2 years 7 months 15 days.
Peter wheels his car into the gas station with a scowl. The low fuel light shining annoyingly bright on the instrument panel. He's standing at the pump watching the numbers climb when someone comes out of the store and approaches their car parked on the other side of the pump. As the man opens the door the wind shifts blowing over the two. Peter who had been watching the man purely out of situational awareness tenses as his nostrils flare. The man starts the car and pulls away unaware of the wolf's scrutiny. Peter rips the nozzle from his car and slams it in the receptacle on the pump before jumping in his car and racing off in pursuit.
Keeping his distance he grabs his phone and scrolls though his list of contacts. Finding the desired number he hits dial then throws the phone on the passenger seat. "Hey Peter." Danny's voice booms over the car's speakers. "I need you to run a plate for me." Peter says slowing a bit to allow other cars to come between him and his target. After a few moments Danny replies. "Looks like it belongs to Avis. It's a rental fleet car." "I figured as much. I need you to dig deeper find out who has it rented right now. Name, address, employer everything." "OK that'll take a little bit I'll have to get in to Avis's network, then I'll have to run down all the other info. Give me a few hours." "I need you to make this your number one priority." Peter says. "I'm behind him now. As soon as I have a chance we're going to have a chat. I'd very much like to not go into that conversation blind." "What's going on Peter?" Danny asks curious about Peters unusual insistence. Peter is quiet for a moment. "He's got Paul's scent." "What?!" Danny exclaims. "Where are you?" "Track my phone. Keep this under wraps for now. I don't need the entire pack calling me asking for details I don't have. I need this information now Danny." "OK… OK" Danny says excitedly. "You know what this means?" Danny asks "He's alive Peter!" "I never believed otherwise." Peter says before ending the call.
Earlier that day
"A new cage? Now?" The man says with irritation. "Yes now." The woman next to him says. "This one wasn't prepared properly and is rusting from all the water, piss, and god knows what else." She says casting a hateful look in the direction of the cage. "I barely have time to make my flight as it is!" The man exclaims waving his hands. "Junior most member of the team means you get to do the shit jobs Justin." The woman shrugs her shoulders. "Or would you like to tell Dr. Allen your personal life is more important than the project?" "You know you do that a little bit too often." Justin says scowling as he turns to face her. "What's that? She asks innocently working at her computer without bothering to look up. "Drop Dr. Allen's name as a way of intimidating people. I'd wager you're just as scared of him as everyone else is. We're both Senior Researchers just because you've been here longer…" "Look." She bites back with irritation turning and facing him. "Just do it OK? You know I can't stand to go near that freak. I don't trust him. Not after…" She looks away running her hand over the light scar that runs down the side of her face." Justin deflates slightly. "I'm sorry Denise. I just haven't been home in a long time. I'll take care of it." "Thanks." Denise says quietly a smirk forming on her face as she turns back to her work.
Justin walks to the other side of the lab where Paul is laying immobile in a cage staring at the wall. Justin swaps all the leads and other cables from the current cage over to the new one then with some effort due to the confines of the cage and Paul's limpness pulls the smaller man against him and hauls him over to the other cage. Once he has Paul secured in the new cage he begins testing the connections. "I can take it from here." Denise says. "Go on and catch your flight."
The rental pulls off the highway and eventually is moving slowly down a residential street. It stops in front of a small older house and Justin exits the car. Peter pulls past the house and stops down the street watching in the rear view mirror. Justin walks up to the front door of the house and rings the bell. Moments later an older woman comes to the door hugs him in greeting and ushers him inside. Peter pulls off down the street a ways before turning around and parking where he'll have a better view of the house. Over the next several minutes his phone starts to beep indicating incoming text messages from Danny. The messages have various bits of information about Justin. As time goes by and Danny is able to dig deeper the information becomes more useful. Eventually revealing the address of his parents house which is his current location.
Once the sun goes down Peter exits the car slipping on a pair of black gloves. He slips into the shadows and moves closer to the house. Eventually as expected Justin comes out of the house to retrieve a suitcase from the trunk of the car. Suddenly Peter is behind him. A quick blow to the back of the head and Justin drops into the trunk of the car. Peter grabs the keys from his limp hand and closes the trunk lid. Slipping behind the wheel of Justin's rental Peter starts the engine and pulls away from the cub.
Justin slowly regains consciousness with a low groan. He looks around the space that appears to be the living room of a vacant house before his eyes come to rest on the person sitting in front of him. "Welcome back Justin." Peter says. "Who are you?! What do you want?!" Justin asks trying to stand but quickly discovering he is taped to a chair and completely immobilized. "You and I are going to have a chat. If I like your answers things will go easy and I'll be out of here soon. If I don't like your answers things won't go easy. If I dislike your answers enough I may pay a visit to your parents. Such nice people. How they managed to produce someone who would pursue your line of work is beyond me." Justin frowns "Do you have any how much trouble you are in?" Peter is on his feet and directly in front of Justin in an instant. His fist slams the restrained man in the face. Justin sees stars as his head snaps back from the blow. "That's an attention getter." Peter says darkly. "I work…" Justin says stuttering as his nose begins to bleed. "For some very powerful people. This will not go unanswered." "I know who you work for. It's funny really they don't even try that hard to hide themselves. At any rate before this turns into a boring cliche lets just get to the point.. Where is Paul?" "Who?" Justin asks earning another blow to the face the chair rocking back on two legs from the force of it. "Paul Brace, where is he?" "This is a mistake I don't know a Paul Brace." Justin says shaking his head trying to clear his vision. "His scent." Peter says eyes glowing blue. "Is all over you." "Werewolf." Justin whispers eyes widening in fear. Smelling his elevating fear Peter allows his face to shift partially. "How much blood do you think you can lose before you lose consciousness." Peter says placing a clawed hand to Justin's throat.
Later
"I...I can go now right? I don't have anything else to tell you. You said I could go if you liked my answers." Justin cries out his face a mess from multiple punches. Peter scoffs walking around behind Justin. "My dear Justin." He says placing his hands on the trembling mans shoulders. "I said If I liked your answers things would go easy. That just means. That I kill you quickly." Justin screams out "No!" Just as Peter snaps his neck. He then slices through the layers of tape that had bound Justin to the chair allowing him to slump to the floor. Peter pulls a small plastic bag from his coat pocket and shoves all of the tape inside. Reaching under Justin Peter removes his watch, cell phone and wallet. Once back in the rental Peter drives several streets away before leaving the car and Justin's now empty wallet abandoned. As he's walking back to his car Peter drops his gloves down a sewer drain on one corner and the bag with the tape down another drain. Pulling his phone out he sends a text message.
To Pack: I know where he is.