-Burn, Drown, Hang-
"John Putnam was an evil warlock and one of the first to be killed in the Salem Witch Hunt. It was said he was the one to have overused his powers and revealed their existence to normal humans."
-Excerpt from the Chronicles of Ipswich 121
Sunday 11:51 p.m. Ipswich Police Station
He flinched away from the fist which stopped an inch from his face. Officer Sullivan laughed and withdrew his gloved hand. His partner, Murphy, stood behind the chair Chase sat in and gripped his hair. Yanking his head back, he brought the lighter to his throat, hovering the flame until the skin started to burn. He drew it back and shoved him forward.
His head banged on the table's surface and he pulled on the handcuffs holding him to the table. They'd shoved a washcloth in his mouth for a gag after this all began. Water dripped on the table, his hair and skin wet from the dunking in the bin of water they used to nearly drown him. The bald cop adjusted his gloves and sauntered over to the back wall where he picked up rope from the floor.
Looping it around a ceiling rail, he hummed to himself while creating a noose. Murphy removed his cap momentarily and adjusted it on his head. "You sure it's fine we did the drowning before the burning?"
Sullivan snorted. "There's no such thing as magic rituals. It's just some psycho serial killer who wants his signature kept."
Murphy peered around the walls and floor they painted in the symbol of the necklace which robbed him of his power in exaggerated fashion. "We may have gone a little overboard on the cult symbols then."
His humming ceased. "It's fine." He tugged on the rope, testing it would hold with a body attached. "We're cutting it close with time. Let's get this done."
They'd shut off the camera for this holding cell when the Haversfield cops arrived. The dirty Ipswich cop who accepted money to give them time with him had disappeared elsewhere in the building ever since. Chase knew then it wouldn't be good, but that they spent hours torturing him was a shock.
Chase wondered if he was to blame. Maybe he brought this on himself by attacking the other Sons when they had done nothing to him. The women who were kind and also did nothing to him. He looked toward the cop with the rope. How were they expecting to claim some killer entered the station to perform a ritualistic murder without notice? This was an obvious inside job.
A knock on the door. It opened and Chase recognized the guy in his thirties with wavy black hair. He still dressed in black clothing too, a t-shirt and jeans. He thought he died in the warehouse. How did he survive that?
"Carter! What the heck are you doing here? We're doing the job for that rich, smoking bastard. You don't need to be here."
The man's eyes scanned Chase's condition, amusement playing out across his features. "Oh? He asked you to do what exactly?"
Continuing to be annoyed and bothered, Sullivan groaned. "Burn him, drown him, and hang him. Use all these symbols, have the kid wear a necklace with the same symbol."
Chase grunted when Murphy yanked his head back by the hair again to show Carter the necklace with the symbol hanging around his neck. Surprise appeared and disappeared quickly. The amusement returned.
"That would undo protection of a pentagram covenant and kill him with permanence all right." His amusement lessened. "We paid you to bring him here and hold him. Not kill him."
What was he saying? What protection? Wait. He had read of resurrections possible for magic users in a covenant should they follow the spell and the body was intact. He couldn't remember what spells that might be. They would never do that. It was messing with the order of the universe to resurrect the dead. But..it was cool to know their formed pact allowed for that sort of loophole. He thought the other Sons might go that far to bring back each other. They were really close. Must be nice.
Murphy glared at Sullivan. "Did you take two payments?"
"I took two jobs. Smoker with all his wealth won't pay until it's done. Jack-ass..."
Carter poked his head out of the room and motioned, entering. "Get out of here. You're done."
"What? Are you going to finish the job?"
"I'd leave the station if you value your lives."
"Excuse me?"
Chase's eyes went to the door as a man in his forties with brown hair came inside. The man grimaced and clutched his head, leaning against the wall. He was a warlock and the symbols would drain it out of him. Carter squeezed his shoulder in a supportive manner and moved back to hold the door open wider. The officers looked uncertain but filed out of the room without argument.
"We sure about this?" Murphy quietly asked Sullivan.
He replied in a louder voice as they left the room, "These guys paid upfront. They get what they want."
Carter shut the door and stood by it, checking on his friend. "You okay, John?"
He tried to remember their full names. John..Redd. And..he couldn't recall Carter's first name. It didn't matter. He thought the guy was dead until now. He'd ask how he was alive but the gag prevented questions.
"Yeah... It's stabilizing."
The younger of the two came up to him and leaned on the table, taking in his appearance. Chase glanced down at himself as a result. The officers knocked him around a little, burned him with the lighter on his neck, arms, stomach, and back, and did the wonderful drowning soaking him. His teeth chattered and he parted his jaw to make it stop.
Straightening, Carter stood beside him and carded fingers through his hair. "You're a mess, boy."
He was upset to be comforted by the motion and jerked his head. The guy quit trying to fix his hair and kicked the chair legs. Chase grabbed at the table when the chair toppled but Carter wrapped his arms around his stomach to help him balance on his feet. The arms released to push up his shirt, mouth clicking while he examined the burns and bruises.
"Well, the transition will heal you."
Chase startled when a warm hand trailed along his spine to caress and then grasp his waist.
"Yes. Anything that happens is erased by a turn as the beast. It's..convenient."
Transition? Turn? Beast? He couldn't mean...
"Better to get these off now so you don't ruin them."
Hands moved to undo his belt and he wiggled, trying to keep them away from him. A body covered his own, weight pressing him until he was flat on the table. His shirt was still bunched up around his chest and his pants and underwear were pulled down his legs. His shoes and socks were removed and then the rest of the clothes came with it.
Redd muttered distaste. "He's barely an adult. Why are you like this?"
"Unlock the cuffs."
"You sure?"
"I can handle a boy." He leaned into the side of Chase's face, putting his dry cheek to his wet one. "And in this room with that necklace, he is a helpless boy."
He tried to declare through the gag he could kick his ass and needed no magic to do it. He waited eagerly when Redd appeared on his right and bent to insert the key into the handcuff locks. Carter put his body to his again from behind, Chase swore through the gag, stuck with his stomach painfully pressed into the edge of the table. The cuffs came off his sore wrists as they'd been locked too tight to his skin.
A whimper escaped when the guy closed his hand on the recent burn, grasping the end of his t-shirt and drawing it up and over his head. Fingers of that hand brushed a nipple while tossing the shirt away. It felt intentional. Huh. Lips kissed the back of his neck and he froze.
Craning his neck, he tried to gain traction on the smooth surface to stand properly. Twice his age and a stranger. He was paranoid because of the torture. This couldn't be anything like the possibility entering his mind.
Hands groped his butt and he twisted, thrashing. Carter let go and turned to the door, listening. Breathing harder than he would like in his fright, he stood and glanced at the both of them staring at the door. Redd was first to look to his friend.
"They're here."
He removed the cloth in his mouth when he realized he could, coughing. Carter looked at him sideways and slugged him in the stomach. Gasping, he doubled over and was shoved to his knees. Fingers dug into his mouth, the other hand grasping an arm to hold it to his side. Chase pulled on the wrist of the hand pushing fingers into his mouth. He ran the digits across his tongue, back and forth. It was uncomfortable and weird.
When the opportunity came, he bit down. A knee bashed him in the chin but the fingers pulled out and the man backed away. He followed his movements out of concern for what he might do next. Redd walked backward to stand on his left. The door flew open with a magic he recognized and he hollered to warn the Sons.
"Don't come in!"
Pogue refrained from entering the room but stood in the doorway. Reid and Tyler were standing on either side of him and he felt such relief. Everything would be fine now. He grasped the necklace and decided to leave it on since the symbols painted everywhere in here locked his magic out anyway.
"We were expecting you," Redd announced, smirking. He looked at his watch and the smirk became a broad smile. "And midnight will be here in one minute. Please stand by."
Their eyes looked over his abused form. Ashamed to be seen weak, he averted his gaze and thought how to get out of this. Carter laughed loudly, sounding forced and mean.
"Whoever infects another with the curse is their master." Chase didn't stand, wanting to hide his nudity and wounds, so it was easy for Carter to stand over him. "I believe it was here I scratched you."
He swallowed, staring at the unmarred skin where the marks used to be. They were the werewolves then. They killed Trisha. Which one? Which one killed her? Did it even matter? He blamed all of them.
"I'll kill you!" he yelled, rising on one knee.
"No. You'll kill them for me."
Chase landed on both knees, clutching his stomach at the sudden sharp pain. "W-wh-what?"
Redd was staring over expectantly. "Were you not expecting to turn once the wound healed? Stroke of midnight afterward. And here we are."
Crying out, his forehead hit the floor, teeth clenching. It hurt so bad. Like his insides were fighting to tear out of him. Heaving breaths, he strained to bear the agonizing clenching of his guts. His heart thundering loud and rapid.
"I'm..turning?"
It wasn't the full moon. Did the full moon matter? Redd seemed happy to let them all in on the predicament they found themselves in.
"That full moon nonsense is just that. The moon doesn't cause a change, it stops the change. Any natural light like the moon or sun prevents or halts a transition. Werewolves are creatures of the night, the dark."
He heard screaming and knew it was him even if it seemed so far away. Clawing at the hard floor, he felt like they were tearing out of his fingers. A look and he saw they were sharpening, becoming claws. Dark brown fur sprouted on the backs of his hands, his arms. This couldn't be happening.
His thoughts would begin and vanish before he could grasp them. Thinking altered to an unrecognizable stream of smells and sights. He rose on his back legs, head near the ceiling. Ears twitching, he stepped aside to look to a human that smelled off, tail drifting with him.
"Kill the Sons of Ipswich!"
He turned to where his master pointed. Three humans. He dropped onto all fours and dashed across the open space between them. Kill. Kill. Kill. His instinct to tear out their throats and rip out their hearts was overwhelming. It consumed his mind.
/
The offices were silent on this floor. His eyes caught Tyler's terrified stare where he hid beneath another desk. They stumbled onto a dead cop at the front desk, guts spilling everywhere while they played hide and seek with a werewolf.
Reid put a finger to his lips and Tyler gave him the finger. He smiled and repeated the action to make a point he hadn't unnecessarily told him to be quiet, motioning to the opposite side of the room where they couldn't see from beneath the desks.
A wolf was on the prowl. A big wolf with darker brown fur than the other one that burst out of that room. The third wolf had black fur and he saw the guy before he turned. That Carter guy who ordered Chase to kill them once he transformed into an actual werewolf. The transformation looked absolutely agonizing for their brother, while the other two changed faster and far less painfully. Must be a first time kind of thing.
He risked a peek over the desk and the wolf wearing the necklace rose on its hind legs, sniffing the air. Its head whipped around in their direction and he ducked down. He sniffed himself. Too much deodorant maybe.
Picking up a stapler, he threw it to some other part of the room that wasn't here. He peeked and the wolf took a few steps toward his hiding place on two feet. Wolf Chase must have seen where the item was thrown from. Smart bitch...
Reid gestured for Tyler to move away from his hiding spot and started crawling in the opposite direction. Last he saw Pogue, the guy was taking on Redd and Carter in werewolf form on the ground floor. With a roar, the wolf leaped on top of the desk Tyler vacated moments earlier. He hadn't spotted either of them.
He had his blue eyes despite the major change. They searched the room for its prey and he felt rooted there. Their eyes met and he thought he spied the person trapped in the animal. It might have been wishful thinking. Either way, Wolf Chase focused its gaze on him and lowered to four limbs, growling.
Tossing a ball of energy at the creature, he grinned, enjoying the taste of power thrumming through him. He felt like he could do anything with the magic he was channeling in his own body. The werewolf recovered fast, charging for him. Reid ran around the rows of desks, heading for the exit.
His pursuer was almost on him when it stopped and looked to the back of the room. Tyler was standing and forming a shield about himself. He held less power and facing a giant wolf was crazy.
"Hey! Furball!"
"Reid, I can do this. Run!"
The elevator made a sound announcing arrival to the present floor. When the doors opened, Pogue and Caleb were inside. The wolf dove for them and the two threw themselves out. It careened into the lift and Caleb used his power to make the metal doors shut. It was having a fit of rage in there judging by the shaking and growling.
There was sudden silence. A long, mournful howl led him to look at the doors. "Guys, what are we gonna do?"
"Think that will hold him until daylight?"
The elevator made a sound and the light indicator announced the lift was going up. "Um..I don't think Wolf Chase is dumb."
Caleb glanced to Reid after his comment and waved Tyler to join them. "Let's not forget it's a man turned wolf, not an animal."
"Uh huh. What's that you got?"
He seemed to remember what he was carrying and crouched. "I need a bowl or something to put the ingredients in."
Tyler hurried to a door near the elevator. "Employee lounge. Bound to be a bowl somewhere."
Reid watched Caleb remove a bottle from his inner coat pocket. "What is that?"
"Vinegar."
"Do I want to ask why?"
Tyler returned with a paper bowl. Caleb took it and set it on the ground, holding his arm over it, sleeve drawn up. He looked at Pogue.
"Knife."
Pogue shook his head and handed him the pocket knife from his back pocket. "You sure about this?"
"We have to try."
Reid gaped as Caleb cut his arm, spilling blood into the bowl. He crouched by his friend and watched him open the bottle to pour vinegar in the bowl of blood. Pogue gripped his arm over the cut and healed him.
When Caleb pulled something else out of his inner coat pocket, he grimaced. "Gross."
The still bleeding severed finger dropped in the bowl. "It was a wolf one when I cut it off."
"What is all of this?"
Pogue answered Reid as Caleb was busy using magic to activate the ingredients into something useful.
"Blood of the potion maker, vinegar, and blood of the master."
"Vinegar?" questioned Tyler.
The other boy ran his fingers through his longer hair. "No clue. It was a cure in a book Reid's grandfather knew about."
His eyes widened and he cheered for his grandpa in his head. It was nice to have him on their team. Caleb let out a triumphant shout. He gaped some more. The bowl now held a shimmering substance that could almost be mistaken for pure light, but a substance it was. The oldest of the Sons always was the more studious one who never gave up. He looked out for them.
"He has to drink this."
"How are we supposed to pry a werewolf's mouth open without getting bit ourselves?"
Reid had an idea. It was crazy. But it could work. "In the books I tried reading on werewolves and lycanthropes, it was always referred to as a curse or poison. Supposedly, when someone is infected by another wolf via bite or scratch, its the poison that turns them. The poison is what courses through their veins and allows the transformation."
"Well, yeah, it's a magical curse or illness. Can you heal those?"
"Guess we'll find out."
Pogue sighed, resigned. "That's a dangerous way to test your ability." He threw up his arms. "I'm game."
Frowning, Tyler scratched his chest. "Do we even need that cure if Reid can just cure him with his power?"
"Well, a werewolf is the poison. What my power would do is kill it, I think. Which would kill Chase. So what we need is for me to use my power just enough to trigger transformation back to human and as he's dying..."
Caleb nodded. "Feed him the cure."
What sounded very much like a door smashing open reached them from the end of the hall and to the right. It was likely the staircase door leading to the floor and there would be a..yup. Wolf Chase careened around the turn in the hall, scanning and sighting them. It sprinted on all fours straight for them.
Caleb picked up the bowl and held it carefully, backing away to put distance from the approaching monster. Reid would need to get hold of the big guy to use his ability to heal afflictions. Pogue stood in plain sight and waited. It was a frightening three feet from him when he finally unleashed his power, lashing out and wrapping rippling currents of energy around the wolf. Lifted into the air, it fought against the magical hold and Tyler sent a wave of energy to fly it into the wall.
Thudding to the floor, Pogue created a restraining bubble, clenching his teeth and visibly straining. "Reid! Now!"
He rushed to the werewolf on its side and hesitated only a moment before placing his hand on the furry head. Closing his eyes, he imagined the poisonous blood running through the creature. He imagined the way a human's blood would flow, slower and controlled and natural. He aimed to reverse changes in biology and return him to his natural state. It was a struggle. The necklace inches away was draining his magic. He could feel it and it hurt.
Pogue's powers vanished and he popped open his eyes in fear until realizing it was because the wolf was shrinking in size. Soon his six foot human brother was returning, dark fur changing to pale skin. His eyes were open but rolled back in his head. Anxious he was killing the guy and anxious to get away from the symbol robbing him of his power, he sought out Caleb.
"The cure!"
Caleb was there with the bowl. He rolled him from his side to his back, resting his head on his knees to slant the neck in a more ideal drinking position. Reid watched this, removing his hand at risk he'd transform again, but unwilling to continue for the chance his healing would result in death. Caleb's fingers pried open his mouth and tipped the bowl. The substance poured into his mouth and Chase gagged, a hand shooting up to grip the arms with the bowl. To his good friend's credit, he hardly winced more than a few times feeling the drain of the necklace pulling on him. Felt like it was burning and pulling the framework holding him together and alive.
The confused and vulnerable Son would have turned his head away but Reid snapped forward and grasped the sides of his neck to hold his head where it was. He didn't know if he needed to drink all of the cure, but he'd rather it all was consumed to be safe. Chase released a whine of protest and Caleb hushed him, pouring the rest in his mouth. Pogue knelt and held the bowl out of the way. Caleb put a hand over his mouth and pinched his nose.
Reid followed the swallowing throat and removed his hands, satisfied when he lifted the necklace above the guy's head and threw it away from them. "Think it worked?"
Tyler sat between Reid and Caleb, looking the shallowly breathing guy up and down. "It has to."
He pulled off his coat and passed it to Reid. Temporarily confused, his friend inclined his head toward the lower half and he got the picture. Spreading the coat to cover him from his stomach down, Chase's eyes seemed to really be seeing and aware.
"Sorry."
His throat was on the raspy side.
"Don't be sorry about something someone made you do," Reid told him. "That's dumb."
"How?"
Caleb was first to understand what he was asking. "Apparently there's a recipe for a werewolf cure in Reid's family. Our still living ancestors have a lot of explaining to do."
Silence for a few moments and then Chase rasped, "Thank you."
He struggled to sit up and Pogue and Caleb assisted him to his feet. Reid helped by holding the coat to him and rising alongside him. Chase realized what he was doing and his face flushed, gripping the coat to his front.
"Now might not be the time, but..."
Chase looked at Tyler. "What?"
His voice was recovering it seemed. Good. The youngest of them rubbed his forehead before letting his arms fall evenly to his sides.
"After they arrested you, were Austin's guys..torturing you the whole time you were in custody?"
"That would be the dirty cops. You met them before, Caleb. My uncle's goons found me about to get strung up in a noose."
Reid stared at the floor. "That's screwed up."
"Our smoking enemy apparently hired them to kill me. Now we know. You want a permanent way to kill a covenant member? You gotta burn, drown, and hang them to death wearing the symbol." He clutched where the necklace had been and didn't find it. "Shit. I was wearing... Lucky I was never near any of you long enough to take your powers."
"You're gonna have to explain what you mean by permanent death later," Pogue said. "For now, let's get your clothes and get out of here before police who actually wanna do their jobs show up."
A troubled look crossed Chase's features, like he was remembering something unpleasant. Guy was tortured and then turned into a werewolf. Probably plenty of unpleasant memories to join the many he already had. However, he was seeming really uncomfortable in his nude state now.
Shuffling his feet, Reid made up his mind and went to him. He grasped the coat, looking him in the eyes to convey he wasn't doing anything he wouldn't want. Chase let him have Tyler's coat and he stood behind him, helping him into the coat so he could close it and conceal the nudity. The relief was easy to see on his face and in his relaxing shoulders.
"Thanks. He- Carter- I'm not sure what happened."
He shut his mouth and looked bothered but out of words. Reid wouldn't push it. He suspected something though and it made him nauseous. The desire to use his power on those guys for payback filtered in.
"I can't believe I forgot. The Gordons. With Trisha and all this werewolf stuff I forgot to make sure they were okay."
"We'll go now then," said Caleb. He was trying to read Chase for something Reid couldn't figure out.
Tyler jerked his thumb behind himself. "Rock, paper, scissors to see who carries the necklace?"
"Youngest has to carry it."
He had never seen his friend look so betrayed by something he said. Reid did what any good friend would do in this situation. He stuck his tongue out at him and headed for the staircase out of the building.