Life After Humanity

by Gillian St. Kevern

  “Didn’t expect you to be quite that fast.” George’s statement made Ben jump. She squeezed herself out from under one of the cages. “Figured I’d make it hard for them to get to me.”

  “Smart. I only saw one guy.” Ben turned his attention to outside. “He’s still waiting at the gate—shit.” An SUV with tinted windows had just pulled in. “We’re out of time.”

  “Hide.” George immediately wriggled herself back under the crates.

  You can’t hide from wolves! Their noses—

  Ben decided he had no choice. He ducked outside, and spotting a handy dumpster, swung himself up onto the roof. Lying flat against its surface, he barely dared to breathe. Would this be enough?

  “That’s right. A girl, on her own. She had a hunter’s license. Looked legit.” The tattooed man was leading Wisner and a contingent of two burly men to the shed. “Are you sure about locking her up? What if she complains?”

  “So let her complain. You’ve got a right to protect your private property.” Wisner spoke with assurance.

  “Easy for you to say. But I’m a working man. I got my reputation to think of. It was bad enough turning the kid in to you, but this—she’s no wolf.” The voices were rapidly approaching. Any moment now they’d be at the shed.

  One of Wisner’s men growled. “You think what the boss wants you to think.”

  “Don’t get me wrong, I’m not about to question your judgment, Boss. But I got to say. I don’t like it.” There was a pause.

  “What’s wrong?”

  “I locked the door. It’s not locked now.” The man pushed the door open. “Gone. Motherfuckin’ hunter had an accomplice!”

  There was the unwelcome sound of all four werewolves inhaling deeply. Ben winced. In their human forms, the werewolves’ sense of smell would not be as acute as it was in their wolf form, but it was still far too accurate for his peace of mind. In the kennel, George’s scent would at least be overpowered by that of the surrounding dogs—who had scented the wolves and were going out of their minds, to judge by the frenzied barking going on below.

  “Shut that door.” Wisner growled. There was silence until the door slammed shut, and then a pause, which Ben could only read as ominous. “You got that scent?”

  “Smells like vampire. But in daylight?”

  “Left here through the fence.” A second voice sounded from a short distance.

  “Vampire now?” The kennel owner sounded aggrieved. “You’ve got to be kidding.”

  “It’s of no matter,” Wisner said. “I’ve got a very good idea of who is responsible for this.”

  “Well, you can tell them I’ve had enough of this. I was happy enough to do you a favor and let you know if anyone came sniffing around after your missing pup, but this is where I draw the line. It’s hard enough running an honest business without getting involved in anything shady. If the motherfucker had let the dogs out—shit, I’d be done for.”

  “If you’re that unhappy, I can remove your pack from our ranks.”

  There was a pause. “I didn’t say that,” the kennel owner said.

  “No? Because it sounded like you’d forgotten the reason why our packs have aligned.” Wisner’s voice was a collar pulled tight enough to choke. “To bring order to New Camden, and to restore the werewolf to its rightful place as the city’s protector and master.”

  There was a sound that sounded very like a whimper.

  “Obey the pack’s directives, and you’ll be fine. But stick your neck out—and you’ll find what it feels like to have the might of the city turned against you and yours.”

  “You’re right. I spoke out of line—I wasn’t thinking.” His voice was so muted that it was almost impossible to recognize it as belonging to the same man who had greeted Wisner on his arrival.

  “A smart decision. Change is coming to New Camden—and you do not want to be on the wrong side of it.” Wisner paused. “That is—if you’re willing to prove you belong.”

  “Anything, Boss! You name it!” The guy sounded desperate. Ben couldn’t blame him. When Wisner dropped his voice to that commanding growl, Ben had chills the entire length of his back.

  Upstart wolf!

  Of all the times for the vampire to make an appearance. Ben deliberately forced the thought down. Instead, he thought of Nate. The scent of the decaying leaves littering the apartment came to him at once, along with his terror that Nate might not wake up.

  “I have a job for your pack.” Wisner started to speak. At the same time, the wolf that had prowled over to the fence traced his way back to the kennel, opening the door. This set off a fresh range of barking from the trapped dogs. He quickly shut it—but whatever Wisner had said to the man was lost.

  “You got it. The Juggawolves will take care of it.”

  “Good. Then I leave it to you.”

  There was the sound of one set of footsteps hurrying away. A few moments later, the junkyard owner came into Ben’s view, heading toward the main garage. Presumably to call the rest of his pack. Just what we need—more werewolves.

  “Is that really okay, boss? Grant getting captured by those lowlifes will make the rest of us look really weak—”

  “They will fail,” Wisner said. “They are clumsy and headstrong. Not only will they not find Grant, but they may well bring the law down upon themselves. Fortunately, we are here to provide the strong pack leadership that New Camden so obviously needs.”

  There was a chuckle from one of his companions. “You’ve thought of everything.”

  “I have. So don’t question me again.” Wisner strode off, the two men at his heels.

  Ben waited until he’d heard their truck drive away before cautiously raising his head. Not good.

  GEORGE PEERED OUT the window of Ben’s apartment, keeping an eye on the street below. “You were right about your hunch. Wisner doesn’t want this kid found—unless it’s by him.”

  Ben looked over to her. He had his phone to one ear, listening to the Department Seven answering machine music on seemingly endless loop. “I could have done without being proved right so ominously.” He wasn’t prepared for a werewolf pack. Balancing his phone on one shoulder, Ben carried his candles, salt, and herbs into the living room. “Hello?” The music had stopped—only to be followed by the beep of a line disconnected. Ben swore. “They cut me off!”

  “What can Department Seven even do? Wisner’s a councilor.”

  “They need to know about this.” Ben started to make a pile of everything he would need to strengthen the runes around the apartment. He ran a mental checklist to make sure he had everything.

  “Hey, it’s your boyfriend.”

  “Nate’s not—” Ben started automatically. The words stuck in his throat. Nate wasn’t—and never would be. He’d lost even their nebulous connection to each other.

  George turned her head to stare at him. “Not?” Her eyes narrowed. “Did something happen?”

  “I don’t want to talk about it,” Ben said. “But we’re not together. By mutual agreement.”

  “Mutual? You’re kidding.”

  Ben shook his head, coming over to join George at the window, looking down at Nate in the street below. Three days without Ben’s presence had restored his health. He looked like any young man his age walking down the street. Aki was gesticulating wildly with his hands as they walked, a man Ben didn’t recognize walking between them, a hoodie obscuring his face. Nate listened to Aki, but his reactions were limited to the occasional nod. He might look like normal—but I bet things are far from normal inside. Aki abruptly waved goodbye to the other two, ducking inside the small corner shop.

  Ben realized George was watching him. He stepped back from the window. “We’re not good for each other. We mutually exacerbate each other’s weak points.”

  “Come again?”

  “Basically, I put him into a really dangerous situation and he got hurt. You can imagine how he feels about that. I refuse to endanger him again.” Ben picked up his chalk.<
br />
  “Nate’s pretty good at endangering himself without your help.” George grabbed her courier bag, pulling out her crossbow. “Shit.”

  Ben had a moment of foreboding as he hurried back to the window. A van emblazoned with loud, clown-themed graffiti had pulled up, and the man they’d encountered at the junkyard had jumped out, along with four other men. They were headed straight for Nate. “No! The wolves—they were supposed to be coming after us.”

  “Evidently they didn’t get that memo.” George loaded her crossbow and Ben helped her heft the window upright.

  The Juggawolves were proving Wisner’s opinion of them accurate. After a cursory demand for surrender, they waded in, fists swinging. Nate met them, easily throwing the first, only for two more to jump him. The remaining two men circled the man in the hoodie, who mirrored their prowl perfectly.

  Ben stared. No ordinary human moves like that…

  George swore as the two men made a dive for their prey. “Can’t get a straight line of fire!”

  “Hold off the crossbow unless they transform,” Ben said.

  “But—”

  “Nate’s got this.”

  Nate stood, shaking one of the two men in the process. Ignoring the remaining man clinging to his neck, he blocked a punch thrown at him and waded into the fight. He bodily tackled the man from the junkyard, and as his companion turned to see what had happened, the hooded man kicked his legs out from under him. Nate dislodged the man trying frantically to strangle him, and all five Juggawolves were laid out on the pavement.

  “No shit!” George whistled. “When did he learn to do that?”

  Ben smiled faintly, keeping his eyes on the street below. Instinct told him that this wasn’t over yet.

  Nate made a comment to the hooded man, gesturing toward the apartment door. The man shook his head, looking toward the shop that Aki had entered. As they hesitated, one of the five men rolled onto his stomach. He was large in every sense of the word, dressed in ragged jeans and the same black T-shirt as the rest of his pack. He snarled as he pushed himself onto his knees. He raised his voice in an ear-splitting howl.

  “They’re insane.” Ben stared down at the street. “Transforming here?”

  The hooded man darted forward, grabbing the man by his collar and shaking him, but the call had been made. The men staggered onto all fours, gathering their strength to transform. The air was thick with their howls.

  “Are they mad? Transforming in broad daylight—the entire city will come down on them!”

  “Exactly what Wisner wants. He’s probably waiting for the callout so he can swoop in and ‘fix’ everything.” Ben ground his teeth. There was nothing anyone could do to halt a werewolf transformation—

  But Nate’s not anyone. Ben sucked in a deep breath. He ran to his bedroom, scrambling out the window, onto the fire escape. He scanned the plants, grabbing the one that looked the most vine like. This has got to work! Ben dashed back, not letting himself think about what would happen if it didn’t.

  Nate and the hooded man had backed up onto the steps of the apartment as the smirking pack leader got to his feet. Around him, the men’s bodies contorted, starting to expand in ways that no human body was meant to.

  “Shit, shit, shit.” George had her crossbow raised. “What do we do?”

  “Trust Nate.” Ben leaned out the window, the morning glory in his hands. “Look out below!” he yelled, letting go of the pot.

  The pack leader jumped as the plant hit the pavement. He looked up with a faint sneer. “You missed!”

  Nate looked up at Ben. His eyes widened, and he looked back to the morning glory sitting on the pavement.

  Ben leaned against the window sill, his fingers gripping the ledge. He held his breath, watching as the men continued to transform. Had he been in time?

  “You motherfuckers think you’re tough,” the pack leader said, folding his arms as he watched the first of the werewolves scramble to his feet. “Just wait till you meet the real Juggawolves. No holding back now.”

  The man with the hoodie snarled as he approached him. “Are you out of your mind? This is a public street—anyone could get hurt!” There was an authority to his voice, despite his nondescript appearance. Ben had a sudden idea of who the man in the hoodie was.

  “You should have thought of that before you challenged the motherfucking Juggawolves.” The pack leader extended a hand, ordering his wolves to attack.

  They leapt—and were instantly tangled by the mass of morning glory that exploded out of nowhere. The first wolf yelped as he fell, the vine swarming over him. Adding insult to injury, dark-blue flowers unfolded as the plant covered him completely.

  The wolves whined, drawing back. They snapped their teeth as they sized up the threat. It didn’t take long for them to work out the cause. The three wolves growled as they prowled around Nate, sizing up their attack.

  “I’ve never seen anything like that.” George’s words startled Ben. He’d entirely forgotten she was there. “Your boy’s just full of surprises.”

  Ben swallowed. “Let’s get down there before the situation can get even more out of control.” Fortunately, they already had the armory open. He scanned the supplies, grabbing a set of leather muzzles. “Come on.”

  “Is that a werewolf muzzle?” George grabbed the rope from the box and followed suit. “Your old man was really something.”

  “Dad was a hoarder. Never threw out anything that might come in useful one day.” No time for the elevator. Ben ran down the stairs. Please let us be in time.

  He dashed past a frightened resident, sheltering in the stairwell, and ran across the lobby, making his way through the door.

  He couldn’t see Nate at all. He was entirely obscured by the furry bodies of the three wolves who had clambered on top of him, the morning glory vines latching onto them. As Ben watched, one of the wolves was thrown free.

  Ben dashed toward the wolf. Before it could pull itself to its feet, he’d scrambled onto its back, looping the muzzle across its jaw.

  Snarling viciously, the wolf shook his body. Ben looped his arms around the wolf’s body, hanging on for dear life as the wolf fought to throw him. He growled, summoning the vampire. “Surrender. You cannot win.”

  He felt the wolf’s body tense underneath him and then start to tremble. Fear? Ben let threat color his voice as he growled low.

  The wolf slowly, carefully, lay its body down. As Ben stood, he rolled over, exposing his throat.

  Ben smiled. “Smart dog.” He looked around.

  George was reloading her crossbow. The fired bolt pinned the pack leader to the wall by his jacket. One of the remaining wolves was rapidly disappearing beneath the morning glory vines, and the other—

  Ben stared.

  The man in the hoodie stared the remaining wolf down. He was unarmed and had made no move to fight. But from the way the wolf’s hackles were raised, his tawny eyes were a weapon all of their own. As Ben watched, the wolf faltered, lowering his gaze.

  But Grant wasn’t done with him. “Into the van,” he ordered. “All of you.” There was a crisp note of authority in his voice, and Ben wasn’t surprised that the muzzled wolf instantly rolled to his feet. He followed the other wolf into the van. Nate followed, with one vine-wrapped wolf under each arm. He slammed the van door shut after the last.

  Only the pack leader was left. He managed to tug the crossbow bolt loose, freeing himself from the wall, and snarled, showing his teeth. “You’ve made a serious mistake. You’re gonna regret picking a fight with us—”

  “Have you any idea what you’ve done? Ordered a wolf attack in a public space.” Grant bristled with fury. If he’d been in wolf form, every hackle would have been raised. “You’re setting every wolf in this country back decades!”

  The man snarled. “Just following orders. Wisner’s got a plan for this city—a plan that’s going to put an end to sorry punks like you causing trouble for the rest of us. You act real high and mighty, but you’re
the one whose tail should be between his legs. Wisner’s going to make an example out of you—”

  “And you.” Ben strode over to join the conversation. “You’ve been played.”

  “Who do you think you are?” The man’s nostrils flared. “You—you’re the creep who smells like a vampire! I do not take kindly to anyone trespassing on my pack’s property—”

  “Well, listen up because we have something you’re going to like even less.” George kept her crossbow leveled at him. “After your wolf locked me in the kennel—which is an offense and I’m in half a mind to press charges, by the way—we stuck around. And man, did we get an earful.”

  “Your man was too quick to assume that we’d left,” Ben confirmed. “We heard Wisner talking to his subordinates. He sent you after me and George to intimidate us, hoping that you’d create a public disturbance—which he would take the credit for suppressing.”

  The man blanched. “You’re lying. Don’t piss me off! Wisner’s solid. He wouldn’t—”

  “He’s done it to me,” Grant said. “His own pack. What makes you think he wouldn’t do it to yours?”

  “Wisner wants a scapegoat. Someone he can use to make himself look good—to justify the power he’s about to grab,” Ben continued. “If he can’t get it from recapturing Grant, you’re a good second best.”

  The pack leader hesitated. “I don’t believe you,” he said, but he didn’t sound convincing.

  “Whether you believe us or not, you’re in big trouble. Listen.”

  A siren split the air.

  “Department Seven!” The pack leader turned back to them with a snarl, taking a threatening step toward him. “The Juggawolves aren’t going down for this.”

  “Don’t be stupid,” George said matter-of-factly. “You were seen transforming in a public location. Best thing you can do is turn yourselves in.”

  The man sneered. “We don’t show throat to no government stooge!”