Page 34 of Phoenix Rising

Namean shook his fluffy mane, and it seemed to ripple. “It would be, but I wear a cooling vest.”

“What’s that?”

“There are ice packs I freeze before putting on the suit. They slide into panels to provide an instant cool factor. I also have a cold collar around my neck.”

Good grief, all that to play dress-up? Audria could see someone wanting to be a mascot since they were entertaining fans, but this amount of fanaticism was beyond her.

The group asked more questions, and by the time they were ready to leave, Audria was convinced she did not want to have to attend the fur party.

Chapter Ten

“That was a complete waste of time,” Reese complained as they left the building. Bisclavret had taken their group on a tour of the facility. There was a room of approximately thirteen thousand square feet where they held the fur parties and conventions. He showed them where vendors set up and the area where they played movies. There were even living quarters for the group leaders.

A man pushed through the door and scuttled by them. He was slender, with wire-rimmed glasses and a horseshoe hairline, where only the top of his head was bald. What hair he did have was wet. He couldn’t be taller than five-foot-six or seven. Reese would bet that he usually wore a pocket protector. “Namean?”

The man yelped and spun around, knocking the glasses down his face. He pushed them up with a knuckle. “Sorry, you frightened me . . . wait, how did you know who I was?”

“A guess,” Reese told him.

The man looked uncomfortable as he straightened the collar of his shirt.

“I’m Ross Green, and this is my wife, Amy.” He held out a hand, and the man shook it.

“Homer Duncan. Can I help you with something? Do you have questions about the fur party this weekend?”

“I think we’re set there. I wanted to know if you remember my friend.” Reese showed Duncan the picture of Paige. He took the phone and studied the photo, his eyes sparking with recognition.

“Yes, I remember her.” Duncan handed the phone back to Reese. “She was very curious about our community. Jan, I think, is her name.”

“It is,” Reese confirmed.

“She wanted to know what it took to be a fur guide. She said she was going to apply to become one, but I haven’t heard from her yet. Anyone as interested as she seemed to be would make a good one. You’ll let her know to contact me when you talk to her?”

“I’ll do that. Thanks.”

They watched as he hurried off.

“I can’t believe that meek, mild-mannered man is the person beneath the elaborate lion disguise. He obviously uses a voice modulator since his octave is higher than his animal persona. How did you know?”

“The hitch in his walk. I noticed it earlier.”

“That’s why you’re a supervisory special agent, SSA Reneau.”

Reese reached for her hand and threaded their fingers together. “I know for a fact you observed it too. Had you been looking at him as he passed us, you’d have put it together.”

Audria lifted her shoulder. “Maybe.”

Reese smiled. He had no doubt she would have figured it out. She was the most competent person he’d ever worked with.

“Smooth move getting his name,” Audria praised. “Why do you think Paige asked about becoming a fur guide?”

“I honestly don’t know. It might’ve been a way to converse with Namean. Maybe he was her target.”

“I looked up the name online, and Namean was a lion in Greek mythology,” Audria told him. “Because his fur was impervious to attack, mortal weapons couldn’t kill him.”

“Hercules did, though, right?”

Audria’s eyes widened. “You’ve heard the story?”

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