Under the Midnight Cloak

by S. Y. Thompson

  He can't even talk like a person anymore. Dalton knew it wouldn't be long before communication with the creature would become impossible. Had they waited until the weekend, he would have been useless in helping Aaron achieve his goals.

  Seconds later Bruce returned dressed in a pair of torn khakis. He was bare-chested and shoeless.

  "That'll work. Let's go."

  They set off from the exit and Dalton was happy to see the rain had stopped. Unfortunately, the temperature had also dropped so he set out at a jog to generate some body heat as well as close up the distance at a steady pace. The moon winked out behind the clouds at irregular intervals, providing light for them to navigate and soon the shadow of the manor came into view.

  Dalton didn't hesitate as he headed for the front porch with the malformed carnivore beside him. He anticipated that once Bruce's stash had been discovered it wouldn't take Kessler long to find the hidden entrance and he didn't waste his time trying that way in. Instead, he came prepared and would do things the old-fashioned way. He intended to pick the lock.

  "Me smash window."

  "What are you, The Hulk? Stay quiet and leave it to me. We have to be quiet or her bodyguard will attack us."

  The last was designed to keep Bruce complacent. Aaron reached into his pocket and removed a tubular lock pick. He inserted the tool into the lock and turned it clockwise. As it was pushed into the lock, each of the pins was slowly forced down until they stopped, binding the driver pins behind the shear line of the lock. When the final pin was pushed down the shear plane cleaved the lock open. It only took a matter of seconds.

  Aaron opened the door slowly, using all of his senses to determine there was no movement in the house. The fading scent of sex struck him and his penis stiffened in response. Angry at the involuntary reaction, he bit back a snarl and tiptoed away from the smell toward where he knew the kitchen to be with Bruce close on his heels. He took the rear stairs to the basement.

  "Show me where the access is."

  Bruce slid past him and headed directly for the panel beneath the stairs. Someone had put a hasp with a padlock on it, but he easily ripped it away.

  Dalton rolled his eyes. Now it would be more difficult to make it look like an intruder had forced the door from the tunnel access, but he could still make it work. He knelt down and climbed inside the tunnel and then scooped up a handful of dirt. Aaron reached back through and smeared it over the inside edge of the wall, making it look like someone had grabbed hold to climb inside.

  He stepped back into the house leaving the panel open and grinned up at Bruce.

  Now it gets fun.

  LEE SMILED AND turned over in her sleep.

  The sights and sounds of the forest embraced her and joy filled her heart as she padded over fallen leaves and branches. Lee felt the strength in the muscles of her four legs and flexed her claws simply to let them sink into the coolness of the earth. The smells that came to her were a hundred times what she could sense in her human form, connecting her to the world around her in ways that she never could have imagined. A sound came to her sensitive ears that wasn't quite as pleasant, a persistent thudding followed by a resounding crash.

  She awakened and sat up at the same time that Jamison did; the realization that the annoyingly loud sound hadn't been a part of her nocturnal imaginings.

  "What was that?"

  "Someone's in the house," Jamison whispered harshly, sliding out of the bed and reaching for her nightshirt. "Do you have any weapons around here?"

  Lee quickly pulled on her sweats and retrieved the shotgun from the closet. "The breech is loaded, but you'll have to jack a round into the chamber and the safety is on."

  "Got it. You stay here."

  "I don't think so. I'm coming with you."

  Jamison held the weapon in one hand and cupped the back of Lee's neck with the other. Looking deeply into her eyes she said, "I can't be worried about you and concentrate on finding an intruder. Please."

  Reluctantly, Lee nodded. "Be careful." She hugged Jamison tightly for a moment and then she was alone.

  JAMISON SLIPPED OUT of the bedroom into the main entrance, searching for the source of the noise. Her eyes and nose told her nothing was in this part of the house, but she could detect the same stench she had encountered on several occasions. The killer was in the house, but she couldn't imagine why it would have returned.

  Another small thump, significantly quieter than the others, led her toward the kitchen. Thinking that the creature had gone back to the root cellar, she crossed into the dining room without hesitation. A few steps into the space, she realized she wasn't alone. Jamison started to turn around, but as quick as she was, the intruder was faster. A sharp pain lanced through the back of her head and Jamison slumped unconscious to the floor.

  LEE WAITED FOR several minutes, but when Jamison didn't return and there were no further sounds she began to worry. She tiptoed on bare feet toward the door and leaned around the edge.

  "Jamison," she said in a loud stage whisper and then she winced.

  That was dumb. Just tell the serial killer where to find you, Lee.

  She clamped her mouth closed and left the sanctuary of the bedroom, determined to find Jamison and help her if they ran into trouble. Lee was halfway across the foyer when she felt the wooden floor vibrate under her feet and knew she was being followed. She spun around and saw the almost unrecognizable, but grinning face of the man from the side of the road. It was Bruce, the one who'd helped her with the truck, but fear slammed into her when she suddenly realized he was the murderer.

  Her scream was cut off abruptly when someone slapped a hand over her mouth from behind.

  "Hello Kadin," a man said sarcastically. "I do hate to be rude, no that's not true. I love to be rude, and you're coming with us."

  Chapter Thirty

  THE STENCH OF urine and gasoline were the first things that greeted Lee when she regained consciousness. She lay still in the hopes that the two that had taken her wouldn't realize she was awake. Looking around without moving her head, Lee saw that she was inside some type of underground cavern, the dirt ceiling high overhead and the coolness of rich earth under her cheek. Dim, yellow light caused flickering shadows to dance over the cave walls.

  A lantern?

  Booted feet came into view and a man nudged her in the side. "Get up."

  So much for that plan.

  Lee hoped she could fake unconsciousness long enough for Jamison to find her, but it looked like she was on her own for the time being. There was no question that Jami would be searching for her and it was up to Lee to play along with these two until help arrived. If the opportunity presented itself, she would escape on her own and let the Council Jamison had told her about know exactly where to find them. She sat up and looked around, trying to note as much detail as possible. The slightest thing might provide her with the chance to get away.

  There were two entrances into this chamber with no indication which might lead to freedom. A single Coleman lantern burned in the corner, but there was nothing she could see that might be set aflame to provide a distraction.

  "Who are you? What do you want from me?"

  Someone moved in the darkness and then drifted closer. When he came into the light she recognized Bruce. Lee had seen him briefly in the house and was horrified by his transformation, but looking at him now she realized how much worse his condition was. Bruce's jaw jutted forward, appearing to be dislocated and his stomach was sunken into his body, but his eyes were what captured her attention. Solid as a sheet of ice and covered in silver with neither iris nor pupil to break up the landscape. It wasn't just the impossibly uniform color, but the radiance being illuminated from within.

  Dalton answered, drawing her back to the situation. "Not like it matters who we are, but I'm Dalton. He wants you to cure him. What I want is so much more."

  His lecherous gaze slid down her body, resting suggestively on her breasts before moving lower. Bruce's new form was frig
htening to behold, but Lee sensed Dalton was the more dangerous of the two.

  "Forget it, buddy. You're not my type."

  Baiting him wasn't a wise choice, but Jami had told her who this guy was and her fear of him suddenly went down a peg or two. He was nothing, but an overgrown bully who would probably fold if someone actually stood up to him.

  Dalton sneered. "Yes, I know. You prefer tall, dark and self-important elder wannabes."

  "Actually, you're just too ugly. Hell, your friend here has a better chance, but I'll admit he could use some mouthwash."

  The back-handed slap impacted her in the jaw. Lee hadn't expected the blow. It caught her full force, snapping her head to the side. She tasted blood, but before she could spit it out Bruce snarled and went after Dalton. He moved lightning quick, but Lee could see every detail. She was able to perceive the instant yellow-black fur burst from his pores, standing in rigid spikes down the center of his misshapen spine. The claws that had taken up permanent residence on his hands and feet elongated even farther, digging into the dirt and throwing it behind in a cloud as he lunged. The light behind the incandescent eyes became acute, illuminating some of the shadows around them. Lee flinched, an instinctive reaction to the attack.

  Bruce hurtled into Dalton's chest, easily forcing him onto his back and pinning him against the ground.

  "Don't touch. I need!"

  His teeth had grown unbelievably long, more like the tusks of a saber tooth tiger only curving upward instead of downward, embracing his skull as they curved upward on either side of his eyes. Drool slipped out of his open mouth and slid down his throat to settle under his collar.

  Bruce hadn't spoken aloud since Lee was taken and it belatedly occurred to her that he still hadn't. She heard the garbled sentences in her mind. This was how they communicated while in animal form, though she suspected one usually couldn't intercept the message. Otherwise, she would be hearing all the shape changers in Harmon every time she walked down the street. It was another indication of how far gone Bruce's condition was.

  "I was just joking around," Dalton said, holding his hands up in surrender. "I didn't mean anything by it. Why don't you go ahead and ask her to cure you? As the Kadin, it should be easy enough."

  "Not easy. Old woman said no. Said can't help."

  "You knew Aunt Chris?" Lee gave away the fact that she could understand the silent words, but this was too important to let pass. "If she could have cured you, she would have."

  Bruce left Dalton lying in the dirt and padded toward her, his serpent-like tongue lashing out to taste the air. "Bitch said no, but Bruce not stupid. She let change to this. Her fault. Now you will help or I kill you, too."

  Fury raced over her, stronger than she could ever remember. A snarl tore loose from her in a way she never could have expected, but Lee didn't really notice. "You killed her? Are you such a genius that you didn't think she could be telling the truth?"

  He flew toward her and this time she couldn't track his movements, but he stopped short of tearing her face apart with his tusks. "No! I have sickness. She knew but thought funny to see me suffer. She deserved death."

  Lee fought to control her anger. She wanted to hurt him back for killing her aunt, but that would do little to bring Chris back and only create more problems at the moment. She took a deep breath as rationality took over. Antagonizing him would only lead to her own demise and she might be able to use this to her advantage. Bruce's sole concern was being cured of whatever disease held him in its grip. She believed there was no out for him, magical, mystical or scientific, but that wasn't what he wanted to hear.

  "All right, you win. I'll help you, but I'll need something. I need the medicine book. It's on the dining room table at the manor." The two of them together had her trapped, but she'd just been given the chance to split them up. Assuming Bruce would go for it.

  "She's lying to you," Dalton said, dusting himself off as he stood. "Even if she gets the book she has no intention of trying to do anything. Just kill her and get it over with."

  Her eyes narrowed in sudden comprehension, dread skating over her flesh. Jami's nemesis helped capture and kidnap her, but not out of any desire to assist his companion with overcoming his curse.

  "That's what you wanted all along." She turned to Bruce. "He doesn't want you to change back. He just wants you to slaughter me, to add to the body count. You'll never be like you were if you do that."

  Bruce thought about it for a second and then turned to Dalton. Lee wasn't sure he really comprehended, but he went along for now. "You go. Get book or I kill you next."

  "Are you really going to believe that line?" Aaron asked sarcastically. "She's just like her aunt. They don't care about you."

  "Go!" Bruce silently roared and Lee got a kick out of watching Dalton wince.

  She could see the fear in his eyes when he thought no one was looking. Maybe she'd been wrong about this mismatched pair and Dalton was the weaker of the two. She didn't have any weapons and her hands were currently tied behind her back, but she had a better chance of overpowering him than Bruce if she could get free.

  "If you don't trust him you could go," Lee said.

  Dalton's gaze swiveled back to her and that smarmy look came back into his eyes. "Now there's an idea. We could spend some quality time and get to know each other. I'm sure after you spend a little time with me you'll never want to go back to women."

  "On second thought--"

  "Panthera go. I stay, rest for hunt."

  Aaron frowned and looked like he wanted to argue the point, but eventually he relented. With one last dark glance toward her, he left Lee alone with the beast. Chances were good he wouldn't actually retrieve the medicine book since he was smart enough to know it wouldn't work, but if it got rid of him for a while that would be okay, too.

  Bruce padded over to the side of the cave and lay down. He rested his mammoth head against his paws, but carefully kept watch on her. Lee leaned her head back against the wall and closed her eyes, pretending to sleep. As subtly as she could, she twisted her wrists to check the bindings. There was just enough space to maneuver and she bit the inside of her cheek to keep from smiling. Dalton wasn't quite the marlinspike man he thought himself to be. Working slowly and deliberately, she was able to loosen the knot. She felt the sting of rope burn, but persisted until the cords gave way.

  Chapter Thirty-One

  FOR THE SECOND time in two days, Jamison picked herself up off the floor. Gingerly, she touched the lump on the back of her head. She didn't need to check the house to know that Lee was gone, but she did anyway. The scent of Dalton and his new friend was all over the house, telling her the who, but not the why. She ran out of the house intent on tracking the small group and saving Lee, only to run straight into the middle of a fall shower. Rain fell at a steady pace, soaking her instantly and the ground was completely saturated. She couldn't tell how long it had been raining, but it was long enough to obscure any tracks they might have made and dilute their spoor to the point where they were impossible to follow.

  Damn, now what?

  Jamison was terrified that she would be too late and all they would find of Lee was her bent and broken body. She needed help and it was time to bring the hunting teams into this. If the Council wanted to think this was just another tiff she was having with Dalton, she didn't care as long as they got Lee back in one piece. She would worry about their reactions later. Jamison ran back into the house to dress and her phone rang as she reached for her pants.

  "Jami, it's Dinah. I just received an anonymous tip that someone saw our beast near Andrews Farm. What do you want us to do?"

  "Did they say if he was alone? Was there a woman with him?"

  "What are you talking about," Dinah asked, inherently understanding by Jamison's panicked voice that something was wrong.

  "Dalton broke into Lee's house tonight with the monster. They're working together and I don't know why, but they took her."

  "Are you sure?"

/>   "Yes, their stench is all over the manor. Get the others together and meet me at the head of Griffin Drive. We'll decide how to approach the property once we get there. Do you know if there are any deserted structures on the premises that could be used as a hiding place?"

  "Couldn't tell you," Dinah answered quickly, "but Travis might know. He used to hang out with Jimmy Andrews when they were kids. Jami, I hate to bring this up, but if a Panthera is involved with this we have to inform the Council before we move in."

  "They could kill her before we get there!" Jamison knew the elders would have to be brought into this, but Lee's life was the priority. The Council could be updated later as far as she was concerned.

  "I know, sweetie, but it might already be too late and if they are there, we don't have a choice. The community comes before any one individual."

  Panthera protocol dictated that a member of their society engaged in criminal activity would be brought to justice only before the Council. In this case, they would demand proof that Dalton was actually guilty of any wrongdoing before they took action against him.

  "To hell with that. You can waste time talking to the Council, but I'm going after Lee."

  Dinah quickly reached a compromise. "At least let me call Mom so she can meet us out there. With an elder present no one can say we breached protocol."

  "All right. Just get there as quickly as you can."

  "I will."

  Jamison finished dressing and tore out of the house. Andrews Farm was almost six miles away and north of Harmon. Since Dalton lived close to that location it made sense he would take Lee there and she didn't stop to question the timing of the anonymous tip. She jumped into the pickup and tore out of the yard, slinging mud in all directions. Rain pounded against the windshield and she flipped on the wipers. Clouds obscured any light from the moon and visibility was almost nil. Jamison could barely see the center stripe when she pulled onto Blue Mountain road, but there wasn't any traffic and she floored the accelerator. For a second the rear tires spun dangerously and then they gripped the pavement and she rocketed toward town with no regard to being stopped by a bored state trooper.