The Bad Wolf (19 page)

Chapter
Twenty-Two

Chloe got off the bus then walked up the drive until she reached the clinic. Her mom’s green Outback was still parked outside. She pushed open the door then called, “Hey mom, it’s me.”

Karen came out of her office and sighed. Chloe could immediately
tell there was something wrong.

“What is it?”

Her mom pursed her lips and wrung her hands. “The black dog ran away.”

Chloe’s legs felt like they were made of
melted rubber. She even ran to the kennels to see for herself. She stared at the empty cage and felt as if she might sink into a pit of hopelessness. Ryan had abandoned her and Mackie was sure to find him.

“I’m sorry, honey.”
Karen’s hand rested on her shoulder. “I couldn’t stop him.”

Without saying anything, Chloe trudged back to her mom’s office then collapsed in the chair behind the desk. She pulled her math textbook out
with trembling hands and studied her homework. She needed something to take her mind off of Ryan’s absence.

Her mom sat in one of the chairs across from her and watched her for a few moments. “Thing is,” she started then shook her head. “He’s the smartest dog I’ve ever seen. He tricked me into taking o
ff that damned collar and leash then followed me around all day. I think he was just waiting for the chance to run.”

A
tear ran down Chloe’s cheek as she penciled an answer onto paper. She didn’t bother to wipe it away nor did she offer an explanation for it.

Karen pursed her lips and continued to study her daughte
r. “Mike came by this morning.”

Chloe laid the pencil aside
then stared up at her. “Please tell me you didn’t take him back.”

“
Not a chance.” Karen smoothed her lab coat then picked at the hem of one of the pockets. “He came in, asked me to forgive him, but I told him to get lost. Next thing I know, he’s being all threatening. He tried to hit me.”

“Oh my god, mom!
” Chloe gave her mom the once over, searching for signs of injury. ”Did he hurt you?”

Karen smiled. “No.
Your dog protected me. He bit Mike and forced him out of the clinic.”

Chloe wished she could tell her mom that it was really Ryan who saved her. Instead, she
came around the desk to hug Karen. “I’m glad you’re okay.”

Karen sighed in relief. “Me too, honey. If he hadn’t been here…”

“I wish he hadn’t run away.” Chloe rested her chin on her mom’s shoulder. “Did you see which way he went?”

“Into the woods,” Karen answered. “I guess I don’t have to run the lost dog ad in the paper now.”

“Mom, I was thinking…” Chloe released Karen then stepped back.

Karen took on a w
ary look, but didn’t interrupt.

“I’d like to join the search
party for Travis. I’ve already signed up.” Before her mom could tell her no, she continued, “There’s only a half day at school tomorrow so the student body can help find him. We’re going to group up and search the woods.”

“
I thought you didn’t like him.”

“I don’t, but I’d still like to find him.”

Karen thought about this for a moment. “Is this really your way of helping that other boy? Ryan?”

“What if it was me
? What if I was lost, hurt and alone out there? Or worse?”

She could tell her mom was going to
cave in and say yes. It was evident in the way she kept twisting her hands in her lap and biting her lower lip. Finally, she nodded and said it would be okay.

Hoping she wasn’t pushing her mom too much, she said,
“Amy, his sister, is going to Jenna’s house tonight to go over the map of the area we’ve been assigned. Can I go help? I don’t want to be the only one who doesn’t know what’s going on tomorrow.”

Karen st
ood. “Done with your homework?”

Chloe’s mood teetered on the brink of a meltdown. “Yes.”

“I’ll drop you off,” Karen said then grabbed her keys. As they pulled away from the clinic, she said, “I’ll be back at six to pick you up. I’ll need help cleaning and closing the clinic.”

On
the way over to Jenna’s, Chloe counted her blessings. Her mom had eased up a little and gave her some freedom, despite the restriction she’d placed on her. She wasn’t about to ask for extra time or any other favors. At least not yet.

She waved goodbye from the porch then went into the house. Jenna was the only one there and it sounded like she was in the kitchen.

“Hey,” Jenna greeted as she stirred a pot on the stove. “We’ve only got a few minutes before Amy gets here.”

Chloe slumped in one of the chairs and said, “What’s she up to? Since when does sh
e want anything to do with us?”

“I told her I could whip up a
location spell. She’s bringing something that belongs to Travis.” Jenna smiled. “I think she’s at the point where she’ll try anything to find him, even if it’s witchcraft.”

“I have to tell you something, but it can’t be repeated. Understand?” Chloe gripped Jenna’s hand and gave her a serious look.
“Promise me.”

Jenna sat next to her. “W
hat is it? Is something wrong?”

Chloe used the next two minutes
to tell Jenna about her cousin and how he’d been at the clinic. “Mom said he ran away this afternoon. Where would he go?”

“I don’t know.” Her friend looked dazed, almost as if she’d been slapped in the face
. “He didn’t even tell me. I thought Mackie and the pack still had him.”

“He’s okay, for now,” Chloe assured her.

Jenna wiped at her teary eyes, smearing the eyeliner a bit. Her voice was shaky and on the verge of breaking down completely. “And he got hit by a car?”

“Yeah, but he’s fine. I promise.” Chloe hugged her friend. “I
just wish I knew where he went after he left the clinic.”

Jenna shook her head. “What if Mackie finds him? He escaped. That’s going to look
really bad.”

A tentative knock sounded at the front door, announcing Amy’s arrival. Jenna wiped at her eyes agai
n and tried to compose herself.

Chloe let Amy into the house. Amy walked inside then looked around at the Sparks family living room. Her nose wrinkled slightly. She said nothing about the décor though it was evident she didn’t care for the mounted deer head over the fireplace or the simple, country decorations.

“Did you bring it?” Jenna asked from the kitchen doorway.

Amy nodded then searched her jeans pocket. She withdrew a
silver necklace with a fang charm then dropped it into Jenna’s palm.

“And the hair?” Jenna asked
as she laid it on the counter.

Chloe watched as
Amy rummaged through her purse. She withdrew a piece of plastic wrap and laid it atop the table. Carefully unfolding the plastic, she revealed two strands of blond hair.

“Are you sure they’re his?” Chloe asked as she peered at the wisps
lying atop the plastic.

Amy nodded. “I g
ot them out of his room. They were in his comb.”

Both Chloe and Amy sat in silence as they watched Jenna pick up the plastic then dump the hair into the pot simmering on the stove. She then b
egan chanting under her breath.

“Is this really going to work?” Amy asked. Her brows were pulled down as she watched Jenna’s ministrations over the stove.

Jenna didn’t answer and instead, continued to say the words required for the spell to work.

From the corner of her eye, Chloe noticed that Amy was staring at her. Turning to glare at the blonde, Chloe demanded to know why she was
looking at her.

Amy licked her lips then shot a glance at Jenna who was still
attending the pot. Returning her gaze to Chloe, she said, “I helped him escape.”

The spoon Jenna used to stir the concoction clanged against the pot. She cast a curious glance at
Amy then raised her brows.

Chloe asked, “Then you believe he’s innocent?”

Amy nodded. “I never believed he’d do something like this. Not to Josh, not to Travis. Dad is just lost and grasping at straws. Ryan was a convenient target since he and Travis don’t get along.”

“Has he found any clues yet? Does he have any idea who might have
killed Josh?” Chloe stood now, pacing the kitchen.

“No
. There were hardly any clues.” Amy said. “Whoever killed him didn’t do it on the beach. He was dumped.”

“How do you know?” Chloe asked.

“I’ve snuck a peek at dad’s files. If he’d been gutted like a fish right there on the shore, there would have been a lot of blood. There was only a small bit soaked into the sand around him.”

Jenna continued stirring the concoction on the stove. “Surely there were some clues at your house. Something left behind to indicate who took Travis?”

“There’s nothing there to tag anyone with. I think that’s part of the reason he went after Ryan.”

“Because Travis and Ryan are volatile,” Chloe finishe
d for her. “And because of me.”

“Yes,” Amy agreed. Her gaze was downcast as she said, “I’m not going to stand in his way. I care about Ryan, but I’m not his beloved.” She glanced at Chloe and grimaced. “If we were to try and force ourselves to be together, we’d just be unhappy.
He helped me understand that.”

Chloe chanced a smile.

Amy rolled her eyes. “Even so, he should be with one of his own kind. Not an outsider.”

“It’s done,” Jenna announced. She turned off the stove and sat the
pot on a metal trivet to cool.

“So how does it work?” Amy asked. She stood then peered at the pot’s contents.

Jenna said, “It sits over night to fully charge. Then in the morning, I’ll pour it over the necklace you brought.”

“That’s all?” Amy asked with a skeptical frown.

“Tomorrow, when we get to the woods, I’ll invoke the charm and it should lead us to Travis if he’s close by.” Jenna moved to the table to spread out the map.

“What if he’s not?”
The first inkling of worry tainted Amy’s voice.

Chloe stopped pacing the kitchen and returned to the table. She sat next to Jenna and glanced over the map of Hunde and the surrounding woods. “Then we’ll keep
looking. He’s got to be out there. Somewhere.”

Amy’s face grew red and her eyes b
egan to tear up. “What if he’s not? It’s been days.”

“Hey, we’re not gonna think like that,” Chloe said then picked up the pink highlighter. “No
w, where is our assigned area?”

Jenna took the highlighter from her and shaded in the area behind the school. “We’re here.”

Amy traced her finger across the other wooded areas and neighborhoods. She told them who would be covering each. Finally, she rested her fingertip over the area that was centrally located on the map. “My grandma will bring her van and set up a checkpoint here. She’ll have supplies like flashlights and first aid kits.”

Jenna nodded. “Mom and dad
are donating soda, water and snacks. They’ll drop them off tomorrow on their way to work.”

“What about dogs?” Chloe asked. “Are
they bringing in search dogs?”

Jenna and Amy exchanged a quick glance. Jenna said, “They really don’t need them… considering.”

“Duh,” Chloe groaned as she realized her mistake.

Amy actually smiled a little.
“Thanks for suggesting a search party, Chloe.”

Chloe shrugged. “With a little luck and Jenna’s charm, we’ll have a reason to throw a welcome home party.”

Amy’s eyes began leaking again and she actually leaned over to hug Chloe. Jenna bit back a smile and raised her brow. Stranger things had happened.

Chapter
Twenty-Three

Chloe watched the clock’s minutes tick by at a snail’s pace. It seemed like the day had gone on forever. When the bell finally rang at one o’clock, she hurried to the courtyard to meet Jenna and Amy. Sheriff Mackie and the other volunteers were already gathered there and it took a few moments for Chloe to find the girls.

Chloe glanced at Amy who was dressed in a simple shift dress. She and Jenna had dressed in jeans and tennis shoes. Smothering a smile, Chloe imagined Amy tromping through weeds, brush and sticker bushes in the woods.
Who the heck went to the woods in a dress anyway?

The sheriff looked terrible today. His hair was windblown and his clothes were rumpled.
Chloe imagined he’d worn the same uniform for days now. He stood on the stone bench in the middle of the group and shouted out instructions. He finished by reminding everyone to pick up a bag of supplies from Mrs. Grimes.

The crowd erupted in excited voices. Some continued to shout questions as others moved toward the parking lot where Mrs. Grimes waited.

Amy said, “I’ll go get our supplies.” Within seconds she disappeared in the mass of moving bodies.

Mackie
whistled and the sharp sound echoed off the brick buildings surrounding them. The crowd’s voices died to a dull murmur. He said, “Each team has been assigned a captain. I’ve already met with them, so if you have further questions, they should be able to answer them.”

Chloe glanced around at the students and adults milling about. Everyone wore a look of determination. There were a few that appeared to be making this time to visit and mess around. She suspected they’d only signed up to help so they could get out of class.

“Meet back here and check in before dark. If you find anything, anything at all, your team leader is to call me immediately.” He hopped off the stone bench then shouted, “Be safe out there, people!”

Jenna turned to Chloe and whispered, “What do you want to bet all the team cap
tains are members of the pack?”

Several minutes passed before the courtyard cleared enough for them to search for Amy.
She pushed through the throng of milling bodies and hurried toward them. “Ready?”

Jenna nodded then turned on her heel to move toward the back of the property. Chloe and Amy walked side by side behind her. Amy kept glancing at Chloe. She seemed on the verge of saying something as they passed the Ag building. Finally, she said, “Thanks for helping with this.
Especially after all we’ve done to you.”

Chloe forced her features to remain neutral. “We’ll find him.”

Jenna glanced over her shoulder. “Are we alone?”

Chloe nodded. “J
ust the three of us back here.”

Amy slipped her shoes off. She motioned for the tote bag full of supplie
s. “I’ll put my dress in here.”

Jenna stared at her a momen
t. “You’re going in wolf form?”

“Yeah, dad said it was okay since both of you know my secret.”

“Cool,” Jenna said then unhooked Travis’s necklace from around her neck. She laid it on the concrete then removed a small vial from her pocket. “Will you be able to understand us?”

Amy smirked. “Of course I can. I’m not some dumb dog.”

Diffusing the situation before Amy could get mad, Chloe pointed at Jenna’s potion and asked, “Is this really going to work?”

“Remember, w
e have to believe in the magic in order for it to take effect,” Jenna said as she unscrewed the cap. She held the nozzle over the charm and allowed several drops of the mixture to fall over the necklace, she said, “For the one who is out of sight. When we’re near, do burn bright.”

***

Chloe batted bugs out of her face as she stomped through another tangle of weeds. She was hot, itchy and starting to get crabby. The stupid necklace charm wasn’t working. It didn’t buzz or hum. It didn’t glow or blink. The silver fang just hung around Jenna’s neck like a worthless bauble.

Amy ran ahead in wolf form. Her head was only inches from the ground as she sniffed for signs that Travis had come through here
. She darted past trees and jumped over fallen brush piles as she frantically searched for her brother.

Chloe and Jenna yelled, “Travis!” for what seemed like the millionth time.
Still, there was no answer.

The emotions coming off Amy were full of anxiety
, hope and fear. She kept thinking she caught Travis’s scent, but would lose it just as quickly. At one point she didn’t know if she was picking up a fresh trail or an old one. Not to mention the olfactory overload since so many other creatures that had scurried through here.

Chloe knew exactly how she felt. A multitude of thoughts and emotions constantly bombarded her
and they all came from the animals hiding in the woods. The only way she could tune them out was by focusing on Amy’s frantic voice in her head.

Amy’s distress rang out in Chloe’s head. “Damn it! I
caught a whiff of him, but then I smell the rest of the pack. It must be residual from the last time we ran through here.”

Knowing bette
r than to reveal that she could hear all of Amy’s wolfy thoughts, Chloe simply said, “I don’t think she’s picking up anything.”

A branch snapped back and smacked Jenna across the face. She
cried out in pain then brushed at the spider web that was still attached to her hair. Wiping her hands down the legs of her jeans, she grimaced and said, “We’re getting nowhere.”

Chloe ducked
a low hanging branch then whispered to Jenna, “I’m not picking up anything. I can’t hear him at all. He’s either not here or in human form.”

Amy stopped on the trail up ahead. Her ears were twitching this way and that, listening for any sound that might give her a new lead. Her tongue lolled out of her mouth as she panted. When sh
e met Chloe’s gaze, she whined in disappointment.

Jenna stopped to pick a large burr off her pant leg.
She flung it at the tree next to them. “What should we do? We can’t wander around out here until dark. We’ll get lost.”

“Okay, let’s think about this for a second.” Chloe surveyed the dense trees surrounding them. The sun was blotted out and everything rested in shade. “If someone were to grab him then come this way, would they stay on the trail where people might see footprints?”

Jenna shook her head. “I don’t know. I’ve never kidnapped anyone before. I guess if I knew where I w
as going, I’d get off the path to make it harder to follow.”

Amy leapt to her feet then darted
into the trees. She ran with her nose low to the ground, searching for clues.

“Hey, don’t get out of sight!” Jenna called after her. “We don’t know the woods like you do.”

It seemed like they wasted hours wandering around the woods before Chloe said, “Look, your charm isn’t working and Amy hasn’t been able to track Travis. I think it’s safe to say he’s not out here.”

Amy brushed past them, leading them back to the trail.
It took a while before they reached the school. Amy darted behind the building to transform. Moments later, she rounded the corner and smoothed her dress. She sat on the concrete next to Chloe and frowned. “That was a complete waste of time.”

Chloe said, “So you and the pack sear
ched around your house, right?”

Amy’s
jaw had a grim set to it. “Yes. Dad was working and I was with Kelly. Travis was the only one at home.” She ran her finger along a crack in the concrete.

“And the pack didn’t pick up anything?” Jenna asked as she looked out at the trees they’d just come from.

Shaking her head, Amy said, “Dad thinks it’s someone Travis knew. He said Travis must have let them inside because there were no signs of break-in. They got into a scuffle and whoever it was dragged him outside, through Travis’s window. We lost the trail there. The kidnapper must have put him in a car.”

Chloe stared at Amy, trying to figure out how to say what was on her mind. “
You couldn’t identify the car?”

“Cars are hard.” Amy’s shoulders dropped and she sighed. “
They smell like fuel, rubber and anywhere the owner has been. There are usually too many scents to decipher, but this one was weird.”

“What do you mean?” Jenna asked as she picked more stickers from her sock.

“It was freshly washed. It smelled like wax and soap from the car wash.”

“And the kidnapper? No one recognized that either?” Chloe twisted a
lock of hair around her finger.

Amy sighed then shook her head. “Just as strange. I guess whoever did this knew we’d be able to track them. They sprayed that deer urine stuff hunters use to attract deer all over the place. Just under that, we could smell … wolf. But it wasn’t a normal wolf smell.”

“I’m not sure I understand.” Chloe released the lock of hair and allowed it to fall back in place. “Was it a wolf or not?”

Sudden tears shimmered in Amy’s eyes. “I don’t know!”

Jenna put an arm around Amy’s shoulders. Amy stiffened at Jenna’s touch, but within moments she relaxed. Her head rested on Jenna’s shoulder and she allowed herself to sob.

“Now what are we going to do?” Chloe s
pread the map out on the ground then marked off the places they’d already searched.

Jenna
pulled a water bottle out of the bag of supplies then gave it to Amy. She guzzled down half the contents then wiped her eyes. Her face was blotchy and red as she sat the water aside.

“I don’t know,” Jenna finally answered. “
We have to search close to where he is for the charm to work.”

Chloe continued to look over the map. She pointed to an area to the east of
the school. “What’s over here?”

Amy leaned closer. “Neighborhoods.”

“It’s in our search area,” Jenna said as she stood over them and peered down at the map. “Do you want to try over there?”

Amy bit her lower lip and looked out toward the trees. “He’s been gone two and a half days. Anything could
have happened to him.”

Though Chloe still didn’t trust the older girl, she knew Amy was scare
d and desperate for reassurance. “You can’t think like that. We’ll find him.”

Somewhere down the corridor, a
classroom door creaked open and startled Chloe. She twisted to peer between the buildings.

“I’m going to call dad,” Amy muttered as she pulled her phone out of the bag. She must have connected right away becaus
e she immediately began talking in a hushed voice. Chloe suspected she was fighting another round of tears.

Coach Lewis stepped out of the room
a few doors down from where they were sitting. What the heck was he doing in the biology classroom?

“Be right back,” Chloe scrambled up and
moved toward him.

“Any luck
with the search?” he asked then glanced toward the courtyard. His hands fidgeted with the bandage on his wrist and he looked like he wanted to bolt.

Chloe
shook her head. “No, not yet.”

“That’s too bad.”
Coach stared at her for several awkward moments then turned to go. As he moved away, Chloe noticed he was limping.

She jogged
after him. “Are you okay? What happened to your leg?”

It wasn’
t her imagination that he actually tried to speed up. Wincing each time his bum leg moved, he cast another glance back at her.

Chloe caught up to him
and grabbed his upper arm. “Wait, I need to talk to you.”

Jenna and Amy
hung back, watching Chloe with curious faces. Amy slid her phone into the bag then glanced at Jenna with a raised brow.

Coach groaned, seeming to realize
Chloe wasn’t going away. Finally, he answered, “Dog bit me.”

This close, she could see several angry scratch marks that ran down his throat then below the collar of his shirt.
There were more on his forearm. It looked like he’d been in a catfight with Sasquatch. She grimaced then said, “Your puppy seems awfully bitey lately. Maybe you should take him to obedience school.”

Casting a nervous glance at her, he said, “Yeah,
I guess he’s teething.”

“Listen,” Chloe said in hopes that he’d take the news well. “I just wanted to let you know that I won’t be
coming to practice anymore. I mean, it’s kinda awkward now that you and mom broke up.”

“Uh huh,” he said as he sped up a little.
The limp got worse as he moved faster.

Chloe dropped back and watched him hurry toward the parking lot. What the hell? She was a great runner
, one of the best on the team. Coach Lewis had even said so himself. It seemed weird that he didn’t even attempt to change her mind. He hadn’t even asked about cross-country next year.

She turned to look at her friends. Jenna was motioning her over and Amy’s face
looked pale as a ghost’s.