Shadow Part 1
Smoke rose silently from the black metal barrel, dissapearing into the air without a trace. I pulled the gun back and slid it into the holster on my hip. I pulled a flat box out of my inside pocket. It was a GRA, Genetic and Retinal Analyzer. I placed the cold, dead fox paw onto it and pressed a button. A metallic voice said, "Genetic data recognized. Target Johnathan McAndrews terminated. Bounty of ten thousand American dollars has been transfered to your secret off-shore account." I let the paw drop to the dead male's side. I smiled and saluted lightly. "Adiós, Senor McAndrews." I turned and walked out of the apartment. I pulled my black leather trenchcoat tight around my muscular body, hiding my weapons. I placed the green-tinted sunglasses in front of my eyes and pressed the button for the elevator. My ears rotated slowly as I listened for any witnesses. None. Good. The elavator doors opened and i stepped in. Quickly I turned to where a security camera was and sliced the cable with my claw. No need to leave more evidence of my existence.
What am I? I am many things. A bounty hunter, a mercenary, a hitman... even a legitimate businessman. To my friends, I am Shadow. To my enemies, I am a liability. To my victims, I am Death. I am the best of the best of the best in the underground. I am a rare, black mountain lion. I am Manuel DeCacas.
As I stepped off the elavator on the second floor, I pulled out a cell phone. I flipped it open and pressed a button. "East side fire escape, keep the motor running." A voice replied in a thick Mexican accent, "Copy that, boss. Is it cool if I drive the rest of the way, amigo?" The warm smile graced my face again. "I suppose. But you have to pay for gas, Pedro." Pedro is my mechanic. He's a bit of a simple fur, but he can fix anything and everything. I opened the window and stepped out onto the fire escape. A black hovercar slid up to me. The tabby cat-morph in the driver's seat smiled. "Hola, boss." I jumped into the passenger's seat and slid the protective dome shut. "Go."
As we sped off towards the west side of town, I unbuckled my belt and put my feet up on the dash. "So, boss," Pedro began. "We going to your place or are we stopping off at The Shop?" I slid my large yellow eyes over in his direction. The "Shop" is what we call my base of operations. It has a computer network hooked up to every mainframe in the United States. It is also where we keep my weapons, gadgets and vehicles. "Do we need to stop at The Shop? Is something broken?" Pedro smiled. "Nothing's broken, dude. I just want to see Maria." I laughed gently. Pedro's girlfriend, Maria, is my secretary. She handles all of my contracts and business proposals. She also keeps The Shop running. If I didn't have that beautiful coyote, my business would definitly collapse. "Go ahead. I'll pick up my bike and let you two be." I pulled out my cell phone and punched in The Shop's unlisted number. A warm, sweet voice answered, "DeCacas Limited, this is Maria speaking how may I help you?" I chuckled. "You make it sound like a computer company, Maria. Pedro and I will be there shortly. Have my clothes ready." "Yes sir, Mr. DeCacas." I rolled my eyes heavenward. "Babe, I told you to call me Shadow like everyone else." She giggled lightly. "Yes sir, Mr. Shadow." I hung up, shook my head and slipped the cell back into my coat pocket.
As we came close to the entrance of the shop, I felt the fur on the back of my neck stand up. "Pedro, stop the car." Pedro looked at me, confused but obediant. He slowed and stopped the car. "Now land." He lowered the car slowly to the ground. As soon as it touched, I pulled out my nine millimeter Beretta. I cocked it and opened the dome. I looked around and sniffed the air. Something wasn't right. My sixth sense was never wrong. I stepped out and slowly walked around, sniffing and looking for anything. I heard a scuffle to my left, turned and fired. There was a loud scream and a thud as somone hit the ground, injured but alive. I walked over and saw him. A male, with a black mask over his face. I placed my boot at his throat and aimed at his head. "Are you another bounty hunter, coming after the price on my head?" He nodded, unable to speak because of my foot restricting his windpipe. I smiled, my sharp white teeth gleaming. "Have you told anyone about this area?" He shook his head, grabbing my ankle, trying to release the pressure against his throat. I took out my GRA and held it over his eye. A second later, his info came up. "Hmm, Senor Alexander Smith, A.K.A. 'X.' Ooh, a hybrid. Fox/wolf, huh? Well, seems there is no price on your head." His eyes looked up at me, hoping for the impossible: mercy. "No price. A shame really. I'd hate to have to kill without a profit. But then again, I can't let you go. You might tell your superiors my little secret." I aimed for his forehead. "Adiós, idiota estúpido." A minute later I got back into the car and closed the dome. "What was that?" Pedro asked. I smiled wide and held my gun up. "A waste of a bullet. Let's go."
We pulled up to a sewer grating and a keypad came out of the wall. I leaned out and punched in the code to open the doors. The grating opened inwards and we drove in. As we drove down the old abandoned pipelines, I pulled the clips out of my guns. I counted bullets. "Hey, Pedro, a new record. Twelve full clips." Pedro smiled. "Good, man. Ammo is getting exspensive. I'm glad you're saving it." I smiled back. "No.... I EMPTIED twelve full clips. One job too." We came to another grating. "Manuel DeCacas." I said loudly. The grating opened and we drove on. Pedro parked the hovercar on a wide platform next to a smaller speeder. I jumped out and took off my trenchcoat. I walked down the hallway leading to my office.
I opened the door and stepped in. The lights came on. Then the computer came on and Maria's face stared at me. "Good evening, Shadow. Were you successful?" I removed my shirt and stretched my tired body out. "Yes, Senor McAndrews was terminated. Did the full bounty get transferred?" She turned to another computer screen and typed in a few commands. "Uhh...yes. Ten thousand dollars. I believe Mrs. McAndrews will be pleased." I smiled. "A cheating husband?" She smiled back. "No, he was skimming from her company's profits. Roughly... ten million dollars were missing from the quota. She could care less if he was unfaithful, she's bonking the gardener." I slipped a clean black T-Shirt on and lit a cigarette. "Any messages while I was gone?" I sat at my desk and leaned back. "Just one, but it wasn't listed as urgent." I breathed in deeply and blew out a cloud of smoke. "Play it." A face hidden by shadows came on the screen. "Hello Mr. DeCacas." A deep, computer-altered voice said. "I have a job for you. I have discovered that one of my... 'employees' has been stealing my stock instead of selling it. I want you to follow him and find out where my product goes. The price for him alive is five thousand dollars. Half that if he is dead. I wish to deal with him myself but I have no complaints if he is dead. Contact this number if you are interested: 592-293-0922. Have a pleasent day, Mr. DeCacas." The picture faded and Maria's came back up. "Well? Should I call him back?" I stamped my cigarette out and sighed. "No, I will contact him. You can go ahead and leave. Give Pedro the night of his life, Maria." She smiled. "Thank you, Shadow. Have a good night." The screen blipped and went blank. I pulled out another cigarette and lit it. I felt the tension in my body ease and dissapear. I pulled the screen closer and brought up the phone program. I punched in the number and leaned back in my chair.
The face in shadows appeared on the screen. The same computer altered voice said, "Ah, Mr. DeCacas. I see you got my message." I stared at the ceiling and shook my head. "Why the shadows and voice alteration?" A deep chuckle. "Just a precaution, I assure you. My name is Lupino." My head snapped towards the screen. THE Lupino? The biggest drug lord in New Sacramento? Nobody has ever seen his true face or heard his real voice. "I see you recognize my name, Mr. DeCacas. I suppose our paths have crossed once or twice before, correct?" I sat up in my chair and took a last drag of my cigarette. "Not directly, but yes I've had to step into your territory a few times to catch a bounty." I smirked and stamped the butt out. "I have some free time on my paws, so I suppose I could catch this dealer you're after." Lupino barked with laughter. "Ah, you amuse me Mr. DeCacas. Tell you what. If you catch this scum," A picture of a rat came up in the corner, "within 72 hours, I'll double the price. Dead or alive." I smiled and nodded. "Very well, then. I'll have my secretary send the file to your secretary (Maria was it?) in the morning. Good night, Mr. DeCacas." The screen went blank and I stood up. I grabbed my leather jacket and slipped it on. I turned off the lights and left my office. I mounted my hoverbike and sped off into the night.
When I arrived at my apartment on the rich side of town, I checked for amateur bounty hunters. There weren't any. Good, I'm too tired to mess with anybody. I hung my jacket on the coat rack by the door, and turned on my stereo. The smooth, mellow jazz of Dean Martin filled the room. I poured a bit of brandy and sat in my easy chair. I sipped the warm amber fluid and felt more tension leave my body. I could sleep here. I could just close my eyes and sleep. But the cold metal gun barrel at my temple was definately keeping me awake.
I sighed and slid my eyes to my assailant. "Want a glass of brandy?" I sipped again and smacked my lips. "It's a 1952 vintage from France." The gun pressed harder into my temple. "Okay, I lied. It's from L.A." The gunfur moved around until he was in front of me. Whoa. Wait a minute. SHE was in front of me. A beautiful she-wolf held a S&W .38 Chief's Special five shot snub nose, pointing it at my chest. "Buenos noches, hermosa. May I ask, are you another amateur after the bounty on my head?" "No. You dumped my sister, Mary-Anne. She comitted suicide because of you." I looked up to the ceiling. "Mary-Anne... doesn't ring a bell. Was she about your height?" She shoved the gun forward. "Is this funny to you? My sister killed herself because you dumped her. Drank herself to death, dammit!" A light came on in my head. "Oh wait.... Mary-Anne Camerons?" I smiled. "You think I dumped her? She was beautiful. I wouldn't have dumped her." I took another sip of my brandy. "She left me." She jumped up and pointed the gun point blank at my heart. "Liar! You dumped her! For a vixen with bigger tits!" I chuckled. "She was bipolar." She stopped breathing. "Didn't know that, huh?" I leaned forward a bit. The barrel of her .38 was poking my chest now. "Check her cabinets. You'll find a prescription of Lithium there." I pushed her gun to the side. "Please have a drink." I handed her the glass. She sniffed it and downed the rest of the brandy. She coughed loudly, the brandy scorching her throat. I slapped her hand and grabbed the gun in mid air. "This is very dangerous for you, miss?" "Rachel. Rachel Montgomery." I opened the magazine and emptied it. I gathered up the bullets and slipped them into my pockets. As I handed the .38 back to her, I could see tears in her eyes. Not from the brandy, but from sadness. "I'm sorry, Mr. DeCacas. I'm... just very stressed right now." She got up and walked to the door. "Ms. Montgomery." She turned to me. "What?" I got up and held out a paw. "I'm truly sorry about your sister." She looked at my paw and shook it. I squeezed it tightly. "But if you tell anyone, where I live, i will not hesitate to kill you." I released her paw and pointed to the door. "Leave." She spat at me. "Heartless killer." My coldest smile graced my muzzle. "Your words are like knives to my heart, senorita." I shoved her out the door and slapped a button. The locks engaged and the security system kicked in. I didn't need anymore visitors. I needed sleep. I opened the doors to my bedroom and gazed longingly at my king sized bed. I slipped all my clothes off and fell onto my bed. I pulled the satin sheets up to my chest and closed my eyes. I nodded off immediatley.
I awoke the next morning to a stormy sky and fuzzy head. I got up and stretched. "Doors open." The balcony doors slid open. I walked out onto the covered balcony and lit a cigarette. The day was going to stay like this. Perfect. Searching for that dealer is gonna be hard. I pulled on a housecoat and sat at my desk. A home office. It felt strange for me. I'm a bounty hunter, with a home office. Call Guiness.
I pulled up the phone program and called the office. Pedro's face showed up on my screen. "DeCacas Limi- Oh! Hey Shadow." I blew out a cloud of smoke. "Pedro? Where's Maria?" Pedro's multi-colored face creased into a smile. "I wore her out last night, so I'm taking her place." The serious I'm-not-in-the-mood-for-your-shit look on my face made him flinch. "She's in the 'powder room' as she calls it. What do you need?" "Did a file come from a Senor Lupino come in this morning?" Pedro turned to another computer and typed in a few commands. "Uh yeah, just about an hour ago. Wait a minute... AYE CARUMBA! THE Lupino? Oh shit man." I finally let myself smile. "Yeah, but it's not that big of a bust. Fax a copy over to me. I'll be in later to pick my hardware. Adios, amigo." I closed the program and got up. As my fax machine sprung to life, I dressed. As always, I chose a pair of black cargo pants, a black long-sleeved shirt and a black headband. I picked up my favorite green sunglasses and slipped them on, the world around me seeming rather Irish all of a sudden.
While my fax machine spat the last piece of paper out, I finished dressing myself. My guns. My greatest fashion accessories. Most of the time, I carry all pistols and revolvers. A Colt 1911 A1, a Heckler and Koch VP70, a Colt Peacemaker, an M9 Beretta 92 SB and, my favorite, my .44 Magnum longbarrel. It was a pain to carry all of these guns sometimes, but with the varrying species of reptiles and pacoderms in New Sacramento, it helped to be diversified.
I picked up the file and walked to the kitchenette. Alfred "Rizzo" Rizzoli. Rat, male, about 5' 9", nearly 160 lbs. He's been stealing cocaine and heroine from Lupino. Seems like a bad idea to short-change the "owner" of the New Sacramento underground. I wonder what kind of weapons he uses. I'll check that out later. I poured a cup of coffee, the rich aroma filling my nostrils. "Oh, bueno." I reached for the brandy and laced the coffee. Start the day right, y'know.
As I locked up, I set the security system. (This system tells me if anyone was in my apartment while I'm gone.) I walked down to the parking garage, my paws in my coat pockets. My right paw gripped my Beretta through the fabric. I'll have to find out who put the bounty on my head, because these ameteurs are really throwing their lives away trying to catch me. I opened the door to my 1970 Plymouth Baracudda and got in. These things were rare, very rare. I had rebuilt it from the frame and modified it so it could both drive on the ground and hover in the air. I popped the hood and checked for any bombs. None. I checked under the dash. Ah-hah! Got one. Set to go off when i turned my engine over. Nice design, too. I threw it into the backseat and started the engine. Time to get to work.
I arrived at The Shop thirty minutes later. I walked over to Perdo's workshop and saw him listening to his head set. His scratchy voice rang out through the cave. "Bese mi extremo, usted hijo de una perra. Voy a atornillar a su muchacha hasta que ella es la mía! Voy a tirale porque ella va a ser la mía!" I slapped him upside the head. "Shit! What was that for man?" I held the bomb out to him. "I have a job for you. Defuse this." Pedro looked at it. "Looks like a bomb, an 'under-the-dash' type. Should be easy to disarm." Like I said, he knows his stuff.
I walked to Maria's desk, my eyes on the back of her head. Her long brown headfur shimmered in the flourescent light as she bopped her head to her own headset. I tapped her shoulder. She turned her head and smiled. "Shadow! Nice to see ya." She pulled her wheelchair around to face me. "What do you need?" I handed her the file on Rizzolli. "I want to know what kind of weapons he has. Check the registrations and the like. Work your magic babe." She smiled. "I'm on it." I smiled back and walked to my office. It was only noon. I had about sixty hours to catch Rizzolli. Better get started. But first things first.
I sat at my desk and opened the bottom drawer. I pulled out a picture of my family. My father, mother and sister. All of them deceased. They were murdered a year ago when the open bounty on my head was posted. A tear rolled down my cheek, betraying my feelings. My life had killed them. I had killed them. I've checked every possible lead. Each was a dead end. The damn jackass who posted it was sure to cover all of his tracks, but there must be a way to find out who it is. Someone must have slipped up somewhere. I'll just have to look harder.
My screen lit up, Maria's face looking at me. "Shadow? I got it." I looked at her. "Already?" She gave me a confused look. "Shadow, it's two o'clock." I looked at my watch. "Oh. I didn't notice." I put the picture back in my drawer. "What do you got?" Maria lowered her voice. "What's wrong Shadow?" I lit a cigarette. "Nothing. I was just in deep thought." She stared at me, unconvinced. "Rizzolli owns one gun, a Walther PPK. Nothing else registered." I got up and tossed my pack of Marlboros onto the desk. I stubbed out my cigarette and coughed. "Doesn't mean he doesn't have any others. Thanks Maria. Pedro's in his 'office' defusing a bomb, so avoid that area for a little bit, okay?" I turned the screen off before she could ask anymore questions.
I walked to the garage and looked over my cars. Which one? My speeder, my hovercar, my truck, or the bike. I grabbed the keys for the speeder and hopped in. I smiled and popped "Templar" into the CD player. After turning it up to full blast, I drove off.
I arrived on the corner of Main and Beach fifteen minutes later. I got out and looked around. No one around. I had my paw on my Colt 1911 A1 through my trenchcoat. This was the busiest street for the underground. "¡Ricardo! ¡Salga aquí!" A small head poked out from behind a trash can. It smiled and walked out. Ricardo is, paws down, the weirdest fox i know. He runs at the loudest noise, but he's the best bomber in New Sacremento. He works mostly for enviromental terrorists, so our paths rarely cross. "Hello Shadow, how may I help you?"
I leaned against the wall and smiled. "I'm looking for someone." I held up the picture of Rizzoli. "Seen him?"
He looked at it carefully. "Do you mean today? Or ever?"
"Either would be good enough." I slipped the picture back into my pocket.
"Well, I know him. His name's Rizzo or something like that. He's ususally a regular down at Soapy's Bar. He hasn't been around lately though. Something wrong?" Ricardo leaned against the wall and light a badly rolled joint.
"Nothing I can discuss, at the time. Keep cool, Ricardo. And always warn me if you place a 'package' near my place." As I hopped into my speeder, I hung out the window. "Soapy's right? Been there a couple of times, myself. Really bad tequila." Ricardo laughed as I drove away.
I arrived at Soapy's a half an hour later. Soapy's is a kind of place that you'd really avoid if you wanted to see the age of 60. I, however, always live on the edge so risking my neck doesn't bother me much. I checked the parking lot. Bikes. Lots of them. Must be a gang of cyclists here, stopping to booze up. A lot of junker hovercars. Factory workers are here for that after work drink. A few high quality speeders. Some pushers are here. Analysis: I could be walking onto some real shit here. I shrugged my shoulders. I never really wanted to live forever.
As I opened the door, silence fell over the entire establishmant. I could here a few whispered conversations. "Isn't that Shadow?" "I think so." "He doesn't look so tough." "Yeah I could take him." I strolled up to the bar. The bartender held up his paws. "Hey, ese, I don't want trouble." I reached into my trench coat, smiling as everyone flinched and pulled out the picture of Rizzolli. "I'm looking for him." I slid my eyes around, watching for mevement. "Alfred 'Rizzo' Rizzolli." There was a sudden scuffling to my left. I turned and pulled out my Beretta. "Freeze, Rizzolli." The rat stood stock still. "Lupino send for you?" I pulled out my cuffs. "It is no concern who wants you. You only need to know that you are wanted, dead or alive." I advanced and reached for his wrist. In a swift movement of fur, he turned and sliced my face. He ran out of the pub, waving his switchblade coated in my blood. "I'm not going down easy, beaner!" I put away my Beretta and pulled out "the Big One", my .44 Magnum Longbarrel. I ran after him, my coat flying in my wake.
I shot of a round, the gun kicking back hard. A garbage can jumped. "Shit!" Rizzo yelled. He ran faster, dodging and weaving between the alleys. The fucker was treating this like a maze! Two can play at that game. I jumped and grabbed a fire escape ladder. As I pulled myself up, I prayed Rizzoli wouldn't come up behind me and pop me with his PPK.
I reached the top of the building and crouched low. The gravel crunched loudly under my feet, but not loud enough to be heard by Rizzoli. I ran across the roof, listening for Rizzoli. My senses were sharper than his, I had an advantage. But he was a small, wiry male. He could easily crawl into a trashcan and hide. Crouching, letting my muscles crunch like a spring, I prepared to jump. I leaped across the gap, landing with grace on the other roof.
I peeked over the edge and smiled. There he was. Leaning against the wall, grasping his PPK in both paws. I looked around and spied another fire escape ladder. I slipped my Magnum back into its holster and pulled out my Colt. Perfect. I slid down the ladder silently. Rizzoli was in for a shock. When I landed on the ground, I immediatly searched for a can. I picked one up and walked silently towards the alley where Rizzoli was hiding.When I reached it, I took aim for the other side. I wanted to make it sound like I'm coming from the other direction, and if it works, Rizzoli might run towards me, away from the sound.
I heaved the can, sending it sailing through the air above Rizzoli. It landed with a loud "CLANG" that made him jump. He ran towards me, and I aimed my Colt Peacemaker at him. One hundred feet away, eighty feet, fifty, thirty, twenty. I squeezed the trigger and fired.
Rizzoli screamed as the bullet ripped through his shoulder. He hit the ground, wailing with pain and agony. I moved away from the shadows. "I win." The tears from Rizzoli's eyes were staining his cheekfur. "Please... you have to get me to a hospital. It hurts so much." I reached down and opened his eye. I held my GRA up to his eye and scanned him, like a grocer would a product. That's all he was to me. A product to sell. "Subject Alfred 'Rizzo' Rizzoli confirmed. Subject captured and in custody. Will alert Mr. Lupino immediatley." I slipped it back into my pocket and grabbed Rizzoli's collar. "You are a dead male, roedor."
I dragged him to my speeder, purposly hitting every bump. "You don't understand! He'll kill me!" I smiled. "I understand perfectly. You shouldn't have stolen his profits or his wares." "Please! Let me go!" I reached the speeder and picked him up. "What if I pay you? Ten thousand american dollars!" I shook my head. "Information!" He squeaked. I scoffed. "What would you know that would be new to me?" Despite his pain, he managed to smile. "The poster of the bounty on your head." I stopped dead in my tracks. "Go on." He hoisted himself up. "Free me and I'll tell you." I stared at him, my yellow eyes searching his black ones. I nodded slowly. He got out of the car and started to hobble away. "Who posted the bounty?" He turned and smiled even wider. "Lupino."
To be Continued...
Shadow, Pedro, Maria, Lupino, Ricardo, Rachel & Rizzo (c) 2003 Donald Moore