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Parasite is the third part of The Underground series

Chapter 11 of 29

Conflict of Interest

The dachshund didn't even have time to react when the two powerful black paws landed on his back, gripping him harshly by his black sportcoat. He had been sitting at the bar, engrossed in his conversation with the blue vixen when suddenly he found himself being jerked off his barstool. His body spun around harshly, and then slammed against the bar. The barbaric force alone winded him. In a black blur, a paw latched onto the doxie's cocky neck, crushing inward on his windpipe. His eyes were wide in shock as his own paws went to Alias's arms, trying to pull the fox from his throat, however his efforts were in vain.

"Jesus, Alias! What the hell?" A sharp, feminine voice cried out at his actions.

Alias heard Jenna yelling at him from the side of the canine, but all this wrath was directed toward the stupid motherfucking doxie who was here simply to piss him off tonight.

"You have exactly five seconds to tell me why you're here, before I turn this bar into an impressionist painting!" Alias snarled through his gritted fangs.

"You... haven't changed much... have you?" The doxie spoke as best he could with limited air; his face grimacing in regular intervals of pain.

"Neither have you, you cocky little shit!" Alias shot back, getting in the canine's face.

"Alias!" A feminine, but strong voice sliced through the air, getting the black fox's attention. He looked up at Jenna, standing before him looking pissed. "I think you're the one who needs to start explaining!"

The black fox scoffed. "Where the hell did you find this thing anyway?"

"What the hell is wrong with you? He's a friend!" Jenna protested, angrily answering his question.

This caused Alias to laugh harshly. "Oh, he's you're buddy, huh?" He asked looking at her. He then looked back down at Otto Frihe struggling for air. "Getting chummy with all the waitresses here, or just this one?" His attention went back to Jenna, feeling the festering anger becoming septic in his blood. "Do you realize who this bastard is?"

"Anger has been your worst vice there, Al."

The black fox watched as the doxie's eyes lit up slightly, and a satisfied look came over his muzzle as these words were spoken to Alias by another.

Another with a pistol to Alias's temple.

"Seriously, do you realize how much that hinders you as a mercenary? Irascibility is nasty thing." The raspy masculine voice commented.

"What the hell?" He heard Jenna cry out, paws going to her hair in panic.

Out of the corner of his eyes, Alias saw a large, green gecko, brown hair slicked back like a shady used car dealer, holding some form of a pistol to his head. It was small, probably no larger than a nine, but that didn't mean it couldn't kill him any less.

"McCain..." Alias muttered in a low growl. He then turned his attention back to Otto, still holding him by the neck. "I see you still run with The Underground's best and brightest." He said with a bite of sarcasm.

"We kind of got the upper hand here, Alias." Otto smirked back, looking quite pleased with the situation. "We're in control here."

"I give it fifteen seconds..."

"Try five." Mick's voice cut through the air, the sound of a pistol cocking itself following promptly. "Sorry, dude. Got caught up."

Alias couldn't look to see, not with Darius's gun at his temple, what Mick was doing, but he guessed he had his back in some way, shape or form.

"No worries." Alias said, in a mock care-free tone. "Glad you made it to the party." A sudden and alarming thought hit Alias. "But if these two are here, then they probably-"

"Oh, Goddamn it..." He heard Mick curse, as Alias watched an older, heavyset raccoon come up behind Mick and shove a sawn-off shotgun barrel discretely into his back.

"Dradis is the name." He said in a deep tone, almost vibrating the glass floor more than the bass of the music. "Looks like you boys just got had; twice."

"Swear to God, I'll give him another hole to breathe out of..." Mick warned in a low tone, referring to McCain but speaking to Dradis.

"Someone needs to start explaining something; right fucking now!"

Both the fox and doxie looked over to the left at Jenna simultaneously. Her jaw was set, eyes narrowed, and ears laid flat against her head. The notepad she took orders on was crumpled into a mess in her left paw, while a pencil, which now was in two pieces, made an L shape in her right.

"Now, I don't know if this is some hot-blooded macho bullshit that you guys just do, or if this is something as stupid as a turf war, but either way, I've had it up to here," Jenna held her paw out flat against her neck, "with all of this!" The vixen then chucked the contents of both paws behind the bar in anger. "Alias!" She barked. "Jesus! What the hell has gotten into you? Look at yourself and what you're doing! Regardless of what's going on here, how is this helping anything?" The fallout of her tirade then went to Otto. "Otto, I've never had issues with you, you've always been a good customer. But if you're trying to drive some kind of wedge between me and Alias, then let me go ahead and say that it's not going to work! It's just not how I roll! The last thing I expected was this shit from either of you!" Jenna growled at both of them, sounding livid. "Now, I may not be the smartest vixen to have graced this club, but I'm not so dense that I'd miss the fact that you both have been comparing dick sizes since you've seen each other!"

Alias took a deep breath, and sighed slowly. "It's a little more complicated than that... I kind of have a gun to my head."

"Paws around my throat..." Otto croaked out.

"Shut up!" Alias growled back at him.

"Is it now?" Jenna snapped, a tone of mock surprise in her voice. "Because as far as I can tell, one of you is probably going to come and piss on me to mark your territory like we're still back in the day crawling around on all four!" She let out a quieted growl of frustration, brushing her hair from her face. "I like to think society's advanced a bit since then..."

"Who the hell is this furry bitch?" Darius spat out rudely causing Mick to shove the barrel of his gun harshly against his ear.

"Now, that wasn't very polite!" Mick growled.

Alias felt his rage simmering under his fur, wanting nothing more than to be released as physical violence against these people. But he couldn't; this he knew. He had to play it smart. "You know, I should have known you were too much of a pussy to handle your own!" He snarled at the canine. "This is between us! And you can't even deal with me alone!"

Without warning a arm latched around the raccoon's throat loosely. However, a sharp ball-point pen was held firmly in her chocolate colored paw, holding it dangerously close to his jugular vein, applying pressure.

"Hi there!" A chipper voice said aloud. "See, normally, I don't get into these things, but you see, I know them, and I don't know you guys." She leaned around Dradis, looking deceivingly innocent. "So, that kinda puts you at a disadvantage. "

Alias shut his eyes for a moment in relief. Thank God he was in good with Abby Thrace.

"And you see, this bar is kind of my responsibility and these glass floor tiles are expensive and hard as hell to clean." She giggled slightly. "So, why don't we all just put our toys down, and move someplace else with this? If not, then I'll have to do something to stop all this nonsense, and considering I have every bouncer in here ready with a gun, I think I really have all the power in this situation, gentlemen." The pretty calico explained sweetly.

"Fuckin' cunts running the show here!" Darius said aloud, letting out a laugh. "I see how you ended up here, Al."

Alias simply ignored Darius's comment, and his grip on Otto broke. As he let go, he shoved the doxie back into the bar a second time. In a chain reaction, Darius hesitated for a second, then holstered his gun, followed by Mick, and then finally Abby moved her pen from Dradis's neck.

"Thanks!" Abby said, with a large smile on her face. "Oh yeah, and the margaritas are on special tonight!" She announced in her cheery tone, then walked back to her bar.

"Go ahead, Otto." Alias spat. "Tell her who you really are."

The doxie took a step back, adjusting his clothes which had been jerked about by Alias. Pulling his lapels straight, he stepped forward looking back dead into the fox's eyes. They stood there for what seemed like an eternity; both facing the other in a deadlock. Alias could feel Jenna's eyes go from him, to Otto, then back to him trying to make sense of the situation.

"I never tried to cover up who I was, Alias." Otto shot back at the black fox. He didn't sound angry or aggressive. It was more of a condescending tone, like when you talk to someone as if they were stupid. "I don't have a problem telling her I'm a Pillar."

The shadow fox let out a snort. "About as bright as one..."

"Weak, dude." Otto jousted, shaking his head in exasperation. "Who's really being the dishonest one here?"

"Fuck that!" Alias spat, sounding disgusted with Otto. "I was an independent, you know that!"

"Did I? Did any of us know that? I didn't know!" He looked over at Darius. "Dixon didn't know, neither did Hellyer for that matter or any of the other Nine!" He shook his head. "How soon until you up and leave on her?" He asked looking over at Jenna.

The Mercenary, with his wide frame and broad shoulders, took a step closer to Frihe. He didn't dwarf Otto by any means, but Alias was still a good few inches higher. Alias had every confidence in himself that he could take Otto. The other night, Alias had just been trying to get his paws on that damn key. Combatting Otto was only secondary. If the doxie wanted to throw down on a grudge match, Alias wouldn't hesitate to accept the offer. It was the others with guns that concerned him.

"I swear to God, you say one more Goddamn thing I'll beat seven shades of shit out of you!" The black fox snarled, pointing his finger a few inches from Otto's face. "What the fuck are you even doing here?"

Otto shrugged confidently, a cocky smile growing over his muzzle. "No law says I can't be here."

"You listen here you arrogant little prick-"

"No!" Suddenly a blue body shoved her way between the two of them. Facing Alias, Jenna's paws went to his chest, shunting him backwards away from Otto. The black fox complied reluctantly, however never broke his death-stare at Otto. "No, no, no!" He heard her sharp tone cut through the air. "This is not happening. Not here!" Jenna ordered in a seething tone.

"Someone ate their Wheaties this morning..." Mick muttered, his paw resting gently on the handle of his gun. The others simply stood around. Since Abby had enforced an unofficial truce between them, they no longer needed to be at each other's throats. Still, that didn't mean Mick wouldn't be ready.

"Don't you get it?" Alias barked back, cutting her off and pushing her paws aside gently. Reflected on her face, Alias could see his look of fury that burned in his emerald eyes. Jenna truly had no idea, did she? "They're bidding on the same contract!"

"Contract?" Jenna replied in a similar tone. "What are you talking about?"

"Isis contacted them as well." He shot back, overstating everything. "Who do you think I was running down last night? If they get the bid, we lose the job and we lose everything!"

He watched Jenna's face suddenly morph into a mixture of realization and horror. Her angry, crystal eyes also changed to a look of what he could only describe as disappointment.

"You mean..."

"The Nine are our competition!" Alias explained in an impatient tone. "You've been having happy little chats with our rivals!"

The vixen could only stare at Alias for a moment, looking like her world had just been violently rocked. She then slowly turned around, looking at Otto. "You bastard..." She said in a disgusted hoarse whisper.

"Jenna," Otto replied in a slow tone, looking back at the vixen through soft eyes, "it's not like that! I didn't know you were in on this too."

"And of all the rave clubs in all the towns, in all the world, you walk into hers?" Mick added in a facetious tone.

"If I had known Alias dragged her into this mess then yeah, things would have been different." Alias watched Otto defend himself, seeing Jenna's infuriated eyes not quell in the least. "Jenna, I swear none of this had anything to do with us..."

Meanwhile, the vixen looked back at him with a disgruntled expression. She looked like she wanted nothing more than to deliver one good punch to Otto's face. At that moment when Jenna turned on Otto, Alias wouldn't have minded admitting that sparked a glow of satisfaction and justification for his actions.

"You made a fool of me..." Jenna replied in a quieted but firm tone, looking like she had just been humiliated. The young vixen then shook her head, turning away from Otto to face Alias, who stood next to her like a praetorian guard.

"Look, I hate to be the only guy with any balls here, but just what the hell are all of you doing here?" Darius McCain interrupted, looking at all of them as if they were pathetic. The large reptile slowly walked over to Alias, getting his pug-nose right in the fox's face.

"I have the keycard and a meeting." Alias replied folding his arms, becoming confrontational. "What's your excuse besides sending in Secret Agent Dipshit over there as a mole. He's even a shitty assassin!"

"We've already had our talk about the card you stole." McCain simply laughed.

Alias scowled, rejecting that statement. "The operation was in play. All bets are off then, you know that! Which is why Otto found the balls to actually take a few shots at me!"

"Whatever." McCain shrugged. "I'm not blaming a man for which way his dick goes." He shot a glance over at Jenna, who was standing only a few feet away from the two. "But I don't do bitch detail. Don't matter what's growing on their skin..." His slits for irises dilated in amusement and he turned to Jenna. "Run along now," he ordered her, reaching his scaly paw around Jenna's body, over her backside, "time for the men to talk." The gecko brought his paw down along a trajectory intending to slap her ass in a degrading way.

Alias was faster.

A dark paw latched onto his green wrist, stopping it a few inches from his intended target. Jenna simply stood there, looking defiantly back at McCain.

"You. Don't. Touch. Her." His words were like acid, eating through all the bullshit between them. Unlike the almost playful banter before, this was business. McCain wasn't the type many people could tell what to do. He was that guy. This could end up with all of them holding guns to each other's heads once again. Hissing through his fangs, the lizard realized how serious of a threat Alias had just dealt him. Alias let his words sink in McCain's mind; burry themselves deep in his conscious. "Ever." He finished, shoving his paw away while releasing it.

"Alright..." McCain replied in a quiet, yet confident hiss nodding with a sneer. "But she's not always going to have you around, Al."

"Really, guy..." Mick said aloud. "Probably not a road you want to go down." He let out a slight laugh. "Seriously Otto, say something to him." Mick said turning to the doxie, "This is getting personal; fast."

However, Otto said nothing and let McCain and Alias stand there almost touching noses. Neither of them were willing to back down. Alias knew McCain's vice. If Alias's deadly sin was wrath, then McCain's would no doubt be pride. He always chose the feed his pride over doing what was smart. He wouldn't back down, even if Alias had thirty guns on him. It didn't make him brave, it made him reckless.

Suddenly, there came the sound of clapping.

Each of the claps came with long intervals between them. Everyone's head turned in the same direction seeing a mature, yet gorgeous, siamese feline working her way through the crowd that was seemingly indifferent to the standoff that had just taken place a few moments ago. Her, silk, red top underneath her black blazer emphasized her well developed cleavage. Just judging by the way she was walking, she seemed very confident of the "cougar" image she was pulling for all these hot blooded guys in Delirium. How long she had been there, how long she sat watching them was anyone's guess. All Alias knew was his blood began to boil as her cold, dead eyes scanned over him.

Stealing a quick glance around the room, Alias found that she should feel confident. Even some guys who were not part of their rag-tag entourage were staring, mouths hanging open, much to the annoyance any lady friend they might be with. Alias couldn't deny that her blatant display of her sexuality didn't get his attention. He may be different in certain respects, but that one was pretty much universal. Depressingly, that was about the only facet of his existence that would probably fall under the standard definition of 'normal'.

"Bravo..." Isis cooed to all of them, placing one foot in front of the other, stiletto heals clicking against the plate glass floor that slowly morphed in color. "Bravo." She said again, her blue eyes roaming over Alias first, then McCain.

"You!" Alias growled. "You said this was a private meeting!"

McCain seemed just as put off as Alias. "Yeah! You never mentioned these pricks would be here!"

"Gentlemen, gentlemen..." She replied in her voice as soft as velvet. She walked backwards, leaning against the bar. The slit on her skirt ran almost to her mid thigh. Alias wasn't sure if she was here to give them a job or seduce them. "I never said they wouldn't be here either." She replied, brushing her dark hair from her face and smiling slightly. "I just didn't tell the whole truth."

"Why you little-" McCain hissed, taking a step forward.

Isis didn't even flinch, but simply shook her pretty head and tisk-tisked. "Now, Mr. McCain, that attitude is uncalled for." With her eyes, she indicated to the left slowly where several large guards stood waiting. Looking pissed, McCain recomposed himself, taking a step back. "Now, who's going to buy me a drink?" She asked, taking a seat on one of the bar stools, crossing one leg over the other. "Mr. Alias." She answered her own question. "Would you do me the honor?"

The fox reached into his back pocket pulling out an IDless wallet. It's only purpose was for the convenience of carrying some cash. He handed a twenty to Jenna. "Cyanide, splash of arsenic..." He suggested in a dry tone. Jenna took the money, and headed over to Abby's bar to mix a drink for Isis.

"Well, gentlemen." Isis started, having her two groups of mercenaries gather around her as if she was a goddess among them. "I know that this evening got off to a rocky start, so let's get to the point, shall we?" She asked the question, however no one answered. "This is the last challenge, and will decide who I give the contract to." Jenna promptly came back over, holding a drink with a reddish hue to it, and offered it to Isis, who accepted. "I will choose from your team for this." She explained, taking a slow drink.

"What bullshit assignment are you having us do now?" McCain asked, speaking for his group.

Isis's eyes narrowed at his interruption. "On the contrary, Mr. McCain," she started slowly, sounding perturbed, "this is a small step in our overall goal. However, a crucial one." She turned to Otto. "You." She said pointing to him and turned to McCain. "And you. You'll represent The Nine Pillars." Glancing over her shoulder she looked at Dradis. "You I don't need. Nor you..." Slowly she turned around, coming eye to eye with Jenna.

Jenna stood in place for a moment before she realized Isis was actually talking about her. Then the sudden realization sunk in. "Like Hell!" Jenna scoffed angrily.

Slowly, Isis snaked off the bar, walking towards her. "So much spirit, so much energy, so much life inside you..." Isis soothed in her soft tone. The middle-aged feline stood before Jenna, gently teasing some of her stray indigo tresses that had fallen in the vixen's face with her cream colored fingers. The feline's curious, yet confident eyes analyzed her, as if trying to figure Jenna out. Jenna simply stood there with a scowl of confusion on her face, trying to figure out Isis in return. "But you're unnecessary for tonight." She concluded, turning around and walking back to the bar. "Tonight is a one lady show, but don't worry." She said, looking over her shoulder, eyes locked with Jenna's. "I'll have him back to you by morning."

Jenna could do nothing, but simply stand there, mouth hanging open slightly in disbelief at being totally shut out; just like that. "No, this is bullshit!" She hissed back at Isis. "You wouldn't even have that key if it weren't for all of us!"

"Indeed." Isis's catty tone acknowledged. "Fear not little one. We'll have need of your kind later... but not tonight." Glass in paw, Isis raised what was left to her mouth, and swallowed the red mixed drink and set it back down on the glass bar. "Not bad." She commented, looking back at the disgruntled blue vixen. "Your taste in fine alcohol matches your taste in men." Her reptilian-like eyes moved to Alias. "Exquisite."

Isis then nodded, indicating to the door of Delirium. Both Otto and McCain filed out, not looking at Jenna, Mick, or Alias as they wormed their way through the crowd. Dradis simply disappeared into the mob of ravers, but it's not like he mattered to the rest of them. Meanwhile, Mick slowly stepped around Alias, placing a paw gently on Jenna's shoulder for comfort as he walked away, pulling out his cellphone. Alias turned, looking down into her eyes. They held such a tonic of anger, frustration, confusion and despair, leaving him unsure where to begin.

"Mr. Alias, would you mind keeping me company?" The siamese requested in her velvety tone, brushing up against him, letting her paw travel the length of his arm up to his shoulder. "If you don't mind, that is." She added, looking back at Jenna once more.

"No." Jenna replied in a dead, monotone voice. "Of course not..."

The only reason Alias noticed it was because he knew the new look developing in her eyes. It was that same look he had seen when they went through their huge argument a few weeks ago over Openshaw. It was that look of so much emotion begging to be released right then and there. It almost looked as if she were in physical pain. Whatever turmoil that swept through her soul, Jenna kept it inside. She didn't say a word, didn't drop her gaze, simply stared back at Isis through hard eyes.

The siamese hooked her arm around Alias's, turning him around as she did so. "Shall we?"

Coming back to reality, Alias could only nod silently to Jenna as he felt his body being turned and pulled away from her. What could he do? What could he say? He could feel the cold burn of Jenna's eyes boring into his back as he left with Isis as an arm ornament. Knowing Jenna, and knowing how she hated being out of the loop on anything, Alias could feel her frustration like a physical substance that took to the air around her like static electricity. He could only hope that Jenna understood how little Alias could do at this point. He wasn't the one calling the shots this time. His paws were bound, and found himself helpless if he were to get Isis's cooperation. Hopefully Jenna understood this wasn't personal, it was business. Slowly, his eyes slid to the side where a very confident siamese cat had her arm wrapped sensually around his.

Hopefully, Isis only had business on her mind as well.