Pt. 7

Ordinarily, Eric would have thoroughly enjoyed needling and toying with the elderly wheelchair bound gent, but he realized that this phase of the fight was Maddie's, and he couldn't ruin it for her. So he put on his best well-behaved but friendly stoic facade and stayed on the sidelines.

But not for long. That afternoon, when Maddie had gone to her room to freshen up, Eric found himself in conference with the elder in his library. It was difficult not to wither in front of his piercing gaze.

"So you're the loner shifter who put my granddaughter up to this mischief? "

"No, she came to me about this mission."

"..."

"What's in it for you? "

"The same that's in for everyone - the reward of money"

"What sort of jobs do you do? "

"Protection. As a courier. Sometimes to investigate. Hunt down information. Observe people. I've even worked with the authorities on some cases"

The word "authorities " surprised the old man. He frowned thoughtfully. "Have you...? "

"Been a gun for hire? No. "

"Why not? "

"Whoever seeks out a gun for hire clearly intends to not get their hands dirty or take the blame for the consequences. The consequences are borne by the mercenary who takes them. The mercenary is the first person who gets hunted down. The person who plans the mission at the most can get away with charges of conspiracy. Why should I put myself at risk to further someone else's agenda? "

Charles was quiet for some time as he considered his words.

"The mission she speaks of, rescuing that Honda girl sounds like madness. Who would go up against packs? "

"True. I asked myself the same thing. But what made me curious is the possibility of a pack mistreating their own. I've never gone up against a pack. But the price was tempting! "

"You said you have done protection jobs. What kind? "

"People who feel their lives are at risk, or are surrounded by people who can not be trusted, come to me. I ensure their safety for an agreed duration or until their goals are met. Sometimes, cops themselves come to me when they are unable to offer witness protection to people legally. "

"But how can a complete stranger like you be trusted either? "

"One, they pay me only after the job is done. Two - if I fail, they can have my head, and I won't resist. "

Charles was quiet for a few moments.

"So you're basically a government approved resource, eh? "

"I wouldn't put it like that. I just happen to be a freelancer with a wide variety of skills who has stayed on the right side of the law, allowing authorities to work with me from time to time with a clear conscience."

- - -

Madeline took another day practically to convince Charles to let her go on the mission. He finally relented; it was rare for Maddie to make friends easily, and her own relatives treated her like an outsider. If she was ready to go to such lengths for this girl, their friendship must be something special.

But he had a condition. He wanted to be in on the plan and watch over, wherever possible. Something that suited Eric just fine. He just had to make sure the old man didn't steamroll him over.

Having her grandfather on her side was a huge help. Madeline and Charles woke up the third morning to find that Eric had installed himself in the library, with a laptop and lots of papers scattered around him. His chunky glasses made him look like some college nerd and not a formidable mercenary loner. He greeted both of them with a big boxy smile that disarmed both and asked them to join him.

"Hang on a sec-", he got up, moving some papers from the settee to the teapoy. Charles wheeled himself close to the couch, peering at the papers, and Maddie sat down.

"So, Eric, tell us what you know and what you have in mind."

Eric settled onto a stool facing both of them and accepted a cup of coffee from the butler. Charles waved him away, and Maddie accepted a cup and some rolls gratefully.

"To begin with, how well do you know shifter history? " he asked.

"Very little, just some of the laws passed in the States equalizing them with humans, and applying the same rights, etc. "

Eric snorted. "That's nothing. Shifters have been a massive part of history for a long time, they've just been so good at blending in, because the reality is this; when differences get rubbed in people's faces, it nearly always leads to conflict and bloodshed. Especially in the Christian world, anything not directly human and Church approved was automatically associated with the devil. This caused shifters to stay hidden, and sadly, the disease of Vampirism also never saw hope of treatment. "

"In some cases, wolf shifters occupied prominent roles in some societies. Such as the Huns, Tartar, Mongols, early Magyar, South American, and Nordic societies. In some societies, historically, they had prominent positions but couldn't openly walk around as wolf shifters.

Such as Japan. "

"Your friend, Sakura Honda, is a descendant from one such clan. When Japan was still feudal, a group of shifter Daimyos prevailed in many regions, particularly Hokkaido and Northern Honshu. After the Meiji restoration, industrialization, and subsequent westernization, there was no room for the wolves of the Shogun as they were then called. They lost prominence with the fall of the Samurai culture as well.

This was also around the time that a wolf species, the Edo wolf, became extinct in Japan. But they didn't die out. When these shifter families saw that their country was no longer conducive to living in, they migrated to North-East Russia and China. Vladivostok and Harbin are a couple of their known bases. These families flourished in these regions, taking up trade, and consolidated themselves into small prominent groups there. They eventually started calling themselves the Sakhalin wolves.

A few branches were known to have relocated to Brazil, the Philippines, and the States after World War II, but the Honda family were not one of them.

The reason for the history lesson is this. Sakura Honda's family was a recent immigrant one. Her father seems to have been expelled from the clans, but that doesn't mean Sakura and her siblings are outcasts. While they get out from one person, we may well have a second battle waiting with Sakhalin clan members who may lay claim to Sakura and her siblings. "

Charles was thoughtful. "So the Sakhalins are like the Boston Brahmins, is it? Old prominent families that have loads of influence but operate quietly and stick to themselves? "

"Absolutely on point," Eric replied.

"But why is this so important?", "Maddie asked.

"Because Sakura is a minor. It's important to rescue her while she still is a minor, to ensure that the legal recourse we get after getting her out will take her age into consideration. She has to get out of that pack as a minor and stay out until she becomes a legal adult. At which point she can fight for the custody of her siblings, who I'm assuming are in no better state than she is, "Maddie and Charles nodded in understanding.

"Her history is important also to understand this- we may have to battle the Sakhalins if they try to take charge of her, because the heir of the Honda passed away a few months ago in a car accident."

"So they would be eager to get their hands on an impressionable, controllable girl, a puppet heiress! " Maddie exclaimed!

"Which brings us to the next question, Maddie. Do you want to get only Sakura out or her siblings as well? "

A/N. Bum bum bummmmmmmm..... What do you think?