Ch. 04: Night Terrors

The rat was very happy to see his godfather still here, "Frank!" Jacob leaned over the counter to give the old hippo a firm hug.

Frank chuckled, "Goddamn, I didn't think I'd ever see your face crawl back in here again, Jake! And who are these lot here?"

Jacob introduced his new friends, "Frank, this is Jill."

The young ferret was certainly shocked to see the rat actually knew someone here, but quickly perked up and smiled as cutely as ever, "Hey!"

He pointed to Jon, "That's Jonathan and this is-"

"Desiree Braun!" The beaver introduced herself with a sassy head twirl that sent her straight brown hair flying over her mannish shoulders.

Frank scratched head and he chuckled, "You're back in town and already made new friends! I told you, Jacob. You got a magnet in you, son! You just attract people anywhere you go!"

The rat laughed, "Yeah, and you're never wrong are you, Frank?"

The hippo grinned, "I try not to be, buddy."

Jill nudged Jacob, "You didn't tell me you actually knew people here!"

Jacob shrugged, "To be fair, it's really only Frank here. So, Frank, all this new young scattered ass, huh? They just had to make you look even older, right."

The hippo grunted, "Right, they got me makin' fancy cocktails and usin' fancy ice and marshmallow-flavored vodka. I ain't complainin' though! The pay's still good, and I got more eye candy than ever!" The hippo laughed, "So what can I do for ya?"

Jacob was about to order when Jill spoke up, "Excuse me, rich girl! I'm paying for everyone here, so you all can just go crazy, on my dime!"

Frank chuckled, "Got yourself a real firecracker, eh, Jake?"

The rat shrugged, "Guess so..."

...

Meanwhile, upstairs in the same club, Jimmy was chilling with his forever suffering partners.

The bat downed himself a tequila shot, "Orale!" He shouted as he felt that good burn.

Matt groaned, "So, what the hell are we even doin' here?"

Jimmy looked at the impatient badger, "Mattie, I told you! I'm followin' a hunch! If this rat's buttin' in on Jerry's businesses, then that's where we gotta go to intercept him. Lips Sealed is just two blocks down from here, so it stands to reason he'd be workin' down the line!"

Carrie scoffed, "Yeah, Matt, don't you see the flawless logic in his reasoning?"

Jimmy became indignant, "Hey, I'm not seeing you coming up with any better plans, can ya please just let me have this?"

The roo girl smirked, "Sure, sure, just don't expect any when we get back, babe."

The bat glared at his girl, "Are ya still steamed about Cherry? I told you, we're split, that was the first time we've even talked since we broke up."

Carrie glared back, "You still seemed pretty chummy for being broke up, babe."

Jimmy sighed, "Alright, you're gonna be this way..." He got up, his mood sufficiently ruffled by his girlfriend's passive aggressive attitude.

Matt watched Jimmy walk away before he spoke to Carrie, "Carrie, come on, you're gonna be like that? You could clearly see how uncomfortable Cherry was being around us, especially the two of you. I would hardly call that bein' chummy."

The roo girl stayed scornful, though, "Yeah, only because the bitch knows she's not the one riding his lap these days. Sore fuckin' loser, you hate to see it."

The badger groaned, "Whatever..."

Jimmy fumed while he stood at the window of their second-floor loft, looking down over the rest of the club. The bat cussed to himself, "Fuck me..." when he was sure he saw their quarry. He called to his partners, "Hey! I think that's our rat down there!"

Both Matt and Carrie joined Jimmy at the window. Both looked out where he was pointing.

There they saw Jacob. The rat was just introducing his new friends to the fat hippo behind the bar.

Jimmy let a devilish grin split his face as his scarlet red eyes began to glow, "The plot thickens, compadres!"