Destroyer

Chapter 8

After her night with Jacob a week ago, there had been radio silence in his region. Eli's Whitetails did what they could to relay information to her in regards to Pratt's condition but no one had come in or out of the Veteran's Center in days. Once she had re-established contact with the Whitetails, Eli asked why she had not returned to the wolf's den, but she could not give him a clear answer because frankly, she had no idea other than to base her reasoning off of Pratt's mad ramblings. She did relay to him that Jacob was indeed keeping Eli's troops captive and that there was some sort of indoctrination occurring though she couldn't explain it in depth.

With no other resources to go off of in order to help Pratt, she had to at least work on getting a pinpoint on Hudson. Nayeli had been hopping back and forth between the Henbane and Holland Valley, doing her best to keep the Peggies guessing where she was going to go next all the while trying to locate her fellow deputy. She had found the Marshall about a few days prior being kept in an outpost. Judging by Faith's transmission over the radio she was none too pleased that Nayeli had snapped Burke right from under her. Though Whitehorse and Nayeli were glad Burke was safe, they weren't quite sure if he was really all there....but so long as he was in the safe hands of Whitehorse and the other Cougars, she was sure he'd be fine. With Marshall's and Pratt's whereabouts known, that just left Hudson as her top priority.

She struggled with guilt knowing she was unwillingly leaving Pratt at the hands of the eldest Seed but John Seed seemed to be increasingly unhinged as she continued to interfere with his operation in Holland Valley and Nayeli knew that Hudson was his outlet for that rage. She could be dead at this point, but John seemed like the type who wouldn't let his toys go to waste so fast. From what she could hypothesize, if Jacob were to kill Pratt, it wouldn't be until after until she came home so he could make her watch. Another sick move of power on his part.

Nayeli sat at one of the dining tables within the Spread Eagle. She had been staying here in between hopping around like a grasshopper with Mary-May graciously allowing her to use the guest bedroom in the residential level above the bar. She had her first shower what felt like weeks, and a clean set of clothes, things she had taken for granted following the night of the arrest. She had her map sprawled out across the table along with a compass and pen that she was using to mark off sectioned areas she had already searched in. Sharky, with a sheepish grin, slid into the chair across from her.

"Hey-uh, haven't seen you in a hot minute. Is everything okay between us? After, you know?" He inquired, of course referring to their one-night stand, though, she had yet to tell him that it was, indeed, a one night stand.

Honestly, what was she supposed to say? Jacob had a put a hit on his head because they slept together so that was why she was avoiding him? She could, but it'd be a lie, but only a partial one. She would never admit it to anyone out loud but she would think back to that moment in the forest, their bodies intertwined, during moments in which she felt a panic attack coming or needed something for when she awoke from another nightmare.

What the fuck is wrong with me?

Nayeli took a sip of her beer before addressing Charlamagne, "Yeah, yes of course. Just..." she motioned to the map before her. "I got a lot on my plate right now. I am running out of places John could be holding Hudson."

All that was left were forested areas, and her last venture into any wild area resulted in her wrestling a Judge cougar which was an experience she never wanted to relive again. Sharky nodded, understanding the unreasonable amount of stress she must have been feeling. He pointed to the lower-south west quadrant. Seed's Ranch.

"Think he may be holding her there? Makes sense I would think."

Nayeli was biting the end of her pen, "Grace said the same thing, but, seems a bit obvious doesn't it?"