Before the Moon Rises (Ritter Werewolves)

by Bybee, Catherine

Richard nodded.

  “You’ll follow me to this address. The rest of you, pan out to his other known locations. Keep your cells on. If I leave this address with another person let the others know where I am,” he told his brother.

  “He could kill you then and there,” Lisa, his twenty-four year old cousin said from the side.

  Max shook his head. “No. He wants me to watch.” At least that’s what Max kept telling himself. Gorman wanted to torment, otherwise he would have already done away with Janet. Keeping her alive would draw Max to him.

  Max’s father pounded him on his back. “We’ll get her, son.”

  “We need to get moving.” Lisa started for the door. “Sundown is in less than two hours.”

  Max held back while the others filed out of his home. His father stood by his side.

  “She’s the one, dad. I can’t let him have her.”

  A smile skirted across his father’s face. “I thought as much. It isn’t like you to call the whole clan.”

  “Gorman can’t turn her.”

  “We won’t let that happen.”

  Max shoved his fists in his pockets. “If he tries, and I’m unable to stop him. Get to her first.” The unspoken request for his father to be the one to change Janet before Gorman had a chance to, left an empty hole in the pit of Max’s stomach.

  “I will.”

  Chapter Seven

  The address Max obtained directed him to a neighborhood filled with rundown houses and graffiti clad streets. Heavy iron bars burdened every window and door, indicating that this was not the place to linger unless you belonged. Even then the chances of surviving past nightfall was slim.

  Max walked the perimeter of the house before approaching the door. She wasn’t there, had never been according to his nose.

  Just as assured of her absence, he was certain he was being watched. Over his shoulder, he noted the van his brother drove parked several houses down.

  Inside the boarded up, abandoned home would be a clue as to where to find her.

  It wasn’t locked. In fact, the door almost crumbled when he opened it wide. With a gun in front of him, he bent his ear to listen for signs of life.

  All he heard was the hum and static of an old television. The dial and tube type, which took several minutes to warm up once turned on.

  The black and white picture filtered snow on the screen. He stepped closer for a better look.

  His throat clenched. There she was, chained like an animal, and dangling on a wall.

  Janet struggled to free herself. Her frantic movements showed him her desperation.

  “I’ll kill you for this you son of a bitch!” he yelled, spinning around as he did.

  Laughter crackled through the speakers of the old set. Max focused on the TV. Janet had stopped her movements. Her feet braced wide as if ready for a fight.

  “You’ve been quite a nuisance, Ritter.” Gorman’s voice said in defiance.

  “It’s me you want. Leave her alone.” Max said to the set, not certain he could be heard.

  “Max? Is that you?” Janet frantically searched the room. “Please, Max. Help me.”

  Kneeling next to the set, Max placed a hand on it wishing he could calm her fears. His were mounting by the second.

  “Please, Max...help me.” Gorman’s mocking voice squeaked.

  Janet’s attention focused on the right of the camera. Max heard a door open and the sound of footsteps descending wooden stairs. She attempted to back away, but the chains restricted her movement.

  “You!” she said to Gorman when he approached.

  Max moved away from the set and leveled his gun, desperate to put a hole in the man who appeared on screen.

  “You picked the wrong patient, Miss O’Brien. You really should be more careful about the strays you take home.” Gorman reached out and cupped her chin, she jerked away, but he captured her head again, this time Max saw his fingers biting into her skin. “I see why you wanted her.”

  “Leave her!”

  Gorman moved in closer. Janet’s eyes, wide with fear, watched his every move. “I’m going to enjoy her, Ritter. And you will watch while I make her mine.”

  Max needed to get to her. His mind raced to stall Gorman so he had a fighting chance. “I’m surprised, Gorman. It’s rather chicken shit of you, doing this through a camera. I see why it is you haven’t elevated in your ranks.”

  Gorman’s arm tensed, his eyes swayed to the camera focused on him.

  Max kept talking. “Then again, it’s like you to keep your enemies far away. We wouldn’t want your men to see how inept you are in a fight...would we?”

  Gorman dropped Janet’s chin and walked toward the camera. “You want to be close enough to smell her fear?” One cheek lifted in a leering smile. “That can be arranged. First, you need to call off your dogs. Starting with your brother parked across the street.”

  Max did his best to keep his surprise at bay. “And?”

  “Once I know you’re not being followed I will call you.”

  “How do I know you won’t harm her?”

  Gorman turned to his prey, his back to the camera. Max watched as the bastard walked straight up to Janet and raked his hand across her breast. “Oh, I’ll harm her, Ritter. If you’re lucky, I’ll wait until you can stand as witness. When I’m done, she’ll be my bitch. Not yours.”

  “Hurry!” Janet pleaded.

  “Tick, tock. The sun is setting. Run along now and do as I said.”

  ****

  “Don’t follow me,” Max demanded, doing his best to hide the gnawing fear in his gut.

  “It’s a set up and you know it,” Richard argued.

  “Gorman wants to get to me. If I can hold him off until I get there I have a chance of saving her.”

  Richard glared at his brother. “Call me when he gives you an address.”

  “Have the others track when the moon rises.” Max turned to leave.

  “I hate this!” Richard yelled after him.

  Instead of turning around and adding a comment, Max ran to his car and took off.

  Before long a dark non-descript four-door sedan followed Max’s trail. His phone rang.

  “Let’s see how well you follow directions, Ritter.” He listened while Gorman gave him a set of directions and an address.

  Grateful to have something, Max breathed a small sigh of relief before turning onto the freeway and hitting the gas.

  “One more thing,” Gorman said before hanging up.

  “What?”

  “Toss your phone out the window. Make sure my man can see you or the deal is off.”

  Shit! Max slowed down until Gorman’s goon practically kissed the bumper of the Ferrari. He rolled down the window, waved his arm on the outside of it, and then dropped the cell to the pavement.

  Once he was cut off from Gorman, Max opened up the Italian sports car and sped to his destination.

  He only had an hour.

  ****

  Racking her brain to find the hidden meaning in the words that were said, Janet clung to the chains that bound her to the wall.

  Gorman paced the room, somewhat oblivious of her presence. His demeanor reminded her of every psych patient she had ever taken care of. His eyes twitched, his hands shook, and the mumbling of meaningless phrases that escaped his lips kept Janet’s mouth shut. The last thing she needed was for him to go off.

  Even his clothing was crazy. A three-piece, pinstriped suit stood out of place in the filthy room. It reminded her of every bad mafia movie she’d ever seen. The only thing missing was a horrible accent and an Italian name.

  Max knew this man. They were enemies with a score to settle and somehow she was caught in the middle of their feud.

  He should have told her the danger she was in. Then again, maybe Max had used her to bait Gorman. She tried to change her thoughts, tried to believe Max incapable of such a horrible deed. But she couldn’t.

  Janet wanted to weep with the injustice of her position. She had
trusted Max, in less than two days found comfort in his arms with a desire to stay with him. If she didn’t know any better, she would swear she had let a small portion of her heart love him. Now her foolish behavior had her chained to a wall, her life threatened by the man pacing the room.

  Stupid! I’m so damned stupid.

  Gorman suddenly stopped and stared out the small window. Tremors spiked up her spine.

  The sun low on the horizon brought a new fear to the surface. Once darkness fell, the basement would be pitch black. Janet remembered the full moon and was thankful that at least the glow of it would illuminate some of the space.

  “He’s here,” said Gorman.

  How he knew, Janet couldn’t tell. She saw and heard nothing.

  He swung at her and bent close to her ear, his breath foul. “I think I’ll give you two a minute to talk.” Gorman disappeared up the stairs.

  The sound of skidding tires outside caught her attention. She heard her name yelled.

  Max. Her shoulders slumped in relief despite her earlier thoughts. He was her only hope.

  “In here,” she screamed. “I’m in the basement!”

  The sound of wood splintering as Max barged in the house above wracked her head. Her heart pounded and her breath was once again difficult to control. She knew Gorman watched and wouldn’t let them walk away. But perhaps Max could break her free of the chains and give her a chance to escape.

  Tears streamed down her face when Max appeared at the top of the stairs. He bounded down them in two leaps before coming to her side.

  “Get me out of here,” she pleaded. Max lifted his hand to her cheek and wiped at her tears.

  “Oh, Janet. I’m so sorry.”

  “Not now, Max. He’s watching.”

  Max pivoted around the room searching for his enemy.

  “The chains!” She rattled her arms, bringing his attention back to her.

  Max reached above her head, grabbed the links with both hands and with his feet braced against the wall pulled with all his weight. Surprisingly the bolt gave slightly.

  “Hurry.”

  Max yanked again, bringing small chunks of cement down on her head.

  “I wouldn’t do that if I were you.” Gorman stood at the top of the stairs with a gun in his hand.

  Max stopped and placed his body in front of her. Janet froze.

  “Let’s take this outside,” Max suggested.

  “And miss the expression on her face when the sun sets? I don’t think so.” Gorman slowly moved down the steps. “I don’t think Miss O’Brien has any clue as to who she’s been sleeping with.”

  “What is he talking about?” Janet asked.

  Gorman laughed and continued toward them. “This is so much better than I imagined it would be. Thank you for suggesting you join us, Ritter. I look forward to seeing the light in her eyes fade when you turn.”

  “She’s mine.” Max backed into her, his hands were at his side. Janet felt the outline of something hard press against her stomach. She remembered the gun he held at her house, and knew he was trying to guide her to his weapon. She renewed her struggle with the chains.

  “Back away.” Gorman waved his gun in the air.

  Max didn’t move.

  “I said, back away.”

  “By the time your gun can do me harm, you won’t be able to use it.”

  “Ah, but it will work on her.”

  Janet searched the eyes of an insane man, at the same time tugging against the chains.

  “You’ll have to get through me first.” Max flattened his frame against hers, her view of Gorman cut off.

  Suddenly both men glanced out the window above her head. The last rays of the sun melted.

  “It looks like you’re going to get your fight after all, Ritter.” Gorman tossed his gun to the floor.

  Max wheeled around to her. “Trust me,” he said, before dropping to the ground.

  Everything moved in slow motion. Janet stared on in deep horror as both men hit the floor of the basement. Angry sounds of bones popping and clothes tearing filled the room. Unable to look away, Janet gaped as Max’s head changed shape, and hair grew all over his face and hands. His neck shook and ears emerged. His clothes fell away from his half-human form.

  She wanted to scream but the sound never came. Snarling, Max emerged from the transformation in less than a minute. Leaping out of the rags, which only a moment ago were his clothes, he attacked Gorman who wasn’t completely turned.

  Dumbfounded, Janet watched as her lover turned from man to wolf. Rex. Her head started to swirl and her eyes wanted to close. If she hadn’t seen it, she would never have believed it.

  Max was no longer human and he pounced on Gorman, who had also shifted into an animal. The two of them were attacking each other with vicious teeth. Blood spilled over the dark, cold floor of the basement.

  Outside the howls of others filled her with dread. More were coming.

  She snapped out of her trance, and with renewed energy heaved and yanked against the wall, this time climbing it with her feet and using every ounce of strength she had to free herself.

  The bolts in the wall started to give. She screamed in rage and yanked over and over. Blood started to fill her hands as the chain dug into her wrists. With one final shrill, the bolt gave way. She fell to the floor, the chain dangling from her arms.

  Ferocious growls erupted from behind her. She glanced over her shoulder; Max in his silver coat had Gorman pinned to the ground. Gorman yelped, his gaze turned and settled on her.

  With one eye on the barking animals, Janet scurried to where Max’s clothes sat in a pile. She shuffled through them until she found the gun.

  It was cold and foreign in her unsteady hands. She pointed it toward her enemy, but Max stood over him. Afraid of missing Gorman and hitting Max, she aimed the gun at the ceiling and squeezed the trigger.

  The blast landed her on her butt. Parts of the house above her rained down. Both wolves stopped their attack. Max backed up to stand between her and Gorman, his teeth bared, his snarl threatening.

  Gorman wasted no time and lunged at them both. With a clear view, Janet leveled the gun again, this time aiming at the enemy.

  The shot ran home, catching Gorman in mid air.

  Janet rolled on the ground to avoid his dead weight.

  Shaking, Janet dropped the gun and watched as wolf turned into man. With one final breath, Gorman stared at her with hate in his eyes.

  Her hand wiped at her tears, clearing her vision. Howls returned from above. Max nudged her hand with his nose. Janet drew back from his touch.

  “Why didn’t you tell me?” she cried, pushing Max away.

  Max backed up, the barks outside grew louder. He bounded up the steps only to reappear in a few seconds.

  He barked in warning and nudged the gun back to her side. “There are more of you? Aren’t there?”

  Max yipped out another bark in answer.

  Janet jumped to her feet, the chain still keeping her hands close together. She took the gun, glanced at the dead man by her side, and started to move.

  Max hurled himself in front of her. The house was vacant of any furniture, not one light shone to guide her. Max grabbed the dangling chain and led her out of the house.

  Outside the moon illuminated the landscape, giving her the light she needed to see where to go. His Ferrari was parked with the engine still running, the driver side door opened.

  Barks and howls sang from every direction. Scared, Janet ran toward the safety of the car. As she rounded the hood, another wolf, this one black and larger than Max, stared at her and blocked the way. Without thinking, Janet aimed the gun at the animal and fired.

  She missed, but the wolf backed off. She inched closer to the door, never looking away from the red eyes that stared at her.

  Standing by the door of the car, she yelled at Max. “Get in!”

  Snarls and yelps came from behind her. Max shook his head and stepped back.

 
“What are you doing? Get in.”

  He shook his head again, this time he pushed at her leg with his head. His blue eyes swirled with grey. Out of nowhere, the black wolf pounced on Max.

  Needing no further encouragement Janet jumped into the car and slammed the door.

  Another wolf landed on the hood bringing a scream from her throat. Jolting the car into reverse, Janet punched the gas and squealed out of the dirt driveway.

  The lights of the car illuminated Max and his newest enemy. Beyond them through the light of the moon, she saw them all. Black, white, grey and brown, wolves of every imaginable size and shape were everywhere.

  Several wolves stood by Max’s side as if in unity. They approached their enemy slowly until all hell broke loose.

  Behind her, a truck pulled up alongside the car. Inside a middle-aged man rolled down the window and shouted at her.

  She opened her window slightly to hear his words. “Get out of here. Do you have a death wish or something?”

  Janet glared at the fighting pack. “I can’t leave him here.”

  “Max can take care of himself. You’re a distraction, Janet. Go.”

  She stared at him in surprise. “How do you know who I am?”

  Annoyed with her questions, the man yelled again. “Go!”

  Torn, Janet glanced at the mayhem unfolding all around her. Wolves fought and tore each other to pieces.

  She reached for the door, thinking she could somehow help. The muzzle of one wolf slammed against the glass, teeth bared. Swallowing hard, Janet put the car in drive and tried her best not to look back.

  Chapter Eight

  James let her in the gate and met her at the door. He took one look at her and then ran to the garage to retrieve a pair of bolt cutters and removed the chains.

  He didn’t ask questions. He didn’t comment. He simply went about getting Janet the supplies she needed to bandage her marred wrists.

  She went to her room, and walked straight to the shower. Clothes and all she got in and set the water on high, trying in vain to wash away the horrible images of the night.

  Tears flowed and her body shook as she yanked the clothing from her skin. She rubbed her skin raw, soaped it up, and scrubbed it again and again.