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TEDDY AND DOLLY

by STEVEN BEEHO

Teddy Bear rose from his chair and moved slowly around the table as everyone else in the room remained quiet, wondering at what he was going to do. He scratched at the hole in his face where he’d lost his glass eye a year ago, a habit he’d developed since then, doing so whenever frustrated. He halted and looked down at Little Jake, whose face had lost none of its cuteness despite the beating he’d received.

   “I’m gonna ask you one last time,” Teddy snarled, his short temper nearly burned out. “Where’s Leo hiding?”

   “I don’t know, honest I don’t,” pleaded Little Jake, legs swinging in agitation over the edge of the chair he was tied to. Like Teddy he was a bear but, unlike his large size and dark brown colour, Jake was small and light brown, with dark paws and ears. He looked up at the black suited gangster before him, then glanced at some of the others in the room. “I haven’t heard from Leo in ages, how would I know where he is?”

   “You know because the rat’s been hiding in your house!” Teddy yelled. “Until five days ago when I found out and now he’s vanished again.” Teddy glared at Little Jake for several seconds, then muttered fiercely. “Tell me where he is Jake, or Mr Bun-Bun goes to work.”

   From a shadowed corner there came a snicker and the click of a flick-knife.

   “No, Teddy, there’s no need for that,” whimpered Jake, struggling in his ropes.

   “Then tell me where Leo is,” Teddy Bear demanded. Little Jake opened his mouth for a second, then closed it. Teddy sighed and stepped back, beckoning to the corner.

   From the shadows stepped a fluffy white rabbit, dressed in pink suit and hat, holding a knife. Behind his bucked teeth the rabbit was grinning sadistically.

   “I’ll tell you! I’ll tell you!” shrieked Little Jake.

   “At last,” muttered Teddy.

   Suddenly there was an uproar outside and all looked up at the door, two of Teddy’s men drawing guns. There was shouting and swearing, then a strong, commanding voice Teddy recognised and all went quiet. He waved the guns away just as the door was opened.

   All knew the one who entered, Stretch, the walking rubber-banana that was the right-hand man of Teddy’s rival.

   “Truce,” he declared as he came in, arms spread to show he was unarmed. He halted and looked at Teddy. “The Boss wants to come in and talk to you.”

   “Very well,” Teddy Bear said grudgingly and moved to sit behind his table, his men forming up about him.

   Stretch called through the door and then stepped to one side, he and Mr Bun-Bun eyeing each other, as four more rival gangsters came in. Then in strode Teddy’s rival, frilly dress swaying as she walked, beaded hair swinging down her back.

   “Dolly,” Teddy greeted with a nod.

   “Teddy,” replied his rival, then she looked at Little Jake. “Has he told you where Leo is?”

   “He was gonna when you burst in,” Teddy replied; through the door he could see more of both their gangs squaring up to each other. Stretch went and took a chair, then placed it alongside Jake’s, upon which Dolly sat.

   “So tell us, Jake,” said Dolly, still looking at him. “Where is Leo?”

   “Well,” Little Jake began, squirming under her steely gaze, “Leo once told me that if he ever ran out of friends to hide with he knew a deserted warehouse on the docks where no one went, he said the office at the end could be locked and was pretty cosy with a few candles.”

   “How nice,” laughed one of Teddy’s men.

   “And which warehouse is this?” questioned Dolly.

   “Uh, I’m not sure, but he said it was the one with the big, red double doors,” Jake said nervously. “Oh yeah, I know it’s right by the river, Leo said he wanted to get a boat because that way he could jump out of the window and escape.”

   “I know the place,” Teddy said.

   “So do I,” Dolly added, turning to look at him. “Shall we go?”

   “Why not?” Teddy replied with a shrug. “Freddie, get downstairs and get the cars ready.”

   “Right, Boss,” the henchman said and hopped out of the room. Both Teddy Bear and Dolly stood, and he looked at her.

   “Well, are we gonna go together or is it a race?” he asked.

   “Together, there’s no need for us to compete,” she answered sweetly, but that act never fooled Teddy. She turned, dress swirling, and led the way out.

                                                  #                                             #

   “This is it,” said Teddy’s driver, pulling up in front of the warehouse. The two cars containing more of Teddy’s men stopped alongside his, and Dolly’s three halted behind them. With the clicking and clunking of car doors, the two gangs stepped out.

   “Freddie, Humpty, check round the side for a boat,” Teddy ordered as Mr Bun-Bun went to the rear of the car and opened the boot. The same was done with the other vehicles and weapons were handed out to all.

   “So how are we going to do this?” Dolly asked as her men gathered about her.

   “We make sure he can’t escape, then go in and get him,” Teddy answered.

   “My thoughts exactly, so I sent two of my men round the other side to look for exits,” Dolly informed him. Teddy looked at her with his one eye and she smiled, he wished he still had the other to keep on her.

   The twenty of them stood and waited for a while, then their scouts returned, telling the two leaders that there was no boat, and the only way out beside the front doors were some windows at the other end of the warehouse, but these were boarded up. Even so, Dolly sent two of her men there to ensure their prey couldn’t escape and Teddy agreed to leave two of his gang at the doors. Then, with a nasty grin, he led the way in.

   Quietly and carefully, the two gangs moved into the warehouse, guns ready, eyes searching, but even in the darkness all could tell the place was empty. Now attention turned to the dimly lit office windows at the far end.

   Dolly nodded to Stretch and he loped towards them, Tommy gun tucked under one arm but held ready in his white-gloved hand. The rest of them watched and waited as the rubber-banana ran up to stand beside a window and peer in, before he turned and nodded.

   “Let’s go,” Teddy ordered.

   Armed and dangerous, the mob swarmed across the warehouse, the two leaders in the centre striding confidently, more wary of each other than what lay ahead. They came to the door that led into the office and glanced at one another.

   “Mr Bun-Bun, Cuddles, with me,” Teddy ordered.

   “Stretch, Tiger,” Dolly said, not even needing to beckon them.

   Teddy Bear kicked the door open and burst in, looking about the room by the light from several candles, a couple going out because of the rush of air. It wasn’t a big office, with only a few filing cabinets and desks in it, and on the opposite wall Teddy could just make out the boarded up windows Dolly’s men were now guarding.

   “Where are you, you dirty rat!” he yelled as the others followed him in.

   “What the…?” a head appeared from the other side of the nearest desk, alongside a hand holding a revolver. Clicks sounded as safety catches were removed, and the revolver was dropped to the floor.

   “Teddy! Dolly!” gasped Leo, looking up at the line of gangsters before him, especially noting the guns aimed at him.

   “Hello, Leo,” Teddy growled. “It’s been a long time since I saw you.”

   “Even longer since I did,” Dolly said coldly. Leo cowered behind the desk under their fiery and icy glares, then, slowly, the rat stood up and came around the desk towards them.

   “I… I was gonna come see you, uh, both of you,” Leo stammered nervously.

   “When?” Teddy snapped, stepping towards him.

   “Uh, tonight actually, I, uh, overslept but I was gonna come and see you,” Leo answered.

   ”Which one first?” Dolly asked with a sadistic tone to her voice, all knew this question would get Leo into trouble.

   “You of course,” Leo replied quickly, his focus on her. Teddy’s fisted paw crashed into Leo’s face and sent him flying over the desk, knocking off a plate of half-eaten food. Heaving with anger, Teddy went after him and bent down, grabbing his neck and lifting him up, then slamming him onto the desk with a thump. Leo’s nose was crumpled and he lay there winded, while Teddy looked down.

   “Made a nice little bed here for yourself, hey?” Teddy snarled, seeing the mattress and blankets he stood on. “I’ve an idea, we could stuff you in and tuck you up, then set fire to it.” Leo whimpered. “Or then again, perhaps I’ll just rip your tail off and strangle you with it. Which you’d prefer Leo?”

   “Not yet,” Dolly put in, moving forward. “We both have questions that need answering.”

   “Oh yeah, thanks for reminding me,” Teddy said to Dolly, although his gaze remained fixed on Leo. “You see how angry I am with you.” Teddy shook the rat, whose big ears flapped as his head bounced back and forth. “I nearly killed you without asking where my money is!” The gang leader’s voice now became a roar.

   “It’s in a bag in the river!” screamed Leo, terrified. “There’s a rope tied to it and to a mooring thing, you can pull it up and get it!”

   “All of it?” Teddy asked, squeezing the rat’s neck.

   “Yes! Yes! It’s all in notes in a watertight box in the bag!” Leo explained.

   “Then let’s go get it,” Teddy said, dragging Leo off the desk and onto his feet.

   “I need to ask him my question first,” Dolly commanded, fixing her fearsome gaze onto Teddy.

   “Go ahead,” he snapped in reply, releasing Leo. He gagged and rubbed his throat, then looked at Dolly, and cringed.

   “Do I need to ask?” she inquired.

   “Your ledgers are in that filing cabinet.” Leo pointed to one of three at the end of the room.

   “And there are no pages missing I take it?” checked Dolly.

   “I haven’t even looked inside them, I swear to you.”

   “Every fact and figure about my organisation, every name of all who work for me, it is all there?”

   “Yes,” replied Leo with a desperate nod, and then Teddy laughed loudly.

   “I can’t believe you were so careless you let him steal your ledgers,” he chortled.

   Dolly turned to face him, and smiled.

   “I wasn’t,” she said and his mirth faded. “My ledgers are at my home, along with your money.” Teddy’s grin became a glower. “It was also at my home that Leo was brought four nights ago, seeking my protection from you, and I devised this plan, which involved tricking you into coming here and twenty of my gang ambushing you.”

   “Why you…” Teddy spat as he went for his gun, but suddenly Leo leapt forward and head-butted him, knocking him down.

   Then chaos erupted.

   Gunfire echoed in the warehouse and an office window was shattered by bullets, causing all inside to duck. There was the sound of returning fire, then of more shots, drilling against the wall. Amongst all that, shouts and running footsteps were clearly heard as a force of Dolly’s men poured into the warehouse, joining those present in wiping out Teddy’s men.

   Cuddles had his shotgun knocked from his grasp, but then wrapped his long gorilla arms about Tiger, preventing him from using his gun, and began squeezing.

   Mr Bun-Bun and Stretch turned to face one another.

   Mr Bun-Bun’s knife flashed out.

   Stretch shot him.

   His Tommy gun rattled and Mr Bun-Bun shook as bullets ripped through him, stuffing spurting out of his front and back, covering his pink suit. Mr Bun-Bun crashed against a wall; one paw clasping at his wounds, then his eyes fixed on Stretch. Pushing himself from the wall, he sprang forward, his rabbit legs enabling him to leap swiftly to his rival. Surprised, the gangster had no time to shoot again and Mr Bun-Bun’s knife slid into his rubber foam body, then was pulled across. With the rabbit’s weight slamming into him and the knife slicing him open, Stretch split in two, both halves toppling onto the floor, with Mr Bun-Bun collapsing over him.

   Tiger’s weapon clattered to the floor as he struggled for breath, then he lashed his tail about Cuddles’ leg and pulled it out from under him, so both hit the ground. For a moment the tiger was upon the gorilla, fists flailing, but then Cuddles threw him off. Tiger scrambled to his feet, taking out his revolver, yet Cuddles had already grabbed his weapon and fired, the shell tearing off Tiger’s head.

   A bullet punched into Cuddles’ face, then another, then a third, and he slumped to the floor. Dolly lowered the pistol she had taken from her dress and turned to Leo.

   “Are you coming?” she asked and headed for the door, the rat hurrying after her. She opened the door, the gunfire outside having ceased, and looked back, checking someone wasn’t about to shoot her now she fled. As she did, Teddy appeared from behind the desk, still slightly dazed while he pulled himself to his feet. Dolly turned and raised her gun, only for Leo to run into her as he looked over his shoulder at what she was aiming at. Her gun fired as she was knocked sideways and Teddy’s ear was torn off, sending him ducking back down. Dolly glared at Leo before following him out of the room.

   Teddy touched the stump that was his right ear and swore, angry that Dolly had tricked him like this. Even so he had to admire her, it was a well thought out plan. As soon as she thought of it she must have started the rumour that Leo had stolen her ledgers last week and let it spread, so that when he found Leo, he’d believe she had as much reason as himself to hate the rat and so let her come along. He also realised Dolly must have been hiding Leo for the last few days as well, which was why he couldn’t find him at all, and forced Little Jake into letting himself be caught by Teddy in order to tell him where Leo was. That part was obvious now, few could scare someone so much they’d endure a beating to do something, but then no one could resist when Dolly’s glassy eyes locked onto them.

   Now, because of all this, he was finished. His men were dead and he’d soon be joining them, he knew Dolly and her gang were waiting for him, and if he didn’t go out, they’d come in. Teddy turned to the boarded up windows that led out of the warehouse, knowing this was his one hope of escape, but here was more evidence of Dolly’s planned trap, instead of the old planks that were usually used on deserted buildings there were new, thick ones fixed firmly in place. Not that it mattered, Teddy knew Dolly’s men would be waiting to shoot him as he climbed out.

   Looking about him, his despair grew as he saw his two best henchmen lying dead on the floor, but he felt some glee at seeing Dolly’s men with them. Then he noticed the guns on the floor; Dolly and Leo had left them there in their rush to get out. Teddy then looked at the mattress he was lying on, and an idea came to him. He grinned a grim grin; if he was going to die tonight, he’d go out in a blaze of glory.

   He grabbed the mattress and blankets and threw them onto the desk, then, being very careful, he picked up two candles and put them on the heap. Slowly the flames began to spread and Teddy added a couple more, then picked up Stretch’s Tommy gun and Cuddles’ shotgun, before shoving the desk to one of the windows facing into the warehouse, beyond which Dolly and her men were waiting. He put his shoulder under it and lifted.

   With a heave the flaming desk smashed through the office window, the glass shredding the burning material so that fiery lumps were scattered far and wide. The gangsters outside jumped back in alarm, all surprised by this action and fearful of the fire.

   Then Teddy leapt through the window and over the flames, both guns blazing. Bullets from the Tommy gun stuttered into two gangsters, and his shotgun roared to nearly rip another one in half. Dolly’s men were stunned at first, giving Teddy the chance to down two more as he ran at the centre of their line, before shots rang out and several bullets slammed into him, causing him to stagger. As he did, he suddenly saw that his jacket was on fire, obviously he hadn’t cleared the flaming debris as well as he thought, and he knew it would only take several seconds for his whole furry body to be ablaze. He fired both guns again, still moving forward, more on momentum than effort, but the entire line of gangsters opened up and his legs gave way beneath him, one nearly shredded to pieces.

   Yet the numerous bullet wounds were of little importance as fire raced up and down his back, eating away at his hide. Despite the searing agony that covered his body, Teddy tried to rise, determined to beat his enemy, but one arm’s stitching had been burned away and it fell off. Collapsing in a heap, Teddy Bear, the great mobster, shrivelled in flame.

   Dolly moved forward through her men and stopped a good distance from the burning lump.

   “You were a good opponent Teddy,” she declared.

   “Not good enough though,” muttered Leo, coming to stand alongside her.

   “Very true,” Dolly agreed, and shot him in the head. She then turned to one of her men. “Bring the petrol in here, I want this entire place burned to the ground.” He nodded and ran off, taking several others with him. “Good work boys, I’m proud of you all,” Dolly proclaimed to her men. Then, with a whirl of dress, she turned and headed out of the warehouse.

   Outside her men were taking petrol cans from the warehouse opposite, where they had been hiding for the ambush, and Dolly left them to it as she headed for her car. Two of her men were waiting there, ready to drive her off at any moment, a precaution she’d taken just in case things had gone wrong.

   “Bill, Ben, take me home,” Dolly ordered. Both nodded, Ben starting the car, Bill opening the door for her. “I have a lot to do now that I run this city,” she told them.

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