FSE

Furry search engine

formerly SoFurry search engine

The AdvAnTAGE Project

By

Mantrid Brizon

Episode 30: A Startling Place To Visit

“The wheels on the bus go round and round, all through the town!”

“Please, Jack. Please... Stop singing that song...” Connor grumbles.

“Now you pipe down young man or I’ll tell your mother!” Jack speaks in a high pitched and uppity tone, mimicking an elderly teacher.

Sitting back in the seat, Connor’s eye twitches as he glares at the smirking Jack, who sits behind the wheel of the short school bus. As Jack shifts his focus to the road, Connor feels a familiar softness covering his right hand. He turns his head and looks toward Samara. With her head slightly cocked to one side, a warm smile on her face and her big, sapphire eyes twinkling, she’s a most soothing presence. Leaning in, Connor gives her a loving kiss upon her lips. Two seats behind them, Amanda quietly shudders, grimacing at the sight, though she tries to hide it.

“I do wish we had more time to prepare, though... We could’ve picked a better vehicle than a salvaged short bus.” Donnie remarks.

Glancing back, Amanda looks toward the black-haired man as he sits in a rotating chair that’s bolted to the floor, right beside a small workstation. They’d hastily added it to the vehicle, as soon as Martin was able to find them one suitably large enough to act as their mobile command center. With deeply tinted windows going all the way around, and thick, metal plating covering up the rearmost windows, just behind the glass, the old school bus contains everything that they might need to carry out Amanda’s mission.

“So, uhm...” Amanda clears her throat, gaining both Donnie’s and Victoria’s attention. “What’s with that Martin guy and his ‘wife’?” She asks, making air-quotes.

“Martin is the legitimate businessman to our mafia, the front for all of our income. He also sources the expensive stuff so we don’t have to stick our necks out. Cammie is another AdvAnimal we managed to rescue from Sovereign Six.” Donnie begins.

“I think they’re really cute together!” Jack chirps, still humming the song to spite Connor.

“Yeah. They seem to really love each other, and he’s so gentle with her. I honestly never thought I’d see the day when that playboy would settle down, but she really does it for him.” Connor interjects.

“Actually, he’s technically the fourth horsemen, not me. Until recently, I wasn’t even living at the manor, not until Vicky and I...” Donnie continues.

Glancing over to his mate, the silver furred mare AdvAnimal, he cannot help but smile. Vicky returns the gesture and leans across the back of the bus’s rearmost bench seat. They share a loving kiss, once again causing Amanda to wince. As she leans back, against the wall and watching the pair, she notices something from the corner of her eye. Turning her attention toward Alessandra, Amanda finds the red and black spotted AdvAnimal glaring at her, emerald eyes narrowed and arms crossed beneath her ample bust. She’s never looked pleased by her presence; ever since the moment they first met, she treats Amanda as if she were a threat.

“Don’t mind her.”

“Hmm?” Amanda turns her attention back to Donnie.

“The girls are all just very suspicious of you. They don’t want you getting too close to their men.” Donnie explains.

“Their men?” Amanda raises a brow.

“They can be pretty territorial, sometimes. Keep a ‘no touching’ rule and I think everything will be fine.”

“But the mare-...”

“...”

Amanda quickly catches herself, just as Donnie’s expression begins to change into one of surprise and offense.

“I mean, Victoria, she isn’t like that. She seems... Kind of nice.” Amanda replies, visibly confused.

“Yeah, but that’s only because, and I quote, ‘If that human tries to touch my Donnie, I’ll just snap her in half.’ Then she drew a little smiley face at the end, with a colon and bracket.” Donnie says, reading from his outdated slide-phone.

With her blue-green eyes wide, the buxom human turns her attention toward the mare AdvAnimal, who sits across the aisle from her and directly in front of Donnie and the workstation. Wearing the most innocent of smiles, which matches her thoughtful ensemble, the unnervingly large horse woman holds up a hand and waves with her fingertips.

“Lovely...” Amanda murmurs. “So... Why aren’t they like that with each other?”

“They picked their mates pretty early, and there wasn’t ever any conflict.” Connor replies, looking back at Amanda.

“Yeah. I don’t remember them ever struggling to choose one of us. They just seemed to know who they wanted from day one.” Donnie adds.

“Each girl has a man they want, and they went after him hard, until they got him. We all fit really well, on a personal level, I mean.” Jack interjects, glancing over to Alessandra, whose expression and body language instantly transforms to show her love and admiration for him.

“Also, it helps that there are four of them and four or us, and there never were any freewheeling women around. Well, until now, at least.” Connor continues.

“I see...” Amanda murmurs.

“Yeah... Are we there yet?!” Connor suddenly turns to Jack.

“Nope! We’ve got at least sixteen more hours to go!” Jack chirps.

“Aww, man!” Connor pouts, giving that back of Jack’s seat a swift kick.

“Now, don’t make me pull this bus over, mister!” Jack scolds Connor in his mock teacher’s voice.

“You can’t tell me what to do!” Connor whimpers.

“Oh yeah?”

Jack’s lips curl into a sinister grin as he looks to Donnie.

“... The wheels on the bus go round and round! Round and round! Round and round! The wheels on the bus go round and round, all through the town!” Both men begin singing.

“Rrr...” Connor growls, covering his ears.

Removing her eyeglasses and placing a hand over her face, Amanda lets out a heavy sigh. It’s going to be a long drive...

“Finally!” Connor exclaims, leaping out of the opened door many hours later. “I thought that ride would never end!”

He scans the desolate yard, his eyes straining to adjust to the creeping darkness. Having left long before dawn, they finally arrive just as the sun sets. The only sounds he can hear are those of the crickets, a distant owl, and his friends, who gather their belongings and climb out of the bus.

“This is the place Martin found?!” Amanda’s eyes grow wide as she steps out of the bus.

“I guess this is what you get on such short notice...” Donnie murmurs.

“It’s giving me ‘Evil Dead’ vibes...” Connor mutters.

“Come on.” Jack begins, pulling back the slide of his Taurus PT1911 pistol, ensuring that there’s a round in the chamber. “Let’s check the perimeter and make sure it’s all clear.”

A weary Jack and Donnie scour the area, pistols in-hand as they walk in a large circle around the rickety, old cabin. Meanwhile, Connor heads for the cabin door and searches for the hidden key. Samara checks the readiness of her weapon, but as she reinserts the magazine, she hears a strange noise, like a heavy rock being dragged across a floor. She turns back, her sapphire eyes as wide as saucers. Victoria’s hoof slips on the bottom step. The feline dives out of the way, just in time to be knocked off balance as the six-foot-four, two-hundred-and-twenty-pound mare comes tumbling out.

Glancing back, Connor sees his mate and the mare AdvAnimal lying in a heap in the dirt, a pile of old, dead leaves in front of Samara’s feline nose. With a loud huff, the cat woman blows them away from her face, her eyes narrowed with frustration.

“You alright, babe?”

“Mmrrmm...” She grumbles.

“Heh!”

The embarrassed looking Victoria flushes as she sits on Samara’s lower legs. She carefully pushes herself up from the ground, trying not to harm the feline AdvAnimal, who is quite a bit smaller than her. Only a few feet away, Amanda, who stands near Alessandra, watch as the mare grabs Samara by an upper arm.

“Woaaahh!” She exclaims as the mare swiftly yanks her to her feet.

To the other women’s amusement and Connor’s horror, Victoria, using only one arm, not only lifts Samara from the dirt but nearly tosses her over her shoulder! She lets go just in time, and the cat woman falls to the ground, landing atop her large, paw-like feet with a soft thud. She briefly stumbles before regaining her balance, extending and stiffening her tail to help her maintain her footing.

“Rrr...” Samara glares at the mare.

“Is that a ‘yes’? Do you want me to come and check you out? I’m very thorough.” Connor asks.

“Mmm...” Samara coos, a lusty smile spreading across her cat-like face as she looks to him.

“Okay, but after we get inside. I don’t want an audience.” He winks.

Connor feels around the windows and the doorframe, grunting and standing on the tip of his toes as he struggles to reach the top.

“Nnngh! ... It better not be up there...” He grumbles. “Hey guys!”

“Yeah?” Jack’s voice comes from behind the cabin.

“Where’s the key?!”

“Check the potted plants!” Donnie replies.

Lifting up the nearest potted plant, he finds it, half covered in moss and a strange, brown goo.

“Ew...” He grimaces, wiping off the slime with his shoe.

“Well, it looks clear.” Jack remarks, holstering his Taurus PT1911 pistol. “I hope the inside looks better than the outside.”

“We just need a base.” Donnie remarks, stowing his Beretta 81BB in a coat pocket.

“Isn’t that what the bus is?” Connor raises a brow.

“A base with beds.”

The door creaks loudly and a faint mist pours out of the cabin. It smells like dust.

“Oookay...” Connor murmurs.

Stepping into the musty old cabin, he flips on a light to find that the interior isn’t any better looking. An old deer head hangs at an angle and a layer of dust covers the white sheets that protect the furniture.

“Lovely!” Connor facetiously exclaims.

Pushing past him, Victoria sets some bags aside and yanks off the sheets, only to immediately sneeze. As she sneezes, her thighs bump against an end table, promptly knocking over an old, cheap lamp. Crash!

“Heh...” She flashes an embarrassed smile and flushes beneath her fur.

“It’s alright, sweetheart. I don’t think anyone’s going to miss it.” Donnie assures her.

The crew begin by bringing in their meager equipment. They’ve packed light, as they don’t intend to be here for very long. With a bag hanging from her shoulder, and some grocery bags in each hand, Alessandra carries their supplies toward the kitchen, in the right corner of the combined living and dinning room. Samara, Jack and Donnie open several Pelican and ammunition cases, unpacking weapon after weapon and scores of cartridge boxes. Meanwhile, Victoria carries in their clothing bags and Connor brings in their electronic equipment.

“When do you think we’ll be ready to begin?” Amanda asks, setting down her bag and look toward the two men and the cat girl.

“Tomorrow morning or early afternoon.” Jack replies, loading the magazines of a Vz. 61 Skorpion machine pistol.

“That long?!” She gasps.

“Hey, we just drove eighteen hours, from Indiana to Vermont, in the world’s most uncomfortable short bus. We’re kind of tired, and besides, we have stuff to unpack.” Jack retorts.

“Oh!” Donnie turns to Jack. “We’re going to need to source a few older cars. Something reliable, with good handling over rough terrain, but without LoJack or OnStar or anything like that.”

“Want to go tonight?” Jack asks, smacking the magazine into the weapon.

“Sure.”

“Source... You mean steal them?!” Amanda exclaims.

“Yeah.”

“Isn’t that a risk?!”

“Well, we can’t break into a Sovereign Six facility with rentals.” Donnie chuckles. “Relax. We’ve done this before.”

“...”

Suddenly, they hear a very loud and strange noise. Schun-ka-schun-ka-schun-ka-schunk! Furling their brows and glancing back, they’re surprised to see Alessandra with a stainless-steel tumbler in her hands. It’s almost amusing to Amanda, seeing the frightening looking, red and black spotted raptor-like woman as she shakes the gleaming tumbler, bottles of alcohol and juice on the counter behind her. They turn to Jack for an explanation.

“What? ... She likes mimosas.” He murmurs.

“Okay, then!” Donnie chuckles.

“Hey, do you guys think Louis and Mackenzie will be alright by themselves?” Connor asks the others as he opens his laptop. “We’ve never left them alone before.”

“He isn’t still afraid of the dark, is he?” Jack chuckles.

Walking through the dimly lit manor, Louis’ hand grips firmly to the bannister. He looks to and fro for Mackenzie. The power had briefly flickered, off and then back on, and then off again. After briefly sitting in darkness with her, she’d left their room to check the breaker box in the basement. Louis wasn’t sure where it was and protested her quest, assuring her that this happens often enough, especially during storms, like the one that began mere hours after their friends had departed for Vermont, at barely three o’ clock in the morning.

Mackenzie, however, was persistent. Though she’s often quite nervous and jumpy, she’s gradually grown more confident and relaxed ever since they’ve become mates. She kissed him lovingly and used her phone to assure him that she would only be gone a minute, but it’s been ten. Perhaps that was a figure of speech or perhaps something’s happened to her? In any case, Louis needs to know. He makes his way down the stairs, the dim wall sconces powered only by a collection of deep cycle batteries kept in the basement. Thunder claps and he cannot help but jump.

“M-M-Macky?! Hun?! Ah-are you there?! ... It’s been more than a minute! ... ... Hello?!?!”

Another thunderclap startles him, so much so that he jumps and slips off of the final step. He quickly regains his balance and tries to catch his breath, but as the wall sconces flicker, his heart sinks.

“Those batteries better be charged...”

Another thunderclap and the lights go out.

“Damn...”

A creaking noise draws his attention. It sounds like the door to the basement, just behind the staircase.

“M-Macky?! Is that you?! I mean, wh-who else could it be?!?! Heh... Hun?”

He winces as lightning strikes the field just across from the manor’s front yard. He whirls around, turning away from the blinding lights and facing toward the staircase just as a second bolt of lightning strikes.

“AHH!!!”

There’s a white face directly behind him and looking up at him! Big, amber eyes glisten like polished topaz as the lightning briefly illuminates the room. Jumping back on pure impulse, he trips over his own feet and tumbles to the floor.

“Oh!” Mackenzie kneels beside his waist.

“I’m sorry, Macky, but you scared me! I waited for you and when you didn’t come back, I got a bit worried.”

“Aww!” She softly chuckles, taking him into her arms.

Her fleshy, rodent-like tail curves to one side and presses into his lower back as he sits on the floor, her arms wrapped around him. She nuzzles him with her broad snout, her hands resting on the back and side of his head.

“Mmmm...” She coos, giving him a squeeze.

“I’m okay, hun. I just missed you.”

“Aww!”

Again and again, she kisses his face, her broad snout brushing against his cheek. He turns his head and their lips meet, only for the kisses to not only continue but increase in intensity. She slides a hand from his head and caresses his chest as their tongue’s briefly entwine.

“Wow... I should fall more often!” He chirps as their lips part.

“Hehe!”

“Looks like we’re stuck in the dark, huh? ... Want to find a more comfortable place to wait out the storm?”

She gently tugs at him, guiding him to his feet. After brushing himself off, Louis turns to her, barely able to see her form in the darkness. The odd bolt of lightning reveals her features. With a hand on his forearm, she glances back at the stairs before taking a step. Her large, paw-like feet make almost no noise, and with the thunder and rain outside, she’s nearly silent.

“W-wait, hun. M-maybe we should just stay down here?” The nervous Louis suggests.

Turning to face him, she’s briefly illuminated by another bolt of lightning, which is immediately followed by a thunderclap. The five-foot-nothing mouse AdvAnimal in the unassuming summer dress flashes a strange grin and gently gropes him, squeezing his crotch with her clawed hand.

“Oh... The bedroom it is, then!” He chirps.

“Mmmm...” She coos.

Without hesitation or delay, she turns and begins dashing up the steps, pulling Louis along with surprising strength as he tries his best not to stumble in the dark. Mackenzie, however, has no trouble, whatsoever.

“You can see in the dark, too?!”

“Mhm!”

Back at the cabin, the group look between each other for a moment.

“I’m sure they’re fine!” Donnie chirps. “Anyway, we’ve got some work to do. There’s a small town nearby. We should scope it out and see if we can find at least two cars to bring back.”

“Ready to go, buddy?” Jack turns to Connor.

“Hey, that’s not my thing, guys. Besides, I don’t know if I can handle that bus!” Connor swiftly replies.

“You want Amanda to do it, then?”

Hearing this, Alessandra’s elf-like ears twitch and she narrows her eyes. She’s not alone. Victoria’s perpetual smile of innocence begins to fade. No strange, unclaimed woman is going to be left alone with their men! Both women make a move, with Victoria standing up from the nearby loveseat and Alessandra approaching the men as they sit around the coffee table.

“You girls want to go?” Donnie glances between them.

“Mhm!” They nod in unison.

“Oh! Alie can drive!” Jack suddenly chirps.

“She can?!” Donnie, Connor and Amanda all gasp.

“Yeah. She’s seen me do it, and I let her move my El Camino. Also, when we drove to meet Amanda at that cheap-ass motel, I let her drive for an hour or two because that fish sandwich wasn’t going down so easy. She’s actually really good at it!” He explains.

“Uhm... Okay! So long as she can handle it.” Donnie remarks.

“Of course she can!” Jack chirps, rising from his seat and approaching his lover. “But if you’re going to drive, no mimosas.” He adds, snatching the tumbler from her hands.

“Aww!” Alessandra whines.

“Later, babe.”

“Hmph!” She pouts, crossing her arms beneath her bust and turning her head away.

After gathering their weapons, Jack, Donnie, Victoria and Alessandra all leave and head for the bus. They take only a few minor tools with them to aid them in the theft of two getaway cars. Not long after they leave, Amanda is left alone with Connor and Samara. The couple seem thoroughly intertwined, all but ignoring her. She decides to head to bed. It’s an incredibly tiny cabin, with three bedrooms, each containing a series of bunk beds. It’s almost as if it was intended to house a logging crew. Though it’s musty and uncomfortable, the arduous journey in the bus makes it easy to fall fast asleep.

Awakening the next morning, she’s surprised to find herself alone. The other beds appear untouched. Did no one stay with her or did they make the beds and leave already? How long has she been asleep? Checking her phone, the battery is nearly dead. Before it dies, however, she sees that it’s 9:41 am. Scrambling out of bed, she makes her way into the hall, only to open the bedroom door and be blasted by the delicious aroma of bacon, eggs and hash browns. Standing in the kitchen, the towering mare AdvAnimal holds a skillet and spatula, while her love, Donnie, hovers around her, likely to prevent any accidents.

“That looks really good!”

“Mmm!” She coos, smiling warmly as she looks down at him.

“The food looks tasty, too.” He adds, giving her butt a little smack.

“OH! Hehehe!”

Though she jumps and giggles like a human woman, her face flushes beneath her fur and her long, equine tail swishes from side to side. The strange sight is still quite unnerving to Amanda, who cannot help but stare at the strangely shaped face of the horse woman. Seated at the table and waiting, the other two men and their respective partners relax. Seeing her standing in the hallway, Connor waves Amanda over. She takes a seat at the far end, as far away from the others as she can. The AdvAnimals look to her, their eyes narrowed. Samara lifts her right upper lip in a silent snarl, showing off her sharp fangs. Amanda quietly gulps. No one seems to notice.

“So, how are we doing this?” Connor asks.

“Well, we take these utensils, right? And then we pick up the food and put it in our mouths.” Jack teases.

“Hehehe!” Alessandra giggles, nearly spitting out her orange juice.

“You know what I mean, douche!”

“I figure we can have breakfast and prepare ourselves, and when Amanda’s ready, she’ll finally show us this mysterious information she’s been hoarding. A way to get in, I hope.” Donnie explains, collecting the cooked food onto a platter.

“It is.” Amanda softly interjects.

“Then I guess after breakfast we just get to it and do some scouting.” Donnie continues.

“Just like that?” Connor raises an eyebrow.

“Just like that. We’ve got that old Bronco, and you and Samara can wait for us in the bus, a distance away. If all goes well, we won’t even have to ditch it!” Donnie chirps, setting down the platter in the center of the table.

“How do you know how to get in there, anyway?” Jack asks, scooping hash browns onto his plate.

“I have my sources...” Amanda cryptically replies.

“And you trust them?” Connor asks.

“Yes... Yes, I do!” She answers, adjusting her glasses.

“Well, someone’s confident!” Donnie smirks.

“I’ve vetted this person extensively. I don’t wish to endanger my source, should any of you be captured, but rest assured, this person has revealed the entirety of Telivima’s perimeter to me, and I’ve been able to verify it.” Amanda confidently boasts.

“How so?”

“Give me that computer, and I’ll show you...” She says as she rises from her seat.

Collecting their plates, they all crowd around Amanda as she sits at the coffee table, turning on Connor’s laptop.

“The password is-”

“No need!” She holds up a hand, cutting him off.

The rather short, mixed race man glances to the others, an eyebrow raised. They watch as she plugs a thumb drive into the USB port, only to then type on a tiny prompt box that appears. It looks suspiciously like DOS. Then, in a matter of seconds, Connor’s laptop opens to the desktop. With food still in his mouth, his jaw hangs open and he nearly chokes when he hurries to swallow.

“Damn...” Donnie murmurs.

“What the?! That was fast!” Connor exclaims.

“I know.” Amanda chuckles. “Now, watch...”

Bringing up Google Maps, she types in the coordinates for Telivima. The fact that she knows them by heart is somewhat disconcerting to the others. Perhaps she’s very thorough in her work or could it be that they were mislead by a woman who merely seems eager to help them fight Sovereign Six?

“This is the location of the city.” She begins, the screen showing an image of undeveloped forest.

“That’s so close! ... Wait, what city?!” A shocked Donnie asks.

“Telivima is a complete city, with a housing development and various military and civil service complexes. It’s all built on top of the largest underground base known to man. According to my source, as many as one-and-a-half million AdvAnimals are grown there, every eight months, and they’ve been doing this for nearly fifteen years.” She continues.

“Jesus...” Connor murmurs, resting a hand on his brow.

“Sovereign Six’s influence and power run deeper than you think. They own a slice of nearly every major company in the media and entertainment industry, and most of the technology companies were either bought out years ago or outright developed by them. Outliers end up being controlled in one form or another, through blackmail and coercion. It all serves a greater purpose.” She says, her fingers typing a mile a minute.

“Such as?”

“You know how Area 51 is blanked out due to Government request?”

“Yeah.”

“Well, Telivima is so large that they couldn’t just erase it. That would be too suspicious, anyway. Every satellite imaging service on the planet has been bribed, acquired or blackmailed into using a special source code in their software. With this source code, Sovereign Six can use backdoors; they’re able to control them all, and using this access, they’ve painted the most realistic fake forest to cover Telivima... My source gave me access and told me how to bypass it... This is what Telivima looks like...”

With a press of the enter key, the forest instantly disappears, and the group finds themselves staring at a sprawling compound. Encompassing the entire screen, Amanda is forced to zoom out a bit, just so they can see it all. At least as big as a medium-sized city, there’s more than a dozen blocks containing houses with front and back yards, privacy fences and even swimming pools. To the northeast end is what looks like a conventional city, with sprawling complexes that serve many purposes. One building has a helipad with a white circle and red cross painted on it.

The group are in awe, astounded by the revelation. Twisting her upper body, the buxom human turns back and examines the group, thoroughly amused by their dumbfounded expressions and wide, staring eyes. After taking a moment to reboot their brains, they begin to snap out of their trance.

“Well... This makes things... Interesting.” Donnie remarks.

“This building, with the red cross, that’s the hospital. Building A-2. It’s where Dr. Chavez is being kept. My source has left me with a few files detailing some weak points in the security, however, they routinely patrol the entirety of the perimeter. We’ll need to scout it out first.” Amanda continues, moving the image around and giving them a top-down, virtual tour.

“Of course. I imagine any blind spots are closer to these neighborhoods, here.” Donnie points to the screen.

“That’s a looong walk to the hospital. Finding the appropriate disguises will be a challenge.” Jack murmurs.

“With a spare thumb drive, I should be able to shorten the walk. Also, I have some suggestions that I think might be beneficial, and one of the things I’ve been ‘hoarding’ are up-to-date access codes. My source was very thorough.” Amanda replies.

“Obviously.” Connor mutters, staring at the screen.

“Oh, and when you go, I’d like to go with you.” She adds.

“...”

The silence is such that even the humans could hear a pin drop in the next room. Glancing between each other, Donnie and Jack seem very uneasy about her request, while the AdvAnimals all narrow their eyes, glaring at Amanda with suspicion. Once again, she twists her upper body and looks back at them. For a moment, she looks very surprised that they don’t jump at the chance to take her along, only for her surprise to morph into indignation.

“Look, this is my mission. I came to you for help because you have the expertise to make it happen, but make no mistake, I’m the one holding all of the keys. I won’t be left behind like some old suitcase.” Amanda scolds them.

The group remains silent. Alessandra, Samara and even Victoria all cross their arms and scowl in unison.

“Well, I was going to stay behind and man the workstation in the MCV anyway.” Connor begins.

“Oh!” Samara’s disposition swiftly changes, a smile returning to her face as her arms fall to her sides.

“I guess it won’t hurt if you let her tag long.” He continues.

“I don’t know. I found her pretty easily when we were at the Ritz, and I didn’t see any guns in her room when I searched it.” Jack remarks.

“I already told you, had I known you were so competent, I’d have taken better precautions!” Amanda swiftly and angrily retorts, her head tilted back as she adjusts her glasses. “That was an error in judgement on my part, which won’t happen again, and this time, knowing all that we know, there’s no reason we shouldn’t be able to slip in and out without an issue.”

“Someone’s confident.” Donnie snickers.

“I’m just stating facts. Besides, I know how to handle a firearm!” She adds.

“We’ve been doing this for a while, Amanda, so take it from me when I tell you that no matter how much you think you know, no matter how prepared you are, things have a funny habit of getting twisted.” Donnie sternly warns.

“I actually work rather well under pressure, and besides, I said I know how to handle a firearm.” She insists.

“I hope so... You may very well have to kill, because if we get caught...”

“Are we doing this or what?!” Amanda snaps, growing increasingly frustrated.

Riding in the stolen Bronco, they’re jostled about as the 4x4 creeps over an old and forgotten trail. Unable to follow closely, Connor sits at the workstation in their Mobile Command Vehicle, which is hidden near an old, stone bridge. Samara keeps her small SCCY CPX-2 holstered, while carrying the Vz. 61 Skorpion. She sits on the edge of the bench seat, her large, paw-like feet in the aisle as she turns her body and watches her mate. They wait for some time, a long-range radio set with signal encryption atop the small desk.

Eventually, the radio begins to crackle as a signal comes through. Connor lifts the handset and holds it to his ear. With a furled brow, he glances toward the device, but as he reaches for one of the knobs, preparing to make adjustments, he’s startled by a loud voice.

“Alright. We’re in.” Jack whispers at nearly one hundred decibels.

“Copy. MCV up and running. When I’m in and see the route, I’ll give the signal.” Connor replies.

“Copy that.”

Setting the radio aside, Jack turns in the driver’s seat of the Bronco, looking back at the others. Alessandra, who sits beside him, follows his lead.

“Alright... So, one more time, what’s the plan? I want us to be perfectly clear on what we’re doing.” He begins.

“The outer fencing is tall chain-link with razor wire. We cut it and make our way to the culvert, which will let us get under the concrete wall. When Connor taps into their radio frequency, he’ll let us know when it’s safe to move, just after the patrol passes by. That’s when we move. We’ll have about twenty minutes before they pass by that spot again.” Donnie begins, explaining the plan for the fifth time.

“Sounds good. See you in a bit... I hope.” Jack smirks.

“Ready?” Donnie turns to Victoria, who sits between him and Amanda.

“Mhm!”

“Hey, Donnie!” Jack reaches out, tapping him on the forearm.

“Yeah?”

“There’s something I gotta say, man... You know, we’ve been doing this for a long time and we’ve taken a lot of risks to come this far, but... Well... If you don’t come back... Can I have your DVD player?”

“...”

Climbing out of the car, they make their way down the trail. Jack very slowly and carefully begins turning the Bronco around, making a fifteen-point turn in the dense, claustrophobia inducing forest. Meanwhile, Donnie, Victoria and Amanda make their way into a thin clearing. The trees have been leveled and the grass remains cut so that they don’t interfere with the outer fencing.

“I wonder why they don’t put cameras all along this part.” Donnie thinks aloud as he cuts the chain-links with bolt cutters.

“Overconfidence is a common failing. As far as they’re concerned, no one on Earth is aware of this place.” Amanda remarks.

After carefully slipping through the hole in the fencing, which needed to be widened for Victoria’s sake, they head through another field consisting of nearly fifty meters of grass. Reaching the towering, twenty-foot-tall, buttressed concrete wall, they move slowly and carefully along it in a southwesterly direction. Finding a taller patch of vegetation, they’ve reached the next entry point. Cut into the wall and hidden by fetid water and cat tail plants, a four-foot diameter culvert serves as drainage, but it also leads directly beneath the wall.

“Oh... It’s full of water.” Amanda quietly murmurs.

“It’s a culvert... Of course it’s full of water.” Donnie whispers to her.

“Mmrrmm!” Victoria whines.

“You, too?!” He quietly growls.

Looking to him, Victoria whimpers and tilts her head down, glancing at her nice, clean clothes. She grabs the edges of her cardigan and eyes her skirt, only to let out a frustrated whimper while stomping a hoof.

“It’s alright, sweetheart. We can always wash them, and if they get ruined, we’ll just buy you more clothes.”

“Mmrrmm!” She continues to whine.

Suddenly, Donnie’s radio makes a series of soft beeps. One-two---three---four-five.

“Come on. That’s the signal. It’s now or never.” He says, turning the volume down to almost zero.

Slipping into the culvert, Donnie tries not to splash any water. He wades through the waist deep pond, peeking into the dark tunnel and seeing light on the other side. Amanda kneels beside the water, holding onto her glasses as she also peeks inside.

“Oh, good. It’s not super deep, but there’s a grate, so when we get to the other side, you might need to-”

Glancing back as he speaks, Donnie stops mid-sentence, his eyes growing wide. Upon seeing the look on his face, Amanda follows his gaze, only to share his expression as she witnesses Victoria standing in nothing but her fur. The towering mare AdvAnimal sets her folded tops aside. With an innocent smile on her face, she shakes the wrinkles out of her skirt, her massive breasts jiggling, only to fold it as well and set it next to her tops and ruby red panties. With her hands on her hips, she looks to the others, only to furl her brow and cock her head to one side, visibly perplexed by their shock.

“Yeah... Sometimes they do that...” Donnie whispers, glancing at Amanda.

“Yes, I’m aware of AdvAnimals and their, uhm... Sense of modesty.” She whispers back.

“I’m sure Alessandra made sure to give you an eyeful or two.” He smirks.

“Something like that...”

With a wave of his hand, Donnie motions for his mate to follow them. Taking off her shoes and holding them in her hand, high above the water, Amanda follows Donnie. Victoria, who must squat down quite low to fit into the culvert, swiftly wades past her, nearly shoving her into the concave wall of corrugated steel. Amanda clings to her glasses with one hand as she steadies herself with the other, nearly dropping her shoes into the water. The mare is quite territorial, indeed! The AdvAnimal stays directly behind her mate, who stops to examine the grate at the end of the tunnel.

It’s made of conventional steel and looks about as thick as a sewer drain or manhole cover. He can only guess at its weight, but as it’s nearly as big around as the culvert itself, the grate must be immensely heavy. It simply slides into place, much like any other manhole cover or sewer drain, but it’s locked into place on two sides with thick loops and padlocks. Digging into a pouch on his belt, Donnie produces a pair of small plastic baggies filled with grayish powder, which he promptly stuffs into the loop of the locks. Taking out a powerful butane lighter, he pauses and glances back.

“Be ready. This is going to be a little bright.”

Victoria looks quite nervous but nods her head and prepares to cover her eyes. Igniting the lighter, its concentrated flame is nearly three-inches-long and hisses like a large snake. He touches the flame to the edge of a baggie, promptly igniting the powder. The recipe, a modified form of thermite, showers sparks, and hisses loudly as the compound literally melts through the padlock. Victoria jumps, bumping into Amanda with her buttocks and once again knocking her into the wall. After burning through the second padlock, Donnie returns his lighter to his belt pouch and attempts to push on the grate.

“Nnnnnnngghh-holy shit! That’s freakin’ heavy!” He cannot help but exclaim.

With a rather cocky smile, Victoria cracks her knuckles before stepping closer. She trades places with her lover, whom she pets on the head, as if to commend his adorable attempt to show off his inferior strength. Spacing out her hooves, she braces herself against the grate. Wincing and grunting, Victoria shoves hard and pushes the grate aside. From the tone of the metal as it grinds along the concrete, it must weigh several hundred pounds, and perhaps even more. She’s so strong! With the grate moved from its place, she rolls it like a cover stone, granting them access.

Brushing the dust off of her hands as she turns back, she’s startled by Donnie as he abruptly places a hand on her cheek and kisses her. Her sapphire eyes grow wide and then soften as he shows his love for her. Amanda cannot help but cringe a little as the human all but makes-out with the horse girl.

“Mmmm...” She coos, saliva bridging the gap between their lips.

“Thanks, sweetheart. What would I do without you?”

“Mmm!” She coos, smiling so innocently and nuzzling his face with her broad muzzle.

“Can you do something for me, sweetheart?”

“Mhm!”

“I really, really need you to wait here...”

“Huh?!”

The mare AdvAnimal’s face sinks, her eyes so melancholy at such a simple request.

“Mmrrmm!” She whimpers, grabbing tightly to his shoulder.

“I know, but we might need to make a quick escape. You know I love you more than life itself, which is why I want you to wait here.” Donnie begins, speaking with a very soft and sweet voice as he lovingly caresses her face.

“Hmm?!”

“I don’t ever want to lose you, sweetheart, but we both know how clumsy you can be. I don’t want you tripping or anything, because then we’d both get caught; you know I’d never leave you behind. And you don’t have to worry about Amanda, okay? She’s nowhere near the woman you are.”

Amanda cannot help but scowl, crossing her arms and turning her head away at the slight. It wouldn’t bother her, except for the fact that he sounds so sincere!

“Aww!” Vicky coos, smiling warmly.

“I promise we’ll stay within hearing distance, and we’ll be quick, okay? Just hang out by the mouth of the culvert and wait for us, and if we come running, get ready to roll that grate closed. Can I count on you, Vicky? Will you do this for me?” He asks so sweetly, a hand resting upon her shoulder and giving her a squeeze.

“Mhm!” She nods her head with considerable force, grinning from cheek to cheek.

“That’s why you’re my one and only, sweetheart.”

“Mmm!”

“... Can we go now?” Amanda asks in a loud whisper.

After crawling out of the tunnel and squeezing the mucky water out of much of their clothes, Donnie and Amanda glance back at the nude Victoria. She pantomimes, tapping a finger to the face of an imaginary wristwatch.

“I promise.” Donnie replies, holding up a hand.

Amanda points out the direction toward the nearest neighborhood and the pair start walking, while Victoria slithers into the reeds and cat tails that cover the mouth of the culvert. Though it’s quite a distance away, Donnie knows that Victoria’s hearing is superb. So long as they stay within a half-mile of their secret entrance, she should be able to hear any shouting. Within a few hundred meters, they push their way through the towering grass. It’s thick and sharp, as though Sovereign Six had left it to serve as a natural barrier.

Soon, they come upon a clearing and beyond that clearing are beautifully paved streets and a subdivision of what appear from a distance to be upper-middle class homes. The lawns are maintained and the paint looks new. In many ways, it seems like the ideal place to live. In the distance, they can see several figures walking about. Though it’s hard to be certain, they appear to be humans with pale or olive skin tones. Reaching into a different pouch, Donnie pulls out powerful binoculars.

“What do you see?” Amanda asks in a hushed voice.

“I see a couple of-”

“FOUND YOU!!!”

Donnie is so startled by the sudden, shrill voice, that he drops the binoculars. Amanda shrieks and falls into the grass, which is so dense that it holds up her elegant frame with relative ease.

“Hey, you aren’t Bihwy!”

They turn back and stare in shock and horror. Donnie’s eyes bulge while Amanda covers her gaping maw. Standing beside them, a little boy pokes his head out of the tall grass, which he’d been playing in. With the features of a red fox, the young AdvAnimal boy looks about seven or eight years old. He wears no shoes or shirt, clothed only in a pair of khaki shorts.

“Have you seen my fwiends, Bihwy and Webecca? We was pwaying hide and go seek, but I can’t find ‘em!” The boy speaks with a youthful lisp.

“Oh. My. God... YOU’RE SO CUUUUTE!!!” Amanda squeals, popping up from her grassy chair.

“I can nevah find ‘em.” The little boy complains.

“Holy shit...” Donnie chokes out.

“Oooh! You said a sweah!” The fox boy gasps.

Donnie is frozen in horror. Is this boy a second gen, one of the naturally born AdvAnimals? Though they had access to Dr. Jose Chavez’s files, when he copied a hard drive for Donnie to leak to the public, it never mentioned anything about second generation AdvAnimals being capable of speech.

“My mommy says it’s not polite to sweah.” The fox boy adds, nibbling on his claws somewhat nervously.

“He didn’t mean anything by it. We just weren’t expecting you... God, you’re like a talking plushie!” Amanda gushes, her hands pressing against her cheeks as her eyes glitter with delight.

“Pwushie?”

Cocking his head and furling his brow, one of his oversized ears flops over, nearly covering an eye. He clearly hasn’t grown into all of his features, yet.

“Aww! Can I touch your ears?!?!”

“Why?” He asks, cocking his head the other way.

“No reason! ... Ooohhh.” She coos, reaching out a hand and stroking his floppy ear. “You have really soft fur!”

“Yeah. Mommy says I have weawy fwuffy fuh! She wuvs pwaying wiff me!”

“I bet!” Amanda grins, stroking the little boy’s cheek.

Unable to resist the urge, she reaches down and tickles his chest, eliciting a giggle from the boy.

“H-how old are you?” Donnie finally asks.

“I’m fwee!” He says, holding up three clawed fingers. “But I can alweady count to a hundwed!”

“Three?! You look at least five or six!”

“Mommy says I gwoh fast. We all gwoh fast.”

“There’s more of you?!” Donnie exclaims.

“Of couwse! You know that! You wiv here! But... I nevah seen you befuh...” The fox boy remarks.

Stroking his little, furry chin, he turns his big, amber eyes between the strangers. His black, canine nose twitches and he suddenly looks very suspicious of them.

“Of course not, because... We’re Agents!” Amanda proclaims.

“We are? Oof!” Donnie winces as Amanda promptly kicks his shin. “That’s right. We are.” He says to the little fox boy.

“Weawy?! But Agents ah’ scahwy!”

“We’re special Agents. We’re not supposed to be scary. We make sure no one gets inside by dressing normal and walking the perimeter.”

“The pewimeteh?” He cocks his head.

“Yeah. We walk just inside of the walls and look for strangers!” She says, kneeling down and tickling the boy’s furry chest again. “But now that you know, we need you to keep the secret. If you promise, you can be an honorary Agent!”

“OOH! WEAWY?!” The boy’s eyes grow wide.

“Really!”

“Okay! I pwomise!” The little boy chirps, holding up a hand.

“What’s your name?”

“I’m Stephen!” The boy chirps.

“Then I hereby swear you in as Agent Stephen.” Amanda smiles warmly and pets the boy’s head. “Do us proud, Agent.”

“Don’t I get a badge?”

“Agents don’t need no stinkin’ badges! Everyone knows who we are!”

“Hehehe! Dat’s wite!” He giggles.

“Now you go play, Agent Stephen. Go and find your friends, Billy and Rebecca.”

“Okay!”

Turning around, Stephen wades through the tall grass, his little arms high in the air and his head bobbing gently from side to side. He hardly makes a sound. Upon reaching the clean, asphalt street, he skips giddily on big, paw-like feet, heading for a nearby house. In his childish lisp, he calls out to his two friends. With a shaky hand, Donnie finally finds his binoculars.

“That was the cutest child I’ve ever seen.”

“I thought you hated AdvAnimals?” He speaks with a strange dissonance in his voice.

“Hmm?”

“The way you look at the girls, how you were looking at me and Vicky a little bit ago...”

“That’s different...” She begins, her smile fading. “They’re adults. Large, powerful, dangerous adults, with adult bodies, adult urges and adult spite. That little boy was like a plushie doll or a talking puppy dog. He even had a lisp!”

“He said he was three... He didn’t look three.”

“He’s so adorable and innocent!” She coos, clasping her hands together and glancing at the sky.

“We can’t take him home.” Donnie teases.

“I know that! Anyway, let’s keep going.” She pushes past him.

“The hell we are!” Donnie swiftly retorts.

“Huh?! But we’re right here!”

“I promised Vicky we wouldn’t go too far, and after that little fiasco, they’re going to start searching for us.” He begins, pointing in the direction of where the boy left.

“What makes you so sure?”

“Do you think a child his age can keep a secret?!”

“I’m not expecting him to.” Amanda confidently replies, her hands on her hips.

“Huh?”

“As young as he is, it’s highly likely that whatever he says will be considered the construct of a child’s imagination. Even if they do believe him, he’ll probably get some details wrong. I think we have some time.” She explains.

Before he even has time to react, Amanda shuffles through the tall grass and away from his reach. She ignores several subdued growls for her to come back, forcing Donnie to chase after her. After only two steps, the blades of grass weave around his boots. He struggles to free himself, and by the time he escapes the leafy prison, Amanda has already made it to the curb. He dashes after her as she crosses the street.

“Amanda! Amanda! Stop, damn it!” He snarls.

“Just a bit longer. We need to see if there’s a direct route to the hospital.”

“But we can see that on the satellite images... Amanda!”

Finally catching up to her, Donnie reaches out and grabs her wrist, stopping her in her tracks and finally commanding her attention.

“What the hell are you doing?” He asks in a low but angry growl, forcing her to spin around and face him. “This isn’t scouting. This is reckless. This is going to get us caught or worse.”

“We’ll be fine, now let go!” She snaps, trying to wrench her arm away from him.

“Hey! You seem to know a lot about this place, so you’ve got to know what they’ll do if they catch us. I’ll probably get a bullet or maybe be used as fodder for genetic experiments, and you... You’ll probably be forced to have some of those second gen AdvAnimals you seem to love so much...”

“But they’re here! I know they are!” She whimpers, looking between the many houses.

“Who?”

“... Never mind... It doesn’t matter...”

“Don’t you dare get me killed over some vendetta...” He sternly warns, squeezing her wrist until she winces with pain. “We’re getting the fuck out of here and doing the mission the way you said. Whatever this is? It can fucking wait... Now let’s get back to Vicky before-”

He stops mid-sentence, frozen by a startling sight. A giant, gunmetal gray sphere rolls along the street, a strange protrusion jutting out from the front. As it turns toward them, Donnie yanks Amanda, nearly pulling her to the ground as he swiftly walks toward the side of the nearest house, as if it were his own.

“What the fuck?!” She gasps.

“Don’t stare. Keep walking, right into the backyard.”

“But what if there’s people there?!” She quietly exclaims, a hint of panic in her voice.

“Cross that bridge when we come to it...” He mutters, resting a hand over his concealed pistol.

Their hearts race as though they’d run a mile as they gingerly push open the wooden gate leading into the back yard of the nearest house. The spherical tank, powered by angular treads, passes by without stopping. It emits a strange, electrical whirring sound, like an oversized dental drill. It makes Amanda’s skin crawl and sends a chill up Donnie’s spine. Pushing the gate closed, Donnie looks around the backyard, which contains a large, below-ground pool, a child’s sandbox and a host of small toys, including a red tricycle.

“Nuh-uh! That didn’t happen!” A little boy’s voice exclaims, exiting the house next door.

“It did so, Bihwy!” Stephen whines.

“If that’s true, then show us your new badge, Mr. Agent!” A little girl demands.

“Agents don’t need badges!” Stephen retorts.

“I knew it! You made it up!” Billy laughs.

“I did not! I’m not a wyer!”

As Stephen insists upon the encounter with the other children in the adjacent yard, Donnie slowly turns his head. His eyes are wide with rage, one eye twitching as he stares daggers at Amanda. Without even the faintest hint of concern, she merely shrugs her shoulders. Her brashness is quickly beginning to wear on his nerves.

“Whatever...” Billy finally dismisses Stephen. “Hey, what’cha’ guys wanna do now?!”

“I’m not a guy!” Rebecca retorts.

“You know what I mean!”

“Oh! Let’s go play in my sandbox!” She exclaims, clapping her hands together.

As the children make their way around, Donnie motions for Amanda to follow him. They creep around the house as the clopping of hooves grows louder. Unlike Victoria, who’s clopping is quite loud and weighty, these footfalls sound very small and subdued. The handle creaks and the boards shift as the children enter the backyard. Trying to make as little noise as possible, Donnie steps onto the central air unit and boosts Amanda over the wooden privacy fence and into the next backward. Just as the children make it to the corner of the house, he slips over the top of the fence and quietly lowers himself to the ground.

“I don’t wike dah sand. Can’t we go to yuh house and pway?” Stephen asks.

“No. Daddy told me to go play outside for a while.” Billy retorts.

“How come?!” Rebecca asks.

“They said they’re gonna call the stork, again! I’m gonna have another baby brother or sister soon!”

Donnie glances to Amanda and is thoroughly amused as her face flushes, her eyes wide at the obvious ruse the boy’s parents used to gain some privacy.

“Is that really where babies come from?!” The little girl sounds surprised.

“It must be. My daddy wouldn’t lie.”

“My daddy says I came from a egg!” Rebecca retorts.

“That’s silly! You can from the stork!” Billy insists.

“Storks are birds and birds lay eggs! ... Wait... Does this mean I’m adopted?!” She gasps.

Making their way toward the gate, Donnie and Amanda are surprised to see that this one is padlocked. Repeating their previous acrobatics, they stealthily climb over another wall. As they open the gate and look to the street, a Jeep Wrangler with the top missing drives by. It’s painted black, with a red pinstripe going down the side. The occupants, Agents in generic black suits and wearing mirrored sunglasses don’t seem to notice as Donnie hastily pulls his head back and slowly closes the gate.

He holds up a hand to Amanda and gives her a wave, silently instructing her to move around the corner of the house and wait. After all the trouble they’ve gone through as a result of her stubbornness, she feels obliged to obey. Sitting down on the patio, just beneath a window, she rests her back against the wall and contemplates the severity of her actions. What if they’re caught? Will the others carry out the mission without them or has she inadvertently ruined everything? Her source told her who shot her brother, Kenny, and with a pistol hidden in the waistband of her skirt, she was hoping for a chance to settle the score with the snow-white, female husky AdvAnimal.

“Mmmm-mmmm-nnff-AHH!”

Amanda turns her head at the faint sounds that pierce the closed window.

“Nnff-nnff-mmmffh-ahh!” A woman moans and groans.

“Oh-yeah! Rrrr-shit! Nngf-nngf-nngf! Damn, Gina! Nngf-nngf! Two kids and, nngf-mmff-you’re still so tight!” A man proclaims.

“Mmmm-ahh!”

Planting her feet firmly on the ground, Amanda slowly and carefully stands. Peeking over the windowsill and into the room at the corner of the house, her eyes grow wide. Inside a bedroom, their sides facing toward her, an older, African American man shares his bed with an equine AdvAnimal girl. The man, with a salt and pepper goatee and long, thin dreadlocks that’re pulled into a ponytail, kneels behind her and keeps his hands on the broad hips of the milk chocolate colored mare, thrusting his manhood into her.

Unlike Victoria, who is so incredibly large, this AdvAnimal is obviously smaller. She’s not nearly as tall, being shorter than her lover, but has a sturdy, perhaps even stocky frame. Still, she’s quite shapely, with a subtle hourglass figure and large, perky breasts. Overall, the AdvAnimal’s body isn’t much different from Amanda’s. Could she be a pony? With her blond hair braided into pigtails, which hang over her shoulders, Amanda witnesses all of her pleasured expressions as she’s taken by her lover. Her horse-like tail, pulled to the right, reveals everything to the stunned human woman, who watches from their left.

In and out, he drives his manhood into her taut, dark brown loins, to her obvious delight. Before they can notice her, Amanda ducks behind the window, a hand covering her gaping maw as she squats down. The squeaking bed and perpetual moans make her face flush, and she wonders what the hell is taking Donnie so long to come and get her.

“Ohh-yeah! That’s it! Take it, baby!” The man growls.

“AHH-AHH-NNFF-AHH!”

“Oh, fuck! This feels so much better, raw! Rrrr-yeah! Nngf-nngf! That’s right, Gina! Nngf-nngf-nngf! I’m gonna give you another baby!” He exclaims.

Just when Amanda is about to leave of her own accord, Donnie peeks around the corner. Without uttering a word, he motions for her to follow. They creep quietly toward the gate, open it very slowly and then slither through the crack before closing it behind them. With the coast clear, they make a mad dash for the field, racing across the street before the spherical vehicle returns.

“Whatever that ball thing was, it’s what’s on patrol. I saw the gun when it passed by a second time, and it looked like a 20mm autocannon or something. It must be a one-man light tank or something.” Donnie remarks, wading through the tall grass. “I hope you weren’t too bored, waiting for me to come and get you.”

“Nothing!”

“What?”

“I didn’t see anything!” She exclaims.

“That’s... Not what I asked.” He furls his brow in confusion.

“I mean, I didn’t see any Agents or anything.”

“Well, yeah... You were in the backyard... Anyway, we’re about out of here.”

“Good. This place freaks me out.” Amanda murmurs.

As they make their way across the open field, a familiar face peeks out from between the reeds. Victoria smiles from cheek to cheek and emerges, still naked, from her hiding place. Dashing up to the towering AdvAnimal, Donnie promptly embraces her. He gives her a squeeze, kissing her passionately on the lips, and then playfully smacks her firm and perky buttocks.

“Ooh!” She coos.

“Let’s go, sweetheart. I want to get back. I really need to shower, and you should probably join me.”

They creep back into the culvert and Victoria once again shows off her immense strength, rolling the grate back over the opening before yanking it backward and slamming it into place. The sheer weight of the grate and the rather tight fit keeps it from falling back out, and Donnie briefly wonders why they padlocked it in the first place. With their scouting now over, they scramble out of the culvert. Victoria collects her neatly folded clothes, clutching them tightly to her mountainous chest as she jogs at a comfortable pace beside Donnie and Amanda, who run at full speed.

Reaching the outer fence, they slither through the hole, which Donnie promptly patches with silver wire. Victoria uses the time to dress herself, slipping on her cardigan just as he finishes his work. Returning to the Bronco, Jack and Alessandra wait in the front seats, stretched out and snuggling with each other.

“Oh, hey! You’re not dead! We were wondering how long you were going to take... Why are you all muddy?”

“Later. Let’s just get the hell out of here.” Donnie replies.

As they leave in the Bronco, dealing with the harsh, jarring bumps, Amanda stares out of the window. She cannot help but feel guilty for the trouble she’s caused them. Turning her head, she looks to Donnie, hoping to apologize one more time, only to see him leaning on his right arm, looking past Victoria’s bosom and glaring at her. As Amanda’s face flushes, he slowly shakes his head. It’s obvious that he’s still upset with her. Hopefully, he’ll forgive and forget. If they want to reveal the truth about Sovereign Six, they’ll need to rescue Dr. Jose Chavez from the confines of Telivima’s hospital.

“So... Are we going for it?” Jack abruptly asks.

“... Yeah...” Donnie says. “We’d better get ready.”