David and Donavonn reclined casually as they awaited a call from the courthouse. They were wanting to take in some bounty hunting, but so far, little has turned up. Imagine their surprise when a femme cougar walked in. "Excuse me, but I need some help."
Cheshire and Donavonn sat up. "Okay, have a seat and tell us."
"My name is Celeste Tilden, the wife of Charles Tilden, the politician." Cheshire had heard about him. "Very conservative, wants to end any and every form of public service in Cumbria?" Celeste nodded. "That is him…and what I need to ask of you is very important. I need you both to check on my husband. He has been more aloof, distant, and hasn't been home for days. I suspect he is cheating on me. If so, I need to know with whom."
Donavonn looked her over. She was pretty, and it lead him to ask what a dame like that was doing with a sleaze ball like Charles Tilden in the first place. Celeste then added, "I can pay you both if you wish."
Donavonn replied, "That won't be necessary. We'll look into it. You have kids?" Celeste nodded. "Three of them." Donavonn shook his head, thinking only how Tilden was hurting them with his possible actions. "Where is he usually?"
Celeste replied, "He is usually in the political district this time of day. I would like to accompany you as you seek him out." Cheshire motioned for Donavonn to speak in private for a moment.
"Donavonn, we aren't P.I.s, we're bounty hunters. You sure about this?" Donavonn nodded. "Tilden is far more of a slime bucket than you know, Chesh. I will explain more later, well, Maxwell will, anyway." Cheshire gulped. Maxwell was a scythe in Donavonn's closet. "We'll begin right away, Celeste. We'll start in the Federal District and go from there." Donavonn first went to get a duffle bag from the closet, and then headed out with Cheshire and Celeste.
It took a couple of hours, but soon, they located Charles Tilden at a café in the federal district. A woman in a long trench coat, her features obscured by her clothing, greeted him. Celeste was in disbelief, as he let the woman into his car, and they began to drive. "Who is she? She looks familiar, but I don't think Charles ever made mention of her."
Cheshire, Donavonn, and Celeste tailed him discreetly, careful to keep a couple of cars between them and the vehicle they were following to avoid detection. Whoever was with him was covering her face, taking care not to be seen by the public. Donavonn explained, "She claimed to have been a burn victim, and since no one would think to look under the mask." Celeste looked to Donavonn. "And you would know this, how?"
"By reading his lips. But tell me, what kind of upstanding politician takes a burn victim he just met to a private room like where he is headed?" The room was in a seedier side of town, in a love motel where politicians aren't likely to tread. "So, how do we get in there?"
Donavonn grinned. "I will sneak in from below, and you sneak in from above. I will get Celeste and my duffel bag, and I will be there before you." Cheshire grinned. "Right, let's go, Kookerloo!" With that, the two were off, to see just what Tilden was up to.
Donavonn, with Celeste and his duffel bag in tow, arrived first, careful not to tip their hands. They each listened in carefully, hearing the unmistakable sounds of Charles Tilden having more fun with than he should be with a woman that wasn't his wife. He even called the woman's name as he did.
"Geraldine.."
Celeste, for her part, was in utter disbelief. "No…no no no no…"
Donavonn put a hand on her shoulder as tears streamed down her cheeks freely. "Kill him, Donavonn, I don't care anymore. This…this is unforgivable." Donavonn then asked another question. "Know anyone named Geraldine?" She nodded. "There was one, a Geraldine Wickliffe, but I heard she died in prison, and her corpse….oh my god…" Celeste put a hand over her mouth. "I help take care of my husband's finances and noticed some money missing…now I know where it went."
It clicked as soon as Donavonn heard it. "You think he helped her escape?"
"It would explain a lot, Donavonn. Unless he met another Geraldine, which I doubt. But why? Why would he forsake me, and the children we had…?" Donavonn closed his eyes. "I don't have that answer, Celeste. But let's see his reaction when you and I walk in on him in the middle of THAT!"
With that, Donavonn and Celeste snuck into the room. Tilden and Geraldine were far too distracted with what they were doing to notice that either of them had come in. Meanwhile, Cheshire was coming in, careful not to raise any alarms, with Kookerloo in tow. He came using the rafters as a means to infiltrate without being seen.
Wow, those two are really going at each other! Looks like Dona and Celeste have arrived…wait a sec.
He heard something. The sound of someone walking on the rafters with him. We're not the only ones here. He saw a woman on the rafters, seemingly undoing the bolts on one of the beams. She peeked up and saw the Cheshire Cat staring at her.
"Don't step on that-"
No sooner had David done so, than he fell on top of Tilden. Tilden yelped in agony, while Geraldine commented "Wow, that was an even better thrust than usual." She then yelped when she saw a blade at Tilden's throat, and a section of her fur getting shaved by a scythe (pulled out of Donavonn's duffle bag).
Chesh looked under Tilden. "Wow, who is this fugly thing? I heard of getting beaten with the ugly stick, but the whole damned forest?" Donavonn stopped him. "No, she fell out of the ugly tree, hit every ugly branch on the way down, landed on the ugly ground, then hit ugly rock after ugly rock as she rolled down the ugly hill."
Celeste and David looked at each other, and applauded Donavonn, who bowed gracefully, as Cheshire added, "Good thing Chuck broke my fall. I don't want any of her ugly on me! But seriously, Chuck, you cheated on your wife with that?!" Celeste's eyes were wide in disbelief. "That-that is Geraldine Wickliffe." Cheshire added to it, as he asked "Shouldn't you be in prison with the rest of the CLF bitches?"
"Do not talk to me in such a rancid tone, young man."
"I will talk to you however I damned well please. Hey Dona, wanna check to see if she has nuts?" Donavonn grinned. "No need. I can tell she is a mangina." Tilden spoke, still in agony from when Cheshire landed on him. "I-I will make sure you never work here again." Donavonn grinned. "You aren't in any position to demand anything, of anyone, Chuck. So, is that dick a strap-on?"
While Donavonn continued to berate Tilden and Geraldine, Cheshire had Kookerloo go up to look around in the rafters to see if the woman that was there was still in the area. "Chuck, was that a cow or a jellyfish you were fucking? I can't tell." Donavonn then added. "An old friend of mine wants to meet you." Donavonn picked up the scythe that had attacked Geraldine earlier. "Geraldine, Tilden, meet Maxwell." All the color vanished from Tilden's face.
Cheshire grinned. "You remember Maxwell, don't you?" Geraldine had to ask. "What is he-"
"You are responsible for me, fucker. You turned me into this state, Chuckles, after I refused to help you kidnap that Princess you wanted me to. When you used that gem on me, you made me into this…"
Charles gulped as Donavonn continued. "Celeste, that money you couldn't account for wasn't just for Geraldine. It was also to help bail himself out." Then the scythe got dirt as well. "So this is the cheater, huh? Baby, I can take you 10 different ways, too bad you won't be alive for any of it." David cringed at the thought and noticed that Kookerloo hadn't returned.
"You guys keep at it, I am going to look for Kooks." When David found him, he was snoring next to two loaves of bread, sleeping serenely. "YOU DUMBASS!!"
"CHRRRRRMMMUUUUUUU~!" The bird jumped up, and flew to a nearby rafter, before attacking Cheshire. Cheshire barely had time to grab a loaf of the bread before Kookerloo attacked him, sending him back on the bed. Tilden and Geraldine had been forced up and were struggling when he landed.
"Chesh, quit antagonizing the bird and HELP ME!" Kookerloo was snapping his beak at Cheshire as Cheshire kept him back with his forearm. Finally, Cheshire stuffed a piece of the bread into Kookerloo's mouth. The bird gave up a happy sigh and fell over.
Donavonn looked over the bread. "Banana-Pine nut bread. Whoever brought this had birds in mind. Where did you get this?" Cheshire replied. "I found it in the rafters. Kookerloo was sleeping after eating some of it. I saw someone else there, a Cheunnrel -"
"Let me guess, purple with spots?"
"How did you-?"
Donavonn paused a moment, then screamed. "FUUUUUCK! FUCKFUCKFUCKFUCKFUCK FUCK!" Even Tilden and Geraldine jumped at this. "That was Morienda. More specifically Jazeya-Azlyn Elara Morienda. Fuck, I am in so much trouble. Go after her, Chesh. Marinnai or her (he wouldn't state who) probably sent her after us. Celeste, Maxwell, and I can handle this."
"OMNOMNOMNOMNOM, LET ME AT THAT HAIR X3!"
Chesh nodded, thinking only, It is better than sticking around Maxwell.
Cheshire began tracking Jazeya, but had no time for niceties. He had to run from rooftop to rooftop. Meanwhile, Jazeya was on the phone. "I found the source of our supernatural manifestations. It is Maxwell all right. VJ, Cheshire is chasing me."
"Good, I WANT them to know who sent you. Finish chatting, then lose the cat."
"Understood, VJ. VJ, looks like it is lights out for Tilden."
Cheshire paused as he caught up to her. "Who is VJ?" Jazeya grinned at the cat and replied, "That is not for you to know yet. NIIIINNNJAAAA HAWAAAAAYYYY!" With that, she disappeared behind a puff of smoke. And Cheshire could only think one thing.
She knows who we are, and so do her superiors. Well SHIT.
When Cheshire returned, the deed was finished, and Tilden and Geraldine both laid dead. "Donavonn, I lost her. What is worse, she was sent by someone named VJ." Celeste put a hand on both their shoulders. "We need to go now. I will cover some new suits for you, and get you both a proper payment. Let us never speak of this ever again."
"Agreed."
(After Celeste left)
"Okay, Donavonn, why the panic attack?"
"Jazeya is a member of the Federal Bureau of Valancian Investigations. I-I am a fugitive, David. I know I haven't been up front with you on it, but, I am. When the Bloodrage virus was killing people left and right, I murdered some of the King's Guard after they were raping women in a survivor's gathering in one of the villages. I didn't tell anyone I was leaving, Chesh. Not VJ, not even the woman who was a mother to me!"
Chesh
paused. "VJ was the person who issued the order." Donavonn
gulped. "We are fucked. We are so fucked…she is the leader of
Valancia Island. Damn it, Chesh, you should have stopped her!"
"I
had no idea Jazeya was so fast! How was I to know?! It is my first
encounter with them. All we can do now, Dona, is bide our time. Our
problems may well be just getting started." Donavonn gulped and
nodded, as Maxwell added, "If and when they find you, I don't
want to be in your shoes, Donavonn."
"I am afraid it may well be too late, Chesh. I think you may be in as much danger as I."
End, for Now.