The Hunt for Red Fluffy

by Angel Martinez

  "Ah. Quite. Thank you, Captain Goldner." Chief Carlisle shifted uncomfortably. "Please keep in mind that dangerous livestock regulations apply."

  "Of course. Come along, pretty." Shax bent to rub his face against the top of the big cat's head. "Let's get you some proper dinner."

  Julian maintained a serious and concerned expression, though inwardly he laughed at the brawny security men scrambling back from the big bad kitty as she strolled past at Shax's side. Station regulations clearly stated she should've been transported through the corridors in a crate. No one said a word about it to Shax, though.

  "Terribly sorry," Julian murmured to a stone-faced Ness as they trailed Shax back to the Brimstone.

  Ness turned narrowed eyes on him. "What are you sorry for?"

  "More an expression of sympathy than apology." Julian pointed with his chin to where Shax swaggered beside the hellcat, his grin widening every time someone scrambled out of the way. "He's going to be insufferable for a little while, isn't he?"

  That surprised a laugh out of Ness before it collapsed in a soft sigh. "Yes. You're probably right. I won't say anything about it, though. He's missed his cats so much."

  He has, hasn't he? I'm missing something here…

  The cat, by virtue of its existence, had rattled Julian, and the unhinging of his normally well-oiled brain irritated him. Concentrating only on his breathing, as he so often did to banish emotions that distracted him from his business as an assassin, he didn't make the right connections until they were nearly at the Brimstone's bay door.

  "Shax, no!" Julian surged forward, skidding to a stop when the cat turned to snarl at him. "Wait. Stop. Don't take her onboard."

  The frown Shax turned on him was darker than Julian had ever seen before, more demon prince than friend. "And why not, pray tell?"

  Julian held up both hands, pacification and a plea for a moment's patience. "Think, oh demon prince. Somehow a creature you've missed horribly ends up ownerless, on a station far from Earth, just waiting for you to claim her. Doesn't that suggest something a little sinister to you?"

  "You're suggesting she's a plant and possibly compromised." The royal displeasure in Shax's expression gave way to a more familiar expression—still unhappy, but pensive. "Of course. Of course… There are people hunting us. Specific, nasty people. Ness, love, open the bay door, please."

  "But you just said she might be—"

  "Yes. She might. I want Ms. Ivana to do a proper scan, yes?"

  "Don't you think you should step back a bit?" Ness made shooing motions with his hands. "Just in case?"

  "I really don't think she'll explode, cupcake." Once in place, the idea obviously disturbed him as Shax took half a step away from his new hellcat. After a few speaking looks had been exchanged between captain and security chief, Ness hit the palm lock to open the door, and Shax requested the scan, adding to the cat, "Stay still, Fluffy. Let Ms. Ivana see all of you."

  The cat couldn't possibly have understood him, yet she sat staring at the door, unmoving except for the occasional twitch of tail or ear.

  "Captain," Ivana spoke up after the hum of her scan quieted. "Your new kitty has a hitchhiker."

  Shax raised an eyebrow at Julian. "Does she? What sort, my dear?"

  "It's one of those nasty little tracker things."

  "Well, well. I suppose some of us aren't at all surprised."

  The worst thing to say at that moment would've been I told you so, though Julian had to fight the temptation to both say it and stick out his tongue. "It does make sense. She's perfect bait and left so conveniently for you."

  "For me… Yes," Shax muttered. "I suppose so. Kind of them to think of me." He ran the tips of his fingers over the cat's head, and she leaned into the touch. "Very kind… Well, then. Shall we board?"

  He meant to take the Trojan-horse cat no matter what the risk. Julian smiled and shook his head, arresting the motion when he realized Ness echoed him. Intrepid fallen, we have more in common than you want to admit. Not something he wanted to say aloud to Ness right then. Possibly never.

  "Aww, fuck, Shaxy," Verin grumbled as the hold door shut behind them. "What followed you home now?'

  "Ver, this is my new cat, Fluffy. Fluff, this is our Verin. Go say hello."

  Ears swiveling, the hunting cat stalked toward him. To Julian, the set of head and tail was threatening. His hand strayed instinctively to the pistol on his right hip, but Fluffy sniffed at Verin and butted against him briefly.

  "Yeah, yeah. Hey to you, too." Verin kept his arms crossed over his massive chest. "Fucking cats."

  Shax introduced her to each member of the crew in turn—Ness with a cursory acceptance sniff, probably since he had Shax's scent all over him, Corny with considerably more sniffing, and Mac with a low growl that thankfully didn't escalate into anything serious.

  Toward the end of introductions, Heckle clattered down the hold steps, wide-eyed and impetuous with excitement. Without hesitation or caution, he flung his arms around the hellcat's neck and exclaimed, "Kitty!"

  Every muscle in Julian's body had tensed, ready to strike and save sweet little Heckle, but Fluffy only nuzzled his jaw and licked him until he laughed and pushed her away. "Is she staying, Captain?"

  "Oh yes." Shax's nod was nothing short of regal. "Wild trolls won't take her from us. Where's Leopold?"

  "I am here, Papa." Leopold stood on the landing, Max and Nic conspicuously absent. "You seem to have a hellcat? Is it one of yours?"

  "Not one of mine from Earth, no." Shax stroked Fluffy's ears and had to take a step sideways to catch his balance when she butted at him, purring. "But she's mine now by right of blood."

  Leopold descended the stairs on his back paws, careful to hold the rail as he did so, and approached—regally, if Julian was honest with himself. The cat lay in classic sphinx pose, head up and ears swiveled forward. Inwardly Julian twitched, though he held himself scrupulously still. Fluffy could have devoured Leopold in two bites. Of course, hellcats weren't ordinary big cats, Julian knew that, and yet he couldn't shake the certainty that he was about to witness the demise of a small and extraordinarily pink demon prince.

  With what Julian had to suppose was a princely waddle, Leopold reached the cat and held out a paw.

  "Here, pretty kitty. I am a prince of the blood. We will be great friends."

  One long tapered ear twitched toward Leopold. The cat opened its mouth, displayed its saber fangs…and licked Leopold's face quite thoroughly. The hedgehog prince, most likely unprepared for the onslaught, fell over onto his prickly back with a surprised peep.

  "All right, yes, good girl." Leopold waved his front paws in a vain attempt to fend off the rasping tongue. "You can stop that right now, please. Before I've been drowned."

  Somewhat to Julian's surprise, and it was quite difficult to surprise him, Fluffy stopped and sat back, giving Leopold room to regain his stubby feet. A quick glance around showed Ness wearing a smile strained toward breaking and Shax wiping at his eyes with a sniffle.

  "Terribly sorry." Shax's breath shuddered through a second sniff. "They just grow up so fast, demon princelings." He turned to Julian and waved a hand at Fluffy. "Your turn, Agent Parallax."

  Julian took an extra step back. "I'd really rather not, Captain. Didn't I ever tell you about my run-in with someone's guard tiger? Avoidance would really be the best strategy here."

  "Julian…" Shax pinched the bridge of his nose between thumb and forefinger. "My dear Julian. I do not want my cat shot because she surprises you in a corridor. Nor do I particularly want you to lose important extremities because she doesn't believe you belong here. For the matter at hand, you are crew, and as such you will introduce yourself to the hellcat."

  The demon prince was one of the few people Julian had ever met who could successfully speak in italics without raising his voice. Always gave him a jolt and a bit of an electric thrill down his spine. "Shax—"

  "Pet the kitty!"

  Jaw tight, Julian walked
in a wide arc around the cat to face her. It's not as if you're alone here. Several people, including Ness and Mac, would pull her off you if it comes to that. Or maybe they wouldn't. He was an intruder on this ship, no matter what Shax said, an outsider in the midst of this tight-knit crew. Julian knew perfectly well that he excelled at being charming and failed miserably at making friends.

  Except for Shax. Who's still a demon, let's not forget. And what does that say about you? You pick the best times for introspection, Parallax…

  Fluffy rose, tail lashing. Julian stood his ground and slowly extended a closed fist toward her. No fingers. Those could be seen as threatening. Or chewable. The cat rumbled at him, ears flattening, head and shoulders lowering.

  Hold. Hold. Don't run. It's just an invitation to chase.

  The pounce was so sudden, Julian didn't have time to fling himself out of the way.

  There wasn't even a butt wiggle! There should've been a damn calibration butt wriggle!

  Instinct took over from Julian's scandalized brain, and he curled into as tight a ball as humanly possible, with his arms flung up to cover his neck. A huge paw held his legs down, and another kneaded at his shoulder, sharp claws sinking in and retracting in a steady rhythm. He just had to hold out until someone pulled her off.

  A paw withdrew, then hit him so hard he rolled across the floor to fetch up against a crate.

  "Aww, fuck. Look, Shaxy," Verin drawled from somewhere in the spinning room. "She thinks Parallax is a toy."

  The answering exasperated noise had to be Shax, followed by, "No, Fluffy! Bad kitty!"

  The hand that settled on Julian's shoulder was much smaller than a hellcat paw. He risked uncurling far enough to find Heckle regarding him with concern.

  "Julian? You okay?"

  With a reassuring pat, Julian rolled and bounced to his feet. "Never better. Though I think the shirt's seen better days."

  Heckle picked up a tattered scrap from the floor. "That was an understatement. I recognize those."

  "Julian, I'm terribly sorry. She was just playing," Shax called from across the hold where Fluffy was rubbing her face against his side.

  Deep breath. He couldn't let his voice tremble. "Tracker, Captain. Maybe take care of that first? We'll resolve cat relations later."

  "Right. Of course. Come along, Miss." Shax bounded up the stairs, which the cat took in two leaps directly behind him. "This won't take but a moment, and then you can nap."

  Ness followed at a less-hyperactive pace, while everyone else stood in a rough semicircle near the foot of the stairs. Julian did not, under any circumstances, admire either beautiful demon or gorgeous angel back views. Not at all. And while running after them would've been only pitiful and ill-advised before, now the addition of Fluffy made it probable suicide. Julian pretended his boots had been nailed to the decking.

  This assignment should've been easy. The day to day of it, at any rate. ISE had lent him to the Brimstone, officially for once, to assist in taking down the cartel conspiring to murder Shax and brand Julian as a criminal with a side of execution. Preferably in that order, apparently. Walk in a landscaped park. Julian knew the crew, adored Shax, and understood who the players were. Except he had to keep his distance from Shax, not tick off his dangerous fallen lover, and also keep his eyes in his head where said lover was concerned. In some ways, he'd had easier assignments in swamps.

  "Um. Julian?" Heckle tugged on the ruins of one sleeve. "Maybe medical's not a bad idea?"

  "Wait for it." Julian tipped his head back to stare at the ceiling. "I feel a cliché coming on."

  Steam snaked around their heads as Verin blew out a long breath. "I've got a bad fucking feeling about this."

  "And there we are. Now we can begin."

  "Begin what?" Heckle stared up at Julian with his tail in both hands.

  "Whatever this is." Though clichés are, by their very nature, often true. Bad feeling, indeed.

  Chapter Two

  The tracker had been no bigger than the nail on Ness's little finger, and once out of its feline transport, Shax had gleefully crushed it under his boot heel.

  "Shouldn't we have tried to determine where it came from, love?"

  Shax stroked his cat's long, tapered ears with no response from her. The sedation had been enough to put even Mac under. "No need to bother. Limited selection of choices, you see. I can't believe they thought I'd fall for a Trojan cat."

  "That… Does that fall under mixed metaphors?" Ness swept up the tiny electronic bits and tossed them in the hazardous disposals chute. "Besides, you did fall for it. Julian was the one who realized."

  "Pardon? Did you just say something nice about Julian?"

  "I was telling the truth, not being nice." Ness snapped his mouth shut, irritated by his own scathing tone. Wings fluttering, he pulled in a steadying breath. "Credit where credit's due. It's only fair."

  Brow furrowing, Shax wrapped his arms tight around Ness. "You're worrying, cupcake. We're all right. Still two steps ahead."

  Yes, but for how long? He knew the names of the major players of the cabal stalking them—Federico Duomo, Amerin Nast, Talon Karnos—but except for that greasy sadist Duomo, they were only names to him. What mattered more were the power and finances behind the names. This unholy alliance had the resources to track them indefinitely, while the Brimstone couldn't run forever. No one had said that out loud yet, but Ness was certain even Max the centipede understood it. Someday, probably soon, Shax would have to turn at bay.

  The only reason it hasn't happened yet is they all know firsthand how dangerous a cornered demon prince is. They're testing. Prodding. Gauging reactions. I have to be watchful. Know more. How can I protect him if I don't?

  It was an uncomfortable realization Ness had been coming to over the last few months. The nightmare house had been a disastrous security failure. They couldn't afford another like that. Ness wouldn't be able to live with another failure like that. He needed to start using his resources more efficiently, and unfortunately, his best resource right now was Julian—his second uncomfortable realization.

  His sharp jealousy over Julian's attachment to Shax, however much in the past, had smoothed out into something quieter but more persistently distressing. He…noticed things about Julian. The shadows that lurked in his dark eyes sometimes. The way his elegant fingers twitched sometimes at loud sounds. The predatory grace of his movements. He didn't hate Julian any longer, but he shouldn't be noticing these things.

  Shax nuzzled against his chest. "You're still worrying. I can hear it all the way through your lovely skull."

  "I suppose I'll have to look into soundproofing." Ness kissed one adorable red horn, then the other. "Yes, that was a joke."

  "Hmm. I could distract you."

  "Maybe later. You do have a new cat to settle."

  Somehow, Shax managed to wriggle closer. "But she's sleeping."

  An ear flicked. Fluffy's barbed tail twitched. "I don't think she will be for long. We're going to have to be careful with Nic and Max, aren't we?"

  "We'll have to introduce them before she comes across them accidentally, yes. Once she knows them, she'll protect them, too."

  Ness leaned back so he could see the subtle changes of expression on Shax's face. "So, what was that with Julian?"

  "He's human." Shax blinked up at him in earnest confusion.

  "True, but so is Corny."

  "Oh. That. Yes. Corny sleeps in the same bed as Verin. He has Verin all over him, so to speak, so Fluffy would see him as just another demon. A puzzling new sort, but still demonic. While Julian… Our Agent Parallax smells like prey."

  "Wonderful." Ness stepped back to rub both hands over his face. "And how do you propose to resolve that?"

  "Your faith in me is heartwarming," Shax said at his driest.

  "I'm sorry, love. I'm just—" Bad enough he still had flashes of the nightmare room where he'd been forced to watch a version of himself rip Julian to pieces. He didn't want to come across an alto
gether too-similar sight in reality when Fluffy did it.

  Shax regarded him through narrowed eyes, though he seemed to discard whatever his thoughts were with a gentle smile. "Worried. Yes. I promise that Fluffy won't harm our Agent Parallax." Shax patted his chest in a distracted way as Fluffy yawned, her scimitar claws unsheathing as she flexed her paws. "I have trained these cats before, you know. From the way she reacted to Heckle, she was obviously someone's palace cat. Learning who not to eat is part of the curriculum."

  "Also, now that she's onboard, shouldn't we be leaving? Whoever planted her must know she reached the Brimstone."

  Shax stood on his toes to plant a soft, lingering kiss on Ness's lips, making it harder by the moment for him to harden his resolve. And easier to harden other things. "We're nearly underway, my beloved security officer. Refueling's complete, and Ver's getting us launch clearance."

  Shax untangled himself and jogged over to the medical table when the hellcat opened her eyes. He ruffled the fur on either side of her face as he bent over her. "There you are my pretty fluffy-wuffums. Who's a good girl, then? Who's the best girl? Is it you? I think it's you."

  This is going to take some getting used to.

  "Next shoe, please," Julian murmured as he scrolled through alerts and surveillance reports on his secure ISE feed.

  "I don't understand. I hardly ever wear shoes. Which shoe, Julian?"

  Julian glanced up to find Leopold seated across the galley table, a screen open on the table's holopad, staring at him with unnerving intensity. The hedgehog had a knack for it. "Sorry. Just an old expression about dropping shoes." Half a beat later, he asked, "You have shoes?"

  "I do have slippers. Just for formal occasions. From my grandmama."

  Ah. There had been a hint of offense in that answer. It couldn't be easy, balancing becoming used to the thought that one was demon royalty and being small, adorable, and pink. "If you'll excuse me. Sorry to disturb your reading."

  Leopold did have the gracious nod down, though. Probably from Grandmama as well.

  Head down, Julian meandered down the corridor toward Heckle's domain in storage. The imp had his own work to do and most likely wouldn't mind sharing space while Julian researched. He had to admit it was a little worrisome that his queries weren't coming up with anything, as if their adversaries and associated minions had vanished into thin space.