Wolf Hunt (Book 2) (26 page)

CHAPTER THIRTY-THREE

Final Warning

Duncan Maven knew something was wrong as soon as he pulled into his driveway. His front door was wide open. Jennifer was practically a mental case over the issue of not letting bugs into the house, so she'd never let the door just hang open like that.

He walked into the living room and fell to his knees.

Jennifer's head rested on the floor, not so neatly severed. The heads of the twins were next to hers. Their bodies had been dismembered, the parts lined up in a row in front of the heads.

His cell phone vibrated. The display read
Private Number
. He accepted the call but couldn't speak.

"You get to be the messenger," said a low male voice that Duncan didn't recognize. "Your loss will prevent the losses of others. Have you found the bodies?"

"Yes."

"Do not seek retribution against George Orton for the death of Jonathan Dewey. Tell the others. He is off-limits. If you or your associates disregard this warning, more blood will flow than you can imagine. Do you understand?"

"Who is this?"

"I asked you if you understand."

"Yes."

"Good. Remember that you have parents. A sister. None of them are safe if any harm comes to Orton. Goodbye."

Duncan dropped the phone, weeping, then crawled over to caress the hair of his dead wife's head.

* * *

"I guess I'm just destined to hang out with one-handed people," said George, sipping a margarita as he and Eugene watched television. He didn't know exactly where they were, but they had satellite television, and he found it somewhat comforting that not much had happened on his favorite
telenovela
since he'd last watched.

"They said they'll revisit the issue." The people here had done some miracle work on Eugene—on both of them, actually—but they'd drawn the line at actually getting him a prosthetic hand. Too expensive.

The accommodations in the small compound weren't particularly comfortable, but they were better than he'd had for the past few months, so George wasn't going to complain.

Ally was doing amazingly well for a fourteen year-old girl who'd discovered that she was a werewolf, lost her mother, and watched her psycho father get his head run over by a car. George and Eugene didn't see much of her, but she told them that once she was sufficiently healed, her training would begin.

George and Eugene had been told that once they'd recovered, they'd either be given jobs in the compound, or the arrangements of their release would be worked out.

Right now, George was inclined to stay.

Lou would've wanted to stay.

Eugene definitely did.

And it was nice to not have to be constantly worried about Mr. Dewey's men coming after him. He'd mentioned his concerns about retaliation for Dewey's death to J.P., the guy from the van, and J.P. had assured him that he had absolutely nothing to worry about. George had taken him at his word.

George had a lot of questions and at some point he'd start demanding answers, but for now, he was content to sit back, relax, and enjoy life.

* * *

Desmond Reith hung upside down from the chains, blood running into his face.

"Are you sorry for what you've done?" asked the man in the cloak.

Desmond let out a crazed laugh. "Not at all!"

"We were living peacefully among them."

"And that's wrong!"

"How is it wrong? What are you trying to do, Desmond? Start a war?"

"That's exactly what I'm trying to do."

"It won't work. Maybe you could draw out a few of us. The least of us. Not enough to matter."

"If Shane Goldwyn didn't matter, we wouldn't be here right now, would we? You can't stay hidden. Look how little it took for your kind to expose themselves."

"Like I said, the least of us."

Desmond laughed again. "If you say so."

"You won't be doing this again."

"I don't need to. I'm happy to die for this. How many people do you know who'll die for their cause, in this day and age?"

"You're old and decrepit. Don't act like this is a huge sacrifice. You'd be dead soon anyway. The only difference is that your death here will be much messier."

"I don't mind getting dirty."

The man in the cloak shook his head with disgust and walked away. Before he left the room, he waved his hand. "He's yours."

The wolves looked at each other, as if unable to believe their good fortune, then at Desmond, and then they were upon him.

The End

Acknowledgements

Huge werewolf hugs to Tod Clark, Lynne Hansen, Michael McBride, Chris Morey, Jim Morey (not related to Chris), Rhonda Rettig, and Frank Walls.

Other Books by Jeff Strand

Kumquat.
A road trip comedy about TV, hot dogs, death, and obscure fruit.

Facial.
Carlton just found a dead lion in his basement. This is the normal part of the story.

I Have a Bad Feeling About This.
Geeky, non-athletic Henry Lambert is sent to survival camp, which is bad enough
before
the trio of murderous thugs show up.

Pressure.
What if your best friend was a killer...and he wanted you to be just like him? Bram Stoker Award nominee for Best Novel.

Dweller.
The lifetime story of a boy and his monster. Bram Stoker Award nominee for Best Novel.

A Bad Day For Voodoo.
A young adult horror/comedy about why sticking pins in a voodoo doll of your history teacher isn't always the best idea. Bram Stoker Award nominee for Best Young Adult Novel.

Dead Clown Barbecue.
A collection of demented stories about severed noses, ventriloquist dummies, giant-sized vampires, sibling stabbings, and lots of other messed-up stuff.

Wolf Hunt.
Two thugs for hire. One beautiful woman. And one vicious frickin' werewolf.

The Sinister Mr. Corpse.
The feel-good zombie novel of the year.

Benjamin's Parasite.
A rather disgusting action/horror/comedy about why getting infected with a ghastly parasite is unpleasant.

Kutter.
A serial killer finds a Boston terrier, and it might just make him into a better person.

Faint of Heart.
To get her kidnapped husband back, Melody has to relive her husband's nightmarish weekend, step-by-step...and survive.

Graverobbers Wanted (No Experience Necessary).
First in the Andrew Mayhem series.

Single White Psychopath Seeks Same.
Second in the Andrew Mayhem series.

Casket For Sale (Only Used Once).
Third in the Andrew Mayhem series.

Lost Homicidal Maniac (Answers to "Shirley").
Fourth in the Andrew Mayhem series.

Suckers (with JA Konrath).
Andrew Mayhem meets Harry McGlade. Which one will prove to be more incompetent?

Gleefully Macabre Tales.
A collection of thirty-two demented tales. Bram Stoker Award nominee for Best Collection.

The Severed Nose.
What would you do if you came home one evening and found a severed nose lying on a plate on your dining room table?

Disposal
. Frank, a self-proclaimed scumbag, is hired to murder an old man...but the old bastard just won't DIE!!!

Elrod McBugle on the Loose.
A comedy for kids (and adults who were warped as kids).

Out of Whack.
A coming-of-age comedy about love, friendship, and the realization that trying to yank somebody's panties off in a passionate manner can only lead to wedgies.

How to Rescue a Dead Princess.
A ridiculous spoof of fantasy novels. Lots and lots and lots of jokes, but I'm willing to admit that it perhaps tries a bit too hard.

The Haunted Forest Tour (with Jim Moore).
The greatest theme park attraction in the world! Take a completely safe ride through an actual haunted forest! Just hope that your tram doesn't break down, because this forest is PACKED with monsters...

Draculas (with JA Konrath, Blake Crouch, and F. Paul Wilson).
An outbreak of feral vampires in a secluded hospital. This one isn't much like
Twilight.

For information on all of these books, visit Jeff Strand's more-or-less official website at
http://www.jeffstrand.com