Into The Woods Ch 04

I may have her name and birth date but the driver's licence is otherwise useless. British Columbia is on the other side of the continent. Olivia King. Why don't you write it on a notebook already Jax? The drawings aren't any help either; kind of a shitty artist really, I hope she isn't considering making a career out of this.

Gods, it's been three days since I saw her and I've been scouring the online papers for a whisper of an animal attack. Googling her name turns up a random handful of blogs, and accounts on social media sites. It takes a whole day to sift through them and still nothing. I need another tactic. The only other clue her wallet gives is a student card.

This house is too small and with the pack on lock down I know I won't be able to wander far. I want to be out there physically tracking her down but the next supply run isn't for two weeks. I can't wait that long. She could convince herself it was all some trip or something, try to put the incident behind her. I need to act now while the memory's still fresh. Following her trail is out of the question. I traced it back as close as I dared to the Cavars' place then lost it on the road where she got in a car.

I settle on staking out the campus library in the weak chance we'll cross paths. Day one of the stakeout yields no results. Dammit, there's got to be a better way to do this. I was asked to sign up for a dozen stupid clubs and student societies, and pressed for cigarettes so much I think the entire college population has taken up the habit. I sit until my ass aches from the hard chairs and I've pushed my time limit for making curfew.

For days I do this, eating overpriced bagels and listening to the cacophony of conversations with my eyes glued on the entrance. The more time passes the more time I have to think and worry. My family's probably getting suspicious, I've never spent so much time off "hiking" before.

Every time I do this I feel like I'm about to be busted. Betraying my pack, doing all this to see a human, exposing us, it's a long list of laws I'm breaking. I just want to find her, it's like the longer I'm away from her the more I want her and I'm afraid little details are going to slip away. I need to see her and soon. Once you've met your mate you'll be miserable if you're separated, all you'll think about, dream about will be her. There'll be no sleeping, eating, watching TV, or playing X-box in my underwear to get rid of her.

At first I was uneasy around humans, they're creepy you know? It's almost like I'm afraid they'll smell that we're different, that something in our eyes will give us away and they'll haul us off to some lab to run tests or shit. At least that's what I picture. You can't trust humans, that's what everyone says. They've got fragile minds and need everything to fit neatly into their scientific rationale. Us well we can't be explained, we just are. Being on the supply run team has helped. The first time we went I didn't say a word to the cashier at the market. One of them bumped me on the shoulder and I nearly jumped a foot. How can I want her so much but find the others as similar to me as alternate life forms.

On a rainy Thursday fate steps in and gives me a bit of luck. I don't see her but I smell her. The half eaten sub drops and I look around the entrance. I can't see her, everyone's in coats and hoods. But the scent isn't that strong, almost like she brushed against someone. Tossing the rest of my lunch in the garbage I follow it into the computer lab. The door shuts behind me and the only sound is everyone clacking away at their machines.

I inhale deep, it's not exactly like I remember it. Scanning the lab for her I see a brunette with her back to me. That's it, that's her. The closer I get the stronger her scent gets even though it's a little off.

"Excuse me," I say touching her shoulder.

The girl swivels to face me on her chair a surprised look on her face.

"What?" she asks pulling out an ear bud.

"Sorry," I stutter. She can't have the exact same smell as her. "Do you -- are you Olivia King?"

"No, she's my roommate."

"Oh, do you know where I can find her?" I ask lowering my voice after getting a few dirty looks.

"Why don't you just text her," she says starting to put the ear bud back in.

"I don't have her number, but it's important I get in touch with her."

The eyebrows go up and she folds her arms. "How come?"

"I have something of her's that she'll want back."

"I can make sure she gets it."

"I need to give it to her myself."

"SSSSShhhhhhhh!"

"I'll give you her number," she says holding out a hand. I hold out my hands and shrug my shoulders. She makes a sound in her throat then turns back around ripping off a piece of paper and scribbling something down on it. "Here."

"Thanks." She presses her lips together in a strange way and nods curtly then spins back around and grabs her phone.

I find the nearest pay phone and dial the number. It rings fives times until I hear "Hi there! Record your message after the beep," in a computer voice. Groaning I hang up and try again. Still the same thing. I hang the phone back up and press my forehead against it closing my eyes. When I open them I see feet moving quickly past. Humans. Hundreds of them streaming past me. Some even lean against the box smoking. I'm completely surrounded, the air is constricting but I don't open the door.

I dial the number until I'm down to my last few quarters. She's got to answer. Why isn't she answering? I can't call from home. It needs to be here. Now.

There's knock on the door. A man wearing some kind of security uniform. No gun on his belt though.

"Everything okay sir?"

I nod and hold the phone to my ear.

"What's in the bag sir?" I shake my head and gesture to the phone. I must be doing something wrong because he gets an even more sour look on his face.

"I'm going to ask you to step outside the phone booth."

"What?"

"Step outside the phone booth, sir."

"I'm making a phone call." He steps away and speaks into a radio attached to his shoulder. I see two more men in uniforms coming down a sidewalk to the right.

"This is the last time I'm going to ask for your co-operation sir."

"Look there's nothing in the bag!" I say opening it up to show him the contents. I hang up the phone and open the door. "Hey!" The man reaches for something in his belt, making a move toward me and I step back dodging him. The other two are closing in fast and we're starting to draw a crowd.

I could run, easily, or fight them off but that would cause an even bigger scene.

"Sir we'd just like you to come with us and answer a couple of questions."

"About what? There's nothing in the bag!" I tell them again holding it open.

"Just the same."

"Am I -- are you arresting me?"

One grabs my arm and I fight every instinct not to shake him off. The second does the same to the other side and they take me into a large building. I still have the bag clutched tight. They take me into an office and as soon as the door closes a light snaps on.

Doesn't one of the Carvers work for the university? Not one of the ones that tries to encroach on our land, but a cousin or something. I look from officer to officer trying to figure out which one it might be. They take the bag and rifle through it. It makes me clench my jaw to watch them touch her things.

"Satisfied? Don't I need to be read my rights?"

One sits on the edge of the desk. "You know exactly why you're here."

"Am I under arrest or something?" I've seen enough cop shows to know how this is supposed to go.

"Give us a minute," he says to the other two. They give each other a look then leave. "I don't know what you think you're doing this far off the reservation wolf boy. But if I were you I'd best turn tail and run on home."

I open my mouth but he interrupts holding up a hand, "And don't insult my intelligence but trying to deny it. You're one of them. Now me personally well I say live and let live, but you're coming into my town. What do you think you're doing with some girl's bag? Thought your kind kept to themselves?"

I keep my mouth shut tight.

"You know what I bet? I bet you were the one that attacked that girl out there."

"How dare you-"

"Sit down and shut up. So what happened? These hikers get off the beaten trail a bit? See something they shouldn't have?" He sits down across from me folding his hands. If this is his good cop routine it needs some work. "Got nothing to say? I'll leave you here to think on it."

"You can't keep me without cause, not to mention you're just campus security."

His nostrils flare but he knows I'm right. "Next time you come into this town, you won't leave it. We clear?"

"Yes." The only thing we're clear on is next time you won't see me coming.

By the time I leave the office the sun's gone down and the campus is nearly deserted. Finally it feels like I can breathe again. I've more than missed curfew and I try to run through a few options of excuses. Got lost? Weak. Lost track of time? Better. Was pinned down somewhere by a Cavar. Not even a lie. I slow as I pass the phone booth. The phone's still dangling from its cord. I pat my pocket and feel a couple coins in the bottom. Opening the door the light turns on and I pick up the receiver. One last time's worth a shot ain't it?

I put my last quarters in and punch in each number real slow. Please pick up. Please be there. It rings and rings. I swear and pull it away.

There's a small click, then "Hello?"