Ash shrugged. "And we get agility. Ever seen a boxing match? Speed and agility win over brute strength."
Daniel cut in, "How about we just avoid spooking them into a confrontation?"
"Where's the fun in that?" Corey said.
Daniel ignored him. "Okay, guys, let's get this rolling. It'll be less threatening if we show up in daylight. Corey, Rafe, and Ash are staying behind. Hayley? You're coming with Maya and me. We could use your help."
"Oh?" Hayley perked up. "What do you need me to do?"
"Smile and look blond," Ash said. "Which you're good at."
She scowled at him.
"Except the smiling part," he continued. "You have some trouble with that. They want you because you're window dressing. Blond, perky, and completely nonthreatening."
Daniel shook his head. "Let's go."
The place was a two-story old farmhouse on a dirt road with no neighbors in sight. It was bordered on either side by fields and backed onto a forest. We went straight to the front door. I knocked. No one answered. I tried again and put my ear to the door, but it was quiet.
Daniel walked out to the barn, which seemed to be used as a garage. "Empty," he said after peering through the window.
"Seriously?" Hayley said. "What'd they do, go out for pizza?"
"They've been on the run for months," I said. "They'll be trying to live as normally as possible."
"Great. Now what?"
"We wait in the forest," I said.
We didn't dare leave a trail heading straight to the woods. Antone's note warned that the werewolf would be able to track us by smell, so he'd likely know strangers had visited his house. Better to lay a trail heading back to the road, as if we'd been just salespeople at the door.
I'd found a tree earlier with a good sight line to the house. Rafe volunteered to watch with me. Ash insisted on joining us.
When it was almost dark, I climbed down and conferred with Daniel at our temporary campsite. He wanted to give it another hour. We did. Still no sign of anyone.
"It's too late now," I said when I returned to Daniel. "I say we wait until morning."
"Agreed. Though it may take all of my special persuasive powers to keep the troops from mutinying." He tried for a smile, but it was strained.
"Are you getting any sleep at all?" I asked.
"I'm fine." He caught my look and some of the steel went out of his shoulders. "Yeah, I'm tired. But I can rest soon."
"Tonight?"
He shrugged and gazed out at the forest.
"How are you doing otherwise?" I asked. "We haven't had much time to talk."
"We haven't had any time to talk." He paused and managed another wan smile. "Sorry. Obviously we can't expect time alone right now. It's just . . ."
He rolled his shoulders and looked away. He was right, of course. It wasn't the time. But I didn't care. I wanted to be with him. Alone. We hadn't really had that since I'd escaped the Nasts, and I longed for it. Just a few minutes alone with him to talk, to relax. I felt guilty about it. Felt insufferably selfish. But it's what I wanted.
"Let's go talk now," I said. "Rafe and Ash are standing watch. Corey and Hayley are dozing." I looked around. "I saw a stream that way. I say we be completely irresponsible and sneak off duty. At least for a few minutes."
A more genuine smile. "Sounds like a plan."
We got about five steps when brush crackled behind us. Rafe stepped through.