The Werewolf Whisperer (The Werewolf Whisperer Series Book 1) (36 page)

"Someone
tranqed him?" Xochi looked over at Lucy.

At
that moment Imogen emerged from around the bend. Instantly crazed by the scene
in front of her, she flung herself at Lucy's back. "Leave my daughter
alone. Don't touch her, you lunatic sociopath!" Imogen grabbed fistfuls of
Lucy's hair and yanked her head back.

"Ow!"
Lucy threw her shoulders back, trying to dislodge Imogen. Lupe let out a
heartbreaking howl.

Xochitl
dragged Imogen off of Lucy and threw the screeching woman in the dirt.

"Imogen,
I don't have time for you," Lucy said quietly and got to her feet. "Take
your kid, and get out of here."

Lucy
looked at Lupe and pointed to Imogen. "Lupe, listen to me. Imogen is your
mommy. Your only mommy. Now go with your mommy."

Lupe
stopped crying and ran into Imogen's waiting arms. The woman had scrambled to
her feet, blouse disheveled and hat askew. Dirt and tears streaked Imogen's
face. She threw her arms around Lupe, and the two held each other tight.

Lucy
and Xochitl left mother and daughter to sort themselves out and returned to the
ranch without further incident.

They
saw Gerri and Ronna by El Gallo in an apparent argument. The house dogs circled
them, making a nuisance of themselves. Gerri held a cooler she was trying to
load into the backseat of the car. Ronna barricaded the car door with her body.

When
the women spotted them, Ronna waved and hurried toward Lucy. The chocolate labs
trotted to meet Lucy too, but the pups Tau and Thandi ran straight to Xochitl.

"Gerri
said you guys were heading back to L.A., but Hanna isn't back yet. Can you
wait?" Ronna asked, looking upset.

"Did
you see Kai get taken?" Lucy cut the conversation short.

Ronna
looked befuddled. "He was playing by the apple trees when I brought the
boarding Hounds in for breakfast."

"Look
after Hanna and the ranch," Lucy said en route to the car, not even
glancing at Ronna.

"Don't
just leave, Lucy." Ronna swept her straw cowboy hat from her head and pugnaciously
slapped it against her leg. She made no move to stop Lucy and Xochitl, nor did
she follow to the car to say goodbye.

Gerri,
on the other hand, hugged Lucy before she could climb into El Gallo.

"Hey,
just come back when you can," Gerri gently told them. She handed Xochitl a
thermos. "Coffee for the road, lady. You take care of our Lucy."

Lucy
felt tears shoot into her eyes as she saw Xochitl bend down to feed the little
ridgebacks a couple treats. The dogs hurried into a perfect "sit"
position; their eyes were glued to Xochitl. Xochitl patted Tau's flank and
placed a soft kiss on Thandi's head. "Don't worry, perritos. I'll be back."

Lucy
hoped that would be the case, but her chest felt tight with apprehension as she
slid into the driver's seat and brought El Gallo to life.

Xochitl
pulled the passenger door closed a little harder than necessary and stared out
the window. "It's a nice place. Miguel would like it here." She
sighed.

"Werebeast
Rescue and Rehabilitation. I like the sound of that," Lucy replied
wistfully, wondering if Miguel could still be helped.

"Hey
Xoch, make sure all seven dogs stay with Gerri. No running down the driveway."
Lucy didn't look back herself but gave a quick honk, which solicited barks and
howls from the pack of house dogs and the boarded Weres in the kennel.

So
much for post breakfast naps.

"There's
just the one road. It starts here and leads straight back to town." Lucy
looked at the dirt road ahead. "Whoever took Kai had to go this way."

"Hey
Lucy," Xochitl said. "Imogen is following us in her badass sports
car."

"That's
Imogen's ride?" Lucy glanced in the rearview mirror.

"Yeah,
I can't believe Loca drives that beautiful machine." Xochi put her hand on
El Gallo's dash lovingly. "Don't worry, baby. I still love you. But I
think you might need a girlfriend."

"Hope
the tight suspension gives her hemorrhoids." Lucy stepped on the gas and
forced El Gallo on a reckless descent toward town.

Chapter 28

Castle
:
"Huntsman. Operation Coal Miner is a go. I repeat Coal Miner is a go."

Huntsman
:
"Copy Castle. And may I say you
'
re
still the fairest of them all."

Castle
:
"Ha. Ha. Now get to work."

Huntsman
:
"Roger that. Heigh-ho. Heigh-ho. Huntsman moving out."

Castle
:
"Huntsman you have five hostiles moving in from the East."

Huntsman
:
"Copy."

(sporadic gunfire,
unintelligible screams, latrant animal noises at chaotic intervals)

Huntsman
:
"Anders, on your left. What the...Castle we
'
re coming under heavy attack...Fall back!
Fall back!"

Castle
:
"Huntsman, do you copy? Over...Do you copy?...Commander Green, do you
copy?"

Huntsman
:
"Oh my God!"

Castle
:
"Brian!"

(transmission ended)

-transcript Special Operations Group debrief

Agent Cassandra Green

Operation
"Coal Miner"

CLASSIFIED

21 months ago

The
air conditioning piped gusts of frigid air through the prison infirmary. Lucy
could see the caged thermostat on the opposite wall holding at a steady
sixty-eight degrees. The straps on her bed gone, she once again had a full
range of motion.

Lucy
sat up and swung her legs over the side of the bed. The pink scrubs she now
wore were an improvement over the hospital gown she'd been wrapped in the last
time she'd woken up. She looked around for shoes or at least slippers. Her head
still buzzed, but the drugs and painkillers had worn off as her throbbing
forearms could attest. Judging by the light streaming in the window it was
daytime.

Probably early afternoon.

She
was alone in the room, no other patients, no orderlies, no nurses, no doctors,
no one.

An
earsplitting scream cut through the silence. Lucy vaulted out of bed and threw
open the infirmary door.

Shouldn't
that be locked?

Shouts
for help and the sounds of running feet rushed toward her. Before Lucy could
duck back into the room, she spotted two women, one in patterned nurses' scrubs
and one in a colorful pantsuit, running down the hall and screaming for help. A
giant fur-covered wolf monster sprang from wall to wall, chasing them for
sport.

Lucy
barreled toward the Beast, waving her arms to draw its attention away from the
women. "Hey fuzz butt, over here!"

Covered
in black fur head to toe, this Beast was tall and lanky. It had scrawny arms
and toothpick legs. Long teeth didn't fit properly into the giant lupine jaw,
giving it an asymmetrical appearance. Deep-set, amber eyes glimmered with
bloodlust. The ripped remains of an orange jumpsuit marked it as one of the
regular inmates.

"Stop!
Sit! Stay!" Lucy had been prepared to fight to give the women a chance to
get away, but to her immense relief the triple command stopped the Werebeast in
its tracks. It crouched down and eyed her like a cat eyes a goldfish.

The
creature yowled and gargled bizarre high-pitched noises in the back of its
throat, but it didn't move from its spot on the floor.

"You
tamed it," the woman in the pantsuit said with awe. Instead of getting to
safety, she stepped closer, her kitten heels click-clacking softly. She tucked
her chin length hair behind her ears and adjusted her glasses primly.

"That's
the same damn noise my cat used to make when it stalked birds through the
window." The woman in the nurses' uniform came up behind Lucy and
cautiously snuck a quick look at the Beast. Lucy noticed the duckies on her
scrubs matched the yellow beads woven through her shoulder length cornrows.

"That
is a predatory instinct common in house cats but also found in many of the
Feliformia, mongoose, hyena, civet. But not the lupine so much. They
quasi-ritualize the killing bite by making these sounds. Tasting the blood
already, so to speak." The woman in the bright teal pantsuit looked at the
Were through her thick glasses, studying the Beast with rapt curiosity.

"Gross!"
The nurse's terror had turned to no-nonsense disgust. "That's Dr. Friel."
She waggled her thick fingers toward the pantsuited woman who had pulled a
notepad from some pocket and scribbled furiously. "I'm Myra," the
nurse said. "I saved your bacon that night you came in all cut up and now
you're gonna save mine. And hers."

"I
don't..." Lucy started to say.

"Lordy,
did you ever make that puppy sit and stay." Myra stepped closer. "Now
get my brown sugar outta here, boo."

"...have
shoes," Lucy finished. Myra angled her lips into an unconcerned moue.

The
Werebeast ululated in frustration. A harrowing profusion of urgent wolf howls resonated
through the halls in response.

"Myra,
quick, what's down that way?" Lucy took a few steps toward the sound.

"The
women's dorm." Myra's face had gone ashen.

"Open
the infirmary door for me," Lucy called to Dr. Friel, snapping her out of
her reverie.

Lucy
looked into the Werebeast's face and pointed toward the open door.

Please
let this work!

"On
your bed!" She snapped her fingers when it didn't move right away. "On...your...bed!"
Lucy repeated firmly and advanced on the creature.

The
Werebeast sprang up, raced through the open door and jumped onto Lucy's
hospital bed. Curling itself into a ball, it kept both eyes on Lucy.

"Dr.
Friel, can you lock this?" Lucy shut the infirmary door and watched the
Beast through the wire mesh of the security window.

"Call
me Imogen." The woman offered her hand as if they were meeting at a cocktail
party. Lucy just stared at her.

"I
have a code for these new doors. I just can't remember..." Imogen deliberated.

"1-2-3-4,"
Myra threw in. "She uses 1-2-3-4 for all her passwords." Myra rolled
her eyes.

The
faraway screams grew more frantic, and Lucy couldn't wait any longer. Barefoot
and unarmed, she ran toward the noise.

Turning
the corner, she thought the hall looked familiar.

I
went this way the day of my intake. I remember the women's dorm was to the
left.

"This
ain' the way out." Myra huffed behind her.

Ahead,
Lucy saw a guard standing in front of the dorm door. He fumbled with a set of
keys. Like most of Folsom's cells, the temporary women's dorm had an
old-fashioned lock.

Lucy
stopped just out of his reach.

"There's
something crazy in there." The guard sweated profusely.

"There
are people in there, Officer Peklar!" Imogen's scold turned plea.

Peklar
snorted. "All murderers. Serves them right."

Without
a thought, Lucy hopped past Peklar and yanked open the door, smashing it into
his face hard. As the man stumbled back, Lucy planted a firm kick into his
stomach, ensuring his downward trajectory.

"Grab
his keys!" Lucy shouted to Myra and ducked into the room.

The
women's dorm was a medium sized space packed with ten freestanding double
bunks. Normally cramped but orderly, the room looked like a tornado had touched
down. Most of the bunks were upside down on the ground or pushed all the way to
the far wall. Sheets, blankets and clothing were strewn about helter-skelter.

Three
Werebeasts hunkered on top of the overturned bunks. Their backs turned to Lucy,
they plagued a huddle of nearly twenty prisoners and a few guards. In an
instant Lucy made out the faces of her former dorm mates, all pressing against
each other to protect pregnant Celia, the most vulnerable of them all.

Two
female guards looked determined as they put their bodies between the creatures
and the prisoners. A fourth Beast writhed on the ground, clutching at its face.
The stout guard Lucy remembered as Officer Rivers stood over her transformed
colleague, looking almost smug. The Beast ripped at its already shredded guard
uniform and whimpered in pain. Lucy noticed a faint smell of onion and felt the
telltale burn of discharged pepper spray in her eyes. The human guards had
stopped the attack for the moment, but the Werebeasts were regrouping.

The
fluorescents flickered wildly above Lucy.

Shit, power's going out.

"Pssst!"
She felt like a fool, baiting the predators.

"Get
the women out," Lucy called to the guards. "I'll keep our furry friends
busy."

The
three Beasts were all very large and flabby rather than muscular. The pink
big-girl prison uniforms hung in tatters off each grey furred body.

"Down!"
Lucy pointed to the floor, hoping they would just do her the favor.

No
movement.

She
stepped closer, unwavering but darting her eyes from one to the next.

"Staaaaay."
Lucy cleared the path with her naked feet, almost tripping over the contents of
an overturned plastic bin. A black and red pillow, an abstract sort of ladybug,
caught her eye.

The
Werebeasts watched her with great interest, fortunately ignoring the group of
women slowly creeping along the wall toward the door.

Lucy
slowly inched closer to the pack of three, hands spread wide. While they still
hadn't moved against her, they did not look ready to comply. Her only chance
was redirection.

In
a flash, she scooped up the contraband ladybug pillow, pitched it to the far
side of the room and yelled out brightly, "Go get it!"

On
her call, several things happened all at the same time. The three grey
Werebeasts dashed for the makeshift toy — pushing at each other and
snarling; the group of women made a break for the door; and the formerly pepper
sprayed Were guard leaped up and sank its huge claws and teeth into the slowest
of the inmates. The wounded girl shrieked in pain and went down on her knees.

"Off!"
Lucy commanded the Beast. It reeled back, leaving its prey draped across a tipped
over bunk. Lucy saw the back of the woman's neck torn out and huge gashes in
her shoulders. The Werebeast had killed her instantly.

Lucy
ground her teeth together, embittered.

The
sound of prey dying and the smell of blood overrode the grey Weres' shaky
obedience, and they dashed to the Were guard's side.

Pack
one. Lucy zero.

"'Ey!
Get out the friggin' door," a male voice shouted from the direction of the
exit. Lucy heard the subtle click of a gas gun being chambered. Moving faster
than ever, she dove past the doorframe as the male guard shot a tear gas round
into the dorm room. Lucy slammed the door behind her, and Officer Rivers locked
it with her key.

The
Beasts' enraged snarling quickly turned into coughing and choking. The ragged
crew of officers and inmates gathered in the hall, ignored the pitiful sounds
and looked to the Asian officer with the gas gun; some of the women were
crying. Fortunately, Lucy didn't see Peklar among the group.

If
I survive this, they're gonna to drop me in a hole and never let me out.

The
guard with the riot gun looked incredibly young to Lucy — a perimeter
guard she guessed. They had quicker access to the armory than the regular
guards, who typically didn't carry guns.

"'Ey,
stick together everyone," the young guard said, taking charge. "Rivers!
Diaz! We'll take stairwell three to the yard."

Lucy
spotted Myra and Imogen helping Celia hobble along after everyone. Lucy still
felt bad for taking the pregnant girl's glasses.

"I
got you," Lucy said, grabbing her arm. Celia let out an enormous scream as
fluid gushed down her leg. She clutched Lucy's elbow as if she wanted to mash
the bone to meal.

"You
fucking, fucking bitch! I'm gonna to cut you. I'm gonna rip out all your ugly
red hair. Help me! Owwwwww!" Celia struggled and lost control of her
bladder.

"She's
in labor," Imogen supplied helpfully, making Lucy want to punch her just once.

The
guard in charge looked back at Lucy for a second but continued to herd the
larger group toward the stairway.

"I'm
sorry. I can't carry you." Lucy dragged Celia toward the stairs, ignoring
the woman's curses. "You have to help me here."

"I'd
'a take her feet, but she's kickin' up a storm," Myra said and ran ahead
to hold open the door.

"Celia,
I'm going to throw you down the damn stairs if you don't stop thrashing around."
Lucy was breathless as she wrestled the half-crazed woman into the stairwell.
The permed strands of Celia's bleach blond hair whipped Lucy's face.