2.23

“Why are the three of you here?” Jimena asked. Jimena stayed where she was and looked down on her former team. There was a different air about her, but Hunter couldn’t quite place it.

“We want you to come back into our team,” said Silas.

“We need your expertise,” said Gauzelle. Jimena was staring Hunter down, and he matched her.

“What does he want?” Jimena asked.

“I’m right here. Ask me yourself,” Hunter and Jimena continued to glare at each other.

“Do you want me back on the team?” Jimena asked.

“Yes.”

“Why?”

“You’re a part of the team. It doesn’t feel complete without you. And…” neither broke eye contact. “You’re a friend.” Jimena came down from the fire escape and looked her old team over.

“All right.”

“On one condition,” said Hunter.

“What’s that?” The two now stood close, sparks flew between their eyes.

“Violence, is never our first option.”

“Yeah, okay.” Jimena put her hand out and Hunter took it. They broke eye contact at the same time.

“We’re all together again,” Silas cried out. He reached out to embrace everyone, but they all stepped back at the same time. Silas fell to the ground.

“What have you been up to?” Gauzelle asked.

“There’s been attacks on pet shops as well as some disappearances. I think they’re linked as most of the disappearances have been people who own pets.” Jimena stood forward from her group and eyed the streets.

“Anything else?” Hunter asked.

“Yeah, Bulldog says ‘hi’.”

“You work with him?” Hunter asked.

“Tried to, he’s too much of a showboat. Not worth the time.” A sharp tone was obviously laced in Jimena’s tone.

“So…How do we go about trying to solve this problem?” Silas asked.

“I don’t know. They don’t teach this sort of stuff at school,” answered Jimena.

“I’ve watched a lot of movies. It can’t be too hard, can it?” Gauzelle asked.

“Experts exist for this sort of thing. Not just anyone can do it,” said Hunter.

“Start at the scene of the most recent crime,” said Gauzelle. She started to walk down a street, a spring in her step. “Let’s go to a pet shop.”

“Wrong way. The most recent attack was this way.” Jimena took the lead in the opposite direction of Gauzelle. Gauzelle unravelled herself and snaked in and reformed to be in step with Jimena.

The pet shop was a stout building squeezed in between to blocks of flats. The flats were both a dark red brick and the pet shop was an off cream. There was a board in place of one window and bars in front of the other. The front door hung on its hinges and graffiti sprayed in red covered the building, saying things like:

‘Free the animals’

‘Nobody should own a pet’

“Somebody doesn’t like pet shops,” said Silas. The group walked into the shop; the door fell of the hinges as Gauzelle opened it.

“Sorry about that,” Gauzelle said as they approached the counter. The shop owner was an elderly sheep. A large golden hoop earring hung from each droopy ear and an oversized purple hat with yellow polka dots covered the eyes.

“An animal person running a pet shop…weird,” Silas whispered to Hunter.

“Shh.”

A balding parrot stood on a perch near the front door and a lizard slept on a rock in a tank.

“How can I help you?” the sheep droned. The voice carried a weary tone.

“This fine establishment was recently attacked,” Gauzelle sauntered up to the counter and put her elbow on the counter. “Is that correct?”

“Yes. What’s it to you?” bleated the owner.

“Me and my crew,” Gauzelle fanned her hand out to the trio behind her. The owner leered over Gauzelle’s shoulder and took them in one by one. “Are interested in this case because people have started to go missing. There’s strong evidence that the recent string of pet shop attacks and disappearances are linked.”

“What makes you say that?” the sheep asked.

“I can’t tell you that. That’s classified. Did you see anything on the night this place was attacked?” The other three watched Gauzelle with curiosity.

“Well, I do remember seeing a strange silhouette. Didn’t look human or animal. The movements were janky. Like one of those marionette puppets. I followed on at a safe distance, curious to see where it would go.”

“That was very brave of you. And where did this strange being run off to?”

“It stopped over a manhole cover, looked around and jumped in.” The pet shop door opened, and the sheep looked past the group to see who the potential customer was.

A misty-blue housecat and jittery looking man in his young twenties had entered the shop. The man eyed the group off and was ready to walk back out, but the cat crossed in front of his legs.

“Oh, all right.” The squeaky tone to his voice grated everyone. The man turned back around and approached the counter with the owner and Gauzelle. The cat leapt up his back, walked over his shoulder and leapt onto the countertop.

“When did this pet shop get attacked and what did you see?” the man asked.

“I’ve already been answering this group here,” the owner replied.

“Oh, okay then. Have a good day then everyone.” The man turned to leave again and Gauzelle could’ve sworn the cat gave her a death stare. The cat jumped down and walked outside after the man.

“Can you show us which cover they went down?” Gauzelle asked.

“I suppose I could do that. Follow me.” The pet shop owner walked out of the shop and the group of four followed.

“We’re being followed,” Jimena informed Hunter.

After a short walk, the pet shop owner stopped at a sewer cover in the middle of the road.

“This is the one, I’m sure of it.”

“Thank you so very much. Hopefully, we can bring an end to these pet shop attacks. You continue to have a great day.” Gauzelle shook the pet shop owner’s hands and the sheep walked away.

“You were great in there,” Silas beamed at his teammate.

“I know.”

Jimena and Hunter lifted the cover together. Jimena climbed in first, followed by Gauzelle, Silas and then Hunter.

As the group landed the short distance from the bottom of the ladder onto the walkway path next to the flowing sewage, two shadows dropped in behind them.

“What are you doing here?” The two groups asked simultaneously.