Chapter31
1702 Words
So Frankie bravely recalled everything she told George and me earlier to Dr. Montgomery. We sat at the pull-out table, listening and watching the whole spiel again. However, this time was different. Lila Montgomery sat close to Frankie, encouraging her to give more details about this strange entity.
“It had rows…many rows of long, sharp, pointy teeth,” Frankie quavered.
Suddenly, George went pale, grabbed his chest, and collapsed onto the floor. Frankie rushed over to him. He didn’t look good. His cheeks sunk in, and his breathing became labored.
“GEORGE!” Frankie screamed. Her hands trembled as she reached to hold her mate closer. Tears streamed down her face. “Can’t you do something?” she cried, looking at Dr. Montgomery.
“I’m sorry… I’m not that kind,” Lila whispered. The look of hopelessness leaked from one eye. “I wish I could. But his reaction is troubling…”
“Dammit, George!” I yelled, trying to shake him out of whatever he was experiencing. “Now’s not the time to be taking a mid-afternoon nap.” Yeah, so I’m acting like a major asshole. A response is a response, right? My knees hit the floor, and I scooted closer to him and Frankie.
“Sergeant, what’s happening to him?” Frankie asked.
I could only respond with a head shake. “I don’t know. Please tell me he’s still breathing.”
“He is, barely,” she whispered through her tears.
I had to check for myself. “Lay him flat, maybe something’s lodged in his throat.” Frankie did as I suggested. I hovered over him, placing my right hand on his chest to balance myself. Leaning close to his face to check his breathing, my hand began to glow. But I didn’t know it did. The glow entered George’s chest, easing his breath.
As quickly as he went down, George’s eyes shot open. “G-ddess, Mike!” he coughed. “I have a mate, man!” He sputtered to life like an old engine.
George scooted himself to a sitting position and ran his hand through his hair. Frankie gave him kisses on his cheeks. “Okay, I’m okay,” he said to his mate. “What happened?”
“We were hoping you could tell us,” I said. Sighing, I rubbed my hands over my face and then my hair. “You had us worried there for a moment.”
“I had myself worried there,” he retorted. He let out a breath. “Everything went dark… Where’s Hanna? She was the one who brought me back, right?”
“Hanna’s not here, Detective Harper,” Lila Montgomery answered. “It was Sergeant Black who ‘brought you back’, as you put it.”
“Huh… Wait, what?!” I objected. “That’s not me. I don’t do that. I bust people not heal them. That’s crazy.” I stood, removing myself from the awkward spot.
“No one will disagree with that statement, Sergeant,” Lila quipped. “Nonetheless, you were the one who brought Detective Harper back from…wherever your kind goes.”
“Back to our initial inquiry, before things went…weird,” I changed the subject, choosing a chair near the botany professor. “What are we dealing with? Is it the same thing that…” Yeah, I still struggled with wrapping my head around whatever that thing was.
“I can’t say for certain, Sergeant,” Lila remarked. “I’ll need to discuss this ‘thing’, as you put it, with Malcolm. He’s more knowledgeable about this subject.”
“Of course, he is,” I silently muttered…sarcastically. What? He’s a Montgomery. The Blackwaters and Montgomerys don’t get along. It’s complicated. “Should Chief Edwards and my cousin be notified of its existence?”
“It wouldn’t hurt,” Lila suggested. “It was your cousin’s fur. The 'thing' was collecting.”
“Great… Something else to worry about.” I mumbled, scratching the back of my neck, and pulled my phone out. “I’ll get on it.”
“Is there any reason there are travel bags in your possession?” Lila mentioned. “I noticed them earlier when you came in.”
“Yeah, I need to get George and Frankie to a safe house,” I carelessly blurted out. Oops.
“Oh… Do tell” —she took a sip of tea and lifted one eyebrow— “what other information are you withholding, Sergeant?”
My cheeks puffed out letting out another sigh. Hey, this job is stressful. “When George and I reached his apartment, and after Frankie told us her ordeal…” I began. “Well…anyway, I couldn’t shake off the heebee jeebees. And to get straight to the point, the same vehicle that's been watching my house was parked in its usual spot.”
“But it wasn’t there when you met Ms. Harlow?” Dr. Montgomery inquired.
“No… It wasn’t.”
“Interesting… Does Fenton know about this vehicle?” she pressed.
“Yeah, Wolfdale City PD’s on it and have sent cruisers around more frequently,” I answered.
“But you think the two are related? This ‘thing’ and the vehicle watching?” she asked.
“In my line of work…It can’t be dismissed. The uncanniness of the incident shouldn’t be ignored,” I explained, rattling off.
“Uncanny indeed,” she said, taking another sip. “Ms. Harlow…”
“Yes, ma’am,” Frankie replied.
“In the top cupboard, the second one from the far end. You’ll find some protein bars. Get one for yourself and Detective Harper. Chew them slowly,” she instructed.
“Thanks,” George said weakly. He tried to stand but changed his mind.
“Do you want to call Fenton, or should I?” Lila asked, directing the question at me.
“What… How?” I sputtered.
“Malcolm and the Chief go way back, Sergeant,” she politely reminded me.
“Hanna?” I mouthed. My curiosity piqued.
“Before then, actually,” she revealed. “But he would be interested in what has transpired today.”
“I suppose you should call him then,” I admitted. “You’re probably better at explaining ‘woo-woo’ than I would be.”
Dr. Lila Montgomery nearly choked on her tea, attempting to stifle her snicker.
“Oh, Sergeant,”—she giggled—“you and Hanna have a funny way with your words.”
The sound of glass shattering caught our attention. I ran to the door to go after the perpetrator. The young figure dashed out the same way it came in, knocking over planters and breaking the pots.
“George…call dispatch and have them get a unit here. I’m going after the perpetrator,” I instructed.
“What can I do to help?” Lila inquired.
“Without touching anything, I can take your statement on what’s missing,” George stated. “I can’t do much else until CS gets here.”
“I see… Very well, then,” she replied. “Sergeant, follow the first path you see. This intruder most likely would have found themselves on it as well.”
“Thanks,” I nodded, rushing out the main greenhouse door. The intruder left a gray swatch of torn clothing on the broken glass. Our forensic minions will gather that when they get here.
Once I found the path, I quickly used my wolf’s ears and nose to locate which direction the intruder went. This path seemed never-ending. It wound through the trees and past some buildings. The figure, as usual, was always too far out of reach. My eyes caught glimpses of pink flapping from the intruder’s movements. It's another clue to give to the minions. If you’re wondering why I didn’t ‘wolf out’ to catch this mysterious POI, there are too many prying eyes. There's no need to cause a panic. We’re mostly hidden from the rest of Wolfdale City.
On and on we ran. Just when I think I’m close enough to grab them, they push harder to get away. Dammit! If this POS…oops, wrong acronym… POI would slow down, I could get a better description. But, nope. That would be too easy. As we neared another building, the mysterious intruder deviated from the path and disappeared at the tree line. Shithead.
The path for me also ended at the tree line. Beyond it was a picnic table and the main science building. A sharply dressed male sat on top of the table. You know, the part where the food goes. He looked familiar…too familiar.
“It’s a little late in the day for a jog, isn’t it, Cuz?” the smartass remarked.
“Cute, Dyl,” I huffed, attempting to catch my breath. “Very cute…asshole.”
Dylan Blackwater chuckled and then smirked at my remark. He played with his pocket knife, flinging it into the wooded seat of the table.
“On the off chance, you didn’t see someone run past here?”
“Nope. Just you, looking like you’re about ready to keel over.”
“Har-har. Wait. What are you doing here? Where’s Hanna?” I asked my rapid-fire questions.
“Hanna’s talking with one of the professors,” he stated. “I guess she needed help to understand what those files are about.” He released a frustrated sigh. “Don’t worry. I have permission from my parole officer. Wolfdale City PD still has me on a tight leash.”
“Ha, do you know which one she’s speaking with?”
“A doctor named Fred someone. I think.”
“Fredrickson?”
“That’s the one,” he said, snapping his fingers.
“Great…just great,” I muttered. “You may want to follow me back to his office.”
“Why?” my cousin asked. “I’d figure it’d be safer for everyone if I stayed out here.”
“It’s not you whom I’m concerned about.”
“Huh…then who? Hanna?” he balked.
With my hands on my hips and one eyebrow arched upward, he got his answer.
“Great…lead the way.”
- Writer
