Grim Echoes

Chapter 16 - Ander

Ander stared out of the window and examined the injuries of the victim in his mind. His medical background and ability to visualize almost anything in his mind, he could retrace his steps when he examined the body or recent events to catch details he had observed but did not focus on the first time. In the past Will was not opposed to his reviews. It was beneficial to their work. Since his return to duty, this bothered Will immensely. Will's constant paranoia that he had lost touch with reality again plagued him daily. Ander made every effort to be present at all times to reassure Will he was recovering. Unless there was a moment when he could slip into this mode to concentrate on the mission in more detail. If he knew Will was distracted, he allowed his mind to wander and slip into deep thought.

Upon their arrival at the SUV, Will had been filled with rage and wanted to argue. To Will's disappointment, Maeve had regressed into a subdued state, and Ander refused to give in to his tactics. Will had raged about the situation and overall mission. He wanted the werewolf's head. Ander agreed. The werewolf needed to be put down. There were seven victims. Will demanded they find the beast now, but Ander reminded him that they had been here for days and could not locate it. They were the second set of Soldiers of Night that had been assigned to this mission. Ander suggested that they go over the file again and look for details they missed. Will tried to debate this point but had no counterpoint.

They returned to the motel room to gather the files, Ander's laptop, and their dirty clothing. Maeve followed them silently. That strange, haunted look still clung to her. Perhaps the body had been too much. He cursed at himself. Only now did he realize instead of educating her on werewolves, he should have attempted to comfort her. Most humans were not around death, and the majority had never seen a body, less so a bloody shredded one.

Behind him, Will made a sound of surprise. Ander turned to see what caught Will off guard. On the unused bed was a flannel and pair of jeans. Will handed Ander the notepad from the motel as he entered the bathroom. Mason expected her clothing back. However, this indicated that she accepted that Maeve would need to remain with them until the mission was complete. Ander picked up the clothing and carried them to her.

"Mason left these here for you," he told her, and held out the clothes to her. "Since you will be with us for a few days," he finished, unsure of the time-frame. "We are doing laundry today, so if you would like I could clean your clothes,"

She took the clothes and stood. The bathroom door opened. Will went straight to the mini fridge and took out a beer. Ander finished gathering everything while Will quickly drank two beers and Maeve changed clothes. When the bathroom door opened, Maeve looked at them with a grimace. Will sucked in his breath behind him an odd strangled sound came from his throat before he coughed. Apparently, Mason was a few inches shorter and one size smaller than Maeve. The jeans were skin tight and looked more like capris than full length pants. The flannel fit better, but the buttons strained at her breasts. If she moved too much, they would pop open. He should have known the clothes would be ill fitting, he was more aware of physiques and anatomy.

Will's laugher erupted from behind him and caused Maeve's face to change from embarrassed to crestfallen. Her eyes moved to the floor, and she blinked several times. Ander's jaw tightened at Will's juvenile reaction. He moved in front of her and blocked her view of Will and reached for her clothing.

"We will go to the laundromat first," he said. He wanted to touch her again, to reassure her that she had nothing to be embarrassed about. She could wear a burlap sack and would still be lovely. He gritted his teeth. "It is unkind to revel in someone's discomfort at ill-fitting clothes," he spoke through clenched teeth to Will.

His tone stopped Will immediately. Maeve's head snapped up in surprise at his harsh tone. A mixture of gratefulness and confusion swept across her features. Ander did not need to explain the irritation at Will's cruel reaction. He understood his mistake.