he set the
shovel down and called to his gelding. "Git over here, boy."
The brown horse snorted and his ears lay flat
then perked up.
"Come on. Don't do this to me." Charlie loved
his horse and tried not to take offense, but it was hard.
He removed an apple out of his pocket and
held it out. "Got somethin' for ya."
Spirit appeared interested.
"I ain't a wolf. Come 'ere." Charlie entered
the wooden fenced enclosure and most of the other horses scattered
to the far end. "Come on, big fella. Show 'em it's jus' me. Jus'
yer ole Charlie."
He reached the apple out to Spirit, wondering
if the horse was confused. Charlie's shape was right but perhaps
his scent was not. The big gelding stood his ground as Charlie
moved closer. The rest of the horses made noises of worry and their
body language told Charlie he was not trusted. "Come 'ere,
darlin'."
Spirit stretched his neck and flapped his
lips at the treat. Charlie didn't let him have it until he held
onto Spirit's halter strap. The horse jerked to rear up but in the
end, wanted the apple. Charlie fed it to him as he bit it in half.
He leaned against Spirit and sighed. "It's me. Ya know no matter
what I smell like, it's jus' me."
Spirit finished the apple, letting Charlie
pet him and run his hand down his long neck.
"Charlie?"
Spirit panicked and reared up on his hind
legs, nearly trampling the other horses to get away.
Charlie noticed Roman's surprise. "Did I do
that?"
"Yeah." Charlie approached him, climbing out
of the paddock. "Scent. We stink like predators."
Roman sniffed his hands. "Should I put on
cologne?"
Charlie tried not to roll his eyes. That
trick hadn't worked two years ago, it wouldn't now. "What? What did
ya want?"
"I have addresses in Salt Lake City for a few
of the people we listed on the report. So, they aren't all
gone."
"Okay." Charlie walked to the barn to feed
the chickens.
"Phil is going to meet me out there. You
know, when we go. So, I want to go."
"Go?" Charlie turned on an inside light and
picked up a bag of feed. The chickens took interest but kept their
distance.
"Yes. Go to Vernon's place."
"When?" Charlie threw a handful of the feed
on the ground and the chickens went for it, pecking at it and
flapping their wings.
"When? Now. Tomorrow. As soon as
possible."
Charlie met Roman's gaze. "We can't just pick
up and go. When did you ask the day workers to start covering for
us?"
"Thursday."
"Then we got four days to stay 'round here. I
can't ask them to be here fer almost a week."
"So?" Roman folded his arms over his leather
jacket. "I have to deal with this? No big deal?"
"I'm not sayin' that." Charlie put the feed
bag down and brushed off his hands.
"Yes. You are. You're basically telling me to
put up with this shit again even when we know the answer to our
problem is in Utah."
"You go." Charlie headed to the coup to check
for eggs.
"Go? Alone? Drive to Utah and turn into a
wolf on the way? Really? You're good with that?"
"If you would just learn how to control that
temper of yers." Charlie filled a small basket with fresh brown
eggs.
"Fine. Me and Butch will go."
Charlie spun around, meeting Roman's gaze.
"No."
"Why not?" Roman tapped his shoe
impatiently.
"'Cuz I said so."
"Charlie!" Roman threw up his hands. "I can't
go to work with this wolf-shit back. Either let me and Butch go or
come with us."
Charlie glared at him. "You think it's so
damn easy. Jus' pack up an' go. No worries about the horses, the
damn goats and chickens. Huh? The guy who drives to Reno every day
for his 'secret agent' job can't figure out why this is full time,
twenty-four-seven?"
"I'm sick and need to get this curse removed
again!" Roman showed his teeth. The chickens scattered and clucked,
running in every direction. "And I can't work! You get that? I
can't go back until I get rid of this thing … again !"
"You want Butch? Huh?" Charlie put the basket
down and poked Roman's chest. "You want him alone? Is that what
this is all about?"
"No! But
shovel down and called to his gelding. "Git over here, boy."
The brown horse snorted and his ears lay flat
then perked up.
"Come on. Don't do this to me." Charlie loved
his horse and tried not to take offense, but it was hard.
He removed an apple out of his pocket and
held it out. "Got somethin' for ya."
Spirit appeared interested.
"I ain't a wolf. Come 'ere." Charlie entered
the wooden fenced enclosure and most of the other horses scattered
to the far end. "Come on, big fella. Show 'em it's jus' me. Jus'
yer ole Charlie."
He reached the apple out to Spirit, wondering
if the horse was confused. Charlie's shape was right but perhaps
his scent was not. The big gelding stood his ground as Charlie
moved closer. The rest of the horses made noises of worry and their
body language told Charlie he was not trusted. "Come 'ere,
darlin'."
Spirit stretched his neck and flapped his
lips at the treat. Charlie didn't let him have it until he held
onto Spirit's halter strap. The horse jerked to rear up but in the
end, wanted the apple. Charlie fed it to him as he bit it in half.
He leaned against Spirit and sighed. "It's me. Ya know no matter
what I smell like, it's jus' me."
Spirit finished the apple, letting Charlie
pet him and run his hand down his long neck.
"Charlie?"
Spirit panicked and reared up on his hind
legs, nearly trampling the other horses to get away.
Charlie noticed Roman's surprise. "Did I do
that?"
"Yeah." Charlie approached him, climbing out
of the paddock. "Scent. We stink like predators."
Roman sniffed his hands. "Should I put on
cologne?"
Charlie tried not to roll his eyes. That
trick hadn't worked two years ago, it wouldn't now. "What? What did
ya want?"
"I have addresses in Salt Lake City for a few
of the people we listed on the report. So, they aren't all
gone."
"Okay." Charlie walked to the barn to feed
the chickens.
"Phil is going to meet me out there. You
know, when we go. So, I want to go."
"Go?" Charlie turned on an inside light and
picked up a bag of feed. The chickens took interest but kept their
distance.
"Yes. Go to Vernon's place."
"When?" Charlie threw a handful of the feed
on the ground and the chickens went for it, pecking at it and
flapping their wings.
"When? Now. Tomorrow. As soon as
possible."
Charlie met Roman's gaze. "We can't just pick
up and go. When did you ask the day workers to start covering for
us?"
"Thursday."
"Then we got four days to stay 'round here. I
can't ask them to be here fer almost a week."
"So?" Roman folded his arms over his leather
jacket. "I have to deal with this? No big deal?"
"I'm not sayin' that." Charlie put the feed
bag down and brushed off his hands.
"Yes. You are. You're basically telling me to
put up with this shit again even when we know the answer to our
problem is in Utah."
"You go." Charlie headed to the coup to check
for eggs.
"Go? Alone? Drive to Utah and turn into a
wolf on the way? Really? You're good with that?"
"If you would just learn how to control that
temper of yers." Charlie filled a small basket with fresh brown
eggs.
"Fine. Me and Butch will go."
Charlie spun around, meeting Roman's gaze.
"No."
"Why not?" Roman tapped his shoe
impatiently.
"'Cuz I said so."
"Charlie!" Roman threw up his hands. "I can't
go to work with this wolf-shit back. Either let me and Butch go or
come with us."
Charlie glared at him. "You think it's so
damn easy. Jus' pack up an' go. No worries about the horses, the
damn goats and chickens. Huh? The guy who drives to Reno every day
for his 'secret agent' job can't figure out why this is full time,
twenty-four-seven?"
"I'm sick and need to get this curse removed
again!" Roman showed his teeth. The chickens scattered and clucked,
running in every direction. "And I can't work! You get that? I
can't go back until I get rid of this thing … again !"
"You want Butch? Huh?" Charlie put the basket
down and poked Roman's chest. "You want him alone? Is that what
this is all about?"
"No! But
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