Chapter 15

Trouble With

The Authorities

"So close!!! I was so close!!!!!! Damn that anthro! I'll get even with him!" Cory vowed to himself as he flew away, "Hmm...I should call Melodie and tell her I'm gonna be a while." He found an isolated spot and called her on his cell phone, "Melodie?"

"Cory! Cory, are you coming home?"

"I'm afraid not. It's going to take a little longer than I had expected. I'll see you in a few days."

He could almost feel her anger as she shouted over the phone, "Cory, are you crazy?!!!!!!!! I know that you're still on Little island! I know what you're trying to do, and I want you to stop!!!!!"

"What? But Melodie..."

"Why can't you just leave them alone?!!!! What, besides Johnny all those years ago, did they do to you?!"

Cory started to answer, but when he thought of a reason, none came. He sighed, "They're all pacifists. How the hell am I supposed to earn money if they keep trying to stop me?"

"Damn it Cory, you know as well as I that they wouldn't get in your way if they could help it! Leave them alone! I want to see you again..."

"Alright, I'll see you as soon as I take care of my business."

"Cory no!!!! Don't kill--" Cory hung up his phone and turned it off before she could call again. He flew toward Wrall city, thinking of a plan as he went.

Jack sighed and walked back to Wrall city behind Kim. His feet ached, his arm hurt, and he was exhausted. The only thing that kept him moving were thoughts of seeing Ania again.

"You wish to mate with her, don't you?" Crystal asked as she swooped down to walk alongside him.

"Crystal! It isn't that simple for us..."

"And why not? What stops you from asking her? Would she look with disgust at your injury?"

"No, I don't think she would..."

"Will she back away from you because of the way you are colored?"

"No, it's nothing like that. It's just--"

"Just what? Is she the one who is supposed to ask? Why not do it while she sleeps so she will not know?"

"CRYSTAL!!!!!! Don't you dare say that again! I will never have sex with someone while they sleep. I will only do it if both of us want to!!!!"

"Yet you still hold back. I have seen her as well, Jack. She looks at you with such a desire I am surprised she does not ask you outright! What truly stops you from asking her, my friend?"

"I--I guess it's me...I'm always so afraid she'll say no. I am always sure she'll hate me if I ask like that, I'm scared that she'll never want to speak with me again...you wouldn't understand. It's probably easy for you to get what you want. You're so beautiful..."

"And yet I hate the way I look. Do you think I want to attract a mate? They all sicken me. Every one of them wants to have me, then fly off. They see a potential mate in me, then forget I even exist the next day! Such behavior is unacceptable to me."

"Umm...should I try to answer that?"

"No. I get very annoyed with that subject. It would be better to drop it."

"Okay...Crystal, can I ask you something?"

"As long as it isn't about past mates, yes."

"Well, I've been worried. Every time she gets close to me I have this unexplainable desire toward her."

"I see nothing wrong with that."

"No, let me finish. I can't explain it because it doesn't feel right. Like there's supposed to be something wrong with me. I feel like I shouldn't want her, yet I can't control myself around her."

"Perhaps you are just nervous?"

"I'm always nervous. That's been practically all I've been for the entire trip so far! I just wish I had some answeres, instead of all these questions..."

"Given time, you'll get your answers. They cannot run from you forever so long as you search for them. Don't give up. I will help you in any way I can."

Jack smiled, "Are you saying that because you mean it, because I can give you candies, or because of both?"

"Whichever it may be, I'll help you get through this, Jack." Crystal nuzzled him while they walked, chirping softly, almost like a purr.

Ania waited impatiently for them to return. She wanted to see what a giant looked like, and was afraid this would be her only chance, "Maybe we shouldn't have done this..." She thought back to Lisa's overjoyed face as they had paid off her last bill, "But Jack was right. I have never been so happy as when I saw the way she looked. Jack would have wanted to be here." She turned to Lisa and wrote down what she wanted to ask Lisa, "Lisa, are...you...ready?"

"Yes I am, Ania. I'm as ready as I'll ever be. This is going to be the first time I've ever seen a giant up close. What about you?" Ania just nodded her head in agreement, "Oh, I hope we didn't miss anything." They waited for a while in companionable silence. Lisa spoke up again, "Thank you for letting me do that. You have no idea how wonderful it is to have paid that off." Ania smiled and went back to watching for Jack. Lisa cleared her throat, "You miss him, don't you?" She nodded. Lisa took this as a sign to continue talking, "What's he like? Is he a stunt double for Richard Tyne?" Ania scrunched her shoulders to imply that she had no idea. Lisa nodded, "Uh huh...are the two of you married?" Ania shook her head, wistfully thinking and hoping that they would be, soon. Lisa understood what she meant, "You really want to though. Heh, that's just like me. The whole reason I've been trying to pay this debt off is so I can start a family with my fiance. He has to live on the larger island to make a living. He's a thief. He used to kill giants, but stopped when I told him how much I hated that idea. With the bills paid off, we can settle down here and make a living with my hotel. He won't have to steal anymore..."

Ania pulled out her paper and wrote, "What's...his...name?"

"Charles Kellter. He's cross-bred like me. A gryphon and a common dragon."

Ania widened her eyes in surprise before writing again, "What...about...children?"

"We were planning to adopt a child. We'll be happy."

Ania smiled at Lisa and searched for some sign of Jack. They soon saw Johnny flying in the air, and waved up at him. He waved back and started to land, "Hey."

"Johnny, where's the giant?"

Johnny stared at her for a moment, then shrugged, "He had to leave. He'll be back in two weeks to take Jack to the larger island. We figured out that he lives there, and not here."

"Really?.." Lisa sighed, "I wanted so much to see one...what're they like?"

Johnny laughed, "They are exactly like we are, Lisa. Only bigger. They aren't as exciting as you think."

Her voice held a lot of sarcasm, "Yeah right. I'll bet they're completely different."

Johnny shook his head, "No, if you're looking for differences, then I'm willing to bet that the only one you'll find is that they have more cities than we do. They really are the same as we are."

Ania watched as Lisa shrugged him off, "So where'd Kim and Jack go?"

"They're on their way. Jack has to walk, and neither of us are willing to leave his safety in the hands of an animal, even if he can talk to it."

"Jack? If you can hear me, please hurry. I miss you."

Jack heard her, "Crystal, what about you?"

"What do you mean?"

"We're going back to the city. Are you going to come in with us?"

Crystal chirped, "No. Not even for those delicious candies...will you bring me some?"

"I'll try. I'm not promising this time." Jack smiled and started walking a bit faster, "Well, since we're almost there, I guess I'll call you when we come out. Okay?"

"I'll wait for you near here." Crystal chirped a farewell and flew off.

Jack waved goodbye until she was out of sight, then concentrated on getting back to Wrall city as fast as he could. Kim had to shout at him to slow down more than once in order for her to catch up. He blushed a little, "Sorry. I just can't wait to see Ania again..."

Kim laughed, "Save your energy. We're only a mile away from Wrall city...and bedtime..."

Jack blushed a little more as he realized what Kim meant, "You don't need to keep saying things like that. Ania is more than capable herself..."

Kim laughed harder.

The moment Jack saw Ania, he shouted her name. Ania's head shot in his direction; she ran at him so fast he braced himself for the impact and turned slightly sideways to avoid getting his arm hit. She hugged him tight when she arrived. Johnny and Lisa weren't far behind.

"Jack, I've missed you."

"I missed you too, Ania. Sorry you didn't get to see Don."

"That's okay. I saw Lisa instead."

"Was she happy?"

"Ecstatic. I have never seen anyone more relieved than her after she paid that bill."

"Told you it'd be worth it."

"So are you. What's happening next?"

Jack smiled, "Well, I thought we were going to Icta village next, if only to get away from Cory."

Johnny cleared his throat before speaking, "Umm...that's as good a plan as any, I guess. I still think you should have gone back right then, Jack."

Jack blanched, "I am not going in another backpack for as long as I can. Ugh...I can't handle heights like that."

"What heights?! You were in a backpack the entire time! There was no way for you to see the ground!"

"But I was still scared. I don't want to know I'm going that high if I don't have to."

Johnny was about to retort, but right then they saw five police walking toward them. Ania cringed and held tightly to Jack's shirt, "They're coming straight towards us! What did we do?!"

Jack studied them for a moment. He saw Cory smiling behind the officers, "We did nothing. Cory did." All six of them, including Maik, were arrested. Maik was allowed to stay in Kim's care, but that didn't stop him from crying as he was scared time and again by the loud noises of the officers. Kim did her best to sooth him as they were taken to prison.

Hana had long since given up shouting. Her voice was hoarse from yelling at the officer to go away, and he had, but he'd come back with another officer. She leaned against the door as they banged to get in.

"Maam, you have to let us in. I have specific orders this time. If you resist us, we have authority to place you under arrest. Please don't make us use that!" Hana stood against the door for a few more seconds, composing herself before she let the men in. The moment they opened the door, she dashed off to her room, locking it behind her and not letting them near her. The officer sighed, "Maam, don't do this. We're here to help."

"Then why haven't you gone to search for Gareth?!"

"Because I'm not trained enough yet. I would've told you before, but you never let me. Please, Mrs. Brik, just trust me. I'm only here to make sure you get some rest. Once I've seen you asleep, Rick and I will leave."

"Why should I trust you? I only want my husband back!"

"Look, Mr's Brik. If I could, I would have brought him with me. The fact is, he's still missing. I'm sorry. Will you unlock your door?"

Hana quietly unlocked the door and came out to sit on the couch. The officer, a dilophodragon, sighed and sat down on a chair clear across the room from her to make her feel safer. Hana couldn't help but start trusting the anthro before her, "Sir? I'm sorry about how I've been. It's just that Gareth's been gone for over a week. He--he and I have had some troubles that started about a year ago, and I'm worried that those troubles might have gotten him."

"Can I ask what they were? I could call the chief and have him check for you."

"That would be great. If it's them, then at least I'll know they kept him alive."

"Really? Why would you be worried that they killed him?"

"Long story short, they hate him enough to kill him without a second thought, but they would rather have their revenge on him while he was alive. I'd be part of that, I know."

"Who--Rick what are you doing?! That sedative is only if she starts hyperventilating!"

Right then, the needle of a syringe entered her arm. She gasped and pretended to fall asleep instantly. The officer named Rick chuckled, "You know, this is the big chance. I should call Peter and tell him..."

"What the--get away from her!!!!" Hana stayed as still as she could while the first officer got up and started fighting Rick. By the sounds that she heard, Rick won without much effort.

She listened as his footsteps aproached her, "Peter won't mind if I get a taste of what he wants. Heh, he'll probably thank me and ask where she lives so he can have at her." Hana waited until she knew his head was close to hers. She then shot her arm out and grabbed Rick's neck.

"This is what I was afraid of." She turned to the first officer, who was just then getting up. Rick, however, was still trying to get his neck free from her grasp. She looked back at him, "Don't even think about trying that again." She let go just long enough to get her other hand around his neck and brought back her arm for a knock-out punch. He grunted, but did not get back up off the floor. Hana scowled down at him, then turned to the frightened, but honest officer, "At least I know I can trust you. Don't let this imposter out of jail. He works for an anthro named Peter, who wants nothing more than to rape me, and has enlisted an entire army of thugs and criminals to do just that. I've seen them."

The officer shaikily brought out a pair of handcuffs and clamped them over Rick's hands. He wiped his forehead as he stood up, "Why didn't the drug affect you?"

Hana held up her metallic arm, "Because this thing isn't real. He stabbed through fake skin. What's your name?"

"I'm Carl Reg, Mrs. Brik."

"Call me Hana. From now on, the only officer I let near me is you. Understand?"

"Yes maam. But I can't be the one to say that. You'll have to tell the chief that yourself or he'll post someone else."

"I get the idea. Thank you for being honest, Carl. You've helped me put a major fear to rest."

"What did I do?"

"I'll tell you later. Just get this crook out of here."