He looked around at Valentina’s collection of books, journals, and artifacts.
“I guess I’m a little surprised to hear you asking for advice. Didn’t you tell me you’re the most knowledgeable cryptonaturalist when we first met?”
“That’s not how knowledge works, Mr. Green. A foundational strength of humanity is our diversity. Diversity of thought, experience, and perspective. That strength is meaningless if we don’t ask each other for help. Unshakable confidence in one’s own ability and judgment is the surest sign of a fool.”
“Okay, well, what about the other thing she mentioned? Trying willpower?”
“Yes, I also made a minor attempt at willing it shut as well, though it might be worth it to try again. Intending a semi-corporeal doorway shut from the outside is more art than science, but it has been done.”
He pinched the bridge of his nose, wishing he had something useful to contribute.
“I don’t know if it’s connected to the wolf, but I know I’ll rest easier when it’s gone. I warned Alf and Jerome to stay away, but I’m not sure they took me seriously.”
Valentina nodded.
“There’s a second message.”
She turned back to the broadcast box. She flipped the switch again.
“Ranger Reem. Ranger Station Orion. Calling Valentina Blackwood. Ranger Cheng asked me to call you first. There’s been another death in your area and…it appears to carry the same markers as the deaths at Kinkaid Cabins.”
Green slumped into a chair and felt his stomach drop. His thoughts filled with dead black eyes, crisscrossed with pine needles, staring at him with painful absence.
“The body of an elderly man was found on the outskirts of Hickory, not far from Iverson’s Run. Time of death unknown, but if the pattern holds he would have died last night. Continuing to monitor for updates. We received your supplemental materials on the birds you collected. Analyzing now. Please call in any new developments on your end. And…Valentina…if there’s anything more we can do, don’t hesitate.”
The box clicked and went silent.
She rose and retrieved a map of the area, unfolding it on the little table.
“The attacks we know of happened here, here, here, and here.”
She made four circles in pencil.
“Your campsite. Mr. Cartwright. Kinkaid Cabins. And now here at the edge of Hickory.”
She drew a tiny X.
“This is the location of the Hole in Nothing. You’ll notice it is nearly in the center of the four incidents.”
She drew a broad circle around all her marks.
“I would estimate we are dealing with an area of around twelve square miles. Thus far, it is a fairly small area of effect.”
“That doesn’t sound that small.”
“Out here, it is quite common for twelve square miles to includevery few human structures. There are only two structures left in this immediate area that make likely targets if our predator is actively seeking human victims.”
She drew two more circles.
“A seasonal Girl Scout camp, which is currently unoccupied, and a small stable that boards horses. There is also the Count and Countess gas station and the nearest edge of Hickory proper, but the emergent pattern suggests that the attacker prefers dark and seclusion. I think the stable is a likely next target.”
Green felt his pulse increase from a walk to a trot.
“Okay, what do we do?”
“I plan to keep watch at the stable tonight. I am not asking you to join me.”
“Of course I’m going to join you.”
