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Ray was a runner because his father had been one, and his grandfather before that. The Narvaez clan were one of the most respected out of all the runners, and when shit needed to get done they were the top choice. They were the best of the best, and Ray surpassed all expectations. He was quick witted, and had no trouble putting bullets in the Wolves.
So when Jack Pattillo, second-hand man to Geoff Ramsey, approached him with a job, Ray wasn’t really surprised. If he tried to walk through the Forest, he’d be dead in seconds, but it would take weeks to circle around. Which is where the runners came in; where Ray came in.
The package appeared on his counter overnight and Ray tried not to question how Jack had gotten into his apartment. Geoff was practically King of their shitty part of the world, Ray didn’t doubt they had some shit up their sleeves.
The package itself was on the small side. It was wrapped in simple brown paper with Geoff Ramsey scrawled on the top in black marker. The corner was splattered with blood. Ray didn’t want to know who it belonged to. A note was tapped to the top in pristine condition.
Deliver this package directly to Geoff Ramsey with your own hands. Be quick and make no stops for anyone. This is your top priority. Good luck. – Jack
Ray sighed, balling the note up and chucking it in the trash. It was supposed to be his day off. But you didn’t say no to Geoff Ramsey. Unless you wanted to end up dead. Ray couldn’t help but wonder what happened to Geoff’s personal runner, wondering if it had anything to do with the blood on the package. In their line of work, it was a risk you took every time you stepped outside.
Ray packed enough food for a two-day trip, knowing the Forest could throw unexpected delays in his path, before begrudgingly moving into his bedroom to get dressed. Dark wash jeans, a black T-shirt, and the trademark of the Narvaez clan runners: A crimson red hoodie. Bad for blending in, but he was too sentimental to change it.
He threw the package in the bottom of his black backpack along with extra ammo and a map he never had to use. He grabbed his gun and his favorite bat, and then he was out. The dark of the Forest luring him in.
Most of the Wolves knew not to mess with Ray at this point. He could always tell when someone was new, or just cocky, because they’d actually try to attack him. And he’d put a bullet between their eyes. There was a reason the Narvaez clan were the best runners, and it was because they’d spent years instilling as much fear into the Wolves as they could. They were the only ones who could make it through the Forest in two days or less.
Ray ran into a few other runners, each looking more frazzled than the last as he got farther into the depths of the Forest. As the sun was blocked out by the trees that towered high over his head, leaving everything cloaked in shadow. Just as he prepared to take a break for food, a kid he recognized as belonging to the Dooley clan quite literally ran into him, sending Ray’s backpack toppling to the ground.
“Watch where you’re running,” He grumbled, but the runner in question just stared up at him with wide eyes.
“You have to get out of here. It’s not safe.”
Ray rolled his eyes, “It’s never safe. It’s the Forest.”
“He’s back,” Dooley shuddered, “The Big Bad Wolf is back.”
And with that, he was gone. Running past Ray as fast as his little legs would take him. Ray lifted his backpack off the ground, dusting off the dirt. The Big Bad Wolf. Hah. He started climbing one of the trees to his left, knowing better than to pause on the ground in the Forest. It wasn’t comfortable, but it was safe.
The Big Bad Wolf was just a myth. A creepy story the non-runners told to their kids to persuade them to stay out of the Forest and away from danger. They said he was the leader of the Wolves. The worst of the worst, with blue eyes cold as ice and a voice so smooth and venomous it was rumored you wouldn’t know he was killing you until he stopped talking. According to the whispered tales, he took pleasure in his kills, played with the runners that crossed his path.
It was a bunch of bullshit. The Big Bad Wolf didn’t exist. He was never here, so he never left. How could he be back?
Still, Ray ate with his guard up and a firm grip on his gun.
The deeper he went into the Forest; the fewer people he saw. The trees were dense enough that even at the brightest point in the day, the path was barely illuminated. Ray remembered when he was young, he was afraid of this part of the Forest. When he was really young, just starting his training, he’d always tried to hide a flashlight in his pockets. But his dad would take it before Ray had the chance to turn it on.
“Trust me, son,” he would say darkly, “in this part of the Forest, it’s better not to be able to see.”
Ray didn’t question it after that point. Even when he started going solo, he never tried to light the area. Every now and again, he could hear sounds. Things that doesn’t quite fit, things that weren’t human. It was enough to deter his curiosity. He kept a brisk pace as he walked through.
There were tales told about the creatures that lingered in this part of the forest: their eyes glow, their teeth were chiseled into sharp points, their footsteps were so quiet they might as well be floating just above the forest floor. Ray didn’t believe any of them, until a voice rang out behind him in the darkness.
“You’re a runner, what’s in the bag?” Ray spun, gun at the ready, and came face-to-face with what was undoubtedly a Wolf, but he wasn’t like any that Ray had seen before. His blue eyes shone in the darkness, not a lick of worry in them even with a gun pointed straight between them.
“None of your fucking business!” Ray yelled back. The Wolf laughed, taking a step closer and running a hand through his hair.
“Now, now. No need to be so aggressive.”
“You’re a Wolf.” Ray said.
“Yes, and you’re a runner. I believe we’ve established this already,” he said, once again moving closer. He glanced at the backpack on Ray’s shoulders. “So, what’s in the bag?”
“Again, none of your business,” Ray said, taking a step back as the Wolf stepped forward. “Come any closer, though, and I won’t hesitate to shoot you.”
He laughed, and goosebumps spread up Ray’s arms at the sound, “That’s cute.”
“What, you don’t think I’d do it?”
“Oh, I know you’d do it. It’s cute you’d think you’d hit me.”
“I’m a damn good shot,” Ray sputtered. “I’ve been shooting Wolves like you for most of my life.”
“Like me?” He threw his head back and laughed darkly. When he refocused on Ray, his smile looked unhuman. “You’ve never met anyone like me.”
Ray was starting to realize that was true, but it only served to further his annoyance. This guy thought he was special, and it was Ray’s job to remind him that he wasn’t. He shot off one bullet, watching happily as it skimmed the top of the Wolf’s head. Just like he knew it would. The man in question was frozen, his illuminated eyes staring wide-eyed into Ray’s. “Next time,” Ray said coolly, slipping his gun away, “it’ll be right between your eyes.”
He expected anger, or fear, or some other negative emotion. Not… excitement. He didn’t expect the guy to beam at him like he was the most amazing thing in the world. And he most certainly did not expect him to step closer. “Aren’t you feisty,” he purred. “And a damn good shot, I will admit.”
“Yeah, well, I take my job seriously. Now fuck off before I change my mind and actually shoot you.”
“That bullet’s going to be heard for miles,” he said, glancing around the forest before focusing back on Ray. “More Wolves will come. I can stop that.”
“I don’t need protection from you. I can handle myself.”
“You’re in the dark part of the Forest now, kid. I don’t think you know what you’re getting yourself into.”
“This isn’t my first time here, and it won’t be my last. Now fuck off,” Ray growled. The Wolf didn’t listen, but Ray didn’t really think he would.
“What’s your name, kid?” The Wolf asked, trailing not far behind Ray and refusing to just fuck off.
“None of your business.”
“Oh, c’mon,” he stepped in front of Ray, making almost no noise. “I’ll tell you mine.”
“I don’t care what your name is,” Ray said. “Just go find someone else to annoy.”
“The other runners are so boring,” he whined. “So easy to scare. Not like you.”
“Well maybe if you were actually scary…”
The Wolf gasped, clutching his chest like Ray had shot him. It was tempting. “I’m plenty scary,” he said. “Do you know how many packages I’ve stolen off runners? They practically throw them at me.”
“Amateurs.”
“Hm,” he pouted, crossing his arms but continuing to keep pace with Ray. He was so strange, and more of a pain than any other Wolf Ray had encountered. Was this seriously the Big Bad Wolf that everyone feared? He was really lackluster if he was, not that Ray was complaining. At least he didn’t have to deal with the terrifying thing everyone described.
They walked silently next to each other for a while, Ray’s eyes scanning the forest and the Wolf sauntering along next to him without a care in the world. When he finally spoke again, Ray jumped. “I’m Ryan, by the way.”
Ryan. It was so… normal. Ray hadn’t ever thought about the fact that the Wolves are still human, with names, and families, and lives not too different than the one Ray led. He never thought to ask a name, but then again they rarely had the chance to speak before Ray was putting a bullet in them.
In a weird, spur of the moment action, Ray let his own name tumble out into the quiet darkness. He could hear his father’s voice scolding him in his mind, but Ray forced it away. Ryan wasn’t a threat, not yet, and it was just a name.
“Ray. I like it. Ray the runner with the red hood,” Ryan stretched his arms high above his head. His leather jacket lifted enough to expose a small strip of skin above the waistband of his jeans. Ray forced his eyes away. “How long have you been a runner?”
“All my life, what kind of question is that?”
Ryan threw his hands up defensively, “Just making conversation.”
“I’m a runner because my whole family were runners. No one chooses their role.”
“I did,” Ryan said quietly.
“You chose to be a Wolf?” Ray scoffed. “Yeah, right. Why would anyone choose that?”
“The Forest is a tempting place when you’ve got the family I do.”
“You hated your family enough to spend the rest of your life like… like this?” Ray asked, gesturing to the woods around them.
“Believe it or not, my chances of survival are higher out here,” Ryan said with a shrug. “Plus, I think I’ve managed to make a pretty decent life for myself.”
Ray didn’t know how to respond, so he didn’t.
As it got later, and darker, the muscles in Ray’s back began to tense. He swapped his gun for his bat, knowing he wouldn’t be nearly as good of a shot in the dark. He could see Ryan’s eyes go wide at the sight of the thing, bloodstained with nails poking out at odd ends. “Jesus, kid. That’s a bit much, isn’t it?”
Ray’s eyes scanned the Forest as he hushed Ryan. “I can never be too safe,” he whispered. “Not that it’ll matter if you draw the entire Forest in with your booming voice.”
“No one will mess with you when you’re near me,” Ryan responded. But that was exactly what Ray was afraid of. If everyone in the Forest was afraid of him, why was he so completely un-terrifying? If he was as sadistic and heartless as the rumors said, why was Ray even still alive? Was Ryan just toying with him, letting him fall into a false sense of security before killing him in cold blood and claiming his prize?
The more they walked, the darker it got. The trees towered high above their heads, daunting and grand. The farther they moved into the depth of the Forest, the more Ray felt like he was walking to his death. He tried to put more space between him and Ryan, but for every step he took away, Ryan came two closer. They were shoulder to shoulder, and Ray realized how easy it would be for Ryan to disarm him. How easily he could pull the bat from his grip, leaving him basically defenseless.
His fears came to light when Ryan gripped his forearm tightly and pulled Ray against his chest. Ray tried to push him away, push him off, but Ryan’s grip tightened. “Ray. Ray!” He shouted, his voice breaking through the panic. “Calm down, what the fuck is wrong?”
“Get off me!” Ray shouted. “Let me go!”
Ryan did. He took a step back, and his eyes were filled with confusion and warry. Ray was breathing heavily, his heart pounding in his chest as his eyes darted around, searching for danger in the darkness. “Why—what… What were you doing?”
“You were walking right into a fucking trap,” Ryan said. “Did you not see the giant hole in the ground just waiting to snap your ankle like a twig?”
“I…” Ray took a deep breath, swallowing around the lump in his throat as he glanced back at the path. Sure enough, he could just make out the hole. “You saved my life?”
Ryan nodded.
“Why?”
Ryan shrugged, “Felt like the right thing to do.”
“I, uh… thanks,” Ray looked around, squinting into the darkness. “Can you see right now?”
“Yeah. Better than I do in the light.”
“Is that why your eyes glow?” Ray asked.
“All Wolves have glowing eyes.”
“Not like yours,” Ryan shrugged. “Were they always like that, even before you came to the Forest?”
“I don’t know,” Ryan said quietly. “Didn’t really get much opportunity to look.” Ray wanted to ask what happened, but he knew he couldn’t. He had to remind himself Ryan was a Wolf. He was dangerous.
They were getting to the heart of the Forest. It was always the hardest part of the journey. The Wolves liked to linger in packs, waiting for the few runners brave enough to run straight through instead of staying near the edges. It was dangerous, but Ray’s father always told him that taking anything other than the quickest route wasn’t good enough. His father would probably scold him for fearing the ‘creatures’ they were supposed to kill.
Ryan kept glancing at him. He could probably feel the tension that was rolling off Ray in waves. But he didn’t speak, didn’t question it. He just followed. It wasn’t long before the voices began, Ray tightening his grip on his bat.
“Look at the little runner, so scared of the dark.”
“This one’s especially small.”
“Can you even swing that bat, kid?”
Ray grit his teeth, eyes darting around as he waited for someone to step forward. When one did, the rest would follow. There was a movement to his right, but as he spun to face it, Ryan stepped in front of him. “What are you doing, Ryan?” The voice hissed.
“He’s off limits,” Ryan growled. His voice was far deeper, and darker, than Ray had ever heard.
“None of them are off limits.”
“Are you questioning me, my authority?”
“If you want this one, why haven’t you taken him, yet?” Ray tried not to panic. Tried not to think about the inevitability of Ryan turning on him. He could take one far easier than he could take five.
“Let me do as I please with him, I don’t need to explain myself to you.”
“They say he’s going to Ramsey,” Ray’s breath caught at the name. How had they found out? It was one thing to run a package through the forest, but it was entirely different to have to belong to Geoff.
“You think I’m not aware of that?” Ryan asked, and Ray’s heart dropped. He felt so stupid, letting himself fall into a sense of security next to Ryan—Next to a Wolf. He felt sick. He felt stupid. He felt angry. At himself, and at all of these fucking Wolves. He moved to reach for his gun, and Ryan instantly turned his head to look at him, his eyes piercing and warning. A hint to keep still, but why should Ray listen to that? As if on cue, all the Wolves stepped closer.
“A package for Ramsey is like hitting gold,” another said, from Ray’s left this time. Ryan took another step back, another step closer. “To claim it is selfish.”
“What can I say, selfishness is in my nature.”
“We know,” yet another said. They were surrounded, just like Ray had feared. “But we think it’s about time for that to change.”
Ray heard the drop of a footstep behind him, one second too late. He was being pulled backwards by the backpack strapped to his shoulders. He reached out, fingers grasping for Ryan unsuccessfully. “Ryan!”
Instantly, Ryan was whipping around to face him. He looked more feral than Ray had ever seen. His eyes were narrowed, and teeth barred as he growled at the Wolf holding Ray. “You don’t want to do that.”
“It’s six against one, Ryan. Give it up, let your plaything go.”
Everything happened so quickly. One second there was an arm across his chest, and hot breath on his neck. The next, he was on the Forest floor, Ryan on top of the Wolf who had just been holding him. Everyone moved at once, piling towards Ryan. This was his chance. He could run, be long gone by the time any of them noticed he was even missing. But then a shout rang out in the midst of all the fighting, and Ray knew that Ryan was in trouble.
He bit his lip and tightened his grip on his bat. “Ah, fuck it,” he muttered, and moved directly towards the fight. He raised the bat high above his head, slamming it down full-force into the back of one of the Wolves. The nails embedded themselves deeply into his back. He howled in pain, and Ray yanked it from his skin.
The fight changed as he entered. The confidence of their attackers faltered as they realized Ray could hold his own and, next to Ryan, they had next to no chance. It didn’t take long for them begin fleeing, leaving Ray and Ryan panting and alone with adrenaline pumping and blood smeared on their faces and hands.
Ryan pulled his jacket off, the white “Big Bad Wolf” logo smeared red, and threw it over Ray’s shoulders. “Your hoodie is too obvious,” he explained quietly. “You stick out like a sore thumb.”
“Thanks,” Ray said, pushing his arms through the sleeves. “And, uh, thanks for net letting them take me.”
“You didn’t run,” Ryan pointed out. “I thought you’d run.”
“You saved my life. I couldn’t just leave you there.”
“I could’ve handled it.”
“Sure.”
“I’m the Big Bad Wolf.”
Ray rolled his eyes, “You’re the Big Bad Softie.”
He couldn’t quite stifle the nerves rushing through him. Couldn’t stop himself from questioning what Ryan’s true motives were. But if it came down to it, Ray could put a bullet through his brain. He could if he had to. He hoped.
They were reaching the end of the journey. Ray could just see the light peeking through the trees far in the distance, and he knew that at some point they would have to address what the fuck was going on between them. Ray just wished Ryan would do… do something. The anticipation was killing him. He just wanted Ryan to attack, to grab at his backpack. To act like a normal fucking Wolf.
But Ryan said nothing. He walked alongside Ray like it was no big deal, even as the edge of the Forest came into view. Ray could see the daylight—bright and welcoming, and oh so close. Geoff’s mansion wasn’t far past that, and then Ray could just go home. He could forget about Ryan, and whatever the fuck was going on between them.
Still, as they got closer to the edge, Ray got more nervous. It just didn’t make sense. Ryan was a Wolf; there was no way he was just going to let Ray walk. His only purpose in life was to take the packages from the runners, so what the actual fuck was going on? He wanted to grab his gun, to have something at the ready, but he also didn’t want to raise suspicion. He wanted to catch Ryan off guard—he just hoped that wasn’t a plan they shared.
They were almost there. Ryan had trekked farther than any other Wolf Ray had known, but he wasn’t surprised. There wasn’t a lot Ryan could do to surprise him anymore. Ray stopped not a foot from the edge of the trees, waiting patiently as Ryan turned to face him with a questioning gaze.
“What are you doing?” Ray asked him.
“I could ask you the same thing,” Ryan replied. “Your destination is right there.”
“Why haven’t you attacked me? Tried to grab my backpack? What the fuck is your game?”
“There’s no game, Ray,” Ryan explained hesitantly.
“Why are you following me, then?” he shouted. “If you don’t want the fucking package, why are you here?”
Ryan shrugged, “You were intriguing.”
“I was—I was intriguing?” Ray sputtered. “What does that even mean?”
“It means you need to stop panicking,” Ryan sighed, rubbing at his eyes. He moved to sit on a nearby rock, Ray’s eyes following every move. “I approached you like I would any other runner. I fully planned to pull that package right out of your pretty little hands, but you were unexpectedly…” he tilted his head to the side, eyes roaming over Ray, “feisty. I decided to play along for a while, follow you on your trek through the Forest. Especially since you were headed straight through the center. Runners don’t do that. Runners are supposed to stick to the edges.
I figured you’d run when that pack attacked, and you didn’t. You stayed and you fought, and you once again did everything I didn’t expect. I’m not going to attack you, Ray. I would be stupid to, this close to the edge. So you can stop worrying; you’ll get that package to Geoff just fine,” Ray didn’t know what to think. He didn’t know if he should believe Ryan, but he’d never really been given a good reason not to. He still couldn’t make sense of the reasons Ryan gave as to why, but if it meant that he wouldn’t have to kill the guy, he would take it.
“So, uh…” he glanced around the Forest, the towering trees and ominous darkness. “I guess this is goodbye, then?”
“Yeah. It was fun, kid.”
Ray shrugged Ryan’s jacket off his shoulders, eyes lingering on the Big Bad Wolf emblem. He wasn’t so big or bad. “I’m not a kid.”
Ryan shook his head at the offered jacket, “You keep it. That sweater is going to get you killed one day.”
“I’ve managed thus far, haven’t I?”
“Luck. Sheer luck.”
Ray smiled, and felt a twinge of… something in his chest. He pulled the jacket back on, because it was warm, and took a deep breath. “I’m sure I’ll see you around,” he said quietly.
“Yeah, sure,” Ryan replied, already backing into the darkness. Ray watched as he went, as his body was engulfed by shadows and only his eyes were visible: piercing blue and glowing. Ray blinked, and he was gone. He sighed, squared his shoulders, and headed for Geoff’s mansion. It was time to end this journey.