Coyote

[53] a new day.

"J," a familiar female voice called him from behind.

The detective was in the tube that led to Chief Syla's office, drinking herbal tea from a plastic cup. Syla had called him without giving him a reason. It reminded him of when Baron Samson had done the same thing, only for him to learn he had a daughter—he teared up at the memory.

J turned and saw She-Wolf alongside Red Hawk and their son, Wolf. They look so happy. "Hey, how are you guys?"

"Good." She-Wolf smiled. "This is my son, Wolf." She pointed at the brown-skinned man standing between her and Red Hawk wearing a white turtleneck T-shirt tucked in his black trousers. He had his mother's face and his father's height. "You said he knew your daughter, but you didn't tell us your daughter died in Coupon City. Sorry about that."

She'll be back. "No worries." J gave a tight-lipped smile.

"He'd like to speak to you," Red Hawk said, then nudged Wolf forward. "See you at the cafe, son."

She-Wolf and Red Hawk left for the shuttle station at the end of the tube. Wolf looked like a sweet young man who parents would love their daughters to marry. But he gave off wicked energy; the kind that secretly loved trouble.

What does he want to say? "I've thought about this meeting a lot," J said, removing the awkward silence between them.

"Me too." Wolf puffed air through his mouth. "Sorry about Oli. I should've come to you sooner, but I had so much going on. First, it was The Forgotten Nuns. Then, it was Cleopatra. It was all too much."

Could it be? "You were the one who captured Cleopatra and handed her over to her father?"

Wolf smiled. "What can I say? I'm good at my job."

Maybe his parents were right. He might be the best coyote in the GSF. "What rank are you?"

Wolf laughed while scratching the back of his neck. "I just broke into The 100 for the first time, sitting at 90. Sweet, right?"

I wish I saw his parents' reaction when they found out he wasn't number one. J laughed, leaving Wolf with a confused expression. Though he wasn't good at being a parent, the detective understood She-Wolf and Red Hawk's expectations of their son. From the books he had read on how to be a good parent, thinking highly of your child was a pleasant start.

"You have wonderful parents," J said.

"Thank you. It's been years since I saw them. I thought they were dead. So, I'm happy to see them alive and well."

"And rich too."

Wolf laughed. "Yeah, that too."

"What are your plans now? Your parents retired after their massive reward. Are you joining them?"

Wolf shook his head. "I still have a lot to offer the GSF. Plus, I love being a coyote. Though people may not believe it, I love getting rid of criminals law enforcement can't deal with."

J nodded in agreement. Though he didn't like coyotes out of all bounty hunters, they completed more bounties than the others. "Best of luck out there." He patted Wolf's arm. "Don't die."

"Thank you." Wolf bit his top lip. "Can I ask you a question?"

"Sure."

"Did you know Oli was a clone?"

J's eyes widened. "How do you know that?"

"Oli told me before she died. If I had known she was a clone, I wouldn't have left her to die alone." He tapped his temple with his forefinger repeatedly. "It's been bothering me ever since. I keep thinking about it, dreaming about it, seeing all the ways it could have gone differently." Tears welled in his eyes. "I'm sorry I got your daughter killed. I'd understand if you hate me."