“But they aren't shifter schools, are they?" someone else shouted.

Peter looked a bit flustered himself.

"This is one of only two schools in the country and one of only a few in the entire world that support our kind, and this is the ONLY one that is able to support such a wide variety of us. How do we go somewhere else? How do we know that whoever this is won't follow us?"

Reichert shook his head.

"There is a reason this individual has chosen Four Corners University. If the goal was to just pick off shifters one-by-one, then walking into the lion's den as-it-were would be very dangerous."

"No," Carla said, softly at first and then with much more force, “Whoever it is wants something here . . . wants someone. Every ‘message’ has a recipient. We need to find out who that recipient is.”

“And the authorities are looking into it." Reichert met the audiences entire gaze all at once.

“Regardless, the safety of the shifters on this campus is our top concern. The council and I will not allow our kind to be preyed upon."

Heda glowered at him from the anonymity of the masses. ‘You'd let Madison get preyed upon,’ she thought.

The Reptile King was oblivious to Heda's distaste at the moment.

"If you want to change universities, there will be a special representative at the Registrar's Office starting tomorrow to help with the process. If you want to stay, there are a guidelines that must be obeyed. First, no shifter should be out alone after dark, and ideally we would like for you all to at least go in pairs during the daylight as well. If you leave campus to hunt or just stretch your muscles, take others with you who can keep up in your environment. I would actually advise going in groups of three or more, just to be safe. For those remaining, we are going to be starting a ‘neighborhood watch' program. A number of you will be asked to head up teams, so be listening for your names in just a moment. If I do not call your name, then find a group and head home. Further instructions will be sent along shortly."

Reichert started rattling off names as Heda and her friends started talking class schedules and so forth. None of them could quite wrap their brains around a serial killer that was targeting shifters, so they simply did the best that they could to deal. It did not help matters that Heda heard her name called out over the crowd. All of her friends looked on with curiosity as she made her way to the podium and the King of Reptiles. She was one of perhaps twenty students, and she was joined by her fellow bird shifter Peter Smith.

Her gaze met Reichert's for a moment, and it was not friendly on either of their parts.

“After talking with the Council, your names were put forward as some of the better combat-trained shifters on campus, and you are also leaders. Even those of you who are new here," he continued, his eyes glancing towards Heda, “have shown an aptitude towards leadership. We will need that. Each one of you will be given overlapping zones on campus to keep an eye on and be responsible for. All of you will be given phones with walkie-talkie features for you and your back-up, who you will choose to act as a point-of-contact when you are drawn away to other responsibilities. All of you who choose to remain and accept these responsibilities will be able to get a free completion for one class not directly required for your major. This will allow you to free up more time for keeping track of things. This offer goes for your back-up as well. If you see or hear anything suspicious, contact the Council office. The phone there will be manned twenty-four-seven until this creature is caught." He looked at each one in turn.

“Do NOT play hero. If you think you've found something, alert myself or the council. We have no idea how dangerous this man or woman is."

Heda was a little conflicted. This type of leadership was more what she had expected of him. Time to push her luck a bit. She raised her hand.

"Yes Miss Adler?"

"Maybe we can use the radio," she said.

"Madison --"

"That DM?" one of the others scoffed, and Reichert was forced to intervene before Heda could threaten anyone.

"I don't see how your friend could help us," Reichert said.

"Please "Yeah, how on earth could someone with a popular radio show that could distribute information quickly to the entire student shifter population POSSIBLY be of any use," she said, sarcasm pouring from her mouth.

"It's a much better idea to try to get a hold of thousands of people one at a time."

"Insolent bitch," a reptile shifter growled. For a moment, it looked like there was going to be a full-fledged species brawl as Peter moved up to support his fellow avian.

"Stop," Reichert said, his voice so stern and hard that even Heda felt little choice but to back down.