“Victor! Why, this is dangerous,” She babbled.
Victor stood there, his eyes regarding her searchingly. There were dark smudges under her eyes and he could see livid weals on her face and temple where someone had hit her. The sight of her sent blood to his head. A feeling of rage that made him tremble violently took hold of him. In this blind furious moment, he suddenly realized how much he loved her. He felt a murderous desire to get his hands on the person who had inflicted such pain on her and ripped the person apart. He walked past her into the living room. Then he turned to her.
“Lionel did this?” He said thicky.
“Lionel….yes,” she said, and unable to hold herself, she crushed her body against his, clinging to him for comfort.
Victor, his lips trembling with rage and disgust, held her body to him, running his fingers through her hair, soothing it. For a long moment, they stood like that, basking in each other’s warmth and comfort, then he slowly pushed her back so that he could look into her eyes.
“Lionel did this right?” He asked, softening his voice with an effort.
“It’s nothing,” she said, and she cleared her throat. “I know you warned me what kind of prick he is, but it’s nothing really. I clobbered him, Victor. I really clobbered the old fool. And I told him I quit. I’m not working there anymore,”
Victor was not satisfied.
“I’m gonna fix him this night,” he said simply.
A wild, frightened look jumped into her eyes.
“Fix? What do you mean?”
“He’s gonna pay,” Victor snarled. “I told you remember, no one touches you! No one!”
The deadly seriousness in his eyes made her throat dry with fright. She held his hands, her nails sinking into his skin.
“Don’t do anything, Victor. I dealt with him tonight. For some time now, his balls will be out of work. I’m damned sure of that. You don’t need to do anything,” she babbled.
Victor gently pushed her away, then he pointed at her face.
“No one touches my woman! No one! I’m fixing that sonofabitch this night” and he turned and began to walk towards the door.
Selena caught hold of his arm, raw panic on her face.
“No! No! You are going to do nothing, baby! It’s not safe for you! Don’t you see? You are a wanted man! The bounty on your head is still on! Anyone could see you! For crying out loud, you didn’t even know where you were going? You don’t even know Lionel’s place?”
Victor guffawed “Is that what you think? You think I’m just getting worked up for nothing? You think because I’m a stranger here, outlawed and wanted, I don’t know how to find my way around this shitty town?”’ She began to shake her head as if to say she never meant all those things he was saying, but he moved his hand impatiently, “Don’t say anything! You don’t know what I’m capable of, sweetheart! No one fucks with my personal babe! No fucking one!” He snarled and jerked his arm free, and walked out of the house.
Selena was right on his tail, pleading with him to come back and she watched him, her face wet with tears as he walked briskly out through the small gate, and into the dark, lonely streets.
She stood on her porch, cold and shaking, loneliness closing over her, and at that moment, she had a sudden, terrifying premonition that something really bad was about to happen.
*********************
With thoughts of revenge consuming him, Victor leaped onto the rooftops, his mind set on Lionel's house. He raced on the rooftops until he reached a street lined with luxurious homes. Spotting Lionel's mansion just the way the digital map had described it, he grinned wolfishly. Swiftly, he descended to the ground and approached the back of the building, his movements light and stealthy. Peering through a window, he saw three figures inside: a maid, a butler carrying a tray, and a big man with a bandaged nose and bloodstained shirt—Lionel. He was certain it was Lionel.
At first he wanted to pounce in and get it over with, but he resisted the urge, wanting to confront Lionel alone. Despite the closed window, he could hear Lionel's shrill screams at his servants. Wondering why Lionel looked beaten up, he remembered Selena's encounter with him. He smirked at her toughness and the way she had handled Lionel. My Violet! Don’t worry, I will fix him. He thought. He was going to finish what she started. Turning his attention back to Lionel, he watched as the man spoke harshly to his staff, his face tense. Then the maid scurried off while the butler, looking like a statue, eventually bowed and left.
Lionel was the only one in the room now. He stood there, a frown on his face, thinking and deliberating. Then he seemed to make up his mind and walked up the stairs. Victor watched him go, wondering where he was going. Suddenly, a light snapped on in one of the rooms on the upper floor. Victor grinned viciously. Lionel was turning in for the night.
With this thought in his mind, Victor took off the hoodie of his sweatshirt to reveal his face, then he concentrated on the anger that had been burning inside him, hungry to be fueled. He bared his teeth, actually they were already shifting to fangs now, and he began to heave, and it sounded like the grunt of an ape. His eyes gleamed like a ball of fire and hair began to bristle out of his slowly from his face and body. He suddenly jerked his face to the window in the upper floor, bared his fangs and leaped onto the wall with a violent savagery. Then he rambled up the wall and crashed into the room with a terrible, earth shattering crescendo.
Lionel, dressed in a white dressing gown, a wine glass in his hand, heard the nerve gripping noise and turned around, his face an expression of a nightmare horror. When he saw the beast inside his room, staring at him with a horrible intensity, blood rushed into his old leathery face, leaving him white and taut. Victor was on him before he could open his mouth to scream.
**************************
It was the ringtone of Caesar’s cellphone that roused him from his deep sleep. He checked the time. It was six in the morning. He picked the phone and squinted his eyes at the screen. He hissed when he saw Hatton’s name glaring at him. He slid his finger on the screen.
“What?” He said harshly.
Hatton began to talk rapidly. The drowsiness on his face disappeared instantly only to be replaced with a murderous heavy scowl then to a painful shock. When Hatton finished, Caesar said;
“Okay! I’m coming over now,” and he ended the call. He remained like that on the bed, a look of utter disbelief on his face. He heard a little sigh beside him and turned to see Safiya. He regarded her, a thoughtful expression on his face. Then he grimaced, raised the sheet and blanket, and slid out of the bed. The room was dark. He made his way carefully to the room switch and snapped the light on. Safiya sat up.
“What the hell is up?”
Caesar paid no attention to her. He strode to his closet and jerked it open. He dressed hurriedly, his mind crawling with thoughts.
“What’s going on Caesar?” She asked again.
Caesar ignored her. He rifled around the closet until his hand closed around the cold butt of a silver gun. He knew he wouldn't be needing it but he wanted it with him just in case. He picked the gun and shoved it down his waistband. He closed the closet door and released a long, shuddering breath. He turned and headed towards the door.
“Won’t you talk dammit! What the hell is going on?” her voice was shrill. “What’s happening?”
He paused for a brief moment to look at her. Her eyes were alert and watchful.. Her black was tousled, her small breasts escaping from her night dress. She looked like a sweet, delightful dish and but right now, he felt nothing.
“One of the Fur Elders was murdered last night,” He said. “A werewolf killed him.”
The expression on her face did not change. It was as if he was talking to a wall.
“Well, shit happens,” she said, shrugging indifferently.
Caesar 's face twisted with anger.
“They killed an important man in this town. First it was the priest, and now this! Your breeds are fucking me up and I’m ready to deal with them”
“Caesar,” She began in a casual way. “I care less what you do to them. I’m not part of them anymore. Do with them as you wish.” She smiled wickedly.
“They will pay for this!” He fired back. “This ain’t some kind of joke. I mean it!”
“That’s your business with them, hunter! It ain’t mine,” she returned, her eyes snapping like a cat.
Angrily, he stumped to the bed, grabbed her by the arm, and pulled her up.
“I’m going out now. I will soon be back. Don’t go around monkeying around,” he seethed out.
“Of Course! I wouldn’t do what you don’t like,” she said stiffly, trying to wriggle out of his hold.
“Stop moving, damn you!” He snapped, and she stopped moving around. “Stay in this room and don’t go out. If you are hungry, there’s some snack in there,” he jerked him to a vast cabinet. “Nurse on that till I get back.” Then his voice took a menacing tone. “If Marianna breathes so much about you, I will crack your skull.” and he let go of her as if she were vermin and walked out of the room.
When he got to the garage, he saw Dvorak prowling around, his eyes keen and alert. He saw the deadpan expression on Caesar’s face and narrowed his eyes.
“Something wrong, sir?” He asked.
Caesar who had come to take a liking to the big man, heaved heaving and said.
“A werewolf fixed Lionel Williamson,”
Dvorak's mouth jerked open.
“Yeah, those psychos are really overdoing it,” Caesar hissed.
“So what about his Fur Hunter? He didn’t get the werewolf?” Dvorak asked.
Caesar shook his head.
“He wasn’t in the house. He went to see his girlfriend, the stupid oaf!” Caesar hissed. “I’m going over there now. Hatton’s there.” And he moved towards a bike. He straddled it and fired it. Then he turned to look at Dvorak. “I’ve got something to tell you when I get back. It’s a secret.”
Dvorak nodded vehemently.
“Do you want me to come with you?”
Caesar shook his head.
“No, I’m going alone. Stay sharp and alert. Tell Dutch and Weston I’ll be back. Watch Marianna.” he revved the bike and rolled out of the garage. Few minutes later, he was walking through the door, and into the vast living room of Lionel Williamson. Hatton came over to him.
“He’s upstairs. In the bedroom. It’s really gruesome,” He said, his voice shaking. “That beast really did him bad.”
Caesar shook his head, grimacing.
“You sure it’s a werewolf?”
Hatton scoffed.
“Clear as daylight. The whole scene itself will tell the tale,”
Caesar paused for a moment.
“What about his Fur Hunter?”
“He’s at the bedroom door, looking alike a dummy,”
Caesar inclined his head.
“Let’s go,” and he began to move towards the stairs. They both climbed the stairs to the top floor. A Fur Hunter stood by the bedroom door, a remorseful, gloomy expression on his face.
“I want you to report yourself to the sheriff’s office before today ends.” Caesar said coldly to him and ignoring the terrified expression on the hunter’s face, he walked past him into the bedroom. Caesar ’s deputy, Dean Andrew’s was staring in the center of the room, holding a jotter and a pen, a heavy grimace on his black face.
At the far end of the room, was the body of Lionel. Caesar came into the room, his hands in his trouser pockets, his face cold and hard. The bed, the walls at the head of the bed, and the white Persian rug were splattered and saturated with blood. That end of the room looked like an abattoir. Above the head of the bed and some parts of the rug were sets of bloody werewolf hand prints.