Getting Shy

Patrick slept well and even woke up feeling slightly optimistic. He'd taken a cursory glance at Mason's papers before bed and although he couldn't quite understand what they were about, he was certain they represented significant payments going to very sketchy places. He was sure the guy wouldn't want the things released and would give him 'Shy in exchange for those documents. All he had to do was call him and tell him he had all this incriminating evidence.

For a moment he worried Mason might get violent, but he told himself that Mason wasn't some kind of a mafia boss. He still worried a little, but it was probably because he'd watched too many movies. The important thing was to figure out how to pack up his stuff and find an apartment somewhere else in the city. Maybe a little closer to his job. That reminded him that he'd need money, so Patrick decided to go to work. He could tell Harris that he was feeling better, that it hadn't really been an illness. It'd be hard enough to square up his previous half-day and he didn't want to add another full one. He obviously wouldn't get a doctor's note since he wasn't really sick, so the previous day's episode would probably cost him some vacation time.

On his way out he wondered briefly why Mason's car was still parked in front of his neighbor's house, but dismissed it. It wasn't like the man never worked from home and with having to keep an eye on Fluttershy he might be more inclined to stay put. It wouldn't be very comfortable for the mare, but Pat told himself it wouldn't be too much longer. He'd call Mason during his lunch break, get him to agree to hand 'Shy over, papers and all. With luck, she'd be with him, and legally his, before the day was over!

Then he'd give Mason his papers back-

Patrick froze in the process of unlocking his car and repeated the thought to himself. As soon as Mason had the papers back he'd go right back to the lawsuit. Maybe all that knowledge from movies wasn't completely useless. He ran back in his flat, gathered the documents from his kitchen table and returned to the car. He'd have to make copies and leave a set in a safe place. Mason would just have to believe him when Pat promised not to show them to anyone. A little bit of insurance was important in cases like this. He glanced over at the man's house and saw that the living room was well-lit. Probably having breakfast. Most likely 'Shy had prepared it.

Knowing that the bastard was using her as a maid and a cook left a sour taste in Pat's mouth, but he told himself it wouldn't last for too much longer. "Just hold on through today, 'Shy. I'm coming for you!"

Patrick felt as if the weight had been lifted from his shoulders as he drove to work and he even whistled along in tune with the radio. It was going to be another, endless day at the office, but the thought of coming home to 'Shy - permanently with him - made it worth it. They'd have to start arranging his move right after and he'd have to hunt for apartments, but that was a small price to pay. A little place of their own, away from Mason. Just them. He and 'Shy would spend a lot more time together. They'd talk, and go out for walks. Maybe they'd even find a restaurant or two which would be willing to serve ponies and they could have actual, proper dates. Fluttershy would soon realize she wasn't really a slave, except on paper. Patrick was certain she would stop talking about going home once she got a taste of what their life would be like.

The rest of his drive passed in a hazy blur of imagination. He remembered their week together and tried to visualise something like that, except 'Shy would never have to leave. Sleeping in the same bed every night, waking up together every morning. It was going to be awesome!

The day dragged on, but despite the drudgery Patrick felt okay. The papers were under the floor mat in his car and he had a solid plan of what to do next. He waved to catch Paul's attention. "Hey. Lunch? It's on me."

His coworker gave him a doubtful look, but then shrugged. "Sure. Alex?"

"Just us. I got a favor to ask you."

This made Paul rise his eyebrows, but he didn't press any further. "When?" he asked simply.

"Actually, I'm done with this fucking spreadsheet. Wanna go now?"

Paul glanced at the clock on the nearby wall and shrugged a little to himself. He turned around on his office chair and signalled to Alex. "Hey, gonna take lunch with Pat. I think he's going to tell me a secret. See you later."

They both laughed and Pat joined in with a nervous chuckle. It was uncanny how close to the mark Paul had guessed.

He stood and put on his hoodie. It was still technically winter, but the days were getting too warm for coats. A moment later Paul did the same and they left, pausing only briefly at Harris' office to say they were going out to eat.

Once outside Paul turned toward their favourite burger place, but Patrick stopped. "Just gotta grab something from the car, I'll be right back."

He hurried off to the car park, but slowed down when he saw Paul was coming with him. "So, everything alright? Yesterday you looked like someone died and today you're all chipper and shit."

"Yeah. I guess it was a stomach bug or maybe I ate something. Felt like crap. Heh, spent half the night in the crapper, but it's fine now."

"As long as it isn't something catching."

"Nah, nothing to worry about. Here, let me grab this."

Patrick unlocked the car and fetched Mason's papers from under the mat. He caught a glimpse of his coworker's surprised look, but Paul didn't ask. He was waiting for Pat to explain.

"Look, I need a really big favor, okay? I don't know who I can trust," he explained hurriedly.

"Okay?"

"You gotta promise me. I need to make copies of these and you'll take one copy, okay?"

Paul tried to read the papers, but Pat pulled them away. He needed Paul's word before he let him see what it was about. "Promise?"

The older man rolled his eyes, but he sighed and said: "Fine, fine. I promise. Now that's this about?"

"Okay, so there's this guy- um, threatening me. Saying he'll sue me or something..."

"Sue you?!" Paul blinked in a surprise and had to do a double take. "What the fuck, Patrick? Why would some guy want to sue you?"

"Look, we got into a fight, it doesn't really matter. It's just- he's got money and lawyers and crap, so I'm basically screwed."

Paul snapped his fingers. "Oh, was that why you had that black eye the other day?"

"Y-Yeah..."

He reached out and plucked the documents from Pat's nerveless fingers. "Okay, so what's this then?"

"Look... I got a hold of some of his papers. He's like... CFO of that."

One look at the logo made Paul whistle through his teeth. "Jeez, dude. I wanna ask how you got these, but I don't think I want to know. I don't think it's a good idea."

"Please. All I need is for you to hold on to these and... well, if anything happens send them to the IRS, or the newspapers or some shit."

"Fucking hell, Patrick. What kind of shit are you playing with here?!"

The man was holding the papers away from himself and it looked like he would walk away, but Pat pushed his hand back. "Please, it's the only thing I can do. If I can't make this dude back off I'm basically ruined. He's gonna put me in prison and that's it. I'm not gonna release his papers, I just want him off my back, okay?"

Seeing that Patrick wasn't taking the papers back, Paul dropped them on his car seat and took a step away. "Look man, whatever crap you got mixed up in, I can't afford to be a part of it. Now, I like you so I'm not gonna say anything about this, but..." He sighed and turned back to the office. "If you want my advice, give these back and beg for forgiveness. Settle out of court if you can, it'll go better for you. You don't play around with shit like this, Pat."

"So you think these are incriminating?" Pat asked hopefully.

"I don't know shit, but a big multinational like that? They'll destroy you before you can do anything to them." He heaved another sigh and began walking away.

Patrick grabbed the papers and shut his car door before hurrying after Paul. He folded the documents up and put them in his pocket. This flat-out refusal had never been a part of his plan. He'd never imagined Paul would do something like this. "It's my only choice. Please, all I'm asking is you hold on to them for a while. Don't shaft me like this. Who else am I gonna ask?!"

His coworker shrugged. "I'd say try Alex, but I don't want any of us mixed up in this. Sorry Patrick, this isn't a movie. This is serious shit and people go to prison for it."

He walked away without another word and Pat was left standing there, dumbly watching after his coworker.

"Fuck..."

Perhaps the only bit of good news was that Paul had promised not to tell anyone. He might have just called the police or something and then both Pat and 'Shy would be thoroughly screwed. It'd just have to be up to him, Patrick told himself. He could hide the papers somewhere. Maybe he could get one of those safe deposit boxes at a bank or something and leave the documents in there. The last thing he wanted was to lose them or something equally stupid. Suddenly he wasn't feeling hungry anymore, so he headed to the bank a couple of blocks away. Maybe he could sort it out sooner rather than later.

It looked like Paul no longer wanted to take lunch with him, which was just as well.

Patrick was just coming back from the bank and feeling good about the world when he got a ring. It was Fluttershy, which made him smile involuntarily. Maybe Mason hadn't taken her to work with him after all! "Hey Buttershy!"

"You little fucking bastard!" Mason's voice growled from the speaker and nearly made Pat drop his phone from suddenly nerveless fingers. "I knew you two were somehow speaking!"

"Uh..."

There was a loud bang as Mason slammed his fist down on the table. "Listen to me you degenerate. You're going to bring my papers back right this minute. Or else!"

He knew! How he knew Patrick couldn't say at the moment. He swallowed a lump and tried to remember the words he'd thought up during the morning. "No."

"What did you say to me? Do you even know what you're dealing with?"

"Something illegal, looked l-like," Pat tossed back with only the slightest hitch in his voice.

"You don't know shit-"

"I know enough to know you're worried!"

He'd finally found his voice and at least a part of his courage. Okay, so maybe it wasn't the most eloquent of statements, but it was the best Pat could do at short notice. "You're gonna give me 'Shy or I'm sending those papers straight to the IRS!"

The man laughed, his breath making the speaker crackle because he was holding it too close to his mouth. "Oh yeah?! And what do you think they're going to do? You'll go to jail for this, you little shit!"

"IRS and all the newspapers I can think of!" There was silence this time and Patrick dared hope he'd hit the mark. He tried pushing further:"Give me 'Shy and I'll destroy the papers. It's as simple as that."

This made Mason chuckle some more and Pat imagined there was a manic edge to his voice. "Tough shit, you dickhead. She's gone."

"W-What?!" Suddenly his legs threatened to collapse under him and Patrick staggered to a nearby park bench. His grip on the phone was making his hand cramp up, but he didn't care. His ear hurt from how tightly he was pressing the device against it, but he didn't dare miss a single word Mason said.

"Yea, you heard me. I'm not gonna have a stealing, lying whore under my roof. She's back where I bought her from and I even got most of my money back!"

Everything was coming down. It couldn't have happened so fast! Pat's last few minutes with 'Shy that night couldn't have been the last time he ever saw her, could they? "N-No... no! You're lying!"

Tears were streaming unheeded down his face and he could hardly see the ground in front of him through the blur. It felt as if his stomach was doing somersaults and Pat felt like he was going to throw up.

There was nothing from the phone for a while. "So here's what you're going to do," Mason said slowly and carefully. "You're gonna bring those papers to me and you're gonna give them to me. Maybe if you say you're sorry, I'll forget about the lawsuit."

He was obviously very worried about what was in those documents, but Patrick didn't care anymore. Fluttershy was gone, beyond his grasp.

Unless.

"Where?!" he suddenly barked.

"Huh? You know where I live, you dipshit-"

"No, where's 'Shy? Where's the place?!"

There was no answer.

"Tell me!"

"Bring me the papers."

Patrick rubbed his forehead in a futile effort to stop his brain from racing to all the darkest places. 'Shy had said she'd probably end up in a breeding facility. It made sense. People would want more of these ponies and as a mare, she'd be a prime investment. "No. If you tell me where 'Shy is, I'll promise I won't show them to anyone, but I'm keeping them." He remembered what he had wanted Paul to do. "Oh, and if anything happens to me, or 'Shy, the papers will get out."

Once again he was met with silence.

"Well?!"

There was another thump, as if Mason had hit something else, but the man's voice was calm, if a little strained. "Do you think this is some sort of bullshit movie or something? You're completely stupid, aren't you? I'll say it once again: Bring me my documents or I'll make you regret it, okay?"

Patrick realized he couldn't do a whole lot, not shaken as he was and not with Mason fixated on the papers. "Fuck you! If I don't get 'Shy back I'm sending those papers to everyone I can think of! You can shove your threats up your ass!"

Mason started to say something else, but Pat cut it off with a jab of his finger. He watched the screen where Fluttershy's name still showed until it turned off. That damned jerk wasn't supposed to sell her this quickly! He wasn't supposed to figure out his documents were missing that soon! Everything was falling apart faster than Pat could ever have believed. For all he knew, 'Shy was already being tied up and-

He forcibly stopped that line of thought before he made himself physically ill. His hands still shook and Patrick realized he couldn't go back to the office. Not like this. He tapped the phone again and called Harris.

"Huh?"

"Uh... it's back. I thought I felt better, but I guess it was just the meds working. I really don't feel well."

"Oh. So you're ill again?"

Pat had a feeling his boss didn't believe him, but at that point he didn't care. "Look, I need to take another half day. Uh, and maybe tomorrow. That OK?"

Harris exhaled in a sigh, then went on in a noncommittal tone of voice. "Fine by me, Pat. Just make sure you get something from your doctor."

"Ugh, what if I take vacation days? I don't think I wanna leave the house until I feel better."

"Fine. Fine. See you Monday, I guess?"

"Yeah, I hope I'll be better by then."

Either he'd have 'Shy back and all would be well, or she would be lost to him and it would never be okay again. Funny, Patrick thought to himself, how he could consider both alternatives so dispassionately. It was probably just shock.

Fluttershy was gone.

He hung up on Harris and looked at his phone for long minutes, wondering if he wanted to call Mason back. He needed the address of wherever he'd taken 'Shy and other than threatening him over those documents Pat had no real leverage. Somehow he had to show the man he was serious.

An idea occurred and he up suddenly. Mason didn't believe he'd publish his precious tax fraud?! Well, there were ways to get the information out without really publishing it. Maybe if Mason saw the documents with some careful redacting on a web page he'd believe him. All it'd take was photo editing software to put in some black boxes. He'd send Mason the link and threaten he'd publish the uncensored version if the guy didn't tell him what he wanted to know. Heh, he could even have the papers back once Pat had digital copies.

He still felt sick to his stomach when he thought about 'Shy, but at least now he had some sort of a plan. He headed back to the bank to retrieve the contents of his safety deposit box less than twenty minutes after putting them in.