HPU - Richmond Acres

[Serence Frostbite]

"Hukk!" The fox's paws instinctively grab Nadia's wrists as he chokes. He stares at her for a moment, sweating, and then does the only thing he can which is to nod.

"talk." Nadia demanded ,letting go of the fox's neck.

[Welsh Halfwit]

"I wonder why I thought of Wolves when you said Jaegermond," Juniper asked, more or less rhetorically. "Um, yeah, I suppose we might as well try it?"
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Nola tried to think and found it hard to get the fluffy marshmallow that was currently her brain to focus on anything much. "I don't think so," she managed.
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Leslie thanked the officer and gave a little salute before turning back to Vera. "Oreo's in pet skool," he said, holding up Piper's book. "I cayme to gif this back," he said unhappily, "and run intew..." He couldn't find the words to finish.

[~\Rook/~]

The officer checks with the K9 briefly about Leslie's scent and then waves him through.
"Your scent is apparently not recent enough to have done this. Besides I don't think you'd have been capable anyway. Go on up to your owner but don't touch anything along the way. This is still a crime scene. I'm trusting you to keep an eye on him, hon." she finishes, looking pointedly at Vera.

Vera curtly nods. "I will." She takes Leslie's paw and heads upstairs.

Leslie thanked the officer and gave a little salute before turning back to Vera. "Oreo's in pet skool," he said, holding up Piper's book. "I cayme to gif this back," he said unhappily, "and run intew..." He couldn't find the words to finish.

Vera stops, turns to the cat and kneels enough to be eye level. "Don't worry Leslie, I'm sure the police are doing everything they can to find her.. We have to be strong and hope she'll be back safe." She said this surprisingly calmly, almost in a motherly tone. She smiled lightly, placing a paw on Leslie's shoulder "Let's go see Leroy, yeah?" She lead them back to Richard and Leroy, in the midst of their conversation.

"Sure, thanks... I can't promise to remember it at the moment though... Did you bring that drink? And what have you been doing with yourself since I last saw you? That must have been in London all those years ago, mustn't it?" The old man looks over at a photo of him, his late wife and Leroy in front of an old bus in the Jenkins History Museum.

Leroy stared at the picture for a moment, recollecting the time, then turned back to Richard. "Ah, yes.. The London T-class series, T31. Classic london bus.." He said, leaning back. "That was a good long time ago, definitely.. Since then? I kept up my work at the museum until I, ah, 'retired'. Long story. Been keeping myself busy with an autobiography for the rest.. It's been hard-going, but I manage.."

At this point Vera and Leslie enter. "Ah, there you are. Where'd y-" He stops as he noticed Leslie "Leslie? What are you doing here?" He continues, sitting forward. "I heard him at the d-door, so I asked the p-police if he could come in.." Vera states, letting Leslie go. "He wanted to return a b-book he borrowed from P-Piper"

"Ah, alright then. Why don't you give it to Richard then, Leslie? I'm sure he'd be happy to hold onto it for you." Leroy says calmly, gesturing over to Richard.

[Hlaoroo]

The fox drops to his knees as he's released and gasps a few times.
"The railyard. I smelled rabbit there and saw some people!" he says. "Now you gotta give me that collar, right?"

~~~~
"All right then. Actually, come to think of it. There is no vaccine for mice. You don't need one unless you're sick. I can give you a chip if you want though. But first how about a bath?" Paul says to the mouse.

~~~~
"Well it's very simple. It's just like having your photo taken but with a special camera. All you have to do is lie still for me. Think you can do that?" Jackie asks, moving the cat from the gurney onto the x-ray table with the help of a nurse.

~~~~
"Heh. I could remind you of a few stories from our younger days that you could write into your book if you're needing inspiration. Richard jokes. He manages a wobbly smile for the kitten as he thanks him for the book. He gazes at it for a few moments and then offers it back again.
"Know what? Why don't you keep it? Piper hasn't read it in ages anyway. I'm sure she'd want you to have it since you'll get more use out of it than she does these days."

~~~~
Meanwhile, the group of pets outside the shop has been accosted by a group of K9s who insist on taking statements from everyone as well as sampling everyone's scents to rule them out of troublemaking in the shop.

[Welsh Halfwit]

"I remember Kilo telling us about those," Juniper said carefully. "someone fills a massive bucket with water that steams like it's from a kettle then lies in it. Sometimes there are bubbles. It sounds silly but what the heck? Gotta try it to know it's silly."
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"Right on, Doc," Nola said, deciding moving sounded boring anyway. She could still feel her injuries a bit and staying still seemed to keep them quiet.
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"Oreo went tew skool," Leslie said, before thanking Mr Richard for the book. "Miss Piper will bee okay," he said hopefully, trying not to think about the person he had missing who might put the lie to that.
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"I am a friend of the family," Kilo said, poking a K9 officers' nose with his 'stick', "and, if you think I am a troublemaker, I have grave doubts you will pass your promotion exams!"

[Roarin]

"True, Kilo. But the road would take them straight to the next town or the city and we know they were travelling by van. And there's plenty of forests and farms between here and the city. Agh, we need more to go on! Say, Senka. You're less of a civilian than us. Think you could get any extra information from the cops for us? Or better yet, get us a copy of the ransom call?"

The cougar nodded. "Sure, I'll see what I can scrap up. Might help convince them to give me stuff if there's a connection to the woods and the case too. Not sure what to do if they clam up though, and its not like I can persuade them like I did with the reporters." She sheathed and unsheathed her claws at the thought. It was fun though...

[Serence Frostbite]

The fox drops to his knees as he's released and gasps a few times.
"The railyard. I smelled rabbit there and saw some people!" he says. "Now you gotta give me that collar, right?"

"no" Nadia said, already headed toward the railyard the other fox mentioned "whatever you're trying to do, it's not worth it. Go back to the woods, you're not going to find anything good around humans" she added

[Keeshah]

Hmmm perhaps we should go home an wait it out there.. Then you could lay down for a while, and get some rest, instead of eating yourself up with fretting over what you can't control.

"...Are you inviting me back to your place, Kandi?" Phil queries with a grin and a glint in his eye. He doesn't notice the kitten for the moment.

Well my current place is out in the woods at the moment, roughing it with Senka..

~~~~

Now why would you do that, you already haf me all caged up in a small box..
there is nuttin i can do about anythings..

"Exactly, so you might as well relax." advises the officer as the van makes a turn probably slightly faster than it should have.

Oreo goes Ooof! as he is tumbled around within the small cage..
What are yous, some demon-o-lision derby driver??

[~\Rook/~]

"Heh. I could remind you of a few stories from our younger days that you could write into your book if you're needing inspiration. Richard jokes. He manages a wobbly smile for the kitten as he thanks him for the book. He gazes at it for a few moments and then offers it back again.
"Know what? Why don't you keep it? Piper hasn't read it in ages anyway. I'm sure she'd want you to have it since you'll get more use out of it than she does these days."

Leroy chuckled. "Ah, I'm sure there are quite a few. That'd be great, thanks, I'll be sure to credit you at the end for it." He smiles as Richard gave Leslie the book. "Until you can read by yourself, Leslie, I'll read it with you all you want." Leroy stated, leaning back in his chair.

"Oreo went tew skool," Leslie said, before thanking Mr Richard for the book. "Miss Piper will bee okay," he said hopefully, trying not to think about the person he had missing who might put the lie to that.

"I'm sure she will be, Leslie." Vera says reassuringly, putting a paw on the young cat's shoulder.

"Anyway, Richard, what have you been up to since back then?" Leroy cuts in, changing the subject again.

[Hlaoroo]

"Well, it doesn't have to be a bucket but yes, that's the general idea. It gets rid of fleas and dirt and that sort of thing. You'll feel better for it." Paul says, running the sink. "Just remember to keep your eyes closed so you don't get soap in them." he advises, picking up the mouse and standing her in the water.
"You want a hand or you wanna wash yourself?"

~~~~
"All right. We're just going to step outside a moment to take the first x-ray. You just stay as still as you can and we'll be right back, okay?" A few moments later the machine beeps and the vet returns, sliding the x-ray case out from under the table and passing it to her nurse. She replaces it with a fresh case before rolling the cat onto her side and putting a foam block behind her back to keep her in position.
"Is that okay? Not too painful?" she queries.

~~~~
"Beg, maybe, Senka?" Flynn jokes. "Eh, I'm sure they'll talk to you though. Who's gonna say no to a... ninety...? Pound cougar?" he asks, hoping he's not massively overestimating her weight.
"Statistically speaking, Mr. Mouse, most kidnappings are done by either family members or by someone close to the family. What's to say you didn't mastermind it?"
"Ooh, snap!" Flynn giggles, despite the situation. "Do I need to restrain you, Kilo?"

~~~~
"Actually I used to be. Then I got a wife and a kid and decided to get a safer job." grins the officer driving the van. "Just be glad I didn't have to get you out in a field somewhere and have to put you in the cage on the quad bike. That would have bene fun!"

~~~~
"Right... Sorry to ruin your camping trip." Phil frowns.

~~~~
"Well, mostly business as usual, running the shop. Although I did have one vacation with... With Piper recently. We went down to Arizona to an auction of Navajo artefacts and art. Not exactly our speciality but it was an interest of Maggie's and we had a rug she'd bought a while back fairly cheaply that had been passed down through another family. Anyway, she bought it for the shop, knowing those things only gain value as they age, so we took it down along with a silver belt we'd bought just a couple of weeks back. Both sold hugely well in the auction, far better than we expected, so we stayed a few days extra to celebrate and to visit the Grand Canyon." Maggie was Richard's wife. The old man reaches over to a side table and picks up a photo of Piper and himself leaning on the railing overlooking the canyon. He gazes at it for a few moments before passing it to Leroy, his hand shaking slightly.
"I'm sure you'd have enjoyed the auction. There were a few interesting archaeological finds up for grabs too. Although, I suppose British history is more your thing, right?"

~~~~
"Please? I really need this!"
"Fine. One smoke. Real quick. You got five minutes, then we're making the ransom call."
"Five minutes, sure, got it." The man steps out of the shipping crate which is beginning to get uncomfortably warm inside under the sun and lights up a cigarette, exhaling the smoke as he leans on the shipping crate inside of which Piper is imprisoned in the dark in a secret compartment. The rabbit can smell the smoke and she rolls onto her other side uncomfortably.

[Welsh Halfwit]

"Um," Juniper said uncertainly, "I, um, think I might, um, need the help? I'll probably miss bits?" Her ears drooped in embarrassment.
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"Fine, fine, Doc," Nola said droopily. "Do we gets fed shoon? I've had a lollipop and three little spears t'eat in three days."
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At the reception, the door opened and a well dressed young man in a suit entered with a pre-teen girl behind him. He crossed to the reception desk. "Hello," he announced, "I'm Thomas Christopher. I understand you have my cat here? Nola?"
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Leslie walked about the room as the humans talked and started wondering how Piper had been lured downstairs. By something she heard? Lucky her human hadn't heard it. Unless they'd not cared who heard them. He thought of how scared she must be. How scared his Mommy must be and he tried not to cry.
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"I appreciate that, young dog," Kilo snapped, "but I am not in the mood right now, having just come here from the grain silo. Nonetheless, I comend you on your forthrightness." He looked up at Flynn. "Someone needs to make progress soon," he said.

[Serence Frostbite]

"Please? I really need this!"
"Fine. One smoke. Real quick. You got five minutes, then we're making the ransom call."
"Five minutes, sure, got it." The man steps out of the shipping crate which is beginning to get uncomfortably warm inside under the sun and lights up a cigarette, exhaling the smoke as he leans on the shipping crate inside of which Piper is imprisoned in the dark in a secret compartment. The rabbit can smell the smoke and she rolls onto her other side uncomfortably.

"ex-.....excuse me, sir...." an exhausted voice of a battered-looking white vixen called out to the man as she came out from the bushes "i'm sorry......*gasp*.......can you, can you help me a little ?"

[Mickey]

"Are they working?"

"Well, they're certainly out there flying. Charles, activate the camera link."

"Got it."

After a few seconds of tapping away on his computer, Charles pulled his goggles down over his eyes and connected a wire from his computer to them.

"Activating camera link....now."

Charles finger hit enter and his computer hummed, the screen becoming what the main camera was currently catching. He pressed shift and began to turn his head, the camera mimicking his movements.

"It works! It's like VR...."

"Awesome! Check the other ones."

Charles tapped the numeric buttons at the top of his computer, swapping between the six drone cameras on screen, the infra-red one being the one currently connected to Charles' goggles and once again becoming the largest feed on screen when Charles tapped "1".

"All operational! We have complete control of the main drone and all other cameras are reading for instructions."

"Good! I'll call Flynn and let him know while you put the coordinates into the other five drones."

While Charles began tapping away at his computer again, Flukely opened his phone and dialed Flynn's number. While he waited for him to pick up, he watched the drones fly out one by one.

[Hlaoroo]

"No problem." Paul uses a plastic cup to scoop water and thoroughly soak the mouse before scrubbing her with flea shampoo, rinsing her off and towelling her dry.
"There. How do you feel?"

~~~~
"Soon enough." Jackie answers, repositioning the cat slightly for a clearer shot. "Just hold still a little longer, okay?"

~~~~
"Yes, we do." confirms the receptionist after checking Thomas' ID. "Come through. She's in having x-rays at the moment so I'll have to ask you to wait in the consulting room here. As soon as they're done they'll bring her out to you. Is there anything I can do for you in the meantime?"

~~~~
"Easy, Kilo. We'll make more progress cooperating with the cops. They're on our side." Flynn soothes, pulling out his phone.
"Ah, progress. It's Flukely!" he grins, tapping the "answer" button.
"Hey, Flukely. What's news?"

~~~~
"Sure. Vet clinic's that way. Now get lost, I'm busy." the man answers, blowing smoke at Nadia.

[Mickey]

"Easy, Kilo. We'll make more progress cooperating with the cops. They're on our side." Flynn soothes, pulling out his phone.
"Ah, progress. It's Flukely!" he grins, tapping the "answer" button.
"Hey, Flukely. What's news?"

"We have all the needed drones up with extras on standby if something happens. Our infrared camera is up manually controlled by Charles while the others have set controls. Anywhere you want us to take the infrared?"

[Welsh Halfwit]

"Wet," Juniper said, "yet dry and staticky. I wonder if I carry a charge?" She tried experimentally touching things to check and begin feeling out the area.
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"Yay," Nola said, keeping still. After a moment she began singing quite loudly. "Oh give me a home, where the Buffalo roam and I can hunt them all day.... Or give me a home, in the same zone, where kittens can all run and..." The singing died off to be replaced by a tortured silence.
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"No, no," Mr Christopher said after being escorted to the consulting room. "thank you." He took up a seat, as did Sally.
"You think it's really her?" Sally asked.
"It's her," Thomas said, hearing the singing from the other room. He grimaced as it ended. "And she's not forgotten..."

[Serence Frostbite]

"Sure. Vet clinic's that way. Now get lost, I'm busy." the man answers, blowing smoke at Nadia.

"Sir-" Nadia coughed profusely, looking away from the man, silently trying not to kill the human.....yet.
"I'm *cough* I'm looking for my friend. She's- *cough* have you seen a female rabbit near here? She's been missing the whole day"

[Hlaoroo]

"Progress!" Flynn smiles at Kilo before turning his attention back to the phone.
"Good work, guys. Here, gimme a moment." The rabbit texts through the map that Senka had drawn of likely areas in the woods.
"There, did you get that? Senka thinks those are likely hideouts if they're in the woods so if you can fly over those with the infrared it'd be great. When you're done there maybe fly over the town and see if you can see anything. Keep an eye out for that white van too. Oh, and for Nadia. She left to search in her own way and I want to make sure she doesn't get into trouble."

~~~~
"I'm sure we could charge you up if you want." Paul grins, removing his gloves and washing his hands.
"Careful, Juniper, don't go any further that way or you'll fall off the bench." he warns the mouse. "You've got plenty of room in all other directions though."

~~~~
X-rays done, Jackie wheels Nola back into the consulting room with her owners. A nurse had already warned her that the people were there so she wouldn't be taken by surprise.
"Hi there. I'm Jackie, one of the vets here. You must be Mr. Christopher. And who's this?" Once she's introduced to Sally Jackie gets down to business.
"Okay. So, like I said on the phone, Nola isn't in any danger. She's quite loopy from the painkillers and a little bit sore. That lung is collapsed and her rib is fractured but it's an easy enough fix. She's not having any trouble breathing and she's stable for now so as soon as the operating room is free we'll take her straight through." the vet explains, clipping Nola's x-rays to the light box on the wall.
"Do you have any questions or concerns at all? Or would you like some time alone with Nola? It sounds as though you guys have some catching up to do..."

~~~~
"No. Now get lost. This is an active railyard and it's not safe." The man's point is helpfully illustrated by a cargo train lazily rumbling by on another track, tooting its whistle as it goes. The man hasn't noticed the couple of orange hairs stuck to his dark-coloured overalls but he flicks his cigarette butt at the vixen, not moving from his place against the steel door of the shipping container.

[Welsh Halfwit]

"And Nadia," Kilo advised, stressing the imperative. "We don't need to lose her too. But progress, yes."
----------------------------------------------------------
As soon as she saw them, Nola tried to shift herself from the trolley and embrace them. She managed to prop herself up though and accepted what was nearly a flying hug from Sally. "There's a pink ellufant hugging m..." She stopped, sniffing Sally's hair. "I know this scent. Donuts and Pecans an' strawb'rries..." She pulled back and looked at the girl. "S...Sally? Y'look diff'r'nt."
"It's been three years, Nola," Sally sobbed.
"That long," Nola remarked hollowly before beginning to purr and washing Sally's hair.

"Mostly I just want to know what happened," Thomas asked Jackie as he watched the pair get back together. That wasn't a tear in his eye...
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"Thanks, Paul." Getting down on all fours, Juniper found the exact edge and made her way to the corner. Then she turned and sped on all fours across to the next corner. "Thirty-seven steps," she noted.

[Serence Frostbite]

"No. Now get lost. This is an active railyard and it's not safe." The man's point is helpfully illustrated by a cargo train lazily rumbling by on another track, tooting its whistle as it goes. The man hasn't noticed the couple of orange hairs stuck to his dark-coloured overalls but he flicks his cigarette butt at the vixen, not moving from his place against the steel door of the shipping container.

"sorry sir" Nadia's ears flicked a bit out of annoyance as the cigarette butt hit her.
"I just thought since there's rabbit scent similar to my friend's on your body, maybe you have seen her around" she said , turning away from the man, seemingly looking around the place "maybe i'll have to look arround here on my own then"

[~\Rook/~]

"Well, mostly business as usual, running the shop. Although I did have one vacation with... With Piper recently. We went down to Arizona to an auction of Navajo artefacts and art. Not exactly our speciality but it was an interest of Maggie's and we had a rug she'd bought a while back fairly cheaply that had been passed down through another family. Anyway, she bought it for the shop, knowing those things only gain value as they age, so we took it down along with a silver belt we'd bought just a couple of weeks back. Both sold hugely well in the auction, far better than we expected, so we stayed a few days extra to celebrate and to visit the Grand Canyon." Maggie was Richard's wife. The old man reaches over to a side table and picks up a photo of Piper and himself leaning on the railing overlooking the canyon. He gazes at it for a few moments before passing it to Leroy, his hand shaking slightly.
"I'm sure you'd have enjoyed the auction. There were a few interesting archaeological finds up for grabs too. Although, I suppose British history is more your thing, right?"

"To an extent, yes. All things historical take my interest though, Richard." Leroy replies, taking the picture. "Ah, Grand Canyon eh? Very nice.." He hands the picture back carefully. "To be honest, I've never been one for traveling. Believe it or not, I only came to live over here for the peace and quiet! Every other time it was business, or to pick up something for the museum.. In my younger years, before I even started the museum, I wanted to go everywhere.. Egypt, Africa.. You know, all the best spots for archeological finds, supposedly. Through the years, digging through dust and dirt lost it's appeal, in a manner of speaking.. That's most likely why I turned to the conservator role.. Which in turn made it's way to archivist and then director, but that's another story.." Leroy takes a deep breath before continuing. "..Anyway, yet again I hate to ask things of you, but do you have any clean glasses?" He asks, pulling out a glass bottle with an amber liquid inside from his coat.

-----

Leslie walked about the room as the humans talked and started wondering how Piper had been lured downstairs. By something she heard? Lucky her human hadn't heard it. Unless they'd not cared who heard them. He thought of how scared she must be. How scared his Mommy must be and he tried not to cry.

Vera's attention switched to Leslie when she heard a light sniffle come from the young cat. She meandered over to him and put a comforting arm around his shoulders. "What's wrong, Leslie? Your looking really upset all by yourself.." She says in a calm, almost motherly tone. "You can tell me anything, you know. Myself, Aaron and Leroy are here for you.."

[Welsh Halfwit]

"Jus'... finking of Mommy," Leslie said, as quietly as only a kitten can. "and Miss Piper and..." he swallowed. "I want tew help Miss Piper. I want tew claw sumboddy." He realised what he said and gave Vera a watery smile. "Sumwun bad. Not yew."

[Keeshah]

~~~~
"Right... Sorry to ruin your camping trip." Phil frowns.

Well it's not ruined yet...
We still have plenty of time to get out into the woods. Kandi replies

~~~~
Oreo, corrects his inverted position within the small cage..
Why do i always get caught by the crazy ones...

[Mickey]

"Progress!" Flynn smiles at Kilo before turning his attention back to the phone.
"Good work, guys. Here, gimme a moment." The rabbit texts through the map that Senka had drawn of likely areas in the woods.
"There, did you get that? Senka thinks those are likely hideouts if they're in the woods so if you can fly over those with the infrared it'd be great. When you're done there maybe fly over the town and see if you can see anything. Keep an eye out for that white van too. Oh, and for Nadia. She left to search in her own way and I want to make sure she doesn't get into trouble."

"Map received! We'll text you if we get anything. Infra-Rads out."

Flukely hung up the phone and turned back to Charles with a proud flare around him, but Charles had quite the unimpressed look on his face.

"What?"

"Infra-Rads? Really?"

"Tomcat, get that camera over the forest," Flukely shouted, tossing his phone to Charles.

[Hlaoroo]

No sooner has Flynn hung up the phone than it rings again, this time with Joan on the line.
"Is Kilo there?"
"Sure, I'll put him on. Er... Can you hold the phone or do you need me to hold it up for you, Kilo? It's Mum."

~~~~
"Honestly, we don't know for sure." Jackie admits. "All we know is that there was some kind of fight involving several cats and a nest of mice and only two cats survived, Nola and the cat who's currently in theatre. There'll be an investigation into it though once the cats are fit enough to talk to police."

~~~~
"Interesting. That's like two or three steps for me. So one of my steps equals somewhere between eighteen point five and twelve point three of your steps. Good to know. Watch out for the medical supplies as you follow the back of the bench." Paul smiles, looking up from his paperwork.

~~~~
"You do what you want. Just get lost and don't get in my way." the man grunts, turning away from the vixen.

~~~~
"Sure. In the liquor cabinet. The key's in the bowl on the sideboard. What did you bring?" Richard asks, nodding in the direction of the aforementioned furniture. Leroy will find the cabinet mostly empty but for a generous supply of glassware to suit a gentleman's serving needs, two bottles of red wine, and a bottle of fine aged sherry that had belonged to and been a favourite of his wife that he hadn't had the heart to open since her passing.

~~~~
"More to the point, Oreo, why do you put yourself in positions where you need catching? Most pets never need catching, you know." the driver points out.

~~~~
"I guess. Were you going to one of the camping sites or were you going to rough it properly?" Phil asks, ordering another coffee.

[Welsh Halfwit]

"Probably best you engage the speaker, my boy," Kilo replied before heading down to the microphone end. "My dear lady," he said, putting on a brighter tone, "what is the reason for the call? HHave you found something?"
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"Thanks again," Juniper said. "At the colony, I was quite the messenger, tracking by scent and memory. Plastic cup," she said, bumping her nose on a specemin bottle.
----------------------------------------------------
"And how long until she's allowed food?" Thomas asked, about three seconds after Nola repeated her 'three Spears and a lollipop' line.

[Serence Frostbite]

Right after the man finished his sentence , Nadia already tackled him to the ground.
" where's the rabbit ?"she growled , pinning the human down on the ground

[Keeshah]

~~~~
"More to the point, Oreo, why do you put yourself in positions where you need catching? Most pets never need catching, you know." the driver points out.

I don't .. it's you humans who start screaming and pointing at me.. yelling shoo or don't you spray me..

[Welsh Halfwit]

Leslie kept his paws behind his back as he looked around the room and focussed on the small rack of books. He skipped over to the shelf and started looking through for one he might try to read.

[Hlaoroo]

"Do I need a reason to talk to my favourite mouse?" Joan queries. "Seriously though. I've found something inasmuch as negative results are still results. I haven't found anything. No reports of anything being taken in the area recently. Nothing they'd need someone to authenticate anyway. Just the usual phones and purses and whatnot... No auctions either save the usual once a month sale from the Antique Society. The only museum near here is in the city too and they're between exhibits at the moment so won't have anything too worth targeting for a couple of weeks. So the only thing I can think of if your theory is right is that they'll target a private collection that's not been publicised in which case we'd have no way of knowing where they'd go. Sorry I can't be of more help."

~~~~
"You're welcome. A messenger? Really? I have to say I'm surprised. No offence, but I wouldn't have thought wild animals... With your disability would normally survive. Oh, and you're close. That's a plastic specimen container. Currently holding the thermometer and a bit of chlorhex to keep it hygienic." The vet is referring to a common, pink-coloured disinfectant often used in place of iodine because it doesn't stain and it causes less allergic reactions. The thermometer is poking through a hole in the lid so that it's less likely to spill if the container is knocked over and the tip rests on a submerged wad of cotton wool to protect it from damage.

~~~~
"Not until after surgery." Jackie answers, explaining the risks for Thomas' benefit.
"The lollipop was a painkiller, by the way." she adds, seeing his confusion. "The medication is absorbed pretty quickly through the lining of the mouth and having them suck it means the dosage is spread out a little."

~~~~
"Right here." growls the man's accomplice. Piper is firmly restrained both by the ropes and his grip around her body and the man holds a gun pointing straight at her. Fear is evident in her eyes despite the fact that she also looks quite dazed. The man is making sure to stand so that the view of him to anyone but Nadia is blocked mostly by the door of the crate.
"Get in or I'll start shooting." he growls. "I'll start with her toes. Then her ankles and knees. You have three seconds. MOVE! One..."

~~~~
"Well, can you blame them? Perhaps if you behaved better they wouldn't be as frightened since they'd know they could trust you." the driver suggests, turning another corner a little too sharply.

~~~~
Leslie might have more luck looking on the main bookshelf. The small rack he's looking at holds mostly photo albums, some labelled with dates or a description of the photos within (like "holiday" or "Piper's First Year") while others are unlabelled and appear older. These contain pictures from Richard's earlier years.

[Serence Frostbite]

"Right here." growls the man's accomplice. Piper is firmly restrained both by the ropes and his grip around her body and the man holds a gun pointing straight at her. Fear is evident in her eyes despite the fact that she also looks quite dazed. The man is making sure to stand so that the view of him to anyone but Nadia is blocked mostly by the door of the crate.
"Get in or I'll start shooting." he growls. "I'll start with her toes. Then her ankles and knees. You have three seconds. MOVE! One..."

"No! STOP!" Nadia shouted, jumping off the man she attacked just now, to face the other. Her ears flattened as she saw the fright in Piper's eyes
"Just ........ don't hurt her" she said, slowing walking toward the man then through the door as he demanded.

[Welsh Halfwit]

"Of course not, dear lady, of course not." Kilo listened to what Joan had to report intently, trying to keep his voice free of his battered emotions. "Ah, gathering intelligence is never a waste of time," he protested, "half the time you can only find an accurate theory by ruling out the incorrect ones. Thanks to your efforts we are now closer to the correct solution, Joan my dear."
------------------------------------------------------------------
"Yes, well," Juniper said, rubbing an arm as she spoke, "the silo's well organised. It has... er, had to be to defend..." She fell silent for a moment. "Sorry," she said, "I think it's about to hit home..." She shifted around and sat on the bench. "So few left."
---------------------------------------------------------------
"Nerts," said Nola, making Sally giggle as the cat laid back on the bed.
Thomas nodded to the vet before speaking aloud. "Trust me, Nola," he said, "it'll be steak."
"Yay," said Nola, raising a paw in triumph.
"And the 'three spears?" Thomas asked the Vet.
"You c'n leave them out," Nola said without looking at him. "Don' need no toothpicks."
"I meant will they be easily removed," he said quietly, trying not to smirk.
------------------------------------------------------------------
Leslie looked at the photo albums and tried to whistle as he picked up the one on Piper's first year. "A book wif reel pichures of Piper," he said loudly, stroking a picture of Piper, "and know wurds!"

[~\Rook/~]

"Jus'... finking of Mommy," Leslie said, as quietly as only a kitten can. "and Miss Piper and..." he swallowed. "I want tew help Miss Piper. I want tew claw sumboddy." He realised what he said and gave Vera a watery smile. "Sumwun bad. Not yew."

Vera kneels down and gives the cat a quick hug. "Don't worry, Leslie, I know. It's okay to feel that way, just try to stay positive, alright?" She lets him go after speaking, smiling calmly. "Now, how about we look around a bit?"

Leslie kept his paws behind his back as he looked around the room and focussed on the small rack of books. He skipped over to the shelf and started looking through the photo albums and tried to whistle as he picked up the one on Piper's first year. "A book wif reel pichures of Piper," he said loudly, stroking a picture of Piper, "and know wurds!"

Vera leaned over Leslie's shoulder. "I-It's a photo album, Leslie.. Those photos are Piper when she was younger." She thinks a moment before turning around. "Richard! Is it okay if Leslie and I look through your photo albums here?" She calls, wanting to make sure it was okay, and letting them know what they were doing.

-----

"Sure. In the liquor cabinet. The key's in the bowl on the sideboard. What did you bring?" Richard asks, nodding in the direction of the aforementioned furniture. Leroy will find the cabinet mostly empty but for a generous supply of glassware to suit a gentleman's serving needs, two bottles of red wine, and a bottle of fine aged sherry that had belonged to and been a favourite of his wife that he hadn't had the heart to open since her passing.

Leroy got up and made his way to the cabinet, looking through and picking out two glasses. "I brought Irish whiskey, but I see you've got a bottle of sherry in here.. Should I bring that over too?" He asks, looking over his shoulder.

[Keeshah]

"Well, can you blame them? Perhaps if you behaved better they wouldn't be as frightened since they'd know they could trust you." the driver suggests, turning another corner a little too sharply.

I behave just fine! I've not sprayed anyone since myOoof
Face planting up against the side of the cage..
Can you stop an just shoot me with the sleep dart, insteed of trying to knock me outs, throwing me up against the walls of the cage..???
I thinks you have bite my tongue


~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Kandi sips at her drink..
Maybe you should put your phone on a charger..
you don't want it too be dead, when you get a call.

[Hlaoroo]

The kidnapper that Nadia had pinned quickly jumps up and follows Nadia into the crate, pulling the door shut behind them. The man holding the gun orders Nadia to stand facing the wall and to put her paws up over her head against the wall as though she's being arrested. Then the man she'd knocked down removes her collar and pats her down to make sure she's not carrying any weapons or tools.
"You have the right to remain silent." he jokes. "And I highly recommend you exercise that right!"
Search done, the man gags Nadia and ties her up perhaps slightly tighter than is strictly necessary. Finally he picks her up and throws her into the secret compartment in the back of the crate in which Piper had been hidden. Piper is thrown in after her and lands on top of her and then the door is slammed shut, plunging the vixen and the doe into darkness.

~~~~
"No worries. So what's your plan now, Kilo?" Joan queries. "Need me to google anything else?"

~~~~
"It's okay." Paul touches a tissue to the mouse's paws and gently strokes her head and back. "I understand... Do you want to talk about it?"

~~~~
Jackie turns to the x-ray thoughtfully.
"I think so. They seem to be just below the skin except for that one." she points at a faint shadow on the x-ray. "That one is a bit deeper. I should be able to get it when I get a proper look inside the wound though. If need be I can always go in with the laparoscope. That's a small camera on a flexible tube. You might have seen them in movies or on TV when they talk about keyhole surgery."

~~~~
"Uh, sure, Vera. Just don't damage anything." Richard permits distractedly. He sits up straight as though electrified when Leroy mentions the sherry though.
"NO! I-I mean... No. S-sorry. It's just..." Richard heaves a sigh. "Maggie bought that bottle. It was her favourite... I've been saving it... For a special occasion, you know?" The last statement is added in a hurry. It seems Richard may not have any intention of opening the bottle at all.

~~~~
"No need. We're here." answers the driver, stopping with a slight squeal of the brakes. He and the other officer cross to the back of the van and open the door, picking up the skunk from his cage.
"Now, no running away this time, okay?" the lady officer cautions, opening the door to the pet school and depositing the skunk inside at the feet of the teacher.
"We have another job to attend to and we can't keep running after you."

~~~~
"It's fine. It was charging all last night." Phil answers Kandi. "What about you? Yours has to last your entire camping trip."

[Welsh Halfwit]

"I'd just like it explained, Paul," Juniper asked her hands after sniffing into the paper. "How come all the fit, strong, healthy ones fall and the cripple bangs her head a bit and survives." She spread her paws wide. "I mean, what sort of logic is that?"
-------------------------------------------------------------
"For now," Kilo advised oan, "I fear there is little we can do without advice from the drones or the police, dear lady. One thing is for sure," he added, making sure he was speaking loud enough for the nearest police to hear. "we may be sidelined but we are FAR from inactive!"
------------------------------------------------------------
Chip was certainly being far from inactive. Her morning scavenger hunt had drawn success but there was still a need to locate food and there certainly seemed to be some good stuff around the outside of the shop, including a few brands she'd never seen before. Hiding behind an empty Chip bag, she moved towards the shop.
-------------------------------------------------------------
Leslie giggled at a picture of Piper with an ice cream on her face.
-------------------------------------------------------------
"Best we leave it to you, then," Thomas said, walking over to Nola. He reached down and pulled her into a hug, which she returned before gripping him tight and whispering in his ear. Then she gave him a headrub and settled back onto the bed.
"She said that woman had better be gone," he told Sally.
Sally shook her head. "She didn't say Woman."
"No, she did not."

[Serence Frostbite]

The kidnapper that Nadia had pinned quickly jumps up and follows Nadia into the crate, pulling the door shut behind them. The man holding the gun orders Nadia to stand facing the wall and to put her paws up over her head against the wall as though she's being arrested. Then the man she'd knocked down removes her collar and pats her down to make sure she's not carrying any weapons or tools.

Though her heart burned with anger, Nadia knew she's gotten herself into a dead end. The fox could only do her best to ignore the urge to sink her fangs into their very flesh , and did as they commanded, hoping it will buy Piper some more time.

"You have the right to remain silent." he jokes. "And I highly recommend you exercise that right!"

"And you have the right to SHU-Mpph!" Nadia's limit finally broke , hearing the smirk in the kidnapper's voice as he made that joke, but by now it was too late, and she could only struggle in vain as a dirty piece of cloth was shoved into her mouth and tied at the back of her head

Search done, the man gags Nadia and ties her up perhaps slightly tighter than is strictly necessary. Finally he picks her up and throws her into the secret compartment in the back of the crate in which Piper had been hidden. Piper is thrown in after her and lands on top of her and then the door is slammed shut, plunging the vixen and the doe into darkness.

The disorientation of falling hard on the floor, and then having an entire rabbit landed on top of her almost pushed out every bits of air in her lungs. It didn't reach that point, but she still saw stars after that. The vixen could only lie there, trying to reorienting herself, ignoring the rope digging into her skin, and tried to think of a way to escape...........there had to be a way , right?

[Keeshah]

"No need. We're here." answers the driver, stopping with a slight squeal of the brakes. He and the other officer cross to the back of the van and open the door, picking up the skunk from his cage.
"Now, no running away this time, okay?" the lady officer cautions, opening the door to the pet school and depositing the skunk inside at the feet of the teacher.
"We have another job to attend to and we can't keep running after you."

Oreo staggers staggers across the hallway before collapsing to the floor, holding his neck and tail..
Halp Halp! I got lashwhip!! I needz to be taken to a horsepistle! stat

~~~~
"It's fine. It was charging all last night." Phil answers Kandi. "What about you? Yours has to last your entire camping trip."[/quote]

Well lets see, I have the back-up battery pack, the car charger in the truck, the hand crank radio-charger unit..
Kandi counts off on her fingers..
When you live out in the boonies, you always have back-ups to your back-ups..

[Welsh Halfwit]

The Chip bag dodged around feet and stood against the side of the shop when it suspected people were looking at it. When it reached the edge of the door, behind the treetrunk leg of a K9 officer, the bag suddenly lost its' ability to move from side to side and fluttered off, the flash of a tail-tip just telling on the Mouse who'd slipped into the shop.

[Roarin]

Senka let out a soft, "Hah..." at the word 'beg' but nodded regardless. "Sure thing. I can talk to lady cop dog again and see what I can dig up. You guys... don't do anything stupid while I'm gone." And with a wave she began walk back over the crime scene.

But first... Reaching down her vest the mountain lion took hold of the walkie-talkie strapped to the side, pausing as she reached the yellow crime scene tapes. *click beep* "Ranger Rick. Ranger Rick do you read me? You're supposed to be on duty today right? That was your excuse for not coming camping... Or something like that..."