Wild Keepers

by Dee Bridgnorth

  Thad nodded again. “So, he’s behaving in a way you wouldn’t expect him to. That’s worth investigating further—he might be sabotaging finding the cause.” He paused. “He might even be behind it.”

  Caleb’s eyes widened. “Are you saying he might have unleashed it onto the city population?”

  Thad shrugged. “I don’t know,” he said. “It’s worth investigating, as I said. I would be keeping a very close eye on this Dr. Morgan. Find out what you can about him. Do a little snooping in his office, if you can.” He sat down, wiping his face with his hands. “Now tell me about this other person. Allie, was it?”

  Caleb tensed. He didn’t want to talk about Allie with Thad, but he knew he had to.

  “She’s new, like I said.” He paused.

  Should he say she was the most beautiful woman he had ever seen? Or that he had unwittingly turned into the wolf to save her from an attacker on the street, before they had even met? No. Thad would say that he already had a bias and might even take him off the mission. The Wild Keepers had to keep their wits about them when they were working. Although, no one else in the pack could take over from him. They didn’t have the necessary skills for this job, like he did.

  “She’s good at her job,” he continued, gazing down at the floor, so he didn’t have to meet Thad’s eye. “Excellent, in fact. She’s worked hard to try to find the cause, but has met dead ends. She’s open to the possibility of anything, unlike Dr Morgan.”

  “How long has she been working there?” Thad’s voice was even.

  “Two weeks,” Caleb answered. “She’s just recently moved to the city, from a small town. A graduate. She’s excited to have such a good position.”

  “The timing is off,” said Thad slowly. “She just happens to start this job, when this outbreak occurs? Suspicious. She could be a Vilgath, or working for them. They might have got her the job, with the intention of her sabotaging finding the cause.”

  Caleb shook his head, staring at Thad uneasily. “I don’t think so,” he said. “I know that it is a red flag. But my instincts about Allie are that she is a good person. I think it’s just coincidence. Wrong place, wrong time.” Just like her experience with the attacker on the street. Although she had been lucky that he had been around. It had been right place, right time for her then.

  “There is no such thing, in my experience,” said Thad slowly. “Coincidence is never that, in our line of work. Keep your eye on her, too. Investigate her background. Instincts can be wrong, Caleb. You haven’t considered the possibility that Dr. Morgan was a bad person before now, have you?”

  Caleb frowned. He wouldn’t have said that Dr. Morgan was a bad person, if he was asked. But then, he had taken him on face value. A well-respected scientist with years of experience. Passionate about his work.

  “It’s not always about looking for the bad person either, Caleb,” continued Thad. “Good people can be compromised, too. They can be blackmailed, or brainwashed. Forced into it. Any number of things. Even if neither of them are demons, they might have been susceptible to them.”

  Caleb stared at Thad evenly. The alpha leader was good. He saw now why Thad was in this position. It wasn’t just that he was the strongest fighter in the pack. He was also wise. He had always respected Thad, but now that respect grew stronger.

  Even if he knew that Allie was okay and not part of this plot. If there was a plot, at all. It might simply be an outbreak, with no Vilgath involvement at all.

  “I’ll investigate them both,” he said.

  Thad nodded. “Keep all avenues open,” he said. “If the Vilgath are behind this, there is a good chance that it stems from this facility. That’s why I put you there, Caleb. It wasn’t just to find the cause and cure with your science background. These people have knowledge about causes and access. The opportunity.” He paused. “If it is deliberate, it’s unlikely your average person would be responsible. Not in this scenario.”

  Caleb shifted uneasily in his seat. The thought that Allie could be involved in some way with the Vilgath made him feel a bit ill. It wasn’t possible…was it? But he knew that he had to keep an open mind, as Thad had said. Investigating her, along with Dr Morgan, wouldn’t hurt. If anything, it would clear her, so that when he next reported back to Thad, he could say that she was not involved in any way.

  It just seemed…wrong, somehow. As if he were betraying her trust. The connection between them was like a tenuous cord—sometimes pulsing brightly, at other times under threat of breaking completely. He knew he had caused that. He was frightened of getting close to her, as much as he desired it.

  She would never know, anyway, if he investigated her background. And at the end of the day, he had no intention of getting involved with her, so it didn’t matter, did it?

  He had a job to do, pure and simple. And she just happened to be a part of that job, for better or worse.

  ***

  Caleb could see the moon through the skylight. Half-moon. No danger, yet, of turning into the wolf. Another two weeks, give or take. The pack had decided to go camping this time. Out in the desert with the Joshua trees around them. Campfires. The freedom to run as far and as wide as they needed to.

  He sat up in bed, the screen from his laptop illuminating the room. Thad and Evan were in bed, seemingly asleep. The older ones in the pack, and the most senior. Responsible. Shay and Zach had headed out, for a night in the city, and probably wouldn’t be back until very late. He knew that Zach, at least, would be looking for a woman. Shay could be, too, but Caleb knew he was warier. It wasn’t just the fear of losing his place in the pack if he found the right woman with Shay. He was still licking his wounds from a relationship that had turned sour, a while ago.

  Caleb sighed, turning his attention back to the laptop. He had been doing some preliminary searches on Allie. He had decided to get it out of the way, and then concentrate on Dr. Morgan. As much as he could do on the internet, that is, at this late hour. If any red flags came up that he felt needed further investigation, he would take it from there. He tried to stifle the stab of guilt that he felt about peering into her life.

  He had done the usual things: accessed her college transcripts and her social media. She had graduated with honours from her course. He saw that she had been involved with science clubs at college. She had obviously studied hard, and done all the things that she needed to build an impressive resume. This was a woman who was driven and focused. He felt admiration for her flooding through him.

  He flicked through her social media, but there wasn’t much out of the usual there. Photos of her with friends and families at various events over the years. He could see from the photos the type of life that she had. A girl from a good family, who had grown up in a middle-class neighbourhood in a small town.

  She had always been beautiful, he thought, smiling at some awkward teenage photos of her. She had worn braces, once upon a time. She loved her family dog, who had passed away recently.

  His hand hovered over a photo that he had just clicked on. She was with a guy and staring up at him. The guy looked down at her, gazing into her eyes. They looked like they were in the snow, somewhere. Skiing.

  His heart somersaulted just a little. Who was this guy? They were obviously in love. He could tell by everything in the photo: the way their bodies were positioned, turning towards each other. Where their hands were placed, around each other’s waists. And the way they stared at each other, as if they were the only people on earth. Almost oblivious to the camera, or the photographer. Completely wrapped up in each other.

  He felt a low growl, springing up from his belly. Low and menacing. It was a primal response, and if he wasn’t careful, he would start turning into the wolf. He took a deep breath, trying to calm himself.

  He read the caption, underneath the photo: Pete and me, Mt Brymm.

  So, this guy’s name was Pete. And they had been on vacation together, to some winter wonderland. Just doing what normal couples do when they are in love. The type of
thing that he had never been able to do because he had always been too wary to get into a relationship and sabotage his position in the pack.

  It hurt. Staring at the photo of the two of them together. It hurt like hell. He didn’t want this Pete touching her or staring into her eyes. He wanted it to be him there, with her. He wanted to be the one turning her towards him and putting an arm around her waist. He could almost feel what it would be like. How good it would be.

  The growling intensified, in the pit of his stomach. Alarmed, he clicked out of the photo and shut down the computer. He had looked at enough. He had peered into her life, and it had made him uncomfortable. He wasn’t a stalker. There was nothing there to suggest that Allie was a Vilgath or had done anything in her past to be involved with them. Case closed, on that score.

  He put the laptop down and punched his pillow, trying to get comfortable. But sleep evaded him. He stared at the half moon through the skylight. The ever-present moon that controlled his life so much. How could things have been different for him if he wasn’t what he was?

  Was she still with this Pete guy? Were they still together? She hadn’t mentioned him, but then, why would she? It was hard for him to remember that they had only just met, really. And they hadn’t spoken of anything that personal. He had shied away from it, trying to concentrate on the case. Trying to avoid getting close to her.

  He hadn’t seen any recent photos of Allie and this Pete together, but that didn’t mean anything. She might still be with this guy. And the thought of that twisted his heart so badly, he could barely breathe.

  Allie Holloway. She had gotten under his skin, there wasn’t a doubt about it. And she had done it from the moment he had first laid eyes on her, turning him into the wolf.

  The sooner he wrapped up this case, the better. For both their sakes.

  Chapter Eight

  Allie got out of her car slowly, staring at the Covenester Department of Health building in dismay.

  There were reporters everywhere; standing on the front steps and surrounding it. Some had cameramen with them, who were adjusting the lens on their cameras while the reporters tested their microphones. Others merely had notepads and pens, which they clutched idly, waiting to seize the moment.

  What should she do? There was a back entrance into the building, but she had no doubt that was probably surrounded, as well. She just had to brave it and try to walk through the fray. Now she understood the term media circus. She wouldn’t have been surprised to see reporters shimmying up drainpipes or staring down at her from the roof.

  She took a deep breath and walked towards the building. Don’t say anything, she told herself. Not even a yes or a no. Stare straight ahead and don’t betray any emotion. She trembled slightly. She didn’t want to appear on the six o’clock news bulletin. And she certainly didn’t want to be misquoted by some hack from a shock newspaper. She knew that people could lose their jobs if they said the wrong thing to journalists; if they were even misconstrued in the slightest it could look very bad.

  She was almost there. The reporters saw her coming and looked up. Like a pack of lions that had just caught the first whiff of prey, she thought, darkly.

  A few started walking quickly towards her.

  “Excuse me, excuse me, do you work for the Department of Health?”

  “What is your position with the department?”

  “Your name, please, miss?”

  “Can you give us some information on what the department is doing to find out the cause of this epidemic?”

  She smiled as neutrally as she could but ignored their questions. Stare straight ahead, she told herself again. She tried to slow down her walk, so that it didn’t look as if she was running away from them, but it was hard. Her instinct was to hightail it through their midst as quickly as possible.

  And then she saw him. Approaching the steps from the left side. Caleb Stone. He was dressed in his usual well-cut grey suit, his black hair slicked back. He looked very professional, and oh so handsome. Of course. He would be in his usual VIP parking spot, which was close to the building. That was why she hadn’t seen him until now.

  The reporters turned, staring at Caleb. Some stayed with her, still asking questions, but quite a few decided to badger him. Well, why wouldn’t they? thought Allie. He looked way more impressive than she did; they obviously thought he had a high position in the department.

  He stared at her, ignoring the reporters as if they were a swarm of annoying insects hovering around him.

  Her heart stopped, just a little. That intense gaze of his. Those impossible green eyes that seemed to reach down into the bottom of her very soul.

  He was beside her, walking alongside. He was so close, she could smell his cologne. It was lemony and crisp. But very masculine.

  He opened the door to the building, shielding her from the reporters. And then, they were inside.

  She had done it. She trembled slightly from the aftermath of nerves, snaking a shaking hand through her hair. She took a deep, restorative breath.

  “Are you okay, Allie?” He was staring down at her.

  She nodded, forcing a bright smile onto her face. “Yes, of course. I just wasn’t expecting to have to deal with that this morning. It was a bit disconcerting.”

  Caleb nodded, still staring at her. “Your first media scrum? It’s hard, isn’t it?”

  “You’ve done that before?” she asked, staring at him in amazement. “I wouldn’t have thought a college lecturer would be hounded by paparazzi.”

  He laughed, tilting his head back. “Hardly. But occasionally I have had to deal with the media, over the years. Not quite as intensely as now, though.”

  Was that a good generic answer? He could hardly tell her the truth: that he had dealt with the media through a few other cases. When he had been assuming roles and identities other than his own. That once he had even been on the other side, posing as a reporter. He let out a small sigh of relief when she nodded and dropped the subject.

  They started walking up the stairs, past the main reception point. Allie could feel Carol, the receptionist, eyes on them as they passed. Was that envy in the woman’s eyes? Allie smiled to herself and tossed back her hair. It was ridiculous, she knew, but she was proud to be near him. And even a little bit smug that it was her walking beside such a man.

  Janelle approached them as soon as they entered the main office cubicle space.

  “Did you like the welcoming committee?” she said, smiling. “I almost turned and ran when I saw them all there this morning! Anyway, just letting you both know that Dr. Morgan’s called a meeting starting pretty much…” she looked down, staring at her wristwatch “…now. I’ll bring in coffees for you both, if you like.”

  Allie sighed. “Can I put my bag at my desk, at least?”

  “Of course,” smiled Janelle. “I didn’t mean to bombard you as soon as you walked in the door, but Dr. Morgan insisted that I get to you both as soon as possible.” She paused, her smile widening. “No rest for the wicked!” She started walking away.

  “Milk, two sugars,” Caleb called after her.

  “Anything for you, Mr. Stone,” Janelle called back, over her shoulder.

  ***

  Allie turned slightly in her chair, picking up the coffee that Janelle had just placed on the table. It was sweet and hot. Which was a good thing, considering how the day had already started.

  A swarm of reporters. Having to deal with Caleb Stone during it. A meeting as soon as she walked in the door. And now, sitting across from them with a look of thunder on his face, was the mayor of Covenester himself. Mr. Paul Walker.

  He was a man in late middle age, Allie thought, if she were to hazard a guess. Slightly thinning brown hair, streaked with grey. Bulging eyes that darted around the room before coming to rest stonily on the people around him.

  Dr. Morgan was sitting next to him, staring down at the papers spread out in front of him. He didn’t look happy, either. In fact, he looked under siege. Cale
b was sitting opposite her, his face impassive. He stared at the mayor, as if he couldn’t quite work out what the man was or why he was here.

  “We all have our jobs, of course,” the mayor was saying. “And I do appreciate the skill of jobs like your own, and how it takes time to get results. But this is getting out of hand.”

  “Mr. Walker,” said Dr. Morgan, sighing, “we are working as hard as we can to isolate what the cause of this outbreak is.”

  “Are you?” said the mayor, leaning forward in his chair. “I don’t think that you appreciate what is happening here, Dr. Morgan. The media is creating a panic. We have more admissions to the city hospitals and people dying. Everyone is accountable.”

  “Mr. Walker,” said Caleb. His face was stony. “We are investigating. The media will do what it will. I would think that your main concern would be for us to have accurate results rather than look good for the media.”

  The mayor blanched. “Mr. Stone, my first concern is always for the wellbeing of the inhabitants of this city. Finding a timely solution will save lives, may I remind you.”

  “Of course,” said Caleb, his eyes narrowing. “That is what we all want. But coming in here and pressuring the situation will not make the process faster. We should be in the lab, or doing research right now. Not wasting time in meetings like this.”

  Dr. Morgan smiled nervously. “I am sure that the mayor is not trying to pressure us,” he said, glancing sideways at the man apologetically. “The bottom line is, we are working hard, Mr. Walker. We realise the increasing urgency of the situation, and we are doing our best to get to the bottom of it.”

  “And what is that?” barked the mayor, staring around the table. “I have seen the reports.” He picked up a folder on the table. “Apparently, no sign of pathogens in blood samples, bacteria or virus. What is it, then? If it’s not a virus, what the hell is causing these people to be sick?”