“Kowalski, here. Ruthie just called. There was an explosion in the Courtyard, maybe more than one, but not near the shops. I’m heading there now. Thought you should know.”
Then the Utilities Complex was probably the target of one of those explosions. “How can you get there?”
“I do some cross-country skiing. I can make it to the Courtyard.”
He understood why Kowalski wanted to get to Ruth, but how were the Others going to respond to any human right now, especially an armed man? “You take care, Karl, and stay in touch.”
“Yes, sir.”
When Monty stepped outside, Louis Gresh was waiting for him.
“I heard,” Louis said. “You’re going to need help. And you’re going to need someone driving who can handle this snow.”
“Thanks,” Monty said as they got in Louis’s car.
“Just doing my part to keep us alive,” Louis replied.
As they reached the intersection of Parkside and Chestnut, they saw the flashing lights of patrol cars and emergency vehicles. Louis shook his head and continued on Chestnut. “We’ll go up Main Street. We’ll have the best chance of getting through that way.”
Monty just nodded—and hoped they got through in time.
The special messenger and his fourth man caught up to the three he’d sent to chase down the benefactor’s property. They were idling in front of a black wrought-iron fence.
According to the information he’d been given, the damn female was supposed to be physically weak and without the practical knowledge needed to operate machines or drive vehicles. Unless they were following a decoy, which he didn’t believe, the benefactor’s information was out of date.
“Where?” he snapped.
“She left the pup with the old man who lives in that little building,” one man reported. “We saw her turn onto the road up there.” He pointed. “We’ll have no trouble catching her.”
Maybe not, he thought. But there were things happening now that hadn’t shown up during their testing forays—like those snow funnels that appeared out of nowhere and disappeared just as fast. In addition to that, the team that had set fire to the barn wasn’t answering their radios anymore, and the men who came in through the western breach in the fence were talking about the ground shaking and water twisting up into frozen walls, blocking their escape. They were heading for the exit around where the Crows roosted or whatever the fuck Crows did. Trouble was, according to the map Asia Crane had provided, the Wolves were between the western breach and the Corvine gate.
Maybe he should have wondered why the money had been so good for this assignment, but he hadn’t, and none of them would get anything if the property wasn’t reacquired.
He wagged a finger at two of the men. At least Asia Crane’s fumbling had supplied them with a bonus acquisition. “You two get the pup from the old man. We’ll reacquire the property, and then we’ll all get out of here.”
That said, the messenger raced up the road the property had taken.
Simon and Blair carried Ferus into the bodywalker’s den in the Wolfgard Complex and laid him in the bed of straw she had prepared.
“Bullets,” she growled as she unwrapped the blankets. “Are the monkeys with the guns still alive?”
“No,” Blair replied.
She nodded in satisfaction, then said, “Go. I will do what I can, and Namid will decide if he is to remain with us or become a part of Thaisia.”
They backed out and looked at each other, not sure where they were most needed—until Simon heard Sam’s panicked <Arroooo! Arrooooo! Meg’s gone! Meg’s gone!>
<Sam!> Simon called. <Where are you?>
The pup didn’t answer him, but Vlad did.
The Sanguinati gathered around Erebus’s home, all smoke and shadows as the two men pushed open the gate and stepped into the Chambers. Sam had stopped trying to escape from Erebus’s arms and now howled and howled as if his puppy heart was broken.
Erebus stood on the threshold, smiling at the prey who were so obliging to bring themselves to the feast.
“Give us the pup, old man,” one of the monkeys said.
“Eh?” Erebus replied, turning his head as if to hear the words better. As if he couldn’t hear a heartbeat anywhere within Sanguinati land.
“Give us the pup if you know what’s good for you.”
“Come, little one,” Erebus whispered, taking a step back. “This is not for you to see.”
“Hey!” one monkey shouted as the two men rushed toward the closing door.
<They are more than prey,> Erebus said, his words rolling through all the Sanguinati. <They are enemies of our Meg, and they are enemies of the Sanguinati. Take them away and punish them.>
Vlad was so startled by the words, his smoke form condensed into a partial human shape. Punishment was a death that took days and broke the mind before it destroyed the body. Only the most hated enemies were condemned in that way, and the words told him the depth of Erebus’s hatred for these particular humans. So Grandfather’s next words didn’t surprise him.
<Vlad. Find our Meg. Keep her safe.>
As his kin surrounded the two intruders, he sent a message to Simon. <Sam is with Grandfather.> Then he shifted fully to smoke and pursued the men who were pursuing Meg.
Asia picked herself up, still not sure what happened. They hit something. Or something hit them. But she’d heard the sound of bone breaking before the driver went flying and the snowmobile went up a snowbank at a bad angle and tipped over. Lucky for her, she bailed out before it tipped, but . . .
Had she really seen a giant bear made out of snow just before the accident? Impossible!
Asia glanced at the dead man and swallowed hard. Then again, something had swiped off the man’s face.
A howl rose from behind her. She didn’t know squat about the supposed tonal qualities of Wolf howls, but that particular Wolf sounded pissed off, and she didn’t want to run into him.
She took a step toward the snowmobile, thinking she could right it and drive out of the Courtyard, maybe all the way back to her apartment, where she would pack and be ready to leave town as soon as the driving ban lifted.
Something nearby growled.
Stepping away from the snowmobile, she began walking toward the Market Square and the parking lot. She didn’t give a damn about the driving ban. She’d just get her car unstuck and get out of town.
Nothing growled as she continued walking, but another howl was flung to the night sky—and was answered.
Asia broke into a jog.
Meg braked too hard and did a 360-degree spin before regaining control and stomping on the power pedal. She’d be scared later about what she’d just done. Right now, she had to get to the lake. She wasn’t sure if Winter would be there, but Spring would be. Maybe Air and Water too. She hadn’t met Earth or Fire, the other two cousins, but she’d filled a couple of library requests for each of them in the past week. If they were around, they would help her. Wouldn’t they?
A yellow triangle next to the power bar warned her that the BOW wasn’t going to run much longer. Behind her, she glimpsed lights. Those men, the enemy, were still after her.
Almost to the Courtyard Creek Bridge. And once she crossed the bridge, she would be in the Elementals’ part of the Courtyard.
Simon stripped off his clothes, shifted to Wolf, and burst out of the Wolfgard Complex, followed by Blair and Elliot. <Meg!>
<She’s headed for the lake,> Vlad reported. <There are three intruders behind her, and I’m behind them.>
The lake. Not too far from the Wolfgard land, then. Not far from him.