Wolves among men (21 page)

“Are you alright?” Matt asked as my eyes
returned to his. I nodded and took a deep breath as he let me go
and got to his feet. He offered his hand to me and I took it
graciously, brushing myself off as I steadied myself and turned to
face the others.

“I’m sorry.”

“Don’t be.” Logan nodded.

“Yeah, I’d be pretty pissed too,” James
offered. I nodded in appreciation before turning to Sam.

“What now?” I asked coldly as I cracked my
neck slowly. Before she had a chance to speak a beautiful scream
broke through the silence that surrounded us.

“Ethan!” she shrieked. I bolted for the front
door almost instinctively and ripped it open to see nothing and no
one there.

“Cordillia?” I shouted into the open space. I
didn’t care who might be there or what danger I might find. I heard
her screaming for me and all that mattered now was finding
her.

“Ethan, get back here.” Sam hissed from the
doorway.

“No! I have to find her!” I screamed as I took
off down the driveway searching frantically for any sign of her. I
ran around to the back of the house as fast as my legs could take
me and just as I made it around the corner to the clearing I saw
her scared and beautiful face. Tears streamed down her cheeks as
she looked at me helpless and afraid, a deep gash on her left arm
had stained her pajamas with blood but thankfully the bleeding had
stopped some time ago.

My eyes shifted focus to the man that held her
still. Dirty and disgusting he sneered at me as she fought against
his grip. His clothes were torn, his hair in knots and dirt covered
him from head to toe. His black eyes stared back at me as I stood
frozen in place and unable to do anything to save her.

The back door creaked open and somehow I was
aware of Matt and Logan as they rushed to my side.

“Let her go!” Logan screamed. I watched as the
man pulled her tight and she shrieked under the pressure. He
started laughing a sick sinister laugh as he shook his
head.

“I’m afraid that’s not going to happen.” He
growled as he stroked her cheek. She grimaced and turned her head
away from him as he laughed.

“There are three of us and one of you, think
about this before you do something stupid,” Matt growled. The man
looked back up at us and grinned.

“That’s where I’m afraid you’re wrong.” We
watched as the shadows behind him began to move and one by one more
of them came into view. Some new, some old, some feral and some
civilized. They laughed and shrieked as they lined up behind him
and glowered at us. I stepped back as more and more of them came
into view. Our once peaceful clearing had been overrun by beasts
and monsters alike. I counted thirty men and women standing in
support of the one that stared down at us, amused at our
helplessness.

“What do you want?” I asked trying desperately
not to show my fear but my own voice betrayed me as it cracked. He
laughed as the others snarled and hissed behind him.

“I admire the fact that you think so highly of
yourself to assume that I would want something from you.” He
chuckled. “But I’m sorry to say that this visit isn’t about me.
Boss’s orders. He wants to see her personally.”

“Why, what does he want with her?” His group
of pups growled at my outburst.

“You ask too many questions.” He stated as he
began to walk backwards pulling Cordillia with him. The pups
separated to let him through and I watched in horror as they
disappeared into the woods and out of my sight. I wanted to save
her, to run after her but the mob that stood before us was more
than I, we, could handle. We watched as each of them moved out of
our sight, never taking their eyes off of us and one by one they
vanished into the brush.

We stood there quiet and still as the
realization of what just happened set in. I wanted to be angry, I
wanted scream but something still within me wouldn’t let me.
Somehow deep within myself, I knew this wasn’t the end, this wasn’t
over and we would find her. I turned quickly and quietly, brushing
past Logan and Matt as I stormed back toward the house.

“Ethan-”

“Don’t.” I growled without stopping my stride.
I nearly ran into the cabin and packed my things without a word or
second thought as to what it was I needed to be doing. I finished
quickly and slung my bag over my shoulder. I had meant to go into
the living room, sit down and collect my thoughts but somehow I
managed to find Cordillia’s room instead. I dropped my bag at my
feet and sat down at the foot of her bed, my thoughts swirling and
flowing faster than I could label them.

I had failed her that much I was certain of. I
had promised to protect her and instead I let her get taken. There
was nothing I could do without getting killed in the process and
yet even knowing that I still couldn’t shake the feeling that I had
failed.

“Ethan,” a calm and beautiful voice shook me
from my daze. My attention shifted from the holes I had created in
the bedroom wall to Sam’s comforting smile. Something about it
warmed me and as she sat down next to me it became easier to
breathe.

“I was right there,” I muttered as she simply
listened. “She was right in front of me and there was nothing I
could do.” I could feel the tears stinging behind my eyes as Sam
wrapped her arms around me. “What are we going to do?” I begged as
I sobbed into her chest. She patted my back gently and held me
tight.

“We’re going to get her back that’s what we’re
going to do.”

“How can you be sure?” I asked as I pulled
away from her and wiped the tears from my cheeks.

“I can’t, Ethan, you know that.” At least she
was being honest with me. “But I can promise you that we’ll try.” I
looked up at her and smiled weakly. I hoped she was right and that
by some miracle Cordillia would be alright and for the moment my
hope seemed to be enough to keep my desperation and fear at
bay.

“James made some calls,” she spoke softly as
she turned her body to face me. “He said there have been sightings
of Malik in Washington, near Seattle.” I looked up at her and a
feeling of hope crossed over me as I looked into her eyes. “Matt
and Logan are getting the car ready. We have friends in the area,
we’ll try and catch up with them there.” I nodded and stood,
pulling her in for a hug as I did.

“Thank you so much,” I whispered into her ear.
“I don’t know what I would have done without you guys.”

“It’s okay, Ethan.” I could feel her smiling
against me as I held her tight. “We’re family it’s what we
do.”

“Thank you,” I whispered as I squeezed her one
last time. She patted my back as I let her go and grabbed my bag
from the floor. I threw it over my shoulder and offered her a smile
as we walked out of the cabin together leaving behind the memories
and pain that filled this place. As I stepped out into the front
yard I saw a familiar sight waiting there to greet me. Matt leaned
against my truck and a smile filled his face as my eyes lit
up.

“You fixed her,” I nearly shouted as he stood
and walked over to me.

“Damn right we did.” He laughed as I walked
around and looked her over. She was beautiful and in the midst of
all this mess I was happy to have her back. Matt threw me the keys
as I happily opened the door and threw my bag onto the passenger
seat.

“I can’t believe this.” I shook my head as my
friends surrounded me and one by one they wrapped their arms around
me. Matt stood in front of me, the last to embrace me and it was
strange that someone so gruff could have a soft side as
well.

“Alright.” He smiled as he let me go. “Now
that the hallmark moment is over let’s get the hell out of here.”
He chuckled as he followed Sam and Logan into a small gray Trans Am
that somehow seemed even smaller parked next my hulking red
truck.

I slid into the driver’s seat, relishing in
the feel of familiarity as I closed the door and ran my hand along
the wheel. I sighed as the passenger door creaked open and James
climbed in hesitantly.

“I hope you don’t mind if I ride with you,” he
spoke nervously as he placed his bag at his feet.

“Not at all.” I smiled as I put her into gear,
backed out of the old dirt driveway and followed Matt out of the
reservation and onto the open road.

Leaving the reservation filled me with a sense
of peace and relief as we traveled north to what I could only hope
was the end of all this mess. I never was one to believe in destiny
but here I was in the middle of a war I never knew existed, ready
to fight and ready to do anything I needed to fix the mess I had
caused. For a moment I found myself wondering if something good
could come out of all of this and in that moment I caught myself
feeling hopeful.

A centuries old battle, A mythological race
and Ethan Harlow, a cashier from Barstow California that had more
in store for him than what the average life had to offer. I
chuckled to myself as these thoughts crept into my mind and filled
the silence that surrounded me.

“James, can I ask you something?” I broke the
silence which seemed to startle him. He nodded and looked over at
me. I still couldn’t imagine someone like him being something like
me. He was somehow too sweet, too young to be caught up in all of
this but despite my impressions we were here none the less. “I was
just wondering, how you deal with all of this?” There was a long
pause as he played with his fingers nervously.

“I don’t know, I guess I never thought about
it,” he muttered. “I was never really good at being human. I was
shy and quiet...”

“You still are.” I smirked.

“True.” He smiled back. “But I guess now
there’s something more to me. Back then I was bullied a lot and I
got hurt real bad. I couldn’t stand up for myself and there were
more than a few times I really thought about suicide or just
running away.” His expression changed to one of sadness and for a
moment I felt bad about stirring up his old memories.

“You were at Harvard right? On your way to
being a lawyer?” I asked hoping for a chance to get to know him
better.

“No, not really,” he muttered. “I was a
Psychology major. I don’t know why I decided to study the human
mind but it called to me.”

“So what happened to you?” I asked as we
passed the sign announcing our departure from Oregon and into
Washington. Freedom, for what it was worth. At least the
reservation was as far behind us as it could be. James shrugged and
stared at his hands as the truck quickly went silent again. “Sorry
I don’t mean to pry, if you don’t want to talk about it that’s
fine.”

“No, no it’s not that. It’s like I said I
don’t really think about it and it’s been a while since anyone’s
asked me.” He paused for a few moments. “I was leaving the library
one night, it was dark and I took the long way back to the dorms. I
was walking behind our building and this thing came out of nowhere
and attacked me,” his voice wavered as he told me his story. “I
tried to fight it but it was bigger and stronger, you know that.” I
nodded as he looked down. “Some of the bigger guys that usually
picked on me ran it off. When I woke up I was in the ICU and I
tried to go about my life as normal after that. Actually I didn’t
think anything strange had happened at first. My temper was worse
but I hadn’t changed yet so I honestly didn’t know.”

“How did you find out?” I asked hoping that it
wasn’t the wrong question.

“Well there was this guy named Taylor that
used to pick on me a lot and one day he pushed me down on the
ground and started ripping up one of my thesis papers. I lost
control and I changed there in front of everyone.”

“Hell, man, that’s rough.” I looked over at
him. “What happened to him?” James paused and bit his lip. “He’s
not around anymore is he?” I asked already knowing the
answer.

“He was in the hospital for a few months, a
coma but he never woke up and eventually he just slipped
away.”

“I’m sorry, man,” I said looking over at him.
His face didn’t hold the type of remorse that I had
expected.

“It’s okay, I was upset about it for a long
time and I never went back to that school. It took a long time for
me to come to terms with what I had done but Sam told me that he
had been picked up for rape a few times and assault on his
girlfriend. I guess that made me feel better about the whole
thing.” I nodded and offered him a smile.

“So you were like a hero and you didn’t even
know it. That’s not so bad.” James chuckled lightly.