He looked at her, anger suddenly sparking in his eyes. Raising himself to his full height, he responded between clenched teeth, “You’ll regret saying that.” They stood there, in a standoff, for a long moment, before she saw Jagger’s muscles bunch up and she prepared herself for the attack.
TWENTY-TWO
CONFRONTATION
Scruff
When Scruff was able to open his eyes again, he looked around with relief. He was on a beach with no sign of humans or coyotes. There was an odd chemical smell in the air, making him feel sick to his stomach. He was not surprised that no one was here.
He knew he should move on, just in case Storm had followed him, but his body was too exhausted. He lay there unmoving until night fell. As the air cooled, he heard his stomach growl. Reluctantly, he dragged himself upright, and slowly climbed the staircase to leave the beach. He was surprised at how tired his leg muscles felt — they were twice as heavy as usual.
Above the beach was a neighbourhood with lots of houses, and he stayed on high alert, winding through backyards and alleys, making sure to stay still whenever he saw a human or a car. He tried to avoid other coyote markings, but was less cautious than usual — he was desperate for food and water. In one backyard, he scared a few birds away from a big basin filled with fresh water. It tasted a little bit mouldy, but he was so thirsty that he couldn’t stop himself. He hoped it didn’t make him feel sick later.
At the edge of a park, he found a pile of human garbage. It was old and smelled a little bit funny, but he ate it anyway. After, his stomach churned but he did feel better. For some reason, after all he’d been through, he felt an even stronger desire to get back to the hillside and confront Jagger. He had nothing left to lose. He didn’t know exactly how to get back there, but was pretty sure he could retrace his steps to the hillside from the elevated train.
Scruff picked his way carefully through the different neighbourhoods, following familiar scents until he found the elevated train. From there, he began travelling back toward the hillside, taking detours to avoid other coyotes, and only travelling during the darkest part of the night. He made time to hunt as much as possible, feeling his strength slowly returning. However, his steady progress was halted when, halfway through the second night, he smelled something familiar. He was inspecting a pole at the entrance to a park to determine who had been there and how recently, when he caught a scent that smelled like Gree’s. He frowned, and sniffed again, more carefully this time. It was unmistakable. She had been here many times, and quite recently. He looked around quickly, half expecting to see her loping toward him, a look of anger on her face. The street was dark and silent.
If Gree was here, then the rest of the pack must be here, too. He wanted more than anything else to avoid a confrontation. Retracing his steps, he moved away from the scent and spent the rest of the night making a wide, cautious arc to avoid the area. He went hours out of his way, carefully stopping to sniff at each major intersection to see if there were any more scent markings. The detour cost him an extra night, but it was worth it to avoid them. He didn’t know what they would do if they saw him, but he didn’t want to find out.
Finally, on the third night, he knew he was close. Things began to feel very familiar, and he picked up his pace. He stopped at a bush to inspect the smells, and was surprised to pick up a very familiar scent. Pica had been here very recently! He sniffed around, but didn’t pick up on any other members of her pack. He frowned, confused. Why would she be here alone when her family was so far away? For a moment he hesitated, wondering whether to change his plans. But he had come so far, and felt unwilling to turn around without at least challenging Jagger. He pushed on, but more cautiously this time. He picked up Pica’s scent a few more times. It was odd — it seemed that she, too, was heading for the hillside.
When he arrived at the edge of the hillside territory, he was immediately aware that it was not the same. The construction smells had never been so strong from this angle. He reached the road that bordered the hillside and, looking across it, was confronted by a field full of hulking metal machines and low buildings. He sat down in shock, staring blankly at the machines. He couldn’t believe it. He felt his chest tense up and the flood of anger returned. After all that, the hillside was gone now, too. With less caution now, he galloped across the road, cleared the rock wall with a smooth leap, and trotted briskly through the construction site. His senses were trained on picking up any sign of Jagger. Would he still be here, or had he lost his chance to ever find out what had happened to his family?
If he climbed the hillside, he would have a better view of the whole area. Trotting up the hill, the dirt felt soft and cool against his paws. Being in the area again brought back memories. He was so caught up in thought that he missed hearing the conversation until he was almost right on top of them.
“No, Jagger.” He heard Pica’s voice, low with anger, “they aren’t. Thanks to you. The way you and Scruff killed my father just to get the hillside — you ignored the code and showed yourself to be completely ruthless. And now, it seems that you are also completely stupid. You did it all for nothing.” He heard a thump, and then she continued. “I hate you, and you deserve all of this — you’re sick, and you have no home anymore. You deserve it all.” She sounded furious.
Scruff took a few steps forward, coming around the side of a bush. There was Jagger, his body rigid, tufts of fur sticking out in all directions, standing face to face with Pica. Pica stood equally rigid, staring back at him. He noticed that her body was larger now, her muscles long and lean. Neither of them noticed him.
Jagger stood straighter, taking a step toward Pica. “You’ll regret saying that.”
There was a beat as both coyotes prepared to spring toward one another. Then, before Scruff could react, he saw Jagger leap onto Pica, and Pica disappeared beneath him.
Almost before Scruff realized he was doing it, he growled and jumped around the bush, barrelling straight into Jagger. He knocked Jagger over and then fell over himself. Then, in a single breath, all three coyotes were on their feet and staring at each other in what was now a three-way standoff.
Jagger was the first to break the silence. He turned on Scruff with a snarl. “Nice to see you again, runt. Have you joined her side now?”
“I haven’t joined anyone’s side.” Scruff tried to keep his voice low and controlled. He looked up, and almost stopped when his eyes met Jagger’s two angry slits. He soldiered on. “It’s just that every time I’m around you, someone is getting hurt. Lamar first, and now Pica? Haven’t you harmed her family enough already? When will you just act like every other coyote and leave well enough alone?” As he spoke, he sensed Pica turn to look at him, but he felt unable to meet her eyes.
“She was the one who came back,” Jagger snarled, indicating Pica. “She’s trespassing.”
“Trespassing on what land? This hole of a construction site?” Scruff hurled back. “You would hurt Pica to defend this?”
Jagger stared him down for a long minute. “You should have stayed away, after what you did.”
“After what I did?” Scruff’s anger fuelled him to speak more recklessly than he ever had before to Jagger. “You were the one who lied to convince me to help you kill Lamar. You used me. Did you lie to me about my parents, too? You killed them, didn’t you? It makes sense. You wanted the forest, and you were conveniently right there after they died. I wish you had just killed me, too.”
Scruff paused for a breath. He hadn’t expected all that to come out.
Before Jagger could respond, Pica jumped in, turning to him with intensity. “You were a pup from the Forest Pack? I never knew that!”
“You runts really have no idea,” Jagger scoffed. “No idea at all.”
“No idea of what, Jagger?” Pica replied angrily. “No idea of what happened to Scruff’s parents? Actually, I do. I overheard my parents talking about it, and they said you had killed coyotes before. It seems pretty clear to me.”
Jagger looked between them for a moment, and slowly he began to chuckle. The chuckle turned into a laugh, and right in front of their eyes, he began to belly-laugh uncontrollably. Scruff and Pica just stared at him, not comprehending. Finally, he paused to take a breath.
“Scruff, you can believe whatever you want. It’s all screwed up, anyway. I tried my best to help you, but I’m done with all of this.” He shook his head slowly and turned around, smoothly slipping under the fence. Scruff could hear the soft padding as he loped away. As he stood there, feeling confused, he became more aware of the body breathing slowly beside him. The cold winter sun had just lifted above the hillside, and when he finally turned to look at her, he saw she was staring back at him with an unreadable expression. He quickly dropped his eyes and turned away, unsure of what to do or what to say. Of all of the outcomes he had thought might come from his return to the hillside, this was far away from any of them.
Pica
Pica watched as Scruff walked away slowly from her, his head hung low, sitting down on the hillside a short distance away. His back to her, he looked out over the construction site and the golf course. His body was still small for a coyote, but his muscles had filled out and he looked tougher. The conversation with Jagger kept running through her head. Now that she thought about it, of course Scruff wouldn’t have known who killed his parents — he wouldn’t have been so tight with Jagger if he had. Looking at him, she couldn’t help but shiver, thinking about how he had helped to kill her father. How had Jagger lied to him to make him do that? She needed to know more.
She cast a nervous glance back at the fenceline. Could Jagger have been lying again so he could catch them unawares? It was possible, but she didn’t think that in his state, looking skinny and malnourished, he would willingly take on the two of them. Although neither she nor Scruff was full-grown, they were strong. Together they would have a good chance at injuring him. He couldn’t afford to risk it. She figured they were likely safe for now.
She padded over softly and sat next to Scruff. Close, but not too close. She found it difficult to look at him. Looking at him made her think about her father and that terrible night. She gazed out over the hillside, avoiding having to look him in the eyes.
It was quiet for a few moments, and then Scruff broke the silence. “Pica, I’m sorry.” His voice was almost inaudible.
“I never knew all of that before — where you came from and who your parents were.”
“I was so little when my parents died that I don’t really remember much. After my siblings died, Jagger saved me for some reason. I still don’t understand why.”
Pica frowned. “What did he tell you about your parents?”
“Well,” Scruff paused for a second, “he told me that Lamar killed them.”
“What?” Pica burst out, snapping her head around to glare at him.
He looked up to make brief eye contact, then quickly looked away. “He told me that Lamar and Gree needed more space with you and everyone else, and they were trying to expand their territory.”
“But that’s ridiculous — we had the whole hillside!”
“I didn’t know any better. I think he just wanted to make me hate you.”
“I guess that’s why you helped him kill …” Pica couldn’t quite finish the sentence.
“I didn’t know that he was going to do that. If I could go back and change things, I would. But I can’t. I came back because I needed to know that truth. Now I can go.”
Pica paused, considering. “I can see how you would believe him. He kind of had control over you, you know. It’s hard when you are young — it was the same with us, I guess. We just believed whatever our parents told us, too.”
“Well, in the end, he just used me. He destroyed my life, and yours. And the lives of your family. Wait — why aren’t you with your family?” Scruff finally looked up at her, his soft brown eyes registering confusion.
Pica smiled sadly. “It’s a long story.”
Scruff nodded his head toward the rising sun. “We have a while.”
“I guess so.” Pica launched into her story, starting from the moment when Scruff warned them to get away from the hillside. She detailed her injury, their flight, and getting captured. Scruff kept interrupting her to ask questions about her time at the rehabilitation centre. It was hard for her to describe it, because she had nothing to compare it to. She finally got to the point of her release and decision to return to the hillside to find out where her family was.
“Pica.” Scruff looked at her intently. “I know where they are.”
Pica stared at him. “What?”
“On my way here I smelled Gree and a few of your siblings. It was recent. They might have been passing through, but even if so, I’m sure we can track them from there.”
Pica’s heart was racing. She could hardly believe him. “You’re sure?”
“It was unmistakable.”
She jumped up, feeling suddenly euphoric. “We have to go now! I can’t believe it! How far are they — how long will it take? Why didn’t you tell me sooner? Where were you when you smelled them? Can we find them today?”
Scruff grinned. “Sorry — at first I had no idea you didn’t know where they were. Then, I got caught up in your story. I can help you find them, but it’s a bit of a trip. It took me two nights.”
“Two nights?” Pica felt deflated. “Well, if we travel through the day, we could —”
“There is no sense in getting killed just to get there a little faster,” Scruff cut in. “Why don’t we wait for dusk, and then we’ll travel as far as we can overnight. Tomorrow we can rest, and I bet we can make it there the second night.”
“I don’t know if I can wait,” Pica declared.
“Well, if you have to go, we can go now. But the area around here is pretty busy in the day. I don’t think it would be worth it.”
Pica sighed. “Fine. But this day is going to pass so slowly.”
“I can help pass the time,” Scruff said, grinning at her. “Why don’t I tell you about when a pack of huge coyotes chased me into the ocean and I almost drowned?”
Pica stared at him intently, her interest piqued. “What’s an ocean? And why were you near a pack of huge coyotes?” Inviting him to follow her, she trotted over to a dip in the hillside where they would be out of sight of all the humans arriving for work. “Fine. We’ll lie here for the day and you can entertain me with stories.” She laid her body out on the grass, and felt Scruff lie down next to her. For a moment, she had a flash of apprehension, as she remembered who this was lying next to her. Was he really who he said he was? Could he truly not have known? She frowned, and put it out of her mind. Either way, he was going to help her find her family, so it didn’t really matter for now.
TWENTY-THREE
TEAMWORK
Pica
The day passed slowly for Pica. After talking to Scruff for a few hours, her eyes began to close, and she realized that she was exhausted. They tried to nap in the grass, but the noise from the construction site constantly disrupted them, and they ended up retreating to a shed behind a house on the other side of the fence.
It was quieter in the shed, but there, thoughts of Jagger resurfaced. It was clear that he didn’t live in the hillside area anymore, but Pica knew that he and Scruff used to live in an abandoned house not far from here. Could he still be there? They decided to take turns staying alert, watching for danger.
In between naps, they talked some more. Scruff seemed eager to talk to her, but she still wasn’t sure how she felt about him. Now that she understood more about his past, she felt sorry for him. She could understand how he could have ended up being there when Jagger killed Lamar. However, a part of her still couldn’t quite forgive him. He may not have known it was about to happen, but he hadn’t done anything to stop it. He may not be a monster, but he was not a
friend, either.
As soon as dusk began to fall, she jumped up and stretched. Scruff opened one eye, and then closed it again. “Come on, Pica, wait a little longer. I can still see the shadows.”
“Shadows? There are absolutely no shadows around!” She was impatient. Clearly, he did not share the urgency that she felt. Her family was out there somewhere, and only he could help her find them. She jumped over to him and pushed at his body with her nose. Then she batted his tail with her paws. “Scruff, let’s go! We’ll be careful.”
Scruff yawned and stood slowly. “Fine.” He looked at her, shaking his head and smiling a little bit. “I get it — it’s important. I don’t know what they’ll do when they see you!”
“Well, I do.” Pica felt a warm feeling spread from her chest through her whole body. She could picture the scene in her head. Dane bounding over, Kai’s yelp of surprise, Sage’s warm eyes, and her mom, the relief evident. Reluctantly, she broke out of her reverie and looked over at Scruff. He had turned away from her and looked upset.
“What’s wrong?”
“Nothing. Let’s go.” Scruff trotted off down the alley, not waiting to see if she would follow.
Pica felt irritated as she trotted behind him. After everything he had done to break up her family, he didn’t seem that eager to help her. However, as they travelled, she calmed down a little bit. He really was in a tough situation — he clearly didn’t want any future with Jagger, and her family would probably try to kill him if they saw him. Even though her family wasn’t aware of all she had learned about him, it didn’t change the fact that he had been present when her father was killed. After leading her back to her family, Scruff would have no choice but to go back to the city alone. She felt a sadness well up in her — she knew what it was like to feel lonely. The feeling sat with her for a moment before she shook it off. There was nothing she could do about it. It was his problem, not hers.
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