in his brow said differently.
“The fact that he’s still were is what has to stay quiet,” Danyon said to him. “It stays on the QT until we have a chance to figure out what happened and who’s involved. Got it?”.
"Yeah.”
No matter how hard he’d tried to steel himself, seeing Simon’s body again had kicked up a cloud of emotions in Danyon. He saw the same thing happening to Andy, so he cleared his throat to get the man’s attention.
“Get the hacksaw and wire cutters, will you, Andy? Gloves, too.”
When Andy left to get the supplies, Danyon looked over at Shauna. She was standing ramrod straight, arms out, flashlights swaying.
“Why him?” she asked quietly. “Why do you think they chose Simon? I mean, look at him. There’s so much blood. I don’t understand how anyone could do this.”
“None of it makes sense.”
“Damn straight it doesn’t,” Andy said, returning with a large duffle bag. He set the bag on the ground, opened it and pulled out a hacksaw. Without saying another word, he took the saw and went to work on the cable wrapped around Simon’s ankle.
The sound of metal shrieking against metal made Danyon cringe. He dug through the duffle, found a package of latex gloves and two pairs of work gloves. Hechose the latex, opened the package and slipped on a pair. Then he walked over, positioned himself near Simon’s head and started working his fingers through the blood dried fur, feeling for other wounds.
The shriek of metal seemed to go on forever as Andy cut through layer after layer of thick cable. When he finally cut all the way through, he breathed a choice expletive and sat back on his haunches.
“What?” Danyon asked, getting to his feet. So far, save for the missing fangs and claws, he’d found no other wounds.
Andy pointed to Simon’s ankles. “Look at that. Like the kid didn’t go through enough.”
Danyon signaled for Shauna to bring him one of the flashlights, then he knelt at Simon’s feet and aimed the light where Andy had indicated. As he’d suspected, a thin, silver wire had been wound about Simon’s ankles beneath the cable. Not enough silver to kill him, but enough to burn through fur, flesh and muscle before lodging into bone.
As he studied the damage, Danyon heard a deep guttural sound, felt its vibration, heard it change quickly to a low growl. And he knew all too well what it meant.
Anger over the injustice of what was laid out before him was getting to Andy. Without intervention, it would soon take over and force his transformation to were. Once that happened, the anger would turn into full blown rage, causing Andy to lash out at anything within clawing distance. Including Shauna.
“Steady, Andy,” Danyon warned.
“Steady as she blows, boss.”
“Sounded like you were getting a little itchy on me.”
“Not itchy one bit.”
“Good. You’ve got to keep a handle on it. I need you.
And I need you with a cool, clear head.”
“Oh, it’s clear, boss,” Andy said, his voice now raspy. It was already changing tenor. “It’s clear I’m gonna kill the sonofabitch that did this to him.”
“Uh…Danyon…?”
Danyon heard Shauna, but didn’t dare turn toward her. Not only had Andy’s voice changed, his forehead had begun to protrude, and his neck muscles were bulging. If he lost Andy’s attention now, he knew he would have a seriously pissed-off were on his hands. And given Andy’s size, he would probably have to kill him to stop him.
Danyon quickly stripped off the latex gloves, tossed them to the ground, then grabbed Andy by the forearms, forcing him to look into his eyes. Andy growled and snapped at him, incisors already twice the length of a human’s.
Squeezing hard, Danyon dug his fingers into Andy’s arms. “I—need—you—to—focus,” he enunciated, his own voice low and hard. “Hold it together. I command it! Do you understand?”
Andy snarled, snapping at him again.
Pressing his fingers deeper into Andy’s
“The fact that he’s still were is what has to stay quiet,” Danyon said to him. “It stays on the QT until we have a chance to figure out what happened and who’s involved. Got it?”.
"Yeah.”
No matter how hard he’d tried to steel himself, seeing Simon’s body again had kicked up a cloud of emotions in Danyon. He saw the same thing happening to Andy, so he cleared his throat to get the man’s attention.
“Get the hacksaw and wire cutters, will you, Andy? Gloves, too.”
When Andy left to get the supplies, Danyon looked over at Shauna. She was standing ramrod straight, arms out, flashlights swaying.
“Why him?” she asked quietly. “Why do you think they chose Simon? I mean, look at him. There’s so much blood. I don’t understand how anyone could do this.”
“None of it makes sense.”
“Damn straight it doesn’t,” Andy said, returning with a large duffle bag. He set the bag on the ground, opened it and pulled out a hacksaw. Without saying another word, he took the saw and went to work on the cable wrapped around Simon’s ankle.
The sound of metal shrieking against metal made Danyon cringe. He dug through the duffle, found a package of latex gloves and two pairs of work gloves. Hechose the latex, opened the package and slipped on a pair. Then he walked over, positioned himself near Simon’s head and started working his fingers through the blood dried fur, feeling for other wounds.
The shriek of metal seemed to go on forever as Andy cut through layer after layer of thick cable. When he finally cut all the way through, he breathed a choice expletive and sat back on his haunches.
“What?” Danyon asked, getting to his feet. So far, save for the missing fangs and claws, he’d found no other wounds.
Andy pointed to Simon’s ankles. “Look at that. Like the kid didn’t go through enough.”
Danyon signaled for Shauna to bring him one of the flashlights, then he knelt at Simon’s feet and aimed the light where Andy had indicated. As he’d suspected, a thin, silver wire had been wound about Simon’s ankles beneath the cable. Not enough silver to kill him, but enough to burn through fur, flesh and muscle before lodging into bone.
As he studied the damage, Danyon heard a deep guttural sound, felt its vibration, heard it change quickly to a low growl. And he knew all too well what it meant.
Anger over the injustice of what was laid out before him was getting to Andy. Without intervention, it would soon take over and force his transformation to were. Once that happened, the anger would turn into full blown rage, causing Andy to lash out at anything within clawing distance. Including Shauna.
“Steady, Andy,” Danyon warned.
“Steady as she blows, boss.”
“Sounded like you were getting a little itchy on me.”
“Not itchy one bit.”
“Good. You’ve got to keep a handle on it. I need you.
And I need you with a cool, clear head.”
“Oh, it’s clear, boss,” Andy said, his voice now raspy. It was already changing tenor. “It’s clear I’m gonna kill the sonofabitch that did this to him.”
“Uh…Danyon…?”
Danyon heard Shauna, but didn’t dare turn toward her. Not only had Andy’s voice changed, his forehead had begun to protrude, and his neck muscles were bulging. If he lost Andy’s attention now, he knew he would have a seriously pissed-off were on his hands. And given Andy’s size, he would probably have to kill him to stop him.
Danyon quickly stripped off the latex gloves, tossed them to the ground, then grabbed Andy by the forearms, forcing him to look into his eyes. Andy growled and snapped at him, incisors already twice the length of a human’s.
Squeezing hard, Danyon dug his fingers into Andy’s arms. “I—need—you—to—focus,” he enunciated, his own voice low and hard. “Hold it together. I command it! Do you understand?”
Andy snarled, snapping at him again.
Pressing his fingers deeper into Andy’s
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