Drew's Trouble with Cats and Roaches Pt. 07

"This is all about you Dick. If it were not for you Dick, all of you would be dead. I just wanted to provide one chance, one opportunity for you to try and get to that tower. The guy in the movie made it to safety, maybe you will too." Drew stopped because he knew he was close to an edge he did not want to cross. But he wanted to add one more thing.

"Dick, like I said, this is for you. but if you make it, remember we are releasing secrets. You and your selection of child porn was...well it's disgusting Dick. While the Orstrand's were taking sex trips to Costa Rica for rape, you went with them to prey on underage prostitutes and were stupid enough to keep the video?"

"Who gives a fuck about this weaselly little ASSHOLE? Do we get weapons to protect ourselves or fight back?" Ostrand asked.

Drew pulled out a huge serrated hunting knife and tossed into the grass at the feet of the four prisoners. "The knife is to share among the group. You may recognize it Mr. Ostrand, it belonged to your brother. He was carrying it when he died."

The no-name mercenary grabbed it and stood only to be struck down by Ostrand. He then reached down and picked up the knife and placed it in his belt.

Drew walked over with a water bottle and poured it in the face of the moaning mercenary.

"We will give you another 10 minutes to straighten things out between you. So, I assume that you are willing to play?" Drew asked

No response came from the party of four.

***

"I am sorry gentlemen, no starter's flag, no shot in the air, On the count of three the clock begins." Drew heard crying and looked to his left. It was the no-name mercenary blubbering into his hands. Drew felt no compassion

"One, Two, Three..."

The four dashed off, headed for what they hoped was freedom. Drew just looked out over the landscape towards the tower. He was not focused on the four and Tiffany became concerned.

"My Lord, is all well? Do you want to rethink this 'game'?" Tiffany asked.

Drew could 'hear' agreement to the question from Thing One. "No, there is a secondary game in play, and I wanted to be sure it was active and in place." Drew responded

"Alexander, please come talk about the role of the younglings and your role specifically. My orders will be hard for them to obey but I think you will be able to understand." Drew paused for effect but wanted Alexanders full attention.

"You and the younglings are directed to chase but not kill or hurt the prisoners. Am I understood?"

Both Tiffany, Thing One and Alexander stiffened when they heard the order.

Tiffany could not help herself "Why my Lord, Why? Why rob them of the honor of killing the creatures that kidnapped them?"

"Honor? What honor? Is there honor in killing a squirrel? a rabbit? A butterfly floating on a breeze? There is only one man in that group that will not die whimpering in the dust of the trail. All of those creatures have no honor, do not know how to fight, and will shit themselves when confronted with their own demise. There is no honor in their death." Drew paused again to let what he said sink in.

"Also, I never want the taste of human flesh to become honorable within the Pride." Drew choked and stopped for a moment.

"Mr. Ostram can be a very dangerous human he has an evil inside him that I have seen and felt. He is dangerous even to you Tiffany, even you One. You would kill him in the end, but he has a dark sprit inside that mind. He would try and take you with him in the end. I DO NOT WANT to lose any more of my family on vengeance." Drew again paused and then smiled.

The smile he showed, and what he broadcast was dark humor.

"There are others that want revenge. The two wolves that were slaughtered were the mate and daughter of the Alpha." Drew turned to Alexander, "The daughter was the mate of that male beta you became 'friends' with by the glade. I had heard that Tigers were vengeful, but I am now quite sure that wolf's rate right up there with them."

Drew paused again and put his hand on Alexanders shoulder, "Herd them in, keep them moving, the wolves are waiting. They will pick off the slowest. Tell the younglings not to interfere. Teach the younglings about bloodlust and vengeance. Teach them Alexander, how vengeance clouds the path of a true warrior." Alexander was nodding his head in agreement.

Drew continued as Alexander turned to talk to the Younglings but Drew put his hand on the young warrior's shoulder," Wolves are wild creatures, once the blooding starts, they will lose control. Watch from a distance, learn, and understand what it is like to be truly wild. They are dangerous and deadly. They were the highest predator until man arrived with technology. And then again until we arrived from the stars. Give them their chance to be the Alpha predator again, at least for tonight."

'Now go, give the younglings the news, they will be disappointed but tell them it is from me, Lord Drew Scott, Protector of the Pride. There will be no forgiveness for disobedience. You have 5 minutes"

***

For Drew, the Gauntlet was almost anticlimactic. He had gone ahead to the tower in one of sleds. The younglings had dashed off and then split up to surround the four game players. The four had already strung themselves out. Mr, Ostrasm and Dick in the lead.

Drew was a bit shocked by that, he had always viewed Dick as a soft bootlicker of the rich and powerful. But maybe all those overpriced gym treadmill hours had paid off.

Mr. Aramis was a short third. Again, the gym hours must have paid off, or maybe it was only plain fear.

The mercenary sat down on a boulder at the half-way mark to catch his breath, he never got up again. The beta, who's mate had been killed, found him. Quietly walked up behind him and snapped his jaws around the mercenary's head. The wolf's canines pierced the human's cranium and that was that.

Drew was sure there was a moment of fear, but regretfully it was short lived. The children had been tormented with fear for days because of the humans now running for their lives, Drew had little pity.

The three humans were in their last mile before the tower, when Ostrand started to drift back towards Aramis. Dick was in the lead. Drew sat on the concrete base and was getting mental flashes from Meme in the shuttle and Alexander trailing the humans.

Drew opened his pad and called in the drone. He saw a conversation become more animated as Aramis and Ostrand ran side by side. There was a flash of silver, and Aramis was rolling in the dust of the trail gripping the back of his left leg. Ostram sped up and left the other human to his own misery.

The three beta wolves that had been closely tracking the human closed in for the kill. The screams could be heard echoing up the valley from Drews perch on the tower foundation.

Drew felt a presence behind him. It was the Alpha. Drew stayed still and sent out emissions of calm and peace. He finally heard the approach and then felt the sniffing of the large male as Drews hair behind his ear was touched by the breath of the Alpha.

Drew was nosed in the back of the head. He slowly turned his head as the Alpha moved beside Drew and looked down the trail waiting on the prey to show itself.

Drew again was amazed. He loved his Cats, two meters of muscle, fur, and intelligence. But there was such an 'excitement' and raw edge sitting next to something so wild and free. Drew himself was a decent specimen of human hybrid male, tall, muscular broad shouldered felt humbled by this large wild wolf. It sat beside him on the concrete foundation like it was the most normal thing in the world.

Drew reach up slowly with his hand and the Alpha lifted his neck slightly. Drew placed the back of his hand under the Alphas chin so there was contact. He broadcast a mental picture of Ostram and danger. Drew tried to enforce the thought of "human alpha" and how dangerous this one human could be.

The Alpha turned his head and considered Drew. The Alpha then shoved him with his muzzle like he would have done with one of his Betas for saying something stupid. Drew just chuckled. In the last moments of direct contact with the large wolf drew received and impression, simple and direct.

Drew best translation was "No shit, we will handle it."

***

Drew sitting in the shadows of the tower, watched a very tired Dick crest the edge of the trail. The Alpha had vanished from his side and Dick did 'feel' or see him in the shadows.

"Thank God" could be heard from Dick as he took a second to breathe in the air at the large open space in front of the tower. Dick was in a hands-on-knees, bent-over position when he heard the first of the growls from the surrounding forest.

He straightened and froze, literally looking like a rabbit caught in the open. Behind him Ostram crested the same incline and then walked behind Dick. Another flash of silver and Dick was down screaming from a slashed knee.

As he laid crying in the grass of the glade, he sobbed out one word "why?"

Ostram sneered at the soft human crouched in the grass. "Didn't you listen boy? The story said that only one survived. That 'one' is always going to be me."

Drew, still sitting on the tower foundation replied "Damn Mr. Ostram. I was talking about a movie from 100 years ago. I did not mean to imply that only one could live. But you have provided what I had hoped for, a lesson in human behavior for my children." Drew shook his head in sadness.

"Fucking children, they are not children, they are aliens. They should be off Earth, the creche of humankind. And you, you fuck hybrid need to go with them."

Drew was saddened and worried for the future of humankind. Drew had deeper thoughts in quick succession, 'Humanity had come so far. When aliens arrived, the color of human skin became a non-issue. Racism as it had been, died out. Human tribalism had become one tribe, human. But that tribal defense had only shifted to the hatred of aliens, no matter how benign they were.'

Drew looked at the Alpha, and lifted his chin bearing his throat. The Alpha stared and cocked his head. He moved his muzzle over Drew in a show of dominance, but Drew knew it was respect. Respect between species. The Alpha then lightly shoved Drew's head and Drew knew it was time to leave.

Drew stood, and looked at the weasel Dick crying and bleeding into the grass. "It's time for me to leave, I wish I could have done this myself, but your games have cost too much to too many already."

"You are a fucking liar. You said we would be free if we made it...we are free." Ostram yelled.

"I said, if you touched the tower. You have not touched the tower." Responded Drew as he walked off around the edge of the glade gathering younglings as he went.

Ostram looked at the large Alpha standing on the raised foundation of the tower. He then realized it looked like a raised dais of a king. Ostram looked around him, he was a powerful man, but here in the glade surrounded by timber wolves it meant nothing. Here he knew he was insignificant. Around him, slowly creeping out of the edge of moon shadows he saw the pack. Loyal to the Alpha standing on the dais.

Drew signaled younglings that it was time to leave and let nature take its course. Alexander was gathering the stragglers from the other side of the glade. There were some that wanted to watch the deaths. Drew knew he was going to have to spend more time with those selected few.

As they walked back down the trail for home, they heard the screams. The screams of un-honorable men that had cost one of the Pride her life.

Honor and respect for life would have to be reinforced. Patience and forgiveness...well at least to a point, would need to be retaught. Vengeance and bloodlust had no place in this earth-bound family they called the Pride.

End of Chapter 7