Slugtectives Gary and Larry the Leopard Slugs

The Meeting

Gary and Larry left his nook and when they emerged outside they could see Dru picking up arm loads of garbage and tossing it in the dumpster. Much of the way through the pile he was lifting the plastic as he went and gathering the finer material into a pile in the middle. They slugged towards Tendra’s hole as he continued to work.
“Tendra, you here?” Larry called from outside her hole, listening for her response.
“What?” they heard her call back sounding rather annoyed.
“I need to ask you something,” Larry called back.
After silence she popped her head out of her hole, looked at Larry and said coldly, “what do you want?”
Taking a breath in and a big exhale out to ready himself Larry launched into his question. “I, I need you to come with us,” he stammered in sudden uncertainty.
“Why?” she shot back.
Larry glanced at Gary who motioned towards Tendra then turned back to her and said, “I need to meet Dru but I want you two there in case something happens. You don’t need to be seen, just me. I just want some support.”
Her eyes narrowed and her expression changed to anger before she replied, “what did I tell you? You’re going to get yourself killed, or worse yet you’ll get us all killed. Don’t be stupid Larry.”
“I know what you said but I think you are mistaken. Gary is coming with and I really want you with as well. All you have to do is watch,” he pleaded.
She glared back at him then she looked at Gary and grumbled, “you’re fine with this?”
“It’s the only option at this point, if he wants to help Dru then the only way is if they meet,” Gary replied with a shrug.
Tendra glared at them as she thought about the mess that Larry was getting himself into and she could tell that he was serious by his expression. She shook her tentacles and said, “fine. I’ll watch.”
Larry perked up at her suddenly acquiescing and looked excitedly at Gary then back to her and said, “oh thank you. It makes me feel a lot better about doing this.”
“You better go write the message then,” Gary said quickly.
Larry stared at him for a moment before his words registered and he suddenly remembered that Gary was right. He turned to Tendra and said, “I’ll let you know when we are going, I have to go write him back,” before nodding to Gary and hurriedly slugging for his nook.
He tapped at the screen and wrote, “Okay. Tomorrow morning at first light I will be on the bush outside the living room window.” He read it back to himself aloud then paused before hitting send. His mind gone blank as he stared into space lost in indecision he glanced down at the screen then back up before blinking once and pressing send with his tentacle. Pushing the pda aside he turned and left his nook.
Gary was still talking to Tendra as Larry approached and he quickly stopped as Larry slugged next to them. “Well?” he asked Larry.
“I sent the message now I just wait for a reply. I told him I’ll be on the bush at first light tomorrow so we’ll need to be up there well before that,” Larry said.
“You’re sure about this?” Tendra asked.
Larry stared at her a moment then said, “as sure as I can be”.
Tendra’s expression showed she didn’t believe him and Gary noticed it saying with a smirk, “it’s his funeral, we’re just there as witnesses”.
Larry glared at Gary and Tendra as they laughed then said, “hah hah. Let’s meet here at midnight and we can all go together.”
Tendra rolled her eyes and shook her tentacles then said, “fine, whatever. I’ll see you here then,” and she pulled her head back into her hole and disappeared.
They watched her vanish then Gary looked at Larry and said, “I sure hope you’re right with this.”
“Me too,” Larry said then turned and headed back to his nook, the sounds of Dru still working behind him.
#
His back was sore and his mouth was coated in dust from the pile as he pulled the corners of the plastic together and lifted the plastic into the dumpster and pulled on one edge and emptied the remaining debris off of it. He yanked the plastic out and quickly rolled it up in a shoddy looking roll. He walked back to the patio and tossed the plastic in the corner against the wall and walked back inside and to the kitchen.
He grabbed his glass, filling it at the sink he filled his mouth and rinsed as much of the dust and dirt out as he could, spitting the water into the sink. He did it a couple more times, draining the glass of water before he filled it again and guzzled the water down. He drank two more full glasses before setting it down and looking towards the phone. Seeing the blink he stepped to the counter and opened the message.
“What?” he said incredulously. His face scrunched into disbelief and he shook his head slightly as he read the message again. He looked up towards the living room and leaving the phone on the counter he walked through the door way and to the window. He stared at the bush and then muttered, “what the fuck?”, looking it up and down. “What, is it smurf?” he thought as he looked at the leaves and branches of the bush. He turned from the window and slowly walked back to the phone on the counter. He stared down at the screen but he couldn’t think of anything to reply with. “What does one say to that? How do you respond to someone saying they will be on a bush at day light? It makes no sense,” he thought.
He stared at the screen for a minute before finally turning it off, leaving the phone sitting the counter he walked back to the living room window and stood staring at the bush, trying to analyze what Larry could possibly mean by “on the bush”.

Gary woke to Larry yelling his name into the entrance to his hole and he slowly made his way out to see a nervous Larry before him. His mantle was twitching and his lower tentacles were wringing about themselves. He looked pretty scared and Gary said, “you ready for this? You look pretty nervous. Did you get a reply?”
“No, I didn’t. I think I’m ready,” Larry said slowly then continued, “let’s go get Tendra.”
“So how do you know he’ll be there in the morning?” Gary asked.
“I don’t,” Larry replied.
Larry turned and headed for Tendra’s hole with Gary following behind, his foot far less swollen now and having an easier time keeping up. They reached the entrance to her howl and Larry called for her as Gary stopped next to him. They waited in silence until suddenly she appeared from within, Larry saying, “hey, you ready?” as she emerged.
“I’m ready for a show, sure. This feels like a train wreck is about to happen,” she said with a frown. “You sure you’re ready?” she asked Larry.
“He’d better be,” Gary said quickly.
Larry glared at him then looked back to Tendra and said, “as much as I can be. Shall we?”
She nodded and Larry turned and lead the way for the bush. The three of them stayed in a line as Gary and Tendra followed Larry’s trail. They wound through the grasses and past the decomposing log, stopping for some bites of the myco and a short rest before continuing on.
The lights in the house were all off and the yard was largely dark as they neared the bottom of the bush. Stopping at the base Larry waited for them all to reach him. He gave both Gary and Tendra a look of unease then he looked up the branches of the bush.
“You first,” Gary said to Larry as he motioned to the bush.
Larry glanced at him then stared back up the bush, and after a long pause he slowly raised his foot and began to climb the branch. As he climbed he could see Tendra follow then Gary last and he felt a bit of relief that they were with him. He climb slowly and steadily up the branch before reaching their perch where he quickly looked around for any piles of food. Tendra reached the perch followed shortly by Gary.
“Okay, we’re here. What exactly is going to happen?” Tendra asked Larry pointedly.
He stared back at her as his eyes widen and he said, “I’m not sure exactly. He wants to meet or at least see me so this is the safest spot I could think of. Hopefully he is okay that I’m a slug”.
She stared at him then shook her head and said, “you really haven’t thought this through very far have you?”
“I’ve thought about it a lot,” he said defensively.
Gary and Tendra exchanged a knowing look then she looked back at Larry and said, “sure, whatever you say Larry.”
“We’ll be able to sit back over there and watch this,” Gary said to Tendra motioning to the leaves beside them then looking at Larry said, “we have some time, you should go have your last meal”.
Larry glared at him and said sullenly, “this won’t be my last meal” as he turned to the piles of bird droppings scattered around the perch.

Dru shook his head as and the bush came back into view as he regained his focus. He had been lost in his thoughts for a while standing buy the living room window and he suddenly felt his stomach growl. He walked back to the kitchen and grabbed the phone from the counter, shoving in his pocket he walked out of the house and to his car. He climbed in and started it with its customary puff of smoke and he drove out of the yard into the street.
He drove to the Stokes grocery store a few miles from his house and spent half an hour inside filling a cart with food to replace everything that had been ruined. Rolling the cart to his car he loaded bag after bag into the back seat, setting them on top of the garbage littering it. Pulling a beer from a case and opening it he drove back to his house and parked as the sun was setting, finishing his beer and tossing the can in the dumpster as he walked by. It took him a while to unload everything as he tried to organize it somewhat as he went. The refrigerator now had more than a couple bottles of condiments and he grabbed a beer another out before closing the door.
He walked back to the living room and sat in one of the chairs and stared at the wall where the television had been. He shook his head at the thought of having to get a new one and drank his beer slowly. He glanced at the window occasionally unable to stop wondering what the hell he meant by “on the bush”. He finished his beer and after making himself food he began to tire quickly, the day’s efforts catching up with him. Turning off the lights in the house and blocking the front door closed with a chair he went to bed, anxious for the morning.

Gary and Tendra chewed on the fresh growth leaves as they watched Larry wander the perch nervously. He had tried eating a few different piles of bird droppings but none of them tasted good now. His mind was focused on day light and the fast approaching meeting. On the edge of the horizon the first light began to creep across the black night sky and Larry looked up at it, his body shaking from nerves.
“Here comes dawn,” Gary said to Tendra.
She turned to see the light in the east then turned back and said, “you ready Larry? Sun’s coming up.”
Larry was staring to the east at the changing light and didn’t look at her as he said, “no, not really.”
Gary and Tendra looked at each other with raised expressions then turned back to Larry. “We’re going to be back here behind the leaves, good luck,” Gary said as he motioned to Tendra to follow him.
Tendra watched him start to move and she said to Larry, “I sure hope you’re right”.
Larry heard them but his attention was still focused on the sunrise now in full swing. Tendra and Gary moved behind a dense patch of leaves out of sight of the window where they could just see Larry and waited.

Dru’s eyes popped open and he was quickly awake. He felt around the bed for the phone and once he found it quickly checked the time. It was 5:30 am and the light was just creeping in the window. He got out of bed, put his clothes on and slipped the phone into his pocket then after a stop in the bathroom he went to the kitchen and turned the hot water on. He waited for it to get hot then filled one of the mugs he was able to salvage with hot water. He pulled a jar of instant coffee from the cabinet, scooped some into the water and stirred.
“Why the hell would they have destroyed my coffee maker? This stuff tastes like shit,” he thought as he took a sip of the coffee.
He pulled the refrigerator open and grabbed the creamer, topping off his mug with it then tossed it back in and closed the door. He carried the brim full cup and sipped it as he walked to the living room. The lights were still off and the sun was just peaking over the horizon as he entered the room, his eyes instantly drawn to the window he didn’t see the chair in front of him and he kicked it as he took a sip. His hand jerked forward at the impact with the chair and he spilled a big slosh of coffee over the front edge.
“God damn it!” he yelled as he attempted to catch the sloshing coffee with his other hand. The coffee hit his hand and splashed across the floor while he steadied the cup above. He glared down at the puddle of coffee and shaking his head he turned back to the kitchen for a paper towel to clean it up. He returned with a handful and quickly wiped up the mess, taking them back to the kitchen and throwing them in the garbage. He stood at the counter and drank the coffee quickly, setting the mug down he walked back to the living room and directly to the window.

Larry sat staring at the window as the sun rose, his body shaking uncontrollably from a combination of fear and anticipation. He heard movement in the house and saw the light turn on from the doorway to the kitchen. His nerves on edge he glanced back towards Gary and Tendra hidden in the leaves then back at the window to see Dru walking towards him. He watched him spill his coffee and clean it up, the whole time his body still shaking from nerves. Dru left the room and there was a silent wait afterwards.
Suddenly he reentered the room and walked directly to the window. Larry froze in place, the terror overwhelming him as he neared and then stopped at the window sill. Larry stared up at him not knowing what to do.

Dru stepped to the window and stared out at the bush. He shook his head slightly as he quickly scanned the surface, not seeing anything until he looked at the top right. There was a small flat area where leaves had been laid down and in the middle of it was a big slug. His eyes narrowed as he stared at it for a moment then he continued to look over the bush. He saw nothing else on it and said incredulously, “you’re kidding me right? A slug?”
He stared at the slug as it sat frozen on the bush, it’s tentacles ram rod straight and it’s body motionless. His mind was racing as he looked at it, the messages playing back in his head.
“This is just silly. There’s no way a slug is messaging me. Someone’s fucking with me and this is getting to be some bullshit. If it is you then do something. Show me you can understand me,” Dru said as his anger grew.
The slug staid rock still the whole time he spoke but after a pause it lowered its right tentacle, making a 90 degree angle with the other tentacle. It raised it back up and sat still again. Dru noticed it but didn’t understand what it was doing it for.
“What am I doing? I talking to a slug,” he said as he shook his head.
The slug again lowered its tentacle and raised it again. Dru watched it then the thought hit him and he said, “slugs like salt don’t they?” at which the slug lowered both tentacles, one to either side of it in a line, then raised them straight. Dru watched it closely then continued, “you want to help me?”
Again the slug lowered its right tentacle and raised it. Dru stood staring at it in shock. “This fucking thing understands me,” he thought. His mouth fell slightly open as he stared and the realization hit him. “How the hell can a slug understand me?” his mind continued.

Larry stared at Dru as he scanned over the bush. He couldn’t get his body to move so felt resigned to the spot he was locked to. He jolted slightly when Dru spoke but as he did an idea crept into Larry’s head. He could do slug semaphore with his tentacles.
“Show me you can understand me,” Dru finished.
Larry hoped that it would be enough to show him he could understand and took his right tentacle and lowered it to his side, perpendicular to his left. He raised it back up and held them both still.
“What am I doing? I talking to a slug,” Dru continued and again Larry lowered and raised his tentacle to say “yes”, followed shortly by the question do slugs like salt. Larry lowered his tentacle to either side of himself and formed them into a straight line for “no”.
Larry felt himself beginning to get excited, it was seeming to work, Dru was seeming to understand. He heard him ask, “you want to help me,” and his heart jumped. Of course he wanted to help and he lowered his tentacle emphatically to say yes, raising it quickly.
Dru was staring at him and asked, “you’re Larry?”
Larry again responded yes and Dru’s mouth fell open. After a short pause he said, “you’ve got to be a robot or something, there’s no way a god damn slug can understand a human.” Larry lowered both in no and raised them again. “You’re real?” Dru asked. Larry replied yes which made Dru shake his head and say, “this is just fucking weird. Seriously fucking weird.”
Larry finally found the ability to move again and turned towards Gary and Tendra and said, “I think it’s okay”.
Gary called back from their hiding spot, “that’s okay. You go ahead, we’re staying right here.”
Dru watched him turn and snorted as he said, “I guess you are real, at least you move.”
Larry turned back to him and sat staring and waiting. Unable to speak to Dru all he could do was respond yes or no and he was beginning to become inpatient at not being able to. Dru was standing watching him and he figured that this was enough, he wanted to go back to his pda.
Dru had an idea hit his head and he touched the phone in his pocket. He slid it out and quickly opened a reply to Larry’s last message. “So you’re a slug? How can a slug type messages? How could you possibly help me?” he wrote and hit send. He looked up from the phone to see Larry starting to climb down the bush and said, “I guess we’re done.” He watched him climb down for a while then turned and walked back to the kitchen shaking his head in disbelief.
Larry had turned away from the window and as he began to head for the edge of the perch he called to his side, “come you two, let’s go.” He climbed down the branch and stopped at the base to see how high Gary and Tendra were. He waited until they got the the bottom then as he lead the way said, “I’ve got to get back to my pda. You can follow along or meet me there.”
Tendra and Gary exchanged a glance then Gary said, “we’re coming don’t worry. We know the way back to our holes”.
Larry didn’t wait for the response before he was already moving, hearing it from behind him as he slugged towards his nook. Gary and Tendra followed along behind at a slower pace, letting Larry get ahead of them. “I don’t know what I think about all that,” Gary said as he followed Tendra.
“I know. I’m shocked that he didn’t get squished. How the hell did he learn slug semaphore?” Tendra asked over her back.
“Who Larry?” Gary asked.
“No, Dru. How the hell did a human learn it?” she asked.
“He was OSI, I’m pretty sure he learned human semaphore there and it is not that far off,” Gary replied.
They slugged back towards their holes and within sight of them Gary said, “probably should go check on him make sure he hasn’t done anything stupid.”
Tendra looked towards Larry’s nook then at her hole and said, “I’m going back to my hole, you can go ahead.”
“Okay, see you later,” Gary said as they parted ways, Tendra slugging to her hole and Gary to Larry’s nook.
Larry looked up as Gary entered his nook and said, “he was messaging me when we left, look,” pointing to the screen.
Gary moved up next to him and read the message then looked up at Larry and asked, “well, what are you going to tell him?”
“The truth,” he answered.
Gary stared at him then squinted his eyes as he said, “how do you explain your pda?”
“It’s a pda, that’s all he needs to know,” Larry said with a shrug.
“Whatever. I’m going back to my hole. You can fill me in later,” Gary said as he turned and began to leave.
Larry watched him leave without saying anything then went back to the pda and began to type.
“Yes I’m a slug and I use a pda, it’s how I found the list of names from the emails and posted it. Now you believe me? I think you figured out my yes and no so why not work together? I want to see everyone on the list burn for their actions and I’m pretty sure you do too.”
“I have many skills that can help. I’m highly adept at the internet and social media, I can be used for clandestine operations or as a mole to gather intelligence. We could make a great team.”
He read them over and satisfied he hit send.

Dru stood at the kitchen counter and ate cereal from a plastic bowl, his mind focused on the slug. Larry was a slug and could understand him. He had no clue how something like that was even possible and he kept wavering between belief and disbelief. He mindlessly shoveled spoonfuls into his mouth and chewed them down, his eyes staring into space.
He was suddenly jarred back to present by the sudden ding in his pocket and the vibration of the phone against his leg. He slid the phone out and set it on the counter while he continued to eat, opening the messages and reading. His eyebrows raised as he read and he smiled as he read that he wanted the people on the list to burn. It brought back feelings from OSI work and a flood of other memories tried to pour in. He refocused on the phone to push them back and after reading the second message he looked up and stared at the kitchen window in thought.
Images of a slug in a room listening to conversations or scoping out evidence, then him throwing the slug through the air and it landing on an escaping car and sticking to it. He chuckled at the thoughts and shook his head then he reread the messages again. Opening a reply he typed, “Okay Larry. I still don’t know that I can believe it but whatever, what can it hurt. Why not, we’ll try working as a team and see what happens.” He hit send and finished eating his cereal.

Larry was pacing his nook in circles impatiently awaiting a reply and he had stopped for a bite of the fungus on the wall. He sat chewing and stewing about having to wait for so long when the pda lit with the message and he excitedly went to it. He read the message and his heart jumped, Dru had said yes and he was suddenly looking around his nook for someone to tell. He was shaking in excitement as he exited his nook and quickly slugged to Gary’s hole, entering with an excited yell.
Gary was startled by Larry suddenly bursting into his hole and said irritated, “what’s going?”
“He said yes!” Larry shouted, “he’s willing to try working together.”
“Congratulations,” Gary said flatly. “So what now?”
“I’m going to help him expose the trafficking groups,” Larry replied.
“Does he know that?” Gary asked.
“I’ve mentioned it so it’ll be fine. We’ll make a great team and I’m positive that he’ll be able to do what I need him to and we’ll put a stop to the evil. We can save a lot of people if we succeed,” Larry said with a look of pride.
Gary began to laugh and Larry looked at him quizzically to which he replied, “you’re going to be the newest Slugtective, like Sherlock Slug.”
Larry laughed and said, “thanks. If I could be half the detective that he was I would be happy. I’m feeling hungry and happy and I want to go find a celebration meal, wanna come?”
“Sure let’s go see if the lizard pile is still there, we hadn’t finished it all,” Gary said as he followed Larry out of his hole.

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