A homeless veteran, with a story

You glance doubtfully at the Dean, then look into the trees and see nothing. Monica carefully scans the woods, her eyes suddenly careful.

"It might be Pete," she says quietly. "He's harmless."

"Who is Pete?" you ask. "I don't see anyone."

"He's a homeless veteran. He's got a camp out here somewhere. He's been here for at least a year. I haven't seen him for a while but he's ok. Just a little messed up."

"You've met him?" the Dean asks.

"Sure, a few times. I've left him food sometimes."

"You think he was watching...for a while?" you ask, gesturing vaguely.

"Watching you two fuck the daylights out of me you mean?" Monica chuckles. "Maybe. He can move pretty quietly and hide pretty well. But like I said he's harmless."

"Do you know where his camp is?" Kyle asks.

"He moves it from time to time, so no. Really guys, he's no danger, if anything he thinks of the school as something to guard. He's messed up but he's a good guy."

"I don't like hearing about a veteran being homeless," Kyle says quietly, looking at Monica. "Would he come out if you called to him? I'd like to talk to him, maybe see if I can help."

"I don't know," she answers looking doubtful. "I could try." She steps forward, looking up into the trees. "Pete! If you're up there I'd like to say hello. The guys with me are friends, they won't hurt you. If you're there can you come talk to me? You remember me don't you? You called me the Running Girl last year."

There's no reply to her call, no sound or hint of motion.

"Are you sure you saw something Kyle?" you asks doubtfully.

"Sensed it," he replies. "I'd bet someone was there. Not sure if they still are." The three of you look up into the woods. You see nothing at all but you feel Kyle's alertness beside you. You're about to speak when a hoarse voice rasps behind you.

"I'm here Running Girl. Ol' Pete is here."

You turn quickly to see a heavily bearded man dressed in ragged but relatively clean clothes, that look like military surplus. His eyes are dark and wary, his body poised and tense as if ready to flee. His eyes flicker at Kyle then turn to you with a dark assessing gaze.

"Hi Pete," Monica says, her voice cheery. "These are my friends Brian and Kyle. They're good guys. They won't harm you. They just wanted to meet you."

"Ol' Pete ain't good at bein' social," he rasps, his eyes settling on Kyle. He rubs his chin with one hand and you see that it's missing two fingers, the skin wrinkled and puckered with scar tissue. He wears two medals on his chest.

"Marine or Navy?" Kyle asks, adding, "I'm a Marine. Served in Iraq."

"Jarhead," the man says, pointing at Kyle with a movement of his chin.

"That would make you a squid I guess," Kyle answers.

Ol' Pete draws himself to attention and a hint of authority steels his dark eyes. "That would be Petty Office Second Class Squid to you," he snaps, all trace of the wary and slightly obsequious tone suddenly gone from his voice.

"Sergeant Kyle Hawkfeather," Kyle replies, stiffening to attention before stepping forward and extending a hand in greeting. Pete looks at it and then at Kyle's face for a moment before reaching out his mangled hand.

"Ol' Pete don't seek company," he says, his voice slipping back into his previous tone. "Only come out 'cause Running Girl asked. What you want with Ol' Pete?"

"I had the sense you were watching. Just now and a few days ago. I wanted to be sure."

"Ol' Pete's doin' no harm," he says with a rasp. "Just livin'. Just tryna get by. You got no call to harm Ol' Pete mister. No matter what you and the Runnin' Girl get up to. Not my business."

"I'm not going to harm you. I just wanted to meet you."

"You be from the school. You an' this fella. Where all the young misses are. What you doing there, a young buck like him and a jarhead? You gonna tell on Ol' Pete?"

"We're new teachers," you reply, "What would I tell on you for?"

"For livin' here. Got no place to go, but folks get scared of men like Ol' Pete. Think we're after stealing and such. And worse perhaps, with all the young misses up yonder. Think I'd be after doing to them what you and this fella was doin'...to the Runnin' Girl."

"It's ok Pete," Monica says in a soothing tone. "I wanted that. They didn't **** me."

"Ol' Pete can tell. Tell when a miss wants something and when she doesn't. Not like the wolf in the woods. Ol' Pete sees the wolf in the woods. He came some nights back. He took one of them young misses, surprised her and had his way. Screamed she did, but he melted away in the dark as he always does. Like he did all those months ago. Ol' Pete's too smart to be seen by the wolf. He's a bad one. Terrible beast he is."

"Are you saying you saw one of the students attacked two nights ago?" you ask sharply. "Down here?"

The man flinches at your tone. "No need to be mad at Ol' Pete for saying what he saw, mister. I seen it right down there where the woods end. The young misses were drinking and had some young men visit, and then the wolf in woods came and took one of them. He let her go, this time. Not like that other time when he took her away."

"What other time? What are you talking about?" you ask, letting your irritation show with the man's oblique means of speaking. He hunches his shoulders and looks warily from side to side.

"Nothin' mister. Nothin' t'all," Pete answers sullenly, clamming up.

"What do you eat?" Kyle ask with a kindly tone. The homeless man looks at him for a minute before replying.

"Ol' Pete goes to the kitchen, and takes from what they throw out. Terrible wasteful those young misses are. And the Runnin' Girl here sometimes leaves Ol' Pete food. And in town, sometimes Ol' Pete...well he begs. Though it pains to do it, Ol' Pete begs. A decorated veteran though he be."

"What was your ship Petty Officer?"

"No ship. Stationed at Little Creek," he replies, his voice returning to the more alert tone he used earlier.

"What do you mean no ship?" you say, exasperated with the man. "You're in the Na..."

"Little Creek Virginia?" Kyle ask, interrupting you and giving you a warning glance.

"Aye. Until Ol' Pete was deployed. Over there," he gestures vaguely to the east. "A terrible place. Ol' Pete don't like to remember." He looks at you with mute appeal in his eyes. "This is a good place, and Ol' Pete don't do no harm. Don't make Ol' Pete leave mister. The Runnin' Girl knows I'm no harm."

"I'll vouch for Pete," Monica says quietly but firmly. "I met him last year. He's a sweetheart."

"Your safe from us Petty Officer. Both of us," Kyle says firmly, giving you a sharp look. "Look after yourself. Maybe I'll come back sometime." He offers his hand again and after a moment's hesitation Pete shakes with his mangled paw, his eyes staring at Kyle for a moment before he nods and disappears up the trail and into the woods, moving as silently as a forest animal.

"Wow, that was weird," you says, looking at the spot where Pete disappeared. "I'm not sure we should just let him go."

"He's no harm Brian," Monica says firmly. "He's been here for a year and he's done nothing wrong."

"He's clearly mentally ill," you reply. "And it bothers me that he says he was in the Navy but he didn't have a ship."

"Worry about something else," Kyle growls, obviously irritated. "He's Navy. Little Creek is an expeditionary base. Among the naval personnel stationed there are four of the Navy Seal teams. Pete's wearing a Navy Cross, and they don't hand those out like socks. He's not lying. Did you see the way he moved? The guy is a highly trained expert."

You look at him, absorbing the information, before nodding.

"So he's a Seal, and he's camped in the woods and he seems more than slightly crazy. Doesn't that seem potentially dangerous?"

"Sure. But so are a lot of things. He's been here a year and done no harm that we know of. Cut the guy some slack."

"What about all that stuff about the wolf, the wolf in the woods?"

"How the hell would I know?" Kyle snaps with irritation. "I'm not saying he's not fucked up, just that we don't need to make his life worse than it already is."

You look at him thoughtfully, carefully considering what you've heard and recognising Kyle's seriousness. "Ok. I'll keep quiet about him."

"You better," Monica says firmly. "If you ever want to fuck me again Coach Watts."