Wolves among men (15 page)

“
Why, what do they want?”
I asked but he didn’t answer.

“
No time to explain, you
have to get out of there. Grab your sister and meet me here.” The
phone cut out and I hung up quickly standing off of the bed and
grabbing Cordillia’s arm.

“
What the hell is going
on?” She dug her heals into the ground. Usually I appreciated
Cordillia’s stubbornness but now was not the time.

“
I don’t know,” I answered
her as I let go and turned to face her. “Just get your things
together we have to leave.” I walked over to the large double
windows and pulled the shade aside to get a look at the parking
lot. No cop cars, I breathed a sigh of relief. Maybe we had enough
time to get to Roberts and get some answers.

Cordillia gathered her things quickly and we
were dressed and out the door in record time. We jogged down the
front stairs and to the large glass window of the check in counter.
I saw the woman who had been flirting with me the other day and
groaned. I didn’t have time for this. I walked over quickly and she
smiled as I threw the key card down and turned to walk away.

I walked fast and it took me a few moments
before I realized that Cordillia was running to keep up with me. I
was freaked out and all I knew was to get the hell out of here so
that’s what I was doing. We climbed into the old girl and I gunned
the engine, pulling out of the parking lot as fast as I could. Just
as we turned the corner, I saw them pull in. Two cop cars turned
into the casino parking lot and disappeared in my rear view mirror
as I drove as fast as I could to what I hoped was a safe place.

We got to Roberts less than ten minutes
later. I figured we had to talk fast because it wouldn’t take the
cops long to figure out where I had gone. As I pulled into the
driveway, I looked over and saw that Cordillia’s hands were
shaking. I put my hand on her shoulder and squeezed gently hoping
to make her feel better. I didn’t mean to scare her but it wasn’t
like I was calm myself.

Robert came outside and half ran to the
driver side of the truck pushing the door closed as I tried to open
it.

“
Don’t leave it here, you
need to hide it. Follow me I’ll show you where,” he spoke as he
walked around to the front of the truck and led me back to the
clearing. He walked up a dirt path to the right of the house and I
drove slowly until he told me to stop. “That should be good for
now,” I heard him yell over the rumble of the engine. I cut her off
and climbed outside ushering for Cordillia to follow.

“
What the hell, Robert?
What’s going on?” I asked him. He turned and began walking back to
the house and we followed close behind. He didn’t answer right away
and his face told me that something bad was coming, the same
something that the cops were looking for me to explain.

He motioned for us to go inside and took a
look around the yard before following us in. He was worried and I
could smell fear on him. We sat down in the living room and Robert
took a deep breath.

“
When you left here last
night, where did you go?” he asked me not making eye contact with
ether of us.

“
We went back to the
hotel, we fell asleep and then you called. Why? What the hell is
going on?” I begged. I wanted to know what was going on, what the
hell was I being blamed for?

“
Something very bad
happened a few hours ago.” He began as a look of pain crossed his
face. “Maura was attacked on the street. She runs every day and
today she didn’t come home.” His eyes met mine and I was
stunned.

“
What happened?” I asked
him not really sure if I wanted to know.

“
Marcus saw it. He said it
was a black creature nearly as tall as the roof of the house he was
standing next to. It jumped out of the trees like it was waiting
for her and well you know what they are capable of.” I dropped my
head in sadness, my eyes turned to the ground as Robert choked back
the sadness in his voice.

“
Marcus thinks it was me.”
It wasn’t a question but Robert answered me with a soft
nod.

“
Marcus has told others
that the evil has returned. They are looking for you now and they
will make an example of you.” Robert looked scared for me and I was
angry at him for that. Maura was a beautiful girl he should be
concentrating on her. It wasn’t that I didn’t appreciate it just
that I felt sorry for him. He reached into his pocket and handed me
a piece of paper with some numbers scribbled on it. I took it and
looked back up at him confused.

“
His name is Bryant. He is
an old friend of mine. I was going to introduce you but it seems
that we don’t have time for that now.” He started to say something
more but was interrupted when the front door flew open and a very
angry Marcus began to shout.

“
You’re protecting him!”
he screamed as he stormed into the living room slamming the door
behind him. I stood up off of the couch as Robert placed himself
between us.

“
Marcus!” He barked
staring into his eyes. “I know that you are upset but he didn’t do
this.”

“
I don’t care if he did,”
he snapped his eyes turning to meet mine. “He brought this on us.
It followed him here. You know that,” he shouted, meeting his
father’s desperate face again.

“
You don’t know that,
son.”

“
Yes I do!
We all do!
” the anger in
his voice was becoming rage and I could feel that this wasn’t going
to end well. He took a deep breath and spoke again. The anger was
still there but he was trying to keep control, “Nothing like this
has happened in years and then you walk in…” He was looking at me
now, rage seething in his eyes. “You came and now we’re all in
danger,” his voice was dripping with anger. I could tell it was
taking a lot for him not to hurt me and I didn’t blame him. I had
lost someone I loved before that kind of pain makes you do crazy
things.

“
Calm yourself, remember
who you are. Maura wouldn’t want this,” Robert’s voice was pained
but calm and I couldn’t help but wonder if he was questioning my
place here as well. Robert turned to me as Marcus tried to gain
control of his temper. “Ethan, I think it would be best if you and
your sister were to leave.”

“
No!” Marcus cut him off.
He lifted his head to meet my eyes. “He has to stay. He has to pay
for this.”

“
He is innocent,” Robert
defended not taking his eyes from his son. I felt sorry for them,
Robert couldn’t make this better and I could tell it was hurting
him to try.

“
No he’s
not
!” Marcus began to
shout again. “He’s a monster, dad, he’s no better than the thing
that killed Maura. He has to die, they all do.” His control was
slipping and I was beginning to feel scared. I didn’t know what to
do or who was waiting for us outside.

“
Remember the story. They
are not all monsters. If it weren’t for them our tribe would be
wiped out and you know that,” Robert pleaded with him. It was
useless, Marcus wanted revenge and I didn’t blame him.

“
That’s just a story, dad.
You don’t know that any of them were good and besides we can’t take
that chance. If he leaves, we’re left here with those things
running around and no way to stop them.” Marcus sounded calm but
his posture and eyes said otherwise. I remembered the stranger at
the diner, I had no problem stopping him and I didn’t see why they
couldn’t.

Against my better judgment I began to speak,
“Why can’t you stop them? They’re strong sure but they can’t be
that hard to kill.” Robert turned to me and a look of surprise
crossed his face as I realized he thought I knew more than I
did.

“
It’s not that easy,
Ethan. These are not men like us or beast as we know
them.”

“
But I did it. I killed
one in California and it wasn’t that hard. Why can’t
you-”

“
You matched him in
strength that is why it was not hard for you,” he interrupted me.
Marcus was calming down and for the first time today I saw a
glimmer of humanity in his eyes. There was a long and very awkward
silence as Robert sat back down and so did I, trusting that I was
safe for now.

“
It’s not the method of
killing them that is the problem. Almost anything that will kill a
human will kill a werewolf. It’s the small matter of these things
being very strong and very fast. A human just can’t keep up,”
Robert spoke calmly. It was strange to me how he knew so much about
werewolves and yet he couldn’t answer my questions with any sense
of certainty.

“
But if a human can’t then
how come there aren’t a lot more of them running around?” I asked.
Robert laughed softly and I was surprised that he could laugh at a
time like this.

“
I may be old but I don’t
have all the answers. Whatever you want to know you will find.
Start with the address I gave you.” I turned the piece of paper
over and eyed it for a moment before shoving it into the pocket of
my jeans. “He’ll steer you in the right direction,” Robert assured
me as Marcus paced back and forth slowly.

“
Wait,” I spoke up. He
stopped pacing and faced me. As he met my eyes, I got the
unmistakable and overwhelming feeling he didn’t even want to be
aware of my existence let alone be looking right at me. “I hate to
ask but if a human can’t really kill one of... well my kind. What
on earth were you planning to do?”

Marcus paused and thought for a moment
before shrugging and turning his eyes to the ground. “I hadn’t
really thought that far ahead,” he admitted as he took a seat on
the floor.

The mood lightened a bit as we all sat still
and quiet. “So I’m going to guess that you’re not going to kill me
then?” I asked hopeful and relived.

“
Of course I am,” he spoke
bluntly looking at me for only a second before returning his gaze
to the floor. My stomach dropped, I didn’t want to die, not today.
“If you ever come back,” he added with a huff.

“
Thank you, Marcus,”
Robert replied before I had the chance to register what he said.
The room was silent, I didn’t know what to say and no one seemed
eager to break the tension.

“
I imagine the cops are
still looking for me.” I asked my eyes meeting Marcus’s. He just
nodded before he stood and walked over to the kitchen. I turned to
Robert and hoped that this question was one that he could
answer.

“
So how do we get out of
here?” He thought for a moment as a look of worry crossed his
face.

“
I’m not sure. They change
the roads so much I don’t know how to keep you from being noticed.”
We sat in silence. Marcus returned to his seat on the floor and
after a few minutes rolled his eyes.

“
Fine,” He met my gaze.
“There is a small road out back that runs through the forest. If
you’re careful, it will take you off of reservation land. After
that the cops can’t touch you,” he didn’t sound like he wanted to
tell me this but I appreciated the fact that he did.

“
What about the other
ones? The ones like me?” I added. I couldn’t help but feel that
they would come after me or worse, come after Robert and Marcus. I
wanted to know that they would be okay but it wasn’t looking like
there was any way I could be sure.

“
Don’t worry about them.
We can take care of ourselves and I am sure the same could be said
for you,” Robert spoke with sincerity. His assurance would have to
be enough.

Marcus stayed in the house as Robert walked
Cordillia and me out to the road where we had hidden our only means
of escape. We walked through the clearing and it pained me as I
remembered Maura. I’d only just met her the night before but I
couldn’t believe that she was gone. It didn’t seem right and it
didn’t seem fair that such a beautiful woman would be ended like
this.

We walked in silence as my thoughts raced
from the shining beautiful face of the woman now dead, to the sense
of fear that polluted the air around us. I felt bad for this town,
couldn’t help but wonder if they would have been better off had I
never come. Robert had done so much for Cordillia and I and all I
brought in return was danger.

When I left California, I left to keep
people safe, to protect the ones I loved. But it was turning out to
have the opposite effect and there was nothing I could do about
that.

“
Ethan?” I felt her hand
on my shoulder, pulling me back to reality. “It’s not your
fault.”

“
I know.” I nodded. She
patted my back before turning to leave me there with my thoughts
and not long after I followed the sound of her footsteps into the
wooded clearing where I had hidden our means of escape

“
The hell?” I called as I
moved past Cordillia toward the front of my truck. The hood was
lifted open and my stomach dropped as I realized quickly that
someone had done a number on the old girl, someone didn’t want me
to leave.