“Who arethey?”
“A group that’s been cropping up in cases lately inside the city. Dangerous cases.”
“But why would they come all the way out here? What do they want with all these animals? Is it to do with that liquid you had us test?” Bianca asked.
“I don’t know,” Wren said, and he hated that was the answer.
This place was supposed to be what it was named after. A sanctuary and safe haven for all those that had been cruelly treated…and yes, that included humans sometimes. The people Wren had hired all had their stories, but the thing that bound them together was a joint fight and cause.
Bianca was one of the first people he’d hired on when he’d built the place, his cursebreaker obligations making it necessary. She was an activist who’d had one too many wraps on the knuckles from the local police for anyone else to take a chance on her.
Except Wren, who didn’t see purple hair, tattoos, and a rap sheet. He only saw the good she had done rescuing animals from testing facilities or sneaking into zoos to expose poor treatment.
“I’ll brief the team and we’ll do extra walkarounds.” Bianca set her jaw stubbornly. “I’ll sleep in the break room if I have to. No one is getting in here.”
Wren half smiled. “Use the house, at least.”
She looked scandalized. “Before you?”
“It’s been sitting there for years now—”
“For when you move in.”
Wren laughed without humor. “Yeah, sure.”
“One day it’ll happen,” she said confidently. “And no one else is stepping foot in there until it does.”
Wren didn’t share her optimism. He glanced toward the tiny structure even though it wasn’t in view. He could picture every detail clearly though—he’d been drawing it since he was a child. A tiny home with green shutters and a green door, big enough to nest inside with no extra space to make it feel cavernous or lonely. There was a soft surface in every room to fall onto, and the bed in the loft room took up nearly the entire floor. And in the corner, a desk with an empty chair gathering dust.
He looked away and indicated for Bianca to follow him before the image could swallow him whole. “I’ll send the wiped footage in. Maybe they can recover something from it.”
Bianca matched his step in her dirty hiking boots. “Sure. Maybe they can be useful for once and actually spend resources on things that matter.”
“Were the animals disturbed?” Wren asked.
“Not that I know of. Tina and I checked everyone over thoroughly before I called you,” she said. “The only one it’s hard to know with is Sable. He’s still pining.”
Wren made a sad pout. “Poor kitty.”
“I’m pretty sure he’s in love with you. Scratch that—the whole sanctuary is in love with you, so I suppose it’s not that much different, but Sable really takes it to new heights.”
They exited the woodland and headed to the entrance of the main building that housed all the admin and staff spaces. The storage rooms for feed and indoor enclosures were in different buildings scattered throughout the thirty acres of land Wren had spent every slate he had on.
They didn’t bother wiping their boots, tracking in dirt that accumulated on top of what was already there. Bianca unhooked her utility belt from her green overalls and hung it up nextto some others, a keychain of a plush frog marking it as unmistakably hers.
“I’ll go talk to him,” Wren said, greeting Blu as he flew over from the perch Wren had left him on. “Maybe stay overnight if a case doesn’t come in.”
Bianca grinned. “We would appreciate it. He’s always a little more workable after a visit from you. We can update the board.”
Wren looked at theNaughty Animal of the Dayposter that was pinned on the wall. Underneath it was Sable’s grumpy face and the note:hid from Tina, then snuck up on her and pushed her into the water. (I know it was on purpose, he thinks he’s slick.)
Wren smothered his giggle behind his hand.
“Don’t let Tina catch you laughing. She’s still salty about it. She swears retribution by giving him less snackies.”
“He was just playing. He deserves snackies.”
Bianca rolled her eyes. “Of course you’d think that. Good news is that Tina went into the city to do some fundraising, so you’re safe to do it behind her back.”
