Underdogs The First Stories

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Ari let Dale go home to Natalie at five, while she went home to change clothes before she started checking out the canidae bars. She let her hair hang loose and put on a low-cut black blouse that accentuated the little cleavage she had and added a leather jacket on top of it. She completed the look with a pair of black motorcycle boots with a y-shaped buckle at the heel. An examination in the mirror revealed that she looked appropriately badass.

The first bar on her list was called the Bull and Terrier, a small basement pub north of the city. There seemed to be a larger population of used cars than people, judging by the amount of dealerships she passed, and she could only speculate about how many of the cars had actually been legally obtained. The bar was advertised with a simple wooden sign that depicted the silhouette of the bar's namesake standing at attention, its snout raised in the air as if catching a scent.

The stairs leading down to the bar were dark, but she could see the fireplug of a man standing casually next to the doorway. His skin was as black as his uniform shirt and jeans, his hands casually stuck into his pockets. He turned his head to watch her as she descended from street level. He had a head shaped like a bullet and Ari guessed English bulldog. As she approached him, she detected a faint smell coming from the wall behind him. There was a small glass enclosure with something inside that was emitting the slightest of scents. As she passed, she flared her nostrils. "Strawberries?"

He dipped his chin and let her pass without harassment. The bar had a heavy wooden door, making her feel like she was slipping into a private basement rather than a business. The bar jutted out from the wall opposite the door in a wide U, surrounded by barstools. Ari saw a few people sitting at tables throughout the room, a few more engaged in conversation at the tables. When she sniffed, she could smell a handful of people in the back room playing pool.

Not everyone in the bar was canidae or even a shifter. The centurion outside was most likely to keep the ratio as dog-friendly as possible.

Ari slid onto a stool and waited patiently until the bartender made his way over. He was slender, but with broad shoulders and a severe underbite. Ari guessed he was an American bulldog from the way he moved. He placed a mug in front of her and raised his eyebrows in question. Ari said, "Red Dog?"

He nodded and placed a bottle on a coaster next to her glass. She thanked him with a two-fingered salute and pushed the glass aside to drink directly from the bottle. She had been hoping to grill him a little about the patrons, but it was clear he wasn't the talkative type. A lot of male canidae were like that, oddly silent when they were in human form. But run into them as dogs, and good luck getting them to stop barking.

She turned around on her stool and scanned the room. Music was playing from the jukebox, but Ari didn't recognize the music or artist. A woman came up to the bar to get another drink and she met Ari's eyes, smiled, and settled on a stool three away from where Ari was sitting. Ari couldn't decide on what she was, so she focused on her human form. Slender shoulders that were shown off by the thin straps of her top, long blonde hair, and tight blue jeans. She had her elbows on the bar, her back bowed so there was a slight gap between her ass and the back of her jeans. Ari took a sip of her beer as the woman glanced over and caught her watching.

"Hi." Ari lifted her bottle in greeting and then nodded toward the door. "Does this place only hire bulldogs?"

The woman laughed. "No, just got lucky, I guess. Waiting for someone?"

Ari smiled. "Am I supposed to say, 'yeah, and you just got here' to that?"

The woman laughed. "Only if you want to see me roll my eyes."

"I'd watch your eyes do any number of things."

"Ooh, that's a new one." She ordered a Rolling Rock when the bartender returned. She subtly moved one stool closer to Ari. "I'm Rebecca."

"Hi, Rebecca. I'm Ari."

"Well. That's certainly a unique name."

Ari shrugged. "I'm a unique lady."

Rebecca laughed, made a noise of consideration, and dragged the side of her index finger down her throat. Ari watched its journey with keen interest, stopping only when it reached the curve of her chest.

"I think you're new here."

"I like to broaden my horizons every now and then."

Rebecca nodded. "Is that why you hang out with cats in empty fields?"

Ari's smile faded and she tried to cover her surprise. "I guess you were the one on point, keeping an eye out?"

"Yeah. Recognize my coat?" She ran her fingers through her blonde hair.

"How'd you recognize me?"

"Your smell, babe. I smelled you out there, but you obviously weren't interested in stopping us. So what were you doing out in that field with a p-ssy?"

Ari arched an eyebrow. "You know how hard it is for a dog like me to be seen with a cat? I had to go somewhere we wouldn't be seen."

"Was she worth it?"

Ari grinned. "Oh, yeah."

Rebecca laughed and took a swig of her beer.

"If I'm a cop, you just implicated yourself in a robbery."

"Am I gonna have to check you for a wire?"

Ari whistled. "God, I hope so."

"If you were a cop, you wouldn't have just sat there last night. Besides, you're much too relaxed for a cop." Rebecca turned to face her, leaving one elbow on the bar and lacing her fingers together. "So you stumble across us last night and turn up at my bar the next day. Something tells me you want in."

"Money is money." Ari shrugged. "You guys seem to have your shit together. I read the paper today and the cops are completely stumped. If you ever need an extra set of paws, I could always use the cash."

Rebecca shrugged and looked toward the jukebox. The song had ended, and there was a drawn-out silence before the next song began.

"So do I have to beg?" Ari said. "I could really use some extra money."

"Who can't, these days?" Rebecca picked up her bottle and slid off the stool. "Come back in a couple of days. I'll talk to the others and see what they have to say. But you're really hot. That's a bonus. So I'll see you Thursday. And leave the p-ssy at home. Just us dogs down here, understood?"

"Yes, ma'am," Ari said.

Rebecca walked away, moving her hips in a manner that suggested she knew Ari was watching. Ari appreciated the show, holding her bottle against her bottom lip and waiting until Rebecca was out of sight before she took a drink. She turned back to the bar and smiled. The bartender glanced over and gestured at her bottle. Ari nodded and finished off the beer she had before he brought her a replacement.

She deserved a drink; step one of her job was already done. Now all she had to do was pass the hazing and she'd be in like Flynn. All her jobs should be so easy. She spotted a cigarette machine in the corridor leading to the bathrooms and made her way over. She bought a pack and carried it outside, passing the Hulk at the door and climbing the stairs to the sunshine. She didn't smoke, but it was a reasonable enough excuse to get out of the bar long enough to make a phone call.

Ari leaned against the wall outside of the bouncer's earshot and dialed Dale's number. It rang four times, and Ari winced harder with each buzz. Finally, there was a click that she thought would be the call switching over to voicemail.

"Why, Ari. I should have known that an early day was too good to be true."

"Be honest. How poorly timed is this call?"

Dale sighed. "Well, Natalie hasn't even arrived yet, so it's kind of a grey area. What do you need?"

"Things are moving faster than I thought. I need to follow someone, but she's a canidae. She caught my scent from across a parking lot last night, and today she recognized it in a bar full of others like us. So I think she would pick up on it if I tried to follow her myself. I just need to know where she's going and if she meets up with anyone." Dale didn't answer right away. "I know where I can find her, so it's not crucial that it happen tonight. If you need to say no--"

"No, it's fine. I'll call Natalie and cancel."

"I'm sorry, Dale. I really am."

Dale chuckled. "I know, Ari. That's why I'm doing it. You didn't make it an order, and you feel bad about making me do it. That might be screwed-up logic, but it tipped things in your favor. Just don't play that card too often."

"I'll try to hold it back. Text me when you get here and I'll give you a description of the lady you're trailing. There's no rush; she's still hanging out down in the bar so I think it'll be a while before she leaves."

Dale said, "Right, but the sooner I get there, the less chance she leaves before I can start tailing. I'll be there in half an hour."

"Thank you. Hopefully it won't take all night and you can still salvage your date with Natalie."

"One can hope. I'm at a bar called the Bull and Terrier." She gave directions. "I'll see you soon."

Ari hung up and slipped the phone back into her pocket, casually tapping her unopened pack of cigarettes against her thigh. As she started down the stairs, she realized the bouncer wouldn't be able to smell smoke on her. She held up the package for him to see and smiled. "Fighting the urge. Three days without a cigarette and I'm about to lose my goddamn mind."

He managed a smile. "Longest I've gone is four hours, and I was asleep."

Ari tossed him the pack. "Be my guest. Save me from myself, man."

"Much obliged."

Ari brushed past him and went back into the bar. It was almost a shame that she was there under false pretenses; it seemed like a fun place to hang out. She got the bartender's attention and ordered another drink.





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Dale was waiting by the door and opened it just after Natalie finished knocking. "Hey..."

"Ah, let me guess. Change of plans?"

She smiled apologetically. "Am I that bad?"

Natalie shrugged. "Your expression kind of gave you away. I take it there's big private investigator business going on and your boss needs you."

"Yeah. It should maybe only take an hour or two. It really depends on how long a certain woman takes in a certain bar."

Natalie stepped back to let Dale out of the apartment, and they started walking to the elevator. "Your boss really needs to get help."

"She has help. Me."

"No, I mean... professional help."

Dale rolled her eyes. "She's not the woman in the bar. And Ari isn't a drunk."

Natalie smiled. "She just calls you in the middle of the night to drive her home, and often forgets where she is or what she's been doing."

"I won't say that our business relationship is normal. But we've been through a lot together. We trust each other." They stepped into the elevator together. When the doors closed, Dale took both of Natalie's hands and turned her so they were facing each other. "Listen, go back upstairs and wait for me in my apartment. If I'm late, go to sleep. I promise I'll be home before midnight to give you a very special awakening." She leaned in and kissed her until Natalie started to respond. "Okay?"

"Can I order in?"

"Menus are on the fridge. I circled my favorites, so you can get me something too. I'll try to be back before dinnertime."

Natalie kissed her again as the doors opened. "You're lucky you're worth the aggravation, Dale Frye."

"Good to know. I'll see you soon."

"You'd better."

Dale reluctantly left the elevator and waved goodbye as the doors closed on her girlfriend. Dale exhaled and blew her bangs out of her face before she turned and walked out of the building. "I really should have been a banker. They have reasonable hours, right? Nights and weekends free. Wonder what that would be like..."

The Bull and Terrier tavern was in Lake City, and Dale managed to use the few existing street signs and an auto club map to figure out exactly where the pub was. She saw the building, which had probably once been classy but long ago fell to seed, and parked down the street from the subterranean entrance. She texted Ari that she had arrived and, a few minutes later, Ari came up and hurried across the street. She slid into the passenger seat and held out a fifty dollar bill.

"What's that?"

"Dinner for you and Natalie. That's also a call blocker. No calls from Ariadne Willow on a night of your choosing."

Dale folded the money and stuck it into her pocket. "You're smooth, Ari."

"I try to make up for my shortcomings however I can." She looked back toward the bar. "The woman you're following is named Rebecca. About my height, long blonde hair, black tank top and blue jeans. I'll try to text you if I see her leaving, but keep your eyes peeled. There might be a back entrance I don't know about. Keep your distance. If you lose her, I can always just see what happens when I come back on Thursday."

"You already have a meeting with the gang?"

Ari held her hands out palm-up. "What can I say, I'm a convincing lowlife."

"You got that right."

Ari slugged Dale in the shoulder. "All right. I'll head back down. If she doesn't show by eight, consider that the end of your obligation. Slide down the brontosaurus tail and head on home to your girl."

"Yabba dabba do."

Dale reached into the backseat after Ari was gone and pulled her laptop case into the front seat. She plugged in her wi-fi connection and searched the internet for any information on the robberies Ari was investigating. The shops that had been robbed were all middle of the road in terms of quality. They weren't the best establishments, but they were cheap and you got quality goods. Dale had earlier made a map of the robberies and kept it minimized on her screen so she could check it against the Bull and Terrier's location.

The robberies were getting farther away from Lake City, spreading toward downtown Seattle. The jobs that got Officer Decker's attention were most likely just rehearsals for a bigger score. If Ari could find out what it was, the police might be very grateful for their assistance. That could lead to all kinds of good things for the agency.

Her phone buzzed and she put her computer aside before she even read the message. It was from Ari, as expected, and it simply said, "Get ready."

Dale started the car and pulled farther away from the bar. As she pulled to a different spot near the corner, she checked the stairs in her rearview. A few seconds later a blonde head appeared, followed by a long and lithe body. Dale scoffed and shook her head. "No, Natalie, no reason to worry. I just need to put off our date so I can stalk a supermodel."

Rebecca walked to a Jeep and climbed behind the wheel. Dale was already driving by the time her target pulled away from the curb. She led Rebecca for three blocks, making a note of where she turned and taking the next turn in the same direction. The Jeep was yellow and easy to spot on side streets, and Dale was able to keep it in sight while staying relatively out of sight. When the Jeep seemingly vanished, Dale crossed over and spotted it in the parking lot of a grocery store.

Dale parked in a lot where she could see the car and sent a text back to Ari. "Eyes on the prize. I'll keep you updated."

A few seconds later she received a reply. "You're a rock star, D."

She tucked the phone under her thigh and used the mirrors to watch the other parking lot. Her phone rang again and she flipped it open, expecting another update from Ari. Instead, the display screen said it was from Natalie. "Please don't tell me you're going home, please don't be angry." She opened the phone and read the text.

"Your sheets feel good against my skin."

Dale whimpered and sent back a reply. "You're killing me."

Forty-five seconds later, Natalie sent. "Wanna get kinky?"

"I wouldn't be able to enjoy it."

Dale kept her eyes on the parking lot between texts, deciding this was an acceptable way to kill time until Rebecca showed up again.

"But I would," Rebecca eventually sent.

"Don't tire yourself out before I get there."

"Just getting everything warmed up."

Dale bit her bottom lip. "Nice mental picture."

"Serious: am I disturbing you from work?"

Dale sighed and shook her head. She might actually fall in love with this woman with very little effort. "I'll let you know when I have to go. What are you wearing?"

"I can't believe I just actually typed that," she said out loud, resting her phone on her thigh as she eagerly waited for a response. She felt like a teenager again, waiting by her telephone for a reply to the note she'd slipped into Nicole Benuzzi's locker. I like you. If you like me too, call, but if you don't, please don't say anything.

She still remembered how much she had been shaking when her phone actually rang, and the tremor in Nicole's voice when she said, "You... like me?"

Dale's phone vibrated and she flipped it open. "Just one of your shirts."

She groaned. "Which one?"

"That you'll have to see for yourself."

Dale hoped it was the pale purple T-shirt that clung to Natalie's body like a second skin. The wait had just become that much longer. Dale was about to send a reply when she saw the reverse lights of the Jeep glowing red. "Sorry, babe. Work beckons. Keep the home fires burning." She put the phone on her console, forcing herself to ignore it as she pulled out of the parking lot. Rebecca passed in front of her and Dale pulled out and followed her down the street. At a stop sign, Rebecca turned right and Dale continued straight.

It wasn't difficult to tail someone from side streets, but it increased the possibility of losing track of her target. Fortunately she was able to track Rebecca fairly easy. She dropped back when she reached a dead end, turning east before resuming her northward journey. Rebecca had turned down another street and Dale risked following directly behind her briefly.

The Jeep finally parked in front of a two story house with a glassed-in sunroom in place of a front porch. The yard was barricaded by a chain-link fence overgrown with decorative ivy. Dale didn't slow as she passed, turning a corner and parking out of sight in front of an empty house. She walked back to the corner on foot and saw Rebecca had already gone through the fence. She opened the sunroom door and disappeared into the house.

Dale made a note of the address and went back to where she had parked. She sent Ari the address in a text. She added a "Now what?" at the end to indicate her willingness to continue the surveillance if necessary. Ari sent back a reply immediately.

"Thank you! GO HOME."

Dale sent back a quick, "Ur the best boss" before she drove away. It was still early. Maybe she could finish what Natalie had started before they had dinner. It was a struggle to obey traffic laws on her way back home.