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Clara stood in her usual position in the command tent of Libertad’s HQ. Her phone had been off the hook since the early morning hours. Apparently her number one guerilla had been busy overnight and there was a lot of discussion over what to do with the resources secured. She wasn’t so immersed in her planning that she failed to notice when the ambient noise of Libertad’s HQ came to a hush for a moment and then exploded again though. The guerillas were notorious gossips but there was only one person within Libertad whose presence warranted such a reaction. Dani had just arrived.
It seemed like every time the guerilla came back she was a little…stranger. Her one-woman war across the islands of Yara were taking their toll on her in ways both expected and not. For example, Clara had expected the woman to harden under the fires of war, she had not expected Dani to find religion because of it.
Dani didn’t speak on it, but Clara hadn’t missed the prayers to the Oluwa shrines or the Triada symbols painted onto her skin and clothes. Clara, who didn’t have much faith in anything spiritual or religious these days but wouldn’t fault those who did, dismissed it as superstitions developed in battle.
Then Dani had shown up to camp with a black jaguar that members of the rebellion swore could disappear into shadows. Clara had taken the rumors with a healthy amount of salt, Dani had a habit of picking up animal companions wherever she went, a jaguar couldn’t be more dangerous than a crocodile—or that damned rooster. Those doubts were unmoored the first time Clara met Oluso, there was something very unsettling about the animal and her intelligent eyes.
Dani hadn’t picked up on the general unease, happy to offer anyone the opportunity to pet the big cat, and Clara…well, Clara wasn’t about to chicken out in front of everyone. The jaguar was slightly less intimidating when Dani was fawning over it and asking ‘who’s a good kitty’ and even less intimidating when Clara took the opportunity to do it herself.
There was no denying the animal was weird though. Sometimes the cat would turn up on the island without Dani and spend time lounging in the command station with Clara before disappearing off the island without a trace. Clara wasn’t sure what the cat ate but it turned its nose up at any food and drink offered to it during these visits. While not exactly friendly to the other members of Libertad sometimes the big cat would approach Clara and headbutt her insistently looking for pets.
To be honest Clara had grown used to the melanistic jaguar faster than she thought possible, but she did prefer when the cat’s presence was accompanied by her most capable guerilla and it seemed like she would be in luck today.
Clara turned and leaned against her table with her arms crossed waiting for Dani to arrive. The guerilla was a creature of habit and always made it a point to stop and see her first.
Dani walked down the path, dirty and sweaty as usual—fighting a war was hard work and a decent bed or working shower could be hard to come by out in the countryside—Oluso by her side followed by another fucking huge cat! Where was this woman finding them?
Pulling her composure together Clara waited until Dani was in earshot before calling out to the guerilla. “Dani! Who’s your friend?”
Dani perked up and moved a little faster to close the remaining distance. “ Qué bolá, Jefa?” 1 She sat on the corner of the map table, the white puma immediately shoved its face into her stomach, demanding attention. “ This pushy girl is Champagne. La rescaté de uno de lo’ coroneles de Castillo. Comemierda kept her in a cage. Who would keep such a good girl in a cage?” 2 That last part was crooned at the cat who yowled in evident agreement.
Clara placed a hand on the table to steady herself; her stomach had just done a weird swooping thing that made her feel out of sorts. Maybe lunch hadn’t agreed with her? “So,” She paused a moment trying to focus on the conversation at hand. “You’re adding another animal to your ménagerie?”
The guerilla straightened up at looked at Clara, she seemed the faintest bit embarrassed by something. “I couldn’t just leave her. Besides, Oluso ‘stá enamora’o de ella.” 3 She whispered like it would stop the jaguar from hearing.
On cue Oluso made a grumbling sort of growling noise that took Champagne’s attention away from Dani. The white puma abandoned the guerilla and approached Oluso, bumping its head against the reclining jaguar’s in a clear display of affection.
Dani grinned broadly, clearly pleased by the interaction. Clara noted distantly that it was nice to see the guerilla smile like that again. “You’ve got a soft spot for strays.” She said with an amused smile.
The younger woman’s head snapped to stare at her leader. Clara didn’t know what Dani was searching for with her intent gaze but she endured the scrutiny as she waited for Dani’s response. Wide smile back in place. “Maybe strays have a soft spot for me.” She countered loftily.
Clara wasn’t entirely sure that statement made sense but she wasn’t about to argue. The time for socializing was just about at an end, all too soon Clara would have to be the leader again and ask for a report and discuss future battle plans.
Before she could try to discuss the rebellion Dani spoke again. “Champagne.” She called, the cat turned immediately and came back to ask for more attention. “Clara, do you want to pet her?” She asked, while scratching under the cat’s chin.
Obligingly Clara ran her hand over the big cat’s head, scratching around the ears in the way she’d learned Oluso enjoyed. The volume of rumbling from the cat increased, clearly the animal was enjoying being the center of attention. Champagne was impossibly even softer than Oluso with a short, dense coat that had been well-maintained. She wondered idly if Dani had brushed her before their arrival.
“She’s a good kitty, no?” Dani asked looking up at Clara, their hands colliding briefly as they continued to pet the puma.
“She seems great.” Clara conceded as she pulled back, suddenly feeling the need to put space between her and her guerilla.
“Do you want her? I can’t keep her with me, she can’t travel the way Oluso can, but I thought she would be happy here, with you, keeping you saf—company.” Dani’s expressive green eyes seemed even larger than usual as she did all but beg Clara to keep the cat.
Maybe that’s the reason why Clara’s mouth moved independent of any input from her brain as she held that eye contact and replied. “Por su puesto.” 4 The little aside hinting to more weirdness with the black jaguar went by nearly without notice, Clara’s subconscious would have to chew on that another time.
“Chévere!” 5 Dani said with blatant enthusiasm. “I’ll let you two get to know each other. Pets, scratches, treats, the whole nine yards. She loves fish and she’s easily bribed! I’ve got to talk with Juan.” The guerilla was already moving, jogging away as if that would prevent Clara from changing her mind.
Clara watched her go for a moment before she was bumped in the hip by her newly acquired pet. She buried a hand in the plush coat but stopped when she felt something strange. Clara looked down and saw a thick Cuban-link gold chain that the cat was wearing as a collar. While Clara may have left her privileged past behind she still had eyes and clocked that the animal was wearing approximately 20k American dollars around its neck. Before Clara could so much as touch the collar a text popped up on her phone.
Dani: casi se me olvidé! no le quite’ el collar a la gatita pf. she’s very attached to it. Cdt! 6
Clara’s hand stilled immediately. It looked like she would be leaving the gold mine on the damned cat. The moment the petting stopped Champagne started headbutting again. The leader of Libertad had just come into the possession of a very high maintenance animal.