“Dad! Dad! Dad!.” Garry heard Kate, his four year old daughter scream behind him. He looked into the rear-view mirror and then back on the road.

“Darling, it is going to be aright.” His Wife, Mary assured Kate. Garry looked at both of them and sighed. They were the reason for this mess. If only they had let the strange animal be. Instead, he was doing almost 100 on the in the middle of the Mojave desert. There was only one person that could help them. Someone from a past he thought he had said goodbye to.

1-
It was a sunny afternoon where the birds chirped happily and Garry felt it was the perfect time to head for the beach. He had just returned from a exhausting Blockchain conference and needed to cool his nerves. He walked to the living room and looked at his daughter and wife playing football in the cool afternoon sun. He smiled. Just as he walked out of the room, Kate missed the ball. She ran after it into the garden.

“Having fun?”

“You have been watching us?”

“I couldn’t help it. Say, why don’t we all head to the beach. I’m been meaning to dig my toes into some soft sand.”

“I don’t know Garry. Let’s ask Kate.”

Garry sighed. Kate was their only surviving child after three pregnancies. He understood how special Kate was but sometimes he felt his wife gave Kate too much control over their lives.

“Mary, what is that?”

Garry turned to look. He saw Kate holding what seemed like a rabbit but with green fur. It was very hairy, had very short ears and a very long tail. Garry and Mary walked to Kate to inspect the strange animal further.

“Don’t shout. You’ll wake her up?”

Little children. How did she know it was a female.

“Where did you find it?”

“At the back, mum. It was sleeping. I think she has lost her home.”

“Well, it’s definitely not going to find a home here.” Garry said resolutely.

“Daddy! Please. Let me just keep it with me. Other animals might try to hurt it.”

“No! Just throw it on the ground or something…”

“Garry,” Mary spoke softly as she pulled him aside, “It’s just a pet. Let’s indulge her this one time.”

What was she saying? Who keeps a strange pet like that? “Really? Are you really saying this? I mean look at that animal. We don’t even know if it’s carnivorous or dangerous. What about diseases, hun?”

“Aright. Let’s take it to a doctor. If it’s dangerous, I’ll get rid of it myself. I just want your word that Kate can keep it as a pet if the doctor says it’s okay. You know how she struggles with the other kids. It will be nice for her to have something to play with?”

“What are you saying? We should be trying to make her more sociable rather than confirm her life to this fucking…”

“Language Garry.”

“I’m sorry.”

“Do I have your word?”

Garry sighed. “Yes.” That was his first mistake.

2 -
“Dr Ken said he’ll meet us at the hospital. We might have to wait a bit for him.” Mary announced after she ended the call. Garry turned to look at her, then through the rear-view mirror at Kate who was fondling the strange animal she christened Theresa and then back at the road.

They were on the road to see Dr. Ken, Mary’s friend who was also a veterinary doctor. Garry had always wanted a pet but not this. When he thought of pets, the only animals that came into his mind were cats and dogs… everyday harmless creatures and not some strange green rabbit with short ears and a very long tail.

“Daddy, it’s awake. It’s awake.”

The way Kate shouted almost made Garry hit the breaks. “Yes, I heard you the first time.” Garry looked into the rear-view mirror and couldn't believe its eyes. “Did that animal just just change its skin colour?”

“Her name is Theresa, dad.”

“Change her skin colour? Garry, what is wrong with you?” Mary teased as she turned to face Kate. Garry could swear that just as the pet woke up, he saw it radiate a bright blue.

In three seconds, the car was skidding down the road. In three seconds, all of Garry’s training came back to him. He gripped the steering and pressed down on the breaks. When the car finally stopped, he was happy to have bought the SUV. If it were his wife’s car, they would have tumbled off the road.

He turned to his wife. “Are you aright?” Her head had began to bleed.

“Yes, I’m fine. Who was that? Why did they hit us?”

“I don’t know but I sure wouldn't want to find out under these terms.” He got out of the car, went to the back and picked up his daughter who was still holding on ferociously to Theresa. Together, they ran into the mall at the other side of the road. Onlookers watched as they ran across the road like people running for dear life. Three black SUVs stopped by the side of the road and waited.

3-
“Matthew, I counted three SUVs. I know what I’m saying man. They want payback.” Garry whispered into the phone. He was far off from the cafeteria as he didn’t want his family to hear his conversation.

He was certain the men who attacked them wanted payback. Garry was a former freelance security provider for high profile assets. Sometimes, he had to kill to protect.

“What are you saying? I’m being paranoid? Listen man, no one just crashes into a random SUV in the middle of the road. These guys are unto us. They’ve been waiting outside since we arrived here.”

Silence.

“Go to the police? You know I can’t bloody do that man.”

Silence.

“No. I didn’t catch their faces? If I did, I would have let you know.”

Silence.

“Aright. I’ll do that. Bye”

He ended the call, put the phone in his pocket and walked towards his family. He noticed everyone glancing over to look at the strange animal in Kate’s arms.

“Uhm, listen. I want you guys to do something for me. I’m going out to get another car. Wait for me at the south exit. Once I arrive, you guys get into the car and we’ll get moving.”

“What’s happening Garry? Have you called the police?”

“No! Don’t call the police. It will be fine. I just need to take care of something. Just wait for me at the south exit.” With that Garry walked away. He brought out his phone and opened the camera app. He then walked into the road and did as if he was trying to take a selfie. Snap. Snap. Snap. He got three pictures of one of the back SUVs plate number but only one was clear. That was enough. He sent the picture to Matthew. However, he was surprised to see them driving away. He wondered what they were up to.

He then walked into the car park, noticed a old model pick up and hot-wired it. Then he drove quickly out of the park and began to make his way to the south exit. Something made him hit the brakes at once. He saw the black SUVs packed a few metres from the south exit. Some men, wearing overall coats, stood beside the vehicles. He parked the car and walked into the mall, looking for his family. They were easy to spot as they drew attention with their strange pet. He noticed they were already making their way to the exit. He looked around, saw a fire alarm and hit it. Instantly, there was pandemonium, just what he needed it. He ran to them, held each one in each hand and began to run towards the exit.

Outside, he took them to the car and asked them to get in. Just as he drove away, the noticed the men run back to their SUVs and drive after him. He was right. This was payback.

4-
Just as he hit the desert trail, Matthew called him with new information. The men were after him, not because of what he did in the past but for the new job he just pulled off. Garry was surprised. What new job? He had invested all of his money into cyrptocurrencies. He practically didn’t do anything besides attending conferences, meetups and updating his blog on steemit.

“I mean, the one you just pulled off. The heist at Samatex laboratories.” Matthew replied, his patience obviously wearing thin.

“Samatex what? What are you saying?”

“Don't fucking lie to me man. You think I won’t know about the billion dollar Create-A-Life prototype that you stole? The Mutant Rabbit? My God! How could you get a job like that keep it all to yourself?” Matthew sounded betrayed.

“Garry, what is he talking about? What job? I thought you said you were going legit?” Mary asked.

Garry caught a view of Theresa through the rear-view mirror.

“Matthew, are you talking about the rabbit-like animal?”

“Yeah, that’s the fucking one. I don’t know what your client is offering but I’ve got a buyer who’s offering three hundred million dollars man. That’s the highest you’re going to get on the black market. And considering all of your team members are dead, you won’t have to share the money with anyone, except a small thank you tip for me.”

“Garry, what is he talking about?”

Garry ignored Mary. He had to think. It was obvious a team had hit Samatex Laboratories to steal the prototype but none of them made it out alive. If they did, they would have hit him first. So the animal probably escaped into his backyard and his daughter found it.

“Garry, are you there? Are close are you? The boys are setting up the toys. It’s been a while I shot at a live target.” Matthew sounded excited. Garry was too, but he was thinking about money and not pulling triggers.

“Three hundred million dollars…” He muttered to himself. With the current rate, he could afford at least three million bitcoins. He would be in charge of the cyrpto market for life. Or he could invest in Steem… maybe EOS…

5-
“Dad! Dad! Dad!” Garry heard Kate, his four year old daughter scream into his ear. He looked up to see… he couldn't believe it. He was looking at his publisher and Kate, his daughter beside him. He looked at the cursor on the Microsoft Word software on his computer blinking. It all came to him. he had been barnstorming for his next story.

“Hi, Mr Charles. You didn’t tell me you were coming.”

This is my entry for the April 10th Twenty-four hour Short story contest-A little girl finds a strange new animal in her backyard and begs her parents to keep it as a pet by @mctiller. I actually wrote one yesterday but I got the prompt wrong. I wrote about a doll instead of an animal. You can check that out here: The Possessed Doll: Sherlock Holmes Investigates The Death of A Family In Nigeria

Thanks for reading

Blessings

[Image source: Wikimedia Commons]