Open Season Chapter 01: Illegitimati Non Carbonum

Zander Cothose and his lovely wife Lenora Marten-Cothose were vacationing in the sunny beaches of southern Italy, when they were grabbed off the street by masked gun furs. They awoke in a stone cellar, their wrists bound Lenora's in front, Zander's behind his back.

"Oh Zander honey, Where are we? What's happening to us?" Lenora cried out.

"I don't know baby, but nobody treats Zander Cothose this way, Nobody! I tell ya one thing, when we get outta here they're gonna pay, they're gonna pay dearly for what they've done to us, don't you worry," the badger growled, looking around the dimly lit room. Just then there came a voice out of the shadows speaking in broken English...

"Ifa you two will comea with me, I sure that we cana settle this business once anda for all... "

Four large ursine 'goons' assisted the bound couple to their feet, leading them into the next room with a dim yellow lamp illuminating a large oak table and three chairs. The rest of the large room lay in shadows. An elderly Ferret in his eighties stood at the head of the table while his two 'guests' were seated, Zander at one end and Lenora between them. He nodded to his goons.

"And who might you be sir?" the elder asked politely.

"I'm Zander Cothose! Who the hell are you?" the Badger snarled.

The elderly Ferret ignored his demand, turning his attention to the young lady.

"...And this lovely young lady next to you is?" he smiled at her.

"That's my Wife! Lenora." Zander spat seething with rage.

"Lenora?" he asked questioningly of the young lady.

"Lenora Martin-Cothose." She huffed "I don't see whythat would be important to You." she looked askance at this old ferret.

"Suffice it to say that it is, my dear--any children?" He smiled while she looked indignant. "Not that it's any of your business, but No. I can't stand the little brats!" she hissed.

"I see, yes." He said sagely "Perhaps it's for the best..." The elder sat mulling something over, then continued. "You may not realize it, but we have business, you and I. Old business...that shall be settled, momentarily." the old ferret nodded.

"Okay, how much do you want?" Zander spat. "This is about money, isn't it? You kidnapped us for money. Turn a Quick Buck is that it? Grab a couple tourists off the street... Let's cut to the god dam chase here. How much do you want! I don't care, name your price!" He struggled with the ropes binding him, and the two goons at his side restraining him.

"No, No, my friend. This is not about money...this is about something more...personal. Now then. Your name is Zander Cothose, or so you have told me." the elder asked.

"That's right." Zander seethed.

"And this lovely young lady is Lenora Martin-Cothose. Got married I see, Congratulations...Now then, If you will just cooperate, we can be done with this business and be on our way...no harm done."

"Y-you're not going to k-kill us, are you?" Lenora asked with rising panic in her voice.

"No, no my dear. I'm not going to kill you. You've got my word on that." The elderly ferret assured her.

"Oh, thank God!" She breathed a sigh of relief.

"Now then, my dear, if you would be so kind as to put your paws on the table, there's something I would like you to hold for me... "

"O-okay..." She placed her elbows on the table, interlacing her fingers. Her bound wrists were now resting on the table. The elderly ferret withdrew a red billiard ball from his jacket pocket, placing it in her palms, "I want you to hold this, nice and tight, okay? This will all be over very soon," he smiled warmly at the frightened fem. The two goons at her side each placed a paw on her shoulder.

"Hey! Get your goddamn paws off my wife, you son of a bitch!" Zander bellowed. The old ferret shook his head. "Such language in front of a lady I can not abide...Guido, if you please, silence him." The big bruin duct-taped Zander's muzzle shut. "Mmm-mmm-m!" Zander glared, murder in his eyes.

"Now then, if you can't keep a civil tongue in your muzzle, then we are going to have to do business, another way." the Ferret admonished the struggling badger.

"Now then my dear, if you hold that nice and tight, this will all be over very soon."

"B-But why?" Lenora asked.

"It's just symbolic my dear, don't worry about it, it won't be there long, trust me on this...you may not remember this...oh, excuse me my dear, I haven't introduced myself. I am Carmine, Carmine Hadalgo Ferretti." the old ferret bowed slightly to the lady.

"F-Ferretti?" the stunned martin asked. "H-Have we met?"

"Oh, no no no, you see my dear, you and your..._associate_there, have done my family wrong and I'm here to settle an old debt."

"I-I don't understand!" Lenora stammered. "T-This is our first trip to Italy!"

"Perhaps you don't remember." Carmine said rising from his seat. "Do you remember a young fur by the name of, Michael Ferretti?" he asked.

"Mikey? But that was all a joke..." She laughed nervously.

"I don't think so. . . Boys!" he stepped back from the table as the two holding Zander wrestled him to the table. A fifth fur emerged from the shadows and brought down a long bladed ax, severing Lenora's paws high on the wrists just above her bonds.

Both she and Zander screamed, the two goons holding Lenora pinned her arms to the table, her severed paws still held the billiard ball, rocking slightly. The fur with the ax slid the severed paws to where Carmine had sat as he moved toward Zander. One quick stroke and Zander's head slid to a stop in front of the frenzied marten, who was screaming in agony.

"You see my dear, This is how we Ferrettis deal with those who insult our family's honor," Carmine said as Lenora was grabbed by her shoulders and dragged bodily over the table on her back. The other two furs each grabbed a thigh.

As she stared between her severed paws on one side and Zander's head eyes wide staring into eternity on the other, blood coursed from her severed wrists. The light blazed down into her horror filled eyes. Carmine deftly plucked the billiard ball from Lenora's dead paws, they remained cupped, fingers interlaced.

"One more thing and we will be done." Carmine said, placing a square, 7 inch olive wood spike on the table. The goon with the ax set it aside, then drawing a long stiletto and proceeded to slice her blouse open laying her chest bare.

"Eh Boss, Nice rack." The goon commented, Carmine said nothing.

Quick as a flash, he held her beating heart in his paw tucking it into her cupped paws.

The last thing Lenora Martin-Cothose saw in this life, before the oblivion of death took her, was her still-beating heart cupped in her severed paws. Carmine drove the spike through her paws impaling the heart between.

"Now that, is the traditional way one is granted forgiveness in the Ferretti family." Carmine said, quite satisfied. "Box up my trophies, then feed the rest of this garbage to the fish!" Carmine spat on the two corpses. The vendetta had been paid, and Carmine Ferretti walked out of the house into the beautiful sun-drenched Sicilian day. Life was good...for the living.

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A new iron spear was placed next to the historic one in the Barron's private garden, this one bore the head of a badger, one Zander Cothose, as a Raven fluttered to land between his ears--cawing that dinner had been served.

Turning from the window, Carmine's gaze was now upon the black lacquered box that sat on his desk in his study.

A present for Michael perhaps, he thought with a chuckle. The Ferretti Family honor had been restored.

Vini, Vidi, Morta: They Came; They Saw; They Died. . .

Yup, life definitely was good...for the living.

Carmine sat at his desk crafting a letter for his nephew.

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