Page 8 of Forbidden Moon
Chapter 4
ONE HOUR LATER
Jack and Caleb faced Ben and Evan across the table in the main conference room, the acrid scent of worry heavy in the air. The group just finished scrolling through all of the Strange Things blog entries on the large wall screen, including today’s exchange between Birdman and Majestic Sky. Ben stopped drumming his fingers on the smooth tabletop and turned to Jack.
“Have you informed Alpha Sheppard?”
“Yes. He appreciated the information and promised to get his best “hacker” working on it. President Sheppard wants Majestic Sky to continue his communication with Birdman, rather than one of his staff posing as a new reader. If pressed too hard, he fears the human might decide to reveal us or perhaps stop blogging altogether.”
Ben nodded and turned to his mate.
“Did any of you find specific clues in the dreams?”
Evan grimaced, shaking his head.
“I’m afraid not, only general impressions of being outed by humans. What Walter discovered may not even be the biggest or only threat we face. It’s too early to say, though if the dreams follow their usual pattern, we should be getting a more detailed picture soon.”
Jaw clenched, Ben growled.
“Damn it! I hate sitting here waiting for something to happen. Caleb, what’s your take on all of this? What does it mean for Gladstone?”
As chief of security, Caleb understood Ben’s frustration all too well.
“There isn’t much to go on. Based on the posts, it appears Birdman is somewhere in the northern United States—precisely where he’d need to be to observe shifters. The pack he’s watching can’t be too terribly isolated, given the hints at there being “plenty of people” nearby. Frankly, I can’t understand why any of our people would be so careless as to shift where somebody could see them! Even these clues can narrow down the search, and before you ask, Gladstone is also on the list until we know more.
“The question is, how can he observe without being seen or scented? If he used a drone, he’d already have film or photos to prove his claims. It could be as simple as a well-hidden game trail camera. I’d like to discuss this with Lou and Garrett. Between their military training and experience working for Alpha Sheppard, they may have helpful ideas.
“In the meantime, I’ll instruct my team to scrutinize our borders and look for anything suspicious. I also suggest we raise the alert level so our people are extra cautious. I’ll run up the flag and set the alarm to go off three times a day. I assume the council will send out a warning of its own, but we should give the Cooks and Newberry packs a heads-up as a matter of courtesy.”
Ben nodded.
“Thank you, Caleb. Jack, I’d like you and Evan to set up a conference call with Everet and fill him in. I’ll meet with our downtown business owners and caution them not to let their guard down. I’ll also have Nolan, Tom, and Micah remind the Natural Homes crews to keep a lid on things no matter where they’re working.
“It might not hurt to pick Robert’s brain. Considering he lived for years as a human, he must be skilled at hiding in plain sight. We’ll deal with any new information as it comes in. I only hope Luna reveals more before Birdman blows our cover.”
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SATURDAY, JUNE 6, COOKSpacklands
RJ made yet another trip to the truck with his purchases. He hadn’t planned on buying this much all at once, but the superior quality, selection, and service won him over. The Cooks Roadside Market appeared on Carol Jo’s recommended list, and he needed a local supplier for organic produce. RJ placed a high priority on healthy eating, yet the place offered much more than fresh fruit and vegetables.
Fortunately, the house came with a small chest freezer, enabling him to stock up on perishables and avoid the fifty-mile round trip. His wallet took a hit, but what was money for anyway? He’d left Kalamazoo a moderately wealthy man and debt-free, thanks to his mother’s foresight. Nevertheless, it seemed almostwastefulto spend so much on himself—but that was the old RJ talking, and he refused to live with self-imposed guilt.
He shook off the negative thoughts and made his way around the vehicle to the driver’s door, avoiding contact with the lime-green rust bucket in the adjacent parking space. After spending years driving an old piece of junk, it made him even more thankful that the DNR paid for his Chevy Silverado. He wasted no time getting on the road, eager to finish the other errands on his to-do list. With the weekend almost half gone already, his first day of work on Monday wasn’t far off.
####
JONAH LOOKED FORWARDto seeing Lilly Howell while he did some shopping for Cody and the pack kitchen. They sent him off to Cooks in one of the cargo vans with lengthy lists of needed items. Typically, he spent his Saturdays cleaning the house, reading, or playing with Ben and Evan’s kids. He didn’t mind helping out, though he intended to do his own thing when he got back home.
Approaching the turn, he passed a sizeable gray pickup truck leaving the market. Saturdays were always busy, and the parking lot appeared to be full-up. Wait—there was one open spot close to the sales barn, next to an ugly green beater. He pulled in, shut off the ignition, and stopped cold when he cracked open the door. Inhaling deeply, he and his wolf lingered over an incredible aroma. Whatwasthat? The fresh but diluted scent revealed several things at once: man, human,desire.
Jonah got out and looked around. Humans moved in and around the main building and parking area, going about their business. With no one even close to his position, the person he detected must have left shortly before he got here. How strange! He met countless humans every week, and none of them ever grabbed his attention this way. He shook off the confusing puzzle and headed for the heart of the market. Off to the side, he noticed a new structure going up, almost as big as the sales barn itself. Jonah wondered what they were up to now.
Inside, the set-up closely resembled a small grocery store. Though shaped and painted like a traditional barn, there’d never been any farm animals, hay bales, or tractors in here. Jonah spotted Lilly near the opposite wall, her hair pulled back in a pony tail and wearing a pair of well-worn denim overalls—the official uniform of the market staff. She was busy replenishing the beeswax candles and looked up with a smile at his approach.
“It's been too long since you’ve been out here! I expected to be finished with this sooner, but I’ve been one step behind all day. Give me a hand with this last case, will you?”
