Plague Wolf: Werewolf Romance (Wolf Wars Book 3) Page 5

  "No. August. If you don't want to lead this pack anymore, fine. I understand. But I won't--."

  "Grant, we are pulling out. And that's final. Luke, take Allyson out to the lobby and unlock the doors. Tell everyone that as a sign of good faith we are going to let everyone go."

  Luke shook his head and stood next to Grant.

  "No."

  "What?"

  "I'm with Grant. If you weren't ready to follow through with this idea, you shouldn't have started it. It's too late to back out now."

  "Allyson," August started.

  She didn't give him the chance to finish. Allyson pulled away from Luke. As Grant reached out to grab her, she ducked and whirled, catching him in the side of the face with her fist. As soon as she was free, she ran out of the room and into the lobby before either Grant or Luke could grab her again.

  "What's going on?" asked Garrett. "Are you okay?" He glanced over her arms to check for injuries.

  "I'm okay, I'm okay," she whispered.

  Allyson turned back to Garrett.

  "The one who pulled me in there – it’s August. He’s ordered everyone's release. Once those doors are open, you have to get everyone out."

  "But--."

  "Garrett, please. You have to get everyone out. We don't have a lot of time before I'm going to turn. It has to be you."

  "Allyson, you don't have time for--."

  "Which is why I need you to do this. Get everyone out of here. We're going to try to make a run for it. I'll head west, toward Olympus. I'll try to get as far as I can. And if something goes wrong you have to stop me."

  Garrett shook his head and stared at Allyson. Her eyes pleaded with him.

  "Don't let me hurt anyone."

  "Okay," he whispered. "But nothing is going to go wrong, right? Get the doors open and I'll get everyone out of here. I'll try to set up a distraction to buy you some time."

  No sooner had he whispered these words than gunshots echoed through the hallways. Allyson jumped and twirled around. Grant and Luke ran into the lobby, guns pointed at Allyson.

  "Don't you fucking go near that door," Grant said.

  Garrett stood up and tackled Grant from the side, ducking in below his gun. Grant grunted as he landed against the wall. Grant tried to point his rifle at Garrett, but Garrett grabbed it and slammed it against the side of Grant's face.

  Luke tried to rush Garrett while Allyson headed straight for the door. She struggled and twisted the locks, waiting for the tumblers to click back into place. As she swung the doors open, the glass cracked inches from her head.

  "Garrett!" Allyson yelled.

  Seconds later, August limped into the lobby from the hallway, blood gushing from his leg. Grant and Garrett were locked into a wrestling match, with Luke carefully aiming his gun at Allyson.

  "That's enough," Luke called out.

  Garrett finally snapped the rifle away from Grant and pointed it at Luke's head.

  "Drop it," Garrett demanded.

  Luke clenched his jaw and stared at Garrett before lowering his gun.

  Allyson glanced around the room. Hostages huddled together, staring at the now open door.

  "Go," she said as she motioned toward the door.

  Garrett pulled Grant's facemask off his head and backed away from Luke and Grant, still aiming the rifle.

  "Let's go," he told the hostages again. "Everyone go home. We're getting out of here."

  One by one, the people grabbed their bags and the hands of their loved ones and bolted out the doors. Garrett glanced over at Allyson.

  "You don't forget to get out of here."

  She nodded and turned toward the door.

  The women from the hospital ran into the building.

  "Damn," whispered Allyson.

  Grant stood up again and lunged toward Allyson. August grabbed Grant by the shoulder, stopping him in his tracks. He threw Grant over to the wall behind him. He ran over and stood next to Allyson, staring down the other four.

  "August?" Allyson muttered. "We really have to talk about your recruitment program one of these days."

  August smirked and checked the clock. The red and golden rays of sunset crept through the windows.

  *****

  Outside, Garrett ran behind the rest of the hostages straight to the police cars surrounding the building.

  "There's still more in there," he said.

  The police officer grabbed his radio and contacted everyone else.

  "More hostages believed to be inside. Hold your fire. I repeat, hold your fire until we have a clear shot."

  Garrett breathed a sigh of relief and turned back to the bank. The crowd flooding the area had grown. Garrett's palms were sweating. His heart thumped in nervous beats against his chest. While the rest of the police were focused on the building, Garrett slipped away from the crowd and crept into his car. He pulled the handgun from the glove box and tucked it into his waistband.

  Minutes later, Garrett snuck around the corner of the building and looked around.

  Completely empty. He took a deep breath and rolled the facemask over his head. Then he trotted up to the first car he could find with unlocked doors. He glanced at his watch and held his breath as he leaned under the dashboard to begin trying to hot wire the car. "Thank God people still drive these old piece of shit cars," he said with a smile as the engine turned over. He pulled out into the street and pointed his handgun straight up into the air, firing three shots.

  Screams from around the corner were followed by police warnings and panic.

  "Shots fired! Three shots fired"

  Seconds later, the crowd dispersed and people ran in all directions. He took a deep breath, tightening his fists around the steering wheel and staring at the street in front of him. A police officer investigated, turning the corner with her gun readied. And Garrett floored the gas pedal.

  The police officer jumped out of the way as Garrett rounded the corner and honked the horn to the car. Someone yelled out to him, "Hey! That's my car! He stole my car!"

  Garrett ignored the cries and sped down the streets, swerving to dodge traffic and pedestrians. The sun painted streaks of red and gold across the sky as it started to set. He took a deep breath and turned down a side street, trying to formulate his next move.

  *****

  "Time to go," Allyson said as the gunshots and screams drew the crowd away from the door. "We don't have much time."

  She and August started toward the door. The two girls dug their feet in and braced themselves for the impact. August and Allyson rushed the girls, knocking them clear from their path as they bolted out the doors. With the crowd cleared from the road, they were able to sprint away from the building and duck around the corner. The pavement pounded behind them. August fell over, gripping his leg.

  "Come on," Allyson groaned as she yanked on August's arm. "No falling apart now."

  "Tell that to this gunshot wound." August smirked and stormed down the pavement again.

  Allyson finally turned down a small alleyway and cut through a parking lot. August was right behind her. And she knew the others weren't far behind. As the sun lowered further, she could feel her legs growing stronger. Muscle fatigue started to fade and she knew it wouldn't be long.

  A gun fired off behind them.

  Are you kidding me? Allyson thought as she turned down another alley. She glanced over her shoulder to see August, his four former accomplices, and several police officers each trailing her on foot.

  "Shit," she whispered between breaths.

  Up ahead, water lapping at the seawalls beckoned to her. Duwamish Waterway was just a few yards away. The only thing separating her from the water was one highway and a short sprint down the pier.

  "Wolves can swim, right?" she yelled back to August.

  *****

  Garrett's eyes darted from the road to his rearview mirror and back again. Clear. No police, no sirens. Doubts made his stomach lurch that his distraction hadn't been big enough. Had she tried to g
et away and been caught? He turned down another road and headed into the parking lot of the stadium.

  "Time to ditch," he said, knowing he would lose the benefit of side streets soon.

  Garrett left the car running in the parking lot of the stadium and took off the mask before jumping out and into a crowd of patrons heading into the stadium. He crept his way through the crowd, glancing around for signs of police.

  Still nothing.

  When he reached the end of the crowd, Garrett sprinted toward the water. The salty air stung at his eyes as he drew closer to the Duwamish Waterway. He ducked and ran into one of the stockyards, looking for any signs that Allyson had made it.

  Then the gunshots echoed. People screamed.

  The red and gold sky faded to a darker blue.

  "Shit," Garrett gasped between breaths. "Where is she?"

  He held onto his knees for support, fighting to catch his breath as he glanced around the piers. More gunshots from the south sent him running in that direction.

  His lungs ached, but still he urged himself on.

  Finally, he reached the bridge and stopped to catch his breath again. Several yards away, Allyson ran to the sea wall at another stockyard. He shook his head when she stopped and glanced around.

  "What the hell are you doing?" he muttered.

  August ran up behind Allyson and launched into the water below.

  Garrett shook his head again. "No, you ca--."

  Another gunshot rang out. Four more people struggled to reach the sea wall and pushed their way past Allyson to follow August.

  Right before jumping, Allyson glanced around again. Garrett waved, hoping to stop her. But she didn't see him.

  Another gunshot.

  Allyson's body jerked and she fell from the sea wall into the water.

  *****

  The water came up and splashed against Allyson's back. The slap sent pain rippling through her body and the cold sapped her attention. Flashlights pointed down at the water as the current swept her away. The salt from the water bit into the gunshot wound on her shoulder. She groaned and squeezed her shoulder. Seconds later, a hand wrapped around her ankle and dragged her back. Her head dipped beneath the water's surface before she could take a good breath.

  Water seeped into her mouth as she fought to kick back to the surface. As she broke free, she spit the water out and turned just in time to see Samantha reaching out to grab her again.

  Samantha's nails dug into Allyson's scalp as she shoved Allyson's head beneath the water again. Allyson kicked and peeled Samantha's fingers away from her.

  Seconds later, Allyson's pain grew more intense.

  She kicked back to the surface and took a deep breath just as her fangs ripped through her gums.

  Samantha screamed and lurched. Moonlight reflected off the thin layer of mucus forming as her cells rearranged themselves. Salt water matted down Allyson's fur as it thickened and covered her body.

  Samantha's claws broke through the flesh of her hands and she swiped at Allyson, catching her in the jaw.

  Allyson took a deep breath and turned to swim, but morphing limbs proved nearly impossible to control under water.

  Samantha lunged at Allyson again, landing on her back and sinking her fangs into Allyson's shoulders. Allyson released a small yelp when another wolf jumped over and knocked Samantha off.

  Samantha and Kate both attacked August. Fangs snapped.

  Claws swiped.

  Allyson swam against the current to sink her fangs into Kate's leg and drag her down beneath the water. She tried to glance around and locate Grant and Luke with no luck.

  With her transformation complete, Allyson released her strongest growl and reached around to grab Samantha.

  Samantha caught August by the throat and dragged him under water. Allyson managed to pull Samantha from him and sank her fangs deep into her neck. Samantha yelped and coughed as she swam away from Allyson.

  Allyson dove and grabbed August, fighting to catch his own breath as his transformation completed. Her eyes settled on the trees lining a shoreline not far from where they were. The current seemed to be dragging them straight to there.

  She hooked her jaws into August's fur and started dragging him across the current to the island, dodging the ships in search of an empty beach to wash herself ashore. Once on the beach, she rested a moment and glanced around for the other wolves. Lightning flashed across the sky, briefly illuminating the beach. Allyson grabbed August by the shoulder again and dragged him further up the shore and into the trees.

  August lay unconscious. His fur a mess of tangles, salt water, and blood.

  Chapter Nine

  Garrett listened to the yelps and growls fade further down the river. The police officers called in for backup and shone their flashlights down into the water. Every scenario ran through Garrett's mind. Where Allyson would float to. Could she even transform in the water? He shook his head and spun back around to the path behind him.

  "Fuck where do I go now?" he whispered to himself. “Damn it, Garrett. You're a hunter. Fucking hunt!”

  He took in one last deep breath to calm his shaky nerves and trotted back the way he had come, through the crowd in front of the stadium and down the streets back toward the bank. The car he had dropped off was already gone. He couldn't tell if he hoped the rightful owner had picked it up and driven away unscathed, or if he hoped that another criminal had grabbed it and was obscuring Garrett's prints.

  "Anyone but the police," he whispered.

  Few people remained at the bank by the time Garrett returned there. Almost no one.

  "Excuse me," someone yelled out to Garrett as he opened the door to his car.

  Garrett turned on his best fake smile and nodded.

  "Yes, can I help you?" Two officers trotted up to him, one man and one woman.

  "Were you here earlier this afternoon?" she asked.

  "Yes, ma'am."

  Garrett decided to stick to as close to the truth as possible. The more truth he told, the fewer holes they would be able to find and the more likely they would stay away from him and Allyson.

  "Have you given your statement to the police yet?" he asked.

  "No. I'm sorry, not yet. I was one of the last people to get out. There was a lot of chaos and my girlfriend--."

  "Did you recognize any of the robbers?" he interrupted.

  Garrett paused to study the officers. Neither one of them were looking at him. He doubted they would be able to even describe his blonde hair or his blue eyes if asked about him later. The man clenched his eyes shut, pinching the bridge of his nose while he waited for his answer while the woman scribbled into a small notepad.

  "No, not really. But I did hear a couple of their names. One of them was called Grant and another was called Luke."

  "And how did you get out?"

  "One of the robbers, the leader, he decided to let everyone go. He told my girlfriend to open the door so we could get out. But the other two, the Grant and the Luke, they turned on him because they didn't want him to let us go. When they turned their guns on him, my girlfriend joined in the fight so I could get the people out before Grant and Luke could start shooting any of them."

  "And could you identify either of the robbers if you were to see them in a line up?"

  "I'm not sure. They were wearing masks and long sleeves. I didn't see any tattoos or anything. But if you get a line up together, I wouldn't mind trying." Garrett reached into his back pocket and pulled out a business card. "Here is my card. You can call me anytime and I'll be happy to answer your questions."

  "Thanks, Mr. Briggs," the man said as he handed the business card over to the woman.

  She tucked it into her notepad and kept writing. Then they turned back toward the bank.

  "We'll be in touch," they said, still without bothering to look at Garrett.

  Garrett stood for a moment in shock, trying to fathom if the interview had really just happened this way. Finally, he slipped into his pickup tru
ck and started the engine.

  *****

  As Garrett tore through the house, he wished that he had kept more of his hunting gear and equipment. He turned on the computer and waited for it to boot up. Allyson's yellow towels turned gray as he used them to wipe the dust from the binoculars. Maps sprawled across the table as he plotted out possible routes. Water currents, flow speed, anything that might determine how far Allyson might have been carried away.

  The television blared news reports, covering the bank robbery and the foot chase and asking for help in apprehending the ‘two male and two female suspects’ who had run away from the police.

  Garrett shook his head and rolled his eyes at the incompetence.

  "This has to be the worst investigation I have ever seen," he said. He turned back to his work and cross-referenced his map against the maps displaying on the computer screen. "Kellogg Island. If she didn't climb up on Kellogg Island, she would have let the river sweep her further down river to another wooded area rather than risk coming ashore in the middle of a populated area. But if the transformation happened too fast, then she--."

  He stopped himself before he could convince himself of the worst.

  Come on, Garrett. He urged himself through the fatigue, and loaded everything into his truck. When he was done, he checked the time again. A few minutes past five in the morning. Time to go, he told himself.

  He climbed up into his truck and checked around for his weapons. Minutes later, he was riding down the near empty highways through Seattle.

  *****

  Allyson awoke the next morning shivering and confused. Pain pierced through her head. She rolled over, trying to escape the bright sunrays beaming through the leaves of the trees. August lay several feet away from her. He was still covered in blood and dirt. Allyson groaned as she stretched out her tired and sore muscles.

  "I need to get my cabin back," she mumbled.

  August groaned and stretched.

  "Where are we?" he asked.

  Allyson shook her head and crawled over to him.