Chapter 1: Just a Hint

The restaurant was right on the edge of the beach, a popular place. The warm waves lapped not five paces from the patio. Perfect white sand as far as the eye could see, the V-town coastline was beautiful.

A dozen people clustered nearby, watching. This was the trendiest spot around.

Flames licking at the roof let out billows of black smoke. Everyone stood around, watching, drinks in hand. Nothing more.

"Out of the way!" Will yelled, running up the road with the fire company, a dozen other officers in tow. "Move it! Get back!"

"Bloody morons," Davies muttered from beside him. "They'll all just stand there and watch while the place burns to the ground."

Will glanced over to his friend and rolled his eyes. The mountain lion could find something to complain about no matter what the call.

Another twenty paces and Will was in the crowd, pressing them aside. The dalmatian was well used to this part of the task.

"Move aside people, move aside, fire department coming through!"

With a grumble they slowly parted.

Behind him the rest of the force moved forward. A team of horses pulled a pumper trailer. It hadn't even come to a stop before the other fire fighters were hooking it up to the mains.

Will scanned the crowd for the owner, they were usually easy to find. Everyone else was standing around sipping their drinks, the owner was the one staring at the flames, realizing everything he owned was going up in smoke.

This time it was an otter.

Will stepped forward, grabbing the man by the shoulder.

"Is everyone out?"

It took the man a long moment to reply, as if his mind was far away.

"No... the kitchen..."

Will didn't wait for him to finish.

"Davies!"

That was all it took. A moment later the cat was off sprinting towards the flaming building, axe in hand. He scaled the one uncharred wall in seconds. Soon his bright yellow fire vest was lost amongst the smoke.

Will took a deep breath, trying to clear his mind.

Down in the pit of his stomach, he envied the otter. The man could stand there, a step from catatonic. Will had no such luxury, he had a job to do.

He only wished it was someone else's.

A moment later one of the first responders was by his side, pressing a situation report in his hand. The cheetah was panting, having taken account of the fire in scant seconds.

"Where's the water?" Will yelled, turning from the feline to the pumper crew.

The engineer, Oscar, rolled his eyes.

"Moving as fast as we can, Boss," he said. A moment later there was the familiar deep rumble of water flooding in from the local hydrant.

Oscar grabbed the hose from the side of the pumper trailer and began hauling it forward.

"Get the lead out, fellas!" the goat called.

Will stood, paralyzed for a moment as his crew swarmed around him. He'd been on the force for years, but this was the first time he'd ever been in command.

Where in all the gods' names was the station chief?

A scream came up from the structure and Will was pulled back to the present.

A string of curses came from the dog's lips, but no one heard them as he sprinted towards the fire.

"Chocks away!" Oscar called as the pumper let loose a stream of water, clearing a path for Will.

The dog took one look at where Davies had scaled the wall and immediately put that thought from his mind. The cat might be a good friend, but Will had never learned to climb as he had.

But Will did have a mass the smaller feline couldn't match.

Pausing just long enough to ensure he wasn't letting loose an inferno, Will struck the side door. The lock crumbled before him. He had to scramble for his mask as thick black smoke slammed him flat in the face.

Eyes stinging, Will pushed into the restaurant. He was only glad this was a one level building. At least he didn't need to worry about the floor giving way.

"Fancy seeing you here."

Will couldn't hold back a smile as Davies' thin silhouette hove from the smoke carrying a limp form under his arm.

"I couldn't let you have all the fun," Will replied, his voice muffled by the mask. "What do we got?"

The cat never slowed as they passed.

"Two more that I could see. Other than that we might be clear. Looks like an oven malfunction. Someone's meal is extra crispy tonight."

Will nodded as he continued deeper.

Davies may be the fast one, but it was Will who had to make sure the place was clear. By the look of it the structure was a complete write-off. They'd be lucky if they could keep the roof from caving in.

Two twists and turns and Will was in the kitchen. If anything the smoke was even worse here. He could hardly see more than two feet in front of him. If not for his protective gear he'd be passed out on the ground.

Taking a deep breath through his filter, Will began a slow, methodical search of the kitchen. He wasn't about to take the chance of missing anyone.

Will scowled.

Davies had been wrong. There were three.

Two cooks and a waitress.

One man under each arm and the woman haphazardly thrown over his shoulders, Will staggered forward.

The sound of the roof creaking urged him on.

"Just hold on," he whispered to himself.

Through the smoke he could see the wavering outline of the exit just paces away. All around dining tables were alight, their once extravagant meals now nothing but char.

A flaming timber fell to Will's left. The dog kept moving.

Taking as deep a breath as he dared, Will's filter began to give out. He could taste the smoke that swirled around him.

Only three more steps to the door. It wasn't safety, but it was close...

Two more steps...

There was an ominous creak behind him.

Rocketing through the door like a bullet from a gun, Will sprinted to safety, dragging the three limp bodies with him.

He made it out onto the street before collapsing.

In no more than a heartbeat the medical service was there, Firefighters and doctors both scrambling forward, hauling off the cook staff.

Will wrenched the mask from his face and took a deep breath of comparatively clean air.

"Nice one," Davies muttered from beside him.

Will hadn't seen the cat approach, but his best friend sat beside him on the street, pressing a thermos of cold water his way.

"You do realize," the cat said, looking out at the dozen firefighters still working, "That you're supposed to be commanding the team, right? It's kinda hard to do that when you're getting your tail roasted."

Will took a long pull of water, some of it sputtering back up as he spat out the aftertaste of smoke.

"I don't order my men to do anything I won't."

Davies raised an eyebrow.

"Frankly, I don't see you ordering men to do anything at all."

Will looked away, dropping the point.

Ten minutes later Oscar and his team had the flames under control. Or at least as best they could hope for. The building was a write-off.

Will swore. This was not going to look good.

"Is the scene clear?"

Will almost leapt out of his gear. Not two feet away stood a police dog. Where everyone else was rumpled and smoke stained from the fire, the german shepherd looked like he'd just stepped fresh from a laundromat.

"Yeah," Will said, his voice still strained from the smoke. "It's cold."

The officer nodded.

"We shall begin the investigation."

With that the cop walked off.

"Those badges always give me the creeps," Davies whispered from beside him. "Do you think they're even alive? The way the cops work you'd almost think they're robots."

Will shrugged. "I'd rather be a robot than deal with some of what we have to day-to-day..."

As if on cue, Will's ears perked.

"Man alive," he muttered. He knew those footsteps.

"Hamish! What in the gods' names happened here? I let you command a simple fire and what do you do?"

Will took a deep breath and turned, rising to stand at attention.

"Sir." His voice was tight as he addressed his superior.

Station Chief Irwin Masterson stood before him. The bull was a good two feet taller, towering over Will's canine form.

"How could you mess this up?" Masterson screamed. He didn't even bother to worry about the dozens of people who crowded about, listening in. "You had a full team and you lost the Wikinish Inn? I knew you were incompetent, but this is the mayor's favorite restaurant! How is it going to look when I tell him you let his favorite restaurant burn to the ground?"

Will cleared his throat. His voice was weak when he spoke, soft and hesitant.

"Sir... we did, uh, we did manage to save those within."

Masterson spat, a heavy drop of phlegm splattering on the sidewalk.

"You likely saved the very arsonists who set the place alight."

The dog's eyes narrowed.

"I don't believe that's our place to say, Sir."

Beside him, Will could hear a growl growing in Davies's.

Will set a hand on his friend's chest, pushing him gently back.

"Sir..." Will cleared his throat, unable to keep eye contact with his superior. "We did all we could. By the time we arrived the building was already ablaze."

Will gritted his teeth. He'd learned long ago to avoid using the proper technical terms when speaking with Masterson. The bull always felt he was being talked down to when Will and the crew used words he didn't understand.

"We did all we could," he continued. "We can only do so much. There were no permanent injuries. That's what matters."

The bull raised an eyebrow, looking over Will's shoulder at the rubble behind him.

"Wrong, mongrel. That's what matters to you. I've got more important things to worry about."

Turning on heel Masterson began walking away.

"Get this all cleared up," he ordered. "I want your team back at the station house immediately. We might get another call. It does us no good to have you out here tanning yourselves at the beach."

From somewhere in the direction of the pumper unit Will could hear a catcall at Masterson's retreating back. The dog couldn't help but smile.

"I wish I had his connections," Davies muttered as he collected his gear. "Then I could get set up as station chief without a clue what I'm doing."

The fire had been put out an hour ago, but Will still stood by the smoldering ruins. Someone had to stay behind to fill out the paperwork and answer the police dogs' questions.

And besides, it gave Will time to think.

Looking out over the waves, Will shifted about in his firefighting gear. He hadn't taken it off. It just didn't feel right to be on scene without it.

Not so far away he could hear the otter that owned the restaurant screaming. The man had started off calm enough, likely in shock. That was long worn off.

Will didn't bother to make out what the man said, mostly because he'd heard it all before.

People tended not to be in the greatest of moods when they saw their lives go up in flames.

Will sighed.

It wasn't his fault, but he still blamed himself.

"I believe we are done here, Sir."

Will jumped as a police officer stepped up behind him.

"Huh? Oh, sure." Reaching up, he signed off on the paperwork after giving it a quick once over. Everything seemed simple enough. Just an accident in the kitchen, no sign of foul play.

"Aren't you folks a little fast today?" Will asked. "I thought investigations like this were supposed to take days at least."

The german shepherd looked away uncomfortably.

"There are new rules in place," the officer said. "City Hall has decided upon a new protocol to handle fires such as this. It's a more... streamlined process."

Will cocked his head, but didn't say a word.

Taking what remained of his equipment, he began the long walk back to the fire house. A quick glance over his shoulder and he waved at the police dog, but the other man was long gone.

The fire station was one of the few buildings remaining from before the Cataclysm. Three stories, built of red brick, it had once housed two fire engines.

Those gas burning contraptions had long ago been replaced with proper pulled wagons, but the structure's purpose had remained the same.

Taking the side entrance, Will crept in.

He felt foolish, spineless, for sneaking into his own fire station as he did, but anything was worth avoiding Masterson.

It was late in the evening, but the station was still busy. Will got all of five paces before a head poked up over the nearby wagon.

"Hey, what kept you?" A moment later Oscar was scrambling over the metal hood of his pumper, hooves scraping the cherry red paint.

Will grimaced, but even then a smile couldn't help but sneak through.

"Three guesses."

Oscar perched on the side of the wagon, feet dangling over as he played with his white beard.

"Heh. I'm going to guess... Big, fat, and ugly?"

Will sighed.

"It's not right to talk about a superior officer that way."

Oscar coughed out a word Will made a choice to miss.

"Higher ranking," the goat said, "Not superior."

Will stifled a grin and walked over to his locker, stowing his gear.

It wasn't until the dog had peeled away his sweat soaked gear that he realized how rancid he'd become under it. Not only had he scraped by in the heat of the fire, but he likely sweat just as much waiting for the police to finish their investigation.

The gear was good at keeping the heat of a fire out, but it was just as good at keeping the warmth of a body in.

Will lowered his head to sniff under an arm.

"Murph."

His tongue lolled out to try and get the scent from his nose. He smelled somewhere between two week old cabbage and that unidentifiable box of takeout at the back of the fridge.

Next stop, the showers.

As with any good fire station, they had proper facilities for the men and women who worked there. They, thankfully, included a renovated set of showers.

The old set the humans had put in long ago were of little use in an age where skin was less common than fur and scales.

Leaving his uniform behind, Will grabbed a thick, fluffy white nearby towel and began the walk to the men's showers, nothing but fur out.

He got a few cat calls as he walked, towel over his shoulder. A smile crept to his lips - none of those hassling him were in fact cats.

"You only wish you could look this good!" he called over his shoulder as he pulled open the door to the Men's.

Hanging the towel on the wall, Will had to feel his way forward, the heavy steam making anything past the tip of his black nose nothing more than indistinct shapes.

A half dozen steps and he found himself in one of the double wide, reinforced stalls. Each shower was enough to fit a draft horse twice most people's size, they were just right for Will.

A quick jab at the tap and a steady stream of warm water hit him hard in the face.

He had to hold back the instinct to shake. Will had always had a place in his heart for water, the dalmatian had yet to meet a dog that didn't.

Closing his eyes, he raised his face to the stream, letting it wash over him, loosening his weary muscles and running down his pelt. The warmth slowly began to work its way through him, carrying away all the stress of the day.

"Boo!"

If Davies had been expecting to get a startle out of the dog, he was disappointed.

"Hey, buddy," Will said, never so much as opening an eye. "Long time no see."

The dalmatian heard a grumbling behind him as the cougar stepped into the stall.

"What in the gods' names were you doing back there? The Chief didn't stick you with cop detail again, did he?"

"It's an important job," Will shot back. "And besides, someone has to do it."

Turning, Will just caught Davies rolling his eyes.

"Do you know what that moron had us doing when we got back?" the cat asked. "He had us shining our uniforms. You know, the things we use to keep ourselves freaking safe, he had us shining them."

Will cocked his head.

"So?"

Davies let out a strangled growl.

"You don't shine protective leather!"

Will laughed. "Let me guess. He has us lined up for another photo op?"

The cat's growl deepened. "Ya think?"

Turning from him, Will filled one hand with soap and began washing himself down, doing his best to rinse the smell of smoke from his pelt.

"Whatever you say man... hey!" Davies's initial attempt had failed, but when the cat set his hands on Will's back the dalmatian nearly jumped a foot in the air. "Personal space, man!"

The cougar just chuckled.

"Relax," Davies said, working his fingers into Will's pelt. "You deserve a massage after today."

Brushing the soap out of his face, Will eyed him warily.

Davies just grinned, showing a shade too much fang.

"How long have you known me, Will?" The cougar laughed. "I tried that trick back in high school. All it got me was a sore nose."

Will grinned. "Well you deserved it. You knew I was going out with what's-her-name back then."

The cougar grunted. "Yeah, she was a real..."

"Don't say it," Will growled.

Davies rolled his eyes.

Not long after, Will was as clean as he was ever going to get. Any more scrubbing and the spots would just likely as not wash from his pelt.

Dressed in firehouse fatigues, he sat in the small cubical that he generously termed an office. It wasn't much, but it was what the acting assistant station chief got around here.

Piled before him was what seemed to be half his body weight in paperwork. Much of it should have been completed by Masterson, but it never was.

Will sighed and began working through it. Validations of insurance claims, health and safety checklists, team efficiency reports - the endless stream of what had to be filled out in the aftermath of a blaze.

"Uh... Sir?"

Will turned to see a young horse standing behind him, straight and tight at attention.

The kid had joined the force not a month ago. Despite his best efforts, Will couldn't think of his name.

"What can I do for you, son?"

The horse was so nervous Will could see him shake. "Sir... could I get you to help me? I... I need help putting away my gear."

Will smiled. "Sure, son. That's what us old hands are here for, eh?"

Following him back down to the main floor, Will sighed. The horse's gear was spread out on the floor as if his locker had just exploded.

"Didn't they teach you this back at the academy?" he asked.

The horse blushed.

"No... no, Sir. I was in the expedited program. My training was only three weeks."

Will blinked.

"Seriously? And they're sending you out to fires now?"

The horse nodded.

Will sighed.

"Come on, son, let's get you figured out."

The paperwork could wait. There were more important things to do.

The young horse watched wide eyed as Will took each part of his uniform and carefully put it away, softly explaining all the while the purpose and value of each piece.

A lightweight bright yellow jacket that had survived from before the Cataclysm, there were few of them left and they were worth more than their weight in gold.

Along with it went the horse's gloves, custom made fire hat, and his harness.

The harness got special attention. That was the kid's whole job.

Pulling the pumper trailers was something that precious few people could do. Despite their name, they were more than just pumps for Oscar and his men to hook up to. The pumper trailers were the entire mobile presence of the V-town fire department.

Everything from signaling flags to medical equipment and fire axes were stored in the trailers. It took a special breed of horse to get over a ton of equipment moving. And someone even more special to haul it across town in less time than it takes for a building to burn to the ground.

When they'd started the horse had been skittish and flighty. Will could just imagine why. The dog would bet his last dollar that Masterson had been down here and given the poor kid the chewing out of his life over some trivial thing.

But the longer Will spoke, the calmer the horse became. Will's soft, reassuring voice was enough to all but lull the horse to sleep.

Will smiled. By the time they were done properly repacking the locker the kid had as likely as not forgotten what had set him off to begin with.

Returning to his so called office, Will once again set about finishing his paperwork.

He frowned. There shouldn't be this much.

Had there really been this many fires the past week? He, like all the other men and women, had been worked off his feet, unable to keep track.

He shuffled back and forth through the papers. There had been at least one fire every day.

What in the frigging gods' names?

That wasn't right.

There shouldn't be even half that many calls in a week.

Looking through them again Will noticed almost all of the fires had been in commercial buildings. A human restaurant, a hostel, a clothing store, then today's restaurant.

The only one not human owned was today's fire.

Will cocked his head.

Well, it wasn't his problem. That was for the police department to deal with. He just put the fires out. That was his job.

Though he did make a note at the bottom of the official paperwork, pointing out the unusually large number of calls.

It wasn't until ten o'clock that night that Will finally left the firehouse. He waved a goodbye to the night-shift as he stepped out onto the street.

The ocean breeze was cool around him, but the scents of the city kept him from relaxing.

Even at this time of night the byway was busy, dozens of people of all species jockeyed for position. Will was shoved and jostled as he made his way home.

Within sight of his second floor walkup, he made a turn into the food district. The stalls here offered everything from a grass burger to fresh liver.

Will walked to the Club-Caf stall. Just as he stepped up a young brown furred wolf walked away, his arms full of cartons.

A quick glance at the menu, Will didn't even have to think.

"Give me a number three," he said.

The cat across the counter from him grimaced, clear he'd eat anything but.

"One eat your heart out special," he called into the back.

A moment later a small brown bag was tossed forward. Still warm, the paper was already starting to go translucent from the grease.

Ten minutes later Will slipped his key into the door. It opened with not even a squeak.

The room inside was dark and empty. He flicked on a light.

The only sound was the hum of the bulb.

Tossing his meal down onto a sofa, Will stripped from his firehouse sweatshirt and pants, hanging them up carefully. He let out a sigh.

A quick peek in the mail slot, there was nothing other than the day's paper.

Sitting back on the sofa, he dug into his burger as he began to read.

News? No, that was too depressing.

Fashion? Too superficial.

Sports? No, not today.

That left nothing more than the classifieds.

Biting down, he scanned the page.

A flat to let... someone selling the Lion's Gate Bridge (again)... Storm Front hiring...

A small ad at the bottom caught his eye.

'Looking for someone to spend time with.'

Will cocked his head as he read.

'Canine, female, mid-thirties, looking for a willing partner. Must be open to new things, adventurous.'

Will grinned.

A PO box number was listed below.

Pulling out a piece of paper, the dog gnawed on the end of his pencil, at a loss for what to write. He looked back to the paper. The ad was a xenocopy of a handwritten original. The script was smooth and elegantly written, but the strokes were strong. She'd known every word she'd wanted. There had been no hesitation.

He looked down to his own blank page.

'Canine, male,' he wrote, 'Late thirties. Strong and willing.' He paused for a long moment before adding 'Looking for a strong woman to teach him.'

His hand hovered over the final words. For a long moment he felt the urge to grab the sheet and crumple it into a ball, toss it away.

Everything he'd learned. Everything they'd taught him in the V-town public schools... everything he'd seen in successful men like Masterson told him it was weakness to even suggest to submit to another.

Will smiled.

Taking the letter, he hunted about the apartment until he found an envelope. The glue tasted sweet on his sensitive tongue as he sealed it away.

Only then did he look at the address on the ad.

His heart fell. Whatever flight of fancy may have gotten him this far crashed and burned.

The address was in the exclusive Point Grey part of the city. There was no way a real woman living there would ever need to take out an ad in the paper to find attention. Someone with that level of cash must have men throwing themselves at her.

He squared his shoulders.

He'd send it anyway.

Chapter 2: Ad in the Paper

The light slanted through the half closed blinds to fall upon Will's face. He hadn't even bothered to drag himself off the couch last night. Why go to bed? There was no one there waiting for him anyway.

Moving slowly, he sat up and yawned. As a dog his teeth may not be as impressive as some of the species roaming the streets of V-town, but they still glinted in the morning sun.

Will glanced at the nearby clock. It was eight in the morning. He still had time to get ready before his next shift.

He muttered a few soft curses about bosses who schedule people until the middle of the night then expect them to be at work the next morning, but began moving anyway.

Throwing the clothing he'd slept in across the room to land in the overflowing hamper, Will scratched and stretched, trying to limber up his muscles. The close escape yesterday had taken more out of him than he'd realized.

Nude save his pelt, Will walked over to the refrigerator. A gust of cold air welcomed him as he opened the door. He smiled. With the hot, groggy V-town summer any moment of cool was appreciated.

His smile didn't last long. The fridge held little more than some ice packs and week old takeout. Pushed way in the back was what some vendors around here charitably referred to as 'cola'. Will turned up his nose at it.

He'd acquired a taste for Pepsi long ago. The drink had been easy to find when he'd been young, but it was all but impossible to track down a can now. What the local entrepreneurs made in its place only classified as muddy brown, fizzy water.

Taking a deep breath, Will grabbed one of the cans and closed the fridge. It was better than nothing.

Choking down the sugar water, Will began to prepare for the day. A few quick reps on his weight set and a review of the day's paper.

It was in the middle of his morning workout that Will looked down. His belly poked out further than he liked.

Reaching down, he was able to grab it in both hands. The black spots on his white pelt jumped and jiggled as he shook it.

He sighed.

"Too much takeout," he muttered. "That's got to be it..."

He returned to lifting his weights, but never stopped thinking about his gut.

He didn't, however, spare a thought for the muscles he'd built up under the fat.

Dressed once again in a clean pair of firehouse sweats - they were practically the only thing in his closet - Will stepped out into the morning air.

If he squinted hard enough he could almost fool himself into seeing the white capped surf of the Pacific in the distance.

He held the letter from last night in one hand. His fingers shook ever so slightly. Back in the dark it had seemed so obvious, so simple to reply to the ad. Now, with the morning sun above, Will felt silly. Who was he to respond to an ad like this? He'd never done anything like this in his life. And even if she did read his letter, no one living in that part of town would ever have the slightest interest in him.

Will gritted his teeth as he slid the paper of the envelope back and forth between his fingers.

"This is stupid."

Turning, he leaned back into his apartment, ready to throw the letter into the trash.

"Boo!"

This time Davies got the reaction he was looking for.

"Gah!"

Falling face first onto the floor, Will landed with a thud. Even then he could hear the cougar laughing behind him.

"Dude! You should have seen your face! That was priceless!"

Will let out a groan and rolled over, giving Davies a glare.

"Do you have to do that every time?"

The cat smiled and reached down to offer Will a hand.

"Hey, this time it was worth it." He spied the letter laying on the floor next to the dog. "What's this?"

Before Will could even get a word out Davies had grabbed the envelope.

"Ohh!" A sly smile slipped to the feline's lips. "What's this? A love letter to your invisible girlfriend?" One of his claws was poised to slice it open.

"Don't. You. Dare," Will growled out, hackles rising.

The cat just smiled and handed the letter back. "Aw, man. Come on, you know I wouldn't. But what is it?"

Will blushed, it was easy to make out under his short, white pelt.

"A... ahh, I'm answering a personal ad in the paper."

Davies raised an eyebrow, a grin slipping back to his lips. "Oh? I don't recall any..." He burst out laughing, almost doubling over. "You didn't! Dude! You answered the ad for a blind date?"

Will's blush spread, almost halfway down his chest by the time he began walking.

"None of your friggin business, tail-chaser."

Davies was beside him a moment later, the two of them walking in comfortable lockstep.

"It's your call, dude." He grinned. "Not everyone can have my animal magnetism."

Will snorted. "The only thing you attract is strays."

Will got a bodycheck for that.

There was, unsurprisingly, a lineup at the post office. Will vaguely recalled a that a human used to run the place, but he was nowhere to be seen. The oni that manned the desk now was overworked, overtired, and seriously stressed.

It took half an hour for Will and Davies to make it to the head of the line.

"What?" the oni asked, never looking up from his paperwork.

Will sighed, feeling a flicker of kinship for the overworked man.

"Just posting a letter," he said. "I don't have any stamps."

Reaching out a hand, the oni took it, his other hand still scribbling at some form or another.

He muttered out a cost.

Will blinked.

"What? That's double what I paid last time!"

The oni finally bothered to look up. There was no anger in the man's eyes, only a deep, aching weariness.

"City Hall raised it. It wasn't our call."

Will grunted and reached into his wallet. His job may not pay all that well, but it was more than enough to cover posting a letter.

The oni sighed. "We'll get it out as soon as we can. No promises though."

Out on the street again, Will was glad he'd gotten to the post office as early as he had. The line now ran out onto the street.

"What in the gods' names is going on these days?" Davies muttered. "It's like the whole blasted city is falling apart."

Will thought back to some of the papers he'd gotten from City Hall over the last few months.

"You'd almost think..." Sighing, Will tried to change the subject. "So what did you do last night?"

Davies grinned and Will instantly regretted asking.

"Well, if you really must know," he said with a chuckle, "I found a wonderful new club out by the docks. The music is loud, the drinks cheap, and the lighting bad." The cougar's tail swished. "I never did get his name..."

"Stop!" Will said, rolling his eyes. "Stop right there. That's all I need to know. You bloody felines. Keep your dick in your pants."

Davies' grin softened, becoming less predatory. "Not my problem, dude. It's you canines that can't seem to deal with having more than one partner."

A half hour later they were back at fire station six. Despite the day before him, Will felt a rush of joy at being back.

They were just walking up the street when they heard the alarm sound. A heartbeat later the doors flew open and a crew took off down the road.

Will sniffed the air. He couldn't smell any smoke. The fire must be a ways off.

Stepping through the large front doors, he took a look around.

The dog smiled.

Say what you will about Masterson, at least the night staff, didn't have to deal with him. There were men about the station here and there, checking equipment and restocking supplies.

A couple of horses were even holed up in the back of the room with a map of V-town playing the 'shortest route' game.

Will was home.

He nodded at Davies who headed off his own way.

A few moments later Will was in his office.

A string of off-color words escaped his lips. The small mountain of paperwork that had been here when he'd left had swollen into something approximating the Matterhorn.

The dog didn't even recognize half the forms for gods' sake!

Sitting down with a resigned sigh, he began working his way through them.

Ye gods, most of these forms weren't even his! Masterson was supposed to be filling them out. Will was about to take them back to the people who'd dropped them on his desk before stopping. The reason they were here rather than where they should be was because everyone knew Will would do them.

The dog sighed.

It was hours later, almost noon, before Masterson arrived.

The bull was finely manicured, looking like he'd just walked off a runway. His black suit and polished hooves were immaculate.

He'd be a perfect picture if he hadn't been staggering back and forth, fighting off a hangover.

Will sighed as he bowed his head slightly to the bull.

"Good morning, Sir."

Masterson glared at him.

"Get back to work, mutt."

Will narrowed his eyes but didn't say a word.

It was the middle of the afternoon before the door to the station chief's office opened again.

"Hamish! Get your spotted tail in here!"

For just a moment Will was torn between a whine and a growl. In the end he just sighed.

Five paces to the chief's office, Will poked his head through the door frame.

"Yeah, Boss?"

Masterson was sitting behind his spotless desk. Fuming.

"What in the gods' names do you think you're trying to pull here?" he screamed, yelling hard enough that flecks of saliva flew from his lips.

Will blinked.

"What?"

"This!" Masterson pulled out a sheet of paper, slamming it down on the desk. "The investigation last night! What in the gods' names is this?"

Will walked up to the desk and looked down. It was a xenocopy of the paper he'd sighed off with the police dog. It confirmed the police department's assessment that the fire had appeared to be accidental.

Will shrugged.

"I just confirmed what I saw."

"I told you it was arson! Can't you get a single thing right?"

Will took a step back, meeting the bull's eyes.

"You weren't in the building, Sir. You left immediately after the flames were put out. You didn't work with the police service. I don't think you are in a position to determine the cause of the fire."

Masterson narrowed his eyes. "I don't need to know what's on the report. The mayor says they're having difficulty with human terrorists. Who else would burn down his favorite restaurant?"

Will's chin just about hit the floor.

"You can't be serious! There's no evidence that it was anything but a faulty oven! Even the city's own police force came to the conclusion! You can't claim it's terrorists just because the mayor thinks it is."

Masterson leaned back in his chair, crossing his arms behind his head.

"Son," the bull's tone was condescending, "You've got a lot to learn." He closed his eyes. "Just because you didn't see any evidence of arson doesn't mean it's not there. Anyone even halfway clever would make sure it was destroyed in the fire. You've met these humans. They're not like us. They... they think. They scheme. You know the humans brought on the Cataclysm in the first place. If anyone could hide the evidence of arson it would be one of them." The bull sneered. "Have you even looked at a jail these last few years? Or a list of people sent to the renderers? They're almost all human. You can't tell me they're anything but troublemakers."

Will edged back half a step, averting his eyes. He decided this was not the best time to mention that his mother had been human.

"Whatever you say, Sir..."

"Then it's agreed," the bull said with a smile. "It was arson. Pity the paperwork has already been sent in. Any chance we can get it back?"

"Uh... no, Sir," the dog stammered out. "It was signed off by both me and the officer on scene. They've changed their procedures."

Masterson scowled, looking like a child whose favorite toy had been taken away.

"Blast. Fine then." He raised a finger to wag at Will. "But you're not to hand in another cause report until I read it first. Understand?"

Will swallowed.

"Uh... Yes, Sir. But that means you'll have to stay--"

He never got the chance to finish.

"Very good. I knew I could make a proper officer out of you eventually, Hamish." The bull smiled. "Stick with me and you might amount to something." He snorted out a laugh. "Now get out of my office."

Back at his desk, Will fought to still his shaking hands.

I should have stood up to him, he repeated over and over to himself.

Will sighed.

The day he stood up to Masterson would be the same day V-town plunged into the Pacific.

He jumped as a cup was set on his desk.

"Rough day?" Oscar asked as he took a seat across from him.

Will grinned. "You have no idea. What are you doing up here?"

"Me?" The goat grinned. "Not much. Just making sure you don't die of a heart attack. Without you we'd have to deal with that dick." Oscar pulled a face. "You don't have a clue how thankful we are he never actually tries to do anything on the floor."

Will chuckled softly.

"Some days I think that bull could make water catch on fire."

Taking a sip from the offered cup, Will had to fight not to make a face. Whatever it was the goat had brought him, it wasn't Pepsi.

He gagged.

Oscar smiled.

"Nah? Well it was worth a shot. My buddy is trying to get into the food biz. How is it?"

Turning, Will spat the unholy mixture into the trash.

"Like week-old toe funk mixed with sewer sludge."

Oscar shrugged. "Ah well, he'll get it one of these days."

The rest of the day passed as best one could hope for. Masterson blew his top when he saw the price of replacement uniforms for the crew, but he paid... eventually.

It was seven that evening before Will finally clocked out. He'd only been on the schedule until five, but he'd learned about leaving paper on his desk. If you leave your desk spotless and empty folks have - at least a slight - aversion to loading it up with any more work. But a single sheet left to deal with in the morning would turn into twenty by the time you got back.

Trudging slowly home, Will was even more exhausted than he'd been the night before. A day spent fighting fires was one thing. It took all the energy you had, but you went home feeling good.

A day spent at the office left the dog jittery. He'd done no real exercise, but his nerves had been flaring all day. He felt like he'd run a marathon when he hadn't gone ten steps.

Will would take the fires any day.

Still huffing from climbing the stairs to his apartment Will began cursing the moment he unlocked the door. He'd forgotten to pick up dinner.

The words never escaped his lips. A single letter fluttered as he opened the door, dancing from where it had fallen through the mail slot.

It was plain, unadorned paper, but the handwritten address on it immediately caught his eye.

He recognized the handwriting in an instant.

Squatting down, Will looked at the letter, not daring to touch it.

"It's not possible," he whispered. Even if the woman he'd written to had gotten his letter today, there was no way she could have responded to him this fast.

Hand shaking slightly, he picked up the envelope.

His nose twitched.

Lifting it closer, Will took a deep breath.

Perfume?

Slipping one of his thick, dull black claws into the seal, Will carefully opened the envelope. Within was a single sheet of folded parchment.

Hello Strong and Ready,

I received your letter this morning. You intrigue me.

Meet me this evening at Café Bristol.

I look forward to learning if you fit me well.

Below was an address and a time.

Will blinked.

He glanced over to the clock. It took just a moment for the realization to kick in.

He had thirty minutes.

"Frigging..."

Slamming the door closed behind him, Will bolted for the shower, leaving a trail of discarded clothing behind him.

"Faster... faster... must go faster..."

He nearly clocked himself senseless when he skidded to a stop in the tiny stall. Ten seconds later he was scrubbing away with whatever soap was in reach. He spent the day at his desk, but he had been sweating just as much as if he'd been in the field.

The water barely had time to soak into his pelt before he leapt back out. A violent shake and he deposited the suds across the bathroom walls.

He'd have to clean that up later.

As dry as he was going to get, Will searched headlong through his closet. Dress uniform, fire house sweats, fire house sweats, trainers...

At the very back was a dark blue button up shirt and a pair of basic black slacks.

They would have to do.

An eye to the clock, ten minutes had already passed. Will slowed down a touch as he slipped a foot into his trousers. It would be just his luck now if he managed to rip them.

With a grunt, he was dressed. He sucked in his gut as he did up the belt, forcing it a notch tighter than normal.

Pausing for just a moment, he ran a hand across his still damp fur and looked in the mirror.

Not bad... was the first thought through his mind.

The second sounded far more like Masterson's acidic tones.

Who would ever take even a second glance at a mutt like you?

He looked down to his gut that pressed up against the straining belt.

Gritting his teeth, Will looked again into the mirror.

"You just wish you could look this good," he said to no one in particular.

Out on the street, Will had to sprint to make it to the upscale restaurant their meeting had been scheduled at.

Café Bristol wasn't the trendiest place in the city, but it was well above anyplace the dog normally frequented. Rumor said that some of the best bounty hunters in the city came here.

Will had his doubts about that. The story was more likely spread by the owner, looking for some fresh clientele.

Slowing a half block from the café, Will fought to catch his breath. He didn't want to look like a pup on his first date.

Stealing a glance at a nearby clock tower, he had five minutes to spare.

A smile slipping to his lips, Will took a quick detour to a flower shop across the street.

A riot of colors erupted around him as he stepped in. A bat stood behind the counter reading a book.

"Can I find you something?" she asked.

Will shook his head.

A quick once up and down the aisle, he found what he was looking for.

Roses were far too much to bring to a first date with someone he'd never met, but the soft blue of some forget-me-nots seemed just right. He picked up a small bouquet.

"For a special someone?" the bat asked.

Will blushed.

"I hope so," he replied, voice soft. "Don't know yet."

She smiled.

"Well, there's no better place to meet than Café Bristol. Everyone seems to end up there eventually."

She rang him up.

Will blinked at the price.

"But..."

The shopkeeper smiled. "I think I know who you're there to meet. Call it a gift."

Will blinked again.

Reaching into his wallet, the dog pulled out twice what she'd charged him, setting it on the counter without a word before leaving.

With precise enough timing that you'd almost think he planned it that way, Will stepped into the café.

"Can I help you?" the hostess asked.

Will blushed.

"I'm here to meet someone..."

She shrugged. "Do you know their name?"

He stopped dead.

"I... uh... no."

She gave him a professional smile.

"Not a problem. Let me find you a seat. You can tell me if you see them."

A moment later he was seated next to the door, a glass of ice water and an appetizer of jerky before him.

Will sighed.

I'm a fool, he thought. I came all the way out here, and I don't even know who I'm looking for. She could be right next to me and I'd never know it.

A quick glance about, and at least that particular fear was put to bed. Everyone else here seemed to be in couples or more. There was even a scrawny wolf... and what seemed to be a lion seated way in the back.

"And now I wait," he muttered, biting into the jerky.

The sun went down and the staff hurried about, lighting gas lamps here and there. They even had candles on the tables, though they did little more than accentuate the darkness.

And all the while the seat across from Will remained empty.

Having long chewed his way through the provided jerky, Will ordered some seafood. Not because he particularly liked it - though it was well done - but mostly because it was cheap.

And the chewy meat kept him from eating too fast.

He looked up at the stars coming out overhead and sighed.

"Are you strong and willing?" a voice asked out of nowhere.

Will nearly leapt from his seat.

Fighting back a racing heart, he turned to look at the form that had slipped up behind him.

She was a dalmatian.

That alone left him blinking. There were enough species in V-town that dogs were a minority, and to find another dalmatian nearly send him for a loop.

"Ahh... yes," he stuttered, fighting to find his tongue. "Yes, I..." he blushed and looked down. "I'm strong and willing."

"Very good," she said, her tone brisk as she took a seat across from him at the wrought iron table. A moment later the waitress brought her a drink without saying a word.

She sat there for a long moment, her clear green eyes roving up and down Will's body. Despite the clean clothes the dog felt naked before her.

He took a deep breath, trying to calm his nerves.

"I'm Will. What's your--" He was cut off instantly by nothing more than a glance from her.

She was not yet ready to speak to him.

Will sat back and tried to calm his fluttering gut. He hadn't felt like this since his first date way back in high school.

The dog that sat across from him was wearing a simple, conservative black dress. It covered her from ankle to elbow to collarbone.

But yet at the same time it was very near sheerer than anything Will had ever encountered. It hugged her curves, leaving little to the imagination.

Will nervously licked his nose.

After a few moments she cocked her head.

"I believe you'll do." She said it matter-of-factly, without a hint of emotion, as if passing judgment upon him.

A long moment passed. She smiled.

Will would have sworn the restaurant brightened.

It wasn't a huge, silly grin. It was a small, private smile. Will was sure he was the only one who could see it. She showed just a hint of her teeth, but it was her eyes that glimmered, the light seeming to dance within them.

"Hello, Will," she said, her voice soft and deep. "My name is Anne."

Will took a deep breath. He'd swear he could just pick up her scent over the dozens of other bodies that moved about them. It was sweet, like the scent of fresh mowed hay.

"Good evening, ah, Anne."

She smoothly cut him off, never seeming to be rude.

"Tell me about yourself, Will. Where do you work? Where do you come from?"

Will felt a small glow of pride grow within his chest. This gorgeous dog wanted to know about him?

"Me?" he asked. His voice seemed surer as he answered her question. "I'm just a fire dawg. I work down at fire house six. My family has been here for generations. My great, great grandparents came from the east coast just after the Cataclysm."

He smiled, thinking back to his days as a pup.

"I've been with the V-town fire service since I got out of school. I almost thought of joining the police for a while but I'm the wrong... breed."

He frowned slightly, but she pushed the thought away, seemingly without effort.

"Really, Will?" her grin grew, turning into a perfect smile. "You spend your days saving people? That must be rewarding."

Will thought back to his empty apartment and ignorable bank account.

Despite it all, he smiled.

"Yeah, you're right. It is. I love the work. It's what I was born for. There's nothing quite like being out there, on the street, helping people. It's something the rest of the world only dreams of."

For just a moment Anne's smile froze on her face, seeming as though it were made of glass.

"You're right." She reached out, setting a hand atop his. He could feel her soft fingers. It sent a thrill down his arm. He had to fight to keep his tail from wagging. "People like me can only dream of helping like you do everyday."

A moment later their meals arrived. Will couldn't even remember ordering it.

He almost expected Anne to order a salad or something as stereotypical, but rather they each had a rib eye steak. Rare.

She cut off a small sliver. He couldn't take his eyes off it until it disappeared between her lips.

"Tell me more, Will," she said, watching him. "Tell me about yourself, not your job."

Will shifted uncomfortably. "There's not much to say. I live for my work. It's what I do. I don't have much family in the city, just a couple of good friends."

"No lovers?" she asked, playful tone defusing the question.

He laughed.

"If I did, I wouldn't be answering ads in the paper!" He stopped in a strangled cough, realizing what he'd said. If she noticed, she had the discretion not to bring it up.

Taking another sliver of her steak, she chewed thoughtfully.

"I've been placing ads for some time, Will." A frown crossed her face. "I've met quite a range of people." Taking a deep breath, she seemed to push the thought away. "But you are special."

He laughed. "Yeah. We dalmatians have to stick together."

The humor seemed to escape her.

"That's not what I meant..." There was a long pause before she smiled. "But I suppose it makes sense."

Will couldn't help it, his tail began to wag.

"What do you do?" he asked.

She brushed the question off. "Me? Oh, this and that. I have my interests..." she took a sip of her drink, letting it drop. "But the time for questions is past. Eat up, Will."

He looked down to his meal. Only then did he realize he'd yet to even pick up his knife and fork.

For just a moment he thought to take offense at being given an order... but why? It was silly to leave the meal on the table before him.

The two of them ate in silence, enjoying each other's company.

There was little conversation as they ate. People around them spoke, nattering on about their daily lives, rambling endlessly about unimportant things.

Will ate. He watched Anne sitting across from him. Unlike some of the so called ladies he'd encountered in the past, she did not peck away at a salad or leave her meal on the plate. She ate the same as he did, working her way properly through the meal.

Whatever it was Anne did during the day, it was clear it was more than lounging about some grand apartment, waiting for her next suitor to call.

The meal was good. And likely because of that it didn't last long.

Will almost wished it had. He enjoyed having an excuse to peek over his knife and fork at her. Anne smiled slightly whenever their eyes met.

He could lose himself in those dark green eyes without a second thought.

There were plenty of dogs in V-town, but relatively few dalmatians. The breed wasn't rare, just not as common as some. Will was surprised he'd never encountered her before.

He was sure he would have remembered her.

Their meal came to a close too soon. When the waitress came with the bill, Anne didn't so much as acknowledge it.

Will didn't skip a beat as he reached out to take it.

Only then did Anne nod, as if she'd told him to do so.

Flipping over the paper, Will raised an eyebrow.

It was a good thing he wasn't planning on coming here often. Dining here every night would quickly bankrupt him.

Pulling his wallet out, he began counting bills.

He kept an eye open for Anne's reaction as he paid. The dog had learned long ago that a woman who eyed his wallet too closely was more interested in it than she was him.

He breathed a sigh of relief. Anne didn't seem the slightest bit concerned with the contents of his pockets. She simply smiled easily and waited for him to do as she expected.

A generous tip left behind, Will stood up.

Only then did he look down to notice the forget-me-nots that still sat leaning up against the leg of his chair.

Will rolled his eyes and laughed.

Taking the flowers in one hand, he stepped about to help Anne from her seat. She didn't skip a beat, as if expecting him to do so all along.

Closer to her now, Will took in a breath through his nose.

And blinked.

The scent of her perfume tugged at his mind again. It was something he'd never encountered before. Light and fresh, it reminded him of his childhood, running about free in the forest.

He tried to catch a whiff of it again, but the open restaurant and the dozens of people around them made it all but impossible.

Pulling his mind back to the here and now, Will held the small bouquet of flowers up to Anne. He stood behind her, arm wrapped around to hold them before her.

"For you," he said, doing his best to sound gallant.

He couldn't see her face, but he did feel her stiffen slightly.

"What?"

Will blinked.

"For you," he repeated, voice softer now. "I thought you might like them."

Reaching out slowly, Anne took the soft blue flowers from him. She raised them slowly to her nose, taking a small, tentative sniff.

There was a long pause.

"Thank you, Will." She turned around to look him in the eye. "No one has ever brought me flowers before."

Now it was Will's turn to be taken aback.

"I thought flowers were... uh, normal." Will had been out of the dating game for a while, but he couldn't imagine the etiquette changing that much.

She just smiled.

"Thank you," she said, her voice hardly above a whisper. "They're beautiful."

Taking his hand in hers, Anne led Will from the restaurant. She waved at the wait staff as they passed, giving them all a friendly smile.

"It's a pretty night out," she said as they walked.

"Uh... yeah," was all Will could say in return. His mind was on anything but the conversation. He felt like an inexperienced pup again. His stomach fluttered, and his skin where they touched felt almost electric.

Making their way slowly down the street, they milled among the thousands of others. Not a single one gave them a second glance. They were just two dalmatians out on the town.

Will hardly noticed as they made their way west. The homes began to grow slowly more spacious. Lawns and paving stone streets, more and more lamp posts dotting the sidewalk as they pushed onward.

"You're an interesting person, Will," Anne said, her voice soft. "I've never met a fire fighter before. All the other men who answered my ad were... different."

Will chuckled slightly. "I've never answered an ad in the paper before."

She smiled. "You only have to do it once. That's what makes all the difference. I've met many a wise person. It's not how often you do something, it's that you did it when it mattered." She tightened her hold on his hand. "And that you committed to it. That's what makes all the difference."

"It's all being in the right place at the right time?" Will asked with a chuckle.

She looked away.

"You could say that. So much depends on making the right decision. Committing to it."

She fell quiet after that as they continued to walk. Will didn't feel the need to ask any more questions.

Some time later they came to an elegant three story marble apartment building.

Will blinked. A single month's rent in such a place likely cost more than he made in a year.

Anne didn't say a word as she led him up to the front door.

Reaching into her small handbag, she pulled out a key.

For just a moment Will's heart skipped a beat. She turned to him.

"Goodnight, William."

He blinked.

"Uh... goodnight, Anne..." There was just the slightest whine to his voice.

She smiled.

"You are a most... intriguing man," she said, her voice little more than a whisper.

Will fought for words, not knowing what to say. "I could... uh, tell you more..."

"No," she said, her voice firm, but not hard. "You can tell me more of yourself when we meet again." There was a long pause. "And we will."

Without another word or warning she leaned forward and left a soft, fleeting kiss on Will's lips. Their muzzles touched for just a fraction of a second, but it was enough to leave Will spinning.

When he next opened his eyes he was standing alone on the street.

Chapter 3: Putting Out Fires

The next thing Will knew he was fighting back a cloying darkness.

Somewhere, not so far away, came the sound of a great battle. A shiver running down him from nose to tail, Will rolled over.

And entered freefall.

With a heavy thunk his shoulder hit the floor, his legs still on the sofa.

"Gah? Huh, what?"

Morning light filtered through the blinds. He could still hear the sounds of battle. Only now it had reduced down to nothing more than someone banging on the door.

Rising slowly to his feet, one hand rubbing the back of his head where a bump threatened to form, Will staggered towards the door.

He hadn't felt like this since his days at college, but he'd have sworn he hadn't drank any alcohol last night...

Still fighting to clear the cobwebs from his mind, Will finally made it to the door. The knocking had stopped.

It took him a moment to get the lock open. By the time light finally flooded in there was no one there. Not that Will could tell. He had to shade his eyes from the sun.

Tacked to the front of the door was an envelope.

He sighed as he pulled it free. It was obvious it wasn't from Anne. Even a quick glance showed it to be from the fire department.

Why in the gods' names would they be contacting him on his one day off?

Letter in hand, Will tried to catch the scent of whoever it was that had been here. Likely a courier.

He took a deep breath, but stopped short, gasping and coughing. His nose was clogged. The most he managed to do was half fill his lungs with mucous.

Slightly more awake now, Will shut the door and headed back into his apartment.

Tossing the letter on the table, he decided he'd look at it later. Nothing they'd send via courier could be that important.

A quick shower and Will was already starting to feel better. The warm steam helped clear up whatever it was that clogged up his sinuses.

And gave him time to think of Anne.

He couldn't keep his tail from wagging as the memories of last night came back to him. They were slightly foggy, but he could still see her face. Could still see her smile as he told her about himself.

It didn't take long for Will to get clean. He almost regretted washing the lingering scent of her from his fur.

Back out in the main room, Will picked up the envelope again. Yep, it was an official message. Likely just his pay stub or something like that. He tucked it into a pocket as he made his way out the door.

This was his one day off a week. And he was going to frigging make sure he managed to refill his fridge. It was time to cut back on takeout, he had a woman to impress.

He got all of about twenty feet down the street before he saw someone running towards him.

Will raised a hand to his forehead. It was one of the men from the station.

And he did not look happy.

"Captain!" It was one of the cheetahs. "Where have you been?"

Will sighed. "It's my day off, man. I'm not working."

The cat blinked. "Didn't you get the letter?"

Will had a sinking sensation. Pulling out the envelope, he sliced it open. The letter within was from Masterson, short and simple.

Will was working today. The bull had decided to take it off and there was no one else to run the station.

A string of curses escaped Will's lips, he didn't even bother to try and hold them back.

The cheetah continued to bounce on the balls of his feet, riding on pure nervous energy.

"What else?" Will asked, resigned to his fate.

"We have a two alarm blaze," the cat said. "And no one to take command."

This time Will didn't bother to swear. He was already off and running, the letter fluttering to the ground behind him.

The station never felt so far away. It was an easy half hour walk most days, but at a flat out sprint Will was sweating and panting by the time he got there.

And he wasn't even wearing his equipment yet.

The large front doors of the station were open, both the wagons gone.

"What's the situation?" he yelled as he crossed the threshold.

One of the few men remaining looked up. "There's a call from one of the city's office buildings. A big one. The alarm already rang back."

"Who's in command?"

"Davies."

The only thing Will could do was move faster, all but leaping into his gear. Davies was a talented firefighter, a great friend, and his favorite person in the world to spend time with. But Davies was no leader, Davies was a cat.

Not sixty seconds later Will was back on the street again. He didn't need directions to the fire.

He could see the smoke rising and twisting on the horizon.

It looked so close, but it still took him ten minutes to get there. By the time Will reached the fire wagon he was panting, tongue lolling out and breath short.

"What... what's the situation?"

Will leaned up against the wagon, fighting to slow his heart. Davies was nowhere in sight.

A moment later Oscar was by his side. The goat looked harried, more stressed than even Will felt.

"Tits up!" was all the engineer said before dashing over to his equipment. "Whoever put that cat in charge should have his head examined. Nobody's seen him since we got here. The only bloody order we got from him was 'put it out'. Useless feline..."

Grabbing each firefighter as they passed by, Will slowly built a picture of what was happening. If not much of one.

Thankfully it was the weekend and most of the staff were gone. but the spotters reported that there were still folks trapped inside.

Will swore.

It was only then he noticed that even with two wagons here there was fewer than half the normal firefighters for this call.

"Where is everyone?" he asked, sketching out a map of the office building on a sheet of paper before him.

Oscar growled. "Ask Masterson. He sent most of us home this morning. Said it was the weekend and he didn't want to pay our wages."

Will blinked.

Taking a long breath, he fought to keep calm.

"Alright. Keep pumper one here, but send number two around to the west side. We need more coverage there. The gods know what's inside that building."

For just a moment Oscar opened his mouth to protest. The goat was an old hand at running his wagons. He didn't take kindly to people telling him what to do, even at the best of times.

In the end "Got it" was all he said.

It took five long minutes for the wagon to be maneuvered to the far side of the building, five long minutes it wasn't pumping water.

The narrow, choked streets were no help.

"Get it moving," Will heard Oscar yelling, "We've got a job to do!"

There was a rumble deep under the dog's feet as wagon two opened fire again. The hiss of water hitting the fire was enough to at least bring the ghost of a smile to Will's lips.

A few moments later the spotters he'd sent running the perimeter returned with their reports. Will's smile was short lived.

The office building was a three story structure, wood framing, post-Cataclysm construction. And looked to be filled with paper.

Will hadn't had to deal with many office fires. He didn't want the opportunity to see how well the paper would burn in its filing cabinets.

Beyond that, none of them had seen hide nor hair of Davies, but they had confirmed the presence of at least three people trapped on the top level.

And if Will knew the cat, that's where he'd be headed.

"Good morning, Sir."

Will just about jumped out of his pelt.

Turning, he was greeted by the sight of three police dogs standing at attention behind him.

"Don't... do that!"

The police dog cocked his head but didn't say a word.

Taking a deep breath, Will looked at the officers. All three of them looked identical to the man he'd worked with last time.

"We've got people trapped," Will said, pointing to his hastily sketched map. "What equipment do you have?"

There was a long pause. When at last the lead dog spoke his voice was heavy.

"We're not authorized to aid in rescue..." Even Will could hear the pain in his voice. "City directive three-forty-seven-twenty-eight, enacted last week, prevents any police officer from interfering with the actions of the fire department during a call."

Will's jaw dropped open.

"I'm not asking you to go in yourselves..."

The dog shook his head slowly, pain obvious. "The directive prevents us from becoming involved in any way."

Will narrowed his eyes. He'd learned long ago not to argue with a V-town cop when it came to regulation.

Will's heart sank as he looked over his current personnel. He didn't even have enough to properly man the pumps likely so much as send a full team in.

Glancing up at the building, Will saw something...

Up on the third floor, a plume of red smoke was rising among the bellows of black.

It was from a flare.

Will's ears pulled back. All the firefighters carried distress flares. Only one was in the building.

"Oscar!" he yelled, "Take over! I need to get in to rescue Davies. Clear me a path!"

"Got it," the goat called. A moment later he was yelling orders to his men. The pumper's stream of water stretched out before Will, opening a gap in the flames.

Grabbing a fire can and rope from the wagon as he passed, Will cursed himself for once again racing into danger. He was stupid. He was breaking as many regulations as Davies.

But he wasn't going to let that fool cat die on him.

The first floor was almost untouched. The fire had started above, and neither the flames nor smoke had penetrated far down.

Will made his way through reception, searching for the fire stairs. He moved slower here than he had at the restaurant, yet the office was far larger. The last thing he wanted was to get himself lost.

Room clear, he found the stairs. Touching a palm to the metal door, it was cool. The handle slid easily.

He rolled his eyes. The stairwell was pitch dark.

Flicking on his flashlight, Will began the long climb upwards. He wasn't surprised to find the stairs covered with all manner of garbage and filth. The government had laws on keeping the fire escapes clean.

The government also seemed to be the last to follow those very rules.

Up to the second floor, Will set a hand on the exit door before passing.

It was hot.

He made a point of not opening it. That was one beast he'd rather keep contained.

The smoke grew thicker as he trudged up the stairs to the third floor. Will had to trust his mask would keep him from passing out. Even with it on he could smell the smoke.

Pausing for a moment to catch his breath, he lay a hand on the third floor door. It was hot.

Will cursed.

Pulling it open a crack, it was clear this floor was a write-off. Flames snaked up the walls and heavy smoke rolled down the hall.

There were fire sprinklers in the ceiling. They'd all popped, but no water came.

Making sure to close the door behind him, Will began into the hallway, looking left and right into each office. Half the doors here were little more than matchsticks. It was clear Davies had been through.

"Where in the gods' names are you?" he muttered as he continued forward. He'd already gathered the civilians. By all rights the cat should have led them to the fire stairs...

Will closed his eyes for a moment.

But Davies was a cat. He'd be too proud to leave until he'd double checked every room.

The end of the hallway was bathed in flames.

"Davies!"

Standing just the other side of the flames, Will could make out a silhouette. He'd swear it waved at him.

Bracing himself, Will unslung the fire can, aiming the knob at the base of the flames.

There was an angry hiss as he let loose the fire retardant.

It took three-quarters of the can to clear a path.

"Fancy seeing you here," Davies called. Will could hear a note of pain in the cat's voice.

Stepping forward, Will counted five people, all standing out next to a broken window, fighting for fresh air.

"Frigging... why are they still here?"

Will couldn't make out Davies' face under his mask, but he knew the cat was grimacing.

Holding up a hand, Will could see his friend's left hand was sprained and swollen.

"This is what you get for running in without backup," Will said.

The cat just smiled. "You're my backup." Turning to the people, he waved his good hand. "Come on folks, this is our ticket out. Get moving!"

One by one they began walking towards the stairs at the far end of the hallway. They had to move slowly, keeping well clear of the flames on either side.

Halfway there, Will stopped dead. His ears twitched.

"Wait!"

Somewhere, not so far away, he could hear something creak.

"Oh sh--"

A quarter second later Davies was diving through the air, carrying as many of the people back as he could.

Will shook his head as the roof caved in not a dozen meters away.

"Just... just wonderful."

"What're our options?" Will asked, fighting to keep his voice calm as they clustered around the broken window in one of the offices. Their only way out wasn't an option anymore.

Davies scowled.

"Normally I'd just climb down." He held up his swollen hand. "But that's not going to happen today."

Unspooling the rope he'd carried up, Will started looking for a good tie off point.

"Can you rappel?"

"No." Will could hear how much that admission took out of the cat.

"Fine," he said. "Then I'll get us down."

Stepping up to the window, Will looked down to the crowd below. He could just make out Oscar manning the pumper.

Reaching into his belt, he pulled out a blue flare. It went off with a snap-hiss.

Blue. Water here. Now.

Thirty seconds later the room was drenched.

Will smiled. Well, at least that would keep the fire at bay for a few moments.

He took a look at the civilians that clustered about. Two canines, an oni, a cat, and a bear.

Well, at least he could assume one of them could climb.

"Okay, folks," Will said, doing his best to sound confident, "We're going to get you out of here. We're going down the outside of the building."

They just blinked and looked at him. It was clear the shock had already set in.

Will poked his head out the window, looking down.

Frig.

Only three stories up, it wasn't far to the ground, but the walls were sheer. A descent like this would be nothing to a trained professional. It wasn't the professionals Will was worried about.

Leaning out the window, Will was able to catch Oscar's eye.

"You got some decent harnesses down there?"

It took them a half dozen tries, but one of the horses had a good throwing arm. They now had five descent harnesses, and the civilians were kitted up in them.

"Nice and snug," Davies said with a smile as he cinched up the final strap on the bear. "This'll get you down safe and sound."

"Ready?" Will heard someone call from the ground.

Will glanced over to the flames. Despite Oscar's best efforts they were edging closer.

"Ready," he called.

A moment later he had the first of the civilians hooked up to the rope. The harness would take it from there, giving them a nice, smooth descent.

Will managed to work up a small grin.

The worst they'd have to worry about was knocking their head on the side of the building.

"Enjoy your ride," Will said, helping the first through the broken window.

There was a slight wurring sound as the harness slowly descended.

Next came the second civilian, then the third.

Davies managed to get a hug out of the forth before she disappeared over the edge.

That left just one more, the bear.

Much to Will's surprise, he found the man huddled as far from the window as he could get.

"Come on, Sir," Will said, reaching out a hand. "Time to go."

If anything the bear looked more frightened of the window than he did the flames.

"No."

Will blinked.

"I'm not going..." the bear whispered. "I... no heights."

Will strangled back a growl.

"We're not leaving you."

Reaching out a hand, Will grabbed the bear by his harness, doing his best to pull the man to his feet.

The bear out massed him by the better part of a hundred pounds. And he wasn't budging.

"Davies, a hand here?" Will's voice was an octave higher than he would have liked. He could hear another creak in the background.

The cat was there a moment later. Between the two of them they were able to drag the resisting ursine to the window.

"No! I'm not going! No!"

Will scowled.

This wasn't something they covered in training.

He clipped the bear's harness onto the line and double checked it.

"A pleasure working with you, Sir."

With a mighty shove he forced the bear out the window.

He felt sorry for the guy as he screamed all the way down. This was not going to look good.

Out of the corner of his eye Will saw the glint of the camera lenses.

He let out a soft groan.

This was going to look very, very bad.

He hardly had time to think before the flames were nipping at his tail. They had a hot one here.

He glanced over to Davies.

"You can't climb?" Will asked.

The cat shook his head and held up a swollen hand. "Not in the slightest." His eyes glinted as he stepped forward. "Want to be my knight in shining armor?"

A moment later the cat was pressed up against Will's chest, batting his eyes.

Will snorted.

"Fine. But keep your hands to yourself," he said, a mock growl to his voice.

Before he could even finish Davies slung his arms over Will's shoulders. The dog was about to demand the cat be in a proper carry, but never bothered. It wasn't worth the effort with him.

Stepping up to the window, Will looked down. A meager three stories looked way higher from here.

With slow and deliberate motions that seemed at odds with the flames so close, Will began his descent.

"Yeeha!"

Will's ears pulled back in embarrassment. Davies.

It wasn't far down, but Will took his time. He moved slow enough to make sure all the civilians had made it out of their way, disentangled from their harnesses.

Davies waved all the way down, treating it like a publicity stunt.

He was a cat. Preening for an audience came naturally to him.

At last Will touched down. He wasted no time in hurrying away from the burning structure. He didn't want to take the chance of any falling debris braining him.

It was only after he'd made it ten steps he realized he still held Davies in his arms.

And the cat's hands were most definitely not in the proper places.

"I've always wanted to get my hands on this..." Davies whispered before Will unceremoniously dropped him on the concrete.

The cat just smiled. "Totally worth it!"

Seconds later a half dozen news reporters clustered around them.

"Hey! A word for the press? Anything?"

Davies smiled, but Will clamped a hand over his friend's mouth before he could say a word.

"We have no comment for the press," Will said, fighting to keep his voice neutral. "Now, if you'll excuse us, we have a fire to put out."

A moment later they were back with Oscar. The goat looked like he'd been tearing his fur out.

"Where in the gods' names were you?" he hissed. "You're supposed to be giving the orders, not running in!"

Will leaned up against the side of the pumper, catching his breath.

"They're out," he said at last. A small smile to his face. "Davies and I got them out. Now let's deal with the fire."

Even with two pumpers the building proved a challenge. They had to ring back a third time, it took yet another trailer to finally get things under control.

Will pulled his hat off and ran the back of an arm across his sweat soaked forehead.

It did nothing more than streak him with soot, obscuring his spots.

"We got it?" he asked no one in particular.

Fittingly, no one answered.

Stepping forward, Will trudged into the burnt out husk of the building.

Well, at least they'd managed to save some of the first floor.

Behind him, Will could hear the cameras still clicking. The reporters were interviewing the people he and Davies had saved.

"It's all yours, boys," Will called to the police dogs as he did one more check for hot spots.

The officers nodded as they set off silently to work.

"...saved me!"

Will's ears perked.

"We thought we were trapped," one of the women said. "You should have seen that dog come through the flames! It was like a theater production!"

Will began walking towards the group. Of all the tasks he disliked, dealing with the media was close to the top.

He didn't even have time to say a word before the woman turned.

"Him! That's the guy who saved us! Him and the cat."

Will blushed.

"Just doing my job ma'am..."

A heavy hand fell on Will's shoulder.

"Under my direction, of course."

Masterson stepped forward. The bull's long, sharp horns glinted in the light.

"Are you in charge here?" the reporter asked.

Masterson smiled. "Of course."

For just a moment Will felt a wave of relief as Masterson took over. The bull was in his element. Will was happy to let him talk.

"It's by my strategy, of course," Will heard him say a moment later. "Attacking the fire from multiple angles helped the... uh, impression of water. Without that we never would have been able to mount the two pronged attack to rescue those trapped by the flames."

Will took a step back. He couldn't help but notice how perfectly pressed the bull's black suit was, how manicured and shined his horns. It looked like he'd just stepped from a beautician's booth.

Will glared.

The bull went on for a good hour. The sun was setting, its fiery red glow replacing that of the blaze.

Will stayed on site, directing the cleanup. That was all part of the job. There was far more to look after now than just a singed restaurant.

The fact three police dogs had arrived to investigate the situation proved the government took this seriously. The government didn't like losing its property.

Sighing, Will kept in mind what Masterson had drilled into him before. He refused to sign off on the cause of fire report.

The police dog looked at him oddly.

"Is there something amiss?" the dog asked, a note of nerves showing through his near perfect professional mask.

Will gave him a tight lipped smile, making sure not to show his teeth.

"No... uh, everything's fine. I just need to let my boss see first."

The shepherd's expression said everything in a single glance.

He'd heard of Masterson.

"As you say, Sir," he said at last, handing Will the clipboard. "I await your speedy response."

It took another fifteen minutes for Will to extract Masterson from the reporters. That man loved to hear the sound of his own voice.

Will frowned. With the way the bull posed for the cameras folks were lucky no one got their eyes poked out by his horns. Will had never liked the look of grown out horns. All the other bovine members of the force filed their horns back, keeping them short and safe.

Will couldn't imagine Masterson ever doing something so logical.

"Sir," Will cut in, grabbing his attention before another reporter could steal him away. "There's paperwork needing your approval."

Masterson frowned.

"No, there isn't. That's what I have you for, dog."

Will gritted his teeth.

"You specifically asked me to bring the fire cause report to you before signing off on it... Sir."

Any other day Will would have let the man's million insults roll off his back. Today, hot, sweaty, and with the press watching, he fought to keep his lips down.

Masterson snatched the clipboard from Will's fingers with a roll of his eyes. "Fine." A moment later he was flipping through the pages the police dog had scratched down.

Will had gone over them line by line. Everything had been in order. A faulty power line.

Masterson frowned and ripped the pages out.

"Don't you listen, mutt?" the bull's voice was just low enough the press couldn't make it out. "I told you. The mayor decided it was terrorists."

Will took a deep breath. "This isn't the mayor's favorite restaurant, Sir. It's an old office block. The wiring wasn't installed correctly. There were two smaller fires from the same cause last year."

Masterson balled up the papers. They bounced off Will's chest.

"Write it again," the bull ordered. "And get it right this time!"

Will narrowed his eyes. "We don't write the cause reports," he said slowly, forcing himself to breathe deeply. "That's done by the police. We can only sign off on them or escalate them to city hall."

"Then make the mongrels write them properly," Masterson hissed.

A moment later the bull was gone. The press followed him like a pack of lost puppies.

"Sorry, that won't do," Will said, letting out a long sigh.

The police dog sat beside him on the road. He gave Will a glare that could kill.

"What's wrong this time?" The dog - Will had learned his name was Elm - had long ago given up on the perfect mask of the force. Now they were just two dogs.

Will closed his eyes and shook his head. "The station chief will kill me if we don't blame it on terrorists."

A growl escaped Elm's lips. "Get it through your spotted skull, there were no terrorists!"

"I know," Will replied. "But that's what the boss wants to hear. The Mayor, too. Don't you have the same people pushing you?"

The shepherd looked away nervously. "We have our own problems."

Will let the subject drop.

"How about this," he said at last, "You can blame it on an electrical fault, cause unknown. Who knows, it could have been deliberate."

The police dog grimaced. "It's a hundred to one..."

Will patted him on the shoulder. "Let's just say what we know, and what we don't. They can fill in the blanks with terrorists hiding in every shadow if they want."

Without thinking, Will lifted a stick of charred wood he'd found somewhere to gnaw at. He didn't even realize he was doing it until the taste of ash filled his mouth.

"Gah!" Spitting, he looked down at the wood and shook his head. He thought he'd kicked that habit.

Another hour and, at last, the two of them had a report they could live with. The last of the fire fighters were long gone by then. Even Davies had left to get his hand looked at. But not before giving Will a completely unnecessary hug. "My knight in shining armor!" the cat had said with a grin.

Will had blushed.

At last dusting himself off, Will signed off on the report and shook Elm's hand.

The police dog's mask slipped back into place, but Will got one last grin out of him.

"Get out of here," Elm said, laughing. "You smell like a bonfire."

Heading back to the fire house, Will made sure to time his arrival well after Masterson was likely to be gone.

He'd had enough of that bull for one day.

Putting his equipment neatly away in his locker, Will waved at the night crew as he dressed again in his sweats.

Reaching up, he scratched at his nose. It had been itchy all day. He thought of Anne and her perfume.

Despite it all he smiled.

Closing the locker, he walked back out to the street. He hardly even noticed his feet taking him back to where he'd dropped her off.

And when he did, he didn't bother trying to stop them.

The neighborhoods slowly moved more upscale as Will walked. The workmen's high rise apartments being replaced by gated lawns and wide boulevards.

Will took a deep breath. The air was clearer out here, fewer people, more greenery and fresh air. The carefully manicured trees were a far cry from a proper forest, but it was better than nothing.

He nodded his head to a half-dozen police dogs as he made his way. There seemed to be far more of them out here in the ritzier parts of town.

Will sighed. He had no doubt they were being pushed to look after their masters much the way the fire department was.

He stopped when Anne's condo came into sight.

What was he doing here?

He'd only met her once. For all he knew she might never want to see him again. For all he knew she might call for the police the moment she opened the door.

Will thought back to last night. To her smile, to the scent of her perfume.

He rubbed his nose.

He started walking again.

There was only one way to find out.

Up her front path, Will took a deep breath before knocking on the door.

Chapter 4: Night Life

His knuckles never reached the wood.

"Good evening, Will."

Anne stood before him, as perfect and precise as he remembered her. The black dress she wore looked at first the same as yesterday. It took Will a long moment to realize it was different.

Lower cut, the hemline was far from daring, but it pulled down from her throat to show just a hint of her full breasts.

Will had to blink and look away. It took everything he had not to start counting the spots on those perfect...

"Uh... good evening, Anne..." he stumbled out.

She smiled, reaching out to take his hand. "I'm surprised to see you again so soon, my pet." Her voice betrayed the fact she wasn't surprised in the least.

"I..." Will coughed. "Would you... Would you like to come to dinner with me?" What he didn't add was I haven't been able to stop thinking about you.

She took a step forward. There was less than an inch between them. Will could feel the warmth of her body. He could smell the sweet scent of her sweat.

Ever so slightly taller than her, he angled his head down, chin all but resting atop her ear.

Her ears flicked.

"I'd love to, Will."

He tried to take a look into her home as she stepped out the door. Her body blocked most of it. The light was dim, but he could make out the silhouette of boxes.

The apartment seemed quite upscale, but it almost looked as if she had yet to unpack, move in.

Stepping forward, she pulled the door closed behind her. The bolt hit home with the thunk of a heavy, industrial strength lock.

Will was just starting to form the question 'Who needs a lock like that?' when he was distracted.

Carrying no purse, Anne drew a long silver key from the lock. For just a moment she held it between her fingers. It caught the last rays of the sun.

Then ever so slowly she slipped it down her dress, between her breasts.

Five.

Will couldn't even speak. It was all he could do to keep from drooling as he watched the key slowly disappear from sight.

"We're ready now, my pet," she said, voice soft.

Stepping forward, she took Will's hand firmly in her own and began down the street, heading west.

Five. Will thought. That was how many spots peeked over the hem of her dress.

Down the manicured, paving stone lined road, they made their way slowly towards the sea. Every place in V-town is near the sea, but the richer places are closer than most.

Will could feel the sand in the air and smell the ocean as they neared.

Anne had never taken her hand from his. She was warm and soft. He'd follow her anywhere she led.

"So why is it, my Will," she asked, voice soft, "That you have come back to me so soon? I've met many a man, but few return so quickly."

He smiled. "I suppose I just like you."

She returned his smile, but there was something more to her eyes. She was looking for a reason, an explanation.

Will suddenly felt embarrassed to have run back to her like a little pup. His tail curled around his leg.

Forcing his eyes to the road ahead, he took a deep breath.

"It was a long day," he said. "I love my job, I really do, but..." He tried to find a smile, failing. "But nothing is perfect."

He could feel her cock her head beside him. "Oh?"

That was all she said, but it was enough.

"I guess I need someone to talk to. Someone to confide in."

Her free hand came up to softly caress the side of Will's face as they walked. He melted into her touch.

"But don't you have friends?" she asked.

Will thought to Davies and Oscar.

"Yeah, I do, but it's not the same." Glancing over to her, he smiled. "They don't have the right number of chromosomes."

She chuckled softly.

"And you think I do?"

He took a quarter step closer to her. The warmth of her body felt good against him, inviting against the cool air.

"You're a dog, aren't you?" he said with a chuckle. "And... uh..."

It was her turn to laugh. It was soft and clear. The sound of her laughter sent a tingle down Will's spine, down to the tip of his tail.

"I am many things," she said, her voice nothing more than a whisper.

Something in her words made Will shiver. Not a pleasant tingle of pleasure, but a cold fear of the unknown.

He waited patiently to see if she'd say more.

She didn't.

Continuing, hand in hand, they crossed the last intersection and began the descent to the beach.

Being an upscale district the sand was clean and the waters clear. And with the oncoming night the beach was all but deserted. Save for a few love struck couples far away, they were on their own.

The waves lapping at their toes, the two of them took a seat in the sand. It was still warm from the sun.

It was only then Will realized he was still wearing his fire house sweats. He began to curse himself out for daring to dress so poorly before her.

"You smell of smoke," she said, looking out over the waves. "Were you working today?"

Will suddenly felt self conscious.

"Yes." He was surprised how strong his voice came. "I was called out. Fire in an office building."

She nodded sagely, as if already knowing the answer. "I'd heard. They say a couple of firemen saved some trapped people."

Will blushed.

"That was Davies and I." He didn't say anything more.

There was a long pause before she spoke again. Will could hear the crashing of the waves in the darkness.

"The papers say a bull coordinated it all. That he masterminded the daring rescue..." She let her words peter out, daring Will to correct her.

The slightest growl escaped Will's lips.

Something about Anne, in the way she moved, the way she spoke, she dared him to correct her.

"Masterson is a fool."

The words hung between them in the air like a solid thing.

"Oh?" she asked softly. "You think you could do better?"

Will snorted.

"Anyone could do better. The station runs despite him, not because of him as he'd have everyone believe."

She simply raised an eyebrow, not saying a word.

"There are a lot of good bulls in the force," Will said, his voice hard. "A lot of good men and women. It takes all kinds to keep the city safe. But that... bull. He doesn't bring anything to the company. The old station chief was a horse. Nice guy. He knew what he was good at, and he knew what he wasn't. I was just a jake back then, but he kept the station running. Don't get me wrong, we need people who can work the political machine. We need people who can talk to City Hall and keep the money flowing, but they need to be firemen at heart. Masterson is a politico. From his heart to his horns, politics are all he cares about. His only reason to be with the fire service is to rack up some brownie points. There's no military service these days, so you have to build your 'great and honorable' history somewhere. That's all he sees the fire service as. A tool to build the background he thinks he's going to need to run for mayor someday."

Will shuddered.

"And that'll be a dark, dark day. I don't even want to imagine what it would be like having someone like Masterson as Mayor. It's bad enough having Jackson the Cat right now. That moron can't see past his own whiskers. Masterson would hang the city out to dry if he thought he could make a penny off it, and he'd reshape it in his own image if he had the tools."

Anne slid a hair closer to him. He could feel the brush of her pale fur against him.

"But this evening is not about the others, my pet." Her finger came out to trace a line down his chest. It left him trembling. "It's about you. And what you choose to do."

Will cocked his head. "What do you mean? I'm just a dawg. I just do as I'm ordered."

She laughed softly.

"No, I don't think so. That's not the type of man who interests me. Submission is part of life in a pack, but so is dominance. I do not spend time among people who can not achieve their goals. What is it you choose to do, Will? How is it you make the world around you better?"

Will sat for a long moment, watching the slow crashing of the waves in the darkness.

"I do what I can," he said at last. "It's not much, but I do what little I can to help my brothers in the department, try to hold back the damage Masterson does."

"You mentioned someone... Davies." Her voice was soft, as if she was carefully teasing information out of him. "Who is that? Someone special to you?"

Will chuckled softly.

"You could say that. Davies is my best friend. We've known each other forever. I'd do anything for that cat."

There was just the softest intake of breath from her. "Oh?"

Will blushed. "It's not like that..." His blush grew. "Well, it's not... I'm not... He is." He finally just rolled his eyes. "He's gay, but he's just my best friend. We're not like that."

She began to laugh. It was soft, but grew. Will's blush only continued to spread.

For just a moment he felt offended. Who was she to pass judgment on him, on his friends?

She slid closer still, leaning against him. Her arm came up to close possessively over his broad shoulders.

"It looks like I may have some competition," she whispered playfully. "Or perhaps someone to share with..."

Will's eyes widened.

She slowly ran her other hand down his chest, feeling the swell of his gut and the strong muscles underneath.

"You're just the way I like my men. Strong, but soft. Tell me about growing up. Tell me about meeting this Davies."

Will closed his eyes, enjoying the feeling of her hands on him.

"We were young when we met. It must have been in Jr. High." He fidgeted slightly. "I was still figuring out who I was back then. It was after school. I was walking home when I heard something happening in the alleyway."

Will took a deep breath, recalling the moment. It seemed easier with Anne so close.

"There were two of them. A hyena and a bear, I think. I'd seen them around in class but never knew their names. They were beating up on a scrawny little cougar."

"I never even heard what they were saying. All I could hear was the cat crying, calling for help."

Will paused for a long moment, shuddering.

"I just leapt right in. I'd never fought a day in my life. I just jumped on the bear's back and drove him to the ground."

A smile slipped to the dalmatian's lips.

"The hyena was a bit tougher. He saw me coming. I was down in the dirt with the bear, and the other bully was ready to jump me in turn. I got some backup from a surprising place. It seemed that little cat they'd been pounding into the ground for being a fag decided he'd had enough of it."

"I learned something important that day. Never get Davies mad. He managed to give that hyena a set of scars that stayed with him well past graduation."

"Anyway, that's how it happened. I saved a skinny little cougar named Davies from getting bashed. Neither of us had too many friends back then. We were a good fit. He was fast and popular with the ladies - not that he cared about that much - and I was the straight guy."

Will chuckled, realizing what he'd just said.

"From then on... well, we're just best friends. We've always been there for each other. I always wanted to join the fire department, and he came along with me. We graduated top of the academy. He's the best quick response man in the city, no one can scale walls like him."

"But I've heard that you've hardly gone unnoticed yourself," Anne said.

Will blushed.

"Me? I'm just a dawg. I just do my job. I'm not that good."

She let the point drop. Her hand running up and down his chest was enough to distract Will.

"Come," she said. "We have a reservation."

Will blinked. "We do?"

She just smiled.

Heading back into the city, Will was almost sad to watch the ocean disappear behind them. Anne led him through the streets.

Will had always been proud to say he knew the city inside out, but within minutes he was good and truly lost. The dog didn't have the slightest idea where he was.

Passing by a street vendor, they hardly seemed to slow.

"Pay the man," Anne whispered.

Without thinking Will had is wallet out. Seconds later his cash had been replaced with two wax paper wrapped packages. They were still warm.

Anne reached down to take one.

"Eat," she ordered. Her voice was soft, but it was an order nonetheless.

Will unwrapped his meal. He blinked.

It was a heart burger.

"How did you..."

Anne just smiled.

"I make it my business to know the lives of those I come in contact with," she said. Taking a bite out of her own, she smiled up at him. A moment later she licked his nose. "It's getting cold."

Will looked down at his burger, then into her green eyes.

He did as he was ordered.

Warm and soft, the burger was just as it should be. Far better fare than he'd ever have expected from a street vendor. It was gone in seconds.

She smiled.

"You do as you're told," she whispered. "You're a surprisingly good dog." She put an arm around his waist.

Another half dozen twists and turns and they stood in a small alleyway, half choked with garbage.

"One of my favorite places in the city," she said with a mischievous smile. "It doesn't look like much on the outside, but that's only because the proprietor knows his clientèle. We enjoy our privacy."

Knocking softly on the door, they waited, standing among the trash bags.

It was only then Will noticed that despite all the apparent garbage about, there was no stench. And it was all bagged up.

He raised an eyebrow. A moment's closer inspection and he began to wonder what was within those bags. They were piled too perfectly, too precisely. He began to doubt there was truly any trash about at all.

Before he could think any more of it a small viewport in the door slid open with a soft click.

"Password?" a gruff voice said. Will could only make out a pair of yellow eyes in the darkness.

Anne glanced over to Will, drawing out the moment.

"Know thy place."

The viewport slid closed.

For just a moment Will thought this was nothing more than a game, that they were to be left standing out here all night.

Then the sound of a heavy bolt sliding away could be heard.

Anne smiled.

The door opened on silent hinges. There was nothing but darkness beyond.

"Go on," Anne said, her tone unconcerned.

Will hesitated.

She cocked her head. "Don't you trust me, my pet?"

Will took a deep breath and stepped forward into the darkness, but not without hesitation.

The door swung closed behind them. It moved so quick and silent that Will almost felt as if a blindfold had been slipped over his eyes.

He could feel Anne's warm body pressed up against his back, smell her scent.

He focused on her scent, fought to keep calm...

And felt something being slipped around his neck.

A yip escaped his lips. Without thinking he fought back, struggled, tried to get away.

There was a growl of annoyance from behind him.

"Perhaps you are not yet ready," Anne whispered.

He felt one of her hands scratching him gently behind the ear. He could smell her scent. Slowly, ever so slowly, he relaxed.

"I'm sorry, Will," she whispered, voice so soft he had to strain to hear it in the close darkness. "You are not yet ready."

Yet still something remained looped around Will's neck. Reaching up a hand, he could feel a fine metal chain.

The whisper of another bolt moving and a second door slid silently open. This one led deeper into the building.

The soft touch of Anne's hand to the small of his back, Will began to walk forward.

He blinked.

The room they stepped into was large, at least a hundred yards square. A low ceiling and soft, indirect lighting made it seem even larger, as if it went on forever.

A dozen or so islands of chairs and tables were scattered about. Less than half had couples at them.

Will blinked again. They were not like couples he'd ever encountered...

Before Will could look any closer Anne took his hands and led him off to a secluded corner of the room.

Finally having a moment to glance down, Will saw the sparkle of gold around his neck. Anne had slipped a thin necklace of braided gold around him. There was a tab at the front. It had only a single word on it.

'Anne'

A moment later they arrived at their little corner of the lounge. Will cocked his head. There was a table and a single chair. And the seat was far too small to accommodate both of them.

Anne sat down, reclining back. She smiled up at him. The angle gave Will a more than perfect view of her breasts.

"Sit," she commanded.

Will hesitated. There were no other chairs.

"Sit." There was a note of annoyance in her voice when she was made to repeat herself.

Without thinking he sat right down on the floor at her feet. A slight 'oof' escaping his lips as his tail kinked beneath him.

She smiled.

Will was surprised to find how soft the carpet was. Certainly a step below any chair, but soft enough it was comfortable.

He smiled and looked up to her, lips parting in a slight pant.

"Good boy," she whispered, reaching down a hand to stroke him between the ears.

He leaned into her soft fingers, taking a simple pleasure in the touch.

"Take off your shirt," she whispered.

Will paused for a moment, looking around the room. Not a soul paid them the slightest bit of attention.

He smiled.

Reaching down, he took the bottom of his fire house sweat shirt in his hand and lifted it.

But stopped.

Looking down, he could see the soft flesh of his belly. It stuck out further than he liked.

He sighed and looked up to Anne.

Her green eyes sparkled.

"Come, my pet." Her words were soft. Unlike before, there was no annoyance in his hesitation to follow her command. "Let me see you."

Will took a deep breath and pulled his shirt up. It came easily, despite the sheen of nervous sweat that covered him.

He lost sight of her as he pulled the shirt over his head. A moment later he could feel her soft hands helping lift it free.

She giggled.

"My... what a manly one you are."

Will looked down at his chest. He'd never considered himself manly... he'd never considered himself much of anything at all.

Reaching out, Anne ran her hand once more down his chest. Will closed his eyes and lost himself in the feeling. Her fingers stopped just shy of his waistband.

"Such a nice piece of dawg meat we have here... Take off your pants."

Will's eyes went wide.

"Wait... here?"

Her hand hovered just above his waistband.

"Now..." There was a mischievous chuckle to her voice.

She pointed to two other couples in the room, seated far away. Will could just make out their various states of undress.

She scratched his soft underbelly.

"Take off your pants." This time it was an order.

"Yes... ma'am."

Reaching slowly down, he began pulling at the drawstring to his sweatpants. His hands were slick with sweat, making progress slow.

He stole a glance back up at her. She was watching him intently, but not the part of him he'd been expecting.

She seemed almost uninterested in his pants. She watched his face.

Will blushed.

Finally pulling the knot free. Will tarried for just a heartbeat, drawing out the process.

He pulled his waistband down a fraction, exposing his body, and the fact he wore nothing beneath.

He heard Anne gasp ever so slightly.

While Will might always wish he had more to show, he was comfortable in knowing he had at least as much as the average dog, if not a touch more.

Reaching down, she ran a hand through the longer fur surrounding his crotch, but never touched it.

"Oh my..." She let out a giggle.

Lifting her fingers to her nose, she took a deep breath, drinking in his scent.

Despite his best efforts, Will felt himself growing.

"Take them the rest of the way off," she whispered.

Moving slowly, Will slid his legs from the sweatpants.

"Now," she ordered, voice coy, "Pose for me."

Will blinked. "What?"

She smiled, showing her teeth.

"Pose for me, my pet. You're a big, strong firefighter. Show me your muscles."

Will's tail began to wag.

Standing up, he fought not to blush at the thought of everyone in the room being able to see him.

He stood before Anne as she reclined back in her chair like an empress.

Curling one arm, he flexed his bicep, making it bulge.

She smiled.

He brought both arms together in front of his belly, causing his muscles to show up in stark relief.

Her grin grew.

A moment of inspiration, he turned from her, squatting down, giving her a perfect view of his back and rear. He flexed.

He couldn't see her, but he was sure she approved.

Falling to the ground, the dalmatian began performing push-ups, moving slowly and deliberately. He would have gone faster, but his gut was in the way. Well, his gut and other things.

He shivered when he felt her hand run along his back.

"Oh yes, my pet. You'll do nicely."

Her fingers slid down under his tail and around to cup his strong rear.

No matter how hard he fought, Will couldn't keep his tail from wagging.

He continued to pose for her, letting her see more and more of his body, letting her touch and run her hands over anything and everything she desired.

But no matter how hard he tried to tempt her, she wouldn't touch the one part he all but begged for.

Panting heavily, Will finally slowed.

"Do I... please you?" he asked, tongue lolling out to the side.

She smiled. There was a hunger to her eyes now that hadn't been there before.

"Very much, my pet. Very much."

Reaching down, she grabbed him by the ears, one in each hand. She wasn't soft and gentle, but neither was she rough. Simply sure of herself.

She pulled him forward, pressing Will's nose between her legs.

Will took a deep breath, his head swimming. He'd have cursed the dress that still stood between them had he the air.

She let out a soft moan.

"It's been a long time, my pet, a very, very long time..."

Tongue slipping from his mouth, Will began to lick, fighting to seek out what hid behind the thin layer of fabric.

Then as quickly as it came, she pushed him back.

Will let out a whimper.

"Did I do something wrong?"

Her eyes were unfocused, as if she were looking at something far away. Or long ago.

"Anne?" Will's ears pulled back. He moved forward slowly, rising to kneel beside her. "Anne, are you alright?"

Reaching out, he set a hand softly on her shoulder. For just a moment there was no reaction.

A rose of pain exploded down Will's arm.

Crying out in shock, he pulled back, but couldn't escape her grasp. Anne held him, almost softly by the wrist. But yet Will's entire side had gone numb.

And Anne didn't even seem to notice.

A whimper escaped Will's lips. He had to struggle not to fight back.

"Please..."

Then, as if nothing had happened at all, she was back.

In a heartbeat he was free of her grip.

Will all but collapsed to the floor, cradling his side. Before he could take a breath she was next to him. Her hands were soft. Now, rather than numbing pain, her every touch seemed to sooth him, cool his screaming muscles.

"What... how?" He looked up to her.

Her clear green eyes were guarded.

"Take a deep breath." Will couldn't help but follow her command. "Now tense your arm. Good." She ran her fingers down his bicep. A moment later the last of the pain seemed to melt away.

He let out a sigh of relief before sagging to lie on the floor.

"How did you do that?"

A tiny, tight smile touched her lips. "A girl has to be able to protect herself, doesn't she?"

He took another shuddering breath.

"Not while I'm around," he promised.

Her smile grew.

Sitting on the floor next to him, she reached out, putting one of his strong arms over her shoulder. He tightened it softly around her.

"I didn't grow up around here," she whispered. Her voice was soft, almost conspiratorial. As if she feared someone overhearing. "Women like me need to be able to protect ourselves. Though most of us just..."

She stopped dead. Will could feel her going stiff.

"Just what?" he asked.

She didn't respond.

A moment later she struggled from his embrace, standing before him.

"Come, Will. I'll give you the tour."

Will blinked. He reached towards his clothing sitting on the floor next to him.

"You won't be needing those," she said, a chuckle to her voice. "At least not until we're ready to leave."

The blush nearly reached to Will's navel.

Reaching out, she took Will by the thin gold chain around his neck.

Will's ears pulled back at the sensation of being led, but he couldn't keep his tail from wagging.

They walked slowly across the large lounge. It was mostly empty, but a few other couples could be seen. Anne waved to the nearest.

A smile to her lips, Anne casually led Will to a pair of cats. They were seated on a long, soft felt covered sofa.

Not a word was said.

The woman was dressed head to toe in black leather, even her face was obscured. The man...

Will blushed again.

Well, he was wearing more than Will at least.

The male cat, a calico, was stretched out across the sofa, purring, his head in the woman's lap. He wore a pair of leather handcuffs and an extremely tight set of black briefs.

Will had to look away before his interest became too apparent in his current nude state. He wondered what it must be like to feel the tight black fabric against his own fur.

"Do you like what you see?" Anne whispered as she began to lead him off. "I can offer you many pleasures. I only ask for a single thing in return..."

Their next stop was a male gator and a female mouse.

Will's hands balled into fists.

The gator wore a pair of chaps. The leather covered his upper legs and waist, but left his crotch bare. Not that Will could see any of the man's privates. They were completely covered by the gagging mouse.

She wore casual business ware, seemingly at odds with everything else in this place. It took everything Will had not to leap forward and rip the gator's hands from her head. By the sounds of it he was all but suffocating her.

"Love can be rough," Anne whispered, running a finger up under Will's chin. "No one is here against their will..." As if on cue the gator removed his hands, setting them by his sides. The mouse never came up for air. She never moved from her lover, giving him everything she had.

This time Will couldn't even try to fight his growing erection.

He jumped when Anne reached down to toy with it.

"I see I have your attention."

A moment later they were back in their own corner of the room. It took everything Will had to stand impassively as she took a seat before him.

"Do you like what you see?" she asked, voice dead serious.

Will nodded.

Reaching out, she tickled his sack ever so slightly, just the most fleeting of touches.

Will let out a long moan.

"I only ask one thing in return..." she whispered.

Her finger slid slowly forward, touching the base of his penis.

"Anything."

"Anything?" There was an ice to her tone that gave Will pause.

A deep breath and he took a step back. He had to fight the impulse to feel her hands on him again.

"I... What do you want?"

Her eyes were cold, but a slight smile touched her lips.

"You pass the first test, Will. Only a fool would offer himself up without knowing the bargain. I do not suffer fools gladly." She sat back. "I can offer you quite a bit, William. The question is if you are worth it. And if you are willing to pay the price."

He narrowed his eyes.

"What do you want?"

Standing up, she stepped towards him, pressing herself against his chest.

Will took a breath, ready to push her away.

His will melted.

"You'll find out in time, my pet." She ran a finger up his bare chest. "Now get dressed."

Moments later they were back on the street. Will felt constrained and itchy in his clothes. The short time he'd been nude made putting them back on all the harder.

Once again hand in hand with Anne, the two of them walked back down the street, towards her apartment.

A flutter grew in Will's gut. He rather liked the idea of returning to her home. Spending some time alone with her.

Claws clicking softly up the final few steps, they stopped at her door.

She smiled.

"Goodnight, my pet."

Will's ears pulled back.

"But I was thinking... we could..."

She touched his nose ever so slightly, silencing him.

"No."

There was a long pause. He could see a glimmer of pity in her eyes.

"Not yet, my pet. Only those who can commit to me. Fully. You may very well be the one, but it's too soon to tell."

Stepping forward, she kissed him.

Closing his eyes, she was suddenly all there was to his world. The warmth of her body, the soft touch of her lips.

The feeling of her fingers sliding their way into his pants...

Will's eyes shot open, but he didn't see a thing. He couldn't move.

Drawing a deep breath, her scent mingled with the soft touch of her fingers as they wrapped around his ready length.

He couldn't move.

"Something to remember me by, William," she whispered.

As if by command his body convulsed, a thunderclap of need washing over him. It took everything Will had not to black out.

She withdrew her hand, fingers rising to her lips.

"Goodnight, Will. I'll see you again soon."

And then she was gone.

Looking down, a stain was growing across the fabric of Will's crotch. He blushed. It was a long walk home.

Chapter 5: Fire-breather

There was a smile on Will's lips when he woke the next morning. Even with a day of work ahead of him it never faltered.

The walk home last night had been an embarrassment, but it had been worth it. Even now he laid back and basked in the afterglow of that one moment.

His tail twitched at the thought of her soft fingers against his fur. Not to mention other parts of him...

With a sigh he rolled out of bed and started the day.

Still no food in the fridge, it didn't even slow him down, Will went straight to the weight set. Doing his normal exercises, he paused at the end and looked at his body.

His smile never flagged.

Ten more reps. He had to make sure he was in good shape for next time they met.

Lost in a warm shower, Will touched gently where her fingers had been. He wanted desperately to feel them again.

The slightest of growls touched his lips, sending the droplets of water dancing on his chest. He didn't know what she wanted from him, but he'd prove he was worth her time. He'd prove to her he could do whatever it was she wanted of him.

He'd almost swear he could still smell her scent on his fur.

Taking the long way to the station, Will swung by Davies' apartment. The cat was the same pay-grade as Will, but he lived in a higher rent district. Where Will saved his money, Davies spent every cent he earned.

His apartment was on the second floor of a building called Moreau Hall. Davies had moved in last year.

Will paused for a moment to hold the door for a brown furred wolf with his leg in a cast. The pathetic creature was dragging it down the sidewalk, hardly even able to walk.

"Thanks," the wolf said, stumbling forward.

Will took the stairs, leaving the elevator to the wolf. There was something about the other canine that sent alarm bells ringing. He seemed nice, but Will was sure the kid was a lightning rod for trouble.

Springing up the steps, Will wasn't even breathing hard as he stood before Davies' door.

"Oi, man! You in there?" Will had long ago learned not to knock. The cat ignored anything so polite.

There was a chuckle. "Yeah, come on in."

A moment later Will was in Davies' apartment. His nose twitched.

"Dude, did you..."

The cat just smiled as he wrapped a compression bandage around his still swollen wrist.

"What can I say?" he said with a smile. "One of the guys we rescued last night wanted to show me his gratitude." His grin widened, becoming predatory. "It wouldn't be gentlemanly for me to kick him out so early in the morning."

Will had to fight back the temptation to peek around the corner to see who was sleeping in the cat's bed this time.

Will just sighed and rolled his eyes.

"Come on Casanova, it's time to get to work."

"How's the hand?" Will asked as they neared the fire house.

Davies' shrugged. "It'll be okay. I was a moron yesterday, pulled a muscle when I swung my axe."

Will snorted. "You weakling. You just need to work up your muscles." The dog flexed. "You'll never see something like that happen to me."

Before he could back away Davies raised a hand to cup around Will's bicep.

"Ohh, me big strong 'ero, come to save me!" he said, laying on the accent thick enough to cut with a knife. "Whatever would I do without you to save me?"

Will gave him a playful shove. "You'd have to look out for your own furry behind is what."

The cat grinned, fangs showing. "I'll have you know a lot of men would be more than happy to look at my fuzzy little behind, thank you very much!"

It was a rare clear day as they stepped up to the fire house. The sun was shining, a clear breeze was rolling in off the coast, and the world seemed a good place.

Then they heard Masterson's voice.

Will sighed. Davies gave him a pat on the shoulder.

They began to make out what the bull was saying as they got closer. Not that it helped it make any sense.

"What in the gods' names am I paying you for? You can't even clean up the place! That's your job! I don't care if you're a firefighter. You're the night shift. You're the cleaners. Clean!"

A growl began to grow in Will's chest.

The captain of the night shift was a panther named Jim. He was a nice guy.

This was not going to end well.

Neither Will nor Davies could make out Jim's response. They didn't need to.

The panther stalked past them as they crossed the threshold. Jim hadn't even bothered to remove his uniform.

"He's all yours," the panther spat.

Will stopped dead, his eyes going wide.

The night shift at fire house six was among the best in the city. And they had Jim to thank for it.

Will reached out a hand, setting it on the panther's shoulder.

"What happened?" Will asked, trying to keep his voice calm.

All Will got for his trouble was a sucker punch to the gut.

"Get your hands off me, you boot licker! You're his lackey, you're the guy who made it possible for him to get this far. Here's your reward. You can deal with the night shift now too!"

Even doubled over in pain, Will held up a hand to keep Davies from leaping in.

"Jim... wait..."

By the time Will could stand straight again the panther was gone.

"Frig."

Will didn't even bother entering the station until he got his breath back. He would have to be ready for whatever it was Masterson was going to send at him next.

A deep breath, with a tickle still pulling at his lungs, he walked once again into the station.

He glanced over at Davies. The cat had gone on ahead. He didn't look happy.

Climbing the stairs to the second level offices, Will did his best to put on a calm face. He'd learned long ago that it did no good to take Masterson head on. The department would be just that much worse off if he sacked Will too.

The door to the bull's office was closed.

Heaving a sigh, Will sat down at his desk. Just a glimmer of his previous good mood shone through. Maybe, just maybe, Jim would come back. Everyone - even Masterson - knew how good the panther was. No matter what had happened it couldn't be worth running him off.

Will looked down at his papers.

He rolled his eyes, but smiled anyway. The stack of work to be done was as thick as his arm.

It was another two hours before Masterson's door finally opened. The bull no more than poked his nose out.

"Hamish. In here. Now."

Will sighed. Here it was.

Shuffling his papers away, Will walked slowly into the Chief's office. The room was as meticulously clean as last time he'd been here.

"Why aren't your men doing their job?"

Will blinked. Masterson was getting right to it. Whatever it was.

"Pardon?"

"Why aren't your blasted men doing their bloody jobs!"

Will took a seat across from the bull without being asked.

"They're firefighters," Will said slowly. "We've been putting out fires. What else were you expecting us to be doing?"

Masterson narrowed his eyes.

"The rumor is that the Mayor might be doing a tour of the fire stations. Why aren't your men cleaning?"

Will had to fight back a laugh. "Cleaning? We already have likely the cleanest station in the city. What more do you want from us? We've been run off our feet. There have been more fires this last week than we normally have in a month!"

Masterson didn't even skip a beat. "That's not my concern. Your men aren't doing their jobs. You can play with your fires. That's your concern. I need to have something I can show the mayor."

It took every ounce of strength Will possessed not to snap in the way he imagined Jim had.

"We're... firefighters..." he said slowly. "Not cleaning staff."

For just a moment Will almost saw a man behind the bull's arrogant mask. For just a moment he almost saw someone real.

"And that's all you'll ever be." Masterson's tone was softer than Will expected. "You're just jakes. You don't see the whole picture. Who do you think signs your pay cheques? Who do you think pays for all your equipment? The government. The Mayor. If you want to keep working you need to keep up appearances. You can go off and fight your fires, but you need to keep the money flowing. You're too disconnected from the real world. That's why you need me."

Will grimaced. It felt like the bull was shoving a lemon down his throat.

"And what about Jim?" the dog whispered.

A flash of pity could be seen in the bull's eyes, but it was gone as soon as it appeared.

"Sometimes people have to leave. He wouldn't do his job, so he had to go. Maybe he was a good firefighter - I'll never know - but he couldn't follow orders. If I tell him he needs to make the wagons shine, I need a man who'll make the wagons shine by the time I come in the next day. He didn't."

Will had a sinking feeling.

"Who's taking over the night shift?"

There was a long pause. Will could hear his teeth grinding together.

"You seem to be doing a good job with the day shift..." The bull raised an eyebrow.

For perhaps the first time in months Will sat up straight.

"No."

Masterson's brow went higher.

"No," Will repeated, voice growing stronger. "I'm already working overtime. There's no way I can manage another shift."

Now a smile slipped to the bull's lips. "What about that cougar? David, Donovan..."

"Davies," Will gritted out. "He can't either. He doesn't have the command training."

"Such is the pity," Masterson said, a chuckle to his voice. "Ah well, I'm sure we'll think of something. Now, we have today to plan out..."

Half an hour later Will was sitting back at his desk, wondering what had happened. They still didn't have anyone to manage the night shift, and on top of it Masterson expected Will and his crew to get the station ready for a possible surprise inspection by the Mayor.

Only through sheer force of will did the dog had not to start banging his head against the desk.

Why, he asked himself, do I get myself into these things?

Much to everyone's relief, Masterson decided to take the rest of the day off. He was out the door long before lunch.

And, better yet, the day was looking quiet. Not a single fire had been called in.

It took an hour of convincing and coercion before the men were polishing the station. Everyone was happy to keep things in order, even go above and beyond when they had the time. But after what they'd all seen Jim do, no one was in much of a mood to bow to Masterson's orders.

But Will had a secret weapon.

The promise of entertainment that afternoon got everyone whipping out their buffing cloths in record time.

Perhaps entertainment was a bit of a strong word, but everyone was happy to take their minds off Masterson. And training was always time well spent.

The large back lot behind the fire house had originally been earmarked for use by a police station, but it would have made too much sense to have the fire and police so close together. The police had pulled their forces back into the main HQ and only placed small community stations around the city. But they'd never sold the lot, hence a large, scrubby patch of land, just ripe for the purpose.

The fact the police had constructed the concrete framework of a building before pulling out made it all the better.

"What do you think, Davies?" Will asked, eyeing the structure.

The cat snorted. "You have to ask? If we'd had proper ladders yesterday we would have done the job in half the time."

Will grunted. He remembered that conversation. Masterson had steadfastly refused to purchase even a single ladder wagon as long as they had men who could climb. The bull didn't quite seem to be able to wrap his head around the idea that a firefighter could climb up a wall easily enough, but not many men or women could climb back down while carrying a panicked civilian.

"Do we still have those old ladders stacked up in the back of the hall?"

The cat smiled. "Under about a foot of dust."

Twenty minutes later everyone was milling about the back lot. The only staff still in the station were waiting for calls. Will knew from experience that a fire always broke out in the middle of a training exercise.

"Alright folks," Will hollered, trying to be heard over the general conversation, "Fall in line. This isn't a social call!"

There was a touch of grumbling, but all of it good natured. Masterson would have been yelling obscenities and threats. Will got everyone moving just by asking.

"We've got something new here," the dog said, trying to pitch his voice a touch lower than normal. It was amazing what you could get done if you just sounded dominant. Dogs reacted automatically, felines... sometimes. "It's been a long time since we've done any training. And longer since we did any exercises with ladders. It's time we brushed up."

The cats in the crowd snickered. Ladders had long since earned the nickname 'dog bone'. All the non-climbing species used them, but the dogs had become most associated with them.

For once Davies was showing a glimmer of leadership. Perhaps because his wounded hand prevented him from getting in the exercise himself, he was ordering a squad to drag the ladders out from the station.

Three, varying from two meters to ten, they were all made of strong, fire treated wood. A cloud of dirt flew up into the air where they dropped.

Will shook his head. Half the crew looked like they'd never seen a ladder in their lives. The dog still had to ask what in the gods' names they covered back in training.

"Why would we need that?" one of the engineers asked. "The cats handle getting to the upper floors. It's always worked before."

Will sighed. "But we don't always have a climber when we need one. What if we get into a situation where we need to evac two dozen civilians from a fourth floor window? We don't have enough climbers to deal with that, and the time it would take to run everyone down the zip lines would get people killed."

The rat shrugged, ceding the point.

The next part was one of Will's favorites. It's not often he got the chance to set a building on fire.

The concrete husk of the unfinished police station had been set alight dozens of times before, covering it nearly from foundation to crown with scorch marks. Will planned to add a few more today.

Stacking up wood and dousing the whole place in kerosene, he reached down to his belt to pull out a road flare.

"Frigging..."

Only then did he remember he was in his sweats, his proper equipment still in the station.

"Looking for this?" Davies asked, holding up a flare of his own.

"How do you do that?"

The cat just smiled. "I've known you too long. Care to do the honors?"

A snap-hiss and the flare was alight. Will tossed it atop the nearest pile of wood. It went up in seconds, trails of kerosene leading off to the other piles.

"Alright folks," Will called as soon as he'd made it back out of the building, "We're doing mixed teams. One climber, one non. I want to see folks who haven't worked together before. That's what training is for!"

There was a collective groan as people were forced to make teams outside their own species. Will and Davies were an oddity - in more ways than one - in the department. It was hardly official, but most groups tended to stick along species lines, or at least along genus.

In due time everything was off and running. That gave Will the cover to sneak off while Davies supervised.

Training was good. Training with a reward at the end, that was better.

Few foods from before the Cataclysm had managed to survive. But pizza was one of them. The food seemed to be the Teflon of the culinary world, all but impossible to destroy.

Not to mention the range of toppings available meant you could get a pizza that would meet just about anyone's tastes.

The guy at the counter looked like he'd stepped in front of a charging horse when Will placed the order for twenty extra-larges, but was more than happy to oblige when Will handed over the cash.

The fact the money was coming from his own bank account made it slightly painful, but it wasn't worth the effort to fight with Masterson over it.

Loaded down with food, Will left the pizza parlor with a lighter pocket, but happier.

Everyone knows the reaction you get when you walk into a room carrying pizza. Now imagine a good thirty firefighters, exhausted from a morning's training, picking up the scent of fresh pizza over the stench of burning kerosene.

Will smiled. That was exactly the reaction he'd been looking for. They'd been moving fast before, but the promise of food, and the fire was put out in record time. People who'd never climbed a ladder before were scaling them like monkeys.

And the monkeys were already reaching for their slice of pizza.

Davies was by Will's side a moment later. He had a slice of steak and pepperoni. Trust a cat to dive into the meat lover's.

"Keep this up and you'll spoil them," he said around an over-sized mouthful.

Will grinned. "I think they could use some reward after putting up with Masterson for so long. With the way things are going around here we'll have to do our best not to lose any more folks. If any more people like Jim walk out we'll be in serious trouble."

Davies just grunted.

Lunch was a surprisingly calm and relaxing affair. Sitting out on the scrub grass, the department formed a circle around the ever dwindling boxes of pizza. For the first time Will could remember, everyone was smiling.

Oscar was chatting with one of the scouts about finding the hydrants ahead of time on the next call, and Davies was chatting up one of the engineers about getting the ladders in play.

"Thanks, Sir."

Will had to look about to find who spoke to him. It was the horse he'd helped out a couple of days ago. He still couldn't remember the young man's name.

"Don't mention it," he said with a grin. "It's worth the cost."

The horse blinked. "The food budget isn't covering it?"

Will snorted. "There's hardly enough money in the budget to pay for beans and rice, likely pizza. This one is my treat."

The horse smiled. "Thanks."

Trying not to be obvious, Will squinted to read the name tag on the horse's uniform.

"Don't mention it, Zack. I'm just doing my bit to be a good part of the team."

Another couple of hours passed. Lunch was long gone, and the team was back to training. Will left command to Oscar. The old goat wasn't the perfect leader, but getting him comfortable in the role was all part of the exercise.

Back to his office in the firehouse, there was a spring to Will's step. He was smiling. For once things were going well. All they'd had to do was get Masterson out of the building.

His thoughts drifted back to last night, and Anne...

A blush coloring his cheeks, Will reached down a hand to cover his crotch. Anne was not a good person to think of while he was wearing sweatpants.

The papers covering his desk were mundane. Will worked through them, a purely mechanical action leaving more than enough time for his mind to wonder.

What if he'd promised Anne he could show the commitment she was looking for?

Just how much commitment did she want?

How much was he willing to give?

His hand slipped up to rub his nose. It had still been itching, but not so badly now as it had been. He could almost imagine he could still smell her scent.

He sighed.

Looking out the window, only now did Will realize evening was upon them. The shifts were changing.

Almost as if on cue Davies wandered in, already changed back into his street clothes.

"Still wrestling with the paper tiger?" the cat asked, picking a sheet off of Will's desk. "It's all just dead trees to me."

Will rolled his eyes. "And that's why you're not doing my job."

Davies was about to retort when he stopped dead. A moment later Will could hear it too.

They stared at each other.

Moving slowly, they walked side by side to look out the front windows.

"Frigging..."

Coming down the street, a mob of at least a hundred people... the only word Will could come up with was flowed. They just seemed to flow towards them like a dark, oncoming tide.

Will glanced to Davies. "Make sure the main doors are closed. We don't need them coming in here."

The cat was gone in a heartbeat. Soon after Will could hear the creek of the big main doors closing. He had no doubt they'd be locked tight soon. This may be no police HQ but it was built to at least be able to keep the occasional person out.

Folded arms on the windowsill, Will stood and watched.

"So this is what it's come to."

The dog nearly leapt out of his spots when Oscar stepped up beside him.

"I thought you were long gone," Will said.

The goat pulled a face. "I should be, but I was cleaning up after the exercises today. Seems like you're making an instructor out of me."

Will wanted to smile, but the sight of the mob growing ever closer robbed him of something so simple.

Seemingly in no time at all they were at the doors.

Will heaved a sigh of relief when they kept on walking. It was short lived though. The mob just seemed to keep on coming and coming.

He didn't even know what they were protesting.

There were chants and catcalls, but no matter how hard he tried, Will couldn't make out what it was they were so worked up over.

He glanced over to Oscar.

"You don't know?" he asked. The goat seemed to have aged twenty years in the blink of an eye, weariness pulling at him.

Will shook his head.

"I guess you're just lucky like that," Oscar said. "My kid, he's in on it. I had to forbid him from going out at night any more. It's a foolish thing to start with at all if you ask me."

"Your kid? I thought he was only thirteen."

The goat shuddered. "Yeah, he is."

"What are they protesting anyway?" Will tried to puzzle out the catcalls and slogans the mob called as they stumbled past. Most of it sounded more like drunken caterwauling.

Oscar shrugged. "They need something? As far as I've heard it's the humans."

Will cocked his head. "The humans are causing this?"

"Hardly. It's the humans they're trying to run off. No one quite seems sure why. Sometimes it's that they cost the government too much, sometimes it's that they're wrong. Last theory I heard was that they were an evolutionary dead end and should be put out of their misery."

Will sighed. "It's always fun to beat up on the little guy. Isn't the police force supposed to stop stuff like this?"

Leaning forward, Oscar scanned the street below. A moment later he pointed to a shadow across the road.

Will frowned.

Hidden, all but invisible in the darkness, stood a police dog. If anything he was the most picture perfect example Will had ever seen. Not a hair out of place.

And he just stood there, watching. Not doing a thing. Will would almost swear he wasn't even breathing.

"What in the gods' names is tying their hands?" He thought back to the dog he'd befriended at the fire. Will frowned. "I'm guessing they've got their own problems."

Oscar sighed and turned to walk away.

"I'm getting out of here," the goat said, voice soft. Will could hardly make it out over the din of the mob outside. "You want to lock the back door behind me?"

Will had to fight back a growl.

"I'll do better. I need to get out of here too."

Two blocks down, Will would almost swear there wasn't a mob running roughshod over the streets at all. Over here there wasn't a shred of evidence anything was wrong.

"You want dinner?" Oscar asked. "It's on me. The missus is out working tonight, and I'm not making a meal for that ungrateful kid."

Will shrugged. "Sure."

Ten minutes later they were sitting on a bench in the middle of the food district. Will had his perennial heart burger and Oscar was holding a taco the dog would swear was filled with cooked grass.

"How do you eat that?" Will asked. "Gods, it smells like lawn clippings."

Oscar just grinned and took a bite. The filling fell down his shirt. "I could ask you the same, carnivore." He said the word like an obscenity.

Will shrugged. "If the gods hadn't intended for animals to be eaten, they wouldn't have made them out of meat."

He smiled at the grimace he got from Oscar. The two of them had been doing this back and forth for years.

Forcing down a swallow, Oscar managed to speak again around his meal. He had to fight to be heard on the noisy street. The night was still young and people milled about them like sand in a storm.

"Did you see the latest procedure updates to come in today? They were straight from City Hall."

Will shook his head. "Too busy... Wait, how did you get them before me?"

The goat raised one hand and wiggled his fingers. "You have to ask? Nothing gets past me. I get my fingers into everything."

Will rolled his eyes and sighed. "Fine, sticky-fingers, what did it say?"

The smile fled from Oscar's lips. "You'd best finish your meal. I don't want you choking."

Will scowled and set his burger in his lap.

"Say it."

Oscar took a deep breath. "New priority, by order of City Hall, his honorable Mayor's office. Here forth and immediately, all new fires are to be re-prioritized. Top priority is to be given to government buildings and institutions," Will nodded, that was normal, "Second is to be given to critical infrastructure, third to..."

"Just get to it," Will muttered.

Oscar rolled his eyes. "Of reduced priority are any buildings, businesses, or infrastructure owned by humans."

Will cocked his head. He'd heard the words, but they just didn't click. He couldn't wrap his head around what the goat had said.

"Seriously?"

Oscar shrugged.

"Seriously?" Will repeated. "We're supposed to know who owns everything? Gods, whose fool idea was this?"

Parting ways with Oscar, Will started off home. He got a block and a half before realizing his condo sat on the other side of the ever present mob.

And the mob had grown.

Heading north, he tried to skirt the drunken hooligans, but every time he thought he'd managed to find their edge he always ran into more.

A growl pulled at the dog's lips.

"Hey, buddy, ya got a drink?" One of the mob tried to reach out to him, as if welcoming him into their ranks.

"Not for you," Will snarled, fighting not to spit.

It was an otter. For a long moment the other man seemed not to even register what Will had said.

"What are you?" the otter said at last, his voice a single long slur. "You ain't one of those monkey-bangers are ya?"

Will took a step back. He never backed away from a fair fight, but this was nothing of the sort.

"Hey! Get back here! I'm talking to ya!"

Turning down a side street, Will tried to slip away, to disappear into the shadows as the police dog had.

He, unfortunately, hadn't the same training.

"Get back here, ya mutt!"

Ten strides down and Will turned. The otter, staggering and barely on his feet, was hot on his heels.

"Go home, friend," Will said, fighting to keep his voice calm. "You're drunk."

He didn't even get a warning before the otter's fist flew through the air towards him.

Will's arm shot out.

The shock of impact ran down the dalmatian's arm as he took the force of the otter's clumsy and drunken blow.

A growl hovered just behind Will's lips.

Arm drawing back, Will could smell blood when his fist hit hard against the otter's muzzle. The protester was flat on his back a moment later, falling bonelessly to the ground.

Will fought to turn, to simply walk away. There was nothing more to be gained here...

Instead he followed the otter down, kneeling on his chest. Will could hear the other man's labored breaths.

"You think you're so strong, chanting and breaking windows when there's no one to stop you?" he whispered, lips an inch from the otter's rounded ear. "It's not the humans that are the dead end here."

Raising his fist again, Will cuffed him hard against the side of the skull. The otter's eyes rolled up into the back of his head. He was out cold.

Will looked down at the creature. He had to fight back the urge to spit.

Another ten minutes and Will gave up. Despite his best efforts the mob was between him and home. He'd have to dive through it.

Squaring his shoulders, Will walked briskly towards the knot of people. The mob wasn't very deep, but it seemed to snake through half the city.

He raised an eyebrow as he noticed yet another police dog skulking in an alleyway. The officer looked about as happy about the mob as Will did. They shared just a split second glance.

And with that Will stepped into the mix.

The smell of alcohol was all but overpowering. If Will didn't know better he'd had thought every single person was running on pure ethanol.

Getting through them was - rather to his surprise - easy, not a soul stopped him. They just kept drinking, kept yelling, kept staggering down the street in some animalistic, some gods' damned foolish, plan.

Will pressed through them, in one side and out the other in little more than the blink of an eye.

The rest of the walk home took only moments. Will kept looking over his shoulder, kept nervously glancing back. It was times like this he was glad his parents were dead.

Closing his eyes, Will sighed.

Up to his second floor condo, the keys jingled as he unlocked the door. He slammed it behind him in an effort to block out the city.

And realized moments later he still hadn't a scrap of food to eat. The pizza from lunch was long gone, and he brought nothing home.

Taking a seat by the front window, Will looked out over the city. He watched people scuttering up and down the street, watched the stars so far above, and heard the not so distant chanting of the mob.

Will closed his eyes.

What in the gods' names was going on? Why weren't the police stopping this? This was their job. Every police dog Will had ever met was more competent than he had any right to expect. He hadn't a doubt it would take no more than a dozen officers to quell the entire riot.

They could have it wrapped up and the instigators in jail in under an hour. Why weren't they?

He closed his eyes. The fire department had orders to treat humans like second class citizens. It had come straight from the Mayor's office.

This was an anti-human riot.

The police weren't doing anything about it.

Chapter 6: Rescue and Recovery

Will's alarm went off the next morning. The reinforced, steel clock bounced when Will hit it. It kept ringing even after it had rolled to a stop in the corner of the room.

Will opened his eyes and stared at the ceiling, counting his heartbeat.

Ninety-nine... one-hundred...

He took a deep breath, he didn't want to get up.

The silence of the room was almost overpowering. There was no cheer or jeer of the mob just blocks away. There was... nothing.

Sitting up slowly, he nursed a sprained wrist. Taking the otter down last night had been an automatic reaction and he was paying for it today.

Nude, Will stumbled slowly to the front windows, eyes still blurry.

A savage yank to the cord and the blinds were whisked away. The morning sun was far, far too bright on his eyes.

The dalmatian's lips pulled up in a smile nonetheless. There wasn't a protester in sight, nor did an ugly plume of smoke stain the horizon.

An hour later Will stepped out into the fresh air. His fur was still disheveled and he'd skipped both his morning shower and exercises, but he was at least dressed. It wasn't the brief fight that had taken so much out of him, but the endless night and thoughts rolling over and over in his mind of where the city was headed.

He sniffed. Will's keen nose could pick up the scent of foul bodies, vomit, and the general funk of the city. He didn't smell any blood.

But he did smell the cat.

Davies stood at the foot of the stairway down from his condo. He looked, as always, pressed and perfect. He glanced over his shoulder as Will approached.

"Morning."

That alone stopped Will dead. He'd expected a quip, a soft jab at having slept in. Something.

The fact Davies' barbed tongue came so mild told Will everything he needed to know.

"That bad?" The two of them began walking side by side in perfect time.

Davies' shrugged. "Define 'bad'. If by bad you mean fires and death, we didn't have much of that. If by bad you mean a half dozen human businesses torn open and the owners chased into the forest... yeah."

Will didn't respond for a long moment.

"Why humans?"

Davies' shrugged. "You're asking the wrong person. To me they're just hairless apes with a recessive gene. But if you need someone to blame, they're good as anyone else."

"Blame for what?" Will hissed, fighting to keep his voice down as they walked. "What's there to be rioting about? Nothing's gone wrong."

Davies' just looked over to him and raised an eyebrow.

"We need to get you away from the fire station more often." The cat refused to say anything more.

A moment later they came to a stop in front of a take-out place, Will's favorite.

"I'm paying today," Davies' said. "The usual?"

Will looked at one of the heart burgers, made up as a breakfast.

He sighed.

"No. I'll just take an apple."

Davies had looked surprised at the news of the riots. Now... now he looked shocked.

"Seriously? What's gotten you so..." His eyes widened. "Who is she? Tell me!" In a heartbeat the cat's hands were around Will's lapels. "Dude, tell me! Who is she?"

His hands fell a moment later when the gold chain Anne had given Will a night ago slipped into sight.

A curse escaped Davies' lips.

"Who in the gods' names is 'Anne'?"

Will snatched the chain from Davies' hands. "None of your frigging business. She's a... friend."

The cat's expression changed from shock to a mischievous grin.

"Woohoo, old William is back in the dating game. This will be awesome. When do I get to meet the oh so lucky lady?" he jibed. They were back off walking down the street, breakfast long forgotten.

"No time soon, if you keep acting like this," Will muttered. "And you wonder why I don't introduce you to people."

The cat put a hand over his heart and feigned horror. "You wound me! I'm great around people."

Will shot him a glare. "You're great around men you want to drag off to bed. Everyone else... not so much."

Will almost flinched when Davies' set a hand softly on his shoulder.

"Man, you know I'm here for you. If you really like her I won't mess it up for you. I mean, come on. You've always been there for me. How many times have I come to you, bawling my eyes out after a breakup? I'm here for you."

Will smiled. An honest smile.

"Thanks." He shook his head and chuckled softly. "But you're not meeting her. Not yet. She's... she's special."

Stepping into the fire house, any personal conversation came to a close. It was clear they'd had a busy night. The fact Jim was gone had only made it worse.

It took Will a good ten minutes to track down the interim shift head. The horse who'd been saddled with the job looked like he'd just gone through the worst ten hours of his life.

The horse handed Will a stack of papers as he made a beeline for the door.

A long sigh and Will sat down at his desk, flipping through the reports.

He had to fight back the impulse to start smacking his head against the worn wood of the desk. Last night had not been good.

At least there hadn't been any fires of note.

But there had been seven calls to rescue stranded people, three calls to assist paramedics, and a call to double check a ransacked human business to ensure there was no fire hazard.

One night had been busier than their average week.

Will looked up when he heard familiar hoof falls on the stairs.

A moment later Masterson walked in, a wide smile on his face and a spring in his step.

Will shuddered. Such was rarely a good sign.

"Morning, mutt," the bull said as he strolled past to his office. "A grand day, isn't it?"

Will blinked.

"If you say so... Sir."

Despite his better thoughts, Will stood up and poked his head around the corner into Masterson's office. The bull had a briefcase on his desk and was busy loading it up.

"You're in charge today," the bull said over his shoulder as he dropped another stack of papers into his briefcase. "I've got more important things to worry about." Will just cocked his head. "I'm off to City Hall. The Mayor wants to have a talk with me." The bull flashed a hundred watt smile. Will would have bet money he'd just had his teeth cleaned. "I see good things in my future... perhaps even a chance to get away from this dump."

There was a long pause. For perhaps the first time Will could remember Masterson seemed to realize he'd stepped over the line.

"I'm sure it's a good enough place for you," he said, fighting to bring back the easy smile to his lips. "You were born for this type of thing. Spitting on fires and running about. It's in your blood. Me? I'm meant for greater things. And the Mayor knows it."

Will coughed and glanced away, managing to hide his look of disgust. The only thing he could imagine the bull being suited for involved waste processing.

"As you say, sir. I'm sure it will be an... eventful meeting." A moment later he added, "Does it have anything to do with the new orders that came down last night?"

"What new orders?" Masterson looked genuinely confused.

Will gave him a quick recap of the anti-human initiative that had come down last night. Much to his surprise Masterson looked honestly shocked.

"They're prioritizing our workload now?" the bull asked. He'd stopped piling papers into his briefcase and leaned back against his desk.

Will shrugged. "It would seem so."

Masterson's brow pulled down. "We'll see about that." For just a moment Will felt a kinship with the man. "It's my decision what calls we respond to, and in what order. I don't care if it's humans or the gods know what else. It's my choice. I won't let a building burn to the ground just because it's human owned." His scowl deepened. "How would that look in the papers? The fire department can't let folks think we're incompetent. Humans or not, I'm not letting the papers claim I can't run this department."

Will sighed. For just a moment he'd thought Masterson cared about saving lives. All the bull cared about was what the headlines read the next morning.

"As you say, Sir," Will responded. The bull's heart may not be in the right place, but if anyone could maneuver City Hall into rescinding the directive it was Masterson.

Thirty minutes later the bull was ready. Twenty minutes of that time had been spent polishing his horns and straightening his suit.

"You're in charge, Hamish," he said, stepping out onto the street. "Try not to burn the place down, eh?"

Will didn't say a word, but both Davies and Oscar had colorful things to mutter under their breath.

The next two hours were about as calm as one could hope for. A cat got himself stuck in a tree. They dispatched an officer to get him down. The kitten's parents showered the department with praise for rescuing their son.

Will smiled. Some days things aren't so bad.

The alarm box rang.

Will muttered out a curse.

Dragging the city map over his desk, the dog began tracing a finger down to the location of the fire... a shirt factory on the far west side of their territory.

"Suit up, fellas," he called. "It's showtime!"

They were ready to go in less than two minutes. Will's foot was out the door when a second alarm began to ring.

Now he began cursing at full volume.

"Hold up," he yelled between gritted teeth. "Team one, continue on. Oscar, take the call. Team two, Davies, stay here."

Sprinting back up to his office, Will once again began tracing a finger down the map. The ringing of two different alarms was near deafening.

"Ancle neighborhood, Ancle... where in the gods' names is..." This time the cursing was loud enough to hear down the street.

It was a human neighborhood. And on the east edge of their territory.

Running to the inter-station call box, Will smacked the 'Assistance required' button. That should start an alarm ringing in the station closest to Ancle.

He waited for the response.

One ring back and they could handle it. Two and they couldn't...

Ten seconds... twenty... sixty...

Will began to sweat.

There was yet another alarm going off from the first fire. Team One had reached it. They needed help....

The other station rang back.

One ring... two.

This time Will didn't even swear.

Back on the main floor, Will sprinted for the door.

"Team Two, let's go. East."

Just before he left he grabbed one of the support officers by the shirt.

"Send runners to the off-duty fighters. We have an emergency on our hands. Get them in here."

And he was gone.

The Ancle neighborhood was at the very edge of fire station six's territory. It took them a good fifteen minutes to get there, even at a dead run.

At least it didn't take long to sight the fire. The black clouds that bellowed up were easy to spot.

The fur on the back of Will's neck began to stand on edge the closer they got to the blaze. It felt like a ghost town around here.

There should be people in the streets, there should be civilians gawking, folks running the other way.

There was nothing. Not a soul to be seen.

The clap of their footsteps were loud on the pavement. Will's tongue was lolling out as he sweated under his equipment.

"Davies," he managed to yell. It took everything he had to keep his voice strong. "Get me a situation report."

Davies was more of a first responder than a scout, but he was the best they had. The cheetahs that normally filled the role were on team One.

"In like Flynn," the cat said with a grin. He sprinted forward, easily out pacing the rest of the team. In only moments he was around the corner and out of sight.

Less than a minute later Will heard a familiar yowl and swearing.

The dog gritted his teeth. That was not a good sign.

The rest of the team rounded the corner in good time. They made it all of ten steps before screeching to a halt.

The street was clogged with people. None of them human.

Will was familiar with pushing his way past crowds, it was almost second nature by now. And Davies hardly even noticed them.

This... this was not the normal crowd of onlookers. They didn't part as the team neared.

The smell of alcohol was strong in the air as they pulled together, blocking the entire street. One look at the mass of bodies and it was clear as day this was the same mob from last night.

Will narrowed his eyes.

"Move aside." His voice was strong, well practiced. He'd been clearing streets for years, never once had a problem.

The mob didn't move.

Will glanced over to Davies and jerked his head. The cat was off again, searching for a side street.

"Move aside," Will repeated. "We have a fire to put out."

A pig stepped forward from the crowd. He wore a white wife-beater of a shirt, stains under the arms.

"Ain't nothing worth saving, mutt," he said, voice slurred. "Just garbage down that way. Good riddance I say."

Will had to claw back the impulse to leap at the man.

"Do you have any idea what you're saying?" Will's voice was cold as ice. "There's a fire. People could be dying."

The pig smirked. "Nah, not people."

Davies was back a moment later. He gave Will a single tap on the shoulder.

One last glare at the mob and Will raised his arm. The team was off again, this time heading down a narrow side street. There were only inches of clearance for the wagons.

Will could smell the smoke.

He'd been counting the seconds the detour cost them. Then he stopped counting to keep his heart under control.

If the mob was still there when they were done they'd discover just what it meant to keep them from a fire...

Busting once more out onto the main street, Will got his first good look at the situation.

His ears pulled back.

"Good gods..."

The building had, at one point, been three stories. A nice place too, by the look of it. Now... now it was little more than a flaming wreck. The entire structure had been wood. And not even treated lumber unless he missed his guess.

The building had been three stories, the flames reached five.

"Get your tails moving, folks!"

Davies dashed out, finally able to do his job. He was out of sight in seconds.

With no engineer to lead the pumper team, Will had to fight his urge to follow the cat.

He was needed more desperately here.

"Fire plug. Half a block west. Go." He pointed at the horses who'd pulled the wagon. They were off in a flash with the hoses, reeling them out in their wake.

Less than a minute later Will heard the metal on metal shriek of them hooking up to the hydrant.

"Get the wagon ready. I want two teams ready. We've got two hoses, I want to see them spraying now!"

The team wasn't clockwork, but it was more than Will had any right to expect. He had less than half the men he should.

With a boom the first hose came online. The water was on the flames soon after.

"Will! Here!"

Davies' voice was enough to cut through the bedlam.

Will didn't run. Now that they were here there was no reason. He had to be in control. Or at least look like it.

"What's the situation?" the dog asked.

Davies was in the alleyway next to the burning building. The better part of a dozen men and women were huddled there.

They were all human.

Will's eyes widened.

"What in the gods' names are they doing here? Get them away from the structure. It could come down any time."

Davies gave him a sour expression.

"Fine, smart dawg. You try."

Stepping up to the first of them, Will put on his professional face.

"Come with me. You're being evacuated."

The man was soot stained and bloody, but he didn't move.

"No. If we go out there we're dead."

Will narrowed his eyes.

"If you stay here you're dead. I'm ordering you out." He debated just smacking the human over the head and carrying him to safety, but there were too many of them.

"You're with the government," the human said, his voice trembling. "You'll make us disappear... just like everyone else."

A growl slipped into Will's words as he knelt down. "I am a firefighter. It's my job to save lives. As for humans..." He leaned forward until his nose all but touched the man's. "My mother was human. If you accuse me of being a speciesist I'll smack you upside the head until you think you're a chipmunk."

For just a moment the man was speechless.

Taking the hand of the woman behind him, they sprinted towards the street. Making a beeline to stand next to the pumper wagon. The rest of the humans followed behind.

Davies set a hand on Will's shoulder.

"A diplomat as always. At this rate you should run for mayor."

A venom filled reply about the mutts who ran the government was on the tip of Will's tongue when the sound of cracking wood came from above.

"Frigging!"

Five seconds later the two of them were sprinting to the safety of the street like their tails were on fire. It wasn't so far from the truth.

The three story structure was quickly losing its integrity. The entire left side of the building began to shudder, ash and timbers falling to the ground. Not five feet from where the humans had huddled a flaming support beam slammed into the alleyway.

"Where in the gods' names is my water?" Will yelled as he skidded to a stop next to the pumper wagon. The horse manning it only nodded to him as he readjusted his aim.

Will whispered a soft prayer as the building began to shift. He knew what was about to happen next...

Holding his breath, it almost seemed to happen in slow motion. Another shudder wracked through the structure. A shower of burning sparks flared down, raining like an apocalyptic snow onto the building next door.

Then, almost gracefully, the structure collapsed.

The sound of it crashing down was near deafening, but Will didn't hear it.

A cloud of dust and ash bellowed towards them, racing along the ground. It hit Will flat in the face a moment later, all but blinding him.

He began walking forward through it, not even able to see a hand before his face.

"Folks," Will's voice was far calmer than he felt, "We are not in the damage control business. Get your tail the hell into gear."

The sheer force of the building coming down swept the dust and ash away. A heartbeat later Will could see the flames.

They'd spread down half the block.

Will felt helpless.

Davies was gone, sprinting out to check the new buildings for any trapped civilians, and only the gods knew where Oscar was with team One.

Surrounded by his fellow firefighters, all friends, Will felt alone as he shouted out orders.

"Get the north wall under control! If that loses any more it'll collapse too. Why in the gods' names are you still standing here? Move!"

A hastily sketched out map lay spread out across the wagon bed before him. The little lines that represented walls were becoming fewer and fewer.

Will stopped dead.

Head snapping around, he turned to catch a flicker of motion he'd seen from the corner of his eye.

An entire squad of police dogs stood down the road. Between them and the mob.

Will's gaze connected to the lead dog. The officer nodded, but he didn't take a step.

Will sighed.

They were in this alone.

Turning back to his sketch, he wiped away the ash that had fallen upon it, leaving ugly smudges where there should have been clean lines.

"Frigging mutts," he whispered under his breath.

It took over two hours to contain the flames. At the cost of four buildings.

Will could only thank the gods that they had all been abandoned.

His sketch was nothing more than scribbles and smears now, but it had done its job. He balled it up and tossed it over his shoulder.

"Let's end this," he muttered.

Davies looked up from where he'd collapsed on the road next to him. The cat could move fast, but he didn't have the endurance to last through the long calls.

Grabbing a nearby hose, Will began trudging forward. The flames were contained. Now they needed to be put out.

Footing was perilous on the debris, and more so dragging a hose behind him, but Will continued onward.

Around him the men and women of the team lay exhausted. The team was too small, and the call too long. They weren't trained for this.

The flames roared up before him as Will crested the final broken and shattered husk that had once been a wall. The heat made him sweat.

Gritting his teeth, he manhandled the hose into place.

Steam belched up as he doused the flames. He could hear the hot metal shrieking as it cooled.

A second time, and a third, Will staggered from one hot spot to the next, dousing them. His boots sunk into the mud and ash, making every step an exercise.

A feral grin edged to his lips as he approached the final fire, the one that had caused all this to begin with.

Will unleashed a torrent of water on it. It was dead in seconds.

"Good riddance."

Leaving the hose where it lay, Will made his way slowly back to the pumper wagon. He waved once at the police dogs. They started forward, walking in perfect formation.

Will already knew what they'd find. All he needed to know now was if they'd report it.

"Jakes, sound off!" Will called. After a fight like that he wanted to make sure he hadn't lost anyone.

He let out a sigh of relief when everyone on the team checked in.

"Let's get this packed up," he said, nudging Davies with a toe. "Time to head home. It's up to the boys in blue now."

Davies muttered something incoherent, and likely obscene, before yawning, stretching, and struggling to his feet.

"I'm up for anything that gets me a shower," the cat said before beginning to pack his kit.

Fifteen minutes later, team Two was gone, heading back to the fire house. That left Will and the police dogs.

Will had to squint to make out the name tags on the dogs' uniforms, but he wasn't surprised to see Elm leading the pack.

"Long time no see," Will said, working up a smile.

The cop simply nodded. "Good day, Officer Hamish. Please stand aside as we perform our investigation."

Will simply crossed his arms and leaned against a wall on the far side of the street. This would be telling.

The V-town police force was many things, but never inefficient. It took them less than half an hour.

Will glanced up when Elm stepped his way.

"Please sign, Sir." The Shepherd's voice was tight, the words grinding from between his lips.

Will glanced down at the clipboard. He sighed.

"No."

Will watched the police dog's face carefully, looking for the slightest spark of surprise. There wasn't one. The other dog simply looked tired.

Turning, Elm dismissed the other officers. They scattered to the four winds almost before the words escaped his lips. It was clear they wanted to be anywhere but here.

Elm leaned against the wall next to Will.

He pushed the clipboard back to the dalmatian.

"Please sign off on the cause report, Sir."

Will didn't have to take more than a glance at the paper. He knew it was wrong.

"You wanted terrorists," Will said. "Well now you've got them. This was no accident." He paged through the scrawled writing. "How in the world did you come up with 'faulty wiring'? A blind man could see it had been set. Just outside the back..."

Elm cleared his throat, cutting Will off as he glanced about nervously.

"I'm sure I haven't the slightest what you're talking about, Sir. The fire was obviously accidental. It had nothing to do with the current demonstrations."

Will could hear the pain those words sent down the policeman.

Reaching out, Will set a hand on the man's shoulder. "Let me guess, you had your orders on exactly what caused this fire before you ever got here. Right? Just like how I had my orders about what caused the last one?"

The dog looked away.

Will forced the clipboard back.

"I'm not signing. You can send it down to the station tomorrow if you want it so much. I'm sure Masterson will sign off on whatever it is the powers-that-be want, but I won't."

Will wasn't sure what the other dog's reaction was going to be, but he was surprised when he got a smile.

"It is unfortunate that we can not come to an agreed conclusion." The police dog's words were hard and formal, but he grinned. The idea of being able to mail the report to the station obviously took a weight off him.

Turning, Elm took one last look at the ruined buildings.

"And there wasn't a single soul in them?" Elm asked.

Will nodded. "Yep."

"Where in the gods' names have all the humans gone?"

The walk back to the fire house was long and grueling. Will didn't even bother trying to avoid the mobs that snaked through the city. They all let him pass, even the one that had blocked him previously. It was obvious he wasn't off to save any humans, so they paid him no mind.

Was it just Will's imagination, or were there even more mobs than last night?

The sweat had pooled in Will's boots while he'd been fighting the fire. Most of it had drained, but there was still enough to leave his toes damp and mood black.

And above and beyond that he knew something was wrong the moment he turned the corner to the fire house. It was simply something in the air. Something he could taste.

And soon enough he could hear it too. Masterson. The bull was screaming at the top of his lungs. Will could hear it all the way out on the street.

Stepping through the front doors, Will made eye contact with the men still on duty. They all looked like they'd been browbeaten with a two-by-four. Will had no doubt Masterson had put them through the wringer.

Will took a deep breath and began stowing his equipment. He was in no rush.

"Hamish!"

Will hadn't the slightest how Masterson knew he was here, but the bull's voice boomed down to him.

Will pointedly ignored it as he carefully cleaned his equipment and set it away. Some things were more important than others.

Skipping his sorely needed shower, Will pulled on a fresh pair of fire house sweats and began climbing the stairs to the office level.

Masterson waited for him. And, surprisingly, so were Davies and Oscar. The cat and goat were sitting on office chairs while the bull paced back and forth before them.

"Get your spotted tail in here, mutt!"

Will narrowed his eyes and stepped forward.

"Yes?" was all he said.

"What in the gods' names is this?" Masterson pointed a finger to the big map. Two dots of red stood out on either edge of their territory. "What?"

Will cocked his head slightly. "We had two fires today."

"No," Masterson replied, his voice cold. "You had two responses today. That's not the same thing."

Will walked over to his desk, leaning on it. He'd have sat down, but his chair had been taken. "We had two calls. I tried to divert the second to the neighboring station, but they couldn't take it."

Will idly wondered if the bull's horns were capable of emitting smoke.

"Because they were following orders. You know full well that you were ordered to prioritize calls to non-human areas. The second call was in a human neighborhood. You should have let it burn. You had a more important call."

For the span of ten heartbeats Will didn't move. Then his ears began to slowly pull back.

"We had the report of a fire, Sir. We're fire fighters. I followed normal procedure and sent one team to each incident."

"In a human neighborhood!"

"And you would have had us ignore it?"

Will looked over to Davies and Oscar. The two men looked like they'd had the will to live surgically removed from them. Neither looked up.

"Do you have any idea how a fire works?" the dalmatian said, his voice cold. "Any at all? Any training? Ignoring a fire in an urban area doesn't just make it go away. It spreads! If I hadn't sent a team to that fire we eventually would have lost the whole district! Even as it was we were delayed and short staffed, causing us to lose a block!"

Masterson pulled himself up to his full height, towering over the dog.

"I'm confident the mayor's office knew what they were doing when they sent out the order."

Will simply stood there, motionless. Only the gentle rise and fall of his breathing betrayed the life within him.

"Then the Mayor and his office are all morons. And you," he added, voice mild, only the slightest hint of fire touching it, "Are an even greater fool. I won't let anyone, human or not, die on my watch. You can give whatever orders, make whatever proclamations you want. I took an oath to myself to protect my fellow man. And I'll do it, and I'll lead my men to do it, no matter what you say."

Will's words had been soft and measured, but Masterson's response was not so.

"This is treason," the bull hissed, leaning forward until their noses nearly touched.

Will stared into his eyes and blinked.

"Get out!" The bull's voice boomed, echoing off the walls of the office. "Get, you, you cur! Get out of my sight. I'll have your tail nailed to my wall before I let you try to usurp me."

Will cocked his head.

Leaning forward himself, he could feel Masterson's breath on him.

The words Will whispered made the bull go bright red.

Chapter 7: New Boundaries

The conversation downhill from there.

Storming out of Masterson's office, he ripped off his firehouse sweats. The shirt landed on his desk as he passed by, and the pants in the face of some unlucky firefighter. Under other circumstances Will would have expected catcalls as he walked, fur out, onto the street, but it seemed no one wanted to get within arm's length of the snarling dalmatian.

And both Oscar and Davies were nowhere to be seen for the rest of the shift.

On the street, Will was no longer a fire fighter. He was no longer a government employee, he was just another dog, just another of the countless citizens who streamed through the city. He never even gave the ever growing mob a second thought. They didn't bother him, though that may have been in part a result of him snarling every time a soul stepped within five feet of him.

He wasn't sure how long he wandered the streets, but the sun was well down by the time his condo came within sight.

His tail fell to hang between his legs. He still had nothing to eat.

Stepping once again onto the street, Will pushed his anger aside. Whatever may be happening, life still went on.

And he still had to eat.

An hour later he had two brown paper bags under his arms. It had taken him the better part of a week, but he'd finally held true to his promise to himself to stock up on food.

For just one day at least he'd eat properly.

Waking up, curled on his side, the slightest of smiles slipped to Will's lips. The soft summer sun fell warm and yellow through the window. For the first time in memory he didn't wake up to a blaring alarm.

He blinked. Alarm? He was forgetting something...

Closing his eyes again, Will let out a whimper. Masterson.

Will wasn't sure if he still had a job to go back to.

He closed his eyes and tried to drift off to sleep.

Coming Soon from Jaffa Books

For More See JafaBooks.net

Author's Note

Wow, my first major commission. And it's 60,000 words long. I don't do things in half measures!

So first off a big thanks for Fyrdawg, without who this story wouldn't exist in the first place. Fyr, you've been a pleasure to work with, and here's hoping you enjoy the story!

Next, for those of you who have read this far and wondered 'what?' when the story came to a close, don't worry, you'll be seeing Will again soon. Very soon if I have my way.

When I finished writing the Hunters series I never expected to return to V-town. I created the world to focus around the story of Tommy. English, Rebecca, and Jon each got their spin off, but Tommy was very much the center of The Hunters.

Looks like he'll need to share the spotlight now!

I was overjoyed when Fyr approached me to write a companion series to The Hunters. I gave his character Will a cameo in The Diplomats as a thank-you for helping me proof an unrelated story. I had no idea at the time that he'd want to follow it up with a full series!

So here we are, and the end of Fire Branded Leather, book one of the Fire Dog Trilogy. With little bit of luck you'll be seeing the next book soon!

This was also my first book that had some serious firepower in the proof-reading department. I'd like to thank all the awesome people who helped whip the book into shape. Any remaining typos are totally my own fault. I hope I didn't forget anyone! (In alphabetical order)

Fallacy / GamingWolfBeta

FenrirWolf

ParadigmLion

RedDogDingo

And thanks to Negger for the great cover art!