by Mac Flynn
"Miss Bao sounded perturbed," he commented.
"I'm sorry, sir. She insisted on-"
"I don't know nor care why you two were squabbling. I just don't want it to happen again, got it?" he commanded.
I bit my tongue. The answer I wanted to speak didn't come out. "Yes, sir.
"Good, now put the box on the edge of the desk," he instructed. I did as was told and turned to leave. He wasn't finished with me. "You live on 126th street, right?"
I paused and half-turned to him. His head was raised and his eyes bore into mine. "That's right."
"There's been rumors about a large dog in those neighborhoods. Have you heard anything about it?" he wondered.
I shrugged. "Just rumors."
He studied me for a moment longer before he returned to his work. "All right. You can leave."
I exited the office and walked down the hall. Miss Bao tried to sear a hole in my head with her eyes, but I ignored her until I turned around in the elevators. The doors were shutting. I raised my hand and waved at her. Her face lit up like a Christmas tree that caught fire. She opened her mouth, but the doors closed on her words.
I leaned back against the rear of the elevator and furrowed my brow. My mind went over the facts: a large dog spotted in the neighborhood. Ben mentioned hearing something howling in the night. The rumors about the paper suppressing this juicy story. Why then did Reggie want to know if I knew anything? It didn't make sense.
I tilted my head back and sighed. "People don't make sense. . ."
The day ended like every other day, and I drove home. The gray skies stood out against the darkness of night. My headlights reflected the scattered clouds of fog that floated across the road. A soft rain drizzled on my windshield and pattered the top of my car.
I arrived at my block and found the parking situation was worse than usual. Everybody had wanted to park as close to their apartment as possible. There wasn't an empty spot for two blocks. I parked my car and pulled out my gun and holster from the glove compartment.
"At least I can rely on you," I whispered as I tucked the weapon into its holster.
I stepped out of the car and into fate.
CHAPTER 8
I walked quickly down the street wishing my steps could dodge the droplets of water that rained down on me. The rain fell down my long black hair and plastered the strands against my face. All was quiet and calm. Not a soul was out in such dreary weather.
At least not an uncorrupted soul.
I passed by one of the half dozen alleys that lay along my path. A hand shot out and grabbed my arm.
"Hey!" I yelled as I was dragged into the shadows.
My captor swung me to my left and my back slammed against the wall of one of the buildings. I looked up. My heart stopped. In front of me stood the two thugs from yesterday, and three more of their friends. Their leader stood in front of the group and leered at me.
"Look what the cat dragged in. A drowned rat," he joked. His minions laughed. I narrowed my eyes. My arm reached behind me. "Oh no you don't."
The minion thug from yesterday lunged forward and grabbed my arm. He twisted my arm behind my back and fumbled for my gun. I felt it torn from my holster. He shoved me back against the wall and stepped back to stand beside his leader. The man handed my gun to his boss.
The leader admired my pistol. "A cute little toy." He aimed the barrel at my head and grinned. "How about I try some target practice on you today?"
"That'd teach her to do it on us," his minion spoke up.
The man chuckled and lowered the gun. "Yeah, it would, but that'd be too good for her." His eyes roamed over my body. He drew his tongue across his lips. "But I think I've got a better idea." He stepped forward and used the barrel to lift my chin. His face hovered a few inches from mine. I could smell the stench of his breath. "How about you treat us all to a fun night?"
"And if I refuse?" I questioned him.
He tapped the barrel twice against my chin. "I don't think you're gonna refuse. Not when-" I didn't hear the rest of his words. My eyes caught sight of something above us.
A large shadow.
The shadow dropped from the gray sky and landed between the two rear thugs. They leapt in opposite directions and tried to draw their guns on the intruder. The shadow, clothed in a blood-red overcoat, grabbed one of them by the throat and hurled him out of the alley and onto the street. The other thug fired off a few rounds at the shadow. The shadow spun around and grabbed the top half of his face. It threw him into the opposite building. The man smashed his face into brick and slumped to ground. A blood smear was left on the brick.
The other two thugs pulled their guns and fired at will. Their fearless leader slipped behind me and wrapped one of his arms around my throat. He pressed my gun against my temple and stepped backwards deeper into the alley. The creature looked over its shoulder. Its eyes were as white as fresh snow moon. Only a shadow of its pupil was visible. The face was deformed by a long snout, and long gray fur trailed down its back like a mane. The little skin that was visible was grayish-black and covered in shorter fur of the same color. The hands that hung by its sides were long and ended in white, sharp nails that more closely resembled claws.
The creature narrowed those bright eyes and lunged at the two men in front of us. It swung two punches. Each connected with the gut of one of the men. The force of the punches threw the men off their feet and into the wall I'd just leaned against. My captor pulled faster and tugged me farther away from the creature.
That is, until the creature turned those illuminated eyes on us. The thug froze and pressed the gun harder against my temple.
"D-don't come any closer! I-I swear I'll shoot her!" he warned the thing.
The creature straightened to his full six-foot height. Its shadow fell over us. Those white eyes glared down at the thug. The claws at its sides twitched and balled into fists. The thug who held me quivered. The finger on the trigger shook.
"Stay back!" he screamed. We stumbled backwards deeper into the darkness. The barrel trembled against my temple. "Stay back or-"
His threat remained forever unfinished. The creature stood ten feet away, and the next moment it was beside us. One of its clawed hands grasped the gun and tore it out of the man's hand.
Correction: he tore the gun and the thug's hand away from my temple. The thug screamed in pain and terror. He stumbled back and clutched at the bloody stump where his hand was just moments before. Blood poured onto the ground and mingled with the falling rain. The creature lunged at him. I couldn't see past the thing's overcoat, but I could hear the thug's garbled scream.
The scream died away. The monster straightened. I watched with wide eyes as the thug dropped backwards to the ground. He lay there with his arms spread out on either side of him. The deep imprints of fingers lay around his throat. His lifeless eyes stared up at the falling rain.
The creature glanced over its shoulder at me. My pulse quickened. I stumbled backwards until my back hit the building behind me. The creature turned and strode over to me. It set its palms against the wall on either side of my head and leaned down. Its white eyes studied my face.
My reflection in those beautiful eyes stared back at me. I could see my eyes were wide and wondering. The rain ran down my cheeks like crystal-clear teardrops.
The creature reached out and cupped my cheek in one hand. It tilted its head to one side and a soft purr-like growl rumbled deep from its throat.
A terrible howl echoed down the alley. The creature swung to its right and we both looked into the darkness. A shadow flew from the depths of the alley and crashed into the creature. They tumbled nearer to the mouth and flew apart. The shadow faced the creature, and for the first time I saw that it, too, was some sort of dog creature. Its red eyes glared at the first creature and it drew back its long fangs in a snarl.
The first creature roared and lunged at its opponents. The shadow met the challenge with a leap of its own, and they collided in midair. Their punche
s and kicks were blurs. They dodged and momentarily fell back high up the walls of the opposing buildings. The creatures pushed off the walls and left deep, round impressions in their wake.
The first creature outmaneuvered the second one and threw him deep into the alley. Predator followed prey, and I lost sight of them in the shadows. My ears followed the sounds of their battle as they crashed into each other and the sides of the alley. I pushed off the wall and stumbled towards the noises.
A new noise came to my ears. Police sirens. The fight in the shadows broke off. The noise ceased. I stooped and scooped up my gun from beside the torn arm. The cold metal clasped between my hands told me this was no nightmare.
I heard a man cry out in pain. The voice sounded familiar. I stepped deeper into the darkness and aimed my gun at the shadows.
"Leila."
I swiveled around and pointed my gun to my left and the ground. Behind an overturned trash can sat Red. He clutched his gut. A long gash of blood beneath his hand coated his shirt. My eyes widened. I lowered my gun and knelt in front of him. I couldn't take my eyes off the blood. He gave me a weak smile.
"Funny meeting you here," he choked out.
"What happened?" I whispered.
He coughed. "When you didn't come home I came out to look for you. I walked into this alley and I guess I got caught in the middle of a nasty fight. Some thing in an overcoat sliced my stomach."
"We need to get you to the hospital," I told him.
He leaned forward and grimaced, but shook his head. "I'll be fine. It's just a flesh wound."
I frowned. "It's not just a flesh wound. You're bleeding all over yourself."
"Some of the blood came from that thing's claws," he assured me. He struggled to his feet. I ducked under one of his arms and hefted his arm over my shoulder. His left hand hung close to my face. I noticed there was a slim burn across his palm. "You seem to be doing this a lot," he commented.
"Tell me about it later. We need to get out of here before I make the headlines of my own paper," I warned him.
The sound of the sirens was getting closer. I glanced down the alley. The bodies of the thugs littered the ground. Blood pooled in the puddles.
"This wouldn't be easy to explain to the cops, would it?" he wondered.
I shook my head. "No, so let's get going."
CHAPTER 9
We turned away from the carnage and shuffled down the alley. Our route took us behind the apartment building, but there was a back door. We slipped through there and struggled up the stairs.
"Damn. I wish this place had an elevator," Red murmured.
"You and me both," I agreed as I readjusted his arm. He was heavier than that Mortale guy.
We reached the fourth floor and were met by Ben. He grinned at us until his eyes fell on Red's shirt. The man gaped and pointed at the stain.
"What happened there?" he asked us.
"A little accident," I replied as we pushed past him to the last flight.
"That looks bad," he commented.
"Just some fun with ketchup that got out of hand," Red assured him.
The fifth floor was empty. We slipped into our apartment and I set Red down on the couch. He leaned back and sighed.
"Damn, what a night. . ." he muttered.
The night was far from over. I knelt in front of him and grasped his coat. He whipped his head up and grabbed my hands. I looked up and frowned. He grinned back at me.
"Could you wait for me to recover before you get frisky with me?" he teased.
"I need to check your wound," I told him.
"I'm just as fine as that one guy you were playing with earlier," he insisted.
"He wasn't bleeding all over himself," I argued.
A shadowed expression fell over Red's face. "No, but I was right when I told you he was just fine."
I frowned. "What do you mean?"
He nodded at his coat pocket. "In there."
I reached into his pocket. My fingers touched something smooth, thin and cold. I pulled out a long chain. A long, silver chain. My eyes widened. Four silver beads glistened back at me. The clasp was broken.
I looked up into Red's face. "Where did you find this?" I asked him.
"That thing that got me had this around his neck," he told me. He tilted his head to one side and his dark eyes studied my face. "I knew it was yours, so I grabbed it just before he got me. Maybe that's why he got me."
I furrowed my brow. My eyes flickered up to his face. "How did you know it was mine?"
His eyes flickered away from my face and he shrugged. "I saw it one time when I helped you look for your lost car keys," he explained. He returned his attention to me and leaned close to me. His voice was soft and tense. "I saw that guy wearing it earlier. Why?"
I leaned back and studied the chain. "I left it in my old room and he found it."
"And wore it," Red finished for me. He shook his head. "That guy, or whatever he is, isn't too smart to be wearing something that recognizable when he changes into that thing."
I frowned. The silver reflected the light above us. "It couldn't have been him. . ." I whispered.
Red's eyebrows crashed down. "Why couldn't it have been? You don't even know the guy." I stood. Red leaned forward and grabbed my hand that hung near him. His narrowed eyes looked up into my face. "Where are you going?"
"I'm going to go pay Mortale a visit," I told him.
His expression darkened. "Are you nuts? That'd be suicide."
I tore my hand from his and pulled my gun from its holster. "Not with this."
"Then let me go with you," he insisted. He tried to stand, but when he bent his stomach a cry came from his lips. Red fell back against the couch. "Damn it. . ." he muttered.
I walked to the door and lay my hand on the knob before I turned back to him. "I just can't believe he's that thing we both saw, but I can believe he knows something about it, and I'm going to find out what."
I knew Red would argue with me, and maybe he had a point, but I couldn't tamp down the curiosity me. Something inside me pulled me towards this mystery. I had to know the truth.
I slipped out of the apartment and down to the fourth floor. The hall was empty. I hurried down the passage to my old apartment. My gun was concealed behind my back. I kept a finger close to the trigger.
I reached the door. It was shut. I knocked.
"Mortale? Mortale?" I called.
No answer. I knocked again, harder this time. The unlocked door gave way beneath the force and swung open. I raised my gun and clasped the grip in both hands. The door revealed the bare room. I stepped inside.
"Mortale?" I repeated.
Movement to my left caught my attention. Someone was in the bedroom. I stepped into the open doorway and pointed my gun into the room.
The thin, stained curtains flapped in the breeze blown in through the open window. I lowered my gun. The room was empty.
I reached into my pocket and pulled out the broken necklace. The chain glistened in the weak light from the window. My mind went back to when I last saw the necklace. Red was right. Mortale had been the last one in possession of the jewelry. I tucked the necklace back into my pocket and holstered my gun.
"Damn it. . ." I murmured.
I returned to my new apartment. The couch was empty. I swept my eyes over the area.
"Red?" I called. No answer. My pulse quickened. I strode over to the couch and spun in a circle. "Red? Where the hell are you?"
"I'm glad to see you really were worried about me," a voice teased me. Red stepped from his bedroom. His clothes were changed, though he still clutched his stomach. He shuffled down the hall like Methuselah and eased himself onto the couch. "I thought I'd slip into something more comfortable."
I raised an eyebrow. "I'm surprised you didn't follow me."
He smiled and shrugged. "Sometimes you have to let a girl figure things out for herself. So what'd you find?"
I sat down on the coffee table and shook my head. "Nothing.
He wasn't there."
"And probably won't be if he's that monster we saw," Red added.
I raised my head and studied Red's face. "You're taking this pretty well for believing a monster who's a guy attacked you."
"There are more things in heaven and earth, my dear Leila, than are dreamt of in your philosophy," he quoted.
I snorted. "Now you're quoting Hamlet? Are you sure that gut wound didn't damage your head?"
"Are you sure that scare in the alley didn't damage yours?" he returned. He jerked his head towards the door. "You just faced death and then went back for seconds."
I frowned. "What makes you so sure this guy's a monster? And if he is, what the hell is he?"
Red leaned forward and dropped his voice to a whisper. "You ever hear of werewolves?"
I rolled my eyes. "You honestly believe he's a werewolf?"
"You have a better explanation?" he countered.
"No, but a werewolf? It isn't even a full moon," I pointed out.
Red frowned and fell back against the couch. "Maybe some of the rules don't apply, but you don't have to take my word for it that that guy was there. That necklace I gave you should be enough proof that he was involved, and that he's trouble."
"It doesn't mean much to me," I argued.
His frown deepened. "You also have your promise to keep. You said you'd stay away from him."
I stood and looked down at him. "I guess my promise doesn't really matter now that he's gone."
"It matters to me," Red insisted.
My eyes fell on his gut. "You sure you don't need a doctor to look at that?"
He shook his head. "Nope, and you're terrible at trying to change the subject."
I strolled around the couch and towards the hall. "I've kept my promise so far, and if you don't need me any more tonight I think I'll go to bed. It's been a long night of facing death."
"We'll talk about this tomorrow," he warned me.
"Yes, Mother," I retorted as I slipped into my room.
I shut the door and leaned my back against the entrance. The light from the city spilled into my room. I ran my hand through my hair and a sigh escaped my lips.
"What the hell happened in that alley?" I whispered.
Unbidden, my fingers dug into my pocket. I pulled out the necklace and studied the break. The clasp could be mended. I could wear it and-I pursed my lips. "What the hell are you thinking?" I asked myself.