Shorts: The Furry Years (9 page)

Easy Money

by John Van Stry

"You okay?"

"Unn, yeah. I guess."

"You sure? You don't sound too good."

"Really Kera I'm fine," I sighed whiskers twitching. "More or less."

She sat up in bed and started to rub my neck.

"If you're so fine why are you as tight as an Orangutan with a two week paycheck?" Kera purred in my ear.

"Okay, so I'm a little tense," I admitted leaning back into her work. It felt good, but wasn't enough to break my glum mood.

"Wanna talk about it?"

"What's to tell? I'm broke and I can't find a job."

"Bruce says you can work down at the Club whenever you want." She whispered, her own whiskers tickling at my ear.

"Bouncing at the Silver Moon is not my idea of a high paying career," I chuckled.

"But at least you'll have something," She chided nipping me. "Don't be so proud. What else is there right now anyway?"

"True," I sighed. "But," I paused and flicked my tail in agitation, "ah hell Kera, I spent years going thru school and paying my dues. I think I'm entitled to something a little better!"

I got up and grabbed my shorts.

"Please stay Pen!" She said getting up and hugging me from behind. "It's late anyway and I really would like you to."

I turned and nuzzled her, my muzzle rubbing up against the side of her face. "Sorry love, I need to think about this some."

I could see her tail flick in agitation as I said it. "Really I'm sorry, I just need some time."

"You better not take too much," She warned growling slightly. "I'm not going to wait forever Pen!" She sighed herself, tail lashing slowly. "I've never pressed you about your past and how much money you've got doesn't matter a damn to me.

"I just want you, and I think you want me too. So why don't you just bury your pride and move in with me?"

Why not indeed?

"I'll think about it," I mumbled, my own tail lashing now.

I slipped on my shorts, grabbed my vest and gave her a quick hug. "I'll stop at the Club tomorrow and talk to Bruce, Okay?"

"Okay!" She smiled. Kera knew she was winning on points, even if I couldn't come out and say it.

"Bye."

"Bye."

We kissed and gently butted heads. Then I turned and left.

I slipped on my vest as I walked out onto the street. I felt the reassuring weight in the back settle against my spine just above my tail. It was cool out, but my winter coat still hadn't shed. So it felt good as I padded quietly down the street.

What to do, what to do? It was a big question alright. Just what do spies do when they come in from the cold? When I told the agency I was quitting they told me I'd never work anywhere again. That they'd never let me be, never even let me work as an engineer.

I'd laughed in their faces at the time.

They hadn't been kidding.

Every place I went turned me down. Oh not right away, usually I got past the second interview. But the offers never came. Always some excuse about 'Someone more qualified' or 'We restructured and filled it internally.' They were out there alright. Just watching.

The worst part was last year. They came and offered me some work. I was so hard up I had to take it. Too many bill's from my lifestyle.

As soon as it was done they canned me of course.

"We don't trust you anymore Pen," they said.

But they trusted me enough to do the job. Actually they really hadn't much of a choice in the matter, I was still the only one to penetrate the Harnian Confederation and live to talk about it.

That was the big reason I wanted out too. Our government was full of sympathizers and sooner or later some Senator or Staffer would sell me out.

Never trust the Government.

Well at least I wasn't spending money like water anymore!

And then there was Kera. Who'd have expected to find her? I wasn't a prude myself, but I had to admit it was comforting to date within my own species again. Hell, she even had black fur like me and everybody was always quick to say what a great couple we made.

Plus she didn't even ask when I disappeared for four months last year.

I turned down the street to my apartment house. It wasn't very fancy. Not anywhere as nice as Kera's truth be told. But it was clean and it was cheap. Both prime concerns nowadays.

"My, how the mighty have fallen!" Came from the shadows as I passed the alley.

I had my gun out before my next step hit the pavement. "Come on out Track," I growled ears back, eyes slit.

"Getting a little careless are we?" He stepped out into the light, grinning as I looked him over carefully. Track was a Lemur, he usually handled night op's.

He worked for the Agency of course.

"What brings you here? Come to gloat?" I put the gun away.

"Gloat? Me?" He chuckled, "You know that's not my style Pen. Charilldel sent me."

"And just what does that smelly Chimp want?" I hissed, tail lashing.

"I'll never understand why you Leopards hate monkeys so much," he chuckled. "You should be happy Charilldel doesn't feel the same way about you!"

"Oh right, I can just feel his good will," I retorted sarcastically. "What gives?"

"A job, what else?"

"No. I quit, remember?"

"What about last year then?"

"A mistake."

"You still carry a gun though."

"It's for uninvited guests." I put my hand back on the hilt.

"Oh
really
Pen!" He laughed.

"There've been two since last year," I growled again.

He looked shocked, "You're kidding!"

I growled some more, narrowing my eyes and getting my ears back.

"Maybe not. Who were they?"

"I didn't ask. I thought you guys were supposed to be taking an interest in me. Why don't you ask Charilldel?"

"What did you do with them?

I pointed towards the river. I lived quite close to it.

"Oh. You still have one hell of a mean streak Pen."

"I didn't kill them Track. Oh, you do know how to swim right?"

"Huh? Yeah why?"

I was on him in a flash.

"Hey Pen!"

He didn't put up much of a fight, he was only a Lemur after all. I hoisted him up on my shoulder and started for the river.

"You're not gonna throw me in the river! Are you Pen?"

"Sure looks that way," I mumbled.

"But it's cold,
real
cold! I'll get sick!"

"Real shame that."

"Aw, come on Pen!"

"If you tell me what's up, maybe I won't go out to the middle of the bridge Track."

"I don't know, Charilldel wouldn't say. He wanted me to bring you back to
Sacramento
. He was gonna tell you there." His tail was twitching violently. I don't think he was too fond of water.

"It's a long swim from the middle," I said as the bridge came into sight. "Of course the fall's a lot farther from the center of the span too."

"Please Pen. I'll get fined! Maybe even demoted!"

"It's just gotta hurt!" I sighed as I neared the bridge. Good thing it was late out, this would have been tough to explain to any on lookers. At least he didn't stink of fear, that always caused me to get nasty. Instinct I guess.

"Okay, okay. Rumor has it that the Harnian's are up to something."

"So?" I set foot on the east landing.

"So?!" He gasped, "They're doing it here!"

"You mean 'here' as in out country?" I kept walking.

"I mean 'here' as in
Portland
!"

I stopped, the thought made my tail stand straight out.

"
Portland
?" What the hell would they want here? There weren't any military bases here. Not much in the way of high tech industry either. Hell, that was why
I
came back here!

I must have said as much out loud too.

"I don't know, Charilldel doesn't know either I bet. That's why they want you."

"Shit." I set him down. "Tell Charilldel I'll take the job."

"Sure," He sighed relieved looking over the edge at the water twenty feet below.

"But it's gonna cost him."

"Sure Pen."

"Up front. And I want to know everything that's going on."

"You got it Pen."

"One last thing."

He turned and looked at me, "What?"

I smiled, "This is the
last
time!" and I pushed him over the side.

"Yaaaa!"

He made a nice splash.

By the time I got to my apartment I was whistling.

I headed down to the Silver Moon early next morning. I got there at eleven, it was a
long
walk. After knocking on the door a while I finally managed to rouse Witnauer, one of the Barkeeps.

"What's up?" She asked sleepily, fur mussed.

"I want to talk to Bruce."

"He's asleep." She yawned, and added pointedly "I was too."

"So let's wake him!" I laughed and slipped inside.

"Pen!"

"Hey, if I'm gonna work here I should be allowed in right?"

"Act like this and Kera or no, you won't be!" She grumbled.

"He's doing this for her?" I stopped and turned.

"Of course! She's a friend, a very good one too."

"Damn," I sighed whiskers and tail drooping, "I hate charity."

"It ain't charity Pen, we
do
need a bouncer." She poked me in the stomach as she walked by. Foxes love to poke it seems. "Crowds have gotten bigger lately and Senshal left last week. Didn't you know?"

"Not really, I've been too busy job hunting to come down here lately."

"No luck huh?"

"Actually yes," I sighed, "But its short term and I really don't like it. So I want to cover my bases with Bruce."

I followed her rather cute bushy tail to the back. There were stairs by the dressing rooms behind the stage. I went up and followed my nose to Bruce's rooms. Why he lived above the bar I'll never know myself.

I knocked on his door. After the second try I heard sounds of life inside, a moment later he opened it up.

"What are you doing here so early?"

"How much for the Bar Bruce?"

"Ha, ha, very funny. Gads, a bouncer with a sense of humor."

"No really," I smiled. "What's a place like this cost? I really want to know."

"I couldn't tell you off hand, I don't have any plans to sell. But I wouldn't sell it to you, and I sure wouldn't recommend you buy one like it."

"Why?" I asked curiously.

"You aren't the type. You'd run a this place right out of business. This isn't just a bar, it's a cabaret. Kera and the others dance and sing here. Bands play and perform."

"So?"

"It's a whole different business. Besides where would you get the cash for a place like this?"