Chapter 14

It had grown dark again as they stopped at a hotel for the night. They, naturally, were going to be sleeping in the car again while Michael Jonah slept blissfully unaware of them inside the hotel. "It's getting very cramped in here..." Wild sighed as he crawled into the back, trying to keep his lower half from going numb sitting in the car as long as he had been. "I'm sure... you haven't exactly gotten to get out since we started. Wanna, I don't know, take a walk or something?" Jon offered. "I thought I couldn't be seen?" Wild twisted around, hearing his back pop a good many times. "You can't be seen by Jonah. It's dark, Wild, very few people are awake at this time of night." Jon pointed out. "Besides, you need it. You'll cramp up if you don't, and that hurts a lot. Trust me." Wild sighed and popped the back door open. "Let's go take a walk then." He tucked his tail uncomfortably into his jeans, so he looked a little less like a freak. He couldn't cover up his paws, but otherwise, he was relatively normal with the cap hiding his eyes and ears and his claws being tucked away deep into his pants pockets.

The detective and the hybrid walked out of the parking lot and onto the bike path that ran parallel to the highway. Wild was very glad to have fresh air in his nostrils rather than the car that reeked of fast food and sweat. The walk had been a great idea. Wild's legs were certainly thanking him as he walked along the cool path of the bike trail. Jon took this Tim to call Elaine and leave her a voice saying how things were going and that he loved and missed her dearly. Wild tried not to easedrop too much in that regard. Instead, he turned to the stars, not as beautiful as that first night due to all the streetlights, but he could see enough to make him feel at peace. He wanted to run after being all cooped up, but he paced himself with Jon. He could do what he wanted later, when everyone was free and back home, and the director was no longer a threat to him or anyone else.

"Let's head back, get some sleep." Jon decided when the parking lot was a mere spot in the distance. Wild wanted to complain that he would rather sleep out here than be stuck in there again. "Alright, let's go back then." He replied instead. He pivoted on his paw and followed Jon back. "Do you think, if I were to live in the woods on my own without a house or food or anything, that I could do it? Realistically, I've been in a building for as long as I can remember, but at the same time, there is something primal deep inside of me. Could I use it to live, or do you think I would become another animals lunch?"

"That got dark fast. Honestly, I don't know, and I don't want to find out, kid. Elaine and I like you. Why are you asking anyway?" Jon asked curiously. Wild shrugged. "A random thought that popped into my head." He had similar thoughts before, since he was more animal and all. He was drawn to the woods, too, so it made him wonder.

Would he find out sooner rather than later?

They took shifts again as the night went on. Daybreak eventually hit, and breakfast was served in the form of McDonald's. Wild happily got pancakes while Jon enjoyed a Mcmuffin. After that, it was back to waiting on Michael Jonah to show and tell them where he was headed, so to speak. Around 10 a.m., they were following the target once again to what would hopefully be the new location of the W Series. "We are no longer in Wyoming. We just crossed into Montana." Wild's head jerked up from his sort of nap. "What? Why?" Sure, the director lived far away from his operations, but they had never left the state. this was Wild's first time outside of his perceived home state. It made him confused and nervous about where they were headed. "It could be that there were problems in one of his out of state operations." Wild blinked. Other operations..? As in... more than just the W Series?

"There is more..?" Jon took a small glance at Wild. "You didn't know? There is a lot more out there. All across the states and all across the world. It's more than just the W Series that's suffering. Elaine said that there were twenty-five other compounds out there with thousands of children like you." Wild's lips peeled back in a grimace. He'd been focused on saving his Series, his pack. He hadn't even thought about others. So many others, apparently. Jon and Elaine weren't saving hundreds of wolf hybrids. They were saving thousands of hybrids with various types of DNA in their genetic code. They were headed to one of these other facilities now. To one of the Series within another state. Wild gulped and looked out the window. This was so much bigger than him. He was so overwhelmed.

Music drowned out the silence between them. Something that had a uppity beat. Wild wasn't sure what. Pop perhaps or maybe alternative rock. He had come on this trip intent on saving those like him, but knowing there were even more like him out there changed things. How could he help save thousands, being a victim of the director's abuse as well? He wasn't trained like Jon or Elaine to save people. "It's Idaho. We are heading to Idaho." Wild looked at Jon. "How long..?"

"Roughly ten hours to get there. It's possibly a day to get to wherever the compound is." Jon informed him quietly. He knew Wild was overwhelmed. He didn't know what to say to help him feel better.

He didn't think things would go down this way.

Wild fell asleep at some point after an hour or so. Jon was happy he was asleep. He thought that Wild had known, but perhaps this was exactly why she kept him in the dark. He dialed Elaine to find out for sure. "Hey, Mr. Moore, how's the stakeout going?" Jon turned down the music a little more. "Jonah is leading us into Idaho, maybe further. Wild knows about the others."

"I was going to tell him... I wanted to break it to him softly... so it wouldn't be so..." Elaine replied softly through the phone. "Well, he's asleep now. He was very overwhelmed. I don't know what to say to help..."

"Just... be there... he just needs time to process." Jon sighed. "Thank you, baby... love you."

"I love you too. Goodbye, Jon."

"Bye-bye, Elaine."

Wild listened to their conversation from where he was trying to sleep. His mind was so full of thoughts. Was he expected to think of these other Series were his people, too? They were like him, even if they weren't wolves. The mission was still to take down the director, so it didn't really matter? It was overwhelming, but if that was all... he could get used to it. He had to now. They were literally on their way to see one of these others, and he needed all the energy he could get to face that building. He doubted he could meet one of the others. They couldn't go inside. He was going to be ready, though. Just in case.

Hours went by with stops to refuel and get food. Wild wondered what sorts of DNA was forced into these others. Likely something native to each state, like wolves to Wyoming. It would make sense. Get an abundance of DNA from an abundance of native animals. So what was native to Idaho's Rockies? Most likely, it would be a predator, like himself. "Welcome to Idaho." Jon muttered to himself. Wild noted how quiet he had been. He seemed upset and focused at the same time. He had upset Wild and, in turn, upset himself. "Let's see what it will bring." Wild replied. Jon glanced at him and smiled a little. "The calm before the storm, maybe." Wild flashed his teeth in a weary smile. "I guess we are driving right on schedule then."

Wild wasn't expecting what happened next.