Howling Dead

by M. H. Bonham

  And yet, and yet... she was there with the cop. He didn’t know the exact relationship between them, but their body language and pheromones told him they were more than just friends. Alaric didn’t want that. In the old days, he would’ve killed the man for being so bold as to try to steal his mate, but these weren’t the old days. Werewolves had to be careful because Normals had the means to kill them. It wasn’t just silver anymore. Regular bullets did nothing, but there were other weapons available to the Normals now that would kill even a tough creature like a werewolf.

  He paced the cage again. It had been hours since he had seen Kira. He wanted desperately to believe that she would be coming back for him like she’d said she would, but part of him knew that she might not. His last resort was to simply turn human and come up with a plausible story about a crazy man who had stolen his clothes, taken the wolf and locked him in the cage. He didn’t think anyone would really believe it, but what other way was he going to get out of this cage except through a lethal injection?

  There would be questions, of course, and perhaps an arrest, but when it was investigated, nothing substantial would turn up. The werewolves would be safe. He would have to face a few dings to his pride and maybe an arrest record, but he would still be alive.

  Suddenly, he heard something outside the building. The dogs in the shelter started barking wildly. Alaric tried to listen, but to no avail—the barking was too loud. He then heard a loud screech as the door was ripped off its hinges. The dogs continued to bark, but then fell silent as whatever it was started walking toward him.

  Alaric waited, cocking his head and listening intently. Footsteps came from the hall and he waited as the person entered the room.

  Alaric turned into a human. “Cathal. Thank Hecate, it’s you.”

  Cathal flipped on the light switch; a sardonic smile crossed his face. “I see your girlfriend was right—you did get caught.” He tsked and shook his head. “Careless, Alaric.”

  “Yeah, well, sometimes it happens,” Alaric said warily. He could smell alcohol on Cathal’s breath; the man was drunk. “So Kira sent you?”

  “No, not exactly,” he said. “She asked me to come here and I told her no. You see, I like being Alpha.”

  Alaric set his jaw. “You can’t be serious. That would be a breach in pack law. You would betray me?”

  “There’s nothing to betray, Alaric,” Cathal said. “I never swore my loyalty to you or to anyone. I’ve always been an outsider and I’ve always gotten what I want—my way.”

  With that, he produced a gun. Alaric changed into a wolf again and Cathal laughed. “Do you think I’d bring lead bullets?” He pulled six bullets out of his pocket. They gleamed in the light.

  Alaric’s wolf gaze narrowed. Silver bullets?

  “I had them specially made for you long ago—only I never seemed to find the right time to use them.” He flipped open the revolver and began chambering each one. “It won’t matter what form you’re in, Alaric. You’ll be dead either way.”

  Alaric lunged at the bars and grasped them in his teeth, pulling at them frantically. Drunk or not, Cathal was going to shoot him and at this distance, Alaric knew he wouldn’t miss.

  K

  Spaz awoke to sheer agony. He was lying down on his side, bound and gagged. They had covered his eyes so he couldn’t see, but he could move his left hand a bit. When he tried to touch his right arm, he felt the dirty bandages and the bloody stump beneath. Pain shot up his arm, his tongue pressed against the gag in a silent scream and he blacked out.

  Spaz didn’t know how many hours had passed when he finally awoke again. He had soiled himself and he was still in terrible pain but his thoughts were clearing. He had known that Cathal had joined the wolves, but he never thought his old friend, Randy Green, would’ve gotten involved the way he had. Somehow, the wolves had nudged him over into something more sinister and more deadly.

  They weren’t going to let Spaz live—that, he was sure of. Having a real wolf or dog bite off his hand was proof of this. They wanted to keep him alive long enough to gain access to the rest of the Forest and to sell it off to the highest bidders. Once they cracked the codes, they could go anywhere and do anything with any computer hooked into the Internet. The net within the Net gained them access into some of the most sensitive computers in the world.

  The Forest didn’t have access to all the computers in the world—just the ones hooked in to the Internet. But if they had just one system—even just one system with a firewall—the entire network was vulnerable. The Forest didn’t access DOD machines; the government had kept most of the sensitive machines on private networks, eschewing any hookup to the Internet, even with so-called ironclad firewalls. Paranoia in this case was good. But there were enough systems hooked in—bank computers, financial computers, computers with information worth millions of dollars—that it was quite possible to finance a small country or even a large one with what could be gleaned from them. Then there were the hook-ins to utilities and vital government machines that could be exploited, or cause everything to come to a grinding halt.

  Randy was looking for the codes to sell to the highest bidder. Or maybe he was now with the highest bidder. The wolves had to be a terrorist organization.

  He closed his eyes and focused. It was useless to try to look out with the blindfold on, anyway. Spaz could sense the hi-rFreq band even here—he wasn’t so far from the Forest that he couldn’t feel it. He let himself drift; if he relaxed, he could almost see the entrance to the Forest.

  Within his mind’s eye, he could see the Forest appear around him. Every box had a backdoor for him. He had to somehow contact the police, but without a real voice and a real location, a 9-1-1 call would be considered a hoax at best.

  Randy was a moron, Spaz decided. A dangerous moron but a moron nonetheless. Randy had never thought about how hi-rFreq could affect people’s thought patterns, especially once a person became aware of them through the headsets. When Randy had left Northrop, he disappeared. He had taken not only the plans for hi-rFreq but also the prototypes for the headsets.

  Randy had given the headsets to Spaz first. They worked perfectly and Spaz had known they were the final piece of his Enchanted Forest. But Spaz had noticed a change in his perception each time he had worn the headset. And then he had noticed that after many sessions, the headset’s influence still lingered. Spaz could still access the Enchanted Forest without it for a while. It was almost as if the frequencies of the headset didn’t just pick up thought patterns, but modified them as well. Randy had never noticed it, even though he was an accomplished RF guy and a brilliant inventor. And now he was playing with dangerous criminals.

  The wolves had discovered the Forest first. There was something within them that allowed them to pick up the hi-rFreq and see the Forest as it was. Spaz had never believed in mental telepathy or any sort of telekinetic powers, but he couldn’t discount them now. The wolves’ mental structure seemed to be arranged to pick up these odd frequencies.

  Spaz decided against his usual avatar. If the wolves found him now, they’d know he could access the Forest from his confinement—more than that, they would know he was searching for help. And they would kill him for it. He pulled up his various avatars and settled on one. He became a white unicorn with a glistening pinkish horn and pale, luminescent goat hooves. He trotted into the woods, hoping his disguise would be enough to fool the wolves.

  It wasn’t long before he was on the pathway toward the city network. From there, he could send a text message to Kira, or maybe to the Denver police department. But at that moment, he saw a wolf standing beside a large tree. It was next to a gecko—a gecko!—Spaz turned and fled.

  He could sense that the wolf had seen him—or a part of him. He ran as fast as he could. Before he knew it, he was back inside his prison, lying on the floor, bound and gagged again.

  Spaz wanted to cry, but he was too dehydrated and no tears would come. He lay there wishing he were dead.

  C
HAPTER 38

  The door was open. It sagged against broken hinges where something powerful had ripped into it and pounded massive dents against it. Kira took a sharp breath inward and stopped. Her heart was pounding in her ears and her mouth was dry. Could she have gotten to Alaric too late?

  Somewhere inside, she heard the barking start up and then fall silent, as if snuffed like a candle. Kira shivered. She knew the dogs’ reaction was to a werewolf. Maybe Alaric’s wolves had come to save him?

  Cold comfort, she thought. She really didn’t think the werewolves were so charitable. They were more likely to gloat because he was gone and they could scrap over the Alpha position. Or to make sure that he was gone for good.

  Kira hesitated. Should she go in? She was strong enough to take on a human, but she doubted she could take on a big male werewolf. A male’s werewolf-augmented strength would be greater than hers. She could easily be caught again, like when she had met the werewolves in the alley. Only this time, there would be no Alaric to come to her rescue. He would watch helplessly as the other werewolf tore her to pieces.

  Her cell phone began to play its cheery tune and Kira snarled as she hit the button to mute it. Who in the hell would call her now? More importantly, who had her number? The number flashed before her but she didn’t recognize it. Was it Jim?

  She slid back. The werewolf would’ve heard the phone ring.

  Her position compromised, Kira stood for a moment in indecision. The number was still flashing at her urgently for her to answer the call. If she answered it, she would give away her position. She hesitated. She should go back, call Jim, and get help.

  The number still flashed urgently. She pressed the button to answer.

  A scream echoed from behind the door. It sounded like an animal in anger or rage. Kira’s heart raced and the wolf part of her leapt into action. As a human, she would’ve run, but she wasn’t quite human now. Something more primal took hold of her. A pack member was in trouble and it was up to her to help him. With a snarl, she leapt forward.

  Alaric! she shouted mentally.

  The lights were on in the shelter as she ran through the door and past the cages in the shelter. Kira stopped dead in surprise and the cell phone fell from her hand.

  Cathal Murphy was standing before the cage. His eyes were bloodshot and his face was flushed. Even from this distance, he reeked of alcohol. He held a revolver in his hand. Alaric, still in wolf form, was snarling at him and tearing at the bars, his mouth bloody and foaming from the exertion.

  “I see your girlfriend decided to come to the rescue,” Cathal said, his voice slurred. He turned to her. “Over there! Now!”

  “Leave him alone, Murphy,” she said, trying to steady her voice. Seeing the gun made her quaver. “You know you’ve got nowhere to go.”

  Kira, Alaric’s voice spoke in her head. Do as he says.

  Kira started to move toward Alaric. “I thought we couldn’t be injured by bullets.”

  Silver bullets, said Alaric.

  “Silver bullets?” she repeated. “You can really make those?”

  “Yes,” Cathal said. “Now, move over there.”

  Kira shivered and walked beside Alaric’s cage. “What are you doing, Cathal?”

  “Shut up.” He pointed the gun at her.

  Kira shut up.

  You’re stinking drunk because you don’t have the courage to do this sober, Alaric said.

  “You’re such a sap, Alaric,” Cathal said. “I could kill you anytime.”

  “You kill Alaric and you’ll be in for more than you bargained for,” Kira said.

  Kira, shut up, Alaric said.

  “No,” Kira said. “You think you’re going to kill the wolf in the animal shelter and get away with it, Murphy? What happens when people find the bodies?”

  “They won’t find yours,” Cathal said. “And they’ll simply assume Alaric is some crazy person.”

  “Locked in a wolf cage with a bullet through his heart?”

  Thanks, said Alaric sarcastically.

  “Yeah, something like that.” Cathal raised the gun.

  Traitor! Alaric shouted.

  “What happened to Spaz?” Kira asked suddenly.

  “Spaz?” Cathal blinked.

  “Yeah. Will Tagura, or whatever he calls himself to you.”

  Alaric cocked his head at her. Something indecipherable gleamed in the back of Cathal’s eyes. Kira didn’t like it, whatever it was, but it was proof that she had gotten to him.

  “You know Spaz?” Cathal asked.

  “Yeah, he and I are old buddies,” Kira said. “Is he still alive? He came to see me.”

  Kira... Alaric’s voice was a growl in her head.

  “Were you his operative?” Cathal asked. “I figured you and the other girl...”

  “Susan,” Kira corrected him, trying to keep her voice steady. “Her name was Susan.”

  “Susan—had something to do with the Enchanted Forest,” Cathal said. “Did you?”

  “Is Spaz still alive?”

  “For the time being,” Cathal said. Kira’s throated tightened, but she kept herself steady. “What do you know about it?”

  “Enough,” Kira said. “Spaz and I worked on the architecture.”

  Kira... Alaric’s voice was almost pleading.

  “So, you could give me what I want?”

  “Give me Spaz and we’ll talk,” Kira said. “Alaric too.”

  Cathal’s eyes narrowed. “I don’t think you have anything...”

  “You shoot us both and you won’t find out...”

  “Halt! Police!” Jim’s voice came from the doorway. His gun was out and just barely visible.

  “Goddamn bitch!” Cathal roared and swung the muzzle toward her. But Kira leapt at him as he raised the gun. The muzzle blast exploded by her ear and the gun discharged into the ceiling. Suddenly, Kira was no longer gripping a man’s arm, but was knocked over by a black wolf. In an instant, she shifted to her own wolf form and started biting anything she could.

  Blood and fur were everywhere. She felt Cathal’s teeth sink into her flesh just as she had when the wolf had attacked her over a month ago. Instead of being terrified this time, Kira was enraged. She bit hard and pulled, tasting blood and relishing the sweet revenge.

  Gunshots rang out and Kira felt several hit her body and bounce off. They stung like hail. Cathal’s teeth had sunk into her neck and he shook her like a rag. Pain exploded through her but she held on and kept conscious, scratching and snapping at whatever she could reach. She tried bracing herself against his body with her four legs; tried pushing against him, but to no avail. He was too powerful.

  Jim was hovering over them, reloading. He was covered with blood splatter. He aimed at Cathal’s head.

  “Don’t bother!” she heard Alaric’s voice. “Normal bullets won’t hurt him—get me out!” She could barely see Alaric from the corner of her eye—he had transmuted back to human form to communicate with Jim.

  Jim turned and fired two rounds into the padlock. The door swung free, and suddenly Kira and Cathal were both knocked sideways, bowled over by the great black wolf. Next to Alaric, Cathal looked small. The Alpha ripped into Cathal’s throat and his teeth pulled massive chunks of flesh. Blood spewed everywhere, falling on her like hot rain. Kira tried to raise herself from the ground, but she was in terrible pain. She groaned as the fighting wolves leapt off her and watched as Alaric dragged Cathal to the ground. She felt warm, reassuring hands touch her and when she looked up, she saw Jim’s face.

  “You okay, Kira?” he whispered.

  Kira whined as her vision began to dim. Help me, she thought as she tumbled into blackness.

  CHAPTER 39

  Alaric transmuted back into his human form and gazed on Cathal’s dead wolf body, covered in blood. He picked up the revolver.

  Jim raised his weapon. “I’m a friend of Kira’s.”

  “So am I,” Alaric said. He turned and emptied the rounds into the wolf. He turned back to
Jim and tossed the gun down. “So, you know what we are.”

  “You just killed a man,” Jim said.

  Alaric shrugged and picked up Cathal’s clothing. “I killed a wolf. That’s what your report will read,” he said as he slid the jeans on. He paused. “How is she?”

  “Not good—she’s lost a lot of blood,” Jim said. He pulled the bandages from the first-aid kit on the wall and pressed them against her neck. Kira groaned but did not open her eyes.

  “Let me see,” Alaric came over and frowned. He flipped up her gums and pressed against them. They whitened and stayed gray. “She’s going into shock—I’ve got to get her to Megan’s.”

  “Who’s Megan?”

  “A werewolf vet,” Alaric said. “How did you know we’d be here?”

  “Kira left the phone line open when I called her. I had a hunch she’d come to get you.”

  “No wonder she was talking,” Alaric said. “Bright girl—she knew to keep Cathal talking as long as she could.”

  Jim glanced at the black wolf lying on the floor. “Isn’t he changing back?”

  “No,” said Alaric. “Most do, but he was born feral with wolves in Canada. That’s his normal form.”

  Sirens echoed in the distance. “Great—you called for back up?” asked Alaric as he scooped Kira up in Cathal’s leather jacket.

  “Of course,” Jim said.

  “Look... If they find me, she’ll never get help—I need to get her to the vet,” Alaric said. “We’ll be at Megan’s vet hospital on Sixth Avenue—you know where that is?”

  “Yeah, I do,” said Jim. He reached into his pocket and handed Alaric his keys. “My name is Detective Jim Walking Bear—I already know you’re Alaric Kerr. My car is out back—take it.” He paused as Alaric stared at the keys in his hand. “You know how to drive?”

  “Yeah,” Alaric said. “Help me get her to the car.”