high boughs to low branches, investigating buildings along the way. The smell of fried chicken reminded his man he was hungry. The jaguar chuffed impatiently, wanting to kill something. They spotted a place of interest and moved closer, leaving the smell of food behind and replacing it with a metallic scent.
A steady stream of people trotted to the back door of a house and entered, weaving and laughing when they came out. The big cat moved closer for a better look and the toxic odor of burned chemicals hit his nostrils. He sneezed, shaking his head. The man thought meth lab and made a mental note to report the location of the house to his contact. The jaguar’s lip curled into a sneer.
Tired of watching the local dope gin, the beast passed the houses and jumped to the ground, running swiftly through brush and trees, leaving the ugly smell behind. He traveled miles before he saw lights in the distance.
He climbed again, moving from treetop to treetop until he lay on a limb overlooking a parking lot filled with cars. He examined the sprawling area teeming with humans. Though it was after midnight, men loitered outside the building, talking, drinking and smoking.
He was already climbing to the top of the tree, ready to move on, when he caught the low, rumbled sound he’d heard earlier in the day. It was the woman. He smirked inside. Following her back to her place would be easy. He crouched in the tree, waiting for her to finish her business.
She climbed off her bike, pulled the helmet from her head and set it on the seat, then circled the Harley before looking at the men. “Touch it and you’ll feel the hurt.”
Inside the jaguar, his man winced at the challenge. The jaguar approved. He watched her long strides cover the distance to the store entrance before any of the males moved toward her. As soon as the door closed behind her, one man dumped liquid on the ground and walked to the fuel station in the center of the clearing. The jaguar knew what it was. The scent of gas filled the air.
The man below refilled the bottle, sloshing more on the ground than through the narrow opening. Dumb. Would have held more if he’d broken the bottle ,beast and man agreed. A growl rumbled out of the jaguar and escaped into the night.
One of the men mumbled, “What in hell was that?”
The jaguar concentrated on the human who walked to the woman’s bike and tried to douse it with fuel. He was a coward, afraid of the woman. The fuel blew back at him and he whirled to face the bike owner when she emerged from the store.
She had a sack in her arms. The jaguar tensed. She was vulnerable. His man grabbed control from him and muzzled his rage. But it simmered as they both listened.
“Medics said Donnie’s in a coma, Miz,” the man who’d thrown the gas called to her as she walked toward her bike. “You fry his brains like you did Bobby’s?”
“Bobby’s brain was rotten from meth before I ever touched him.” She didn’t speed up but jaguar and man both saw her muscles coil. She reached into her bag. The heckler drifted in toward her right and a second man detached himself from the shadows and came fast from her left in a coordinated strike.
One minute she had both feet planted on the ground, the next she whirled, tossing the groceries at the second man and a can of something at the first’s head. It hit him with a loud thunk . Before either knew what was happening, she flipped open a lighter, holding it in front of her as she backed to the Harley. “Something smells rank. The stink’s on you, Eldon.” She waved the lighter his way. “Want to see what happens when I purge the air?”
The men backed up, hands high, both getting out of her way fast when she roared off. Jaguar and man bounded after her, remaining hidden in the screen of trees.
“You goddamned witch, I’m gonna burn you alive one day!” One of the men screamed the threat after her.
The jaguar paused, ready to go back and kill him. Protect the
A steady stream of people trotted to the back door of a house and entered, weaving and laughing when they came out. The big cat moved closer for a better look and the toxic odor of burned chemicals hit his nostrils. He sneezed, shaking his head. The man thought meth lab and made a mental note to report the location of the house to his contact. The jaguar’s lip curled into a sneer.
Tired of watching the local dope gin, the beast passed the houses and jumped to the ground, running swiftly through brush and trees, leaving the ugly smell behind. He traveled miles before he saw lights in the distance.
He climbed again, moving from treetop to treetop until he lay on a limb overlooking a parking lot filled with cars. He examined the sprawling area teeming with humans. Though it was after midnight, men loitered outside the building, talking, drinking and smoking.
He was already climbing to the top of the tree, ready to move on, when he caught the low, rumbled sound he’d heard earlier in the day. It was the woman. He smirked inside. Following her back to her place would be easy. He crouched in the tree, waiting for her to finish her business.
She climbed off her bike, pulled the helmet from her head and set it on the seat, then circled the Harley before looking at the men. “Touch it and you’ll feel the hurt.”
Inside the jaguar, his man winced at the challenge. The jaguar approved. He watched her long strides cover the distance to the store entrance before any of the males moved toward her. As soon as the door closed behind her, one man dumped liquid on the ground and walked to the fuel station in the center of the clearing. The jaguar knew what it was. The scent of gas filled the air.
The man below refilled the bottle, sloshing more on the ground than through the narrow opening. Dumb. Would have held more if he’d broken the bottle ,beast and man agreed. A growl rumbled out of the jaguar and escaped into the night.
One of the men mumbled, “What in hell was that?”
The jaguar concentrated on the human who walked to the woman’s bike and tried to douse it with fuel. He was a coward, afraid of the woman. The fuel blew back at him and he whirled to face the bike owner when she emerged from the store.
She had a sack in her arms. The jaguar tensed. She was vulnerable. His man grabbed control from him and muzzled his rage. But it simmered as they both listened.
“Medics said Donnie’s in a coma, Miz,” the man who’d thrown the gas called to her as she walked toward her bike. “You fry his brains like you did Bobby’s?”
“Bobby’s brain was rotten from meth before I ever touched him.” She didn’t speed up but jaguar and man both saw her muscles coil. She reached into her bag. The heckler drifted in toward her right and a second man detached himself from the shadows and came fast from her left in a coordinated strike.
One minute she had both feet planted on the ground, the next she whirled, tossing the groceries at the second man and a can of something at the first’s head. It hit him with a loud thunk . Before either knew what was happening, she flipped open a lighter, holding it in front of her as she backed to the Harley. “Something smells rank. The stink’s on you, Eldon.” She waved the lighter his way. “Want to see what happens when I purge the air?”
The men backed up, hands high, both getting out of her way fast when she roared off. Jaguar and man bounded after her, remaining hidden in the screen of trees.
“You goddamned witch, I’m gonna burn you alive one day!” One of the men screamed the threat after her.
The jaguar paused, ready to go back and kill him. Protect the
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