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The AdvAnTAGE Project

By

Mantrid Brizon

Episode 28: The Meeting

“Good, good! And how did the latest batch fair in the trials?”

Examining a spreadsheet, Agent Sharpe turns toward The Old Man, who sits in his large chair in the lavish office, on the business end of the ample desk.

“The females have continued to prove their combat prowess, specifically in regards to their enhanced agility. Many seem to have extremely swift reflexes, as well as the flexibility of trained acrobats. According to these reports, they’ve actually increased the difficulty of the obstacle courses to better challenge them, and none have ever failed to run it successfully on their first try.” He begins.

“I’m sure you’re well aware of the female AdvAnimals’ flexibility.” The Old Man smirks.

With his head bowed to read the spreadsheet, Agent Sharpe merely shifts his eyes. He glances toward Krystal, who sits in the chair directly beside him. She seems unphased by The Old Man’s comment, instead looking to him with a smile.

“You would be correct, sir.” Agent Sharpe finally replies.

“Wonderful! I’m pleased to hear that the two of you have found more than mere partners in each other, but I digress. How about their range scores?”

“None have yet to beat Kris’ perfect score, but many have come close. The average is 985 out of 1,000 targets with 1,000 rounds allotted for the trials. Strangely, the mid-range stationary targets seem to be the ones they miss the most.”

“When I served, we were lucky if our designated marksman could hit a human silhouette at 1,000 yards.” The Old Man remarks.

“As for the males, they’re proving to be exceptional as well. Their enhanced senses of smell, sight and hearing make them leaps and bounds superior to human soldiers, though that’s invariably true for the females, but males seem to have the ability to tap into their adrenal glands at will; feats of strength, even from the smaller breeds, isn’t uncommon. Also of interest, they show a considerable level of camaraderie, once they spend enough time with their units.” Agent Sharpe continues, without missing a beat.

“That’s good news. I admit, I was a tad bit concerned about that... They bond well with each other and their commanding officers?”

“Yes, sir. Very much so. We’re still testing the new ARAHM Model 1, but-”

“The what? I’m sorry. I’m still catching up on some of this new terminology.” The Old Man interrupts.

“Advanced Respirator: AdvAnimal’s Hooded Mask. It’s similar to the old Soviet GP5 or PBF gas masks but far more advanced. Hybrid internal-external filter options, digital HUD in low-light lenses; the works.” Agent Sharpe answers.

“Ah, yes! Continue.”

“So, we’re still testing the ARAHM Model 1, but even without it, AdvAnimals, especially the males, show incredible resilience to low level nerve agents and CS gas. We’ve kept the exposure at a minimum, however, following your original orders that no tests were to be fatal or severely damaging to them.”

“Of course.” The Old Man nods.

“During our routine intelligence tests, the males consistently show less problem-solving skills and are more apt to use brute force, though a handful seem gifted beyond any of the females highest scores. I’ve pulled their files, as you requested.”

Agent Sharpe collects a small stack of sheets in a manila folder from a briefcase and passes them toward one of The Old Man’s security operatives, who immediately walks around the massive table and presents them to his master.

“Thank you!”

“The males run times for the obstacle course are consistently below the females as well, as are their range scores, but only by a margin of less than 3%. Their strength however... Anyway, overall, sir, they’ve excelled at everything. I doubt the Navy SEALs could perform as well.”

“Wonderful! Absolutely wonderful news!” The Old Man flashes a sinister grin, clasping his bony hands before his wrinkled face.

With the meeting coming to a close, Agent Sharpe and Krystal collect their paperwork and prepare to leave. However, before turning away from The Old Man’s desk, Agent Sharpe stands at attention and clears his throat.

“Yes, my protégé?” The Old Man asks with a twisted smile.

“Sir, as your heir, I wonder if I may ask a favor...”

“I’m listening.”

“I would like Krystal to undergo the treatment.”

The Old Man blinks, only for his cold eyes to grow wide. He looks quite surprised.

“Aside from the tactical advantage her being able to speak would grant us, it would mean a great deal to me to hear her articulate her thoughts. I’ve read all of Dr. Gunderson’s reports and it’s a safe and proven procedure, as Harriet’s results have shown, and we’re both prepared to deal with the side effects... I wouldn’t ask if I thought it would harm my partner or our relationship, sir.”

“Hmm... Alright!” The Old Man chirps.

“... Really?”

“Why not.” The Old Man shrugs his shoulders.

“Thank you, Sir!”

“Was that a hint of humanity in your voice?” The Old Man narrows his eyes.

“...”

“You know the rules, Agent...”

“I’m sorry, sir. I was just overly excited...” Agent Sharpe bows his head as he apologizes.

“I’m kidding! In this office, the ruse isn’t necessary!” The Old Man chuckles. “Besides, it warms my heart to see you so eager to converse with your partner. If I dare say, it looks like love.”

“I am, sir. She’s the most important person in the world to me.”

“Aww!” Krystal coos, leaning over and resting a clawed hand over his.

“Thank you, sir. I greatly appreciate this.”

“You’re quite welcome, my protégé.”

Krystal’s lips curl around her snout, her jaw opening as she flashes him a toothy grin. She’s as overjoyed to hear that she will soon receive the treatment, something that only Harriet has undergone, as much as to hear her partner’s feelings. Though he’s a stern and cold Agent when they’re working, at home, Daniel is a loving, attentive and passionate man. She’s longed to verbally communicate with him, beyond mere coos and giggles and whimpers. She’d love nothing more than to lie in bed with him and talk for hours on end, about their future and their hopes and dreams for their soon-to-be children.

With papers in-hand, Agent Sharpe turns to her, reaches out a hand, rests it on the small of her back and leads her toward the door. Upon nearing the door, he pauses once more. He turns to Krystal, who first furls her brow, only to then realize what’s troubling him and subtly shake her head. Perhaps now isn’t the time? Agent Sharpe, however, must speak up.

“Forgive me, sir...” He begins, turning around and facing The Old Man’s massive desk.

“Yes, my protégé?”

“I understand that I’m still learning everything I’ll need, and I have many more years before I take your place-”

“Indeed.” The Old Man flashes a twisted grin.

“But I really think it would behoove us to address the flaw.”

“I see...” The Old Man’s smile fades.

“With Phase Two of the Welcoming operation nearly ready, so many more AdvAnimals will be out there. It won’t just be those chosen few whom we’ve so thoroughly screened. The questionnaire alone removes most of the hopefuls, but with Phase Two absolutely anyone who can pay the fee will be able to Welcome an AdvAnimal... It’ll be as easy as going to a pet shop and just... Buying them.”

“I’m well aware...”

“If we don’t address the flaw soon, sir, it could prove... Troubling.” Agent Sharpe explains.

“Yes, it could. As you’ve said, you have years to go, learning all that I know. If I haven’t addressed it yet, it’s for a good reason. All you need to know is what I tell you... Good day, Agent...”

With a rather dismissive wave of his hand, The Old Man’s armed guards converge on Agent Sharpe and Krystal. Regardless of his status, they’ll kill them with a word, a mere snap of The Old Man’s bony fingers, and they both know it. They turn toward the large, double doors and step through.

“Well... It could’ve been worse!” He turns to his partner.

“Mmrrmm...” She whimpers.

“It wasn’t that bad.” Jack smirks.

Lifting up her hand, Alessandra wobbles it from side to side. For as expensive as their room is, their hand-delivered breakfast was more in keeping with a greasy spoon, and not even a decent one.

“The cook must be having an off day... Tell you what, babe. I’ll buy you something nice at the restaurant. Whatever you want, okay?”

“Mmm!” She happily hums and clasps her clawed hands together.

Making their way down the hall and taking the elevator to the ground floor, they soon find themselves heading for the parking lot. Jack checks his watch, murmuring to himself.

“Alright... All white, sunglasses, black and white hat, and fifteen minutes to spare.”

Reaching out her hand, Alessandra grabs and gently squeezes his forearm, drawing his attention. As soon as he looks at her, she nods her head once and flashes a warm smile, silently assuring him that everything will be alright.

“You’re right, babe. I’m just a little nervous.”

Leaning closer, she kisses him on the lips. None of the other patrons in or near the lobby of the five-star hotel bat an eye at this, not even the clerk at the front desk or the valets outside. Stepping out of the climate-controlled lobby and into the warm Florida air, they walk toward another building a stone’s throw from the parking lot. It’s a bar and grill, though a rather high-end and expensive one. Stepping into the dimly lit and surprisingly cool bar, they’re promptly greeted by a hostess.

“Oh, wow! She’s beautiful!” The slender woman gushes.

Alessandra grins and bows her head. Receiving compliments from someone other than Jack is still very new to her, though it’s considerably more special when her mate does it.

“Thanks. Alie definitely turns heads.” Jack replies, slipping an arm around the AdvAnimal’s slim waist.

“Alie is such a pretty name. It fits her! Anyway, table for two?”

“Yes, please.”

The hostess leads them toward a booth placed along the south wall, setting wrapped silverware and menus atop the table.

“Your waitress will be right with you.”

“Thanks!”

“Oh, and while we’ve all become rather used to seeing AdvAnimals in the fur, so to speak, she may want to prepare herself for more compliments. Margie is a big fan of AdvAnimals.” The bubbly hostess remarks, glancing at Alie.

As promised, the waitress soon arrives and before she even introduces herself, she briefly marvels at Alessandra’s breed, paying her several compliments on everything from her skin tone, her figure and even her hair. If Jack didn’t know any better, he’d say that the waitress was a bit envious of her. After ordering some drinks and asking for time to look over the menu, the waitress leaves. While Alessandra takes the time to pick out a new breakfast, Jack’s eyes repeatedly leave his menu to scan the room.

He recognizes several faces. Many of the patrons are also guests at the Ritz-Carlton. A man who looks to be in his early or mid-thirties, about Jack’s age, sits at a table in a touristy T-shirt, khaki shorts and flip-flops. Sitting directly beside him and exceptionally close, his bunny AdvAnimal partner wears a tight, one-piece bathing suit, which leaves virtually nothing to the imagination. From the way they act, it’s obvious that they’re mates; her behavior mimics that of all of the girls at the Manor, once they’d lost their virginity to their respective men.

Jack takes a moment to watch them. It’s rather heartwarming to see how loving and thoughtful the man is toward the bunny girl, who’s equally enamored with him. He asks her a question, she smiles and nods, then they rub noses, only to share an impassioned kiss. Slowly turning his head, Jack notices some other familiar faces. In a corner booth sits the two sisters with nicely tanned skin. Their solid white AdvAnimal man, with physical features resembling a German Shepherd, is placed squarely between them.

As another waitress passes by their table, the AdvAnimal trains his big, blue eyes onto her tight buttocks, cocking his head and leaning over as he ogles her form. Jack furls his brow, perplexed by this. Is that normal behavior for AdvAnimal males? If it is, it’s drastically different from the females. Perhaps he should’ve paid more attention to all of those mini-seminars that Connor and Louis gave them, after gleaning knowledge from the data they’d gathered from Red Base.

Seeing this obvious interest in another woman, the older looking of the two sisters, with long, straight hair and neatly trimmed bangs, which is dyed snow-white, glares at the dog man and gently smacks his furry thigh. He turns toward her and flashes an innocent smile, acting as though he’d done nothing wrong. Though Jack cannot hear their conversation, the younger sister, with wavy black hair reaching down to her upper-back, seems to play off the incident. Her white-haired sister, a fiery creature who couldn’t be older than thirty, is far more perturbed, though she quickly forgives the AdvAnimal.

After a short back and forth between the sisters, they look to their AdvAnimal. Each girl then gives the dog man a rather passionate kiss, with the white-haired woman resting a hand on his cheek as she seems to use her tongue. Is he with both of them?! Perhaps due to their corner booth or the dim lighting, no one but Jack seems to notice this, and if they do, they don’t care. Shaking off the shock, Jack forces himself to focus.

“All white, sunglasses, black and white hat...” He mutters to himself, his eyes scanning the room.

Glancing over to her lover, Alessandra can see Jack’s rising anxiety. It’s written all over his face. He’s clearly on edge, his fingers nervously tapping the tabletop as he scans the room very methodically. Reaching out to him, she softly rubs his forearm.

“Huh? Did you pick something?” He turns to her.

“Mhm!”

She taps a claw on the menu, pointing at her preferences, just in time for the waitress to return. Jack orders for them, including a few drinks. Curious about the pretty alcoholic beverages printed on the back page, Alessandra silently pleaded with him, giving him her saddest eyes and most innocent expression. Jack caved, and within moments, the waitress returns with his cherry Coke and Alessadra’s sunrise mimosa.

“Ooohhh!” She coos.

“I thought you’d like that. Our bartender even garnished it with a strawberry, special!” The waitress chirps.

Taking a sip, the AdvAnimal’s emerald eyes grow wide.

“Good?” Jack asks with an amused grin.

“MMMMM!!!” She sighs.

“Hehe! I’ll be right back with your food.” Margie giggles.

“Thanks.”

Glancing back, Jack watches as his mate takes a big gulp of the brightly colored and fruity mixed drink.

“Just be careful with that stuff. Alcohol has some... Interesting effects when not taken in moderation.”

Jack continues to clandestinely scan the room for the mysterious AA-28690, looking for anyone who fits the description. Even after the waitress returns and he and Alessandra begin eating, he still takes the time to glance around the room. After a while, a few patrons leave and a few more enter, some of whom he’d seen before and others, not. A man with a beautiful, red panda AdvAnimal, waves to them as they pass by, and another man with a buxom fox woman under his arm glances at Jack only to give him a very intriguing look and a head nod. Furling her brow, Alessandra turns to him, silently questioning the gesture.

“He was congratulating me for having such a beautiful woman.” Jack quietly explains, leaning over and whispering into her tall, elf-like ear.

Her cheeks flush; she turns a little redder. Alessandra bats her eyelashes at him, her smile growing even wider. Unable to resist her wiles, they share a long and passionate series of kisses. As their lips part, Jack notices a new patron entering from the corner of his eye. She walks into the establishment wearing a tightly fitting white dress, which clings to her frame and accentuates her ample bust. Removing her sunglasses, she reveals them to be clip-on lenses, which hang over her wire-framed eyeglasses.

It’s the buxom woman from the hallway, whom they’d passed the night before, on the way to their room. She pays the couple no attention, instead taking a seat at the bar. She’s close enough for him to hear her order.

“Bloody Mary.” She speaks softly.

“Coming right up!” The female bartender chirps.

Jack checks his watch and is flabbergasted at the time. It’s twelve-thirty and he still doesn’t see anyone resembling AA-28690! Did he make a mistake? Is he in the wrong place? Growing increasingly nervous, Jack decides to wait. As even more patrons depart, Jack and Alessandra sit at their table. To pass the time, they watch the wall-mounted TV, and he occasionally entertains her with funny stories from his past. When her glass is empty, he even orders her a second round, to her delight.

When AA-28690 is over thirty minutes late, and when Alessandra has finished her second drink, an increasingly frustrated and anxious Jack pays the bill. Stepping out of the cool bar and into the hot sun, Alessandra tries to make the steps but stumbles.

“Oop!” She exclaims as grabs hold of him with both hands.

“Careful! I told you to watch those drinks.” He speaks in a soft and comforting voice.

“Hehe!”

With his arm around her waist, Jack helps her maintain balance. Looking around the lot, the sun beaming down and warming their skin, Jack spots a bench.

“Here, babe. Have a seat for a minute. I need to make a call.”

“Mmm!”

No sooner than Alessandra’s butt plops atop the bench, Jack stands beside her, pulling out his satellite phone. He promptly dials the only number he knows. Ring, ring, ring! Moving around the table, Victoria passes out the plates while Donnie pours the drinks. Standing between Connor and Samara, he stretches out his arm and pours milk into her glass.

“And here’s some milk for the kitty.”

“Dude!” Connor yells.

“Don’t worry, little guy. I saw you.” Donnie teases.

“That’s not it, asshole!”

“Relax. I was just making a joke.”

“That’s not it, either!”

“What’s wrong, then?”

“Samara doesn’t like milk, remember?!”

“She doesn’t?!”

“No!”

With a furled brow, Donnie turns toward the cat woman. With an angry scowl, she crosses her arms and glares at the glass of white liquid.

“Oh, shit! I’m sorry. I forgot.”

“I’ll take it. She gets the orange juice.” Connor says, leaning over and swapping his empty glass with hers.

Ring, ring, ring!

“Do you guys hear something?” Louis looks between the others.

Beep! Checking his phone, he sees a message from Mackenzie, who sits directly beside him. All it says is “Sat phone.” Jumping up from his seat, it falls backward, thumping loudly on the hardwood floor.

“Louis?” Donnie calls out, following behind him.

“It’s the satellite phone!”

Racing toward the charging base, Louis stumbles and nearly tumbles to the floor, only to catch himself on the back of Connor’s chair. He swipes the phone with such force that the base is yanked from the desk, nearly pulled out of the wall; it dangles over the edge by the thin, power cable. The others walk quickly behind him, having left the dining room, where they were all having brunch.

“Jack?! Hello?!”

“Finally! What took you guys so long?”

“Jack!”

“Yo!”

“It’s good to hear your voice. What’s going on?” Connor asks as Louis puts the phone on speaker.

“Nothing. I was about to ask you guys the same thing.”

“We were getting worried. We got a message almost an hour ago from AA-28690. The meeting was canceled.” Louis begins.

“What?! Why?!” Jack asks.

“We don’t know.” Connor replies.

“Honestly, we were all debating whether or not to call you and tell you to get out of there, but if it was a trap, they’d have sprung it by now.” Donnie chimes in.

“The most likely scenario is that AA-28690 somehow knows who you are, has been watching you, and didn’t like what they saw.” Louis adds.

“In other words, you blew it, man!” Connor growls.

“Hey, that’s not fair! I didn’t do jack-shit! ... There’s got to be a way to fix this.”

“We don’t know what else to tell you. We asked for an explanation but never got a response.” Louis replies.

“There was a clue in the message, though.” Donnie remarks.

“What kind of clue?!”

“At the end it said “a girl can’t be too careful”, so unless that was a super clever ruse, we at least know it’s a woman.”

“Huh... Maybe a Freudian slip?” Jack suggests.

“Maybe. How many days are you there for?” Connor asks.

“I paid for the weekend, but I brought enough cash to add three more. Maybe I can salvage this...”

“You aren’t really a field operative, bro...” Donnie replies.

“Oh, and you are?!” Jack snaps.

“I have way more experience with it than you do, and I’m better with tech, too! The kit you brought is what I play with when I’m bored!” Donnie retorts.

“He has a point.” Connor remarks.

“Just cut your losses and come home. If AA-28690 got cold feet and you genuinely didn’t do anything, then maybe she’s just scared? In that case, she wouldn’t be able to help us anyway.” Louis remarks.

“Yeah. Just come home, man. You aren’t ready for this.” Donnie adds.

“The hell I’m not!” Jack barks.

“Don’t do anything stupid, Jack. The last time you ran off, you nearly got caught and you came home with a girlfriend for Marty.” Connor teases.

“You know what?! ... I’ll call you when I have good news. Bye!”

“Jack!”

Hanging up the phone, Jack shakes his head.

“Assholes...”

Slipping the satellite phone back into a pocket of his vest, Jack glances toward Alessandra. She leans over on the bench, pressing herself against his arm, her head on his bicep. Resting a hand atop her head, he runs his fingers very slowly through her wavy black hair.

“You there, Alie?”

“Mmrrmm...”

“You look a little tired.”

“Mmhhmm...”

“You can’t hit the sauce that hard, babe. Come on. Let’s go.”

After helping her up from the bench, he slips his arm around her waist and guides her back to the hotel, through the lobby, into the elevator and right back to their room. He guides her toward the bed and she turns to sit down. As she turns, she trips over her own feet.

“Hehe!” She giggles, grabbing onto his shoulders.

“Easy, babe.”

Slowly lowering herself, she finally plops down onto the edge of the bed. However, in her state, she forgets to lift her tail or even move it aside, and upon putting her weight on the large, tapering appendage, rolls to one side and falls back on the bed.

“Ooh! Heh...” She flushes with embarrassment.

Using a hand and manually moving her tail between her legs, she spreads them far apart and flops onto her back, her arms falling to her sides. She stares at the ceiling with narrowed eyes, spread eagle on the bed, her legs dangling over the edge.

“Man, those mimosa’s hit you hard! ... You’ve probably never had alcohol before, huh?” He thinks aloud, scratching his bearded chin.

“Uh-uh.” She replies with a tired voice.

“And none of us drink, so there’s no booze at the Manor.”

“Mmrrmm...” She groans.

He glances around the room for a moment, contemplating what to do. Should he stay with his mate or try to prove his friends wrong? The last thing he wants to do is go home empty handed. He returns his attention to Alessandra, who lay motionless atop the bed, her eyes closed and a little smile on her face.

“Well, you look comfy.”

“...”

He shakes his head, softly chuckling to himself. Turning his attention toward the Pelican case, Jack ponders the call with his friends. He told them he could do this, and now it’s time to prove it.

“I’m going to do some poking around. See if I can handle this situation. You should stay here and rest, okay Alie? ... Alie?”

“Zzz!”

With her bottom jaw hanging open, she snores loudly. Glancing back at her, he silently chuckles. Heading for the table, he pops open the Pelican case and collects his third pistol, a Beretta 3032 Tomcat Inox. Taking the magazine out of the solid stainless-steel pistol, he opens the tip-up barrel. It’s loaded and ready. Taking out a small laptop from his backpack, he slides the case over and takes a seat in the comfortable chair.

“Okay! Let’s get to it!”

Opening a series of programs, he tries to remember which ones to use. Feeling rather out of his element, he opens his network settings and taps into the hotel’s wi-fi.

“Alright... How do I do this again? I think Louis gave me some instructions.”

After a bit of working, browsing through the pre-loaded software on his computer that Louis had set up for him, Jack somehow manages to hack into the hotel’s systems.

“Woah... That was cool!”

Taking a moment to think, Jack ponders the message they’d received.

“Alright... If AA-28690 is really a woman, she’d likely be between twenty and thirty-years-old; that would fit the bill for a disgruntled programmer or some scientist’s horrified girlfriend. If she was scared off then she’s definitely here alone. It’s a place to start at least... Okay! Let’s see who checked in this past weekend who fits the bill!”

Browsing through the hotel’s files, he eventually finds the bills. After skimming through it using his criteria, Jack is both surprised and thankful that only two people seem to fit.

“Penelope Packwood, age twenty-two and Amanda Anderson, age twenty-four. Okay, that first name sounds totally fake!”

A few quick clicks and Jack brings up filed photocopies of their driver’s licenses.

“Wow... She looks like she could pack that wood.” He murmurs, staring at a picture of a woman with the face of a supermodel. “Did I see her in a porn, before? Hmm... Okay, now for you, Ms. Anderson... Oh! That’s Blood Mary!” He chuckles. “Hey, babe! I think I did a thing! Alie?”

“Zzz... Zzz...”

“Right... Well... I guess I better get to it.”

Picking up his Beretta pistol and a few hacking tools, Jack stops at the edge of the bed. He cannot help but lean over and kiss his lover on the snout as she sleeps. Placing a “Do Not Disturb” sign on the door, he quietly slips into the hallway, using a handwritten note to find the women’s rooms. Reaching Ms. Packwood’s door, which is conveniently on the same floor as their room, he knocks several times. There’s no answer. He knocks again and places an ear against the door. Nothing.

Looking to and fro, he pulls a keycard out of his pocket and slips it into the lock. With a ribbon strip and small box concealed in his palm, he presses a button and the device quickly deciphers the code, unlocking the door. He looks around the doorframe as he slowly pushes it open, and then poking his head inside, he glances at the television screen. It’s off, and the reflection reveals a messy bed with clothes strewn about. There’s no one to be found. Stepping further into the room, it looks like it belongs to a tourist, complete with beach clothes on the bed, laid out and ready to be worn.

Realizing that this likely isn’t the right person, he hastily retreats before anyone notices him. Making his way toward the elevators, he rides them to the second floor and walks down the hall, searching for the next room. He finds it right away, and once again, he knocks. No one answers him. Again, he uses the hacking tool to swiftly unlock the door, but this time as he opens it, he notices something shiny drop to the floor. Falling from the far corner, a paperclip lands atop the carpet. It couldn’t be there by accident.

He slips inside, draws his pistol and carefully scans the room. It’s so clean that it looks as if no one is staying there. Despite this, a single luggage bag sits on a chair in the corner. Carefully opening the bag, he finds several sets of woman’s clothes. Among the clothes, he finds a white sun hat with a black band around it. It’s at that moment that he recalls what Ms. Anderson was wearing when she ordered her drink, a white dress and clip-on sunglasses.

“Son of a bitch...” He chuckles to himself, a proud grin spreading across his face. “Found you.”

Heading toward the nightstand, he drafts a note with the complimentary pen and notepad sitting beside the table lamp and leaves it propped up, between the lamp and the alarm clock.

“Please reschedule for tomorrow. Same place, same time, same outfit.”

Having accomplished his mission, Jack promptly leaves, even pausing to place the paperclip back where it was. Returning to their room, he finds Alessandra right where he left her. With a silent chuckle, he sets his pistol atop the nightstand, slips off his shoes and sits beside her on the bed.

“Hey... You there, babe?” He asks, resting a hand on her kneecap and gently shaking her leg.

“Mmrrmm...”

She slowly opens her eyes, one after the other, and slowly shifts her emerald orbs toward him.

“Hi. You think you’d be more comfortable lying all of the way on the bed?”

“Nnn...” She groans and closes her eyes.

“We can cuddle.”

“Oh!” She promptly lifts her head.

As Jack lies back against the many pillows at the head of the bed, Alessandra rolls onto her side and crawls up to him, tucking herself between his body and arm.

“That’s better.” He sighs, gently rubbing her upper arm with one hand and holding the remote control in the other.

“Mmm!”

The next day, Jack and Alessandra head directly for the bar and grill next door, forgoing the hotel’s food altogether. After a short breakfast, this time without indulging in any alcoholic beverages, they wait for their contact. As he suspected, the busty Ms. Anderson appears. With her white dress hugging her form and accentuating her alabaster skin, her long, brown hair pulled into a bun just beneath her white and black sun hat, and wire framed glasses with dark, clip-on lenses framing her face, she’s exactly who he expected to see.

The same woman who’d passed them in the hall that first night and ordered a Bloody Mary yesterday afternoon approaches the table. Only a few feet away, however, she hesitates. With a nervous look on her face, she glances around at the other tables. After a moment, she sheepishly steps even closer, standing at the back of a chair.

“Hello, Ms. Anderson or would you prefer AA-28690?”

She doesn’t answer, merely standing there and staring at the pair. Once again, she glances from side to side, as if she’s expecting something or someone to suddenly appear.

“There’s no one following us... ... Did you want to sit down?”

Slowly, even shyly, Amanda pulls out a chair and takes a seat across from the pair.

“How did you figure out it was me?” She asks in a soft and somewhat agitated voice.

“It wasn’t that hard.”

“I see... Probably should’ve changed clothes yesterday, before I came down... Out of all of your people, I didn’t think you were so competent. Had I known you were as skilled as the others, I would’ve taken better precautions.”

Jack blinks, somewhat taken aback by her casual insult. Alessandra, however, immediately takes offense. How dare this stranger be rude to her mate! Narrowing her emerald eyes, she glares at the woman and even growls, her lips peeling back and flashing the tips of her rather sharp teeth.

“It’s alright, Alie.” He begins, resting a hand on the AdvAnimal’s forearm. “It’s an honest mistake. Somehow, you got hold of photos of us before the meet and just assumed I was as dumb as I look. It happens.”

Amanda giggles, her thin lips curling into a little smile.

“I apologize.”

“It’s alright.” He assures her. “So, now comes the real question. Why did you cancel on us yesterday? Did my beard of manliness intimidate you or did you just forget what day it was? Too much beauty sleep, perhaps?”

“Heh. Are your friends as charming as you?” Amanda asks, her cheeks turning a light shade of pink.

Alessandra, still glaring, narrows her eyes even more.

“Nope! Please don’t change the subject.” Jack chirps, wearing a cool grin.

Amanda sighs, adjusts her glasses and then turns her attention toward Alessandra. The look on her face is grave; whatever she’s thinking seems to be bothering her tremendously.

“It was her...” She finally answers.

“Alie?!”

“Yeah... Alie...” Amanda grumbles. “I learned of you through the usual channels. Conspiracy types that my brother was in contact with... Considering the work that you’re doing, fighting Sovereign Six, I didn’t think you’d have any AdvAnimals. Once I saw her, I thought maybe you were compromised or even a plant to lure me out in the open.”

“Oh... I can see that.”

“It’s nothing against her - I’m sure she’s nice - but all things considered, I was alarmed... Why do you have her, anyway?”

“Okay, well, first off, and I mean this in the nicest possible way, I don’t own her, and I’d appreciate you not saying it that way.”

“Sorry. I didn’t mean it the way it sounded.” Amanda slowly bows her head.

“It’s alright. Secondly, we didn’t exactly go through... Proper channels...”

“So, the rumors are true?!” Amanda asks, her volume increasing.

“Shh! ... What rumors?” He asks in a hushed voice.

“The people I used to find you said that you’d infiltrated a base before. They said you and your friends broke into at least one, if not several. They never said anything about AdvAnimals, though.” Amanda begins, speaking very softly.

“That’s because they don’t know about them. That’s something we keep close to the chest.” He swiftly replies, nearly whispering.

“Keeping it secret for security reasons, I imagine.”

“It sure is, Captain Obvious. We’ve been hitting them hard, and even our closest allies, what few there are, don’t know much about our work.”

“Well, that was the reason I tried to meet you. I want to help you.”

“How?” He asks, raising a brow.

“...”

Once again glancing from side to side, Amanda taps her fingers nervously on the table.

“When are you leaving?” She finally replies, still glancing over her shoulder.

“I paid until Sunday. Also, try not to look so conspicuous.”

“Sorry... Look, I want to help you, but I don’t feel comfortable here.”

Lifting an arm and opening her purse, she digs around for something. Jack can see the back of the slide of the Smith and Wesson M&P Shield tucked inside. Taking out a memo pad and a thoroughly worn pencil, she flips to a blank page and scrawls a note. Tearing the small slip of paper, she slides it across the table, still looking to and fro. Examining the paper, it contains only an address.

“I know this place. It’s more secure, and not quite so expensive. Judging from your clothes, though, I’d say you’ll fit in very nicely there.”

“Oh, lovely.” Jack smirks, examining the address. “Could you write this again but in English?”

She softly giggles, covering her bottom lip with her hand. Alessandra quietly snarls.

“When do you want to meet?”

“Tuesday morning. It’ll take you a day’s drive to get there, if you check out on Sunday.” She replies.

Without saying another word, she rises from her seat and turns to leave.

“It was a pleasure meeting you, Jack and Alie. You can call me Amanda.”

“Likewise. See you Tuesday, Amandy.”

After watching her leave the bar and grill, Jack leans back in his chair and turns toward his lover.

“You’re all tense, babe. Are you alright?”

“Rrrr...”

“You don’t like her?”

She promptly shakes her head.

“Well, let’s just meet her and see what she has to say on Tuesday... Until then, we have the rest of today to ourselves, and I did buy you that sexy, yellow bikini before dinner yesterday.”

“Mmm!” She coos, her warm and bubbly personality returning.

“A day at the beach?”

“Eee!” She squeals, thrusting herself upon him and throwing her arms around his neck.

After an enjoyable day spending time together, and an even more enjoyable night in the jacuzzi, Jack and Alessandra get some sleep only to wake up bright and early and check out of their room by eight o’ clock. They collect their sparse luggage, gas up the El Camino and the six jerry cans, and make their way toward yet another destination. It’s a long and uneventful drive to an old and tiny inn on the outskirts of West Liberty, Kentucky, though they still enjoy each other’s company, as well as the beautiful scenery. Checking into the hotel at half-past eleven at night, they enter the room. It’s nothing like the Ritz-Carlton.

“Well... At least it has a bed.” Jack jokes.

“Mmrrmm...” She whimpers and sighs.

“It’s alright, babe...” He speaks softly, slipping an arm around her waist and pulling her close. “I’ve got everything I need right here.”

“Aww!”

The couple share a gaze and then a kiss, which soon becomes a dozen. Before they know it, they’ve fallen on the bed, which they quickly put through its paces, only to discard Jack’s used condom and fall asleep in each other’s arms. Knock, knock, knock! Opening his eyes, Jack glances at the clock. It reads 7:59 am.

“Oh, shit...”

Knock, knock, knock, knock, knock!

“Just a minute!” Jack exclaims, rolling out of bed.

Awoken by the sound as much as from her lover leaving her, Alessandra sits up in bed, watching him. As Jack searches the floor for his underwear, lifting up his crumpled jeans and finding nothing, the nude Alessandra climbs out of bed. She walks casually toward the door and peaks through the peephole. Her lips curl around the corners of her snout, forming a sinister grin.

“There they are!” He exclaims, pulling his underwear from underneath the bed. “How the hell did they get under there?”

Slipping his legs through the holes, he pauses when he hears the door latch. Furling his brow, he lifts his head and then glances over his shoulder.

“Babe, wait!” He exclaims, hastily pulling up his boxer-briefs.

Pulling open the door, Alessandra stands before Ms. Anderson, whose face instantly flushes. Her blue-green eyes slowly scan the AdvAnimal’s feminine form. As naked as the day she was born, Alessandra cocks her head, and with the most innocent of smiles she runs her fingers through her own hair. After a deliberate delay, she finally waves the woman inside. Standing at the side of his bed in only his underwear, his jeans in his hands, Jack clears his throat.

“So, uhm... We overslept... Yeah...”

“I see...” Amanda murmurs. “I didn’t realize... You two are, uhm... Partners?”

“... Could you please get dressed?” He turns to Alessandra.

After collecting her clothes, Alessandra sashays past Amanda, her large tail swaying in the opposite direction of her perky buttocks. She mockingly waves her clawed fingers and flashes a cocky grin at Amanda as she passes her, heading into the bathroom. With her head turned away, Amanda gives Jack a moment to get dressed. As she looks toward the floor, she notices the torn Torjan Magnum wrapper and the large sized condom hanging partially out of the nearby trash can. Her eyes grow wide and her face flushes even more.

“Sorry about that... I set that alarm, but, uh... I didn’t think you’d be this early... Or know our room number.”

“It’s alright... I-I, uhm... I know the owner, and he told me.” She speaks in a near whisper.

“Oh... So! ... You think you can help us take down Sovereign Six?”

“...”

“Amanda?”

“What?”

“You said you could help us?” He asks again.

“Oh... Right...”

Pulling out the old, cheap and somewhat rickety chair, she takes a seat at the octagonal table that looks like something from the early 1980s. Setting her purse atop the flimsy table, it subtly leans to one side.

“Are you alright?” He asks, now fully dressed and taking a seat on a corner of the bed.

“I’m fine...”

“Are you sure?”

“Maybe...”

“Maybe?” He raises a brow.

“Maybe this was a bad idea.” She says, suddenly standing up and grabbing her purse.

“Woah, wait! You called us out here to meet you. What’s the problem?”

“This...” She motions with a hand between him and the bathroom door, where Alessandra can be heard taking a shower. “I don’t like what I’m seeing here. It’s weird... It feels... Wrong... I mean, you’re with her!”

“What does that have to do with whatever you have to tell me?” He asks, scratching his head.

“I don’t know. I just don’t feel right about this. Maybe you’re not the ones I should be talking to. How can you fight Sovereign Six if you’re literally in bed with their product?”

“Wow... You sound an awful lot like a Puritan.”

“I’m sorry, I just...”

She turns her eyes away, once again staring at the floor. Though he couldn’t help but take offense, when he takes the time to really look, he can see that Amanda is struggling. Despite her initial message, and her confidence, she’s in trouble. Something has been driving her to seek out people who could help her; now isn’t the time to give her grief.

“Forget about it...” He murmurs.

“Hmm?” She turns her eyes upward, looking at him with a mixture of surprise and shame.

“I know words don’t really mean anything, especially with all this cloak and dagger stuff, but despite having Alie with me, me and my friends, we’re still trying to stop Sovereign Six. If you really think that you can help us, then I’d appreciate you skipping the part where you tell me all of your personal issues with our relation and just get right to the point.”

“Fair enough... Have you heard of Telivima?”

“Yeah. Is that what this is about?”

“What about a Dr. Jose Chavez?” She continues, ignoring his question.

“Yeah.”

“He’s what this is about... Or should I say, my brother is what this is really about, at least for me...” She murmurs, shifting her gaze toward her feet.

“Your brother?”

“Kenny... He worked in an office for Sovereign Six, but he knew they were up to something horrible... He didn’t know what but he knew it was something. He smuggled out some files and asked me to hide them. I urged him to go public with what he already had but he didn’t think it’d be enough; he wanted more, and he wanted to give it to some group he’d heard about. The Four Horsemen.”

“What happened to him?”

“They killed him! That’s what happened to him!” She growls, glaring at him as she balls her fists.

“I’m sorry.”

“No...”

She closes her eyes and lets out a melancholy sigh, only to sniffle as she fights back the tears.

“I’m sorry... You didn’t know. He probably never even spoke to any of you... He should’ve, though. On the day he promised to get out with “the big one”, he never came home. I waited and waited for him at his house, then I got a call... I was his ICE contact. They said he died in an “accident”. I was suspicious, even after our local medical examiner wrote it off as an accident! Our town’s mortician, a nice old man that my family has known for decades, well, he told me the truth. He was paid $100,000 to make my brother look presentable, and the medical examiner was paid three times that to lie on the report.”

Seeing her seething rage and her shackled agony, which writhes inside of her, Jack only now begins to realize the drive behind Amanda’s actions. It reminds him of how Donnie used to be, after his parents were slain by the Agents, back when they were barely grown.

“My brother was murdered, shot multiple times, including in the head. Mr. Morningside said that from the damage to Kenny's skull, he thought it was probably a large caliber weapon, like a magnum or maybe a Colt forty-five. I did a bit of digging on my own, and after cornering a few people who were there, I learned he was killed by an AdvAnimal... So, now you understand why I was so reluctant to speak with you. As soon as I saw her, I thought you might’ve been compromised.”

“Oh...”

With her balled fists shaking, Amanda’s snarl begins to change, evolving into an expression of pure anguish. The tears stream down her cheeks as her face turns a light shade of red. Her knees give out and she nearly falls back into the chair, only to catch herself by grabbing the armrest. Quickly approaching her, Jack takes the weeping woman into his arms, softly shushing her as she breaks down. The pain of her loss is just too much to hold in any longer; even after some months, it’s as fresh as the day she received that horrid phone call.

Pulling open the bathroom door and stepping out, steam billowing from inside, Alessandra stops in her tracks. Though her superior hearing detected their entire conversation, she wasn’t expecting to see her mate comforting the strange woman. She narrows her eyes and takes a step closer, her elbows bending and her fingers curling as she presents her claws. Hearing her growl, Jack turns his head and gazes at his lover, who looks ready to slaughter the woman. Though he gives her a somber look, Alessandra isn’t disarmed.

How dare this woman seek comfort in her mate?! Jack is hers, and no one else has rights to him! She steps even closer to the pair, her lips peeling back as she clenches her sharp teeth, a low, guttural growl escaping her throat. She pulls an arm back, readying to strike, her emerald eyes as wild as a forest fire. For the first time, Jack feels genuine fear, for both himself and Amanda. He quickly turns and sits her down atop the bed, before standing between the human and the AdvAnimal. Placing his hands on Alessandra’s hips, he finally disarms her. Amanda, who takes off her glasses and buries her face in her hands, has no idea how close she came to physical conflict.

“Damn you, Kenny...” She whimpers through her tears. “I told you not to do it. I fucking told you! ... You stupid, idealistic asshole... God, I miss you so much.”

Even Amanda’s pain doesn’t alter her feelings, and Alessandra stands before her mate, looking past him and glaring at the human female with pure malice.

“Relax, babe...” He whispers to her. “It’s alright. We’re still us.” He says, unsure of what else to say.

Hearing his voice and seeing his soft eyes, she finally settles down. Her lips cover her teeth and she flashes an innocent grin. With a damp towel wrapped around her elegant form, her tail sways with delight. She rests a clawed hand on Jack’s face and another on his shoulder, which she gently rubs, before leaning in and kissing him. After ensuring that the AdvAnimal is no longer hostile, Jack takes a box of Kleenex from the nightstand and places it beside the sobbing Amanda, before returning to Alessandra’s side. It takes her a moment to finally calm down, but once she does, she blows her nose and dries her eyes.

“This may be a stupid question but... Did you still want to help us?” Jack asks in a soft, passive voice.

“Yeah...” She murmurs, rising from the bed and returning to her chair, beside the flimsy table. “I’m not going to let those filthy bastards get away with killing my brother. Family is family, and I know he’d do it for me.”

“Okay. So... How did you plan on helping us?” He asks, sitting down on the bed.

“I still have Kenny’s files, and I’ve also been doing my own research. I can take you to the place they call Telivima. Its official name is “Purple Base.” I think I can help you get inside.” She begins, digging through her purse.

“And do what?”

“Break out Dr. Chavez.” She replies quite casually.

“Excuse me?!” Jack gasps.

Alessandra blinks, her emerald spheres perfectly visible as her eyes grow wide with shock and horror. Jack shares her expression, his jaw hanging open as he leans a little closer to the human woman. Pulling something from her purse, Amanda leans toward Jack, a thumb drive pinched between her thumb and index finger.

“Here. You’re going to need these to do it.”

“Yeah, yeah... Go back to that “break out Dr. Chavez” part real quick!”

“Oh, well, Kenny was following your work for a while. He said that every time you did something big, any time you made waves, Sovereign Six had a cover story for it. “Those monsters thought of everything” he always said, but what if a top scientist, one of their own, someone who was publicly visible as part of Unifact’s original project, what if that person came out with the truth?! Could they be discredited?!”

“Probably! That or assassinated...” Jack sighs, slumping back on the bed.

“Maybe, but what else is there?! ... Look, I know this is a risky plan, but I’m out of ideas and Kenny didn’t have one beyond stealing data. Nothing you guys are doing seems to be working, and with every day, they come closer and closer to something big. Kenny said that if they reached “Phase Three” that we might as well submit.”

“Phase Three?” Jack lifts his head and raises a brow.

“I don’t know. You’re guess is as good as mine, but Phase Two has something to do with the Welcoming process, and he was worried that they were pushing up their deadline. If we want to expose them and get them back for what they did to my brother and God knows whoever else, we need to do it soon and our proof has to be undeniable. So, are we doing this or not?” She asks in a stern, managerial fashion.

Looking back at Alessandra, the now-dressed AdvAnimal woman shrugs her shoulders. As she often does, she follows his lead. Turning his attention toward Ms. Anderson, he scratches his beard and sighs, only to shake his head, lean over and take the thumb drive from her.

“We’ll check this out, but I need to run this past the guys first. We tend to vote on stuff like this.”

“Oh, good! We’d better go, then!” Amanda chirps, collecting her purse from the table.

“We?!”

“Yeah. I’d love to meet the rest of our team.”

“I don’t know if that’s such a good idea...” Jack murmurs. “Wait! Our team?!”

“I’m giving you the keys to their castle! I want to be a part of this!” She demands.

“Wouldn’t it be easier and safer for you to just... I don’t know... Let the professionals handle this?”

“I don’t know if I’d go so far as to call you professionals. You’re doing what no one else will, but...”

“Wow... Aren’t we cocky?” Jack scoffs.

“I’m just as skilled as any of you! Had I realized you were a better investigator, I would’ve taken better precautions!” She barks, glaring at him. “I just allowed your appearance to deceive me... Also, I should mention that I have more information than what I just handed over. Those are just my brother’s files! I collected a few more of my own, as well as information about the base that I coerced from select employees! If you want it, you need to take me with you!” She chirps, suddenly sounding rather chipper.

“I think they call that extortion.”

“I prefer to think of it as bribery. So? When are we leaving?!”

With a heavy sigh, Jack shakes his head and then waves a hand toward the door. Quickly collecting their backpacks and Jack’s Pelican case, they make their way outside and into the parking lot.

“Oh, wait!”

“Hmm?” Amanda and Alessandra glance back at him.

“I need to call the guys and give them a heads-up first!”

“Oh! Good idea!” Amanda chirps.

Pulling the satellite phone out from a vest pocket, Jack begins to dial their number.

“I hope they aren’t going to be too pissed at me...”

Ring, ring, ring! Promptly picking up the phone, he brings it to an ear.

“Hello?”

“Hi, sir!” The worker from D2C chirps.

“What’s up? Did you get anywhere with that project? It’s been a while now, and I know they’d love it if we delivered something as big as a missing Type-Z.” The Supervisor asks.

“Yes, sir! We’re really sorry about the delays, but our software was never designed for this. Anyway, after some serious tweaking, we programmed one of the super computers to search traffic cameras for that weird looking vehicle. Turns out it’s a fourth gen El Camino, manufactured between 1973 and 1977. We got everything up and running and we actually spotted it!” The worker chirps.

“You did?! That’s great!”

“It went to the Ritz-Carlton resort hotel on Amelia Island in northeastern Florida. It was just sitting there on local traffic cameras, and we already verified it by cracking into the hotel’s security system and spotting them together.”

“You have footage of them?! Together?!?!”

“Yes, sir. They were staying in the hotel over the weekend, in a honeymoon suite.”

“Excellent! Send me your report and I’ll see the Agent right now!”

“However, sir!” The worker swiftly speaks up.

“Oh, shit. Here it comes... What went wrong?” The Supervisor asks with a heavy sigh.

“Well, after the two days it took for us to write a whole new program just to search for one specific car, by the time we spotted it and tracked them to the hotel, the man and the missing AdvAnimal were already checking out. They’re not there anymore, sir.”

“So, you missed them.”

“Not exactly! You see, I was waiting to see where they went. They spent twelve hours driving in a northwesterly direction. We tracked them all the way to some place called West Liberty, in Kentucky, but in the dark and the rural areas, we lost them again.”

“You tracked them for twelve hours and didn’t contact me?!” The Supervisor snarls.

“Twenty-three, actually... But it’s not as bad as it sounds, sir! They haven’t reappeared on any new feeds, and we’re tapped into all of them. I’m thinking they stopped for the night. It’s not even 8:30 eastern time, so they’re probably not even awake yet! If you can pass along my report to the Agent and get me access to their live satellite imagery, I believe we can find them in or near West Liberty in short order!”

“Alright...” The Supervisor sighs. “But this better pan out! ... For our sakes.”