Page 51 of Wolf Bane
“This can’t be good…”
Ethan wandered into the bedroom, frowning at his own phone.“What the hell happened between two a.m.and ten minutes ago?”
“Other than us having sex?I don’t know if I want to know or not.”
He turned his phone so I could see the screen.More calls from Tyler, from some names I vaguely recognized from his time as sheriff, and from Cullen.So many from Cullen.
“Well shit.”I sighed.“Alright, cover me, I’m going in.”
Most of Reba’s messages were demands to call herno matter what time it is, Landry.They slowly escalated to panicked all capsWHERE ARE YOU?andIF YOU ARE DEAD, I’LL KILL YOUtexts.
My stomach twisted into a knot.Definitely something bad.I checked Tyler’s messages next.More of the same with some requests for Ethan to call him mixed in:If he’s with you and not dead on the road somewhere.
Jesus.
Gina Perrin’s video was last.It had arrived less than an hour ago and started with just a weird angle of her face.I realized belatedly she was holding the phone face-up at chest level as she walked, her hair swinging over the camera with each step.Finally, she stopped, out of breath, and looked down at the camera with a deep, worried frown then held it up, turning it so I could see what she was looking at.
The clinic.
The front windows were smashed in, scorch marks all over the outside of the building and the storefront next to ours.She carried the phone closer, until someone gruffly ordered her to stop where she was.“I work here,” she said, voice muffled.“I’m recording this for the doctor who runs the clinic.”
The video cut off.I didn’t realize I’d sat down until Ethan gave my shoulder a little shake.“Let’s go,” he said quietly.“I’m driving.”
* * *
Gina Perrin was stillat the clinic when we arrived.She was bundled in a long sweater against the morning chill, staring at the mess of the office space.Reba was pacing nearby, literally wringing her hands until she noticed me, then she sprinted over with a speed I’d never expect from a woman wearing Isotoner slippers on a scrubby old parking lot.
“Oh my God,” she sobbed, flinging her arms around my neck.“I thought you were dead in there, Landry!”
Gina Perrin closed the distance between us, offering Ethan a tight, wary smile that didn’t reach past her lips.“They couldn’t get hold of you, so they called Reba.Reba called me.I called Cullen.”
Reba pulled back, eyes wet and nose red.“Why did you call him?He’s just the lab rep!”
Ethan stepped in before Gina Perrin had to spin a yarn.“Well, he’s on the contact list, right?”he offered smoothly.“Easy mistake to make.”
Reba frowned, glancing between the three of us with a slow shake of her head.“No?Not really?I mean, what’s the lab liaison going to do?Oh my God, all of that equipment!”She spun to face the clinic, clutching at her jacket.“Landry, what are we gonna do?”
That, at least, I could answer.“The owners already know.”Which was true, if Cullen knew then the council knew.Thank the powers that be we took the samples back to the house.“We just have to wait and see what they say.What happened?Was it…” I trailed off, my gaze catching on something bright red.
Mongrel.
Sprayed between the door and the waiting room window.A single word in red paint.It wasn’t a tidy graffiti tag but hastily done, angrily done.
Mongrel.
“Jesus,” I muttered.Ethan moved beside me, clasping my hand in his.A little too tight, honestly, but the bite of pain as my knuckles pressed together kept me from completely losing my shit.“Clan?”I whispered.“The ones who hate me?”
Ethan’s jaw was so tight I worried for his dental health.“I want to say no, but…”
“But yeah.”
One of the sheriff deputies waved me over, so I left Reba and Gina Perrin, Ethan trailing beside me as I headed over.He introduced himself as Wisher and seemed to know Ethan, at least knew of him anyway.“Sheriff,” he said with a nod, then blushed.“I mean.Mr.Stone.”
He nodded back.“Deputy Wisher.Haven’t seen you in an age.”
Wisher ducked his chin again and nodded.“Just started here about a month ago,” he admitted.“Nelvin wasn’t too thrilled, but, uh…” He trailed off with another shrug, looking way too young to be in possession of a firearm much less the ability to make life or death decisions with it.
Ethan made a thoughtful but noncommittal noise low in his throat.“Well, if you need any advice or anything, I’m in the book.”
