Kane chuckled. “Where is he? The boy…” he said. “You realize you’ve sent him on a hopeless quest, don’t you?”
Owen shook his head but didn’t reply.
“Fool…” Kane began. “You’ve trained him as well I suppose.”
“I did.” Owen replied as he snapped his head upwards. He narrowed his gaze at Kane and said, “And you’ve never come across anyone with ability like his.”
“I have no concern with that,” Kane replied with a casual wave of his hand. “I’ve never been beaten. Ever.”
“There’s a first time for everything.” Owen replied.
“Well?” Kane said as he looked around the room. “Where is he? The son of Dylan? The brave new leader of this clan? His absence speaks to his cowardice. The very same weakness that led to his father’s death.”
Owen scoffed. “You don’t know the first thing about what he’s capable of…” he began. “That always was your problem… Hubris. Arrogance. Conceit.”
Kane nodded. “And yet, here I stand…” he replied as he made a sweeping gesture with his hand. “Still… leader of the clan after all these years. Does that attest to my strength or your ignorance?”
“Neither…” Owen began. “Intimidation and deception are not qualities any leader should aspire to hold.”
Kane walked over towards Owen and stopped in front of him. Darkness fell across his features as he looked down at the old bear shifter.
“That boy…” he said as he pointed into the distance. “Will die. As will you.”
***
“You don’t frighten me.” Owen replied.
Kane ignored his comment and instead turned his attention towards the women.
“And the girls… Who are they?” Kane said as he neared Daniella and Tricia. The man’s odor was pungent and strong. He smelled of wet soil and vinegar. It was an awful aroma and unlike anything Daniella ever experienced.
“No one…” Owen said in a dismissive tone. “Hikers that got lost.”
“Mmm, hmm.” Kane said as he moved closer to Daniella and examined her.
She turned her head away from him. Partially because of his odor and partially because of the way he looked at her. His eyes were black, hollow, and lifeless and the thought of looking into them terrified her. She heard him close to within about a foot away and stop. The next sensation she felt was his large thumb and index finger grab hold of her chin. Once he had it in his grasp, he moved it back in his direction. Horrified, she turn to see a sickening smile across his face. He winced at her as he moved her chin from side to side in an attempt to discern the true purpose of her presence.
“What’s your name?” He asked.
Daniella’s lips parted in unconscious fear.
“Her name is of no consequence to you, Kane.” Owen interrupted.
Kane’s head snapped in Owen’s direction. “Quiet!” He yelled.
The large man turned back towards her once again. He nodded and said, “Go on, you can tell me.”
“I… um,” Daniella began as she tried to look in Owen’s direction. Kane held her chin tight making it impossible to do so.
“Yes?” Kane said.
“Daniella…” she said. “My name is Daniella.”
Kane nodded and released her chin. “There… you see. That wasn’t so difficult was it?”
Daniella swallowed hard but didn’t respond.
“Let her go, Kane.” Owen growled. “What is this? You know the code.”
“Those old rules no longer apply here.” Kane said. “I am the law now.”
“The more things change…” Owen scoffed.
Owen’s comment didn’t seem to affect Kane at all. Instead, he looked at Daniella once again.
“Tell me… Daniella… how is it you and your pretty little friend were so unfortunate as to become associated with the likes of this man?”
Daniella hesitated. “Well, I…” she stammered. “We were lost on the trail. He um, he found us and was helping us when your men showed up.”
“I see.” Kane nodded. He raised his finger towards his chin. “Why is it I don’t believe you?”
Daniella shrugged. “I don’t know. It’s the truth.”
Kane nodded. “Well, perhaps your story will change with the proper motivation.”
Proper motivation? What the hell did that mean?
A sudden rush of adrenaline coursed through her veins. As panic began to swell up inside of her, Kane turned on his heels and walked back towards Owen.
“These restraints…” Kane began as he looked back at his henchmen. “I think it’s safe to assume our guests won’t be going anywhere. Remove them.”
“Yes sir,” one of the men said as he stepped forward. “Right away.”
“Yes,” Kane nodded. “I see no need to be hostile. No need. At least… not yet.”
The man nodded. He produced a pair of wire cutters but before he cut the women loose, he looked at Kane. “And the shifter sir? Do you want him freed as well?”
“Yes…” Kane growled in a low voice.
And then, almost before Daniella realized it, the plastic straps that bound her to the chair fell away. She massaged her wrists as the restraints hit the floor.
“Please…” Kane said as he gestured towards them. “Stand and stretch your legs.”
Daniella and Tricia glanced at one another with nervous looks. For his part, Owen seemed underwhelmed with Kane’s display of hospitality. As the old bear shifter stood, several of Kane’s men raised their guns in his direction.
“No…” Kane said as he turned towards the men. “Holster your weapons.”
The men took a few steps back and did as ordered. Kane gestured towards a large table in the center of the room.
“Have a seat.” He said as he pointed towards it.
“I have no desire to break bread with you.” Owen replied.
“Nor I you, brother. This is not a meal.” Kane bellowed. “You betrayed all of us and you will pay for that. Clan justice has a long reach and an even longer memory.”
“That’s where you are mistaken.” Owen replied. “I wasn’t running from the law of the clan, merely from you.”
Kane nodded and leaned towards Owen. A sinister smile broke across his face. “And that’s your fatal error, brother… For I am the law. Make no mistake you will pay for your transgressions.”
Owen nodded. “And what about them? Why are you keeping them here?”
Kane shrugged. “Because I can.”
Owen yanked against the restraints as the men walked around behind him to cut them loose. “Let the humans go.” He said. “They don’t belong anywhere near this place.”
“That is exactly right, they don’t…” Kane replied. “Which makes their presence mysterious indeed.”
After they’d released the three of them from their restraints, Kane’s men gestured for them to take a seat at the table. With guns trained at their backs, Owen, Daniella, and Tricia did as he instructed. However, Kane remained standing.
He studied the women for several seconds until at last he circled around behind Tricia. Her eyes widened as he disappeared from her peripheral vision. In the next instant, Kane reached down and fondled her hair. For several moments, he ran it back and forth between his fingertips.
“Freshly washed…” he said as he raised one eyebrow and looked at Owen. “I’d say within the past five or six hours. Now, who washes hair of such length and thickness mere hours before a backwoods hike?”
Owen bit his lip but didn’t respond.
“No human that I know of…” Kane began as he let her hair fall away.
He walked over and grabbed Daniella’s hand. As he turned and examined it, Daniella felt his calloused skin against hers.
He held her hand up in Owen’s direction. “Manicured nails, makeup… They are no more hikers than I am a giraffe.”
Daniella swallowed hard as he let go of her hand.
“Now…” Kane began. “We will get to the bot
tom of…”
But just as he started to speak, a couple of men came down the stairs. In their hands, they carried the women’s purses and Owen’s backpack.
“Sir…” one of the men said as he approached Kane from behind. “We discovered these on a grid sweep of the area where they were captured.”
Kane turned back in the direction of the men as they approached.
“Ah,” he began. “It looks as if we will uncover the identities of our mystery guests after all.”
Along with Owen’s backpack, the man placed both purses on the table and searched through them for about a minute. Kane sat at the table and as he did, the man produced the women’s identification and handed them to Kane. Kane took them, held one in his right and the other in his left.
He looked at Tricia first. “Tricia Rebecca Taylor, from… Barnestowne.”
Tricia swallowed but averted his gaze.
Kane turned his attention next to Daniella. “Daniella Jennifer Tanner, also… Barnestowne.” He began. He placed their driver’s licenses down on the table. “Barnestowne, eh? You ladies drove a fair bit for a late evening hike, I’d say.”
“Actually,” Daniella began. “I live in Pine Hill now. That’s my old address. Tricia was staying with me.”
“Uh huh…” Kane muttered.
Owen groaned. “What is the point of all this, Kane? These women are useless to you. This is between the boy and us. Let them go so that we can settle this once and for all.”
“When I want your opinion, brother…” Kane replied while he rose from his chair with measured precision. “I will ask for it!” He exclaimed as he slammed his immense hands down on the table. The impact was so loud it caused Daniella and Tricia to jump in their seats.
“I’ve grown weary of these semantics. Take the women to the cells…” Kane said as he gestured towards them.
“What!” Owen yelled. “This is an outrage!”
“Yes sir!” Rudy exclaimed. In the next instant, he and another man snatched Daniella and Tricia from their chairs and forced them to stand up.
“Restrain him again,” Kane replied as he pointed towards Owen. “We’ll get what we need from him. One way or another.”
***
Seconds later, the men hustled Daniella and Tricia through the same door they entered less than an hour earlier. At the same time, the men covered their heads with hoods once again.
“Walk…” Rudy said as he placed his hand on Daniella’s shoulder.
“But, I can’t see where I’m going,” Daniella replied. “I’ll fall.”
“Just walk, bitch.” Rudy mumbled. He gave her a little shove. “Fucking humans, eh Marcus?”
“Yeah,” Marcus scoffed. “Weak through and through.”
Daniella wanted to tell him off and she knew Tricia felt the same way. But instead she decided to keep her mouth shut for the time being. They walked along for what felt like several minutes. Aside from the squish of grass beneath their feet and the occasional crunch of gravel, there was almost no sound in the bear clan compound.
“Stop.” Marcus said from behind them.
In the next instant, she heard the sound of a door unlocking in front of her. Rudy wrapped his hand over her shoulder once again.
“Go.” He said.
As Daniella walked forward, the door slammed closed behind her. She and Tricia shuffled their way on a gentle slope downward. As they walked, the ambient temperature in the air continued to fall.
“Wait.” Rudy commanded.
The women stopped and just ahead of them, the sound of a large metal door opening echoed in her ears.
“Just them?” A voice she didn’t recognize asked.
“Yeah,” Rudy replied. “Maybe one more later… shifter… but depends on what the boss does to him.”
“Shifter, eh?” The man asked. “One of ours?”
“Yeah,” Rudy replied. “Carmichael. Owen Carmichael. Ever heard of him?”
“Nah, can’t say that I have… Before our time, maybe?” The man replied.
“Yeah, he’s pretty old.” Rudy said.
“And these two?” The man asked.
“Just lock them up for now…” Rudy replied.
Daniella sensed the new man move close to her. He lifted her hood until their eyes met. At first glance, she noticed his arms and legs were short and thick and not like any shifter she’d seen before. Not much taller than Daniella, he peered beneath the edge of the hood under a set of bushy eyebrows.
“Humans?” He said as he rubbed his chin and glanced at Rudy.
“Yep.” Rudy nodded.
The man dropped the hood back down over her eyes.
“I won’t ask…” he replied.
“Good idea,” Rudy began. He reached over and along with Marcus, they removed the hoods from Daniella and Tricia’s heads. “We’ll be back.”
The man nodded. Rudy and Marcus turned and left the room and as they did, the man closed the large steel door behind them. Daniella and Tricia followed him with their eyes as he locked it and spun around to face them.
“Alright,” he began. “In you go…”
He gestured behind them and Daniella turned her head on a swivel to follow the direction of his hand. As she did, a large wall of iron bars appeared before her. Daniella and Tricia glanced at one another as the man walked up behind them and steered them towards the barren jail cell. They walked inside and he closed the door behind them. It clanged shut with a heavy thud. With what appeared to be a set of medieval dungeon master keys, he locked it and gave it a quick tug to make certain it was secure.
“Make yourselves comfortable…” The man said as he turned to leave. Bowlegged, he walked towards the exit and without turning to face them said, “I’ll be right back.”
A moment later, he’d disappeared and closed the door behind him. Daniella and Tricia looked at one another.
“Oh my God, Daniella.” Tricia whispered. “This is totally fucking nuts! What are we supposed to do now? I could kill you.”
“This is no time to argue,” Daniella replied. “I’m sorry, okay? But, we have to stay calm.”
Tricia shook her head and plopped down on a cot nearby. Daniella walked over and sat down next to her. She draped her arm over her friend’s shoulder and pulled her close.
“I am so sorry, Tricia.” Daniella sighed. “You have no idea.”
“I know…” Tricia groaned. “I’m just scared.”
“Me too,” Daniella said as she rubbed her on the shoulder. “Even so, if we let it get to us…”
Tricia nodded. “You’re right.”
Just then, the door to the room reopened and the short man reappeared. In his hands, he carried a large tray with some food on it. Even though eating was the last thing on her mind, Daniella had someone else to consider now when it came to her appetite. The man kicked the door closed with his foot and walked over to towards their cell. After he reached it, he slid the tray inside through an opening in the bars wide enough for it to get through, but nothing else.
“Eat…” the man grumbled.
As the women stood from the cot, he turned to leave.
“Wait…” Daniella said.
The man stopped and did a half turn in their direction. He raised his eyebrows expectantly but didn’t speak.
“Um,” she began. “What is your name?”
The man chuckled. “Eat your meal human.”
Without another word, he opened the door and walked out. Daniella and Tricia picked at the food. It wasn’t a real meal… more like a bunch of stuff just thrown together. It was apparent that feeding prisoners wasn’t something they did very often. Stale bread, some carrots and a lukewarm bowl of stew was all they gave them to fill their bellies.
Tricia took a few bites of her meal and offered the rest to Daniella.
“You need to eat,” she began. “You have to keep your strength up.”
“I’ll be fine.” Daniella replied. “Actually, more than anything I could use some
rest right now.”
“Rest?” Tricia said. “How can you even think of sleeping right now? Don’t you wonder what’s happening with Owen, not to mention Jett?”
Daniella sighed. “Of course I do but I mean there’s nothing I can really do about it.” She said as she grabbed hold of one of the steel bars and yanked it. “You know? We’re kind of stuck right now.”
Tricia groaned. “I suppose you’re right.” She replied as she sat down on the other cot in the cell. “Well, why don’t you try and get some rest first. I’ll stay awake in the meantime.”
“Okay, I think you should sleep as well.” Daniella replied.
“I can’t right now,” Tricia began. “You go ahead.”
“Alright…”
Daniella laid down and did her best to find a position of comfort on the thin, albeit lumpy, mattress. Although she figured it might take a while for her mind to calm down enough to fall asleep, it didn’t. Before she realized it, she felt her eyelids grow heavy and she drifted off.
***
A loud thud jolted Daniella from her slumber. When she came to, she forgot where she was for a moment. Her eyes scanned the room and all at once, the memory rushed back. The sound startled Tricia also and she lifted her head up off her cot.
“What was that noise?”
Daniella shrugged. “I don’t…” she began. But as she spoke, the door to the cell flung open and through it came a battered and bruised Owen. He fell to the ground with his hands tied behind his back. He struggled to get to his feet but no sooner did he attempt to right himself, than the jailor came in and kicked him to the ground once again.
“That’s all that’s fit for you.” The short man snarled. Owen winced in pain as he rolled around the floor.
“Owen!” Daniella shouted. “Oh my God!”
“Daniella…” Tricia whispered as she pinched her on the arm. “Shhh… remember?”
“Shut up!” The jailor yelled. “Get back… both of you!”
The women retreated near the back of the cell as he opened the door. Afterward, he walked back over and stood above Owen.
“Come on,” he ordered. “On your feet old timer. Move it!”
Owen staggered upright and began to walk towards the cell. As he entered, Daniella caught her first glimpse of his face. There was little doubt he was on the losing end of something. The purplish red hues on his cheeks were evidence of that. Once inside, he managed to get to one of the cots where he collapsed. The jailor slammed the door to the cell closed and seconds later, exited the room without a word. After he did, Daniella rushed to Owen’s side.
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