The base was bustling with activity when the car pulled up front.
“What’s happening?” Colin asked the driver.
“I don’t know, I’ve been off duty,” he replied sleepily. “Head down to the second floor. They’ll be in the boardroom.”
Colin got out of the car, entered the large warehouse, and took the elevator down two floors. He’d never been to the boardroom. Normally his meetings were in one of the offices or an interrogation room. A familiar scent tickled his nostrils as he stepped out of the elevator.
Silas?
I hear you’ve been busy.
Colin practically ran down the hallway and burst through the boardroom’s large wooden double doors. Principal Sampson stood off to one side with Mr. Emerson, who didn’t look or smell quite as angry as he normally did. His right arm was in a sling. Varson sat on one side of the table, his usual nervous self. Silas was leaning back in one of the chairs but jumped to his feet when Colin entered and gave him a big hug.
Colin couldn’t recall them hugging before, but he’d missed Silas so much and he sensed the feeling was mutual. Because Silas bit Colin and turned him into a werewolf, they were joined for life as a pack, as a sort of family. Being apart had been difficult, like Colin had lost his arm or part of a leg. Now that Silas was here, back in Elkwood, a sense of comfort washed over Colin and he felt truly at ease for the first time since Seattle.
Silas held Colin at arm’s length. “You look like you’ve grown.”
“You look older,” said Colin with a grin. Silas’s hair was longer and his beard had a lot of gray hairs in it.
“There wasn’t much chance to shave,” said Silas, rubbing his face.
“What happened?”
“First things first,” said Mr. Emerson.
Here we go.
“I want to thank you, Colin,” said Mr. Emerson.
Wait, what?
Colin listened to Mr. Emerson’s heartbeat. It was steady. He wasn’t lying.
“Commander Varson and Principal Sampson filled us in on what happened while we were away. While you broke a lot of rules, including freeing some very dangerous class fives back into the world, you saved this town and the lives of its residents. You also saved Becca.” Mr. Emerson looked down at his shoes and the slightest smell of embarrassment floated off of him. “I honestly can’t think of a way to repay you.”
Colin’s mouth hung open.
Silas leaned over to him and whispered, “You should probably say something.”
Colin snapped his mouth closed. “Uh, thanks?”
A lot of weird things had happened over the past week but Mr. Emerson thanking him and meaning it was close to the top of Colin’s weird things that happened over the past week list.
Silas and Mr. Emerson sat down at the table. Colin was still a little in shock but managed to place himself into a seat.
“We called this meeting for three reasons,” said Varson, who looked like he hadn’t slept all night. “First, we wanted to fill you in on what happened to Night Watch.”
“You couldn’t be reached,” said Colin, eyeing Mr. Emerson’s injured arm. “What happened over there?”
“Having looked at all the evidence, we believe what happened in Seattle was part of an elaborate setup,” said Mr. Emerson, shifting his arm in the sling. “The werewolf attacks in Europe were meant to draw us away from Elkwood so Damon Talbot could attack the town, and kidnap the Soothsayer—your grandmother—and Alfred in order to steal their powers. If you hadn’t stepped in his way, he would have undoubtedly succeeded and killed everyone in town.”
Nice work, kid.
Colin smiled. “Why didn’t he just kill me?”
“We think he didn’t see you as a threat,” said Silas. “You’re just a kid, and he saw how easily he could manipulate you in Seattle. I think on some level he may have thought he could control you and use you in the same way he used Becca and Mr. Varson.”
Both Mr. Emerson and Varson tensed. Mr. Emerson was likely upset that Talbot had used Becca, and Varson embarrassed that he’d controlled him.
“He did for a while. He planted a spell in my head. Sent my senses crazy. I thought it was because of Principal Sampson. No offense.”
“None taken, my dear boy,” said the ghost.
“Becca unraveled the spell. Magic is way more confusing than I thought it was. What happened to you in Europe?”
“It was a trap,” said Mr. Emerson. “They were waiting for us. We were attacked and scattered. We lost seven men from Beta Team. One of the creatures almost took my arm off.”
“It was a mess,” said Silas. “I was the only class five freak among a bunch of human soldiers. Up against a pack of forty werewolves.”
“Forty?” said Colin. He’d had to enlist the help of vampires, ogres, a troll, and a very hungry kraken just to take down twenty.
“We should have been better prepared,” said Silas.
“How did you get out of there?”
“Silas here fought his way out,” said Mr. Emerson. “I was captured along with the rest of the team and held at a farmhouse. Two nights later, your mentor shows up and takes down the alpha. Their leader.”
Way to go, old man.
Colin saw Silas’s mouth twitch into a brief smile.
“The rest scattered,” continued Mr. Emerson. “We tried to hunt them but only managed to take down three. We could have spent months hunting them across Europe. When we finally got communications back, we heard from Commander Varson and were on the first flight back here.”
“Did Talbot help create all those werewolves?” asked Colin.
“That’s a good question,” said Mr. Varson. “Which brings us to the second reason we called this meeting. We think you can help us answer that question.”
“Me? How?”
“We’ve been interrogating Talbot but he won’t crack. We had a number of people try to read his mind, including your grandmother, but he has so many magical blocks up that it’s impossible.”
“Your grandmother did threaten to fry him with a bolt of lightning and even that didn’t convince him to talk,” said Mr. Emerson.
“Principal Sampson even tried his haunting trick on him and it didn’t faze him in the slightest.”
“Most embarrassing,” said Principal Sampson.
“Why do you think he’ll talk to me?” asked Colin.
“Because he told us that you’re the only person he’ll talk to,” replied Varson.
Colin followed Mr. Emerson back down the hallway. He had so much he wanted to ask Silas but the group insisted he speak with Talbot first. They took the elevator down several floors and Colin was surprised when they passed the cellblock level.
“He’s not being held in the base prison?”
“Talbot is too dangerous for that. We have another cellblock for magical types. Alfred helped us build it. It dampens magical power. We keep the more dangerous inmates down there.”
The elevator stopped at the twenty-third floor. The doors opened and Colin saw the difference immediately. This was no prison like the one above, with clean white floors and shiny metal bars. The twelve cells here had been carved out of rock. Instead of bars, each cell had a thick see-through wall with air holes drilled at even intervals in several lines across the length of each frontage. Mr. Emerson stepped aside.
“He’s in the last one on the left. I’ll be right here.”
Colin stepped out and walked over the uneven rock floor. Most of the cells were empty.
The third cell on the right contained a tall scruffy man with shaggy black hair and bright yellow eyes. He sneered at Colin. The smell was unmistakable: this was the dark wolf, now in human form. Those bright eyes followed Colin as he walked by and the smell of anger and hate was impossible to ignore.
Damon Talbot sat cross-legged on the floor of his cell. Gone were the fancy clothes and sweeping cape. He wore a plain blue shirt and pants, the sa
me as the rest of the inmates. His long hair hung around his shoulders and he looked thinner than when Colin had fought him yesterday. Talbot’s eyes were closed and encased in dark circles. A large bruise painted the right side of his face a lovely dark bluish brown, likely where Colin had punched him.
It was interesting to see now that Talbot was only maybe ten years older than Colin. He’d looked older and far more in control when he was in possession of the hellstone.
Talbot’s eyes snapped open and focused on Colin.
“The young werewolf, the savior of Elkwood. King of the freaks!”
“You wanted to speak with me?”
“Actually I want to kill you, but yes, speaking with you will have to do for now.”
Colin said nothing, partially because he didn’t know what to say and partially because there was such a steadiness to Talbot’s heartbeat that it scared Colin a little.
“I assume the old folks told you my story. Something about me being power hungry, I imagine. They’re not wrong. I crave power, and really, what’s this life without power?”
Colin noted the crazy look in the man’s eyes every time he said the word power.
“They were afraid to teach me more, you see. So I looked elsewhere for what I craved. And I found it!”
There’s that look again. Poor guy. That hellstone must have twisted him up.
Colin couldn’t help feeling a little pity for the man.
Talbot stood and stepped up to the glass, his hands folded behind his back.
“What you said to me back on that beach,” continued Talbot, “that you control your power, that it doesn’t control you. It won’t last. You’ll want more.”
“I won’t,” said Colin. “I’m not like you.”
“You’re just like me!” snapped Talbot, spittle hitting the glass.
It was difficult to block out the scent of the other werewolf but there was something strange coming from Talbot that Colin couldn’t place. He was angry, absolutely. But there was something else, almost excited, maybe even a little nervous.
“Get to the point. What did you want to tell me?” asked Colin.
Talbot smiled and resumed his calm composure. “You’re aware that Elkwood isn’t the only town of its kind, yes?” Colin nodded; he remembered Becca and Varson had both mentioned other towns. “And that the other towns also contain exceptional creatures such as yourself?”
“Yes,” said Colin, unsure of where this was going.
“The man who gave me the hellstone isn’t just exceptional. He’s amazing. He’s purely evil. And he won’t stop until he’s drained every single town like Elkwood of every drop of power they contain. He’ll soon learn that I failed here and he’ll come for you and your friends, and there’s nothing you’ll be able to do about it.”
Talbot’s heartbeat was perfectly steady. He wasn’t lying. Either what he was saying was true, or he was so crazy he believed it to be true.
“And when the time comes,” he continued, “when your friends are dying around you, when everything you’ve come to love in your precious little town falls to ruin, that’s when you’ll come to me for help. You’ll walk right up to this cell and ask me, Damon Talbot, to help you.”
“You’re crazy,” said Colin. “Why even tell me all this?”
Talbot barked that irritating little laugh.
“For a couple of reasons. Firstly, because the only thing you’re going to remember is that when things turn bad, you’ll feel an overwhelming need to ask me for help, and that our recent conversation just now was nothing more than me wasting your time.”
Talbot’s heart rate suddenly increased. Colin took a step back from the cell.
He’s up to something!
“And secondly, despite what those fools upstairs believe, this cell doesn’t completely dampen my powers. I’ve still got enough juice left for one final trick.”
A smirk spread across Talbot’s thin face and Colin realized too late what was happening.
“No!” shouted Colin.
In one quick movement, the wizard threw a floating symbol, similar to the ones he’d created on the beach but much smaller and not nearly as bright.
A spell!
The spell passed through the glass, Colin jerked out of the way but the spell shifted directions and slammed into his chest. He felt a strange warmth spread through him, and his senses faded in and out.
“Colin! Are you okay?” shouted Mr. Emerson as he charged down the wide hallway.
What was happening? He’d been talking to Talbot but it was a waste of time. Then he’d felt dizzy. Mr. Emerson gripped Colin’s arm and his senses snapped back into focus.
“What happened?” asked Mr. Emerson. “What did he say?
“Is the poor boy okay?” asked Talbot.
“I’m fine,” said Colin. His head felt a little fuzzy but he was otherwise okay. “Just too much excitement, I guess.”
Mr. Emerson glared at Talbot, who was grinning like an idiot.
“He doesn’t know anything,” said Colin. “He was just wasting our time.”
Mr. Emerson led Colin away toward the elevator.
Talbot’s voice floated down the cavernous prison hallway. “See you again real soon, Colin.”
***
“He didn’t tell you anything?” asked Varson after Colin and Mr. Emerson had re-entered the boardroom.
“No. He admitted he was wasting our time. If he knows anything, he didn’t want to tell me.”
“Well, it was worth a try,” shrugged Principal Sampson.
“You mentioned there was a third reason you called this meeting?” said Colin.
“Ah, yes,” said Varson. “Silas?”
Silas stood up and placed a hand on Colin’s shoulder, his amber eyes staring intently. “You’ve more than proved yourself these past few days, and we now realize that Talbot was responsible for your sudden change in Seattle. We’re making some changes to Night Watch and we want you to be a part of it. If we learned anything in Europe it’s that the kind of things we hunt are too dangerous for humans.”
“What are you saying?”
“We’re un-grounding you,” said Mr. Emerson. “We want you to rejoin Night Watch, effective immediately.”
“No more babysitters,” said Silas. And no more humans; it’s too dangerous for them. For now it’s just you and me and Principal Sampson. But Varson and Emerson would like us to recruit and train some new members. Maybe a useful kraken? Or a cave troll? Or a teenage witch you might know?” His old eyes creased at the edges as he smiled.
Colin didn’t know what to say. He was ecstatic, as he was sure the grin on his face was plainly showing.
Say something, Colin. Say anything. Anything at all.
“I’m in!”
***
Silas walked Colin out of the base where a car was waiting to take him to school. Rain was falling in a light drizzle.
“Your grandma’s back to work then?” said Silas
“Seems like it.”
“Talbot really had nothing to say?” asked the old wolf.
Colin shook his head. “Nothing.”
“It’s a shame. It’d be great to know where he got the hellstone. Charles says they’re rare. Some demon stole them from Hell centuries ago but they were believed to be lost.”
“There are more of those things out there?”
Silas nodded. “Maybe we’ll run into someone else with a hellstone. Are you ready for that kind of a fight? It’s not just going to be werewolves we’re up against out there.”
“Are you kidding?” said Colin, “I’m ready for anything.”
“That’s my boy.”
Colin turned to get into the car but a breeze blew through the trees and the smell of the forest floated through the air. He looked back at Silas.
“Feel like racing back to town?”
Silas laughed. “You think you can take me down, wolf pup?”
Silas tilted his head as if considering the challenge and Colin thought for a moment that he wouldn’t take the bait.
“Go!” shouted Silas.
And then the old werewolf was gone, racing across the base toward the fence on the cliff’s edge.
Adrenaline surged through Colin’s body as he pursued his mentor across the wet concrete. He caught up to him as they both reached the fence and leapt high into the air, over the fence, over the edge of the cliff, and down fifty feet to the forest floor, where Colin landed fully changed into werewolf form.
The forest loomed before him, casting dark shadows across the ground. Colin charged forward through the trees ahead of Silas, letting out a howl of excitement as he ran, with a single thought ringing through his mind.
I love my life!
THE END
Andrew Buckley
Andrew Buckley attended the Vancouver Film School’s Writing for Film and Television program. After pitching and developing several screenplay projects for film and television, he worked in marketing and public relations, before becoming a professional copy and content writer. During this time Andrew began writing his first adult novel, Death, the Devil and the Goldfish, followed closely by his second novel, Stiltskin. He also writes a spy thriller series under the pen name “Jane D Everly.”
Andrew also co-hosts a geek movie podcast, is working on several new novels, and has a stunning amount of other ideas. He now lives happily in the Okanagan Valley, BC with three kids, one cat, one needy dog, one beautiful wife, and a multitude of characters that live comfortably inside of his mind.
Andrew is represented by Mark Gottlieb at the Trident Media Group.
www.andrewbuckleyauthor.com
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