by S Bolanos
26
Plan of Attack
I stood in the doorway of Michael’s Craftsman house and wondered when I’d become so comfortable here. Familiarity washed over me as I took in the living room and kitchen already filled with so many more memories my own bungalow couldn’t boast.
“Here you go,” Michael said as he passed me my duffel then turned to secure the door.”
“Thanks.” My fingers tightened around the rough handle and I set off down the hall.
“Don’t even think about going into the guest room,” Michael called out from the front of the house right as my foot crossed the threshold of said room.
Once more in the main bedroom, I heard his voice again, this time too indistinct for him to be talking to me. “Who was that?” I asked when he joined me.
“I let David know we’re back. He’ll be over later.” His bag landed with an audible whoosh on the bed. “Is everything alright? You’ve been pretty quiet,” he asked, his voice tight as he stepped closer.
“Everything is real again.”
“Things are going to be different this time.” He moved a strand of hair out of my face and cupped my cheek. “We have each other and we will conquer this. Together.”
A nervous smile spread across my face. This whole us-thing was still pretty new, but I liked knowing I wouldn’t be on my own.
“What do you say we make the most of our time while we wait for the cavalry to return?” Before I could respond, he leaned down and gave me a playful kiss that sent heat all the way down to my toes.
His duffel fell to the floor with a thud as his mouth sealed over mine. I arched into him, while my hands ventured beneath his shirt to caress the planes of his back. He moaned into me as I dug my fingers into the small of his back, encouraging him closer. We toppled backward to land on the bed and I wrapped my legs around him. Heat passed through me in wave after wave to settle between my thighs. His mouth shifted to my neck and my legs tightened around him, prompting a deeper groan.
The doorbell rang. We both froze, then looked at each other and burst into laughter at our joint expressions of guilt. “We’re worse than teenagers,” I said as we quickly put ourselves back in order.
“I fail to see what’s wrong with that.” Michael brushed his lips across mine in a brief kiss before slipping out on silent feet to answer the door.
I took the opportunity to take stock of my attempts to organize myself. My clothes were rumpled, my hair reached wildly in all directions, and a distinct flush stained my cheeks.
Shaking my head, I splashed cold water on my face and pulled my hair back into a pony then wandered out to see who I assumed would be David. To my surprise, Charline was with him.
“Hey!” An enthusiastic embrace accompanied her cheerful greeting. She gave me a brief squeeze then put me at arm’s length to give me an appraising look. “Your holiday seems to have done wonders for your disposition.”
“Well, I’m looking at things a bit differently now.”
“I can tell.” She gave me a wink and sauntered off to the kitchen, two brown bags in hand. “How are your parents?” she asked over her shoulder.
I took a seat at the bar as she unloaded goodies. “I hadn’t realized how much I missed them. I’m planning to invite them down when all of this is over. Then you can finally meet them. I know you’re dying of curiosity,” I added.
She feigned shock and put a bowl of sweet potatoes and a peeler in front of me. “So, did you tell them?” The room stilled.
I glanced back at Michael. “Of course I did. They have a right to know.”
“I think that’s swell,” Charline said as if the awkward pause had never occurred.
I started peeling potatoes as Michael told David, “Her house is haunted.” I spun back around to address the ridiculous stories Michael had decided to share, but didn’t get the chance.
“It is not. How do you know?” David asked, sounding eager to be proven wrong.
“I’m serious, her house is totally haunted. Her dad told me so.”
“Yeah, but did you see a ghost?” Both of their eyes were wide, filled with a mix of mischief and wonder.
I turned to Charline who was equally intrigued. “Do boys ever grow up?”
“I think some of them grow up quite well.” She gave David an appraising look and I couldn’t help but wonder what mischief they’d been up to over the weekend.
“I swear I almost saw one, you could practically smell them. It was kind of like damp electricity.”
“No way,” David said and I rolled my eyes at Charline who did her best to cover a giggle.
“Is it too much to ask for time to absorb one supernatural impossibility before being forced to accept another?” I asked as I tossed the last potato in the bowl.
“My mama always said things come in threes. So, I’d say you’re due for at least one more,” she said with a shrug then swept the finished sweet potatoes away.
“I really wish I could accept things as easily as you seem to,” I said with an envious sigh.
“It’s called faking it ‘til you make it, dear. There’s not a damn thing I can do about any of it except smile, so that’s exactly what I’m doing.” True to her words, Charline flashed me a dazzling smile, then promptly slid the pan of oiled potato chunks into the oven.
The remnants of another delicious Charline masterpiece vanished before we reconvened in the living room. The friendly chatter faded as the reality of our situation settled between the four of us.
David leaned forward in his commandeered kitchen chair and rested his forearms on his knees. “I’m assuming we’ll pick up where we left off.”
I shifted in my corner of the couch and Michael moved to place a reassuring pressure on my back. David’s gaze flicked to him at the motion, but said nothing and Michael didn’t remove the gentle touch.
“Anyone?” David prompted.
I swallowed against a sudden tackiness in my throat. “We’ll start hunting the hunter, and hopefully find where this killer is holed up.” I sat up a little straighter. “I know it’s not the best plan—certainly not the safest—but let’s face it, we’ve got to do something.”
“Our last scheme didn’t exactly work out,” David pointed out.
I shot him a glare. “We already know how dangerous it could be scouting in the city. The real question is, how do we want to tackle this? Will we go in pairs? What time during the day? How far out do we need to search?”
“That last one is tough. Most of the attacks have happened far away from the office, but we would be remiss to assume that he isn’t keeping tabs on it. After all, that’s where I originally picked up his scent.” Michael’s words sent a shiver down my spine and Charline’s fair skin paled to a ghostly white.
“You know, I think you might really be on to something,” Charline said. I looked at her, amazed at her recovery. “It stands to reason that he’s probably somewhere really close to the office,” she continued. “I mean, don’t most stalkers like to be close to their prey? Somewhere they can keep tabs on their comings and goings? Since Sara stopped being at her house and then vanished for a few days, the only place he could be relatively certain she’d return to would be the office.”
My jaw dropped in amazement at Charline’s glorious execution of logic. Why didn’t I think of that? I looked at the guys. Why didn’t they think of that?
“What? Y’all can stop looking at me like that. I’m not all hair. Besides, now that I’m helping, the least I can do is contribute.”
David choked on his drink.
“What?” she asked innocently.
I reached out to place a hand on the armrest of the loveseat she’d curled up in. “Charline, this isn’t your fight. It’s touching that you want to help, but I can’t let you put yourself in danger because of me.”
She gave an indignant huff. “I’m not going to sit back twiddling my thumbs while the rest of you risk your lives. I refuse to be idle when someone I care about is in dang
er.” She met each of our worried looks with level determination. “Look at it this way, it’ll add unpredictability to the rounds if the people and pairs are constantly changing. Also, I think it should be done in pairs, since no one bothered to ask me. I’ve seen enough horror movies to know that splitting up rarely works out well for those involved, and it would be too obvious if we all searched together.”
I had the sneaking suspicion that no matter what we did, she’d somehow get involved. While I was worried, David was borderline apoplectic. Michael kept shooting him glances and appeared to be on the verge of saying something more than once, but he held his peace.
As I looked around, Michael’s words came back to me.
I’m not alone.
The thought should have comforted me; instead, they left me nauseated. At least two of these people genuinely cared for me and they were putting their lives in danger to protect mine.
“We need to practice intentionally triggering my change,” I blurted into the stillness. Amazed eyes swiveled in my direction. Welcome to left field.
“What?” Michael sounded as lost as he looked.
“I need to learn how to properly defend myself. I can’t keep reacting to my situation,” I elaborated. “Something tells me the usual tactic of ‘play dead’ won’t work and I refuse to be the reason any of you get hurt.”
“What are you suggesting?” David asked.
I could almost see the gears turning in his head. If I wanted to be able to fight, Charline would want to as well.
Much to my surprise, Michael answered. “We already know that in tense or potentially violent situations Sara’s survival instincts trigger. The wolf takes over.” He looked at David for a long minute. Anxiety slithered coldly down my spine as their silent exchange continued. David gave the barest of nods and Michael continued. “We’re going to have to beat that out of you.”
I gave an involuntary shiver at the ominous statement and its blatant threat of violence.
David’s voice cut through the blanket of tension. “No, Charline, you cannot help. No, you cannot be present. And no, this is not up for debate.”
David never looked at Charline, but I stole a glance. The hurt on her face sent a pain through my chest.
Michael’s words were softer. “This isn’t going to be pretty or fun. It’ll be painful and exhausting.” He swallowed hard. “And there’s a very good chance you won’t like either one of us by the time we’re done.” The hollow words seemed to open a chasm between us despite the fact that neither of us had moved.
Charline glanced between us, no doubt sensing the tension. “I think I’m gonna call it a night. What with work and everything.” She made a grand show of gathering her things and I met her by the door.
“I’ll see you tomorrow,” I said.
She gave me the briefest hug. “Good luck,” she whispered before stepping away. She glanced back at David who undoubtedly had heard and scowled at him. “I don’t need an escort.”
In complete disregard of her statement, he gave me a tiny nod and followed her out anyway.
I waited until they were in their respective cars before rounding on Michael. “What the hell was that about?”
He took a deep breath and let it out in a sigh. “I hope you know what you’re asking,” he said, not addressing my concern, then turned and made his way to the bedroom.
I followed hot on his trail, growing angrier with each step.
“I’ve asked you to teach me how to defend myself and the people I care about. What’s so wrong with that?”
“What’s wrong with that?” he echoed. “You don’t know what that will entail. Conquering your triggers will be torture. Literal torture. There’s no other way. And you’re standing there like it’s nothing, like you won’t hate both of us by the time we’re done. Assuming we succeed.”
“Do you want me to stay broken? Is that what you want? To always be a danger to those around me?”
“You’re not broken! You were traumatized. It’s entirely understandable to need to work through the ordeal you’ve been through.”
“And what happens if I freak out in public one day? It’s not like I can go downtown and see a psychiatrist about this.”
He threw his hands up and turned away.
“And who’s to say that all of this constant fear doesn’t eventually cause me to snap? I won’t be a monster, Michael. I won’t be him.” My entire body shook, not from the onset of a change, but from pure human rage. “I’m tired of being ruled by my instincts, of constantly succumbing to my base emotions. I’m more than an animal.”
The anger in his body softened to something that smelled like defeat. He sat on the bed and cupped his head in hands. “If only I’d found him sooner, none of this would have happened.”
“We’ve been through this. That wasn’t your fault, none of this is your fault.”
He looked up at me and the sadness in his eyes was enough to drown in. “What happens next will be. I can’t be gentle. You need to know that. If we hold back in any way, it won’t work.”
I nodded in agreement and wrapped my arms around him. “I wish we could’ve stayed at the house,” I whispered.
“Me too.”
“You’re telling me that all you’ve got on this guy is a smell?” Charline’s voice bounced off the brick and concrete walls that rose up on either side of us to reach towards a distant strip of blue. All of the alleyways we’d been down so far looked much the same and this one was no different.
“Pretty much,” I said as I slid into the lead. Just because she refused to be benched didn’t mean I’d intentionally put her in harm’s way.
“That’s some B.O. But seriously, nothing? I mean, haven’t you seen him like three times now?”
“I don’t really need the reminder, Charline. And in case you forgot, I was kind of being attacked all three times.”
“Fair point.”
I rolled my eyes and tried not to think about how all of the noise we were making was likely ruining our chances of finding anything.
She nudged a loose bit of trash with her toe. “I feel like we should have more clues by now.”
“This isn’t a Nancy Drew novel.”
“I know that. Maybe I should start putting a list together of the details.”
I wasn’t sure if she was talking to me anymore, but the last thing I wanted was to get grilled about my numerous near-death episodes, so I changed the topic. “So, you and David.”
“What about me and David?”
“You two seemed pretty cozy the other night. What did you get up to while Michael and I were out of town?”
“Nothing.”
I glanced at her out of the corner of my eye. “Doesn’t seem like nothing.”
“You know, I think I saw a deli back a short ways. Why don’t I grab us something?”
I stopped and stared at her. “You really don’t want to tell me.”
“I just think actually getting lunch would help make all of this look a little more believable. Don’t you?” She spun around without waiting for an answer and left me staring after her in disbelief. I shook my head and went to lean against the wall while I waited. A second look at the slime-covered bricks quickly changed my mind.
“To hell with it, I might as well go with her. It’s not like I’m doing anything productive out here,” I said to no one in particular.
Something tickled my senses as I stalked past one of the countless side streets we’d encountered. I slowly backpedaled to the entryway and stared down the narrow passage.
Sour tendrils of a scent curled in my nostrils and my nose twitched. A deeper look down the alley revealed no more than slim shadows and miscellaneous piles of trash. I took a hesitant step forward, sweeping my gaze over any number of things that could be the source of the smell that had caught my attention. I hazarded a few more cautious steps before I paused and glanced over my shoulder. I shifted my attention back to the narrower off-shoot that somehow seemed that much
gloomier by contrast.
The sudden clack of shoes on pavement had every hair on my body standing on end. I took a deep breath, simultaneously trying to calm down and not identify their owner. If I lost the faint whiff I was following, I wasn’t liable to rediscover it.
“Find something?” The whispered question startled me so bad I almost lost the scent anyway.
“Good grief Charline,” I hissed. “You scared the crap out of me.”
“I was only asking if you smell something.”
“One of these days, I hope to be as cavalier as you about all of this. Not so much as a blink when asking whether or not, like a bloodhound, if I’ve caught the scent of our target.”
She shrugged, causing the plastic bag in her hand to crinkle loudly in the nearly silent space. “So did you?”
“Yeah, I think so.” Her eyes went wide and I gestured for her to stay behind me as we inched forward together. My frustration increased with each step as the smell remained elusive. We were well down the alley by the time it got stronger. Then another smell emerged, powerful in its rank intensity. I cautiously turned a corner and ran right onto a homeless man.
Charline and I let out a joint screech and the man bolted.
“Oh, God, what’s that stench?” Charline asked from behind her hand.
“I suspect it was that gentleman we scared out of his nap.”
“Please don’t tell me that’s what we’ve been following.” She blinked back tears at the overpowering stench and took a step back.
“No, there’s something else here.” I choked back bile as I carefully moved matted blankets and grime encrusted cardboard with my foot.
Charline whispered words of scorn behind me, but I persisted. I pulled back what I thought to be the last layer, uncovering an old army jacket that had seen better days.
“He was here.” I waved a hand behind me, not taking my eyes off the garment for fear it’d vanish the moment I blinked. “Give me the bag.”
She reluctantly passed over the plastic bag that had previously housed the sandwiches she now cradled in her arm. I placed the threadbare item carefully in the thin container, doing my best not to let it touch too many other things.