Hey Man, Nice Shot
Those who were right there got a new kind of fear…
Caleb, Pogue, Reid, Tyler, and Sam climbed out of Tyler's SUV and filed around the house, following Reid. Tyler knocked on the door, letting Jamie know they were there. She looked uneasy and he took her hand, silently challenging anyone to make a deal about her role in this ordeal.
Reid led them to the storm cellar, grimacing when he saw the metal doors in the early morning sun. There was no visible separation between them; they were melted into a solid sheet.
"Jeez," Sam said, tapping the door with her fist.
"Move and I'll open it," Reid said.
"I'll do it," Tyler said. He shrugged when Reid looked at him questioningly. "I'm still magically pre-pube, remember?"
"Nice," Sam muttered with a shake of her head. Her friends had weird ways of looking at things.
Tyler's eyes blackened and he stretched out his hand. A soft shimmer in the air, like heat waves, lengthened from his fingertips to the metal storm door. With a whoosh, the door flipped to the side.
Reid stepped forward first and peered down the stairs. The six of them jumped simultaneously as Casey flew from the dark cellar. She pressed a hand to her head as she slouched against the pile of twisted metal.
"What the hell did you do?" she asked Reid with a scowl. Her voice was more of a croak, but there was little heat behind her words.
"You mean other than save your ass?" he countered.
"Where were you the other night?" Pogue asked.
She glared at him, her smudged eyeliner stark against the paleness of her face. Dark circles stained the area beneath her bloodshot eyes.
"You mean after I munched that old bird?"
"Casey," Jamie hissed. She tightened her grip on Tyler's hand.
"Wouldn't it be easier if it was over?" she asked Jamie without looking away from Pogue.
"No," the redhead whispered as tears filled her eyes.
"I killed that woman," she told Pogue. Her voice was strong even if her hands were shaking. "I took her heart and ate it."
"Casey!" Jamie shouted. "She didn't," she told Caleb. Caleb put a restraining hand on Pogue as he called up his power.
"I did," Casey insisted. "I broke out and killed her."
"Then locked yourself back up? I don't think so," Jamie said, letting go of Tyler's hand. She narrowed her eyes as she stepped toward her friend.
"Stop, Jamie."
"You stop, Casey."
"God, will you just let him do it?" Casey yelled. "Please. I can't keep running."
"What are you running from?" Sam asked, stepping forward. She jerked her arm away from Pogue when he caught it and shot him a look that dared him to try it again. "Cool it, Parry," she bit out.
Pogue narrowed his eyes but stood aside and let his power ease down. Reid visibly relaxed.
"I know you didn't kill that woman," Sam said to Casey, drawing her attention.
"I did," Casey said, carefully keeping her face blank.
"You said you ate her heart," Sam said. "Is that it?"
"What do you mean?" Casey asked. "Isn't that enough?"
"So that's all you did?" Caleb asked, following Sam's train of thought.
"Yes. Jesus, what's with you people? I ate the woman's heart and left her bleeding on her lawn."
Sam shook her head apologetically. "Actually, you didn't. The one who killed her chewed on her for a while, then tore out her heart and left her bleeding on the sidewalk in front of her house. You just proved you didn't kill her."
Casey's shoulders slumped as she looked at Jamie helplessly. "I just wanted you to finally be safe," she said. Jamie rushed to her and closed her arms around her, petting her hair and murmuring comfort.
"So…what exactly just happened?" Tyler whispered to Sam.
"She wanted Pogue to kill her," Caleb answered. "Why?" he asked Jamie.
It was Casey who answered. She wiped her eyes and stood.
"Jamie has been uprooting her life for years to accommodate me. I'm not exactly my family's favorite member," she said, emphasizing the word with an acidic tone. "I disgraced them when I chose to leave. It's very archaic and sexist, the life of a werewolf in a pack. Women are supposed to find a mate and serve them," she said with a derisive snort. "There are only two or three packs left these days, but I was born into one. Joy of joys," she added wryly. "There was this guy in my pack—Dwight is his name. He followed me over. Crazy doesn't even begin to describe him."
"Psychotic douche-bag comes close, but not quite," Jamie added.
Casey nodded. "He's followed me since I left England. He was always just a couple of weeks behind. He attacked Jamie once but she fought him off and that's when she hooked up with me. Everywhere we go he kills one or two people, just to let us know he's stalking us. We disappear and he shows up later."
"How long has this been going on?" Reid asked, angry at the thought of the two girls being on the run from something so horrific.
"A couple of years. This is the first place we've ever met anyone who understood our…circumstances," Jamie said. "This area has a strong magick pulse. It's sort of like a beacon for supernatural things."
"Tell us something we don't know," Pogue said dryly. He tucked his hands in his jeans pockets and rocked back on his heels. "Hey, sorry about…you know. Before."
Casey nodded.
"So, are you ready to end this?" Reid asked.
She frowned. "What do you mean?"
"I mean kicking this guy's ass and staying in one place for longer than a month," he said. "You owe me dinner, remember?"
"You're really hard up for a date, aren't you?"
Reid shrugged.
"I think it's time you let us help you. You could do with a break," Tyler said.
"We know places he likes to sleep. Dark, wooded areas. Secluded," Jamie said. She looked at Tyler with a sheepish smile. "That's kinda why I was at the park last night," she explained. "I didn't see any signs of him or pick up on any of his auras."
"You guys come in and we'll get this shit together over some coffee and breakfast," Casey said. "I want a shower."
Reid grinned. "I really like this girl," he told Sam as they started back to the house.
"You can definitely pick them," she said with a laugh.
"So this guy, Dwight, he's the one that's been killing people wherever you go?" Caleb asked when they had reassembled around the small kitchen table.
Casey nodded, still rubbing a towel over her wet hair. "Yeah. He's all about domination. Werewolves are greater beings than humans, we should have dominion, blah, blah, blah…Nobody thinks like that anymore. We all live relatively normal lives except for during the full moon."
"I have a question," Tyler said. "Do you, like, remember when you change? Like, what happens? Ow!" he hissed, pinning Sam with a scowl as she kicked him under the table. "What?"
Sam looked at him sternly but Casey laughed. "It's ok. Yes, I remember. We are essentially still ourselves, we just are more instinctive. Most weres hunt animals; only rogues kill people. Usually," she added. "There's no fur, no shape shifting, nothing quite so Hollywood. Our eyes change to allow for hunting, and our teeth. We have heightened senses, speed, and strength. That's what hurts like a bitch, when my muscles expand."
"Huh," was all Tyler could think of to say.
"So we need to find and end this Dwight guy," Pogue said. "Where have you looked?"
Jamie shrugged. "Just about everywhere. I was going to go out to Ravenhead forest tonight. What?" she asked Caleb as he shook his head.
"There's no cover in Ravenhead. We used to play there as kids."
"He'd want someplace thick and virtually impenetrable but close to people so he can hunt," Casey said.
"What about Heritage Point?" Reid asked. When everyone looked at him, he looked at Caleb. "It's dense, especially this time of year. And there's only a few people who go up there at a time."
"The old lady's house was on the south side of the Point," Pogue said, nodding.
Caleb looked at Casey. "Have you looked there?"
She shook her head. "What's Heritage Point?"
"Local make-out spot," Caleb said. "It's not easy to get to, so only the most dedicated go there."
"Sounds like a good spot to watch," Jamie said and Casey nodded.
-
-
Caleb looked out over the point and down at the lights of Ipswich. The night was warm and muggy, and the moon shone down full and fat. He sat in his tree, watching for any sign of the beast that stalked his town.
His phone vibrated in his pocket and he answered it, his gaze never wavering from the young couple in the Buick below him.
"She's gone," Reid panted from the other end. "Casey got out. Tyler just called. He and Sam are on the way."
"Where are you?" Caleb whispered.
"On my way up to the point. I never remembered this climb being such a bitch before," Reid gasped. "Pogue's closing in behind you."
To Caleb's left, the underbrush rustled. He heard a low rumble and peered harder into the shadows. On the other side of the treeline was a blonde man with his eyes focused intently on the old Buick.
"He's here," Caleb said, ending the call.
He watched the man crouch and with an unnatural sound leap onto the car. His eyes glowed in the light of the moon and spit dribbled down his chin as he breathed through his mouth to accommodate his great sharp teeth. He jumped onto the hood and slammed against the windshield, growling and snapping. He punched through the hood and tore into the engine when the boy tried to start the car.
The lovers screamed in terror.
Caleb jumped from the tree and tackled Dwight and the two of them landed on the ground with a thud. Dwight regained his feet and tore at Caleb, catching his long fingernails across Caleb's torso, then spinning and slashing down his back.
Caleb towered over the man, but the werewolf had speed and savagery on his side.
"Caleb!" Reid called as he topped the hill.
"Get those people out of here, Reid," Caleb said quietly.
Dwight swung his gaze around to Reid and tensed to spring, but Caleb took advantage of his inattention and powered up, throwing himself against the beast. He caught a look of surprise in the animal's eyes as they once again rolled around on the ground. Dwight sprang away from Caleb and crouched, prepared to attack again.
Caleb swept his hands in a wide arc from side to side, gathering a powerful blast, and threw it at Dwight. He hit the werewolf again and again, faster and faster until sweat poured down his face and his t-shirt clung to him.
"Caleb! Enough!" Pogue called, rushing forward from the trees.
Reid ran to him and they both tried to call Caleb off. "You're using too much," Reid called, not bothering to cover the panic in his voice. Sam peeled up the trail in the SUV and Tyler leapt out without missing a beat.
"Caleb," he called calmly. "Caleb, ease up, man."
"Come on, Danvers. Don't be an asshole!" Reid called.
Their voices finally penetrated his mind and Caleb eased off, letting his arms drop to his sides. His breath was coming fast and his whole body throbbed. He clenched his eyes shut and willed the Power down.
He opened his eyes and looked at Dwight, who was even now trying to regain his feet. The werewolf was weak and blood poured from his nose and mouth, yet he still stood.
Pogue, Tyler, and Reid lined up beside Caleb and waited. Dwight crouched to spring.
The boys flinched as a gunshot sounded behind them. Dwight jerked to the side. Four more rapid shots had the beast's body flopping to his knees. Casey strode to the middle of the clearing, her eyes reflecting the moonlight and her pupils stretched long and wide. Without sparing the four witches a glance, she walked up to Dwight, whose face was a mask of challenge and surprise.
"Casey," Reid said. She turned and hissed at him, baring her dagger-like teeth. Reid put his hands up in surrender.
She cocked the gun and held it out, putting the last bullet between Dwight's hate-filled green eyes. Throwing the gun away from her, she glanced over her shoulder at the Sons, her eyes holding Reid's for a brief second, then launched herself over the side of the bluff.
Reid shot to the side in a panic, his breath leaving his body in a great whoosh as he saw Casey gracefully picking her way down the wall.
"Caleb!"
Pogue's call drew Reid's attention and he ran to his side as he struggled to catch Caleb's large frame when his knees buckled.
"He's lost a lot of blood," Tyler said. "Get him in the car."
"What do we do about all this?" Reid asked, jerking his head toward Dwight's body as he picked up Caleb's feet.
Pogue struggled with Caleb's broad shoulders. His eyes blacked and blue flame consumed the werewolf's corpse.
"Nice," Reid said.
Tyler held a hand out towards Casey's gun and the firearm melted into a silver puddle. He picked up the sheet of silver and tossed it into the back of his car as the other two boys finally got Caleb loaded.
-
-
"Ow! Jesus," Caleb hissed.
"Stop being such a baby," Sam reprimanded with a scowl.
She looked out the bathroom door and caught Tyler's eye, but he just gave her a quick shake of his head. Casey hadn't returned and Jamie was beginning to worry, but Tyler and the others were with her.
Caleb had regained consciousness on the way down from Heritage Point but had been relatively quiet since Sam had dragged him to the bathroom to take care of the deep gashes that had shredded his t-shirt and were still seeping blood.
"This one could do with some stitches," she said as she taped some gauze over one particularly nasty cut on his back. "Looks like he got his claws deeper here than in the front. Turn."
Caleb turned around and stared at the wall over Sam's head. "Did Pogue talk to you?"
Sam snorted. "About leaving, you mean? Yeah."
"It's not a bad idea, you know," Caleb said defensively. "He just wants what's best for you."
Sam poked at his cut with a little more force than necessary, making him wince.
"Sorry. And no, it isn't a bad idea. It's a retarded idea. I told him he was a frickin' idiot for even thinking about it, much less trying to convince me to do it. Dumbass," she added in a mutter.
Caleb was silent, but his eyes had taken on a strange look.
"What's going through that head of yours, Caleb?" she asked conversationally.
He shrugged, wincing when the movement tugged on his wounds. "Nothing."
"Liar," she said as she took out another pack of gauze. Caleb's lips twitched and he sighed when she glared at him concernedly.
"I lost control up there," he said quietly. "I was so…consumed by it. I felt exhilarated, like everything began and ended with using my power. I didn't want to stop."
"But you did stop," Sam said quietly. She saw his mouth set stubbornly and cupped his cheek. "You did stop, Caleb," she repeated.
"I really scared myself, Sam," he admitted, meeting her eyes. He leaned forward and rested his forehead on her shoulder. "I don't want to be like my father. None of us do. But I'm afraid that we will anyway."
Sam wrapped her hand around the back of Caleb's neck and idly played with his hair.
"You think I'd let that happen?" she asked lightly.
Pogue stepped to the door as if to say something, but took in the scene and stopped. Sam gave a small shake of her head. He nodded in understanding and, with a look that showed that he shared every ounce of Caleb's fear and pain, left them in silence.
"I'm not going to let any of you go down that road," she said resolutely, thinking of her vision. "I promise."
One of her boys had nearly been lost to the Power, but they were strong—a single unit, a family—and he had found his way back to the surface.
Closing her eyes and tightening her hold on Caleb, her first link to the Sons of Ipswich, she prayed that she could keep that promise.