* Red watches Kurt work in relative silence. "I do hope he has enough to go on. 
I've never been much for tracking in environments this... rural."
* Red smirks. "I guess I'm just a city girl."
* Preston has been communicating the situation to SAB HQ.  "If Marguerite's 
going to stay in this, I think we should get her to reinforce him.  That way if 
the curse kicks in she can safely be put down without much risk to the town."
* Preston nods.  "I protested a fox hunt or two back in the day, and that's the 
limit of my experience."
* Red nods. "Good thinking on Maggie. And... protested?" She smirks more.
* Preston grins again and directs the helicopter over to the warehouse.  "Well, 
I worked on the campus radio station, and there was this cute activist..."
* Red laughs. "Ah, so you weren't 'green' for it's own sake, then? Preston, you 
hound, you." She's grinning wide, needless to say.
* Preston grins.  "Well, it never seemed quite sporting to me to have a pack of 
hounds after a single fox."
* Preston countermands his earlier order on to move the copter, so you can keep 
covering Kurt.
<Red> For me it's the pack of humans; the pack of hounds doesn't stand a chance 
against one fox. 
<Red> And, where do you need me, Preston? Shall I cover Kurt or the warehouse?
<Red> Although...
* Preston looks at one of the maps.  "Apparently Marguerite is speedy enough to 
make it here without assistance, and I think Drew can handle the warehouse, he 
can call us in if need be.]
* Red pivots her rifle. Can she aim at the warehouse from here?
[Not easily, although it wouldn't be hard for Drew to get a few meters from the 
warehouse and into an area Red could cover.]
<Red> If we need, I can assist Drew from here. Not well, but it'll be something 
to do while we fly to his aid, if it turns out we must. 
* Preston nods.  "And you're right about the fox I suppose."
* Red shrugs, and continues since it's an amusing topic. "It's not necessarily 
that hounds are stupid, mind. It's just that they're not clever like a fox is. 
They don't think on the same level."
<Preston> Makes sense, unless you're in it for the challenge why evolve to hunt 
clever prey when stupid prey is available?
[Red's having some trouble really watching the movements in the forest from this 
altitude given the fairly lush canopy.  Not an early fall this year apparently.  
She thinks she needs a lower angle or is going to have to have a hard (+4) time 
shooting.]
<Red> Well, it's not that, either. A hunting hound is all instinct and loyalty - 
it does as it's bred and trained to do, which in most cases is more than 
sufficient, but foxes exhibit behavior that borders on problem-solving 
intelligence, sometimes. And I think we're going to need to go lower, if I'm 
going to cover Kurt and Maggie. 
* Preston nods.  "Alright, we're away from the city, so hopefully won't be too 
bad.]
<Red> Yes. We all know it's cats who climb trees, not wolves. ...hm. It'd almost 
sound like I have it in for dogs, today. 
<Preston> Best not to mention that to Victor perhaps.
[And about now Arktos catches up to the copter, dang he moves fast.]
<Red> Oh, I'm sure he'd understand. Besides, I do like dog-- well, hello. This 
is unexpected. 
* Arktos flits into the helicopter, nodding to Red.
<Red> Hullo, Arktos. Please try not to rock the boat. 
* Copter pilot seems somewhat startled, but keeps 'er steady.
<Arktos> If at all possible, of course.
<Red> What brings you to the friendly skies?
<Arktos> Transportation. If needed, I can descend rapidly into melee.
<Red> Ah. I think you may be needed. 
* Arktos glances down. "Now?
<Red> Not yet, no. I meant in the forseeable future. 
<Arktos> I see.
* Red pops in a new clip while she's thinking about it. Still the tranq rounds, 
mind, just making sure the rifle's full.
* Arktos turns his head, seemingly looking at the gun. It's kind of hard to tell, 
though.
<Red> What's on your mind, Arktos?
* Red pivots her rifle, trying to keep up with Kurt.
<Arktos> Civilization's advanced quite a bit beyond the bow and arrow.
<Red> Indeed it has. And I guess Kurt's found the quarry. Would you prefer to go 
help, or hear a brief dissertation on how a gun works?
* Red smirks - very slightly.
* Arktos has disappeared by the word 'found'.
* Red grins. "Good boy."
<Red> I suppose robots like Arktos fall into the same area as hounds. 
* Preston watches.  "Rather fast hounds admittedly.
<Red> Very fast. But with no nose, he likely has an inferior sense of smell. 
* Red smirks at Preston. "Got any pepto bismol on you, sir?"
<Preston> I actually did bring along something for air sickness, don't think it 
was quite intended for what Maggie's going through right now."
<Red> I don't know. Kurt was getting some serious air...
* Red looks for the huge were.
<Red> And I think we may have found the origin of our little outbreak. 
* Red is duly impressed by the were's display of might, and finds herself 
slackjawed.
<Preston> Bloody hell, good thing they aren't all like it.
* Red frowns and tries to estimate where the carotid on this beast would be.
* Red winces slightly; not enough to interrupt her aiming. Aim, aim, aim.
* Red aims carefully.
<Red> Bad news; this is male, which means it's not the tourist woman after all. 
* Red continues aiming after that. "Which means we need to find her somewhere, 
and no telling where she is. Damnations."
* Preston gets on ordering a fire crew.
[Cut away for a bit while the main crew initially explores the mansion.]
[You've been moping up at the perimeter for a bit, things have settled now.]
<Red> Preston, it sounds like the others are having a hard time of it. I think I 
should go give 'em a hand, yeh?
* Preston nods and directs the pilot to the mansion, you move like hell, which 
isn't too hard in helicopter.
* Red looks at the mansion. Which room are they in? Any windows on that room? 
What floor?
* Red aims, and takes a potshot at one of the wolves still standing.
* Preston watches the red wolf by Maggie go down.  "Good shooting."
<Red> Thanks. This job never ceases to test my skills, I find. 
<Red> Which may be part of why I like it so much. 
* Red hears the song over the radio net. "..."
<Red> Bloody hell! I think I need to put Marguerite down. 
* Preston looks over.  "I was afraid of that, well, you're using tranqs at least, 
right."
<Red> Oh, I'll put her down gently. But she needs to be put down. 
* Red scowls. "Bad girl."
* Preston blinks.  "Glad I'm in the copter."
<Red> I am, too. 
<Preston> Wow, this is why we didn't want to just send masses of troops.
<Red> Yes. Large numbers of highly trained werewolves would be bad. 
<Red> UP!
* Preston goes white, pilot pulls up on the stick.
<Red> Down! Over the mansion! I don't want her dropping too far when I pop her!
* Pilot moves over there, Preston starts digging through a crate for a bunch of 
syringes of serum.
[Helicopter logs are continued in Hunt and an Open House.]