Danger Money (21 page)

Over the next twenty hours I counted six of them. That made seven total if I added in my Ferret friend, who stayed inside the whole time. My stomach growled its hunger and my legs complained from the total lack of motion. I couldn't do anything about the food situation, but I could stretch my legs some and work out the kinks.

Eventually they were almost all out of the building, I guess they were trying hard to pick up the trail. I carefully picked my way in at that point, pausing only to relieve myself in an ally. I got inside with a minimum of trouble, there were only the two Ferrets inside presently so I didn't expect too much trouble.

I found the stuff I was looking for with a minimum of searching, they had several canisters of a pacification gas. I took them and a mask and crawled up into the rafters to wait and see what happened next. The male Ferret was spending all his time with the female, who still seemed rather upset. At least somebody had fixed her jaw, a day or two and she'd by fine.

I must have dozed off, not much of a surprise really as I'd been awake for nearly two days. I awoke with a start, I knew where I was, I knew what I was doing, and I was still hidden. I carefully looked around to see what had bothered me. I heard it again before I had even peeked out of the shadows.

"I told you I don't know nuthin' bout him, OKAY?"

It was Rashera's voice, they must have brought her in for interrogation. I guess they were getting desperate, I had dropped totally out of sight again as far as they were concerned.

"Listen lady, and I use that term loosely," I heard the voice of the female Leopard for the first time.

I kind of liked it.

"We know you've been screwing him, and we know about your little side jobs at work. So tell us what we want to know or we'll turn you over to the Port police."

"So I was sleepin' with him occasionally, that doesn't mean I know anything else about him. As for the other stuff, I have no idea at all what you mean!" She hissed and snarled the last out angrily and I heard and almost felt a very loud slap.

"Watch it, try that again and I'll mess you up good. Understand?"

Obviously Reshera had tried something. I couldn't see them from the corner I was hiding in, too much junk piled around. So I put on the mask and opened up the first canister. I set it by one of the outflow vents for the Air Conditioner then grabbed the other two and started to crawl down to the floor.

Once I got there I opened the next up wide and set it by the front door. Then I stalked carefully towards the ongoing interrogation, where Reshera was working her way through some of her more colorful descriptions of the other's heritage, upbringing and social conduct. It wasn't having much of an effect from what I could hear.

I listened and waited for the right moment then stepped out and tossed the last hissing canister to Jocel, who caught it reflexively and then had a moment to register shock on her face as she passed out. She was followed in seconds by the rest of the group.

It turned out that all seven of them were there, luckily for me. I took my time and carefully tied them all up, I wasn't going to take any chances. I got Reshera outside and conscious, and told her to go home and forget everything, me included.

"I'll miss you Hon," she sighed as she walked away.

"No, no you won't," I mumbled to myself and went back inside, I was sure she’d have another distraction lined up soon enough. I spent the next hour searching rather carefully until I found what I was really looking for. The cash box. They had more than enough money for me to buy the passage I wanted, once I added my own stash to it. All non-traceable too, typical for a special ops outing. I packed that and a few other odds and ends in a bag that I borrowed, then went to look over my newest friend.

She was rather attractive as Leopards go. Not a raving beauty, but she had a certain grace and presence, which she still managed to convey while glaring at me gagged and bound spread eagle on one of the crates. I walked up to her and undid the gag.

"Hello Jocel," I smiled and gave her a little bow, "Allow me to introduce myself ..."

"I know who you are Jotun!" She snarled unhappily.

"Then you should be rather happy that you and your team are all still alive. And likely to remain that way I might add," I sighed.

"Please, you're just a cold sadistic bastard who likes to kill and hurt people. So don't patronize me okay?" Then she hissed a challenge at me.

It got me all right, I was on top of her with my teeth grabbing her throat in a flash. I waited for her to submit, among Leopard culture a challenge rarely went unanswered. But it rarely led to death either.

"Don't push my buttons Jocel," I growled softly, "I may not kill you but I just might hurt you!" Then I slowly released my grip and lay down on top of her prone body.

"Get off of me!" she snarled.

"No." And I grabbed her head with both hands and gave her a buss and a little nip. That really pissed her off.

"You bastard, I'll get you for that!"

"Probably," I replied sadly. "But not before I take care of some company business."

"What do you mean?" She looked interested all of the sudden.

"Anybody ever tell you how cute you are?" I smiled and butted heads with her.

She snarled and tried to bite me, not wanting any of it.

"Don't worry," I purred, "I stashed the rest of your people out of earshot. I didn't want any interruptions."

"You mean witnesses," she hissed at me.

"That too, but more for your protection than mine," I groomed her throat a little and she growled angrily. But she wasn't able to twist enough to stop me.

"Stop that!" She snarled again.

"There was a time when a lovely fem like yourself would have been flattered by the attentions of the Corporation's head Assassin," I purred quietly.

"Not this cat."

"Ohhhh?" I rumbled "And just what were you going to do to me when you caught me?"

She stopped breathing for a second and I knew the answer.

"Well? Come on, let’s hear it!" I growled in her face, she growled herself but wouldn't make eye contact.

"What's a matter? Can't bring yourself to admit that you were going to kill me? That you're an Assassin, just like me?" I hissed quietly in her ear.

"No I'm NOT like you!" She yelled, "I don't enjoy it like you do!"

"So you say," I got up and grabbed my bag. "But then I don't enjoy it anymore either," I said sadly. "Otherwise you and all your friends here would be dead. Remember that when you finally catch up with me, I showed you mercy when we all know I should have killed you instead.

"Maybe you can do the same for me someday."

"Not very damn likely!" I heard her call out behind me as I left.

I have to admit I had to restrain the urge to go back there and strangle her for that. I still had a bit of a temper, but I had a conscious and ethics as well now. At least that was the reason I gave myself for not doing anything.

I was able to buy myself a position on a ship leaving that very evening. Which was another instance of my luck holding out. I used my other ID to buy the position, so hopefully my trail would be cold for at least a little while.

I was even wondering how long it took them to free themselves as I started learning my new trade as a freight handler.

14

I had a lot of time to think on my trip back to earth. Getting a ship that was heading there hadn't been the hard part. Most ships leaving
Alexandria
were headed that way, bringing back valuable raw materials. The question that was most on my mind had to do with the race I was running.

It wouldn't take them long to figure out which way I was headed. After that figuring out the ship and my new ID wouldn't be too hard either. On the one hand it looked like they were trying to keep this strictly a company matter. But on the other hand this was Earth we were talking about. At least they would have to send the message by ship, there still wasn't any FTL radio so everything went by courier or packet. And I had a decent head start there.

I'd have to get a new ID as soon as possible, that much was clear. I'd also have to get to Earth as soon as possible, the Moon was just too easy a place to be cornered. So I spent the next two months in transit worrying about how I'd manage to get down to Earth once we got there.

When we got to the Moon it took only three days to unload. We were then given four days leave until we had to load for the trip out. A trip I wasn't going to be making myself. I still hadn't figured out how I was going to get Earthside when the First officer solved it for me.

"Hey Gantrel, you ever been to Earth?" He asked.

"Excuse me sir?" I asked flabbergast.

"Do you want to go down and do some sight seeing with the rest of us?" He asked again.

"Un, Sure. I'd love too."

"Meet us by the main hatch in half an hour then." And he left.

I quickly finished up what I was doing, grabbed my stuff and ran to meet them.

"I though Animorphs weren't allowed on Earth." I ventured as we started off for the shuttles.

"Oh you're not liked much there Gantrel, don't forget that while we're down there. But a few places let Animorphs in and out as long as they behave. Only a few places are very restrictive, say the old US for instance. They're not very big on your type."

"Oh, thanks. I'll remember that."

The trip down was rather pleasant, we landed in a central American country and were passed through with very little trouble. Mostly because we weren't carrying that much. This was supposed to be a short excursion after all. I wasn't carrying much of anything myself, I had planted it all on the First Officer, on the general assumption that since he was a Human, they wouldn't search him that carefully.

I wasn't wrong either. I and the other morphs were searched quite carefully, if not quickly. Once we had left the Port area, I carefully reclaimed the few items that I thought I might need. We then headed into the city to see the sights and hit the bars. The First Officer was a decent chap, and I really felt sorry later that night when I ditched him and the rest of the crew. At least I had bought a few rounds and got them all fairly drunk.

The first order of business was to get far away, fast. That wasn't too difficult, I remembered from my last time on Earth that ground transportation was quite popular for shipping. Also with the American Common Market, cargo wasn't inspected as it crossed borders. Only when it was loaded and unloaded. So I headed to the shipping docks back in the Port area and snuck in.

It took a while but I managed to find something bound for
Quebec
before the sun rose. I broke in and then found a good place to sleep.

I awoke when they started to move the container onto a rail car. I took advantage of the noise to punch a few extra air holes in the top of the container where they hopefully wouldn't be noticed. Once things settled down I went back to sleep. It was a long way to
Canada
from where I had started out, about twenty hours. It got fairly hot inside that container during the day, but when night came it cooled right back down. When the train stopped and I felt the container moved off I got ready to leave.

I broke out when I thought it was safe and carefully snuck out of the yard. Getting out of the yard took a while, but they were more concerned with contraband than people. I went out and found a place that served food to people like me, then stole a car. My best view of
Quebec
came in the rear view mirror as I headed south.

I still had a good memory of the area from my last mission, so I drove until I got within twenty miles of the border, then hid the car and found a place to sleep. The next night I just walked across one of the several thousand or so miles of unguarded border. Then I stole another car and headed for
Newark
. I would like to have gone to
New York
, but morphs weren't very welcome there. On the other hand I had learned that
Newark
was full of them.

Of course
Newark
was also a filthy pit of a city that no self respecting Human would even set foot in. Somebody had set off a fizzler there about seventy years ago during some Pan-Arab crisis or other. It was supposed to have been a bomb for
New York
of course, but the Government had gotten wind of it, so the terrorists took what they could get.

Rumor had it that the radiation had been cleaned up years ago, the present problems came from the toxic waste all the neighboring communities had tossed there afterwards. After all, nobody Human lived there anymore right?

It took me four days of driving by night to get to the city. Of course I did stop in some towns and do some resupplying,
Binghamton
I think it was. Anyway a little
midnight
shopping did wonders for my gear situation, thank providence for small towns I guess.

So I rolled into the outskirts of
Newark
with just about everything I felt I needed. After I ditched the car I found some public transportation deeper into the heart of the city. I was surprised at all the Humans still about this late at night and if any were surprised to see a Leopard they sure didn't show it.

Once I got into the heart of the city I started to see more Ani's and less Humans. But there were still more of them then there were of us. Of course they all looked to be the bums and dregs while we looked to be the upper class in this hellhole. I checked the hotels and managed to find one that took cash and didn't ask questions. Strangely it wasn't one of the ones that catered strictly to my kind, I had to room at some human flophouse.

After stashing my gear where it would hopefully remain safe from other nightcrawlers I went out and found myself some food and drink. I quickly noticed the dichotomy in the crowd. It truly was a two class system with us in the higher order, and neither group even acknowledged that the other existed. Both lived here because they didn't have much of a choice, but for the Humans it was a downfall. For us it was an elevation.

The other interesting thing I noticed were the cops. There weren't any, not a one. Curious, very curious.

I found a bar that looked like it might serve what I wanted and slid inside. The crowd was mostly Animorphs like myself, and those humans that were in here didn't look like the vast majority of those out on the streets. Probably slumming I guess.

"Can I get you anything?" Asked the Barkeep, an old Ram with a rather impressive set of horns.

"Beer," I sighed.

"Any preferences?"

"Whatever's good."

He grabbed a mug off the wall and stuck it under the tap, "New around here?"

"Shows huh?"

"You don't smell of the city yet. More like the open spaces and the mountains." He handed me the beer.

"I just got in an hour ago." I handed him some folding money and waved his hand back, "Keep the change. This place is really something different," I motioned to the streets.

"Never been to a city before?" He looked a little surprised.

"No, I've been to lots of cities. Just never one where things were so," I paused thinking, "reversed is I guess the word for it. We're not on the bottom of the social ladder here."

"Oh don't get fooled, everything here is still owned and run by the Humans," He spit on the ground. "They just don't show their faces here after dark."

"What about all the riff-raff outside?" I replied taking a careful sip of my beer. Mugs and muzzles made drinking a little tricky, I usually preferred a bowl style mug myself.

"Oh them? That's another one of our keeper's jokes on us, that's all. They let the bums and the winos come here. No 'self respecting' folk will come down here, there's no police among other things, and there's all us damn animals!" He gave a sharp little laugh. He was obviously warming up on one of his favorite subjects.

"What about some of those folks?" I motioned to the small scattering of Humans in the bar.

"Well, some of those are here to make a buck. If you know what I mean,"

I did and I filed that away for future notice.

"As for the others," he continued, "Well, they're not
all
bad. Some are actually quite decent. Just not too many of them."

"You're preaching to the choir on that one!" I sighed quietly and drank some more of my beer.

"So what are you in town for?" he asked curiously, picking up a glass and starting to clean it. I could see I had an audience in him, whether I wanted one or not. As there was another bartender in the place and it was slow, I didn't think he'd be called away soon either.

"I have a training class to go to in
East Rutherford
. I had an extra day for once and I thought I'd check this town out.

"I gotta tell you though, it's not what I expected."

"You just came here to take a look see, that's all?" He looked at me expectantly.

"Weeellll," I looked at him conspiratorially, "I've been on a leash for ten years now. Every chance I get to stick it to them, or get some slack, I take."

He nodded in agreement. "Figured it might be something like that. So is this a getaway, or a stick it?"

"A little of both actually. I'm hoping to get a few things while I'm here to make life a little tough for this asshole who just got promoted into being my boss. The sooner I get the shit transfered, fired, or even promoted up, the happier I'll be!"

"Promoted up? Can't say I've ever heard of anyone doing that one before!" He looked downright shocked.

"Listen, if I don't get this guy out of my fur I'm gonna rip his throat out. He sent my mate away on a twelve month assignment!" I growled quite convincingly, "And now that she's due back in two months he wants to send me out on one, before she even gets back! I don't really care what it takes, I just want him gone! Up, down, right or left, I just don't give a damn. Hell I'd shave if I thought it would work!"

He laughed at last line, "Boy you sound like you got it tough alright. Mated though huh? I guess that means you're not interested in that kind of action then."

"Na, I need something I can use to get this guy moving."

"So what did ya' come looking for?"

Now it was my turn to look shocked at him, "Me do something illegal? What ever could you mean?" And I gave him a really nasty grin.

"I think I get the point," he chuckled back, "See that Boar over there by the rear door?"

I nodded.

"He seems to have access to all sorts of things that one shouldn't. Maybe you should talk to him."

"What's he drinking?"

"Scotch."

"Fine give me one, and another beer. Oh and in a bowl this time okay?"

"Sure thing." and I exchanged cash for the drinks, with a hefty tip of course.

I walked over to the Boar and set the scotch down in front of him.

"Yes dear fellow? How may I be of assistance to you?" he asked in a very cultured voice, with a hint of a
West Indies
accent.

"I've been told that you seem to have an ability in the areas of procurement," I sat down across from him and took a sip from my bowl.