by Jan Stryvant
"But anything really bad happens; Ted takes care of it for them."
"How?" Sean asked as they came up to an unmarked car.
"The same way that the mob did. I told you he could be ruthless, didn't I?
"The mages, of course, all think that with the mobs gone, some other criminal organization has taken over, or that maybe the mobs all just went underground." Bill opened the door and unlocked the others.
"Get in, I'll show you around."
Sean took the front passenger seat, the girls got in the back.
"So they don't know that the lycans are running the city?" Cali asked as they put on their seatbelts and Bill started the car.
Bill laughed, "No, we're not smart enough to do that, we're just animals remember? But we don't actually run the city; we just have people in a lot of the key positions."
"Like the sheriff," Roxy chuckled.
"What about the mayor?" Sean asked.
"He's a mundane, but he knows about everything. The city council is a mixed lot now, two are lycans, one's an actual magic user, and another is a dwarf. The rest are mundanes, though one of those knows about everything."
"So," Sean asked, "what's the problem then? It sounds like things here are under control?"
Bill shook his head, "The problem is that we get a lot of people coming through who have lycan slaves, and we still get magic users coming here who try to poach on the existing lycan population. The first group are often performers for some show or other, though we get some big entourages with some of the more powerful mages who come here.
"The second group is a lot more uncommon, but it does happen, and we don't always get them back. When we do," Bill shook his head, "it's often pretty messy."
"Why?"
"Because they have access to magic, and we don't. If they're smart and give up the lycan they grabbed, they'll get let go. If they decide to start slinging spells, well, we start shooting."
"I'm surprised that they just don't use a mass sleep or something like that."
"One of the things that the mob bosses did, back when they were in charge, was they had every badge enchanted with a resist spell. They didn't want their cops being taken out by any mages."
"Every badge?" Sean looked at Bill surprised as they pulled out of the parking lot, "that must have cost a fortune!"
Bill nodded, "Couple million dollars, at least. But then, they were taking that kind of money out of the casinos they owned every week. So they viewed it as a reasonable cost of doing business. Unfortunately, it only applies to the county sheriffs, not any of the metro, as they weren't a force until after things had changed."
"I'm surprised they weren't afraid of the police turning on them."
"Back then, they controlled who got to be sheriff, and they made sure that the man in the job knew who the real bosses were. All of it was before my time, I hadn't been on the force for more than a couple of years when the feds came along and started to push them out.
"But that's all history now. Let me show you some of our current problems."
A few minutes later they were driving slowly by a mid-sized casino that was off of the main strip.
"This is the Dolitt's Casino," Bill told them, "they have a number of acts inside that use lycans."
"Which they pass off as wild animals," Roxy grumbled.
"And which as far as the USDA and the Nevada Department of Agriculture know, they are wild animals. They keep them in cages and rarely let them shift out of anything but full animal."
"Who runs the place?" Sean asked.
"A mage by the name of Harold Dolitt, he set up here about thirty years ago, as the mob was finally being pushed out. He's tied in with several of the magical gangs, that's how he gets the lycans for his acts."
"Why didn't he get pushed out with the rest of the gangs?"
"Because the police departments don't know about the magical gangs. I think the Feds might have a few clues, but if they do, they're keeping their mouths closed like everyone else."
"How good is his security?"
"His son is the floor manager now, and he's apparently a mage as well. Other than that, he's got a number of mundanes working as security. I don't know if they're clued in on the nature of the people working the acts or Harold's own abilities.
"Simply put, he's got magical defenses, and without a mage, we can't take him on."
Sean nodded and looked the place over as they drove by.
"This is the Hi-Wire," Bill said as they drove by another place. Sean noticed that the top of the place resembled a circus tent.
"Their big attraction is acrobatic shows, tumblers, high wire acts, that kind of thing."
"Wait," Roxy spoke up in the back, "I thought Ted cleared them out last year?"
"He did," Bill said with a nod, "but Ted thinks he's got another bunch in there. As many of the performers are human, it's hard to be sure without searching the place, and the department has already been hit with several lawsuits for harassment, so I can't just go in there and take a look around."
"If they have human performers, why do they need lycans?" Sean asked.
"Because lycan acrobats are a lot better than human ones. Plus they don't have to pay them."
"And the big money tourists will pay a lot of money to sleep with them," Roxy growled.
"They're prostituting them?" Sean asked, amazed.
"We can't prove it, if we could we could shut the whole place down, prostitution is illegal in this town."
Sean shook his head, "Great."
Bill drove them by several more places, discussing the issues with each of them and who the owners were before finally pulling into the parking lot of a fairly average looking club, parking next to the front entrance.
"What's this?"
"Wayne's Place," Bill said shutting off the car, "I haven't checked in here in a few weeks and the food's good."
"So, who's Wayne?"
"Wayne used to run a bordello here, out of the back. Hottest waitresses and waiters in town, and for the right price, you could have all the fun you wanted to with any one of 'em."
"And they were all lycans, right?"
"Yup, Wayne would buy them, steal them, if one caught his eye, he'd do whatever the hell he had to, to get his hands on them."
Sean growled, "Sounds like a nice guy. When do I get to meet him?"
Bill grinned and opened the car door, "You don't, he's dead. Been dead a while now, his daughter runs the place."
"What, did Ted kill him?"
Roxy laughed at that and Sean glanced back at her.
"Wayne was Ted's dad," she told him.
"Wait, what? If he was buying slaves and stealing..." Sean paused a moment, "Just how the hell did he have a ...?"
"Wayne was a lycan, a leopard like his son Ted. Like I said, Sean, leopards are sneaky, and some of them can be pretty damn mean. Wayne figured if everyone thought he was a pimp and a drug dealer and a slaver like the rest of 'em, they wouldn't realize that he was really running a sort of underground railroad."
Sean opened the door and got out of the car, as he thought about that.
"What about the prostitution?"
"Yup, he did it. But he claimed that they were all volunteers. He needed the money to keep buying up all the lycans he could. Everyone thought he had a big slave-trading gig going on with some sheiks in the Middle East. That's what he used to tell everybody at least when they'd ask about a guy or a gal who was no longer on the menu."
"So what goes on here now?" Sean asked as he followed Bill towards the door.
"Pretty much the same thing, the mundanes all believe that I'm just looking for the chance to bust his daughter Ryla and shut the place down. Mostly I and my deputies are just keeping up appearances, and if she does have anyone in house that she's stolen from someone else, well with the law constantly being around, it keeps the previous owners at a distance."
"Now you know where Ted gets it from," Roxy said coming up on his right and slipping an arm a
round him as they stepped inside through the doorway. Cali followed them in and then did the same on his left.
"So that explains how his mother was a freed slave," Sean said.
"Why Sheriff Channing, how nice to see you again!"
Sean looked up and saw a woman, who was built like the proverbial brick shit-house, come walking over to them. She looked about six foot tall, probably a hundred and fifty pounds, maybe more, and the tight outfit she was wearing made it clear that she was both muscular as well as packed, stacked and nicely curved.
"Why Ryla, you're looking as sweet as ever," Bill replied. "Staying out of trouble are we?"
"Well," Ryla said and let her voice drop into a husky tone, "that would depend on what you meant by trouble now, wouldn't it?"
Ryla stopped and turned to give Sean and the girls a look. Sean had to admit he was still looking her over himself. She had tawny colored hair that she wore short, but not short enough to look butch. Her eyes were an almost golden shade of brown, and if he had to guess, he'd put her in her late thirties, from the lines by her eyes, but her body was in perfect condition without any signs of sagging.
The way Roxy and Cali's fingers were digging into his sides as they leaned against him while Ryla looked him over, made it clear that they were more than ready to defend their turf. That actually made him smile.
"Wow, Sheriff, looks like you finally let your daughter keep one of those boys she keeps turning up with," Ryla said with a wink at Sean. "He sure looks big enough, maybe I should try him on for size?"
Sean tightened his own grip on the girls who definitely did not appreciate Ryla's predatory behavior.
"Might want to keep an eye on that tongue of yours, Ryla," Bill warned, "that's my son-in-law, Sean."
"Oh, I won't steal him, I'll just borrow him for a short while is all," Ryla smiled.
"Do you always hit on strange men who are out with their wives?" Sean asked in a low voice. There were people in the bar, which was off to the right twenty or so feet. To the left was a larger room with a stage on the far side and a lot of tables and booths, which seemed to be occupied by people eating lunch right now.
"Wives?" Ryla smirked and raised an eyebrow, "Isn't that little cheetah gal enough for you?"
Sean sighed as Roxy growled, just like that and this woman was starting to piss him off. It was barely noon, and for the second time today he was already having to deal with someone messing with one of his wives. What was it with people in Vegas and being annoying?
"Okay, right there, just put a sock in it and stop insulting Roxy, who I love, or I'll put you through that wall back there, and then after I do that, I'll hurt you."
"Oh? You and what army?" Ryla laughed, "This is my place, honey, and you had better watch yourself!"
Sean considered hitting her with a paralyzation spell, but some of the jewelry she was wearing looked expensive enough to have some pretty good spells laid on it to protect her from things like that.
Then, of course, there was the lycan collar she was wearing that looked suspiciously like one of the ones he made. Letting go of the girls he sighed, there was really only one option left.
"Aunt Ryla! I've missed you soooo much!" Sean yelled loudly, and then stepping forward he wrapped his arms around Ryla, trapping hers and picked her up off the ground as she looked at him in surprised shock.
"What's that? Sure! Let's go back to the office and catch up!" Sean said and started carrying her through the bar to a hallway on the far side.
"What do you think...." Ryla growled and started to struggle, apparently surprised to find that Sean was stronger than she had thought, the loose shirt he was wearing concealed Sean's own muscles rather well. True, with the lycan collar he didn't need to worry about ripping clothing when he shifted anymore, but he'd grown used to the fit.
"Let me go you little shit, before I hurt you," Ryla growled.
'What is she?' Sean asked the First, 'She doesn't smell like a leopard.'
'Sumatran tiger. They can be a little feisty,' the First laughed in his head.
"You just keep digging that hole," Sean growled and looked around. He'd picked the wrong hallway; this one went to the bathrooms. Sighing he kicked open the door to the women's room. It was occupied, but the one gal in it took one look at the two of them and headed for the door.
"Silvia! Help me with this idiot!" Ryla yelled at her.
"Guard the door," Sean growled at Silvia, using some of his lion influence as he shifted into his hybrid form.
"Oh, shit...." Ryla and Silvia both said at the same time.
"Are you familiar with the age-old practice of cannon-balling?" Sean asked with an evil grin and letting go of Ryla he spun her around and then kicking her in the back of the knee he bent over and picked her up as she fell to her knees and flipped her over.
"Don't you dare you fuc ...."
The rest was cut off as Sean dunked her head in the toilet. Ryla shifted then and started to struggle as Sean kicked the flush mechanism with his left foot and pulled her head up out of the water.
"What was that? I couldn't hear you!" Sean said and then dunked her head again.
Ryla grabbed the edge of the toilet and started to push on it with both hands, to get her head out of the bowl. Stepping back Sean let go of her and waited as she landed on her feet and whipped around to face him, her head wet and her hair soaked.
"I'm gonna ...."
"Silence!" Sean roared and pointed at her.
Amazingly, Ryla shut up, looking a bit surprised as she did so.
"You are going to go out there, and you are going to apologize. Where the hell you got the idea that pissing off a lion was a smart move is beyond me. But you drop this now, or there really is going to be a Ryla shaped hole in that wall, and you know damn well that none of your staff is going to stand up to me! Understand?"
Ryla tried to growl, but she saw the look in his eyes and instead she swallowed and just nodded slowly. For his part, Sean was a bit surprised at just how angry he'd gotten, but damn if it didn't feel good.
'Instinct, you're defending your pride,' the First spoke up. 'Roxy and Cali felt threatened, so you reacted.'
'I just can't believe how incredibly pissed I am,' Sean told him.
'After I threatened to destroy you, you're suddenly surprised to find out that lions have a temper?' the First snickered in his head.
Sean conceded the point and shifted back to his human form, and then took a look at Ryla's tiger hybrid; she was definitely something to look at.
"If you hadn't just pissed Roxy off, I'd consider it," Sean said with a grin and turned to head for the door, "maybe if you kiss her ass really hard, she'll let you sleep with me."
Sean quickly ducked out the door then, just as something large and heavy shattered against the wall.
"Better call a plumber, I think the toilet just broke," Sean told Silvia, who was guarding the door like he'd told her and went to rejoin the others, who were being seated by one of the waitresses.
"What was that noise I heard?" Bill asked him, looking a little worried.
"A sexually frustrated tigress not getting what she wanted I bet!" Cali giggled.
Sean just grinned and kissed Cali, and then Roxy.
"So, what's good here?" Sean asked picking up the menu.
Forty minutes later, when they were leaving, a contrite-looking Ryla met them at the door.
"I want to apologize to you, Roxy and you, Cali, for my rude behavior. It was uncalled for, and I'm sorry that I hurt your feelings. I should have known better."
"Thank you," Roxy smiled and nodded.
"Yes, thank you," Cali said smiled as well, then added in a lower voice, "do it again, and I'll kill you. I'm much less forgiving than my husband or his other wives are."
Ryla frowned a moment, but Sean noticed she wisely kept her mouth shut. He wasn't sure if Cali was joking or not and honestly, he thought it was better not to ask.
"Well, that went well, don't you think?" Bill chuc
kled after they got into the car and drove off, back to the station.
"I think for once somebody just may have learned her limits," Roxy purred.
"I'd like to know how she knew my name," Cali said. "We were never introduced."
"Oh, that page I got while we were eating was from Ted," Bill told them. "He told me he had a few words with his sister."
"How come his sister is a tiger?" Sean asked, curious.
"Wayne had a lot of kids," Bill paused a moment, "with a lot of different women."
"Just how many is 'a lot'?"
"At least twenty-three that I know about."
"Seems a lot of women were very thankful that he saved them, and he never hesitated to take advantage of it," Roxy grumbled.
"As I said before, Wayne wasn't exactly a nice guy," Bill said and then shrugged, "he did a lot of drugs, drank a lot of alcohol, would steal anything he could get his hands on and was always looking for a fight. He once claimed that the only reason he bought and stole lycans was so he'd have cheap help at the bar, and the reason he let them go free was after a while he got tired of seeing their face."
"Sounds like a prince of a man," Cali chuckled.
"Well, he may have been a bastard, but for all of his faults he really did free a lot of lycans and was a constant frustration to a lot of mages and even the mobs at times," Bill said.
"I'm surprised that the mages or the mob didn't have him killed," Sean said shaking his head.
"Rumor was, he was a hitman for the mobs and came here when he retired," Roxy said from the back. "They were all afraid of him."
"Well, they do seem to like their lycan assassins," Sean agreed, thinking of the hyena. "So, what next?"
"Next we hook back up with the others and go do a little sightseeing before dinner, then we see what sort of meeting Ted's set up."
Stewart's Fine Day
Stewart sighed and shook his head. All of their lycans, and he did mean all were gone, including that cute little female wolf that he'd been sneaking off with at the main council house. Cenna was her name, and she sure was a lot of fun.
