by Geonn Cannon
She didn’t know exactly where Milo had been picked up by the cops, but she knew her friend’s scent well enough to pick it up from a fair distance away if she put her mind to it. She smelled the air and isolated out the grease, gas, and oil of the cars from the saltwater of Elliott Bay, and set out at a fast trot. There were so many things to smell, to look at, but she forced herself to stay on task. There were people out walking but she ignored them as she weaved around their legs, looking for any hint of Milo or her mother.
There was something. Faint, but undeniable. The wolf part of her brain locked onto it and Ari let her body follow. Dale had once asked her what it was like to track, and she couldn’t think of a comparison that effectively explain it. The closest she got was telling her it was like heat that makes a sound. “Imagine a room with lots of different temperatures. Hot in one corner, cool in the other, warm in the center, with spots that spike one way or the other. Now imagine each one makes a noise so you can cross the room without ever breaking a sweat. That’s pretty much what it’s like. Only without heat. Or sound. Just smell.” Dale hadn’t quite understood, but she declared the explanation was good enough to satisfy her curiosity.
Ari crossed the street and squeezed through the chain-link fence separating the flow of traffic from piles of rubble and continued running along the last remaining segments of the viaduct. Construction workers saw her, and one man operating a spray truck swept the stream around near her. She chose to believe he was doing it to keep her away from the dangerous equipment rather than just being a dick.
The scent took her south, to Dearborn, in front of the large glass building that housed the ventilation system for the SR 99 tunnel with its bright yellow smokestacks. She paused on the sidewalk and sniffed the air again to re-center her focus, which is why she was doubly alarmed when something heavy dropped onto her back, knocking her hind legs down and pinning her to the pavement.
She twisted and managed to wriggle free from what turned out to be a weighted nylon net. It had been thrown by one of two men currently running toward her, one of them fumbling with what looked like a garage door opener. She realized what it really was when he extended his arm, pressed a button, and the air filled with a piercing whistle so loud that she couldn’t focus on anything else.
Ari flattened her ears to her skull and let the wolf’s survival instincts take over. Her claws skittered on the ground as she ran. The whistle fell silent and, when its echo faded, she could hear the men shouting to each other as they pursued.
“--not her!”
“But look at the size of the thing! It’s gotta be one of ‘em.”
They were looking for Milo. They were the people, the hunters, who had been holding her hostage. That meant they were probably the ones who had her mother.
But she couldn’t let them catch her, so she ran. She scrambled through a chain-link fence and back into the demolition zone. Buildings that ran alongside the viaduct were boarded-up and sheathed in sheets of plastic that waved in the wind. She heard the rattle of the fence as her pursuers tried to get over it and continue the chase. She jumped large chunks of concrete, not bothering to look back as she ran.
Workmen shouted at her pursuers. “Yo, you guys can’t be here. Turn around.”
“That wuh-- the dog, we have to--”
“The dog is gone, pal, we can’t have you back here. Go. Now.”
Ari didn’t wait to see if they complied. She kept running until she was out of the demolition zone. She didn’t plan to go back for Diana’s car. If the hunters were lurking around the area, it was far too dangerous to risk transforming anywhere nearby. The wolf could get her back to Dr. Frost’s house, and then she and Dale would go back for the car later on.
Second car I’ve abandoned today, she thought. I’m on a roll.
The realization was almost enough to amuse her. At the moment, though, she was too focused on escaping before the hunters pulled out any more tricks like the whistle.
***
Dr. Frost loaned Ari a pair of his slacks and a dress shirt, both of which almost fit her. Still, it was better than staying in wolf form or hanging out in the nude until she had a chance to get back to her apartment. Dale went into the bedroom with Ari so they could talk while she dressed.
“I’ve been trying to call Diana,” Dale said. “No reply. Hopefully she’s just busy and not something worse.”
Ari nodded and tucked the shirt into her borrowed pants. It was still too baggy, but it would suffice. “I, uh, I didn’t find anything on my end, either.”
Dale narrowed her eyes. “Puppy...”
“Some hunters were apparently looking for her, too.” She focused on rolling her sleeves up so she wouldn’t have to look at Dale. “I managed to get away, but it was a close call. But really, I swear, it was nothing.”
“Nothing? These are people who not only managed to capture your mother and Milo, they managed to keep them both prisoner for months. They did god-knows-what to Milo. So forgive me if I look at the glass as half-empty here. You got lucky escaping them this time.”
Ari said, “I did. I admit that. But they got lucky, too.” She furrowed her brow and shook her head, leaning against the dresser. “I should have smelled them. They were really damn close, and I was in full-on bloodhound mode. There’s no way they should have gotten anywhere near close enough to throw that net. And even after I knew they were there, I never picked up a scent from them.”
Dale crossed her arms over her chest. “What does that mean?”
“I have no idea.” She sighed and ran her hands through her hair. “And trust me, it’s just as annoying to say that as it is for you to hear it. I don’t like not knowing this much, and I don’t like the idea of hunters being able to sneak up on us.”
“Me neither.” Dale thought for a second and then tilted her head to the side. “Why are they out looking for her?”
Ari said, “She escaped.”
“But Hayden was at the hospital. They know where she is. They wouldn’t have to look for her in the same place where she escaped.”
Ari started to answer, but it was a very good question. Hayden and his goons knew that Milo was nowhere near the demolition site. So what had those two hunters been doing?
“The simplest theory is that there are two groups of hunters at play. But I’m having a hard enough time worrying about one, so let’s wait until we get to that bridge before we worry about it.”
“Fair enough,” Dale said.
They returned to the living room and found Dr. Frost had just come out of his office. “Ah, there you are. Milo is awake.”
“She’s...”
Frost smiled, relief clear in his expression. “She’s herself again. Come on. I still want her to rest, but I think we all have questions for her.”
Ari breathed a sigh of relief and gripped Dale’s hand, then followed Frost into the office. The front half looked like a typical older man’s study: massive desk, bookshelves neatly filled with leather-bound books and a variety of small doodads. The far side of the room, on the other hand, looked like a hospital room. Milo was in a bed with her head and shoulders elevated, a blanket tucked around her legs, hands folded in her lap. She’d been cleaned up since the last time Ari saw her. Her hair was wet and slicked back from her face, and she was wearing an old Mariner’s T-shirt. Most likely it was another loan from Dr. Frost’s closet.
She had been staring out the window but sat up straighter when they came in. “Ari. Dale. Apparently I really am in Seattle.”
“Apparently so,” Ari said.
Milo looked between them. “Where’s Gwen?”
Ari’s shoulders slumped. “Ah, pup, we were hoping you’d be able to answer that one.” She sat on the edge of the bed as Dale went around to the other side. “How are you doing?”
“Confused, obviously.” Milo reached out for Dale’s hand. “I don’t know how I got here.”
“Cops found you by the arena,” Ari said. “You were out of it. Your wolf bra
in was in charge even though you were in human form. You don’t have any idea how you got there?”
Milo searched her memory, but she was slowly shaking her head. “I’m having a hard time remembering anything.”
Frost cleared his throat. “It’s not surprising. Considering the trauma your mind has gone through, it’s highly unlikely your memory escaped unscathed. What’s the last thing you remember clearly?”
Milo closed her eyes. “Germany. With Gwen. We were on the road, going... somewhere. We had to find a safe place to leave the book. I don’t... I...” She squeezed her eyes shut tighter, like she was trying to force her brain to work. “I don’t remember if we found a place. I don’t know how I got from there to here. I remember... a plane. I was laying down on a plane. Then dark rooms... It’s like trying to remember a dream. The harder I push, the more I lose.”
“Then maybe just let it rest for now,” Dale said.
Ari shot her a look. Dale responded with a look that said they weren’t going to gain anything by damaging Milo’s already injured brain.
“Dale’s right,” Ari conceded. “For now you just have to rest. We’ll keep an eye on you.” She brushed Milo’s arm and squeezed her hand. “Is there anything you need?”
“Water. I’m dying of thirst.”
Frost was already halfway out of the room by the time she finished speaking. Ari waited until he was out of earshot and lowered her voice.
“There might be something you can answer from before the blackout.”
“Anything that might be helpful.”
“When Dale talked to Henrik Bayer, he referred to you and Mom as ‘the Willows.’ He seemed to be under the impression you were married.”
Milo smiled weakly. “Oh, that. We met with a lot of canidae when we were over there. Every time we had to introduce ourselves, Gwen stumbled over herself because she doesn’t like the word ‘girlfriend’ and ‘partner’ is too vague. By the time we met Henrick she decided to just introduce me as Milo Willow and let people draw their own conclusions.” She shrugged. “I didn’t mind it. I mean, I still think it sounds silly. But... yeah, I didn’t mind it.”
Ari smiled. “I don’t mind it, either, if you want to know the truth. But I’m not calling you Mom.”
“Fair enough.”
Frost came back with the water. “Okay, ladies, let’s go. Give her memory some time to recharge and heal, hm?”
Milo said, “Here’s hoping.”
Frost left the glass on the nightstand, then held out his arms to herd Ari and Dale from the room.
Milo stopped them. “Ari, can you stay for a second?”
Ari went back to the bed. Dale closed the door behind her, leaving them alone. Milo held her gaze on the door, then switched her focus to Ari.
“How is she?”
“Who, Dale? She’s fine. Perfect.”
Milo said, “She read the book, Ariadne. Gwen and I got a crash course on that thing the past few months. It’s fucking insidious. It can change anyone into a wolf-hating maniac. A member of Henrick’s pack knew someone who read the books and then poisoned sixteen canidae before they finally put him down. If it can change a wolf...”
“I trust Dale.”
“It’s not about trust, Ari. It’s not even really about Dale, or how we feel about her. I need to make sure you know how powerful that book is.”
“I understand,” Ari assured her, “and I know Dale is stronger. It’s been months since she read it. She’s had countless opportunities to hurt me. She’s the same person we’ve always known. If you can’t trust her, then trust me.”
Milo pressed her lips together. “I do. You know I do. But mainly because you’re the one she’ll go after first if she does snap. If anything happens to you, I won’t hesitate to go after her.”
Ari bristled at that, but she tried to understand where Milo was coming from. Instead of arguing, she nodded. “Okay, Milo. If that’s what it takes to get you on board with her, then I accept it. But you don’t have to worry.”
“I hope you’re right, pup. I love Dale, I do, but I’m not going to stand by and let her turn into something she’d hate.”
Ari squeezed Milo’s hand. “I’m glad to have you back.”
“Glad to be back,” Milo said. “I just wish I could fill in some more blanks for you.”
“All in good time.” Ari bent down and kissed Milo’s forehead. “We can talk again when you’ve gotten some of your strength back.”
She got up off the bed and left the office. She knew Milo’s concern wasn’t baseless, but she also knew the idea of Dale still being under the control of that book was preposterous. She could only hope Milo’s current paranoia would fade when she was feeling more like herself.
Chapter Two
Gwen was getting pretty good at counting time. Her window was fogged glass, barred on the outside, and covered with a thick sheet of plastic, but sunlight still passed through. She could tell the difference between morning, afternoon, and evening, and could make a good guess about how far into each part of the day she was. They didn’t take her out of her cell according to any schedule she could recognize, but it helped break things up a little. Guessing was harder on the days when they drugged her but, for the most part, she felt her accuracy was good.
She was almost positive it was just before noon when the door to her room was unlocked. She was sitting in the middle of her bed, feet up on the mattress so she could rest her arms across her knees, staring straight ahead as Valerie Byrne came in. She had a tray of food, a combination of breakfast and lunch, which she placed on the desk under the window. Gwen was wearing her usual outfit of sweatpants and a T-shirt. Her hair hadn’t been cut in months and sat heavily on her shoulders in a rats-nest tangle.
Val looked equally disheveled. It was clear she hadn’t had a quality shower in a while, but at least her scrubs were clean. Her hair was long and ratty, but she had it tied back in a ponytail to keep it out of her way. She rested her hands on the back of the chair before she turned to face Gwen.
“She’s gone.”
Gwen perked up as if a power button had been thrown. Her eyes, once flat, filled with life as she focused on Val. “What do you mean ‘gone’?”
“Her room is empty.” She kept her voice low and one eye on the door. “A bunch of the guards are also gone, presumably out looking for her, but judging from how pissed off everybody is, I don’t think they’re having much luck.”
Gwen put her feet on the floor and stood up. “If Milo got out--”
“We don’t know for sure that she did,” Val said. “They would be equally pissed off if she got killed trying to escape. The guards may be gone to dispose of her body.”
Gwen refused to hear that theory, shaking her head until the visuals were gone. “She said she had a theory. A way out. If she found a way...”
Val stepped closer so she could lower her voice even further. “This isn’t necessarily a good thing, Gwen. If Milo really did get away, who do you think they’re going to take it out on? The only other canidae they have prisoner? No. It’ll be me.”
Gwen flinched and looked away. “I’m sorry. Milo and I promised we’d get you out of here, and I still intend to do that. I won’t leave you behind. Milo won’t, either. If she did get out, she’s probably getting help as we speak.”
Val still looked concerned, so Gwen took her hand. “Look at me, Valerie. We’re getting out of here. It’s just a matter of time.”
“I hope you’re right.” She squeezed Gwen’s fingers before letting go. “I should get back. We don’t want them to come looking for me. I’ll let you know if I hear anything else.”
Gwen nodded. “Thank you. Is there anything planned for today?”
Val hesitated. “Not that I know of. I don’t know what Milo’s disappearance will do for their mood, so we should be prepared for anything.”
“Okay. Thank you, Val.”
“Yeah,” Val said softly. She let her hand fall from Gwen’s and left the roo
m.
Gwen went to her desk and looked down at the food. Another frozen dinner. Definitely not the worst food in the world, but it was the only thing she’d eaten in months. It was better than starving, barely, so she sat down and started to eat. She focused on the bare wall in front of her and, for the millionth time, went over how few options she had.
Her jailors didn’t seem to have any issue with letting her see where they were holding her. It was an abandoned building, all the windows on the western side boarded and covered with plastic. All the ground floor windows were barred, and most of the rooms had been completely gutted. The room she was in had a reinforced door, naturally. She assumed Milo and Val’s cells were equally secure. There were always at least two hunters on duty, and Val said they had more outside. The only other exit she’d seen besides the main door was a loading bay which had been bricked over.
It clearly wasn’t impossible to get out. Milo had somehow managed it. The thought made Gwen smile, despite everything. She might not know the details, but Milo had definitely thrown a monkey wrench in Silver Skull’s plans. That alone was worth celebrating. And while she knew it was certainly possible that she’d been hurt or even died in the attempt, she couldn’t make herself think about that version of events. She had to imagine her free, safe, and looking for help, because the alternative would make her shut down. She needed to keep her wits about her.
Her right foot bounced. She stared at the window in front of her, imagining if she stared hard enough she could see through the blurry glass and the plastic. There was a world out there. She could hear traffic and the sounds of demolition, heavy trucks moving around and beeping when they moved in reverse. Men and women were working less than a hundred yards from where she’d spent the last few months. But their voices might as well have been a radio broadcast from Mars for all the good they did her.