“If they come before I get back, keep them away from the gate.”
He got back into his truck, backed up until he came to one of the pull-offs. He did a quick three-point turn and pushed for speed.
She was already outside, standing on the path that led from her cabin to the offices. Her hands moved to her hips even as the scowl moved over her face.
“What now? Mornings are busy times around here.”
“You need to come with me.”
The scowl faded. She didn’t question him. There was enough in the tone, in his eyes to tell her there was trouble.
“Get a camera,” he called out when she started toward the truck. “Digital. Make it fast.”
Again, she asked no questions but set off toward the cabin at a run. She was back in under two minutes, with the camera and her rifle.
“Tell me,” she said when she jumped in the truck.
“There’s a dead wolf hanging over your gate.”
She sucked in a breath, and out of the corner of his eye he saw her hand tighten on the barrel of the rifle. But her voice stayed calm.
“Shot? Like the cougar?”
“It took two shots, that I can see. Not much blood, and it’s cold. He killed it somewhere else, hauled it down. It doesn’t look like he got in, or tried. But I didn’t look that close. A couple of your people pulled up right after I found it. They’re calling the sheriff.”
“Son of a bitch. What’s the damn point in-Wait!” Alarm ringing in her words, she pushed up straight in the seat. “Go back, go back. What if he’s using this to lure us away? If he got inside? The animals, they’re helpless. Go back, Coop.”
“Nearly at the gate. I’ll drop you off. I’ll go back.”
“Hurry. Hurry.” When he braked at the gate, she turned. “Wait for me,” she demanded and jumped out. “Eric!”
She circled wide of the wolf-smart girl-and Coop watched Eric get out of the car on the other side. “Catch this! Catch it. Get the best pictures you can of the wolf, the gate, of everything. Wait for the sheriff.”
“Where are you-”
She scrambled back in Coop’s truck, slammed the door on Eric’s question. “Move!”
He punched the gas, shot back in reverse, and went with the fishtail when he whipped into the turn. When he blasted the horn, she jumped, then stared at him. “On the off chance you’re right, and he hears us coming, he’ll book. This isn’t about confrontation.” Not yet, Coop thought. Not yet. “It’s about harassment.”
“Why off chance?”
“It’s unlikely he knew I was here last night, or I’d be leaving before your people got here. Otherwise, they’d be the ones to find the wolf, and they’d have come in, come up to tell you. Everybody’d be here, not at the gate.”
“Okay, okay, that’s a point.” But she didn’t breathe easily until she saw the first habitats, heard the usual calls and clamor of morning.
“I need to check them, all of them. If you take that direction, just follow the path, I’ll take this side and circle around, then we-”
“No.” He pulled up, stopped. “Off chance,” he repeated. “And I’m not risking him getting you alone.”
She lifted the rifle she had across her knees, but Cooper shook his head.
“Together.” And when they’d finished, he thought, he’d check both cabins, all the outbuildings.
“They’ll think I’m coming to visit, so there’s going to be some annoyance when I don’t.”
There were grumbles and hisses, and a few protesting calls as they walked by. She moved briskly as each visual confirmation eased the painful thud of her heart. That heart stuttered a moment when she scanned Baby’s enclosure. Then she looked up-she knew his games-and found him standing on the thick branch of his tree.
His leap down was gorgeous and full of fun. When he purred, she gave in and ducked under the barrier. “Soon,” she murmured. “We’ll play a little soon.” She stroked his fur through the fence, then laughed when he rose on high hind legs, pressed closer so she could use her fingers to tickle his belly. “Soon,” she repeated.
His disappointment rumbled in his throat as she stepped back behind the rail. She shrugged when Coop stared at her.
“He’s a special case.”
“Didn’t I hear disapproval, even some derision, in your voice when you talked about people who buy exotic pets?”
“He’s not a pet. Do you see me fitting him with a jeweled collar and leading him around on a leash?”
“That would be the one you call Baby.”
“You pay more attention than I think. He’s been at the refuge since he was a kitten, by his own choice. They’re okay,” she added. “If someone unknown was around they’d make some noise. But I have to check anyway. We’ve got a group coming in this morning, a youth group. And we’ve got two cats with ingrown claws that need to be seen to. Plus the interns have a few hundred pounds of meat to process in the commissary. We’ve got a routine, Coop. We can’t let this interfere with the health of the animals or the running of the refuge. If we don’t have tours, our budget dips. And you’ve got a business to run, animals to feed.”
“Check the rest on your cameras. Let’s go through the offices. If they’re clear, you can set up there, check your animals.”
“Willy’s going to let us open the gates, isn’t he? Let my people in.”
“Shouldn’t be long.”
“I didn’t get a good look at the wolf. It was good size, so I’d say full-grown. To take one down like that… Maybe it wasn’t with a pack. A lone wolf’s easier prey. He wants me upset, off-balance, to throw this place into upheaval. I took my share of psych courses,” she said when Coop only studied her face. “I know what he’s doing. Not why, but what. I could lose some volunteers, even some interns over this sort of thing. Our intern program is essential, so I’m going to be doing some fast, hard talking at our emergency staff meeting today.”
She unlocked the cabin that held the offices. Coop nudged her aside, pushed the door open. The area appeared to be clear. He stepped in, swept it, then moved from space to space to do the same.
“Stay in here, use the computer. I’ll check the other buildings. Give me the keys.”
He got back into his truck, backed up until he came to one of the pull-offs. He did a quick three-point turn and pushed for speed.
She was already outside, standing on the path that led from her cabin to the offices. Her hands moved to her hips even as the scowl moved over her face.
“What now? Mornings are busy times around here.”
“You need to come with me.”
The scowl faded. She didn’t question him. There was enough in the tone, in his eyes to tell her there was trouble.
“Get a camera,” he called out when she started toward the truck. “Digital. Make it fast.”
Again, she asked no questions but set off toward the cabin at a run. She was back in under two minutes, with the camera and her rifle.
“Tell me,” she said when she jumped in the truck.
“There’s a dead wolf hanging over your gate.”
She sucked in a breath, and out of the corner of his eye he saw her hand tighten on the barrel of the rifle. But her voice stayed calm.
“Shot? Like the cougar?”
“It took two shots, that I can see. Not much blood, and it’s cold. He killed it somewhere else, hauled it down. It doesn’t look like he got in, or tried. But I didn’t look that close. A couple of your people pulled up right after I found it. They’re calling the sheriff.”
“Son of a bitch. What’s the damn point in-Wait!” Alarm ringing in her words, she pushed up straight in the seat. “Go back, go back. What if he’s using this to lure us away? If he got inside? The animals, they’re helpless. Go back, Coop.”
“Nearly at the gate. I’ll drop you off. I’ll go back.”
“Hurry. Hurry.” When he braked at the gate, she turned. “Wait for me,” she demanded and jumped out. “Eric!”
She circled wide of the wolf-smart girl-and Coop watched Eric get out of the car on the other side. “Catch this! Catch it. Get the best pictures you can of the wolf, the gate, of everything. Wait for the sheriff.”
“Where are you-”
She scrambled back in Coop’s truck, slammed the door on Eric’s question. “Move!”
He punched the gas, shot back in reverse, and went with the fishtail when he whipped into the turn. When he blasted the horn, she jumped, then stared at him. “On the off chance you’re right, and he hears us coming, he’ll book. This isn’t about confrontation.” Not yet, Coop thought. Not yet. “It’s about harassment.”
“Why off chance?”
“It’s unlikely he knew I was here last night, or I’d be leaving before your people got here. Otherwise, they’d be the ones to find the wolf, and they’d have come in, come up to tell you. Everybody’d be here, not at the gate.”
“Okay, okay, that’s a point.” But she didn’t breathe easily until she saw the first habitats, heard the usual calls and clamor of morning.
“I need to check them, all of them. If you take that direction, just follow the path, I’ll take this side and circle around, then we-”
“No.” He pulled up, stopped. “Off chance,” he repeated. “And I’m not risking him getting you alone.”
She lifted the rifle she had across her knees, but Cooper shook his head.
“Together.” And when they’d finished, he thought, he’d check both cabins, all the outbuildings.
“They’ll think I’m coming to visit, so there’s going to be some annoyance when I don’t.”
There were grumbles and hisses, and a few protesting calls as they walked by. She moved briskly as each visual confirmation eased the painful thud of her heart. That heart stuttered a moment when she scanned Baby’s enclosure. Then she looked up-she knew his games-and found him standing on the thick branch of his tree.
His leap down was gorgeous and full of fun. When he purred, she gave in and ducked under the barrier. “Soon,” she murmured. “We’ll play a little soon.” She stroked his fur through the fence, then laughed when he rose on high hind legs, pressed closer so she could use her fingers to tickle his belly. “Soon,” she repeated.
His disappointment rumbled in his throat as she stepped back behind the rail. She shrugged when Coop stared at her.
“He’s a special case.”
“Didn’t I hear disapproval, even some derision, in your voice when you talked about people who buy exotic pets?”
“He’s not a pet. Do you see me fitting him with a jeweled collar and leading him around on a leash?”
“That would be the one you call Baby.”
“You pay more attention than I think. He’s been at the refuge since he was a kitten, by his own choice. They’re okay,” she added. “If someone unknown was around they’d make some noise. But I have to check anyway. We’ve got a group coming in this morning, a youth group. And we’ve got two cats with ingrown claws that need to be seen to. Plus the interns have a few hundred pounds of meat to process in the commissary. We’ve got a routine, Coop. We can’t let this interfere with the health of the animals or the running of the refuge. If we don’t have tours, our budget dips. And you’ve got a business to run, animals to feed.”
“Check the rest on your cameras. Let’s go through the offices. If they’re clear, you can set up there, check your animals.”
“Willy’s going to let us open the gates, isn’t he? Let my people in.”
“Shouldn’t be long.”
“I didn’t get a good look at the wolf. It was good size, so I’d say full-grown. To take one down like that… Maybe it wasn’t with a pack. A lone wolf’s easier prey. He wants me upset, off-balance, to throw this place into upheaval. I took my share of psych courses,” she said when Coop only studied her face. “I know what he’s doing. Not why, but what. I could lose some volunteers, even some interns over this sort of thing. Our intern program is essential, so I’m going to be doing some fast, hard talking at our emergency staff meeting today.”
She unlocked the cabin that held the offices. Coop nudged her aside, pushed the door open. The area appeared to be clear. He stepped in, swept it, then moved from space to space to do the same.
“Stay in here, use the computer. I’ll check the other buildings. Give me the keys.”
