Chapter 5: Extreme Measures

“Shit!” Vince exclaimed, jumping out of bed. “Are you kidding me?”

The small furry creature cried piteously on the quilt while Bandi panted triumphantly.

“That’s a damn fox!” Shannon blurted, sitting up. “Jesus girl! Where did you find it?”

The black and white shepherd mix huffed and wagged her bushy tail excitedly.

“I hope you’re not stalking the forest, kidnapping hapless critters,” Vince said as he fetched a towel from the bathroom. The small animal, drenched with slobber, backed away defensively with its small mouth open. Bandi pawed it impatiently and huffed again.

“You mean ‘kit’-napping,” Shannon corrected, reaching for the towel. “Here, let me try.”

He handed her the towel and watched as she wrapped it around the small creature. “It’s okay, little one,” she whispered. “You’re okay.” She bundled it up like a papoose and examined it. “We have a baby girl here.”

“Must be freezing,” he commented as she rubbed it gently.

She shook her head. “I don’t think so. Foxes are tough and resilient animals. I think it’s shivering out of fear.”

“Can’t blame her after a midnight raid and being hauled away by that monster,” he snorted.

“You didn’t steal her from her nest, did you?” Shannon asked the dog, earning another huff. She glanced at Vince.

He shrugged. “You’ve known her longer than me,” he griped. “And you named her Bandit for a reason.”

“Do you think she did it as a protective measure?”

He shrugged again. “My opinion? She was bored and wanted someone to play with. She was pretty pissed when I gave her bunnies away.”

“I wonder how old it is.” She reached into the bundle and rubbed the kit’s ears, causing it to whimper pathetically as it rubbed back against her. Her thick, matted fur was mostly reddish brown with streaks of light grey. Her eyes were pale blue, and she blinked frequently with her nose darting back and forth. “I read that they are born with their eyes closed and are deaf and blind for the first few weeks.”

“Should we feed it?” he suggested. Giving up on sleep and sex, he grabbed a pair of sweats from a dresser drawer and put them on. “I still have the kitten formula I used on the bunnies. It’s in the trailer.”

She nodded absentmindedly as she held the bundle against her bare chest. “Good idea. I don’t think it will hurt.”

Fifteen minutes later, she joined him in the kitchen, wearing another pair of his sweats and a T-shirt, holding the baby fox in her arms at the table. It took to the nursing bottle immediately and sucked the formula down. Vince watched as he stoked the firebox in the stove and prepared a fresh pot of coffee.

“She’s freakin’ adorable!” Shannon cooed while feeding the hungry beast. “Look at her little blue eyes!”

He snorted as he took down two cups and prepared hers with cream and sugar before adding the coffee. “What should we do with her?” he asked. “I can’t take her to a rescue and expect her to thrive in the city. This is her habitat, and her best chance of survival is out here.” He set her cup on the table.

“I think you answered your question,” she replied, pulling the bottle away from the resisting creature. Once the bottle was out of sight, she whined and yawned. “Maybe we can set up a small box with some old rags for her to nest in and trust that she will stay close until she’s independent.”

He grunted and frowned at the black and white pile of fur under the table. He could see her eyes peering at him over her bushy tail. “Looks like you have your buddy,” he scolded. They heard the thud of her tail against the floorboards.

“Can you lock the dog gate?”

He nodded as he sipped his coffee. “I secure it when I head out to keep unwanted critters out.”

The first step is finding out what formula she’ll need.

“Should we bring her?” he wondered.

Shannon handed the bundle to him. “Puppies must eat six times daily. So, I would say yes. How long are you staying in town?”

He poked the sleepy fox’s face, and it grabbed his finger with both front paws. He flinched when he felt its razor-sharp teeth gnawing gently on his calloused fingertip. “It depends on what’s waiting for me. I have to meet Theresa and then run to Salem to see my Union coordinator. Other than that, I hope to go grocery shopping and be back by lunch.”

He followed her into the bedroom and watched as she slipped off his sweats and T-shirt and pulled on her dress. His groin tightened at the sight of her naked body, and she glanced back at him with a knowing look. “So—” she started. “This weekend was fun.”

He set the sleeping kit on the bed and turned to face the woman. He cleared his throat awkwardly, and she moved into his arms. “I ... um,” he felt ill at ease with her proximity. “I—”

She kissed him tenderly and studied his expression. “We have time,” she said softly, trying to put him at ease. “I know there’s more to this. You can share whenever it feels right, okay?”

Her words put him at ease instantly, and he nodded quickly, “So? We’re ... good?”

She squeezed him tightly and placed her hands on his chest. “I took the initiative on this, and I have no regrets,” she replied. “For now, it’s on me, so let me just put it out there.” She patted his pectorals. “This weekend was special to me.” She glanced down at her hands. “Vince, we have many things to work out. But what we have shared ... What we have here, now—” she sighed and looked into his eyes, “This ... it matters to me, okay?”

He nodded. “Yeah, I get it. Thank you. It really matters to me too...” He smiled with a pained expression. “I’m pretty messed up in a lot of ways, and I’ve been known to fuck things up now and then,” he sighed heavily. “Don’t let me fuck this up.”

Her smile lit up the room, and he felt an Adrenaline rush as she locked her fingers behind his neck. “Don’t worry,” she replied with another soft kiss. “I won’t.”

“Answer your phone, asshole!”

“Well ... She’s a charmer,” Shannon chuckled. It was dawn as they drove into town, and he turned on his phone to check messages. They parked at the diner and sat in the cab while he reviewed his voicemails and texts.

Kelly ranted for three minutes, accusing him of defaming her family and damaging her relationship with Brian. Otherwise, her call had little substance, so he ignored it. He was surprised to see a text and voicemail from his mother asking him to join them for Thanksgiving. It broke her heart to think of him alone during the holidays.

“That’s sweet,” Shannon said.

“A lot can happen in a month. We’ll see,” he gruffly replied as he climbed out of the truck. The fox was sleeping beside Bandi in the back seat, so he left them behind.

Over breakfast, Shannon used her phone to search for early care tips for rescued foxes. “Well, shucky-darn!” she quipped. “Turns out kit formula is the same as puppy formula. And I have a shit-ton of that at the shelter.” She set her phone down and saw Vince staring behind her. “Yo! Adonis —”

He blinked and glanced back at her. She noticed the distraction in his expression and looked toward the diner entrance, where the hostess stood behind the glass counter talking to a woman covered in heavy, ragged-looking garments with a shawl over her head. “Who’s that?”

He stabbed a sausage and bit it in half. “I don’t know,” he replied as he chewed. “But I swear I’ve seen her walking around town before.” He frowned. “I thought she was homeless, to be honest.” He watched as Abby handed her a brown paper bag and a Styrofoam to-go container. The woman bowed in gratitude several times before leaving. He noted a youthful, albeit tired, face under grime and dirt. The stranger glanced at him and quickly looked away before leaving.

When Abby turned to survey the customers, he grabbed her attention with a wave. She sauntered over with a fresh pot of coffee and topped him off.

“Who was that woman?”

The waitress sighed, “I’m not sure,” she replied regretfully. “Poor thing. She’s been coming by every morning for the last few weeks.” She sat across from him beside Shannon, who slid over to accommodate her. “When she first came by, she tried to buy a cinnamon roll and hot cocoa with a pocket full of nickels and pennies. She said her car had broken down, but she hoped to have it fixed soon. She wouldn’t tell me where she left it, nor would she take my advice to have Randy check it out.” She leaned over the table conspiratorially, “I’m pretty sure she’s an immigrant from her accent, and I think she lives in her car, too. Since then, I promised her to come by every morning, and Earl makes her a hearty breakfast to keep her fed through the day.”

“Where is she from?” Shannon remarked, wiping her mouth.

The other woman shrugged. “She sounds maybe Russian or German by her accent, but I was never good at that sort of thing.”

He considered the curious woman and her situation as he ate. “It’s getting cold at night,” he said. “Can you find out where she’s staying? This is no place to live in a car in winter.”

Abby nodded. “I’ll ask her again when she comes by. But she seems reserved and private.”

“I’ll go to the ATM and bring you $100 for her before leaving town. Can you give it to her? Or at least keep her fed until she can get back on her feet?”

“Vince, you’re a dear!” she exclaimed, smiling. “Of course I will.”

“I’m pitching in,” Shannon said, reaching for her handbag. “I’ll come by tomorrow morning and see if I can talk to her.” She removed a small stack of twenties and handed them to the waitress.

“You two give me hope for humanity,” she beamed as she took the cash, sticking it in her apron pocket. “Oh!” she murmured, producing a napkin-wrapped bundle. “I almost forgot—” she glanced under the table, “—where is my girl?”

“In the truck with her new buddy,” he snorted as she unwrapped several pieces of bacon.

Shannon giggled and refilled her cup. “She brought a baby fox into his cabin this morning at the butt-crack of dawn.”

Abby gazed at the stout woman expectantly. Shannon smiled back at her brightly.

“I see,” she remarked, setting the treats on the table. She got up and grabbed the coffee decanter. “Make sure she shares ... Do foxes eat bacon?”

Vince chuckled. “I’m sure they eat anything they can find when old enough.”

He dropped Shannon off at the shelter and picked up the puppy formula before heading west to meet his union representative, Elaine Hoffmeyer, who preferred in-person meetings. She complimented his ‘new look’ and winked, hinting at a feminine influence. His cough and blush confirmed her suspicions, and she secretly rejoiced that he had moved on from his troubling marriage.

After small talk and congratulating him on his cabin, which he showed her pictures of, she got to the point, “When can you come back to work?”

He shrugged uncomfortably as she described the current state of the CBC collaborative projects involving Bonneville and the Columbia Basin and their projected off-season projects.

“We need you, Vinnie,” she pressed. “Sooner if possible. I can guarantee closer assignments to your new home. You could work entirely from River if you want. The pay raise, incentives, bonuses, and profit sharing are nothing to sneeze at.” She handed him a pastel green paper from her printer tray. It was a breakdown of his new compensation package, including union perks such as overtime, double and triple overtime, less rest incentives, and consecutive weekend rates. He would earn well over five figures, with an upfront advance of $7,500 on his return to work.

“I’m meeting with my lawyer today. I’ll ask her.”

She nodded and leaned back in her chair. “How’s the divorce going?”

He snorted, “Badly. Her lawyers contest everything and keep countering with their own demands.”

“Sounds tough. Didn’t you sue the hospital for alienation of affections?”

The civil case against Kelly’s former employer was delayed by procedural roadblocks that the hospital kept filing at the last minute. Terri assured him that this was typical and that she wanted to give them enough time to become confident in their strategy before she played her cards. Ultimately, the hospital legal team tripped themselves up when they failed to meet the court-ordered deadline for surrendering all evidentiary material requested. She had filed the injunction at the onset of the lawsuit, demanding the preservation of all relevant source materials. The hospital had destroyed or lost all records related to the case, infuriating the judge. He held them in contempt, citing adverse inference by their actions, and fined the institution $5,000 each day they failed to present an argument. Settlement proceedings began three days after the ruling, and by early October, Vincent was awarded $645,000 in damages, which he asked to be listed as an ‘undisclosed amount.’

This set a precedent for their case against Kelly and her lover, but in a brazen move, she terminated her (Modesto) attorneys and turned to her father, who appointed a new legal team for her divorce. They filed for dismissal of damages, attempting to stall the process indefinitely. This backfired when a three-page exposé appeared in a widely circulated independent newspaper out of Portland, fondly named The Fish Wrapper. The article questioned Kelly’s father’s marital history, suggesting infidelity and domestic abuse. It also mentioned Kelly’s mother, who had recently passed away under mysterious circumstances. Her father retaliated with a defamation suit, but the unabashed team of freelance journalists responded with a bibliography citing public records they had sourced for the write-up. The public interest and media firestorm prompted The Fish Wrapper to double down and attack the semiconductor giant.

The baby fox consumed much of his time for the next few days. He had to feed it constantly. Then he caught her nibbling Bandi’s kibbles, and he weaned her from formula. Shannon suggested trying small amounts of meat, cooked and uncooked. She took it well and especially enjoyed raw hamburger and small pieces of steak, which she delicately took from his fingers. Her presence in the house became routine, and he began leaving her in the cabin alone with the dog gate locked when he went to town.

“What are you naming her?” Shannon asked one day at the Diner.

He sipped his coffee and pondered her question. “I don’t know,” he hedged. “What are some good Greek Goddess names?”

Her eyes lit up, and she leaned across the table, “I love how your mind works, Adonis,” she purred before sitting back and considering. “How about Hera? She was the wife of Zeus. Or Artemis! She was a hunter! And she used a bow!”

He grinned, “Bandi and Arty. I like it. They’ve become thick as thieves lately,” he remarked, nudging the sleeping pup under the table. “Except on car rides ... Then she’ll abandon her in a New York minute.” He kept glancing at the diner entrance, and she noticed.

“I found out where she keeps her car,” she winked.

“Hmm?”

“The homeless girl,” she said. “She lives in an old Oldsmobile four-door sedan parked behind Rusty’s car shop. You know where they used to put all the impounds before the Jail was finished?”

He furrowed his brow, trying to recall. “I’m not familiar with this area,” he confessed.

“If you have time, I’ll show you,” she replied. “Here she comes now,” she added, nodding at the window behind him. He continued staring forward until the decrepit figure shambled past him toward the door. Abby met her at the counter with a warm smile and a plastic bag loaded with food. She stepped around the register and touched the woman’s arm. Vince watched as the Hostess spoke for an instant and then pointed. The homeless woman turned hesitantly and glanced at him.

Shannon sat with her back to the window, feet stretched out on the wide seat. She watched the host and guest, smiling and waving to beckon them over.

The woman was hesitant as Abby led her to the table. “Vince, Shannon,” she greeted. “This is Anna. I told her that you two gave her the money.”

The woman nervously glanced at them before turning her eyes to the floor. “Th—thank you,” she stammered in a hushed voice. Her accent was heavy, and Vince immediately thought she was closer to Russian than German.

Shannon rose from her seat and stood over the shorter figure. “Hello, Anna. That’s a beautiful name,” she said warmly. “Won’t you please join us?” She indicated the empty seat.

“It’s okay, sweetheart,” Abby encouraged her when she looked back at her.

The woman hesitated, then slowly took the offered seat, sitting on the edge of the cushion.

The taller woman joined Vince, bumping him until he had scooched over enough for her to sit beside him.

“Can I get you something warm to drink?” Abby asked. “Coffee? Or tea, perhaps?”

Anna looked up nervously at the two cups left on the table after the couple had finished eating. “Just ... hot water ... please,” she replied.

‘Ukrainian?’ he wondered as the hostess spun away.

“Anna, it’s nice to meet you,” Shannon began, propping her elbows on the table. “I’ve seen you around town off and on.” She turned and patted Vince’s hand. “My boyfriend and I have been curious about you and your living conditions.”

‘Boyfriend?’ The term made him happy, and he sat quietly.

“And I mean that in a good way!” she added quickly, seeing the fear and hesitation in the other woman’s eyes. He guessed her to be in her early twenties. “We only want to help,” she insisted. “We are not here to judge or pry.”

Abby returned with hot water, tea bags, and honey packets.

The woman glanced up appreciatively and wrapped her hands around the steaming cup. Her fingers were dirty, and her nails were caked with grime. “Thank you for the money,” she repeated. “I’m ... okay.”

Vince leaned forward, “Do you live in your car?”

She nodded without looking at him. “Rusty lets me keep it behind his shop and only charges me ... one hundred dollars per month.”

Vince’s jaw tightened, sensing the anger in the woman beside him. “Anna, you can’t live comfortably in your car with winter coming. It will get very cold and—”

“I’m okay,” she insisted, grabbing several packets of honey and adding them to her water one at a time. She stirred the drink with a spoon and blew on it before sipping. “I will be ... good.”

Shannon leaned closer and put her hands flat on the table. “I’m sure you’re very strong,” she said. “Where are you from?”

Anna hesitated, then said in a quiet voice, “I am ... Belarusian.”

“Wow!” Shannon said. “You know all about the cold, eh?”

The girl smiled for the first time, and it was delightful to see her face light up, if only for a moment. “Yes,” she agreed. “I will be okay.”

Shannon sat back and touched Vince’s leg under the table, giving him a thrill.

“Anna,” she began again, twirling her coffee cup. “I know how hard it is to have no place to call home. I’ve been in your situation. And I know you’re trying your very best to get by. I assume you don’t have a job—”

He could tell by the woman’s expression that Shannon’s words struck home.

“We want to help you if you let us,” she continued. “I can offer a safe place for your car ... where no one will find it.” She gazed knowingly at the woman, who glanced back furtively. “I can provide a better, warmer place to sleep and ... offer you a job.” She smiled. “How do you feel about animals?”

Anna blinked, “Animals?”

Shannon nodded, “Dogs, cats—”

“Bunnies, foxes,” he muttered, earning a leg slap.

“I run a no-kill animal shelter just outside town,” she explained. “You could keep your car there and sleep in my office. We have a microwave and refrigerator.”

“What would I ... do?”

Shannon pursed her lips. Vince could tell she was making it up as she went. “I haven’t thought that part through,” she confessed. “But honestly, it would be nice having someone stay at night to watch over the animals.” She glanced at Vince and found him smirking. “What?”

“Really?” he mused. “An office with a microwave?”

Shannon flushed. “Well ... It’s better than—” Her face warmed with embarrassment before she jabbed him in the arm. “Got any better ideas?”

He finished his coffee and smacked his lips. “As a matter of fact, I think I might.”

“Go on back,” Melany greeted him with a smile. “She’s expecting you.”

He turned toward the short hallway, hearing rapid typing from the back room. Bandi beat him to it, disappearing into the office, and the typing stopped.

“Hello, precious girl!” he heard. He stepped into the dimly lit room in time to see the red-haired woman giving a treat to his dog. She smiled back. “Hi, Vince. What did you need to talk about?”

“A couple of things,” he replied, walking toward the coffee machine. He raised an eyebrow at her, and she nodded.

“Help yourself.”

He popped a coffee pod into the machine and set a cup beneath it. “First, thank you for everything,” he said as he waited for the machine. “When I first stepped into your office, way back when, I had no clue what I was doing. You were a Godsend.”

“I aim to please,” she replied.

“Did you pay yourself? I need to know that you were fairly compensated for the settlement.”

She chuckled and opened a drawer on her desk, producing a folder and handing him an invoice for legal representation totaling $58,980. “For your tax records,” she added.

He nodded. “Thanks.”

“You’re thanking me for charging you?” she said, “That’s a first.”

“You earned it,” he replied, grabbing his coffee and moving to his seat. “So, this came from the settlement?”

She shook her head. “Nope, that’s on top of the settlement. We specified damages and legal expenses.”

‘Jeez!’ he thought.

“But that’s not why you came to see me —”

He sipped his coffee. “It’s about the settlement,” he replied awkwardly. “I need your advice on what to do with it.”

She sat back. “Financial planning isn’t my bailiwick.” She picked up a pen and fiddled with it. “But I can recommend some—”

“I’m considering putting most of it in a savings account for my sister for college.”

Her eyebrows arched as she regarded him. “So, a college fund or trust fund?”

He shrugged. “Whatever. I’m afraid word will get out, and I don’t want people coming out of the woodwork seeking a handout, you know?” He played with his cup. “I lost my shot at college, but she shouldn’t.”

“I don’t know what to say, Vince,” she replied intently. “You surprise me every day, but this just —” she set down the pen. “I don’t know whether to hug or kiss you ... or both.” There was a hint of emotion in her voice. “I hope your parents know what an awesome son they raised.”

He snorted, “Wait until I go after Uncle Gordon for the wrongful death suit.”

She nodded and sat forward. “I’ve been doing legal research. I mentioned before there’s a four-year statute of limitations on wrongful death civil litigation. Turns out I was right—”

He felt an icy sensation in his gut. “So, I can’t make them pay for—”

“I didn’t say that,” she interrupted. He recognized the telling glint in her eye. “There might be a loophole.”

He straightened. “Oh? What is it?”

“Let me finish my research and develop a game plan before I fill you in.” She grabbed a water bottle from her office fridge. “What else did you want to discuss?”

“I need to go back to work,” he stated. He watched her body language as she sipped from the bottle and sat back down. “Look— the people who supported me ... paying me a stipend, helping me finish my Journeyman quals, helping me out in so many ways ... They really need me, and I feel like shit for just sitting on my ass when I feel ready to get back.”

“Okay,” she replied.

He blinked back at her. “That’s it?”

“Actually, no. There is one condition.”

‘Here it comes.’ He gazed back at her.

“I want Doctor Kent to agree, as well, before you climb up on top of those big tower things.”