T-E-N


Unknown Location


	The three were jerked awake by the abrupt motion of the truck’s rear tires rising and falling. The sudden occurrence sent them awkwardly sprawled out across the bed, and when they attempted to get to their feet—the motion struck again. Some of the remaining objects in the bed along with them clattered against the metal, the sound drowning out the embarrassing yelp that emanated from Isaac. Thank heavens for that, the wolf quickly thought; and rushed over to the cloth covering over the rear, pulling it up a bit to see what had given them such a rude awakening.

	The culprit of the action was a smooth, heightened bit of road; about fourteen feet in length and was covered with yellow paint. Isaac rolled his eyes and turned back to Max and Jake, his paranoia-stiffened tail returning to its normal hanging and waving.

	“Just a speed bump,” he sighed, seating himself again.

	Jake raised his head from his knees and cocked it to the left. “A speed bump? Where on earth are we?”

	Isaac shrugged, and then the truck began to ease to a halt. Cautiously, the wolf quickly brought a finger to his muzzle to quiet everybody down and took cover behind one of the crates. The others followed suit, ducking behind a couple of cardboard boxes. They all listened closely to the movement outside the bed and heard the cab’s doors open and close. A brief second after that, a voice called out.

“Gas ‘er up, I’m gonna go grab us some snacks.”

Max’s eyebrows flared upwards and he looked to Isaac. “Truck stop or a petrol station,” he said, easing back into his spot.

Isaac nodded and continued listening. The driver was now walking towards the back, but the footsteps stopped short of the bed connector. Then there was the sound of a petroleum dispenser being removed from its housing and the nozzle being inserted into the fuel tank, liquid flow following a half second later. The three in the truck’s bed exchanged glances and nodded to each other. The black wolf moved toward the bed’s exit, and waved Jake and Max over.

The two moved up and Isaac stuck his head out the back, surveying the area. Truck stop for sure, he gathered, glancing at the highway, which was just a stone’s throw from his current spot.

Isaac exhaled sharply and once he was sure nobody could have been watching, he jumped out of the bed, quickly rushing to cover behind the building. He poked his head around the corner and gave the “rally up” gesture to the waiting duo. Max and Jake moved fast; they leapt out of the truck and sprinted over to Isaac, barely making it out of sight before the person that had left for snacks came back.

The soldiers entered the vehicle again—the driver returning the fuel dispenser to it housing before he did so—and the truck’s engine turned over. The vehicle shifted into gear and pulled back onto the highway, allowing Isaac, Max and Jake to come out of their cover. Jake took one last look at the truck as it disappeared from view and leaned up against a column.

“So, any idea where we are?” he inquired, folding his arms.

Isaac nodded. “We’re still in Florida, somewhat close to Sarasota.”

Max narrowed his eyes. “And how, my dear wizard, do you know that?”

The wolf simply pointed towards the highway. The questioning fox followed the finger and saw what he was aiming at—a sign marked “Sarasota, 8 miles”—and sheepishly chuckled, itching at his ear. “Okay, what now?” he asked. “I don’t suppose you can call us a taxi?”

Isaac smiled and shook his head. “I left my phone at home.”

“We hitch then,” Jake piped in.

The black wolf grimaced. “I’m hoping it won’t come to that.”

“What other choice do we have? Neither of us brought our phones, and we are certainly not walking eight miles to damn Sarasota.”

Isaac stared blankly at the fennec for three seconds and exhaled exasperatedly, throwing his palms up. He muttered to himself and walked towards the highway, jutting his arm out, thumb raised. Max and Jake laughed to each other; hitchhiking was not something Isaac looked good doing.


After an hour of Jake and Isaac taking turns with the thumb, nothing happened. The two had gotten some odd looks, but that was it. Jake’s turn was the latest, and he returned to the bench sitting outside the building’s entrance, flopping down with a humph. The fennec leaned back and rubbed his eyes, letting out a groan.

“This isn’t working,” he moaned, thumping his head lightly against the painted concrete of the building. He looked to both of his companions, as if they could magically produce a solution. Max was scratching at his ear again, and Isaac appeared to be deep in thought. Curious, Jake nudged the wolf.

He flinched slightly and turned to Jake, a questioning look on his face. “Is it my turn again?” he asked, getting up from the bench.

“No,” Jake said, sitting the wolf back down. “I was just wondering what’s on your mind. You seem to be thinking pretty hard.”

Isaac smiled warmly and nodded. “Remember that mission from four years ago; in Arkansas?”

Max nodded. “Rescue op, target was a scientist, wasn’t it?”

“That’s it.”

“Well, what about it?”

“The scientist had a case he was trying to take with him, but I told him to leave it behind. While we were getting out of there, I asked him what was in the case. Do any of you remember what he said?”

The two shook their heads.

“Why is this all of a sudden coming to you now?” Jake queried.

“Because I think it may have something to do with what was in that medical record—what was so important that Stratton had to delete it,” Isaac stated, wagging a finger to emphasize.

“Oi, speaking of Stratton, what are we going to do about her?” Max spoke up, furrowing his eyebrows.

“Nothing. She’s not our problem anymore, and neither is Russell or Zach. Our only problem now is getting the hell out of this truck stop,” Isaac replied, and stood up to start walking toward the highway.

Max shot up from the bench and ran in front of him, placing a palm on the wolf’s chest, halting him in his stride. The red fox looked into Isaac’s eyes and winked with a smile. “Let me show you how it’s done,” he said, pushing the canine back towards the bench. Isaac arched an eyebrow and sat down, watching the vulpine strut over to the highway.

Once at the road, Max swayed his bushy tail up to his face and stuck his thumb out, the other hand resting on his left hip. Within a minute, a dark green pickup pulled into the truck stop and idled; the driver craning his head out the window to speak to Max, who grinned smugly at the two that were observing.

“You’ve got to be kidding me,” Isaac muttered, rolling his eyes.

“Shotgun,” Jake said, chuckling at the reaction of protest it elicited from Isaac.

The fox then wove them over, giving the thumbs up.

Jake and Isaac got up from the bench— the latter grunted as he did so—and strode over to the truck. The vehicle was a Toyota Hilux and, fortunately for the trio of canines, was one of the newer ones with the four-door cabin. The driver was a human, who looked to be about thirty years of age and had curly brown hair. He looked at Jake and Isaac with a smile, unlocking the doors to the cabin.

“Hop in,” he said, a southern accent evident in his voice.

They all nodded and opened the door, Max and Isaac sitting in the rear seats with Jake proudly taking his place in the front passenger seat. Once everybody engaged their seatbelts, the man spoke again. “Where you folks headed?” he asked.

“Wherever you’re going,” Isaac responded. “We can take taxis from there.”

“Alright, Tampa it is, then. Hour plus drive, gives me time to listen to your story.”

Jake looked confused, glancing at Isaac, then back to the human. “Our… story?”

The man nodded, pulling the truck onto the highway. “Yeah, you know— how you ended up hitchin’! However, before we do that, I believe it is necessary for me to introduce myself. I’m Lucien, nice to meet you all.”

Isaac pushed his hair back behind his ear and cleared his throat. “I’m Isaac, up there is Jake, and the sultry Brit that pulled you over right here is Max.”

“Okey doke… now, how’d you guys end up hitching a ride?” Lucien asked, glancing at the rearview mirror to see the wolf’s face.

Jake fielded the answer with exactly what Isaac was going to say. “If you don’t mind, we’d rather not talk about it.”

“Yeah,” Isaac added on. “It’s kind of complicated, and not something we’re very proud of.”

Max decided to tack on one more reason to cover it up. “Also, we’re still kind of tired, didn’t get much sleep.”

Lucien bowed his head and smiled knowingly. “I get it now. Partied a little too hard last night?”

The three chuckled and closed their eyes—grateful to be able to lay on something soft—letting sleep wash away their tire.

“Ehh, I know the feeling,” Lucien remarked, continuing to drive.


The sun was high in the sky when the Hilux crossed into Tampa’s boundaries, shining down on the dashboard in front of Jake. The fennec’s eyes opened and he immediately squeezed them shut again, the bright light too much for his waking mind. Groaning, he brought his hand to his head and massaged his temples, briefly scratching his neck after.

“Well, good afternoon, Sir Jake. How did you sleep?”

Jake sharply turned to the source of the voice, but then realized it was just Lucien, the gracious driver. The fennec fox blinked slowly and yawned, rubbing the back of his neck, then spoke in return. “I slept good, thank you.”

He then looked back at the rear of the cabin, and held back a giggle once he saw what was back there. Max and Isaac were still asleep, but Isaac’s head was resting on Max’s shoulder. Max’s head was resting on Isaac’s head as well. The sight was ridiculously adorable, and Jake did not want to ruin the moment, but the giggle escaped his mouth anyway.

Just as he thought it would, the little bit of laughter woke Isaac, and as his eyes crept open, he felt the head on top of his, which he sharply pulled out from underneath. The sudden motion then woke up Max, who looked about confusedly. His eyes then met Isaac’s, and then they went to the smiling Jake’s, and back to Isaac.

“What happened?” he asked.

Jake tittered again. “You were sleeping and essentially cuddling Isaac. He woke up, felt your head on his, and didn’t take so well to it.”

Underneath his face fur, Max blushed hard—his cheeks feeling like they were on fire. He looked back to Isaac, who was nervously biting his hair, rigid in his seat. “Sorry,” the fox said, a guilty look on his face. “That one wasn’t intentional.”

Isaac vigorously nodded. “I know. Let’s just forget it happened, okay?”

“Agreed.”

Lucien then laughed from the driver’s seat. “You guys are a hoot. It’s a shame that we won’t see each other for much longer.”

Isaac’s ears perked up. “Why, are we in Tampa?”

“Yes sir, right in the middle of it. I suppose we go our separate ways now.”

Jake nodded. “Thank you for doing this for us, Lucien.”

The man beamed. “Of course. You’re welcome.”

Isaac, Jake and Max all exited the Toyota, which Lucien had pulled up to the sidewalk parking spaces. Isaac took a moment to return to the truck’s passenger window, which Lucien promptly rolled down for him. The wolf flashed a thankful smile and then spoke. “Why did you give us a ride anyway?”

The man shrugged and chuckled. “I don’t know. You guys just looked like you could really have used it. Plus, you sendin’ out that fox with the big ‘ol tail to embarrass himself so you could get a ride just showed how desperate you guys were. That’s what I do, help people in need.”

“It was his idea to do it, for the record. Max isn’t embarrassed by those sorts of things, and it’s a bit odd how good he is at doing them.”

Lucien laughed again. “Yep. Well, you take care now, I’ve got places to be, and not very much tim- oh shit,” the man exclaimed, glancing at his wristwatch. “Gotta go now!”

Lucien rolled up the truck’s windows and the Hilux pulled into the street. Isaac gave a pithy wave as the vehicle drove away and strode over to Max and Jake, who were patiently waiting for him at the entrance to a Panera’s that was right beside where they were let off. He took the hint and nodded—he was hungry too. They all walked inside the restaurant and strode up to the main ordering counter. Before endeavoring to the register, however, the three looked over the menu that was on the wall behind it. Isaac didn’t need to, as he went to Panera’s quite frequently, and as such, he already knew what he was getting.

“What the…” Max spoke, arching his eyebrow. “It looks like all there is on here are bagels. Don’t they have any-”

Isaac cut him off, handing him a pamphlet-style menu. The fox’s eyes blazed over the salad section’s contents and then to the sandwich section. He stuck his tongue out and shook his head. “Ehh, on second thought, I’ll just have whatever you’re having,” he muttered, handing the menu back to Isaac. Isaac nodded and placed the menu back into its little holder, and then the three moved over to the register.

The cashier, who was a white mouse, gave them a smile and asked how she could help them.

“Two Frontega chicken Paninis and a bag of potato chips, please,” Isaac reported, waving his hand between him and Max.

“Alright, and for you?” the cashier asked, gesturing to Jake.

The fennec glimpsed up from the menu he was looking at. “Bacon Turkey Bravo— and make that two bags of chips while you’re at it, thank you.”

The cashier nodded and tapped in the order codes. “Just hold on a minute, and we’ll get you your order,” she said, and the canines moved along, sitting down at a table. A few minutes passed, and Isaac was about to check on the order when the cashier called out with a paraphrased version of what they had asked for.

They all got up, but Isaac blocked the others’ way, pointing them back to their seats. “I’ve got this one,” he insisted, sweeping his tail in an emphasizing manner. The foxes gave each other curious looks, shrugged, and sat back down while Isaac walked off to collect the food. The wolf returned quickly, carrying a tray with wrapped items and bags of potato chips. He eased into his seat and passed the wrapped sandwiches out, pulling his chip bag open and handing the other to Jake.

They all bit into their sandwiches, save for Isaac, who gingerly took the top off his and tossed the red onions inside his mouth, swallowing the tangy vegetable rings with a satisfied gulp. He then bit into the Panini and began speaking after he did so; taking a sip of the Pepsi he bought last-minute.

“Alright, so…” the timber wolf began, making sure to lower his voice. “Arkansas rescue operation. We were sent in to retrieve a scientist. That scientist’s name was…”

“Gavin Thompson,” Jake stated, crunching on a potato chip. “Chemist, I believe.”

Isaac nodded, swallowing another bite. “Ten points for you. Him being a chemist is what led me to believe he might be involved with what’s inside of me. Or, more accurately, what he created.”

“Whatever was in the case we left behind, you mean,” Max corrected, speaking out of the corner of his mouth.

“Yes. Of course, I don’t know what was in that case for certain, so I could be wrong and it may not be relevant. That’s why I want to find this Thompson guy. I want to ask him what was in it. If it turns out it’s what in my head, maybe he can get it out.”

Jake slowly bobbed his head. “Okay, that sounds reasonable, except we have absolutely no idea where he is.”

Isaac grinned. “No, but I know somebody who might. Before we get to that, however, let’s finish eating, shall we?”

Nobody protested to the idea.

Isaac finished his food quickly and downed another swig of Pepsi, wiping his muzzle with a napkin. The Panini greatly contented Isaac’s growling stomach, and once he topped it off with the remaining potato chips; the wolf arose from his chair, bundled his trash and dropped it in the bin, promptly walking out the exit after. Max and Jake shortly followed, also disposing of their trash. The canines then re-emerged into the bustling city of Tampa, which was very active, with dozens of passersby roaming the sidewalks.

Of course it’s active, Isaac mused. It’s a Friday.

Isaac found a good spot to talk and brought the other two into it. He turned around to face the foxes and clapped his hands together, his earlier grin returning. “Right,” he began, and the others could immediately tell he was about to vocalize a plan. “We need to call Vince—you guys remember Vince, right?”

Only Jake nodded. “Yeah, I remember he skipped out on our poker game that one time.”

Max caught on. “Oh, that Vince. The Central Intelligence guy.”

“That’s the one. You see where I’m going with this?”

“Yep.”

Isaac clapped his hands again. “I need a phone.”

After a bit of aimless wandering around the city, the trio eventually found a shop that sold cell phones. Isaac purchased a disposable one and unpackaged it outside, dialing in the digits and extensions to Vince’s secure line once he turned it on.

The phone rang for a few seconds.

Those few seconds turned into ten.

Twenty.

Finally, when half a minute had passed, the dial tone ceased and a voice came on. It was the erratic voice of the lizard Vince Friesner.

“Friesner,” the disconnected voice said.

“Vince? It’s Isaac,” Isaac spoke, leaning up against the brick wall of the building.

“Shit.”

“I need some help, but what I’m going to ask you to do is fairly simple.”

A stress-laden sigh came from Vince. “Isaac, as much as I’d love to help you, I can’t.  Browder’s got me doing a bunch of shit, and he wants it done immediately, so I can’t do anything for you right now.”

Isaac rolled his eyes. “When has that ever stopped you from helping me?”

“It is now. My job’s on the line, bro.”

“Vince…”

“No.”

Isaac said the name again, adding a slightly threatening lilt to his tone.

“Okay, fine. Shit, what do you want?” the lizard submitted, and Isaac could tell that he was running an exasperated palm over his hairless head.

The wolf smiled and cleared his throat. “I need you to run the name Gavin Thompson for me. He’s a military chemist who was the subject of an S&R operation in oh-nine.”

Over the course of two minutes, there was the faint sound of keys clacking over the phone and then Vince spoke again. “Gavin Thompson, otter, chemist. That the one?”

“That’s the one. I need to know where he currently is.”

Vince sighed again. “Records show current place of residence is in London, England. Look, that’s all I can give you. I have to get back to work now.”

“Alright, thank you, Vince. Goodbye,” Isaac finished, and pressed the “end call” button on the phone, turning back to Jake and Max. Max had his thumbs in his pockets again, and Jake was looking out at the road, but he turned around when Isaac finished the call. Both of them put on questioning looks; asking for the verdict without actually asking.

“Thompson’s in England,” Isaac reported, looking at Max. “Looks like we’re getting back to your natural habitat.”