Shadowed

by Connie Suttle

  "Didn't Director Jennings say the same thing? Didn't his agents tell you exactly that before they left?" Marcus was beginning to think Francis Frasier a fool.

  "But this," Francis tapped the piece of granite he'd brought with him. "That vampire—snapped it right off our counter. If that's not a threat," Francis' voice held agitation.

  "Do you want protection or not? Is your daughter in danger or not?" Marcus scooted his chair back and stood, nearly growling at Francis Frasier. "You," Marcus pointed a finger at Francis, "are more of a danger to us than we are to you. We've learned how to live among humans. You, on the other hand, with just a careless word, could expose us to the outside world and certain death. Yes, we're strong, but your kind outnumber us. We'd be just as dead, one way or the other, if you let this secret out." Marcus had to stop for a moment to calm his anger.

  "We agreed to allow you to live here," Marcus continued, "because we offer some sort of protection against what hunts you. And yes, they hunt you. Have you seen the numbers of the dead—all those children across the country that have died or been abducted? Is that what you want for your child? Is it? Aedan is trying to protect you as well as your child. Have you seen the information? At least sixteen sets of parents were killed with their children." Marcus was wound up and ready to turn.

  "Marcus," Denise walked into the kitchen, giving the soft warning to her husband.

  "I'm all right, Denise," Marcus blew out a calming sigh. "Mr. Frasier, you weren't threatened by Aedan Evans. If you had been, you'd still be hiding inside your home, too frightened to come out. Go home. I'll have someone fix your counter."

  "Fine." Francis lifted the heavy granite with difficulty. "I see we have no voice in this community." He stalked out of the DeLuca home with as much dignity as he could muster.

  "You weren't meant to have a voice," Marcus growled as Francis slammed the front door behind him.

  * * *

  "I heard the whole thing, dude; that Frasier guy said your dad threatened him. Dad told him if your dad did threaten somebody, they'd pee their pants." Sali crunched into the snack crackers Adele had given them before they'd retreated to Ashe's bedroom on Sunday afternoon.

  "Your dad did not say pee their pants," Ashe grinned at Sali.

  "Nah, but that's what he meant." Sali shoved his hand inside the box of snacks, pulling out another handful of crackers.

  "The first time that man's daughter walks into a field in her high heels, she's gonna sink right into the ground," Ashe snickered.

  "I hope I'm there to see it," Sali said, stuffing crackers in his mouth.

  "Come on, dude, stop eating and let's go play Frisbee."

  A few moments later, Ashe, carrying his ancient, lime-green Frisbee (which was liberally pierced with Sali's teeth marks), trundled up the steps, closely followed by a nearly grown wolf. Of the few things to survive the explosion the year before, Ashe's Frisbee had sailed through the blast almost untouched.

  "Is that Sali?" Ashe grinned at Edward's question. The curious teen had shown up as if called when Ashe and Sali began playing. Ashe tossed the Frisbee; Sali chased after it and caught it in his teeth, at times leaping high off the ground to snag the flying disk.

  "Yeah. If you want, go down there," Ashe pointed toward Sali, who now sat patiently on the new spring grass in Ashe's front yard, the Frisbee dangling from his mouth. "You can toss the Frisbee back after Sali catches it."

  "Cool." Edward returned Ashe's grin and trotted toward Sali, who willingly gave up the Frisbee. Edward's toss wobbled on its way to Ashe, but it did make it.

  "What's this? The empties playing with the dog?" Chad and Jeremy had driven up on the gravel road in front of Ashe's home. Ashe gave them a hard stare—he figured they'd come to check out the temporary housing and the new arrivals to Cloud Chief.

  Trace, Jason—Chad and Jeremy are in front of my house and I'm worried about Edward, Ashe sent to both werewolves. Trace, dressed in jeans, no shirt and sunglasses, ran up while Chad continued to taunt Ashe, Sali and Edward, calling them empty and worthless. Jeremy chimed in that humans didn't belong anywhere in the community. Edward's freckles stood out as his face paled at Jeremy's insults.

  "How would you boys like to sit down with the Packmaster?" Trace walked up to the car from the driver's side while both boys faced the other direction to do their taunting. Chad and Jeremy jerked around at Trace's words.

  "Who are you?" Jeremy demanded.

  "One of William Winkler's wolves," Trace grinned. "Try saying that three times fast. Now, you can either move along and not bother any of these people again, or I'll report you to Marcus. Your choice, of course."

  Without answering, Jeremy shoved the car into gear and drove off, flinging gravel and raising dust in the afternoon sun.

  "Everything all right here?" Trace pulled off his sunglasses as he walked up to Ashe.

  "It was fine until Chump and Wormy showed up," Ashe replied softly.

  "You can't let them upset you," Trace said as his cell phone rang. Pulling it from his jeans pocket, Trace checked caller ID before answering. "What is it, boss?" Trace asked. Ashe, with his enhanced hearing, knew from the voice that it was Winkler calling.

  "There's been another murder—a farmer about two miles away," Winkler said.

  Chapter 5

  "Ashe, will you and Sali walk Edward home?" Trace said after he hung up. Winkler had asked Trace to call Marcus and coordinate with the two agents Director Jennings had sent to investigate the Mayor's murder. Ashe could tell Winkler was concerned about this second death from his cell-phone conversation.

  "Sure," Ashe agreed. "Edward, we have to take you home. Come on, Sali, let's go."

  "What happened?" Edward asked as they walked toward the temporary housing while Sali's wolf trotted alongside.

  "They're investigating something. Might not mean anything," Ashe hedged. He didn't want to frighten Edward, who was already worried. No names had been given over the phone and Ashe wasn't sure who lived two miles away—in any direction. Itching to follow Trace instead of seeing Edward home, Ashe calmed himself and focused on the task Trace had given him.

  "Hi, Mr. Pendley," Ashe said as he, Edward and Sali walked inside the Pendley's home. Steven Pendley was reading a book in an easy chair in their living room.

  "Hello, Ashe. Who is this?" Mr. Pendley eyed Sali's wolf.

  "That's Sali," Edward's enthusiasm was back. "Isn't that cool?"

  "It is," Steven Pendley marked his place and set the book down. "Can I get anything for you boys? Water or a soda?"

  "Water would be nice; soda isn't good for Sal when he's a wolf," Ashe grinned. Sali sat on his haunches and grinned, his tongue lolling from his mouth. Ashe and Edward got glasses while a bowl was set before Sali, who lapped up water happily.

  "Does it hurt when you change?" Edward thought to ask when he'd nearly emptied his glass.

  "Nah. It's sort of like a brief flash and suddenly you're something else," Ashe explained. "No pain involved."

  "But those werewolf movies," Edward began.

  "Are mostly wrong," Ashe finished. "Most of those say you have to be bitten to become a werewolf. That's not true." Ashe watched while Sali, expressing his opinion of werewolf films, yawned hugely and flopped onto the Pendley's kitchen floor.

  "So, what about the vampires, then?" Steven Pendley asked.

  "Can't talk about that," Ashe replied. "And I wouldn't ask my dad or Mr. Anderson, either. That's a closely guarded secret. I don't even know and dad won't tell me."

  "Mr. Frasier came by this morning," Edward muttered.

  "I heard about that," Ashe nodded, watching Sali, who was about to fall asleep in the floor. "Dad didn't threaten Mr. Frasier. He was doing his best to warn him. He can't protect everybody if they won't cooperate."

  "Not a surprise that Frasier would exaggerate; he was an investment banker before all this happened," Mr. Pendley sighed.

  "We should go," Ashe said, nudging Sali with a toe of his sneaker. Sali had begun
to snore softly.

  "It was nice seeing you again; come back anytime," Mr. Pendley said as Ashe and Sali walked out of the house. Ashe waved at Edward before he and Sali trotted toward his home.

  "Mom, is there anything on the news about a farmer getting killed two miles from here?" Ashe asked as he and Sali walked into the kitchen. Adele was putting a chicken into the oven to roast.

  "I don't know, hon. Turn on the television and check."

  Ashe turned on the small television on the kitchen counter while Sali trotted downstairs to turn and retrieve his clothing from Ashe's bathroom. Clumping up the steps again a few minutes later, Sali sat down with Ashe at the island and watched for any information.

  "Look—there it is," Ashe pointed to the crawler across the bottom of the screen. "Mom, it says a Cordell rancher was found murdered inside his barn," Ashe read the information on the screen. "No suspects in the case," he finished. "Now they're saying that this may be related to Mayor Taylor's death two days ago."

  Adele now stared at the screen in alarm. "I wish your father were awake," she said.

  "Trace got a call from Mr. Winkler, that's where I heard it," Ashe said. "Mr. Winkler told Trace to contact Sali's dad and get with the two agents Director Jennings is sending."

  "Honey, I'm sure it's just to rule out any connection with our new residents," Adele soothed. "These victims are local humans. How could they possibly have any ties to the ones out back?"

  "I don't know," Ashe shrugged.

  Sitting inside his bedroom later and with Sali looking on, Ashe surfed the Internet, searching for additional information on the recent murder.

  "Sal, look," Ashe pointed at his computer screen. "An unofficial source reports that Mr. Sparks was strangled with a chain found inside his barn."

  "So, Mayor Taylor's neck was broken and Mr. Sparks was strangled with a chain," Sali looked over Ashe's shoulder to read the information for himself.

  "Oh, no," Ashe said, staring at further information. "He had a family. A wife and two kids, who were at church when the murder happened."

  "Definitely not cool," Sali breathed.

  * * *

  "Who the hell are you?" Washita County Sheriff Cliff Watson stared at the four men who walked up to the crime scene.

  "Special Agent Nick Lawford," Nick held out his identification for the sheriff to see. "This is Special Agent Derik North," he introduced the second agent. "These two," Nick jerked his head toward Marcus and Trace, "are helping us with an investigation."

  "And what investigation would that be?" Cliff Watson demanded.

  "This one—and the Mayor's death, of course. Our department isn't completely satisfied that the proper suspect was accused of the murders last year. We want to make sure these aren't connected in some way."

  "But that woman had the gun in the back of her van," Sheriff Watson blustered.

  "And no evidence whatsoever that she was anywhere near either crime scene," Nick snapped. "You know that as well as I do. The OSBI still lists the case as inconclusive." Nick referred to two human deaths the year before—Megan Lindley, a high school senior and Terry Smith, Randy Smith's father.

  "So I get no call and you just show up?" Cliff was still grumbling. He hated it when his authority was questioned.

  "This crime hadn't happened when we were dispatched," Nick said. "We were notified about an hour ago. Are you going to let us in or do I have to make a call?" Nick held up his cell phone. Nick, a tall black man, had worked for the agency for eleven years. Derik, brown-haired, blue-eyed and with only three years of experience, was happy to allow Nick to do the talking. Trace and Marcus stood a few steps behind, content to watch as the agents handled the local sheriff.

  "Fine," Cliff wiped a hand over a nearly balding head before pulling away crime scene tape and allowing the four men inside.

  "Smells human, but those Elemaiya smell similar to humans; there are only a few differences in the scent," Marcus growled as he and Trace sniffed unobtrusively around Granger Hicks' barn. The body lay on the floor nearby, covered with a sheet. "Unless they were part animal, like that one Winkler dealt with." Marcus referred to the hybrid that Winkler and two Bright Elemaiya had tracked and killed the year before. "That one smelled half animal, just like he looked."

  "Let's take a look at the body," Nick suggested, leading the two werewolves in that direction.

  "Definitely strangled with a chain," Marcus said when Nick carefully pulled the sheet back. The marks stood out in sharp contrast against the farmer's paler skin. "This would take a strong human—that's a large chain." Marcus nodded toward the chain that lay on the dirt floor close by.

  "No fingerprints on the chain, so the perp wore gloves," Derik offered.

  "Same with Mayor Taylor," Nick agreed. "No fingerprints found at that scene either, according to local authorities. They may have lifted one fingerprint here, but we're all waiting for the results."

  "I might be able to tell if the same scent was in both places," Marcus suggested.

  "We can try, but there's been a lot of traffic in and out of that place," Nick said. "Don't worry; I've worked with a couple of werewolf agents in the past. I know the drill." Nick dropped the sheet, allowing it to cover the victim's head and neck. "I'll have to ask permission to get into the Mayor's house." He grimaced at the thought of going to the Sheriff to gain that permission.

  "There's a way to get in without it," Trace offered.

  * * *

  "We just need to borrow Ashe for a little while; we don't have much time," Marcus explained to Adele. "We'll drive into Cordell, park in a secluded spot and Ashe can take us from there."

  Ashe watched in fascination while Marcus, Trace and two agents spoke with his mother. He was going to get to examine the murder scene with them. He was going to get to mist them inside the Mayor's home. Ashe was excited about the prospect. After all, he'd never told anyone, not even Sali, that he'd followed his father and Radomir, the Council's Enforcer, a year earlier when several crime scenes and James Johnson's body had been examined.

  "All right, but keep him safe," Adele warned. "Ashe," she turned to him, "Do everything they say."

  "I will, Mom." Ashe would agree to almost anything if it meant he could go.

  "Come on, kiddo, let's go," Trace ruffled Ashe's hair. Ashe followed them out of the house, loaded into the agents' rented van and sat in the third row of seats as Agent Nick Lawford drove toward Cordell.

  * * *

  "I saw Ashe get in a van with Trace and three others," Philip reported to Luanne. Philip always felt calmer around Lu. Calm enough to act and feel close to normal. Keith and Bryce, who'd already sought out Luanne earlier, listened while Philip described what he'd seen.

  "Which way did they go?" Bryce asked.

  "Toward the entrance to this lost continent," Philip grumped.

  "Why would he leave with them? Doesn't make any sense," Keith, the practical one, pointed out. "What did the others look like?"

  "Two were dressed like the agents that rode up here with us," Philip said. "So I'm guessing they're the same. The third one I didn't recognize wore jeans and a pullover."

  "So, two agents, one werewolf and one we don't know, took that Ashe kid with them off the reservation," Keith summed up what they knew. "Who can ask the kid later what's going on?"

  "I don't think anybody here knows him well enough to ask," Luanne said. "But Edward does."

  "Let's go find Eddie, then," Philip suggested.

  * * *

  Agent Lawford parked half a mile from the Mayor's farm, on the southern edge of Cordell. A church parking lot was chosen and Ashe wondered if it were the same church attended by the second victim's family as he climbed from the van. "You'll be safe enough in my mist; I've carried others this way," Ashe reassured the adults. He had carried others, just not these four.

  "Randy Smith," Marcus coughed into his hand.

  "Are you gonna get onto me about that now, Mr. DeLuca?" Ashe turned questioning blue eyes on the Clo
ud Chief Packmaster.

  "No, kid. You did what you thought was right. If you hadn't been right, though, we might have had a conversation."

  "Glad I was right, then," Ashe muttered. "I'll get you there as quick as I can."

  Lifting the others inside his mist, Ashe zipped toward the first crime scene.

  "Kid, if you were older, the Department would definitely come knocking," Nick Lawford stared at Ashe after he'd set all four adults down inside the Mayor's home. Two police cruisers were parked outside, with two officers guarding the scene, completely unaware that Ashe and the others were now inside the house.

  "Body found here," Derik North pointed to the spot designated by a numbered marker on the floor.

  "Don't disturb anything, Ashe," Marcus cautioned as he and Trace began sniffing through the home.

  Ashe stood near the front door, watching the others examine everything while stepping carefully around markers set out previously by the local authorities. "You're right," Marcus admitted after a while. "Too many people have been in here. The scents are confused."

  Ashe studied his shoes for a moment before allowing his eyes to wander to the doorframe. "Look," he said, pointing toward two small threads stuck to a tiny, splintered gouge shoulder-high on the frame.

  "How did they miss that?" Nick came to investigate. "This gouge looks fresh, like the assailant ran into it while bringing the Mayor inside the house." Taking a small plastic bag from his jacket pocket, Agent Lawford removed the threads with a pair of tweezers and stuffed them into the bag.

  "Wait, let me sniff that," Trace said. Ashe and Nick moved away, allowing the tall werewolf to scent the doorframe. "Kid, you're a genius," Trace grinned at Ashe. "Marcus, check this out—the scent is the same as the one in the barn."

  * * *

  "It was small, Director, and the locals may have been focused on the area around the body. The door was ten feet away from where the Mayor died," Nick spoke into his cell later. Ashe had been returned to his home and the werewolves were beginning to feel the pull of the Moon. They'd taken off in a rush as soon as they exited Nick and Derik's rented van.