Chapter 17 – The Word on the Street

  “While I agree with creating special procedures to handle any… ah paranormal interactions, we must also consider that there may well be paranormal individuals in ‘every’ part of our society. Civilians, firefighters, w enforcement, hell I wouldn’t be surprised to learn there are some in the highest reaches of our government.” Chief of police during a closed-door meeting with the governor.

  Chief Henry Schmidt was a tall man with a round, pale face. His ginger facial hair fading to a light brown somewhere around the temples. He strode forward with hesitant steps, stopping several yards from the front of Kurt’s car.

  “Just what we fucking needed.” Kurt said as he unbuckled. “You can come but be aware, I have no idea what he wants.” Kurt said to Val as he opened the door.

  Val hopped out of the car too, walking around to meet Kurt and walk forward side by side. The wind shifted slightly, and she got her first scent of the sheriff. He was definitely a wolf but not the same as Kurt. She thought about it, and decided it was closer to the other lycans back in the order.

  “Morning Mr. Rosk.” Henry said as they got close enough to have a conversation without yelling.

  “Chief Henry.” Kurt said ftly. “To what do we owe the pleasure?”

  Henry looked him up and down a few times, then moved his eyes to Val and gave her a quick once over. He was likely scanning for any weapons out of habit. “I received a rather interesting letter.” He pulled out a neatly opened envelope. “I also received it in a rather unconventional way.”

  Val leaned into Kurt and whispered into his ear. “That’s the order’s LEO letter. Pretty much tells local high-ranking para’s that you are a vested agent of the organization and to cooperate with you for investigations or more direct actions. I think a few more went out for non-paras in your home county too. Those other letters to non para are a little more sterilized and don’t mention your race at all.”

  Kurt nodded to her words before turning his attention back to Henry, who had patiently waited for them. “Is this going to be a problem? I don’t want anything to do with…” He was cut off by Henry waving a hand.

  “No, no. Its no problem.” He said and shook his head. “I’m sorry for the nature of this meeting Mr. Rosk but I just received it st night when it popped into existence a foot above my desk with a whisp of something that smelled like fresh cut grass. Honestly it was the strangest damn thing.” He admitted. “Anyway, I eventually got over the strangeness and just read it. I was going to call but…”

  “But I don’t have a number.” Kurt finished hie sentence with a sigh. “So, you put a notice on my car and got the message when we rolled in.”

  “Yup, got it in one.”

  Kurt just waved his hand between them. “So, what is it you need today?” While he rexed a little, he didn’t let his guard down.

  The chief motioned for them to follow and began walking back to his car. “I was hoping to start fresh and work with you. Not sure the details but the letter made it sound like you might be able to intervene where the w can’t, or rather, won’t.” He opened the back hatch of the SUV and pulled out a cardboard box with several file folders in it.

  “What’s this?” Val said as she leaned over, looking into the container. “Case files?”

  Henry nodded. “Yeah. They are files from the past few months. Lots of missing persons that we couldn’t make heads or tails of. I had one of my in-the-know detectives ask around on them. He looked on both sides of the veil for anyone who knew anything, but came up bust. He was about to go ask your friend John about it when the whole letter thing happened.”

  Kurt looked to Val, and she nodded before speaking. “This falls within our jurisdiction and purview.” She said and took the box. “We will look into this, Chief Henry.”

  “Uh, thanks. I didn’t get your name and haven’t seen you around before.” Henry said, fishing for information.

  “Val.” she said, bracing the box and offering her hand. “Kurt’s girlfriend, and in this case, partner.”

  “If there’s nothing else?” Kurt asked.

  Henry looked back to him and fished in his pocket before pulling out a business card. “My personal cell is on the back. Please let me know if you find anything. I can’t promise much in assets above the board but might be able to help in other ways.”

  Takin the card, Kurt turned it over and saw the phone number handwritten on the back. “We will see what we can do.” He nodded to the Police Chief. “Have a good day.” He said before turning and walking back to the car. He really didn’t want to be there anymore.

  Val smiled once more at the Henry before turning to follow after Kurt. She noticed the muscles in his neck and back were bulging slightly and he looked tense. She threw the box in the trunk with the other boxes, turning just in time to see the Chief pull away and turn out of the parking lot. She got back in the car and saw Kurt with his eyes closed and breathing deeply.

  After a few moments, he opened his eyes and turned to Val. “Sorry, just something about other wolves makes me edgy. For that matter, most other elves do too.”

  She looked at him, concern on her face as she pced her hand on his arm. “It’s the whole alpha wolf thing. As for elves, well that might be a side effect of being a hybrid. I even get a little edgy around other dark elves and some kitsune.”

  Kurt shrugged and started the car. “Maybe. Or it might just be him.” He said with a ugh. “How about an early lunch and we can talk about what we want to do this afternoon.” Val agreed and they went in search of a pce to eat.

  *****

  Henry shivered slightly as he drove back to the station. Something about Kurt freaked him out and he didn… No, he knew exactly what it was. He could still vividly picture what was in that alley with his son. It was the reason people thought werewolves were monsters, the ancient past come back to life. He thought it was strange since Kurt was a genuinely decent guy, despite being a bit of a loner.

  He did find it rather interesting that he was dragged into the Order Stabilitas, likely with an offer he couldn’t refuse. Also, his ‘partner’ Val was a bit of an enigma and probably part of the order. Henry wasn’t sure what she was but the 2 of them seemed to get along just fine which narrowed his suspicions to someone of mixed heritage.

  In any event, Henry hoped that they could help out with the missing people. He had a bad feeling about the cases and had heard some rather unsettling rumors from other departments and sheriffs. He would have to tolerate working with Kurt if it meant some extra firepower for their part of the state.

  *****

  Kurt and Val had found a nice spot for lunch, enjoying the warm summer day with the breeze coming off the water. After eating, Val had wanted to see the dunes that were advertised on almost every billboard. So, they drove over and climbed the dunes, taking in the views from the top.

  Val had even snuck a few pictures in of her and Kurt, doing a couple selfies with the ke as a backdrop. She said that she wanted to send them to her mom and dad when they got a chance. That reminded Kurt that his own parents wanted to have a video call soon. After walking around for half an hour and filling their shoes with sand, they returned to the car and moved on to their next stop.

  “So, what is it exactly?” Val said as they pulled up to the rather imposing building. “Is it creepy? Cause it looks creepy.”

  With a little chuckle, Kurt answered. “It’s called the commons. In the basement of what was a mental hospital, there are a bunch of little shops, and some wineries have set up down there along with a couple pces nearby.”

  “And its in an old asylum? You know this has horror movie written all over it.” Val said when they got out and began walking across the parking lot.

  Kurt led them to the entrance, Val gripping his hand as they walked down the ramp. “I hear they do haunted tours…” he tried to finish before Val swatted him, telling him to not even think about it.

  Together they toured the sub terranean boutiques, sampling and purchasing a few of the spirits from a local distillery. Kurt went with some vodka options while Val found a whiskey called Ole’ George that she rather liked. After they wandered around they decided to call it and made their way to the entrance where she asked a very important question.

  “Why cherries?” She asked on the way back to the car. “Everything was cherry fvored or was made of them. Is it popur here?”

  “Ah, no. This area is known for them so they have a cherry festival and a few other things to go along with it.” Kurt expined. “So, want to stick around here for dinner or do you want to head back?” he asked as they put their bags in the car.

  Val looked at the sky, then feeling silly, looked at her watch. “Well, you said you wanted to talk to John, right? Why don’t we head there, and it would be just before the dinner rush. We get a bite to eat, head home and settle in with plenty of time.”

  Raising an eyebrow, Kurt was pretty impressed. “Are you sure? I don’t want to cut our time short.”

  Leaning over and giving him a kiss on the cheek, Val reassured him that it was fine. Her main argument was they would have plenty of time together and was sure they could do dinner out there at any time. So, they made their way back to Petoskey after a little day trip that gave more than they expected.

  When they arrived at Johnny’s Pce, the front parking lot only had a handful of cars, likely belonging to retirees judging by the appearance. They both scanned the lot, alert for any more people standing around suspiciously. Seeing nothing but a dy in her 40’s walking a beagle, they went inside.

  The same hostess was at her stand and said they could seat themselves anywhere in the bar area. Unlike st time, there was an actual bartender doing his prep work for the night. He waved and greeted them as they headed for the small corner booth. The waitress came over and took their orders, suckering Val into the special that evening which was a 3-course prime rib dinner. Kurt went with the ‘catch of the day’ which was just fish and chips.

  “I wasn’t expecting to see you guys so soon.” John said as he came over, wiping his hands on a dish towel. He looked around to make sure there weren’t any eavesdroppers as he sat on Kurt’s side of the booth. “I’m gd you did though. I reached out to that dryad we get some of our produce from out in Charlevoix.”

  “Oh? What did she have to say?” Kurt asked. He wasn’t aware of a dryad farmer in that area but then again, he was somewhat new to the area.

  John waited for the bartender to bring their drinks over and leave before continuing. “She said that her sentinels have been detecting strange currents in the mana. Not like when there’s a storm or the seasons change. She said that it was like it just disappeared before coming back as something different.”

  Val leaned forward after taking a rge sip of her soda. “What kind of different?”

  “Don’t know. She did say that there was suddenly a lot less a couple days ago before it all started trickling back in.” John said then gave them both a onceover. “You wouldn’t know about that would you? She mentioned it was coming from this direction.”

  “That was likely the rift.” Val said.

  Kurt thought that sounded about right. “Do you think I can ask her about the mana thing? You said she had a phone, right?”

  John ughed and leaned back for the waitress to put their food in front of them. “Only one that don’t have one is you, Kurt.”

  Seizing his chance, Kurt pulled his phone out of his pocket and waved it at John. “Jokes on you, I have a permanent one now.” After John stopped ughing, they exchanged contact information, Val included.

  “Well, I’ll let you eat in peace. Just give me till tomorrow so I can warn her about you callin.” John said as he slid out of the booth and headed to the back of the restaurant.

  Kurt looked back to his food and noticed that one of his fish was missing and some of his fries had gone with it. He looked to Val as she stuffed one st fry in her mouth and grinned sheepishly. She had the decency to offer him a few bites off her pte in return, but it reminded him about her mischievous nature.

  They finished their meals and headed back to the house. When they got there, Val convinced Kurt to send Chief Henry a courtesy text and share this phone number. She also said she would send the case files over to Penny so their analysts could compile it and create digital copies.

  Val went to shower while Kurt unloaded the car. He stocked the booze and put away the other snacks they had bought from the boutiques. Then he began the process of ferrying all the boxes down to the basement.

  It wasn’t hard for him since he had some extra lycan strength, but it was still a dozen trips with heavy, little boxes. After unloading and putting the car in the garage, Kurt began to unbox everything and put it all away. The first thing he did was dispose of the cartons that the parts came in and sorted everything into piles.

  The rgest pile was the ammunition. There were 2 types with 5 boxes of each type. A single case was also set aside with a small box on top. Then was a couple of smaller pstic boxes that contained reloading dies for both calibers. The third and smallest pile was just a few parts that were still wrapped in foam and packaging tape.

  Dressed in her finest fnnel pajama bottoms and a tank top, Val walked into the room. “So, what did you order and why go through them?” She asked as she leaned over and gave him a kiss on the cheek.

  Pointing to the two stack of boxes Kurt began listing everything. “The ones with a six on the side are a thousand rounds each of a newer cartridge called six Maxx. That load is an eighty-five-grain hollow point which should be coming out at about three thousand FPS out of a fourteen-inch barrel.” He then gestured to a locker that hadn’t been opened yet.

  “This stack with the six-point-five on the side is an older cartridge that I took an interest in called six-five CBJ. It’s a necked down nine mil but is better for armor and is ftter shooting. The single box is a caliber I wanted to look at converting some of my ten mil guns to called seven-point-five FK. Same deal as the six-five, just a necked down ten mil this time.”

  “What about the pstic boxes?” Val said as she walked over and opened one, seeing the threaded inserts cradled inside.

  “Reloading dies for the first two.” Then he anticipated her next question. “Those parts are to convert some guns I have to six-five. The reason I had them order is because the company for six-five didn’t want to sell direct. Also, I got a bulk discount from a commercial loader for the six mil.”

  Val stood up and looked at the piles arrayed before them. She didn’t know much about the specifics of each cartridge but also Kurt was into that kind of stuff. She smiled and walked back over to him. “So, are we still staying with the same guns or do I get something new.”

  “Its pretty much the same gun.” Kurt said as he began to put the boxes neatly against a wall and secure the parts and dies in lockers. “Just a bigger bullet.”

  Val helped him stack things up and then gave him a pat on the butt, telling him to go shower and she would handle the case files and get in touch with Penny. Kurt showered and changed, coming back out into the kitchen and seeing the kitsune rummaging around in his cabinets.

  “Hey, can you help me find the gsses? I want to try the stuff we bought while we watch a movie.” She said, looking over her shoulder.

  “Next cabinet over, the one in the corner.” Kurt said while retrieving the bottles from the pantry. He also brought out the ice tray for them. “How do you like it?”

  “Well, I liked it enough to buy it.” She said with a roll of her eyes.

  Kurt snorted. “I meant do you mix it, like it neat, over ice, that kind of thing.”

  Blushing slightly, Val said she would like to try it over ice since they had it neat in the tasting room. “Ice? I liked the taste so… Ugh, I don’t know.” She finally wined.

  Putting a little ice into the gsses, Kurt poured their drinks. Val had her whiskey, and he had a wheat vodka. Then they grabbed a couple snacks and headed downstairs. Val chose the movie and picked a cssic action film after seeing the title. Apparently, it was a bit of a cult cssic within the order.

  Moments ter, they were watching the opening scene of Predator. They watched the movie, contentedly snuggled on the couch. Neither one of them remembered the ending, since they both nodded off before it finished.

  Kurt woke up to a tickling sensation on his nose. He tried to ignore it and pull the bnket higher up, but the bnket was strangely heavy and not the right shape. He exhaled heavily through his nose and then felt the tickle again. This time he brushed at it and felt something soft that sprung back and tickled his nose.

  Opening his eyes, Kurt looked around that dimly lit room. He was lying on his back on the couch with a really heavy bnket… nope, just a normal Val ying on top of him. Her ear was flicking as he breathed out his nose which was causing the tickle that led to his current situation.

  Reaching up over and over his head with his free arm, he felt around the end table. Soon his fingers brushed his phone, and he clicked the screen to see that his arm was about to go off. Waiting patiently, he saw the icon pop up and he dismissed the arm before it even had a chance to ring.

  Now moving on to his next problem, Val. She was currently ying atop him, breathing deeply and still asleep. Normally Kurt would just y there till she woke up, but he had to start making his way to a bathroom.

  With a sigh, Kurt ran his fingers through her hair, gently moving her around to get her to wake up. After a minute of moderate pestering, Val opener her eyes, blinking as she looked at Kurt from a couple inches away.

  “Is it already time to get up?” she said sleepily.

  “Not sure about that but its time for me to find a bathroom.” He said and began to roll Val over so he could sit up. She eventually moved with only a slight amount of grumbling.

  Kurt went to the bathroom and when he returned to the kitchen, he found Val making coffee. He let her make it, not taking over if she was willing to get it started. Instead, he pulled out a pad of paper and began writing down a list of things he wanted to get done.

  With coffee in hand, they went out to the porch and watched the sunrise like they had on Val’s first morning there. Kurt was hoping for a productive day off so he could get some actual work done.