‘thoughts’

The soft sounds of birds chirping seemed to fill the silence that was hanging between the two men as they ate a dry lunch of sandwiches and water while sitting against a couple of large trees. The Harley had been pulled off the street with them and hidden by some large bushes as several cop cars and even a helicopter had gone by in search of them. Jared didn’t know how they weren’t found, but somehow a bunch of bushes served to hide them. He had a feeling the guy had more tricks on hiding under his sleeve than Jared could even fathom. That didn’t mean he was going to let his guard down.

Swallowing his sandwich down with a gulp of water, he eyed his silent savior. He shifted a bit and cleared his throat. “So you knew Lieutenant Carlson?” he asked as he ducked his head when the piercing hazel eyes focused on him almost lazily. He knew the guy wasn’t one bit lazy, not with how he fought off those cops or the danger that seemed to just radiate from him. It was kind of scary yet, in a dark thrilling way that had your stomach roiling in both wariness and excitement. He wondered briefly if it was just his teenage hormones or all the recent excitement from his escape, but either way, he was on the fence about staying with this guy.

He was pretty deep in his thoughts, so he almost missed the answer that was rumbled at him. “He was my second at the NYPD.” Jared looked up at that and blinked in surprise, then felt his wariness grow as ‘NYPD’ clicked in. Morgan must have seen it because his smile was pretty humorless. “The mayor has a tendency to silence or try to silence those who oppose him. Looks like you got on his bad side,” he commented before handing another scrap of meat to his hawk.

“Yea...bad side...” Jared mumbled as he curled up a bit. ‘Not under him like he wanted...asshole...’ he thought gloomily as he toed at some leaves that were near his shoes. He wrapped his arms around his knees and watched the guy who was watching him. He couldn’t tell anything really about the guy except what had been revealed so far. But he had a feeling this guy was seriously dangerous. He just didn’t know for whom.

He glanced up when he heard some shifting and watched as Morgan stood and stretched. The hawk took flight with a cry and Jared’s gaze followed it as it circled up through the trees. “He’s going to check ahead. We better get on the road and to a place to stay. It’s getting late.” Morgan’s smooth husky voice broke through Jared’s thoughts again and brought his attention back to the older man as he brushed out his long coat.

“He?” Jared bit his lip as the question slipped out, but he relaxed when he saw the easy grin on Morgan’s face.

“Yea, he. My partner. Come on...we better get going before we lose anymore daylight,” Morgan replied before heading over to his bike. He opened one of the side bags and offered Jared another bottle of water. “What’s your name, kid?” he asked and Jared wondered briefly how long it would have taken the guy to ask him that as he took the bottle.

“Jared. Jared Padalecki,” he finally said after a minute and a gulp of the water. He tilted his head as he watched Morgan fix his bag. “You?”

“Jeff. Jeff Morgan,” was offered and coupled with a grin over a broad shoulder.

Jared swallowed and managed a weak grin but his hormones were definitely pushing his indecision on trusting this guy into ‘All Systems GO!’ mode as he looked over the broad back and down the long legs before standing straighter when Jeff shifted. He swallowed hard again and licked his lips but then felt guilty as he thought about George. ‘Get it together. You gotta get out of the state and get help for George!’ he snapped at himself as he shook his head. He watched Jeff get on his bike and scuffed at the ground a bit. “Thanks for um....saving my life. Guess I’ll see you around,” he finally said as he shrugged into the hoodie he’d stolen. He pulled on his backpack and was just getting ready to step out of the bushes when the sound of the bike revving caught his attention. He turned and watched as Morgan straddled the bike and settled in.

The piercing hazel gaze landed on Jared again and Jared had to fight the urge to squirm as he flushed a bit. Morgan’s lips slowly parted in a knowing grin before looking ahead. “I’m going after the mayor...and you’re my ticket in,” he stated lowly above the growl of his bike before looking over at Jared, his gaze cutting through Jared. “Get on.”

Jared held his hands up and backed away. “Look, dude...I want at the mayor too. He’s killed a lot of my friends! But how’re you going to bring that asshole down? Especially since he’s got all of the police in New York under his thumb! Dude you’re fuckin’ crazy!” he protested as he backed away some more. He gulped hard as Morgan brought out a Colt, cocked it, and pointed it directly at him.

“You have no idea what is going on or what has happened, but you are the only way I’m going to get close enough to put a bullet between that son of a bitch’s eyes. Crazy? No...I’m not crazy or insane or mental. I’m a man with a mission to remove the stain that is that thing in power. Now...are you gonna help or do I have to drag you on?” The growl seemed to vibrate above the purr of the bike and shoved through Jared like a hot dagger. It was dangerous and enticing and Jared found he couldn’t resist. But he also came to a decision as he crawled onto the back of the bike.

This guy was dangerous and he had better find a way to get as far away as possible or else he was going to end up just as bad if he’d stuck around with the mayor.

They drove along the back roads until an hour before sunset and then pulled into a rundown farm. They both looked over as a rather haggard man and his cowering wife crept out from the farmhouse warily. The farmer cocked a rather shabby looking shotgun and pointed it at them as they came to a stop in front of their house. Jeff tilted his hat up and gazed at them with an open expression and a gentle smile. “We’re looking for a place for the night,” he said soothingly as he sat up.

“And we’re willing to pay,” Jared piped up with a charming smile as he pulled out the wad of cash he’d stolen from one of the gas stations he’d hit. His smile faded a bit as the shot gun was turned on him. ‘And I thought *I* was paranoid!’ he thought as he snuggled closer to Jeff’s back for protection.

“No room...no room,” the farmer stated sharply as he shook his head and the portly wife nodded in agreement as she hid behind her scrawny husband.

“We would be willing to stay in your barn. It’s for the night only and we will pay for your hospitality,” Jeff answered as he gazed at them. Jared sat tensely behind Jeff as the two seemed to have a silent conversation before nodding.

“Barn...you go,” the farmer ordered and pointed at the run down building that served as a barn. Jeff nodded and handed them a small wad of bills, which the husband snatched away almost immediately before stepping back as first Jeff, then Jared got off of the black Harley and went towards the ramshackle building.

Jared felt them watching as they walked towards the barn and moved a bit closer to Jeff as they walked along. He glanced over and saw Jeff’s small smirk and relaxed a bit. He had a feeling Jeff had their backs, but he could still be wary. He went inside with Jeff and glanced around, shivering as the setting sun took away the warmth from the shaded building. Being near the woods didn’t help with keeping the warmth, but at least it would be insulated from the wind and the night if nothing else. He watched Jeff get his bike set and covered, then scratched his head. “I’m gonna go get some firewood. Gonna need a fire to keep warm since you know they won’t let us in,” he muttered before ducking his head and heading out into the woods after seeing Jeff’s nod. He glanced up at the sky and shivered again as he saw how low the sun was. He didn’t have much time.

Carefully, he climbed up the small hill that was behind the barn and stepped through the overgrowth and watched out for the roots as he grabbed small branches that were dry enough to use for firewood. He tripped a couple of times as he dodged some low hanging branches, but outside of cussing, he sighed and straightened up before adjusting his load. He kept going for a while, muttering about his luck of hooking up with some hot guy who had a vendetta that was gonna get them killed, but then stopped as he heard a wolf howl. He swallowed hard as he stilled and listened intently, and then nearly jumped as the howl sounded again, closer this time. He looked around frantically as a branch snapped and bit his lip. “Hello?”

A low growl answered him as more branches snapped progressively closer to him and he backed away as he looked around, heart pounding as he realized how far he was from the barn. He swallowed hard, and then bit his lip as an idea came to him. “Hey Joe...you still got that gun on you? Hey awesome...Yea Phil....good thing you sharpened your knives. Let’s...head back to the rest of the gang, yea?” he called out then lowered his voice. “Yea sure!” He turned and added in a higher pitch, “Sure let’s go!”

Another branch snapped near him as the growling grew louder and he gasped in fear before starting to run, heading back the way he came. “Take that shot, Joe! You go Phil!” he shouted breathlessly and whimpered as the growling grew louder, following him as he dodged to the barn through the trees. He skidded down the hill on the wet leaves with a cry. He rolled and stood up as quickly as he could, holding his side from when he’d hit a rock. He limped over to a large stump as he gasped for air, trying to hear over his pounding heart for the wolf. He relaxed a bit when he didn’t hear anything and started for the barn again, but then suddenly he saw a shadow to his side. He screamed in shock and dodged as the farmer swung at him with a rusty sickle. “Jeff!! Help!” he cried out in terror and ran, scrambling through the moldy leaves when he fell and looked back to see the farmer come after him again with a rage filled snarl.

But suddenly, a huge black wolf leapt at the farmer, snarling as he knocked down the shrieking farmer and proceeded to tear the old man’s throat out. Jared screamed as well and ran for the barn, crying out for Morgan as he went in. He looked around frantically as the farmer’s cries died down to gurgles and found the bike and brought out the shot gun that was strapped on the side. He cocked it and found that it needed bullets, so he searched for them, his hands shaking and dropping half of them as he soon as he’d discovered them. He ran to the barn window and ducked down as he put in two cartridges with shaking hands before standing and taking aim. He panted shakily and swallowed as he took a bead on the wolf and bit his lip. He’d never killed before....

He nearly leapt out of his skin and muffled his yell when a hand stopped him and drew the gun away. He turned, Jeff’s name on his lips, but instead found himself facing an almost ethereal vision. A man stood before him, pale and sandy blond hair that gently framed a sharp chiseled face peeking from a dark hood. Intense green eyes caught his own and held him as he shook his head. “Shhh,” was whispered huskily and Jared found his stomach flipping much as it had when he’d met Jeff Morgan.

Jeff.

“W-Wolf...out there...killed th-that f-farmer dude...J-Jeff...gotta f-find him!” he whispered frantically and stuttered to a stop as a small smile crossed the man’s face before he turned and went to the door. “Wait n-no! The w-wolf will get you!” Jared cried and went after the older man, grabbing for the arm that was hidden in the long coat the man was wearing. He recognized it then as Jeff’s coat and gulped. ‘What the hell!?’

The man turned to him and smiled again. “It’s all right...” he murmured before going out and meeting up with the wolf, who greeted him eagerly with a lick at the slender hand and a whine of pleasure when the stranger stroked his fingers through the thick fur.

Panting in shock, Jared turned and leaned against the doorjamb of the barn. “I’m dreaming...no wait, I’m awake. I-I must be dreaming I’m awake then...or am I awake thinking I’m asleep, dreaming I’m awake?” he wondered in a slightly panicky voice as he ran a hand through his hair and yanked a bit.

“You are dreaming.”

Jared’s eyes widened when he heard the confirmation and he whimpered before dashing into the barn and climbing up into the loft. He watched the stranger and the wolf walk into the woods and then curled up a bit. “I don’t want this....I don’t want this...” he muttered as he curled up.

But how could he get out of it?

TBC