THE HOWLING II

by Gary Brandner

  Chris pulled out a chair for her and signaled the waiter.

  "I don't think you'll like the coffee in Mexico, Karyn," Audrey said. "It always tastes like they left it brewing overnight. Chris and I usually have the tea."

  "That's all right," Karyn said, returning the younger woman's smile. "I like my coffee strong."

  The waiter brought a muddy black brew in a heavy mug. Karyn sipped at it and made a show of enjoying the taste.

  For the next few minutes Chris made an awkward attempt at small talk while Karyn responded politely and noncommittally. Audrey ate in silence, alert for any vibrations between Chris and Karyn.

  Finally Chris ran out of inconsequential remarks. He said, "I, uh, don't suppose you're down here by sheer coincidence."

  "No," Karyn said. "I came looking for you."

  "Well, you found me."

  "It couldn't have been easy," Audrey put in.

  "It wasn't," Karyn admitted.

  An edgy minute of silence dragged by.

  "Are you staying here at the hotel?" Audrey asked finally, holding her smile in place.

  "I'm not sure yet," Karyn said. Abruptly she turned to Chris. "I have to talk to you."

  "I suppose that means alone," Audrey said, her smile gone brittle.

  "If you don't mind too much," Karyn said. "I'm sure you can spare him for a few minutes."

  "Oh, I suppose I can." Audrey stood up and stretched her lithe young body. She walked behind Chris's chair and traced a forefinger along the back of his neck. "I'll be in our room, darling."

  Chris's eyes followed her as she walked out.

  "Pretty girl," Karyn said when they were alone.

  "Yes," Chris said, dismissing the subject. "What's happened?"

  Karyn looked around the dining room. The orderliness of the place and the well-dressed, well-mannered guests enjoying lunch seemed inappropriate for what she had to tell.

  "Can we go somewhere else?"

  "Sure." Chris signed the check and they walked out of the hotel and down across the beach. They passed the somnolent sunbathers and continued to the wet, packed sand at the water's edge. They walked on to where the sandy beach ended and there were rocks in the surf, and the jungle grew right down to the sea. They sat down on a big rock and watched the incoming waves churn into a green and white froth.

  "Do you remember the fire at Drago?" Karyn said, looking out to sea.

  "Could I ever forget it?"

  "And afterward, how we heard the howling and knew that not all the wolves had died?"

  "We don't know that for sure, Karyn. What we heard might have been coyotes or something, and not those—creatures from Drago."

  Karyn shook her head. "No, it was the werewolves. I know, because they've come for me."

  As calmly as she could, Karyn told him about the things that had happened since she first had the feeling of being watched, less than a month ago in Seattle. She told of seeing Roy in the shopping mall, of the death of Mrs. Jensen, of the flight to her parents' home in Los Angeles and the signs that the wolves had followed her there, too.

  Chris sat for a long moment when she had finished her story. Finally he said, "And you think one of them who's come for you is Roy?"

  "I'm sure of it. I saw him."

  "You couldn't be mistaken?"

  "No. And that woman, Marcia Lura, is one of them too."

  "Are there any more?"

  "I don't know. I don't think so. Just the two of them."

  There was another heavy pause before Chris spoke again. "All right, what do you want me to do?"

  Karyn turned away suddenly, trying not to cry. "I—I don't know, Chris. I came here because I didn't have anyone else. I can't fight them alone."

  Her control crumbled then and she began to sob. Tears spilled freely down her cheeks. Chris put an arm around her and eased her head down on his shoulder.

  The words came tumbling out between sobs. "This isn't fair to you, Chris. This isn't your fight. You don't owe me anything. I ran away from my husband and our little boy because I was afraid that if I stayed they'd be hurt. Now I've come here and probably put you in danger. I'm so sorry. I just didn't know what else to do." She made an effort to pull free. "I'll leave now, before anyone gets hurt. I'll go back to—I'll go somewhere. I should never have come."

  Chris pulled her head back against him. "Cut it out. Of course you had to come to me. There's nobody else who knows these creatures exist, who has seen what they can do. Now settle down, and we'll think of something."

  Karyn relaxed and let herself lean against him. Slowly her sobs quieted. She sat up and borrowed his handkerchief to dry her eyes.

  "Is there anything we can do, Chris? Can we really fight them?"

  "We fought them before," he said. "We just didn't finish the job. Do you think they've followed you here yet?"

  "I haven't seen any signs, but they seem to know my movements."

  "Well, let's assume we have a little time, anyway. We'll get you checked into the hotel now, and tomorrow we'll start making plans."

  They stood up together, and for a moment each looked deeply into the other's eyes. Chris's arms went around her, and Karyn without thinking pressed her body against him. He kissed her long and deeply, and she could feel him becoming aroused.

  It was Chris who stepped back first. He said, "Let's go see about getting you a room."

  They walked back across the beach to the hotel without speaking.

  Señor Davila, the manager, was all gracious attention now. "Ah, señora, you are in luck. This is our busy time of the year, but we do have one late cancellation. Cabana Number 12. I can put you in there."

  "Which one is that?" Karen asked.

  "It is at the far end of the row where Señor Halloran has his."

  "You have nothing here in the main building?"

  "I am sorry, señora."

  "That's all right. I'll take it."

  Chris squeezed her arm. "I'd better go and square things with Audrey. I think she's a little ticked off at being left alone. We'll see you at dinner."

  Karyn completed her registration, and a handsome boy of about seventeen, who introduced himself as Roberto, carried her bag along the path to her cabana. Inside it was not lavish, but it was clean. There was a double bed, bureau, night table, and two chairs and a settee of wicker. Roberto showed her the small closet and the bathroom, and demonstrated how to open the window and operate the heater. Karyn tipped the boy and promised to ask for him personally if there was anything she needed.

  As Roberto went out, a young maid with sparkling eyes and lush, moist lips came in with fresh towels. A look flashed between the two young people that told Karyn they were much more than friends.

  When the girl left Karyn kicked off her shoes and stretched out on the bed. She closed her eyes and let her mind drift, steering it away, for now, from the dark things she wanted to avoid. An hour later she sat up feeling refreshed and thinking maybe everything would be all right.

  She soaked in a hot tub, then took a cool shower and dressed in a light blue knit outfit, which, she knew, showed off her figure. When Chris and Audrey came to take her to dinner, the look in the girl's eyes told Karyn she had chosen well.

  During the meal Karyn's feeling of well-being slipped away. The conversation was perfunctory and strained. She could tell there had been an argument between Chris and Audrey, and it made her uncomfortable. As soon as she could, Karyn excused herself, saying she was tired and wanted to go to bed early.

  Back in her room Karyn checked the locks on the windows and the door. She turned on all the lights, but the bulbs were of low wattage and did not drive the shadows out of the corners. The cabana cooled off quickly once the sun was down, and Karyn turned up the heater while she got ready for bed.

  The sheets were clean and starchy, the pillows thinner than she liked, Karyn lay for a long time in the dark, listening to the whisper of the surf and the night cries from the jungle. She drifted at last into an uneasy sleep.


  The late flight south from Los Angeles banked into a gentle turn and began its descent to scattered lights of Mazatlán, nestled between the black jungle and the black ocean. Back in the tourist section, a broad-shouldered man with pale hair dozed fitfully in his too-narrow seat. Beside him at the window a woman gazed down at the expanding lights of the city. Her eyes smoldered with deep green fires. Unconsciously she touched the streak of white that ran through her midnight hair.

  19

  WHEN THE MORNING came the sun was bright and hot. The ocean was a calm, bottle-glass green, and the fears of the night were not so terrifying. Karen was hungry when she awoke. Her first thought was to find Chris and have him join her for breakfast. Then she remembered that Chris was not alone. Best she stay out of his way for now. In her brief sizing up of Audrey Vance, Karyn had caught the clear message: "He's mine." There were surely enough problems without causing any more friction there. Karyn could wait until there was a chance to see Chris alone to talk about their plans. There was a discreet knock at the door. Karyn pulled on a robe over her pajamas and went to see who it was. Outside the door stood Roberto.

  He held a tray with a pot of steaming coffee, a cup, and a sweet roll. Behind him, on the walk that led past the cabanas, Karyn saw a metal cart with more trays and coffee pots.

  "Buenos días, señor. Your morning coffee, compliments of the hotel."

  "Thank you." Karyn smiled at the boy's obvious pride in his little speech.

  "Do you wish sugar? Milk?"

  "No, thank you. I drink it black."

  "If there is anything more you wish, señora, please call for me."

  "All right, Roberto, I'll remember. Muchas gracias."

  The boy's smile widened at her use of the Spanish phrase. "De nada, señora."

  The boy went away, and Karyn took the coffee inside. She poured herself a cup and sipped at it. The brew was murky and strong, but better than no coffee at all.

  She showered and dressed and strolled down the walk past the other cabanas toward the main building. She noticed the blinds were drawn in Number 7. She continued into the main building, through the lobby and into the dining room where several other guests were having breakfast.

  Karyn chose a table apart from the others and looked over the menu. She passed up huevos rancheros and anything else that sounded Mexican, and ordered straight-up fried eggs. The eggs were not bad, but the toast was dry and the potatoes were fried to crisp brown cubes. The coffee was no better than usual, but Karyn was determined to drink it every chance she got, just to spite Audrey Vance.

  After breakfast she went back to her cabana and put on a pair of shorts and a light blouse. She had not thought to pack a swimming suit, considering the nature of her business here. She walked out onto the beach, and young Roberto came running up to provide her with a folding chair down by the tideline.

  Karyn adjusted the chair so she could see the row of cabanas and the front of the hotel. Shortly before noon Chris came out, blinking at the sunlight. He started for the surf, then saw Karyn and veered over toward her. He wore brief white swim trunks, and Karyn could not help noticing the smooth tan on his well-muscled body.

  "Good morning," he said.

  "Hi. I hope you didn't interrupt anything important just to come out and talk to me."

  "Don't you start now. I'm getting enough static from Audrey. She thinks the only reason you came down here was for my body."

  "Oh? What did you tell her?"

  "Nothing. It's easier to let her believe that than to try to explain the real reason."

  "I see what you mean."

  Both of them were silent for a moment, looking out to sea.

  "Did you come up with any ideas?" Karyn said.

  Chris sat down on the sand next to her chair. He continued to look out over the water as he spoke. "The way I see it, there isn't much we can do until they make a move."

  Karyn whirled on him. "Make a move? You mean until they attack someone else?"

  He faced her soberly. "'Have you got a better idea?"

  "I—oh, I don't know. I guess I expected you to magically solve all my problems. I'm sorry, Chris. I shouldn't have come here. It's not fair to drag you into this again."

  "Cut it out," he said. "You came to me because there is no one else. It was the right thing to do. Now settle down and we'll try to approach this logically." After a moment he added, "If it's possible to be logical about werewolves."

  Karyn drew a deep breath and gave him a small smile. "All right, let's be logical. Where do we start?"

  "Do you expect them to follow you down here?" Chris said. "Marcia and Roy?"

  "I'm positive they will. It took them no time at all to find me in Los Angeles. I don't know how, but they seem to know my movements. I wouldn't be surprised if they were here already."

  "Okay, let's assume the worst. They're in Mazatlán, and they know where you are. Our best chance is to find them in the daytime. They have no special powers then. Once the sun goes down and they can take on the wolf shape, no man is a match for them. Nothing can stop them in that form except fire and silver."

  "So if we don't want to meet them at night, how do we go about finding them in the daylight?"

  "We don't," Chris said. "They find us. Find you, rather. You're the one they're after. Even with all the power the night gives them, they can't move around freely as wolves without attracting a lot of attention. As you saw up in Seattle, they found you in their human shape first, then when they were ready to attack they came as wolves. It's up to us to be alert, always watching, during the day."

  "And at night?" Karyn said.

  "At night we are careful as hell."

  "Do you think they'll be clumsy enough to let us see them in the daytime?"

  "I don't think clumsy has anything to do with it," Chris said. "I think letting you see them was all part of their plan. It was meant to frighten you before they attacked."

  "Well, they sure succeeded," Karyn said.

  A slim shadow fell across the sand at their feet.

  "Hey, how cozy."

  Karyn looked up and saw Audrey Vance standing behind her chair. The girl smiled tightly and let her eyes flick back and forth between Karyn and Chris. There was no doubt about it, Karyn thought. The girl did have a body. Her pink one-piece swim suit was thin enough and tight enough to emphasize her nipples and the bush of pubic hair.

  "Hi," Chris said. "Ready for lunch?"

  "Yes, if you haven't already had yours."

  Chris ignored the sarcasm. He stood up and brushed the sand from his trunks. "I'll go get wet and be with you in a minute." To Karyn he said, "Damned if the girl isn't making a swimmer out of me."

  He loped down to the water and splashed into the surf while the women watched. He dived into an incoming wave and disappeared from sight momentarily, bobbing up again as the wave rolled over him and broke on the shore.

  "Have you known Chris a long time?" Audrey asked.

  "Yes. He was a friend of my first husband."

  "No kidding."

  There could not have been, Karyn figured, more than seven or eight years' difference between her own and Audrey's ages, yet Audrey Vance made her feel positively middle-aged. She was acutely aware of her awkward position, sitting in the low folding chair while Audrey stood, straight and slim, a little behind her. Karyn stood up and faced the younger woman and felt better.

  "Let's get something straight here," she said. "Whatever you and Chris are to each other makes no difference to me. I wish you both good luck or happiness, or anything else you're after. Chris is a friend of mine, and I'm here to see him as a friend. That's all."

  "Sure you are." Audrey made her eyes wide and childlike. "What else could it be?"

  Karyn met Audrey's baby stare for a moment, then turned away.

  "Shit," she said.

  If Audrey heard, she gave no sign.

  Chris came jogging back from the surf scrubbing the salt water out of his hair.

  "Let's go
," he said to Audrey. Then to Karyn: "Want to have lunch with us?"

  Karyn hesitated for a moment, just to give the girl something to think about. Then she said, "No, thanks. I had a big breakfast."

  Chris and Audrey walked off toward their cabana. Audrey tucked her hand possessively under his arm. Karyn turned back to the beach and saw the young Roberto raking the sand smooth. She beckoned to him and he came running to her, his smile dazzling in the sunlight.

  "Sí, señora?"

  "Could you get me an umbrella, Roberto? I think I've had enough sun for today."

  The boy nodded eagerly and took off at a run toward the rear of the hotel. In a few minutes he came back carrying a huge beach umbrella which had alternating panels of orange and green. He planted it in the sand next to Karyn's chair and opened it, taking care to adjust it so she was properly shaded.

  Karyn reached into her bag, then looked up apologetically. "I'm afraid I left my money in the room."

  "Is no problem, señora," said Roberto. "If you want to give me a tip, is plenty of time when you check out." Still smiling, he trotted off to attend to another guest who was holding up an empty highball glass.

  Left alone, Karyn settled back with the umbrella shading her from the glare of the sun. She closed her eyes, lulled by the susurration of the surf, and dozed in the gentle breeze. Some time later she awoke with a start. The sun had moved to the west and the shadow of the umbrella had crept up to expose her feet and ankles. She decided to see if she could get a sandwich in the dining room.

  Karyn picked up her bag and walked through the sand back toward the hotel. As she reached the main building she saw a small crowd at the far side gathered around the badminton court. Karyn strolled over to see what the attraction was. On the grassy court, under the approving eyes of the mostly middle-aged guests, Chris and Audrey were playing an energetic, laughing game of badminton. Chris wore his white trunks and a striped rugby shirt. Audrey had changed into a pale blue shorts-and-halter outfit. They were a fine-looking couple, Karyn thought unhappily. Like a travel ad in a magazine.

  At that moment Audrey looked over at her. There was an unmistakable glint of triumph in her clear young eyes.