J.T. met them at the bridge, pale-faced and breathing hard, Matt at his back looking like he was faring much better than the claymore-wielding medic.\u00a0 \u201cWe were just coming to get you,\u201d J.T. said between breaths.\u00a0 He still hadn\u2019t quite recovered from the infected wound across his shoulders, though he was much stronger than he\u2019d been before.\u00a0 \u201cDid you hear the howls?\u201d<\/p>\n
Thom nodded.\u00a0 \u201cCariocecus is figuring out which direction they\u2019re coming at us from.\u201d<\/p>\n
Matt just looked at his brother-in-law.\u00a0 \u201cI\u2019d say east<\/i>, wouldn\u2019t you?\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cNortheast or southeast?\u201d\u00a0 Thom smiled wryly.\u00a0 \u201cOr are they somehow swimming the river and scaling the ravine to get to us?\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cI wouldn\u2019t put it past them,\u201d Phelan muttered.<\/p>\n
Matt shot him a dirty look as Marin started herding them back toward the safety of the warding lines and the settlement\u2019s walls.\u00a0 \u201cCome on, keep moving.\u00a0 Let\u2019s get beyond the ward lines.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cWill they hold these things off?\u201d\u00a0 J.T. asked, looking at Phelan.\u00a0 \u201cThe wards?\u00a0 Are they going to stop these skinwalker things?\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cThey\u2019re pretty strong wards,\u201d Phelan said.<\/p>\n
Thom winced as he noticed that Phelan hadn\u2019t exactly answered the question.\u00a0 We need to get everyone in one place and defend the crap out of it.<\/i>\u00a0 As much as he hated to rely on Cariocecus to tell him which direction the enemy was coming from, he was momentarily and silently grateful that the warrior was at least temporarily on their side and would hopefully be bringing them useful intelligence in short order.<\/p>\n
At least, I have to hope that I\u2019m not about to somehow get double-crossed by the bastard.\u00a0 Still\u2026<\/i>\u00a0 The memory of what they\u2019d been told shot a shiver down Thom\u2019s spine.\u00a0 How had<\/i> Cariocecus known about the baby?\u00a0 And then there was the business with Seamus and all the rest.<\/p>\n
Something stinks about the whole situation,<\/i> Thom thought sourly before he managed to wrestle his thoughts to the task at hand.\u00a0 \u201cWe\u2019ll know where to array our forces once we know what direction they\u2019re coming from.\u00a0 How smart are these bastards, Phelan?\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cSmart as a man, but they\u2019re in hunting mode so they\u2019re a little more animalistic,\u201d Phelan said, brows knitting as they moved quickly back toward the tents.\u00a0 In front of them, someone was blowing a whistle and someone else was ringing the giant bell they\u2019d rescued from a boat that wrecked along the riverbank down in the ravines.\u00a0 Both were signals to gather by the main cookfire and wait.<\/p>\n
Hopefully, someone\u2019s got the presence of mind to snag some weaponry before\u00a0 heading for the fire.<\/i>\u00a0 He glanced toward J.T. and Matt, neither of whom were armed, and they\u2019d heard the howling.\u00a0 Hopefully.<\/i>\u00a0 \u201cHow many to a pack?\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cI couldn\u2019t begin to tell you,\u201d he said.\u00a0 \u201cI wish I could.\u00a0 It depends on the alpha.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cSounds like they function like wolves.\u201d \u00a0Matt frowned.\u00a0 \u201cThat could get ugly.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cI\u2019ve got news for you\u2014it\u2019s going to get ugly.\u201d\u00a0 Phelan sucked in a breath and exhaled it slowly.\u00a0 \u201cThe women who sent those skinwalkers\u2014the women who control them\u2014they want my blood.\u00a0 They want vengeance on me for what I did to Vammatar.\u201d<\/p>\n
Marin squeezed his shoulder.\u00a0 \u201cYou did what you had to do, Phelan\u2014to save all of us.\u201d<\/p>\n
He shook his head and started moving faster.\u00a0 \u201cAnd that\u2019s made all of you targets right along with me.\u201d<\/p>\n
Not this again.<\/i>\u00a0 \u201cWe were targets the minute the world ended,\u201d Thom said, picking up his pace to keep up.\u00a0 \u201cWhether we liked it, believed it, or not.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cWell, now you\u2019re even bigger targets,\u201d Phelan snapped, \u201cand that\u2019s on me.\u201d<\/p>\n
<\/p>\n
<\/p>\n
A very happy birthday to my mom and to my longtime friend and fellow writer Erik!<\/em><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":" J.T. met them at the bridge, pale-faced and breathing hard, Matt at his back looking like he was faring much better than the claymore-wielding medic.\u00a0 \u201cWe were just coming to get you,\u201d J.T. said between breaths.\u00a0 He still hadn\u2019t quite … Continue reading