Part 15 Running
#15 of The Changing of Times and People
The girls were all asleep in the back of the old Suburban. Joe was behind the wheel and Steph was in the front seat.
"Where are we going dad? This isn't the way back home." Steph asked as she looked at the signs as they went by.
"I know, we aren't going home, your friend wanted me to get you somewhere safe. I have a place, but we first need to hide out in one of the old safe houses until I can make the arrangements."
Steph nodded, "thank you."
Joe smiled, "Don't worry about it, I don't care what happens as long as you are safe."
Steph shook her head, "not about that... about this..." She said motioning to her body, she had dressed, but her skin was still visible as its black form.
Joe sighed, "honey, it doesn't matter what you look like, I just want to see you safe and happy. I should apologize... your mother and I, we've always been pushing you where we wanted to go... I guess when you ran away we realized that you weren't happy. We didn't mean to push you to be something you didn't want to be... Just promise me one thing."
Steph looked at him, "Sure, what is it?"
"Don't ever get yourself hurt or killed. Not just for me or your mom, but for those girls back there. They care about you as much as me and your mom do. I don't want them to lose you. I know its your duty to keep them safe, but I know they don't want to see you hurt if you can avoid it. So don't go out looking for trouble, just keep yourself safe as much as possible."
Steph nodded, "Don't worry dad, I won't."
She said as Joe slowed down the suburban before turning off the road and onto a trail cutting through the woods, going by one would barely know it was there. Launi and Danica woke up and looked around. "Where are we?" A tired Launi asked.
"On our way to a safehouse." He said as he drove the SUV. "We'll be staying there for a little while until I can make some arrangements for you girls."
Launi yawned and nodded. "Thanks for helping us..."
"Its the least I can do for you girls after helping my daughter."
Launi smiled, "She saved us and little Claus, why wouldn't we help her?"
"Some people would take her for granted." Joe said before stopping the suburban. "Can a couple of you give me a hand?" He asked, a tree was across the trail in front of their truck.
Steph smiled, "I got it dad." She said as she got out, Joe got out as well but before he could even get to the tree Steph was dragging it quite quickly out of the way. Surprised at how well his daughter was handling the massive tree he shook his head. "Just how strong are you kiddo?"
Steph smiled as she gave the tree a quick toss clearing the road, "not entirely sure, when they tested it back at the center they weren't able to push me to my limit." She said as she got back to the truck.
Joe got in as well and they were off. "No wonder those people want to use you. If they had an army of men like you, I don't think anyone would want to fight anymore."
Steph shook her head. "If they had an army of people like me, they'd have to resort to bigger and more devastating things. I don't want to see that..." She said looking at him. "I don't want to be thought of as a weapon..." She said as they neared a little cottage.
Joe frowned, "sorry... didn't mean it like that."
"It's alright..." She said as they stopped.
"Alright everybody, we are here!" Joe said enthusiastically as he got out of the truck and moved towards the house.
Anita and Nicole were the first out, Claus hopped out and was looking around. "Are we going to live here mom?" He asked as he looked at it.
"I don't know. Mr. Goodlick, are we going to be living here?"
Joe smiled, "yeah, not for long hopefully, I wouldn't dare keep girls like you away from civilization for too long. This is just till I find a better place farther away."
Claus ran up to the front door, "this place looks really old!"
"That it is, but then again, no one has been here for a while." Joe said as he walked up to the front porch of the cabin and lifted up a small stone, underneath of it in a recess in the stone was a key. He quickly unlocked the door and went inside. "Sorry, no electricity here. He said as he stumbled around and found an old oil lantern, he quickly lit it.
Danica and Launi looked around. Danica was holding Claus' hand as they looked. "Its nice." Launi said looking around, "a little dusty, but nice." She said as Joe went and lit up another lantern.
"This place wasn't meant for as many people as we have here, but it'll do for the time being." Joe said as he put the lanterns down on a small table. "The bed room is over there, but it only has a twin in it. The closet should have enough linens for you all though." He said pointing to a small closet off to the side of the room. In the middle of it was a fireplace with a wood stove next to it. "They both work, but you should check the chimney before you fire it up if you have to. Its been years since we were last here."
Danica smiled. "You've done more then enough already, thank you."
Joe shook his head. "Don't worry about it. I made a promise to your friend and I don't break my promises." He said before turning to a small cupboard. "In here you'll find a bunch of MRE's, not the tastiest but they are good in a pinch."
Steph shook her head. "They are better then your cooking, dad."
Joe looked at Steph insulted, "You mean you don't like my roasted shoe leather?"
Steph and Anita started to laugh at that. "So that is what you used that night for meat." Anita said in between fits of laughter.
The other girls looked at themselves before going into the closet and grabbing a pair of brooms. Danica had taken Claus out of the house while Launi and Nicole started to do a little cleaning.
Anita walked out with Danica. Claus was running around the little clearing chasing a butterfly.
Danica sat down on a step and watched Claus.
"He is something special isn't he?" Anita asked as she sat down next to Danica.
"Yeah... I just hope I am good enough for him..." Danica said as she kept watching him, her ears drooped slightly before sighing. "I mean what kind of life is he going to have if we are on the run..."
Anita shook her head and placed her hand on the tigresses shoulder. "He'll be fine as long as he has his mother. I know you'll do the best to keep him safe and happy, and even now he seems to be doing fine."
Claus had just pounced ontop of a butterfly only to have it escape and fly away from him.
Danica's ears perked up slightly and she looked over at Anita. "You sure?"
Anita sighed, "Being a mother isn't easy. But if there is one thing I know of, it is a mother who loves their child will do anything to keep their child safe. I am sure he'll be fine."
Danica nodded and sighed. "Steph is lucky to have a mother like you..."
Anita sighed, "I wish I could say the same... I pushed her so many times, I loved her and wanted what I thought was best... But she ran away..." Anita looked at Danica. "I pushed her into doing something I thought was best... Don't push Claus into something he doesn't want to do..."
Danica shook her head. "Its not that, even after what happened to her, you still love her. Launi's father tried to kill us, in fact that is why Claus is who he is..."
Anita gasped and shook her head. "What happened to Claus?"
"He was just your normal wolf before that day... Launi's father broke in, and Claus tried to protect us... but Launi's dad, that monster killed Claus..." She said before bringing her knees up to her chest.
Anita looked at Claus who was looking at a line of ants on the ground and following them. "He died?"
Danica nodded. "Yeah... I didn't get to him in time, that wolf that came to me the first day we were taken to that complex died... but I become pregnant with Claus when I tried to heal him..."
Anita sat down and shook her head. "You are confusing me..."
"Sorry, its just kind of complicated..."
Anita shook her head on changed the subject. "When was the last time you saw your parents?"
Danica shook her head. "About 8 years ago..." She said before shaking her head. "Me and Launi were some of the first to be changed... We, well we were quarantined and taken from the apartment we lived in. It was because of Doctor Kagan we got to leave that dreadful prison for that complex we have been staying at... But well soon after we got to the complex we were allowed to call our parents. Neither of our fathers liked it, as I told you, Launi's tried to kill us. I don't know how my father is now, nor do I truly care... but I miss my mom... We haven't talked in a long time..."
Anita shook her head, "If you want, I can see about getting in contact with her. What is her name, do you still have her phone number?"
Danica gave her the information, "Don't let my father know where we are... he and Launi's dad were close he might try to do something to us..."
Anita sighed. "Don't worry, I'll just contact them, I'll let Joe do any actual meeting in person, he knows what he is doing in situations like that better then I do."
Danica smiled and hugged Anita, "Thank you." She said before letting go and getting up and running after Claus who was following the Ants, he started to laugh when Danica started to tickle him.
"She'll do fine raising that boy." Anita said to herself.
Joe walked out as she was saying that. "I hope so." He said before looking at his wife. "Come on, the girls know where everything is, I gave them my phone so if they need us they can call." He said as he walked down the steps and headed for the truck. "I need to start making some plans on what to do with the girls."
Anita nodded and followed him to the truck.
Danica was playing in the flowers with her son as they left. Anita sighed, "Danica wants us to see if we can find her mother..."
Joe looked at her and smiled. "I think I can do that. Did she give you any information?"
"Of course, I have their old number and address. Though she is worried about her father wanting to hurt them." She said as she started to fill in Joe on what she was told.
Joe sighed, "I'll handle it, don't get involved on this one. He might cause some trouble."
The girls had cleaned up the house rather nicely in the short time since they started, Launi and Nicole had finished dusting and Steph was setting up their bed on the floor by the old wood stove. Danica carried Claus in and smiled as she looked at the place. "This is kind of nice." She said as she looked at the log cabins interior, the light streaming in through the windows and the two oil lamps made it look quite cozy.
"We are going to have a fire tonight." Steph said smiling. "Maybe we'll be able to make something decent out of the rations dad has stored here."
Danica shook her head, "I doubt they are that bad, besides, hopefully we'll get some better food soon."
Launi sighed and hugged Danica, "does it really matter? I mean who cares what we have to eat as long as we are together, and if we get really hungry, who says we can't enjoy each other?" She said before licking Danica's cheek.
Danica purred and looked at Claus. "So what do you think about this place?"
Claus smiled, "its nice mom!" He said before wriggling out of her grip and looking out the window.
Joe was looking tired, they had gotten back home and Joe had gone to work trying to figure something out for the girls.
"It has to be out of the country." Joe said as he looked over a world map with his wife, on it were dots in different countries where he had contacts.
Anita shook her head, "They might not want to leave the country."
Joe sighed, "I know, but if these people are like what Doctor Kagan says they are, it isn't going to be safe here."
The phone ringed and Joe quickly answered it. "Jerry? Yeah, its me... Thanks, I'll call you when I have a place for them." He hung up the phone after listening to the man on the end.
"What did he say?" Anita asked when he hung up.
"He agreed to help, he also did some digging on that company. Turns out making people disappear is one of their specialties."
Anita sighed, "How long do you think we have until they figure out where the girls are?"
"Not long, they know they went with us, but I doubt they'll do anything to us right away, they'll look for them first. Hopefully we got them out in time and it'll take them a while to organize."
Back at the complex Henrietta was being detained in a room where pair of armed gaurds stood by the door and a man in a black suite with a tie sporting a mushroom cloud pin on it was standing at the end of the table. The man looked at Henrietta and said, "You are saying they left on their own? And that you have no idea where they went?"
Henrietta smiled, "Exactly, now if you'll please let me leave, I have patients to check on."
The man's eye twitched, "And you claim that all the records pertaining to them, including the backups that only you have the password for were all destroyed by a hacker? Despite the fact that the backups are on an isolated server?"
Henrietta laughed, "Why would I do delete all the work I have done for the last 8 years?"
"You are trying to protect them aren't you?"
Henrietta's face turned serious for the first time since they started this interrogation. "Of course, why would I let the people I've been taking care of for the last eight years be used by someone like you? I know what it is you plan, and for your information, it won't work."
"Oh so you know about our military contracts? Yes we are working on giving our soldiers the edge. Is that a bad thing?"
"If it hurts other people then yes, you can't use people as weapons, it isn't right."
"Well what is right then? Letting those who wish to see our way of life come to an end win?"
"And who is that? The people in another country? Or maybe you are afraid of people like those girls and I?"
The man laughed, "surely you jest! Why would I be worried about people like you?"
"Because you are afraid of those that are different, I know you are, otherwise why would you need armed guards for a doctor?" Henrietta said as she stood up, "Now if you don't mind Mr Jones. I am going." Shi said as shi walked towards the door.
Mr. Jones motioned and one of the gaurds moved in front of the door. "You aren't going anywhere. In fact I think you'll be the first test subject." Mr. Jones said smiling, Henrietta didn't even turn around but instead smiled at the guard.
"Move, unless of course you want to be on a much more personal level of understanding with your employer." Shi said quietly, almost tauntingly.
The guard moved to stop hir, but as soon as he touched the silver fox, he was launched across the room and into Mr. Jones, Henrietta looked as if shi never moved, instead she just continued for the door, calmly walking as she left. Several guards tried to stop her, but each one found himself looking up at the ceiling as shi walked past.
It wasn't long before shi had left the building, and was off at what she thought was a quick run. Mr. Jones was storming around when a guard arrived to tell give him an update. "Well you find any of them yet?"
The guard gulped before shaking his head, "It appears we lost them all."
"WELL FIND THEM!" Mr. Jones yelled before storming off.
Back at the Cabin the girls were startled by a knock on the door. Danica cautiously walked to the door and opened it enough to peek through. She immediately threw it open and hugged a rather exhausted looking Henrietta. "You made it!" She said happily as she dragged Henrietta in.
"Yeah..." She said before collapsing on the couch as soon as she got to it.
Launi looked at hir and smiled. "You had us all worried." She said before sitting down next to Henrietta.
Henrietta smiled before licking Launi's cheek and closing hir eye's, snoring could be heard as the vixen slept next to Launi.
Danica opened her mouth to ask something but Steph beat her to it as the lithe girl looked on the vixen she gave the gift of being a guardian to only the night before. "She expended hirself when given very little. She needs to rest, preferably in one of you." She said before smiling at Launi. "I haven't seen you all big and round lately, maybe you should have something to eat." She said with a wink.
Launi smiled. "That sounds like a good idea."
Steph and Nicole sat down to watch while Danica went to take Claus into the bed room.
Launi opened her mouth wide before gingerly placing Henrietta's head inside of it. With a swallow Henrietta's head started to stretch out the tigress's neck. Launi slowly but steadily worked Henrietta into her gut, with each swallow Henrietta was slowly dragged further in.
Steph and Nicole's hands were in each others crotches, diddling each other as they watched the show.
It wasn't long, before the two girls on the floor climaxed as the girl on the couch belched signaling the finish of her meal. Steph and Nicole stayed quiet though knowing Claus was right in the next room.
After a while the girls moved to the bed room where they had set up cushions and blankets on the floor, the four girls all curled up around the sleep Claus.