Howling Dead

by M. H. Bonham

“Oh well,” she said, pouring the Dr Pepper. If it was good enough for an American werewolf, it was good enough for her. She set the routine to search the Australian nodes and ate her pizza, feeling pretty smug. Now all she had to do was wait.

  An hour passed and then another. Kira glanced out the windows and saw that it had grown dark and an imperceptibly less than full moon was rising in the east. The moon was blood red as it crested the horizon and peered through the Denver high-rises. Even as she looked at the moon, she felt a strange pull. A tug within her that told her it was time.

  “No,” she said aloud, turning back to her computer. “I won’t let you win.”

  She stared at the program as it ran. It would probably take a while to search through the Australian nodes. Still...

  A lone wolf howled somewhere...

  Kira got up and pulled out a lukewarm piece of pizza. She took a bite and turned and stared at the moon as it glowed through her window. What harm would it do if she decided to become a wolf? Unlike the werewolves of horror movies, she knew she’d keep her intelligence. What harm could it do?

  Kira could feel the pull deep inside her. Something akin to an itch that needed scratching. It started deep within her chest, tightening her muscles. She stared at the half-eaten pizza and tossed it back into the box. She picked up the box and began carrying it toward the refrigerator.

  She nearly dropped the box when she saw her fingers try to shorten. Kira stared at her hands and they returned to their normal size. She opened the refrigerator and a growl issued from her throat as the light flickered on. She fought the growl and tossed the pizza in before shutting the door.

  She walked back to her computer and paused to look at herself in the mirror. She looked normal so far, but she wondered how long she could fight the transformation. While she was awake, she could. But what could she do when she was asleep?

  Kira sat back and closed her eyes. The pull to transform was becoming stronger. She could hear the wolves’ call in her mind. It was growing louder.

  “Okay, you win,” she said aloud. “But we do it my way.”

  She grasped her keys and headed out the door.

  CHAPTER 20

  Spaz’s gut roiled as he walked away from Kira. He wanted to throw up. He put on the headset and once again was in his firewalled enclosure. The blue sendmail dog was there holding his email. The message blinked softly at him: From: cmurphy@intermountain.com. Shit.

  Spaz wanted to kick himself for not catching onto Murphy sooner. Murphy was a wolf and a big one, but Spaz had always thought that Murphy wasn’t quite as smart as he pretended. Network engineers—“nets” as they were often called—were clever, but usually fell into the position either on their way up or as a lateral. Spaz had known a lot of burnt out programmers who became nets and known quite a few telephony types who took a Net job because no one else wanted it. Cathal was probably the latter. Spaz had let his prejudice get the better of him and had not seen Murphy for the danger he really was.

  How did Kira know Cathal Murphy? Maybe she knew him from Intermountain, Spaz thought. But Kira was no net—she was an admin, which made her clueless about the net-in-Net thing. Kira may have called herself a werewolf, but she wasn’t a player in the Enchanted Forest—that, Spaz was sure of.

  The work on linking the Enchanted Forest was going slower than he had expected. Of course, part of the problem had been the lack of someone on the inside. Kira, for all her coolness, was pretty much a stik. She had sold out to the establishment long ago and hadn’t even known it. Oh, she knew about the Enchanted Forest on some level. But she was still thinking too far within the box to make her a player. Which was too bad, because she really did have talent.

  Spaz decided not to read the message, but instead pocketed the headset and kept walking. The werewolves had gotten to Lizard, who had switched over. Danni was dead. Randy had disappeared. He wondered if it was safe to go back to the Garcia’s residence. He had left an interface there, but not much else. A talented spider would have problems cracking the encryption—assuming the wolves or the stiks at the FBI figured out what it was; they were unlikely to crack it. No, it was better to get out now and worry about the interface later. He could get into the interface and wipe the memory once he was in the Bahamas drinking his Mai Tai.

  Spaz had enough fake ID with him to bug out now. He had become Tom Smith—a nice simple name on a passport and credit cards. He had bought the ticket to Bermuda with Smith’s credit card number. Flight left tonight at 5:30. Spaz hated taking late flights.

  He rounded the corner toward Market Street when he paused. He could see the bus terminal ahead. There weren’t many cabs in this area, so he’d have to catch the bus to Denver International Airport. He wasn’t fond of public transportation but he really didn’t have much of a choice. He could call a cab and wait, though.

  He slipped on the interface and called up the yellow pages to look up cabs. He didn’t notice the shadow in the alleyway he passed.

  Suddenly, he was knocked off his feet; his headset torn off. Spaz screamed as he felt the hot breath and teeth sink into him.

  K

  Kira wandered down the street, gazing upwards at the moon as it cast its pale glow through the city. It was bright enough to see by—even if she hadn’t had her vision augmented by her werewolf senses. The cold orb reflected in the mirrored windows of the high-rises around her. As Kira walked, she wondered where she could change into a wolf without anyone seeing her and where she should stash her clothing. She didn’t want someone to find her things and steal them.

  She made her way through the alleys until she came to a small alleyway where she doubted even the vagrants went. There was a Dumpster and not much else. She sniffed the air, catching only the scent of garbage and dirt—no one had entered this alley in some time. She slipped into the alleyway and rummaged through the Dumpster until she found a box that had contained copier paper. Kira quickly undressed, stashed her clothing and keys in it and fitted the lid onto it. She slid the box behind the Dumpster and hoped that no one would come by to inspect what was behind it.

  Standing naked in the cool night’s air, she shivered as goose bumps prickled her skin. She had turned into a wolf the night before, but now she was suddenly apprehensive. Was it painful like in the old movies? Did she feel everything as it happened, as some bones grew longer and others shorter? She hadn’t felt it when she turned into a wolf in front of the mirror, but that had only been for a few seconds. Would she really retain her human intelligence or would she become a wolf without sense of what she was? Kira hesitated. Maybe this was a bad idea.

  She thought about going back now. Maybe there was a cure for lycanthropy. Maybe someone already knew of it and she just need to talk to the right doctor—one who wouldn’t think she was a nutcase. Maybe she could get help in controlling this.

  And maybe she was kidding herself. The howl of the wolf rang in her ears. She felt the tug even though the moon was slightly less full tonight. She knew she could either transmute on her own terms or on its. Wouldn’t it be better to control it?

  Kira closed her eyes and focused on the call of the wolf. She felt woozy and her gut twisted as she felt her skin itch all over. The itching became burning and she felt herself drop to her hands and knees—but they were no longer human hands and feet. She shuddered and wanted to scream but instead a howl escaped her lips. As the disorientation lifted, she found herself looking from a much shorter height.

  She sat back on her haunches to wait for her head to stop spinning. The transformation was unpleasant, and she had wished that she had been asleep when she changed. Still, then she wouldn’t have had the control over it.

  So, now what, Kira? she asked herself. She really hadn’t planned this out, but then again, she hadn’t really expected to be a werewolf. She snuffed the night’s air. Mixed with the overwhelming smells of the city was a scent of something she couldn’t quite place but that made the hair on the back of her neck and shoulders rise. Something that cal
led to her.

  The scent of others like her. The scent of other werewolves.

  She shook her head and stood up. Kira knew that she could probably hold her own as a werewolf against another, but it would be dangerous to run into a pack of them. Maybe she should look for Megan? Or maybe that handsome black wolf she had seen in what she now knew had been no dream.

  Kira looked both ways before exiting the alley. The streetlights cast shadows all around, but in this section of LoDo, nothing moved. And yet, the night wind called to her. The scent drew her forward and she padded quietly across the street and through the alleyway as she made her way toward Union Station.

  The wind ruffled through her fur, but she was no longer cold with her thick double coat. She trotted effortlessly down the empty streets, ducking occasionally into the shadows when a car or human came into view.

  As Kira continued to trot away from the bars and restaurants, her mind went back to the Enchanted Forest. Where was the gateway? she wondered. Somewhere in Oz, most likely, but where? And how was this connected to her and Susan?

  A scream pierced the night, raising the hackles along Kira’s back and jolting her out of her reverie. The screams were followed by the throaty growls of a predator as it savaged its prey. A low growl issued from Kira’s throat and without thinking, she turned and ran down the alley toward the noise.

  Suddenly she stopped. At the end of an alleyway stood a large gray wolf looming over something lying on the ground. Her wolf senses told her that it was a homeless man who had been brutally savaged. His blood stank in her nostrils and she stared at the scene in horror. The wolf was tearing into the man’s throat as it looked up. In the dim light, those malevolent yellow eyes seemed to glow red. A growl issued from the creature’s throat.

  Kira knew she had made a mistake. The wolf was nearly twice her size and by the look in its eyes, she knew it was in no mood for company. She fought the trembling. It was the wolf who had killed Susan a month ago.

  It leapt at her, bloody jaws snapping. Kira turned and fled, barely avoiding those large teeth as the creature bore down on her. She ran as fast as she could out of the alley and down the street with the killer in pursuit.

  Kira was terrified. She fought the urge to transmute back to human form, lest the wolf catch her. She also knew not to look backwards. Look backwards and you will die, she told herself. She ran, not caring now if anyone saw her.

  She crossed the street. A car screeched to a stop, barely avoiding her, and still she ran on. The click of nails and the pad of the pursuing wolf’s paws were terrifying. She could hear the creature panting as it ran behind her. Kira found herself on the north end of the mall and ran past humans as she tried to flee. She heard people screaming and the panting become louder in her ears—or was that the blood pounding in them? She didn’t know and didn’t care.

  She turned down another alleyway and stopped short. There were three wolves working on scraps of garbage. They looked up and one lifted its lip. Kira glanced behind to find two other wolves there. She was trapped.

  CHAPTER 21

  Five to one. Kira stared at the wolves and felt her paws grow numb. She shivered as the hackles rose along her back and she fought the whine that burbled in her throat. The panic numbed her mind, slowing her thoughts and reactions. She wanted to run, but where to? There was no way out.

  Five to one.

  Kira had never been in a situation like this. It was like every action movie Susan had dragged her to. At some point, the good guy was surrounded by villains. It was time for Arnold to pull out a gun and start blasting. Her sluggish mind groped for something—anything—that she might be able to use. In most of the films they had seen, the heroes used guns or blasters. Star Wars. Terminator. Indiana Jones. The Mummy…

  Jackie Chan. What would Jackie Chan do?

  Jackie Chan wasn’t here, and she couldn’t remember any time he had been surrounded by five pissed-off werewolves. She looked from wolf to wolf. They were big. Really big. Their teeth gleamed white and their yellow eyes glowed in the dim light. They were shaggy creatures with dark gray fur, hackles raised, and saliva dripping from their teeth.

  Kira felt like little Red Riding Hood: My, what big teeth you have! The better to eat you with, my dear.

  She winced and felt her head tilt slowly. It was an involuntary reaction—something her body knew to do, even if she didn’t. She lowered her head and allowed the whimper to escape from her lips. Her hackles lowered with her body posture. Her wolf body knew to go submissive even if she didn’t.

  How embarrassing, she thought. As she looked into those yellow eyes, Kira knew this was her only chance. Listen to the damn werewolf, a part of her mind told her. She’ll save you if she can.

  The three gray wolves in front of her hesitated as she lowered her stance. The biggest of the three slunk forward and started to circle around. By his demeanor and lankiness, Kira guessed his human form to be in his twenties. His coat was ratty and had loose tufts of fur from his biannual shedding. He slid around toward her flank and she turned with him, baring her white, sharp teeth as she did so.

  A growl escaped her lips as he tried to sniff her, and he hesitated. Then, his eyes hardened. White, sharp teeth flashed as he leapt at her and grasped a mouthful of the fur and skin on Kira’s back. She snapped and turned, trying to shake the big wolf as he leapt up on her back to mount her.

  Kira was horrified. He was trying to rape her and by the looks of it, would succeed. She redoubled her efforts to escape. The other wolves jumped into the fray and somehow she found herself rolled over on her back. At that moment, she saw the wolf standing above her getting into position. She snapped and her teeth bit hard. Blood gushed into her mouth and she pulled back, tearing skin and fur.

  The wolf screamed in pain and leapt off her. Kira jumped up and leapt over the stricken wolf, spitting out the wolf’s testicles. The two wolves who had blocked her exit attacked now. Their teeth sunk into her hide and she screamed.

  Suddenly, Kira was knocked off her feet by a dark shadow that passed between her and the other wolves. She heard the other wolves screaming as the shadow attacked them. Then, she realized that she was seeing another wolf. A black wolf.

  The black wolf bowled over the ringleader of the wolves and was tearing pieces of skin and fur out of him. The screaming was pitiful and Kira slowly stood up, dazed. The black wolf’s violence was something she had never seen before. The other wolves had scattered and fled, leaving their hapless leader to his fate. She watched in a kind of fascinated horror as the black wolf continued to tear into the leader, ripping flesh from his throat.

  When satisfied with the damage, the black wolf left the dying wolf and strode over to Kira. Kira stared at the black wolf, at the blood still dripping from his maw. Out of the frying pan and into the fire, she thought. Her heart raced as she tried to think of a way to escape. He was huge—twice the size of those smaller werewolves. She was sure there was no way she could outrun him. She was now at his mercy.

  CHAPTER 22

  Kira, are you all right? the wolf asked.

  Kira blinked. He knew her name? She stared at him.

  Did they...touch you? the wolf asked. His mind-voice was reticent.

  No, Kira said and then hesitated. Why did he care about her?

  Good, he said, and nuzzled her.

  The nuzzle was not sexual in any way, but comforting. As one might hug a small child, she thought. His touch was remarkably gentle considering that a few moments before, he had been ripping into another werewolf.

  Who are you? Kira asked.

  A gleam entered the black wolf’s eyes. You don’t recognize me?

  The wolf looked familiar. He was remarkably like the wolf in her dreams, and yet Kira knew she had met him in human form. A name came unbidden to her mind. Alaric?

  The black wolf flashed a toothy grin. I would give you more proof, but I’d get arrested for indecent exposure.

  Kira laughed. It came out as a coughing sound. In
decent? I doubt that’s what I would call it.

  If a wolf could blush, he nearly did. Alaric glanced at the alleyway’s entrance. You need to be more careful, he said, changing the subject. I had Trevor tailing you tonight but he came back whimpering—you both ran into the rogue wolves.

  There was only one wolf, Kira said. And he attacked another person.

  Alaric’s golden eyes glowed with concern. Trevor wasn’t tailing you?

  Kira cocked her head. I think I’d know if someone was following me. It’s not as if I’m human anymore. She closed her eyes and turned away. A lump was in her throat.

  Kira, I...

  Damn it, Alaric! Can’t you control your people? It was the same wolf who killed Susan and who attacked me! A snarl issued from her throat.

  Are you sure?

  She met his gaze. Don’t you think I would know the wolf who nearly killed me?

  Alaric sucked in a breath. Kira, I am so sorry, but I didn’t think.

  Kira looked at him. Next to her he was huge, and yet he was putting up with her tirade. He could kill her with a single bite of those massive jaws. She trembled. I’m sorry, she said. It’s been a rough night already and I shouldn’t have taken it out on you, my defender.

  Alaric smiled a wolfy smile. It looked like you were handling the situation until those other wolves jumped you. You have a way of getting a male’s undivided attention.

  Now it was Kira’s turn to nearly blush. I’m afraid I didn’t mean to bite there. It was just a handy target. I don’t think I could have held them all off. You came in the nick of time.

  I am honored to be your defender, milady. Was the wolf who attacked you a month ago one of the ones who attacked you now?

  Kira thought back to the young wolves. No, she said. The one who attacked me was older and bigger. Almost your size.

  Hmmm. Alaric fell silent as if lost in thought.

  Kira glanced at the mauled wolf on the ground. Is he dead?