"When do you plan to carry out this warrant?" Officer Won asked after a few moments.
"The hope is as soon as possible," Agent Harris sighed, "though with half the day gone today... it's doubtful we'll really have enough time to go after Washerman today."
"The Park Rangers probably know where he is... or at least where he's supposed to be in the park," Officer Barnes commented.
"They would only know the camping area he's supposed to be in," Agent Blustunn replied, "if he's visiting some other section of the park... or has gone hiking on foot, he won't be there. We will need to have some surprise on our side... or at least the time to find him."
"Especially if he's planning to turn himself into North America's largest and most dangerous land mammal," I commented.
"I'm sure you could take him," Agent Blustunn said confidently, "Don't tigers kill buffalo all the time?"
"Water Buffalo and Gaur, yes," I nodded, "but tigers try to attack prey from behind. If we find Washerman, and he takes the serum, you know that he will be facing me... and in nature, even when attacking these animals from behind, they aren't always successful... and some HAVE been killed by the very animals they were hunting."
"You will have a gun," Agent Harris replied, "something no normal tiger uses. And the other officers and agents will be armed as well. And the park rangers that would be with us will be, or can be armed with something more powerful then a handgun."
"You're sure?" I asked.
Both Agent Harris and Agent Blustunn nodded in the affirmative. It was about all that I would probably get in that conversation. All the same, the prospect of having to subdue a crazy suspect, who had already proved himself violent, and had a dosage of the Animatrix Serum for an animal that was larger and stronger then I was, left me with a very uneasy feeling. I was certain Molly would be worried, and I spent the rest of the day trying to figure out an easy way to break it to her. And that would be difficult with Laura York-Rush and her family staying with us. She might be interested in hearing that Washerman would be beaten, but I didn't know how much she would want to hear about the danger.
"So we go tomorrow morning?" Officer Won asked after a moment.
"First thing," Agent Harris nodded.
++++++++++++++++++++++++++++
I returned home to find Molly cooking our dinner, as was our normal evening routine. Laura and Simon were in our backyard at the moment while their sons Herman and Ulysses were swimming in our pool. They wore trunks that had been hastily bought at Kalispell's Wal-Mart, but that wasn't the point of it. The point was that it gave Molly and I a few moments alone to discuss things.
"Hello, George," Molly said in greeting, "how was your day?"
"We had some good luck today... along with some bad luck," I said slowly.
Molly set a large tray of beef in our oven and set a timer to cook it to a medium level of cooking. Molly and I preferred our meat to be rare. It allowed us to satisfy our predatory urges for "raw" meat while also maintaining some semblance of what had been our humanity in the past. The York-Rush family, however, were all entirely human. Medium was commonly the better level for humans, and so far, no one had complained or stated a preference for medium rare, medium well, or well done. Until that happened, Molly and I would settle for medium. And we couldn't really complain too much. Meat was still meat, no matter how much it was cooked.
"Give me the good news first," Molly almost commanded.
"The good news is that we'll be going to get Washerman tomorrow morning," I spoke, "the warrant came in for him today... and the FBI have requested I go along."
"And you'll get him?" Molly asked.
I nodded.
"I'm afraid to ask, what is the bad news?" Molly then asked.
"The bad news is that he has a dose of the Animatrix Serum," I spoke slowly, and trying to hid the nervousness in my voice. I didn't think I did a good job of that.
"What species does he have?" Molly asked, a flash of concern going through her greenish-yellow eyes. She sensed my nervousness.
"Bison or buffalo," I said nervously, "the animal the Plains Indians hunted."
"They're dangerous!" Molly gasped.
"I know," I nodded, "we'll be armed... and the agents are confident that we'll be fine..."
Molly didn't answer.
"I'm not entirely sure I'm supposed to tell you this, but I felt I needed to tell you," I spoke, "Just in case. I intend to be as careful as I can... but given how strong buffalo are... it may not count for much."
Molly came to me and gripped me tightly.
"Just be careful," Molly answered, "I'm sure you'll be able to get him. You're brave and you're strong. You helped me when being a tiger was the worst thing that could ever happen to me. I'm sure you'll do well."
I looked to her and sighed. She was trying to be encouraging, but she couldn't hide the fact that she was just as nervous as I was.
++++++++++++++++++++++++
Molly and I didn't let the York-Rush family know about the danger that I would be facing to bring Washerman. We did let them know that we would be able to capture Washerman. Laura spoke about the hope that he would see justice for attacking her father. I slept well, but the next morning, the anxieties of potentially facing a violent Animal-Person that was far bigger then I was returned.
The nervousness and anxiety stayed with me as I went into work. Officer Barnes and Officer Won were waiting for me as I came in the front door. Agents Harris and Blustunn and three other FBI agents were also present. The additional agents were wearing body armor that had the letters FBI on them in big gold letters.
"You ready to go, Officer Wayne?" Officer Barnes asked me first.
"About as ready as I'll ever be," I sighed, "the potential of having to subdue a Bison-Person still has me uneasy."
"We'll do well," Agent Harris spoke up, "we've cleared things with your chief, so once you've clocked in, we'd best get going."
I nodded and went to where my time sheet was, and clocked in. Once that was done, I joined Officer Won and Officer Barnes in following Agent Harris and Agent Blustunn through the station to the station's back door.
"Don't worry, Officer Wayne," Officer Barnes said to me as we walked, "we've all got your back. If he takes the serum, he'll have more then just you to be concerned with."
"I hope you're right, I really hoped you're right," I answered him.
When we came out the back door, we found four all black SUVs parked there. The various agents went to one, though Agents Harris and Blustunn went together to the lead vehicle. As they opened the front doors to the SUV, they turned to Officer Won, Barnes, and myself.
"You three will ride with us," Agent Harris spoke, "Officer Wayne's strength gives him a fairly important place in this case."
We nodded and climbed in. The SUV's back seats were in two rows. The first row was much like the two front seats. They were individual seats that could be moved and adjusted electronically. The last row was a single long seat that ran across the width of the vehicle. It was like a large couch. I climbed in slowly and laid across the seat. While the SUV was bigger then the car that Officer Barnes and I patrolled Columbia Falls in, it was still too small for my size. While Officers Won and Barnes climbed in, a different question occurred to me.
"Agent Harris," I spoke, "if Washerman takes the serum and we subdue him, how will we move him? Vehicles are too small for me to sit in normally... even yours. If he takes the serum, he will be much bigger then even I am. He wouldn't be able to even lay across the back seat."
"We have called ahead to the Park Rangers at the main gates that we'll be going through to get into Glacier," Agent Harris answered, "they should have a trailer ready when we get there. If he takes the serum, we'll load him into that. From there... I'm not sure what we'll do... probably put him in a Montana State Prison and have hay shipped to him... or some other vegetable type food."
I slowly nodded and let them take over the driving of the SUV. The ride to Glacier National Park was a quiet and quick ride. It provided me with a look at more lovely natural landscapes to observe, even as we drove through Hungry Horse and the town of West Glacier that was right on the edge of the park. If the mission was successful, and Molly and I ever got time to truly go camping, I thought that Glacier would be a good place to start.
As we reached the main gate that we were going to go through, I found that the Park Rangers did have men ready to join us in the search. Agent Harris easily got through the gate with a flash of his identification card and pulled his vehicle to where the other Park Rangers had their vehicles parked, including a green Dodge Ram pulling a livestock trailer.
"You guys are certain about this?" a Park Ranger asked as we got out to speak with him.
"Yes, Horace Washerman is here," Agent Harris answered, "and he's really caused some trouble in Columbia Falls."
"Put an old guy in the hospital," the Park Ranger nodded, "saw it in the paper... Michael... York, I think his name is."
"That is his name," I spoke up.
"Do you know where he is in the Park?" Agent Blustunn asked.
The park ranger nodded and pulled a small map from the from the Jeep he was driving. He presented it to Agent Harris and Blustunn. The map included all the roads in the park and the hiking trails for park visitors, and the camp grounds that were available in the park or just outside it. The Park Ranger then pointed to one campground about a mile from where we presently were.
"According to our records, he's registered to be here, in zone twelve," the Park Ranger answered.
"How often does he leave the park?" Officer Barnes asked.
"Not very often... or at least not that we know of," the Park Ranger admitted.
"So, he's probably still in the park," Agent Blustunn answered him, "that's good news."
The Park Ranger slowly nodded and then glanced at the gathered FBI agents, police officers, and the other Park Rangers with him.
"Can you tell us what all this force is for?" the Park Ranger asked.
"He has a dose of the Animatrix Serum," Agent Harris spoke professionally, "for the buffalo. What the Indians hunted."
"Bison," the Park Ranger then corrected, "the North American Bison. No true buffalo lives in America. Buffalo live in Asia and Africa. Both Bison and Buffalo are wild cattle, but not as closely as say wolves and domestic dogs. The North American Bison are Bison Bison Bison. Wild buffalo, like the Water Buffalo are Bubalus Amee. A different buffalo species, also not closely related to Water Buffalo, the Cape Buffalo of Africa are Syncerus Caffer"
"Whatever," Agent Harris groaned, "either way... if he takes the serum he'll be too big to take out in a car. THAT is why we have all the forces gathered, along with Officer Wayne here."
The Park Ranger almost gulped.