Page 67 of Ruffled Feathers

We both left the bar through the front door, Rio cutting down the alley like a normal man going to take a piss in an inappropriate location. My car was just across the street, and I started it quickly, driving down the alley in time to see Rio and Max rolling Joseph out the emergency exit. Slowing the car enough that they could bundle in the inebriated fall guy, I waited until they were in too, then pulled out of there and back onto a main arterial road as quickly as possible.

Joseph must have sobered up pretty rapidly, because he was beginning to shout, “Who the fuck are you guys? Where are you taking me? You’re going to regret this…”

Blah, blah, blah.

I tuned him out, looking over at Max. “Did you get everything?”

He nodded. “It’s as bad as you think, maybe worse, but he spilled it all like he had verbal diarrhea. The misappropriated funding grants. The animal fighting rings. Selling them for scientific testing. Every inhumane purpose you can think of, this guy has been providing it. And people were giving him the money and animals to do it.”

That son of a bitch.“Is it enough to put him away?”

Max nodded. “Unless the cops bungle it, the Smalls Pack is going away for a long time.”

Nodding, I allowed myself a small moment of satisfaction.Onto phase two of the mission.

We drove through the darkened streets, and out this way, there were hardly any people. The ones who were here turned the other cheek, because they didn’t want to be up in anyone’s business. It was perfect, really.

Joseph was getting more and more vocal, and Rio finally snapped, putting him in a sleeper hold and shoving him unceremoniously toward the car window. Max huffed, and Rio shrugged. “What? He was annoying.”

Seemed entirely reasonable to me. We pulled around the back of one of the warehouses a few doors up from the Smalls warehouse, and found the truck Rio had stashed there earlier. It was empty, so no one paid much attention to it. Inside were as many animal crates as I’d been able to source on short notice. I was hoping we could appropriate some from inside the warehouse too, but this would have to do for now. We’d figure the rest out later.

Jumping out, Max drove the truck up to the back of the Smalls warehouse. Killing the power to the building, we scanned the place for security cameras, but obviously, no one wanted video evidence of their illegal activities. We dragged Joseph out, stuffing him inside one of the empty crates. One that was still coated in shit and piss, from whatever terrified creature had been in there before.

There must have been a hundred animals in this place, and Rio whistled. “Fuck. This is worse than I thought.”

Max looked downright feral. “Let’s get to work. Then I vote we burn this shithole to the ground.”

I nodded my agreement. This place didn’t deserve to stand after we were done.

We did the dogs first, some of which were so beaten that they were basically shut down. They didn’t even look at me as I picked them up and carried them out to the truck. They just trembled as I put them in the cages.

I wanted to kick Joseph around a little, then track down Anthony Smalls and beat the shit out of him too.

There were cats with kittens, battered-looking dogs covered in scars, and dogs so aggressive I wasn’t sure they’d even be able to be rehabbed. But at least they wouldn’t die in pain, scared and alone. Rabbits, guinea pigs, and even a fucking monkey were in a side room. Plus a whole wall of battered-looking roosters.

By the time we had everything loaded in the back of the truck, and even more in the cargo area of the SUV, I was emotionally battered. There was something about people doing this to innocent creatures for entertainment that made me irrationally angry. I really needed to go home and hug Akio. Then cuddle with my Omega and let her soothe the hurt in my heart right now. I’d killed more people than I could count, and even some animals, during my time in the Marines. But this was fucked, even by my standards.

Rio was holding two puppies with huge paws and blocky heads, who whimpered and shook, and I could sense the same rage in him. We might have blood on our hands, but at least I was fairly certain we were the good guys. Not whatever fucking evil this was.

“Is that the last of them?” I asked softly, and he nodded. “Good. Get them loaded up. Max and I will finish taking out the trash.” I walked over to where Joseph was still in the cage, unable to get out, and I smirked at him. The expression must have been as scary as intended, because he pissed himself. I squatted down in front of him. “I’m going to burn this placedown now, Joseph. You’ll spend your last moments in fear and pain, just like you wanted for these helpless creatures. I hope God grants you forgiveness, because you’ll get none from me.”

Nodding at Max, I watched as he got out a can of gas and started to pour it around the building, where the floor met the walls, and over the now-empty cages. He poured a great big puddle right in front of Joseph, who watched it spread underneath his cage.

I looked at Max. “Do you think he’ll die from the smoke and flames before he’s cooked alive?”

Max shrugged. “I hope not.”

Joseph was shaking his bars now. “No, please!Please!”

I turned away and walked toward the doors. I wasn’t actually going to burn this little weasel alive, but I wanted him to feel real terror before we let him go.

“There’s an Omega here! Anthony was getting into human cattle,” Joseph shouted, and my feet stopped dead.

Maybe I’d changed my mind. Maybe Iwouldlet him cook.

Turning on my heel, I strode back to the cage. “What did you just say?”

He was shaking now. “There’s an Omega here in the warehouse. If you let me go, I’ll tell you where she is. I’ll tell you everything. Please.” Joseph was crying now, snot running down his face.

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