Re: Housepets: Projectiles of Protection
Posted: Tue Sep 07, 2010 2:31 am
Chapter 3
He hadn’t even been driving a minute, before Light had his paws on the steering wheel and his face planted into it. With teeth bared and eyes closed, he was hoping he would vanish. If he had wanted to make a great first impression, he had certainly made an epic fail of it. Officer Bill had pulled him over and was now talking with Martin and Keith beside the police motorcycle.
“Great, Light … just … great,” he whispered to himself through clenched teeth. “Why’d you have to try showing your collar tag when he asked for license and registration?” Of course, that was the only license and registration he had. What else could he have shown?
Outside the car, Keith, Martin and Bill were standing beside the motorcycle. “I don’t care if you have permission from the President!, dogs are not allowed to drive cars,” Bill shouted, shoving the military documents back at Keith. Keith folded them and put them back in his pocket, looking at Martin.
“Technically, he’s a wolf,” Keith said, trying not to make it sound disrespectful.
“I don’t care,” Bill continued, pointing a threatening finger at Keith. “Since you didn’t know the rules, I’ll let you off with a warning this time. But I definitely don’t want to see that canine driving in the neighborhood, for the other pets to see. They might start getting funny ideas, and we don’t want any vehicle related deaths around here. Got it?”
“Yes sir,” Keith replied calmly. “I completely agree with you. I wasn’t thinking about that.” Martin nodded.
“Good.” Bill said, putting on his aviators. He got on the motorcycle and started it up. “Have a nice day,” he said with a stern insincere, manner. Then he made a U-turn with his bike and drove down the street. By this time the residents of the houses within eyesight of the incident had gathered on their lawns. As Martin and Keith walked back to the car, Martin raised his one good hand, and waved them off with his usual smile. “It’s ok everyone, there’s nothing more to see.”
Keith opened the driver’s door and smiled at Light. Light looked like he’d been defeated, and Keith wanted to try cheering him up. “Don’t worry about it, buddy. C’mon.” he motioned for him to step out. Light looked at Keith dejectedly. “Now! That’s an order soldier.” Light smiled. “Yessir,” he said and stepped out. Light took Keith’s spot behind the driver and Martin reclaimed his seat. They resumed their trip to the shelter.
Having witnessed the events that had unfolded in the streets, a head popped back in from behind the curtains. “Can you believe the nerve of that guy?” Bino asked the black cat reading in the chair beside him. Maxwell sighed and placed the novel on the table next to him, pages down, ‘The Red Badge of Courage’ written on its cover. “Bino … You can’t see every new dog that comes into this neighborhood as a threat.”
“I’m serious,” Bino said. “This guy’s asking for trouble. Where does he get off, acting all high and mighty? Just because he’s tall enough to drive.”
“Sounds to me like you’re jealous,” Maxwell responded, with a toothy grin.
“What do I have to be jealous of when I have you?” Bino said with a wink. “Rawr.”
Maxwell looked at Bino, dumbfounded. “Shippers…“ he muttered as he picked up his book and continued reading.
“Grrrr. I hate that wolf so much.” Bino said, getting back on topic and shaking his fist.
*Achoo* Light sneezed and rubbed a finger under his nose. They were still driving past houses in The Gardens. Martin was telling Keith about the position he wanted him to fill at the shelter.
“You would be head of security; in charge of the security offices, personnel. Including operations, training, and supervision, what do you think?”
“It sounds doable,” Keith responded. “How about the pay?” Keith had accepted several jobs since retiring from the military, some of them shady. However, there was one rule he always personally followed, ‘Don’t harm innocent animals.’ From those dealings, Keith had become shrewd and to the point when it came to money.
“The pay is more than standard rate for a Special Forces trainer, but you’ll be paid overtime and benefits are included, healthcare, and life insurance.” Martin responded.
“Sounds good,” Keith nodded in agreement “but I hate commuting. It took me nearly an hour to get to Babylon Gardens. If I do end up working for you, I’m going to need to take up residence locally. I’ve lived in an apartment ever since I’d moved out of my parents’ house, God bless their souls, and I’d like a change of scenery. Are there any decent houses on the market around here.”
“I think I have just the place,” Martin said with a sly smile. He hired only the most trustworthy employees, and he paid them well. He had, in fact, already begun preparing the paperwork for a house on the outskirts of Babylon Gardens for the head of security position he had in mind for Keith. But, it wouldn’t be completed for another two weeks, since the local Greenbank Savings & Loan hadn’t received a down payment yet. Martin had made sure that the bank knew that a well payed employee of the shelter would be moving in, to expedite the house purchasing process. “Ah, here it is now,” he said indicating a house on a 2.5 acre lot.
Keith pulled the car over. The house was yellow in color, that’ll be the first thing to go, Keith thought, and it had seen better days. As it was, it didn’t appear bad for a starter home, but it would need a few things done. Keith saw it as a perfect distance to both the shelter and the farthest end of the neighborhood in case of needed response; neither was further than 8 minutes away. (I hope that’s correct.) “The two and a half acres looks good, right, Light?”
Light’s eyes were sparkling in agreement. Despite spending a lot of time in the wilderness on missions, he’d never really had a wide-open yard at his home to play around on.
“What’s the asking price?” Keith asked.
“Just under $170,000; but as an employee of the shelter you would have the good word put in with the bank and shouldn’t have any problems with moving in within two or three weeks, and with what I’m paying, mortgage shouldn’t be a problem either.”
Keith thought about it for a moment before offering his hand to Martin. “You always know just what to say don’t you?”
“It’s a curse,” Martin replied with a smile. He took Keith’s hand and gave it a shake.
“Ok, sounds like a plan,” Keith said putting the car in drive and continuing down the road toward the shelter.
As they pulled away Light smiled, staring at what was soon to be their new home.
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Next Chapter: https://www.housepetscomic.com/forums/v ... 894#p94894
He hadn’t even been driving a minute, before Light had his paws on the steering wheel and his face planted into it. With teeth bared and eyes closed, he was hoping he would vanish. If he had wanted to make a great first impression, he had certainly made an epic fail of it. Officer Bill had pulled him over and was now talking with Martin and Keith beside the police motorcycle.
“Great, Light … just … great,” he whispered to himself through clenched teeth. “Why’d you have to try showing your collar tag when he asked for license and registration?” Of course, that was the only license and registration he had. What else could he have shown?
Outside the car, Keith, Martin and Bill were standing beside the motorcycle. “I don’t care if you have permission from the President!, dogs are not allowed to drive cars,” Bill shouted, shoving the military documents back at Keith. Keith folded them and put them back in his pocket, looking at Martin.
“Technically, he’s a wolf,” Keith said, trying not to make it sound disrespectful.
“I don’t care,” Bill continued, pointing a threatening finger at Keith. “Since you didn’t know the rules, I’ll let you off with a warning this time. But I definitely don’t want to see that canine driving in the neighborhood, for the other pets to see. They might start getting funny ideas, and we don’t want any vehicle related deaths around here. Got it?”
“Yes sir,” Keith replied calmly. “I completely agree with you. I wasn’t thinking about that.” Martin nodded.
“Good.” Bill said, putting on his aviators. He got on the motorcycle and started it up. “Have a nice day,” he said with a stern insincere, manner. Then he made a U-turn with his bike and drove down the street. By this time the residents of the houses within eyesight of the incident had gathered on their lawns. As Martin and Keith walked back to the car, Martin raised his one good hand, and waved them off with his usual smile. “It’s ok everyone, there’s nothing more to see.”
Keith opened the driver’s door and smiled at Light. Light looked like he’d been defeated, and Keith wanted to try cheering him up. “Don’t worry about it, buddy. C’mon.” he motioned for him to step out. Light looked at Keith dejectedly. “Now! That’s an order soldier.” Light smiled. “Yessir,” he said and stepped out. Light took Keith’s spot behind the driver and Martin reclaimed his seat. They resumed their trip to the shelter.
Having witnessed the events that had unfolded in the streets, a head popped back in from behind the curtains. “Can you believe the nerve of that guy?” Bino asked the black cat reading in the chair beside him. Maxwell sighed and placed the novel on the table next to him, pages down, ‘The Red Badge of Courage’ written on its cover. “Bino … You can’t see every new dog that comes into this neighborhood as a threat.”
“I’m serious,” Bino said. “This guy’s asking for trouble. Where does he get off, acting all high and mighty? Just because he’s tall enough to drive.”
“Sounds to me like you’re jealous,” Maxwell responded, with a toothy grin.
“What do I have to be jealous of when I have you?” Bino said with a wink. “Rawr.”
Maxwell looked at Bino, dumbfounded. “Shippers…“ he muttered as he picked up his book and continued reading.
“Grrrr. I hate that wolf so much.” Bino said, getting back on topic and shaking his fist.
*Achoo* Light sneezed and rubbed a finger under his nose. They were still driving past houses in The Gardens. Martin was telling Keith about the position he wanted him to fill at the shelter.
“You would be head of security; in charge of the security offices, personnel. Including operations, training, and supervision, what do you think?”
“It sounds doable,” Keith responded. “How about the pay?” Keith had accepted several jobs since retiring from the military, some of them shady. However, there was one rule he always personally followed, ‘Don’t harm innocent animals.’ From those dealings, Keith had become shrewd and to the point when it came to money.
“The pay is more than standard rate for a Special Forces trainer, but you’ll be paid overtime and benefits are included, healthcare, and life insurance.” Martin responded.
“Sounds good,” Keith nodded in agreement “but I hate commuting. It took me nearly an hour to get to Babylon Gardens. If I do end up working for you, I’m going to need to take up residence locally. I’ve lived in an apartment ever since I’d moved out of my parents’ house, God bless their souls, and I’d like a change of scenery. Are there any decent houses on the market around here.”
“I think I have just the place,” Martin said with a sly smile. He hired only the most trustworthy employees, and he paid them well. He had, in fact, already begun preparing the paperwork for a house on the outskirts of Babylon Gardens for the head of security position he had in mind for Keith. But, it wouldn’t be completed for another two weeks, since the local Greenbank Savings & Loan hadn’t received a down payment yet. Martin had made sure that the bank knew that a well payed employee of the shelter would be moving in, to expedite the house purchasing process. “Ah, here it is now,” he said indicating a house on a 2.5 acre lot.
Keith pulled the car over. The house was yellow in color, that’ll be the first thing to go, Keith thought, and it had seen better days. As it was, it didn’t appear bad for a starter home, but it would need a few things done. Keith saw it as a perfect distance to both the shelter and the farthest end of the neighborhood in case of needed response; neither was further than 8 minutes away. (I hope that’s correct.) “The two and a half acres looks good, right, Light?”
Light’s eyes were sparkling in agreement. Despite spending a lot of time in the wilderness on missions, he’d never really had a wide-open yard at his home to play around on.
“What’s the asking price?” Keith asked.
“Just under $170,000; but as an employee of the shelter you would have the good word put in with the bank and shouldn’t have any problems with moving in within two or three weeks, and with what I’m paying, mortgage shouldn’t be a problem either.”
Keith thought about it for a moment before offering his hand to Martin. “You always know just what to say don’t you?”
“It’s a curse,” Martin replied with a smile. He took Keith’s hand and gave it a shake.
“Ok, sounds like a plan,” Keith said putting the car in drive and continuing down the road toward the shelter.
As they pulled away Light smiled, staring at what was soon to be their new home.
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Next Chapter: https://www.housepetscomic.com/forums/v ... 894#p94894