James Axler – Way of the Wolf

Clean and neat, the hallway formed a T at the top of the stairs. Six rooms lined the wall, promising small quarters, but at least the hint of privacy. Pictures covered the walls, set apart in hand-crafted frames. Upon closer inspection, Ryan saw that they were pages torn from a magazine. All of the pictures on the pages featured beautiful old wags that Ryan had seen in magazines himself. The two nearest him were of a bright red Corvette and a black Viper.

“Is it running water?” Krysty asked, getting impatient with the girl’s reticence.

“No, ma’am. We’ll have to bring it up in buckets.”

Ryan faced the girl. “Are baths extra?”

“No, sir. Aunt Maim said to give you whatever you needed.”

“We’ll have a bath, then,” Krysty said. “And I want hot water. A lot of it.”

“Yes, ma’am.” The maid dipped her head and gave Ryan the rest of the keys, then fled back down the steps.

“Enjoying your newfound wealth?” Ryan asked with a grin.

“It’s not often we’re given the run of an entire ville, lover.” Krysty put her key in the lock and turned it. The mechanism opened after a slight hesitation.

Ryan’s hand strayed to the butt of the SIG-Sauer as he peered over Krysty’s shoulder. But the small room beyond was clear. A bed filled the center of the room, with a small table and a chest of drawers the only other furniture. A glass door led out onto a small balcony that fronted Hazard’s main street. The sun in the west was an hour or so from disappearing behind the hills.

“I want to enjoy myself for the few days this lasts,” Krysty said, entering the room and looking around.

Ryan glanced at J.B., trading looks with his old friend. While they’d been with the Trader, they’d sometimes enjoyed the hospitality of a ville. But often that hospitality had come with a price. Like the Trader had always said, sugar-coated shit was still shit.

“Do a changeover at two in the morning,” J.B. said. “Give you a knock on the wall, let you know.”

Ryan nodded. “I’ll take first watch. We’ll sleep in when morning comes. Mildred and Krysty can keep an eye on things until we catch up on our sleep.”

“I watch,” Jak volunteered, knowing from experience that Ryan and J.B. were dividing up the time between them. “Not too tired.”

“Figured you weren’t,” Ryan said. “Thought mebbe you could drift through the ville after dark for a while. Get the fastest way out of here mapped. Just in case.”

The albino nodded, understanding.

“What about me, Dad?” Dean asked.

Ryan looked at his son. Since his return from the Nicholas Brody School and the experiences they’d been through of late, Dean appeared steadier, more mature. “Feel up to a little recce?”

Dean smiled. “Sure.”

“Jak?” Ryan asked, shifting his gaze to the teenager. “Your call.”

The albino looked at Dean. “You listen? Move when say move? Quiet when say quiet?”

“Yeah.”

Jak turned back to Ryan and nodded. “Look for anything special?”

“Horses,” Ryan answered, “in case we have to leave quick. Any gear we might need in a hurry if we don’t have to dicker for it. Self-heats, ring-pulls, road rations.” He flicked his eye over to J.B. “You going to take a look at the gunsmith’s?”

“When we finish up here,” J.B. replied, “I planned on that being the next place we go. If it’s open, I’ll give it a look, see what’s what. You going to be around?”

“Somewhere. I’ll be close.” Ryan tossed the Armorer a key. J.B. caught it with a quick flick of his hand, then opened the door and guided Mildred into the room they were going to share. “Jak, you and Dean okay with a room to yourselves?”

The albino nodded, and caught the key Ryan threw him. “We go in, get settled. Get gone soon.”

“Hey, Dad,” Dean said, “what if I find something I want?”

“Come talk to me. Mebbe we’ll figure something out.”

Ryan turned to Doc. “You and Albert feel okay about bunking up?”

“Verily, my dear Ryan,” Doc responded, “I find I enjoy my small companion’s versatility for conversation. Our companionship for the nonce will be quite pleasant.”