inside. You’ve met Hood before, haven’t you?”
“Yeah. He’s pretty intense.”
I chuckled. “You could say that.”
“Don’t look him in the eye.”
I turned to look Frank in the eye.
He gulped. “Men have died for less.”
“I have to look him in the eye. If I don’t, he’ll think I’m prevaricating.”
“Are you planning to lie?”
I thought about that for a minute before saying, “I don’t have anything to lie about, do I?”
He answered my question with a question of his own. “You don’t know anything, do you?”
“I know that Bark did not cheat the company.” I felt it in my bones. I was gonna back my brother up. Never mind that I figured I’d have to hunt him down and kill him. One way or another, he’d let us down.
“I’m seeing doubt in your eyes, Mark.”
“I’m thinking about Bark, but he didn’t steal the money.”
“I know that.”
“Do you know who did?”
“Not yet.”
“You should be at home, going over the books, finding that out.”
Frank very quietly said, “I’m watching our backs, Mark. If someone takes you down, there ain’t nothing gonna save us. Doesn’t matter what the books turn up.”
The chopper hit ground on the cement roof. The door opened.
I knew that Frank was right. Someone was trying to topple Wolf, and possibly Lobos. We stepped out to no welcoming committee, which sort of surprised us both. I remember looking at Frank, and both of us raising our eyebrows. Usually, Lobos stood on convention.
We made our way inside. Things were very quiet.
I asked Frank, “Something seem odd to you?”
“It’s a test.” His beady eyes went left and right, darting like a nervous rat. I could actually hear him swallow.
Sniffing the air, I asked, “What sort of a test?”
“I think we’re being watched.”
That made me smile. I knew he was right. Raising my voice, I said, “Hood. I’m a little disappointed in your manners.”
We didn’t move another step. I liked having an exit door at my back.
Frank didn’t say a word, but I could tell he hated waiting, which struck me as odd. I mean, his whole life, the man had hovered in the wings, waiting for other people around him to make things happen. It occurred to me that Frank would have loved being in charge of Wolf E.--I almost handed it to him right then.
No, really. I thought about saying, “Look, you want the company? I’m outta here.” Let him deal with it all. He’d eventually get it all straightened out. I was sure of it.
But I didn’t get a chance to form the words. Clear as day, in mind talk, he said, I don’t want the company, Mark. Now shut your mind the fuck up.
Shit. I’d let my guard down.
You have to know something...my end of the business runs toward intimidation. For those who can read minds to know what I’m gonna do with them, or thinking about doing to them...tends to engender fear. Letting my mind loose is a good tool to make lupines quiver. Getting a hold of it...really...that was not one of my fortes.
That’s when I saw her for the first time. Right when I was thinking that I needed to get a grip on my brain. Amber came out of a door on one side of the hall, glanced over her shoulder at us, looked us up and down--never smiled. She lifted an eyebrow, pursed her lips and said--in her head-- Look what the cat dragged in.
She was referring to me, I just knew it. But, very faintly, I did smell cat. I glanced around behind me. The scent was faint, too faint for most to pick up...just...a certain something that I couldn’t put a finger on.
Frank said aloud, “Excuse me, miss...do you know where we can find Hood?”
My attention went right back to her. I was looking her over. Call me
“Yeah. He’s pretty intense.”
I chuckled. “You could say that.”
“Don’t look him in the eye.”
I turned to look Frank in the eye.
He gulped. “Men have died for less.”
“I have to look him in the eye. If I don’t, he’ll think I’m prevaricating.”
“Are you planning to lie?”
I thought about that for a minute before saying, “I don’t have anything to lie about, do I?”
He answered my question with a question of his own. “You don’t know anything, do you?”
“I know that Bark did not cheat the company.” I felt it in my bones. I was gonna back my brother up. Never mind that I figured I’d have to hunt him down and kill him. One way or another, he’d let us down.
“I’m seeing doubt in your eyes, Mark.”
“I’m thinking about Bark, but he didn’t steal the money.”
“I know that.”
“Do you know who did?”
“Not yet.”
“You should be at home, going over the books, finding that out.”
Frank very quietly said, “I’m watching our backs, Mark. If someone takes you down, there ain’t nothing gonna save us. Doesn’t matter what the books turn up.”
The chopper hit ground on the cement roof. The door opened.
I knew that Frank was right. Someone was trying to topple Wolf, and possibly Lobos. We stepped out to no welcoming committee, which sort of surprised us both. I remember looking at Frank, and both of us raising our eyebrows. Usually, Lobos stood on convention.
We made our way inside. Things were very quiet.
I asked Frank, “Something seem odd to you?”
“It’s a test.” His beady eyes went left and right, darting like a nervous rat. I could actually hear him swallow.
Sniffing the air, I asked, “What sort of a test?”
“I think we’re being watched.”
That made me smile. I knew he was right. Raising my voice, I said, “Hood. I’m a little disappointed in your manners.”
We didn’t move another step. I liked having an exit door at my back.
Frank didn’t say a word, but I could tell he hated waiting, which struck me as odd. I mean, his whole life, the man had hovered in the wings, waiting for other people around him to make things happen. It occurred to me that Frank would have loved being in charge of Wolf E.--I almost handed it to him right then.
No, really. I thought about saying, “Look, you want the company? I’m outta here.” Let him deal with it all. He’d eventually get it all straightened out. I was sure of it.
But I didn’t get a chance to form the words. Clear as day, in mind talk, he said, I don’t want the company, Mark. Now shut your mind the fuck up.
Shit. I’d let my guard down.
You have to know something...my end of the business runs toward intimidation. For those who can read minds to know what I’m gonna do with them, or thinking about doing to them...tends to engender fear. Letting my mind loose is a good tool to make lupines quiver. Getting a hold of it...really...that was not one of my fortes.
That’s when I saw her for the first time. Right when I was thinking that I needed to get a grip on my brain. Amber came out of a door on one side of the hall, glanced over her shoulder at us, looked us up and down--never smiled. She lifted an eyebrow, pursed her lips and said--in her head-- Look what the cat dragged in.
She was referring to me, I just knew it. But, very faintly, I did smell cat. I glanced around behind me. The scent was faint, too faint for most to pick up...just...a certain something that I couldn’t put a finger on.
Frank said aloud, “Excuse me, miss...do you know where we can find Hood?”
My attention went right back to her. I was looking her over. Call me
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