by Mel Todd
"Fact, I became a cougar. A huge impossible cougar, but I was me. That was not possible, but it happened, on video none the less, therefore it is possible."
The words hung in the quiet room, weighty and solid. And nothing she did could change them.
With a sigh, she sank back down, there weren't any answers and she didn't know if she had just done something to get herself fired, or worse maybe put in prison. Seeking to avoid any of those thoughts she gave in and flipped on the TV, the idea of a comedy or something distracting vaguely on her mind.
The TV snapped to life on news, and an image of her naked, the explicit bits fuzzed out, jumped out at her from the screen, and she scrambled to un-mute the TV.
"… here we see again the video record live of a police officer shifting into a huge cat, viciously killing two men, and then shifting back to a nude state. The video has yet to be verified by our experts, but so far it looks like the real thing. Given the other reports across the US and even into other countries this could be the first of many such sightings. The White House has remained silent on this issue so far." The news anchor, a man in a starched shirt and dark hair that looked like it had been molded into the up do, fell silent, reading something on his display. "I have news that this video has already gone viral, hosted by the Police! Website and has reached over a million views. At this time the name of the officer hasn't been released yet, but we expect to have her name shortly and hope to reach for an interview."
McKenna hit mute, her mind blank as the video showed her stripping out of her uniform, walking up to the bank, then shifting into a cat and moving faster than she could have believed, leaving two men dead as she stalked the third in under a minute.
She swallowed hard, the memory of the blood, the thrill of killing the men rushing through her, and she ran to the bathroom barely making it to the toilet before she threw up, retching mostly red tinted bile that made it worse as a part of her wanted more blood to run down her throat.
Shrinking from violence had never been an issue in her life. Her childhood had ensured she had no issue fighting for herself. But to almost get aroused at the thought of drinking the blood of another creature was hard to swallow.
With trembling fingers, she stood up, brushed her teeth and then headed back out into the living room and started digging for her phone. Why hadn't anyone called her?
Her phone, buried under her clothes she had dropped on a chair as she came in, was flashing missed called and messages.
Dammit, how the hell did I manage to mute it?
She scrolled through the missed calls. Most of them were from numbers she didn't know so she just ignored them. Two from JD, one from the station, and then a text from JD.
*I'm on my way over, you'd better be okay*
*I’m fine. Just had phone off.*
She typed rapidly, but he didn’t respond.
Crap, he’s probably almost here.
Her door thudded with heavy blows, and she headed to unlock it with a sigh.
JD stood there, tight t-shirt, utility kilt, and a grim look on his face. Relief flickered across it as she opened the door.
"Where in the world have you been? Why haven't you answered the phone?"
McKenna stepped back to let him in. He strode in, familiar with her house, heading towards the fridge for a beer. While she didn't drink the stuff, she usually had some cold for him. His kilt snapped a bit as he moved, but for once she didn't grin or take up the familiar joke of him wearing a skirt, and his offer to prove it was a kilt. They fit him though, making him look more like a warrior than an average person.
Neither of us seem to be average anymore, I'm a cat and he's a bear.
The thought still caused her brain to hiccup for all that she didn't let it slow her down.
"Phone got silenced, never heard any of them. Mostly just been sitting here thinking."
"Hmm," he tilted the beer back and took a long swallow. "Come to any conclusions?"
"Outside the fact that this is crazy as hell? No."
"Well, work wants us, and I suspect you don't have long before you have newsies parked in your parking lot."
"What?"
He looked at her the way you look at a particularly stupid animal. "Kenna, you have watched the TV, right?"
She shrugged. "I just flipped it on, saw the video of me in all my unglory on the news. And? They said other people have reported things happening."
JD looked at her, took a deep breath, and then in a slow cadence, something that always managed to piss her off when he pulled out his 'you're missing the obvious' voice, started to talk.
"You've gone viral. You're the first if not the only shifter to be captured on film from beginning to end shifting. You killed two men, rescued a child, and were naked. You're famous. People are already calling you the Shifter Queen and rallying around you. Reporters are starving to find out more about you, and people already want everything from you."
Her mind locked up, again, as she tried to process that, but no matter what she did the information seemed like it would only happen to someone else, someone beautiful, smart, sexy. Not McKenna Largo, orphan, beat cop, no one special. This was something she didn't know how to process, so she pushed it aside. It was stuff she'd deal with later.
"Work?"
"Yep, better get dressed, the Captain wants to see us. He's been blowing up my phone since they couldn't get a hold of you."
McKenna rolled her eyes. "It's been what two hours since we left the scene? We’re suspended. I think they'll live." But even as she spoke she headed back to her bedroom, digging for some clean clothes, something that made her feel good.
She pulled on a pair of form fitting jeans, a bra, and long sleeved collared shirt in dark red. The color made her smile. Maybe it would remind them of the blood she'd already spilled today, and the captain at least would calm down a bit. Her nerves were frayed enough she didn't know if she could handle him going off on her today. She sat down and pulled on her boots, her tax return splurge leather boots.
"JD?"
"Yeah?"
"If I start to change, you think I'll shred my boots?"
There was a pause and then his voice echoed from the kitchen. "Doubt it. Cougar paws should be smaller than your feet and just slip out."
McKenna cast another glance at her boots, then sighed and pulled them on. Walking back into the kitchen she gave him an evil eye as he put together a sandwich. "If they get shredded I'm blaming you."
"Hey, I didn't cause this. Cause really I would have chosen to turn into something cute and adorable, not a bear which is huge and terrifying."
"Well it does fit."
He cast her a mock glare and tossed a piece of cheese at her. She grabbed it and popped it in her mouth, and her knees almost buckled. The taste of the cheese triggered a wave of hunger she almost couldn't withstand.
She turned wide eyes to him, and he nodded. "Yeah first bite does that. I've already cleaned out my fridge. I was actually surprised to see food in yours."
It took an effort to not grab the sandwich from him and shove it in her mouth. "No, only had some whiskey, and it didn't trigger this."
"Here." He handed her the food, and she took a huge bite, for once not caring about the mayo he slathered on it, something she normally despised. Now she craved every bit of fat and protein she could shove into her mouth.
She'd never been a big eater, regardless of what the scale said, but now she couldn't seem to get the food into her mouth fast enough to satisfy the hunger that wracked her body.
"Here." She looked up from the last bite of food to see JD handing her more. "This should ease the worst of it, but I suggest we stop on the way to the station to get some more food."
McKenna didn't reply, just chewed and swallowed, feeling the ravening hunger start to fade. She was still hungry, but it wasn't the overpowering level it had been just minutes ago. The last few bites disappeared into her mouth and she sighed.
"I seem to be asking this
non-stop, but what the hell was that?"
JD shrugged, working on his own sandwich. "No idea. I came home, showered and grabbed some chips and a beer, and the second that chip hit my mouth I almost fell apart. It was like I had been starving but unaware of it until food hit my tongue. I cleaned out most of my kitchen, I guess I ate about six thousand calories and still that just seemed to blunt the hunger." He finished his food and McKenna swiped a bottle of water, thirst also seemed amplified.
Part of her just wanted to curl up and wail, but she had learned a long time ago that didn't change anything, so it wasn't worth the effort.
"We should get going, Colonel's chicken on the way?"
"Yeah. Though I hope this gets under control because otherwise my food budget is going to break me."
McKenna snorted. "That’s a bit extreme don't you think?"
JD frowned and shrugged. "Maybe. Let's go."
The ride in was spent listening to news reports, and nothing she heard made her feel any better. The reports were full of stories about people changing into animals across the US for sure, but that was only what they had heard so far. Most of Europe hadn't woken up yet, so who knew what information would start coming across.
Getting four large boxes of chicken each, surely that would leave them some to eat when this meeting was over, they headed towards the station.
"Is it just me or are the streets really vacant today?"
"It isn't you." JD said, his eyes tracking everything as he drove. Usually she made fun of his vehicle. A huge Hummer that didn't know the meaning of gas conservation, but this time she rather appreciated the weight and strength around her.
Rossville was a city of about a hundred thousand. It had low crime, high level of active people, and normally she loved its quiet streets and laid-back attitude. But today she swore she could hear the tension in the air, and the way everyone was looking at other people, as if everyone was an enemy about to pounce.
The station however was a hive of activity, but everything changed as they parked and walked towards the doors. Male and female officers stopped and looked at both of them, and the looks made her skin crawl. As a woman on the police force, being looked at sexually had quit bugging her years ago. But the looks were a mix of lust, fear, suspicion, and a few of naked greed that just felt wrong in a way she couldn't put her finger on.
"Do you think they've all seen the video," her voice a low murmur to JD as they walked in.
"Yes." His tone short, and if anything, it seemed like he was trying to block people from seeing her.
"Stop it." She snapped, her temper already frayed. "I don't need protecting. Let me do my job."
"I know." He sounded exasperated. "But this isn't your normal job and I'm not protecting you."
"Yes, you are. Stop it. I can deal with a few funny looks. And I'm a cop, at least for now, so it is still my job."
"Stubborn woman." He muttered but backed down and more and more people slowed to a stop to watch her as they went through the lobby.
"Yep. Stubborn and capable of doing my job."
The entered the office area, and the sergeant gave them a narrowed eyed stare. "Head on in, they're waiting for you in the Captain’s office."
McKenna arched an eyebrow at him but headed in anyhow. Most likely it was just their shift supervisor with the captain. It wasn't. Or at least not only the shift sup.
Their shift supervisor, Anne Holich, an older heavyset woman with short brown hair going gray. She sat in a corner, her face carefully neutral. A brisk nod at the two of them as they came in was the extent of her reaction.
The unpleasant surprise was Police Chief Thomas Marchant. An older man with steel gray hair, McKenna hadn't met him outside of one or two official functions, where their entire interaction probably consisted of ten words each. Having his gray eyes latch onto her as she entered and really see her, disconcerted her to a new level.
Captain Kirk sat on the edge of his desk, projecting calm confidence, but his gritted teeth gave away his annoyance with the situation. Everyone knew he wanted Marchant's job, and would do anything to manipulate his way to it. The joke in the department was he just didn't want to be 'Captain Kirk' and Chief Kirk had to be better and less fodder for jokes.
"Officer Largo, Officer Davidson," the chief said, his gray eyes not missing a thing, "Thank you for joining us. Please take a seat." While the words were gracious, the tone and the wave towards the aforementioned seats made it clear it had been an order.
Repressing an unusual flare of resentment McKenna sat. JD did too, but the seat creaked alarmingly as he wedged his bulk into it and smoothed down his kilt.
Marchant arched his eyebrow glancing at the kilt, his mouth opened, then shut, casting a glance at Kirk.
JD sighed. "My thighs are huge and most jeans won't fit. I have to have my uniforms specially altered so I can fit into them. For off hours this is more comfortable and easier."
Marchant processed that for a moment, then nodded. "Makes sense. Though that isn't really what we are here to discuss. " He turned his gaze on McKenna who had to resist the urge to squirm in her seat like a naughty school girl. Annoyed at her own reactions, she sat up straighter and met his look with an arched eyebrow of her own.
One corner of his mouth tilted up a bit, and he seemed to recalculate something in his brain. "You have a good record Officer Largo. Top 10% of your academy class, no complaints against you the entire time you've been on the force, and you've been short-listed for the detective exam. Both of you." He nodded at JD who looked as surprised as she felt. "This situation has taken us a bit by surprise and the unfortunate incident you were caught in has developed unexpected aspects."
"There was anything about this entire situation you expected?"
Marchant grimaced a bit. "We've had officers filmed doing their job before, and sometimes people have gotten killed. So, we thought we knew how to deal with that aspect. However, an officer turning into a giant cat and killing two people is a bit outside the norm."
McKenna choked, "A bit?"
"Far outside the norm," Marchant granted. "However, while that is something we are still working on, the truly interesting part is what happened after the Police! Camera crew uploaded that video on a video hosting site, it went viral. And I don't mean locally viral, I mean over a billion people have seen that video already."
She felt the blood leave her face and whispered, "A billion? You mean a million, right?"
"No. A billion and it is climbing. Right now, you are the hottest thing on the planet. And to be frank I plan on using your popularity. A few other interested people will try to do the same."
Okay really, I need to start tracking faster, I can't keep being caught flat footed but…
"What the hell are you talking about?" The words burst out of her mouth, and she didn't even have any guilt at not censoring them.
Chapter 5 - After Action
Information is filtering in from all over the globe. Reported changes from people in all walks of life, ages, and races. So far no one has seen a pattern though there may be a family connection. Right now, most of the focus is on a city in Northern California, called Rossville. A police officer, McKenna Largo was filmed shifting into a cougar. This seems to be the first recorded incident of this happening anywhere. As a cat two people were killed, and all of it caught on film. The video has gone viral at this point and no one has come forth with any proof it is a fake. ~ TNN News Channel.
Marchant’s smile, while not cruel, had a shark’s edge to it, and McKenna braced herself for information she really didn’t want to hear. “As I’m sure you’re aware, this was not a localized incident, and at this point most countries have reported some form of incident. US seems to have been hit first and the hardest. Data is still being gathered, but right now you’re the poster child for all of this.”
There was a lot she could tell he wasn’t saying, but for now she just filed it away. Instead, she just nodded for him to continue.
�
��First, we need to deal with the dead men, but given everything that was on camera, and the fact that camera man was too brave and intelligent,” Kirk choked a bit at that, “for his own good there is little doubt that he would have killed the boy. So, we are good on that, the question is, could you have done something else? Then we need to get this in front of the press. There is the fear issue that is moving like wildfire through the country right now, and the Governor has already contacted me asking that we do something to help assure people that you don’t turn into a ravening animal. Unfortunately, the average viewer watching your video, it seems like you attacked for the joy of killing.”
“I didn’t,” McKenna protested, the words slipping out before she could think twice about saying anything.
A half-smile flickered across Marchant’s face. “I didn’t really think you did, but can you tell me what happened. We need to hear it.”
McKenna swallowed and looked around. “Shouldn’t I have a lawyer here, my union rep?”
The police chief paused and shrugged. “Yes and no. This isn’t a formal inquiry, and nothing said here is being recorded or can be held against you. Mostly that’s because I, well we need to know. How in control are you?”
JD shot her a glance, and she shrugged minutely, closing her eyes while she ran over the options. “Let’s play this safe so that both the police department and I are covered. How fast can you get a lawyer in here for me and a union rep? So, it can all be on the record.”
Something odd flickered across the chief’s face, and he nodded. “Fast.” He turned to Kirk. “Let’s move this to one of the conference rooms. Order some food and drinks while we are at it. Get recording equipment, video, and we’ll cover all the bases.”
Kirk jumped into action, and Anne stood up. “Come on you two. We’ll head down there.” She didn’t say much as she led them to the conference room, only stopping long enough to grab her purse, a few legal pads, and some pens until they were in the room with the door closed.
“Smart move, McKenna.”
