said to me before I put a bullet through his skull by the lakefront. ‘Just sending a message. The old man made a good piece of paper.’ I asked him from who. I think the question I should have asked was for who, because if he, and the entire werewolf population knew, then that message had to be for us… or more specifically for me, my pa, or Miguel . We were the only three I knew of who knew exactly how my brother was killed. But it was clear the lone werewolf also knew.
My leg feels wet. It’s my blood. My adrenalines been pumping so fast I forgot about the wounds Sidekick inflicted on me. I’m well into his territory now. My gun’s at the ready for when any of them get in my way. But something feeIs off; the forest around me is quiet… too quiet . That means every werewolf that lives here is either at the den preparing for the attack order or they’re already in town with Balzuzu. I’m already too committed to my course of action. I can only hope it’s the former and I’m not too late to stop them. I quicken my pace as best I can.
My mind goes back to my working t heory and it dawns on me. Lone Wolf was leaving us a warning. He killed Jones to prevent the devil’s ascension into this world then laid out the body so we’d investigate and learn the truth. Jones was a lure… but not to lure me into a trap, to trick me into discovering the truth. And when Silver Joe and Sidekick found out what Lone Wolf did, they sent a kill squad to eliminate him. But the six of them, Scout and his crew, found me instead. It’s starting to make sense to me now and I’m more the fool for understanding. It was brilliant stratagem. Lone Wolf got me to see the real threat and Silver Joe was smart enough to turn the situation around by making me the new sacrifice. The solution fills me with clarity, a newfound sense of purpose to correct my mistakes.
I hear a cacophony of how ls reverberate through the morning sky, a prelude to the coming bloodshed highlighted with the cadence of a battle cry for a war I thought I averted. I’m thankful for it. It means they’re still here and their hollers cover up my footfalls.
I sneak close, finding a spot on higher ground that affords me a clear view of their den. They’re all there; a hundred of them, maybe more. They’re lined up, ready to march. The ones near the front are on their hinds, fully upright. The ones in formation are all wolf. They’re all so busy hooting and howling, not a single one of them senses my approach. Silver Joe is in front. I find a perfect hiding spot to spy on them just as he raises a paw to quiet them down. I could blow his head off from here. End his life right now then kill as many of these bastards on their home turf before they have the chance to get to ours. Instead I listen.
“The time has come. Today is the day we do what we were created to do,” says Silver Joe with a snarl. A few wolves bark their approval. Joe settles them down. The word created settles in my head. If I didn’t know better, I would think he’s just talking about killing, but Sidekick scoffed when I mentioned he was bitten. He said I didn’t know a thing about werewolves. So if people didn’t become werewolves because they were bitten by one then someone had to create them to make them the way they were.
Silver Joe continued. “The devil has come to Los Agros…”
Or something!
“…The devil has come to this world.”
Balzuzu! Balzuzu made them…
“It’s time to do what the devil born us to do,” yells Silver Joe to the howls of his pack.
Fuck this! I run out from my hiding spot, my M27 cocked and ready. I step into the den of wolves, halt at the perimeter, the semi-automatic pointed directly at Silver Joe. In a second, all feral eyes are on me. Joe sees he no longer has their attention, turns to see why, and sees me. Surprise registers on his face. Then primal anger takes its place.
A werewolf moves forward, preparing to attack. I redirect the rifle at him
My leg feels wet. It’s my blood. My adrenalines been pumping so fast I forgot about the wounds Sidekick inflicted on me. I’m well into his territory now. My gun’s at the ready for when any of them get in my way. But something feeIs off; the forest around me is quiet… too quiet . That means every werewolf that lives here is either at the den preparing for the attack order or they’re already in town with Balzuzu. I’m already too committed to my course of action. I can only hope it’s the former and I’m not too late to stop them. I quicken my pace as best I can.
My mind goes back to my working t heory and it dawns on me. Lone Wolf was leaving us a warning. He killed Jones to prevent the devil’s ascension into this world then laid out the body so we’d investigate and learn the truth. Jones was a lure… but not to lure me into a trap, to trick me into discovering the truth. And when Silver Joe and Sidekick found out what Lone Wolf did, they sent a kill squad to eliminate him. But the six of them, Scout and his crew, found me instead. It’s starting to make sense to me now and I’m more the fool for understanding. It was brilliant stratagem. Lone Wolf got me to see the real threat and Silver Joe was smart enough to turn the situation around by making me the new sacrifice. The solution fills me with clarity, a newfound sense of purpose to correct my mistakes.
I hear a cacophony of how ls reverberate through the morning sky, a prelude to the coming bloodshed highlighted with the cadence of a battle cry for a war I thought I averted. I’m thankful for it. It means they’re still here and their hollers cover up my footfalls.
I sneak close, finding a spot on higher ground that affords me a clear view of their den. They’re all there; a hundred of them, maybe more. They’re lined up, ready to march. The ones near the front are on their hinds, fully upright. The ones in formation are all wolf. They’re all so busy hooting and howling, not a single one of them senses my approach. Silver Joe is in front. I find a perfect hiding spot to spy on them just as he raises a paw to quiet them down. I could blow his head off from here. End his life right now then kill as many of these bastards on their home turf before they have the chance to get to ours. Instead I listen.
“The time has come. Today is the day we do what we were created to do,” says Silver Joe with a snarl. A few wolves bark their approval. Joe settles them down. The word created settles in my head. If I didn’t know better, I would think he’s just talking about killing, but Sidekick scoffed when I mentioned he was bitten. He said I didn’t know a thing about werewolves. So if people didn’t become werewolves because they were bitten by one then someone had to create them to make them the way they were.
Silver Joe continued. “The devil has come to Los Agros…”
Or something!
“…The devil has come to this world.”
Balzuzu! Balzuzu made them…
“It’s time to do what the devil born us to do,” yells Silver Joe to the howls of his pack.
Fuck this! I run out from my hiding spot, my M27 cocked and ready. I step into the den of wolves, halt at the perimeter, the semi-automatic pointed directly at Silver Joe. In a second, all feral eyes are on me. Joe sees he no longer has their attention, turns to see why, and sees me. Surprise registers on his face. Then primal anger takes its place.
A werewolf moves forward, preparing to attack. I redirect the rifle at him
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