Mystery murder thread featuring turkingbear!

Just Dreams

I wake up from the darkness. It is bright everywhere. I am floating. I have no idea where I am. Two bear cubs are on me and pushing me about.

"Hey kids! Stop your shit. Can't you see I'm dying here!" They stare at me and start to cry. Suddenly a dark shadow appears and swoop the tiny bear cubs into the air and they screech as they are taken away from me.

I stare with impotence since I can't do anything that just happened right now in front of me. I am alone now. I get up and stand on my hind legs and start to walk in the shapeless void somehow. It feels so fluffy and soft on my bear paws. Am I in Heaven? Or clouds? I look down and it's all just bright white light everywhere. I keep walking. I have no idea where I was going or if I would get anywhere. It might have been eons. It could have been centuries that I walked on that stunning void. Maybe it was just a few minutes?

As I look forward to me, it seem a shadow was forming in front of me. At first it was just small and then it kept getting larger and larger. I kept walking forward up to it. If I was dead, what fear do I have of dying now? Unless you can die again in the afterlife and that be pretty shitty.

Suddenly it forms all the way. A huge razorback is in front of me.

....I don't know what is going on now. The beast now speaks to me.

"Bear! I AM RAZORBACKS! THE BAD GUY! Or as everyone knows me Mr. Stacks on Stacks, THE ULTIMATE PATHEON OF MONEY MAKING, SCARED MONEY DONT MAKE MONEY, AND SO ON AND SO ON..."

I stare at the dark creature. I wave my paw around.

"What are you doing? STOP THAT. I don't have much time. I am using dark shaman magic to talk to you right now and I don't have much time. I have no idea where you are at... this doesn't seem like your brain... if it is... kinda empty..."

"Hey SHUT UP!!! I think... I fainted or something...."

"Ohhhh... dead? Dying? Well this sucks. Should I continue my spooky message or not? If you die, it would be for nuts."

"I think you mean naught."

"No, nuts. I Know what I am saying. Listen to me closely Bear! I am not the killer! OOohhhhhHh! I am a ghostttt! Oohhhhh! Not the killerr!!!! Believeeeee meeeee!!!!"

The shadow just suddenly disappears and I am alone.

"Huh.... I must be going crazy to have seen that..."

SUDDENLY A BUNCH OF GREEN ALIENS APPEARED ALL AROUND ME! I look in horror as they all shouted in unison. "AYYYYYYYY, LMAO!!"



I freak out so hard I wake up in a cold sweat and suddenly see a bald headed creature staring at me...

"AWWWWWWW!!!!!"

The creature only goes "Aaaayyyy!!!!"


To be continued SOME OTHER DAY

 

The Pic in the Flash Drive

I scream and scream as I see the bald creature before me.

"What do you want from me alien!?!?! I DONE NOTHING WRONG!!! TAKE THE HUMANS THEY ARE DUMB AND WEAK!!!!"

"Hey! HEY!!! Stop that! You ok? I patched you up while you were unconscious. Didn't think you wake up so fast. I used my knife to take that bullet out of your arm too. Seems like it will heal alright....HEY STOP SHOUTING!!!"

I keep screaming and then the pain in my arm shoots up and I scream louder. "AW FUCK! It wasn't that big of a bullet! Did you cut me up you weirdo?" I look to my arm and see it's all patch up with a big bandage. Seems the alien did patch me up good. I take a good look at him and notice... It's just a bald hiker. Huh.... Now I look stupid.

"Yeah, I cut you up just a bit more but that bullet couldnt stay there. Who shot you bear? Most of you bears live in the other side of the forest. What you doing here?"

I start to use my arm a bit. Ugh. Still hurts. But should heal up nicely.

"Thanks, human. Ummm.... got shot by police cause I was making a ruckus stealing lots of garbage from a nearby city building. You know how it be."

"Ha,ha you country bears always love eating junk! I did see more police driving by so I suggest you lay low my woodlawn critter friend. Hope you recover soon! I am going up there to the mountains and check something out. Stay safe and BE ACTIVE!"

I stare at him and think to myself... was that beactivelife? Huh... fucking world is smaller than I give it credit. I get up and start to walk slowly back to the farm house I left my items at. I make sure the police are gone for sure before putting my clothes back on. I can't believe my trench coat is messed up. I don't want to go dumpster diving for a new one!

I go back into Big City and hail a cab. The cabbie makes a remark about how my trench coat is fucked up and full of blood. I tell him that sometimes you get shot and other times you are the one doing the shooting. He nervously chuckles. He takes me back to my office.

As I walk into the building I look about to see if anyone is watching me. Don't want anyone to really know I'm around here. If anything, hardly anyone knows where my office was. I stumble about the stairs as I finally reach up to my office and go inside. I slump down into my LazyBear Chair and turn on the computer. Had to see what was in that damn flash drive. Whatever it was it had to be good. Maybe even MORE MYSTERIES?!?!?

My desktop boots up and a big background of me with fishing gear on as I show off my big catch of the day. I caught a big catfish with an angling rod. I mean I could have caught it with my bear hands and beat it into a bloody pulp and eat it but that wasnt the point. It was during a more "fragile" period when animals were starting to intricate into society and were started to be seen as equals. During that time, almost all animals tried to do it the "human" way and use their tools and clothes to fit in more. It never truly worked out. We were always considered second class citizens. Instead, we broke out into various "classes" and most animals decided to stay their way and contribute to society however they could. Usually my kind, would stay away from man. I was the only one who tried to stay and become "one of them." I always wonder if I made a terrible decision instead of living with the rest of the ursines in our secret society.

I jack in the flash drive and start to look at the files. Either I was extremely stupid or most of these files were gibberish. Nothing made sense. It was just a bunch of coded symbols from what I could tell. Maybe some other time I will try to decipher those things.

Then I found a picture. It was kinda weird and odd. There is a picture of a few people. There I saw three animals together. I could make out two of them. One was a tiger, the other a boar.... The third one I could tell it was an animal due to its physique. Or maybe it was just a really big burly man. Either or they were all wearing robes. Like Ku Kux Klan robes. The one I couldn't tell had mask on and was holding on to a ceremonial dagger. In the back was more robbed figures in black. They were all wearing weird goofy masks. Kinda like drama masks. There was a banner there. It said "MTurk Will Die." I stared off for a bit and went thought, "Well that was some fucking weird thing to see..."

I saw a text file that was normal. In it there was names of people I didn't know. Two of them are put as expunged. One in particular was a name I knew too well.... Razorbacks. What the fuck does this have to do with anything? Some weird secret society? Was he kicked out cause he was more crazy? Or was there more to this?

I get a call in my office. The fuck? Who got that number? I pick it up and answer.

"Hello?" The voice on the other line is the unmistakable voice of a Russian.

"I heard what you did. AND he wants to talk to you."

"Who is HE..."

"Razorbacks wants to meet you outside the fields. Tonight at 11 PM. You come alone. No weapons. He will do the same. He says he has a lot to tell you.... It does involve your recent rash of murders." The click can be heard.

I now stare at my monitor's glow and see that picture again. What the fuck is going on around here?

TO BE CONTINUED SOME OTHER DAY

 

Razorbacks

I hang up my phone and start to rub my hairy chin. Is this a trap? What does this mad man want with me? Where did it all go wrong? He used to be one of the most revered animals to forge bounds with humans. He was one of the best. I can remember it now...

SOME FUCKING TIME AGO!

Razorbacks has been one of the first animals to try and gain understanding on humans and make relationships with them. His rather eccentric attitude and weirdness made him the odd one out and was in the end the perfect choice to form an allegiance with mankind.

"Hey you going to eat that?" Those words where the catalyst for it all. The stupid hog didn't kept his mouth shut and became an overnight sensation. All animals could talk. Human talk. We didn't want to. We didn't want humans to know what we said. Then again most of us don't have much to say. His first words basically would sum up what animals would say to humans on a regular basis. Where's the food?

Razorbacks would wind up everywhere. THE TALKING HOG! Then other animals started the same. First it was the farm animals. They hope by talking they would get better treatment. In time they did, but only because there was a rumor that some animals violently overthrew a farmer and turn it into a "Utopia." Not sure what came about that. Then other animals would stat talking to humans. Some would become friends with a few humans and would tell them how animal life is truly life. It seem things were going to stay like that for a while. That is until Razorbacks kicked it to a whole new level.

"THINK BIG!!!!" He appeared in a talk show host one night squealing that and he was walking on his hind legs and wearing clothes. The people went mad. Not only did this fucker talk HE CAN ACT SORTA HUMAN! People ate it up like hot bacon. Most animals got pissed off in his brazen display of attitude to become "Human." Some decided that was the way to go. Animals started to mimic him as well and started wearing clothes and walking upright. Society was changing. It would never be the same.

It was during that time I was reading about all this madness. All the bears convened and decided it be foolish to join in on man's endeavors. They will wipe themselves out. We don't need to follow them to their road of extinction. When they die off the bears would take over. I didn't like their decision very much but I stayed away from that madness in human world. The only thing I did was find a computer in the trash and took it home with me and tried to learn how to get internet on it. Eventually I found a way to get some to come into my rickety hardware and read up on the news. Razorbacks was big time. He was huge. There wasn't a day we haven't heard of him. Around that time another animal got huge on TV as well with a stupid catchphrase. "WHERE DEM BATCHES?!?!?!" Everyone would laugh. It was a sitcom featuring a dolphin. Or as he called himself a Free Dolphin. Other animals would give themselves stupid names like that to show they are now part of the assimilation. Unlike Razor, FreeDolphin would go into obscurity and became a lawyer.

"SCARED MONEY DON'T MAKE MONEY!!!!!!" The voracious hog couldn't get enough! He was now a businessman. He would be wheeling and dealing even with the best of humankind. Hell, for a while even governments wanted to print his face on money. He changed life as we know it for everyone. He would be on the biggest lists. He was Mr. Stacks on Stacks. He would throw silver dollars at lower people and laugh about it.

It was during this time I finally decided to join human society. I moved nearby to a cave near Big City. A city that grew out of Razorbacks opulence. What use to be a simple farmland area where he was just going to be bacon became the newest city to spring up in the USA. The city was built in the weirdest fashion. The tallest buildings were built outward as if to keep the city inside. Almost like a pen. I would visit the city wearing trench coat and a fedora and talk to people in bars. That is when I met the Russians. They knew what I was and laughed at me that I tried so hard to hide I wasn't human.

It was also then I met TurkorTreat and his little shack of a food place. In the nights trying to make sense of the human world I met him too. I was walking home one day and bump into him. He goes, "Don't you know who I am!?" I look up to him and he gets a bit scared. "Whoa....I thought I heard you guys weren't going to assimilate? ...Why are you here?"

"Visiting..." He looked at me with intent.

"FOR who are you visiting? You seem.... with a purpose.... those clothes... are detective like... you.. you a gumshoe?"

"Maybe I am....What is it to you?"

"See I got a problem...maybe you can help me?" I had no idea how to respond. I really wasn't a detective. I didn't know a damn thing. But I just look at him and went "How much?"

He snorted and went "STACKS."

He was my first gig. He payed me to find out who was stealing from him. Seems there was more going in the background with Razorbacks than I knew. I didn't get far cause I found out what he wanted and he totally cut me off before I found out what the rest of his account were for. Whatever he was doing was something big and possibly shady. I did get paid well. I blew it off on burgers and eventually on drinks. I still have some left over and use that to barely live day by day.

From there more people came up to me. I was good at solving their issues. Unlike humans, I could sense more things they couldn't. My sense of smell and acute hearing would help me time and time again to solve mysteries others couldn't. I became a minor celebrity myself. When other bears saw this, they sent an entourage to persuade me to leave that lifestyle. I would not. I for once, was good at something I never was good at in bear society. I felt like I was contributing to society and to progress.

It was during that time, a rash of murder were going around all over the US. They were weird and nonsensical. Even the news would eventually ask me if I would solve it. I would shrug it off and go, "Only if it happens here." Then it did.

Two bear cubs were killed and they ask me to solve it. There was nothing I could go on. I had no idea how to even begin as there was no clues whatsoever. Bear society would shun me from that day for letting two of our kind dying and not even being able to solve the mystery for supposedly I was so good at. Humanity saw me as a failure too because they dubbed the cubs that were drowned as part of the rash murders of the weird serial killer and I couldn't do it. One of the supposed bests. I went into hiding.

It was also during that time that Razorbacks would fall from grace as well. He would make a bad business move that send the economy toppling. He was so sure corn was going to be the next staple of innovation for some stupid idea that he threw billions in it. The company would fail many times over and it would cripple the world. As other nations believed Razorbacks hype for his little maize invention they all threw money at it as well. Turned out the invention WAS ok. The problem was that people had to forfeit food to make this biofuel. LOTS OF FOOD. Animals then complained that was their food as well. What was going to be more important? To feed his kind or to give in to mankind's desires? It didn't matter. No one could agree on anything and it failed. Humanity fell out of love with these talking animals and would round them all up and put them in concentration camps.

Animal became second class citizens during that time. I would watch from the sidelines online reading up what has happened. Most animals were killed but the smarter ones were kept alive for they could be breed for more better breeds. After that, I sorta drifted in and out of society.

TO THE PRESENT

Well I have to see him. I really doubt he would kill me. He was a bit nutty but I never head of him being terrible to man or beast. Off I went with but before I left I open the drawer to my desk and pulled out my BEAR ENFORCER GUN TM. I was not going to take any chances. Not tonight. I already got shot the other day.

I get out my office and inspect the surroundings. Why do I have a suspicion someone is lurking around here? I squint my eyes and look into the dark hallway. I guess nothing.

I go off to meet the one and only, can't clone him, lot of haters and lots of homies, some friends and some phonies, back then humans didn't want him but now his hot and they all on him. I SAID, I went to the fields to meet Razorbacks.

The fields was .... fieldy. The tall grass swayed to and fro as I stood there looking about. Dammit. Now I knew why he wanted this. He can actually HIDE in the grass on all fours unlike me. I hope this is not a set up. I keep nervously looking about.

Suddenly a dark shadowy form appears just a few feet from me. He is standing on his hind legs. He snort at me and then laughs.

"SO YOU DID CAME! The great detective honors me his presence. For a second, I thought you wouldn't show. Sorry I'm late. I had some grass to mow."

I stare at him. "Yeah, I came. What you want? I don't have time for games."

"I don't have time for games either! I want what you want too! You think I did it! You think I killed some of these people. At least maybe Robin? Well, Bear let me disappoint you. I defiantly didn't do it."

There's a small rumbling in the distance. Weird? Sounds like something cutting. I pay it no mind.

"The murderer is still out there. He is trying hard to frame me, you, and another one. I think you are unto fake clues. THEY ALL ARE FAKE CLUES."

"Wait, what? Like a red herring?" I stare off into the sky and try to make sense of what that noise is and what the feral hog is telling me. When I look back at his direction it was too late....

Razorbacks was rushing up to me to gore me....


TO BE CONTINUED SOME OTHER DAY LIKE IDK WEDNESDAY

 

Learning More

Razorbacks rush up to me and PUSHED me away and then he rolled over to the side. I raise my head and notice a rushing combine harvester. Holy shit? That thing would have destroyed me to a million pieces! The harvester keeps roaring through eating all the grass in the field and then crashes into a nearby tree. The fuck? How did I didn't notice that in the beginning? Sheesh, I must be losing it. It seems to have been right here in the field and was started up on my position. I look at Razorbacks.

"The fuck? Where you setting me up?"

Razorbacks gets on all four legs and stares at me. "Naw. But it's obvious someone is around here. Let's find him Bear and beat him up!" Now that's a plan I can get behind on!

"OK! You take that side and I take the other side. Whoever finds that person first or whatever we get to beat him up the most! BREAK!" I get on my four legs and start to rush to the left side of the field while Razorbacks goes to the right. I sniff the surroundings and rush around the field trying to catch a scent. I get up on my hind legs and look about. I see nothing. Huh. I hope Razor is doing better than me.

I hear him squealing in the distance. I hope he is alright. Then again those animals always like to squeal when doing anything.

Then I see it. A shadowy figure running off into the distance. I start to rush towards the direction it was going at. I do believe he noticed I was giving chase cause I saw it started to go faster but that person was no match for my BEAR SPEED! Bears can ran indefinitely for 35 miles per hour. That is .... if we care. BUT I AM DAMN CARING!!! I rush up to the bastard. I jump and land directly on top of him.

"I got you now SCUM!!!" I turn him over and notice he is wearing a my little pony mask. Ok..... "HEY RAZOR! I FOUND THE PRICK! COME OVER HERE AND LET'S BEAT HIM UP!" I hear excited squeals in the horizon and I laugh. I give the mask bastard a few well placed bear punches.

He groans loudly. Yeah that had to have hurt. It's not like a man can take a few well place bear punches and do well.

"You are lucky I am in a good mood or I would have rip your head off already." I shake him up and he starts to cry. Sheesh, I didn't hit him that hard!

Razor pulls up to me and laughs. "Looks like we got him. A pony mask though? Kinda queer." He gets on his hind legs and starts hoofing the poor bastard with a quick 1-2-3 hoof combo. It look like it hurt bad as the mask broke apart on the final blow. I throw him on the ground as he starts to bleed and didn't want any of his blood on my fine clothing.

"What the fuck you think you were doing here? Who sent you? WHY YOU WANTED ME DEAD?"

"Not you.... I wanted the pig dead! Unfortunately he didn't move in the right position... well you being dead would have worked in our favor too! BUT NO! Everything is coming out wrong thanks to you butting in! WHY CANT YOU BE A NORMAL BEAR AND LEAVE US ALL THE FUCK ALONE?!?!"

Razor gives him a swift kick in the jaw. "Shut up, I hope you enjoy jail. Maybe then you will grow into a man. Just like I did. Makes you smarter too."

"FUCK YOU PIG!!!" I stare at him closely. The guy was already looking like a mess. Blaugh. Humans so squishy.

"Lights out buddy!" I square him hard on his face to knock him out. "Well, we got another clue I guess. Whoever this guy is involved something on this murder crap... I hope. Either way, he wanted you or me dead and that has to be something."

Razor nods. I look closely at the punk. A russian. A russian? I look closer at the bastard. Ah.... wait what? Another one of the people I know from the forum. This was becoming way too coincidental. It was Nicholai Sokolov.

 

It's time to play a game

We both took the damn pony lover to an area. It was an old shipping factory that Razorbacks owned and it was abandoned now. Razorbacks carried the wretched human on his back almost like how a butcher carries a pig on his back with a killed pig. The resemblance was quite funny.

Razorbacks tied Nicholai in chair and then threw water on his face.

"What you do that for? I really don't now what to ask him! I mean, I have no idea what he would say or how or what..."

Nicholai gets up and stares at us in horror.

"I'll tell you everything! Just don't beat me anymore!" He starts to cry. I almost felt bad for him. Almost.

"I was sent here by a group! I can't tell you their name.... But they wanted Razor dead. HE is a problem YOU ARE PROBLEM TOO BEAR! STOP NOSING IN OUR BUSINESS! BUT! That's pretty much all I know..."

I lift my paw up and get ready to smack a punkass and he starts to cry and whimpers.

"Ok I do know a bit more... There is another group. They are not with us but they know about us. They know only cause they nosy. I'm sure they will tell you more about the group and how it's all connected to your murderer Bear. They always are in a shady club in Big City. You know them well too... But to talk to them you have to play with them. They are high rollers. YOU MUST keep winning to move up to their table though... It's the only way to talk to them."

I stare at him.

"Is that all you know? What kind of games will I need to play? Where is this club?! TELL ME! OR FOR THE LOVE OF ALL BEARKIND I WILL SLAP YOU SILLY WITH THIS FISH I TOLD RAZORBACKS TO GET FOR ME!"

Razorbacks comes in the room with a large sailfish.

"Oh yeah! That has to hurt!"

Nicholai relented all the info I needed and I thanked Razorbacks for helping me out. I was sure I would call him if I needed anymore help with my investigation but I told him to lay low until then. It seems he wasn't part of the masquerade.

Of course, before we left pony boy free I still slap the shit out of him with the sailfish cause I thought that be funny as hell! He was left crying and shaken from the mess. I hear he still has PSTD from that event. He can't look at fish the same way again...

The place was a real shady club where most patrons go to gamble. The patron are well known too so me arriving there would look rather suspicious. The game I had to play was card games. Incidentally I suck hard at counting and playing card games. SO I had a person that was working for me to help me out. A real card dealer. A winner. Someone who knows what he is doing. His code name was Abraham Lincoln. His other alias, ADAAAAAM. I was wearing a concealed ear piece in my bear ear and I had a little camera set up in my fedora. It was the perfect set up. No one would want to see under my hat cause Im a bear and no one would be able to hear the speaker either since it's inside my ear.

I was now outside the club called "Dubious Aces." Nice name. I told Abe to be ready when I start playing. There was no way I could communicate with him once I was inside. He was going to be my brains playing these card games to get to the top table I needed to go and meet the little gang I needed info from. I pay a door fee to get inside a bouncer that was at the door. At first he didn't want to let me through but I think he thought better than mess with a large grizzly bear.

Inside was dingy, smokey, and it felt like the place was falling apart. Sheesh, cant they afford to fix this dump at least? I have no idea how people can come here and gamble even if it's a bit illegal. Have some standards! I see the cocktail girls running about. Hmm.... nice tail....

I go to my destination. I sit down a table to play a little blackjack. The card dealer looks at me.

"You new?"

"Sure am. New but ready to gamble. I am gambling bear and I love to gamble. I love illegal things too so give me some illegalities!"

The card dealer laughs at my response and then mentions how I would fit right in this place. I get my cards and I put them a bit higher than usually anyone would so Abe can see them and talk to me what to do. The card dealer is like why are you doing that? I was like hey Im a bear. My eyesight is like UP HERE! Sheesh! Specism up in this place? He back down after that remark.

I won a few hands thanks to Abe's help and told him I want to bet higher. I was led deeper into the club. It got more and more smokey as I went in deeper. I bet Smokey the Bear would have a fit in here. Felt like it was going to burn down.

Well when in Rome do as the Romans. I light up a cigar and go to my next table. This was the higher up stakes. This time I was playing poker. I was surrounded by some sorry mess of humans. They all look like they been here a while too. Regulars. But that didn't help them much since they didn't have my partner. He was quick to point me out the probabilities of winning what hands and how I should play. I had no idea what he was talking about but just did what I was told. I would win a large amount of cash in an hour's time and then I wondered if I chose the wrong profession in life....

The other card dealer told me I need to move up again. They can't take my kind in the lower levels. I have to bet more. I tip my Fedora® at the man and thank him. I ask him about the high rollers. He tells me I have to do real well in the next table before I get there. I had 20,000 in winnings with me already. I needed to make a bold move...

I go to the next table and see the new faces. They all looked stupid. The dealer puts the cards on the table. Everyone raises their stakes. I make weird motions with my eyebrows. Abe tells me to fold. There was no way I would win. I think he was right.... but I decided to do it my way for once.

"I am raising the stakes a bit more..." Everyone at the table gets confused and then they raised theirs too. I'm sure they had winning hands. Or at least better than I was carrying. I had nothing. No matches. Nothing.

"Raise... again..." The players do the same.

"Fuck it.... I raise half of what I got!" I put the chips in. The players get nervous. Some fold. One was still confident. Abraham just keeps sceaming into my headset to stop and what the hell I am doing. I smile at the last player and go, "All in...."

He folds finally, and I show my hand to everyone. They all groan. I picked up their earnings and the card dealer says I have more than enough to move up if I like to. I go that I do and I finally move up to the area I needed to be in.

The area is more secluded as I go with me puffing my fat cigar and chuckling. I see the targets now. I dont have to win now.... I just need to talk and get info.

I sit down with my new partners. Only three of them here. They alll look like they are use to winning against other players that come in.

I look at them and notice I know these people too.

"For fuck's sake..."

"Welcome to the game Bear! Ready to play?" A Vegas playboy named Wiggles says to me.

"You rolling with the big time, *****!" I stare at a short Canadian. Seemed super fit... LaFs.

"You are going to lose a lot bear.... dont want to lose your legs now do you, hon???" A pretty woman with charm, sweet lass, her name was Monica.

I stare at them three and I tip my Fedora® and smile back.

"Let's play...."

 

The Game

The dealer starts to pass off the cards. It should be ok to lose my money here. There was no point in winning now... Although, I should keep the money but as I looked around the table I could see that these three were real sharks. I glared at LaFs, I sneered at Wiggles, and then I stared at Monica's boobs.

The hand I got was terrible. Fuck's sake. A 2 and a 4? What am I going to do with this? I lower my Fedora® and then Wiggles called it in and said he is raising his bet. Everyone else did too. OH FUCK, SERIOUSLY?

"I raise too..." I gingerly put my chips down to match everyone's bets. I look to them and they stare back at me like some hungry ravenous wolves.

The dealer puts down another card on the table. Yeah, Im not getting anything out of this bet... Maybe I should just start talking and get some info out of these schmucks.

"So.... heard about those odd murders happening lately..."

Wiggles is the first to chirp.

"Yeah, I heard a bear was doing them...." He stares at me.

"Why you looking at me for? I am totally not that kind of bear.... Im sure it was a black bear."

"Last time I put on the radio, they said it was a brown tall bear. Sorta like you," Monica adds. "Hell, even the same clothes you are wearing."

I hear Lincoln laughing at me through my ear piece. Ugh. Asshole.

"Can't be me. I was almost killed the other night by some freaking pony mask wearing douche. Something about some secret society. Got even some nice pictures. Dagger, Mturk will die? I don't know. Sounds stupid. Maybe I'm just rambling..."

LaFs is looking at me hard. Then he raises the stakes higher.

"Fucking shit! I'm out." Wiggles bows out. Monica adds to the pot. I shift my eyes around and I add to it too.

"Bears can't be in secret societies that matter... Since you all have one and all. Bastards." Wiggles takes a shot from his drink.

"Yeah, well seems these guys have something to do with all this. Animals are in it. Seems some tiger was there and a boar. A boar you might all know well, goes by the name of Razor...."

The dealer puts down another card. Yeah, I fucking lost. This is terrible. LaFs puts down an even higher bet. He looks at Monica and winks. She bows out now. Huh...

"I'm still in." I raise to his bet. Whatever he had couldnt be any better. Or maybe they work together to fleece Wiggles? Not sure what was going on here.

He starts to laugh. "Really now? What can you have that I don't? Well, Razor sucks. I am better than him. That beast just a trifling worm compared to me."

"Then you know about what he did? Maybe you weren't good enough for that little society..."

"FUCK YOU! I was good enough for them."

The dealer puts one more card down. Ok, I'm fucked. I'm going to lose this money....

"I raise." I say. I put down a few more hundreds down worth of chips.

"I call." LaFs laughs now, "So you know who they are? Punks. They think they can stop people from using the site you know? They think they are the best. I am THE BEST. I don't need a little group telling me when I bring in all the cash."

He leans in and slams the table. "They are a bunch who are obviously trying to shut things down. They have tried! Oh have they tried! But the worst part is that they don't like dissent. Oh, no. See, they tried to shut me up. BUT I WAS BETTER THAN THEM."

Wiggles gets nervous. "I don't think we should be saying much...."

We both reveal our cards. Lafs had two pairs and he starts to laugh hard at my hand.

"YOU HAD NOTHING? What the fuck was the point of playing then?"

"Play again?" I ask. He nods and they all nod as well.

I look at my cards. A pair. Oooh lucky! I see what the dealer put down. Holy shit! A pair! Not only that, MY PAIRS! All fours! I won this game I think. Adam, tells me it's in the bag. I should use this. Ok then...

"Ok, what if we made a wager for info instead? If I win, you tell me who works for this society. I want to know who is there that could be the murderer. I'm sure you guys know something...."

They all look at me. I start to sweat. Monica smiles and then says, "NO problem! It's obvious you won't win anyway."

They all put in their chips. Lafs raises. Everyone puts in. The dealer adds another card. Doesn't matter on my end. I won. Everyone raises. I add too.

"So, anyone else was ask to join that cult or what?" No one answers me.

Another card. Monica looks around. Wiggles starts to tap his fingers. Lafs raises again. They all put in one more time. It continues to the final hand. No one has dropped out. Lafs raises his bet to all in. Wiggles and Monica get nervous. Wiggles drops out and Monica does too. He grins to me.

"So you ready to lose all your money and take no info from here?"

"All in...." I push all my chips to the dealer. We show our hands. He has two pairs. I have 4 of a kind. His eye starts to twitch.

"Fucking hell..."

"So, who is it? Who is doing all this bullshit? I want names. I want an address. I WANT SOMETHING! Who is trying to kill people from mturkforum? What is happening? WHO IS THIS GROUP!?"

Lafs composes himself and puts his hands to his chin.

"At least, I didn't lose any money... I don't know their names. I don't know what they call themselves. The one that tried inviting me has nothing to do with them either. She is a russian from the center of town. Pretty red head. Kruschev I believe? She works with someone from them. I see them talking once in a while..."

Monica interrupts him. "You shouldn't be saying so much! They have eyes and ears everywhere!"

I look around and see Wiggles being nervous. The dealer seems to be paying attention to this convo way too much....

"You trust your buddy, there?" I point to Wiggles.

"Yeah, he is one of us. He won't betray us."

"Good...Anything else you want to share?" I get up from the table.

"A tiger. She talks to a tiger. That seems to be the other animal in that group you saw right? I think that is pretty spot on who might be killing them. Claws and shit, right? The one who controls the whole shebang is said to never been truly seen. Maybe he too is involved in the murders at least in ordering them."

"I heard a tale of a tiger who kills people. They say he is very good at what he does. Like, CIA good." Wiggles remarks.

Monica swirls her drink. "Rumors. I just do know these people are not to be trifled with. We really don't know who they are besides hearsay. I be careful if I was you Bear."

I tip my Fedora® to them all.

"Pleasure playing with you alls." I start to walk away.

"Hey! Don't you want your money?" Wiggles shouts at me.

"I came for something more important.... JUSTICE."

I walk out from the seedy establishment as I hear a mad dash for the chips on the table I left behind. The swirl of smoke is enough to make me take a deep drag of my cigar. Man, is smoking cool or what?

I go out and take one more deep drag and throw the cigar piece down and I walk slowly to my destination. Seems I'm going back to Hell.

 

The Bear has been in a drunken stupor since the last clue he had. It has been two months since the lasat event. He knew where he had to go. He just didn't have the guts to confront the Russians. How could they be in on it. He had no clue. He wanted to understand. He knew also deep down if they were involved any one of them he would have the possibility of not surviving. Whatever was going on was a grand conspiracy of sorts that he was not ready to accept. The Bear is so fucking drunk he is writing about himself in third person. Fucking shit, get it together man...

I try to get up from my chair in my office and fall to the side. I guess I shouldn't have drank all that vodka. Why the fuck am I drinking Russian? Moxie? Fucking can't take my own cowardice anymore. Yet, I am so afraid to find out. To find out the whole truth. The files in my computer make me more uneasy than anything. How far is this going? Who knows more about this? If they knew I was coming for them... wouldn't they have come for me now?

I fall asleep in my office and doze off for a while. Then I hear a thump near my office door. Huh? The fuck? Who is messing around here? IS THIS THE END FOR DETECTIVE BEAR?! I slowly crawl up to the door and put my ear to her outside. It seems the threat is gone. I wait a few minutes before trying to open the door.

I get up and then open it and there in front of the door is a package. Well.... ummm odd. That shouldn't be there. I mean, who knows I'm back here? ...I pick up the package and take it inside. Then I realized it might be a bomb and I curse myself.

I put it in the desk and wait. Ok...if it was a bomb then it would explode if I open it? Would it have a final note inside detailing the plans? Is this some weird manipulative bullshit to get me to find them? I guess if they wanted me dead they would have done it already. Then I remember Im fucking bear and I can sniff for certain materials. I sniff hard against the box. Nope. Doesn't smell like bomb material inside or any types of poison. So I am good on that regard.

Wait, it smelled like meat in there! OH BOY! MAYBE THIS IS SOME RANDOM STEAK GIVEN TO ME?!!? I cant wait to eat it! I eagerly open up the package to see what's inside.

I look in disgust and drop the package and I growl into the air in impunity. The bloody head of Wiggles rolls on the floor as a paper floats to the ground.

I read what it says as it reaches the ground. "They shouldn't have talked. They are all dead. The rest of the body parts were sent to other places. Enjoy your work, Detective."

I stare at Wiggles head in horror and crawl away into a corner as I sob and drink the rest of the liquor I have stashed up in my office and black out.

 

Back To Hell

There I was in the outside of that bar. Something is here. Someone was hiding something from me. But who? I go inside the bar known as Hell and go to the bar counter and slouch down. The bar tender comes up to me and asks me what is my poison.

"No poison today. I plan on living. Get me a burger. A big one. I came to see the red headed russian."

The bartender goes off to the back. I get nervous. Dammit. I should have done my usual entrance and just went right to them. I start to get off my chair slowly....

"Don't move Bear...." I turn my head slowly. It was the other Russian and he was pointing a gun at my head.

"I told the bartender no poison cause I planned on living...."

Karazamov snickers. "Follow me to the back..."

"Sure if that makes me get out alive." I am lead to the back and I sit down on a chair.

"Ok. Where's red head? I came to see her. I remember seeing her with a tiger.... That was my last clue I got. I remember her talking to one the last time I was here."

Karazamov puts the gun away. "That is what I wanted to talk about. See.... she has been missing for a while. Things got a bit hairy with that tiger around. Seems like a big shot of something. I wasn't letting him try to muscle me out of my own business. Kruschev wanted him more involved. I didnt want that. Soooo, the tiger left but then she disappeared too. I don't know Bear. She started acting real odd after those murders came about....."

"You think she is next?"

"Not sure.... but she has been gone...I want you to look into it. I'll pay you of course. I do know the last location of that tiger. He lives in an old apartment complex in the dark side of town. Which is really close by knowing this is Hell."

He scribbles an address on his notepad and rips the page out and tosses it to me.

"Get to it. I don't want to hear the worst.... but I am expecting it."

"Yeah.... let's hope it's not the worst." I see him go to his desk and then slump into it in a sad stupor.

Poor guy, I think to myself. He must really care.

I walk off the bar and stare off to the distance. Seems it is going to rain. This part of town could really use it. Wipe all the filth out of it. So freaking dirty you can come out a scum just like all these lowlifes. I head out to my destination. It was not too far from where I was at.

I reach the apartment building and went inside. The number was 32. Huh wait. what? There's only two floors. I walk up to the top and then noticed there was another staircase that went to the roof. I hear through the door and see if I can hear anyone inside. No one...

I get my lockpick gear ready and start to open the door. The clink and clanking of breaking into a door is so amusing. It's like clockwork. The door lock gives in and I open the door and sneak inside. I close the door behind me and take a quick peek inside. Hmmm. How does this floor even exist? It is kinda.... small. I get on all four legs to get inside and take a gander deeper in the apartment.

"Darn a tight fit, only snug enough for a...."

"....cat?" The tiger crawls from outta the other room.

Oh fuck me. This is not good.

"Cat got your tongue Bear? Better get to explaining what you are doing here....or get ready to die!"


TILL NEXT TIME