by Cheree Alsop
The thought of confronting another gang who would fight back matched the restlessness that pulsed through Alex’s veins. He couldn’t stop; he couldn’t let memories of Kalia and the graveyard shrouded in rain overpower him. He had to fight, to push it away, and he would free others in her name. He had failed her; he couldn’t fail them. He couldn’t stop.
“Wait,” Officer Dune called.
But Alex was already loping down into the dark parking garage. He could smell girls, fear, and pain underlying the scents of iron, drugs, and the sickly sweet odor of unwashed bodies.
“I can’t believe I’m following a werewolf on the night of a full moon into the Fivers’ hideout,” Officer Dune muttered when Alex slowed for him to catch up.
Alex threw him a look.
“You’ve got to admit this isn’t normal,” the officer said.
“It’s not normal,” the other officer who had come with them echoed as he hurried to catch up. The name on his uniform read Officer Smith.
“You don’t have to come down here,” Officer Dune told him.
“Like I’d let you go alone.”
“I’m not alone.” Officer Dune pointed at Alex. “I’ve got him.”
“And that’s supposed to be reassuring?” Officer Smith asked dryly.
“He hasn’t failed us yet.”
Alex led the way down the cement ramp.
“Ever stop to wonder why a werewolf is so crazed about freeing girls from the Saa?” Officer Smith asked quietly as they followed Alex.
“I’m just glad someone is getting them out,” Officer Dune replied. “How many times have we tried to storm the Saa only to have red tape get in the way or we find the girls moved? It’s about time something actually works.”
“They could have our badges for going down here without orders.”
“That’s a risk I’m willing to take,” Officer Dune replied, his voice quiet. “If Jamie was down here, I’d be grateful someone dared to take a stand.”
The officers fell silent as they followed Alex deeper into the parking garage. A small flashing light caught Alex’s attention. The small movement of a camera came from the corner. The gang knew they were there. The sound of a foot on cement was loud within the confines of the garage.
“Look out!” Officer Smith yelled.
Light flashed and the officers dove behind two cement pillars. Gunshots echoed as they returned fire. Other footsteps thundered down from above. They were trapped between two groups. A glance showed the officers effectively pinned behind the pillars. A growl rumbled from Alex’s throat. He wasn’t about to let the officers be killed because of his foolish stubbornness.
“Wait,” Officer Dune yelled.
Alex dove between gunshots, crossing the dimly lit ground to the waiting gang faster than they could react. He leaped past and grabbed one man’s gun hand in his jaws as he did so. The man yelled as he was thrown bodily into two of his comrades. Alex bowled down two more, and jumped back before two bullets buried into the ground where he had stood.
Alex gathered his legs beneath him and leaped. He hit the first man straight on, slamming him to the ground with the force of his rage. He grabbed the second man’s arm in his jaw and ground down, forcing him to his knees as he writhed in pain.
“Let me go! Let me go!” the man screamed.
Alex jerked his head to the right, snapping the man’s gun arm. His cry of agony echoed through the parking garage.
“What’s going on?” A gang member from the group on the level above demanded.
“There’s a monster!” one of the men yelled.
“It’s the Demon,” another shouted.
“Then kill it,” the man above commanded.
The order seemed to give the gang members courage. Guns were pointed and knives raised. Alex bared his teeth in a snarl. He knew he was about to feel some serious pain.
A gunshot rang out and one of the men dropped his gun with a shout. Another bullet sunk into his leg. The man next to him swore and grabbed his arm. Alex used the distraction to attack. He jumped on the back of the man holding his leg and leaped off him to the throat of another man who was trying to shoot at the officers. The man fell back with Alex on top of him. Alex’s fangs inched toward the jugular where the man’s lifeblood flowed millimeters from the surface.
The man strained, fighting to push him off, but he couldn’t move the werewolf. Alex thought of the girls he knew they would find, their pain, their fear, the cruelty that had been done to them that they didn’t deserve. He had no doubt the man had been involved in hurting them. He could smell the girls on him. Alex’s jaws ached to close. He could end the man’s life and stop his reign of terror forever.
Something slammed into the back of Alex’s head. His jaws opened and he rolled to the right, struggling to regain his senses. The bar hit him again and again, bruising his shoulders and ribs. Alex wondered where the officers were. A bullet would stop the attack and give him the second he needed to regroup.
Alex pushed up and his heart skipped a beat.
Officer Dune and Officer Smith knelt on the cement with their hands up. Four members of the Fivers gang stood around them with guns trained on their heads.
“That’s right, Demon,” the one who had shouted the commands growled. His eyes narrowed and he gave a gold-capped smile. “See what messing with the Fivers will get you? Two slugs between the eyes.” He pointed his gun at Officer Dune.
“Don’t do it, Cruz,” the officer said. “We just want to free the girls.”
“You and what army?” Cruz asked. His eyes narrowed. “I have a feeling nobody’s going to come here searching for your bodies.” His finger tightened on the trigger.
Rage surged through Alex. He barely felt the crowbar that slammed against his shoulders again. He tore the crowbar from the man’s grasp with his jaws. The second his paws hit the ground, Alex leaped at the gang leader using his full power. Cruz’s eyes widened before Alex slammed into him, driving him into the cement pillar. A gun went off. Alex spun, his heart skipping beats in his panic.
Officer Dune was pulling Officer Smith back using the pillar to shield them from the gang members. Officer Smith held his leg. Blood dripped to the ground from a bullet hole in his calf.
“They’ll die because of you,” Cruz growled.
Alex grabbed the man’s throat in his jaws. He felt the leader stiffen with fear. Alex growled, a low, vibrating sound that echoed like thunder through the garage.
“L-let them go,” Cruz forced out.
“I’ll shoot the Demon,” a man said, pressing the muzzle of a gun against Alex’s head.
Alex met Officer Dune’s gaze, keeping his jaws locked around Cruz’s neck. Alex’s heart thundered in his chest, skipping every-other beat. He had to force his legs to hold as the gun barrel pressed harder.
Officer Dune shook his head. “If you shook him, he’ll kill Cruz.”
“He’d be dead,” the man spat.
“Don’t do it,” Officer Smith replied. “His body will spasm. He’ll tear out Cruz’s throat so fast he’ll bleed to death before he hits the ground.”
“Let them leave,” Cruz said tightly.
“Not without the girls,” Officer Dune said.
“You seriously want to press your luck right now?” the one with the gun pressed to Alex’s head asked.
“Back up,” Cruz told his man.
Alex felt a breath of relief when the man obeyed. He wondered if he would feel the impression of the gun against his skull for the rest of his life.
“Let me go,” Cruz said.
Alex knew better than to trust the gang leader. He gave another growl and bit down. He felt Cruz wince as his fangs pierced the sensitive skin of his throat.
“Put your guns down,” Cruz yelled.
His men hurried to obey. As soon as the last gun was set on the pile, Alex let up slowly. Cruz moved to push up, but Alex grabbed him again hard enough to send a warning.
“Alright, alright,” Cru
z said with a touch of panic in his voice. “Just go.”
Alex fell back, taking care to face the gang members. The Fivers didn’t move as he reached Officer Smith’s side. He lowered his head and the officer put his arm around Alex’s shoulders. Alex backed up slowly, helping the officer to his feet. Officer Dune ducked under the officer’s other arm. Together, they helped him back up the ramp.
The second they reached fresh air and the touch of moonlight, Officer Dune radioed for backup.
Alex paced. He knew it was his fault Officer Smith had gotten shot. Neither officer would have gone below if it wasn’t for his actions.
“They’re on their way,” Officer Dune said. He kept pressure on Officer Smith’s leg to slow the bleeding.
Alex couldn’t risk them following him back in. He knew Officer Dune wouldn’t leave his partner.
“Don’t even think about it,” Officer Dune said, catching Alex studying the parking garage. “You’re in no shape to go back in there either.”
Alex could feel the bruises and cuts from the knives and crowbar. His head ached and his heart already skipped every couple of beats. He fought back a shiver as the icy cold of the night cut through his fur. Officer Dune was right. It would be a bad idea to enter the parking garage again. Maybe doing something so stupid would catch the Fivers off guard and give him the element of surprise.
Alex stalked back into the tunnel.
“Get back here,” Officer Dune yelled.
“He’s insane,” Officer Smith said.
Alex couldn’t help but agree as he entered the tunnel that smelled of gunpowder and blood. He kept to the darkest part, a shadow amid the shadows, his gray coat blending in perfectly with the darkness.
“He would have killed you,” a voice argued.
“How did they get so far?”
“We were ready. Juarez’s guys held up the front like you said. It was that demon wolf we weren’t ready for.”
“We need to move the girls.”
Alex’s lips pulled back in a silent snarl at the sound of Cruz’s voice.
“Get them to the Black Aces before the cops come back sniffing around.”
Alex stalked closer. He passed the place where they had fought and followed the voices left down a smaller tunnel.
“Rico and Tony need to go to a hospital,” a woman said.
“Can’t Chaser fix them up?” Cruz asked.
“Not with Rico’s arm half torn off, and Tony won’t be firing a gun anytime soon,” she answered.
“Not like he could hit anything anyway,” Cruz replied. “Have Oscar take them. Vic, you’re in charge of the girls.”
“Good,” Vic replied.
The fur on the back of Alex’s neck rose at the obvious expectation in the man’s voice.
“Get them to the Black Aces first,” Cruz replied with a sigh of exasperation. “Animals,” he concluded with a mutter.
Chapter Seven
Alex ducked out of the way as Cruz and the woman passed by. He hid in the shadows and waited for Vic. Soon, the burly man with snakes tattooed on either side of his skull ambled by. The man walked with the rolling gait of a seasoned fighter that said he would be more dangerous than Alex had first assessed. He followed slowly behind the man, careful to duck behind the random cars, couches, and appliances that littered the lower levels of the parking garage.
Vic drew a set of keys from his pocket and paused near the back of a delivery truck. He fiddled with a lock, then pulled it off and pushed the rolling door up.
Alex’s gaze locked on the forms of four girls handcuffed in the back of the truck.
“Listen to Uncle Vic, ladies, and I’ll see that you’re rewarded when we get to the Black Aces,” Vic said, climbing into the back of the truck. He set a crowbar down near the door. Alex wondered if it was the same one he had been beaten with.
“Screw you,” one of the girls said.
Vic back-handed her across the mouth and she let out a little cry of pain.
Alex’s paws hit the floor of the delivery truck with a loud thud. His muzzle was millimeters from Vic’s head. He growled, and the sound filled the entire truck.
The girls shrieked and moved as far away from Alex and Vic as their chains would allow them. Now that he was inside the truck, Alex could see the filth that covered the mattresses and blankets. The girls had bruises on their arms and legs, and their wrists and ankles were worn raw by the handcuffs. Alex had seen werewolves caged in better conditions on his rescue missions with Jaze.
“Don’t hurt me,” Vic said, his voice a high whine that seemed extremely out of place coming from such a large man.
Alex growled louder. Vic’s sparse hair moved with the werewolf’s breath.
“I-I’ll unlock them,” Vic stuttered. “L-let me free them for you.”
He fumbled for the keys. Alex paced next to Vic as the man carefully worked his way to the girl he had backhanded. A trickle of blood showed from the corner of her mouth.
Vic dropped the keys and froze. Alex stepped back the tiniest bit so he could pick them up again.
Vic was ready for the movement. He grabbed the keys and turned as he picked them up, swiping them at Alex’s eyes. He lunged back and Vic rushed him. Alex stumbled on a blanket and fell. Vic landed on top of him, crushing him against the floor of the truck.
Alex struggled as Vic grabbed the blankets and tried to tie up his legs. Alex snapped at the gang member’s hands and managed to get his front paws clear. He rolled to the right. Vic landed on top of him again with such force that Alex’s head rebounded off the metal floor. The man knelt on his throat, suffocating the werewolf with his weight.
Alex’s heart skipped a beat, then another. He knew he shouldn’t have gone back into the parking garage without giving his body a chance to recover from the last fight. He couldn’t get free. He struggled to suck in a breath, but his airway was cut off. Black showed at the edges of his vision. His heart skipped another beat.
Something slammed into the side of Vic’s head. The man fell forward off of Alex. Alex looked behind him to see one of the girls holding the keys and Vic’s crowbar.
“Come on,” she said to the others. “Let’s get out of here.”
Alex leaped down from the truck. His joints ached at the jar of landing on the cement. He waited for the four girls to climb down. They eyed him uncertainly. Alex gave a quiet snort and waved his tail, hoping they would trust him.
Commotion sounded from deeper in the garage. Alex trotted slowly toward the exit. He paused after a few steps when he realized the girls weren’t following him.
“I think he’s waiting for us,” the blonde girl who had been hit said.
“What makes you think we can trust him?”
She shrugged, her eyes wide as she held the crowbar tighter. “He fought Vic. Right now, that’s enough for me.”
“What’s going on over there?”
Alex’s heart slowed at the sound of a trigger being cocked. The girls scattered behind him. Alex charged at the man who appeared around the corner. The man’s eyes widened and he stumbled backwards, squeezing the trigger as he did so. The bullet drove into the ceiling.
Alex latched onto the man’s arm and ground down, forcing him to drop the gun as his bones were crushed. To his surprise, the blonde girl followed, picking up the gun as soon as it hit the ground. She aimed it at the man.
He writhed on the floor in pain, holding his bleeding arm and cursing without looking at her.
“Come on, Abby, let’s go,” one of the other girls urged.
Alex ghosted beside them as they ran up the ramp toward the exit. Shouts caught his ear from below. He heard Vic’s angry voice followed by Cruz’s. Footsteps thundered after them. The girls ran, but they wouldn’t be fast enough. More footsteps came down from above. They would be cornered like the police officers.
The girls slowed when they saw that they were trapped. Abby waved her gun, aiming first at Cruz’s group from below, then at the others who came up beh
ind them. Alex snarled as he placed himself between them and Cruz’s men.
“Now, now, lower your gun,” Cruz said. “You can’t kill us all.”
“I can kill you,” Abby said, her eyes bright with fear as she aimed the gun at Cruz’s chest. Her fingers shook and the gun wavered even though she fought to hold it steady.
“You’re just going to end up hurting yourself,” Cruz said in a cajoling tone. “Just give me the gun and we’ll pretend this never happened.”
He took a step forward. Alex took a step forward as well. Cruz paused at the vehemence in his angry growl.
“We got off on the wrong foot,” Cruz said, raising his hands. He glanced sideways. Alex followed his gaze and saw three more gang members round the corner with machine guns. “I’d like to fix this without bloodshed.”
“Yeah, right,” Abby replied. “We’re not going back.”
“No, we’re not,” another girl echoed, her voice near hysteria. “We’ll never go back!”
Alex was prepared to attack the gunmen. If he could give the girls enough space to run, they might be able to make it past the corner to the road beyond. They were so close. He wouldn’t let them go back if he could help it.
“I hoped it wouldn’t come to this,” Cruz said. He glanced at his men. The guns were raised. Alex took a step forward. He wouldn’t have much time. His breath sounded loud in his ears.
Cruz gave a half-shrug. “I guess this is—”
“Let them go, Cruz.”
Relief washed over Alex at the sound of Officer Dune’s voice.
“I have two dozen officers up here who would like nothing more than the chance at a little revenge for Officer Smith,” Officer Dune continued. Alex could tell by the sound of numerous footsteps that the officer wasn’t bluffing.
Cruz and his men glanced at each other. At that moment, Cruz’s cellphone rang. He put it up to his ear.
“There are cops all over the garage,” the voice on the other end of the phone said. “They’re armed to the teeth.”
