"They're not here for me."
"What? Whatever. Do you have a cell phone?"
"Of course not. I've been trying to kill my old name, remember?"
"Shit. Mine's upstairs. Let's try a window."
Nathan slid open the tiny basement window above the computer. Marie had a chance at sliding through, but didn't think Nathan would fit.
"Go," he said.
"I can't leave you here."
"Go and get help! I'll try to find a place to hide."
Marie jumped on the desk and reached for the window. She pulled herself up with Nathan shoving from under her. It was a tight fit, but with a wiggle here and there, she slowly made progress. She was halfway out, her hips pressing against the window frame, when she heard a voice in the basement.
"Hey, Nathan. Trying to run away before saying hi?"
"Eddie?" Nathan said. "Is that you? What the hell is going on?"
"I'm glad you remember me. Do me a favor, and pull that woman back in here, before I kill you both."
Nathan hesitated, and Marie heard the cocking of a gun. He grabbed her by the back of her tights and pulled.
"I'm so sorry," he whispered.
Marie squeezed back into the basement. She nearly tumbled off the desk, but Nathan held her and helped her down. She turned to face the three new men in Nathan's home.
Eddie stood in front, a gun at his side. Two large men were just behind him, oozing menace. All three of them had obviously seen their share of fights. A few scars here and there, and one of the men had fresh cuts on his knuckles. Marie locked their scents away, just as other people would remember their faces. She was just as proud of her hearing and nose as she was her eyes.
"What are you doing here?" Nathan said. "What's going on? Did you break into my house?"
Eddie didn't answer. He toured the basement as his henchmen stood motionless. He took in the computers, the cameras, all the technology.
"So, this is where you do your thing. This is where you gave my father a new life."
Nathan rolled his eyes. "Oh, no. Let me guess. Your father got caught, didn't he?"
Eddie, not appreciative of Nathan's tone, glared at him. He shifted his attention to Marie.
"And who's this fine little lady? Damn," he said, stretching out the word. "Do you got a boyfriend?"
Nathan took a subtle step in front of Marie, and she had to admire his bravery, if not his choice in previous clients.
"Your father, he didn't listen to a word I said," Nathan said. "I told him, if he wanted a new life, he had to give up his old one. But he didn't. He hung out at the same places, talked to the same people."
"He was arrested last week," Eddie said. He kept his eyes on Marie, and she didn't like the look he was giving her. "And he's staring at a lot of time."
"Well, what do you want me to do? I'm not a lawyer." Nathan put a hand on Eddie's shoulder. "Look, you're mad at me, fine. But the woman here doesn't have anything to do with us. Let her walk out the door."
He swatted Nathan's hand away. "I don't know. I'd like to see her crawl through that window again. That was a nice view."
Eddie laughed, and his henchmen did the same. He reached out to touch Marie's hair. She backed up a step, and their eyes met.
He didn't like what he saw.
He'd seen fear before. Half of his father's men were more afraid of Eddie than anyone else. Even Nathan, despite his best bluff, had that sparkle of fear in his eye.
Marie Johnson was not afraid.
He shifted his attention back to Nathan. He'd get to the woman later, maybe have a little fun. She did look good in her tights.
"Who said anything about wanting you to do something? I'm just here to work off some steam. And that pretty lady might be able to help with that, so she has to stay."
"Look, Eddie—"
"Shut up."
Eddie threw a left fist, catching Nathan in the nose. Nathan stumbled back and fell against his computer desk. Marie was at his side in a second. She squatted next to him and tried to keep him steady as blood poured out of his nose.
"You don't have to do this," Marie said. "Just take what you want and go."
"Just take what I want," he repeated. "Hmm, don't mind if I do."
He grabbed Marie by the wrist and pulled her to her feet. He managed to get one hand under her blouse before she clawed at his face. Grimacing in pain, he put a hand to his cheek to feel blood. Rage took over, and he punched Marie in the stomach, making her double over. His henchmen jumped at the aggression, but did nothing as he kneed her in the jaw, then threw her across the room. Marie fell into the makeshift photo booth, dragging the curtain to the floor with her.
Eddie raised his gun and shot Marie three times through the curtain.
Nathan watched in horror, everything inside him going numb. Eddie stood over him with his henchmen just behind.
"She really made me angry."
Nathan protected himself from the beating as best he could.
CHAPTER 2
Marie winced in pain as she lay on the floor. The curtain covered half her body. Only her legs were exposed. Slowly, the pain shifted from sharp and agonizing to merely uncomfortable. She had bullets in her thigh, shoulder, and stomach. The stomach wound hurt the most. She pressed a hand to her belly as quietly as she could to try to slow the bleeding, at least until she could heal.
She did nothing as Eddie and his men beat and kicked Nathan. From her vantage point she could see under the edge of the curtain. Nathan was pressed all the way against the basement wall. He bled from the nose and mouth. Marie felt terrible. She wanted to help him, but it simply wasn't a smart idea. Whatever mess he'd gotten himself into, it had nothing to do with her. She didn't want to spend the first day of her new life dealing with mafia boss's children, or whoever Eddie was.
What if they killed him?
Marie tried to push the thought from her mind. They wouldn't kill Nathan. They'd hurt him for sure, maybe break a bone or two. But then they'd leave, and she'd get up, cook up a story about how she was alive, and then resume her life. She'd move to Sandy Cliffs and put her old life behind her.
"Stop!" Nathan shouted. A bloody tooth fell from his mouth. "Eddie, I think I can help!"
"Oh, is that so? I'm all ears."
"I'm really good at network security. I might be able to hack in to the police's system and change some records. I can try all kinds of things."
"Well, what are you waiting for? Get to it. But try anything funny, and I put a bullet in your neck."
Marie shifted quietly, moving the curtain ever so slightly to get a better look. The three thugs hovered over Nathan as his fingers flew over a keyboard. Her brow furrowed at Nathan's timing. It would have been better to offer help before she was shot three times, or he was beaten raw.
She grew restless. Ten minutes passed, then twenty. Her wounds stopped bleeding, but her foot was falling asleep. Patience was key. The situation around her wasn't what she thought it'd be when she left her house for the last time in the morning. Even if it wasn't a situation of her own making, she would deal with it. That's what she always did.
"This is taking a long fucking time," Eddie said. He pushed Nathan's head with the barrel of his gun. "You'd better pick up some speed."
"I'm going as fast as I can."
Marie felt terrible for Nathan. Obviously not all clients could be as sweet and lovely as her, but he needed to do a better job of screening customers.
"Let's see if this helps give you some focus."
Eddie pulled something from his pocket and dropped it on the desk in front of Nathan. Marie only got a quick glimpse, but could tell they were Polaroid's. The thought almost made her laugh. She couldn't remember the last time she'd seen someone with a Polaroid camera.
She couldn't see the pictures, but could see Nathan's reaction. His shoulders dipped as his hands started shaking. He sniffled quietly, and the silence seemed to stretch before he found words.
"My wife and daugh
ter."
"Bingo. They're alive. How much longer depends on you. Start giving me some good news."
"Please…don't hurt them!"
Eddie struck Nathan once again across the face.
Marie bared her teeth.
In that moment, she knew what she would do. A million reasons crossed her mind on why she should have continued to lay on the floor, pretending to be dead. Nathan created the mess he was in. It was none of her business what happened to him. Sometimes bad things happened to good people, and people were hurt every single day. The risk of exposing herself wasn't worth it, especially on the first day of her new life.
But she thought of Terri and Mackenzie. A mother and daughter, on their way to rehearse for a children's play, abducted by more of Eddie's men. Anger took over, and she didn't bother fighting it.
She couldn't lay still any longer.
She embraced the change, let it wrap around her like a warm blanket.
The familiar sensation of pain and pleasure attacked her. After so many decades, so many changes, she wondered if a day would ever come when she'd get used to it.
The bones in her legs broke first, like they always did. She tried to be quiet, but that was nearly impossible. The muscles shifted and twisted. Organs moved in her body. Her clothes ripped, and despite the fact that her blouse and tights were covered in blood, she was angry at ruining yet another set of clothes.
One of the henchmen turned in place. "What the fuck?"
"Eddie? You shot that bitch, right?"
Eddie and his men forgot all about Nathan. All four of them turned and watched the curtain move on the floor. Marie pulled herself to what was left of her hands and knees as her sandals split, one of her favorite pairs. The curtain covered her completely, but none of the men dared move close enough to reach for it.
She moaned quietly. Slowly her own voice changed, growing deeper, until it no longer sounded human.
"Barry," Eddie said. "Go uncover her. See what's going on."
"Fuck you."
"Fuck me? I'm your boss."
"I'm not going near there."
"Pussies."
Marie felt the sting of what might have been two mosquitoes at her side, and tried to smile when she realized Eddie shot her two more times. Her face wasn't the same, though, and the smile didn't come off right. The bullets fell at her feet, right next to the first set of bullets that already popped from her flesh.
Hair rippled across her entire body. The scents and sounds exploded around her. Nathan's sweat. Eddie's semen-stained underwear from an earlier sexual encounter. The henchman Barry's aftershave.
The last part of her change took place. Her jaw broke and her face stretched. Teeth grew, the canines forming into sharp, deadly fangs.
"What is this?" Eddie asked, shoving Nathan against the desk. "What the hell is she?"
"I-I don't know."
Eddie grabbed Barry by the shoulders. "I told you to go check it out."
He shoved Barry toward Marie. She sensed his movement, just beyond the curtain. He tried to stop himself, but he was too late. His foot came to rest mere inches away from the edge of the fabric.
Marie lashed out. Her jaws clamped around Barry's calf, and the henchman howled. Eddie tried to raise his gun, but Nathan tackled him to the floor. The third nameless henchman stepped forward and kicked Marie in her head, but she didn't budge.
She shook violently, throwing the curtain off her, along with what was left of her clothes. Barry's leg was still in her jaws, and he fell to the floor from the agony. She loosened her grip and clamped down a second time, snapping through bone and severing his leg completely.
Her taste buds had changed during the transformation as well. Barry's blood was honey, his flesh filet mignon. She stole one last lick from what was left of his leg with her long tongue before surveying the humans, just like the humans were surveying her.
Her view of the basement was different. No longer did she stand on two legs, but crouched on all fours with her face just inches above the ground, ready to attack anything. She still growled angrily at Eddie and his men's willingness to destroy a family. Blood dripped from her mouth to the floor.
Barry thrashed in terrible pain next to her, and she skipped to the side slightly to avoid his flailing. Nathan and Eddie wrestled on the floor, each fighting for control. The third henchman stood motionless, in shock, as he stared at the creature before him.
Marie smiled. The scent of urine touched her nose. The henchman had lost control of his bladder. She couldn't blame him. She was one-hundred fifteen pounds as a human, but she gained a bit of mass after the change. That translated to a sleek, powerful creature. She'd seen pictures of herself and caught her own reflection many times over the decades. There was even a grainy video of her on the Internet. She was an imposing beast. Vicious fangs, lean muscles, incredible speed, razor sharp claws, more like a cat's claw. A mob of humans didn't stand a chance against her, much less three clumsy ones in a crowded basement.
The henchman made his first wise decision, and turned to run, but only made it to the second step before Marie leapt through the air. She landed on his back and bit into his bicep. His teeth cracked as his face hit the steps. He tried to turn and beat Marie with his free hand, but she thrashed with his arm in her mouth, and all he could do was scream.
She was ready to end his life with a bite to the neck when she heard Nathan cry out in pain behind her. She spun to see Eddie had broken Nathan's arm and finally gained control. Eddie mounted Nathan and beat him with little resistance. Marie snarled and raced down the stairs. The fight was over very quickly when she raked a claw down Eddie's back, easily ripping through his shirt and flesh. He shouted and arched his back from the pain. She sank her teeth into the back of his collar and dragged him off Nathan. Eddie pulled a knife from the bottom of his jeans and turned to attack, but was simply too slow. Marie caught his wrist in her jaws, and with one snap, ended the threat. Eddie's severed hand fell to the floor, the knife still in his grip.
The motion in the basement finally died own. The floor was one massive pool of blood. Barry lay motionless not far away. He was alive, as Marie could hear his faint heartbeat, but unconscious. Eddie lay in the fetal position, clutching his stump of an arm. Nathan slowly pulled himself to his feet as he surveyed the destruction around him. The third henchman was gone, deciding it was best to run and fight another day. He dropped his cell phone on the steps during the escape.
Marie lowered her head to the floor and lapped at the spreading blood. The wounds from the earlier attack healed. She would always heal naturally on her own. Blood and meat simply sped up the process, and it was also delicious.
She kept one ear cocked toward Nathan, just to make sure he didn't do anything foolish. She stretched her front paws as far as she could and willed for the change. The change was already a painful experience, and she didn't like going through two so close together. But it would be hard to talk to Nathan without human vocal cords, and Eddie and Barry weren't a threat.
Her bones broke once again, and her muscles shifted. Her paws changed to legs and arms as she whined. That whine turned to a feminine cry. Nathan gasped behind her. Her change back to human was never a modest experience. She was naked, on her hands and knees, with her ass in the air. She nearly fell on her side, but managed to keep her balance.
Marie cracked her neck as she rose to her feet. Nathan took a step back, bumping into his desk. Eddie looked up at her, but didn't dare move. She looked at her reflection in a mirror hanging on the wall. Crimson streaks covered her entire body. Her hands and feet were soaked in blood, as was her mouth. Her hair looked beautiful, almost making her laugh.
Eddie rocked in pain. Marie looked down at him, meeting his stare.
"Still want me to help you let off some steam?"
"What the fuck are you?" he asked.
She smiled, baring her bloodstained teeth. She wondered even after what Eddie just witnessed if he'd believe her if she told him. His
gun lay on the floor near the steps. He'd lost it in the fight with Nathan. Marie wasn't keen on guns. She held her own just fine without them, and she'd been hunted too many times by men wielding them. Still, they had their uses.
She grabbed what was left of her tights with her left hand and scooped the gun from the floor. There was no need to put her fingerprints on a weapon. She shot Eddie in the head. No departing comments, no last words. Nathan jumped behind her and started to cry. She took a step toward Barry, who was still unconscious, and ended his life as well.
Marie looked down at her naked body as Nathan shivered in the corner. It would take a thorough scrubbing to clean up, one she didn't have time for. She stood near the steps and tried to lock onto the third henchman's scent. It wasn't easy, with so many distractions, but thought she had a good feel for it when Nathan finally spoke.
"They-they're all dead."
"Well, that one guy got away." She dropped the gun to the floor and gestured to the cell phone. "But he won't be calling anyone."
He was obviously going into shock. She wanted to grab his shoulder, calm him down, but figured he didn't need any more blood on him. He looked back and forth between Eddie, Barry, and Marie.
"Y-You said you weren't a murderer."
She laughed shortly. "I'm not. I'm a werewolf. Believe it or not, there's a difference. And…you're welcome."
His eyes glazed over at the new information. Marie grabbed the curtain from the floor and wrapped it around herself as best she could. Holding the curtain to her chest, she retrieved the Polaroid photos on the edge of the desk. Terri and Mackenzie were sitting in the back of a van with the doors open. Their hands and feet were bound with rope, tape over their mouths. The fear in their eyes was easy to read. Terri had a bruise on her cheek and a small cut on her forehead.
Nathan's eyes fell on the photos and he snapped back to the moment. "My family," he said. "They've got my family."
"Who?" Marie said, but shook her head. "No, never mind. If we want to save them, we'd better get moving."
"We could have asked Eddie for information. But you killed him."
Damned and Cursed (Book 2): Witch's Kurse Page 2