The Marradith Ryder Series, Bonus Story #3
Via Lobos, California— May 29, 1968
The house was the only thing for five miles around. In the stillness of the desert landscape, the column of the fireplace and the stone front of the house peered out like a sandy chameleon, it’s color bleached pale as the dust.
Justin wiped his forehead with the back of his hand. It had been a long drive, and his tank was half empty. He hoped that this was the right place, as the next gas station was probably a good ten miles back up the interstate.
The doorbell didn’t work. He knocked on the door a full minute before someone answered.
A man pulled open the door. He was shirtless, wearing a pair of old jeans. His eyes were bloodshot, and he seemed to have trouble concentrating on the face of his visitor.
“Yeah? You came to see her.”
Justin stepped back, suppressing the urge to punch him. “Yes. Is she here?”
“Somewhere man,” came the slurred reply. “Come in, look around.”
Justin stepped inside, relieved to feel the air conditioning was on full blast. It was dark and cool inside as well. The man shuffled out of view, and he did not bother to follow him.
Justin looked around. The fireplace mantle was crowded with candles of different shapes and colors. He noticed the thickest of the candles in it’s glass container with the picture of the Virgin Mary on the front of it.
Stumbling into the kitchen, he found himself a clean glass and ran cool water from the tap.
It tasted delicious to his dry mouth.
“I’d have made an effort to clean things up if I’d known you were coming.”
Justin turned.
Fiona stood in the doorway with her arms crossed. She wore a long yellow dress. She was barefoot. Her wavy red hair fell loose around her face.
“You need to do something about… well, security. Your buddy just let me wander on in.”
She smiled. “I am sure Pete could tell you’re a Wolf. They all come see me here. He’s one of the young ones. Can’t handle his beer, or his drugs yet, so you’ll have to excuse him.”
“What are you doing, living out here?”
She shrugged. “What? I don’t deserve a sabbatical?”
Justin put down his glass. “You just up and left. You know the rules. It didn’t go over well.”
“And you’re here to bring me back?”
“They send me where they want me to go. And yes, the idea is to bring you back in.”
She went over to the table, which was covered with filthy plates, and began putting them in the sink.
“So what are you doing on this….vacation?” He asked. “Rumor has it this is the local party house.”
She raised an eyebrow. “Not really. There’s a small Pack around here. They come out. I give them things. Sometimes medicine, when they need it. Other times, just beer. Or food.”
“Drugs….?”
She sighed. “Nothing that will hurt them.”
“What do you get in exchange?”
“They keep people I don’t want away.”
“You haven’t thought that might not attract attention?”
“There’s a commune a few miles from here. And a lot of houses where people go to party. I don’t see anyone asking questions but you.”
“Your talents as a Shifter are wasted here.”
“Justin. Save me the speeches. You want me to go, then fine. I knew somebody would show up. Eventually.”
“Were you hoping it would be Rafael?”
She looked down and didn’t reply. Her silence was his answer.
“Are you ready to leave? Or,” he paused. “Would you rather I say that I didn’t find you?”
“He sent you for me?”
“Maybe. I don’t know who the order came from. ”
Fiona shook her head. “That doesn’t matter. It’s not like we’re married. And these days, a woman doesn’t have to be.”
“I’m not going to tell you what to do about him. But you need to get out of this place,” he said softly. “This is not like you.”
“Maybe this is just like me,” she snapped. “Maybe you didn’t notice.”
It was Justin’s turn to be silent. What did she expect him to say?
“If you want me to leave,” she said. “Then make it worth my while. Take me someplace I want to go before I have to report back in for work.”
He touched her face. “Okay. Where would you like to go?”
“Your house in Spain. We had fun there.”
He leaned forward and kissed her mouth. “Alright. Spain it is.”
______
©2010 Lori Titus
Lori’s anthology through Sonar4 Publications, Green Water Lullaby, is available for pre-order: http://www.sonar4publications.com/green.html
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MUSIC for this episode? Click here: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xKpIPhc2g2I
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Tags: Lori Titus, Marradith Bonus Story
January 19th, 2010 at 7:32 am
Man, your wolf world gets bigger and bigger. Spain sounds good to me too.
January 23rd, 2010 at 10:51 pm
Hi Angel,
Yes, it is! They’re coming out the walls almost quicker than I can get them on paper.
February 20th, 2010 at 12:58 pm
[...] Bonus Story #3 Woman Amongst Wolves http://flashesinthedark.com/2010/01/16/woman-amongst-wolves-by-lori-titus/ [...]
June 16th, 2010 at 6:11 pm
Looks like Fiona has been around long enough to really not be happy with Rafael. She still works with him but wants more.