WOLF (Wolf River Book 1)

by Alaska Angelini

  I heard the way his voice grew quieter toward the end. I glanced over at the parents again before looking back down at the floor.

  “Can I help with anything?”

  “Are you hinting to ride with me?”

  I frowned. “Yes. Maybe if we both keep our eyes out, we’ll find something.”

  There was a moment of silence before he continued. “I’m actually right down the road. I’ll come get you. Give me about two minutes.”

  “Thank you.”

  I hung up, grabbing my purse to sling over my shoulder. I was glad I was wearing jeans and a sweater. With my boots, I wouldn’t have to worry about heels if something did go wrong. And fuck if I couldn’t shake the feeling like all hell was about to break loose.

  “You leaving?”

  Gregory stepped away from Kitty as he began to walk over.

  “Yes. Detective Perkins is coming to pick me up. We’re going to drive around and look for them. Two sets of eyes are better than one.”

  “Morton is somewhere looking, too. I tried to stop him, but he was already out with friends. He wouldn’t listen to me. If you see him, will you tell him to get home?”

  “I’ll be sure to pass the word along.” The last thing we needed was a group of untrained young men, gung-ho and on some mission to stop some sort of creature that was so skilled in killing.

  I walked out of the door, just as headlights broke into the driveway. I jogged toward the car, climbing into the passenger side. Detective Perkin’s had dark circles under his eyes and his face was pale. He let out a cough and I cringed. “You’re sick.” It wasn’t a question, but a statement. He looked like shit.

  “Just a cold. Best keep your distance if you don’t want to catch it.”

  “I’ll be sure to do that. I can’t afford to be sick right now.”

  The car began to reverse and I took a deep breath as we headed down the road at a slow pace. We were both scanning the woods that rested on each side.

  “Detective, do—”

  “Please, call me Caleb. I think we’re over formality.”

  I nodded. “Okay, Caleb.” I paused, deciding on how to put my question. “Do you think the boys are okay? This isn’t a normal night here. Should I be preparing myself for the worst?”

  His eyes darted over, only to turn back to the woods. “You always have to prepare yourself for the worst in Wolf River. We have some false alarms, but they’re rare. Usually when a missing person is reported, there’s usually a reason.”

  “Jesus,” I breathed out. “I pray you’re wrong. How is Mr. Morrison going to take another one of his children being killed by this thing?”

  Caleb sniffled, but stayed quiet as we approached the main road. His outlook didn’t give me hope. I wasn’t sure what I was going to do if this job took a turn from a cold case to an active one in the form of another Morrison death.

  “I think I’ve been up and down this damn road twenty times. They’re smart enough not to go into the woods. Either someone picked them up, or…”

  “Stop the car,” I whispered.

  “What?”

  “Stop the car. I’m going to walk the distance. Maybe something will present itself and we’ll find clues or evidence to go off of. In truth,” I said glancing over, “this should have already been going on. We need people in the woods searching for those boys. We need officers here on the road combing the grass for traces they may have left behind. If they were attacked, there has to be some kind of evidence lying around. We’re talking about three boys.”

  Caleb’s eyes widened. “You don’t think I know that? You have no idea what you’re saying. No one is going to walk those woods. Even being by the highway poses a threat. Obviously! They’re gone. I’m betting ten to one, they didn’t jump in anyone’s car. No one is safe until the morning. But you don’t see that yet. You’re not from here. You haven’t gone through this month after month. Whatever is out there doesn’t just kill one person and is sated. The fucker does this for fun. I’ve seen twenty head of cattle slaughtered in one night. Aside from being shredded to pieces, it didn’t appear anything even ate from them. It’s not safe. Not out there and maybe not even in here.”

  My eyes narrowed as I took in his words. “We’re not talking about a bear are we?” When he didn’t answer, I stressed the question. “Are we, Caleb?”

  He exhaled loudly, coming to a stop on the shoulder. “There’s no such thing as werewolves.”

  “You say that, but it doesn’t appear you believe it.”

  “I don’t know what to believe anymore. I’ve headed up every case concerning these attacks since I started here. Do you know how many I’ve solved? None. None, Erin. My brother was fucking killed by whatever is out there and I can’t even find the son of a bitch that murdered him. Do you know how that makes me feel? What that does to me?”

  A round of coughing filled the car and I took in the anger and sadness on his face. How were we going to find the thing if this blanket of terror continued?

  “There have been hunts for this animal, correct?”

  “Yes, multiple times.”

  “What about during a full moon?”

  Caleb coughed, but groaned. “No. No one is looking to leave a widow or having a death wish.

  “But…” I closed my eyes knowing I was going to sound just as crazy as the people in this town. “Let’s just say hypothetically that what is killing people is a werewolf. That’s a man who turns into a wolf during a full moon. How do you expect to find him if not during the period in which he hunts for food?”

  He shook his head, slowly. “I can’t believe you just said that.”

  My hand shot up and I gave him a look. “Neither can I, but from what I gather, no one wants to say it out loud so I might as well. This creature kills during a full moon. It’s a full moon. We need to be out there looking for it instead of hiding from the damn thing. That’s why it continues to do this. We have to stop it before more people die. We have to go into the woods, Detective.”

  “Shit.” Caleb closed his eyes and rested his forehead on the steering wheel. “What a shitty time to be sick. Even if I wanted to, I’m not sure I can go traipsing through the woods feeling like I do. We’re talking life and death. You can’t go about it lightly. Besides, it’s only me and you. Sheriff will make excuses about searching in town, as will his deputies. We’re going to need more advance to plan this out if we’re going to do it right. It’s going to have to wait until next month. We can plan, then. We’ll be ready.”

  I couldn’t stop my head from shaking. “I’m sorry. I can’t just leave those little boys to fend for themselves out there in those woods. If no one else is willing to look, I have to go try.”

  “You’re going to go by yourself?”

  I shrugged, reaching for the door handle. “Give me a radio and a flashlight. You can sit out here and talk to me to make sure nothing happens.”

  “I can’t let you go out there by yourself!”

  “We’re wasting time arguing about this,” I snapped. “I’m going out there. You can go or stay. If you ask me, you should stay. You’re not feeling well and if something happens, one lost is better than two. We can’t both get killed. Then who is going to solve this mystery?”

  Another groan sounded and he popped the trunk. “I won’t allow you to go into the woods. I want to see you at all times. You stay by the road and search. There’s a flashlight, a rifle, and a big jacket in the back. I’m guessing I don’t need to ask if you know how to shoot one?”

  “You won’t find a better shot,” I said, opening the door. “If I see anything coming after me, I’m blasting the fuck out of it. Feel free to shoot, too. This thing likes multiple victims. If I don’t take it down and it gets me, you can bet your ass it’s coming for you next. Heart and head, Caleb. Don’t miss.”

  “I won’t.” He gestured to the back and I threw him a grin, shutting the door. The light illuminated from the trunk and I lifted the top higher as I began to go throug
h everything.

  The jacket was on top and mid-way to grab it, I noticed a spare bullet proof vest in the back. My mind swam at the sight. This thing didn’t have a gun, but its claws were weapons. Anything to put resistance between it and me would work better than nothing at all. I put it on, pulling the jacket on next. It swallowed me, but it was warm. With the temperature dropping, I knew I’d need it.

  I grabbed the rifle, checking to see if it was loaded before I picked up the flashlight. The click from the bright light sounded and I tried not to think about anything but the boys. They were out here somewhere and what if they were hurt. What if they needed help?

  “Erin.”

  My head spun toward Caleb as I passed his window.

  “You’re braver than I thought. If you hear anything. Anything whatsoever that doesn’t sound right, you get your ass to the car. There’s talks of growling. Of moaning of some kind. Don’t try to analyze what you’re hearing. Run.”

  “Alright.”

  I took off at a slow pace, panning the flashlight back and forth the fifteen feet that separated the road from the edge of the forest. Trash was randomly buried in the dead grass, but aside from old bottles and the random, faded wrapper, I didn’t see anything.

  Minutes passed by as time dragged on. I knew I was a little over halfway to the store. There wasn’t a stone I was leaving unturned as I tried to be as thorough as I could. My ears took in every little sound in the area, listening for a yell or cry from one of the boys. But I heard nothing. Even the birds were absent. It wasn’t until I reached the overpass that covered the river below, that I heard it.

  What at first I thought was a clicking noise, turned into something more. Wet sounding. I glanced at the darkness below, knowing the river wasn’t what I was hearing. Caleb’s window was down and his face was illuminated by the dash lights. He was staring at me curiously. My hand came up and I saw his questioning expression harden and turn to anxiety as I pointed below the underpass. The gesture of his finger from him to the bridge told me he was asking me if I wanted him to get out. I quickly shook my head. The more I heard, the more fearful I was becoming. Wet…tearing. Not clicking—tearing. Fuck.

  My pulse was slamming into my chest as I held tightly to the rifle. Each step was slow and calculated. I didn’t want to make a sound to disturb whatever was underneath. And there was something there. A slight growling had my body jolting to a stop. I wanted to run. Wolf, bear, whatever it was, I was betting it was faster than I was. But I had to see. I had to know what we were dealing with.

  I kept the lighted end of the flashlight pointed to the ground and angled behind me as I moved forward into the darkness. As I came to where I anticipated I’d get a view beneath the bridge, I stopped my approach. I wouldn’t go further. I’d shine the light underneath and depending on what I saw, I’d either shoot, or run like hell. With the angle, I didn’t think I’d be able to get a shot off. Not an accurate one anyway. I knew the area where they were located would be slanted down so I had to angle the light right the first time. There was no room for mistakes. Not when I didn’t know what I was dealing with.

  My entire body was shaking as I crouched and leaned forward. The opening between the beginning of the bridge and where I stood wasn’t very large. Maybe two feet wide. I swallowed hard, spinning the flashlight beam into the space. Words, thoughts, a scream … nothing would come as I was rooted by terror.

  Not ten feet and a little ways down, a body was sprawled out on the cement. Two bodies weren’t but a few feet from that one. The furthest one away was surrounded by two wolves whose faces were matted with blood, and a … thing crouched between them. It was covered in black hair. It was so large that my mind couldn’t fathom the size. It was hunched over a little boy’s body, holding what I knew to be a looped coil of intestines in its hand. Wetness glinted over its wide muzzle and its large, black eyes were pinned right on me. A grunt of some sort came from its mouth. My skin turned ice cold as the wolves began to growl and bare their sharp teeth.

  “Caleb!”

  My scream tore from me in a high pitched tone, echoing as I was already spinning around and running for my life. The door to the cruise flung open, but slammed shut as his eyes widened. I could hear something behind me getting closer.

  “Shoot! Shoot!”

  His gun pushed through the window and a shot exploded. It matched the force of my heartrate. For the briefest moment, I thought he’d shot me, but I was still running, flying around the front of the car, a wolf crumpling almost at my feet. As I turned, I saw the second wolf was gaining on me. Another shot went off and it fell, sliding against the earth at the force from its speed.

  I jerked opened the door, diving in.

  “Go!”

  Caleb didn’t question me as he stomped on the gas. Tears streamed down my face as the first sob ripped its way free.

  “What the hell is going on?”

  I tried to catch my breath as images of the creature projected in my mind. For the life of me I couldn’t get words to come. Just my hysteria. I turned in my seat, searching the darkness for the monster to come out. For it to be running after us. But I didn’t see anything.

  “There’s three bodies. It has to be the boys. I think they’re dead. All of them.”

  “Under the bridge? From the wolves?” Fear and impatience laced his tone and I turned back around, nodding, but ultimately shook my head.

  “Yes, but something else was down there with them. Something… It was … eating the inside of one of the boy’s stomach. Oh, fuck. Fuck, I can’t breathe.”

  Caleb’s eyes widened even more and he reached for his radio. As he spoke, I heard none of it. I kept seeing the creature. Seeing the way it was looking at me—the way it ordered those wolves to attack me.

  “Tell me what you saw. What did it look like?”

  My head slowly turned in his direction and I managed to calm myself enough to stop the current sobs that were wanting to come. I couldn’t react this way. It was unprofessional. Shock, it had triggered the reaction before, but I couldn’t let him see me like this anymore.

  “It was what they say—part man, part …animal. Caleb.” I couldn’t stop shaking my head. “It had arms and legs and it was covered in hair. But its face was that of a dog or wolf. It had a muzzle. Big eyes. It was crouching, not standing on four legs or sitting. It was eating that boy.” I grabbed the gun, pulling it further up to me. “We have to go back. I’m not for certain. The others may not be dead. We can still help them.”

  The car turned around in the parking lot of the convenient store, but Caleb put it in park.

  “We’re not going anywhere near that scene until we have backup. The sheriff and his men are on their way.”

  Coughing filled the interior and Caleb brought his head back to the wheel.

  “Are you okay?”

  Before he could answer me, the door flung open and he started to throw up. My stomach turned even more and I wasn’t sure if I was getting sick too or if it was because of what I’d witnessed.

  “You shouldn’t be here,” I said, lowly. “Jesus, you’re so sick. That’s no cold, Caleb. Maybe you’re getting the flu.”

  “Maybe,” he answered, lifting and wiping his mouth. “Fuck, I knew I should have called in. Kind of glad I didn’t though,” he said, looking at me. “Now we know the truth.”

  “The truth?”

  “It wasn’t a bear attack that killed my brother.” He paused. “Which means… Alex,” he breathed out.

  “Alex?” I repeated.

  The car tore out of the parking lot and I held to the door, fear overwhelming me. Detective Perkins didn’t have to say his suspicions. I knew what he was implying, I just couldn’t believe it.

  “We don’t know if it was a werewolf,” I shouted. “It could have been anything. A mutated bear. A... We just don’t know.”

  “Bullshit,” he snapped. “I’m going to see Alex right now and if he’s not at home, we’ll know.”

  “
He’s not at home,” I countered. “He’s working out of town.”

  Caleb threw me a glance and a sarcastic laugh. “Alex doesn’t work out of town, Erin. He doesn’t work!”

  “What do you mean? Of course he does. How else would he afford to live if he didn’t?”

  “It’s complicated. He sells his lumber, he’s very self-established to survive … just listen to me, he doesn’t work out of town.”

  Nausea. Yes, I was going to be sick, too.

  I rolled down the window, heaving through the slightest possibility that that thing could have been him. No, it wasn’t possible. I’d kissed him. I’d let him…

  Again, I heaved, trying to push away the clash between memories of us and those kids.

  The car slid sideways as we turned onto the dirt road. The siren was going now, so loud it was echoing in my ears. Jolting sent me crashing into the seat from Caleb’s speed and I held on as he pulled into Alex’s driveway. The lights inside the cabin were off and the house was dark. I knew no one was home. His truck wasn’t even here.

  “Stay in the car.”

  Caleb got out and so did I. He threw me a look, pausing for only a moment before he stayed quiet and walked up, pounding on the door.

  “I told you, he said he was going out of town for work. He left yesterday. Isn’t it possible he was telling the truth?”

  “Why are you so quick to defend him? You saw that thing!”

  “I did,” I yelled back. “And I’m telling you, it wasn’t him. Alex Villani was just as much a victim as those boys and your brother. Just because he survived doesn’t mean he turned into one too. Besides, he saw what attacked him and it wasn’t one of those. It was a bear. A really, big … bear.”

  But didn’t I just say it could have been a mutated bear? I had said it, but I didn’t believe my words. I knew that was no bear. What if Alex had seen the same thing and that was the best way he knew how to express it? He had been injured. He could have thought it was a bear in his state of mind.

  “Alex doesn’t know—”

  The door opening had both of us spinning in the direction.