Logan returned from checking the area for any signs of Sabretooth towards the evening. He sat on the porch, smoking a cigar. The girl had a pretty nice thing going, in his opinion. Isolated from the town, just the horses and the chickens for company. She had a decent sized barn next to the paddock. It was warm and furnished better than her house. Logan had inspected it, and found a large upstairs loft where hay was stored, and a bedroom with a bathroom.
Logan heard a rustling and looked up; he saw a dirty, brown animal slinking around the chicken coop. Logan's claw immediately shot out, and he started to stand when he realized it wasn't Sabretooth, but a very sickly, very skinny coyote. It started scratching to get under the coop. Logan started to get up and shoo it off. The coyote looked up at Logan and growled deeply, baring its teeth. It jumped up and started bounding towards Logan.
There was a loud, ringing shot from a gun, and the coyote fell dead to the ground. Logan turned around, surprised, to see the girl standing in her doorway with a smoking shotgun. She lowered the gun and walked towards the coyote, nudging it over with her foot.
"You didn't have to shot it," Logan said, a bit disappointed that he didn't get the scrap he was hoping for.
"What, so you could maul the thing with your claws?" the girl retorted.
Logan looked down at his claws, shrugged, and retracted them. "You gonna shot me too?"
She gave him a look that said Get Real and checked her chicken coop. She stood, pleased with the minimal damage. She led Logan inside, leaning her gun beside the door.
"So I guess I should thank you for saving my life," she said, boiling some water for tea.
"Guess you should," Logan said, a small smile playing at his lips.
She sighed and turned to look at him. "Thank you."
He nodded his acknowledgment, and she sat down in the chair by the stove. "Sarah."
"Logan," he replied.
They were quiet for a few moments. Then Sarah got up and made their tea. She handed him a cup. "So what were you doing in the middle of the woods, in West Virginia, in December?"
Logan took a gulp of his tea. "Business."
"Is that right?" she raised her eyebrows. "Then I don't suppose you could explain the large, hairy man that almost killed me?"
Logan almost smiled again. "Don't suppose I could."
"I didn't think so," Sarah replied.
They were silent again as they drank their tea.
"What were you doing?" Logan finally asked.
Sarah smiled. "Pleasure riding. Dodger's young, doesn't get out much."
"He stayed pretty calm."
"He's a good boy."
"You train him?"
She nodded. "Had him since he was born. His mom died having him, I bottle fed him, everything." She smiled fondly.
"Is that what you do for a living?" Logan asked as he stood and went to the kitchen. He placed his cup in the sink.
Sarah gave a bitter laugh. "Used too," she said. She frowned and followed Logan into the kitchen.
He was looking in the fridge, in all of the cabinets. Sarah leaned against the door frame, her head tilted, watching him. He didn't stop.
"Is there something I can help you find?" she asked.
Logan sighed and stood. "The guy who attacked you goes by Sabretooth. He's –"
"A mutant. Healing factor, enhanced senses, super strength, big claws and teeth."
Logan looked at her, shocked and suspicious. "You know more than you let on, Ginger."
She ignored the obvious shot at her hair and shrugged. "I've done my research. After my parents died, I was convinced that it wasn't an accident. I did some research on what or who could have been responsible. I came across this Sabretooth guy online, on a government site with animal-like mutants and experiments."
"How'd you get access to that?"
"I . . . know a guy," she said, shifting her feet. "Helped me out. Anyways, not important. He was on there."
There was a knock on the door, and Logan automatically went on edge.
"Relax," Sarah said. "I saw the car pull up. It's Deputy Fisher."
Logan looked out the window to see the blue and white, and calmed down.
Sarah opened the door. "Hi, Fred."
"Howdy, Sarah. Mrs. Belle said she heard some gunshots coming up here your way, wanted me to make sure everything was alright." He gestured to her head, concern on his face. "If your head alright?"
"I'm fine, Fred. I slipped on the ice this morning while feeding the horses. As for the gunshots, that was me. There was a coyote trying to get to my chickens. I was actually just about to call you about that – I know you guys like to pick 'em up for rabies testing. Would you like to come in?"
"Well, I reckon I could come in for a few minutes . . ."
Logan glanced at him, and had to stifle a laugh. Deputy Sheriff Fred Fisher was lanky and thin. He had thinning brown hair and a mustache. He was the kind of guy who took his hat off when he came inside.
He was taken aback by Logan, who was still sitting on the couch. "Hi," Fisher said.
Logan nodded, a beer in his hand. "Hey, bub."
"Oh, Fred, this is Logan," Sarah said. "He's, um."
"I'm a horse trainer," Logan said. "Long time friend of Sarah's."
"Right!" Sarah said. "We meet a few years ago, remember Fred, when I went to Minnesota for that clinic . . ."
"Sure, sure," Fred said, shaking Logan's free hand. "Good to meet you. Horse trainer, huh? Wouldn't have guessed, you don't look like the horse type."
"That's okay, you don't look like the Deputy type," Logan replied.
Sarah rolled her eyes, and Fred frowned, not really knowing what to say.
"Well, I should be going," Fred said. "Call me if you need anything, Sarah."
"Sure thing, Fred."
"And, listen, if you're in town anytime soon, if you stop by the station, maybe we could get some coffee?"
"I'll let you know."
He nodded to them, and left.
The second he was out the door, Logan grinned.
Sarah looked at him. "What?" she snapped.
"That's the guy you know, huh? Well, next time you're in town, if you stop by the station . . ." He snorted.
"What?" Sarah frowned.
"Let me guess – the station doubles as the city hall."
"So?" Sarah asked, but she was grinning.
"Come on, Ginger. He's the kinda guy who takes girls out for coffee. Tell me you're not –"
"No! No, oh, God, no! Fred and I are strictly friends," Sarah gasped.
"Sounded like he thinks so too," Logan grinned.
She rolled her eyes. Then she looked a bit awkward. "Have any place to stay for the night?"
Logan's grin widened. "Well, I do now."
