Wild Country (The World of the Others #2)- Anne Bishop Page 0,131
be smart to have someone in the office, especially today—but why have Yuri go with me? He’s not a cop.”
“He is Sanguinati,” Tolya said softly. “He is Other.” He paused, then added, “He is a predator, Jana Paniccia, and if the trouble begins here, which is a possibility, you should not be driving close to the border of the wild country without a predator riding with you.”
Tolya waited until Jana headed out to patrol and John left to open the bookstore.
“You’re hoping the Maddie pup is wrong,” Virgil said.
Tolya studied the Wolf. “Aren’t you?”
A big mistake could cleanse all the humans from the continent of Thaisia—maybe even the whole world. But “all” would include the Becky girl … and Barb Debany … and the wolverine. Did he want that now?
“Should we warn Simon Wolfgard?” he asked.
“Let’s talk to Jesse Walker and Jackson first,” Tolya replied. “Let’s see if either of them can provide some structure to vague images.”
Tolya walked across the square at a brisk pace but not at a speed that would alarm the humans. As he walked, he gave his instructions to Yuri Sanguinati—and made his request to Garnet Ravengard, who was delighted to have the opportunity to answer the telephone and hear information before anyone else.
When he reached his office, he closed the door and made his call to Jesse Walker.
* * *
* * *
Jesse said nothing while Tolya explained the reason for the early morning call. She said nothing after he stopped talking. When a minute of silence filled the phone line, Tolya asked, “What are you feeling?”
Good question.
Whatever was going to happen, it wasn’t going to happen in Prairie Gold. Not initially. Which meant this wasn’t where she needed to be.
“I’ll be there as soon as I can,” she said.
“You’re coming to Bennett?” Tolya sounded surprised. “I can call you with updates.”
“No. I need to be there.” The certainty settled around her. He didn’t realize it yet—and she couldn’t explain it—but she had a strong feeling that Tolya would need her in Bennett today.
“I will ask Anya to reserve a room for you.”
“Tell her I’m bringing the puppy.”
A sound that might have been a laugh. “If any guests protest about having a pet in the hotel, we’ll tell them the puppy is terra indigene. Most humans wouldn’t know the difference, and that will end any discussion.”
Was he trying to lighten the mood or could he laugh about a puppy while watching a potential disaster take shape on the horizon?
“I’ll be there.” Jesse hung up. Throwing a shawl over the tank top she wore at night, she selected a white flag from the umbrella stand near her back door. Stepping outside far enough to be easily seen, she waved the flag.
Tobias had told her about the instruction to send up a flare if help was needed. This was a similar system that she had already worked out with the terra indigene living in the Prairie Gold settlement. A red flag meant danger, trouble, attack. White meant she needed to get a message to the settlement or, specifically, to Morgan and Chase. Or sometimes Rachel Wolfgard since she couldn’t call the girl if something changed at the store.
The Hawk seemed to drop out of the sky and land a few feet away.
“Could you take a message to Rachel Wolfgard?” Jesse asked. “Tell her to stay home today. I’m not going to open the store. I have to go to Bennett.” She thought of the one thing that might have the juvenile Wolf ignoring her instructions. “And tell Rachel that I took Cory-Cutie with me.”
She gave the puppy a handful of kibble to gobble while she got dressed and packed a bag for the puppy, an overnight bag for herself, and everything else she thought she might need.
The third time she reached for the phone, she gave in and called the ranch. Tobias was already out with the men, which she expected.
“Ellen, it’s Jesse.”
A hesitation. “Yes?”
The hesitation told Jesse that Ellen felt something too—something too subtle to put into words. Yet. “Be watchful today.”
“Of anything particular?”
Anything. Everything. “I don’t know. I’m on my way to Bennett. I closed the store.” The only time she closed the store was for an emergency.
“I see.” Ellen, being another Intuit and a friend, would understand the messages under the words. “Call me when you get to Bennett. Tobias will worry.”
Jesse snorted. Ellen always said that when she was worried. “I’ll call.”
After settling the puppy in the traveling crate, Jesse stopped at the