growled and handed the photograph to me.
"And Obediah Tanner," I nodded. I recognized the rogue werewolf, who stood in the late afternoon light in New Mexico, discussing something with the rogue god Hank identified as Calhoun.
"When was this taken, and how close were you?" Hank asked.
"I tailed Cummings for a little while. Turned off on a dirt road while he went on up that hill. Had to take that photograph with a high-powered telephoto lens. I already had a picture of Cummings—he was going to meet those two. Something made the hair on the back of my neck rise, so I got the hell out of there after I took that shot."
"Probably a good thing," Jayson muttered. "Bob, don't approach any one of these. They'll kill you. I'll pay for your time and take this information to Director Jennings. He'll help with this."
"Heard you were with him—at least for a while," Bob shook his head. "If he needs my help with any of this, you have my number."
"I'll send a check," Jayson said. "Thanks, Bob."
"Anytime, kid." Bob rose, nodded to Hank and me, then walked out of the diner before the waitress made it to our table.
"No compulsion," Hank breathed a clear breath as he drummed his fingers on the Formica tabletop. "This is real."
* * *
Avendor—present
Hank's Journal
I had to bend time to meet Kifirin outside the grove boundary, but I was there when he arrived. The information gleaned from the private investigator on Earth confirmed a few of my suspicions, too.
Jayson and Trajan had taken the photographs to Bill while I left to attend to this errand. "Are you ready?" I asked Kifirin. He gave a slight nod. I folded us to SouthStar, where Trace and Lord Nedevik Weth waited for us.
"Lord Rath, Lord Kifirin," Nedevik bowed respectfully to us and invited us to sit. Trace lounged against a nearby doorway at the villa given to Nedevik and his family on the southern edge of SouthStar.
"Tell him what you told me," I said, inclining my head toward Nedevik.
"I have been reading in the archives and watching for a very long time," Nedevik began. "I became especially watchful while you slept, Lord Kifirin."
* * *
"It is, in our opinion, best to prove their beliefs to them," Moxas declared.
"What beliefs?" Calhoun was immediately interested.
"Oh, many, but let's start with this one." Moxas turned the reference book around for Calhoun to see.
"I knew Acrimus was wise to bring you to us," Calhoun breathed. "This is indeed genius."
"Might we consider taking Saxom's love? We were promised this," Moxas reminded Calhoun.
"Let us begin with this, and depending upon its success, this may motivate the General to provide even more help. I hear help is coming," Calhoun studied the image closely as he held up a hand. "Never fear, the woman will come to you. I swear it."
* * *
Earth—past
Lissa's Journal
"It's too bad Sullivan didn't hear what they were discussing," Bill dumped the photographs on the kitchen island. "They could be plotting a takeover or their next meal, for all we know."
"I heard from Weldon, Wlodek and Winkler," I said, rubbing Bill's back. "They're all here and in place," I added. "If we need help with this, all we have to do is ask."
"It's daylight in England, right now," Trajan pointed out. "Wlodek could come if we called a meeting."
"Then let's do that," Bill said. "Lissa, call Kiarra and the others. Maybe they'll have some ideas about this." He tapped the two photographs.
"It's a cinch that Zeke Tanner is involved, if Obediah is," Trajan observed. "That means drug money may be backing whatever schemes they come up with."
"Yeah." This Trajan would know everything there was to know about Zeke and Obediah Tanner, whereas the one who'd been taken off-world wouldn't. Not yet, anyway.
"You call Wlodek," Trajan nodded to me. "I'll get Weldon and Winkler here."
* * *
Winkler sat with his arms around me while we talked in the media room. If he'd been wolf, his tail would be thumping and he'd be panting, I knew. "I think we
"And Obediah Tanner," I nodded. I recognized the rogue werewolf, who stood in the late afternoon light in New Mexico, discussing something with the rogue god Hank identified as Calhoun.
"When was this taken, and how close were you?" Hank asked.
"I tailed Cummings for a little while. Turned off on a dirt road while he went on up that hill. Had to take that photograph with a high-powered telephoto lens. I already had a picture of Cummings—he was going to meet those two. Something made the hair on the back of my neck rise, so I got the hell out of there after I took that shot."
"Probably a good thing," Jayson muttered. "Bob, don't approach any one of these. They'll kill you. I'll pay for your time and take this information to Director Jennings. He'll help with this."
"Heard you were with him—at least for a while," Bob shook his head. "If he needs my help with any of this, you have my number."
"I'll send a check," Jayson said. "Thanks, Bob."
"Anytime, kid." Bob rose, nodded to Hank and me, then walked out of the diner before the waitress made it to our table.
"No compulsion," Hank breathed a clear breath as he drummed his fingers on the Formica tabletop. "This is real."
* * *
Avendor—present
Hank's Journal
I had to bend time to meet Kifirin outside the grove boundary, but I was there when he arrived. The information gleaned from the private investigator on Earth confirmed a few of my suspicions, too.
Jayson and Trajan had taken the photographs to Bill while I left to attend to this errand. "Are you ready?" I asked Kifirin. He gave a slight nod. I folded us to SouthStar, where Trace and Lord Nedevik Weth waited for us.
"Lord Rath, Lord Kifirin," Nedevik bowed respectfully to us and invited us to sit. Trace lounged against a nearby doorway at the villa given to Nedevik and his family on the southern edge of SouthStar.
"Tell him what you told me," I said, inclining my head toward Nedevik.
"I have been reading in the archives and watching for a very long time," Nedevik began. "I became especially watchful while you slept, Lord Kifirin."
* * *
"It is, in our opinion, best to prove their beliefs to them," Moxas declared.
"What beliefs?" Calhoun was immediately interested.
"Oh, many, but let's start with this one." Moxas turned the reference book around for Calhoun to see.
"I knew Acrimus was wise to bring you to us," Calhoun breathed. "This is indeed genius."
"Might we consider taking Saxom's love? We were promised this," Moxas reminded Calhoun.
"Let us begin with this, and depending upon its success, this may motivate the General to provide even more help. I hear help is coming," Calhoun studied the image closely as he held up a hand. "Never fear, the woman will come to you. I swear it."
* * *
Earth—past
Lissa's Journal
"It's too bad Sullivan didn't hear what they were discussing," Bill dumped the photographs on the kitchen island. "They could be plotting a takeover or their next meal, for all we know."
"I heard from Weldon, Wlodek and Winkler," I said, rubbing Bill's back. "They're all here and in place," I added. "If we need help with this, all we have to do is ask."
"It's daylight in England, right now," Trajan pointed out. "Wlodek could come if we called a meeting."
"Then let's do that," Bill said. "Lissa, call Kiarra and the others. Maybe they'll have some ideas about this." He tapped the two photographs.
"It's a cinch that Zeke Tanner is involved, if Obediah is," Trajan observed. "That means drug money may be backing whatever schemes they come up with."
"Yeah." This Trajan would know everything there was to know about Zeke and Obediah Tanner, whereas the one who'd been taken off-world wouldn't. Not yet, anyway.
"You call Wlodek," Trajan nodded to me. "I'll get Weldon and Winkler here."
* * *
Winkler sat with his arms around me while we talked in the media room. If he'd been wolf, his tail would be thumping and he'd be panting, I knew. "I think we
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