hand in its grip then released it.
“Coim,” the Guardian grumbled and dug a taloned-toe into the ground. “My friends call me Coim, Jamie.”
Too stunned to say anything else Jamie back away from the twenty-foot tall apparition. He bowed once again and when he straightened up, the beast was gone, having moved so quietly and silently he had not heard him leave.
And with its departure, all uneasy, all fear, any trace of emotional or spiritual, psychological or physical discomfort, and reeking stench left with it--leaving behind a soft whistling that seemed oddly reassuring.
* * * *
Cody Wendt glared at the Lycant, the expression on his stony face leaving no doubt what he thought of MacGivern. He had refused to draw nearer the campfire where the others sat though the frigid mountain air made every breath he exhaled a plume of mist. He sat huddled with his legs drawn up into the perimeter of his arms, his stare steady on the man who had led them up the mountain. His broken wrist had been strapped with splints made from the damp twigs Jamie had brought back from his reconnaissance.
“Did you kill her after you fucked her or was she already dead when you found her?”
The other men looked around at Wendt’s nasty question but Jamie did not. He was reclining on one elbow with a cup of coffee in his hand, staring into the flames and wondering what the Guardian would do once the rain stopped.
“You need to chill, Cody,” Hobart told his partner.
“You like doing it with dead bodies, don’t you, Wolfman? Live women don’t do it for you or won’t they let you near them?”
Jamie took a sip of the scalding hot coffee and continued to ignore Wendt. He felt the others looking at him, gauging his reaction to the inflammatory words.
“When I find her ....”
“You aren’t going to find her,” Jamie said quietly and lifted his head, his pale green eyes sparking light from the campfire as he steadied his gaze on Wendt. “Ever.”
Hobart frowned. “Do you know more than you’re telling us, MacGivern?”
“He knows where she is,” Wendt said. “He’s known all along.”
“MacGivern?” Hobart pressed.
“The woman you are searching for tumbled over the edge of the cliff,” Jamie said. “All the evidence points to ....”
“Evidence you planted,” Wendt said, nodding. “I see that now.”
Jamie tossed the remainder of his coffee into the fire where it spattered and sizzled. He leaned over to take up his backpack, unzipped a pocket and thrust the cup inside before getting to his feet. He threaded his arms through the straps of the pack and reached for his rifle.
“Where are you going?” Hobart asked.
“Home.”
Hobart stood. “You agreed to lead us to the summit and ....”
“It’s useless--not to mention dangerous--to go any farther up the Ridge,” Jamie said. “I’m not wasting any more time leading you where you have no business being in the first place. You go any deeper into the Guardian’s territory and I promise you won’t ever leave.”
“Didn’t I tell you he was full of shit?” Wendt asked in a sly voice. “He’s wanting to get back to hide Ally’s body.”
“Shut the hell up, Wendt!” Hobart snapped. “I’m sick of your stupid-ass accusations!”
Wendt grinned maniacally, rocking back and forth as he sat hunched across the way.
“Stay or leave,” Jamie said. “It’s your choice.” He headed for the cave entrance where the icy rain was still coming down in driving sheets.
The sound of a bullet being racked into a chamber was loud in the shallow cavern.
“You take one more step and I’ll blow your fucking head off,” Wendt warned. “You aren’t going anywhere, asshole!”
Jamie looked around to see the agent pointing a .45 automatic at him. The gun was in Wendt’s uninjured left hand, the muzzle steady.
“Cuff him, Hobart,” Wendt ordered. “Now!”
Hobart stood undecided. Wendt was the senior of the two and in charge, but the man was rapidly
“Coim,” the Guardian grumbled and dug a taloned-toe into the ground. “My friends call me Coim, Jamie.”
Too stunned to say anything else Jamie back away from the twenty-foot tall apparition. He bowed once again and when he straightened up, the beast was gone, having moved so quietly and silently he had not heard him leave.
And with its departure, all uneasy, all fear, any trace of emotional or spiritual, psychological or physical discomfort, and reeking stench left with it--leaving behind a soft whistling that seemed oddly reassuring.
* * * *
Cody Wendt glared at the Lycant, the expression on his stony face leaving no doubt what he thought of MacGivern. He had refused to draw nearer the campfire where the others sat though the frigid mountain air made every breath he exhaled a plume of mist. He sat huddled with his legs drawn up into the perimeter of his arms, his stare steady on the man who had led them up the mountain. His broken wrist had been strapped with splints made from the damp twigs Jamie had brought back from his reconnaissance.
“Did you kill her after you fucked her or was she already dead when you found her?”
The other men looked around at Wendt’s nasty question but Jamie did not. He was reclining on one elbow with a cup of coffee in his hand, staring into the flames and wondering what the Guardian would do once the rain stopped.
“You need to chill, Cody,” Hobart told his partner.
“You like doing it with dead bodies, don’t you, Wolfman? Live women don’t do it for you or won’t they let you near them?”
Jamie took a sip of the scalding hot coffee and continued to ignore Wendt. He felt the others looking at him, gauging his reaction to the inflammatory words.
“When I find her ....”
“You aren’t going to find her,” Jamie said quietly and lifted his head, his pale green eyes sparking light from the campfire as he steadied his gaze on Wendt. “Ever.”
Hobart frowned. “Do you know more than you’re telling us, MacGivern?”
“He knows where she is,” Wendt said. “He’s known all along.”
“MacGivern?” Hobart pressed.
“The woman you are searching for tumbled over the edge of the cliff,” Jamie said. “All the evidence points to ....”
“Evidence you planted,” Wendt said, nodding. “I see that now.”
Jamie tossed the remainder of his coffee into the fire where it spattered and sizzled. He leaned over to take up his backpack, unzipped a pocket and thrust the cup inside before getting to his feet. He threaded his arms through the straps of the pack and reached for his rifle.
“Where are you going?” Hobart asked.
“Home.”
Hobart stood. “You agreed to lead us to the summit and ....”
“It’s useless--not to mention dangerous--to go any farther up the Ridge,” Jamie said. “I’m not wasting any more time leading you where you have no business being in the first place. You go any deeper into the Guardian’s territory and I promise you won’t ever leave.”
“Didn’t I tell you he was full of shit?” Wendt asked in a sly voice. “He’s wanting to get back to hide Ally’s body.”
“Shut the hell up, Wendt!” Hobart snapped. “I’m sick of your stupid-ass accusations!”
Wendt grinned maniacally, rocking back and forth as he sat hunched across the way.
“Stay or leave,” Jamie said. “It’s your choice.” He headed for the cave entrance where the icy rain was still coming down in driving sheets.
The sound of a bullet being racked into a chamber was loud in the shallow cavern.
“You take one more step and I’ll blow your fucking head off,” Wendt warned. “You aren’t going anywhere, asshole!”
Jamie looked around to see the agent pointing a .45 automatic at him. The gun was in Wendt’s uninjured left hand, the muzzle steady.
“Cuff him, Hobart,” Wendt ordered. “Now!”
Hobart stood undecided. Wendt was the senior of the two and in charge, but the man was rapidly
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