An old priest and his dog are rarely parted (DBL XP)

The meeting time was 10pm in the mechanical fortune teller’s tent. The wooden gypsy madame Zanaya started blankly out at her garishly decorated tent, with those soulless glass eyes at the many signs that had been brought in for the night. Large smelly couches were arranged in a square, on an unwashed Persian carpet.

Two men in suits arrive at exactly 9:58 pm, one short and portly, the other tall and lanky. Both wore black suits, and both wore cheap clown masks. The quickly scanned the tent for anything out of the ordinary. They checked their watches in a habitual manner, awaiting the arrival of their “contractor”.

"He should be here very soon." The shorty told his tall companion. He nodded and replied tersely.

"I hope so. I do so detest the circus."

Thomas had received a job offer thru his mail box a few days ago.The details were sparse at best.However Thomas isnt one to at least listen to a offer before he accepts or turns it down.
Having picked the time and place.Thomas decided a costume was best when meeting at the circus.

A half hour before the meeting time he had dressed mostly in darker and tone down colors.The vest was different strips of red and pants were different colors of blues and greens.The makeup was a simple white face with a tear drop and x's around the eyes.
He then had contorted himself in a empty cavity under the cabinet underneath Madame Zanaya.
Dont worry Madame Zanaya.I wont look up your dress.
Thomas chuckled a bit at hhis own comment and waited.

When he hear the men come in he slowly worked his way out of the cabinet without making a noise slowly standing up hidden behind Madame Zanaya cabinet all the while listening to the men.

When they had finished talk he poked his head around and said to both men.

You dont like the circus.Yet you looking to hire a clown..Seems a little strange dont you think gentlemen

The two suit-clowns turned around completely taken by surprise by Toyclown.

“It is a personal taste, Mister… Clown. But Discretion is part of the job so I will refrain from further complaint.” The tall man said, adjusting his mask.

“Anyway. To the job. Toyclown, I hear you’re a pretty good thief. Burglar. Whatever. Here’s the job we want you to do.” The short man opens his briefcase, which contained the details of the hit. The briefcase also doubled as a makeshift table with extendable legs.

He holds up the first picture. It was a picture of a local seminary, the McCormick Theological Seminary. He also produced a few floor plans with a few red circles highlighting important places. The penmanship of the labels was abhorrent as to be almost unreadable.

“This is the location. It’s a seminary, so security will be minimal. Just a bunch of old priests and nuns live there, moving in and out. No resistance. Heh.” He explained in his Joisey accent, speaking about the place’s inhabitants with an air of contempt.

Next up he held up a second picture, a picture of an old man, a priest it seemed like, with a tired face and silver wispy hair. “This is Father Balthazar Dance. He’s a retired priest who’s living out his last days at the seminary. He is the owner of-” Short Shady Guy puts down the priest’s picture and holds up a third picture. This was a picture of a handsome Great Dane dog.

“Now this is your target. His dog. We are gonna pay you… a hundred thousand dollars to kidnap his dog. And we’re willing to pay half up front.”

The Tall man produces his briefcase and opened it to reveal a large pile of dollar bills. He produces five 10,000 dollar stacks. “We want you to do it by the end of the month. Which gives you…” He looked at his mobile phone. “… 20 days. Easiest money, eh?” The short man even deigned to give him a thumbs up.

Thomas leaned against the cabinet he crawled out looking like he was just posturing to listen to the job.However he was taking the time to realign a few of his joints when the short man turned his briefcase into a small table and removed some photes and papers.
Thomas walked over to look at the picture of the Seminary.It amazed him how badly these notes on the floor plans were written.
Thomas shook his head and kept listening all the while thinking.
so im being paid to steal from a priest.Well i guess i was already on my way to hell.

After the short man pulling out the picture of the dog being a great dane Thomas knew something was wrong here.He pulled a small cigar out of his sleeve and palmed his lighter so they couldnt see where it came from and made lite his smoke.

He couldnt believe his ears.Then he saw the tall man opening his case and removing five stacks of 10,000.
THomas choked on his cigar and spat it out to catch his breath.
Thomas then picked up a stack and felt the bills,Smelled them just to check and see if this was real.Hes seen a few fakes.Even made a few him self but these were all real.
After the shock wore off.He set the bills down.This sounded way to good to he be true.He knew a good tale when he heard one.
Gentlemen.Now i gotta tell ya.I have heard some pretty good jokes in my life but this is just a bit cruel dont ya think.

Looking back at the money Thomas paused that amount could set him up nicely.Maybe even enough to cut of the circuit for the rest of the year.Maybe let things cool down.Still that much money for a dog and from a priest no less.

Fellas most of the time i make it a point not to ask about the target.But this just seems to good to be true.

After a few minutes of being silent and weighting his options. He slowly reached out picking up the stack again and said.
Against my better judgement ill do it but ill be picking where you pick the dog up from.Not that i dont trust you both but.I dont.

Of course, someone as experienced as Toyclown would not be without reservations, and for good reason. The masked pair looked at each other before answering Thomas, with a kernel of the truth but keeping the whole truth to themselves.

The tall gentlemen deigned to explain this time, having a quite British accent to him. “The old priest was indeed a soldier in his younger years, a veteran of that terrible mess you Americans made in Vietnam. The client we represent has a personal vendetta against him, and decided that stealing his dog would be the best means of tormenting him... without actually touching him. Father Dance is pushing 80 now, and walks with a cane. I doubt he’ll put up any considerable resistance. Or are you perhaps afraid of an old man and his canine? Surely you’ve pulled heists against more… capable targets.” He had to add a little challenge, an ‘are you chicken’ there at the end.

He retrieved a card from his chest pocket. “You can contact us on this number when you’re ready. Good luck, mister… Clown.” Then the two suits depart, leaving Toyclown with Madame Zanaya in her tent.

Thomas stood there for a bit looking at the card and money. Every part of him knew this was a set up. But it didnt stop him from taking each of the stacks and tucking them away in the hidden pockets of his costume.
After putting away his cash and bending over and picking up his cigar he turned to the cabinet where Madame Zanaya stood and Thomas tipped his hat and said.
"Dont mind all that Zanaya. You just get some rest while i head out to do some research."
______
Nine days later
______

There was alot to prepare abd little time to do it in but Thomas thinks he did a pretty good job.

Starting the next day he would walk down, near and by McCormick Theological Seminar once a day.Thomas looked at every angle he could as well as the target its self.

A few times he saw the old man and dog.But just played cool even walked past them once.But he wasnt ready.He needed more time to prep.
When he was ready and pucked a plan of attack he went to a local vet with a story about a rambunctious great dane he needed to bring in but didnt have any real means to do so.
They sold him a over the counter seditive . The nurse told him there chewables that you can hid in his food.
Thomas having used them once before in the past in a lion knew the dosages he would need to get the dog at least agreeable.
Next he went shopping and got himself a few nice T-bone steaks. And hide the chewables in the steaks. After feeling he was ready on that end it was time to get dress.

Tonight was more of a blue and red tone to his whole face. Then took the time on his eyes blacking the out . Next came the costume. All dark reds and blues right down to the almost skull cap hat. Next he tied the laces nice and tight on his steel toe boots and then got his kit.

After gathering everything and hiding his knives and flask which he took two good belts from it was time to preform.
He had found a hotel room only 3 blocks away and a small place to stash the dog while waiting for pick up. Everything was set. And Thomas knew the dog got out out for a few hours each night. So he got ready and waited.

Sure enough almost like clock work the door opened and the dog was let out. Thomas waited til the door closed again when he set the job into action.He crossed the street and stood behind the gate and out of site . Thomas pulled the two steaks out of the bag he had and hurled them over the gate towards the porch with all his might and waited for the dog to investigate the smell of raw beef.

Balthazar and Alejandra had been sitting at dinner in the refectory in plain clothes, going over Order reports and reminiscing stories of Arthurian mythology. Alejandra had prepared a latin supper, the spicy and exciting variety putting a smile on the old man’s face. Theirs was not so much a superior and subordinate dynamic, but also that of a grandfather doting on his granddaughter.

“Hmm. Brutus should be done with his evening ruminations. Be a dear and bring him his dinner, would you?” Dance handed Alejandra a shiny and chrome doggie bowl filled with a healthy mixture of raw foods and dog food. “Of course.”

It took an alarm on his phone to inform Dance that something was wrong, distracted as he was by the record books he had been reading. When the app for monitoring Brutus's health indicated he'd been incapacitated Dance was now on the alert. “What foolishness has that dog gotten himself into.” He mumbled to himself, before unlocking his phone and activating voice command. “Brutus? Brutus, come.” He looked at the window, and when his dog didn’t come as commanded he wondered something must be wrong.

Dance sighed, grabbed his cane and started walking outside. On his way out he also grabbed his hunting shotgun.




= = = =
If Brutus had one weakness Dance could never train out of the great hound, it was his indiscriminate appetite. Brutus’s ears and nose warned him immediately of the stranger at the gate, but the smell of beef tickled his animal instincts. From stoic guard dog, Brutus turned into a good ol’ boy as he gobbled up the steaks, complete with a silly grin. It was not long before he resumed his curiosity at the stranger, before getting knocked out by the sedative at the fence.
Upon closer inspection Toyclown would see what made Brutus special. The photo taken of him did not take into account that his hind legs were highly advanced robotics made from titanium alloy, and that a side of his face was covered- or rather, replaced – with shiny metal. Even a few of his teeth were especially sharpened …silver… incisors. If he was awake, Toyclown would have had a fight on his hands.
A voice started speaking from his collar, a deep gravely male voice. “Brutus? brutus come….” Then a minute later. “…What foolishness have you gotten into this time.”
Wearing a plain shirt, jeans and flipflops, Alejandra looked like an ordinary staff member of the seminary. She looked around the porch but found Brutus was missing. “Brutus? Brutus hey where are you?”

Thomas stayed as still as could be when he heard the dog approach. This is the important moment. Thomas knew this is where some of the worst animal attacks would happen but it seemed luck would be on his side tonight and the great dane went to town on the steak.
Thomas now free climbed the wall and hoped it in a few seconds and watched as the dog got sleepy and laid down. He laid out a small tarp he picked out and made into a basic sling he could use to carry the dog tp hos holding location. He was also planning to bine the dog as well with a cheap belt he picked when but now looking at this dog he wished he grabbed something more.
Finding a dog with a fake leg wasnt so crazy but wow. This was the first time he had ever seen something so complex and it was on a animal.

Thomas worked fast to get the dog into the sling when he noticed the teeth. At this point he couldnt help but to remark to himself.

"Dam pup are you like a fighting dog or somthing. More and more this job is getting weirder by the second. I hope you can forgive me.Tell ya what when we get back ill give ya a few more steaks."

At this point he heard someone calling for the dog. Quickly Thomas wrapped the dog in the sling trying not to make to much noise not really looking to get in it with anyone with hes on the clock.

Alejandra look around and saw where Brutus went. Her heart plunged down into her stomach when she saw poor ol’ Brutus being nabbed by some guy in a colorful costume. She sprinted as quickly as she could out the front gate to try and cut him off.

“Stop right there, you… you filthy dognapper!” She immediately threatens Toyclown with entering a southpaw boxing stance. Girl was a leftie. She was unarmed and under dressed and in flipflops but she determined not to let Clown take the pooch. “Let Brutus go or you’re in a world of hurt!” If Toyclown legged it, Alejandra would say the same lines even while running.

Dance meanwhile finally got to the porch, his blood pumping enough that he was standing on adrenaline. He had a slow and purposeful gait, trying to make out what was happening in the distance. His eyes were no good so he wasn’t sure what was happening. “What’s going on there? Who is that?” Dance pumped the shotgun, knowing something happened to his dog.

Thomas had just wrapped and belted the dog and picked up the sling when he heard the gal running and told him to stop.
She managed to cover enough ground to get between Thomas and the gate and all Thomas could think was.
(Welp i should have guessed).

Looking around the yard he weighted his options as he noticed her stance.With how she was dressed Thomas guessed she had to be one of the night staff he hadnt seen and most likely this was some kind of self defense stance so he couldnt just try to rush thru her.

Then the threat left her lips and he couldnt help but giggle. I mean from his perspective if they got into it she couldnt be that much of a threat. But that would take time. So instead it was time for another tactic.
Thomas wiggled his left arm a bit and popped it free of most of the joints and also let one of his throwing knives slide into his palm.
Thomas waved it around a little and pointed it at her and said.

"Ok little one. I need you to move on now. Im afraid i need this puppy here. Im sure youll be bale to get him back but i dont have a choice. And id really hate to have to kill another kid...

Thomas was hoping maybe a little threat and she would turn and run.It would be a pain to dodge the cops but he could get nack to his hiding place quick enough. At least he hoped so.

Alejandra did not flinch at the sight of the wiggly limb. Truth be told she didn’t really need to fight either, stalling for a little time. She took a nervous step back and looked a bit panicked at the knife. However she also did her best to block him off. “You… you’ll never get away with this! Just who do you think you are?” She tried any question to distract him, to keep him rooted to the spot.

Because Brutus’s owner was hobbling over to the fence with a long arm. Once Toyclown was in view, and he saw Brutus with him, the angry old guy act came out. “Who the hell are you? Who sent you? the hell you doing with my dog?” Priest he may seem, Dance cursed heavily once his dog’s safety was involved. He leveled his shotgun at Toyclown.

“If you know what’s good for you, you’ll put him down. Unless you’d like a closed casket burial.” Now there was a real threat, delivered with gravitas and a deep commanding voice.

"Who do i think i am... Well miss im just a clown trying to make it in this world."
Thomas really didnt want to cut up a kid even for this amount of money but with the sling limiting his movements fighting might be his only way out.
These were his thoughts right up til the old man came into veiw with a shotgun....
Thomas was about to swear himself when he heard the father started cussing. Now he knew he had been tricked no room for any doubts left.
At this distance he could throw the knife and hit the father's hand but it would do anything if he got the shot off. Using the dog as a shield. Could work til the dog woke up.The was no way he could close the distance between himself the girl or the father. So there were only two real options left.
So he dropped the knife and slowly removed the sling from his shoulder and slowly laid bit on the ground and said.

"Well i guess the jokes on me tonight. So bless me father for i have sinned.It has been alot many years since my last confession."
At this point he had started naming of tons of random acts he has done over the years trying to buy some time to maybe find a good way out.

“Easy boy.” Alejandra was quick to help Brutus out of the sack. The dog’s cyber body was already fighting off the sedative, a lot sooner than what that dosage would do to a normal animal. “I think he was slipped some sedatives… ”

She looked at Thomas. She smirked and told him a nice joke. “It’s a good thing you gave up. Brutus likes to chew limbs off. I’ve seen it once, when he and father Bart hunted grizzly bears.”

Thomas went on confessing a large number of random acts, trying to perhaps gain some sympathy points with Balthazar. He was not that kind of priest. “And I got a Vietnamese woman pregnant when I was a stupid teenager, and never saw my own child in my life. Nobody’s perfect. What I want to know is, why go through all this trouble to take my dog?”

It was of course, all an elaborate setup. And it was time for the pay off.

VAULT HAS BEEN BREACHED. Dance’s wristwatch suddenly began announcing. His attention swiftly turned to the seminary.

Before anyone could react, the explosion rips through the ground floor, shattering almost every window in the building. The blast sends a shockwave that knocked anyone within the vicinity down, ears ringing. It would be highly unlikely, but two shadowy figures were quickly slinking out of the back of the Refectory with the real prize. One short and one tall.

The seminary’s west wing was smoking, the lawn scattered with broken glass and debris. Unfortunately for Dance, his large frame and position relative to Thomas and Alejandra meant he took the bulk of the shrapnel.

Made of slightly sterner stuff, Alejandra crawled around, ears still ringing, vision still spinning, trying to get to her grandfather figure. He was lying against the fence, bleeding, glass everywhere. Unconscious. “Father Dance…? Bart? Are you okay? Bart, BART! talk to me!”

Thomas was about to answer the old man when he heard the alarm go off on the old.mans watch.Then the explosion the rocked the yard tossed Thomas a few feet away and slammed into the gate. He felt most of the damage was external but plenty of joints out of place.
That was when he could see them. Even if it was just for a second thru the smoke and dust and debree. One tall and thin figure and a short and wide figure.
Anger flash thru thomas mind in that moment.
Without a second thought he flicked his wrist and had a knife slide into his left hand. He took arm and threw it with all with might. With all the joints disconnected and only relying in his muscles it looked weird to see the arm twist and contort but it flew thru the air like it was laser guided.
Thomas however didnt see if it hit or not as now he was seen why he didnt take alot of damage.
He slowly stood up.His legs were like jelly and bent out in funny ways as he walked over to the priest. Alot of damage was done. Thomas looked at the man for a minute then up at the girl and said.
" call 911. Ill do what i can to stop the bleeding. "
Thomas removed some cloth square and handkerchiefs he had as well as one of his other knives and started to see what he could do to keep this old timer going for a bit more anyway

The blade found its mark in the Short one's leg, and he hissed- hissed- in anger. He pulled it out and threw the knife aside, the metal blade melting from the acidic blood of this inhuman monstrosity. They flee the scene, but not before cursing Thomas out of pettiness.

The ambulances came quickly enough. Balthazar, Alejandra and Thomas were quickly evacuated and taken to the hospital to be treated.

A Day Later ...

Dance was eventually stabilized and moved to a private ward. He was tough as nails even at his age. But Alejandra was something else. she kept a little secret from Dance- from her entire organization - that would see her fully recovered and on her feet the very next day.

She decided to pay a visit to Thomas's room. Brutus was there too of course. Alejandra was polite enough to knock, but Brutus pushed it open and went inside. He sat down beside Thomas. Looking at him. Judging him... "You awake?" Alejandra asked from the outside.