Valiant(23)

“That sounds fair enough to me.” Tiger punched the gas.

* * * * *

White-haired Sheriff Cooper, who appeared to be in his midfifties, gaped openly as at the four New Species who climbed out of three Jeeps. Tiger had told Valiant the human’s name on the way there and warned him to try to be polite. Valiant had snarled.

He just wanted to find Tammy. He didn’t give a damn about impressions they made or if Justice wanted them to be nice. Tiger seemed to think it was a big deal that humans would ask them for help, a first step to acceptance by the town, but Valiant figured they were just desperate enough to ask anyone for aid.

His gaze darted to the other three Species. Tiger, Brass and Rider wore their uniforms. The sheriff seemed to fixate on Valiant the most and fear widened the human’s eyes. It could be because he didn’t wear a uniform, instead sporting jeans and a gray sweater he’d tossed on when Tiger’s presence had awoken him. He met the sheriff’s direct gaze and realized the human seemed unable to look away from his face. He resisted baring his teeth to really put on a show. Obviously it wasn’t the jeans that put the guy off as much as his facial features.

The human seemed to get a grip on his fear and stepped closer to them as they approached. He cleared his throat and held his hand out to Tiger, who had taken the lead to meet with the group of humans waiting at the side of the road. “I’m Sheriff Greg Cooper and these are my deputies. Thank you for coming. You got here very quickly and we deeply appreciate it.”

Tiger stopped near the human and shook his hand. “I’m Tiger. These are my men.” He released the guy’s hand to point. “That’s Brass, Rider and Valiant. We’re glad to be of service, Sheriff Cooper. Has anything changed since you called us?”

Sheriff Cooper shook his head. “No. I don’t know how this could happen. I’ve known Tammy Shasta since she moved here when she was just eight years old and I don’t know anyone who’d want to hurt her. She’s a nice little gal. Our pastor is the one who witnessed those men snatch her and he followed them out this way. The truck they used to abduct her broke down about a mile from this road. They tore out the oil pan and the engine seized up. Those men are strangers to this area because Pastor Thomas knows everyone who lives out this way and they aren’t anyone he recognized.”

Tiger nodded. “We’ll take it from here. You’re more than welcome to come with us if you want. We can track anything between us two cats and the two canines.”

“I insist on it,” the sheriff stated as he gave them all a nervous glance, seeming unsure about not being there to watch whatever they did. “I’ve seen a lot of things in my life and when we find Tammy, I have a bad feeling that if she’s still alive, she might want to see a familiar face. I can’t think of why four men would grab a pretty woman unless it’s for the worst. I have an ambulance on standby if they didn’t just rape and kill her flat out.” He paused, frowning. “Two cats and two canines?”

Valiant snarled and startled all the humans around him as they backed away fearfully, their gazes locked on him. If any of the humans had put their hands on Tammy sexually he’d tear their fingers off. He’d rip their arms from the sockets while they screamed and then proceed to beat them with the their own limbs. He’d—

Tiger spoke, ending his violent plotting. He flashed a warning look Valiant’s way, silently conveying that he needed to keep a leash on his rage. “Valiant and I are feline species while Brass and Rider are canines.”

“Oh.” The sheriff seemed at a loss for words.

Valiant’s irritation couldn’t be contained. Tiger wanted to play polite with the humans but he just wanted to hear what the sheriff knew to help him track Tammy. He hated wasting time. He lifted his lip to flash fangs at Tiger, conveying a silent message of his own. He wasn’t patient and the bullshit needed to stop. A gasp from the humans made him glare at Sheriff Cooper, who stumbled backward, his gaze horrified, and stared at his mouth.

“Are those…”

“Teeth,” Tiger acknowledged. “Don’t worry about Valiant. He’s just very angry that the woman was taken and wants to go after her right now.”

The sheriff finally glanced at Tiger. “I sent somebody to her car at the bar where she was grabbed to see if he could find something of hers that would have her scent. I know when we use hounds they need something from the victim. My deputy should return with it at any time. He radioed in that he has her jacket.”

Tiger pointed to Valiant. “That won’t be necessary. We’ve both met her. She did a catering job at Reservation and they’ve become friends. That’s why he’s here. He spent more time around her than I did. He’s very familiar with her scent. He’ll have an easier time tracking her.”