The Wrecker III Folwilliar When it's six to midnight and the boney hand of death is nigh You better drink your drink and shut your mouth If you draw against his hand, you can never win Go ahead, drink with the living dead The barhop nodded slowly and I knew that I was screwed If I chose to duel the dead then I would surely lose So I took the glass and threw the shot into my throat I would match him drink for drink, no matter if I choked Marceline, 1893. Lady thrashed again, just about doubling over from how hard a yank she'd just given the knots at her clit, and only managed one clumsy hop forward before the door swung open, narrowly missing her soft rump. She made a needy muffled sound past her gag, as she felt a set of hands reach out to grab her by the shoulders from behind. The cocker bounced in place and squirmed, humping the air when those slender female fingers clutched her shoulder blades tightly to hold her in place. "I see our guest is a bit of an escape artist," said a low voice, and Lady’s muzzle snapped up with a muffled whine to see the brown and tan face of a hyena over her shoulder. The predator seemed vaguely familiar, but she was definitely not someone who Lady had let tie her up before! The hyena's black hair framed her face with its short but thick muzzle and slender ears, a golden ring piercing the right one. She gave Lady’s shoulders a squeeze and a thin smile. "Yeah, well not enough of one to get very far. Still, I think we'll have to make sure to keep things a lot tighter. She's a feisty one.” “Good, I like ‘em when they're feisty!” came another voice, male in tone. Lady whipped her head to the other side to see a second hyena, exactly like the first save for the golden ring pierced through a torn ear. Seeing that there were two kidnappers, Lady squirmed and struggled and tried to twist away, But there was nowhere to go, nothing she could do, no way to even speak thanks to her ball gag! The second hyaenidae waltzed around the bound and gagged cocker, examining her while the first held her in place. His trousers were torn around the cuffs, and a tuft of gray spotted fur burst over the neck of his cotton shirt. “Mwoo haw hue?” Lady gurgled through the rubber sphere, peering around the lopsided blindfold. “Oh, little ol' me? Call me Shenzi.” The words dripped pure amusement from over Lady's shoulder, followed by a low snicker. “Shenzi Marie Predatora Veldetta Jacquelina...if you can remember all that!” The other hyena slipped his hand under the naked cocker's chin and held Lady's gagged muzzle, forcing her to look at his yellow eyes. “Banzai, at your service...or really you at mine!” Shenzi continued to hold Lady by the shoulders, Banzai's other hand squeezing one of the cocker's aching taut breasts until she yowled in sensitivity, her whole body quivering. After a couple more pinches his hand slowly slid down her torso until it reached the rope around her waist. “What's the hurry? We'd love for you to stick around for a bit.” The male gave Lady's snout a gentle squeeze. He gave the crotch rope a couple of little tugs, making the cocker twitch and press her thighs together, even humping it a little, all while giving him a fearful, pleading look. Her soft whimpers were muffled by the red sphere locked between her lips. Lady moaned even louder when he reached even deeper down to stroke his fingers between her thighs, on either side of the tight rope in her cleft that was making her so sensitive! “In fact, we must insist!” Shenzi sneered into the cocker's ear. Tapping the back of the bound woman’s bare ankles with the toe of her boot. “Can’t have you walking the streets at a time like this.” “Seems like she’s enjoying herself quite a bit,” Banzai teased while he yanked up hard on the crotch rope, watching it vanish up into the shivering cocker’s cleft. Lady couldn't stop herself from moaning again in need, grinding into the touch, her legs straining one way, then the other, unable to spread or get any closer together to give him access or push him away. There would be no relief from the constant pressure that teased her. Her moans turned into a wail when she felt a few nips at the back of her neck from the woman holding her by the shoulder, followed by a long slow lick up the side of her neck. “But I’m not sure she’s as hot and bothered as she needs to be. She’s still worried about her mate.” Taking her by the shoulders, Shenzi spun her around– to grin wickedly at her, nipping at the tip of Lady’s nose before pointedly lowering her gaze to the cocker’s chest. “Is that so? Is that why you wanna leave our party so soon?” “Muumph!?! Hwep pwe hoe!” Her male companion wrapped his hands around Lady’s ears, where each met the side of her head, and started forcing her head to rock back and forth as he ‘flopped’ them playfully. Lady was left blushing and panting in their duel grasps. He let go of her by tossing both of her ears over her own head. “C’mon, whatcha say we turn the heat up.” “Oh, that sounds delicious,” the female predator purred, and taking one of Lady’s breasts in hand, she squeezed it, giving it slightly rougher attention than before; it was enough to make the cocker squeal. The hyena's firm fingers ran across the dough of her breasts to give her nipples a sudden firm pinch! Lady grunted, shivering against Banzai’s grip as Shenzi teased those two sensitive areas, all while the ropes pressed so tightly against a third. The cocker felt every little quiver of her chest and arms transmitted down in her where the rope ran through it. “You got some fine titties, chew-toy, not as good as mine, but you’ll go far.” Shenzi taunted, spinning Lady back around and giving the dog’s bare ass a couple gropes and then a firm spank! She placed a hand between Lady’s shoulder blades, and another around her wrists, pushing hard enough to force the cocker to bunny hop forward in whatever direction the predator desired. The spaniel flinched, the forward jolt jerked the crotch rope, and she made a muffled powerless moan as her rump stung and heat ran through her teased and aching cleft and chest. She saw the male opening up the bottom drawers, and fumbling around in it for a few seconds, before she was stopped in the center of the room. “Which will be good for her, seein’ where she’s destined to go!” Her eyes widened as she saw the male approach, his eyes glued to her tits. Something shiny and metallic in his hands. “If it makes you feel any better!” Banzai laughed. “None of this is personal.” “’Sept it totally is.” The woman pulled on Lady’s arms, arching her back and forcing her chest out. “We gotta keep you off the streets for a day or so. Just until some things cool off. Lucky pup, you are.” “Mmmm! Mmmmgh..." Lady groaned as the clover clamp squeezed down on her nipple, its pinch tight and painful and sending a rush of heat through her. Shenzi squeezed her left breast from behind to make it easier to get the clamp on. Her tits were tender from being tweaked so much already, but she pulled anyway and whined into her gag from both the pain and the rush of stimulation, torment, and desire that accompanied such firm handling of her boobs. She wrenched her arms back and forth, and gave Banzai a cold glare, but of course couldn't stop him from clamping her other breast as well, the heavy clamps and the little chain that ran between them weighing down the sensitive nubs. “What do you think, do the clamps help? That rope between your legs starting to feel any better?" he asked her. His taunting tone and the way he smirked let her know he knew full well how aroused she was. The shaking spaniel let out the most adorable muffled whimpers of denial. “God, she’s about to soak herself! Kidnapped and held against her will, and she’s this turned on!” The predatory woman’s snicker cut through Lady like a hot knife. “Gotta be something wrong with her!” “Mmmngh, Rrmmf!" Lady growled, working her jaws against the ball gag. She squealed, and screamed in desire, her tail twitching, but she couldn't do a thing about the rope that ran so tightly through her cleft, or the nipple clamps, or any of the bindings on her arms - maybe she could shake back and forth to use the weight of the clamps to pull them off, but that would hurt even worse! How she was absolutely cursing her own predisposition, how it debilitated her and clouded her mind. Her eyes were narrowed, peering around the lopsided blindfold that was across her forehead. She continued to glare at the male, huffing through her nose in anger and frustration. Banzai just grinned and took the chain in his hands, and that quieted Lady in a hurry. The glare vanished and the dog made a soft pleading whine, but of course the male pulled gently on the chain, the little springs in the clamps making them pinch tighter still! She was guided over towards the mattress where it all started. “C’mon, before I decide to make a snack out of you.” Lady whimpered and curled her canine toes in pain, sighing in relief when the predator let go of the difficult nipple clamps... only for Shenzi to push her over, without her arms free to catch herself! “Oopsy daisy, going down!” The cocker thumped down onto her shoulder atop the mattress a with a yelp, the swaying clamps twisting her nipples as gravity swung them around; the heat rose further on her cheeks and flesh and between her legs, though the rope itself had long woken her simmering pent-up arousal even before they had started to grope and torment her. For the moment, the spaniel just twisted onto her back, her long ears tumbling around her head, so the clamps could lie on her chest and hopefully tease her less. Lady’s hips rolled, making her crotch rope creak, and she huffed in frustration as Shenzi kneeled down next to her, the hyena’s long gray skirt bunching up around her legs. “Shall I get her positioned for some fun?” “Oh, you be reading my mind!” Banzai was already going through the drawers in the chest. “Ed should be back soon, when he shows up you know things’ll get freaky.” He drew the word ‘freaky’ out, pronouncing each syllable. “Mu-uumph aump wumph!” Lady’s wide eyes darted between the two, her breath coming out as quick huffs through her nose and around the cracks between her lips and the ball gag. Shenzi rolled the squirming canine onto her stomach, yet again smashing her tits and their clamps against the mattress, and when she grabbed Lady’s ankles and pulled them up against that brown ass, the cocker whined and shivered. “Sorry, what was that?” Shenzi held a hand up to one of her pointed ears. “Have to speak up, there.” “Either that, or stop trying to speak with your mouth full!” Banzai laughed as he tossed a coil of fresh rope onto the ground next to the mattress. “It’s impolite, you know.” “Mmmnn! Lllmmf, mmn-nnhh, poee!” Lady managed to find her voice, for all she could speak through her gag, and she tried to kick her feet away or kick at the hyena. But tied down so strictly already, it was so easy for Shenzi to just hold her there as the ends of the rope were passed between her between her calves, then drawn the tight. The predator added another coil to her other leg, and tightened again. Lady whimpered from the strain. With her legs bound tight ankles to calves, Shenzi took the ends of the rope between Lady’s ankles and knees and undid them. Lady shuddered in her ropes when she realized what would come next, trying to squirm, but she could hardly move a muscle now, let alone stop the hyena. When her ankles were released, her legs spread in a tight frogtie. No less restrained than before, and much, much, harder for her to be able to escape from. It also allowed her limbs to be spread…exposing her mound with its knots grinding between those warm petals. “Mmmnf! Nnnhhg! Phhllnnhm! Lllnnh mmmh pmf!" she begged, but Shenzi just pulled the cloth back over those brown eyes, wound it around Lady’s head a couple of times, then tied it off behind her head, leaving the cocker’s world pitch dark once more. ******* Tramp heard the crack of a pistol, but felt nothing. Opening an eyelid, he saw that the figure with the pistol had fallen back, and the crowd was now stumbling to get as far away from the wagon as they could. The smell of gunpowder filled the air, and the mongrel could just see through the bars at the front of the wagon Nikki with an arm outstretched. His own firearm smoking. The inspector had discharged his weapon into the air to scatter the crowd. “I swear, I’ll plug any grubby paws that touch dis wagon.” Nikki bellowed, his thick round muzzle twisted into a mean scowl. “ The cloaked figure fell back, and Tramp spotted it one final time as it vanished into the mad dash to get away from the wagon. Through the crowd he spotted Rita and Kaltag. Kaltag had a large wooden bat in his hands, and was actively using it to push anyone who dared drop onto the cobblestone street back onto the sidewalk. Rita meanwhile jogged alongside the wagon, her own weapon drawn. The horses reared a final time, before the husky dog gained control of them, pulling hard on the reins. The wagon bucked to the side, and rolled away from the crowd. The gray mutt put both hands on the bars and looked out, eyes wide at the chaos that they left behind. ******* “There. Break out of your bonds now, and I'll really be impressed." Rolling Lady onto her back, Shenzi took the nude cocker’s boobs in both hands and gently fondled them, running her slender fingers over the taut mounds, her thumbs circling and rubbing and teasing across her horribly sensitive nipples clamped between the jaws of the clovers. “So, let’s chat.” Lady writhed and whimpered and moaned, she couldn't make them stop and couldn't get away and her body was far too aroused, she couldn't take it... And whatever sounds she forced around her gag they just ignored! She felt so, so powerless, so trapped. There was nothing she could do but wiggle in the ropes while she was teased. That she could be so preoccupied by lust after being... abducted, just made Lady feel all the more ashamed. “Or you could just keep teasing yourself, while you can.” Shenzi chuckled as she ran her hands across Lady’s soft stomach. The cocker moaned again, feeling her snout flush in humiliation. “Your mate, he’s in a world of hurt no matter what. So, forget about him. You just need to keep that trap shut.” “Mmnn! Nnngh! Phhllnnhh!” Lady cried, lifting her snout, blindly looking towards the sound of the two hyenas. Her fluffy ears spilling out to each side of her head. "Dmmnt Vwhyye har hue muuing pwis?" She kicked and she struggled, she twisted her hands in place, her fingers scrabbled at her ankles trying to find the rope even though she already knew it was well out of her reach. “Why?” Banzai’s voice thinly veiled its excitement. “Because our mistress, the dear beloved queen, demanded it. That’s why. But don’t worry, you won’t be here long, one way or another.” Behind the blindfold, Lady’s mind was spinning. They were holding her until the inquiry was resolved...but only because they needed her to be missing? That made no sense! Who would benefit from that! All it would do was distract from the inquiry. She tried to focus, to think things through like she had when she'd first awoken, but her thoughts were too scattered by anxiety and arousal. She felt the mattress springs softly creaking beside her, opposite where Shenzi was kneeling. "Mmm, she looks so delicious... I bet she’s ready to cum,” Banzai said. “Oh, she’s been ready. She’ll make a fun prize for the queen. No more trains or fine homes for you, pup-slut.” Lady felt her legs be spread, held apart as a hard rubber hemisphere was nestled up against her lotus. Shenzi could barely hide the cackle in her voice. “As soon as things cool off, this will be your future.” "Mmnnnh. Plllmmnnh!" Lady said, straightening up panting and quivering, her eyes wide underneath the blindfold as the sound of a clockwork mechanism being wound was followed by a heavy buzz that filled the room. Indications that the big powerful vibrator was being switched on. The nude canine's moan of protest quickly morphed into a long, eager groan of pleasure. “They’ll look for you for a few days. Keep them busy and keep them from digging too deep into that riverboat wreck. Maybe you’ll get lucky and have enough miss you that they erect a memorial.” Banzai gave a soft tug on the chain, then giggled; “Nah, after a few days they’ll think you just skipped town!” "Mmmmmmmfff!" Lady howled, shuddering all over as a low pleasure surged through her as the vibrator went to work. It broke over her body like a wave, starting from her hips to her chest and all through her tightly bound form. The laughter of both hyenas was echoing through the room. Between that and her own pleasure, Lady barely recognized the sounds of the door swinging open on its hinges. “Sorry Ed, the party started without you!” Banzai yipped. “How’d it all go? They hanging the mutt?” Unable to see, and overwhelmed from the teasing, Lady only recognized the presence of a third member by the shuffle of feet, the closing of a door, and the voices of the other two. Whomever it was, cackled in response, and she imagined in her mind’s eye them standing over her prone and naked body. Yet it seemed that she wasn’t the center of attention, at least not by the conversation. “Those dumb cats,” Shenzi growled. What seemed like unintelligible cackling to Lady, it seemed the other two fully understood. “So, they couldn’t bend that judge to make the call. They changed tactics and started stalling.” “Isn’t that a good thing?” Banzai asked, “That’s the whole reason we kidnapped this bitch! Keep her mouth shut during a trial?” For just a moment the pleasure eased, and she nearly panicked - surely, they wouldn't pull it back now and stop her just short! - but they were only adjusting its position, and when it pressed against her again it was right on her clit, the achingly sensitive nub a conduit to draw all that overwhelming sensation racing into her. While the crotch rope sent the vibrations radiating out across her sensitive lower lips. “Yeah, but things would have been so much easier if they coulda just hung the mutt and made a show. Now, we’re going to have to drag it out, and hang onto her.” “For how long?” “I dunno. The mistress just said to keep her until after the trial.” Shenzi snorted. “That’s all she said. ‘Kidnap the dog.’ She’s always got some plan in motion.” There was no way Lady would last long while feeling a vibrator that strong, after so much denial, and she was already gasping and shivering and letting her head loll back and forth against the mattress in bliss. She had to do something, but the ropes denied her every move! The bound cocker spaniel had no plan, no patience, and in her panic and the building haze of pleasure and arousal she couldn't make herself think! “Didja cause a ruckus, Ed?” Banzai chuckled. “Even your pea-brain couldn’t mess that one up?” There came what sounded like a tin-can rattling, and Lady wondered if that was Ed nodding or shaking his head. Her answer came quickly with the sound of a pistol cocking. “You shot at the mutt!” Shenzi snapped. “You idiot! We were paid to either get him hung, or drag this thing out. Not kill him ourselves and end it!” "Mmmmgh! Mmmnnnh! Mmm mmghf!" They shot the Tramp! Lady shuddered and squirmed, groaning and clamping her jaws on her gag as she bucked in her bondage, barely even realizing that if not for the gag she'd be sobbing and begging at the news. The vibrator was shoved roughly into her folds in response to this news. Frantic, desperate, gasping from the heavy sensations coursing through her, she threw herself madly against the ropes, trying to yank her arms apart or pull her hands and feet out of the frog-tie. “I didn’t spend all morning bribing snot-nosed editors to doll up newspapers just so you can toss it.” Banzai smacked the squirming spaniel’s right breast out of annoyance, sending it jiggling and the chain tugging on both her nipples. “Imagine if you got noticed! It would all be screwed!” There was a snicker and a roll of laughter. Whomever Ed was, he wasn’t much for talking. “So, you didn’t shoot him! Good. That woulda been such a cluster.” Shenzi’s tone relaxed, and Lady felt the vibrator let up slightly. “We still have this bitch, and the cats are gonna stall for time. All we have to do is wait for them to make it so the mutt is found guilty, or drag it out.” Lady's hips rolled her clit across the head of the vibrator as it was moved slowly up and down, drawing another howl of pleasure from her jaws. She was shaking not just from the pleasure, but from what she was hearing. She moaned as she felt her arousal peeking as wave after wave of pleasure radiated from her cleft. But she couldn't give up, she couldn't give in... and she couldn't make it stop...! “And we have something to play with while we wait!” Shenzi dragged the vibrator in agonizingly slow passes over the spaniel’s glistening neither lips. “We’ll have to keep her here until it’s all done. She’s too good a character witness, and the coppers might get wise and check under some rocks.” “What are we gonna do with her after that?” Banzai stroked his hand along the side of Lady’s gagged face. The cocker’s limbs twitched and spasms ran through her cleft. “She’s the queen’s prize, that’s what.” Shenzi’s laugh, which was more of a high-pitched squeal that sent Lady shuddering in fear, punctuated her words. “So just relax, and hang low. Can’t mess that up, even you two ain't that stupid.” “You know,” Banzai growled. “I envy people who have never met you.” “I’m not insulting yall, I’m just describing yah.” “Yeah, well keep rolling your eyes,” he said with a chortle. “You might eventually find a brain!” Ed just cackled alongside Banzai, and Lady swore it sounded like wind blowing over an empty jug. She moaned in bliss and enjoyment, it felt so good, far better than it should in such a predicament and far too much for her to resist, even as her kidnappers eased the head back slightly while they talked, but no - No! She couldn't just lie there and enjoy herself when she needed to escape! Whomever had set these brutes upon her was responsible for all of this. They had paid off the newspapers to muddy Tramp’s reputation, had rigged the inquiry, and kidnapped her so that the authorities would think she fled the town. “If both of your brains was dynamite, there wouldn’t be enough to blow your hat off.” Shenzi snapped back. "Mmmmmmhhf!” An extra-intense shock of pleasure made Lady’s whole-body twitch, and she moaned louder still, drooling around the rubber sphere. She realized she could feel a climax beginning to build within her. Her struggles grew even more desperate; it would be so humiliating to cum at a time like this, the endorphins that accompanied an orgasm would relax and weaken her, and she couldn't let herself be so distracted. “Getting close, chew-toy?” Banzai’s hot breath landed on Lady’s ear, while he slipped a hand under her chin to hold her gagged and blindfolded head in place. This allowed the predator to speak right into her face. “C’mon baby. Let’s see you pop the top!” "Mmmmmmfff!" Lady was sent thrashing and yowling into the ball gag, ecstasy flooding her as she was overcome by an orgasm that she wasn't sure she'd ever enjoyed so much before! Her face was released and she was left to drool into her own lust. It was a rough, hard orgasm, and the cocker jerked in her bonds before resuming her rapid uneven thrusts, ecstasy slamming hard into her sore bound limbs and making Lady tremble all over. Every muscle wound tight and was left shaking and her cleft was pulsing and clenching. Spasms raced through her as the heavy stimulation across her clit dragged her climax on and on. “Oh, she’s so cute!” Shenzi wiggled the vibrator over Lady’s muffled cries. “I could just put her on a plate and eat her up!” “I think that's the mistress's plan.” Laughed the male. Lady’s hands balled into fists while her toes curled and her jaws clamped tight around her ball gag. She was barely even able to breathe as the orgasm consumed her. She thrashed and she squirmed and all the ropes held her so tight while she came. That immobilization and helplessness and fear only made everything feel that much more intense, that much more powerful, until at last the orgasm wound down and she slumped in a gasping, quivering heap. Then it was over, and at last she could sag down on the mattress, her chest heaving, her whole body flushed hot, spent, and oh that sense of relief and satisfaction was so very wonderful! Lady was so washed up in her afterglow that she almost didn't notice when the weight on the mattress shifted, one of the two predators rising. “That was just a taste,” Banzai drooled. “Just wait ‘till later tonight. You’ll be going on a little ride.” “Yeah, a one-way ride.” Shenzi gave the chain linking Lady’s tits together a firm tug, causing the clamps to pinch once more on the spaniel’s poor tortured tits. Lady rolled her head back and moaned, her brain still buzzing. As she came down from the heights of pleasure, she noticed that the vibrator had shut off. It still rested against her sopping-wet cunt, almost threatening the possibility that it could start again at any time. But it only slid up and down her folds, gently teasing her before vanishing from the blind cocker’s world. Then, with a heavy grunt, the hyena slipped her hands under Lady’s back, and rolled the cocker spaniel onto her stomach. Squishing Lady’s breasts against the mattress. “You just stay put, like a good little doggie.” She trembled at the ominous undertones of all that had been said as she squirmed. More quivering, and then she could hear the sound of their feet and the shifting of weight on the mattress as Shenzi straightened up and walked away, the noise getting so much quieter when the hyena stepped off the stone floor and through the door. “Ed, bring the wagon around. We need to meet the mistress at the office. If she’s ready, we can deliver the pup-slut and get out of this town.” “The pup gonna be fine?” Banzai asked. “Oh yeah, she’s all tuckered out!” The predator’s squeal of a laugh felt unnatural to Lady’s long ears. “Chew-Toy won’t be giving us anymore trouble. Now move it! Time is burning.” “Mmnn! Nnngh! Phhllnnhh!” Lady cried, lifting her snout, blindly looking towards the sound of the hyenas. “Dmmnt dwoooo dwhis!” They were leaving her there! Leaving her trapped, trussed up impossibly tight, blind and gagged, hardly able to breathe in her strenuous position. She kicked and she struggled. She twisted her hands in place, her fingers scrabbling at her ankles trying to find the rope keeping her frog-tied even though she already knew it now ended at her knees, well out of her reach. Then she could hear soft rattling, the distinctive little clunks of a key sliding into a lock. **** Tramp peered through the iron bars of the cell in the Marceline Pound. The shackles around his wrists and iron collar around his neck felt heavier than before, the sound of the iron dragging on the stone floor of the cell accompanying him as she moved. His view wasn’t of much consequence, just the crabgrass spotted patch of dirt that made up the compound. The sun was getting low in the sky, and the rain clouds had finally moved on. In his mind’s eyes, he could see the execution grounds at the state prison in Atlanta. It didn’t take much imagination for him to start thinking about those events, and what it would be like should the worst come. The terrier closed his eyes, and began to fantasize. In the evening prior to the execution, crowds would begin to gather outside the high walls made of Stone Mountain granite, where they would spend the night in order to be assured a good view of the spectacle. That same evening, the gallows would be brought out and assembled. The sounds of hammering would continue into the night. The owners of nearby rooming houses across the street would be pleased to rent their rooms out to the better classes of ladies and gentlemen eager for a view that overlooked the site for a 'hanging party.' The gallows itself was now finished, just before sunrise; the rope dangled in the air above the trap. The execution of the Tramp had been set just after sunrise. As the yard was cast in early morning glow, the sun a crack of orange against a steadily bluing sky. The streets in front of the execution grounds were soon filled with throngs of multi-colored tones of fur, all making their way and gathering to witness the hanging. There was a good deal of laughter, shouting, and stamping of feet. One or two fist fights broke out, but they could not be contained in the tightly-packed crush of a crowd. At seven, the chimes of the large cathedral signaled the hour, and the crowd roared with anticipation. With a heavy thud, the big doors of the prison opened and the Tramp was led out, his wrists strapped behind him. In front was a chaplain, reciting from a bible, while a leash that was wrapped around his neck was held by the city executioner, dressed in black. He wore only a white shirt and brown trousers whose legs were so long they fell over and obscured his bare paws. Someone in the crowd saw the gray mutt, and a single voice shouted; “Hats off!” Every man removed his hat as the prisoner was slowly led up the scaffolding and towards the noose. Tramp kept his gaze low, looking at his own feet as he was brought up the final steps onto the platform. He only looked up upon reaching the rope. His mouth was a thin line, cocked to one side and his eyes blinked, studying the object of his own death in fine detail. He took his position, and the city executioner turned to him, making slight adjustments in the knots as if he was a seamstress positioning a dressmaker's doll. The noose was slipped around his neck, with the knot positioned under his jaw. The Tramp took a deep breath and closed his eyes, standing with his head held high and proud. His eyes snapped open and he shook his head to clear the brief fantasy, then stepped back from the iron bars. There was no noose around his neck, and he was not standing at the gallows. Instead, he was back in the pound in Marceline. Yet his imagination laid bare the events that were to come should his innocence not be proven in the next 24 hours. He turned away from the window and sat down at the end of a threadbare cot. “C'mon Pidge...” The mongrel whispered to himself. “We need a miracle.” **** The ropes had felt tight before, but now they felt like iron, utterly immovable and useless to even try to fight after tiring herself. Lady couldn't even bring herself to try to roll onto her side to take her weight off her aching squashed breasts. She just felt drained, sore, powerless, defeated. Humiliated that she'd used all that energy to cum at a time like this, despite the afterglow still making everything feel fuzzy--and sensitive. Just because she'd managed that orgasm hadn't made any of the ropes go away; her boobs were still bound, nipples clamped. That crotch rope dug in even harder from her weariness, making her slouch forward instead of holding her back up, and she was such a helpless mess. She tried to focus, to think things through like she had when she'd first woken up, but her thoughts were far too scattered by anxiety and an ebbing arousal now to make any progress. She struggled thoughtlessly, just pulling all her limbs one way and then the other, side to side beneath her as she wriggled, coughing as her arched back made drool from her gag try to run down her throat instead of out of her mouth, and making no progress at all. All she was doing was teasing herself, by squishing her boobs and making them slip on the material of the mattress as she rocked in place, by every little movement of hips or back or hands teasing her with the crotch rope! But she couldn't pull a hand free, couldn't straighten her bound legs, couldn't reach her gag to get her speech back, couldn't even get to the blindfold this time to be able to see again! She might have stayed there on the floor for two minutes, or ten, or thirty; it was so easy to lose track of time in her haze of lust and frustration and aching hot pain. She let out a wordless, helpless whimper, and slumped in defeat. Tramp. In her blinded mind, she imagined all he was going through. Lady imagined his face, an iron collar around his neck as he sat in a cold stone cell. She just couldn't take it anymore! "Mmmh mmmf... Mmmmf, mmf, lllmmmmf!" There was no one there with her to answer her gagged, helpless frustration, and she shuddered. She writhed in place, one of her legs lifting and setting down again, her thighs rubbing together uselessly. Her moans grew louder, so frustrated, so angry! She took one, two, three deep struggling breaths, nerving herself up for it, and rolled herself over at last. She felt the clamps first, then the crotch rope, biting deep into her cunt and making her howl, it hurt! Once she was on her side, she tried to arch again, but the ache was worse than ever, a constant hot pressure that just would not let up no matter how she tried! "Mmmmnf. Mmmmmmf!" Another yowl of frustration escaped her gag, and she fought the ropes a little, her arms twisting, wrists straining to somehow find the room to pull apart but it was all so tight and still it kept her trapped, helpless, unable to loosen the rope or take off the clamps or the gag, now, and she blushed as rolling over helped all the built-up saliva begin to drool from her parted, filled jaws and down her cheek. Then, she felt it…a rope slip. Somewhere along her arms, it slipped just enough to cause the bands around her wrists to shift. ‘Okay’, she thought, panting heavily, ‘getting somewhere.’ She wriggled, clamping her jaws on the ball strapped between them and balling her fingers. She took a few more breaths, trying to prepare and cope at the same time, and rolled to the side enough to get one wrist under the other. Although that made the tension increase, she tried to twist her torso away from it to get herself a little more slack. If she could get her legs underneath her, she could sit up, and then attack it from another angle. Lady groaned, her arms started to tingle again. Holding herself arched was exhausting, and almost immediately she felt herself slumping forward, which tightened the rope once again. She bit down hard around the gag, took a deep breath, and rocked onto her folded leg to give herself room to get her other leg beneath her. Folding both her legs made her spine curve forward, pulling her hands away from her butt and making that rope stretch tighter! But she rolled herself forward once again, but now with her legs underneath her. "Ffffmmmmmg! Mmmmmmmgh!" Lady let out a muffled shriek from the intense pinch between her legs, but then at last she could straighten up into a kneel, finding that slack in her arms again and getting her tender wet cunt a little relief. Now it ached worse than ever, and was even more sensitive to the rope that dug into it. Her nipples ached as the weights pulled them down. But it was there, the bindings around her wrists were loose enough for her to move her arms back and forth. Finally, Lady was rewarded. Just enough slack for a hand to grab the knots that wrapped between her wrists. Taking deep breaths, the cocker's fingers twisted and turned the knot. Recalling her own experience with knots, she felt her way along until she could figure out just exactly what sort of cinch had been used. She had to arc her back again, and her shoulders twisted as she struggled against the ropes slowly loosening the knot. The weights dangling from her tits seemed to mock her as her attempts to free herself caused them to sway back and forth. Lady's heart skipped a beat as she felt the ropes go slack around her wrists. It was like pulling a zipper down, as soon as tension was released the rope-work fell away from around her arms. Her stubby tail wagged above her bare bottom as she brought her arms around and tore the blindfold off her face. *********** Kaltag wiped the sweat from his brow. The detective inspector had spent the later part of the evening following up on leads. After the mob had been dispersed and Nikki had taken Tramp to the pound, he and Rita had split up to comb the locations Lady would have been most likely to haunt. While he didn’t trust those two cats or the story they were trying to sell, he wasn’t fully convinced that something nefarious had happened to her. It seemed more logical that she had simply found the inquiry too much to bear. Yet, the more he checked, the more that conviction slipped. Not only had she not backed down when facing those two cats from the steamboat company, the cocker seemed dedicated to her family, a fact that was made only clearer the more he chatted with the railroaders at the yard and her neighbors. The railroad’s own Pinkerton seemed to think something was wrong. Now, Kaltag wasn’t sure who to believe. The whole thing seemed crazy and far-fetched. Now, he walked down the sidewalk towards the restaurant row. The railroad line was nearby, running the length of the street until both crossed Main Street in the heart of Marceline. The setting sun had brought upon the end of the day for the majority of the population, who walked home or took one of the omnibuses, tandems, and carriages that frequented the slab-stone streets. It was a rattling, noisy, and closely packed traffic of vehicles and drivers who swore and lashed out at their feral workhorses. He was about to mount his penny farthing and ride into this traffic and back towards the pound when his eyes caught sight of an elegant black coach with elaborate gilded scroll-work. Gliding through this midst of the confusion. The two steeds guiding it snorted as its wheels clattered in the cobblestone. The red curtains were drawn in all its windows, and for the first time he noticed the driver; a male hyena with his riding coat pulled up, had a rather far-off look in his eyes. “Well, if that isn’t the oldest, most antique, museum worthy vehicle.” He mused out loud, one ear sticking up at an odd angle. “I wonder….” The carriage rattled down the street, forcing traffic to each side as if it had a plow on its head. By its unrelenting motion it took the right of way, regardless of what other vehicles attempted or declared. In its wake it left the rest of the street to regroup and recover. Mounting his bike, Kaltag kicked off into the street and started to follow. He kept his head low and his tail hiked to keep out of the back spokes of the bike and swerved to avoid both a coal wagon and an omnibus. He stayed just within sight of the carriage, but far enough back to not appear to be tailing it. It didn’t go far, just around the corner and up towards the Hotel Marceline. Kaltag stopped, and balanced the bike with one leg. The hearse-like vehicle drew to a stop at the hotel’s front steps, and from the lobby doors stepped a slender figure. He recognized it as Zira. The lioness moved smoothly in a silent descent from the hotel’s steps and into her carriage. Kaltag sighed. The mysterious widow sure put on an air of suspicion, but she seemed to have spent the day holed up in the hotel. The blonde canine tipped his derby forward, then mounted his penny farthing once more. *********** The clamps, gag, and rope were left sitting on the desk. Scanning the surroundings, Lady nearly cried with relief when she spotted the small pile of clothes in the bottom drawer. Her skirt and blouse were laid out; however, her shoes and undergarments were gone. Lady found she didn't have the energy to be properly upset about that. What she had was enough to make her decent. She snatched the clothing, quickly unfolding them. For a moment, she was fully naked in the cool air of the basement, and stood shivering and dripping with her own juices, as she wriggled her clothing down her damp body. Looking up she saw that the small window that was letting in light over the desk had a latch on it. The cocker spaniel reached a hand for the latch, fearing that it would be locked. She pressed her tongue into the corner of her mouth as her fingers found and twisted the little bolt. When it snapped up, her heart leaped. Escape was finally in her grasp. Swinging her legs through the small window and tumbling out, Lady gasped as she fell in a heap on the rough flagstone. She found herself alongside a dirt road that ran between the warehouse she had just escaped, and the clapboard siding of another tumbledown industrial structure. Fresh air replaced the overpowering scent of her own sex. It was really quite cold out, and the sky was painted a deep red as the sun began to set. Without a second thought, the cocker ran. Her instinct was to just put distance between herself and that place. With her heart thundering in her chest, she took off down the road. She had been taken to the outskirts of Marceline, where a number of older wooden and brick buildings stood near the junkyard. The spanel ran across a wooden road-bridge that crossed the river and slipped into the trees that bordered the road. Seeing the river, Lady was able to orient herself and it wasn't long before she slid down a muddy embankment, in the process splattering her legs with earth, and stepped onto the cool ballast that made up the foundation of the Western & Atlantic's track. She jumped from cross-tie to cross tie, pacing her jog so that she didn't step in the jagged stone but instead skipped from beam to beam. Night was falling, and as the land was steeped in the glow of an angry sunset, the cocker hoped to reach the manned crossing tower that guarded a well-known railroad crossing. As the crossing in question appeared, she saw the Jack Russel terrier guard standing at the door of his box, with a furled flag in his hand. But it was the canine he had been speaking to that recognized her and called out. “Lady!” Rita snapped her head to the side, her tail flitted back and forth. She quickly dismissed herself from the crossing guard and walked alongside the track to meet Lady. “I've been turning this town upside down looking for you. Walked all the way out here on a hunch.” “Where's Tramp?” the cocker gasped, “Is he safe?” “Yeah, he’s about as fine as he can be. They got him in the pound.” Rita looked Lady over. “Damn, you're a mess. What happened to you?” “I was kidnapped," the spaniel hissed. “Three of these canine creatures, oh…how to describe them? I’ve never seen anything like them. But I’m sure they worked for Zira!” “Kidnapped?” Rita recoiled back. “Lady, we have to get word to the coppers! Are you okay? Do we need to take you to the doc?” “There isn’t time!” the spaniel shouted. “I overheard them. They want to hurt, maybe even kill the Tramp. It’s Zira! She wants to make the railroad look bad so she can bid on it and she’s framing him. They took me so you guys would be distracted and not interfere.” “Did they say it was Zira?” “Well...no” Lady paused. “...but who else could it be?” “That’s a lot to unpack.” Rita crossed her arms. “But I assure you, the Tramp is safe. They are going to try and make the charges stick. So, he’s not leaving the pound until the trial tomorrow.” “Trial…” Lady’s heart leapt into her throat and she felt herself go lightheaded. “But he’s innocent.” “We found his lantern on the beach.” Rita bowed her head. “It was enough to convince Doc. The railroad is sending some folks up to represent him tomorrow.” The Saluki sighed, then brought her gaze back up to meet Lady. “But this changes things! We need to get you back to the yard in Marceline. The sooner we get this reported, the sooner we can catch whomever it was that took you. If they have anything to do with the shipwrecking…it could clear him.” “No, he’s in trouble. They left me alone to go into town. They talked about plans and dragging out the trial,” the cocker begged. “I must see him. I must know he’s okay. We need to get into town and cut them off!” Lady perked an ear when she heard the low moan of a steam whistle. Turning her head, she could see a bolt of light in the distance but growing closer every second, behind which was the dark outline of a steam locomotive. It was a local freight, trying to make its way into town to clear the way for the evening run of the Banker’s Special. Rita motioned to the tower guard. “Flag them down!” The green flag was unfurled, and the terrier waved it from his perch high in the air. The beat of the exhaust slowed to a hissing mutter, the drivers and side rods reflected in the water-filled track-side ditches. The rolling wheels were clicking off the measured rail lengths as the big locomotive heeled into the curve just before the tower and answered with a few blasts of her whistle. Atop the roof of the car directly behind the locomotive, Lady spotted a familiar figure lashing down handbrake wheels to assist the locomotive’s air brakes with stopping the train. “Miss Rita! Lady!” Angel called out from above. Her lantern swung back and forth off one arm. “What’s going on?” Lady looked to Rita, who had already pulled herself onto the locomotive’s stirrups and was hurriedly speaking with the train’s crew. “We’re going into town. There’s trouble.” Angel dropped down the grab irons on the side of the boxcar, landing in the soft earth. The glow of her lantern cast shadows on herself and Lady. “The inquiry? Did something happen?” “Yes, they found the lantern. It’s his.” Lady started walking towards the locomotive, with Angel following. The cocker’s mind was racing, and she spoke quickly. “but someone is out for his blood. It’s Zira…I just know it is. She had me kid…” “What color was the lantern?” Angel asked, cutting Lady off. Lady stopped so suddenly her own ears tumbled forward. Letting the question sink in. “I don’t know.” The Pomeranian held her own lantern up. “It might be his lantern, but if the glass is a different color…” “Goodness! You’re right! The globes are interchangeable. It could prove he wasn’t the one responsible…” Lady spun around on her heels and grinned at the Pomeranian. “Oh, Angel. You’re brilliant.” Angel held up a hand and frowned, she didn’t share Lady’s immediate jubilation. “Unless the globe is the color the riverboat spotted…in which case he’s dead.” ************ The next few hours were a blur of activity. Lady cleaned herself up inside the caboose while the local freight made its way into Marceline. The caboose wasn’t equipped with much more than a wash basin, but the act of cleaning her legs and scrubbing her torso helped Lady to clear her head. Angel passed on a set of spare shoes from a footlocker and Lady caught the young Pomeranian up on the events of the inquiry and her kidnapping. Rita had hopped down as the train passed the depot and started sending off telegrams, and by the time they left the railroad yard and headed for the pound, darkness had fallen completely. Now, she sat in a chair in the front office of the pound, watching Nikki drum his fingers on the big oak counter. The chow-chow seemed rather perturbed at being dragged out so late at night, even after having listened to Lady’s story. Between her legs, sat Angel’s brakeman’s lantern. “I’m not sure he believed us.” Lady leaned in and whispered to Rita, who sat next to her. “In fact, I’m starting to think he doesn’t like us.” “Well sure, you’ve done and got yourself kidnapped and your mate is inciting a riot in his town,” Rita chuckled. “Plus, all this side work. No one likes a nuisance.” The cocker spaniel furrowed her brow and opened her mouth to reply, only to be interrupted when the door to the office opened. Doc bustled his way through with Kaltag following short on his heels and holding a lantern. The big St. Bernard pulled his coat off and hung it on a hook by the door, showing off his unkempt fur and the hint of a nightgown underneath a half buttoned shirt. Excitement rose in Lady’s throat and she started to rise in order to confront him. Rita gently squeezed the cocker’s hand to hold her back. “Give him a moment, he looks like he just woke up.” Indeed, Doc quickly surveyed the scene before him and gave a heavy cough to clear his throat. “I'm sure one of you must have a reason for sending a law officer to my door to drag me out into the night?” His tone was dry, and Lady shrunk back slightly. “These two seem to think they have proof of The Wrecker’s innocence.” Nikki thumbed over at the two railroaders. “The Wrecker!” Lady declared, aghast at the nickname. “He did no such thing! We can prove it.” Doc held a hand up to silence Nikki, just as the chow opened his mouth to respond. “Please,” he spoke in a softer voice as he turned to the cocker spaniel. “Let’s hear what they have to say. At least before we start declaring guilt before it’s truly proven.” Lady cleared her throat. “Sir, I understood during today’s testimony that the light that was seen by Captain O’Malley was white, correct?” “Indeed, as confirmed by both your mate, and the captain.” “What if we can prove that the lantern my mate held was a different color?” Doc’s eyebrows rose and his jowl set. He looked over at Nikki who simply shrugged, before turning back to Lady. “Do carry on, Miss Dear.” “Do you still have access to the lantern?” Rita asked, arms folded. “Yes, it’s in the lockup.” Kaltag replied as he moved towards a door behind the counter. “I’ll fetch it.” “Now wait a moment, dat's evidence!” Nikki piped up. “We can’t just let anyone take possession of it.” “I think we can afford to hear the little lady out,” Doc asserted with a hard snort. “Please, proceed.” Lady cleared her throat. She could feel her heart thundering in her chest. Her tail fluttered in a circular motion. She held up the lantern that Angel had given her from the freight train. “The lantern tops are hinged, and you can swap out the globe, that’s the glass inside, with a different color. Most of them are white…but some are different colors. Like red, or green.” Lady popped the latch on the lantern, and the top hinged back. She reached into the cage and removed the white glass cylinder that made up the globe. “I see. But the lantern was mangled in the wreck.” Doc pointed out. “But if what you say is true. Then, there’s reasonable doubt that the lantern was the color that was claimed. Since I do recall Mr. Dear seemingly unsure of what color the lantern was.” A hand slipped under the St. Bernard’s jaw and he stroked his chin with those thick fingers. “It doesn’t prove his innocence, but it sheds doubt on the primary piece of evidence.” Kaltag returned to the main room. He gripped onto the mangled wreckage of the kerosene lantern. When Lady spied it, with the letters “W&A RR” on it, she felt her heart sink. It was the exact same model as the complete one she held in her hand. The one with the white globe. “They look da same ta me.” Nikki chuckled, pointing out the very thing Lady noted. “The light was white. Case closed. Let’s all go to bed.” “Now hold on!” Lady barked. “Can I see it?” Kaltag looked at Nikki, unsure. The Chow rolled his eyes and gave a single, solid, nod. The lantern was handed over to the cocker spaniel. Lady must have handled countless lanterns in her career on the railroad. But never had she felt such trepidation over a mangled chunk of tin metal; it held the fate of her beloved Tramp. She carefully undid the latch, and forced the lid open. The wire cage was stove in, and her heart sank as her brown eyes darted across the space where the glass should have been. A feeling of dread started to seep in. Then the gaslight caught something, a faint glint in the lid. The cocker spaniel’s tail became a blur as she carefully plucked a thin circle of glass from inside the top lip on the lid. The very last remains of the lantern’s globe. With a smile that split her muzzle and dug into her cheeks, Lady held the ring up for all to see. It was red. *********** Tramp sat with his back against the stone wall of the cell. His muzzle was raised with the back of his head pressed against the stone, eyes closed. It was impossible for him to sleep; his mind had been racing since the gunshots rang out that afternoon. Thoughts of his own execution and the upcoming trial were overcome by concern for his beloved Lady. He couldn’t eat, the tray with what amounted to dinner had gone untouched. Instead, he sat in the single shaft of moonlight that was cast through the narrow bars. The sound of the heavy oak door cracking open caused his ears to perk. Tramp slowly stood up, feeling as if he had been physically beaten by the events of the day. The chain that led to his iron collar clinked and jingled as he stepped towards the bars of the cell. He looked into the corridor that ran between the lines of cages. There, standing in the dim candlelight was Lady. The flicking flames cast a warm glow across her smiling face and deep red ears. To the Tramp, she looked like an angel, glowing and full of warmth in that dark prison as she approached him. Insistently, he felt buoyed, but it was the words that came out of her mouth that filled him with joy. “We did it, dear!” she cried as pressed herself up against the bars and reached an arm in to take his hand. “We proved you’re innocent!” “I never doubted you, Lady.” Tramp could feel the corners of his eyes moisten. “I knew you would come up with a miracle.” ************ The bathtub’s warm waters felt soothing against Tramp’s bare fur. The mongrel lay in the claw footed tub with his arms stretched out along the edge, his head hanging back and a cigar jutting from the corner of his mouth. The bath was welcomed in spades, after having spent the night in the jail while they sorted out all the logistics for his release. The early morning sun now streamed through the stained-glass windows, casting the well-appointed bathroom in many hues of warm light. The surface of the tub was a sea of bubbles, which concealed his nudity. Not that the other occupant of the upstairs bathroom would mind. Lady sat with her legs crossed on a small cushioned chair next to the tub, dressed only in a thin robe. She held the morning edition of the Main Street Gazette in her hands, and was happily reading from the front page. “Thus, the Western River Expedition Company dropped all charges in the case of the loss of the steamer Mark Twain. In light of the new evidence, as retrieved by agents of Pinkerton’s Detective agency….” “Agents? Well, I guess Rita does the work of two.” Tramp raised his head and smiled, unsure what made him happier, hearing the newspaper exonerate him, or seeing Lady bounce a bare leg and foot in the air as she read. “Lord knows, she gives that sorry lot a good name.” He shrugged his shoulders. “Although with two Ritas, you could balance one on each side.” “Behave!” Lady tipped the paper down so she could peer over the edge. Despite the tone, she couldn’t hide her smile. “Oh I’ll roll this paper up and bop you.” “Only havin' some fun, Pidge!” He ducked his head to the side sheepishly. “I’ll take one Lady over two Ritas any day.” Lady rolled her eyes playfully, then returned to the newspaper. “…as retrieved by agents of Pinkerton’s Detective agency, one must conclude the claim of negligence on behalf of the Western & Atlantic Railroad to be false. Blame for the loss of the steamer must therefore rest upon the shoulders of the WRE and it’s inability to provide navigable beacons for its crews. This paper must commend the efforts of the railroad, rather than condemn it, which prevented a greater loss of both life and property.” The mongrel folded his arms behind his head and blew a smoke ring into the air. “That’s talking straight for once. Bless me, Pidge. What would we do without good journalism?” “I for one am glad they changed their tune. Maybe now you won’t be shot at on the streets!” Lady folded the paper and laid it across her lap. One side of her robe hung off her arm, providing a view of her bare shoulder and a hint of clevage. “I hope they find whoever did that! They should be arrested for attempted murder.” “I would have ducked!” Tramp plucked the cigar out of his mouth and turned his head, comforting her with a warm smile. “And knowing the gossip rags round here, they will find something else to get wrapped up in.” “If only they knew the full story. No one would believe it!” “Say! Any word of the railroad’s lease? I forgot that was coming up.” Lady quickly thumbed through the paper, until she found a small blurb buried deep in the columns. “Yes! The state voted unanimously to continue the current lease with the Western & Atlantic Railroad Company. They did not offer the railroad up for bid.” “Well now, what a morning!” Tramp laughed as he sat up in the tub. He snuffed the blunt end of the cigar out against the porcelain side and dumped it into a brass ashtray that was attached to the wall. “You’re safe, I’m not in a cage, and we still have jobs. The only thing that could make this any better is if they catch those three thugs who snatched you.” “That was an experience I’m not likely to forget.” Lady shuddered before folding the paper in her lap. “Nor I.” Tramp furrowed his brow and felt a snarl rise in his throat. “They should hope I don’t find them first.” The cocker looked away sheepishly, and Tramp didn’t miss the deep blush upon her cheeks. His head tilted so that one ear stuck up, and his voice was low. “It still boiled the water for you, huh?” “Like a teakettle.” Lady admitted with a sigh. “You escaped a kidnapping, and saved me. You shouldn't beat yourself up over what it took to do that.” Tramp soothed, sitting up in the tub. “It was a humiliating and frightening affair. I’m just thankful it’s over.” She turned her head back around so that one of her ears tumbled over her shoulders. “We’re together, and we’re safe. That’s all that matters.” “Good that you managed to keep your head.” A sly smile grew across his face. “Bet they didn't expect their high-strung fiddle to un-string itself.” “I’m a bit hardier than I seem.” She grinned at her husband and shook a finger. “And I wasn't about to let them see you hanged, not without a fight.” “Don’t have to tell me,” he sank back into the foamy waters. “I know you can take a good licking and bounce back. They didn’t stand a chance.” “And you seem to be getting too comfortable in that thing, with all that sweet talk you’re spilling.” Lady soothed. She stood up from the chair, and placed the newspaper on the sink. Her robe slid down her arms, unveiling her chest. The warm glow from the stained-glass window cast red hues across her bare breasts. “I might start thinking you’re after something.” Tramp met her gaze and gave her a lop-sided grin.“You really are something special. My tough little lady.” He shuffled back in the tub, making room for the cocker spaniel. The robe slid completely down Lady’s shoulders until it dropped to a heap around her ankles. Carefully stepping out of the garment, she approached the tub. The spaniel was always beautiful, but the Tramp found that the soft, warm glow of the morning sun only emphasized her graceful, feminine features. He let out a soft whimper of pleasure as she raised a leg to slip into the warm waters. There came a hard knock from downstairs, causing Lady to pause, bent over and half in the tub. Tramp and Lady’s eyes met and they both frowned in unison. With a gentle sigh, Lady slipped back out of the tub. Tramp’s ears dipped as her watched her bend over to pick up her robe. In the process giving him an unimpeded view of her bare ass. “C’mon, Pidge. Let’s pretend like we didn’t hear them!” Lady slipped the robe in place, tying the straps firmly around her hips. She only responded to him with a gentle chuckle and a playful roll of her eyes. Her paws made barely a sound as she gracefully slipped through the door and down the hall. With a knowing sigh, he pulled himself out of the tub, dripping wet and sporting a firm erection that was slowly going soft. A quick towel down, and he slipped into his trousers and grabbed a white shirt, just enough to make himself decent before following in his wife’s footsteps. There at the front door, stood Rita. “Hello dear, please do come in.” Lady greeted, motioning to enter the home. “Thank you, hun. I hope to not stay for long.” The saluki stepped into the vestibule, her tail swaying side to side behind her. As Tramp descended the stairs, he pulled on the shirt. He noted with interest how Rita subtly eyed up his wife in her thin robe. It was a quick dart of the eyes, but the mongrel knew a mental undressing when he saw it. “Pardon our state of affairs, Miss Rita. You caught us freshening up.” Rita let out a light snicker, but otherwise kept her thoughts to herself. “I just wanted to come by and let you two know the outcome of last night’s events, as well as check up on yah” She playfully tipped her muzzle back. “I see you’re both ‘fit and healthy’. “Oh yes, we were just reading about them in the paper.” Lady either ignored or didn’t catch the slight tease in Rita’s voice. Knowing her, Tramp figured she just ignored it. “I take it Zira got what was coming to her?” “I wish.” Rita’s ears dipped and she let out a soft growl. “Kaltag saw her in town during the time you were held captive. She had an airtight alibi and several witnesses who claimed she went nowhere near that side of town.” Tramp hissed. “I’m sure those witnesses were paid well.” “That can’t be proven.” Rita waved a hand. “So that was a dead end. Unfortunately, you never heard her name be spoken during your time in captivity. So, there’s reasonable doubt.” “Oh, that’s such a fine end,” Tramp growled. “So, she’s getting away with what she did to us, scott-free?” “Not quite.” The saluki smiled. “The results of the official inquiry cleared the Western & Atlantic in time for news to reach Atlanta before the vote.” Lady’s tail fluttered. “I have a feeling Balto made sure of that.” “Oh, especially when he got my personal telegram before we went to the pound. I tried to time that so that he could stay in Atlanta and defend the W&A before the state.” Rita examined her own fingers on an outstretched arm. “I was playing my cards on your idea about that lantern, and bless us all…you were right.” Tramp nodded his head hard enough to flop his ears. “So, Zira didn’t even get the chance to bid on the railroad. At least some justice came from all this.” Rita tilted her head so that her bang fell in front of an eye. “More than that, the Western River Expedition Company was found fully at fault for not providing a reliable light. Fines and a hiked insurance rate will probably follow. Never mind whatever payout to the family of the engineer who was lost.” Tramp crossed her arms and leaned back against the wall. “There’s still the matter of Lady’s kidnapping. Now, you’re not just going to let that go without an investigation, are you?” Rita looked offended. “Of course not. Kaltag went right down to the warehouse as soon as he could. Unfortunately, the place was cleaned out. He found nothing. Zira apparently spent the whole time she was here at the Hotel. Clean alibi. Nikki says all that he can do now is keep an eye open for anyone fitting the description of those hyenas.” The mutt wasn’t convinced. “What about those two shifty cats that tried to get me hung? You heard them mentioned, right Pidge?” “Most certainly I did!” Rita nodded. “They skipped town in the night. But I think I know which road they took. Don’t fret, you both are safe now. Zira crawled back home to her cave in the mountains, and I’m keeping my eyes peeled for anything new with those cats.” “You’re a treasure, Rita.” Tramp allowed himself to smile. “You sure you’re a Pinkerton? You’re way too helpful to be saddled with that brand.” “You know the motto, ‘We never sleep’. Or something like that.” The saluki shook her head. “Zira has been under the company’s scrutiny for a while. One of the telegrams I sent out was an information request. What I got back was rather interesting. The office in Atlanta has a record of her, and her late husband; a confederate general known as Askari.” Tramp raised an eyebrow. “Never heard of him.” “Can’t say that I have, either.” Lady said. “Well, both have been involved in a lot of shady business. Smuggling, blackmail, and there’s an open murder case over Askari’s brother.” Rita looked over her shoulder, as if silently checking the glass of the front door to see if anyone was on the other side. “Some lad named Mufasa…I haven’t read up on that case. Not my wheelhouse, yah know.” Lady’s muzzle cocked slightly, and she pressed herself up against Tramp. “You sure we’re safe? She sounds very dangerous.” The gray mongrel slipped his hand into hers and gave it a firm squeeze. “I know Zira’s type. She won’t do anything that risks her reputation. Getting caught kidnapping cute cockers off the streets for no reason wouldn’t be good for business.” “Don’t worry. You’re safe as long as I’m guarding this railroad.” The saluki winked. “Besides, you have this dashing hunk of a fireman to protect you.” “She’s right, Pidge,” Tramp slipped an arm over her shoulder. “If someone wants to get at you, they are going to have to go through me first.” “Then I’ll just have to protect you!” Lady’s laughter turned into a sly grin aimed squarely at Rita. “Especially when your physique is noticed by the railroad’s own yardbull.” “Don’t worry, kid. I make it no secret that I prefer women.” Rita snickered as she turned to open the front door. “Look to your own. The last few days have been an education.” “Thank you, Rita.” Tramp reached a hand out to shake hers. “You’re worth your weight in gold.” Rita waved his outstretched arm away. “I’ll shake your hand once we have those hyenas behind bars. Until then, long life and a merry one!” Tramp and Lady watched the door close behind her, leaving them once again alone. There was a moment of silence, only interrupted by the ticking of the grandfather clock in the vestibule. Tramp looked down at Lady, his arm wrapped over her shoulder to hold her tight to him. “Well, how do you like that? Back to normal, huh?” Lady yawned. “We should get some sleep. I’m sure it won’t be long before Chief finds out you’ve been cleared and sends a callboy with a freight train.” He nuzzled the side of her head, his voice low and tender. “You sure you want to just go to bed? We could pick up where we left off upstairs?” Lady fluttered her eyelashes, shivering at the way the gray terrier ran his nose through the spot where one of her ears met the side of her head. She tipped her head back, her muzzle mere inches from his. “Well, since we were interrupted…” Just before their lips met, the front door slammed open and stumbling into the front vestibule came a young male terrier. His gray fur was mottled and tinged with coal dust, and the floppy ears her inherited from his father were folded back from his exertion. Tramp and Lady quickly separated, both practically jumping at the sudden intrusion. “Mom!” Scamp wheezed. He collapsed with his hands on his knees, gulping down deep breaths. He must have run all the way to the house. Curled in one hand was a two-day old issue of the Chattanooga Times. “I came home as soon as I heard! They got dad locked up for shipwrecking!” The young mutt looked up to see both his parents’ blank stares. One of Scamp’s eyebrows rose as he worked to settle his adrenaline. “What’d I miss?” The End. When it's six to midnight and the boney hand of death is nigh You better drink your drink and shut your mouth When you draw against his hand, you can never win Go ahead, drink with the living dead The polished black carriage bounced along over the rough road, the feline inside shifting automatically at every rut and bump the carriage hit. Zira fumed against the poor state of the road in silence. For all the taxes she paid to the Marceline council, the very least they could do was maintain the roads. The sun would be rising soon, and she wanted this bit of business completed quickly so that she could settle down to breakfast at The Outlands. They were well enough outside town, on a road that paralleled the river. Zira looked out the side window at the road ahead, preferring to fume over the rough conditions of this trip to dwelling on the real problems that plagued her mind. Problems that were just now coming into view up ahead by the glow of oil lanterns in the early morning light. Her body shifted as the carriage came to a sudden stop, and anyone else would have been thrown from it. Zira looked at a small clock that dangled from a hook on the wall. They had made good time, despite the condition of the road. She swore under her breath at the driver and practically whipped the handle down to kick the door open. “It's about time,” Zira hissed as she practically burst from the narrow doorway. Her thick green dress and heavy waistcoat opened like the leaves of a Venus flytrap as they were freed from the confinements of the carriage. “Maybe next time stick to the road instead of the ditch!” “Not my fault they plowed the road rather than the field!” Banzai grumbled from his spot in the driver's seat. His flatcap was pulled down to help shield himself from the two lamps on each side of his bench. The low-hanging lamps on top of the carriage were more than enough to reveal the freight wagon that stood on the side of the road. Ed looked down from the driver’s seat, his tongue sticking out from the corner of his mouth. Shenzi looked up for a brief second, but returned to the open carpet bag held by a tired looking Sabor, whose contents she was busy counting. She pursed her lips and blew a few jet-black locks of her bang to the side and resumed the count. “There you go…” The hyena declared as she wrapped the paper band around the stack of cash, then dropped it into the bag to join the rest. “It was a pleasure doing business with you. Now you know, you’re never to show yourself around these parts, otherwise we’ll have to make yah disappear for real.” The cheetah snapped the bag shut and tucked it under one of her arms. She let the folds of her coat fall across it and hide it from view. “Don’t worry about me. I’m a ghost. No one saw me reach the shore, and no ones seen me since.” “That’s what I like about you, Sabor. Faithful all the way through.” Shenzi snickered as she waved Zira over. “Just wrapping things up boss! C’mon, turn that frown upside down.” “I’ll turn you upside down!” The lioness hissed. “Have you read the papers? The state decided not to offer bids on the railroad! All that work, for absolutely nothing!” “Shame about Devon and Rex.” Banzai said as he dropped down from the seat on the carriage. He wrapped the rains for the horses around the brake. “They couldn’t make that case stick, and they couldn’t stall it. I told you, yah should have bribed the captain! Far better than having us hide out on a mountainside with a spotlight.” “He wouldn’t have taken it even if I did.” Zira spat. “Damn naive fool. This whole thing was a disaster from the start. I can’t believe I let those two short-haired wonders talk me into trying to pin it on the railroad dog.” Banzai cocked his mouth to the side. A part of him wanted to point out that it was Zira’s idea to frame the Tramp. She and the two devons hatched it as soon as she heard he had plucked the crew from the wreck. It seemed like the perfect patsy. But of course, Zira wouldn’t hear any of that. He looked at the back of the freight wagon, where a canvas tarp covered an fesnel lantern, such as the kind used in a lighthouse. “At least you got the insurance from the shipwreck.” Shenzi crossed her arms. “Now that you don’t have to use it on a bid. That’s something, ain’t it?” “Mere pittance in comparison. I should have listened to my gut and just wrecked the boat for the insurance and use that to offer a silent bid. All this tom-foolery trying to make it public only made it messy…between that embarrassment at the town hall and that damn railroad detective.” She whipped her head around and glared at Banzai. “And it didn’t help that you lost the cocker! How stupid could you be!? You had but a single job, just the one; keep her locked up and the police distracted from investigating the wreck long enough. Yet she slipped through your fingers.” “Don’t look at me!” Banzai said as he held up his hands. “It was Shenzi that left her alone.” “Oh, you did not just try and toss me on the rug,” Shenzi snapped, “You had just as much to do with that as I did.” “I wanted to leave her guarded.” “No, you wanted to be alone with her so you could play,” the female pointed out. “I’ve known you long enough to recognize that look in your eyes, Romeo.” “Enough!” Zira snarled while clenching her hands. “Both of you. You’re lucky our tracks were covered well enough that even if Miss Lady talks, she has nothing but conjecture to back her up. Still, just to be safe, all three of you are staying out of Marceline for a few months.” “Fine by me, that place is a shit-hole anyway.” Shenzi snickered. Zira closed her eyes and took a deep breath. She smoothed out a few folds in her dress then slipped a hand into her waistcoat. Opening her eyes, she exhaled through her nostrils then smiled. “Good, then it’s settled. We’ll just put this whole mess behind us, take the insurance money and run. Oh, but one last thing.” Zira turned to face Sabor, and whipped out a revolver from inside the leather waistcoat. It was a wicked looking thing of dark iron and carved mahogany. With a cold stare she pulled the hammer back with her thumb, and clinched down on the trigger. Shenzi and Banzai both flinched when the sharp crack of the black powder cap was joined by a bright flash as the weapon was discharged. The cheetah was caught just as off-guard as the two hyenas, and she fell over backwards with a dull thud. Her lips were frozen in a harsh snarl in the final milliseconds of her life. “Throw her in the river.” Zira pointed the firearm up and blew at the barrel to disperse the remaining smoke. “Let the crabs take care of her. At least that cleans up a little bit of this mess.” Banzai and Shenzi looked at each other, taken off-guard by their mistress’s sudden actions. But Ed jumped into action. Dropping down from the freight wagon, he grabbed one of Sabor’s legs and started to drag the body down the embankment to the river. Zira bent down to fetch the carpet bag. “D-didja have to do that?” Banzai’s voice wavered. “Sabor did everything right!” “Maybe... but a wise man once told me never trust the completely competent ones.” The mistress's cold eyes glanced at the revolver still held in one hand. The blued steel and carved wood showing worn surfaces and tarnish from years of use. A sharp jagged relief, a scar, was engraved into the grip. “That's why he only hired idiots.” “Look how well that turned out for him...” Shenzi snorted under her breath, before realizing that her comment had earned her a hard stare from Zira, the fire in the lioness's eyes burning through the hired gunwoman. “er, hey, I-I didn't mean-!!”, The hyena was cut off as Zira thrust the carpetbag into her chest. “I don't need bullets to end your sorry excuse for a life, and I don't need all three of you to make someone vanish.” A soft splash from the river accented her threat. “Think about that the next time you open that slobbery cesspit you call your mouth." Shenzi quickly bobbed her head up and down, her mouth was a thin line set in a submissive scowl. If there were words running through her mind, she kept them to herself. Both hyenas relaxed, their shoulders slumping down, as the lioness dropped the revolver back into its place within her waistcoat. “If we’re done here, I’d like to wipe my hands of this.” Zira stated as she climbed up the brass stirrups and ducked into her carriage. “Let the dust settle, and wait for the next opportunity.” She slammed the door on the carriage shut, leaving Shenzi and Ed to the freight wagon, and Banzai to her own. Shenzi was already climbing into the driver’s bench, while Ed finished dusting the road and making sure that any blood from Sabor was kicked into the grass and dirt. As the black carriage started to move, Zira lowered the window and stuck her muzzle out to address the two hyenas on the freight wagon. “And believe me, there will be a next time!” Whiskey, tequila, vodka, rum or gin Ain't no man that I can't beat, be him live or dead So into the morning I matched him ounce for ounce Til Stanton Cree fell over and a winner was announced Now he rests in his pine box and I still walk the streets But I don't forget the night when death had chosen me There ain't no fancy moral to go with this I fear Unless you aim to kill a man and drink down his last beer!