no man's land

She shrugged.

"Nay many."

"That worries me" he said over the roar of the Russian engineered bike "Safety and Liberty exist in inverse proportions. Out here I have much liberty, ergo I am likely fucked. This must be addressed."

She frowned.

"Nay my problem, boyo."

"Quite aware of that. So how did a pack of wolves become friendly enough to not kill us ?"

She laughed.

"Nay me story t' tell. But tis a long one."

"I would imagine it is a long one. Only friendly wolf i ever met was a dead one. "

She nodded.

"Aye, most are."

"So what are you going to do if or when people get it into their heads to start trying to break apart your Prince's domain? Because I'm staying far and away from those troubles, but I figure it's going to happen, and I'll make deals with all comers to cover my ass while taking no sides."

She smiled.

"I will rip people apart until they stop thinking like that."

"I think you can do it too. " he chuckled

She reached over.

"Smart man."

"Live man. Tangling with my sire was enough. I don't need an angry ancient on my ass. "

She laughed.

"Bad enough she's glaring at my sidecar and has a box of molotovs under her ass" he chuckled

She looked at him.

"What?"

"Under your seat. A couple of bottles of gasoline and oil."

He stepped from the tree line without making a sound. He was huge, standing close to eight feet tall.

"It bes' time you be movin' along, nah. Dis place ain't fo yo kine."

She smiled as she saw the man, signalling John to stop.

"Evenin'. An' wha' kind might tha' be?"

"De dead dat walk an talk. Takin' de blood, openin dose pat's to chaos an' da'kness. Yo stink like oil on de sea. Ain't no love fo you out he'ah"

His eyes narrowed a moment, one twitched, and he watched Grace and Jonathan to see if they'd take the warning.

Warily john looked the situation over as he stopped the bike. "You have us confused with the more evil of our kind my good man. "

She looked at the man.

"We be just passin' through. If ye'll tell me ye're territory, t'will be avoided in th' future."

"I's Probly bes' yo jus' be stayin' outta dis he'ah a'ya, nah. Gat'ahs be sneaky an' dangerous. Dem be all ov'ah dis a'ya."

He gave a sagely nod and blinked once.

She laughed.

"I nay ha' fear o' gators. If ye be threatenin' me, please d' me th' respect o' bein' straight wi' 't?"

John kept his mouth shut, instead choosing to light a cigar.

He sniffed the air as the cigar was lit, the chemicals present in the cigar offending his nose before he emitted a low, throaty growl.

"All dis, from he'ah to de ocean be ours. Fo two mile no't an anoddah fo' sout' Even dem foo egg crushah's don' dare come 'ere."