Page 9 of Birds of a Feather

“I guess in a place full of shifters, what can you expect?” she asked her IV bag with a shrug. The mystery of the worm could have to wait for another day. Lyla shuffled down the hall. The excitement of her adventure had worn her out. She turned the corner, following the sign back to the hospital wing of WANC, still thinking about the worm, or whatever creature she saw scuttle around the corner at the opposite end of the hall. Small shifters shouldn’t wander around inside the building in their shifter forms—they risked getting stepped on!

She must’ve been delusional after exerting herself. At least that was what Lyla told herself to keep the nagging feeling that someone who wasn’t supposed to be at FUCN’A was there.

“It’s just my anxiety blowing things out of proportion,” she reminded the IV bag as it rolled along beside her. “Now, let’s get back to our room and get you changed out. After a little nap, we can see if Gabby is up for a visit.”

7

Char rushed Gabby out of her room with the soggy map. They marched up to the nurses’ station, grabbing one of the phones from the desk. Char’s well-manicured nails punched a few numbers. “Butters, no! I am not the pizza delivery person.” Char rolled their eyes and sighed. “This is Char, in the hospital wing. I need security. We have evidence that there may be an intruder in the building.” After Char hung up the phone, they turned to Gabby. “Sorry about that. They’re always thinking with their stomachs. They’re goat shifters. They’ll eat anything.”

Char dropped the dripping handwritten map onto the counter before rubbing their hands on their scrubs. “Take a seat. I know you’re shaken up.”

Gabby shook her head. She couldn’t sit. Couldn’t try to relax. Not until security arrived and took care of things.

The minutes it took for security to arrive felt like hours. Gabby’s stomach was doing summersaults. She wanted this over as quickly as possible.

Finally, a man and woman in grey security uniforms sidled up to the nurses’ station. The woman popped some potato chips from the bag she was carrying into her mouth while the manstared at Gabby. “Is this the intruder?” His blue eyes scanned her as he made for the handcuffs on his belt.

“No…” Char answered. “I said we have evidence of a possible intruder.”

“Is she the evidence?” the woman guard asked between crunches on the chips, nodding toward Gabby.

Gabby supposed she kind of was. At least she was witness to the evidence. She pointed to the soggy paper on the counter. “Map. On floor.”

The male guard picked it up and sniffed. “It doesn’t smell edible.”

Char rolled her eyes. “I don’t think it’s supposed to be. Either way, don’t eat the evidence.”

“We unfortunately don’t handle evidence. You’ll want to get an agent up here for that. But we can search for the intruder.” Her curly brown hair jiggled as she shook her head. She grabbed a granola bar from her pocket and peeled the wrapper back before taking a bite. “Where do you think the intruder entered?” she asked after swallowing the last bite. Gabby wondered how someone who ate so much could be so skinny. The guard was rail thin.

“My… room… 106,” Gabby answered, rattling off her room number and pointing down the hall.

The male guard nodded. “I’ll radio FUC to send a hound shifter to sniff out the trail and ask the rest of the security team to review the cameras.” He turned to his companion. “Let’s check the room then complete a sweep of the building. We’ll break for pizza then check the perimeter.” The woman nodded, and both guards sauntered down the hallway.

Gabby looked to Char, whose shoulders deflated after a long sigh. “I hoped they’d be able to do more or somehow already know who the intruder was,” Char said with a shrug. Char seemed just as shaken up about the intruder as Gabby was.

Gabby shook her head. She was trying to find the words to reassure Char when Agent Stone waltzed up in his cowboy boots.

“Did someone request a hound shifter to track a scent?” His brown eyes twinkled with delight. Agent Stone clearly enjoyed tracking scents. What Basset Hound shifter wouldn’t?

Gabby was instantly relieved to see him. Agent Stone was all Phin talked about for months following their rescue. Apparently, Phin had known that Gabby and their dad were kept below the old abandoned mall near their dad’s house. He hung out there for hours, trying to launch his own investigation, until Agent Sparks and Stone’s own investigation eventually brought them to the same mall. Together, the three of them found the secret entrance to the evil lair of Sandy, and they were able to rescue all the trapped shifters.

Agent Stone had taken care of business then, and Gabby was sure he’d do the same now.

Char filled him in. “The window to Gabby’s room was open, and there was a tear in the screen. She found this map.” Char handed Agent Stone the wet paper.

He rubbed at the stubble forming on his chin as he assessed the situation. Then Agent Stone crossed his arms across his flannel shirt. “Any idea as to who could have been in your room?”

Just the thought of Dr. Grimm tangled Gabby’s brain. A cold sweat dripped icy fingers down her spine at the memory of his thin voice in her ear. “G-g-Grimm. Back. F-f-favorite.” She stomped her foot in frustration. No helpful words were coming out of her mouth.

Agent Stone put a reassuring hand on Gabby’s shoulder. “It’s okay. We’ll try to find whoever it was.”

“Grimm. Grimm…” She balled her fists in anger.

“Don’t worry.” Agent Stone’s voice was calm, soothing. But it wasn’t enough to squelch Gabby’s frustration. Why did shealways get so tongue-tied when trying to talk about Dr. Grimm? True, the man scared her half to death, but still. “Where did the security guards go?”

“My room.”Of course I got that out.Gabby crossed her arms.

“If there’s anyone after you, we’ll find them,” Agent Stone reassured her, as if reading her worries. “I’m one of the best trackers at FUC. If there’s a scent, I can follow it.”

---