Fox Run (15 page)

Another signal we had. Split up. Jean gave the signal, and I signaled "No!" Jean gave it again, and crying, I ran left. She backtracked straight towards the wolves, then turned north.

She would lead them away. She would do what she could to buy my freedom.

I heard her yell when they caught her, Lara. I heard my sister yelp, just twice. The wolves howled their victory.

I knew they wouldn't stop chasing me. And I knew I couldn't outrun them. I didn't think I could outfox them, either. My parents hadn't. Jean hadn't. I was fourteen. What chance did I have?

I found a gorge with a raging river below it, the sort of gorge that would batter even a wolf to death. My path west was blocked. I turned north, upstream, and found a spot where a fallen tree had been caught bridging the gap. I climbed down and crossed the river. The tree was weak and rotted, and it sagged underneath me. I ran back and left a clear trail, then crossed again. The far side of the river was a shear cliff, but there was another tree jammed there, and I climbed it to the top of the cliff. I shifted and waited for the wolves.

It didn't take the first one long to find me. I crouched on the ground in front of the tree, trying to look exhausted, like I had given up. She looked at me and began to howl in victory then waited for her friends.

There were seven of them total. At least two were female; I couldn't have told you about the rest. Lara, there was blood on their muzzles, even in the dim light, I could see the blood. My sister's blood.

They actually waited there, just a little outside wolf leaping distance on the far bank, and then the wolf who had found me clambered down to the tree crossing the river, one other wolf following closely behind.

I waited until she started to climb the same tree I had, and I gave it a push, a very big push.

It was heavy, very heavy, and I couldn't have pushed it over. She howled victory again, but then the tree began sliding down, taking both wolves and the other tree with it. I watched them fall into the river and disappear under the raging water.

The remaining five wolves snarled their anger at me. One foolishly tried to leap the chasm without so much as a running start. He didn't make it.

Another one backed up and made a run for it. He almost made it. He had his paws hooked into the rock at the top of the cliff, scrambling to get up. I shifted and lunged, biting his nose. He fell, and I ran.

Four down, I hoped all dead. I couldn't be sure. I ran.

Their howls of anguish followed me. They turned into howls of pursuit when they found another place to cross the river.

I left a blind trail and turned south, heading towards familiar territory. When I could, I turned east and found a calm spot in that river and crossed it. On the opposite bank, I found one of the wolves, still breathing, but battered. I dragged him back into the water and helped him drown, standing on his head long after he had stopped moving.

I ran east, making a plan.

There was a notch. The sides were sheer, but there at the notch, it was narrow enough even a fox could jump over. The sides of the gorge spread from that point, but then grew narrow again, narrow enough a wolf could leap it. The thing is, the far side was soft, very soft. I ran for the gorge then turned north to the notch. I crossed the gap and immediately turned south again, following the top of the east cliff. The wolves were not far behind, and the soon they were pacing me, waiting for a spot to cross to me. When we got to the narrow spot, the first one tried to leap. He cleared it, but then the ground crumbled under him.

He almost made it clear. He almost was able to jump free. Instead, he fell into the gorge, an eighty-foot drop. The other wolves didn't try it, and I turned east, left a false trail, and turned due south for home. There were two wolves left.

I didn't leave any false paths. Instead, I ran over the top of every trap we had, avoiding the triggers. They had sprung one that Jean had set and two that Mom and Dad had, but the rest were still live. I set three more that Dad hadn't gotten to.

I heard when one of the wolves got caught by a trap. He howled, and then his howls turned to chokes. From the sound, it was one of the spike traps, and we laced our spikes with silver. If he didn't get prompt medical attention, he would die. I wondered if his buddy would help him or continue to chase me.

I ran for home.

The last wolf howled a victory cry. He had seen me.

I shifted back to human when I reached the cabin. I grabbed a perfume spritzer and waited beside the front door.

Yes, Lara, a perfume spritzer.

The final wolf howled just outside the door. I was so frightened, but so angry at the same time. He slammed into the door twice, splintering it, and then shoved his face through the gap, snarling at me. I spritzed him directly in the face.

It wasn't perfume, of course. It was silver nitrate, and I got him right in both eyes. Then, while he was howling and scratching at his eyes, I pulled down Dad's gun and put two silver rounds into his body and one more into his howling mouth.

After that, I found the one that had been caught in my trap. It was a female, and she had shifted back to human. She begged me for mercy. She didn't receive it.

It took me three days to find the bodies. They had ravaged mom the worst; there wasn't much left of her. Dad and Jean were barely recognizable as well. I sobbed while I buried them.

And then I ran. I ran for eight years. I ran until I grew tired of running, until I grew tired of hiding. And that's when I came to Bayfield.

Fleecing the Wolves

Lara listened to my entire story. She was clearly stunned.

"How can you stand us?" she asked.

"You've left me alone for eight years," I said. "I hid from the wolves for a long time, but then one day one of your wolves nodded politely to me on the street. I learned not all wolves are animals."

I looked straight into her eyes. "I spent most of my life afraid, running and hiding. I am very, very good at it. I have foxed sized holes all over Wisconsin, and I'm not helpless."

"How not helpless, Michaela?"

"I spend all my spare money on silver, Lara. Your wolves are lucky I didn't pull out my super soaker the day you came to visit."

She laughed weakly. "Why didn't you?"

"Because no one has molested me here, and I didn't want to be the first to engage in violence."

"If any wolves come to your door-"

"They'll die if I don't know them, Lara."

"Die?"

"Yes."

"All right," she said. "For now."

"For now."

We finished our dinner in silence

* * * *

Afterwards, we had time. I had scared myself telling my story, and I asked Lara if I could clean up. Then we cuddled together on the sofa until it was time to go to the poker game.

"Are you playing tonight?"

"They'll offer me a seat," she said. "But I'll decline."

"Why?"

"Because it would bump a regular player, and because the alpha shouldn't take money from the other wolves nor allow them to take money from her."

"And how does the alpha's girlfriend fit into that?"

She smiled. "Are you my girlfriend now?"

I kissed her. She held me tightly, and when the kiss broke, she said, "I guess you are."

I smiled at her.

"Did you bring money?" she asked.

"No. I want to watch."

"Is this really to make sure it's safe to play with them?"

I laughed. "That's for me to know and the rest of you to guess." Really, I was there to study them.

We kissed for a few minutes before I pushed her away, laughing.

* * * *

The game was in David's basement. I met his mate, a beautiful wolf named Natalie. She sized me up before inviting me into her house.

Downstairs, things were rowdy. I greeted Elisabeth and David before Lara introduced me to two older male wolves, Morgan and Liam. They both treated Lara with respect but were dismissive of me. I was fine with that. At least they weren't rude or threatening. Lara stiffened at their response, but I was holding her hand and squeezed it. I didn't want her to interfere. You can't command respect; you can only earn it.

Natalie offered drinks for Lara and me. I asked for water. Lara accepted a beer. David gave me a hard time.

"If you're going to play poker, little fox," he said. "You need to learn to drink."

"One beer and I'm asleep," I said. "No thank you."

"Literally?" Lara asked in my ear.

I nodded. "Total lightweight. You've seen how I eat."

Finally, the last player arrived, an older female named Janice. She greeted Lara coolly, showing slightly more warmth for everyone else. I pulled Lara aside and asked, "Why doesn't she like you."

"Her mate challenged my father for alpha. He lost. She's been the model of proper pack behavior, but whenever she sees me, she is reminded."

"All right," David said. "Let's see the color of everyone's money."

The five players pulled out purses, money clips, and wallets, and soon there was five thousand dollars sitting on the table. David turned to Lara. "Where is yours, Alpha?"

"Oh no," she said. "I hate taking your money."

"Afraid we'll show you up in front of your girl?"

"You have five."

"We can play six."

I watched the body language. David wanted Lara to play. I thought perhaps Elisabeth did not. Janice was deeply eager in learning the outcome of the discussion, and I got the impression the two old wolves would have enjoyed taking Lara's money.

"You should play, sweetums," I said in Lara's ear, just loud enough for all the other wolves to hear. "I want to see you in action."

Lara looked at me with eyes wide. I was pretty sure it was the "sweetums" comment, but it may have been the airhead tone I had used. I smiled vapidly at her.

"I didn't come to play," Lara said. "My little fox was curious is all."

"That is the nature of the fox," Elisabeth said. "It's nice of you to indulge her. You should play, Alpha."

"Yes," added Janice. "Please do."

"Well," Lara said. "If no one minds that the fox watches."

"Of course not," David said. He retrieved a chair for Lara and then, slightly behind hers, one for me. I adjusted so I would be able to watch the entire table, but I found that it was too low for me to see as well as I would have liked, so I perched on it with my feet underneath me instead. Lara spread out her money. David collected everyone's money and passed out poker chips in a variety of denominations.

Elisabeth was to my left with Janice on Lara's right. David was immediately across the table, with the two older wolves to Elisabeth's left. While David shuffled the cards, Janice put a one-dollar chip on the table. Lara put two one-dollar chips out. David finished shuffling and dealt two cards to each player. Lara let me peek at her cards. Elisabeth immediately folded. Liam and Morgan both tossed out two dollars. David put out four. Janice folded. Lara, Ian and Morgan added two more dollars.

David then put three cards on the table, face up. Betting went around. Ian folded. David added another card face up, and Morgan folded during the betting. David put out one more card face up, and Janice made a big bet. Lara folded and David called. When they exposed their cards, Janice took the pot. David collected all the cards and handed them to Janice.

"Before the next hand," I said, doing my best to sound like an utter airhead, "can someone explain the rules? I thought you were playing poker."

"This is poker," David said gently. "It's a variant called Texas Hold-Em. You've never played?"

"I've never played cards of any sort," I said. "I've never even touched a deck of cards."

"Bullshit," said Elisabeth. "Bull. Shit!"

"Honest," I said. "Do I smell like I'm lying?"

Elisabeth leaned over and took a deep breath. "No. Seriously? You've never played cards?"

"I mostly keep to myself," I said. "But I've heard of strip poker." I started playing with the hair on the back of Lara's neck. "Maybe Lara will teach me that game."

There were chuckles, and Janice said, "If you lose tonight, Alpha, we don't want to hear that you were distracted because your pet fox couldn't keep her hands off of you."

I smiled at Janice, a human smile that showed teeth.

David said, "No one minds if we explain the rules to Michaela during the next few hands, do they?"

Yes, Janice, Liam and Morgan clearly did, but they all said they didn't. Lara and Elisabeth set out bets, Janice shuffled and dealt, and David explained the rules as they went. By the end of the third hand, I had the game figured out.

The odds, however, were difficult. I tried figuring them in my head, but it was tricky. In poker, there are different ways to win. You can play the odds, understanding that if you have this hand, the chances of someone else having a better hand are ten percent or fifty percent, or whatever. Or you can play the people, learning whether they give themselves away. I was having a hard time with the odds, but the wolves were all open books to me.

By the end of the first half hour. I was pretty sure I could read all of them. When David called a break after an hour, I knew I could. Lara was down about half her chips, and everyone else was down a little except Morgan and Janice, with Janice doing the best. We got up to stretch our legs, and Lara drew me to the corner.

"What are you doing?" she asked.

"Who, me?"

"What's with the airhead routine? You aren't fooling anyone."

"I'm not fooling David or Elisabeth, but I am fooling the other three. Are you losing on purpose? You're making Janice very happy."

"No, I'm not losing on purpose, and I would very happily take her money."

Elisabeth stopped by with a couple of beers, handing one to Lara. "What's with the airhead routine?"

I smiled at her. "Do you like Janice?"

"No."

"All right. We're taking that bitch down. If I'm touching either of you, the number of fingers I'm using indicates how strong a hand Janice thinks she has."

"You can tell?" Elisabeth asked.