Amos Thompson's buffalo snorted and nodded to Ashe.
"You have one shot, Mr. Thompson," Ashe said softly as Amos Thompson reached out and lovingly touched the top of his brother's head. Zeke Tanner, the homicidal werewolf, had not only killed Alex, he'd dishonored him by treating his body like this.
Ashe and Amos Thompson stood in Zeke Tanner's private study, waiting for the werewolf to walk inside. Amos was mourning for his brother as they waited.
"Craig, what do you have?" Winkler spoke on his cell.
"I got information on Zeke Tanner, that's what I have," Craig claimed. "Can I come to the house? I have photographs, too, of his new compound."
"You know, I'm not even going to ask how you got that," Winkler growled. "Come on, I have an hour I can give you this morning. That's it."
"Thanks. It won't take longer than that, I promise."
"What's that?" Zeke Tanner walked inside his office, talking on his cell. "He took the bait? That was easy. Put a bullet through his brain. That's all I ask." Zeke tapped end call on his cell and tossed it on his desk before sitting down.
"Hello, you murdering bastard." Amos Thompson stepped around his brother's body, revealing himself to Zeke Tanner. The dart rifle he carried was aimed at Zeke's heart.
"My werewolves are all over the place," Zeke growled. "All I have to do is yell and they come running. Want to die, you stupid shifter? Yeah, I can tell by your scent what you are."
"I have the place shielded, scream your lungs out," Ashe stepped from behind Amos Thompson.
"What the hell? Wildrif said you'd be disabled. For a long time," Zeke sputtered.
"Wildrif only thinks he knows what I am. He miscalculated. Badly. Ready, Mr. Thompson?" Ashe asked. "If you don't get him, I will."
"Oh, I'm ready, all right." Amos pulled the trigger. Zeke Tanner jerked as the dart pierced his chest. Amos watched in satisfaction as Tanner jerked once more as a large dose of lion snake poison entered his system. Zeke Tanner died, his last vision one of his killer, the boy and the white buffalo disappearing from his study.
"Craig, Winkler is waiting in his office for you." Trajan answered the door and allowed Craig to walk inside. "You remember where that is, don't you?"
"Sure." Craig nodded. "On the third floor."
"Yeah. Have fun." Trajan waved Craig through the foyer and the stairs leading to the second and third floors.
"Boss, he's not carrying anything except his cell phone and a gun," Trajan spoke softly in his cell.
"Figured as much," Winkler replied. "Thanks."
"Hello, Craig, have a seat," Winkler offered Craig one of the chairs in his office.
"That's all right," Craig waved away the offer. "I just came to give you this." He reached inside his pocket briefly, before a fearful expression crossed his face.
"Looking for this?" Ashe became corporeal, holding up the gun that had disappeared from Craig's pocket.
"What the hell?" Craig sputtered, backing away from Ashe.
"Your new boss is dead. Mr. Thompson shot him with a poison dart a few minutes ago," Ashe went on. "Mr. Winkler told you to sit. Sit!" Compulsion thundered from Ashe's voice on the last word. Craig sat down immediately.
"But how?" Craig's eyes darted from Winkler, whose arms were crossed furiously over his chest, to Ashe, who merely looked angry.
"I took Mr. Thompson and brought him back, that's how," Ashe snapped. "That white buffalo in Zeke's study? You remember that, don't you?"
"Y-yeah?" Craig nodded unwillingly.
"Mr. Thompson's brother, Alex. Mr. Thompson was understandably upset that Zeke killed his brother and then had him stuffed."
"B-but," Craig quavered.
"I made a promise to myself and a couple other people, Craig. I promised I'd go hunting as soon as I was able. You got added to that list this morning, when you came here to kill Mr. Winkler. Now, you can either die fighting Mr. Winkler, or I can take you down. Your choice."
"A shapeshifter taking me down? Faugh," Craig's voice held ridicule.
"See, that's where you miscalculated," Ashe pointed a finger at Craig. "Mr. Winkler, what do you want?"
"Kid, do your thing. I think I'd like to watch while Craig becomes one with the universe."
"Good enough," Ashe nodded. "Watch your feet, Craig. They'll go first."
Craig's shriek could be heard inside Winkler's beach house, from top floor to basement.
"I can make arrangements for a suitable carved box, Amos." Winkler knelt beside the sofa, where Amos and Flossie Thompson sat, staring at Alex's white buffalo.
"Where can we put it?" Amos turned reddened eyes to Winkler. "I'd like to bury him in a safe place, but I want Bear to see him before we do that."
"I know. Call and invite him over tonight, after he gets away from the school."
"I will."
"I'm not a hundred percent, yet," Ashe shrugged when Trajan asked. "Zeke Tanner's dead."
"I heard. Good job, kid." Trajan pulled Ashe into a hug.
"Mr. Thompson took him down. Perfect shot, too."
"Wish I could have seen it."
"Want to? See it, that is?" Ashe asked. "I warn you, it may be disorienting at first."
"You can do that?" Trajan sounded surprised.
"Yeah. I just have to do this," Ashe pressed fingers against Trajan's forehead. Images from earlier in the day played out in Trajan's mind.
"Tanner got it," Trajan settled on one of Winkler's guest chairs. "I guess the good thing about the kid handing out justice is there's no mess to clean up."
"Matt's got some of his flying to Tanner's compound—the kid gave me the location," Winkler sighed. "That place will be history after tonight. Matt plans to bomb the place."
"I don't blame him. Does he plan to use the excuse that a rival cartel attacked?"
"Yep. Who's gonna argue with that logic?"
"Nobody. Marco asked Cori to marry him. A few weeks early."
"The fact that she's wearing a big diamond was no giveaway, I'm sure."
"The kid gave me the images from Tanner's takedown. Amos plugged him, center of the chest. I have a feeling we have one less poison dart in the cabinet downstairs."
"You think I care?" Winkler snorted. "The Grand Master almost laughed his ass off when I told him."
"Any word on Wildrif?"
"Not yet. I got communication from Wlodek, through the Grand Master, too. Remember Radomir?"
"Yeah," Trajan nodded.
"He tailed Curtis Roberts. Roberts was going straight to the media, to let them know that werewolves and vampires were real. Radomir disabused him of that notion."
"That vampire is badass," Trajan grinned.
"Almost as badass as Montegue."
"No argument, there. Seemed to develop a soft spot for the kid, though."
"Both of 'em did."
"One of your informants is dead," Calhoun laid a folder on Curtis Roberts' desk.
"Who?"
"Zeke Tanner, in Mexico."
"What? That can't be right," Curtis stood quickly, staring in disbelief at his assistant.
"I hear through channels that Matt Michaels has the location of Tanner's compound. It'll be bombed to the ground before daybreak tomorrow morning."
Curtis cursed and tossed his chair across the room. He'd gotten the best information from Tanner. Now, Tanner was dead and Wildrif, Tanner's informant, had disappeared.
"It's that kid," Curtis snarled. "Somebody miscalculated. What the hell is he, Calhoun?"
"I'm not sure, sir."
"Well, I'm no longer interested in forcing him to work for me. In fact, maybe we ought to do a little bombing of our own. See what excuse we might use to attack two locations in South Texas, come Monday night."
"I will, sir. Right away."
"How do I look?" Friesianna smoothed the skirts of an embroidered silk gown.
"Like the Queen you are," Parlethis flattered Friesianna. "We are to meet outside the gate in Kansas City. If things become untenable, it merely requires the opening of the gate so we might pass through. Easy enough to get away, if we must."
"Good. Who is going with me? I wish to leave Rabis here. He keeps prattling about that wretched H'Morr and I can get nothing coherent from him."
"I have five more waiting to travel, my Queen."
"Very well. Let us go." Friesianna placed her hand on Parlethis' arm.
"I am ready, Laridael," Baltis announced. "Do you have my Destroyers ready to accompany us?"
"I do, my King," Laridael bowed.
"Then let us go."
"As you say."
Chapter 18
"That's Alex, all right. What did they do to you, buddy?" Bear knelt beside the buffalo and leaned his forehead against Alex's jaw.
"Tanner's dead," Amos Thompson muttered. "Kid helped me get him."
"Good. Amos, where were you thinking about putting Alex? I got an offer from the Grand Master. He says we can bury him on his property, in North Dakota. He'll be the only shifter laid to rest, there."
"I think that's a good idea. How are we going to ship the body?"
"I can do it," Ashe walked in. "If you don't mind."
"Kid, you can do anything you want. You gave us closure, today," Mr. Thompson said. "Bear and I will dig his grave. It's fitting."