Page 15 of Tracking the Alpha (Project Therianthrope #1)

By the time Tanis made it to her room in the barnlike structure that had been turned into a dorm, she’d only counted one other soldier, and two people in white coats.

If she added them to the total, that put the number at seven.

Definitely not a horde but too many for her to handle alone if a confrontation came to pass.

Although could be the white coats might balk if a physical altercation occurred.

Inside the barracks, Tanis assumed she’d be in the same room as before so she made her way to it and dumped her pack on the cot.

It occurred to her, as she glanced around, that there might be cameras watching and listening.

Then again, it would be kind of pointless.

Who would she be talking to? They’d confiscated her phone before she’d even gotten off the plane, with the major unapologetically claiming national security as he ground it under his heel.

By then she’d already begun doubting the veracity of this supposed mission.

Once she met the general—with his freshly scarred face and brusque attitude—she’d realized it wasn’t just the wolf she needed to worry about.

The major and the general both set off her danger radar even as they said all the right things.

Talking with Barrett simply confirmed her distrust.

What now? The last time Tanis had been inside this makeshift military facility, she’d quickly organized herself so she could leave.

At the time, despite her misgivings, she truly hoped she could quickly track the escaped alpha, hand it over, and go home.

This time, rather than racing into the woods, she needed to gather information, but had to do so in a way that didn’t draw attention.

Her room, which she suspected once used to be a stall, had only a tiny window that overlooked the courtyard where she’d entered.

However, the loft, where some of the soldiers gathered at night to play cards, offered a better view of the outdoors.

The ladder up to that level took but a moment to climb.

To her relief, no one sat around the fold-up table.

A deck of cards lay partially spread over its surface, along with some colored chips.

Tanis headed for a window, the one overlooking the front.

It showed the entrance she’d just passed through as well as the edge of the forest and some of the trails leading into it, as well as the road out.

As far as she’d been able to ascertain, no one else lived within at least an hour’s drive of the place if not farther.

The remote location was obviously ideal for people up to no good.

A glance to the area where someone had been using a hose showed a small concrete yard, fully enclosed and empty. She wondered what the soldier had been cleaning.

Before she could cross to the rear for a peek from a different window, someone below knocked on a door and said loudly, “Tanis Rivard, are you in here, ma’am?”

Tempting to ignore the quick summons, but she still had to play her part for the moment and that meant not making the general suspicious. She headed down the ladder. “I’m Tanis. Can I help you?”

A fellow in uniform, still wet behind the ears and barely old enough to shave, stood waiting by the open door. “General wants you to report to Major Stevens in the main building, ma’am. You’ll find him on the main floor. Look for a door marked Ops.”

“Of course. Right away. Thanks for letting me know.” She beamed vacuously at the young man.

He cocked his head. “You’re that lady hunter, aren’t you? Did you see it?”

“See what?” she asked.

“You know, the thing that killed Leroy,” he whispered.

Did he speak of the coyote or the wolf? She had to be careful. “Sorry, but I’ve been told to only report to the major or general.” Not a lie. Davidson had been very clear she was to keep her mouth shut about everything.

“Yeah, they’re pretty tight-lipped about stuff. Leroy was a good dude.” His lips turned down.

“What happened?” she asked.

The chance to gossip almost brought back his smile. “Animal attack. No one knows how it got inside the walls, though. We were all in bed when we heard Leroy screaming. Me and a few of the other grunts ran outside in time to see the thing just savaging poor Leroy.”

“Did you shoot it?” she asked, already knowing the reply.

“We tried, but it moved damned fast. It climbed the wall like it was nothing and disappeared into the woods. General sent a few grunts after it, but they never found it. He called off the hunt when we found the woman.”

“What woman?” She continued to play dumb because no one knew she’d encountered the coyote. Best she kept it that way.

“Dunno. Some civilian who got unlucky, I imagine. Guess you’re lucky the wolf didn’t go after you.”

“Wolf? You’re sure that’s what killed Leroy?”

The young soldier shrugged. “Big, hairy, mean. Looked like a wolf to me.”

She couldn’t correct him without admitting she’d seen the coyote. “Sounds like I was in the wrong place last night.”

“Hope it doesn’t come back because what a shitty way to die. Hope you bag it, ma’am.”

“Me too.”

“Better get back to my post before I get in trouble with the bosses,” he stated before heading out the door.

He would most definitely have been reamed at the very least if the general or major heard him gossiping. But he’d confirmed the coyote definitely originated here and, by the sounds of it, escaped by accident. Not exactly useful news.

Back to her other task, though, Wet-behind-the-ears made eight. Add in the general and major, that put the count at ten thus far and she’d yet to get inside the main building. Who knew how many lurked within? In good news, the empty barracks didn’t add to that total.

When Tanis exited the converted stables, she glanced through the open gate.

Had Barrett followed? Did he watch? How could she get him word?

If only he’d not disappeared last night they could have better plotted.

As it stood, while Tanis wanted to help, she doubted she could bring herself to kill soldiers whose only crime was following orders.

Would she feel and act different if they threatened?

Most definitely, but she wouldn’t start the violence.

That didn’t mean she wouldn’t try and sabotage the operation, though.

Ruining the project, or exposing it, might be her only chance to emerge from this alive.

The main building had one door for entry, which was kept locked at all times. Tanis poked the button below a dark screen and waited. An electronic voice said, “State your name and business.”

“Tanis Rivard. I’m supposed to meet with Major Stevens.”

“Please stand still as your claim is verified.”

Clenched fists helped her to not grimace too hard as a green light emerged from a hole above the screen and scanned her face like something out of a sci-fi movie.

Rather than people, expensive high-tech security protected the main building.

Tanis wasn’t a fan. She’d seen Terminator and had a healthy fear of what AI could do, but in good news, all the gadgets meant less people, and if she could pull the plug—AKA shut off the electricity— all the fancy cameras and AI door guardians would be useless.

The problem would be getting to the fuse box.

She doubted it would be easily accessible.

Click .

“Please proceed to the Operation Room. The major is waiting,” the machine voice replied as the door swung open.

“Thanks.” Tanis chose to be polite to the AI as a precaution.

Never knew if it might save her when the machines decided to rise.

Although, having met Barrett and now knowing what Davidson did here, it might be the beasts who came for humanity first. What if that coyote had made it to someone’s house or a nearby town?

What if Barrett’s friends were just as rabid?

What if what had been done to them proved contagious?

Then maybe the world deserved it for tampering with things best left to gods.

Tanis went inside the building just as discomfited as the first time she’d entered the place.

It had been immediately after their arrival, which annoyed, seeing how she’d spent more than four hours in a less-than-comfortable plane, followed by a bumpy ride in a military truck that took another two hours.

The last thing she’d wanted was to meet with the dick who ordered her kidnapping.

She didn’t have a choice then, just like she had no choice now.

The ops room location hadn’t changed since her last visit. This time only the major sat behind the long and scarred wooden table. He glanced up from his laptop screen, his expression flat, just like his brush cut.

“Sit down.”

“With pleasure.” At least the chairs facing the table were comfortable, plush club-type seats that her body appreciated.

She leaned her head back and pretended to nap as the major tapped for a few minutes before slapping down the lid of his laptop. “Okay, I’m ready for your report.”

“Not much to tell. I managed to track your wolf. Came close to it twice. The first time, I almost got him with one of my snares, but he somehow just missed it and bolted. Took me a few days, but I ended up locating its den and was just about to incapacitate its furry butt when a bunch of your soldiers began firing off their guns, spooking it. Once I resupply and give the wolf a chance to calm down, I’ll go back out and track it. End of story.”

The major’s lips pressed into a line. “You’ve been trying for six days and have nothing to show for it.”

“Hunting isn’t a quick and easy sport. It takes time and patience, especially when dealing with a beast as clever as your wolf.”

“You said you found its hiding spot. Where exactly?”

“Cave by the creek.”

The major shuffled some papers and slid a black-and-white map of the area toward her. “Mark the spot.”

“If you insist, but it won’t do you any good,” she countered, grabbing the proffered pencil. “The wolf won’t return.”

“You can’t know that.”

Tanis raised her gaze from the mark she’d made. “Its den is compromised. It will find a new place to hole up.”

“Maybe. We still intend to check it out.” The major slid the map into his pile of papers. “The general says you’ve requested some goats.”

“Or a cow. Anything sizeable on four legs that I can dangle as tempting meat.”

“Pretty sure the cook’s got some beef in the freezer.”

The offer made her laugh. “You think I’ll be able to draw it out using frozen, processed meat? You do realize wolves have a very refined sense of smell?”

“Something from our supplies would be quicker and easier than what you’ve requested.”

“Do you want me to actually capture this thing, or are you really that intent on wasting my time?”

“You’re supposed to be a professional hunter,” the major snapped in reply.

“I am, and I’m telling you we need proper bait. So unless you’re going to give me a soldier to dangle, I’m going to need something alive, of a decent size, that I can stake out somewhere?—”

The major interrupted. “If you tie it up, the target will know it’s a trap.”

Did Stevens realize what he revealed with that simple phrase? “A wolf’s not going to realize what a rope around its neck means. It’s going to smell or hear the goat, or whatever we use, and its hunger will bring it.”

“Why does it have to be tethered?”

“Because goats can bolt and I’m fast on my feet but not that fast,” she huffed.

“Can you follow a cow?”

She almost giggled at the question. “Probably. They’re slower than a goat. You think you can get me a fat and lazy one?”

“I’ll make some calls.” The major leaned back in his seat. “Now that we’ve settled that, I’d like to go back to something you mentioned. You said you heard the soldiers last night.”

“I heard gunfire,” she corrected. “I assumed it was your troops.”

“You never actually saw them?”

She shook her head. “Nope.”

“Other than the wolf, did you witness anything out of the ordinary?”

He fished to see if she knew about the coyote woman.

She lied. “Nope. This forest is pretty quiet compared to most. The wolf must have scared off or eaten most of the wildlife. Speaking of which, pretty sure it got into a scrap last night. When it got spooked and bolted from its den, I’d have sworn I saw blood in its fur.

” She offered that tidbit and watched the major’s reaction.

He leaned forward with an intent expression. “Do you know what it fought?”

She shook her head. “Could be anything really. Squirrel. Rabbit. Deer. Maybe even a coyote. I thought I heard one yipping last night.” Any hunter worth their salt would have recognized the sound, and given where she’d been found that morning, the major would think it odd if she’d not heard something.

“All kinds of wildlife in these parts,” the major murmured.

“Was that everything? Because I could really use a hot shower and some real food.”

“You can go.” He waved a hand. “I’ll have the bait for you within a day or two.”

“Sounds good.” She faked a smile before walking out.

A day or two didn’t give her much time. Better make the most of it.

Right after she showered and changed.