Wild Keepers

by Dee Bridgnorth

  “We are exploring other ideas,” said Allie, clearing her throat. “We haven’t ruled out a pathogen, but there could be another cause. Environmental, or parasitic...”

  “A parasite?” The mayor raised his eyebrows. “You mean, like a tapeworm?”

  “There are many different types of parasites,” said Caleb slowly. “The most common are intestinal and rarely fatal. In fact, many people live with them all the time, with no symptoms. We are talking about a deadly parasite, one that is not usually found in this part of the world.”

  “Now, now,” said Dr. Morgan, spreading his hands wide. “We are getting ahead of ourselves. The chances of a deadly parasite as the cause is not high, and we shouldn’t be leading Mr. Walker down that path.” He took a deep breath. “I still believe that it is a virus or bacteria. Perhaps a new strain of something that we are not familiar with. That is why we are still pursuing that as our main focus.”

  The mayor drummed his fingers on the table, then stood up. “I will leave you to it. But just remember, time is ticking. We don’t want accusations of incompetence levelled against your department, Dr. Morgan. Or an investigation after this is over.” He took a deep breath. “I have an election coming up, and I swear to you I will not be defeated under a cloud of scandal because your department isn’t doing its job properly.” He gathered his papers, stuffing them into his briefcase.

  Dr. Morgan paled. “We are very far from incompetent, Mr. Walker.”

  “Well, time will tell,” said the mayor shortly. “Just remember, the eyes of the whole city are focused on you, now.” He paused. “The annual Harvest Parade is coming up, too. This event attracts thousands into the city and is a key revenue earner for businesses. Not to mention how it boosts the reputation of Covenester as a tourist destination. I wouldn’t want any of this to put it in jeopardy.” He nodded to them all then swept out of the room.

  “What a jerk,” said Caleb, staring at the door. “I’m glad I didn’t vote for him.”

  Dr. Morgan stood up. “That may well be, Mr. Stone, but unfortunately, he is a jerk with power,” he said. “We have to work with these people. They have the authority to audit us and make life difficult. We don’t work in academic ivory towers here.”

  “More’s the pity,” said Caleb acidly. “If you didn’t have bureaucrats like that breathing down your neck, it would make it easier to do the job properly.” He stood up. “Is that it, Dr. Morgan? We should get to work. For the sake of the city populace, not Mr. Walker and his election results, I might add.”

  Dr. Morgan nodded. “Yes, you should both be hard at it, right now. That meeting was a waste of time.” He paused. “Remember, our focus in on pathogens. This theory about a parasite is not the road we want to go down. It would be a dead end.”

  Caleb stared at him through narrowed eyes. But he nodded, turning towards Allie. “Ready? We should talk what the plan of attack is going to be today before we get started.”

  Allie nodded, standing up. “Fine by me.”

  They both left the room. Dr. Morgan stood there for a moment, staring after them. Then, he turned to the phone in the corner. He picked it up and dialled a number.

  “Yes,” he said. “It’s me. I need all the information you can get on a Caleb Stone.”

  ***

  Allie spooned sugar into her coffee, stirring it absentmindedly. She felt guilty about taking even this short break from her work. But she had worked through her lunch break again, and she had been starting to lose focus.

  She stared around the café. There weren’t many people in here at this time in the afternoon. A man sat hunched over the counter, reading a newspaper. Even though she sat a distance from him, she could read the headlines about what was happening in the city of Covenester.

  She sighed, sipping her coffee, staring down at the iced donut that she had purchased distastefully. The icing looked so hard she thought she would probably be able to crack it with her sugar spoon, and the dough looked lumpy. But it had been one of the only things left, and she was hungry.

  She thought back over the meeting that morning and her work since. She hadn’t liked the mayor. A blustering, self-important man who was more concerned with his image than anything else. Caleb hadn’t liked him, either.

  Caleb. He had hardly spoken to her since the meeting. Merely discussed what they were doing and started work. She could tell by the frown on his face that he wasn’t happy with Dr. Morgan’s command to keep looking for pathogens. And she was starting to believe, too, that this was a dead end.

  More blood samples had come through, from the latest who had fallen ill. Again, nothing. How long could she waste time like this, looking for something that simply wasn’t there? She sipped her coffee, feeling frustration begin to overwhelm her.

  Oh, no. She could see Caleb walking towards the café. He had obviously decided to have a break as well. She stared down at her cell phone, pretending to be absorbed in it, and sinking lower into the booth. Maybe he wouldn’t see her, or if he did, he might decide not to disturb her if she looked busy.

  She hardly knew why she was acting this way, but it had been instinctive. The attraction that she felt for him was starting to become all-consuming, and it frightened her just a little. Plus, it was obvious that he wasn’t interested in her, anyway. Nothing good could come of feeding this crush.

  And who was he, anyway? She thought back to the previous night, seeing him walking into that warehouse in a seedy part of the city. What was he doing? Why would Caleb Stone, eminent expert in pathogens who lectured at a university, be in that part of the city, never mind entering an abandoned warehouse in the dark?

  The answer was obvious: he was hiding something. Some part of his life, that wasn’t good.

  She stared at the screen of her cell phone, as if it might suddenly reveal the answer to her. She knew she was being ridiculous. It was none of her business—the guy had a right to go anywhere, after all. There was no law against being in that part of the city. But still, uneasiness flooded through her.

  “Can I join you?”

  She jumped. He was hovering at the edge of the booth she was sitting in, coffee cup in hand. He gazed down at her with those vivid green eyes, which made her feel she was melting inside.

  “Of course,” she said, not smiling. Perhaps that was the way that she should deal with him from now on. Not engage. Short, sharp, and to the point. Business-like.

  And why had he sought her out, anyway? Half the time he was cold towards her. She couldn’t work that out, either.

  He slid into the booth, opposite her. She stared at his hands around his coffee cup. She had noticed before how large they were, with long fingers. But now she saw that they also had fine black hair on the back of them. The same colour as the hair on his head.

  She didn’t normally feel attracted to overly hairy guys, but with Caleb Stone, it added to his attraction, for some strange reason. She felt a shiver go through her and resolutely turned back to her cell phone.

  “Allie,” he said, slowly. “I’m sorry you are feeling so pressured. You’ve been thrown in at the deep end, and jerks like Paul Walker don’t make it any easier to do your job properly.”

  She shrugged. “It’s just the way it is. Part of the job, as Dr. Morgan said. We aren’t a private facility. We have to answer to City Hall.”

  He sipped his coffee then put it down. “Are you going to eat that donut?”

  Allie pushed the plate holding the donut over to him. “Be my guest. I think it’s been sitting there since the café first opened. I’ve lost my appetite, anyway.”

  “If you insist,” he said, taking a bite. He grimaced, dropping it back on the plate. “I think you’re right. It’s certainly not fresh.” He stared at her. “But you should eat something. You can’t work all day like this without food. What about I order us a sandwich to share?”

  She shrugged her shoulders, again. “No liverwurst, that’s all I ask.”

  “What about a Reuben? Do you like that?
”

  She nodded. “One of my favourites, actually. My dad used to make the best.” She sighed. “He probably still does, of course, not that I’m there to have them anymore.”

  He stared at her but said nothing before calling the waitress over and placing the order. Then he turned back to her.

  “You sound like you’re homesick,” he said, gently. “It can be hard, moving to the city from a small town.” He took a deep breath. “I did it myself, many years ago.”

  “Really?” She eyed him warily. “You’re a small-town boy? What made you move to the big bad city?”

  He took a deep breath. “The usual. More opportunity. There’s not much scope for progressing in a career like this in a small town.”

  “You always knew you were going to be scientist?”

  He nodded. “Yes. Nothing else interested me. And the study of pathogens seemed a way to contribute to the world, although at the moment, it doesn’t seem that way.”

  She nodded. “I can see now how frustrating it can be. Especially when we are under the pump to find a solution to this.” She sighed. “It all seemed so much easier when I was writing assignments. Fascinating, but remote. In this situation, with real people dying, it takes on a whole new meaning.”

  “I still think we should be focusing on parasites,” he said slowly. “Despite what Dr. Morgan says. Tell me, what are your impressions of him?”

  “Dr. Morgan?” She gazed at him. “He’s one of the most passionate people I’ve ever met. A leader in the field. And he seems a sweetie. He has the air of the absentminded professor about him.”

  Caleb didn’t reply for a while. Then he stared at her with that penetrating green gaze.

  “People aren’t always what they appear, Allie,” he said slowly.

  She gazed back at him. What was he saying? That Dr. Morgan wasn’t as sweet and passionate as he appeared? Or was he talking about himself?

  She pictured him, once more, going into that warehouse. Hunched, with the collar of his coat drawn up. Suddenly, she wanted to see what he would say about it.

  “I think I saw you, last night,” she said, looking him straight in the eye. “Out walking. I was in a cab, going home from a bar in the city, where we had drinks for Frances.”

  His eyes grew wary. “Oh? Where was that?”

  “I don’t know the name of the street,” she said. “The cab driver only went down it to avoid roadworks. But it was an industrial area, just off a main street.” She took a deep breath, then plunged in. “You walked to a warehouse and went inside.”

  He stared at her, unblinking. “I didn’t go to any warehouse last night,” he said. “It must have been someone who looked like me. It’s easy to mistake people in the dark. Especially in areas like that, that aren’t well lit.” He picked up his coffee and took a sip.

  The waitress came over with their sandwich, placing it on the table between them. Caleb picked up half of it and started eating. He stared at her.

  “Go on,” he said, between mouthfuls. “It’s good.”

  She picked up the sandwich, taking a bite. It was good. The perfect ratio of corned beef, cheese, sauerkraut and dressing, on crisp rye bread.

  They sat in silence, eating the sandwich. Allie gazed at him as she ate. He was lying, she just knew it. She hadn’t been mistaken; it had been him, walking in that area and entering that warehouse. He was hiding something, just as she suspected. It disappointed her, that he was a liar and…what else was he? What could he have been doing that he would lie about it to her?

  Her mind flicked through the possibilities. An abandoned warehouse in a seedy part of the city. Was he scoring drugs? Or involved in some shady illegal activity, like buying stolen goods? Or, even worse, selling them? Was he a black market racketeer? What motivation could he have to be in that warehouse at night?

  She took another bite of her sandwich, trying to stop her mind spinning in a million different directions. He didn’t look like he was on drugs, but then, how would she know? And what exactly did a black market racketeer look like? She pictured a shady character. Big and beefy. Maybe with a few teeth missing.

  Certainly not this handsome and well-dressed man, sitting across from her, calmly eating a sandwich. A man who was well-educated and obviously rich, if the car that he drove was any indication.

  “Is it as good as the ones your father makes?” he asked, brushing the last crumbs from his hands.

  “It’s good,” she said. “But of course, it’s not as good. It isn’t just about the ingredients, you know. When someone makes something for you with love, it’s just so much better.”

  He gazed at her. “Good point,” he said slowly. “You obviously miss your home. Do you have anyone else back in that small town that you miss?”

  She sat up straighter, staring at him. “What do you mean?”

  He shrugged. “I don’t know. A boyfriend? A guy you left behind who might be joining you in the city soon?”

  Her mouth tightened. “That’s really none of your business, Caleb.”

  “Of course,” he said, through gritted teeth. His green eyes glittered dangerously.

  She looked down at the table, breathing heavily. Why was he asking whether she had a boyfriend or not? And why didn’t she just tell him that she didn’t?

  Because he’s lying to you, she thought. Why should she tell him anything about her personal life, when he obviously wouldn’t—or couldn’t—tell her anything about his? That wasn’t playing fair, on any level.

  She watched his hands on his coffee cup, gripping it tightly. Suddenly, it shattered, sending shards of china across the table. Coffee spilled everywhere.

  “What on earth?” She stared at him, disbelieving. “How did that just happen?”

  The waitress had come, cleaning up the mess. Caleb said nothing. He just stared down at the table, his hands shaking slightly.

  “I’ve got to get back to work,” said Allie, picking up her bag. She was appalled to see that her own hands were shaking, as well.

  “Allie, wait,” he growled.

  But she didn’t stop. She ran out of the café, the door slamming behind her. She wouldn’t have been surprised if the bell above it had been completely reefed from its hinge.

  Her heart was pounding hard. And then, she was being spun around.

  It was Caleb. He was breathing as heavily as she was. He pulled her against him hard.

  All thought left her mind. All she could feel was him pressed against her. The firmness of his body. His breath. His skin was so hot she wondered briefly if he was running a fever.

  He looked at her searchingly. She couldn’t help herself. She reached up, towards him, and put her lips against his own. They kissed, hard and fast. His mouth was so soft. She felt like she was turning to molten liquid.

  She broke away, running from him.

  “Allie,” he called.

  But she didn’t stop. She had to get away from him before she turned into a puddle at his feet.

  Chapter Nine

  Caleb walked into the warehouse, tossing his briefcase down. He ran his hands through his hair distractedly.

  No one was home. Today, he was glad. He didn’t think that he could face the questioning of the others—Thad, in particular. The alpha leader would know, straight away, that he was upset. Thad would be able to sense the anger and frustration seething within him, and frown, telling him to get it under control. That getting so upset was dangerous and could cause him to shift spontaneously.

  He didn’t need a lecture. He needed a stiff drink.

  He walked over to a cupboard, taking out a bottle of whisky. He poured a measure of the brown liquid into a glass and poured it down his throat in one gulp.

  Better. He felt the alcohol warming his blood and fuzzing his thoughts slightly. His heart started to slow as he paced the floor and thought about what had happened.

  The kiss. Allie in his arms, pressed against him. As if she belonged there. He could still feel the warmth of her body and
the unbearable sweetness of her lips against his. He couldn’t recall when a kiss had tasted sweeter.

  He hadn’t intended it. He didn’t think it through at all. She had run out of that café, and he couldn’t bear it. He had taken off after her, and then…well, it had just happened. He cursed himself, pacing the floor quicker.

  If only he hadn’t questioned her about having a boyfriend. When she had told him it was none of his business, he had assumed the worst. That she was still seeing this Pete guy. And the thought of that had made him so frustrated he had shattered the cup in his hand. It had freaked her out. Well, why wouldn’t it? It wasn’t something that happened every day. People didn’t usually have the strength to shatter a cup with their bare hands.

  The curse of being so strong. It was hard to control when his blood was up.

  She had wanted to kiss him. But then, she had run away again, back to the safety of the building. Back to work. When he had composed himself enough to go back as well, she was bent over her microscope in the lab and refused to look at him.

  He should have insisted that they talk. But he had taken the coward’s way out and left her alone. They had barely exchanged two words for the rest of the afternoon. He had watched her leave and had not said anything.

  He sat down on the sofa, thinking it through. Despite all his efforts to remain distant from her…it had still happened. He simply couldn’t control himself when he was near her. The attraction was primal and intense. He had never felt this way about another woman in his life, and it shook him to the core.

  He sighed. She had seen him, the night before. Coming into the warehouse. What were the chances that she was passing by in a cab at the exact same moment that he was walking into this building?

  But then, it seemed somehow fated that they kept running into each other. The night he had saved her from her attacker, when he hadn’t even known who she was. In a city this size, it was amazing. And then, the fact that she worked where he was put on a case.