The Loyal Alone

Chapter Sixteen

Free is a curious concept. I am free from chains, yes, from the confines of my cell, from the harm that Olly would inflict on me. But free, truly free? Perhaps not... Once I hit the trees, I hear Johnson calling to me. He is behind me, not able to run as fast as I can while in human form. I can barely make out his words, but it sounds like, 'stop'.

Stop? Why should I stop? I come screeching to a halt as I see exactly why, there is a long fence weaving through the trees, barbed wire clasping to thick wooden poles. I bop into it a bit and it pricks me, I can feel the sting against my side as I slide to a stop. Is it silver? Could it be Wolfsbane? I don't know yet but it burns. Take a step away and huff as I lick at my pelt, it can taste it, it's definitely Wolfsbane. I want to lean over and rub my pelt in the snow to wipe it off, but I can't.

Johnsons coming up behind me. I don't turn and fight, I run. Staying along the fence hoping with each step that I'd get closer to an opening. A hole underneath. A break in the chain. Even a spot where I could jump over.

I hear footsteps coming crunching in the snow on the other side of the fence. I duck down into some thicker bushes digging my nose into the snow, hoping that my thick coat will be disguised enough in the shadows of a thin winter evergreen. The bush shakes and snow falls off the leaves.

"I just don't get what we are doing in a barn in the territory of the biggest pack in North America. Tell me how that makes sense?"

"It doesn't, man."

"Right? That's what I've been saying. What I've been trying to say. Olly doesn't listen. No one ever listens."

"Yeah, well, what can you do about it?"

They talk as they pass on but I can sense someone behind me

Johnson is behind me, he ducks down into the bush next to me. I'm growling, I'm preparing for a fight. He wraps his hand around my nose to clamp it shut and I nip at him, breaking his skin just a bit. He tugs it away and presses it into his chest.

"Let them pass," He whispers. "We'll break for the garage, we should be able to make it out of here before their patrol leads them to the front gate."

The men aren't looking out into the horizon, they are talking to each other, soon enough, they go around a corner towards the front of the building and as soon as they do Johnson is moving back towards the back end of the building, in the distance I can see a barn, I'm thinking it's the garage. I ignore him. As soon as the other men come around the corner I take off running towards the front gate.

"Wait!"

I don't stop to listen, freedom is so close, I come around to the front of the house and I can see the gate at the edge of the property calling to me, it's further than the barn, and Johnson wanted me to wait for him there, but with the door wide open...

I sprint across the yard reaching for the open gate with long strides. When suddenly the snow jumps up in a stream to snap at me, another bullet comes whizzing by and bites into the ground just a few feet to my right. I came to a near stop sliding. I'm too far away from the gate and it's nothing but open road ahead of me after that, even the forest near here is sparse. I need cover. I turn around and race my way back towards the house, not looking back and whoever is shooting at me.

At the house I pause, contemplating if I would be safer inside rather than out, but I cannot bring myself to jump through a window or change and open the door. Now that I am at the house, I am closer to the barn. And on the other side of the barn is a sparse forest but it had thicker bushes. Maybe... Just maybe...

I race across the white yard watching bullets wiz by and splash the snow up and into the air. I'm already limping from the bite in my shoulder, just before I reach the barn, there is another bite to my foot which slips out from under me. I fall forward, spinning as I slide into the barn, bringing a small pile of snow and dirt and strands of hay across the concrete with me.