The Curse of Moose Lake (International Monster Slayers Book 1)

by Bethany Helwig

  It’s pitch black except for the red glow of the exit lights and the little indicator lights on the ovens. If I turn on the lights it’ll give away my position. In those few moments I’ll be vulnerable, but if I keep going in the dark the werewolf will have the advantage with its better night vision.

  I hear sniffling and the quiet groans of a person in pain. Ashley. Taking my chances, I feel along the wall, crouch down to hide behind the stainless steel counter, and flick on the light switch. The glare is brilliant and I squint against it. There’s a thunderous crash of pots and pans and I look up just in time to see the black wolf leaping for me. I fire off a single shot but it goes wide over the wolf’s shoulder. I roll out of the way as it crashes to the floor where I was a moment ago and try to fire again but the slide locks back in place. The gun is empty.

  The wolf snaps its jaws forward aiming for my throat. I kick it hard in the chest before it gets too close and send it backwards into a stainless steel table. Utensils fall around it and a bucket topples down to sit on its head like a helmet, momentarily blinding it. As it untangles itself, I scramble to my feet and sprint past the row of ovens and racks. I grab one and wrench it down behind me to block the way. The wolf snarls and gnashes its teeth as it rips the bucket off its head. At the end of the row I find Ashley lying in a pool of blood clutching her arm to her stomach and moaning. She’s alive at least.

  The wolf is coming but it’s not going to get her—not my one friend in this stupid school. I spin around and plant myself in front of her. I hold out both hands and with every ounce in my body will the monster to stop. It clambers over the fallen rack and leaps for me so I bend my knees and brace myself. My hands meet its throat, I lean my head to the side to avoid its teeth, and then shove as hard as I can. The wolf slams into the wall, dazed. Breathing hard, I stretch my hands out towards it once more.

  “Stop!” I shout. “You try touching me or my friends again and I’ll snap your neck. You aren’t going to hurt anyone else ever again.”

  The wolf is rising and I’m pouring out my heart and soul trying to calm or stop it with what power there is in me. It twitches and shakes it head trying to fight the surge I’m sending it. Fever chills instantly crawl up my back and I’m shaking on my legs. I’m burning from the inside out but the wolf is still coming towards me.

  “Stop,” I wheeze. “Just stop. Stop.”

  A loud pop makes me jump and a shudder ripples through the black wolf. Two more pops. It teeters on edge with three tranquilizer darts in its shoulder, sways left then sways right, and collapses in a lump on the floor. I stumble backwards and catch myself on the edge of the counter. Blood drips into my mouth so I run the back of my hand under my nose to block the flow.

  Framed in the doorway at the other end of the kitchen is Hawk slowly lowering his gun. His eyes are dark and dangerous. When they finally meet mine, they’re practically sparking. Then the spell snaps and he rushes forward. I sink to the floor next to Ashley and brush Hawk off when he tries to help me first.

  “We’ve got to give her the serum,” I say between sharp breaths.

  Pixies, she’s lost a lot of blood. We need to get her out of here and into the hands of a doctor. Tucking my arms underneath her, I haul her up. I stagger a bit but manage to get my shaky legs under me. It’s not that I can’t handle her weight but fighting the black wolf really took it out of me.

  “Cover us incase there’s another psycho around,” I mutter to Hawk.

  He doesn’t argue and guides the way back to the gym. The screams have mostly stopped to be replaced by cries of pain and sobbing. In the distance police sirens pierce the night. Well, that’s just great. Agent Moore kneels next to a boy on the floor while talking rapidly into his cell phone. Jefferson walks in carrying a black box. Once we reach the others, I gently set Ashley on the floor.

  Jefferson unloads his black box full of serum syringes and pain medication. While Agent Moore and one of the Smith’s head off the police in the parking lot, we distribute serum injections to all of those bitten. We’re fast and the injections are applied within the time window. They’ll be changing within the hour but they won’t be monsters, only terrified. Terror is something we can help them with. The black wolf may have struck a blow but he lost the battle. We got him.

  Ashley comes back to her senses after I give her an injection and wind a strip of gauze around her wounded arm. Her eyes flutter open and there are streaks of mascara on her face. One of her elf ears hangs lopsided off her head and the other is simply missing.

  “It was a wolf, you know,” she breathes. “A werewolf. Our stupid sociology teacher.”

  “I know.”

  Her eyes bulge at my acceptance of such insanity so quickly. “You do?”

  “I’ll explain later, but you’re going to be fine. You’re going to change but you’ll be fine. That’s what matters.”

  She pinches her eyelids shut. “I think I really don’t like Love Moon so much anymore.”

  I let out a shaky laugh. “At least some good came out of this then.”

  Chapter 27

  I never realized how much of a fiasco it is when the IMS clashes with ordinary police. Agent Moore is in a shouting match for the longest time with the sergeant, then the chief when he shows up, and there’s a lot of explaining to do. Agent Moore concocts some story about weaponized rabies in a pack of wolves and blah, blah, blah. The ambulances arrive and those bitten are loaded up to be overseen by specialized caretakers when they change. The unconscious wolves are packed in the back of three animal control vehicles which will divert to Jefferson’s cabin so they can be processed.

  I help load the black wolf in the largest cage. Neither Jefferson nor I are careful about it. I still can’t believe we’ve finally caught him. Everything was such a rush earlier that it doesn’t seem real. It almost happened too fast. That feeling of accomplishment and justice I’m hoping for hasn’t hit home yet. Then again, I don’t know if I’ll ever get that feeling. The IMS team will be taking him to Underground and we may never know why Webster did what he did.

  With this whole thing at an end, it’ll only be a matter of time before the bad news is delivered. For now I try to focus on the clean up but it’s difficult knowing that each hour is counting down to an uncertain life where I’ll never get my badge.

  After some more explanations and statements with the police, three black SUVs from the IMS along with a helicopter show up and take over managing the situation at the high school. We’re finally excused and the three of us pile into Jefferson’s truck. We share a moment of silence and exhaustion before we follow the animal control vehicles back to our base of operations.

  It’s well past midnight once we get there so Jefferson turns on all of his floodlights outside. Agent Moore and three new IMS agents pull the black wolf out and put him in chains in the barn. We all wait around for him to wake up. Jefferson and I lean against the Green Monster and watch. We’re not allowed to participate anymore. More agents show up to drive the other teenage werewolves off to be questioned and checked out at Underground. I wonder how many of them will be charged for what they did under Mr. Webster’s control. They don’t take Mr. Webster just yet because the Smiths are loading up copies of our files; otherwise, we wouldn’t even get to witness this part. One of the specialized caretakers eventually comes to report that those freshly turned are doing fine and more agents are watching over them for the time being.

  At last, when the night is deepest, the wolf twitches awake. His yellow eyes appraise us and the chains on all four paws. He heaves a great sigh then convulses as his body changes back into human shape. His bulk condenses in spasms into Mr. Webster wearing that hideous brown and orange sweater. I can’t believe the black wolf is really him, even after everything. This is the mastermind?

  His thinning hair is in disarray and he settles into a cross-legged position with as much dignity as he can muster. He holds up his chin and his gaze passes over all of us, stopping longer on me than anyone.r />
  “Mr. Webster,” Agent Moore begins, crouching down so he’s at eye level with him. “You’re under arrest for multiple charges of assault, murder, attempted murder, kidnapping, and a string of other federal violations we’ll get into later. Under the provisions of the Dragon Pact, you may be held without representation for an indefinite period of time.” He rattles off a series of rights Mr. Webster has under the Dragon Pact and Federal Title 51.

  “Rights. Powers. Detention,” Mr. Webster scoffs. “You’ll never be safe from me, you fools. I’ll come back for my children.”

  “Why?” I ask and Agent Moore shoots me a dirty look. “What was the point of any of it?”

  “Power is power,” he sneers. “Those under my command will obey me to whatever end. And those that get in the way . . . well, you know how that goes.”

  My breathing hitches and I take a step forward. Surprisingly, it’s Hawk that holds me back this time. He shakes his head and walks me outside. I’m fuming and grabbing at my hair. I let out a shout of my built up rage and pick up a rock from the gravel driveway to hurl into the forest.

  “It’s over, Phoenix,” Hawk says. “It’s over. He’s going to be locked up. We get justice for our parents.”

  “Right. Yeah. Then why doesn’t it feel like it?”

  I go and sit on the hood of the old truck and stare off to the woods. Hawk comes to sit beside me. We stay there as the agents finally pack up and haul Mr. Webster into the back of their SUV to escort him to Underground. Jefferson walks them out to their vehicle and they exchange frosty farewells. I wait for them to drop the bad news about our termination but they don’t say anything. They probably think we aren’t worth the effort and we’ll get a letter in the mail. They drive away and it’s suddenly too quiet.

  Jefferson walks over to lean against the bumper of the truck. The only sounds are the birds in the trees and the creak of branches in the cold breeze. The first traces of dawn touch the sky to the east.

  “Is that it?” I ask. “Now what do we do?”

  “We check on all the new werewolves, make sure they get the serum and understand what their lives will be like from now on. Then we need to find Dr. Rosewell, Deputy Graham, and everyone else who’s still missing. They’ll probably send an agent or two back to help once they take care of the lot they took to Underground.”

  “Can we at least catch some sleep before then?”

  “Yeah, I second that,” Hawk says. “Trying to save a city is exhausting.”

  Jefferson chuckles and we all head indoors. For once I’m able to fall asleep immediately but we’re not allowed peace for long. In the afternoon we’re woken by the Agent Smith with glasses who’s returned to help us sort out the mess like Jefferson said. We head to a farmhouse where the new werewolves are currently being housed by another resident werewolf until they’ve adjusted. The serum’s done its job and without the black wolf’s influence, they’re all in their right minds. Ashley starts jabbering away as soon as I arrive. She wants to know all about werewolves and can’t believe Jason was one the whole time and how we need to hang out more.

  Once we check that off our list, we spread out in pairs to check on the werewolves we know about that either weren’t involved in the attack at the high school or have already been questioned and released by the IMS. Quite a few are detained in Underground after having confirmed they bit people. Hawk insists on putting some distance between him and me just to make sure there’s no lingering influence from the black wolf in his werewolf genes and Jefferson agrees. So, Agent Smith tags along with me as we go to visit Ben and his mother. Ben answers the door looking better than he has in a long time.

  “Hey!” he says and flashes a smile. “I’m so glad to see you’re okay.”

  “Yeah, I’m peachy,” I say and rub at my eyes. “What about you, Ben?”

  “Better. Lots better. I mean, I feel horrible about what happened at the dance and can’t remember much but, yeah. Better now.”

  “Good. And your mom?”

  He points upwards. “She’s in her room. We’re all good. Whatever you guys did, thank you.”

  “Sure thing, Ben. Keep your nose clean, okay?”

  He closes the door and Agent Smith and I trot down the steps. He reaches for the car door but misses the handle. He laughs to himself and wipes at the corner of his eyes.

  “I could use some sleep,” he says.

  “Couldn’t we all.”

  We get into his black SUV and he fumbles getting the seatbelt to latch. He swears under his breath and pats his face to wake himself up. We rumble along to the next house on our list where Matt Jones lives.

  “So, are you guys going to celebrate?” Agent Smith asks.

  “Celebrate what?”

  “Your victory! Your help was invaluable during that confrontation. You should celebrate your victories.”

  I stare at him. He was never this cheerful or nice before. That, and he’s making it sound like we should celebrate because it’s the last chance we’ll have before he has to inform us we’re all screwed by the IMS. “Yeah. We should do that.”

  “We could go see a movie or get some take out or . . .” He’s so focused on talking to me that he starts to veer off the road. I grab the wheel and yank us back onto the pavement. He shakes himself and has trouble keeping the lane.

  “Are you sure you should be driving?” I ask. I just survived an attack last night. It would be embarrassing to die in a stupid car crash now.

  “I’m fine. Really.”

  It’s an awkward rest of the day, going door to door and handing out serum injections that Agent Smith brought back with him from Underground. At least all of the werewolves have returned to their normal lives. Things are almost peaceful. An ideal town full of people waving to their neighbors and smiling. Seems a little forced to me but maybe I’m just crabby. Spending a day on the town with Agent Smith is not my idea of fun.

  At last when the sun sets, we all meet back up at the cabin. We’re each shuffling around drowsy. I don’t want to sit down because I’ve got this nagging feeling in the back of mind like I’m forgetting something. Everything is just so . . . incomplete. I sit in the lone chair in front of the computer that doesn’t work. Hawk sits on the table about to nod off beside me. Jefferson starts a pot of coffee despite the hour. Then there’s Agent Smith bouncing up on his toes as he paces.

  “Here,” Jefferson says and passes a cup to him. Agent Smith takes it very deliberately and sniffs at it. Jefferson passes us cups too and we sit or stand around in silence sipping the steaming coffee.

  I spin my cup in circles between my hands. “I don’t get it.”

  “It’s coffee,” Hawk says pointedly. “You’re supposed to drink it.”

  “Not that, smart alec.” I shove at his legs dangling over the table. “I meant the whole . . . the whole everything. The dance, the attack, the building an army, and then giving up so easily. And his explanation. It doesn’t sit right with me.”

  Agent Smith nods. “Sometimes it’s hard to feel true closure after you’ve solved a case. A criminal’s motives can be so strange it’s often hard to believe that’s really all there is to it. But it’s over. We caught him and that’s what’s important. Don’t worry, you’ll have plenty more cases to solve in the future to keep you occupied.”

  My coffee cup slips from my hands and splashes hot liquid all over the floor, including the agent’s shoes. He jumps back and Hawk hops off the table to grab paper towels.

  “I’m sorry, I—w-what did you say?” I stutter. I couldn’t have heard that right.

  “I said more cases will come to you so don’t worry about it.”

  “But I thought—” I glance to Jefferson and Hawk. They never knew what Witty told me about the plans the IMS had for us, or more like lack thereof. We are the designated troublemakers and were to be tossed away like garbage. “They really want us to keep working cases?”

  “Of course!” He smiles and raises his cup towards me. “I said we oug
ht to celebrate, didn’t I? Hey, how about you go pick up some snacks, Phoenix? Hawk, you want to run to the video store with me and grab a movie to watch?”

  Hawk straightens from mopping up the coffee. “Jefferson, do you even have a T.V.?”

  “In back.” He continues to sip his coffee. “I think it still works.”

  “Well, then, yeah. Sure. Why not?”

  “Great!” Agent Smith rubs his hands together. “You and I can take my car. We’ll race you back, Phoenix. Let’s go.”

  I get up with a sigh and hold my hand out to Jefferson. He passes me the keys to the truck without argument. I guess he doesn’t mind the idea of movie night. Despite how tired I am, I don’t think it’s so bad either. I haven’t watched a movie in ages, and Romeo and Juliet at school definitely does not count.

  Hawk and Agent Smith pull out ahead of me before I throw the truck into gear. It rumbles to life, I tune the radio to an oldies station, and pull out. I’ve become familiar enough with Moose Lake so I know where to go and make for the closest gas station in town. A light snow starts to fall and flickers in the headlights. Guess the snowstorms will be starting early.

  The town’s quiet and there’s hardly anyone on the main road. I park next to a red pickup at the gas station and browse the aisles for snacks. I load up with Skittles, chocolate, popcorn, and root beer. There’s a thin blonde woman I keep bumping into in each row. I think I catch her watching me out of the corner of my eye but when I face her she’s reading candy labels. A trucker in a plaid shirt flips through a hotrod magazine in another aisle and his eyes follow me too.

  I dump my load on the counter and pay for the snacks, checking over my shoulder to find the man and woman still aimlessly browsing without actually picking anything out. I thank the cashier, a kid I vaguely recognize from school, and hop in the truck. I rip open the Skittles to start eating them and sit with the engine rumbling, keeping my eyes on the people in the store through the windows. They haven’t moved an inch since I came outside. I put the Skittles down and throw the truck into reverse.