by S. L. Hess
Devan knew he was under a time restraint, so he only took a few seconds to reflect on the inconceivable scene surrounding him.
The thieves’ had broken into the building. They had dragged out the carcass of the dead wolf, and after the wolf was gone had they had proceeded to demolish the entire room.
Apart from for him, he doubted if anyone else would discern that the culprits of this break in were a pack of wolves. They had left little to nothing behind indicating themselves in the heist of their slain pack member. The fact that they dragged out the body first before creating the mess was systematic and thought-out. It was a very chilling thought.
Not having the time to contemplate what he had just discovered Devan shook himself out of his astonished stupor. Stealing back toward the door he snuck a peek outside to see that Laney still had the two distracted. The police officer was actually taking the opportunity to question her on anything suspicious she might have heard or come across that day.
Devan slipped out the building and into the back yard with only Laney the wiser. Examining the ground he could see the trail left behind by the wolves and their parcel...it led into the woods. The urge to pursue the tracks was tremendous but he had Laney to consider. With a deep breath of disappointment he was back in the jeep waiting when she returned.
“Did you find out anything?” She asked breathlessly, jumping into the jeep.
“Not really.” There was no hesitation on his part in telling her this lie. “The place was completely destroyed and the wolf gone; nothing more to really go on.”
He started the engine and headed out of town; reaching the maximum speed limit as quickly as he could. He needed to get her home so he could follow those tracks.
Her face dropped in disappointment. “You didn’t detect anything with that super sniffer of yours. I mean if you can smell my nervousness…” She trailed off expectantly.
“I can only go on those scents I’m familiar with.” Devan explained, smiling unconsciously at her reference to his nose. He liked that she felt comfortable enough to refer to his nose as a super sniffer. “There’s a multitude of smells that I can’t account for, I can’t say which ones I should be suspicious of.”
“Ohh…well…that makes sense.” She frowned, falling into deep thought.
Devan felt no guilt in not informing Laney of what he had found. Finding that a wolf pack had broken into the clinic, trashed it, and had then confiscated the body of their dead pack member was disturbing in the extreme, and something he did not feel comfortable in burdening Laney with.
It was something he would need to talk to Brett about immediately. Animals acting out of character, behaving more intelligent than your typical animal; he needed to be informed about it.
The silence was broken by an excited exclamation from Laney.
“Maybe the wolves were part of some special experiment and the people involved snuck in and stole the animal so they wouldn’t be blamed for anything?”
Devan winced at her word phrasing. The last thing he wanted to hear in the same sentence together were animal and experiment.
“That did cross my mind,” he admitted quietly. Devan hoped desperately that it was a simple matter of animal tagging. With his high-speed computerized mind he had a dozen possibilities of what might have happened, and the worst of those were nowhere he wanted to go.
“But in all probability it was some kids messing around and the wolf will turn back up in a couple of days.” Devan lied smoothly.
“I can actually see that being the case,” she snorted. “We do have our share of borderline miscreants around here. It must be from the short supply of entertainment.”
Devan relaxed as she accepted his ordinary explanation of what might have transpired. No need for her sleep to be disturbed tonight.
He yawned long and hard. She took the bait.
“You have to be tired,” Laney responded.
“Yeah, I think the day is finally catching up with me.” She wasn’t wrong in her assessment. Even though his yawn had been forged he was fairly tired.
“You’re going to go home and get some sleep this time, right?”
Her concern for his well being caused a pang in his chest; to have someone who cared whether he got enough sleep was…nice.
“Definitely.” He gave her a strained smile hoping to offset his guilt…it didn’t help. She had been remarkably accepting of what he was; seemed to really want to be friends and to help him out any way she could, and here he was building a wall.
He pulled down Laney’s driveway with a heavy heart.
“Is everything okay?” Laney asked.
Devan sighed inwardly at her perceptiveness. He’d already discerned that she was a difficult person to mislead.
“Just tired.” Devan stifled another intentional yawn hoping to distract her.
As he curved around the driveway in front of her house Devan rolled down the window because the atmosphere in the jeep had become heavy from both their emotions; his from having to deceive her, and hers had the scent of nervousness and the other heady flavor of pheromones which in turn set his off. All of them combined were playing havoc with his instincts.
She turned toward him in her seat as he halted the jeep. “Devan; I wanted to thank you for your trust today. It had to take a lot for you to step out of your comfort zone and reveal so much of yourself, and I just want to let you know that you won’t regret it.”
Even though her edgy posture was at odds with her words Devan knew she was telling the truth. This made him feel worse in not revealing what he’d found out, but it also made him feel defensive toward his actions. She wasn’t part of their life; to believe she was would only endanger her more. And with what he had just discovered at the vet’s it only made him more convinced that she shouldn’t be drawn in any further.
“Laney, I’ll always be thankful for what you did and how readily you accepted me, but I believe your active presence in my life could be detrimental to you life.” Devan endeavored to keep his voice neutral and detached.
She frowned at his words, confusion spreading across her face. “Where is this coming from?” The tension that had been radiating off of her altered drastically; it was still there but different in its composition.
Hardening his face and his heart he pushed forward with what needed to be said. “I can try to pretend that I’m normal and that we can be friends without it causing you any danger, but it would be a lie, and I don’t want to lie to you or put you in danger.” Both of which came easily in his life.
“Shouldn’t that be my choice to make?” Her eyes gazed up at him as though attempting to see past the hard, detached surface. It was making what he had to do more difficult and he longed to put his glasses back on; his safeguard against the world.
“We each have to make our choices, but when they conflict with each other sometimes acquiesce is the way to go.” Devan had to shift his gaze away from hers into the distance so his resolve wouldn’t fail.
Her chin lifted in obstinacy. “I agree, so you should just forget about pushing me away.”
His gaze returned, aggravated at her stubbornness. “That’s not what I meant.”
“I don’t think you mean anything you’re saying. You’re not used to confiding in people, or dealing with relationships at all, so you’re retreating in defense.” Her face was suffused with hurt and anger.
The hurt on her face felt like a punch in the gut and her words tweaked his consciousness at the truth of them, but he was also trying to protect her.
“I do mean what I’m saying when I tell you the danger you’re putting yourself in.” Devan stated forcefully.
“I heard you the first time you said it and I didn’t run away then; what makes you think I will this time?” She shot back just as aggressively.
Devan gripped the steering wheel tightly, the urge to bang his head against it overwhelming.
Shocked, he forced his hands to loosen their grip staggered at the emotions coursing t
hrough him. The multitude of feelings he experienced in her presence were uncontrollable, and extreme in their variety; another reason for distance.
Devan did the first thing that came to his mind—prevaricate. It was cowardly, but he was desperate. “You’re dad’s staring at us through the window, I think he probably wants you to go in.”
She swung around in her seat to look at the house. “Where? I don’t see him.” She twisted back to him in suspicion.
“He’s in one of the second story windows. The lights off, that’s why you aren’t able to see him.” Devan wasn’t lying to her this time. Nick really was observing us from a window and his expression was quite severe. “He doesn’t look happy,” he reported.
Her attention returned to the house in consideration…but only for a second, then her gaze swung back to him in frustration. “We will finish this tomorrow.”
He raised his eyebrows at the warning in her voice. She was like a kitten trying to be a tiger.
“Laney…” he began. That was all he got out before she interrupted.
“Don’t even say it,” she threatened angrily, pointing a finger at him with her eyes spitting fire.
Did she guess that he was about to cancel the plans she’d made for them tomorrow? And how the finger was supposed to intimidate him he wasn’t sure. Devan ignored it as well as the weaker part of his nature that wanted to keep her near. He had no right.
“I don’t think it would be a good idea for us to get together tomorrow.” He forced out; doing his best to keep his voice composed and free from the misery he was feeling.
The anger drained out of her face, and the hurt that was left behind just hit him harder. He swallowed painfully.
“What about it is not a good idea?” She clipped out sharply, her posture stiff.
Deep down Devan knew he was doing the right thing even though each word was forced out excruciatingly from his larynx. “Laney, I’ve enjoyed getting to know you but our association with each other only puts the both of us in danger. You in danger from The Company, and me in danger of being put in a situation where the police or others will find out who I am.”
Laney shook her head, her eyes upset. “I think Jarrod finally realizes that he can’t keep harassing you, and just because the two of us are friends it doesn’t mean we’ll put each other in danger.”
Devan really wished that were true, but what if it wasn’t and he did put her in danger—the very thought caused a stabbing pain to shoot through his entire body. It was incomprehensible to him how vital it was that he kept her safe. That she had become so important to him in such a short time was incredible. He hadn’t thought it was possible for him, particularly him, to feel that way about someone.
This situation with the wolves had him worried enough to where he wanted her far from it, so he started to list plausible reasons she could not argue with.
“I could see from his face tonight that he’s not done.” Devan couldn’t be positive of that, people were if anything unpredictable, but the looks Jarrod was throwing them tonight conveyed he was still unhappy. “That, plus the situation with the wolf, has generated far too much attention, and I told you that was something I need to avoid. I think it would be best if we halted any future plans at the moment.” He threw in the last part as a compromise.
Laney’s expression had tightened considerably during his speech and her eyes were narrowed and appraising. “Well if that’s what you think is best right now, I mean I don’t want to put either you or Brett in any danger, or make you feel uncomfortable in any way.”
The last part of her sentence seemed to be more drawn out than the rest. Devan wasn’t sure if she was trying to infer something with them. He was feeling uncomfortable because he was saying things that he didn’t really want to. Did she realize that?
Thankfully, Laney’s father decided he had waited long enough for her to exit the vehicle of her own accord. The porch light flickered off and then on again. Nick opened the door and stood in the door frame with his arms folded across his chest in a formidable way. Devan’s body slumped in relief, and dejection. He was thankful that he no longer needed to go through the agony of pushing her away, but he was in misery that she would be going.
“Looks like he’s not going to wait any longer, you had better go.” Devan said. The porch light had him averting his face completely from Laney, but also squinting so Nick wouldn’t catch the reflection of light in his eyes.
She didn’t say anything more, just stepped from the vehicle and quietly shut the door.
Devan threw the car into drive and drove away. Nearing the end of the drive he looked in the review mirror and saw her in the entryway of the home. Even though he was two hundred feet away he could see the pinched look of confused sadness on her face before her father blocked his view by stepping inside and shutting the door.
Devan tore his gaze from the closed door and focused his eyes forward. Turning left he headed back toward town. He needed to discuss what he’d found out with Brett.
CHAPTER TWENTY-THREE
Brett held the library door open for him, his face grave. “What’s happened?” he asked. Devan had warned Brett that he was on the way and had important information to share.
“I’m not completely sure thus far,” Devan replied. Walking past him Devan began pacing immediately. It seemed like he had been sitting for so long that an excess of energy had built up, and he needed to get it expelled before it exploded outwardly causing harm to those unfortunate to be in his vicinity.
“Are they here, have they found us?” Urgency and panic saturated Brett’s voice.
“No, I haven’t seen any signs that our location has been discovered.” Devan assured him.
Brett’s expression sagged as he sighed heavily in relief. He went over and collapsed in one of the tattered overstuffed chairs. “What’s this about then?” His fearful expression was replaced with one of confusion.
Devan continued his pacing. “I didn’t reveal entirely everything that transpired at the school this morning.” Brett remained silent knowing Devan would continue without him asking.
“When the wolves came onto the school grounds today, they were acting very peculiar. They were in a tracking mode. Everyone was screaming and running everywhere, but the wolves paid no attention to it; they seemed single minded in their hunt.”
Brett’s face looked only mildly interested as Devan explained the wolves conduct. Even though he had worked with animal DNA, Brett wasn’t all that interested in their behavior. He might perk up at what was revealed next though.
“I noticed that they seem to take a particular interest in my jeep. They surrounded it and became very agitated.”
Brett’s lounging position tensed, and his eyes narrowed marginally.
“They then seemed to catch another scent that aimed them in the direction of the storage building where Laney and I were taking cover; where they once again became very agitated and tried to force their way into the building.”
Significant narrowing of the eyes now.
“School personnel attempted to frighten them off with warning shots, and it looked like it was going to work, but then one of the wolves crashed through the window in an effort to get at us.”
Brett wasn’t going to let those words go by without a remark.
“The wolf decided,” he remarked, narrowed eyes intent.
Devan stopped pacing, reflecting back on the incident. “That’s the only way I can describe it. Laney and I were observing the wolves through the window and it appeared as if the wolf mentally made the decision to jump through it. I know that wolves have an above average intellect in regards to their hunting strategies, but the calculation I detected in this animals gaze was more than that. Even Laney noticed that they were acting out of character, but she assumed that they were diseased.”
Brett’s face relaxed a little at those words. “Well we can get some samples and test that theory,” he stated with a small smile of relief at the possible res
olution to the problem.
Devan reached up and massaged his injured shoulder, noticing there was little to no pain any longer. He absently worked his way down the arm.
“I already did…and they don’t,” Devan declared.
Brett’s smile slipped away and he slumped back into the cushioning of the chair, his eyes deep in thought. Devan had reached the end of his arm and was pleased―as pleased as he could be at the moment―to learn that his arm was nearing the last stages of healing.
“In fact,” Devan continued with the bad news, “the wolf was remarkably absent of any parasites at all, and I found vaccination antigens in its blood. In the light of this information I thought the animals might be a specially tagged pack under study, so I went back to the vet’s to see if I could find an implant.” Brett was on the edge of his seat again, an optimistic expression on his face. “Only the wolf was gone, it had been stolen. And this is the part that’s truly extraordinary; the thieves were the dead animals pack. They broke into the clinic, dragged the dead animal out, went back inside to destroy the interior, and then hauled the dead wolf into the woods.”
The scowl on Brett’s face was fierce. “What species of wolves were they?”
“Gray.”
“What was their physical appearance like?”
This was the part Brett really wasn’t going to like.
“They were larger and heavier than the average Gray…by fifty percent.”
Brett shot to his feet, frowning in incredulity. “What! Devan; this should have indicated right away that something wasn’t right.” Brett took over pacing,
“I did know something was wrong, that’s why I’ve been running around all afternoon; I’ve been trying to find out what exactly.” Devan stated.
Brett continued his pacing. “You should have told me immediately.”