Wolf Noir

CHAPTER IV - STAKEOUT PT. II

"And then finally! At the end, the protagonist shoots the antagonist, misses, the bullet ricochet's off the bulletproof glass and kills off the antagonist that had killed his friends and threatened his very own mother! Cut and exit stage right!" Wolf took a massive deep breath, technically disguised as Moe, all the while Garcia did her best to stay awake as she gave him a soft clap whilst clasping at her dignity and her boredom.

"Admittedly, I'm impressed. I never knew you could make up such things on the spot. Hm, maybe you are a good liar. Then again, Piranha's thing seems to be that. I look forward to reading this if you bring this to life, or reliving this moment when you write your inevitable memoir," Garcia may have been a little optimistic about Wolf's success yet she knew that he was a jack of many trades, especially when it comes to the pair of them noticing Lana's entrance during this time. "Hey, Moe, it's-"

"I clocked her walking in. I'll go back to being silent. Knowing her, she might end up speaking to you so I'll just continue writing things down next to you if that's alright with you," Wolf went from loudly rambling to her to going back to jotting things out in his notebook, even working on a rough sketch of some of the club's interior in the meantime as Lana eventually made her way in. Naturally, she was wearing a black leather jacket with a ripped up pair of black jeans, a ruby earring as well as a pair of steel-toed boots.

Shortly after Wolf noticed her, she wandered over to the stool next to Garcia, ordered a shot glass filled with whiskey whilst talking to Lucy before limbering herself up with a gigantic yawn. It was clear that Lana had endured quite the busy day and, to Wolf's surprise, this was her kind of hangout spot despite the negative foreshadowing Odie had projected onto this place. If anything, the moment Wolf found out she was a regular and Mr. Piranha had given Garcia the heads up, he felt surprisingly safe and found his nerves limbering up as opposed to remaining tense like they were when he was taking his taxi ride through the rainy streets of Marina Del Rey.

"Good evening, Lana. It's nice to see you around the block after a few days," Garcia opened up her conversation with open arms, sipping from her martini as she turned her attention towards the cherry blossoms that made up Lana's radiant pink eyes. "I trust that you've been out of town once again. Anything new happening recently?" Wolf keenly listened into their conversation, at least the budding beginnings of such whilst continuing to sketch things onto his notepad; silently flipping over the page to begin noting down things about their conversation.

"Nothing much. Just more syndicate meetings. They're trying to brand themselves as that. You know I don't like working with them, yet you insist it's better to stay with them than dig myself out of the hole I've trapped myself in. I miss Brian, I'm almost sure they have something to do with his disappearance. I'm sure a lot of the disappearances around here have something to do with the syndicate and it creeps me out," Wolf wasn't sure if he trusted the words leaving the coyote's mouth as he noted down the fact that she was playing a clueless role. "I've been summoned to a meeting tomorrow evening, I've got the paperwork on my desk and everything. It feels more like I'm working with a bunch of government narcs instead of the people I initially started my sect of the club with, it's a load of mierda," Lana slumped forward before taking a swig of her whiskey in the vain hope that it would drain out part of her worries.

"I'm still trying to catch up with the fact that the New Blizzard went from a friendly motorcycle club willing to intimate bullies for vulnerable people wishing to get by in life to turning their back on them whilst becoming a criminal syndicate. I know I really shouldn't ask such questions and I am lucky not to be tied up with their business too much but is there anything you can tell me about that, Lana? I only picked this spot 'cause I knew it wouldn't get me in trouble with the New Blizzard but like sharks surrounding a boat full of refugees, this spot is being seen as a place for them to set up shop and I risk being run out of business," Garcia admitted the truth, hoping rather faintly that her honesty as well as the dire situation would allow Lana to come forth with something Wolf could use for his case. "I'm also sorry about Brian, have you seriously heard nothing from him?"

"No, it's like he vanished. Garcia, I'm worried. A lot of my friends are disappearing, a lot of my family are suddenly taking vacations to Guam or Hawai'i. I feel alone, I feel vulnerable. I feel like at any moment, someone could sneak up on me and take me to some unknown place. I might be one of the New Blizzard's inside members but to them, I'm just a grunt and I know barely anything about their internal structure! Everything changed ever since Winter got off her plane from Guatemala and the Japanese somehow got involved. I can't really talk about that though, not here," Lana let off a huge sigh, her slumping forward ensured that she caught the attention of Moe. "Oh, hey, is that one of your newcomers? I'm glad business is going well for you, Garcia," Lana would practically do anything for a surfboard right about now so she could ride out the tsunami rocking her mind which was the nightmarish situation she had been put in.

"Hmph. Business. That's literally the only good thing happening in life right now. This city is at a point where crime is at shockingly high levels, we're entering a recession, most of the world doesn't want any of the goods this country is producing. I've honestly thought about boarding a plane and going back to Mexico and my family hasn't lived there in over two centuries thanks to how turbulent things are. I just need peace, freedom and to go to sleep knowing that someone isn't breathing down my neck or trying to kill me," Garcia noticed that her conversation most likely wouldn't be too helpful for Wolf's sake and attempted to twist it into something that Wolf could use for evidence to accompany his growing case. "Do you ever feel the same way, you know, working with the New Blizzard?"

"I haven't slept peacefully ever since this whole club started around two years ago. I thought it was a fun idea, I heard the name from one of my old friends and decided to give it a go. We wanted to be this massive frat group that was slightly too old for the frat parties but mature enough to get business done. Some of our members were coming out of university or college whilst others were working full time jobs, yet the anxiety would always creep into my mind and stalk me when the sun sets. I barely feel safe walking the streets of my own apartment block and you should bear in mind that this isn't just the usual anxiety I experience when walking the streets of this treacherous city," Garcia listened intently, accompanied by Wolf as he discreetly scribbled down more notes all the while the music briefly transitioned into something which was a little more upbeat to accompany the fact that the great dancer switch was occurring inside of the bar turned gentleman's club. "I may not get an out, Garcia, I might be trapped for life. However, on the plus side, I really want to assist you and make sure this place doesn't get bought out 'cause this is truthfully my favourite hangout spot. It's just a shame I can't stick around for much longer, if I want a chance of surviving tomorrow; I need to get home. It's been fun catching up, Garcia."

"Likewise, try not to let the shadows of life chase you too much. You may be young but you're still much younger than I am, true anxiety creeps up on you with age and wisdom. Please, try to be safe during the storm. I'll see you around," Garcia raised up her amber paw to wave goodbye to her favourite patron as Lana waved back, yet she didn't take the traditional exit but instead led herself into the V.I.P section that Wolf swore a skulk of foxes entered before he got into the club. "She's gone to the V.I.P section, not the exit. She's up to something. Follow me," Garcia grabbed Wolf's arm rather hastily as he was forced to pick up his notepad and stuff it into his raincoat.

"Whoa, easy there, I don't want to blow my cover. I'm trying to keep myself all incognito!" Wolf protested as he went from being dragged to walking alongside Garcia, who folded her arm underneath Moe as she walked into the V.I.P area. "What are you doing?"

"Be silent and play along," Garcia quipped before composing herself, entering the rather dark V.I.P area which was decorated with deep purple lights as well as a few patrons lining the few seats on offer, including the skulk of foxes that made sure to keep their briefcases in the shadows. "Mr. Rogers, this is the V.I.P section of our fine establishment. As you can see by the vast array of TV screens alongside the padded cushioning of the lounge section, we offer a bespoke relaxation experience that's tailored towards offering our patrons the best value for their money. Of course, it does not come cheaply, but it comes at offering an experience where one can truly unwind. Our lounge is air conditioned and the seats include built-in massage mechanisms. Please, take a seat," Garcia discreetly swapped out Wolf's lanyard for one which read "Facility Inspector" as she stuffed his original tag into her dress pocket.

"I see. This is quite the invigorating tour and has certainly been filled with unforgettable sights. I must say, this is quite the lavish entertainment centre. I might consider stopping by here whenever I'm not inspecting other clubs and ensuring everything is up to code. It is a shame I had to pay to enter but then again, I wouldn't wish to alert everyone with my incognito nature. Please, show me how one would unwind!" Lana caught sight of Moe yet again, this time with him wearing the same purple lanyard yet with "Facility Inspector" written on it. Yet, instead of remaining skittish, she decided to play off the disturbance as something that nobody else would pick up on.

"'Ey, what's the deal with mister inspector? I thought ye told us we would have this spot to ourselves," A red fox with an orange suit accompanied by a black tie and a scar running across his face moped whilst his two black-furred canine bodyguards sat firmly, keeping their eyes pointed in both directions alongside their ears tuned out of the noise surrounding them except for the words being uttered by the various patrons.

"Oh, you know Garcia. Always eager to show off. Plus, I'm pretty sure that was today anyway. Mister inspector is a little late, I swear I saw that guy at the bar, too," Lana tilted her head, attempting to study Mr. Wolf, who was busy navigating the TV whilst enjoying the automatic massage offered by the seats a little too much whilst Garcia accompanied him. "Okay, time to get to business. Why exactly is a senior official of the New Blizzard meeting me here?"

"To offer 'ya a stern warning," His Irish voice went from being somewhat sarcastic to rough as well as dark. "You've been yappin' a bit too much for Winter's liking and she ain't afraid to hesitantly neutralise 'ye, lass. You need to keep yer head down, make sure ye ain't seen for a few days other than at the docks like you promised. If I hear anything about the New Blizzard leave 'ye mouth, you're gonna get axed and it's not gonna be as pretty as a lumberjack hacking through their timber... Do 'ye understand me?" Lana immediately felt a chill rattle down her spine, yet she couldn't help but press him for an answer.

"I understand, sir. I'm just... A little afraid. My Brian has gone missing, I don't know where he's off to. I know I should keep my association down but when someone you love suddenly vanishes into the shadows, you tend to get a little skittish. You know what I mean by that, don't you? You can understand my situation, right?" Lana's pleading eyes mixed with her jumpy attitude led to her Irish superior merely leaning back whilst he lifted up his sunglasses.

"I guess I can understand 'ye, lass. Just, please, keep it quiet. Enough people are tailing us as it is. I don't need anyone else skulking around looking for connections. We are trying to look into it, I don't know much about people going missing other than they might've spoken badly about our organisation before. However, my level is a tumble down from what they at the top think about us-"

"Are you saying our own organisation could be responsible for the disappearances-"

"SHUT YER MOUTH!" The red fox slammed his paw against the wooden tabletop sitting before him, almost splitting it in two as practically everyone shifted their eyes away from their activities to him, his two bodyguards and Lana in the corner. "Apologies. I'm looking into it. But if I hear anything leave your mouth moving forward... And I mean anything? I have ears everywhere and I promise you, I'll make you disappear like the rest of 'em," He lifted himself up from the table as both of his bodyguards encircled Lana, she was tempted to speak back but she knew that his bodyguards were armed to the teeth and most likely could leave the V.I.P section desolate with no witnesses remaining.

"I-I u-underst-stand sir. I-I won't s-speak about anything again... A-and I'll let you c-continue your investigation- w-without any questions. I promise to keep a-a lid on my e-emotions, a-a tight lid, and y-you have my guarantee it won't slip-"

"It better not. Because I really don't want to have to terminate our contract before it expires. I'll look into it, I might know where Brian is, but 'ye better keep yer pie-hole shut or else..." He merely made a neck cut gesture with his paw before ordering his bodyguards to the fire exit, encouraging Lana to follow suit. "After you," He instructed as Lana practically was on the edge of shaking, all the while Wolf and Garcia were forced to turn around as they exited the building and Lana broke for the wind.

"What's the deal with the red fox guy and what's with the fancy suit?" Wolf inquired, powering down the massaging mechanism on the chair as Garcia remained shaken. "Garcia, are you there?"

"Yeah, woah. Sorry. It looks like things are getting heated between Lana and the New Blizzard. I know him, his name's Jack and he's on the secondary committee of the New Blizzard. I'm guessing Lana and him are having some disagreements considering she's talking a little too much about Brian's disappearance. Something convinces me that both are looking behind one another's backs for clues, yet Lana might be on top. Brian's been missing for a while now, it's understandable if she's starting to get jumpy but I never knew they'd punish her for it," Garcia reached into her pocket for a business card that Lana had handed her a while ago. "Lana's not the girl you're looking for, I can just tell within her eyes. Here's a business card with her phone number and address. I recommend paying her a visit sometime tonight, try not to stalk her too much but just introduce yourself as who you are, state your intentions and say that you can help. I trust you, Wolf. You've got a lot of potential, yet I will admit you've dove neck deep into this whole private investigator slash detective affair you've got going on," Garcia remarked, letting off a chipper smile as Wolf's phone buzzed.

"Well, this business isn't exactly too easy and Foxington reminded me of that. Speaking of which, I gotta take this call, don't mind me," Wolf reached for his phone after Garcia nodded, pulling it out of his pocket and pressing the green button to answer Foxington. "Hey, my favourite vixen! What's got you calling at this hour? I didn't text ya not long ago," His voice charmed Foxington immediately, however, the sirens in the background indicated that this wasn't the time to play prince charming.

"Hey hubby! Alright, perhaps this isn't the right energy to have. Misty Luggins just notified me that she interrupted an attempted stick-up job performed by members who openly admitted to being a part of the New Blizzard. I'm currently at the crime scene. I'm not a private investigator but I'm the governor and I should be able to get Misty to hand over some confidential files once nature's run its course. It's strange, though, it's almost like they wanted to be caught. They even attempted to rob the place with airsoft guns," Wolf instinctively chuckled at that comment.

"You think it's some sort of P.R stunt or do you think they're trying to distract part of the P.D to hit something bigger or to hide something?" Wolf replied, his eyebrows raising whilst Garcia silently listened into their conversation.

"Probably just a bunch of idiots who want to turn themselves in. Misty's got eyes all over town and nothing has happened since the arrests and it's been around an hour now. How's your gig going with making a case, Detective Wolf?~" Foxington made sure to sound extra flirtatious, inciting a blush across the city thanks to her seductive tone.

"Mostly just playing cat and mouse in Marina Del Rey. I've found something, though. Some sort of connection to the missing people that have been reported throughout the last couple of months. Misty's claimed that there have been zero leads other than them vanishing, I have a feeling the connection is the New Blizzard themselves. Seems like some sort of infighting. I'm going to speak to a lady called Lana later tonight, hopefully find something out; poor girl was just interrogated by one of the higher ups in the same organisation and probably asked to keep her mouth shut considering I overheard their entire conversation in the bar," Foxington took an interest in Wolf's findings so far and made sure to remember what he had told her for later.

"Sounds like you're onto something big. You've already gone from attending your own opening ceremony to chasing leads. Try not to be out too late and make sure you get some sleep, I don't want to see your sleep schedule ruined just because you spent too long chasing leads, Wolfie! I know you're dedicated to this job and it's sweet to see you succeeding but one step at a time, got that, my favourite ex-criminal?" Foxington advised as Wolf sighed down the microphone of his phone.

"I swear sometimes you act like my wife and my mother. We're engaged, sure, we'll get to marriage once the flames in this city are snuffed; which hopefully I'll have something to do with in the end. I'll be responsible, keep me posted on anything you find out from Misty though, this sounds quite interesting. I'll make sure to update you on the case when I make it home sometime tomorrow," Wolf stated as he eagerly looked towards the exit of Garcia's establishment. "I love you so much and I'll see ya when I'm not fighting bad guys!"

"I love you too, see ya when you're not trying to step in the plans of some evil-doers and when I get my lucky few hours away from being governor, Take care!" Wolf and Foxington both did their best mock-kisses through the phone as Garcia looked on in amusement, Wolf's world basically disappeared around him for that moment before he was forced to focus on the striped feline before him alongside the purple lights and the stars that lined the carpets alongside the ceilings.

"I never knew you and the governor were this lovey-dovey with one another. However, it sounds like you've got a lot on your plate right now. Please, take the exit and these keys; just make sure you return the car in the morning," Garcia had been a tremendous help to Wolf during this time as she handed her spare keys over to one of three of her spare cars that were parked in the lot. "Consider this lending you a favour, I'm going to need one from you someday, too," She cryptically stated as she swapped out his lanyard once again and ushered him to the exit.

"Which car belongs to me for the night?" Wolf's answer came in the form of her pointing towards an S.U.V that had been painted a similar colour to Foxington's peachy fur as he rushed into the stormy night once again. Without much hesitation binding him, he pressed the massive blue button on his black set of keys that lined up with his new temporary car to unlock it as he stuffed himself into the driver's seat and took a moment to take a breather by writing down some notes.

"Alright so to briefly recap what's just happened with myself... Huh. I've bought a raincoat from a store upon making it here, entered a bar turned into a makeshift gentleman's club and completely flipped my case around. Now I need to tail Lana inside of this car or find her apartment using my GPS before asking her a few questions... Have I got that right? I'm probably missing a few things here and there but I think this is where I'm at, right?" Wolf found himself turning towards none other than yourself, the humble reader for a brief second before placing the keys inside of his newfound temporary car, punching in the address that was his newfound destination for the night and found himself blanketed within nothing but darkness considering during the time he had spent inside of the Casa Encanta; the sun had now set and he was at the mercy of the headlights and street lamps he'd need to follow to get to his destination.

"How on earth did I get to this point in my life, huh? Where I would end up tailing someone just because I need to know more information. I never knew being a private investigator or detective would be this messy but then again, I guess business is business. It's better than robbing people, too; but I might as well be robbing people of their patience and time," Wolf doubted himself as he switched into first and second gear upon exiting the parking lot, finding himself at a busy intersection as the GPS told him to navigate the road he'd be turning onto for the next five minutes through the city before he'd have to twist and turn to reach Lana's apartment. "No, Wolf. You can't doubt yourself now. You're here to solve a mystery, you've dealt with stress and pressure before. You can do this... Can I do this? Damn. Something as simple as looking for someone's lost son amidst a case of people who have gone missing has turned into this just with one evening and a stakeout? I'm not even entirely done yet and I'm already rethinking my choices. Hmph. I should just remain focused on the road, take in the sights and think about where the hell I am going to check in for the night as it's too late to drive back home now," Therefore, that's exactly what Wolf did as he felt his thoughts melt away, becoming one with the classic eighties songs on the radio as he felt himself drifting off to a realm filled with peace.

Of course, he wasn't going to fall asleep at the wheel, yet this day had been quite taxing for him and he was looking forward to having a one-to-one conversation with someone who seemed like they could help. Wolf had some mixed feelings about Lana, on the one hand, she seemed rather manipulative towards Bernard's son, Brian. However, on the other hand, Wolf acknowledged that she was still just an animal and animals, like people in this world, had their own set of issues with the world that inevitably dragged their feelings across the mud that is life itself.

"What do I even ask the poor woman?" He pondered, already several minutes into his trip and after finishing a karaoke session of one of his favourite songs. "If she knows anything? To work together? I know she's part of the New Blizzard... I'm lost, I really am. I may have trained for this and idolised the day I would become something more than the big bad wolf and a lowly criminal but damn, it really feels like thirty years of being antagonised couldn't have prepared me for playing on the side of the good guys for a change," Moe's eyes glimmered and twinkled with the stars above as the concrete jungle surrounding him shifted from mostly consisting of establishments to him discovering the first block of many of endless apartments that Lana's was supposedly nested between.

"Man, I shouldn't even think about the favour I'm supposedly going to owe Garcia. She really didn't have to do all of this for me, let alone what I'm gonna have to do for Piranha. I know I already offered him the chance to get him set up with Foxington and a few directors but the favour for this is gonna be costly... You know what? I should probably stop with the self-monologue and look into the now. I'm going to have to wing it like I have a lot of heists, planning on the spot. This is just like a heist but for information! Yeah! That's it! A heist except you're genuinely caring for the person and what they have to offer!" Riding high off a confidence boost and confidently cruising from the evening into night-time, Wolf sang his way through the endless barrage of cars as well as apartment blocks that eclipsed him all the way to his destination which immediately reminded him of depression.

On the plus side, it had stopped storming as violently in the roughly ten minutes it took him to go through his thoughts as well as ponder some of his doubts, pushing it down with some music he had fallen in love with thanks to his now-late grandfather introducing him to the angelic songs of the eighties. Despite living in the now, in the 2020's, Wolf was still firmly glued to the eighties and the nineties, with every day reminding him that his nostalgia would grow stronger whilst his body would grow older.

As opposed to being showered with an endless torrent of rain, he was now being bathed by a mild drizzle as he looked up towards the five story concrete husk which supposedly housed a good four hundred people inside of it whilst looking towards the number on Lana's business card. Wolf deduced from the fact that her number began with a four and ended with three and seven, she was most likely on floor four, on corridor three and room seven which would most likely be located at the end of the hall.

If there was one thing Wolf had figured out upon leaving prison and doing some time training alongside Misty to look for clues whilst enrolled within his informal private detective programme, it was the fact that American apartment blocks nowadays were engineered similarly to the prison block he had spent a year of his life in so he could face the consequences of the past. As he wandered forth into the building, he felt himself chilled by the broken air conditioning system which blasted for an eternity as he headed towards one of two elevators at the end of the hallway.

One of the lights flickered above him whilst he navigated the red carpet which had been stained with mud and wet shoe prints mixed in with paw prints. Thankfully, Wolf wouldn't spend too long looking himself up and down as he took off his raincoat and folded it around his arm before entering the elevator. Even the elevator speaker was somewhat broken as it played a distorted high-pitched 'ding' sound as his paw landed on the button leading to the fourth floor and he waited in solitude until the rickety elevator finished lifting his form up four stairs.

Not wishing to waste more time than was necessary, Wolf rushed through the hallway and towards the third turn on the left side which made up corridor three before he saw the exact number he was looking for down the moderately run-down hall that greeted him, right at the end as predicted. With a simple four-beat knocking pattern, Wolf put on his most reassuring smile possible and waited for the door to open.

Upon waiting roughly thirty seconds, Wolf gave knocking another go, which is when none other than Lana walked over to the door and cracked it open after fiddling with the locks.

"Uh. Hi. Can I help you?" Lana inquired, remaining inquisitive as she raised her eyebrow with one paw in her pocket and the other hand carrying a toothbrush. "I was getting ready to get to bed so this better be important," She looked him up and down, the echoes of familiarity ripping through her brain as Wolf pulled out his business card and removed his bowler hat.

"Mister Wolf. Private Detective. I've been investigating the various accounts of missing people reported recently and their links to an organisation known as the New Blizzard. I have a firm belief that you may know something about them thanks to the disappearance of your beloved Brian. Am I allowed to enter?" Wolf politely asked, to which Lana let off a begrudging sigh before nodding. "I appreciate your time and I apologise for disturbing you on such an eventful night-" As the door slammed shut behind him, Wolf felt the cold sting of a revolver's gun barrel pressed up against his head as Lana cocked back the firing mechanism and Wolf gulped.

"Cut the mierda, Wolf. I saw you at the club, I made you the moment I saw you and Garcia in the V.I.P room. Facility Inspector, what a load of crap. You've suspected me for some of the disappearances, haven't you? Well, I'm sorry to disappoint you but that's untrue. I'm in the dark as much as you are and unless you have something to offer to me of value then you can expect to find your brains painting this wall within the next three seconds," Lana pressed his skull against the wall, dimming the lights as she tossed her toothbrush aside.

"Ever heard about the Dropzones?" Almost immediately, Lana tilted her head and loosened up her grip on her revolver. "Some of the people I've talked to... Their loved ones, they've mentioned a Dropzone before being permanently disconnected from those they love. I cannot be sure, but I have a hunch those people are being rounded up somewhere near Black Mountain; and that they're alive. I've only been at this for a day, I don't know much... But I beg of you to spare me for the information I may be able to offer," Wolf closed his eyes, expecting his life to come to a close right then and there. However, he was surprised when Lana retracted her revolver and stuffed it back into the pocket of her leather jacket.

"That's something new. You may live," She bluntly stated, bringing forth her paw and turning him around. "But you best start speaking until this gun is pressed up against your head once more. I've been trying to look into this for months, my own contacts inside of the New Blizzard are questioning me. You saw it. My superiors are onto me. I want to find out where Brian is. You best give me information or I will kill you and Foxington for projecting false hope onto me," Lana looked towards her watch, gesturing to Wolf that he better get his information out of his system fast before she changes her mind.

"Easy, easy. I talked to a guy named Jakob. He's apparently in charge of security at Cosmotech. He has nothing to do with the New Blizzard but claimed his wife Valeriya had been sent to this thing called a Dropzone. He even showed me messages. I cut a deal with him where I'll continue finding out who went missing and why, in return, he'll break them free when he raids the Dropzones. Now, I need to know more about the Dropzone's as well as any connections between those who went missing and those being held at Black Mountain. Before then, I spoke to someone named Bradley, whom had their significant other taken to Dropzone V near Black Mountain and showed similar text messages. I haven't spoke to Jakob directly just yet but we have reason to believe that everyone is alive and that they're going to put together a massive ransom-"

"Phew..." Lana flung her weapon onto the blue sofa behind her before wiping some beads of sweat from her fur. "Okay, I'm sorry for holding you at gunpoint and acting like a psycho bitch right now. I won't lie, I'm highly strung and literally anything could break me in half but I know something about the ransom. I've heard rumours for weeks that they're going to put together the largest ransom in history, consisting of those who were higher ups and who belong to wealthy families in the hopes of securing a massive paycheck to pay for something from Japan. Now, I cannot be one-hundred percent sure, but I'm almost certain they're looking to purchase atomic or hydrogen-based weaponry. They're already building a nuclear reactor in secret to power their own organisation at Black Mountain so I know you're not bullshitting me, either," Lana then went in to hug Wolf, who had no choice but to accept her hug for a brief moment before she separated from him whilst her ears twitched.

"Okay, I feel a lot more comfortable not being held at gunpoint and knowing that we've got something in common with... Some of our information. I've only been at this a day, I haven't exactly got all of the answers one wants and I sure don't have them immediately," Wolf looked around Lana's apartment all the while she reached into one of the nearby drawers for a massive file. "Whoa. That's quite the large file you've got there," Moe still felt incredibly anxious, he just had a gun pointed at the back of his head as well as his front, now the same woman who was responsible for such an action was trying to offer him some of her own information within the massive file she had gathered on the whereabouts of Brian.

"It's everything I've gathered through these past few months. Information before, during and after Brian's disappearance. It all started with him going out drinking with some of his friends, I was included... Well, many of his friends ended up coming home and so did I; but when Brian was expected to come home... Well, he didn't. Shortly thereafter, many people started vanishing in the city, either higher-up officials, those who had massive families or innocent suckers who had a lot of leverage in the lower departments of the New Blizzard. You see, I'm one of what they call the 'Founding Sisters' of the original New Blizzard Motorcycle Club. Although I have fallen far from the grace and power I once held, I am still important and making me vanish or disappear will prove to be unwise for them as it would tip too many people off," Lana encouraged Wolf to have a seat as she flipped off the lights completely, instead opting to light a candle like she had done so every night since Brian's disappearance. "I've been looking into them for several months but I was sceptical even before it turned into a criminal syndicate. I always knew randomly being selected by someone and then having them instil this idea into my head was suspicious, especially when they recommended that I start pushing around those who antagonised the needy. Before I knew it, I was pushing drugs with my buddies; I felt extra obligated considering I was the only non-kitsune to found a sect of the New Blizzard, yet that has morphed into a curse as time has gone on."

"How so, may I ask?" Moe didn't wish to say much, but judging by the fact that Lana had cryptically taken his raincoat and hung it up on her coat hanger, he got the impression that he wasn't going to be leaving anytime soon unless he forced himself through Lana. Instead of relying on notes, he would have to rely on memory whilst not letting himself get distracted by the twinkling flames or array of books that lined the bookshelves inside of Lana's small one-bedroom apartment.

"The foxes feel like I need to be protected, that my lips need to be sealed and that I've gotta remain loyal to their cause. Thankfully, they give me enough autonomy not to search through my belongings but I really do not know how long I have left of that until they barge in here with weapons and demand to search all that I have. As for the criminal syndicate thing? I called it from the start. I was merely joking at the time but I found it suspicious that there was this Guatemalan lady that seemed to lead the more aggressive side of the club whilst all of the sects were started by extremely attractive vixens that nicknamed themselves kitsune's thanks to their Japanese heritage. I never wanted to seem like I was projecting but I feel like this syndicate is less of something that randomly appeared and more or less something that's loosely connected to another, much larger group; but I'll fight that mystery once I've found my Brian," Lana picked up the weapon she had aimed at Wolf and locked it away inside of a safe that's contained within a large wardrobe before she finally took a seat inside of an armchair that she primarily used to relax all the while Wolf sat on a double-seated couch with a black coffee table in front of him.

"And, if you're open to some sort of informal partnership, I'd be willing to fight this mystery with you. I might not know too much at the moment but I think I've proved my worth when it comes to telling you about the Dropzone's that may host the hostages... And the fact that I have a way to get them out, but this is going to take some time and most likely some teamwork, too. I have a few friends that can help out," Wolf saw himself as crazy for suggesting the idea of working with Lana to begin with but this was the only option he had, it was either this or more people who are beloved by their friends and family go missing. "I haven't mentioned it as well, I'm trying to start a new slate but in this day and age, there's barely any slate that's clean unless it's stained with somebody else's blood. I used to be the leader of The Bad Guys, I'm still in contact with all of my friends and we're closely knit. Foxington knows a thing or two as well. The one thing that's gotten all of this rope tangled around the governor and the chief is the fact that we have no idea how they're escaping or getting away with making people disappear. If we can figure that out, the disappearances stop, we close in on the Dropzone's and hopefully put an end to the New Blizzard's extortion attempt before it has a chance to get off the ground."

"I'm well aware of your legacy, Wolf. Yet that doesn't mean other people around the block are blind. You probably got this information because some businessman saw your new agency and decided you would be trustworthy. It's helpful but this reputation cannot help you forever. If we're going to work together, I am going to need you to have my back and to be honest with me. This also includes keeping our partnership a secret. If people from the New Blizzard are already trying to shut my mouth then imagine their reaction when they learn I've been speaking to a private detective about everything going on. We cannot be seen together outside of this apartment unless we are disguised or we have good reason, got it?" Wolf hesitantly nodded, agreeing with her as he put his feet up on her coffee table. "It's nice to see you're making yourself comfortable considering you're going to be sleeping here tonight."

"Hey! Who said you could make that decision on my behalf? I don't want to be a bother, I'll get a hotel room," Lana let off a growl from beneath her muzzle as Wolf instead backed up whilst raising his paws. "Fine, I'll stay. My disguise is ruined and unless I fix it or find a new one, people are going to be suspicious of a private detective creeping around this place... Although I've got to ask, if you're one of the so-called 'Founding Sisters'... Why do you hate the New Blizzard so much?"

"They took away everything from me! My passion, my love for entertainment... They even tried to set me up with some dude who was not Brian around half a year before I met him. I've been treated like an asset to them for far too long and I hate the way everything is run. It's so disorganised to the point where there's a national and international level. This isn't the fun motorcycle club it used to be, it's now a chaotic circus where everyone has to watch their backs or risk getting a bullet in their head!" Lana's rage as well as the puffing up of her fur really sold the story for Wolf, who immediately understood where Lana was coming from considering he could relate to that fact except being introduced to crime when he was younger through his ambitions of wanting to be a private detective.

"And so, I'm guessing you want to bring it to its knees so it can't rob the purity from other people?" Lana nodded in agreement with Wolf. "I know all too well how that feels, and now a group has turned into a whole syndicate terrorising this city. I promise to work with you, I promise to keep everything silent and I promise to stay and listen into the night; that's if you're comfortable with telling your story."

"Oh, I'm comfortable, I just hope you have the patience because there's a lot to say and a lot you've got to understand to believe my situation... I just hope you don't fall asleep during the ride. I'd buckle up, by the way, you're in for quite the treat," The pair of them would go on to discuss the origins of the New Blizzard in great detail, leading to Wolf secretly compiling a list of things to memorise as well as to report on once he woke up the following morning. Eventually, the pair of them would fall asleep on their chairs respectively, leaving Wolf to pick up the pieces upon waking up in the morning.

...