Dark Empathy by Archibald Bradford (inspiring books for teens TXT) 📕

“How the hell do you figure that?”

He shrugged.

“Because now we have fresh intel instead of going over week-old information with Kyle at the outpost. These clowns are way too sloppy, mark my words: we’ll have this wrapped up soon.”

Countless roads spider-webbed all around the farming community, and not being overly familiar with the area they had to backtrack a couple times before they located the farm.

They made their way up a winding driveway to a large farmhouse and were soon introducing themselves to a pot-bellied but broad-shouldered man in his sixties.

“Ethan Davis?”

As usual there was that brief moment of shock when the man caught sight of Volka, but word of her return had long since spread so he didn’t make much of a thing of it.

“That’s me, you’re the Aegis?”

“We are” Grant confirmed.

The man grunted and gave a nod over his shoulder.

“Best come on back then. The girls’ll be in the field.”

Nameless’s training officer lifted an eyebrow at the terse greeting, but followed the farmer around the back of his house and out into the pasture where several Lambda were grazing, huddled together in the long grass.

“This is Grete, she was- well you can see for yourself.”

Sitting on her thighs alongside her sisters, Grete looked thin and waifish devoid of her wool. Her spiral horns seeming all the more prominent on her bald head even with the shawl she wore to hide it, her cheeks were constantly flushed and her eyes were unable to meet theirs for more than a second at a time.

They could all plainly see the scrapes and dark bruises on her jaw.

Without even thinking about it, Nameless reached out and put his hand on Nina’s shoulder.

He could feel here anger mounting.

“Grete, hun, these folk are the Aegis, come to lay a beating on the ones what jumped you.”

Though the farmer’s words were far from gentle, his tone was, and it was clear to Nameless and the others that he cared dearly for his flock.

Not wanting to crowd the nervous Lambda, Grant had the others back off while he introduced himself in a warm and soothing voice.

The others waited as patiently as they could while he took her statement, taking notes and asking the occasional question, at one point the poor girl broke down and he held her while she sobbed.

Nameless privately admitting to himself that Grant was probably better at this part of the job than Miranda was.

Once her spate of tears had ended and she had recovered as much as she was able, the experienced operative looked over his shoulder.

“Bruti?”

The Grizzly had been in the process of tearing up and munching on some dandelions when her master called her, but in a rare instance of self-control she dropped the quick meal and shambled over to the Lambda who quickly tensed up again.

Though she rudely shoved Grant to one side, Bruti moved with gentleness when she pulled the shawl back over the girl’s head.

“Just sniff, very safe.”

With that brief explanation she nuzzled her nose against the wide-eyed sheep to snuffle all along her neck and shoulders.

“Wh-what is she doing?” The Lambda meeped breathlessly.

“Don’t worry.” Grant said as he picked himself up off the ground; “Grizzlies have the best sense of smell of any monster girl. Even if it was yesterday, you struggled with those men, so they-”

“I have it. Two of them, male.” Bruti interrupted him with a snort as she leaned back, pulling the shawl back up for the Lambda and giving her head what she clearly felt was a reassuring pat with one massive paw.

Erica popped up to surreptitiously give the lambda a few sniffs herself.

“My nose is nowhere near that good, but maybe Jan’s?” She said uncertainly.

“What’s Jan?” Bruti grumbled as she wiped her paw across her face and yawned.

“Um, a Wolfen?”

Erica didn’t get a response as it was apparent that the bear had already lost interest when she went looking for more dandelions.

Silently Grant held up three fingers and mouthed ‘number three’, which left Nameless and the others wondering which breed had the second best nose.

Turning his attention back to Grete and her pot-bellied owner he gave them a quick nod.

“That’s all we need, there may come a time where we need Grete to testify, but we have a lot of evidence already.” He paused, and gave the Lambda a short nod; “I’m sorry this happened to you, but I promise we’ll do everything we can to make sure it doesn’t happen to anyone else.”

“Thank you.” She said with a wan smile as her flock crowded around her again.

On the walk back to the house, Ethan gave them a sidelong look, particularly at the Grizzly, Valkyrie, and Gigas.

“I’m glad the Aegis decided to take this seriously, though much as I want these sumbitches caught-” He jerked his thumb at the powerful girls; “-why’d you bring an ocean to put out this brush fire? Wouldn’t a puddle have done ya?”

“We have our reasons Mister Davis. For now though we have a job to do. Once this issue is resolved the Aegis will contact you.”

With that they set out once again, Bruti’s nose leading the way back into Fairbright.

“One of them is here, his smell is all over town.”

She snuffled at the air for a moment, earning some nervous looks from the locals, before directing them to a squat building.

When they stepped inside a bored teenager called in greeting.

“Welcome to Morty’s Emporium, the finest reliquary of general merchandise in all the-” He stopped midway through his rehearsed spiel though when Bruti stomped right up to him.

With one massive black claw she poked the suddenly white-faced young man in the chest.

“Him.”

His eyes darted around at the other exotic monster girls