Sheeple Ch. 03

Sorry this took a little time to get this chapter out to all of you. Life's been busy. Hope you enjoy this chapter. Things begin to heat up a little for Eric and Kate. And for the record, I am pagan. Which should explain to someone who asked once upon a time why I write "Oh Gods!" instead of "Oh God!"

Jaisen

It was the big Pioneer Day Celebration at school. Everyone was dressed in jeans and cowboy gear or long dresses and sun bonnets. Jamie kept twirling her dress and Mark was enjoying playing with his two friends Cody and Todd. Kate was relieved that Mark had finally started acting like what she thought a boy should. Jamie on the other hand was pure joy.

Eric was trying to hold Jamie's hand while they walked through the classrooms and looked at the various displays. The students had been divided up into one room schools and had done appropriate lessons. This year, the theme was Ranch Life. Jamie had just given Eric a taste of the home made butter Kelly's class had made when he made a funny face. Kate figured that he was teasing Jamie. However, Eric made a beeline for Kate.

"Kate, I think we have company," he said softly in her ear.

"What do you mean?" She was puzzled by his reaction and the grip on her arm.

"Take a whiff of the air," he said as he looked around.

Kate did as requested. Jamie was playing with another little girl, so she wasn't distracted. Without trying to seem as if she were inhaling the whole room, she slowly turned. Coming from the door, was an acrid almost rancid odor. Looking out the door, she saw Sargent O'Hare, dressed in casual clothes. "Shit," she said under her breath.

"I take it you can see our skunk." Eric said trying to move out of line of sight of the door.

"Yes, and its the same one who was in my office. What on earth is he doing here?"

"Still hunting. Is there a back way out of this classroom?"

"Yes. See the toilets over there?" she pointed to her left. "They connect to the next classroom."

"Ok. I want you to go out and walk in front of our skunk, and make sure you turn his head to the front of the hall. I'll go out through the library and meet you outside."

"I'll see what I can find out and see you in a bit. If we leave too early, the kids will throw a fit."

"Understood. See you in a bit." Eric moved off through the class as Kate left the room. Luckily, Jamie had traipsed off with Bess and Sophie.

Kate took a deep breath and headed towards O'Hare. She was trying to think of what busy body she could ask about him when she ran right into him. "Oh! I'm so sorry!" she said as she looked up at his face. "Why, Sargent O'Hare. What a surprise to see you here. I'm so sorry to run into you literally." She turned him away from the classroom Eric was due to exit.

"Ms? " O'Hare started.

"Ratcovich. Kate Ratcovich. We met at the shelter downtown a month or so ago."

"Oh yes. I remember now," he said, taking her lead.

"Well, what are you doing up here at Pioneer Days? This is rather a local event, and we don't get many outsiders." She smiled sweetly.

"I...um, read about it in the papers, and my wife and I are looking to move down here. Looking at all the little schools and such."

"Oh. Is your wife with you tonight?"

"No. She couldn't come, but I brought some of the boys from Ft. Kit with me. They have families too that like smaller communities."

"Oh." Kate looked around casually, wondering just who the 'boys' were. "Well, don't forget the hospitality room. There are all sorts of refreshments there. The whole school contributes, as it is a real family atmosphere up here. Everyone knows everyone. Shall we find your boys and get them some cake and punch?"

O'Hare looked around, trying to decide whether this woman was just a pest or sincere. "There they are." He pointing at two tall men and a shorter one in uniform standing by the front door. "Clarke, Degus, Hart, come over here. I'd like you to meet Mrs. Ratcovich."

They came over and shook her hand in far too firm a grip to be friendly. O'Hare introduced each one, and they all walked into the hospitality room where the men got some food.

"So, what brings you up here ma'am?" Clarke asked.

"Oh, I have children who go to this school."

"Boys or girls?" he continued.

Well, I've had four sons through here, and have one more as well as a daughter here at the moment. My youngest son is in fourth grade and my sweetie girl is in first grade.

"Why ma'am, you look far too young to have six children," Hart said.

"Thanks. Two of mine are probably just about your age. And to be honest, I started young." She smiled. The confusion on their faces was worth the effort.

O'Hare gave her a look she wasn't totally certain of. Like he was trying to puzzle something out. She wondered just how much checking up on her he had done. "Granted, it took two husbands. I sort of wore out one," she said with a grin and a wink.

O'Hare actually blushed. "Oh ma'am, certainly not."

"Yes, indeed. We country lasses are a hardy bunch. Rough on our menfolk."

" We sure are," said Mrs. Maes as she walked up behind Kate and gave her a hug. "Who are these handsome men you're talking to?"

"Oh. Lara Maes, this is Sargent O'Hare, and his boys as he calls them, Clarke, Hart and Degus. You'll have to forgive me, I don't know their ranks."

Lara shook the preferred hands and then gave Kate another hug. "Tyree wants to know if Mark can spend the night. I think there was some discussion of midnight calf roping and other nefarious boy games."

"That's fine by me. Last time I saw Mark he was in the gym."

"I'll find him and return him by Sunday if that's okay."

"Oh yes. A weekend on the ranch would do him good!" Kate said. "Oh would it be good. That took care of the boy." she thought. Now what to do with Jamie.

"Ma'am, we need to be moving on. It's a bit of a drive back to Ft. Kit."

"Yes, it is. Hope you men enjoyed what you saw of our school and think about moving up here."

"Yes, we did. Its a very nice school. Sorry we didn't get to meet your husband," O'Hare said.

"So am I. Don't know where he went off to. Oh well. Perhaps another time," Kate said with a smile she didn't feel. She watched them leave the school and felt a sigh of relief escape her. Now she had to find Jamie and get home. Hopefully without being followed. Four of them. There had been at least four of them watching. She wondered just what they had seen. Playing the evening through her head, she realized that she hadn't seen them until O'Hare had pointed them out. Damn. Hopefully they hadn't seen Eric and her together. Or, if they did, they didn't realize that he was with her.

Nina came up to Kate and after greetings and a hug, she just started to talk when Sophie and Jamie came barreling up to them.

"Can we? Can we? Huh? Huh? Can we please?" they said in chorus.

"Can you what?" Kate asked.

"Sophie and I want ta spend the night at her house an Nina-Moma says yes! Will you say yes? Please? Please? Please, Kate-Mommie?" Jamie babbled at light speed.

Kate blinked, looked at Nina. "Is this alright with you?"

"Of course. Sophie and Jamie get along so well. Can she stay till Sunday?"

"If it's alright with you."

"Oh sure. See you on Sunday then," Nina finished and walked off with two skipping girls.

Kate was rather surprised. She'd come to the school with two kids and a mate and now didn't know if she'd even have Eric in the car. She said her goodbyes and headed outside. The parking lot wass odd, with only the front area lit. She'd parked way down on one side. As she walked, she sniffed the air. No acrid scent, but a dry one that didn't fit in. Looking around, she saw what she thought she was looking for. Degus was sitting on the tailgate of a sedan with a flat tire.

"Hello, looks like your buddies left you in the lurch," Kate said as she started to walk by.

"Yeah. I drove down by myself as I'm headed off on leave for a few days. Went to look in the trunk, and I've got a spare, but no jack."

"Ah. I've got one you are welcome to use."

"Thank you ma'am. Wouldn't want to delay you and the hubby getting the kids home though."

"Well, it looks like I've got the weekend off. Both kids off to spend time with friends, and now only a husband to find. He's probably off looking at someone's 4-H sheep or some silly cow. My car is over here."

They walked towards her car when the interior of the car started to growl and bark. Large canine teeth showed in the back half of the Subaru.

"Oh damn. I forgot that Max was in the car," Kate said with a bit of surprise in her voice. "He's a little over protective of me. If you just back off, I'll get the jack."

Degus nodded and backed away from the vehicle which was still vibrating from the noise. Kate slowly opened the back hatch and grabbed the huge dog by the scruff of the neck.

"Max, heel. Max, lay down." She pushed him off to one side. Max finally gave in and laid down, nose pointing at Degus and growling low. Kate got the jack and cross wrench, and just barely closed the tail gate so it didn't latch. She winked at 'Max' as she did it. She hoped he understood.

"Here you go sir."

Thanks. I would have been sitting out here for hours if you hadn't been so kind."

"Oh no. Any of these farmers would have been glad to give you a hand. Some of them might even have lent you a jack."

Degus quickly changed the tire and handed back the jack. Thanking Kate, he got in his car and drove off. Kate walked back to her Subaru, lifted the tail gate and stuffed it back in where it belonged. The dome light was off, and the interior was pitch black.

"Max? What on earth made you call me Max?" Eric asked perplexed.

"Well, I always wanted to name a dog Max, and I didn't expect to see you in the car let alone shifted. So, that was just what popped out. Granted, I didn't expect to see Degus there either. He was waiting, wasn't he?"

"Yes. I watched him and his buddies deflate his tire. Didn't think anyone was around. They knew which one was your car too. Being able to lay in the ditch unseen was a real advantage. I had just gotten back into the car when you started out into the parking lot."

"Damn. Now of course, they know I have one big mean dog. Is that going to be a problem?"

"No. None of that bunch was with any unit I was in. So none of them should know about me. Those that did wouldn't talk.

Kate got in the car and they headed down the mountains into town. "So, what next? I know that they weren't here for what they said. They weren't looking at schools. O'Hare and company were hunting you."

"Yes, I know. And I am afraid that I'm going to have to take care of them," Eric said in a low voice.

"Eric, I don't like the sound of your voice. What are you planning?"

"I think I'm going to pay a visit to Sarge and his buddies."A midnight visit, in about five or six days."

Kate thought about it. The moon was full in just about that time frame. Oh... "Eric, you wouldn't,"

"Eat them? No. I don't want indigestion. However, being a wolf will make it easier to sneak into the barracks. Plus, Degus there is just about my size. I can sneak in, grab his uniform, put some scare on those boys, leave the clothes and sneak back out. The MP's will be looking for a man in uniform, not a dog or coyote."

"It still gives me the creeps Eric."

"Yes, but do we want these boys on our doorsteps again?"

"No. Am I driving you up there?"

"No. I'll borrow Zach's junker."

"Ok." Kate dropped the subject while they finished driving home.

*

Laying in bed after making love, Eric was running his fingers over her side. Her hipbones and ribs were more pronounced than they had been a few months ago.

"Sweetie, you need to eat a bit better. You're melting away."

""Oh great. First time I loose weight in ages and you're telling me I need to eat." Kate sighed. "I just can't win."

"Sweetie, I didn't mean it in a nasty sort of way. Just that I know you aren't eating and I don't want you sick. Eating right is different than eating junk." Concern tinging his voice. His hands moved back over her stomach. "You're also toning up. Have you noticed?"

"Yes. There are days I feel like I have muscles I never thought I knew about. And my clothes are looser.

"Some of those clothes could go to Goodwill or the thrift store. They hang on you."

"That's what Suzanne said. And yes, I know I'm not eating as well as I could. I'm stressing about what you are planning to do. I don't want to loose you. Gads I don't." She buried her head in his chest and shoulder.

"You are not going to loose me. I don't know what they want, but I plan to find out and stop them. Tomorrow is the night. I don't work the next morning, so Zach and I will head up. We'll be okay."

"I hope so," she said as she drifted off to sleep.

*

It was hard to keep her mind on things. Zach and Eric left early in the afternoon. Ft. Kit wasn't that far away, but they wanted time to scout the area. If they got sighted, the excuse was that Zach wanted to see an Army base before he signed on the dotted line. It was plausible.

They drove around and made a good guess at where O'Hare and company were staying. Seeing Degus outside one of the buildings helped. After that, they went into town to have a light dinner and watched a matinée movie. They had plenty of time to kill before midnight.

*

Zach dropped Eric off at the back gate area. They had seen a spot that could be accessed well enough earlier in the day. Eric shed his clothes and shifted. Picking up a package containing a knife and latex gloves in his mouth, he headed towards the fence. Moving quickly, he was under the wire and loping across the quadrant towards guest housing before the MP walked his beat on the quarter hour.

Eric sniffed out where they were rather quickly. Some idiot had left the second floor door open. He was in the building and shifted in the empty hall. Right there on the doors on tape were their names. This was just too damn easy. Granted, he still had four men to scare and escape, but it was a walk in the park. He expected it to be much more difficult. Degus was the first 'victim'. Slipping on a uniform left in a chair, Eric moved over the bed where Degus slept. He tucked his hair up under the hat giving him the appearance of short hair. Using a towel, he grabbed, flipped and tied Degus up. Rolling him over, he put his nose to the other man's nose. He slipped the tip of his knife to Degus' throat.

"Stop hunting me. My family is dead. I'm dead. If you continue to hunt me, you will be dead." Eric used a low growling tone.

Degus' eyes went wide and sweat broke out on his brow. He nodded and didn't try to speak. Eric then stuffed a dirty sock in his mouth to prevent any thought of speech.

"I don't exist. Nick Olman is dead."

Degus nodded and Eric tapped him on the head with the butt of his knife. Feeling him go limp, he moved quickly to the next room. Hart was next. A bigger fellow, he tried to struggle. Eric knocked him out and tied him to his bed. Clarke was also a pain. Tried to struggle, and when Eric brought the knife tip up, the guy went pale. He gave him the same message he had Degus. Then on to O'Hare.

O'Hare had a room on the third floor. Eric had to move fast as he wasn't sure how long the men below would stay quiet. O'Hare's room was next to the stairwell. Unlocked, Eric got in and was sitting on the man's chest in a matter of seconds.

"Stop hunting the dead," Eric said in a whisper.

O'Hare nodded as he couldn't speak around the socks stuffed in his mouth.

"Otherwise, you will join the dead." Eric traced his knife across the throat of O'Hare. He cut him ever so slightly..... just enough to draw a thin bead of blood. He pushed the knife in right at the base of the throat and held it there.

"This hunt for the dead is over. Stop looking. Go back to Virginia." Eric continued in that same deadly whisper.

O'Hare nodded, and then Eric smelled something. O'Hare had pissed himself. Eric laughed a low evil laugh and walked towards the door. He slammed the knife into the wood and left it there. He closed the door, ran down the stairwell and headed for Degus' room. Listening outside the door, he could hear him breathing. Eric slipped in, discarded the uniform and headed for the open. Last thing he did was remove two layers of rubber gloves and a pair of socks from his feet. Jamming then in a trash can, he started heading back across the grounds. Just before clearing the buildings, he shifted and loped across the prairie.

Scrabbling under the fence, he looked for Zach. Not seeing him, he headed down the dirt road and soon found the car in the deep shadows of an underpass.

Zach was watching him and moved when he saw the wolf. Opening the back hatch, he let him in, got in himself and slowly drove off. Meanwhile, behind him all hell was breaking loose on Ft. Kit Army Base.

*

5 am came and went. Dawn came and no Zach or Eric. Kate was beginning to pace, and all the tea she had drunk had not helped her nerves. Luna and Gretchen thought she was nuts as every time she heard a car, she went to look out the back door. That was their job.

She finally gave up and laid down on the bed. It felt like she had just gone to sleep when she heard voices in the kitchen. The clock read 8 am. She'd been asleep for an hour. Stumbling out into the kitchen, she saw Eric and Zach just making tea.

"Hello Sweetie!"

"Hi Mom."

"Hello you two. I was worried."She was sleepy-headed.

"It took us a while to get back. Apparently someone snuck onto an Army base, so they closed the whole city down. They were searching cars and everything. Of course, Zach here got cited for not having his dog on a leash, but,"

"You're joking? Right?" Kate said, coming more awake.

"No Mom. He isn't." Zach pulled a yellow ticket out of his pocket, and handed it to her. "We thought it best that 'Max' be with me than Eric. And, we were standing outside the car waiting in line when this cop shows up and gets all in a snit because 'Max' had no tags or collar or leash. I tried to explain how I'd been in the car with him and he had to go pee, and what with all the traffic, I just let him out for a minute."

"And we almost got away with it." Eric said in a sheepish tone.

"Yeah, we would have if you hadn't peed on his tires." Zach slapped at Eric's arm with his hand.

"You what?!"

"Well, I did have to go, and it did stop the cop from calling in the car plate." Eric was looking at the floor.

"You still got a ticket! What were you thinking?" Kate said exasperated.

"Umm... I wasn't?"

"No, you weren't." Kate crossed her arms over her chest.

"I'm sorry Mom," Zach said, recognizing it was time to get out of the kitchen. "I'm going to bed. Eric can tell you all about it." He left the room. This left Kate and Eric in the kitchen in an awkward silence. Kate was trying her best not to tap her foot. Eric was trying to figure out where to start. He knew he'd worried her and now pissed her off.

"Kate, I'm sorry. I shouldn't have done it, but..." he started.

"But you had to do it anyway," Kate said with an undertone of frustration.

Eric just nodded. He picked up his cup of tea and handed her one as well. "Shall we go talk about the rest of the evening?"

"Fine. Might as well. Nothing could be as climatic as you peeing on a cop's tires," Kate headed towards their room. She still was peeved, and no cup of tea was going to smooth it over.

Eric closed the door behind her. She sat on the bed and he took the chair as he had that very first night. He started telling her what went on, and hoped she'd let him in bed when they were done.

"And then he peed himself!" Eric said, describing the final visit with O'Hare.

"Oh my gods! Really?"

"Yeah. I loved it. Then I stuck the knife in the door and got the hell out of there. I probably ought to shower. Between all the running around and stuff, I probably stink."