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JAGGER
The Ferocious
The three swordsmen turned as the buzz hit them. They watched in surprise as a portion of the gymnasium wall slid open. A young woman with long dark hair stepped out and smiled warmly at them.
“Hello. Welcome to the Castle. I’m your new bodyguard.” The swordsman looked her up and down(mostly down) doubtfully.
“What makes you think that we need protecting?” the tallest swordsmen asked. “Or that you could do it if we needed it?”
The young woman rolled her eyes and laughed. “Please. You three attract trouble like it was going out of style. You’re being hunted.” The men did not respond. “The people hunting you are big game hunters. They’re bored. You’re the latest trophies.”
The three men gaped at her. The oldest one recovered first. “That still doesn’t answer why you think you can protect us.”
“We know how they work. We have detailed profiles on all they’re weaponry and personnel. More importantly, we have what it takes to stop them.”
“Are you Watchers?” The tallest swordsman asked, curiously. “If so, I want to talk to Joe.”
“Watchers don’t interfere. Remember?”
“Who are you then? Who hired you?” The blonde swordsman lit a cigarette.
“Kelly assigned me.”
“WHO is Kelly?”
“I could tell you, but then I would have to kill you.” The woman grinned mischievously at them. They glared back at her. She sighed. “Oh, alright. A couple of weeks ago I received word that you were being hunted. I took that information to Kelly. She contacted the others.”
“Others?”
“The CLOFC, PEACE, The Harem, the list was endless. Even Clan Denial sent representatives. It was decided that we had to hide you. The MacChats volunteered the Castle. It’s still under construction and so is likely to be the last place anyone would look. Only a handful of us even know how to get down here.”
The three swordsman looked at each other, then back at the young woman. The oldest one swallowed uncomfortably. “I’m almost afraid to ask. Down here?”
The woman nodded. “We’re about a mile underneath the castle. There are several levels to these apartments. All the comforts of home.” She turned back to the still open panel in the wall. “I realize you’re cleaning yourself but could you step off the elevator so the door will close?”
There is silence and then a very large cat walked into the room. He is beautifully striped with a large head and huge paws marking his Maine Coon heritage.
“What is that!?!?” The young woman looked back at the men, puzzled. Understanding dawned and she grinned.
“That’s our secret weapon. You can call him Jagger and you can call me Jennifer.” Jennifer walked forward and pulled the cigarette out of the blonde swordsman’s mouth. “First you stop smoking. I can’t have you dropping dead from cancer.”
“Hey!” The blonde man moved to grab her hand. Behind her Jagger growled. Paling, the swordsman stepped back.
“Jagger doesn’t like cigarettes. They make him cough.” Jennifer smiled. “And it would be wise not to make any sudden moves toward me.”
“Umm, sure. No problem. Good Kitty.” The blonde swordsman looked at his companions, speaking quietly. “It is a cat, isn’t it?”
“Actually, the politically correct term is ‘Fur Person’.” The swordsmen looked
at Jennifer, startled that she heard the question. She walked past them to the arched doorway at the end of the gymnasium. “I think we should all try to get some sleep. Its been a long day.”
Later that night-
The scream echoed through the sleeping quarters. Jennifer was up and out in the hall before she was fully awake. The oldest swordsman and the blonde one met her there. Together they entered the tallest swordsman’s room.
He was standing flat against the far wall, pale as a ghost. When he saw them he began to mumble incoherently.
Jennifer frowned. “Is this some ancient language?”
The oldest one stepped forward. “I’ve been around 5000 years and I’ve never heard it.” The tall one pointed a shaking finger to the bed. The other three people turned to see the sheets are moving.
The blonde one stepped forward, his sword drawn. Jennifer marveled, wide-eyed. ‘The man only has on boxer shorts. Where could he possibly have-’ Shakes her head sharply. ‘No, don’t go there.’ A ghastly yowling started coming from the still moving sheets. All three swordsmen flattened themselves against the wall.
Jennifer looked at them in disgust. “Oh, for the love of Heaven.” She pulled back the sheets to reveal a very annoyed Jagger. “Are you okay, baby?” The swordsmen gaped at her. “Did that nasty swordsman bury you?” She picked him up and he wrapped his paws around her neck, settling his head on her shoulder.
Tallest swordsman stepped forward, then stopped at a glare from Jagger. “He was laying on my chest!”
“Didn’t I mention that’s where he likes to sleep?”
“SLEEP!?!? He could have killed me!”
Jennifer rolled her eyes. “Oh, bosh. The smoker over there, now him he could have suffocated easily. Now, Jagger and I are going back to bed.” With that she walked out of the room.
Behind her she heard the oldest swordsman burst out. “PIGGIES!?!?” Followed by hysterical laughter.
A COUPLE OF MORNINGS LATER-
Jennifer was standing in the kitchen making breakfast. The CD player was pumping out big band music. Jagger was lounging on top of the refrigerator. At a noise behind her, Jennifer turned. She was greeted by three stunningly naked male chests as the swordsmen entered the room pulling on shirts.
“Pick your chin up off the floor. It’s very unladylike.” The deep voice slid into her mind.
Jennifer threw Jagger a withering glance. “My chin is not on the floor.” She sent to him. “But I think my heart may have stopped.” The rumbling chuckle played in her head.
She smiled warmly at the swordsmen. “Good morning. How do you feel about French Toast and bacon?”
The oldest swordsman grinned widely. “I have very warm thoughts about French Toast and bacon.”
“Good, it’s almost done.” Jennifer turned back to the counter and began slicing a tomato. She inhaled sharply as the knife slipped and caught her finger. “Ouch. I’ll be right back. I know the girls put some band-aids in the bathroom.”
“But you’re Immortal.” The blonde swordsman blurted out.
Jennifer frowned and then started to laugh. “No, I’m not.”
The oldest swordsman slouched against the counter. “She’s not the one who’s Immortal.” The other two swordsmen frowned at him. “Think about it. Who else is usually always in the room with her, never more than a few feet away from her? Who wasn’t in the hallway last night but was in the bedroom?”
The other swordsmen grew pale. “That’s not possible.” Said the tallest one slowly. The oldest one smirked at him.
“It doesn’t happen very often but it does happen.” The two younger swordsmen stared at Jagger in disbelief.
Trying to hide her grin, Jennifer started to walk out of the kitchen. “Highlanders always were a stubborn, thickheaded lot.” The rumbling voice in her mind was indignant. Jennifer started to laugh and continued out of the room.LATER(the gym)-
“I’m tired of being cooped up in here. I want to talk to someone in charge or I’m leaving.” The blonde swordsman glared down at Jennifer.
She glared back up at him. “If you don’t get off that kick I’m going to let him-” jerked a thumb at Jagger “take your head!”
The blonde man gaped at her. “You wouldn’t! He couldn’t!”
“She would! And he wouldn’t even need a sword!” They turned at the sound of the bubbly voice and watched a young blonde girl of about ten sail off the elevator. She had a cell phone in one hand and a covered plate in the other. Jagger jumped down from his perch and raced over to her. He attempted to climb her pant leg and meowed happily at her. The swordsmen stared at the normally staid cat in surprise.
Jennifer smiled. “Jeanne. What have you got?”
Jeanne lifted the plate higher. “Smoked salmon.” then jiggled the phone. “And Kelly on line two.”
“I should have guessed. Take him into the kitchen and give him some before he strains his nose.” Jeanne walked over and gave Jennifer the phone. “Are you going to scratch his ears for a while?”
“I can stay?” Jennifer nodded and the girl hugged her enthusiastically. “Thank you!! Come on, Jagg.” The girl and the cat ran out of the room.
Jennifer grinned and flipped open the phone. “Hi, Kelly.” The phone suddenly disappeared and she looked up to see the blonde one holding it to his ear.
“Kelly? I want some answers and I want-” He stopped in mid-sentence. His face got paler and paler. After a few minutes he mumbled an apology and handed the phone back to Jennifer. The other swordsmen snickered
“Kelly? Yeah. Sure, if you think so. No, I don’t think there will be any more problems. Thanks. Bye.” Jennifer clicked the phone off. She smiled at the still pale swordsman.
“Relax, you didn’t stand a chance. Kelly has two teenagers and a six year old. The battle was over before it began.” The other swordsmen stopped snickering.
“Anyway, she gave the go-ahead to tell you more. The reason you’re here-” gestured around the room. “with us, is because the hunters have an Immortal working with them. An Immortal like Jagger.” There was a long silence. The oldest one spoke finally. “If my memory serves me, Jagger and his kind rarely get involved in the Game. They aren’t bound by the rules the way we are.”
Jennifer sighed, running a hand through her long hair. “Normally, no. But just as with you there are always some bad ones. This particular feline is nastier than most.”
“That doesn’t explain why we need Jagger.” The tall one said.
“Actually, it does. We can’t take a feline quickening. Our minds aren’t built for it. They can take ours, though.” The oldest one paused, thinking. “Only know of one of us who ever did. Drove him crazy. Kept screaming that it was clawing at his mind. Not sure what happened to him.”
He arched an eyebrow at Jennifer. She sighed. “Jagger put him out of his misery.” The old one nodded. The other two are paled again.
“Now, do you understand? You don’t stand a chance against him. Will you be patient with us? We’re working as fast as we can.”
The three men nodded. The blonde one cleared his throat. “I have a question.” Jennifer tilted her head. “If Jagger is here with us, how are you going to take care of this other feline?”
Jennifer smiled. “There are others helping us.” she paused as Jeanne’s laughter floated into the room. “Which is why I can’t figure out how Jeanne got that salmon all the way down here without getting tackled.”
TO BE CONTINUED (If They Let Me)
We will post the remainder of the story as soon a Jagger has a chance to dictate it to Jennifer.. She says they are writing it together :)
To read more of his, umm, of their work, visit the poetry section of the Castle Gardens! Jagger has some Fantastic Fur Person writings there :)