Little Hunter

Nanku supposed that once one had seen one middling human settlement, you'd seen all middling human settlements.

Minus the bay and the big pit of water, Worcester wasn't much different from Brockton Bay. A central district with schools, libraries, office buildings and such. Surrounding neighborhoods for residents and industries. Lots of storage. The town even had old railroads that people talked about a lot like those in Brockton Bay talked about the docks and the boat graveyard.

Holden was a poorer part of the area but it looked nicer. It didn't smell as bad but everything was more spread out with more trees. Houses were spread out and it was very easy to find a place for the dogs to get out and run around after the drive from Brockton Bay.

The forests were different. Less rising mountains and more rolling hills and plains. A lot of deer.

"Here."

Nanku turned, snapped from her thoughts by the sound of a large bag landing atop another large bag.

The man wiped the sweat from his brow and straightened. He was big. Yautja size even. Taller than Nanku with thick shoulders and bulging muscles. He shaved his head and on the whole looked fairly intimidating for a human.

The image was mostly undone by the bright pink shirt he wore with a cartoon dog on the front smiling and chasing a red ball.

"This should hold you over," he said to Rachel. "Least for a bit. Sorry."

Bitch stepped aside and let one of her henchmen push a dolly into place under the pallet the bags sat on.

"It's fine," she said. "Don't want all your food."

"All we can spare," the man said. "Can get some medications if you need them but we don't have a lot of that either."

"We're fine." Bitch got an annoyed look but she hid it well. "You?"

The man crossed his arms over his chest and looked slightly guilty.

He waited, watching as the man named Colt tilted his dolly back and pushed the pallet of dog kibble away, through the trees and over the grass toward a side road where the truck was parked. Cassie came toward them as he left, eyes on the phone in front of her face.

The man seemed to consider that private enough.

He looked at Bitch and lowered his voice. "Two. I hear you can—"

"Dangerous," Bitch interrupted. "Need space. And chains."

The man modded. "I've heard. Set some aside. Borrowed some heavy-duty stuff from a buddy of mine."

Bitch sighed. "Fair. Where?"

"This way."

The man closed the door behind him and pointed around the side of the building. Bitch walked with him, and Nanku walked with Cassie. The girl moved without looking up, eyes still fixed on her phone.

It was a kennel, not unlike Bitch's. Only larger. A dozen people were inside working with different packs of dogs, a storage room, and a clinic attached to one side. It was all clean and proper. Very nice.

Nanku took it upon herself to snoop around a bit and make sure no one was calling the local enforcers.

She'd heard that no one but the man—Bronson?—knew they were coming.

"We own the building out over here," Bronson said. "Told the volunteers we were having it fumigated. They cleared it all out."

"Good," Bitch replied.

"Should be far enough away no one can hear anything. Slipped the dogs in myself."

"Good."

Bronson nodded and led them.

Nanku swept the surrounding area with bugs

"Is this normal?" Nanku asked as she followed along.

"Hm?" Cassie looked up. "What?"

Nanku looked around the room. "Is this normal."

"What? Getting help from other dog lovers?" Cassie scoffed. "Rachel is like Alexandria to dog people. They were calling her a hero the first time she went after dog fighting rings and puppy mills."

Nanku grimaced. "People milled puppies?"

"Bec—Never mind. Sometimes ignorance is bliss."

Nanku couldn't fathom how flour made from puppies could possibly be appealing. It sounded disgusting.

She didn't see anything like that nearby. People went about their business. Mostly driving as the kennel occupied a forested area between two roads leading into town. No police vehicles or any surveillance vans. Nanku had kept her eyes out for any invisible drones. She'd not encountered any since the night with the Pure, though she wondered.

"Right over here." Bronson led them around a small slope and through a fence with a rusty gate.

The building ahead was a shed more than anything. Tin roofed but solid walls. A few spiders about. Nanku sent them to clean out a wasp nest she'd noticed that was growing dangerously large. Having them kill themselves before they stung any of the dogs was time-consuming.

There were two dogs inside the building.

And…

Nanku tilted her head.

That was interesting. She'd never thought to even look. The little things were so small and they registered so faintly in her power. Wormy things in their chests. Surrounded by pumping, though their senses were crude. Almost nonexistent.

Still.

They were there.

Bitch's dogs must all be healthy. Unsurprising. She took care of them. The closest human Nanku had found to understanding that humans weren't the only life that mattered and not being condescending about it.

Bronson took them inside and the two dogs eagerly approached the front of their cages. They barked happily, completely unaware of their infections.

Nanku stopped in the threshold, her blood running cold.

"That's them." Bronson reached through the cages and the dogs eagerly clamored to be scratched and petted. "Biscuit and Gravy. That's random, by the way. No relation."

"Huh." Cassie put her phone away. "Funny."

"Biscuit first," Bitch said. "Be easier with a smaller dog."

Nanku swallowed, fully aware of the squirming, crawling things. Growing inside. Parasites killing their hosts slowly. Clawing their way through the heart. Ripping out. Killing and growing and—

Bitch turned.

"Cassie, take that one outside. Everyone else out."

Nanku blinked. Cassie started to move at the command.

"Out now." Bitch looked away before Nanku could meet her gaze. "Dangerous with untrained dogs. One at a time. Don't wanna scare it."

Nanku stood in a daze, befuddled and annoyed. When she moved it was jerky and she nearly tripped over her own legs. Bronson brought the dog out of the cage and got a leash around it. The beast was Brutus' size, with a shaggy auburn coat and big eyes. It looked up at Cassie like nothing was wrong. Just going for a walk or to play.

But it was wrong.

Very wrong.

And Nanku felt pathetic.

She left as Bitch instructed. Wasn't anything she could do anyway. While she could sense the things, their senses were a jumble. Beyond her ability to move or do anything with unless it was tear the poor dog's heart apart.

Nanku paused once she was outside.

What was Bitch going to do about it?

Cassie led the second dog out and offered 'walksies.' While the parasites were growing, they clearly weren't dangerous enough yet to impact the animal's movement.

A little distance made it easier for Nanku to focus.

She maneuvered a few spiders inside the building. Bronson was chaining the dog down while it whined and Bitch was standing back. She snapped at a point and Bronson hurriedly backed away.

Then the dog started to grow.

That Nanku had seen before.

She'd never seen the dog react so madly before. It was subtle at first. Growling. Straining against the chains. It built into barks. Snarls. Snapping teeth. Then the dog was thrashing, fighting against the chains holding it while Bitch stared it down and used her power.

Metal strained and the animal gained a full foot. It kept struggling, fighting against its restraints and snapping its teeth wildly. Eyes focused on Bitch with a wild anger.

There was steam rising off the creature.

Nanku shifted her weight. She planted a few flies on the chain and searched it. The links were straining. Not breaking but if the dog got any bigger—

It didn't get bigger.

Bitch exhaled and the dog kept struggling, snapping, and yowling for a good half hour.

Then it stopped. Seemed to grow tired and lay down. Eventually, it went still and Bitch went forward with a knife and cut into the body.

It took time for Nanku to realize the weird aspect of Bitch's power fully. The dogs didn't really get bigger. They did, sort of, but they didn't. Instead, it was like she grew a shell around them. A suit of meat and bone while the dog withdrew inside. When her power was done she could wait for the body to start falling apart or simply cut into it herself. Either way, the dog just came out from inside, exactly as it had been.

Minus the parasites.

Whatever Bitch's power did, it had killed them.

She removed the dog from the meat and Bronson shuddered.

"Thanks," he said. "I mean, we have the medication but you know. Stuffs expensive as hell."

"I know."

Bitch set the dog down and ruffled her hand atop its head. The beast woke slowly, perfectly fine and friendly.

Nanku took a breath and sat down.

Cassie came around after a half-hour. Bitch had called her after cleaning up and the process repeated with the next dog. Nanku had little to do but sit and wait. And wait.

And wait.

"Still waiting?"

Nanku glanced back at Bronson.

The man smiled at her. "Sorry. Not trying to waste your time."

Nanku inhaled and stood. "It's fine."

"So." The man looked her up and down. "You're her? The one who killed all those people?"

Nanku frowned and started to reach for her pocket.

The man raised a hand and shook his head. "Dead Nazis are no skin off my back. Shame Bitch got sucked into the problem, but shit happens."

…

Maybe Bitch wasn't the only one with something resembling a balanced respect for life and death.

Nanku relaxed and looked away. Bitch and Cassie were on their way out of the building. Bronson turned and greeted them with a wave and they talked about dog stuff for a few minutes. Nanku supposed that was to be expected.

"There are two more," Nanku declared.

Heads turned her way.

"There are?" Bronson asked. "How do—"

"Where?" Bitch asked.

Nanku had to go into the kennels to actually show them. It was a big place. Giving directions would be overly complicated or require repeating herself.

From there, the process repeated. Bitch used her power. Killed the parasites. Nanku waited.

"Thanks again," Bronson said when they were finally done.

It was getting late and Nanku was tired of waiting.

"So." Bronson looked about nervously before settling his gaze on Bitch. "You available tonight?"

Cassie looked at Nanku and then quickly looked away.

"For what?" Bitch asked.

"I don't know. Whatever?"

Bitch got an odd look on her face. She seemed to consider it and Nanku started to scowl. She really didn't want to keep waiting for whatever it was.

Cassie waved at her for some reason.

Nanku's brow rose.

Cassie pointed a hand low by her hip. Toward Bitch.

Nanku had no idea what that meant.

Bronson noticed though and Looked at Cassie. Bitch followed his gaze and did the same. Cassie feigned to be looking at her nails at an impossibly uncomfortable angle. It just looked weird.

Then Bitch glanced at Nanku from the corner of her eye. Her shoulders slacked and she turned away.

"Not this time," she said.

"Oh." The man looked disappointed. "Sure. No pressure or anything. Thanks for the help."

"We're even," Bitch declared.

She started off and Cassie followed after her. Nanku did the same but watched Bronson through some bugs.

"He wanted to have sex?" Nanku asked.

Bitch hurried ahead and Cassie sighed.

"Yes," she answered. "That is the crude way of what he was propositioning."

Weird. "Does that happen a lot?"

"Dog people hitting on Rachel?" Cassie shrugged. "I mean, I did. She usually says yes."

Nanku frowned and looked back at the man.

She supposed he was good-looking. Strong jaw. Muscled. Tall. Big hands that looked like they could hang onto anything. That passed for attractive, Nanku presumed.

Maybe there was a time a few years ago when she was younger she'd have given it a try. She'd just started realizing then that she had no prospects for romance, sex, or children among her family. It had taken time to work though.

The kind of time where her mind wandered. Wondered what her life might be if it were all different.

But it wasn't, and she was older, and she found herself… disinterested.

The man noticed her staring and he seemed to give her the same assessing look he'd given Bitch. Nanku turned and hurried away. It was nice to know he'd at least considered it, but she couldn't find the interest to think about it any further.

She was just glad she didn't have to wait around while Bitch lay with him for however long that would take.

Biter waited by the truck as they approached. "Everything's all packed up boss."

"Give the dogs thirty more minutes and round them up."

Biter nodded and Cassie sighed in relief.

Biter wasn't someone Nanku had seen before, but he worked for Bitch. So Nanku heard. She wasn't sure and there was something odd about him. A dead sort of look for someone who was still breathing.

The dogs scampered about. The area was enclosed by fences on either side and they couldn't wander off too far, but Nanku found they'd spread as far as the space allowed. A wiry girl walked among them, scratching heads and throwing balls when the dogs brought them to her. Colt, Bitch's other henchman. Henchwoman.

She was young. Younger than Cassie but older than Rose. Fifteen or sixteen.

She was like Biter. There was an odd dead look to her eyes, but playing with the dogs seemed to make her happy.

Cassie went around to a fold-out chair she'd set up in a patch of grass. She sat in it, sighed in relief again, and tossed the first ball a dog brought her.

Nanku sat apart. From a nearby patch of trees, Dusk and Dawn slipped out. They settled around Nanku and rested their heads on the grass. Fidgeting.

They didn't like riding in the truck. They'd rather fly, or at least be where the wind was against them and they could see with their own eyes where they were going. Nanku scratched under their chins.

"They didn't like it." Bitch approached and stopped just out of Dawn's reach. "Dogs didn't either."

"Thought dogs liked car rides," Nanku mumbled.

Bitch huffed. "Cars. Not trucks."

Nanku didn't meet her eyes, though she felt them waiting. "Sorry."

"Not your fault."

No.

It was her mother's. Nanku still didn't know what to think about that. Anger and bitterness of course, but those sensations were numbing more than anything.

"It's not," Bitch said firmly. "Done is done. No point moping."

"I'm not."

"Then don't."

Nanku raised her head and Bitch smirked at her.

She turned. "Rest for a bit and then we'll go."

"How far?" Nanku asked.

"Other side of town. Have a place waiting. 'Til I figure out what to do."

Nanku blinked.

That was odd.

Of course she'd make arrangements. She had to with so many animals. Bitch couldn't simply jump up and run off with only Dusk and Dawn to worry about. She had Cassie too, and Colt was too young to have anyone else looking after her but Bitch and Cassie.

"What about me?" Nanku asked.

"Come along if you want."

And that was all Bitch said before being far enough away Nanku would have to raise her voice to be heard.

She didn't do that.

She sat and brooded.

And she looked at the sign at the far end of the dirt road they'd come in on. Dusty and rusted at the edges. It was old and clearly not very important. A green sign, listing the names of cities and the distance to them.

Nanku couldn't read the letters. It was too far away now but she'd gotten a good enough look when they passed by.

It was easy enough to remember.

Boston 54 Miles