I want to talk to some actualfoxenbefore I care what Wade says about this place. It’s looking more and like he’s the one who needs an attitude adjustment.
Timber snorted. “Wade change his attitude? Can you teach a wolf to sit and stay?”
Canyon didn’t respond. Wade was the boss of everything. He was the Citlali for the entire region, born with a starrenqua, able to talk to Rhen, give prophecy, and immobilize ordinarywolvenwith his mind. He was set in his ways and set in his attitudes… and everyone knew you couldn’t teach a wolf to sit and stay.
We’ll tell him what Reynard did, we’ll do it in front of everyone—see what he says.
“Good plan.”
They finished cleaning up, then grabbed their equipment, packed it up, and took it out of the building, then they locked all the doors and windows behind themselves, and headed back to the crater. The night was dark and still and quiet and right away they scented that they weren’t alone.
Humans somewhere close,Timber said inruhi.
I see them, right up there.
There were four of them, two males and two females, wearing hiking clothes, all staring into the crater. When they saw Canyon and Timber, they all pointed every which way and talked over each other.
“… lights and explosions up here...”
“… camping on Crimson Ridge...”
“… woke us up….”
“… what was it…?”
Timber flashed his badge. “Aliens, folks, it was aliens. They came down in their spaceship right here—” Timber pointed at the crater, “And they took all the people who lived there,” he said, indicating the destroyed houses all around.
The four humans stared at him, mouths open. Timber nodded and mimed shoving something into something else. “That’s right, they’re all getting probed right now, and this isn’t the first time. These aliens always come back looking for fresh meat so if I were you, I’d run fast, get off the bluff, maybe even out of town, I dunno.”
One of them shook his head. “That’s not true. You’re—” but his friends grabbed at him and pulled at him. They all ran into the trees.
Canyon laughed.You scarred them for life.
As long as they stay away from here, I don’t give a shit. Let’s do this.
Pictures first.
Canyon took out Predator and got to work.
***
Several hours later, under a still-dark sky, they finished their work, then packed up and rucked their way back through the forest to the ATVS, then drove to the substation.
“Let’s go home and get a few hours of sleep, then we’ll find Wade.”
Good call. I’m wiped.
The sound of a vehicle speeding up the bluff caught their attention, and they turned to check it out. It was a long-bed truck, all-black, with a light bar on top and SPD in big letters down both sides.
Harlan Mundelein, another co-worker,wolven, and friend, was driving. He saw them, slammed on the brakes, and started talking inruhibefore he made it into the parking lot.
There’s a ruckus downtown, explosions ‘n shit. We suspect Khain so Trevor wants everyone at SPD.
Harlan, you learnedruhi,Canyon said, mildly surprised.
Yep, when I got my Eventine back, it just popped into my head.
Harlan turned into the parking lot and his police radio crackled loud enough for all to hear. “— units, explosions reported on the 1500 block of Renway Street, and also at Serenity Fire Department.”
