the Loop (1998) by Evans Nicholas

Author:Evans, Nicholas [Nicholas, Evans,]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Published: 2010-12-13T23:56:31.031000+00:00

Chapter 20

The meeting wasn't due to start for another half-hour, but already there was a steady procession of trucks coming into town. It was getting dark and most had their headlights on. Some pulled up outside Nelly's Diner but the more popular destination was The Last Resort, which didn't bode well for the meeting. A mud-spattered pickup was stopping there now and Helen watched two men in hats and cowboy boots get out and head into the bar. One of them said something and the other laughed, turning his coat collar up against the wind. It was starting to rain.

She was spying from the window of Ruth Michaels' gift shop, sipping her third double espresso, which was a bad idea because she was nervous enough as it was. All she really wanted was a cigarette. Ruth had put some soothing music on, but it only served to heighten Helen's foreboding of the storm to come.

Stuck to the glass of the door was one of the yellow posters that were all over town.

WOLF KILLS! PUBLIC MEETING HOPE COMMUNITY HALL THURSDAY 7PM

It was two days since Buck Calder and his neighbors had gathered their herds and feelings were still running high. Helen had spent almost every waking moment trying to restore calm. She'd visited every rancher who claimed to have lost calves - and gotten short shrift from all of them.

Dan had hoped these one-on-one visits would help avoid a public meeting that could get hijacked by a few trouble-makers. But Buck Calder had bounced them into it. He'd announced the meeting two nights ago on TV, saying 'those federal government fellas who let all these wolves loose in the first place' might care to come along and explain themselves to the people who paid their wages.

The TV people were already down at the hall, setting up their lights. Dan had groaned when he saw them because it was the same woman reporter who had drooled over Buck Calder when the dog got killed. That aside, Dan - and Bill Rimmer - seemed remarkably cool. They were both sitting at the little bar at the back of the shop, chatting with Ruth as though they didn't have a care in the world.

As she walked back to join them, Rimmer gave her a grin.

'Helen, you know the one about the horse who walks into a bar and the barman says--'

'"Hey, why the long face?" Yeah, I know that one. You're saying I look like a horse?'

'No, just like you're going to a funeral.'

'Yeah, right. My own.'

'Come on, Helen,' Dan said. 'It'll be fine.'

'Thanks, Prior. I might find that a little more reassuring if you hadn't told me what happened last time they had a wolf meeting here.'

'That was before my time,' Ruth said. 'What did happen?'

'Oh, just guys with guns and buckets of blood being poured over cars,' Helen said. 'Nothing much.'

'That was years ago,' Dan said.

'Yeah, before they had wolves. Ruth, do you mind if I have a cigarette?' She saw Dan's surprise.

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