FSE

Furry search engine

formerly SoFurry search engine

Chapter 4

The rain had stopped falling but clouds covered up the night sky, casting a somber mood over the city. Personal transports still moved from place to place, even at this late hour of the night. Herik had tailed Lt. Tashk's vehicle the entire time after it left Center 12. He made his way through the traffic, careful to lie back just enough to not arouse the other lupari's suspicions. He made sure to keep records of the exact route taken and where they were likely headed to. To Herik, it appeared they were on the way to the southern outskirts of the city, where a large amount of shipping and receiving warehouses were to be found. The number of other vehicles thinned out as they reached that part of the city and Herik was forced to drift further behind Tashk's vehicle and hope he could keep the tail going successfully.

Herik felt anxious as the surroundings changed from the common civilian domiciles and shops to commercial structures. They were large and blocky, dark and brooding buildings with little positive character or personality to them. Lighting was not evenly spaced along the roads here as minimal activity transpired in this part of the city over night. Thus, when Herik cut his vehicle's headlights it made it that much more difficult to drive. He had no choice in the matter. Pretty much the only vehicles on the road were his and Tashk's, and if Tashk saw his lights it would definitely arouse suspicion. When he turned the corner he saw Tashk pull his vehicle over almost a block away. He was finally stopping. Herik did the same. He pulled over, shut the vehicle down, and quickly pulled out a set of visual magnifiers from the compartment between the front seats.

Through the magnifiers Herik saw Tashk standing there at the corner. The lupari looked nervous, his tail flicking rapidly behind him, his ears swiveling in all direction rapidly. He was waiting for someone, Herik was sure of it. Tashk raised his wrist and checked a chronometer then began to pace, his hands shoved into the pockets of his pants.

Herik checked through the supplies in his vehicle for the audio amplifier unit. A swear escaped him when he saw it was not present. He must have left it in the Center after the last time he had to take it out for maintenance. If Tashk was about to meet someone or several individuals, Herik knew he had to hear what they said. The lupari slowly opened the door to his vehicle and slid out, moving as quietly as possible. He knew how good his own hearing was and decided to take no chances in dealing with a fellow member of his species. Herik left the door partially ajar and checked the air current. He was upwind of Tashk. That was extremely good news for Herik. Even at a distance of half a block, if he were downwind of a fellow lupari, he would be found out within mere minutes.

Herik continued to creep forwards, using the many recessed doorways and alleys between buildings to keep himself concealed. After covering about half the distance to Tashk he saw headlights begin to shine down a side street. A vehicle was coming to join up with his target.

A moderate sized hover truck pulled into view. Tashk raised his arm up to shield his eyes as the vehicle directly faced him, bathing the lupari in its lights. A few moments later the lights shut down and Tashk growled slightly in annoyance. He rubbed his eyes as the doors to the truck opened up. Herik watched from his hiding spot as four figures stepped out. He saw two ralai, an ashar, and perhaps the shortest neishor he had ever seen. The neishor stood perhaps an ear's height higher than Herik as most, when normally they were almost as tall as the arkatians. The neishor was dressed in an expensive suit with a stiff high collar. He was terribly wide at the shoulder, likely very muscular under all the fabric. The others with him were in more casual clothes, jackets and loose fit pants. The small group stepped up to Tashk, the neishor out front. His thick hooves clopped heavily upon the duracrete ground. His voice was deep and rumbling when he spoke.

"Problem?" was all he said.

Tashk frowned and barked out immediately, "Problem? Yes I've got a damned problem! Do you know who your men snatched tonight?"

The lupari paused, waiting for a reply from the neishor. Dead silence lingered between them, the neishor never broke eye contact with Tashk. Herik saw Tashk's tail thrashing grow even faster. The lupari finally snarled and spoke when it was clear the neishor had no intentions of answering him.

"She was a peacekeeper! She just graduated from the academy. Your men were supposed to grab only low profile targets; nobodies. Humans no one would raise a fuss over if they vanish. Why the hell did they grab her?"

"She fit the criteria of the next desired product," rumbled the neishor. The expression on his face looked almost like he was bored.

"Product? Gods your boss is screwed up in the head and he has all of you following in his ideals. They're humans! A sapient race we're talking about here. They're still the current rage all through the UTO in case you haven't noticed. This is an insane risk we take doing this."

"Are you not satisfied with the credits provided you by my patron? Is this a crude way of trying to extort more out of him?"

"What? No. I... I'm telling you this is becoming a problem. This human had a friend here. She..."

The neishor cut him off. "It is your responsibility to keep these matters in check. I thought you said you had your officers on a tight leash. Is this no longer the case?"

"I have my men and they're loyal to me. But this human girl, she's a friend of one of the better peacekeepers in my Center. He's really close to her. He already approached me about her disappearance and I told him to back off. I know him; he's not going to do that. He's as stubborn and driven as they get. He's going to look into this on his own. We don't need that kind of heat. You have to let her go."

The neishor took one step closer to Tashk, his hoof made a sharp sound that echoed through the street. "I have to do nothing you tell me to. I answer only to my patron, and so do you, through me. Don't ever assume you are in any form of advantageous position in the current arrangement you have with my patron. Is that clear?"

Herik was almost surprised when he saw Tashk's reaction. The lupari backed up and his ears folded down. His tail nearly tucked between his legs. In the few years he worked under the lieutenant he had never seen him intimidated before, by anyone. Right now, he was practically scared of this neishor.

Tashk's tone softened and he held his hands up almost apologetically. "L-listen, I'm just concerned this could cause trouble. We don't need this kind of exposure or someone digging too deep in this matter. It's bad for us and your patron. I already heard some rumors that a few Centers on other worlds are starting to put some of the pieces together on what you folks are doing here. It's just a matter of time before..."

The neishor's hand swung out and gripped Tashk by the throat before he could even react. The burly figure pushed him back and against the wall behind him. Tashk let out a grunt of pain as he slammed into it. Herik stared wide eyed as the neishor slid Tashk up the wall, lifting his paws off the ground by several meters. Tashk gripped the neishor's forearm and hand, trying to get him to release him. He began to gag and choke, unable to get air in.

"Your concern is limited expressly to the city of Darrintin lieutenant. You are to keep matters of human disappearance in control here. Not in another city, not off world, not anywhere else but here. All other matters are not your concern and are being handled by others of equal, or perhaps superior, competence as compared to you. Are you no longer capable of performing the service you are so lavishly being compensated for?"

Tashk continued to gasp and shook his head side to side. He could not free himself from the neishor's grip at all. The other three men behind the neishor chuckled to each other as they watched the lupari struggle futilely.

"Do you find the task distasteful? Do you feel this is a concern I need bring before my patron?" he rumbled, his voice dipping even deeper than before. Again, Tashk shook his head in the negative.

"Then you will do as you always do. Clean up the mess and sweep the dirt under the rug." The neishor reached into his jacket pocket and pulled out a small credit card. He slid it into the lupari's jacket pocket, patted it once then released Tashk's throat. Tashk crumpled to the ground in a quivering heap, coughing and sputtering. The lupari slowly pulled himself up to his paws, using the wall for balance for a time. He glared at the neishor, who had already turned his back on the lieutenant.

"You will be contacted next quarter after my patron has picked another candidate, as usual. You will escort the retrieval experts and comply with them in all ways, as usual. If we have to have another talk like this again, we will have to begin to discuss matters of finding a new person capable of performing your duties lieutenant. That is all. Go," rumbled the neishor.

Tashk rubbed his neck, checked the credit card, and slid it back into his pocket. Without another word he staggered back to his vehicle and climbed in. The assistants with the neishor all chuckled amongst each other some more and a few tossed derisive comments after the lupari. Herik watched Tashk start the vehicle and drive off. He crouched down in the recess to give his lieutenant as little chance as possible to see him as he drove by. The vehicle passed him by and was gone in a few more moments, the humming sound of its engine faded away in the distance.

Herik turned back to look at those who remained behind. The neishor pulled out a small communicator and walked around to the other side of the vehicle. The three males were still together and one of them pulled out a yutri as they waited for word from their obvious boss as to when they should get ready to leave. They began to watch a small holo-vid. Herik's mind and heart raced. These men knew what was happening. They were responsible. The neishor had all the answers and could lead him to this 'patron' and more importantly, to Amy. He rushed out from his hiding spot towards the three.

The two ralai and the ashar barely had time to react, shocked looks upon all their faces, as Herik attacked. He lunged forward and slammed one ralai in the center of his chest with a knee. The blow drove the feline looking humanoid into the side of the vehicle with a dull hollow sound and rocked it side to side. The force was powerful enough to dent in the light material it was composed of. A groan escaped the ralai as he slumped down to the ground. The ashar dropped the yutri and let out a startled cry before Herik swung out with a fist, smashing the smaller male across his face. He spit blood and staggered to the side. The other ralai was over his shock and struck back at Herik. He released a quick flurry of punches, each of which the lupari stopped. Herik trapped the ralai's arm when his last punch was sloppy and overextended. He twisted it at the elbow, forced the ralai to bend over at the waist by pushing down on his shoulder, and slammed his knee up into the ralai's face. The ralai barely let out a groan as he collapsed to the ground.

Herik caught the glint of pale light off metal out of the corner of his eye. He slumped to the side just in time to avoid being cut by the knife that the ashar had pulled out. The blade sliced at Herik's jacket, raking a long gash in it. The ashar continued forward, slashing and stabbing at Herik. The lupari backed up, keeping just out of range of the knife as he yanked his own jacket off and held it between his hands. When the ashar thrust out with the knife again, Herik parried him and trapped the knife and hand of the ashar in the jacket, which he quickly wrapped about the blade, rendering it useless. The peacekeeper pulled the ashar up to him and kneed him in the stomach twice. As the smaller foe fell forward, Herik slammed his elbow down on the back of his head. The ashar hit the ground unconscious.

Herik retrieved his jacket, spun it around, and pulled it back on himself in a single fluid motion. The sound of heavy hooves came to his ears, making them flick a few times. The neishor slowly walked into view from around the front of the vehicle. He snapped shut the communicator he held in his hand and slipped it into an inner jacket pocket. The broad humanoid horse looked over Herik from paws to ears. He arched one eyebrow. Herik panted slightly and began to pace around the neishor in a semi-circle.

"Where's Amy?" he growled.

The neishor slowly turned as Herik moved around him. He once more had that bored, almost emotionless expression on his face.

"Who is your patron?" Herik snarled.

"You must be the problem the lieutenant just told me about," rumbled the neishor.

"Where do you have her? What the hells does your patron want with her?"

"He was careless enough to let you follow him here I see. How unfortunate."

Herik felt the rage in him rise up, the sound of his heart pounded in his ears. "Tell me where she is!" he shouted. "Tell me before I beat the information out of you!"

The neishor titled his head on a slight angle to the side, a distasteful look on his face. He exhaled sharply through his nose.

Herik's patience fled him and the lupari closed in and swung at the neishor with all his might. To his shock his fist whiffed over his target's head. The neishor had spread his legs, bent at the knees, ducking under the punch. At the same time he slammed his fist into Herik's stomach. Herik's eyes went wide and he let out a gasp, spit flying from his mouth. He staggered back several steps before he caught his balance. The lupari was partially doubled over, arms folded over his stomach. The pain was intense. He never felt anyone hit him that hard before.

The neishor stood back up, brushed off his suit jacket, and approached Herik. "You should have thought this over a little more carefully pup," he rumbled. His hooves clopped and scraped along the ground.

Herik shook his head, forced down the pain, and swung back out at the neishor when he was in range. He made sure he would not be taken by surprise by the speed of his foe once more. A swift flurry of blows and parries was traded, ending with Herik trying to hook the neishor's leg and trip him. The neishor raised his leg just enough for the lupari's sweep to pass under his leg, spun around and stepped half a body length away, then slammed his hoof down on the ground, his side facing Herik. The neishor tugged at the bottom of his jacket, straightening it out. He frowned at Herik, looking at him as if he was some manner of distasteful nuisance.

The lupari snarled and lunged forward at his foe. Another small flurry of punches was released by Herik, all parried. His final one was caught in the palm of the neishor, his strength so great that Herik barely budged the enemy's arm despite his swing. The neishor twisted Herik's wrist sharply but Herik flipped sideways in the direction his wrist turned to avoid a sprain or break. He landed on his paws, his hand free, and brought up one arm to elbow the neishor on the shoulder. The neishor moved in as expected by the lupari and his elbow struck, but the neishor barely flinched from the impact. Herik felt his jacket gripped by both hands of his enemy and could only watch for the brief moment that it took for the neishor to smash his head down against Herik's face. Pain exploded through him and blood poured from his nose immediately.

Herik stumbled back against the vehicle which he found at his rear now. His head spun but he was not so dazed as to not throw himself to the side to avoid the hoof of his enemy when he kicked at him. The hoof smashed into the passenger side door, staving it in and crushing both the handle and entire locking mechanism. The window on the side shattered from the blow as well. Herik realized the neishor was something much different from anyone he had ever fought before, both at the Academy or even in the VR simulations with Amy. He was truly dangerous and freakishly strong.

Herik drew his pistol and swung his arm towards the neishor in a fluid motion. The pain and disorientation was just enough to slow him down. The neishor grabbed the inside of Herik's forearm and pushed it aside as he fired. The weapon made a loud crack sound as it discharged its energy bolt, but the shot went well wide of its target. Herik's hand was slammed against the side of the vehicle once, twice, then three times; the gun falling from his hand to the ground after the third. The neishor reared back his fist and swung at Herik, who barely ducked under it in time. Again the side of the vehicle was almost smashed in completely. Herik staggered away from it and looked frantically for his gun. As soon as his eyes fell on it, the Neishor's hoof slammed down atop it. He heard an awful crunching sound then saw a few sparks from the weapon. When the neishor removed his hoof it was quite clear that the weapon was too damaged to safely use.

The lupari cradled his injured hand against his chest and spit blood out of his mouth as he backed away from the neishor. The menacing figure continued to walk towards him in a slow, almost casual manner.

"There is no point in running. You're already injured and obviously not skilled or strong enough to stop me. If it makes you feel any better, you put up a more of a fight than I've had in quite some time. It pleases me to be subjected to this, a feeling I thought I'd not have again," rumbled the neishor.

Herik stumbled down the street, towards his vehicle. He had to get to it. He couldn't beat that thing. His mind raced. All he thought about was Amy. He couldn't fail her. He had to live. He had to.

The neishor drew closer to Herik. The hooves grew louder as he approached.

Herik reached his vehicle and yanked open the door. He saw the neishor begin to run, to close the last bit of space between him. If it got hold of him again Herik was unsure of he could escape or even survive.

A rumbling sound was heard and bright lights turned the corner. Herik was already in his vehicle, facing the neishor, when the large truck made the turn. The neishor's arms flew up to shield his eyes and he practically snarled in anger and surprise. Herik started his vehicle and threw it into reverse immediately as the neishor ran to the side to get out of the way of the truck. A loud horn blared out and Herik's vehicle darted backwards. He winced in pain as his injured hand manipulated the controls to steer. Another quick shift of controls and he drove forward, leaving the neishor behind.

The lupari drove recklessly fast, putting as much distance between him and the neishor as possible. He took turn after turn and constantly looked for signs of being tailed. Finally, after almost ten minutes, his racing heart began to slow down, along with his vehicle. Herik panted heavily and brought his hand up to his nose. He wiped more blood off on the sleeve of his jacket. He was alive. It was pure, dumb luck that he was alive, but he accepted that. That's all that mattered. As long as he lived he could keep looking for her.

Herik didn't give himself a moment to feel distraught about failing to get the information out of that neishor. He still had other options open to him. He flicked on the comm in his vehicle and called into Center. He patched into station three twenty two.

"Center twelve. Data station three twenty two, how can I help you?" asked Milaj. Right now, to Herik, he voice was the sweetest thing in the world.

"Milaj, it's me, Herik. I need you, are you free?" Herik heard some rattling sounds in the background and what might have been something else being dropped off her station table. The viliti may have mumbled something under her breath as well before answering him.

"Yes! Of course. Wet, but free. How can I help you?"

"Milaj, I need Lieutenant Tashk's address."