Elijah was clean-shaven with a warm smile and thinning hair. Jack guessed that he had to be older than his father, perhaps nearing his sixties. His hand was strong as he introduced himself above the din of the crowd.
“My name is Elijah Ahab. I’m the pastor of the community. Perhaps we can talk somewhere where there’s more room and less noise?”
Jack and the others nodded as they followed Elijah through the front door and outside. The crowd trailed after them, eager to catch any news of New Hope or plans the strangers had for aiding them.
Elijah led the group past the town center and fountain and down a dirt path. There was still a large group of excited citizens following as Elijah stopped at a single story white house and turned to address the crowd.
“Friends, I know how eager you are to talk to our guests and how hopeful it is to see them in our city. But please give me some time to talk with them and let them rest. I’m sure they’ll be here for a few days and everyone will get a chance to interact with them.”
Some members in the crowd nodded and said farewell to the strangers, others scowled at Elijah for being dismissed like small children.
“I’m sorry,” Elijah turned to his visitors. “I’m afraid they are a bit over eager about your arrival. Please come inside and we can talk.”
Jack and the others followed Elijah inside his small house. Clean wood floors and furniture made Jack feel at home. This was a setting he was more accustomed to as opposed to New Hope’s steel towers and brick buildings. Elijah motioned them to all sit at a table as he lit candles and lamps in the light of the setting sun.
“Thank you for your hospitality.” Sloan was the first to speak when they were all seated. “I’m Captain Sloan. This is Aareth, Marcus, and Jack.”
“My name is Elijah Ahab. I’m the pastor here in Burrow Den.”
“No disrespect, Pastor Ahab, but is there a mayor or sheriff available we can speak with?”
“I’m afraid not, Captain.” Ahab lowered his eyes and shook his head slowly. “They’re all dead. Fallen victims of the animal that has ravaged our city.”
“So you’ve assumed control?” Sloan raised a skeptical eyebrow.
“I had no choice.” Elijah looked up, shocked at Sloan’s tone. “The town needed someone to turn to.”
“Of course,” Sloan responded evenly.
Jack couldn’t help but notice the distrust in her eyes and the way Elijah fidgeted in his seat. There was an awkward silence as Aareth leaned back in his chair and Jack’s eyes darted between Sloan and Elijah.
“Well,” Sloan began again, “we’re here now. What can you tell us about the animal and the attacks?”
Elijah opened his mouth but stopped himself short. “Wouldn’t you like to rest or have something to eat before we jump right into business? I’m sure you all have had a long journey.”
“If it’s all the same to you, preacher,” Marcus spoke up for the first time, “we’d like to get started as soon as we can.”
“Well, the attacks started just over two months ago.” Elijah took time to look them all in the eyes as he spoke. “Since then, dozens of men and women have been killed. I haven’t seen the creature myself, but there are some eyewitnesses I can refer you to.”
Jack wasn’t sure what information he expected from the preacher still he expected more than what was offered.
“What do you think is causing the attacks, Pastor Ahab?” Jack leaned forward awaiting the answer.
Elijah looked at Jack with a startled expression as if he hadn’t expected the young man to speak.
“I’m not sure, Jack. I know that the reports are of an animal, and of that I have no doubt, but—” Elijah looked down as he chose his next words carefully. “Something inside is begging the question of what if this animal was sent by the Divine as a persecution for our sins?”
Jack wasn’t sure what to think as he joined Aareth and leaned his chair back and away from the table.
“Explain,” Sloan crossed her arms over her chest.
“I mean,” Elijah wet his thin lips. “No one has been able to stop the beast. Before the attacks began, Burrow Den was heading into a morally dark place. I’m not saying I think the attacks are justified in any way, but the way the creature turns up and disappears has to be answered. In the last few months the church has seen its best days as more and more people realize what’s important in life and turn to the Divine One for hope.”
Jack was going back and forth in his mind, asking himself if he trusted the preacher or if the man was a bit overzealous in the crazy department. He was forced to shelve the question when the door to the small house opened. In walked a young girl somewhere around Jack’s age. She was slender with thick dark hair and a quick smile that accentuated her pearl white teeth.
Jack’s jaw dropped as he tilted just too far in his chair and fell backward hard on the wood floor. Everyone, including the girl, looked at him with a mixture of mirth and concern.
Jack immediately regained his feet, and righted his chair. He could feel the blood rush to his face. Heat radiate from his ears.
“Are you all right?” the angel in the doorway asked, hiding a smile.
“Ummm—I—uhhh…” Jack wasn’t sure what was wrong with him, but for some reason in that moment he had forgotten how to speak.
Jack felt a hard kick under the table as Aareth’s boot made contact with his shin.
The pain from the strike brought Jack’s vocabulary back from the stone age in a rush. “I’m Jack—I mean, I’m fine, thanks.”
“This is my daughter, Abigail.” Elijah gave Jack a skeptical look as he rose from his seat and introduced the stranger. “Abigail, these are travelers from New Hope who have been sent by the Queen herself to offer assistance.”
“It’s a pleasure to meet you.” Abigail smiled at them all inviting another fall from Jack. “I’m sure my father is answering all of your questions, if there’s anything I can do to help, please just ask.”
Jack made a conscious effort not to stare. Apparently, Aareth was finding the entire situation comical as he nudged Jack in the ribs and whispered a bit too loud for Jack’s liking, “She’s cute, right?”
Jack shook his head, trying to avoid eye contact with the inspector-turned-assassin.
“Actually, you can both help us,” Sloan stood from the table. “I’ll need a list of victims and the places the attacks took place as well as interviews set up with eye witnesses. With any luck, we can start tracking the beast tomorrow.”
“Yes, of course.” Elijah’s eyes were locked on Sloan’s as he nodded like he was in a daze. “I can do that tonight. Right away.”
Elijah grabbed a coat off of a hook that stood fixed next to the door. As if it was an after thought, he looked back at his daughter. “Abigail, can you show our guests where they can sleep for the night, and prepare a meal. I’ll be back as soon as I can.”
Abigail nodded and was opening her mouth to say something when her father pivoted on his heel and headed out of the house, closing the door behind him.
“Sorry,” Abigail turned toward the table of guests and cringed. “My father is a bit—”
“It’s okay,” Marcus waived her apology away. “No explanation needed.”
“The house next door is vacant, and it will be a great place for you to live as long as you need. I would invite you to stay here, of course, but there wouldn’t be enough room. I wouldn’t want any of you to sleep on the floor.”
“Thank you, Abigail,” Sloan took a step toward the door. “Shall we?”
“Of course.”
Abigail motioned for the group to follow her as they exited the small simple house and walked next door to a much larger, more extravagant building. Jack was surprised he hadn’t noticed the gigantic house when they were walking to Elijah’s home. By comparison, the estate they were being shown to was a mansion.
Abigail opened a small fence for them and the group walked past a lush garden and followed grey stone steps to
the large oak door.
“No one lives here?” Aareth asked, looking up into the dark windows covering the second story of the building.
“No,” Abigail said as she opened the door and led them inside. “This house used to belong to our Mayor. When he was attacked and passed away, no one moved in.”
“We’re staying in a dead guy’s house?” Jack had another case of foot in mouth as he realized where they were going to be spending the night.
“Yeah,” Abigail looked at him and frowned. “I guess when you put it that way it isn’t really that nice.”
“Oh, no.” Jack immediately regretted his words. “I mean, it is really nice, I just wasn’t expecting that answer.”
“The rooms are located upstairs. Let me know if you need anything. I’ll be right next door getting dinner ready. When you’re done settling in, just come over and we can eat.”
Aareth was already lost wandering the house as Sloan nodded to the young girl.
“Thank you, Abigail,” Jack managed. Finally he was able to say something nice to the young woman without tripping over his own words or falling out of a chair.
Abigail smiled and left the travelers to settle in. As soon as she was gone, Marcus turned to his son.
“Don’t say a word,” Jack scolded his father.
“What? I wasn’t going to say anything… besides, you should be more careful about falling out of chairs. We haven’t even started tracking the animal yet.”
Jack smiled and shook his head as he joined Aareth and Sloan in investigating what would be their home for the next few days.
The house was extravagant and what immediately hit Jack was how expensive creating a house like this must have been. From the hand carved statues that were placed carefully around the house to the stone fireplace and library, Jack could tell the Mayor of Burrow Den had been doing very well for himself before his untimely demise.
Jack made his way up the winding staircase and onto the second floor. The top floor was made up mostly of bedrooms and washrooms. Aareth and Sloan had already chosen their own, leaving the master bedroom and one other that faced Elijah’s house.
Jack told himself he was leaving the master bedroom for his father out of respect. He convinced himself that it had nothing to do with the off chance he would be able to see Abigail from his own bedroom window.
Jack entered the room and took off his long brown jacket. The room was a bit dusty from not being used, other than that it had been well taken care of. A cozy bed was set in one corner with a dresser along the wall and a lantern and candles by the bedside. He couldn’t help but let his eyes stray to the large window to see exactly how much of the neighboring house the view allowed.
“I had a feeling you’d take this room.”
Jack jumped and whirled around.
“Listen,” Sloan said from the doorway. “I know you’re an adult, so I’m going to treat you like one. We’re emissaries of the Queen and here to do a job. That’s it. No fraternizing with the locals or flirting with the town girls.”
“I wasn’t going to do anything like that.” Jack felt his face turn red for the second time that day.
“I didn’t think you would. I’m just making sure, Romeo.”
“Charlotte,” Aareth’s voice could be heard from somewhere down the hall, “leave the kid alone. Come on, let’s go eat dinner.”
Jack felt like he was going to be turned to stone as he saw Sloan’s face contort into a mask of sheer violence at the mention of her first name.
“I’m going to kill him before this is all over.”
Jack
Dinner was a simple affair of mixed vegetables, warm biscuits, and honey glazed chicken. Elijah was still absent from the house, but this didn’t seem to bother Abigail as she entertained her guests.
Jack admired how comfortable she was talking to them as strangers and how she took it upon herself to make sure they were cared for. The way her eyes twinkled when she smiled and the soft layer of freckles around her cheeks just added to her overall attractiveness.
“I hope you all are comfortable staying next door. If there’s anything that’s not in the house, just let me know and I’m sure I can get it for you.”
“Thank you, Abigail, that’s very nice of you. I think we’re fine at the moment. If we do need anything we’ll be sure to let you know,” Sloan dabbed at the corner of her lips with her napkin.
“How is it that no one has moved into the Mayor’s house?” Marcus asked as he finished his plate. “It seems like it’s one of the biggest and nicest homes in the town.”
“It’s, well,” Abigail looked down at her plate and took a long breath, “complicated.”
“How so?”
“When the Mayor and other people started being attacked, the entire city was looking for an answer. Citizens of Burrow Den were beginning to blame each other and things were reaching a boiling point. My father calmed them by introducing the idea that maybe the animal was sent to confront those who held worldly possessions in too high a regard.”
“You sound like a politician,” Sloan’s aggressive tone caught everyone off guard. “You’re saying your father told everyone a god sent an animal to attack the rich.”
Abigail cleared her throat uncomfortably and Jack knew he had to step in before Sloan tore her apart.
“Maybe we should ask Elijah ourselves,” Jack said.
Sloan only nodded.
Jack caught Abigail looking at him and the small smile she gave him was all the thanks he needed.
Jack
That night as Jack got ready for bed in the deceased Mayor’s house he couldn’t help thinking about Abigail and what she had said. Her explanation about how her father handled the attacks seemed forced. Jack could tell she wanted to steer clear from the subject but she hadn’t.
Jack tossed and turned in his bed as the moon rose high in the night sky. Minutes turned into hours and still he couldn’t sleep. His body was exhausted but his mind wouldn’t turn off. There was something strange going on in the town of Burrow Den. Something that went far beyond simple animal attacks.
It was while Jack was considering the possibility of Sloan actually killing Aareth for calling her by her first name that he heard the first yell.
It wasn’t loud but he knew to hear it from the second floor and through his closed window, it had to be a yell.
Jack turned onto his stomach and pushed aside the curtains that half concealed his view outside. It was a clear night and he had a perfect angle of the town of Burrow Den below. The house he was staying in was one of only a few that stood two stories tall. He didn’t have to search far for the noise that caused him to look outside. It was coming from Abigail’s house.
Jack listened intently, holding his breath as he heard more shouts. He could tell they were yells coming from an argument and not cries of help by the tone used. Abigail was yelling something and Elijah was shouting back. After a few minutes, Abigail stormed out of the back of the house and slammed the door behind her. A few seconds later, Elijah’s tall frame appeared, leaving out the front door. Jack watched until the tall man’s fleeting shadow was lost in the darkness.
She stood in her backyard, clenching her hands and practically shaking. Jack was sure he hadn’t seen anyone that angry in a very long time, even Sloan. He watched as Abigail put her hands on top of her head and paced back and forth.
Jack realized he had no business interfering. He knew Sloan had warned him about meddling with locals, still he couldn’t help himself. More than he knew, he already cared about Abigail, and if there was anything he could do to show her kindness, he was going to do it.
Quietly, he made his way from his room, down the staircase, and out the front door. It was warm, so he didn’t bother with his jacket. He took his wand belt, just in case.
There was a small path that ran between the two houses with a white picket fence separating the properties. Jack could see Abigail on the other side of the fence. Her arms were wrapped aro
und herself as she stared into the darkness opposite Jack.
Jack kicked himself for not already knowing what to say. He was standing ten yards away from her, but nothing resembling a smooth icebreaker was coming to mind.
“Hey, are you okay?”
“Oh, Jack,” Abigail turned around quickly, wiping her eyes on her white blouse. “You scared me.”
“Sorry.”
“No, it’s fine. Are you okay? Did you need anything?”
Jack was taken aback and impressed by her again. She was clearly upset to the point of tears, still when she saw him she was asking if there was anything he needed.
“I’m okay. What’s wrong?”
“Nothing, it’s silly.” Abigail cleared her throat and laughed. “I’m sorry if I woke you.”
“No, I was already out for a walk,” Jack lied. “Tell me what’s bothering you.”
“Do you ever feel like you’re being torn in two different directions?” Abigail took a long breath and stared into Jack’s brown eyes. “Like two versions of you are fighting inside?”
“You mean there’s this person that people want or expect you to be and then there’s another voice in your head telling you there’s another way.” Jack knew exactly what she meant.
“Exactly.” Abigail stood quiet for a second and just stared at Jack.
“My father is a great man and I love him, but he sees the world so black and white,” Jack looked up into the clear night sky. “He always makes the right decision, no matter what the consequences. I don’t know if I can do that.”
“Your father is really nice, Jack. You’re lucky. I can tell how much he loves you just by the way he looks at you. My father… is a bit different.”
Jack hesitated, not wanting to push her into a conversation that made her uncomfortable. Instead, he took a few steps forward and let his hands rest on the white picket fence that stood between them. Abigail smiled at him again and also took a few steps toward him, closing the distance.
House of Wolves: (A Paranormal Urban Fantasy) (The Vampire Project Book 1) Page 12