The Werewolf Whisperer (The Werewolf Whisperer Series Book 1) (12 page)

"Or,
they're evolving," Xochi said nonchalantly, pretending she hadn't noticed
the change in Lucy.

Lucy
snapped out of her momentary funk. "How so?"

"Not
sure." Not elaborating, Xochitl smirked at Lucy, who — in turn
— smacked her in the arm. "Kinda sucks doesn't it?" Xochi
chuckled.

"Yes,
well, maybe it has to do with how long they're afflicted," Lucy said,
ignoring Xochitl's last question. "Seems every time we think we've got a
handle on this thing, something new happens." Lucy exhaled a frustrated
sigh.

"Yeah,"
Xochitl agreed. "I'm gonna keep an eye on this Kyon vato and continue
following little @KyonKnows751k."

"Follow
who? What?" Lucy asked. Xochi rolled her eyes.

"Híjole,
woman. Punk Girl Megan." Xochitl shook her head in disbelief. "I'm
going to follow her."

"How
are you gonna track her? You don't even know her last name?" Lucy asked
what Xochitl knew to be a sincere, albeit annoying, question. She pointed
ahead. "Bob just got off."

"Ugh,
by her Twitter handle. She's @KyonKnows751k and I'm @NoFConLaGuera."
Xochitl would find Lucy's confusion comical if it weren't so frustrating. "And
thank you, I can see that." Xochitl flicked on her blinker and veered El
Gallo onto the Parkway Calabasas off-ramp.

"How
is it that someone so technologically inept that if you had a GPS in your hand
you couldn't find your own location can track a mouse miles ahead of you with
no problem?" Xochitl ranted, glancing over at Lucy who snickered quietly
to herself.

"What?"

"@NoFConLaGuera!"
Lucy cackled.

"Yes."
Xochitl pointed at Lucy. "And I'd take that to heart if I were you."

Xochitl
turned onto Parkway Calabasas. Bob's Humvee paced a few cars ahead of them.

"I
hope we get there soon," Xochitl grumbled.

After
weaving through miles of lush green landscapes and an exclusive-looking country
club, Bob's Humvee stopped at the entrance of a large gated community. A stone
pillar with a plaque reading
The Oaks
flanked the oval front driveway
and at its center stood a four-columned, Spanish-style security station with
French doors. It was the most beautiful guardhouse Xochitl had ever seen.

Lucy
whistled in amazement.

"I
know, right." Xochitl watched a tall, muscled guard step out of the French
doors and greet Bob. "Who knew?"

The
two men exchanged a few words, and Bob stuck his arm out the window and pointed
in their direction. The guard nodded and waved Bob and El Gallo through.

Xochitl
glanced at her partner who gawked slack-jawed at the opulence of the exclusive
community. "Beverly Hills ain't got nuthin' on Calabasas."

"Yeah,
lots of room for dogs to run." Lucy's eyes lit up.

"Really?
That's what comes to mind?" Xochitl shook her head. "You and pinche
perros."

They
drove slowly onto the grounds. Xochi peered up through the windshield trying to
get a better look at the first massive estate. She couldn't see its roof. "¡Híjole!
We're not in Kansas anymore."

"You
got that right," Lucy said.

"Wow!"
They gushed in unison.

They
followed Bob for several more minutes, weaving through streets lined with
enormous mansions and sprawling landscapes.

"Are
these houses getting bigger?" Xochitl asked, glancing over to Lucy.

"I
think so." Lucy sat back in her seat.

El
Gallo was about a car length behind Bob's Humvee when it suddenly sped up,
veering left onto Prada De Amarillo.

"What
the hell?" Xochitl put her foot down on the gas, taking a hard left. El
Gallo's tires screeched in protest.

Xochitl
noted a yellow diamond-shaped
NOT A THROUGH STREET
sign as Bob's Humvee
made a sharp right onto a private road.

"Over
there," Lucy said and pointed to an open iron gate.

"Yep.
I'm on it." Xochitl cranked the wheel, hitting the curb a little hard,
jarring the women in their seats. "Sorry, baby." She patted El Gallo's
dash.

"I'm
fine, by the way," Lucy grumbled.

Bob's
Humvee slammed to a screeching halt in the driveway. He jumped out of the
vehicle, leaving the door open and dashed up the stone steps to where a
middle-aged blond woman stood crying hysterically. Bob threw up his arms, put
his hands on his head and began pacing.

"This
can't be good." Xochitl parked her Toronado across the road.

"You
see what's up," Lucy said as she unlocked her door. "I'll get the
gear."

"Better
get the Remi." Xochi took the rooster key chain out of the ignition and
handed it to Lucy.

"You
sure?" Lucy asked over her shoulder as she reached back for the keys.

"Better
me than Bob." Xochitl exited the car and jogged across the private road to
Bob's estate.

The
Tanner's home was by far the biggest in
The Oaks
. White stucco walls and
a red terra-cotta roof created the framework of the Mediterranean-style estate.
Crescent shaped stone steps led to the entryway, accented by arches with
columns on either side. Fuchsia colored bougainvillea crawled up one side of
the mansion, which was framed by perfectly manicured hedges and a lush green
lawn.

Xochitl
slowly approached Bob and the woman Xochi assumed was Bob's wife. He seemed
slightly calmer and was whispering in his wife's ear, rubbing her back.

Awkward.

Xochitl
felt like a voyeur intruding on their intimate moment.

Trying
to find a distraction, she glanced across the road and saw only Lucy's legs
sticking out from behind El Gallo's large trunk, the rest of her body having
been swallowed up while she gathered their tools.

"¡Ándale,
chica!" Xochitl called after Lucy.

"Xochitl,
this is my wife Helen." Xochitl turned her attention to Bob.

Helen
pulled away from her husband; tears streaked down her face.

"Hello."
Helen dabbed at her eyes with the back of her hand, attempting to compose
herself. "Bob's told me so much about you."

"Hi."
Uncomfortable, Xochitl held up her hand and smiled weakly.

 
She was relieved to hear the Toronado's
trunk slam and turned to see Lucy walking across the street with the Remington
shotgun slung over her shoulder and her utility belt strapped around her waist
— the weight of the army green duffel bag causing her to lean slightly to
the right.

"That's
my partner, Lucy," Xochitl said to Helen.

Lucy
bounded up the steps to the house, taking them two at a time, and dropped the
duffel at her feet.

"So,
Bob, what's up?" Lucy asked.

Xochitl
was more comfortable being the muscle in these types of situations and was glad
Lucy was there to take over.

"Travis
got out." Bob's voice sounded shaky. There was fear in his eyes.

Helen
began to sob again, and Bob put his arm around her. "Helen, it'll be okay."
He turned back to Lucy and Xochitl. "My guys say Travis somehow ripped a
hole in his cage and took off out the back of the house."

Helen's
sobs started to increase in volume.

"Honey,
why don't you go inside?" Bob said to his wife.

"No!"
Helen cried. "I'm staying with you."

"Do
you know where he went?" Lucy interrupted.

Xochitl
felt bad for Helen, but she wished the woman would calm down. Xochi and Lucy
needed as much information as they could get if a Werebeast was on the loose,
and Helen wasn't helping the situation with her hysterics.

I
guess this is why Vern made me stay behind at the pound.

"There's
only the canyon and the Santa Monica Mountains beyond that," Bob replied. "It's
a lot of acreage to cover. One of my guys is already searching for him."

"Good,"
Lucy said. "Bob, you should stay here with Helen. Procure us a vehicle to
transport Travis."

"I've
got a rig I can hook up to your car," Bob said.

Relief
washed over Bob's face now that the soldier in him had something to do.

"Great.
Do that," Lucy said. "Don't worry. We'll find your son."

Lucy
tossed the shotgun to Xochi and out of habit, she checked to see if it was
loaded.

"What's
she doing with that?" Helen shouted. Xochitl looked up. Angry tears
streamed down Helen's face as she pointed at Xochi. "Bob! She's gonna kill
Travis! She's gonna kill my boy!"

"Mrs.
Tanner," Lucy said, trying to calm the woman. "It's a precaution. A
last resort."

"I
don't care!" Helen lunged at Xochitl. "I won't let her near my boy."

"Helen!"
Bob grabbed his wife. "Honey, Xochitl won't hurt our boy." Bob
glanced at Xochi as he kissed the top of Helen's head. "I promise."

Xochi's
heart ached for them.

She
tried to hide the gun by her side as she walked over to Lucy. The haunted look
in Bob's eyes reflected the lie he'd told Helen. Xochitl would do what she had
to.

She
bent down and unzipped the bag and began pulling out various weapons: her Bowie
knife, thick rope, animal repellent, which she handed to Lucy, and some beef
jerky treats, which Lucy stuffed in the pouch of her belt.

Xochitl
strapped her knife to her thigh and looked up at the twilight sky, whispering
to Lucy, "We better get moving. It's gonna be dark soon."

"Crap.
I know." Lucy hooked her handcuffs to her belt and stuffed some bandages
and matches in a second pouch.

Xochitl
searched the bag and dug out a water flask and a granola bar, which she stuffed
in the front pocket of her vest.

"Xoch,
Lucy?" Bob called.

Xochitl
quickly stuffed some extra shells in her cargo pant pocket, then zipped up the
bag before she and Lucy — locked and loaded — walked over to Bob.

Chapter 8

California faces
a crisis that is real and unprecedented. Simply put, California has been
infected with a deadly and unexplained virus — the Kyon Virus. Though the
cause of the Affliction remains in dispute, the initial outbreak has been
contained. Some journalists are referring to our current problems as the "
Werewolf
Apocalypse.
" This fear
mongering must end. Nothing is further from the truth...The term
"werewolf" has been deemed offensive by a government sponsored think
tank as well as highly qualified focus groups and should be substituted for the
more politically correct "Werebeast"...This is not a time for
politics as usual...At this moment of extreme difficulty, we must turn to the
people and get a clear mandate on how we should proceed. Given the unique
nature of our crisis, I want to involve the millions of voters whose lives will
be seriously impacted by our decisions...But I am here to make the hard
decisions for you...I come down on the side of those who believe that core
functions of government must be funded first. Go back to your lives and
routines...that is your duty and your privilege...I urge all citizens to return
to work. Send your children back to school. Shop. Our economy is our greatest
asset and is what keeps the wheels turning and the lights on. I see a bright
future up ahead and a California economy that will rally. Our state will play a
leading role, as it always has, and reap unimagined benefits from this
unfortunate situation. California is the Great Exception! We defy the odds and
fly in the face of conventional wisdom to rise again and prosper in completely
unexpected ways. Make no mistake about it, the darkest night always gives way
to the brightest dawn.

-excerpt K-Day
podcast, Gov. Holly Hollis,
from
an undisclosed location

23 months ago

CDC Quarantines California! Mexico Closes
Borders — Canada to Follow!

Xochitl
scrolled down the iLA.com headlines on her cell as she sat on the MetroLink
bus, sipping coffee from a chipped
UCLA
travel mug — a distant memory of her brief encounter with the university.
She'd recently acquired it from her college friend, Jessica, who had let
Xochitl lie low at her place since the night Xochi's world had turned upside
down.

Xochi
stared out the window as the bus plodded down the 101 Freeway toward Downtown
Los Angeles. The trek from Simi Valley was long and had taken most of her day.
The never-ending brown haze blanketed the city, making everything look even
dirtier to her. Xochitl's world had already been dirty enough before, but now
it was the thing monster stories were made of.

Werewolves
are real? People are turning into these things all over the place.

One
had turned right in front of her. She wondered whatever happened to that cop
— Officer Lowell's partner.

What
was his name...Gabe? They probably shot him...Oh, well.
¡
Híjole! What the hell's going on?

Feeling
overwhelmed, Xochi set her phone and mug down on the seat next to her and began
digging in her oversized tote bag. One by one, she pulled out what was left of
her possessions: a hairbrush, toothbrush, change of underwear, a pen, her
favorite pink lip gloss and some mints. As she performed this ritual of self-exposure
on public transit, she felt someone watching her. She looked up to see a grungy
bearded man. He grinned at her. He had a chipped black front tooth and a wild
look in his eyes.

God,
I need a car!

Xochitl
scowled at the man and barked, "Hey pendejo! What're you looking at?"
The creepy man just stared at her with his wild eyes, as if she hadn't said a
word to him. That freaked Xochitl out even more.

Great.
He's probably one of those
Werewolf-beast
things and he's gonna eat my face off
now.

Frustrated,
she continued her digging, finally pulling out the little white business card
for which she'd been searching. She defiantly flipped it up to show the
derelict. "See!" He gave no response.

Hmm...Nada...Oh,
well.

Bored
with Crazy Homeless Werewolf Guy, Xochitl turned her attention back to the
card.

Officer Lucy Lowell

LAPD Animal Cruelty Task Force

Metropolitan Division

180 N. Los Angeles

Los Angeles, CA 90014

While
she thumbed the card, her thoughts turned again to her little brother, Miguel
— the only person in the world she cared about. She hadn't seen him since
K-Day.

When Papa's bar burned down. Our home.

That
had been the night Officer Gabe Torres had turned into a monster. The night the
LAPD had taken down
Memo Morales'
gunrunning and dogfighting operation.

 
Of course, that Lowell cop was more
concerned about pinche perros than the guns. We'd have gotten Memo if she'd
just stuck to the plan. Memo's out there pissed off and probably gunning for
me.

Her
stop approaching, Xochitl shoved her belongings back into her bag. She slung it
over her shoulder, picked up the mug and a crumpled up paper bag containing the
remnants of a stale bagel she'd bought at the AMPM before getting on the bus
that morning.

Miguel
where are you?

The
bus brakes screeched as it rolled up along the curb next to the Metro stop on
Temple Street. Xochitl sensed the nervous energy emanating from the remaining
passengers as she made her way down the aisle. Whether it was because most
people taking this route were on their way to stand in front of a judge or if
they were just as freaked out as she was about the ever-growing werewolf
population she didn't know.

¡
Híjole!
There's a werewolf population
.

She
reached the front of the bus and gave a weak smile to the driver who thrust
open the hinged door so she could exit.

Xochi
stepped onto the curb. A sudden wave of midday heat put her on her heels.

¡Ay
carajo! It's hot. Not a good sign.

"I
hate Downtown," she groaned and tossed the paper bag in a garbage can next
to the stop.

Turning
to leave, she caught her reflection in the plexiglass of the bus stop's bench
enclosure. She was shocked at the sight of the person looking back at her. Her
blue-green eyes were bloodshot from lack of sleep, and her normally golden skin
looked sallow. Her blond hair was knotted in a messy bun. She tried to tuck a
loose strand back up into the do without success. She had borrowed the navy
two-piece suit, cream silk blouse and black pumps from Jessica — none of
which fit her quite right. Neither the bus ride nor her giant bag was kind to
the outfit, and she figured the heat hadn't helped. She felt disheveled, gross
and tired, but she hoped she looked presentable enough to gain access to the
police station to see Officer Lowell.

Police
stations had become fortresses ever since the initial outbreak.

You
practically have to have a court order to get some help from the LAPD. Pinche government's
response to something they were not remotely prepared for. Well, at least some
things remain the same.

She
took one last look at her appearance and steeled herself for what was to come.

Xochi
heard intense yelling and chanting coming from the direction of the LAPD Metro
Division building.

"¡Híjole!
Just what I need," Xochi said to herself
as
she approached the corner of Temple and North Los Angeles Street.

Huge
crowds of protestors were gathered at the entrance of the station. A line of
police officers in full riot gear struggled to hold the ever-growing mob at
bay.

"My
son's gone missing! And he was in your jail!" an older Mexican woman
screamed at the police while holding up an enlarged photograph of a teenage
Latino boy dressed in a Catholic school uniform.

"Yeah!"
another protestor chimed in. "Why won't you let any of us in? What are you
hiding?"

Xochitl
reached the rear of the massive crowd but was unable to move any closer to the
building's entrance. She skirted along the edge of the mob in search of an
opening. A sudden wave of protestors pushed forward against the riot police. Xochitl
squeezed through a small gap. Again the mob pressed forward toward the station.
Again Xochi pushed her way through another opening.

Xochitl
thought she was home free, as
the crowd
swept her up and pushed her forward to the front steps of the building where
the wall of cops stood like an unbreakable barrier to the police station.

I
will get Lowell to help me. I will find Miguel.

Xochi
recognized Captain Burch standing in the center of the police barricade,
holding a megaphone.

I
need to get to him. But how?

"You
must disperse immediately," Captain Burch spoke calmly into the bullhorn
with the authority of a seasoned law enforcement officer. "You are all
trespassing on government property. All who attempt to break through this
police blockade will be arrested."

The
crowd responded with boos, jeers and expletives in varying languages that
Xochitl didn't understand but could venture to guess their meaning.

Someone
shouted, "We are American citizens. We have rights!"

Like
they care.

Captain
Burch gave an order to his men before turning toward the station doors.

This
is it. My last chance.

She
lunged forward toward the police line, knocking several protesters out of her
way. "Captain Burch! Captain Burch! It's me...Xochitl Magaña!"

Captain
Burch turned back toward Xochitl, his expression confused. Xochitl continued to
force her way to him. "Please, I need your help."

She
could see the mob around her getting aggravated. Someone shoved her from behind
yelling, "Hey, bitch, wait your turn!" She couldn't tell who'd pushed
her. She didn't care. All that mattered was getting to her target.

Captain
Burch held up his hand to halt Xochi and quell the incensed throng around her. "You
have to get authorization first, miss." He turned to leave.

Desperate,
Xochitl grabbed Burch by the arm, spinning him to face her. "Wait, please.
You raided my bar a few weeks ago..."

Someone
grabbed her arms from behind. She tilted her head back to see a helmeted police
officer dressed in riot gear, trying to band her wrists together with a zip
tie. Looking as if he'd just graduated from the Academy, the fresh-faced cop
was noticeably overwhelmed and through his clear helmet shield Xochi registered
both his fear and his fierce determination to take her down.

Trying to impress your captain?
Well not today, rookie!

Xochitl
leaned her weight back against the officer, causing him to stumble down a step.
"Whoops," she said.

The
officer steadied himself. Xochitl could see he was about to lunge at her, and she
readied herself in a fighting position, her fists up by her face to block any
attack.

"Officer
Gorski, stand down," Captain Burch ordered as he stepped between Xochitl
and his subordinate.

Immediately,
the policeman stood at ease, and Burch turned his attention to Xochitl.

Xochi
hesitated for a moment, then followed suit — slowly rising from her
crouched stance. Burch eyed her up and down.

"You
were Officer Lowell's CI," Burch said. "I remember you now. You
turned your gangbanger boyfriend in."

Unsure
of where he was going, Xochitl replied, "He had it coming."

"Oh,
I'm sure he did." Burch chuckled. "Xochitl, right?" Xochi
nodded. "Remind me not to get on your bad side."

For
a moment, Xochitl's spirits lifted. She could feel the weight of the past few
weeks rolling off her shoulders.

"Captain,
I really need to get in to see Lucy...I mean, Officer Lowell."

"I'm
sorry, Xochitl." Burch placed his hand on her shoulder. "Officer
Lowell took a leave of absence. She's not here anymore."

Just
like that, Xochitl felt her world collapse in on her.

¡Carajo!
What am I gonna do now? I've got to find Miguel.

"I
could maybe get a message to her," Burch said.

"Oh
my God, really?" Xochi felt on the verge of tears.

"I
can't promise anything, but I'll try," Burch amended.

Xochitl
scrambled through her bag to find the pen and Officer Lowell's business card,
before scratching out a quick note.

Miguel's missing. Going back to the

neighborhood. I think Memo's got him.

Need backup. YOU OWE ME. — X

She
handed the card to Captain Burch. "Thank you so much."