Chapter 10

"Jonah, Michael, age 43, height 5'9", hair brunette, eyes green. CEO to Algam Industries Co. Pioneer to genetic modification technology. This dude here is your classic evil villain. He's got a lot of influence on our world and a lot of money to put us all in the ground. It's like if Tony Stark and Wilson Fisk had a baby. That's this guy." Jon arched an eyebrow at Richard. "Did you just do a Marvel comparison?" Richard grinned. "I'm not sorry." Elaine tried not to chuckle. "Boys, focus. How do we get evidence linking him to the W Series?" Richard chuckled nervously. "That's the million dollar question, isn't it? I couldn't tell you. His record is suspiciously clean. Not even a DWI as a teenager." Jon hummed. "Safe to say this is a classic case of the Oliver Queen." Richard grinned. "DC, niiiice."

"Can we stop with the hero talk and use normal words?" Elaine requested. "One, Oliver Queen is a vigilante. Two, he's saying that it's possible his family is powerful enough to pay off the police." Jon told his wife. "In other words, this I going to be hard to do." The boys nodded.

They tried to look at all the facilities that Michael owned. He had them all across the country, all across the world. Did he own all the Series, too, or just the W Series? If she could free all the Series by taking down one man, she would be happy. She would have saved thousands just by putting Michael Jonah behind bars. As to be expected, though, the W Series facility was not on Jonah's list of properties. "Maybe he uses an alias for it?" Elaine suggested. "What's the address? Maybe we could find out?" Jon suggested. Richard did his thing as Elaine rattled off the address. "A419 Kester Rd." Elaine knew. She knew this was going to happen. The W Series Facility was demolished, and the kids had been moved.

Elaine wasn't sure how to tell Wild that they lost the W Series. Jon was talking about staking out Michael and following him to the new facility. They decided that if the police really were in Michael's pocket, he would be going solo for the time being. He was his own boss after all, he didn't have to answer to anyone. She went to Wild's room, where he was reading "Easy A." That boy really would read whatever he could get his claws on. "Morning, Elaine."

"Morning Wild... so I have some bad news..." Wild lifted his head to look at her. "You lost them. I was listening."

"I'm sorry..." Wild shook his head. "I might be able to track them. what's the point of having the abilities if I don't use them?" Elaine bit her lip. "Jon wanted to stake him out and find it."

"Then I'll go with. I'm not going to sit here and do nothing when I said I was going to help." Wild insisted.

He wasn't going to be left behind.

Wild went out with Elaine and Jon to see the sunset. Not for the first time, he became invested in his surroundings and just stared, mesmerized. "Is this normal?" Jon asked. "For Wild, yes. His geneic code is more wolf than human now. Not by much, but he has told me that he knows things he shouldn't, and I don't doubt that his wolf DNA wants him to run free." Jon looked at her, then at Wild. "He won't leave them though, will he?" Elaine shook her head. "They are his pack. His family. He doesn't want to leave them." She tapped Wild's shoulder to snap him out of it.

Wild whined quietly, wishing he could stay out a little longer, but he knew they had to leave soon. His food would be around soon. "What's for dinner tonight?" Wild asked curiously. "Richard is getting takeout for you to eat in the break room. Tomorrow, I'll be bringing in a waffle maker so you can have a proper breakfast." Wild's tail wagged as he gave a small smile. "Waffles sound good." Jon smiled back. "I'll bring some berries and whipped cream and syrup too." Wild's tail wagged harder. "That sounds even better." Since when did he get treatment like this? It made him feel kinda special.

Jon went on and on about all sorts of strange things. Some things weren't so strange. It was nice to listen to while he ate. He liked Jon. Elaine had a good mate. Until he got to a particular subject. "Earlier, you said Wild's geneic code was more wolf than human. How much more are we talking about?" Jon asked Elaine. Wild's ears pinned back at the remainder that he was hardly human. "I'm 53% wolf, 47% human. Why do you ask?" He asked monotonously. Elaine knew it was a sensitive subject for the hybrid. "It's unfair to you, that's why. You didn't deserve what you got." Wild lowered his head, refusing to make eye contact. He ate a little more rice, not saying a thing more.

You're still human, Wild. You're still a little human.

"Wild is certainly a character..." Jon broke the silence as they drove home. "Isn't he? The poor guy has been through a lot, as you already know. Wild doesn't think himself a human anymore. It's sad, and he is 53% right, but I believe he is more human than most." Elaine replied. "He's definitely more human than the scum I throw in prison." He stopped the car at the stoplight. "How does he move around with those... paws? Who the fuck would go that far with a child? And for as long as they did?"

"Michael Jonah, apparently. Speaking of him, though, Wild was saying he wanted to stake out with you." Elaine looked to her husband. Jon glanced back to his wife before looking back to the road and driving again. "He does? Why, though, he just got away from Jonah." Elaine looked out the window. "He said he wants to use the abilities he'd been given to help. Says he can track them." Jon sighed. "I don't know, Elaine..."

Elaine set the waffle maker out for tomorrow as a reminder. Afterward, she started to get ready for bed. She removed her makeup, brushed her hair, and brushed her teeth. Jon shaved his face and brushed his teeth, keeping relatively quiet. She knew he was lost in his thoughts, reflecting on all he'd learned and all he needed to do to help save those human hybrids and take down Michael. She left him to his silence. He needed to reflect on Wild, Michael, all of it. She gave him a kiss and headed to the room to read a bit before bed. Jon joined her before long, kissing her back. "Goodnight, baby." Jon murmured. "Goodnight, honey."

"Love you."

"Love you too."

Wild couldn't sleep. His mind was full of thoughts of what happened to those who remained. Where they could be. Were they being punished for him and the other two leaving? In a way, it was his own violation. He wanted to leave. He got what he wanted. They were gonna get punished by the director because of him. It was his fault. The guilt was eating him alive. He had to help, and he had to get them out! Wild took a shaky breath. Panicking wouldn't help anything. They would let him help. He would be useful to Elaine and Jon and even Richard. He laid down in his cot to get some shut eye. Wild focused on his happy place. The sun setting on the lush beauty of the forest. Stars starting to sprinkle the purpling sky. Wild running through it with a sense of freedom he never knew but always wanted.

The place he felt at home.