"I will," Dwayne assured me. "But she might not remember everything. It can be hazy for a bit."
"Will she know me?" The bile rose in my throat at the thought that Granny might not recognize me.
"She should," he said as he gave me a quick hug. "Most likely her brain will block the trauma that led to her death. I won't know until she wakes."
The need to move consumed me. Scenarios ran wildly through my head—good, bad and ugly. I dislodged myself from Dwayne's embrace and jogged around the perimeter of the large room. Moving and planning would keep me sane. Jumping Hank and making him see Jesus would help, but I didn't think Dwayne would appreciate it. Or possibly he might appreciate it too much. Hank and Dwayne's eyes followed me with concern. I knew they were worried I was close to losing it. Their concern was well warranted. Lists. I needed to make mental lists.
"We will go to Chicago and settle in at Dwayne's house. We'll contact Angela and her Dragon and arrange to meet them on neutral territory. If she had anything to do with this ambush I will kill her. And Hank, I will kill her. I want no help. Moral support will be welcome, but if she ratted us out she's mine."
"I'm good with that," Hank said with a curt nod and a feral grin.
"Holy Phyllis Diller," Dwayne sang as his skin took on a slight glow. "I'd really like to see that."
"Trust me," I told him with a smile that came nowhere near reaching my eyes. "You wouldn't. Now about the mess here… "
"No worries," Dwayne assured us. "Before we leave I'll alert the local Hyena Pack. Place will be spotless in an hour or less. Those bastards will eat anything."
"Um… I got nothing," I choked out. I had to close my eyes against the picture now resting in my brain.
"On that unappetizing note," Hank said with a barely concealed gag, "we're out."
"Wait," I yelled, alarming both men. "I need to lay out the plan a little more."
"Do it, babe," Dwayne said as he patted my back. "Get organized. It will calm you."
Hank nodded and sat back down. My men knew me well and I was humbled at how much my need to hang on to my sanity meant to them. Or more likely, my prior breakdowns had taught them a healthy fear for their lives.
"The Dragons are our first priority. They will lead us to the leak. I need to know the connection between them and the Wolves. Finding out who cursed the Wolves has to go at the bottom of the to-do list, but that's something I want to know too. The Council needs to be aware of rogue Wolf Packs running around."
"The Council stays in the dark until we have all the information we need to get out alive," Hank stated firmly.
I knew he was referring to the fact some on the Council wanted me dead. Agreeing with him was a no-brainer. The Council would be the last to know anything we found out. Any intel we compiled would be used as bargaining chips for my life and for information as to what really happened to my parents.
"Absolutely," I concurred with Hank. "I think the Wolves figure in more than we realize."
"You think they're involved with the crossbreeding of species?" Dwayne asked as he mulled the prospect over.
"No," I answered thoughtfully. "I don't. I'm not even sure the Dragons are pushing the cross species thing. It might have been an isolated incident with the three imbeciles that came to Georgia. They're wildly secretive and I'd place a bet they were trying to raise their own status in the Dragon world."
"How much?" Dwayne asked as he pulled his wallet from his pants.
"You'd bet against me?" I gaped at him.
"Wait, I just heard the word bet and got excited. What are we actually wagering on?"
I rolled my eyes. "Angela thinks some of the Council may be in cahoots with the Dragons. My guess is the crossbreeding debacle was a cover for something much bigger," I said, finally beginning to calm.
"Don't discount the fracture in the Council about revealing the Wolves to the humans," Hank added with an expression that looked like he'd swallowed a lemon.
"All super natural species?" Dwayne asked with a bewildered shake of his head.
"Nope," I said. "As far as I know the Wolves would be the only reveal."
"That is the stupidest thing I have ever heard," Dwayne yelled. He shoved his wallet back in his pants so violently he accidently ripped the pocket right off. "Dang it, I loved these capris."
"Without the pocket I can see the shape of your ass better," I said, hoping to derail the fit I knew he was about to throw.
"Really?" he asked as he looked over his shoulder and examined his rear end. "I think you're right. Maybe I'll take the pockets off of all my pants."
"You do that," Hank said with an exasperated sigh. "We need to go, Essie. You ready?"
"Nope, but I'm coming anyway," I said with a grin.
"That's my girl." Hank grabbed my hand and gave Dwayne one more slap to the head.
"What the hell was that for?" Dwayne griped as he tried to swat Hank back.
"The gauchos and the photograph, asshole," Hank said with a smirk as he successfully avoided Dwayne's counterattack.
"We're out of here." I pulled Hank to the front door before one of them lost a limb. We simply did not have the time to regrow anything. "Call me every few hours about Granny and let me know how she's doing."