The Fleck was beginning to wear off. Eckers leaned back against the alley wall, dreading the headache to come. Wherever B’ya got this stuff, it was great. He could still taste the metallic, sweet smoke in his mouth. He lit a cigarette and thought of Trinny. ‘She never could handle her Fleck.’ He thought.

 

            He thought about the last time they made love. He could still smell the Fleck in her hair and taste the Anticipation on her lips when they kissed. She liked the stuff, and liked to mix too much.

 

            It had been almost a week since he bolted from the apartment, leaving her there. He was sure the cops would be looking for him. It wasn’t his fault. The dumb bitch took too much. Worse yet, she took too much of his stuff and left him high and dry. Dumb bitch.

 

            A can fell to the ground in the shadows at the far end of the alley.

 

            Eckers stood up. “B’ya? Is that you?” He whispered loudly. “Man, that ain’t funny. Is that you?” No reply came. Eckers dropped his cigarette and smashed it under foot. There was another sound of falling garbage. Eckers took a few steps toward the noise. “I swear, B’ya, if you’re trying to freak me out, I’m going to kick your ass.” It was then Eckers saw two dim lights in the dark. They were low to the ground and bobbed gently. Then they appeared to blink. “What the hell?”

 

            Eckers turned to run out of the alley. B’ya or not, this was too freaky, and it was completely killing whatever buzz he still had left. He heard a growl behind him and turned to see the lights fly at him.

 

            Four sets of claws ripped through his clothes to the soft skin beneath. He clawed back for dear life. He didn’t have time to scream before the beast’s teeth sank into his throat and crushed his voice box. Then the beast reared back and tore Ecker’s throat out.

 

            A few moments later, when the beast was gone, Ecker’s Fleck-tainted blood crept across the alley floor into the dark shadows of the Big City night.

 

Big City

“Autumn”

by Eric Schwartz

 

            Stack Fury poured coffee into his travel mug. He put the pot back onto the burner and turned off the machine. On his way to the door he grabbed his keys and his badge. He clipped his badge onto his belt, put on his jacket and left the apartment. The crisp Big City morning was a welcome sight. From the top of the hill he could see the sun shining on the ocean, while most of the city still lay in the shadow of the mountains behind him. A glorious day.

 

            Stack had been very lucky to find an apartment here, for what he made. The brownstone apartments that lined the hilly street, known as Banter’s Row, were usually expensive and always in demand. He figured that Teadum, his landlord, liked the idea of having a cop in the building and cut the price. Teadum seemed to fancy cops. Even after nearly three years he never addressed Stack as anything but “Sergeant.” 

 

            “Good Morning, Sergeant.” Teadum said, coming up the concrete steps to the front door. He carried a bucket of paint and a tool box.

 

            Stack smiled. “Good morning, Teadum. You’re up early. Fixin’ to do some fixin’?” Stack chuckled.

 

            Teadum never seemed to get jokes. That is to say, he never gave the correct response. They just seemed to move past him. He caught them, just never laughed. He made a sound like he was hacking up a popcorn hull. “Damn dogs.” He grumbled. Stack looked at him quizzically. Teadum nodded toward the front door and Stack turned around. The old door was wood with an etched glass center. Deep gouges were dug into the wood, all around the door handle and lock and along the bottom. “This is why I don’t allow freakin’ dogs.” Teadum blurted, dropping the paint and toolbox. “They’re murder on wood.”

 

            Stack crouched down next to the door. The gouges were nearly as wide as his finger. “That’s some dog.” He scanned the door again and realized that the glass had also been scratched. Small strips of glass lined the scratches. The claws had dug fairly deep into the glass. “Sharp.” Stack mumbled.

 

            “Hmm?” Teadum asked.

 

            “Oh, I was just remarking at how sharp this dog’s claws must have been to cut into the glass like that.”

 

            Teadum leaned in. “Aw! Dammit! I didn’t even see that. The whole thing will have to be replaced. Dammit. Hey, you’re a cop,” Teadum always began legal questions with that phrase. “If this thing comes back tonight, and I see it, can I shoot it?”

 

            Stack stood up and sipped his coffee and raised an eyebrow. “Do you have a gun?”

 

            There was a pause. Teadum finally nodded. “I got a license and everything. Ammo and gun on are on opposite ends of the apartment. I got one of them trigger lock things too. For when my ex brings the kids by. It’s all good.”

 

            Stack smiled. He loved giving Teadum a hard time. “That’s fine. I’m sure you’re fine.”

 

            “I even know how to shoot.”

 

            Stack pulled his keys from his pocket, which was meant to indicate that he had to leave. “I think you’d be better off calling Animal Control.” Stack chuckled and headed to his car.

 

            “You’re probably right.” Teadum said after him. Stack continued to his car. “Will they give me a report? Something I can give to my insurance? You know, so that I can get this door replaced?” Even though he had yelled the last part, Sergeant Forray got into his vehicle and pulled away. Teadum shrugged and figured Stack hadn’t heard him. ‘Cops got a lot their mind.’ He thought.

 

*

            Needless Action splashed cold water on his face. He had no idea how he’d make it through that day. He stood up and looked at himself in the mirror. He looked horrible. He hadn’t slept in several days. He didn’t remember drinking anything the night before, but his headache spoke volumes. He pulled two paper towels out of the dispenser and dried his hands. He wanted to shout at Phillips and Squonk, as he was known, who were yukking it up at their lockers. His head throbbed every time they guffawed. Instead he glared at them.

 

            Finally Squonk caught sight of him. “Damn! Needless, you look like crap. Rough night?”

 

            “You finally making time with that nurse?” Phillips laughed.

 

            Needless scowled and moved toward the door as the two continued to laugh. He mumbled between clenched teeth. “Medical Examiner. She’s a Medical Examiner.”

 

            When he finally reached his desk, Stack had settled in and was chomping on a breakfast sandwich. The smell of the sandwich almost made Needless wretch. Stack took the last bite of his breakfast and wiped his hands.

 

            “Morning, sunshine.” Stack said, reaching for his coffee. Needless gurgled a disgruntled greeting. Stack smiled to himself. “You never turned up at Tucker’s last night.”

 

            “Could’ve fooled me.”

 

            “It’s too bad. Charlie and Laura showed up and we were doing Swampland Shooters. Quite a night.”

 

            Needless put his face in his hands. A Swampland Shooter was one part Moonglow, one part Goblin brandy and two parts Mistweed distillate, in a double tall shot glass with a dark beer chaser. Needless hated them in the first place. This morning he wanted to shoot Stack in the face for talking about them.

 

            Stack decided to have mercy and changed the subject. “So, what happened?”

 

            “I wish I knew. I did, however, wake up on the living room floor, completely naked, if that’s any indication of the kind of night I had.”

 

            “Wow.”

 

            “Yeah, so, I might not be the cheerful guy I normally am. Just warning you.”

 

            Stack just chuckled and turned on his computer. He scanned his email.

 

            “Why doesn’t  Smiles ever check his email?” Stack blurted.

 

            “Because the guy lives in the past. Plus he’s not tied to that thing like you are. For once I agree with him. I hate email.” Needless finally sat up full. “Have you ever thought about getting some professional help for your addiction?”

 

            Stack ignored the comment and continued reading the screen.

 

            A few moments later Breen poked his head out of his office and bellowed across the squad room, making Needless’ teeth hurt. “Stack! Needless! We just got a lead on that OD case you guys are working on.” They looked up at him. “Your suspect, the boyfriend, just turned up in the city morgue.”

 

            Needless threw his hands up in defeat. “Let’s roll, I guess.”

 

*

            The morgue was as cheerful as always. It did, however, hold new luster for Needless since he and Sioux had started dating. She was in the middle of an autopsy, so Stack and Needless were taken to the body by an assistant ME.  Ecker’s body was laid out on the examining table under a green sheet. The assistant pulled back the sheet.  Needless almost passed out.

 

            “As you can see, he was mauled to death. Looks like an animal. The estimated time of death is 2:15 AM.  Some strong amounts of Fleck were found in his system.” The assistant said.

 

            Stack leaned in to the body. “Anything under the fingernails?”

 

            “Yeah, some tissue and hair. Between that and the adrenaline in his system, I think this guy was fighting for his life.”

 

            Needless regained composure. “You think?” He blurted sarcastically. He leaned in to Stack. “Stack, I’m gonna start heaving on the recently departed if we don’t go soon.”

 

            Stack put up his hand to quiet his partner. He then brought his hand down until it hovered just over the gouges in the stomach. He stood up and nodded to the assistant, who recovered the body. He turned to Needless and spoke in a hushed tone.

 

            “I had gouges like this in the front door to my apartment this morning. Roughly the same size.”

 

            Needless folded his arms. “We might be dealing with a pack.”

 

            Stack rested his hands on his hips and took a deep breath. He turned back to the assistant ME. “Let me know when you get tests back on the tissue samples. You gonna do DNA?” The assistant nodded. “Let me know those too. You better send them to Sgt. Vleash in the Lycanthropy Division too.”

 

            The assistant stood stunned for a moment. “Werewolves?” He stammered meekly. The two detectives turned to leave. As they walked out of the room into the hallway, the assistant heard the elf mumble, “I freaking hate werewolves.”

 

*

            “Lycanthropy. Vleash.” He stated as he answered the phone. Sgt. Vleash sat back in his chair and grabbed the squeezy toy that rested atop his computer monitor. Vleash rolled his eyes as his preteen son’s voice blasted out of the phone.

 

            “Dad! Tell Tara to give me the remote.”

 

            Vleash sighed. “How the hell old are you two?”

 

            “She won’t give me the remote. She’s watching that show you don’t want her watching!”

 

            “I am not.” Vleash heard his daughter shriek in the background.

 

            “Dad, she just switched it.”

 

            Stack and Needless flopped down in the chairs across the desk from Vleash. Vleash again rolled his eyes and indicated to the two that it would only be a moment. Stack nodded. Things had definitely changed since the last time Stack had been here. The office was now in the basement, and nobody else seemed to be at their desks.

 

            “All right.” Vleash finally said after a few moments of bickering from the phone. “Look. I’m going to unhook the damn thing and bring it to work with me if you two can’t stop arguing. The two of you need to work it out.”

 

            “But dad…”

 

            “Work it out, Bobby.” He snapped, hanging up the phone. “So what brings you two down here to the crotch of the police department?” He inquired, sitting up.

 

            Stack looked around. “Just admiring your new pad. Everybody else call in sick?”

 

            Vleash opened his arms to present himself. “You’re looking at the BCPD Lycanthropy Division.”

 

            Stack’s mouth dropped open. “You’re kidding me.”

 

            “Do you know how many werewolf attacks we’ve had in the last 3 years? 5. That’s counting the one that turned out to be a lap dog that some boyfriend wanted dead. If I need help I contact special weapons and I work with a special investigator over at Animal Control. One of those freakin’ ‘interdepartmental synergies’ the city has been bragging about.”

 

            “Well, add one more to your list.” Needless quipped.

 

            “No kidding?” Vleash sat up. “What have you got?”

 

            “Male. 19. He was this guy who’s girlfriend overdosed and he bolted. We were looking to pick him up, but they found him ripped to shreds in an alley last night.” Needless said.

 

            “Weird thing is, Toby, I had nearly matching claw marks on the door to my apartment building this morning.” Stack said, leaning in. “I’m thinking a pack may have rolled in off the flats.”

 

            “How far apart were the two incidents?”

 

            “About 7 miles. It’s not inconceivable that the two could be the same werewolf, but I think it’s unlikely.”

 

            Vleash shook his head in a way that didn’t give Needless much confidence. “Well, I’ll check out the body.  And give me your address, I’ll sniff around there too. I’d say they should beef up patrols tonight, and the blues should keep their eyes open. I should have a chance to look at everything and work up a composite by this afternoon. I don’t want anybody blowing somebody’s dog away.”

 

*

            By that night every patrol car in Big City had a rough sketch of what the wolf will probably look like, along with size specs. Once Vleash reported that the attack was, in fact, a werewolf attack, Commissioner Bledsoe gave a press conference in the main foyer of city hall.

 

            “This was a lycanthropic incident and we will do everything in our power to protect the citizens of Big City. Detective Sergeants Toby Vleash, John D’yen and Adam Forray are handling the case along with Ron Kreiger from Animal Control. “ Bledsoe pointed to Laura Medrano who stood near the center of the crowd. “Yes, Laura.”

 

            “Would a werewolf normally attack some one known to them? And could this lead to a suspect?”

 

            “I will let Sgt. Vleash field that question, Laura.”

 

            Vleash stepped to the microphone. “To answer your question, no. While some times the lycanthrope will attack a person known to what we call “The Host”, it is not standard. It is something we will investigate, but the odds are against the victim being known to the host. Our main concern is finding and subduing the creature or creatures. It is not our policy to destroy the animal on sight. Lycanthropy is an illness. This is a hunt and rescue operation. ”  Vleash pointed to another reporter. “Yes?”

 

            “You said ‘creature or creatures’. Is there a chance that there is more than one werewolf?” The reporter asked.

 

            “We also have some physical evidence of a wolf presence several miles from the attack that may indicate more than one lycanthrope.” He nodded to another reporter.

 

            Laura jotted her notes down quickly and scanned the foyer. Her gaze rested on Stack and Needless standing along the wall across the foyer. She broke away from the crowd and moved toward them.

 

            Needless shifted on his feet as she approached. Stack half waved.

 

            “Gentlemen.” She said.

 

            Needless tensed. “No comment.”

 

            Stack rolled his eyes. “Hi Laura. How are you feeling today?”

 

            Laura shrugged. “This morning was a little rough. It’ll be a while before I do shooters again.” She chuckled. “Charlie looked like he’d be slapped around with a shovel.” She turned to Needless. “You never turned up.”

 

            Needless continued to watch the press conference. “No comment.”

 

            Stack smiled. “He’s in a mood. Just ignore him. Although, you do know we can’t discuss the case right now.”

 

            Laura smirked. “What do you take me for? One of those sleezeporters from Channel 8?”

 

            Stack smirked and looked back at the press conference. “Mmhhm.”

 

            “Well,” Laura finally said after a pause, “this should have the everybody in town locked indoors tonight.”

 

            “We do need to tell people.” Needless said emotionlessly. “It helps to keep them safe.”

 

            Laura  turned at looked at him. “How safe is it when you have half the city roaming the streets, armed to the teeth, looking to kill this thing?”

 

            Needless finally broke his gaze at the podium and looked at her. “I couldn’t care less. This “humane” policy is ridiculous. I saw that guy today. Nothing remotely human could do that and there is no proof that the treatments work. Kill it.”

 

            Laura looked back at the podium. “You’re all heart, Needless.”

 

            Needless chuckled. It was the first funny thing he’d heard all day.

 

*

            “Do you have any idea what they do to school yard pushers like you in prison?” Mistwood Heights narcotics officer Helm leaned over the bowed head of the perp. “They use you for currency. They trade you and pass you around. When they’re done, they beat you.” He stood up.

 

            The perp shook his head. He knew he wouldn’t last for five minutes on Thieves’ Island. “I want to cut a deal.”

 

            Helm chuckled. “A deal? What deal?”

 

            B’ya looked up. “I saw that werewolf attack in Big City last night.”

 

            Helm looked at him for a moment and then took a breath.

 

*

            Officers Gorecki and Tate rolled slowly through Goblin Hill. Tate, from the passenger seat, shined the search light into the dark places between buildings.

 

            “Do they really expect us to try to capture this thing alive?” Gorecki said.

 

            “Those are the orders. They gave us the tranquilizer gun.” Tate said leading out the window.

 

            Gorecki, a fifteen year veteran, chuckled. “There’s too many boneheaded cops for that plan to work. Too many young guys like you who want to flex their muscles. The thing’s dead.”

 

            “What the hell is that supposed to…” Tate’s light fell on a greenish brown mass that swiftly bolted out of the light. “Stop the car. I think I got it.”

 

            A moment later, Gorecki was stepping out of his car and giving a call to dispatch, requesting back up. Tate cocked the tranquilizer gun and walked in the path of the search light toward the alleyway.

 

            Gorecki followed him at a safe distance.

 

            Tate realized that he could see little outside the beam of light.  “Hey Gorecki. Move that light up a bit. A little further into the alley.”

 

            Gorecki turned around and moved to the light. He aimed it up further to give the alley for a better wash. He was stunned when the light revealed an animal, standing on its back legs ripping the throat out of his partner. The creature looked at him and growled.

 

            Gorecki opened fire. The beast bolted.

 

            A moment later the BCPD radio frequency was filled with the terrified voice of the fifteen year veteran screaming; “Officer down! Officer down!”

 

*

            Needless woke to the sound of pounding on his front door. He struggled to get off the couch, knocking over a glass laid on the floor. “Hold on!” He barked. He pulled on the pants lying on the floor and moved to the door.

 

            As the door opened Stack stood staring at him.

 

            “What’s up? I’ve been trying to call for a couple of hours.” Stack said handing Needless a cup of coffee.

 

            “I guess I was pretty out of it.” Needless said.

 

            “There was another attack last night. The thing killed a cop. Apparently they have a guy in lock up in Mistwood Heights who claims he witnessed the first attack, on Eckers. We gotta get up there and take his statement.”

 

            Needless moved away from the door and began searching for some clothes. Stack stepped into the room. He looked around. Clothes, dishes and garbage littered the room.

 

            “Man, this place is a mess.”

 

            Needless trudged into his bedroom. “Yeah. Sorry. I’ve just been out of it lately.”

 

            A minute later Needless emerged, dressed. He sipped his coffee and the two stepped out into the hallway. As they made their way downstairs to the car, they passed a group of small children in their pajamas playing in the hallway.

 

            As the two cops walked out into the early morning air, the children began playing werewolf. Partly because they saw the police. Partly because of the huge claw marks one of them found dug into the banister of the stairway.

 

*

            Vleash returned from the scene of the night’s attack and collapsed into his chair. He tried to steady his mind while he turned on his computer. Officer Tate had been a mess. The wolf hadn’t even fed. It was a straight kill. He logged in and began to check his email.

 

            He couldn’t help feeling vindicated. For years he had been telling the folks at City Hall that the Lyc Division was needed. But the “experts” claimed that werewolf populations were dwindling and moving into more rural settings. That’s enough for the city to yank funding. He knew it was wrong to gloat, so he kept it to himself.

 

            He scanned over the spam offering him cheap pharmaceuticals and finally came to an email from the Assistant Medical Examiner. The preliminary tests on the tissue samples had already provided a match with 90% certainty.

 

            He read further.

 

            His blinked in disbelief. “Oh no.” He muttered.

 

*

            “So, tell us what happened.” Stack said, sitting across the table from B’ya and his public defender.

 

            “Eckers called me and said he wanted to meet. He was out and looking to buy.” B’ya began.

 

            “Fleck?” Needless asked.

 

            “Yeah. So, I made my way down to the alley. My stepbrother lives in one of the adjacent buildings, so I pulled together about 3 ounces and started heading down the fire escape. By the time I got out the window, I heard Eckers talking to somebody. I got near the ground and I see this thing leap out of nowhere on to him. I ducked behind a dumpster.”

 

            Stack jotted down some notes. “You didn’t go to help him?”

 

            “Hell no. The thing was huge and fast. I watched it rip him up. After the thing ripped his throat out, Eckers went limp. I knew he was dead. But then something strange happened.” B’ya looked at his lawyer. The lawyer nodded. “The creature sort of straightened up for a second.”

 

            Needless leaned in. “Straightened up?”

 

            “You know, stood up. Just for a second, and I swear it didn’t have claws anymore. It had hands.”

 

            “You’re telling us it changed back? While you watched?” Stack inquired. “Can you describe The Host?”

 

            “No. It was still a wolf but it had hands. Then it messed with Eckers body for a second and then bolted. I took off and caught the redline out here to Mistwood Heights.”

 

            Needless shook his head. “You’re saying the werewolf tampered with the body?”

 

            “I’m just telling you what I saw.”

 

            “And that’s all he has to tell you.” The lawyer interjected.

 

            Stack and Needless looked at each other.

 

*

            Traffic back from Mistwood Heights was killer. For the sixth straight month the Treacle Freeway was down to one way. It took Stack and Needless nearly two hours to get back to the station. They climbed the steps to Homicide.

 

            “I don’t get it.” Needless said sipping a coffee. “I can only imagine that B’ya must have been pretty high and misread what he saw.”

 

            “There’ll definitely be questions about his testimony, if it ever gets down to that.”

 

            As the two stepped into the office, they became aware the nearly everyone was standing, staring at them. The two glanced at each other, and then back at the office.

 

            “Stack, step away please.” Came a voice.

 

            Stack looked to his left to see Vleash with a gun trained at him. Stack drew his gun and aimed it back.  In a flash, all hell broke loose, as every cop in the place went for his gun and aimed it at the two.

 

            Needless turned around to see the Special Weapons Squad, in full riot gear, move up the stairs, automatic guns trained on him and Stack.

 

            “Vleash, what the hell are you doing?!” Stack bellowed.

 

            “Just put the gun down, and step away from John.”

 

            “What are you talking about?! Put your gun down!”

 

            “It’s him, Stack.” Vleash said.

 

            “Him who? Would somebody please tell me what’s going on?”

 

            “Stack, Needless is the Lycanthrope.”

 

            The room sank in around Needless.

 

            “Are you all crazy!?” Stack shouted.

 

            “Think about it. Eckers was your suspect. The claw marks on your door. Needless, the test on the tissue under his nails were conclusive.” Vleash lowered the gun a bit. “It’s you, John.”

 

            Tension filled the room. Stack shook his head. “Needless is not a werewolf!”

 

            Needless lowered his gun. As stupid as it sounded, it explained a lot. “Actually, Stack, I don’t know. The mornings, waking up naked in my living room...”

 

            Stack looked over his shoulder at Needless. “No. No, man. You’re not.”

 

            Needless looked at him blankly. “I think they might be right, Stack.”

 

            Stack thought for a moment. He looked at Vleash. “What are you going to do with him?”

 

            Vleash looked at Needless. “We just need to take him into custody, to a hospital for observation and testing. I promise you, I will do everything to help him.”

 

            Stack closed his eyes. He lowered his gun and turned. As Needless and Stack stared silently at each other, Special Weapons rushed in and put Needless in custody. Vleash looked at Stack, and led Needless to the van waiting outside.

 

            Stack turned and looked at Breen, who stepped up to him.

 

            “Adam, as unlikely as it seems, I saw the test results. It’s true.” Breen said.

 

            “But did they need the freaking army storming in here to take him?” He looked at all his fellow officers in the room. All Stack could muster was a weak look of disappointment  “And you… I just…” He couldn’t finish his sentence. He shook his head and walked out into the street and watched as Needless was put in the back of the back of a protective van.

 

            Stack caught Needless’ eye and again they stared at each other. Vleash helped Needless into the van and took a seat himself. He nodded to Stack and shut the doors. Stack watched as the van pulled away.

 

            He shoved his hands in his pockets and headed to his car.

 

*

            The woman had shoulder length auburn hair, cut so that it framed her aquiline face squarely. As she read, she looked through a pair of half-cut reading glasses. Every few moments she would look up as she finished a line, just as she was taught to do in public speaking courses. Flashes went off, capturing the moment.

 

            “Sgt. D’yen has what is termed as a Dissociative Morphic Disorder. This is a broad term for varying disorders that involve the changing of the musculature, epidermis and personality. Sgt. D’yen suffers from Type B Lycanthropy, which includes a longer term transformation. He is not showing signs of Type C, which involves a permanent transformation. He is lucid, and has no memory of either his transformations, or his acts, while in the lycanthropic state. He is currently undergoing a battery of tests to determine the next course of action in his recovery.” The woman stepped back from the podium and Commissioner Bledsoe stepped up.

 

            “Thank you, Dr. Autumn. Assistant District Attorney Byron Pharlis will now take questions.” Bledsoe said. She then stepped back, and Pharlis stepped forward. Several voices bombarded him. One particular reporter caught his eye. The question was inaudible on television but Pharlis nodded.

 

            “The District Attorney’s Office is waiting for a final report from Dr. Autumn’s clinic before we decide how to prosecute this case.” Pharlis said to the reporter. The reporter followed up with another inaudible question. “At this point I don’t want to speculate on possible charges. These were unspeakable crimes done by a sick man. We might be writing new legislation.” He responded.

 

            “Commissioner Bledsoe!” Came a voice closer to the microphone. Bledsoe leaned in to the podium and listened to the question. “Isn’t it true that Sgt. D’yen has been cited several times during his time with the police for using excessive force, to the point where he is known by the department as ‘Needless Action’.”

 

            Bledsoe swallowed hard. It pained her to answer this question. “Yes. We all know him as Needless Action. However, to balance that statement, he has received many awards for outstanding service, and was one of the lead investigators that help break up the Manzetti Syndicate.” She smiled to the reporter. “He was…is…a zealous officer but a good one.” Someone shouted something from the back of the room. In response Bledsoe shook her head. “No. Sgt. D’yen’s partner, Adam Forray,  has been taken off the case, and will be questioned as part of the investigation. Sgt. Vleash of the Lycanthropy division is now heading up the case.”

 

            “Tucker!” Stack barked across the bar. “Can you switch that?” Tucker nodded and complied. The newscast was on every network, but Tucker managed to find a game show rerun on the satellite. Stack nodded in thanks, and let his arm fall amongst the shot classes and beer mugs that littered the bar in front of him.

 

            Six people down, a goblin, three sheets to the wind, began yelling to anyone who would listen. “Cops! Friggin’ cops!  He’ll get off! They always do.” He said. Stack quietly looked up at Tucker. Tucker leaned in to the goblin patron and spoke. The goblin looked down the bar as Stack looked back at his Moonglow. The goblin chuckled. “Awww that’s too bad! Hey! Hey cop! What’s it like working with the wolf man.” Stack kept his cool through his haze and continued to stare at the glass. The goblin stood up. “He’s not even a man. He’s a lousy half-breed!” The goblin laughed again. “Actually he’s a triple breed I guess. Elf, human, wolf! He’s working on a royal flush.” He laughed too boisterously, and several patrons rolled their eyes at the drunk.

 

            “That’s enough Krik! Leave it alone.” Tucker said trying to diffuse the situation.

 

            Stack dropped one shot glass into another with tight fingers.

 

            Krik  stumbled toward Stack. “Hey cop! Did you have to keep your partner on a leash?”

 

            The goblin suddenly felt himself spin around. He was now facing an unshaven face whose eyes were stabbing into him.

 

            “Krik. Shut that goblin yapper of yours, or I’ll tell your wife you’ve been banging that little chippy in the bookstore.” Smiles said, before he shoved the drunk back onto his barstool. Krik shut up and went back to marinating himself in booze.

 

            A calm settled over the bar as Smiles stepped up to Stack. Stack didn’t look up. “Thanks.” He said.

 

            Smiles sat on the stool next to Stack. He lit a smoke. “I thought I might find you here.”

 

            “I’m assuming you heard.”

 

            Smiles blew out his first mouthful of smoke. “Yeah.”

 

            “It’s not true, Smiles. I know it’s not.”

 

            Smiles put his hand on his friend’s back. “I know.” He motioned to Tucker for the bill. “Come on. Let’s get you home.”

 

            Smiles only had to stop his car once on the way to Stack’s place to let the drunk detective vomit out the door onto the curb. The rest of the ride was taken in silence. Smiles pulled up in front of Stack’s apartment building and helped him out the door.

 

            “Come on.” Smiles said, helping his former partner stand.

 

            As the two approached the door, a figure glided from the shadows. Her pale skin shimmered in the moonlight.

 

            “The press have driven by several times, Sgt. Forray.” She said

 

            A sloppy, sad smile appeared on Stack’s face. “Hi Sioux.” He struggled free of Smiles and stood up. “Sioux Vliss, this is my friend Robert Johnson.” He said in a simple introduction. He extended a hand toward Sioux. “This is Sioux. She’s a Medical Examiner with the Coroner’s office. She’s Needless’…” He shrugged unable, in his state, to think of a better term. ”…girlfriend.”

 

            Smiles and Sioux shook hands. With vampire grace she nodded her head. “You’re the one called Smiles. John has spoken of you often.”

 

            Smiles chuckled to himself. “I’m sure he did. Don’t believe a word of it.”

 

            “I think we should go inside in case more reporters turn up.” She said as she turned and moved up the steps to the door.

*

            Needless shivered in the bed. The restraints were tight, and the sheets were too thin. He didn’t know what time it was. He figured it was night as they had shut the lights off. He couldn’t sleep. He wouldn’t let himself. He drove his fingernails into his palm and bit down on his tongue to stay awake.

 

            He looked down the length of the bed to the wall facing him. The swirling red and green madness of the painting was still there. No change yet. It must be coming. He heard the IV drip that fed the sedative into his blood click open for a moment and then close again. The urge to sleep would come again soon. He tried with all of his might to keep control.

 

            It was still unreal to him. How could he have this thing inside of him? Then he thought about those mornings, waking up naked in the living room. Tears welled in his eyes. He thought of the bodies. The way they had been ripped apart. He thought of his family. He thought of his mother. She must have heard, he thought. She knows that I killed those people.

 

            His quiet tears gave way to a wail. A wail that echoed along the darkened corridors of the clinic. A wail that seemed to go unnoticed.

 

*

            The Big City morning kicked Stack in the kidneys. His head-wide buzz had dwindled during the night to a pin-prick of pain behind his eyes. He had crashed out in his clothes, which had the perfume of a dozen shots, Smiles’ cigarettes and vomit. He stumbled to the bathroom and took care of business.

 

            He vaguely remembered Charlie and Laura coming over the night before. Was that only last night? They had maintained a blackout in the apartment to thwart the press. They had huddled around his poker table, with only the light from the fish tank allowing them to see each other.

 

            He couldn’t remember the specifics of the discussion, how long the discussion went on, or what day it was. He remembered Smiles talking. ‘There are two conclusions here,’ Smiles had said. ‘One is that Needless is, in fact a werewolf. The other is that some one has gone to considerable trouble to frame him.’

 

            Stack splashed cold water on his face. He pulled on a T-shirt and some jeans and went to the kitchen. There he found a note from Smiles:

 

            “I thought I should leave you this note, in case you don’t remember our conversation last night. Go see if you can visit Needless in the Lycanthropic Research Center and Clinic today. It’s up the hill on Pendant Avenue. We’ll meet at my office tonight.  - J ”

 

            Stack nodded and turned on his coffee pot. It was going to be a long day.

 

*

             Smiles took a last drag and threw the cigarette to the patch of dirt that separated two strips of brown grass. Needless’ apartment building wasn’t the nicest that Smiles had seen, but wasn’t the worst by far. The parking lot was filled with a wide array of cars. From middle class two doors, to older SUVs, down to late model, rusted out boats. Smiles instinctively drew the conclusion that the inhabitants were mostly young. Couples just starting out. First apartments out of the house. The building wasn’t far from the downtown BCU campus, so students were a possibility too.

 

            Smiles frowned. Not really a crowd that would readily remember a ruckus if there was one. Mostly too young to have become busy-bodies yet. There was still hope that Needless lived next to some cranky old bat who watched his every move. Smiles slipped around back. His suspicions about the average age of the occupants was further bolstered by the well used playground area. Young families, he thought.

 

            None of this seemed to fit Smiles’ image of where Needless would live. Somehow he had always figured Needless would live in some singles-only community with a glass top gym you could look down on. He just figured the kid for Alpha Male Housing, not the Family Fun Hour. Smiles mentally smacked his own hand. ‘Bad detective.’ He thought.

 

            The back of Needless’ building created a central courtyard with six other buildings of roughly the same type. It hadn’t been planned this way; the community just grew up this way over the years. A newer, wooden outdoor stair case had replaced what Smiles assumed had been an old fire escape. The effect now was that every apartment had a balcony and a set of back stairs. Smiles straightened his tie and donned his “city inspector” character that always held off curious people, for at least a little while.

 

            He climbed the stairs to Needless’ apartment without incident. He stooped low and peered into the kitchen window. No cops around. He moved to the backdoor and tripped the lock. He quietly stepped into the apartment. He listened for a moment and then moved on.

 

            The apartment was a mess. The dishes had been in the sink for several days. Old newspapers, not even unrolled, were thrown in the corner. He moved into the main room. Clothes littered the floor. There were some empty bottles and some glasses on the table. Smiles lifted a glass and smelled it. He was surprised that it wasn’t alcohol; it was water. He put the glass back on the table.

 

            He stood in the middle of the room for a moment. This is where Needless claimed to wake up every morning. He dropped to his knees and began scanning the floor for hair, blood, anything.

 

 It was then that it dawned on Smiles that it didn’t appear that the police lab boys had been there yet.

 

            He looked at his watch. It wasn’t very late in the morning. They could show up at any moment and, with his luck, would. Smiles’ heart began to race. He stood up. There were no signs of a violent transformation. While it was a mess, it was a typical bachelor mess. Not the mess of an animal lashing out at it surroundings. If someone had been framing him, they didn’t take this step for some reason. Unless Needless left, morphed, and turned back before he came home.

 

            Something wasn’t adding up. Stack had told them that Needless had been having blackouts lately. Drugged? Thought Smiles. How? If Needless was being set up, the offenders would have to wait until he was out cold, come in, strip him down and leave him on the floor. Needless had to believe it himself. Needless wasn’t the kind of guy who would let somebody slip him something. He went to the kitchen. There was nothing in the fridge that could have been drugged. His kitchen looked like Needless had been eating out for a while. Fast food bags. They couldn’t drug him that way. How would they know where he was going?

 

            ‘No,’ thought Smiles, ‘there’s something here that did it. Something that drugged him unknowingly.’

 

            Smiles’ luck was right on time. He heard voices in the hall outside.

 

            “I don’t have the keys.” Said one voice.

 

            “I’ll go get the super.” Said another.

 

            Smiles jumped and looked around. He didn’t have much time. He had to get the proof, before the department got their hands on it. Something here. Something in here. If he was going to repeatedly drug someone, he thought, how would he do it?  Smiles looked at the darker side of his mind. If a drugging like this was going to take place, there would have to be some assurance that it would work. It would be something that the victim would use every day.  Toothpaste? Mouthwash? Soap? No, there would have to be ingestion.

 

            His eyes fell on the faucet-attached water purifier. He raced into the other room and snatched the glass of water he had found on the table. It was a long shot, but worth a try. He heard the voices return outside the front door of the apartment as he hurried to the back door. He slipped out just as the boys from the crime lab came in. 

 

            Smiles slipped out the back and shut the door just as the door shut behind the cops. Maybe his luck was changing.

 

*

            “The city decided to privatize Lycanthropic diagnosis and treatment a few years ago.” Dr. Autumn smiled. “It was a very wise move. It signaled a change from the shoot and dissect mentality that existed for years. We can find out more about this disease by working to heal living victims, rather than cut up dead ones.”

 

            Stack nodded. “This because of the Tronnage thing about ten years ago?”

 

            “Exactly. The inhumanity brought out in that case went a long way toward the understanding and treatment of this affliction.  It’s something that the city doesn’t have the time or money to train for. So here I am.” Dr. Autumn stopped. They stood at the junction of the longer hallway and a shorter one.

 

            The building itself was an older building. Probably an old insurance office, Stack thought. Two levels. The Clinic had only been open a short time.  Dr. Autumn had explained that before she came, the procedure was to ship the victims out into the suburbs for treatment. Needless was the only patient at the moment.

 

            Stack looked at his shoes. “Dr. Autumn, what are John’s chances of kicking this?”

 

“Sgt. Forray, your partner is very sick. I don’t want to misrepresent the odds of treating him. We lose more than we cure. That’s where this science is right now.”

 

            “What happens to patients that progress to Type C and never change back?” Stack took a deep breath.

 

            Dr. Autumn cradled her clipboard close to her as she spoke. “Well, there have been some private refuges built around the country. They are pretty expensive. Usually, “ she looked up into Stack’s face, “they’re put down and burned.”  Nothing more was said. She led him to the door. “He’s been given a steady dosage of a sedative, so he’s pretty groggy.”

 

            Stack looked at her. “Did anything happen last night?”

 

            “Yes. He had a rather violent morphic episode last night. He destroyed the room, but he was contained. The security camera caught the whole thing. Sgt. Vleash was sent a copy of the tape.” She stopped at the door. “I should warn you, Sgt. Forray, the room might still be a bit of a mess after last night.”

 

            “You didn’t move him to another room?”

 

            “No. Once the wolf manifests itself, we find it calms the creature during future episodes if its scent is still in the room. It can make the episode shorter. Are you ready?” Stack nodded. Dr. Autumn opened the door. “You have a visitor,” she said into the room..

 

            As Stack stepped into the room, he noticed some torn sheets scattered about the room. A few pieces of equipment were smashed in the corner. Needless’ head rolled along the pillow and his glazed eyes fell on Stack. Stack swallowed the rising pain and smiled.

 

            “Hey man.” Stack said, putting his hand on Needless’ shoulder.

 

            “Hi Stack. Sorry about the mess.”

 

            “Wow. No TV or anything?” Stack said, looking around the room.

 

            Needless managed a weak smile. “No, just that.” He motioned to the swirling painting that faced him from the far wall. Stack motioned to the picture.

 

            “It’s called a Monshrak -Glynn test. There’s a picture hidden in it.” Dr. Autumn said.

 

            “Yeah, it’s a race car.” Stack said matter-of-factly.

 

            “You can see that?” She asked. “The picture tests how the brain changes during a morphic episode. Since canines and subsequently werewolves are color blind, the red and green swirls reveal their picture to the sufferer as they change. We can track that, and it allows the sufferer to know that they are, in fact, changing."

 

            Stack shrugged. “I’m red/green color blind. I can see the race car.” He looked at Needless. “Maybe I’m one too.”  Stack forced a smile. Needless didn’t smile.

 

            Dr. Autumn moved toward the door. “I’ll leave you two alone for a little while.”

 

            They both nodded thank you. She stepped outside and shut the door.

 

            Stack looked at Needless. “John, I’m so sorry you have to go through this. Me and Smiles…everybody…we’re going to find some way to get you out of here.”

 

            Needless looked deep into Stack’s eyes. Hopelessness filled his voice. “Stack, please call my mother and make sure she’s all right.”

 

            Stack nodded. The pit of his stomach dropped as despair slipped into his mind. His partner had lost all hope.

 

*

            The freight elevator stopped. Smiles pulled up on the makeshift plywood door. The door slid up with a metallic clunk. He stepped out into the hallway and made his way to the far end. He knocked on the iron door.

 

            After a moment, a voice came from the far side. “Yeah!?”

 

            Smiles chuckled to himself. “Sottie! It’s Smiles.” A moment later the door opened with a clang. The long-haired goblin on the other side of the door looked at Smiles from behind thick glasses that distorted his eyes. He stared at Smiles with the incredulous look of a thirteen-year-old girl. Smiles just chuckled. “Hi Sottie.  Pleased as ever to see me, I see.”

 

            Sottie rolled his eyes. “I just finished fixing the damage from your last visit. Is there anybody following you this time?” Smiles shook his head. “I’m not hacking into any government systems for you, either. I almost got caught…” Smiles shook his head again. Sottie looked at him for a moment. He sighed and open the door further. “Fine. Come in.”

 

            Smiles stepped in. “You got my check, I’m assuming. To pay for the damages.”

 

            “Oh, your check for fifteen grand a few weeks ago?  I didn’t even cash it. I was certain it’d bounce.”

 

            Smiles grinned. “Cash it.”

 

            Sottie’s loft was a maze of computer workstations; workbenches full of electronics in various states of disrepair, and boxes of books and periodicals. It looked more like the storage area of a research facility than where some kid lived. Sottie himself wasn’t more than 22 years old. Smiles had met him a couple of years ago during a case. He liked Sottie quite a bit. Sottie, on the other hand, worked better with computers than with people. There was little that anyone could do to please Sottie, except give him challenging things to do.

 

            “So what have you got for me?” Sottie asked reaching into a small fridge placed on top of a workbench. He pulled out two sodas and handed one to Smiles. 

 

            Smiles produced the glass of water from Needless’ apartment. “I need to know if there is anything in this.  Anything that could knock out a grown man for six or seven hours.”

 

            Sottie took the glass and stared at it. He gave Smiles a cocky grin. “No prob.”  He turned and carried the glass to a work bench near the bathroom. “You don’t need this glass back, do you?” Smiles shook his head. Sottie reached into a beaten up cardboard box and pulled out an old soda bottle. “This is Ovicytelene. The Feds use it to test city water supplies for bio or chemical agents during terrorism threats. You can probably tell from the container I shouldn’t have it.”  He poured some of the water into a small beaker. “The chemical turns different colors depending on the type of impurity. It’s a fool proof system that even Fed morons can’t screw up.”  Sottie poured the Ovicytelene into the water. Where the two liquids met, a black cloud appeared in the water and spread outward until the entire beaker was black.  Sottie nodded and looked up at Smiles. “Some kind of synthetic drug.”

 

            “How long will it take you to figure out what kind?”

 

            Sottie shrugged. “Tomorrow.”

 

            “Thanks.” Smiles sighed. “Now I have to get back into the apartment and get that faucet attachment. Call me when you get it. I really appreciate it, Sottie. ”

 

            “So the check’s all good? Straight up?”

 

            Smiles nodded on his way to the door.

 

*

            “Stack, I can’t. You’ve been ordered off the case.”  Vleash sat back down at his desk.

 

            “I’m not investigating the case. I just want to see the tape.”  Stack sat at the edge of Vleash’s desk. “He’s my partner. I…need to see it for myself.” Vleash sat for a moment silently. “Look, man, how long have we known each other?  I think I deserve to see the tape. Just to put my doubts to rest.”

 

            Vleash sighed. “Well, it would do that.”

 

            “Please, Toby. I need to see the tape.”

 

            A few moments later Stack sat in a chair, bracing himself for the worst. Vleash slid the tape into the machine. He sat in the chair next to Stack and picked up the remote.

 

            “Stack, this is really unpleasant. If you want me to stop it, just let me know.”

 

            Stack nodded. Vleash pushed the play button on the remote. The screen flickered, turned blue, and then became the image of Needless’ room at the clinic. Someone was obviously monitoring the security cameras, because as Needless started to get restless, the camera zoomed in on his face. Needless strained against the straps as he let out a yell. 

 

            Stack wanted desperately to turn away, but he couldn’t.  He stared in horror as he watched his partner’s features begin to bubble. His flesh rolled like water coming to a boil.  Then it expanded like rising dough, his face pushing forward with blood curdling yelps of pain and fear. Tears welled in Stack’s eyes as he watched hair spring from Needless’ face. The straps snapped as his musculature took on a new form. Joints snapped to move in different directions. The ribcage squeezed together and displaced internal organs. The end of the spine elongated into a tail.  Needless Action was gone, and replaced with a creature. It snarled an inhuman snarl and began to rip the room apart.

 

            The camera tried desperately to follow the enraged beast.  It moved back and forth across the room. Glass shattered. Machinery sparked as the creature drove its claws through it. 

 

            It appeared only on the screen for a second but it was long enough for Stack to leap to his feet and yell  “Stop!”

 

            Vleash stopped the tape. “What?”

 

            Stack sat back down. “Run it back.” Vleash did so. “Stop. Right there.”  Stack pointed at the screen. His finger resting on a red and green swirling picture that hung on the wall of the room.

 

            Vleash looked at him. “What about it?”

 

            Stack sat back in his chair.  He took a breath. “It’s a boat.” He looked at Vleash. “It’s a freakin’ boat.”

 

*

            Night had fallen on the clinic. Dr. Autumn had let most of the staff, with the exception of her male overnight nurse, Dag, leave. Dag and Autumn were applying electrodes to Needless’ head, chest and feet. Needless lay motionless during the entire procedure.

 

            “What is this going to do?” Needless finally asked. He didn’t really care, but he thought he should make some conversation.

 

            Expressionless, Dr. Autumn spoke. “This is going to test your reaction to electricity.”

 

            “To see if it triggers the change?” Needless asked.

 

            Dag chuckled. Dr. Autumn stopped and tucked her hair behind her ears. “Not exactly, Sgt. D’yen. This is going to test your personal resilience against electricity.” She picked up a small controller that the electrodes were wired to.

 

            Needless squinted in concern. “Is it safe?”

 

            Dr. Autumn leaned in and whispered in a slight growl. “It’s okay…I used to be a dentist.”

 

            Needless’ eyes grew wide and his mouth opened in a silent scream as the realization and the first jolts of electricity flooded his body. When the wave of spasms subsided, Autumn leaned down again.

 

            “How was that, Sgt. D’yen?” Her voice was low and smoky and shook Needless to his core. Tears clouded his gaze as he stared silently into Dr. Autumn’s face.

 

*

            Morning had come too soon for Dennis Breen. The last two days had been hell. The questions and paperwork alone were murder. More than that, his heart was breaking. He had just watched his best set of cops ripped apart. He was very fond of Needless. He had fought tooth and nail to pull Needless up out of blues after Smiles left. Back then, Needless’ reputation was that of a hard-to-work-with punk, unreliable and at odds with authority. Breen had wanted him on his team badly, but Needless’ superiors wouldn’t have it.  Breen finally had to make the request directly to the Commissioner.

 

            To see it all go down in flames like this was killing him. He sat in his office pouring over some pointless piece of paperwork like it was his living will. Anything to keep control. There was a knock at his door.  

 

“Come in.”  Breen barked, not looking up from his paper work. Vleash walked in. Breen held up a finger and continued scanning the document. After a few moments he stopped reading and looked up. “Hi Toby. What’s up?”

 

            “Can I sit?” Vleash said indicating the chair. Breen nodded. “It’s about Adam. I think he should be relieved of duty for a while.”

 

            Breen sat back and folded his arms. “Really? Why.”

 

            “He was in my office yesterday raving that something was up with at the Clinic because of some picture on the wall in the security video. He didn’t seem to notice that the video was of Needless morphing into a wolf.” Breen continued to stare. “I don’t want him going off like a bomb and botching this investigation. He’s not stable right now and he needs to step away.”

 

            Breen chuckled. “He’s understandably concerned.”

 

            “Captain, I don’t need him undermining my investigation.”

 

            Breen stood up. “Sgt. Vleash, let me offer you some advice.” Breen moved to half-sit on the desk in front of Vleash. “Sgt. Forray is a great cop. He doesn’t ‘go off.’ If he thinks he’s on to something, he’s on to something. He doesn’t make snap decisions. Now I lost a good man here the other day. If Stack has a lead, I think you should listen to him.” He stood up and moved back around his desk. “Don’t worry. Your name will still be in place as lead investigator.”

 

            Vleash leapt to his feet. “Excuse me? Are you insinuating…”

 

            “All I know is that you didn’t even look into the possibility that it might be somebody else. You had Special Weapons in here within three hours of receiving an email.”

 

            “But the DNA…”

 

            “Now look! I know the press conferences and exposure are nice. I know your division has been hurting for support. I understand how frustrating that can be. But Stack just wants to make sure his partner is all right. If you have any brains at all in that melon, you’ll listen to what he has to say. Now, if you don’t mind, I have to pop about 7 antacids because my ulcer is flaring and I don’t want to spray you with stomach acid. Goodbye.”

 

            Vleash stood up and moved to the door. “Captain Breen, I have known Stack a long time. It kills me to do this, but I am a good cop too, and I’m doing the best I can.”

 

Breen looked up again. “Goodbye, Sgt. Vleash.”

 

Vleash stormed out of the office and Breen collapsed back into his chair. He opened his desk drawer, pulled out a roll of antacid tablets and began chewing them. He closed his eyes and took a deep breath. 

 

There was a knock at his door. Breen sighed. “What?” he barked as he opened his eyes.  Under the full dark hat, coat and gloves was a pale, graceful face. She moved into the room as Breen stood, apologizing.

 

“Captain Breen, I am Medical Examiner Sioux Vliss. I have something I think you should see.”

 

*

            “You know, I work for the Homicide Division. Why am I never investigating homicides anymore? It’s always some lake monster or invisible, killer entity nowadays. What ever happened to good old fashioned passion-kills and ‘doin’ it for the money’?” Stack said as he took a bite of his sandwich. Smiles just chuckled and put the binoculars down. “Do you have any idea how long it’s been since anyone said ‘you’ll never take me alive copper’?”

 

            The sun was sinking into the bay and lit the Lycanthropic Clinic and Research Institute in pink and orange.  Smiles took a long drag off his cigarette. He sipped his now cold Java Jalopy Mocha Half Caf. He looked over at Stack, who stared relentlessly at the building further up the hill.

 

            Earlier that day, Sottie had contacted Smiles with an ID on what was in Needless’ water.

 

            “It’s Neptic Phenamine. It’s a synthetic downer,” Sottie had said in his nasally dorkish way. “Marine biologists use it for bagging whales and giant sea serpents. The filtering system they used and the dosage was regulated somehow. Too much would have killed him. This just knocked him out for the night.”

           

            After Sottie’s call, Smiles returned to Needless’ apartment and took the faucet attachment water filter. Sioux had done some checking and found that some of Needless’ blood and tissue samples missing from the hospital. Needless had been admitted after getting a good dose of Anticipation in the eyes a few months before. These samples had been logged, and then went missing.

 

            The jigsaw pieces of a conspiracy were beginning to fall into place. The big question still remained. That was when Stack read Smiles’ mind.

 

            “I just don’t get why.” Stack sat back and began piling up toll change. “This is elaborate. You know. Needless has a lot of enemies but…”  A thought crossed his mind. It was a horrible thought. He glanced at Smiles, who was obviously having the same thought. It had been so long. He had been out of play so long, he must have been dead. Right? Stack shook his head. “It wouldn’t make any sense. Not Needless.” Stack reached over and grabbed Smiles’ cigarette. He pulled it to his mouth and took a long drag. His tongue beat itself against the roof of his mouth. “Eck! I’m glad I quit. I forgot how bad they taste.”

 

            Smiles grinned. “The trick is to smoke until you can’t taste them anymore.”

 

            Stack took the binoculars and looked again at the building. Some people were walking from the front door to their cars. “Okay, people are starting to leave.”

 

            “Any sign of Autumn?”

 

            “No. Let’s give it an hour. Night fall should be good.”

 

            Smiles chuckled. “Werewolves never come out at night.”

 

            Stack looked at him and tore open a bag of chips.

 

*

            Dentist. The word echoed in Needless’ head. He was glazed, unshaven, strapped to the bed. The torture was meaningless. They weren’t even asking questions. He kept yelling for help, but nurses wouldn’t come. At least he thought he was yelling for help. He couldn’t think straight. ‘I hate that freaking picture.’  The look on Stack’s face. Oh man. He believes them. They have him convinced. The pain in his forehead, where the electrodes connect, began pulsing again. Dentist. Vester. Dentist. Vester. Vestist. Denster. Welp.

 

            Skiv.

 

            Needless let loose an inhuman bellow like a man suddenly freed from suffocation. He shook violently as another seizure overtook him.

 

*

            As the sun finally disappeared into the sea, a cool breeze swept in off the bay. Night settled in on Big City. Stack and Smiles exited the car. Smiles lit another smoke as Charlie crossed the street to where they were.

 

            “So what’s up?” Charlie said, joining the other two.

 

            Stack shook Charlie’s hand. “Thanks for coming Charlie.”

 

            “Charlie,” Smiles said flicking an ash, “this is where we part company with Stack.”

 

            Stack looked at Smiles. “What?”

 

            “Stack, we’re about to break into that place. You’re going home.”

 

            “Now wait a minute…”

 

            “Don’t argue. You’re a cop. If something happens, and we get caught, I don’t want you anywhere near this place. You would be absolutely no good to Needless if they took your badge and you got locked up.” Smiles took another drag off his cigarette. “Charlie and I will handle this now.”

 

            Stack stammered in frustration. “That’s my partner in there.”

 

            “And this is your old partner telling you to go home! There is nothing for you to do here. Go!”

 

            They stared at each other for a moment. Stack ran his hand across his forehead in frustration. Finally he nodded. He turned, and silently began to walk back down the hill.

 

            Smiles and Charlie watched him walk away.

 

            “You think we’ll get caught?” Charlie said, looking at Smiles.

 

            Smiles turned and looked back at the clinic. “Let’s hope, for Needless’ sake, we don’t.”

 

*

            “Wake up, Sgt. D’Yen.” Autumn said leaning over him. The last seizure had taken it out of him. His eyes fluttered open. She smiled balefully.  Needless jerked with inhuman growls trying to break free and snap her neck.

 

            Needless forced words from his mouth. “I’m gonna kill you!” His voice gurgled between clenched teeth. She slapped him.

 

            “Sergeant, I have been threatened by more intimidating men than you.” She stood up. “I want to hear you beg. I want to hear you cry out like the simpering half-breed you are.” Before Needless’ eyes her features melted and became his own. “Please don’t kill me, Dr. Autumn.” She mocked him, with his own face.

 

            Needless’ mouth opened in a silent shriek. As he watched, his face distort into Stack’s.

 

            “Sorry, man. You really disappointed me.” The face of his friend said. Stack’s hair lengthened and fell around the face of Dr. Autumn.  “But you haven’t seen the best part, John.”

 

            Again she melted into Needless. The pseudo-Needless then fell around the room, gasping for air, clawing at his skin, changing. Morphing into the huge bulk of a werewolf. Needless trembled with rage. Tears ran from his face.

 

            The creature leapt onto his chest, forcing the breath from his body, its snarling face in his. Saliva from the wolf’s mouth dripped and mingled with the sweat and tears that plummeted from Needless’ face. With one slash Needless could feel the sting, the blast of cold and then the warm wet as his blood ran from the wound to his ribs.

 

            The wolf reared back and glared down at the shaking elf. Everything had left Needless. His eyes wide with shock, Needless’ breath started to come in fits. The wolf leapt into the air and became Autumn again as she landed on the floor.

 

            “The boss thought you might be a tough nut to crack.” She chuckled. “I told him that underneath, all men are soft. They quiver like a bog sludge inside.” She leaned in to his ear. “Now the good news, Sergeant D’yen.” She licked his ear like a seductress. “I’m not going to kill you. “

 

            But Needless was gone. Shock and terror had overtaken him, and he had shut down.

 

*

            Moonlight filtered through the blinds onto the beige carpeting. Smiles and Charlie crept into the darkened reception area. There was no sign of movement. Smiles motioned to the main corridor, past the reception desk. Quietly, they moved through pale shafts of light to shadow. Smiles quietly undid his holster and extracted his gun. Charlie pulled his from the back of his pants, under his jacket. They edged their way around the corner into the hallway where the carpeting ended.

 

            Smiles stopped at the door to the stairwell. He mouth the words “second floor” and motioned toward the ceiling. Charlie nodded. Smiles held his breath as he turned the latch. Guns at the ready, the two slid into the stair well.

 

            Suddenly, Smiles felt himself pitched to the ground, facing the business end of a revolver. Charlie pushed himself against the wall and aimed at the assailant. Smiles struggled to raise his gun as Breen’s face came out of the shadows.

 

            “Dennis?” Smiles whispered.

 

            “You idiots!” Breen hissed.

 

            “Dennis, don’t tell me you’re in on this.”

 

            “No, Smiles, I’m here to stop you from doing something horribly wrong. I know all about the spiked water and the stolen DNA. The medical examiner came to me. I can’t let you do this.” Breen said, uncocking his gun. Smiles took a shallow breath.

 

“Without me,” Breen finished.

 

            Moments later the three emerged on the second floor, rolling out against the wall, covering every possible direction.

 

            From the far end of the hall, shots rang out. One of the bullets winged Charlie’s head and he spun to the floor, unconscious . As Breen and Smiles dove to the floor, Smiles grabbed Charlie and moved him back into the stairwell.

 

            Smiles and Breen returned fire. Shots volleyed up and down the hall. The two slowly progressed up the hall. Smiles ducked into an open office and changed clips. Through the door he could see Breen pinned down in a corner outside. He looked around the room.

 

            He grabbed the rolling desk chair he was leaning against. He pulled a pocket knife from his coat and slashed the back of the chair. He reached inside and yanked the fibrous stuffing until it was hanging out of the slash. He pulled out his cigarette lighter and lit the stuffing like a fuse.

 

            The stuffing ignited and the chair caught fire. Quickly he rolled out the door and flung it down the hall toward the shooter, running behind it, his gun blazing. Breen soon joined him. The flaming chair neared the end of the hall, caught on a cracked tile and over turned. Smiles leapt over the burning chair and fired again, in the direction of the shooter. He watched as the shooter caught the last bullet and fell against the wall.

 

            The two moved toward the man, their guns trained. As Smiles neared him, the man, dressed in green scrubs, swept his Smiles’ legs. The shooter leapt on Smiles and drove his gun in his face as two more shots rang out. The attacker fell away.

 

            Breen reached down and pulled Smiles to his feet. They looked down at the man, whose name badge read Dag. His dead eyes shimmered in the light of the fire which had now ignited a nearby door.

 

            “Needless!” Smiles yelled, as smoke began to fill the hall.

 

*

            Stack had stopped walking. He sat down hard on a stoop. He knew Smiles was right, but he hated feeling powerless. He ran his fingers through his hair. He hung his head and took a deep breath. He looked up at the sky. He felt beaten up, like someone was punching him in the chest. Someone had to pay.

 

            His thoughts were shattered when a fire engine and ambulance roared around the corner, speeding up the hill. Another pumper soon followed. As a squad car rounded the corner Stack raised his badge and flagged it down. The cop in the driver seat rolled down the window.

 

            “What’s going on?”

 

            “The fire alarms are going off in the clinic, Sarge.”

 

            Stack flung the door open and threw himself into the car. “Go.”

 

            The officer slammed his foot to the floor.  The black and white squealed to life and began to climb the hill.

 

*

            The flames began to roll across the painted walls like a liquid as the sprinklers sprang to life, drenching everything. The fire continued to ride the paint and finished wood trim of the hall. Smiles looked down the small corridor near Dag’s body. He looked back at Breen. “Get back to Charlie, see if he’s all right.”  They both watched as part of the lowered ceiling collapsed, spreading fire over the more of the hall.

 

            Smiles stood in the hall as it was beginning to fill with smoke. He took a deep breath and coughed from the smoke. “Needless!” He bellowed again.

 

            “Here!” came a voice from a nearby door.

 

Smiles leapt to the door and threw his shoulder into it. The door swung open.

 

Needless was strapped to the bed, being drenched by the sprinklers. He struggled in vain against the straps. His chest was bloody, his face bruised and sickly looking. Burn marks appeared on each temple.

 

“Get me out of here,” he pleaded weakly.

 

Smiles cut the straps and freed Needless. The wounded cop struggled to stand, and finally caught his feet.

 

“Are you okay to walk?” Smiles asked. Needless looked up at Breen and gave a weak smile. Breen helped support Needless as they left the room.

 

*

            Charlie was only vaguely aware of being hauled down the stairs. He smelled smoke. The man dragged him out into the grass in front of the building.

 

            The Watcher with green eyes knelt on one knee checked Charlie’s wound. Charlie coughed and his eyes fluttered open. He looked up into the blurry face looking down at him.

 

            “Smiles?  Who…”

 

            The Watcher patted Charlie on the chest and looked up as the fire engines roared into the parking lot. “You’ll be all right here.” He said.  Charlie blacked out as the old man extracted a device from his pocket and vanished.

 

*

            Breen, Smiles and Needless stepped out into the hallway.  Fire was visible as it began to creep in. Smoke was thick in the air. Needless motioned to a fire exit a few doors down the hall. A few moments later the three stepped out of the smoky hallway onto an iron stairwell on the outside edge of the building. As they reached the ground, fire burst from an upper window, raining glass down on them.

 

            Breen and Smiles lifted Needless and ran around to the front of the building where fire fighters and EMTs had gathered. An EMT was treating Charlie, who was now sitting in the grass. The three stopped. Breen motioned for an EMT.

 

            A moment later Stack jumped from the black and white and ran to Needless and Smiles.

 

            “Is he okay?” Stack asked Smiles.

 

            Needless nodded. He looked at Smiles. “Thanks man.” He smiled and put his hand on Smiles arm. “You’re a good friend.”

 

            Now, Smiles Johnson has been pissing people off for a long time. First as a cop, then as a P.I. It’s part of the game. It comes with the territory. People have said everything imaginable to him. Flung every possible insult like rocks and usually he can let it roll off. There are only a few things that send him into a rage. Blatant injustice, brutality, and being taken for a fool.

 

            Smiles drove his fist into Needless’ face.

 

            Needless stumbled back, dazed, as Stack and Breen grabbed at Smiles arms. Smiles used them as leverage to kick the wounded cop in the chest. He pried himself free and punched Needless again. He finally grabbed Needless by the shirt.

 

            “Where is he?!”

 

            Everybody watched in amazement as Needless’ face twisted into the face of Dr. Autumn.

 

            “Hopefully burning to death.” She said with a wicked smirk.

 

            Smiles Johnson hit her again. He turned and pointed toward the fire escape. “Go!”

 

Stack broke into a run toward the stairs. Flames lapped out of windows above him as he climbed the stairs. He threw open the door and stepped into the smoky hallway. He hunched over and tried to get his bearings. Inside room. No windows. He ran forward into the flame covered walls. ‘Straight ahead,’ he thought. He ran for the door ahead at the hallway junction. He leaped over the burning body of Dag and barreled into the door.

 

The door gave and he tumbled into the room. In the smoky emergency light of the room he could see Needless on the bed. Quickly he unstrapped him. Needless’ breaths were shallow, but he was alive.

 

Stack shook Needless. “John. I need your help, man. Wake up.”

 

            Outside in the hallway the roof creaked and began to give way. Stack’s head snapped in the direction of the loud crack of timber. He lifted Needless from the bed and staggered into the blazing hallway. He dropped to one knee as the smoke began to overtake him.

 

*

            Autumn backed up as Breen and some officers aimed their guns. The night air was a symphony of fire, sirens and cops, shouting “don’t move.” Smiles stood back as the officers moved in on Autumn. She looked at him and winked.

 

            “No!” He shouted, as she changed into a wolf before them all.

 

            She leaped over the cops in a whirlwind of claws, slashing the throat of one officer and kicking another back fifteen feet. She was gone before the bleeding officer hit the ground, with cops firing after her.

 

            Smiles dropped to his knees in disbelief as firefighters came around the building with Stack carrying Needless. Stack dropped to his knees and collapsed with Needless on the ground.

 

*

            “Last night, in an amazing turn of events, Detective Sergeant John D’yen was exonerated of werewolf related murder charges. According to lead detective Toby Vleash, and Commissioner Janet Bledsoe, Sgt. D’yen had been the victim of a conspiracy. The conspirators have now been identified as Dag Hilder and Dr. Aubrey Autumn, of the Lycanthropic Research Facility and Clinic. During a fire and shoot out at the clinic with police Hilder was killed. Dr. Autumn remains at large. Sgt. D’yen is hospitalized tonight but his condition has been upgraded from critical to serious. Later, are the herbal cigarettes being sold by The Flower Bar really as safe as the manufacturers claim? Robin Nessle will have that story.”  The new reader continued babbling but Smiles wasn’t listening anymore.

 

            “That’s it?” Tucker asked. “After all that, they can’t even do a feature?”

 

            Smiles chuckled and stubbed out his smoke. “I’m sure it’ll be a movie of the week.” He pitched back the last of his beer and looked up at the TV. He knew Autumn was still out there, but life moves on. He’d find her eventually. He had plenty of time, and patience was one of Smiles’ strong suits. He lit another smoke and ordered another beer.

           

*

            Stack sat at his desk looking at the files. It had been a week since the fire. Needless finally came around. The woman, Autumn, was a Sklaar, a shapeshifter. They had been pumping him full of drugs and faked the tape.  They had tortured him for no reason. The only thing even resembling a lead was her comment about having been a dentist, and her mention of “the boss.”

 

Absentmindedly, he opened the Skiv case and thumbed through the pages. His free hand slowly began to pile some sticky notes and paperclips. He opened the werewolf case. He stared hard at the two cases. ‘Target’ was the word that played over and over in his brain. They had been targeted. What was Autumn’s game? Who was she working for? And the worst part is that as pieces fell together, there had to be someone on the force who was on the take.  Someone knew Eckers was their suspect; someone stole Needless’ tissue samples.  But who?       

 

            His concentration was broken by the sound of his phone. His hand shot out and pulled the receiver to his head.

 

            “Forray.” He said.

 

            “Hello Stack.” Came the voice.

 

            “Yeah?” Stack said looking at the caller ID. The screen registered ‘no data’.

 

            “It’s been a long time. How are you?”

 

            “Who is this?”

 

            “You were very brave, running into the fire like that to save your half-breed friend. How is he, by the way? The half breed? My colleague Autumn can get a little carried away.”

 

            Stack’s stomach knew before his brain knew. The voice twisted his guts and made his palms sweat.

 

            He stood as the police station began to swirl slowly around him. “Manzetti?”

 

            “If you haven’t already figured it out, I’m back in town.”

 

            Stack’s fist clenched.

 

            “Ah. I can see from your reaction, you hadn’t figured it out. I guess I had more faith in you than you deserved. I thought you might have caught on after the Skiv thing. I was sure that framing your buddy Needless and messing him up real good would have clued you in. Hmm. I think you’re getting soft.  Anyhoo, as you may now be able to tell from my most recent endeavors, I haven’t forgotten what you did to me. What you did to my family. What you took from me. These last two tricks were just demonstrations to show you that I can fuck with you anytime, anywhere.”

 

            Stack’s jaw locked. He could feel his arms begin to shake.

 

            “I’m taking back the town, Stack. And I’m taking everything away from you. Everything you treasure. Everything you love. Whatever you find precious, will be ashes. The game has changed in ways you don’t understand. I was in the wilderness long enough to figure out how to do this right.”

 

            Stack thought of Wyshok, the witch; Laura and Needless. He looked down at the picture of Gina, which had only returned to his desk a few months before. He exploded. “Manzetti!! You bastard!” The station froze and stared at Stack, who began to double over and bellow in rage. “You’re a dead man! Do you hear me, you slimy son of a bitch?! A fucking dead man!”

 

            “Goodbye, Stack. We’ll be talking again real soon” The line went dead.

 

            Stack lashed out. He swept the contents of his desktop onto the floor with a roar. Gina’s picture flew across the office and shattered against a filing cabinet.

 

            No one moved as Stack Fury stood in the center of the room gulping air. He collapsed into his chair and pitched the receiver of the phone onto the desk. He would have to replace it. His fist had snapped it in half. He looked up at Breen, who stood in the doorway of his office, his mouth open in disbelief.

 

            Stack couldn’t take much more. His rage finally gave way to tears, and he put his face in his hands.

 

THE END

GO TO EPISODE 6 :"ARROW"

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