By Patrick Oliver

This is a follow up from the first Part of Long day no break, If you hadn’t read it yet, I highly recommend reading that first before reading this.

Phantom walked into the coffee room, figure it was the first places to look for a partner to help him in the stakeout he has assign to for the mission. He was still a bit stressed about what happen in the coffee room early this afternoon with Leon being a complete jerk to everyone and that voices that came out of nowhere is still bugging him, even when he agreed it was just this head playing tricks with him. He shakes his head a bit, pulling himself together when as he enters the coffee room which was still cleaning up after the ogre came crashing the places, to find that there was no one was in the room excited for Shay who was on her laptop working on some stuff.

“Alright” nodded Phantom then approaches to Shay, walking around some cleaning equipment that the janitor has left on the floor. “Hey Shay, doing ok?”

“Hmm? Oh yeah, I’m fine. I guess…” said Shay, looking like a strung-out College student. “What ’cha need?” Shay kept her focus on the screen as her left ear lifted a bit like she still in animal form, listen to Phantom.

“I have a case about a person who’s been selling mystical drugs somewhere in Chinatown not far from here and I asking if you wanna join me on a stakeout. Said Phantom, sounded a bit tired.

“Really! …. Sure!” Said Shay looking at him, then back to her computer quickly finishing up stuff on windows and was very excited to finally be going on a mission at lasted. “Oh, what skins do you want me to bring?”

“Just something that people won’t notice out of the blue…… I guess” Phantom nodded. “I just grab a few knifes from my desks very quickly and get the keys to the car and I will meet you at the fort in 10 minutes.” Phantom took off and makes his way into the common room to get his stuff.

“See ya! Ok so my primary, cat, and a mouse. My wolf skin I can pass as a husky or malamute.” Said Shay talking to herself, mentally checking off her animal skin list, grabbing what she needs for the mission and Packed into her bag. Slings her bag over her shoulder as she starts heading to the front of the Agency. But as she enters the hallway out of the Coffee room, Ezekiel accidentally bumps into Shay as she walked out of the entrench and fall on the floor.

“Pardon me Inspector, didn’t see you coming.” Said Ezekiel, helping Shay get back up.

“Oof! That’s ok, it just me being too short? Or just blind” said Shay standing back up and huffed looking up at Ezekiel. “Anyway, me and Phantom are going out on a stakeout mission. All I know is that a person is selling unnatural drugs somewhere not far from here. You could come along if you wanted to, but you’re probably still recovering a bit from the ogre attack.”

“Well, I am tall, and I do need these glasses to see, really sorry about that.” Nodded Ezekiel taking his glasses off to clean them with his jacket so something like this doesn’t happen again and puts them back on. “And sure, I still have a bit more power left in me to tag along, if you’ll have me inspector? Though I don’t know what you would need for the mission.”

“Neither do I, but phantom will brief us more about once’s we meet him at front outside.”

“Then I guess we sound not keep him waiting then.”

Ezekiel and Shay walked down the hallway, threw the lobby and to the exits. Ezekiel being a gentleman’s by open the door and letting Shay past through.

“Thank you” said Shay walking pasted Ezekiel.

“Hey are we ready, or what!” Said Phantom waiting in the driver’s seat of a BMW 90’s car, waiting for Shay.

“Alright we’re coming” said Shay waving at Phantom walking down to the front of the car, opens the door and flings her bag to the back seat with a smirk, as Ezekiel walks down to the car. “Oh, we bumped into each other. Thought he might some help with the stakeout tonight.”

Shay Gestured to Ezekiel as he enters the back seat of the car and puts out his smocking pipe, before getting in.

“Why not mate, the more the marrier.” Said Phantom not minding the extra company, waiting for the two of them to get in buckle their seat belts and tell Ezekiel about the stakeout they about to do, as he drove off to their destination. “Ok, As I told Shay there a person out there that are selling some kind of mystical drugs that can turn people into a mindless person, like not being themselves. And Ten percent of those people who have taken these drugs have died because of it.”

“Ah, I see. So, what’s the plan inspector?” Said Ezekiel, asking Shay since she the higher rank then the two of them.

“Mhm…. well Phantom found the lead, so it pretty much his call. I’m mostly here to help.” She Winked at the both of them, hoping to give them some more experience for the mission. Phantom smiles a nod at her and focus on the road.

“Anyway, from the information that I have found at the offices that a single man has been starting to sloppy and mostly been seen at Chinatown just down a few miles from here. If I’m right, we might be able to get him in the-…. Whoa!!!” Phantom Slammed the breaks after a bunch of teenager’s bike riders came out of nowhere crossing the road almost hitting them. Phantom pocks his head out of the car and started shouting at them. “You C###’s, watch where you’re GOING!!!”

“Uh huh. Keep your eyes on the road mate.” Committed Ezekiel about Phantom driving. “Anyway, so what is your actual plan to get this bloke to come clean?”

“Huh? …. Right the plan.” Said Phantom started to drive again, after making sure there wasn’t anyone else randomly crossing the streets. “Were going to lay low, blend in and when we spot him, were going to follow him to until he’s at a corner or if we’re lucky, he will lead us to his apartment.  We’ll jump him before he could even get a change to make his move.”

“Do you have experiences tailing people?”

“Uhh…yeah, at least a bunch of times.”

“Great, what will you do inspector?”

“I’ve got my skins, so if either of you needs to look like something civilian, I got you both covered.” Said Shay turn to looked at Ezekiel. “I brought a lovely pet dog, cat and brought a mouse skin along just in case we need it”

Smiled Shay, awaited excited to be able to shift into one of her skins on a mission. It had been a long time since anyone brought her out onto the field, which is making her feel giddy. She mainly doing IT for BEAST servers for over the past year now and been complains about how she wasn’t out there on the field.

“Don’t you have a bird skin, also what would you be cover Ezekiel” said Phantom a bit curious, while focusing on the road.

“I do, but you didn’t tell me to bring one.” Sizzed Shay, holding back a grow and hates the fact how restricted she is with BEAST. “But if you can find me a dead and still very fresh, then I can use it. However, I can only carry up to at least three skins on outing and missions. Plus, these were the only skins that I had were clean…” Shay started to grumble, looking like she was Pouting.

“And as for my cover…..” Sigh Ezekiel. “…. Phantom you do realize that I look like I probably would be buying food from the food stands. Also, how can you skin a bird and a mouse inspector?”

Phantom made a understand nod at Ezekiel, as Shay cleared her throat, before turning to look at Ezekiel and answer his question. “Oh, it’s very hard to explain, let’s just Say that Skin a mouse is easier to do, then the bird because I have to make sure not to damage the feathers.”

“I have another question, why is there a limit of skins you can uses on missions?” Asked Phantom curiously.

“Uhh… I’m a Skinwalker remember?! Powerful beings! If I loss control, it could mean catastrophic! Ring any bells?!” Said Shay rolled her eyes, she was kind of surprised that no one had thought how BEAST kept their people in line. “Especially what would you think could happen if I got a hold on a mythical skin. Or would happen if I had a full arsenal if I went into rage or out of control!?”

She stair looking at both of them, waiting for a resource. Ezekiel just nodded and takes a sip from his flask.

“Alright, alright I’m sorry. I was just asking.” Said Phantom didn’t know how to respond after what Shay just said, and something was bothering him. “Sorry, it’s just I got a lot on my mind right now.”

“Then spill it!” Shay nagging to know and sounded like an Annoying little daughter or sister, getting really bored on a road trip. “Distractions cause Injuries or death, so spill it or I’ll make you spill!”

“Hrrr…. bloody hell” Mumbling Phantom sounded like an old man. He tightens his gripped on to the steering wheel, with frustration in his eyes. But stays focus on the road “It’s just what happen earlier today with Doctor Death and felt so foolish trying to stand up to him since he second in command of the building, no doubt that man is going to tell the chief about that. I just don’t understand what that bastard problem, I mean he has no respect or cares that someone either got hurt or killed from that ogre we just took down that nearly destroy BEAST HQ today at all!!!

“Everyone has their ghosts and ways to cope with them. But Dustcloak I never could crack and all I know is that he would have my skin mounted in a wall” Shay gulp as she pulls the collar of her shirt a bit. “But don’t let that old man fester you, just let it go and move on. He does help us catch the killers usually and help treat our wounds in the infirmary.”

“Your-…. your right, your right. Sorry, just in a bit of a bad mood that’s all.” Said Phantom taken a few slow calming breaths to himself to get rid of all the frustrations away.

“I Have nothing to say for the creator director, only that he is my superior and I may not enjoy it at times, I understand where I’m stand.” Said Ezekiel, putting his flask back in his coat. “And as for this undercover mission, I haven’t fully regained my magic after the fight with the ugly ogre today, but it should be enough if things get out of hand.”

“Well hopefully it doesn’t come to that, oh I almost to tell you guys.” Said Phantom stopping at the red lights, quickly taking this opportunity to pick up the cases files from the side of the car door and taking out a photo taken for a servant’s camera of a close look of the target they are looking for, hands the photo to Shay. “The person we’re looking for is wearing a dark grey hoodie, a black fabric marks covering his mouth and a small grey backpack.

Quickly put the file back to where he picks it up and continued driving after the lights turn green again. There were a lot more cars going in the directions of where Phantom and his team are heading.

“Hmm… seems easy enough.” Shay Nods looking at the photo before handing it to Ezekiel. “Got any scents I may be able to track? Or we’re going to go on guts for this one?

“Guts I’m afraid.”

Ezekiel grabs the photo and studies it before he responds. “Are we bringing down the dealer or we’re going after the supplier as well?”

“Just the dealer, both if we’re lucky. We’re going to follow the dealer around and see where he goes when we find him. But if he sees us or something goes wrong, we’re going to take matters into our own hands by grabbing him or she by forces.”

“I can subdue them probably, want them immobilized or unconscious?”

“Whatever works mates. Are there any other questions you guys wanna asks?”

“Ummm….. yeah, why did you pick one of the ugliest cars to drive us in?” Smirk Ezekiel, joking lightly as he puts the photo away in his pocket.

“Come on it isn’t that bad and second it was either this or a yellow truck from the 60s! Besides this car isn’t that bad, I drove it to the farm once all the way from the city to help a farmer find-….” Phantom pause for a sec, realising what he was about to talk about the weirds mission he had ever done in his BEAST career. “Nap, nope…… never mind that its not important. All I’m say is that this is a good car for this mission to blend in.”

“Uh huh.” Said Ezekiel rising his eyebrow looking at Phantom who’s acting suspiciously.

“Relaxs it’s not that important, look all you need to know about that is that I was tasked to capture a supernatural rooster and it ended very weird.” Said Phantom trying to looked less suspicious by Shay and Ezekiel and shocked his head left and right to get rid of those images of that mission out of his head.

“Right, but next time we’re taking my car.” Sigh Ezekiel at Phantom weirdness and complaining about how bad this car there driving in. He then takes out his smoke pipe out, put a bit of corbito in it and puts it in his mouth, but doesn’t light it.

“Hmm… to bad we don’t have more information about what we’re dealing with, some are into dog fights and always looking for a dog that can dominate his competition. I guess each one of my skins will get used one way or another when we trail this dude, especially tonight.” Mutter Shay to herself, she seemed to be rambling about trying to gather her thoughts and ideas.

“Here, you can follow them on the ground…” Said Ezekiel taking out his pipe out of his mouth and exhale smoke onto his lap until it forms into a smoky hawk with glowing embers for eyes. “…. And this little guy will follow us in the air. Also if he see our target, he will follow the dealer and guides us to follow him.”

“Awesome! But I need to know now if either I’m going to prowling, being a pet or candidate for a dog fight.” Shay looked at the smoky hawk amazed for a few seconds before, looking between Phantom and Ezekiel, waiting for one of them to tell her an idea what she was going to shift into. “I maybe the inspector, but it time to see what you two can offer on the field.”

Shay was smirking at them and was so happy to help other agents out, helping them earn their ranks, just like her friend Chrysalis have done for her when she was in destress in her early days in BEAST.

“Thanks inspector, but I don’t think there will be any dog fight from where we’re going, from Phantom intel.” said Ezekiel patting his Smoky amber Hank and then looked at Phantom Curiously to know what he was going to be for the mission. “Phantom, what would you be doing for the mission?”

“Me? I be on the roofs of the building, looking down from above because most people don’t think to look up over their heads. As for your question, a street cat would be a good way to blend in.” Said Phantom Answering both Ezekiel and Shay questions.

“Alright, hopefully there’s not too large of a gap or a street to cross over”

“Very well, if you both excuse me.” Shay puts on the cat skin she had on her and shifted into one. “Can someone keep an eye on my bag? I don’t need it to be getting lost or stolen.” she winks starting to mewing, waiting for the car to stop and for a window or door to open, so she can jump out and get started prowling for their target.

“Sure thing, Arr….. here we are.” Said Phantom putting Shay bag on his lap, as he parked the car on the other side of the road where China town is. The place looks there already a big crowed going on into the places tonight, and lots of music and chattering of enjoyment coming from within.

“Thanks!” Said Shay Stretching out, purring as she was reacquainting herself with feline anatomy and body language, as Phantom parked the car. “Right, let’s see what we all find and find our dealer. Send a word if you find him or something goes wrong.”

Shay hopped to the back of the car, then onto Ezekiel lap and pawed at the door forgetting that she had no hands and that she was going to sound different then her human form slightly.

“Sorry, no thumbs. Could you open the door please?” said Shay purring at Ezekiel to open the door.

“Woo, woo slow down their mate.” Said Phantom putting the bag down next to his feet and then grab something from the side of the door we’re he put the files a small box out. He then opens the box to see a set of small ear headphones comms. “We can’t go out without a way to contact each other.” Grabs one and puts it in his ear, then grabs another one and hands the boxes to Ezekiel so he can put Shay one on her.

“Oh, yes an earpiece for a cat.” Shay chuckled, sitting there, and letting Phantom leans over the driver’s seats to hook her up with the headphone’s comms on her.

“Thanks.” Nodded Ezekiel grabbing the box, grab one of the ear headphones and placed it on his ear. “Alright let’s do this.”

“Wait a minute, can you guys here me?” Purred Shay as loud as she could be, to see if they can her any scattering on their communications drives.

“Yes, we can here you just fine thanks. Come on, let’s go” said Phantom as he and Ezekiel hearing both the Shay shouting and the terrible feedback sirens effect monitor and gets out of the car, pull his hood over his head.

Ezekiel rubbed the back of his left ear with the small headphone comms is and opens the car door to let his Hawk smoky familiar out to fly off into the air, as Shay took off Ezekiel lap out of the car and run to the nearest alley. Cause it the best places to end up looking for like an alley cat and best way to roam around detective. Ezekiel sorted out his collar of his coat out and lights his pipe before stepping out of the car and closed the door behind him. As Ezekiel began walking into the busy streets of Chinatown, Phantom locked the car behind him, puts Shay bag around his should and head to find a perfect place to claim up a building, to the roof tops with caution and stealth without anyone noticing him.

Chinatown was filled with Chinese culture. Hot foods being severed on the streets markets and restaurants, red paper lanterns hanging on trees and in front of buildings, fantastic entertainment shows going on in the middle of it like a group people dancing in a big puppet dragon costume, swinging swords, dancing traditions and other art traditions cultures. There was a cheerful and calming harmony of joy in the atmosphere around Chinatown markets at this time of night sky came in.

Fifteen minutes in the mission later, Ezekiel decided to buy some street food, since he had nothing to eat since the little of his steak sandwich when a raging homicidal ogre interrupting his lunch by trying to kill him. Phantom and Shay can hear him munching on it over the comms which sounds like he’s enjoying it for ten long minutes but doesn’t interrupt them with the mission. Shay stretches along fences, hopped between various heights and things to climb, or walk along, while mewing here and there. She mumbles into the comms from time to time when she plays it off as grooming herself. And as for Phantom, he was jumping from building to building and looked below at every angle trying to find their target before moving on the next.

“Anything yet guys!” Shay growled out loud through the comms after escaping some kid who grabbed her unexpectedly, hugging her very tightly around his arms and patting her very roughly. She got out of it without hurting the kid, by squeezing her way out of the kid arms, jump on top of a wall and dash away from the kid. “I don’t think I can stand being pick anymore by anyone around here!”

“Nothing yet, but I keep looking.” Said Phantom who just finish run up on the power lines and climb up over the edge of a building in front of him. “Ezekiel, found anything yet mate.”

“Nope still nothing” Ezekiel mumbling with a tone of food in his mouth after taking a big bite out of his food, while looking through the eyes of his familiar hawk flying for a few seconds to see if where this dude is.

“Bloody hell mate, finish swallowing your food before-”

“Wait!… I think I got something in an alleyway two blocks away on the next right.” Said Ezekiel a few second later, see a person that looks like the person on the photo that Phantom handed to him. After he send word about it to his team on the comms, runs at a deliberated paces as his familiar follow pursuit with him and finishing his food along the way as he heads to the alleyway that the person walked into.

“On it!” Shay wasn’t wasting any time as she hopped from ledge to ledge, dogging people and flowerpots near some of the restaurant windows.

“Copy that.” said Phantom on the comms, then parkouring his way over to Ezekiel coordinates and thinking that this was going to be easy. “This might be easier than I thought it would be. Maybe I can look around Chinatown and see if I can get something to eat and maybe something for the dogs to. Oh wait, hrrr…. Damn I must write a report about this when this is all over. Man, I can’t seem to get away from paperwork these days.”

“Waste of time, I must say.” Whipper the same mystery voices that came out when Phantom was in HQ offices.

“Wha?!…. whose there!”

Phantom panicky stops running quick getting in defensive precious and looked around seeing who was speaking to him. But there was no one around, just pigeons and a few alley cats growling quietly and waiting strike one of them. He takes a deep breath and walks up to the edge of the building to recover himself.

“Keep it together Phantom, it just your mind playing tricks with you again.” Said Phantom talking to himself to keep him calm and focuses into the mission. “Damn me, my insanity is really-…”

Phantom gets over it when he sees someone in the crowd wearing a dark grey hoodie and a small grey backpack that looks like the same one, he on the photo and going the completely different direction then where Ezekiel said he was going. He can’t tell if he wearing a masks from this angle, but if he didn’t follow him he may never find out.

“Hey guy, I see another person that looks like the person we’re looking for.” Said Phantom quickly telling this information on the comms and starts following him before he loses him in the crowed. “You two go ahead with the other guy, I got this one.”

“So, there’s two of them, lovely.” Said Ezekiel sarcastically. “Alright I go get mine and you get the other. My hawk will company you.”

“Copy that!”

The smoky Hawk peels off and made his course to Phantom following the other suspect from above and Ezekiel almost at the alley where the person he was chasing went.

“Ok just-…. Ouch!!!” She meowed loud as she gets stumbling over some rocks and fell like one, rolled over a bit. She gets back up unhurt, apart from the saw left back paw.

“Inspector are you ok?” said Ezekiel stops and turns around Shay after seeing Shay get tripped over.

“Yep, I fine thanks. Isn’t the first time getting tried over.” Chuckled Shay as she stands up off the ground.

“Maybe you should watch we’re you’re going, and you wouldn’t fall over so many.” Smirk Ezekiel, teasing her a bit.

“Oh, piss off.”

The two of them starting to have chuckled a bit and smiled for about a half a minute before getting back to the mission.

“Ok that enough, come on, we got a thug to catch hey.” Said Shay back in action. “Do you have me bag? I go shift into something bigger and fights better than a domestic cat.”

“Sorry, but you gave it to Phantom back in the car remember.” Said Ezekiel getting out his pipe in hand, ready for combat.

“Oh god dammit! Hrrr… well, I guess this will had to do.” She sighs, leaps up to Ezekiel and sits on his shoulder. “Go on let’s go!”

Ezekiel nodded and was a bit surprises to when Shay jumped onto his shoulder. Then continued running in the direction that the person that they we’re following but didn’t go far as they enter the alleyway half unclean from some of the trash lining around and the lights wasn’t affected at all and seeing the suspect in the middle of it. He was in a crouching position against the wall, like looking through something, but they can’t tell from where their standing.

“Is this guy our target?” Shay whippers into Ezekiel ear, in a ready position to pounces and tear him apart, if she had to.

“Not sure but stay on your guard in case he is” Whippers Ezekiel scratches Shay around the ear, then picks her up and cradle her around his arms as he walks towards the person slowly and carefully. “Listen, I going to try acting as someone who is addict to drugs. You be like a annoyed cat who just wanna go back to sleep.”

“Can do” said Shay with her cat smile, looking at Ezekiel above and feeling awe in his nice cradling arms.

Ezekiel Gait changes as does his demeanour and walking into a jittery like and his eyes shifting around, to look more of an addictive person. As looking at the person putting up arrogant look on her cat faces and meowing loudly as if she indicates to her lovely addict owner that there a shady person up ahead.

“Hey….. hey, you got something for me.” Said Ezekiel with his accent gone and there’s a shake to his voice, as he looks at the person and strokes the cat with a shaky hand.

“What the hell you want!” Said the person, turning his head around to faced whoever was behind him. The person turns out to be a homeless man, who was looking through the bins for food. “Is it against the law to search through bins! Scram!”

The old man histed at Ezekiel and then return to search through the bins. Ezekiel and Shay were both disappointed to see that it wasn’t the person they were looking for. Ezekiel straightens himself up out of his acting poses, toss the old geezer a hundred dollar note out from his pocket and walks out of the alleyway.

“God bless you!” shouted the old man to him and grabs the note and goes out to find a better place to buy food.

 “Well, it was worth a shot following him.” Said Shay, looking up at Ezekiel trying to make him feel better. “Besides, at least we helped someone today getting a nice meal and he even thanked you for it.”

“That might be true.” Said Ezekiel waking out of the alleyway. “But the dealer is still at large. Phantom, my lead was a bust, heading to your location now.”

Ezekiel trying contacting Phantom while carrying Shay in his arms, while walking through a massive crowed of people and stands. But something was wrong, Phantom wasn’t contacting back.

“Phantom do you copy, Phantom!…. Phantom!”

To be continued.

Thanks, you guys for reading. This world of is a story from animator creator Foxel and if you like to follow him, here a link to his YouTube channel Here: https://www.youtube.com/user/foxelanimated

And if you want to be part of this world of BEAST, you can join the discord server here, but please follow the rules before doing anything on there: Closed at the moment

And if you want to know more about it before joining, I have explain it on the first part of this story at the end: https://sirpatrickstorys.wordpress.com/2022/05/25/b-e-a-s-t-story-long-day-no-break-part-i/