Biff killed the motor a mile from the cabin and coasted to a stop about a hundred feet away from where the blue van was parked. He and Frank exited Biff's van and silently made their way to the cabin. They went to the front window and peered inside. Joe was sitting in a cage eating something while Mayhem talked until, finally, Mayhem stood up.
"Go around back," instructed Frank. "See if there's another way inside."
Biff nodded and took off. Frank looked back to the scene before him and saw Joe's eyes widen in terror. When Joe visibly cringed and shrank against the back of the cage as Mayhem neared him, Frank knew he could wait no longer. He rushed the front door as Joe let out a horrific scream.
Frank kicked at the front door with one strong maneuver and it banged open, splintering the frame. Joe let out an agonized scream as Frank ran inside and grabbed Mayhem's shoulder. Frank spun Mayhem around, causing him to drop the metal box he held, and let fly with a stiff uppercut to his left jaw. Mayhem stumbled back and fell, knocking the metal box sideways and sending the contents tumbling under the sofa.
Joe let out another scream that turned into a growl as Biff came crashing into the room only to freeze. Shocked, he watched as Joe's nose faded into his face and small furry ears popped out of his head. Frank caught sight of Joe and forgot about Mayhem who scrambled to his feet and hurried out the door to the cacophony of sirens.
As fur began to grow all over Joe's body and his shoulders grew three times their normal size, Frank snapped out of his stupor and saw the box Mayhem had dropped. He fell to his knees as Joe's mouth grew and his teeth elongated.
Where is it? thought Frank, frantically listening to the whimpering that Joe was making. Obviously, the transformation was causing him extreme pain. Frank looked around for the item the box had held. He looked under the sofa. Was that it, he wondered, reaching for the solitary item hiding there?
He pulled it out as a loud howl sounded from behind him. Frank turned to see the biggest wolf he had ever seen locked in the cage where his brother had been moments before. The wolf lowered its head and pushed at the door of the cage. A few of the links uncurled under the stress but it held.
Frank dropped the rock into the metal box and shut the lid. At once the wolf's growl turned into a whimper and it sank to its haunches.
Frank thrust the box at Biff. "Hold this," he shouted into Biff's ear, hoping to snap him out of his shock.
The two continued to watch as the wolf became Joe once again. Frank's heart wept for his brother as he watched Joe curl into the same fetal position they had found him in when Aliem had kidnapped him.
Biff took off his shirt, careful not to jar the box open, and handed it to Frank who was already kneeling by the cage trying to pick the lock.
Biff watched as Frank got the door open and pulled his brother out and into his arms; wrapping the shirt around his waist and saying meaningless words to try and ease the shock Joe was obviously in.
"The police are here," said Biff softly.
Frank looked up at Biff then at the box. "Put that in the van," he ordered, not wanting anyone to have possession of something that could do this to his brother.
Biff nodded and left the cabin. Almost to the van, Biff felt a blow to his upper back and fell to the ground, letting the box slide away from him. Before he could recover, Mayhem slammed Biff once more with the branch he was holding then dropped it, grabbed the box, and took off running.
Stunned, Biff got to his knees then stood slowly, swaying. "Hold it right there!" shouted a male voice as two police officers stepped into view.
"Ma..Mayhem is getting away," Biff managed to spit out as a thin stream of blood made a crazy path down his face.
One of the officers barked an order at his partner and another officer came and wrapped an arm around Biff's waist and helped him back to the cabin where, upon seeing Joe, he radioed in for an ambulance for both Biff and Joe.
The next afternoon Fenton, Laura and Frank were in Joe's hospital room waiting for him to awaken. He had been treated for shock then given something to help him sleep upon his arrival at the hospital. Biff's injury had resulted in a slight concussion and his wound had been cleaned before being released into his parent's custody who had come to pick him up at the hospital. Biff had promised Frank he wouldn't say anything before he left which eased Frank's mind a little.
Frank sat quietly by Joe's bedside, staring at his face which showed no sign of the trauma he had just undergone. When his eyes flickered open, Frank leapt to his feet and took his brother's hand. "Easy, Baby Brother," Frank told him in a gentle voice. "You're safe now."
Joe gave him a wan smile as Fenton and Laura moved to his other side. "Hi, Baby," Laura said, smoothing his hair away from his forehead.
"Hey," returned Joe with a rasp.
"Thirsty?" asked Fenton. At Joe's nod, he poured Joe a cup of water and handed it to him.
"Thanks," replied Joe after drinking its contents and returning the empty cup to his dad. "Did you get Dr. Mayhem?" he asked, afraid they had and now everyone knew the awful truth but equally afraid they hadn't and Mayhem was still free to come after him.
"No," Fenton answered, scowling. "But there's a manhunt in bloom and his picture is going to be kept posted at every government agency until he has been captured."
Joe nodded. He didn't know whether to be relieved or not. "How did you find me?"
"Frank found you first," Fenton said. "A friend of Biff's spotted Mayhem at a grocery store. Phil located Mayhem's Internet connection via a website and I sent the local authorities to the location. Unfortunately, they arrived too late to capture that..that..."
Laura laid a comforting arm on her husband's. She knew how he felt but she also knew how much he disliked profanity and right now she could feel the string of curse words that threatened to leave his lips.
"Why don't you two go on home and get some rest?" suggested Frank wanting to talk to Joe alone and thinking this would be a good time to urge his parent's to depart.
"But Joe just woke up," objected Laura.
"I'm still a little tired," said Joe, wanting to talk to Frank privately as well. "Go on home. I'll be fine."
"All right," Laura gave in with a frown. She leaned down and kissed his forehead. "The doctor here called Dr. Bates and he wants to run a few tests on you tomorrow when you are released and can return to Bayport," she informed Joe. "Hopefully, he'll be able to find out what he and those other two cretins did to you to send you into shock."
"Oh, good," responded Joe with as much false enthusiasm as he could muster. He smiled at his mother, wishing he could tell her not to worry about him. "I'll see you tomorrow."
"Goodnight, Son," said Fenton, messing Joe's hair up after Laura had fixed it. "Sleep well." He looked over at Frank. "Call us if Joe, or you, need anything and I'll be right over," he promised.
"I will," promised Frank as his parents left the room and closed the door.
"He killed Jonathan and Craig," Joe said after they had left.
"I'm sorry, Baby Brother," apologized Frank. "I should have believed you."
Joe shrugged. "It is unbelievable," he said.
"But I don't understand why, when I scratched you, it didn't heal?" Frank said in confusion.
Joe told Frank about how Craig died and the experiment Mayhem had did on him. "He actually watched you bleed to death?" rasped Frank, his brown eyes darkening to coal.
Joe didn't answer but, remembering for the first time why he had left the pizzeria early, pulled his dressing gown down and looked at his chest. "What's wrong?" demanded Frank as Joe touched the skin where the scarred tissue had once been.
Joe told him about getting burned by Vanessa's necklace. "So some of the myths are true about werewolves and some aren't," stated Frank with a frown as he helped Joe settle back onto the bed and fix his gown.
"And Mayhem wants to separate the fact from the fiction using me as a guinea pig," Joe stated bitterly.
"Like hey he will," vowed Frank with a snarl. "That madman isn't going to get the chance to get at you again."
Joe never said anything but he knew that Mayhem would always be a threat as long as he was alive. He looked up into Frank's concerned brown eyes. "What happens now?" asked Joe. "What am I going to do? I'm...I'm not normal. I'm dangerous."
"Only once a month," Frank said. "Or when you get near a moon rock." He smiled and shook his head at Joe. "We'll think of something," he promised. "I won't let anyone hurt you or let you hurt anyone," he added, knowing that was what scared Joe the most.
End story two in the Werewolf of Bayport series!
"Go around back," instructed Frank. "See if there's another way inside."
Biff nodded and took off. Frank looked back to the scene before him and saw Joe's eyes widen in terror. When Joe visibly cringed and shrank against the back of the cage as Mayhem neared him, Frank knew he could wait no longer. He rushed the front door as Joe let out a horrific scream.
Frank kicked at the front door with one strong maneuver and it banged open, splintering the frame. Joe let out an agonized scream as Frank ran inside and grabbed Mayhem's shoulder. Frank spun Mayhem around, causing him to drop the metal box he held, and let fly with a stiff uppercut to his left jaw. Mayhem stumbled back and fell, knocking the metal box sideways and sending the contents tumbling under the sofa.
Joe let out another scream that turned into a growl as Biff came crashing into the room only to freeze. Shocked, he watched as Joe's nose faded into his face and small furry ears popped out of his head. Frank caught sight of Joe and forgot about Mayhem who scrambled to his feet and hurried out the door to the cacophony of sirens.
As fur began to grow all over Joe's body and his shoulders grew three times their normal size, Frank snapped out of his stupor and saw the box Mayhem had dropped. He fell to his knees as Joe's mouth grew and his teeth elongated.
Where is it? thought Frank, frantically listening to the whimpering that Joe was making. Obviously, the transformation was causing him extreme pain. Frank looked around for the item the box had held. He looked under the sofa. Was that it, he wondered, reaching for the solitary item hiding there?
He pulled it out as a loud howl sounded from behind him. Frank turned to see the biggest wolf he had ever seen locked in the cage where his brother had been moments before. The wolf lowered its head and pushed at the door of the cage. A few of the links uncurled under the stress but it held.
Frank dropped the rock into the metal box and shut the lid. At once the wolf's growl turned into a whimper and it sank to its haunches.
Frank thrust the box at Biff. "Hold this," he shouted into Biff's ear, hoping to snap him out of his shock.
The two continued to watch as the wolf became Joe once again. Frank's heart wept for his brother as he watched Joe curl into the same fetal position they had found him in when Aliem had kidnapped him.
Biff took off his shirt, careful not to jar the box open, and handed it to Frank who was already kneeling by the cage trying to pick the lock.
Biff watched as Frank got the door open and pulled his brother out and into his arms; wrapping the shirt around his waist and saying meaningless words to try and ease the shock Joe was obviously in.
"The police are here," said Biff softly.
Frank looked up at Biff then at the box. "Put that in the van," he ordered, not wanting anyone to have possession of something that could do this to his brother.
Biff nodded and left the cabin. Almost to the van, Biff felt a blow to his upper back and fell to the ground, letting the box slide away from him. Before he could recover, Mayhem slammed Biff once more with the branch he was holding then dropped it, grabbed the box, and took off running.
Stunned, Biff got to his knees then stood slowly, swaying. "Hold it right there!" shouted a male voice as two police officers stepped into view.
"Ma..Mayhem is getting away," Biff managed to spit out as a thin stream of blood made a crazy path down his face.
One of the officers barked an order at his partner and another officer came and wrapped an arm around Biff's waist and helped him back to the cabin where, upon seeing Joe, he radioed in for an ambulance for both Biff and Joe.
The next afternoon Fenton, Laura and Frank were in Joe's hospital room waiting for him to awaken. He had been treated for shock then given something to help him sleep upon his arrival at the hospital. Biff's injury had resulted in a slight concussion and his wound had been cleaned before being released into his parent's custody who had come to pick him up at the hospital. Biff had promised Frank he wouldn't say anything before he left which eased Frank's mind a little.
Frank sat quietly by Joe's bedside, staring at his face which showed no sign of the trauma he had just undergone. When his eyes flickered open, Frank leapt to his feet and took his brother's hand. "Easy, Baby Brother," Frank told him in a gentle voice. "You're safe now."
Joe gave him a wan smile as Fenton and Laura moved to his other side. "Hi, Baby," Laura said, smoothing his hair away from his forehead.
"Hey," returned Joe with a rasp.
"Thirsty?" asked Fenton. At Joe's nod, he poured Joe a cup of water and handed it to him.
"Thanks," replied Joe after drinking its contents and returning the empty cup to his dad. "Did you get Dr. Mayhem?" he asked, afraid they had and now everyone knew the awful truth but equally afraid they hadn't and Mayhem was still free to come after him.
"No," Fenton answered, scowling. "But there's a manhunt in bloom and his picture is going to be kept posted at every government agency until he has been captured."
Joe nodded. He didn't know whether to be relieved or not. "How did you find me?"
"Frank found you first," Fenton said. "A friend of Biff's spotted Mayhem at a grocery store. Phil located Mayhem's Internet connection via a website and I sent the local authorities to the location. Unfortunately, they arrived too late to capture that..that..."
Laura laid a comforting arm on her husband's. She knew how he felt but she also knew how much he disliked profanity and right now she could feel the string of curse words that threatened to leave his lips.
"Why don't you two go on home and get some rest?" suggested Frank wanting to talk to Joe alone and thinking this would be a good time to urge his parent's to depart.
"But Joe just woke up," objected Laura.
"I'm still a little tired," said Joe, wanting to talk to Frank privately as well. "Go on home. I'll be fine."
"All right," Laura gave in with a frown. She leaned down and kissed his forehead. "The doctor here called Dr. Bates and he wants to run a few tests on you tomorrow when you are released and can return to Bayport," she informed Joe. "Hopefully, he'll be able to find out what he and those other two cretins did to you to send you into shock."
"Oh, good," responded Joe with as much false enthusiasm as he could muster. He smiled at his mother, wishing he could tell her not to worry about him. "I'll see you tomorrow."
"Goodnight, Son," said Fenton, messing Joe's hair up after Laura had fixed it. "Sleep well." He looked over at Frank. "Call us if Joe, or you, need anything and I'll be right over," he promised.
"I will," promised Frank as his parents left the room and closed the door.
"He killed Jonathan and Craig," Joe said after they had left.
"I'm sorry, Baby Brother," apologized Frank. "I should have believed you."
Joe shrugged. "It is unbelievable," he said.
"But I don't understand why, when I scratched you, it didn't heal?" Frank said in confusion.
Joe told Frank about how Craig died and the experiment Mayhem had did on him. "He actually watched you bleed to death?" rasped Frank, his brown eyes darkening to coal.
Joe didn't answer but, remembering for the first time why he had left the pizzeria early, pulled his dressing gown down and looked at his chest. "What's wrong?" demanded Frank as Joe touched the skin where the scarred tissue had once been.
Joe told him about getting burned by Vanessa's necklace. "So some of the myths are true about werewolves and some aren't," stated Frank with a frown as he helped Joe settle back onto the bed and fix his gown.
"And Mayhem wants to separate the fact from the fiction using me as a guinea pig," Joe stated bitterly.
"Like hey he will," vowed Frank with a snarl. "That madman isn't going to get the chance to get at you again."
Joe never said anything but he knew that Mayhem would always be a threat as long as he was alive. He looked up into Frank's concerned brown eyes. "What happens now?" asked Joe. "What am I going to do? I'm...I'm not normal. I'm dangerous."
"Only once a month," Frank said. "Or when you get near a moon rock." He smiled and shook his head at Joe. "We'll think of something," he promised. "I won't let anyone hurt you or let you hurt anyone," he added, knowing that was what scared Joe the most.
End story two in the Werewolf of Bayport series!