In Walks Trouble

       Ebony was awake before dawn as normal and ready for the radio call in the meeting. Her boss, Alan Dover, called her promptly at eight am once a week. Today’s call, was a safely check and update her on several things. 

       “Tower Twelve, Ebony you there? Come back.”

       “Home Base, Alan, I hear you. How are things?”

       “Better than expected. We got the funding for you new team. They’re hired and on their way to you. Three new rangers. I sent your satellite link an email with their information. The new supply drop is tomorrow. Details in message. You have six weeks to whip them into shape and have them caught up to speed.”

       “That’s great. I need to report that Tower Twelve was broken into. Nothing appears stolen, so I will keep a close eye out. Nothing out of the ordinary on the trail or security cameras. It will be in my next report.”

        “Noted. Anything special you need?”

        “Yeah, more cola. Lots more. That’s all they took.”

        She heard chuckling over the airwaves. “Better that than the radio.”

       “I don’t know about that.”

       “Then I’ll make sure there’s lots. If that’s all. I’ll end this transmission and will call again in three days to ensure they arrived alright. They’re walking in and should arrive soon. Home Base out.”

        “That was it. She finally had a team. Not of her choosing, and that had several complications. “Crap. Furry tumble weeds.” A loose tuft of wolf fur rolled by on the floor of the tower. She’d been here alone too long. Ebony had to deep cleaned really fast or there’s be questions like; how’d she winch a wolf up the tower, and why?

       Like a madwoman, she went to work trying to hide her shifter nature. It’s not like red wolves were part of the natural landscape here. They’d disappeared when the larger grey wolves came in. That migration was why she was here. Well, partly.

       Several hours later, she was on the tower’s walkway or parapet watching for fires or any other problems when a man’s voice called up to her. Which she thought was odd until she remembered the shifters and new rangers. Crap. There’s a complication she didn’t need. What would she do with the shifters? This could have some serious complications. 

        Then she heard the call again. She finally located where it came from, and she spotted three brown uniformed men coming from the wooded path leading in here. 

        She’d not opened her laptop to see any of the information. Now they’ll think she was a clean freak but lacks in her job. “Be down in a minute.” Yeah, right? Did she turn off her laptop after looking at security footage? Scored, she hadn’t. Pulling up her email, she found the names of the three new rangers and a brief note on their training and skills. But why all men? Ebony sighed. It wasn’t possible to change that. She’d have to deal with whatever happened. 

       They set the helicopter drop for tomorrow around noon. Hot and muggy tomorrow, but score. Willing muscle to carry it all. Oops, they were waiting down on the ground.

       Ebony scrambled to the ladder and down to meet them. “I’m assuming you’re the new rangers for this location.” Ebony had no graceful option to the ground. When she arrived on the ground, Ebony realized the first look of her was her butt. 

       She didn't have a choice but to smile and greet them. “Hi, I’m Ebony Percival. I wasn’t expecting you so fast. So? Who is who?” She couldn’t mistake them for anyone else in those uniforms. But why? They saw no one up here. Unless they dressed to impress or thought she’d be scared with three guys showing up on her doorstep. Well, ladder? Now it was a little understandable, since the smallest dude was probably six feet. Well, she could, but they wouldn't tiptoe in the morning. They also gave new meaning to the wall of muscle too. They all wore their hair in short professional cuts. Yeah, like that would last out here. She gave them three weeks, and they’d have beards and shaggy hair. Not that she’d mind. 

        The one with light brown hair took a pair of sunglasses off and smiled, then pointed to the ‘short’ dude. “Franco Saint Germaine.” His finger moves to the almost red haired dude. “Peter deWolfe and I’m Benedict Revelliere.”

       “So, is it okay to call you Frank, Pete, and Ben?” The look they gave each other said it all. “Okay, then. It’s Franco, Peter, and Benedict. Follow me. I’ll show you our tower and where you’ll bunk. I am in the tower because I’m the only one. That’ll change today. I haven't been able to do it. The cabin is this way. Follow me. The final room will be mine. It’s the smallest. You three can figure out who gets to sleep alone.”

       “Why aren’t you set up in there for sleeping?”

       “Seemed pointless since I was always up there and it’s weird coming home to an empty cabin.” Ebony shrugged. “It’s a basic modern setup. After the last fire they built this building. So they splurged and gave us some privacy since it’s the modern era and they don’t expect mixed company sleeping in the same room.”

       “It couldn't have been long ago.”

       “No, about five years ago. So, this is home for at least the next six weeks. Get comfortable and when you’re ready, come up to the tower and I’ll acquaint you with everything there.” The cabin wasn’t much. A room for meetings, bathroom, and tiny bunk rooms. It was basically there for sleeping and storage. They lived in the tower and the forest. 

       “Sure. We won’t be long.” Benedict assured her. They brought packs with them, but they were the hiking version of an overnight bag. Bare necessities and that. Their things would come with the supplies.

       “Later than.” After leaving them to it, she went back to the tower. She’d been away from her research for so long she’d need to review her notes. The tower had to be staffed. That was their first line of defence from forest fires, floods, and freak weather. Now, when they were here, how would she explain the wolf issue?