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Venom: Beautiful Killers. Part 41

"We've waited too long for this moment."

The Mojave Desert at noon is an unbelievably hot and quite lonely place. Death Valley in particular teems with unbearable heat and desolation. It seems like the sun, without any clouds to join it, is at its highest point in the sky. The atmosphere is baking. The area is already hazy and sticky, but the heat only goes up as time passes. The effects of the severe weather are certainly showing on the canid couple walking down a dusty trail toward their destination.

Shiloh and Aurora look completely spent. The desert is not letting up on them at all. The ground boils in front of their eyes. Their baggage weights heavy on their backs. They are leaving behind a trail of blue, cloth coolers behind them. They walk slowly, ploddingly putting one foot in front of the other. They wince with every step; the wolf's eyes are virtually closed.

Shiloh looks just about as dirty and as grimy as he has ever looked. He has shed his shoes--lost behind them along with the empty coolers--and has decided to continue on bare, surely sore feet. Every minute or so, he doubles over and breathes laboriously, nearly gasping. A couple of times that he takes in air, he lets loose an equally loud, dry cough. He certainly looks the worse of the two travelers.

For her part, Aurora is suffering, but seems not to be having as much trouble as her partner. She is wearing one of the caps that the wolf has brought with him. While her head is keeping cool, her shoulder-length hair has lost its form. It has been frayed thanks to the dry air. The duffle bag on her back is a cumbersome weight. There is more dirt on her face, her bare arms, and her knees. In fact, both her knees are red; her left knee has a small bandage on it. She has obviously fallen somewhere along the way. Despite all that, she is walking faster than Shiloh, with a more deliberate pace, and her spirits seem high.

There is still a semblance of teamwork and togetherness in the venture. Every time Shiloh stops, Aurora stops. Whenever he doubles over, she stands next to him and speaks words of encouragement. Any time he stops to take a drink, she does the same. She tries her best to make him feel less worried. A couple of times, he smiles at her, so her strategy is somewhat effective.

They have been walking for hours and they would probably have no semblance of time if it were not for the watch on the wolf's right wrist. "It's only noon!" he yells. "It feels like we've been walking for days."

She is a few feet in front of him, shielding her eyes from the sun to really gaze at her surroundings. I'm used to it."

"How can you be so nimble after all of this?"

"It's an emergency, that's why. All the conditioning I have to go through to make trips like this save my ass every time. I work out almost every day...whenever I have free time. If I don't keep myself in shape, we don't get the things we need from the outside. Since I'm so dedicated to exercise, I'm the one who is the most likely to be sent through the desert. I'm used to all of this. That's why this is gonna work."

"It will, huh?"

"I know you're exhausted, but I'm with you every step of the way. I will be until your job is finished. You believe me, right?" She does not wait for an answer, but continues moving.

Shiloh shakes his head. "Well, believe this. We have just eight bottles of water remaining."

"Ahh. No wonder the bag was so light." She laughs but never breaks stride. After a few more seconds, she stops. "Excellent!"

Shiloh is totally out of breath. "Huh? What is?" He trudges quickly toward her and watches as she scans the area in front of her. "Are we there yet?"

"Nope. We're still a mile away. But we're reached the hiding place."

"Hiding place?"

"Follow me."

Shiloh groans with exhaustion, but follows her closely. His knees knock into each other as he loses his footing a couple of times. He feels like removing the coolers from his back and lying down, but like a good soldier he does what he is told. The couple does not move far. A minute after she resumed walking, she stops and points to her right. "Look over there."

About fifty yards away from them is a large, dark, cavernous opening. It is an almost perfect rectangular opening, indicating that it was manmade. There is the faint hint of tracks on the ground leading inside the chasm. It is bordered and supported by old planks of wood. It is obviously decades old; it could have been made over a century ago.

Aurora runs toward it until she stops right at the entrance. She waits until Shiloh catches up to her and says, "Welcome to Leadville."

"Leadville?" He looks around the area, unimpressed and confused. "This ditch has a name?"

"Look around you, my friend. We've reached the dying remnants of what used to be a full-fledged city. A long time ago, Leadville used to be a prosperous, blustering, turn-of-the-century town. By this time in the early nineteen-hundreds, this place had saloons, banks, seedy motels, cowboys, miners, hookers, the whole works. And that mine shaft you see over there used to be the glue that held this town together."

"That's a mine? What did it hold?"

"Who knows? Gold maybe? Or lead? Or coal? Whatever it was, it was a precious commodity. Eventually, it dried up, like all mines do eventually. The people left and that was that. Leadville is now a ghost town."

"What a waste."

"I'm used to it. California is dotted with ghost towns. It's kind of an interest of mine. I'm thinking of making it a hobby. Follow me. I gotta show you something."

"Wait...we're going to the mine?"

"It's no longer a mine, Shiloh. It's now the hiding place."

It takes about a minute to get there. Shiloh is practically dead on his feet, but the promise of shade causes him to run faster than before. Aurora enters the tunnel first. She enters the shade, removes the duffle bag from her back, and laughs heartily. She leans her back on the left-side wall and pulls out a bottle of water from the bag. As she drinks, Shiloh enters and looks around. The light literally disappears deep inside. "Some hobby," he says.

"Yeah. I like learning all about the state I live in. Ghost towns are also Aleph's hobby. He and his group searched remote, uninhabited towns that they could live in comfortably for the rest of their lives, just like his parents and grandparents did. Most coywolf families originated in the Midwest. Aleph chose to live somewhere to hide from the park rangers he killed years ago, so he's real far away from home. This is as good a place as any to hide from law enforcement, wouldn't you say?"

"You were with him when he chose to run?"

"Nope. I joined his colony months after it was formed." Aurora slinks down and sits on the duffle bag, bringing her knees to her face. "I wanted to be a movie star. I turned twenty, told my parents goodbye, and set off for Hollywood with dreams as big as the desert is. When things didn't work out, I was stuck in this motel, giving up and ready to go home. I was friends with the neighbor in the room next to mine and she was on her way home too. I told her that I had very little money so she offered me a ride to her place to stay for a couple of days. We took a train going east, then took a bus going further east. In the evening, we were on our way to Death Valley. Before I realized it, I was face to face with the man himself. I went from wanting a ride home to liking the communal life."

"He embraced you just like that? I thought you said he was wary of outsiders."

"Yeah, well he saw me and immediately changed his mind for one day. He showed me around the tents and introduced me to the people. Then me made me a sweet deal. They would raise some money for me while I stayed here for a couple of days. In the meantime, he showed me the benefits of living among the coywolves. Over here, you need no money, no luxury items, and no status trinkets. Here, there are no deadlines, no schedules, no meetings...that sort of thing. Here, the people are friendly and there is food aplenty...once the hunting's done. There is no pollution or urban noise and the view is stupendous."

"The mark said all that, huh?"

Aurora laughs. "He sounded so smooth and knowledgeable. He offered to have my trip home paid for if I stayed with him for a night or two. The more I saw, the more I liked...and I felt I needed the break after a couple of rough months of work. Before I knew it, I was part of the family and I didn't want to leave. I learned how to live in a place like this and adapted quickly. Now, I do miss my telephone, football, and skinny dipping, but I couldn't disagree with anything I saw here."

Shiloh nods in response and sits on the ground, against the opposite wall, so he can face her. "I see those dreams of Hollywood stardom never materialized."

"Oh, I did some work. I was 'discovered' by some sleazeball agent who told me I had the face for movies. I was an extra in a couple of films; altogether, I was paid about six hundred dollars. From there, I was an extra in a couple of commercials. Then I was 'discovered' by someone else who told me he had something different for me that paid better. Two months later, I was an extra in a sex scene in one movie, then I was a body double in a sex scene in another movie. Then I was 'discovered' by someone else who wanted to see me in a bathing suit. Long story short, I was doing porn shoots. I spent the next three months having sex on film."

"Ouch. That sucks."

"So did I." She laughs loudly, getting a grin out of the wolf. "You know what the final straw was?"

"No. What was it?"

"I was offered the lead in some 'reality' porn film. I stood to make ten grand from it. I was attracted to the money, so I didn't care what I had to do. The very first sex scene had me and this budding human porn star. We had to have sex on a bed in this room...lit up with nothing but the setting sun. It was a great locale and it would have been a great scene, but it took two fucking hours for the guy to stand at attention. By the time the director said action, it was too late. We were in the middle of doing it when the light went away and the director yelled cut. So there I was on top of him, totally horny...and everyone was packing up. We had to stop just like that...but I wasn't having it. I told the production crew to please leave me alone with the human for a few minutes. I told them I wanted to talk to him privately. So--"

"What would you do that for?"

"Because I was horny. Weren't you listening? My body was tingling, my head was spinning, and I was clenching him...if you know what I mean. So the production crew left and the human looks up at me like, 'What do you want?'" Aurora lets her legs lie flat on the ground. "I wrapped my hands around his neck, growled at him and said, 'If you move, I'll kill you.' Then I proceeded to clamp my right hand around his mouth, grabbed his hair with my left hand...and just started bouncing up and down. I was gonna finish and he was gonna let me. Poor boy. You could tell he never had sex with a furry before. He was scared."

"I know I'd be."

"Don't judge me, okay? If I had it to do over again, I would have just gone to the nearest restroom and done the job myself. Anyway, it took less than five minutes. I just...bounced on him until I came. I don't know if he did. After that, I gave him a thank you lick on his nose, put on my clothes, and left him there, lying on the bed. The next morning, I was fired. The little punk told them that I held him hostage and that I almost broke his dick. Even though I was supposed to be the lead, they listened to him and let me go. I was promised ten thousand, but in the end, I ended up in this motel room with half of the six hundred I was paid for being an extra."

"I'm sorry."

"Don't be. If I wasn't ready to give up, I wouldn't have been led to Death Valley. My experience here has been amazing, and I don't even mind that it's like...the hottest place on earth. That said, sometimes the heat is unbearable, which is why I'm so glad this mine shaft is here."

"You call this the hiding place?"

Aurora stops smiling and nods slowly. "When Aleph started getting all dictatorial, a few of us were scared to be near him. If you recall, I told you yesterday that there were five of us who sought you out. One day, Aleph was all sour because a rival tribe had snuck in our commune and stole some important supplies. He took it out on all of us. Clio...remember her? She wanted to get away from the main camp for a while. I asked her where she could possibly go. She showed me this cavern and before we knew it, we hid out there until the evening. We really got to know each other in the process. Eventually, the other three learned about this place and would join us. We eventually decided to always come here if we wanted to get away from Aleph." She stands and stretches. "Last week, a couple of hours after he raped Clio, we all met here. It was right here that we decided that he had to die. When I learned of your existence, and that your company was real, I knew we had to take the chance."

Shiloh shakes his head. "I'm worried about you, you know? After I kill him, how can you possibly not get blamed for it?"

"We'll just frame one of the rival communes. The nearest one to us lives near the California-Nevada border. They'd be easy scapegoats."

"Wouldn't that start a war between tribes?"

"I've thought of that too. After Aleph dies and we implicate the other tribe, his brothers will seek revenge and will go there trying to get it. That particular tribe is forty-strong, so they will easily kill his brothers. After that, I will go there as a representative of our commune and offer a truce. I will give them the idea to incorporate ours with theirs. It's a win-win for all sides. Aleph and his bodyguards will all be killed, and we will move in to the new commune. We'll live closer to the border and as a result, we'll be closer to the big cities like Carson City...and Las Vegas. Our lives wouldn't change, but we'd be closer to the live-saving resources."

The wolf stands and nods with understanding. "Now that sounds like a plan."

"Come here. I gotta show you something else." The coyote quickly stands and runs into the darkness. The wolf just shrugs in amazement and follows slowly. Suddenly, a ball of light appears in the distance. It illuminates the cave and shines its way toward him. Then the coyote returns into view. "I bought this lamp a couple of months ago. It's way better than a flashlight." She is holding a modern, LED lantern that looks like it is from colonial times. She playfully swings it by the handle, making the light dance around them. "Come see the car."

"The...car?" Shiloh raises his eyebrows and picks up the pace. He eventually runs after her, excited about the prospect of a car in the cave. Seconds later, they are standing in front of its headlights. He scoffs with disbelief. "Incredible."

"It's a Beetle. Not bad, huh?"

The small, round, yellow car is just small enough to fit through the widest part of the mine. It is at the farthest part of the mine it can possibly fit in--about fifty yards from the entrance. While Shiloh looks on, Aurora reaches into the open driver-side window and turns on the headlights. He briefly shields his eyes and laughs. "Where'd you get it?"

"It belonged to a roving reporter who was working on a hunch he had about the murderer of three forest rangers. As it turns out, he found what he was looking for; he found Aleph and a couple of his followers. That was the good news." She clears her throat and looks at him with sudden dread.

"What was the bad news?"

"They ate him. He wandered too far into camp...and I guess saw himself face to face with Aleph. Remember, he's on the run for killing the park rangers. I don't know if the reporter figured it out before they beat him to death."

"A rapist and a serial killer."

"If I had known that about him, I would never have accepted his offer to stay. Anyway, some of the boys found this car a day later. Aleph gave me the task of disposing of it. He wanted me to just take it as far away as possible. He didn't care where as long as it was far. I just moved it here, hoping he wouldn't find out. We've kept it here ever since. We use it to go on really long trips."

"Excellent. With this thing, you can drive to get supplies instead of walking all the time."

"Aleph stresses that we never use vehicles and that walking brings us closer to nature...but it feels so good to cheat." Aurora watches as Shiloh rubs the front of the car and bends down to observe the shiny decal. She is still standing by the driver side door; her arms are folded and her eyes are half closed. Her smile only grows as she watches the wolf admire the vehicle. She is equally admiring him. As he inspects the headlights, she closes in on him until she is standing right behind him. He hardly seems to notice.

"This is vintage, isn't it?" Shiloh stands up straight and nods. "Yeah, I'll bet this is a sixties or seventies model. I'm not really a car guy...I like motorbikes myself...but the guy who drove this has an eye for the classics."

As Shiloh gets extremely close with the vehicle, he seems at peace with the world. His body is cooling down and he is regaining strength. The majority of his worries seem to have melted away. He looks on quietly and desirously, in very deep thought and probably with some longing. He keeps nodding for some reason and his eyes are getting lost in the car. When he is satisfied enough, he stands and turns, only to run into the coyote.

It is just what Aurora wants. His mouth runs right into hers. She kisses it quickly before he can react. "I'm glad you like it."

"Quit doing that." Shiloh starts to get irritated again. He wipes his mouth angrily and passes her on his way out of the tunnel.

She follows quickly, but carefully as it appears she has made him angry. "Are you all right?"

The wolf does not answer, but simply stands at the entrance to the mine shaft. Looking straight ahead, he can see a couple of pillars of billowing smoke out in the distance. He shields his eyes from the sun to get the best look that he can. With his free hand, he points and asks, "Is that the place?"

Aurora slinks next to him and nods. "Yeah, that's it. You know, if I kiss you like that when we get down there, and you react the way you did just now, you'll blow our cover."

"Yeah...I know."

"So why don't you just get past this? You know we've got to get really personal with each other in order to fool those who we need to fool."

"When do we leave?"

"Any time you're ready. We can stay here and go over our strategy or make any last minute changes if you think of any scenarios that could help our current plans."

"I can't just go up there and kill him, huh?"

"If you do, you'll never leave there alive. I need to get Aleph alone, which is more than easy to do since he wants me and all."

"We'll have to do more than kiss, won't we?"

"You may have to mount me later tonight. Open that." She points at his feet.

Shiloh looks down to see a blue, cloth cooler behind him. It is about the size of a small, portable television. He picks it up and opens it.

"Let's each drink one more bottle of water then go to camp. Once we get there, I'll introduce you to Clio and the other conspirators." She laughs quietly as she watches him gulp down the contents of a small bottle. She waits until he finishes it and says, "Remember, only four people down there know why you're really here. Don't say anything about killing Aleph until I bring it up. Then I'll tell them our strategy." She approaches him and surprise him by putting her hands around his waist. "Until then, we're a couple and you are just gonna have to act like we are. Can you do that?"

Still irritated, Shiloh tosses the empty bottle into the darkness. "You keep asking me that."

"That's not a yes."

In response, he puts his hands on her shoulders and leans in to kiss her. Their tongues touch, then he fully closes in. She is more than ready to receive him. The French kissing sounds slobbery, but she gives as much as she takes. She grips his shoulders and presses her nose against his. It is an uncoordinated display that makes them look less like lovers and more like first-timers. When she has had enough, she lowers her head. Also out of breath, he mutters, "I'm ready."

"I think you bit me that time." Smiling from ear to ear, Aurora picks up the duffle bag and exits the mine. Shiloh follows closely. "We'll leave the coolers in here. I'll come back for them later."

A few feet from the tunnel, Shiloh asks, "I may have to mount you? What does that mean?"

"The girls present themselves to the male they want to have sex with them. They have sex later that night. Remember, anyone in the commune can have sex with anyone else...but I'm only for you."

He catches up to her and puts his right arm around her waist. "How are your knees?"

She laughs with relief. "They'll live."

* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *

Winter rides her motorcycle down the crowded street of a residential area. It is not crowded with people; rather, it is lined with cars and trucks. The curbs are lined end-to-end with automobiles of all kinds, but the area is so quiet that even the air is still. The noise from the wolf's motorcycle is the only sound that is apparent. The empty street might be making her a little nervous, because she slows down the further she goes. The wolf moves cautiously, looking around like she feels someone behind her. Suddenly, she stops in the middle of the road and lifts her visor. One look to her left, and she finds what she seeks. She turns left, into the driveway one of the houses.

The motorcycle rolls slowly until it stops in front of the closed, white garage door. As she lowers the kickstand down, a slight laugh escapes from her. She removes the jet-black helmet and hangs it on the left handle bar. Putting her hands on her hips, she stares at the random house. The wolf's clothes are strikingly foreign for these parts. Her black, leather trousers shimmer in the sunlight. They are also tight which exposes the length of her legs. The black shirt with the decorative wolf skulls looks even more intimidating. From far away, anyone can tell she is a stranger.

Winter's smile disappears suddenly as a violent sneeze sharply bends her head forward. She covers her face with her hands and sneezes again. The sneezes are heavy and loud. She sniffs after the second one which probably means she is coming down with something. She wipes her palms on her pants and starts toward the front door. Her gait is slower than usual and her breathing is a bit wheezy--a couple of more indications that something could be wrong. For some reason, she looks behind her before clearing her throat and knocking on the door.

The door stays closed for half a minute. The wolf presses her ear against it; she can hear some sounds inside but no footsteps. She knocks again before turning her head and sneezing twice more.

Her head turns back just as the front door opens. Just like that, the stress and strain on her face is replaced with a warm smile. "Good morning, Robert," she says.

Robert Crevecoeur stands there in front of her, in his pajama shirt and sweatpants, looking dour and scruffy. He looks like he just got up off the couch from a deep sleep. There are a few white specks in his hair, of unknown origin, and there is a quite noticeable sprinkling of crumbs on his shoulders. He is a mess but does not try to rearrange himself when he greets her. "Well, look who it is," he says. He struggles to stand up straight while holding on the door. "You're looking well."

She looks at him with no surprise at all. "Not exactly. I need to blow my nose. May I come in?"

"You came all this way to blow your nose? Not to see me, huh?"

"Shut up." She laughs and steps inside, punching him in the left shoulder. "Where's your bathroom again?"

He points the way and closes the front door. As he heads to his couch, he brushes the crumbs off his shoulder and straightens his shirt the best he can. It is hopelessly wrinkled and even a little stained; he is totally unprepared to receive visitors. The living room looks just as unwelcoming; the floor needs vacuuming and the coffee table is littered with foodstuffs. There is an empty bowl that had been filled with popcorn on the table. On the floor next to it is a box of saltines, an empty can of beer, and a half-empty mug. As quickly as he can, Crevecoeur picks them all up and takes them to the kitchen. He is able to move quickly even though his arms are stuffed with items.

Winter returns from the bathroom with a cleaner face and a wad of tissue paper in her front pocket. She has unbuttoned the top two buttons of her shirt, showing a little bit of the tuft on her chest. She walks in slowly, placing her left hand on her head. "Robert? Where'd you go?" She closes her eyes tightly and moans as if in pain.

"I'm in the kitchen," he answers. "Come on in. I'll make you something."

"Just a moment." The wolf doubles over, putting her hands on her knees. Before she entered the house, she was fresh as a daisy. Now she looks totally worn down. She smiles as she straightens herself, but something is clearly missing. The spark is just not there today. She trudges to the kitchen where Crevecoeur is busy trying to make the room look somewhat presentable. He has just cleared the table, putting dirty silverware and a couple of used plates in the sink.

"Sorry about everything. It's just been a busy day...for a Sunday."

"Where are the kids? I haven't seen them in a long time."

"They're with their grandmother. They were rambunctious after church and I needed a break." He turns to face the wolf and notices her state. She is rubbing the sides of her face with her fingers. "Is something wrong?"

"Um...I might have overdone it last night."

"Overdone what?"

She chuckles. "Long story."

"Tell me." He turns on the faucet and starts to wash the items in the sink. "You just got here, right? You're not leaving right away, are you? You might as well. Tell me what happened."

"Well...can I sit down?" She does not wait for him to say yes and grabs a chair from under the kitchen table. "You weren't there when it happened. I was free from the apprentice hunts and I went to the office for my first real hit. It was the day that I decided to grab a random mark, thinking that any one was just as good as the others. I got warned against it by St. Croix. It was my first day meeting him and I did not...." Winter pauses to sneeze, covering her face with her hands again. She reaches in her shirt pocket for the tissues.

"Is that a cold I see? You have a cold at this time of the year? It's hotter than hell's fireplace outside."

"I did a stakeout. I waited at...." Winter frowns and folds her arms. Crevecoeur is laughing at her. "Stop it," she says.

"A stakeout? Are you serious?"

"Shiloh taught me."

"You can't do stakeouts. Are you kidding? You don't know how." Crevecoeur turns off the faucet and wipes his hands on his shirt.

"I can so do one."

"Really? Who told you that?"

"Shiloh did, like I said. He took me to brunch one day where he included me in one of his hunts. While we ate, he taught me everything there is to know about stakeouts. I listened intently and carefully. I knew enough that I thought I could do one myself if given the chance. "

Crevecoeur continues his curt laughing. "If I may ask, who were you staking out? It's really tough staking out a mark. If you ask me, it's easier staking out a common criminal. At least a criminal's patterns would be predictable...and you only have to stake them out at certain times. The marks we hunt usually live in the here and now; they don't have set schedules because they don't commit their criminal acts all the time." He stops laughing and tries to look concerned. "In fact, you may not see them for a long time. How long did you have to wait for?"

Winter shakes her head, feeling even more down than before. It is bad enough that she is sneezing constantly. Her friend seems to be making light of her troubles, making her feel even worse. "I forgot." She places her arms on the table and lays her head on them. "I'm so pathetic."

Now the human's eyes open wide. Maybe now he realizes her friend is in more distress than he thought. "Are you all right?"

"Remember I told you earlier about the mark I took on my first day as an official member? His name is Matthew Ambrose. By picking him, I picked someone who lived really far away. But I still picked him. He was mine and I was going to hunt him. Shiloh helped me as much as he could, but on the first attempt, I lost him...all thanks to Ravi and his stupid brother...."

Winter tells the story of her adventures in Chino Hills, including the second trip she made with Shiloh. She tells about their armed run-in with the tigers and her confrontation with Ambrose's former partner in crime. The story is quite serious to her, and soon enough, Crevecoeur's face turns stoic. As he listens, he goes to the stove and sets up a saucepan on one of the burners. He reaches up to the cabinet above the stove and pulls out a can of soup.

"Apparently, I've had the Ambrose assignment for so long that the client was getting impatient. Simon had the hunt taken away from me and given to those damned tigers. Now, I did move on somewhat from that hunt. I really did. There were easier marks to catch and there was also that brunch with Shiloh that I told you about."

He shakes his head. "You poor girl. That's twice now that a mark of yours has turned out to be an FBI Most Wanted. And that's twice now that our workers are going for FBI reward money instead of doing their jobs. Such a shame."

"It doesn't matter. I'm not giving up the mark."

After pouring the soup in the saucepan, he pulls up a chair from under the table and sits next to her. "You know, the situation you are currently facing is not unique to you."

The wolf picks her head up and sniffs. "It isn't?"

"You are suffering from what we executives have termed 'monetary tunnel vision.' You find a big prize worth a lot of money and you decide to go after him. You follow all the instructions to the letter, and you think that your instincts will help you nab him. All the while, you forget why the mark fetches such a high price. Obviously, the harder they are to kill, the higher the price tends to be. After day one, you've hunted for hours, but you get nothing. After days two and three, nothing still. You could ask for help with searching for clues, but your ego won't let you. You keep hunting the same mark for days and days, obsessively longing to catch him. Before you know it, you're missing a month's worth of meetings, you're losing money, and worst of all, you're wasting the client's time."

Winter sits up and listens intently. She nods a couple of times, but for the most part, she just looks sad. The lecture that the boss is about to give her seems important and friendly enough, but it looks like the wolf is getting dressed down.

Crevecoeur continues. "Like I said, you're not alone. Pretty much all the hitmen went through what you're going through. Hoeness had it. Baua had it. It happened to Paraná twice. Even your boyfriend had it...six months after joining. I wasn't there at the time, but Ted told me what happened. It's happened to so many of the workers, you all should start a group." He laughs and returns to the stove, ignoring a petulant stare from the wolf.

"Stop laughing!" she yells.

"Come on. Don't take offense."

"It's not funny. I went to Chino Hills, to the home of Ambrose's stupid business partner, the guy who I beat up. I was out of ideas so I was hoping that Ambrose would show up to meet him. So I stood watch just outside the business partner's house. I waited for the fucker for three hours! It was only when I started a sneezing fit that I gave up."

"You went all the way to Chino Hills and back in one night?"

"It's only thirty-something miles...and the motorcycle performed like a dream."

"You know, there was news about Mr. Ambrose lately. I probably still have it somewhere in here. I gotta ask though...do you really want to continue with this hunt now that it's been taken away from you?"

"Yes."

"Even though it now belongs to the tigers?"

"Yes!"

"Are you sure you just want Ambrose? Aren't you also trying to get revenge on Ravi and Gonal?"

"You don't understand--"

"Are they more important than your next target? Is getting Ambrose that important?"

"I chose him from the pack. I chose it while the other guys were looking at other marks. That should make him mine...and no one else's!"

"He's not yours anymore. Simon made that official."

"I don't care!" Winter feels a sneeze coming on and braces herself, grabbing the tablecloth with her hands. When it fails to form, she shakes her head and turns back to the human. "It's the principle that matters. When I get better, I'm going back to Chino Hills."

"Would Shiloh want you to do that? Didn't he teach you to be smarter than that?"

Winter suddenly starts to shakes "Please don't bring him up."

"Why not? Did he suddenly disappear or something? Do his opinions not matter anymore? He wouldn't want you to do this. He'd want you to move on the next mark. You know that."

Without warning, the wolf pounds her left fist on the table and abruptly stands, almost knocking the chair down. Heaving angrily, she turns to Crevecoeur, whose attention she drew with the noise she just made. The human simply stands there; he was stirring the soup when the wolf stood and is now holding the metal spoon in his right hand and looking at her. Even though the look on her face is quite possibly the last thing a doomed mark would see, he just stands there waiting for something to happen. He is completely unflustered.

Now showing her teeth, she slowly walks toward him, flexing and unflexing her fingers. It looks like she is in doubt about whether or not to reach up and punch him. She gets closer to him and only stops when they are nose to nose. He stands there and shrugs his shoulders, acting like her attacking stance is nothing new to him. She responds by closing her mouth and puffing out an angry breath through her nose. They stand like that for a minute. Meanwhile, the soup is boiling away on the stove.

The wolf's face softens and she closes her eyes. Her shoulders relax and her tail drops. Now the only thing fierce about her is the motorcycle-themed clothing. She reaches over, grabs him close and embraces him. Her arms wrap around his back, her toes stand on his, and her tail caresses the inside of his right leg. She releases a long, drawn out sigh. This is definitively more than just a hug.

Crevecoeur knows it and puts the spoon on the stove. "What's the matter, kid?"

"I miss Shiloh." She sniffs and rests her forehead on his left shoulder. Even though the stakeout was the night before, she still looks spent. "I had forgotten about him until you said his name."

"Why would you want to forget him? Where is he?"

"He's in Death Valley. I know he's been gone only two days, but this is one time I wished he stayed home."

"Oh, it's no problem. He never lets marks live long once he's come across them in the meetings. He gives them two days max before killing 'em, so he should be back anytime."

Winter sighs with frustration. "Didn't you hear me? I said 'Death Valley!'"

"He's where?!" Crevecoeur now realizes how serious this hunt is and, eventually, sees that the wolf is in considerable emotional pain. "Damn. What's he there for?"

"Hunting a mark. What do you think?"

"Aw, shit." He hugs her back, placing her hands on her lower back and causing her to sigh again with some relief. "I'm sorry. I remember now. I met with the client first and got a picture of the mark from her. She asked me to describe the typical hitman that works for us...and Shiloh was the first person who came to mind. I described him to her and she made up her mind to go forward with the hit. I had no idea Shiloh would actually do it." He scoffs and holds her even tighter. "Again, I'm sorry."

"Sorry don't feed the bulldog." She chuckles and tightens her grip on him.

He laughs as well and runs his hands up and down her back. "I suppose compared to hunting a mark at the desert, chasing Mr. Ambrose is a bit more sane."

"The mark isn't worth it. I was hoping to change his mind the day he left, but I failed. Now he's...who knows where."

"You think something bad is going to happen?"

"This hunt is unlike any I've seen him take. I know something's bound to go wrong. I can feel it in my heart." She plants her nose on him, accidentally leaving some mucus on his shoulder. "You feel it too, don't you?"

"Actually, to be honest, I think he'll do just fine. I've seen him work these sticky situations before. He'll take longer to come back, but I think he's--"

"Don't lie to me, Robert. Tell me you feel he's in danger. Tell me you feel the same way I do."

"I trust your boyfriend. He wouldn't go all the way there if he didn't have a plan. The client is also helping him do this, so--"

"You're actually telling me he's gonna be fine?" She lifts her head to look at him; her entire body demands an answer.

"Look, it does no good to think he's in trouble already. As you said, it's only been two days. Give him a chance."

Winter's anger has given way to a stubborn determination that makes her place her hands on the human's cheeks. "Robert, I know you don't believe in my intuitive prowess, but please believe me. This is a bad hunt. Shiloh isn't the kind of guy who strays from his comfort zone. This is not the hunt for him. Just trust my instincts."

"Even if I did, what do you want me to do? Drive to the desert and bring him home?"

She grips his shoulders tightly. "I just want someone to feel empathy. That's all. My instincts aren't wrong. Something bad is bound to happen; I just know it."

"It's just a feeling. It'll pass and he will be fine."

She shakes her head. "There's so much you still need to learn about wolves, Robert. There's more to life than cold, hard facts. When we can't see evidence, instinct is what we go by." She leans into him again and hugs him tightly. "You are my best friend...who isn't also my lover. I thought you'd believe me."

Before Crevecoeur can answer, the soup on the stove starts to boil over, pouring down the sides of the saucepan. He curses loudly and releases the surprised wolf. He quickly shifts the saucepan away from the heat and opens the lid. "Shit. I'm so absent-minded."

Sniffing and laughing, Winter looks over the mess. "It's all right. It's still edible."

"Half the damn soup's gone." He grabs the metal spoon on the counter and angrily tosses it into the sink.

"Are you all right?"

He hangs his head as he returns the soup to the lit burner. "I wish Cecile were still here."

The wolf stops smiling and closes her mouth, trying not to speak out of turn. Her friend no longer looks confident or cocksure. He instead seems depressed. She knows to be careful whenever he brings up his wife. She walks up to him and rubs his back, causing him to look at her for a second.Without hesitation, she leans next to him. She continues to rub his back as she licks and kisses his left cheek. "I'm sorry. I know it's tough. How long has it been?"

"It'll be two years at the end of August. I miss her so much. She knew how to cook everything and she knew what to do if ever a mess was made. I can't even prepare soup without something going wrong."

There is a roll of paper towels on a rack above the sink. Winter leaves him for a moment to peel off a few pieces. Her smile returns. "It's all right. You're making it for me, right? I'll still eat it." She hands him the paper towels and pats his back again. "By the way, I'm still going after Ambrose. I can do that and get other marks."

"That could be dangerous."

"Not more so than me. That bastard is mine." With that, she returns to the kitchen table and takes a seat. She sneezes two more times.

"There's not much chicken soup left, but I think I can still save it. Tell me, do you like eggs?"

"Of course. Show me a wolf that doesn't."

The refrigerator is on the other side of the kitchen. Crevecoeur does not hesitate to retrieve a couple of eggs from it and head back to the stove.

Winter watches him carefully. "Oh, I don't eat chicken eggs. I lost my love for those long ago."

"What eggs do you eat?"

"Pigeon eggs mostly. The more exotic, the better."

"Where do you get exotic eggs in L.A.?"

"You're a detective and you don't know?"

"Well I'm not made of money so these will have to do."

"What's the point of eating eggs if you can't eat them as is? I don't know why you humans scramble and fry everything."

Crevecoeur cracks the eggs into a small bowl. "FYI, there are a hundred ways to cook eggs."

"Yeah? Well I'll bet half of them are scrambled."

"Well, I'm gonna do something with these eggs that I'm sure you've never seen before. Watch this."

Winter does not watch. Instead, she keeps her head on the table, resting it on her arms. She whispers something unintelligible to herself and sighs heavily. The pain of missing her boyfriend is fluctuating.

It comes and goes in equal measure. Sometimes she laughs while other times she is stoic and bored. Overall though, she is quiet and meditative. She has so many things on her mind, it is a wonder that she is not bouncing off the walls. She remains like that for the next couple of minutes while Crevecoeur finishes the soup.

"Here it is," he says. "Hopefully, it is as good as Cecile used to make."

He puts the finished product in front of the wolf and heads back to the counter to fetch the utensils. The smell of it gets Winter's attention, and she gives it a sniff before really looking at it. When she opens her eyes, her mouth opens in surprise. "Robert, what is this? What did you do to the soup?"

"After I scrambled the egg, I poured it on the soup. I tried to make the egg look like fried noodles. It's still somewhat raw; the hot soup is cooking the egg as we speak."

He hands her a spoon and she immediately starts to dig in. The first taste widens her eyes. The second taste creates a smile. "This is nice."

Crevecoeur does not answer. He instead heads to the living room, leaving the wolf alone to enjoy her meal. She turns her head to sneeze once more before returning to the soup. She eats it quickly, really enjoying the addition of the egg to the dish. She has finished half of it by the time her boss returns to the room.

"Look at this," he says. He places a page from the daily newspaper next to her bowl. "I know you wolves love to rely on instinct, but sometimes you just gotta use your eyes." He points to the top article on the page and stands back while Winter reads it. "There's your mark," he says.

Winter swallows, then reads aloud. "The masked suspect is seen here robbing the credit union at around four this afternoon. But thanks to a couple of eye witnesses who saw him before he put on the mask, a clear description has now surfaced. A composite sketch of the suspect makes him out to look like white-collar criminal Matthew Ambrose, former hedge fund manager...." Winter gasps and quickly reads the rest of the article silently.

"Not bad, huh?"

"That bank is not far from here. If I had stayed, I wouldn't have missed him."

"I keep telling you to start paying attention to the news. Not only can you get the jump on some of your marks, but you can also get the jump on many of your workmates."

She slurps a strand of egg and laughs. "I'll keep that in mind. This soup is great by the way. I didn't know you could do this."

"Cecile taught me everything she knows."

"Well, you're good at this. Look, I don't want to go home to an empty house. Not just yet. Mind if I stay here until the evening? I can meet the kids too."

* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *

The compound does not have a proper name attached to it, but according to Aurora, everyone calls it "Aleph's Ground." There are six huge tents strewn about an area of maybe half an acre. Four of the tents are big enough for up to four people. Two of them are jumbo tents, each about fifty yards long. They are held up and reinforced with glass panels; they look more like houses than tents. Surrounding the tents, strewn about the open spaces of the desert, are the old, rotting skeletons of what used to make up the old city. The dying fragments of a saloon are on the left side of the compound. The decayed remains of a couple of old houses lay on the right side of the compound. The houses have a few planks of wood missing, no doubt used for fires.

When Shiloh and Aurora arrived at the camp, there was nobody outside to greet them. Everyone was inside the six tents, trying to stay away from the heat. With everybody indoors, Aurora does not know where her confidants are. She points Shiloh towards one of the jumbo tents. She calls it the mess hall because that is where the food is cooked and where most of them eat. "Since it's mid afternoon, that's where they should be."

She makes sure Shiloh does not follow too closely, just in case they run into Aleph, and she runs to the big tent. She enters through one end and comes out seconds later, smiling brightly. "Come on. Get in here."

The wolf looks around him before obeying her. He runs until he is in the tent, no longer feeling as relaxed as when he first arrived. On the far end of the mess hall are three of the coyote-wolf hybrids that he has been told so much about. Before now, all he has had is a picture of the mark. He finally gets to see what three looks like up close. As he steps closer to them, they each stand and look at him with awe and suspicion. The tallest one takes a step forward. The smallest one takes a step back. Aurora is right next to him and wraps her right hand around his waist.

"Ladies, this is Shiloh. He's my 'boyfriend.' Say hi."

Everyone's hearts are beating rapidly, even Shiloh's, though he tries not showing any emotion. He raises his left hand and waves carefully at the girls. He introduces himself in a low voice, probably too low to allay their suspicions.

The tallest girl moves in carefully and extends her hand. Once he shakes it, she looks at Aurora and raises her brow. "This is the one?"

The coyote nods. "The one we paid for, yes."

The smallest coywolf stays behind while the second one runs up to the wolf. "I must say, Aurora, you did really well."

"Yeah, I know how to pick 'em." She looks behind her. "Where's Clio? I know she's been waiting for this. Where is she?"

"She's in Aleph's tent."

Aurora's eyes expand in shock. "With Aleph?"

"Aleph's gone. He left with two others not ten minutes ago. In fact, all the men are gone. So--"

"Oh good. That means we can go over some things." She turns to Shiloh and rises on her toes to kiss his left cheek. "Stay here and get to know them, okay? I'll be back with Clio. I so want you to meet her."

As she leaves the front side of the tent, she pushes she smallest, most reluctant coywolf towards the stranger. "You wanted this, didn't you?" she asked. "Get in there and introduce yourself." With that, she leaves them alone with him.

Shiloh looks at all of them very carefully, taking in their looks and personalities. Though the smallest one looks the most skittish, they all look like they could take care of themselves. Two of them are all wearing short-sleeve,d light-colored, cotton shirts and shorts; the musculature on their limbs is akin to Winter's. Shiloh's mate is pretty strong in her own right, so it is safe to say that the girls are well-endowed with upper body and leg strength. They are hardly body builders, but they are not weaklings.

The girls are light gray with white limbs, brown-to-black ears, and brown noses. On each of them, there is a slight tan streak that leads from the nose and fades before it reaches the eyes. They are unlike anything the wolf has seen before, but he fights off the urge to stare too long at any of them. He nods at each of them then turns to see if anyone is behind him.

"What's the matter?" the tall one asks.

"You all look like wolves. The coloring is weird, but anyone who saw you for the first time would think you're just regular wolves. I'm betting your fathers were gray wolves just like me."

The tall one scopes the wolf and covers a chuckle with her hands. "Why are you dressed like a salesman?"

He is still wearing part of his three piece suit; the white cotton shirt and the black slacks. "Besides pajamas, this is pretty much all I brought with me," he answers. "I didn't know I'd be staying so long."

The smallest one looks impatient; she bounces on the balls of her feet. "So when do you kill him?"

"Shh. Not now." The tallest dusts off and straightens her long, plaid dress. "My name is Livinia. I am thirty-five years old and I've been living here since this place was founded. Naturally, I know the founder. I was his girl for a long time...until he turned ugly."

"All right! Enough pleasantries!" The smallest one bumps Livinia out of the way. "When do you kill him?"

"Calm yourself, sister. We can't just go ahead without knowing what to do."

"Who says we have to do anything? We just stay in the hiding place until he kills him, then he comes to get us after the job is done. Surely, we don't have any real part to play."

Shiloh clears his throat. "Actually, since there are really five clients instead of one, I need to know where you all are gonna be at all times. It'll make my job easier. Everyone needs to be in agreement."

Now having confirmation that Shiloh is the one they have been waiting for, the girls smile and loosen up. The smallest one extends her hand. "My name is Drinkwater. That's my last name. I'm not yet comfortable enough to give you my first."

The wolf nods. "Don't worry so much about it. It won't matter in the end."

The medium-sized coywolf waits until Drinkwater releases her grip. "I'm Amanda," she says. Her voice is the lightest and the quietest of the three. "This is hard for me to do because...well...." She chuckles nervously. "I will admit that of all the girls in here, I had the longest allegiance with Aleph. We slept together for the longest time, even when he got tired of me. It will be hard to see him go, but--"

"But he raped somebody."

"Yeah...that's when I knew it was over. I'm better friends with Clio now than I ever was." She notices the girls looking at her with some disbelief. She shrugs. "Well what am I supposed to do? I still have feelings for him."

"What about the other women in the compound? Will they be a problem?"

The females stop smiling and look at each other, each one either confused or dumbfounded. The smallest one stutters. It seems none of them had planned on that particular contingency and it is clearly stumping them. Everyone looks at him with closed mouths and wide eyes.

"Because if any of them know I'm here, there could be problems."

"No!" Drinkwater yells. "They know nothing."

Livinia is calmer and more civil. She places her left hand on Drinkwater's head and says, "Actually, we're not sure--"

"She's wrong! They know nothing! You can kill him now!"

Shiloh cannot help snickering; he even tries to turn his head away. "You really don't like him."

"Don't laugh!"

Livinia now places both her hands on the small one's shoulders. "Um...could you please have a seat, Mr. Shiloh?"

"Just Shiloh, please." Before he can take a seat, the front door opens. He stands up straight while the females turn around quickly.

Entering the tent is Aurora, looking more serious now, with her right arm wrapped around an even smaller coywolf. She holds the coywolf close as if helping her stand.

Shiloh nods, noticing how scared she is. "You're Clio, I presume," he says in his lowest possible voice.

This coywolf is the smallest being in the room, barely taller than Tivoli. She has on a long, red dress that covers everything but her arms and her feet. It looks brand new. The sandals she is wearing are old and worn. There is a bruise on her left forearm. Her hair is in unkempt strands. There is hardly any meat on her bones. She looks like a poverty-stricken child.

Aurora clears her throat. "You presume correctly."

Shiloh slowly closes in on her, trying to look soft and non-menacing. He crouches to become level with her face. "Hi there," he says.

Suddenly, Clio peels away from Aurora and puts her hands around him. The hug almost knocks him over and he has to hug her in return to keep from falling. That is exactly what she wants. Clio hangs on to him and rests her head on his chest. "Nice to meet you," she says. It is frail and sweet greeting.

"How old is she?"

"How rude," Livinia says. "She's young enough to get taken advantage of."

"I'm twenty." Clio releases him and straightens the folds on her dress. "Aurora told you...what he did?"

The coyote pulls the small one back to her. "Shh. Let's not dwell on that. Can we all sit down?"

The 50-yard-long jumbo tent contains four long wood tables, two on each side. Each table has six foldable, metal chairs standing side-by-side and ready for use. Shiloh and the five women sit near the entrance, making a tight circle with their chairs. Even though there is nobody else in the tent, they talk in hushed tones. Everyone leans forward and clasps their hands in front of them. The moment looks serious; all of the women give Shiloh anxious and hopeful looks while the wolf looks around, eager to start his work.

Clio tousles her hair, brushing her dirty bangs away from her face. She clears her throat, interrupting Aurora. "I'm not scared anymore," she says. "I thank you for coming."

Aurora rubs her back and chuckles softly. "So girls, the plan goes like this. I introduce Shiloh to Aleph and tell him we're lovers. I will do so later tonight. It's best to do it then because he will be relaxing. My announcement will catch him off guard. It will work because I've been gone for about four days and I'm usually one of the first people he wishes to see. He'll think everything is perfect and normal. When I tell him about Shiloh though, he won't know what to do." She leans back in her chair and smiles, but the other women stay motionless. It looks like they are not impressed with what they have heard.

Livinia clears her throat and raises her hand. "So what is our role in this plan?"

"I need to get Aleph alone. I know he'll probably want to talk to me alone anyway but just in case, you all need to make sure everyone else is busy. A couple of the women will be having sex with a couple of the guys; that will make your job easier. Just go from one tent to the other and keep track of everyone. When you see anyone not doing anything, find a way to keep them busy. I don't care what you guys do; just keep them off my back for a few minutes. I want no distractions while Shiloh and I meet him. I want him to smell us together so that he believes this relationship is real."

Amanda shrugs and shakes her head. "You realize this would mean an out and out rejection."

"That's the idea. That's what you do when you don't like someone's advances."

"He does not take kindly to rejection as you know. If his ego's bruised, then someone else is getting bruised. Are you sure this strategy is wise? Would it not be better to kill him as he sleeps?"

Aurora puts her hands on her knees and gently massages her sore kneecaps. "You can't just sneak up to him and kill him. His senses are too good because he is in a constant state of readiness. I am counting on him being rejected. His brain will race. He will be angry and confused. He will take that with him as he goes to sleep. We will kill him bright and early the next morning."

Livinia again raises her hand. "Forgive me, but that's it? You make him mad at you and that somehow makes him easier to kill?"

"His soft spot for me is his Achilles' heel. It won't kill him, but it will weaken him. It's an advantage we should not take for granted. I understand your doubts, but believe it or not, he can be hurt."

Drinkwater nods and smiles. "I believe you. I think you've got something."

Livinia shakes her head. "I disagree. I cannot foresee victory without something more--"

"What is wrong with you?" Clio stares at the tall one desperately. "If she says it will work, then it will work."

"I'm not sure coming back here with a fake boyfriend and no weapons is fortuitous."

Aurora reaches over and presses her index finger against Clio's mouth, settling her down. Then she turns to Livinia. "So how would you like this to go?"

"I would have preferred if Shiloh brought some guns, then we each go up to the bastard and mow him and his brothers down." She turns to the wolf. "Since you kill for a living, you'd already be registered to carry firearms. It would take weeks for any of us to get that privilege, and we'd still have to travel long distances to get guns of our own. The quicker Aleph's gone, the better. That's why I agreed to this deal."

"Excuse me...." Shiloh holds up his hands, a little nervous about interrupting the discussion. "But I couldn't possibly sacrifice the bottles of water we needed to carry. Besides, you hired me. I'm the one doing the killing, so you don't have to worry."

Livinia nods. "I'm glad you're so confident, but I think you're underestimating just how strong a man Aleph is...or how well-guarded his is."

"I don't have to fight him, just shoot him. If anyone else comes after me, they're going down. Two Berettas will be enough."

"I don't like this."

Drinkwater huffs and stands. "Well I do. I think it's a good plan whose time has come. We've waited too long for this moment."

Aurora covers her ears. "Please lower your voices, okay? We're supposed to be stealthy."

Amanda touches Livinia's shoulder, drawing her attention. "Are you saying this plan won't work?"

The tall one looks at Shiloh as she answers. "When I helped pay for this undertaking, I hoped our coyote sister would come back with someone...bigger." She sucks her teeth at Shiloh's angry reaction. "Someone rougher-looking; someone who looks like he has experience in a place like this."

Shiloh shakes his head. "Looks don't kill, ma'am."

"No offense, okay? But there is no parallel universe in existence where a fight between you and Aleph ends well for you."

"You're wrong!" Clio yells. "You have to be!"

The shout causes everyone to stand. Amanda puts her arms around the frightened girl. "Sister, hush."

"Why can't we just try?! We paid for someone who kills for a living! Let's just...." She stops when Amanda pushes her head in her chest. Clio starts to cry.

Aurora looks through the entrance for a few seconds before returning to the group. "Nobody heard us...I don't think. Why don't you all return to where you were before? We need cool heads to continue because this is so important. Let's gather back here in an hour, okay?"

Shiloh scratches his head and exhales loudly. "I could use a bath."

Livinia hears it while she is leaving the tent. She chuckles and says, "Yep, you're going down."

The tent empties of all the coywolves. Aurora and Shiloh are left inside the hot edifice with their hands in their pockets and their spirits low. The coyote takes in a breath and says, "Please, don't get offended."

"Let me guess. Aleph doesn't take baths."

"No...he does. He just never says that he needs them."

"Well, at least it's only one that has doubts."

"They all have doubts, but most want this to work so badly that they're forcing themselves to believe." She closes in on Shiloh, slides her arms under his, and hugs him. He hugs her back without protest. "For the record, I believe in you. I believe and you're gonna win." She rests her head on his chest and tries to dig in. For her efforts, she gets his caressing right hand on her head. "I'm jealous. Your girlfriend must be so lucky to have someone as strong and strong-willed as you in her life. I bet you protect her from all sorts of trouble."

Shiloh smirks. "Thank you."

"For what?"

"For reminding me that I still have one. I wish I could give her a call and tell her I'm all right. But I have to concentrate on what I'm doing here."

"The solution is to kill Aleph as soon as possible. That's all. The sooner you do that, the sooner you grab you money and return home. I'll help in any way I can. You got your guns?"

"They're back in that mine shaft."

She releases her grip, but grabs his left hand and leads him out. "All right. Let's go. I'll introduce you to the rest of the compound. It's part of my strategy to piss Aleph off."

"You know what? I believe in you too."

"Thanks. I feel this kill is gonna be easy."