Page 7 of Anders
The new newspaper editor arrived today.Sarah’s voice came through.There’s something…off about her.
Anders pulled up the town’s personnel records—another system he’d recently integrated.
Etta Barone,he read.Transferred from theMontana Republic.Clean background check, solid references.He frowned at the screen.Almost too solid, actually.No gaps, no inconsistencies.Like someone crafted the perfect résumé.
That’s not all,Nick said.At first we thought she was a wolf—her mannerisms, the way she responds to pack presence.But her scent is wrong somehow.
Anders’s mind immediately started cataloging possibilities.Wrong how?
It’s like…Sarah paused, clearly searching for words.Like someone took a wolf’s scent and tried to cover it up.But not with perfume or anything obvious.It’s more fundamental than that.
And she didn’t follow any of the protocols for entering pack territory,Nick added.No formal notification, no recognition of boundaries.Either she’s deliberately ignoring them…
Or she doesn’t know them,Anders finished, already typing rapid commands into his system.Where is she staying?
That’s another weird thing,Sarah said.She’s renting the old Martinez place on Mesa View Road.
Malcolm’s eyebrows shot up.Wasn’t that bought by some vacation rental company a few months ago?
SwiftStay Properties,Anders confirmed, pulling up the records.LLC formed six months ago, purchased four properties in New Mexico.All in small towns, all currently being used as short-term rentals.
Who comes to Sunburst for vacation?Nick’s skepticism carried clearly through the speaker.
Exactly,Anders muttered, diving deeper into the property records.His gaze narrowed as he stared at the screen.And get this—there’s no actual rental activity recorded for any of them.
What the hell?Malcolm muttered.
Anders shook his head.The company’s formation documents were flawless—another red flag.Real companies had quirks, irregularities.This was too clean, too perfect.
Just like Etta Barone’s résumé.
We sent Quinton to keep an eye on the house,Sarah said.He’ll let us know when she arrives.
Anders was already pulling up the surveillance feeds for Mesa View Road.I’ve got three cameras with partial views of the property,he said.But it’s far enough from town that there are blind spots I don’t like.
Can you fix that?Malcolm asked.
Given time and proper equipment.Anders’s mind raced through calculations.I’ll need to adjust the coverage pattern, maybe add a few new…
He trailed off, his attention caught by movement on one of the feeds.A dark sedan was pulling into the driveway of the Martinez house.
She’s arriving now,he reported, zooming in on the vehicle.New Mexico plates, rental car based on the windshield sticker.Driver matches the photo ID from her employment records.
Malcolm leaned over Anders’s shoulder, studying the feed.What do you make of her?
Anders watched as Etta Barone stepped out of the car.Her movements were fluid, efficient—almost predatory.She paused, lifting her head slightly in a motion any wolf would recognize: scenting the air.
But her next actions made no sense.Instead of acknowledging Quinton’s presence—which any wolf would have detected immediately—she simply collected her bags from the trunk and headed inside.
What wasthat?Malcolm murmured.
What?Sarah asked, and Malcolm recapped Etta’s motions for Nick and Sarah.
Either she doesn’t know what she is,Anders said slowly,or she’s very good at pretending not to know.
Neither option is particularly comforting,Malcolm growled.
On the phone, Nick made a sound of agreement.Should we confront her directly?
