“Mr. Simpson?” Aubrey spoke up, after a little nod from Jesse that seemed to say ‘I told you so’. Simpson’s response was to stare at her open-mouthed without any greeting or enquiry as to what she wanted.
“I’m here because of a query about the town’s main water supply, Mr. Simpson,” she continued. “I mean the reservoir up on Mt. Brown; the one that provides water to Pine Valley and all the surrounding towns. It’s nothing too complicated. I just need the keys to access the office at the reservoir site, and I hear you have a copy. It’s just to…”
“That might sound uncomplicated to you, young lady,” Simpson replied, “but I can assure you it most definitely is not. I can’t go around giving keys to any old person who swans into town for no reason. You’ll need to get some high state authority and write to me if what you need is indeed proper, instead of just knocking on my door.”
“But there’s no time for that, this is for medical research,” Aubrey said. “And I didn’t want to concern you, but it’s really quite urgent.”
“Look,” he said curtly. “Your research might be urgent to you but that doesn’t mean we all have to sing to your tune. I think you’ll find that you need proper authority to access our reservoir, as you would with anything in our town.”
“But it’s a matter of life or death, Mr. Simpson,” Aubrey tried desperately, but even this failed to impact on his tone.
“Life or death?” he said incredulously. “Don’t you think if it was life or death there would be someone far more important than a little girl like you knocking on my door about it, Miss Whatever-your-name-is?”
“Miss Vierra isn’t a “little girl”,” Jesse cut in, incensed now. “She’s an expert in rare shifter diseases.”
“Is that so? Well, Mr. McCoy, we all know you’re a shifter, so if you’ve got yourself in trouble from chasing girls around the forest all the time, I’d go and see a doctor, rather than asking to go poking around in our reservoir. Now if you don’t mind, I’ve got no time to be dealing with silly children.”
After a shrug from Jesse, the two ‘children’ retreated into the street in order to undertake Plan B.
“Told you he was a dickwad,” said Jesse.
“I think you were too nice about him,” Aubrey replied. “Donald Rumsfeld doesn’t seem like such a bad guy anymore. So, what’s the backup plan?”
“I can get the keys easily without being seen,” Jesse said. “The only scenario we need is for Simpson to be out of the office for five minutes.”
“So we need a distraction.”
“Yeah. I’m sure he’ll go out for lunch sometime soon.”
“Or maybe he’s taken the same lunch box and sandwich filling to work for thirty years. So no,” Aubrey decided. “Let’s make it happen now.”
Seeing Aubrey take out her cell phone, Jesse had to voice some doubts as to whether Simpson could be duped.
“He isn’t very gullible,” he warned.
“No, but I’m guessing everyone has an ego of some kind. Especially a guy like him,’ she replied before dialing the phone number that was clear to see on the department entrance and asking to be put through to Mr. Simpson.
“Hello, Mr. Simpson?” she began, putting on a monotonous voice. “I work at the train station over in Bear Grove. We have a Mr. Kelley here who’s wondering if someone is going to come and collect him. I’m not sure who’s responsible for it but he mentioned you by name so I thought I would call…oh, I see. Okay, I’m sure he can make it on his own—if you’re sure that’s what you want. Mr. Kelley? He’s the Secretary of State for Conservation. But as you said, you’re busy, and you can’t…oh? Okay, great. Thank you, Mr. Simp—’
As Aubrey had spoken the two of them had made their way to the side of the building, aiming to avoid detection if Simpson was to emerge, but Jesse still had his doubts. He could not hear what was being said on the other end of the phone but imagined the department’s head would not believe anything that had not been filed and signed off weeks in advance.
“I think he bought it,” said Aubrey.
“I’m not sure,” Jesse replied. “Even if he has, I suspect he’ll send some minion to go and greet him. Is there really a Secretary of State for Conservation, anyway?”
Aubrey snickered. “I’ve got no idea.”
Whether there was or not actually turned out not to matter. A few minutes after Aubrey had made her attack on the Simpson ego, there he was, hurrying from the town hall entrance and shuffling some documents into a folder as he went. Perhaps he thought that somewhere in that mass of papers was a letter confirming what was going on, or else he was just carrying them to seem important, but what mattered was that the bluff had worked. Clearly someone as prestigious as the Secretary of State for Conservation did not come to Pine Valley often.
“I don’t believe it,” Jesse said, eyes crinkling with mirth. “The man actually bought it.”
“Lonely and bitter people are often the vainest,” Aubrey replied.
“Who said that?”
“I did, just now. So anyway, I got you what you need. What’s your plan?”
“Just bear with me one second,” Jesse replied before disappearing around the back of the building.
Once she was left alone, Aubrey let her guard down, assuming that Jesse had some way of sneaking into the offices that he did not want to risk the both of them getting caught doing. A day earlier she might have thought him a rogue for knowing how to accomplish such a thing. Keen as she was to chase down a cure, however, she did not care if Jesse had a shady background. All that mattered was that he was on her side; a fellow comrade who would be crucial in saving many lives.
But it turned out she had been completely presumptuous over what he had in mind. Out of the corner of her eye she became aware of something moving towards her and spun around to see that Jesse was in his tiger form.
Although she had witnessed him after shifting once before, that whole experience still felt like a dream. For some reason she had still not been ready to see such an imposing beast standing beside her in full daylight, and she was unable to resist a look of shock. She hoped her expression had not offended him, but he didn’t linger at all; instead he jumped out of sight, right up to the second floor roof as easily as a man might leap up three or four steps.
Once again Aubrey was left in awe of the tiger’s blend of power and agility. For a cat of that size and muscle to still be able to leap in the same way a house cat might from a garbage can to a fence was something special indeed.
Realizing that Jesse had planned something else entirely, therefore, Aubrey could not resist the temptation of taking a few steps back in order to see more. In doing so, she was just in time to see Jesse leap through an open window they would have otherwise needed a ladder to reach, which she supposed must have been Simpson’s office. Soon enough, Jesse re-emerged with what looked like a shiny set of objects hanging from his jaws, and she knew then that he had the keys.
Good job, tiger.
From her perspective, the vertical leap back to the ground looked treacherous, but Jesse made it look easy, lowering his front paws down its height then allowing the rest of his body to drop and land lightly. Aubrey could not help but feel fearful as he drew nearby, though she knew he would do her no harm. It was only natural for the human mind to be alarmed in the presence of a beast it knew instinctively it had no chance against. Aubrey could not help wonder if those who still insisted on hating shifters did so because they had failed to address this fear rationally. Prejudice via nervousness had been responsible for numerous evil events throughout history.
Maybe seeing a tiger shifter up close would have been good therapy for these people, however, because then they’d also see how gentle they could be…just as Jesse was when his powerful jaws placed the set of keys in Aubrey’s small, outstretched hand. After that, Jesse quickly disappeared around the corner again, to where he had left his clothes.
Aubrey couldn’t help but be slightly amused by this.
Were his priorities to save her from the spectacle of seeing him naked, or from the sight of his transformation? Perhaps a bit of both, but she wished she knew him well enough to ask which was the most important. Somehow not seeing either made the experience feel far more mysterious than it might otherwise have.
Aubrey’s senses were sent into a whirlwind at the knowledge that Jesse was shifting back into human form just out of sight and also that he would emerge completely naked when it was done; something she wouldn’t be able to see. When he finally appeared in view again—completely dressed—she noted he was out of breath but not nearly as much as the previous day. Of course, he hadn’t had to swim through a fierce current to rescue her on this occasion.
“I didn’t realize you were going to do that,” she said, hoping her levels of excitement were not too obvious. “You feeling okay?”
“Yeah, I thought you might talk me out of it, but I’m good. It’s more tiring than it should be, but praise be to broccoli.”
“I’m almost sorry you didn’t just do that with Simpson in the office. Would have given him the shock of his life.”
“Ha! That’s a tempting thought,” he admitted. “But he’d have the town council on to me in a flash. He doesn’t need an excuse to make someone’s life a misery.”
“But he’ll know these keys are gone before we get back.”
“Probably, but it’ll confuse him. I don’t think he credits me with enough intelligence to pull off anything like it, so he’ll probably just think it was you.”
“Wow, thanks,” she said with a sarcastic grin. “Anyway, you need an energy drink or something before we head off?”
“No, I’m good,” he replied. “Can’t wait to get going, in fact.”
“Well, thanks to you, we’re in business,” she said, holding up the borrowed set of keys.
“Let’s get over to Claire’s store then.”
Chapter 10
Of all the people in town, shifters or non-shifters, Claire was the only other individual who knew of the importance of their expedition—unless we count Simpson’s dismissive attitude as being in the know—so Jesse’s friend was very much looking forward to their arrival. She’d prepared all the equipment they needed, as well as some high-energy snacks and a large supply of broccoli. If Jesse’s energy lapsed on the way and he needed the vegetable he would have to eat it raw. Claire told him she hoped he would not need it but very much regretted not going with them to see him eat it if he had to, just so she could tease him. Aubrey then said that she’d do all the teasing for her, and Jesse pretended to roll his eyes in annoyance; secretly loving it when Aubrey teased him.
Jesse could only be grateful for the fact that other than throwing a wink in his direction, Claire did nothing to hint that she was aware of his affection for Aubrey. Last night he had told her enough to admit it was true, though he had left out the part about saving of Aubrey’s life and the kiss, and he knew that his perceptive friend still sensed there was a bit more to the story.
‘All in good time,’ he had told her, refusing to tell her everything until he knew for sure whether anything would really happen between him and Aubrey—though he knew Claire would always get the truth from him in the end. At first this had been an annoying habit, but in time he had realized the benefit of having a friend as good as her to confide in; she had never let him down by gossiping behind his back.
“I guess we’re good to go then,” Jesse said after thanking her. “Sorry it’s a flying visit but I’ll bring you a report later.”
“Not so quickly, Mr. Adventurer,” Claire said, holding them back. “I have an important warning for you first.”
“What’s that?”
“There have been reports of a wounded bear wandering up on Mt. Brown, quite close to the reservoir.”
“Wounded?”
“Apparently it looks like someone’s shot it in the back leg.”
“Jesus…shot?” Jesse replied, genuinely annoyed. “People shouldn’t be doing that round here. Poor thing.”
Part of the town’s friendly approach towards shifters included strict hunting bans in the locality. After all, it would not always be possible for hunters to distinguish whether their sights were set on a shifter or a genuine wild beast. On the couple of occasions when Jesse had heard of hunters straying from their usual territory, he had been one of the individuals seeking them out to make sure they stayed clear—always having to resist terrifying them away in tiger form when it happened. Occasionally there were rumors of folk in less friendly towns who liked the idea of ‘accidentally-on-purpose’ shooting a shifter, but so far any incidents had like that had been avoided in Pine Valley.
“I know, but it might have retreated here from wherever it was shot,” Claire added. “Especially if it couldn’t catch its usual prey anymore. So you’re going to have to be extra careful. Both of you.”
“Yeah, I guess.”
“Aubrey, sorry to ask, but do you have your period?” Claire asked.
“What?”
“Some bears can be drawn by the scent of a menstruating woman.”
“Don’t be so ridiculous,” Jesse butted in, trying to spare Aubrey the indignity of answering such a question; Claire could do with being a little shier at times. “We’re having to go up there regardless, there’s no choice. I’ll just have to be on the lookout for Mr. Bear.”
“But what if you can’t shift and scare it off?”
“I can! Always, if it’s a matter of life or death. We’ll be safe, don’t worry.”
There were always bears around somewhere, of course. Usually they were not a problem. As fearsome and powerful as they were, anyone who had studied them knew that brown bears were generally shy creatures and would avoid being in close proximity to humans. The main danger was coming upon one and taking it by surprise, especially if it turned out to be one with young cubs, but Jesse was experienced enough in the wilderness to avoid this eventuality.
A wounded bear, on the other hand, was something else entirely. Wounded or starving bears could become man-eaters, whether by opportunism or strategy, and bears were probably the one land predator that even a tiger should fear.
I’ll just have to be extra careful, he thought.
After thanking Claire for her advice and assistance, Aubrey and Jesse were off once again on their trip to the reservoir, hoping that this time there would be nothing standing in the way of finding out what was going on.
Once again, Jesse noted that Aubrey set off at a quick pace, but this time he did not seek to hold her back, understanding why time was of the essence. Aching legs and exhaustion was a price well worth paying for success and he was surprised by how much more swiftly their legs ate up the distance between town and the reservoir. Heaviness was still in his limbs, but it was useful to have the adrenaline of clear purpose, and he thought he could abide whatever pain was ahead so long as he was still actually mobile. If he was honest he would admit to brimming with self-esteem over the ability of his tiger genes to keep a deadly disease at bay for so much longer, but he always kept this pride to himself. It was no one’s fault they were not lucky enough to be of such a rare lineage as he was.
With the bulk of the walk being behind them quicker than expected, the pair of them could almost feel the reservoir ahead. Soon the trees would give way to rocky ground and Mr. Simpson’s keys could reveal their secrets. Keen as Aubrey was, it was also fair to say that her nerves were heightening as they drew closer to the reservoir. Only yesterday she’d had a near death experience at that very spot and knew it would take some time to get a fear of water out of her system—hopefully it would not haunt the rest of her days. Having Jesse with her was a great support in this regard.
Just as the edge of the forest canopy came in sight, Jesse suddenly spun around to face a danger Aubrey had been unaware was creeping up on them.
Had there been a slight rustling sound, or a heavy breathing?
Aubrey thought there might have been something she’d he
ard, but whatever it was would not have been sufficient enough to turn her around prepared for attack. Yesterday she had been grateful for Jesse’s superhuman strength; today she would have to add his animal instincts to her list of eternal gratitude. Numb and failing as she knew his abilities must have been from his sickness, they were still sharper than hers when it came to sensing danger.
A number of sounds pierced the air at the same time, all happening too quickly for Aubrey to register whom or what each one of them came from. More important than the cacophony was the reality of confrontation, however, and this at least registered quickly enough for her to make a bid for survival.
The wounded brown bear, which could still probably move as fast as most humans, had been closing in on them. Only a warning growl from Jesse caused it to be more cautious in its progress, without which one of them would certainly have been mauled. No doubt the sound confused the bear, belonging as it did to a large cat rather than a human.
Realizing that Jesse and the bear were squaring up to do battle, Aubrey turned to look into his eyes in alarm. She had opened her mouth to suggest they run but what she saw told her this challenge was not hers to deal with; the face she looked into was Jesse’s, but not quite Jesse’s. His eyes were the jungle eyes of childhood nightmares and his teeth were great fangs evolved to kill.
‘Get to the reservoir now, Aubrey,’ he commanded her with his gaze, and as much as she might have wanted to linger and help she conceded immediately and got out of there. After all, when two such beasts are about to go head to head, what could an unarmed human actually do to influence the outcome?
She gave him one last look, and then turned and dashed away.
***
Fighting the bear off was Jesse’s daunting task, and it was one that would have been perilous in normal circumstances. With only half his usual strength he knew he was in trouble, but he’d never been so determined to prevail in all his life. Plus, his opponent was wounded as Claire had said; its back right leg limp having proven crucial in his ability to hear the creature approach, although nearly too close to comfort.
Roar For More (Online Shifter Dating Agency Romance) Page 8
