by S. E. Meyer
Beneath the pine boughs Anna jolted awake, her breath coming in rapid bursts. Straight ahead of her was the wolf. It sat, staring at her from ten feet away. Anna's pulse continued to throb in her ears from the animal in her nightmare, spurred on by the animal before her. The wolf lifted its leg and licked its paw, unbothered by Anna's anxiety. The wolf showed no sign of aggression. It just sat, staring with unblinking yellow eyes.
Anna rolled to one knee and stood while keeping her eyes on the wolf.
“What do you want?” Anna said.
The wolf responded with a yawn before stretching.
Anna shook her head, angry with herself for falling asleep out in the wilds with no protection. An easy target, and the wolf wasn't helping her feel any better.
I can't trust myself to stay awake.
Anna scanned the trees, finding what she was looking for. A tall oak with a branch low enough to climb. She pulled the length of rope from her pack and cut it into two pieces with her knife. Finding a lighter among her supplies, Anna burnt the ends of each piece before placing the lighter and knife into her pocket. With one piece of rope secured to her pack, she threw the other end over a high branch, pulling the pack to the top before tying it off.
Anna turned to the wolf. “There, that will keep animals like you out of my food.”
The wolf cocked its head.
Anna jumped to the nearest oak branch and climbed up to a crotch between two strong limbs. She tied herself off to the trunk with the leftover rope, making several wraps around her torso before settling into a comfortable position between the trunks.
As comfortable as one can be, sitting in a tree, I guess.
Anna slapped a biting fly from her cheek.
Damn, you would think the frost would have wiped out the bugs.
Anna sighed.
The wolf stood and meandered away from her tree, stopping a moment to peer up at her from the forest floor. Anna noticed it was a male.
“Are you going to follow me around everywhere I go, like my shadow?”
The wolf nodded, then turned, sauntering deeper into the forest.
Did it just nod?
Anna shook her head.
More likely a trick of the light. Maybe a shadow.
Anna raised an eyebrow. That’s not a bad name.
“I think I‘ll call you Shadow.”
She rested the back of her head against the trunk and closed her eyes, hopeful the nightmares were over.
A final thought drifted through her head as she fell asleep.
Where the hell is Atticus?
CHAPTER II
16 Years Earlier
Atticus Johnson entered the empty church on Folsom St carrying a small package under his left arm. He wasn't here to confess or worship, although it was a regular enough practice as a child in this very building. The dying light whispered through the stained glass, casting rainbows across the statue of a crucified Jesus set in the center of the back wall. Atticus took a seat near the front and checked the time.
He's late.
Atticus tapped his foot as Father Jeffrey passed by.
“You seem troubled my son,” he said, facing Atticus.
“Just waiting for someone.”
“Are you sure? I have not seen you in quite some time and you wear a struggle on your face. Will you take a minute to talk and lay down your burden while you wait?”
Atticus didn't reply, deep in thought while staring at the candles burning just left of the front of the church. He let out a deep breath before nodding.
I'll meet you in the booth.
Atticus let out a sigh sitting in the confession booth. Father Jeffrey slid open the door.
“Forgive me Father for I have sinned. It has been two years since my last confession.”
“I am in love, Father.”
“Ah, love. Yes, it can come with struggles, but not a reason for confession.”
“It is when she is a married woman.”
“I see.”
“I have also just recently found out that her oldest daughter is mine.”
“That is a difficult trap you have found yourself caught in. You must escape the trap you have set for yourself to make things right, but I understand it may be as difficult as chewing your own leg off.”
“That is not as easy as one would think. The woman is also my work partner.”
“A tangled web. God will forgive, but you must stop fornicating with a woman bound to another by God..”
“The heart wants, what the heart wants, Father.”
The Narthex door closed, echoing through the cathedral ceiling. “My friend has arrived. I have to go.”
“I will pray for you my son.”
Atticus left the confession booth as a tall man with dark hair and thin waistline crossed the center aisle. He extended his hand and Atticus shook it. They sat side by side in the third row.
“Did you bring what I need?”
The man nodded. “Yes.” He pulled a small box from within his jacket and set it down next to Atticus.
“Excellent,” Atticus replied, plucking it from the hardwood pew and burying it in his breast.
“And did you bring more?”
“Yes,” Atticus replied, handing the man a similar-sized package.
The man nodded. “Good. We will meet here again at the same time on the same day?”
“Yes. Remember to never bring your phone and be sure no one follows you. I know I don't have to remind you how important this is.”
The man nodded a second time as they stood.
“Until next time then,” Atticus said while tipping his chin in a parting nod before leaving.
CHAPTER III
Anna's Present
Steven Morton walked into his home and dropped the keys to his brand new truck on the entryway table with a smile. Feelings of happiness flooded through as he replayed the conversations with coworkers from both of his full-time jobs.
“How did you afford that?” Jacob asked him the other day.
Steven smiled.
“Someone found a sugar momma,” Chris said, overhearing the question from the coffee machine.
“You guys are just jealous.”
“Damn right,” Chris replied. “I'm taking care of my first and second wife with my first and second mortgage. It's about time I upgrade my truck, but I don't have a sugar momma.”
Steven turned to face him. “Sounds like you've spent too much time upgrading wives.” Steven cocked an eyebrow while grinning. “To each his own, I guess.”
Steven walked through the living room to find Sara sitting on the couch. “Must be nice having time to sit around,” Steven chided.
Sara rolled her eyes. “Did you bother to look around the house, Dad? I just sat down. I did the dishes, finished the laundry, and dinner is in the oven. It will be done any minute so you can eat before heading back out.”
Steven lowered his head. “I'm sorry, honey. I didn't even bother to notice,” he said, peering through the entryway to the kitchen. “Wow. You have been busy.”
There was an unexpected pounding on the front door.
“Who in hell could that be?” Steven grumbled.
He swung the door wide to find Wesley standing in front of him. “Who are you?”
“My name is Wesley. I‘m a friend of Anna‘s. Listen, I need you and your family to pack a bag. I‘m with city security. Mr. Morton, I presume?”
“City security?” Steven echoed. “Are we in some kind of trouble?”
“No, sir. But you're not safe.”
“Is Anna in trouble?”
“Not exactly, Sir. I need you to pack and be outside in ten minutes.”
“What? I can't do that. I have to get to work and...”
“Sir, you have to come with me, by force, if necessary.”
Steven stared Wesley down, wary of a stranger barging in and spewing demands “I don't understand. If there’s no trouble then why do we have to leave?”
Wesley
took a step closer while maintaining eye contact. He pressed his lips together. “Mr. Morton, I don't think you would understand, even if I could explain it to you, but you are caught in a web, and the spider is on its way.”
◆◆◆
Cornelius Cromwell pulled on his headset, settling into the Chamber bed.. “Chamber, load Damarion file sixty-five.”
The scene showed Damarion walking on the west side of the city. Tall office buildings and apartments stretched away from him on either side.
“Come on now, Damarion,” Cornelius whispered. “You spent months in here. You let your guard down at some point. Show me where they're hiding.”
The scene changed and Cornelius followed Damarion into a small cafe. Damarion ordered a coffee and then exited the coffee shop. He turned left and walked down a familiar street.
“Damn,” Cornelius whispered, exasperated with the dreadful boredom of Damarion's life. “He's going back to the office again. All this man does is go from home to work and back again.”
Cornelius watched Damarion's day drag out at work. He hated every grueling tick of the clock, but he had to go back through every minute, every second, if he was to find something. A moment of weakness.
He followed Damarion back out into the street. Out of habit, Cornelius turned right, expecting Damarion to head back to his apartment, but this time he turned left.
“This is different.”
He followed Damarion to his parking garage and watched him get into his car. Cornelius got into the back seat, licking his lips.
Damarion pulled out into traffic and headed for the opposite side of town.
He's heading towards the warehouse district.
Damarion parked the car and dropped his phone on the front seat. He wrapped a scarf around his face and exited the vehicle.
Cornelius rubbed his hands together. “This has to be it,” he said, following Damarion down the street away from the car.
Finally.
The scene turned black.
Cornelius and Damarion were now standing in a prison cell. “No, I won't do it. I won't allow him to find them,” Damarion whispered, shaking his head.
“Chamber exit!” Cornelius yelled. He threw his headset against the wall and rose from the bed. ”Hours, no, I've spent days in here, not getting anywhere!”
Cornelius climbed the steps and entered the main ballroom.
At least I know what section of the city they're in. I will need help.
“Ratings?” he hollered, glancing at the wall of computer screens along one side of the ballroom.
“Close race, Sir. Your opponent is out ahead right now blaming you for the recent terror attacks on the city.”
“Yes, but we have the Shepherd,” Cornelius grinned.
“Forty-five percent of the citizens are talking about the attacks. Of those, twenty percent agree it's your fault.”
“And what are we doing about that?”
“We're on it, targeting those twenty percent with twenty different news articles, released this morning. We're also releasing another fifty breaking news reports over the course of the week to change the news cycle and bring you back into a good light.”
“Excellent, I'll be in my study.”
Cornelius left the room and pulled out his phone. He tapped the screen and lifted it to his ear.
“Please hold for the President.”
“Cromwell? I'm surprised you're calling me.”
“Yes, well, I have a situation here. I need boots on the ground. Two hundred soldiers should do.”
There was a long pause before the President replied. “I never thought I would see the day when the great Cornelius Cromwell asks me for help.”
“This is important, trust me.”
“Trust you? After trolling my name through the mud? I don't think so. Why should I help you? This pro quo is missing a quid.”
“I'll offer you all of my resources, including my campaign manager on your next election.”
“You're offering me The Shepherd and Candice Cross? This must be important.”
There was another long pause. “I can spare fifty men. I'll send them right away.”
An alarm sounded from a corner of the ballroom as Cornelius ended the call.
James jogged into the study. “We found her!”
Cornelius smiled. “I can only presume you mean Miss Wool?” He left his study, entering the main ballroom. “Put in on the screen.”
The large monitor to Cornelius's left illuminated, displaying a drone camera feed.
“Where is she?” Cornelius asked.
James moved next to Cornelius. “North quadrant. Close to the perimeter fence.”
“Get closer.”
The drone neared the tree, and the video showed Anna sleeping between two trunks.
Cornelius smiled. “There you are. Now, what are you up to?”
James turned. “Should we take care of it now? The drone is within striking distance.”
Cornelius lowered his eyebrows. “No.”
“No? Are you sure, Sir?”
“Never question my orders. The drones left equipped with the implants, correct?”
James nodded. “Yes, Sir.”
“Good. Tag her. Tag her and take her supplies.”
One drone produced a small blade while another extended a clamp and grasped the rope attached to Anna's pack of supplies. The first drone cut the rope while the second flew away with Anna's bag. The drone with the camera feed moved in close, buzzing within feet of her head. A telescoping rod stretched out within an inch of her skin, releasing a needle before stabbing her in the neck.
“Now get it out of there, quick.”
With eyes closed, Anna slapped the back of her neck. “Damn flies.”
The drone made a hasty retreat, disappearing into the air.
Cornelius rubbed his hands together. “Let's see where this goes,” he said, leaning towards the screen. “Your move Miss Wool.”
CHAPTER IV
Anna jolted awake, nearly falling from the tree. She shifted her weight, fighting the cramp in her back and aching neck while rubbing her eyes. Anna checked the fence, looking for Atticus as her stomach growled.
I need to eat something.
She glanced at the limb where she hung her pack.
Anna sat frozen with widened eyes.
I know I tied it off.
She scratched her head, staring at the empty branch before scanning the area below. There was no debris, no evidence of an animal ransacking her supplies.
She lowered her hand, touching the back of her neck.
Anna winced, feeling a small swollen area.
“That's a hell of a bite.”
She shook her head, staring at the empty place where she tied her supplies.
I don't understand; she thought while untying the rope around her waist.
Anna climbed down from the tree and walked around it several times looking for any sign.
“This makes no sense,” she whispered.
Okay, keep your head on straight. Adapt and overcome.
Anna checked her pockets, producing the knife and lighter.
A knife, a lighter and a piece of rope.
Anna felt inside her jacket and ran her fingers over the handle of her gun.
“Well, that's a start.”
She coiled the rope and slung in over her shoulder and headed towards the fence.
“I have to find water.”
Her stomach growled again.
“And something to eat.”
Anna crept to the fence, emerging from the thick forest and out into the morning sunlight. She scanned each direction, peering as far as she could see. Nothing. No one, no movement, and no Atticus.
With only the river behind her, Anna decided to head east, keeping the fence on her right from a safe distance while hugging the line of trees on her left. She stopped where she previously encountered the wolf and picked up a stick before carving her initials into the ground.
At least he'll know I made it here if I miss him while I'm gone.
Anna continued heading east while keeping her eye on the fence.
“Where the hell are you?” she said.
After a couple hours of trudging along, avoiding low branches and stepping around pockets of brambles Anna came to a swamp.
She stood, staring at the sloppy mess of moss and standing water in front of her. She couldn't go over the fence, leaving the only obvious choice; head North and go around.
After marching an hour north, the trees thinned and Anna stopped short of a clearing. Under cover of the thick brush, she scanned the area for any sign of movement as her gaze landed on something out of place.
Anna lowered her eyebrows.
What the hell is that?
There were ropes attached to a crate that ran to one side and stopped at what looked to Anna like a tarp. She advanced, staying on the edge of the clearing. As she neared the crate, she could see it was open on one end.
Anna's jaw slacked.
“What the hell?” she said, staring at cases of food. Someone had ripped several of the boxes open and Anna could see the products they held. Dry goods. Pre-packaged energy bars and snack foods. A large box of MRE's sat just inside the opening next to cases of water.
Anna moved closer and could now see what had appeared to be a tarp was a parachute, fluttering in the breeze.
There's enough food and water here for weeks. Maybe months.
Anna's heart skipped while her saliva glands labored.
But what is it doing here?
She shook her head.
Could be a trap.
But I have to at least get some water, she argued.
Anna stepped out into the clearing and moved toward the crate when Shadow appeared in front of her.
“Shadow. What are you doing here?”
The wolf snarled, baring its teeth.
Anna took another step closer.
Shadow jumped, snapping at her legs. Anna retreated, clutching her chest.
“What the hell is wrong with you?”
Shadow stood, staring at her.
Anna tried to step around and Shadow lurched forward, this time nipping her ankle.
