Meat and the Mystery Machine (Attn: Breaker, Wukong, Johnny)

Johnny pushed aside the ropes that now secured several mattresses to the roof of Breaker’s van and opened the side door. The Mystery Machine, as Key’s had affectionately named it, was even messier than usual, and the foul stench was a even fouler. He leaned in to make some room on the floor for his groceries: plastic bags filled with steaks, matches, a bag of charcoal, tongs and a flat metal grill. He shoved Keys’ bag of clothes and some fast food trash out of the way, stealing from Wukong a little more of his precious leg room, and looked up to see several pairs of eyes gazing at his bag of steaks. Bodycount’s dogs, large Mastiffs bred for fighting, licked their chops as gobs of drool splattered to the floor of the kennel. Johnny’s eyes locked with theirs and he sneered at them jealously, his hunger driving his instinct to protect his dinner.

“No,” he said definitively to Breaker, who sat in the driver’s seat, “it definitely smells like dog piss.” The comment was a continuation of the discussion they were having on the ride up from Fremont Park, in which Johnny and the pack’s Beta debated whether the colorful aromas that permeated the Mystery Machine were masking the normally distinct odor of urine. Johnny set the steaks down and closed the side door (which caught on those damn ropes again!) before making his way to the passenger seat, where he’d been riding since they’d left the others at Muir Park. This was the only neat spot in the car, where the Alpha had sat on the way up from San Francisco, so the others respectfully kept their junk out of her space. Nothing lay on the floor up here, except for NightBird, and Johnny’s own bag of firearm tools and miscellaneous gear. He slipped into the seat and closed his door. Johnny glanced over his shoulder at Wukong for a moment, trying to gauge the new member of his pack, and then turned back to face the front as the van pulled out of its parking spot.

“Well,” he said more seriously, addressing both his packmates, “if the Hisil is truly empty of spirits, it’ll put a damper on Snow’s plans”. He thought about this for a moment before asking. “How could the Hisil be empty?”.

(Whenever you are done here, please move directly to the Unearthing a den thread. You are still on the same time with them.)

Breaker started the van and moved out towards the Quarry, "There are a lot of things that don't smell right in this town. Empty Hisil, picnics with the Pure..." He hissed between his teeth as they turned a corner but then shot a look and a grim smile at Johnny, "No glory without impossible odds eh, Johnny boy? If ever a place needed wolves it is this place."

He made another turn, "When we get to the gate I will jump out and open it, you jump in the driver's seat and bring the van in. Turn off the lights and park right next to the building. Later we will have to find a place to park the van so it won't be noticed."

Three cellphones ring, buzz, chirp, beep, or vibrate simultaneously as a text messages comes through from Keys, the title is DANTE (Keys' code for "all hell breakin' loose")

THREE big SPIRITS just came up at the quarry. Lookin' like a fight. Snow wants you here NOW.

{Correction, the previous post by me should read:}

Three cellphones ring, buzz, chirp, beep, or vibrate simultaneously as a text messages comes through from Keys.

Title: DANTE (Keys' code for "all hell breakin' loose")

THREE GIANT RODENTS just came up at the quarry. Lookin' like a fight. Snow wants you here NOW.

NO, JOHNNY, THIS AIN'T A MONTY PYTHON JOKE!

Breaker reads the message and slams the phone shut and hits the accelerator, "Shit! Looks like we don't have the time for playing sneaky. We go in hot and ready. Prepare yourselves boys!"

Breaker feels the rush of anticipation as he prepares himself for the fight.

Wukong has been quiet and agitated since leaving the park. Mostly he's glared into empty space while fingering the small gold Chinese character he wears around his neck.

He'd ignored his cellphone when it began vibrating to let him know he had a message, but at Breaker's reaction he flipped it open and frowned as he read the message from Keys.

"Ben," he mutters, closing his cellphone and slipping it back into his pocket.

(Whenever you feel like it, join up in their thread.)

((Moving to the other thread.))