Red {Wolf Rebellion I}

Chapter 33~We Are The Foxes~

This is it guys! The beginning of the end...

They are the hunters, we are the foxes, and we run.
-Taylor Swift, "I Know Places"

Chapter 33~We Are The Foxes~

How in the hell is he here? My first reaction was to cover my surprise, while in my head I was already calculating the odds of us running into him here.

They weren't very high.

I forced myself to remain calm. There weren't any agents swooping down on us, maybe we could still get out of here. "Mr. Kitler?" I said, allowing a hint of surprise into my voice. "What brings you here?"

He chuckled, "Just some business here in the city. I barely recognized you, I thought these old eyes of mine were deceiving me." He glanced at my group, "how's your mother doing? Better I hope?"

I nodded, shifting my weight from foot to foot, trying to figure out what was going on. He seemed to remember an awful lot from the business party. "Of course, she's doing much better. Thank you."

His eyes darted behind me as he frowned slightly. "Are your friends here okay? They seem a little anxious."

I glanced back at the others. Carmine looked like he was struggling between taking a swing at Kitler or us getting the hell out of there. "Oh yes, fine. We're just in a hurry. We're a bit late to meet with another group, so we really must be going."

The situation felt wrong. There weren't any agents here, but something was up. My body was tensed, muscles ready in case he tried anything.

"Of course, of course. I'll quit pestering you." His eyes widened for a moment. "Ah I almost forgot something!"

I watched him pull out a packet of papers from his suit warily. What is he doing? "Here, I believe these may be of use to you."

I eyed the papers he held out to me, not trusting him a bit. He rolled his eyes at me, shaking the papers. "They won't bite."

I snatched the papers from his hand, but before I could take a look at them, Kitler started talking again.

"I'd advise you to burn them once you're finished." I looked back down at the papers in my hands, wondering what the hell they were.

He'd already begun to walk away when I looked back up, but he paused to twist back around. "Oh and Ruby?"

My heart lodged in my throat at his words, my body freezing like a deer caught in headlights. I felt Carmine take a step forward, but I put a hand out to stop him, needing to hear what Kitler was going to say. He hadn't tried to kill us yet. What game are you playing?

"Give Claret my regards when you see her."

I watched him walk away, unable to move toward him. Unable to get a sound past my lips until well after he had disappeared.

When I could finally breath again, I scanned the lobby, looking for anything out of place, anything that would give away an attack. But there was nothing, save for the papers I still held clutched in my hands. I glanced back at Carmine, just as Cas pulled up outside the hotel.

"You think he works for them?" he asked, jaw tight as he glanced out the doors at our ride.

I scanned the sheets in my hands for a moment, my breath catching in my throat for an entirely new reason as I read the words. "Maybe he used to, but not now." I held up the papers for Carmine to see.

More specifically, the list of guard rotations for headquarters.

We wasted no time in getting the hell out of there. In the car I was bombarded with questions, the tension in the air needing answers.