Flash Fiction #580 -- Neko's Vacation/6

 Neko slipped under his blanket and barely peeked out.  The truck driver started to leave, but Colin stopped him.

"What is the problem?" Colin asked.

"He's found me here before and said if I stop anywhere in this area again, I'll be sorry.  I believed him.  I don't think he's even as human as I am."

Colin had no chance to say anything.  The state trooper pulled up so close to their car that Neko braced himself for at least a bounce, but it didn't happen.

The man leaped out of the car and stalked straight to Colin and the trucker, with only a quick glance at Luna and dismissing her.  Neko realized he must be pretty stupid.

The breeze blew more rain into the car, along with the scents of the three men outside.

None of them were human.

And one was a dangerous predator.

The trooper leaned into the car.  "You, young lady, out of the car."

"No," Neko shouted as he caught a clear scent.  "Don't do it.  Colin!"

Neko had caught the trooper by surprise.  Colin had noticed nothing particularly wrong. He was quick to act, though.  Colin grabbed the man by the arm --

Or what had been an arm before he changed.  Neko knew that a shape-shifting predator of any sort was dangerous.  The trucker let out a growl -- but then he spun and ran for the trees.

The shape-shifter pushed Colin to the ground and kicked him.  Neko clawed his way over the seat and launched himself onto what was more or less still a shoulder.  Then he bit the back of the creature's neck -- and then an ear.

Nasty tasting thing.

It reached back and grabbed Neko with a ferocious yowl and tossed the cat over the car and out into the highway.

Neko went flat as a pickup and vacation trailer glided over him, kicking up water and mud. By the time the vehicle was gone, Neko remained too petrified to move.  He knew that was stupid.  The next car only had to be a few inches to the right to kill him.

"Neko!" Luna shouted.

He saw her throw open the door and prepare to dash to him.  That was a  mistake because Colin was down and trooper had wanted her out of the car for some reason.

"Back in the car!" Neko yelled, rolled over and darted for cover -- under their own car.

Luna had thrown herself back in and slammed the door as the trooper came over the top to try to grab her --

And then there were others clearly attacking the trooper.  Tree Trolls.  Neko did his best to stay out of the way and not draw any attention, though he did move closer to where Colin lay in the grass and weeds.

Neko crawled on Colin's belly close enough to snag the shirt and tug at him.  The fight had moved to the back of the car.

"Colin?" he whispered.  "Colin!"

"Take the body somewhere else," the trucker said.  "We don't want that found around here, or else we'll never have peace.  Is your friend okay, cat?"

"Colin!"

Colin moved.  Darion arrived in a quick flash of light.  Neko scuttled back under the car, heedless of the mud and rain.

"He'll be fine, Neko," Darion said.  "I just felt the surge of power he'd used and knew there must be trouble.  Those humans down there saw nothing.  I'll get him into the car and go down to deal with them.  Where is the policeman?"

"Dead," Trucker said.  "Shape-shifter."

"You are a tree troll."

"Half.  My cousins took the body away."

"Good. Colin will wake up soon --" Neko saw Darion look into the car and see Luna.  "Hello.  Oh, a seer.  Good.  Colin, get up and sit in the car.  You'll feel better.  Neko get in there with them before you get washed down to the stream."

Neko obeyed, though he was so muddy that he had trouble pulling himself in.  Darion got Colin in first, then pushed Neko afterward.

He closed the door, but Neko opened the window.  It still smelled like predator inside -- so much so that he gave Luna a worried look -- but no.  She was still herself.

Dorian returned quickly.  The two cars were already driving away.  The state trooper's car suddenly disappeared in a quick flash of magic.

"Well," Dorian said, leaning down by the window.  "The car wasn't real.  He must have been preying on people -- and trolls -- for quite some time in that guise.  Good work taking him down."

"My head hurts," Colin complained.  "I really didn't expect this much trouble so soon.  Neko?  Are you alright?  I saw that truck and trailer go over you."

"I was flat and still," Neko said.  He had used some of his own magic to clean off mud and motor oil.  "Thank you for coming so quickly, Darion."

"Let's get to a hotel for the night, make sure there are no repercussions," Darion said. "Then I'll head back to the bookstore."

"I'll unload supplies for my cousins," the trucker said.  "Do you think it is going to be safe here now?"

"That's one of the things we'll find out," Colin said and sounded more himself.  Neko and Luna both gave sighs of relief.  "Shapeshifters are either loners or members of packs.  If there is a pack, we'll have to deal with it.  Go on back, Dorian.  I can handle this now.  Thanks for the help."

"Any time," he said, nodded, and disappeared.

"That is more than a little disconcerting," Luna said.

Colin sat up straighter and used a whisper of magic to clean up, much as Neko had done.

"Luna, if you have changed your mind about this trip --"

"I haven't," she said.  She even got the car moving, honked and waved as they passed the truck, and kept going.

"This is going to be a very long trip if we keep running into trouble every few miles," Colin said.