Shorts: The Furry Years by John Van Stry

the only one to penetrate the Harnian Confederation and live to talk about it.
    That was the big reason I wanted out too. Our government was full of sympathizers and sooner or later some Senator or Staffer would sell me out.
    Never trust the Government.
    Well at least I wasn't spending money like water anymore!
    And then there was Kera. Who'd have expected to find her? I wasn't a prude myself, but I had to admit it was comforting to date within my own species again. Hell, she even had black fur like me and everybody was always quick to say what a great couple we made.
    Plus she didn't even ask when I disappeared for four months last year.
    I turned down the street to my apartment house. It wasn't very fancy. Not anywhere as nice as Kera's truth be told. But it was clean and it was cheap. Both prime concerns nowadays.
    "My, how the mighty have fallen!" Came from the shadows as I passed the alley.
    I had my gun out before my next step hit the pavement. "Come on out Track," I growled ears back, eyes slit.
    "Getting a little careless are we?" He stepped out into the light, grinning as I looked him over carefully. Track was a Lemur, he usually handled night op's.
    He worked for the Agency of course.
    "What brings you here? Come to gloat?" I put the gun away.
    "Gloat? Me?" He chuckled, "You know that's not my style Pen. Charilldel sent me."
    "And just what does that smelly Chimp want?" I hissed, tail lashing.
    "I'll never understand why you Leopards hate monkeys so much," he chuckled. "You should be happy Charilldel doesn't feel the same way about you!"
    "Oh right, I can just feel his good will," I retorted sarcastically. "What gives?"
    "A job, what else?"
    "No. I quit, remember?"
    "What about last year then?"
    "A mistake."
    "You still carry a gun though."
    "It's for uninvited guests." I put my hand back on the hilt.
    "Oh really Pen!" He laughed.
    "There've been two since last year," I growled again.
    He looked shocked, "You're kidding!"
    I growled some more, narrowing my eyes and getting my ears back.
    "Maybe not. Who were they?"
    "I didn't ask. I thought you guys were supposed to be taking an interest in me. Why don't you ask Charilldel?"
    "What did you do with them?
    I pointed towards the river. I lived quite close to it.
    "Oh. You still have one hell of a mean streak Pen."
    "I didn't kill them Track. Oh, you do know how to swim right?"
    "Huh? Yeah why?"
    I was on him in a flash.
    "Hey Pen!"
    He didn't put up much of a fight, he was only a Lemur after all. I hoisted him up on my shoulder and started for the river.
    "You're not gonna throw me in the river! Are you Pen?"
    "Sure looks that way," I mumbled.
    "But it's cold, real cold! I'll get sick!"
    "Real shame that."
    "Aw, come on Pen!"
    "If you tell me what's up, maybe I won't go out to the middle of the bridge Track."
    "I don't know, Charilldel wouldn't say. He wanted me to bring you back to Sacramento . He was gonna tell you there." His tail was twitching violently. I don't think he was too fond of water.
    "It's a long swim from the middle," I said as the bridge came into sight. "Of course the fall's a lot farther from the center of the span too."
    "Please Pen. I'll get fined! Maybe even demoted!"
    "It's just gotta hurt!" I sighed as I neared the bridge. Good thing it was late out, this would have been tough to explain to any on lookers. At least he didn't stink of fear, that always caused me to get nasty. Instinct I guess.
    "Okay, okay. Rumor has it that the Harnian's are up to something."
    "So?" I set foot on the east landing.
    "So?!" He gasped, "They're doing it here!"
    "You mean 'here' as in out country?" I kept walking.
    "I mean 'here' as in Portland !"
    I stopped, the thought made my tail stand straight out.
    " Portland ?" What the hell would they want here? There weren't any military bases here. Not much in the way of high tech industry either. Hell, that was why I came back here!
    I must have said as much out loud too.
    "I don't know, Charilldel doesn't know either I