Chapter 12 - Silver, Blood And Loving Hearts
The door was pushed open in a rush. "Let's hurry before the trail gets cold, Wade." The Knight only briefly looked at the others in the room.
Cole was sick of the history lesson he had to endure under the Scholar the whole morning. It was a mystery to him how Samuel could be so eager about every new lesson.
Tanner had told The Guardian about the murder in Canaan when he came home yesterday. Wade and Mike had ridden over the same night to investigate the case. Darkness made it difficult to find any trails so they spoke to Mara, Bryan's widow, but she had seen nothing, just found her husband dead. They had come back home, with nothing left to do other than preparing the hunt. Mike assumed the murderer to be a Shapeshifter, even had found pieces of slimy human skin. The two hunters had left early in the morning to follow the trails they had been able to find in Canaan yesterday.
Grateful for the disturbance, Cole bolted up from his seat. "Can I come with you?" The dark-haired addressed Wade hopefully. Cole not only wanted to hunt the thing but was worried. He had left Carolyn with her family thinking she would be safe at home. But a shifter could change in everyone he wanted. He was really concerned and wanted to ride over to the Kramers to check on them. But they had been told not to leave the house, when Wade and Mike had come home yesterday night. The worst was, Bastian thought it would be a good distraction for the boys to give them one of his history lessons.
"No, son. This is a job for some hunters with more experience." Wade grabbed his bag and was about to follow his Knight out of the door, when he turned, addressing Bastian, "We will follow the trace north. You will stay here with the boys, Bastian."
"Sure, Wade. Good luck and be careful," The Scholar answered.
Wade nodded and shot the three teens a stern glance.
Frustrated, Cole slumped back into his chair, sighing heavily. At least the trace led north and away from Canaan. "How are we supposed to learn something if we're not allowed to practice?"
Bastian's answer was typical adult. "Your time will come, boys. You don't have any idea what they are dealing with."
"Maybe you want to fill our empty heads with your wisdom?" Cole suggested, teasingly.
The Scholar took off his reading glasses and let them hang loosely around his neck on the thin chain he wore. "Well before you let your imaginations run free. The skin pieces are indeed evidence for a Shapeshifter. Wade and Mike will find him. Mike had killed one before."
Cole felt that Bastian would not add any more information on this if he didn't push him. "A Shifter can change into anyone he touches, right? What can kill a Shapeshifter?"
Bastian, obviously happy that Cole remembered something from his lessons, answered. "Silver, but it has to be pushed straight through its heart."
*** The Wild West Triad - Prequel ***
Carolyn ran after her brother, following him to the back of the barn. "Aaron Michael Kramer, give my chain back!" She caught him by his suspenders, what finally stopped him.
Spinning around to get rid of his sister, Aaron shot back. "No, first I want to know where you got it from. It looks expensive." Aaron held the leather string with the Tiger Eye pendant into the air, out of reach for Carolyn.
She hated the fact that her little brother already was taller than her. "Give it back, it was a gift!" Angrily, she slapped her brother hard on his cheek and froze to the spot. She had never hit one of her siblings.
Holding his cheek shocked, Aaron asked, "What the hell is so special about it that you're hitting me?"
Carolyn tried not to act angry anymore, instantly sorry for the slap she had given her brother. "I'm sorry, I … I didn't mean to hit you. Cole gave it to me. Give it back, please."
Aarons anger was on the rise. "Tell me why he is making you such an expensive gift? Are you his whore now? I saw you at the little pond you two used to visit. It was disgusting what you two did."
"What?! Did you spy on us? I can't believe it! And how dare you say something so loathsome? I'm nobody's whore. If you have to know, he asked me to marry him. And now, give my chain back!"
Aaron stared dumbstruck at his sister, shocked over her revelation about wedding plans. Without any more teasing he gave her the chain. "I'm sorry, I didn't know it was this serious with you two."
She fetched the Tiger's eye from her brother's hand. "Yes, it is. Please don't tell anyone yet. Mom and Dad would freak out. Cole wants to wait to ask Daddy when he turns eighteen." Carolyn slid her chain over her head, then looked pleadingly at her brother.
"When you forget I called you a whore, I will tell no one what you've told me. Cole is a friend and he is no bad choice for my brother-in-law."
"Alright, then we have a deal." Carolyn spit into her hand and held it out for her brother, who accepted the childish gesture.
Aaron headed to the house while she stayed for a moment longer behind the barn. Closing her eyes, she leaned to the barn wall, sighing frustrated. Carolyn was hoping Cole wouldn't be angry at her for telling Aaron about their engagement. But she didn't have any other choice; Aaron had to understand how serious they were or he would run to their father and tell him that she had slept with Cole. That could destroy all their plans.
Pushing her body away from the wooden wall, she wanted to go inside but quickly hid behind the corner again when Mara, Bryan's widow, rode on a horse towards the barn where Carolyn heard Jared Kramer start speaking with her. Her father seemed to have been in the barn earlier. Hopefully, he hadn't heard what she had said to Aaron. Mara started talking to her father. What was she doing here?
Carolyn searched for a knothole in one of the planks to look at what happened inside the barn. She couldn't believe what she witnessed. Mara hugged her father and kissed him. Jared angrily pushed her away, talking to her.
Then everything happened so fast. Carolyn saw a bloody hand that was forced through her father's back. His body slumped to the ground, revealing Mara, holding his still pounding heart in her hand.
The girl couldn't suppress a short outcry and Mara looked right into her eyes with a devious grin. Carolyn jerked horrified away from the wall, turned, and just ran off. Her only thought was to flee. Cole - she had to find Cole.
She was stopped only a few yards later. Her dad caught her and spun her around. Hysterically shouting, Carolyn tried to get rid of her chaser. "No, leave me alone!" she screamed at him.
"Carolyn, it's me, Baby. What is wrong? Why are you running away from me?"
Pretty much confused, she looked into her very alive father's face. "Daddy? But you…?"
"Carolyn, what happened to you? Come with me. You look like you've seen a ghost. It is not safe out here alone."
"But … but I saw Mara in the barn with you…."
"Oh yes, she just came over and wanted to thank me for the help yesterday. Do you want to speak with her? She is still in the barn. You two came along pretty well. She could use a friend right now."
Carolyn was still in shock but let her father guide her towards the barn. What had she just witnessed? Was she getting crazy? Had she imagined it all? Her father walked right next to her. He was alive. Everything was ok. She had to calm down. Maybe she had not seen clearly what had happened inside the barn through the small knothole and her mind was playing tricks on her. Mara would be inside and she could ask her what had happened. There were no monsters that ripped out hearts on this earth. Those were weird stories, old women used to tell kids. She was no kid anymore. She would be a married woman soon. And her daddy was with her; he would not let anything happen to her.
Jared stroked a calming hand over his daughter's back and guided her to the barn. It was dark inside. Only the middle path through the barn was enlightened by the daylight that flooded through the entranceway. Jared closed the door quickly before Carolyn's eyes had a chance to get used to the twilight that was created by the slits and knotholes of the planks of the outside walls. She felt her father behind her. Suddenly he pressed his hand over her mouth and held her in a firm grip, whispering into her ear. "So sweety, you will be my goal when I'm done with the rest of your family. We will have so much fun together before I'm gonna kill you."
She screamed but it came out as a muffled try to get any attention or help. Then a heavy blow let Carolyn slump down, unconsciously to the ground.
*** The Wild West Triad - Prequel ***
"Carolyn?" A broken shout was heard from the yard.
Cole was the first who jumped up. He had been nervous the whole morning. Sitting around and getting lectured by Bastian didn't make it better. Now the adrenaline rushed through his veins. He crossed the living room quickly, jerking the front door open.
Tanner spotted Aaron on his horse but something was wrong. The teen clung to the mane of his unsaddled horse, his body bent forwards like being in pain. Cole hurried to his side to catch his friend quickly before he would fall. The boy sank into Cole's arms, barely conscious.
"Aaron, what the hell happened?!" Cole urged him to tell, while trying to hold both their weight. He felt the warm wetness from Aaron's back and the grunt he made by the touch told the young hunter instantly that he must have been injured.
"Is Carolyn with you? I hoped she would be here … couldn't find her." Aaron's mumbled words let Cole's blood run cold.
"Hell, no! She is not here. What's wrong? Who did this to you?" Cole pushed to know, already felt the fear constricting his heart.
The others rushed across the yard to assist Cole in bringing the injured boy inside.
Carolyn. Where was she? Was she safe? He had to know what had happened to Aaron.
Inside, Cole and Bastian placed the injured boy on the chaise lounge in the living room. Bastian hurried to get some fresh water and bandages. Daniel came over and took the boy's hand, speaking calming words at him.
Tanner wondered how his cousin could be so calm. Still worried about Carolyn, he tried again to bring Aaron to tell him what had happened.
"My father … he came home, getting violent against my mother ... think he killed her with one heavy blow. Chris jumped on him to stop him. I tried to stop him too but he just … he just ripped out Chris' heart and laughed … God … Cole, he just killed my little brother!" Aaron started crying desperately grabbing Cole's shirt. "You have to stop him! Carolyn has to be somewhere."
"Easy, buddy. We're gonna find her. I promise. Try to tell me what happened next." His friend tried to calm him to get more information though it was horrible to listen to his report.
"He came after me next. I tried to fight him off but he threw me hard against the mantel where I hit something sharp. Something pinned me. When I was able to get free he approached me and suddenly - I couldn't believe it - he just ripped off his skin and looked like me. Then he punched my head against the wall … I must have imagined it ... That can't be true what unholy creature was this? It couldn't have been my dad … and … me… when I woke he was gone. Think, he thought I was dead," Aaron reported, all at sea.
Cole couldn't believe what Aaron was telling him. His heart rate sped up. That was not really happening, Cole tried telling himself. He looked up in Daniel's face who still was holding Aaron's hand. His cousin bit on his lower lip, looking at him. Cole knew this look. Daniel did know him well.
Daniel's gaze told him exactly his next words. "Don't think about it, wait for dad and Mike."
"Not gonna happen. Every second counts now. I have to find her, Daniel."
Daniel sighed frustrated but nodded, looking up. Bastian was back and shoved Cole gently to the side. Together with Daniel, The Scholar tried his best to calm the boy and bring him to turn to his side so that they could care for the wound. "Easy buddy, let me see this."
Cole caught a good sight of Aaron's injury. Something from the mantel, maybe a hook, had left a ragged still bleeding wound on his shoulder. Aaron grunt out in pain and was about to fall unconscious under the treatment. It would be better for him if he did. But first Cole needed more information about Carolyn's whereabouts.
He rounded the injured and kneeled at Daniel's side. Cole placed a calming hand on Aarons blond mane. At least he would distract him from the treatment. "Aaron, where was Carolyn when you saw her the last time?"
The boy fought hard against fainting. "She was behind the barn. We quarreled. She was nowhere to be seen when I left. I thought, maybe she wanted to see you. She told me about the engagement. That's why I was hoping to find her with you ..."
Bastian stopped Cole. "Ok, that was enough asking, let me take care of him, Cole."
Cole did as The Scholar had told him. But hell, he would not sit around, doing nothing but waiting for the Guardian and Knight. He had to find Carolyn. With everything Aaron had told him he was sure, the Shapeshifter had killed at least half the Kramers' family. The seventeen-year-old turned to his room but was stopped by Sam who had stayed back from the whole scene, only listening to what the Kramer-boy had told. One look into Cole's face told him Sam knew what he had in mind.
"Cole, you can't leave. Wade told us to stay here!"
"The situation has changed lately if it slipped your attention. I will go! I have to find her!" Cole walked past Sam, hurrying up the stairs to his room. He only took his silver knife from the shelf, pushing it into his bootleg holster. Cole tried to avoid his departure noises. Daniel and Sam were younger; they didn't go against his decisions but Bastian would stop him should he sense his leaving.
Sam did nothing to stop him as he came past him again. He paused for a second. Both looking at Aaron where Bastian and Daniel were distracted with caring for the boy. "I'm gonna start my search at the pond near Kramer's house. We use to meet there. If she is not there I will check on the house and the barn. When Mike and Wade come home tell them what Aaron told me."
"Everything?" Sam raised a brow.
"The important details will be enough." Cole knew Sam had noticed Aaron's talk about engagement. His friend never missed a detail. But right now he had other things to worry about.
"Be careful Brother." Sam took his lower arm.
Cole repeated the gesture. "I will."
Slipping silently through the door, no one else noticed his leaving.
*** The Wild West Triad - Prequel ***
The October air was cold but Cole didn't care. He had to hurry. Briefly feeling the coldness that crept through the thin shirt he was wearing. He spurred his stallion to hurry.
He couldn't find the slightest hint that she had been at the pond today. While searching the area, Cole heard the nickering of a horse. It came of Kramer's land, maybe near the cottage. Concerned about what he would find, Cole got back onto his horse and directed it toward the noise.
In Kramer's yard, he found a foreign riderless horse walking around pretty much disturbed. That the animal was still saddled left him with a bad gut feeling. He neared the house, already knowing what he would find inside by Aaron's story.
The mother was lying in the middle of the room next to the broken body of her youngest. Chris had only been a child and now life literally had been ripped out of his little body.
Cole had no problem with seeing blood or guts. He hunted deer or other animals and gutted them himself. The boys even assisted Wade with the butchering of cows. But this was different. Cole felt the bile coming up his throat.
He had always felt welcome here and now he stood over their broken bodies. He wasn't able to hold back the tears. Cole felt sorry for Aaron who had witnessed it all. His friend as well as Carolyn would be lost without their family.
Cole had to keep it together; he had to focus. Carolyn. He needed to find her. "Carolyn?" His voice echoed unheard through the house. Cole found the bloody hook at the mantel which had pinned Aaron. Slimy pieces of skin lay scattered on the floor. Cole assumed the Shifter would have killed Jared as well or he would be here. But Jared's body was nowhere to be seen.
A high-pitched scream let the young hunter spin around. That was Carolyn's voice! Tanner ran out of the house, towards the barn. Carolyn screamed again. Cole jerked the barn door open forgetting everything he had learned about self-protection.
Daylight flooded the barn and illuminated someone who looked exactly like Aaron who was pushing Carolyn's body at the ground. The wrong-Aaron looked up, still holding the struggling girl in a firm grip.
Cole stared shocked at the scene. Carolyn's skirt was ripped apart and the top hung loosely around her waist. A cut from her forehead bled heavily. The fear and shame he saw in her eyes pushed him on the edge. What had this bastard done to her? Cole couldn't think that to an end. This monster would pay for only thinking about his girl.
"Hello, Cole! You come uninvited. But as you are here, how about you and me having a little bit of fun with my filthy sister."
"Cole!" Carolyn cried out for him.
Laughing viciously, the thing grabbed Carolyn's hair and pulled her to her feet with him. "What sweety, don't you want to kiss your brother again, now as your noble Knight is here to save you?"
"Get your fucking hands off her!" Cole came closer, afraid to cause something the monster could do to his love. But as long as the asshole was talking he had a chance.
"Maybe I could watch what you two do when you're together. Oh wait, Aaron had already watched it. Ts ts ts, Carolyn, you are a whore. Stop struggling, whore or I make you watch how I rip your lover's head off."
"No, don't touch him!" Carolyn kicked at the thing that looked like her brother but without any luck.
Angry about her stubbornness the Shifter shoved his fingers into Carolyn's hair and faster than Cole had a chance to blink the Shifter snapped Carolyn's neck around. The horrible crack would stay burned into Cole's head forever. Then the beast let her lifeless body slump to the ground. "Oh what a waste of beauty, she was a good ride. You shouldn't make me angry."
"NO!" Cole screamed and ran towards the Shifter jumping at his throat. They ended up on the ground in a wrestling match. Mike trained with the boys for months now and Cole was his best student. He was sure he was able to rip the Shifter's head from his body. And by God he would do it.
With inhuman strength, the Shifter rang Cole to the ground. He realized with horror, he never felt that helpless in his whole life. Cole tried to fight him off him with all he had - without any luck.
Instead, strong hands closed around his throat and threatened to suffocate him. Tanner pushed his chin down to lower the pressure to his throat. Breathing became more difficult every second.
Desperately the hunter tried to bridge his hips up under his opponent while he was not strong enough to get the beast's hands from his throat. He only found his legs tangled and pinned.
Cole had to get rid of the beast that looked like his friend. A rattly breath was all Cole managed to take. He had to reach his silver knife.
The young hunter managed to shift a little bit to the side, getting his right leg free. Shoving his right hand to his bootleg, he finally found what he was searching for. Mike had gifted him the silver knife not long ago.
He would not let the thing get away with that. Drawing the blade he pushed it as hard as he could into the Shifter's back where he hoped to hit its heart well enough.
The monster screamed and finally let go of him. Coughing heavily, Cole tried to bring space between him and the creature, which unsuccessfully tried to get the knife out. Still struggling for breath he crawled towards Carolyn's unmoving shape. His hand cupped hers but she didn't react to the touch.
"Carolyn, honey, please wake up." His brain told him there was no chance she was still alive but his heart wasn't able to accept that. "Carolyn? No Baby please stay with me … " Cole wanted to die right here and now.
The Shifter grabbed into the material of Cole's shirt, dragging him a few feet away from Carolyn. The monster spun him around though he tried to fight it with kicks and punches. The Shifter was pretty unimpressed by it. Pure hatred flickered in his eyes when he threw a blow to Cole's chin which took the sight from him. He felt big strong hands around his head and heavy pain through his skull as the Schifter punched Cole's head with full force to the hard ground over and over again.
He would die; it was only a question of how many punches the Shifter needed to kill him. Then he would be reunited with Carolyn. But no further punch came, only a shot ripped the air apart and he felt the hands of the Shifter slipping away from him.
*** The Wild West Triad - Prequel ***
Mike and Wade had been following a wrong trace. They turned as soon as they realized it. At home they heard from Bastian what Aaron had told them and that Cole had sneaked out to find Carolyn only a short time before.
Wade was angry about Cole's ongoing disobedience. "Fucking shit, he can't go alone agiant a Shapeshifter, what the hell is the boy thinking? He knows better than going on a hunt alone!"
"He is not hunting, he is on a rescue mission. He wants to make sure Carolyn is safe. You can't blame him for this," Mike defended Cole's decision.
"I knew you would excuse his behavior, you two will drive me crazy one day, I swear." Wade ran a hand through his hair in concern. "Let's follow him, he can not be far ahead, maybe we catch up on him. Together we have a better chance to find the girl." Wade turned on the heel and headed to their horses again.
*** The Wild West Triad - prequel ***
The boy had been damn fast. They were already on Kramer's land when they saw Cole's horse alone next to the cottage.
Mike got a bad gut feeling. He was sure he would have done the same and couldn't be mad at his boy. He only hoped this would not end in a disaster, he would hate himself until the day he died if something happened to Cole.
As they entered Jared's farm, the sound of a fight was not to miss. Campbell literally jumped off his horse, grabbing his rifle that was loaded with the silver ammunition. They hurried to the barn. Mike nodded at Wade and carefully opened the door.
The daylight flooded the barn and illuminated someone's back who was straddling Cole. Campbell was fast in profiling the scene. He spotted the lifeless shape of Carolyn. Cole was not moving. His legs and arms lay lifeless on the barn ground. The Shapeshifter hat turned into Aaron and was about to smash Cole's head brutally against the hard ground several times. The silver knife he had gifted Cole stuck in Fake-Aaron's back. Mike had to do something quickly or the Shifter would kill Cole.
Mike entered, rifle at hand. Aiming at the creature, he prayed not to hit Cole. The shot echoed through the barn. Then the Shifter screamed and let go of Cole, turning angrily at his next opponent. He had missed his heart. But he had bought some time.
Mike had never before seen a Shifter change that fast. While coming closer he ripped his skin apart with one fast movement, getting finally rid of Cole's silver knife. In the next seconds, Mike looked into Cole's face which was viciously grinning at him. "You missed it, asshole."
The Knight drew his own silver knife and threw it at the Shifter, striking him unerring into his heart. "Yeah, but I throw better than I shoot."
Wade was already running to the real Cole, faster than the Shifter's lifeless body had time to hit the hard ground. "Cole, son, say something. Cole!"
The Knight made sure the Shifter was dead, pushing the silver knife even deeper into the body with his boot. Wade already tried to get a response from their boy. Campbell approached Carolyn's body a few feet away from Cole. Mike felt for a pulse but realized quickly that she was dead, her neck awkwardly twisted. He closed his eyes for a moment. Mike wanted to spare Cole this hurt in his life. "Is he ok, Wade?"
"He is breathing. What is with Carolyn?" Wade kept trying to wake Cole without any luck.
Mike was grateful at the moment that he didn't react. "She is dead, Wade. The Shifter broke her neck," Mike told him deadpan, staring at the broken abused body of the young girl.
"We have to get him out of here." Wade took away his hand from Cole's backhead where it came out blood-covered. "He is bleeding heavily."
Mike rushed over, concerned. Meanwhile Wade checked Cole's ears for liquid, which could be a sign for a base skull fracture.
"Help me roll him to the side. We have to stop the bleeding as best as possible." They turned him carefully to the side. Blood drained Cole's hair and already builded a small pool of blood to the barn ground. Mike pulled his wild rag off and handed it to Wade as a makeshift pressure bandage.
"He can not ride in that state. How are we supposed to bring him home?" Mike's hands began to shake. He felt the panic creeping up his heart. He could not lose Cole. Not now, not like this, not before he knew …
"Mike, you have to keep it together now. We have to bring him away from here, together with the Shifter's body which looks like him. Do you get me?" Daniel had taken him by the shoulders trying to bring Mike's attention back to the problem at hand.
Mike knew Wade was right. The Knight tried to think straight. He was good at solving problems. He let his gaze wander through the barn. "We can use Kramer's Schooner."
"Yes, that is good. We have to be very careful with him." Wade headed to the Schooner and checked the load area.
Meanwhile Mike tried to find something they could use as a stretch. Two rods and an old barn coat would have to be enough. With still shaking hands he closed the coat and pushed the rods from the bottom opening through the sleeves. Then placed the construction next to Cole. "I'm ready. Help me here," Mike called out to Wade.
Wade came over and they placed Cole carefully on the stretch. "I found Jared's body at the Schooner. He is dead, too."
Mike only nodded. "Ready? Up."
Together they carried Cole over to the wagon of the Kramers. While Wade took care to hitch up the horses to the wagon, Mike placed Jared Kramer next to his daughter. The Knight wrapped the Shifter's body in a horse blanket to take it with them. They had to burn it at home. Wade was right, a dead Cole in the middle of dead bodies would cause a lot of questions. They would come back to take care of the Kramers' funeral when Cole was safe.
TBC
A/N: Let me know your thoughts about this story. Every review is so very important to a writer. Please take the time.
