We didn’t stop on the way up. Beside me Bran cleared his throat every few minutes, fidgeting with the tie he had fastened over the dress shirt. He had kept the jeans on, giving in to my request to not make it too fancy. Myself, I was still wearing the shirt and pants from the previous day. Or two. I wasn’t sure, but I hadn’t wanted to go shopping and actually deal with anything other than the case at hand. Besides, hopefully the smell would keep other members at bay. When you have a highly developed sense of smell you tend to notice when other people are less than at the peak of cleanliness.
Bran’s hand rested on my knee for most of the way up, squeezing lightly when he saw how tightly my jaw was clenched. It wasn’t a good day to start anything, much less continue an investigation.
The parking lot was full when we arrived at the Farm, every square foot of gravel taken up by cars in a thousand shapes and sizes, from huge Hummers threatening to dominate the skyline to small Austin Coopers looking like little clown cars. I slipped the Jeep into a space at the back, as close to the road as possible. Better to avoid a traffic jam and since we weren’t staying for long, I wanted a quick escape route.
Bran looked at me, the question written on his face. Undoing the seatbelt, I laid my head back, closing my eyes.
“This is going to be...difficult. Outsiders aren’t usually allowed anywhere near the Farm, much less to a funeral.”
“I’m sure there’s a nice little cemetery out back.” His grin disappeared as he looked at my face. “Right. And you’re bringing me in here.”
“And I’m bringing you.” I stared at a particularly menacing pickup truck across from us, the red-and-orange flames flaring out from the jet-black paint. “But, as I’ve been reminded many times, I was Outcast and thus creating a rather interesting predicament as far as the rules go. I’m sworn to the Pride’s laws as much as I want to be.”
“Sorta like being Catholic.” Bran’s laugh brought a smile to my face.
“Exactly. Think of yourself as one of those heathen Protestants walking into a group of rabid Catholics.” Opening my eyes, I reached into my jacket pocket and handed him my taser. His eyes met mine, questioning. “If anything happens, anything—use this, get back here and run.” Taking the keys out of the ignition, I put them into his hand as well. “Don’t worry about me. They won’t kill me.”
“You think.” He tilted his head to one side. “Like you said, you’re a bit of a special case.”
“But they won’t kill me.” Leaning over, I kissed him lightly on the lips. “And take care of Jazz. She’s old and grumpy, but she’s like a little sister to me.”
Before he could respond, I opened the car door and hopped out, my feet crunching on the gravel while I began walking toward the main house. To one side stood the barn, once a pleasant childhood memory but now a crime scene for one of my closest friends. A stiff wind brought a thousand scents washing over me, filling my mind’s eye with images of people I hadn’t thought about for decades.
Jess was the first to appear, wearing a dark-blue dress that had gone out of style twenty years ago and was now back in style thanks to the boomers. She trotted down the steps from the porch and approached us at a goodly speed, intercepting us before we got close enough for our scent to be carried too far. “Reb.” She hugged me, pointedly ignoring Brandon.
“What’s the word?” I pushed my emotions down again, fighting the urge to cry like a lost child.
“The service was held down the lane, at the church.” She pointed back the way we had come. “She’s due here anytime to be placed in the graveyard.” Her nose wrinkled. “You’re pushing your luck, you know.”
“Nothing new there.” Sticking my hands in my pockets, I kicked a stone into the grass. “Have you done any more investigating since we spoke?”
“Yes. And you’ll find out soon enough.” She glared at Bran. “You realise that if you speak of any of this, even the slightest whisper, that you will be hunted down and killed?”
“I got that impression.” He rocked back and forth on his heels. “But thanks for the warning. And the wonderful welcome.”
“Don’t be. You’re still not out of here alive.” Turning on her heel, she walked away from us, back toward the house. “You should go to the graveyard and wait. We’ll be there soon enough.”
“Not even invited into the house? Rough crowd,” Bran said to me in a loud whisper as I led him to a small path leading between the main house and the barn. “Not even a cup of coffee? More pie?”
I took his hand. “No offence, but I’d cut back on the sarcasm for today. In fact, it’d probably be a good idea for you to stay as silent as possible.” My mind was racing through probable scenarios while we made our way along the stone walkway. “And, for God’s sake, don’t challenge anyone. Stay behind me and look as small and insignificant as you can. Slump your shoulders. Don’t stare directly at anyone. Don’t let yourself be goaded into a fight.”
“Because it’d be unsightly at a funeral?”
“Because you’d lose.”
Bran frowned as we approached the graveyard. “Don’t have a lot of faith in me, do you?”
“Not when it comes to these men. I’ve seen them take out twelve-point deer with their bare hands on a hunt.” A shiver ran down my spine at the image. “Let’s just not go there, shall we?”
A small crowd was already beginning to gather at the far corner of the graveyard. The wrought-iron gates connected to the fence running around the five acres of land were open for one of the few times that I had recalled—more often than not Felis chose to be cremated and their ashes spread across the Farm fields to nurture future crops.
I walked Bran between rows of stone crosses that had been there for generations, some so old the rain had washed the names off, leaving anonymous white-stained lines no one remembered. When we approached the newer rows, I stopped at one corner then led him off to one side.
The slate-grey monument held the two names still, a stone angel perched atop with his trumpet pointed at the heavens.
Bran looked at the engraved names. “Your parents.”
I nodded. “Been a long time since I came out here to visit them.” Kneeling down, I pulled a handful of weeds out from one side. “They take care of the graves pretty well out here.”
“I guess.” He looked around. “Are these all your...relatives?”
“In a way.” Standing up, I gestured to one side. “Plenty of history here.” The crowd was beginning to grow, people walking past us on the path. One man turned, glaring at us, his mouth open as if to protest. A woman yanked on his sleeve and silenced him, tugging him forward.
“Let’s go.” Taking Bran’s hand, I returned to the main trail leading to the freshly dug grave. He hung back just enough to let me lead.
The polished wood coffin lay across the open space, suspended by a pair of strong canvas straps. Custom dictated that the Board members lower the body, with family assisting. With no one else alive on Ruth’s behalf it would only be the two men and Jess, all of whom stood before the grave.
Dennis fumbled with his tie, Jess scowled at the clouds and Davis nibbled at his fingernails. Around them the rest of the Pride began to gather, men and women dressed in everything from black suits to track suits and casual wear. We didn’t stand on ceremony when it came to Gatherings, you just attended.
Jess cleared her throat, being the First. “Ruth Parcheski was a good woman. She cared for our young with the compassion and patience of a saint—which I’m sure was sorely tested by many of the kits she helped raise.”
A ripple of laughter ran through the crowd. I stayed at the back, downwind, with Bran behind me. I could just see the edge of the coffin. Nothing fancy, just a plain box. Felis rarely put money into fancy memorials and the like. The angel on my parents’ grave was an exception. Ruth had been the one to show me the small sculpture, paying for it out of her own pocket. “Your parents deserve something better than just that.” She had perched the angel on the top of the grav
e marker. “I’ll make sure they glue it good.”
“She was truly one of a kind. And she will be sorely missed.” Jess’s eyes sought me out through the crowd, somehow locking right onto me like a guided missile. “We will not see her type come this way again.”
She took hold of one of the straps, the two men moving around the open grave to pick up their own, wrapping the loose ends around their forearms to maintain some sort of control. Two men stepped forward to pull out the wooden planks holding the coffin up, the Board men shifting forward in the upturned dirt as they took control of the weight. I sucked in my breath, hoping Jess would be strong enough to lower the coffin without dropping it. With only three of them it was a concern, the box wobbling from side to side.
The coffin began to descend slowly but evenly into the grave, disappearing from sight. A collective sigh went up from the gathered members as it did, a few turning away from the sight. I stared straight ahead between the bodies, trying to see my old friend for one last time.
Finally the three released the straps, tossing them into the grave after the coffin. Dennis pulled out a handkerchief from one pocket of his suit and dabbed at his eyes. Jess looked down into the open hole. Davis shuffled his feet and scratched his nose.
Hammersmythe suddenly spun around, grabbing Davis by the lapels of his jacket. “Why did you do it? Why?” she roared into the startled man’s face.
The dark-haired man tried to stumble backward, out of Jess’s grip but was unable to. “What? What are you talking about?” He glanced around the crowd. “I don’t know what she’s talking about!”
I moved forward, pushing my way through the crowd. “Jess! Jess!”
One senior spun around, gripping the hand of his elderly mate. “What—” His eyes went wide when he recognised me. “Rebecca!” He spat the words out like a curse.
“Jess, what are you doing?” Standing on the edge of the grave, I watched as she picked Davis up with one hand, wrapping it around his throat and swinging the hapless man out over the gaping hole. No one moved. All eyes on the Board member.
She turned his head just far enough to one side to let me know she had me in her sights before returning her full attention to the terrified man in her grasp. “I went and checked the barn. I found the break in the ladder. I know you put it there.” The words came out in angry puffs, her Change already beginning. “Why did you kill her? She was at the birthing of three of my children!”
Davis’s face went scarlet as he went limp, allowing his feet to dangle in the air. “What did you expect me to do? She shouldn’t have broken the rules!” One arm flailed out toward me. “She did it for her! A misfit! She ignored the rules for her!”
“And you killed her for that?” With a roar Jess tossed Davis to one side. The man bounced once, twice in the damp soil before he skidded to a stop. People moved away from around him as if he were contagious.
“Jess, this isn’t anyone’s business but ours.” Getting to his feet, he stabbed a finger at me. “We should have kept it in the Pride. We had no need to call in a misfit!”
“That decision was debated and decided on by the Board.” The words were said in a calm, deliberate way as she rubbed her hands together. “And you disrespected that along with murdering one of our own.”
“No.” Davis shook his head. “No. She broke the rules and had to be punished.” His eyes raced through the murmuring crowd, seeking out someone. “I did what had to be done to keep the family secure.”
I spun around, looking for whomever he was talking to, but it was hopeless with the crushing mass now surging forward, a low growl beginning to emerge from the group.
Bran put his hand on my shoulder. “What’s happening?” he whispered, moving closer.
“The worst thing in the world.” I swallowed, trying to dampen the emotional rush flowing over me. The anger was building in the Pride, the realisation that Ruth’s death was preventable and worse—the result of one of our own taking the law into his own hands.
Hammersmythe tugged at her shirt, pulling the light fabric apart with ease. Her front was now obscured with the light brown fur her lineage had bestowed on her. The face was reshaping itself, the nose retreating inward as the teeth grew and extended past her lips. Her pupils became small feline slits as a tongue flicked out over super-sharp incisors. The scar on her face became more highlighted, the skin bereft of fur.
The thin dress fell to the ground with a slender pair of panties, leaving her naked. I heard Bran’s sudden intake of breath behind me even as the rage rumbled across the group around us, reacting to Jess’s actions.
“I Challenge you,” she rumbled at David Konnerburg, still in his suit and unChanged. “Change, and defend yourself.”
The Board member shook his head. “Jess, it wasn’t like that. I didn’t want to do it, it’s just that—” Again he swept the crowd, seeking someone. “It wasn’t supposed to kill her, just warn her not to do it again. It was an accident. An accident!” He pulled at his tie.
“That doesn’t matter.” Jess flexed her hands, the claws now fully extended between her fingers. “If your defence is that you never intended to kill her, then you are found guilty and must bear responsibility.” She gazed over the assembled crowd. “And the penalty.”
“What’s he talking about?” Bran whispered in my ear, his body now pressed up against mine, one hand wrapped around my waist as he stared at them. My head was spinning with both the rush of information and the growing wave of anger about to break loose.
“Sometimes you follow your own laws.” I forced the words out as Davis scrambled backward, finding the exit blocked by a wall of waiting Felis. I closed my eyes, scenting the Change happening around us.
Clothing dropped to the ground, shirts tossed to one side with shoes as they Changed. Most remained partially clothed since this wasn’t a full Hunt and was more of a symbolic gesture than anything else—but the claws were real and so was the hatred running through the men and women around me.
Jess advanced on the Board member, her transformation complete. She lifted his face to heaven and roared again. “Will you offer no resistance?”
The middle-aged man sat on the ground, shaking his head. He hadn’t even tried to Change. “I call on the mercy of the Pride.” The words were whispered, but we all heard it. “I throw myself on your mercy.”
Standing above him, Hammersmythe looked around the assembled Felis, almost all of whom had Changed. “Will anyone speak to save this man’s life?”
“I will.” The words were out of my mouth before I knew it and I already moved forward into the clearing. Bran hissed something behind me, but I didn’t hear it.
Chapter 13
Jess spun around. “Rebecca, this is not the place for your childish prattle.” A trace of sadness crept into her words. “You are here as a visitor, not even as a full member.”
Around me a murmur began to rise and fall as others recognised me, the discussion of my exile being brought up again. Even then, the Pride had been divided in the decision of what to do with me. In the end it had fallen to the Board and no one had objected with their decision.
“I beg the Board’s indulgence to present the argument.” My mind raced to form the words and present them in as formal language as I could—I couldn’t remember the last time a Challenge had gone without bloodshed. I pointed at the man on the ground. “This man did what he thought was necessary to protect the Pride. That, in and of itself, is no crime. In fact it is expected and demanded of each and every one of us.” I spotted a few furred heads bobbing in agreement. “The death of one of our most beloved members was, by his own words, an accident. He only intended to scare her into returning to the trail of complete secrecy, one of our most sacred rules.” A few more members began to mumble their agreement.
I raised my voice. “If a cub injures another one while playing, we do not strip him of his hide. Then how can you take the life of a member who has declared it to be nothing but an accident—a horrible, unfo
rtunate accident of one of our most beloved members, but still...an accident.” I spread my arms, hoping the submissive pose would win more over to my side. “Put aside the name of Ruth and see this as it was, an accident, and punish him on that crime. Punish him but do not kill him.” I took a deep breath. “Mercy is not a weakness.”
Jess looked over and around me, her nose twitching as she tried to take an accounting of the Felis surrounding us. Bran stepped up behind me, his pulse racing and fear radiating off of his body. His hand landed on the small of my back, pressing into the damp fabric with a sudden tenderness that brought tears to my eyes.
Dennis approached, still unchanged. Putting one hand on Davis’s shoulder he looked up at Jess, tears running down his face. “We have lost too much already, Jess. Let’s not add another body to the count.”
Hammersmythe arched back and roared again into the sky, her hands outstretched and claws at the ready. Stepping forward, she grabbed Davis by the throat and lifted him off the ground, shrugging Dennis’s grip off.
“You have been judged and found guilty of a crime, of causing malicious injury to another member of the Pride.” Her free hand lashed out. “You are thereby stripped of your membership and banished from this Pride. Seek your home elsewhere. Maybe there is another group that would take in your wretched, pitiful soul.”
Konnerburg dropped to the ground, his face a bloody mess. Spinning around, Jess advanced on me, leaning down until I could smell the morning’s bacon and eggs on her breath.
“Do not push your luck anymore. Leave.” It wasn’t a request.
I backed away, Bran’s body shifting as we made our way through the crowd, never turning around. A young male snarled at me, his lips rolling back to expose his teeth. A mother snatched her curious young away while they stared at the two of us.
“You have his scent on you!” One senior jumped out in our wake, spitting on the ground as she pointed at me. “You whore!”
“Get the stun gun out.” I whispered to Bran as we continued our retreat out of the crowd. “Be ready to use it.”
What God and Cats Know Page 15