"Charming," Jamie said.
The bell above the door jingled and Alex waved Don over. The man smiled when he saw the soda waiting for him on the table. "I was thinking coffee given the weather, but this will do." Don caught the eye of the waitress. "Burgers and onion rings all around."
"I'm not hungry," Alex protested.
"Give it to Mike then," Don said. "You're pretty serious today."
"Been kind of a rough twenty four hours." Alex fiddled with the straw in his glass of water.
"What day isn't?" Don asked.
"Rougher than most. There are wolves in the city limits."
Don was silent for a few minutes. "Lycans or weres?"
"Both I would say. And something else as well." Alex set the necklaces down on the table.
Don picked one up, turning it over in his hand. "You shouldn't have these."
"You know what they are?" Jamie asked, joining the conversation.
Don nodded. "Better than you two do, I'd say. You're lucky you only have lycans and werewolves in town. A lot worse would like to get their hands on the owners of these."
"There are worse things than werewolves?" Jamie asked.
"Much," Don and Alex said at the same time.
"The owners of the necklaces are both dead," Alex said.
"That’s too bad, there aren't many of their kind around anymore." Don smiled at the waitress as she sat three plates of food down in front of them. "I know you're in a hurry, Alex, but I haven't eaten all day and there's no way I can do what you're going to ask me to without some food first."
"I know, that's why I haven't pushed."
"How are you and Mike holding up? This is the first time we've had werebeasts around since...."
Alex stabbed a knife at his hamburger with more force than required, slicing the burger into uneven halves. "We're fine."
Don snorted, nearly choking on a onion ring. "I can tell. I know some good Mindhealers...."
"I'm fine," Alex interrupted him.
"If the owners of the necklaces are dead, what are you looking for?"
Alex sighed, shaking his head. That was a good question. What was he looking for? What did he care if the lycans and the werewolves had taken the pups? Now that they had what they wanted, they'd move on and, so long as they didn't stick around the city, it wasn't any of his business. "There were pups."
"Nope," Don said.
"There were," Jamie insisted. "Two cute little fluff balls."
"I'm not disagreeing that there were, miss," Don said. "I'm saying that Alex doesn't know why he's looking yet...and if he doesn't know why he's looking, then I can't help him."
“Can’t?” Alex asked.
“More like won’t,” Don answered.
Alex kept his eyes focused on his food, examining every detail of the burger and onion rings, to keep from having to meet Don's intense gaze. Damn Dowser had apparently lived with his Empath boyfriend for far too long. He was right though. Why was he chasing them? The smart thing to do would be to forget the pups. He had promised the woman that she and the pups would be safe and he'd failed her. Maybe he was feeling guilty? But she wasn't the first person he'd ever let down...nor the first to die because of him.... Maybe he was trying to impress Jamie. Or.... Alex glanced at the animal control truck parked outside. Grey ears were just visible through the snow that had accumulated on the windshield.
"And there's your answer," Don said. "It's a bad reason."
Alex turned his attention back to his food. "Best reason I got. I said two years ago that I wouldn't let another Shifter leave my jurisdiction alive."
"They didn't ask to be cursed," Don said.
"Doesn't matter," Alex said.
"What about the pups?" Don asked. "They may not be lycans or werewolves, but they're still Shifters."
"I haven't decided yet." Alex picked at the onion rings on his plate.
"Not hungry, hon?" the waitress asked him as she cleared Don and Jamie's plates. "I'll bring you a box."
"How far do you think they are?" Don asked, sucking down the last of his soda.
"They couldn't have gotten too far in this weather. I brought you a state and a city map." Alex pulled two road maps out the interior pocket of his jacket.
"Let's start with the state one," Don said.
Alex spread the state map out over the table. Don placed one hand over the two necklaces and let the fingers of his other hand lightly brush the surface of the map. Alex sat quiet as he watched Don work. Don had helped him out countless times but the man's talent never ceased to amaze him. Don could find a black cat in a coal cellar, so long as he had the cat's collar and a rough map of the area...and the cat didn't move around a lot. Don had never failed him. His quarry had moved before he could get to them a time or two, but Don had never really failed him. Course this time Don didn't approve of his motives which could complicate matters a little.
Don's hand slid back and forth over the map, finally coming to rest over the dot labelled Tulsa. Alex unfolded the city map and laid it on the table, smoothing out the creases. Don started his search again.
When Don's hand came to a rest, Alex leaned over the table to see where he'd settled on. One of the old industrial areas.
Don looked down at the map. "There are worse places."
"Better ones, too," Alex said. "Thanks."
"Don't be stupid, Alex."
Alex stood up, dropping a few bills on table to cover their meal. "I'll try not. Stay warm this weekend."
Don patted his belly. "I've got plenty of extra padding and we're headed down to Arizona after this for the Scottsdale show. I’m looking forward to a few weeks of sun and warm weather. Don't make me change my plans because I have to attend your funeral."
Chapter 6
"I don't like the look of this place," Jamie said as they pulled up to the curb. A sprawling single story building dominated the block surrounded by overgrown empty lots that were quickly becoming pristine winter wonderlands as the falling snow hid the urban blight infecting the neighborhood. The once white exterior of the building was now dingy from neglect and paint peeled from the concrete walls in large patches. The windows to the left of the entrance were mostly intact, only a few boarded up with weatherworn particle board. Shadowy forms lurked in the darkness behind the glass.
"I think it used to be a dry cleaners," Alex said, climbing out of the truck. Did dry cleaners even exist anymore? He glanced up at the heavy clouds in the sky that made it impossible to tell what time of the afternoon it was. Looking at his watch, he was unhappy to see that the hour hand had worked its way to four. He should have checked to see what time sundown was when he was back at the office.
"We should call for backup," Jamie said.
Alex bristled at the thought. If he called in one of the enforcement teams, they'd take over and shoulder him out of the operation. They'd burst in, guns drawn, and he'd have to slink back to his closet office in disgrace. That's the way it worked. But not this time. This time it was personal. "The place looks deserted. We should check it out first."
"I don't know...," Jamie said, her voice unsteady. Alex could hear the underlying questions in her tone and he was thankful that the rookie wasn't confident enough to put them into words. He doubted he’d like his answers.
"Just a quick look around the building, then we call for one of the enforcement teams. There's no sense calling this in if the pack's already moved on. What do you think, Mike?"
Mike jumped out of the truck, landing soundlessly in the slush that lined the street, and growled at the building, his hackles raised.
Alex eyed the large windows, drawing his gun as they approached. Despite his optimistic words to Jamie, he didn't like this. The windows gave the pack too much of an advantage--nothing was going to sneak up on their lair. Then again, the Shifters didn't expect to be followed. Maybe their quarry hadn't been smart, or wary, enough to set a watch.
"Going to kick this one down too?" Jamie asked as they reached the front doo
r.
"I think I'll try a less violent approach this time. I'm not sure my ankle could take two doors in a day." Alex reached out and grabbed the door knob. It turned reluctantly with the sound of scraping metal. The door creaked as it swung open and the chime of a bell echoed through the empty space. "So much for being sneaky."
Mike slunk through the door and into the dark room beyond, half crouched with his muscles tight and ready to spring. Alex followed after him, gun at the ready.
"I still don't like this," Jamie whispered from a step or two behind him.
Mike raised his head, his ears pricked, and he trotted off into the building, quickly moving out of the pale light that filtered in from the windows. "Mike," Alex said, his voice a low hiss. "Get back here." Damn headstrong wolf.
Fumbling for his flashlight with his free hand, Alex stepped forward into the darkness. Spots of white danced across his vision as his eyes attempted to adjust. Finally getting the flashlight free, he clicked it on and swept the reassuring beam of light back and forth across the room. The light caught a pair of inhuman yellow eyes low to the ground. "Seriously, Mike," Alex said, lowering his gun. "Stay with the group."
The wolf sprang and slammed him to the ground. His head hit the concrete floor and the darkness deepened. Definitely not Mike.
* * *
The room was pitch black and with the fog in his head Alex wasn't a hundred percent sure whether he had his eyes open or not. He flopped around on the floor, trying to free his feet and hands from the tight bonds that held them. Failing, he sat up, panting from the exertion. His head throbbed where it had made contact with the concrete floor. Great. He should have listened to Jamie and called for backup.
"Carlos may be our Omega, but he can tie one hell of a knot." The voice was close, deep and husky.
Alex squinted, trying to find the source. No luck.
"Can you feel it? The moon is nearing the horizon. Soon Her soft silver light will caress the sleeping earth and we will be free to run in our true form. Tonight red blood will run on white snow."
"Poetic," Alex said.
A soft chuckle filled the dark. "You will see."
Alex's breath caught in his throat. He closed his eyes, though it didn't make any difference in the appearance of his surroundings, and tried to ignore his racing heart. He forced himself to focus. Could he feel the pull of the moon? He'd been knocked down by a Shifter and unconscious for who knows how long. All it took was one bite....
"That would be no fun," the voice said, as if it knew his thoughts. "No, we will wait until the moon is high. Fear and pain strengthen the curse's hold and you will welcome the change when it comes. Until then, there is plenty to keep us entertained."
The man's tone sent a shiver down Alex's spine and he thought of the pups...and Mike. He heard the sound of footsteps on the concrete floor and a pale rectangle appeared several feet to his right, outlining the silhouette of a short, sturdy man. The door clicked shut behind him.
Alex scooted across the floor to the door. Pressing against the wall, he inched his way up until he could grab the door knob in his hands, the ropes around his wrists cutting into his flesh as he tried to turn the handle. He grabbed the handle again, twisting his whole body sideways this time in hopes that he could turn it far enough. The metal slipped out of his fingers each time, the mechanism refusing to give way with the little bit of mobility that he had.
"Dammit." Alex gave up, flopping back down on the floor. How in the hell did Mike manage without opposable thumbs?
"Alex?"
He perked up at the sound of a woman's voice on the other side of the door. "Jamie? Is that you?"
"Of course it's me."
Alex moved out of the way as the door opened, faint florescent lighting spilling into the room. Jamie crouched just outside the door. "Are you okay?" he asked.
"Yeah. No bites, I promise."
"How...."
Jamie smiled, her eyes gleaming, and raised a small blade up in front of her so that it caught the light. "I don't think they expected me to be much of a threat. They took my gun but missed the blade hidden at my ankle."
"Nice. Knew I kept you around for a reason."
"Yeah, yeah. What was that about calling for backup?" Jamie asked as she cut through the ropes binding his feet and hands.
"I admit I may have been wrong about that. Mike?" Alex's hands tingled as the blood rushed back into his fingers.
Jamie shook her head. "Haven't found him or the pups yet. Backup?"
"First we find Mike. I don't want him getting shot because the enforcement team can't tell the difference between him and one of the other four-legged bastards."
Chapter 7
The building was a labyrinth of abandoned machinery and hangers on a tubular track that snaked its way through the main room. The flotsam and jetsam had been shoved against the walls to clear the center of the room where ten or so people and a couple lycans in their wolf form milled around a bank of flood lights.
Alex crouched behind a pile of equipment and Jamie settled in beside him. "Do you think the moon is up yet?"
Laughter, punctuated with curses, drifted over to their hiding spot from the group of people. Alex shook his head. "No. They're werebeasts. They have no choice but to change when the moon rises."
The crowd shifted and Alex could see Mike in the center of the group. A chain cut into his neck, tethering him to a heavy piece of rusted metal. Duct tape had been wound around his muzzle and legs. Next to him sat a wire kennel with the two wolf pups locked inside. The pups cowered at the back, their heads low and tails tucked.
"What now?" Jamie asked.
Alex shrugged, hoping Jamie could see the gesture in the dim light. They needed to do something before the moon rose. The lycans were going to be enough trouble on their own without a pack of unruly werewolves to deal with as well. Trouble was, he wasn't sure exactly what to do. He wanted to sneak out a side door, jump in the truck, and hightail it out of there, but he couldn't leave Mike behind. One of the lycans snapped at Mike and Alex could see his partner's eyes widen with fear as Mike struggled against the tape that bound him. Alex automatically reached for his hip where his gun should have been. This was going to be harder than he thought. "I'm open to suggestions," Alex said.
The sound of breaking glass was unmistakable in the silence. Alex froze in place as the pack turned as one towards the front of the building. He held his breath, not even daring such a small movement least one of the group spot them hidden among the debris. A burly man separated himself out from the rest of the group, barking orders to the others, and then the pack was in motion.
Shouts and gunshots rang out from the front of the building, but Alex ignored them, rushing to Mike's side and slicing through the duct tape with Jamie's knife. His fingers fumbled with the chain as he tried to loosen it from around Mike's neck. Mike twisted and turned, alternately helping and hindering the process.
"That's quite enough," a familiar husky voice said. Alex turned to see the owner of the voice from the dark for the first time. He was short and stocky, a thin shirt stretched to its limits over the man's rippling muscles. Piercing yellow eyes seemed to glow at them in the dim light of the room. The man held a gun in his hand, the barrel of the weapon pointed directly at the three of them. "Sit," the man said. His voice had lost the nostalgic poetic quality of before and now was hard and cold, all business.
A low growl rumbled in Mike's throat, but he sat down at the man's command.
"All of you," the man said.
Alex glared at him but sat down, Jamie doing the same. There was no point in arguing. He had little doubt that the man was the pack's Alpha and used to being obeyed, even without a gun in his hand.
"Good." The man worked his way over to the kennel holding the pups. "Now, stay. You all would have been a lovely bonus, but I didn’t come for you. Consider yourselves lucky...that is, if you manage to escape the other wolves." The Alpha picked up the kennel as if it weighed no more than
a feather and slowly backed out of the room.
When he was gone, Alex went back to digging through Mike's fur and found the quick link that held the chain together around his partner's neck. Free, Mike shook and then bounded off the way the man had gone. Jamie started after him.
"Wait," Alex said, grabbing her arm.
"But Mike...," she started.
"...won't go far," Alex finished for her. "Truck first."
Alex paused at a door along the side wall of the room, pressing his ear up against the metal. Nothing. If they hurried, they should be able to avoid most of the confrontation. A lavender twilight met them on the other side, thick fluffy flakes like miniature clouds falling from the sky and obscuring their view. Ducking his head to keep the snow out of his eyes, Alex pressed his back up against the building and inched his way towards the street.
Several unmarked black cars were parked along the curb on either side of his truck. One of the occult enforcement teams. He looked back at Jamie suspiciously.
"Don't look at me, I didn't call them," she said.
Alex weaved his way between the cars to the driver's side door of his truck. He grabbed a lock box out from under the front seat and opened it to reveal a spare gun safely nestled in foam.
"Handy. Do you always plan on needing two guns? I thought animal control was supposed to use tranqs."
"Tranquilizer darts aren't instantaneous. A werewolf or lycan would rip your throat out in the time it took the drugs to drop them. Besides...." Alex grabbed the extra clip from the box and removed one of the bullets, showing it Jamie. The metal casing caught the fading light, glowing dully.
"Silver?"
Alex nodded, loading the bullet back into the magazine and shoving the entire thing into his back pocket. "Only way to guarantee a single bullet will drop a Shifter."
The shouts and random gunshots continued in the building as they retraced their steps through the snow. Alex wondered which side was currently winning, but pushed the thought from his mind as he saw Mike standing against the wall. The wolf stared out into a deserted lot. Alex looked down and saw a man's footprints pressed into the snow leading away from the building.
Wolf Moon Page 3