Tina’s lungs filled with breath to produce a scream but whatever came from inside the home was too quick. Before she could make a sound, a flash of incredible strength placed a second hand over her mouth and dragged her inside. Tina’s eyes, wide as moons, darted from side to side as the powerful force pulled her. Although she didn’t know who it was or why they were there, she did know only one creature moved with strength and speed like this.
“Don’t make a sound, Tina,” the voice whispered.
***
In the pitch black, she couldn’t make out a face. The voice, on the other hand… though raspy and hushed… was not foreign to her. The familiarity of it took the edge off her panic, but not by a lot. As she struggled to make the connection in her mind, the would-be attacker slipped a gag in her mouth and in a flash, tied her hands together and pushed her down onto the couch.
Tina sat in the dark and struggled against the restraints as the invader moved away from her. She watched as his shadow, made long and angular by the moonlight outside, crossed in front of the living room window and back towards the front door. The door closed and the lights flipped on once more.
When they did, Tina’s eyes riveted towards the figure of man… tall and muscular… with black shoulder length hair. He stood there for a moment, leaned over towards the blinds and peeked out.
“Mmmmppphh,” she moaned into the gag. “Net nee nooo!”
“No… I’m not letting you go… not yet, anyway,” the stranger said as he turned to face her. “My sister…”
“Jerinho,” Tina stammered as she melted into the couch cushion in disbelief. “Jerinho!!!!”
The man pulled a handful of his hair to one side, walked over and knelt in front of her. “Yes, Tina… It’s me.”
Wide-eyed, Tina shook her head. Tears started to pool in her eyes.
“Here,” he began. “I’m going to take these things off you… Sorry I had to do this. I couldn’t afford to have you scream. You’ll stay quiet. Okay?”
Tina nodded her head. “Nes, nes!!” she muttered into the gag.
Moments later, free of the ropes and gag, she leapt into his arms and hugged him. She buried her face into the space between his shoulder and ear and kissed him. His aroma suggested he’d been on the move… for days at least. After several seconds, they broke free of one another and he helped her back down to the couch.
“Jericho!” Tina exclaimed. “What… how are you… I… we all thought you were dead.”
He lifted his index finger to his lips and walked away from her back towards the front door. Once he reached it, he slipped a finger between the blinds and peeked out them once again.
“Were you followed here?” he said as he moved his head from side-to-side.
Tina didn’t respond but instead just stared at him from behind. So much time gone by now… nearly a decade… and just like that, her only sibling stood not ten feet from her. There was so much to talk about and so many questions to answer. She had no idea where to even begin.
“Tina!” Jericho said as he looked back her. He clapped his hands together. “Hey!”
Tina blinked herself back into the moment.
“What?”
“Listen to me… Pay attention,” he said. “Were. You. Followed. Here?”
“No… I…” she stammered. “Some friends… they dropped me off. That’s it.”
For several more seconds, he remained silent and scanned the area in front of Tina’s house. At last, the blinds fell away from his fingers. He made his way back across the room and as he did, Tina jumped to her feet and hugged him again.
“I missed you so much,” she said as he pulled him close. “We have so much to talk about.”
Yet his torso felt rigid, uneasy. His embrace of her reserved, guarded. At last, he grabbed her upper arms and eased her away from him.
“What… what is it, Jericho?” Tina asked.
He reached up and made a quick swipe under his nose with his right hand. His eyes alternated between Tina’s and the front window of the home where he stood moments earlier.
“Tina,” he said as he returned his focus to her. “I want to catch up and renew our bond as badly as you, probably worse but… right now… you… we… are in danger.”
Tina looked at him in confusion. “What are you talking about?”
“They’re alive, Tina,” he said. “All of them.”
“What? Who is alive?”
“Tina,” he said as he shook his head. “Albert… Mom… the girls.”
“What?” Tina began. “Impossible… they attacked me and I shot them… I know they died and wait… how do you even know about that? Jesus Christ, Jericho, where have you been the last ten years? Where did you go?”
He shook his head. “We don’t have time for any of that right now. I promise I will tell you everything but before it’s too late, we have to get out of here.”
“I’m not going anywhere,” Tina said as she crossed her arms at her chest. “I’m not afraid anymore… I killed them all. I had no choice.”
Jericho shook his head.
“No. That’s what you don’t understand. They didn’t die,” he said. “They’re all still alive and now you are being hunted. It’s a matter of time before the clan’s enforcers find you… us. Shit… It may already be too late. Get your things.”
“No!” Tina exclaimed. “I’m not going anywhere, didn’t you hear what I said? I’d rather die than go back!”
He snatched her by the upper arm.
“I’m not asking you,” he snarled.
He dropped her arm and walked back over to towards the front door. Dumbfounded, Tina watched as he reached for the deadbolt. But, just as he began to turn the lock, the front door ripped open, nearly coming loose from the hinges. As it did, it struck Jericho and sent him to the floor. When he hit the ground, Max appeared through the door, pistol in hand and dropped his knee into Jericho’s back.
Jericho yelled out in pain and Tina screamed in confusion as the chaos unfolded in front of her.
“Max!” Tina yelled. “Don’t!”
Just then, Chuck appeared to her left. He moved into the center of the room, both arms straight, with his weapon aimed at Jericho.
“The back is clear,” Chuck said as he nodded at Max.
“Wait, don’t hurt him!” Tina cried out.
“Tina,” Chuck said as he looked at her. “Are you okay?”
“Yes,” she replied as she clasped her hands together in a prayerful gesture. “That’s what I’m trying to tell you. He’s not here to hurt me.”
“What about that?” Max said as he nodded towards the rope and gag on the floor.
“It’s nothing… look… please, he’s my brother,” she said.
“Huh?” Chuck replied. “But you told us at dinner your family was gone.”
“Yes,” Tina began. “I thought they were. I haven’t seen him for almost ten years… we all thought he was dead.”
“You heard her, meathead. Get off me,” Jericho muttered as Max leaned into him with his knee still pressed into his back.
Max drew the hammer of the pistol back and shoved the gray metal against Jericho’s temple.
“What the fuck did you just say to me pretty boy?” Max said.
“Fuck you,” Jericho replied.
“Max!” Tina yelled. “Please!”
Max climbed off Jericho and stood next to Chuck. Tina turned to her brother and said, “Jericho, can you give me a second… to talk to them. Just go down the hallway to my bedroom. Please.”
Jericho nodded and walked away without a word. After he’d gone into the bedroom, Tina turned back towards the brothers. She shook her head and looked down at the ground for a moment before she began.
“Look…” she said. “I…”
“Tina,” Chuck interrupted. “This… whatever is happening with your brother… it’s none of our business… we only came back to check on you when we saw the lights go out. But, and I know I speak for Max he
re, are you in trouble? I mean, do you need a place to stay?”
“No,” she lied. “I’m fine, really.”
“Yeah, you’re fine as in your own brother bound and gagged you fine… Is that what you’re sayin’?” Max asked.
“Uh, I know how it looks,” she began. “It’s a long story… I promise everything is okay. Really, you don’t have anything to be concerned over.”
The brothers glanced at one another and nodded.
“All right,” Chuck said. “If you say so… but if anything changes… you contact us. Got it?”
“Yes,” she replied.
After Tina said her goodbyes and locked the front door for the night, she kicked off her shoes and made her way down the hall towards her bedroom. As she walked, the carpet pushed up between her toes. Someone told her once that ‘making fists with your toes’ in carpet helped you to relax. Maybe it worked, maybe it didn’t but just in case, she flexed her feet back and forth as she lifted her hand to knock on the door.
She rapped against the wood and pressed her ear into it at the same time.
“Jericho,” she said.
There was no response. She waited for a few seconds and then tried again.
“Jericho,” she said once more, only a bit louder.
Still nothing.
After the second try, she grabbed hold of the knob and opened the door. The light from the hallway traced the path of the door as it swung in towards her bed. In the dark, she made out the shape of her brother’s legs as the hung over the side of it. The rest of his body lay stretched across the mattress as he came into full view… sound asleep.
Tina had half an inkling to wake him up in some startling fashion, as he’d scared her half to death not an hour before. Instead, she remained in the doorway and watched him for a moment as his chest rose and fell. A few seconds later, she turned the handle and pulled the door closed.
***
“Tina,” a voice called out to her in the midst of a fading dream.
She grunted and rolled over. Asleep on the couch, Tina resisted the intruder’s attempt to interrupt her slumber. For a few seconds, it seemed to work and she felt herself slip away again.
“Tina,” the voice said once more. Only this time, she sensed the presence of a hand upon her shoulder. The palm gripped her firmly and started to rock her back and forth.
“Come on… wake up… we need to talk.”
“Wha…” she mumbled. “No… I don’t want… leave me alone.”
As she finished, she felt a second hand join the first and rock her twice as hard as before. “Tina!”
Her head shot up.
“What!” she said as the morning light violated her vision. She turned to her right and through half blurred eyes saw the figure of a man next to her.
A man!
She recoiled and scrambled back into the couch.
“Hey… hey!” her brother Jericho said. “Take it easy.”
Awareness flooded back into her conscious mind.
“Shit… Jesus, Jericho. Don’t scare me like that.” She said as she clutched at her chest. “I forgot you were here and…”
As she spoke, Tina’s eyes widened and she leapt to her feet.
“Shit,” she stammered. “What time is it?”
“I dunno… five thirty I guess,” he replied.
“Oh,” she sighed. “Thank God. Okay, I still have plenty of time to get ready.”
“Ready?” Jericho said. “For what?”
“Um, work… what else?”
“Tina, we…” he began, but she stirred to life before he finished his thought.
Exhausted, Tina dragged herself up from the couch and hugged her brother. She leaned away from him and ran her fingers through his silken, wavy hair. Soft to the touch, her hands glided through it as she smiled.
“I still can’t believe you’re here,” she said. “Did you sleep okay in there?”
“Yeah,” he nodded as he looked back at her. Jericho’s eyes reminded Tina of her father’s. Dark, almost black, they reflected light like polished onyx. The cute young pup of her childhood transformed into a handsome, rugged wolf. His square jaw flexed as he looked up toward her before a small grin appeared in the corner of his mouth.
“You want some coffee?” she asked.
“Sure,” he replied. “Black.”
Tina patted him on the back as she walked by him and headed towards the kitchen.
“We, um… don’t have much time,” he said as she opened her pantry and scanned the shelves for the coffee filters.
“Hmm?” she replied without turning back to him. “Time for what?”
“To get you out of here.”
With the filters and coffee in hand, Tina guided the pantry door shut with her foot and turned back to face him.
“What are you talking about, Jericho?” she said. “Like I told you last night… I’m not going anywhere.”
“Well, you can’t stay here,” he said as he walked in her direction. “The pack’s enforcers… they will find you. It’s only a matter of time.”
After filling the reservoir with water, Tina opened the bag of ground coffee and started to scoop it into the filter. As she did, the strong aroma burst upwards from the bag. It was something she enjoyed, her first taste of a brand new day, unlike the conversation unfolding at the moment.
“Well, I don’t care,” she said. “I’m tired of running. Let them come.”
Jericho exhaled and leaned against the kitchen counter. “I’m not going to let that happen, Tina. Now you are coming with me, if I have to drag you kicking and screaming out of here.”
His words distracted her. She turned to respond but as she did her hand, which held the scoop, collided with the coffee maker. Dark brown flecks scattered across the kitchen counter in every direction while others spilled down onto the kitchen floor.
“Shit!” she exclaimed as she slammed the scoop down on the kitchen counter. “Look, Jericho… You can’t just show up here after all these years and expect me to do what you say. Not after everything I lived through there. I mean… you abandoned us! Why should I treat you any differently than I do any of them?”
Jericho sighed and took a seat in a chair nearby.
“You’re right, Tina,” he said as he looked up towards her. “You shouldn’t… but I didn’t abandon you.”
Tina scoffed.
“Well, what would you call it?” she said as she placed her right hand on her hip. “I mean… one day you’re there… the next you’re gone and until last night, I assumed you were dead. How would you react if you were me?”
“I know,” Jericho began. “But it only seems that way. I was… sent away.”
“What do you mean?” she asked as knelt down behind the counter and gathered the grounds into a small pile. “Who would send you away? Especially at such a young age?”
Jericho shrugged. “Father.”
Tina laughed as she stood up again. She leaned over the sink, dusted the remnants off her hands and then flipped on the coffee maker.
“Father sent you away?” she asked. “Is that what you are telling me? You really expect me to believe that?”
“Don’t care,” Jericho said as he leaned back in the chair. “He did and that’s the truth.”
Tina lifted a terrycloth towel from the countertop. Years of frustrated anger coalesced in her fingers as she squeezed it in her hands. She didn’t know whether to punch Jericho in the mouth or throw him out of her life forever. Instead, she dropped the wadded-up rag and turned back towards her brother.
“Okay, Jericho,” Tina said as she crossed her arms at her chest and leaned back against the kitchen counter. “I’m all ears.”
Jericho nodded as he looked up at his sister from the chair. He stood and pressed his hands together in front of his lips. He paused for a moment and then began to rub them together in a slow cadence as he considered his first words.
“You need to let me finish what I have to say,” he said.<
br />
“I will but you don’t have much time. I have to go to work.” Tina replied as she poured her first cup of coffee. “Here,” she continued as she nudged a full mug in his direction.
“Okay, okay,” Jericho nodded as he took a sip. “I’ll make it as short as I can. Thanks for the coffee.”
Tina nodded as he paced back and forth for a moment.
“Damn,” he said as he swallowed a large gulp. “There’s no simple way to say this so I’ll just get right to it.”
“Yes. Please.”
“Let me start by saying that I know for a fact that it was never Father’s intention to leave you or Mother behind,” he began. “It just worked out that way.”
Tina took a sip of her coffee and sat down. She crossed her legs at the knee as he continued.
“Anyway, one day he and I were out driving,” he said. “As far I as knew, he was taking care of pack-related stuff… the next thing I know he just kept going… driving for hours and hours… before I realized it we entered the territory of the Fenris clan.”
***
Tina leaned back in her chair and furrowed her brow. “The Fenris clan?”
“Yeah,” Jericho said. “I asked him what was going on… why we were there. All he told me was that everything would be fine and that I shouldn’t worry. Well, of course, I got very worried. An hour later, I’m surrounded by Fenris elders and Father’s telling me that I’ll be safe there and he’ll be back soon.”
Tina shook her head.
“Uh, I’m so confused,” Tina said. “Well, what happened when he came back?”
Jericho thrust his hands into the front pockets of jeans and looked down towards the floor. “That’s the thing, Tina. Father… he never came back. He died less than a week later.”
“Oh yes,” Tina began. “I remember now. In his sleep.”
“Or so you’ve been led to believe,” Jericho interrupted.
“What?” she asked. “What are you saying, Jericho?”
He shrugged.
“Rumors I’ve heard over the years. I know Father wanted to bring change to the pack. He felt that the direction it was going would bring it down. He believed that the further we moved away from our true nature as wolves, and towards the human way of life… well, let’s just say he didn’t want that for the pack. It wasn’t a popular decision among many there.”
She Howled, They Came Page 7
