The Howling

by Kimberly Zant

  He'd seemed to buy into the idea that the dog was barking at some sort of wildlife, but that didn't necessarily mean he had.

  It was easy enough to figure out the motives behind the attacks, if they accepted that the Blackhawk family was responsible. The lodge was being constructed on sacred land—where their own ancestors had no doubt been buried. On top of that, the new lodge would probably put Blackhawk out of business ... at least his own lodge. Possibly the bar, too, since the new lodge would have its own bar.

  But, just because the two of them had motive a plenty, it didn't necessarily follow that they were the only ones with motives. For that matter, it didn't necessarily follow that motive was an ingredient. Maybe their client had just picked a spot for his lodge that had already been claimed as someone, or something's, territory?

  * * * *

  Diana discovered she didn't like the sheriff any better the next day than she had when she'd met him the night before. After two grueling hours of questioning, she finally lost her temper. “Exactly what is it that you're accusing me of, Sheriff?"

  "I'm not accusing you of anything. I just want to get to the bottom of this."

  "This what? Animal attack? Your deputy wasn't shot. He was torn to shreds. I certainly wasn't out there chewing on him!"

  "Yes! My deputy's dead and I had to go and tell his young wife!"

  "I'm sorry—I know that must have been tough, but I'll be damned if I can see where this is any worse than any of the other killings—which I never heard you were overly upset about."

  "He was a local man! A friend! He'd been working for me for three years."

  "The others were just as dead."

  "The others were accidents!"

  "You're saying this wasn't?"

  The sheriff glared at her. “Don't be putting words in my mouth."

  "I didn't. You put them there."

  "We're done here,” he snapped.

  "Good!” Diana rose, gathering her things.

  "Don't leave town."

  "You're kidding, right?"

  "I'm as serious as a heart attack."

  Diana glared at him for several moments. “As it happens, I've no intention of leaving until I find out what's going on up at the construction site, so you've nothing to worry about."

  * * * *

  Diana wasn't able to speak to Muellin until after she'd gotten off work that night. She was fairly certain their covers had already been compromised—she didn't trust either the sheriff or his deputy to keep quiet about her involvement—but she saw no sense in blowing it wide open as long as their was even a remote chance that the cover might still do them some good.

  "I've been doing some research,” Muellin said in greeting when Diana joined him in his car.

  "On what?” Diana asked, surprised.

  "Spirit walkers. From what I can see the only way to ‘fight’ it is to bring in a shaman of our own to perform some sort of ritual. I hate like hell to have to go to Skinnard with that news. And then there's the client...."

  "The client is losing his shirt. At this point I think he'd agree to try just about anything we recommended. The thing is, I don't believe it's the Blackhawks doing this."

  "Why? Aside from your obvious infatuation with the guy?"

  Diana gave him a look. “Blackhawk just doesn't strike me as a killer. He's too laid back about his business."

  "Which doesn't necessarily mean that he wouldn't do whatever it takes to protect what belongs to him."

  "Maybe not, but I don't believe he'd go this far. Whoever's doing this has already killed four men ... that we know of. We have to assume there's a good possibility that the men that went missing are dead, too. I've been around Blackhawk enough I believe I would've noticed if he had phycotic tendencies."

  "From what I heard, neither Ted Bundy's family or friends suspected what he was doing."

  Diana shook her head. “They knew something was wrong with him. Whether they admit it or not. No way can anybody that crazy not show something ... some sort of strange behavior that would make the people closest to them suspect everything wasn't quite right, even if they didn't, or couldn't, accept just how bad it really was. If this is Blackhawk and his grandfather's doing, then they are doing it with premeditation and malice. I don't know his grandfather, but I don't see that in Blackhawk."

  "So you're saying we're back to square one? Maybe it is just some crazed animal?"

  "I think we can't afford to let this go on any longer. We're going to have to do something drastic."

  "As in?"

  "Set a trap."

  "What're we going to use for bait?"

  "Not what ... Who."

  "I don't much like the sound of this, Skelley."

  "I meant me."

  "I don't like the sound of that either. You're a better shot than I am. Maybe I should be the bait."

  Diana thought about it for several moments, but finally shook her head. “I think it'll have to be me. If it is Blackhawk, then I'll make better bait than you. If it isn't, as I suspect, either one of the Blackhawks, then I'll still make better bait."

  "How do you figure that?"

  "Women are weaker."

  Sly burst out laughing. “What women? You're not talking about you?"

  Diana glared at him. “I at least appear to be a weak, helpless female."

  "Only when you're not looking at someone over the barrel of a gun."

  * * * *

  To Diana's way of thinking, it would rate right up there with the most awful things she'd ever done, maybe top them, and the worst of it was she didn't have a choice of whether to do it or not. She'd been studying over the situation ever since she'd discussed a trap the previous night with Sly, but no matter which way she turned it, she was not going to be able to avoid doing the dirty deed. She could be discreet, or she could lay a thorough trap, but either way she wasn't going to be able to slink off and avoid the consequences of her actions.

  She decided, since she was damned either way, she had to do the best she could for her client. Having packed her bags, she looked around the room one more time to make sure she hadn't left anything, squared her shoulders and left the room.

  It was a coin toss, really. If she met up with Blackhawk in a relatively quiet place, he would get a little discretion. If it was public ... she still had to do it. Regardless of her personal feelings, Blackhawk had not been eliminated as a suspect. The only way to do that was to include him in the trap.

  Despite the decision, Diana felt a little ill when she reached the lobby and saw Blackhawk coming toward her. She took a deep breath to brace herself as he came to a halt before her.

  "Going somewhere?"

  Diana pasted a professional smile on her face, one of the insincere plastic ones. “I'm done here."

  He looked a question.

  Diana didn't have to glance around to know they had the attention of everyone in the room. “My investigation into the accidents at the construction site. I'm meeting the client out at the site in a couple of hours to give him my report, then I'll be heading back to Atlanta to report to my superior."

  Blackhawk's expression closed and the knot in Diana's belly tightened a little tighter. He hadn't known or suspected. She was certain of it in that moment. It would almost have made her feel better if he had.

  "Well,” she added, offering her hand. “I do appreciate your help."

  His eyes glittered. He ignored the hand. “My pleasure."

  It took an effort to keep her smile in place, but she managed it, nodded, and pushed past him. She was still shaking when she reached the car and tossed the bag in the trunk. To her dismay, when she slammed the trunk closed, Blackhawk was standing by the driver's door, watching her.

  She lifted her brows questioningly.

  "I just need to know one thing—was the thing between me and you part of the plan?"

  Diana didn't know how to answer that. It was a plan made while he was nothing more than a name and statistics on a piece of paper, on
e she'd abandoned when she met him ... and then it had just happened. With an effort, she summoned an apologetic smile. “Let's just say I made a mistake."

  He frowned. “What kind of mistake?"

  "Do you think we could just drop it?"

  "No."

  Diana thought, to her horror, that she would burst into tears. She summoned a shaky smile instead, shaking her head. “You're a determined man, chief."

  "I am."

  "I got too close,” Diana said bluntly.

  "To the suspect?"

  "One of them."

  He looked away. “So ... it wasn't just your job."

  Diana bit her lip. “Not all of it."

  He nodded and opened the car door for her. “Next time you're up this way ... ,” he said as she settled in the driver's seat, leaving the invitation hanging.

  Diana nodded. “Sure. Next time."

  He stepped away from the car as she started it up, looked at her a long moment and finally turned back toward the lodge. Taking a couple of gulping breaths, Diana quelled the knot of misery in her chest, put the car into gear and headed toward town.

  Fortunately, her meeting with the sheriff put her back on track.

  He didn't rise when she was shown into his office, but his attitude didn't stop there. His posture and his expression were calculated insults. “Can I help you?"

  Diana shook her head. “I just stopped by to leave my card in case you need to get in touch with me for any reason."

  His brows rose. “You're leaving?"

  "Yes ... right after my meeting with the client out at the construction site."

  He nodded. “Tough. You win some. You lose some."

  Diana smiled tightly. “I never lose."

  He'd been leaning back in his chair. At that, he sat up. “What's that supposed to mean?"

  Diana gave him a look. “Just what I said. I'm turning my report over to the client. I expect he'll be in touch."

  He was on his feet in a split second, his expression hostile, where before it had merely been condescending. “If you know something...."

  Diana's brows rose, but she ignored the threat in his demeanor, turning toward the door and opening it. She paused in the doorway. “You'll know everything I know ... soon enough. I expect the firm will be sending a duplicate of my report to ... uh ... the proper authorities."

  "I want to see that report, right now!” he roared angrily, banging his fist on the top of his desk hard enough several files shifted and spilled over the floor.

  "Well, as you know, wanting and getting are two different things,” Diana said sweetly as she left the office, closing the door carefully behind her.

  Everyone in the office stared at her as she left.

  A smile of satisfaction curled her lips as she got in the car. Prime suspects one and two had been informed that she'd be meeting the client at the construction site, late, after everyone had left for the day ... and both had been informed publicly enough that it was bound to be all over town within the hour.

  One way or another, she was going to solve the case before she left.

  * * * *

  It was already dark by the time Miller, one of the agents from the company who was posing as the client, arrived at the site. His timing had been calculated. Muellin and the local men they'd hired were in position before Diana even arrived at the site. They'd made sure none of the crew of workers had lingered past quitting time, that the usual guards were spread out thinly, walking the perimeter as they habitually did.

  Diana had chosen a spot near the highway, not only because it seemed most logical that she would meet the client near the highway, but also because the guards only passed the front area once an hour.

  She wanted the perp to think there was little threat of being interrupted if he decided he couldn't risk the report finding its way into the hands of the authorities.

  Miller parked the car and got out as Diana got out of her car. “Sorry I'm late,” Miller said jovially as he came around the car. “Got caught up in traffic."

  Diana extended her hand as he reached her. “No problem. I asked you to meet me here because we've cracked the case and I figured you'd want to be on site to call in the authorities and oversee the arrest."

  Reaching back into the car, she pulled her briefcase out and set it on the hood of the car to open it, extracting a file. It was a file on the case, all right, but it was the one Skinnard had given her before she left for Atlanta. Otherwise, it contained nothing more than the list of suspects she and Muellin had compiled between them. The local sheriff had been her own most recent contribution. Muellin had disagreed with her. She wasn't certain herself whether there was more to it than a dislike of the man, but her gut told her she was on to something.

  Opening the folder on the hood of the car, Diana and Miller bent over it as if they were reading and discussing the contents.

  "You see anything on your way in?” Diana asked quietly.

  Miller shook his head. “I made a point of stopping in town for gas so everybody could notice the outsider. Got a lot of speculative looks, but nobody tailed me."

  Diana shrugged, pointed to a line on one of the reports. “I made sure half the town knew we were meeting out here. They wouldn't need to follow."

  A branch snapped nearby, followed by a rustle of brush.

  It wasn't close, but something was definitely moving in their direction. Diana pretended she hadn't heard it, surreptitiously unfastening the snap on her holster as she glanced toward Muellin's position to see if he'd heard it. She caught the faint glint of moonlight on the barrel of his pistol.

  The full moon had just risen above the tree tops.

  Diana closed the folder and handed it to Miller, glancing around as she did so and discovering a low lying fog was creeping along the ground, shrouding the edges of the forest.

  Abruptly, something huge erupted from the edge of the woods nearest them, shredding the mist as it bounded straight toward her with a roar that chilled Diana's blood. She and Miller turned almost as one to face the threat as it bounded atop the hood of Miller's car. It's golden eyes glowing in the dark, it drew its lips back, baring sharp, yellowed teeth.

  "Now!” Diana yelled, dropping down.

  A hail of bullets struck the beast and the car, shattering the front window, puncturing holes in the hood of the car. The animal howled, but it was impossible to tell if anyone had actually hit it.

  It was no part of Diana's plan to wait around to see, however. Keeping low, Diana and Miller and ran for the van Muellin had parked around the side of the building. Behind them, Diana heard a dull thud as the animal leapt from the hood of Miller's car and landed heavily on the soft earth. The hairs on the back of her neck prickled. Either everyone had missed, or it was, as she suspected, no ordinary wolf.

  The pounding of paws on the ground told her the wolf had launched a pursuit. They weren't going to make it. She whirled, clawing at her holster to pull her gun.

  The wolf, she saw, was almost upon them.

  At that moment, the scream of a hawk broke the night air. The bird swooped from the darkened sky and slammed into the wolf, tearing at it with its talons. The distraction gave Diana the time she needed to take aim and fire.

  Her bullet slammed into the animal's shoulder. It let out a howl of pain, the impact throwing it to the ground. With a piercing shriek and a flurry of flapping wings, the hawk launched itself into the sky once more and disappeared.

  Breathing heavily, Diana stared down at the beast, her pistol ready to fire again if necessary. A stampede of running feet behind her told her the other men had arrived. They surrounded the animal, staring down at it as it struggled to rise, growling and gnashing its teeth at them as if it would attack once more even though it could no longer stand.

  "Finish it off."

  Diana glanced at the man who'd spoken. It was the guard who'd been on duty the night the other guard was killed. She shook her head.

  "Then I'll do it,” he said tightly.r />
  "You won't."

  He turned to look at her. “You gonna stop me? That damn animal killed Carl. He was a friend of mine. I grew up with him."

  "Your bullet won't kill him. Mine will.” She glanced around the group of men. All of them, except Muellin, were looking at her as if she'd lost her mind. “Look,” she added as she returned her attention to the animal on the ground.

  Slowly, so slowly it was hardly noticeable at first, the wolf's muzzle began to shorten and grow flatter. It's body relaxed, seeming to lengthen. As the full moon rose fully over them, bathing the animal in light, it shifted, becoming the nude body of a man. The poison of the silver bullet took its toll and he went still at last.

  "Sheriff?"

  Chapter Seven

  "All right,” Muellin said as they stopped to eat on the way back to Atlanta the following day. “I'll bite. Tell me how you figured out it was the sheriff."

  Diana shrugged. “I didn't. I began to suspect him after the first guard was attacked."

  Muellin lifted his brows. “Because he was on the scene so quickly? Isn't that his job?"

  Diana shook her head. “I told you then—there was something about the way he acted that just seemed a little off. It was more like he'd rehearsed how he should react and what he should say, but beneath it I had the feeling that he was gloating."

  "I noticed, but I figured it was because he liked seeing us fall on our faces."

  "I thought that could be it, too, which was one of the reasons I dismissed it, at first. But I got to thinking about the fact that all of the other victims were disposed of so neatly, preventing any chance for an autopsy. The sheriff was the only one around here that had the clout to make that happen who was also on the scene each and every time a victim was found."

  "Which also wouldn't mean much since he's the sheriff."

  Diana shrugged. “I began to suspect that was why he was the sheriff. It put him in the position of protecting himself when the beast took over. The attacks on the workers here at the site aren't the first in this area. There were attacks before, when the other developers tried to build a lodge here. There were also attacks in between. That led me to wonder if the construction had anything at all to do with the attacks beyond the fact that outsiders had entered his territory."