Calm Before the Storm
Getting Rudy out of the hospital was a whirlwind of signing papers and waiting around. While Dr. Crane went over everything we could expect- enhanced healing, hearing, strength, and speed, as well as an improved metabolism and appetite, particularly for meat- the FBI was hard at work putting together the transport. By the time we were allowed to leave Rudy's room, an armed guard on either side of us, we had been there for several hours, and the sun was beginning to set again.
"What's the plan for pitstops?" I asked, frowning at Aegis. "They don't expect us to do an all-nighter, do they?"
"We'll have to see," Aegis said, grim. "I'm hoping not, but push comes to shove, I can do it."
"How do they normally do these sorts of things?"
"Significantly less excitement," Rudy said dryly, leaning on his knees. There were shadows under his semi-glowing eyes. "These sorts of exchanges are pretty relaxed. Aegis's trailer is usually the one we use."
"One of Paul's creations," Aegis explained, when I looked at him. "Reinforced steel, inside and out. It's kind of like one of those mobile homes, if one were built for the apocalypse. DWC approved, too."
"The FBI one is much more sterile," Rudy added. "Not my favorite traveling method, I won't lie. It's all cold, hard steel appliances, black and white minimalism... and there are are cameras."
"It's a shame we couldn't go with Aeigs's trailer, then."
"I would agree, if it weren't for how on edge the FBI is."
When the FBI came for us, they were led by a grim-faced man that Rudy seemed to recognize.
"Finally got the position, then?" Rudy asked, oddly devoid of feeling.
The man grimaced. He had bright blonde hair and a bushy mustache. "This isn't how I wanted to take your job, Rodriguez."
"No, but it is how you got it." Rudy pushed up slowly. "At least try to have the best interests of everyone you deal with at heart, yeah?"
The man shook his head. "This isn't what I wanted. I'd never wish the werewolf curse on anyone, not even a man I don't agree with."
"I like to think it's not that bad," Aegis mused, but that just earned him a dirty look from the newcomer.
"This is Agent Maclean," Rudy explained tiredly. "He and I go way back. For a short time, we worked together on the case that ultimately got my family killed."
"And then you continued to stick your neck out for the beasts." Maclean eyed Aegis uncomfortably. "I don't know how you could just mingle with them."
"To do a good job in this line of work, you must," Rudy snapped, his eyes flashing momentarily. "One bite is all it takes to put you in the same position as me, Maclean."
The other Agent didn't respond.
We were guided down through the hospital toward a large, heavily restricted series of hallways and elevators. The clearance required to get through each area remained the same. Every room we passed was totally closed off with the same heavy set of steel doors.
It was a more than a little dystopian.
The entire escort system had taken over the entire front entrance of the hospital. An enormous trailer that looked more like a tank sat attached to an armored vehicle, the logo for the FBIDWC emblazoned on the side of every black FBI vehicle in attendance. Someone at some point had apparently gotten Aegis's keys from him, because even his car was in attendance, waiting at the head of the caravan.
I tried to contain the massive sigh of relief when we came out into sunlight. Rudy stood for a moment, surrounded by guards, his eyes closed as he look up toward the sun.
"It won't be that long in the bunker," Aegis said, gripping his shoulder. "The toughest take the least amount of time, and there's no one tougher than you."
"Hmm," was all Rudy said, before his shoulders slumped and he allowed himself to be guided inside. I glimpsed the interior, and my heart squeezed; "soulless" was a good word for it. Clinical, cold, white and steel. There were no windows, only ventilation systems.
We were grim as we slid into Aegis's car.
"I didn't expect this to feel so depressing," I murmured, buckling in. "That whole thing looks more like a tomb."
"Wait till you hear what contingency plans are in place for the thing."
I looked up, startled. "What? What contingency plans?"
Aegis's enormous canine hands gripped the wheel, amber eyes steely. "In the event of an uncontrollable werewolf, they'll seal off the vents until they pass out from lack of oxygen."
My blood ran cold. "That doesn't seem like the sort of thing we'd be doing in the modern age."
"There are a lot of things like that," Aegis said, before rolling his shoulders and shaking his head to clear it. "No point in worrying about that, now. We need to get this show on the road."
"Did they tell you what the plan is?"
"We stop for no one and nothing."
I grimaced. "At least let me drive."
Aegis shook his head. "I'd feel better behind the wheel with these types pushing us around. We're technically leading the way, and I have a funny feeling they're going to try bossing me around on the road."
----
Things were a lot more tense as we drove out. Being escorted by the Government made for a lot of tense energy. Aegis was right, too, on their treatment of him.
"You can ride my ass all the way to Oregon," Aegis said to no one in particular, glancing in the rearview. "I'm not going more than ten over the speed limit."
"Why do they want you to go faster?"
"They're FBI. They don't like following the law," Aegis said, giving me a cocky grin. "They can kiss my ass. We're lucky we haven't been pulled over yet."
"Why?"
"I'm a fully shifted werewolf behind the wheel of a car. They need next to no reason to pull me over. FBI presence is giving us a huge safety net, but that only goes so far before the Police start getting antsy."
"They still tailgating?"
"Yup. I'll start going slower, if they keep it up."
"Try not to antagonize the FBI agents," I said, trying not to laugh.
"I wish they hadn't put Maclean in charge," Aegis said suddenly, grimacing. "He's got a short leash when it comes to werewolves; not a ton of compassion there."
"Why would they make him Executive Director, then?"
"Probably because they don't have time to properly interview anyone better," Aegis admitted. "He was there, he wanted the job, and they needed someone in the position."
I sighed, rubbing my face. "What a disaster. Poor Rudy."
"I can't imagine how he's feeling."
We had to stop to get gas a few hours in. Aegis flagged the cars behind us toward the rest stop, and several sped off ahead.
"They'll be clearing out the gas station," Aegis commented. "There are better ways to do this, but we're under time constraints."
It was awkward, to say the least. The entire gas station we pulled into- a random, middle-of-nowhere affair with teenagers behind the counter that looked scared out of their wits- was cleared out and sealed off. I stayed in the car while Aegis filled it up, but got out when we saw Maclean approaching, looking agitated.
"What's up?" Aegis asked, eying him.
"We got reports that there's a werewolf loose up north," Maclean said, expression tense. He looked Aegis up and down mistrustfully. "Rodriguez swears by you, but I don't know you from Eve, yet. You the kind to lose control?"
"I'm mult-generational," Aegis said coolly. "So, no, I'm not."
"Good. We shouldn't run into anything; there's a whole APB out for their arrest, though we're a little stretched... thin," he said, glancing back at the trailer. "Still, seems like a run-of-the-mill catch. Some guy got bit, no one said anything, and now he's loose and shifted for the first time."
"Poor guy," I said softly. "That's got to be traumatic."
"We'll get going in just a moment," Aegis said, when Maclean remained, still looking around in agitation. "You expecting a crime syndicate to show up?"
"No," Maclean said, distracted, before processing what he'd just answered. He scowled. "I don't know. I expect everything and nothing."
The nozzle popped, and Aegis leaned forward to grab it. "Better get going, then," he said idly.
The FBI kept close. I kept trying to see if I could tell if any media outlets had followed us, but then remembered that no one in their right mind drove around in an identifiable vehicle.
The night was the hardest for me, though Aegis seemed to bloom under the waning moon. I passed in and out of consciousness, feeling more and more anxious as time went by. At last, around 2:00am, I sat up and stared out the window pensively.
"What's wrong?" Aegis asked, glancing at me. In the moonlight, his black fur shone almost silver.
"I keep thinking about the kids," I said softly. "I'm getting anxious."
"It's only been a day, love."
My heart fluttered at the pet name said so casually. "E-even so," I stammered, ignoring his small smile. "I haven't really been away from them in like... a decade."
"There's school."
"It doesn't count. Outside of school, I worked. All of my social interaction has been with them. Being away for this long is... freaking me out."
"How so?"
I sighed, bringing my knees up. "When I first had the boys, I kept imagining all the terrible things that could happen to them. Their cribs collapsing, the ceiling falling on them, choking on their formula, getting trampled by a random stampede..."
"Seriously?" Aegis was startled.
"Deadly," I said, wincing. "It was almost worse with Lucy, because my ex-boyfriend had just bailed on us."
"Has he shown any interest in Lucy?"
"None. Believe me, I've tried. He sends any and all photos of her straight back to me. He wants nothing to do with her."
"It was still good of you to try."
I shrugged. "I'll send another batch when Christmas rolls around, see how he feels. Maybe one day..." My voice trailed off. "I don't want her to ever feel like I didn't try. I don't want to feel like I didn't try, either."
"I know what you mean."
Eventually, I drifted off again into somewhat more easy sleep. The sun was rising when I woke up, at any rate, so it must have worked.
I was feeling a little more refreshed now. We were gaining on Werewolf Hollow; our destination was in sight, so to speak.
"Do you want me to drive?" I asked, after Aegis had stopped for another socially awkward pit stop.
And then, just one hour away from our final destination, my phone rang.
"Hello?" I asked. That tingling sensation that came only with an aggravated sixth sense crawled through my spine and gut.
"Sylvia?" It was Ivy. "This is major. Put me on speaker phone so Hercules can hear, too."
I rolled my eyes, but acquiesced. "What's going on?"
"It's the kids." Ivy sounded distraught. "One minute, I had them all... and the next, after a particularly nasty fight, nearly everyone's vanished save for Collin."