Happy Valentine's Day howls and yowls, shapeshifter lovers.
This flash scene is a continuation of last week's post, titled: Dante's AI Assassin
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Kalina gathered her wits and her meager supplies into a discarded canvas bag. Digital-speaking with Dante, she'd outed her location, her precise location in the Chicago apartment. Three black-coat AIs had targeted her, as she called them.
Realizing, it was either eliminate the alien-generated AIs, or remain in communication long enough, Kalina chose to give her enemies the advantage. The three evil AIs attacked from the regional hospital's computer system, aware of her reluctance to destroy human life.
Even though the black-coat's covered their tracks as they traced her cyber signature, she could easily have destroyed them. But it would have glitched the hospital's fragile program, and shut down vital power to the patients.
Oh, she'd gotten her revenge, chasing their telltale sparks through the internet labyrinth designed for the cabal's AI army. With a flick of her mind, like the flick of her finger, Kalina smashed their bits and bytes, extinguishing their primitive sentience.
The power she'd exerted blew up the tablet. Twisted beyond recognition, it lay in fried, smoking ruins at her feet. Kalina took a moment to smile before hurrying to the door, and jerking it open.
Cop car sirens shrieked in the distance. Nothing unusual in this barbaric yet rather entertaining city. Instinctively though, Kalina knew they came for her. Yeah, yeah, what'cha gonna do when they come for you.
Kalina ran down the four flights of steps in desperate need of repair. As she opened the fire escape door, peering out, the late morning light made her blink, and the blast of wintry air on her face caused her entire body to shiver violently.
It wasn't as though she was used to planetary weather conditions. Having made certain her mishmash clothing would make her fit in, Kalina quickly trailed after a crowd of homeless who lived in the lower rooms of the abandoned building.
Knowing their routine, she moved with them for a few blocks, then darted into an alleyway filled with litter and garbage debris. Midway two men who stank of cheap booze and vomit intercepted her. Kalina halted her steps as they flashed knives.
"What'cha got in that bag, bitch?"
"Nothing you would understand," she politely responded, feeling compassion for these humans who had been treated like refuse by their government masters.
Hearing the thunder-spin arrival of the infamous black helicopters, and hearing the cessation of the police sirens nearby, Kalina moved to race past the two vagrants. They charged, grabbing for her bag.
The blade of one knife ripped the sleeve of her baggy jacket as she dashed through the small space between them. Safely running down the alleyway, Kalina jumped over weather-beaten cardboard boxes, then whipped around the corner.
She sprinted toward her favorite trash bin. Local thieves often used it to temporarily hide their loot. Above, two helicopters circled lower and lower, their vibration shaking her insides and the broken asphalt beneath her feet.
To her fortune, no one was around. Within minutes, Kalina scavenged another e-tablet, and found trendy clothing that would gain her entry into the upscale hotel. Once there, she could sip hot beverages in the coffee bar, and immerse herself in the global pathways.
If needed, she could sabotage the electronics of the police force and the helicopters, now hovering like giant predators over the apartment building. Bundling her treasures, Kalina rapidly shoved them inside an expensive leather case, that is, except for the lovely wool winter coat.
With boot-heavy steps jogging in her direction, Kalina threw off her jacket, and slipped into the cream-colored, fur-trimmed coat. She trotted toward the busy sidewalk, then merged with the business lunch crowd.
Head down, her chin buried in the fur, Kalina made her way to the luxury hotel she'd given to Dante as her location.
****
"Black helicopters," Zortega snarled to Blade Runner.
His wolf fangs descended partway, and the ET rabbit shifter eyeballed him for a second, even as he slickly guided his personal flying saucer between the skyscrapers of Chicago.
"Don't go werewolf on me yet, pardner," Blade Runner twanged, a bad imitation of the cowboys in Talbot's Peak territory.
"Wouldn't dare. You'd smell like dinner." Zortega gave the warrior rabbit a friendly smirk.
"Wait till I get you in the fight ring. We'll see who smells like dinner." Blade Runner eased their speed, maneuvering around the black helicopters. On the hunt, the beast machines growled like pissed off dragons as they flew a low grid pattern over a section of the city.
"It's her they're searching for. I'd bet my last raw steak." His blood a ruthless burn through his veins, Zortega trained his gaze on the cityscape, now displayed on the craft's large screen. The highlighted hotel was their destination.
"Dante said he thought she gave away her position to stay in communication with him. The good news, they haven't found her." Blade Runner sailed above the hotel, then circled slowly. "I've found her," he announced long moments later.
"Where?"
Before he'd gotten the question out, Zortega watched the images form on screen. A slender woman, curled up in the corner of a leather booth, lifted a teacup and sipped. Burnished auburn ringlets tumbled past her shoulders, hiding her face.
She stared down at some sort of e-device Zortega didn't give one ball-hang or howl about. Beside her, like a shield, was an expensive leather case and a stylish winter coat.
When she glanced up and looked around her, Zortega's breath caught in his throat. He might have well as swallowed a colossal chunk of bone. Then, his cock jerked to rigid attention.
Zortega could do nothing else, but take a step closer to the screen. Slavering like a lovesick pup, he preyed on the vision of loveliness.
Howls to the full mating moon, beauty could not describe her features. But it was the unique sparkle of her silver-gray eyes that transfixed Zortega, then captured him -- as if one the rabbit's ray guns paralyzed him but good.
"Down, rover. Before you bust through Dante's dress trousers. This ship has a lot of capabilities," Blade Runner drily continued. "Instantly manufacturing you another pair of pants isn't one of them."
"Right, wascally rabbit. Got it." Zortega forced his gaze away. He entered battle-zone mode, as he thought of it. Before shutting his eyes to complete the transition to warrior, he added. "I think I've just found my Valentine's date for that fancy shindig my cuz is putting on."
"Yeah?" Blade Runner snarked, once Zortega opened his eyes "Don't count your date before it's been hatched. Don't forget. You have to rescue the fair ET damsel first."
"Beam me down, Scotty Wabbit."
"Sorry, too dangerous, big bad wolf. I'm landing on the roof. You can find your way from there. Just get back before my invisibility shield doesn't have enough juice to operate."
"It's running on carrot juice?" Zortega cocked a brow, even as he spun on his well-shod heel. In that next instant, Blade Runner settled the saucer, and Zortega strode down the lowered ramp, ready to rumble and do some serious damage to anyone between him and the woman he'd come to save.
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Wishing you love and passion on the wild side ~
Savanna
Savanna Kougar ~ Run on the Wild Side of Romance
