by Stephen Cole
Stacy turned on the light and stared around. A low leather couch was strewn with documents, as was a long workbench along the back wall, bowing under the weight of the high-tech equipment that cluttered it. She grabbed a sheaf of papers and started flicking through.
Kate peered at a padded envelope. ‘No doubt about it, Stacy, Woollard’s been working for Takapa.’ She pointed to the sender’s address label on the back. ‘It’s the address of Takapa’s New Orleans hideout. I was held there for a while. He had all sorts of experiments going on.’ She pulled out some of the papers inside. ‘Cell counts … chromosome analysis …’
But Stacy was barely listening, hunched almost double over some lab results scrawled in a spidery script. ‘You idiot,’ she breathed. ‘You blind idiot.’
Kate frowned. ‘Who?’
‘Me. I’ve been taking Woollard’s comments on the treated blood samples at face value – because they told me what I wanted to hear. The guy’s a genius, and I just always assumed he was as committed to the work as I am. And since I don’t have the equipment anymore to double-check the results …’ She laughed softly. ‘Oh, he’s played me for a fool.’
A feeling of unease twisted through Kate’s insides. ‘What is it?’
‘This research seems to run parallel to mine. Takapa must want to study Tom’s genetic make-up for the same reasons I do: comparing it to other samples – like Rico’s – could help identify and isolate the lupine factor.’
‘The werewolf gene,’ Kate translated. ‘But why would he want that? Takapa’s not looking for a cure.’
‘No – he’s been trying to stop me finding it.’ She screwed up one of the papers. ‘Like with the Stacy Serum … Woollard’s treated my samples as I asked him to – but he’s gone further. Altered the direction of my work without my even knowing.’
‘Then what does the serum actually do?’
Stacy seemed not to hear her. She looked pale and sick, scanning another sheet of scrawls. ‘“A chronically addictive psychotropic drug …”’ she read. ‘“Excitation of the adrenal gland …”’ She looked up at Kate. ‘He’s knocked out the pacifying effect. The serum doesn’t stabilise or soothe the lupine condition – it antagonises it.’
‘So Tom’s reaction was nothing to do with his particular body chemistry,’ Kate said slowly. ‘It was just the drug doing its thing.’
‘Woollard Serum … all the time.’ Stacy threw down the pile of papers in despair. ‘But I’ve been running a register, I’ve got ’wolves out there on the street reporting back to me. They say the lupine numbers have gone down – and a steadily greater number of newbloods have come back for more serum, that’s fact!’ She looked at Kate desperately. ‘So the serum must be working on the lupine brain in the way it’s intended – controlling newblood cravings without them having to go out and bite someone. The math works!’
But Kate was thinking about something else Stacy had read out. The report had said the serum was chronically addictive. And Kate remembered Swagger’s tempting the gladiators to fight with a promise of something … Something that was worth all that violence and pain. She flicked through the contents of the envelope more carefully. ‘Suppose your serum works too well? What if taking it’s better than going out and killing for real?’ she suggested slowly.
‘What do you mean?’
‘I mean, what if someone’s been getting newbloods hooked on Stacy Serum, the ultimate high – so they can control them through it!’
Stacy shook her head. ‘I haven’t been able to make the stuff in that kind of volume. We weren’t ready—’
‘Woollard was ready,’ Kate said quietly, holding out a small sheaf of papers. ‘Top sheet’s a fax from Takapa. Ordering Woollard to go ahead with producing the serum in serious volume. It’s like he’s got some kind of distribution network going—’
‘Give me those.’ Stacy snatched the papers from her and scanned them. ‘Sweet Jesus, it’s true.’
‘Your ’wolf informants must be in the pay of Takapa,’ Kate realised. ‘Telling you what you want to hear.’
‘So I keep on handing out the drug,’ Stacy concluded, tears in her eyes. ‘There’s me, thinking I’m refining it – but I’m only helping Woollard make it even deadlier.’
Kate nodded. ‘Then he just goes and turns a whole load of the stuff over to Takapa to infect more street kids.’
Stacy put her head in her hands. ‘Shit, Kate, who knows how many ’wolves there could be hiding in this city.’
‘All of them more violent and aggressive than any pureblood could imagine,’ Kate agreed. ‘But being forced to fight each other to the death, just because Takapa wants them to.’
Stacy was practically tearing her red hair out by the roots. ‘But we still don’t know why. Why would he build up ’wolves in such numbers and then decimate them?’
‘Swagger told me that some time soon, ’wolves would be a dime a dozen. It stands to reason that not all of the kids he turns would be fighters, so he’s wiping out the weak ones … forcing them to fight for their lives – literally. He’s promising them the drug in return for their service …’
Stacy looked at her, horrified. ‘You think he’s breeding, what … a lupine militia? An unofficial army, ready to fight humanity?’
Suddenly, a bloodcurdling howl sounded somewhere close by outside. Both Kate and Stacy were on their feet in an instant.
A loud crash against the front door nearly knocked it off its hinges. They heard scuffles outside. Someone started banging at the door.
‘The ’wolves,’ Stacy whispered, fearfully. ‘They know we’re in here.’
The pounding at the door grew louder and louder.
g
Tom woke up and wished he hadn’t.
It felt like someone had taken a red-hot chisel to his left shoulder and hammered it down into the bone. He was lying curled on his side, his whole body soaked with rain and sweat. And while the ground seemed soft he felt confined, caught in dark and cramped surroundings. He stirred and found something musty and scratchy was covering him from head to toe. An old blanket.
Memories of his ordeal seeped into his mind as he wormed his head clear of the covering. Everything was still black.
‘Where am I?’ he asked the darkness, afraid of what he might hear in reply.
‘Quiet,’ hissed a voice he recognised. Jasmine. He whistled softly in relief but then a hand pressed down over his mouth.
It was Rico, crouched down beside him. Tom guessed he must be back in the stolen station wagon. But while he might be among friends, from the look in Rico’s dark eyes, he was nowhere near safe.
Rico pulled the blanket back over him. Tom could hear footsteps passing close by. They faltered, came closer still – then moved away.
‘Jeez, that was close,’ said Jasmine. She emerged awkwardly from the footwell of the passenger seat where she’d been curled up tight and out of sight, and eased herself back behind the wheel. ‘Cops. Still searching the area. Tom, you OK?’
‘I’ll live,’ he muttered. ‘Probably. What the hell happened?’
‘You got shot,’ said Rico, apparently impressed.
‘Rookie cop,’ Jasmine said by way of explanation, stretching her body in the driver’s seat. ‘You freaked him out. When he saw you were out cold, he ran to get his buddies. But we got to you first.’
‘We heard where to find you on the radio,’ Rico added.
‘Bullet only nicked you,’ Jasmine added. ‘Don’t think it’s too bad.’
‘Neither is this dressing,’ Tom realised, pressing gingerly at the clean bandages binding his shoulder. ‘Thanks.’
Rico shrugged. ‘Took ’em from the drugstore. And Jasmine taped you up. Just like she used to tape up Ramone when he’d been fighting.’
Jasmine turned away. ‘Shut your mouth, Ric,’ she snapped, but Tom heard the tremble in her voice.
‘You was always real good to him, Jas …’
Tom saw the pain and the anger in Rico’s face, the
tears welling in his black eyes. He put a hand on his shoulder. ‘I’m so sorry, Ric.’
‘Ain’t gonna cry,’ Rico said fiercely, brushing Tom’s hand away, his breath growing hoarse and ragged. ‘Gonna get even. Right, Jas?’
‘You know it,’ she said. ‘Now, be good. Take your inhaler.’
‘It don’t work,’ he complained.
‘Do it,’ Jasmine snapped. ‘You gonna keel over before you get even with that mad bitch who did Ramone?’
His young, clear face still screwed up with emotion, Rico took two wheezy puffs on his inhaler.
‘Thanks for coming after me,’ Tom said. ‘Thank you both.’
‘Forget it,’ Jasmine said distantly. ‘With the guys gone, Polar turned ’wolf and Ramone … Well. Guess we got to look after the friends we got left.’ She started the wagon’s engine. ‘And that means getting you to a doctor. I patched you up the best I could, but Woollard should take a look. He’s got some good pills, they’ll help with the pain.’
‘But he lied to us about Stacy wanting my blood,’ said Rico, rubbing his forearm.
‘I’m not sure we can trust him,’ Tom agreed, ‘and neither is the man I met tonight.’
Jasmine cut the engine, looked at him gravely. ‘The real Jicaque, right?’
‘Right.’ He winced as he tried to straighten his shoulder.
Jasmine sighed heavily. ‘Well then, I guess we get Stacy Stein to take a look.’
‘And hook up with Kate at the same time,’ Tom added automatically.
‘Don’t worry, Tommy boy.’ She put the car in gear and pulled out into the dark, silent street. ‘I ain’t forgotten your sweetheart.’
g
Kate turned to Stacy as the banging on the front door grew louder. ‘There must be a back way out of here?’
Stacy nodded. ‘Let’s find it.’
But as they reached the hall, they heard a frantic voice at the door rise above the banging: ‘Stacy! I know you’re in there – I can see your car outside. Let me in! He’ll get me! I can’t find my keys, let me in!’
‘That’s Woollard,’ Stacy breathed, heading for the front door. ‘He sounds terrified.’
Kate hung back in the hallway as Stacy fumbled with the door latch and finally got the door open.
Woollard shambled in on his knees, clutching his stomach, and pitched forwards. ‘Dr Stein,’ he gasped. ‘How’d you get in here? Close the door, for God’s sake.’
Stacy tried, but Woollard’s legs were blocking the way. ‘Help me, Kate!’ she said.
Kate took the doctor by his clammy hands and dragged him forwards. To her horror she found he was leaving a thick trail of blood in his wake, a crimson stripe across the floorboards.
While Stacy locked the door and slammed the bolts home, Kate turned Woollard over as gently as she could. A large wound had been gouged in his flabby stomach.
‘Knife.’ He stared up at her with clouded eyes. ‘Hurts. Get me a drink.’
She looked down at him and shook her head. ‘We know what you’ve been doing. We know you’ve been working for Takapa!’
He nodded, and clutched at Kate’s wrist with sticky red fingers. ‘Takapa,’ he rasped. ‘Got all he can from me. I’ve made his dreams come true.’
‘What are you talking about?’ Stacy said angrily, coming to join them.
‘Mass production.’ Woollard smiled bleakly. ‘Add just a single drop of Stacy Serum to a phial of ordinary blood plasma … In under an hour, the blood is pure serum. Ready to go to work on another poor ’wolf junkie …’
Kate pulled her wrist away in disgust, and Woollard winced.
‘The serum is now as addictive as it can be,’ he croaked. ‘So Takapa thinks it’s high time I was turned ’wolf too.’ Woollard gave a weak mirthless laugh that turned into a cough. Blood appeared on his lips. ‘It was the threat of that hanging over me that made me work for him in the first place.’
Kate looked down at him helplessly. ‘Takapa did this to you?’
Woollard feebly shook his head. ‘Still out there,’ he murmured, wide-eyed. ‘Tried to run, but—’
Suddenly there was a glassy crash from the living room. Before Kate or Stacy could react, the main light snapped on and a large shadow fell over them as a hulking figure appeared in the doorway.
‘Oh, Jesus.’ Kate shut her eyes; felt a terrible cold take her body. ‘Please, no.’
Swagger stood towering over them in his long, black leather coat. He must’ve ignored the bolted door and simply come in through the window as they had. His beady eyes were bloodshot and wild, his wide, crusty mouth hung open in a lascivious grin. A vivid gash ran across his forehead, clumsily stitched; the sutures looked like black flies feeding on the wound.
‘Well, well,’ he said, glancing between her and Stacy. ‘Look who we got here.’
‘Don’t hurt me anymore,’ Woollard begged feebly. ‘Please.’
‘You could’ve been something, Doc,’ Swagger told him. ‘Could’ve stood beside Takapa and me and welcomed in the new world. All you needed was guts, old man.’ He giggled. ‘Guess they fell out through that hole in your belly, right?’
Kate stared across at Stacy in dismay. Swagger was looking spaced out, euphoric, like Tom had looked on the bridge. ‘He’s taken the serum,’ she hissed.
‘’S’right,’ Swagger agreed, ‘and I’m in the mood to party.’
Kate winced as he hauled her up by her hair. ‘Liked you better with black locks, sweetheart,’ he hissed. ‘But it was sweet of you to make the effort for ol’ Swag.’ She tried to struggle free, but when he held the switchblade to her throat, still wet with Woollard’s blood, she stayed very, very still.
‘Now get into the examination room, Stein,’ he snarled. ‘Or this little prick-tease here’s gonna be gargling blood.’
Kate held her breath. She could feel the muscles in his arm clenching, smell the rank odour of his sweat saturating his clothes. He kept shifting his weight between his legs like he couldn’t hold still. The blade pressed harder against her neck as he marched her inside the examination room after Stacy.
‘I got to get every piece of paper out of this hole,’ Swagger told her. ‘Takapa wants all his science research shit back. You got brains, pick it all out for me.’
Stacy nodded, cowed and pale, and started to collect together the scattered papers. Outside, Woollard was moaning softly in the hallway.
‘Shame you had to find out about this, Stein,’ Swagger snarled. ‘Takapa likes you. You been good to us.’
‘You tricked me,’ she said quietly.
‘We coulda gone on trickin’ you, too. Used you a whole lot more and then given you the bite like your poor little hubby. But Takapa saw you watching when he was outside Ramone’s with the doc tonight. Guess he could hear the penny dropping right the way across the street.’ He giggled again. ‘He said you’d come here. Said you’d work it out.’
Stacy finished collecting the papers and held them out to him.
He put the knife away so that he could take them. Kate let out a shuddering sigh of relief.
‘Now, let her go,’ said Stacy, trying to sound brave. And failing.
‘Nuh-uh,’ said Swagger. ‘But you won’t care, no-how. ’Cause now you gotta die.’
Stacy stared at him, speechless for a second, before his big fist crashed into her chin and sent her reeling back over the couch, where she lay still.
‘No!’ shouted Kate, but he tightened his grip around her throat, choking her off.
‘Sure is cold out, tonight, ain’t it?’ laughed Swagger. ‘Still, a little fire will warm us all up.’
Struggling and writhing in his grip, Kate was dragged out of the room. She saw Woollard feebly rocking on his back like an upturned tortoise.
‘You ain’t going nowhere, gutless,’ Swagger shouted, pulling Kate into the living room. ‘So, babe. Just you and me now, huh? Where’s your freak boyfriend?’ He clumsily folded the papers and put them in his coat pocket. ‘I aim to have me s
ome fun with him.’
‘He’s … he’s left,’ she croaked. ‘Gone.’
‘Like I believe you,’ he said, pulling a cigarette lighter from his pocket. ‘But if that little bastard has skipped town, I hope he said bye to his folks first. ’Cause Marcie’s gonna make sure he won’t get the chance again.’
‘Where is she?’ Kate asked fearfully.
‘Yakking with Takapa now he’s back in town.’ Swagger held the oily flame up close to her cheek, and she flinched. ‘But later, when it’s nice and quiet, she’s gonna creep up to Tom’s mommy and daddy and …’
Kate gasped as he held the lighter flame to the thick curtains. The heavy fabric smouldered for a few seconds then caught alight. He crossed about the room, starting more little fires here and there, until the room was filled with dark smoke and eager, orange flames.
‘Once a fire takes a hold of one of these old places …’ Swagger whistled. ‘They’re gonna be using dental records to tell Woollard and Stein apart.’
‘No!’ Kate cried. She’d never felt more helpless as Swagger kicked the last glinting glass teeth from the window frame and carried her out through it. The cold night air fanned the flames, and soon smoke was billowing out through the broken window.
‘You can’t do this,’ Kate sobbed, praying someone would pass by and see the flames, go for help. But the street was quiet and still; only the dreadfully familiar form of Polar stood close by, a silent spectre as ever, leaning back against a black car and viewing the spectacle through his camera. ‘Swagger,’ she tried again. ‘For God’s sake, let them go.’
‘Nuh-uh.’ He shoved her towards the car, and Polar turned and opened the rear door for her. ‘But don’t worry, baby.’ Swagger leaned forward and hissed wetly in her ear. ‘You’ll be begging me to let you burn when you find out what I got lined up for you.’
g
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CHAPTER FOURTEEN
Tom saw the smoke the second they rounded the corner into Woollard’s street. ‘That’s Woollard’s place! Come on!’
‘Firefighters are gonna be out in force here soon,’ Jasmine warned him. ‘The cops, everyone.’
