by Laura Hysell
I rolled my eyes at her comment, but Vanessa didn’t seem to notice. She skipped to the door and started downstairs, me on her heels. The house had filled up more while we’d been doing my hair and I heard several voices coming from the kitchen. Vanessa and I had snacked throughout the day, but the delicious smells coming from the kitchen made my stomach growl.
We peeked into the kitchen and I took in all the sights and smells. Through the back window, Logan and Lucas appeared to be barbequing while Beth and Jed were preparing what looked like potato salad. Mark had the fridge open and several bottles of salad dressing in his hands. Vanessa cleared her throat loudly as we fully entered the kitchen and everyone turned simultaneously. A bottle of Thousand Island dressing slipped from Mark’s hands and burst open, splattering the ground. Beth hurried with a wet towel to clean up the mess, but Mark stood still with his eyes glued on me. I shifted uncomfortably under the intense look and quickly turned and scurried out of the kitchen, through the dining room and into the large living room. I was breathing quickly and ready to bolt right back upstairs and change clothes.
John was entering the living room at the same time and I skidded to a halt. Today he wore a dark gray t-shirt, but everything else was black from the leather jacket to the boots and even the laptop he carried under one arm. He stopped in front of me, smiling as he held out his hand. “I’m John,” he said simply. I stopped and shook his hand. “Weren’t you a blonde yesterday?”
I laughed nervously, nodding my head. “Yes, I was. I’m Isabella Howerton,” I replied.
He nodded and indicated we should sit down. I wanted to go back upstairs and change, but I obliged and followed him to the couch. He sat down and set the laptop he’d been carrying on his lap. “Mark asked me to do some digging for you today, and I came across a few things,” he started as he opened his laptop and started keying things in. “I checked both your email and Mark’s, as well as your cell phone number. Justin hasn’t tried to contact you that I saw, but someone is monitoring all of your accounts. If he had tried, it would have been easy for someone to find him. I was able to track his last communication with Mark to a small town in Alberta, Canada. That was over a month ago, so Justin could very easily be in Oregon, if that was his destination.”
“He did say he was coming to me,” I replied, remembering that frantic phone call so many months ago.
“Considering the difficulty I had trying to track his email, my guess is that he hasn’t been found yet, at least not by whoever is doing the monitoring. There are a lot of other people out there trying to find your brother. I am curious how he’s stayed under the radar for so long,” John added, clicking on his computer again. “As for this manhunt on you and Mark, I found a fake surveillance video that has been released to the police regarding the murder at the hotel. It’s going to take some time to find the source. I’m also trying to track down the original footage, but that’s proving difficult as well. Here’s the fake.”
John turned the computer toward me and I watched a video of what looked like the hotel lobby. The video was black and white and appeared to be from the ceiling. The two security guards stood at the door, as they had been. I watched in fascination as the first guard moved toward Mark, but everything after that was different from what had happened. The video showed Mark grabbing the first man and tossing him, then shooting both guards. I shook my head in disbelief. “That’s not what happened,” I muttered.
John nodded his head and reversed the video clip to the moment after the guard moved to Mark, showing it in slow motion. “Watch closely,” John said, pointing at Mark. “You can just make out the moment the video was altered.”
I watched the video in slow motion and noticed how Mark seemed to jump to the side between one second and the next. I leaned in, looking at the new Mark. His back was to the camera, but the build and height were just slightly off. “They re-did the video with someone else?”
“That’s what I think,” John replied, pointing at the first security guard. “This guy has been changed too, but it’s subtle. I’ll need some more time, but I think we have a good shot at fixing this for you two.”
I took a deep breath and let it out slowly. I felt a hand on my shoulder and I jumped, turning around. Mark stood behind me, holding his hands up in surrender. “Sorry, didn’t mean to startle you. I was just listening to John.”
Mark walked around the couch and sat next to me, his arm draped casually around my shoulder as he leaned in to look at the laptop. “I appreciate your help on this, John. Any ideas on how we find Izzy’s brother?”
John closed the video down and began clicking on his computer again. “I’m looking for his associates,” he said as he began typing on the computer, “but I haven’t turned up anything yet. According to all reports, his whole team died.”
“They’re not all dead, or at least they weren’t when Justin called me months ago. Kirk Daughtry and Jared Bushing were still alive last I heard.”
“I’ll look for them as well.” John turned the computer toward me again, showing me a recent local news article. The article was about the vaccine and who had already received it. According to the article, everyone in government, law enforcement, health care and education were the first to receive the vaccine, and by now had received anywhere from one to three doses. The article also estimated that 60% of the population had already received at least one dose of the vaccine. The article touted the many redeeming qualities of the vaccine, particularly how it was curing sick children in hospitals.
I finished reading the article and sat back. John clicked on the computer again, displaying other websites from across the country that said the same thing. I glanced at headline after headline, all talking about the new wonder drug. The drug was also being sent to other countries as it became available. Petri Co. was producing the vaccine in mass quantities as fast as possible. From the sounds of it, government officials in various foreign countries from Europe to Asia were the first to receive the vaccine.
“This is happening fast,” Mark muttered, his words echoing my thoughts.
John nodded his head. “They’ve run out of the vaccine in quite a few places, but they’re basically saying if everyone gets at least one dose they should be fine for a month until they can get a second dose.” He closed down the official news articles and opened up an internet blog. “Not everyone is running for the miracle cure, though.”
Mark chuckled as we perused the blog, which warned people away from getting the vaccine. The author called everyone who got the vaccine, “sheep being led to the slaughter by Big Business” and pointed out how quickly the drug had gone through the certification process. The blog had many valid points, including speculation on the side effects, but in the end most people would dismiss this blog and others like it, because people tended to believe the official news over conspiracy news.
“This sounds like you,” I said to Mark, glancing at him sideways, “talking about government conspiracies.”
Mark chuckled again, shaking his head. “That’s because it is Mark,” John said. “He asked me to post this for him. Look at all the comments.”
I glanced from John to Mark, then back to the computer screen. There was a stream of comments supporting Mark’s article. “We’re a community of bloggers,” Mark said. “There are about ten of us who write for this blog, all under different names of course. With all that’s going on, I knew I had to post this. If I can stop one person from getting the vaccine, then that’s one less person under vampire control.”
“When did you have time to write this?” I asked.
“Last night,” he replied. “I gave it to John before he left.”
John closed down his computer and stood up. “I’ll work more on finding Justin tomorrow. If the vampires want your brother this badly, we want him more.” John left the room, heading toward the delicious aromas coming from the kitchen.
Mark’s arm was still around my shoulder, and now that we were alone it felt suddenly awkward.
I scooted away a little, letting Mark’s arm drop. “I like the hair,” he said softly. “Of course I like the blonde more, but this is nice too.”
“I feel the same way. It definitely looks different.”
“Well, at least on casual observation no one will immediately know it’s you, and that was the idea.”
I nodded my head, but I really wasn’t thinking about my hair. I was thinking about how to find my brother. John was working the tech end of things, but all we’d learned was that Justin had been in Canada a few weeks ago. Maybe Kirk and Jared were with him. Looking for three people had to be easier than looking for just one. I was wringing my hands, wondering what to do next when Mark placed his hands on top of mine. I stopped and looked up into his chocolate eyes, noting the slight yellow cast to them that I’d be learning meant his wolf was close to the surface. Not too surprising since it would be a full moon tonight.
“Are you thinking about Justin?” he asked softly and I nodded my head, fighting back tears that were threatening to overwhelm me. “We’ll find him, Izzy.”
“I certainly hope so. I’m sure he’s seen the news. He has to be wondering what’s going on. I just hope he doesn’t make a mistake trying to reach me,” I added.
Mark’s arms enveloped me, pulling me to him in a tight hug. Tears cascaded down my cheeks as I sobbed into his chest. I’d never needed my brother more than I did now, and not because of the vaccine or the fact that he might have vital information. No, I just needed my big brother to scare away the monsters for me like he did when we were little. Now here I was, hugging one of the monsters.
That thought stilled my tears and I pulled away from Mark, surreptitiously glancing around the room for a tissue. I spotted a box of tissues across the room and hurriedly grabbed several tissues, wiping my eyes and nose. Mark patiently waited until I was finished before moving across the room to stand behind me, his arms encircling my waist in a possessive way. I stilled, unsure what to do.
“Food is done,” Mark whispered in my ear.
I nodded my head and surreptitiously pulled away. We moved into the dining room, where Jed, Beth, Vanessa, John, Michael, the twins and one other man introduced as Frank were all already seated and filling plates. The table was large but there were still two open spots. Mark and I sat down at the far end of the table and helped ourselves to steak, chicken, salad, potato salad and hot biscuits covered in jelly. There was little conversation while everyone ate. I quickly cleared my plate, but the men all went back for second helpings, particularly of the very raw steak.
When everyone had finished eating, and all food was gone, we moved into the living room for a quick meeting. I sat down in a chair at the edge of the room, feeling out of place. Jed stood, waiting for everyone to settle in before speaking. The sun was quickly drifting lower in the sky, and I guessed it would be dark in an hour. “I think everyone knows their places tonight, but I just want to go over a few things. I will be leaving shortly to meet the rest of the pack, but I want everyone here to remain on high alert. We still have a rogue wolf in the barn, as well as a developing vampire problem. After the attack and abduction of Mark and Isabella, I think it best to be cautious. I don’t anticipate problems, but better safe than sorry.”
“I’ll be your runner,” Vanessa said to the twins, bouncing in her seat. Her eyes were twinkling with excitement and the twins grinned back at her eagerly.
Jed nodded. “Yes, Vanessa has agreed to stay here in wolf form and act as the runner in case of trouble here. She’s one of the fastest, so she should be able to get close enough to alert us quickly. I also have Erika with the remainder of the pack in the woods to act as runner, in case of trouble on our end. John will guard the interior of the barn and the cages. Mark, I want you to stay inside the house and monitor from the control room. Isabella can give you a hand with that. Logan and Lucas will monitor outside in human form. Keep walkie-talkies on but silent, unless there’s a problem.”
Everyone nodded his or her heads, plans in place. I wondered where the control room was, but figured I’d wait until after Jed left to ask. Jed glanced out the window at the setting sun and pulled his keys out of his pocket. “I’ll see you all in the morning,” he said, looking around the room with yellow wolf eyes. “Be safe.”
Jed held a look with Mark before heading toward the front door. Mark stood and followed him, returning a few minutes later with a somber look on his face. Michael was bouncing on his feet, growling, and John quickly led him out to the barn, followed by Frank. Vanessa’s eyes had turned bright yellow already. She gave me a quick hug before hurrying outside, presumably to change into wolf form. The twins went into the kitchen to clean up the food and start coffee before beginning their rounds. The only ones left in the living room were Beth, Mark and me.
Mark moved to the large window, staring out past the barn and the setting sun. I sat awkwardly on the large couch, with Beth at the other end. Beth cast a quick glance at me before she got up and walked over to Mark. She wrapped her arms around his waist, hugging him from behind exactly as Mark had hugged me just before dinner. I felt a pang of jealousy as Mark wrapped an arm around her shoulder and pulled her to him in a side hug. I watched them as she stood up on her tiptoes and whispered something into Mark’s ear. He smiled and murmured something back to her that I couldn’t hear. She smiled back up at him and kissed him on the cheek before she turned and walked toward the kitchen. She stopped at the kitchen entrance and turned back toward me. Her eyes were bright yellow and the look on her face was deadly. She left the room and I heard the kitchen door bang closed a moment later. I watched out the window as she sauntered to the barn, swaying her hips with each step. My eyes moved to Mark, noting that he, too, watched her walk away.
Chapter 11
Mark led me to one of the locked doors I’d come across earlier, just across from the bar room. The door opened to a closet full of coats and shoes and I wondered briefly what we were doing there and why a closet needed a lock. Mark moved the coats out of the way and pressed his hand against a section of the wall, revealing a control panel. Mark punched in the numbers 1843 and the back wall of the closet slid open, revealing a staircase leading down. We stepped on the stairs and Mark tapped the matching control panel, causing the door to close quietly behind us.
Dim bulbs lit the way along the narrow staircase walls, leading us underneath the house. At the bottom of the stairs there was a short hallway with four doors. Mark showed me the first two, which were a bathroom and a storeroom full of canned food and emergency supplies. The third room was full of cots, blankets and clothes. Mark turned toward the last room, which also had a control panel. He punched in 0815 and the door clicked open, revealing a room full of computers and monitor screens.
I followed Mark inside and looked at the monitors, which showed various views around the exterior of the house and barn. Mark pulled a chair out and I followed suit, sitting down on his right. He clicked a few buttons on the main computer and the views switched so that each monitor showed several locations, now including the inside of the barn and house. There must be cameras all over the place! I hadn’t noticed any before, but then again I hadn’t been looking for them.
I examined the monitors in the house, seeing the empty living rooms, kitchen, dining room, bar and hallways. “Are these all the cameras in the house?” I asked, pointing at the screen.
“Bedrooms and bathrooms are off limits for cameras,” Mark responded.
A flicker of movement caught my eye on another screen and I turned toward it. A lone wolf was loping across the field behind the house and I stared in fascination. “Is that Vanessa?” I asked, watching the black and white screen with interest.
Mark looked where I was pointing and nodded. “Yes, beautiful isn’t she? The infrared cameras don’t pick up the colors of her wolf, but she is a magnificent almost silver color.”
I watched the wolf run across several cameras, making a tour around the house and barn before disappearing into the field. �
��So this is the control room. Are there any other hidden gems in this house?”
“No, I think you’ve seen it all. Jed built this shelter here years ago, but just added the computers when John joined the pack about fifteen years ago. This room gets more updates than anything else in the house.” Mark pointed to another monitor that showed a long stretch of road. “The property is too big to have cameras everywhere, but they cover the closest areas around the house and a good mile of the road leading in.”
I tried watching all the monitors on my side of the room, but it was impossible to do so. I glanced behind me at the monitors on Mark’s side of the room, which showed the interior and exterior of the barn, as well as the shop. Logan was walking around the exterior of the shop, while Lucas patrolled down the road.
A flicker of movement caught my eye and the screens showing the barn suddenly transfixed me. There were several monitors showing the cages in the barn. John stood watching the cages, hand resting on the gun at his hip. Three of the cages contained wolves, two dark colored, one light, but all with distinct size differences. What had caught my eye was movement in the fourth cage, where Beth was changing into a wolf before my eyes. She was on the floor of the cage with her head down, as her whole body seemed to shake. Her hair grew longer and fur soon covered her arms. Arms and legs seemed to move and shift into odd angles, warping until they were no longer human shaped. I winced, watching what appeared to be a violent and painful transformation. I wasn’t sure how long it took, but soon a wolf was where Beth had just been, shaking off the tattered remnants of her clothes.
I felt Mark’s eyes on me, watching my reaction. I schooled my face as best I could, but I’m sure something between awe, horror and disgust was probably etched clear as day on my face. I moved my chair so I was facing only the screens on my side of the room with my back to Mark. Goosebumps rose across my skin, and I shivered uncontrollably.
