Ring My Own Bell Chapter 3

Annoyance has risen to yet another level this morning. I’m used to things not going according to plan. That I can tolerate. What I find almost intolerable is the physical attention of others. I know what causes it, but its unavoidable. Having someone’s arms wrapped around me is shocking and almost causes me to hyperventilate. It takes every ounce of self-control I have not to snap at someone like a ravenous beast. I can usually stifle it just long enough for them to notice how uncomfortably stiff I go and back away. But not much else. And its unavoidable for them or anyone watching not to see it. The deer in front of me is dipping her ears back and trying not to back away. All I can do is take a deep breath and try to smile.

I know the appreciation she’s trying to show is genuine, but I can’t explain to her or the warthog who’s watching what caused me to look like I might take a chunk out of her neck for a second. I also can’t explain the squeamish feeling of why that thought is making my tongue swell as I turn and wretch at the thought of them thinking it. Bridgett was quick to rush from her car and hold a paw up as the doe patted my back, thinking I was feeling sick. It might mitigate or impress on others that it’s what caused my initial reaction, and usually that’s enough for me to leave the thought behind.

Unfortunately, Bridgett seems to have the upper paw today. We were unable to meet at the compound as I had to go to the family house. I’d forgotten about the motorcycle in my garage and needed to drive it to storage and get a ride back to meet the guy still boarding up the house. It led to her seeing into a part of my life I prefer to stay in the dark. It also led to the doe rushing up the street and slamming into my chest in a tight hug that made me vomit and Bridgett getting to hear the entire story of why the whole things happened. I’m rubbing my temples trying to get the throbbing in my head to back away while she keeps peeking at me from the driver’s seat.

“It’s a nice motorcycle. Not many people still have Hogley’s.”

I looked at her trying to smile as I shoved another piece of gum in my mouth. I know she’s just trying to make conversation but I sense an unease around her I didn’t notice yesterday. She’s stalling to get to her point or avoiding something trying to be polite. “You read my file.” A glance back at her and I caught her expression sink. “Sorry.”

She sighed. “I didn’t know until this morning. I was told you might not agree to this even if you were threatened and I didn’t; need to know unless you agreed. But,” I looked back at her trying to swallow and she smiled. “Its really sweet what you did for the deer family. Do you mind if I ask how you managed to keep the grass on yours and your neighbor’s yard alive?”

“We each get an allotment of water each month. There are seeds in the basements of the house. The fences keep people from seeing in, the tarps over the areas keep the rain from killing it.”

“So, you do this for your neighbor too?” I cringed as she slowed to a stop. “They aren’t your neighbors?”

“No, they live two blocks over and I never met them until I was given orders to stay on base a few months ago. I needed someone to watch the place. The guy to the right of me showed me how to keep the grass green and hide it. Gave me the seeds after I told him I had a bunch of vegetable seeds he could have of he thought he could figure out how to grow them. I just…liked the way grass used to smell.”

She giggled as I looked back at her. “You had vegetable seeds? A little strange for a wolf.”

I looked out the window and shrugged. “They were the blooming type. They all had some kind of flowers on them. Something my mother liked I think. I found them in the basement when I moved in."

She went quiet for a minute as she started driving again. “It was sweet you let them have the grass for taking care of your place. I’m sure your neighbor appreciates the vegetables to.”

I guess I’m going to have to work on my facial expressions. I don’t think much bothers me but she noticed.

“Mr. Canker?”

“He ran both our system through a secondary filter using charcoal or something I don’t understand. Quolls.” I could see her ears perk at my response but kept my eyes out the window. “They’re a little like kangaroos but smaller. There were five of them. They reminded me of someone I used to know. Three starry eyed little kits. He asked me to watch the place when they went camping about a year ago. I guess they have something set up on an automatic payment because the water is still on. They never came back, so I filed a report. Tire tracks around the encampment. Food over a fire that burned out. But not them. Just the tracks of large predators and everything left behind.”

“Oh. I’m sorry.”

I shrugged. “It’s the way things are now.”

“Is it?” She asked as I looked back at the pitch in her voice. “It’s funny you say that considering your giving all those vegetables and grass to a deer family a few blocks over you just met a few months ago. That doe said they’d been getting bales from you for months before you asked her stag to take care of the place. Strange you think it’s like that when not all of it is. You could have let it all die or thrown it out, but you were giving it to a family you knew was expecting a new calf when food shortages are common, now you’re letting them take it over. But you never told them it was you, and could have just stopped doing it because you’re leaving. Do you know why you do anything you choose to do?”

The way she’s looking at me right now kind of makes my blood boil. “Doing the right thing shouldn’t be done for praise or attention. You do it because it because it’s right.”

“I couldn’t agree more, Mr. Canker. My point is that not all predators or wolves are going the same direction. I thought we might stop and have lunch before we got on the road. It’s a four-hour drive.”

We pulled to a curb and I looked at the name of the place and back to her scowling. “I’m an exception to the rule I’m afraid. You should know that. Being seen eating with me is only going to fuel people thinking I’m fattening you up for that exact reason. Considering most of the prints around my neighbor’s family camp were wolves, I don’t need to say much more. But if you’re openly inviting people to a buffet this a good way to advertise.”

She turned to me in the seat with a sharp shake of her head I wasn’t sure how to read as anything other than defiance or disbelief. I was never much on holding my tongue when not under the watch of an officer.

“You’re a little thick aren’t you, Mr. Canker?”

“Look who’s talking.”

“Good to know you haven’t lost all your bite.” She snorted and got out of the car, stopping at the entrance and tipping her head as she opened the door. She’s either fearless, crazy, or stupid. Her over confidence might be what gets her killed. I growled thinking they were often things that complemented and hid another attribute in the same individual as I grabbed the door handle and left the car.

As we took our seats inside, I looked around and back at her as she tilted her head. “Are you always so worried about what others will think?”
“I’m worried about unnecessary attention. I’d think you’d have enough sense to do the same.”

She laughed as she unfolded a napkin in her lap. “No one knows who you are, and no one will until there is an official release.”

“You’re delusional too.” I almost growled looking around at a few people eyeing us. “There are already rumors.”

“Easily dispelled. If nothing comes of this, they become forgotten whispers. You talking about me being delusional is funny though. Almost as inappropriate as your comment before we entered.”

I perked my ears as menus were left in front of us. After looking around and dipping my voice I frowned. “Truth is never inappropriate.”

She cleared her throat as she opened and looked over the menu. “Your truth should be considered carefully when spoken as to how it will be taken by others. Something you’re going to have to learn if there’s any chance this goes anywhere. For instance; A wolf talking to a warthog about being eaten might be seen as a friendly warning, or a threat by others. Taken out of context to those beyond that narrow scope it holds an entirely different idea when there is a male and female aspect added and she’s paying for your lunch.”

I blinked as she looked over her menu and grit my teeth as I curled my fingers around the plastic. Not only was my stomach churning, but I knew she was smiling behind what I couldn’t see through. “If you’re trying to make me uncomfortable; You’ve succeeded. It doesn’t change the warning. Where are you going with this?”

She nodded. “It doesn’t. It also doesn’t change that you’re a wolf and have a common habit among those who are single.” I perked my ears and watched her sit her menu down with a smile. “But you have another quality I don’t see too often in any canine not within the military. I asked what you thought of the interaction between Maltese and his mate yesterday for a reason. Your answer was short and brief. To the point. I suspected you were subdued by your position and social standing, but you also listened and asked questions. As you are now. When you don’t have a superior over your head you will try to dominate the person or situation. It’s a trait common with canines, but very much so in wolves. Your personal thoughts and opinions on this are going to be vital with how things play out. How you represent yourself and Ale to the public can and will be a determining factor. I suggest if and when there is a press release, you write your thoughts so they can be approved and perhaps receive training with someone knowledgeable on public speaking. Until then, anything public should be brief and to the point. But this will only work if you are willing. I’m not giving orders. There is no project without you. But there has to be some open communication and understanding. What do I need to know to help you?”

I sighed and sat the menu down, taking a deep breath. “I hate this. I was in a job I was comfortable in. I don’t mind following orders. I don’t care about posturing or position. I just want to be left alone.”

“You’re good at acting Mr. Canker. You’re the one who filed a missing person’s report on the family living next door to you when no one else did. You kept growing grass and vegetables you rarely eat, maybe in hopes they would return or not wasting things. Helped the deer family, telling me I might be on a menu if I was parading myself around with a wolf. The rest is routine. What your comfortable in. You don’t have to think too much about it or anything else you’re doing because no one sees it. You didn’t want the conversation between you and Maltese to be heard because it wouldn’t just be you getting torn into if he was caught. You knew his mate would take care of it.”

I looked up trying not to appear as if I’d been caught in headlights and found her smirking as she rested her chin on her paws.

“His actions aren’t anything that have gone unnoticed. You choose to do the right thing for others even when no one is looking, or looking out for you. That’s what’s real.”

I cupped a paw over my head and groaned. “Great. Mrs. Maltese will love having me for dinner too.”

I curled my lip at her when she giggled. “I might as well blow the whistle as I’m sure that will be public soon enough. She might seem barbaric, but she’s only like that with him and her pack. She’s been watching him for a while. I guess a few years ago she found out he was trying to change things in their pack and started recruiting others to form his own and take over. She’s got more intel on him than the military and was happy to paw it over when he finally said something that was enough to have him arrested. She’s almost…grateful for it happening because it had infiltrated the base and he was using soldiers. A couple disappeared but she thinks she has some leads on others who were involved. It looks like he’s a small part of something much bigger.”

My face fell as I looked out the window. I so don’t want to be involved in this. That desk is starting to look good. At least it would if it weren’t for the fact that I can never go back without looking over my shoulder and wondering. F**k I may not be able to do that anywhere.

“Mr. Canker? Have you decided on lunch?”

I looked at her and sighed as she pointed to the waiter. “I’ll have the Pecasta pasta and garlic bread.”

Bridgett smirked at the waiter and handed him our menu’s. “Make that two.”

Lunch was relatively silent as I tried not to think. After having a slice of pistachio pie and coffee, she laid a folder in front of me. I hadn’t even noticed the bag she carried in earlier.

“I told you as much as I could in the time we had yesterday. I thought you might like to look this over.” I looked around and she chuckled. “ Has anyone ever told you you’re a little paranoid? No one is paying any attention. Even if they were it wouldn’t matter.”

Of all the insane things she’d said- this made the least sense. I couldn’t speak all the things running through my head because speaking them might bring them to life in the most horrifying ways possible. “There is something wrong with you.”

She appeared amused in her moment of thought and looked back at me smiling. “Let me see. You’re worried that there is a possible uprising in the military ranks. Maltese being found because we were looking into you is reason to be concerned because others may think you talked and be after you. Some could be out for you just because you’re involved in this and people hate change when it shifts the balance of power, regardless of it being a benefit for everyone if they lose that power, and then we have to think about the possibility of rumors and people linking you back to the day Evenyo was destroyed.”

I looked at her flat faced and shook my head. “You’re talking about how I need to consider wording things and just said that like I had something to do with it.”

“Everyone knows you didn’t. It was the scientists digging too far into something they should have left alone. Interesting way for me to bring up a point though. Considering all the things we lost up ground. It must have been just as bad for the Lofurs under us.”

“Would you please stop.” I looked around and curled my lip when I found her smiling again. “Are you set on getting us both killed before we even pick up the check? You’re handing me a folder filled with information that should have been shared privately, talking about things that are bound to catch someone’s ear, and being as careless with our lives as a pup bouncing a ball in the street.”

“You’re easy to make uncomfortable. Not terribly observant when you are, are you?”

My ears set as she looked around and flattened as she laughed. “You know, you’re anything but sweet and need this more than the coffee.” Almost every person seated in the restaurant was chuckling as I threw a few packets of sugar at her. “You set me up.”

“Yes. But we needed somewhere to talk and setting this up seemed appropriate. You don’t get out much and we wanted to know how discreet you could be in public while revealing as little as possible on base.”

Every person seated at the tables around us was some kind of military personal in civilian clothing. But if I’d been paying any attention to anything other than trying to keep her from running her mouth, I would have noticed they were all wearing their stripes and stars, or ranks with their names along their collars and shirt pocket. Even the damn waiter. Then again, this was unlike any kind of military operation I’d ever heard of. Recon was one thing- this was just weird. “So, Maltese?”

“Very real arrest I’m afraid. We didn’t expect that to happen yesterday, but the missing soldier being invited to dinner was enough to warrant it with what his mate had gathered. Its an open investigation, so we can’t discuss it any further than that. The only reason I shared anything else is because you also seemed to be the only one reporting fellow officers. It was difficult to find because it had been buried, but they never went AWOL as reported. The others are being looked into as well. A large part of the reason we had to wait to reveal anything to you and why I did so little while I was there.”

“Hmm. Sealed my own fate with that. So its safe to look through this?” She nodded as our coffee was refilled and I opened the folder. It was an immediate frown. “You’re estimates of their death counts are higher than ours.”

“We’re guessing, but think it’s probably accurate as they don’t keep count. We have a problematic view of their technology as they don’t seem to have it.”

I looked at her shaking my head and she shrugged. “They don’t build anything. Their wrens are cities that are underground and they need no shelter. We don’t understand what they eat, how they reproduce, learn, nothing. It just doesn’t translate to our language. But they have access to our technology and adapt to it like…water. We’ve offered to help them improve things, or build, trade. They aren’t interested and say they only need access to what we have so they can communicate and understand. They seem as lost about us as we are about them.”

“His name is spelled Ale, but pronounce Ala. Wasn’t that the name of some ancient God?”

She looked nervous and turned the page. “They don’t believe in anything like that either. They choose their own name according to the assignment their given at birth.”

I had to cringe and she saw it. “With a name like this all I can think about is a drunken oaf with no personality or someone like Maltese with a God complex.”

She laughed. “He’s really not like that. Everything I said about him yesterday was true.”

“So you find him really creepy?”

Everyone in the place stopped and stared at her as she shivered. “Its just the way he looks is so…unconventional and unnerving. I didn’t mean for that to be my strongest impression. He has natural abilities unlike anything I’ve ever seen.” My ears perked as people in chairs turned our direction. She rolled her eyes and looked around. “You’re all cleared to be listening so you might as well move closer.”

Strange how they gathered around the table like kids at a campfire. I watched generals, Sergeants, privates, Corporals, ranks in different sectors of the military watching like kids wanting to devour the smores someone was still trying to put together. I had to shake the thought as something darker tried to slip in. “What can it do?”

“We couldn’t test his blood. He offered, but we couldn’t. That’s because his skin can turn hard as stone when something sharp hits it. He tried to keep it from happening but it’s an automatic reflex. He explained it was to keep from becoming injured when rocks fell or they traveled along rough surfaces. Their wrens are like towns or cities here, but it's just gatherings or groups of them. The little stitches on the sides of his body, are almost luminescent. They don’t glow in the dark so much as they reflect any amount of light that hit them.” She was getting animated again. “They don’t need to build anything when they are their own shelter.”

“Like a reflector on a bike. Their own shelter….” I looked through the pages trying to understand the diagnostics for his translator and how it worked, but it was out of my comprehension.

“Everything about him seems to be defensive. It’s not all his skin does. It doesn’t matter how dark it is, he knows someone is there. It’s not just because of his ears, but they’re strange too. They can sense changes in the pressure of the area around them. Temperature too. We couldn’t measure the distance because no place that we took him within the building was large enough to find a stopping range. But even with that, he said he could hear wind currents and his skin could guide him to where it was coming from. I can’t figure out how he moves around underground with the way they’re built. No one else could either. He doesn’t walk, he almost waddles like a duck. It just doesn’t make sense. He said he couldn’t show us anymore. Unless you…”

I looked up and found everyone staring as I turned the last page. Blank. Just like the faces staring at me. I looked back at her trying not to burst into my own furious flames as her ears pinned back. “You said-

“The only way you’ll get an answer is to ask him.”

“If this thing has this many defenses you’re already in awe of, what is it hiding?! You want me to live with it but haven’t disclosed anything about the conditions of where we’ll be, what’s expected of me, what it expects of me. I didn’t think this through.” I started to stand and she grabbed my arm. It was a reflex that my teeth flashed, but not a single person in the room moved towards me. In fact, they moved away like they were making a path for me to leave as she closed her eyes and held her paws up. “I’m going to hate myself for asking. But what the f**k is going on?!”

Bridgett shook her head. “Ale has made it clear we can’t force you into this. They will back out. His statement was that they understand the nature of our people and if he didn’t return, they would assume he’d failed and they’d leave us alone. Not even his death would sway them to action, just end any aide they offered. According to him, even if we attacked them, we’d never understand or be able to do what they’re doing. Because it isn’t a system. Its them. They are the reason things here are changing. And you…are the only reason they were willing to help.”

My head stopped for a second and I looked back at her narrowing my eyes. “Were…as in past tense.”

Several of the soldiers around us dropped their heads as Bridgett threw her elbows on the table and rested her head in her paws. I retook my seat watching her fingers scratch through the long red strands covering her face. “It was leaked. No one was supposed to know about you, just the Lofurs. He doesn’t seem to understand a lot of concepts in our society. The one he does understand is being put in a position where you’re forced into this because of public opinion, guilt, or pressure. He doesn’t understand the emotions, just the concept. He thinks we’ve already failed and wants to return. We asked him to talk to you first and see what you thought.” A slight tilt of my head when she looked up and she tried to smile. “We don’t know how he knows any of this. But, he hesitated with the thought of meeting you and agreed to wait under a few conditions. You can still make up your own mind and meet in a place where you have complete control over the situation. The only other thing he asked was that if you decided to agree, your control would remain, the location provided was private, and secured for your safety.”

Not concerned with his own safety? Hmm. Odd another species besides the ones that are my own are more considerate. Also annoying and infuriating. But the ears, the sound, the skin, the way I couldn’t make sense of the way the communications device worked. I wonder if there are vibrations and sounds we didn’t pick up? Sometimes being simple minded can make you think of things the geniuses forget. Now it was something else I wanted to ask. When I looked off smiling, she lifted and raised a brow.

“You have a thought?"

“I have more than that, but nothing I’m going to voice. You know way more about me than I’d like you too. I’m sure everyone in here does. Irritating. I have no idea what this thing- this guy knows, but he has some answers I’d like. Since I’m definitely in a s**t show now, I have no reason not to meet him and see what’s been set up. Tell mem something?” Bridgett waited as I looked around the faces watching. “You’ve been down there trying to find out something, haven’t you?”

She looked back and I found a tiny mole sitting on an elephant’s shoulder. I missed him completely and would have again if they all hadn’t stared right at him. I had to lift my ears and lean closer as his voice was almost a whisper. “We have never found anything down there. Just rocks and caves.”

Another question I’m going to have to ask if they estimated so many Lofur deaths. “I’m assuming we have an escort, Bridgett?”

“Yes, but they’ve been instructed to stay out of sight and not approach the dwelling after a certain point. Ale has made it clear it was to remain private.” Bridgett looked back at a few people and I sighed.

“I think I want to meet him just because he has the military eating out of his paws. I also think I don’t want to be bothered on the way considering this is all the s**t I can handle in one morning.”

Bridgett smirked. “The backseat lays flat if you’d prefer to sleep. If anyone would recognize you, staying low couldn’t hurt.”

I rolled my eyes and sighed as I stepped through the crowd and grabbed the door handle. I’m still wondering if that little bell was tolling for me as it closed behind us.