FSE

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Jillian looked out the window. She and Kevin had been in her apartment for three days. They had hoped to ride out the worst of the incident and then head for Mr. Big's mansion. Unfortunately, they had been trapped because of the entire uproar the Night Howler had caused. It was in the water, being released in enough quantity that the city fell into disarray within twenty-four hours. As the wolfess looked out the window, she could see a few mammals wandering around. The ones behind it picked the perfect method of delivery. Even after it wore off, one had to drink to stay alive. Several mammals had been re-affected the moment they took a drink. The water from the tap had a faint blue color to it. Jillian knew better than to drink it, and Kevin trusted her judgement. So the two of them had been drinking her supply of bottled water.

Unfortunately for them, there was little of that left. They could make it out of the city on foot if they were careful, given their remaining supply of water. However, they were just as likely to get hurt. Compounding their problems was that Jillian was running low on her medication. She needed more, and soon. As it stood, she only had four days worth left. At best, it would take them three days to escape the city. However, that left her without any more medication. They could not drive, since the roads were littered with both abandoned cars, and the bodies of those unfortunate souls that could not make it to safety in time. Feral predators had caught them, and they had not been gentle. Jillian picked up her rifle, slowly scanning the roads. She saw some movement, but it was mostly savage prey.

She wondered about putting them out of their misery, but dismissed the thought. She needed to avoid drawing attention to herself. The TV was still working and power was running at least. But three days without a shower and her nose was starting to pick up things it shouldn't. She could smell Kevin's musk and it was putting her hormonal body on edge. Given that neither of them had slept well for three nights, and that they were the only company that each other had she did not want to push her luck asking him.

Kevin himself was looking at the TV. The notifications were helpful, and at least provided them some sound other than the sounds of the collapsing city. He was trying to keep tabs on if any of the boys had been caught or found dead. So far, none of them had. He breathed a sigh of relief, then he noticed Jillian leaning more into her rifle. His paw drifted toward a pistol on the coffee table. She was lining up a shot, and he knew it. Then she lowered her rifle. As she slid back into the window, she slung the rifle on her back. Moving to the door she pulled her revolver from her back pocket. Kevin picked up the pistol from the table, and nodded to her. As they slowly left her apartment, the pair were well aware that they were not alone in the building. There were several residents still hiding inside. Kevin looked at them as they peeked out of their doors.

He knew there was nothing they could do for them. It was too dangerous to try and move them in the small car Jillian owned, and the streets were mostly blocked by abandoned vehicles as it was. As they made their way down the stairs to the main entrance, Kevin knew this was not going to go well. Coming to the lobby, they found the building front boarded up. The residents had barricaded the entrance enough to prevent a savage from getting in, but it was still removed easily to allow for a fast escape. As Jillian pushed one of the boards aside. There was a ZPD officer standing there in SWAT gear. Behind him was another officer in SWAT gear in a wheelchair.

Jillian grit her teeth and opened the door, hissing at them to get inside. They hurried in, checking around them with weapons drawn. Jillian recovered the door as the officers lowered their weapons. Kevin pointed his pistol at the officers as Jillian turned to them. She was fuming mad, and it showed on her face. Tired as she was, she knew better than to fire her mouth off at them. After a moment to breathe and calm herself, she looked at the one in the wheelchair.

"You better have a damn good reason for this stunt James. I should have killed you when I saw you coming, but I figured you had a very good reason for pulling this stunt so I decided to let you in. So out with it damn it!," she snapped at him, trying to keep her voice down. She knew there were still a few citizens outside roaming around and looking for food and water. IT was only a matter of time before they were forced to drink the tap water, if they hadn't already. She did not want to give them a target. James lifted the visor of his helmet and sighed.

"We came to extract you and your friend here. We have an armored van waiting three blocks away, with a dozen armed officers. We can pull you out. Both of you." He was honest about the offer as he set his rifle down on his lap. He crossed his arms over his chest, looking up at her like she used to look up at him. Defiant, angry, and above all else self-righteous. Jillian grit her teeth and rubbed her face. She needed a moment to think on it. There had to be a reason that the ZPD spared an entire armored truck and so many officers to get her out. James knew she knew it too.

"Look, we... We need your help. This is beyond us. And the military has cordoned off the city. No mammal in or out until they can get this helped. They found your file and figured your expertise would help. They are offering you and your friend a clean slate in exchange for your help. You help, and you walk away free and clear. Simple as that. They have plans, but you know more about this type of drug than any other mammal alive. We need to know what you know. And you are also the only ghost in the city left. The rest are either dead or incapacitated. Hell, We barely got Tundra Town SWAT barricaded up before a pack of wolves attacked the building. We had three prisoners and over ten civilians inside. IT took two days before rescue could come get them, then us. We are stretched to the limit. Any assets you pull in will be granted immunity to prosecution once order is restored. Their crimes erased, their pasts forgiven. All we ask is that you help us." James pleaded with her, hoping that she at least cared about the civilians and the city.

Jillian held up a paw, before covering the bridge of her muzzle and sighing. "Enough... Please you are starting to give me a headache. Look, you want my help fine. But your friends better pay attention when I talk, do as I say, and they better not try and back stab me. I will kill YOU first," she growled at him as she holstered her revolver. Kevin lowered his pistol and then looked at the elevator. It opened up, and one of the elderly residents stepped out slowly. He was haggard looking and they could smell that he hadn't had a shower in a while either. Jillian turned to him and tried to put on her brave face.

"Jillian. Dear, my wife is having trouble breathing again. Is there anything we can do?" he asked softly. Jillian bit her lip, but her brother spoke up. "Yes sir. ZPD SWAT. We have a small medical kit. If you let us take a look at her, we can help her." The wolf rolled himself forward to the elderly mammal. Kevin didn't like it, but they had no choice at the moment. This was all they had to work with. As the group entered the elevator, the old mammal pushed the button for his floor. He was a skunk, timid and quiet in his old age. He was a retired firefighter, as his vest said. The officers removed their helmets, watching the door as it opened. The skunk led them to his apartment.

On the sofa, his wife lay there panting for breath. Jillian could hear the wheeze coming from her open mouth and figured that she was getting to the end of her rope. As the group stood there, James rolled over to her and listened to her breathing for a moment. After a bit, he reached to his bag and pulled it forward. Opening it up, he sorted through until he pulled out a small oxygen tank and mask. Placing it over her face, he opened the valve and let it flow for her to breathe. Reaching for his radio he clicked the button.

"Central this is Howl. We have the VIPs, but we also have a building full of unafflicted. The truck cant carry them, and one is confirmed to need immediate medical attention. Are their any air assets in the area to assist in evac?" he said. He did not have to wait long for a reply. "Howl, this is Central. We have one military helo inbound to your location. Is there roof access?" James looked at Jillian, whom nodded. "That is confirmed. Roof access is available. Shall we start to bring the civilians to the roof?" "Confirmed. Helo arrives in three from the South. Two clicks out."

James put his radio away and looked at his sister. She was impressed and it showed on her face. As she turned to Kevin, he shrugged and headed to the door. Jillian went with him, and the pair began to go door to door, knocking and telling mammals to head to the roof. Several ignored or denied them, but the few that listened headed up. As they headed to the next floor, Jillian turned to Kevin, "Keep getting them. I'm going to the room and packing up my gear. Something tells me I might need it. Besides, my brother is stupid enough to believe his superiors. They might have told him that to get him to come here and get me. Once the others are on the chopper, we can head to the truck. One hint of a back stab and we take out as many as we can." Kevin nodded and hurried down the hall. He was pounding on doors as Jillian continued up the stairs to her penthouse.

She was almost to her closet when she heard the sound of the chopper. They only had a few minutes, and she had too much to grab alone. Picking up her bag, she loaded her remaining medication first. Then she began to pack ammunition into it. Her tail flicked hard as she tried to decide what weapons to bring. She only had limited space, but she needed a variety. Selecting a shotgun and a small auto pistol, she then began packing them in the bag. Kevin came into the room, panting as he ran to meet her. She turned then pointed at a rifle rack in her closet. "Grab one, grab all the ammo and spare magazines for it, then head for the door. We can meet my brother in the lobby."

Kevin nodded at her and grabbed up one her assault riffles. Locking in the magazine and then chambering a round, the polar bear took a deep breath. He then grabbed up her rooksack and began stuffing in as many boxes of rounds and spare magazines as the bag would carry. He needed to be certain he had everything. As he turned toward her, he saw her shoulder the duffel bag, before shouldering her 45-70 again.

The wolfess then moved to her knives, taking no less than five and tucking them in straps across her chest. Finally she tucked an extra one in her boot and headed for the door with Kevin. She paused at the coffee table to pick up her scanner and tuned it to the police band. "James, We are headed for the lobby. Meet us there." The acknowledgement came, and she began a run. Kevin was right behind her as they took the stairs. They arrived right as the elevator opened and James rolled out with his fellow officer. Jillian cocked the lever on her rifle and then brought it to the ready position. As the officer and James pulled their helmets on, Jillian went to the door. She looked around for a bit before pulling the barricade down. As she made her way outside, she looked around slowly. There was nothing near the building, but she could see movement in the distance. Looking down her scope, she spotted a lone sheep walking across a street. They were not on all fours, which was a good sign at least.

As the rest exited the building, she turned and used her key to lock the door again. Then they followed James back toward the truck. It was slow progress, as they were trying to avoid drawing attention. It was as they arrived at the truck, that the back door opened and a rhino waved them in. As the four clambered up into the truck, it was a tight fit. Large mammals and a small armored truck were not a good mix. As the wolfess settled in, someone offered her a bottle of water. Taking it, she opened it and took a deep drink before passing it to Kevin. "Where are we headed?" she asked. "City Center, the ZPD central office is still functional and we managed to close off all the tunnels to the city center, except for the train track. We've been shuttling civilians out on the train, to a displacement camp outside the city," one officer said.

As they began to roll out, one of the officers in the cab called out that they saw a pack of wolves. Several of the officers picked up tranquilizer pistols and opened side slots in the truck. They were taking aim as Jillian began loading rounds into her rifle. As she was taking time to make sure the rounds she was loading were not the ones with names, James watched her. HE could see it in her face she was not going to lose any sleep over killing a mammal. Reaching over he grabbed her paw, and shook his head. He had a pleading look on his face.

Jillian looked at him a moment before pulling her paw free and continued to load rounds. He knew there was nothing left of the sweet sister he once knew. That was when they heard dozens of gunshots. The driver called out that the wolves were running off, but unharmed. He slowed the truck to a stop, as one of the officers slid out to look around. Jillian cocked the lever of her rifle and brought it to the ready. She was listening to the radio as the officer scouted the area. "Sir, I have over a dozen empty casings here by the alleyway. And..." "Alright. Nice and easy officer. I don't want any trouble. Just get back in your truck...and go away."

Jillian was out the door in an instant. She knew that voice, and had to be sure. As she ran for the alley, she heard her brother calling her to stop. She came around the corner, face to face with an AR-15 barrel. Her own rifle came up, pointing at the head of the deer. For a moment, they just looked at each other. Both had their fingers on the trigger and ready to shoot. It was Jillian that lowered her rifle first. She looked up at him as he lowered his.

"Why did you come here?" she asked softly. Brandon looked at her, uncertain. This was not like the woman he remembered. She had scars he could see and ones he could sense inside. She was also walking. After a moment he swallowed and spoke softly. "For you. I came for you." She looked up at him and slowly came closer. After a moment she put a paw on his chest. She could feel those muscles ripple as he tensed. But when she did nothing but stand there he relaxed. She removed her paw, and reached to her face. Lifting her lip, she showed him the chipped tooth. One could see the cap over the tooth, covering the damaged end. He slowly took her paw in his hooved fingers, looking at it before slowly pulling her close.

The officer slowly relaxed before whispering, "We good?" Jillian nodded at him before taking Brandon's hand. Leading him to the truck, she climbed up the side ladder to the roof. Brandon joined her, and the officer hurried back into the back. Jillian thumped the top of the truck, telling them to go. As they started off, she looked the buck over. He had changed, and so had she. They were not the same young adults as they were back then. Brandon stroked her thick mane of hair, sitting silently and watching the buildings glide past.

"I'm.... I'm pregnant," she finally said. He looked at her and nodded. "He died. His friends have been taking care of my needs, but... My fiance died Brandon." The stag looked at her and could tell she was eaten up with pain. She needed a moment, and never could get it. After a moment he pulled her close and lay her against his side. As he just hugged her, she slid her arms around him. It was a small comfort, and little more than a few moments of peace. But it was enough that she fell asleep. Even as they rolled through the tunnel into city center, she was still sleeping. She only awoke once the truck stopped and it shook them. Brandon helped her down the ladder, before joining her. Kevin came around, looking down at the guy. Brandon looked up at him like he was either unafraid or simply didn't care that he was looking at a polar bear. The reindeer was astoundingly calm amid the chaos around them.

James came up to them after a moment, merely telling them he would show them to their room. As they followed him, Brandon looked at the wolf. How he ended up in that wheelchair escaped the buck, unless he already had a go with Jillian. He knew the wolfess hated her family as much as he hated his own father. And the cervine was quite gleeful in secret. He wanted to taunt the wolf a bit, but let it go for now. He had Jillian close, and that was all that mattered at the moment. As they were taken to a hotel, James motioned the clerk for room keys. The clerk came to him and handed him two access cards. After that, the clerk returned to his seat behind the counter.

As James led the three to the elevator, he spoke softly. "We have very few resources available, but what we do have is open to you sis. Jason and Ana are in charge of the serum stuff, while Bojo heads up personnel. I'm with search and rescue. Military Intel trying to find the source of this stuff, and brass is behind the scenes trying to supply us manpower and resources to deal with this. We have it contained with the military help, but it wouldn't take much to push it out of control. The water system is completely tainted, and since the water is recycled automatically, there is no way to just filter all this stuff out. The pumps are inaccessible right now, since they are in Rain-forest district. We haven't had any communications from there and the last two teams we sent in said it was crawling with preds. Nothing we can do there without risking lives. The system would just open the valves to keep the water flowing, since it is mostly computer controlled."

"So where do we fit in?" Jillian asked curtly. She looked down at her brother as he sighed and looked up at her. "You are pretty much the closest thing to an expert we have. This stuff is tailored, and the vaccines and treatments have no effect. We have to let it run its course or else we risk patient lives by over dosing them. You have the best connections in the city at the moment. We were hoping you might be able to get the intel to figure this out or at least help us cook up something to counter it. After that, we have to just work hard. As was promised, your records are clear. Brandon doesn't have one, so He's going to be sent home," James said.

"Fuck you pup. I'm not leaving her alone near you mammals. After what you did to her then, you are damned lucky to be breathing right now. I came here to kill you and your old man, then get her away where she can be safe and happy..." Brandon snapped, almost screaming at the wolf. James looked up at him quietly, before looking back at the elevator doors. Jillian looked at Brandon, amazed the stag had that kind of rage inside him. What happened to him to make him like this?

James handed her the cards and motioned down the hall. "Room 285. Get cleaned up, have some food and a nap. We will come talk to you tomorrow morning..." He said. As the three exited the elevator, James pushed the door closed button without another word. Jillian watched him as he stared at her and Brandon. Once the lift closed, Jillian moved down the hall looking at the doors. Coming to the one they were told, she inserted one of the keys and opened the door. It was an uptown hotel, equipped with two beds, a full TV system, large lounge area, and a full bathroom. Looking it over, she moved to the table and set her bag on it. Taking the contents out, she stacked it up on the table neatly until she found her medication box. Opening it, she looked it over and counted out her doses. There were ten left.

Taking a deep breath, she looked at Kevin and nodded. He nodded back and set his bag on the table. Taking out the ammo he brought, he began to load up every spare magazine he picked up. Brandon came over as well, looking at the strange medication vials. "I take it that is how you are out of your wheelchair?" he asked softly. She nodded and closed the case. Putting it in his hands, she spoke softly, "I want you with me at all times. The case is new, and comes with an alarm that will beep repeatedly when it is time for the next dose. I took one this morning, so I am fine for a while. The next dose will be tomorrow morning. You have to inject me, and then give it a moment. The effects are strong, and sometimes I have some side effects, but I have never hurt anyone. Just do not make sudden moves and we should be fine. That said, we need to prepare. We have to get the doc. She can make me more medication, but she is also the key to this. I know more about what happened than I let on, but she can help us cure this. I just have to find a way to get them to let us have a chopper to pick up her and her kid from the hospital. She wont leave her daughter. Once we get them here in city center, she can cook up a cure. She knows more about Night Howlers than anyone I know."

Brandon nodded and set his case down. Opening it, he brought out his other two rifles and set them on the table. Then multiple boxes of ammunition for each, staking them over five boxes high. Once that was done, he moved to the bathroom, pulling his sweater off. "If no one cares I am going to shower. I haven't had one in three days and the musk is starting to get to me." Kevin nodded and sat in a chair. Once the buck was in the bathroom with the door shut, he spoke.

"Can we trust him?" he asked. Jillian looked at the bathroom door and then nodded. "He didn't rat me out back then, and he came here to rescue me form whatever I might have gotten myself into. He wanted to punish my family for what they did to me, and provide a better life for me. If there is only one mammal we can trust, it is him. Besides, he doesn't care about predator or prey. He just sees mammals as that. Oh..." She paused to pull out her scanner. Scrolling the frequency to the one Mr. Big often used, she listened in. There was nothing but static, however she left it on that channel just in case something came through. After a bit, she pulled her shirt off and then her pants. Kevin watched her move to one of the beds and lay down. He stood and moved to the AC system, turning it on a powerful setting to get the room cold. That done, he sat back at the table to wait for his turn for the shower. As much as he cared about Jillian, he knew that it was more of a brother and sister relationship between them. Jillian would never see him like she saw Carl, and he would never try to replace Carl. Casting his eyes on the bathroom door, he wondered just how much the stag in the shower cared. Was it infatuation that would fade swiftly, or did the cervine care deeply and want to actually love her. He seemed undisturbed by the fact Jillian was carrying another mammal's baby. Only time would tell.

To Be Continued....