{"sf1_id":1462413,"sf2_id":"rn6qM66m","title":"02: Catch and Release","author":"SciFurz","words":19120,"posted_at":"2019-06-23T13:25:40.000Z","tags":["Anthro","Canine","Erotic","Female","Harem","Human","Male","Rat","Romance","Science Fiction","Thriller"],"url":"https://fse.anthro.fr/stories/1462413-02-catch-and-release","original_url":"https://sofurry.com/s/rn6qM66m","image_url":"https://cdn.sofurryfiles.com/submissions/thumbnails/92/a4/92a4b99f-3959-4676-9bbf-7a10d4f99a8c","description":"Dormin, Adalet, and Terry try to prevent Alyssa from stealing the next thing, and gain more clues on the origin of Ismene on the feline world.","content":"**01 - Dangerous Art**\n\n \n\nDormin sat back down at the lounge table where they had dinner earlier, after he'd retrieved a new bottle of liquor from the ship's store. 'Any results from Ismene?' he asked and filled the waiting empty glasses.\n\n \n\nTerry put down her tablet. 'Nothing conclusive yet. She's still searching around for connections between the clues we gave her.'\n\n \n\nOurania unfolded a map of the city. 'Let's mark all the places Elyssa and her people were talking about. Maybe we can spot a clue in there.'\n\n \n\n'Good thinking.' said Dormin and gave her a smile. 'I was about to ask if we had a map.'\n\n \n\nShe smiled down at the table and stroked her thigh and her tail curled around her leg when a warm sensation flowed gently through her.\n\n \n\nTerry read the list of known and possible locations Ismene had put together while Ourania and Adalet marked them in different colours to set them apart.\n\n \n\nAdalet tapped the location of the subway works. 'It would be most logical for the target to be around there.' She tapped the location of roadworks at major roads and a highway in the area. 'If they think about causing a blackout in the city the resulting mess would slow down traffic and keep law enforcement busy and they can use the closed roads to get away faster.'\n\n \n\nDormin nodded. 'So what's around there that's interesting?'\n\n \n\n'Art dealers, expensive restaurants, the city museum.'\n\n \n\n'Terry, can you focus on that area for Ismene's search?'\n\n \n\nTerry typed commands in the terminal window. 'Done.'\n\n \n\nAdalet tried to think of other interesting targets in the area. 'Something to do with art is all I can imagine. There's nothing else there as far as I know.'\n\n \n\n'Ah!' said Terry and typed again. 'Ismene found something. An old mail in which the owner of a painting called Breeze refused to sell it to Elyssa. And it's on display at the museum for a special exposition about the painter.'\n\n \n\nOurania looked at Terry. 'That's it? All that trouble for a painting?'\n\n \n\n'It's worth enough money to be on the shopping lists of plenty of wealthy people and the fact that she wants it plays a part.'\n\n \n\nDormin leaned forward. 'I say as long as Ismene hasn't come up with a better target we make plans on how to prevent this theft.'\n\n \n\nThe others agreed and Dormin made notes while they looked at every angle. 'It would be best to have someone present inside if the theft occurs.' said Adalet and looked at Dormin. 'With your experience you'd have to be the one.'\n\n \n\nTerry scratched her ear. 'But that might only be possible if one of the assigned guards is unavailable and needs to be replaced.'\n\n \n\n'I think there's still an open case file of a break in at that museum. I might be able to use that somehow.'\n\n \n\nTerry looked up some information and hummed. 'I can register you as an employee at the security firm.' It's large enough that most people don't know their colleagues, especially when they're from other branches.\n\n \n\n'Good.' Dormin said. 'See if Ismene can find more information on them and the guards working at the museum.'\n\n \n\nTerry nodded and typed more.\n\n \n\n'Let's see what else we can do to disrupt things for them.'\n\n \n\nSome time later several lists were made and they'd get to work after they'd had their rest. Adalet, Terry, and Dormin stood up to head to their suite while Ourania took a schematic from her desk. 'I'm going to check on a control circuit before I'm going to sleep.' she said. 'It shut down intermittently and it's too important to let it fail completely.'\n\n \n\n'Anything I can help with?' asked Terry.\n\n \n\nOurania shook her head. 'Not really. You'd better get your rest, then I'll take mine when you're busy.'\n\n \n\n'If you need it though don't hesitate to wake me.' Terry said, then whispered 'Or Dormin if you need something else.' with a sly smile, and followed the others to the front suite, while Ourania suddenly felt a little hot and quickly gathered her small toolbox to distract her curious imagination with her work.\n\n \n\nShe went to the cockpit, checked the wiring and connectors running through the ceiling in the hallway behind it, measured the signal, and saw it fluctuate when she moved several cables at a tight spot along a construction beam. Her fingers slid along the cables and she detected a junction box wiggling at her touch. 'Drat.' she muttered.\n\n \n\nShe examined the space the cables went through and where the box was located, took her small toolbox, and went up to the hallway above,.There she lifted the floor panel where she had estimated the box would be underneath. She smiled a little in relief to see she could reach it easily from there.\n\n \n\nAfter opening it and reattaching all connections inside the problem was fixed and the signal stayed active even while moving the cables again.\n\n \n\nShe had barely closed the floor panel when she noticed Terry's begging for something with a slight moan to her voice. She tried to ignore it but her curiosity as to what was going on was too strong, and she sneaked closer in the dark hallway to the slightly open door of the front suite. The dim light inside from the horizontal light strip at the head of the large bed was enough to witness everything.\n\n \n\nShe held her breath the moment she saw Terry naked on her hands and knees over a naked Dormin lying on his back. 'I can't hold back any longer.' Terry spoke in her husky voice while her tail weaved slightly as it stood up. 'I want you inside me so much now.'\n\n \n\nAdalet stood next to the bed and leaned over to caress Dormin's chest. 'I feel it too.' she whispered. 'We've had to take it easy for far too long already.'\n\n \n\nDormin caressed their cheeks. 'I know, but I don't want to risk our recovery so far.' Terry whined softly with her ears and tail drooping but he smiled softly at her. 'So we'll have to do it gently until we're fully healed.'\n\n \n\nTerry's ears and tail pricked up. 'Yes!' she said and kissed him hard, her tongue flashing into his mouth in happiness.\n\n \n\nShe pulled back while stroking his erection softly, happy to feel his heat in her hand. Adalet stole his next deep kiss and pulled back when she needed to breath again. Dormin sighed and smiled. 'No one will believe me how lucky I am with you.'\n\n \n\n'Oh, we do.' chuckled Terry and moved down. 'But I also feel lucky to have met you.' She licked her lips as she looked at his hard body part in her hand. 'I didn't think I could ever feel so good.' She slid her muzzle around him and gently rounded his tip with her tongue.\n\n \n\nAdalet didn't wait and joined her to alternately please him with their hungry mouths. He growled softly while his lower body heated up and pulled at Adalet's firm behind. 'Come here, I can't have you girls eating all by yourselves. You're not the only hungry ones.'\n\n \n\nAdalet spread her legs above his face and lowered herself. He smiled at the wet slit and hard nub in front of him and traced them with his lips and the tip of his tongue, making her moan and pant quickly after all that time of having to do without. He inhaled her scent and slid his tongue along her slit. 'I've missed your scent and taste.'\n\n \n\nAdalet turned even redder in the face despite turning her own tongue around him. 'Ahh.. Don't say such embarrassing things..' she moaned while her body shivered with pleasure.\n\n \n\nTerry chuckled and took over with her mouth and agile tongue. Ourania watched them suck and lick through the crack of the door, unable to take her eyes off of the three lovers despite part of her mind telling her to leave before they'd catch her peeping.\n\n \n\nShe'd seen pictures and movies before but that had never caught her interest, yet this sight of naked flesh and fur entangled in intimate love, the moans of lust and growls of hunger and the musky scent of moist flesh stirred her insides. Her heart beat faster in knowing what she did was wrong but the itch inside her abdomen lured her mind into exploring a new pleasure.\n\n \n\nDormin groaned inside Adalet's hot and wet folds from the attention of both women closing their mouths together around his tip and satisfying their hunger for him. 'Ah damn. You're pushing me to the edge and I can't restrain myself this time.'\n\n \n\nThis made Adalet moan even louder than she already did when she too was close to her climax and spurred Terry on to run her tongue harder around him.\n\n \n\nOurania's mind had given up any thought of leaving and unconsciously she'd unbuttoned the front of her coverall when she felt too warm in it.\n\n \n\nDormin reached his limit and pressed his mouth hard into Adalet as he groaned hard and filled Adalet and Terry's mouths in his climax.\n\n \n\nThe vibration of his voice against her was too much for Adalet and the surge of electric heat through her lower body made her moan out loud in the satisfaction she had desired for many days.\n\n \n\nTerry eagerly licked every drop coming from Dormin with every throb while Adalet panted, and licked her lips clean after she was done with him. Adalet licked her own lips and looked at Terry with heavy eyes. 'Meanie, you took my share.'\n\n \n\nTerry grinned a little. 'Sorry, I was really hungry.'\n\n \n\nAdalet smiled mischievously. 'Just for that I get to ride first.'\n\n \n\nTerry chuckled. 'Aww.'\n\n \n\nAdalet rolled away from Dormin and felt her ribs ache a little bit more than before, but she was not about to stop this good time. She straddled Dormin and took his still ready erection in her hand. 'Ready for more?'\n\n \n\nDormin grinned at her. 'With pleasure.' he said and felt her wet heat sliding down on him while she closed her eyes and sighed deep.\n\n \n\nShe moved slowly up and down and ground herself against his hilt, stoking up her fire inside. Terry spread herself above Dormin's face after he pulled her closer by sticking one finger between her legs. Her body shivered and her fur stood straight up when his tongue ran along her soaking slit and his fingers dug into the fur of her behind. She moaned at the sensation she'd had to ignore for longer than she thought she could.\n\n \n\nOurania breathed deeper watching Adalet slide along Dormin and their bodily fluids glisten on their flesh in the dim light. She had slid one of her hands down between her legs to quench the itch there but as soon as she touched her hard and sensitive nub she squealed a quick moan. Her heart jumped, startled by her own voice, and she clamped her other hand against her mouth. Fear of being discovered froze her on the spot but none of the three lovers seemed to have noticed her, engulfed in their own uttering of lust.\n\n \n\nHer mind once more told her to leave before she would be seen but her body refused to move. Her fingers moved gently along her hot and moist folds as she sat there on her knees, and the sensation had already made an addict out of her. She breathed the scents of lovemaking and her imagination let her share their passion with her.\n\n \n\nAdalet breathed deep in the same rhythm as she moved her hips against Dormin. 'This is so good..' she moaned with each push inside her. 'I don't care how much longer it takes to heal but I'm not going a day without feeling you inside anymore.'\n\n \n\nTerry half moaned and whined while Dormin sucked and nibbled on her. 'Ohh.. I don't even want it to end at all until I pass out..'\n\n \n\nDormin groaned against her as she dug her claws in his side and Adalet squeezed herself tight around him. He ignored the ache of his chest in his hunger to ravish these hot women. They fired up a carnal lust in him he'd never felt before in his life and he would indulge in it.\n\n \n\nOurania rubbed herself in time with Adalet's grinding while she became more hypnotised by the display of primordial instinct on the bed. She could feel him moving inside her, pushing deep into her and stretching her, his body pressing against hers.\n\n \n\nAdalet moved erratically, clamping down harder on Dormin and moaning harder as she burned hotter inside towards her climax. Ourania unconsciously rubbed faster and pressed her hand tighter against her mouth to stifle her own sounds of lust, unable to stop her own desire to satisfy her physical need.\n\n \n\nAdalet uttered a low and long moan as the heatwave inside her washed all over her body and Ourania shut her eyes tight while her body shivered in her new sensation of bliss, and hoped her stifled squeal was masked by the sounds inside the suite.\n\n \n\nAdalet's clamping down triggered Dormin's climax and he groaned hard once more into Terry's wet folds as she let her restraints loose and nearly howled in her own bliss.\n\n \n\nPanting hard and shaking all over, she rolled away next to him to avoid slumping on his chest. She laid her head on Adalet's thigh and pushed her nose into the wet gap between her legs. 'Oh wow.. This scent just makes me itch for more..'\n\n \n\nDormin took a deep breath and chuckled. 'The scents of you both certainly get me going.'\n\n \n\nShe grinned a little. 'Good, because we're not done until you've filled me too.'\n\n \n\nDormin smiled at her. 'Just remember to be gentle, although I wouldn't regret it afterwards.'\n\n \n\nShe stroked his abdomen. 'Don't worry, I'll have to keep you from getting worse so you can keep going.'\n\n \n\nAdalet leaned forward and let him slip slowly out of her. 'All yours now.' she said in a tired voice. 'I'm satisfied for now.' She laid down next to him and smiled softly at him. 'At least until I've had my sleep.'\n\n \n\nDormin kissed her with gentle passion while Terry straddled him and lowered herself around him. 'Ah yesss.. This is what I longed for..' she whispered and twisted her hips slowly to feel him against every bit of her insides.\n\n \n\nOurania thought she'd had enough but her gaze was fixed on Terry's folds spreading on Dormin's tip and swallowing him up completely inside her. Her bushy tail swayed to the right and didn't obscure the sight for Ourania.\n\n \n\nShe swallowed and although the crotch of her coverall was wet, her fingers moved once again in rhythm with the sight before her eyes. She felt shame at watching the three in their most intimate moment but she couldn't take her eyes off of them and deny the thrill of satisfying herself at the same moment. Fear gripped her heart that she'd really be discovered at any moment but it only heightened her arousal.\n\n \n\nDormin wondered for a moment if he could keep up but the heat from Terry enveloping him cleared all doubt. His body reacted as if he'd had a good workout and received more energy than he'd expended. He kissed and licked Adalet's lips and tongue while playing gently with her nipples and caressing her breasts.\n\n \n\nTerry shut her eyes and gave herself up to the sensations heating up inside her. Something made Dormin different from other guys and that little mystery excited her even more. She moaned long and breathed through her teeth.\n\n \n\nOurania imagined taking part in their love and being the next to ride him like Terry did. Sliding him in and out, filling herself with him completely. Or maybe he would just take her when he was healed again. Pulling down her coverall, bending her forward between the clutter on her desk and spreading her legs to thrust into her. Pumping her, in, out, in, out. She had to clamp her mouth again to hide her lusty squeals while she rubbed her hard nub frantically.\n\n \n\nTerry ground her wet nub hard against Dormin while he ran his free hand along her thigh. 'You have to heal really soon.' she moaned. 'I want you to take me from behind.'\n\n \n\nDormin pulled back from his kiss with Adalet. 'I'll have the both of you in every way by then because I'll need to take out my frustration at holding back.'\n\n \n\nAdalet growled playfully at him. 'I look forward to that.'\n\n \n\nTerry squeezed him and pushed herself hard against him. 'That's a promise I'll make sure you keep.' she moaned while grinning.\n\n \n\nOurania panted through her fingers at the image of Dormin submitting all of them to the whims of his lust and another climax was welling up inside her, while she watched how Terry slid along his length and moaned more as she came closer to her deep satisfaction.\n\n \n\nDormin groaned at the tension inside him threatening to break free. 'I'm gonna.. Can't stop it..'\n\n \n\nTerry squeezed him as hard as she could, her heart racing in anticipation of his release. 'Yes!' she moaned. 'Give me!'\n\n \n\nDormin shuddered as he filled Terry and pushed her over the edge with the wave of heat spreading inside her. Ourania felt as if his release was also inside her and her body gave way to another taste of bliss while she squealed in pleasure into her hand.\n\n \n\nTerry panted and leaned forward to kiss Dormin and feel his tongue dancing with hers. She pushed herself up on her arms and grinned at him in tired satisfaction. 'That will do for today, but we still have a lot to catch up to.'\n\n \n\nDormin grinned back at her. 'Oh, we will. I can't get enough of you two.'\n\n \n\nTerry kissed him again and sat up straight. 'Good.' she said and squeezed him again. 'Because I need lots of this.'\n\n \n\nShe reluctantly slid off of him and stood up, waiting for a moment to steady her shaking legs, then walked over to the suite door.\n\n \n\nDormin lifted his head to see what she was looking for. 'Something wrong?'\n\n \n\nTerry shook her head. 'No, just thought I heard something.' she said and smiled deviously at the wet spot on the carpet and the lingering scent just outside the door.\n\n \n\nOurania's heart raced and her body glowed with heat as she moved unsteady into the lounge, glad she came to her senses just in time to crawl and then stumble away before Terry caught her. She put her toolbox down and crawled onto the couch she used for a bed. Her mind twirled with guilt and pleasure and embarrassment and the shame she would feel when she saw them after they'd wake up. She groaned as she looked up at the ceiling. 'Idiot. Since when did you become such a pervert?' she muttered, but didn't dwell on it long before she fell into a deeper sleep than she usually enjoyed.\n\n \n\n**\\*\\*\\***\n\n \n\nOurania woke up with a start. Sitting up on the couch, all the memories, sensations, and thoughts came back to her in one big flood. She groaned and grabbed her head in shame. 'Ahh, you damned pervert!'\n\n \n\nShe tried to think of any excuse but nothing came to mind. When she smelled her own scent she realised she'd fallen asleep in her soiled coverall and had to do something about that first. She undressed quickly and headed for the bathroom at the last suite to the back, which was the only one working on the ship. Her mind was so preoccupied with the events of the day before that she unwittingly stepped into the large shower just as Dormin turned it on. She squealed as she bumped into him and rubbed her nose.\n\n \n\nDormin steadied her by her shoulders before she'd bump into the wall at her back. 'Careful!' he said and leaned a little closer to check if she received a nosebleed from the hit. 'Are you okay?'\n\n \n\nShe nodded and looked up at him. 'I'm okay.' she said, his worried look in his up close face speeding up her heart. 'I didn't look where I was going, sorry.'\n\n \n\nHe smiled gently at her and let her go. 'That's okay, no harm done.'\n\n \n\nShe liked his smile. It seemed to her that he could never fake it and she smiled back at him.\n\n \n\n'Oh, you wanted to use the shower?' he asked, gesturing at it.\n\n \n\n'Yes.' she said and remembered the reason why she came. 'Ah! No!' She took a step back and her eyes watched him from naked top to toe and back as if she had no control over them, and the images of him lying in bed while the others used their mouths on him flashed once more before her.\n\n \n\nDormin looked a little puzzled at her. 'No?'\n\n \n\n'I mean yes!'\n\n \n\n'You can go first then.' he said but before he could step aside she had stepped back.\n\n \n\n'No, that's okay!' she said. 'I can take it later! I need to go check on something first anyway!'\n\n \n\n'Okay?' he said as she slipped out the bathroom. He shrugged mentally and checked the temperature before stepping under the shower, chuckling at the second time of being surprised by a naked woman.\n\n \n\nOurania leaned back against the wall just outside the bathroom to wait for her knees to regain their strength. She listened to the sounds of him showering and curiosity nudged her again to take a look.\n\n \n\nHe stood mostly with his side towards her and enough of his front to give her a clear look. Her mind brought up the questions of how he would taste and what it would feel like to have him inside her and her imagination almost got to her when she forced herself to step back again. She breathed deeper, sensing that itch inside her abdomen again and suspecting she'd started to get wet below. She couldn't let him see her like that, although that thought poked her arousal.\n\n \n\nHer eyes went wide and she groaned again when she realised she'd forgotten she'd been naked as well. She worried what he might think of her now, flaunting her body in front of him like it was nothing to her. She grabbed her hair and hid her face. \"He probably thinks I'm some floozy now. Thinks I'm trying to seduce him to get him into bed. But I don't want it like that! I mean, not like that. If he would want to then-. Wait! What am I thinking!?\"\n\n \n\nShe groaned again at the thoughts rushing through her head when she was startled by a touch on her shoulder. She looked through the jumble of her hair at Dormin who looked worried at her again.\n\n \n\n'Are you sure you're okay?' he asked. 'You seem out of it.'\n\n \n\nShe shook her head. 'Just a lot on my mind with what's going on lately and how my life's turned upside down.'\n\n \n\n'Yeah, I'm really sorry you got involved in all of this.' he said. 'If you want to we can cut you loose. Give you a safe new identity and we go elsewhere.'\n\n \n\nShe knew by the look in his eyes he would. She wondered if his honesty was what attracted Adalet and Terry to him and if that was what attracted her as well. She shook her head again. 'No, it's just that I still have to get used to it.'\n\n \n\nHe nodded and gave her a quick smile. 'Okay. But if you have any doubts at all, let us know.'\n\n \n\nShe returned his smile and watched him as he left the suite, then slipped quickly into the shower and took her time washing herself.\n\n \n\n**\\*\\*\\***\n\n \n\nDormin had set the table for their meal and Ourania sat at it reading the latest news when Terry sat down in front of her and smiled at her.\n\n \n\nOurania blinked. 'What?'\n\n \n\n'Had fun before going to sleep?'\n\n \n\nShe choked and coughed while Terry poured her a glass of water. 'What do you mean?' she said in a hoarse voice.\n\n \n\nTerry chuckled and tapped her ear and nose. 'Humans don't have such good senses.'\n\n \n\nOurania looked away.\n\n \n\nTerry leaned back. 'To be honest I was surprised, but I expected something sooner or later by the way you look at him.'\n\n \n\nOurania sighed. 'I don't mean to intrude.'\n\n \n\nTerry chuckled. 'Intrude by all means. Be honest with yourself. There's something about him that triggers the animal pack feeling and you want to be taken by that strong alpha male.'\n\n \n\nOurania glanced at her. 'I don't even think he'd be interested.'\n\n \n\nTerry leaned closer. 'He said he saw you at the bathroom and was worried about you. When I pried further he admitted you were naked and he had to keep a cool head because you're cute and sexy.'\n\n \n\nOurania stared at her with big eyes. 'He did!? But I'm not!'\n\n \n\n'Not what?' asked Adalet when she came into the lounge carrying bread, with Dormin following her carrying assorted condiments.\n\n \n\nTerry grinned a little. 'Oh, I just told her Dormin finds her cute and sexy.'\n\n \n\nAdalet raised an eyebrow at him. 'Oh?'\n\n \n\nHe blushed but calmly unloaded his armful on the table. 'I can hardly lie about it.'\n\n \n\nAdalet sat down next to Ourania with Dormin across from her. 'Honest to a fault.' she said and smiled at him.\n\n \n\nTerry turned to Ourania. 'See? He won't object to you joining his harem.'\n\n \n\nOurania opened her mouth but words failed to keep up with her thoughts.\n\n \n\nDormin nudged Terry. 'Stop teasing her as if she's even interested in me.' he said but the exchange of a glance with Ourania told him he might have to prepare for that option in the future. He cleared his throat and turned to a different subject. 'Are we ready to proceed with our plan?'\n\n \n\n'I'll get you registered at the security firm after we've eaten,' said Terry. 'and get you a registration at several museums as well to complete your work history. Of course it'll be those that don't give out any information just like that.'\n\n \n\nAdalet peeled an egg. 'I know someone who's dabbling in biological stuff. I think he'll be able to provide me with something to slip in the guard's coffee when I call to have one of them come over to look at mugshots. That's hopefully enough to get you in.'\n\n \n\nDormin nodded. 'I'll see if I can get some extra firepower inside for when they do break in. If the museum's still the target.'\n\n \n\nTerry tapped on her tablet at the table corner. 'Ismene hasn't found anything new so we're probably on the right track.'\n\n \n\n'Okay. When it happens, Adalet and I will take care of any shooting first.' Dormin turned to Terry. 'You don't have to involve yourself with that if you have any doubts.'\n\n \n\nTerry nodded. 'We'll see.'\n\n \n\nHe turned to Ourania who almost looked away. 'You're our eyes in the sky if they get away.'\n\n \n\nShe gave him a determined nod while her heart pounded.\n\n \n\nHe grabbed the sandwich he'd made in the meantime. 'Let's see if we can put a stop to Elyssa and get her off our backs.' he said and took a bite.\n\n \n\n**\\*\\*\\***\n\n \n\nAdalet walked into the police station and greeted Harry, the officer who usually managed the front desk during the late evening shift.\n\n \n\nThe old man close to retiring sat up straight and smiled. 'Adalet! I thought you were going to be on sick leave for a while longer.'\n\n \n\nShe gave him a little grin. 'I just felt too restless. Thought I'd take it easy by picking up some desk work that's been gathering dust.'\n\n \n\n'I know the feeling.' he said. 'Watch out for those dangerous paper cuts then!'\n\n \n\nShe chuckled as she headed for her desk. She went through her file cabinet and pulled out the case she had in mind. It was about an older break-in at the museum where several smaller statues had been stolen, of which only a few had been recovered in the year thereafter.\n\n \n\nShe called the museum, spoke to Rashid Amalla, and asked him to come over for a short while to see if he could identify a suspect right away to help an investigation. Terry and her had chosen him because he had a clean background and was a father of two, and his two colleagues had a connection with several attempts of art theft. If there was any inside help it would be from those two. Adalet wanted to keep Rashid out of it if things went bad.\n\n \n\nA tanned man with small beard walked in later and Adalet had no doubt it was him from the private security uniform he wore. She stood up and held up her hand to indicate she was the one he was looking for. 'Mister Amalla, I assume?'\n\n \n\nHe shook her hand. 'Rashid, please. You're detective Saliman?'\n\n \n\nShe gave him a friendly smile. 'Call me Adalet then.' she said and gestured at the chair beside her desk. 'Can I offer you some coffee or tea?'\n\n \n\n'Coffee, plain black, please.'\n\n \n\nShe nodded and headed over to the coffee machine, which produced two cups with the soothing sounds of bubbling and pouring together with the fresh smell.. She slipped the contents of a tiny vial in the cup for Rashid and hoped the temperature didn't diminish the effect of the virus she had picked up earlier.\n\n \n\n'Here you go.' she said as she put down his cup and sat down.\n\n \n\n'Thanks.' he said and took a sip. Adalet didn't see any reaction to it possibly tasting strange and felt relief. 'You said you might have a lead on that old case of the stolen Durian artefacts?'\n\n \n\nShe nodded and took the file. 'I have a new case and noticed it might be linked to that one, so I'd like you to look at several photos to see if you recognise any of the suspects that might have been at the museum on that day or just before.'\n\n \n\n\\Rashid examined the photos, sipping his coffee in the meantime. After the last one he tapped on the photo of a young guy with short, blonde hair. 'Him. I think I've seen him at the exhibition that day.' he said. 'Can't be a hundred percent sure but I'd take a bet on it.'\n\n \n\nAdalet put the photo aside and held out her hand. 'That's enough to look further into his business.' she said. 'I might have good news for you and the museum in the future.'\n\n \n\nHe gave her a smile and shook her hand after he stood up. 'Thanks.'\n\n \n\n'You're welcome, and thank you for coming on such short notice.' she said and watched him as he left to go to work at the museum.\n\n \n\nAdalet leaned back in her chair and smiled a little ruefully. 'Sorry about that, but we need you to stay at home for a while.' she whispered.\n\n \n\n**\\*\\*\\***\n\n \n\nTerry sat with Dormin to fill in some details of his work history. 'Name, Dave Ostberg, former military, worked at a private museum until the collection was sold at the death of its owner, and at the provincial museum of Marken until that was closed due to lack of funding. Did a temporary private security gig for a wealthy family until they moved abroad. Their contact details are redirected here.' She sat back. 'You're top of the list to replace Rashid.'\n\n \n\nDormin read a summary of the museums and their major exhibitions in case there were some questions about them. 'Good. I'll have to brush up on my art history.'\n\n \n\nTerry turned to him. 'What did you actually do in the military? I admit I peeked at your file but it was mostly blank apart from the standard entries that most soldiers have.'\n\n \n\nHe kept his eyes on the page he held. 'I was like most enlisted. Served in two wars, wasn't fun but I had a great team. Not much to tell.'\n\n \n\nShe looked thoughtful at him. 'Is that why you have trouble sleeping?'\n\n \n\nHe looked back at her.\n\n \n\nShe leaned forward. 'I noticed you don't look well waking up after you've only slept a few hours.'\n\n \n\nHe gave her a quick smile. 'But I'm sleeping better thanks to you and Adalet. I'll be fine in due time.'\n\n \n\nShe kissed him softly. 'Okay then.'\n\n \n\n**\\*\\*\\***\n\n \n\nDormin received a call from the security firm as expected, and arrived the next night at the city museum to replace Rashid, who was stuck in bed with a good case of the flu. He walked into the guard room just before closing time and met his fellow guards, both giving the impression they'd been in the military with their crew cuts, watchful eyes, and resolute movements. They didn't relax but idled instead.\n\n \n\nThe younger of the two, somewhere in his thirties as opposed to just over forty like the other, introduced them as Bjorn and Erik. They'd been working the museum gig just over a year and Bjorn showed him around.\n\n \n\n'Not much going on usually at this museum,' he said while they passed through the dimly lit, wide open east wing adorned with paintings, statues, and glass cases full of small art and historical artefacts. 'it's all general exhibitions of various artists, only now there's all the paintings of Verhandel and one very expense one of his, Breeze. That's why there's the three of instead of two, just to be a bit more on the safe side.'\n\n \n\n'They're expecting trouble?' Dormin asked while his eyes quickly surveilled the cameras and sensors.\n\n \n\n'Not really. There's a good alarm system which closes off everything when it goes off and art thieves no longer have an interest in the old fashioned art of cat burglary.'\n\n \n\nDormin smiled a little. 'I believe you.'\n\n \n\nWhen they returned to the guard room Dormin excused himself and inserted his ear piece after closing the door. Through the mobile he had left on the table he heard a locker closing. 'What do you think, will he be trouble?' asked Erik.\n\n \n\n'I don't think so.' said Bjorn. 'When they're married and lead a civilian life they care more about staying for the family. When the blast happens we'll keep him down with a few shots. But the same rule goes as it does for Rashid, kill him if he puts up too much of a fight.'\n\n \n\nDormin looked out a window at the back of the museum. 'You heard it, it's definitely on for tonight.'\n\n \n\n'Indeed.' said Adalet through his ear piece. 'I'm kind of glad we disabled Rashid. Not that I want them to rather shoot at you.'\n\n \n\nDormin chuckled. 'I know, but I probably have a better chance at coming out unscathed.' he said and looked back. 'Be ready for when I call.'\n\n \n\n**\\*\\*\\***\n\n \n\nThe night was quiet when Dormin received a call from Terry. He put down his cards from the game of poker he played with Bjorn and Erik between rounds and picked up his mobile. 'Excuse me, the missus is calling me.'\n\n \n\nHe moved away from the table and heard Terry giggle. 'I'm the missus? Are we married now?'\n\n \n\n'Sure. Why not?'\n\n \n\nTerry heart skipped a beat. 'You shouldn't tease like that.' she said and cleared her throat. 'I'm calling because Ismene just found a message stating maintenance is scheduled for this night at the power plant. We're headed your way now.'\n\n \n\nDormin glanced back at the two men at the table talking. 'Okay, I'll get ready. See you later then.'\n\n \n\n'Be careful.' Terry said and disconnected.\n\n \n\nDormin saw the men grin at him as he came back to the table. 'Have you been looking at my cards?'\n\n \n\nErik chuckled. 'Let me guess, she wants to go somewhere as soon as you come back home? Somewhere shopping? For the house?'\n\n \n\nDormin stared at him for a moment. 'You're married too?'\n\n \n\nErik and Bjorn laughed, then Erik shook his head. 'No, but we've worked with plenty of married men before.'\n\n \n\nDormin hummed and sat down. 'I guess it's not unusual then.'\n\n \n\n'No.' Bjorn said and leaned forward on his elbows on the table. 'I'll bet you married your school girlfriend and that she was one of the prettiest girls there.'\n\n \n\nDormin smiled. 'We actually-' he started when the lights went out and blue emergency lights went on. 'Power failure?'\n\n \n\nThe alarm indicated main power loss at the display on the desk. Bjorn tapped to check its status. 'Secondary power is also out, the alarm is running on backup batteries.'\n\n \n\nErik fastened his gun belt and flashlight and walked to the front windows. 'That would mean the whole area has gone dark. We get power from two different connections.'\n\n \n\nBjorn and Dormin followed him and saw no lights anywhere outside apart from a few cars driving along the street.\n\n \n\n'There's going to be chaos.' said Bjorn.\n\n \n\nErik sighed. 'We'll have to walk until the power's back on.' he said and assigned areas to each of them for extra surveillance.\n\n \n\nDormin reached his when the building shook at the sound of a muffled explosion. The alarm went off with red flashlights turning on in the hallways and Dormin rushed to the guard room while inserting his ear piece. 'It's happening!'\n\n \n\n'We heard and Adalet and Terry are coming in from their positions.' said Ourania.\n\n \n\nDormin pulled out his backpack from his locker, retrieved his submachine gun, put on safety glasses and a dust mask, and hurried to the hall where the painting Breeze hung.\n\n \n\nDust had spread through the air and several dark figures moved through the mist in the hall. Some were busy cutting the paintings out of their frames.\n\n \n\n'Stop!' Dormin shouted and ducked behind a thick pillar just before bullets were sent his way. 'Sorry Dave,' shouted Erik. 'but this payday is too good to let it lie!'\n\n \n\n\"I knew you'd say that.\" flashed through Dormin's mind and he returned fire.\n\n \n\nMoving around swiftly he fired double shots at the muzzle flashes from the others. One person went down with a cut off cry and stayed down, and another took shots at him. Bullets went over Dormin's head while he crouched and shot back. \"Two.\" he thought when he heard a body and a gun fall down on the floor and shot several times at the other shapes farther back in the dust diving for cover.\n\n \n\nThey returned fire while retreating to the hallway at their end. Dormin followed carefully along the wall where Breeze should be and found its empty frame on the floor. 'They've got the painting.' he said through his link to Ourania.\n\n \n\nOurania ran out of Diafanis. 'Adalet and Terry are nearly there! I just landed at the entrance to the subway building site!'\n\n \n\nDormin found several more discarded frames near the end of the hall. 'Looks like they grabbed more paintings.'\n\n \n\nHe glanced into the hallway but dust was heavier in the air. Footsteps ran away to the end of the hallway and he moved as fast in a crouch as he could. A draft came out of a big hole in the wall of a small hall at the back filled with rubble. He rushed to the side of it and peered quickly into the short service tunnel coming down from the subway. The door on the other side was open. He moved quickly through the tunnel while the sounds of starting engines came from outside.\n\n \n\nJust as he peeked outside, three open beach buggies drove off with spinning wheels. 'Three buggies heading out!' he said and ran to the one left behind. 'I'm following in a fourth!'\n\n \n\n'I'll try to block the exit!' Ourania said and looked around the building site for anything she could use. 'Just with what I don't know.'\n\n \n\nAdalet and Terry drove their bikes as fast as they dared through the construction tunnel leading down to the subway when Adalet saw wildly shaking lights heading towards them. 'We see them!' she said and stopped in front of a small container at the side.\n\n \n\nTerry pulled up behind her and joined her position at the corner of the container, crouching down at her feet.\n\n \n\n'We'll try to stop them.' said Adalet and aimed at the headlights.\n\n \n\nThey fired short bursts. One headlight of the first buggy went out and it swerved from side to side and the second buggy overtook the first when it hit a stack of barrels and crates. Shots were returned and Adalet and Terry retreated back behind the container. They heard a crash and the container shook against their backs, and the first buggy raced past them with a trashed left side.\n\n \n\nThey fired at its back but it continued on. Shots came from behind them and Adalet shot back. The third buggy's path was blocked by overturned barrels and damaged crates and it turned in a dust cloud and drove back towards a side tunnel. Shots were fired from the first buggy again and Adalet and Terry fired at it until the attacks ceased.\n\n \n\nThe second buggy neared the exit of the tunnel at the site when the driver noticed a truck backing up fast in front of it and stomped on the brakes, but the buggy hit the truck still hard enough to knock the driver and his passenger out.\n\n \n\nOurania felt the truck swaying at the crash as she watched it happening through the rear-view mirror with her heart pounding hard and her hands trembling on the steering wheel. 'I think they're out.' she breathed.\n\n \n\nDormin braked at the first buggy and checked on the men inside. The driver was bleeding at his stomach and his passenger slumped and quiet in his seat. No guns were near them. 'Are you okay!?' he shouted towards the container.\n\n \n\nAdalet hurried over to him. 'We're fine. One buggy went through that tunnel.' she said and pointed at it.\n\n \n\n'Okay. I'll go after them on bike.' he said and hurried with her to the bikes and Terry. 'You take care of the two in this buggy, Terry, you go check on the ones with Ourania.'\n\n \n\nTerry gave him a nod and hopped on her bike. 'Come back safely!' she said and drove away.\n\n \n\n'I double that.' Adalet said to Dormin.\n\n \n\nHe smiled at her. 'I have a good reason to with you girls.' he said and started the bike.\n\n \n\nAdalet stepped aside as he went in pursuit of the last buggy with a growl from the bike's engine and dirt thrown up from both wheels.\n\n \n\nHe drove along a subway track when he caught up with the buggy. It had to steer more carefully in the narrow space between the tracks and the wall to avoid collisions, but he couldn't take a shot at it until he reached a less curvy section, and hoped they wouldn't shoot first.\n\n \n\nThe buggy reached a subway station lit by emergency lights and to Dormin's dismay broke through the simple barrier at the sloped edge of the platform. He cursed as it drove up the wide shallow stairs to the surface.\n\n \n\nHe was glad to have all wheel drive on his bike as he followed them up the stairs and into a shopping mall court lit by minimal lighting powered by emergency generators. People screamed and jumped out of the way of the buggy. It drew a circle with squealing tires while the driver searched for the way out.\n\n \n\nDormin braked hard and pulled out his gun but couldn't risk hitting bystanders as the buggy drove away through a wide passage, and took up his pursuit again.\n\n \n\nThe buggy raced through the panicked crowd and hit the sides of several small stands in the middle of the passages, along with trash cans and shop signs. Dormin rode close behind them but when the passenger of the buggy opened fire on him he had to swerve to the side towards a small group of shoppers. At the last second he turned towards an escalator going up and shot up to the next floor.\n\n \n\nThe people there jumped out of the way when he launched from the escalator and drove at high speed along one gallery of the floor, keeping an eye on the buggy below though the open middle of the passageway. Construction work on a shop in front of him blocked his way though and he drove too fast to brake and turn at the overhead passage or go straight without hitting the workers. His mind calculated his chances instantly when he saw thick boards leaning on the railing of the overhead passage, and he braced himself.\n\n \n\nHe took the hit from hitting the boards, held his breath while his heart stopped as he flew across the open gap of the passage, and landed on the gallery on the other side of the passage.\n\n \n\nCold sweat ran down his back as he sped along the gallery and his heart hadn't raced as hard since his last mission.\n\n \n\nAt another set of escalators he braked hard enough to safely go down, and sped up again to follow the buggy. It left the passage to enter the large hall ahead at one entrance and crashed through the glass front onto the dark street outside.\n\n \n\nDormin followed through the hole and stopped to see which direction the buggy went, then twisted the accelerator when he spotted it and the bike shot forward in pursuit again. He remembered the road works near this location and the buggy headed that way on the sidewalk while nearly running more people over. He saw the buggy had to go around the building site with equipment and materials for the road work and saw an opportunity to catch up.\n\n \n\nHe crossed the site towards the other end, jumped the bike over a low ridge of sand, crossed open ground in a shower of dirt, and hit the sidewalk along the road just behind the buggy.\n\n \n\nThe passenger reached for his gun the moment he saw Dormin beside him but Dormin was faster. The driver pulled on the steering wheel when the bullet passed through the body at his side and pierced his left leg. The buggy turned sideways and rolled over violently along the road leaving a spray of glass and sparks behind.\n\n \n\nDormin stopped next to the buggy. He confirmed both men were dead and pulled out a canvas bag from the wreckage. In it he found Breeze and another painting and he slung the bag over his shoulder before driving away.\n\n \n\n**\\*\\*\\***\n\n \n\n'How are things at your end?' asked Dormin when he called Adalet later.\n\n \n\nShe stepped away from the noise of officers and ambulance personnel in the subway tunnel. 'So far normal. Terry and Ourania slipped away with the materials before I called this in. I said I was in the neighbourhood working the old case when I heard shooting. Possible rival criminal organisations.'\n\n \n\n'Okay. I'll leave that up to you. When Terry erases my profile from the security firm they'll probably say I was the inside man.'\n\n \n\n'True. I'll see if I can get access to the security footage to erase it soon.'\n\n \n\n'Don't risk getting caught for my sake.'\n\n \n\nShe smiled a little. 'No worries, the chaos from the blackout keeps everyone very busy. See you later.'\n\n \n\n'All right, later.' he said and disconnected before dropping the bag with paintings off at the doorstep of a respected art critic. 'She's not getting these any time soon.' he said to himself.\n\n \n\n**\\*\\*\\***\n\n \n\nElyssa turned to the man in expensive suit across from her desk. 'So, how did you like our little demonstration?'\n\n \n\nThe man looked at her from under his thick, black eyebrows and smiled ever so slightly, causing no extra wrinkles in his fifty year old face. 'Looks like you're capable of failure.'\n\n \n\nHer eyes narrowed with a sly curl of her mouth. 'Does it now?'\n\n \n\nHe leaned back a little in his thick seat. 'You went through all that trouble and you still didn't get the painting.'\n\n \n\nShe put her fingers together. 'On the contrary. First off, I confirmed there's a leak in my organisation. Second, I now know what my opponents are capable of and I can identify them using the video footage from cameras I had placed around the area. And third, the owner of Breeze will now store it at a secured site owned by one of my companies. There, a counterfeiter will have all the time in the world to make a copy and then I'll have the real one here in my possession.'\n\n \n\nThe man nodded once after a moment. 'I'm looking forward to doing business with you.' he said and Elyssa gave him a warm smile.\n\n \n\n**\\*\\*\\***\n\n \n\nAdalet arrived at her home after her shift was over and found Dormin waiting downstairs. 'Hey, lover.'\n\n \n\nHe smiled at her and kissed her. 'Done for today?'\n\n \n\n'Finally.' she said and hit the button for the elevator. 'But I'm afraid we can only pin this on the guys we caught.'\n\n \n\nThe two went into the elevator and Adalet pushed the button for her floor. 'Yeah, I expected that.' Dormin said.\n\n \n\nShe leaned against him during the ride up and he put his arm around her waste.\n\n \n\nOutside in a car with dark windows, a man picked up the small black control from the passenger seat and typed in a frequency. He watched as lights turned on inside Adalet's apartment. 'Goodbye.' he said and pressed the single blue button on the control.\n\n \n\nA cloud of glass spread out above the street at the explosion.\n\n \n\n**02 - Catch**\n\n \n\nFiremen hurried through the building to evacuate everyone while they fought the fire in Adalet's apartment from inside and outside. Three of them were guiding a small group of elderly people outside, supporting them down the stairs and taking them to an ambulance for a quick check. They went back into the alley behind the apartment and stepped through a poster covered door of the building behind it and kept to the back of the parking floor.\n\n \n\nAdalet pulled off her gas mask. 'If she was a person, I'd kiss Ismene.'\n\n \n\nTerry dropped her mask and helmet and ran her fingers through her hair. 'Just don't smudge her screens.'\n\n \n\nDormin chuckled. 'I'm just as glad she alerted us to the message Elyssa received but I'll refrain from kissing electronics.'\n\n \n\nAdalet looked back and up as if she could see her apartment. 'I just hope they'll identify those bodies as us and think we're dead.'\n\n \n\nTerry took off her uniform. 'I did the same identification swap as before and with your guns at their sides they'd have no reason to doubt it.'\n\n \n\nDormin opened the trunk of the car Terry had arrived in earlier and dumped their uniforms in it. 'I just hope no one's going to dig too deep into this accidental gas explosion.'\n\n \n\n'I wouldn't be surprised if they have that covered with someone on the inside.' Adalet said.\n\n \n\nA minute later he drove out onto the street at the other side of all the commotion while Adalet and Terry kept out of sight under blankets and various junk at the back seat. The wig with curly hair and the fake goatee was enough to disguise him from curious eyes.\n\n \n\nHe stopped once later at a convenience store to buy some beer and snacks, then continued on his way to the meeting point where Ourania would land.\n\n \n\nHe tossed the pack of chocolate wafers to the back seat. 'We're clear. I saw no sign of anyone following us.'\n\n \n\nTerry and Adalet sat up from under the blankets and Terry tore open the pack and stuffed a wafer in her mouth. 'Ourania says she didn't see anyone either.' she said slightly muffled and pulled out her ear piece.\n\n \n\n'Good.' Dormin said and took a detour as an extra precaution. 'I've had enough action for today.'\n\n \n\nAdalet slumped back in the seat. 'Goodbye, old life. Hello, obscurity.'\n\n \n\nTerry chuckled. 'Now you get to experience how I've lived all this time.'\n\n \n\nAdalet sighed. 'My poor potted plant, which I've carefully neglected all these years.'\n\n \n\n'No worries.' said Terry and put a wafer in Adalet's mouth. 'That nice man down the hall will be surprised to find a new one between his other plants but he'll take good care of it.'\n\n \n\nAdalet nodded and nibbled on the wafer.\n\n \n\n**\\*\\*\\***\n\n \n\nOurania had landed behind the used car dealer where Dormin returned the car they had borrowed, and the three boarded Diafanis quickly. Back up in the air and cloaked became the first moment they could relax and they sank down in the lounge couches while Ourania flew to a secluded spot outside the city.\n\n \n\n'Okay, now we know Elyssa received info about us.' Dormin said. 'Any clue about who sent it?'\n\n \n\nTerry examined Ismene's search results on her tablet. 'No. Seems she hit a dead end at one relay server she can't get into.'\n\n \n\nAdalet leaned forward on the table. 'Who could have known we were there?'\n\n \n\nThey sat silent for a while before Terry spoke up. 'I can only imagine the same people who are involved in the mystery of Ismene and her hardware. They would have the capability as long as they can find information about someone.'\n\n \n\nDormin hummed. 'So once again we need to find out more about that. It didn't stop at Elyssa as we'd hoped.'\n\n \n\n'The hardware is too advanced to be something she's be directly involved with. It has to be a very technologically advanced third party. Ismene's search on that is still ongoing.'\n\n \n\nAdalet sighed and leaned back. 'In a way I'm glad my parents don't have to witness my death, even if I wish they hadn't been in that accident.'\n\n \n\nTerry pricked up an ear. 'Accident?'\n\n \n\n'Plane crash. Probable cause a failure in the controls after take off.'\n\n \n\nTerry nodded. 'Sorry to hear that.'\n\n \n\nAdalet took the drink Dormin had poured for her. 'My dad worried about boredom after retirement. Now he didn't have to experience it.' she said and downed the shot in one gulp.\n\n \n\n**\\*\\*\\***\n\n \n\nA gentle bump told them Ourania had landed the airship in the air plane graveyard she frequented for spare parts. They couldn't see anything through the dark matter shield but if they had they'd see almost any type of war and civilian plane from the last fifty to sixty years slowly rusting away while nature swallowed the remains into the green field. She soon came down to the lounge to join them.\n\n \n\nDormin smiled at her when he poured her a drink. 'Nice place?'\n\n \n\nShe chuckled. 'Almost no one comes here, and certainly not in this remote section where there are only carcasses left without useful parts.'\n\n \n\nTerry pulled up the video feed from the cockpit and chuckled. 'I feel like building a secret base as if I were a kid again.'\n\n \n\nOurania laughed. 'So did I, the first time I came here.'\n\n \n\n'It's just-' Terry began but her eye caught a new message from Ismene. 'Chuck?'\n\n \n\nThe others watched her while she read the message and she stared back with big eyes when she put the tablet down. 'I think we have a new lead.'\n\n \n\n**\\*\\*\\***\n\n \n\nTerry printed a few documents for the others to read while she explained. 'Chuck is a friend that I've known since I started living on my own and became involved with a hacker group sniffing out powerful suspicious people in industry, politics, entertainment. He was one of the best at hiding tracks and we often teamed up until he landed a respectable job at Think, a specialist in pulling useful information out of data like people habits, financial prediction, and so on.'\n\n \n\nShe laid a page on the table. 'And now he left a message at a gaming forum we haven't used since then.'\n\n \n\nAdalet leaned forward to read the page. 'Hey Socks, thinking you're into Xia Sang, shall we play again?' She looked up. 'Code?'\n\n \n\n'Xia Sang is a town in a game where a mission is to get away with smuggled electronic hardware while a secret government force is after you.'\n\n \n\nAdalet looked at the page again. 'He knows?'\n\n \n\n'He might. He could have the right connections to have heard something. Enough to guess it involves me.'\n\n \n\nDormin twiddled his thumbs. 'So now what?'\n\n \n\nTerry twitched her ears and grinned slightly. 'I'm going to invite him to play.'\n\n \n\n**\\*\\*\\***\n\n \n\nChuck walked into the large supermarket and strolled around, checking food items to decide what he'd have for dinner, and went down the wide staircase into the wine and beer cellar. Down here the light was softer and the more exclusive and special drinks and food were displayed in wooden racks and cases.\n\n \n\nHe glanced at a young couple browsing cheeses and meats, then casually walked to the back up to a grey coloured fox in a short white dress examining the selection of exotic drinks.'Still drink a lot of that strawberry stuff?'\n\n \n\nThe fox turned the bottle in front of her back to the front label. 'And you those foreign draft beers?'\n\n \n\nHe chuckled. 'Whenever I can. How've you been?'\n\n \n\nTerry smiled a little at the young man with wild, black hair down to his shoulders. 'Busy and hidden as usual.'\n\n \n\nHe smiled with one corner of his mouth. 'My guess was correct then?'\n\n \n\nShe took the bottle and put it in her basket. 'It might be the worst yet. Dangerous for you too.'\n\n \n\nChuck took a bottle of a dark red and spicy hot liquor and read the back. 'I figured it might. And that you could use a little help.'\n\n \n\nTerry stepped aside to examine a bottle of black liquor. 'Yeah. We should talk.'\n\n \n\nHe gave a slight nod. 'Better not here. There's something off about that couple at the food section.'\n\n \n\n'Yeah, we still have to take it easy between the sheets while their bruised ribs aren't healed completely, so we're a little frustrated.'\n\n \n\nChuck stared at the bottle in his hand, then turned his gaze towards her. She grinned at his wide eyes and open mouth.\n\n \n\nTerry introduced Adalet and Dormin after she and Chuck went up to the empty service floor of the supermarket. 'What can you tell us, Chuck?'\n\n \n\nChuck cleared his throat and leaned forward on the back of one of the office chairs, on which he sat backwards. 'We've been working with a client who wants to improve their data mining. They have a lot of data from various sources. What they are, I don't know yet, and they use dedicated hardware. We don't have direct access to it and work by proxy. That doesn't make things easier for us and one of the guys complained often about it but they never explained the reason for the secrecy. But then a couple of days ago the supervisor slipped up and mentioned avoiding another theft by a slippery fox in a private conversation.'\n\n \n\nHe looked at Terry and she shrugged. 'It's just out of this world hardware. I couldn't resist.'\n\n \n\nHe chuckled. 'Yeah, I had my suspicions. I poked around a little and heard rumours about you being a target. Seems you're a threat.'\n\n \n\nShe nodded. 'Yeah. The hardware is not only more advanced than anything we know, but the operating system is highly capable of retrieving information. Dangerous in the wrong hands.'\n\n \n\n'I sensed that and collected everything I could get my hands on like contacts, code, addresses. I can give you that information.'\n\n \n\nTerry smiled at him. 'That would be great.'\n\n \n\nChuck sat up straight. 'Okay, meet me tomorrow night at Club Moon. It's a quiet place.'\n\n \n\n**\\*\\*\\***\n\n \n\nThere were few people at Club Moon, a jazz café downtown, when Terry walked into the low lit mix of realexing music and the smells of smoking and alcohol. A whispering couple and a single man tapping his fingers to the beat of the music were drinking on either side of the bar, and one couple drank and smoked at one of the tables in the even dimmer back. A smooth jazz song played in the background, trumpet and piano performing a duet on the rhythm provided by slow bass and gentle brush on drums.\n\n \n\nTerry ordered a drink and sat down at a table in a corner, tapping her foot to the music. 'Seems clear.' she whispered after she received her drink.\n\n \n\n'Same here.' said Adalet from her ear piece.\n\n \n\nShe didn't have to wait long before Chuck walked in. He joined her after getting a drink from the bar. 'Hey. Been here long?'\n\n \n\nTerry leaned closer. 'No, just a few minutes. So, how've you been?'\n\n \n\n'Busy with work and a few small side projects.' he said and glanced at the others in the club. 'Been seeing a nice girl who works at the tax office.'\n\n \n\nTerry grinned a little as she drank. 'I'll bet that made at least one side project more interesting.'\n\n \n\n'For sure.'he said and winked. 'And you?'\n\n \n\n'All freelance work. Some boring but paying well enough, some very exciting.'\n\n \n\nChuck nodded. 'I expected nothing less from the the fox who can outfox just about anybody.' he said and glanced around again. 'It's time, agreed?'\n\n \n\nTerry nodded once. 'Do you have it with you?'\n\n \n\nChuck pulled a three by three centimetre black disk out of his pocket and hid it behind the glass as he slid it against Terry's, and let it go behind hers. 'This is it. For some of the code you'll need to use that hardware. Do you keep it at a safe place?'\n\n \n\nTerry took the disk. 'It's safe.'\n\n \n\nThe single man from the bar walked to the front, then turned and appeared at the table with a gun in his hand. 'Good. Then let's go there. Quietly.'\n\n \n\nChuck and Terry glared at him.\n\n \n\nThe man gestured with his gun for them to stand up, then froze at the poke in his back. Dormin stood behind him and Adalet moved beside him to take the gun.\n\n \n\n'We thought something like this may happen.' she said. 'So we were here first at the back.'\n\n \n\nThe man grinned. 'We had the same idea. Right, Chuck?'\n\n \n\nTerry shot her gaze at Chuck while he pulled out a gun. The couple from the bar presented theirs as they stood up.\n\n \n\n'Please be so kind to drop your weapons. We don't want a mess in here.'\n\n \n\nAdalet and Dormin dropped theirs on the table and the three of them had their hands tied behind their backs.\n\n \n\nTerry growled low. 'To think I always thought you were the most trustworthy of the group.'\n\n \n\nChuck leaned closer to her ear behind her. 'I trust money more.'\n\n \n\nThe three were led out the backdoor and through a short corridor to a van waiting at the end.\n\n \n\n'I'll wait at the office for when you get the hardware.' Chuck said to the first man while the others stepped into the van.\n\n \n\nThe van drove away after Terry gave them an address outside the city.\n\n \n\n**\\*\\*\\***\n\n \n\nThey were barely on the open and deserted road when they heard a bump on the roof. The woman who drove braked hard when the view in front of her blurred and turned dark. The men shouted while they braced themselves, and the roof at the front caved in at once. The windows shattered while metal bent and groaned and the van was pushed down against the road.\n\n \n\n'What's going on!?' shouted the second man at the back.\n\n \n\nThe woman and man in the front screamed as the roof came further down on them and pinned them on their seats. The collapse stopped and the front of the van bounced back up.\n\n \n\nThe man at the back moved between the seats and Adalet, Terry, and Dormin who had ducked, to the front. 'Sil! Jan!' He heard them groan. 'Can you move!?'\n\n \n\nHe tried to push against the roof, then moved to the back again and opened the backdoors. He froze at the sight of the submachine gun in Ourania's hands.\n\n \n\nShe gestured with her head. 'Out!'\n\n \n\nHe held up his hands and she moved closer to the back of the van while keeping her eyes on him. 'Are you okay in there?'\n\n \n\nDormin stepped out. 'Much better than a minute ago.'\n\n \n\nShe cut his tie rip and he freed the others before turning to the man standing at the side. 'Who are you working for?'\n\n \n\nThe man grinned. 'Anonymous. But someone who knows a lot.'\n\n \n\nTerry bared her fangs at him. 'Too bad we don't have time to interrogate him. Or go after that bastard Chuck.'\n\n \n\nDormin tied him to a seat in the van before they walked to Diafanis waiting in the field next to the road, and grinned at Ourania. 'Some stunt.'\n\n \n\nShe exhaled hard to relax. 'I didn't know what else to do to stop the van. Crushing the front with a landing strut while cloaked was the most difficult thing I've ever done with this airship.'\n\n \n\nTerry chuckled. 'I'm glad you know how to handle that thing so well.'\n\n \n\nThey boarded Diafanis and went on their way fast. Adalet sat back in her pilot's seat when they had reached altitude and set course to a quiet part of the country. 'Damn! I was hoping we had a new lead. And you were so sure about that Chuck, Terry.'\n\n \n\n'I think I still am.' Terry said while she plugged a card reader into a spare tablet.\n\n \n\nAdalet looked back. 'What do you mean?'\n\n \n\nTerry held up a card the size of a thumbnail. 'He pushed this into my hand when he stood behind me in the café.' She slid the card in the reader and pulled up the contents on the tablet. 'There's a lot on this thing, and a text file in the root.'\n\n \n\nShe opened it and grinned. 'Listen to this. Hey Terry, when you read this you have escaped the trap as I expected. I had confidence you guys would be able to. I'm going to stay on the inside and see what's going on as long as I can. In the meantime you have here what information I said I had, and I included source code with instructions of the AI we're developing at the company. It's just a start and we don't have the hardware to take full advantage of it but I guess you do and can put it to good use. Good luck and I hope to see you again.'\n\n \n\n'He tricked us all.' Adalet said.\n\n \n\n'He was always good at that. And now he should have a better reputation among the bad guys.'\n\n \n\nDormin smiled a little. 'Good infiltration tactic.'\n\n \n\n'He suggests to take a look at a firm on the feline world first. Some big trader.'\n\n \n\n'All right. We'll disappear from this world for a bit to hide our trail.'\n\n \n\n**\\*\\*\\***\n\n \n\n'What can you tell?' asked Dormin of Terry during the shift into the parallel Earth dimension where felines, canines, and birds became the dominant species.\n\n \n\n'According to Chuck's info, the trader's name is Hummin Lefoy and he's the founder and sole owner of what's now named Dimtrade. It has always been a mediocre company, no great losses but no great profits either, until recently where it snatched lucrative deals in various goods ranging from kid's toys to specialised medical equipment. There still were minor failures and losses but they're insignificant to the profit the company made. Hummin said in a local news interview it was his good business sense with a little luck.'\n\n \n\n'That made him suspicious?' Adalet asked from her pilot seat.\n\n \n\n'Chuck overheard the name during a conversation between two managers of the company he works for now. He looked into it and the sudden unexplained rise in highly profitable deals was unnatural.'\n\n \n\nAdalet hummed. 'No word on official inquiries?'\n\n \n\n'Only one which wasn't mandatory but Hummin cooperated in full. Ismene is searching for anything related to the company and him.'\n\n \n\n'How will we handle this?'\n\n \n\n'We'll have to wait until Ismene comes up with something. In the meantime she found an industrial lot with a large enough hangar that's been unused for a long time. We can hide this ship in there and it's not too far outside the city.'\n\n \n\n'Nice.' said Dormin. 'How about we pose as investees interested in exploiting the place?'\n\n \n\nTerry supplied Ismene with a new search. 'I think it'll be a good cover and allow us to move around with a legitimate purpose. Ismene is searching on it.'\n\n \n\nDormin leaned back into his seat. 'See if you have some business books to brush up on our knowledge. I'm sure Adalet and you can pose easily as investees but make mine a book for dummies.'\n\n \n\nTerry chuckled. 'All right.'\n\n \n\n**\\*\\*\\***\n\n \n\n'Miss Alvarez?'\n\n \n\nAdalet turned around towards the ginger feline female in black skirt suit. 'Elena Alvarez, yes.'\n\n \n\nThe feline extended her hand. 'Minous Petrese, Ginbank Real Estate. Pleased to meet you.'\n\n \n\nAdalet shook her hand and gestured at Terry and Dormin. 'My partner Fatizza Vernont and our secretary Dominic Jones.'\n\n \n\nMinous shook their hands. 'I'll give you a brief tour, and any questions I can't answer right away I'll make a note of to look up.'\n\n \n\nAdalet smiled and nodded. 'Excellent.'\n\n \n\nMinous unlocked the door to the walled in court and the small office building close to the entrance, guided them through the office and supplementary facilities, and ended inside the spacious hangar. Terry took a few photos. 'We noticed the property has been for sale for a long time. I figured it wouldn't take so long to sell.'\n\n \n\nMinous's ears barely twitched down. 'There's been some interest before but unfortunately nothing ending in a sale.'\n\n \n\n'Comparing it to other places we looked at, you also seem to ask a break even price.'\n\n \n\nMinous's business smile faltered and she sighed. 'True. We were duped into buying this without confirmation on secondary costs that were due for this property. And if we don't sell quickly we'll have to sell it at a loss.'\n\n \n\nDormin hummed. 'No way to turn back the sale?'\n\n \n\nShe shook her head. 'Since everything's in the contract it'll be too long and costly to fight it in court.'\n\n \n\nAdalet looked up at the roof. 'We'd like to have access for a while to let specialists and architects determine if and what kind of changes we'd need to make for using this as a manufacturing workshop.'\n\n \n\nMinous nodded. 'No problem. I'll leave the keys with you and you can take your time in the next couple of weeks.'\n\n \n\nAdalet smiled. 'Excellent again.'\n\n \n\n**\\*\\*\\***\n\n \n\n'Ismene couldn't get much from infiltrating Dimtrade's network, just generic documents.' said Terry later after Ourania parked Diafanis inside the hangar. 'But it looks like there's a piece of the network puzzle missing. The server has had contact with more clients than there are visible on the network and it doesn't look like it's Hummin working from home.'\n\n \n\n'Outside interference?' asked Dormin.\n\n \n\n'Not the usual malicious kind.' Terry looked up from her tablet. 'I'd like to have a look around there to see if there aren't any disconnected devices being used.'\n\n \n\n'How do you want to get in there?'\n\n \n\nShe stretched her fingers. 'I'm thinking old fashioned burglary. Their alarm system's old so it should pose no problem.'\n\n \n\nDormin chuckled. 'Only interesting hardware could be a problem.'\n\n \n\nShe grinned at him. 'But this time you're on my side.'\n\n \n\n**\\*\\*\\***\n\n \n\nThe area around the collection of one and two storey offices was quiet in the night. An occasional car passed on the main road at the edge of the office park and the only other sounds were of the insects and small animals living in the night and the soft hum from cooling equipment. Terry and Dormin made no sound as they approached the low building housing Dimtrade from the back. Dressed in black and keeping to the shadows, they went up to the backdoor where Terry used her lock picking skills to unlock it.\n\n \n\nSilently they slipped inside and she hurried over to the beeping alarm terminal and popped off the numeric pad cover, attached several clips, and let her handheld run through the code combinations.\n\n \n\nA few seconds later the alarm turned green and the beeping stopped. 'We're good.' she said.\n\n \n\n'All right.' said Dormin. 'I'll take the left side, you the right.'\n\n \n\nShe nodded and they split up to search for possible hidden or disconnected computers.\n\n \n\nDormin noticed the lack of dust around one cardboard box at a bottom shelf in Hummin's office. He pulled the box marked spare parts from the shelf and emptied it of various cables, parts of chairs, and metal braces. The box felt too heavy as he lifted it and he noticed a small hole at the bottom. Using a bent piece of wire he lifted it to reveal a small laptop. 'I think I found it.' he said through his communicator.\n\n \n\nTerry examined it after she came to him, pulled the drive from the laptop, plugged it into an adapter connected to her handheld, and waited for the decryption to quickly finish thanks to a flaw in the operating system used on the laptop. 'Looks like it indeed. A ledger and documentation about transfers of suspiciously innocent goods to companies that I know do illegal trade.'\n\n \n\n'Copy?'\n\n \n\n'Almost done.'\n\n \n\nDormin didn't like the feeling in his gut and peeked outside from the gap between window blinds and the window frame. The street seemed as empty as before but he was relieved to hear Terry say the copy was done. They returned everything exactly as they found it and hurried to the backdoor. Terry waited for Dormin's signal to activate the alarm again while he peeked outside. The street at the back seemed clear and he stepped outside. The gun aimed at his head by a grey feline with black stripes on her cheeks in matching dark grey skirt suit froze him on the spot. 'Step outside real slow.' she said. 'Both of you.'\n\n \n\n**\\*\\*\\***\n\n \n\n'Where did they come from!?' Adalet said when uniformed felines gathered around the Dimtrade's office earlier and activated her communicator. 'Guys, you're surrounded!' The other side kept silent. 'Do you hear me!?'\n\n \n\nOurania checked her monitors. 'They've set up a radio block! We can't reach them!'\n\n \n\nAdalet slapped her hand on the console. 'Shit!' When Dormin stepped outside and she had to watch the feline pointing her gun at him, she slapped her hand once more. 'Ah, shit!'\n\n \n\nOurania moved next to her. 'What do we do? Try to snatch them?'\n\n \n\nAdalet leaned back hard in her chair. 'We can't do that. It'll only make things dangerous and we don't want local police forces on our tail.'\n\n \n\n'Can't you do something as a detective?'\n\n \n\nAdalet pondered. 'Maybe I can.'\n\n \n\n**\\*\\*\\***\n\n \n\nThe feline stepped self assured into the interrogation room and placed the laptop Terry and he had found on the steel table in front of him. 'Looking for this?' she said with a smirk.\n\n \n\nDormin looked at the laptop, then at her.\n\n \n\n'You didn't break in there just to grab the snack fund jar or snatch a computer or two.' she said and stared hard at him. 'You were after something more valuable with your gadgets, and it coincidentally happened when we're about to dig deeper into the deals at Dimtrade.' She leaned forward on the table. 'You might as well tell us now who you work for since we'll find out anyway. Not many humans on our world and certainly not sneaking around at night. Easy to recognise by others here.'\n\n \n\nDormin looked at her and it took just a moment before she swayed her grey and black striped tail in irritation. He wondered how similar Earth cats and this feline species were in body language.\n\n \n\n'Seems your friend's more cooperative and willing to make deal.'\n\n \n\nThis amused him and he smiled a little at her. 'That nonsense doesn't even hold up in a TV series.'\n\n \n\nShe straightened herself and folded her arms. 'Really? So you're an expert at this then. Mind telling me your name so I don't have to wait to look up your credentials in your human dimension?'\n\n \n\n'I'll wait to see what you come up with.'\n\n \n\n'Illegal trading in components for weapons and classified technology is a costly business. You'll be dragged along with the rest and looking at a long time in a small room with sparse furniture.'\n\n \n\nDormin leaned back in his chair. 'I'm a fan of simplistic lifestyle. No clutter, easy to keep clean.'\n\n \n\n'You should have stayed clean from the start, then you wouldn't be here.' she said and took the laptop as she left.\n\n \n\n**\\*\\*\\***\n\n \n\nTerry chuckled. 'Do I look like a nerd to you?' she said and gestured at the handheld and gadgets on the table. 'I just get this stuff and instructions on how to use them. Don't ask me to explain what all that hacking business is about.'\n\n \n\nThe feline held up the handheld. 'We found encrypted files on this. What's the password?'\n\n \n\nTerry shrugged. 'How would I know?'\n\n \n\nThe feline sighed. 'You do realise prison is worse for women than men, right? And that you're facing a long sentence?' She tapped on the laptop. 'You'd better tell us what's on this thing and why they want it.'\n\n \n\nTerry sat back and held up her cuffed hands. 'I don't know! They just ask me to do things and I do them!'\n\n \n\n'Who does!?'\n\n \n\n'People who ask for my help! I don't ask for their names, just their money!'\n\n \n\nThe feline stared at her, then took a deep breath and left with the laptop and gadgets.\n\n \n\n**\\*\\*\\***\n\n \n\n'Fenia?' asked an officer as he leaned into the feline's office the next day. 'There's someone here to see you. A human detective.'\n\n \n\nFenia pricked up her ears. 'A human?'\n\n \n\nHe nodded. 'I left her at the water fountain.'\n\n \n\nFenia nodded. 'I'll be right over.'\n\n \n\nFenia stepped up to the woman in a suit with a similar shade of grey as hers and sipping from a cup while casually looking at the notices board. 'I'm detective Fenia Polasie.'\n\n \n\nAdalet turned towards her and extended her hand. 'Francesca Peters, customs. Also detective.' Fenia shook her hand. 'You can probably guess now why I'm here.'\n\n \n\nFenia frowned. 'Don't tell me you want to take my suspects into custody with a warrant and leave me with nothing. Right now they're my biggest lead into finding out what's going on with that company and I'm not letting them out of my sight.'\n\n \n\nAdalet chuckled. 'That's not what I had in mind, no. I know that kind of stunt all too well.' She held up a folder. 'I think we can help each other with our investigations. The name Dimtrade has been mentioned by someone working undercover for us and when I heard of a break-in I had to find out the details.'\n\n \n\nFenia smiled. 'Then I'm glad to see you. Follow me to my office.' she said but hesitated for a moment. 'Oh! We don't have coffee here as you humans seem to drink all the time, just water with various natural flavours.'\n\n \n\nAdalet held up her cup. 'I already picked one that smelled a little bitter to get a hint of the real thing.'\n\n \n\n**\\*\\*\\***\n\n \n\n'So, we meet again, mister Terence Miller.' Adalet said as she walked into the interrogation room.\n\n \n\nDormin smiled and leaned back in his seat. 'So it seems.'\n\n \n\n'And as you can see now, denying who you are to the local force here is no use anymore. I told them the interesting history of Terence and his career in smuggling technology across borders and dimensions.' Adalet sat down in the chair across the table. 'We have Dimtrade's name in connection with a shipment that was not the kind of kid's computer toys as specified on the manifest. Care to shed some light on it?'\n\n \n\nDormin leaned forward. 'Why would I know something about that?'\n\n \n\nAdalet smiled knowingly. 'Because every time there's something not quite right with shipments there seems to be accidents with documentation at the shipping companies. And your description comes up often.'\n\n \n\nDormin chuckled. 'I have a generic face.'\n\n \n\n'But not so generic DNA.'\n\n \n\nDormin stared at Adalet.\n\n \n\n'Once or twice at the scene might be called a coincidence, but more than that and it becomes a stretch to call it that. Judges get very suspicious of such odds.'\n\n \n\nDormin leaned back. 'You might want to look at who Dimtrade's dealing with and why they made such good deals lately. I'd be suspicious of the odds of a mediocre company suddenly raking in good profits, not some handyman who's just good at fixing things.'\n\n \n\nAdalet stood up. 'We'll talk again later.' she said and left the room.\n\n \n\n'Can you get access to their administration?' she asked of Fenia.\n\n \n\nFenia nodded. 'I'll get a warrant right away. I'll include possible tax fraud and national security risk to block any possible interference from their lawyers.'\n\n \n\nAdalet smiled a little. 'Good. I think we can display a nice bit of teamwork between our worlds here.'\n\n \n\nFenia chuckled. 'Yes, I agree.'\n\n \n\n**\\*\\*\\***\n\n \n\n'Can you make something out of it?' asked Adalet while Ourania examined Terry's gadget at Fenia's desk.\n\n \n\n'I've only seen something like this once before, so I'm not sure. Can I speak to the one who used it?'\n\n \n\nAdalet looked at Fenia. 'Can she?'\n\n \n\n'If you think you can get more out of her, be my guest.' Fenia said and placed the call to bring Terry to the interrogation room.\n\n \n\nOurania looked a little nervous around the bare interrogation room which gave her cold shivers. She placed the gadgets on the table and sat down opposite of a smirking Terry.\n\n \n\n'You don't look like a detective.' Terry said.\n\n \n\nOurania cleared her throat. 'I'm on the technical team, here to make sense of these things.' she said and held up one gadget. 'To disable the alarm, right?'\n\n \n\nTerry nodded. 'Seems like it. It might even do your taxes as well but I wouldn't know about that.'\n\n \n\nOurania fiddled with another gadget. 'This, what does this do?'\n\n \n\nTerry leaned forward for a moment to look at it. 'I don't know. I'm supposed to plug that into a computer until it either lights up an orange or green light, and that's it.'\n\n \n\nOurania looked at her. 'Infect it with a virus?'\n\n \n\nTerry shrugged. 'Wasn't mentioned in the instructions. It could copy the whole company network for all I know.'\n\n \n\n'How can it be accessed?'\n\n \n\n'Plug it in?'\n\n \n\n'I think they already tried that. Is there a password on it?'\n\n \n\nTerry laughed. 'Looks like there is if you have to ask.' she said and grinned. 'Ask the one who made the thing, maybe it's as simple as their currently most beloved, pet?'\n\n \n\nOurania gazed at the gadget for a moment, then left the room.\n\n \n\n'I'd need to use my own equipment to see if I can get into these things.' she said to Adalet. 'I have a few ideas on how to get to the information.'\n\n \n\nAdalet looked at Fenia and she nodded. 'If it can quicken our search through the company's administration.'\n\n \n\n'It's worth a try, and it would strengthen our case.'\n\n \n\nOurania put the gadgets into a secure briefcase. 'We'll get on it right away.'\n\n \n\n**\\*\\*\\***\n\n \n\nOurania plugged the portable drive into the cockpit's console as soon as she reached Diafanis and typed in the command to mount the disk on the system. The prompt for a password appeared and Ourania typed in Dormin. The reply was mount succeeded and she giggled a little. 'Beloved pet indeed.' She copied the data and let Ismene sift through it all.\n\n \n\n**\\*\\*\\***\n\n \n\nOurania placed a file folder on Fenia's desk. 'I think you'll find these documents interesting.'\n\n \n\nFenia skimmed through the first pages and looked up at Ourania and Adalet. 'You got this from the gadget!?'\n\n \n\nOurania nodded. 'This is just what we retrieved so far.'\n\n \n\nFenia drummed with her fingers on her desk for a moment, then picked up the phone and punched an internal number. 'Where do we find Hummin Lefoy?'\n\n \n\n**03 - Release**\n\n \n\nHummin stared at the pages with large eyes some time later in his office. 'I don't know anything about this! I just made ordinary deals to transport their goods!'\n\n \n\n'Illegal goods' said Fenia. 'With your approval as the one signing off on them. You'll have to come with us to answer some questions.'\n\n \n\nHummin looked at his son, Ret, and he put his hand on his father's shoulder. 'Don't worry, dad, I'll call our lawyer right away and together we'll clear up this mess fast. This must be a mistake.'\n\n \n\nHummin nodded with his ears drooped at his son and a police officer gestured for him to follow while his employees whispered among themselves and avoided eye contact.\n\n \n\nRet turned sharply to Fenia and glowered. 'My father is innocent, he's always been a hard and honest worker.'\n\n \n\n'The evidence we gathered so far paints a different picture lately.' she said. 'Are you aware of any trouble he found himself in? Financial maybe?'\n\n \n\n'No. We never made it big before our luck turned, but we always got by. We knew no hardship.'\n\n \n\nFenia nodded. 'We'll see what else our investigation turns up.' she said and left.\n\n \n\n**\\*\\*\\***\n\n \n\nHummin looked up dead tired at Fenia when she walked into the interrogation room the next morning. He hadn't slept a wink and kept trying to figure out what he might have done to get into this much trouble Fenia placed a page in front of him. 'Recognise this?'\n\n \n\nHe read what he could of the text and looked up again. 'I don't get it. What's this?'\n\n \n\n'The clear evidence you carried a huge debt and made a deal using laundered money.' Fenia said and leaned on the table. 'Either you tell us the source, or we'll have to do it the hard way and add up years to your sentence.'\n\n \n\nHummin gripped the edge of the table. 'But I never had a huge debt or did anything like that! I only made normal, clean deals!'\n\n \n\nFenia took the page and left the room. She sat down in her chair and took a gulp of her water before opening the thick folder on her desk. 'This is everything you could get from the device?'\n\n \n\nOurania nodded and turned the device on the desk. 'That's it. I saw no evidence of hidden partitions that might have held data. There's also nothing to trace the origins of the device.'\n\n \n\n'Think you can trace the money?' asked Adalet of Fenia.\n\n \n\n'I think we can. It'll take a while though.'\n\n \n\n'Mind if we take our two other guests with us now? There's not much else we can get out of them for this case but we have several they'll have to shed some light on.'\n\n \n\nFenia gazed at the case folder for a moment. 'All right. I don't necessarily need them to wrap this case up or get a conviction. But I ask that you present them when we do.'\n\n \n\n'All right.' Adalet said and looked at Ourania. 'We'll take them through undercover transport. I don't want any of their acquaintances hearing about them coming back in custody and try something stupid or fatal.'\n\n \n\nOurania nodded. 'I'll take the car to the back.' she said and headed out the door for the parking in front.\n\n \n\nAdalet turned to Fenia again and held out her hand. 'Good luck on the case. I'm glad we could work together.'\n\n \n\nFenia stood up and shook Adalet's hand. 'So am I. I hope we set a good example of how things can turn out.'\n\n \n\nAdalet went down to the holding cells and presented her ID to the officer in charge. 'I'll be taking our tourists back.'\n\n \n\nThe big feline chuckled as he handed her a release form. 'I hope they didn't enjoy the lodging here too much and plan on returning.'\n\n \n\nAdalet smiled a little. 'They'll be staying a lot longer at the lodging where we're taking them. I can assure that.'\n\n \n\nTwo officers led Terry and Dormin into the back of the waiting car. 'Thanks.' said Adalet and she stepped into the car.\n\n \n\nOurania drove away and took the route to the local airport.\n\n \n\nTerry leaned against Dormin. 'Anything interesting in the copy?'\n\n \n\n'Ismene has sifted through the data and she's running several searches.' Ourania said. 'Her hardware did go through the channels of Dimtrade disguised as standard laptops for a business software project. Where they came from is still a guess but it seems again from one of the other worlds.'\n\n \n\n'So, back to hiding until we have another lead then.'\n\n \n\nAdalet nodded. 'I think we should find a buyer for the old factory though. I'd feel bad to up and disappear and leave that poor woman with the mess.'\n\n \n\nTerry smiled. 'I've been thinking about that, and I do believe I know someone.'\n\n \n\n**\\*\\*\\***\n\n \n\nOurania drove through the back entrance of the airport and into one of the hangars at the far end. There she partially uncloaked Diafanis and parked the car into the cargo hold.\n\n \n\nTerry stepped out and stretched her limbs. 'Ahh, this is better. Home sweet home.'\n\n \n\nDormin chuckled. 'I'll be glad to sleep in our own bed again. At least there I get a little bit more sleep.'\n\n \n\nAdalet smiled at him and kissed him. 'And we a little less.'\n\n \n\nHe grinned at her. 'Everything has its ups and downs.'\n\n \n\nTerry poked his nose. 'And its exactly those ups and downs that cost us sleep.' she said and kissed him. 'But I don't mind, at all.'\n\n \n\nHe pat her behind. 'Thought so.' he said and secured the car with belts to the floor while Ourania and Adalet went to the cockpit and prepared to take off.\n\n \n\n'Where to?' he asked when he arrived there.\n\n \n\nOurania pointed at a fenced off terrain outside the city with clumps of trees ahead of them. 'There. We can wait there while Ismene searches for a clue on our next target.'\n\n \n\nShe landed in an out of sight spot and Adalet stretched. 'Finally we can get some sleep.' she said, unstrapped herself and turned around to Terry and Dormin. 'While you had your little vacation, we had to work through the night to gather enough evidence to get you out of jail.'\n\n \n\nDormin chuckled. 'I'll be sure to make it up to you two.'\n\n \n\nShe stood up and pulled on the collar of his shirt. 'Good, start by doing your job as a pillow.'\n\n \n\nHe stood up and pulled her close. 'Ma'am, yes ma'am. I'll do as you command.'\n\n \n\n'Good boy.' she said and pulled him along into the corridor.\n\n \n\n'Wait for me! I want some of that because the beds were way too hard in those cells.' Terry said and winked at Ourania. 'Care to join in a little friendly pillow fight as well?'\n\n \n\nOurania blushed and grabbed her flight checklist from her console. 'I, I'm not..'\n\n \n\nTerry grinned. 'Well, you know where to find us if you dare to change your mind.' she said and hurried after Adalet and Dormin.\n\n \n\nOurania fiddled with the edge of the list and sighed. 'I'd just ruin the mood because I'm not sexy.' she muttered, and headed for her familiar sleeping spot on the couch.\n\n \n\nShe undressed to her t-shirt, lay down, pulled a sheet over her, and closed her eyes, but her mind couldn't let go of wondering if the others were doing the same thing she'd witnessed before. The images kept coming and a slight but persistent tingle grew between her thighs. She tossed and turned but curiosity meddled with her imagination and eventually she sat up and groaned softly when she knew she had to see for herself to silence her fussy mind.\n\n \n\nShe sneaked to the front suite and heard the soft moaning halfway down the corridor. On tip toes she moved to the door, which stood ajar and allowed soft light from inside the suite to be cast into the dark corridor. Her eyes grew at the sight of Adalet slowly grinding her hips on Dormin's while he lay on his back and massaged her breasts.\n\n \n\nOurania swallowed silently as she gazed at Adalet's wet pussy sliding up and down Dormin's glistening hard dick and imagined him penetrating her own pussy. Without giving it any thought, her hand moved towards her crotch and she stroked herself gently in the same rhythm as Adalet's rocking hips. A voice in the back of her mind warned her that she shouldn't do this, then faded away in the warm arousal filling her body. Her heart beat faster along with her breathing and she bit on her finger to stifle the sound it made.\n\n \n\n'Enjoying it again?'\n\n \n\nOurania spun around instantly at Terry's whisper in her ear and tumbled backward through the door.\n\n \n\nHer heart raced as she looked up at the grinning Terry first, then at Adalet and Dormin frozen in their intimate position on the bed. She opened her mouth but words failed while she panted in fear and embarrassment.\n\n \n\nTerry bent over and held out her hand. 'Are you okay? You didn't hurt yourself?'\n\n \n\nOurania stared at her for a moment, then shook her head and took Terry's hand in her trembling one. Terry pulled her up but spun her around again to face the bed and embraced her tightly from behind. 'I'm glad. I wouldn't want to spoil your pleasure of watching them while you touch yourself.' she whispered.\n\n \n\nOurania gasped and blushed hard. 'I.., I wasn't..'\n\n \n\nTerry slid one hand down Ourania's lower abdomen while lifting her t-shirt with the other and slid her middle finger between Ourania's legs. 'Pretty hot here, aren't you?'\n\n \n\nOurania squeezed her thighs together but it only made the sensation in her crotch worse with Terry's trapped finger. 'I didn't mean to..' she breathed. 'I just..'\n\n \n\nTerry smiled a little deviously and pushed against Ourania's hard clit. Ourania let out a whimpering squeal and clamped her mouth. 'You're quite out of the way for something you didn't mean to.' Terry said in her ear. 'But there's no reason to hide, watch all you want. We don't mind when you want to watch us in action.'\n\n \n\nOurania bit her lower lip and glanced at Adalet and Dormin chuckling. 'It's all right.' said Adalet. 'It was bound to happen that you'd see us by accident anyway, might as well enjoy it on purpose.'\n\n \n\n'There's just one condition.' Terry said. 'You have to at least let us watch you as well.'\n\n \n\nOurania turned her head towards Terry at once. 'But I'm not pretty enough to look at!'\n\n \n\nTerry chuckled. 'Did you forget what Dormin said about you?'\n\n \n\nOurania glanced once at him. 'I don't know..'\n\n \n\nAdalet ground her pussy against Dormin once. 'I know. His dick tensed when Terry put her hand between your legs, so there's no doubt about him liking what he sees.'\n\n \n\nDormin chuckled and squeezed Adalet's behind. 'That's certainly true. No use denying it when it's so obvious.'\n\n \n\n'So, how about foregoing all the doubts and guilt and indulge yourself into the pleasures of the body with us?' Terry whispered.\n\n \n\nConflicting emotions whirled around in Ourania's mind but her body's urges took the upper hand. She looked at Adalet and Dormin. bit her lower lip again, and nodded slightly once.\n\n \n\n'Good girl.' Terry said and Ourania twitched as she pulled her finger from between her legs and pulled up her shirt. 'You won't need this anymore around us.'\n\n \n\nOurania covered her small breasts and crotch with her hands but Terry pulled them away. 'No more hiding.'\n\n \n\nAdalet chuckled and squeezed Dormin's dick with her pussy. 'This guy here definitely doesn't want you to hide your cute figure.'\n\n \n\nOurania blushed even more as she glanced at him again, then squealed short when Terry pushed her towards the bed. 'No more stalling.' Terry said. 'The fur between my thighs is dripping wet and I need my fill of that guy.'\n\n \n\nOurania swallowed while she sat down on her knees at the corner of the bed and gazed at Adalet grinding her hips against Dormin again. 'No need to wait long.' she breathed while her lower body tensed with pleasure. 'We were about to come anyway.'\n\n \n\nDormin chuckled and growled playfully while he squeezed Adalet's breasts gently, and she moaned soft and long while she ground her mound against him.\n\n \n\nOurania couldn't take her eyes off of Adalet's body flexing and rocking on Dormin's hard dick while her imagination amplified her own body's desire to embrace him.\n\n \n\nTerry let go of her arms and whispered 'No hiding, but you can touch yourself until it's your turn.' in her ear.\n\n \n\nOurania barely registered what she'd said but her hands drifted between her legs and towards her chest. Soft moans escaped her throat as she rubbed her clit in rhythm with Adalet and massaged her hard nipples. The moment she noticed Dormin watching her, her whole body turned on fire and shivered in the sudden wave of desire and embarrassment. She gasped and pressed hard against her clit, sending an electric jolt after the wave of heat.\n\n \n\n'I have to admit this is one of the best views I've experienced in my life.' groaned Dormin while he pressed his dick deep into Adalet and gripped her hips. 'Three sexy and horny women in bed. How could any man hold back?'\n\n \n\nTerry grinned and licked her lips. 'Why would there be a need to?' she said, spread her legs before him, and spread her wet pussy. 'I'd prefer you didn't and keep going.'\n\n \n\nDormin groaned at his body reaching his limit and Adalet moaned with him while the extra tension inside her pussy triggered the start of her climax. Together they pressed and ground even harder against each other despite futile protests from their healing ribs, and shared the flash of heat when Dormin filled Adalet's depths with his burning seed.\n\n \n\nOurania bit her lip and moaned long as she rubbed her own clit in urgent desire, and cried out a high moan when her body was zapped with the electric shock of her climax.\n\n \n\nTerry stroked Dormin's chest while he breathed hard and looked at Ourania. 'I think we can officially add her to our intimate little flock.'\n\n \n\nHe chuckled and stroked her thigh. 'If this is a definition of being a shepherd, I might have rethought my career when I was young.'\n\n \n\nAdalet leaned down and kissed him. 'But then we wouldn't have met, and I don't like that idea at all now.'\n\n \n\nHe smiled at her and stroked her back. 'True. I guess I did make the right choice after all then.'\n\n \n\nAdalet hummed as she slowly slid off of him and lay down on her back. 'My ribs got my attention again, but it was worth it.'\n\n \n\nTerry took her place on top of Dormin. 'I'll try to be gentle and not make you regret letting us use you again.' she said, and pressed Dormin's dick against her hot mound and rubbed herself along his length.\n\n \n\nHe smiled at her and ran his fingers through her fur from her thighs up along her curves and around her breasts, where he massaged her hard nipples. 'I doubt any feeling of regret can win from the overwhelming majority of pleasure at being with you girls.'\n\n \n\n'Good.' Terry breathed while it became her body's turn to heat up from the hunger to receive his, and she slipped his dick inside her with one smooth twist of her hips. 'Because I need to feel your pleasure deep inside me.'\n\n \n\nShe rocked her hips in a massage of his dick with her pussy and he breathed deep quickly again in his desire to fuck his lovers until he or they fainted in exhaustion. She turned her head to look at Ourania watching her ride Dormin. 'Get ready to experience this next.' she moaned softly.\n\n \n\nOurania hummed and nodded while she stroked her own mound, and Terry grinned for a moment before her lower body twitched at a flash of heat from her clit rubbing against Dormin's hilt. 'Haaahhh..' she sighed and stroked Dormin's chest. 'I don't know why, but I feel more like my animal ancestors with you.' She clawed lightly in his sides. 'You've been the only one that does this to me.'\n\n \n\nAdalet rolled on her side and ran her fingers through Dormin's hair. 'Maybe because he has that aura of a sweet animal hiding a beast inside him.' She kissed him again and growled playfully. 'I know that's what turns me on.'\n\n \n\n'You'll definitely find out how much of a beast I can be if you want to.' he groaned low while the pressure of the tip of his dick against Terry's hot insides sent jolts towards his balls through his dick.\n\n \n\nTerry hummed and smiled while she rocked her hips in short thrusts and squeezed her pussy around his hard flesh. 'I want to.' she panted lightly. 'I want to go all out with all of us when we can.'\n\n \n\nDormin looked at Ourania. 'How about it?'\n\n \n\nThrills rushed through her chest at the image of him taking her like a wild animal and she squealed a moan as she nodded and clamped her clit between her fingers.\n\n \n\nTerry moaned deeper at the jerk in her depths. She grinned at Dormin. 'So this is what Adalet felt when I bared Ourania before you.'\n\n \n\nHe pushed his dick deeper into her soaking pussy. 'Seems men react at seeing more hot girls. Who would have guessed?'\n\n \n\nTerry half giggled and moaned. 'I wonder what it feels like when the whole room is full of girls like us then.'\n\n \n\nDormin massaged her breasts and rolled her nipples in his fingers. 'I'd just come continuously.' he groaned while his balls put in effort to do so.\n\n \n\nTerry clamped down harder on him and moaned in her heightened pleasure. 'Mmmm.. Receiving your seed in a constant stream..' she breathed while small explosions of itches went off inside her whole body. She shut her eyes and growled as her body tensed more and more.\n\n \n\nDormin groaned deep and hard at the high pressure sensation nearly ripping his dick off, and when Terry groaned out in pleasure at the waves of heat flashing though her in her climax she pushed him over his limit and his dick exploded inside her.\n\n \n\nHe panted and watched as Terry's tongue hung from the side of her muzzle while she caught her breath and smiled at him.\n\n \n\nShe took a few deep breaths and looked back at Ourania. 'You look ready.'\n\n \n\nOurania didn't know where to look while she squeezed the wet fur of her mound in nervous anticipation. Adalet chuckled and sat up. 'Our turn to see you riding our beloved alpha male.'\n\n \n\nTerry giggled and twisted her pussy around Dormin's dick as she slid off of him. 'He certainly still feels ready to be ridden. The man's insatiable.'\n\n \n\nDormin pushed himself up on his elbows and smiled at the girls. 'I wouldn't say that. Sleeping with you next to me is already very satisfying. Making love to you is the icing on the cake. A very thick, overwhelmingly tasteful layer of it.'\n\n \n\nTerry licked his dick and sucked the last drops of his seed leaking out from the tip. 'As long as you provide the cream filling.' she said and looked at Ourania. 'Come and get your portion.'\n\n \n\nOurania blushed hard while she straddled Dormin and couldn't take her eyes from the dick in Terry's gently stroking hand. She swallowed at the primal instinct welling up in her chest with the urge to have him fill her hungry pussy. She licked her lips and crawled up closer, then lowered herself and held her breath when her wet lips toughed his hot tip. She closed her eyes while her lower body trembled in a fight between nervousness and desire.\n\n \n\nShe squealed when Terry pushed her down and Dormin filled her completely inside.\n\n \n\nShe panted and her heart raced while her pussy pulsed around his dick and experienced the first pleasures of being taken by him. Moans left her throat instead of words but it didn't matter to her anymore, her body and mind were full of so many sensations whirling around, It began moving instinctively and she soon moaned softly at the strange new sensation filling her along with the pleasure she now experienced at touching herself.\n\n \n\nDormin stroked her thighs and she dared to look at him. Her face burned hot at his gaze fixed on her and it heightened her arousal. His hands moved up along her front and she pressed her white furred small breasts against his hands while they cupped her. A deep satisfaction filled her at being in the same place as Adalet and Terry.\n\n \n\nTerry stroked her behind. 'How is it?'\n\n \n\nOurania looked at her while her attention was aimed at the sensation of Dormin's dick inside her. 'So weird and wonderful.' she wheezed. 'I think I won't get used to it for a long time.'\n\n \n\nDormin pressed his thumb against her nipples, then ran his fingers through her fur and into the sides of her neck. 'I hope you'll never get used to it.' he said and cupped her cheeks. 'Then it wouldn't feel as good as it does.'\n\n \n\nShe nodded slightly and moved her face close to his before hesitating. 'I just don't think I'm sexy enough to keep you satisfied.'\n\n \n\nHe smiled softly at her and kissed her. 'What more proof do you need?'\n\n \n\nTerry straddled Dormin behind Ourania and stroked her thighs. 'I think a hefty dose of this daily will help you convince otherwise.' she whispered.\n\n \n\nOurania moaned at Terry pressing her hips down harder on Dormin and him grinding against her. The trapped feeling gripped her heart in one of the prey instincts filling her and it sent a shockwave of heat through her. She breathed deeper and faster while her pussy tensed and Dormin's dick pushed against her womb. A hoarse squeal escaped her at the first shock going off inside her, then more moans followed from Terry's and Dormin's hands touching her all over.\n\n \n\nDormin groaned at the lust to fill Ourania's pussy as much as Adalet's and Terry's, saw her growing ecstasy and ground his hilt harder against her mound while stroking her whole front. 'Don't blame me if I keep walking around here with a constant hard on. It'll be difficult to not think about this around you girls.'\n\n \n\nTerry grinned and rubbed Ourania's sides. 'You know Adalet and I don't mind if you do. I'm sure this little prey here won't either, won't you, Ourania? Would you like to see him going about naked? With the dick that's inside you now just as hard?'\n\n \n\nOurania swallowed and nodded while her abdomen tensed at every touch inside and across her body. In the back of her mind the urge to free herself got drowned out by her physical excitement and she wanted more. She wanted to see the others in their lust and herself become overwhelmed and used by them. Her mind surrendered and she squealed loud at the electric surge hitting her and triggering Dormin's climax. She sensed the throbbing inside her pulsating depths just before blacking out.\n\n \n\nWhen she regained her senses she panted and lay on top of Dormin, his dick still hot inside her. He stroked her head and caressed one ear as he smiled gently at her. 'I hope you enjoyed that as much as I did.'\n\n \n\nShe blushed and nodded, then hesitated for a moment before kissing him. They kissed and sucked softly on each other's lips for a short while and she smiled still a little shyly at him.\n\n \n\nTerry chuckled and nuzzled Dormin's cheek. 'I'm glad it finally happened. Now I don't have to hold back being frisky with you.'\n\n \n\nAdalet sniggered. 'You mean you're worse than you already are?'\n\n \n\nTerry smirked mischievously. 'You only now realised?'\n\n \n\nDormin kissed her and Adalet. 'You still better behave somewhat, before it turns into a bad porno flick all the time.'\n\n \n\nTerry laid down her head on his shoulder and smiled. 'It could never be bad with us. Just very messy. And you'll definitely have to get messy with us as soon as you're fully healed, loverboy.'\n\n \n\n'Don't make Ourania nervous. This was probably enough of a shock to her already.'\n\n \n\nOurania rubbed her cheek on his chest. 'If it's good like this, I'm in.' she said softly.\n\n \n\nTerry closed her eyes. 'She's in. You have to now.'\n\n \n\nDormin looked at Adalet and she giggled at his helpless expression. 'You heard her, make it messy.'\n\n \n\nHe looked up and sighed. 'Okay then, you want messy, you get messy.' he said and Ourania's pussy tightened around his dick as it hardened again.\n\n \n\n**\\*\\*\\***\n\n \n\n'Ret! I don't know what's going on but I never did anything of what they're saying!' Hummin said when his son came to visit him with Harrow, their lawyer.\n\n \n\n'I know, dad. We're doing everything we can to get to the bottom of this but it seems they have hard evidence that shows the company received a large loan through inflated invoices for traded goods.'\n\n \n\nHummin gazed at his son. 'But, how!? I never approved something like that, and why would there be a need for a loan anyway!?'\n\n \n\nRet cleared his throat. 'A quick audit of our own administration turned up money siphoned off to unknown accounts. Someone drained company funds.'\n\n \n\nHummin sat back in his chair. 'Someone's been stealing!?'\n\n \n\nRet nodded. 'We're keeping it under wraps for now to find out who.'\n\n \n\nHummin leaned forward angrily. 'No! You have to tell that detective! I want that person found and dealt with!'\n\n \n\nRet pondered for a moment, then nodded. 'All right. We'll gather the evidence we've found so far and hand it to her, but you better not say a word about it, or it might look like you knew and are now ratting out an accomplice.'\n\n \n\nHummin looked at Harrow, who nodded in agreement. 'We need to keep you as clean as possible.'\n\n \n\nHummin sighed. 'All right. You do what you can.'\n\n \n\nRet smiled a little at his father. 'We will take care of this, dad.'\n\n \n\n**Epilogue**\n\n \n\nFenia looked at the body of Hummin hanging by the neck from a thick nail near an upper corner in his cell the next morning, after she received the urgent call.\n\n \n\n'He used the sleeves of his shirt as a makeshift rope.' one of the officers said and handed Fenia a folded page. 'He confessed to defrauding his company and a secret gambling addiction.'\n\n \n\nFenia skimmed over the handwritten text. 'Looks like I'll have to disappoint his son about his father.'\n\n \n\n**\\*\\*\\***\n\n \n\n'And that's the short of it.' said Ret at the meeting with all the employees at the Dimtrade office later that day. He cleared his throat. 'I offer my apologies for my father's betrayal of your trust in us and the company, and hope I can regain it as I take over management and we clean up the mess and make a fresh start.'\n\n \n\nSome nodded and murmured their approval.\n\n \n\nHe took a deep breath. 'I do have a bit of good news regarding this. We've landed a lucrative contract with two clients from two other worlds and they have enough trust in me to stick to it despite our setback and the future still looks as bright as it has lately.'\n\n \n\nThe mood improved a lot and the employees returned to their work with relief and new hope, while Ret returned to his office with Harrow. 'It's a shame about dad, but it became time to retire anyway.'\n\n \n\nHarrow moved up to the drinks cabinet and poured two glasses. 'He would have found out about it sooner or later. He might be a simple soul, but he wasn't dumb.'\n\n \n\nRet took one of the glasses. 'Did you take care of the fake accounts?'\n\n \n\nHarrow took a sip. 'By the time they traced where the invoices originated from they'll only find empty offices. And to make sure, a lead back to your father.'\n\n \n\nRet smiled. 'Good. Then I won't have to worry when I leave in a few weeks for another little business trip. I heard the new human girl at the club is very good at making you comfortable during your stay there.' he said and drank.\n\n \n\n**\\*\\*\\***\n\n \n\n'Miss Petrese?'\n\n \n\nMinous walked up to the human woman dressed mostly in black and sharp edges, who walked into her real estate office. Her short hair looked like it could skewer a pillow if she laid down. 'Yes? How may I help you?'\n\n \n\n'An acquaintance of mine was looking into a piece of real estate you have for sale, Elena Alvarez.'\n\n \n\nMinous tried to suppress her worst fears. 'Yes. I haven't heard from her yet. Is everything all right?'\n\n \n\n'She told me the site was unfortunately not suited for their project.'\n\n \n\nMinous's heart sank at the loss she'd have to take on the property and her smile faltered. 'Ah, I, see.'\n\n \n\n'But, she showed me the place because she thought it would be perfect for me, and I'd like to buy it.'\n\n \n\nThe feline's eyes grew big. 'You would!?'\n\n \n\nThe woman smiled. 'I want to open a combined restaurant, bar, and dance club with live performances in it that mixes your feline trends with our human ones. And for that the space and the distance away from residential areas is perfect. Can we handle the paperwork today?'\n\n \n\nMinous smiled brightly. 'Of course. We can do it right now.'\n\n \n\n'Wonderful. Oh, I was asked to give you this as well.' the woman said and handed Minous an envelope. 'One of their advisors uncovered an earlier assessment of the grounds and a report to the previous owner on pollution found there, and an email about having the report falsified.'\n\n \n\nMinous's eye grew wide. 'We can sue them and get our money back.' She looked up at the woman. 'This proves they sold the property while hiding crucial information. You can have the property at a much lower price if we can get a conviction.'\n\n \n\nThe woman chuckled. 'I know a good lawyer who'd be happy to assist yours in this matter.'\n\n \n\n**###**","series":{"name":"PENUMBRIALS","previous":"https://sofurry.com/s/J1O858Je"}}