“But I have to feed the animals!”

“They’ll have to go hungry today. Stay home, okay?” Jana looked at her friend. It all came down to choices. “I’m not an Intuit. I don’t get feelings that way. But there’s going to be a fight, and you need to be ready. Pack a go bag for yourself. Food and water for you, Rusty, and Buddy. Convince Evan and Kenneth that they need to pack go bags for themselves and the kids right now. I suspect this won’t be the first time they’ve needed to leave in a hurry. If there’s any indication that we’ll lose this fight, you all pile in their car and get as far away from Bennett as you can.”

“And go where?”

Only one place they could go. “Into the hills. Drive as far in as you can, then go on foot. Tell whatever stops you that Maddie is a sweet blood and you need to get her to Jackson Wolfgard’s settlement in Sweetwater.” Before Barb could protest, Jana said, “Maddie can’t stay here. The Blackstone Clan and some of the other men who have come into town in the past couple of days are dangerous. Can you imagine what they would do with, and to, a blood prophet, even one as young as Maddie?”

Barb swallowed hard. “I’ll do my best.”

“Your best will be great.” Jana made sure she had everything she needed before she headed out the door.

Don’t want to be late to my first gunfight.

But she wondered if Maddie’s pointing finger had already revealed the outcome of that fight.

* * *

* * *

After listening to Tolya’s recap of his “agreement” with Parlan Blackstone and then the description of the Hope pup’s drawing, Virgil eyed his human deputy. Jana smelled a bit musky, which was actually pleasant, but the pale face and sour-sweat smell that was also on her skin made him wonder if she was ill.

“So we’re all going to meet the Blackstone Clan and their allies?” Jana asked. “A show of strength, a couple of snarls, and they raise their hands and surrender because they promised to do that?”

Some other message passed between the wolverine and Tolya. Virgil growled softly at being excluded. She was his deputy and shouldn’t have secrets. Not from him.

“Not all of us,” Tolya replied after a moment. “Nicolai will remain at the train station. Stazia will guard the bank, Anya will stay at the hotel, and Isobel will keep watch on the other side of the square. So will Joshua Painter. The delegation meeting the Blackstones will consist of Yuri, Virgil, and me.”

“Where I am positioned?” Jana growled.

“You’re going to be available if someone calls for help,” Virgil replied. “Make sure the police howler is parked away from the square so the enemy doesn’t see you drive away.”

“You’re excluding me?” Jana stared at him. “Why? Because I’m human?” She looked at Tolya. “Three of you are going to stand up against … how many?”

“Four of us,” Saul Panthergard growled.

Virgil wondered who had told Saul about the meeting, then decided it didn’t matter. They needed all the big predators living in Bennett.

“Fine,” the wolverine snapped. “Four. Against how many?”

“Numbers don’t matter,” Tolya said. “Human weapons can’t be used, and Blackstone already agreed to yield.”

“And when something goes wrong?” she persisted.

“Then we’ll kill as many humans as we can,” Virgil replied.

“Before you die.”

“Yes.”

She looked upset about something he’d already accepted.

“You’re not being excluded,” Tolya said. “You’re the next line of defense. So are Anya, Stazia, Isobel, and John. Kane will protect the Maddie pup, but he’ll need help if she has to run away and hide.”

“I already took care of that,” Jana said. “Barb will help Evan and Kenneth take the kids to safety.”

They didn’t have time for the wolverine to keep arguing, so Virgil stepped on her foot and growled, “When we hunt, I decide your position, and I’ve told you what I decided.”

“They’re going to cheat.” Her hands balled into fists.

“So are we.”

Virgil met Tolya’s eyes. The Sanguinati understood perfectly why he didn’t want the human deputy around to see the fight. In their Wolf form, the Wolfgard were big. In their true terra indigene form, they were even bigger—and could not be seen by human eyes. They could be shot—and killed—in their true form, but they would kill a lot more of the enemy before that happened.

Virgil looked at Saul. “You sure about being in the fight?”

Saul gave Virgil a feline stare. “Joshua woke up early this morning, dreaming of metal, jagged-toothed traps disguised as rabbits. The boy and I will fight.”

“I’m still hoping Parlan Blackstone has as much influence on the other outlaws as he believes and can convince them to back away from this fight and leave town,” Tolya said. “But no matter what happens, the outlaw humans won’t take the town.” He smiled at Jana. “Our last defense will see to that.”

“Me?” She sounded squeaky.

“No,” Virgil said. “The Harvester is our last defense. There are good reasons why Plague Rider is another name for Scythe’s form of terra indigene.”

CHAPTER 35

Watersday, Frais 1

Jana found two more speed loaders in the storeroom. The darn room still held enough weapons to hold off an army—or supply an army—and she didn’t know what to do about that. She carried the speed loaders and two boxes of ammunition to her desk, then went back for a shotgun and a box of shells.

She hadn’t found any vests. Either they weren’t standard issue here or the cops who had lived in Bennett had been wearing them when the Elders swept in and killed everyone. Either way, she hadn’t found anything she could use as protection in a gunfight.

When she headed for the storeroom again, Virgil said, “How can you run fast if you’re carrying all those things? And how can you use any of them when you’re carrying all of them?”

“I thought I could hide a couple of them or … something.” Jana closed her eyes. The idea of having hidden stashes of guns had been alluring—and more like a frontier-story shootout—until she considered the one thing that had never been in those stories. “Some of the men we’re going to be fighting are Intuits and experienced fighters. If they ‘sense’ things in a fight, they might have a feeling of where they could find extra weapons.”

“Yes.” Virgil studied the weapons that filled the top of her desk. He pointed at the boxes of ammunition. “These are the danger. Without them, this”—he pointed at the shotgun—“is a metal club. It can hurt, even kill, but the enemy has to be close enough to hit with it or throw it. And if the enemy is that close, he’s close enough for fangs and claws to kill him.” He considered the weapons for another minute. “You should have a knife.”

She reached down, pulled the switchblade out of her boot, and held it up for him to see. “I’ve got one.”

She couldn’t tell what he was thinking, but she could guess. “I know this is my first fight, but I won’t let you down. I’m not going to choke or freeze or … whatever.”

Virgil smiled. “I don’t care what Tolya says, I still think one of your ancestors mated with a Wolverine and somehow had some young.”

She wasn’t sure if that was meant as an insult or a compliment.

His smile faded. “Once John and I shift to Wolf form, we won’t be able to talk to you.”

She nodded. The Wolves would be able to communicate with each other and the rest of the terra indigene, reporting the enemies’ positions. None of them would be carrying mobile phones—and none of them would be able to afford the seconds needed to shift into a form that could talk to her.

A sudden breeze ruffled Virgil’s hair.

“I can deliver messages to Deputy Jana,” Air said, taking shape near the office door. “The Elementals agreed to help if we’re asked.”

“Then I’m asking.” Virgil turned to Jana. “If you need to tell us anything, you call for Air. And if I need you to go somewhere, she’ll tell you. Understood?”

As soon as Jana nodded, Air disappeared—or was no longer visible.

“We need to hide the ammunition,” Jana said. “You’re right that, without bullets, the long guns are nothing more than metal clubs and the handguns can’t do any more damage than a rock.”

Virgil started to say something, then shook his head. “No time. The Blackstone humans are gathering in the square to challenge Tolya.” He stripped out of his clothes and shifted so fast she had a weird flash image of his naked human body that left her unsure of having actually seen him.

She tucked two of the speed loaders in the special pouch on her duty belt, picked up the shotgun and a handful of shells, then followed Virgil out the door.

* * *

* * *

“Mom, I’ll say it again. I don’t feel easy about you being in a gunfight.”

Jesse glanced at Tobias, who had been driving at a recklessly high speed ever since he picked her up at her house. “Son, I’m not easy about you being in this fight either, but we have just as much at stake as the people living in Bennett.” And you’re not driving this fast to protect the Sanguinati or the Wolves.

“You think our two guns will make a difference?”

Not their guns, but their presence, would alter the fight. She could feel it.

Jesse closed her eyes as her right hand closed over her left wrist. “Yes. We’ll make a difference.”

* * *

* * *

Parlan settled the two revolvers into their holsters before he loaded the derringer with its single round. It might carry only one bullet, but that bullet could bring down a horse or blow the leg off a man—or a Wolf. Of course, all the weapons were for show, but he couldn’t issue the challenge without them.

He studied Judd McCall, who seemed oddly elated.

He’d had to tell Judd and Lawry about the deal he’d made with Tolya Sanguinati. Lawry had fretted about what would happen down the road if other associates heard that Parlan had double-crossed the men who had come to Bennett to help him secure the town. And Judd? It was like Judd had expected it, had been waiting for the day when Parlan’s luck ran out and he’d betray everyone to save his own skin.

Still, Judd slid a look at Durango Jones as he loaded his guns—silent confirmation that he would take care of Durango if Parlan kept the deal with the vampire and got the clan safely out of Bennett. Parlan and Lawry would handle the Parkers if required.

“Where is Sleight-of-Hand Slim?” he asked.

“He’ll take up a position inside the saloon doors to ambush whoever tries to use the place for cover,” Judd said.