An Evertech Tale Chapter 27
#27 of An Evertech Tale
Well Orwell's fun time draws to a close and an old friend pays a visit, as anticipated...
Splicer touched down, the car picked him up, he was standing in front of the facility, his paw was gripping the front door. He didn't want to open it, he didn't want to at all, but he felt the door opening all the same, he walked in and started pounding on the door when it closed behind him. He felt an impending feeling of dread and all he wanted to do was run away. He collapsed onto his knees at the front door when the elevator behind him opened.
...
Splicer was in the white processing room, Laguna was sitting across from him.
"Who is the beagle?" Laguna asked, looking at his pet who refused to make eye contact.
"His name is Jack, he won't be an issue..." Splicer said as he counted every ceiling tile for the ninth time.
"I'll decide that puppy, how much does he know?"
"He doesn't know anything, I didn't tell him anything, he's not going to be an issue."
"Who is he?"
"An old contact, we just happened to cross paths a few times coincidentally."
"Does he know?"
"I'm sorry?"
"About Evertech."
"No, he doesn't know" Splicer bit his tongue. "I never told him about my situation."
"What is your situation then?"
"I just told him I was doing deep cover, nothing else."
"How was the trip with Orwell puppy?"
Splicer was glad for the change of pace, he slid a USB drive with every edited movie the terrier had created to the pink badger who palmed it in idle curiosity. Orwell wasn't one to give hand outs perhaps giving the badger the first viewing of the wolf's videos was the form of an olive branch, or an apology.
"See for yourself..."
"Very well then, and this, Jack, he won't be an issue?"
"I promise you Laguna, I'd sooner sign my life away than lie to you about that."
Laguna gave a satisfied nod. Splicer went back to his room where he spent the rest of the night in shock. It was like he had to fight everything inside himself to lie to the badger and even then, he could only omit the smallest details. Laguna watched the first movie, it almost horrified him watching the multiple hour strife the wolf endured in the desert, but at the same time, the framing of it all was almost artistic as he watched the terrier's golden stream being readily accepted by the wolf's muzzle, feeling the desperation and relief of the poor wolf. He came twice to it, deciding to save the eight other films for other nights. Splicer slept troubled, he had to give up Jack's name, he didn't want to see him end up the same as Blaine. He couldn't bear that.
...
Jack had moved onto the third safe house of the day, making sure no one was on his tail. He ran a metal detector over his body making sure he didn't pick up any bugs, then did the same to the general room. If Splicer wasn't lying and he was in over his head, and Blaine really was gone, they were dealing with an unprecedented level of threat. Even when Splicer was actively being chased and beaten by multiple furs, he's never said he was in over his head. The beagle sat down at the table. He started with everything he knew, the wolf's collar, Evertech. It sounded familiar but he's never heard of anyone or anything named Evertech, still, it was his only hint. There was a knock on the door.
Too early to be the pizza I ordered... Jack checked his phone, the website said the pizza was still in the oven.
Shit, my phone? No wonder he was followed every time, he kept trying to get a pizza to each of his hide outs when he thought the coast was clear. Stupid mistake, but he was hungry. He slipped out the fourth back door of the day jus as he heard the front door he locked being opened by unseen hands, he dropped his phone in the backyard and started hopping fences again. He was so tired of all this running, but he knew getting caught wasn't an option, he hit pavement where he wouldn't be leaving any tracks and made his way deeper into the city. He put in an order in store at a pizza place before picking up a new phone, cash only. He was starting to run dangerously low on cash from tracking the wolf down, he didn't regret it. He still had plenty in the ATM but he couldn't risk making a withdrawal at the moment based on how hot his trail still was. He sat down and dug into his pizza, for now he had a moment to think. His pursuers were persistent, they had to be from Evertech. It was the only explanation that came to his mind.
Why are they so interested in covering their tracks, then again, if they're responsible for Blaine. Fuck, I seemed to have got myself wrapped up in some kind of fur trafficking op. Jack sighed, he always hated these kinds of situations. No one wanted to cover their tracks more than furs who traded other's lives. It was no wonder Splicer wound up as some kind of pet to them, he was still far too new for this kind of mission, no one would send him it in good faith. Suddenly pieces started to fall into place.
Wait Splicer was specifically targeted by this group? Why? Jack had to backtrack through everything the wolf had previously done, he would switch to the safe houses he knew the wolf owned. He got up, meal done and plan laid. Walking out of the pizza place with his sweater's hood up covering his face, tucking his tail up against his back to stay low profile for any street scanners.
He got off the bus he caught at the third location of the night. He entered the old apartment complex, checking for any cameras. He entered the third-floor hallway and picked the lock on the last door on the right. He opened the door and sighed, swept clean like all the others, no furniture, even looked like someone had painted over the walls based on how different it looked from the chipping paint of the hallway.
"The hell did you stumble into..." This went beyond cautious; this was a meticulous erasure of the existence of the wolf to the finest detail. He started to realize why so many of their mutual contacts had begun going dark without warning. He closed the door and re-locked it with his pick and wrench before moving out. He needed to do a lot more digging if he was going to try and dig the wolf from the hole he was in. It was a really, fucking, deep hole.
...
Splicer woke up late in the morning, well past his usual wake up time. He knew he wouldn't be offered breakfast by now, instead he decided to just head down to the kitchen to either sneak a quick bite or beg the skunk for something if he was even there.
He walked into the kitchen to a plate of food already prepared and a cup of coffee, Aurich was sitting on the counter which he never did, but he knew it was Splicer's favourite seat, the wolf jumped up next to him and began eating.
"Was it as bad as I think it was?" Aurich felt the wolf burry his face deep into the skunk's tail.
"It was... I'm amazed I still have teeth..." Splicer felt like he was going to be hit by another wave of conflicted feelings, his body still ached and his black eye was still visible. The wolf hated that he had to practically beg his body to fix himself and he forgot to last night. Yet he still felt like he had an oddly enjoyable time, he was ready to admit he enjoyed the new extremely masochistic side Orwell had uncovered for him. He didn't even care if his mind was played with to make it happen, it could help him out with pain tolerance in the field if nothing else.
"Yeah, I'm surprised too. Bet you couldn't heal everything in one night..." Aurich touched around the wolf's eye drawing a sharp inhale. "Sorry, my bad!"
"No it's fine, really I don't mind." Splicer really didn't mind, he almost wished the skunk would press harder, really digging his paw in. He resisted the urge and instead rested his muzzle on the skunk's shoulder letting his eyes close. "Thank you."
"No problem, you're our little puppy after all, gotta make sure you're alright."
"Yeah, whatever..."
...
"YOU WATERBOARDED MY FUCKING PET?" Laguna couldn't help himself, that morning he wanted to watch another of the videos and he decided to pick the last one this time, curious by the title of bath time. He saw the setup of his pet being kidnapped in the shower, the waking up chained up but then when the bench and towel came out his blood began to boil.
"Well, uh... yeah?" Orwell was rubbing the back of his head as he heald the phone far away from his ear to minimize the yelling. He figured the badger's reaction would be on the extreme end, that's why he gave the wolf the USB to give to them.
"Who, what would give you any IDEA that you would be allowed to commit a literal war crime against my property?"
"Well, I mean, he kinda did? I mean I suggested it, but he agreed after all..."
Orwell wasn't directly under Laguna; he was more of an independent contractor for him. But, with just a word to Joseph the badger could have the terrier turned to product without a second thought from the otter. He really needed to pick and choose his words to defuse the badger.
"Wait... he... did?" Laguna was shocked, he couldn't fathom the wolf willingly agreeing to such an act.
"I mean, yeah, he's the most masochistic mutt, sorry, fuck, I meant puppy, I've ever seen. If you ever want to get him to sign that contract you should try playing into that..."
"Thanks for the advice... But I'm telling you, if I find you left anything in his head, you are finished. Got it?"
Orwell hated being talked to like he was just another disposable cog, he knew they could eventually replace him, but he still felt like he was deserving of some respect for his work. He stifled a growl.
"Yes, sir, I understand. His conditioning will wear off by tomorrow if it hasn't already."
"Good, we understand each other then, thank you for the movies, I hope some of them are more, suited to my taste."
"Yes, well, you're welcome, I hope they are as well. Honestly, some of my best works yet."
Laguna hung up the phone with a sigh, he saw the alcohol poured over his pet's face and winced. He had a sadistic side, but he really wished Orwell had asked for a go ahead before resorting to such extreme methods. Still, as the wolf was laying on the ground coughing their lungs out, he saw a drop of pre falling from the caged sheath.
"No way..." Laguna honestly couldn't believe it, he decided he'd save this most extreme one for a different time. Instead, he opened the one above it labeled frat party. The set up was a shy wolf was brought to a frat house by his outgoing dalmatian friend, the wolf was quickly brought to the initiation room, where he was brutally spanked with a paddle to the delight of a dozen onlookers who laughed and mocked his pathetic whines and cries for mercy. All pointing at his dripping cage, Laguna could definitely work with this one.
...
Days passed, Jack was terrified, every fucking place he checked was clean, he started checking cities, then he started hopping countries. Every safe house picked clean, painted the same colour. He anxiously ran from place to place, praying against all odds that one of them, any of them would be untouched. After the fortieth he was about to give up.
Maybe Splicer really is in over his head... Jack was about to give up, but the blank stare of Blaine kept him going. He had to know why, and he needed to know how. He knew what Splicer said, but he had to believe there was something he could do. This was his forte and he was going to do, or die trying. He sighed as he retreated to the nearest bar he could, hoping to quell the rising despair in his chest with some scotch. He walked in and sat at the empty bar counter, ordering a triple on the rocks, before slowly sipping at it, the burning in his throat fighting his urge to flee. Another fur joined him at the bar, he sighed.
"You're a hard mark to pin down..." The golden retriever sat down beside him.
Figures, guess I shouldn't have done the closest bar... Jack waved the bartender over and asked for another drink, plus whatever his new friend wanted.
"It's part of the job I suppose, I take it you're one of them then?" Jack's drink was slid over to him, and the gin and tonic the retriever ordered followed, the bartender wasn't even willing to get close to the other fur, who was practically glowing with malice.
"Yeah one of them, it was a decent chase but I need you to come with me. If you want to run I'd be happy to take you in with a few cracked ribs, if you're lucky."
Jack hated cocky bastards like the retriever, he wrung his paws around his glass as he took a deep breath, downing it in one go. He was about ready to go, he just needed one more drink. He nodded to the bartender.
"Gimme a minute... I wanna get, nice and, wasted." Jack's words were sluring as his clumsy paw caught the sliding glass, he left a fifty on the table. "Keep da, da change."
"Damn you must not be able to hold your liquor" The retriever finished his gin and tonic and had been watching the beagle with a growing curiosity, how had the fur managed to avoid detection for so long when he was such a mess?
Another glass, another fifty went down as Jack ordered two doubles of top shelf. He nearly dropped the glass as he shoved it into the retriever's paw motioning for cheers. He rolled his eyes as he clinked his glass to the beagle's and raised it to his muzzle.
Time to work, again... Fuck I need a vacation after all this... Jack had been waiting for the exact moment for the retriever to drop his guard enough to make a move, he figured the retriever's strength would be similar if not stronger than Splicer's had be so a physical fight was useless. He hated to waste a good drink, but he threw his glass into the retriever's face. The stinging liquid hit the retriever's eyes and got underneath his eye lids. He roared out expletives as he rubbed his face, waiting for his nanites to kick in to start neutralizing the alcohol, but he blindly grabbed towards the wind that brushed passed him, he grabbed fabric and held tight. Jack had expected they would still be a threat so he sacrificed the coat he was wearing to throw by them watching the retriever snatch the first sign of movement. He slipped passed once the retriever was trapped in the moment of smug satisfaction.
He already knew the coat was a feint by the time his eyes were ready to reopen, he rushed out of the bar to the empty street swearing the whole time, calling out the awful things he planned to do next time he caught the beagle.
Jack laid his head against the side of the building, he had scrambled up the bar as soon as he could and he figured this was his best option. He sat on the roof for an hour staring up at the stars as he weighed his options. He was dying for a smoke right now, but he kicked that habit at the behest of his pilot years ago. Nights like this really got his lungs crying out for the sweet burning of that smoke though.
Blaine, Let's take a long vacation after all of this is over, yeah? Jack sighed, he wasn't ready to give up, he would never give up.