Myka's Tail Ch. 04

"Since Mathias was not a licensed attorney, any contracts and deals that he negotiated on behalf of AvaChem are void," Stuart said as Marcus stood and passed around sets of yet more documents. "Due to the evidence discovered by my forensic accountant, which he has just distributed to you, federal authorities are opening an investigation into allegations of bribery and corruption involving AvaChem, certain members of the county council, and you, Your Honor."

With that bomb having been dropped, the room once again erupted into chaos, and the members of the press that were present were fighting to try and get comments from the council, AvaChem's lawyers, the mayor, anybody. They didn't have much luck. Within minutes the mayor called an end to the meeting, and all of the county officials present almost ran for the relative safety of their offices. The AvaChem attorneys remained silent and stone faced as they left the building, ignoring the bombardment of the reporters surrounding them.

Once all of the county people and AvaChem had disappeared, the bulk of the reporters turned to our group for more answers. Stuart and his lawyers had already prepared complete press packets with the information that they were allowed to disclose about what they had found, and the eagerness with which they were passed around was somewhat entertaining. Once that task had been completed, Stuart motioned for Kelli and me to come forward, and he stood with us to face the press once more.

"I also wanted to make another announcement this evening," he began, and all of the reporters pushed in to make sure they could hear clearly. "I also took the time and effort during our defense of the Carlisle and Harrison families to look in to what could be done to prevent such a situation from happening again."

Everyone's attention was now locked on Stuart and what else he had to say, and even I was a bit eager to find out what he had done.

"My company has set up actual purchase contracts for much of the land that was owned by the county, and some of it Federal, that AvaChem was trying to acquire. I also have made offers to the residents who thought they were getting a good deal or were coerced into selling their homes to AvaChem."

"Those residents will be allowed to live on the properties that they currently reside on, completely rent free and will be considered caretakers of said properties as long as they or their family lives there. The remaining county land that I am going to purchase, and the federal land that it borders, comprises some one hundred fifty thousand acres. This land will soon be designated a federal wildlife refuge and sanctuary which McAllister Enterprises will fund in perpetuity."

"The reason I wanted to announce this here is that I would like to ask Miss Myka Carlisle to be the overseer and caretaker of this refuge," and my gasp of surprise at Stuart's request had many of the reporters chuckling. "She is starting a PhD program this fall in the field of ecology and conservation, and I can think of no better person to take on this project than someone who has lived there for most of her life. What do you say Myka? You willing to step up?"

"Umm, this is so far beyond what I expected," I replied, and I had to take a deep breath and stop my tail from lashing about in nervousness. "But, yes. In fact, hell yes! I would love to do this for you, and for everyone."

After that shoe dropped, the reporters had another fifteen minutes or so of questions for us before the glut of information that would become the next week's stories got to be too much. Phone numbers were exchanged, and contact schedules were arranged, and then everyone went their separate ways.

Kelli, our families, and myself all took the time to thank Stuart for all he had done, and for the generosity he constantly showed us. As expected, he tried to play it down as something he would have done for anyone, but I could see the bonds of friendship that had formed between us, and they were some of the strongest I had ever seen. We certainly would have done anything for each other, without hesitation.

As great as things had gone, and as fantastic as it was to stay and talk to each other, the world moves on no matter what we want at the time. Stuart and his team had a helicopter flight to catch so that they could get back to the city and keep the business running, and we were headed home to try and relax. A couple of the lawyers talked to Kelli and I before they left, though, and several meetings were set so that all of the proper paperwork could be done and the endowment that would allow the new preserve to function could be set up.

I expressed to Kelli that I was still worried about Mathias, because he probably would not let this go and his unpredictability could be very dangerous. It was both she and our parents that helped me to understand that the only thing that could be done was to prepare, and react if needed. Worrying did nothing but cause more stress in an already stressful situation.

So over the course of the next weeks I continued to do what I had been doing. Training and studying, and reading for any information about Nekos that I could get out of the book I had been given. In between the training and reading, Kelli and I spent days in meetings about the refuge, and met with several different officials from local, state, and federal agencies. I knew that setting up this sanctuary was something I desperately wanted to do, but I didn't have to like being involved with everything that was required.

The university, and the ecology department especially, were thrilled that a relatively significant conservation effort was going to be associated with their institution. Everyone involved was so happy about it that I was able to get the permission to do my research in the new preserve, and I also agreed to set things up so that other students could come and use the land to learn as well. Things were working out great, but this also brought the worry that there was a hammer that I couldn't see just waiting to drop.

The thing about setting up a wildlife refuge is that it was more than just paperwork and meetings. My training suffered, and I was very glad that I had finished with classes and graduation issues a few weeks before, because my time was not my own. I began working with the Fish and Wildlife department to travel the physical borders of the land that I was now in charge of, and the major task was to place signs and warnings that the land was protected by law. We also brought out some early researchers from the university to begin taking baseline samples and to start the recording of species in the area.

I let the wildlife department know about many of my encounters with the wolves as well. I didn't tell them what was actually going on, but I wanted to make sure that anyone who was on the land knew that at least one pack called the area home. All of the experts that we consulted on the issue told us that it should not be a problem due to the shy nature of the types of wolves that inhabit forested areas, and it was decided that a possible contact warning rather than arming the research teams would be preferable.

Later I found out that I had been too busy and had let myself get too caught up in the initial tasks of getting the refuge started that I completely missed some serious incursions going on right under our noses. Avery Michaelson, the main wildlife officer that had been tasked to this area to work with us a few nights after we had started the research teams rotating through the area, came over to my parent's place to meet with us in the evening. Since she had been out with some of the teams for most of the day, Kelli and I decided to make sure that we had a good dinner ready for the meeting, and mom and dad left to have themselves a date night.

As the time moved well past the six o'clock meeting time that had been set up, both Kelli and I began to worry. It was not like Avery to be late, and in fact, she had pretty much been on time or early for everything that we had done with her up to now. We were about to try her phone, when the thundering pound of someone beating down our back door caused us to jump in fright.

"It's her," I told Kelli after I had taken a well-hidden look outside one of our back windows.

Kelli opened the door for her as she gave a sigh of relief, but gasped in shock as Avery pushed her way into the house like a charging bull. It wasn't the abruptness of her entrance that had surprised Kelli, rather it was her appearance. She was covered in mud and grass from head to toe, and her uniform was torn in several places and I wondered if perhaps the wolves had finally decided to change their behavior. Avery made it to our phone and was almost mashing the keys through the back of the phone as she dialed, and within a few moments someone had answered.

"Carl, this is Michaelson," she said, and I could tell that she was nearly out of breath. "We have a problem. No not an animal problem, unless you count shithead humans as animals. We have at least two, but possibly more, poachers here at the site."

I was stunned when she said that and as my mind wrapped around what she had just said, I felt my connection to the earth reach out and I realized that the irritation and worry I had been feeling was directly related to these hunters. As I searched my memories of the last few days I stumbled upon little things that now made sense. I had felt sick to my stomach on occasion, and at times I would ache and feel chilled for no reason. I thought that perhaps I was coming down with a cold, but now I knew the difference. Some people had come onto the land that I had been tasked to protect and their actions were causing the very earth to groan in protest.

"No Carl! We don't have time for that. I need a team of armed and poacher trained officers here now! No! Oh god, not on your life Carl. Yes I tried to track them, and about thirty minutes in someone was tracking me. They're good, damned good. Fine, I will talk to you tomorrow."

Once her call was done, Avery went over to the sink and washed her face before stripping off her ruined uniform shirt. She wasn't really injured, just some minor scrapes and bruises, but she was leaning over the sink in her t-shirt, breathing hard. Clearly someone had really stressed her the hell out.

"When you are ready," I told her in a quiet, even voice as I rubbed a comforting hand up and down her back. "We can get you fed and you can talk about it, or scream, or just feel like shit if you want."

"Oh, I am damned hungry," she replied and straightened up from the sink. "And I'm more pissed than anything. Fucking bastards just killing to suit themselves right after we get this place started. They aren't even taking trophies, just leaving carcasses to rot."

I watched her as she dug into the stir-fry Kelli and I had prepared, and I listened as she talked about what the researchers and she had found. At first it was tracks only, and some thought it might be hikers, but then they started running into shell casings and animal corpses. And there was apparently no pattern to it either. Smaller rodent type animals were being targeted as well as rabbits, one or two wolves and some deer that made this area home.

"I just don't get it," Avery sighed, finishing her food. "Hunters, even poachers, go for a trophy. These guys are just killing anything, for no reason."

"Actually," I replied. "I believe that they are doing this for a reason, and that there is a calculated method to it."

"You have to be shitting me, right," and even Kelli looked confused at my comment.

"This all started with Mathias, and I think it's him behind this. I don't know why yet, but it is to get at me somehow."

"By the goddess, I will tear his heart out through his ass the next time I see him," Kelli spat, and both Avery and I sat open mouthed in surprise.

Kelli was pissed, and I could feel it rolling off of her like a thick fog. I could feel protectiveness and love woven through her anger as well. It almost made me feel a bit sorry for Mathias, almost.

"So what do we do next," I asked Avery after Kelli's outburst. "And I'm ok love. Everything is fine right now."

"Well, for starters, the research teams are not going back out until this is dealt with, and I would highly recommend that you not do so either. If he is after you in some way, you would be playing right into his hands. In a couple of days the department should have some officers who are armed and trained to deal with poachers."

After discussing what would happen once the poacher team arrived, we wound down our meeting and got Avery on her way back to where she was staying. Later that evening Kelli and I called all of our parents together and told them of our suspicions about Mathias and the killings going on. Kelli's dad made sure that there were a couple of loaded shotguns easily accessible in each house. He had a supply of firearms that he said was partly due to his military training and service, but also because of what he did for his business. He always said it was good to be prepared.

It was a long night, and I couldn't help but think that every little twitch and pain, every shudder, might be more animals being killed because a maniac was obsessively pissed with me. I would not have made it through without Kelli's arms around me in bed that night. She just held me, like she often does when I am stressed or feeling lousy. And it was in her arms that I got what was, at best, a fitful night's sleep that was filled with dream images of Mathias and Scotland, the harsh laughter of the Betrayer, and the feeling that something terrible was just over the horizon.

The next day turned out to be somewhat better. I was able to concentrate on several phone calls I needed to make, and I even managed to get to Sensei Rick's for an early afternoon workout and class thanks to our transport circle. By the time I got home my tail was no longer lashing in a stress induced staccato rhythm, but had settled into a languid back and forth that let everyone around me know that I had found some calming at my center.

We had Avery over for dinner again, but she got the full exposure as Kelli and I had made dinner for all our family that night. She seemed to get along pretty well with Kelli's dad, but that was probably because she was, for all intents and purposes, a forest cop, and the commonalities of law enforcement with the military made them fast friends. After the food, everyone agreed to listen to me practice a presentation that I was going to have to give for a visiting staffer for the Department of the Interior, and I was grateful for the extra comments and advice.

"And the projected impact of this type of survey looks to be..." I was explaining, when a wave of nausea followed by the feeling that someone had stabbed me in the gut with a knife and had started to twist the blade came over me and in moments I had collapsed.

"Oh my god," I groaned and held onto my aching belly as everyone rushed in to help. "So much pain. Death. God no!"

"What the hell is going on," Avery cried, not knowing what to do while Kelli and my family were trying to calm me down.

"I think that Mathias and whoever he has helping him are out there right now on a rampage," Kelli replied as she held me while I continued to whimper and writhe in pain.

"Well how the fuck could she know that?"

"You see what she is," Kelli answered, pointing to my ears and tail. "She feels things in the world and in nature that we either don't or can't understand."

"Is she going to be alright?"

"If we can stop the bastards that are doing this," my dad said as he brought a small glass of water over for me to sip. "If we can stop that, then she should be fine."

It was in that moment that I truly found out what a burden being the aspect of earth and water was going to be. Normally I would have to be in our clearing to feel what thundered into my consciousness, and usually the heartbeat of the earth brought me joy. Now, the rhythmic pound that felt like an earthquake in my soul, sounded to me like a drum of war. I was a defender, or rather I was its defender, and the very heart of the earth itself was calling me to battle. While the pain didn't fade, I suddenly ignored its debilitating effects as if they didn't exist and I jumped to my feet, surprising everyone.

"No! No more! I will not stand for this," I cried out in both anger and anguish, and I further surprised those around me by quite literally tearing off my clothes.

"Myka, what is going on," Kelli's soft voice spoke, trying desperately to break through the fog she could feel that now clouded my mind.

When she placed her hand on my shoulder to comfort me, my ears laid back in irritation as I whipped around to face her, a hissed snarl the only sound I could utter. From the wide eyed looks of all the people staring at me I knew that I had changed. I felt powerful, like I did when the painted mask of my primal self decides to show itself. Oh it was out now and it was hungry for blood. I knew that my eyes had again turned a deep blood red, and were probably glowing a little bit like they had in Scotland.

"Oh goddess, no. Myka, no," Kelli whispered as she realized fully what was happening.

"We need to get ready baby," her dad called out and had gone to grab the shotguns he had left her at my parent's house. "If they are coming this way we need to be ready."

"They aren't coming this way," Kelli whispered, and deep beyond the reach of the primal self that now had control I could feel how hurt she was at this moment but I could not understand why.

"Mom," Kelli said as she looked away from me for a moment and tossed her phone over. "Call Ali. She's in my contacts. Tell her that I told you to say that we need everyone here she can get and that it is an emergency."

Her mom didn't even hesitate and made the call without question. It was short, terse, and full of desperation. In less than a minute it was done and we were all informed that in a few minutes people would be on their way. The cavalry was coming. That wasn't good enough for me, however, and I shrugged off Kelli's hand from my shoulder and bolted for the back door. I almost made it before she spoke, and when she did it brought me up short with a snarling growl given to her for her efforts.

"Myka, stop!" Kelli called, the ring of command lacing her voice such that I had no choice but to obey.

I turned around and hissed at her again, my anger rising every second because she had used her ability to command me and receive perfect obedience. Again, from deep inside myself, where my regular mind had taken refuge from my primal side, I watched Kelli's face for her reaction. All I saw there was hurt because she had once again been forced to use a power she had over me that she never wanted in the first place. I wept inside for the pain I was causing her, while I seethed in anger on the surface for the perceived wrong that part of me felt had been done to us.

"You cannot go out there and take them on Myka. It is what they are waiting for. Come sit down and we will wait for the circle to get here."

I couldn't do anything else, the compulsion to obey was that strong, so I came over and sat down on the floor next to Kelli and let the pain and suffering that was still in the back of my mind come forward once more. Like before I just curled up in a ball and whimpered, waiting for my world to end.

"Seriously. What is wrong with her," Avery asked, and Kelli took a slow deep breath to calm herself before answering.

"Avery, you are probably going to see some things tonight which you will not be able to explain. In fact, if you told anyone about them you would probably lose your job because people would say you are completely crazy."