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Lane nodded, “Okay, I’m following, go on.”
“F1 is a first generation, the offspring of a female Asian Leopard with a male domesticated cat. F2 is the second generation, which is the offspring of an F1, F3 is the offspring of an F2 and so on.”
He folded his arms across his chest and rubbed the stubble on his jaw. Something that Desi felt oddly aroused by; she quickly averted her eyes.
“I get why they just didn’t breed wild cats, and why the need for a domesticated one in the mix but if they wanted the purest, why not just mate two F1’s?” he asked.
Desi shook her head. “Impossible, all F1 males are born sterile and because of that, cheaper. You can usually pick one up for around $1700.00.” Tired of standing, Desi sat down on the floor and crossed her legs.
“Huh...Interesting. So how much is an F1 female?” Lane asked, joining her on the floor.
Putting her arms out behind her, palms down, Desi leaned back. “It all depends. A lot of factors come into play. A brown spotted one usually goes between $1500.00 and $3000.00 but a Snow Lynx Bengal could fetch as high as ten grand from a reputable breeder.”
“Wow, that much?”
Desi nodded. “You need to factor in all the lab testing, vet bills and that they are bred with a male Siamese. Hence why they always have blue or aqua coloured eyes. Against a white coat, they make a stunning cat.”
“Yeah, I saw the picture with you holding her. She is beautiful, but I’m sorry, I can’t see spending that much on a cat,” he laughed.
“Most people can’t. It was just a passion of my grandparents. Otherwise, I’d never own one.”
“So, was that him with you in the photo and you’re worried he will sell her?”
She sighed. “Yeah, biggest mistake of my life, in more ways than one.”
Lane wasn’t about to argue that point, from the sounds of Brian, he was a real piece of work. “Doesn’t she have a chip or papers showing that she’s registered?”
Desi nodded. “Yes, to both. He took her papers when he took her, but none of that matters if he’s selling her on the black market.”
“Is that what you think he is doing?”
“Well, yeah. She’s rare, worth a small fortune and anyone who usually buys them does so from a breeder who makes sure you’re getting your money’s worth. Why else would he take her?”
Lane scratched his head, “Wait... you think there is an underground black market right in Pearl Lake? You’ve seen how big the village is and everyone knows everyone. I just can’t see it myself.”
Desi stood up and started to pace the floor. Throwing her hands in the air, she said, “I don’t know what to think. Maybe he has an interested buyer, maybe that’s why he took so long to take her. He had to find someone first. All I know is she needs to be found.”
Lane stood up, grabbed her by the arms and held her there until she looked at him. “Slow down. I’ll help you find your cat if it makes you feel better.”
She wanted to throw her arms around his neck but didn’t, instead she started crying.
“Hey, it’s going to be all right, we’ll find her before he has a chance to do anything. And if he already has, we’ll find out what he’s done with her... one way or another.”
“You don’t know what this means to me. I’ve been so worried about her and not telling anyone why I was here was eating at me. Thank you.” She took a step towards him, intent on kissing his cheek but stopped when Lane shook his head. She didn’t know if that meant don’t touch me or what. To be on the safe side, she took a step back.
“It’s not a problem. One thing I was wondering though.”
“Yes?”
“What’s her rank on that Filial scale?”
“She’s an F2, the first litter and only female born to her mother, which makes her extremely valuable because the bloodline isn’t as diluted. She isn’t spayed either, she was booked to go in the day after he took her.”
“Did he know that?”
Desi nodded. “Yes, he did.”
Lane rubbed the back of his neck. “How much is she worth?” he asked again, watching her.
