Read Online Specters: A Monster Squad Novel - 8 by Heath Stallcup - Free Book Online
Authors: Heath Stallcup
Tags: Literature & Fiction, Fantasy, Horror, Science Fiction & Fantasy, Genre Fiction, Sword & Sorcery, Paranormal & Urban
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the wolf. If she could get a full dose of the secondary serum into him in time…
He snatched up the phone and dialed Laura. He tapped his nails against the stainless steel countertop as he listened to the phone ring. When she answered, he nearly shouted into the phone, “Tell me you still have the secondary serum!”
“Uh…yeah. I still have it. Evan, what’s wrong?” Her voice switched to one of concern from the panic in his tone.
“Laura, listen to me. You don’t have much time. You have to give him the full vial. The full dose. All 250CCs of it, within twenty-four hours of when he took the first protocol, do you understand me? That’s the only thing that can save him.”
“What do you mean ‘that can save him’? Is he going to die?”
“Worse,” Evan sighed into the phone and gripped the receiver tighter. “He could be lost forever if you don’t. Look for massive mood swings. I’m talking like bi-polar type swings. He could lose the ability to control the shifts, even with bane in his system. He wouldn’t even need a trigger.” Evan ground his teeth as he fought with himself. Should he tell her? He had to… “Sweetheart, listen to me. If he doesn’t get the full dose right away, he could be lost to the wolf forever. The feral part of the wolf could take over and he might never switch back. If he did shift back, his mind would still be that of a wolf’s.” Evan sighed and shifted the phone. “There’s something else. Even if he gets the full dose and it’s in time…there’s only a fifty-fifty chance it will work. I know that sounds horrible, but it’s all I have. And as bad as it sounds, it’s better than nothing.”
“Oh, my God. What have I done? And he just…” she trailed off as she jumped for the window to see if she could see her father outside. “Evan, he stormed out of here earlier. He said he was going home, but I really thought he would return. He has no ride home and…I have to find him!”
“Hurry, love, you don’t have a lot of time. The longer you wait, the more effect the serum will have and the harder it will be to convince him.”
“Wish me luck, Evan. I love you.” She hung up before he could reply.
Evan stared at the phone a moment before slowly hanging it up. “I love you, too.”
*****
“Boss is pissed.” Mark leaned against a concrete pillar and crossed his arms. “Apparently I was supposed to sit outside and just report as you boys got your brains splattered across the floor.”
“Well, I for one am glad you didn’t.” Donovan gave the major a mock salute. “I’d rather you run in and pull my bacon out of the fire, thank you very much.”
“Copy that.” Spalding patted Mark on the shoulder. “I dunno if my talking to him will do any good or not, but I’d be more than happy to let the old man know we probably wouldn’t be here if you hadn’t breached.”
McKenzie snorted. “What am I? Chopped liver?”
“Were you here, too? Sheesh, Mac, in all the fun, I didn’t see you,” Little John teased. He punched him playfully in the shoulder. “Thanks for covering our six, buddy.”
“So now we’re buddies?” Mac raised a questioning brow at him.
“You save my life, I’ll call you buddy.” Little John shrugged. “If you don’t like it, I can go back to calling you an asshole.”
The other men watched the pair as they spoke, each waiting to see what was about to happen. Mac bristled for just a moment then turned to Sullivan. His features slowly softened into a smile. “As much as I enjoy being called an asshole by you…I think I can stomach ‘buddy’. Just don’t let anybody else hear you. They’ll think you went soft.”
Spalding chuckled as he clapped John across the shoulders. “Of course he’s soft. In the head. He followed me out here, didn’t he?”
Lamb stepped out of the office holding a small handful of papers. “Didn’t you say you were looking for a fellow named Bigby?”
Spalding stiffened, and
He snatched up the phone and dialed Laura. He tapped his nails against the stainless steel countertop as he listened to the phone ring. When she answered, he nearly shouted into the phone, “Tell me you still have the secondary serum!”
“Uh…yeah. I still have it. Evan, what’s wrong?” Her voice switched to one of concern from the panic in his tone.
“Laura, listen to me. You don’t have much time. You have to give him the full vial. The full dose. All 250CCs of it, within twenty-four hours of when he took the first protocol, do you understand me? That’s the only thing that can save him.”
“What do you mean ‘that can save him’? Is he going to die?”
“Worse,” Evan sighed into the phone and gripped the receiver tighter. “He could be lost forever if you don’t. Look for massive mood swings. I’m talking like bi-polar type swings. He could lose the ability to control the shifts, even with bane in his system. He wouldn’t even need a trigger.” Evan ground his teeth as he fought with himself. Should he tell her? He had to… “Sweetheart, listen to me. If he doesn’t get the full dose right away, he could be lost to the wolf forever. The feral part of the wolf could take over and he might never switch back. If he did shift back, his mind would still be that of a wolf’s.” Evan sighed and shifted the phone. “There’s something else. Even if he gets the full dose and it’s in time…there’s only a fifty-fifty chance it will work. I know that sounds horrible, but it’s all I have. And as bad as it sounds, it’s better than nothing.”
“Oh, my God. What have I done? And he just…” she trailed off as she jumped for the window to see if she could see her father outside. “Evan, he stormed out of here earlier. He said he was going home, but I really thought he would return. He has no ride home and…I have to find him!”
“Hurry, love, you don’t have a lot of time. The longer you wait, the more effect the serum will have and the harder it will be to convince him.”
“Wish me luck, Evan. I love you.” She hung up before he could reply.
Evan stared at the phone a moment before slowly hanging it up. “I love you, too.”
*****
“Boss is pissed.” Mark leaned against a concrete pillar and crossed his arms. “Apparently I was supposed to sit outside and just report as you boys got your brains splattered across the floor.”
“Well, I for one am glad you didn’t.” Donovan gave the major a mock salute. “I’d rather you run in and pull my bacon out of the fire, thank you very much.”
“Copy that.” Spalding patted Mark on the shoulder. “I dunno if my talking to him will do any good or not, but I’d be more than happy to let the old man know we probably wouldn’t be here if you hadn’t breached.”
McKenzie snorted. “What am I? Chopped liver?”
“Were you here, too? Sheesh, Mac, in all the fun, I didn’t see you,” Little John teased. He punched him playfully in the shoulder. “Thanks for covering our six, buddy.”
“So now we’re buddies?” Mac raised a questioning brow at him.
“You save my life, I’ll call you buddy.” Little John shrugged. “If you don’t like it, I can go back to calling you an asshole.”
The other men watched the pair as they spoke, each waiting to see what was about to happen. Mac bristled for just a moment then turned to Sullivan. His features slowly softened into a smile. “As much as I enjoy being called an asshole by you…I think I can stomach ‘buddy’. Just don’t let anybody else hear you. They’ll think you went soft.”
Spalding chuckled as he clapped John across the shoulders. “Of course he’s soft. In the head. He followed me out here, didn’t he?”
Lamb stepped out of the office holding a small handful of papers. “Didn’t you say you were looking for a fellow named Bigby?”
Spalding stiffened, and
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