by Geonn Cannon
You took me from Dale. You took Bitches and my freedom. You took my wolf. You’re not taking another goddamn thing from me.
She bent her knees and leaned forward, forcing Elise to subtly change her position. She grabbed the arm around her neck with both hands and used it as leverage when she threw her body to one side. Elise tripped over Ari’s legs and gave up her dominant position. Ari slammed them both into the machine as hard as she could and dug her fingernails into Elise’s forearm hard enough to draw blood. Elise let go and brought her fist down on the back of Ari’s head. The effect was like ringing a bell, and Ari’s limbs spasmed. She went down and Elise climbed on top of her.
“Forget what I said about liking you,” Elise said. She had one hand in Ari’s hair, which was just long enough to grab a handful, and the other on her shoulder. “You’re a fucking bitch.”
“That’s uncalled for,” Ari said, her voice rough from her near strangulation. She thought of Milo’s broken arm. She flattened her palms on the tile and arched her back, then rolled them both. It effectively bucked Elise off of her, but she was thrown in the direction of the only exit. Ari was trapped and Elise was stronger than she looked. She doubted she would eventually come out on top in their fight without a little help.
She reached out for the wolf. I know the drug is holding you down for a little while longer, baby, but I need your voice. Just for a few seconds.
As Elise got back to her feet, Ari ran to one of the washing machines and threw open the door. She leaned inside and opened her mouth in a wide O. The howl that boiled up out of her was a sound that no human should’ve been able to make, a spine-chilling keen that slid fluidly around the concave interior of the machine’s basin before projecting back out at a hugely amplified volume. Elise winced, but still grabbed Ari by the hair and yanked her back. She threw Ari to the floor and climbed on top of her.
Frankie heard the howl first. She sat up straight, her ear physically twitching at the unmistakable sound of a wolf in danger.
Blood flicked from Elise’s knuckles as they came back down for another blow.
Kunz knocked over a table and a chair on her way out of the woodwork shop. Segura, who hadn’t heard anything but what she assumed was a strange and distant siren, pursued. CO Burke started to call it in, but Vogel stepped in and stopped him.
Ari closed her hands around Elise’s throat, but the next blow caused her grip to release before she had done any damage.
Gladys stood in the library door. Henning ran from the library without waiting to see if anyone was paying attention to her. Guards pursued, and Gladys threw herself in their path.
“Look at the bright side, Willow,” Elise said. “It’s finally going to be over.”
Kunz didn’t slow down when she entered the laundry room. The big woman was moving so fast her shoes didn’t even skid on the spilled bleach. She saw Ari on the floor and grabbed the woman on top of her without considering who it was. The effect was like a train snatching up a mail bag hanging from a wooden post. Kunz slammed Elise into the washing machine hard enough to dent the metal. From there, Kunz’s attack was methodical: two punches to the head to cotton her brain, a trio to her stomach to disrupt her breathing, another punch to the face to keep her upright, and then back to the abdomen.
Henning and Frankie arrived at the same time. They each took one of Kunz’s arms and pulled her back, using all their strength to keep her from pummeling the other inmate to death. Segura saw that Kunz was restrained and ran to Ari, checking to be sure she was breathing. Ari’s lips were covered with blood from her nose, and she would have an ugly collection of bruises from the shoulders to her hairline, but she was breathing.
“Willow?” Segura said.
Kunz had her eyes locked on Elise. “She alive?”
It was clear from her tone and posture that if Segura said no, Kunz would make amends with Elise’s life. She said, “She’s alive. She’s conscious, even, but I think she’s a little dazed.” She lightly patted Ari’s cheek. “C’mon, Willow. Look at me.”
Ari’s eyes moved from the ceiling and focused on Segura. “Hey...”
“Hi. Don’t try to move, okay?” Vogel had just arrived and stared at the scene in horror. “Mel. Melissa.” Vogel looked at her. “Get Dr. Val.”
Vogel ran to comply.
Ari coughed and cradled her abdomen. “She was right.”
“Who was right? About what?”
Ari smiled. There was blood on her teeth, but she looked genuinely happy. “I think it’s over.”
Chapter Twenty-Nine
Someone was holding her hand. At first she thought someone had smuggled Dale in, but the fog quickly cleared enough for her to know that was unlikely. She also had a pounding headache, soreness all throughout her body, and swallowing felt like her saliva was on fire. She grimaced and carefully opened her eyes to see that Dr. Val was the hand-holder. She was sitting beside the bed with her phone in her free hand, typing with her thumb.
“You really go all out for your patients, huh?” she rasped.
Val looked up and smiled, putting her phone down on her lap. She brushed a loose curl away from her face. “To be honest, I don’t have that many patients. It will surprise you to learn that the majority of prisoners manage to go weeks, sometimes even months, without making an infirmary visit.”
“I think you made that joke last time.”
“See? You’re here so much I’m running out of material.” She moved her phone into her pocket and stood up to examine Ari’s wounds. “How do you feel?”
“Like I got my ass kicked.”
“Yeah, well, I think technically you won. So you’ve got that going for you.”
Ari grunted. “Seriously, though. Holding my hand? Is that a normal thing you do?”
Val hesitated. “Honestly? No. But I met your partner, and she didn’t seem like the type to want you waking up alone after something like this.”
“Yeah, she tends to hover when I get hurt. How bad is it this time?”
“Not as bad as last time, actually. You might feel shittier because of your throat. It was still healing from your near-strangulation, so getting choked didn’t really help matters. But no matter how scrappy she might be, Gilpin is no match for Kunz.”
Ari looked at the other empty beds. “Where did Gilpin end up?”
“There’s another ward for violent offenders. She’s there with a bunch of guards watching over her. They’ll page me when she wakes up, but I should go check on her. Make sure she will wake up at some point.”
“Kunz really took her down, huh?”
“Yeah, you canidae really look out for each other. Try to get a little rest.”
Ari said, “Wait. First, can I borrow your phone?”
Val hesitated.
“Come on, I just proved I’m innocent. I’ll be out of here soon enough anyway, but it’ll be even sooner if I can make this phone call.”
“I’m starting to understand why so many people punch you,” Val said as she handed over the phone.
“Hey, I’ll have you know, just as many people want to kiss me.”
“Uh-huh, sure. If you get caught with that--”
“I picked your pocket.”
Val left to check on her other patient. Ari had to think for a moment to remember Dale’s number. She closed her eyes, carefully lowered her head back onto the pillow, and listened to the buzz on the other end.
“This is Dale Frye.”
“Hey, you sound sexy. What are you wearing?”
Dale tried to gasp and laugh at the same time. “Puppy? This... you’re... what number is this?”
“It’s Dr. Val’s phone. I’m kind of in the infirmary again.”
This time a sigh. “Damn it, Ariadne...”
“I’m fine. It’s not as bad as last time.”
“I don’t care! Your voice...” She grunted angrily. “Stop getting yourself hurt like this.”
“I’m sorry. If it helps, I found out who was trying t
o kill me. She tried again, but the rest of the canidae in here saved my ass.”
Dale was quiet for a long time, and Ari let her process it. When she finally spoke again, it was with guarded hope. “So it’s... it’s almost over?”
“I think so, yeah. Knock on wood. Her name is Elise Gilpin.” She spelled it. “She’s the one who killed Shannon Hardy. Then she got herself arrested so she could take me out as well. Cecily promised to help bring Gilpin’s sister into the country.”
Dale said, “So...”
“Unleash hell, babe.”
“Fire in the hole. I’m getting you out of there, puppy.”
Ari grinned. “Go get her. I love you.”
“Oh, I love you.”
They hung up and Ari put the phone on the table next to her bed. Her chest hurt but she couldn’t help laughing. She didn’t want to jinx things so she didn’t say anything out loud, but it was hard not to be hopeful with Dale Frye on the warpath.
#
Dale waited patiently across from the desk sergeant, watching the ebb and flow of police officers moving through the lobby. The sergeant asked several times if she needed help, but Dale only smiled and told him she was fine waiting. He let her wait but kept an eye on her. Finally, after close to two hours, her target appeared and moved quickly toward the elevators. Dale stood and pursued him.
“Detective Rojas?”
“Ma’am,” the desk sergeant warned.
Rojas turned, recognized her, and signaled the sergeant to stand down. “Miss Willow.”
“It’s Frye, actually. Dale Frye. I need to talk to you about the Ariadne Willow case. Or... I guess it’s the Shannon Hardy case. She was the victim. She was killed in her apartment...”
“I remember the case,” he said, already moving toward the elevator again. “And I know Ariadne Willow has a lawyer. What’s-his-name Cosgrove. Any evidence you have needs to go through him.”
Dale held up her tablet. “I have evidence that Cecily Parrish conspired to have Shannon Hardy murdered and set Ariadne up to take the fall. Ari told me Cecily called you Detective Roaches in the interrogation room. I assume she has the same relationship with most of the cops in this town. How would you like to be the one who brought her down?”
He looked at the tablet and then at Dale. “Do you think you’re the first person to try taking that woman down? People have gone after her before.”
“I’ve spent the past month digging into what her firm has been doing. I have solid evidence that GG&M has been involved in at least eleven murders over the past fifteen years, and every single one was covered up by finding someone to take the fall. Clearing the charges against Ari is just the tip of the iceberg. Take this, and I promise you will never have to deal with Cecily Parrish again.”
Rojas looked at the tablet like it was gold-plated. Dale held her breath. Everything hinged on his reaction. If he was too afraid to go after Cecily, there was a chance that all their hard work would be for nothing.
“What’s the name? Let’s start there. You found Shannon Hardy’s real killer?”
“Her name is Elise Gilpin. She’s currently incarcerated at King County with Ari.”
Rojas sighed and muttered something in Spanish before slipping back to English. “--regret this. Okay, Miss Frye. Come with me and we’ll talk.”
“Thank you, Detective.”
“Don’t thank me yet. All I’m agreeing to do is listen.”
Dale grinned. “That’s all you have to do.”
She followed him to the elevators.
#
A few hours later, Dale knocked on Gwen’s front door. She was out of breath, flushed, and trying hard to keep her expression neutral. When the door opened, she immediately gave herself away by smiling wide. Gwen was in a robe that was open just enough to reveal she probably wasn’t wearing much, if anything, underneath. Behind her, Milo was wearing a V-neck and buttoning her jeans. Dale pushed past the visuals and the meaning of what she had just interrupted and focused on Gwen.
“Get dressed. We’re going to get our girl.”
Gwen said, “What do you mean? You said we should stop.”
“I know. I said we should stop, but I meant you should... I mean... Mom. You’ve sacrificed enough. Ariadne might be your daughter, but you shouldn’t fight her battles anymore. Not when you have something else to protect.” She looked past her at Milo. “But it doesn’t matter, because we won.”
“What do you mean?”
“I mean,” Dale said, “Graham Cosgrove is on his way to the prison right now to break the news that all charges against Ariadne Willow have been dropped.”
“Dale...” Gwen grabbed Dale’s hand. “She’s coming home?”
“It’ll take a little while to process the paperwork, I’m sure,” Dale said, “but yeah. She’s coming home.”
Gwen laughed and pulled Dale into a hug. When she let go, she stepped around her and started to the driveway.
“Mom,” Dale said, “I think you might be naked.”
“Shit,” Gwen said, turning to go back into the house. “Sorry. It’s a wolf thing.”
Dale smiled and nodded. “Ari has the same problem sometimes.”
Gwen went back into the house, and Milo came out onto the porch. She had the fingers of her uninjured hand in her pocket with the thumb in a belt loop. Her hair was mussed, a large shock of it hanging from one side of her head as if it had been weighted. She looked casual-cool, like a street racer in a movie from the fifties. All she lacked was the cigarettes rolled in the sleeves of her shirt.
“You lied to us,” Milo said.
“I had to.” She nodded at the cast. “You... Gwen has sacrificed enough.”
Milo tilted her head to the side. “You get more and more wolf every time I see you.”
Dale grinned proudly, then jerked her chin toward the house. “Go on. You should probably get dressed, too.”
“I’m dressed.”
“I mean with a bra. And maybe something that isn’t thin enough that I can definitely tell you’re not wearing one.”
Milo rolled her eyes and went inside. “Maybe you’re not a wolf after all. Such a prude.”
Dale chuckled and put her hands in her pockets, bouncing on the balls of her feet as she waited for them to get ready.
#
Ari and Segura sat across from each other in their cell. Ari’s bed was made and, since she hadn’t bothered to accumulate any belongings, that was the extent of her preparations. She was feeling much less sore, but she didn’t know whether to attribute that to healing, the drugs, or the knowledge she was about to walk out the doors of the prison as a free woman. She was wearing her own clothes and her collar had been returned to her, but she refused to put it on herself. She held it with both hands, running her thumbs over the leather and buckle.
Segura said, “Collar, huh?”
“Dale and I... it’s a promise. It isn’t anything kinky, like most people think when they see me wearing a collar.”
“I get it. And she has to be the one to put it on you.”
“Right.” Ari looked at her. “Shae, I couldn’t have made it through this without your help. You have my word, I’m going to find out what happened to your sister.”
Segura nodded, accepting the promise. “Thank you, Ariadne.”
Vogel appeared at the door. “Ready?”
“Yeah.” Ari and Segura both stood. “Are you a hugger?”
“God no.” Segura offered her hand. Ari took it, and Segura pulled her into a hug. “Stay safe out there, Willow. I’m worried about you when we’re not all watching your back.”
Ari said, “I’ve got Dale. She’s enough.”
“Seems to be, yeah,” Segura said, letting her go. “All right, get the hell out of here. Don’t stick around this hellhole any longer than you have to on my account.”
“I’ll start looking into your sister’s case as soon as things settle down,” Ari promised. “But no matter what else happens, come find me when y
ou get out. Okay?”
“You got it, wolf girl.”
Ari looked at Vogel. “Take care of her.”
“It’s my job.”
“Yeah, I know, I meant--”
“I wasn’t talking about being a CO,” Vogel said, smiling. “I meant... it’s my job.”
Ari nodded. “Right. Okay, I’m ready.”
Vogel led her to the elevator. Ari looked up and saw the majority of the kennel club lined up along the edge of the second level. Kunz was still in solitary for her “attack” on Elise, but Vogel had promised that the higher-ups were about to declare her actions justified. The canidae available to see her off were all there, however - Henning, Frankie, Gladys, and Beatriz - and Ari nodded her thanks to them. Gladys smiled, and Henning offered a quick salute.
Ari returned the salute and followed Vogel into the elevator. This time they were alone for the ride down to the lobby. Vogel looked at her.
“This place is going to seem downright boring without you here. Sure I can’t convince you to stick around?”
“That would have to be one hell of an argument, Vogel.”
“Fair enough.” She chuckled and watched the numbers count down. “I am going to miss having you run interference for me and Shae, though. You were a good lookout.”
“I’m sure you’ll find someone who can pretend they’re not listening.”
“You listened?”
“I listened a little bit.”
Vogel nodded, smirking a little. “Good.”
They arrived at the ground floor and Vogel offered her hand. “You were a good prisoner and a pain in the ass, Willow.”
Ari shook her hand. “Thanks, Vogel.”
“Melissa.”
“Melissa,” Ari said.
Vogel said, “Be good.”
Ari walked across the lobby and, after pausing at the exit, stepped out into the sunshine.
In the movies, prison was always out in the middle of nowhere with a road stretching off into a mysterious distance. In reality, she was standing on an ordinary city street. It looked so normal that she felt as if she had just been transported to a completely different world. The air smelled strongly of the sea, and it was cold, and the breeze felt magical against her face. She tilted her head back and let it wash over her for a moment: freedom. Finally she opened her eyes and looked down the block, toward the bus stops.