True North (The Bears of Blackrock Book 4) (4 page)

Officer Black saw him. No matter how hard John tried to convince him otherwise, Theron knew the expression on the man’s face well. He’d seen.

He knew.

The question embroiled into Theron’s psyche as he fought to still his mind was simple – What was Officer Black going to do with that information?

Theron rolled onto his side and forced his eyes closed.

Only time could tell.

***

Theron woke to the sound of his parents cavorting over breakfast.

Yes, cavorting. Theron was certain they were cavorting.

The world is a weird place
, he thought.

Theron snatched up his phone, pulling up his sister’s contact.

Dude, it’s official. Our parents are eating breakfast together, and mom may or may not be wearing pants.

Theron sent the text, then lay back staring at the ceiling for a long moment.

Wait. What?
Maggie responded.

Theron took a few moments to text Maggie the particulars of the past few days, relieved to have someone to spew his thoughts to.

Appetite gone
, Maggie texted back a moment later.

Theron laughed. He lay there a long while just listening to his parents talk. There was the tell-tale sound of the paper being folded and unfolded. It was almost soothing to hear. He hadn’t heard the sound of his parents talking over the Sunday paper since he was thirteen years old.

Well over a week had passed since the hunt with John went south. Theron spent much of his days cooped up inside, afraid to go anywhere or do anything for fear he might stumble across Officer Black again.

Over a week of being cooped up with his honeymooning parents was even worse, but the real trouble was that he hadn’t shifted in all that time. Not a huge deal. He’d gone longer, certainly, but being stressed or angry and not being able to shift was something very different.

He just couldn’t risk it. He had family and friends to think of, not just himself.

“Honey?” His mother said, wrapping softly at the door.

“Yeah, mom?”

“Your father and I are heading up to Machias tonight. Would you like to come along? Maybe bring your sister and her honey?”

Oh how lovely a notion, Theron thought. Let’s all go out for drinks at the bar with our puppy love-drunk mom and dad. No fucking thanks.

“I think I’ll stay in tonight, mom. Thanks for the invite though.”

There was a pause as Karen hovered just outside the door. “Are you alright, honey? You’ve been a bit of a homebody the past few days.”

Theron scoffed. She had no idea. “Yeah, I know. Just not feeling like going out.”

He could see her shadow moving in the light beneath the door, but she hadn’t walked away yet. “Maybe you need to hunt tonight? Might help your mood.”

“Yeah, Mom. Thanks,” he said, and his tone was that of an ornery fourteen year old. He cringed.

She wasn’t wrong.

“Karen. Come look at this,” Maynard called in the distance. Theron was grateful for the reprieve. A moment later, Theron could hear his mother laughing again.

“No, you know full well it wasn’t me.”

“Well, what about Theron?”

Karen made a scoffing sound as she approached the kitchen, her voice growing louder. “What about Theron? You know where Theron hunts,” she said, laughing again. “Good lord. Was probably some senile old-timer.”

“What was?” Theron asked, raising his voice. Despite his desire to hibernate in his room, his curiosity was getting the best of him.

“Come out into the real world if you want to be a part of the conversation,” Maynard called.

Theron sighed and climbed out of bed, his black hair hanging over his left eye. He squinted at the sunlight pouring in through the kitchen windows, but came out to stand in the living room doorway. Maynard sat at their breakfast table, the paper folded over in his hands, a wide grin on his face.

“Welcome back, boy. Come have a look at this nonsense.”

Maynard turned the paper for Theron to have a closer look, his wide, stained thumb hovering over a section of the police blotter for the week.

Police received call on Sunday, September 13th. Caller reported sighting of a polar bear in the woods on the east side of Parkhurst Lake. Animal Control was dispatched, but was unable to find evidence of the animal.

Well fuck
, he thought.

Maynard chuckled to himself. “Good grief. Just imagine if someone actually saw one of you up here. All hell would break -”

The door shook with the force of a powerful knock, startling all three of them.

Theron turned for the door, his heart racing. Karen hustled across the room to answer the door.

Stop it, Ther. You’re fine. It’s fine. It’s just Maggie or Uncle Paul. Calm the fuck –

“Morning, ma’am. Is this a bad time?”

There was no denying the voice outside – it was a cop.

Karen stood with her body shielded by the door, just sticking her head out into view. “Well, it’s not great. Can you give me a few minutes? I’m not exactly wearing pants.”

The voice outside agreed and Karen shut the door. She turned back toward Maynard and Theron with a bemused look on her face, standing there in her Acadia t-shirt and fluffy slippers. She shrugged, turning to head toward Maynard’s bedroom. She returned a moment later in ratty old jeans. Theron hadn’t been able to move from the spot.

She stopped. “Theron?”

Damn it
, he thought. He’d never had a great poker face.

She glared at him, her eyes widening with each passing second. “Theron, why is a police officer outside our door?”

He took a deep breath. “Did you recognize the Officer?”

She rolled her eyes and crossed to the front door. “Yes, of course, I did. It’s Charlie Black.”

Theron’s heart leapt into his throat and his mother watched his expression. Karen turned back toward the door, then met Theron’s gaze again.

She knew.

The front door swung wide as Charlie Black stepped into the Talbot home.

Theron swallowed, half expecting the officer to jump out with gun brandished.

“Hey there. Just the man I was looking for,” Officer Black said, giving a nod toward Theron. He spoke with an air of feigned disinterest, the way every cop that ever stopped him did.

Theron knew the tone well – he’d been both a teenager and an Indian in Blackrock. He couldn’t count how many times he and his cousins were stopped for walking on roads off the rez. Cops just had to ‘see what they were up to.’

“You all mind if I talk to Theron outside?” Officer Black asked.

Karen and Maynard both nodded, exchanging glances as Theron followed the officer outside.

“Good morning,” Theron said as they shut the front door behind them. There was a note of suspicion in his voice. Theron took his hands out of his pockets as slowly as he could, letting his empty hands splay out at his sides as the Officer stopped at the bottom of the steps, waiting for Theron to join him.

Theron had been harassed by police dozens of times, but that day was the first time he feared he might get shot.

“You back with your folks, then? Nice people. Maynard and I have breakfast together from time to time.”

Theron’s eyebrows shot up. This was news to him. “That’s good to know,” he said.

Please don’t shoot me then, he thought.

Charlie Black was older by twenty years, teetering into his late forties. His light brown hair did a nice job of covering any gray that creeped into his temples, and he kept his face clean shaven. He was just an inch shorter than Theron, but he made up for the height difference with presence alone, and his black uniform almost hid the foreboding shape of a pistol at his hip.

“You been back long?”

Theron’s blood boiled. He hated being interrogated like this. Always had.

“A few weeks.”

Officer Black nodded. “What have you been up to? Spending time up in Parkhurst area the other night, then?”

“I don’t know what you’re talking about,” Theron said, meeting the policeman’s gaze.

Officer Black lunged forward three steps, pointing a finger in Theron’s direction and his tone changed. “I know what I saw. So you best start explaining yourself to me, kid.”

The change in demeanor set Theron’s hackles up something fierce. There was nothing wise about threatening a bear. Nothing at all.

Theron pursed his lips, his hands still open and out at his sides. “What exactly would you like me to explain?”

“You know damn well,” Officer Black hissed, as though he feared the trees would overhear him.

“I’m sorry, sir. I don’t know what you mean.”

The officer’s eyes fell and he turned away, pacing as he fumed in Theron’s direction. “Damn it, I know what I fucking saw, Talbot. You all might have your secrets out here, but this? This is – you can’t keep this hidden forever.”

Theron watched, his heart pounding in his chest. Officer Black was wound up tight. He turned his attention back to Theron, his voice calming again.

“You don’t want to come clean with me, that’s fine, but you’re going to get caught. We’re bringing in Animal Control units to watch the Parkhurst area, setting up field cameras, and you’re gonna find cruisers patrolling every road around the reservation until I catch you.”

Theron swallowed. Field cameras? No one would be able to shift without chancing getting caught. Not the Fenns, not his family, and certainly not him or his mother.

Or his mountain lion sister.

What had he done?

“I don’t know what you expect to find, Officer -”

The policeman lunged forward again, his eyes wide and almost frantic. “I know what I saw, Talbot. I don’t know what you are, but I’m gonna be on you until I found out. Do you hear me?”

“Yes, sir,” Theron said, knowing better than to test the man further.

Charlie Black stared at Theron for a long moment, his expression fixed. He looked as though he had more to say, but neither of the men spoke.

“You have yourself a good day, then,” Black said, turning back toward the cruiser. Theron stood stock still, arms out as he watched the cruiser roll off down the road. When Theron finally calmed down enough to head back inside, his mother stood in the open doorway.

Her nostrils flared as she took a deep breath. “Come pack a bag. I’ll call up north. You’re getting the hell out of here.”

She was furious.

Theron didn’t blame her. “Wait, Mom -”

“You idiot!”

The argument that followed grew loud enough to rattle the very rafters.

CHAPTER FOUR

SINEAD

“Where the hell did you come from?”

Sinead glared at her visitor, her spine beginning to ache with the tension in her muscles. She was feigning strength and grace, but she was terrified. If her suspicions were correct, this Theron character could be on their side – working for the officers that kept them captive there for two years.

If he worked for them, there was no telling what he was capable of.

“I said, I’m from Blackrock, Maine. I came up because I got in some trouble down there.”

“What kind of trouble?” Sinead snapped. Great, just what they needed – ex-convict or some other unsavory character. Just the kind of guy who’d take a job like spying on prisoners.

“I can’t really say. Just a -”

Buniq sat at her desk in the corner, munching away at a stolen granola bar. Sinead didn’t have the focus to scold her for taking it, she had more important things on her plate.

“Look, I don’t know what you want, but there’s nothing for you here.”

The stranger stopped and stared at her. “Lady, I’m sure this paradise brings a whole slew of visitors -”

She narrowed her brow. “Are you trying to be funny?”

“- but I’m just here to find my family. I mean, for Christ’s sake, somebody just fucking shot at me.”

“Watch your language!” Sinead stepped a little closer toward Buniq. The stranger was getting agitated, and the shift in his mood made the room feel smaller. Warmer, she noted, but smaller. “And you say somebody shot at you, but I have it on good authority that if Baird Davenport means to shoot at you, he doesn’t miss. Why are you here?!”

He sighed. “Well, your hospitality is spoken of from here all the way down to Black Tickle. What the hell is your problem, lady?”

Sinead stared at him. He leaned against the wall, dropped his backpack on the floor, and winced as he tried to lift his foot. Then he remained there, a barely patient look of exasperation on his face.

He didn’t seem like the other officers that came onto the Extension – Officer Davenport, Reed, and Miller. They came with snide looks and rifles in their arms. They came when they thought too many people were gathering in one place. They came when someone spent too much time out by the perimeter. They came when they damn well pleased, and they made no attempts to come off as pleasant, or belonging.

They were proud as punch to be bile spewing assholes.

This man wasn’t spewing bile.

He was beginning to look annoyed, though.

“What did you say your name was, again?” Sinead asked, shooting a sideways glance back at Buniq.

“Theron Talbot. Theron Sleeps on Stones Talbot, if you would like to know my full name.”

Sinead almost softened at the name. She shook her head.

That’s just what they’d want you to do, Shinny.