Page 7 of Wolf's Whisper

"Stand up, slowly!" Hatchet commands, his voice low and menacing. The stranger complies, hands raised slightly to show he isn’t holding a weapon. I keep my hand on my sidearm, not taking any chances.

"Who are you, and what're you doing here?" I ask, stepping forward to stand beside Hatchet. The morning light was harsh on the man's face, revealing a scruffy beard and nervous eyes that dart between us.

"I—uh, I'm just... looking for my dog. He ran off," the man stammers, his voice unconvincing.

"Bullshit," Hatchet growls. "We've been watching this place all night. No dogs running around here except you."

The man's face flushes a deeper shade of panic. He licks his lips, glancing around for an escape route. "Look, I didn't mean any harm. I just—"

"Save it," I cut in sharply. "Who sent you?"

His jaw tightens, and for a brief second, defiance flashed in his eyes, but he quickly looks down, avoiding my gaze. "I don't know what you're talking about," he mutters.

"Wrong answer," Hatchet says, stepping closer until he is almost nose-to-nose with the guy. "You're trespassing, and if you don't start talking, I can make sure the cops here take their sweet time deciding what to do with you."

The man swallows hard, looking between Hatchet and me. "Okay, okay," he finally blurts out. "It was Jack. He paid me a few bucks to check and see if she is alone."

I clench my fists, anger boiling up inside of me. Janelle doesn’t deserve this—she has been through enough already. "And what were you supposed to do after checking?" I press, voice low and dangerous.

"Just to report back," he stutters, his eyes pleading for understanding. "I swear that’s all."

Hatchet and I exchange a glance. I watch the man closely, my mind races through the various scenarios this could escalate into. But he seems to deflate under Hatchet's stern gaze, his shoulders slump as the realization of his situation began to sink in.

"Look," I say, my voice deliberate and calm, "you're going to tell us everything you know. Names, places, what he's planning next. The more you give us, the better it'll be for you when the cops show up."

The man nods quickly, his Adam’s apple bobbing nervously. "All right, all right," he agrees, a bead of sweat trailing down his temple. "I can give you names. Just—please don't hurt me."

Hatchet snorts disdainfully but steps back, allowing me some space to handle it. I dial the local police, keeping my eyes on our uninvited guest. "We’ve got a situation here," I inform the dispatcher succinctly. "Need a unit sent over."

As we wait for the police to arrive, the man spills everything. Janelle’s ex hired him through some shady online forum, promising him cash in exchange for information about her daily routines. His specific instructions are when to check the house and what details to look for.

"He didn’t tell me everything," the man confesses, his voice shaky. "But he’s desperate to get her back—or at least make her life miserable."

The sound of sirens approach, cutting through the tension like a knife. Hatchet and I exchange a look of grim satisfaction. At least we have something to work with now.

As the police cruiser pulls up, I see Eagle and his partner in the car. They exit the car and approach us, “Good morning, Officer Hastings and Officer Ford.” I won’t call Eagle by his road name at work, even though he says it’s a nonissue for him.

"Morning, Wolf. What's the situation here?" Officer Hastings asks, clipboard in hand, and his expression all business.

"We caught this guy snooping around Janelle’s house," I explain, gesturing toward the nervous man who seems even more unnerved by the presence of the cops. "Claims he was just looking for his dog, but we got him to confess her ex sent him."

Officer Ford, a tall woman with a keen eye, kneels to his level, her voice stern yet controlled. "You understand you're in a lot of trouble here, right? We need full cooperation."

The man nods vigorously. "I told them everything I know," he repeats his story, pointing at Hatchet and me. "I swear."

"Good. That'll help your case," Ford replies before standing and turning to Officer Hastings. "We need to take him in for questioning, get all the details down officially."

Hastings motions for the man to stand and head toward the cruiser. "Let's go. You can tell us more at the station."

I watch as they handcuff him and lead him away, a part of me is relieved that we intercepted something potentially dangerous.Another part of me is furious that Janelle’s peace is once again disturbed by her relentless ex. I can feel Hatchet’s gaze on me, his brow furrowed in concern.

“You okay, Wolf?” he asks once the police have driven off with their suspect.

I shake my head, trying to dispel the anger bubbling inside me. “Not really. This is far from over, isn’t it?”

Hatchet claps a hand on my shoulder, squeezing firmly. “We’ll handle it, just like we always do. We’re not letting anything happen to Janelle or her kids.”

I nod, grateful for his unwavering support. “Thanks, man. Let’s head back to the clubhouse and plan our next move. We need to tighten security around Janelle’s place and maybe keep a closer watch ourselves.”

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