Tuesday: Cantrip

Chapter Seven

ADAM is by long habit a very early riser, dealing with email and catching news before breakfast. I'm not quite that bright-eyed and bushy-tailed before eating, but garages don't run themselves, nor teenagers, so neither am I a slug-a-bed. Jesse's very good about getting herself sorted, but not a morning person at all — surprise — and less than communicative until sufficient caffeine sparks ignition. We'd fed Medea, eaten and cleared, and were waiting for Honey, Jesse's escort to and from school, when Adam and I heard a very different engine turn in and pull up outside. He went over to the nearest monitor for the outside security cams, which ran and recorded here and remotely 24/7, and I saw his muscles tighten.

"Cantrip. Kent, Orton, Kerrigan, and someone I don't know who's much more senior. And ex-forces of some kind."

Adam reads body language better than me, but when I went to look the difference in the four men who'd climbed out of a new model black GMC Yukon was obvious. Cantrip didn't have the same firearms training requirements as the FBI, CIA, or ATF, and most of their people were desks, not field agents. Kent and Orton were fit enough, but walked like civilians, and though I'd never met their supervisory agent, Kerrigan's slumped shoulders made it clear he too was strictly a paper warrior. But the fourth man wasn't only the best dressed and in charge — he had a glide in his step and a set to his shoulders that screamed training, muscle, and speed. Before I'd risen from the table Adam had his phone out, and by the time I'd seen the monitor and sucked in my breath he was talking to Jenny, telling her Cantrip was at his door in force and asking her to get here fast. Orton, taking point, rang the doorbell, and Adam flipped a switch, his voice a growl.

"What?"

"Mr Hauptman?" Orton's voice was taut. "You know me and Kent. I don't know if you know Supervisory Agent Simon Kerrigan." Kerrigan, who was visibly sweating, gave a jerky nod. "The fourth is Senior Supervisory Agent Richard Preskylovitch. He has a subpoena for your wife."

"What kind of subpoena? And signed by which judge?"

"To attend the Special Security Court and provide the information she withheld yesterday. Judge Cray."

It was the truth, but not all of it, and my heart sank. At least there was a judge involved, but the Special Security Court had all sorts of provisions that from what had been variously leaked seemed to involve playing fast and loose with law and constitution alike.

"And why does Cantrip need four of you to deliver one document?"

It was Preskylovitch who answered, voice deep and smooth with a lot of anger underneath the surface civility.

"Because there are certain things you and she need to understand, Mr Hauptman, and I have been tasked to ensure that you do."

"Then you can wait until our lawyer gets here."

"No, Mr Hauptman, I cannot." The anger was more audible. "This is a matter of national security and your lawyer has no clearance. If you do not co-operate now I will speak to the Kennewick police and you will both be liable to immediate arrest. And after your wife has satisfied the Judge and our agents that she has told us all we need to know you will both be served subpoenas requiring you to attend me in DC. Alternatively, we can be done in only a few minutes."

Adam didn't deal much better with blackmail than with direct threats, but Preskylovitch knew something about Alpha wolves. He'd avoided giving an order, he was offering a deal of sorts, and however angry he was he had it under control. Adam looked at me.

"What do you want to do?"

"If they're using a subpoena we can't fight it until we know what it says. Then again, I've got a bad feeling about this."

"Me too."

Adam slid open a drawer, took out his Sig, and put it in his jacket pocket. He also turned on internal cams that covered the hall and doorway.

"I will not wait very much longer, Mr Hauptman."

"One minute, Agent Preskylovitch." I could see Adam thinking. "Jesse, keep out of sight, please. Mercy, stay back until I've had a chance to assess him a bit." As he was speaking he'd taken out his phone and speed dialled. "Bran, Cantrip at the door saying they have a Special Security Court subpoena for Mercy. Orton, Kent, Kerrigan, and one Senior Supervisory Agent Richard Preskylovitch. You know him?"

/Only by rumour. Charles hasn't been able to get data on him./

That was not good. Charles could get data on most anything he wanted to, and for a Cantrip agent to have eluded him meant someone very deep in the shadows.

"He also says there are things Mercy and I need to understand. I'll pocket the phone."

I was glad Bran would be listening, however little he could do from Aspen Creek, and I gave Jesse a quick hug before I shut the kitchen door behind me. Adam stood in front of the door for a few seconds, and I knew he was bottling his anger and his wolf. Then he released the locks, letting the door swing open, and Preskylovitch shot him in the knee. Pain ripped at my own leg, the force knocked Adam back as well as down, and before he landed Preskylovitch stepped forward, a customised gun that must have been in a sleeve holster in his right hand. It had an absurdly large bore for such a small weapon, and was trained unwaveringly on Adam's head. He didn't even look at me.

"If you move, Mr Hauptman, I will kill you. If you run or resist, Mrs Hauptman, I will put a bullet through his other knee. Orton. Kent. Kerrigan."

There was satisfaction in Preskylovitch's voice, and on Kent's and Orton's faces. Kerrigan was sweating cobs but had his own gun out, unsteadily aimed at me while Kent warily approached and Orton went straight for the kitchen. I found my voice.

"What the hell do you think you're doing?"

"What should have been done a long time ago, Mrs Hauptman. Get on with it, Kent."

Kent took two sets of handcuffs from his pocket, one steel and one heavy silver. If the threat had just been Kerrigan's gun I'd have backed myself to take Kent and risk his aim, but with Preskylovitch's hand still rock steady I couldn't see any choice but to hold out my hands. Both the steel and the silver were cold, and Kent ratcheted them tighter than necessary, stepping back hastily.

"Done. Her eyes have gone yellow but the silver isn't hurting her."

"Interesting."

Preskylovitch meant it, but my attention was on Orton, who had a shocked Jesse cuffed — ordinary police issue — and was pushing her towards us. He also had my phone in his hand. Adam's head snapped round, eyes bright with his wolf, and swung back to Preskylovitch. His voice was hoarse with pain.

"You're a dead man."

"I told you not to move, Hauptman, and I don't tolerate disobedience or threats."

Even while he was speaking his aim shifted and he shot Adam again. Pain exploded in my other knee, and I stumbled against Kent.

"Control your Change, Hauptman, or I will kill you."

How Adam did it I have no idea, but the pain cut off as he constricted the pack bonds and our mate bond, and after a few seconds his jaw shortened again, though his eyes remained all wolf. Preskylovitch didn't seem bothered.

"Better. This is how it is. You and your pack are now owned by Cantrip. You will speak of this to no-one, and you will do as you are told by any of these agents. Your wife, whatever she is, will remain in our custody, and she will pay for any disobedience. Clear?"

"Yes."

There was raw murder in Adam's voice, but it was also weaker, and I could see the blood spreading from his legs. I took a deep breath and forced my own voice to stay level. Inside I was screaming.

"Preskylovitch, Adam is bleeding out."

He glanced at the blood, lighting fast, gun never wavering.

"It's not arterial. Bullets were lead and low velocity, and we've tested werewolf healing quite closely. He'll live. And frankly, Mrs Hauptman, I don't care if he doesn't. The chigro is less connected and would be easier to deal with, and you're the one who matters. Your husband's just another monster we'd be well rid of. Get her and the girl into the car, Orton."

My mind was reeling with the implications, but Jesse's gasp as Orton shoved her cut through everything.

"Why are you taking Jesse? You have no grounds to detain her."

"Actually, I do." His gun and awareness remained on Adam, but for the first time he looked at me. "Whatever kind of preternatural you are, you have shown constant defiance and repeated association with other unknowns who kill people. My authority covers whatever is necessary to learn what you are and what you know, and your step-daughter is much the easiest means. As you will pay for your husband's disobedience, she will pay for yours." His voice was as calm as his gun was unwavering, but even through my rage I could hear the excitement melding with his anger. "Simple pain or minor mutilation are usually enough. Given your history with the unfortunate Mr Milanovitch, though, rape might be the better lever. Now, Hauptman, where is the recording from your cams?"

Adam wanted to kill him the way he'd wanted to kill Tim, but was staying in control, just. "Remote."

Preskylovitch nodded as if he'd expected it. "You're competent, however arrogant. Orton will return tomorrow to collect those discs. Failure to provide them, or any indication you have retained a copy, will be punished. Kent, Orton, go."

Changing shape would have got me out of the cuffs, but not my clothing, and though Adam's weakened, wordless growl as Jesse and I were steered around his blood and out the door made my heart howl I could do nothing. Kerrigan, still sweating and looking slightly ill, opened the rear door of the Yukon, and we were pushed in. It smelt new, with a trace of breath mints, and had been customised to fit two bare metal drop-seats facing backward, opposite the upholstered bench. Neither Jesse nor I had to be told to take them, and Orton and Kent strapped aircraft-style seat belts round us before Orton gave Kerrigan my phone and took the driving seat. Kent rode shotgun. When Kerrigan climbed in the far side and sat, the smell of his fear, sweat, and adrenaline joined the mix. My phone was a welcome distraction for him, though, and he was tapping his way through one of the menus when Preskylovitch came out, pulling the front door to, and climbed in to sit opposite me.

"Drive."

Orton pulled away, and Preskylovitch looked at Kerrigan.

"Who did she call yesterday?"

Kerrigan grunted. "Call list's been deleted."

Preskylovitch looked at me. "Who?" I said nothing, and he shook his head. "Stupid. You know what will happen. But it can wait until we have you secured." Both the excitement and the anger were back in his voice, with the satisfaction. "The arrogance of you preternaturals is beyond belief. But that ends—"

"Shit!"

Orton stamped on the brakes and the Yukon slewed on the gravel drive before crashing into something that stopped it dead. Jesse and I were squeezed back, then thrown hard against our seat belts, and the air was driven from my lungs. Kerrigan slammed against the door, and my phone flew from his hand onto the seat, bouncing to the floor. Preskylovitch's left hand had snapped out to the door handle in time, and he stayed upright, his gun reappearing in his right — but for the first time his eyes were wide with shock, and crackling magic told me why.

The Yukon dipped and bucked violently with a screech of abused metal. As it came back down the windscreen imploded and there were brief, inhuman noises from Orton and Kent as it dipped and bucked again, more metal tore, and the reek of blood and oil joined the elemental smell of the magic. Kerrigan's face was slack with terror, and the smell of urine was joining the mix when wolf claws pierced the roof above him and ripped it away with another scream of metal. I had only a flickering impression of the dire wolf's head in the opening but abruptly Kerrigan's torso ended at the neck, blood gouting as it slumped against the door, and Preskylovitch had his gun against my forehead.

"Stop or I'll kill her."

The manitou must have understood because there was a pause in which I heard Preskylovitch draw a breath and the pulsing splatter of Kerrigan's blood. It was enough for my brain to start working again, and I went coyote, not to attack but just to drop my head below the muzzle and pull my paws free of the cuffs. There was a blast of air and magic, and I changed back before my clothes had time to crumple, feeling the cuffs land in my lap, and looked up to see Preskylovitch's legs dangling from the dire wolf's mouth. He must still have had his gun because I could hear it being fired inside the wolf, with no effect at all. Then the wolf threw back its head, swinging his legs up, and swallowed him whole.

I would have been happy to cheer. Or gibber. But there was Jesse, and Adam. I released my seat belt, beginning to feel bruises where it had cut into me, and knelt to undo Jesse's. Her clothing was spattered with Kerrigan's blood, she was in shock, and though my heart was screaming for her I put a hard edge into my voice.

"Jesse! Snap out of it now." She focused on me, her body beginning to shake. "We have to get back to Adam. The manitou won't hurt you."

She nodded jerkily, and I tried the door nearest me, but the Yukon's frame was so buckled it wouldn't budge. What was left of Kerrigan was still dripping on the other one, but I could see it too was torqued.

"Hell. We'll have to climb out the roof."

I straightened, realising the jagged edges of torn metal were a real danger, and the cuffs were going to make this very tricky for Jesse. The manitou's breath washed over me, offering calm, and a voice older than the hills sounded in my mind.

Hold on to my teeth and I will lift you out.

It was absurd, practical, and fast, and I didn't hesitate for a second.

"Right." I knelt, turning my back to Jesse. "Put your cuffed hands over my head, Jesse, and when I stand, go piggyback."

She obeyed automatically, and as her hands grasped the front of my shirt I saw my phone on the floor and shoved it into my pocket before slowly standing so Jesse could wrap her legs around my waist without having to loosen her hands. As soon as I was upright the manitou lowered its head, jaw open and breath sweet with water and earth. Its canines were too large for me to hold with one hand, so I locked my fingers behind the nearest, and with sure smooth power it lifted us both straight up, well clear of the jagged metal, swung us carefully around, and set us down. I knelt again to let Jesse lift her cuffed hands back over my head, noticing Kerrigan's head half-embedded in the gravel a few feet away, where the manitou must have spat it out, and straightened, meeting the manitou's silver-on-gold eyes.

"Thank you. I have to get to Adam."

And I was running back towards the house, Jesse trailing as the cuffs hindered her movement. The voice returned to my mind.

I feel your pack and another wolf approaching. I will let them in and no other unless you ask.

The other wolf had to be Samuel. I had no breath to reply and wasn't stopping, but threw out a hand with a thumbs-up and a flick of magic told me the manitou understood. Even flat out it seemed to take for ever to reach the house, and I could smell Adam's blood from yards out. The pool around his legs had grown a lot and he was unconscious, but as I skidded to a halt on my knees beside him I could hear him breathing and hope flared. I wrenched open the mate bond he'd shut off to spare me his pain, let it wash through me with a grunt, and pushed energy into him. He couldn't have been out very long, because he'd torn away his trouser and used his belt as a tourniquet on his right leg, but when he'd faded out his hands had slipped, and there was a lot of blood coming from it. I tightened the makeshift tourniquet with the strength of desperation, and the flow lessened to a trickle, but when I ripped the trouser from his other leg it wasn't much better, and he hadn't been wearing a tie. I was reaching to tear a strip off my shirt when I had a quicker idea and wrapped a pack bond round the leg, but found I couldn't pull it tight enough. I put out a hand, grabbed the walking stick, and used it to twist the bond tight. The second bloodflow lessened, and I gasped a sigh of relief. Jesse sank to her knees beside me, panting.

"Is he alive?"

"Yeah."

/Jesse? Mercy?/

The faint voice was Bran's, from the phone still in Adam's pocket.

"Jesse, hold the walking stick tight." She grabbed it and I reached across Adam to snag the phone. "Here."

/Samuel's on his way, with blood. How much has Adam lost?/

It was hard to estimate, but the pool was thick and I could feel it soaking into my jeans.

"Pints. I've got tourniquets on but Samuel needs to be here fast."

I heard Bran speak briefly on another phone.

/He's three minutes out, Mercy, with Darryl right behind him./

I grunted acknowledgement, and saw Jesse's arms were shaking. She was still cuffed, and could only hold one end of it, so I jammed the phone against my shoulder as I grabbed the walking stick again, twisting the bond tighter.

"I've got it, kiddo. Hang on in. Samuel's only a few minutes away."

She nodded and swallowed, eyes huge. Somewhere outside I heard a screech of brakes. My head was starting to spin and Bran's voice anchored me.

/Mercy, how did you escape?/

"Manitou. Totalled the Yukon. Crushed Kent and Orton, beheaded Kerrigan, and ate Preskylovitch whole. Now standing guard to allow only the Pack and Samuel through."

/You had the cams running?/

"Oh yeah. It'll be on disk." My brain caught up with my mouth. "The inside cam was running too, so we should have all that unbelievable crap Preskylovitch said as well. If he's been experimenting they've got captive wolves."

/Yes. I caught that./ Bran's voice was very soft. Killing soft. /Mercy, Charles, Anna, and Asil are already in the air. They will be with you before noon. As soon as you can, confirm you have everything on disk and send it to me./

"Right. Unh!"

It is alright, wolf of Adam's pack. Run past me to the house. He needs you.

/What is it?/

"Manitou just spoke to one of the pack. Honey, I think." I could hear her running footsteps on the gravel. "Made my head chime." It hadn't before but I'd poured a lot of energy into Adam. And if he woke now ... "Hang on. Jesse, grab the phone and stand back. If Adam wakes like this he'll be pure wolf, and if he hurt you he'd never forgive himself." She needed a job to keep her focused. "Please keep B—him informed of whatever's happening."

Jesse slipped in Adam's blood as she stood, and her shock was deepening, but she caught herself before carefully stepping round me to take the phone. I rotated my head with relief, hearing her step backwards, and renewed the pressure on the walking stick. Honey skidded to a halt in the doorway.

"God almighty!"

"Yeah. Link with me, Honey. I can't give Adam any more strength without passing out."

As soon as her hand rested on my shoulder I threw open the pack bonds, dragging strength through us and into Adam. Honey gasped, and sank to her knees. I slammed a command to run at the rest of the pack, hearing more brakes screech somewhere and the drone of a helicopter.

Hammering paws on gravel announced Joel in tibicena form. He'd obviously run, not driven, and as soon as he saw us he morphed human, and ignoring his nudity joined Honey, adding magic as well as strength into the pack bonds. The bells of the manitou's voice rang in my head, and from Honey's and Joel's expressions in everyone's, and more running footsteps brought Samuel, Darryl, Auriele, and Ben to the door and into the circle pouring strength into Adam. Samuel had two bags of blood with dangling needle-tipped tubes in one hand, and the other grew claws to rip Adam's jacket and shirt sleeves aside before stabbing one needle accurately home and squeezing the bag to send blood pulsing down the tube. His eyes searched the wounds and he swore under his breath.

"The bullets have fragmented. I've got to get them out before I can align the bone shards."

Without even thinking about it I found myself giving orders. "Samuel, hold Adam's shoulders. This is going to hurt. Joel, your tibicena is immune to bullets. Reach into it, and send Adam that magic to get those fragments out. I'll hold the pack bond open."

Samuel was already moving, bless him, but Joel gave me a frantic look.

"Magic follows intent. Do it!"

And after a second he did. His eyes closed, something alien flexed, and a bubble of magic passed through me to Adam. He juddered without waking, and torn flesh and bone shards quivered as lead moved, retracing itself until two complete bullets emerged and fell apart again, fragments half-splashing into the pool of clotting blood.

Samuel swore again, but he was already back at Adam's knees, fingers deftly moving bone that I willed to assemble, pulling the pack to their knees. After an interminable time Samuel sat back.

"Enough, Mercy. He will live."

I heard the truth, and with a wrenching effort released my grip on the walking stick, letting the bond vanish and the pack's inflow of energy drop. Everyone drew shuddering breaths. Samuel reached to undo the other tourniquet, switched the empty blood bag for the second full one, and squeezed it more gently. Adam didn't start bleeding again, though his open wounds glistened, and my head blared with relief like static for a second before the rage I'd been holding down swamped me. I heard someone swallow, and Darryl's voice was carefully gentle.

"Mercy, your eyes are blazing gold. Are you injured?"

I had to swallow before I could answer and my tongue felt thick. "No. Bruises from the belt when the Yukon crashed. Thank you." I wanted to stand but wasn't sure I could. "Adam's going to need food. I do too."

"On it, Mercy."

Auriele pulled a Hershey Bar from her pocket and offered it to me. They are not my favourite — give me European chocolate any day — but as sugar hit my system my head cleared. The rage didn't, but I had it mostly under control. Then I sensed Adam starting to come round.

"Keep back, people. He's waking."

Adam had once warned me not to trust his wolf when it was in charge, and the yellow eyes he opened were all wolf, a growl sounding in his chest. I heard Samuel suck in a breath but I bent down so the wolf could smell me all the same, stroking Adam's hair.

"I'm here. Jesse's safe. I'm safe." The wolf stared at me. "The manitou's here. We are safe. The agents are dead. Please let Adam through."

I wasn't sure it could understand, but after a moment Adam drew in a juddering breath. and one hand grabbed my arm hard enough to bruise.

"Mercy?"

"Right here. Jesse too. Safe."

He shuddered again, blinking. "How ..."

"Manitou. Killed the agents, saved us. But there's going to be police all over. I have to deal with them. We have to get you upstairs, and it's going to hurt like crazy."

It took him a moment to process what I'd said.

"Alright. Food."

"Darryl's on it. Samuel, how do we move him?"

"Spinal board. I dumped it outside."

I hadn't seen Warren arrive, but he went out and came back with the board. No matter how careful you are, moving legs with smashed knees hurts, and though Samuel had given him a shot of morphine Adam gave a vicious growl as they moved him and tightened the immobilisation straps. Then he and Auriele lifted it, and I managed to stand after all.

"Adam, Jesse'll be up in a minute. I'll come as soon as I can."

He growled again, more softly, and they carried him upstairs. I looked around, seeing blood on everyone's clothing and the unholy mess on the floor. Priorities tumbled in my mind.

"Honey, break those cuffs off Jesse, and find Joel a tracksuit. Ben, assemble the recordings from the security cams outside and inside into a single sequence, from Cantrip's arrival to where Jesse and I are running back to the house. Cut nothing, but blur Jesse's face. Send it to Bran the moment it's done, and have it ready to put up on the big office screen."

Ben took off at a run, and I caught Warren's wide eyes.

"What's going on out there?"

"What isn't? The manitou's growling at everyone and telling them to back off. It let pack through, but not Kyle or Jenny Trevellyan. Or the police. The helicopter is KEPR's traffic eye, and I'm guessing we're live, manitou, body parts, and all. What the hell happened. Mercy?"

"Cantrip happened, Warren. And they are dead meat." I pushed rage down again. "Right. Clean yourselves up as best you can, but leave this shambles for the police to see. I'll try to keep the numbers down until we're calmer. Mary Jo, Kelly, go help Darryl with food. We all need it."

They went and Jesse's quavering voice brought my head snapping round.

"M-Mercy, Bran wants t-t-to t-talk."

I had never heard Jesse stutter, and more rage flooded me but I walked carefully over and hugged her tight.

"This is pure crap, kiddo, but you have to hang on." I freed one hand to take the phone from her grip. "What is it, Bran?"

His voice was sharp with concern. /Are you as in control as you almost sound, Mercy?/

Subtle, subtle Bran, who hears between every line.

"No. But I'll cope."

/Warren was right that you are on air. There are cameras on the ground as well as the 'copter. The coverage is going national, fast. Be very careful, Mercy./

"Yes. But you know what Coyote says about changing the rules? Cantrip wanted secrecy, and they're not going to get it." I gave the phone to Warren. "Jesse, take some food up to Adam, then go wash and change. You'll have to talk to the police later, and they'll need your clothes as well as mine, but I'll stall them for a bit. OK? Honey'll give you a hand."

She took Jesse gently from me, and I went to the study where Ben was working on Adam's computer, Medea crouched beside him. He looked up, his eyes flickering wolf.

"Fucking Cantrip fuckers."

Ben had a way with words.

"Yes, they are. Were. It's all on there?"

"Yeah. I'm just blurring Jesse's face on the inside cams. You're really gonna release this, Mercy?"

"Oh yes. This week it's Cantrip who are the monsters."

"Fucking right."

I headed for the front door, saw the walking stick lying by the stairs, and detoured to pick it up. By rights it should have been covered in blood but it was clean, and warm in my hand.

"Thank you," I told it, and it warmed some more. I didn't really need to lean on it, but my knees were still twinging with Adam's pain, and the bruises from the seat belt were beginning to catch up with me. I'd told Zee my stamina wasn't back, and I knew I'd be paying for today for a while, but needs must, so I squared my shoulders and went to find the police and the cameras.