FSE

Furry search engine

formerly SoFurry search engine

"Asshole."

Rey only just heard the insult over the rumble of the bus he'd just stepped off as the doors swung shut behind him. His worn sneakers hit the rain-soaked pavement with a wet slap, and he pulled the hood of his navy sweatshirt up over his round ears to shield them from the downpour. There was nothing to be done about the backpack that was slung over his shoulder, but he wasn't worried about that.

"Bitch," he hissed under his breath as it curled visibly away from his muzzle before dissipating into the cold night air. It wasn't his fault she'd been whining at the top of her lungs about being a single mother not inches from his ear. Maybe if she knew the definition of the word "discretion" he wouldn't have told her to keep both her holes shut. It worked for one of them, anyway. The whole thing made his tail twitch.

But the irritation faded as the city lights illuminated the bustling crowd around him, and he was reminded that he had a job to do. He needed to focus. Stepping forward and beginning to duck and weave through the passersby, he traced the route out in his head. It wasn't a long walk, thank whoever there was left to thank these days, but the slow pace of the pedestrians around him coupled with the depressing weather made it seem infinitely more arduous. Once, he couldn't quite get out of the way of a lumbering bull who seemed more concerned with showing off his physique than dressing for the weather, and was nearly knocked to the ground.

"Fuckin' vermin," the bull spat as he passed. Seemed like everyone was determined to get on Rey's nerves tonight.

"Racist prick," he muttered, and continued on his way. His window of opportunity was tight, and he'd wasted enough time already.

Finally, after what seemed like an eternity, or at the very least, fifteen minutes, he arrived. The sign that hung above the glowing doorway of the hotel read, "Day and Night". Not the classiest place in town, but when you were hard on cash, and not worried about what went on behind closed doors, it was a godsend. Rey had been told that the owner had gotten a little too big for his britches, whatever the hell that meant. Something had to be done about it, and he, apparently, was the guy to do it.

For obvious reasons, he couldn't go in the front door, but that wasn't a problem. Everything had been carefully planned. He made his way around the building, down the dark alley that separated the hotel and the night club next door. The faint pounding of an electronic beat could be heard through the brick walls smeared with chipped and fading paint. Even on his free time he avoided places like that. Truth be told, he'd never been much for parties. A grime-covered lamp that hung nearby was supposed to illuminate the lightless space, but as it was attached to the wall of the hotel, it remained off for lack of maintenance.

Above him was his golden ticket into the place; a fire exit from another age. The metal steps that hung from the side of the hotel wall, and ended with a ladder that hung too high up to simply jump up and grab. Meant to be climbed down, not up. But even that wasn't much of an issue. Rey had already positioned the nearby dumpster next to it the night before, and even through the gloom, he could see that it had not been moved. He clambered up the side, trying to keep the banging noise to a minimum. Low-light vision came in handy here, helping him find the handholds that, though slick, aided his ascent atop the stained steel of the receptacle.

He scanned the entrance to the alley tentatively, checking for anyone who may be watching, or worse, approaching. But the people continued on their way as always, and Rey took a deep breath. Looking up to where the ladder hung, rusted from years of disuse, he tensed his legs, and leapt, paws outstretched to catch the cold steel of the bottom rung. They caught, but the rain made holding on harder than he anticipated, and there was a moment of panic as he felt his paws sliding before the pads caught, and his body weight brought the ladder tumbling down with a loud creak. After landing, he scanned the alley entrance again, heart pounding in his chest.

Nothing. Time to move on.

He swung around to the right side of the ladder, and began his climb, the flat soles of his shoes making it treacherous for the same reasons as his leap of faith. It proved to be a minor concern however, and he reached the top without a single slip. He glanced at the row of windows that lead to the rooms on the second floor, shivering briefly. Usually, they would all be closed and latched. A safety precaution in a less-than-respectable part of town. But tonight, on the far side, there was one open. Just as he knew there would be. He moved toward it quickly, pawfalls making soft clinking noises against the metal. The curtains on all the rooms were drawn, which was fortunate, though some were still bright with lamplight. He would have to be quiet, but he'd been planning on that anyway.

He slipped through the open window and into the room. It was small for a hotel room, and not in the cozy way. The walls were angular and unwelcoming, laiden with faded wallpaper and lined with cracked, stained baseboards. The white popcorn ceiling looked ridiculous, in contrast with the beige carpet that was as flat and unforgiving as the pavement outside. The beds looked uncomfortable, and the whole place smelled like someone had tried to cover some hideous stench up with air freshener and gotten a scent that lay somewhere in between, which was somehow even worse. He made his way to the dingy bathroom, and the scent changed into the sterile odor of bleach. He tried not to think of what might have been in the bathtub behind him.

The backpack made a muffled noise as it hit the tile, and he pulled the zipper open carefully, revealing several plastic-wrapped packages inside. He pulled them out one by one, laying them on the counter. The first was a mask, white and pristine. It was Halloween after all. The second was a uniform, made of tacky, red faux-velvet with a gold trim, coupled with a pair of generic black dress pants. And finally, a small package of white powder.

He donned the uniform and mask, stuffing his clothes into his backpack before marching back across the room to leave it by the window. He would need it handy if he had to make a quick escape. Which, given what he was trying to do, was pretty likely. As he moved to exit the room, giving it one last glance, he grabbed the package of white powder and stuffed it into the pocket of his uniform. Taking the steel knob in paw, he twisted and pushed, exiting the room and allowing the door to swing shut behind him. The lock system was still the old fashioned key, and the doors didn't lock automatically, so he would be fine getting back in later.

The hallway was not much more glamorous than the suites. The paint was just as lackluster, and the carpet just as unforgiving. He gave the details no time, moving quickly down the hall, heart hammering in his ears. This was not the first time he'd felt this way, but the experience didn't lessen the effects. He felt hot, despite the draft that seemed to come from everywhere and nowhere at once, and his breathing was quick. He did his best to control it, so as not to seem suspicious, but the uniform clung to the damp fur around his armpits.

He made his way to the stairwell at the far side of the hallway, opening the door, and making his way down the grimy steps. The light in here was almost nonexistent. Rey had to make a conscious effort not to miss a step. Fortunately, he was only a floor up, so the relative safety of the landing was not far.

The lobby was the nicest thing about the place. Well lit, and at least somewhat clean, it more than you would expect from a place like this. The marble-esque tile shone, both from the polishing it had clearly received recently, and from the puddles that spilled out from underneath the royal red carpet. Rey tried his best to ignore the wet sloshing beneath his paws as he took a left, heading past the only working elevator, and approaching the restaurant. He made his way in hurriedly, as though he were late to an evening shift, but not so much so that heads turned and eyes looked suspiciously on. He was dressed in colors that the bouncer at the door mentally waved through. The cougar hardly moved a muscle as the unseeming rat scurried past.

On his way through the dining area, he caught a glimpse of his target dressed in an expensive suit near the front of the restaurant. The tubby sheep was sitting quietly, a pleasant smile resting on his face as he dug into the food on his plate. His wine glass was almost empty. Right on time.

He was surrounded by two bodyguards; muscular doberman in suits as nice as their employer's. If all went well, they'd be looking for a new line of work after tonight. He thought he might have caught one of their eyes, but he disappeared through the white swinging doors that lead to the kitchen before he could be sure.

Once inside, his job was simple. There was a bottle that had been left on a table of stainless steel. He knew it was the bottle he was looking for. It hadn't been left there by accident. Just like the bouncers, the kitchen staff waved his sudden appearance away in their minds. They were too busy to bother trying to recognize him as he removed the package from his pocket, and poured the powder carefully into the bottle. Despite the adrenaline pumping through his veins, his hands were calm and steady. That much he had practiced on countless similar jobs. Grabbing a tray from the table beside him, he set the bottle on it, and made his way back into the busy dining room.

There, he navigated his way through plush chairs filled with chatty bodies, feet relishing the softness of the freshly cleaned carpet. The light was dim here too, but it was for the sake of mood, and not so overbearing as the stairwell. As he approached the table with feigned confidence and a mannequin smile, he could feel sweat beading the fur on his forehead, and staining the red of his uniform. He stopped in front of the bodyguards respectfully, nodding to them. They looked him over and moved aside.

"More wine, sir?" he asked pleasantly, already knowing the answer. It was, after all, his favorite year.

"Yes, thank you. Just another glass, I think." The sheep looked up at his and smiled a cherubim smile. Practically saintly. Rey could almost not believe this man was a gang leader. But then, that wasn't his job to decide, was it?

He leaned down and poured, hands as still as the grave despite the knot doubling itself over in his stomach. Once the glass was full, he bowed, and quickly made his way away from the table. Out of the corner of his eye, he could see the sheep raise the glass to his lips, and impossibly, his pulse quickened. This was fast-acting poison. He didn't have much time. He headed straight for the door, taking the wine and the tray with him. He had been hoping for a moment or two before his target took a drink, but it looked like he was going to have to do things the hard way.

As he reached the door, the bouncer gave him a questioning look, and put a paw out in front of him to stop him. There was no time.

The cougar opened his mouth to question Rey, but in that moment, the room broke into chaos. Someone screamed as the sheep fell from his seat, foaming at the mouth. Panic was beginning to flood the dining hall, and Rey took that opportunity to take a swing at the now-distracted bouncer with his free hand. It connected, the impact of the punch sending waves of heat and pain through Rey's clenched fist, but it did the job. The bouncer crumpled ungracefully to the ground, out cold. He glanced at the table, and saw that the body guards had taken notice, and were headed his way, but there was a throng of confused and scared people between himself and them. He shuffled back out into the hallway, and headed for the stairwell, hearing quickened steps in the lobby. Likely the guard from the counter. He needed a distraction.

It came in the form of the elevator swinging open beside him, and a handsome leopard stepping out, glancing down the hall toward the restaurant. Rey stepped in, and selected the highest floor, mashing the "close" button, and stepping back out before the doors slid shut. He took a calm breath, put the bottle back on the tray, and slowed to a brisk pace just in time to see another uniformed officer come around the corner, and glance at the screen above the elevator that displayed the floor. The bat cursed, and bolted for the stairway just ahead of Rey. He took a moment to glance back, noting that the bodyguards were still not yet in sight.

He caught the stairwell door the guard had flung open before it closed, and slipped inside, smirking as he listened to heavy footsteps ascending. He took the bottle back down from the tray, and began his own ascent, relieved that his location was only on the first floor. He hurried a little, not caring if the guard above heard his own steps. He only had a short way to go. His escape was in sight.

He jogged down the hallway, trying to keep his steps light, and managing some degree of success with it. As he reached the end of the hallway, he pushed open the door of his unlocked room, and hurried into the bathroom, dumping the wine down the sink drain as instructed. Finally, he tossed the bottle in the garbage, left the tray on the counter, exited the bathroom, and headed for the window where his backpack was waiting.

But as he stepped out of the hallway and into the room, his tunnel vision dissipated sharply, and he was suddenly aware of a few things he'd not been previously. A collection of sights and sounds that sent a chill down his spine. The glow of the low definition TV screen that resided opposite the beds. A voice calling to him. And most importantly, the owner of that voice - a black-furred wolf with confused, golden eyes - lying in one of the stiff beds, shirt removed.

"Excuse me," he finally heard with some clarity. He paused, and stared a second. "May I help you?" the wolf asked.

Rey was in a state of panic. He had not prepared for this. "You shouldn't be here," he blurted out dumbly. The wolf's only response was a tilt of the head, and a twitch of the ear. Rey blinked a few times and then mentally shook himself off, putting on an embarrassed smile. "Th- that is to say that they told me the room was empty," he corrected himself.

The wolf seemed to gain no clarity from this explanation. "The hotel? Well, it was. I just booked it for a couple of nights. Should I see the front desk about being moved?"

"No, no, it's fine. I'll just be on my way," Rey responded, beginning to walk quickly toward the window, and his backpack. The wolf shrugged and looked back at the TV. Rey's mind was reeling. This wasn't supposed to have happened. The front desk was supposed to keep this place empty. Someone, somewhere had screwed up.

He reached for his bag, and started toward the door, but just then he heard a banging from down the hall, and then yelling. He cursed inwardly and turned around, heading back toward the window, but he was stopped short by a question.

"Why are you going out that way? The door's right over there," the wolf asked, gesturing to the hallway as if Rey didn't already know. He had to think fast.

"Well uh... it's kind of embarrassing to admit, but... I'm having a... disagreement! With one of my co-workers. I'd rather not bump into them if possible. I'm not very good with confrontation," he explained shakily, praying the wolf would buy it. The knocking was getting closer.

"Ah, I see. I didn't mean to pry. It just seemed odd. It's my job to ask questions. I'm a private investigator. Oh! Why don't I get you my card? Just in case you ever need one," the wolf said, beginning to rummage through his pockets. Rey screamed internally.

"That's really not necessary," he chuckled quickly, but the wolf shook his head.

"I insist. You never know when you might need one, and in my business, I need all the exposure I can get. I can investigate little things like thefts... missing pets... or maybe if you've got a girl, and you're suspicious that she's not being honest, I can do some good, old-fashioned-"

"Not to be rude, but I'm in a hurry," he interrupted sharply, and the wolf stopped, seeming somewhat taken aback. The knocking, Rey could hear, was now right next door.

The wolf muttered an apology, pulling a card out from his pocket and offering it to Rey, who quickly snatched it up, shoved it in his own pocket without looking at it, and headed for the window. He was stopped again by the wolf's voice.

"I'm sorry, just one last question," he insisted, and though Rey paused, he did not look back. "What did you pour down the sink... Rey Miller?"

The name sent a new wave of panic echoing through his mind, and he turned to see the wolf holding something. A card. Or more specifically, a piece of identification. His driver's license. Rey was speechless. The wolf had an intensity to his stare that had not previously been present. There was a knock at the door, and a voice yelling past it.

"Security! Open up!"

The two stared each other down for a moment before the wolf spoke again. "If you really do have a good reason to be going out the window, maybe you should explain it to security. I for one, can't help but find it suspicious."

The banging grew louder, and more impatient. Rey stood frozen, poised on the edge of the windowsill. That little white card was all that kept him from leaving. Before he could make a decision, the wolf made it for him.

"Take off your shirt, and get under the covers," he instructed quietly, and headed for the door. At first, Rey didn't respond. "If you want your ID back, you and I are going to have to have a little talk."

He cursed inwardly, knowing there was little else he could do. If he left without his ID, the police could track him down. There were plenty of things that could be covered up or misconstrued. But a piece of ID was not one of them. This encounter would cause too many deaths to not be suspicious. He moved quickly, dropping his pack, throwing off his shirt and vest, and crawling under the covers. The light went off, and he heard the wolf's voice calling out in response to the knocking.

"Yeah, yeah, I'm coming." He sounded different now, nothing like the irritatingly friendly guy he'd been not moments ago. Rey heard the door swing open. "The fuck you want?"

"Sir, this is serious. There's been a murder, and a suspect was seen heading toward-"

"He ain't here," the wolf cut the guard off. The guard didn't sound happy about it.

"We just needed to know if you heard anything suspicious in the last few minutes."

"The only thing I've heard the last few minutes is the sound of my partner's breathing. That was until you dickwads showed up and started banging on the door. Now why don't you scram before I give the hotel manager an earful for waking me up?"

The guard snorted.

"You think he's going to put one guest before an official police investigation?"

"Are we done here?"

There was a long moment of silence where Rey imagined the two staring each other down. It was in that moment that he realized something. This private investigator had already lied to cover for him. If he turned up later with anything incriminating he'd be facing jail time for obstruction of justice and if Rey was crafty enough, he could even take the bastard down with him as an accomplice. Not that that mattered, because if it was discovered this asshole had found him out, they'd both be dead. Finally, the guard spoke.

"I need to see a permit for your weapon."

Rey imagined the guard didn't really, and he was just being a dick, but whatever the case was, Rey was not sticking around to find out. He heard the wolf sigh and start rummaging through his pockets, muttering something about the guard being a prick. While they were distracted, Rey slithered out of the bed and onto the floor, sneaking his way across the room, and over to the window. He glanced back at the wolf, and imagined he might have seen his ear twitch, but he couldn't be sure if the wolf was aware of his leaving or not. All the more reason to leave quickly. Grabbing the shirt and vest he'd discarded earlier, he approached the open window. He could feel the cool night air against his fur, and shivered gently before climbing out onto the fire escape.

The metal was slick, but he hurriedly made his way down to the alley without incident, choosing to loop around the now-silent club to the other side. There, he stopped, and pulled on his t-shirt and hoodie, and stuffed the shirt and vest inside. He made his way back out onto the street, looking back at the gathered emergency services once before starting to walk. He had one more stop to make before he could head home. He took only a few steps before remembering the card in his pocket. He took it out, and flipped it name-side up.

William Thomas, Private Investigator

He knew the two of them would be meeting again soon. His address was listed on his ID, and he was sure this William would have plenty of questions. Questions he'd have to promptly quash without answering them.

Slipping the card back in his pocket, he sighed. At least it had stopped raining.