“Is that what full rebel is? Had I only known. I’ve been a full rebel for years.”
“You have a real creepy side to you, you know that?”
“Well, Colin, we all have secrets, don’t we?”
“Do we?”
There was an uncomfortable pause. Colin could hear Becca breathing. He toyed with the idea of telling her about Sam Bale’s body not being in the casket, but since their encounter in the woods, he just didn’t feel comfortable revealing something that big. Not yet at least.
“I’m probably just going to turn in early,” admitted Becca. “You should probably do the same. Running around half-naked in the woods can’t be good for your health.”
“I wouldn’t say that. It’s quite invigorating. You should try it.”
“Oh, no thank you, Mr. Strauss. I’ll leave that to the professionals.”
“I’m hardly a professional. Semi-professional at best.”
Becca laughed. He heard the front door open and close downstairs as his grandmother left for the town hall meeting.
“Have a good night, Becca. Sweet dreams.”
“Hey, Colin?”
“Yes?”
“As much fun as the crime scene thing was, do you think, I mean —”
Colin heard her heart speed up.
She’s nervous.
“—what I’m trying to say,” said Becca, “would you be interested in just hanging out one night? Normally?”
Colin didn’t miss a beat. “I’d love that! Yes, absolutely!”
“Okay, great.”
There was relief in her voice. She had been nervous!
A girl asked me out, and she was nervous about it!
If Colin had kept a diary, this definitely would have gone in there. He was almost tempted to add it to his werewolf notebook.
“Good night, Colin,” said Becca. “I’ll try not to show up in your room tonight.”
“Only in my dreams.”
Oh God, that was cheesy. Why did I say that? Why? Why? Why? Why? Why?—
Becca laughed. “You’re cute. G’night, Colin.”
Phew.
Chapter Fourteen
Town Hall Chaos
Fog had already settled across the town when Colin, dressed in dark clothing, exited the house and made his way downtown. Hoping not to get caught, he had given his grandmother ample time to make it to the town hall. Colin felt he was practically becoming an expert at sneaking around at night. He could easily add it to his list of special skills.
Sure, right next to my other special skill. I can turn into a large wolf creature with superhuman strength and speed and can smell a fart from literally a block away.
Built by the founding fathers of Elkwood, the town hall was a stately old building situated on the outskirts of downtown Colin had only seen the interior once when his grandmother had dragged him to the annual craft fair. He remembered it to be a large hall with hardwood floors and an interior balcony that stretched around the perimeter. There were only two entrances to the building. The double doors in the front were the main entrance, but there was no way Colin would get in that way without being noticed. There was also a back door that led to a small kitchen, but Colin was thinking of something a little more creative.
To be honest, Colin was dying to try out some rooftop escapades. If he could jump great distances, then why not travel across the roofs of the downtown buildings and climb in through one of the second-story balcony windows?
Downtown was deserted, much like the night he’d stolen his grandfather’s car. The only sound of activity came directly from the town hall two streets over.
Colin gave a final glance around and easily jumped from the ground to the roof of the convenience store. He landed lightly on the edge, gauging the distance from his current position to the roof of the old movie theater. He ran a few steps, panicked, and skidded to a stop, almost falling off the building.
Come on. It’s just a few, ten … thirty feet.
Just this morning, he’d leaped from tree to tree as a giant wolf. A short jump across the street should be nothing.
Colin shook off his nerves and returned to the far edge of the rooftop. He took a deep breath and started running, very conscious of his muscles, muscles he hadn’t had a few days ago. He leaped, momentum and sheer force of will propelling him across the wide gap, and landed on the opposing roof with ease.
This. Is. Amazing!
Many recognizable and new smells floated to Colin as he crept slowly to the roof’s edge and peaked over. The fog was less dense around the building, and Colin could easily see the town hall standing quietly, windows brightly lit. Unusual, however, were the two armed guards wearing dark suits and earpieces standing outside the open front doors.
Who are these guys?
Colin could clearly hear the buzz of voices inside. A shadow loomed across the front porch of the town hall and the imposing figure of Mr. Emerson exited the building and spoke to the guard on the left. Colin listened intently, easily picking up their conversation even at this distance.
“Is everything secure, Agent Drake?” asked Mr. Emerson.
“Affirmative, sir,” replied Drake. “Alpha team will arrive soon and sweep the grid. Nothing will get in or out tonight.”
“See that it doesn’t. We have two confirmed predators loose in the town, and the stooges have determined a possible third.”
Stooges?
“Three of them, sir?”
“Maybe they’re breeding?” suggested the other guard.
Mr. Emerson shook his head and returned to the building, closing the doors behind him. Colin heard the distinct click of the door locking.
“Maybe they’re breeding?” said Drake sarcastically. “Seriously?”
“What?” said the other guard with a shrug. “We started out with one last week, then a second, and now a possible third. What’s your explanation?”
“We know practically nothing about these things. You’d think after everything we’ve seen we’d have come across one somewhere. Who knows how they multiply.”
“They’re breeding.”
“You’re an idiot.”
Colin could hear a truck approaching.
Must be the Alpha team. Time to move.
Skin tingling, Colin wanted so badly to change, to feel the comfort of growing into the wolf creature, to feel his senses soar. It was like a drug. A strange, powerful, hairy drug. With teeth.
Keeping low, he crept to the back of the building and dropped down into the back alley. He followed the length of the block and doubled back, quickly crossing the main street, hoping the fog provided enough cover to hide him. Colin flattened himself against the wall of the hardware store before leaping to the roof with little effort.
A black SUV sped out of the fog, screeching to a stop just a few feet from where Colin had been crouching moments before. Seven agents spilled out, five were wearing tactical clothing and carrying large guns.
If this is the kind of security required for a town-hall meeting, I wonder what’s necessary for the monthly sewing club meeting and soup swap?
Keeping the town hall in view, he easily cleared the gap between the hardware store and the bakery. The lingering smell of bread filled his nostrils, and he suddenly craved food. He pushed the feeling aside, much to the disappointment of his stomach, and tried to decide whether he’d really thought this through.
His plan had consisted of getting to the bakery roof and then jumping to one of the town hall second-floor windows. How to get through the window was a small yet essential part of his plan he’d failed to take into consideration. All the windows appeared to be closed, so crashing through them would no doubt raise too much attention. Not to mention, he didn’t really know the limitations of his powers. If he ended up with a shard of glass in his head, would it kill him?
Colin started to panic. Maybe he couldn’t do this.
Looking closer, he noticed the town hall roof was arched.
Maybe t
here’s a skylight?
Thinking fast, Colin decided he could easily make the jump to the roof and then climb up and over to see if there was a skylight he could either pry open or at least use to take a look inside.
Judging the distance, he took a running jump and landed about half way up the arched roof on black tiles that turned out to be wet and slippery. Unable to get a handhold, he quickly slid straight off the roof, plummeting toward the ground with all the grace of a brick. Colin’s heart raced; his skin burned.
I’m falling! Will this kill me? Is this how I die?
A calm realization that he would be fine came over him, like the wolf inside was trying to reassure him. Colin twisted in the air and landed in a squat on the ground. His muscles were tense, but other than that, he seemed okay.
“Hey, you!”
A flashlight shone directly at Colin as a man in a dark suit came around the back corner of the building, probably alerted by the clattering on the roof. This must be the agent at the back door.
Which means there’s no one guarding the back door.
As Colin turned and ran, he could hear the agent speaking into his radio.
“It’s just a kid. I’m in pursuit.”
Colin ducked around the front of the bakery, checked the street to make sure no one was within sight, and then jumped back up to the roof. He peeked back over to see the agent chasing no one through the fog.
Colin ran to the rear of the building, jumped down to the ground, and made for the back door of the town hall. As expected, it was unguarded.
Colin quickly found the stairs to the interior balcony. He stopped periodically to listen for the sounds of radio communication, but other than a couple of agents checking in and the general hum of people in the main hall, he didn’t hear anything out of the ordinary.
He reached the balcony, which, fortunately, was mostly dark and provided a lot of shadow cover for him to lurk around. Finding a dark corner, Colin crouched low, able to see the main stage and the first couple of rows of the audience but not the entire hall.
But that didn’t matter. Colin could hear and smell everything, and that’s all he needed.
Colin closed his eyes and let his senses roam free. He found if he concentrated hard enough, he could build a mental picture of the room based on the voices and smells. Some people he recognized easily; others he was less sure about. Principal Hebert was there, standing somewhere in the center of the room, speaking in his low baritone voice with Dr. Flint.
His grandmother shuffled down the middle of the room. Her smell was unmistakable. He recognized other members of the community: the goth twins’ mom, Mrs. Cross, seemed to move quickly from one place to another; Mrs. Davenport, the substitute teacher, was there; she smelled nervous; Mr. Byron from the gas station was speaking in a low, hushed tone about the weather and missing the sun. Even Mr. Dugan, Gareth’s dad, was present. He had the same garbage smell as his son. Colin could only imagine what their house was like.
Mr. Winter was definitely somewhere in the room, but it was impossible to pinpoint his location; the smell of his aftershave made it seem like he was everywhere at once. Why had the man suddenly taken such a keen interest in drowning himself in aftershave? Colin could only assume he was trying to get a date. Or maybe some woman had lost her grip on reason and logic and had already agreed to date him. It seemed unlikely.
Mr. Emerson stepped onto the stage, and Colin snapped his eyes open to watch him.
Mr. Emerson walked over to the podium and tapped the microphone to make sure it was on. A woman Colin didn’t recognize, dressed in a dark suit, sat at a nearby table with a laptop and seemed to be transcribing the meeting.
“Your attention, everyone,” said Mr. Emerson, “We had a small incident outside with an unidentified teenager, but he appears to have vacated the area. Other than that, the downtown area is now secure, and I’d like to get the meeting started if you can please take your seats.”
The gentle hum of talking dissipated, replaced with the creaking of chairs as people sat down.
What surprised Colin most were the people who took the seats on stage.
Principal Hebert took the second chair, presumably leaving the first for Mr. Emerson, which wasn’t entirely out to left field as Hebert was a prominent member of the community. The second was more of a surprise as Colin’s grandmother shuffled onto the stage and took the seat next to the hulking principal. Next to him, the tiny woman looked like something Principal Hebert could eat and still leave room for a main course, dessert, and coffee.
Why is she on stage?
The thought was fleeting as the last person hopped up on the stage and sat down next to Colin’s grandmother.
Becca?
She looked beautiful, as usual, dressed in dark clothing with her fiery red hair tied back. What was she doing here? Didn’t she tell him she was turning in early?
It wasn’t like Colin was exactly telling the whole truth either. But why was she on stage?
“I’d like to call to order the meeting of the township of Elkwood,” said Mr. Emerson into the microphone. “Please let the record state that a security sweep has been made, our cover is intact, and we’re ready to proceed. I’d like to welcome Captain Hebert, Beatrice Strauss, and Rebecca to the stage to assist with the meeting this evening.”
Captain Hebert?
“As you’re all aware,” continued Mr. Emerson, “the last meeting was cut short after a new predatory creature was detected in the area. We believe this same creature is responsible for the death of one of our local teenagers, Sam Bale. Sam was a normal member of our community, and I know you’re all anxious to know the details of the events and how the hunt is proceeding.”
So there it was. Silas was the reason the last town meeting ended early, and they blame him for Sam’s death. But it wasn’t him!
Mr. Emerson continued. “First we need to take care of the usual business. Mrs. Strauss, if you’ll please give us an update.”
Mr. Emerson bent the microphone down to reach Colin’s grandmother as she shuffled her way forward. The woman could barely see over the podium.
“The weather spells remain intact, and the coverage protecting Elkwood remains at full strength,” reported Colin’s grandmother. “I’ve been keeping an eye on the town but haven’t been able to locate the creature that Commander Emerson will be speaking about. As some of the more educated among you know, in order to maintain full protection and invisibility, I can only see one small section of the town at a time, making searching slow and difficult.”
Colin was officially freaking out. Commander Emerson? Weather spells? His grandmother searching the town?
His grandmother shuffled back to her seat and sat down.
“Thank you, Mrs. Strauss,” said Mr. Emerson. “We were originally scheduled to discuss Mrs. Strauss mentoring one of our younger community members to begin sharing her responsibility and eventually take over. Due to recent events, that item will be moved to next month’s meeting.”
Mr. Emerson shuffled some papers in front of him. “Now let’s get to the subject at hand so we can dispense with the rumors. We have a werewolf in Elkwood.”
Murmurs arose from the crowd. Some people were scared, others smelled of concern, and somewhere in the room, Colin noted, there were a few faint whiffs of excitement.
“Our last meeting ended when I received a call that a werewolf had been detected within the town limits. We tracked it but couldn’t contain it. We believe it was hit by a car on the old logging road, but it survived and the car was destroyed. We’ve been unable to locate the driver. As some of the older among us are aware, werewolves are rare, even to a town such as ours. We know relatively little about them, as there have been few recorded interactions. Werewolves are strong, almost unkillable as they can heal quickly, and they’re fast. Faster than most things we’ve cataloged.”
“What are your plans for capturing and killing the creature?” asked Mrs. Cross. Colin had never heard her speak
before, but she had a very thick European accent.
“Please hold your questions to the end,” said Mr. Emerson. “We know these creatures can multiply by spreading the werewolf virus through a bite. We fear this may have already happened in Elkwood.”
More murmuring.
“We can only detect the creatures when they’re in their true form and even then the results aren’t always accurate. Currently, we have at least two werewolves in Elkwood. They could be anywhere. Today we detected the possibility of a third which leads us to believe they’re multiplying.”
“And what about the boy? What about Sam Bale?” interrupted Mrs. Cross again.
“Mrs. Cross,” admonished Mr. Emerson, anger creeping into his voice. “I understand the threat that a werewolf poses to your kind.”
Her kind?
“But I ask that you hold your questions to the end! The death of Sam Bale was regrettable, but I assure you we’ve been doing everything we can to capture the creatures.”
“Not doing a great job, are you?” grumbled Mr. Dugan.
“They can transform from human form to werewolf at will. There could be one in this very room, and there’s absolutely no way for us to know. We had a team stakeout the crime scene in the hope it would return to the area like predators sometimes do in order to catch it. Unfortunately the scene was contaminated.”
Colin noticed that Becca looked uncomfortable. Understandable since she was one of the people doing the contaminating.
“That’s right,” broke in Mr. Dugan, “and one of your trigger-happy soldiers shot my son!”
“Gareth Dugan was found at the crime scene and tried to attack one of our containment crew. He was believed to be a potential hostile and was shot as per our mandate, of which you’re all aware.” Mr. Emerson gestured toward Becca. “Rebecca healed Gareth’s wound. It won’t even scar. We consulted with other departments around the world this afternoon to gather as much intel on werewolves as possible. Despite their ability to turn other humans into werewolves, their population is quite low. It seems they regulate themselves though we’re not sure how.”
Hair in All The Wrong Places Page 11
