Jen sat up from her slumber, sweating and scrambling out of bed as she got her head clear of her location, another almost identical wagon stop with straw cots and a fireplace. The oddly familiar surroundings did nothing to help her ground herself in reality as she peered out of the little glass window at the dark.

  “When you gonna tell em?” asked a starling voice from Hudson, also awake in the dark.

  “Tell what?”

  “I’ve seen it before. Lotta new arrivals come here cravin foods they can’t get anymore. They call it bein homesick most of the time, but they call it yellow-eyed fever when the junkies start showin signs, like that hint of yellow you got.”

  “I’m not a drug addict. I smoke pot now and then, I’m not even craving it. I’m just…can’t sleep.”

  “The wolves got a venom gland behind the jaw, people will do anything to get a thrill, and I don’t know who the sonva bitch was that was crazy enough to try it, but a few drops of that wolf venom in some moonshine will mess you up. People get hooked on it. now if I didn’t know you since you got here, I’d peg ya for one of them. Sleep problems, wandering in the cold, lotta junkies die goin out lookin for dead wolfs and finding live ones. Shit makes you fearless and reckless, feelin like you’re invincible but you ain’t. What happened that night ya got drug off? Why did you let yourself get taken by Moses and run into the damn cold, unarmed like you were safer out there than with him?”

  “Nothing happened, I just…got lucky and then I did what I had to do to save everyone.”

  “Bullshit, Jen. You ain’t gotta be ashamed of it. Hell you didn’t even choose it like the junkies, you just got bit. You can lie to me if you want, but either you done got addicted to some black market high juice somewhere between the survin and runnin, or you just got in a weird place. Why do you look like you wanna be out there in the dark more then here in the warm cabin?”

  “Don’t…tell Tom.” She said discreetly.

  “Not my place to tell anyone. Just letting you know someone knows. Talking usually helps.” He said pulling up a chair. She sighed and sat down.

  “The first one that grabbed my ankle and drug me off was going to kill me. I know now apparently I smelled like one of them and it was confused. Next thing I know I was surrounded by them and they were just sniffing me and circling me, I thought they were just deciding who got to eat me. I thought I was about to die. Then they just…huddled around me and got calm.”

  “They cluster together to stay warm. Probably why you didn’t freeze to death out there. Every pack has an elder male that will keep the young bucks in line, You smelled like one of them and he was protecting the runt, the outsider from the hotheaded young bucks trying to fight for dominance. Saved your life thinking you were just a stray who lost your pack. I’m guessin that and the venom in your blood could make your mind cloudy and emotions confusing. You know you ain’t one of them.” Hudson sighed.

  “I know I’m not a damn monster wolf thing, I’m not insane, it just felt…I dunno. There was a rush, you feel powerful like you could actually fight one back. Then when they cluster around you and protect you from the cold…I dunno. I never really fit in or belonged anywhere. Always been a dog person. Husky named Blizard. I see why they call them wolves now. I feel like I could tame one. I know it’s crazy and just hair dye and pheromone crap, shock, adrenaline.”

  “Junkies say the same thing. They get hooked and crave the stuff, you got a raw dose of it all at once, no telling what that does to someone. What it does to your mind. Can’t fault what was forced on ya. You’re a hunter, a survivor, a meat eatin gun shootin hardass pretendin to be a little dainty thing. Venom just ramped that up ten times. Not like you even chose to be a junkie.”

  “I’m not a junkie. I just…”

  “Crave raw meat, can’t seem to get cooled down even when it’s freezing cold, can’t sleep, dream about weird shit like bein outside in the wild, and keep havin feelings of power like you could go out there and be one of them. Jen, junkies say the same thing. It’s all in your head and it takes a long time to clear out, but it will. You’re detoxin, gotta ramp down gradually. Now I can’t just let you wander out and get killed for it, so between us, keep it to yourself and remember it’s in your head. You’re not one of them. You get stuck in the cold you’ll freeze and die like anyone here, you encounter a mean one, he’ll eat ya. They ain’t pets, you can’t tame them. Follow me to the barn.” He said motioning her to tag along as the others slept. He opened the door to the stable and the animal they were calling a horse looked up casually.

  “What’s out here?” she asked.

  “It’s cooler out in the barn but warm enough for the horses. You’re body is burnin up fighting off the venom, you need to stay cool. You want to get in touch with nature and touch some ground that right there is the animal you wanna talk to. A good horse will protect you, they almost never hurt people unless you provoke em. I know they look intimidating but they’re gentle beasts and there’s a lock on that door you can’t get through. So you cant do something stupid like leave, but you can sleep out here, get all right with nature, get your head straight, and come on in if you get too cold but you leave this place and go wandering and you’ll die. Wolves ain’t friends, you just got lucky. Now you got some call of the wild shit drivin you right now and you need to calm that. Indians call that a vision quest. There’s raw meat for the horses over there, herbal tea in the warm main area, and that door locks with this here key. So if you need to be alone or need to talk, you got options, Just know that you ain’t crazy, you’re just ridin the venom and I know it. Stay out here, or go back inside, talk to the horses, sleep on the ground, whatever you need but you ain’t getting out into the wild without sneakin past me. You do what you gotta do to get right, just as long as it don’t get you killed. Ain’t nobody gotta know unless you wanna tell em. Key’s hangin on the door lever.” He smiled.

  “Thanks…for not just thinking I’m crazy and for…being discreet. Might freak out Tom, Carol won’t get it. Hey, I got bitten by a demon and now I’m trippin balls and doing a forced vision quest to find my inner monster, It’s a little weird to explain to someone in detail, especially if they ask questions you can’t explain.”

  “You don’t have to. Sleep tight.” He nodded, shutting the door as he left her, eying the trough of raw dark meat and feeling oddly…at home.”

  “Sorry buddy.” She whispered, carefully petting the wooly creature as she squeezed past and hunkered down near the strangely enticing smell of carnivorous treats. “You mind of we share? I just want a little…you don’t mind do you?” she asked as it seemed indifferent and calm.

  Stolen from its original source, this story is not meant to be on Amazon; report any sightings.

  Carol woke up and began looking around for Jen as Hudson blocked her path and nudged her shoulder to sit back down.

  “Where’s Jen?”

  “In the barn. She needs some alone time. Going through some personal demons, best to leave her alone.

  “Is she going to be okay?” Carol sighed.

  “Oh she’ll adapt and get used to this place. None of us are gonna be okay in the long term, we could be dead tomorrow. Let her deal with her bottled up emotions. She’ll feel better after a good night’s sleep.” He assured.

  Tom looked up to a knock on the open door, Jen standing there looking rather confident.

  “You need something?” Tom asked.

  “Yep.” She said, shutting the door and locking it. “Look I’m sorry for being so aggressive and forward, it’s hard to explain but I’ve been kinda ferrule lately and if I wait till I’m myself and adjusted to this place it may be too late. I just don’t wanna waste time.

  “No it’s fine, I get it. You’re alone and scared, almost died, we all might die tomorrow. I’m a big guy, I have a presence in a room, and you just wanna feel safe.”

  “Sure…that’s what I meant.” She smirked “Now there’s no point playing shy if we may not live much longer, and I’m from a very different time than you are and may be more…experienced than you’d expect. Sorry if you were hoping for something different but this is what you got, so it’s gonna get, probably kinda confusing and weird but you don’t look like you’re gonna complain at this point. You wanna find out what you’re fighting for?”

  “Absolutely. And the whole reason I like ya is cause you’re different than most gals. I don’t ever know what to expect with you, and that’s what makes you so special. No predictin ya. Wild car up both sleeves.”

  “Just don’t freak out if your high expectations are a little disappointing.”

  “Ma’am…I promise to be a gentleman, I’ll be slow and gentle.” He assured.

  “Yea, that’s…You’re not gonna have to do that.” She said with a grin.

  “Jen yawned, heading downstairs for some coffee and remembering it’s always night now, she sighed, shaking her head feeling like she’s woken up early for a road trip every night for a week and the thought of daytime almost seemed like a dream.

  “Sleep well?” asked Carol. Sipping her tea and handing Jen a cup.

  “Not really but I do feel a lot better.” She said, suddenly missing coffee more then sunlight. Tom crept down the back wall trying to go unnoticed as he squeezed into the barn and noticed Hudson feeding the horses and chucking the saddles.

  “So what’s the real plan?” he asked Hud.

  “Real plan is we show up as guests and tell Prima we accept the offer but we want some detailed terms written up and official. That buys us time, We eat, we mingle, smile at the rich folks and enjoy the tusk auction, The moment I see Buchanan I’m gonna blow his head clean off, and that’s Jen’s signal to shoot Prima, while he’s distracted and happy.”

  “What then?”

  “That’s about as far as I got planned. I figure we won’t make it that far or much further and I don’t know who else will be there. Buchanan is the worst thing breathing on this snowball and killing him will just make me happy as a pig in shit, he’s gonna have bodyguards. Now I’m one of the fastest quick-draws around so I can tag his nose before anyone shoots me, BUT I ain’t THAT fast, so whoever draws on me after that is a 50/50 who wins and if there’s a third man reaching, I’m guaranteed dead. That’s my role. Nobody’s gonna be lookin at Jen or Prima, so the moment I reach for grips she best be goin for him. She’s a good shot. Someone’s gonna take her out pretty shortly after that, bullets gonna go everywhere who knows what happens. That third step is anyone’s guess.

  “The moment she hits Prima, I’m gonna be wrapping her in that armored coat and getting all turtle-like on the ground. If I can’t shoot, I can block.”

  “You wanna die for her?”

  “Yes sir.” Tom nodded.

  “Good. Cuz we gonna die anyway, may as well die for something you care about.” He smirked.

  The horses arrived at the massive prima Estate. They handed papers to the armed guards and were welcomed in as guests, unusual feeling for all of them. They were lead silently to a barn fancier than most homes, buzzing with stable workers and gas heat, lamps lighting the endless hall of stalls with numbers on each. A fancy looking butler with a top hat and the same waxed mustache greeted them with a nod.

  “This is your booth, number 73. Gun lockers are on the back wall if you’d like to keep them safe.” He smiled as 2 other man with pistol belts stood by, puffing up their chests. Hudson looked nervous.

  “I left my pistol back home for safe keepin.” He bluffed.

  “Well, one cannot be too careful. These events get rather heated sometimes when the bidding starts and weapons are not allowed. Dinner cutlery will be provided. You may either disarm or be assisted.” He smiled.

  “Jumpy little shit, that Fredric Prima, ain’t he? All the guests gonna be unarmed as well or just us poor folks?”

  “Oh I assure you the rules are for all guests regardless of class or bribery. You can feel safe knowing none of the men hunting you will be armed either and that I can personally guarantee. The only armed person will be the one who invited you as guests, and he can very confidently place a shot on anyone who might start trouble with you. Even one Lee Buchanan, who always has a man guarding his locker and his brass fifty caliber, and we will have 3 men guarding him. As usual.”

  “The infamous Buchanan Brass Fifty. I’d love to get a look at that gun some day. Truthfully I’d love to get a look at it in his cold dead hands in the snow while we stand about 20 paces apart and he’s stopped standin.”

  “Wouldn’t we all, Mister Galloway? Sadly you will never see it, and I shall see it but a glance as it passes in and out of his locker each time we are…blessed with his visitations.” He smiled through a gnashing of polite hatred.

  “You know accidents do happen. Be easy to miss one gun, be hard to miss him sittin in a chair. Just sayin as a passin thought. Nobody would blame Prima if one old pissed off hunter snuck in a gun somehow and shot that prick dead. Be a real tragic thing.”

  “My what a boldly tempting fantasy but we have rules and if a war were to start over some neglected search, it would fall on me and Fredric Prima, if not as suspicion and rumor. I do love your boldness. Mister Prima will enjoy having an employee with that kind of grit. Maybe some day you’ll be sent out on a hunt, and come across a, very attractive brass revolver on a very unattractive corpse. He would reward that greatly under the right circumstances. Keep that spark old man, hopefully your quick draw is as gifted as they claim. You may one day see the infamous 50. All weapons and illegal contraband in the locker please.” He smiled coldly.

  The 4 criminals stood unarmed at the giant wooden gates, gilded with some form of shimmering bronze-colored plastic inlay, pearlescent to the light. Hudson looked over at Tom with a deep sigh as they readied to go in.

  “Well, there went the damn plan.” Hud squinted. “How good are you in a fist fight? Anyone particularly skilled at throwin a steak knife?” Hudson asked as 3 silent stares answered his question. “Alright, well I guess we’ll just figure this out as we go.” He shrugged, taking the first step up the flight of stone stairs to what appeared to be the fanciest grave they ever lead themselves into.