Damned and Cursed (Book 2): Witch's Kurse (4 page)

She kept one ear cocked toward Nathan, just to make sure he didn't do anything foolish.
 
She stretched her front paws as far as she could and willed for the change.
 
The change was already a painful experience, and she didn't like going through two so close together.
 
But it would be hard to talk to Nathan without human vocal cords, and Eddie and Barry weren't a threat.

Her bones broke once again, and her muscles shifted.
 
Her paws changed to legs and arms as she whined.
 
That whine turned to a feminine cry.
 
Nathan gasped behind her.
 
Her change back to human was never a modest experience.
 
She was naked, on her hands and knees, with her ass in the air.
 
She nearly fell on her side, but managed to keep her balance.

Marie cracked her neck as she rose to her feet.
 
Nathan took a step back, bumping into his desk.
 
Eddie looked up at her, but didn't dare move.
 
She looked at her reflection in a mirror hanging on the wall.
 
Crimson streaks covered her entire body.
 
Her hands and feet were soaked in blood, as was her mouth.
 
Her hair looked beautiful, almost making her laugh.

Eddie rocked in pain.
 
Marie looked down at him, meeting his stare.

"Still want me to help you let off some steam?"

"What the fuck are you?" he asked.

She smiled, baring her bloodstained teeth.
 
She wondered even after what Eddie just witnessed if he'd believe her if she told him.
 
His gun lay on the floor near the steps.
 
He'd lost it in the fight with Nathan.
 
Marie wasn't keen on guns.
 
She held her own just fine without them, and she'd been hunted too many times by men wielding them.
 
Still, they had their uses.

She grabbed what was left of her tights with her left hand and scooped the gun from the floor.
 
There was no need to put her fingerprints on a weapon.
 
She shot Eddie in the head.
 
No departing comments, no last words.
 
Nathan jumped behind her and started to cry.
 
She took a step toward Barry, who was still unconscious, and ended his life as well.

Marie looked down at her naked body as Nathan shivered in the corner.
 
It would take a thorough scrubbing to clean up, one she didn't have time for.
 
She stood near the steps and tried to lock onto the third henchman's scent.
 
It wasn't easy, with so many distractions, but thought she had a good feel for it when Nathan finally spoke.

"They-they're all dead."

"Well, that one guy got away."
 
She dropped the gun to the floor and gestured to the cell phone.
 
"But he won't be calling anyone."

He was obviously going into shock.
 
She wanted to grab his shoulder, calm him down, but figured he didn't need any more blood on him.
 
He looked back and forth between Eddie, Barry, and Marie.

"Y-You said you weren't a murderer."

She laughed shortly.
 
"I'm not.
 
I'm a werewolf.
 
Believe it or not, there's a difference.
 
And…you're welcome."

His eyes glazed over at the new information.
 
Marie grabbed the curtain from the floor and wrapped it around herself as best she could.
 
Holding the curtain to her chest, she retrieved the Polaroid photos on the edge of the desk.
 
Terri and Mackenzie were sitting in the back of a van with the doors open.
 
Their hands and feet were bound with rope, tape over their mouths.
 
The fear in their eyes was easy to read.
 
Terri had a bruise on her cheek and a small cut on her forehead.

Nathan's eyes fell on the photos and he snapped back to the moment.
 
"My family," he said.
 
"They've got my family."

"Who?" Marie said, but shook her head.
 
"No, never mind.
 
If we want to save them, we'd better get moving."

"We could have asked Eddie for information.
 
But you killed him."

There was an edge of ungratefulness in his voice, and Marie glared at him.
 
She handed the photos to Nathan and studied the basement, trying to think ahead.

"I've got all the information I need," she said, tapping her nose.

Regardless of the fate of Nathan's family, she knew she wouldn't step foot in his basement again.
 
She tied the curtain in a knot and gathered her folders and flash drives.
 
They were on a corner desk.
 
Only a drop or two of blood managed to find the folders.
 
She was nearly to the steps when her eyes fell on the briefcase she'd brought with her.

Marie hated herself for what she was about to say, but she had no choice.
 
Opportunity had arrived, and she'd learned decades ago that the only person who would truly look after her was herself.

"Nathan, I'm guessing your family is still okay.
 
They'll keep them alive, as a bargaining chip.
 
And I can save them.
 
But…what are they worth to you?"

His eyes widened.
 
"What?"

She gestured to the briefcase.
 
"Are they worth fifty thousand dollars?"

It took only a second to grasp her meaning.
 
"Yes!
 
For Christ's sake, yes.
 
Take the money."

"Thank you.
 
Let's go."

They left the house, and Marie hesitated as she stood on his front porch.
 
The streets were empty as the night had finally taken over.
 
A single car drove past, but didn't slow down.
 
She was suddenly very conscious of the fact she was covered in blood and wearing a curtain.

Nathan angled for his car.

"No," she said.
 
"My car.
 
You drive.
 
The keys are in my purse behind the seat, since this is such a safe neighborhood."

He didn't laugh at her joke as he slid behind the wheel.
 
She set her belongings in the trunk before walking to the middle of the street.
 
She lifted her nose to the air and inhaled, short, steady sniffs.
 
A mix of scents flooded her nose before she locked onto three of them.
 
Terri, Mackenzie, and the third henchman who ran away.

She squatted as low to the ground as the curtain would allow to get a better scent.
 
She'd assumed they all went in the same direction, but that wasn't the case.
 
The henchman's trail led down the east side of the street, while Nathan's family went the opposite.
 
Eddie and his men parked somewhere else and walked to Nathan's house, so the henchman was on foot.
 
Was he running to Nathan's family, or for the Mexican border?
 
Marie wasn't sure which scent to follow.

Nathan backed her car out of the driveway while leaning out the window.

"What are you doing?" he called.
 
"We have to go."

She climbed in the passenger's side.
 
The last thing she wanted was blood in her car.
 
Judging from the lack of activity on the street, no one heard the gunshots in Nathan's basement.
 
Still, if the police did show up, she wanted to be long gone, along with her car.

"Where are we going?"

"West.
 
Just go down the street.
 
I have their scents.
 
Just drive slow and keep calm."

He managed to drive slow, but calm was a state of mind he wouldn't achieve for quite a while.

"Keep calm?
 
My family is in danger.
 
I just watched a—"
 
He could believe he was saying the word.
 
"A fucking
werewolf
kill two men.
 
You bit their
limbs
off, Marie."

She frowned.
 
Her taste buds were human once again, and the blood in her mouth didn't taste good.
 
Normally she'd wait much longer between changes, after the taste was long gone.

"Don't remind me.
 
It'll take a gallon of mouthwash to feel right again.
 
Turn left here."

She stuck her head halfway out the window, simply following the scent.
 
She made him stop once at an intersection while she picked out their direction.
 
Nathan was agitated, but seemed to be holding up well, considering the circumstances.

"So, a werewolf," he said.
 
"I see it's a full moon.
 
You can change whenever you want?"

She rolled her eyes.
 
She didn't want to go into too much detail about herself, but if it kept Nathan from panicking she would oblige him somewhat.

"Yeah.
 
A full moon simply makes me stronger.
 
But…you wouldn't want to meet me in a dark alley on a half moon, either."

"And you're really eighty years old?"

She said nothing.
 
The answer was obvious.

"And you're smelling my family right now?
 
Like a bloodhound?"

She winced, not liking the comparison, but supposed it was somewhat accurate.

"It's no different than humans picking a face out of a crowd.
 
But my senses are better.
 
When I'm a wolf, they're even stronger.
 
But then we wouldn't be having this nice talk."
 
She smiled at him.
 
"Now, let me ask you something."

"What's that?"

"What are we walking into here?
 
Are we talking six guys?
 
Ten guys?"

"Oh, man.
 
We're talking Lou Gallano's people, so I have no idea.
 
I'm sure it'll be a lot.
 
Eddie was his son.
 
Not the best bunch, like you saw.
 
Lou paid me a lot of money to make him disappear, but I knew he'd screw up.
 
Now he blames me."

"You need to pick better clients."

He cast her a sideways glance.
 
"Like no werewolves?"

"Hey, be nice.
 
This werewolf is going to help save your wife and kid."

Tears streamed down his face.
 
"Oh God, Terri, Mackenzie, I'm so sorry."

"Nathan, come on.
 
Hold it together."

She guided him down another road, and he slowed down as they saw the accident ahead.
 
A car was half on the curb, half in the street.
 
Police were at the scene, along with neighbors standing on their lawns.
 
Glass was everywhere.
 
The front windshield was completely shattered.

Nathan slowed to a stop.
 
"Oh my God.
 
That's Terri's car!"

He went to open the door, but Marie stopped him by clutching his shoulder.
 
"Don't go out there.
 
Are you crazy?"

"Where's my wife and little girl?"

"Obviously not here.
 
This is just where they got picked up."
 
She slid down the seat to avoid being seen.
 
"Drive through, nice and easy."

She thought Nathan would fall apart as they passed the scene.
 
He continued to cry.
 
He avoided eye contact with everyone, keeping his eyes focused on the road.
 
The scent grew stronger, and Marie knew they were getting closer.
 
She finally guided him down a road that led away from the houses and streets.
 
It felt very isolated, with not much to see on either side.

"What's down this way?" she asked.

"Just the old boat dock.
 
It hasn't been used in forever.
 
I know kids have their little spots up here, all romantic by the water."

She nodded.
 
It sounded like a good place for bad people to do bad things, and even hide a body or two.

The scent of water reached her, and the road opened up to a parking lot.
 
There were a few small buildings scattered around and several ramps led to the water.
 
A public bathroom, a visitor's center.
 
The sound was soothing, the water lapping against the concrete.

Other scents weaved their way in between Terri and Mackenzie's.

Her eyes grew wide.
 
"Stop!
 
Stop the car."

He did so, throwing them both forward.
 
He glared at her.

"Back up," she commanded.
 
"Park in the trees back there."

He shook his head as he killed the headlights and found a spot in a thicket of trees they'd passed.
 
She left the car first, quietly closing the door behind her.
 
Nathan kept an eye on her as he joined her.

"Do you know what you're doing?" he asked.

Marie had her share of violence in her life.
 
She'd committed violence, and experienced it.
 
Killing to defend herself was something she'd done in the past.
 
However, launching a rescue at an abandoned boat dock was new to her.