Tuesday, March 4, 2014

What does the wolf say?




--Yip. Yipyipyip, ah-roo!--
--Ah-rawoo, yip, yip, yipyipyip!--

"Any idea what in the hell all that racket is about?" James asked in an irritated yet soft voice. Max shook his head distractedly.

"Code of some kind," he replied. "I recognize the phases. Whoever it is, they aren't making random wolf noises."

"We know it's a code," James shot back impatiently. "But what are they saying?"

"Literally, bug-ant-goose dung-eagle-ant-lips, ice-taco ice-sky taco-owl-owl. Like I said, it makes no sense."

James looked at his technologically inclined team mate in shock. And then he started laughing quietly.

"Bug-ant-goose dung-eagle-ant-lips; big deal," he said. When Max looked at his funny, he continued, "Ice-taco ice-sky taco-owl-owl; it is, too. It's code talking."

"Dude, what?" Max asked, sounding confused.

"Quick and dirty cryptology," James said nodding his head in bemused admiration. "Back in WWII, and other wars, the military dealt with the need for unbreakable but fast cryptology by turning to obscure native languages. The Marines used Navajos, the army used Choctaws. The British military used Welsh code talkers as recently as the Balkan Wars."

"Ah!" Max said, sounding delighted by this turn of events. "Like the movie, Windtalkers. I loved that flick. Ok, now that I know what I'm listening too..."

--You think it's going to matter if Mom catches us?--
--Mom doesn't speak Lupin.--
--Dad does--

"Wait, wait wait," James said, interrupting the running translation. "Mom? Dad? These are what, kids?"

"Sounds like kids," Max said nodding his head.

"Like kids kids or just word that make it sound like kids?

"Kids, young ones," Max confirmed. "Or pups, rather. Old enough to have a good grasp on something like this, but not old enough to have started puppetry. And they are making the yips and growls with their human vocal cords. Makes sense, really. They'd need to be human to manipulate the walkies."

"Yeah," James agreed, nodding thoughtfully. "The question is, whose kids?"

"Ask the boss," Max replied.

"Two wolf pups arguing in code over walkies who have a wolf father but not a wolf mother?" Dante said over the cell phone a moment later. "That's easy. It's Loki and Thor."

"Um..."

"More properly, Coby and Bret McMahon," the boss continued with a dark chuckle. "They won't answer to those names, though."

"McMahon?" James said, shocked. "Those pain-in-the-butt ten-year-old twins?"

"Oh, yeah," Dante confirmed, his voice think with dark amusement despite the distortion of electronics and distance. "Never underestimate them, or any other McMahon, for that matter. Nick's a wily bastard, Mooney's a very good investigator, and those boys have the best traits of both of them.

"This is good," Dante continued. "Not only do we not have to worry that the recent activity has anything to do with my sire, he doesn't know that it has anything to do with us."

13 comments:

Serena Shay said...

LOL...Loki and Thor! I wonder how many times they watched Windtalkers in order to perfect a code? Or did Auntie Reetha have something to do with this new language they're sporting? ;)

Rebecca Gillan said...

Something or someone sure changed. After all, the Dangerous Duo had been on a comic book hero/god kick for several years. And then suddenly, real world military movies? That just happen to lead the boys into doing something that helps out rather than their usual aimless mischief? Yeah, probably Auntie Reetha behind it. on What does the wolf say?
Remove content | Delete | Spam Rebecca Gillan at 8:42 AM

Pat C. said...

Love this! I'm surprised all those Special Ops/Navy SEALS shapeshifters in the Harlequin books don't use code like this. Or maybe they do? I haven't read any of those.

Now translate this one: ear flick, tail twitch, butt sniff, butt sniff, lick balls. For the wolf who suspects he may be under observation.

Rebecca Gillan said...

Awesome idea, Pat. Like those military hand signles, only for shifters!

Savanna Kougar said...

That was great, Rebecca! Code shifter speak, or in this case, code wolf speak. Ya never know when it could come in real handy for he times ahead, too.

Pat, I haven't read any of those spec-ops shifter romances, but yeah... course, I guess it could look even more suspicious if animals were somehow communicating through devices???

Savanna Kougar said...

GOTTA LOVE THAT PIC, TOO!

Rebecca Gillan said...

Yeah, I admit it. The pic had nothing to do with the flash. I just couldn't resist sharing it. Maybe it can be that nosy spook, James, getting ready to storm the castle looking for evil code talkers?

Savanna Kougar said...

Whoever, he's a romance hero waiting to be discover. ~smiles~

Rebecca Gillan said...

It just dawned on me that I can blame this flash fiction on Pat, too. She was the one who said "Wind Talkers," after all!

Pat C. said...

Just thought of another definition of "wind talkers." Ralph the bear would know what I mean, especially after a beef-and-bean burrito dinner.

Savanna Kougar said...

There ya go... Fart Codes... I'll bet Ralph is a master of the realm.

Rebecca Gillan said...

Well, that adds a whole new level of meaning to "silent but deadly", doesn't it? Or is it more like Smell-o-vision. "For those time when you need to get a transmission out burring low light conditions."

Savanna Kougar said...

Silent but deadly... that's perfect! ... lol!