Emap Ch. 02

"I would say I will take over cleaning but lord I have not cleaned a house since I left here. Antonio do you have any coca cola?" He turns to look at me then nods and pulls two bottles out of a big metal box that sounds like a fridge. "It's been rather quiet so far, is it only bad at night or did I come on a bad night?"

"The days are pretty good, once the sun gets into sunset mode however the freaks come out and play as it were. Generally most of the residents are nice enough, when they get home and get some beers in them it gets nasty." Tony says after opening the bottles and taking a sip of one.

"Not every night either most nights I can sit here all night simply listening to the radio and feed people." Antonio says as he puts two baskets in front of us.

I look in my basket it is simply a huge burrito and some chips, I pick up the burrito and take a bite. I smile at Antonio, meat everywhere with some tomato, onion, peppers, and beans. Tony next to me takes a huge bite he sits there chewing for a while then swallows.

"Antonio man I swear you keep getting better at these, so come on fess did you finally start ordering the better meats." Antonio grins then shakes his head.

"Nah man Maria figured out how to get the meat to be soft and tasty dropped the degrees by about fifteen and cook it the little extra." He goes back into the fridge comes out with a can called Pepsi then sits down in front of us. "Maria should be here soon, get to close up and go home."

"If you are open all night would it be good with you if I drop by for snacks, if it gets bad at night I expect I will be out then in fur. You can bill the police, the mayor set up a fund for my needs."

"Chica if you want you can sleep on my cot I have a police scanner in here so you can simply sit around here waiting for a call."

"Antonio are you flirting with every pretty little thing that comes around again?" We all look as a short woman gets out of her car and storms over.

"Maria no dear this is Tony's new girl, we are simply getting to know each other while I wait for my only love." Antonio holds his hands up backing away.

"Hi Tony, you really should let your woman unpack, the bed is no problem but a suitcase hanging open in the spare bedroom is no way to treat her." Maria says giving Tony a hug then smiling at me.

"Sally brought those over for me to wear last night I'm not sure am I borrowing them or is she not in need of them?"

"You know I'm not sure we can ask tonight at the barbeque. Does add one thing to our list of places to buy from, gotta get another dresser unless you want to hang everything in the closet." Tony shrugs at me Maria is looking back and forth mystified.

"No I think everything but that one long dress will be fine folded into a drawer. We need to add one more place to the list as well you desperately need better looking dishes."

"I have been telling him that ever since we helped him move into that apartment." Maria says with a laugh. "Though why did you have to borrow clothes, I know L.A. is bad but lord they don't normally strip you of all your bags."

"I got in town with no clothes, being furry and wearing clothes are not things you do together." Maria's jaw drops at my words, she leans against Tony.

"Maria no talking about it, we want to keep her incognito." Tony says under her grinning at me.

"Hello?" Tony says into his phone after he manages to get it out of his pocket on the third ring. "Yeah she's right here we are having breakfast, at Antonio's yeah there. No I took my car why." Tony looks at me then Antonio. "Turn the scanner on."

Antonio goes in the back pulls out a small black box sets it on the counter then turns it on. At first it is just a buzzing noise then a voice comes through reporting a turf war. Gunshots come through in quick succession, I look at Tony he is talking into the phone.

"Got it yeah we are listening to it, no I don't think she will mind, roll swat anyway they can mop up. Because we aren't done shopping, she's talking dishes and shit, hell no I don't mind the perks are awesome. She bought an Xbox, the new one wait until you see the dresses. Oh ask Sally if we borrowed the dresses, fuck no not right now later. Yeah she is going now, yeah go on over there if you drive slow enough it should be over." Tony hangs up plays with his phone for a moment then points.

"Here come around to the back you can use the dumpster gate for cover." Maria says after I look around for a place to strip.

I hand her the dress, panties, and shoes then start running in the direction Tony pointed hoping he is better at it than Derek was. In just a few seconds I start hearing gun fire, the smell of death comes on strong. Fear is prevalent in the scents it seems all of them are afraid, except for one man. I stop atop a house overlooking the gunfire I see perhaps ten men on one side holding off perhaps twenty on the other side. The fewer men are hunkered down behind flowerpots and a large concrete fountain.

I look around to find the one not scared man below me hunkered behind a car. Two more of the large group to my left go down, one not making a noise but adding to the smell of death, the other screams and rolls around holding his belly. I jump down next to the one not scared man he looks at me scared for a moment then realizes I am not a wild animal.

"Holy fuck Jaguar you scared the fuck out of me. I have a report swat will take another five minutes to get here, they had to get outfitted. We got five more patrols on the way the first will not be here for another thirty seconds if not more. Happy to meet you at least, I got assigned to your task group I was on the way to the station to get my desk and get situated when I ran into this shit." He says his voice contained with only a slight waver to it.

"Well hold off on the getting acquainted part, if you have a voice cone use it and tell them to give up I am here, stay here I will handle it." I say before getting up leaping over the car and walking into the middle of the street.

"This is the police Jaguar is here, give up now and nobody will get hurt." The voice comes from behind me loud as I walk between the groups looking from one to the other.

The shooting stops, heads pop up over the bushes and flower pots staring at me. When one of them shoots at me I do not register from where until the bullet plows into my head. I fall over the two groups are cheering until one side opens fire on the other. I just lie there for a second gritting my teeth as the bullet is moved around in my head while it is trying to heal. When the bullet finally ends up lodged against my skull and is being dissolved I get up. Both sides stop firing in pure shock I crouch low, let out a roar then charge the larger group.

It is not until I have laid four out with swift kicks and punches that the rest realize what is going on, they open fire at me in the middle of them. Half of the remaining fourteen end up on the ground dying from gunshot wounds. When the last of them is on the ground unconscious or shot, the nine left on the other side cheer then open fire on me. I run up the wall of the house part way then leap, I get to perhaps halfway across the street between us when I land. I fall upon these nine who fall easier, half never actually get up they stay crouched behind the flower pots. These I just hit on the back of the head bouncing their face off the ground, the four behind the fountain back away guns held high.

Two policemen in blue uniforms come around the fence corner guns at the ready, they tell them to freeze. The detective I had spoken with earlier comes around his car yelling for them to drop their guns and get on the ground. The four look at me, then the cops behind them and the men on the ground. They drop their guns put their hands behind their heads and get on their knees.

"Are you OK? I mean damn a bullet to the head leaves most dead or at least close enough they don't walk again." He asks as he takes my arm and leads me away from the men being handcuffed.

"Yes I'm fine, I just will have a headache for another half hour or so while the bullet is dissolved. If you do not need me anymore I'd like to get back to my breakfast, those are good burritos."

"Antonio's from what I was told, those are the best a lot of cops stop there for a meal, no discount but he puts extra in the burrito for us. Try his salsa it is to die for, go on back to your meal the rest of the patrols should be here shortly and the ambulances are on the way." When he finishes speaking another patrol car pulls up, this one he directs to the far side to collect guns and zip the out colds.

I wave then leap atop the nearest house then run, it is a short run back. When I reach Antonio's I find Tony and Maria sitting at the counter with Antonio inside, all three are leaning over the scanner with my clothes next to it.

"Can I get my clothes back now I do not think I would like driving around in fur?" I ask after landing behind them.

"Oh fuck, there was no all clear report, not to mention no update on you. All that was said was that you are down and the shooting has intensified." Tony gets up then gives me a hug.

"Tony call the station, come on let's get you unfurred." Maria says taking my arm to lead me around the building with my clothes in one arm.

When I come back around to the stools Tony grabs me up and kisses me ending with me leaning over the counter. I sit down again and resume eating the remainder of my burrito I only managed to eat about half. Antonio is staring at me the whole time when I look up at him he opens his mouth.

"What happened to the bullet?"

"Oh that is right about here for another half hour." I answer pointing at my cheek up high perhaps two inches behind my eye.

"It's good they didn't use a colt, would have left a hole in the back of your head."

"I prefer those honestly, small calibers give me a headache for a half hour. I did not spend all my time learning how to fight and run fast, some of the revolutionaries took shots at me, along with hunters. Though my biggest fear is people think I'm a werewolf, my predecessor had that when the Conquistadors found her, silver takes a long while to dissolve, the musket balls were big to."

"You know fuck people have got to stop asking you questions, the answers you give are a lot on the freaky scary side of things. Since we are about done and they want to get to bed, do you want to head home or move on to the rest of our shopping?" Tony asks picking up his basket.

"Shopping I can deal with a headache, we should get it all done before something else comes along." I collect the two new bottles of coke Antonio gives us, Tony gets my basket then drops our burritos on a sheet of paper, after rolling them up he puts them in a bag Antonio puts on the counter and we are off.

"Let's hit the furniture shop first, they should have dishes. I admit I will miss my dishes they were the first things I bought when I moved out after becoming a cop, starting pay sucks by the way." Tony says as he again weaves in and out of traffic, one turn he manages to get on two wheels for a half second.

"Yes well you are not a bachelor anymore, and those are definitely dishes bought by a single man." I groan when we half slide into a turn to get into the parking lot for another big store.

On the outside of the store it says free delivery, zero percent interesting for eighteen months. I look around with interest at the furniture on display Tony meanwhile guides me along to almost the rear of the store where there is a set that looks just like what he has in his bedroom.

"Ah this must be where you bought your furniture." I walk past him to look at the dresser.

"Yes, they have great prices and the best furniture until you go to the expensive real wood shit."

A clerk comes over as I am opening the drawers it sticks a little, the clerk assures me it is just the floor model the actual pieces come in the original box untouched since manufacture. Tony orders the dresser and a vanity table with mirror, the clerk guides us over to the dishes section with a smile. I look through them turning down the two Tony picks out until I find one at the end that looks like I wanted.

"Oh Jesus, does it have to be blue china with silver." Tony asks the clerk steps back a few steps to be out of the way.

"Yes, I wanted green but they do not carry it, trust me you will never want another set of dishes." I put my hands on my hips and stare at him.

We leave with the dishes, two sets they come smaller than the sets I remember. The furniture will be delivered in the morning. I have to tell Tony twice to slow down the china is shaking in the boxes. At the grocery store I help Tony put the top up so nobody steals the china then walk in with him. I am in awe of the store it is huge with just about everything.

"Tony I think first things first we need herbs, some of everything, after that we really should find out if they want us to bring anything. I may need some cookbooks, I have a feeling the ingredients I want are not made under the name I know." I pull out a cart and push it along.

"OK just go up and down the aisles, we will find those eventually." He follows along behind me pulling out his cell phone.

The first aisle has pasta and tomato sauces along with a few other items. I am flabbergasted that you can find either then grab some sauces and pasta. Farther up I find pinto beans and enchilada sauce. The next aisle over contains coffee, I look at Tony he gives me a thumbs up then continues his conversation. I spot a coffee machine, not remembering seeing one I pull it out then show it to Tony, he smiles then nods.

"Took a while to get around to it, can you make a salad of some sort? They are making hamburgers and hot dogs with baked beans and chili for the dogs." Tony asks finally pulling the phone away from his mouth.

"Ambrosia work for them? I've been dying to have it forever."

"What's Ambrosia?" I roll my eyes at the question.

"Ambrosia is a fruit salad made with whipped cream and marshmallows." Tony relates this into the phone then gives me a thumbs up.

The next aisle contains the herbs, oils and marshmallows I wanted the next few aisles we just skim through. We do collect some cookies and a large tub of licorice sticks Tony picks it out and shows it to me I give him the thumbs up. I actually drool a little in the ice cream section we go through each kind I pick out two different, Tony adds in Klondike bars. When we reach the whipping cream Tony has to take out his phone again, he does not have a mixer.

"I can do whipped cream faster than some mixer can anyway." Tony looks at me then rolls his eyes.

"We are still going to use their mixer and I will order us one, I may not be able to cook but we are so keeping your cover. Besides you can turn on the mixer then go on to whatever else you are doing." I roll my eyes at him then take two things of whipping cream.

We move back through the store toward the fruits and vegetables, I sidetrack us to the meats. I pick out a nice roast, some steaks, a package of ribs and some pork chops. Tony produces a bottle of barbeque sauce, I groan then point to the molasses and tomato sauce, the barbeque sauce ends up in the cart anyway. Finally in the fruits and vegetables section I get a bag of potatoes then pick up some melons, peaches, apricots, and grapes. During checkout I get a perturbed look from Tony, I shrug at him, he pays the amount.

"Apparently we came at a bad time for meats here." He finally says while we are getting the bags in the car.

"I had no idea there was a good time for meats, meats always had been about the same price."

"There are different stores, they run ads every week, if you watch them you can get the best deals from each store and end up not paying much overall." Tony says while he is getting me in the car.

"Well now see that is something you need to say before I start buying everything we need." Tony groans, admits I am right then pulls us out of the parking lot.

"You know come to think of it, you did not buy lunchmeat or jam or anything for lunch."

"I did to, the roast, I can slow cook it then slice it thin and we have lunch meat for a few days."

Tony just stares at me at the red light the person behind us has to honk twice before he drives on.

"I would complain about spending fourteen dollars for a few days worth of lunchmeat but lord even as a roast it is expensive."

"You worry too much, I should have money soon and I will do better with buying meats. Besides we still have your frozen dinners." I say as Tony is pulling into our parking lot.

After letting me out of the car Tony is worried about how we are going to get everything to the apartment. I give him a smile pull the china out of the feet area of the back seat, put them in Tony's hands. Collect the grocery bags in both hands then collect the china. He groans then pops the trunk and collects the bags there, we do not leave much room on the elevator luckily no one is looking to go up or down.

Back in the apartment Tony drops my clothes on the sofa then pulls out the box of the Xbox. While he is messing with that I get everything unpacked in the kitchen, when I ask if he would like some coffee he gives me an odd look then says he could handle a glass. I get that going then go through the drawers looking for knives, I groan when I discover his knives are on the counter in a block. Tony comes over and pulls a cutting board out from under the sink I wash it twice after seeing what else is under there.

Once I have finished cutting up the melons, peaches and apricots I search around for a big bowl, I finally find one I have to wash. It turns out to be not large enough so the remainder I put on a plate sprinkle with the honey I had just bought then take it over to Tony. I sit next to him as he continues to mess with the Xbox, we both cheer when the screen turns white then does a little startup sequence. He looks through the instructions on how to set up a profile and go online then looks at me.

"OK this might be bad, we can only hook up one profile online unless we pay twice, do you want to play online?"

"Why not just one profile, I don't have anything to hide from you, I use your profile on your computer."

"Well you got a point there, I know you don't have one yet but do you want to use your card for paying or mine?" He asks as he starts inputting things into the creation.

"I suppose mine, I did promise to help with the bills and you said I'm why you bought it."

"I did didn't I. Ah well we are all set up with a free month, and one thousand free points we can buy additional stuff for the games we have with. If you do not like any we have we can look around for more, there are rental companies we can sign up to get games mailed to us for however long we want then send back or buy outright."

When the phone rings I get up to get it then head into the kitchen as I put it to my ear.

"Hello?" I pour two cups of coffee then carry them over to Tony.

"Just the person I wanted to talk to. Did you have to make him buy two sets of china with silver, I'm getting yelled at over here, an Xbox, some games for that, board games, a shitload of clothes no purse though very odd. I tell you those evening dresses better be drop dead gorgeous they cost enough." Frank sounds tired, in the background I can hear someone talking.

"Well hi back Frank, have you seen his dishes? I mean good lord you would not feed your servants on those dishes." Tony looks over at me with an odd expression.

"Well alright you got me there. Tomorrow, we are getting you outfitted with a social security card then getting you a bank account. The mayor swears he has gone up the federal ranks for that. We got a stipend as well since you want to help with bills over there, thousand a month. You can have access to that soon as we get you the bank account."