The Wolf Who Cried Girl
Page 25
It didn’t take her long to find the stash Dale had buried. She remembered the view from the spot and found the tree with relative ease. Kneeling down in the dirt, wet from the overnight rain, she dug up the duffel bag and took out the first packet of clothes she saw: button-down shirt and overalls. She wondered if Dale had been mad at her when she packed this bag, but it was better than nothing. She dressed quickly, put on the shoes from the bag, and found the money for a payphone. She checked the bag to make sure there was no leakage or mold, then reburied it and headed back for the trail.
Ari stretched as she started walking back to civilization. She was sore, but it was a good sore. She’d been out as the wolf most nights this week, mostly checking for any hunters who might not have gotten the memo that Seattle was a safe zone. Dale understood, because Dale always understood, but Ari was determined to make it up to her. A nice dinner, maybe a movie, and then a full night in the same bed. It was the least she could do after everything her wife had done for her.
She smiled at the thought. Her wife. Her friend, her assistant, her godsend, the woman who saved her life and her business and was always ready to swoop in and save her at a moment’s notice. What an honor to call such a person her wife, and to be her wife in return.
Her mother was also easily adjusting to married life. She had agreed to stop siphoning money from hunter accounts as a show of good faith, so her wealth was no longer a bottomless pit. She was still very, very wealthy, but she and Milo were considering a move to a smaller house just to make things a little easier. Ari had gotten them real estate listings for Portland, but only as a joke. Mostly as a joke.
Ari left the Greenbelt using a cozy if slightly ominous path that led her under the Magnolia Ramp. She saw a few tents set up and moved quietly to avoid disturbing anyone who might still be asleep within. She’d spent enough nights as a teenager in places like this, and she didn’t want to disturb any of them if she didn’t have to.
The trail ended at a cluster of buildings corralled by chain-link fences. Employees had parked their cars between the supports of the ramp, huddled there like woodland creatures hiding from the sun. The car parked at the far end of the street didn’t belong, however, and Ari smiled when she saw who was leaning against the front bumper with a breakfast burrito.
“Detective Macallan.”
Diana smiled and raised her coffee cup in greeting. “I’ve missed running into you after a run, and... dear lord, what are you wearing?”
“Dale’s revenge,” Ari said, plucking at the overall straps with both thumbs. “Canidae chic.”
“I wonder why I ever thought you had a drug problem. Stumbling out of the Greenbelt at sunrise dressed like a refugee from the world’s most disturbing kids’ show.”
Ari sat next to Diana and peered into the takeout bag. She smiled, retrieved the extra burrito, and began unwrapping it.
“Want to use my phone to call Dale?”
“Yes, please,” Ari said. “How’d you know where I was?”
“I didn’t,” Diana said. “I saw you out running and followed you. I saw you disappear into the Greenbelt and, given the time, I assumed you’d be transforming soon. There were only a handful of places you were likely to come out where you wouldn’t be seen.”
“Nice detective work, detective.”
“Thank you, detective.”
Ari took Diana’s cell phone and dialed Dale’s number. It only rang once before she answered. “Diana?”
Only after she heard the note of concern in her voice did Ari realize she would have seen Diana’s name on the ID and jumped to a bad conclusion. “It’s me. I’m safe. Diana stalked me and I’m hanging out with her. She’d probably give me a ride home if I asked nicely--” Diana pointedly shook her head no. “--but I’d rather start the day with you, if you’re up for it.”
“Always. You’re running late today, puppy. I’m already up, showered, and dressed.”
“I guess the wolf got a little wild.”
“Tell Diana thanks, and I shouldn’t be long. I’m already getting the keys.”
Ari gave her the address and returned the phone. “Thanks. And for the burrito.”
“No problem. I’ll wait with you until she gets here.”
“I appreciate it.”
“Pack’s gotta stick together, right?” She winked and sipped her coffee.
Ari looked at the cup. “Could’ve gotten me a coffee, too...”
“I did. This is yours. I drank mine while I was waiting for you.”
Ari snorted and shook her head.
A few minutes later, Dale pulled up behind Diana’s car. She got out and frowned at Ari’s overalls.
“Puppy! What the hell are you wearing?”
“You’re the one who packed it.”
Dale said, “I definitely did not pack that monstrosity.” She looked at Diana. “Hey there, hon. Having a good day?”
“Right up until I had to babysit your wife. Get a longer leash.”
“She keeps chewing through them.”
Ari rolled her eyes and escaped the mockery by getting into the passenger side of their car.
Diana grinned and gathered her trash before she slid off the car hood. “Lucy would kill me if I didn’t arrange dinner. Sometime this month? Friday or the next?”
“Friday’s good,” Dale said. “We’ll cook.”
Diana gave a thumbs up and got into her car.
Dale pulled out first, waving goodbye to Diana as she pulled out and headed back to the main road. “I was going to take you straight to the office since you have clothes there you can change into, but I’ll take you home so you can shower.”
“Bad?”
“Not the freshest, puppy. And your hair is a disaster.” She reached over and tried to blindly tame some of it. She gave up after a few strokes and rubbed the back of Ari’s neck. “Good night?”
“Pretty good. I must have made some pretty good mileage if I ended up that far into Queen Anne. A shower will feel great. Especially if I have someone to do my back...”
Dale made a quiet noise of mock contemplation. “You have a slow day today. Someone called for an appointment, but that’s in the afternoon. You could try serving that summons to Ike Berry again. The schedule his ex-wife provided says he’ll most likely be at the Capitol Hill offices this week.”
“Might be worth a shot,” Ari said. “It would be nice to get that one off the books.”
“Mm-hmm. Other than that, the day is yours.”
“I’m sure we’ll figure something out.”
Dale smiled at her, then focused on the road. “Oh hey...” She pointed ahead, to the south. “You can see Mount Rainier.”
Ari leaned to one side until she spotted it. “Good omen.”
“Yep,” Dale said. “It’s going to be a good day.”
Ari settled back in her own seat. Beautiful skies, a shining sun, she was on her way to work with her wife, and the mountain was out. It wasn’t going to be a good day.
As far as she was concerned, it was already great.
About the Author
Geonn Cannon is the author of over fifty novels, including the Riley Parra series which was adapted into an Emmy-nominated webseries by Tello Films. He's also written two tie-in novels for the television series Stargate SG-1. He was the first male author to win a Golden Crown Literary Society Award for his novel Gemini, and he won a second for Dogs of War. Information about his other works and an archive of free stories can be found online at geonncannon.com.
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Table of Contents
Front Matter
The Wolf Who Cried Girl
About the Author
More from Geonn Cannon