Page 46 of Tracking the Alpha
“The general apparently swung by the doctor’s office and said the smell they wanted to use was junk. Told them to make me stink like the forest instead. I think they used a little too much.”
“You’re like one of those cardboard tree air fresheners people get as stocking stuffers,” she remarked.
“Think it will be okay?”
“Yeah. It’s actually a better idea than faking an animal scent. Speaking of which, where’s the female wolf?”
“Coming.” As he replied, the door to the main building opened and a pair of white coats came out rolling a cage. Inside, a gray wolf, lying on her side, breathing deeply, eyes closed.
“You sure it’s female?” Tanis inquired. “Seems rather large.”
The guy with short-cut hair and a patchy beard didn’t look at her as he unlatched the cage and replied, “No, because we don’t know how to look between the legs to figure it out.”
Rude and uncalled for, but Tanis didn’t care because it kind of confirmed this wolf was most likely an experiment like Barrett.
It didn’t take long for the young soldier to load the female across his shoulders and follow Tanis out of the compound, which seemed a more fitting word than facility or base.
As they walked, Tanis chose to converse. “You know who I am, but I don’t know your name.”
“Private Thule. But you can call me Peter.”
“How long have you been here, Peter?”
“About two weeks.”
“Crazy posting,” she stated. “I thought soldiers only worked in war zones or on bases.”
“Me too. I got the summons soon as I finished basic and wasn’t even told where I was going. Me and two others were shipped out in the middle of the night.”
“Is it true none of you can call home?”
“Nope, nor do we get to go into town or anything.”
“Isn’t that weird?” She tried to draw him out slowly.
“I guess. Don’t know, this being my first posting and all.”
“What are the military even doing out here in the middle of nowhere?” she asked with what she hoped didn’t sound like a fake laugh.
“Dunno.” His voice lowered. “I’m thinking it’s probably to guard some kind of secret lab underground, though. I mean, why else the secrecy and all those doctors?”
“What kind of lab?” She hushed her own voice to give him the impression they were in cahoots.
“Who knows? Bioweapon, most likely.”
“I don’t know. I mean, what’s up with the wolf they had hiding in the main building?” Tanis tried to lead him in the right direction.
“You don’t think they had her brought in special either, eh? I don’t remember any deliveries, meaning she must have already been here. Maybe she’s like a lab rat for them to test on.”
“Seems like an actual rat would be cheaper,” she snorted.
“Hey, you don’t think the wolf that’s in the woods escaped from the lab, do you?”
“What makes you say that?”
Peter’s gaze darted left and right. “I heard it’s big as a bear and has it out for people.”
“It is definitely larger than normal and, from the sounds of it, quite vicious.”
