Page 13 of Waifs And Strays
‘I can’t kill you?’
I grinned. ‘You can try.’
He didn’t smile back.
Something inside me gave way: I wasn’t only a sucker for lost souls but also for sob stories. ‘Give him a month,’ I said. ‘Give him the time alone that he’s craving, then take him out for dinner. See which way the land lies. You’ll likely find him more amenable once he’s had a chance to experience life on his own terms.’
A muscle throbbed in MacTire’s jaw. He knew I was right, he just didn’t want to admit it. ‘If anything happens to him…’
‘He’ll be fine.’
MacTire gazed at me. ‘One month. After that I will reassess thesituation.’
I released a breath. ‘That’s your prerogative.’
‘Alright.’ He looked away. ‘You should leave before I change my mind.’
As I stood up, my mental traffic lights flicked back to green. That had gone better than I’d expected. ‘Thank you.’
‘I’m not doing this for you.’
‘I know,’ I said simply and started to walk away. I hesitated at the door and turned back to him. ‘For what it’s worth, not all your people are useless. The woman who brought me here…’
‘Samantha.’
‘Samantha. She would have done well at EEL.’ It was the highest compliment I could give.
MacTire seemed to understand that I was trying to acknowledge the power within the pack and, by default, that the power he commanded made him someone to respect. He nodded stiffly.
And with that, I left.
I was forcedto go through the rigmarole of wearing the same dark hood when I was driven away from the MacTire property. I knew exactly where the house was located – I even knew its weak points. After all, four years ago I’d broken into that very house to kill Bruce MacTire.
I had to pretend otherwise, however, so I suffered the indignity of being rendered sightless. At least the MacTire wolves didn’t tie my wrists this time – and neither did they bother driving me all the way home.
They dropped me off at Crackendon Square, hauled off the hood and shoved me out of the back seat so I stumbled onto the cobbles. I blinked hard to adjust my vision and relaxed. They’d done me a favour by dropping me near a tram that ran back tothe edge of Danksville only a short walk from my house. I’d be home in no time. Only a few people were waiting at the tram stop as I ambled over to wait.
I had been fortunate that Alexander MacTire had listened to me and that I’d remained in one piece. While I definitely possessed well-honed, hard-won skills that could get me out of many dire situations, and I’d faced him with the serene confidence of a winner, I was far from invincible.
I could take two werewolves – if they were like Quack and Ribbit I could probably take half a dozen – but against the likes of Alexander MacTire, Samantha or the many MacTire werewolves who doubtless resided in their grand house? I wouldn’t have a hope, not without considerable preparation. No matter how good you are there is always someone better, and greater numbers almost always beat greater skill.
I wasn’t the only lucky one because today’s venture was very good news for young Nick. I hoped he’d appreciate his freedom and use his time to make the right decision about his future. I mentally patted myself on the back. I’d done good.
I leaned against the wall next to yet more posters advertising the upcoming solstice and glanced down the street. A horn blasted and a moment later the tram shoogled into view, shaking its way towards the stop. Sparks danced around its snaking form as it slowed down. I’d long since suspected that those purple flickers of light were an artifice used by the witches who ran the tram system to remind commuters of the built-in magic that kept them safe. What you saw in Coldstream was often not what you got.
I reached into my pocket for the tram token that I knew was buried there, and which I always carried with me for an eventuality such as this one. As I moved my head, I caught a brief glimpse of another werewolf standing about fifty metres away underneath the awning of an old antique shop.He wasn’t looking in my direction but, from his stiff body language, I suddenly sensed that he was there for me. I had no proof, but my gut instinct had served me well over the years and I wasn’t about to mistrust it now.
It didn’t make sense that he was a MacTire wolf because Alexander MacTire had cleared me – at least for the time being – and the MacTires knew where I lived, so they didn’t need to follow me around. If they were going to tail anyone it would be Nick; despite my assurances, they’d want to ensure his safety.
I chewed my bottom lip and took out the token. There were several ways to test the wolf and my paranoia and I opted for the simplest one.
I fiddled with the brass token then, with a show of clumsiness, I let it tumble from my fingers onto the road. I let out a sharp cry of dismay and lurched forward to grab it.
A couple of the other people waiting called out.
‘What are you doing?’
‘The tram is coming! Get out of the way!’
