2019-08-02 - spike - The New Shop 126

Author: spike
Title: The New Shop 126
Date: 02 August 2019

Chapter 126
Another cop led me to a room down the hall. Classroom, perhaps? It seemed large enough, had a white board at the end, but most of the tables had been moved to one side to make room for the dogs.

Alpha sat at the edge of the room with his head in his hands.

I sat next to him. “It’s OK, sir. We’re going home.”

“Home? What the hell did you say to them? They told me you’d confessed! To everything!”

“Shit, sir. What did you say when they told you that?”

“Nothing!”

I breathed a sigh of relief. “It’s the oldest trick in the book, sir. Telling someone their partner in crime confessed so you might as well tell us everything. They said the same thing about you. I didn’t fall for it. Instead, I exposed every lie those cops told who arrested us. We’re free and clear.”

He looked up. I was expecting a grin. It’s not what I got. He had tears in his eyes and a haunted expression.

“What’s wrong, sir?”

“Please, Arty. I don’t deserve it. I’d prefer to call you sir. You seem to be better at dealing with situations like this than me. OK, fine, in the store, I’m happy. I can handle that, but this?”

He nodded across the room. At the dogs.

All of them had their tails between their legs… Or so I thought.

They parted as I looked at them to reveal…

“Oh shit!”

I dashed over to him. His coat was in tatters, his tail, limp and lifeless. He was still frozen even though the other dogs were free.

“What the hell, sir?”

“I begged them to stop! I pleaded with them. They wouldn’t listen. I told them…” he let out a sob. “They tried to get the pelt off, Arty. They saw the zip locked around the core and tried to pull it out! When they found they couldn’t, they tried to cut it off.”

“Why’s he still frozen!? What’s wrong with his tail?”

Alpha shook his head. “Maybe… I don’t know. Maybe he’s unconscious. Maybe they broke the tail.”

“Ah, shit!” I hit mute. “Sir?”

“What is it, Artemis? What’s happened?”

“They tried to get Moonbeam out of his suit, sir. He’s still frozen. The other dogs are active now but his tail, sir. It’s limp. Lifeless.”

“Limp? What the hell did they do to him?”

“According to Alpha, they tried to pull the tail out in order to release the zipper, sir.”

“How much force? And for how long?”

I repeated the question to Alpha.

“There were two of them pulling on it with their feet braced against his butt at one point! Over an hour of one of them trying before they gave up.”

“You’re right! He might be unconscious having to endure that!” Mute again. “An hour or more, sir, full force. Two of them pulling with all their might for a while, sir.”

“Good god! The tail isn’t designed to withstand that kind of punishment! It must’ve been agony! I’ll have Two send an app update to release the tail. Pull gently just in case it didn’t work. He’ll unfreeze once the core’s out and you can find out what state he’s in. I’ll need his ident.”

I tapped him, dragged the number to the text field and hit send.

“Bear with me.”

“Yes, sir.”

It was a couple of minutes later when “Gently, Artemis. Gently.”

I nodded and gave the tail a light tug. It came out immediately and the moment it was, the dog collapsed to its side and curled into a ball, shaking uncontrollably.

“Shit!” I knelt before him. “Moonbeam. Speak.”

He stiffened, perhaps to control the shaking and tapped his paw. 2,6. “I w.a.n.t o.u.t s.i.r. P.l.e.a.s.e g.e.t m.e o.u.t I.t h.u.r.t.s”

“Sir, he’s still in pain.”

“Can he describe it? Oh god, I… I hope… Ask him. Is it shooting pains or a more constant one?”

“Shooting pains, sir?”

“As if he’s still receiving shocks, Artemis?”

“Oh shit! You mean like Four?”

“Yes!”

“Moonbeam, describe this pain.”

“I.t f.e.e.l.s l.i.k.e m.y a.s.s i.s o.n f.i.r.e P.l.e.a.s.e s.i.r I d.o.n.t w.a.n.t t.o b.e a d.o.g a.g.a.i.n G.e.t m.e o.u.t o.f t.h.i.s”

My heart sank. “Is the pain constant? Or does it feel like you’re still being shocked?”

“C.o.n.s.t.a.n.t s.i.r”

I breathed a sigh of relief. “He says constant, like his ass is on fire, sir.”

Q breathed a sigh of relief too. “I’ll ensure there are painkillers ready for when you get back. They will not be morphine based. Just in case he has any alcohol during your club night.”

“Yes, sir. Sir… He says he doesn’t want to be a dog again.”

Q sighed. “He loved it! He’s just had a bad experience, that’s all. We’ll talk to him when you return. Remove the suit when you do get back and when he’s out of the dog, have him report to room two for a scan.”

“Don’t worry, Moonbeam, we’re going home. We’ll get you out as soon as we’re back.” I turned to the cop in the room. He was staring at me. Staring at the tail I held. “Did you do this?”

“How the hell did you get that… Do what?”

“Torture him? Torture a helpless, innocent man for over an hour! The most agonising, excruciating pain you could inflict, with no escape. Not even the ability to plead for you to stop. Did you do it?”

The cop stepped back and bumped into the wall in shock. “Torture? We just tried to get him out of that… That thing!”

“Well, you couldn’t get him out of that… Thing even if you tried with every knife in the fucking station you moron!” I pointed at Alpha. “What did he tell you to do?”

“He told us to stop! So what?”

“Did he tell you that you were hurting him?” I glanced down at Moonbeam. He was still curled into a ball sobbing uncontrollably? “Did you also destroy the fur?”

“Of course! We had to get him out!”

“Why? You were told repeatedly to stop what you were doing. You. Captain’s office! Now!” I knelt beside Moonbeam again. “Do you think you can walk?”

Moonbeam took a deep breath, probably in an attempt to get his sobbing under control. He tapped. “I.l.l t.r.y s.i.r”

It took a couple of attempts to get to his feet. He wobbled over to the door.

I looked at the cop again. “Well? Go on then!” I glanced at Alpha. “Sir, I think you should come too.”

“Please Arty. Don’t call me sir, I really don’t deserve it. If anything I should be calling you that. How the hell do you do it? Talk to them like that? If I’d tried that, they would’ve beaten the shit out of me!”

“I suppose it’s those dominant characteristics, sir. I will still keep calling you sir, until Master tells me otherwise. OK?”

His head sagged and he stared at his boots. “I will defer to you while we’re outside from now on though, even if you do insist on calling me sir.”

I nodded and glanced at Moonbeam again. He was back on his side.

“Try to get up Moonbeam. Slasher, Duke, stand on each side of him. Support him.”

With two dogs to hold him upright, we made our way back to the captain’s office. I didn’t bother to knock. I just barged in, held the door and the cop and dogs followed.

“What the h… Oh, it’s you again. What now?”

“What now? Step away boys. Moonbeam, step forward.”

The dogs did so, but Moonbeam only managed another few steps before he collapsed to his side again, sobbing.

“That now what!” I pointed at Moonbeam. “This, now what!” I held up the ruined tail.

The captain gulped. “What’s wrong with him?”

“For one thing, that pelt cost his mistress over four hundred dollars! This tail is a highly specialised addition to the… other additions I mentioned. Your men broke it in their attempts to pull it out and in so fucking well doing, they tortured him! A helpless, innocent man, tortured for over an hour! An agony I don’t even want to imagine!”

“Torture? We do not torture our”

I held up my hand and looked back. Alpha hovered in the doorway. “Please, sir. You need to tell him what you told them. What you told that one.” I nodded at the cop.

“I told them they couldn’t get them out. That they were hurting him, pulling his tail. I begged them to stop, but they wouldn’t listen!”

The captain leaned forward. “And why were they hurting him?”

“What did I tell you about our additions? What do you think this” I slammed the tail onto his desk. “is a part of?”

He pointed below the desk. “You mean…”

“And what happens when you pull a dog’s tail?”

“It’ll turn and snap. Bite you. Probably yelp.”

“Well Moonbeam couldn’t turn, snap or yelp. He was frozen. Helpless. And thanks to those idiots who refused to listen to someone who knew what he was talking about, he’s still in pain and doesn’t want to be a dog anymore! The next race is a month or so away and he’s likely to miss out on the best time of his life because your men tortured him into hating it!”

“How did you get the tail off?”

“Simple. I know what I’m talking about. I asked my master to issue a release code. It’s locked in place. An electronic signal can unlock it, but even with the fur off, you wouldn’t be able to get him out of the dog.”

“Why?”

I rolled my eyes. “Get a knife, captain. Obviously one you don’t need as evidence. Sharpest you can find. I’ll show you.”

“OK.” He pressed the button on his desk again. “Mabel.”

“Yes, sir?”

“Fetch the sharpest blade you can find from the amnesty locker. One not linked to any criminal activity.”

“Yes, sir.”

What she came in with looked very promising. Not just a knife, but a katana. She placed it on the desk, glanced at me in disgust, then at the dogs and dashed out muttering “Oh god, not more of them.”

I chuckled to myself. “I’ll let you do it. Try to cut the suit off. No stabs, slashes only. Sawing motions might be more appropriate. I’d rather not suffer any broken bones.”

I held my arm over his desk.

He shrugged and started, then stared as the metal dust fell from the blade. Was that a little fear in his eyes?

“How the hell?”

“I told you how. Only very specialist equipment can remove this suit. The dogs are the same. We can remove them, you wouldn’t stand a hope in hell even if you did get the fur off. Now, we’ll send you a bill for the damage. That fur cost his mistress four hundred dollars. The tail cost three hundred! We’ll also bill you for any medical expenses, but we need to get him out so one of our doctors can check him over. Make sure you didn’t cause him any permanent damage.”

He sighed and nodded.

“Oh. Him… The other one who pulled the tail?”

“Yes?”

“Add them to the race roster. They need to learn to pay attention. To listen to people who know something they don’t. They will.”

That smile tweaked the corner of his lips again. “Consider it done. Err. Where do we send them?”

“We’re affiliated with a few fetish stores. Use the one advertised on the back of the flyer I tried to hand over before I was arrested. I might even be there waiting for them if you call first. We’ll get them suited, fully equipped and transfer them over for training.”

“Over to where?”

“Oh no. No, nonono… We prefer to keep our location a secret. I think you can imagine why with people out there with their attitudes. They’ll never know. Oh, and captain...”

“Yes?”

“We’ll let you choose their names. Obviously, it’s normally their masters who choose them, but as their boss, you’re the closest equivalent. Go for names you’d use for your police dogs. Give a few extra just in case any are already taken.”
* * *
We’d just finished helping Moonbeam down the stairs when a man rushed up to us.

“Sorry. So sorry I’m late. I was in court. Only received word half an hour ago.”

I twiddled at him. “Q sent you?”

He nodded, gulped and took a deep breath. He looked exhausted.

“It’s OK. We’re going home.”

“Home? How?”

“Oh, I talked our way out of it, with the help of the public defender they assigned. You do still have one job to do though.”

“Oh?”

I pointed at Moonbeam and explained what happened. “Ask Q for the full details. We’ve got to go.”

“Oh my god! Really? Of course, go.” he leaned in close and whispered. “Are you in contact with him?”

I nodded.

“Advise Q protocol D might be a good idea.”

“What’s that, then?”

“You don’t know?” he rolled his eyes. “Of course you don’t. Probably the first time you’ve been in the city since the suit went on… Just a little… Diversionary tactic. In case the police try following.”

I nodded and tapped on my armband, muted of course. “Sir. Your lawyer’s finally arrived. I’ve told him what happened and that his new job is to ensure we’re compensated.”

Q sighed. “Better late than never, I suppose. What was his excuse?”

“He was in court, sir.. Certainly seems to’ve been running to get here, though. He said something about protocol D being a good idea?”

“It is and it’s being acted upon. The van’s waiting for you outside.”

I twiddled again. “D is being implemented. Van’s outside. See you.” and we continued to the exit.

The dogs leapt into the side of the van… Well, all except Moonbeam. Him, we had to lift into it. Alpha and I sat in front and the van took off.

I couldn’t help but look around, study the rear view, pay attention to my surroundings.

It’s only when you’ve been away for a while you notice just how filthy, how squalid the city can be. The litter, the graffiti, the faces, none of them with a smile, the homeless guys warming themselves by oil drums full of burning garbage, the grime of the place.

I tapped away. “I can’t believe I used to like this city.”

Alpha nodded. “It’s not all bad. Just… well, most of it. Suppose you only went to the richer parts of town before that?” he prodded my mouth cover.

“Well, I did come to your store, Alpha. Queens is hardly affluent.”

“Yeah… That’s true. But why though?”

“New fetish store in town? Who could resist checking it out?” I shook with laughter. “God, I never expected what came next.”

“I said I was sorry.”

“I’m not berating you. I thanked you in the ring and I meant it. OK, the first few days were hell, but you gave me the best gift it’s possible to receive. I told you I’d forgiven you, didn’t I?”

He nodded glumly.

“I don’t know why you’re looking like that, Alpha.” I chuckled. “We’re giving more that gift tonight remember. Whether they want it or not.”

“At least this time I know to be more… sympathetic towards them.”

“And we’ll have a few cops… The ones who pulled Moonbeam’s tail… I think I’ll give him the chance to pull theirs.”

“Not as hard, surely?”

“Nah. It’d only break the tails. But enough to let them know what they did to him.”

“Good. Bastards deserve it.”

“Didn’t they say anything? When you warned them?”

“Only that they’d been told to get him out. They weren’t following no orders from no perp.”

“Oh well… They’ll,” I glanced at the rear view again. “learn… Hang on… I think I’ve seen that”

The driver turned and grinned. “That SUV? The black one? Been on our tail since we left, I eyeballed it straight away.”

“How do we lose ‘em?”

“Oh… You’ll see.”

It was then I realised, we weren’t heading towards Queens. We were heading towards Brooklyn.

Five minutes later, we hit a light that changed the moment we’d gone through it. The SUV, stuck behind two other cars.

The driver chuckled. “That’ll help. But it won’t be that easy.”

He turned into a warehouse district and, after a few lefts and rights, he pointed at a white van parked up by a warehouse with open shutter doors.

He turned into the warehouse, the van in front pulled away and the shutters slammed shut.

“That’s that then. They’ll never find us now. They’ll follow that one.”

“Why?”

“Same licence plates, same model. And if they do stop it, all they’ll find is fifteen crates of machine parts and meanwhile, we…” he flipped a switch on the dashboard.

The hood changed colour, from white to black and the van continued through the warehouse and out another set of shutter doors on the other side.

“We’re free and clear but you’ll go in through the rear entrance.”

“I didn’t even know we had a rear”

“Oh, I think you do. You’ve sent enough pods our way.”

I stared at him. I would’ve grinned if I were capable. “Basement level five?”

He nodded.

“Never thought I’d see it.”

“Entering… it’s possible. Exiting, no. Only in a pod.”
* * *
Another warehouse, again, the shutter doors slammed shut the moment the van had driven inside, but this time, the van stopped.

We hopped out, opened the side doors and let the dogs out. Moonbeam seemed a little steadier on his paws and managed to get down unaided.

I sighed with relief. He was recovering from his ordeal.

The driver nodded towards the middle of the warehouse. “Follow me.”

There were crates and pallets of various shapes and sizes in stacks throughout it.

He jogged to one wall to collect something and led us to a concrete slab flush with the floor. A large one. He tossed me a metal T shaped tool with a… thing on the end.

“I’ll need your help.” he pointed at a hole on one side. “Keyhole. Insert, twist, pull, haul to one side.”

I nodded. Inserted the key, twisted and heaved… With a grating of concrete on concrete, it lifted. He did the same and we moved it, placing it to the side of a six by four depression in the floor. This one seemed to have a floor of metal.

“Everyone on board.”

The dogs first, Alpha, the driver and then me. The moment we were all on the plate, he pressed something with his foot, a guard rail sprang up about four feet and the platform began to descend.

At first, the walls were solid concrete. Then rock.

I looked up. “What about the cover?”

“I wouldn’t worry about that. There’s always someone in the warehouse.”

“And that’s the only way up to the warehouse? This thing looks too small to hold a pod.”

“Lying flat? It is. We have a rack. Stand them. You can fit six at a time on this.”

We’d not gone down far when there was another grating sound and we were plunged into darkness as the cover was replaced. I’m sure I heard a forklift truck up above too.

The driver smiled. “Yes, they’re covering it with pallets. No-one’ll find this entrance unless they’re clued in.”

The rock gave way to an open space. More than that, I couldn’t say until we juddered to a halt and some lights turned on.

Just as described by Q in that first week, an old derelict subway tunnel, the tracks still intact and on those tracks, some kind of flatbed cart.

The driver ushered us on, stood at the front and opened a panel, shoving a lever forward.

Apart from the snick-snick of the wheels as they passed the joints in the track, it was silent.

I’ve got no idea how fast we travelled. All I can say it was quite a distance before he pulled back on the lever and the cart squealed to a halt.

He jogged over to what looked like an indent in the wall about the size of two men standing side by side. Shelter perhaps, to protect workers against passing trains? I shrugged.

The driver sniggered. “Love Q’s sense of humour sometimes. If you’ve ever seen the old Superman movie...” he hit a panel and the back of the alcove slid to one side to reveal our elevator.

The moment we’d all entered, the driver smiled, waved and returned to the cart as the doors began to close.

He shouted over his shoulder. “Might see you again later.” And he was gone.

This time, there was no need to press the panel. The elevator immediately went up and opened on B4.

“Come on, Moonbeam. Let’s get you out of there.” I selected all the newbies. “Wet room. Block one. We’ve got a dog suit to remove. You might as well see how it’s done.”