Squirrels

The caracal’s eyes looked heavy. Mikela Soros has been pulling late nighters for the best part of a month as a tumultuous pre-season was coming to a close. The Las Vegas Wildcards GM slumped back in her desk. It had been a disastrous pre-season to a point, but somehow…somehow, she had pulled in back from the brink. Her big play to tempt Jake Turner to come to the franchise had been pole-axed by a long forgotten clause in Fenruss Brylee’s contract, and an apathy from free agent Lee Baraquin had bulldozed plans to steady the franchise, whilst creating a PR hell of trying to show solidarity with the raccoon and his future at the franchise whilst ducking and diving behind the scenes knowing he wasn’t staying – all while watching every credible candidate thinks they’ll be in competition with a player who was never going to stay.


Somehow, somehow she’d turned it around. A incredible deal on Draft Night had brought the chance to bring the franchises number one target Lisa Belle DuPont to the team. Finally some good PR for the vilified Vegas franchise. So much craziness has happened over her tenure, it was great to have some stability. It wasn’t spectacular, but it was steady. The majority of the starters were staying and a good base of players were ready to back them up. Even Ryan Malone had seemed ready to accept his role as a bench and team player, another headache passed. All in all, she had spun plates and somehow come out smelling like pot pourri. Staring at the scribbled team sheet sat in front of her, she pulled a weak smile. After all the plans she’d seen obliterated, finally, something had come together.

The phone rang.

It was the commissioner.

‘Mikela Soros speaking’

‘Hi Mikela, this is FBA head office. I am afraid to inform you that your franchise appears to be failing to adhere to the Underwood rule’

Shit.

‘Current Ms. Soros, the franchise has seven canines on your books, thanks to the signing of Theodore Rockwell. You have seven days to remove two of the canines, otherwise your team will be unable to compete in the playoffs.’

‘T-thank you commissioner….we will do everything in our power’

‘I know. The league will be here to assist you any way we can’

‘Thank you Sir’

‘We’ll be in touch…’

She placed the receiver down and placed her forehead on the papers in front of her, blue ink smudging into her fawn fur. This simply couldn’t be happening. How could she let this happen? She’d been so careful, been threading together so many stories, so many deals….and now she’d overlooked something that could threaten all the plans together. This was an unmitigated dumpster fire, and she had mere hours to come up with a fix, a fix that was likely to upset some of her players. With FSPN always looking for a scoop on the dysfunctional nature of the Wildcards, she needed this to stay under wraps, but how on Earth would she do that? How on Earth could she makes Vegas moves seem…intentional?

****************************

It had been an emotional morning. Mikela supped her flat white and chewed some gum before taking a heavy breath. She had informed Juniper Hill and Cho Song-Hwa about the termination of their contracts. Juniper in particular had been very cut up about the situation, and delivering the news herself just made it worse. Its one thing giving bad news to someone you have grown to like, its all the worse when you are the cause of the issue in the first place. And life wasn’t about to become any easier. This whole debacle had become a delicate matter, and with the market restricted where everyone had already accepted their offers, there were no real options that could form convincing deals for the Wildcards that wouldn’t get everyone launching investigative reports.

As the grey squirrel took his seat, Mikela’s heart warmed to see the steadying force of Dimi Kabat sit down, so often a calming influence in a maelstrom of insanity that this job had become, but her veins froze a little at the thought of what she was about to tell him.

‘Dimi, thank you for coming to my office, I’m afraid to inform you that Silas Rand isn’t available’

‘That…is a shame’ the squirrel readjusting his glasses.

‘I know you had a strong working relationship with him in San Jose’

‘I did, but I will have a strong relationship with anyone you bring in’

‘Dimi, I hope you understand that there is very little we can do in these unusual circumstances’

‘I do understand, I am reasonably happy with the squad we have to work with, but I was hoping to have a little more to work with…’

‘Moby’

‘The Malabar? Balasubramaniam?’

‘Yes, the bust’

‘Hmm. I can work with him. I need more size too’

‘That was what I was hoping to hear. He has already signed a contract.’

‘….I see.’ The squirrel adjusted in his seat awkwardly. ‘Why was I not informed’?

‘I have had no real time, and if I’m honest, no real options. You must understand I am working under the glare of a very intense spotlight Dimi, after the removal of Juniper, the papers of very suspicious. Its not just about bringing in capable players, but players that make sense from a media perspective. Anything else, and we face massive interference in the rest of our pre-season. Things we don’t need for Misha…for Wayne…for Fenruss. I am trying to cultivate the happiest camp possible, and I know we risk losing them’

Kabat sipped some water and looked icily into the caracal’s eyes. ‘Who is it?’

‘Dimi, you need to understand that very few players look like solid signings coming from D-League. I had to work on what would look like a previous working relationship’

‘I don’t understand Ms. Soros….’

‘Dimi, I think having Keo on board…’

‘Keo?! My daughter Keo?’

Mikela looked shocked at how rapidly the squirrel has stood to his feet, but not nearly as shocked as Dimi looked himself to have become so flustered. He readjusted his jacket but still looked incredibly disappointed. The caracal clasped a white paper in her hand, a signed contract in her paw.

'Ms Soros, I haven’t talked to my daughter in twelve months…’

‘Dimi, if you want to hand in your resignation, I’ll accept it willingly, but I don’t want you to leave, and I don’t expect you to even play her. But we need a fourteenth player and shes the only one that’s going to keep the media off our backs. We need this Dimi, and deep down you know I’m right.’

He looked ruffled. ‘When does she arrive?’

‘In a week or so’

Dimi sat back down and took another sip of water.

‘Ms. Soros, I will accept this challenge, but I swear to you, if you try and remove me during the season I will spill every detail of this meeting. I want nothing but good for this franchise and for you Ma’am, but you must understand the size of the favour you are requiring of me…’

A single bead of sweat fell down the caracal’s brow. A hand extended.

‘Dimi, do not let me down, and I in turn will never, ever ask another favour again…’

Dimi made his way to the door, but before he left he turned.

‘She is not good enough you know?’

‘I know. However, I expect her to give her a chance’

Dimi stared at the wall, his shoulders rising with a huge sigh and he closed the office behind him. This was going to be the hardest season of his life.