Nate Jefferies is worried, he just watched a tall lanky black man in a twisted parody of Valmont's uniform defeat a highly trained security team in a matter of minutes. It was a one sided fight where the Sharp Security officers were pretty much manhandled. “What was that?” Nate mutters to himself. He was told nothing about the black magic man, he only knew about Thanatos. “First werewolves and now a voodoo shaman?” Nate was a believer before but now he's open to anything.
Nate he was unable to move from his post as all hell broke loose. He just watched in fear as the guards were taken out by their fellow officers who were acting like zombies. He did not wish to move, he did not want to make his presence known. Nate waits a few minutes and the only noise is the moaning of Dennis Crocktor who's chained to the radiator. The man is no longer acting like a mindless slave. The Voodoo priest and his prisoners have already descended down the hidden staircase and picture closed behind them. From his spot in the maintenance deck Nate crawls over to a folded up ladder and presses the button. After the ladder descends down to the ground Nate climbs down.
While Nate has two choices neither of them are safe choices. Following that Voodoo Priest could put his prisoners in even more danger. He is only armed with a his service revolver and his billy club and he has no silver bullets. Neither of his options are very good. “Is Thanatos dead?” He asks himself. Nate walks over to the radio which has a knife stuck in it. “Damn.”
“Hey come over here.” A weakened voice over by the door calls to him. It is Dennis Crocktor still chained to the radiator, his eyes are filled with intelligence and fear, any control Tarque had over him is lifted for now. Nate turns toward him, “You're one of the police Chief's men aren’t you?”
“Yeah I'm officer Jefferies. I saw the whole thing. You...” He can't put exactly what he saw into words, “What was wrong with you?”
Crocktor shakes his head, he can't figure it out. He sits down but that's about all the movement he can due since his arms are chained together behind his back, his legs are chained together and to the radiator. “You should not be here.” he shakes his head, “Nash was right, Randal is smarter then he acts.” He murmurs under his breath.
“What was that?” Jefferies raises his voice.
“Never mind, I think this is a good thing.” He closes his eyes and sweat drifts down the crease of his forehead. “You need to tell Valmont that his son is in danger. You have to go now.”
Nate's eyes open wide, “Valmont?” He turns to the door to run and then stops, “Wait where is Valmont?”
“Last I heard? I don't know? When Tarque...” He realizes Nate does not know who that is, “That's the man who attacked us. Before he found me I had gotten a report that Thanatos was heading for the main house.” He stops thinking to himself just how much he should tell this kid. “Mr. Sharp plans on taking on the Wolfman head to head.”
Nate gulps, that's not what he wants “He is?” He takes a step back, Nate does not know if he is going to rush off to the house.
“What are you waiting for? Go warn Valmont that his son is in danger. Tarque is the real threat now. Thanatos is a distraction.”
Nate looks over at him, his eyes are filled with fear. He is fresh out of the academy and really should not be here. He has never been able to handle stress, which is why surveillance is his kind of job. He became a cop to gain confidence and to become a stronger person. That did not happen since Chief Randal saw a weak willed person with certain skills that he could control and Nate did not know any better. “I... I.”
Crocktor rolls his eyes, “Why are you even a cop?” He mutters under his breath, he is thinking Nate won't be any help. “Go on now the Wolf-man will probably already be dead by the time you get there. Hurry up, Chris and the others are counting on you.”
Nate takes a deep breath, yes they are counting on him. “You're right.” He runs out the door and heads in the direction of the house.
Valmont circles Thanatos watching the wolf-man as he waits for an opportunity to strike. The biggest advantage he has over Thanatos is his intelligence, the wolf-man is striking at him wildly and without much thought. So Valmont can wait for the perfect strike. He jumps back as Thanatos makes a wild strike at Valmont, “Grrraaawwwwllll” The wolf-man howls as his claw swipes the air above Valmont's head.
As this show off display is going on Victor Randal is watching with disbelief. He keeps his gun aimed at the wolf-man ready to fire the moment Valmont's ego causes his death “He was planning this wasn't he?” He turns to Nashton.
“You really hate Valmont that much?” He asks but does not wait for an answer to continue. “Never mind.” Nash keeps one eyes Randal and another on the fight. He too keeps his gun aimed at the wolf.
To Thanatos there is nothing else but Valmont Sharp. He does not notice that there is anyone else in the hallway. All he knows is Valmont must die. He wildly is slams a fist at Valmont and as the man dodges his attack the wolf-man get's even madder. Each time he misses his anger increases and his attacks get even sloppier. “Aaaarrrrrppppppp” He howls in a failed attempt at saying the name Sharp.
Valmont is smiling, he has the upper hand so far but not by much. He wants it to look like he is just playing around but in reality he is struggling to hit the wild man. He is looking for an opening to end the fight but knows he has to fight smart. Valmont slashes at Thanatos right leg with his silver edged cane sword. Thanatos backs up and howls in pain. A nasty black wound forms around where Valmont cut the beast, a wound Thanatos can't heal quickly. Valmont takes a step back twists his arm to strike at Thanatos again, this time the wolf-man avoids the attack.
“Go on Valmont kill that beast already.” Randal yells. The chief pretty much believes this is all a game to Valmont.
“He is not going to go down easily.” Valmont yells. Every time he hits the beast Thanatos gets angrier and wilder. While that makes him a sloppy fighter it makes him harder to hit. “I am looking for an opening.” He thrusts forward as Thanatos jumps in the air with his mouth open and both his claws are aimed at Valmont's head.
There is is silence as Valmont stands there with Thanatos on top of him, his sword cane is impaled in the wolf-man’s rib cage just below the heart. It is not a fatal wound but a painful one. Thanatos is mere inches from Valmont and is in shock, half from surprise and half from pain.
There is a clarity in Vargas Thanatos eyes as the silver blade is sticking out of his chest, “GrrrraaaAAAAHH, SSSHHHAARP.” He moves his head down and seems to calm down. Black smoke from is rising out of his front and back where the silver blade is sticking out.
Valmont pulls the blade out and steps away, “It's over.”
Thanatos falls to his knees, blackish blood is dripping down from his wounds. Thanatos reverts back into a human slightly but his form is still more wolf then man. Valmont smiles happy that he could finish this quickly. The wolf-man has surrendered, he knows he is going to die. Valmont lifts his blade and moves it to Thanatos neck. Right then Thanatos glares at Valmont with eyes that are burning with rage. His clarity has passed and now he is madder then ever. “Grrraaahhhahahahah.” It is a wild inhuman laugh. Thanatos grabs Valmont's right arm and snaps the bones.
Valmont drops the sword as he feels his bones snap at Thanatos inhuman grasp. Thanatos then lifts him up and bites him in the right shoulder. Valmont's eyes are blurry, he can feel his vision fading and his strength leaving him, “Shoot him.” He screams as loud as he could.
Nash, Victor, and Alfred do not hesitate. All three of them fired from their hand guns firing three silver bullets at vital locations of the wolf-man. Thanatos was too busy feasting on Valmont, too busy celebrating his well deserved victory that he did not notice the three red hot projectiles flying toward him. All three shots hit him it vital locations all with in the same second.
Victor's shot hits Thanatos in the brain, right above the ear, his shot was the closest to hitting Valmont, maybe that was intentional.
Nashton and Alfred's shots
were aimed at Thanatos heart and both hit, the two shots where inches away from each other.
Thanatos reacts before he dies, the deadly shots rock his body and he drops Valmont who collapses on the ground. He then backs up and lifts his arms as he howls one final time before balling on his back. As a reflex action the dead wold man reverts back to human form.
The victorious three stand there for about half a minute in silence. They are wondering if it's over but don't move. Their guns are still pointed at Vargas Thanatos and their attention is split between the wolf-man and Valmont Sharp. Sharp is moving so he is alive but blood is leaving his body at a rapid pace. Still there is the initial shock. Finally Alfred speaks up, “Is it over?” This breaks the trance around all three of them.
Alfred runs over to Valmont. He lifts his friend's shoulders up and rips off a piece of cloth. He then wraps up Valmont's shoulder and broken arm. Valmont looks at him weakly, “Is it over?”
“Yes it is.” Alfred responds. “Thanatos is dead. This time for real.”
Nashton Wayte walks over to the wolf-man and turns on his radio, “ Alexander get up here we need a camera man.” Victor Randal glares at Nashton but does not say anything, “Trust me, the audience needs to know the creature is dead.”
“Screw the audience.” Victor mutters but he does not stop the cameraman as he rushes into the third floor hall.
Nashton steps in front of the camera. “I am Nashton Wayte speaking for Valmont Sharp. Valmont Sharp was almost killed at the hands of Vargas Thanatos.” He motions for cameraman Alexander to look at Valmont, “As we speak a medical team has been called to make sure Valmont Sharp gets the best treatment possible.” This is not Nash's job but he has a natural presence.
Alfred Labrone is on the radio and raises his voice, “Yes that's right we have two men down, yes, yes One of them is Valmont Sharp. He's alive but he has a broken arm and a nasty wolf bite, it might be infected. The other is Carter Fogal.” He adds at the end.
Nash then pulls the cameraman back toward him, he is still standing in front of Vargas Thanatos body. “Here lies the body of the murderous werewolf.” Nash is not as dramatic as Valmont in his presentation, nor does carry his voice the way Alfred does but his delivery is strong. “Thanatos was a fierce opponent traveling halfway across the country to get revenge on Valmont Sharp. The battle was hard fought and the victor was our very own monster hunter. Though Sharp did not come out of this unscathed, no matter how invincible our intrepid hero may seem he is just a man, a man who puts his life on the line everyday to protect humanity from the forces that want us all dead.” Nash then motions with his hand for Alexander to shut off the camera.
Nash takes a deep breath as he sees the light turn off. This is not the first time he had to give the closing statement for a Sharp show production though it's rare when Valmont, Alfred and Yosif are all preoccupied. “Okay that’s a rap, Alexander you should go.”
The kid is shocked, he could not let his feelings get in the way of his job before but now he drops to his knees next to the camera, he is hyperventilating, “Oh my god. This is serous.” He tries to get closer to Valmont but is pushed aside by some medical teams. He is pushed into Chief Randal. He looks up at the perpetually angry chief of police whose mustache twitches as he eyes the young camera man, “Sorry.”
Victor Randal clenches his teeth, “Get. Out. Of. Here.” He mummers in a voice that is too calm for his face. The camera man scurries away, “Oh and take that damned camera.”
Adam Alexander stops and looks back then runs to his camera, “Right, I have to take this to editing, for highlights.” Alexander runs off.
Randal breaths a sigh of relief, “Good no more cameras.” He does not trust cameras not for this job and is happy to finally be off camera. The show is finally over. He does not know that Valmont, Alfred and Nashton all have hidden cameras. He walks in front of Nash and smiles, it is not a friendly smile but one of relief, “So it's over?”
Nashton is looking over at Valmont who was put on a stretcher. Valmont gives him a high five with his left hand as he is carried out. He turns to Randal, “Yes it's over. Now excuse me.” Nashton sees Alfred talking to some other medical personal who are working on Thanatos body. Thanatos was put into a black bag and he being lifted into a gurney to taken to the city morgue. Alfred is going with to make sure the werewolf is properly deposed. Nash taps Alfred on the shoulder, “So boss what should I do?”
Alfred gives a faint smile, “You and Randal should head to the control room and tell them that the threat is over. I already sent a message but it's crazy out there. I am going to check on Valmont after I'm sure Vargas here is taken care of. Disposal of a werewolf body has to be done right.” He then whispers to Nash, “We have to make sure it's destroyed the right way so no one tries to steal his blood to learn his secrets, for the next five hours someone could use the blood to become a werewolf. Or worse get themselves killed trying.”
“Understood.” Nash responds. He walks over to the chief of police who is calling on his radio and talking to his men. When he sees Nash he looks up, “Yeah Randal we are to head to the control center. We are done here.”
“Understood. I'm letting my men know. Hey about Valmont is he being sent to the hospital?” Randal asks wondering.
Nash shakes his head, “No the house actually has better equipment then Albern's hospital or even the ones in Albuquerque and Santa Fe. Besides they won't know how to treat infections from werewolf bites, the doctors on staff here do.” Nash realizes that's not the answer the chief of police wanted to here, he wanted Valmont in Albern so he had control over the situation.
Randal is about to respond when his phone goes off, it is one of his men who was guarding the door. “Yes this is Randal.” Nash watches as the chief gets very angry, angrier then the man ever had before. His face seems to become bright red and his eyes seem to want to pop out of his head, “He's where? At the back door.” He then mutters a curse word away from the phone, “Tell Jefferies to wait for me, okay.”
“What was that?” Nash asks.
There is something on Victor Randal's face besides anger, guilt. He looks like the cat who got caught swallowing the canary. “Officer Nate Jefferies, one of my best men has very important news. He needs to see Valmont, it's important.” He shakes his head, “It's not over.”
Nashton Wayte raises his voice, “What?” Even he has his limits and they have been reached.
Randal does not want to say anything, “You should hear what he has to say. We need Luminare and a camera man.” Randal is walking in front of Nashton, he has some key information, he is in control but it does not feel like he won. “The show is not over.”
“That is not for you to decide.” Wayte responds but from the look on the chief's face he knows that he's right. As they walk down the stairs he makes a couple called, “Yeah this is Wayte I need you to call off the patrols around the manor, also I need a camera man and Francois Luminare to meet out side the back entrance now.” He then shuts off his radio.
Chapter Thirty Four
Valmont Sharp: Monster Hunter Page 36