Page 73 of Father of the Wolf

They reached the bend in the road that partially hid the accident scene. They could see that another patrol car had arrived with two more officers. Jimmy’s car and body were unmoved. Together they turned the corner and approached the scene.

The sheriff stood at the side of his car and yelled into a small black device tethered to the car by a cord piece. It was mostly hidden in his large hand. “I don’t care what’s going on! You get that ambulance here pronto!” Athair decided the handheld piece was some kind of communication device, similar to the telephone in the house.

He led the way toward the man. He didn’t know present ways, but he did know people. Certain features never changed, like how to deal with those who felt they were in control.

The sheriff tossed the handheld back into his car and greeted them. “How can I help you?”

“I just wanted to offer my help.” Athair reached out his hand as if to shake. At the same time, he used his empathy to convince the sheriff of his honesty and how useful he could be. He felt Sandulfr reinforcing his empathy but making no effort to take control.

“How do you suppose you could help?” The sheriff responded well.

“We’re experts in animal attacks and heard that may be what you’re dealing with.” He used his own brand of empathic blur to encourage the sheriff to believe him and ignore that they turned up there without reason. “Can we see the body?”

“It’s over there under the blanket. Looks to me as if there are both bite and knife wounds. The body is so damaged, it’s hard to tell.” The sheriff reached back into his car to answer the squawk of the radio, and Athair and Sandulfr walked toward the body.

Athair knelt next to the boy and flinched at the terrible wounds. He had definitely been killed by a Valàfrn. Someone filled with rage had committed the pointless murder. But how would they clear Sgrios and cover up this crime?

“So, you have any suggestions for disguising this?” Athair asked Sandulfr in a hushed whisper.

“I think a car accident would cover it well, but many memories will need to be adjusted. Especially those of our so-called witness.”

“We will need to change the scene, as well. Can you get them away from here? Give me ten minutes.”

“I’ll lead them away and do what I can to manipulate their memories to fit a car accident and animal attack.” Sandulfr called out. “Sheriff, I believe I can help you gather evidence. I have some tracking skills and can show you where the trail leads away from the crime.”

“Do you think we may find the beast?” The sheriff walked up to them.

“Perhaps. You should bring your deputies and weapons, in case it was a pack.” The four started off into the woods, following Sandulfr’s made-up trail.

How could he simulate an accident? The only way Athair could think of was to drive the car into one of the large trees lining the roadway. He lifted the poor boy’s mangled body into the vehicle and climbed into the driver’s seat. He looked for the safety belt, but found it cut in two. There was no time for any other options. The car started easily and Athair backed it up the road. Fortunately, Hope had explained about automatic cars as well as those with a stick shift. This one was an automatic. He backed quite a ways, but how fast would he have to go to make the accident realistic? Probably faster than he had driven in the field. He floored the gas pedal, and the car spun its tires while the engine roared. He aimed the car at a thick tree a little way from the patrol cars. Two breaths later, the car smashed into the tree and plowed off to the side into another.

Athair fared worse than the car. He and the boy’s dead body were thrown through the windshield. Athair bounced to a stop some fifty feet before landing in a painful heap.

Wrecking the car had proven to be a far from intelligent idea. True, it had accomplished a reasonable fake scene they would force all to believe, but the pain he had endured was worse than he’d expected.

He lay on the ground gasping for air through his crushed lungs. The world swam around him. He must have a head injury as well. He tried to raise a hand to his throbbing skull, and found he’d broken his arm. He couldn’t move it.

He tried to heal the worst of his injuries with magic. As it worked, he lay there waiting, thinking of Hope, and praying that Sandulfr hadn’t gone too far.

Then Sgrios was at his side. “Just what the hell did you do?” His words were snarled savagely, as if Sgrios was considering finishing him off for his stupidity.

The throbbing agony in his head eased. Finally, he was able to take a deep breath as his lungs healed and reabsorbed the blood that had flooded them.

“You’re a damned fool.” Sgrios continued to berate Athair as he healed Athair’s battered body. Athair looked up at his brother through the blue glow of magical energy.

“I had no idea it would be like that.” Athair spoke slowly to get the words out on panted gasps.

“Why would you take any risks now that you have Hope? You would make her grieve for you already? You’re lucky I followed your worthless hide out here.”

Athair sat up. He was amazed by how strong Sgrios had become in his healing magic. In just moments, his broken body was put back to rights. It was astounding. “I needed to disguise the evidence.”

“You did not have to do it this way.”

“We need to keep our people hidden.”

“Not at this cost. What if I hadn’t been here? If one of us must risk our lives, please, let it be me. There is no mate to mourn me.”

Athair clasped his brother’s arm so he could stand. He relished the physical contact, and he knew Sgrios meant that if he died, there was a chance he would be rejoined with Cairistione.

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