Blue Smoke

The First

Night was falling as the city began to awaken. As the last rays of the sun dipped beneath the skyline, lights flickered into existence, some bright enough to illuminate the full street, some dim and flickering, barely bringing life to the back alleys of the buildings. People walked along the streets, chatting, sharing stories, laughing and giggling, tails flicking and swishing with mirth. Sirens blared in the distance, faint music could be heard, and the sound of a hundred cars was almost overwhelming in the falling darkness. Yet still, the city thrived - loud and bright.

Silence would come soon. The darkness would thicken, the shadows deepen, and the civilians would retreat to their homes and safeties before the real city appeared. All of that, all of the laughter and the light and the assumed safety that the people held so dear...it was but a farce, a coat of shiny paint to hide the ugliness underneath.

And now, in the faded light, on an empty street, two figures appeared, seemingly from out of nowhere. Both were dressed well, seemingly out of place in the run-down, broken up part of the city they strolled through. But they moved confidently, with intent, until they reached a dingy little building down a side street, walls littered with vandilism, half-fixed broken windows, and crumbling bricks holding it all together. One raised a gloved hand and rapped on the beaten-up door three times before stepping back to wait, paws folding in front of him patiently.

There was movement from inside, a muffled voice, before the door began to click as the locks were released. It swung open revealing a man - thin and lanky, fur matted, wearing an oversized shirt littered with stains and baggy pajama pants. He looked weary and disorderly and gazed out seemingly without interest.

"What do you-"

He paused, eyes widening as he got a look at the two men standing at the door. They, however, didn't wait for him to continue. One reached out a massive paw and held open the door, in case he meant to close it while the other advanced inside, forcing the man to stumble back.

The house was dark, save for a few lights in separate rooms. There was the sound of muffled chatter, high pitched and giggling from the right. The door was closed, but it was obvious what was behind that wall. Children.

The man stepped back, stammering on his words, tail tucked between his legs as the second of the well-dressed men stepped inside as well, closing the door gently behind him.

"No-" he started, but he was immediately cut off.

"You know what we're here for," the first of the men interrupted.

He stared at them, wide-eyed, fumbling with his voice. "I...I said I didn't...I didn't want any part of it..."

"Not how it works."

"I...I know but...come on! Please, I got a wife and kids...we just want to live in peace. I promise I won't say anything!"

The second of the men snorted and the first glanced back. They shared a look for a moment before the first turned back, erect ear twitching faintly. "We don't care. Trust isn't free. You'll give us what we asked for and you'll be allowed to live out your lives peacefully, as long as you say nothing about what you've seen."

He opened his mouth to reply, but the man cut him off. "You know what will happen if you don't. We have been ordered to do what's necessary to ensure silence." His gloved paw touched the side of his hip, over a small bulge under his coat.

The man flinched, terrified out of his wits, his eyes flicking towards the spot on the man's hip, whatever he had been about to say immediately evaporating from his tongue. There was the sound of soft footfalls from the left of the house and, from around the corner, another canid appeared - a woman. "What's wrong, dear, who's at the..." she trailed off at the sight of them, eyes widening with alarm.