by Geonn Cannon
Ari grabbed the fence with her hands and shook it until the dogs turned toward her.
Stop.
Both dogs barked at her but she silenced them by barking herself. The sound was so accurate that they fell silent, their lips curling to show their teeth but most of the fight seeping out of them. Ari dropped into a crouch and flattened her hand against the cage. Both dogs were torn and bloody, and one was holding its left paw up off the concrete. The fight most likely wouldn't have gone on much longer.
You can stop. Just stop. Stop.
The most-injured of the two wavered.
You're safe.
The one with the hurt paw eyed its opponent warily, shuffling off to one side before lying down. The other dog watched and then sat on its haunches. It looked at Ari and whimpered.
"It's okay. You're gonna be okay."
She stood up and watched the people scrambling around for exit. Policemen were using loudspeakers to order the people who had made it out of the building onto the ground. Ari took a deep breath and blew it out through her lips, turning on the phone she'd stolen. She dialed Dale's number and walked to a quieter part of the warehouse interior as it rang in her ear.
"Ari?"
"Yeah. Do you have the police scanner on?"
"Yeah. I assume that's you?"
Ari smiled. "Who else? Wanna come down and give me a ride home?"
"It would be my pleasure. I'll call Detective Lorne and be there are quick as I can."
"Appreciate it. I love you."
"Love you, too."
Ari hung up and went back to the garage. None of the men she'd left there were present. She was hurrying to the door, hoping Kevin and Tommy hadn't managed to slip away, when she heard a muffled thud from the car trunk. She stopped, tilted her head, and knocked.
"Hey!" The car shook as someone in the trunk shifted his weight. "Hey, let us out!"
"Sure thing. An officer will be by shortly to help you out."
From the movement of the car, Ari assumed Tommy and Kevin started wrestling each other. She walked around the car just as a uniformed officer came through the door. He swung his weapon up and got a bead on her, but she stopped dead in her tracks and held out her hands to show she was unarmed.
"Get on your knees."
"Yep, you got it." Ari did as she was told, lacing her fingers together on the back of her head. "My name is Ariadne Willow. I'm a private investigator. When Detective Lorne gets here, let him know where to find me."
"Sure."
One of the dognappers made a noise and the cop turned to see where it had come from.
"Oh. And you might want to let those guys out and take them into custody before they kill each other."
Chapter Two
The past four nights, Dale had gone to bed wearing clothes in which she would feel comfortable leaving the house. She always wanted to be ready as soon as possible when Ari called but this case was different. This time Ari was deliberately putting herself in a dangerous situation, and it was all Dale could do to keep calm about it. A Vice detective had come to them a week earlier with suspicions that there was dog-fighting happening somewhere in the city. He had a good idea who was operating it, a few names of the attendees, but no proof. He couldn't even find out where the fights were taking place.
Ari took the job. It was their first official job with the police, and Dale was nervous about making a good impression. She had gotten Ari a handful of cases for a local law firm that was now seriously considering putting her on retainer, and adding a police consulting job on top of that would put them firmly in the green. All Ari had to do was get herself captured by dog fight organizers. No cause for concern there.
First Ari drove through neighborhoods looking for "Lost Dog" posters. The 'winner' was NewHolly, with posters and flyers for twelve different dogs. Ari cross-checked the dates and discovered that all the dogs had gone missing within the same six week period. She determined that the organizers were abducting people's pets and using them to train their pit bulls and the other official fighting dogs. After that she just had to transform into the wolf and wait to catch them in the act.
"At which point you'll either be a wolf in chains or you'll be naked and unarmed. How is that gaining an advantage, Ari?"
"I'll know where they are. Trust me."
Dale did trust her. She had absolute faith that Ari would come through with a win, no matter how badly the odds were stacked against her. But that didn't make sleep come any easier. The police scanner was a constant companion while Ari was out putting herself in danger, soothing voices in the night that assured her people with guns and pepper spray were out there if Ari needed them.
When Ari's call finally came in, Dale was already wide awake. Police were responding to a 911 call with sketchy information about needing Animal Control. She already had her socks and shoes on when her cell phone rang and Ari asked her to come pick her up. She called Detective Lorne on her way out of the apartment just in case there were any legal issues with Ari being present at an illegal dog fight. He wasn't a client, but he could certainly vouch that they were the good guys if anyone made a fuss.
Lorne told her the address matched a warehouse on Harbor Island and offered her a ride to make sure she could get through the police barricades that were sure to be up. Five minutes later she was in his personal vehicle being driven south.
They first met Kyle Lorne during the Gavin case, and their paths had crossed a few times since then. He respected their results, even if he was becoming suspicious about just how they were achieved. He was a few years older than them, if the gray at his temples was any indication, but still young enough that he was willing to work with a couple of freelancers as long as they got results. He drove in silence for the first few blocks, streetlights flashing across his features as he considered the situation. Finally he glanced at her and said what was on his mind.
"So we've been trying to find these guys for a good long time now, but your partner managed to succeed in, what, under a week?"
"She has a special skill set."
Lorne pursed his lips and nodded. "Yeah. She certainly seems to."
They passed over the bridge and followed the eerie, flash-strobe glow of red and blue police lights until they found the warehouse. Lorne parked and led Dale across the pavement, using his badge to get past the uniformed officers guarding the area. He asked if Ariadne Willow had been found and was pointed toward a squad car closer to the building. Ari was sitting in the back, slumped down so she could rest her head against the back of the seat. Lorne opened the door and she looked up at him, then looked past him to smile at Dale.
"Still good at getting yourself into trouble, I see."
Ari said, "We all have to be good at something."
"Who put you here?"
"Officer Hearst."
Lorne nodded. "I'll find him and clear things up for you. Stay here."
Once he was gone, Dale crouched down in the open door of the car. "Hey, you."
"Hey." Ari took Dale's hand, intertwining their fingers and smiling at Dale's strong grip. "I'm fine. A little roughed up... I got thrown in a sack and manhandled, but otherwise I'm fine."
Dale smiled and kissed Ari's fingers. "Good. No violence?"
"A little. But I got someone bigger and stronger than me to do all the punching."
"Good girl." She leaned forward to kiss Ari's lips. "I'm glad you're okay."
Lorne came back with Hearst, who released Ari from her handcuffs. He looked more irritated than apologetic. "Sorry about this. But you understand our position."
"Sure." She nodded toward the building. "You had to make sure you got everyone who was in there. I'm glad you erred on the side of caution."
Hearst nodded. Lorne patted the officer on the shoulder as he turned to walk away. Ari watched him go then raised her eyebrows at the detective. "You need anything from me?"
"No." Lorne seemed to suddenly notice her outfit. "Nice jumpsuit. Is that typical stakeout apparel fo
r you, Ms. Willow?"
She looked down at herself. "Yeah. All the kids are wearing them these days. Greasy jumpsuits with someone else's name on the chest. They're all the rage."
"Well, anything's better than belly shirts I guess."
Ari saw a few Animal Control officers walking toward the building. "What are they going to do with the dogs?"
"Rehabilitation programs. That was part of your original arrangement with Detective Southall, right?"
"Just making sure everyone is aware. They're good dogs who were forced to be bad. I don't want them to suffer any more than they already have, and I don't want anyone putting them to sleep just because it's easier than treating them like the victims they are."
Lorne checked his watch. "Okay. It's late, and there's no reason for me to lose any more sleep on a case I don't officially have. I suggest you ladies do the same. They're going to want statements from you about everything that happened here, but that can wait until tomorrow morning. They'll be booking these jackasses all night, so you might as well get some sleep."
Ari glanced at Dale. "Actually, if you're on your way home, do you think you could drop us somewhere?"
He stared at her for a moment. "You don't have a car?"
"Not here, no."
"So how'd you get here?"
"I hitched a ride with one of the dognappers. You don't think they just told me where the illegal dog-fighting ring was, do you?"
Lorne's gaze lingered on her, waiting for her to break. When she didn't, he sighed and motioned for them to follow him back to his car.
"We'll have a check for you tomorrow, too. Even if I can't figure out how you pulled this off, you did good work. Caught them in the act, very few if any of them got away... I'm impressed. I'll talk to my captain about taking you on as consultants. I think we have enough cold cases to keep you busy for a while."
"We appreciate it." Ari put her arm around Dale and pulled her close. They both got into the backseat of Lorne's car, and Dale told him to take them back to her apartment. Ari guided Dale's head to her shoulder and stroked her hair as Lorne drove back over the bridge. They rode through the dark in companionable silence, Dale lulled to sleep almost immediately due to the darkness and the hum of the engine. Her sudden relaxation was also at least partially thanks to the fact Ari was safe and sound.
She woke when she heard Ari vaguely giving Lorne directions. She opened her eyes and saw they were passing the University. "It's on Madison," Dale said through a yawn.
"I know, sweetie," Ari whispered.
Dale put her head back down. She heard Ari speak to Lorne without really listening, then woke up enough that Ari wouldn't be forced to carry her upstairs. She said goodbye and thanked Detective Lorne before he drove off, then she took Ari's hand and guided her inside. "I know you couldn't say anything in front of Lorne, but do you need to go for a run?"
Ari shook her head. "I'm fine. I've been the wolf every night this week."
"Yeah, you've been the wolf, but you've been forcing it to work. Walking around in the same neighborhood, back and forth and up and down the same streets. I know I'd go crazy with a schedule like that." She crooked a finger and stroked Ari's cheek. "I know you want to go upstairs with me, but I also know a part of you wants to run. I'm letting you know it's okay if you want to do that. We can reunite tomorrow after a big fancy dinner we get with our police department check." She kissed Ari's bottom lip.
"I do love you."
Dale smiled. "I'm just being pragmatic. I wouldn't be much fun tonight anyway. I'm exhausted. So we'll both take care of biological needs - running and sleep - and tomorrow we can do the fun things when we're both conscious enough to really appreciate them."
"Sounds good." Ari smiled and kissed Dale. "I don't want to wake you, so I'll just go to my place when the wolf is tuckered out. I'll see you tomorrow morning and we can go get our big fat police check together."
Dale smiled. "Be safe."
"I always am. Come on... I'll go upstairs and tuck you in before I leave."
Dale took Ari's hand and led her upstairs. Ari looked down and plucked at her jumpsuit.
"Oh. I guess I stole this."
"I don't think the owners will press charges."
Ari escorted Dale into the apartment and down the hall to her bedroom. She helped her undress and tucked her in, as promised. She kissed the tip of Dale's nose, which made Dale chuckle. "I won't stay out too late."
"Good. I'll see you in the morning."
Ari nodded and smoothed down Dale's hair. She kissed her forehead and then her lips. "Sweet dreams, sweetheart."
She left the apartment and went downstairs, her bare feet slapping on the tile as she went back outside. She stepped into a recessed walkway and, after checking for any security cameras, took off the borrowed-slash-stolen jumpsuit and crouched down onto her hands and knees. She closed her eyes and let the change take her over. She bared her teeth as her skin stretched and tightened, her bones shifting into a new shape.
It was over in a matter of seconds, and she rose to shake out her fur. She flexed her muscles and stretched her neck out, turning her head first one way and then the other. She lifted her snout to scent the air, looked around to see if there was any food lying around that she might have missed, and then trotted out onto the sidewalk. She stopped on the corner, closed her eyes, and focused on the wolf.
Okay, baby. It's all you. You did a great job this week, so you can take over. Animal Control has their hands full with the dog-fighting ring. The city is yours. Just try not to eat anything too disgusting, for my sake.
The wolf seemed hesitant after a week of being kept on a tight rein, but after a moment Ari's vision began to blur. It felt like slipping into a daydream, falling into a veil of distraction, but she'd felt the wolf take over enough times to recognize the sensation of another consciousness taking precedence. She retreated mentally and let the wolf run.
#
The wolf was kind to her. She left Dale's apartment at a quarter to four and, if she could trust her dead-reckoning of the sun's position, it was almost six before she came back to her senses. She was still in the wolf's form, but it had handed control back to her so she could find a stash and get home. Early commuters were out starting their day, so she kept to alleys and back roads until she got her bearings and figured out where the nearest stash was. She was on Genesee Street, so she headed east for the cover of Lake People Park. Once she was safely out of view from the street, she paused next to a tree and transformed.
Her shoulders popped and her spine crackled, and she dropped to one knee as her skin rippled through the final stages. She flexed her fingers and the middle one popped, sending a bolt of pain up her forearm. She hissed and clung to the tree, bark flaking around her fingers as she rode the initial surge of pain. She'd gotten lucky at the warehouse, the pain of falling off the exam table and adrenaline from the mission distracting her from the pain of transformation. But it was back now in full force, lighting all her bones on fire and twisting her muscles.
When she caught her breath, she pushed her sweaty hair out of her face and got her bearings. The bag she was heading for was newer than most of the stashes so she didn't have its exact position memorized. Dale had only filled it once, and Ari had yet to need it. She didn't know exactly what was in the bag, but anything would be better than taking the morning commute in the buff. She had entered the park from the north, so she headed south for about thirty yards before cutting to the east again. Her mother had taught her dead-reckoning when she introduced the concept of hiding stashes of clothing and supplies throughout the city. It was one of the few lessons Ari actually appreciated.
She was so distracted by her now-fading pain that she didn't notice the scents in the air until it was too late. She stepped into the small clearing and spotted the interloper when it was too late to hide or abort her approach. An athletically-lean woman with white, almost ashen skin was crouched over the bag. Her back was to Ari, strong muscles at play und
er the skin. The lines of her spine and shoulder blades were sharp and pronounced, and her pose made her seem animalistic even though she was in human form. Her entire body tensed at the sound of Ari's bare feet brushing across the mulch of dead leaves and twigs.
The woman stood up and spun to face Ari with a wary expression. She was slender and muscular with dark hair that draped her face like a hood. One side fell back to expose her high cheekbone when she tilted her head in consideration. She narrowed dark eyes, nodded once at Ari, and then pointed at the bag.
"This is yours?"
"Yeah." Ari moved cautiously forward. Neither of them seemed overly concerned with their nudity, something Ari had only experienced with other canidae. She sniffed the air and was surprised by what she discovered. She raised an eyebrow. "Wolf?"
The other woman nodded. Her nostrils flared as well and the tension seeped out of her. "Yeah. You too?" Ari nodded. "I'm Milo."
"Milo?"
She shrugged. "Millicent Duncan. But I don't like Millicent and I loathe Millie."
"Nice compromise. Ariadne Willow. Ari."
Milo nodded once in greeting before she gestured at the duffel bag. "I was going through the park trying to keep away from all the people, trying to figure out how to get home. I could tell that someone had been through here and I followed it to the bag. I was a little worried it was a serial killer's mementos or something."
"You wouldn't be the first to make that mistake. You're British?"
She smiled, revealing a small gap between her front teeth. "What gave me away, guv? Me accent a bit limey for ya?"
Ari chuckled and moved closer. Even her hyper-paranoid wolf paranoia was relaxed, so she pointed at the bag. "Go ahead and take what you need. Wolves have to look out for each other, right? My girlfriend packs these for me and hides them all over the city, and she always puts in more than I'll need so she doesn't have to replenish them every time I use one. So wherever I end up after a run, I don't have to go far for clothes."