Cutting losses

[Deleted]

Henry had felt the disturbances whike meditating and easily knew who to press for info. Tiger khan dead him not the reason. Somehow he knew who ever was looking for him cause he knew they were would pin this hack job on him.

Poisons were cowardly sneaking methodology. He knew the snakes were here in chicago he'd met them, word on the street was he was there with the tiger it made sense. He saw the autopsy tsk plausible but there were holes.

He knew it was only a matter of time before they realized they were snipering each other he'd get caught in the mix. So he was at home near the reserve he hated to do so but he needed to cut his losses and move out. The house had been a quick flipper. Hed worked on it and now he had an interested party in a day.

The dogs well trained would go top dollar all over the country all except his breeding pair which were his most dangerous and well trained. They had another litter in them before he had to get her fixed to avoid ruining her for hunting. Clock ticking he had inquiries to shippers for the dogs.

Three days was all he needed then in the mayhem he knew would come hed slip out and drive away. Ghost that he was.

[Deleted]

Something was wrong his last buyer was late he had one extra dog sitting at his feet the others had been claimed and shipped. It was and inconvenience but his gaurdians were whispering that time was short. That his time to leave might be up.

He knew the dead tiger was a bad sign. He sighed and packed everything but his trip wires and weapons. If he made it through the night those would be disarmed and he'd leave and not look back.

while he was out walking his wires hed felt watched. The hairs on his spine stood and he would pause silent and reach out to the ither. During one such he swore he caught sight of a female that had no smell or weigh a flicker. That couldn't be right. Again moments later this time a..dragon breifly glimpsed. He made haste back to the house his gaurdians has been right to panic. Frsgins..whst did this one wants of him,?

He needed to think, sheilds tightened henry went through katas trying to quell his mind. The lions had been moving. The leopards were up in arms the bears the same. Sure he'd started it but probably should have planned on killing them if he had known because this was going to be the final curtain if he didn't make it out. Though he'd not make it easy no..they would be coming with him who ever came for him.

The dragon couldn't stop plaguing his thoughts so he paced. What might he offer it to forget him or distract it with. He had things in the truck the last of a bigger collection. Things trophies had taken. Bits of travel memory, maybe the book? Or the horn

How to lay it out so it gave him time to get far enough away. He'd changed his mind he needed to leave but she would keep him there if what he offered was not good enough.

[Hieronymous Banks-Walker]

“Good idea,” he called over his shoulder as Melissa responded. He sighed nodding to the thoughts working through his mind. He was attempting to refocus himself they were chasing a man who was a monster that preyed on predators. He would be nasty and prepared. It was a a foregone conclusion that he would intend to take out as many of them as they through at him. Plus what they were preparing to do was tantamount to taking on the federal government. He was an agent of theirs as a Marshal which meant that if they were caught in the act or found out later it would be their lives. Smiling at the irony of it all he exhaled closing down all thoughts save one.

Hearing Melissas phone notify her of something he assumed it was the file download but he could be wrong he looked back to her as she closed the laptop. He would miss Lennox that was for sure. They had maybe a month before the intelligence he’d gathered and had access to would be obsolete. He hoped Adair would be as well as she could.

“Thank you for your help during these trying times Adair. I am sorry it has come to this.” He motioned with an open hand for Mel to leave first. As she did he followed on her heels. Stopping in front of the Tiger who was to be Adiar’s security. Looking to Adair then back he nodded his mind made up. He’d normally take what was dealt him in stride but negligence of this magnitude deserved more than a stern look. Stepping into the larger mans space he struck lightening quick his hands shifting as he did knife hand to gut elbow to temple a she began folding and backhand slash leaving his carotid open. AS the man attempted to reach with one hand towards Hiero and the other towards his throat Hiero kicked him back away from him. No more mister nice guy. “If you don’t have someone to help you with this call me and I will send someone.” He said dismissively of the fallen tiger as he closed the door behind him.

The drive was far more difficult in the planning than in the execution Hiero had to have Ray and his men bring up the rear from safe enough distance that he would if need be have time to shift and escape without being shot or worse himself. Luckily they wouldn’t be using silver ammo but he was sure Marsahl Lau would. Taking the concealable vest he wasn’t sure how or why Ray had obtained he donned it underneath his tee shirt and jacket. He honestly did it as a concession to Ray knowing a hinter of lycanthropes would take head shots or use area effect weaponry to slow them down enough to deliver the kill shot.

Night was on their side as well as numbers. He knew that somewhere close unbeknownst to the others Sabin was following them. He’d caught faint scent of him on the wind which meant there would be others in tow. Arriving at the start of the chase there was half a mile distance to the house where Marshal Lau should be. He turned to Mel, “This is going to be a kill and a high bodycount if we slip up in the slightest. If you want to wait here I will understand. But I’m going in there with one goal vengeance by every means… Ray will close the net insuring he can’t escape if I fail to pin him down what do you think would be the best way to insure he ends tonight?” He asked and told and suggested but he wanted her expertise as a former member of law enforcement she would have an idea as to how his mind would work.

[Melissa Haze]

She'd stood and went for the door happy to be leaving and there for not as aware as she should have been. As she crossed out she felt the pause behind but took two more steps before she heard the sound of flesh openung and smelled blood. Hair on her arms raising her already tense lioness peeked over the grass and sniffed.

Hearing the door shut and his foot steps she put one foot in front of the other said nothing. keeping her sheilds tight went down the stairs fast snd safe as she could with out an out right run. You shouldn't run from dangerous predators because most times it made them want to chase. She knew it as she was one.

They were all the way back outside before she paused and peeked back.

[Deleted]

He sorted out what to do. The book was perfect shed still get a treasure but ut would help him too. So trying not to be to conspicuous he went to the truck looking like he was just packing more things. He'd parked it a good ten feet from the house.

As he walked back hurriedly as if to get more things a book of fair thickness and age fell out of his arms. It had a catch on it and a definite aura of something special about it. It was dropped closer to the house not as close to the truck.

Now he'd see if she was a curious one and just how much she liked rare items.

[Deleted]

Noble watched close enough to stir the dogs within into a frenzy but far enough to not be visible. It was a hard thing to do for most as corporeal was the easier for some. But as a weyr of thought and an ideal made flesh corporeality was by far the harder thing. As such she enjoyed the absence of feel and touch. At least until the book dropped she cocked her head far more reptilian than human at that point. If she was solid it would have been a far too alien look. Yet the book called she looked from it to the clear hunter in the home. She smelled the dogs which peaked her curiosity more towards the house. She had yet to see or experience such beasts.



She wavered closer to the house stopping herself as she considered the prize that could be had versus what a hunter would do. A hunter hunted often with traps and snares she stopped herself from taking flesh as she was so attracted by the book she knew she would succumb if she took flesh. So she stayed wavering.

[Deleted]

The dogs were not ever this crazy he'd given the calm command over and they just couldn't stop. Groaning he licked lip and wondered if he could skirt her.

The book had pulled her closer but not made her appear. It was now or never. He shut the lights slung his silver blades on his back. Loaded his guns. Calling them to him he opened the door they formed a v infront of him. The son in front and his older two in back.

He prayed to the gaurdians then walked out with growling dogs leading they seemed zeroed in. He manuvered letting his instinct give him clues. He was even with the book now.

[Melissa Haze]

They got to the acess road this was it one way in one way out. When he said sabin she frowned hard but didn't argue. Taking a map of the lot looking at them all. She took marker and made x's pointing" he will expect both rear and head on attacks use caution those teams he will likely have mines or wires where you will be bottle necked."

Looking to rays people" we should set up a gulitine should he make it past heiro here at the road because if hes going to get away he will be driving. If you can disable the vehicle he might fall back into the house as trying to escape on foot would be suicide no matter how many he takes out."

She sighed" if we can get him inside do not go in after him if you can avoid it as he might have way more things inside to kill you with. Magic traps..give him a aste of hisvown medicine and destroy the house with him in it. The response time for police this far out will be negligible and we got the window from our alliances that they will probably not respond for longer but have your fall back Planned."

She looked to heiro stepped away from the map then turned only to him" he is a monster of the worse kind but the law would back him he has to leave no trace and nor should you. I don't need to be there for his fall just as long as you come back but incase your worried..no hesitation will not happen if he comes this way"

[Hieronymous Banks-Walker]

Hiero nodded his ascent and let Melissa take the lead organizing tactical with Ray and his goomba’s they’d shoot simply because they could. He would be the wrecking ball as they closed down his escape route. He trusted Mel to shoot but her staying at the road was something to consider. He didn’t have time to consider it at the moment but it would percolate on his mind for quite sometime. Half a mile was forty seconds but he’d go slower pushing it to about a minute and a half careful to watch for tripwires and scents that didn’t belong. The urge to shift was high but the larger mass that would give him even more strength would also give Marshal Lau more target area. So he would shift when he got closer but not before then. Too close for him to do anything but die.

He knew something was off as he neared and the area smelled of nothing human. It was everywhere and Marshal Lau was surrounded by a pack of dogs baying and holding an attack formation. He was also loaded for bear. He was small light and Hiero already knew his fighting style. Sabin was out there following them and he knew if anyone was as dangerous as this man it was Sabin without any controls in place. He had to accept that while Sbain had gone off the rails he was still the same man he’d met all those years ago. And that man was a killer. He looked back towards Mel’s direction thinking of that no Sabin would never harm a Pride member if he had any other choice.

Unfortuntately Ray and Mel might not give him any other choice. Then the snarls the dogs charged surrounding him awaiting an order from their handler who was anything but a friend of lycanthropes. Wasting no time Hiero knew he would be set on but they were not preternatural and wouldn’t do more than harry him if he ran. So instead of run away he used the larger more alpha as a stepping stone going through them to get to Lau. He was sure the man was armed for lycanthrope that would leave a scar at worse and kill if allowed a clean shot.

[Deleted]

First dragons now this guy..the dogs were signaling for lion. Well hell that thing about chickens and roosting. Hed never met a kiob to work with dragons before tho so this was intresting.

Hed have liked to cut down the number of threat but knew lions travel in group. He hoped this was the line surviver but as no explosives were triggered. Henry focused and used mimic to blur him to view just enough to make tracking trajectory harder.

Guns drawn"Gōngjí"

The dog he'd stepped on despite its pain and startle turned tight and lept as the lion did. Teeth going for calf and ankle. If they locked into him hed be thrown off. Henry didn't waste bullets he fired twice with precision silver jacket silver particle filled wax tip. Aiming chest mass one and higher toward head the next as he danced back some.