Character Story (SP) Riding "Bear" Back. -(Set between RP5 & RP6)

CH 1:  MALL SHENANIGANS

---(~Dez~)---

Tolerance was the word for it.

Logan had come to tolerate her pack.. for the most part, she still interacted very little with most of them. One, however, she had begun to form an interesting sort of bond with, and this was Jacqueline Ryder. All things considered, it was probably the most unbelievable friendship in the whole pack.

Kind of like one of those lion befriends deer sort of things.. except one of them wasn't cute and cuddly like a deer. It was more like a tiger and a bear. Or maybe a badger and a wolverine would paint a better picture of the friendship.

And then let those kind of friends into a mall together. Needless to say, it's one of those disasters waiting to happen situations. There's where we are now.

Logan stepped into the large building, barely able to take it all in at once. There was that loud echo of a hundred voices resounding through the halls. Giant advertisements posted everywhere, enticing the zombie like youngins to buy anything from video games to overpriced clothing. The smell of fatty, grease drenched foods filled the air. The mall, what a wonderful place!

Of course, Logan had never seen anything like it. Hah! She had barely ventured into a supermarket. No, gas stops and mom and pop styled shops were more her area of expertise. She fixed her eyes on Jackie, raising an eyebrow and quietly, critically  judged her friend for dragging her into such a place. Out of all of the chaos that she had endured over the last few months, nothing came close to this mess of teenagers and hormones people called “the mall”.

“Have you been here before?” she asked, loosening her expression and looking onward, watching as an animated advertisement board flashed a woman in what barely seemed to Logan to be clothes at all. “Is that supposed to be there?” she muttered, averting her eyes and looking on to the food court. That was something she recognized. “Anyway, I’m hungry.” without another word, she continued onwards, already considering her choices for a meal. After all, it had taken an eternity to get there. Or maybe an hour or two felt like an eternity when you were escaping your pack in a vehicle you stole.

---(~Soar~)---

Freedom, glorious freedom.  It was like stepping in the sunshine again after seeing nothing but darkness for half a year.  Jackie, was at last, liberated.  No more would the height of her technological experience be a light bulb.  No longer would the greatest reminder that she indeed lived in the 21st century be a pick-up truck made in 1972.  No more forest, no more bugs and ticks, no more waking up to noisy noisy birds at 6 am.  She was in the sunshine now, warming her skin against the blazing neon signs of new skin care products, linoleum flooring, and a noisy bustling crowd of ordinary people.  People who would know nothing of alphas, of full moons, and fur.

Glorious.

Jackie spun to meet her partner in crime, her eyes hardly hiding her delight.  If she was at all disappointed by Logan’s less-than-enthusiastic response to what Jackie was coming to view as the epitome of freedom, she didn’t show it.  If anything, she seemed all the more encouraged to share with Logan this marvel of humanity.

“Fine fine, we’ll start with food,” Jackie replied dismissively.  Her mind was already racing, as a five year old might when they first tasted sugar.

She fumbled in her pocket, and then victoriously brought to light a thin plastic card.  A credit card.  It had been eons since she last used this thing; she hardly knew if the credit card company even existed since the last time she used it.  Or for that matter, if she even paid it off the last time she had used it…

Nevermind that.  Such consequences were far from Jackie’s mind as she approached the a food stand, insistently tugging Logan in the right direction.  She couldn’t have that misguided comrade of hers going off and getting the wrong food, the healthy food, the food that did not sit in your stomach like a hard lump of grease.  This was In-N-Out, Jackie was now standing in front of, one famous for the aforementioned grease.

The only obstacle between her and her victory would be the line.  It was about a mile deep, packed full of people who knew nothing of her urgency and the lengths she would go to finally taste something that was not burned and homemade.

She raised an eyebrow thoughtfully at Logan, smiling in such a way that would have made any and curse and insult.  If you see security, play dumb and act like you’re looking for your five-year-old child. Got it?”

---(~Dez~)---

So distracted with the brightly colored stalls and the hustle and bustle going on, it seemed Logan had hardly heard Jackie while she explained to her the "rules" of malls and lines. "I think." she replied absentmindedly. Of course, the line sort of vanished behind them and a couple of teenagers in front veered off at the presence of the two women, giggling to themselves and casting glances back as they walked off. But, who could blame them? The typical mall was filled with your typical crowd; young boys and girls between ages 13-18, primarily. And said girls tended to be closer to 5'0"-5'4" in height, petite.. it doesn't take a scientist to come to the conclusion that Logan was certainly out of place.

When her mind had caught up to her, she simply turned and nodded at Jackie, glanced around for any security guards, and began on her trek past and through the line. Most people dodged out of the way and didn't do more than cast a dirty glare in her direction.

At the front of the line, there were a couple of older men, each with a bluetooth in their ear, talking to some unseen character about business matters. Logan made a move to shove past one. He quickly whipped around, telling whoever on the phone to "hang on a minute". Instantly his demeanor changed and the polite business affairs man was gone in an instant.

"Who do you think you are?!" he snapped. "You can wait five minutes. Good grief." He quickly continued his phone call, rolling his eyes and turning around.

Oh, it had been all too long since Logan had a tussle with someone who wasn't covered in fur. And she wasn't quite sure she was ready to. Besides, this guy was crazy, talking to invisible people or whatever. She looked back to Jackie with a questioning gaze. Surely the fiery red head could handle the situation.

---(~Soar~)---

Jackie followed in Logan’s wake, apparently seeing no need to add any more of her “charm” to the situation.  There was advantage to having a friend over the six foot mark… and that was Jackie did not have to do much in the “intimidation” zone other than follow close behind.  People were remarkably easy to manipulate; they only need to see Logan’s stature and they suddenly they weren’t too eager to fight back.

Until the Suits came.  Jackie had nearly forgotten about those men, who came attached to their office like a phone corded to its house.  As technology had adapted, these slimy little beasts had evolved as well them as well; now they were mobile with their bluetooths and they could trod anywhere ordinary man could.  They were sadly a little feistier than normal man, bred as they were on hostility.

“Look here, mister,” Jackie snarled, her teeth flashing in a strange sort of joy,”I’ll have you know my friend here got food poisoning when we went here last week.  We’re here to lodge a complaint and we are NOT waiting in some line just to do it”

Jackie’s paused, perhaps contemplating what she was going to say—or, more likely, adding in a pause so her words could have the most dramatic effect.

“If you have a problem with it, then you’ll have to take it up with the man upstairs.  In fact, get yourself a new monkeysuit when you’re there”

This was not the phrase to say to say to Tony Barkley.  Although perhaps shocked by the red-head’s insult,  he was by no means frightened off like the other customers in line (who at this point, were keeping quite a few feet back from the unlikely duo).  It was time for Security.

“Excuse me Mr. Colesan, I’ll have to get back to you,” Barkley  replied to empty air.  He turned to his associate, who seemed only to nod absently and continue on his conversation.

“I think I will,” the Suit smiled sickly at Jackie, turning to march off towards Security.

Jackie didn’t need to be a genius to understand what was going to happen next.  But this did not seem to be very unusual to her.  She merely shrugged.

“Well we got five minutes in this line if we’re lucky, so we better order quick,”

Jackie strode to the front of the line, motioning for Logan to follow.  By this time, the other customers had decided it might be a very good idea to let Jackie have her way.  At least until Security came.

---(~Dez~)---

And so it was, Jackie worked her magic. Logan quietly noted her tactics. The redhead was certainly confident in them, and she had a way with words. Maybe not the right way, but.. definitely a way.

Marching forward, Logan ordered two burgers, fries, and drinks, which were promptly served up. Of course, they had to pay, but then they could be on their ways.

"Here's yours." Logan handed a bag to Jackie, before making her way out of the cafeteria. She had a feeling the gentleman in the monkeysuit would be back shortly, but the longer they could avoid being kicked out of the mall, the better. She hadn't even had a chance to look through clothes and she wasn't about to make her trip to the middle of kingdom come one just for a sloppy burger. "Come on," she commented, making her way around a corner and to a seating area in a hall between stores.

"You're good with people. Kind of.. straightforward? I never was good with words." she admitted awkwardly, washing down a bunch of fries with a quick swig of cola. "No, where I come from, words come second to actions. So this is new. Where were you raised?" she asked, setting down her refreshments on a little coffee table.

---(~Soar~)---

Jackie couldn’t speak for a good minute.  Which was about the time, incidentally, it took for her to inhale her burger and fries.  She had missed this kind of food, far more than she had expected to. It was nice to taste something Zeit hadn’t made.  It was also nice to taste something she hadn’t burned.  And it was nice to have something that was already beginning to clog up arteries within the first two seconds.

She wiped the grease away from her lips and suckled thoughtfully from her soda.  She wasn’t quite sure what to make of Logan.  The two had only been united earlier on their desperate desire to break free from pack life, which admittedly was as far from normal as the sun was from the earth.  But away from all that, back in the real world, what were they?…  Friend?  Foe?  Some strange thing in between that lacked any sort of definition?

“Sounds like a nice place,”  Jackie mused thoughtfully.  She spun her straw a few times around in its cup.  After such kind words on Jackie’s straightforwardness, it was strange to think it was now she was beating around the bush.  How she was raised…? that was another thing Jackie thought lacked any good definition.

“In France, with my mother.  But childhood… eh it was pretty bland overall for such a romantic place,” Jackie shrugged,”Although technically I’m Canadian, not sure if that helps any”

---(~Dez~)---

In the few moments it took Jackie to respond, Logan finished her own meal and was left to sip on her drink. The straw soon suffocated on itself, no more liquid sugar left to be swallowed up, and Logan tossed the cup to a nearby trashcan, watching as it hit the edge and landed oh so neatly on the ground beside the can.

"I thought Canadians were peaceful." she responded, throwing herself back on the round leather seat so she was draped lazily over the back. "You'll have to tell me more sometime." she replied, looking up at the mannequins which lined the entryway to the store in front of her. Or rather behind her, since she was still looking backwards. She noticed then, in a display mirror, two bulky men, complete with suits and shades, followed only by the man Logan remembered fondly as the "loud strange guy" from the line.

Popping up from her seat, Logan pulled Jackie up by the arm and pushed her towards the main hall of the mall. "I think he talked to the higher ups. I don't know about the other part." ducking into the crowds, she fought against the onslaught of teens headed down the hall, using the advertising booths to help hide the duo, when.. BAM! She managed to bump right into someone hosting a sort of promotional event. A small crowd gathered around him, and he had fallen back into the wall at the force of the brute's body hitting his. However, he quickly bounced back with a grin.

"Looks like we have some very eager volunteers!" he chimed, the small crowd laughing and clapping. "Wow, you ladies aren't from around here are you? Country girls? We'll fix you right up. Vanessa! Get the dresses and show these women to the changing rooms. We'll take these rugged country girls and turn them into lovely ladies to be envied, using only the products on display here!"

Without so much as being given a chance to protest, they were ushered into some dressing rooms with a set of dresses by a woman who looked all but completely done for the day, and the door was closed behind them.

"What..?"

---(~Soar~)---

“Clearly you do not know Canadians,” Jackie snorted, rolling her eyes.  She yawned, twirling her straw some more in her nearly empty cup.  She was disappointed… weren’t malls meant to be more fun than this?  Particularly when you came to them in a stolen car, insulted half a dozen people, and came with a friend who made giants look tiny?  The outside world was more boring than Jackie remembered it.

It was then, as Jackie liked to say, “things got interesting”.  This Jackie had a very clear definition for.  Which went, as followed

One.  Insult

Two.  Start a scene.

Three.  Prepare for a fight.

Four.  Run like you’re life depended on it.  Because chances are, if you followed steps one through three perfectly, it probably would

Jackie saw the security guards just as Logan did.  Heightened werewolf senses had their advantages; before the security guards had even a glimpse of this strange duo, the two women were long gone.  Advertisements and crowds, while tacky and loud, were all perfect for exciting getaways.  It was a surprise more action movies didn’t take place in malls or movie theaters.  

“You kidding?” Jackie’s voice was rough whisper behind an advertisement for bags that read ‘Fake is for Last Night, not Handbags’ ,”The ‘get a new suit’ was the best part’”

It was almost too perfect.  Even Jackie rarely had a consequence-free  outing.  Unless—

A hand seemed to come out of nowhere, as though finish her thought,  tossing the bewildered “country gals” before their roaring audience of Vanessa and Smiley.  This would not be a consequence-free outing; Jackie had been foolish to think such a thing to happen.  She had jinxed it.

She fidgeted with uncertainty, staring at the small gathering before her.  Quizzically she exchanged a look with Logan.  Should they make another break for it… or see where this little escapade went?  Jackie was about to grab Logan’s arm and run as far and as fast as she could, until she spotted the security guards worming their way through the crowd.  If they ran now, they would certainly be caught.

But if they stayed here… what was that saying?  Ah yes, they would hiding in plain sight.  With that thought, Jackie found herself herded into a tiny stall and a very ugly pink sweater.

“I think you could do with a makeover Logan”

---(~Dez~)---

“Huh?” the confused grunt was all Logan can muster, and she looked on at the dress with a more than confused expression. Baffled, quizzical.. there were a lot of words that could describe it. But all of that went away and it was soon disgust.

“Am I supposed to wear this?”

She rotated it, trying to find out what was what on the strange item.. the complexity of such an object was beyond her. In reality it was a rather simple pink zip up, business esque dress. “Where are the bottoms?” she pondered out loud.

She let out a sort of confused huff, before fiddling with the lock to her dressing room. “Agh! This is a stupid design!” she growled, kicking the door open and breaking said lock in the process. She whipped around and moved to another door, yanking at it and hearing an unfamiliar voice, “I’m BUSY!”. Then she moved to the next one and peered over, finding Jackie and working at the knob. “Open it, I need help.” she murmured, trying to force the door open.

---(~Dez~)---

By the time Logan was pounding on her door, Jackie was almost halfway dressed.  But… dressed would not be the word for it.  The sweater had almost eaten her, engulfed her even, like some strange lifeform from a faraway planet of pinky fuzzy lifeforms.  Jackie was only too glad to step away from this painful process, delicately opening the door as though trying to show off.

“Geez it’s a dressing stall, not an action movie,” Jackie clucked with disapproval as she eyed the mess Logan had made of her changing room.

Suddenly Jackie seemed endlessly amused at the thing in Logan’s arms.   She immediately snatched it up, examining it in the  light a few times before suddenly realizing it was meant to be a dress.  The woman had a hard time trying to hide the smirk that lit up her face; as it was, there seemed to be a terrible glimmer in her eyes as she explained this strange garment to Logan like you might to a little kid.

“Um yeah right… well this is a zipper.  You unzip it…”

By the time Jackie had finished explaining and mocking and in general looking down upon Logan’s lack of knowledge, the two were dressed to the nines.  By which point “Vanessa” had found her two little victims and snapped them down into the torture chair, sprinkling and smearing and spraying strange things all over their faces and hair. Now meeting their new reflections, they seemed like some strange beasts out of a teenage fashion magazine.  And for that reason, Jackie couldn’t help but think that’s what made them look so--

“Wonderful!,” cried Douglas, their perpetrator,” Just wonderful Vanessa, these country gals look like they’re ready to hit the streets of New York!”

That was not the word Jackie would have used to describe the situation.  But there was such a look of utter glee in Douglas’ eyes that not even Jackie could dare to tell him otherwise.  She could only force herself to give a small nod and a bashful smile, before exchanging a glance with Logan.

“Um yeah… thank you, we…. Appreciate.  It?  Anyways, we have to—“

“Oh but girls, you simply must stay.  I’m sure every reporter in the city would love to hear this fantastic tale, of how two country gals transformed and blossomed before our very eyes into hot city girls ready to prowl about for some action!”

---(~Dez~)---

Jackie was the only thing keeping Logan from not lashing out and punching that strange flamboyant man right in the face. Her fist twitched and then tightened, and she turned her head to the left just as a couple of men put up the before-and-after shots. Wait, when did they even take those pictures? Ah, that didn’t matter! The point was, she was standing in the middle of a growing crowd  and wearing something less than ideal.

“I can’t breath.. what is this? Who would wear this?” she groaned to Jackie, reaching up to tuck a lock of her hair behind her ear, only just now feeling the curls they’d put in.

“No, no, doll, don’t mess up your hair. Now, smile for the cameras!” Douglas chimed out, motioning a hand in the direction of a camera crew. The next thing she knew, an explosion of conversations and pointing erupted in the crowd. They commented on Jackie’s bright hair, on both of the women’s physique, their eyes - oohing and aahing at the after photos, scowling or poking fun at the before ones.

“Oh, our friends. We should go.” she muttered, eyeing the security men now prowling around the back of the crowd.

---(~Soar~)---

It was one of those rare moments that Jackie couldn’t quite decide what to do.  Go put a fist in Douglas face and give him a makeover?  Go scream at the woman in the front row, who was insisting on how “dreadfully ratty her hair had been.  Poor girl probably didn’t even own a brush!”  Or should she revel in how quickly the situation had escalated?  Caught between all three options, she could only blink stupidly at the cameras, batting away the lights that were in her eyes like gnats.

She missed the security guard’s approach, but once Logan’s eyes settled on them Jackie’s did as well.  It was time to go!  She was all too happy to give up her stardom.  But now, how were they to free themselves from Douglas and Vanessa’s claws?  Certainly the duo had intended to play with their prey a bit longer; they wouldn’t escape that easily.  And they couldn’t make a mad break for it; that would draw the security guard’s attention in no time.  As it was, Jackie was hoping their new “transformation” would prevent any immediate recognition.

Option three…?

“Oh Vanessa, Douglas!” began Jackie in a smothering voice, “This is all too much!  I don’t even… I’m speechless!  No one has ever given me such a gift as great as you two”.

A few dramatic tears leaked forcefully down her cheek, leaving a tract down her recently applied makeup.

“Oh, oh no!  I’m not presentable for the cameras!  I need to get ahold of myself so I don’t ruin the makeup more!  And Logan here,” Jackie put her arm artificially around the woman like she was a giant teddy bear, “Is my emotional support.  Please excuse us!  “

A thick sound came from her throat; a sad enough imitation of a heaving sigh that Vanessa and Douglas both cried “poor dear!” in unison and allowed Jackie to scamper down the stage with Logan in tow.  The security guards eyed the two with suspicion, but made no immediate move to pursue.

---(~Dez~)---

More than relieved to duck away with Jackie - though she definitely failed to put on an act like her fiery counterpart - she quietly slipped around the corner behind Jackie and then glimpsed back cautiously. Nobody had followed, amazingly, and it seemed Douglas and Vanessa were already off to finding another poor soul or two to torture "in the meantime". Hah! They were kidding themselves if they thought Logan was coming back.

"Maybe the mall wasn't a good idea?" she muttered, slipping off the glaring red high heels and pushing them with her foot against a wall as she passed. She glanced down at her reddened toes with a scowl.

"Oh, but see what they had, I took it on the way out." she held out an retro style instant photo print of her and Jackie on the stage. "There is an understanding that the boys never see this, yeah? It is good for a memory, though." she added.

She peered into the various shops that they passed, the salons and electronic stores and..

She stopped, peering into a Gamestop. "Jackie? What is this kind of shop?"

---(~Soar~)---

This seemed to be going well; well, beyond the blisters that were forming on her feet from the blue pumps Vanessa had insisted on.  Jackie paused warily, scanning the teeming crowd for any sign of pursuers.  But no matter how hard she looked, she couldn’t see either the security guards or Douglas, reaching through to snatch them up.  For now, they had slipped through the cracks.  It seemed they had some time before the consequences would catch up.

Jackie took the photo Logan handed to her and held back a snicker.  Now that was really a painful sight!  She spent some time trying to decide which transformation seemed most unlike the “before”; but that proved an impossibility.  After a few moments Jackie gave up with a shrug.

“Yeah that’s agreed.  This,” she swished the photo like it was an old, smelly boot,” dies with us”.

Strolling down the mall with Logan, Jackie supposed she ought to feel normal.  But that isn’t what she felt.  No, she felt more like some kid playing dress up in their mother’s closet.  Or a circus clown.  The sooner she could ditch the ugly pink sweater and the blue pumps, the happier she’d be.  Her eyes scanned the shops, seeking for something more her speed until—

“Oh those are… well actually Logan, just go in.  I think I found a good outlet for your aggression”

---(~Dez~)---

Logan entered into the store with the dumbfoundedness of someone who had just woke up on the moon. Alright, terrible analogy but, her expression was definitely one reminiscent of an airhead. And then the clothes..

While one gentleman was behind the counter, taking a customer call, the other stepped out and clasped his hands together. They both had a look on their face - they knew their type of people, Logan and Jackies (or, so they thought!). The girly girls who knew every shade of lipstick there was, but they could barely figure out how to turn on a TV. This Steve, going by his nametag, was having a slow day, and you could bet that he would reap every ounce of entertainment from these airheads. They would probably storm out angry and flustered at their own lack of knowledge, or maybe just walk off poking fun at the "game nerds", Steve was used to all of it.

Now Logan had made her way to a poster for the newest Tomb Raider game, a trailer for it playing on a screen below the image.

"Wow, why is this video so..  strange.."

Her attention was now caught with a new Mario game.

"Wow, that is bizarre. Ah, this is how you change the channel, yeah?"

Logan stared at a controller, poking the buttons, relatively confident in her latest assessment.

At this point, Steve was already having a field day. He turned his attention from Logan and to Jackie, and gave a big, cheesy smile. "Can I help ladies find anything today?" he asked innocently enough, but the gleam in his eye said differently. He bit his tongue, barely refraining from mentioning the salon just up the hall, but he wasn't quite that careless with his job.

---(~Soar~)---

Steve may have thought he had a new form of entertainment; but sadly this was just the thought Jackie had as she spotted the little nerd.

“Yeah…,” Jackie leaned in close to his shirt, evidentially reading the name tag, although there was again that same artificial trace in her mannerisms,” Steve.  My friend… Stacy here is looking for some new game for her cousin”

She twirled her hair and leaned her weight on one hip.  There was a sick glimmer in her eyes, but either Steve didn’t have acute enough social skills to notice or he was too excited to notice his “airheads” weren’t all that they seemed.

“He’s a real brat, actually.  A bit of the violent sort, doesn’t play nice with others.  But see, Stacy promised her sister she’d actually try to be a part in his life bla bla bla family gossip and such.  Help some girls out?  And make sure Stacy can sample all the games; we want to make sure you don’t go short-selling us mister!”

“Oh well, of course,” Steve began, debating which approach to begin with, “Let’s start with Skull Smash 200…”

---(~Dez~)---

While Jackie and Logan enjoyed their time terrorizing Steve (and Steve regretting ever speaking a word to these two she-devils), the two security guards Logan had spotted earlier were having fun of a different sort.

Kyle Barker, the younger of the two, seemed quite excited.  His light blue eyes had the look of a puppy that had just discovered a new bone.  His hat was a size too large and kept falling over the tops of his brows.  And his limbs, though powerfully built, seemed a bit on the gangly side.  He kept touching the radio and baton at his side, as if trying to remember how official it made him look.   

“Hey, Krieger, when do you think they’ll be here?”

The other security guard stirred, his eyes tired and lined.  He didn’t acknowledge the youth beside him at first; much like an old hunting dog, he found the little puppy’s endless enthusiasm grating.  All the same, there was a little excitement in his eyes as well.  It was harder to see than Kyle’s, but should one look at the right moment, there would be just the subtle bit of energy in his glance as he shifted.

“I dunno kid, just don’t wet yourself before they get here”

“But Daaaave, this has to be the biggest thing this mall has seen.  Ever.  What if she disappears again?”

“Look kid, she’s been missing for this long so I’m sure she can stand to wait around a little longer.  And anyways, I doubt she’d be clever enough to get out of here, with all the exits being watched”

Kyle simply crossed his arms, trying to keep as still as he could but still twitching and shifting despite himself.  After what seemed a small eternity, the static of David Krieger’s walky-talky rattled.

“Police are here… to verify identity…. Over”

“Copy that.  She is within sights… we will wait for reinforcements”

CH 2:  On the Run from the Law

---(~Soar~)---

Steve was half smiling and half pleading as he showed the women to another game; although his voice said “Why not you try Call of Duty…?” his body language was saying “Please don’t hurt me!  Just leave, please, just leave!”

In what seemed to be a subtle glance, Jackie observed the goings outside of the window.  The air in her posture changed.

“Hey Logan, as fun as this has been… I think it’s time to hit the road,”

Jackie didn’t point, but she didn’t have to; as she spoke two more men—police officers—joined the two security guards outside the window.

---(~Dez~)---

It's a good thing that Douglas and Vanessa were really good at what they did, because at this point, Stacey.. Logan? may have racked up some expenses in damages due to a couple of broken game controllers (and one maybe very possibly broken television screen).

But it seemed that Steve would get his way. Logan broke away from what she was doing and looked to Jackie, noticing the change in her demeanor.

And you can only imagine what poor Steve was thinking. Wondering if he was part of some elaborate and horrifying prank, he rushed outside now and began talking with the officers.

"Ah, I think you're right. Do you think they remembered us finally?" she questioned. "Oh, certainly they came to look at your pretty outfit, you should wave to them huh?" she joked. But something told her this was one of those situations where you didn't try to joke, and she was quiet.  

She couldn't hear what they were saying - this specific Gamestop had it's own closing doors, so everything beyond the glass was obstructed.

Now Logan's eyes shifted around, and she found the back door, likely where they kept back stock and certainly there was another way to leave the store from there.

"Jackie? We can probably get through there, if we have to." She nudged the other female and glanced to the door, wondering what was going through Jackie's mind.

---(~Soar~)---

Jackie glanced at Logan suspiciously as she told her joke—not displeased, necessarily, but certainly surprised.

“I really shouldn’t have taught you sarcasm… well, yeah let’s go through the mysterious door.  Assuming Steve wasn’t smart enough to lock it…”

As it turned out, Steve had not been smart enough to lock it; while he spent avidly explaining his woes to a disinterested police officer (“They came out of nowhere sir, it was weird!  These she-devils just barge in and start breaking everything!  I hope… have I been Punk’d? Because my manager will kill me… is that guy a camera dude?!  Wait, where you—“) Jackie took the time bought by Steve’s ramble to open the door and slip inside, ushering Logan to follow quickly behind her.  The door was shut behind with an unsettling click.

It was, in fact, the back store room.  Jackie had never seen this part of a store before and found herself fascinated by the boxes stacked in the corners.  A few of the more popular games were already removed from their boxes, ready to go to hordes of eager gamers.  She clicked her tongue, as if considering what mayhem she might be able to wreak unsupervised.  Jackie might have gone through with whatever half-baked plan she had in mind; but thankfully the sound of the police officers investigating outside and their hot pursuit on their trail snapped her back to reality.

“Right so… this goes where?  Down the rabbit hole, I suppose,” Jackie mumbled, squinting into the darkness ahead.  She hardly dared to turn on the light now, in case it might attract their pursuers.  She could only hope her eyesight would be sharp enough to go through the narrow walkway without sending a cascade of boxes to the floor.

Easier said than done.  Just as she reached what looked like the edge of the room, she heard a click that sounded an awful lot like an opening door!  In the panic her waist bumped into a poorly positioned box; with a crash, hundreds of copies of “Tomb Raider” were spent sprawling across the floor.  Betrayed by the video games she sprung forward, her arms blindly reaching for what she could only hope was an escape.

“Logan, you see anything?  Because I could really do with a convenient getaway about now”

---(~Dez~)---

Logan briefly stumbled through the stockroom, nearly tripping over the mess of games once as she worked her ways towards Jackie. "Do you think we'll go to jail if these catch us? Ah, Kratos would not be pleased then.. unless we don't tell him. But he'll find out.. he's like my grandfather, he can smell deception I think. Scary." she mumbled to herself more or less, feeling in front of her as she walked. Finally after what felt like minutes with the knowledge that the police officers would barge in any second, she grasped something promising. A doorknob, that was also left unlocked. This opened up to a large lit room, containing breaker switches and the radio toggle switches for the most of the mall. What's more, it opened to a larger area with two docking bays for diesels to unload stock.

And as if Christmas came early for the duo, it seemed to be truck day! Employees had rails laid out, a seemingly endless stream of boxes being loaded onto them, employees bustling everywhere. At least a dozen, so many so that they didn't even pay attention to a couple of "employees" coming through one of the store exits. Even brightly dressed ones. They'd probably been there since the early AM hours, and were half zombified, their legs moving without their consent and their bodies nourished only by the copious amount of Red Bull in their system. And then if the trucks docked here, there was a door that opened to the outside world.. Logan quickly laid eyes on such a door, and tugged Jackie towards it without hesitation.

Shoving the door open with Jackie in tow, she slipped out into the glaring sunlight. It had felt like ages trapped in that mall, nearly suffocated by the thick of perspiration and perfume! Logan had enough of malls for some time now.

---(~Soar~)---

Jackie struggled to think of a good metaphor describing her liberation from the plastic artificialness of the mall.  It wasn’t like seeing sunshine—that is what it had been like walking in.  More like the opposite.  Like seeing the nice ordinary darkness after some idiot shined a flashlight in your eyes.  Or maybe what Charlie must have felt when he walked out into the streets after being stranded in Oompa Loompa land with a crazy chocolate maker.

Wistfully she cast a glance behind her; the tall strange shape of the mall already feeling an awful lot like a foggy perfect memory.  Well, alright, it hadn’t gone perfectly, but she was already starting to miss her reintroduction into the 21st century.  She supposed this might be the feeling one might have with an ex boyfriend-- certainly you wouldn’t want to come crawling back, but all the same kept missing some stupid tiny things.  Like how funny it had been to see Logan in heels and a dress, or what they had done to poor Steve, or the glorious glorious taste of deep fried food…

It was the sight of a police car parked out front that sent that kind of sentiment out the window.  Never mind the mall; she just wanted to get out before she was trapped for good!

“Yeah let’s avoid the bars for now.  I don’t think Kratos would approve if we led less than… upstanding good doggy manners”.

Her eyes wandered furtively around.  Where were they again?  They seemed to be some place in the parking lot, but exactly where seemed to be a question.

“Ummm Logan, do you remember where we parked?”

Now there was a question she hadn’t missed from the 21st century.

---

Kyle was sad.  But it was hard to see, because the young security guard was enthusiastically drooling over all the new games in Gamestop (and occasionally asking a very frazzled Steve details on the newest releases).  Sometimes he would touch the radio at his side when it rattled off with a series of very official orders.  He didn’t answer back, of course, because he had nothing to report; and in any case, David Krieger had made it endlessly clear he was “not to touch the radio, ever, unless in absolute emergency”.

“Suspect was not found on premises of Gamestop.  Appears to have fled.  Over…”

“Suspect is traveling with an associate, a female roughly over 6 feet, in a red dress and heels…”

Every now and again Kyle would stir, when a particularly interesting snippet would catch his ears.  Then he would sigh, turn and look significantly to David Krieger, who was generally too busy talking to the police or issuing official sounding things over the radio himself to meet Kyle’s gaze.

“Suspect and associate have been spotted in the West Wing of the Parking Lot, over.  Nearby to Macy’s department store.  Prepare to surround...”

“Ah man,” Kyle sighed after he had looked over every game in the store and had sufficient time to interrogate Steve on the release date of the newest Final Fantasy game,”We were so close to catching her and now she’s probably on the run or something.  My buddies are never going to believe this. ”

---(~Dez~)---

Logan followed Jackie's gaze to the police car parked around the front. Where did they park? It could have been a mile away for all she knew - the mall seemed to stretch over an infinite amount of ground. Especially when it stood between them, some police cars and their truck.

Then she saw an area between two sections of the mall, where things like dumpsters and air conditioning units were kept. Even if her truck wasn't around the corner after the gap, finding it in a roundabout way sounded like a much better plan if it meant narrowly avoiding the officers.

So it was she began in that direction without so much as indicating her plan to Jackie, possibly in hopes the female would simply catch on. Jackie seemed good at that, and Logan decided she wasn't good at explaining these things anyway.

Coming around to the other side, she found a parking lot full of cars. A couple of police cars looming in the background, but maybe they were looking for reckless teens..? It never hurt to be optimistic. Logan scanned over each row of cars as quickly and thoroughly as possible.

Of course, it wasn't nestled safely within the concealing rows of cars. It was parked way out, by itself, in the most barren area of the whole parking lot. Of course, it made sense, it was easier to navigate in and out of the lot instead of making your way through a mess of mad teens.. but now, especially considering the officer parked just yards behind it, it wasn't so practical.

"Your turn to think of something." Logan muttered, cocking a brow as she considered the situation. Though there wasn't much to consider, it looked basically bleak from every angle.

---(~Soar~)---

Jackie followed Logan, her eyes taking in the strange turn of events with sharp acuity.  What exactly she was seeing and what alternatives she was considering would have been impossible to guess from just a glance—as it was, Jackie’s thoughts seem to venture sporadically from ‘I hate these stupid heels’ to ’A shame we can’t be in an awesome car chase already’.   When Logan stopped Jackie followed her gaze, at last finding their beaten up pick up somewhere in the back.  And the police car parked directly ahead of it.

But unlike Logan, Jackie didn’t seem at all  upset by this strange twist of events.  In fact, there was utter glee in her eyes; at last, there seemed to be a puzzle worth solving around here!

“Aw man Logan, why do I have to be the creative one around here?  Well, if you insist… I’d recommend you stay close and try not to ask too many questions.  Think you can manage?”

Jackie didn’t even wait for an answer;  she seemed convinced Logan’s answer would be yes.  With no time to lose she sprinted forward.  But instead of drawing nearer to the blue Chevy pickup in the distance, Jackie ran the opposite way.  She was drawing closer to the mall and closer to the line of police cars parked out front.  She ducked low behind cars, hiding her form as best she could (and praying Logan would be able to do the same), drawing closer and closer until she was at last at her prize.

A police car sat on the curb in park.  The key was in its ignition and it was issuing a low hum—no doubt the two policemen who drove the vehicle had intended to step out just for a moment.  It might have seemed a perfectly logical conclusion that a police car would be safe under the watch of passing coworkers.  Sadly, this was not a good day to draw logical conclusions.

Before any could even comprehend what had happened, Jackie opened the police car and sat herself quickly into the driver’s seat.  She motioned quickly for Logan to do the same.  She quickly geared the police car into drive; the motor yowled in delight and sped happily into the sunset.

---

Officer Trevor Jennings really was not had a good day.  He had already spilled coffee on his uniform, his wife had informed him she would not be making pot roast since she had accidentally burned it, and his partner was out sick.  Worse than that, it seemed some mall shenanigans had gone down and two crazed mall rats were being searched for.  With his partner out sick, he had to take on twice the work; by lunchtime the willowy man found himself starved for a quick bite before he scampered off back to work.

Just as Officer Jennings was about to say – “And my day couldn’t get any worse”—he stopped himself.  He wasn’t about to invite the universe to get creative with “worse”.   Sadly the thought had already been said in his mind and this was enough for the universe to begin her work.  Just as he was about to sigh in relief, believing he had prevented from such a jinx from transpiring—

“Suspects have stolen a police car.  Repeat, suspects have stolen a police car.  Over”

Officer Jennings had a sinking feeling of what would be said next even before they were said; although he was desperately praying that by some miracle it would be otherwise.

“Identification of emergency vehicle is 832 AXC.  Repeat, Identification of emergency vehicle is 832 AXC”

The officer swore with such profuse language that people began giving the disgruntled man a wide berth.  He shook his head after his head cleared some. “The Sergeant will have my head for sure!  Who has ever heard of a police officer getting his own car stolen”

---(~Dez~)---

Logan had made herself more or less comfortable in the passenger seat of the vehicle. More or less. Needless to say, the truck had more leg room. And wasn't so close to the ground. It seemed she could feel the vibration of every pebble the weary tires hit, every bump in the road. She clasped a hand over her face and sunk into her seat. "Not so good.." she murmured. For a lady who could stomach almost anything, apparently crazy drivers, tight cars and bumpy roads weren't some of those things.

"Are you sure about this?" she asked, peering out her window. Already a couple of officers were getting ready to head out and follow.

"Suspects seen headed towards the east frontage road; cancel, the subjects are on the east frontage road going approximately 60 miles per hour." the radio chimed out, and Logan looked sat up, managing to find a volume button and turn it up.

“Copy that, barricades are being planted at both ends of the frontage road. Corral the suspects from the north and south and close in."

"You're making it worse, Jackie. We will definitely go to jail now, I think." she commented sheepishly. "Ah, this dress is SUCH uncomfortable. Too bad there's not an extra suit I could borrow, while we're borrowing their car." she sighed, fishing under the seat briefly. And then the sirens became apparent.

---

Ah, the sergeant. This one in particular a well aged man by the name of (Sergeant) Bob Chapman. Well built (despite the bit of belly pudge present) for his age, with what white hair he did have combed back and his moustache - something reminiscent of the Monopoly Man - just as groomed. His skin was dark from days spent in the sun, his blue eyes showing years of wisdom. The lines around his eyes spoke volumes of his line of work; the headache present in his forehead and the bridge of his nose, the sarcastic smiles present in the heavy lines around his mouth.

Coming up behind Officer Jennings, he gave the man a couple of heavy pats on the back, a gesture that would make anybody who didn't know him lose their footing.

"Officer Jennings, please, there are ladies present. Now how about we take my car for now? Anyway, before this is all over, we might have to blow the wheels off it, if it means slowing that crazy red head down.. oh well, they were a little worn out anyway. My dad told me not to trust those Irish women, boy oh boy was he right on the money." he sighed, giving a slightly amused smirk. "Look lad, as precarious as the situation seems, you have to take these situations with a grain of salt. You're too young to go loosin' your mind like I have." already as he spoke, he was loading into his vehicle and starting the engine. His tone had that sort of heavy, old wise grandpa feel to it. And yet you knew that if you pulled the wrong cords he wouldn't cut you much slack.

"Ok, so we're chasing two women in designer clothes, and they've got your car? Well, is there something I need to tell your wife?" he raised a teasing brow, waiting until Jennings had loaded in before hitting the gas and slightly speeding his way out of the parking lot.

---(~Soar~)---

Jackie acknowledged Logan’s discomfort with a simple shrug and a sour chuckle, as if Logan were the one being ridiculous.

“Aww come on Logan, where’s your sense of adventure?  It’ll be fine, I promise.  And if not, I’m sure you’ll have no problem making friends in jail.”

In the meantime, Jackie had taken the advice of the radio; instead of driving directly down the road (and into the paths of waiting police officers), and abruptly turned the wheel to the right.  It seemed there was finally fortune to be had in the rural town—instead of a fence lining the edges of the road, there was simply an empty field of grass.  The police car gave a nasty squeal as it upturned the turf, but otherwise obeyed and carved nicely into the grass.  Another road was parallel to the one she had been on; after traveling some distance down the green turf, she again commanded the police car a sharp turn to the left onto a winding roadway.

“Huh, although I suppose we should probably ditch the ride?  See anywhere good?”

---

Officer Jennings turned a pleasant shade of scarlet.  Of course he hadn’t let his head get away with him, he wanted to say.  But no matter how hard he tried, the words only seemed to build in his throat as a sad sort of whine that made his face grow all the more colorful.  Explain this, to his wife?  Poor Sharon would have a heart attack to think of what her timid husband was up to!  And speaking of which, Jennings felt like he ought to have a heart attack.

For reasons beyond him, he followed the Sargent’s invitation into the other seat.  He felt intimidated, of course, to be so close to his boss; but certainly given the day, there were other things to be afraid of.  He took seat without question, and before long the two were off after these crazy kids!

The two had travelled some distance.  Trevor had kept a close ear to the radio, hoping he might deign whatever plans these women might have from what was going on.  He suddenly froze, as a nasty thought struck him.

“Err Sarge, if they’ve stolen my car…. Wouldn’t that mean they can hear what’s being said over the radio?”

---

While some officers were sent off to be a part of the chase, a few were left behind to help the security guards tidy up the ruckus the women had made.  Their responsibilities namely involved answering the frantic questions of mall goers (“Will Timmy be okay? “ “Hey since there was a big showdown here today, can I get 40% off the things I bought?”).  It was hardly a desirable job, and most officers left behind to deal with the mess were sulking.

Another car stopped amidst the scene—not an emergency vehicle, but this was hardly a surprise as many officers drove such cars if they were undercover (although more likely, many off-duty officers had been called in during off-hours and had to drive their wife’s mini-van in order to make the call in a timely fashion).  Those officers who did bother to look up merely shrugged with disinterest.  Others entirely disregarded it.

Only one officer—a young woman by the name of Officer Lyra Kendels seemed particularly intrigued.  It was an older car—by the looks of it, a black Mustang?  She spent some time trying to decide the year (1972, no 1974?) and taking into account it’s general upkeep (well they did a good job on the paint, but the rims could use some work…) before at last drawing the conclusion that the driver must have been affluent; far richer than any ordinary officer might be.  And certainly no officer who could afford such a car would bother to take it into work, in fear it might get damaged.

Who was it that had come in?  The deputy?

She watched with interest as a woman exited the vehicle, dressed in a crisp professional suit and carrying a brief case. Lyra tried to decide if she had seen this woman at some event, but steadily came to the conclusion she had never seen her before in her life.  She was confident in her assessment—she had been good with faces from a young age.  Then who… ?

“Melinda Channing,” the woman recited, as if that was all she would need to know.  Lyra narrowed her eyes, but otherwise remained silent as she waited.  The woman dug into her brief case and gathered some papers and continued, “I’m with a special division and will be overseeing this situation.  These papers should be all you need to know”

Numbly Lyra took the papers, not quite sure what she should be looking for.  She handed them back.

“You’ll probably want to take that up with him,” she motioned vaguely to her overseeing officer, Frank Calypso, “But  I hope whoever you are, you can get this fiasco under wraps”

“Oh I’m sure,” Melinda said with a pointed smile, before following Lyra’s motion and showing the stack of official looking papers to the man Lyra had motioned to.

---(~Dez~)---

"Yup." Chapman responded nonchalantly. The speedometer read 80 and rising. He did have a dirty reputation for being a bit old fashioned; if he was pursuing someone who was speeding, by golly you'd bet he'd be speeding right behind them! Given his positions he had a few immunities, but maybe this would be his last ride on the drivers side of a police car. In any case, he'd made it his mission, more or less, to bring these girls into custody.

His old eyes weren't what they used to be, but in the distance he saw Jennings car cut off into the fields, dust and grass flying up  behind it.

Then, setting his radio so it could only communicate between 832 AXC and his own, he picked up his mouthpiece and switched it on.

"Alright ladies, party's over. I'm in a good mood, so I might buy you a drink before we go downtown, but don't make me change my mind. I'm sure we could all use a stout one right about now."

Logan listened to the radio, confused as to why they were talking directly to them instead of just rambling on about what hardly made sense to her.

"OK, I'm going to be honest with you; the other guys can't hear me. Except Mr. Jennings here, but don't worry, he's a good Chap. Now listen, I've got your location and this engine has been prepped proper to chase down your tail into midnight if it has to. So listen, you'd honestly be best off stopping. You've stolen a police car, caused damage to public property, and I'm sure there's at least one person who will need therapy now. If you pull over, I'll talk to you. No handcuffs. I want to get this story straight before the other guys take you and lock you up no questions asked. And I can help you. Or, you can keep driving and running until you've been caught and I'm not around to put my say in the matter. It's your call. But, the lockers really no place for women and I'm willing to cut you a deal here."

---(~Soar~)---

“Well what do you say, Logan?,” the redhead grinned widely.  Her arms made a speedy grab at the steering wheel—once again the police car was sent reeling and the tires squealed against the pavement.  But instead of away from the other cars, her own car was veering right towards the Sergeant's! , “Should we have a chat with the nice gentlemen?”

But rather than slowing down, Jackie’s car continued to accelerate;  90 miles per hour went to 120 miles per hour the span of thirty seconds.  Jackie drove closer to the Sergeant's car (and Officer Jennings began breathing exercises).  Closer closer until.

Fwoosh!

She passed by it altogether.  The redhead howled wildly like some crazed teenager in a nightclub.

“Aww nuts, we seemed to have just missed him.  Oh well, another time we’ll just have to drop in!”

In the meantime, Officer Jennings saw his life flash before his eyes.  It was actually quite pathetic, to realize his life boiled down to a handful of awkward encounters in his youth, and tender moments scattered in between a bunch of monotony.  When he saw the danger had passed, he exhaled.

“Geez, doesn’t make much sense.  We weren’t even  seeking to arrest this lady when we first started.  It’s almost like she wants to be caught”

---(~Dez~)---

Ok, Logan was a thrill seeker sometimes. But usually her thrills involved fists and maybe a little blood, a good show of strength or something along those lines. And usually they'd all wake up the next day and be friends or something like that. This was definitely not her idea of a thrill, it was something foreign and something she did have control of. Now she one hand on the dash in front of her and with the other she gripped the handle above the door tightly enough that her knuckles became white. Forget breathing exercises, who needed to breath anyway?

"Jackie, stop." she muttered quietly. "I will knock you out and stop it myself if I have to!"

Never before had she so longed the sensation of stable ground beneath her feet.

But like Jackie, the Sergeant was having himself a field day. Hitting his breaks and turning at just an angle that the car twisted elegantly around, he began to speed up again and after Jackie and Logan.

"Get comfortable Officer Jennings. Anyway, considering how avoidant she seemed in the beginning, I'm starting to wonder if there's something more she's hiding. Alright then, how do you like action movies? Oh well, that doesn't matter. Just get your gun ready, and try to shoot their back wheels. I want to see if it's as easy as it looks.." watching his speed raise, he began to quickly gain ground on the other, his engine roaring out in protest, but he pushed it anyway!

"Alright Jennings, get ready!" he shouted, coming up beside them.

---(~Dez~)---

Jackie felt much like a puppy that had just had it’s favorite chew toy taken away.  Stop, now, when they were having so much fun?

“Aw man Logan, if you had an issue with it, you shoulda said so from the get go.  As it is, it’s too late now to really turn back”

Jackie did not slacken her grip on the wheel nor did her speed decrease—she could hear the steady pursuit of the Sergeant behind.  After the little show she put on, there could be no sudden stopping and giving in.  She had signed up for a game, and so she would continue until knocked out cold.  Which may or may not be a state of being drawing ever nearer from her.  Judging by Logan’s rather… firm stance on the matter, she had to think of something quick to keep Logan’s fist from her face.

“Hey, don’t worry too much about it Logan.  Think of this a lot like my version of spring cleaning.  I’ve been out of the loop for a while.  No idea what’s on my police records at this point.  And let’s face it, police aren’t going to volunteer that kind of information if you just call.

See the easiest thing to do is just commit a crime.  Then I’ll guarantee you find out every nasty little rumor they’ve got stacked up on you.  It’s a great approach”

There was a hesitation in the next few words she spoke, and for good reason

“Of course, you have to get caught first”

Between Jackie and the Sergeant, poor Jennings was convinced he would never get a chance to eat his wife’s burned pot roast.  He had long ago given up breathing exercises, since his body quite clearly wanted to hyperventilate and he was in no mood to argue with it.  Why had he agreed to get in the car with this maniac again?

And in fact, where were the other police cars?  He was certain more than him and the Serge had been in pursuit when they had started this rollercoaster of death, but now everyone was gone.  This felt an awful lot like a bad setup.  Why hadn’t they gotten a call over the radio, informing them about the situation.

Oh.  Of course.  The Sergeant had disconnected from the main radio when he had taken the liberty of connecting directly to his stolen wheels.  Whatever new information that had just come in had not reached their ears.  It seemed a terrible inconvenience… unless this had been Serge’s plan all along?  Judging by the look of delight on his face, this did not seem to be a terribly misplaced conclusion.

With quivering hands, he drew his gun and rolled down the window.  This wasn’t going to end well for him, was it?

---(~Soar~)---

To understand the disappearance of the police cars, one must take into consideration the two strangers that showed up to the mall.

One of course had been one Melinda Channing.  After having a very long and confusing conversation with the supervising officer Frank Calypso, she had handed off a stack of very long and confusing papers for him to read. Poor Frank spent most of his time scratching his head and making phone calls; but other than determining the references seemed valid, he found himself far more confused on this woman than he had began.

The other stranger had come driving up in a nice luxury car.  Lyra Kendels remembered eyeing it with disapproval—the other stranger had far better taste!  Who stepped out was yet another Suit, a trim man with a dorky checkered tie and thick glasses.  He had come with a brief case as well, but with a much clearer identity.  He was with the IRS; apparently Miss Jacqueline Ryder was very popular today.  After discovering that her credit card had been in use—an impossibility since this woman had been reported missing some three months ago—they had been all too delighted to take interest in the case.  Cue mismatched IRS representative with dorky glasses.

Lyra felt like just shaking her head—how could the situation get any more confusing?  And then it did.  Melinda Channing had become something of background noise once the IRS man had shown up.  Now out of the eye of other officers, she began doing the impossible—ordering commands like she was top dog!

“I want you to recall every police car in chase.  This woman is dangerous and should not be taken down this way!”

Lyra starred in flabbergasted outrage.  She turned to Frank Calypso—certainly he’d do something about this upstart?!

“Sorry kid,” Frank sighed in dejection,” I’m afraid she’s got the power.  Don’t ask me how, because heck if I can figure out where that paper trail goes, but she’s got it.  And I wouldn’t question it, unless you want to find yourself in a steaming heap of doo doo”

---(~Soar~)---

Logan gave a cold hard glare to Jackie; her patience was quickly running out and she had long grown tired of this game! At the same time, she knew that it was a matter of pride. Like herself, Jackie didn't seem to get along with the idea of backing down from a challenge. Still, Logan didn't usually drag someone else into it on the side, and at this rate, it wouldn't be long before Jackie had the consciousness of a sack of flour. At this point she was needlessly prolonging the inevitable. Logan's fist tightened on the handle and she looked forward now, but remained silent.

Now the Serge was pulling up right beside Jackie and Logan. "Ready, steady.. fire!" he shouted to Jennings, quietly hoping to himself that, if the officer didn't have a shining moment at any other point in his career, now would be the time to make one!

"I don't care if you have to shoot out every tire, I want these women out of that car!"

And while Jennings was given the chance to busy himself with that, Chapman looked down at his radios. He could see now that there were incoming calls, and he turned it back so that all transmissions could get through.

"REPEAT: All officers in chase and barricade to withdraw IMMEDIATELY or be revoked!"

Now he picked up his own transmitter, "By what power, you lily livered cowards? Get out here and put some weight on those weak little hearts! Anyway, I'm going to stop them if it's the last thing I do as an officer." he responded, before again switching the radio to communicate strictly between their own car and Jennings.

---

Trevor was trying to hold the gun steady, but that was awfully hard when your partner drove like a maniac.  He had always heard  of police officers shooting out the tires, but certainly they had never done so going 90 miles an hour, had they?!  He tried to take aim at the tires, but it was no use; he would more likely shoot himself in the foot then find a good position on those tires.  He shook his head, rolled up the window, and holstered the gun.

“Sir, I don’t think it’s a good idea.  I can’t get a steady aim and I’m afraid I might take out the two women just as much as I might take out the tires.  We aren’t authorized to use that kind of force”

Trevor clicked his tongue, a thought forming.  Surely the Serge had known that?  He was, after all, a man of significant years with a great deal of experience.  Yet ever since this adventure had started, the weathered old man had been throwing caution to the wind.  He had even turned off the radio and disobeyed a direct order!  When this was all over, it would be hard to say if the Serge would even hold his rank; or for that matter, be allowed to walk free from the bars.

“Sir…” he whimpered quietly, “Maybe we should just let these two go.  All police cars have GPS.  We could track where it ends up.  Get it back.  And put up the figurative ‘Wanted’ poster for these two nut jobs”

---

What next?, thought Lyra as she saw Melinda issuing orders to men twice her age.  Even if she hadn’t been so pushy about it, Lyra doubted she would have liked the woman.  There was just a look about her that Lyra didn’t like; her bun seemed just a bit too tight on her head, her lips drawn into too tight a line on her face, and her hands gripped that awful brief case of hers too tight, like someone might snatch it from her.  If a human being could be a windup toy, Lyra would have said this one had been wound up far too tight and might break at any moment.

Her commanding officer, Frank Calypso didn’t seem too happy about it either.  He was usually such a good humored man—but something about this woman’s aura had made even his rich blond curls droop on his head.

And on top of all that, there was the IRS man.  As of yet, the little wisp hadn’t done too much.  He hadn’t even introduced himself beyond flashing his identity.  No one had cared enough to check his name on the badge so the officers had continued to refer to him through point and “IRS man”.  This didn’t seem to bother him; in fact, he kept approaching wary police officers with what appeared to be good natured conversation.

Melinda got off her cell phone and her eyes seemed absolutely livid.  Now Lyra was quite sure she was going to burst apart!  She retreated a few steps instinctively.

“Have all police cars been recalled?”

“Yes ma’am,” Frank Calypso replied mechanically.  A brief pause, “Most patrol cars have already checked in”

“Most?!”

“Err well, one still hasn’t checked in… The Sergeant's car still seems to be missing.  But I’m sure he’s only out for a cup of coffee or something; you can’t expect him to go running around like the younger men without a quick bite.   I’m sure he’ll be back soon.  ”

“See that he is,” Melinda retorted pointedly.

Meanwhile, the IRS man had suddenly found interest in the conversation.  After excusing himself politely from what seemed to be very relieved police officers (he had just been describing his coin collection in depth and going off on the difference between different makes and their years), he approached Melinda with a beaming smile and a wave.  Lyra couldn’t help but think this would be the last smile he would ever have.

“Oh, I’ve heard about you!  You’re from a special division, I’ve heard?  Or so these lovely chaps seem to be saying”

“Yes,” Melinda replied stiffly.

“Which one is it?  I do happen to know quite a bit about the goings of our government.  I’d be curious to see if I know any of your coworkers.  Such dedication they have, I’m sure”.

“I’m not at liberty to discuss it.  If you would like, I could give you some of my references and you may call the numbers to verify my identity”

“Oh no no,” the IRS man said with a genial shrug of his shoulders,”I don’t mean anything like that.  I’m sure if Frank hasn’t found anything wrong, then I won’t either.  Although it is quite the curiosity on why a single woman might attract such attention!  From what I understand from these lovely fellows, just a few hours ago she was only a missing person that caused a bit of mess for the security team.  Oh, and not to mention some financial disarray sprinkled in the mix.  But overall, nothing too serious.   But now, oh boy this will be the case of a lifetime for this police force!”

“Do you have a point?”  Melinda’s demeanor had changed, Lyra observed.  By changed, she meant the woman had gone from a little wound up to as stiff as a statue and as glacial as an iceberg.  Lyra eyed her temples, wondering if she could spot the artery that was about to burst.

“Only that I hope this resolves itself quickly. Or such an incident might attract far more of the government’s attention than you’d like.  You’ll have quite the competition!”  The IRS man chuckled like he had told quite the joke, but no one else could find any humor in the situation.

---

“Ohhh, let’s see this does complicate things doesn’t it?”

Jackie was eyeing the rearview mirror.  She could see the quivering gun held by Officer Jennings.  He didn’t seem to be too steady with the thing, did he?  Although to be fair, he was going some 90 miles an hour… But regardless, Jackie was as concerned as Jennings was that he might miss the tires altogether.  The redhead’s grip tensed on the wheels, preparing to make yet another wild serve that would have sent one’s stomach up to their mouth—

But Trevor withdrew his gun before she could.  Well at least he had some sense to him!  The Serge, on the other hand, was still faithfully tailing behind.  If she didn’t act fast, this fun might end sooner than she’d like.  She squinted ahead against the dying light; certainly there had to be some alternative?

But try as she might, she could only see the growing forest to her right.  If she pushed her sight farther she could see what appeared to be a shallow ditch just off the roadway, maybe some twenty feet down, and a trickling stream.    There wouldn’t be enough time to stop the car and run out into the woods, would there?  Unless…?

A terrible idea filled her.  It was quite clear to see it was terrible, because Jackie’s demeanor changed from simple delight.  There was a sick look in her eye and her arms were trembling on the wheel.  Her hands had a steely grip on the wheel so her knuckles were white. A savage cry of primal joy filled her throat; it sounded strangely like a battle cry ancient warriors might have shouted some thousand years prior before a massacre.  At that moment, the redhead looked like the poster child for a mental asylum.

“Hey Logan, how do you feel about heights?”

As she spoke, the ditch was growing ever closer and her speed was growing ever faster.

Ch 3: Off the Deep End

---(~Dez~)---

Logan's expression went from serious and irritated to a fear not usually present on her face, her eyes popping wide open as she watched the world speed by, the ditch becoming clearer with every second that passed. And now it seemed knocking Jackie out would only make matters worse, there was no way she could move the woman over and take the wheel and brakes in time to safely stop!

"Control yourself!" she shouted, immediately followed by her fist bluntly meeting Jackie square in the right cheek. The blow wouldn't be enough to knock her out but if she could only knock an ounce of sense into her currently deranged friend, she would be satisfied.

Of course her next instinct was to take the wheel, but she refrained; while a quick turn at these speeds may keep them from flying into the ditch, there was no guarantee the car wouldn't go rolling instead, and Logan didn't know which was more dangerous.

By the time she had finished considering the options, albeit briefly, it was already too late to act on any idea that might have flipped through her head in those moments. No, they were going into the ditch. All Logan could do was brace herself.

And it seemed in the next instant, she found herself looking down at the earth below as the car shot out over the ledge. Soon after, gravity began to pull it's victims to the surface of the earth, and then, there was nothing.

Of course, all the while that Trevor spoke, Serge had ignored him, only twitching his moustache in disapproval. But then something happened, and he watched the situation unfold in disbelief. "She's not really going to.." he muttered, "Oh, good heavens, she is. What kind of maniac..?!"

He picked up his radio again, finally setting it for open transmission for the final time. At the same moment he heard the crash of the vehicle meeting the earth below, and soon after, smoke began to arise in a small but steady stream above the ditch.

"This is Sergeant Chapman; the two suspects just shot off into a ditch. Request an emergency vehicle; I have yet to make a visual assessment of the women."

He didn't think it was fatal, not unless the hit the ground at an angle and flipped. Though that could be a possibility.

And then he sighed and laid the radio down, slowing as he neared the ditch. "Ah, Jennings.. I knew this would be intense but I didn't see her doing something so reckless."

He sighed and pinched the bridge of his nose as he continued steadily towards the ditch, but unlike Jackie, he made plans to stop before getting there.

Logan began to come to, although in a fog. She pushed at some lumpy, smothering object in front of her (decidedly the airbag) and began to fish around for the seat belt buckle. Such a simple task that proved rather difficult, but after what felt like minutes of struggling she managed to unclip it and felt a certain relief wash over her at the sound. And then clumsily she ran her hand across the door until she found the knob, and popping it open, she slipped out with the grace of a drunk badger. Suddenly the setting sunlight seemed a cruel enemy, beating upon her eyes and sending her head screaming out in protest.

And then she wondered what had happened for sure. Where were they? What were they doing? Where was Jackie?

"Jackie?" she wondered out loud, looking at the car. The smoking car.. why was it? Oh! She rushed around to the other side of the car and popped Jackie's door open, pulling the red haired female out and propping her upright against the car. When Logan didn't find any signs of her immediately waking up, Logan plucked her up by the neck of her dress and dragged her over the stream, dropping her in the cold shallow water. She wasn't necessarily trying to be mean but she wasn't exactly in the mood to be gentle with the other right now either.

Only now did she reach up to shield her eyes from the sun, and now it was she realized the trickle of blood slipping down from her forehead. She was tired, aching, and so ready to be out this stupid outfit! Surely jumpsuits were comfortable, and if Jackie didn't get up and start moving soon, she would dig out the handcuffs from the wreckage and take care of the problem herself!

---(~Soar~)---

The corners of Frank Calypso’s mouth were curling.  Lyra almost thought he was smiling, but on closer look she could see it was a strange grimace.  To prove her assessment, the man offered a long sigh and shook his head in confusion.  He had just gotten off a very lengthy phone call—and of course there had been the radio.  Everyone on the force had heard it.

“…Two suspects just shot into a ditch.  Request an emergency vehicle”

There was a pregnant pause in the air; even the IRS man had stopped talking in length about the best shrubs that could be planted in the area.  No one dared to so much as murmur until—

“Well they just had to do it, didn’t they?”  Calypso growled, “They had to go make everything friggn’ CRAZY around here.  Keep up at this rate and we’ll have every police officer in the county and the FBI crawling all over us.”

Lyra had to disagree.  They already had everyone and everything crawling all over them.  Just look at IRS man and wind-up lady; if that wasn’t enough, then she didn’t know what was.

“Just doesn’t make sense,” Calypso continued with a disgruntled shake of his mane of golden curls, “Who goes out of their way just to make trouble out of nothing.  This isn’t an action movie”.

Again, Lyra had to disagree.  The way things were going, she wouldn’t be surprised if these events didn’t in some way make it to the big screen.  She could only hope actress who played her would be attractive and funny.  Kate Beckinsale might work.  Or maybe Lucy Law?

---

Smoke was curling around the crumbled police vehicle like a horde of grey snakes.  The air carried the smell of burning, but no gas.  All life had scattered far into the woods so not even an evening bird cried out in the dull orange haze of the setting sun.

Jackie’s eyes opened, assessing the situation as best as she could.  Smoke.  Possibly fire—but no gas in the air.  The gas line must not have broken.  And… wet?  Cold?  This didn’t make sense.  She turned her head slowly, trying to determine the source.  Oh.  Logan.  She moved to sit up, but a hammering pain in her head kept her firmly in the river bed.  Maybe she’d stay in the cold water a little bit longer.

Now what?  They had maybe ten minutes tops before the first of the emergency responders came to the scene.  Last thing Jackie wanted was another hospital visit.  And she certainly didn’t want to add a nice trip to the jail on the list.  Unless…?  There came that word; a possibility had hit her frazzled, tired mind.

“Logan.  I need you to cut the gas line.  Try to get it to ignite.  Then we should run.  Can you do this?”

---(~Dez~)---

Logan could only stare down at Jackie at her last suggestion, with an expression on her face as though the other had just asked her to commit a murder. And for a moment, it would seem that Logan was regretful that she even survived the crash. A sort of defeated look, but not lacking agitation, pressed itself on her face and she twisted around. The next instant, you could hear a door opening, then began slammed shut, before the hood of the car popped open.

Using snips she found that were surely made for fixing emergencies, not creating them, she cut the gas line, in such a way that it would give them time to begin off safely, and then turned and move back to Jackie.

Now she grabbed the other up by her arm and clicked something round and cold onto her wrist. A handcuff. And then, clicking the other end onto her own wrist and tightening, she stared down at Jackie with a firm expression. "No more cars, no malls, and no funny business, just running, yeah? We will do my way now." she commanded, shoving a finger at Jackie's chest, before tugging the other along to clear the wreckage. It seemed Logan made it to the tree line and ducked beneath a small overhang in the ground just in time to miss the explosion! Surely the mess would keep the officers occupied for some time.

Now Logan stood and began forward, but with no sense of urgency.

"Jackie, I'm tired. Why is this? Something is not as usual, even for you. What are you thinking about? You know we cannot live like this for long, and soon enough the Alpha will know too. Probably we will both be put in the pit." she sighed.

---

Meanwhile, the Serge had come to a stop just where the the ditch dropped off, and he stared down at the wreckage with a look of awe on his face. While had hadn’t seen Jackie and Logan leave the vehicle, nothing suggested that they had been ah.. so terribly destroyed by the explosion.

“I don’t know what her game is.. she’s just digging herself deeper at this point.” his thoughts reflected Calypso’s closely, and her rested his fore and middle fingers on his lips as he wracked his mind over it. “Alright, I give up Jennings, lets leave this to the other guys. I don’t want to destroy my car to follow them, and I’m not climbing down there. I don’t have THAT much kick left in me.” with a huff of defeat and completely perplexed by the situation, he turned round to climb back in the car and make his way to the mall. He had a little bit of explaining to do on his own behalf.

---(~Soar~)---

Jackie did not answer Logan immediately; in fact, she seemed content to let the silence fall.

The fire was licking the hood of the police car, now.  It was hard to see through the foliage, but if she peered with enough intensity, she could see the flames were peeling away paint.  The gray metal of the car was being revealed from underneath, like the bones underneath flesh.  There would be no deadman’s smile, of course; this was just a car and it was limited to only impartial gears and pipes.  But once licked clean by the flames, then what?  She liked the think it would be a smooth, featureless grey; the figurative bleached longhorn amidst isolate terrain.  But no, that is not how cars burned.  It would be blotchy and blemished; the glass would shatter, the metal would be streaked with black soot and rust, the tires would deflate, the cushions would singe into black masses, and some of the resins in the car might melt to a clear puddle.  Nothing about the fire would be clean.  It would be messy.

Her left hand involuntarily twitched, feeling the weight of the handcuff on the other.  She tried to look annoyed about it to Logan, offering a poisonous gaze to her capture.  But in reality…?  In reality, she was beginning to wonder if the world would be a whole lot cleaner if it didn’t have these hands causing paint to peel off the hoods of crashed police cars.  The cuffs seemed to belong on her wrists like jewelry.

But in the meantime she could hear the wail of approaching sirens.  The old fire returned to her eyes.  Her hands may be cuffed.  But.  That didn’t mean she couldn’t run.

“I’m a complicated gal with complicated needs, Logan.  Wouldn’t mean I’d expect you to understand.

But, in the meantime, I vote for a nice hideaway to lose the dogs they’ll send after us”

---(~May~)---

“How long had the game been intended to go on? It looks as if it had been cut short.”  

These words spoken in silence were the thoughts of the woman in the mall who watched on.  With lingering interest her eyes stayed upon the police men and women as they attempted to settle the situation. Keenly she observed their interactions and considered their individual positions, she summed each personality up with the grace of a snake. None seemed too competent and apparently the officers knew nothing about conducting official matters, but that did not matter, since they were only a catch of small-town Mall Security Officers. The only true person of interest present, was the lady Melinda Channings.

  On a glance the seemingly nonchalant spectator had a guess as to what business this Melinda was on, but as for herself, Diane was almost invisible in her element. Her hair was sleek and raven, her nails and lips scarlet. In a setting such as the mall, she was as common as a breeze on a spring morning. But Melinda was undoubtedly a woman of private agenda, one whose superiors had safe-guarded her with care that she might have full domination over the situation.

“How interesting…” Diane whispered to herself while her thoughts continued on in silence. “If I didn’t know any better, I’d say their suspect has an alternate identity… Strange, seeing as mall affairs don’t usually catch my eye…”
 Diane’s thoughts were sarcastic, for indeed she truly wished to mock the officials for their handling of the situation. But she needed to retain her look of obliviousness regardless, real police officers would not approve of the attention she was minding to their goings on.

In the suburban town of Middlecrest, a place small but near enough the city to have a larger crowd than the surrounding rural towns such as Banker Bend, Diane had seen fit to lodge herself at present. Her own interests were far from the regular frolic and mishap of most individuals in the town, so it was happenstance that found her in the mall that evening as chaos spread in the wake of the out-of-town visitors. What she had not been expecting to come upon so casually that afternoon was the scent and scandal of two reckless werewolves.

  The mall was thickly crowded, yet despite not having been there earlier that day, Diane had been alerted to the odd events and linked them quickly to the increasingly frustrated officers at hand. As a spectator and a member of the daily crowd, Diane could not help but overhear the shouts and exclamations of Officer Calypso and was steadily gathering the pieces.

---(~Dez~)---

Logan looked at Jackie with a sort of pity now. How long would, or could they continue to run and hide? Jackie seemed so determined to save face, or avoid letting the situation die out, Logan was sure she would run herself to death before she would be caught!

The ridiculous dress was stained, the curls in Logan's hair now began to lay limp and the makeup was faded. Ah, she did not feel so tired even after a full moon, but she gave a nod of compliance to Jackie's request. It would only be a little longer before she grew tired of humoring the other and stopped, turning them both in. The daylight waned, and now she found herself actually wishing to be at the cabins. Maybe they would be caught and kept for months in jail! Then a terrible thought crossed Logan's mind; how could they be in the jail on the night of the full moon?! Her heart pounded quickly in her chest. No, in that setting there would be nothing to protect them, they would be behind bars, transforming into beasts, and the frightened police men need only to pull the trigger a few times and both of their lives would be snuffed out! Getting caught for even a little while could be the death of them. And already they were mid way through the month. How naive had she been, to not think of the situation earlier. And who was to say the officers would wait until they were furry beasts to do anything of the sort? Already they must have been considered maniacs and a threat to others.

"Jackie, I will run but, we might not be quick enough. Can you become a werewolf instantly on your own?" she asked, even as she moved forward at a pace that steadily grew quicker. However her speed as a human was just as laughable as when she was a wolf, and even more so now with the clumsiness of running in such an uncomfortable fitted dress! She came to a dead stop altogether, giving up on the endeavor, considering the other options quickly. If one of them at least could transform, they could perhaps throw the dogs and search party off while the other could escape and seek out help.

---(~Soar~)---

Jackie did not let on, but the effort of running seemed to be having quite the effect on her.  She was running the same pace as Logan, but with a slight limp; the crash had been none too kind to her.  Her shoes had been kicked off as soon as soon as she had suggested running in the first place, so she ran barefoot through the woods.  Her orange hair was no longer shiny and prim, but a wild tangled mess of orange that seemed to hang on her face like a garish shroud.  Her dress was fraying at the ends and smudged with dirt, grime, and leaves.  From a distance, she might have seemed to have been lost in the woods for days rather than a matter of minutes.

Yet one thing was clear: she would not stop.  There was such intensity in her gaze  despite her haggard appearance; it seemed she might continue running for hours without showing sign of relent.  One foot in front of the other.  It was all her body seemed made to do now; all else like thinking and breathing and feeling were just tiny little details.  So long as she continued with that, and that alone, she would not have to think about what was waiting for her in the main road.

Half an idea was in her mind’s eye; and in fact, this idea had been sitting in her subconscious for a long time.  She could run now.  She could run a good way before she grew too tired to continue, even in her current state.  She had a small amount of money on hand she could use for a hotel, if she so wanted.  She could then buy fast shoes and run farther the next day.  Day after day after day until soon she wouldn’t know where she was.  Some oblivious town with no remarkable name.  Or even an unknown beach.  She would just be a nameless stranger that no one would care to know and she could live the rest of her life on the fringes of society.  Bliss.

But she’d live a coward, wouldn’t she?  That was the catch to it all, the hitch to the perfect solution.  She knew the right answer was to turn around and deal with the consequences.  But in her legs would not oblige; her nature was to run.   Who was she to question the one thing she’d been good at her entire life?

Suddenly Logan spoke and Jackie reeled.  Perhaps in her reverie she had forgotten Logan was there; or else she thought the woman was no longer beside her.  In any case, her reaction was immediate--  a sudden stop and a single word.

“No”

And that was it.  But there was such a tonality in her voice that suggested it was not mere inability.  No, it was complete unwillingness to even try!  Between Jackie the human and Jackie the wolf, she had always seen the wolf as the better of the two.  Jackie the wolf stood to protect her family and her pack.  Jackie the human was a short-sided, bloodthirsty coward.  The wolf seemed far too noble a creature to use for her cowardice.  But no, it was more than that.  She was afraid of it.  For the first time in her life, she wondered if the beast might take control of her.  Because if it did, she knew it would run straight back to the pack and deal with the consequences she so desperately wanted to avoid.

---(~May~)---

But the consequences were coming, whether Jackie wanted them or not.

The countryside was brisk and beautiful, the grassses of the fields were tall and green. Small wildflowers bloomed along the obscure road and the asphalt was covered in dirt from the passage of many trucks and tractors coming and going from the tending of land. But for the moment there were none such vehicles, only the clip-clop of many a hoof on dirt and road.

The horses were glad for the walk, it had been many months since they had been ridden by Zeit's dismissed farm hands, but even so they might have preferred better riders. Many of the people in the company had not sat a horse before in their lives, leaving plenty enough room for mistakes to be made and experiences to be gained. Yet the beasts were tolerant, going at an easy stride for the most part and dealing well with the discomfort of ill-placed commands or lack thereof.

  None of the younger horses had been chosen for this particular journey. In the past years many of these beasts had been ridden and trained by professional hands, some even by the hand of Mr. Chandler himself. Such was their knowledge and nobility, taught even by a werewolf to be patient and tolerant, to expect what could not be expected.

The residents of the Chandler Homestead, all that were able, had set out immediately at the bidding of their leader the moment it was discovered that two members were missing. The horses of Zeit's stable were quickly prepared and then went out cross country.  

  Perhaps the only member who had not taken a steed was the leader himself, Alpha Kratos.  As a seven foot man weighing to match, Kratos could not go on horseback, nor would he feel comfortable in the confines of any vehicle. No, he went instead by foot, thus was the reason the pack diverged their course from all regular roadways to stay near open land and forested areas.

  There was not a time that Kratos felt comfortable traveling in his secondary form whilst abroad in daylight, especially not so near to peopled areas, but that was how he maintained his pace alongside the horses. Only recently on the journey had it become necessary to draw near the roads, and as they did so, Kratos returned to the form of a man and the horses slowed their pace.  

At long last the destination became clear, and as the Alpha laid his eyes upon it from the distance, he slowed the company to a halt.

"All the way to Middlecrest... What were they thinking?"  The words accompanied a tone of exasperation and then a lengthy sigh as Kratos wiped the sweat from his brow. The skies had been mainly clear all afternoon and the sun had beaten down on the travelers unobscured for most of the going. The only relief was the cool breeze which occasionally stirred the grasses and drove the sweet scent of farmland over the fields.

---(~Kaqurei~)---

There was a sour expression on Sabrina’s face, and her vibrant green eyes were fixed more on the alpha than the upcoming town. She would not forgive him. Not any time soon, anyway. “Get on the horse, Sabrina,” is what he said, in spite of her perfectly logical excuses and explanations why that would be a completely infeasible option for her. And besides, if he could go on foot, why couldn’t she do the same? She could change in broad daylight just as well as he could. But he would not budge. “Get on the horse, Sabrina.” And then there was that look…. as if to not mount the horse would be some direct challenge to his authority, though it seemed a perfectly ridiculous order. In ordinary circumstances, she would not have minded to challenge his authority based on some failing or shortsightedness of his in giving it… but after everything she had done to him, everything that was by now exposed, she kind of wanted to stay on his good side. So, “on the horse” it was.

But there was a storm coming, figuratively speaking. Oh yes. Like two thunderheads coming upon each other at high speeds from opposite directions, the time was fast approaching that Sabrina Sabres and Alpha Kratos would have a “talk”. Frankly, Sabrina was a little surprised they hadn’t clashed heads already. There hadn’t been a slow moment opportune enough for it up to now… but “now” was a very long trip across quiet countryside and rural highways. And the first rumble of thunder still had not even yet growled.

Perhaps she had better give it just the tenderest nudge. She blinked slowly as Kratos voiced his question. “Hmm, let’s see,” she said dryly, “They stole a vehicle and left territory without permission or escort, directly against orders. If I were to chance a guess, I would say they’re having a little joy ride and are trying to do it as far away from you as possible. Middlecrest… New York…? Hong Kong? As far as they can until they’re caught, at least.” She paused a moment and raised a thin eyebrow. “How do you propose we overtake them astride these… beasts… anyway?” She wrinkled her nose, not for the first or last time, and cast a very unsavory glance at the back of her poor horse’s head. The good natured animal merely huffed and took advantage of the pause to bow down and nibble at the grass.

---(~May~)---

Kratos cocked his head up and turned around to face Sabrina astride her horse. His expression touched on his feelings but not as deeply as he felt them.  “Right now is not a good time to be picking a fight with me, Sabrina,” he said and dismissed her comment with a glance out and around at the terrain.

  It was very true that Kratos had been avoiding the unavoidable confrontation for the last two months. Ever since the discovery of Levi’s scent in the woods, Kratos and Sabrina mutually understood what would soon come. Both seemed to busily engage themselves in the business of the pack, for surely there had been no open opportunity to address the growing issue. Yet even now Kratos would not play into Sabrina’s attempts to bring about the inevitable. He knew she was upset about being forced to ride a horse, but to be frank, the pack had altogether been resisting the lifestyle on the ranch and the Alpha felt it was about time to change that.

   In order to maintain a working ranch, chores needed to be done, and people were required to do them. It had been long agreed since Zeit had been forced to dismiss her hired help that the werewolves would work in their stead. But too often those chores had been neglected, and Kratos needed to see to his end of the bargain. The werewolves needed to learn how to control themselves, and the chores around the ranch needed to be done. To Kratos, both problems had the same answer.

                                                                                        ---(~Dez~)---

Now Logan's lips grew tight and her jaw clenched, and she raised her head as she looked down at the other. Whether in rage or pity at the sight of the mess that was Jackie, or some strange hybrid of the two of the two emotions, it could not be certain. It would be a lie for Logan to suggest that this was all Jackie's idea or that she hadn't enjoyed it, but it had become so much more than a rebellious field trip to the mall and in fact, the original endeavour seemed innocent enough in comparison to what it had become.

Loosening her stance, she reached into a pocket and pulled out a small key, undoing the handcuff from Jackie's wrist. Now her previous ideas were gone and if Jackie was going to run without stop, then she was better off doing it without Logan to hold her back.

Now she let her back fall against a tree as she pondered over something that had been tugging at her mind for some time now.

"Jackie.. I don't understand.. I am far from home and have no allies with the pack, except you." she added the last bit on hesitantly, and muttered an "I think" under her breath before continuing, "Then you have been here much longer, yeah? How is that you seem so.. ah.. what is the word... unconnected? from the others? It is almost like a fear, I think.."

Logan never had a great ability to understand the deeper inner workings of people, but Jackie was another story altogether. She seemed like a controlled fire, at some points calm and obedient to an extent but regardless still a fire, and others she went completely out of control in every way. In any case, she burned endlessly and from Logan’s viewpoint, it seemed hard for others to approach her.

Now as she settled against the tree, Logan was realizing the fogginess that grew in her mind, the throbbing in her head, and that her body craved the rest more than she anticipated. She let herself slump a ways down the trunk, and even as she spoke her eyes began to slip into a close.

"Go ahead, I will just need a few minutes to catch up.." she trailed off.  Somewhere in her mind she knew they needed to keep moving; already she could hear the barks and whines of the dogs not too far off. But it became lost to her, and they sounded many miles away.

---

Meanwhile at the mall, all of the more "petty" issues had been dealt with; whether they be customer complaints or taking witness testimonies. Any officers at this point who had nothing else to do were dismissed for the day, and you could almost hear the collective cloud of relieved sighs from them over the fading chatter that went on in the mall. Morning had turned to afternoon and afternoon to evening, but only now as the daylight grew weak did things seem to settle down.

Of course, people like the "IRS guy" and Melinda were left to do as they needed, and one poor officer who had arrived at the scene later than the others was elected to stay behind and watch the mall until closing time as a "just in case" sort of fellow, but now the efforts were concentrated in a group of about six officers at the scene of the car crash.

Now Jennings had been excused for the day if he so wanted to leave, and Mr Chapman had been excused for two weeks under the pretense that his actions were a "senile mistake" caused by "too much work" and of course, it couldn't happen again. Chapman did not argue with them, he knew he was out of line, and he bid them goodnight (and good luck!).

You might say this was a matter of good cop, bad cop. Chapman left, and in his stead a man by the name of Roger Cooper took his place. A fellow in his late fifties, he was tall and thin though he did not lack strength. His eyes and wavy hair were brown his skin a light olive. His veins protruded around his temples and in his hands, and even has he cradled the end of a cigarette within his lips, they were curled downwards into a tight frown. He stared onward into the forest with such intensity that you would think all of the trees caught in the line of his gaze would wither instantly!

Now he dropped the cigarette and smothered it under his shoe, rubbing at his forehead as he began to speak.

"Listen, these two have caused plenty of trouble for the day and if they are not brought into custody by the end of this evening then you have failed me and you can join Mr Chapman on his temporary leave, is that understood?!" he barked.

The first to reply with a loud and firm “yes sir!” was Kimberly Roberts. One of the younger and few females on the Middlecrest police force, she was elected this evening for her skill with the dogs. They took to her with a bond greater than any before seen within Middlecrest between officer and dog. They obeyed her every command willingly, quickly, and would do as she said for hours on end without giving in or losing willingness.

The female had dirty blonde hair, kept up in a messy bun, and her eyes were a shade of pond water green. A few freckles found their home on her face but her fair skin was free of any blemish.

Now her dogs, both male German Shepherds, were Axel and Tyranny. Axel was an older dog with a limp in his back right leg. He was due to be retired soon, and when he was, Kimberly would take him as her own pet. Tyranny was relatively new, though he learned quick and had a great eagerness to be taught and praised.

"Remember, we are not sure of the exact nature of these women, so you must take caution. They may have found a weapon in the car but until you know for certain, act otherwise. Still, if they show continued hostility or threaten any of you, I want to see that you do what is right and necessary to protect yourselves and the people of this city." there was a grim hostility to his voice. Right now, his top priority was see these women behind bars, as he was thoroughly fed up with their game.

No sooner than when he had finished talking did Kimberly and her dogs shoot into the forest ahead.

---(~Soar~)---

Click.

The cuffs fell away from her wrists and onto the earth.  This is what she wanted, wasn’t it?  The leash had been figuratively cut and she could go wherever she pleased.  She’d seen videos of wild animals returning to the wild; the cage door would click open, the animal would uncertainly test the new boundaries, then scamper or fly or swim off to its new home without a second’s glance behind to its sobbing caretakers.  She took a few steps forward.  Surveyed the forest.  The lush green growth seemed inviting and warm; another step forward.  The sound of sirens. Two steps forward. Logan with her eyes closed against a tree. A step backward. Although the cuffs were gone, she could still feel their invisible weight on her skinny wrists.  

Drat.  So close to sipping a martini in Hawaii.

“Gettup Logan, this is no time for a nap,”  she kicked the woman briskly with the ball of her foot,”Unless you want to be dog chow.  We still have work to do”

A weary sigh.

“No more running.  If we are clever enough, we might be able to outthink our way out of this one”

---

The day had been none too kind to Melinda.  Her tight bun had since sagged down on her head.  Her perfectly applied makeup had smeared.  Her eyes carried the sign of a long day with little food.  But as to what she had done the entire day that had made her so was beyond all that observed her; she had simply strut about, occasionally barked a few orders at nervous cops, or else typed quick urgent messages into her phone.

Lyra had observed this progression with notable intrigue; having been one of the lucky few elected to stay behind for the chase with Roger Cooper.  She wasn’t sure whether to be pleased or weary.  She decided to keep to a corner until called upon.

She also noticed something else; since Cooper’s arrival, Melinda had grown even more nervous.  Her eyes were darting around like a nervous rat trying to avoid a cat. Certainly the man was terrifying, but certainly someone as “classified” as Melinda ought to be able to handle him?  Unless there was more to this situation than poor Melinda had let on?   Lyra continued to watch with the same undue respect she gave the soaps she watched at home, her breath teetering on the edge of her throat.

And who would come slinking up other than IRS man himself?  He seemed just as chipper as ever, having just informed a few of the remaining police officers the difference between two very similar birds found in the area.  He as well had done remarkably little during the situation—as to what business the IRS might have was beyond her, as he had spent little time at all asking any questions about finance.

“Ohhh Melinda, how goes the work?” IRS man hummed,”Busy busy, I take it?  You certainly look like you’ve put in a full day of work”

“Yes.  It’s been a long day,” Melinda was uncannily steely, but some expression flickered at the corner of her gaze.  Lyra tried to place the momentary flash, but could not.

“Quite the case we’re having.  In fact, I’m surprised it didn’t get more attention from the law than it did.  Imagine, a police car stolen by a reck-loose?  Why, this police force will be quite the joke for some time to come!”

“I am certain.  Although this is not my concern”

“Oh no, it is not? How very interesting,”  IRS man readjusted his thick frames.

“Have a good evening.  But I am afraid I am too busy for this chit chat,” Melinda’s voice was arctic, her expression almost as still as a lake on a windless day.  But beyond the surface, there was more to be seen, she was certain; prying into the woman’s micro expressions and posture, Lyra could almost place the emotion that had crossed her features earlier.  But not quite, still something was missing.

“Well do take care Melinda, and work hard.  You know what they say; a watched criminal always boils”  The willowy man chuckled deeply and once again, he was the only who laughed.

Melinda turned to walk away, her turn far too sharp and her pace far too quick.

Ah, it was fear.   But this begged the question; what could be so frightening about IRS man?  To all that had seen him, he had been nothing other than a good natured government employee.

                                                                                            ---(~Dez~)---

Logan disregarded the kick with a weary glance up at Jackie, as though she were just some annoying mosquito that she need only mentally flick away.

And as Jackie suggested that they think their way out of the situation, you could actually see a smile on Logan's face! Though her eyes and brows remained unmoving, dimples formed at the pits of her cheeks. It was near impossible to make out what she was thinking, but it wouldn't be far fetched to say it was along the lines of "you're off your rocker" or perhaps she was inwardly laughing at Jackie's suggestion. Ideas were not her strong point, and especially not when it involved thinking with a cloudy head.

And then, as she reached up and with the heel of her hand rubbed away some of the crimson blood that had collected on her forehead, she did get an idea. Sinking to the ground, Logan began to fish around for something that would work, and conveniently - something actually went right! - she found a sharp rock that fit comfortably within the grasp of her hand. Crouching, she held her other hand with the palm facing upwards and, drawing in a deep breath, she brought the sharpest point of the rock into her hand and made a quick incision, deep enough that it would be useful to her, but she avoided injuring her hand beyond something that would just a couple of days to mend. Now she clasped her fingers inward, watching as red beadlets fell to the ground. She had to act quickly, while the wound was fresh. And so it was she proceeded to wipe her hand on the tree she rested on, grasped the branch of a nearby bush, and she even tore a sleeve on her shirt and let it absorb the blood before she left that on the ground.

"Start moving, I will catch up."

Now she took off in a random direction, leaving these false trails on rocks or plants or just on the ground in random places, before wrapping up her hand with another torn piece of her dress and finding her way to Jackie.

"So, we will need to run a little.." she commented, nudging Jackie and then beginning forward with renewed vigor.

---

"Kimberly, wait." Mr Cooper barked, and before the blonde could get more than a few yards away, she turned back around, though you could see the sheer disappointment on her face reflected in the dogs expressions as she did so.

"Take officer Lyra with you, she looks bored enough. And she needs the experience that comes along with being in these circumstances."

"Yes, sir." Kimberly nodded to him before walking over to Lyra. "Hey Lyra. You can take Tyranny. If he barks twice, then he's on the right trail, and if the suspects begin to run, take him off his lead and click twice with your tongue; he's small but he can bring down a full grown man and hold them long enough for you to get there." she smiled warmly to Lyra before turning and beginning her trek into the forest again, with all too much pep in her step for someone who was going to attempt to take two crazy women into custody!

Now while the remaining three officers organized, Cooper cast a glance over to Melinda as he lit up another cigarette. Anybody who knew him could tell it was a bad day when he had more than one in an hour.  Ms. Channing seemed like a hot ceramic dish, and should you pour cold water on her at just the right time she might just shatter into a hundred pieces. For as long as his cigarette lasted, his eyes did not falter from her figure. At last when it was snuffed out like the last, he turned away and began to radio updates to the officers at headquarters.

---(~Soar~)---

If Logan had been looking to Jackie for a voice of reason, she had chosen the wrong companion for such a thing.  Jackie eyed the crimson smears not with disgust, but dangerous enthusiasm.  There even seemed to be a new level of respect in her eyes as Logan stalked off to set a trail for the dogs.

But, it would not be enough; not quite.   The redhead felt an awful lot like an artist looking at an unfinished piece; something was still missing to paint the picture.  Logan had left a trail blazed in red, but where would it lead?  A “What if” bubbled in her head and a smirk of untelling trouble blossomed on her features.

“Logan, make it lead to the main river up ahead!  There should be one, since we saw the small stream.  And if you can, tear a piece of your dress off and put it on a sharp branch.  A branch that looks like a person could fall or trip on”

Her eyes were closed as she considered her newest creation from the eyes of an observer.  Two women were being chased.  They crashed a police car.  It would be assumed they would be injured.  As the two women exited the car, blood from the injuries would fall from the ground.  Perhaps the women, being so fatigued and delusional might not notice the roaring river up ahead.  Perhaps one would trip on a branch; and down down into the river she would go, too weak to struggle against the current.

Still, what of the other woman?  Would it be so such of a gamble to think she fell trying to rescue her fallen companion and fell in as well?

The picture was still incomplete; with enough time any police officer might discern the true story underneath it all.  But it would buy time for them to get farther, buy time for her to paint a better picture.

In the meantime, they would need to hide their scents as best they could from the mutts.  And what better way then a quick dip in the pool?

“How good of a swimmer are you again, Logan?”

---

Lyra visibly jumped.  She had been quite ensnared by her own thoughts, that she had not noticed Cooper’s approach.  It was only as the hair raised on the back of her neck and the man’s booming voice thundered her orders that she suddenly became aware he was right behind her.

“Alright… sir.  I will do my… best? … Best!”

Now Lyra was terrified, hoping the sergeant’s steely eyes wouldn’t rest on her for some invisible wrong doing.

She returned her attention to the dog (Tyranny was it?) eyeballing it suspiciously.  Even though in the guise of a cute adorable German Shepherd, she got the sense she was looking more at a loaded weapon waiting to be fired.  She only had to make sure she did it right, or Tyranny might mistake her for the target if she blinked three times or scratched her chin!

“Alright… good boy.  Let’s just get some baddies, okay?”  Lyra tried to project what she hoped a dog might see as confidence.  Unlike people, she could not discern what was going on underneath that doggy gaze and found herself biting her lip in uncertainty

Meanwhile, as Lyra debated the exact length of Tyranny’s teeth, Melinda’s innermost goings had escaped her.  In fact, most officers had come to disregard this woman; while she had been quite confident and unyielding in the day, her presence no longer seemed to command the utmost respect.  This suited Melinda just fine at the present; she was secluded in the center of the parking lot, her voice muttering quick low words into her phone.

“Yes sir, I know  this needs to be done fast.  It can’t be—“

“Yes sir, I know  what will happen if it’s not done fast.  But the situation is—“

“Look, I didn’t put the idea in her head, stop blaming me for it!  Go yell at her for it if you want to get any—“

Melinda shook her head; know her features seemed harder and more tired.

“Yes sir, I know.  The longer I wait around like sitting duck, the more likely proper authorities will fi—“

In that instant, Melinda jumped.  Had it been possible, she might have had just the strength to jump out of her own skin.  Her breathing was almost heaving, every muscle and tendon clenched.  With urgency she slammed her phone shut.  She closed her eyes, trying to regain some semblance of a calm confident woman and not the crazed cat-lady aura she seemed to be giving off.  Coming up right behind her was—

“Oh hello Miss Channing, fancy seeing you here in these parts?” The IRS man beamed with delight as if he had stumbled on a charming old acquaintance,”You know I was just going out for dinner.  Do you care to join?”

“No, I really couldn’t—“

“Oh no please, I insist!” The IRS man chuckled good naturedly to Melinda’s frantic babble,”  You seem to be working yourself quite hard today.  I am certain we will relate quite well, fellow government employee to fellow government employee, can’t we?  I am afraid to say this is not an optional request.  I do hate to see a lovely young woman go without dinner”

---(~Dez~)---

Even from here, Logan could smell the stream just up ahead; there was that sort of refreshingly murky smell that would catch on the wind and waft over to them every so often. Already she had begun to follow Jackie's orders when the fiery female mentioned swimming. Even as Logan stood, grasping her left arm in such a way that it would force a stream of blood out of her hand, she could only pause and stare at Jackie, before lowering her brows and giving a quick and simple, "No."

With no reason as to why, she continued with the plan, making a little trail that led to the river, clear up to the lip of the water. Now she looked at her dress, trying to figure out just how much could be spared. She took one strip and tore that one into two, one for her hand and another she hooked onto the thorns of a bush that rested by the water.

Now she examined the river; perhaps there was a way to get across, a shallow point. If they could only cross to the other side, the officers would surely be kept busy long enough for them to make their big getaway! Or maybe she was dreaming, but anything would be better than whatever scheme Jackie had left up her sleeve.

---(~May~)---

Ulric had taken to his steed remarkably well for one who had never sat a horse before and had lived most his life in the city. More surprising still was how well the horse seemed to have taken to Ulric. The golden-chestnut appaloosa, snowflaked from neck to flank in white spots seemed to like him very much, and Ulric need only be instructed once or twice on how to ride her before she began teaching him. Ulric was a good student, he would mind that horse nearly as well as he had minded his own mother, and it wasn't long before he knew which commands he could give that she would accept.

The horse's name was Daylight Dream, Ulric liked calling her Day, and this was how their friendship would begin.

   As Kratos beckoned the company to a stop, Ulric steadied and slowed Day. Briefly watching the exchange between Sabrina and the Alpha, Ulric quickly understood that there was something that needed to be resolved between the two and that it was not something that could be resolved with the pack watching on.

   Leaning in Day's saddle, Ulric ventured forward. "Kratos, the rest of us can go on ahead if you need to walk a bit..."

Kratos set a hand on his side and rubbed the back of his neck with the other. He considered Ulric’s offer carefully and weighed it over, ultimately coming to the conclusion that the walk had been long and that he could avoid the problem no longer.

  After a moment the Alpha sighed and gave a firm nod of his head. “You all head on over to Middlecrest and see if you find them. We’ll be along behind you.”

Ulric smiled understandingly and turned Day aside, then he tapped her on and she headed off at a good trot down the road.

---

Diane had faded in the background of the mall like plaster on a wall, and she was content to be forgotten. But she had not lost interest in the conversation in the parking lot. The exchange between Melinda Channing and the higher ranking government official was quite an intriguing one and Diane could only find more interest as the evening wore on. The last part of the conversation between the two could not be heard at the distance from which stood Diane, but she noted their body language with special interest and she read their lips to the best of her ability.

    When the excitement around the mall had begun to die down and the police force began to divide to their ordinary stations or else to track these renegades, Diane was inclined to do a bit of tracking of her own.  It was unfortunate that to do so she would need walk in the shadow of the police or else cross their path, but that was a small thing when compared with her objective in doing so. Therefore Diane followed in a roundabout way to keep attention to herself at a minimum and at last arrived near the scene or the earlier crash.

The afternoon had grown old now, and evening was waning. Diane did not attempt to approach the the immediate area where Officer Cooper had taken command, but then again she knew that she need not get any closer in order to obtain the information she needed.  At her position she could easily scope out the terrain, she could see in which direction the car had been headed, though now its burnt skeleton was crumbled in the ditch. Nearby was a thicket of trees, and all around were fields and suburban homesteads.

   “Where would a werewolf go when it does not wish to be found?” Diane thought silently to herself, then added out loud a moment later in an ironic tone, “To where buildings are tall and trunks are thick.”

   The dark haired woman narrowed her eyes on the forest and tilted her head, blinking slowly back toward the ditch and the policemen. They were a long ways off, but she saw the moment when the dogs were brought out and their trainers raced into the thicket. Again Diane looked toward the trees.

  “Hm.” She hummed to herself. A thin scarlet nail was tapped against her chin thoughtfully, then the corners of her equally scarlet lips curled and she smiled.  Then her long dark lashes folded slyly over her eyes and she turned away. She could not approach at this angle, nor in this form…

---(~Soar~)---

Jackie had met Logan’s sudden apprehension of the river with a steely even gaze—neither arguing nor giving in to her ultimatum.  Wordlessly she followed the river upstream and deeper into the woods, her gaze ever watchful on Logan’s position.  The duo traveled for some time, past a small fork in the river and then some.  In the distance, dogs bayed; they had caught the trail and the two women were running out of time.

“Alright that’s enough goofing around,” Jackie spoke aloud, but her voice was low and seemed more directed at herself than her companion, “It’s time to get serious about losing these stupid dogs”

Jackie moved like an adder.  She had run through every scenario and the only way they would ever get out of it was if she acted now.  Her arms came barreling towards Logan with every bit of strength the redhead could muster.  There was enough force to send not only Logan into the stream, but Jackie as well.

That was the plan—the only way to erase their scent would be to take a little dip in the pool.  Logan had made it clear she would have nothing to do with the river, but Jackie knew that it would only be a matter of time before the dogs caught up to them.  Now they need only to keep breathing and direct themselves into the fork in the river they had passed earlier and travel far enough down it until they were well out of the “danger zone”.

Easier said than done.

---(~Dez~)---

Logan had walked along with Jackie, all too trustingly. Certainly she wouldn't do something crazy twice. Certainly she didn't have enough strength to do something as rash as shoving Logan into the river. And certainly it was this thinking that had Logan off guard at the moment Jackie decided to "attack".

So she toppled with the grace of a tipped bull into the river, Jackie coming in beside her. One reason Jackie may have been able to hurl them into the water so easily was because the point at which she did it was a small drop off, and the river below was about nine feet high at the edge.

The water hit Logan like an icy shock, and she managed only a gasp before her whole body was submerged. In the hazy of the last weak strips of light, she could make out Jackie's figure, and she reached out and grappled onto whatever portion of the body she could, pulling herself up and out of the water, and shoving Jackie under in the process!

Briefly above the water, she barked Jackie's name, before bobbing under. She could feel beneath her the stone and sand at the bottom of the river, and she used the earth below her to force her body back up again. "Jackie I cannot swim!" she growled quickly, feeling herself sinking again. Though she reached out for the woman or any sort of leverage for that matter, her hands met with nothing. She could feel the pressure of the water all around her body, pressing on her lungs, and Logan could do nothing more than muster a small bob to the surface before sinking back down again. Oh, when and if she got out of this, Jackie would see her wrath like never before!  

Now she touched a stone, and realized it was the rocky wall of the ledge they had just been standing on. She found a small place to grip onto just barely out of the water, and so she pulled herself against the wall and hung onto it, her body completely still as she attempted to keep from being completely submerged into the river.

"NOW what? You are moron, Jackie! I have had it!" she snarled, dipping under briefly after, but quickly pulling herself back up.

---

Kimberly had found the trail, or rather Axel had. He followed it in much the same pattern it had been created, checking the tree, the grass, the bushes, following it to the river.

"What on earth happened? Agh, those stupid women, they shouldn't be running if they're hurt!"

Now it was that Axel found the torn piece of cloth by the river, and he gave a frustrated whine, pacing around the riverbed anxiously. You could tell, even for a simple creature, he was calculating the situation in his head.. something didn't add up, because he found no trail of theirs leading into the river at this point. And he turned back around, more or less in the direction that he had come from. "Axel, what are you doing..?" Kimberly was about to sigh in exasperation, perhaps wondering if the old dog had lost his sense of smell, or if the lakewater was simply drowning it out, but all of the sudden he took off another trail! Following parallel to the river, he tugged on the lead and led Kimberly forward with two barks!

Now it had been a few minutes, and had gotten darker, with only the last desperate strands of light clinging to the air.. Kimberly pulled a flashlight from her toolbelt and clicked it on, and while Axel led the way confidently, she found nothing and began to wonder if he had found a trail left by some animal, when...

KKASPLSSSHHHH!

It was still distant but she could hear it, the sound of a loud splash. Maybe it was a big fish that had surfaced and was spooked soon after, or a tree branch hitting the water, but she now had restored faith in the old dog, and her face lit up! She began at a sprint towards where Logan and Jackie had just fallen into the water.

"Hello?!" she called, but she could see nothing on the path ahead or in the water below her. If they were here, it was further up yet, and now she only hoped she would get to them before they slipped away again!

---(~Soar~)---

The river might not have bothered Jackie if Logan hadn’t insisted on pushing her under it.  She struggled for air, not having even the time to glare at her companion, before at last regaining her breath.  She watched as Logan bobbed like some strange child’s toy, her expression a combination of amusement and weariness.  The two continued their course down the river.  Soon she saw the fork in the river rushing up ahead.  Forcefully she shoved both Logan and herself to the left side, so they might continue on through the unknown wilderness.

Some time had passed.  By which time Jackie had found a log to grip on to so she didn’t have to float.  Her head was slumped on the wood and it seemed almost as if she had fallen asleep; in fact, she had even bothered to see if Logan was still bobbing in the river like a fishing lure or if she had taken hold of the thick log as well.

The current was growing faster.  Just slightly, and had one not been paying mind to it, it would have been easy to miss.  But Jackie was ever alert, though her eyes were slanted with half-sleep.  She did not know if the speed in current was simply a passing thing, or if it indicated some roaring waterfall up ahead.  She didn’t want to find out; they had traveled down the river long enough to loose the dogs and get a good five miles distance from any sign of civilization.  There would be no harm getting out now.

Like a seal, she flopped onto the river bank and stumbled.  Any grace she might have had in her movement was gone.  Now she was just a shivering woman in a tattered soaking wet dress.

“Come on Logan, geddout, unless you want to become a fish”

---

Lyra wasn’t certain about Tyranny, but the Tyranny seemed very certain of Tyranny.  She could only trust the dog’s judgement.  He seemed very earnest he was on the right trail, so obliging to Kimberly’s instructions she let the dog go where he wanted into the forest.  It was all Lyra could do to keep up; in no time at all she was breaking a sweat.  She became aware that the trees they passed were streaked in red; half a thought formed in her head on the matter, but so many ideas were running through her head that it was no more than an afterthought.  Soon she became aware Tyranny had stopped in front of the river.  The young dog had picked up the same trail Axel had.  He whined his head and sniffed uncertainly, vainly trying to pick up the trail again.  Lyra stoped and investigated.

The trail had ended here, both the scent and the visual.  The red streaks had stopped here; it must have been blood?  It was hard to imagine why someone so injured would keep on running; certainly the possibility of arrest wasn’t as bad as dying in the middle of the woods.  Her palm stretched over bank, seeking for some kind of clue—her hands settled on a small strip of cloth and Lyra’s heart felt cold in her chest.

This couldn’t be right, she thought.  The women may have been injured, but they had enough sense not to fall into the river, didn’t they?  The water was cold this time of year and many portions very deep; if you didn’t drown, you’d have hypothermia by nightfall.

Lyra shook her head.  Surely these women had enough coordination not to fall in and enough sense not to dive in it on purpose.

As if on cue Tyranny offered a low whine, then an excited bark.  He had picked up the trail again and the young dog was enthusiastic to continue the game.  Lyra sighed, and soon she was running down the river bank.  She could see Kimberly in the distance and she seemed to have found something interesting.  Both Lyra and Tyranny increased their pace.

---

What the hostess of a local restaurant had seen was simple.  A man and a woman had entered the restaurant, no doubt a couple out on a date.  The man had smiled, and asked for a private table.  He was so polite about it that he more than made up for his date’s icy stare; the hostess had no problem arranging a special table for the two of them by the window.  The hostess had smiled as she left, amusing herself with ideas on what could force such a pleasant genial man with such an ice-queen of a woman.

What really happened was far less the simplicity it seemed.

As Melinda ordered her dinner, her mind was racing and her heart was racing.  She couldn’t even remember what she had ordered after she had just ordered it; even when the food came she wasn’t aware she was eating it.  Her features were blank, but inside her terror seemed to have its grip.

“Why Melinda,” IRS man paused from his meal,”Don’t look so nervous.  We are just two coworkers out for dinner, I assure you nothing romantic will happen between the two of us”

The willowy man laughed and, as always, he was the only who did.  Only the hostess seemed mildly interested in his goings and even she didn’t laugh.

“Although, I suppose we are technically allowed to date.  We aren’t in the same division, I suppose.  Or even the same area of the government,”

A brief pause.  It seemed to be a lull in the conversation, but Melinda was not fooled.  It was a purposefully placed silence, meant to make what he said next all the more important.

“Although it’s hard to say if we’re even coworkers at all!  I suppose just about anything could happen tonight”

The IRS man smiled cheekily and continued on his meal.  The comment might have been innocent enough had it been said by anyone else.  But even as IRS man hummed, Melinda could see that this comment was not innocent.   Every time he beamed, or told a stupid joke, or stumbled on his feet, there was a calculative quality to his actions.  Nothing he said could be taken for the value that it was.

She knew what had seemed to be flirtation was almost certainly a warning.  He knew she was not what she said to be, and it would only be a matter of time before he caught her.   If she didn’t finish this job up fast –

“Well should I pay for the meal, or would you like to Dutch?  Really I don’t mind, although if I do pay you will have to concede that this was in fact a date”

---(~Dez~)---

"-unless you want to become a fish"

Logan's gaze shifted slowly. She had made her way to the log as soon as Jackie had glommed onto it, though her side seemed to dip lazily into the water and Logan found herself travelling more or less half drowned the whole time. And when Jackie spoke, it seemed she could barely muster the energy to make it to the river bank a short ways from Jackie, pulling herself up onto it with little help from her legs, which seemed content to act as nerveless noodles attached to her torso.

Now hate is a strong word, but right now Logan knew she hated two things: water, and the cold, and Jackie teetered somewhere on the edge of being hated and being tolerated..

After a few moments of shivering and gasping, she forced herself up. Slowly she began towards Jackie, her wet ink black hair draping heavily along either side of her face, the curls having long fallen out, and her violet eyes filled with rage and malicious intention. She stood over Jackie, and somehow, despite the tremor in her muscles, she mustered up the strength to pull Jackie up by the collar of her dress and clear off the ground, and her other arm pulled back, her fist tightening and then WHAM!

Simultaneously she slammed Jackie in the jaw and let loose of her, watching her fall to the ground. Then she set a foot on the torso of the woman, her mouth twisted into a snarl.

"Now we are going back to the dens, understand?! We will explain to the Alpha, a-and both of us will accept punishment for these! It will be better than f-floating in icy water, and being chased by  officers! You are tired, yeah? And have much ache, ah? And I am the same! You will stop, or else I will make you! No more warnings, Jacqueline Ryder."

Now she lifted her foot off the other and offered the female a hand to help her up, but a firm look was still present on her face.

---(~May~)---

"A foot behind, and a paw in front." Diane observed that was how the old saying went as she continued on. In all simplicity it had a dual meaning; It meant that sometimes it was better to follow behind before taking the lead, while another meaning was that any werewolf is better at tracking and being tracked when in their secondary form. So it was with Diane.

 Diane had taken a longer route in order to obtain the desired angle, and from there she located the officers by stratagem. For one such as herself, she was at no disadvantage for having taking the longer way, it was actually to the contrary; By coming in from behind she could pinpoint the location of the policemen quite easily without being detected, and aside from that, Diane was a swift and calculated tracker.

Having been trained by the wisdom of many ancient mentors passing their achievements down through countless generations, Diane was well educated in her craft. Perhaps not as good as one whose sole skill was devoted as a tracker, but she was highly efficient regardless, and at any rate her first task was to know where any obstacles might be placed, which was simple enough.

  Two police hounds, one well seasoned with experience on his side, the other young with all the advantages of youth, both cunning and quick made their way through the forest without delay. Diane knew that the K-9 troopers were a most reliable team when both officer and dog had together been well trained; they knew how to rely on each other, how to go swiftly and without question, and that every signal was a meaningful one. Indeed, if ever dog and man could be one without being werewolf, that was the seasoned K-9 trooper.

It was at the riverside when Diane saw them. She was on the opposite bank from the trooper and her faithful companion, but as Diane did not have the luxury of a trail to follow, she relied on the subtle cues and gestures of the dog to inform her of the direction she need go. So it was that Diane noticed the moment of doubt followed by greater enthusiasm on the part of both dog and trainer. Following that moment Diane knew which direction she was to go, and it was now time to cover ground.

While the evening light waned, Diane ran by the river. It would not be the first time she had followed an invisible werewolf trail, that was for certain, but the tracking procedure was always rather complicated regardless. Yet every once and awhile there would be just the slightest scent wafting over the water which informed her that she was not tracking someone who knew how to vanish.

  It was at the moment Diane was about to backtrack when she heard it. There was a thrashing and paddling near the bank followed by the discernable sound of voices.

The sleek black werewolf came to a standstill among the bramble. The noise was not far away, and Diane wanted to be certain that they had not seen her first before proceeding. Thus after finding that they had not, Diane approached the sound. There were many low humps over the ground from which stood many a tree, but the bushes were thin and far between, so she took refuge behind the exposed roots of one such forestry giant.  

  Glancing beyond the small mound which kept her from the immediate sight of the other two women, Diane caught the moment in which the one cast the other unceremoniously to the ground!  Then came those enraged words and Diane again concealed herself.

"Well, there they are... Shame I don't have any of the boys with me." Diane thought to herself. Subtly, and being careful not to make a sound or be seen, she stood up against tree and exchanged her form for a slight and far more appealing guise.  She knew readily enough that it would not fool werewolves, but for the moment it would seem her fine.

 Diane then stepped into plain view and made her presence suddenly known in the form of words. "Goodness me,” she said, “by the sound of it, you two aren't even friends, let alone packmates."

Diane was hesitant to follow her words with a smile, since these two werewolves were very clearly upset and she was the stranger on which both could focus their anger.  Therefore, though the words were smug indeed, she followed it up with an expression of concern and curiosity

CH 4:  A Rendezvous With Lady Mystery

---(~Soar~)--

Jackie did not seem surprised to find a fist in her jaw; although it did hurt and she could feel an ugly bruise forming just beneath the skin.  As Logan spoke, she eyed the woman with something bordering on apathy and impudence.  She continued to listen out of what might have been politeness or exhaustion, but it seemed clear little of Logan’s intent was getting through.

Logan finished and Jackie took her cue.  Her arms swung up to grip Logan’s firmly.  Then she head-rammed Logan in the head at the right angle so it would leave her attacker more dazed than it would leave her.  Jackie’s eyes rolled towards the back of her skull, either because she was seeing stars, she meant to roll her eyes, or both.

The bushes rattled and out of nowhere a voice appeared.  Jackie turned her head (slowly as her head was still pounding) and eyed the intruder.  It was a woman, dressed to the nines, in the forest.  Something was very wrong with this picture, she knew, and it was not just because of her appearance.  It was her attitude; her voice seemed a little too sweet and her unwavering concern was just a little too smothering.

Jackie snorted, her eyes narrowing wildly on Diane.

“Yeah well good thing its none of your business.  Move along!” Jackie snapped

---

Melinda couldn’t shake her tail.  She had insisted she ought to return to work and IRS man had offered to come with her.  She had explained she needed to pick up some groceries on the way and IRS man had said he would help.  She said she needed to go home and IRS man had offered to walk her home since, “The darkness was no place for a lady to walk alone”.

Melinda had conceded to the first offer after much frustrated stuttering and stammering (to which a very nosy waitress seemed to think was a sign of a bashful date.  She offered to bring out a candle for the “two lovebirds”).  She presently found herself in IRS man’s Mercedes, starring dolefully out the window.

“Where to, Ms. Melinda?  Back to the mall or…?”

“Yes please,” Melinda replied without argument.

She watched the road as it sped by and blending back into the darkness.  Her eyes seemed ever wary, as though expecting some foe to jump out on the road to attack.  Or perhaps more likely, the dangers were all in her mind, being analyzed and processed.  IRS man seemed to notice something amiss about his “date”.

“Something troubling you?”

The man was far too insightful for Melinda’s comfort.  Her expression stiffened, much like a cat when doused with water.  The woman did not answer at first.

“Your name.  You never did mention your name,” Melinda was half-terrified by her question and yet also half impressed by her daring.  It had seemed like one of those things that was not meant to be asked because the answer might be something she wouldn’t want to hear.  But no, that was silly, it was only a name, wasn’t it?

“No I did not,” the IRS man hummed cheerfully,”Would you like that I did?”

“Yes”

“That is interesting,” the willowy man replied.  But he offered no further answer and his voice dropped into silence.

The lack of answer unsettled Melinda and she thought, perhaps, this is what her “date” had meant to do.  What better way to set someone on edge than to shroud yourself in an air of mystery?  He was clever, she had to admit.  And given enough time, he would unravel everything there was to know about her by pulling at a few loose strings.  She couldn’t afford to use any more time throwing him off the chase; like it or not he was here to stay!

“On second thought, let’s join the officers tracking these women in the forest,” Melinda shifted her gaze from the moving road,” Unless that isn’t in your job description, IRS man”

The willowy man didn’t miss a beat. “Certainly Melinda.  This should prove a very interesting date”

---(~Dez~)--

THUNK

Logan fell back a couple of steps before steadying herself, but for the time being she couldn't see past the patches of black on her vision. Then a voice surfaced and her attention turned towards the figure, soon visible to Logan after having blinked away the dark blotches in her vision.

And then the stranger spoke, and Logan listened though her mind was mostly cast elsewhere. She did not mind the slight insult, and rather she was concerned with the sight of a young lady out during the evening hours, and following a couple of werewolves to boot. She did not look to be part of any law enforcement group, and to the untrained senses she was a stranger merely caught up in the events.

This was certainly not the case.

Her very demeanor told Logan that she knew full well what was going on around her, more so than the police force. No, compared to them, she stood out, like a red flag among a sea of white. It seemed that Logan had forgotten about her spat with Jackie, since word nor fist was getting through her skull, and now she devoted her attention to this new figure.

Exasperated as she was, she tried to summon some alertness to her mind, and she took a few steps towards the raven haired female.

"Please, I do not have the time for any pointless talk. Who are you?"

---(~May~)---

The stranger winced and tactfully averted her gaze at sign of the present collision between skulls. Casually she looked at the surrounding foliage and pretended to be oblivious of the dispute until at last addressed, at which point she smiled daintily and stepped forward from the brush.

Subtly dismissing Jackie's unpleasant demand, the woman nearly extended her hand in greeting to Logan, but folded her fingers back and withdrew it before nearing enough the latter to be considered. "I apologize, the shaking of hands isn't very customary among our kind is it?" Her tone was pleasant enough though she spoke with particular confidence. "Diane Betine. And you're not from around here."

  Diane had stopped her approach a short distance from Logan, and at this last word she made her visual scanning of Logan's stature and appearance quite blatant. Then she glanced down to do the same of Jackie before looking at Logan again.

  In comparison to her acquaintances, Diane was not only very slender but also very small, and she need not stand near them for that to be readily noticeable. As it was, it could not be denied that she had to tilt her head up some to meet face with her present acquaintance.

"I would not impose myself upon you should I know that you were not in some sort of troubling respite." Diane said. "Or at any rate, if I knew I could afford you no sensible assistance out of your predicament. So, what have you, might I offer you my help?"

---(~Dez~)--

Logan was quiet and considered Diane's every word and movement, every twitch of her small frame. Even as she held out her hand Logan did not move or speak, and the other had quickly retracted the gesture anyway. Disregarding the remark about not being from around here, she continued to listen with piqued interest.

Somewhere behind the violet eyes you could see Logan was calculating the situation, and pondering Diane's words carefully. And then without warning, she took a few large strides towards the female, setting herself directly in front of her, with her chin high in the air. "You are a werewolf.. but not one of ours.." the last sentence came slow, as though she made the statement at the same time as she made her discovery.

Then without another word, she twisted back around and over to Jackie, pulling the fiery haired woman a ways off before grabbing her by the shoulders and holding her firmly at arms length.

"At this point, you can do just as you want. Run off if you want! You can live as a sly and scared fox, hiding in shadow at night but free. I cannot, if ever I can see my grandfather again and.. not get dead, it will only be with the Alpha's help yeah?" she let loose of Jackie's shoulders but kept her distance. "And I think you need the pack though you hide it.. anyway, I will accept her help. Do as you want."

Now she turned from the other and again approached Diane, this time with a respectable distance.

"I accept your offer. Still," again her chin raised and her nose crinkled if only for a moment, "You are strange to me, and so you are not friend or enemy. Do not betray my trust, otherwise you will have a taste of where I come from."

---(~May~)---

It was clear upon Logan's first and sudden approach that Diane was displeased with what she deemed an intimidation tactic, nevertheless she did not move and carefully watched between Logan and Jackie as the former spoke.

Then addressed for the second time, Diane met Logan's eyes again. "That," speaking slowly and with some poise, she referred to the betrayal of trust.

"That is not something I intend to do."  She said, and there was no denying that once Diane had said it she meant it, because her whole tone and body language stated so. Then with a contented sigh she stepped lightly to the side and looked around as if admiring the scenery; she displayed an air of intent searching and yet nonchalant observing at the same moment. Her hands even clasped lightly behind her back as she leaned forward for a glimpse between the trees.

"So then," Diane spoke in a tone of casual commentary as she had her face turned and her gaze still scanning outward. "You two either possess a greater amount of restraint then you have previously demonstrated, or else you cannot call upon the change at will."

At this point Diane turned on her heel and looked at the two bedraggled women by the river again. "Otherwise, one of you would surely be dead." Her eyes narrowed, as though she were asking if her statement was not fact. "I'll assume for the latter. But that is just as well - where I am from we think of it like a gun; If one reaches for their weapon, they had better be intending to use it without hesitancy or regret."

"At any rate," Diane continued, now walking a slow step in the opposite direction she had previously faced and her hands coming undone behind her. "Your pursuers are not afar off, so I believe we should be heading in this direction."

---(~Soar~)---

Jackie was silent and her features expressionless.   It was only her eyes that seemed animated, sweeping quickly between the two women.  Her tongue rolled around her teeth; she could almost taste something off in the air.  Ah, but this was not a situation some rough housing would fix.  Diane may seem vulnerable now, in her prim dress, but she had been confident enough to approach two first-generations uninvited.  Even Diane had admitted to being a loaded gun; funny how she had made sure the two of them knew that.  Her heart was already thrumming with the excitement of the challenge, but no she mustn’t do that.  A single inhale and Jackie was calm again.  Her eyes was ever perceptive to Diane’s motions, with even so much as an unsteady breath noted in those blue depths.

A quick silence fell and Jackie took her opportunity.

“You give me no credit Logan.  You think I’d miss such an interesting game? ,”she shifted her attention to Diane, “Might I ask what your helpfulness will cost us, miss?”

While her words were positively charming, her body language was not.  She was still as detached as she had been before, as unmoved of Diana’s words as she had been earlier.

---

The car shuddered to a stop and Melinda had to repress the urge to scamper off into the woods.  When IRS man held open her door, Melinda exited with the poise of a lady and thanked him briskly.  The two had gone this far to continue on their date, it would be a shame to end it now.  She reapplied a burgundy lipstick and then pursued her lips, daunted by the forest ahead.  Unfortunately, this might have been a date to wear better shoes.

“I have a pair of sneakers in the trunk” IRS man answered her silent plea.  Melinda was startled, but nodded her head absently and mumbled a “thank you”.   The willowy man was quick enough to open the trunk of his car, but Melinda had taken in enough of it to be startled.

“You travel a lot,” she mumbled before she could stop herself, “That suitcase looks large enough for a week’s travel and you have at least five different shoes back there”

“Yes of course,” he smiled amiably,”You should know.  Government jobs require a lot of travel, don’t they?  Even a lowly IRS worker such as myself has seen a good deal of sunshine.  How about you Melinda, how much sunshine do you see these days?  I can’t imagine too much” the man babbled pleasantly,”You look quite pale”.

“I was on vacation in the mountains for a time,” Melinda responded icily,”But now I have returned.  We have work to do”

“Of course”

Melinda changed quickly into the sneakers offered to her.  They were a little large on her feet, but after tightening the laces, she found them to be a significant improvement from black pumps.  Now it was only the matter of putting those sneakers to use.  She grabbed a two wave radio the police chief had been “so kind” to offer her after much badgering on her end and dialed it to the correct channel.

“Officer Kimberly Roberts, please come in… This is Ms. Melinda Channing.  Report your progress in capturing the suspects.  Please give me your coordinates and I will be joining your shortly,” Melinda hesitated, but soon recovering her voice before the gap would have gone noticed,”You are not to directly engage the suspects.  Repeat, you are not to directly engage the suspects.  You are to assist in tracking them down, but the final call in how they are taken in will be my responsibility and mine alone.  Over”

IRS man seemed enthralled by the conversation, as a five year old child might be by a new lollipop.  “Well aren’t you a bossy pants,” he hummed cheerfully, waggling his forefinger as if scolding her,”No matter.  A woman with a little fire is always more fun”

---(~May~)---

At Jackie's words Diane turned gracefully on her heel to face the other two. Considering what might have been taken as an accusation of ulterior motive, her eyes narrowed without removing from Jackie’s face and she tilted her chin down thoughtfully. The gesture, though casual enough, did not appear to be without some guile.

 "I would like to believe a favor doesn't cost much, but I can understand not wanting to owe one to a stranger..." Diane said. Her words were slow as her eyes leveled with Jackie's and she let the last word hang a moment. Then her chin was lifted and a smile came to her lips.

 "So, I'll tell you what," the woman said pleasantly, "If my service to you is in the end of any help, you may reward me according to your pleasure. Deal?"

Almost instantly following that remark Diane's gaze took swiftly to the woods, though her posture remained with the same confidence and casual reform as ever she stood.

---(~Dez~)---

Currently, Kimberly made her way across a thin in the river, where the cool clear water was no deeper than your ankles. She had to take a long detour, to find her away to the other side where the fugitives might be, but at last, it seemed that Axel had again picked up a scent. At this point she only hoped he had no lost interest in the perpetrators and began to follow the path of some wild beast roaming the forest. And then, just as she felt she was getting close, an icy voice crept up over her radio. Afraid to lose her position, she quickly turned it down and put it to her ear.

"Officer Kimberly Roberts, please come in… over."

The instructions were clear enough, and Kimberly bit her lip. She didn't want to respond, but knew she had to follow the orders of this mystery woman.

Just as she moved her finger to the on switch, another voice came up on the radio.

"Ms. Melinda? I must apologize but it seems that in her haste to follow the suspect, Ms. Kimberly left her radio behind. I will have to have a talk with her on the matter when she gets back, but in the meantime, she will continue to follow my orders.. is that clear? Over." Mr Coopers voice only seemed heavier and held more rust to it over the radio, but the true meaning behind his words may have been obvious.

Kimberly smiled, dropped the radio, and continued on in the direction Axel was pointing her in. With a new respect for her overseeing officer, there was a revived pep in her jog. She WOULD find the suspects!

"Come on Lyra, they can't be.. far." what had started as an excited shout was quickly shortened to a quiet mumble. She found her way to the clearing where the trio stood, coming up on them from the left. Axel whined and tugged at the rope, and Kimberly noticed that he wasn't the same as he normally was.. he seemed to want to get further away from them instead of closer. Kimberly reached to her holster and pulled out a gun, taking a proper stance and aiming it at no one in particular in the group.

"The games over!" she called, suddenly feeling.. awkward? Who was the other woman? Nobody from her team, unless she worked under Melinda. "Come quietly and you guys can avoid additional charges." she began to approach them slowly, Axel hesitantly following behind.

'What's wrong with me?'

She wondered to herself. She could feel a shake in her hands. She had only ever had to point a gun at a person two other times, but she was never afraid. And there was a certain thrill to finding her suspects and catching them, however this time it was a completely different feeling. Perhaps it was just because Axel was acting strange, she reasoned to herself, then continued.

"Look, it's nothing personal but people could have gotten hurt today. The charges are racking up against you and if you don't come along quietly, you're going to be in a whole lot of trouble. My leading officer is already looking to have you extradited from this state if he can find any reason to, and he knows people who can do that for him. Don't let it come down to that!"

--

Logan raised a brow at Jackie with piqued interest. This was the calmest she had sounded all night. Jackie had piped in all too soon for the other to give her own thoughts to Diane regarding what was said, but now she let it pass, though she considered Diane's words carefully.

Then Kimberly entered the scene, and her eyes bolted quickly to the other female. How funny she should pull out her gun so quickly after Diane's idiom, but at least she didn't seem to share the same philosophy. And now they definitely seemed caught somewhere between a rock and a hard place. She made no reply, but rather waited to see what Diane or Jackie might have to say.

---(~May~)---

Diane had perhaps seen Kimberly a moment or two ahead of the others, and appeared not in the least surprised. She of course had known for the most part where the officers had been, or at least knew how long it would take for them to catch up, and felt confrontation unavoidable. The two other women had spent time they did not have if they intended to get away unhindered...

Having already turned to face Jackie and Logan, Diane could easily see the approaching officer without altering her position. Vibrant green eyes under thick dark lashes were effective in making Diane's every glance seem very purposeful, so her gaze first set upon the officer's face, and then turned toward the accompanying circumstances.

 One of the most prominent facts taken into account was that the canine was not at ease and more inclined to back off, which alone from a K-9 trooper's companion was disconcerting. Such were trained to be bold and undeniably vicious in an instant. If attended to, the dog's behavior would alert the officer quite quickly of the unseen degree of danger.

 Another fact which Diane's visual assessment brought to consideration was the unprecedented stress of the officer, and following another quick glance, Diane saw that there was good cause for it outside the unknown truth which Axel was only now beginning to detect. This officer was alone, completely alone for the moment - there was neither sight nor sound of a radio to be found on her person. That was an incredibly dangerous disadvantage in this situation, but it served a slight foothold for Diane.

After a moment without the slightest indication of fear Diane lifted her hands. Then with her palms facing outward showing that she would not reach for a weapon, the dark haired woman found opportunity to address the situation.

"Pardon, is there some sort of trouble Officer?" She called out, her tone hinting at uncertainty. Diane did not venture forward the slightest step, knowing that such a subtle action could easily cue the canine into aggression; the dog was deterred from attacking for now, but surely should a threat be made against his master he would find his courage, and Diane had no intention to instigate that at present...

---(~Dez~)---

Quietly, Kimberly commanded Axel to be still. Even so, he remained unmoving, his back arched and head low with his eyes intentively fixed on the group ahead. Then her own eyes moved back to Diane, taking into account the female's body language and posture.

“Ma’am, do you know these women? In any case, please distance yourself; they are fugitives and they have been cla-classified as highly unpredictable.” she readjusted her grasp on the weapon, keeping it steadily aimed towards the trio, though more at Jackie and Logan than the mysterious woman. Now she chanced a glance behind her, albeit just out of the corner of her eye, wondering if Lyra was far behind. When her search was fruitless, she shook her head just slightly, and let out a deep breath in attempt to regain her composure. That being done, with slow and cautious steps she began towards the trio.

Now Logan, too, lifted her hands. After seeing two of her pack mates recovering from gun shots, she did not much care to be in the same position.

Meanwhile, Kimberly continued near, all the while her focus split between those in front of her and the uneasiness of her animal companion. His hackles were raised and his teeth were bared, and Kimberly began to wonder if there was something in the forest beyond the trio, maybe a bear or cougar, but she was certain his eyes were fixated on the group ahead.. Any doubt was soon diminished completely; Logan took a step forward in what she had intended to be an act of submission, and Axel immediately went into a frenzy, snapping and snarling and  making sounds that Kimberly had never even heard him make before! Logan immediately stopped mid step, but Axel was not settled. Still, he did not make an effort to break from the lead but settled himself between the trio and Kimberly.

Now Ms Roberts murky green eyes became more intense, “If you have any weapons, drop them now! Then, start walking towards back the main road.” the command was directed towards Jackie and Logan, and then she turned her gaze to Diane. “Ma’am, please come this way, away from the fugitives.”

---(~Soar~)---

Tyranny was leading Lyra through the woods and she had to scramble to keep up.  When she could not, the overexcited black shepherd would come charging back to nudge her heel and urge her onward.   The officer was almost growing used to his persistent nudges, and before long Tyranny had led Lyra towards Kimberly and Axel.  He offered an excited yip in acknowledgement to a job well done and sat on his heels.  Lyra began walking towards her partner, expecting Tyranny to follow, but the overgrown puppy seemed just pleased where he was.

“Come on, we gotta join them,” Lyra grumbled

The dog seemed unconvinced.

The officer shrugged.  “Suit yourself”

As she approached the could tell the situation had reached a new level of intensity.  Officer Roberts had, apparently, found the suspects—and what’s more, another woman.  Lyra was beginning to think she might have missed something, because she could come up with no savory explanation on why there would three well-dress women in the forest.  Taking cue from her superior, she stood a little behind Kimberly and kept drew her gun as well.  She tried to look fierce and terrifying like Kimberly, but was struggling terribly.

---

Melinda knew enough to know she wasn’t wanted by either Officer Roberts or her commanding officer; the two certainly had gone out of their way to keep her out of the loop.  Melinda was not pleased; finding the officers without dogs would be a challenge.

“Those idiots,” she growled,”What were they thinking?  Now is not a time for pride”

Melinda shook her head in despair.  By the time she found the two officers, the situation might have gotten too far out of hand for her to recover it.  Half an idea struck her.

“You,” she had a sudden interest in the willowy man beside her,”How good are you at tracking?”

“Why Melinda, I’m just a lowly servant to the government.  I’m more of a paperwork man than anything else.  Very kind of you to think of me with such bravado,” IRS man beamed.

Melinda glared at him with disbelief, “Now’s not a time for games.  Can you do it or can’t you?  If we want to keep things from getting hairy, I would suggest you discover any hidden talents of yours”

“Oh, now that you mention it, I was a boy scout.  I was always very good at finding footprints of tiny squirrels and such; see the trick is—“

“Yes fine, I don’t care how you know.  Just find those two idiot officers before they get themselves hurt”

“Will do.  I am sure finding people is a lot like finding squirrels,” IRS man chuckled,” I admit, I’ve never had a first date in the woods before”

With that, the willowy man set to work.  Occasionally he would stop to look at the earth, his fingers tracing for signs Melinda could not see.  Sometimes he would stop completely and do nothing; it was impossible to see how he was gathering his information, but before long he would set off with certainty.  Boyscout!  Melinda couldn’t help but laugh; he seemed far too trained for that.  But she did not say anything that would discourage his process and instead did her best to follow close behind.

---

“Well this is just fantastic.  Logan, when this is over, you and I are going to have a chat about talking to strangers”

Jackie glared at Diane as she spoke, making it clear she was not happy and that she blamed this all on her.  Nonetheless, she did raise her arms with a huff, raising them slowly above her head.  Jackie wasn’t a fan of bullets, no more than the next person; there was no reason to put more of them in the air than their needed to be.

“Well Diane?  Do you have any plans, or are we going to have to rely on mine?”  Jackie smiled wickedly.

---(~May~)---

Diane did exactly as instructed by the officer without the least reluctance. Her hands were still raised as she distanced herself from the other two women, drawing near to Kimberly without the slightest sign of aggression. But as to the question spoken moments afterward by Jackie, Diane made no motion that she knew the name or even remembered that she belonged to it.

"I'm sorry, what's going on? I don't understand." Diane said walking closer, then she pointed briefly toward Axel with a tilt of her finger and added. "Does he bite? Will.. will he attack?"

Slowing her steps accordingly, Diane's body language spoke of uncertainty and caution, and she certainly seemed to eye the dog a great deal of the time while glancing frequently to the K-9 Trooper for some sort of reassurance.

---

Meanwhile, Ulric and Daylight Dream had crossed a level field diagonally from the road. There was a certain degree of tranquility in both rider and steed as they passed over the cropland together, and though Ulric's mind was trained more upon his task than the emotional aspects of the journey, he found quiet pleasure in the rise and fall of his steed's stride.

 The horse, affectionately nicknamed Day, had taken across the green acreage at a slow gallop while the sun waned down. The beat of her hooves and the buzzing of various insects were the only sounds in the area, for the seldom-traveled road had been the only one near, and though the passing of cars could still be heard in the distance, it had no direct influence upon either Ulric or Day.

Ulric guided the golden, white spotted mare with gentle persuasion in the directions from whence he caught any slight lead into Jackie and Logan's whereabouts. Sometimes it was an old breeze carrying a faint scent that lead him, other times it was guesses and intuition. Always it was forward, though often more toward this way than that.

  It was shortly after dusk when the two travellers reached the wooded area, and by this point Ulric had grown more and more certain of the correctness of his course.

  Not long after sighting the scanty grove there had been a smell of burning fuel and metal, an awful smell and strong, especially for one with the keen senses of a werewolf. Then came another smell, so fresh that even Day stopped to contemplate it, and that was when Ulric knew he had found something worth interest. He had dismounted immediately thereafter, and on foot scoured the ground for sign of passage. When he had discovered the fresh marks in the soil and where the traveler had headed, all Ulric's doubts were put to rest.

  It had been a steady gallop from that point to the treeline, and when at last Ulric knew what he was tracking, he loosened Day's reins and retrieved a white rag from her saddle.

  "Good girl now, Day." Ulric whispered, patting the horse on her neck after he had slowed her to a stop and dismounted. "Looks like we found something, eh? Here now, you're going to have to stay out here, I can't ride you near well enough to keep you from harm. But you can do something for me, okay?"

Ulric took the rag and rubbed his face on it, running in down his cheek and across the back of his neck. Then he thoroughly rubbed his wrists and hands into the white cloth and brought it up against Daylight Dream, wiping it across the seat of the saddle then across her neck and down her legs. Afterward Ulric returned the cloth to the saddlebag.

"There now, you smell just like me." Ulric laughed quietly, looking the horse in the eye and feeling that Day was not entirely pleased with the prospect. The horse did not make any obvious objections however and seemed to fairly tolerate the situation. Still, Ulric felt to apologize. "I know, I stink huh? Yeah I do. Sorry about that, but if anything happens the others will be able to find us easier. Will you tell them where I've gone, huh, Day? That's a good girl, look out for yourself."

Ulric felt bad for leaving his companion, not only because he had grown fond of her, but also because she was his responsibility. Yet he knew that the penalty for bringing her with him was likely far steeper than leaving her behind to find her way home…

Going alone now, and with darkness creeping up on the world like the greedy hand of a thief on the unsuspecting, Ulric was prone toward caution. There had been no prior experience that lead him to know of the advantages at his disposal; he was neither a loner nor tracker, yet these were the parts that he was called upon to play. But even under such circumstances, neither facts were enough to cause his sense of uneasiness… No, indeed. There was something else.

---(~Dez~)---

Kimberly eyed Diane closely, her every move and word carefully considered. However, Kimberly just barely missed Jackie mentioning a plan. Regardless, she was skeptical.

Then Diane spoke with a small gesture of her finger, and Kimberly seemed to snap out of her trance.

"Not unless he doesn't trust you.."

She replied mentally, but before she could give a real response to Diane, Axel answered himself; as Diane drew near, he began to bark and tug at his leash that much harder, "Hold on, don't move any closer. He's acting.. strange tonight.. about to be retired, this old dog, his sense of smell and eyesight are both giving out on him." she rolled her tongue in her cheek, pulling Axel closer with a tug of the lead. Of course, her last sentence was only half true - he was acting strange, but beside his old hips and his back right leg, he had gotten a clean bill of health from the vet during the last check up.

Now she looked over her shoulder to Lyra upon hearing her approach, and noted that Tryanny was just as uneasy, though he expressed it differently. At that point she began to back up slowly to her partner, feeling a bit of relief. When she was close enough, she moved her head to Lyra's, but her eyes did not leave the trio.

"Something isn't right about this. Axel is really nervous, I've never seen him like this before. That other woman, she could be a suspect, or maybe they're planning something. Anyway, we need to get them cuffed at least. Hold Axel." sheathing her weapon, she took hold of a strap that clipped the two dogs together by the harnesses, and she advanced towards Jackie and Logan with cuffs in hand, keeping her other hand on her belt should they attempt anything..

Meanwhile, Logan was inclined to follow any order right now, unless it was another one of Jackie's schemes. "We're going to have a talk about your driving, yeah?"

---

Somewhere in the boughts of the trees, nearby and overlooking the events in the clearing, a pair of cold blue eyes watched with a cautious and calculating gaze.

"Hmm.."

He did not know if he was supposed to be here, nor did he care. He had his own mission and he wouldn't abandon it's course.

Quietly and carefully, a furry appendage reached for a long black tube strapped to his back, and he lifted it up and pulled it forward so that is was positioned before him.  Two silent shots were fired from the treetops, sending a pair of feathered needles flying right in the direction of Axel and Tyranny! Just as quietly as they were fired, they struck the dogs in the flanks and the next instant, the hounds had teetered over and hit the ground with a light thump.

---

Kimberly did not notice right away, but then her attention was caught the quiet of the dogs. Just a moment ago, Axel was snarling and snapping, now there was nothing. Just as she moved to lock the handcuffs onto Logan, she felt a prick in the back of her neck not unlike a bee sting. But before she could so much as reach up to meet the sting with her hand, the world was taken beneath her feet and she fell forward into Logan's back. Confused, Logan turned around and took hold of her, lowering her to the ground slowly, and laying her down, but not before plucking the syringe out of her neck..

"Jackie?" she asked, raising the needle to her fiery haired allie. "She's asleep."

Lyra was the next target, and the small weapon was sent flying in her direction.. the werewolves however, were not met with the same fate. Already Logan’s eyes were searching for an explanation, but she found none, and so she looked to Diane instead.

---(~Soar~)---

Lyra had the misfortune of watching everyone on her squad drop like flies, but the fortune of ducking at the right time to better inspect poor Tyranny’s condition.  Just as Lyra found an emptied dart in the police dog’s scruff, she felt something pass very quickly by her side.  Had she been standing where she was, it would have been a clean shot.  It did not take long for the police woman to put two and two together.  And what’s more, she was getting out of here!  Heroics were for idiots that wanted to get shot.   Lyra took off running like a deer before anyone had a time to react.

‘Alright, I’ll just tell Cooper an update on the situation, ask for some backup… then it will all be alright’.

Lyra liked that plan.  It didn’t involve her being an open target.  Her fingers were just reaching for the radio at her side—

Woomph!

The young police woman fell to the ground, winded.  She squinted against the sun, trying to make out what she had just ran into

“Oh look Melinda, isn’t that one of the police women that were sent in?  Dear me, how lucky of us to find her”  replied one shadowy figure.

“Yes lucky,” a second figure retorted.  She seemed annoyed. “It appears she was in a hurry too.  She will have many interesting things to tell us”

Lyra gulped.  Time for a new plan.

---

If Jackie was at all surprised to see two canines and a police officer drop like flies, she did not let on.  She did not inspect those that had fallen as Logan had, but seemed reasonable interested by Logan’s find of the dart.

“Yes I would expect so,” she mused to Logan’s question.

Jackie took it from Logan’s hand without permission, absorbing what little information she could off of it.  After a few seconds of this detailed inspection, she discarded it beside her.

“Very kind of you to go breaking the law for us.  Now, Diane, what might your kindness cost us? “

---(~May~)---

Diane had not moved after she was told to stop by Officer Kimberly. There was much to observe in the interactions of the officers and their canine companions, every subtle gesture and word Diane's vibrant green gaze and keen ears gathered. Yet ever she feigned obliviousness and caution, right up until the moment when the dogs collapsed.

 Instinctively there was a change in that second, Diane's expression took on a more genuine display of awareness. Moments before the first officer fell, Diane had already deduced the direction of the attacker's position, yet even so she did not sight the shooter and could trace nothing as of yet to scent. All this told Diane plenty enough, not the least of which was that the attacker was specialized in his pursuit, though his or her identity was still to be revealed.

 Diane slowly tilted her chin downward and seemed for a short time to be listening, or waiting after the initial attack, but whatever she anticipated delayed its coming. The second officer fled into the woods, and everything fell to seeming silence...

 Then at last, the corners of Diane's lips curled into a delicate smile and her act was repaired, she lifted her head and returned to her all-too-casual stance.

 "Seems their intentions are in our favor for the present, though we'll likely learn something about their objective soon." Diane commented as she at length released her position and strode forward to where the dogs had fallen. Here she bent down and slipped her hand under Axel's chin, raising his large head and giving him a scratch behind the ear.

"Good boy, Axel." Diane whispered with a smile. "There’s certainly nothing impaired about your senses, now is there? But she trusted in your instinct a bit late, didn't she? Ah well."

 Diane's free hand withdrew to the peculiar fastenings on her dress for a moment, then returned with something that looked akin to a unlabeled lipstick container. She seemed to open the container, dip a finger in it, and smear the contents on Axel's nose before she lay his head down again. Then she repeated the motion on the other dog and stood up to face Jackie and Logan.

 "You two should take the opportunity to get a headstart in that direction." She said, nodding diagonally from the way she had originally approached. But as for herself, Diane did not pretend to be limited on time and would not yet retreat. She went to the fallen officer and began to search for some form of identification.

 Diane made it her business to discover what she could about the fallen officer before she would abandon the area. However, once she had found the objective of her pursuit, she erected her stance quickly and distanced herself from the fallen K-9 trooper without having taken anything. She stepped into the brambles and cast a long look over her shoulder, her slow dark lashes highlighting the direction of her gaze. Then she turned and at last abandoned the scene.

It was dark now, the shadows had grown thick beneath the trees. While the sky might still have been pale blue beyond the lengthy boughs, all color in the wood had turned dark grey and Diane slipped soundlessly in with it. She was now pure black in color, yet ever as small and lithe as her original form, Diane easily became as if adapted to her habitat. It would be hard to see her again as the night grew on, and hearing her would be a trick in of itself, for even should her paws not have been so keenly trained, her weight left nothing to be heard under her footfalls.

---(~Dez~)---

Maybe she was careless, or perhaps she just didn't care at this point, but in any case, Logan was not against taking Diane's advice. She straightened, and cast one look to Jackie, as if silently letting her know of her intentions, before she started off in the direction the mysterious woman had pointed them in. She left the clearing behind, and began through the brush at a steady pace, picking up her legs in as much of a run as a tired, confused woman in her state was able. It was laughable in some ways, but, it still held some water over walking.

She didn't bother to look back now. Jackie would follow or she wouldn't, at this point Logan didn't care. Pack mate or not, friend or not, she had for the time, betrayed Logan's trust. This was not something that was hard to gain, nor easy to break, but somehow, Jackie had succeeded. Surely if they made it out of this situation, she wouldn't be neglectant to forgive her fiery haired accomplice, but for the moment, she wasn't against imagining that the other might get caught and placed in jail if she spent too much time waiting behind...

So she ran, and continued to run until her thighs burned and her calves were numbed, the soles of her feet imprinted with many stones and sticks of the forest. How long would she have to go? What was at the end of the journey? Was it a dead end? Maybe she was led right into the hands of the cops. Maybe into enemy territory, or perhaps, on the right path home.

Logan came to a point now, where it no longer felt like she was lifting appendages but rather heavy stones in place of her legs, and her lungs cried for air and protests with a series of painful pangs along her ribs. She wondered if she had even covered much distance from her starting point, but regardless, a rest was in order. And maybe that fiery haired female could catch up yet.

---(~Soar~)---

The redhead made no indication that Diane had spoken or even of her existence.  She did not care to observe how quickly and silently the mystery woman had departed, nor to pay much heed to her advice.  Her vacant gaze was instead trained on Logan, watching as her companion’s form began to disappear into the foliage and her footsteps blend into the night’s song. Her body had made a move to follow, but some other force had stopped her cold before she had even so much as a few footsteps.  Her lips were pursued, as if she meant to say a word, but no sound came.  It was as though she were a ghost, incapable of speaking or disturbing the paths of the living.

Yet just as Logan began to reach distance in which she would have lost sight and sound of her, Jackie regained her voice.  The words were strangely spoken, stripped of her usual daring and snark.  They might have even been called sincere, if one were so bold as to apply such a word to Jacqueline Ryder.

“Wait for me.  Please.  I have one last game to play, and then I promise we will return home”

Once she had finished speaking, the invisible force that had held her still was lifted.  She spun on her heel and began to run in the opposite direction of Logan.  She was filled with new energy, the excitement and fear of her next ploy feeding the movement of her feet.  She was terribly noisy as she ran, but the redhead was not concerned. What she had planned would not require stealth.

CH 5 : Deeper into the Woods

---(~Dez~)---

Though already leaving as Jackie spoke, Logan had caught her words, and had plenty of time to consider them while she caught her breath.

Somehow, they were more abrasive than her other words - the sincerity of her tone standing out like a high pitched bell in comparison to her typical sarcastic comments. It caught her off guard and she wasn't sure exactly whether or not she was used to it or relieved by the new demeanor, not that was something she intended to get used to hearing from the sour female.

Logan pressed her fingers to her temples and wondered how she became allies with someone so.. Jackie. She was certainly a unique individual, and just when one might think there's nothing to her but a mischievous fiery haired female with a heart and spirit equally ablaze with that tyranny, it might come to be that she was more perplexing and hard to read than anyone could imagine.

With a short sigh, she stood slowly and in her frustration she laid a blow on the tree behind her, before beginning towards Jackie all with irritation, interest and concern. The redhead was already lost to Logan's vision but her smell still lingered, and lacking any deep set motivation on Logan's behalf, the trail was followed.

---(~May~)---

Stepping quietly through the clear spaces under the trees, Ulric ventured through the quiet wood. He was feeling very much out of his element and was as uneasy in this area as he might have felt roaming on the war-ravaged front of enemy territory. Steadily he began to wonder whether or not he dared travel in his first or secondary form. The additional strength of his secondary form would no doubt prove an asset in the case of confrontation, but as of yet he knew not which kind of folk he was likely to run into.  

  It had not been long after Ulric entered the sparse grove that he detected the scent of various people, many of which were not werewolf and carried a similar smell over their individual scents that gave rise to concern that the police were involved in this peculiar matter.

  Yes, Ulric had found that individuals which often spent much time together in the same sorts of places often smelled alike under their individual perfumes, colognes, and natural musk, in the same way that members of a pack smelled alike. And though he could not place it, the smell he detected made him think of law enforcers. He did not know that it was the equipment they carried, which he had smelled many times before, that originally ignited this subconscious suspicion.

  Ulric was worrying what he should do or say if he happened to encounter anyone other than a werewolf at this dark hour, thinking of course that it would be obvious should he meet the aforementioned. So it was when he suddenly concealed himself behind a tree in great alarm!  His heart was beating fast now as he peered around for a second glance at what had caught him off guard. There he saw, laying in the dirt and bramble, what was clearly a human body and two smaller figures. The night was not so dark as of yet to prevent him from seeing that these two other figures were dogs, but outside his secondary form it was a little known fact that Ulric had a hard time seeing in dim light. So he stared a moment or two before withdrawing behind the tree again.

  After looking hard for a second or two, Ulric was almost certain that the figure was a woman and a police officer. He did not however know if she were alive, or merely unconscious, for the lighting and distance worked against him. Yet though his eyes were poor at night, his sense of smell was quite dependable, and he was sure that there was not a noticeable scent of blood.

  The young man’s heart was still pounding fast, his senses which were once keen were now fully attuned with adrenaline. He made no move until he had caught hold of himself, which luckily did not take long. Then he peered around the tree for a second time, and felt prepared to make a judgement call as to whether he would approach or wait nearby for others to find the fallen officer. Yet he never made a decision to do either, for there was a sound nearby which prevented any further plans -- Someone was coming!

---(~Soar~)---

Jackie’s process through the woods was strangely uneventful, but this did little to put the woman at ease.  There was the sharp scent of danger in the air—not one that could be smelled literally but could rather be felt on the fine hair of her arm.   Move carefully, the air seemed to say, or else you might find yourself in worse shape than you had started.  Just beyond the veil of leaves, she could almost hear the others, though confirmation of such was just beyond the conscious reach of her senses.  These woods were a gravity well for dangerous and powerful characters.  Jackie suspected she was neither in comparison to what lurked beyond that leafy veil.

Yet despite the warning in the air, there could be no turning back.  All metaphorical bridges had been burned, the police car crashed in smoking ruins by the road, two police dogs and an officer tranquilized in the woods, one mysterious werewolf playing her own game in the night, and all nice coordinating dress and shoes were in ruins.  If she was to make it out of these woods, it would be only by walking forward regardless to what lay beyond.

Her heart was beating a storm in her chest and her entire body seemed to be vibrating.  Jackie could not place the emotion as fear or excitement; although she suspected it was both.  With one shaky outreached hand, the woman pushed back a low-hanging branch to see whoever was waiting for her…

---

For all Lyra’s uses that evening, courage was not among them.  The young Officer Kendels found herself led along by two mysterious strangers, but lacked the nerve to ask where they were going or what they intended to do with her.  She had, of course, tried to answer all the questions they had asked her.  Perhaps in retrospect this was not the best of ideas… but given everything that seemed to be lurking in the woods, making friends with these two mysterious ‘agents’ seemed the wisest way to survive the night.

“Stop”

It was Melinda’s voice, full of ice and command.  Lyra noticed that even IRS man heeded her words so quickly he seemed mechanical; this was disconcerting with the pleasant expression on his face.

“Melinda dear, did you find a troubled guest in the forest?”

Melinda did not answer; instead, she kept a hand poised in the air to keep the two behind her from continuing forward.

“No.  I did not.  I merely think it is time we stop playing house and put our cards on the table”

“Oh?”

“As fun as this has been, I would rather not walk into a dangerous situation without knowing anything of the people next to me.  I think you will agree, regardless to how ‘classified’ you may be.   In an act of good faith—which I expect you will return if you wish to survive—I will begin.

I am Melinda Channing.  I do indeed work for an organization that is interested in Jaqueline Ryder’s trail; and I imagine my interest is, in part, similar to your own”

“And what might that be?” IRS man continued with a trace of a hum in his voice.

“That Jacqueline Ryder leaves an interesting police record wherever she is.  However, this is not my primary concern; nor should it be for you either.  That woman is dangerous.  Perhaps not directly herself, but in the company she keeps.  She has a habit of attracting danger without even trying; and so it seems she has found a few ‘friends’ that possess more raw ability than any natural human.  Some may even venture to say they are ‘beasts’; although I imagine that is all matter of perspective.  So when I say approach her with extreme caution, I mean it”

Lyra gulped at the words, although she was not sure why.  Melinda had not said much more than they had already known.  Jaqueline Ryder was a suspect and it was not a jump to say she had a long-standing criminal record; after all, anyone who crashed a police car could not have been a first-timer.  That this woman had dangerous company was again easy to believe given her commanding officer and furry partner were now unconscious in the woods.   The only thing that made little sense were these ‘beasts’; Lyra couldn’t even feign to understand what Melinda had meant by such a word.  Melinda must merely exaggerating; although in the short time she had known the woman, she had never once known her to exaggerate…

Lost in her reverie, the young officer almost missed as IRS man spoke.

“Very well Melinda, if you insist on cutting our date short.  I admit I am a little heartbroken; but no matter, I am certain we can continue another time. “ IRS man winked and Lyra almost gagged.  Fortunately the expression was fleeting and the willowy man’s demeanor suddenly changed to be quite serious.

“You are indeed correct.  I am interested in Miss Ryder’s ‘paper trail’ as you might call it.  And a few of her friends, too.  I’m afraid I am not at liberty to discuss more—you know the IRS, ever so protective of their intel.   It is quite lucky both of us are on the same page; although I am a little surprised at your exaggeration Melinda.  Regardless to whatever criminals Jacqueline and her friends may be, I would hardly venture to use the word beast.  Why I am looking at you now and you seem perfectly harmless”

Melinda smiled hollowly, as if pitying her ‘date’.  “When I said friends, I was not talking of myself.  Very clever of you to see our connection, but you will see soon enough.  Once you see them, you will understand”

Again, Lyra was at a loss.  Not much had been said; and what she thought might be important, she did not understand.  She shook her head; clearly these two were content to continue their riddles and mysteries.  Lyra, however, was not.  While she doubted either would press more on the direct subject at hand, still one mystery bothered her.

“S’cuse me, IRS man,” both swiveled their head to look at her; she was certain they had forgotten she was still listening.

“If we’re being so honest, then would you mind telling me your name?”

“Tom,” the willowy man replied quickly.

“Is that your real name?”

“Most likely it is not”

A silence settled and no one seemed eager to break it.  The three began trekking further into the woods, either ignorant or uncaring to those who lay inside it.

---

---(~HG~)---

Oh, did her pack have a storm heading right for them.

It had been a great start to the day. Fresh air, nice breeze and her few crops seemed to be doing quite well. Everything had seemed like it was peaceful, and that there was nothing to worry about, nothing could bother the great striped one today. And she even thought she could sit down and read a book without worry about some stray showing up on her porch.

But now, that perfect day was ruined, and there was hell to pay.

It all had gone downhill when a certain Beta noticed the lack of wolves roaming around. Something which she partly ignored, due to the fact there was a vast amount of land for the pack members to roam around without needing to worry about safety. Well. That was most of the time anyways... But the Beta really noticed something was off when she walked into her stable looking to saddle up her horse and take a ride to check on the cattle.

What she noticed when she neared the was an eerie silence, which already had alarm bells ringing off in her mind. What put the wolf on high alert was the fact some of her trained horses were missing from their stalls. What blew a gasket in the Beta’s head was the distinct smells she caught, and which wolves they belonged too.

Whomever she caught first would be very sorry. The rest would be lucky that she’d be distracted for a bit before she hunted the rest of the wolves down. Even Kratos wouldn’t be safe from the wrath of this small Beta.

The werewolf quickly changed into appropriate clothing, glad she had stored an extra set of her shifting clothes in the tack room, before she shifted into the striped beast. She growled, her body tensing at the opening of the stable, before she shot off like a rubber band, ready to sink her teeth into her first victim. She was lucky, while she may be small, what she lacked in strength, she made up for in speed. She bolted easily over the landscape, tracking down the different scent trails, noting at one point the trail split into two.

The beta quickly selected on trail, mainly because she’s deal with the Alpha later, he couldn’t just run off with her horses without asking or taking her along with him, and because the one wolf was by himself. A much easier target to hit up first before dealing with the of his companions and whomever had cause this whole mess.  As she got closer to her victim, one would say she had a malicious grin on her muzzle and a look of murder in her eyes. Like one of those Disney movie villains, just with less and singing and in need of a badass costume to make her stand out.

She’d have to remember that for the next time.

The Beta  moved forward with easy after making a slight sound. She launched herself out  at Ulric with a loud growl, working to pin the male down and hopefully get some answers, and maybe strike some fear into another werewolf’s heart.

“What the hell is going on?” Ziet snapped at Ulric, fur standing on edge, “And why did you take one of my horses?!”

---(~May~)---

Unfortunately the young man had anticipated an ambush from a different source, and of all the things Ulric had expected to come suddenly out of the woods, his pack superior was not one of them.  So before he had chance to realize his mistake, Ulric found himself fiercely engaged with his teeth bared and struggling with all his might against his attacker before abruptly recognizing her and submitting penitently to her force.

 Adrenaline having eased his transition from his primary form, Ulric was panting hard on the ground beneath Zeit when he replied as calmly as he could manage, "Beta, you scared me to death."

 He was not necessarily relieved when he spoke, for to be on the wrong side of the Beta's wrath could not be preferred over facing down an unknown opponent, even should the two be similar in apparent predictability.

 The light had grown ever dimmer, but in his secondary form and with senses more keenly attuned with alarm, Ulric did not take much notice. He had been knocked to the ground by Zeit's confrontation, and could see the branches above her head quite clearly. Nonetheless his ears were pinned back as he remembered the fallen police officer in the small clearing behind him, and hastily he desired to make sure that there were no others that had heard his foolish snarling.

 "There's another werewolf around here somewhere, and Jackie and Logan have gotten themselves into trouble." Ulric tried to explain in a hushed voice. Already feeling guilty for having left Daylight Dreams in the field behind, Ulric couldn't find an excuse to pardon himself, especially as it had been Kratos' order that Ulric and Sabrina come along only on horseback. So although he desperately wanted to fling himself to his feet, he dared not fight the Beta again and remained patiently on the ground.

---

No sooner had Jackie drawn aside the leafy curtain when she was suddenly seized by a massive force! Large and black like a tree was it's silhouette, it dragged her in with a strength prepared to meet any resistance, and then held her firmly in its powerful embrace!

 Though the identity of the captor was not yet revealed, the deep sound now very near the captive's ear seemed a testament to the tremendous instrument working within, and the expanse with which each breath was drawn boldly declared the might of the beast.

 Then its head was drawn down, and in a voice that seemed like the growl of a lion though it was but a whisper, Kratos said, "Where is Logan, Jackie?"

 The Alpha had not intention to harm Jackie, but nor did he intend to so easily free her until she was calm. He had heard her heart pounding before she had drawn aside the entanglement which had concealed him from her view. Nonetheless he had not covered her mouth, so as not to suffocate her face beneath his large padded palm.

 How Kratos had maneuvered through the sparsely wooded area without being detecting remained a mystery for all but himself and nature, who knew that the greatest dangers to humanity could walk unseen in plain sight.

---(~Soar~)---

Two seconds was all it took for Jackie to be uprooted.  It took much longer for her to become aware of what had happened; or for that matter, why it had happened.  As she struggled to move, she found herself securely pinned by Something.  All the more alarmed by this discovery, she struggled more urgently—and in the meantime, a part of her that was less terrified was slowly observing the Something’s stature and texture and shape… slowly concluding what this mystery attacker was and why it had not moved in for the kill.

Jackie stopped struggling as soon as the alpha spoke.  She was still nervous and her heart still raced, but there would be no possibility of escape either physically or verbally.  By a force that felt almost alien to her, Jackie could feel the words coming plainly from her mouth like water.

“Logan is… Safe.  Over… there… Towards a cove of trees, left of the river.  Told her to… Wait”

With the concluding word, Jackie lost any further animation and slumped pathetically to gravity.

---(~Dez~)---

Logan could have followed Jackie. Could have, but she didn’t. Nor did she wait. Whatever mess Jackie was about to get into, was her own mess. Logan just shook her head and instead, attempted to study the area she was in, as there were a great many deal of things to study.

Firstly there was a familiar scent that wafted to her, caught on the breeze - or was it two familiar scents? She could not directly place them so they must have been some ways off still. Ah, and what had happened to the officer and her dogs back in the clearing, and was the silent assailant still lurking about? What were their intentions? Where did Diane get off to, and would she be back? There seemed to be no real structure behind her so called plan..

With the night almost completely descended upon the forest, Logan found her nose to be the best tool. It seemed she had begun back in the direction she came, and there was a very familiar and prominent scent that she grew closer to. She realized it to be the scent of Ulric. The raven haired woman continued forward now with a little more vigor in her steps.. but imagine her surprise when at last she did not see Ulric, but a horse instead!

Her brows furrowed. Then, looking around and listening, she attempted to find any sign of the other werewolf, before slowly approaching the horse..

Now, Roger Cooper had not been sitting idle through this event. Especially once his girls stopped replying to his calls, he knew there was cause for concern. However, his trek didn't get him far before he stumbled upon an unusual sight - a horse sitting alone at the edge of the forest. He only need to briefly consider the prospect before coming to one of two conclusions; that the horse belonged to a camper or someone out on a nature trek, or that whoever had left this horse behind was in that forest, involved in the events going on beneath its shady boughs. In any case, they would be back for their horse, and he would wait for them.

Having horses himself, Roger was no stranger to their behaviours, so when at first Daylight was surprised by his appearance, he took all of the appropriate steps to calm her. Then, he sat by a tree near to her and waited. Until...

Daylight spotted Logan, and immediately became unnerved, more so than when Roger had initially approached. It was obvious Logan was not good with animals; the werewolf did not get along with them, and them with her! At this point, Roger stood, offering calming words towards the beast, but his eyes were fixated on Logan with malicious intensity.

"Not a horse person, I see." he began. Logan was unmoving. How had she not caught his scent? Perhaps she had been so fixated on Ulrics scent that the strangers was "invisible" to her. And yet she could not believe that entirely.

"Lets call it a night. We're all tired. We want to go home. And tell me, where are my girls?" he asked. Logan said nothing.. it was not something that could easily be explained. If she said she didn't know, she would be lying - she knew where one of them was. But would it be worse that she knew? Surely he might assume the worst of the situation.

Roger began to approach her, cuffs in one hand, his other hand on the holster of his weapon.. Logan didn't need to see more than the silhouette of his beanstalk figure approaching to know that he did not mean well.

"Come on, lets get this mess cleaned up. That’s a command, not an offer." he added, but his voice had almost reduced to a snarl. Without a second thought, Logan turned on a heel and as quickly as she could, bolted back into the forest. At this point Roger stomped his heel against the ground and tossed the cuffs down, uttering a sharp curse before turning and climbing onto the back of Daylight! When at first she seemed stiffened by this action, he calmed her, then commanded her to begin forward into the forest - soon they were running full speed towards Logan!

The female, moving as quickly as she could, used every advantage possible to throw Roger off and keep him behind her, but it was not an easy thing. She pushed herself until her heart pounded so hard she would wonder if it might fail her, and still Roger was on her heels!

Now she came to a clearing with a shallow but wide stream of water and began across it. At this point, Roger lifted the weapon and fired a warning shot that just passed beside her and landed with a sharp splash in the water. However, the noise had caused Daylight to falter, and it gave Logan a moment to gain some ground.

Her eyes shot around frantically for anything she might use to her advantage, but the forest, scanty of many trees or brush, offered little to help the female, and soon Daylight would be on her heels again. The situation looked increasingly bleak, and with nothing more to lose, Logan opened her mouth, releasing a word that in almost any other situation, her pride would never let her utter; "Help!!"

Just as she loosed the word, another shot rang out. She did not feel it immediately given thanks to the copious amounts of adrenalin in her body, but the bullet grazed her calf. The next shot, she assumed, would not miss it's mark.  

----(~Soar~)---

The silence that ensued between Lyra, Melinda, and ‘Tom’ would not have been broken from anything short of gunfire, an attack, or a plea for help.  As it so happened, the three were fortunate to witness all three occur at once.  The sharp crack of gunfire shuddered through the air, a not-so-distant cry for ‘Help!’ was uttered, and through the foliage a dangerous scene could just be seen unfolding right before the trio’s eyes… The silent spell was lifted and at last the air was filled with sound.

“What was that?,” Lyra shrieked despite herself.  The poor girl had forgotten herself a police officer some time ago.

“Quiet,” Melinda hissed, “We won’t know for a while and we best keep quiet if we wish they don’t notice us”

“But—“

“Shhhh!”

“Don’t be so cruel ladies,” the newly-named Tom hummed cheerfully, as if he were only  scolding children to share their toys,”I do believe someone requested our help”

Before either of the two women could process what had occurred, the willowy man made a start through the foliage and into the scene ahead.  There was no falter in his step as he strode towards Roger and situated his body so Roger would be unable to shoot Logan without endangering ‘Tom’.

“Officer,” the man had continued without a beat missed and without affording any in the situation a moment to understand what had happened,”It would seem you are attacking a young woman that has no weapon and, to my knowledge, has made no directly aggressive moves.  That would be unlawful of you, would it not?”

The willowy man rummaged in his thick coat pocket, apparently seeking for something of great value, before at last he palms settled on it.  Then, in a manner so which only Roger would see the object, he presented it briefly to the sallow man before allowing it to sink back into his thick jacket.

“I presume we understand each other?  This issue is under my jurisdiction and, I assure you, I will take every measure to return your officers and apprehend any criminals.  In fact, as it so happens… “

For once, Lyra was right on cue.  Never in her life had she been so pleased to see the stern-faced Roger. The young woman stumbled through the leafy veil, her arms struggling to keep her sprinting frame aloft.

“Sir!  I’m… alright.  You’re… here?,” the woman was wheezing as she faithfully settled beside her commanding officer.

----(~Dez~)---

Logan did not stop, or turn around, until she heard the voice of another entering the scene, though the words could not be made out through the pounding in her ears. When it became obvious that she was no longer being followed, she slumped to the ground and rested against a fallen tree, attempting to regain her wits while contemplating the fact she was still alive. She quietly examined the figure standing between her and officer Roger.. she did not know how he was involved, but he had an interesting air about him.

Rogers face crinkled at the sight of the mysterious IRS man, and brought the horse to a halt. He was so close, too. He could only shake his head as Tom spoke. "She withheld information about the whereabouts of my officers, and has resisted arrest multiple times. By that regard she is considered a danger." he stopped when Lyra emerged from the bramble, and nodded down towards her, putting his gun in its holster.

"Whatever course you take, her and her accomplice must be punished, and, outside of jail, they are not allowed to freely come into Middlecrest." as he spoke, he pulled a cigarette out of it's box and lit it up, before turning his attention towards Lyra.

"I'm glad to see you're alright, Lyra. But where's Kimberly? You two were together." he asked, a brow raised now.

---

Kimberly was well enough.. Axel and Tyranny had awoken, and now, they tested the air, though they were still groggy from the drug, and caught wind of Ulric and his beta. This set them into a fit of barking, and in turn awoke Kimberly! She sat up slowly, calling them over with a small whistle. The duo quickly complied with nervous enthusiasm, licking her face and whining at her. "What's wrong you guys?" she asked quietly, petting them and rubbing their heads. Then after a moment, she remembered what happened, and reached down, plucking the dart from her body. "Where is everyone else.." the blonde asked to herself, before standing slowly, shakily, and using one of the dogs even to help herself up.

The shepherds walked circles around her, their own way of urging her to take their leads. Once she had picked the leads up off the ground, they tugged her carefully in the direction of Ulric and Zeit, with every step becoming increasingly anxious.

Peering around the brush, she made out two figures - but of what she could not tell.. Then, continuing forward slowly, even in the dark of the night it became obvious that they were not human. Her heart caught and she reached for her weapon, but it must have fallen out when she was rendered unconscious! Perhaps this was all a dream? In any case, she felt the need to act much like it was real life.

The blonde lifted her hands, holding them as if she were holding a gun - not that these creatures, these monsters, would know what a gun was.. what was she trying to accomplish? In any case, it couldn't hurt - if they were hostile (certainly they were!) running might only anger them. And though the two dogs snarled and growled, their behaviour was odd.. it was almost like they had come across the path of an unfamiliar stranger, not necessarily a bad one.

"Wh-wh-who are you? What are you?! D-don't try to attack, I have a.. a weapon!" she held her hands up a little higher. "Alright, I've lost it.. I-I'm trying to talk to monsters.. this is probably a dream, that was just a really strong drug. Lucid dreaming." she rambled under her breath, trying - and failing - to convince herself differently about the situation.

----(~HG~)---

“That’s a good thing, you should be scared” Ziet growled to Ulric, glaring at him for a moment, before releasing the poor wolf,  “Kratos is lucky I caught you first. He knows not to take my horses without-” She stopped speaking after a moment, sounds of movement catching her attention, one being that of hoofsteps moving away, which meant someone else was messing with her horses. When would they learn to leave someone’s possessions alone? Never touch what it isn’t yours.

Or just avoid interacting with Ziet’s things, lest you lose a limb or something worse....

She growled, moving to leave when something moved closer, and seemed to be moving around her and Ulric. Her hackles raised at that as she tensed up, for once loving her stripes, seeing they might help her blend in a bit better against the surroundings. that might give them a few minutes to figure out the new threat and plan accordingly. She had other things on her mind then trying to deal with whomever had appeared.

She took in a deep breath, already irritated with the dogs growling at her. They should know who not to mess with, they had no chance against two werewolves. And one happened to be in a terrible mood now. She let out her own deep growl, baring her teeth as she glanced around to the dogs, seeing one opening to take so she could go after the person on horseback. If she left soon enough, she could still catch up to them.

Maybe she’d get lucky and catch the two troublemakers along the way.

She swung her muzzle over to a different scent, taking a deep breath as she watched the human. That little human did not know whom she was up against. The beta looked over to Ulric, before moving away. “Ulric, new orders, deal with her” she commanded, “Then follow me. It’s time to clean up this mess and go home.” With that, she moved. She had other things to do besides dealing with an idiot  human and her mutts who didn’t seem to realize that they were outmatched, even if she left Ulric back on his own.

The lithe wolf took off, easily following the trail left behind by her horse. She could smell Logan now, and she grinned, seeing as she at least found one of the people who had lead to ruining her day. She picked up her pace, her whole body surging forward, ready to take out her frustrations. At the moment, she wasn’t thinking as clearly, set on bringing her horses home and dealing with the packmates who had taken them.  Such a mindset wouldn’t help in a situation that could easily become deadly for the wolf.

Her eyes narrowed, stopping as she saw the figures ahead, hearing Logan’s plea and the humans talking. She made note to get Logan to make it up to her later, as the Beta seemed to have come at the right time. With no hesitation, the werewolf strode up behind the Officer on her horse, keeping distant enough as Daylight Dreams began to move, knowing the scent of the Beta wolf. With the horse already uncomfortable, she let out a loud, deep growl. This earned a whinny from the horse as it moved nervously. The werewolf glared to the figures as she bared her teeth, hoping to at least capture the attention of these humans. Hopefully Logan had enough of a brain to take advantage of this situation.

She studied the groups, eyeing the Officers closely. Well this is going to be fun, she thought to herself.

---(~Soar~)---

Lyra looked fearfully at her commanding officer, the words unable to leave her lips but the full horror of what had unfolded earlier already displayed on her face.   A faint tremble could be seen in her limbs and her teeth were grinding into each other.  Her eyes were ever wandering, sifting into the gray shadows for some sign of danger.  Lyra drifted closer to Roger until her uniform almost touched his, like a child seeking comfort in her mother.

“I’m afraid you will not find her too helpful, in that regard,” Tom answered for Lyra where her voice had failed her, “Both my lovely associate and I questioned her to the best we could and found she could not survive more than a full sentence before shutting down.  Whatever happened, it appears her partner was taken down and she escaped.  I fully intend to look into the matter, rest assured”

Crack!  Lyra was the first to detect it—a sudden Flash emerged from the woods.  Lyra watched the Flash, the fear deepening in her expression as more details became visible.  When at last her face could hold no more fear, the young officer felt her feet collapse underneath her.  Lyra was among the fortune to endure the next few minutes incapacitated and entirely unaware of what events transpired.

The Flash’s sudden appearance had an immediate change in Tom’s posture.  Gone was the sense of ease and calm; the willowy man’s body tensed so it seemed he was as sturdy as iron and his face twisted into grim focus.  A hand reached beneath his thick coat, settling on an object in his belt…

BOOM!   Click…  BOOM!

Two bullets were fired into the air, aimed at the Flash with hands that were not often used to missing a target.  There may have been more shots fired, but just as he reached to fire again, a frantic woman emerged from the safety of her trees.  With a sudden motion not thought possible for Melinda’s petite frame, she brought a palm suddenly down on the gun.  The weapon fell to the floor.

“Stop shooting you idiot,” she hissed, her eyes fearful but an ominous with knowing, ”You can’t shoot fast enough to stop it!”  

---(~Dez~)---

Roger didn't get far in his conversation when a deep growl erupted from behind him. He turned the horse around and of all the things he might have seen that night, the creature behind him was not one of them! The horse reared up and he slipped down off her back, before she began into the forest. Having the wind knocked out of him, he struggled to his feet and then remained hunched over briefly, before his eyes shot up to the striped beast. Quick as a whip he withdrew his gun and took his place in front of officer Lyra, but before his shaking hands could even fully grasp his own weapons, two gunshots broke through the air! Now he waited, watching to see if they had taken the beast down.

In the meantime, Logan had watched everything unfold - it all happened so quickly that she couldn't make heads or tails of the situation. But once the beta had emerged from the forest, she immediately recognized her and her intentions seemed clear enough! Logan rose, pausing briefly as a fire shot up her leg, but now was not the time to let it faze her. She turned and began into the forest behind her, and yet she felt that the beta could not be left alone for long, the situation was far too dangerous.. no, she refused to be held accountable for that. The mystery assailant from earlier would definitely prove useful in this situation, but it seemed he had left the scene at the same time as Diane, perhaps following her.

She knew Ulric was here somewhere, perhaps he would be just what they needed to bring this mess to a halt! Immediately she began to seek the Little Alpha with every ounce of willpower left in her.

---(~HG~)---

Within the next few moments, the Beta’s temper not only shot off, but landed her into a fueled rage.

She stood there, unable to react fast enough to avoid both shots that had echoed off into the woods, one hitting on her left side. The striped beast let out a howl of pain, taking a step back to recover for a moment, stilling as she took in a deep breath. Her eyes focused on the two with guns, the one that had fired had his down now, but one stood where her horse once was, and he was aiming right at the injured werewolf. She bared her teeth once more in warning, but already knew it would be too late for these ones to run away.

Never add more fire to a wolf’s anger.

Her body moved suddenly, moving swiftly as if she had been a race horse suddenly released from it’s cage. Her first target was the gun, she’d rather not end up with more bullet holes in her, plus the guy kinda stole her horse... That was two strikes in her book. He deserved what he was going to get, or at least, that’s what the Beta’s rage fueled mind told her

She lunged up, moving up and locking her teeth around the Officer’s hand. While her teeth sunk into flesh, it would be a minor wound, only meant to keep more lead from being fired and to get one more person off her back. Zeit jerked her head back after that, letting go before backing up, keeping her eyes glued onto both sets of humans. She was concerned now about the other gunman, even if it was down, he had been the first fire. He could still be a threat with it in his hands.  With her hackles raised she stared the other pair down, deliberating on whether or not to attack or simply bolt.

After all, Logan and her horse had now managed to get away from this fray.

---(~May~)---

Ulric's auburn eyes flashed up at the police officer as she had come around the tree, but he remained on the ground until Zeit had issued her order and departed the scene. Then it was his turn to move, and he did so carefully.

  If anything in Ulric's heart or mind could have wavered, now seemed the time to falter and retreat. But for once and for all let all doubts concerning Ulric's integrity be stilled, for his whole soul was devoted to his pack, and as surely as the love within it he would not shirk any task entrusted him.

 Rolling over very slowly though still near the ground on his elbows and knees, Ulric met eyes with the frightened officer. She was startled and uncertain of him, and immediately Ulric sympathized with her feelings. Her loyal companions were likewise frightened, and he understood that also, but he did not know just then how to appease their fear. He had never before come in contact with a dog, and he believed he knew so little about their behavior. However, he understood their body language and how much they relied on their master's control; Silently the hounds seemed to be communicating that they would be alright if she was alright, so Ulric gave easing her feelings priority over theirs.

  Everything that had transpired before he had arrived was unknown to him, yet Ulric knew that all three had at one point fallen and then awoke in the dark, which likely added to their confusion. So he moved to relieve their sense of disorientation.

  "Yehhh...yehhh...yehhh..." Ulric whimpered, pinning back his ears and wagging his tail very submissively. In his own quiet way he was pleading that she put her fake weapon away and let him be, trying to appeal to the dogs at the same time. But he was not a dog, so this might have achieved nothing more save enticing the hound's curiosity rather than fear, depending on their personalities.

Then suddenly two successive shots split through the air and rang through the trees!

 Ulric ducked instinctively and pinned back his ears, his feet jumped with nervous anticipation, but he held himself steady lest he find himself in a worse predicament. Now he knew he had to act, and swiftly, but whether it was his compassion or some thoroughly reasoned common sense, he did not run.

~~~~

How would it have been possible during the chaotic scene for anyone to have known what approached from behind?  

  No sooner had Jackie given her reply when those first few shots rang out and Kratos turned his attention in the selfsame direction. His ears were more highly attuned than any average man, thus the Alpha heard Logan's shout for help more easily than did the unwanted company which arrived on the scene ahead of him.

  Jackie having relinquished her strength to his, Kratos forgave the wayward wanderer and lifted her onto his back as easily as a father would his child. He gave her no consent on the matter before he set off, but he did not carry her far before letting her down into the brushes at the base of a stately tree, and then he moved on again without her.

 "Stay where you are." Was his only words, though he had no faith that they would be obeyed.  

 The large black bear-like figure went with quiet haste, moving like a solemn shadow on its errand of a serious deed. So came he to the standoff just as two fateful bullets met their intended target and left their mark.

  Oh, what a terrible thing it was, for no creature in the world could have taken the blood of Zeit more personally than did Alpha Kratos, and his wrath was kindled against the hand from whence the shot was fired. Thus with all the power that the mighty beast possessed, Kratos roared out from behind the company with a voice that might well have shaken the trees! Then with astonishing force and speed he raced forward and brought himself down into their midst!

 It was indeed fortunate that Lyra had fallen, for she was mostly ignored, and as Zeit had already disarmed the man nearest her, Kratos' attack fell mainly upon Melinda and Tom. But even so it was the latter that was in the greater amount of danger, for Kratos struck him in the back while Melinda was simply thrust away with the forearm of the beast! It was not a strong strike from Kratos, for even in anger he was capable of controlling himself, yet it was a hard blow on both sides of him. The incredible beast pursued no other foe save Tom, whom he held to the ground as his sharp yellow eyes narrowed upon Roger and began to stare him down with a fatal dare.

---(~Soar~)---

Melinda struggled for air, each breath bringing new understanding on the current situation.  She was lying on the ground where she had been standing sometime earlier.  The side of her ribcage felt tender; not broken, but the skin from the impact still was tingling with outrage from the sudden intrusion.  She checked the rest of her form, progressively twitching from fingertips to toes until shakily sitting upright and concluding she was no worse for the wear.

Her date was not so lucky.  She watched the willowy man flutter in the air for a brief moment, his progress seeming oddly graceful given his means of transportation, before awkwardly colliding with a nearby tree.  The sound was sickening to listen to and almost immediately Melinda suspected he would have a pleasant purple bruise and perhaps a broken rib.  Despite her own hammering heart, the woman managed an unpleasant sneer at his pain.  It served him right for not listening sooner.

In any case, Melinda was afforded within those brief seconds a chance to consider the actions that had led her to be seated on the earthy floor -- stunned and winded-- while a beast attacked her associate.   The leafy shield had been enough to hide her, certainly; had she not moved, it was likely this monster might have ignored her and continued onward to the main course.  But it seemed some fleeting impulse—dare she say it, mercy – had directed her path otherwise.  At the cost of a perfectly good getaway, she had stepped forward to save this ‘date’ of hers, despite the clear convenience in leaving him for the wolves.  How unlike her.

In any case, it was clear her actions were not irreversible.  This monster seemed far more interested in the man who had posed a danger to one of his own than he did with her.  With any luck, he would not pursue her if his current prize proved far more rewarding…  Inch by inch the woman urged herself farther away from the scene.  She dared not stand, in fear this might attract Kratos’ attention, but nonetheless managed to shift herself away with a slow crawl.  It was by cruel happenstance her fingers came across the unconscious form of one police officer… and for a brief instant it seemed she would leave her behind.  But yet again the fleeting impulse arose.  Before her mind had much more time to consider, she gripped the collar of the woman’s uniform tightly and began to drag her away. The underbrush slithered aside.

In the meantime, Tom had found himself dazed at the tree.  He did not know what he was seeing and if the hulking, massive black form was really what it appeared to be or some hallucination caused by a solid hit to the head.  He fell against the tree, struggling to understand and coming up with too few answers to make a good course of action.  As it was, he struggled to replenish the air in his lungs.

“Monster…?”  It was more a question than a challenge, a quiet plea to know if this is indeed what lay before him or some other thing altogether.  Tom had only vague childhood nightmares to work off of; and certainly the alpha seemed much like any monster that had lingered in those dreams.

---

Jackie had not expected being picked up like some overgrown child.  She had rather anticipated the alpha might let her weight slump to the ground so she might regain full range of motion in her body.  She did not struggle as she was lifted, although she did look rather indignant about the matter, like a cat that had just finished its bath.

She did not respond as the alpha spoke, only stared distantly at the dark horizon.  She watched his massive frame go without as much as a twitch.  Yet much as the alpha may have predicted, she did not remain inanimate for long.  As soon as enough time had passed that she was certain he was too far to notice her movement, she rose immediately to her feet.

“I’m sorry,” she told the passing wind, who’s cool temperature felt like a judgment,” I promise I’ll be back soon.  I need to run a quick errand first… “

No more words were afforded to the wind.  With the same purpose that had possessed her stride earlier, Jackie continued-- although with a good deal more uncertainty of what lay ahead and a slight hesitation between steps.  Still, she continued her quest and her eyes scanned the darkness for moving shapes.  It seemed she was looking for something.  Or perhaps, someone.

CH 6: Between the Monsters and the Bullets

---(~Dez~)---

Kimberly quietly watched the scene unfold before her.. first, the more terrifying of the two beasts shot off towards the sound of gunshots, and then the other had turned towards her. At first she thought he might attack, but then he began acting.. very oddly. Her brows furrowed and she straightened her posture a little, shaking her head and looking on with careful curiosity. Her dogs, despite that she had long dropped their leads, stayed by her side, but their demeanor had quickly changed and she no longer knew what to make of the situation. Then two more shots rang out and she flinched, but her gaze only left the creature for a moment before returning to him.

Call it a females intuition or just plain obvious, but it seemed that the monster before her seemed anxious to get to the scene of the commotion.. and she was just as well, it could be her comrades caught up in whatever chaos was ensuing, and standing idle during such a situation did not set well with her. She "holstered" her imaginary weapon, and reached down, picking up the leads of the dogs before tying them up to a tree with quiet command to stay, never once turning her back on the creature. Then when she finished, and though she didn't know why, she gave the beast before her a slow nod, and the next instant she bolted off and began towards the chaos!

Just before delving completely into the madness, she noticed the mysterious woman, whom she recognized vaguely, from the scene at the mall, and then her comrade Lyra. Quickly she crouched down beside them. "Are you two alright? What happened?" she asked, though her frantic questioning need no more than a peer outside of the brush barely shielding them from madness that ensued.. She looked beyond it and her eyes grew wide at what she saw - first and foremost was the large black creature pinning Tom down. She stood nervously and moved to get a better look, although her limbs trembled and her heart pounded against her chest.

A cautious glance in another direction revealed a figure she soon recognized as her commanding officer, but by his stance he seemed injured. And then not far from him was another recognizable form, but this one was far less comforting a sight - it was the striped beast from earlier, however it seemed to be injured as well, and Kimberly made a guess at what had happened, if there was any method to madness at all. Then at last her eyes settled again on the large black beast that pinned a man to the ground.

"Please don't hurt him." she muttered, but she did not know where the words came from, and she suddenly felt like she might melt into the earth.

Roger, who had not spoken or moved at all, save a roar of pain when the beast had taken a bite at his hand, was returning the sharp stare that the black beast sent towards him. But now his attention shot towards the direction of Kimberly’s voice, a sound he was worried he would not hear again.

Kimberly emerged from the brush, using every ounce of courage and might that had been instilled in her body during her training, and despite the violent shake in her legs, she moved closer to the black beast. "P-please, he was just s-scared - this can all be dropped, we can all go home, nobody else needs to get hurt." she tried to look the creature in the face, but found herself far too afraid and instead glanced down at the ground, wondering if she might at any moment pass out.

Roger snarled a curse to himself, "Kimberly, are you insane?! They can't be reasoned with, they're monsters!! Get back!" he shouted. Kimberly paused, looking back at him. "We can't run and we can't fight either!" she called back, taking another step towards the monster. Now she held a hand out, as if asking him to release the man to her, and dared to look up into his bright yellow eyes, which to her seemed sharp enough to pierce a soul. "Please?"

At this point, Roger, questioning her sanity but opting to protect her, threw himself quickly to the ground and picked up the gun in his good hand, aiming it towards the black monster! "Kimberly, move!" he barked. The blonde looked towards him again, and then the next instant, two shots were fired before the gun was out of ammunition.

Kimberly moved. Between the beast and the bullets.

Both shots met with her torso and sent her small frame tumbling back a couple of paces, before landing against the creature and then slumping to the ground.

"Kim.." Roger muttered in disbelief, dropping the weapon. He could not move but trembled, no longer in fear of the creatures but in fear of what he had done.

"I-it's alright." the blonde murmured through small gasps, "P-please d-don't let anybody else get hurt." she added towards nobody in particular, resisting the urge to cry out against the pain. Everything seemed to slow, and she wondered if she was even speaking, because she could not hear her own voice over the ring in her ears. "Will someone.. get my... dogs.. please?"

Already you could  hear the anxious barks and cries of the dogs. They pulled and tugged on their leads but to no avail.

--(~HG~)--

Over the course of a few minutes, it seemed like all hell had broken lose.

With the arrival of Kratos, the Beta had focused her attention on the man she had bitten, see now that he seemed to be the main threat. The Beta kept her body tense, preparing to attack again if needed as it seemed this man was protecting the other officer on the ground. Her adrenaline was beginning to die down, the pain from the gunshot making itself apparent. She winced, already know the injury would be another thing to irritate her in her day to day life until it healed.

Her attention was pulled away from the officer, when another being entered the clearing. She let out a warning growl, remembering the scent from a few minutes ago. She hoped Ulric was okay, but as far as she could tell, there was no scent of blood on this female, meaning the other wolf should be safe.  What really got her attention, was the female’s words. The new officer was defending the wolves, how odd, yet it made Ziet relax a little. Hopefully the others would listen and this little stand off could be over and she could focus on finding the troublemakers.

It was when the male officer moved once more, that Zeit tensed, but by time she moved to try and protect her alpha, it was too late. And the shots echoed through the clearing.

The werewolf stood still, in shock of what had happened, fearing the worst for her alpha. She slowly turned, and saw a sight she did not expect at all. She stood there, frozen for a moment as she listened to the girl’s last plea, shocked to see the human had protected Kratos. Ziet paused a moment, getting over the initial shock of it all before slowly moving forward to the girl, and sniffing her. The wounds were bad, but the wolf could not help her now. Maybe the girl’s companions could if they got her help as soon as possible.

The wolf bent over and gently picked up the girl, moving her away from the pack alpha and gently dragging her over to the officer. She shot a glare to the man, and if she could speak to him she would had something along the lines of protecting your pack. She huffed, setting down the girl, before returning to her own pack mate, for once trying to end the the situation instead of starting one. She sighed, not liking the outcome of what had happened, feeling guilty for not paying attention enough to protect her own alpha, letting a human get hurt instead.

She gently nudged the large, black wolf, trying to get his attention off the man. “Let’s go,” she muttered to him before exiting the situation, moving in the surrounding brush. Now was the time to gather everyone up and go home.

---(~May~)---

The great black beast had not moved when Kimberly appeared, save to look in the direction of her plea. He watched her carefully, but his heart was not softened toward those who had issued the first offense, and he did neither release the man held to the ground nor relent his wrath while his eyes turned from her again.

  Ever those fierce yellow eyes glinted in the direction of the other man, narrowing when he objected to the young woman's attempts. But it was not long before Kratos' line of sight was blocked by the courageous and trembling officer before him, and thus the greater threat was obscured from his view. It seemed he gave no answer in reply, but he could not ignore her as she stretched her hand out before him, and at length his attention rested upon her...

  So it was that Alpha Kratos had not seen the weapon drawn up from the ground, nor anticipated the swift shots which were abruptly stolen before they could meet their target.

~Meanwhile~

The moment the young officer was gone from sight, Ulric dropped down into the dirt and changed form, rolling as he did so and coming to his feet just as quickly! He was off at a run, unknowing what was happening with his pack, and fearing for both Zeit and Logan. He did not know the whereabouts of Jackie or Kratos, but he knew that the Beta had gone to answer Logan's call for help and that gunfire had been heard shortly thereafter.

  So running with casual haste, not expecting what lay ahead of him, Ulric came nearer to the place of the commotion and heard the voice of a girl speaking. He caught only a few words from what was said, and then he heard the shouts of a man, followed by the sudden sound of gunfire, and when he came upon the scene - Kimberly had fallen to the ground!

  There wasn't time to think, and if Ulric had been someone else, he might have hesitated, might have paused and been taken in by the cruel clasp of shock and confusion. But he was not, and he went straightway to the most immediate need in the area.

  "No, don't move her!" Ulric shouted as he fell on his knees beside the wounded officer not moments after Zeit had laid her down. "Someone call for help!"

  There was no knowing if anyone had the means to call an emergency team, and he himself had no knowledge on how to tend a gunshot wound, but instinctively he gave his service to the need that was in his ability to meet; At the very moment he found himself helpless to be of physical aid, Ulric took the officer's hand firmly in his and set his eyes upon hers to draw her focus.

  "It's alright," he said, speaking softly now but determinedly. "The dogs will be fine, they'll be okay. Hold on."

  All while these things transpired the great Alpha did not withdraw. His gaze turned toward the man whose weapon had caused the hurt, then he looked to the young woman who had in self-sacrifice pleaded with him. But there was nothing that could be told of the way he thought or felt; He was silent, and did not move, leaving nothing to be seen or said.

 When Zeit gently nudged the Alpha, prompting him to come away, he tilted his ears back in acknowledgement, and then at last he complied. The man that was held captive to the ground was now released and the large black beast turned and walked away in the direction of his friend.

  Ulric would not go just yet, he had work to do here, which he would not forsake. He did not look up when his adoptive brother and leader turned away, but held onto Kimberly and silently urged her to endure. The dog's voices he could hear, and he promised that he would not let them go unanswered, but for the present the young officer's condition was the most pressing matter.  

  "Help will need someone to direct them here," Ulric thought presently, and he looked up to see if anyone was moving to action.

 After a short time following in Zeit's footsteps, leaving the scene and the urgency behind them, Kratos motioned for the Beta to stop. He did not glance over his shoulder or even act as if there were trouble behind him, but he spoke calmly and turned toward Zeit.

  "You are hurt. Sit down." He instructed in that deep commanding voice of his, though it was gentle in a way that only others who knew him would know. Then the great black beast vanished away, and standing in its stead was the large man who knelt in the darkness near his friend.

  Unbeknownst to anyone but himself, this was the place where Kratos had instructed Jackie to wait, however he wasn't surprised to find that she had gone. It would have been hoping against all reason if he expected that she had obeyed. But he could not go and look for her just then, and that troubled him in a way which no one knew. Yet he was solemn and quiet, his eyes that still glinted and reflected every light were focused, and for everything telling about him he was calm...

---(~Dez~)---

Roger did not wait long to start working. After Kimberly was rested before him, he stood up and reached for his cell phone, though a grim expression was present on his face. As he called them and began explaining the situation, he walked towards the sound of barking, releasing the animals once he discovered their location.

Kimberly meanwhile had cast her green eyes towards Ulric, wrapping her fingers lightly around the mans hand as she offered him a small and brief smile, before it was stolen away by a grimace of pain. She knew that the chances of her own survival were slim to none, and if she did it would be nothing short of a miracle. So it was, before her death, she had already accepted it. "W-what's your name?" she asked slowly, her voice an echo of a whisper.

The dogs, even old Axel with his aching leg, bolted up to her and approached the female opposite of Ulric. Their own concerns were expressed through a series of whimpers and whines, as they alternated between examining her wounds and licking her face and hand. She raised her free hand and sat it on Axel's head, and he in turn rested his head lightly on her chest. "It's al.. alright boys." she muttered, even through her pain her voice was lit up with it's usual peppiness. "These are g-good dogs, please make sure.. make sure they have good lives.."

Then, silence ensued. The shallow breaths became distant and slow, and her little grasp on Ulric's hand loosed. Even the dogs quieted, and the next moment her last breath had been breathed.

At this moment, Roger returned to the scene. He stopped by a tree, and let the phone drop from his ear, clicking it off and lowering his head, all but concealing his face beneath a large hand.

---

Upon hearing the commotion - namely, Ulric’s voice after a series of gunshots, growls and barks - Logan went back to the clearing, however she stayed hidden. From her place she could see Ulric’s form beside the body of the young officer, and no sooner than she had painted an image of what happened did she twist around to the back of the tree and stare into the night with such unbelieving and surprise, that she wished it to be a dream. She dare not go out and face the Little Alpha now, and instead she did what she was best at, when confronted with regret or shame - she took off. She stopped only when she came to a clearing with a small flowing stream. Upon reached it, she slowly sat down beside it's gentle current and one fist she slammed against the gravel, with the other hand she covered her face much like Roger had done.

The silence surrounding her was broken by the clopping of hooves against the gravel, and alerted, she looked behind her to see Daylight standing there. Standing slowly, she offered  hand for the creature to study, and when she seemed unfazed, Logan moved closer, petting her face before grasping her reins and once again beginning towards the scene.

---(~May~)---

As every mortal hand at some point discovers, Ulric had no power to hold onto Kimberly's spirit, and all he could do was wait beside her to offer what comfort he could and bid her safe passage into the unseen realm.

  It should not have been this way. He was a stranger to her, and it should have been her family or loved ones that saw her off. But the choice had not been his, and somehow it was he that was called upon to see her through the gates of mortality; No other responsibility rested on him more heavily, and he did the part well.

  Softening his hand's embrace, Ulric gave up his will and would now wait with Kimberly for the brief time it would take before she was gone. As he did, he spoke quietly in reply to her inquiry.

  "Ulric Shragron," He said, and he struggled a moment before he added, "Thank you. Thank you."

  The tears surely came and they were well, for Kimberly had given her life for another in the line of duty and in the protection of her fellow officer. No honor could do her justice in this world, but for the reward she would receive in the next Ulric was faithful, and his mind wandered back to the teachings of his mother many years ago...

 There would be no doubt that Ulric would see to Kimberly's beloved companions as much as it was in his ability to do so, and he made the promise known before the young woman had stepped away from them in mortality. When she had gone, Ulric bowed his head and wept with what strength remained in him. Then he wiped his face and laid Kimberly's hand gently down.

 Standing, Ulric now looked to the other officer who was bent down in anguish for the action which had claimed Kimberly's life. There was nothing that could be said or done that would bring much comfort just then, yet there was a great deal of comforting that needed doing, and now that Kimberly was safe from her pain, Ulric's service was needed elsewhere. Thus he forsook his caution to reach out to the mourning officer.

  The dogs, too, would need comfort after a while, but whether everything was naturally accepted by them or beyond their understanding, they became quiet so Ulric let them be with their master.

---(~HG~)---

The smaller wolf  wondered what all was on her Alpha’s mind, knowing her injury should be the last thing for him to need to think about right now. One bullet had grazed her and the second had hit, but it wasn’t that bad, the bullet just needed to be removed eventually. There were other pressing matters to go after, such as wrangling up the rest of the pack and bringing them home. With all of the drama of the night, everyone just needed to get back to the ranch and sleep.  Once everyone was safe at home and rested, then Ziet could issue out the extra ranch work for punishments and figure out some tactful way to annoy Kratos, without fully irritating him and making him mad.

When Kratos stopped and issued the command to her, she did as he said. Even if she followed orders, didn’t mean should could be happy with it. Or complain. “It’s not that bad, I’ll be fine” she replied with a huff, the wolf  looking over to get a good view of the actual wound as well, “The pack needs to get home. That’s more important.”  For a moment, she took a good look at the wound, knowing it’d be a pain in the butt while it healed, but it would nonetheless, and she would get back to work as soon as she could. Aka, when she went to work and Alpha didn’t know about it.

She could already feel a slight twinge of pain in her side with the Alpha kneeling beside her, not sure what he planned to do right then and there in the middle of the woods. Not to mention she wasn’t quite comfortable with the officers nearby, even if it seemed they had learned their lesson about firing their guns at the wolves. Her biggest hope was that the officers would leave the wounds soon, and avoid trying to hunt down Jackie and Logan, otherwise the pack needed to find those two before they got themselves into even more trouble.

Ziet was about to make another remark when she stiffened, ears going up as she heard a familiar sound of hoofbeats coming back. Her body started to tense, as she tried to figure out whether to stay or to run after the horse and figure out what the hell was going on now.

---(~Soar~)---

Melinda stiffened at the sound of gunshot, although did not stop her progress towards the safety of the bushes.  It was a common trick many people made at that sound—to stiffen like some deer caught in the headlights, thereby allowing the danger to approach steadily closer.  But experience and foresight had allowed the woman to organize, to anticipate the event as easily as one might put paper in a file cabinet.  It was by such mental discipline she managed to drag not only herself but the incapacitated officer next to a nearby bush which partially concealed the two from the scene.  It was only as Melinda breathed a sigh of relief did she dare sneak a glance to see what occurred.  She gathered her breath again.

For all she might have thought of the police officers—their inconvenience to the situation, their ignorance, their bullheadedness—Melinda had not wanted harm to come to them.  They were, ironically, nothing short of innocent bystanders to workings they did not understand.  Melinda looked on quietly at Kimberly’s still form,  with the same detached sadness one might view a run over cat.

Meanwhile, Lyra had begun to stir.  She had, in fact, been tugging at the murky borders of consciousness for some time.  Her mind was racing at what little stimuli she could hear—impact, weight pressing on the forest floor, BOOM BOOM, a woman gasping, a man quietly crying, her body slithering over leaves, two dogs barking.  The final sound seemed of pertinence in a way she could not explain other than the tone of the animals seemed in some way familiar, in some way a comfort… the young officer opened her eyes to the horror in front of her.

The next few moments were frenzied for the young woman.  She did not remember standing, stumbling forward, or even the face of the woman that had dragged her to safety.  It was as if she had suddenly jumped in time.  In one moment she had been on the ground, the next she was next to Kimberly, frantically stroking her hair and seeking for life that had already left.  Time had vanished; there was only the small eternity that contained her horror, her sadness, and her guilt.  The dogs were beside her now; Lyra held one tightly, burying her face into its fur and trying not to see what had become of her commanding officer.

Melinda’s gaze did not rest long on Lyra, and thus it seemed little thought was spared.  Instead, those hazel depths busied on the situation as a whole. Cooper was crying quietly, Kimberly was dead, her ‘date’ was still collecting his senses next to the tree he had been left at, and it seemed one of the instigators had stayed behind.  The situation had shattered before her like glass, with none left capable to put the pieces back together.  Melinda stood.

“What is done is done.  Whether this situation could have been prevented is beyond us now” the words were cold and uncomforting.  Yet still a slight grimace was present in the woman’s face; perhaps she hadn’t meant them to be.

“Do not delve further into what happened and you will find yourself ahead; this tragedy will not be repeated, I assure you.  Bury your dead and avoid this forest and the woods if you wish not to find painful answers”

Now Melinda paused.  She allowed herself to stand straighter, her full height seeming all the taller against those had either shrunken to the ground or were hunched with grief.  She walked slowly, but with purpose, until at last settling on the frightened man near the tree.  He was so unlike his earlier charisma; it seemed that had vanished at the first sign of danger.  He no longer seemed willowy and graceful, but awkward and broken.  His face was shattered into a thousand expressions she could not name. She allowed herself to relish the sight. It was time he listened

“You will return to whoever you work for—IRS, FBI, CIA, or otherwise.  You will not speak of what happened.  And if you do, I am afraid you will not be met with an open audience.  You will tell your supervisors that you found nothing.  The paper trail you had followed of Jacqueline Ryder and myself was a dead end.  You will recommend that the matter not be pursued and that the case is dead.

I am afraid if you think yourself clever and try to continue your investigation.  Well there are some things even you do not wish to know.  If tonight taught you nothing, know that appropriate consequences will be met to those who pry.

The date is over, Tom.  Enjoy your evening”

Melinda did not wait for her words to settle.  She turned sharply and walked away, her form blending quickly into the darkness.  The poise in which she walked suggested she had just ditched a rude date rather than witnessing an unspeakable terror. Much needed to be done, but now it could be done without others to impede her progress.

---(~Dez~)---

One could only imagine the thoughts swarming through Rogers mind, not unlike a stirred hive of bees. He could hear Melinda speaking but the words themselves were lost to him. He could only wait in silence, sinking against the base of the tree and unable to cast another glance towards the body of his fallen officer. Not all of the condolences in the world, nor any gesture would calm his mind right now. Kimberly was shot and her life swept away, but her death undoubtedly left Roger and perhaps even others with mental wounds that no medicine could touch. Instead all they could do was wait. For some, it could be days, for others months, maybe years to heal.

Lyra needed comforting, but Roger had nothing to offer himself, firstly because his own mental state was in ruins, and secondly he could not face her. The shame and guilt weighed on him like a heavy shadow, and he swore to himself that he would never hold a gun in his hand again. All through this, Ulric’s presence was unknown to him, and yet, like a fire that Roger did not see, there was a warmth that sunk into his subconscious. Had the lad not been there, it wouldn’t be far fetched to say that his pains would have sent him into the darkest and most self destructive pits of despair.

---

Gently pulling Daylight Dreams along by the reins, Logan followed her senses until she came to Kratos and Zeit. At first she had considered going to Ulric, but somehow, Ulric in his sorrow would be so much harder to face than Kratos in all of his wrath. Entering the area slowly, she held out the reins so that Zeit could take them, and when at first she had come up with her chin up, she let out a breath as though she had been holding it in, and with that she turned her head away and again looked to the ground. There was nothing she could say that would be worth speaking at this time, but the things she wanted to say were many.

And still, if you would perhaps see her face in the right light against the darkness, you would realize the veins of salty tears running down her cheeks, then her remorse might be plain to see.

---(~May~)---

Kratos took one short look at Zeit's wounds before meeting her eyes with his own and breathing deeply.

 "You have a very high pain tolerance ma'am," he said respectfully, speaking while his deep voice remained unaltered. "But that does not change the fact that you are in need of medical attention."

 The Alpha lifted his head to consider what needed to be done, but ere he had the chance he suddenly became aware of an approaching presence from behind, followed by the heavy clop of horse hooves and the rustling of the underbrush with which they were concealed. Thus flashing a careful glance over his shoulder, Kratos' bright yellow eyes caught sight of the approaching figure. But it was not with alarm that he recognized her, rather, the person was a familiar one, albeit she was not as she was when he saw her last…

  Logan came leading Daylight Dreams by the reins, her countenance was fallen, and she offered the animal back to its proper owner without so much as a word. Kratos acknowledged that her appearance was changed before him, he had never seen her so dismayed and disheartened. The cause of it was known to him however, and he guessed that Logan had seen the outcome of what she and Jackie had undoubtedly intended to be a harmless little romp. But there was no place in his heart for anger when he saw her; he knew the lesson she was learning to be a hard one, and compassion, more than discipline would be called for to help her understand it.

  The Alpha himself had learned this lesson a long time ago, when as a consequence of neglecting to heed the warnings and council of a wise father, others fell in the path of harm and he was powerless to prevent it. Yes, indeed he knew it well, and it was why he had set out so many years ago.

  As surely as the Alpha could see beyond the darkness through the eyes of a man as well as that of a beast, Logan's tears did not go unnoticed by him. However he did not draw any attention to this matter, but arose from the ground and lay a large firm hand on her shoulder. The moment was brief, and he did not say anything, but the gesture was left to convey words unspoken before he withdrew his hand and looked again to Zeit.

 "We need to get you to Sabrina." The Alpha said decidedly, then he looked around at the forest as if seeking something, and at last rested his eyes again between the respective parties.

"Logan, I need you to stay with Zeit," He said, and he spoke in the same deep voice that was gentle to those that knew it. Then he pointed forcefully at the ground by the tree, adding, "And Zeit, stay here. I'll go find Miss Ryder, and then I will look for you two here. If I do not find you, there will be worse things to come."

"Stay here." Were the words repeated before Kratos left. He would waste no time and he went swiftly into the bramble to search for Jackie. What he would find, he was not certain, but it was not necessary that he be certain; All that remained was to get his family home before morning...

  

~~~~

Ulric stayed nearby the weeping officers, as he would continue to do throughout the night until help arrived. He did not know what good he was doing, or how to do more than just be there, but his whole heart yearned to comfort those around him and strengthen them in a way he knew not how.

 It was in that moment that Ulric would call upon the memory of a dear woman who knew better than he how to treat a wounded heart and comfort a broken soul. As a child it was not in his ability to understand the influence of her example, but he had observed with the attentiveness that all children give when they feel the importance of their parent's teachings, and as a result it had stayed with him throughout his youth.

 So it was that Ulric knelt beside Roger in his mourning and would not let him be alone, he would stay by him when words and action could not be enough, and remain there as a hand to keep him from the consuming darkness for as long as he was called upon to do so.

  It was during this tender time, as he waited beside Roger with eyes downcast upon the black ground, that Ulric overheard the words of Melinda as she spoke to Tom.

 Whether the woman had spoken quietly to the fallen man alone or otherwise, Ulric did not know, yet because his ears were keen he heard every word. Even so he could not understand them, and what was more perplexing than the words was the cool way with which they were said. It stirred deep confusion in Ulric's mind, and this confusion in earnest to be contradicted caused him to lift his eyes and behold the woman who had spoken. However, though his gaze rested upon her, it brought no greater understanding, and as the darkness shrouded his vision of this character, he saw naught but a shadowy silhouette step away into the night.

 Ulric wondered how this woman could say such things and walk away, when a heart was in need of healing and she had arms to offer an embrace to Lyra. But after she had gone he did not think anymore on it, and though he wondered after her ways and the things she had said many times after that night, he did not judge her and looked to his own responsibilities.

 So it was that he would watch her go, baffled by her foreboding words and having understood only one thing that she had said; that being the name of Jacqueline Ryder...

 The night would be long, but help was to arrive shortly and already sounds of it could be heard drawing nigh through the woods. So Ulric would wait with the officers until then, and only then would he slip back into the bramble from whence he had come. No one but Kimberly would ever know his name, and he would go solemnly home to consider all that had happened that night...

 Many more times before morning tears would dappen his face, and Ulric would be utterly spent ere he returned to his pack as the sun rose over the ranch.

Ch 7; The Midnight Gala

---(~Soar~)---

The very air had a luxurious quality, as if the night were a fine cloth that hid those hapless souls who dared stride in its depths.  All the forest creatures had made their way to bed—no crickets could be heard, no night birds could be seen fluttering beyond eye’s reach, nor any moving shadows.  Yet it was not a stillness that gripped the heart in terror, for truly what could be seen was mesmerizing in beauty.  Scattered diamonds twinkled through the dark shapes of trees.  An outline of a stream trickled like a fine wine.  Even the trees were dressed in their finest foliage and bowed a slow waltz in the wind.

Yet there was a reason all creatures that could move had chosen to tuck their paws, claws, and beaks into the safety of their homes rather than attend this lavish party.  Such beauty was a measured thing that did not come cheap to see.  Already one woman had died to be a part of the evening’s festivities.  The woods promised more entertainment to offer its anxious guests that evening.

---

That was the third time Melinda had passed the same tree.  It was easy enough to recognize, with a large scar running the length of its trunk and the thick swath of vines which engulfed it.  Perhaps such unusual botany might have been interesting to observe on a sunny afternoon, but Melinda was all too aware this was not the case; it was not just the darkness that set Melinda on edge.

The forest had eyes.  Some belonged to the birds, crickets, and squirrels which had hidden themselves away into the brush.  Yet some of those eyes belonged to nameless presences that hid in the trees, watching her every move like it might be her last.  Every time Melinda spun to meet these observers eye to eye, she would find nothing.  Yet occasionally she would swear to have seen the slightest amount of movement flicker at the edge of her periphery.

It was paranoia, of course.  Without guidance in the forest, Melinda found herself hopelessly lost in dark and unfamiliar territory.  She didn’t even know what direction she was heading, let alone where the road might be.  Whether it was cruel irony or her own hubris, by disposing of Tom, Melinda had lost any hope of navigating the woods with accuracy.  Her earlier confidence had vanished like fire in the rain.  She was lost, alone, and powerless to protect herself from any sinister forces that lingered in the woods.

The bushes ahead began to rustle urgently and it was all Melinda could do to stay standing.  Her heart was an urgent, fluttering thing that would be barely contained within her chest.   No longer was it amusing to consider how quickly she had broken Tom’s persona against that tree.  Rather, she found herself wondering how long it might take herself to fall under similar circumstances...

The figure approached and Melinda relaxed.

“Hello Melinda.  So lovely to see you again after all this time.  You never call, you never write.  I would have thought you could spare more thought to your dear sister”

Melinda drew her lips into a stern line and reclaimed her poise.

“I see you haven’t dropped your games, Jaqueline,” her eyes narrowed pointedly at Jackie’s playful banter,” But if you wish to still call me sister then by all means, go ahead.  Perhaps you will treat a sister with more courtesy than you treat your coworkers”.

The air began to ring with silence;   Melinda credited it a talent to have brought the red-head at a loss for words.  Yet this was far from the truth.   Rather, Jackie was considering her next words carefully.  Even her demeanor changed from a jovial grin to grim focus.

“Actually sister, I’ve decided I am finished with games tonight.  I think it’s time to clean up the mess”

Melinda hesitated, but only for a moment, “Walk me back to the road?  There are many things that need to be discussed”

---(~May~)---

While somber events bloomed in subtle tranquility and secrets were in concealment exchanged, two witnesses watched on in silence unbroken, and made unspoken their stay. Like the forlorn wind their presence was felt but not recognized by human hearts; it was invisible beyond the bramble, unseen and unknown in the darkness, and yet surely there...

 Lengthy shadowed boughs and thorny vine entanglements assisted in camouflaging Diane with her environment, her figure appeared one with it, and so she was, for the night was her element of many generations. Her sharp green eyes were as reflective steel foil while her long dark lashes dulled the unnatural glint thereof. Her gaze was keen on those who she watched, but it would not betray her to their sight.

  What had those eyes seen? Perhaps an easier question to answer was what they had not; Diane had not seen the exchange between Ulric and Kimberly moments before the Officer's death, nor had she seen Alpha Kratos reveal himself and then depart with his Beta. She could not have gotten close enough without being detected when the first few shots rang through the air, but she had heard the gunfire and the roar of a creature whose might was spoken without words. When Kimberly died, Diane was in the shadows and she saw many things that the others did not, but such things would not be known in this story, and she slipped off soundlessly in pursuit of the one who had drawn her here in the first place...

 Surely Diane had never gone too far away, though she had slipped from the stage to the curtain, holding her act beyond the notice of audience and performer alike. Yet now she was called to the scene once more before all to take a bow, and this time she brought with her another who likewise danced beyond the spectators view; Though once unaccompanied Diane was no more, and thus watching on with eyes keener than even her own, the dark haired princess gathered the pieces of a puzzle unknown.

 "Quite a pity." The words stayed upon her lips and were not put to voice, yet spoken readily enough in contemplation.  "That ignorance should overthrow devise and fear consume compassion while secrets prevail, with no light to illuminate the mystery... Yes, tis a pity. But while I yet linger let us see what I may have, that perhaps tomorrow might shed some new enlightenment upon all that has transpired this night."

  It was Diane's upset at having her curiosity so abruptly demolished and her plans ravenously frustrated that set her thoughts in this way; truly she had sought the name of Officer Kimberly with purpose and had been pleased with her success, but now it was for naught and a story ended before it had begun. However, her aggravation would not be seen by her companion, and though she felt the turn of events unforgivable, she would learn to put it aside.

  Now Diane's focus was trained on Melinda, and the werewolf rogue whose identity and loyalties she wondered at while the two passed just out of sight.

  "Interesting." Diane whispered softly as she watched both transcend beyond her view. Glancing to her much taller companion, she almost seemed to inquire after his observations for the answer to the riddle. Yet the notion was dismissed a moment later when she came gracefully from hiding and took soundlessly forward to follow her objective.

---(~Dez~)---

 It was one thing to observe what had previously befallen the groups that they studied.. watching the events collapse into place like a bad train wreck. To process all that had happened was not something an outsider could do so easily, however that didn't mean Silas was completely unreceptive to the weight that the air carried. When Diane cast him a glance, she would only see bitter contemplation. Nevertheless, all of these emotions were forced into a corner of his mind that was seldom visited, and he returned his full focus on the task at hand.

Silas followed Diane, although he followed or matched her pace while taking a slightly different, more roundabout route, so to stay near to the thickest lines of trees where he felt most comfortable.

While Diane's focus may have been on the red head and the mysterious and cold Melinda, his focus jumped from one place to another in a trained pattern. No one place was focused on too much or too little.. he had heard the voice of the large beast, the alpha as he knew it, and surely this man would not let his lost sheep stray much further.. unless she was not his main concern, which was a possibility as well. It seemed anything could happen at any time, and Silas could hear the sound of the ambulance growing nearer yet.. the game had to be coming to an end by now.

---(~Soar~)---

Melinda did not put further thought into the invisible eyes that were watching her with great interest.  Bedraggled, shivering, and tired as she was, she had no time to concern herself over the motives of those prying eyes.  It was all she could do but to glare into the trees, daring these invisible gremlins to even try to block her walk home to a nice warm bed.  

Jackie was less brazen.  Her expression was guarded and even the slightest noise would cause her eyes to dart wildly and investigate the disturbance from her periphery.  Though like Melinda she could not actively sense the beings lurked beyond night’s veil, keen senses allowed her to sense the slightest whisper of their presence.   Sometimes she would catch the slightest movement from the corner of her eye or the rattle of foliage in the distance.  When investigated more thoroughly, she would find nothing; what she heard or saw could easily have been a startled night lark.  However, the night had held too many secrets for her to believe she would be so lucky.

Melinda tolerated Jackie’s silence for a time, perhaps amusing herself on what signs she was reading from the air.  But patience was not a thing that ran in a reservoir for Melinda and the silence shattered into the air.

“You said you wanted to talk? Talk”

Jackie did not turn to look at Melinda, as her eyes were still busied on some distant sight or sound, but she answered her sister all the same, “We’re almost at the main road.  It can wait until then. “

Melinda chuckled cruelly,” Really now Jaqueline, this caution isn’t like you.  I’m sure nothing of great importance could be said here that would compromise us”

The change was almost immediate.   Jackie’s busy eyes and stony expression fell away like morning dew evaporating in the sunlight.   The early visage of calm and certainty had been but a mask, Melinda could see it now.  There was a guarded weariness she had not expected to see, as if she were a cornered wolverine ready to attack anything that came near it.  Melinda might have almost feared it, if she weren’t more afraid by the other things in the forest.

“Well if you insist, dear sister of mine,” Jackie stopped abruptly, so suddenly that Melinda nearly tripped.  Had Jackie not instinctually steadied her, Melinda suspected she might have.

“I’m tired Melinda,” she growled harshly,” I’ve had fun playing criminal for the evening and now that game is done.  Scrub the police records, silence the newspapers, and write this away as a ‘misunderstanding’.  I’m done”

Whether it was daring on Melinda’s end or an attempt to quell her growing anxiety, she laughed.  It was a cold shrill laugh that made even Melinda’s hair on end.  Still she curled her lips as though that atrocity had not happened.

“You think it’s that easy, do you?  You think it’s like when you were younger; a few speeding tickets here, a minor criminal offense for stealing jewelry was or starting a bar fight was nothing to erase.  But scrubbing a major case like this in a town this small?!  If I had that kind of power, I’d have made myself a millionaire”

“Don’t pull me around Melinda,” Jackie began walking quickly towards the road once more,” I know what you’re capable of.  With Father’s help, you could rename a species if you wanted to.  So you will do this.  And then you will leave me alone”

It was a few moments before Melinda spoke once more, but once she did a steady confidence held her tone,” You like to call us family.  And yet, you never think much of what the word really means.  Family never leaves Jacqueline.  Perhaps you ought to reconsider what we are to you.”

“I have thought about it,” Jackie steadied her eyes on Melinda, her gaze lingering perhaps a second too long, “And I decided I’d like you to leave”

Melinda’s gaze was filled with steely contempt,“You have a duty, Jacqueline! That cannot be forgot—“

With a forceful shove, Melinda was sent stumbling onto the road.

---(~Dez~)---

Logan had long done exactly as the Alpha instructed, she stayed in the vicinity of Zeit, sitting against a tree although she sat at an angle that left her facing away from the female, so she hoped to feel isolated from the other in her shame and sorrow. Surely now the night was growing thin, and they would be back at the cabins soon, but maybe sleep would favor some more than others this night..

Now the wailing of the sirens were clear, and soon even the flashes of the lights could be seen against some of the more distant trees and brush.

Roger received a call and, with a dry and raw voice, he began to guide the emergency response team through the forest and to their current position. Once the beams of their flashlights became apparent, he stood. His tall beanstalk body trembled but supported him anyway, and he moved to greet the crew and guide them the remainder of the way..

Most of what would transpire over the upcoming moments would be as so; the team would arrive at the scene, unaware of Logan, Zeit and their animal not far off. They would find Tom and Lyra, and they along with Roger and the dogs, would be ushered into vehicles (Axel and Tyranny designated to accompany Lyra) and given trauma blankets. Of course, Kimberly would be declared deceased.. All standard procedures were covered, and as soon as they came they would go, leaving only the trees and those who were concealed within their shadows to whisper and consider what had happened.

---(~May~)---

Diane had followed as closely as she dared. Though there was nothing said that made the puzzle any more clear, she was still gathering the small pieces which might bring to light a fuller picture.

  It was curious when both voices hushed together, and Diane paused amid her considerations to listen now more carefully. Her back was to a tree, her chin turned over her shoulder, and her ear in the direction from whence the voices became silent - interrupted by the sound of a brief struggle.

  Steadily, and very cautiously, Diane hazard a glimpse beyond her cover to see what might have happened. There was a great deal of bramble to obscure her view, but she thought she saw one of the two still standing, while the other had gone out of sight. That seemed a nice enough clue if any to what had happened beyond her view; Diane knew from recent experience and observation that the rogue werewolf was not a team player, therefore the interaction could be assumed...

 After catching this glimpse, Diane withdrew and listened ever still. It was her intention to await patiently what would surely come, she would keep her place unknown and trust her companion to do the same for his.

It was then, quite suddenly, when Diane became aware of another presence in the area. It was not seen, but she felt it; to her, it seemed the very atmosphere of the forest changed on account of how well attuned she was with her surroundings. It was chilling to recognize that no small or insignificant creature could have caused such a change, and more alarming still to have felt its presence without being able to pinpoint its location. Surely there was a predator here, one that could go confidently unseen, which was not good news to Diane.

  Instinctively the dark haired woman lowered herself to the ground and became more defensive of her position. She did not know if her companion was attune enough to have felt the change she had, but she did not gesture for him to do the same and instead gave careful attention to what he might do for himself...

---(~Dez~)---

The actions of Jacqueline Ryder were not lost completely from Silas' current position, near the thin line of forest trees that lined the roadside. At first, his figure had been crouched somewhere mid way on the branch of the tree, studying the fiery haired women, who was soon without the company of the other..

Then, an eerie silence befell them.. it was that kind of silence that Silas knew very well. It made every breath, every heartbeat, feel as though it was a heavy drum against the backdrop of the night, and it would make one contemplate even a miniscule bead of sweat located on their body, lending them to wonder if it might hit the ground with a noise that could shatter the sound barrier.

This was the quiet he was trained for.

He backed up into the base of the tree and sunk against the branch, slowly, carefully but most importantly without a sound, melting easily into the shadow of it's large body. Diane's own movements were known to him from his position, and from then on he kept a watchful eye on his ally. At this point, every glance, breath and movement was calculated by Silas beforehand. The rocks, shrubs, trees.. not one thing that was in his line of sight was left unconsidered, and for what he could not see, he listened intentively, so that even the smallest shudder of a leaf would not be given a mental nod of acknowledgement.

---(~Soar~)---

Melinda nearly tripped as her feet met the asphalt.  As she steadied herself on the black road, she glared back into the forest like an indignant, ruffled bird.   Things had not gone as planned; one too many deaths had occurred on her watch, a few too many secrets lingered in the air, and dear sister’s motives could only be guessed at.  The road would bring her home to a cozy bed and a hot meal—her shivering grumbling body urged her to do so.  But too many questions in those woods remained unanswered; Melinda was obliged to answer them.  Nothing would deny her that satisfaction—certainly Jacqueline was not a force powerful enough to even stop her.

Fuming, Melinda found herself stumbling back into the woods again.  The night was so dark that without Jackie’s guidance, the woman found herself clawing in the dark to navigate the thick trees.

“Alright sister, what is it you want?  A clean record?  A clean start?  A real family?”

Melinda stumbled on a rock and some breathe was knocked from her lungs.  But no matter, there was plenty more of it.

“You could have that, you know.  You don’t need to fight against us to get these things”

The woods were growing eerily quiet.  Even Melinda noticed it and her spine was itching with suspense, but the woman was too stubborn and too tired to stop her search.  In any case, she had most certainly lost the road again in the inky black night and no other path existed but to stumble forward into the woods.

“Well Jacqueline?” Melinda hissed lowly like a tea kettle, “Are you going to keep hiding like a terrified dog in a thunderstorm, or are you going to face the rain?  You’re in too deep to keep running.  If you don’t face me then you’ll have to—“

Hands shot out of the darkness, wrapping around Melinda’s mouth and restraining her with urgent force.  She squirmed against those hands, her mouth struggling to make a sound despite them until—

“Idiot,” Jackie’s voice growled and Melinda stopped squirming at once, “You were supposed to leave.  Now we’re both going to have to face him”

Jackie’s hands released Melinda so she was free to tumble into the woods as much as she wished—but she didn’t dare.  It was too late to run; her arrogance had ensured that.  The forest had fallen so quiet not even the leaves dared to rustle. Stupid, she had been stupid to think she could play with the monsters in the night.  She most certainly could have been at a hotel by now with a warm stew and clean clothes.  

---(~May~)---

There was a heavy sigh in the darkness, a sound loud enough for every ear to hear.

  The hunter had come. With what ease he brought himself there, no one could say, nor from which direction. Had he come carefully, or was it with foreboding confidence? There could be no sure answer, yet he had come in silence, and left scarce doubt that the moment his breath fell in with the night it was intended to draw upon all to witness for themselves what stood nigh.

  Staring out beyond the black obscurity the steely gaze of the beast was seen. He watched, but he did not move, and yet all too suddenly he was revealed! Not moments ago what was perceived as more of the same black bramble was suddenly breathing, and as if the eyes lifted the blackness to their purpose, the full magnitude of the monster was uncloaked for all to behold!

  Diane likely was not the first to set eyes upon him - a massive black form standing amid the trees unmoving in the darkness. He had not seen her, but even from her low position Diane had seen him. His large body was bent over as if upon the forest floor, but even so in comparison to the tall trees by which he stood there could be little doubt that the girth of his shoulders would exceed the average height of a man.

  Fear was instinctive, so sudden was his appearance, and every moment reaffirmed the truth that what Diane beheld was no natural beast nor timid hunter. His silhouette against the blue and grey hues was terrifying and bold, especially with all that she immediately observed about him; her eyes unnaturally keen and trained; primal initiative had his size and position accurately guessed within an instant, even with deep thickets and heavy entanglements such as obstructed Diane's view.

  Yet for all the natural responses that were ignited, Diane was still in mastery of herself. Her breathing was paced and awe quickly replaced alarm as she gazed around the tree where she stood. The monster was not near enough to be an immediate danger to her discretion, nonetheless her caution became exemplary.

  That the attention of the great werewolf was not turned in her direction was a small comfort to Diane, one she utilized to steady her own instinct. She could see his eyes as clearly as could the others, and she knew he was watching the woman Melinda, but with such great attentiveness it seemed his gaze so unrelenting that Diane cautiously receded from him. However, she continued to watch on from her position to see what would unfold...

  But as keen as her eyes were, Diane was mistaken in her observation; Kratos' sharp yellow gaze had not one, but two targets, between which his attention carefully swayed. He was not here for Melinda.

 Save for his earlier breath meant to alert the others to his presence, the great hunter had become quiet again. Silence and foreboding hung in the air, but it was clear that the time of decision had not been fully passed to him, and it yet remained in the hands of another to decide.

---(~Soar~)---

The morning was peaceful, and the baby blue skies seemed to almost hum with content.  Recent rains had provided water to a small crevice in a grassy-green hill.  It had become a child’s dream, rich with frogspawn and cool water to relieve the heat of the day.  In the distance, it could be seen one such child had found interest in this pond. But Melinda, a young lady of sixteen, had outgrown this kind of delight.  With an air of a miffed cat, she continued down the dirt path.

The path dappled morning light pleasantly on her face.  The overhanging trees were low, low enough to climb even, but Melinda was hardly tempted.  She’d seen what happened to Jacqueline whenever she clambered in those boughs; she came back covered in mud, bugs, and scrapes.  Instead she walked down the dirt path, her long pink skirt flowing like liquid in the breeze. Melinda continued forward, clutching papers to her chest with clear poise and purpose.

Soon the young lady stopped; she had become aware of a second set of feet following close behind.  She spun on her heel with the eloquence of a ballerina, only to meet the eyes of a grizzled old man with blue eyes and grey hair.

“Sir…? ,” the girl intoned lightly, so the word served both a formality and a question.  She clutched her papers tighter when the man did not answer, forcing her to clear her throat and phrase the question appropriately, “ Mr. Falker, is there something I need to do?  I’ve brought all the papers you asked me to study outside.  The day looks nice.  But if I’m needed inside…”

The man studied the girl, his eyes lingering on both her papers and her studious expression,” Interesting you would think a day like this is meant for studying.  Why not join your sister?  She seems rather interested in that pond…”

Melinda’s cheeks flushed immediately,” She’s not my sister, she’s just another stra—“

A look in the man’s eyes silenced the girl, “Perhaps not in blood, but that is no reason to reject her in spirit.  She is your sister”

A bile taste filled Melinda’s mouth, the kind that made her tongue want to argue further, but she clenched her jaw and swallowed it, ”Y-yes I understand, I just, well,” she stared intently at a cloud for a passing moment, reaffirming her thoughts until her voice was once more clear and precise, “I just don’t like a muddy pond like her.  I prefer the words on the pages, that is all.  They make sense”

The man smiled to this and Melinda thought this meant she ought to be happy too—but something always held her at guard in sharing his happiness.  It was often a fleeting thing, and when it disappeared, moodiness was far too quick to take hold. She managed only a quick smile in return.

“Ah how different my two girls are.  It’s truly lovely to see what fine young women you are becoming.  Melinda with her sharp mind and dear Jackie with her adventurous spirit,” the man’s smile turned bitter, “A shame we could not freeze this moment forever”

Melinda dared a question, though her instinct rebelled against it… “Sir?”

Was it sadness Melinda saw in his eyes right then, or something else?  She dared not to look into his eyes longer than she must, “Nothing can last forever Melinda, no matter how hard we try to the contrary.  While your talents are only for play now… I am afraid there will come a day when they will find a much more serious purpose,” the man’s eyes lingered hard on the girl playing in the pond and when the man spoke, Melinda thought these next words more an idle thought than a thing meant to be said aloud, “I am afraid some sacrifices will have to be made”

A distant cry could be heard.  The girl in the pond had found something and was splashing urgently in the water to grab a better hold.  After shoving the thing into her jacket and restraining it harshly, she began racing up the dirt path with her find.  The thing was thrashing violently and hissing in her jacket, but the girl’s mud-caked arms held it steady and her smile was almost as bright as her red hair.

“Papa, lookit what I found,” the girl cried.  She cautiously lifted a flap of her muddy jacket, revealing a wriggling scaly leg.

The man studied the leg with some interest and dared a faint smile, “That appears to be quite the snapping turtle Jackie.  It doesn’t take one of ordinary skill to catch one barehanded and not lose a few fingers”

It was now, at a moment of perfect bliss and ease—a day that ought to be framed in her memory of perfect happiness that a cold chill crept down Melinda’s spine. Falker’s cold blue eyes were looking at the girl as though she was something different than a child and less than even a human, the way one might weigh livestock before sending it out to be slaughtered.   Falker insisted she call this girl ‘sister’ but she had never known it common practice to befriend a lamb marked for slaughter.

The morning light never felt so cold on her shoulders.

----

Melinda was pressed against a tree tightly.  She was not even attempting to hide herself from the dark beast that approached, but rather hide her eyes from its form.  It was terrifying to even hear, it’s heavy steps making a faint thud that could be felt in the tremors of her spine.  It was like a basilisk; she feared a full look at it might paralyze her.

She did not hear smaller footsteps approaching, but they must have; for soon Melinda felt a warm hand bracing her firmly on the shoulder and ripping her harshly from her tree.

“Listen up pea-brain.  You are going to leave this time.  He’s not interested in you and won’t care if you leave”

Melinda couldn’t make her feet move.  Jackie exhaled harsh air from her nostrils.

“Are you stupid?  I said run.  The road is close by, even you should be able to find it,” Melinda felt herself once more being shoved, her feet struggling to hold her weight.  Melinda exhaled quickly and her panicked eyes steadied.  It was time to go.

Melinda gripped tightly into Jackie’s palm, her fingernails leaving a faint mark in her skin.  Melinda tugged, so subtle that the tension could barely be noticed.  Yet Jackie stiffened regardless, her hand unyielding to even that faint force. In unison, the two women shared a quick glance, one so fleeting it was gone as soon as it was created.  But in that small look, a mutual understanding had been made.

Melinda released her grip, her arm falling slack at her side as she turned away from Jackie entirely.  In an instant, Melinda was stumbling through the woods like a panicked rabbit escaping a certain danger.  Jackie did not watch her disappear into the woods, but rather starred onward as the black beast approached with a gaze that betrayed neither fear nor relief.

Some sacrifices had to be made.

---(~Dez~)---

This seemed a waiting game.

At least, until one loud and sturdy breath came about and broke the tensity of the silence. That was all it took, one breath.. and now Silas had a chance to observe from his perch the massive creature that had loosed it.

Diane was not alone in her awe. She was however, in the recession of her caution.. Silas would not afford this monster even a grain of predictability. He peered on from his position, as well as he could to study the yellow eyes that seemed so focused.. and yet he could not help but carefully consider Diane's position. This was no large brute.. everything about his posture, from the way Silas perceived it at least, was calculated. Every movement, every breath, was surely being considered by the massive beast. This would set off warning signals in Silas' mind, and though he would certainly not let his emotions and body betray him - he was too skilled for that - the idea that something so large could possess stealth that perhaps even exceeded his own.. Silas being someone who had many years to hone such a skill.. it was not an easy thing to comprehend, let alone come to terms with.

Melinda was gone again. There was some mutual understanding between she and Jackie, it seemed, though that was their own secret to know, and then the woman was gone. All the better - she was only going to make things complicated, although his interests in her were not simply snuffed out in that instant either; rather they were carefully tucked away in Silas’ seemingly endless reservoir of things to research.

Now as he observed as the two remaining strangers, neither one oblivious to the others presence, stood in waiting. He felt again at a standstill..

There was much yet to be learned, but Silas felt like, for now, they had reaped enough knowledge from their venture.. quietly Silas retreated to the opposite side of the tree, where he would carefully remove a small blow gun that was tucked under his belt.. after which point, he proceeded to load it with a dart, never betraying his silence. And then he turned back round to the other side of the tree, holding his breath and having already lifted the weapon to his mouth. With a quiet and trained breath, he sent the dart flying - and the small weapon landed just before Diane's foot, in a patch of dirt so it would not make a sound. He could only hope it was just as silent in the ears of the beast, and more so that Diane would understand what he was trying to translate to her...

---(~May~)---

Of all the titles that could be given him, blindness was not one of them, for if he were known as ‘Kratos the Blind’ surely he would have no claim upon his position.   No indeed, the Alpha saw much and more still, all of which went unsaid, but none so apparent to him more than that Jackie stood to defend the other woman, even from him. Perhaps it was for this reason that he did not at first approach, but it seemed unlikely, for surely had he intended it nothing in the area combined could have hindered him...

  Rising slowly now from the forest floor the Alpha's gaze steadied upon the red-headed woman before him, and at last he moved forward. He came so quietly, and it was almost inconceivable that not a branch was heard to give way beneath him though his great girth weighed down deep into the earth. At last his eyes became level with that of Jackie, and now he stood near enough for his breath to warm the bitter draft out of the air around her.

  "Come." His voice was so low and deep that it seemed to vibrate the air, though it was but a whisper. "We cannot stay here."

  Diane adjusted her position. While she had hidden beneath the bushes she had made several observations, many of which could not be confirmed visually. Yet the thickets were not so thick as to completely obscure her view, and she had spied something about the great werewolf that had intrigued her enough to draw her up from the ground.

 In truth she was no less cautious now than she had been a moment ago, however, her change in stance appeared questionable. Diane reasoned that at times there were things that could not be helped, and the desire to be certain of what she saw prompted her to sacrifice her stealth to make an expertly precise though perhaps unwise move; Her guard had to be significantly reduced in exchange for greater visual advantages, so having thus risen steadily from the ground in order to peer over the brambles that had served as her cover, Diane spied the object of her interest.

 "I daresay, is that what I believe it is?" She thought to herself, and immediately she was certain. But no sooner had the thought been confirmed in her mind when suddenly she became aware of the dart at her feet and instantly her sharp green gaze lifted in alarm.

  What an insult! Had he believed she were incapable of judging her own position that he felt it his obligation to remind her? Diane's alarm was replaced almost instantly by offence, and yet she credited Silas that although his action seemed nearly akin to a threat, he had not taken the liberty which was so very clearly in his hands.

 So withdrawing a pace to appease her comrade, Diane followed the tree at her back again to the ground. She knew of course that now that she had secured the information, it was time to retreat as Silas had suggested, lest things turn in their direction and they be discovered. Yet she could not help feeling that there was more to be gained, or at least that the safest retreat would undoubtedly be to simply wait until the other two had moved off. Therefore flashing a glance up at the trees, Diane very clearly made her mind known. "Keep your position." She instructed, and turned her ear again toward the other two werewolves.

---(~Soar~)---

Melinda could feel the woods bowing aside, brambles sharply piercing exposed skin, and dimly sense danger growing farther away.  Time had ceased to function as she knew it; she could have been running for no more than a few minutes, or perhaps even hours.  When she would recollect on the night’s passing the next morning, Melinda would recall nothing more than a few scattered images of the entire passing.

It was some indeterminate time later that Melinda arrived on the road.  Her hands were shaking.  A thousand angry red lines were traced all over her exposed legs and hands and stung bitterly in the clear air.  Her legs began to quiver violently and the call of gravity grew stronger by each passing minute.  Before she realized what had been happening, she found she was seated on the asphalt and her legs limb beside her.

How long Melinda sat on the asphalt was a thing to be speculated.  Even she found time once more eluded her.  And if she were to consider back on whatever has possessed her mind in that passage of time, she could not recall what it was—other than, perhaps, fear of being alone in the dark.  Yet as the bright headlights of a passing vehicle illuminated the road, the darkness was broken, and Melinda became alive as she scrambled to get out of the vehicle’s way…

A squeal of tire on pavements—a police car stopped.  A flustered driver came out and cursed profusely, only to notice the clearly dazed shock of Melinda as she stood but a few yards from the tires.   The officer asked her a few questions, of which Melinda could manage no more than a few worded-answers.  A metallic blanket was draped over her shoulders and she was offered a ride back to the station.

It was only once she was several minutes she became aware she was not alone in the back of the police car.  Poor ‘Tom’ was staring at her and a thousand words were caught at the edge of his throat.  The man had not made so much as a sound to interest her attention; though much of his face was draped in shadow, she could still see the broken expression he had worn last time she had seen him.

“You don’t want to know” was Melinda’s only reply.  That was all that was needed.  Tom never glanced at her again, and Melinda was given the peace she needed to gather herself for the slurry of questions the police would have.

----

Jackie was as still as a statue as Kratos approached.  She seemed more a sculpture than a woman, with her body possessed with such stillness it seemed unnatural.  She didn’t so even blink or breathe for those few moments.  It was as though she were nothing more than a mold and the human underneath it all had been spirited away.

It was only as Kratos spoke did breath and tension to escape her.   Her legs threatened to bow beneath her and her arms shook with the warm vibration in the air.  It was only her eyes that had kept their intensity, filled with an emotion that could not be named beyond its clear strength and seemed scarcely contained within her eyes alone.

“I know,” she mumbled, her eyes cautiously meeting the black beasts’ yellow gaze.

She could feel every expression begin to leak out through the cracks of her face, and her limbs to shake with the powerful emotion she had sought to keep in.  The emotion wouldn’t be put back in its bottle, try though she did with strangled breathless cries.   There was no explanation she could offer, no apology worth words.   The revelation made breathing feel like fire.

But Kratos was right; such was not the time for these things.   The forest was filled with eyes and nothing could be said without an audience knowing.  She stared at the trees for a few moments, detecting nothing but still knowing someone had already seen her at her most vulnerable.  The thought filled her with bile anger and she was half tempted to scream at the trees until they answered… but she swallowed the bitter taste.  It was not the trees she was angry at.

She wiped the scalding liquid from her face with the sleeve of her dress, and then glanced swiftly towards Kratos.  She once more locked eyes with him, perhaps seeking his opinion, before motioning her hand weakly forward as if to say ‘lead the way’

---(~Dez~)---

Silas caught Diane’s offense in her posture, and mentally shook his head at the reaction. Still, her previous alert had piqued his curiosity, and he couldn’t help but wonder if she might share with him what was seen from the bramble below.

All other thoughts aside, he turned his focus on the two figures who interacted with a guardedness of themselves.. Perhaps Diane was right in staying until they had left; it seemed the  time of those they watched within the shadows of this forest was growing stretched and worn. From what Silas had observed, it was assumed with some confidence that there would be no more struggle. Even for the fiery female, the night had smoldered into nothing but a weak and faltering ash pile. Though it was not immediately obvious, it could be well assumed that everyone's spirits were tired and beat from the events, and their bodies would feel the aches of the day well into the next.

Silas’ eyes rested on the large black figure and they narrowed in consideration..

‘What about you, big guy? Members of your pack are defeated and beat.. do you stay as you are? Or are you wearing a facade for their sake? Surely you’re still a man, and will share a few tears with your pack, if only in secret..?”

---

Meanwhile, with the horse and Zeit, Logan had drifted off into a rest,  though one that would tread between a true sleep and being fully conscious. She was ready to go home, whenever that time would come.

----

---(~May~)---

A hush moved over the wooded area and everything became still.

  To Diane it was unnerving. She listened over her shoulder for informing sounds or breaths in the least, but the world fell quiet. She had no visual, and as the silence deepened it began to play on her mind. She began to wonder if the other two had already somehow slipped off without a sound, but she knew this could not be, the timing was all wrong, and this mere feeling alone would not convince her to alter her position.

  It seemed as if a great moment passed, all the while Diane became stiflingly conscious of the slightest rustle behind the branches. Even her own movements seemed to cause such a startling racket that she scarcely dared to breathe. It was as if there was no wind at all, like the bushes themselves were ready at any moment to betray her. While her anxious ears awaited a sound that delayed its coming, the solemnity of the night caused time to slip from precision and reason.

  Cautiously, Diane now turned a glance up at the trees wherein Silas concealed himself, perhaps hoping to find a sign in him to detail what was taking place beyond her view.

However, despite her hopes, Diane and her companion would find that nothing further would be known to unwanted eyes as with ears. The great Alpha did not move nor did he speak, and no eye save Jackie's alone glimpsed what was hidden beneath his brow.

When Jackie lifted her eyes to meet Kratos for the second time, it was then that he opened the truth of the matter to her, and for her alone to see what was there.

  Surely it was the face of a beast that met her gaze, because it was nothing like the face of a man. It was long and dark, covered in thick fur from beard to brow. And yet, every feature boldly declared that this was not an animal, neither slight nor great. There was deep emotion behind his eyes that nothing less than a man could comprehend, and in those eyes was purpose and understanding far greater than could be described in the gold and red fibres that composed them. How strange it was to behold.

 It was in this moment that something was expressed far beyond words; an acknowledgment of the harm that was done that night and the hurt more than anything else.

  Kratos did not say a word, though a complicated puzzle unfolded in Jackie's view, and still so much lay beyond sight. It was in eyes as clear as glass, and expression as soft as the fur that framed his gaze, that there was found a deep abiding sorrow and tender compassion. He conveyed an understanding, so much so that it could not be doubted that he felt the hurt as if it were his own, and yet he did not show how this could be, for whether it was experience or empathy alone was uncertain. Kratos said nothing, and although it seemed as if this brief time prolonged itself in the hearts and minds of those present, the moment did not last long, and soon Kratos withdrew.

  He had not forgotten that Zeit and Logan were still waiting for them.

Ch 8; No Place Amid Briars

Jackie did not look at Kratos again after his gaze dropped from hers.  Her eyes stayed steeled on the forest floor, watching her feet move one in front of the other.  The bite of the wind tunneled under her thin, ragged dress but she did not flinch or shiver.   

Almost there

She acknowledged to herself, though she did not know where ‘there’ was or how long she had been walking with Kratos.  She tilted her head just a few degrees up, to scan the new foreign trees and catalogue the new location.  They were farther from the main road now but not close to the river either.  By all accounts, they were in the middle of nowhere.

But no, that wasn’t right.  With a tired acknowledgement, she could sense something familiar in this place.  Was it a tree she could recall?  Or else a scent?  She was too tired to pin what it was she was sensing and simply concluded this: Logan and Zeit were near now.

At the thought of Logan, her fingers automatically strayed towards the pocket of her dress.  Before she could understand why, she brushed against something wet and smooth inside that resisted her touch.  Her grip closed around it, retrieving it from the depths of the pocket, and her eyes squinted against the dim light to make it out.

It was a photo.  She couldn’t tell what it had been.  The moisture had caused the ink to run in a multi-toned wash of color.  There was a distinct form here or there, a finger, part of an eye, the edge of a collar… the image of Logan’s grandfather.

She shoved the image back into her pocket and pretended she had seen nothing.  Logan would be better off not knowing tonight.

--- (~Dez~) ---

‘Remember... like everything that falls into the water, no matter how big or little, every action you do will have a consequence, and, likewise to water, every action you do in life has a rippling effect that may or may not affect those around you, positively or negatively. Except, life isn’t always as unpredictable as water, and you can decide how your actions affect others.’

She didn’t understand it at the time, but now as she sat, dazed and tired, it was the only thing that was clear. She stared down at her hands, considering all that had happened.. if their actions caused ripples in water, then what had happened that day, which began as such a seemingly harmless venture, would attribute to a roaring wave.

Logan clenched her fists. Never again did she want to lead others to pain by her actions. Now she realized Kratos wasn’t her enemy or against her. Rather,  he simply didn’t want to let her actions bring anybody else pain.

‘How ironic..’ she thought to herself, ‘He is really like grandfather in his wisdom, but a creature my grandfather hates so much..’

So now she vowed to herself to do whatever it would take, to only affect others positively, or at least neutrally.. and if serving Kratos and the pack with obedience and humility was the only way to achieve this, then she would accept it with an open mind.

Yet little did she know, this would not be the last time she would unrest placid waters, and place those around her in way of roaring storms.

Now hearing the footsteps and catching the familiar scents of the Alpha and Jackie, Logan stood, supported by the tree behind her and looked expectantly in the direction from which the sounds were present, and began herself towards them.

She first spotted Jackie, but did not pay her more than a moments glance, before she looked to Kratos and then to the ground again.  “Alpha, I want to go home.”

---