Guardian Angels
Episode 37: "What a Grandmother Knows"
Rebecca Rogerson brushed her hair frantically. It was her birthday and her grandmother was stopping by any minute. The young wolf left her downstairs bathroom to find her husband sitting on the couch watching TV while holding his young son on his lap. That made her smile and calmed her down a bit. "It's just your grandmother, remarked the coyote on the couch.
"Whom I haven't seen in 20 years. I just hope my brothers don't decide to crash the party," defended Rebecca.
"Yeah, that wouldn't be good," Rick agreed.
Just as he finished, there was a knock at the door. Rebecca peered through the peep hole before opening the door. Gjai smiled brightly at her granddaughter. "Becky! It's been too long," the white wolf greeted as she wrapped loving arms around Rebecca.
"Grandma! I've missed you so much! Please, come on in and meet my family," Rebecca returned.
"That's right. I've got a great-grandson, don't I?" Gjai said, her face lighting up instantly. The older canine found the 3-year-old half-breed and quickly scooped him up into her arms. "Well, hello, there, little one. I'm your Great-Grandma Gjai. What's you're name?"
The boy was silent for a moment, so his father spoke for him: "His name is Raoha. His mother picked out the name, saying that she wanted to return to the family tradition of using wolfish names."
Gjai gave a blank look while she searched her memory for any meaning. The wolf in her had remained silent for long time, and even now, it did not speak to her. "I couldn't tell you what it means. Saipia was the one who studied the language of the wolves. I heard my wolf speak to me when I first became a Genoid and then she went completely silent and has remained that way ever since. I don't even know if she's still alive in there somewhere."
"Yeah. I have no idea what it means, either, but it felt right. I could hear it whispered to me," said Rebecca.
"You know that it wasn't Zorah who gave you and your brothers your names. My daughter had trouble pronouncing her name and my own, so she choice human names," said Gjai.
"I know. I remember my mother very vaguely. I remember she was kind hearted, but not all that bright. Still, know one really knows why my brothers turned out the way they did," remarked Becky.
"Speaking of my in-laws, I hope those two didn't follow you," Rick remarked.
Gjai scoffed, "Even if they did, those idiots are far to afraid of me to do anything. I'm really the only voice they'll actually listen too."
* * *
Meanwhile down the street from Rebecca's house, the Jones' Brothers eased their car to a hault. "There she is, huh? Our dear sister. It's been far too long since we've got to play with her," remarked Ryan.
"We've never gotten the chance. Grandma won't let us. And that's her car. I'm not going in there while she's there," Peter replied.
"Why not? I mean, what's so special about our grandmother that makes us act like scared puppies?" Ryan questioned.
"Well, she can get our asses," replied the younger of the brothers.
"So? Saipia can kick our asses better, and we go up against her all the time. In fact, we're probably gonna see her later today," retorted Ryan.
"She's also our grandmother. And she's really the only person I respect. Well, her and Saipia. They're the only two I know of that are willing to stand up to us. And Gjai takes a lot less crap than Saipia. She's a better parent than our own parents," explained Peter.
Ryan nodded in agreement. "Well, you wanna go home and get a little crazy?"
"Sounds like a plan. We need beer, though," agreed Peter as Ryan turned the vehicle around.
* * *
Saipia helped Isan to a seat at the table where bowls of bone soup were waiting for them. Niya was also there and watched intently as the two made their way from the living room to the dining room of the large house. "So, only a couple more episodes until retirement, huh, Isan?"
"Yup," the lioness said with a smile. "Can't wait. Hey, I thought Gjai was supposed to be joining us."
"Her granddaughter personally invited her to her birthday party. Gjai hasn't seen Rebecca in over 20 years. And it's the first time she'll get to see her great grandchild," replied Saipia.
"Ah. Yeah, I wouldn't miss that. either, if I were in her shoes," Isan said as took her seat with a wince. "But...I've spoken with a few doctors lately, and they've all said exactly what Kammy told me last week: the damage my heart from that heart attack is a lot worse that we thought."
"What do you mean?" asked Niya.
"I'm dying, I'm afraid. Kammy said I got a few months left, but this old heart of mine was severely damaged, and Kammy can't repair it as the surgery would likely kill me. She's managed, however to stabilize it's decline. And has gotten it to last as long as she could, but, there's nothing anyone can do, anymore," explained Isan.
Saipia sighed a regretful sigh. "I don't even like the thought of losing you, my old friend. But, I also know if Kammy can't save you, then no one can." Niya gave her mother a tearful kiss on the cheek before taking a seat next to her. Isan smiled at her before glancing around the mansion. "I've realized that I've purchased way to much crap. It's been hell trying to figure out what goes to who."
"I just hope you'll get to see your goddaughter married off," said Saipia.
"I should be able to see that. I'm looking forward to it.
"How's the research on the Brothers going?" asked the feline as she began to eat her soup.
"Well, except I still am not sure where their hideout is. I wanted to talk to Gjai about it, but she really doesn't want to," Saipia remarked, digging into her soup.
"Which is entirely reasonably since they killed her daughter and raped their foster parents countless times. I'd disown my grandkids, too, if they did crap like that," Isan remarked.
"Right. First of all, didn't Niya, here, get convicted of armed robbery when she was younger? Secondly, Gjai hasn't disowned them. She's just really pissed at them," Saipia retorted.
"Hey, that wasn't my fault, Saipia," Niya spat.
"Niya, I was the arresting officer. Don't try to argue about it. You were the only one there when I arrived and you wouldn't give up your accomplices and now the statute of limitation has expired," Saipia defended.
"And I let her serve her time in jail, too. Taught her a great deal. But, you're right, Sai, I didn't disown my daughter. I still love her. But none of my kids are crazed, incestuous psychopaths, either," said Isan.
Saipia sighed, not really liking where the conversation was going. Before she could change the subject, the doorbell rang, causing Isan to jump up as quickly as she could. "Come in, Kammy, it's open."
The door swung open and Isan's sister came in with a high tech wheel chair. "Ah, Saipia, I'm actually glad you're here, as I wanted to run some diagnostics on your systems."
Isan glared at the new chair with anticipation as she hobbled towards it. "I have been waiting for this chair. I finally have my independence back!"
Saipia laughed. "You've got a lot of energy for someone dying,"
"Yeah. I'm still a little slow, but with the wheel chair, I can turn off my legs which don't work that well at the moment, anyway, and conserve a bit of power," Isan replied as she took a seat in her new chair and spun around once.
"Right. Just don't over exert yourself. Or sign on for another season of your cooking show. I really don't know how long you're heart is going to last and that cooking show stresses it a lot," remarked Kammy.
Saipia just smiled at the scene as her phone rang and Kammy opened a panel on her arm. "Yes, chief?" she greeted the wolf. "The Brothers have done what?" she asked after listening to the chief's report. "Alright. I'll be in as soon as I can."
"What have those two gotten themselves into?" asked Isan who rolled herself back to the table to finish her lunch.
"They're holding up a lingerie store. Apparently, they wanted to get their sister a birthday present, but they didn't want to pay for it," said Saipia.
"A little personal for a sibling, don't ya think?" Niya commented as Saipia grabbed her holster and purse.
"Yeah, not for these two," the canine replied.
* * *
Eric was the first one on the scene as she and Layta had been taking work on their wedding registry. Now, Layta had taken their child to finish the registry while Eric stayed to try to keep Ryan and Peter from killing someone. "No one wants to hurt you, boys, they just want you to pay them."
"Why should they get our money?" Peter questioned.
"Oh my word. Look, if you two wanted to talk to Sai, you could have just asked. This is just stupid," Eric said.
Saipia finally arrived on the scene. "Hey, Eric. By the way, I ran into Layta on the way here. She's waiting for you in the food court with Emily."
"Thanks for the information. Do I have permission to join them?" the leopard questioned.
"Go ahead. I don't want to worry Layta too much," Saipia said and Eric hurried off to meet up with her family.
"Letting him get away, Saipia? That's not like you," Ryan taunted.
Saipia guffawed at the statement. "Unlike you two, I don't sleep with family. He's the father of my granddaughter and soon to be my son-in-law. Now, why don't you come out here, and let me put some nice jewelry on you like good little boys."
"Nah. To be perfectly honest, I'd rather just shoot you," said Peter who then shot the canine in the head.
Casually, Saipia reached up and pulled the bullet from her synthetic skulled. She pulled out an evidence bag, dropped the round in it and sealed it before sliding it back in her pocket. The blue wolf then walked towards the brothers with a dead serious look on her face. Taking the two by the collars, she dragged them out of the lingerie store. Grabbing them both by the throat she picked them up and slammed them to the ground again. "I REALLY have a problem with being shot. It's not pleasant and if you want to keep breathing, I suggest you avoid doing it again, is that clear?" growled the officer.
"We're in the middle of a mall. You're not going to kill us here," Ryan muttered.
"I can now. You shot me, you idiot. Now, if you run or if I think you're a threat, I can put a round between your eyes," remarked Saipia.
The brothers planted their feet on Saipia's stomach, and, together, the tossed her off of them. Saipia only slid back a few feet, drawing her firearm as she went. Peter and Ryan both fired a round, hitting Saipia in the shoulders. Saipia returned fire, shooting them in the same shoulders they shot her in. The brothers clutched their shoulders in pain. "Didn't I tell you two I have an issue with being shot."
"But, we want you dead," Peter commented, trying to stop the bleeding.
"Are you two really that stupid? You kill me, you'll have to answer to my daughter, my team and the Fifteen...which includes your grandmother. And I'm a cyborg. Killing me isn't as easy as you think," Saipia countered.
As she was speaking, the rest of the Angels arrived on the scene with guns drawn and aimed at the brothers, who were immediately quite nervous. "But, at least you'd be dead."
"Saipia, what the hell is going on here?" Gjai asked as she came upon the scene.
"They tried to rob a lingerie store. Then they tried to kill me," explained Saipia.
"A lingerie store? Really, boys? Your brains are so broken that you've stooped to robbing a lingerie store?" Gjai questioned her grandsons.
"They were gonna be presents for our sister," Ryan said.
Gjai let a growl escape her lips at that. "You are not to go anywhere near Rebecca. That would violate your restraining order and incur my wrath. I don't want you even sending her presents on her birthday. You leave her and her family alone, understand."
"Yes, Grandma," the two black wolves said in unison.
Saipia approached from behind them to put the brothers in handcuffs, but when Ryan felt the cold steel on his wrists, he promptly grabbed Saipia's arm and threw her over his shoulder. The suddenness and quickness of his motions caught Saipia off guard and she couldn't get her mind to figure out what was happening, so she landed hard on the tile floor, cracking it and breaking a couple components. Red lights instantly flashed before her eyes, giving her a damage report. As she was about to get up she stopped and just took a seat on the floor to calm herself.
"You alright, Sai?" Gjai questioned.
The old canine shook her head. "Too close to having a heart attack. I'm going to go join my daughter and granddaughter."
"How are you close to having a heart attack? I thought Kammy made your heart extra tough," Jimmy commented.
"The impact damaged some of my components, including a couple of the components that are supposed aid my artificial heart. I've got red lights across the board in here, so I'm done," Saipia explained as she limped away from the scene.
"Alright, you two, I have HAD IT!" spat Gjai. "I've sat by while you killed my only daughter, raped your foster parents and committed all sorts of horrible acts. I don't know who's smart ass idea it was to release you two idiots from your jail cells after you killed your parents, but they need to be locked away in a mental facility."
"Umm...I've got a question: why didn't you raise them after they got out of jail?" Candy asked.
"No one asked me. Hell, I didn't even know they had been released until I saw that they had committed another crime a good year after they were released. Apparently, the fact that I am their grandmother seems to have gone missing from all official documents," Gjai explained.
"Ah. That's a little weird," the rabbit replied.
"Probably the same person who let them out also erased the data," said Bryan.
"Yes, and that person would be Saipia's mother. Another little experiment of hers. But, it ends now. Ryan and Peter, I am through sitting by and letting hurt the people I actually care about," Gjai shouted.
"And what are you going to do about it?" Ryan asked.
"I am going to send you to Brazil. You should have fun there. There's a nice big Genoid fighting club down there that's perfectly legal. You two should fit right it. And you'll be able to kill as much as you want," Gjai replied.
"So, you wish to encourage their behavior?" Tossa commented.
"Have you got a better plan?" Gjai questioned.
"Well, you could send them to boot camp. I know of a couple that handle criminals like these two. Better to cure a cold than feed it, right?" said the African wild dog.
Gjai dwelt on that for only a moment. "That does sound like a better idea, actually. But, what if they just kill the drill sergeant?"
"They'd be on a military base. They start killing people and they'll be encouraging their own fate. Plus, where I'd put them, they wouldn't have the chance," said Tossa.
"Do you intend to send them to Africa?" asked the white wolf.
"You can't just lock us in a crate and ship us all over the world!" Peter growled.
"Shut up, Peter. I will not have you in the same country as Saipia or your sister. And I think Africa would be perfect. That way, even if you escape, you'd be hard pressed to find your way back to Hollywood. But, it is up to Jimmy and the chief," Gjai said.
"Africa seems like a good place to drop them. Literally if we can arrange it," the old border collie commented, his tail giving a few joyful wags at the thought.
"I might be able to pull a few strings," Tossa grinned mischievously.
* * *
Saipia hung limply from the thick maintenance cables while Kammy punched away at the virtual keyboard before her. "I'm impressed that a simple throw like that did this much damage. And your stress levels are through the roof," commented the lioness.
The blue wolf sighed deeply. "Yeah. I'm afraid, I'm getting too old for this job."
"No kidding. You're old enough to be a great-grandmother, Mother," Layta remarked coming down the stairs. "I don't know what possesses you to keep risking your neck every day, and personally, I wish you'd stop, but, I know you won't until you've accomplished your goal.
"Nope. And I will have to kill your grandmother," said Saipia.
"Well, you'll have to use a different body. The damage you sustained is pretty severe. It'll take me a week or two to fix. And, by the way, this will be my last bit of maintenance. Keela will be taking over my little business. I am retiring. Also, Lyst has retired. She says that if you need your fortune read, talk to her granddaughter," Kammy reported.
"Fine. I guess, I'll be in my white fur fpr a while," Saipia replied.
"Anyway, I came down here to inform you that Eric and I have decided on a wedding date. It will be on April 1st," Layta informed.
"That had better not be some sort of twisted April Fools joke," Saipia said quickly and seriously.
"Nope. It's not. You've been very important in both our lives and we figured that the two of us getting married would be a good birthday present for you," Layta reassured and gave her mother a kiss on her cheek. "And you are to be my Maid of Honor." With that, Layta went back up stairs.
Saipia smiled. "That is one special daughter you have there, Sai," commented Kammy. "There's no way my son would ever do something like that."
"Yeah. And I didn't even think I made that much of an impact on her. I am relieved that she turned out as well as she did," remarked Saipia.
* * *
Somewhere over Africa
Peter and Ryan sat, chain to their cages as the plane flew on. The brothers weren't at all happy about their accommodations. But there wasn't much they could do as there were surrounded by the military. The engines of the old C-130 were so loud, the soldiers used hand signals. It was only as the soldiers began to move away from their cage that the brothers noticed the package that sat on top of their cage was attached to it. "Oh, you have got to be kidding me," Peter remarked.
"I guess they weren't kidding when they..." before Ryan could finish, the rear cargo bay doors to the plane opened. "...said they'd drop us off."
"If I get back from this, I am going to kill Saipia," Peter remarked as their cage began sliding towards the open door.
Next Time:
Although the Brothers are now in Africa
Saipia and the Angels aren't out of the woods yet.
James is off on a tour of Hollywood as part of her mayoral campaign.
But, of course, a Genoid as a mayor doesn't sit well with a lot of people
So, James will hire the Angels to protect her.
Episode 38: "Security Force"
