Gravel crunched under the animal control truck’s tires as Alex turned off the highway. Mike's ears twitched at the sound and he leapt up, climbing into Jamie's lap to peer out the passenger side window.
"I think you need to go on a diet," Jamie said, trying to shove Mike back into his seat.
Mike ignored her, whining at the view outside the window instead.
"Can't you teach him some manners?" Jamie asked.
"He doesn't listen to me any better than you do." Alex parked behind a shiny, new pickup and opened his door. Mike scrambled across the seat, jumping out before Alex could unbuckle his seat belt. "Don't chase the horses," Alex yelled after him. "I might let Don shoot you this time."
"I don't see Don shooting a dog. Even one chasing his horses," Jamie said.
"Not with live ammo, but he does keep a paintball gun around for that purpose.”
"Speak of the devil," Don said, stepping out of the nearest barn. "I was just saying last night that you hadn't been by in a few days." Don nodded towards Jamie. "Good to see you, Miss Jamie. I take it this isn't a social call."
"Wish it was. Got a few minutes?" Alex asked.
"Of course." Don leaned the manure fork in his hand up against the fence and stripped off his leather gloves. "What ya’ after?"
Alex dug the tuft of fur out of his pocket and handed it to Don.
"Been a while since I’ve seen a kitsune around these parts. It’s a long ways from home,” Don said.
Alex nodded. "And with a Hunt after it.”
“Nothing’s ever easy.” Don motioned towards the house.
Mike and two spotted dogs ran up onto the porch and through the door as Don opened it. "Not on the couch, Mike," Don said. "Dustin will have your hide if he finds hair on it."
“How is Dustin?” Alex asked.
“He’s doing alright.”
Alex started to say something else, but then thought better of it. If Don didn’t want to talk, he wouldn’t push it. At least not with Jamie around.
"Come on back to my office," Don said, leading them down the hallway.
Layers of paper maps held up by thumbtacks covered the office walls and bound books of maps were stacked in leaning towers over nearly every available foot of floor space. Curling map edges peered out from the partially open desk drawers. There were big yellowed maps held together with pieces of tape and brightly colored maps from various highway rest stops. Most of the labels appeared to be in English, but Alex could see a couple in French and Spanish as well. Arabic script covered one small worn map on top of the desk.
Alex carefully worked his way along a narrow path through the clutter and found a safe place in the corner. He caught Jamie's eye across the room. She was pressed up against the wall, her shoulders hunched over and a huge smile on her face as she held back her laughter. Alex couldn’t blame her. It was more than a bit comical. Dustin kept the rest of the house and the barns to a meticulous OCD inspired standard of cleanliness, but even he didn’t dare step foot in Don’s office.
"How far do you think it got?" Don asked.
"Not very. It was down by the Fairgrounds early this morning and I'm sure it went to ground as soon as the sun came up," Alex said.
Don slowly circled in place, considering the maps around him. Not finding what he was looking for on the first pass, he circled twice more.
Alex could see Jamie starting to fidget and he felt for her. The maps pressing in from every side made him twitchy as well, but at least he had known what he was getting into. He’d forgotten that this was her first time in Don’s office. Maybe he should have warned her. The overcrowded space could trigger anyone’s claustrophobia.
"Can I help you find something?" Jamie asked.
Don didn't seem to hear her. He stepped through the maze of maps and opened the closet door. Alex flinched, expecting an avalanche, but amazingly nothing came tumbling out. Don reached in and pulled out a large leather cylinder nearly as tall as himself. "Clear some space on the floor, would you?"
Alex helped Jamie pile the books up against the walls. The skin of his fingers tingled as he picked up a particularly hefty volume bound in simple brown leather. Alex opened the book, randomly flipping through the velum pages. The words were in a language he didn’t recognize. He stopped at a detailed drawing of a stepped pyramid surrounded by lush, tropical forest. The ink had faded with time, but at the bottom of the picture he could just make out a person, or at least what was left of one. Body parts stewed in a pool of dark blood. Alex ran his hand across the red pigment and it flaked off in rust colored pieces on the tips of his fingers. A cold shiver ran down his spine. "A little light reading?"
Don took the book from him and put it away in a desk drawer. "Project for a private client."
"Someone I should know about?"
"No."
From the cylindrical case, Don took a large map and unrolled it in the center of the room.
"Wow," Jamie said, crouching down. Alex nodded in agreement. Don had shown him this particular masterpiece before, but it was no less impressive than the first time he’d seen it. Made out of thick parchment, the entire city of Tulsa had been hand-painted across the map’s surface in incredible detail. Each tree in its place and each street precisely labelled in neat letters. "Who made this? It's incredible."
Don shook his head. "I'm not sure its creators would be pleased with me if I named them."
Jamie reached out towards the parchment. Alex started to say something, but Don got there first. The Seeker caught Jamie’s wrist in his hand. “Please don’t.”
“Sorry, it’s just….” Jamie hesitated, her eyes darting back and forth as she searched the map. “The whole thing looks old. Really old. But….” Being careful not to touch, Jamie pointed at several orange markers. “That’s not far from my house and the construction only started a few days ago.”
Smiling, Don looked up at Alex. “Did I ever tell you how much I like your new partner?”
“She’s not so new anymore,” Alex said.
Holding the tuft of black hair in one hand, Don touched the image of the fairgrounds with the other. He swept his fingers back and forth across the surface of the map. After a few minutes, he reset his hand and repeated the motion. The muscles in Alex's neck knotted tighter with each repetition. Don never took this long to locate what he was searching for.
"That's one wily fox you're after."
Alex jumped at the sound of Dustin's voice. He turned around to find the Empath standing in the doorway, watching Don work. Dustin’s jeans and t-shirt hung off his frame. He couldn’t weigh more than a hundred pounds soaking wet. By this time of the year, Dustin had usually tanned to a dark mahogany. Today his skin had taken on a waxy, anemic look with dark circles pooling under his eyes. Grey strands streaked his long black hair. Alex chewed his lower lip, forcing himself not to say anything. It wasn’t the time nor the place, but….
"I suppose that's why it's still alive," Alex said finally.
"It's not a fox," Jamie added. "It's a kitsune."
Confusion clouded Dustin's eyes as if he had only now noticed Jamie's presence and struggled to place his memory of her.
"You're supposed to be resting," Don said, getting up from the floor.
"I could hear Mike blanketing the couch with his fur," Dustin said. "I think I will walk down to the barn and see the foals. I could use some fresh air." Nodding towards Jamie and then Alex, Dustin turned and left. The screen door banged shut behind him.
"Don....”
"Don't you start, Alex."
"I've stayed out of it long enough,” Alex said. “He's my friend too."
"I have it under control. He’s taking time off work and I have a Healer friend coming to stay for a while. We'll be fine. Here." Don handed Alex a piece of paper with several street names written on them.
"It’s like ten square blocks," Alex said.
Don shrugged and started to roll up the map. “Best I got for you today.”