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Venom: Beautiful Killers. Part 48

_ "Still babysitting him, huh?"_

"What's the matter?! Haven't you ever seen a wolf before?!"

"It's all right, Robert. Just keep walking."

Winter plants her hands on her friend's shoulders and pushes him through the parking lot, past the gaze of a number of half-drunk bystanders. She smiles pleasantly as she guides him into a forest of cars. He jams his hands in the pockets of his jeans and fumes bitterly. He looks like he has had a really bad day. When water droplets start to fall from the quickly darkening sky, he sighs hopelessly. "Picked a hell of a day to go bowling."

"Knock it off. The rain's just starting. We won't get wet. Besides, you got nothing to complain about. I paid for everything and you got a turkey. Nothing went wrong and we had fun."

"They didn't have to keep...staring at us."

The wolf releases his shoulders and walks side-by-side with him, putting her right hand on his back. "They were staring at me, and again, I can handle that. If anyone was curious and wanted to ask questions, I would have gladly received them. If anyone picked on us or started any trouble, I'd punch 'em in the face. It's that simple."

"They were a bunch of ungrateful teenagers from a church youth group. You were gonna punch them in the face?"

"I'm only kidding. They were intimidated. I was taller than their tallest member. They wouldn't have done anything, but I was ready just in case."

"I was really worried about the pastors. They were looking at us like we were fornicating."

Winter laughs and squeezes a side hug on him. "They probably thought we were really a couple. I think they were afraid we were going to do 'bestial' things. I should have kissed you...just to see what they would do."

"It didn't bother you at all?"

"Well, it was a little uncomfortable. I mean, I wanted to celebrate every time I threw a strike, but I found myself being restrained by their eyes. I muted myself so I wouldn't draw any more attention. Overall though, it wasn't bad. They kept their distance." Winter swallows and winces. She suddenly stops and presses her hands on her abdomen.

"You all right?"

"Yeah...I'm fine and...." She looks behind her and chuckles. "We just passed the car."

"We did?"

"Mm-hmm." She points behind him and turns him around.

The bowling alley parking lot empties fast while the skies start to open. It seems that the patrons were made aware of the upcoming rain and are acting accordingly. Winter also tries to scurry; she runs to Crevecoeur's minivan and tries twice to open the locked side door. Crevecoeur, on the other hand, does not care how much rain falls on him and takes his time getting to the car.

He fumbles with his remote control before pressing the "open" button. "Did you say a turkey?"

Winter nods. "Yep. Three strikes in a row; that's what it's called."

"I didn't know there was a name for it. That's pretty good."

"Those were also your only strikes tonight, loser!" She guffaws as she scrambles into the back seat.

Crevecoeur runs to the driver's seat and quickly closes the door. He pushes the key into the ignition and adjusts his rear view mirror. The wolf's laughing pesters him the entire time. "I only lost by ten pins."

"Yeah! The first game!" She lowers her voice and just smiles at him. "Then you lost by fifty, by forty, and by thirty-eight." Suddenly, she belches. The sound is loud, lengthy, and rather uncouth. It surprises the both of them and the wolf is rightfully embarrassed as she covers her mouth with one hand and presses her belly with the other.

"Are you sure you're all right?"

"Shouldn't have had that Jaegermiester. Just start the car."

Crevecoeur obeys and chuckles. "As I recall, you had two."

Winter lies prone on the seat at the very back of the van, kicking her feet up until her toes touch the window. The executive drives them away from the bowling alley and onto the main street. The traffic from the other bowlers' cars causes a bit of a jam as they wait for the light up ahead to turn green. Crevecoeur has to stop and wait with them. Already thoroughly agitated, he parks the car and lowers his head. "I can't believe this."

The wolf perks her head up and turns to his general direction. "You still mad about your daughters? Or sad about your wife?"

"Right now, I just want to go home. It might take much longer than it normally does, but I just want to get some sleep."

She stares at the back of his seat for a couple of minutes with concern and pushes herself upright. She can see him gripping and releasing the steering wheel like it was some kind of stress relieving device. His behavior is not something she is used to. Her concern grows when he starts moving only to slam on the brakes when the light ahead quickly changes to red. She jerks forwards as the van comes to a sudden stop.

"No need to rush," she says. "The rain's gonna slow us down anyway." The wolf looks down to examine herself and finds her left sneaker untied. As she ties it, she hears Crevecoeur silently curse under his breath. He is only getting angrier.

The cars move again, crawling forward at maybe five miles an hour. The traffic is getting thicker, especially the line of cars behind them. Winter looks around and sees cars everywhere, struggling to move. She also hears the anger of the other drivers manifested through the blaring car horns. She jerks forward again when Crevecoeur stops the van just in front of the traffic light. Sensing his blood starting to boil, she makes her way from the back seat to the front of the van and sits right behind him. She stretches her arms out to him and rubs his shoulders.

"What do you want?" he asks.

She stands and slides her hands down his chest, surprising him. Pressing her left cheek against his right, she murmurs, "I love you. You know that?"

"You...what?"

"As a friend, I mean. I love you and respect you. I think you're a loyal, wise, and...lovely man. You've been dedicated to the well-being of me and my boyfriend and you're a model father to your children."

The wolf's mewling voice does not impress the executive. "What are you saying?"

"I'm trying to tell you that I love you, man. I really think highly of you. That's why I spend so much time with you."

"You know, these days whenever my daughters talk to me that way, it's only because they want something." He turns his angry gaze at Winter. "So what do you want?"

She chuckles and backs away slightly, but keeps her hands on him. "I want you to throw me a bone."

"What?"

"I'm asking you for something rather...untraditional; something that hasn't been done before, but something that would make our lives easier. All you have to do is change a couple of things."

"You saying our lives aren't already easy?"

"I'm saying things are great, but they could be easier for you and me." She clears her throat and loses her smile. "And for Tivoli."

"Is this work related? What are you asking for?"

The light turns green and Winter lets go of Crevecoeur so he can drive. He speeds under the light and into the street. He is able to drive for a minute before he catches up the line of cars once again. As he slows, Winter clears her throat and taps her fingers on her lap in anticipation. "I'd like you to set up a mark exclusively for me."

A clap of lightning distracts the driver. He looks at the sky for a split second before focusing back on the road. "I'm sorry?"

"A mark...just for me. You can do that, right?"

"Are you kidding?"

"No. And you can do that for me, can't you?"

"You're right. It is untraditional. Not just that, but it's highly improper. Why would you ask me for something like this?"

"Well, I got to thinking. I've been on the job now for about two months. I've only killed three marks total--Mr. Doran Mann to get into the group, Mrs. Pamela Daltrey...who was really Shiloh's mark so it shouldn't count, and the third two weeks ago. It's okay, but it's slower than the other guys. It's definitely slower than Shiloh. Wouldn't you agree?"

"Not that much slower. Don't forget, your coworkers have the tendency to pick marks that live close to them, so they skip a lot of them. It's not rare to see someone successfully hunt just one mark a month. Nobody's able to get more than two or three a month, not even the best hunters among you guys."

The wolf clasps her hands and hangs her head, showing a bit of anxiety. "Well, why don't I have a crack at it?"

"What...you want me to give you two or three marks a month?"

"I was thinking more like a mark a week."

Crevecoeur purses his lips and inhales deeply. Her offer apparently sounds unreasonable and he shakes his head in response. However, he does not actually say no. Her statement has softened his anger and has made him more contemplative. He opens his mouth to say something but only a small cough comes out. He is seriously thinking about the idea.

Meanwhile, Winter looks on impatiently, trying to determine his thoughts while looking at the back of his head. She still has a smile on her face, but it is tempered a bit. Even though she just now sprang this on him, it looks like she has had this idea for a while. "Well?" she asks.

"Must be the booze talking. For a moment there, I thought I heard a mark a week."

"That's what I said. A mark a week. Also, I'm not drunk, so the comment you just made was...." She pauses to belch again, more politely this time. "Okay, maybe I'm a little bit drunk, but I'm a hell of a lot serious."

"I can't do it, Winter. I can't just take a mark from the pile and give it to you. Ted would know and I'd never be able to get away with it. Besides, do you know how hard it would be to sneak one out of the pile under the workers' noses? They take notes, so they know who the marks are. If I just take one, they'll want to know who it went to."

"Fine. Then just give the mark to me directly from the client. It'll be a foolproof plan...because we're not fools."

"What?! Come on!"

She bounces excitedly in her seat. "No! Listen! It'll work! Just do what you do best. Go to the forum at that website, find a client who wants someone whacked, contact him and set up a meeting. Then go to him, get a picture of the mark, then take his money. It'll be just like you always do." She lowers her voice. "Only this time, give both the picture and the money to me...instead of Ted or the other executives. You can do that, can't you?"

Crevecoeur shakes his head some more, totally bewildered. "First, tell me why. Why can't you do it normally? Why not just choose one from the pile? Like everyone else?"

The wolf stops moving and calms herself. "I figure if you did this for me, I wouldn't have any more marks taken from me."

"Like Matthew Ambrose was."

"I still wanna get him, Robert. I still want to get him first and put Ravi and...that other one in their place."

"Don't worry about it. Let those tigers handle him. He's their mark now."

"They're not actually hunting. You know that, right? They've found Ambrose's dirty money under his mattress and their spending it! They don't need to hunt for a while. I'm sure they don't care where he is. If I still had it, I'd be...." Winter's eyes suddenly widen and she leans out of her chair. "Ooh, let's stop there."

"Where?"

She points to the right to a glowing, blue, neon sign that says The Blue Bar. It shines proudly above a small, modest looking, brick building. The place draws Winter's eyes to it like a moth to a flame. "I need something to settle my stomach."

"But we went there yesterday."

"Come on, please?" The wolf smiles and places her hands on his shoulders again. "You could use a couple of drinks yourself."

"Except I'm driving."

"Well, at least let me in there. I'll get a couple of ginger ales."

Crevecoeur sighs and looks for a parking spot. "You know, I think we need to talk about moderation."

"What for?"

"This is Ted's place. He's your boss. Also, it's a cop bar...and you're a hitman."

"I'll be careful. We were careful yesterday, weren't we? We were able to talk to Ted and Simon...and none of the other cops made us. We drank and talked. It was great."

"There were only five cops there yesterday. There might be more this time."

"Relax. We won't stay long."

Crevecoeur parks the van a couple of feet from the drinking establishment. He warily looks around while Winter immediately leaves the vehicle. A minute later, with the rain stopping a bit, the couple walks arm-in-arm to the front door. While the human's eyes dart back and forth, the wolf gladly holds the door open for some exiting patrons. She gives a bold and friendly "Hi there," while the two officers do double and triple takes.

The interior of the place has the look of a small restaurant. The bar itself is to the right of the door. On the left is a line of eight elegant, oak tables, each surrounded by four intricately decorated chairs. The lights are dimmed, making the room dark enough to feel cozy. Winter sighs with satisfaction; it is not as cold in here and the warm lighting is a perfect contrast to the lights in the bowling alley. She rubs her hands together and heads to the bar.

There are three men sitting at a table behind her. They are wearing short-sleeved cotton shorts and tan dress slacks. They are most likely off-duty police officers. There is a fourth man seated at the bar, exchanging money with Ted, the principal owner of the building. He is an elderly gentleman, about sixty, with army-motif tattoos all over his hairy arms. After taking his money, he hops off his stool to leave. The white-haired man is surprised to see a wolf sitting next to him.

"Hi there," she says, sporting the biggest smile possible for her.

The stranger looks at her with wide eyes, not quite knowing how to respond. He staggers backwards until his backside hits the stool he just left. The wolf's height and brilliant whiteness has him flabbergasted. He scans her up and down. His eyes eventually stop at her bust.

"Good evening, Winter," Ted says normally. He is wiping a martini glass and acting like the wolf's presence is an everyday occurrence.

The old man quickly turns to the bartender. "You know her?!"

"She's a friend of mine...because she's a friend of his." Ted points to the front door. The wolf's partner is slowly making his way towards them.

"Wow! Mr. Crevecoeur! Good evening!" The old man's exuberant tone forces him to run to the executive. Crevecoeur looks unwilling to greet him, but patiently sticks out his right hand for the stranger to shake. He is lethargic compared to the patron's excitement. "I haven't seen you in two years! I was...I was really disappointed to hear you left the force...." His face sags. "And I'm sorry to hear about your wife. Wish there was something I could do."

Winter raises her brow worriedly, waiting for an angry reaction from Crevecoeur. Ted also looks on with interest. Behind them, the three customers also look on; one of them has left his seat, probably anticipating trouble.

Crevecoeur closes his eyes and breathes heavily. "It's all right, Sam. It's been a while. I've been reclusive, but just fine. Don't worry about me."

The stranger smiles again and keeps shaking his hand. "There you go. That's the spirit." Then he turns to Winter and says, "I've known Robert for five years. This man kept me from being wrongly convicted of murder. His stubbornness was a huge asset for me. He literally wouldn't sleep until all the facts were uncovered. He saved my life. Any friend of Robert's is automatically a friend of mine."

While the wolf shakes his hand happily, Ted puts down the martini glass. "You're in a hurry, aren't you Sam?"

"Huh? Oh yes. I gotta go. I'll be back this weekend." He hurries out the door as fast as his legs can carry him.

Crevecoeur sits next to his wolf friend; he looks no better after being praised heavily for past exploits. He lays his arms on the bar and shakes his head.

Ted approaches. "You all right there, man?"

Winter rubs her friend's back and sighs. "I've been trying to placate him all day. All week even. He's getting better, but--"

"I'll be fine." Crevecoeur looks up. "Nothing for me, Ted. I'm driving."

"Ginger ale, please. Something bubbly and soothing."

Ted nods and heads to the bottles behind him. "So, how's work?"

Winter laughs. "Well, boss, it's no different from when you asked me yesterday. I've grabbed one mark since waiting for my man to come back from the desert, but I haven't yet started hunting yet. I've been too busy tending to this fellow." She playfully elbows Crevecoeur's left shoulder.

"Still babysitting him, huh?" Ted laughs and hands the wolf her order.

"You know, these jokes at my expense are getting quite old." Crevecoeur turns away from them both.

Ted laughs harder. "Then lighten up. You miss your wife and your kids are acting like little monsters. Your problems aren't the only ones in the world. My problem is that owning a bar is a bit more complicated than I once thought. I have to loan money to people while getting enough money for my suppliers as well. But I'm getting through it nicely."

Winter takes a few sips and softly belches again. "That's better." She again nudges Crevecoeur, sticking him with her elbow until he looks at her. "See that? Even Ted's telling you to relax...and he's stiffer than this drink is." She shakes her head as he turns away from her.

The three men behind them shout out their goodbyes to Ted and greet Winter and Crevecoeur before leaving the room. That leaves the wolf and the humans by themselves in the dimly lit bar. The wolf looks around and heaves a sigh. She then grabs her friend's left shoulder and leans in to whisper, "Well? What do you think? Throw me a bone."

The miserable-looking executive sits up straight. "I don't know if I can--"

"Think about it, please? I could really use the help. In fact, I'm not just worried about myself. There's someone else who I think could use the help."

"Who exactly?"

"Tivoli. She hasn't taken a mark since she was an apprentice and you were her handler. She's been taking care of Paraná. He's still recovering from stab wounds."

"So what? She doesn't need to take care of him. Just tell her to get her ass to the meetings. That's all. Then she'll get one in no time."

"But it's not that simple. She's told me that before he was stabbed, Paraná was going to teach her how to deal with the other guys. He was gonna teach her how to haggle; it's the same thing Shiloh said he would teach me. She still wants someone to teach her that, so she's trying to help Paraná get better. She knows she can't handle those guys on her own. Robert, I'm telling you...." She looks up to see that Ted is not within earshot, then returns to whispering. "I think the meetings are old-fashioned for what the nature of the business calls for."

"What are you talking about? That's the way it's done. We've been doing it like that since the beginning."

Winter finishes her ginger ale. "Don't forget, she's still trying to get over her last couple of hunts. It's not easy to kill someone like McDaniels and come back from that ready to go. The meetings won't help her get started. Couldn't you see your way to giving her some help? Just take a mark you think she can handle and give it to her. That way, she doesn't have to face all those men."

"Facing those men toughens you up for the stresses of killing someone. Besides, those guys are Tivoli's coworkers. She's got to know them sooner or later."

"Sure, but for now, isn't there some way to ease her into facing that mob?"

Crevecoeur scoffs. "How is she going to improve if I just give her freebies? And how is it fair to the guys if I just take marks away from them like that?"

"They wouldn't have to know." Winter suddenly looks distressed as she taps her fingers on the table. "You can make that happen, can't you?"

Suddenly, Simon Blank appears from the back room. His footsteps were quiet and he has lost a little weight, so his presence takes everyone by surprise. "Hello all," he says. He notices his fellow executive sitting next to the wolf and shrugs. "You."

"Me what?"

Simon is holding a clipboard and has a pencil lodged above his left ear. It looked like he was in the middle of something until he was alerted to Crevecoeur's presence. "You...what are you doing here? More importantly...where will you be tomorrow?"

"What do you mean?"

"There were only twelve marks at this morning's meeting. That's more than the nine there were on Monday's meeting, but still way, way short of normal. We've been short of marks all last week. So I've been meaning to ask you something. Aren't the both of us supposed to be finding clients...or am I the only one of us who's doing his job?"

Winter watches on as Simon browbeats her friend, accusing him of laziness and sloppiness, among other things. His voice gradually rises as he lays a few verbal jabs. Even though the wolf is right in front of him, Simon only sees the back of his adversary's head. Crevecoeur looks at the front door and says nothing in his defense, appearing unaffected by the onslaught.

The wolf waits for the next moment Simon pauses and clears her throat to get his attention. "Okay. That's enough."

Simon backs up a bit upon noticing Winter's blank, blue eyes staring him down. His expression does not change and he looks just as angry at her. "You defending him, wolf?"

"He's had a long couple of weeks. The job is wearing him out and he's got personal problems at home. He can't do what he does if he's tired and down in the dumps every day. He needs a break."

"Troubles at home? Don't make me laugh. Do you two know what I have to go through day after day?"

Crevecoeur spits on the ground. "No...but I'll bet you'd love to tell us."

"I get up, tend to Damien, dress him up, drop him off at day care, go to the our forum to find clients, travel all over L.A. to find those clients, make deals with said clients, take pictures from them, blow them up, laminate them, and get them ready for the morning meetings. I do all that before lunch and sometimes, I don't eat lunch at all."

Now even Winter turns away from him, but Simon continues. "After all that, I'm still able to pick Damien up, bring him home, have a specialized babysitter watch over him, then come here to work for six more hours. My son doesn't see me for long amounts of time either, but I'm fucking father of the year compared to you. I'm Iron Man compared to you."

Winter's fur stands on end; she is turning angry. She looks about to leave her barstool. But as she opens her mouth, Ted arrives to stand between the two. "Look, don't bother," he tells her. "These two have been fighting like this for the last couple of years. One just tries to outdo the other. It's their thing. It'll pass. Just let it."

Winter's whiskers bristle in the stale air. "I don't care," she says. "That's reprehensible. He's been suffering from depression for the last week. If you only knew how much progress he's made in the last few days...he needed some time off and I helped him cope. He can still do his job...and I can attest that nobody in the office is as good as he is."

Ted chuckles. Simon gets angrier. "Whatever. Just do the guys a solid and get back to work soon. Tomorrow if at all possible. I can't keep Damien fed and cover both our asses."

"Just lighten up," Winter says. "He'll be back when he's ready."

Simon puts down the clipboard and pencil. "You're not still mad at me for taking away Matthew Ambrose from you, are you?"

The wolf, who was beginning to enjoy lording it over Simon, now bites her lip and sits back on the stool. "No. I'm not mad. It's...part of the job, right?"

"Our clients come first, which is why I'm having trouble seeing why you'd defend Crevecoeur's actions."

Winter is about to respond when a loud ringtone sounds somewhere on her. The men look at her as she stands and pulls a Smartphone from the back pocket of her trousers. At first startled, she chuckles and nods. "Sorry. This thing's new. I'm still getting used to the sound." She walks away from the executives and traverses the room to get some privacy.

Ted stands between his two disgruntled coworkers. "Is this job getting to you guys?"

Simon smirks. "I'm betting he's still mad at me for getting rid of Zesty and...the other one."

"Mariana," Crevecoeur yells. Now he is sitting up with better posture and a more determined look. "Listen, I am having problems at home. My daughters are discovering what rebellion is and Cecile knew how to handle all that. Back then, I just...went to work and solved cases. Now she's gone and it's my turn and...I don't know how...." He shakes his head and looks at the two unwilling participants. "Never mind. You don't care."

"Just leave 'em to your parents-in-law," Ted says. "Or maybe their grandparents can give you a break."

"They're staying at their grandmother's place all week. As far as I know there's been no change to their behavior." He clears his throat. "You know, maybe I will have a drink after all. Gimme a screwdriver."

"Not if you're driving."

"I'll have just one."

Simon shakes his head. "Yeah right. Don't give him anything, sir. I don't need him getting caught for a DUI when there are still clients to serve."

"Dammit, I'll be fine and ready to work tomorrow! The hitmen will get a more complete collection of marks at their disposal by Friday. I just needed time to unwind."

Ted nods. "No screwdriver. Just go to sleep early or something."

Before they can turn away, Crevecoeur knocks on the bar to get their attention. "Hey listen. The Mariana and Zesty situation's just reminded me of something. Do you know if there's any animosity between the men and the women who work for us?"

They look at him like he just said something unbelievable. Ted scoffs and steps away slowly. Simon chuckles and recollects his items. "Only every single workday. Where've you been? And why do you ask?"

"Well, on the day she left us for good, Mariana told me something interesting...and I think it's something we should pay attention to. She told me...." He is interrupted by a loud voice at the other end of the room.

"He's where?!" Winter's yell can be heard across the bar. It forces the men to look at her. Her back is to them and the Smartphone is pressed firmly against her right ear. "Yes, I'll be there as soon as I can! Just...can you please stay on the line while I get transportation?" Her voice is a little frazzled and her hands are a little shaky, but she seems in control otherwise. She turns to them, stunned and aware.

Crevecoeur stands. "What's going on?"

"Shiloh's in the hospital. He's been stabbed. He's in surgery."

Ted and Simon are taken aback with shocked surprise. The wolf they all know well, the man who was stronger than all of them put together, has been felled. Ted puts his hands on the bar in disbelief. Simon looks at her with wide eyes. "The mark must've got him," he says.

"Nonsense," Ted says. "Marks don't get him. Not Shiloh."

"Anyone remember where he went? Maybe there's still a chance to get that mark before he gets away."

Winter huffs angrily. "He was chasing somebody at Death Valley. It was worth a lot of money and he prepared really hard for it. I thought it was dangerous and I told him not to go, but...." She exhales heavily, giving everyone the impression that she is angry at her mate. A few seconds later, she hangs her head and puts away the phone.

Crevecoeur closes in and puts a hand on her shoulder, getting her to look at him. "Where is he?"

Winter's breath quivers. "St. John the Baptist."

"Right. Let's go. We're out of here. Just--"

"Remember the rules!" Ted yells. "Get yourself out of the hospital as soon as you get in. Don't stay there too long. Just get out of there as soon as possible."

"Oh, stop it. I'm not one of the hitmen so I don't have to worry."

"When it comes to violent crimes, John the Baptist is the place that stab and gunshot victims are sent to. If you stay there too long, you're gonna run into familiar faces. If any of them recognize you or Winter, you're gonna have problems."

"Nothing's gonna happen." He grabs Winter's left wrist. "Let's go."

Simon clears his throat. "Don't out the front. Someone's just pulled up. I think I recognize 'em."

Crevecoeur lets go of the wolf and heads to the window to the left of the front door. Sure enough, they have guests. Not just one, but two cars have pulled up right in front of him. One of them is a police vehicle. The other is a regular-looking, red sedan. Five men, three of them uniformed, and two women are on their way in. He turns away and runs back to the wolf.

"We can't go out the front," he says. "I know some of those guys and they haven't seen me since I retired. If we go out there, they're going to want to reminisce."

Ted leaves his place at the bar and guides them around to the back door. "We'll distract them as much as possible. Just get out of here."

The wind chimes hanging above the door are jostled as the front door is open. Winter and Crevecoeur skip through the cooking area as slowly as they can. The wolf follows the human very closely that she bumps into him a couple of times. He hardly notices but he does stop right as he sees the rear exit.

She bumps into him again and looks at him with impatient surprise. "What's wrong?!"

"What's that noise? There's a noise behind us."

Winter tries to pass him, then stops to listen. It takes a few embarrassing seconds to realize that the muffled voices are coming from her backside. "I left the nurse on hold!" She reaches inside her pocket to deal with the issue while Crevecoeur opens the door. "She was answering a question I had and I put her on hold."

"What exactly did she tell you?"

She shuts off the line, replaces the phone, and runs ahead of her friend heading out the door. "He just got there maybe an hour ago. They said he was stabbed four times...but she didn't tell me where. They took a while calling my number since they were too busy taking care of his wounds to search his wallet."

Crevecoeur sneakily closes the door behind him and takes the lead. "What's the prognosis?"

"The nurse told me he's been in surgery thirty minutes--"

"Shh. Easy." He quiets her down so he can look around the corner. They are only a few feet away from his minivan. The patrons have all gone inside, so there should be no problems sneaking out unnoticed. Convinced there is no trouble, Crevecoeur walks around the corner to his minivan. Winter, still perturbed by the missed phone call runs past him and enters the front passenger seat.

"Hurry up!" she yells. "What are you waiting for?"

"Calm down, please. We'll get there." He patiently starts the ignition and pulls away. The tires screech below him as he and the wolf leave the area. He watches his friend inhale softly before releasing a stuttered breath. "Are you okay?"

The question surprises her even though it was totally expected. She breathes some more while looking out her window. Her silence concerns him enough that he takes his eyes of the road every few seconds, only to look at the back of her head. Her hands are clasped on her lap and her mouth is closed as tight as possible. Looking carefully at her, he can see her Smartphone pressed in between her hands and her lap. She is gradually crushing it as she waits for another call from the hospital.

"It's all right if you're nervous," he says. "So am I."

Winter blinks a few times before taking another breath. In the middle of it, she quickly turns her head to see Crevecoeur looking at him. He is at a red light, so there is nowhere else to look at the moment. She feels a spotlight on her as he waits for her to say something. She tries to smile. "You say something?"

"Are you okay?"

"Sure I am!" She chuckles nervously. "I'm just fine. I'm just...waiting for news. That's all. No problems."

"I'm here if you want to talk."

"I know that, Robert. I can see you sitting there. You don't have to lay it on that thick."

"Sorry. I've been married too long. And I have two daughters. Thick is my middle name."

"I understand. But before he left, Shiloh told me not to worry. So...I'm not!" Her smile is contrived, but it makes her look calmer. It also puts him at ease. "I tried to convince him not to go, but he played hardball. He cajoled me, he twisted my arm, he...made me think everything is going to be okay. And you know what? He was so convincing that...I believe him."

The light changes and Crevecoeur jerks the car forward. He is just as nervous and takes some breaths himself. The facts about Shiloh's condition are thin and not well defined. There is no good news to fall back on right now. The former detective looks hard-faced and attentive; it seems he is trying to piece together what exactly happened to the gray wolf. He makes faces as he stares at the road ahead of him. "Stabbed four times?"

"I've been trying to convince myself that...even if he's going to a place so unforgiving and so unfamiliar, he can handle it." Winter is talking to Crevecoeur but is facing the window. She is holding her phone in both hands. "The guy I fell in love with is stronger than I realize. I know that now. I know I'm wrong to doubt him and that was what he was trying to tell me the day he left." She turns her head and lays her back on the chair. She exhales slowly and lets her tail lay slack on the floor. Crevecoeur looks at her with concern. She is uncharacteristically, eerily happy. "You just watch. When we get there, Shiloh will be right as rain."