A little yelp escaped Tau, who had stayed behind at the tree, sniffing Lupe's hand. The pup and his sister started racing back down the path toward the house. Long ears flopping, the dogs hurried past Lucy and Xochitl.
"I didn't do anything!" Lupe yell preemptively. She was running after Tau and Thandi unnaturally fast and dodged to the side easily when Xochitl tried to grab her. Lupe let out a shrill titter and left a cloud of dust behind.
"What's with your kid?" Xochitl asked Imogen who had awkwardly jogged up behind them. The three women watched Lupe disappear behind a cluster of flowering dogwood trees — apparently trying to cut the puppies off before they reached the bottom of the hill.
"Oh, she's a special little girl." Again Imogen sounded proud. Lucy thought Imogen did not have healthy parenting skills. But Lucy didn't care.
That'll teach you to steal a baby during a prison riot. You just bought yourself a crapload of trouble.
As far as Lucy was concerned Imogen's hideous choice was punishment enough.
"Kid or not. If she hurts my dogs, I'll kick her ass," Xochitl said, surprising Lucy.
"Your dogs?" Lucy asked, baffled.
"Yeah, you know. Sometimes dogs just pick you, Lucy, whether you're ready or not." Xochitl shrugged.
Xochi likes dogs now. Awesome!
"Let's run," Xochitl said, taking action to cover her concern like she always did. "The car's already packed."
Lucy and Xochitl kept a solid pace with one another, leaving Imogen to follow as well as she could.
Lucy felt good. Running down the mountain path kicked her energy level into high gear and left her alert and excited to take on whatever challenge Miguel would present.
Without warning the little girl came sprinting back up the path alone, meeting them not far from the house. She'd fallen a few times; Lucy could tell by the skinned knees. Lupe's air of precocious superiority was gone, and she looked terrified.
"The people took Kaaaaiiiii!" she wailed.
Lucy dropped to one knee and put her hands on Lupe's shoulders. The child seemed traumatized and ready to shut down.
"Lupe." Lucy tried to stay very calm to help the Were child hang on. Lupe's violet eyes sparkled and odd sounds belched forth from the back of her throat.
"What happened to Kai!" Xochitl blew up at the girl.
Lupe shrank back, but words quickly spilled forth without her pausing for breath. "A blond lady in a chair and big men, they shot Kai with a loud boom and they put him in a big black car."
"They shot him?" Lucy panicked. "Was there blood?"
"No." The little girl pointed to her neck. "There was a little thing with feathers." She started to cry and hiccup. "Don't let the blond lady get me."
"Someone tranqed him?" Xochi looked over at Lucy.
At that moment Imogen emerged from around the bend. Instantly crazed by the scene in front of her, she flung herself at Lucy's back. "Leave my daughter alone. Don't touch her, you lunatic sociopath!" Imogen grabbed fistfuls of Lucy's hair and yanked her head back.
"Ow!" Lucy threw her shoulders back, trying to dislodge Imogen. Lupe let out a heartbreaking howl.
Xochitl dragged Imogen off of Lucy and threw the screeching woman in the dirt.
"Imogen, I don't have time for you," Lucy said quietly and got to her feet. "Take your kid, and get out of here."
Lucy looked at Lupe and pointed to Imogen. "Lupe, listen to me. Imogen is your mommy. Your only mommy. Now go with your mommy."
Lupe stopped crying and ran into Imogen's waiting arms. The woman had scrambled to her feet, blouse disheveled and hat askew. Dirt and tears streaked Imogen's face. She threw her arms around Lupe, and the two held each other tight.
Lucy and Xochitl left mother and daughter to sort themselves out and returned to the ranch without further incident.
They saw Gerri and Ronna by El Gallo in an apparent argument. The house dogs circled them, making a nuisance of themselves. Gerri held a cooler she was trying to load into the backseat of the car. Ronna barricaded the car door with her body.
When the women spotted them, Ronna waved and hurried toward Lucy. The chocolate labs trotted to meet Lucy too, but the pups Tau and Thandi ran straight to Xochitl.
"Gerri said you guys were heading back to L.A., but Hanna isn't back yet. Can you wait?" Ronna asked, looking upset.
"Did you see Kai get taken?" Lucy cut the conversation short.
Ronna looked befuddled. "He was playing by the apple trees when I brought the boarding Hounds in for breakfast."
"Look after Hanna and the ranch," Lucy said en route to the car, not even glancing at Ronna.
"Don't just leave, Lucy." Ronna swept her straw cowboy hat from her head and pugnaciously slapped it against her leg. She made no move to stop Lucy and Xochitl, nor did she follow to the car to say goodbye.
Gerri, on the other hand, hugged Lucy before she could climb into El Gallo.
"Hey, just come back when you can," Gerri gently told them. She handed Xochitl a thermos. "Coffee for the road, lady. You take care of our Lucy."
Lucy felt tears shoot into her eyes as she saw Xochitl bend down to feed the little ridgebacks a couple treats. The dogs hurried into a perfect "sit" position; their eyes were glued to Xochitl. Xochitl patted Tau's flank and placed a soft kiss on Thandi's head. "Don't worry, perritos. I'll be back."
Lucy hoped that would be the case, but her chest felt tight with apprehension as she slid into the driver's seat and brought El Gallo to life.
Xochitl pulled the passenger door closed a little harder than necessary and stared out the window. "It's a nice place. Miguel would like it here." She sighed.
"Werebeast Rescue and Rehabilitation. I like the sound of that," Lucy replied wistfully, wondering if Miguel could still be helped.
"Hey Xoch, make sure all seven dogs stay with Gerri. No running down the driveway." Lucy didn't look back herself but gave a quick honk, which solicited barks and howls from the pack of house dogs and the boarded Weres in the kennel.
So much for post breakfast naps.
"There's just the one road. It starts here and leads straight back to town." Lucy looked at the dirt road ahead. "Whoever took Kai had to go this way."
"Hey Lucy," Xochitl said. "Imogen is following us in her badass sports car."
"That's Imogen's ride?" Lucy glanced in the rearview mirror.
"Yeah, I can't believe Loca drives that beautiful machine." Xochi put her hand on El Gallo's dash lovingly. "Don't worry, baby. I still love you. But I think you might need a girlfriend."
"Hope the tight suspension gives her hemorrhoids." Lucy stepped on the gas and forced El Gallo on a reckless descent toward town.
Chapter 28
Castle: "Huntsman. Operation Coal Miner is a go. I repeat Coal Miner is a go."
Huntsman: "Copy Castle. And may I say you're still the fairest of them all."
Castle: "Ha. Ha. Now get to work."
Huntsman: "Roger that. Heigh-ho. Heigh-ho. Huntsman moving out."
Castle: "Huntsman you have five hostiles moving in from the East."
Huntsman: "Copy."
(sporadic gunfire, unintelligible screams, latrant animal noises at chaotic intervals)
Huntsman: "Anders, on your left. What the...Castle we're coming under heavy attack...Fall back! Fall back!"
Castle: "Huntsman, do you copy? Over...Do you copy?...Commander Green, do you copy?"
Huntsman: "Oh my God!"
Castle: "Brian!"
(transmission ended)
-transcript Special Operations Group debrief
Agent Cassandra Green
Operation "Coal Miner"
CLASSIFIED
21 months ago
The air conditioning piped gusts of frigid air through the prison infirmary. Lucy could see the caged thermostat on the opposite wall holding at a steady sixty-eight degrees. The straps on her bed gone, she once again had a full range of motion.
Lucy sat up and swung her legs over the side of the bed. T
he pink scrubs she now wore were an improvement over the hospital gown she'd been wrapped in the last time she'd woken up. She looked around for shoes or at least slippers. Her head still buzzed, but the drugs and painkillers had worn off as her throbbing forearms could attest. Judging by the light streaming in the window it was daytime.
Probably early afternoon.
She was alone in the room, no other patients, no orderlies, no nurses, no doctors, no one.
An earsplitting scream cut through the silence. Lucy vaulted out of bed and threw open the infirmary door.
Shouldn't that be locked?
Shouts for help and the sounds of running feet rushed toward her. Before Lucy could duck back into the room, she spotted two women, one in patterned nurses' scrubs and one in a colorful pantsuit, running down the hall and screaming for help. A giant fur-covered wolf monster sprang from wall to wall, chasing them for sport.
Lucy barreled toward the Beast, waving her arms to draw its attention away from the women. "Hey fuzz butt, over here!"
Covered in black fur head to toe, this Beast was tall and lanky. It had scrawny arms and toothpick legs. Long teeth didn't fit properly into the giant lupine jaw, giving it an asymmetrical appearance. Deep-set, amber eyes glimmered with bloodlust. The ripped remains of an orange jumpsuit marked it as one of the regular inmates.
"Stop! Sit! Stay!" Lucy had been prepared to fight to give the women a chance to get away, but to her immense relief the triple command stopped the Werebeast in its tracks. It crouched down and eyed her like a cat eyes a goldfish.
The creature yowled and gargled bizarre high-pitched noises in the back of its throat, but it didn't move from its spot on the floor.
"You tamed it," the woman in the pantsuit said with awe. Instead of getting to safety, she stepped closer, her kitten heels click-clacking softly. She tucked her chin length hair behind her ears and adjusted her glasses primly.
"That's the same damn noise my cat used to make when it stalked birds through the window." The woman in the nurses' uniform came up behind Lucy and cautiously snuck a quick look at the Beast. Lucy noticed the duckies on her scrubs matched the yellow beads woven through her shoulder length cornrows.
"That is a predatory instinct common in house cats but also found in many of the Feliformia, mongoose, hyena, civet. But not the lupine so much. They quasi-ritualize the killing bite by making these sounds. Tasting the blood already, so to speak." The woman in the bright teal pantsuit looked at the Were through her thick glasses, studying the Beast with rapt curiosity.
"Gross!" The nurse's terror had turned to no-nonsense disgust. "That's Dr. Friel." She waggled her thick fingers toward the pantsuited woman who had pulled a notepad from some pocket and scribbled furiously. "I'm Myra," the nurse said. "I saved your bacon that night you came in all cut up and now you're gonna save mine. And hers."
"I don't..." Lucy started to say.
"Lordy, did you ever make that puppy sit and stay." Myra stepped closer. "Now get my brown sugar outta here, boo."
"...have shoes," Lucy finished. Myra angled her lips into an unconcerned moue.
The Werebeast ululated in frustration. A harrowing profusion of urgent wolf howls resonated through the halls in response.
"Myra, quick, what's down that way?" Lucy took a few steps toward the sound.
"The women's dorm." Myra's face had gone ashen.
"Open the infirmary door for me," Lucy called to Dr. Friel, snapping her out of her reverie.
Lucy looked into the Werebeast's face and pointed toward the open door.
Please let this work!
"On your bed!" She snapped her fingers when it didn't move right away. "On...your...bed!" Lucy repeated firmly and advanced on the creature.
The Werebeast sprang up, raced through the open door and jumped onto Lucy's hospital bed. Curling itself into a ball, it kept both eyes on Lucy.
"Dr. Friel, can you lock this?" Lucy shut the infirmary door and watched the Beast through the wire mesh of the security window.
"Call me Imogen." The woman offered her hand as if they were meeting at a cocktail party. Lucy just stared at her.
"I have a code for these new doors. I just can't remember..." Imogen deliberated.
"1-2-3-4," Myra threw in. "She uses 1-2-3-4 for all her passwords." Myra rolled her eyes.
The faraway screams grew more frantic, and Lucy couldn't wait any longer. Barefoot and unarmed, she ran toward the noise.
Turning the corner, she thought the hall looked familiar.
I went this way the day of my intake. I remember the women's dorm was to the left.
"This ain' the way out." Myra huffed behind her.
Ahead, Lucy saw a guard standing in front of the dorm door. He fumbled with a set of keys. Like most of Folsom's cells, the temporary women's dorm had an old-fashioned lock.
Lucy stopped just out of his reach.
"There's something crazy in there." The guard sweated profusely.
"There are people in there, Officer Peklar!" Imogen's scold turned plea.
Peklar snorted. "All murderers. Serves them right."
Without a thought, Lucy hopped past Peklar and yanked open the door, smashing it into his face hard. As the man stumbled back, Lucy planted a firm kick into his stomach, ensuring his downward trajectory.
"Grab his keys!" Lucy shouted to Myra and ducked into the room.
The women's dorm was a medium sized space packed with ten freestanding double bunks. Normally cramped but orderly, the room looked like a tornado had touched down. Most of the bunks were upside down on the ground or pushed all the way to the far wall. Sheets, blankets and clothing were strewn about helter-skelter.
Three Werebeasts hunkered on top of the overturned bunks. Their backs turned to Lucy, they plagued a huddle of nearly twenty prisoners and a few guards. In an instant Lucy made out the faces of her former dorm mates, all pressing against each other to protect pregnant Celia, the most vulnerable of them all.
Two female guards looked determined as they put their bodies between the creatures and the prisoners. A fourth Beast writhed on the ground, clutching at its face. The stout guard Lucy remembered as Officer Rivers stood over her transformed colleague, looking almost smug. The Beast ripped at its already shredded guard uniform and whimpered in pain. Lucy noticed a faint smell of onion and felt the telltale burn of discharged pepper spray in her eyes. The human guards had stopped the attack for the moment, but the Werebeasts were regrouping.
The fluorescents flickered wildly above Lucy.
Shit, power's going out.
"Pssst!" She felt like a fool, baiting the predators.
"Get the women out," Lucy called to the guards. "I'll keep our furry friends busy."
The three Beasts were all very large and flabby rather than muscular. The pink big-girl prison uniforms hung in tatters off each grey furred body.
"Down!" Lucy pointed to the floor, hoping they would just do her the favor.
No movement.
She stepped closer, unwavering but darting her eyes from one to the next.
"Staaaaay." Lucy cleared the path with her naked feet, almost tripping over the contents of an overturned plastic bin. A black and red pillow, an abstract sort of ladybug, caught her eye.
The Werebeasts watched her with great interest, fortunately ignoring the group of women slowly creeping along the wall toward the door.
Lucy slowly inched closer to the pack of three, hands spread wide. While they still hadn't moved against her, they did not look ready to comply. Her only chance was redirection.
In a flash, she scooped up the contraband ladybug pillow, pitched it to the far side of the room and yelled out brightly, "Go get it!"
On her call, several things happened all at the same time. The three grey Werebeasts dashed for the makeshift toy — pushing at each other and snarling; the group of women made a break for the door; and the formerly pepper sprayed Were guard leaped up and sank its huge claws and teeth into the slowest of the inmates. Th
e wounded girl shrieked in pain and went down on her knees.
"Off!" Lucy commanded the Beast. It reeled back, leaving its prey draped across a tipped over bunk. Lucy saw the back of the woman's neck torn out and huge gashes in her shoulders. The Werebeast had killed her instantly.
Lucy ground her teeth together, embittered.
The sound of prey dying and the smell of blood overrode the grey Weres' shaky obedience, and they dashed to the Were guard's side.
Pack one. Lucy zero.
"'Ey! Get out the friggin' door," a male voice shouted from the direction of the exit. Lucy heard the subtle click of a gas gun being chambered. Moving faster than ever, she dove past the doorframe as the male guard shot a tear gas round into the dorm room. Lucy slammed the door behind her, and Officer Rivers locked it with her key.
The Beasts' enraged snarling quickly turned into coughing and choking. The ragged crew of officers and inmates gathered in the hall, ignored the pitiful sounds and looked to the Asian officer with the gas gun; some of the women were crying. Fortunately, Lucy didn't see Peklar among the group.
If I survive this, they're gonna to drop me in a hole and never let me out.
The guard with the riot gun looked incredibly young to Lucy — a perimeter guard she guessed. They had quicker access to the armory than the regular guards, who typically didn't carry guns.
"'Ey, stick together everyone," the young guard said, taking charge. "Rivers! Diaz! We'll take stairwell three to the yard."
Lucy spotted Myra and Imogen helping Celia hobble along after everyone. Lucy still felt bad for taking the pregnant girl's glasses.
"I got you," Lucy said, grabbing her arm. Celia let out an enormous scream as fluid gushed down her leg. She clutched Lucy's elbow as if she wanted to mash the bone to meal.
"You fucking, fucking bitch! I'm gonna to cut you. I'm gonna rip out all your ugly red hair. Help me! Owwwwww!" Celia struggled and lost control of her bladder.
"She's in labor," Imogen supplied helpfully, making Lucy want to punch her just once.
The guard in charge looked back at Lucy for a second but continued to herd the larger group toward the stairway.
"I'm sorry. I can't carry you." Lucy dragged Celia toward the stairs, ignoring the woman's curses. "You have to help me here."
The Werewolf Whisperer (The Werewolf Whisperer Series Book 1) Page 32