitely centered on their captive. Tracks rolled his ears as we walked over and almost in unison, kicked in the back of the pair’s knees and with them on the ground, just started putting the boot to them until their other bud decided that whatever they were going to do to the bandicoot just wasn’t worth his health, releasing him before running like a creature possessed. As soon as the smaller soul had been let go and gathered his spirits, he came over and gave his share of kicks into his fallen attackers, cursing at them in good Aussie drawl. I gave the word to quit it after a few good whacks, deciding that any more would sort of be excessive punishment for their sins, then addressed the bandicoot with a friendly face.

-Good evening bro, I called to him. What the heck was this about?
-Them bastards just pop up all agro and bam! Up go the dukes and we’re in a barney!
-So just like that, they try and beat your head in?
-Beg yours? Would you be saying that I’d be enough of a drongo to be going out at night looking for bunyips to kick my arse?
-Easy on, I cautioned, we’re all cool here. Are you all right, first of all?
-Sure, I’m good. Not to sound like a wuss, but we might be wise to get some acreage between us and these two blokes here.
-Let’s get going then. I’m Jumpy and this is Tracks, by the way.
-Rowan, glad to meet you. You two wouldn’t be faggots, would you?
-We’re gay, yes, frowned my deer. Is that a problem?
-No, no worries! I’m sort of a dick handler myself, so hey, we’re all even here.
-Dick handler?
-I’m sort of that way too, smirked the bandicoot. I hope it’s no big shocker to you?
-Hey, more power to you, we’re all good under the rainbow, corrected Tracks. You have a place?
-Yeah, but I’m sort a ways off from where I call home. See, I’m from the Queensland, and I just sort of backpacked it here for a bit to see if I might find some more clients. I deal in gems over there, buying whatever extras companies don’t want or whatever blokes noodle in the opal dunes. I figure I might go find a place to stay for the night and get this trash off my mind.
-We have a hotel room, if you want a couch for the night, I offered. It’s better then asphalt, and it might save you a bit of looking!
-Mighty kind of you! I’m right behind you, if you don’t mind the company.
-Sure don’t, Tracks replied as he gave Rowan a slap on the back. Bring on that snorkel and we’ll get us some zeds.

Seeing as how we had a guest with us, we didn’t waste too much time to hoof it back to our temporary quarters, though the bandicoot looked sort of shy to be intruding as he lay out on the sofa. I changed into something more comfortable with Tracks, though before I turned out the lights, Rowan gave a small cough and sort of added something to his biography we didn’t quite expect.

-Sorry again, but I feel sort of bad not telling you something. You see, I sort of carked a guy last week after he tried to stick me up for some stones. Since then, things have gotten plenty more complicated for me, and sort of the reason why I’m stuck here for a bit.
-Carked? Sorry, I muttered, but...
-Goddamn, I put him out with a pocket knife, he grumbled. It was self-defense, all right? I mean I didn’t really have a choice or anything! I can’t live off kind words, and...
-Don’t worry, it’s all right, insisted Tracks. Jumpy is the point man for a mafia Family, and I’m their lead enforcer. We know what it feels like; we’ve both been through it.
-Wha? You mean you’re both mobsters? Bloody hell, this is odd!
-Story of our lives, I grinned. Come on over and tell us about it, Row.
-Well you see, I was delivering a bunch of bags to a jeweler that I normally deal with and just like tonight, some crazy comes over and tries to rustle my suitcase off me, but heck, I’m cuffed to it. Just good procedure, but still, he was trying to tear it off my arm, screaming like nuts. I pulled my dag out and swiped at him until he screwed off, but I sort of went a bit far.
-That happens, I reassured, don’t worry about it too much. I mean heck, when we started, both of us had a few rough missions that sort of went that way.
-Sure, sure, but you two probably do this as a living! I’m just a Joe Bloggs here, so it’s a real freaking shock. I don’t really want to think that this is too normal, you know? Still, I guess that it’s good to know some people can understand without calling the cops.
-Aw, come over here, called Tracks as he wrapped an arm around Rowan and gave him a good shake and giggle. Loosen up! Get comfy! You’re tight as a rubber ball there!
-Sorry, I’m just a bit dazed here with everything. Do you mind if I take my shirt off?
-I’m not wearing any pants, smirked my deer.
-Nor am I, I seconded as I threw the cover off and shook my hips a bit.
-Right-o, laughed Rowan as he stripped off to his tee and undies. Shoot, I don’t look too hot with you two fine fellows there, do I?
-Once again, we go back to the fact we need to be this or better, I shrugged. Aw shit, I’m feeling extra-gay tonight. How about we just go real casual?
-I’m up for it, waved Tracks. How about you, Rowan? Off with it?
-Oh yeah, laughed the bandicoot as he threw off his briefs. Holy mac, you’re one heck of a giant, Tracks!
-I get that all the time...

We ended up turning our room into an Olympic gymnastics stage, the three of us probably adding a few chapters to the Karma Sutra for homosexuals until we ran out of every sort of lube and condoms that we’d picked up in Beijing before taking the plane, a foresight that we couldn’t stop congratulating ourselves for having taken into consideration. After the epic event, the three of us basically went into catatonic slumber, only interrupted by the sounds of people in the hall midmorning the next day. Rowan looked completely blasted as he went to clean up, though he really looked a lot better then the ball of nerves we’d picked off the street. He called to us as we were under the water that he knew a place to go for a bite if we were willing to walk a while, nothing that we felt was unsuitable, especially considering the knots we had in our back from sleeping in pretty darn odd ways, not to mention certain other ails that I’ll forgo describing. The restaurant was a few blocks from where his favorite fence had his shop, and apparently had a version of the old classic pie floater, except with spiced baked beans and poached eggs which, from the bandicoot’s words, seemed like something God had spent the evening of his day off during Genesis to put together.

The place was a pretty strange-looking thing, with decor from every genre that had come and gone from fashion though the last thirty years strewn about, though there were enough customers to tell us that it wasn’t anything that they cared about as much as the scores of “floating hens”, as the chalkboard aside the entrance called them, that everyone had come for. The attendant seemed to know Rowan from his visits in town, and as soon as he long-nosed creature had signed to him, we were looking down at really huge plates of the food, almost soup-like in consistence, but with an aroma that by itself backed up the mythical accounts we’d been given. As soon as we tucked into it, a feral cat came and shook Rowan’s paw, quickly presented to us by our friend.

-Tracks, Jumpy, this is Bongo. Bongo, these are new friends of mine.
-G’day, saluted the cat as he squished the bandicoot to sit aside him on the bunk. I’m this bloke’s storefront man. I figures youse into stones too?
-Partly, that and some other stuff too. Business is good to you, Bongo?
-Acid! Just been on a good wicket for the last bit or so. Since Rowan here sells me a bunch of stuff at great prices and everything and I’m pretty much gun at putting jewels on people in exchange for a good few quid, I’ve got nothing to winge about.
-Do you have a source for rubies or diamonds too?
-Eh, not quite so cheap, cringed the cat. I’m afraid folks who dig those up are pretty careful that they don’t drop any and peddle them for a pretty penny. Why?
-We have a few sources for uncut pieces, if you like, voiced Tracks as he took a card out of his wallet and passed it to Bongo. Just tell they that the Broncos sent you over, they’ll go easy on the questions. We’ve been dealing with them for a while now and they’re pretty fair with everyone.
-Cheers, thanks! I wish we were tit for tat, but I don’t see what we could offer back other then a few rocks of ours if you’re into that for yourself or your Sheilas.
-This is my Sheila right here, Tracks said as he gave me a cuddle.
-Oy, Rowan, you always find other ladyboys, ‘cootie! I figures it’s a change from back at the shack you call home, though.
-Hey, it’s not much but it’s a place to park my ass, shrugged the bandicoot.
-How does it look, I asked, apart from your cat’s critic there?
-It’s an opal mine that hit nothing but dirt for too long, and the blokes who had it called it quits and made tracks, no pun intended towards the fellow there. It’s bigger then anything I need and because it’s so deep, it’s always cool, which is saying a lot out there in the bush. If it wasn’t for the ghoulies in there sometimes, it would be just a beaut to call home.
-Ghoulies? Not spirits and that sort of thing?
-The very damn things, sneered Rowan. Oh you know, there’s a lot of superstition to go around about all sorts of monsters and stuff thereabouts, and I’m not shocked to have to deal with my share of them.
-Sounds like you’re used to it, said Tracks.
-If it wasn’t for the fact that there’s another hole just a piss away from where I am still sort of good for a few nice chunks that’s just teeming with them, I guess I wouldn’t spaz out. It’s just a bloody shame that they couldn’t just come in when the pit was stripped or something, just hold off a bit.
-I guess it’s rare as pope shit that you get to find a treasure like that just left behind, nodded Bongo.
-Left behind? Nah mate, the last bloke who still swung a pick around in there turned up dead as a doorknob soon enough, but what was really off was the way that I found him. You see, he was just cold as...
-Ice, I called out as I saw the artic fox coming into the restaurant.
-Pardon? You’re right, babbled the bandicoot, but...
-Not, that’s an old friend of ours, I insisted as the albino vulpine came over and pulled up a chair. Ice old man, I’d ask how you managed to find us, but I think that it’s not a big mystery.
-Ah well, China had it’s fun, but I felt like I had a better place to be. Would you believe me if I said that I’ve never been in Oz?
-Looking like that, you’ll be sweating off pounds in no time, poked our cat. I’m Bongo and this is Rowan.
-We’re sort of gemologists, the latter stated as he shook Ice’s paw. How about you?
-Wandering psychic, medium and all-around spiritualist. I know that it sounds like insanity, but I’m sure that your father would have approved. I know that he always liked to watch the sky at night and wonder if he’d ever see what’s up there when he passed on...
-Barmy! I figure that I couldn’t say you’re a charlatan after that! So you’ve seen plenty of spooky stuff in your lifetime then. That’s rather interesting.
-Acid, nodded the wild cat. So you figure that you’d be able to give us a paw with our little problem? We’d make it worth your while if you do, don’t fret about that!
-Oh, that would be very nice of you, smiled the albino vulpine. I don’t really do this for money, but it’s always nice to feel appreciated.
-So, I started,  you didn’t feel at home anymore with the Tao Ch'iin Sa?
-Well, I thought that they’d warm up to me eventually, but they stayed really stoic all the time. I tell you, that picture of the wise old mage with the immobile straight face is far from what I am, and I after I figured out that other then our good drake Eclipse, there wasn’t anything else to find, I started to get itchy paws again.
-Mate, shot Rowan, did you just say drake, as in dragon? You’re pulling my nose, are you?
-Now I am, Tracks laughed as he reached over and wiggled the bandicoot’s muzzle. No, we have our own drake back in Miami. Here’s a picture of him, there.
-Oh nice, nodded the creature as he looked at the snapshot that the deer had in his wallet.
-Aciiid, yowled Bongo. Man, I’m all worked up to go out and get this done, Rowan! I’m all good with going off for a bit, so if youse don’t have anything on your agendas, we could jump in my tank and pay it a visit.
-What do you say sweetheart, I toyed as I pinched Track’s chin, you want to take a ride with these fish characters?
-I think we’re safe enough, smirked the deer. Before we go though, you have to try one of these floater thingies here, Ice...

After we’d hung around shoving coffee down out muzzles while Ice talked about his life and times between bites of his floating hen, though he eventually finished every last bean on the plate and swiping up the bean grease with a slice of bread. With the fox giving a long coo and chirp as he rubbed his still pretty thin stomach, we paid the bill and jumped the place. The temperature seemed to have gone up at least a good ten degrees since we’d walked into the restaurant, not that it had been that cool when we’d gone in earlier, and I could feel sweat just bead all over as we walked across the street to Bongo’s ‘tank’. Well, granted that it was a big whale of a Buick, it looked like it had been driven through a few flavors of Hell before he’d parked it, and all over the rough-looking vehicle, a thick cake of mud had formed, giving it an even more bulky and unwieldy appearance, albeit probably hiding further traces of it’s troubled existence. The wild cat didn’t seem to mind it’s backwater charm, instead pressing us to dive right into the seats, himself not even troubling himself with opening the door as he vaulted right over the side to land in his place. There was more then enough elbowroom for everyone as he started it up and did a low-lock burner out of the spot to get us going in the right direction. Sydney was a big city, but with Bongo’s agile driving (not to say about as objectionable as mine) we were into open roads soon enough.

I understood how he’d managed to beat up his ride as we took a series of ‘shortcuts’, or rather drove off road for prolonged distances now and there to save a bit of time, or so the feline claimed. Heartfelt accusations of trying to kill us from Rowan’s part didn’t do anything but get Bongo laughing and push the pedal down a few more notches. Regardless of our doubts, the cat got us to our destination after a few hours of thrills in the boonies and wilds of Oz. I had to confess my feelings to Tracks at least as we pulled in front of the tiny ghost town that Rowan had gone on about.

-Whew, maybe it looks a bit crazy, but this is a lot of space for a guy, I commented as we strode past the mine elevator.
-Not that you could use all of it, replied the bandicoot. Those were the offices over there, but you can see only the first floor is good since the roof is gone now, and the only other good place if that warehouse. Could be a decent machine depot, I figure. The shaft is right under us, about four stories down.
-Does it branch out a lot, I asked, or did it follow the vein?
-There’s a lot of exploratory tunnel work, especially over there, about two hundred meters out.
-And the section over here is caved in, pointed Ice with his odd tone of possession. Fourteen were buried there, though only two were granted the immediate release of death and the others passed as the air around them became foul.
-Oy, so those are the spooks we have here?
-Them and more, including the one responsible for their deaths as he ran rather then assist them, as well as local spirits, of a pair of Aboriginals who tried to stop the digging from starting. You’ll ask why, and I’ll tell you that it was to protect a few burial sites over by where the offices are locate. I suspect that you wouldn’t rest there all that quietly, Rowan.
-So all and all, there’s a lot of work to do before this cozy hole become a safe place for mortals to trend, I stated.
-It’s safe now, strictly speaking, at least for those who are aware of the perils of the afterlife, smirked the fox. Bah, that’s semantic. Before we contemplate this project any further though, we might want to talk to others who might have some interest in it.
-As in whom, questioned Bongo, who else but us might bother with this?
-Perhaps the likes of these good folk, offered Rowan as a trio of Aborigine-looking fellows came closer after having abandoned their vantage point aside the mineshaft. G’day youse there!
-Hello, returned one of the newcomers. Do you intend to dig here? This place is both haunted and sacred ground, in case you weren’t aware.
-Well, the first we’re here to look into and take care of, Tracks voiced. As for the second, we just learned about from our good friend here. He’s an excellent seer, and much more.
-Fascinating, hummed the tallest of the Aboriginal red ‘roos, a much more emaciated  specimen then me. Then I’m certain that you can understand our concerns, if you have a heart for the sake of our traditions and beliefs.
-We certainly do, I insisted. You have our assurances that we wouldn’t do anything to further disturb these burials and if you would allow, we would even clear that which was built as to encroach on them.
-Long ago, when others came to colonize this dry country, if only more like yourselves might have been of their numbers, history would remember that epoch more fondly, I’m sure. Would you mind at all if we stayed here for a while longer? Our village is far enough that we would probably not make it by nightfall at this point in time.
-Oh, feel free to get all homey, waved Rowan. You come here often?
-Seldom, commented the tall ‘roo. We’re not masters of this place either, even if I’m quite a skilled shaman myself. I’m Adoni, and these and my apprentices and sons, Maka and Miki.
-Nice to see in runs in the family, Ice grinned. I’m Ice, and this is Rowan, Bongo, Jumpy and Tracks.
-You’ve quite the mage, Adoni muttered as he shook the fox’s paw. It’s a pleasure to meet one so deeply rooted in the art!
-You’re the dedicated creature yourself, very commendable, the vulpine nodded. Now as to our task here, I tend to work in the hours of night, when those things beyond beckon louder into this world. Until then...
-We can all crash at my pad, about five ks that way, called Rowan. I’ll show you that Bongo misjudged it!

The exploitation site that the bandicoot called home was as almost precisely a scaled-down replica of the previous, though looked a lot better with the care and attention he paid to it. His living quarters and the rest was in the office as well, but a rather then the remains of the second floor to serve as a barrier against the elements, Rowan had a proper steel shingle roof overhanging aside the building to serve as a shaded patio. There wasn’t a lock anywhere, but he laughed as Tracks indicated it to him.
-Well these good bush people aren’t thieves and the only other person to know about here is Bongo, so if anything goes missing, I’d know whose door to bash down and get it back.
-Ha, but you know what troppo cats do with annoying bandicoots that kick in their doors, laughed the feline as he pick Rowan off his paws and threw him across the room onto his sofa.
-And his landing’s good, returned the bandicoot as he sat up on the couch. Youse find a seat and get on down now. There are a few stubbies in the fridge, if you want to grab one.
-I never turn one down after a long road, I commented as I opened the icebox and took two bottles, one for me and another for Tracks. You up for a cold one, Ice?
-Throw it over, called the fox as I tossed it to him. Ah, cool to the touch... how about you, Adoni?
-Oh, I never touch that, waved the skinny ‘roo. I don’t really have any resistance to it, but if my sons will be having some, I might as well not be a complainer. Tops up!

The legion of longnecks waiting for consumption in Rowan’s stock was such that even after a solid hour of just as solid drinking, we were all in a pretty good mood and though we had a bunch of empties stacked aside the sofa, we could hardly tell we’d made any withdrawals from the bandicoot’s beer bank. Maka was totally out of it though, hunched over near against the nearest wall, almost passed out, and Miki was right behind him. Adoni had really opened up after his first bottle, and with a few swears, had forgone his shirt, complaining that it was too hot to be wearing one. The bandicoot didn’t say anything, simply looking the native over with a discrete grin, especially around his waist, not to say lower then that, as if sizing up an eventual challenge.

Ice had come to sit with Tracks and me, letting his robes hang open while he talked away about how he liked hanging with folks who knew how to have a good time for a change. I had enough booze on the brain that when I had had enough of his chirping, I just reached over at the same time as my deer and we pinched his nipples hard, getting a sharp note and laugh from the fox before he got in the same state as Adoni and started whacking us with his tail. Sort of getting my fill of it, I stood up and whopped him back into his seat with mine, which was plenty more muscular and heavy then his bushy thing, so once it made contact, he slammed into Tracks, who took him in a double chickenwing lock right before I sat in front of the two and starting tickling the vulpine into submission. Eventually I just gave up and hugged both of them at once, signaling Tracks to break his lock so we could just cuddle.

Time really passed by fast with the madhouse and tavern we’d make Rowan’s residence to be, and by the time we came out of our collective buzz, it was nice and dark out, not that Bongo seemed to mind as he ranted about being able to find his way all the way to Canberra any moonless night without missing a beat. We got back into the piece of metal that he called a car and made off for the mine, most of us sort of leaning together to stay upright, though it sure wasn’t a pretty sight to be hold with our two young Aboriginals hanging over the side of the thing and occasionally retching over on the ground. Thankfully the cat was driving so fast that they didn’t manage to paint the side of the tank, but still, Adoni had a slightly embarrassed air to him through the drunken stupor he was sort of crawling out of bit by bit. As we hit the haunted mine, the posse had returned to some level of functionality, and got out of the vehicle with their pride patched up and ready for whatever we’d face there. Such was our optimistic outlook, anyway.

There were already noises coming from most direction around us, all of them pretty regular for the most part, and Ice’s face had changed into the blank, almost caricatured expression of a medium as he started getting attuned to those we’d be interacting with. His first news weren’t too encouraging, though.

-It would seem that some time ago, a few weeks past, others came and tried to clear this place of spirits, stated the vulpine. However, they tried to do so more forcibly, using the classic Christian methods of exorcism and the like. They failed to do anything but make the energies here distrustful, though only a few are actually reluctant to manifest themselves. I’m in contact with a miner who was caught in the cave-in right now, who’s telling me that other then the one who’s responsible for the incident, there are no hostile energies for us to worry about.
-Can you single out that one?
-Of course, Ice slowly nodded. As many who have committed actions the likes of those he did, he fears retribution from God’s tribunal, and hence refuses to cross over categorically. I’m trying to attract another entity to come bring him over...
-Wow, exclaimed Bongo as a bright flash of light nearly blinded all of us for over a second. What the...
-That was a messenger of the heavens, grinned the fox. This wicked soul is gone now. The miners wanted for him to be brought to justice, so I’m trying to convince them that he will meet his righteous punishment for his sin. They’re fading now.
-So now who’s left, asked Rowan, minus those?
-They’ll return in vigilant visitation, I suspect, but as for permanent energies here, the only of great import are the locals who were murdered here, though they wish to stay and watch over the tombs of their brethren. I don’t suspect you’d have any objection to that, Rowan?
-None at all, if they’re friendly and all.
-You will only feel reassuring presences when they are manifesting, and they promise not to scare you in any way. If you should see something like a will-o’-the-wisp around outside, that will be the most they will show unless they need otherwise. Now, I think that this place should be a very fine place to work, and I thank all the energies here for having been of such a cooperative demeanor.
-All right, acid, grinned Bongo. So what, we pull up the stumps and head back to the bandicoot’s?
-If you want, our village is about an hour in that direction by car, pointed Adoni. It depends if you have enough gas, of course.
-Oy, I have two more tanks in the back just in case, and I had a bigger one replace the original one too. I can make it to the north coast right now if I needed to. Hop on it, all youse!

The red ‘roos seemed pretty darn happy to be getting home, not that they’d felt unwelcome with us, but there is something to be said of getting home safe and dry. Either they’d slightly overstated this distance or our feral cat had been nailing the accelerator to the floor, but either way or a combination thereof had us barrel into an agglomeration of residences aside a large oasis, most of them trailer homes which had been set up to be sitting down for a very long time. Adoni got out first as we parked it aside one of the homes, from which came a very beautiful member of his same species and genus, looking about the same age as him. After having given him a long hug, she welcome all of us in, starting the introductions as she presented herself.

-I’m Arinya, said the flyer. You’re not a red, are you?
-Western gray, I corrected as I shook her hand, I’m one of the little guys. Name’s Vincent, just everyone back home calls me Jumpy.
-I think you’ll have trouble keeping the reason for that nickname exclusive to you here, laughed the woman.
-Probably better stick with the real name, Vince, Tracks said as he slapped my back. I’m Tracks, this is Ice, and these are our bros here, Bongo and Rowan.
-We have enough room here for a few people, but since our neighbors are out in the city for the week, I think that it might be more comfortable if some of you squatted their place, said Adoni.
-Tracks, Bongo, you can stay here if you like, we’ll take the other place, I offered. Get your sleep, buck boy.
-Ha, will do, chuckled my deer as I left with the other two.

Ice didn’t seem to mind getting shipped around too much, and even as I asked him, all he replied was a quiet smile, as if he knew that I already suspected that I wouldn’t hear any complaint out of him. Bongo didn’t need much of anything to get to sleep, wrapping himself up in a cover on the bed and going out like a light. Having taken the largest sleeping accommodation for himself sort of forced any decision Ice and I could have made to be swayed towards accepting the sofa as our bunk for the night, but I tried to make as much room for him as possible. For our sleepwear, I just took off my shirt, though the fox seemed to have the funny habit of sleeping in his underwear with his robes wrapped around him like a sausage. As I was retracting my legs towards me to give him more space, he put a paw on my leg and shook his head as if to say that it was fine and I didn’t need to bother myself any more then I already had.

-You’re really an incredibly kind creature, Vincent, said Ice. I know that coming back here in this land has been hard for you, and if there’s anything I can do to make it easier for you to face that which disturbs your inner peace, just tell me.
-Thanks Ice, you’re a sweet fox, I replied as I took his forearm and gripped it before slipping my palm in his. I think about when I was back here sometimes, but it just feels worst the ever now that I actually have this old soil under my paws.
-What about it makes you feel like that, hummed the vulpine as he sat up and pulled me up straight as to be sitting facing each other in sort of fetal position, the loss of your parents?
-That and what happened afterwards, I nodded as I tried to look away from Ice’s gaze, though his pale eyes were impossible to part with. I suppose you already know what I mean by that, don’t you?
-Tell me about it, shrugged the fox, I can always be wrong. I’d rather hear it from you, anyway.
-You must be tired enough as it is, keeping you up with some sob story isn’t doing you right, Ice. Close those peepers, already.
-Nope, he grinned as he started playing with my feet’s claws.
-All right, then...

I gave my life’s story to the pale-furred creature, who didn’t seem to be bored from it even when I knew that I was trailing off-subject a bit too much on some tangent. He seemed more and more kind to me as I went on, holding my hand or foot whenever he thought I needed the comfort and most of the time, he was very right. After I finished, he picked up about how my mother and father were in the great expanse that most people call heaven or it’s equivalent, and that I had great inner strength and a good spirit that would see me right throughout my life and beyond. As easily as I could have waved the comments off as superstition or nice lies to tell me, I knew Ice enough to know that he never kidded when it came to these things and took it to heart. After having delivered his last oration and letting it sink in, he looked across to me with brighter eyes and opened his arms and whispered ‘hug the fuzzy medium’. I smiled and giggled as I leaned over and wrapped my arms around him under his robe and cuddled against the soft fox, who chuckled in return as he caressed my shoulders and back.

-You know, I always feel for you when I think about your situation too, Ice, I stated.
-I hardly even think about it anymore, he said as he ran the back of his palm against the side of my face, seeing as how I’m always with such good company.
-But how about love? I don’t mean to press the matter, but...
-I have about the same aspirations towards that as I have with regards to wealth. I take what I can get, whenever the occasion presents itself.
-So back in China with your fun-loving monks...
-The occasion certainly didn’t present itself often at all, Ice said as he rolled his eyes. What a bunch of sticks in the mud, I tell you... what are you doing?
-Presenting an occasion, I muttered as I pulled down my pants and worked up my cock half-hard. Up for it, foxy?
-I don’t have sex with big, strong guys like you on any regular basis, he moaned as he pulled off his briefs. Can...
-Say it, I said as if teasing him the same way he had me.
-Can I fuck you first, completed Ice. I’m just really hard right now, and man, you’re beautiful.
-You mean this is beautiful, I kidded as I pulled up my scrotum and opened my legs to show my ass. Come on over here, stranger.
-Oh man, muttered Ice as I sucked on him a bit before letting him penetrate me. Oh this is good...
-Damn straight it is, I grunted as he thrust around. Slow down, enjoy it, foxy...

The vulpine went at it for a good long while as we kissed and huddled together, coming with a sigh and almost fainting on me. I thought about asking him to return the good love, but looking down at the good man with his air of bliss, I didn’t think it was really necessary. After all, I’d had a pretty good time with Tracks back in China, so I could say that my dance card had enough marks that going after him for more wasn’t really something I was dying to do. I just held him and let my fingers comb through his fur, getting a few deaf chirps from him until I just threw a cover I’d scavenged from the bedroom over us and let the night take us under.

We woke up pretty late as compared to the rough and tumble sleepless nights he’d had to put ourselves through to get Yiang’s people back on their feet just days ago. I guess we needed the rest, and seeing as how Bongo and Rowan didn’t exactly have the spryest constitution, they could have stayed in even later if we hadn’t intervened. The feral cat had been snoring loudly through the night, probably a combination of the position he’d fallen asleep in and the booze that had polluted him, so as soon as Ice had gotten off me, I decided that it was the right time to introduce the feline to the love of his fellow man. 

Striding over, I slowly pulled the covers off him and with the same dexterity that I’d use to disarm a mine, undid his pants and pulled down his fly, suppressing a laugh as I saw that he didn’t sport any underwear. I pulled my briefs down and mounted him as to dangle my bits over his face, then reached into his pants and pushed back his sheath to get his dick out enough I could suck on it. I heard a mumble as he came about, then a short, sharp yowl as he realized what he was looking at. From my professional work, I had the experience to pin his arms down with my legs in the position I was in, so he didn’t really have a long list of options. As the shock was wearing off, he was already in as full an erection as he could get and getting warmer with each movement I made, and his mood was changing from stunned to pretty hungry for the sensations he was a party to.

It was almost cute to see him move his muzzle closer to my cock a few times before finally daring to kiss it, lick it a few times, and in a final push, put it in his maw to give me a sloppy blow. An amateur’s, but still, who was I to complain? He got juicy pretty quick, though he stayed hard as a iron rod as long as it took for me to get going as well, this time really taking him off guard. Losing grip of my penis, I shot off in his face, getting a few swears out of him until he burst in laughter and requested to get up so he could get the mess of his muzzle. I let him get up, but we all hurried into the dry washroom to grope like nuts (and our nuts, of course) until we had more then enough arousal to last us a while and left our improvised hostel to rejoin the rest of the guys outside.

There was something of a breakfast being served by some of the villagers, probably their usual fare, and at Adoni’s insistence, we joined him and his family as we formed a single file to get our dose of the local delicacies. For seating, we ended up back in the shade of his home were dug into the delicious stuff. While we were at it, I pitched my ideas with everyone in attendance, especially our Aussies.

-I’ve just been thinking like this, I started, this mine is pretty a remote and safe place to be now that all’s said and done.
-I suppose it’s all that and a bag of chips, grinned Bongo. What’s your big idea with that?
-To really get some money rolling, if would nice if you find some more places long the vein and work them all at once, then use that larger one as a depot for everything. Think of the hauls you’d have with that sort of an operation! Then with that cash, you could move into real estate and stuff to really kick up the flow a few notches.
-All right, I bite, smirked Rowan, but where do you suggest we get the manpower to do this?
-You have something with your eyesight, chuckled Adoni, or is this village really hard for you to see?
-Oh, sorry, cut the bandicoot, I just didn’t want to come across like we wanted to just come in and...
-Hey, it would be nice, if you offer fare wages, corrected the red ‘roo.
-I wouldn’t offer anything else then that, at the very least! So if we started, how many people do you think would be free to join us?
-At least fifty, but the distance is something to consider unless you intend to buy more of those mechanical beasts of burden to shuttle them.
-Well, if the haul from the other mines would be carried to the new one for processing and stuff, that would imply some to fulfill that duty anyway, so to set up another route to pass by here isn’t a big deal.
-Then maybe we should start getting the word out today and recruit, said Adoni.

“Getting the word out” was a pretty simple process, comprising of basically telling any passers-by about possible work and telling them to continue to spread the news by contact with whoever they’d meet during the day. While the PSA was going around, we got down to the grit of setting up the system. Tracks and I didn’t have Ulrich’s expertise, to be very honest, but we’d been in and around his business long enough to acquire a certain basis that along with Bongo’s scheming mind and own brand of economics, we put to good use and put together what appeared like a solid plan to follow, albeit requiring for a few things to go right for it to work. The greatest pair of gambles were that it needed an investment from the feral cat to get the gear to start digging up our gems, and for the first haul of those to be considerable enough to cover wages or startup cost.

Furthermore, probably the only problem we could run into was the fact that we were working off Rowan’s prospecting permit, which by bringing a beast like this to life, we were stretching thin. Given that we’d acted without governmental or police cooperation and neutrality when we were in China, we had been operating covertly while this was pretty open. All I could say when the bandicoot brought up the point was that we might be able to pay off officials if required, or negotiate something if we got in trouble. Until we were sure how well the deal could go, going out and taking care of licenses was out of the question, on the account that the price of the title was way too rich for us, running up to five million in Rowan’s opinion and in addition to that, a section of our exploitation was on the Aboriginal land. It wasn’t a problem to Adoni and his group, but according to the bandicoot, it was a huge no-no.

With the promise of pay and gossip having worked its magic, we had half the staff we’d need for the mines passing by and ‘signing up’, at least symbolically, and right about the same number voicing their interest but wanted to wait and see how things went before getting their tails on the gravy train. Enthralled with the way things were evolving, Rowan took Bongo’s ride and headed to a mercantile further into the territory to get all the hardware we required, armed with his credit card and a promise from the cat to spot him the cash if he run up about to pay it back at the end of the month.

For the moment, we were content with hanging out in the village and getting into the best of the place. If was funny to realize that even if I was the point of the group, de facto, I was the second shortest, only with pride of place going to Ice, standing maybe four inches smaller then me. I had an almost telepathic bond with Tracks, the product of having spent so long with the deer, but the fox read everyone like open books, probably by some fest of a psychic nature much like most of what he pulled from. As such, the moment I turned to glance at him to check my observation, he grinned, ducked down a bit and asked if I felt any taller. Realizing what we’d been talking about, our deer reached over and hugged Ice between us, making him almost vanish from sight other then his robe’s flaring sides.

-You know Ice, we’re really going to try and convince you to stay with us for a while after this, Tracks stated.
-I haven’t stayed put anywhere for a long time, shrugged the pale fox, but I suppose I could call Miami house a while. Consider me convinced!
-Really? That didn’t take too much, I laughed.
-Well, I’m tired, sighed Ice, I mean, I’m in my mid thirties here, thirty-four to be exact, and I’ve spent twenty on the road. I don’t regret it, but it’s about time I found somewhere to lay my head. I mean I know that I’ll be on my own and all, but Miami sounds like a nice place.
-On your own? But I don’t think that...
-Jumpy, I’m sterile, chirped Ice. It doesn’t make a great pickup line, long-standing personal experience talking here, it really doesn’t get you much company.
-But just to make sure, said Tracks, you’re bisexual, right?
-Yes, but I don’t quite see where this is leading.
-Right here, I hummed as the deer and I took his hands from opposite sides.
-There’s always been room in our hearts, Ice. Ulrich, Jesse, they all had and still have a special relationship with us, sort of our third side of the prism.
-We’d love to be with you two like that, foxy, I nodded, if you want to open yourself to us.
-You two are sweet, smiled the fox, I couldn’t resist two good men with your generous hearts. Sorry if this makes you a bit uncomfortable, Bongo.
-Nah make, it’s acid. Actually, I was thinking that maybe it would be time I talked to Rowan about something more precious then opals, if you get it.
-Love’s contagious, Ice giggled as he leaned his head against Tracks.
-Hey, there comes our bandicoot bush boy, Bongo called. Hey Rowan, didn’t hit any trees with my tank?
-Probably less then you ever did in a outing, replied the long-nosed creature. I got all the basics and then some, including bedrolls for youse while we’re out here.
-Acid, mouthed the cat.
-Yeah, but don’t party just yet, I’ve got some bad news too. We’ve got a week before the department of natural resources comes and starts flying geodesic recon around here for about a month. Most of the noodlers around here took off for greener pastures, but in our case, either we postpone big time, or we’ll have to be smart about when we poke our muzzles out and stay nice and discrete.
-Shoot, this system is anything but discrete, commented Bongo. It’s because we were in the middle of nowhere that we were able to go ahead with this!
-Then we have to come up with a way to pre-empt our discovery, I concluded. If we work something out with them, then we might even be spared the problem of a certain exploitation fee that by keeping on the down low, we’re trying to avoid.
-About as crazy an idea as a certain panther we know, Tracks laughed as he rubbed my shoulder. So who desk do we sit on, ‘roo?
-Well, whoever is responsible for those flights, obviously. As to how to find that out, I suppose that we can just call and ask.
-I’ll take care of that, nodded Rowan. I dealt with those folks when I got my license and it’ll look routine for a prospector to ask about geophysical information.
-How true, Adoni seconded, but in the meantime, do we still stand by our start date?
-No reason to delay, I waved. I know it sounds overconfident, but there’s no scenario where we’re unable to go ahead.
-You can’t argue with optimism like that, shrugged Bongo.

By the time that we’d figured out how we’d steer our ship, the people who’s jumped in with us from Adoni’s village had pretty much structured themselves out with representatives on a base five system. Figuring that it was a good idea to get them some training and experience on site, Bongo took two work groups worth of people as well as one of Adoni’s sons as a makeshift translator in case he ran into a language barrier, effectively ditching us again, albeit we didn’t mind the company we were stuck with. Our bandicoot buddy had finished his call on the satellite phone he’d jacked from his feline friend’s car minutes after the latter’s departure and smiled at Tracks and me as if we were to be very involved in whatever outcome the conversation had produced.

-So, I said with a shake of my head, any news, Row?
-Yep! I did the whole ‘are you going to do a sounding of any place this way’ thing and it’s confirmed, to start with, but the real shocker is where you two action heroes might step in. They tried to survey around here last year too, but someone or some people started shooting at their plane. Not only did they have to cancel the run, but they also hit the guy who was piloting it to the hospital. Thankfully, the instrument monkey had his pilot’s patent as well and was able to take over and get them home.
-Ouch!
-Net effect, they’re doing this run with very cold feet. So I was thinking like this...
-That in exchange for keeping their bird safe and sound as well as possibly find and heh... reprimand those who were responsible for their past problems, they could offer their blind eye towards our dealings.
-Something along those lines, winked Rowan. Interested, I assume?
-Rightfully so, Tracks continued.
-I thought I already knew you that well, the bandicoot grinned, so I told him that someone might be calling him back shortly. Here, who’s volunteering?
-I’ll bit the hook, I nodded as I took the telecommunication device from him. Here...
-Hello, said the voice at the other end, Marv Colbert. Is this Rowan’s friend?
-My reputation precedes me, and we certainly have something we might want to talk about. You see, my name is Jumpy, of the Miami Bronco clan...

Marv was pretty much the standard field-tech-turned-manager type, sort of longing for the days he was out and about rather then cooped up behind a desk and I didn’t have much trouble tuning my story to go along with those parameters. If anything, our exchange was a lot less formal and right to the point then the beautified and polished versions that we sometimes had to present to people to get them to understand our position and intentions. After my expose about our affiliation and what we could offer as to aid in his situation, Marv was all too happy to in turn state that he would be willing to play our game and strike up some sort of contract. My terms were pretty simple, comprising of titles in the area we were squatting, which from the understanding I got of Marv’s speech about mining regulations, was enough to cover what we were doing, in exchange for us policing the place during the flights and seeing to the punishment of any parties who were responsible for threatening them as we saw fit, though that last part was left verbal rather then written for obvious legal reasons.

My plan was simple, if a bit delicate. Tracks would fly in the plane with the pilot in lieu of it’s regular crew for a few trips, as he was a better shot then I could ever be even with a pocketful of miracles in my hands, armed with a hunting rifle that the department would supply, just a run-of-the-mill piece. If anyone started taking potshots at them, he’d call origin and direction to me, who would be in Bongo’s car with Rowan and him so we’d be able to take case of intercepting hostiles on the ground. If possible, we’d take prisoners to get the full story, but if not, at least there would be a few less of the buggers out in the bush. Marv liked the concept, giving me the time and place the plane was taking off from as well as a promise to get things started for our papers so as soon as we’d have upheld our bit, we’d get our fair compensation and we’d all be good and even.

Everything was pretty darn quiet for the three days following our contact with the geophysicists. The group moved into Rowan’s cabin, settling into something that we could be at ease with for a while, though I didn’t really see Tracks, Ice and I to be in the country more then another week, at best. After all, should we make contact with the hostiles who were at the root of our deal with Marv, it was likely to happen during the first few days of the flight runs, like the last time and with that done as well as the land legally secured for our friends, they just had to follow our business advice to make it as hoped, nothing that we needed to be around to oversee. Rowan knew the gem and mineral biz better then us, and there was nothing we could contribute when it came to large-scale real estate that a good broker couldn’t provide, probably with a quantity of expertise beyond our grasp.

To prepare for our surveillance and protection mission, we decided to start exploring the surrounding region to locate and obvious vantage points or caches that would be interesting to eventual opposition. On the fourth day, the five of us piled into our ride, departing at first light. The hard sun wouldn’t give us more then a few hours of decent temperature before it became simply unlivable and for three hours, we’d have to pause to wait out the heat. Since he’d decided to come back with us after the stay in Oz, Ice had taken a serious shine to Tracks and me, and we got along famously. As we passed by a dried creek we’d singled out as a good foxhole a shooter could use, his attention seemed elsewhere and he turned to scan around in a direction we couldn’t quite make out. Putting his paw on Bongo’s shoulder, he asked for us to take a detour to check out something he felt was out there. The feline was either too curious or had the natural trust we had in the vulpine’s instincts, but whichever the case, he nodded and veered us towards the heading that the fox gave. His finely-tuned senses took a while to be proven correct, just under half an hour, though in due time, we caught sight of a shape walking in the increasingly unbearably hot landscape. Ice insisted that we go see it closer, without contest from anyone, and in short order we slowed down to come side-by-side with a completely crazed-looking white ewe, as thin as the fox under her messy wool but wearing next to nothing save for a band of fabric about a hand wide tied across her chest and another length of the same textile roughly tucked around her in a miniskirt. The only baggage she had was a bundle she held over her shoulder, oddly enough, without trace of food or water with her.

She stopped at right about the same time as we did, then walked over to take a closer look at Ice, as if confirming something she was thinking about. Our fox simply smiled at her and opened the door aside him, squeezing against me to make room for her, then waved to signal Bongo to get back on track. There was an odd silence for a bit, as if everyone was wondering who our new passenger was and what possible relation Ice could have with her. He’d speak first, sort of answering our question, though as we’d pretty much expected, it wasn’t anything we could have heard from anyone but him.

-You’re lost, the fox stated as he reached across the ewe’s shoulder and hugged her against him. You have great energy and potential, but you have no idea what it is. You think you’re ma, and so did everyone you’ve known. Without an alternative, you decided to start walking until you understood what this all means. If you want, I can show you all about this gift, Claire, and help you start your way in this world. Do you want to come with us and do this?
-Yes, replied the sheep.
-Then I’ll be your mentor, gentle ewe. I’m Ice.
-I’m Jumpy, I said as I reached over and shook her hand. That’s Tracks, Bongo, Rowan and Adoni.
-I’m Claire, smiled the girl. Thanks for picked me up, I was... I’m still very confused about things and I didn’t know what else to do but just go.
-To have eyes in the world beyond without understanding what you see is a heavy load you will not need to worry about much longer, Adoni commented. You are in the company of others who have lived the same strange trials as you.
-Where are you from, asked Bongo, one of the villages?
-No, I’m from Melbourne. I left there and headed our here... I don’t know when anymore. I brought what I could with me, in a dress, but it got torn up in some bushes, then it became so hot that I changed it into this. I know it looks bad, but...
-The most important things is that you’re all right, I commented. There’s some water behind you and we have food back home. Bongo?
-Heading back, got it, the cat said with a thumbs-up.
-Oh, Ice stated, happy birthday, Claire. May the last fifteen years be but old memories very soon.
-Thanks, sighed the sheep as she fell asleep against him.

(Switch to Ice)

After a short stop at Adoni’s to drop him off and trade with one of the artisans for a few clothes for Claire, we arrived at the bandicoot’s encampment. I’d kept a separate room from Jumpy and Tracks even if they’d invited me to share theirs, principally because I needed time for myself to meditate and regain focus with me energies, which I was rather certain they’d have a hard time understanding. I’d had a feeling that I’d run into a soul like the ewe as well, ever since the séance at the haunted mine but it hadn’t been clear to me exactly when it would happen because of the fact that with so much conflict as Claire felt, her energies had remained dispersed and difficult to single out.

“She is weary and requires comfort”

I know, and I’ll take care of it. As the words of my guide echoed out of my mind, I led Claire  to my room, large enough to accommodate four people by it’s size, then while she sat down and made herself comfortable on the spare bedroll Bongo had passed me, I went out and god a pair of scissors, a comb and a mirror. As I returned, I advised Clair to go take a shower, who hopped to her hooves in a cute jump and headed into the washroom joined to our suite as soon as I’d closed the door. I took a moment to concentrate to learn more about her as she washed, seeing full well that she’d gotten into arguments with her parents since she was just a kid (literally), both of them telling her that she was normal and whenever she tried to explain to them what she experienced, was told to stop lying and making up fairytales. It was the typical youth of a skilled soul without guidance, but she’d felt more and more cut off from the world as she got older and two ago, or something in that range, she gave up and started off.

There had been an elevator leading to that though. She’d stopped school for a year as her teachers started feeling convinced that she was a lunatic. She’d spent her days in her room as she’d tried to come to terms with her thoughts, eventually refusing all care and good intentions out of spite for others lack of understanding. I’d had a few students, so I could call them, most of which like Katarina and Ivan I’d simply given a few lessons to help them along their already prospering path, but never one like Claire who’d had no aid whatsoever, a rough diamond that had remained lost so long.

The ewe got out of the shower wrapped in a towel, looking a lot better then when’d we’d picked her out of the bush. I pulled up a chair in a corner of the room and had her sit down while I gave her a haircut, shearing off a lot of her overgrown head of wool into a pretty good and rather cute form. I gave her the mirror so she could contemplate the product of my artistry herself, though I could see she stole as many glances at her arms’ equally messy and haphazard coat.

-Get up, please, I told Claire as I pulled the window’s curtains, took another chair and placed it an arm’s length from the other. Take off your towel.
-All right, the ewe said with a heavy blush to her face as she stood by naked waiting for my next request.
-Hold on to the chairs’ backs. Now, how long to you like it, I asked as I took a bunch of her wool from her stomach and indicated a length with the scissors, about there?
-A bit shorter, she corrected as I moved the blade. Yes, that’s good. It’s really hot out there, so I suppose that it should be a lot more bearable after this!
-Who cut it normally, your mother?
-Yeah, at the same time she did herself so she had enough to make a sock each time. Dad when to a salon, where they gave price cuts because he left them his wool after the trim. You’re rather pretty good, though.
-Thanks, I hummed as I finished her back and arms and moved to her chest. Here, I’ll give you a collar, but I’ll do the rest shorter. Do you want your nipples cleared?
-Mom says that... never mind, clear, please. Oh..!
-Pardon the handling, I said as I took her breasts and sheared around her tits and cut the coat under them short to make it cooler for her. There! Now, sorry for the reach, I’ll get the inner leg done quick.
-That tickles, giggled Claire as I finished her seat.
-Blame the scissors and not the hand that holds them, I joked while I took a few last snips at her shins. There, that ought to spare you some grief.
-Wow, look at all that, she laughed as I pushed together the pile of wool I’d cut off her. You know, Ice, for ewes, getting sheared is really an aphrodisiacal experience, mostly why we do it ourselves.
-Oh now, I whispered with a brush of my hand against her face, for a curly-coated cherub to be talking of such things.
-I won’t be long, she muttered with an even redder look as she headed for the washroom.
-Fine, I moaned as I reached under her arms and kneaded her breasts, but I’m completely sterile, if you want an alternative.
-Are you now? Well, smirked Claire as we slowly lay down on the bedrolls, I suppose that it might feel nice then hooves in there...

I mounted the ewe from the back as soon as I’d lost my pants seeing as how I’d pretty much worked myself into an appetite when cutting her wool, and as if a simple matter-of-fact action, grappled with her in the thralls of passion, making great love with her for as long as we hungered to. Our muzzles never parted from the moment we went down to when I left her, keeping our act silent though no less heart-racing and magical. As I’ll pulled out of her, I saw a bit of reddish color around her fruit and a nod from her was the only confirmation I needed to confirm I’d just taken her virginity. She quickly assured me that I shouldn’t burden myself with that detail, reached down to fondle me as we talked.

-It was wonderful, Ice, she whimpered as we hugged. You know, I actually can think a lot clearer now for some reason. It’s still blurry, but it’s better then before.
-We have plenty of work left to do, I smiled, but love often helps settle wild spirits. Now, sit in front of my and give me your hands. Let me explain what you’ve seen in this turbulent life of yours, Claire.

With our eyes locked together and our fingers interlocked, I talked on and on until I could almost share my words without the need for voice with the ewe. Though it looked as if she was in a trance, I could tell that I was communing with her very energy and the calmness of my own helped disentangle hers as she spoke, sort of communicating on two immutably distinct levels at once. Time wasn’t as clear a delimiter anymore during the conversation, but as we resurfaced, so to speak, complete darkness was all that could be seen outside. The peacefulness in the girl’s eyes was a good evaluation of the effect of our talk as if even though she didn’t yet grasp or control her potential, she was no longer conflicted by it’s existence and accepted it as part of her. With a wide smile, she stretched before rolling over to sleep on her stomach on the roll she’s been laying on, and after I put an arm over her to hug her in an non-intrusive way, we both went out like lights.

The next morning, I let the ewe get a few more winks while I took a long, hot shower, really feeling simply great from everything that had happened in the last hours of my life. Just as I would have guessed, with all we did on every level of reality together, I had become in tune with Claire and dreamt about her in a way I knew that the visions had been more biographical then simply pure fantasy. As I was rinsing off the last of the shampoo I’d worked into my tail, she popped her head through the shower curtain with a grin, then hopped in with me as her hooves make a dull clonk against the enamel. I would have given some rebuttal in other situations, but seeing what sort of a bond we were locked by and that well, at this point, I really felt more towards the girl then it was customary for a platonic relationship could admit, I simply reached over to take her by the waist and pulled her into a kiss under the falling water.

-Good morning, I said as I released her. I don’t know what lotion you usually use on that fluffy fleece of yours, but I have this one here that gives a nice shine for finer fur. I think it might work on you too, here...
-Nice, giggled Claire as I poured a bunch of it on her. I think you’ll be using all you got though, because we used to have bottles like this big for three people.
-Already put that in the past, have you?
-Locked and lost, nodded the ewe. As far as I’m concerned, at this point, you’re my family, foxy. Actually, would you really mind sort of adopting me, you know, for a long time?
-Seeing how things were for you before, it might be something to try and see how it goes. I’d be glad to stay with you, that’s for sure! I mean, it’s something to meet someone who likes to hear you’re sterile.
-That’s true though, hummed Claire, right? I’m sorry to hear it, but it’s just that otherwise, fact aside I was really horny and it was great, I’ll be running for some sort of pill after this.
-Don’t worry, it’s the honest truth, I smirked, my nuts are just decorative at best. I’m an albino and with that came the happy curse that I’ve never needed to wear a rubber.
-Wow, laughed the ewe. Sorry, sorry, Ice, I didn’t mean to laugh but...
-I wouldn’t have said it that way if I hadn’t been looking for a few chuckles, I smiled. Well, that’s it for your wool, girl. Ready to go and start the day?
-Sure. What did you have planned?
-For us to start your education in the world beyond, I stated. Ready to start seeing the world in another light?

We left the room to meet our bros in the mine’s old mess hall, which had remained in service in that capacity since Rowan had taken up quarters there. Jumpy had stayed in contact with Marv, our contractor at this point, and had some news for us from him as we ate breakfast.

-It looks like with us covering their butts, our friends have gotten a lot more confident. Marv told me that if we showed up at the airfield, the pilot and technician have authorization to go ahead with the runs. Tracks here is ready to get airborne, if you’re all in the psych to hunt us some marks.
-I remember a certain legend about reindeer who pull Santa’s sleigh, I prodded as I poked the cervidae in the ribs, but I suppose that you’ll need a plane, eh?
-Magic is your department, the deer grinned, so I’ll be using what mortals are bound to. So both of you soul pilots will be coming with?
-Well, it would be sort of boring to stay here by our lonesome, shrugged Claire.
-Yeah, I suppose so, seconded Jumpy, plus who knows, maybe we’ll see that head exploding thing again...
-Pardon, Bongo shot, did I miss something?
-You’ll see, I smiled, but get ready for one heck of a trip.
-What am I on already..?

Piled in the cat’s ride, we zoomed off to the coordinates that Marv had given us, in sight of the trading post that Rowan was used to dealing at. The geophysicist had done us right, and just as planned a sweet Cessna was parked at the end of the cleared strip aside the shack which served as anything from a control tower to a warehouse, along with fuel depot and anything else required for the good operation of the aircraft. As we rolled up, two men came out to meet us, flagging us down aside the shack, calling that the plane kicked up a lot of dust when they took off and it would be better if we didn’t leave our wheels in the cloud. Following their recommendation, we did just that and gave a chance for Tracks to get out. While the deer was doing his meet and greet thing and walked with the guys towards the craft, we took back off with a VHF radio unit we’d picked up. With it, we could keep in constant contact with our flying set of hooves, following our original game plan.

It was fifteen minutes before we got a first transmission from Tracks on the device, telling us that they were in the air, cruising at altitude. They weren’t too high in the air, just within the parameters the probe needed to operate at it’s best. We rolled at a certain distance from their path, far enough that we gave a chance who anyone who would want to do anything to give it a try. If anything, it was a super fun time to be slouched in the back of the car with Claire lying across me with her hooves resting against the side of Jumpy’s legs. Jumpy had the VHF between his legs, and though he wouldn’t admit it, he fell asleep in the warm sunlight a few times, brought around by Claire when she gave him a nudge. While he was out, the ewe and I killed the time either with some practice for her to sharpen and define her energies, or simply spooned with her. Bongo gave a giggle the one time he caught us red handed, me with my hand under Claire’s shirt and bra to grope at her while I nuzzled with her, and the girl with her fingers in my shorts with a handful of fox knot.

After one such episode of muffled play and a poke of the ewe’s feet against the dozing ‘roo, the radio lit up and a pair of shots echoed in the distance.

-Guys, we’ve got incoming, the deer announced in the crackle of the VHF. We’re climbing, but I can give you position, I saw them setting up.
-Right, Bongo called as we followed his indications. How many of them?
-A bunch, between half to a full dozen. I’m returning fire now.
-We’ll be there in no time, hollered the feral cat. Hold on to your muffs!

The vehicle actually left the safety of the ground a few times as we roared through... well I lost sight of what we were going through, to be honest. What the end result of this attempt at disproving the basis of solid body physics ended up being was that we almost overshot the spot that Tracks had started sniping at, apparently getting everyone who had been taking shots at his ride hiding behind cover and pretty much stop their attack all together. The hard bank our overenthusiastic driver put his steed into almost made us skid out of control, but as insane as the gestured appeared, he recovered his bearings as we parked behind the rocks that housed our target. Jumpy was the first out of the car, almost tied with the bandicoot, both of whom had drawn their pistols and were circling the hiding spot while the rest of us covered the mass with the weapons Rowan had furnished us, save for me, who was just sitting comfortably, my eyes scanning for energies beyond the stone.

I felt that there was someone preparing to act in violence, one I focused on especially, and waited until I could exactly pinpoint him. Reached out to touch Claire, I instructed her to pay attention to what she felt from me, all the while preparing to do a ‘living exorcism’, as I called it. As the energy was culminating to practice his evil, a loud scream started filling the air as my eyes narrowed, letting my guide take over as much as he needed to follow through with my intent. The others that were close to my victim started joining in the chorus too, sort of fading into cries as I felt the soul leave the plane for the clutches of hell. At that moment, I heard our good marksman bedfellow calling for them to disarm and surrender, nothing they had any intent of resisting with their colleague still in his death throes next to them. Six creatures came out of their hideouts under our supervision, instructed to kneel in a line while Bongo tied them one after another with a long rope he normally used for pulling tree stumps, forming them into a chain tied by the wrists, ready to march as he fastened the end of the line to the ball hitch. Jumpy sat sideways on the back of the car, a rifle that he’d picked from our prisoners resting comfortably across his lap in case one of them decided to misbehave.

The ride back was quiet, save for me going on with Claire about the importance of mastering how to single out people and giving her a bit of instruction on the subject. Because of the fact we couldn’t really go faster then the six jailbaits behind us could kick their legs, it was a good half hour before we were back home, though as soon as we were there, we transferred them into the storage building, better securing them individually as to be able to pick them out one at a time for interrogation. We took a breather before getting down to that business though, giving time for Tracks to come back from his stay in the puffy clouds and blue skies. As he went for some well-deserved rest, Jumpy invited me to give him a hand with the intelligence gathering, sort of serving as both a lie detector and a mental probe to get info that our subjects were reluctant to give away freely. As a first step, I singled out the one who had been responsible for leading the group, second to the fellow I’d exorcised, as it would be.

The ground squirrel looked more and more worried as the ‘roo undid his ropes and took him by a firm on the shoulder before we guided him around back behind the building. While we walked, I let my mind wander in his, so to speak, getting a better understanding of who he was, as there was only fear about him at the time, rather then anger or resent, not that those were totally absent either. Passing his bonds through a stake in the ground Rowan had driven into the ground for us in a position that he could only assume if kneeled or sitting down, we took a few steps back and started talking.

-Let’s start with your name, Jumpy said as he squatted down. So?
-Amado Perez, said the rodent, but most people call me Squall. Yourselves?
-Being cocky, are we?
-Not really, but I like to know who’s talking to me, or who’ll be beating down the dirt on my grave.
-Let’s not get ahead of ourselves, smirked our ‘roo. I’m Jumpy, this is Ice. Now, did you realize you were shooting at a plane this morning for the second time in it’s pilot’s memory, or were you just hunting buzzards and have really shitty eyesight?
-I doubt that buzzards can caw as loud as a plane’s engines can sound, so I’ll confess to the first. I’ll be clear about why, because I suspect that your own intentions around here aren’t that different from ours. See, we’re digging for opals north of here, and we didn’t want anyone to know, figure why. Just taking a few shots at it was enough to give us peace and quiet for a year, so we thought that we might as well try for a repeat performance. I thought it was a pretty stupid way to go about things, but Pepe’s not around to bitch at me for saying it anymore.
-Hence Pepe was the soul who the good fox here sent to hell, nodded Jumpy.
-On the money! Now if you’ll indulge my curiosity, is there a way we can work things out here? I mean, let’s face it, neither of us are in the best legal position right now and all that stands between the two is the fact you apparently had a brilliant mind with you rather then a dumb bandito who substituted his dick for a rifle, so let’s spare each other the banter about obeying the law and everything.
-That depends on if you’re in the mood for changing employers and accepting a hostile takeover bid of your mine, Jumpy commented. You’ll be working your way up from miners, but hey, look at it this way, it’s better then jail or something else I suspect you’ve been thinking about. You’ll be supervised closely, of course, but don’t take that personally.
-Not that it would change a lot from what we had to put up with from Pepe, sneered Squall. He was always right over our shoulders with his gun to make sure we didn’t steal any of the stuff we were digging up.
-You did, though, I stated.
-It’s not with the pay he was giving us that you can make a living, I’ll tell you that! Don’t worry; we’ll lose that habit in a hurry if we’re not slaves or anything like that.
-You’re just other guys in the gang, with certain conditions, said Jumpy. You’re watched at all times in the work groups you’ll be assigned to, you don’t go missing on us, and we have the right to search you if we think you’re playing a game we don’t like. Walk straight long enough, and we’ll back off. Deal?
-You’ll have to reach down if you want a handshake, Squall laughed. Deal. How about a little show of trust here?
-Do yourself a favor and make this work out for yourself, the ‘roo said as he undid the squirrel’s restraints.

To some measure of surprise, Rowan’s phone rang while we were having an early supper, sort of a mid-afternoon thing that compensated for the fact that the heat did a number on our appetites and it wasn’t too wise for us to fight it, from what our locals told us. I saw one of Claire’s ears twitch as the device sounded, disrupting her half-sleep while she hung off my shoulder. The bandicoot scrambled almost humorously to get it by the third dull buzz, putting it to his ear with a hurried greeting. As lunatic as anyone sounds when they have an animate conversation on a telephone, we caught enough of it to understand that it was Marv calling, at first overjoyed with the result of our earlier mission, then more curious about what had happened to those who had caused the problems when we wanted to be open about. After all, it probably wouldn’t quite have swung if he learned that even if he was giving us the rights on a massive plot of rich land, we’d still overstep it in a pretty important way. Our monopole would be total, but only if our inside man stayed quiet would it go anywhere. Jumpy took over after a while, successfully calming Marv’s fears and settling his doubts about anything out of place, gracefully wording our capture of Squall and his friends as having ‘permanently removed their negative interference’. After hanging up, he turned and gave us a nod, confirming that the licenses were in our hands.

With no further territorial concerns, we took the next day to start some recruiting in the city, adding on to Rowan’s distributors and collaborators as well as hiring a few security professionals to insure the protection of the shipments that would be starting in two days. Though the normal players in a family weren’t hard to find and hire, the real estate broker that we’d planned to bring onboard to start investing and getting proper returns for such business was proving very hard, not for lack of potential candidates, but rather the poor character (or energies, more precisely, as I did the interviews alongside Claire and Tracks). I eventually lost patience after the sixth soul, a rather crooked one to whom I simply voiced my opinion about his perfidy and wicked existence, cutting so deep as to make him get up with a humbled air and leave the diner we where using as an office, broken down from the inside out.

-Ouch, Tracks cringed. I don’t think I’ve seen you this worked up in a while, foxy.
-When people lie to you, you can usually tell, I’m sure, I stated. But then imagine that furthermore, you can hear them thinking about how well they’re screwing you over and what they’ll do with the cash they’re going to rip off you. Get it?
-I don’t think I’d be keeping those reflections to myself either, grinned the deer. Aw well, I’ll get us something to eat...
-Looks like Bongo just came in, Claire commented. Hey, we’re over here, Rowy! Got a friend there?
-Hello everyone! This is Jimi, an old bro of mine from high school.
-G’day, the rabbit shot as he waved at us with a giddy smile.
-Figure you can take a guess at what he does for a living?
-He’s an amateur real estate broker, I answered. Ice, spiritualist medium.
-Wow! All right, how many fingers behind me back?
-Jimi, Rowan laughed, you’re an asshole!
-Three, I stated, and your index was broken and remanded after a boating accident when you were driving drunk off your ass one night.
-Oy! Now you can call me asshole all you like from now on. So my old mate Rowan here told me that this here crew might be looking for someone in my area of expertise?
-Riddle me this, riddle me that, rabbit-man, I smirked, how big a business do you run?
-Enough for rent and all that, but I’m no millionaire or anything. I wouldn’t be wearing a secondhand dress shirt and decade-old pants if I were making a fortune, I tell you that much. It’s not that I couldn’t go big, but you need that thick wad of cash up front when you’re going for those high-rolling properties and I don’t have that or anything to back up a loan.
-That’s the first straight, truthful answer I’ve had out of a realtor all day, I said as I gripped and shook his forearm. So when Rowan called you his old mate...
-We were each other’s first, the bandicoot nodded. I just dropped off the map when I heard those opals calling, that’s all. We see each other whenever we’re both in town, though.
-Cute, Tracks grinned. Ever try couple life and all that?
-Well, seeing as how we were both out and about so much, it would’ve been hard, but now I guess we could give it a shot, right?
-Right, Rowan smiled as he held the lagomorph’s paw.
-Look away it you don’t like it, Jimi said as he leaned over and tongue-kissed Rowan.
-I’m gay, Tracks said.
-I’m bisexual, I seconded.
-I’m... I’m with this guy, Claire giggled as we shared a smack as well. So we’re good here?
-Sure! I’ll pack up my apartment, the rabbit announced, seeing as how I’ll be moving...
-...in with me, Rowan chuckled. Uh-huh!
-So you’re into boating, Tracks said, eh buns?
-Yeah, I had a boat for a while, though I sort of lost it when it got repo’ed after a client pulled a mean trick on me once. Rough! I really miss it, because it was really fun. I used to go up on the north coast, just for the sights. It’s a pretty strange spot now, though.
-Why, asked the bandicoot as they sat down, bad waves and stuff like that?
-Nah, corrected the rabbit as he put his arm around Rowan, it’s actually pirates. Yeah, I know it sounds stupid, but a lot of places around there are bad news these days.
-There was a thing with those back in Miami a while back too, Tracks added. They scuttled and sunk ships, up to a few forty-footers, then when they were under, they’d go in and strip them down.
-How did that end?
-At the end of a few coast guards’ guns, smiled the deer. They caught up with them at a sinking they’d set up as bait and when the pirates decided to try and shoot their way out of the mess, they got shredded.
-Good thing too, shot Jimi as he slapped his paw on the table. I doubt you’d ever see something like that here though, mostly because the guys I talked about went around in speedboats. Try catching one of those in a cruiser or frigate, and I’ll tell you right now who’ll win the race!
-Still, to be operating those, it requires a lot of fuel, I commented, and you can’t go too far with them. If they were that far north, they couldn’t have gotten their petrol from that many places. Do you have a map of that region with you?
-I’ll go get one, Tracks sputtered as he went to order us an entire lemon meringue pie.
-What are you going to do, asked Rowan, more voodoo?
-Voodoo is something entirely different from that I’m into, but I’ll divine where they would be. Now Claire, let me explain how to go about this, I stated as I took out my pendulums. Close your eyes and hold this between your major and annular, with your thumb down on the string...

I taught the ewe for the few minutes it took for Tracks to come back, though as the few blotches of pie stuffing around my muzzle could attest, my instruction was somewhat slowed by the consumption of the sweets. Still, as the deer unrolled the detailed tourist map that he’d nabbed from a street vendor for a few bucks, Claire seemed ready to try. Holding both her free hand and Jimi’s, she started her session, somewhat clumsily and unconvincingly at first but as she narrowed her eyes and gave a low bleat, sharpened up and got decent readings, drawn to a few spots on the coast, as well as an island off of Timor, as much as surprise to all of us. Not that I didn’t trust her emerging skills, but rather to ascertain that her findings were correct, I repeated the experiment. Out of the locations she found, one of them was a bit further east then she’d sensed, and the others I refined somewhat, getting a narrower arc with the very sensitive and finicky tools. The girl gave a grumble in self-disappointment, but I assured her that considering that second to the fact that this was one of her first times at it, the finer the item, the more it’s susceptible to error depending of the energies of the person who uses it, hence when she’d get her own, she’d be in better control of the results she’d obtain.

-Not bad, Rowan said as the spots were marked on the map. I guess that the question should be asked...
-What are we going to do about this, Tracks said, right? Seeing as how the mining operation is pretty much running itself and all with Adoni and Bongo at the helm, I think that we might be able to assemble a team to take a closer look. I mean, if helping Marv was something, this is a ticket to get you all total immunity, if the right people learn who sent these nimrods to the bottom, contextually speaking.
-Plus I suppose that it’ll give us time to see the mines settle into steady state before we return, so it’s an excuse to stay a while longer in the country before heading back and still be able to fine tune our exploitation, I added.
-With talk like that, Ulrich will be really impressed, laughed the deer.
-It’s not because I’m not a crooked soul that I can’t be a bit devious occasionally, I smirked.
-Still, I’ll give the cat a ring before we go off, just to keep him on the same page. Up to now, he seemed pretty happy about everything we’ve done.
-Staying in touch with home, eh?
-He is our Don, and the guy paying for this vacation, right foxy?

We left the diner an hopped back into the feral cat’s cat before passing by the retail outlet he and Jumpy were supposed to have signed a supply deal with, becoming the second most important client of our Aussie enterprise. On our drive to the rabbit’s, we sort of traded updates across the board, as well as presented Jimi to everyone, who was too nice and sweet for anyone to dislike. Sort of a fortunate coincidence presented itself as he stated that the place was actually a rental, along with the furniture, so all he had was his personal stuff which he hadn’t fully unpacked since moving from his last apartment, having sold it at a ridiculous profit with no regrets. Six people present to give him a hand mean he didn’t get to blink before we were on the road again, hence the break was short lived, only stopping for a moment as the bunny managed to tape himself to a box somehow, requiring careful removed to insure that half his coat didn’t come off in the process.

While Rowan made himself comfortable sitting on the rabbit’s lap, Tracks placed the call to Ulrich, getting all sorts of compliments in return for his status report. The only snag came when the panther declared that he found the decision to go after the pirates a bit wanton though, outside the scope of anything we needed to do. Ah fate, the overriding power, which makes kings and peasants appear like the playthings of a greater plan beyond their limited mortal understanding!

As our poor deer was stalling the panther to have time to formulate a reply that would turn his opinion in our favor, the static-ridden AM news station had been lending it’s voice to our bored ears cut right into a bulletin regarding the disappearance of the two sons and daughter of the country’s finance minister two weeks previous from the waters of the northern reef, declaring that following the unsuccessful investigation to try and locate them and unfavorable public opinion, the search had been called off and the case would only be reopened should new evidence surface, followed by a frantic appeal from the poor creature, cut short as the bulletin ended and the tacky pop tunes took back the airwaves. The station had been playing loud enough for the Don to hear and suddenly gave his full endorsement to us, urging us to hurry and act without delay. With a long yowl, Bongo executed a 180 through sparse traffic to get us back into town, obtaining the home address of our creature in distress from Ulrich before the bade us farewell and good luck.

It was barely an hour later as we pulled into a public parking lot under near the harbor front condo that the minister called his casa, and with Jumpy and Tracks admitting that they were probably to intimidating to go ahead a make first contact for us with the afflicted gentleman I got out of the car and smiled as to say that I’d go represent us, leaving them to their devices while they waited for me.

The sequence of events would continue to favor our intentions for as I walked in front of the building, I saw someone sitting on a bench in the semi-private plaza adjacent to the entrance, holding himself across the stomach, with an aura of absolute despair and sadness emanating from him. What struck me as even more tragic was the fact that a few people came and went from the block without so much as a look towards him even is I could hear tearful moans bellow from the ox. As I walked closer to the bench, the smell of old devil alcohol lingered about the wretch, not that it slowed me down as I approached to listen to him.

-No one care anymore, no one wants to help me, cried the bovine, no one wants to help me! Matt, Bud, Nancy, I’m so sorry daddy can’t help...
-Chad, I said using the minister’s nickname which my guide supplied me with, what can I do to help you?
-They took my kids, he replied as his hand shot out to reach for me. Please, help me, whoever you are, fox! Help!
-I will, and so will all my friends, I said as the rest of the group started to form around us. Let’s get you home, Chad.

Though he was far from being steady on his hooves with his drink still influencing his movements, we followed the ox to his unit, where evidence of his suffering was all too apparent. A few discarded bottles of beer and more potent agents were visible here and there, as well as pictures of his family, gathered in the living room in a sort of shrine-like setting. As disheartening as the tableau was, as I picked up one of the photographs of the man and his young ones, ranging from ten to sixteen, from what I could sense, I felt that they were alive, fueling my convictions somewhat. For the moment, Bongo and Jimi had led Chad to the washroom, where we could hear the bovine hurling, followed by water running as he washed and sobered up. Claire and I had taken out our map and pendulums to use the items around us to work out where the bandits had hid their captives, finishing up my malachite needlework as the rabbit and bandicoot showed Chad into the soft recliner facing the television. We gave him a chance to pull it together before Jumpy asked him what had happened and how he’d lost his children.

-We were out sailing while my wife was on vacation with her folks in Barcelona. It was a simply beautiful, calm sea, just a few rippling waves, nothing. Nancy was sunbathing while my sons, Matt and Bud, were playing cards in the galley. Then, out from behind us, we hear really loud engines, like racing boats. As I’m turning around to see who it is, three of those come up at our sides, and the guys onboard were holding assault rifles and grenade launchers at us, calling for us to get on the deck right away or they’d kill us and sink the ship.  As soon as my sons came up, one of the boats come up close with boarding lines, six men come on, then two of them come at me and hit me with the butt of their guns, knock me out flat. Next thing I know, I woke up and there’s no sign of them, or my kids.
-Then you radioed the authorities, Claire hummed.
-Yeah, and for two weeks, I’ve been calling anyone I know, any favors I have, anything to keep the search going, but I ran out. Now, I have critics in the opposition accusing me of abusing my influence and authority to bend the rules, and I’ve lost a lot of friends.
-You’ll be glad to know we’re not bound by any such rules, and we’ll do everything it takes to get your children back, Rowan said. Ice, did Claire and you find where they are?
-Yes, the ewe replied. It’s a bit hard to get to by land, but the pirates will almost certainly be watching the waters like hawks, so it’s our best way to get in there.
-Either you’re some of the cruelest people on the planet for making that up to torture me, or you’re incarnate saints. I can only hope in this hardest of times for me that the second is the truth, to be honest.
-And so it is, I assured as I looked the ox in the eyes. We’ll make this happen. Now, as for the transport to this faraway place...
-I still have enough calls that I might be able to do something, Chad stated as he leaned back to think. Who could get us a ride, I wonder?
-Well, we could always give Marv a call again, Tracks shrugged. I mean he’s a good man, and I don’t think that he’d turn us down on this one.
-Heck, it’s worth a shot, Jumpy nodded. Can we use your phone?
-Everything here is at your disposal, please feel free.

Our ‘roo made off with the cordless from the room, jabbering away his own sort of half-plea for help, half-ticket to heaven speech, either getting Marv’s help, or if he was to refuse, give him a reason to go see his head doctor and repent. The gent probably wasn’t ready to pay up for the sessions, caving in shortly after the beginning of the soul-wrenching tale that Jumpy was spinning. We’d basically get flown in as close as the bush pilot who was going to be our pilot could get us safely, then it was up to us to find a way back. Though admittedly it would have been more reassuring to have a ticket back, but we couldn’t really ask for much more at the time being, and putting an innocent at risk just to wait for us to be done wouldn’t be very smart. For that fact, I wasn’t too convinced about having Chad with us, just because considering who was on the line in this little rescue mission, he might not act in the most rational manner if things got too tense. Tracks seemed to share my opinion, sort of discretely telling Jumpy that we should try to keep the father in his apartment while we did our thing. It would prove impossible though, because if any lesson could be learned from this episode, it was that reasoning with a drunken, desperate creature is too much to ask for even the most astute mortal.

With the addition of the bull, that was quite large, probably easily a hundred pounds over his fighting weight (not to say anything wrong about him, because I really liked him), there was no way we could managed with just Bongo’s car. To accommodate the overflow, we took Chad’s ride, a sparkling new minivan with just enough power for Tracks to overtake the cat whenever he wanted without so much as a rumble from the motor. I had only seldom been privy to the antlered maniac’s driving, though each time it was something between a circus ride and a drag race, sort of my reason for giving a few chirps now and then while my claws tried to dig into something to stay in my seat without flying onto Claire, who in turn was gripping me hard to avoid getting tossed around too much. With the ongoing rally, time seemed to go by a lot faster, though I was pretty sure we’d set a new personal record for the time required to get to our backyard, rolling on the airstrip before I completely ran out of blood in my fingers.

We wouldn’t be flying the same little number that had served as a flying platform for Tracks to hunt down Squall, but rather a rough looking Embraer EMB 110 that had been lost a few rows of seats to serve as a mixed light cargo and passenger plane, but been granted huge tires to be able to handle the nasty crap it had to land in on a routine basis. The pilot was the same who had ferried the deer in the skies though, and as we got in, passed back the rifle that he’d used during their mission, as well as a pair of pistols apparently belonging to the survey team that they were glad to lend for a good cause. The timing was sort of accidentally impeccable, as by the time we were in the designated area, night had fallen, giving us a lot more options for our approach. The fuel onboard for the flight was a bit at the limit of what was required, which would have been a problem if it wasn’t for the fact that there was another strip half an hour out from the location, assuring the pilot a waypoint to rely on after having dropped us off light.

All things qualified about our voyage, as we got out into the inky blackness and got our bearings right while the plane took off, we were struck by the fact that there wasn’t a damn thing to be seen anywhere in terms of inhabitations, not a trace of human occupation, save for the tire tracks we’d made coming in. The fresh breeze of the seaside was just perceptible, at the very limit of our senses, not that I relied on that for us to orient our trek. Tracks gave me a smile as if knowing that I would be saying something, laughing a bit as I simply gave a nonchalant wave in the direction of the presences I sensed in the far distance. Ours was certainly a strange bunch at this point - that I have to admit. Two slim and trim points with a confident, strong march carrying them forth, hands at their side as if ready to draw at any moment, their minds completely set into some sort of altered state of consciousness that allowed them to keep a level head whatever happened. Behind them, two completely blasé psychics whispering about things beyond the realm of the physical, seemingly detached from all that was happening. Then, a bunch of bushwhackers pretty much baring their overall confusion plainly on their faces as they questioned if they were ready for what they had gotten involved with, with mixed feelings as to what was actually expected of them, if anything, but too proud to ask. Alternatively pulling up the rear or circled by the latter, a heavily hung over bull that a heroin-crazed, stone-blind soul couldn’t miss without surrendering his remaining sight. Out of the previously voiced concern, we’d kept the firearms away from Chad, assigning him the rather symbolic posting of ‘rear scout’, consisting of keeping his beer goggles out for anything out of place and if he saw something odd, tell us and hit the dirt.

I didn’t really keep any sort of tally of the time it took us to reach what at first glanced looked like a harmless fishing village, but with the slower pace we had to keep as to give poor Chad a chance to stay with the group, it probably was a while. None of us said anything about the delay though, first because this assignment wasn’t really that time-critical, with the better part of the night before us and the confidence that the bull’s children where in no immediate danger, and second because no one had the heart to reprimand Chad in any way, seeing as how it was clear he was putting all the steam he had into his workout, sweat rings appearing everywhere on his dress shirt he eventually gave up on and left hanging open in an attempt to vent body heat. I held a quick séance with Claire to get a better idea where the three young ones were, getting a radiant energy from two places, separated by gender. The two boys would be easier to get to first, as they were kept in what I could describe as worker’s quarters, though the analogy of a interment camp’s lackluster dorms could befit them, set isolated at the back of the camp using the water as a reference, right near us. The daughter was further in, working in some sort of foodservice establishment and would present a greater risk, not that risk would keep us from going ahead with anything at this point.

The way was clear for us to sneak up to the side of the internment barracks, crouching under the window line as we shifted position about in the order in which we’d enter. There was only one door leaving in, but along with Claire, Jimi and Rowan, we’d be covering our guys through the windows.

-It would be nice to have a distraction, grumbled Tracks as he gave a careful glance inside.
-I could provide that, I suggested. Want me to scare them out of the building?
-What are you talking about, Jumpy smirked, another spook show?
-If I can, I’ll give it a try, I said as I concentrated hard until a low moan sounded inside, followed by a few shouts of surprise turning into howls of terror.
-Got one, called Tracks as he clotheslined one of the guards and smacked him in the forehead with his rifle’s stock.
-And another, Bongo yowled while he tripped up and punched out a second.
-Wow, catch that one too, Jumpy shot as a third turned the corner.
-He’s mine, I chirped.
-What? Ice, said the ‘roo, wait a sec...

Before anyone could stop me, I had shed my robes and was running flat-out after the combatant, catching up on him stride after stride. As soon as I had the room and range, I kicked out and slammed my heel into the small of his back, hard enough for him to fall forward, tumbling a bit. Not wanting to give him a fighting chance, I followed up with a roundhouse to the side of his head, then a piston kick smack in the middle of his forehead, ending with a sickening crackle as my victim’s neck broke. Just as a ceremonial gesture more then anything, I hit him with a reverse to make his face dig into the ground when he settled down. The look of total disbelief on my friend’s was wroth the effort though, lasting until I put my robes back on, the latter my sweet ewe had caught in mid air when I’d tossed it.

-Holy JC, gasped Tracks, when did you start handing out spankings, Ice?
-I did savate in France and Spain for a while, then learned Muay Thai from a few guys in the US. What, did you really think I was helpless or something?
-Nah, replied the deer, it’s just that it’s damn impressive, that’s all. All right, I think we’re clear to go in, Bruce Lee.

We dragged the guards inside the building as we made our insertion, foregoing our plan of keeping people outside in case they were spotted (and while our more sensible members weren’t looking, released them to Hell). The reason why there had only been three imps keeping watch over the place was that the prisoners were kept in cells separated by bars running from floor to ceiling, with a mounted machine gun at the beginning of each row, hence pretty much giving a clear indication of how the pirates would put down insurrections. While a very giddy Jumpy was disassembling the pivot of one of the weapons and Jimi appropriated the other, the rest of us started opening the cells, releasing the dozen captives, including the two claves who ran into their father’s arms. The other ten seemed a bit hesitant to go anywhere, but seeing how the locals would definitively not show them any mercy should the scene be discovered, we asked them to follow our way back into the nearby bush with a promise to get them back to civilization as soon as possible. If anything, they’d at least be safe for the time it would take us to do our work.

From the windows of the barracks, of which we’d turned off the lights to avoid giving everyone in the village a Chinese pantomime while we prepared to continue, we could see the other shack housing Chad’s daughter. The place was obviously very busy, as the loud voices emanating from it didn’t seem to trail off with time. There wasn’t much to and fro traffic though, and other then there, the whole village was pretty much inanimate. The plan that we formed constituted required as much ongoing improvisation as the taking of the barracks, though it was clearly stated that those with the best artillery were to take the point while half of us formed a perimeter around what could have been a large residence or storage before the new occupants made it their personal restaurant. Somewhat (and justly) curious by what other tricks I’d pull from my albino ass, Tracks insisted that I be behind him during the breach, nothing I refused, though Claire would be staying with Chad and his, stashed out of the way.

Like a bunch of drunken black operations agents, we dashed into our positions, our adrenaline pumping hard. Tracks was sort of encumbered by his new toy, too much to be able to glance in without bumping into another, instead giving me a nod as to tell me to try and steal a peek. I crept and moved slowly as I could as I got in a position where I could see what was happening, though the task was tricky without being seen by the crowd. The all-male cast of shady characters had decided to do a party night with nyotaimori, using all the female prisoners they had as plates as they basically used them as human plates, pretty much pushing me over the edge as I motioned to Tracks and Jumpy to level their firearms at chest level and burst, an assumption based on the fact that none of the poor women would move which I urged to act on, considering the number of potential weapons inside. On a visual count to three, we flooded inside and started our deadly work, a deafening thunderstorm of metal and blood that ended the life of well over twenty individuals who had chosen to walk the wrong path during their mortal existence. As hoped, the ten women had stayed still which meant that though they’d been thoroughly sprinkled in their abusers’ blood, they were alive and well, jumping to their paws, hooves or other respective hind members and ran straight out the door in the direction we indicated back to safety, save for Chad’s daughter, a cute little girl just out of her single digits who the ox took in his arms and fitted with his shirt before running along with us to leave the crimson artwork behind and make for the boats parked out front.

While a few of us started up the pair of crafts we’d decided to take back with us, Tracks teamed up with Jumpy and left to clear the rest of the camp, interrupting the silence of the night maybe half a dozen times before they came back, escorting the prisoners we’d sent back into the wilds along to be evacuated, as well as carrying clothes for our fairer rescues, who had sort of hung around uncomfortably until they got something to cover up, understandably. With our good Chad huddled against his kids behind us in the middle of our yacht, piloted by a very giddy Jimi, we followed the other one manned by Tracks into the deeper waters, a trip that would end as we reached Sydney. Entertainment wasn’t an issue though, as the captives had mostly been taken in couple or groups, so the moment they’d rejoined, they had too much in the ways of talk and comforting to do to get bored for our time on the ocean. Personally, I stayed an the front deck with Claire in my arms, eventually falling asleep with the hum of the engines behind us and the mixed drone of speech and whistling from our captain.

We were treated to a beautiful sunrise over the harbor as we came in, as well as a welcoming committee of police officials and media, who were eager to cover the return of the minister. Jimi had radioed in our ships about an hour before we made it, hence we had certainly expected for some kind of circus, but what we saw was a lot more toned down then what I’d expected, probably out of respect for what we’d been through. Chad hadn’t really cleaned up or anything either, just sitting up straight in his sweaty wifebeater as we pulled aside a spot that the police boat that met up with us as we entered the area guided us to. As soon as we were tied to the side, the law enforcement officials unloaded the ex-prisoners into buses for transport, except the ox and his own, who were quickly secured and given covers to look a bit better for the cameras, and more comfortable, besides. Almost the second that the journalists started to be let into the cordoned perimeter, his wife came running in from the crowd, rushing to hug Chad and her little ones, triggering a barrage of cameras as the newsmakers tried to capture the emotional moment.

By that time, we’d all gotten back on terra firma and our share of blankets, in our case rather to cover the blood splatter that most of us bore from butchering the pirates. Tracks and Jumpy looked like they were doing what they could to stay out of the camera lenses, but with the discourse that Chad was making to the news, painting us as ‘extraordinary citizens, modern superheroes for this day and age’, we were as much given face time as him. I almost burst out laughing as I saw that with our two gunslingers cowering behind the limelight, I was made the representative for us by popular vote and as soon as Chad had stepped back, I was faced with twenty or so microphones and just about as many video cameras, with a number of voices asking for more information. My reply was simple and poetic, covering the calls I heard the most often from the simple mass of souls.

-Good morning, everyone. Who we are and where we’re from is not something of great import, as in this world, one should be judged for what one does in the name of God and good, rather then the breeding of his mortal coils. However, I will say that we sought to right a most terrible wrong, which had brought suffering to many innocents at the hands of wicked creature who are now facing the one final tribunal for which there is no appeal, that of the Lord. They were pirates, murders, bandits, minds warped by greed and sin, and of which there is still a number in liberty today elsewhere then where we operated, for though we have heart to act, there is a limit to the peril one can face and hope to return from without taking unreasonable and foolhardy risks. As a final note of a humanitarian nature, I would appeal for the tears of good men like Chad to be listened to when they fall, rather then allowed to flow outside of the public eye, for when they come from the heart as his did, it is scandal for them to be ignored. They do not lie and never dry, ladies and gentlemen, until justice is brought to those who caused them. Farewell, and God bless you.
-Now that was just amazing, Bongo whispered as he came aside me to replace the journalists, who had turned back to Chad to ask him about his intentions towards the rest of those who had kidnapped his children. How did you just put that together so fast?
-The truth is easy to say, I grinned as I patted between the cat’s ears. Anyhow, I say we can go, because after this reunion, I suspect that our ox there will be in a hurry to get home with his family and recover from their emotions, and I don’t think that he’ll be forgetting what we did anytime soon. No use hurrying things too much for the moment and seem like we just did this to get some sort of payment out of him.
-I know what you mean, nodded the feline. We sort of need a ride though, seeing as how mine is getting dusty at the airfield and our two boats just got hauled out of the water and carried into the police impound lot.
-True, said Rowan as he came over, but don’t forget that our hauls have started already. You don’t think that we’re still broke, now do you?
-Ah, laughed Bongo, I keep letting that slip out of my mind. I suppose that it would be nice to have something better to go around with then the old tank.
-I think you’ll probably be making the trip back yourselves, Jumpy commented. After all, I think you’re all set and ready to start your own adventure here without us having to worry about you.
-We can take care of brokering with Chad, nodded Rowan, no worries. Where will you be heading?
-To the airport in a taxi, said the red ‘roo, then back to sweet home Miami.
-No need for concern about luggage seeing as how we’re all hauling everything we have on our back right now, I chuckled.
-Well in that case, we’ll still keep in touch, swore the bandicoot. After all, we certainly owe you a huge lot for everything you’ve done for us. Here, a little travel gift.
-Thanks, I smiled as I took the pouch of opals from him and gave him a hug. Take good care, friends. I’m sure we’ll meet again sometime soon.

The rest of the farewells were kept short, as a sort of good luck charm for greetings to be exchanged nearer in the future. Loading in separate taxi vans, we parted ways, ourselves heading for the airport after a pit stop at a clothing outlet to get some new rags, throwing what we had on in Track’s suitcase, which even if apparently full, managed to contain everything. I got us tickets for our flight while the others dozed in the lounge with the magazines and junk food we’d raided for the long flight, though they were delighted to see I’d put in the extra for first class seats, not that it did a big deal to my healthy finances. Not wanting to go too deep into a recent episode just previous to my involvement with the families, I had been paid for the removal of certain spirits from a grand old castle in Germany, and had been given what I had evaluated to be an exaggerated sum in return for the service. I hadn’t been so pressed for funds since, quite a nice change from my earlier years.

I had seen plenty of documentaries about the city before, mostly crime shows, alas, but I never realized how beautiful Florida actually was. When I’d flown to New Orleans, I had come from the opposite direction, over several thunderstorms, so I hadn’t seen much of that corner of the world. As we came down on approach with the plane, I was treated to a nice view of it though, enough to tell me that I had made a pretty good call. Claire and I had held hands since we gotten on, and I could feel her experience the same feelings, looking over at me as we landed to check what I was thinking in turn. Our friends knew the airport inside out, so our walk to the customs wasn’t that long, not that those took that much time either. We were guided to a side corridor normally used by employees, completely avoiding the gate altogether and bringing us into the main atrium area of the establishment, outside of which a limousine was waiting for us.

As we got in, we found no one else then Ulrich sitting on one of the benches already, giving each of us a cuddle before welcoming Claire and me to the Family. He panther was even more easy-going then back in China, with good reason, seeing as how he was home, after all, rather then stuck in the middle of the wastes. My ewe seemed the most concerned, asking about her visa and everything, really concerned about having to go back to Oz.

-Don’t uncurl your coat over that, smiled the cat. Your papers are ready back at the Bronco mansion already, though they need a new last name and a signature.
-Well, Claire said as she ran a hand down my arm, what’s your last name, Ice?
-My real name is Julius Buchanan, I replied. Surprise everyone, you finally found out!
-An Englishman, startled Tracks. I’d never have guessed!
-So Claire Buchanan it’ll be, said the ewe. Good with you, Ice?
-Very, I sighed as I held her against me.
-I’ll read between the lines here and assume you only need one room, said Ulrich, so I can offer one of the suites at my hotel for you to live, three meals a day and such.
-And just a question like this, I asked, what is our role, exactly?
-You know, I was thinking about that on the way over, and if life has taught me anything to date with regards to the way that this Family works, it’s that everyone is better left to do what they do best and like to. So as far as your role, I don’t know what it is other then you be the fox I know as Ice, and you be the cute ewe called Claire. Good enough?
-You’re a good panther, Attila, I said as I slapped his lap. I’ll be the best Ice that you’ve every had.
-Just don’t think that you’ll be living a permanent vacation, because if you thought that this little adventure with Tracks and Jumpy was a singular event, you’ll be really surprised.
-Oh, to date, I don’t think I’ve maintained that illusion, I laughed. Wait until I tell you what I’ve been through myself, you’ll understand...