Howling Dead

by M. H. Bonham

  She frowned again. She’d have to take a cab to meet him. It would be a lot easier to turn into a wolf and run down there, but she had no way to carry her clothes once she got there. Kira remembered having seen some dog hiking packs in the local REI. Well, they wouldn’t help her now—and anyway, assuming she could figure out how to slip one on without opposable thumbs, a wolf with a pack would certainly draw attention.

  Kira glanced at her email messages. There were none from Spaz, which was rather unusual. The man lived on his computers. She sent a quick email to Spaz’s gmail account in case he hadn’t been checking his business email, and frowned. It was very unlike Spaz. Maybe the network was down?

  She glanced at the time—she couldn’t do anything about this now. Walking Bear would show her the attacker; she would identify him, and then what? She hesitated. Would they euthanize the animal? What if he turned into a human? With these disturbing thoughts in her mind, she called the cab. Maybe it wasn’t as simple as she first thought. The wolf who killed Susan certainly deserved the death penalty, but didn’t he deserve a trial first?

  Kira pondered this as she rode in the cab toward Animal Control. She wanted to see the bastard pay for his crime. A lethal injection was just fine by her. The cab stopped off at the holding facility. A squat building, she would’ve hardly guessed it to be a place where dogs were held.

  No sooner had she opened the cab door than James Walking Bear came out of the building. Kira handed the cab driver the fare and a tip before turning to the detective. She felt very sullen now—the fare had taken her last ten in her pocket.

  “I didn’t know you didn’t have a car,” he said. “I would’ve picked you up if I had known.”

  “No problem,” Kira muttered.

  “How much was it?” he asked.

  She shrugged.

  “Look, let me pay for it. I’ll have the department reimburse me.”

  Kira stared at him. “Are you sure?” She had never heard of such a thing.

  “Yeah, I’m sure.” He took the receipt out of her hands before she could protest, opened his wallet, and handed her ten dollars. “That’s with tip, right?”

  Kira stared at the ten dollars he had shoved in her hand. She stared at it for a few moments before folding it and putting it in her jeans. “Thanks. But you didn’t have to.”

  He met her gaze. “Yes, I did,” he said. “Come on, let’s see this wolf.”

  She walked in with him and noted that the building was almost as plain on the inside. Once inside, Kira’s werewolf senses prickled. Dogs were barking loudly here and the smell of bleach and cleaner assailed her. But the overwhelming scent was of fear. The dogs knew this was a holding place—quite possibly the last place they would ever be. Kira nearly gagged, wanting to run away. It frightened her, and took everything within her human mind to control the wolf she had now become.

  “You okay?” Walking Bear asked.

  “What a terrible place!” she whispered.

  “It’s not so bad,” he said. “They care for the animals well here.”

  “I don’t care,” she said, shivering as she heard the frightened barks. “I don’t want to be here.” She turned around to leave and felt Walking Bear’s hand on her shoulder.

  “I know this is tough, Kira, but you have to see this wolf. You have to identify it.”

  Something about the touch of his hand made her stop. It was warm, and her acute sense of smell picked up his scent. Warm, too, and earthy. A pleasing scent, even to a werewolf. It seemed to relax her.

  “Very well,” she said.

  “Good. We won’t take any more time here than we have to.” He led her back through the runs and cages filled with dogs. Kira didn’t look at any of them. The dogs saw her and fell silent—some whimpered in fear as she passed. She heard their hushed voices as they recognized what she was.

  Werewolf.

  Her heart went out to them. They were the neglected, the abandoned, and even the abused. Most were mixes—nondescript brown dogs of medium size with floppy ears and short coats. They looked up at her with soulful eyes, each one hoping she could help them find a loving home.

  There’s some sort of mistake, she heard a puppy say to her. Kira paused and stared at the puppy. A purebred Labrador Retriever, it couldn’t have been more than six months by Kira’s reckoning. She looked up at Kira with soulful eyes. My human came by and dropped me off. They tell me here I am awaiting my death. Please help me find my human—he would never do this to me.

  Kira jerked her gaze away from the puppy and swallowed hard. She could feel tears welling in her eyes. She looked straight ahead as she followed James to the back door. A largish woman opened the door and came out. She had graying brown hair and hazel eyes, and wore a work jumpsuit that said Denver Animal Control.

  “You here for the wolf, Detective?” she asked.

  “Yes, Martha,” James replied. “This is Kira Walker, the woman who is here to identify it.”

  “Good,” Martha said. “That wolf gives me the creeps. It’s nasty—you can’t get near it to feed or water it.”

  “Well, I’m sure you won’t have it much longer,” he said.

  “Hi,” Kira said weakly.

  Martha eyed Kira appraisingly. “I hope it’s your wolf. We don’t need to worry about wolf attacks here.” She paused. “Please excuse me. I have to clean some kennels.”

  “Excuse me a second,” Kira said. “You know that puppy in the cage over there?”

  The woman hesitated. “The Lab? Yeah.”

  “What will happen to her?”

  The woman smiled. “That one’s lucky—she’s young. Labrador Rescue is coming by to pick her up.”

  Oh thank God, Kira thought.

  “But others aren’t so lucky,” Martha added. “We had to put down a whole litter of mixed breed puppies the other day to make room.” She shook her head. “It’s a nasty business.” She walked to the sink and began filling up the buckets for cleaning.

  Kira felt sick as James led her back to the holding cages. Her gaze went immediately to the middle of the room. There, in a cage, was Alaric.

  CHAPTER 26

  Ala...” Kira began and stopped herself. Seeing her rescuer and champion behind bars was horrifying. “Oh my God!” she gasped, covering her face with her hands. Alaric rocked the cage and grasped one of the bars with his jaws, tugging at it with all his might. She noted the cage was locked with a chain and padlock. “Oh God, not this!”

  “It’s okay, Kira. It can’t hurt you,” Walking Bear said, putting his arm around her shoulder. That seemed to incense the wolf further, and it snarled and lashed out at the bars with renewed fervor.

  Her stomach was churning now, and she felt like she was going to throw up. She steeled herself. “Damn it, James! This isn’t the wolf.”

  He looked at her. “It isn’t? Are you sure?”

  “Yes, I’m positive!” She looked at Alaric.

  Get me out, Kira, Alaric said. I’m doomed if you leave me in here.

  Kira wanted to run but something deep inside seemed to take control of her. “Yes, I will,” she heard herself say to Alaric. “But how?”

  “How are you sure?” James asked, confused. “I don’t know—you tell me.”

  Kira turned back to the detective. “I’m sorry, I’m just confused. I don’t know—I just know. This isn’t the wolf.”

  “Well, I’m sorry to have brought you down here,” he said. “Maybe I can make it up to you.”

  Like hell you can! Alaric shouted telepathically. Kira, get Cathal and get me out of here! Stay away from him!

  “That’s some nerve,” she muttered.

  “What?” Walking Bear asked.

  Speak in telepathy, Alaric said.

  “I’m feeling sick,” Kira said.

  “Let me help you out,” James said. He put a comforting arm around her and led her from the room.

  The black wolf threw himself at the bars. Kira! Kira! Help me! Don’t leave me!

 
; Kira glanced behind her. I will, she said sounding far braver than she felt. I’ll get help.

  Alaric stopped throwing himself against the bars. She didn’t dare look behind for fear she would see those golden eyes.

  Once outside, Walking Bear turned to her. “Are you sure that wasn’t the right wolf?”

  “Yes,” said Kira. “The wolf that attacked us was gray—this one is black.”

  James nodded. “Well, we’ll find that wolf. Let me give you a lift back.”

  “Okay,” she said.

  “And lunch?” he asked.

  Kira frowned. There was something nagging her, but she couldn’t remember. “Okay. Lunch, then.” She walked with him to his car, a red mid-eighties Corvette. “Wow! Is this yours? They must pay you a lot.”

  He laughed. “This thing? I got it at auction. One of the benefits of being a cop.”

  She opened the door and settled into the tan leather seat. “It’s nice.”

  “Yeah, I like it,” he said. He climbed in. “You okay?”

  “Yeah,” she said. “Detective?”

  “Jim.”

  “Jim.” She tried the name out. “Jim, what’ll happen to that wolf?”

  He shrugged. “I don’t know. It’s up to the city. I’ve heard that it might get relocated in a wolf preserve or something if it isn’t the one that hurt you.”

  “When will they decide?”

  He started the car. “I don’t know. Maybe a few days. You know how government moves.”

  Kira sat back. That gave her a little time. She could contact Cathal by then and get him to rescue Alaric. “You’ll let me know what they do with it before they do?”

  Jim gave her an odd look. “Yeah, I suppose so.” He put the car in reverse and backed out of the space. “Why the interest?”

  “No reason,” she said, looking out the window.

  “I would think you’d like to see all wolves killed after what happened to you.”

  A shiver ran through Kira. “Yeah, well let me just say I don’t want to see an innocent animal killed.”

  “Innocent?” He raised an eyebrow. “That creature was ready to rip our throats out if there hadn’t been bars between us.”

  “It was frightened.”

  “It was pissed.” Jim glanced at her as they drove back toward LoDo. “I grew up on a reservation—I know when an animal is pissed at me. That wolf would’ve killed us.”

  “I wouldn’t want to see it killed.”

  He shrugged. He glanced at the Intermountain high-rise as they drove toward it. “Ugly building—it’s a total blight.” They approached a red light at an intersection and the car stopped.

  “I used to work there...” Kira began. “Shit!” Bob had said if she wanted her old job back she had to meet him for lunch. She glanced at the old F&D tower. It was ten after twelve. “Shit! Shit! Shit!”

  “What?” he asked, but Kira was already opening the door.

  “I forgot—can I get a rain check for lunch?” she said.

  “Yeah, but...” Jim began. The light turned green and the cars behind him began honking.

  “Call me!” Kira shouted as he drove off. She ran into the Intermountain lobby.

  Bob was standing there. “You’re late.”

  CHAPTER 27

  Who was that, a boyfriend?” Bob asked. He stood with his arms crossed; his brown eyes slightly mocking. Kira could feel her hackles rise along her neck as she looked at him. Always handsome—and always smug—Kira was sure that Bob practiced the attitude in front of a mirror.

  Kira grimaced. “A friend.”

  “Lose him. Anyone who drives an 85 ’vette is a total loser,” he said.

  Like you would know? Kira thought. She said nothing. I’m here to get my job back—not argue with Bob.

  “I would’ve thought you would’ve dressed better,” Bob remarked, eyeing her jeans and shirt. “Or have you spent all your contractor money?”

  “Yeah, on medical bills,” she said. “I didn’t realize we were going to a fancy restaurant.”

  “We’re not,” Bob said. “But most restaurants have some sort of standard.”

  What, McDonalds? That’d be not quite in your budget. Kira gritted her teeth. She could see Bob was enjoying her predicament. “Where to?”

  “I was thinking Maggianos but they’re crowded now, so how about Axioms?” Bob said. Kira held her breath, not believing her good luck. She could see if Spaz was around and why he wasn’t answering his emails. “I hear they’re good—if new. They’re got good wireless and decent sandwiches...” He paused. “Are you listening to me?”

  “Yeah,” Kira said, a little too abruptly. “That’s sounds fine. I had breakfast over there not long ago.”

  “Okay,” Bob said. They walked out of Intermountain toward Axioms. Bob began blathering in his self-absorbed way, so Kira had some time to reflect on the day. Last night she had been attacked by werewolves and nearly raped, and now her champion was incarcerated in animal control; she had ditched a very nice man who was willing to buy her lunch, and was now having lunch with the man she most despised. Kira tried to imagine the letter she’d send to her parents:

  Dear Mom and Dad –

  Turned into a werewolf last night. No worries, it’s really okay. Was rescued by this really cool werewolf but he got locked up. Got to figure out a way to rescue him...

  “Kira?” Bob asked, snapping her out of her reverie. “Are you listening?”

  “Yeah,” Kira said distractedly.

  “Well?”

  “Well, what?” she replied. She could tell by the way he scrunched up his face that he knew she wasn’t really listening, and she didn’t give a damn.

  “What do you think about the new routers?”

  “I haven’t seen them, so I wouldn’t know.”

  Bob frowned. “They’re IP6 only.”

  “You’ll have to switch them to dual mode.”

  “Can’t be done.”

  “Then, they’re a piece of junk if they won’t work off legacy,” Kira replied. “Did you buy them already?”

  “Yeah.”

  Kira fell silent. They stood at the door to Axioms and stared at each other for a long moment. The door opened and as a patron walked out, Kira ducked in. The conversation had taken several wrong turns so far, and she couldn’t see how she could get them back on track.

  Kira looked up at the menu in Axioms. It was written on a blackboard that hung from the ceiling. She wondered how long it would take Spaz to change it over to flat panel display.

  “Well it’d be just like you to suggest that,” Bob said, slipping behind her. “Being a hacker and all.”

  “Spider,” she corrected him. “And I’m not.”

  “Oh? Why hang onto legacy stuff when it enables your— spiders—to gain access?”

  “Why support anything older than two years old?” she countered. “You can shut the door on spiders through your routers, but your networks are wide open and anyone can spoof.”

  “Are you saying I don’t handle my security well?”

  “The SNMP passwords on your system were defaults.”

  Bob glared at her. “Like DEADB0B was creative?”

  Kira turned back to the counter. The barista was waiting patiently and enjoying the conversation. He looked to be in his twenties, with an earring and a tattoo of a dragon on his neck. He wore a white apron over a t-shirt and jeans. “Are you ready, Miss?”

  “Yeah. I’d like a chicken salad sandwich and an ice tea.” She glanced at Bob. “You buying?” His glare told her no. She shrugged and slapped her ten dollar bill down. “Look, Bob, we may not see eye to eye, but come on, you can take a little joke.” She looked at him. “I mean, 1MAMAN? What kind of password is that?”

  “Obviously not secure enough.”

  Kira took her tray and change and left the counter, finding an out of the way table. As she bit into the sandwich, she looked around. She half expected to see Spaz pop out from some server behind the counter and of
fer to refund her money. The food was tasty, but she knew she couldn’t afford to consistently spend so much on lunch. Her mind wandered back to Jim Walking Bear. Perhaps she was a bit hasty to have left him. She liked his Corvette, even if it was old. He made her feel comfortable—not the way Bob was making her feel now.

  Bob sat down next to her carrying a club sandwich and chips. “You know,” he said with a full mouth. “You could be nice to me.”

  “Uh huh,” Kira said, wondering where this was going. She finished half of the sandwich.

  “That was a cruel joke.”

  “Sorry,” Kira said. “We were just blowing off some steam.”

  He smiled and Kira shivered involuntarily. There was something in that smile that told her he wanted something else. “You know, steam isn’t the only thing you could blow.”

  “I could blow a whistle.”

  “Yeah, you could, but it won’t get your job back.” He paused. “However, if you were nice to me, I might consider bringing you back on board.”

  She stared at him. “You’re joking.”

  “No, I’m not. After all, sweetie, you’ve only got so many good years left. You might as well use it while you can. You’ll get further that way.”

  “Bite me,” Kira snapped. She picked up her sandwich and drink. “Try that with someone stupid—don’t waste my time.” She walked over to the counter. “Can I get a box for this and a to-go cup?”

  “Sure,” said the barista. “The food no good?”

  “No, the food’s good—the company isn’t,” Kira said. She didn’t bother to glance at Bob. “Say, have you seen Spaz, your computer guy?”

  “Skinny guy with glasses? Japanese with dark skin?”

  “Yeah.”

  “He was supposed to come in today,” he said. “He didn’t show up.”

  Kira frowned. “Odd. That’s not like Spaz.”

  The barista shrugged. “Maybe he called in.” He handed her the to-go items.