Chapter 18

CHAPTER 18

S edona

This had horror movie written all over it.

Middle of the night—check.

Quiet and bleak morgue with a flickering fluorescent light—check.

Working on a cadaver that could return to life becoming a monster that might decide to eat me—double check.

Jax hadn’t asked me any questions, remaining silent as he drove me back to my car. There weren’t any promises for the future or plans made. But he had cupped my face, kissing my forehead.

I could swear the man read minds.

His subtle butterfly kiss felt like I was being chastised. Later I’d be punished for lying to him.

As I removed samples of tissue, I was completely cognizant the agent was watching me intently. That added to the eerie factor of the work I was performing. I’d made a mental list of chemicals that could enhance the DNA, but it would be tricky getting my hands on them. At least not without answering a significant number of questions I couldn’t answer.

The stench this time was more powerful than before. Not just death and the coppery scent of blood but also of the earth. Dirt and sweat. Moss. Yes, a scent like the forest. Maybe that’s where he’d been half eaten alive.

I had noticed their faces hadn’t been attacked. Maybe I had been watching too many movies. Or maybe they’d been told in some crazy language to leave the faces intact. I was chasing rainbows and unicorns at this point with my unstructured thoughts.

Daphne would be proud of me for looking outside the box.

I made a few notes, trying to concentrate on the condition of the man’s skin.

There were similar claw marks on the man’s body. The addition was a bite mark that had ripped skin from the man’s abdomen. As I handled the remaining organs, I gathered a sense the kill had been about food this time. I had no reason to make that assumption at this point, but it seemed logical given half his intestines were missing.

I’d expected, perhaps hoped the agent would be squeamish, but she’d surprised me by keeping a bland expression the entire time.

Something else to irritate me.

She remained in my leather chair, sipping on coffee as I poked and prodded at the man’s abdomen.

“Subject appears to have a bite mark from a large canine, the animal’s teeth approximately five inches in length. Approximately one half of his upper and a portion of the victim’s lower intestines were ripped out, bite mark indicating by sharp canines.” Why was she sitting there studying me as if I was the body on the slab?

It was entirely too unnerving.

“The victim’s femur is crushed and there are signs given material under his fingernails that he fought back.” Which was true. I swabbed several nails, hoping I’d find something more conclusive.

The same two hulking men had brought the body, both waiting outside to whisk the remains away as soon as I was finished. I can’t say I was unhappy about that.

Everything else, including the way this had been handled, pissed me off.

It would take more than a half gallon of my favorite ice cream to feel cooled off.

I tried to concentrate so I could get as far away from the situation as possible.

“Where was this body found?” I finally asked as I began typing in the last of my notes. She didn’t answer me right away and I glared at her.

“In a park in Cartersville.”

At least that made sense with the odor.

“What was he doing there in the middle of the night?”

“We don’t work that fast,” the agent said. Her glare was as demanding as mine. “But I know a little about the area. The park is like lover’s lane. A young couple found him.”

“The shock of a lifetime.” I wasn’t making fun, but this entire situation was something out of a movie and not real life. I hit save and gave the victim another look before removing the jump drive. I’d already been told the results would be submitted in their entirety.

This time, I didn’t mind.

“You can call your goons in now to remove the body,” I told her. “The majority of the tests could take a couple days. And no, there is nothing I can do to expedite them.”

“Please return the body into the bag the victim was brought in.”

After sitting there during the entire autopsy, her comment struck something inside I couldn’t control.

“What’s wrong? Afraid of the big, bad wolf?” Maybe my sense of humor was twisted, but being forced to leave the bed of a man I actually enjoyed spending time with certainly had left me cranky.

She took a deep breath, lifting her head high. “As before, I appreciate your help. I assume you also included your thoughts on how the man died.”

“I think it’s obvious he was mauled to death by an animal. The actual reason for his death was loss of blood based on having his intestines ripped out. The obvious question is what kind of animal could be capable of nearly gutting a man’s organs with one bite of his abnormally sized canines. The reason you contacted me was because of the internship I did in Africa tending to very unusual animals that aren’t of the traditional species you see on any nature show. Given what I witnessed the other night as a doctor and scientist I can say that what you’re dealing with has an easy explanation in modern science. In other words, Agent Drummand, you will need to consider the possibility that what you’re dealing with is not just a dangerous anomaly, but a creature that we’ve never seen before.”

The words hung and the agent looked smug.

“Go on,” she said. “Anything you can answer will be helpful at this point. The department really can use your expertise.”

“My expertise. Now, that’s where you come in. You insisted on removing every sample prior to test results coming back from the first victim. It would be impossible and quite frankly irresponsible for me to make a guess because there is no chance I could make an educated one. Not without sounding completely insane, which I refuse to do since I do have a solid reputation. I need to cross reference them.”

Now she chose to remain quiet. She suddenly looked more like a deer in the headlights.

“I think you already know, but the powers that be over your head insisted you obtain a qualified person to corroborate what your team already suspects and fears. Meanwhile, in doing so, you’re risking the lives of everyone in Cartersville and God knows where else. I don’t like it. I won’t be a part of watching that happen. This is my hometown now, a special place to raise a family. So please, get the hell out before I lose my temper and time runs out and before the victim becomes a figure out of a horror movie. Because I know you won’t tell me anything. That would actually be of use to me.”

She was incensed at first, huffing as she rose to her feet. I didn’t pay her much attention as she stormed out and she returned with the burly men. I also didn’t do her requested biddings with dressing up the body so her men wouldn’t need to look at his wounds.

The woman had made me that angry.

I was even cursing as I cleaned up the mess, careful to discard everything that could come back to haunt me.

While the men didn’t say a single word, I noticed their insecure looks as they carefully touched the body.

“He won’t jump out of his skin. Yet. Don’t worry, boys,” I told them. The lack of sleep was getting to me, but I wasn’t in the mood to care what they thought. I’d had enough of being used.

I continued tidying up, not paying much attention to them. At least the body and the two men were gone, retreating to their van like good boys.

She returned, leaning against the wall as I continued working. She was silent.

I was silent.

Finally, I was able to ignore her altogether, taking my time when I could have easily finished at least twenty minutes earlier.

I didn’t see the agent. Evidently, she’d left without saying goodbye.

“Damn you. I refuse to be used again. Say it again, Sedona. I refuse to be used.” Yes, my voice echoed, which was creep enough. It was time to get the hell out of here.

I grabbed my purse and keys, heading out to the parking lot.

Wouldn’t you know it? The agent was waiting for me by her vehicle.

“You’re right in that I owe you an explanation as promised,” she said. Even outside she was keeping her voice hush-hush. “First. I will make certain the previous victim’s samples are returned.”

That made me look around, curious if some government agency had now figured out a way to bug the atmosphere. “Yes, you do owe me both, yet I only want the truth, not some trumped-up story about bad drugs.”

She was already weary from the investigation. I could tell by the dark circles under her eyes. “There’s a Waffle House a few miles away from here. We’ll meet there so we can talk in privacy.”

Who the hell did she think was here? I gathered she didn’t want to be in the morgue any longer.

The Waffle House was in a less than stellar part of town, if there was such a thing in what I’d considered the safest town in the entire country.

Until now.

It really hadn’t hit me that two bodies had been found in or around my little town. She didn’t wait for me to agree or disagree before heading to her car. I had a feeling it was a take it or leave it situation.

Fine.

Maybe I didn’t want to learn the truth. Or maybe I did.

The entire situation was bugging me.

She was already out of the parking lot before I could climb into my car. Before I closed my driver’s door, I used the dim overhead light to stare at myself in the mirror. “You’re nuts. You know that.”

I was if for no other reason than I was talking to myself.

Against my better judgment had been a way of life the last few years. As usual, I couldn’t seem to pull myself away; my curiosity would eventually kill the cat.

Me.

I’d know if the woman was lying. I was usually good at that.

Even if I ignored the clues of common sense.

The agent was already inside the restaurant when I pulled into the parking lot. There was also something creepy to me about entering an empty diner in the middle of the night. There’d been a Waffle House close to campus. The few times I’d gone out with friends when Daniel had been lucid and willing to babysit had often ended up at the location sucking down coffee and filling our faces with waffles.

That was different. There’d be at least six of us, usually four of them males. Safety in numbers. We had a possible serial killer on the loose and I was meeting her in a bad part of town.

She was sitting all the way in the back. Who did she think was going to pay any attention to the two of us? I didn’t even see anyone behind the counter. Another eerie feeling popped goosebumps down both arms. It felt as if we were being watched. I couldn’t ignore the feeling although I’d checked to ensure I hadn’t been followed.

But beasts of the night ran through the woods. Right?

Exhaustion was starting to turn into ridiculous giddiness.

I slid into the seat across from her in the booth, more anxious than I’d been before.

Suddenly, a girl appeared as if from thin air. She immediately turned over two of the coffee cups on the table, pouring us both a cup before placing a fresh silver pot of cream in ice on the surface.

She walked away without saying a single word.

It just added to the strange moment. Next, the lights would be flickering.

The agent had a file that she was keeping under one hand. She glanced out the window and remained quiet.

I couldn’t stand the thought of coffee and pushed it away. Even the scent was disgusting so late in the night.

Or early in the morning.

I hadn’t checked in well over an hour.

“Tell me what you know about wolves.” Her statement seemed out of the blue.

“Wolves?” I asked, immediately envisioning the images on the video. “Canis Lupus?”

“Yes.”

“Typically, they range in size from forty to one hundred seventy pounds and are usually gray in color. They have a wide diet, but are carnivores.” I was purposely being as cautious with my choice of words as she was being. I wasn’t certain what she expected from me.

Agent Drummand nodded a couple of times. “Have you seen other, larger species in the wild?”

Her question almost prompted me to laugh. “There are anomalies as with any species.”

She remained quiet. What the hell was going on here and why had I bothered to accompany her to a tiny location off site?

“What else?” she asked as if this was a casual conversation and nothing more.

“They hunt in packs. They usually have mates. Look, I’m not certain what you want from me. If you’re asking if what I witnessed inside my examination room on video is remotely possible, I have no idea. I’m not an expert in the occult or the paranormal. I don’t like watching horror movies, although I’ve been roped into doing so from time to time. My experience with big game has nothing to do with the creature I witnessed inside my examination room or anything I worked on when I was in Africa.” With that I started to stand, only to have the agent snap her hand around my wrist.

“Lower your voice and sit down.” Her eyes flashed both anger and fear.

I debated her order but did as she wanted, even throwing a look over my shoulder to see if an employee was paying any attention.

They weren’t.

“Talk to me,” I told her.

She hesitated for a few additional seconds before pushing the file across the table. Her hand remained on the surface and she leaned forward. “What I’m about to share with you could get me fired. I was told to contact you and I did my job. What I witnessed on that tape wasn’t anything like what I was told initially. In fact, I was almost shoved off the case until I mentioned your credentials. I think you might be able to provide some answers that haven’t been by our experts.”

I had no clue why she’d made that assumption other than large game veterinarian work was often misunderstood. Did she believe I had some innate knowledge of unknown beasts? It was irrational as hell. One thing was clear to me. She was close to becoming a nervous wreck.

She let go of the file and I took a deep breath before opening it.

I was a scientist. I based my findings in facts.

Often, they were easy. If a bullet entered the brain or the heart, usually the victim died instantly. There was no question about it. If they drowned, I could easily tell if they’d been dead prior to the drowning or if the water was the reason.

But seeing the photographs of at least a dozen victims, all with similar but varying claw marks and bites, I was floored. Maybe it was the number or maybe it was more about the accompanying text issued along with them.

“The existence of werewolves has been a lore, a myth running throughout human history. However, there is scientific proof that there are various forms of the creature known as the wolf. They include those able to shift from human form at any time, known to live amongst humans given their strong control of their abilities. They are not considered aggressive or dangerous given their extremely high level of intelligence and humanity. There is the commonly known wolf, a beast unable to change from its animal form yet proven to have a high IQ, capable of understanding human behavior.”

I glanced at the agent’s ashen face before continuing.

“There is a third species that appears to be increasing in numbers. They are a direct derivative of the shifter form, only preferring to be in a much larger and more aggressive wolf-like body. They are also bloodthirsty, fueled by violence. They can grow upwards of seven to eight feet with canines five to seven inches long.”

I’d had just about enough at this point. I closed the file without saying a word at first, leaning over so I could make certain I wasn’t overheard. “So you’re trying to tell me than man-eating, blood-lusting huge beasts exist and have suddenly decided to target Cartersville?”

“I know it seems implausible, but you witnessed the man waking from the dead yourself. They have been seen and have killed in three dozen other areas, some major cities. They are growing in numbers.”

“A calculated growth?”

“It would appear that way,” she said. Agent Drummand was very stressed at this point, her upper lip covered in perspiration. “Every agency across the United States is on high alert since the murder victims are increasing in number.”

“And they’re coming back to life, which is how this group of beasts is procreating, so to speak.” I was trying to make an educated guess even though the entire situation was beginning to seem like a bad joke.

Or a horrible nightmare I couldn’t wake from.

This time she nodded.

“Let me guess. There’s nothing that can stop them. Not silver bullets?” I was ready to burst into laughter. If I hadn’t seen the shift with my own eyes, I’d think this was a total practical joke. Nothing like this was possible.

She didn’t catch the reference. “If their heads are removed, they will remain dead. I don’t know that to be true. It’s been assumed.”

“Assumed? You don’t know if they can die.”

Agent Drummand shook her head.

“What the hell does your great group of men and women know?”

“That they are dangerous and no one is safe,” she admitted.

That could be the truest thing she’d said.

“Uh-huh. Well, you should have told me. I have a rusty but useful machete in the back of one of my closets. I could have used that.”

“This isn’t funny, Doctor. The men are going to lock the latest victim in a tank he can’t escape from so we can finally get a handle on what we’re dealing with.”

“No, it’s sick and not possible. Good luck with that. I watched on that video as the reanimated form ripped the hinges off a steel door. I highly doubt you have anything strong enough to contain anyone with superhuman strength.”

“Trust me. I didn’t think anything like this was possible either. I never believed in any paranormal activity. But you were there. You know what you saw. That dead body came back to life. Yes? There is no denying that.”

I exhaled and thumped back against my seat. “At this point, I don’t know what to think. Let me guess. The full moon requires them to shift.” I almost laughed out loud again. This entire theory was bullshit.

“I don’t know. All I know is that the murders occurred at night.”

The conversation was getting laborious.

“Okay, fine. What is being done to stop these creatures?”

“I’m not privy to that, but I have heard we don’t know enough about their DNA or how they think to determine a plan. We’re getting the military involved.”

I’d seriously had enough. “I realize what I witnessed is highly unusual and at this point, something I can’t explain. However, I highly doubt this is some bad type of werewolf. There is an explanation and it’s all scientific.” I managed to stand without her grabbing my arm this time. I couldn’t stomach anything else.

It felt as if I’d hallucinated the entire thing.

“The other group of wolves, the Wolfen as they are called, might be able to provide some light. They are highly secretive and will refuse to talk. That’s the problem.”

“One of many it would seem. Well, just call them up and you’ll have your answers. Then you won’t need me.”

“As I said, they are private, secretive. No one can get close to them. Finally, we got a break and think we know of a group, but we’re also not one hundred percent certain.”

The great FBI could possibly be persecuting a group of innocent people.

I cocked my head, making a slight face. “Well, then I don’t know what to tell you. I certainly don’t have an in. I don’t know any Wolfen and at this point, I don’t want to learn who they are.”

Before she tried to flag me down, I headed to the door. I noticed in the reflection in the window that she was right behind me barely four steps later.

“That’s where you’re wrong, Doctor Willis. Take this. You’ll understand more.”

“Last time I’m going to say this to you. After I finish with the tests, I’m finished. I will not help you again. Get it?”

She was trying to hand me an envelope. If I was in my right mind, I would tell her to shove it, but she was really scared.

I snapped it from her hand, but continued heading to my vehicle. I had my keys in my hand long before I made it to the car.

Why were my hands shaking to the point I almost dropped the keyring? Did I seriously believe any of this crap? I finally hopped in and had my engine running and almost flooded seconds later.

The sharp rap on my window was enough to force a sharp cry. I slapped my hand against my heart and hissed. The damn agent had followed me outside.

I wasn’t going to bother pressing the window button but the strange glow from the Waffle House sign provided a horrible, shattered look on her face.

“What?” I demanded.

“The two guards who removed the body?”

Was that a real question? “Yes? What about them?”

“A 9-1-1 call was placed. A cop was close by. The van is wrecked, on its side. The body is gone.”

“And the two guards?”

“Mutilated.”

Well, shit.

The timing of human death to shift was increasing. It was only a matter of time before eliminating the dead wouldn’t be an option.

Dear God. I was buying into this insanity.

“Doctor. I’d be very careful. I learned one of the first agents assigned to the first murders in upper Chicago was found dead, also mutilated. His family was killed too.”

“Mutilated as in now they’re…” Oh, my God. I was buying into the werewolf thing a little too much.

“No. It was a revenge kill. Just be careful.”

Yeah. Careful was my middle name.

She backed away without saying anything else, but I sensed she would be leaving the FBI soon. Before I pulled out, I glanced down at the envelope I’d tossed onto my passenger seat. Once again, my curiosity might get me killed eventually. But I opened it.

And wished I hadn’t.