Wild Country

by Anne Bishop

  “I’ll swing by your office later this afternoon,” Tobias said.

  “See you then.” Feeling lighthearted about seeing Tobias again, and vowing to try to be more understanding when she dealt with Virgil, she jogged to the office, took Rusty to the square for a few minutes, and then checked e-mails in case there was something she should report at the meeting.

  * * *

  * * *

  Jesse walked into the meeting room with a box lined with a piddle pad in one hand and a puppy in the other. The daypack she usually carried weighed twice as much today because Tobias, damn and blast him, had talked her into this. She hadn’t had to lug this much stuff around since her boy was in diapers.

  She looked down for just a moment as she set the box next to a chair. She looked up to find herself sandwiched between two Wolves in human form—if you didn’t count the furry, Wolf-shaped ears.

  “What’s that?” Virgil said, his attention fixed on the gray puppy.

  The puppy, who was either very brave or not too bright, yapped at him.

  To Jesse’s surprise, Virgil grinned and held out a hand for the pup to sniff.

  She said, “This is the new addition to my family.”

  Virgil gave her a sharp, assessing look, but he didn’t comment about her choice of words.

  Setting the puppy in the box, Jesse slipped the daypack off her shoulder and tucked it under her chair. The puppy whined and tried to climb out of the box. As she wondered about the wisdom of distracting the puppy with treats—and teaching the pup that bad behavior would be rewarded—Virgil settled the matter by sitting on the floor next to the box. He picked up the pup and said, “See? You’re mom is right there.” Then he cuddled the puppy against his chest and said nothing when those sharp puppy teeth gnawed his hand.

  Jesse dug out one of the bone-shaped treats. “Let her gnaw on that instead of your thumb.”

  He took it and smiled as the pup settled in his lap with her treat.

  He had been a father once, Jesse thought. The certainty of it made her heart hurt as she watched Virgil with the pup. She glanced at Kane, who had taken the seat next to Virgil and was also focused on the pup. And he had been an uncle. Their family is gone now, casualties of war.

  Jana Paniccia came in and sat beside her. “Didn’t have time to shower. Sorry.”

  Virgil leaned forward to see past Jesse’s knees. “Why sorry? You smell like the horse who is not meat. That is good.”

  Fortunately neither woman had to respond to that because the Sanguinati arrived along with two young Intuit men.

  “I have called this meeting because a request was made to expand the boundaries of the town to include one of the two full-size grocery stores in Bennett,” Tolya said. “Fagen and Zeke will present their proposals for us to consider.”

  Fagen talked about how he and the people working with him would take responsibility for finding the food-processing plants that had survived the war. He explained how his group would also collect food from the houses and warehouse it to stock any small neighborhood stores, as well as the general store located on the town square.

  Jesse wasn’t sure the Sanguinati appreciated the charts, but Fagen had thought through what his group wanted to do.

  “The collection of food and distributing it is what you’ve been doing since arriving in Bennett,” Tolya said. “How is this different?”

  “When we first came to Bennett, we came for the adventure and because we believed helping you secure the town would earn humans the right to have a place in the town’s future,” Fagen said. “We worked for room and board and, basically, spending money. And we worked for the town council—or you, as the mayor. But not everyone works for you now. You’ve got doctors and lawyers and dentists, and that’s a good thing. But those people will charge for their services, so those of us who are staying need to earn our own living because you need to pay the folks who are actually working for the town, like you and the sheriff and his deputies. Like the people who are needed to collect garbage and maintain the streets in summer and winter.”

  “We will consider what you have said,” Tolya said.

  Zeke’s proposal was much the same as Fagen’s, only Zeke and his group wanted to be the salvage business that cleared out houses. More charts explained how each house would have careful documentation so that jewelry would be taken to Kelley Burch for assessment and private papers would be packed up for the lawyers to review in an attempt to find any heirs who might have lived elsewhere and survived. Zeke’s group had information about a few towns—most of those places being no more than a handful of buildings—that, most likely, had been resettled by terra indigene. Part of the salvage business would be to drive out to those places with a van packed with goods that the Others might find useful: human clothes, books, games, canned goods that could tide someone over if the hunting was lean.

  Tolya thanked the men and asked them to wait outside the room while he and the town council discussed their proposals.

  Jesse wondered how much discussion there would be and how much had already been discussed by the Sanguinati using the terra indigene form of communication.

  As soon as the door closed, Tolya turned to her. “You feel people. What do you think about them?”

  Jesse considered what she’d felt during the meeting—and realized Tolya had been watching for her tell. But her left wrist hadn’t tingled or ached in warning. “Zeke and Fagen were among the first Intuit men who came to Bennett to help out. I think they have a frontier sense of adventure, much like the Intuits who settled Prairie Gold.” She smiled. “Much like the Intuits who still live in Prairie Gold. The people who came here from the Lakeside job fair all have skills we wanted for the community—not just the doctors and lawyers but the electricians and plumbers and carpenters too. And those people, who are skilled in their trades, have promised to hire youngsters as apprentices to learn those trades. People coming in now have to clear their own houses of the personal effects of those who lived there before them. It’s time to stop requiring sorting of goods to be part of every person’s workday. Let Zeke and Fagen start their own businesses to do what is needed.”

  Tolya nodded, an indication that he had listened to what she’d said. Then he looked at the Wolves. “Virgil?”

  “One of those stores is close to the new boundaries,” Virgil said. “I think the Elders would agree to expanding the town boundaries that much.”

  “That store also has other stores nearby, like the one that has many different kinds of things,” Kane added.

  “A department store?” Jana asked.

  Kane shrugged. “It is a store with many things.”

  “The other food store is too far beyond the new boundaries,” Virgil said. “It is in the wild country now. It would not be safe for humans to go there with new food.”

  “But there would still be a lot of foodstuffs on the shelves or in the stock room,” Jesse said. “Most of the fresh food will have rotted by now, but the food in cans and jars should be good.”

  “The terra indigene who have claimed some of the houses in that part of the town will use the food,” Virgil said. “They will need it since they will spend part of their time watching for enemies. Also, being in human form to do human tasks means there are many days when we can’t hunt properly to bring down meat. We will need to eat meat killed by humans or go hungry.”

  Jesse doubted any terra indigene would go hungry. Since humans weren’t allowed to carry guns within the town limits, they would be easy prey, despite the understanding that Bennett’s human residents were considered not edible—at least by the terra indigene residents. Whether the Elders thought the humans were like chickens in a pen wasn’t something she wanted to know.

  “Two humans arrived on yesterday’s train, looking for work,” Tolya said. “They offered to open the land agent’s office and take responsibility for recording who
lives where and which businesses are now open. They talked about mapping which houses and businesses are already taken so that newcomers can be shown the houses that are still available and not have to wander.”

  Everyone thought that was a good idea. Tolya nodded. “Then I will tell Craig and Dawn Werner that they have jobs and may select their own house.”

  After informing Zeke and Fagen that their businesses were approved and setting up a time for them to meet with him and take care of the paperwork, Tolya adjourned the meeting.

  Virgil stood, still holding the puppy.

  Jesse eyed the pup. “She needs to go outside and do her business.”

  The Wolf stared at the box. “She’s going to live in that?”

  The growl in his voice made her shiver, but she answered briskly. “The box was small enough to bring in for this meeting. She has a puppy playpen that I’ll set up in my own store. She has a bed for when she’s a bit older. She has a crate to stay in when she needs quiet time.” When Virgil said nothing, she added, “Better get her outside before she pees on you.”

  Virgil headed for the door, leaving Jesse to grab the box and her daypack. Then he stopped. “What’s her name?”

  “She doesn’t have one yet.”

  The stare he gave her wasn’t friendly. “Why not?”

  “Because I want Rachel Wolfgard to help me choose a name. Since the pup will be spending as much time with Rachel as she spends with me, I would like my friend’s input on a name.”

  She wouldn’t say he softened toward her, but she had a feeling that she’d given Virgil a reason not to think ill of all humans.

  * * *

  * * *

  Jana washed her hands, then splashed cold water on her face. Virgil hadn’t said anything about the Wolfgard taking over the house at the corner of her street. She wouldn’t have known if she hadn’t run into John Wolfgard outside the bookstore and learned about the move. John was pleased to be able to observe humans going about their usual tasks. There had been a human pack in Lakeside and interacting with them had been educational.

  She wasn’t sure she wanted to be the equivalent of the educational channel on TV, but she could guess why some of the strongest predators in Bennett were moving into houses on that street.

  The blood prophet.

  She didn’t know enough about the cassandra sangue, and she needed to learn—fast—because she was the law as well as a neighbor. She should know what to watch for that might indicate signs of trouble.

  As she debated whether to approach Tolya Sanguinati or Jesse Walker to find out what information they might have—and assess their willingness to be forthcoming with her—Jana walked into the front part of the office and noticed the way Virgil and Kane were staring at Rusty, who should have been in her crate and wasn’t.

  Virgil smiled—actually smiled—at her before focusing on Rusty again. “She eviscerated the bunny. Good girl!”

  Rusty wagged her tail, looking thrilled to receive her pack leader’s praise.

  Jana stared at what was left of the toy she’d given the dog that morning. “No, not good girl. Bad girl!”

  Rusty stopped wagging her tail, dropped the bunny’s head, and whined.

  Virgil swung around to face Jana and growled, “Why bad girl?”

  Dominant Wolf or not, she could not allow him to intimidate her, especially when they were in conflict about something that was none of his business. She took a step forward so they were almost toe-to-toe and looked up at him. “She’s not supposed to rip up her toys.”

  “Then why did you give her a toy that looks like prey?” he demanded.

  “I didn’t think she’d know what a bunny looked like!”

  Stupid human. He didn’t say it. He didn’t have to.

  “If she swallows some of that stuffing, it could make her sick,” Jana said.

  He bared his teeth and looked a lot less human.

  “Some toys are meant to be chewed, but not the stuffie toys.” She tried to sound reasonable. She really did. But even she heard the growl in her voice and wondered how close she was to challenging his dominance and being bitten.

  He made a sound somewhere between a grunt and a growl and walked out of the office, followed by Kane.

  Rusty crawled to Jana and rolled over, exposing her belly.

  Sighing, Jana crouched and rubbed the dog’s belly. “It wasn’t your fault. You’re still a puppy and everything is new. I just hope every part of your training isn’t going to include a confrontation with them.”

  She put Rusty in the crate and swept up the remains of the bunny. She dumped the bits into the wastebasket, then considered the puppy and dumped the wastebasket into the garbage can out back. Afterward, she tried to settle down and get some work done so that she could have her roping lesson with Tobias.

  The phone rang, making her jump. “Sheriff’s Office, Deputy Paniccia speaking.”

  “You sound so official,” Barb said.

  “I am on duty.”

  “What are you doing after work?”

  Jana suppressed a sigh. “That depends. I made plans but I could break them.”

  “Would those plans include a certain rancher?”

  “He offered to teach me to use a lasso.”

  “Is that what we’re calling it here?”

  “Barb!” She could hear the sparkle in her friend’s voice.

  “Okay, I’ll stop teasing. But he is good-looking, and he is giving you riding lessons—which is not another way of saying you know what—and . . . Hey, he’s single, isn’t he?”

  “As far as I know.” And in this town, she doubted anyone could keep their marital status a secret.

  “Well then, enjoy a little lassoing and smooching.” A beat of silence. “And if you write any letters to anyone in Lakeside, do not say I said that or Michael will start wondering what I’m up to—which is nothing that I couldn’t tell my mom about—and find a way to be on the next train out here.”

  Jana laughed. “I won’t mention it.” She hung up and went back to work.

  Unsure of Virgil’s and Kane’s moods when they returned an hour later, Jana moved to the center of the room so that she wouldn’t be trapped behind the desk—just in case Virgil decided to do more than growl at her.

  Kane remained in the doorway. Virgil stepped within arm’s reach, held out a toy, and growled, “Acceptable?”

  Jana smiled as childhood memories flooded her. “It’s Cowboy Bob.”

  As a child, she had loved the Cowboy Bob TV show, where Bob, a cloth doll, could change into a real cowboy who helped the children living in a frontier town. But he became real only when the adults weren’t around to see him.

  This Cowboy Bob, complete with his hat, boots, and six-gun, must have been printed on the material—front and back—then sewn together and stuffed. She hadn’t known such a thing existed and wondered if a TV station in this part of Thaisia still aired the old shows.

  When she reached for the doll, Virgil pulled his hand back. “Acceptable? It doesn’t look like prey.” He paused before adding, “At least to her.”

  Now, that was just being mean. “Yes, it’s acceptable.”

  Before she had time to thank him, before she had time to react, Virgil grabbed the back of her neck and vigorously rubbed the doll over her chest, then her face, and finally her hair before he let her go.

  “By all the gods!” Her heart pounding, Jana stumbled away from him and watched as he held up the doll and sniffed it.

  “We already rolled on it. So did John. That left you.”

  There were plenty of things she wanted to say. Plleeeennnnty. She just couldn’t form the words.

  Would she have to arrest herself if she whacked him over the head with a stapler? That assumed she could get close enough before Kane intervened.

  Virgil crouched, held out
Cowboy Bob, and waited for Rusty to creep out of the crate and approach him.

  “Pack,” Virgil said firmly.

  Rusty sniffed Cowboy Bob. Her tail began to wag.

  Virgil set the doll on the floor, belly side up. “Pack.”

  The tail wagging became more vigorous. Then Rusty snatched Cowboy Bob and darted into her crate. With her new pack mate nestled between her paws, she settled down for a nap, leaving the adults to sort things out by themselves.

  Virgil straightened and turned to stare at Jana.

  She huffed and she puffed and finally forced out the words: “Thank you. That was kind of you to find her another toy.”

  He continued to stare. “We’re going out to patrol. Tobias Walker says he’s going to teach you to rope things because it is a skill you will need. We will be back before it’s time for you to leave.”

  “Okay.”

  As he walked out the door, Virgil grumbled something about wolverines. Jana didn’t catch most of it, and she figured it was better for both of them if she didn’t ask him to repeat it.

  * * *

  * * *

  When she didn’t get an answer the first time, Barb knocked a little harder on Abigail Burch’s screen door. Abby could be in the bathroom; it always seemed like someone who wasn’t expected knocked on the door just when you needed to bring a book or crossword puzzle into the bathroom.

  She’d turned away from the door and picked up her boxes when she heard footsteps. She offered Abby a big smile that dimmed as she looked at the other woman.

  “I guess this is a bad time. Sorry to have bothered you.”

  “It’s all right,” Abby said. “Personal stuff.”

  “Want to do something for a neighbor?” Barb felt bad about asking someone who already looked worn-out, but she was asking everyone who already lived on the street. Even John Wolfgard was coming over to help, and the Wolves hadn’t done anything about moving into their own place except pee on the house.