Shopping

   Fatigue. It was the monster never gone from his brain. Power could make a world crumble with the snap of fingers. Wars could destroy the landscape in a single row. One thing could demolish even the most powerful army though; sleep. Without it, no one was worth a thing. Barker hadn’t slept well in a week. Maybe more. Things blended in together by now. When was the Logan Norms interview? Thinking hard, he decided it had been eight days ago. Long enough for the entire world to have seen it. A thousand phone calls later and he had probably talked to every major player in government at least a dozen times.  

   Sitting at his desk with his head in his hands, he tried to catch a wink of rest. The thumping on his door ruined it.  

   “What!” Frustration wasn’t normally his style, but right now, Barker didn’t care much about anything. His mind fogged and his thoughts seemed like they belonged to someone else. Time refused to be a friendly ally.  

   The door smoothly opened. Everything in this office was pristine and well kept. Behind him, the dark curtains blotted out the sun. The small rays peeking through the opening landed on the white-haired secretary. She had a coffee in one hand and a stack of papers in the other. Barker reached for the coffee, a welcome sight. The other hand, he scoffed at. There was no time for paperwork in this state.  

   “Put it on the table. I will read them later.” He brought the warm coffee up to his lips. The aroma of freshly ground beans perked him up. The steam rolled, making his nose moist. Tasting it, he let out an involuntary sigh.  

   “This is important. I am afraid there are allocations needing to be made by this afternoon. Without them, it would be difficult to pay the new officers you commissioned. Unless you believe those men can wait a few weeks to start their duty.”  

   The sensation of relief faded. There was only so much a single cup of coffee could do.  

   “No, just throw them here before me.”  

   The Maltese threw nothing. Prim and proper, as always, she gracefully sat the papers in a neat stack before him. All the signature areas were tabbed with purple markers. All Barker had to do was sign them. It was unlikely the woman would double-cross him for her own needs. No one had ever treated her this well before. The former mayor had not been a gentle man. Barker may have been a pain, but he treated her well, mostly.  

   Still, he should probably read them. Understand what he was signing into law. It was better for the inevitable interviews he would have to condone about this very bill. At the top, Barker saw the declaration in bold letters.  

   Proclamation from Mayor Sanec Barker to declare emergency aid to the Urgway City Police Department.  

   It meant Barker would add one-hundred new officers to the payroll. To the thrill of no-one, they would all be canine officers. There wasn’t any point of pretending. There would be an outcry, but Barker was planning something bigger to offset the pleas.  

   “When is my flight to Acera?”  

   Barker fumbled for his fountain pen. There was no law stating that the mayor must sign with such an elegant pen, but Barker enjoyed it. Sometimes, it was the small things that kept him sane.  

   “Your flight will leave at seven this evening. I have sent the list of accommodations to the airline. They have assured me everything will be in order. A small cabin offset from any passengers. You will be able to get your rest there.” 

   The secretary was observant. She knew almost everything. Barker was sure of that. It was almost impossible to avoid.  

   Barker skimmed the writing. Everything looked in order how he had explained it. Right down to the T. With a flourish, Barker flicked the pen over the signature areas.  

   “Did Vulpecula make it in this morning?”  

   Sounding only slightly interested, Barker mentioned the white fox. A knowing glare came back from his secretary, but she didn’t comment on his odd obsession with Noel’s boy. She only nodded.  

    “He is right where you have issued him to be. Will you need me to fetch him?”  

   “No need for all of that. I need to finish some things before this evening. Take these papers and get them filed. I don’t want one-hundred angry officers at the pay line this evening.”  

   Taking the papers, the poodle slipped from the room. Barker turned in his swivel chair and threw the dark curtains open, revealing the city behind him. The bustle below reminded him of how things could never stop. Rest would come when he was dead. Which may be a lot sooner if he didn’t focus.  

   Norms had pulled the wool over his eyes. Had set him up and spiked him hard into the ground. It had been a marvelous play. One Barker almost respected. A play such as that was something Barker intended to do to all his enemies. If they didn’t see it coming, then it would be all the sweeter. That Logan had been done to him, well, that was a problem. One Barker couldn’t let go without a response. Not directly. Barker would never declare Logan Norms an equal. There was a better way to go about this. Even in his sleepless state, Barker understood something. Never react to someone outright. There needs to be a fall man for such actions.  

   Barker had one of those too. Vulpecula had fallen into his lap. Now, he had to place him on the board in the right spot. To do so, he needed the white-haired fox to draw up some passion. Something the fox hadn’t shown him since their first meeting. This was the sole reason Barker had booked a special occasion trip to Acera. He had to meet someone. Someone who Vulpecula talked of frequently. A friend, which was rare for the fox.  

*** 

   Having to admit Urgway wasn’t the most beautiful city didn’t hurt Barker’s ego. It had started in a pit when Barker took it over. Having pulled it up by the bootstraps, Barker had the economy at its highest rate in the city’s history. It was a bit inflated with the help of his friends running Shock, but it still ran smoothly. 

   Landing in Acera, Barker realized the discrepancies in reporting right away. Acera was bigger than Urgway, sure. It had a population of about forty thousand more animals. It didn’t make it prettier by any means, though. In fact, without the over-inflated sense of pride, Acera would be just as ugly as Urgway in Barker’s humble opinion. Lucky for this city, they were never stained by being the home of The Canes. This city got to be the home field for Maharris’s favorite jewel; Rescue.  

   With no intentions to visit Vivian Herms or the rest of the Rescue crew, Barker stepped out into the morning light. The fog hung heavy this morning. A slight breeze came in from behind him and set his hairs to rising on the back of his neck. Being here again so soon was not his idea of fun. It was a necessity. Vulpecula needed a push in the right direction and there was only one way to do it. Like it or not, Barker was the catalyst that would set Vulpecula to exploding. If the alcohol didn’t drown him first.  

   Hailing a taxi outside the airport wasn’t difficult. There were literally a thousand of them or more. Each one would have clamored over the other for a chance to take the Mayor of Urgway wherever he desired.  

   “I am heading to Dell Street café,” Barker said, reading the back of his note card.  

   Early yesterday evening, Barker had put in a call to Vulpecula’s bird friend. Apus was the bird’s name. Barker wasn’t sure much else about him. A quiet man on the search engines. There wasn’t much of a personal life, and that didn’t surprise Barker. The man was Vulpecula’s friend, after all. How interesting could he be?  

   A half hour after landing, Barker stepped from the bowels of an overheated taxi. Without looking back, Barker kept walking. The driver yelled and pleaded, but another patron jumped into the back of his seat. It was fight the political structure for money he would never see, or take the next patron to their destination. With spinning wheels, the taxi peeled away. It served him right for making Barker choose the only yellow box inside the city without an air conditioner. Barker was happy to be standing outside again after that mess. The cool breeze was out of the air and the fog had dissipated, but it still felt better than being trapped in that toaster oven.  

   Stepping inside the glass double doors, Barker headed for a back pew without waiting to be seated. The waitress at the door trailed after him like a puppy lost from its litter. She said nothing to him as he slid into the last booth in the shop’s front. Here, Barker could peer out of the window and wait for his target to arrive. Maybe gain a little intel before the bird joined him at the table. It was always good to be the man with the drop on things.  

   “I am sorry to interrupt, sir.” Barker pulled his attention from the window and looked the waitress up and down. A light pink apron atop a pale blue miniskirt and blouse. An old vibe. Looking around, it wasn’t hard to notice that the entire café lived in the past. Fifty years or more ago, this would have been a top of the line establishment. Today, it looked rough to say the least.  

   “Not interrupting. I waltzed into your establishment for your service. Let me start with a black coffee.” Barker turned away. Not interested in completing his assessment of the room.  

   “Well, I can gather your coffee for you, but there is a man that said he would wait for a canine who looked important coming through around this time. I told him I would guide you to him when you arrived.” The woman, a lemur, looked nervous. Her cheekbones twitched after every other word.  

   “What kind of man?”  

   “A bird, sir.”  

   Barker scoffed. Whatever else they could say about the bird being Vulpecula’s friend, it was obvious he didn’t inherit the tardiness.  

   “Well, then I guess you had better guide me over.”  

   Barker pulled himself from the depths of the booth. Walking behind the waitress, he rounded the counter and came to the other side of the room. There, sitting alone in the center opposite side, was a bird in a brightly colored array of clothing to match his demeanor. Standing, the bird outstretched his wing topped with a scaley hand. Barker hesitated and then shook the hand provided. Start things off well and see where the morning goes, Barker reminded himself.  

   “Have you ordered anything yet?” Apus asked.  

   Barker didn’t answer before the lemur spoke. “I will have both of your drinks out to the table right away.” Twitching again, she ran for the other side of the counter.  

   Apus smiled after her. Barker waited for him to turn the attention back to the conversation. It took a few more seconds, but he finally broke his gaze.  

   “I am surprised to hear from you, honestly. I know you have meddled in some of Vulpecula’s rather confusing choices over the last few months, but to see you in person was unexpected.”  

   Barker avoided the quip. No love lost, it seemed. How much of Vulpecula’s state did this bird blame Barker for? It wasn’t a fair blame, but often friends had to put the crisis on someone else’s back to shield their long-time friends.  

   “Vulpecula is doing great. Sober and working cases in Urgway under a watchful eye. I am to understand there was no one watching out for him here in Acera. Shame really. Things will look up for him soon, however.” 

   A subtle twitch of Apus’s eye let Barker know he had touched a nerve. The waitress returned, interrupting their conversation. Apus changed his demeanor, taking the coffee with a jubilant smile plastered across his face. Smitten, Barker thought. The waitress placed Barker’s coffee in front of him. The acidic film over the top let Barker know it was an instant coffee and nothing so fresh as he was growing used to from his white-haired secretary’s hand. Without mentioning his distaste for the oily blend, he nodded the waitress away before she could ask if they needed anything else.  

   “Not hungry?” Apus bemused.  

   There had been no intent from either man to enjoy a nice breakfast together. It was obvious now Apus wasn’t keen on Barker.  

   “If you had to guess, what do you think Vulpecula cares about the most in this world?”  

   The sudden drop of the smirk across his beak let Barker know he had caught Apus off guard with the question. He had to think of a reply. This wasn’t a question he had ever thought of before. What did the white fox care for? Aside from drowning every last thought in a swirl of liquor, Barker hadn’t seen the fox passionate about anything. It looked like the bird hadn’t either. Maybe the fox loved nothing or anyone. Broken and wandering the world like a sightless drone.  

   “Vulpecula was seen from the outside as someone who had it all growing up. A good family name, connections in the highest places, and a career path paved from golden bricks by his father. I think only his friends knew it to be any different. Those who stuck next to him for who he was and not what he could offer them. If I had to say anything that Vulpecula enjoys, it is the company of those he can trust. We both know you aren’t one of those men. So, the question on my mind is what do you plan to gain from him?”  

   Direct. Barker could learn to respect such a man. Apus knew what he wanted and came for it without regard for the feelings of others. At least, he did when it came to his white-haired friend. Did Apus feel some kind of paternal love for Vulpecula? They were of similar age, but one of them was clearly better put together. Vulpecula had a hard time navigating his own life, but with a friend like Apus, life would become intermittently easier.  

   “Would you say Vulpecula depended on you here? While he stayed in Acera, did he need you? Is that why you feel threatened by me? Because Vulpecula has stepped from the safety net and into the world beyond?”  

   Small pinpricks. It was how Barker would burst Apus. Initially, it hadn’t been the plan to break the bird. Bringing him on board and weeding out Vulpecula’s past would have been the easier route. The less messy route. It was looking like another route presented itself, though. How did you get a man to fall? You knocked out his legs. Vulpecula already wobbled through his daily tasks. The things holding him up were rooted in this city. A stiff breeze could knock those fixtures from his path and then, well, Vulpecula would have nowhere else to fall but into Barker’s world.  

   “I would say you are taking advantage of a man unable to care for himself. Vulpecula is the smartest man I have ever met. Could be a skilled detective, or whatever he chose to be. Demons have reared their ugly head and driven him down a dark path. I will not let you shackle him there.”  

   Barker eyed the waitress staring at them from the corner. She awaited any opportunity to reconvene at the table. Maybe there was more than a smitten relationship between the bird and the lemur. Barker still didn’t touch the coffee. There would be nothing in the world that could make him thirsty enough for the flavor it would provide.  

   “What do you know of Logan Norms?”  

   Apus’s face changed again. Anger had transformed his eyes to narrow slits, but at the mention of Norms they opened wide.  

   “What do you care about the reporter for?” Apus talked faster than he had before. “Aside from his bashing every move you make in Urgway. Does that hurt your ego? Because I would have assumed you built an ego so high nothing could reach you up there.”  

   “So, I assume that means nothing?”  

   Barker poked again. Nothing got people answering questions like pretending to assume they knew nothing about the topic.  

   “You assume wrong. Norms has been in this city for a long time. Knocking over small-time organizations and companies with his scandalized reporting.”  

   Barker chuckled. “We seem to agree on his uncouth style. Maybe we have more in common than previously thought.” 

   A resounding shake of the head let Barker know there would be no bonding over their mutual hatred of Norms. Barker didn’t feel any love loss.  

   “What we can agree on is this. Norms and you are both pieces of work. Neither deserves the light shining down upon them. Both will end up getting what they deserve.”  

   Barker watched another family beside them. Apus’s loud voice carried across the dinner. They watched both men with interest in their animated conversation. Barker poked the bubble again.  

   “So, you would say Norms deserves to suffer?” Barker whispered the words. The family could not hear him from their distance to the table.  

   Apus didn’t whisper, though. “I would say he deserves to fall from his perch. There is no man who deserves to do what Logan Norms does and profit off it.”  

   Barker stood abruptly. “Interesting take. I think you may be a little heated about all of this. You  shouldn’t do anything stupid about it.”  

   Apus’s face fell again. How many times could one person become confused in a simple conversation. It took some effort for Barker not to crack a smile. He needed to keep pretending for the other patron’s benefit.  

   “I am heading out. You’re too angry about Norms to have a proper conversation. If you choose to go after him, I want no part of it.”  

   Barker turned on heel and strode out of the establishment, leaving Apus open beaked and gawking. Outside the door, Barker let the smile creep across his face. Phase one of the new plan was finished. Let the world know Apus had a hatred and anger to boot.  

*** 

   Outside a run-of-the-mill apartment building, Barker kicked back his feet and waited. Inside the tinted vehicle he had rented under a false name, there wasn’t a man in the world who knew he was here. Well, maybe that wasn’t true. There was a man who knew Barker was here. That was who Barker watched now. A young canine with yellow fur, bright eyes, and no future. The canine, a lab, flicked his cigarette onto the concrete at the steps of the door and sat onto the second stair. He looked out into nothing, looking for all those concerned that he belonged there. The fact was, he didn’t belong there. Barker had found the kid on the street not three hours ago. Filthy, hungry, and willing to do anything for a chance to change his lot in life. Lucky for him, Barker had something that would. 

   Barker reached toward the dial on the radio and clicked it off. There was only so much news talk he could take. Once the initial cycle repeated itself, it was time to focus on something else. Looking back toward the stairs, Barker noticed the lab had moved. No longer did he sit on the stairs, he was up near the door reading something Barker couldn’t see. Maybe the listing of apartment numbers. Barker had told the kid to wait. Patience was the key factor. He had stressed that several times during their meal together. Be patient. Don’t get eager. Let things fall into your lap. Barker had said all those things. Clenching his fists, Barker thought of what he could do from here. There wasn’t much. The kid had no phone to call. No one could see Barker here. Not with what he planned to do. He would just have to hold his breath and hope the kid didn’t mess things up.  

   The lab reached his furry finger out and pressed one of the white buttons on the row beside the door. Barker could tell from his vantage point that they were call buttons. He couldn’t hear the conversation, but he couldn’t imagine it was something groundbreaking. Three hours ago, this kid had nothing and the way he was moving, he would continue to have nothing. One of the first principles of working with someone was being able to listen to direction. Without that, there was nothing to provide. Barker thought about leaving. Getting out of the neighborhood prior to things falling apart. He couldn’t though. Something drew him in. Waiting, he held his breath and watched. The lab was nodding now. Then he turned and without context gave a thumbs up. Barker cursed him, letting his breath go heavily. This wasn’t a co-opt mission. Barker didn’t want anyone knowing he was there. If this went to plan, Barker would still strangle the idiot.  

   Two minutes passed before the apartment door opened. Apus poked his head out to see the canine on the bottom of the stairs. Confusion. That was the best way to explain the reaction. The lab waved him outside. Whatever he had told him, Apus was interested. Hesitantly, Apus pushed the door open and walked down two of the five stairs leading to the complex. The lab and the bird exchanged unheard words. There was no way to tell what the lab had constructed, but whatever it was, Apus nodded a few more times and took off behind him. They disappeared around the next bend and Barker checked the street to see it was clear. Not a single soul walked up or down the sidewalk. He saw no one else parked in their cars. Barker put his car into drive and drove. If the kid pulled this off, it would be a miracle, but things were looking good so far. Barker had told him the meeting place of a back alley four blocks down the way. In the car, Barker would easily beat him there.  

*** 

   An hour. That was how long Barker had been sitting in the dark alley waiting on the stupid lab and Apus. Doubt settled in. The kid had failed. Afterward, he had been too ashamed to tell Barker to his face and had run off back to the homeless camp. Barker should have known better. Dragging someone up by their bootstraps didn’t work in the actual world. That kind of thing was for books and movies. Real life people were disappointing. Lazy because they chose to be lazy. Gifting them anything only reinforced the behavior. Barker, not for the first time, slapped the steering wheel with an open palm. He wasn’t mad enough to go beating on things, but he was getting there. Something clattered just beyond where Barker could see. His ears perked. There was something there. A rat, maybe? Those people loved to mess in alleys and trash. Barker waited, peering into the dark. A second sound, one of exhaustion, came next. There was still no one in sight, but Barker knew the sigh. He had heard it a hundred times as the kid ate his meal. A sigh of satisfaction, of exhaustion, of frustration. The kid did them all and frequently. Barker opened the car door and stepped out. A few seconds later, the yellow lab came close enough to be seen. Behind him, Apus dragged along. The bird’s clothes had been ripped, and his eyes closed.  

   “You weren’t supposed to kill him,” Barker snapped.  

   “I didn’t kill him. He is just sleeping. Soundly sleeping.”  

   Barker eyed the unconscious bird. When he finally saw his chest rise and fall, he felt a little better.  

   “What took you so long?”  

   The lab dropped Apus’s leg to the ground.  

   “You’re welcome. Kidnapping someone isn’t as easy as you think it would be. It isn’t as simple as saying hey, do you want to walk down this dark alley with me for no reason? The trash down here is nice this time of the year.”  

   Letting the slight pass, Barker walked over to the prone form on the ground. Up close, Barker could hear the breathing. It was soft but clear.  

   “What did you do to him?” Barker didn’t need him awake, but it would have been more fun to watch his face.  

   “I improvised. Told him I had dirt on Mayor Barker. Wanted him to get a scoop. Knew someone had spotted him with Barker in the café this morning by a family I knew. When I found out, I ran straight to his apartment to convey the news. The bird really doesn’t like you at all. We spent about thirty minutes chitchatting about your supposed drug ring. Apus took vigorous notes. He wanted to expose you more than I have ever seen anyone want something.” 

   Of course he did. Apus hated Barker for all the things he blamed himself for. Letting Vulpecula drown in the amber liquid made him feel guilty. Barker would help him with those feelings. Crouching down to the passed out Apus, Barker whispered into his ear.  

   “Don’t worry about a thing. You will help Vulpecula now more than you ever could have.” Barker looked up to the lab. “How did you get him like this?” 

   The lab pulled a baggie from his pocket. “You don’t get to be homeless for your good choices.”  

   “If you will work with me, you will make better choices.”  

   The lab looked at the bag and tossed it onto the alley floor. Barker had no illusions it would be as simple as all that, but he didn’t mention it now.  

   “What are we doing with him?”  

   Barker looked back to the bird. What was he going to do with him? Well, first, he needed him into the car. Sitting in an alley, even a dark and abandoned one, with a kidnapped man wasn’t a grand idea.  

   “Let’s get him in the car. Afterward, you can meet up with a few friends of mine here in the city. They will set you right and get you some work. Your choice if you push through what you will experience the next few weeks. If you choose not to, well, best not to worry about that now.”  

   Barker let the threat hang in the air. No one else had given this kid an opportunity. Barker offered him a chance to change his life. Not only that, he gave him a steady environment to do it in. Urgway wasn’t the only city Barker was building a ground army in. The two reached down together and deposited Apus in the open trunk. The bird was much heavier than he appeared. Had to have been all the plumage he refused to preen.  

   Shutting the trunk, Barker exchanged cash and an address with the lab. Not bothering with drawn out goodbyes, Barker resumed his place behind the wheel and drove the opposite way he had come.  

*** 

   It seemed cliché, but Barker had to live up to some of his father’s accomplishments. Pulling the black bag off Apus’s squirming head revealed shocked eyes and tears.  

   “No longer tough, are we?” Barker stayed in the shadows of the single hanging light. It was a dramatic effect. Apus would know who had taken him as soon as he woke up. It would be even more obvious when he heard Barker’s distinct voice, but it was, again, part of the flair.  

   Something Barker’s father had been famous for was his single-light talks. The people he ended up letting free had revealed more in those open courtrooms than anyone else. His father had a penchant for the dramatics. Maybe it was his ruthless nature that ended up letting Noel catch him. Whatever he did, even those he placed back in the comforts of their own home never wanted to confront him. Not even with the help of the police. Without the full on assault by Noel, Barker’s father’s victims would have never spoken up. Fear weighed heavy on the minds of those who ran full force into the Canes of old. Barker wondered if he could illicit the same fear. He wouldn’t ever bother to find out, however. If Barker took a victim, he didn’t plan for that victim to ever speak again. No Noel would come from the heavens to rally the people. There would be no people to rally, and if Barker had it his way, there would be no more Noels.  

   “What are you doing? Why am I here? Are you a madman?”  

   Barker shifted to the opposite side. Apus’s head swung as if on a swivel, trying to keep the shadow of Barker in his sight.  

   “So many questions. Where do I even begin with the answers?”  

   Apus squawked. It was fear escaping his body. Barker held in his amusement. It would do no good to set up all this horror, only to ruin it with a chuckle.  

   “Why are you doing this?”  

   Barker adjusted his collar. There wasn’t a way for Apus to truly see him in the shadows, and there was no one else there to impress, but Barker still wanted to look his best.  

    “I think if you imagine hard enough, you will come up with several reasons why you are tied to that chair.”  

   “Because you are a mad man!” Apus’s voice had drawn two octaves higher. The fear made him sound like a blabbering madman himself. “I told Vulpecula you were no good. I knew Logan Norms was right about you! Even if the man himself is no good, he was at least right about you!”  

   Barker winced. Norms would get his. That was the whole point of this. Norms would suffer for what he had tried to do. Barker hated to think of himself as a vengeful man, but he needed Vulpecula to crack and he needed Norms to shut up. If all it took was the disappearance of Apus to make it happen, then so be it. The world wasn’t any worse off without another bird-brained fool.  

    “Do you think it wise to berate your captor? Calling me names could very well hurt my feelings. We wouldn’t want that now, would we? Our past conversations had always been so congenial and pleasant.” Barker stepped behind Apus. Tied as he was, the bird couldn’t swivel his head far enough to get a good look at Barker as he stepped into the light and placed his hands on the bird’s feathered shoulders.  

   Apus squawked again and tried to shift away, but the ropes held steady.  

   “You will get caught for this. You are just like all the other canines in Maharris, ruthless and evil. They will eradicate you all!”  

   Barker hadn’t taken Apus for the animalist type. Fear did a funny thing to people though. Some blathered about pity and servitude. Others became evil and defiant. Barker would have guessed Apus for the blathering, snotty, crying type. It seemed he was wrong.  

    “I am glad to see you still so passionate about something. Fear led me to believe you would ween from your brashness and let your feathers wilt. Instead, you are going stand defiant until the bitter end. The end will come though. There is no escape from your fate.”  

   Apus tugged at his bonds. There was no point. Barker had checked them a dozen times. Nothing like being overly careful. People got caught when they thought they were invincible. Not Barker. He wouldn’t fall down the same pit his father had. Licking his lips, Barker narrowed the distance between his head and Apus’s.  

   “Do you honestly think you will get away with this?” Apus asked.  

   “You believe I won’t?”  

   “Vulpecula is a little off the rails, but he is the smartest man I have ever met. If you give him something to focus on, you are making your own grave.”  

   Barker chuckled.  

   “But, first, I will make yours. My plan is simple. Vulpecula needs to focus, you are right about that. You are wrong about something though. Vulpecula isn’t the smartest man you ever met.” Barker put his muzzle right next to Apus’s ear canal. “I am. Vulpecula will dance on the strings I have attached to his shoulders. He will do my bidding because he knows nothing else. Your death will bring forth the second coming. From the ashes, the Canes will rise and this time, the fire will be too bright to snuff. They will know our glory across Maharris and beyond. All thanks to you providing the stepping stone.” Barker pulled away. “Know that your death is not in vain. Vulpecula will never drink again. We will set his sights on vengeance for a friend. I will lead him to that vengeance. Don’t fret though. Not only will you be the reason for Vulpecula’s change in life, you will rid the world of one Logan Norms. Two birds, one stone.” Barker chuckled. “Pun totally intended.”  

   Apus drew in a deep breath and readied himself for another squawk or attempt at an escape. One never came. Barker turned out the lights on the bird forever. With blood on his paws, Barker reached for a towel set in the room’s corner. It would do no good to get his nice suit dirty, but the night’s activities had just started. There was still a gift to arrange.