"Blasted canines," stated Marlowe and growled again before tossing a small firecracker into the tent. The three wolves turned tail and took off through the tent toward the opening at the back from which they had entered.
Frank almost went weak at the knees his relief was so great but he managed to keep his stature straight as he turned to face the man behind him. "Where's my brother?" he demanded in a deceptively calm tone as he made eye contact with the carnie owner.
"How should I know?" Marlowe retorted. "The real question is what are you doing here?"
"Looking for Joe," Frank replied truthfully. "Where have you got him?"
"I don't have him," Marlowe denied empathically.
"You know about him," Frank accused him.
"Yes, I do," acknowledged Marlowe. "But he isn't here. Maybe he is at his girlfriend's if he isn't at home."
"He was kidnapped," Frank stated, still looking into the carnie's eyes.
"Why would I kidnap him?" Marlowe asked reasonably.
"For your freak show," Frank declared. "He would be the only real attraction you have."
"You are absolutely correct," Marlowe agreed. "But he would do me no good if he weren't here of his own freewill," he continued. "The public would have to be able to see him and that would be impossible if he were forced to be here."
Frank wanted to argue but even he could see the logic. Anyone who saw Joe in a cage would know and no one would believe he were a real werewolf if they didn't see him change before their own eyes. "Then how do you know his secret?"
"I had Sully follow you," Marlowe confessed. "I thought we could find out where Joe lived and try to convince him to join us. But Sully realized Joe didn't want anyone to know and that the two of you were trying desperately to keep it a secret. I decided to not even approach your brother after that."
Frank looked sick. "Then you really don't have Joe here?" he asked, his voice unable to hide the desperation he was feeling.
"I'm sorry," Marlowe answered. "You may look around if you like. You can even have the authorities check the place out but they might wonder why we would be interested in him in the first place."
Frank didn't want to believe him but he had no choice. The man's eyes were open wide and Frank could not only see the honesty there but could also sense the genuine concern the man seemed to be feeling for Joe. "Would you like to borrow some of my men to help look for him?" he inquired.
"No," Frank declined the offer. "Thank you." Leaving, Frank took one last glance behind him, uncomfortably aware that he would not find Joe on the premises.
"Where are we going?" Joe asked. He was sitting with his back against the side of the van as it bumped over the gravelly road.
"Somewhere safe," answered Dr. Boris Mayhem, never taking his eyes from the road. "At least, temporarily. I have a new lab set up and that will be our ultimate destination."
"Why don't you just give up?" Joe asked, half in desperation and half in curiosity. "It isn't too late to salvage your career."
"My career?" Mayhem asked with a short laugh. "One builds a career like mine to achieve greatness. I was the best. There was nothing left to prove." He glanced at Joe through the rearview mirror. "You are my career now. You are my path not only to true greatness but also to immortality."
"You're crazy, you know that?" snapped Joe.
"Crazy for believing you possess the answer to immortality?" Mayhem inquired mockingly. "Why, one would be more inclined to believe in werewolves, wouldn't one?"
"Oh, ha ha," Joe replied dryly. "You do realize that if you keep doing your experiments on me that you will kill me and I will be of no use to you."
"Yes," Mayhem agreed, sobering up a bit. "And that is why I have decided to trap your transformation."
"What?" Joe asked, lost.
"As a wolf you can't be easily killed," Mayhem stated. "But as a human you aren't much good to me," he continued. "So I am going to find out exactly how much exposure will leave you as half human and half wolf."
"A Hollywood werewolf freak!" Joe commented in horror.
"Indeed..." Mayhem began but broke off as the van lurched to the side of the road as another vehicle crashed into its side.
Joe looked up hopefully. Could it be Frank he wondered? No, he realized as once again the van careened toward the right side of the road; Frank wouldn't risk hurting him in an accident.
Mayhem pulled the van to a stop and snatched up his weapon but froze as a handgun was put through the open window to his forehead. "Play nice," Mayhem was ordered. "Hands in the air."
Mayhem lifted his empty hands into the air and waited as his door was opened. "Out."
"What do you want?" Mayhem demanded, putting up an air of indifference as he stood outside of the van facing two armed and masked men.
"Your cargo," was the reply. "Oh, and we'll take the transport as well," one of the man answered.
"You can have the van," Mayhem said. "But I need the boy."
"Not as much as we do," one of the men returned. "Step aside."
"Let's be reasonable," Mayhem began to bargain. He was cut short when the butt of one of the guns smashed onto the side of his head. Mayhem fell to the ground unconscious and one of the men got behind the driver's wheel.
"I can get out here too," Joe said as the new player in the game started the engine.
"Shut up, kid," the man ordered him. "Our orders are to bring you alive or leave you dead."
Frank almost went weak at the knees his relief was so great but he managed to keep his stature straight as he turned to face the man behind him. "Where's my brother?" he demanded in a deceptively calm tone as he made eye contact with the carnie owner.
"How should I know?" Marlowe retorted. "The real question is what are you doing here?"
"Looking for Joe," Frank replied truthfully. "Where have you got him?"
"I don't have him," Marlowe denied empathically.
"You know about him," Frank accused him.
"Yes, I do," acknowledged Marlowe. "But he isn't here. Maybe he is at his girlfriend's if he isn't at home."
"He was kidnapped," Frank stated, still looking into the carnie's eyes.
"Why would I kidnap him?" Marlowe asked reasonably.
"For your freak show," Frank declared. "He would be the only real attraction you have."
"You are absolutely correct," Marlowe agreed. "But he would do me no good if he weren't here of his own freewill," he continued. "The public would have to be able to see him and that would be impossible if he were forced to be here."
Frank wanted to argue but even he could see the logic. Anyone who saw Joe in a cage would know and no one would believe he were a real werewolf if they didn't see him change before their own eyes. "Then how do you know his secret?"
"I had Sully follow you," Marlowe confessed. "I thought we could find out where Joe lived and try to convince him to join us. But Sully realized Joe didn't want anyone to know and that the two of you were trying desperately to keep it a secret. I decided to not even approach your brother after that."
Frank looked sick. "Then you really don't have Joe here?" he asked, his voice unable to hide the desperation he was feeling.
"I'm sorry," Marlowe answered. "You may look around if you like. You can even have the authorities check the place out but they might wonder why we would be interested in him in the first place."
Frank didn't want to believe him but he had no choice. The man's eyes were open wide and Frank could not only see the honesty there but could also sense the genuine concern the man seemed to be feeling for Joe. "Would you like to borrow some of my men to help look for him?" he inquired.
"No," Frank declined the offer. "Thank you." Leaving, Frank took one last glance behind him, uncomfortably aware that he would not find Joe on the premises.
"Where are we going?" Joe asked. He was sitting with his back against the side of the van as it bumped over the gravelly road.
"Somewhere safe," answered Dr. Boris Mayhem, never taking his eyes from the road. "At least, temporarily. I have a new lab set up and that will be our ultimate destination."
"Why don't you just give up?" Joe asked, half in desperation and half in curiosity. "It isn't too late to salvage your career."
"My career?" Mayhem asked with a short laugh. "One builds a career like mine to achieve greatness. I was the best. There was nothing left to prove." He glanced at Joe through the rearview mirror. "You are my career now. You are my path not only to true greatness but also to immortality."
"You're crazy, you know that?" snapped Joe.
"Crazy for believing you possess the answer to immortality?" Mayhem inquired mockingly. "Why, one would be more inclined to believe in werewolves, wouldn't one?"
"Oh, ha ha," Joe replied dryly. "You do realize that if you keep doing your experiments on me that you will kill me and I will be of no use to you."
"Yes," Mayhem agreed, sobering up a bit. "And that is why I have decided to trap your transformation."
"What?" Joe asked, lost.
"As a wolf you can't be easily killed," Mayhem stated. "But as a human you aren't much good to me," he continued. "So I am going to find out exactly how much exposure will leave you as half human and half wolf."
"A Hollywood werewolf freak!" Joe commented in horror.
"Indeed..." Mayhem began but broke off as the van lurched to the side of the road as another vehicle crashed into its side.
Joe looked up hopefully. Could it be Frank he wondered? No, he realized as once again the van careened toward the right side of the road; Frank wouldn't risk hurting him in an accident.
Mayhem pulled the van to a stop and snatched up his weapon but froze as a handgun was put through the open window to his forehead. "Play nice," Mayhem was ordered. "Hands in the air."
Mayhem lifted his empty hands into the air and waited as his door was opened. "Out."
"What do you want?" Mayhem demanded, putting up an air of indifference as he stood outside of the van facing two armed and masked men.
"Your cargo," was the reply. "Oh, and we'll take the transport as well," one of the man answered.
"You can have the van," Mayhem said. "But I need the boy."
"Not as much as we do," one of the men returned. "Step aside."
"Let's be reasonable," Mayhem began to bargain. He was cut short when the butt of one of the guns smashed onto the side of his head. Mayhem fell to the ground unconscious and one of the men got behind the driver's wheel.
"I can get out here too," Joe said as the new player in the game started the engine.
"Shut up, kid," the man ordered him. "Our orders are to bring you alive or leave you dead."