Cry of the Wolf (2 page)

"Des, Chris, let me in," she frantically
says.

"Go away, Sands," Chris tells. Then, returns
to kissing me.

She begins to bang on the door again. Her
voice has a hint of fear in it. "Guys, seriously, let me in."

Then we hear the roar and rush to the door. I
open it and see Brandon, Michelle, and Sandy laughing. Then, Sandy
and Brandon high five each other. I have a look of disgust on my
face.

"Not funny," I tell them disdainfully.

"Yeah, Des, it was. That look on your face
was priceless." Sandy says with a slight chuckle.

“Can’t we just get a moments peace for once.”
I tell them with a heavy amount of disgust in my voice. “Just once.
Act mature.”

“Oh, please,” Sandy says as she, Michelle,
and Brandon come into mine and Chris’ room. “Have a little fun,
Des.”

“Why would you want to do this?” I ask. “This
situation could get ugly fast. You all know that.”

“Yes, sis, you’re right. May we come in?”

“Um, not right now.” I say trying to back
them off a tiny bit.

“Oh,” says Sandy with a devilish grin as she
grabs the door handle and jerks on it.

“Please, Faith, don’t,” I beg of her as I
tightly grip the door from the other side. “Now is not really a
good time.”

I begin to grit my teeth. Chris is behind me.
He knows that I am pleading since I am not dressed decently, or at
all. He pokes his head out the door over mine.

“Sands, leave the door alone,” he growls at
her. “We need to get dressed. Give us ten minutes or so to freshen
up.”

“Oh?” Sandy says embarrassed at what she
nearly did to me. “Sorry, Des, Chris, I really wasn’t trying to
embarrass either of you.”

“Look. It’s okay, Sandy,” I tell
s
her seeing her sad downtrodden facial expression. “I
truly know that you never meant any harm. Let Chris and I get
dressed and we’ll meet you three shortly.”

“Okay,” she says just before I close the door
and head to change.

5:15 PM

CHRIS and
I joined the others at the restaurant in the hotel to get some
dinner. For the most part, today has been a rather uneventful day.
Thank heavens! We decided, only moments ago, that tonight would be
a solemn celebration to remember our fallen friends and family. Not
that this really helps, but it will help bring closure our old life
as we move on with the new life we are leading
.

Quickly, we eat the meal that was ordered for
us by the other upon sitting down. Chris rubs my shoulders as a
stream of tears comes from me. I cannot help it. My mother’s
memories are imparted upon me, so it feels as though I was right
there in the midst of the combat my parents partook in only days
ago, when they sacrificed their lives to save us.

I have trouble eating as I bury my head into
Chris’ chest. He caresses me and strokes my hair. My dear hubby,
God that sounds strange
, tries to keep it together for me.
We both know that, deep inside, he is hurting, too, from the loss
of his mother. I weep as the pain of losing my parents hits me.

Sandy has the worst of it all, unfortunately.
Not only did she loose the only mother she ever knew, then she
finds out that her birth parents, whom she has known all her life,
perished only hours before.
Now I know why mom and dad always
treated Faith like she was one of their own, like their very own
daughter.

We know there is going to a little lag time
on this trip. And it is not going to be pleasant, for the most
part. Nothing about this trip seems pleasant, at all.

It took us the better part of thirty minutes
before finishing the meal. Then, we quietly get up and begin to
head back to our rooms for some much needed down time and rest.
Chris holds me up best he can as I continue to bawl. The emotions I
feel are so raw, I swear the hairs on the back of my neck are
standing at attention.

“What’s wrong, Des?” Chris says as I jolt
strait to attention. The psychic link between Michelle and I livens
up.

-
Michelle, did you feel that, too?
-

- Yes, Destiny, so did Sandy. What’s going
on? –

- I don’t know, Michelle. I think we should
check it out. –

We rush put of the front of our hotel to hear
the howling far off in the distance. One problem, no full moon.
That’s not for another 10 days! What the hell is going on? So
much for a quiet night.

6:25 PM

BRANDON rushes over to the Traverse. He opens
the back and begins to arm us all, including little Michelle.
Brandon hands me a small katana blade; Chris a crossbow, quiver,
and a .45 caliber Glock semi-automatic pistol; Sandy a small katana
blade, like mine; and Michelle a simple wooden with steel tips bo
staff. Furthermore, Brandon is armed with the same weapons as is
Christopher.

We prepare to investigate the noise. Quickly,
we go into the woods behind the hotel. As the darkness begins to
creep in, these woods seem quite ominous. The woods seem to close
in around us.

I, then, notice something moving like a
shadow. I ready the katana blade. Sandy follows suit. I contact
Michelle psychically as she walks carrying her bo staff.

-
Michelle, can you get a read on what’s
out there? –

- Sorry, no. It’s hard to pinpoint the
number with all the thoughts masking together as one. But there’s
got to be at least one nearby. –

- A pack mind? Whoa. –

- It’s too much, Destiny. –

Michelle cuts her psychic link with me and
kneels down using the bo staff to keep herself steady. Sandy rushes
to her side.

“Miki, you okay,” she asks as she sticks the
blade of her katana into the ground.

“Can’t use telepathic powers. Their mind is
too much for me. The pack mind is so…confusing…” Michelle says as
she begins to feel dizzy and her mind causes her to pass out. Sandy
catches Michelle as she falls toward the ground unconscious.

“Des, Michelle’s out cold.” Sandy shouts to
me as another shadow moves in my peripheral.

“Des, baby, they’ve got us surrounded,” Chris
shouts over to me.

“Duly noted, Chris!” I shout back.

That’s when one of the shadow creatures
transforms from a four legged creature to an enormous human-monster
crossbreed. This shocks Brandon and he steps backwards towards
Chris before they come towards Sandy, Michelle, and I.

“You are trespassing on our lands, human.”
The large humanoid creature says in a guttural voice. This unnerves
me.

“We did not know this was your territory,”
Brandon calmly states, setting the crossbow on his right shoulder.
“My friends and I, here, are members of the PIA.”

“The PIA?” the humanoid creature asks.

“The Paranormal Investigations Agency of the
US Government.”

“You five are feds,” he says through a hearty
laugh. “Don’t make me laugh.”

“I know you’re a werewolf.” Brandon says to
the large creature. “Now show your true self, Harrison!”

“You know my true identity,” the guttural
voice says with irritation in his voice. “Then, who are you?”

“My name is Brandon. This is my sister,
Destiny; her twin, Sandy; Sandy’s sister, Michelle, the one out
cold; and Destiny’s husband, Chris, also, Sandy and Michelle’s
brother.”

“And I am Devon Harrison, as Brandon has
partly stated,” we hear as the voice changes from a guttural voice
to a human voice which is deep and husky. Then, all around us the
other creatures turn into humans.

“Wait a minute, this is not possible,” Chris
says to me as Brandon looks at us with a wry look on his face. “Not
possible…I count 8, 10…”

“12 actually,” Devon says as he remains as
close to the shadows as possible to protect his pride. “And, yes, I
am aware that the full moon is
not
for another 10 days.”

“This is…” Chris says slack-jawed.

“Freaky? Yes, it is,” Devon replies calmly to
Chris’ wonderment.

“Why don’t you come closer? Where I can see
you,” Brandon remarks as he squints his eyes to see a rather trim
young man.

“Sorry, not now. Must have some pride about
me.”

“Oh?” an intrigued Sandy states with a dark
gleam in her eye. One finger is messing with her lips as she sizes
up Devon. “Hmmm.”

“Sandy!” I shout at my twin.

“Sorry, Des, couldn’t help it…Well, I guess I
could’ve, but…”

I sheath my katana.

“So why are you here,” Devon asks.

“We are here to investigate the rumors of a
vicious, blood thirsty monster with green patches of fur.”

“Green patches of fur? Did you say?”

“That’s right.”

“Alright, then,” Devon says to Brandon
reluctantly. “There’s much you need to know. But not here, not now.
However, I will tell you this, as strong as I may be,
he
is
stronger. Tonight, go back to your hotel and relax. I will see you
tomorrow at noon for lunch at Jonah’s Whale. All will be explained,
then.”

“Thank you very much, Devon,” I say solemnly
to him.

“Don’t thank me, yet.” Devon tells us before
shifting into his wolf form as does the rest of his pack and
trotting off further into the woods behind the hotel.

“Brandon, bro, I don’t like this one bit,” my
hunky hubby says.

“I don’t either, man. I don’t either.” my
brother replies.

Monday, March 18, 2013, 12 PM (Noon)

WE TURN into the parking lot of Jonah’s
Whale. It took us fifteen minutes to get here, after leaving the
hotel to find this seafood restaurant. The sign shows a large blue
whale blowing up water.

The building itself is a little more than a
shack. The paint, a dull blue-grey, looks worn and is chipping. The
windows are in need of washing. The shingles on the roof are
falling off. This place looks pathetic.

And, then, we go inside the rather
worn-looking wooden doors. The restaurant on the inside is
spotless, except for the tables where people are sitting and
eating. Long tables line the interior of the eclectic restaurant.
There is an area roped off leading from the door to the line you
enter to order.

While in line, I look at the menu confused as
what to order. There is everything crawfish under the sun, gumbos,
Etouffees, Jambalayas, Cajun shrimp, etc. Everything on the menu
looks scrumptious.

We make it to the front of the line and
instead of taking our order, the gentleman hands Brandon a package.
He, then, points over to Devon who is seated at a large table. And
he is not alone.

Besides him is a gorgeous woman with shoulder
length curly blonde locks, green eyes, and almond colored skin. She
looks to be maybe an inch or two shorter than Devon. She is wearing
a thin white button up sweater over a dark blue and white floral
print dress.

We all sit down with Devon and his
girlfriend, I guess. He stands as we sit in our chairs.

“Welcome, my friends,” he states politely and
eloquently. “I see that you have found it here rather easily.”

“Thank you for agreeing to meet with us,”
Brandon says to Devon.

“I hear that your story is a strange one,
indeed,” Devon remarks.

“True, but how…?” I ask.

“Ah, young Ms. Phoenix,” he casually states
with a regalness in his voice. “I know a lot of things that would
surprise you.”

“Like
what
?” I brusquely ask.

“Like that you are an angel born in human
form like all at this table but Kelly and myself.”

“How…could…you…know,” I stammer as I try to
catch my breath while trying to wrap my mind around the knowledge
he possesses about me.
How does he know this about me? This is
all too weird!

“Do you think you are the first one Lord Szin
went after?”

“Lord Szin?” everyone else mutters.

I turn to the others. I take a deep breath.
This is the hard part. Revealing something to them that I have
yet to share or fully comprehend myself.

“Lord Szin, as he calls himself now, is
someone who is real and terrifying. He has gone by many names over
the years, most you may recognize.” I tell everyone at the table.
Brandon, Michelle, Sandy, and Chris look at me inquisitively.

I catch my breath and shrug my shoulders as I
try to compose myself.

“So, you’ve had the visions, too?” Devon
asks.

“Visions?” I ask curiously. “What do you
mean?”

“Lord Szin is trying to influence you,
Destiny,” I hear Kelly say for the first time. Her voice is soft
and sweet but poignant.

“Influence me?”

“Yes, he wants you for something and I don’t
know what.”

“But what’s that got to do with our case?”
Brandon asks as food and drink is brought before us.

Several buckets of boiled crawfish and
pitchers of drink sit before us.

“Crawfish? What do you? How?” Christopher
asks.

“You crack them open and eat the meat,” Kelly
says as she sucks meat out of the tail of one.

Michelle sees this and starts right away. As
she eats, the young investigator politely taps me
telepathically.

-
Could you pour me a glass of Coke,
please? –

- No problem, Michelle. –

I pour a glass of Coke for Michelle and I
hand it to Chris to pass over to her. I tell him to pass it on to
Michelle and he does. Michelle, then, immediately takes a drink
from her soda after realizing how spicy the food really is.

“So what’s in the envelope, Devon,” Brandon
curiously asks.

My brother undoes the clasp and, then, takes
out the pictures and documents from within. He lays them on the
table for all to see. The first picture showing is a young white
male with freckles and green spiky hair.