Chapter Ten

Samuel was right. A long, scaldingly hot shower, some of Gordon's supercharged Bag Balm on the abrasions from the seat belt, and a short but violent crying jag later I did feel better. I shared the Bag Balm and tears with Jesse, letting both of us get some bottled-up rage and terror out of our systems. When we'd recovered enough to stop looking blotchy, snagged some more pasties, and bagged my blood-soaked clothes to join hers, I took her to see Willis. He was interviewing Joel in the kitchen, under Jenny's and Kyle's eagle eyes with Warren standing guard for the pack, but Joel couldn't explain what he'd done to get the bullets out of Adam, only that he'd obeyed my order and demanded his magic do it. Willis shook his head.

"Alright, Mr Arocha. Bullets removed by magic is the least of today. Out of interest, do you think you could do it for anyone?"

"No, only pack. Maybe only Adam or Mercy. My bonds with them are the strongest, and I feel them more clearly."

"Alright. Makes sense, I suppose."

Willis let him go, and it was Jesse's turn. I sat with her, holding her hand, but he was as careful as he could be, offering some of the praise she deserved for holding herself together when it counted. Like the crying jag, getting some of the words out helped too. Besides the blood and shock, she'd heard the underlying desire to hurt her and worse in Preskylovitch's voice too, and Willis nodded.

"Yeah, I caught that. Makes me kinda glad the manitou ate him."

"And barfed him up again. The puke got puked."

Kyle and I grinned, Jenny put a hand to her mouth, Warren laughed, and Willis snorted.

"Good one."

He did press her a little about events in the Yukon, but I'd spoken to her upstairs about that, and she hadn't actually seen my very brief shift because she'd been understandably preoccupied with headless Kerrigan. When he was done Willis thanked her and sat back.

"You've got spine, Miss Hauptman, and I've a feeling you've already seen a lot more than someone your age should have. But this today is enough to rock anyone, right down to the ground. You're going to have flashbacks and nightmares. Don't bottle it up — it eats at you if you do. Talk to someone. I've been Homicide for twenty years, and I do when it gets bad. No shame in it. And it does help." His gaze switched to me. "I can give you some names, if you want."

"We'll see how Jesse goes, Detective. It's her call. But thanks for the thought."

"Nada. I've got a daughter about the same age, and right now gutting Cantrip gets my vote." He looked at me thoughtfully. "You were right yesterday evening, though the brass wouldn't listen. They're listening now, though, and so are the mayors and the governor. Plus a top dog from Hanford is on his way as requested, wanting advice."

I shrugged. "Tell them to talk to the manitou."

"I think they're hoping you will."

"I'll introduce them, if it's still here. But it does what it wants."

"Right, but when Taylor tried to talk to it some more, it said it was thinking about what you'd said and suggested she did too. Then it went to watch the techs at work on the Yukon. Asked questions, which shook them up. Seems interested in forensics." He shook his head and his voice became brisker. "Preskylovitch and Kerrigan's head have been moved already. Brass have agreed to move the Yukon, which is tarped, and Kennewick FD's on its way with a heavy lifter. Word I'm getting is that the FBI will also be here sooner rather than later, seeing as this is way over my pay grade. In the meantime, is anything else going to be happening I need to know about?"

I thought about it. "Some senior wolves will be here soon. One's my adoptive brother, and his wife. They testified in the Heuter case. And do you know about the case in Richland, when Kyle's home was invaded?"

Willis waggled a hand. "Mostly what was on the news, but Tony's told me a few things."

"Well, another was the wolves' liaison with the sane Cantrip guy, Armstrong, when that was cleared up. I'd also bet that Jesse's mother and my own are on their way."

Jesse shook her head. "I headed them both off, Mercy, but you need to call Margi so she can hear you're OK for herself. Christy was babbling but I calmed her down."

Her voice was small, and I sighed, slinging an arm round her.

"Let me guess. You're not safe here, this is her fault because of Guayota, and she didn't ask about Adam until you told her he was alright. How am I doing?"

"Three for three."

"But she cared enough to ring, kiddo, and having Darryl and Auriele take off at a dead run from the breakfast table would have freaked her out. Still, when things calm down a bit I'm sending her back to Eugene whether she likes it or not. You do not need her dumping on you."

Willis had met Christy during the Guayota mess and gave Jesse a sympathetic look but kept to his own agenda.

"So no worried mothers. Can I ask what these senior wolves want and if there's anything I should do about it?"

"Beyond giving us general support I don't really know, Detective." I spoke carefully. "When Cantrip turned up, Adam … informed higher authority, and his phone was in his pocket, still connected, when he was shot. You saw me use it after I'd got the tourniquets on, and the people who are arriving were already scrambling. The initial order was because with Adam seriously injured they could keep the pack under control. Wolves more dominant than Adam are in short supply."

"Alright, I understand that."

"Now things have evolved, I'm not sure what they'll want. Depends what happens about Cantrip, I suppose."

"Yeah. You have any guesses about that?"

"Not really, except I'll bet they claim Preskylovitch was rogue and the others innocents obeying orders. One bad apple in the nice, shiny barrel. Exceeding authority blah blah. Just like Heuter, and Bennet."

"Bennet?"

"The one who got left out of the story about the Richland case. He hired the mercenaries involved."

"Cantrip hired that done?"

"A rogue agent did." With vamp money playing vamp politics, but that was another story. "But a Cantrip rogue is just one who actually does what most of them fantasise about. I meant what I said to Taylor, Detective Willis — Cantrip doesn't screen for anti-fae or anti-wolf bigots, it welcomes them and they fit right in."

Jenny nodded, giving me an oddly apologetic look. "I spoke about this with Adam, Detective Willis, after the late Agents Orton and Kent tried to detain Mercy without due process during the Guayota case. There is apparently hard evidence that quite a few senior Cantrip people have links with the John Lauren Society or Bright Future. I would imagine those stories will shortly leak. But the big unknown is Preskylovitch's implication of captive wolves, and maybe fae too. If that story breaks, and it's as bad as it sounds, I doubt they'll survive as an agency. If not, maybe they'll wriggle out of it with some scapegoats and a new broom."

Willis was pondering that when his two-way crackled.

"Would Charles, Anna, and Asil No Last Names be your senior wolves?"

"They would."

"Do you need to escort them? The manitou's still down by the Yukon."

The idea of me escorting Charles and Asil was so absurd I couldn't help a grin. "No. Is KEPR still live out there?"

"Yeah."

Willis gave orders to let them in, and I flipped on the TV on the kitchen side — Jesse likes to watch stuff everywhere. Taylor and her cameraman were as ever on the ball, and as the image came up both Willis and Jenny breathed in sharply. Charles couldn't be mistaken for anything but Native American, even in the power suits he sometimes wore, and today he was in a magnificent beaded and fringed jacket over dark jeans. His long hair was in a single braid, and as he walked past the tarped Yukon towards the manitou there was reverence in his look. Combined with his power it made him look wise as well as dangerous, like pictures of the great nineteenth-century warriors, and as he approached, Anna and Asil behind him, it raised its head, silver-on-gold eyes brightening. Charles stopped maybe ten feet away, made a gesture I didn't recognise, and then he, Anna, and Asil all looked down, tilting their heads and not moving an inch as the manitou leaned forward and smelled them as it had Adam and me. As it began to pull back Charles straightened and said something, and there was a short conversation before they headed on to the house. Taylor tried to intercept, the cameraman on her heels, but Charles's stoniest look sent her back a step, and Anna patted her arm with a sunny smile.

"He's Mercy's brother, and having her and Jesse kidnapped and terrorised by Cantrip has left him grumpy. I expect he'll have a statement for you later, though. And good job earlier, Ms Taylor."

Taylor was left with a bemused expression that made me grin, and when Asil bowed to kiss her hand without breaking stride I couldn't help laughing. Willis gave me another of his repertoire of looks.

"Asil's old-fashioned that way." And plain old. "Hey, Jesse, make some fresh coffee and two chocolates? And shove another load of pasties in the oven?"

"Sure, Mercy."

I went to meet them at the door, and to my complete surprise Charles swept me into a long, tight hug even before Asil shut the door in the enterprising Taylor's face.

"Oof, Charles, I'm OK. Just bruises."

He put me down at last, looking me over carefully, eyes bright. "So I have seen and heard, Mercy. But you could easily not have been. We owe the manitou much."

"I know. And Jesse's badly shaken. Hey, Anna. Asil."

Anna gave me a hug too, less exorbitantly but with a little Omega wash, and though coyotes don't have omegas my furry self sighed contentedly. Asil kissed my hand too.

"Mi princesa, I like your style." He meant it too, and grinned at my slight flush. "And your new friend. Life is going to be very interesting for a while."

"Isn't it just? What was it saying?"

"I asked it to wait before reading us," Charles said. "Given my age and Asil's it would take too long when things are pressing."

And now was not the time to be provoking questions about werewolf ages.

"Right. Samuel says you're up to date with the broadcast and all?"

"Yes. You made some very good decisions in an impossible situation." Praise from Charles and Asil at the same time was disconcerting and he gave me a true smile. "Coyote luck, little sister, but you ran with it superbly and we're running with it too, as hard as we can. How are things here?"

I marshalled scattered thoughts. "Adam's still in healing coma upstairs, pack's been interviewed as witnesses and are mostly in the basement, and Willis is here until he can speak to Adam. Yukon's going to be moved soon, bodies and all. Willis says the FBI are coming in?"

"So Da tells me."

"Is he pulling strings?"

"Undoubtedly. But so are they. You have, among other things, given the Bureau a weapon against Cantrip it has no intention of wasting. The Heuter case left many people very angry indeed, and you have spilled a great deal of Cantrip's blood into the water."

"Good. Are they looking for the captives?"

"That is one thing driving their haste, yes."

I'd been trying not to think about the fact that if Cantrip did have illegal captives they'd be scrambling to vanish them, and nodded.

"Right. Oh, and there's also a Hanford bigwig on the way. It's the manitou he needs to speak to but I imagine I'll have to introduce him."

"Yes." He smiled again. "I thought you were … over-imagining with that, but it's proving another very good idea. So be nice to the bigwig, please. If visible results are possible rapidly, it will be very helpful."

"I'm hoping. Anyway, Jesse's making fresh coffee, so come say hello to her and Willis. Jenny Trevellyan's there too, with Warren and Kyle."

Kyle had met Asil before, during the Bennet mess, but neither he nor Jenny knew Charles and Anna, and Willis didn't know any of them. Watching them try to process Charles being intimidatingly impassive as he sized them up, sunny Anna as his wife, and Asil to boot was interesting. Warren was calm, Kyle and Jenny had wide eyes but knew enough to look down, and though Willis met Charles's and Asil's gazes for a second he too looked away quickly, face tight. But I was more interested that there wasn't anything like as much Alpha tension between Charles and Asil as I'd expected. It wasn't only Anna, I though, though she was certainly helping, but that they were hunting together and the prey was more important. And most of all I was interested that as soon as basic introductions were done Charles and Anna went straight to Jesse, Anna giving her a hug that was all Omega, and Charles gravely praising her courage in as warm a voice as I'd ever heard from him. Some stiffness ebbed from Jesse's shoulders, and I saw Willis's wariness joined by approval. I'd never doubted Charles's kindness, however scary he usually was, but he always had several reasons for doing anything and for all her lesser experience Anna had made him a better people person.

Like me, Anna preferred chocolate, and when others had coffee and we were all seated at the table, Charles let her take point. I knew they'd done it that way consulting on the Heuter case, and the surprise Jenny and Willis couldn't help showing suggested how effective it was.

"Detective Willis." Anna gave a smile that had him smiling back despite himself. "Thank you sincerely for all you've done today. I expect you recognise Charles and me from the Heuter case, so you know I've seen law enforcement at its best and worst, and you rank high in the scale."

He didn't actually say 'Aw, shucks', but looked as if he was thinking about it. I swallowed a laugh and saw Jenny and Jesse do the same.

"I also expect you've been pretty frustrated by Mercy not telling you things, and I'm afraid there are things we won't be telling you either. But" — Anna's smile became dazzling — "seeing as Mercy has set openness against Cantrip's secrecy, we may speak more freely than usual. What you pass on to your superiors — and when — is entirely up to you, but you might want to frame those decisions … carefully."

Willis's eyes narrowed as he reassessed Anna in all sorts of ways. "I hear you."

"Good. Mercy tells me you've heard the FBI is taking over?"

He nodded. "So I'm told, but if it was our local Feebs they'd be here already, so I'm guessing someone's flying in."

Anna nodded back. "You guess rightly. The KEPR broadcast went national very quickly, and when that video hit the Beltway, well, sparks started flying. All wolves have pretty much had it with Cantrip anyway, and after the Heuter case so have quite a lot of other people. Including the FBI, who reached the very top quickest and have jurisdiction in this case with a remit to find out what Cantrip has been up to. The Executive Assistant Director of the National Security Branch is dealing with the DC end, where there will be emergency Congressional hearings, and one of his Associate Directors is flying in here to soothe Mercy and Adam and speak to the manitou, if it's willing."

Willis did a lot more reassessing, and so did I. Bran had been busy.

"You're empowered to speak for all wolves?"

Anna gave him another dazzling smile. "I'm a bit young for that, Detective Willis. I can say that the news cycle will soon have statements from many Alphas supporting the line Mercy has taken, and withdrawing all co-operation with Cantrip as out of control and unfit for purpose. The Yakama Nation and the Fae will also be issuing strongly worded statements." Anna's tone didn't change from cheerfully informative, but Willis's face tightened at the implications. "May I ask what Kennewick PD will be saying?"

He was still for a moment, then shrugged slightly. "They haven't pulled me, which ought to mean they're backing me, but it may just be they're too afraid of the manitou to try bulling in here. And most of the time the answer would be 'as little as possible', but nothing about this is usual, and if they feel the kind of political heat you're suggesting …"

"Mmm. That's one reason we thought you might like to be ahead of them with such news." He nodded appreciation, eyebrows rising, and Anna gave him another smile. "Here's the other. Are you aware that besides the FBI in Boston, you and Detectives Montenegro and Riebold are the only law enforcement officials in the country to have asked for werewolf help?"

Willis blinked. "We are?"

"Yes, you are. Witches have been consulted, and some fae before their secession. But not wolves. Yet Detective Montenegro persuaded you in the Guayota case, and you persuaded Detective Riebold yesterday. Another thing you won't know is that since Charles and I helped the FBI on the Heuter case, they have become seriously interested in getting scent evidence made legally admissible. So have others, and we've been talking to a few people about possibilities. And now Mercy has put the idea out there, spectacularly, there will be a push from several agencies, including the FBI, CIA, and DEA to get a bill passed."

She let him digest that.

"You think it'll pass?"

"I think it should, and there will be a lot of pressure on its side. It isn't straightforward — scent isn't easy, there's no manual, and there'll have to be some kind of credential. Additionally, not all wolves who are capable are suitable. And if it happens much of it will be major federal cases, at least while it's working out and resources are short. Meantime a public face is needed, and though we had been thinking of one of the FBI's larger open cases, after this morning you and the Tri-Cities PDs are everyone's first choice. So, would you be willing to put your weight behind it?"

This time Willis stared at her, before remembering his manners and dropping his eyes. "My weight? There's not much of that at the level you're talking about."

"That was yesterday, amigo." Asil's accented voice was soft and amused. "Today Mercy has shown you to the world, and the world likes what it saw. Nor will it be looking away for a while."

"Asil is right, Detective. We don't yet have hard data, but you came over very well on TV and showed great courage, scruple, and sense in very difficult conditions. You coped with the manitou, Mercy in full flight" — Anna gave me a smile — "and the camera she imposed on you. You were also willing to call Cantrip on what they did on your own authority, despite the political risk. So you have credit with humans and wolves, and you're already interested in how we can help law enforcement."

He thought about it some more. "What do you have in mind?"

"A wolf, or Mercy, on call for serious crime scenes and paid as a consultant. Until accreditation is passed it'll be information received rather than admissible evidence, but it'll be extra data you can work with. Documentation of that data and any assistance it gives you for state and federal lawmakers to consider. And when it does help catch the bad guys, public statements saying so."

"If the brass agrees, I can go with that."

"Good. I believe they will. And thank you again, Detective Willis. We'll be pushing for integrated SAR as well — wolves can do a lot in—"

Anna broke off, looking round as Mary Jo knocked lightly on the door frame, eyes glued to the floor.

"I'm sorry to interrupt. Mercy, cars are all moved and the FD's here with a heavy lifter. It's the shift I should be on."

"Work with them, by all means, Mary Jo. FD's good. But I don't want any of the pack on their own until we know Cantrip doesn't have any more kidnapping teams out there."

"OK." She looked at me and Willis, avoiding Charles's and Asil's looks. "Moving that Yukon's gonna be tough. Engine block's completely separated, and so are the front seats with what's left of Orton and Kent. Chief says you're gonna want a screen, Detective Willis, or when we lift the chassis it'll be splatter-movie time again."

"Hell. Right. I'll come."

"Hang on a minute, Detective." I chased my thought down. "Mary Jo, ask the manitou if it can fuse the gravel under the Yukon into a slab. I bet it can, and then you could just drill in eyebolts and lift the whole thing intact. Heat might pop the tyres, but I can't see that matters."

Mary Jo stared at me. "Ask the manitou. Right." She took a deep breath. "I'll try. It would certainly be easier."

"Oh, and take Taylor with you so everyone understands what's happening."

Asil's rich laugh made her eyes drop, and his voice was almost apologetic. "No harm to you and yours, Mary Jo. I am just becoming an aficionado of Mercy's style. Do not mind this old lobo."

She risked a glance and gave Asil a quick smile. "Join the club, sir."

I hadn't always been popular with Mary Jo, and I appreciated the compliment. Asil laughed again and Willis stood, shaking his head.

"No offence, Ms Hauptman, but you make my brain hurt. I agree it's worth a try, though. When will it be possible to talk to your husband?"

"Another hour or two at least, Detective, I'm afraid. Bone takes time, even for wolves, and when Adam wakes he'll need to eat and settle a bit. I'll let you know."

"Alright. I'll see to this and talk to the brass about the other thing."

He left with Mary Jo, and we watched KEPR as they approached the manitou, Mary Jo calling her Chief across. While she explained, arms gesturing, Charles was on the phone to Bran, and the rest of us were listening to Jenny telling Anna and Asil about the contract she'd agreed with Morris. I'd shifted to sit beside Jesse and let her lean against me, but she straightened and Charles and Jenny both fell silent as the manitou padded over to the Yukon, lowered its head, and let loose a wave of magic the echo of which rolled right through the house, making me tingle. Charles obviously felt it, but others didn't. The gravel under the Yukon glowed and blurred, tyres popped with muffled reports, the chassis settled, and the bottom of the tarp melted, but a second wash of magic cooled things down again and the manitou gave Mary Jo a glance and went back to where it had been. There was a thoughtful silence as Mary Jo and the FD chief scuffed loose gravel away from the irregular slab the Yukon now sat on — or was fused to. It looked as if the wheel rims had sunk in. Asil sighed.

"Such marvellous simplicity, querida. How did you think to do such a thing?"

He seemed serious, and I shrugged. "Guayota melted his way out of my garage, and Mounts St Helens and Hood are within the Basin. Didn't you smell the magma in the manitou's magic, underneath earth and water? Fusing gravel didn't seem a leap, and I want that Yukon gone."

"But of course."

"That was magma?" Anna sounded interested. "I just got that there was something hot. I don't think I've ever smelled magma."

"Me either before Guayota, but it's distinctive."

"Huh. Still, Mercy, Asil's right that you are on a roll today."

"Yes. The spirits are with you."

Charles was serious too, but I'd never sensed what he called spirits, and shrugged again. "Thank them for me, then?"

"I will." He stood. "Others will soon be here — the Hanford person for one. I would like to see Adam myself, and he will soon wake. Anna will make that easier. Asil, help Warren to let the pack know what is happening?"

"Surely."

"And Ms Trevellyan, perhaps you and Kyle could begin listing the grounds on which Adam, Mercy, and Jesse can sue Cantrip for a sum greater than their annual budget. We would like to put them under as much pressure as we can, in every way we can." Charles gave her a card. "These people in D.C. will deliver writs, and I would like it done tomorrow at the latest and today if at all possible."

Lawyers really did have shark smiles. "My pleasure, ah –"

"Charles is fine. When I have to, Anna and I go by Smith, as we did in the Heuter case."

"Just don't shorten it," I told them, and gave Jesse a hand up. "He's no charlie. Come on, kiddo, let's grab those pasties and go check on your dad."