Framing Felipe (36 page)

mirror
in
a
pay-‐by-‐week
lot
with
minimal
facilities
just
outside
of
Asheville.
He
could
tell
by

the
campers’
orientations
that
they
were
ready
to
be
pulled
out
at
a
moment’s
notice.
They

all
faced
the
road.

“What’s
the
plan?”
Mr.
Tolvaj
whispered,
standing
on
his
tiptoes
and
peering
over
the

untended
hedge
they’d
been
using
as
a
lookout
point.

Felipe
scanned
the
rows
of
tin
cans
once
more
in
search
of
the
camper
he’d
always

shared
with
his
brother.
It
wasn’t
there.
Could
he
have
moved
in
with
someone
else
to

conserve
space,
or
had
something
happened
to
the
only
home
they’d
known
since
they

were
teenagers?

He
scoffed.
Home
.
The
closest
thing
to
home
he’d
felt
since
age
four
was
visiting
Sarah’s

house,
and
Sarah
was
for
some
reason
unknown
to
him
was
chillier
than
an
ice
cube
all
of
a

sudden.
Women.
Maybe
he’d
never
understand
them.
Maybe
if
she
wasn’t
it
for
him,
he

didn’t
want
to
ever
understand
them.

FRAMING FELIPE
–
142
–
Holley Trent

“Waiting
on
the
old
Gypsy,”
Felipe
murmured.
“She
has
a
small
dog
she
walks
hourly

when
she’s
awake.
She
hates
the
dog,
but
she
keeps
it
as
an
excuse
to
get
outside.”

“Ah.
I
know
the
Gypsy,”
Mr.
Tolvaj
said,
a
grin
of
recognition
spanning
his
face.
“She’s

kind
to
me.
Makes
me
stews,
sometimes.
Says
I
look
skinny.”

That
sounded
like
the
Gypsy
Felipe
knew.
“Perhaps
until
she
makes
her
showing,
we

can
open
some
of
these
tin
cans
and
let
the
inmates
free.”

“Which?
We
can’t
fit
them
all
in
the
SUV.”

“No,
but
we
can
fit
a
few
more
in
our
van.”

Felipe
turned
at
the
sound
of
the
feminine
voice,
thinking
he’d
heard
a
phantom.
It

couldn’t
be
his
Sarah.
But
there
she
was,
same
angry
scowl
she’d
given
him
earlier
after

punching
him
in
the
jaw.
Same
one
she’d
had
after
she’d
told
him
she
loved
him
and—

Oh
.
Felipe,
you
are
a
fool.

Was
that
all
it
was?
Something
so
simple?
Well,
he
could
tell
her
time
and
time
and

again,
really
meaning
it,
if
that’s
all
it
was.
But
not
right
now.

She
crouched
near
a
dumpster
between
Dana
and
Patrick,
checking
her
firearm
and

looking
far
too
sexy
in
such
a
tense
moment.
Her
jeans
were
tight
and
molded
to
every

muscle,
every
curve
of
her
legs,
and
as
he
scanned
up
them,
he
noticed
she’d
somehow

managed
to
leave
the
button
unfastened.
Wasn’t
important.
Not
like
they
were
going
to
fall

off
her.

The
sound
of
rustling
made
him
shift
his
gaze
from
Sarah
to
Patrick,
who
unbuttoned

his
plaid
over-‐shirt
and
shrugged
out
of
it.
Felipe
didn’t
need
to
wonder
why.
He’d
grown

up
around
enough
shape-‐shifters
to
know
that
if
they
disrobed
in
unlikely
places,
it
was

because
they
were
going
to
change
forms.
Felipe
and
Fabian
never
had
to
worry
about
such

things.
When
they
phased
into
the
air,
they
took
their
clothes
with
them.
It
was
a
simple

matter
of
wrapping
their
minds
around
their
clothes
as
well
as
their
skin.

He
looked
back
at
his
Shrew,
wondering
if
he
could
extend
the
wrap
to
another
person

standing
nearby.
Take
them
into
the
air
along
with
him.
He’d
never
thought
of
it
before.

Never
tried.
The
only
other
person
he
would
have
considered
taking
with
him
was
Fabian,

and
Fabian
didn’t
need
his
help.

“Where
are
the
were-‐animals
housed?”
Dana
asked,
putting
Felipe’s
mind
back
in
focus.

FRAMING FELIPE
–
143
–
Holley Trent

He
scanned
the
rows
of
trailers
again.
“Hard
to
say.
I
used
to
be
able
to
tell
you,
but

certain
units
are
missing.
I
could
only
make
an
educated
guess.
I
imagine
the
newest

recruits
would
have
padlocks
on
their
doors,
however.”

Dana
eased
up
closer,
her
gun
holstered,
and
pulled
her
hair
back
into
a
hasty
bun.
“I’ve

got
some
bolt
cutters
in
the
van.
Do
what
you
have
to
do,
and
let
me
and
Patrick
find
the

bears,
wolves,
and
goats.
Don’t
get
distracted.”

A
smile
quirked
his
lips
up.
A
moment
of
levity
during
a
situation
where
so
much
was

at
stake.
Was
she
bossing
him?
Yes,
she
sure
as
shit
was.
And
he
didn’t
mind
so
much,

either.
“No,
ma’am.
I
won’t.”

She
clapped
him
on
the
back
and
eased
toward
the
alleyway
they’d
snuck
in
through.

Sarah
moved
up
into
Dana’s
vacated
place.
She
didn’t
meet
his
gaze.
Just
scanned
the

lot,
looking
for
some
sign
or
signal,
just
as
he
had
before.

“We
have
a
lot
to
talk
about,”
he
whispered,
nudging
her
shoulder
with
his
own.

“No
kidding.”

“Hey.”

“What?”

“You
meant
what
you
said?
About
moving
on
to
Fabian?”

She
rolled
her
eyes
and
edged
away
from
him.

“Shh!”
Mr.
Tolvaj
whispered.
“I
see
him.
Jacques.
Coming
out
of
his
camper.
I’ll
go
make

my
report.
Tell
him
the
others
got
away.
Ask
what
he
wants
me
to
do.”

“Be
careful,”
Sarah
warned.

“Don’t
worry.
Contract
or
no,
he
needs
the
Visas
to
do
his
dirty
work.
He’s
just
human,

remember?
He’s
always
trusted
me.”
His
dark
eyes
went
steely,
the
set
of
his
jaw
tightened.

“I
will
make
him
regret
that…and
everything
else.”

And
he
was
off,
meandering
through
the
maze
of
campers
and
trucks
to
obscure
his

initial
origin
before
walking
pointedly
toward
Jacques.

Dana
returned,
and
Patrick,
now
shifted,
followed
her
into
the
dark
shadows
cast
by

the
trailers,
keeping
low
and
out
of
sight
of
the
few
open
windows.
Some
of
those
campers

and
trailers
could
have
been
filled
with
civilians
with
no
clue
the
sorts
of
beings
who
lived

around
them.

FRAMING FELIPE
–
144
–
Holley Trent

Jacques
startled
at
the
sight
of
Mr.
Tolvaj.
His
features
pulled
into
an
angry
mask,
and

they
argued.
Felipe’s
gut
clenched.
Although
he
couldn’t
hear
the
words,
he
knew
nothing

Jacques
had
to
saw
would
be
complimentary.
No
matter
how
he
felt
about
the
Visa
initially,

Mr.
Tolvaj
was
trying
to
be
a
good
man,
and
he
deserved
a
chance
to
be
one
on
his
own

terms.
Felipe
wanted
him
to
have
that
chance
almost
as
bad
as
he
wanted
his
own
freedom

from
Jacques
and
his
games.
He
wanted
that
freedom
for
all
of
them.

He
needed
to
find
his
contract
and
Fabian’s
and
destroy
them.
He
wanted
his
final

departure
to
be
with
no
strings
attached,
but
that
wasn’t
pressing.

Jacques
gestured
toward
his
camper’s
open
door
and
Mr.
Tolvaj
nodded
before

ascending
the
short
staircase.
Jacques
followed
him
in
and
shut
the
door.

Felipe
opened
his
mouth
to
tell
Sarah
what
he
was
sure
she
was
waiting
to
hear,
but

the
flash
of
a
new
light
source
originating
not
too
far
from
the
office
pulled
his
attention.

The
old
Gypsy
hobbled
down
the
stairs,
her
dog
skittering
ahead
of
her.

“There
she
is,”
he
whispered.
“Give
her
a
moment
to
make
the
rounds.
She
may
have

already
sensed
me
here.”

Sure
enough,
after
a
small
detour
that
seemed
rather
contrived,
the
Gypsy
clasped
the

leash
onto
the
small
dog’s
collar
and
ambled
around
the
lot’s
periphery,
moving
from

shadow
to
shadow.

When
she
was
as
close
as
she
could
get
without
approaching
the
hedge,
she
said
in
a

stage
whisper,
“Do
your
business,
dog.
You
are
always
so
slow.”

“Stay
here,”
Felipe
warned.

“Fuck
you,”
Sarah
said
under
her
breath,
just
loud
enough
for
him
to
hear.

He
blew
out
an
exasperated
breath
and
turned
to
her,
“Look—”

She
made
a
shooing
gesture
as
Patrick,
in
his
golden
cat
form,
ran
past
them
in
a
silent

bolt
with
three
wolves
on
his
tail.
He
must
have
been
heading
to
the
van.

“There’s
a
reason
I
didn’t
bring
you
along,”
he
said,
now
preparing
to
stand.

“Yeah,
there’s
always
a
reason.”

“It’s
not
your
fight,
querida
.
It’s
mine
and
Fabian’s.
And
Patrick’s,
maybe.”

“If
you
say
so.”

FRAMING FELIPE
–
145
–
Holley Trent

He
groaned,
but
couldn’t
waste
another
second
arguing
with
her.
They’d
hash
it
out

later.
There’d
probably
be
some
yelling
and
maybe
another
punch
to
his
face
if
he
were

unlucky,
but
he
deserved
it
and
knew
it.

The
Gypsy
extended
a
hand
as
he
approached,
and
he
grasped
her
gnarled
digits
in
his

own
and
kissed
them.

“My
boy,”
she
said
in
Spanish,
“why’d
you
come
back?
Stupid!
I
told
you
to
stay
away.

There’s
nothing
for
you
here.
You
did
good
by
going.”

“My
brother—”

“He’s
not
even
here
,
Felipe.
He’s
been
gone
for
weeks.”

“Where
is
he?
There’s
no
way
Jacques
could
take
him
against
his
will.
He
could
just

phase—”

“He
drugged
him.
How
do
you
think
he
got
the
bears?
You
think
they
would
have
come

easily?”

As
if
on
cue,
a
low
roar
from
the
other
end
of
the
lot
startled
them
both.
It
was
a
bear,

and
a
pissed
one
at
that.
Sounded
like
a
male,
but
Felipe
had
never
been
able
to
tell
for
sure.