Hairwolf
Chapter Forty Five

Back at Jesup’s compound the two troopers enter cautiously. They can hear moaning from all

around. They find one man stuck high up in the crotch of a tree, another tied to a shed and the rest tied to a large branch. Trooper Yates pulls out his radio with - “We found the compound. We’re gonna need some time down here.”

Up on the road, the remaining trooper stands at the trail head responding to Yates, “Rodger that. I’ll relay to dispatch.” The trooper retrieves his cell phone and speed dials a number. In the bushes to his right, lurks the Creature-Ralf, watching the Creature-Stef. She’s laying across a branch looking down at Ominous, hidden in the bushes and unaware she’s above him. But with all the roadside activity the Creature Ralf can’t cross. It appears to be stalemate for all the creatures. Each are focused on what they’re looking at and or waiting for.

Inside the prisoner transport, Jesup uses his heel to untie his boot. He kicks the boot off and a small knife drops out. He slides off of the bench and sits on the knife with his hands bound behind him. Within seconds, his hands are free of the simple zip-tie used as handcuffs. He cuts the other two free.

The trooper disconnects from his call with dispatch and continues waiting.

From inside the transport, Jesup calls out to him. “Hey, Trooper. Got some one bleeding in here. Want to call an ambulance?”

Poacher two, confused, and looking at poacher number three, asks, “Who’s bleeding?”

Jesup slices him with the small knife, “You are.”

The trooper approaches the rear of the transport. “Got one on the way.”

“Got a rag or something?” Jesup asks. “I’m sitting in blood.”

The Creature-Ralf watches as Ominous spies Creature-Stef in the tree. She’s ready to jump on him. But instead of facing off with her, Ominous flees the area. She leaps from the tree and sets out after him.

The Trooper unlocks the door and it bursts open, knocking him to the ground. Within seconds, Jesup has the trooper’s weapon and is pointing it at him.

“Get his radio,” Jesup says. “And cell phone. Take his watch and money if he has any. He ain’t gonna need it.” Poacher 2 is fine with this and starts rifling the trooper’s pockets. Poacher 3

steps up to Jesup, putting himself between Jesup and the trooper, “What are you doin? I

ain’t havin none of this.”

Neither is Jesup. He’s not going to give up his freedom for one Maine State trooper or the opinions of another poacher. He pushes through the man but the man pushes back. There’s a struggle for Jesup’s gun. Poacher two pulls poacher three to the ground, siding with Jesup. Jesup now has both poacher three and the trooper at gunpoint. He steps back against the transport, steadying himself. He’s still a little dizzy from the pistol-whipping Foster gave him.

Then, from atop the transport, the crinkling of metal bearing the weight of something very heavy, captures Jesup’s attention. It’s the Creature-Ralf, striking out at Jesup and hooking him with his claws. He body slams him to the pavement. The other poacher runs for his life. The Creature-Ralf leaps from the truck and lands on the man. He then tosses him like a leaf bag back into the transport.

The trooper and poacher three lay very still, unaware of what this thing is or what it wants. The Creature-Ralf picks up Jesup’s limp body and throws him back into the transport as well. He then turns to poacher three and growls. It’s clear he’s next. He takes him with one hand and lifts him off of the ground, but the trooper, however frightened, tries to wave him off, gesturing, “No.”

The Creature-Ralf stares at the trooper and slowly lowers the man back down. The trooper nods

his head, surprised the creature is able to understand him. The Creature-Ralf looks into the woods at the direction the others went. And with one leap, is out of sight.

The trooper closes the transport door, locking it. He checks for his gun. Where is it? He notices

poacher three reaching for it on the ground.

“Please tell me you know what the hell that was,” says the poacher, handing the trooper back his side-arm.

“Thank you. A new species. Bigfoot, maybe. I don’t know. It’s a first for me.”

“That man there, Jesup, he’s out of control. You best not let him out. Ever.”

Deep in the forest, the Creature-Stef, fatigued and filthy, reaches a brook at the edge of a vast Pine Barren. She drops down and splashes water over herself, rinsing the dirt, blood and mud from her face and hair. She notices the stains on her dress and then notices the dress. She’s a little confused over it. She pulls on the material, inspecting it. It’s different from what she used to wear and she knows it. She just doesn’t know why. She leans over the brook and scoops handfuls of water and drinks. Retreating from the water she notices Ominous, leaping over the brook fifty yards away. He hasn’t noticed her. She’s tired and hurting but it doesn’t matter. She wants him. She follows him into the pines.

Up ahead, she sees him heading somewhere. He has a destination in mind but she doesn’t know what it is. She relaxes her posture, standing tall in the grass. Then, stepping out from another tree, and looking back, she sees him but he doesn’t see her. He’s looking for her but not really. It’s as if he’s deliberately making himself visible to her. As if he wants her to follow him. Is he baiting her or is he confident she’s no longer after him? She drops down in the tall grass, out of view, suspicious and cautious. But this only lasts a second before she rises out of frustration, ready to deal with him.

She doesn’t have to wait long. He’s running right at her. He dives on her and grabs her by her legs and starts dragging her off. She stabs her claws deep into the earth, struggling to get free and does. She leaps at him and it’s on. The two claw, punch, throw and slam each other until the Creature-Stef is exhausted and can barely move. He grabs her by the ankles and runs off, dragging her behind.

Foster and Lillian pull the Tahoe into the parking lot where they agreed to meet. It’s empty. Foster retrieves a map from his daypack. He turns on the over-head lamp and lays the map on the steering wheel and studies it.

“What are you, lost?” Lillian asks.

“Give me a minute.”

“What if she needs us? We should at least be outside so we could hear her.”

She has a point. He cracks all the windows just enough to let the sound in but not the rain. He kills the engine and listens. It’s not easy listening over the rain but it’ll have to do. At least for him.

“What?” he asks, noticing her looking at him. “Not good enough? At least the thunder stopped.”

“I feel like we’re on display sitting in here.”

“What happened to she’s better equipped for this than we are? Give me a second to see where they

may be.”

“Couldn’t they be anywhere? I mean, there’s a lot of woods out there.”

“Yes. But there are certain areas that may be of interest to a hungry predator.”

“I want to get out there. I don’t like this sitting around shit.”

“What is it with you New Yorkers? You’re so eager to live dangerously.”

“We’re bored!” Lillian says. “You have a rain coat in that daypack?”

“No. In my truck.”

“How bout a poncho? You got a poncho?”

“All my gear is in my vehicle. This is not my vehicle.”

“Well, you managed to bring your daypack.”

“And that makes two things I have.”

“What’s the other?”

“A pain in the ass.”

She’s looking at him rather strangely and he can feel it. He looks back at her and she smiles.

“So you do have a sense of humor,” she says.

A set of headlights sweep the parking lot and Lillian comes undone.

“It’s him. It’s him. It’s Ominous.”

“Lilian, it can’t be Ominous. The moon’s been up for a couple hours now. It’s Brizz.”

Lillian exits to greet him.

“I found an EMS team to take him in. at a donut shop,” Brizzbee says. “Donut?” He hands her a bag with coffee, juice and donuts. He pulls a raincoat out of the truck and covers her with it.

“You stopped for donuts?”

“Had to stop for something.”

“Got you a coffee too,” Brizzbee says.

“Thank you. What about David?”

“He drinks juice. He’s not one of us.”

Foster approaches, “Got anything for me?”

“Corn muffin and a juice.”

Foster bites into the muffin with a juice chaser.

“Um, guys,” Lillian says. “We have company.”

She directs their attention across the lot. Standing there, watching them, lit up by Brizzbee’s headlights, stands the Creature-Ralf.

“Ralf? Is that you?” Foster asks.

The Creature-Ralf sniffs for a scent and finds one. He follows it to the edge of the parking lot, facing a dark and wet forest. He turns back on them and then leaps into the woods.

“Get the gear,” Foster says.

Sᴇarch the FindNovel.net website on Gøøglᴇ to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.