“I see.” Jack flicked me a quick glance but looked away before I could burst out laughing. “And what do you think the Dog Man wanted to tell you about your life choices?”
“That I should stop drinking in fields and come up with a career plan,” Brian answered without hesitation. “That’s why I’m here.”
“Because you want to rent kayaks for the rest of your life?” The question was out of my mouth before I realized how rude it sounded. Thankfully, Brian was not the type to pick up on sarcasm.
“I want to be a river guide,” Brian explained. “That’s a real thing, by the way. I didn’t know it was until I talked to a guy. There are these people from the city who pay people from the country to show them good fishing spots and everything. I want to do that.”
“Oh, well, that sounds … neat.” I had no idea what to say to that, so I allowed Jack to take over the conversation.
“What about other rumors?” Jack prodded. “Have you ever heard about the Dog Man attacking people?”
“The Dog Man likes to keep to himself and just run around the woods unless you’re making poor life decisions,” Brian supplied. “He’s not a killer. If you believe some people, there’s a different sort of killer in the woods and he only comes out under the full moon.”
Ah, now we were getting somewhere. “A lycanthrope?”
“No, man.” Brian was deathly serious as he leaned forward. “People say it’s a werewolf.”
I licked my lips before responding. “That is a lycanthrope.”
“A werewolf is a lycanthrope?” Brian puzzled it out. “I guess that’s okay. I prefer the term werewolf. It’s more scientific.”
“Yes, well, as long as it’s scientific.” I shifted my eyes to the pathway that had been busy only moments before and realized that one of the workers – I believe the boy introduced himself as Ty before losing interest in the conversation and wandering away – was speaking to an animated-looking man who wore a wide-brimmed hat and carried fishing gear. “What’s going on?”
Brian shrugged and stepped toward Ty. “I don’t know. I can ask.” He cleared his throat. “Hey, Ty, what are you going on about?”
It took a moment before Ty realized anyone was talking to him. When he turned in our direction, the look on his face told me he’d managed to trip over something more than idle gossip.
“It’s all anybody is talking about, Brian,” Ty enthused. “They found that woman who went missing. I mean … they actually found her.”
My heart seized. “Where did they find her?”
“And how did she die?” Jack asked, moving closer to me.
Ty furrowed his brow. “Die? She’s not dead, man. They found her alive in the woods. They’re taking her to the hospital. Kelsey Porter actually saw her as she was being loaded into the ambulance. Said she looked like a wild animal. I guess that doesn’t matter as long as she’s alive, right?”
Jack and I exchanged dumbfounded looks.
“Right,” Jack said finally. “Hey, um, where is this hospital?”
13
Thirteen
Jack placed a call to Chris before we drove to the hospital. To my utter surprise, he instructed me to drive while he worked on his phone. I couldn’t figure out what he was doing until we hit the parking lot.
“The police details are sketchy so far,” he announced as we hopped out of the Jeep. “From what I can tell, a search team found her. She was a decent distance from the campsite.”
I arched an eyebrow. “Oh, is that what you were doing?”
“What did you think I was doing?”
I shrugged. “I thought maybe you were overcome with the desperate need to text … or maybe play Pokémon Go.”
Jack snorted. “I only play Pokémon Go when I’m done with my work for the day.”
I choked on a laugh. That was as close as he ever came to a silly joke. “Well, we’ll have to play together one day. I’ll show you how a proper raid battle is won.”
“Oh, I think I’ll be the one doing the teaching.” Jack put his hand to the small of my back and prodded me through the front door, taking a moment to glance around the lobby before pointing toward a row of chairs and couches. “We should get comfortable over there.”
I balked. “Why aren’t we trying to see her?”
“Because we’re not family and she’ll be inundated with police officers, family, friends and medical personnel for the next few hours.”
“But … .”
“No.” Jack shook his head. “We need to wait for Chris and the others. That’s standard operating procedure.”
“I’m not sure I like standard operating procedure,” I groused as I scuffed my shoes against the linoleum floor and resignedly made my way to the couch Jack indicated.
“Oh, tell me about it.” Jack chuckled as he sat next to me – something I’m sure was a proactive move in case I decided to wander – and returned his attention to his phone. “You have to be patient, Charlie. That’s your biggest fault. You never look at the best way to tackle something. You’re more interested in the immediate way.”
“And why is that wrong?”
Jack managed to contain his temper as he lowered the phone and met my gaze. “That woman has been through a lot. She’s been missing in the woods for days. Her husband is still missing. We have no idea what she saw out there. Do you really think our needs take precedence over hers?”
That was so not what I was getting at. “I didn’t mean to imply that our needs – and by ‘our’ I know you really mean ‘my’ needs – trump hers. We require answers, and her husband is still out there. Perhaps if she gives us something good to go on we’ll be able to find him alive too.”
“I get that’s your natural inclination, but we’re not police officers.” Jack was firm. “We’re a separate investigative branch. We’re pretty low on the food chain when it comes to an emergent situation like this.”
“Fine.” I blew out a sigh. He made sense, which was irritating. “I guess I just want to know where she’s been and what happened.”
“We all want to know,” Jack said, his attention back on his phone. “The police aren’t reporting much yet. That could mean that she was so far gone they couldn’t question her before transport or it could be that they simply haven’t had time to update their files.”
I knit my eyebrows. “How do you know what they’re putting in files?”
Jack shrugged, noncommittal. “I might have a way to read their files.”
Oh, well, that was interesting. “You hacked their computer system?”
Jack growled as he shifted to study the people behind us and make sure my voice – which was prone to carrying – wasn’t so loud that we drew unnecessary attention. “Why don’t you say that a little louder?” he suggested. “I haven’t spent any time behind bars in a good year or so. I find I miss it, and illegal tampering with police files is a great way to get back to my roots.”
The statement was so odd I could do nothing but stare. “You’ve been in jail?”
Jack rolled his eyes. “It was a long time ago; part of my misspent youth. The military basically beat my wild ways out of me. Don’t worry about it. I won’t do anything that puts you at risk.”
I didn’t care about that. “I want to know how you do it. Can you teach me?”
Jack’s lips curved. “That would be unethical.”
“So?”
“It’s also illegal.”
“I can live with that.”
Jack heaved out a sigh. “I don’t want you getting in trouble.”
Ugh. And here I thought he was turning adventurous. “Why must you always be so practical? Maybe I want to learn to be a bad girl. Have you ever thought of that? I can be more than one thing.”
“I know you can.” Jack’s expression was somber. “But I like you the way you are. For now, we’ll keep the hacking to me. It’s a difficult skill to teach anyway, and we don’t have time now.”
I wasn’t sure I believed his r
easoning. “I think you just don’t want to teach me because you’re worried I’d start hacking everyone because I’m a busybody.”
“You’re definitely a menace when you want to be.” Jack’s lips curved as I smacked his arm. “We don’t have time right now, and I’m pretty sure Chris wouldn’t like it if I shared this little trick. For now, you’ll have to live with disappointment. This is my private thing.”
Hmm. “Are you just saying that because I won’t tell you what I was doing last night?”
“No. I’m saying it because it’s true. If you want to start trading secrets, that will have to wait for another day. We really don’t have time. I wasn’t lying about that.” Jack shifted his eyes to the automatic doors as they whooshed open to allow Chris and Hannah entrance. They appeared to be alone, although I had no idea if that was a good or bad thing. “You guys made it.”
“Of course we made it.” Chris’s eyes sparked with interest. “Did you think we wouldn’t? Lisa Savage survived a lycanthrope attack. This is unprecedented. How soon do you think we can get in to see her?”
Jack blinked several times in rapid succession, his eyes reflecting dumbfounded disbelief as he studied our boss. “I can’t believe you just said that. You’re as bad as Charlie.”
“Hey!” I had no idea why I was offended. It simply seemed like I should be given Jack’s tone.
Jack ignored my outrage. “We’re not getting in to see that woman anytime soon. You know that, right, Chris?”
“I most certainly don’t know that,” Chris shot back. “I’m not leaving this hospital until we talk to her. She’s our one link to a lycanthrope. Do you think I’m simply going to forget that?”
Jack made an exaggerated face as he shook his head. “I guess I should be glad you’re not screaming the word ‘werewolf,’ but I can’t quite force myself to that way of thinking. Could you please calm down just a bit?”
Chris sucked in a deep breath and let it out, repeating the procedure three times before flashing a condescending smile. “Happy?”
“Not even a little.” Jack tipped his phone screen so Chris couldn’t see it and adopted a serious expression. “That woman was discovered in rough shape. I don’t know much, but I do know that. You can’t force the hospital to let you see her before local law enforcement and her family gets a chance to talk to her. It’s simply not going to happen.”
Chris refused to back down. “Yes, but we’re the group in the best position to find the lycanthrope.”
“You don’t know it was a lycanthrope.” Jack made a face. “Right now, we simply have a woman who went missing days ago. We have no idea about her condition – whether she’s even conscious – and the hospital staff needs time to treat her.”
“Do you think I wouldn’t give them time?”
Jack shrugged. “I have no idea. You seem a little out of sorts.”
“He’s just excited,” Hannah interjected, unsurprisingly taking our boss’s side. “I don’t blame him. This is a big deal. You guys are overlooking one little thing, though.”
“And what’s that?” Jack queried blankly.
“I have a medical background that allows me clearance at a lot of places,” Hannah replied. “I can’t guarantee that they’ll allow me to see Lisa Savage, but I might be able to get some information on her condition.”
“Oh.” Jack straightened. “I didn’t even think of that. It’s a good idea. You should definitely go.”
“I’ll go with you,” Chris offered, a shy smile playing at the corners of his mouth.
“Oh, that’s sweet.” Hannah’s cheeks turned pink. “It’s just … um … I don’t think the medical personnel will talk to me if I have a civilian in tow. I … oh … no offense.”
“None taken.” Chris was resigned as he took the open chair to the right of the couch. “Hurry back if you get information.”
Hannah bobbed her head, gracing the back of Chris’s head with a longing look. “I definitely will. I’ll try not to be gone too long.”
“That would be best for all of us,” Jack said. “Chris might implode if you disappear for an extended period.”
“I heard that,” Chris muttered.
“I didn’t whisper.”
“You said it with derision.”
“I’ll work on it.” Jack cast me a sidelong look. “That seems to be the promise of the day.”
ONCE HANNAH WAS GONE there was nothing to do but wait. Jack seemed perfectly happy with that, his phone garnering most of his attention. Chris and I were another story. We were more restless, prone to pacing, and the occasional sigh managed to eke out.
“You guys should talk about something to distract yourselves,” Jack suggested. “You’ll go crazy otherwise … or drive me crazy.”
“Yes, and nobody wants that,” I said dryly. “Do you have an idea for a topic?”
“I’m sure you’ll come up with something.”
I pursed my lips as I considered his dismissive statement. In truth, there was something we could talk about, and now that Jack suggested a conversation I couldn’t shake the idea, even though it was probably one of the more terrible ones I’d had in recent memory.
“Fine. We’ll talk about something.” Chris flashed an easy smile as he rocked back and forth in his chair. “How are you finding your work at The Legacy Foundation, Charlie? Are you enjoying yourself?”
I nodded. “Yes. I’m having a great time and learning a lot.”
“Good.”
We lapsed into silence.
“Oh, geez,” Jack muttered. “That wasn’t much of an effort.”
“It’s all I’ve got,” Chris snapped.
“Then let Charlie think of something to talk about,” Jack instructed. “She loves to talk. In fact, I’d dare say there’s nothing she loves more.”
He meant it as an insult, but I couldn’t be bothered to care. He wasn’t wrong, though. Talking was one of my favorite activities, and now that the spotlight was on me I couldn’t shut my mouth. “So, um, when are you going to ask Hannah out?”
The question was out of my mouth before my inner editor could gag me. Ah, well, there was no going back now.
Chris was so surprised by the question he practically choked. “W-w-what?” His face turned a deep shade of red. “I … what?”
“Good grief.” Jack rubbed his forehead. “You just went for it, didn’t you?”
I saw no reason to lie. “You said we should talk. That’s the only thing I could think of to talk about.”
“You think I like Hannah?” Chris was so perturbed he hopped to his feet, sat back down, and then hopped up again before circling the chair and looking anywhere but at me. “I can’t believe you think that.”
I slid a glance to Jack and found him watching Chris with outright mirth.
“Not that I want to encourage Charlie or anything, but I don’t think you’re as suave when it comes to hiding your feelings as you think,” Jack prodded gently. “Anyone in a room with you and Hannah for more than five minutes can tell you’re interested in one another.”
“Really?” Instead of denying the charge, Chris flopped in the chair and pressed his hand to his eyes. “That’s so not what I wanted to hear.”
“Why not?” I asked. “If you both like each other, why not ask her out and move things forward?”
“Because I don’t want to pressure her. I mean … I’m her boss. What if she thinks I’m a sexual harasser or something? Oh, good lord, you don’t think she believes I’m a sexual harasser, do you?”
“Have you grabbed her butt or commented on her boobs?”
Chris was scandalized. “Absolutely not!”
“Then I think you’re safe.” I couldn’t contain my grin. “I think you should ask her out. It would be good for both of you … and relieve some of the pressure I’m sure you’re both feeling.”
“I can’t ask her out.” Chris turned whiny as he looked to Jack for backup. “Tell her. Asking out someone you work with is a bad idea, right? Actual
ly, it’s a terrible idea.”
“It wouldn’t be my first choice,” Jack agreed. “I mean … what happens if you break up? That’s on top of the pressure both sides would feel because everyone will be watching. In a situation like ours, it kind of feels like a pressure cooker at times – or even a meat grinder under the right circumstances – and the entire dynamic of the group could be thrown off by a breakup.”
I pinned him with a dark look. “What if they don’t break up?”
“What are the odds of that?”
“People get together and stay that way until one of them dies all the time,” I argued. “That’s what happens with soulmates. Maybe Chris and Hannah are soulmates. Have you ever considered that?”
“I can’t say it’s anything I’ve spent a lot of time pondering,” Jack replied, blasé. “The simple fact of the matter is that people break up all the time. I’m not saying it would happen to Hannah and Chris, but it could, and then where will we be?”
He didn’t give me a chance to answer before barreling on. “I’ll tell you exactly where we’d be. We’d be stuck in a painful situation with two hurt people who can’t get past feelings they probably shouldn’t have had for each other in the first place. How can that ever be considered good?”
My temper ratcheted up a notch. “You’re looking at it from the male perspective. Try looking at it as a human being instead of a droid. Chris obviously cares a great deal about Hannah.”
“And not dating her will allow him to keep caring without putting himself or this group at risk,” Jack fired back.
“The group isn’t everything. Beyond all of this, people are allowed to have lives. How do you know Chris and Hannah won’t find exactly what they’re looking for on an emotional level, pop out a few ridiculously smart and urban legend-crazy kids, and live happily ever after?”
Jack shrugged. “How often does that happen? It’s not the norm. I say you’re smart to play it safe, Chris. Don’t risk the group because your hormones are out of whack.”
“Ugh.” I wanted to punch him in the face. “Don’t listen to him, Chris. The group is great. It could be so much more, though. It could be everything you’ve ever dreamed about.”
The Werewolf Whoops Page 12
