Page 49 of Sly Like a Fox
“He’s a security expert.We’ll have to find out the specifics later, but he probably exploited a system vulnerability.”Fenton’s voice carries a grim understanding.“He’s here for revenge.”
The knock on the door is polite but insistent.Porter’s voice carries through the reinforced steel with deceptive courtesy.“Mr.Nielsen, Ms.Johnson, I think we need to have a conversation.”
“About what?”Fenton calls back while discreetly activating his emergency protocols.
“About the consequences of destroying my employer’s business and what happens to people who cost me my very lucrative position.”
Through the security monitor, I watch Porter examine the door’s multiple locks with professional interest.He’s not just here to make threats.He’s planning to get inside whether we cooperate or not.
“You have thirty seconds to open this door voluntarily,” he continues.“After that, I start making my own arrangements.”
We can’t run from this confrontation.Porter knows where we live, has access to Anklor’s resources for tracking us, and possesses violent skills that make hiding a temporary solution at best.Fenton tries to engage him in conversation, calling through the door about working something out, but Porter’s response is immediate and violent.
The sound of splintering wood cuts through our apartment as Porter forces his way through the reinforced door without waiting the full thirty seconds.The multiple locks slow him down, but his bear shifter strength makes short work of even military-grade security.Chunks of door frame scatter across our entryway as he shoulders through the opening.
“Run!”Fenton shouts, grabbing his tablet while moving toward the service entrance.
Porter’s massive form fills the doorway, and when he spots us heading for the back exit, he partially shifts.His arms bulk with muscle and sprout claws as he lunges forward with inhuman speed.
Fenton pushes me toward the service door while turning to face Porter, but the bear shifter’s reach is longer than either of us anticipated.Claws rake across Fenton’s shoulder and upper arm, tearing through his shirt and opening deep gashes that immediately start bleeding.
“Fenton?”I spin around as he staggers, crimson spreading across his torn shirt.
“I’m fine.Go!”He grits his teeth, one hand pressed against the wounds.“Lead him away from here.”
Porter advances on Fenton with predatory satisfaction, clearly planning to finish what he started, but I won’t let that happen.I dart between them, my fox instincts taking over as I bare my teeth and hiss at the massive bear shifter.“You want someone to chase?Chase me, you oversized teddy bear.”
Porter’s attention shifts to me with murderous intent.“You first and then your boyfriend.”
I slip through the service entrance that connects to the building’s utility areas, my agility allowing me to navigate spaces that would be impossible for Porter’s bulk.Behind me, I hear Fenton call out, “I have your back,” and I assume he’s accessing the building’s systems, despite his injuries, to access the operating system so he can help slow down Porter.
The building’s service corridors are a maze of pipes, electrical conduits, and ventilation ducts that provide perfect cover for someone small and agile.I position myself near the main utility junction, where I can access multiple levels through maintenance ladders and emergency panels.
As Porter stomps behind me, emergency systems throughout the building activate.The fire suppression sprinklers engage directly above his position, soaking him with pressurized water while emergency lighting strobes throughout the hallway.Ventilation fans roar to life, creating noise that masks my movements while amplifying Porter’s frustrated cursing for my sensitive hearing.I laugh when he collides with something metallic, and the resultantthunkand moan easily carry with my auditory abilities.
“You think this is funny?”Porter shouts over the chaos.“You think some water and lights are going to stop me?”He’s storming my way but a little lost with his vision reduced for a moment.
The water and confusion buy me time to implement my own plan.I slip through maintenance access panels, moving through the building’s hidden infrastructure while Porter stumbles around looking for me.When Porter regains some clarity, he begins following me.His bear shifter senses give him the advantage in tracking, but my fox instincts are better suited for evasion and misdirection.
I lead him on a deliberate chase through the building’s service areas, staying just ahead of his pursuit while guiding him toward areas where his size becomes a liability—through utility corridors barely wide enough for his shoulders, up maintenance ladders that groan under his weight, and through access tunnels that force him to crawl while I move upright.
“Stop running and face me like an adult,” he shouts, his voice echoing from somewhere behind me in the ventilation system.
I ignore that because running is exactly the right strategy.Porter’s strength and size are advantages in direct confrontation, but they become liabilities when chasing someone agile through confined spaces.Every minute he spends pursuing me is another minute for law enforcement to respond to the building’s emergency alerts.More importantly, it’s time for Fenton to stop the bleeding from those claw marks and not have to face off with Porter while injured.
As we move through the building, I notice the security system continues working in my favor because Fenton is surely monitoring the pursuit from his tablet despite his injuries.Doors unlock just as I reach them while remaining sealed when Porter arrives seconds later, forcing him to muscle his way through.His massive bear arms have little trouble when he partially shifts, but it slows him down.
Emergency lighting illuminates my path while leaving him in darkness.Ventilation fans create noise that masks my movements while amplifying his heavy breathing for my sensitive hearing.Fenton is definitely helping, having figured out the full plan I didn’t have time to share with him, or at least enough of my idea to use the building’s systems against Porter just like he used Anklor’s security cameras to watch his arrest.
The chase continues through multiple levels of the building, with Porter growing increasingly frustrated at being outmaneuvered by someone half his size.When he finally loses patience with human form or partial-shift limitations, I hear the distinctive sounds of full shifting behind me.
Porter’s bear form is massive and intimidating, but it’s also too large for most of the building’s service areas.When he tries to pursue me through a utility corridor in bear form, his bulk gets wedged between pipes and electrical conduits.
That’s when Fenton’s reprogrammed systems really shine.
The fire suppression sprinklers activate directly above Porter’s position, soaking his bear form again while automatic door sensors slam shut on either side of his trapped bulk.Emergency lights on either side of him strobe in patterns designed to disorient while ventilation fans create a windstorm that must make the water feel like ice.
By the time I reach the building’s main service junction, Porter is stuck fast in the utility corridor, dripping wet and thoroughly humiliated.His bear form is too large to move forward or backward, leaving him trapped with his rear end sticking out into the hallway while I escape through a ceiling access panel.Fenton is likely poised to close the doors more if Porter tries to shift back to his human form.He’ll be stuck either way.
