The Werewolf Whisperer (The Werewolf Whisperer Series Book 1)

by Camilla Ochlan

  "Kai, with me!" she commanded firmly, hoping the Hound would understand. "Side!" She pointed to the right and slightly behind her.

  Kai trotted to her side and followed without a sound when Lucy and Xochitl headed for the hole in the fence and toward the street.

  "We can try to avoid the Catchers by going over the train tracks, which will take longer. Or we can just head straight for the car," Lucy said, looking for input.

  "Car." Xochitl sounded ready to pass out. She wiped her nose on her sleeve. The bleeding had stopped, but Lucy could tell by the lights on the street that Xochi would have a massive black eye in the morning.

  "Choteros talk big, but when it comes right down to it, they're still cops," Xochitl reasoned. "The Werewolf Whisperer rubs them the wrong way, sure. But they don't totally hate you. They won't fuck with us, especially since I'll be recording our next powwow and posting it simultaneously." She shook her smartphone back and forth.

  "Huh?" Lucy didn't follow.

  "On my phone. When they pull up, I'll have my phone out, recording everything. And I'll tell them that I'll be posting it instantly."

  "You can do that, Xoch? Really?"

  "Easy as one, two, three. Don't worry your little turn-of-the-century head about it, Luce."

  Picking up the pace, they crossed to Ferry Street. The road stretched before them, leading to the far lot where El Gallo was hidden under the illuminated bridge. The drizzle had turned into a misty rain, and the light reflecting on the wet asphalt shimmered as if the road had been sprinkled with diamonds.

  Kai didn't even glance at the puny grove of trees when they walked by. Lucy wondered how long he'd been holed up there. She wondered where he'd come from exactly. She wondered about his unusual verbal skill. He didn't speak English, but he was obviously fluent in Mandarin. This Chinese Hound was a mystery. One she was too bone-weary to solve right now. Xochitl was uncommonly quiet, making Lucy believe she too was worn out and bewildered.

  When they passed the large corner employee lot, Mac's young colleague Aaron bumbled down the slick stairs of the guard shack and ran toward them. They walked faster, trying not to be too obvious about avoiding him.

  Aaron stopped at the vacant kiosk at the entrance of the parking lot, keeping a cautious distance.

  "You caught him. You caught him!" His pink cheeks puffed in and out as if the short run had been a major strain on his system. He put his hands on his thighs, bending at the waist for a moment. Lucy thought he might keel over.

  "Remind me to never use this security company," Xochitl said under her breath.

  Kai took a step toward Aaron, and the young man sprang upright so fast, the navy baseball cap with SECURITY stitched on the front fell off his head. He left it where it lay, not taking his eyes off Kai.

  "Stay, Kai." Lucy reached out and put her hand in front of Kai's chest.

  "Aren't you going to chain him up?" Aaron shouted unnecessarily from where he stood. "I can call the Catchers back, if you need help."

  "We're fine." Lucy held both of her hands up, palms facing out. Unlike Mac, Aaron was not squeamish about guns. Lucy saw his hand twitch toward the thigh holster carrying his Glock.

  "We'll put him in the cage in our car over there. No worries." Lucy tried to sound casual, gauging his overzealousness.

  "You're in luck," Aaron called out as if they were all deaf, not reading the situation in front of him, but apparently playing out a bizarre scenario in his head. "There's the Catchers now!"

  And with that, the Catcher van bounced up on the sidewalk behind them. Fluorescent high beams suddenly flooded the driveway, causing Aaron to shield his eyes with his hand.

  Lucy stepped to the side and turned in time to see Micah lean way out of the driver's window.

  "Well, I'll be goddamned! You found your Hound," he slurred, sounding high, but then cut the engine, shutting off the painful light. "You win, Lucy Lowell. You win. You lucky, lucky dog!"

  He leaned on the horn, making Lucy jump and throw her hands to her ears. Xochitl pulled out her cell phone.

  "Deal's a deal, Micah!" Lucy shouted. "Deal's a deal."

  She heard Ann's disappointed whine from inside the van. "C'mon Mikey. Light 'em up anywaaaaaay."

  He seemed to consider. "Naw, Ann! Jammy bitches got their Hound. Aight?" He leaned so far out of the window trying to look at Kai, Lucy thought he might fall out of the car.

  "Deal's a deal. My motherfuckin' word's my bond." Micah cackled like a hyena. "Yo, rent-a-pig! You owe us drinks. Was no goddamn Werebeast like you said, pussy. Deal's a deal."

  Aaron picked his cap up from the ground, pushed it down onto his wheat blond buzz cut and scurried past Lucy toward the open driver's side window.

  "Side door, moron!" Micah said, swatting at Aaron. "Good snitches are hard to find," he added as if trying to explain.

  Lucy's eyes cut to Kai, who followed Aaron's shuffle around the front of the van with interest. "Hold, Kai," she said quietly but firmly. He blew out a sigh when Aaron climbed in the van and shut the door.

  "So have a nice night, yo!" Micah shouted and started the engine. "Say 'hi' to the Vigi Boys!" He burned rubber past them, fishtailed on the slick road and almost careened the van into a nearby telephone pole. Loud laughter rang out as the Catchers screamed around the corner, and flew down the long road parallel to the bridge at a ridiculous speed.

  "Don't know if they'll live through that ride," Lucy said and put her hand on Kai's shoulder.

  "Good, Kai. That was very good. Good listening."

  The boy seemed to understand the praise because he smiled and straightened up proudly.

  "He's got a great temperament," Lucy said. "Very even."

  "So, who the hell are the Vigi Boys?" Xochitl asked, sounding beleaguered and disinterested in discussing Kai's emerging talents.

  Chapter 16

  To: Troika@thearu.ru

  From: Omega@aruff.net

  Subject: Loose ends

  T —

  The remaining five have been taken care of, but Dr. K fled the country.

  — O

  To: Omega@aruff.net

  From: Troika@thearu.ru

  Subject: Loose ends

  O —

  Not acceptable! How could you let Dr. K get away? This will not sit well with the others.

  — T

  To: Troika@thearu.ru

  From: Omega@aruff.net

  Subject: Loose ends

  T —

  Then you hunt Dr. K. WE have BIGGER PROBLEMS! He hired a bioengineer, Dr. Ajay Dhawan. Damn human called 911. He could expose us! Almost had him, but he got away. Out of the country by now. So you might want to take care of that one too.

  — O

  23 months ago

  "Biscuits sleeps so much." Little Lucy kisses her dog's greying muzzle.

  "He's getting old, my sweet," Mama says and sits down on the porch beside them. "These days Biscuits prefers sleeping to running. It's the way of dogs."

  "I liked it better when he wanted to play all the time." Little Lucy takes Biscuits' paw in her small hands and traces her fingers along the hard pads. The golden retriever lazily chews the air with an open mouth but doesn't wake up.

  "You know, one day soon Biscuits will have to leave us and go where all good dogs go in the end." Mama gently runs her hand down the dog's golden blond shoulder.

  "What about the bad dogs?" Little Lucy worries out loud.

  "There are no bad dogs, my little one." Mama smiles her happy smile.

  "Mama?" Little Lucy isn't sure she should ask, but the words tumble out before she can stop them. "Will you have to leave me one day?"

  Mama takes Lucy's face in her hands. "Don't worry about that, Lucy. Mama will always be with you." She kisses Lucy's forehead.

  A harsh, piercing cry ricocheted through Lucy's throbbing skull. Loud voices assaulted her ears as she pulled away from the sweetness of the dream, feeling sluggish and stupefied.

  What's wrong with me? I didn't even have
a beer last night.

  Lucy finally woke to the strange sound of her mother and Hanna fighting. The windows still shut, her room was stifling and hot. The low-level panic Ignacio's warning had sparked seeped through her haze and left her jittery — Go home. Not your apartment but home.

  She vaguely recalled leaving her clothes in a pile on the floor at night before falling into bed.

  All five dogs had taken refuge from the fight and had jumped into Lucy's bed, though Lucy had no memory of their invasion. The giant Chasselas pressed his full weight down on her, while little Poppy wiggled under the pillows. Like Lucy, the dogs had never heard Ellie and Hanna raise their voices to one another before, let alone engage in a screaming fight.

  "You said it wouldn't happen..." The rest of Ellie's shouting was drowned out by a loud crash.

  Is Mama throwing things?

  Lucy felt groggy and too weak to brush the blanket of cowering dogs off the bed. Exhausted, she closed her eyes and just listened. All five dogs whined softly in different pitches.

  "I never said that. That's what you wanted to hear." Hanna's voice sounded hoarse.

  Lucy flashed on a long forgotten memory. She'd heard Hanna holler like that once before, decades ago. Lucy had been a small child, but the other voice hadn't been Ellie's. It had been deep and had yelled back in a language little Lucy didn't understand. She'd hidden under her covers, frightened, and willed herself to go back to sleep so she'd have to hear no more.

  Fighting the weird fatigue, Lucy only sunk deeper into her pillow. The labs Brisco and Maggie, who had her flanked, snuggled closer.

  The voices rose abruptly and overlapped with the television as if in an echo chamber:

  UNPRECEDENTED VIOLENCE IN THE STREETS OF ALL MAJOR CALIFORNIA CITIES. "Lucy stays out of this." "A little late, Ellie." POLICE AND NATIONAL GUARD MOBILIZED. "She's my daughter." CITIZENS ASKED TO STAY CLOSE TO HOME. "I don't want her involved." SHELTER IN PLACE ORDERS IN EFFECT IN SAN FRANCISCO AND LOS ANGELES. "You really have no clue what is going on." FIVE USC GRAD STUDENTS FOUND SLAUGHTERED. "Please, Hanna."

  Mama and Hanna were fighting about her. Lucy's thoughts came sluggishly as she squeezed out from under the dog pack. Chasselas put out his big furry paw to hold her back.

  "Shh, Chass. Let me leave, boy. The mamas are fighting about me. About me going back to L.A. and helping."

  Lucy stumbled but steadied herself on the bedpost. She bent down to pick up her discarded T-shirt and cargo shorts from the floor. Another crash came from the front of the house.

  Sounds like someone slammed the front door.

  Curiosity drove her forward, and Lucy padded out of her room, leaving the dog pack hiding under her sheets.

  Chickens.

  She snuck down the hall toward the living room, pulling her hair back with a ponytail holder she'd snagged from her dresser. She shook off the last of her haze and stepped into the living room. The yelling had stopped, but as she peeked through the plantation shutters she could see Hanna and Ellie facing each other outside.

  Behind them down the driveway, Gerri and Ronna hustled a young couple and an Akita from their white pickup truck to the kennels.

  Lucy headed toward the front door to help Gerri and Ronna with the potential boarders and ease the horrible impression Ellie and Hanna must have made on them. Remembering she was still braless, she retreated back through the kitchen to the small laundry room instead.

  Lucy quickly noted the breakfast dishes piled up on the counter. Ellie failing to load the dishwasher was a first, though the kitchen table was wiped clean and Lucy's keys, wallet and gun were neatly piled on a placemat. The kitchen TV was still on, but breaking news had given way to hyper commercial jingles.

  The laundry room smelled like clean linen and lavender, and as expected, Ellie had washed and folded the clothes from Lucy's duffel bag.

  Lucy had barely clasped the bra hooks in place when a hideous roar resounded from outside. The resident canines responded with fearful clamoring. Howls and whines sharply burst from the kennels. The warning yap of an unfamiliar dog, the Akita Lucy guessed, rang like machine gun fire. A woman screamed for help.

  Gerri?

  Lucy shot to the front door, grabbing her Beretta from the kitchen table on the way.

  She threw open the heavy door and leaped onto the porch, gun ready.

  "OFF!" Lucy shouted. The sun blinded her, and she almost tripped down the porch steps. Her hand tightened around the Beretta.

  A tall, thin lupine beast stood on the grass below, its back to Lucy, facing the white pickup truck. Torn jeans and a burnout R'n'R T-shirt hung off the creature's body in strips.

  Defined lean muscles gave its body the chiseled appearance of ideal human proportions, but Lucy noticed right away that the long legs were animal-like, not human.

  Lucy fought against rising panic.

  She caught a glimpse of Ronna trying to keep cover behind the pickup while hauling the frantic Akita back by its leash.

  The Werebeast ripped the already shredded clothes from its body, exposing patches of sandy blond fur. It howled in frustration and faced the white pickup truck where Hanna stood tall, shielding the group of visitors.

  Hanna's eyes shot to Lucy.

  As if the look had sparked something, the creature dropped its long arms, claws retracting into long, furred fingers, and turned deliberately.

  Lucy felt her heart drop into her stomach.

  The creature's face was delicate, beautiful even. Its coat was mostly sandy blond, but denser platinum fur ticked from the inner edge of the eyes to the top of the head and from the outer edge of the eyes to the ears. A long silken muzzle tapered down to dark pink nose leather. Chin, lips, and nostrils were covered in the same sandy fur.

  Fear gripped Lucy by the throat.

  "Down." Lucy's command came out in a hoarse whisper.

  The Beast cocked its head and took a step toward Lucy. She stepped back and raised her Beretta. The creature's eyes glowed a startling emerald green. The color of her mother's eyes.

  "Mama." Lucy choked on the word. She felt like her head was about to split open.

  Without warning, the creature sharply turned away from Lucy and bore down on Hanna at a dead run.

  "Do it!" Hanna's voice had a cold, hard edge.

  Lucy's finger squeezed the trigger. A single shot rang out. The creature dropped. It was over.

  Hanna and Lucy both ran toward the crumpled form. Lucy dropped to the ground and turned the creature over. The transformation reversed blindingly fast. Where a Beast had been, Ellie's delicate body lay in Lucy's arms. Her emerald eyes open and glassy, Ellie was gone.

  Unbearable pain gripped Lucy's mind and didn't let go. She screamed and screamed until her throat could produce no more sound. Then silent sobs rocked her as she clutched her mother close. Mama's warm blood oozed onto Lucy's bare skin. Time had no meaning.

  When rough hands yanked her to her feet, she didn't know if it had been a second or a day since that single, horrible gunshot. She recognized the sheriff, heard the words, felt the hard plastic of the backseat of the police cruiser, but nothing was real. As if floating in a sea of darkness, she noticed nothing, cared about nothing, said nothing. All she wanted was to be one with the nothing. Nothing. Nothing.

  Chapter 17

  Are you or someone close to you a victim of a Were attack?

  Are you grieving for a loved one?

  Are you in need of support?

  You are not alone.

  WAAGS

  Were Attacks Anonymous for Grievers & Survivors

  provides a safe, anonymous environment for emotional,

  educational and social support

  for individuals learning to cope with a Were attack.

  Meetings are the first Monday of every month.

  7-8:30 P.M.

  St. Francis of Assisi Catholic Church

  Fellowship Hall

  Visit our website for more information,

  including directio
ns to our meeting place:

  www.WAAGS.org

  El Gallo waited for them under the Vincent Thomas Bridge.

  "Perro Chino is not getting into my ride until he towels off," Xochitl said, shaking out her own rain-soaked hair.

  Both wet and freezing, Lucy already fantasized about snuggling into the flame mobile's warm lambskin bench covers. She'd turn on some nice, soothing music, drive to a nice, close motel, get some nice food, some nice sleep and decide what to do with Kai in the morning.

  A grey pickup truck sped toward them, flashing its brights. The excruciating screech of electric guitars and a pounding, insistent bass blasted through the night. Alarms went off in Lucy's head.

  "Run!" she yelled out, but Xochitl and Kai were already in motion. They raced toward El Gallo and his trunk full of guns.

  Squealing tires and burning rubber, the grey truck skidded to a halt under the bridge, cutting them off and blocking El Gallo.

  The truck was an older model, primer colored with Vigi Boys spray-painted on the side.

  "You had to ask who the Vigi Boys are," Lucy said, tense and alert.

  The loud death metal continued to roar from enormous speakers pointing out of the pickup's sliding rear window. The singer's deep, gravelly voice was mostly incomprehensible, but Lucy thought she heard words like "judgment," "blood," "salvation" and "tears."

  When the truck stopped, the brights stayed on and the stereo continued to bray. The driver planned on keeping the engine running it seemed.

  "What d'ya want?" Lucy shouted using her best authoritative cop voice.

  Two men jumped from the bed of the truck. They were medium height, of compact build and carried bats. Both men wore black ski masks, dark pants and muscle shirts that exposed multiple tattoos on their overdeveloped arms and shoulders. Lucy noticed one wore cowboy boots, the other high-lace black and white boxing shoes.

  "Werewolf whore!" the man in the cowboy boots bellowed over the shattering death metal. His voice sounded strained and without resonance, as if damaged from prolonged screaming.

  "We take Werewolf whore and friend and pet!" the man in the boxing shoes added in a vaguely Middle Eastern accent. He spat on the ground and smashed his fist into his open hand, obviously attempting to come across as scary and tough.