by Mia Archer
That Joss Whedon guy had gotten some of the details off when he’d been saved by someone from our unique cadre of supernatural creature hunters, but he’d gotten enough right to know that there were chosen people out there who were supposed to be humanity’s saviors when it came to fighting the things that went bump in the night.
The big difference being that in the modern world there was no need for them to go on a tortured one on one battle against the supernatural creatures that desperately wanted to run the world like they had in the bad old days. No, humanity had invented a bunch of very interesting ways to kill one another over the years, and a lot of those tools could be turned on the supernatural creatures that went bump in the night.
So I took his hand. He surprised me again by pulling me in for another hug.
“I stayed away like you asked,” he said.
I rolled my eyes. “Are you seriously quoting Wrath of Khan at a moment like this?”
I pulled away and stared at him. He grinned under his bristling mustache that had been on his face for so long that it’d come back around to being in style all over again.
“You remembered,” he said.
“I remember a lot of stuff from growing up,” I said. “A lot more than you’d think. The real bitch is a lot of it has come in handy lately, and I don’t like that it’s come in handy lately.”
“Hey, I even stayed away when I heard you were involved with something in that movie theater a couple of nights back,” he said. “I didn’t want to stay away, but I knew you wanted a chance at a normal life and I gave that to you.”
“So what did bring you out here then?” I asked, looking at the soldiers all around us.
I could hear the sound of rifle fire drifting across campus, along with the unmistakable sound of military vehicles moving through the place.
Which played hell with the constitution and all sorts of stuff regarding posse comitatutus, but I wasn’t going to bring that up with dear old dad.
“Actually that would be my fault.”
I turned and found myself staring at none other than the chief. I suppose that shouldn’t have come as a surprise, but considering I thought he was dead it certainly was a small shock.
“You’re alive!” Cara said.
The chief turned to look at her, his mustache bristling, and he seemed more amused than anything.
“Rumors of my death have been greatly exaggerated,” he said. “I think that’s the line, isn’t it Reg?”
He turned to my dad and slapped him on the back. My dad barely seemed to notice the slap even though it sounded meaty. It was the kind of slap that had some heft to it, is what I was getting at.
It was the kind of slap that would’ve knocked the wind out of anyone but one of the chosen who was supposed to fight the supernatural creatures that wanted to make this world their own.
“You know each other?” I asked.
“I told you I’d seen some stuff when I was in the military,” the chief said with a shrug that it was the most natural thing in the world that the stuff he’d seen when he was in the military was the supernatural sort of stuff most people would rather forget. “I guess you weren’t listening.”
“I was listening,” I said. “I just didn’t think you’d be so familiar with my dad.”
“And I wondered if there was any relation when I heard your last name,” he said. “To think I’ve been dealing with Reggie Talbot’s daughter all this time! I should’ve left everything to you from the beginning and been done with it!”
A howl pierced the darkness nearby. Several soldiers disappeared into that darkness, and a moment later there were several flashes in the darkness that said the werewolves who were attacking campus were far from the baddest motherfuckers on the block now.
“So what were you doing making your way through campus anyway?” Dad asked.
“I was looking for the bitch in charge of all the werewolves,” I said.
Dad frowned. “You know that’s not going to do a damned thing if you track down the head werewolf. Paris was not an accurate representation of how werewolves work.”
“Oh I’m well aware that’s not how they work,” I said, my fists clenching and unclenching as I hit Cara with a significant look. “I just want a chance to get back at the bitch who killed a bunch of my friends.”
My dad stared at me for a long moment. It was one of those moments where I worried he might not play along. Where he might worry about sending his little girl into battle.
That didn’t seem like the man I’d known growing up, but then again a lot of years had passed since we’d last seen one another. The man I’d known growing up could’ve changed. Maybe he’d decided he didn’t want to put his little girl in danger.
It was a silly worry, though. Because he grinned and slapped me on the back. He pulled me in for another bear hug, and then pushed me back, holding me by the shoulders.
It was a weird sensation. I’d never gotten that kind of approval from him growing up unless we were training. It was the kind of thing that’d always driven me nuts, but now as I saw him looking at me with pride clear in his eyes it felt good.
I’d always told myself I’d never dance on his strings. Only now here I was, the world giving me no choice, and I found that I actually rather liked dancing on the strings, as fucked up as that was.
“I’m proud of you,” he said.
“Wait until I’ve finished taking care of business,” I said.
“I have no doubt that’s exactly what you’re going to do,” he replied.
“So do you think you can give us a little help getting to the movie theater?”
Dad pulled back and listened to the chaos going on all around campus. Then he turned back to me and shook his head.
“I don’t think you’re going to need any help getting across campus considering the way everything is going, but I can send a detachment along with to make sure the theater is locked down. Will that work?”
I grinned. “I’d like that very much.”
“Good,” he said, suddenly all business.
He held his hand up and made a couple of signals that I recognized from all the training I’d gone through years ago. The head of the detachment, a lieutenant, nodded politely.
“Ma’am,” he said. “An honor to work with the general’s daughter.”
“The general’s daughter?” Cara asked, grinning from ear to ear.
She was enjoying this entirely too much.
“Let’s not talk about it right now,” I said.
“Of course not, ma’am,” Cara said, sketching a salute.
I glanced to the soldiers all around us. More than a few of them were laughing at my situation while trying not to look like they were having a laugh at the expense of the general’s daughter. I rolled my eyes.
“Okay,” I said. “I want to get to the theater without the werewolves realizing what’s going on, and then I want it surrounded. I don’t want anything that isn’t a werewolf getting in there, and I don’t want anything that is a werewolf getting out.”
I paused for a moment. Glanced around. And then my eyes came to rest on the lieutenant. He was glancing at my dad as though he wasn’t sure what to do.
“Do whatever she says,” he said. “I’ve been training her in this since the day she was born.”
“Yes sir,” he said.
I suddenly realized I’d just naturally tried to take command without thinking about what I’d done. It came naturally to me, and I disliked that almost as much as I disliked the unnatural strength that’d hit me since this whole clusterfuck had started and my body had started responding to the supernatural threat by manifesting the family lineage.
“You’re good at that,” Cara said as we broke apart from the main body of soldiers and headed off towards the village.
“Shut up,” I said.
“I’m not saying that’s a bad thing,” Cara said. “It’s actually kind of hot.”
I rolled my eyes. I was going to
sprain whatever muscle helped me roll my eyes if this kept going tonight.
“We can talk about that later,” I said. “Right now I have a werewolf bitch to kill.”
37
Kirsten
“Are you sure there’s even anything in there?” Cara asked, peering at the seemingly empty theater from across the street.
“They have to be in there,” I said.
“So what are we going to do about this?” Cara asked.
“What we’re going to do is go in there and have a chat with the head werewolf bitch,” I said.
“We?” Cara asked.
I turned and grinned at her.
“You don’t have to go in there if you don’t want to,” I said. “I can handle myself.”
I checked that my gun was at my side and my sword was ready to go. I figured there’d be more than a few werewolves in there, but that didn’t change the odds. No, I was the one hunting them, dammit, and they were going to pay for screwing with my life!
“There’s not a chance in hell I’m not going in there with you,” Cara hissed.
“Suit yourself,” I said.
“Are you sure about this?” the lieutenant, his name was Colombo, asked.
“Do you remember what happened in Kansas City, Colombo?” I asked.
“I do,” he said. “It’s standard reading for anyone who joins the Supernatural Forces.”
“Right,” I said. “Well we’re going to do a Kansas City here. Got it?”
He held my gaze for a long moment.
“You know part of the reason that’s part of the standard training is everyone agrees the old man was crazy when he did it, right?”
I reached out and patted him on the cheek. Which didn’t strike me as the kind of thing that was a great thing to pull with a special forces soldier who was used to dealing with supernatural creatures, but he didn’t do anything.
“It’s a good thing for me I’m a chip off the old block, right?”
“I should radio this in,” Colombo said, suddenly unsure of himself.
“You go ahead and do that if you want to lieutenant,” I said, turning and walking through the barricade of soldiers. “But I have an appointment with an alpha werewolf bitch, and I’m not going to miss it.”
“Wait!” he said, but he wasn’t nearly strong enough to stop me.
Everyone else but the lieutenant seemed fine with letting me go into the werewolf infested theater on my own. I thought I could see shadows moving in there as we stepped up to the door and I pushed it open.
I shook my head as I got a good look inside.
“They’ve really gone all out with the theming on this one,” I said as I glanced up to the marquee advertising werewolf movie night that hadn’t been taken down since the attack two nights ago.
The sign was appropriate, because it was literally a werewolf movie night in here. A bunch of them turned to face me. They were in lines moving up to the concession stand. They were moving in and out of the theater, and I could hear the familiar sounds of everybody’s favorite Gary Busey werewolf vehicle playing in there.
“What the hell is going on here?” Cara asked, looking around.
Of course there were some things that were off compared to my aborted date night. The werewolves weren’t eating popcorn and candy. Disembodied arms and heads and other body parts from the unfortunate bastards who’d been sacrificed in the werewolf takeover of campus lined the concessions.
“Nothing good,” I said, my face grim. I held my gun up high.
“Right,” I shouted. “Which one of you motherfuckers is going to take me to your leader?”
The werewolves glanced around as though they were unsure of themselves. I wasn’t sure if that was because this wasn’t part of the plan, maybe I wasn’t supposed to make it here in the first place, or because none of them wanted to be the first one to approach me considering how many of their BFFs I’d ended.
“Any takers?” I shouted.
There were none. So I lowered my gun and drilled the nearest one between the eyes. It fell back with a surprised snarl.
“Anyone else want to not give me what I want tonight?” I growled. “Because I’m not in the mood to fuck with any of y’all.”
That got them into motion. There was a growl from one end, near the entrance to the theater, and a hulking werewolf stepped out.
“Are you who I’m looking for?” I asked.
The werewolf kept moving forward, and as it did it started to change. The hair started to move back into its body. It went from a hulking bodybuilder monstrosity to a lithe young woman. A pretty young woman, too, and she wasn’t wearing a stitch of clothing. Not even the red hoodie I’d seen on her the last time we met.
“So it is you!” I said.
“It is me,” she said, staring me in the eyes.
I kept my eyes on hers. The last thing I wanted was to give this werewolf bitch the satisfaction of checking her out.
“I wondered if you’d make it here tonight,” she said. “The night of my ultimate triumph!”
I exchanged quick glances with Cara.
“Um, are you sure about that?” Cara asked.
The girl paused.
“What are you talking about?” she asked.
I paused and listened to everything happening outside. I got the feeling it hadn’t been quiet enough in here to hear the chaos out there until I stepped through the door and gave them a reason to be quiet.
Only now the sound of guns going off all throughout campus was clear. It was the sound of a werewolf massacre.
“Oh dear,” I said. “I think the US military just showed up and they’re spanking your werewolf buddies with silver bullets.”
Her eyes narrowed.
“You lie.”
“Do I?” I asked, shrugging.
She almost moved faster than I could react. I brought my sword up, but it turns out I didn’t have anything to worry about. She moved past me and looked out into the street beyond. When she turned back she shook her head and laughed.
“I don’t know what game you think you’re playing here, hunter, but you’re not going to trick me with something as simple as a speaker playing war movie sound effects.”
“If that’s what you want to believe,” I said.
“Where’d everyone go?” Cara hissed, looking out into the street where there were no soldiers in evidence.
I shrugged. “I guess there were never any soldiers out there to begin with.”
“You will come with me,” the girl said.
I shrugged again. “It’s not like I have anything better to do, right?”
“Correct,” the woman said. She looked me up and down again. “I’m going to enjoy adding you to my pack. I certainly hope you’re into humiliation.”
“It’s honestly never something I’ve tried, but I suppose we could give it a shot and see what happens,” I said with a shrug.
“What the hell are you doing?” Cara hissed.
“Just watch and play along,” I said, not bothering to hide it as a whisper. They could hear me anyway with their werewolf hearing.
The barest hint of a smile played across the alpha’s face. She thought she was running the show. She was about to learn just how wrong she was, but I figured if she wanted to have this one little moment of triumph then I might as well give it to her.
It was always nice when people were happy in their final moments, after all. Even if she had no idea she was enjoying her final moments.
“I assume you’re familiar with this movie?” she asked as we stepped into the theater.
I looked up to see Gary Busey peering out a window looking for a werewolf that’d been doing its peeping Tom thing just moments ago.
“Sure,” I said. “It used to terrify me as a kid.”
“As it should,” she said. “Werewolves should terrify everyone. For too long we’ve been relegated to second tier status. The best we could hope for is cheesy movies with terrible special effects about
us made by independent filmmakers. Or a big budget movie where we’re relegated to the second tier love interest next to a sparkling vampire!”
Her voice was getting more and more heated. Clearly this lady had some issues with the way werewolves were depicted in pop culture.
“Are you okay?” I asked.
“Why wouldn’t I be okay?” she asked, hitting me with a slightly unhinged smile.
I rolled my eyes. Monsters. They all wanted to monologue at you before the end, but it was working in my favor now.
“Join me up at the front of the theater, please,” she said.
“Certainly,” I said.
“Kirsten,” Cara asked. “What the hell is going on here?”
“Just play along,” I said.
Werewolves surrounded us. It bore more than a passing resemblance to the church sequence in the middle of the movie up on the screen. I glanced up just in time to see a werewolf burst through the wall and growl at a terrified Gary Busey who was almost as terrifying as the prosthetic horror.
The werewolf alpha pulled us to the front of the theater. There was a little raised stage at the front she stepped onto. One of the benefits of being an ancient theater from before the dawn of time. She held up a hand, and for a wonder the movie actually paused.
I peered up into the booth. The theater was always going on about how they used genuine film cameras for their movies, but as far as I knew that wasn’t something that you could do with a film projector. Then again it’s not like I knew anything about how projectors worked.
Besides, I was more interested in the werewolves up in the projection booth running things. It was a moment straight out of Gremlins 2, only the Hulkster wasn’t here to scare off the werewolves infesting that booth.
I guess I’d have to do all that work.
“Rejoice my pack!” the alpha shouted, throwing her hands into the air.
Which caused several parts of her body to jiggle in a most interesting and distracting way, but I forced myself not to look.
After all, Cara was standing right there. The last thing I wanted was for her to see me checking out the crazy hot werewolf girl.