Sheeple Ch. 02

"Oh. What was he asking?"

"He wanted to know if a family by the name of Olman had been through. Oh, Nicholas Olman. Curly brown haired, dark eyes, mid-thirties, wife and two kids. I said that honestly, I didn't remember any one by that name or description passing through."

Eric had gone very still. "What was your impression of him Kate?"

"He smelled bad. Acrid. Like he was lying about something. I didn't trust him."

"Anything else?"

"Yes," Kate hesitated. "He gave both Suzanne and I a bad feeling. So, she shredded a bunch of files and literally flushed the bits down the drain. Also, when I went to pick up my handbag, I saw that the picture of you and the kids with me at the park had been face down. Knocked over by my bag. So, I went to pick it up, and when I looked at it..."

"You saw something," he said quietly.

"Yes. Eric, I saw that the photo matched who he might be looking for, and worried. I brought the picture home Eric..." she stopped, not wanting to ask what was on her mind.

"Kate, did he say why he was looking for this Olman?"

"Sorta. Said that he dealt with special operations people and that they kept track of them. And the impression I got is that this Olman was someone they wanted to find."

Eric just nodded. "Kate, what are you really thinking?"

Kate looked at him, and found that her voice was all choked up. "I... umm... I want to ask you what your name is. What it really is, and I'm afraid of what you might tell me," she said softly.

Eric moved towards Kate and took her face in his hands. Trying to sound calm, he spoke. "Kate, my name is Eric Lawrence Cole. However, I was born in Montana forty-two years ago, as Nicholas Evans Olman."

"You... you are the man he was looking for," she said almost stammering, and moving back out of his hands.

"Yes and no. I was the man he was looking for. I haven't been that man for nearly 13 years." He was still speaking softly.

"But..... but why? Why didn't you tell me any of this before?" There was a hurt tone in her voice.

"Kate, you didn't need to know, because as far as the rest of the world knew, Nick Olman was dead." Eric raised himself up on one elbow.

"Dead? Ummm.. unless I'm missing the obvious, you are very much alive." She sat up. "I don't understand."

"Kate, remember when I said I use to be in the military and that I did things I wasn't very proud of?"

"Yes."

"Well, they were the types of things that you can't talk about. Things you can't even tell Congress about sometimes, because they didn't happen."

"Didn't happen? Like in some sort of covert 'we-weren't-here' type of way?"

"Yes. I belonged to a special ops division that doesn't exist any more. One of those that got sort of ousted a president or so back. One that sound more like a spy novel now than reality. We were disbanded and most of us were given new identities. That's when Nick died and Eric was born."

Kate just looked at Eric. "So, why would this man be looking for you now?"

"I honestly don't know. It could be anything really. I worked in electronics, computers and such, or it could be because of my combat record."

"But why now? Wouldn't the government know where you were?"

"No. I made sure I disappeared. I didn't want to be found ever again. I certainly don't want to go back into the military. At least not for their ideals."

"Oh? Do I even want to know what you did?"

"Kate, I did what I needed to for my country. I didn't always like it or understand where it fit in the greater good, but, I was a good soldier. I did things that I know were not nice. Rabbits are a lot safer than some of the people I ran into," he said softly.

"Oh. You... shifted? For the military?"

"No, not for the military. However, in certain situations, I did shift to save lives."

"Ok. It's just that I suddenly feel like I don't know you. I..." she said uneasily.

"Kate, I'm Eric. However, it doesn't matter what my name is. I am still the same wolf you knew yesterday and this morning. You just know a bit more about my past. A past I had hoped to leave behind.

"Yes, I'm just a bit rattled. I didn't like the smell of that man. He made me anxious. He made me worry about you and the kids."

"It will be okay. Do you want to be held?"

Kate looked at him. "Oh yes. Please hold me close. I was afraid I was going to loose you and I didn't know what to think."

"I love you Kate."

"I love you Eric," she said and buried her nose in his chest.

*

Kate got to work the next morning to see police, lots of yellow tape and Suzanne pacing back and forth like a wet hen. "Suzanne, what on earth is going on?"

"We were vandalized. The whole place is topsy-turvy. I don't think that there is a drawer in the place that hasn't been turned out. Furniture slashed and beds flipped. You name it, it's dumped. I am so pissed."

"Who? When? What happened to the two guys upstairs that were here?"

"They were out at the movies and when they came back, they were the ones who discovered it."

"Damn. Do you think it was our mysterious visitor from yesterday?"

"I don't know. However, I'm so glad we got rid of those files. Who knows what that idiot was really looking for."

"I agree. Are we going to be able to work at all today?" Kate watched the police mill about.

"No. just go home and enjoy your day off. I've got to stay around to give an idea of damage or loss, but don't worry about work. I'll call you when we can get back in."

"Ok. Call me if I can help out," Kate said as she walked off.

"I will!" Suzanne called after her.

*

Kate waited nervously for Eric to get home that night. She fed the kids early and stuck them in bed so that they might have more time alone.

Eric paled when she told him about the break-in. "I am so glad that you brought that photo home yesterday."

"Oh! I hadn't even thought about it. Oh..." She thought of the implications. "How much do you resemble Nick?... know what I mean?"

"Yes. Let's see... I've got a bit of a beer belly now and my hair is longer and grayer. Not as muscular. But, that's about it."

"Beer belly? No, rabbit belly," she said with a smile, trying to lighten the mood.

Eric smiled. "I probably have changed just enough that he could walk by me on the street and not see Nick. However, I'll be extra careful for a bit. Oh, and do me a favor."

"Yes?"

"You said he smelled bad?"

"Yeah. Like really stale sweat."

"See if you smell him in the office when you go back in."

"Oh... okay, but I didn't want to go back without you with me. Can you come with me on Friday? It is the first day we will be allowed back in."

"Yeah, I think I can take part of the morning off."

"Thank you Eric." She hugged him.

That night, Eric went hunting. However, it wasn't for rabbits. He went downtown to the shelter and did his own investigation. The back door hadn't been repaired, so he was able to sneak in under all the yellow crime scene tape. He headed for Kate's office and found that most of the stuff had been righted. Piles of papers were on the floor. Eric headed for the chair opposite the desk and took a deep whiff. An acrid scent filled his nose. He shook his head and sneezed. Then he went around the room. Yes, the dear Sargent had paid special attention to this room. His scent was all over in places it shouldn't have been if he'd just sat in the chair. It was very heavy around the computer.

Eric checked the hall and shifted back. He logged into the computer and pulled up the records he knew that Kate kept. He had helped her build the data base. What he couldn't remember was if she used names or just numbers. Numbers. A sigh of relief played across his lips. No names, just dates and numbers. Eric was relieved. He turned off the computer, shifted and left the building the way he'd come in.

Eric went hunting to release some of the tension he felt building up. He was worried that this Sargent O'Hare might be more of a problem than he had lead Kate to believe. He didn't find many rabbits this time, but caught a rattler. He knew better than to bring it home to Kate. He'd done so not too long ago, and the screams still echoed in his memory. How was he to know she was afraid of snakes?

*

Life soon fell into a routine. Up at the crack of dawn, off to school with the children, work, home, dinner and bed. Sometimes Kate thought that the sameness would drive her nuts. Other days she was so very glad of routine. Like the day she had the flat.

Kate was on her way home from dropping off the kids when she realized she had a flat tire. Normally, this would have frustrated her no end as her hands weren't always strong enough to work the cross wrench. However, she knew that she couldn't walk home. It was just too far. She sat, hoping that someone would come along who might help. Unlike most mornings, the highway was empty of traffic. She decided to try and change the tire. She got the jack and the spare out and was trying to get things in the right place when something came up behind her. She slowly turned, to see Eric standing behind her wearing a pair of shorts.

"Hi."

"Gads you startled me! Where did you come from?" She was looking around trying to figure out how he'd gotten there.

"Oh, the arroyo over there." He pointed to it as he stepped forward to take over changing the tire.

"Eric, how did you know where to find me, or even to start looking?" She felt rather odd about the whole situation.

Eric stuck his head off to one side so that she could hear him. "I realized that you were late, and there was no one home to drive me out here. So, I put my shorts in a sack, shifted, and then came up the culvert out of town. Then, it was a simple matter of following my nose."

Kate rolled her eyes. "Following your nose?"

"Yes." Eric laid the last of the nuts down from the tire and wiggled it off the axle. "You have a very distinct scent. Especially this morning."

"Oh? And why this morning?"

"Your cycle is about to start," he said rather matter of fact as he put the spare in place.

"What? I'm not due for days."

"I beg to differ." He sniffed at her again as he started to tighten down the nuts. "Probably about noon."

"Oh you! Just change the tire," Kate said rather flustered.

Eric smiled and finished up the tire. He put the flat one in the back and replaced the jack and wrench. "Let's go back to town."

"Don't you want to go the way you came?" she said with a bit of a sarcastic tone.

"Nope, one cactus is enough for me today."

"Cactus?" she asked.

"Yes. Hit one coming up out of the arroyo. You can help me check for spines when we get home."

"I don't see any. She was looking at his bare chest and legs.

"That's because they are under the shorts."

"Oh." The blush crept over her face.

*

After they dropped the tire off at the garage, they went back to the house. Kate called Suzanne to let her know that she'd be late. Suzanne told her not to worry and that she'd see her when she got in.

Eric was gingerly taking off his shorts when Kate came into the room. The whole left side of his hip was pinpricked by cactus.

"Oh, let me get the duct tape." She turned and left the room.

Eric looked at her retreating form. "Why duct tape?" he thought to himself.

"Duct tape gets the spines out easier than tweezers," Kate said as she came back in the room. "Yes, I heard you loud and clear."

Eric just smiled. He couldn't decide which would hurt more as she applied the duct tape. Removing the spines or the hair on his leg. Kate smoothed the tape down and then with a quick pull, brought it back off.

"Ouch! Ah! That hurt!"

"Oh you wimp!" She stopped, showing him fifteen or so spines on the tape. With the tweezers, she got out the remaining three or four spines and then started cleaning off the area with a washrag and then neosporin. Finally, she put a large pad over the area and taped it down. "There you go. Just watch bumping that area for a while."

"I will. Did I ever tell you how much I hate cactus?"

"No, but I can understand." She bent over to pick up the medical supplies and then got an odd look on her face. Picking up the stuff, she moved quickly for the bathroom.

Eric heard cussing coming from the bathroom and went to the dresser. He grabbed underwear and headed for Kate. Hanging the panties on his finger, he held them around the wall where the toilet sat.

"I think you'll need these."

"Oh just shut up and hand them over." Kate was rather exasperated. "Why do men have to be so right sometimes?" she thought to herself.

"Oh, because sometimes we are." Eric spoke from across the bathroom.

"Get out! Out of my head and out of the bathroom!" Kate shouted at Eric as he retreated to the hall.

Eric saved his laughter until he was out of earshot. He'd already been feeling the cramping sensations that he knew were much stronger in Kate. There were days that being a healer and empath was difficult as well as downright painful. He also knew that Kate would probably start to feel reciprocal pains from him if she wasn't already. He'd have to broach the subject in an easy manner. There were days that she was so much like family, that it amazed him that she wasn't. And, as much as he'd have liked to have a baby with Kate, he was very glad she was fixed. He wasn't sure he'd handle labor. Not if just the cramps felt this way.

*

Kate finally got into work near lunch time. She brought her lunch and ate at her desk as she tried to finish the job of re-organizing. Ever since that break-in, Suzanne had been paranoid about records. Not that Kate blamed her. Three other shelters had been hit in the same week. All of them in small cities along the highways. She couldn't decide if there was a pattern or just random junk. Either way, it made their lives harder.

Eric had also come in and double passworded her station. She now had to do a number of things to get into her log-in. Eric said it would help keep out the common hacker and maybe even give them a clue as to who had done this. No luck so far, but then again, no more break-ins.

Suzanne came in near the end of the day. She looked tired. Flopping in the chair, she sighed.

"What's going on Suzanne?"

"Oh, police still wanting info, and our Sargent called again. I'd swear he was giving veiled threats if we didn't co-operate with him."

"Oh fun. But how are we suppose to know what people's names and identities really are?"

"Oh, I don't know. However, don't bother to tell that to a military mind. Rusty as a steel trap."

"I know what you mean. Dad and David were both in the military so to speak."

"Oh, that's right. What about Eric?"

"No, not that I know of. Then again, there is a lot I don't know about Mr. Cole."

"And you're sleeping with him?"

"Yeah. I am, and I don't mind one bit."

Suzanne smiled and left the room.