The Caitlin Chronicles Boxed Set

by Michael Anderle

  “I thought I told you to drop that,” Cynthia shouted.

  Damien shrugged, a coy grin on his face.

  The Were adversaries took a step back.

  “Good job,” Cynthia sighed and found enough room to squeeze down the side tunnel and away from the attackers who now huddled around their friend and tried to stem the bleeding.

  After several more waves of Weres, Kain could smell the sweet scent of fresh air up ahead. He frowned and ran faster than ever, leaving the kids slightly behind so he could work the door to the hidden entrance of the sewers. A colossal roar behind them made his blood curdle.

  With that explosion of anger, Kain knew Bryce would soon transform into the great bear in response to the disturbance.

  “Sudeikis!” the Alpha cried in a voice that paralyzed the kids with fear.

  “Come on,” Cynthia whispered nervously and nudged the children along. “Go, kids. Now!”

  Kain managed to open the door as another explosive cry reverberated down the tunnel. They climbed the stairs, emerged into the open air, and sprinted toward the city.

  “This way, quick!” he cried, not quite sure yet whether he regretted his decision to charge out of the sewers or whether he was simply pissed off that they’d been caught.

  Houses led to apartments, which blurred into highrises. Kain, Cynthia, and the children sprinted in the dying sunlight for the tallest building on the western border of the city—the place they’d agreed to meet the others should they also escape.

  As they ran and the chill air cut their cheeks, the cries of Bryce and his Weres followed them the entire way.

  The Broken City, Old Ontario

  “You’re making a big mistake, dude. Honestly, do you really think we’re the bad guys?”

  Tom wriggled his hands and tried to find a more comfortable position. The thick ropes tied his wrists behind his back.

  Triston remained silent and now worked on Vex who put up little resistance. Tom wasn’t sure if he felt sorry for the man. He usually had a fighter’s spirit, but even he hadn’t seen the point in resisting after Triston had snuck in and stolen their weapons, ordered them to follow if they wanted to see Caitlin again, and dumped him into this empty room with the others. Even Laurie looked resigned with her head leaned against the wall and her blonde locks draped across her face. It was the only time Tom had ever seen her look in any way disheveled, and even then, she looked gorgeous.

  Their captor had asked where the others were, and they could tell he was pissed off when they refused to reveal Belle and Joe’s location and simply said, “Right. They’re with her.”

  When they were all securely tied around the wrists, Triston barked commands at the guards and left them in silence in the room.

  “Well…this is shit,” Vex said.

  Tom nodded. “You can say that again.”

  “Well…this is—”

  “I didn’t mean literally.”

  Vex smirked and opened his mouth to talk but evidently thought better of it and fell silent.

  “You really think he has Kitty-Cat?” Laurie asked, her voice so soft they hardly heard her.

  “Nah. Let’s be honest, Kitty-Cat’s like an orgasm. The more you try to reach her, the farther away she goes. You have to let her come to you. I can’t imagine a possible situation in which Triston has her hostage.”

  “But what if he does?” Tom asked. “How would we know? If she was free, we’d be free, too, right?”

  “When has Kitty-Cat ever let us down before?” Vex asked, and determination settled into his expression. “Seriously. There’s nothing to worry about. I promise you. Wait and see. In five minutes, she’ll bash through that door, and we’ll all be on our way to freedomville.”

  But the five minutes came and then went. The sun began to fade behind the slatted windows and Vex’s conviction with it. After another hour or two, the room fell dark. They chatted idly, but none of the Revolutionaries felt inclined to talk anymore. Each seemed trapped in their own head and wondered what was really going on outside.

  It took every ounce of persuasion Izzy possessed to gain an audience with Triston. The man whom she had actually been rather chummy with a few days before had certainly changed, and after that display with Caitlin in the library, Izzy knew that now was the time to speak.

  She burst through the doors so hard that they crashed against the walls behind her.

  “What the hell is going on?” she asked and her anger flushed her cheeks. “What was that earlier? What’s gotten into you?”

  Triston rose calmly from his chair, nodded for the guards to close the door, and addressed her. “Let yourself in, why don’t you? You saw what happened. Caitlin is a maniac. She’s turned against the city and forced herself into exile.”

  Izzy felt like a stone had dropped into her stomach. “No. It’s not true. Caitlin wouldn’t—”

  “Wouldn’t do what?” Triston said angrily. “Kidnap my mother and hold her ransom in exchange for the right to tell the city what to do?”

  Izzy gasped, then shook her head. “No. Not Caitlin. I don’t believe it.”

  “Well, start believing it.”

  Izzy turned to see Felicia standing in the corner of the room. She looked beaten and bruised, as though she had been dragged around like a rag doll.

  “Felicia… Is everything okay—”

  “Oh, it’s nothing. Merely a little souvenir from your friend Catherine—”

  “Caitlin,” Izzy corrected and frowned. She almost missed the look Felicia flashed to Triston.

  “That’s right,” he said uncertainly. “Izzy, she’s a monster. We have to stop her from destroying this city. Her, that dog, and all the others she has brought. They are all enemies of this city and will be treated as such.”

  Izzy felt hot tears well in her eyes and did her best to blink them back. Caitlin couldn’t possibly have done all these terrible things. She was sweet, proud, and determined and had only the best intentions for the city and those around her.

  Yet why did a battle rage in Izzy’s heart? Was there a sliver of her that believed all this could be true? What did she really know about Caitlin other than a passionate embrace in a locked cupboard and the fact that she had bled and fought against both Mad and Weres for this city? Was it all really a ruse? A lust for power?

  “You saw her yourself,” Triston said and placed an arm around Izzy’s shoulders. “She’s a monstrosity and has my mother. Worse, she has the Weres and tonight, she leads her ‘revolution.’”

  Felicia drew closer and looked hideous as the flames of the torches on the walls highlighted the bruises and cuts on her face. “Come, dear. We have a city to prep. And we need you to lead the charge.”

  Izzy swallowed and nodded.

  When the guards opened the door, Tom, Vex, and Laurie all stood slowly. Triston motioned for them to follow him, and they complied, thinking that if Caitlin had been captured, it would surely be better that they follow commands—at least until an alternative presented itself.

  “Where are you taking us?” Vex asked.

  “I’m delivering you to the city,” Triston replied. “They will decide your fate.”

  Izzy walked beside him in silence. Only once did she catch Vex’s eye and immediately looked away.

  He looked at the others and gulped.

  Chapter Twenty

  The Broken City, Old Ontario

  When darkness fell, it was almost impossible to see the three Weres running through the city.

  Frank chuckled quietly, delighted to have the chance to run in the open air for the first time in as long as he could remember. The smells almost overwhelmed him after years trapped in the sewers under the thumb of not only Geralt but his old partner, Roger.

  “Here’s to you, Rog!” Frank murmured as he spilled a splash of oil from a can he held as he leapt across cars and dashed over rubble.

  “Hey, don’t waste that shit,” Tara said. “It took me ages to find that from the wreckage of these sp
acemobiles.”

  “They’re called cars,” Chad called back.

  “Shhh,” Frank ordered although his smile remained in place.

  They followed their noses to find the library. Although the scent of humans was particularly distinctive, Frank hadn’t expected the significant crosspollination of Were and human scent and even a little vampire.

  “This way,” he growled as he turned right and dashed off once more.

  The moon was almost full overhead and an owl called in the distance. As they padded silently onto the long street where the library stood, they paused and huddled together.

  “Are you all clear on what to do?” Frank asked.

  “It’s not difficult,” Chad said. “Splash, light, run. A kid could do it.”

  Frank smirked, gave the command, and they raced toward the library. Near the entrance, they separated to find their designated locations.

  “Oi! Who goes there?” a voice cried, and Frank barely had enough time to duck behind a car.

  A man was framed by a window at the top of the building. He scanned the surrounding area intently and searched for what he was sure had been movement.

  Frank waited for the watchman to look the other way and slipped forward to flatten himself against the side of the building. From there, he clawed into the brickwork and used window ledges and other crevices to climb onto the roof.

  The view of the city was beautiful. He paused for a moment to look at the silhouetted glow of the moonlit city. It was the only time he’d ever had a chance to appreciate the place where he had spent his last few decades. The magnitude of it was astounding and took his breath away.

  “If only Rog could see me now,” he said with a pang of sadness.

  He straightened and his gaze caught a flicker of movement in a building across the way. For a second, he thought he saw an amber glint from a darkened window, but as quickly as it had come, it was gone.

  Frank shrugged and applied himself to his real work.

  Raising the container high, he cackled as he sprinkled the oil over the roof, careful to make it ooze down the side of the building, too. When he was done, he set the jug down and retrieved tinder and flint from his pocket.

  “It’s about to get real hot in there, humans. Come out and plaaaay.”

  His flame ignited, and Frank turned suddenly to see the telltale glow of fire from the other side of the building. He scolded himself and wished he had been the first. Tara should be reprimanded for not awaiting his signal. He eased the flame from the flint toward the thick liquid.

  The roof erupted into flames. He staggered back and kicked the jug down to ground level. The watchman shouted in alarm, looked upward, and caught Frank’s eye where he teetered on the edge of the building.

  At the last moment, the Were regained his balance and stepped back onto the safety of the roof. He patted his sleeve which had caught fire, howled at the moon, and darted off to meet the others.

  “This is bad. This is real bad,” Belle said as she paced around the room she had spent the best part of her day in.

  Alicia sat cross-legged on the floor and looked more bored than ever.

  “It’s okay. We can still claw this one back,” Caitlin said. “There’s still hope. There’s always hope.”

  “That’s the spirit!” Nell said cheerfully.

  The Weres, Joe, Belle, Caitlin, and Alicia gathered close to one another. After she had sprinted away from the library, the Weres had followed, sure she might need protection.

  One of the group had stayed behind as a lookout for the others.

  “They think you’re the enemy, Kitty-Cat! That’s, like…big news,” Belle said, distraught. “There are hundreds of people in there, and you’re not in the least bit concerned that they watched you threaten one of their leaders and run out of the building?”

  “It’s a minor glitch.” Caitlin shrugged.

  “A minor—” Belle scoffed. “Have you heard her?”

  “Hey, I brought backup, didn’t I?”

  The Weres beamed.

  “A handful of puppies won’t do much. Not when we can’t even get the rest of the Weres on our side. Has anyone heard from Kain yet?”

  They all went silent.

  “See? We’re screwed.”

  “Now, holds on a minute,” Joe said, raising a finger. “There’s still lots of times to sort this outs, yes there is. Alls we need is a plan, to contact Kain, and to find a way to reach the other Revolutionaries.”

  Belle clasped her hand to her head. “Shit! The others.”

  “They can handle themselves,” Caitlin said. “We’ve trained them and have seen what they can do.”

  Belle huffed, folded her arms, and grew quiet.

  Caitlin approached the Weres and tried to draw out any information they might have that could be helpful to contact Kain.

  “It’s been months since we’ve been down there, Caitlin,” Drake said. “Things will already have changed so much, I don’t know how much help we’d be.”

  “Caitlin?” Joe asked and raised an eyebrow.

  “Joe…” Caitlin sighed.

  “Oh, rights. That’s Kitty-Cat’s real names. Well, how’s about that?”

  “They call you Kitty-Cat?” Nell smirked.

  “Ignore them. So, what do you suggest?”

  “I don’t know about you, but I suggest you dangle the woman in their faces with a pistol at her head. Do what you did with her son but in front of the building. Force the truce. Force them to listen. I can’t see any other way.”

  Alicia’s ears pricked up. “Excuse me? Did you say you threatened my son with a fucking pistol?”

  “I would never shoot him,” Caitlin said bluntly. “I merely needed an out.”

  Alicia’s face screwed up in anger. She ran at Caitlin but found herself dragged back by the Weres. After a minute or two, she calmed, shrugged them off, and glared. “Well, next time, can you consider not using my son as bait?”

  “Only when he decides to adhere to that rule, too.”

  “Enough!” Belle shouted.

  “Woah, where did that come from?” Joe asked.

  “Look.”

  From their vantage point in the building, they could see a large section of the city below and, in the distance, saw what Belle was pointing at.

  “Is that a fire?” Caitlin breathed.

  No one answered. They didn’t need to. The flickering glow of flames was unmistakable as the blaze grew and spread at a rapid pace and began to engulf the library.

  “Oh shit,” Caitlin breathed.

  “That’s not the worst of it,” Drake said and cocked his ear. “Listen.”

  Caitlin heard nothing to begin with as her human ears were less keen than the Weres’. They listened intently for a moment or two, and even the humans could now hear things shattering downstairs and a rush of footsteps.

  “More Mad?” Belle whispered.

  Nell wrinkled her nose. “Not by that stink.”

  They waited with their weapons drawn as the noises increased and the determined steps of a large group ran up a flight of stairs. Growls and moans and gasps suggested an attack, and Caitlin tightened her grip on Moxie.

  Her stance eased when she saw Kain appear from around the corner of the stairs.

  He looked up and continued toward her, clearly more out of breath than he had ever been in his life. When he reached the top, he managed a rasped, “Kitty—” before his eyes rolled back and he collapsed face-down on the floor.

  “Kain!” Caitlin said and rushed toward her friend.

  “Don’t mind him. He’s somewhat overdramatic.” A muscular Were who seemed unaffected by the flight of stairs laughed. “Ain’t that right, Sudeikis?”

  Kain raised his head, then a finger, and collapsed again. His tongue lolled out the side of his mouth.

  Caitlin blinked tears away. She’d never imagined she would have missed him so much but seeing him filled her heart with joy.

  “How did you find us?” sh
e whispered.

  “I never forget your smell,” he replied.

  “I’m not sure if that’s a compliment or not.” She laughed.

  Chapter Twenty-One

  The Sewers, The Broken City, Old Ontario

  Bryce was angrier than he ever remembered being.

  Goddamn son of a bitch… He growled darkly inside his head, pictured Kain’s face, and imagined the satisfaction he’d feel when he caught him and…and…

  And what?

  The Were’s nostrils flared. He closed his eyes, breathed deeply, and wondered what would he do. Geralt had been a different breed of Were. Bryce wasn’t the type to kill someone for the sake of disobedience, and he had once enjoyed Kain’s company. He had even considered him a friend. Was he more pissed off that Kain had abandoned the pack again, or was it more that he had run from his Alpha? He couldn’t forget that he had hidden, avoided him, and lied to his face.

  “Sound the alarm,” Bryce growled at Leena who huddled in the corner. Her eyes lit up and she scrambled to her feet.

  “Of course, sir. Of course.”

  The alert rang through the sewer and mingled with the howls of the Weres. Several sprinted forward to stand at attention in front of him, ready for his commands.

  “Rouse every single shit-excuse for a Were in this joint,” he said. “I will wait at the exit. Tonight, we’ll attack the surface.”

  The glee on the Weres’ faces was almost too much to hide. They nodded and dashed off again.

  Bryce shifted into his bear form and shambled down the tunnels toward the exit. He had more than enough time before the others joined him. From there, spurred on by the vampire’s words, he would lead the charge.