Gray light filters through the large windows of the community center lounge, casting long shadows across the worn linoleum floor. The windowpanes occasionally shake from bursts of wind, and the dark gray clouds roll over each other.
The lounge itself is a corpse of former glory. Posters advertising events cover the fading paint on the brick walls, a sad potted plant withers in the corner, and a lone TV behind a thick glass display case is broadcasting a speech by Mayor Marcos Macanas. The dark brown squirrel is wearing a prim and proper suit with a blue tie and is flanked by coyote guards wearing suits, sunglasses, and armored vests. The caption takes up half the screen and reads, “With valent efforts by my task force, I am pleesed to say that crime has droopd signifcnty. And my oppnt, who has spred slander, lies, and libel and chalged our sacred demokrky, has been arrested. He wont be prblm, anymore! [Appleause]”
But the group isn’t paying attention to this. Lexia, Jayson, and Nermal sit on a tattered L-couch, an awkward distance between them. Nermal sits with his hands between his legs; Jayson’s eyes are focused on Lexia while his weapon is held against his chest; and Lexia sits ramrod straight, arms folded tightly across her chest, jaw clenched. Watching all of them from a vantage point to see the doorway while staying clear of the windows, is Derrick.
“So, let me get this straight,” says Lexia, her voice tight. “You want me to draw out Claribel so we can kidnap her and use her as leverage against Mortimer, so he can tell us where Ramsey is?”
“Yeah,” says Jayson.
Lexia looks at Nermal. “And you're okay with this?”
“No,” replies Nermal bluntly. “But the only thing the police are good for now is handing out speeding tickets and cleaning up crime scenes. The mayor and governor made sure of that. So, if getting rid of Ramsey weakens Mama Bear and the lowlifes running the area, then I'm all for it.”
"You wanted to arrest us last time we tried getting Claribel,” says Lexia.
“One, because you did it public. Two, I said in a better time I would, but we’re not in a better time. Three, I took you out for waffles,” says Nermal.
“It was pancakes,” corrects Lexia sharply.
“Thanks for inviting me, by the way,” says Derrick sarcastically.
“Maybe if you were at your house and not torturing people you would’ve gotten pancakes,” says Lexia, glaring at him.
Derrick rolls his eyes dismissively.
“Anyway,” says Jayson. “You and the snake-”
“Claribel,” interrupts Lexia.
Jayson huffs. “You and Claribel have a rivalry, so you'll be great bait. And if we snag her then we can also interrogate her while using her as a pawn to make Mortimer talk, which I’m pretty sure was the original plan.”
“But the thing is, is that me and her kind of hit it off. Like, I felt a connection between us,” says Lexia.
Derrick grumbles and paces in a circle, and Nermal rubs his face slow and hard while Jayson stares at Lexia in disbelief.
“Also, she pepper-sprayed me last time, and that sucked,” adds Lexia.
A sudden blood-curdling chorus of screams echoes through the Community Center, near the popsicle building class. The group draws their weapons with lightning speed as they sprint towards the source of the chaos. Nermal and Lexia grip their pistols tightly, while Derrick brandishes his rifle, and Jayson unsheathes his cosmic wood sword.
“Mom!” cries Lexia.
They round the corner, just to nearly trampled by a stampede of panicking rabbits. But among them is Claribel, dragging Dixie away with a band of armed thugs serving as her escort.
Lexia's blazing eyes narrow and she growls through gritted teeth as she charges forward, shoving aside everyone in her path. Jayson, Derrick, and Nermal follow close behind, and Claribel continues running. When they enter the main lobby, her henchmen raise their weapons, aiming directly at Lexia as she closes in on them.
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“Lexia!” calls Jayson.
Jayson tackles Lexia down, leading to them sliding into a hallway while bullets fly, shattering display cases and tiled wall panels. Nermal and Derrick seek cover in a nearby bathroom, and Lexia shoves Jayson off. She fires blindly around the corener at the crooks, but nothing hits. The criminals shoot back. More broken bricks and tiles fall, and Lexia continues shooting.
Claribel's group hurries out of the Community Center, and Jayson's group gives chase. Jayson and Lexia are the first outside. All the sunlight and the cracks in the sky have been covered by thickened, gray clouds, and Claribel’s group weaves through the parking. Before they can get close, Claribel snaps around and shoots at them with her Thompson rifle. One hand gripping Dixie by the back of her neck, and the other holding her weapon. Her thugs also shoot at the pair while a van speeds towards them.
Jayson and Lexia dive for cover and shield themselves with their arms as the bullets zip overhead, shattering glass and popping tires. The air rattles with the rapid pops and blasts of gunfire, and Derrick and Nermal shoot at Claribel’s group from inside the Community Center. They drop one of Claribel's thugs and the rest scramble for cover behind the parked cars. The incoming van screeches to a halt, and Claribel runs towards it, dragging Dixie with her. As this happens, Lexia pulls out her bazooka from thin air and aims it at the vehicle, bringing Jayson’s eyes and ears to perk and his hand to grab her arm.
“Lexia don’t!” yells Jayson.
Lexia fires the bazooka. In a blink, a puff of exhaust pops out of her weapon and the rocket streaks across the parking lot, striking the van. The explosion flips the van on its side and throws Claribel, Dixie, and the other criminals back.
As Lexia reloads, Rolland's van speeds around another corner, putting them in direct line of sight of Jayson and Lexia. Dacre, Shae, and Cyrus shoot out with their Uzis, and Jayson grabs Lexia and tugs her to safety behind another vehicle. The remaining criminals in Claribel's group shoot at the pair, too. The cars near Jayson and Lexia are riddled with bullets, buckling as their tires are shredded and the asphalt covered with shards of glass and leaking fuel.
Nermal and Derrick run out of the Community Center when Rolland’s van passes, and they slide to cover behind a parked vehicle riddled with bullets. They shoot at Claribel’s group, quickly dropping the other three criminals, and Claribel throws Dixie in Rolland's van before leaping on and holding its doorframe while shooting at Derrick and Nermal group, forcing them to cover.
Claribel then slides in the van, grabs Dixie and wraps her tail around the rabbit’s leg, holds her throat and presses a pistol against her head. The van screeches next to Lexia and Jayson, and Claribel locks eyes with them.
Lexia aims her bazooka, Jayson readies his cosmic wood sword, and Dacre, Shae, and Cyrus aim their Uzis at the pair.
“Bring me Mortimer alive at Samantha’s Spa at three o'clock or your sister is dead!” says Claribel. “Rolland, drive!”
Rain begins to fall, and Rolland slams on the gas. The tires screech and the van lurches as it zooms away. Lexia hyperventilates, eyes narrowed and dark, teeth grinding, and her patchy fur bristled, and she and Jayson run to the road and watch the van swerve the corner. They watch in silence, their hair pressing against their eyes as the drizzle wets them, not registering the rapidly approaching sirens.
“We need to go!” yells Nermal.
Derrick runs to Lexia and pushes her away from the road. “Come on, let’s go. You too, Jayson.”
A couple more insistent tugs from Derrick snaps Lexia out of it, and the group runs into an alley, seeking cover by a dumpster while police cars speed by. Behind them is wall art of a winged DNA strand floating over a field of bones. The group remains crouched by the dumpster, and when a firetruck passes, they run again. They keep running until they come across an abandoned car lot, and they slump against the wall or sit on the ground, all breathing heavily and damp from weak rain and heavy sweat.
“Three o'clock is only two hours away,” says Jayson after a few minutes of silence.
“Why wait? We know where they're going. Let's just go there, kill them all, and get my mom back,” says Lexia.
Derrick shakes his head. “No. We'll do the exchange. You three scout the Spa. I'll get Mortimer.”
Jayson stands up and stands over Derrick, glaring down at him. “So, we're going to give Claribel what she wants?”
Now Derrick stands up, towering over Jayson. “Not necessarily. But I have an idea that I think will work, and if it don't work we’ll figure out another way to get to Ramsey.”
Lexia stomps forward and glares at Derrick and Jayson. “You know, if you morons didn't distract me, I could have stopped Claribel. Then none of this would have happened and we wouldn’t’ve had to think of another stupid plan!”
Jayson shakes his head. “You would've been turned into a sponge in that room.”
“I would've been able to fight off Claribel and her goons!”
“You would have died!” yells Jayson, his booming voice echoing in the desolate lot.
The loud voice makes Lexia recoil, and Derrick and Nermal exchange quick wide-eyed glances. Jayson sighs heavily and looks down, running his fingers through his dirty hair. The pattering rain and distant sirens are the only noises the group hears for a few seconds before Jayson looks at Derrick.
“What's the plan?” asks Jayson.
“The plan is easy,” says Derrick. “And if it works, then we'll be able to take care of both fixers in one swoop. But there can't be half measures. We have to go all the way.”
“Just spill the beans!” snaps Lexia.
“Alright, here it is...”