Shadow Monsters

   Acera. The home of Rescue. The center of Maharris’s stock exchange. Where everyone claimed to be from, have moved to, or wished they were there. Barker hated it. Wished he were back home in Urgway. The streets weren’t as clean in his city, but nothing smelled worse than desperation. Barker adjusted his collar and walked up the stone stairs of the capitol building. Inside, mayors from across the country had gathered to spill their ideas. There wasn’t a single plan proposed in the notes that Barker gave two hoots about.  

   There was too much to do in Urgway to be here. The urge to check on Vulpecula was too much though. The thought of the white fox here fading away made Barker feel like he wasted an essential cog in the wheel.  

   “How are you this morning?”  

   The Acera mayor had been in power since the country was founded. His grey fur had once been a vibrant black. Now, he was nothing more than a withered old panther. Barker looked at the mayor’s extended hand and nodded.  

   “Not a handshaker?”  

   Barker smiled. “It is nothing against you. I have witnessed far too many voters doing questionable acts before extending their hands. No doubt you are a cleanly man, but better to stay in the habit. No one needs a pandemic.” Barker laughed. He would have rather been anywhere else, but he climbed the final stair and entered the hall. Milling about where men and women wore suits too expensive for their positions. Under the table deals, back alley agreements, and free stock trading had gotten many of these people above their lots in life. Being a political figure had more high crime than Barker ever thought about committing. It made a person’s head spin to try and keep up with everything.  

   “Hear Urgway is finally breaking on the dog tax. Glad to see it happening. Was always a bit barbaric if you ask me.” The mayor turned down a low-level official’s attempt at conversation as they passed.  

   Barker had hoped to lose the man for a bit, but luck hadn’t followed him this morning.  

   “Has Acera rehired Vulpecula?” Barker decided waiting on a warmup was pointless. He had come here to check on his adversary’s son. There wasn’t a point in beating around the bush.  

   “Who? That someone I should know?” Acera’s mayor gave a nod toward a group of men Barker didn’t recognize. “Those are some men you should get to know. Oil tycoons. Like swimming in a vat of money.”  

   “Vulpecula. The golden jewel of Rescue’s founder. Figured he would be a shining star of the force by now.” Barker didn’t really picture Vulpecula as a shining anything. The fox was a recluse at best. A timid little beast better suited for the bushes than the mountain tops. Still, Barker was interested in him. A character study of sorts.  

   “Noel’s boy?” The mayor paused to scratch at a bald patch on his skin. Barker hoped it would not be his fate too. Being a mayor was stressful, he had already noticed this in his first year. “Do not think I have met the lad. Is he a pleasant sort of fellow?” The mayor turned away. Barker realized he did not care.  

   Vulpecula would not be gaining this man pockets of cash and so, he meant nothing. Maybe Barker should follow his lead. There were more important things to be doing than focusing his time here on a certain white fox. Whatever Vulpecula did, he was not doing anything important enough to be on anyone’s radar.  

   Acera’s mayor guided Barker through two more groups before stopping at a set of wooden doors. The money spent here on aesthetics was more than Urgway spent on roadways. It disgusted Barker, but he kept the thoughts to himself. He had to make friends here, not enemies.  

   “Behind these doors, you will meet some of the most powerful men in all of Maharris. Men who will elevate your career or squash it like a bug. Are you ready?” The excitement crawling over the panther’s features did not fit with the sentiment of his words.  

   Barker hoped to eat these men alive, but they had been at it a long time. Fixing his collar, he nodded for the mayor to open the door.  

   In the past, the strongest men in the world had looked intimidating. Had a sense of the power they held. In the modern world, men in suits with thick rimmed glasses controlled everything. They used their brains instead of their brawn. The former mayor of Urgway, the stupid gorilla, may have truly been the last of his kind. May he rot in prison for all eternity.  

   Barker stepped in behind the mayor of Acera. There was a seat with his name on it, literally. Across the back said: ‘Sanec Barker, Mayor of Urgway’. Barker pulled the seat from the table and sat. All eyes flickered to him. They pretended not to, but Barker was a seasoned detective. It was his job to know things. The biggest thing to know in this room, he was the new kid on the block. They would all want to feel him out. Get to know his strengths, but more than that, they would want to know where he was weak. Barker would have to make sure none of them ever saw him as weak. He had to systematically break down each of these men before they ever had the opportunity to do the same to him. Luckily for Barker, he had his own personal dark web hacker on staff.  

   “The man here to our left is…” 

   Barker leaned in closer. Only the mayor of Acera would be able to hear him. “The man is sleeping with his secretary.”  

   The mayor of Acera did not change his facial expression. The news was not altogether shocking. Many men in power stepped out of the confines of their marriage. It would not be anything they could use against him.  

   “I do not think we should discuss marital affairs here,” the mayor said. Barker noted the mayor’s own affair inside his mind. The feeling of stepping from his own relationship would make him refrain from poking the bear.  

   “It is not the affair we should focus on.” Barker leaned in closer for dramatic effect. “What we should focus on is who the affair is with.”  

   The mayor squirmed. Barker doubted he knew the extent of the affair, but maybe he did, and maybe he was okay with it. Barker decided to jump in anyhow. There was extraordinarily little risk and there could be a monumental gain.  

   “I am not sure it is any of my business.” The mayor’s words did not match his tone. There was clear indication he wanted to very much make it his business. If, for nothing else, but to scratch an itch of curiosity.  

   “Business or not, do not fool yourself into thinking I cannot see the interest gleaming in your eyes. Do not worry. I am giving this one away for free. In exchange, I only want you to know I am in your corner.” Barker flashed his canines. The thought of a dog made many people uncomfortable, but the panther looked more curious than worried.  

   “Quickly then, before the meeting starts.” The panther leaned in closer.  

   “The mayor of Italina is sleeping with his niece.” Barker hissed the words. The thought of it made him sick. There were many things he was akin to do for power, but incest was not on his list. “Not only his niece but she is only seven.”  

   The mayor of Acera sat directly back in his chair, face flushed and eyes wide. Barker could smell the anger from the panther. Barker placed his hand on the mayor’s lap.  

   “Not here and not now. Just know there is a bigger purpose here. These meetings will be a lot more interesting now that the Urgway’s finest are on the job.” Barker gave a casual wink.  

   The panther did not settle his shoulders, but he did not pounce across the table either. Barker spared a glance to the bear from Italina. The man was a joyful predator. A man who preyed on the weak for his own sport. Barker could have respected him in a different life. In this one though, the mayor had done something vile and depraved beyond even Barker’s terms of forgiveness.  

   “What do we do with the information? Can we prove it?” The words were followed by a strong swallow of hatred.  

   Hooked. This would be easier than Barker estimated. Men and women here wanted nothing more than power and knowledge. Barker had both to give them. In return, he would use them to achieve his own goals.  

   “I will send the information to your office. Do with it what you will.” Barker leaned away. There was more information on every man and woman in this room. Enough to take them all down a few pegs. There was no such thing as a clean politician. Even the mayor of Acera had his own skeletons in the closet. Barker would keep those close to chest for now. Having the mayor of Acera as a friend would be more beneficial than having him scared and running for the hills.  

   “We can start the meeting now,” a purple lizard stood from his seat, “I believe everyone is here who will be here. I had a couple of messages about not being able to be present. I guess that means they did not find the budget to their liking. I will not go into great detail here, but I will not be resuming my role as council head after this term.”  

   There was a silence. Everyone looked around the room with open mouthed gazes. The purple lizard, better known as Emil Johnson, had been the head of the mayor’s council for four decades. Longer than anyone had been a mayor in this room. Longer than some of these men and women had been alive. He probably would have counseled this committee until he died, but something had happened.  

   Barker tried not to let his smile show. Everyone had dirt and some people refused to be bought due to some false dignity. Luckily for Barker, Emil was more worried about his own image than he was about revealing Barker’s past.  

   “I think a suitable replacement will be found by term’s end. I already have a few candidates in mind for the task. We will discuss them next meeting, which will be my last meeting.”  

   The other mayors sat in stunned shock for so long, that Barker had to clear his throat to remind everyone there was a meeting at hand. The noise brought the room to a dull roar and then Emil held his scaled hand into the air.  

   “First matter of business this evening…”  

   Barker tuned him out. Others could vote on the mundane matters of the council. It would all go to naught for them. Once Barker controlled most of the seats, he could make whatever he wanted pass. To do so, he did not need to listen to Emil prattle on. He needed to get to making his next move.  

*** 

   At the break, Barker strayed from the other mayors. There would be plenty of time to dip into their resources later. He had booked the finest of hotels for a week long stay in Acera. Taking his time would be for the best.  

   “Mayor Barker, could I have a moment of your time?”  

   Barker turned, seeing another Doberman running after him down the hall. It was an odd sight to see another dog in the capital building. Even stranger to see one so well dressed.  

   Barker adjusted his collar and readied himself for whatever onslaught the young pup would give him.  

   “I have exactly forty-five seconds before I need to be somewhere else. Whatever you can dispose of in this time, I will give you the pleasure of nodding to.”  

   The young pup was not to be dissuaded. He pulled his clipboard from his hip and unclipped a stack of papers.  

   “This is my resume. I know you are going to be a vital part in choosing the next council head and I would love to put my name forth for the job. Another dog on the council would be a benefit to not only you and Urgway, but also to all dogs across the world. I want to give everyone something to look at and see pride in.” The pup hoisted the papers toward Barker’s chest.  

   There was an ongoing committee back in Urgway shoveling through paperwork for the next council head. Barker’s team had a full contention of individuals they could choose from. All of them were dogs, but none of them had seemed so eager as this one.  

   “Without the papers, I do not want to read them. You have fifteen seconds left. What makes you the best candidate?”  

   Frantic reaction is what Barker expected. From one so young, he had not expected such a direct appeal to Barker’s more egotistical side.  

   “I will be upfront with you. I am the only man who has put forth my name who will do whatever you say for as long as you say it.” The pup looked around to make sure no one else was within earshot. “I am fully committed to making the canine species the top of the world again. One way or another.”  

   Barker chuckled. The kid had spirit, but did he have anything else? Barker grabbed the papers.  

   “I will read them over.” Barker rolled them up and stuffed them into his coat pocket. There were many facets to taking over a country like the Canes had once done. Barker would need to grease palms, make plans, push decisions, but, more than that, he needed dedicated people without conviction of their own.  

   Barker left the pup standing in the hallway, but when he looked back, the pup was not standing alone. He was already shaking hands with someone else. He had charisma; Barker could not deny him that much.  

*** 

   The rest of the meeting went as expected. More boring conversation about money none of the mayors had. Plans the mayors would never see to fruition. Then, more boring votes on things that did not matter to anyone outside this room. Sure, there would be protesting about the rulings, but it would not change anyone’s lives. People liked to pretend laws changed their daily living, but, in reality, it hardly ever did. One leader or another, it did not matter. Most people woke up, went to work, came home to their boring family, and then, repeated the same thing the next day. This happened their entire lives and then, they died. It gave them something to do to pretend any of this mattered. The council was nothing more than a scam, but Barker needed the scam to make real change. The kind of change the entire world would stand up and take notice of.  

   Barker waited outside the doors after the meeting. He had met the mayor of the biggest city in Maharris. Now, it was time to meet the real player in the world. The mayor of Jalint was where the coin flowed from. Like a river, Jalint was the dollar producing capital of the world. Its economy was like a wildfire. If it did well, the world was okay. If it did bad, then the whole world burned.  

   “It is a pleasure to be on the same council as such a man as yourself.” Barker had practiced the words a thousand times in the mirror. He wanted to make sure he did not look as disgusted as he felt when he said them.  

   “I am pleased.” The mayor did not stop. Importance had gone to his head.  

   Barker figured he would be harder to get to than any of the other mayors. When standing on a pile of gold, it was hard to see the ants at the foot of the hill. Barker was an ant, but he planned on changing into a whale.  

   “I know you are busy, and I am sure you have things to take care of back home, but I wanted to extend an invitation for you to join me at lunch. I think I have a few things you would be interested in.” Barker did not get the reaction he planned for. Politicians loved a game, they loved a juicy story, but, most of all, they loved to be patted on the back. The mayor of Jalint did not care about Barker’s attempts, he swatted him away like a pesky fly.  

   “Maybe next time. I am sure my assistant would love to take anything down for me to review later.”  

   Before Barker could spew another word, the mayor let the doors fling open and he stepped into the mix of reporters on the council steps. Many of the more prominent reporters flocked to him. Barker was ignored by the bigger stations of Acera. He would be highlighted in some news stories as the first dog to join the council chambers in decades, but many of the bigger channels would ignore him. Giving a dog the highest platform would mean they had to pretend to care about the hardships of his species. None of them wanted the canines to prosper. Many of them hated the idea he had ever achieved such a high station in life. They would hide their contempt, but they would not tuck their pride aside and interview him either.  

   Barker returned to the building. Many of the other mayors filed out now. The smaller figures headed for their town cars; the bigger mayors stayed for interviews. Barker decided to tuck himself away until the commotion died down. He needed another plan to get into the head of Jalint’s mayor.  

*** 

   “Do you have a lighter?”  

   Barker turned to see one of the kitchen staff standing behind him. They must have thought him someone lowly. He was standing behind an empty table, waiting on the reporters to die down outside. All the other mayors had already left. They enjoyed their small amount of limelight or pretended they had somewhere important to be.  

   Barker did not have anywhere to go. His room was secured for a week in this retched city. Whatever he planned to do, there would be time, but he needed a route to do it.  

   Barker pretended to pat on his pocket for a lighter he knew was not there. That is when he felt the paper from the other canine still there. As a show of good faith, he had placed it into his jacket. In all reality, he would never read it. The destination for this resume had always been the landfill somewhere off the coast. Standing there without a plan and with nothing else to do, Barker thought of something else. He pulled the paper from his breast pocket, still not replying to the help beside him. Eventually, the lad would get the idea and mosey on to bother someone else.  

   Barker unfolded the resume and flattened it out across the table. One conclusion instantly jumped out to Barker upon reading the layout of the canine’s life accomplishments. He was a boring man with a boring life. The canine dedicated himself to looking important, smart, and noteworthy. On the outside, people may have deemed him a compatible suitor for the councilman job. Upon further inspection, they would notice he had not had an original thought in his entire life. Everything was done to impress someone else. There were no goals or ambitions along the lines of the pages. Any other day and Barker would have stopped reading after the first line. Today, Barker came up with a better use for the useless drivel scrawled across the paper.  

   Pulling his phone from his pocket, Barker called the number on the bottom of the resume. It rang twice and an out of breath voice picked up on the other end.  

   “Yes, Hello!” Excitement. The canine must have not received many calls.  

   Barker let the moment build by staying silent. He would press the pup to the point of hanging up and then let him know he was there. Hanging up on the mayor of Urgway would be the pinnacle of embarrassment for the young canine. For Barker, it would be a good push for the pup to do anything he wanted to make it up to him.  

   “Is anyone there?” Worry of failure lined the voice. There was nothing in the world that scared this young dog more than failing in life. What horrors had this boy saw in his youth? Something had pushed him hard to succeed and normally this kind of drive was not contained by praise and clear pathways.  

   Barker waited a breath more. Then, just as he knew the pup would hang up the phone, he started his broken sentence.  

   “Yes, this is…” The phoneline went dead. The pup had given up hope and clicked the red button. Had he heard the voice on the other end? The question was answered rather quickly. The number popping up on Barker’s screen matched the number on the resume. Barker clicked the green button and put the phone back to his ear.  

*** 

   With a few words, Barker could have talked the pup into doing whatever he desired. The words or servitude plummeted out of the canine’s mouth faster than Barker could process them. The resume should have highlighted how ambitious the young man would be for someone in power. Barker was sure he could have asked him to burn down the home of Jalint’s mayor and he would have done so without question.  

   Refraining from incriminating himself, Barker only told the young pup to meet him at a small rest area outside the city. Something off the beaten path for a quick chat about their future together. For the pup, it sounded like a dream come true. For Barker, it was a ploy to get the mayor of Jalint into his pocket.  

   Barker’s next call was to the secretary back in Jalint. He doubted the mayor would race back for home. A night without the wife and family with a built-in excuse of business was something men like the mayor of Jalint would use to their advantage. Barker would only have to figure out where the mayor was staying and entice him to meet. Six rings was what it took for the secretary to answer. Too many constituents had probably found the number the mayor had given Barker. How many hate calls, requests, or begging pleas did the secretary have to wade through every day? 

   “Hello, this is the Mayor’s assistant, how may I help you or direct your call?” 

   Seeing a scrawny, young, pimply man in his mind’s eye, Barker debated his best route. How many people called with the same ramblings as he was about to spew? Too many to count, probably. The real question was how many of them had the dirt Barker had? 

   “This is an interested citizen. I have to say I was disturbed to find out some rather unflattering news today.” Barker heard scrambling on the other side of the phone.  

   “I can assure you, whatever you heard the mayor of Jalint is more than willing to listen to your concerns. I have just grabbed a pen to write them down.”  

   Barker doubted that. He had grabbed something else. A recorder, maybe? How often did discouraging news come across this secretary’s line? Affairs were prominent in the mayor’s past. Nothing that would skewer his voting base. Jalint was depraved. Not unlike Urgway, but in Urgway people at least pretended to have morals.  

   “I can assure you, he had better be able to. If not the news reporters who I have contacted will get the full scoop.”  

   “No need for hasty actions. Let me hear what you have. Maybe it is nothing. Or maybe, there is something we can help you with.” The words spilled like a fountain. Practiced and precise. The mayor’s lap dog had been doing this for a long while. Maybe the owner of the voice was not as young and incompetent as Barker supposed.  

   “Tell the mayor if he wants the scoop, he can find me at the rest stop heading toward Italina, right outside the city. He will notice me. A canine is hard to miss.”  

   Silence hung over the line.  

   “I do not think the mayor will be inclined to meet just anyone. What is this regarding?”  

   Smarter than Barker hoped. There had been a moment where Barker thought he would panic and call the mayor right away with the request. Too seasoned for such a move, the voice on the other end pressed Barker into his next move.  

   “An attack will be made on the Jalint First National Bank during the early morning hours. The target is the mayor. His banking account numbers have already been programmed for a hard withdraw. He can meet at the destination, or he can become the poorest mayor in the history of Jalint. It is his call.”  

   Barker could almost hear the wheels turning and smell the smoke of thought. The assistant had a lot of threats, but Barker could go through with them.  

   “I want you to take a moment and look at your phone. There is an image coming through for you.”  

   Barker had made another call back home to Urgway before setting his game in motion. Having a personal hacker on his payroll was good for more than dirty information and stealing elections. Barker heard the man on the other side flipping his phone to look at the incoming message. It would be a picture of the exact information Barker had just conveyed. A simple press of a button and Barker would have more money than he could ever spend. Not that he was interested in it. Money was well and fine, but it did not necessarily mean power. Above all else, Barker wanted to be remembered as the canine who took over the world.  

   “I see the picture. How do I know it is real?” The voice was nervous now. No longer cocky, the secretary was afraid of what would happen if he failed this conversation.  

   “You know the authenticity of it, but you could chalk it up to a false claim of bravado. However, if you do, the money will still disappear. Then what? I am sure the mayor is not going to forgive such incompetence, not that it will matter, he will be so busy covering this scandal, he may not even realize you exist anymore.”  

   Barker could almost hear the sweat dripping onto the receiver. This was the biggest decision the man on the other end would ever have to make in his life. Either way, he would be fired tomorrow. The choice was a matter of how he wanted to go out. Silent, or amid a scandal.  

   “How can I reach you with the mayor’s answer?”  

   Did the man believe Barker so naive? “You cannot. He will be there, or his money will disappear. There are no negotiations, no need for a direct reply. I will know if he decided to come when I see him, or I do not.”  

   Barker flipped the phone and hit the red button ending the call. Plans were best when the planner had a long time to think them through. The next best option, and the one Barker had to do this time, was to do them quickly and leave less room for error.  

   The next phone call would go smoother than the last, but it would be much deadlier.  

*** 

   Rest stops were disgusting. There was hardly a place in all the country to stop and relieve oneself without also having to worry about some bug or disease crawling up your leg. Trying not to think on the insanitary surroundings, Barker stepped over the body of the young pup from earlier in the day. He had not killed him, well, not directly, but he had to be here to make sure the mayor was aware who the media would think did.  

   Ten minutes before the scheduled meeting, two white beams appeared at the edge of the rest stop’s drive-in. The real bright kind of light, one from an expensive car with the tint of blue and blinding. Barker did not bother to shade his eyes in an attempt to make out the owner of the car. It was the mayor, or someone coming to take care of a problem on the mayor’s behalf. If Barker had judged this situation wrong, the young pup at his feet may not be the only dead canine tonight.  

   The car pulled in diagonally like someone at a gas station without lines. Barker could not make much fuss about the parking job, he himself rarely ever drove. To get here, he had hailed a taxi from the city square. To get home, he figured he would do much the same. The car was blue, dark blue, dark enough to appear black. The windows were tinted so dark no one could see inside. It was one of those cars only the rich could get away with. Anyone else would have been pulled over by the local PD and cited for illegal windows. With the engine still whirring, the driver’s door opened. The inside light came on, helping Barker with a quick look onto the inside of the car. It was still hard to see who drove, and Barker tensed, ready for any type of interaction, good or bad.  

   The shoe belonging to the extended leg cost more than every other mayor’s salary combined. With a realization of who came to talk with him, Barker’s shoulders released some of the tension. There was still an opportunity for the Mayor of Jalint to shoot him himself, but the odds were lower. A man in power would often not dirty his own hands. Especially if his money could extend all the reaches of the world. The mayor’s height caused him to get out at an awkward angle. Barker could have attacked him in the moment and thrown the threat of injury to the wind. It was not in the plan, however. He would have to rely on his inside information and his own planning skills. If they failed here, then they would have failed him in the long-run anyhow and what good was life if plans did not come to fruition?  

   The mayor closed the door and stood in front of the car for a moment, looking around the surrounding area. Barker realized he would be shadowed by the trees and the distance. He took a few steps forward and held his hand into the air in a wave.  

   “You?” the mayor said.  

   “Me,” Barker replied.  

   “I should have guessed as much. New mayor of Urgway is a canine, should have been obvious he would rile the system. What is it you want from me?” 

   Barker stepped to the side, reveling the body of the young pup from earlier in the day. His resume had been lackluster, but his ambition had helped Barker in at least some way. The mayor froze, eyes locking onto the prone figure.  

   “Do you know our friend?” Barker did not take his eyes from the Mayor of Jalint. There was a moment of hesitation, realization of the situation coming across his face.  

   “I do not know him well, but I have seen the dog around.” There was no hidden contempt. The mayor did not enjoy the company of canines. It was not a shocking revelation, no one enjoyed the company of canines. They were a burden on society in the eyes of many other animals. Barker would soon remedy that, but he had plenty to do before he could. “What do you want me to see the body for?”  

   Barker reached his paw into his pocket. Before he was mayor, Barker had been the best detective in Urgway, probably the world. He traced the emblazoned badge with the tips of his pruned claws.  

   “Maybe you know this, maybe you do not. Before I became a mayor, I was the head detective in Urgway for some time. While there, I made a lot of contacts within the police departments all across the world.” Barker noticed the mayor’s eyes had not drawn away from the stiff body at Barker’s feet. “One of the best things about having contacts is the supplies they can offer you at the drop of a hat. You see my friend here died of a blocked airway. Asphyxiation will be the call from the autopsy, I would guess.”  

   “What does that have to do with me? Or the threats you made to my office?” The mayor stepped two steps back. He was smart enough to realize any evidence left that he was here would be a bad look for him.  

   “I only want one thing from you. It is a guarantee that when I need your pockets, they will be open for me.” Barker stepped away from the body and into the light with the mayor. The mayor’s eyes were wide, not scared, but worried. He had no way of knowing what Barker had planned for him. This had been thought to be a simple shakedown. It was even likely the mayor had men stationed around the perimeter to save him if things got hairy.  

   “Why would I want to give you anything? After tonight, you will be rotting in a prison. I have witnesses all around the rest stop.” The mayor sounded confident. Barker had figured there were other men here. The mayor would not have been so stupid as to walk into an ambush alone.  

   “Sadly, for you, those men and women will be pretty silent on this matter.” Barker took his free hand, the one not in his pocket, and snapped his fingers. A group of men came from the shadows around the parking lot. In their midst were four other men the mayor had brought with him. “If we missed one, I am sure he will get the message.” Barker snapped again.  

   This time, the four men brought out into the light found their ends. Four blades protruded from the front of their necks. Each fell to their knees and then to their faces. There was no room for doubt about their status.  

   “You will be in prison for this. Even if you kill me, you will not get away with it.” The mayor did not sound so confident any longer.  

   “Get away with what? The crime you committed in passion? You were so worried about your funds being taken. You went on a rampage and killed all of these men.”  

   “You will convince no one of such a thing. They know my character and I have an alibi.”  

   Barker pointed to the knives in the throats of the mayor’s men. Then, to the dog right behind him.  

   “When the detectives arrive on the scene, they will notice one thing in common between all the dead bodies, would you care to guess what that is?” Barker only paused a moment. Then started again before the mayor could answer. “They will find your fingerprints everywhere. On the handles of the knives and on the collar of the young pup here. I told you, I had friends in places of law. Procuring a copy of your prints was rather easy. Being an official, you had a background check ran, and I just so happened to make copies. It is amazing what technology can do these days. I do not understand the process in recreating a fingerprint from a scan, but luckily for me, I know a lot of people and some of them understood it very well.”  

   In reality, Barker had no idea if such a thing were possible. When the cops truly came, Barker planned to have all of this cleaned and gone. If not, there would be a lot of questions to answer that he didn’t really want to answer.  

   “So, you have thought of everything then, it seems?”  

   Barker shrugged. “Probably not everything, but enough to make your descent dangerous for you.” Barker showed his canines. It was a symbol he wanted everyone to remember. The hounds of Maharris had been defanged for too long. Now, they were more than a bark.  

   “Well, I guess it goes without saying, I will be contacting your office with contact information for you in the morning. Whatever funds you need for your project, I suppose I have no choice but to be a supporter.”  

   The man would not give up so easily. Barker was not a fool, but this had gone down exactly as he needed it to. He could have easily stolen the mayor’s funds, made him look a fool, and put him in a cell with the former Urgway Mayor. It would have been easy to do, but this way was much better for everyone involved. Barker got a powerful friend and the mayor got to keep his dignity.  

   “Guess we have some cleaning up to do,” Barker said, fixing his collar. “Do you think I could get a ride back into town?”  

   The mayor hesitated, unsure if Barker was pulling his leg. Barker flashed another smile. The mayor waved him over. Barker liked the idea of saving a few dollars on a taxi.  

*** 

   The trip to Acera had not gone exactly to par. There were hiccups and a lot more clean up, but it had done well enough. Barker had almost given up on locating the white fox on this trip. There had been too much going on, but something happened before he could make it to the airport to leave. Barker felt his phone vibrate in his pocket. Expecting no calls, Barker reached in and pulled it out expecting nothing. A smile crept over his face as he saw the number and the small picture in the corner beside it. Wait long enough and the world will eventually drop you a gift right into your lap.  

   Barker hit the green button to accept the call.  

   “Hello, Vulpecula.”