It was a still, moonless night. The time was past nine. Valko, Lexi and Night Claws began to prepare for the rescue mission. Lexi wore black faux-leather corset top, pants and boots. The men wore thick, black overcoats with pants and boots. They left their massive chest bare, werewolves in underworld style. Lexi shifted into a big, black-furred wolf and led the way. Valko and Night Claws in their human forms followed her.
Then they set out for the woods.
They ran and huffed up through the woods easily, their movements swift and light. They’ve all hunted in this part of the woods in the past and they were all familiar with the terrains.
Half an hour later, they got to the cliff side of Caesar’s mansion. Lexi stopped, her yellow amber eyes glowing brightly in the darkness. From where they stood, they could see the mansion. They caught sight of the Fur Hunters guarding the mansions. They all had Wolf Stoppers in their hands. Knowing how sensitive the gun was, the only way to avoid being detected was to make a deliberate wide half curve around the mansion to get to the tracks Morrigan had shown them on the map.
They started off hurriedly again, running deeper and deeper into the woods. They ran in a half circle, toiling through the shrubs and undergrowth and a few minutes later, Caesar ’s mansion was right behind them.
Lexi stopped again and sniffed the air. Valko and Night Claws waited, watching her patiently. She let out a little growl and began to run. The men followed her.
They were running on a lone track now. They ran for a few minutes and Lexi stopped again. Her furry head glanced around her, her snout sniffing. The men heaving heavily from the run said nothing. They knew she was trying to figure out whether they were on the right track or they had missed their way.
She let out a little growl and began to run again. The men ran after her. They ran for a few minutes then she stopped. She shifted back into her human form.
“Guys, I can’t seem to find the house,” she said breathlessly. “I know it’s somewhere around here but my senses can pick it out,”
Valko inclined his head.
“If I remember correctly, the map didn’t exactly show where it is. It only pinpointed the location of where it could be. We’ve got to rely on our grit to figure it out,”
“I wish we'd got a google map or something,” Night Claws lamented.
“Trackers? You’ve got to be kidding me,” Lexi says tightly. “We are wolves, pal. We don’t need no tracker,”
“I know right. But you can’t overrule what a google map can do,” Night Claws protested.
“I’m a wolf, Claws. I don’t need any tracker!” Lexi insisted.
While they were arguing, Valko was doing some hard thinking and calculations.
“If you guys will listen to me, I think I’ve got an idea,” he finally said to them.
Night Claws and Lexi kept mute.
“I think we are doing these wrong. If we are to go by the map directions, the house should be somewhere around here right?” When the other two nodded, he went on, “but look around,” he waved to the bushes. “It's all bush and nothing. That means two things. It’s either we rely on our wolf senses and locate this house or we simply conclude that Selena gave us a wrong direction and go back to the pack, what do y’all think?”
“We’ve come this far, we are going to locate the house. I’m certain of it,” Lexi said. “Remember, we are not doing this just for nobody. This for Victor . The Alpha,”’
“Yeah, I’m with Lexi on this too,” NightClaws.
“Then let’s do this,” Valko said. “Shift guys,” and he took off his overcoat. He stood thick and tall, his massive chest enlarging. He spread out his arms and bared his teeth, growing and snarling. The rest followed suit.
They all began to shift. Under thirty seconds, Night Claws and Valko had shifted into werewolves. Lexi had turned into a wolf. Snarling and growling, they all began to prowl through the woods. Their glowing eyes surveying and searching. And that was how they came about the door which was well hidden under a shrub of trees. Written on it was the word; Torture House! Keep Of!!!
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When Victor eventually opened his eyes, he found Dvorak standing a few feet away from him. In his hand was a shotgun. The gun was held steady, leveled at Victor’s bleeding chest. A thick cigar hung limply from the corner of his lips. He had a sneering little smile on his face and a hideous glint in his eyes as he held the gun.
“Welcome back, my friend. I spoke to Caesar a few hours ago. He sent his greetings,”
“I’m…….I’m glad he did,” Victor said numbly, sweat rolling off him. His head was fuzzy and felt so heavy for his neck to carry. His mouth tasted like rusted metal. He couldn’t feel anything in his arms and legs. His back was swollen twice its normal size and red. His face was black and green. Strapped to the chains, he looked like a demented, grotesque creature.
“I told him I’m fixing you tomorrow night, but honestly I can’t wait any longer. I need to kill you tonight. If I don’t do it, I might go mad. what do you think?”
“Just kill me……..kill me,” Victor slurred, his eyes swimming in multi technocolors.
Dvorak suddenly screamed out.
“Fuck you, man! You think I won’t do it! You think I ain’t got the guts to do it! Is that what you think?” He took a few steps forward. He raised the gun. The butt fell heavily across Victor’s unprotected face. “You think I won’t do it? Answer me, damn you!”
Victor closed his eyes. He was past hearing and feeling. The pain he had gone through had dulled his mind. He didn’t even feel his blood that was running lazily down his face from the violent cut from the shotgun. There was something pounding angrily inside his head and his drowsy, stupefied, lethargic mind was trying to figure out what was actually causing it.
Dvorak stepped back away from him.
“I found this gun on that table. I don't know how it works but Intend to see what it does.” He cocked the gun and heard the bullet shifted into the chambers. “Say goodbye my friend. Greet my wife and kids at the other side,” he grinned wickedly. His finger curved slightly on the trigger to pull when he heard a violent sound outside. He stiffened and spun around, looking towards the door, listening, thinking his ears had deceived him.
Then he did hear something.
The heavy footfalls of something massive and frightening. The footsteps came down the cobblestoned passage powerfully, each step made the ground under his feet tremble and it sent a jolt of shock into him. His brain refused to function. His built instinct to protect himself refused to kick in.
Then he heard a growl; a familiar growl.
He stood there like a stone, practically ready to hit the ceilings from fright. He didn’t even know when the cigar fell from his mouth. Werewolves? But how? How could they have found this supposed safe place?
The room door bursted in with vicious savagery. Two big werewolves leaped into the room.
Dvorak stared at them, scarcely believing his eyes, suddenly feeling cold and sick. The gun in his trembling hands fell to the floor. The werewolves took a quick glance at their comrade strapped to the chains, then their glazed mean-eyes rested slowly on the big man with chill rage.
Dvorak’s last thought as the ferocious werewolves pounced on him was that Caesar should have listened to his warning.
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Selena was in the room prepared for Victor when Valko, Lexi, NightClaws, Morrigan, Sam and a strange man wearing a white overcoat carrying a bag came into the room. Valko and Night Claws carried Victor.
“Quickly! Lay him on the bed,” the strange man said to them. “Not on his back and please do it gently, ” he added.
Selena jumped up from the bed horrified, not believing she was looking at Victor. She ran to them, panic in her eyes.
“Oh God! Victor ! Please….please is he dead?” Her voice was trembling badly. “Let me go to him,”
“Calm down, Selena,” Sam gritted out, holding her trembling body, he was having difficulty in holding her off, “He’s gonna be fine.”
“Just tell me! Please I need to know,” she said tearfully, writhing in his arms to let go. She collapsed against him and began to cry. “Oh Victor, my poor baby. Look at what they did to him,” she couldn’t even bring herself to look at him.
“Don’t worry, he’s going to be okay,” Sam said, holding her close, stroking her soothingly. “He’s gonna be fine, you will see. The doc is here. He’ll take care of him,”
The men lay Victor on the bed on his stomach. Then they moved away as the doctor moved over him. He took out some medical supplies from a bag. He began to work feverishly, his experience hand cleaning the bloody back of Victor with a thick cotton wool held by a scissor. Victor lay on the bed, unmoving.
They all stood around, watching as the doctor deftly administered the treatment. Selena had remained calm now, silently watching the whole thing in disbelief.
The doctor sweated on Victor for close to an hour, swabbing his wounds and bandaging it neatly. When he was done, he got to his feet, his face wet with sweats. He faced them, cleaning his hands with a towel.
“You can turn him over now,” he said.
Valko and Night Claws came over to the bed. Deftly they turned him over on his side.
“He's done up now. I’ve given him some pain reliever. He’s going to be fine. But the only thing that worries me is his fever. I pray it breaks. His wounds are infected. Too much. That’s what causes the fever. If the fever does not stop……..” he shook his head miserably.
Selena ’s already white face, lost another shade of color.
“Are you saying he could die if the fever refuses to break?” she asked..
The doctor grimaced.
“I’m afraid, yes.” He continued when Selena drew in a sharp breath, “ The wounds have to heal and fast too. Just if it breaks, then it is in the clear. But he needs plenty of rest” he thrust a medication bottle to Morrigan. “Give me this. Two in the morning and two at night. He’ll be fine.”
“Thank you, doc. You can go now, we’ll handle it from here,” Morrigan said.
The doc shook hands with Morrigan. NightClaws, Lexi and Valko escorted him out. Morrigan turned to Sam and Selena.
“Victor will be fine, I can assure you of that. The doctor that left now was brought from Devils Wept. We have our own doctor that treats us. But he’s away on an official assignment. Before he left he prepared some things for us. A kind of elixir. It heals faster and gives us strength. His wounds will heal up within twenty A gleam of hope came into Selena’s eyes.
“Are you sure of this?”
“Certainly. Let’s get the elixir. Come with me please,” As he moved to go, Selena caught desperately at his Morrigan's arms.
“Can I stay with him for a moment, please?”There was a constraint in her voice.
Valko noticed the beseeching look in her eyes, inclined his head.
“Sure, if you must by all means” he turned to Sam. “Come with me, please” the two men left the room.
She walked slowly to the bed and sat down beside him. Her eyes roved over him, taking note of his agonized scarred face, his black hair that framed his face, dry lips, and his broad bandaged back side. Unable to control herself, she touched his body. It was hot as iron. She winced and jerked her hands away, shocked at how hot he was. He was burning with fever. Tentatively she placed her finger softly on his hair, caressing it, her eyes looking at him lovingly.
“You’ve got to come back for us my love,” she said in a voice scarcely above a whisper. “You’ve got to come back. Though you hurt me. You hurt my feelings. But I can’t bring myself to hate you,” her voice was trembling now. She took his hot big hand in hers, “Lord knows I wish I can! I wish I can bring myself to it. But I can’t! I guess I’m stupid. I’m stupidly in love . But I can’t help it. I love you, Victor. I love you so much. That’s why you’ve got to come back. For me, for our baby,” she held his hand up to cupped her face, kissed it, and then continued to hold it. She closed her eyes and lapsed into a deep thought.