In Shadow - Ch 27 - Better Lucky Than Good

"Now?" Jenny whispered, nervously.

They'd been sitting in what seemed to be a spare bedroom of the Alto's penthouse, waiting, for what seemed like forever. The whole time, Genie's imagination had played out nightmares in which her mother and Uncle Max dismissively handed them over to be brutally violated by George T, or ruthlessly killed by Mr. Grey, or both. Any moment, Genie was certain, a horrible doom would come crashing down on them. 

They had to escape. Their only hope seemed to be the woman in the slinky green dress - Mr. Grey had called her Candi. She had lingered in the room, idly looking at the uninspiring paintings on the wall and ignoring them. Now she was flirting, in her annoying giggly voice, with the man left to guard them. 

He's distracted, Genie thought, nodding to Jenny. This was their chance. maybe their only chance. She tensed, preparing to make her desperate - and probably hopeless - move to overpower him and escape.

Maybe she could distract him long enough for Jenny to make it to the door, hopefully to the elevator. If Jenny reached the street outside, she could run, scream. All she had to do was find people... the Altos wouldn't hurt her if she was surrounded by witnesses. Genie could hold out that long... long enough for her friend to escape. 

She was so focused on her desperate plan, she almost missed it when the guard suddenly started to convulse, his mouth open in a wordless, silent cry.

Genie leapt to her feet, watching the startled shock as the guard dropped, twitching, to the floor. She stared at him in shocked recognition. 

She'd seen this kind of thing before.

"You stunned him!" Genie gasped accusingly at Candi. "That's a stunner. An Agency stunner! You're a spy!"

"Say it louder... I don't think the assembled crime bosses down the hall heard you," Candi said sardonically. 

"Candice Barnett, Agency field operative," Candi continued, in a voice nothing like the giggly bimbo she'd pretended to be. "You and your little friends just basically screwed up months of my work, infiltrating Marco's inner circle... but I couldn't just hang you out to dry." 

"Hey, we stole the Alto's ledger," Genie said. 

"Yeah, you did... and I'd love to know how you cracked the combination on that safe," Candice replied. "I've been trying for weeks."

"Corrie worked out the formula," Genie answered with pride.

"Serves me right for underestimating her," Candice chuckled. "Now, let's get you two out of here before Grey comes back." 

"Wait here, while I take care of the other guard," she added quietly, slipping out of the room.

"Right, get going you two," Candice ordered.

"What about you?" Jenny asked, still spooked and more than a little overwhelmed by everything. 

"OMG!" Candi gasped, reverting seamlessly to full bimbo. "Marco, baby, it was horrible. They used some spy gadget to knock out the boys and escaped. I was so scared!"

"If you're sure," Genie said, heading quickly for the door.

"I'm good," Candice smiled. "Just tell me you have a plan for that ledger... a better than the one you used to get in here."

"I hope so," Genie laughed.

----------------

"Aadi, I can't tell you have glad I am to see you," Orange sighed.

It was very late or possibly very early, Orange had lost track, when he and Corrie had gotten off the train at Finchwich station. From there it had been a short and well marked walk into the little country town. 

Aadi... loyal and reliably cheerful Aadi... had met them in front of the Gnome's Arms, the town pub.

"Sorry big man, Aadi is taken," they said with a broad grin. "Our love must remain forever unrequited."

"What?" Orange blinked, confused, then laughed. "Oh, right... yeah, I missed you, Aadi." Turning to Corrie, he added, "Corrie, this is Aadi. Aadi, Corrie."

"Hi, Aadi," Corrie laughed, thoroughly charmed. 

"Good to meet you, girlfriend," Aadi smiled. "Welcome to the teeming metropolis of Henford-on-Bagely. This... is pretty much it."

"It's... nice," Corrie said, uncertainly. 

"Aadi, have you heard anything from Genie or Jenny," Orange put in, worried. "They didn't meet us at the train and..."

"Relax, big man," Aadi said soothingly. "Genie called me a little bit ago. They're OK. They made it out, but they missed the last train. They're laying low with an old karaoke friend of mine in the City and they'll be on the first train in the morning. That's the good news."

"Thank God, blessed Saint Peter, and Saint Jacob," Orange said fervently. "Hang on... if that's the good news, what's the bad news."

"The bad news is you got spotted getting on the train," Aadi said. "Trouble is a-brewing."

"So, no time to enjoy Finchwich's thriving night life," they continued. "No... we sadly must get our hustle on."

"Oh no, I'm so sorry to make trouble for you," Corrie groaned. "Maybe we should..."

"You should follow your Aadi. Quick march," Aadi said firmly, leading the way. "And don't worry, Mill Lane is safe as can be... we have stalwart neighbors, magic spells, tough protectors, big scary monsters..."

"Wait, did you say Mill Lane? Do you live near Cassie Goth's old farmhouse? Where she wrote Brookside?" Corrie gasped, excitement overriding her tension.

"Sugar, we live in Cassie Goth's old farmhouse where she wrote Brookside," Aadi smiled "Come with me and I will show you wonders... or at least a big old farmhouse with some really nice paintings."  

----------------

"Welcome to the famous house on Mill Lane," Aadi announced. 

They had walked for a while, over the bridge at Finchwick and along quiet, dark country lanes. Farmhouses dotted the hills but they saw no one except for a lone fox, who had dashed across their path on some business of its own.

To Orange, who had lived all his life in cities, the quiet and emptiness were strange, but not as strange as the darkness. Without streetlights, the hills were black shadows against a sky lit only by a thin sliver of moon and more stars than he had ever seen in his life. He was more heartily grateful than he cared to admit when Aadi finally led them within the glow of lights from the sprawling farmhouse.

"Orange, Corrie, let me introduce our landlord and protector, Jake Volkov, King of the Werewolves," Aadi said grandly.

"Orange Bailey-Moon," Orange said, shaking the hand of the big man. "Nice to meet you, Mr. Volkov."

"Just Jake. I'm not a king," the man replied, firmly grasping his hand. "Love your book by the way."

"Thanks," Orange smiled.

"And this is my boo, Jordan," Aadi continued.

"Honey, we've heard a bit about your troubles from Genie," Jordan said, pulling Corrie into a friendly hug. "I'm so glad you made it. I hope we can be a safe space for you and know that you are always welcome."

"Umm... thank you," Corrie replied, a little startled. 

"Perimeter's secure, Jake," announced a tawny-haired woman who came trotting out of the shadows.

"And this is the remarkable Demarco," Aadi said. "Another of our great protectors and noble beasties."

"Don't mind Aadi," Jordan said to the group in general. "They missed their calling as a royal herald."

"You didn't tell me they called," Aadi joked.

"Come on, everyone inside out of the cold and damp," Jordan declared.

"We've got spare beds and sleeping bags upstairs for you to rest," Aadi said, leading everyone into the house's front hall. "There's a rest room over there, and another upstairs, if you want to freshen up. There are some leftovers in the fridge if you're hungry, and we can probably even dig some old clothes that should fit out of the dressers if you want to change. Nuestra casa et su casa."

"Thanks again, all of you," Orange said earnestly.

"Um... who's that?" Corrie asked, nodding through the archway.

"Oh that's Etta," Aadi said. "Don't mind her... she may seem standoffish but she's just shy."

"I'm not shy," the fair-haired woman meditating in the other room said without opening her eyes.

"Is she... floating?" Corrie said, shocked.

"Don't mind that either," Aadi grinned. "It's a witch thing."

"I'm not a witch," Etta muttered.

"Welcome to Mill Lane," Jordan said.

In Shadow - Ch 26 - Or Not

"You were supposed to go with Orange and Corrie," Genie said softly.

"I couldn't leave you alone," Jenny replied simply.

The plan, already on the edge of collapse, had fallen completely apart when the guy with the gun arrived. The best martial arts moves Genie knew weren't much use against a ruthless gangster with a gun, especially one who was more than twenty feet away. Genie had had no choice but to surrender. She just hoped that she'd bought Orange and Corrie enough time to reach the subway entrance and make good their escape.

"OK, I have a plan," Jenny said with undeserved certainty.

"Please don't," Genie sighed. After the past week, she had come to very firm the conclusion that, if they got out of this, Jenny was never allowed to plan anything ever again.

"When the guard comes in to check on us, I'll flash my boobs. While he's distracted, you kick him in the head," Jenny continued, undeterred.

"Why does every single one of your plans basically come down to showing some guy your boobs?" Genie wondered aloud.

"They're my best feature," Jenny smiled.

"Jenny, you're a talented actress, a good friend and a caring person," Genie said. "You are a lot more than just a pair of boobs."

"That's what Miranda always says," Jenny said.

"Well, she's right," Genie said.

They sat together in silence for a long moment. Finally, Jenny said, "They are nice boobs though."

"You have lovely breasts," Genie said. "I'm sure, under other circumstances, like if I was more gay and less captured by gangsters, I would be all over your breasts."

"Thanks," Jenny smiled.

"We still need an escape plan," Genie sighed.

"You could flash the guard," Jenny suggested.

"Are you kidding? Did you see how high I was kicking... and in this skirt?!" Genie said emphatically. "That guy owes me dinner and a movie, or at least a few drinks." 

"So true," Jenny laughed. 

"Anyway, I'd rather we came up with an escape plan where we keep our clothes on," Genie pointed out.

They still hadn't come up with a plan (dressed or otherwise) when the door to the room clicked open. The guard Genie had fought came in followed by a man in a grey suit, the one who had had the gun. 

The man in the grey suit gave them both a cold, considering look. It was a look that seemed to take them in completely, but at the same time, did not linger even for a moment on their bodies. Genie felt that they could have both been completely naked and the man would have looked at them with the same dispassionate consideration.

"Ms. Elderberry. Ms. Poole. I am Mr. Grey," the man said, his voice as coldly dispassionate as his eyes. "I do not wish to waste time. I know your associates have taken a certain ledger from Mr. Tenari's offices. You will tell me where they have taken it."

"Look, buddy, I'm Jenny Poole. I am the star of the Urbz," Jenny said with every ounce of a star's pride. "So, let's not pretend you're going to do anything to me or my friend here. I mean, if anything happens to me, millions of viewers are going to be following the police investigation."

"I am aware of your celebrity, Ms. Poole," Grey said scornfully. "Of course I am also aware, as are your millions of viewers, of your unsavory past associations and your struggles with addiction. I am sure, once people learn of your recent meetings with some of those same unsavory associates... like Mr. Stone and Mr. Tobar... they will be saddened, but hardly shocked, by your unfortunately fatal drug overdose."

"Oh," Jenny whimpered weakly.

"Leave her alone," Genie said curtly.

"Yes, you do represent more of a challenge, Ms. Elderberry," Mr. Grey smile grudgingly. "Despite your family drama, I have no doubt your mother would object to your sudden demise... at least without consulting her first. Still, there are ways around every challenge."

"I know she's here," Genie pointed out. "All I have to do is scream and she'll know I'm here... if she doesn't already."

"Perhaps," Mr. Grey mused. "Though, you may find it is difficult for even a mother to recognize a voice through a soundproofed wall."

"Do your worst," Genie snapped defiantly.

"Um, Genie..." Jenny said weakly.

"Little girl, you have no concept of what my worst is," Mr. Grey snarled. "Tell me where the ledger is."

"I said no interruptions, Candi," Mr. Grey snapped at the women who had come into the room.

"Sorry, Mr. Grey," Candi replied in what seemed to Genie to be a real version of Jenny's hooker voice.

"What. Do. You. Want," Mr. Grey snarled.

"Marco said you wanted to talk to Max and George as soon as they could leave the big meeting," Candi answered shyly. "And they're just leaving the meeting so..."

"I am surrounded by incompetence," Mr. Grey sighed. "You," he added pointed at the guard, "make sure they don't go anywhere."

Frustration plainly breaking through his cold facade, Mr. Grey stalked out of the room.

----------------

"Marco said you needed to talk to us," George T said.

"Is there a problem?" Max V added. 

"Is there a problem?" Mr. Grey sighed. "Let me think. Is the arrival of your niece, an actress you once associated with, an unknown man and a third woman who sounds very much like George's most recent pet, a problem?"

"Corrie's here?" George replied, startled.

"Corrie was here," Mr. Grey said. "She is gone. So is the Alto ledger. So, all in all, yes... I think there is a problem."

"Genie and Corrie stole the ledger? With some actress and some guy?" Max asked, clearly feeling it was important to catch up quickly.

"Jenny Poole," George groaned, "and the guy was probably Orange Bailey-Moon."

"You seem remarkably well informed about this," Mr. Grey snarled.

"I just..." George started.

"I. Don't. Care," Mr. Grey cut him off. "You will find your little pet. You will recover the ledger. You will bring them both to me. Now."

"Right," George said.

"And you," Mr. Grey said, turning to Max, "will bring me Mariah Basso and Miranda Silveroak-Goth. No more stalling. No more games. Bring them to me or know that there will be no hole deep enough for you to hide in this time."

"Consider it done," Max said with false bravado.

"I will consider it done when it is done," Mr. Grey snarled.

----------------

"Dude, you sure about this?" Anthony asked. 

"Absolutely," Orange lied. "You up for it?"

"We got the easy part, bro," Anthony said. "Here are the tickets you asked for."

"Thanks," Orange said. "I owe you... big time." 

"Forget it, dude," Anthony said, fist bumping Orange. "UBrite Dragons forever."

"I still don't see them," Corrie said. "They should be here by now."

"Yeah, they should be," Orange agreed. 

If Genie and Jenny had gotten out, they should be here by now. He was just as worried as Corrie... or maybe not. Corrie had a better idea what guys like George T were capable of. It was a thought that did not make Orange feel better.

"What are we going to do?" Corrie asked.

"We stick to the plan," Orange said, trying to sound confident. "They'll catch up... but we have to go. The last train's leaving any minute."

"Boss," Damien said. "I've got them. Central train station." 

In Shadow - Ch 25 - We Got This

"Can we talk about the aspects of this plan that I am still uncomfortable with?" Orange asked.

It seemed a little late to bring it up, Genie thought, since they were standing outside of the Alto Towers (and what does it say about us as a nation that a notorious crime family openly puts their name on a skyscraper in the middle of town, she wondered). 

"You mean the part where we're disguised as hookers, the part where half the guys up there might recognize us anyway, or the part where that jacket is way too small for you?" she asked. 

"They won't recognize us," Jenny said confidently. "Trust me, people see what they expect. They expect hookers. They'll see hookers."

"...and the jacket was all I had," Jenny continued. "Some ex left it behind. It's not my fault Orange is bigger than most guys I've dated."

"I bet he is," Corrie breathed.

"That's not what I meant," Jenny chuckled, smiling.

"Anyway," Orange said, blushing. "What do we do if they recognize us?"

"We run," Genie said simply. With more confidence than she felt, she added, "But Jenny's right. People see what they expect. We stick to the plan."

It wasn't a horrible plan, Genie thought. At least, she hoped it wasn't. 

Of course, it had been Jenny who had proposed they sneak into the gathering of crime bosses disguised as hookers. Orange hadn't been happy with that part from the start. Actually, Jenny had proposed that she sneak in, alone. Genie had the feeling she had been trying to redeem herself after the near disaster of her meeting with George T. 

Genie had suggested that she should be the one to go in instead. That was until Corrie had pointed out that she was the only one where knew exactly where the hidden safe was. More importantly, she was the only one who understood the formula to figure out the combination. The obviously terrified woman had volunteered to be the one to go. Genie thought that might have been one of the bravest things she'd ever seen. 

In the end, they'd all agreed to go in together or not at all. Once they'd settled that, they worked on fleshing out the rest of the plan. It wasn't a horrible plan.

We've got this, Genie thought and offered a silent prayer that she was right.

"Hi, handsome," Jenny positively bubbled in a high-pitched, giggly voice that sounded nothing like her own. "Terry sent us... Terry Stone. You... like... know Terry, right. He said to tell you that we're... like... the entertainment."

"Damn," the goon guarding the penthouse door chuckled. "Terry always sends over the best girls."

"Oh, you're... like... so sweet," Hooker-Jenny beamed, giving him a little bounce that threatened to pop her out of her top. 

This poor guy never stood a chance, Genie thought. 

The inside of the spacious penthouse apartment looked just like Corrie had described it. Genie was impressed. Most people didn't pay that much attention to their surroundings. 

Glancing quickly around, they spotted another Alto goon standing guard over what Corrie had said was the entrance to the dining room where the meeting of the criminal Families was likely getting started. For a moment Genie wondered what she might overhear in that room, but she reminded herself that the Alto's ledger held far more secrets. Stick to the plan, she thought.

Orange split off and confidently walked up to the goon.

"Hey, Terry Stone sent me over with some girls for the party," Orange said in his best Bro voice.

"Have 'em take a seat on the couches over there, watch some TV," the goon nodded. "The bosses gonna be talkin' for a while."

"Can do," Orange nodded. "The girls are just gonna go freshen up a bit first. Hey, you catch the game last night?"

Was it just luck that Marco's office, with the hidden safe containing the Alto's ledger, was in the opposite direction from the meeting? Was it Miranda's wyrd-fate thing that a bathroom for them to "freshen up" in was right next to it? 

Stick to the plan, Genie breathed.

While Orange distracted the guard, talking about last night's game, the three of them headed for the office.

"You're sure you can get us in if it's locked, right?" Jenny whispered.

"Yes," Genie lied. She wasn't sure, but she knew she had to be. This was going to work. It had to. "Mariah showed me how to pick locks."

"You know, we have to take down the Altos just so I can hang out with Mariah more," Jenny mused.

"I still can't believe you guys know Miranda and Mariah too," Corrie whispered. "They're like famous."

"Hey, I'm famous," Jenny hissed.

"Eyes on the prize, ladies," Genie said. "We just need to... oh SHIT!"

"Don't look, don't look, don't look," Genie whispered, half turning to face the bathroom door.

Luna Elderberry strode purposefully out of the office, the gold buttons on her pristine white dress gleaming in the hall lights. Her hand-made Amorosan leather stilettos clicked against the penthouse's hardwood floors, steady and relentless as Death herself.

If she sees me, we're sunk, Genie thought, pretending very hard that she was invisible. Pretending that she was just a hooker, one of the evening's entertainment for powerful and dangerous men, so far beneath the notice of the wealthy Luna Elderberry that she didn't even merit contempt.

"Quick, before it closes," Jenny hissed. 

Mindful of the guard Orange was hopefully still distracting, they quick-marched through the office door as it swung slowly shut behind Luna. 

"We made it," Genie said with a shuddering, near-hysterical grin. She'd never been happier to be the object of her mother's indifference. "She didn't recognize us."

"Who was that?" Corrie asked, clearly responding to how shaken Genie obviously was. 

"Genie's mom," Jenny said. "Big time banker, money launderer and all around evil bitch... but she got us into the office." 

"OK," Corrie breathed. "OK, we're in the office."

"Yup," Jenny smiled. "Now we just grab the ledger and walk right back out. It's all you, Corrie."

"All me," Corrie nodded. "All down to me." Panic edged her voice as her eyes started to turn wild. "Everything depends on me." 

"Corrie," Jenny said, taking her by the shoulders and looking deep into her panicked eyes. "We're with you. We believe in you. You're a genius. You've got this."

"I've got this?" Corrie's voice shook.

"You've got this," Genie smiled.

"We've got this," Jenny said firmly.

"We've got this," Corrie said with a shuddering breath. "It's just math. Math's easy."

With another deep breath, Corrie stepped behind the office's big desk and pushed aside a painting on the wall to reveal the hidden safe behind it.

"OK, just give me a minute think this through," she said, concentrating.

"You've got this," Jenny said. Quietly, she added to Genie, "You know, I'm not bad at math. I mean, I can balance my checkbook. My mom even taught me a little double-entry bookkeeping... she keeps the books for dad's hardware store... but I couldn't make heads or tails of Corrie's formula. Could you?"

"I took Algebra for Football Players as my math requirement," Genie whispered. "You balance your checkbook?"

"Got it," Corrie said after a few minutes. 

With an upbeat nod, she stepped forward and punched a code into the safe's keypad. Without any fanfare, the safe clicked and swung open. Smiling, Corrie reached inside and pulled out a dark, leather bound book.

"I thought it would more... impressive... somehow," Jenny mused.

"The Alto Families' ledger," Genie smiled. "Every dirty deal. Every bribed official. Every secret... or enough to send the whole lousy bunch of them to jail for a long time. Probably enough pull down the other Families too."

"OK, I'm impressed," Jenny nodded. "Let's get out 'a here."

"Hey, those girls gonna be much longer?" the Alto's guard asked.

Orange had taken a position in front of the bathroom door, playing what he imagined was the part of the dutiful bodyguard for a trio of hookers. Unfortunately, the guard hadn't been willing to spend the whole time talking sports. The guy seemed pretty serious about his job.

"Phft, women, right?" Orange ventured.

"Well, tell 'em... hey!" The guard lurched back, eyes hard.

Glancing behind him, Orange saw the office door swinging open, the ladies coming out. 

"What the Hell!? You're not allowed back there!" The guard barked.

Luck, it seemed, had finally abandoned them.

"Get them out of here!" Genie snapped. 

"Genie?" Orange blinked.

"Go, I've got this," Genie said, fists raised, squaring off against the guard. "Stick to the plan."

Stick to the plan, Orange thought. I hate this part of the plan... the part where, if they got caught, their best fighter would distract the guard while they made a break for it.

Still, as Corrie rushed past him toward the apartment door, he had to admit Genie had really taken to those kung fu moves Mariah had showed her. The guard didn't know what he was in for.

After the whole business with Ms. H and Johnny Pretty, Mariah has insisted on showing her friends a few self-defense moves. At first, Genie hadn't thought it was really her thing. She'd discovered she was wrong about that, discovered she actually enjoyed it. 

In the end Mariah had shown her more than just a few moves... and she'd picked up more on her own. Even in the damn, tight little skirt, she could handle herself. 

I've got this, she thought.

"That is quite enough of that," Mr. Grey said coldly.

In Shadow - Ch 24 - The Pack Looks Out For Its Own

Moonwood Mill was Jake's home, but Mill Lane still held a special place in his heart.

Smiling, he breathed in the scents of the farmhouse... the green smell of the hedge, the sweet smell of flowers, the deep scents of old wood and stone, the pong of the chicken coop. He caught trails of honey and herb (a particular body wash Aadi and Jordan shared), the red, she-wolf scent of Demarco and the shimmering aura not quite hidden under Etta's homemade herbal soup. Over everything, he caught the heavy, wet smell of the fog clinging to mountains and the hint of rain that always seemed just over the horizon in Henford-on-Bagely.

As the farmhouse's back door swung open, a wave of herb and flowers rolled out, almost hiding the rising scent of honey and herb that announced Jordan and Aadi before the lovers stepped out onto the back porch.

"So, clothes, cash, water bottle, granola bars... what else did she say?" Aadi was saying.

"Matches, knife, string," Jordan replied. "It's like camping."

"Boo, I grew up in the City," Aadi laughed. "The closest I got to camping was crashing on a friend's couch."

"Etta has you two putting together escape kits," Jake observed. 

It wasn't really a question. Etta never went anywhere without an escape plan, never entered a room without looking for all the exits, never walked down a street without looking for threats. When other girls were playing with dolls, the quiet woman had been learning how to be a spy and assassin, among her other talents. Jake would have called it child abuse, but he had to confess it had given her some frighteningly useful skills. Skills she gently encouraged others to learn. The pack looked out for its own, even those without the Wolf.

"Hey, puppy. That she does," Aadi said, clearly a little amused. "We're setting up packs in the barn. She has a whole escape route planned."

"Hopefully you won't need to use it," Jake said, "but it's still good to have in case of trouble."

"I know," Aadi sighed, a little more serious.

"I don't like the idea of running," Jordan added, a little hotly. "This is my home. I shouldn't be run off by a bunch street toughs from the City, or a bunch of monsters." Suddenly abashed, they shot Jake an apologetic look. "I didn't mean..."

Jake smiled, dismissing the unintentional insult. Living with Demarco, Jordan had finally been forced to confront the reality behind Aadi's stories about werewolves and, by implication, vampires and witches too. They were actually handling the revelation of the monsters that lurked in the shadows pretty well.

"Well, we'll do what we have to, to keep you both safe," he said simply. The pack looks out for its own, he thought again. "Hopefully, that won't mean running." 

"Anyway, you're not just here to be social," Jordan said. 

"Your friend Genie called me," Jake said.

"Us too," Aadi said. "They have A Plan. So, Etta has us finishing up our escape kits... just in case Armageddon comes a'knocking."

"That's what I thought," Jake nodded. "Well, while you do that, I'm going to check in with Etta and Demarco. Then we should all talk."

"We'll be back," Jordan said in their best Terminator impression.

The farmhouse kitchen smelled heavily of herbs and flowers, over the scents of cooking - eggs, peppers, onions and greens - that had long ago sunk into the wood. Mixed within those, Jake smelled Etta's shimmering scent and Demarco's strong wolf musk. 

Strangely, he only saw Etta.

"Brewing up another potion?" he said.

"Herbal tincture," Etta corrected. She adamantly denied anything she did involved more than a common, everyday kind of magic that Jake knew was neither common nor everyday. "A little something for energy. Might be helpful."

"Getting ready for trouble," Jake observed.

"Always," Etta said ruefully. "I take it you heard... Aadi's friends have A Plan. I hope this one goes better than their last one."

"So do I," Jake sighed. "Any news on the neighbors." 

They'd been aware for a while that the farmhouse was being watched.

"Demarco's checking on them," Etta said.

"Where is she?" Jake asked, a little confused. He could smell her, as if she was right in front of him.

"Behind you," Demarco said, chuckling.

With a snarl, Jake jumped, ready for the ambush that didn't come. With the ease of long practice, he took a deep breath, calming his Wolf.

"Sorry," Demarco said, lowering her head in a gesture of deference but not the submission she might show her own pack leader.

Jake inclined his own head, wordlessly accepting her apology. 

"I was checking out the abandoned house in the woods," Demarco continued. "We were right. They've been using it as a base. Kiril is there, but there was no sign of Bianca or Wolfgang."

Jake suppressed another snarl. Kiril and Bianca Barov were renegade werewolves, former packmates of Demarco's, who had betrayed the Wildfangs and endangered all of Moonwood Mill. Now, they were clearly working with Max V and his henchman Wolfgang.

"It was dangerous scouting the house alone," Jake pointed out sternly. "What if Kiril caught your scent?"

"He couldn't," Demarco replied with a defiant grin. "Just like you couldn't... because Etta is brilliant."

"The poppet," Etta said, gesturing at a crude doll on the kitchen counter. "I enchanted it to hold Demarco's scent instead of her. As long as she doesn't get too close," Etta added, clearly repeating a warning, "the charm should hide her scent."

"Brilliant," Demarco repeated, proudly.

"That is truly brilliant," Jake agreed. 

"Well, it was just an experiment," Etta said, clearly proud in spite of herself. 

He sniffed the air again. They were right. This close he could catch Demarco's scent coming faintly from her body but more strongly from the crude doll a few feet behind her. At a distance, she would be hidden, provided she wasn't seen. More, he thought, another Wolf scouting the farmhouse would think she was here, in the kitchen.

"Etta," Jake said slowly. "Could you do that charm for someone else?"

"Probably," Etta nodded. "Provided I had their scent to imbue into the poppet."

"I'll see what I can arrange," Jake smiled.

"What are you thinking," Demarco said, puzzled. 

Etta just looked at him, suspicions clearly forming behind her dark eyes.

This might be the solution to another problem, Jake thought. Out loud, he simply said, "Later."

A moment later, the back door rattled open and, heralded by honey and herbs, Aadi and Jordan burst in.

"Jake, I just got a text from Genie," Aadi said excitedly. "More details about The Plan. Look."

Letting himself get caught up in Aadi's enthusiasm, Jake looked down at their phone. Slowly, as he wasn't the strongest reader, he read through Genie's text. Then, while Aadi practically vibrated with excitement, he read it again just to make sure he'd understood it.

"OK," Jake said at last. "Let's talk about what we need to do for our part."