Animals

Chapter 4

March 18, 2018

Chicago

"This is the place?" In front of Fenrir stood a dilapidated trailer, rusted with tinted windows. It was inside a abandoned trailer park, trash all around the area.

Looking around the trailer park, it seemed as if no one lived there. It must have closed around the 90's or 00's, leaving little left of its previous inhabitants.

"Seems to be. Asher said he was here." Sam had changed her clothes, going for a more casual look with a military green hoodie and grey pants.

The two headed for the door of the trailer, with Fenrir in front.

The wolf stepped up to knock on the door right before it opened by a sliver. Fenrir could see a green eye staring through the opening of the door. It narrowed before the door closed again. He could hear several locks being clicked off before the door finally opened.

"Get inside, wankers!" The voice was subdued in a thick Irish accent as it motioned for the two mammals to enter.

Fenrir heard the door close behind him as he took in his surroundings. While the trailer outside had been dilapidated, the inside was as clean as a trailer could be. Various electronics were scattered everywhere, along with several boxes of ammo.

Fenrir could see Asher on the left side of trailer, next to a raccoon with a welding helmet on his face. His left arm was placed on the table, a prosthetic created by Freelancer tech. Several of His black protective covers on his prosthetic arm had been taken off, exposing the wiring and metal parts of the inside. It looked like the raccoon was finishing up with his work, helping Asher lock the covers in place.

Fenrir turned around at the one who let them in. It was a rabbit, grayed fur and black spots on her eyes. She stared back at the new arrivals with an air of suspicion.

"So you're Ash's sister? Thought you'd be taller." The bunny smirked as she spoke, her accent making her sound more sarcastic than most.

Ash had gotten his last cover on with a metal "snap" before getting up from his position. "Eli, don't hastle them. They are just here for help from Rocket. We don't need protection 24/7, so... scatter."

Eil sighed, before opening the door and stepping out. "Holler if one of these guys goes crazy."

The door shut, leaving the rest of the mammals in silence. Then the raccoon chuckled.

"She can seem blunt about visitors. Sorry about that." "Rocket" had taken off the welding helmet, revealing blue eyes and a curious expression.

Fenrir shrugged, looking around at the messy state of the place. He did want to ask several questions, mostly about why the raccoon needed a bodyguard. But he knew they needed to get to the reason they were here. "So, Asher says you know about black market tech. We've got a dead bobcat with a Heartmod that we have no idea how he got it."

The wolf could see Rocket's eyes light up as he took in the request. The raccoon smirked as he made his way towards a nearby old computer, dusty and inactive.

"He's damn right." He booted up as Asher made his way over to them.

Sam waited as Asher made his way over. "So, he seems... eccentric."

The older coyote smiled. "He's a life saver. Rocket is just a great guy. Knows his way with all types of technology. When I got in trouble while undercover with the Madris a few years back, my arm got hit by a lucky bullet. Shattered a servo inside. He was able to fix it in less than an hour. He'll help you with this stuff."

Soon, Rocket has gotten everything ready, and now waited for evidence. "You got it with you?"

Sam handed the raccoon the picture of the Heartmod as he looked over it quizzically before he chuckled.

"That's pretty messed up. Least you got a clear picture of it." He typed in several things onto the keyboard, paws moving like clockwork before he hit the enter button. The screen flashed before it displayed a picture of a gangly looking weasel.

"Well, you got your guy. I'll print out the details. But first..." He stretched back in his chair. "I want in."

Fenrir grimaced. Not many Freelancer operations used outside assets, even less for those who might be criminals. If Asher knew the raccoon from his old undercover days, it's likely that Rocket is wanted.

But he wanted to find this guy that killed Victor. Not because of a sympathy for the bobcat. But because he was tired of cases like that where justice was never served. And Anderson gave it high importance. Something was wrong with this killing. And Fenrir wanted to find the reason why.

"Fine. But you are responsible for all your gear. We don't hand out stuff on a whim. Also, you do any crimes before, during, or after our operation, you are going away for a long time. And not in a fancy prison."

Rocket nodded with a grin on his face. "I'll be on my best behavior then. Just gimme some action.