Disclaimer: I own none of the characters involved in this fic. Only the situations are my own – and even they have been 'borrowed' from other sources and twisted to fit my needs.
Author's Note: The next two chapters are going to be quite short, I'm afraid. This fic isn't going how it should; only the first chapter approaches having the tone I was trying for. Somewhere along the line, this story changed irreparably. I'm going to finish it, then do a rewrite for my website when I finally get it going. It will be much darker, much better, I hope, once I figure out what I really want to do with it. Enjoy what I've done for now, though; it's just the bare bones of the real fic. I'm only finishing it so I can work on some of the other stories in the series, which hopefully won't have this one's failings. That, and I happen to like the next chapter. And I know this chapter goes fast; I don't have much for them to do during the wait for the next full moon. Why do the damn things only come once a month?!
SHADOW MOON
A 'Falls the Shadow' fic
Part Four
What the Moon Reveals
The moon had waned almost to nothing, though few within the barrier knew or even cared that the moon still existed, and went through its phases as if there was nothing wrong with the world it circled.
Others were achingly aware of it, for their lives were forever entwined with its phases. They were fewer now than there had once been, but they still existed. Werewolves…
He doesn't know, but he suspects. General Hein watched the information flash across the screen in front of him, fragments of hospital records and obituaries that appeared only briefly before being discarded. His lips curled in amusement as the flow increased, as though the intruder was becoming frustrated. You won't find what you seek there, Captain.
More entries, all dated within the last two weeks, were displayed and discarded. For someone who wasn't a tech, the captain was showing an amazing talent for breaking into military files. But he'd been clumsy enough to be detected. Only Hein's intervention had kept the captain from being traced. It wouldn't do for his problematical officer to be taken into custody. It would be… inconvenient.
But what was Hein to do with him? The man's new nature had been an accident. This was going to be difficult to hide. And much as he disliked Captain Edwards, he wasn't going to carelessly discard a good officer because he became a beast every month. If that were the case, he'd have to get rid of every female officer, too, he thought with some amusement.
The screen went blank in front of him, and Hein severed the connection, then wiped the records of the captain's progress. Hein settled back in his chair, chin in hand, considering. He'd have to speak to the captain about this, tell him the truth before the next full moon. His lips curled in a snarl as yet another unpleasant task fell upon him. Damn you…
He'd call the captain to his office in the morning. He thought briefly of seeing him now, when the captain would be paranoid after his breech of the rules, and making the man squirm, but Hein decided against it. He needed the captain to be clear-headed when he spoke to him, or who knew what he'd do? And he needed to do it soon, before the waxing of the moon began to bring out the beast in Gray, clouding his thoughts and stirring his blood lust. As a young werewolf, his control would be minimal, and…
"Sir?" Major Elliot's voice broke his thoughts. Hein scowled, then turned to his subordinate.
"What is it?" Hein's voice was a low growl, but the major was used to the general's moods and didn't flinch.
"The Council has a message for you. It's about the summit, sir."
Hein closed his eyes and kneaded his forehead. Shit… He'd forgotten completely about the massive gathering of the military heads of each city in Houston. "What about it?"
"It's been moved up. They need you to leave by tomorrow afternoon. I was able to get you a flight for tonight, sir. It leaves in an hour. It's the only one that will arrive before morning."
How considerate… But that left him only time to pack. And the summit wasn't just a short little get together.
It would take weeks.
Weeks because the idiots could never agree on the best courses of action, weeks because they were reluctant to give more money to the Zeus Cannon construction funds and argued endlessly about why it was important, weeks that would be best spent elsewhere.
He doubted he'd be back before the full moon. "Where's Captain Edwards?" he asked shortly.
The major thought for a moment, then said, "He hasn't been assigned anywhere, so at this hour, he's probably settled down for the night. Would you like me to send for him, sir?"
Hein scowled, the expression deepening the shadows on his sharp face. He doubted Gray had been in his room when he'd hacked the files, and there was no knowing where the man would be at the moment. By the time he tracked down the captain, Hein would be late for his flight.
Two weeks. He had two weeks to take his leave from the summit and get back before the captain transformed again and all hell broke loose.
* * *
They'd agreed not to discuss it with Jane and Ryan. Gray met the tech for breakfast that morning, before the other squad members made it to the mess hall. "I didn't find anything," Gray said without preamble.
Neil knew instantly what he meant. "Are you sure you didn't miss it? There are always a lot of deaths."
Gray nodded, clenching a fist in frustration. "I checked records for both the military and civilian hospitals. Either Hein is covering it up, or whatever attacked me isn't dead."
General Hein's involvement wasn't something they'd wanted to consider, but it was starting to seem like the best possibility. Someone had found the knife last seen buried hilt-deep in a monster's neck. Someone had hidden the body of a strange creature – or the person that had been the creature. Someone had even covered up the attack on Neil, for Gray hadn't heard it discussed in days, much less investigated. Could Hein be involved?
There was a nagging suspicion tugging at Gray's mind, one he refused to even consider. Perhaps Hein was indeed involved, but not how anyone thought. He'd known the knife would hurt Gray, he'd seen that in the general's eyes. And then there was the scar…
But Hein had been in the city when Gray had been attacked! He'd come to the office that night to hear the captain's report!
After a delay, during which Hein could have made his way back to the city… And the legends Gray and Neil had patiently dug up over the past week suggested mortal wounds could force a werewolf back to its true form.
They also said that by killing the werewolf that had bitten you, the curse could be cured. That wasn't an option Gray dared to consider.
As if reading his thoughts, Neil said, "Maybe the werewolf is alive, which could be good for you. All you'd have to do is find him and kill him."
Neil said it so callously, as he had when he'd made his declaration to kill Gray if needed. What, Gray wondered, had happened to his tech? Had the attack changed him, in more subtle ways? When Gray had tried to ask, the tech had mumbled something and refused to say more on the subject. He was beginning to fear his corporal was losing his mind.
* * *
Another week. The moon waxed half full, though Gray couldn't see it from under the all-encompassing barrier. He only knew that with each passing day, his sensed heightened, and his teammates were becoming nervous around him, a deep, instinctive terror perhaps warning them that here was a predator that could take down a human.
And he still had no clue who had bitten him. With Hein gone, Gray couldn't confront him about it. And his tenuous investigations into Hein's past came to nothing; the man had an odd reputation, but no one Gray asked could give him anything definite about whether Hein was involved with werewolves, or was one himself. He wished he'd dared to ask his questions directly, but he knew no one would take him seriously. And he didn't want to end up in a mental institution.
Gray had even entertained the notion of asking Major Elliot. As the man who was closest to Hein, he must have had some notion of his commander's activities, but Gray doubted he'd violate Hein's trust by telling possibly condemning secrets to a captain. Besides, the major was either in on it, or knew nothing at all.
But what was he going to do? He was having trouble hiding it. His new aversion to silver had manifested again when he and his squad had gone out in armor several days previously. While no metal touched his skin through the thin layer of cloth lying between him and the metal, when he'd peeled the armor off hours later, his skin had been an angry red, and he'd been blistered in places. He hadn't been able to hide it from his squad – or explain it to the puzzled medic who'd examined him at Ryan's insistence.
As Gray automatically answered the medic's questions, he considered the problem looming before him. He knew, now, that it wasn't just some delusion. He could feel the beast coiled deep within his mind, waiting for the right moment to break free. What was he going to do? Locking himself in his room seemed the best option. The officers quarters were soundproofed for privacy, and Neil had assured him that he could devise a lock that no one seeking to enter would be able to bypass, and that couldn't be opened from within, just in case Gray's bestial counterpart proved to be clever with its paws. Neil was going to lock him in, and he'd stay in his room until the tech let him free in the morning.
The puzzled medic released him, and Gray went to grab a quick meal. Hein had assigned his squad light duties, and Major Elliot was faithfully following the general's orders. Gray found himself left with less and less duties as the full moon drew nearer, something else that made him suspicious.
What does Hein know? Is he the one who bit me? If the USMF was run by a monster, were they safe? While Hein wasn't popular with troops or Council, Gray could find no fault with his performance as a general. On the other hand, he is one of the most aggressive commanders out there, Gray thought with wry amusement. He definitely has that killer instinct.
I'll have to confront him about this when he comes back, Gray realized dully. What do I do? What if the old tales are right, and the only way to rid myself of this curse is to kill him? Could I do it? If I don't, what if I kill Neil, or Jane, or Ryan? What if I kill Aki? Even if he hadn't seen the woman since she'd disappeared, he couldn't stand the thought that she'd see him as a beast… that he'd destroy the woman he still loved. The thought was sobering. It disturbed him so deeply that he could barely finish his lunch: An extra-rare burger, still dripping blood.
* * *
Five days… three days… two… Time went almost too fast for Gray. Neil, who'd been acting skittish around Gray since he'd first woken after the attack, barely came near his captain. Gray didn't want to see him, either… He kept seeing with renewed clarity his assault on the tech whenever he spoke to Neil.
This isn't going to work! Gray frantically thought at one point. I'll break free and hurt someone! Or maybe I'll transform early… But the beast stayed within him, patiently awaiting the right time to break free. An hour before the moon was schedule to peak above the horizon, Gray began to feel that everything would be fine after all. The walls were strong, and wouldn't yield to claws. And he and Neil had checked the door; it wouldn't break, nor even warp under a constant beating. They built things strong these days.
If he could just last until his confrontation with Hein, Gray was certain that everything would work out. He had to believe it, or it would tear him apart…
Forty-five minutes before moonrise, fifteen before he was supposed to meet up with Neil, Gray received the summons. An edgy runner tracked down Gray, cornering him and ordering him to head immediately to the general's office.
Is Hein back? Gray thought. He didn't want to see the general right now, not with the massive headache that was pounding his skull. His sight was swimming around him, and his perceptions had heightened unbearably. All he wanted was to curl up in his room. Surely Hein felt the same way?
To his surprise, though, it was Major Elliot who met him. The major looked harried as he set a datapad before Gray. "These documents need your signature," the major said thickly. "They're some of your mission reports."
Couldn't it wait? Gray wondered as he clumsily brought up the files on display. Damn, his fingers were already too numb! How much longer did he have? Hurriedly, he picked up the light pen and scrawled his name on the holographic surface, and watched the scribble be transformed into his signature on the document. At least this wouldn't take long…
He was only vaguely aware of Major Elliot moving around the office as he tried to focus on the documents. There were more than he'd thought, and all required his signature. The throbbing in his skull increased, and Gray fancied for a moment that the creature would tear its way loose from his head rather than transform his body this time.
He glanced at the time, and his eyes widened in alarm. He had ten minutes to get to his room… "Sir, I have to get going," he said desperately, a plea he would never use with a superior officer if the need hadn't been so urgent.
Major Elliot was leafing through the files on another datapad. "I can't let you go just yet; I need to get these done for when the general arrives." He sounded absorbed in his work; he'd be totally helpless against the looming danger. Why the hell did the major wait this long for me to sign them if they're so important? Gray thought dimly.
"You don't understand…" The words were thick and slurred, with the hint of an underlying growl. He stumbled to his feet and staggered towards the door, unaware of the major's keen gaze on his back. "For your own good…"
Gray fumbled at the office door with fingers that couldn't stop shaking. His hands felt nerveless, and he had little control over them. Open, dammit, open! He wanted to scream in frustration. He had to get out of the office before he hurt the major! But the door… the door was locked! He had to get away, to lock himself from the world, before he tried to kill any of his acquaintances. "Major…" he said helplessly, the words distorted by a tongue that seemed too heavy. "Out…"
There was no warning, no sound of movement at all. Pain suddenly lanced through his shoulders, as if knives had ripped into his quivering flesh. Gray made an agonized sound that was almost a yelp before turning on his unexpected attacker.
Major Elliot stood behind him, licking blood from nails too long for his fingers. "You're not going anywhere, Captain," he said, his voice a low growl. Lips curved into a smile, baring a mouthful of razor-sharp teeth. "I made a mistake not finishing you off, and it's time I corrected it."
The major loosened the tight collar of his uniform jacket, showing the clean line of what was obviously a knife wound, only half-healed, deep in his throat. And then Gray only had time to glimpse the dark fur spreading across the major's changing features before his own transformation overcame him and left him helpless to defend himself.
To Be Concluded…
Lousy, isn't it? I don't like it. But it's the best I could do with what I had. I can't wait until this fall, when I'm going to try putting up a website and put up a much better version of this! And there is a good explanation for why both Hein and Elliot have scarred necks, I promise.