by Rashaad Bell
~BLAM~
Connor was standing next to me, his arm outstretched with the 38 pistol in his hand, the barrel smoking. The wall behind Sarah’s head was splattered with her blood and grey brain matter. There was a bullet hole in her forehead and the back of her skull had exploded open.
Rabbit slumped forward in his chair, his head landing on the table with a sick thump as blood pooled around his face, the side of his head blown apart.
“Oh, I'm sorry.” Connor said to Howard. “Did I just break your concentration?”
Howard was shaking with fright, his face and chest covered in his friend’s blood. “Jesus man, who are you people?”
Everything happened so fast, I didn’t…I didn’t know he was gonna shoot them like that. He said that he wasn’t going…why is she looking at me that way? She’s dead, but the way she’s just staring ahead, looking at me with those black, lifeless dead orbs…I rushed over to the sink and turned on the faucet, splashing cold water on my face. I needed it’s cool touch to keep me from throwing up.
“Connor!” I yelled, running over to him, tears running down the side of my cheeks. “You said…you said you weren’t going to kill anyone.”
“I lied.” He answered back, walking over towards Howard.
“You lied?” I repeated in disgust.
“Yes.” He exclaimed. “I do that sometimes.” He grabbed Howard by the hair, pulling his head back, then placed the muzzle of the gun flush against the top of his knee and pulled the trigger.
Howard screamed out in agony as his kneecap exploded into tiny pieces. “Fu..fu..fuck, man.” He slurred.
“I’m going to ask you one more time.” Connor snatched the picture of Goodwin out of my hand and shoved it in his face. “Do you know this person?”
“Yeah man, yeah, I know…the dude.” Howard responded
“Good.” Conner placed the picture on the table, then pushed Rabbit out of his chair, the dead man hitting the floor with a thud. Connor pulled up Rabbits chair in front of Howard then took a seat. “What was he doing in Florida?”
Howard was breathing hard, attempting to talk through the pain. “What? Florida man? How the hell…how the hell should I know?”
Connor placed the barrel flush against the top of Howard's other kneecap. “Don’t make me shoot you again.”
“Wait, waitwaitwaitwaitwait!” Stuttered Howard. “Florida. Right man, Florida, I remember. It was…it was a job, is all.”
“What kind of job?”
“Recon.” Answered Howard. “Just recon man, nothing…nothing serious. Just take some photographs…figure out his targets schedule and report…report back.”
“You’re lying.” Connor grabbed the mans wounded knee with his hand then squeezed. Howard let out a howl as the pain almost caused him to black out.
“If he was sent for only recon, then why was he trying to kidnap his target?” Asked Connor.
“Kidnap? What?” Howard seemed confused. “If…Goodwin was trying to…trying to kidnap one of his targets…then he was way off the reservation. We were hired for…intel only.”
“One of?” Connor repeated. “Then there were more?”
“Yeah man, yeah. Whole list of…people.”
“Where’s the list now?” Connor demanded
"It was Goodwin's show man, he was the H.N.I.C. The only other person who knew the list was our second in command, but..." Howard nodded towards Rabbits dead body. “I don't think he's in the right frame of mind to hold a conversation anymore.” There was a dog howl down the street and Howard started laughing. “Oops.”
Connor grabbed Howard's knee again with his free hand and squeezed while he shot him in the other kneecap.
“Fu..uu..uck man.” Howard screamed. “That was… totally unnecessary. I’m telling you the truth. If the boss man isn’t here, then Rabbit gets a call. Rabbit doles out the names. That’s just…that’s just the way…it works.” There was another dog howl off in the distance.
“Who hired you?”
“Some…some dude.” Howard said. “Just some dude, okay?”
“Some dude?” Connor repeated skeptically.
“Yeah man, some dude.”
“What’s this dude’s name?”
“Guy calls himself the Translucent Man.” Said Howard.
“The Translucent Man?” Connor reiterated. “Why do they call him that?
“How the fuck am I supposed to know?” Uttered Howard. “Maybe because he’s see through? I wouldn’t…I wouldn’t know, I’ve never met him before.”
I could hear one of the dogs barking outside.
“What’s his real name!” Demanded Connor.
Howard began to laugh “Above my pay grade man.”
Connor leaned in closer. “What’s so funny.”
“You hear that noise?” Howard asked.
Connor paused momentarily. “You mean the dog?”
“No man, not the dog, fuck the dog. Listen closer, you should be able to hear them now. I can hear them.”
“Hear who Howard?”
“My Pack.”
“Your…Pack?”
“Yeah man.” Howard chuckled. “My Wolf Pack. Looks like your friend there has already started to get herself aquatinted.”
Connor spun around and that’s when he saw what was happening. I don’t know when the other guy came into the house, but he moved silent. He had grabbed me from behind, clamped his hand over my mouth and put the machete to my throat about a split second before Connor spun around and realized the situation.
Whoever he was, he was big. Bigger then Connor by at least two hundred tattooed pounds. It was just him for now, but I could hear the howling getting closer. It wouldn’t be long before Connor was outnumbered.
“Hello Werewolf.” Connor took a step forward and the man pressed the machete even closer to my throat, drawing blood.
“You do all this?” The man growled. “You the one who killed my people?” I could feel the hair growing out of his arms.
“Do you like my handiwork?” Connor asked, motioning to the two dead bodies and Howard. “I would advise you to release my associate and I may just allow the both of you to live.”
“You okay over there brother?” The man yelled.
“Yeah.” Howard moaned. “Nothing that can’t heal.”
“I doubt that.” Connor fired his weapon, shooting Howard once in the head, then turned back to face us. “Now, I’m a reasonable man. Please don’t force me to do unreasonable things. Release my friend and I give you my word, I’ll let you walk out of here with your life, but if you don’t…” Connor fired once more, catching a Pack member as he entered the front door of the Townhouse with a headshot, the man’s body stumbling back out, dead before he hit the ground.
The guy who held me captive let out a soul deafening wail, yet as he did, his face began to make a sickening sound as the bones in his skull fractured and splintered, restructuring itself into something new. Hair began to grow at terrifying speeds across his arms, torso, neck and face while his nose elongated into a snout and his teeth sharpened into something akin to a lions maw.
His body was transmuting into something other than human, lycanthrope in nature, yet still retaining its original humanoid form. Through it all, he never once released his grip on me, nor the machete at my throat and in just mere seconds the façade of his mortal face had taken on the bestial visage of a wolfs head, an illustrious coat of brown fur encompassing his body, his fingers now razor talons.
“Here we go.” Connor whispered to himself. “Now, I’ll give you all fair warning. If you touch me, I’ll kill you...” Someone grabbed him by the shoulder yet Connor clutched the man’s wrist, twisting the arm, flipping his attacker over his shoulder. When the man hit the ground, Connor shot him once in the head. “…just like that.”
Connor looked around as the house filled with members of the Wolf Pack, some still in human form while others, morphing into something bestial, a horrifying hybrid of man a
nd wolf which towered over Connor, despite him being six feet tall himself.
“Okay.” Connor dropped his gun on the ground, the clip empty. “Hard way it is then.”
“Greetings Vampire.” A Man in an all-white suit entered from outside, the Pack spreading apart like Noah and the Red Sea as he made his way towards the kitchen. He looked around the blood-spattered room. “Seems you’ve made quite the first impression.”
“I’m just warming up.” Connor replied.
“I’ll bet you are.” The man turned towards one of his Pack members. “Inform the Translucent Man that we are in possession of one of the items he requested.” The Pack member darted off out the front door before Connor had a chance to stop him.
“My name is Bartholomew Kruger.” The man in white came closer, the remaining members of the Pack keeping their distance.
Connor shrugged. “Never heard of you.”
“This is my house. This is my Pack.” Kruger stated. “These are my brothers and sisters that you’ve murdered here today.”
“Then they should have answered my questions when I asked.” Connor seemed unafraid. At least that made one of us.
“Well, Connor, is it? Let’s just say turnabout is fair play.” Bartholomew Kruger stated. “You’re going to answer my questions now and if you don’t, well…”
Connors arms from the elbows down went up in flame and as he spoke fire sparked from his eyes. “I’ll burn this bitch down with you still inside it.”
Kruger just smiled. “The Vampire fire starter. I’ve heard whispers of you in the dark.”
“If you harm her then everybody dies.” Connor stated.
“I’m good with that.” Bartholomew Kruger said. “I haven’t died once all week. What does the Translucent Man want with your friend here?”
I could tell Connor was trying to size up the situation, trying to play out the odds in his mind. There were just so many of them, at least fifteen easy. Fifteen Werewolves versus one Vampire. I stared at his arms, the way they were aflame, yet they were not burning him at all. Somehow he was in control of the fire, yet how he was doing it I couldn’t even begin to imagine. Even the color of the flame was different, burning blue instead of red.
“I don’t know.” Connor admitted.
“I believe you.” Bartholomew said, even though he seemed somewhat disappointed. “Looks like we're off to a good start.
“Who is the Translucent Man?” Connor asked.
Kruger made a frown. “I have my theories.” He finally admitted. “None of them exceptionally pleasant. In the end however, we are all just puppets and the Translucent Man is the ventriloquist.”
“We came here because your man was trying to kidnap my friend.”
Kruger nodded in agreement. “Yes, I know.”
“I killed him.”
“Among others.” Said Bartholomew Kruger.
“No one makes a move like that in my city without permission and not expect consequences.” Connor explained. “I’m sure a man of your…stature would understand that.”
“Yes, I do.” Kruger declared. “Which is why I’ve allowed you to still breath after the atrocities you have committed here. Terrence was not supposed to engage the target, only to locate then report back. I was well aware that Palm Coast was claimed territory, your territory to be exact and I did not wish to antagonize someone with such a…colorful reputation.”
Bartholomew Kruger stood in front of me, looking me up and down, before turning to Connor. “But Terrence was a good soldier and if he decided to deviate off script then he had his reasons. So now I find myself in possession of an item that the ambiguous Translucent Man so desperately desires, an item that caused one of my best men to disobey orders and attempt to capture himself. Not to mention the fact that the Vampire Connor is here, in my city, killing my Wolf Pack, threatening to burn down my house, all while declaring himself sole protector of said item.”
“What’s a Wolf to do?” Connor asked sarcastically.
“What is the Mark of Pandora?” Bartholomew Kruger asked.
“I don’t know what you’re talking about.” Connor exclaimed.
Kruger heaved a sigh. “Then everybody dies.”
I felt a sharp pain in my back and chest. It became hard to breath and I could taste blood in my mouth. I glanced down and saw the tip of a bloody machete sticking out my stomach. Someone had stabbed me, ran a machete directly through my body from back to front. I drooped forward, sliding off the blade and tumbled forward.
Connor caught me before I hit the ground.
It was so hard to breath. Everything was getting dark, shadows creeping in around the edge of my vision threatening to black out everything. Connor was stroking my hair, his face stoic. He didn’t speak, but I could see everything he wanted to say in his eyes.
“There are a couple of ways this can play out.” Bartholomew said. “You can waste time trying to fight us, but I don’t think she has that much time left, do you?”
Connor still didn’t speak.
“There is another option.” Continued Kruger.
He continued to talk but I couldn’t hear him anymore, it was like he was too far away. Connor was saying something, but I couldn’t understand him, the pain was blocking everything out. I started coughing. There was so much blood in my mouth that it was difficult to breath. I knew I was dying, I could recognize that feeling you get when deaths icy fingers sends chills across your soul once he gains a good grip on it.
Connor was whispering in my ear again, an address in Oakland he wanted me to try to get to. He made a point to give his blessing, that I was allowed to enter the apartment, then he shoved his keys in my pocket. There was a sudden commotion then as all the bodies around me began exploding in balls of flame, coupled with the intense sound of fighting and furniture breaking apart.
It was a war zone. It could barely see now, but I heard Connor screaming for me to run, so I did. I was out the Townhouse suddenly and when I turned around it was on fire, a blazing inferno. I could hear screaming inside, they were still fighting, but I couldn’t tell who was winning.
I fell against our car, my hand on my wound to try and stop the bleeding. I couldn’t concentrate anymore, I was blacking out for seconds at a time now and it was becoming increasingly difficult to maintain consciousness.
All of the tires were flat on Connors car, so I just started running down the street, hoping I wasn’t being followed. I just needed to get away as fast as I could and not put any more innocent people in danger. There wasn’t anyone I could call that the Werewolves wouldn’t be able to tear to shreds if they found them with me.
I got about two blocks before I saw the BART, the Bay Area’s Rapid Transit system entrance, what they called the subway here on the West coast and I rushed towards it, stumbling down the escalator, almost collapsing once I got to the bottom. I shoved a handful of dollar bills to pay for my fare and then ran up the platform. There was a train waiting and I rushed to catch it, the doors closing just after I entered. I collapsed in a seat and looked at my hand. It was covered in blood.
I needed to stop the bleeding and I needed to do it now. What I really needed was a hospital, but I couldn’t risk going to one here, maybe a couple of stops down the line, put some distance between the Werewolves and myself.
Connor…
I leaned my head against the window, I didn’t have any strength left, I couldn’t even keep my eyes open anymore and breathing had become the most painful experience I had ever taken part of. I…I just needed a minute to catch my breath. Just a minute, that’s all I need. I just need to….but I was unconscious before I could finish my thought.
