Series of Death Draft 01 CH 52 (Patreon)

The form walking by the window was a hare; Trembor had no doubt about it, and the path to the office stairs was a straight line, without anyone watching it. It was definitely where they wanted him to go. That hare waving at the camera had gotten him here, but this was just too obvious. Even if he believed Bo was held in that office, he wasn’t going there by the path they wanted him to. He turned right and followed the wall, looking into each room.

“Trem,” the wolf whispered, following. “Nikal’s up there. He’s who has your brother.”

“Then you go deal with him, if that’s what you’re interested in.” Offices. He shone a light in a dark one and saw dismantled equipment on tables, tools next to them, and on pegs on the wall.

“Then why are you heading away?”

Trembor rounded on Marlot. “Because they aren’t going to make it that easy, not after—” He closed his muzzle and glared at the wolf. He wasn’t giving him the satisfaction.

“Who is this they?” Marlot asked, puzzled.

Trembor turned. “None of your business.” More offices, some with packs of what had to have been meat. Quality control? Hopefully, the meat had been moved before the place shut down. That much food going to waste would be a crime.

“You know,” Marlot said. “I can’t help feeling like we’re following the same scent, but getting different prey out of it.”

“And of course, because I’m not smelling what you’re smelling, I have to be wrong.” The wall facing him had a door in it. Take it, or turn with the wall and head to the back?

“I didn’t say that,” the wolf replied, defensively. “I’m just trying to understand what you’re doing.”

“I’m looking for my brother.” He turned the knob. The door opened, darkness beyond.

“He’s up there, with Nikal.”

“And that doesn’t smell like a trap to you? The prey’s just waiting there for us to walk up to it?” He looked over his shoulder at the thoughtful wolf. “Are you actually thinking about what I said instead of just running off and doing what you want?” Marlot looked at him guiltily. How often had the wolf just ignored what Trembor told him? He had a decent track record, Trembor had to admit that, but when Marlot fucked up, he tended to fuck up big. And then count on Trembor to fix it.

“I just don’t think—”

“Marl,” Trembor said in exasperation, “unless it’s about tech, you rarely think.” He turned the light to the dark hall and entered.

“That isn’t fair,” The wolf said, sounding hurt.

It wasn’t. Trembor knew that, but having Marlot there, following him, not arguing, not dictating put him on edge. He liked having him there. Working with him. But he had to remind himself that whatever else this was, the wolf was bad for him.

These doors didn’t have windows in them. Small offices on his left, disused, and the light that spilled out from the outside windows when he opened one on his right blinded him so completely he couldn’t move for almost a minute. Was it worth checking them all? He turned to Marlot, and the wolf tilted an ear.

What was he doing? He didn’t need or want the wolf’s opinion. They weren’t partners. Trembor wasn’t the wolf’s thing to be told what to do.

But having someone to talk things over had been good.

He ground his teeth together and pressed forward. There was another door at the end of the hall. He headed for it. The offices weren’t insulated, and he’d hear anyone moving in them. He wanted someone to jump out of them so he could hit them. The longer this took, the more people he wanted them to have between him and his brother.

He cracked the door open and light spilled out. This time he let his eyes adjust as he opened it more. A large room looking out onto the front parking lot, empty cubicles everywhere. The main entrance. No sounds except what came from outside. No scent other than staleness.

Pocketing the light, he stepped in. A sign opposite this door indicated where stairs went up. He smiled, there was his way to that office. The second floor would connect to it. He headed for it, glancing at the cubicles, no computers, but the wiring was still there. Not even the remnants of a scent. How long had this place been closed?

He felt the tug at his leg and pulled away as something clicked, Then he cursed as something cut him.

“Trem!” Marlot was next to him.

Trembor shoved him away. “I’m fine,” he snapped. His pant leg was cut, but the line on his leg was shallow. If he hadn’t moved at the tug, the slice could have been deep enough to keep him from walking. He found the string he broke, attached to a knife shaped like a claw with a spring mechanism. It looked homemade, but well constructed.

Now that he knew to look for them, he saw more strings between cubicles. A way to deter him? Force him back the way he came and up those stairs?

“Okay, that’s it,” Marlot said. “I’m taking the lead.” The wolf stepped around him. “Stay behind, I’ll make sure they can’t hurt you.”

“What the fuck?” Trembor grabbed the wolf and pulled him behind. “I’m fucking well able to deal with this.”

“You don’t get it. He’s doing this to get to me. He’s hurting you because he wants me to lose control.”

“Oh, of course, this is about you. I cut myself, but all this, it about you. You aren’t the center of the fucking world, Marl. Get over yourself. They’re just trying to scare me.”

“There aren’t any they, Trem, aren’t you listening? It’s a hunter who has your brother, and it’s my fault.”

“Right, because anyone who knows you would think that kidnapping Bo would be the perfect way to lure you into a trap.”

“I’m here, aren’t I?”

“And I don’t fucking need you here. I never needed you, don’t you get that? That pitiful act isn’t working anymore. I can’t even believe I fell for it. I am not yours. I never was.”

Marlot took a step back. “I didn’t—” looking pained.

“Bury it. I’m not interested in smelling it.” Trembor turned and made his way through the strings.

“Trem, please. I’m sorry, I never meant to make you feel like—”

“I don’t care!” Trembor turned to glare at the wolf, broke a string, and barely moved in time to have another shallow cut. “I don’t need you running my life! You’re just a distraction.”

“Come on! Now you’re being unreasonable. I’m trying to help, I’m trying to keep you safe.”

Trembor stiffened. “Safe? You don’t want to keep me safe, you want to keep me for yourself. Well, I’m not yours!”

“I never said you were!” Marlot yelled. “Are you fucking hearing anything I’m saying? I am trying to help!”

“No, you’re fucking controlling me! You don’t give a fuck about anything else. Leave!”

“No.” The wolf crossed his arms over his chest and glared at Trembor.

For an instant, Trembor saw the lion before him. Glaring, ready to impress on him just how unhappy he was with Trembor’s belief he had any say in what was happening. The sting of his cuts became the pain of a broken leg.

Then Marlot was there again. And it was the wolf who was unhappy with him, ready to inflict pain because Trembor wasn’t doing what he was told. He fought the impulse to run. He glared back.

“You are never hurting me again!” Trembor turned and stormed away from Marlot, only marginally trying to avoid breaking any of the strings. Once at the stairs the stomped up them. Ignoring the wolf called after him. Shutting it out. It would only be orders to return or face the consequences. At the top, he crossed the doorway and slammed it shut. Slammed the wolf out of his life, permanently.

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