Guardian Angels
Last Time:
In the fifty years since our creation, the Genoid population has grown. With it, the humans' hatred for our kind has also grown. Now, even President Joseph K. Izen is out to kill us with a team of ex-Navy Seals and criminals known as the Genoid Elimination Squad. Their first task, it would seem, would be too draw us Angels out and kill us. We were very much in the public eye and nothing smelled quite right. But our time in the nation's capital was quite relaxing, and it was good to see the Commander in such good spirits.
Episode 3: "Celebrity"
Jack stood in the Chief's office along side Erica and listened to their next mission briefing. "Really? That's really our next mission?" asked the big hyena, not liking the sound of it at all.
"Yes. Direct orders from the mayor herself," the old, balding man said.
"Saipia isn't going to like this at all," Erica commented. "She wanted us to go after one of the Genoid Abduction Rings. The fox we arrested gave us plenty of information to take another one down."
"And one that's run by our own damned breed," Jack agreed.
The old man sighed and looked at the two walking, talking animals with all the sympathy of a good couch that had to tell his best player that he couldn't play anymore. "I know. And I would love to tell you guys that you can go ahead and do that, but the mayor gave me direct orders."
"Whatever. But, you get to tell her, Erica," Jack said.
"You know, just because I've known Saipia longer than you have, doesn't mean I like giving her bad news," the jaguar remarked with her arms crossed over her chest.
Jack chuckled at the comment. "Never said you did. She's just less likely to kick your ass for it. Too bad James is still on vacation. She'd probably volunteer."
"Where is the Commander, anyway?" asked the Chief as he took a seat in his chair.
"She's meditating and working on her martial arts," Jack reported.
The chief nodded at that. "Didn't even know she knew any martial arts."
Erica smiled. "She figured it would be a good thing to learn along side her police training. Sai has studied incredibly hard to get where she's at and she's covered her bases pretty well."
"She's also very smart and great leader," the chief added. "Anyways, you guys better get started on this mission. If the mayor lady comes poking around, I'm sending her your way."
"Right. See you later, Chief," Jack replied, and with a wave, the two Genoids made their way to the training area where their leader was. "I'm going to go brief J. J. and the others."
"Yeah, yeah, leave me to do the dirty work. You know, according to the humans, men are suppose to be the dominate sex," Erica spat.
Evan smiled at that. "Woo! Good thing we're not human. Saipia'd probably kill me if I told her we have to babysit some celebrity nutjob instead of hunting down another GAR."
"Jackass," Erica commented as the two went their separate ways. The jaguar loved her job. She loved the social experience of it and the fact that she was doing something productive with her life. All her family and friends looked up to her because she was a cop.
However, there were some things about her Hollywood precinct that she didn't like. As she neared the elevators, one of the human officers gave her butt a hard slap. Shocked, and offended, she glanced towards the the culprit and saw a group of men laughing. In the midst of those men was a human female. Erica gave a sly smile and turned towards the group. Without hesitation, the Genoid planted a firm kiss on the woman's lips. "Thanks for the action, baby, maybe we can do it again sometime," she said.
"Wait, I was the one that slapped..." the true offender defended.
"You? Not with that soft slap. Besides, if you did it, I would have to report you to the Chief, seeing as it could be classified as sexual harrasment and, since I'm your superior officer, Sergeant, it would definitely get you at least suspended, if not fired," Erica cut in with a knowing and scolding glare.
The guy's friends tried to contain their laughter. Even the female officer was stifling a laugh. "Yes, ma'am. You're right, it wasn't me. It was all Jill," said the guilty party after he swallowed his fear.
"I didn't even know you Genoids dated the same sex," the redhead commented.
"Well, if you'd get to know us, you might find we're full of secrets," Erica said as she turned to continue on her way.
* * *
Saipia was simply doing breathing exercises in her starch white martial arts uniform when Erica entered the room. "You know, this is supposed to be a combat training area, not some cheesy, feel-good, dojo," the cat commented, drawing a laugh from the blue wolf.
"It's good to see you, too, Erica. What brings you down here?" Saipia asked without stopping her exercises.
"We have a special assignment from the mayor herself. Apparently, there's an important celebrity that needs some bodyguards," Erica admitted.
"So, why can't some of the humans do that? Ninety percent of the celebrities in this city have nothing to do with us," Saipia asked, her calming exercises completely ruined.
Erica shrugged. "I know that. But it's out of our hands. If the mayor wants us to do something, that's what we have to do."
"Right," that got the wolf thinking a bit, though. "Did she know that we interrogated a fox and got enough information to bust another Abduction Ring?"
"I would assume so. We did file a full report, and the mayor would have access to those files. That and I would assume that she has eyes and ears within the precinct," Erica answered.
"Hmm. Alright, fine. You and I can watch over this celebrity knucklehead. But, I want Jack and James to stake out the location of that abduction ring hideout. I suspect the babysitting job is simply a diversion," Saipia ordered.
Erica shook her head. "Wish we could carry out that order, ma'am, but mayor wants ALL of us to watch over this client."
"Why? A bodyguard mission doesn't usually need five people. Who's the client?" asked the Genoid leader.
"No one special. From what I can tell, there's no real reason why we're protecting him," said the jaguar with a shrug.
Saipia finally stopped her exercises and stared into her friend's eyes as she tried to think of a plan. After a couple minutes, she smiled and went back to her exercises. "Fine. We'll all do as the mayor wishes. Have Jack and the others prepare a van complete with body armor, battle rifles, SPGs and audio and video servalence. This should be a good training exercise."
"What about the hideout?" Erica asked.
Saipia gave a knowing glance security camera in the corner of the room. Erica followed her boss's glance and gave a smile of her own. "Right. I'll go make the arrangements."
"I'll be there in a little bit. I've still got this room for another fifteen minutes," said the wolf.
* * *
Saipia drove the fully loaded van to the rendevuez point which was the celebrity's house. It didn't take them long to discover who they were babysitting as the tall, stocky, brown haired man that was Larry Sancheiz walked out to the van. "Larry Sancheiz? We're babysitting Larry Sancheiz?" asked Jack with a tone of disbelief. Sancheiz was the latest in the long line of late night talk show hosts, following in the footsteps of Jay Leno and Conan O'Brian. However, he had a reputation for being a complete jerk. Jack had a couple run-ins with him personally, and the look on the hyena's face displayed his distaste for the human.
"Oh. James should be glad she's in Hawaii. She hates Sanchiez. Now, Conan she liked," Saipia commented as she stepped from the van to open up the passenger side door for the talk show host. "Hello, Mr. Sancheiz. I guess we are your ride and protection for the day."
"Yeah, I guess so. You know, for Genoids you're pretty hot. Why are all female cops sexy?" asked the Mexican man, the sexual overtone in his voice not going unnoticed by Saipia and the rest of the team.
"It's a job requirement," remarked the blue wolf without hesitation and with a smile as she moved around the front of the van and got in.
"Really?" Larry asked, a confused look on his face.
"Yup. Section 50, Paragraph 12 of the officer's handbook: 'All female officers must be beautiful to the point that they could be Playboy models.' Even goes into details about the minimum breast size, the tightness of the ass and other things," joked the blue wolf.
With a shared laugh amongst her team, leaving Larry in the dark with an irritated look on his face, the host glanced into the back of the van and waved at the other Genoids. "Hey, how are you guys?" The look he gave the Angels told them he wasn't all that thrilled about being babysat by their breed. The feeling, however, was mutual.
"We're fine," Jack replied simply.
"Hey, sir, you mind if we stop and get a bite to eat? I'll buy," asked Saipia.
"Only if you don't call me sir," Larry insisted with another laugh, trying to make the most of his situation. Saipia gave an understanding nod as she pulled away from the house. "So, what's with the commando get up? You aren't expecting anything to happen are you? 'Cause that's something I would love to be aware of."
"No. I just figured, since we're out doing guard duty, we can pretend like there's a hit out on you. It's not everyday that me and my team get active field training," Saipia replied honestly.
"Right. Sounds like a lot of fun. So, what are your names? I assume you're that one Genoid squad that got established not too long ago, right?" the comedian questioned, frowning at the fact that they were going to act like his life was actually in danger.
"That's correct. We are the Genoid Urban Equalization and Safety Team or GUEST for short. But, you can call us Guardian Angels. And as for our names: the Amur leopard in the back in Sergeant First Class Doctor Bryan Andrews, the border collie is Sergeant Second Class James Jewels, the normal leopard is Lieutenant First Class Erica Martin, the big cowboy hyena is Lieutenant Second Class Even 'Jack' Taylor, I'm Commander Saipia Jones and the one we're missing is a maned wolf by the name of Captain Third Class James Elissa Connell," Saipia reported.
"Elissa? You have a girl on your team with the first name of James?" Larry asked, tickled by that revelation.
"Yup. She's my second in command and a very old friend of mine," the blue leader acknowledged.
Larry laughed at that. "I bet she's fun at parties."
The Genoids all frowned at that, knowing full well what the human meant. The following silence speaking loader than any words. Saipia's canine ears darted around, picking up on any sound that might be a threat, her tail completely still. This alerted the rest of the Angels that there might really be a threat. Luckily, the smell of the fast food restaurant they were interrupted the woman's fears and reminded her that she hadn't eaten in a while.
Saipia's cell phone alerted her to a text message. Quickly retrieving her phone she glanced at the screen. Smiling, she handed the phone to Jack who took a gander at the screen.
"God, I'm hungry," the wolf said as she steered the large black metal box on wheels into the parking lot. Amongst the many vehicles there was a large, red SUV. Too everyone else, it didn't seem special, but to the Angels, it was the key to their plan.
As the team and the comedian piled out of the van, they all left their weapons and vests in the van and strolled casually into the restaurant armed with only a couple knifes and handguns. Already sitting at one of the tables were two male wolves. One was sucking on the straw of his milkshake while the other worked on his burger. "Larry, why don't you have a seat with those to wolves over there, and we will be right with you."
"Alright, but I want a Double Whopper with extra cheese," said the talk show host. "Who are they by the way?"
"They are my brothers. The one with the milkshake is Peter and other one is Ryan. Just be careful, 'cause they might ask you for your autograph," Saipia replied and turned towards the counter.
"Or break his arm," Jack commented quietly. "If I remember correctly your brothers staged a protest against Sancheiz because of his racial remarks and support of anti-Genoid companies and people."
Saipia shrugged. "Yes, but Sancheiz doesn't know that. He was too busy eating dinner with our mayor to care or notice. Also, if they kill him, then we don't have to worry about him."
"Isn't that a little harsh for a cop?" Erica asked.
"Hey, all I know is Sancheiz has been a thorn in my family's side for a while. If he dies, I'm not going to shed any tears," the blue wolf said as the group approached the counter to order.
As soon as everyone ordered their food with Erica and James left to wait to take the trays to the table, the rest of the team took a seat next to the two wolves who were doing their best to ignore Sancheiz. As soon as Saipia sat down next to the shorter Peter who was now working on sucking all the air out of his cup, Sancheiz recognized the family resemblance. "Wait, Saipia Jones? Jones as in the bastards who've been making my life..."
"Don't you even dare accuse us of making your life a living hell, Mr. Sancheiz. If you wouldn't be so damned determined to rid this land of us, then we wouldn't have any problem with you," spat Saipia.
The man frowned and leaned back in his seat, realizing he was surrounded by creatures he had alienated and who wouldn't hesitate to kill him or leave him for dead. "You know, Saipia, this changes the plan slightly," Peter said.
"I know. And you can bet Ashley was very much behind this, too. Of course she knew having us babysit Sancheiz would drive me nuts. But, I'm glad I brought my entire team with me," Saipia agreed, partially angry because she was hungry.
"But, what do you want to do, now, sis?" Ryan asked.
Saipia leaned back in her seat with a sigh and thought about her options. "Well, I suspect Ashley is going to more on the lookout for me, so, I think we can still split up. Jack, after our lunch, you, James and Bryan are going with my brothers to keep an eye on that hideout. There should be survalence equipment in the Suburban. If you see Ashley sneaking in there, photograph her. We're going to need all the help we can get.
"While you're doing that. Erica and I are going to be the good little girls and drive Mr. Sansheiz to the movie lot and guard him while he does his show. Afterward, we're going to take him home. We will guard him at his house until Peter gives me the all clear signal. Then, Erica and I will meet up with you guys and we'll take down the hideout and discover just who's behind these Genoid owned abduction rings, is that clear?" Saipia ordered as Jack and Erica took their seats at the table and passed out the food, leaving the comedian out.
"Yes, ma'am," Jack said before taking a bite out of his burger.
"Hey, where's my food?" Sancheiz asked.
"They didn't have what you wanted," Jack said dryly.
"You know, I'm going to tell Ashley about all this when I see her, right?" the irritated human said.
"No, you won't. Not unless you want Hollywood, the world and your wife to know what you do when you work late. You keep forgetting that my family doesn't like you, Larry. You honestly think we're not going to have enough on you to put you away for a while?" Saipia commented through her food.
"What do you mean? I didn't do anything illegal," Larry said with a smile.
"You should try telling that to Mrs. Connell. It was her little sister that you killed that night, right?" Bryan said and everyone at the table except the Jones paused in their eating.
"I was..." started Larry.
"No, the reports may say that you were drunk or high, but the funny thing I found when I reviewed everything, is not a single report could agree on just what was wrong with you. And after reviewing the security tape, I have come to determined that you weren't drunk or high or pissed. Monica just happened to be in the wrong place at the wrong time. You killed her in cold blood, Mr. Sancheiz," Saipia explained. Larry was trapped, and he could see it in Saipia's eyes. "And if I remember correctly, your wife is actually a supporter of Genoid rights and the only reason she's still with you is because she believes you weren't in your right mind that night."
"You know, the ironic thing about you humans is you always accuse us Genoids of being monsters, but if you step back in look at the bigger picture, we're just trying to survive in a world that hates us. If you ask me, I think it is the humans that are the monsters," Erica commented.
"Oh, humanity, how far will you descend into hell just to see if it really is hell that you descend into," Bryan said. "When Genoids were first conceived, all you humans looked at us with tender eyes."
"My farther always told us stories of those days. He mentioned that he was even on Jay Leno back in the early days. Everyone cooed when he was shown as a little baby. Did you know that I was born in a dumpster, Mr. Sancheiz? My mother and father couldn't find a hospital that was willing to take them in, and all the looks they got from the humans were looks of hatred. So, they hid in a dumpster while I was born. The saddest part is, I'm the youngest in my family and the rest of my siblings were born in proper hospitals. Bryan is only a year older than me," the blue wolf said before finishing off her first burger and starting on another.
"My, Sai, you really are hungry, huh?" remarked Erica with a laugh.
The blue wolf nodded. "I forgot to set my alarm last night. And when I woke up, I was already late for work, so I took a quick shower, dyed my fur, threw on a uniform and left. So, I haven't eaten anything all day."
Jack turned his head away from the group, obviously troubled by his own thoughts. "Something, eating you, Evan?" Saipia asked.
"Well, it's just that...if Ashley thought through her plan enough to hire us to protect Sancheiz, isn't possible that she could have hired someone to actually try and kill him?" the hyena questioned.
Saipia thought about that for a moment. His logic was sound as she wouldn't put it passed that old bat to pull a stunt like that. And if Saipia were in Ashley's position, she probably would, as well. In fact, if it were up to the blue wolf, she would do everything to make sure Sancheiz didn't live to see another day. "I suppose it's possible. But, I have faith in Erica and I that we can handle anything the bitch can throw at us...Unless, of course, you're that concerned about us."
Jack was a little stunned by the Commander's implications. He did have feelings for the wolf, but he wasn't ready to admit how he really felt about her. "It's just that...if you need any support, just give us a call."
"Don't worry about it. There's noway the mayor would ever put a hit out on me," the comedian reassured.
Saipia shook her head at the human. "You're a liability, Larry, and a loose end Ever since you killed a Genoid, you've been in the spotlight. Then my brothers led the protest against you, which just put a target on your chest. The only reason you're alive now, is because Ashley's been protecting you, waiting for an opportunity to cut the leash. Having you killed while the only tactical Genoid team is guarding you would swing all the negative press our way. Although, I would assume it would be Genoids she would send to kill you. Which means, that if she did put a hit out on you, we probably would have to avoid killing the assassins, otherwise, it the press would have a field day with the whole Genoids killing Genoids thing and probably accuse us of going against the promise we made to help protect and clean up our community and people."
"You want us to protect Sancheiz by ourselves without killing anyone?" Erica asked, her voice full of disbelief.
Saipia nodded. "You're forgetting that in addition to being your commanding officer, I'm also the hand-to-hand combat and special weapons expert. Plus, we're both Genoids. If we simply trust the animal side of us, then we should be fine. Remember, we can see, hear, touch, smell and taste things the humans cannot. After we split up, Erica, you and are are no longer Genoids, but wild animals."
"You know, the mayor probably counted on us splitting up, even without the bugs in the van," James said.
"True. So, if you guys think that something isn't right at that hideout, find us and back us up. There's personal tracking devices in the van that we should pass out. That way, you can get to us faster if something so go awry," ordered Saipia. "And to answer your question, Larry: if you think that Ashley won't order a hit on you, then you are incredibly mistaken. She has nothing to loose by killing you, and everything to gain."
* * *
Jack sat in the driver's seat of the SUV and glared at the building across the park that separated the public from the evil that the building housed. Tapping a button on the GPS, six red dots appeared on the screen. The hyena's hat lay on the passenger seat, an old M16 battle rifle laid across his lap, the muzzle pointed towards the floor, as per standard operating procedure. James and Bryan played a game of spades while they watched the building.
"You alright, Jack?" the dog asked.
"I don't like this set up at all. We've been sitting here for an hour and no sign of the mayor. Something doesn't seem right," Jack commented.
Bryan and James look at each other. "Don't worry about Saipia. She's a big girl and she can take care of herself," Ryan mentioned.
"You guys have no idea what she's capable of," Peter added.
"I do," Jack answered and the brothers gave the hyena a questioning look.
Peter smiled. "That's right, you're in love with our sister, aren't you? Sai's told us about you."
"My feelings for her aren't important at the moment. What's important is the mission at hand. Tell me, have you guys noticed any activity around that hideout at all? I mean, have you seen anyone enter or exit the place since we've been here?" Jack questioned.
The four other Genoids glanced at each other with a shocked look. "Come to thin of it, you're right," Bryan said.
"It's a little odd that an abduction ring hideout would be so quiet. If you ask me, they either know we're watching them or they were tipped off and moved their operations. I get the distinct feeling we were played," the hyena said, his arms across his chest.
"If you noticed this, then why didn't you just tail Saipia then?" James asked.
"Because, she gave us direct orders to stay here unless she calls us or something goes awry," Jack replied.
"But, wouldn't nothing happening count as awry?" Bryan questioned.
Peter laughed while his brother smiled. "Saipia told you she can take care of herself. In other words, she wants us to butt out unless she says otherwise. Sorry, boys, we're stuck here for the moment."
"Let's hope she doesn't get herself killed," Jack added.
* * *
Saipia held the door to the studio open for Sancheiz, her senses constantly on alert for anything out of the ordinary. Already, she's picked up on several unusual scents. She was walking into an ambush and the look she tossed Erica after Sancheiz entered the building informed her friend of it. Erica returned a knowing look, a frown plastered on her face.
"You think we should call for backup?" the leopard asked, pausing by her boss.
Saipia shook her head. "From what I can gather, these guys are rookies. Any smart criminal would have remembered that we're Genoids and done a better job of hiding their scents. I don't think they'll be a problem. Even if they all attack at once."
"Which is also part of the mayor's plan," Erica said as she entered the building.
"Well, you've got to hand it to her. She's a pretty smart strategist," the blue wolf replied as she slipped into the studio. With a glance behind her, she pulled a SPG out of a pouch and stuck it to the wall just inside the door. She set it for proximity and proceeded down the hall after her teammate and comedian.
Sancheiz turned towards his dressing room and the two women paused outside of it. "You have your active camoflouge device with you?" Saipia asked.
Alerted to a sound down the hall from which they had just come, the two glanced towards the fresh trap for a moment. Satisfied it was nothing, they turn their attention back to their conversation. "Yeah. Of course. We all have it. Why?"
"Good. I think it might be a good idea to activate it," suggested the commander who clicked a button on he uniform and almost instantly went invisible.
Without a word, Erica followed suit. Quietly, the two waited outside the dressing room. A makeup artist opened the door and Saipia slipped in unnoticed. Immediately, Saipia noticed the room wasn't very big. There was hardly any room in there for the two humans and her. But, the scent of a fellow Genoid made her sure they weren't alone. "Damn. This bastard needs to wear deodorant," she thought to herself, being sure to keep quiet.
After about twenty minutes, the makeup artist left. Suddenly, a big gorilla materialized with a hand gun pointed at Larry's temple. "Isn't that a little cliché? A talking gorilla with homicidal tendencies. I didn't even know Dr. Ira created Genoid gorillas," commented Saipia as she materialized herself, and assault rifle pointed at the ape.
"You won't shoot me. You're a cop. And a hot cop at that," the gorilla replied, not showing any emotion nor lowering his weapon.
"Yeah, yeah, I'm a hot, young, blue wolf cop. I've heard it all before. You are right that I can't shoot you. But, then again, who said anything about shooting?" asked the wolf.
The big ape was taken aback by the statement as the policewoman lowered her rifle and reached down to her waist and opened a pouch. From the pouch she pulled out a pair of shock gloves. "What? Those things are illegal! How'd?"
"I'm a cop, remember. Plus, I'm a Genoid. I learned a while ago that when dealing with our kind, it pays to have an ace up your sleeve. Now, you going to be a good boy and give up, or do I have to shock some sense into you?" explained Saipia.
"Commander, we definitely have issues out here. Your little trap took out more than we expected, but it would appear Ashley opened hunting season on Larry's ass," Erica's voice blurted through the small intercom badge she and her team wore.
"Oh, that means you don't get to decide," Saipia remarked and slammed a fist into the monkey's face, the voltage from the gloves assisting in knocking the man out. Quickly, the wolf pulled out a long plastic zip tie and secured the ape's hands behind him. Turning to Larry, she snapped, "Stay here!" before rushing out of the door.
Quickly, the commander loaded a clip of stun rounds into her rifle, while also loading an SPG round into the grenade launcher on her rifle. With a quick glance towards the entrance, she saw several Genoids pouring through the opening, the unconscious bodies of their competition and comrades slowing them down slightly. "Damnit! You'd think a movie studio would have better security," she spat in Erica's general direction.
Erica stood a few feet away, hiding safely behind a corner. "Yeah. I'm out of ammo, by the way," the jaguar mentioned.
Instantly, Saipia rushed back behind a wall opposite her friend, tossing Erica a fresh clip as she passed her. Spinning towards the open hallway, Saipia fired her SPG grenade, hitting a red panda squarely in the chest. The resulting static explosion didn't seem to slow down the amount of enemies coming into the studio. Ducking back to safety as several rounds chased her, she quickly thought of a plan. There was only one option she could think of. Quickly, she pulled out her cellphone and dialed Jack.
* * *
Jack dug into his pocket for his ringing phone. "What is it, Commander?"
"We walked into an ambush. They aren't smart, but what they lack in brains they make up in numbers. We need an extraction, now!" the blue wolf ordered.
"Numbers?" James asked.
"Well, if Ashley offered an award for Sancheiz's death, then that would send every Genoid within earshot after him," Peter said as he scanned the internet and other media for such an award using a tablet.
"Yeah, but either way, you heard the lady. I would buckle up, if I were you," Jack warned as he started the SUV.
"I just hope no one we know is after him," Ryan said as everyone buckled up.
* * *
Saipia and Erica were running low stun rounds. But, thankfully, they had gotten Sancheiz out of his dressing room and safely behind them. "We have to find another way to slow these idiots down so we can escape," the blue wolf shouted over the gun fire.
"Sai! This way!" a familiar voice called behind the officers.
"Gjai?" the commandered remarked as she glanced towards the stage. "What are you doing here?"
"You don't have time for explanations, Sai. Just shut up and follow me," the doctor snapped.
"Yes, ma'am," said Saipia. Nodding towards Erica, the jaguar took a last glance towards the advancing waves of Genoids, she took off towards Gjai. Once Saipia was sure Erica was safe, she grabbed Sancheiz and quickly followed her sister.
As she passed through another open door, Saipia was shocked to see an ambulance waiting patiently for them. Gjai ushered Erica, Larry and Saipia into the van and quickly shut the doors. "Punch it, Steve!" The emergency vehicle lurched forward, leaving all the hopeful killers in the dust.
Saipia pulled out her phone and dialed Jack again. "Where are we going?" she asked her sibling.
"The hospital," Gjai answered.
"Hey, Jack, meet us at Living Hope Hospital," the commander ordered quickly before hanging up and giving her sister a questioning look.
"I heard a fellow employee talking about a bounty on Larry's head and that you guys had been assigned to protect him. I figured that probably didn't mean anything good, so I figured I would help you out. Looks like I arrived just in time, too." the white wolf explained.
"Thanks, Gjai," Saipia replied in an apologetic tone. After heaving a sign, the two siblings shared a hug. "Although, I'm a little surprised that you saved Larry."
"Don't mention it," Gjai commented flatly as the two broke their embrace. Folding her arms over her chest she glanced at Sancheiz briefly and then back to her sister. "You can buy me dinner sometime to thank me."
"I think I'd like to tag along on that date, if you two don't mind," Erica commented with a toothy smile.
"Of course you can come along, Erica," Gjai replied with a smile.
"Oh, I'm giving you all bonuses for this job. You've all earned it today," Saipia told her friend.
"How are Peter and Ryan?" Gjai asked.
"They're fine. They weren't thrilled when they saw who I was protecting, but, they're fne," Saipia replied.
"That's good. And it's good to see you both save as well," the doctor commented as the ambulance crossed into Genoid territory.
* * *
As Larry stepped from the ambulance to enter the hospital, he glanced around at the area around him. The Genoid Zone of Hollywood was unlike anything he had ever seen. The setting sun only make it seem that much worse. In a corner outside the hospital was a small shanty village where the poorest families huddled in the dropping temperature. Were the village met the hospital, four wolf pups were gathered, huddling for warmth around a barrel fire. Despite the warmth of the flames, they still looked bitterly cold.
The hospital itself wasn't all that impressive. It was old, and weather beaten. Some rooms even had cardboard over the windows. The electricity didn't work continuously, making their ER rather pointless. "My word. With a hospital like this, no one needs to be actively seeking your demise, huh?"
Gjai gave the comedian an irritated glance as she entered the hospital. "You're right, Larry. If we don't improve our own living conditions and medical facilities, our breed is doomed."
In that moment, Larry felt guilty for all this constant hatred and protest of the Genoids. Now, he found himself filled with respect for them. Even as he entered the hospital and saw Saipia wrap her arms around her team and family, he felt like an alien in their world. Maybe the Genoids weren't so different after all.
Next Time:
The Angels may have hard job, but it's nothing compared to the lives of those they protect. Just how do the Genoids live and what do they go through? The answer to these questions lie within a tale that will remind you why they're called Guardian Angels.
