Alien Wolves part 2 by Tom Kropp

Alien Wolves part 2 by Tom Kropp

Tod and Shannon’s reunion romance was fated for a fast, darkly tragic end.

27 days after becoming werewolves, one of Shannon’s neighbors called her with an urgent request that she help his possibly dying dog. He even rushed the dog over in his van. The old farmer named Jake had a tall, new farmhand in the passenger seat. Shannon and Tod came to the van as Jake greeted them looking quite distraught. The hired hand slid open the van door. But there wasn’t any injured dog there.

Four male vampires were waiting in the van and two fired electromagnetic stun guns. Tod and Shannon had no chance caught so close by such surprise. The stun guns blazed a batch of bolts that jolted Tod and Shannon. Oddly Shannon was the target more tagged as she was repeatedly zapped and whacked back by the attack. Two towering vamps pounced on her with cuffs to restrain her.

Tod was bowled over by two bolts. He fell on Shannon’s woodpile. The projectiles had percussed against his pectorals and would have stunned him senseless normally. But the werewolf DNA had made him much stronger and faster even in his daylight human form.

His out flung hand landed on and grabbed a narrow log. Operating on instinct, he swung and flung the log. The vampire holding the stun gun was too close to counter or block. The log fustigated the vamp’s forehead with a loud clunk and bumped him backwards off the van to the ground, dazed.

Another close vamp lunged to snatch and dash Tod. Tod’s shuffle thrust side kick pumped into the stomach, stalling the rush. Tod pitched a fist that hit and split the lip and flipped out two teeth from the vamp. The vamp tripped over his fallen friend.

Tod was blindsided by a blow that made him roll on gravel as the third vamp’s knuckles knocked his noggin. That vamp viciously veered a stomp that dropped on Tod’s beefy bicep instead of his head. Tod instinctively snagged and dragged the vamp down with a grappling ankle lock. Tod snatched a big rock and cold cocked the vamp’s head in a burst of blood.

The bloody mouthed vamp was sitting up and pulling its pistol from a lower back holster. Tod fast cast the stone from six feet away. The rock laced the vamp’s face like a medieval mace. He flopped back as Tod grasped the gun. One of the two vamps cuffing Shannon drove a needle in her neck. The other’s pistol fluoresced a plasma bolt that drove through Tod’s left shoulder.

Tod’s firearm winged a welter of lead that sped to imbed in the abdomen of the armed vamp. Tod’s next bullets slugged the other thug’s back to smack him flat. Tod rushed to Shannon.

Unfortunately, during the amazingly fast attack, Jake had gone unnoticed behind tree. He produced a sawed-off double barrel shotgun from under his long coat. He fired both barrels at Tod’s unsuspecting back. The beehive of buckshot blitzed the back of Tod’s head, largely decapitating him. Tod fell and swiftly spontaneously combusted. 

Tod was dead and disappeared into ashes.

Shannon couldn’t even scream. She felt trapped in a nightmare where she could watch, but not move or speak. She’d been battered by a blur of stun bolts and injected with some tranquilizer. Her wrists were cuffed behind her back. Her face was turned Tod’s way to see his final fight. Her heart felt stabbed. Her stomach churned with nausea. Confused horror filled her as she saw all the injured vampires rise. Even the two by her that sported multiple bullet holes to body and back were up, dragging her to the van. The other trio gushing gore from faces and heads hobbled up. Calmly Jake got behind the wheel.

Two vamps made a quick sweep of Shannon’s house to check for witnesses. They returned to the van and Jake drove to his nearby farm.

“Why?” Shannon managed to slur.

Jake glanced back at her to answer. “You’re going to become one of us Shannon. You’re lucky. You’re the other major landholder around here and we need lots of room and privacy for our plans. The first week or so will be rough because we got to keep you strapped down and keep feeding you our blood. But then you’ll change into one of us. You’ll become so strong and fast, and you’ll live for hundreds of years, unless someone blows your brains out or cuts off your head. You’re gonna be young and pretty for centuries.”

“Gonna kill you all.” Shannon slurred her words.
Her captors just laughed.

At Jakes farm, Shannon was carried to the big basement where fifteen other women already were. Shannon was restrained like them and tossed on a mattress with her mouth taped. Her ankles and wrists were in chains. The tranquilizer had her still dopey. To her terror one of the vamps bit her neck to suck some of her blood. It felt like a wasp sting. The blood loss further dazed her. Then the vamp cut his own wrist. He untaped her mouth and forced it open so he could let his blood trickle in her mouth. Gross as it was, she was powerless to resist. She gagged but couldn’t puke or spit with him holding her jaw open.

She glared with hate at the handsome, dark haired, brown eyed, slightly pointy eared vampire. She wondered if they were all brothers because of their similar looks. Jake had fangs like them, but still looked like the same middle aged, gray haired and bearded, stout farmer.

As her surreal, drugged nightmare continued, Jake and the others gathered around her. She felt so helpless. The stun bolts had worn off, but the drug was working.

Shannon couldn’t see the Levian that entered her head. She felt a slight pressure in her head. A throbbing. Then the sensation ceased as the Levian floated back out of her head.

Jake and the other vampires began babbling in disbelief. They didn’t understand why the Levian couldn’t latch into her brain and take control. Something was repelling the Levian.

The werewolf in Shannon wouldn’t let the Levian in. Just like the Sleeper DNA in Scot repelled the Levians. Unfortunately, Shannon couldn’t make sense of what was going on. Eventually they left her alone with the other girls.

Shannon was plagued with panic at being captured and fighting shock and heartbreak over Tod’s death. Although she’d studied Tai Kwon do several years as a teen, she hadn’t been in many actual fights. She wasn’t a violent person. She didn’t know how to handle her captors. The werewolf DNA quickly burned away the potent drug befuddling her brain.

She was only in the basement about two hours when she felt the werewolf change begin as night closed in. Shannon went into her painful convulsions and briefly blacked out as her figure grew and transformed. The metal cuffs and chains snapped during her violent thrashing and growth.

The lone vampire left in the basement watching over the captives started shouting for his brethren as he witnessed her transformation. As Shannon rose in werewolf form in the eerie gloom of the room, the vamp lifted his machine gun. The rifle rocked rattling out rounds in roars. The chatter and spatter of bullets broadsided Shannon, painfully peppering her side. The bunch of bludgeoning bullets only partially pierced her tough flesh. In a furry fury she catapulted across the room. The swarm of shots swatting her grazed her hard head before her widespread jaws and teeth snapped and clamped around his neck. She savagely shook her head, decapitating him while her claws gutted him open.

She dropped the mangled male and hurtled upstairs towards the oncoming vamps. She met the first vamp on the stairs. He only had a fleeting glimpse of her and managed a couple quick plasma pistol shots that stung her chest and neck. Her fangs fastened on his head and crunched through his skull splitting it wide open, splattering brains everywhere.

She burst into the huge kitchen catching two combatants in mid charge. All three collided in a pell-mell whirlwind of battling bodies, lashing limbs, fierce fangs, cleaving claws and gushing guns. Shannon withstood her wounds. A sweep of Shannon’s claws nailed a noggin, shattering and splattering brains everywhere. Her teeth clove through the throat of the other vamp. She nipped, ripped and split its head off.

Jake was shockingly quick darting out the door. Shannon knocked the door off the hinges appearing outside. Jake screamed and hastily fired both barrels of buckshot over his shoulder as he ran. The nest of pellets partially pegged Shannon but missed her head as she dodged sideways fluidly and fast. She rolled but got right up running.

Jake flung the gun, so it bounced off her back. He kicked, hit and bit her fur as they both rolled in the rumble. Shannon’s claws clove through flesh and bone nearly dismembering Jake before her talons tore his head off to bounce like a macabre ball.

Shannon stood her ground while looking around, knowing she’d missed at least two other vamps. She howled at the moon, still feeling the need to kill her remaining enemies to avenge Tod. She regained a bit of caution and used the cover of cars, farm equipment, and outbuildings as she checked for the missing vampires. The cows went crazy when she passed by. She had no luck finding her foes.

She felt her wounds ache as her excitement eased. She glanced at her sides. There was little blood matted in her brown fur. The bullets, buckshot, and plasma bolts had been cushioned by her Kevlar like layers of flesh, fur and bone. The plasma had pierced deepest. She was swiftly healing from her hurts. She’d managed to avoid any direct brain shots, unlike poor Tod.

Shannon’s remaining human thoughts remembered the girls restrained in the basement. She trotted back inside though the door she’d busted off. She passed the bodies going downstairs. In the basement she noticed a mirror and glimpsed scorched and bloody fur on her neck and head were some shots scythed and nicked her noggin and neck.

The girls went into a panic seeing her, likely fearing she would feed on their flesh and bones. She recognized a girl from West Bend and another from Kewaskum, both cities were only a few miles away. The vamps were abducting attractive women to feed on and make vampires of. Jake owned a few nearby farms and houses on about six hundred acres of country fields and forests. Shannon’s adjoining properties would have created quite an empire for the vampires to hide out while expanding their numbers.

What she didn’t know was that the Levians had a large clutch of eggs there that would soon need hosts. She couldn’t see the astral entities. Nor did she know a Levian had already tried to enter her brain and failed, thanks to her werewolf DNA.

She could see the keys for cuffs and shackles hanging on the wall hook by the door. She stood on her hindquarters like an immense Kodiak brown bear and bumped her head on the ceiling. Her huge clawed paws worked kind of clumsy as hands. She got the keyring off the hook, but could tell it would be pretty impossible to try using the small cuff keys. It would also be real tough to try breaking the girls free of their cuffs without injuring them with her teeth or talons.

She awkwardly tried to offer the keys to one of the girls. But she was screaming too much to understand that Shannon was trying to help her. Shannon went to the next girl. All the women were nude with their wrists in cuffs in front of them and longer chained leg restraints on their ankles. Shannon had to try two more girls before one figured out she should grab the keys Shannon was offering. The pretty brunette was shaking like crazy while trying to fit the small cuff key in the little lock. She gradually got her wrists and ankles unlocked. Then she wanted to run out the door abandoning the others.

Shannon had to block the doorway and show her teeth to stop the girl. Then she nodded her head at the other girls. Even then the idiot girl screamed and didn’t seem to know what to do. Shannon felt frustrated trying to get the obviously selfish minded, stupid girl to free the other females.

Finally, the anxious, slow-witted girl got the right idea and began unlocking the others. Shannon stood blocking the door because she wanted all the women to go at once, not just blindly flee out into the night separating from each other. They were miles from the nearest city. It was mainly woods and fields for miles. There was no telling where the vampires might be.

Finally, all the girls were free. But they were panicked jabbering to each other not sure what to do about the wolf blocking their escape. Shannon trotted upstairs and they followed. She again rose on her hind legs to paw the keys hanging on the pegs by the front door. The girls got that hint and grabbed the keys there. A couple other ladies grabbed the guns they found on the floor.

Once outside, Shannon stood watch while the girls frantically tried keys in the vehicles. Soon they had the van and beat up old truck running. They zoomed off into the night.

Shannon waited in the shadows while watching to see if the vamps returned. Then when she heard and spotted police sirens approaching, she knew the girls had gotten the cops to come. Shannon trotted off into the night towards home. Her heart ached thinking of Tod.

The past month of being werewolves they’d become ardent human lovers by day and werewolf lovers by night. The experience had been absolutely amazing. When darkness fell, they were werewolves until dawn. They exulted in their newfound powers running, playing, hunting, feeding, making love, cuddling, and snoozing. By day they also had a very active, exciting sex life complete with plenty cuddling affection. They fell madly in love all over again.

They discovered even in human form they maintained a measure of new inhuman strength and speed. They played with free weights, finding themselves with many times enhanced strength. They ran and jumped amazed at their new celerity and agility. One of the hardest things to get used to was their new sense of smell. It was mind blowing trying to identify all the scents assaulting them.

They decided against contacting Scot Lancer once they realized that they didn’t become mindless killers in werewolf form.They didn’t want anyone knowing because it could get them locked up like lab rats in some military facility.

Ironically, they had recently watched the news reports involving the discovery of alien, vampire type beings in Chicago. And that there were supposedly more of the vampire aliens out abducting women. The whole thing sounded crazy, but now Shannon knew it was true.

She had detected a very clear unique sent to the vampires. As a human or wolf, she could smell the vampires a long way off.

In her past life she had not been one to seek vengeance or violence. The werewolf change had definitely added a violent side to her. Seeing Tod murdered while he fought to save her had created a desire to find and kill the alien vamp invader.

She considered how she could go about such a mission. 

10

Shannon chose a good vantage point on a hilly edge line of the woods where she wouldn’t be seen. She watched the sheriff’s dept. arrive in numerous vehicles. Not long afterwards the Feds showed up because it was a serial kidnapping crime scene. All the cops reminded her of a kicked anthill. The C.S.I. teams were examining all the bodies she’d left behind. She wondered if the girls she’s recognized had also recognized her when she was down there. Would the girls describe how Shannon became a huge werewolf? If so, would the cops believe it?

Over a month ago four local women were murdered by a black furred wolf bigger than a grizzly bear. Authorities had surveillance recordings of that wolf. Shannon was a brown fur wolf, but she sure didn’t trust authorities to tell the difference between her and the murdering werewolf she’d shot dead a month ago.

She half expected the vampires to make a return, even with all the cops crawling on the scene. The vampires were craze quick beyond human ability and stronger than several powerful men put together. Shannon had felt the jars when the vamps whammed fists and feet into her. Their fangs had stung too. Tod had slung slugs in two vamps torsos without much effect. The vamps could clearly take a beating.

She correctly assumed that the vamps were from another world. More alien monsters. She didn’t like two of them still running free in her neck of the woods. She decided to lope home for now and figure out her next move.

What Shannon didn’t realize was that one of the Levians had watched her transform into a werewolf and go on a killing spree. That Levian had then flown off to try finding the other two vamps, which had Levians attached to their brains. The free flying Levian had a good idea where they were and flew till it found them. Then it informed the other Levians what Shannon had done. The Levians and their vamps hosts decided to retaliate against Shannon before they fled the area.

Shannon spotted the orange glow of the fire in her woods and increased her speed with new panic gibbering hen her brain. As she flew through the forest her fears were provide true. She could see her animal center ablaze with a raging inferno from one end to the other. A huge explosion followed as the fire reacted to the gas. Later she would learn gas had been sloshed all throughout the house and basement with the gas stove left open and on. Arson by her enemies.

What Shannon did see was one of Jake’s old farm trucks cruising down her driveway towards the road. She angled at it angrily. Her supernaturally sharp night sight zoomed in clearly on the passenger that had his side window open. It was one of the vampires that had abducted her.

Shannon’s fury filled her furry form as she nimbly glided between trees and avoided the thicker brush. The truck had almost reached the end of her wood’s driveway when she struck the truck passenger.

The vamp glimpsed Shannon too late. Her paws unsheathed six inch claws as her arm entered the open window. Her talons swept left in a deft cleft in his neck. The vamp was almost fully decapitated by Shannon’s trenching talons threading through his throat. He frenetically flailed to fight for his lost life. His moves flopped him atop the driver, shoving down on the gas and spinning the wheel. The driver fought for control.

The truck’s motor roared and raced it forward as it swerved to bulldoze into a tree. Shannon wasted no time running after the vehicle on the driver’s side. The driver was an especially tall and muscular vamp. He was quite quick in identifying the threat and recovering from the crash. He grabbed a shotgun and flung the door open in a blur. He couldn’t quite bring the barrel around in time as Shannon hurtled at him. He did manage to raise the gun sideways to stop the chomp. She made at him. Shannon’s teeth bit into the stock instead of his head. The seven foot tall vamp’s leg lapidated Shannon’s stomach in a colossal kick that clobbered her back a ways. She ripped the gun from his grip as she slipped backwards. She let the weapon fall from her mouth as she pounced again.

The fast vamp adeptly pulled his pistol and knife. The pistol popped and the shot pocked the side of Shannon’s face before it struck her shoulder. Her teeth snipped the wrist of the gun hand. She savagely shook her head to rip the wrist asunder. The vamp’s knife strike spiked her back. He also punted his foot into her gut. She withstood the wallops as her fangs erased his face into a red ruin. Like a nutcracker her powerful jaws stove in his skull. She quickly gnawed and clawed his brain in twain. Just to be sure, she hewed through his neck using her claws to saw his head off entirely.

Shannon examined the passenger, noticing his head hung by a thread of flesh and spinal column. To be certain, her claws carved through the bit of connecting bone and tissue truncating it. The freed head bounced on the floor and out the door.

Shannon stepped back with a last glance at both beheaded foes. The bullet and blade had dug in her but not deep. The gut punt had actually hurt worse. She ran up the driveway to her home. Her heart ached and stomach churned as she looked at her animal center. The gas explosion had sent flaming shrapnel sailing far and wide. Her house was unrecognizable. A wrecked ruin with flames hungrily devouring the shambles.

She could see none of her animals could have survived the blast and fire. She could only stand there watching it burn. Even in wolf form the emotional pain was overwhelming. She stood there in mute misery until the fire dept. showed up. She watched them fight the fire until the cops showed up to examine the vamp bodies. Then she trotted away.

Shannon sought shelter at another house she owned on 100 acres a half mile away. When the sun rose she was unclothed. She grabbed a key she kept hidden to get inside. She had a bunch of stuff stored there and she rummaged through her bins finding some clothes.

The H.P. morning news stations reported on the seven decapitated and mutilated bodies found on Jake’s farm and Shannon’s place, along with the fire. The kidnapped girls were talking to reporters despite authorities not commenting much on the investigation. Unfortunately for Shannon the two girls that recognized her told authorities they saw her there. They didn’t actually see her turn into a wolf, but other girls did.

Shannon had figured that might occur, so she immediately contacted her lawyer to discuss it. She didn’t know how to tell him that she turned into a werewolf. She just explained how she’d been kidnapped and some huge wolf showed up killing her captors. Then she was freed by some girl with keys and she ran home. She didn’t want to answer a lot of questions from authorities since she wanted to avoid admitting her werewolf issue.

She didn’t want to even bring up Tod’s death because she couldn’t explain him spontaneously combusting. But she knew the feds and local cops would need to speak with her about kidnappings, killings and arson. After a lengthy discussion with her lawyer to get her story straight, she felt better.

The conversation was done none too soon because right afterwards the F.B.I. was at her door. They’d easily investigated and discovered all the properties Shannon owned. They’d gone to each place looking for her. She ignored the door at first and called her lawyer back to say they were at her place. Her lawyer told her to tell them she wanted her lawyer there when they spoke.

Shannon let the F.B.I. in and kept her attorney on her holophone during the discussion at her place. Her lawyer’s hologram objected too many questions and comments the two white male agents made.

Shannon summed it up pretty well saying, “Look, you guys are asking me crazy questions about if I became a wolf while I was kidnapped. I don’t know what kind of psych drugs those girls were on. All I know is my neighbor Jake called me claiming his dog looked like it was dying. He rushed over in his van to my animal center. Instead of the injured dog he had a bunch of tall guys with him. They forcefully abducted me with Jake and chained me up in his basement. They also injected me with some tranquilizer that made me loopy.Some huge wolf did show up and go nuts attacking the guys that kidnapped me. Then one of the girls there freed me from my cuffs with keys. At that point I ran towards home. When I reached my place it was blown to pieces on fire. There was a couple guys dead in my driveway and they looked like a couple of my kidnappers.

“I was terrified and in shock so I came here to clean up and call my lawyer about what happened. They you guys showed up. Now if you want to show me some photos of the guys to identify we can do that. But I don’t want to answer a million questions about it or keep answering craze questions about me becoming some kind of werewolf. I’m a victim here, not a damn suspect.”

The male agents clearly didn’t like a woman that wouldn’t be bullied.

“Why are you being so combative with us?” Supervisory Agent Stark asked her. Stark was clearly a typical example of generic engineering. He was very tall and lean muscled with a too handsome face he kept clean shaven and short dark hair. His icy blue eyes glared at her.

“She’s not being combative Agent Stark.” Shannon’s attorney, Joe Riley interrupted. Riley’s life-sized hologram looked very realistic. He was also a product of genetic engineering being tall, well built, and handsome with short blond hair and blue eyes.

“She’s been standoffish from the start.” Stark objected. “She refused to speak to us at our office to give her statement and that’s always a sign someone had something to hide.”

“You’ve been very aggressive in questioning her from the start.” Riley replied. “You’ve treated her like a suspect instead of a victim. We both know you agents like getting someone in your office interrogation room where they’re nervous and intimidated to answer your questions. You don’t need her at your office to give her statement because you’re doing a holorecordings of this interview.”

“Then why wouldn’t she allow us to hook up our lie detector while conducting the interview?” Stark frowned.

“Because she’s a victim, not a suspect.” Riley pointed out.

Stark looked more irked. “You know we viewed a surveillance cam that Jake Hogan had by his front door. That recording shows all of the girls leaving Jakes place, except you. The only other individual to come out of that house was the wolf. Can you explain that?” Stark demanded.

“There must of have been a glitch in the recording.” Riley shrugged.

“There was no glitch in the recording.” Stark assured Riley.

“Whatever, what does it matter?” Riley wondered.

“What matters is we see your client here carried into Mr. Hogan’s place. Hours later we watch all the other victims run out, but not your client. The only other thing to exit the house is that huge wolf. How do you explain that?” Stark pressed.

“My client already answered that she doesn’t know where the wolf came from. Or for certain why the cam missed her. That’s all been asked and answered. So, let’s move on.” Riley signed.

Stark was fuming. “That wolf is suspected of murdering four women in this area recently.”

“Not the same wolf.” Shannon objected. “I saw the recordings of the wolf on the news that killed these women. It was a huge black wolf. The wolf that was at Jake’s was a smaller brown wolf.”

Stark stared hard at her. When the four women were killed the victim’s home security systems had recorded clear views of the huge black wolf. The news stations had played these recordings. And the wolf at Jake’s was a light brown and smaller than the black wolf.

“Once again, Agent Stark, my client told you all she knows. Now how about we conclude this interview? My client has answered all your questions to the best of her ability.” Riley stated.

“The arson at your Center is also being investigated by us since its part of the kidnapping case.” Stark reminded her. “I’m sure you would like to be cleared of the arson so you can collect your insurance check.”

 “The same kidnappers that abducted my client also burned her home down. You found their bodies in her driveway and I’m sure there was evidence they started the fire. Stop intimidating my client.”

Soon afterwards the interview concluded with the upset agents leaving and Riley advising her not to speak with any agents or officers without him there. He also warned her not to speak with the press at all.

Shannon wasn’t much of a drinker, but she was extremely upset. She drove to town and bought some supplies. She had lived at the Center mainly, but since she owned five other properties in the area, she kept a secondary home mainly for storage.

She fielded some calls that day. Her parents lived in Florida, and they inquired about the incident because it made the world mews. Shannon was cautious in her response. She only had a few close friends that also called. The rest of the calls were from reporters and pet owners.

Once back home she had a few stiff drinks and a good cry. She was so heartbroken by Tod’s death. Then her beloved animals along with animals others owned, had been killed in the fire. Most of her worldly personal, sentimental items were wiped out.

She touched her neck where the vampire had bitten her. The bite had completely healed, thanks to the werewolf healing ability. She felt an immense hatred of the strange vampires. They had taken away all she loved.

She felt some guilt for not answering her holophone, when animal owners called to inquire about their pets. She couldn’t handle telling them their pets were dead.

Her doorbell rang that afternoon and when she looked at the security cam, she was shocked.

Scot Lancer stood at her door. She had to sit down to compose herself. She was flabbergasted. Why would Scot Lancer be at her door? He rang the bell again.

“What do you want?” She demanded over the intercom.

“Hi Shannon. My name is Scot Lancer. Do you recognize me?”

“I do. What do you want?”

“I have a soul with me that wants to speak with you. His name is Tod Kroft.” Scot claimed.

Shannon almost fell over with shock. It was insane. But she’d studied Scot in the media and believed him to be genuine. Now he was at her door claiming Tod was with her. She knew she had to speak with him. She buzzed the lock to let him in.

Scot entered looking quite somber. He wore sneakers, jeans, and a T-shirt that revealed his powerful build. She noticed his robotic left hand. She wondered why he didn’t have a new hand flesh cloned. Or why he didn’t have cosmetic surgery to heal the numerous face scars.

“Come in and have a seat.” She gestured to the table.

“Thanks.” Scot sat down. “Look I’m sure you doubt Tod’s here with me. Why don’t I tell you somethings only you and Tod would know?”

“Go ahead.” She agreed.

“Ok,” He nodded. “I’ll start with everything you and Tod did you last night and day together.”

Scot went on to explain the details of things Shannon and Tod had done and said, including the numerous times and ways they’d had sex. Shannon reddened.

“And the first time you two made love.” Scot detailed how Tod had patiently performed on her with hands and mouth before intercourse to make Shannon have multiple orgasms. Although Shannon turned pink blushing, she didn’t stop Scot. Only Tod would know those things.

“How did he and I meet as kids?” She questioned.

Scot relayed how they’d met when Tod moved to the Kewaskum school district. That Shannon had showed up at Tod’s place with a friend wanting to go horseback riding. Scot went on to list things they’d done and said while dating.

“How did we meet up again?” Shannon queried.

Scot shocked her by relaying how Tod had shown up shooting the werewolf. Then, Shannon saving Tod by shooting the werewolf with silver bullets.Scot even talked about how he and her became werewolves and things they’d done.

Shannon had no more doubts about Tod’s soul being in the room.

“I love you so much, Tod,” Shannon was crying. “I miss you so much.”

“He says he loves and misses you too, Shannon.” Scot assured her. “Let me say, I was brought out here when the C.I.A. became aware those dead men that kidnapped you were alien vampires. While I was at Hogan’s farm, Tod’s soul came to speak with me. Tod didn’t enter the tunnel of light because he was worried about you. You won’t have to deal with the F.B.I. further. The C.I.A. has taken over the case and I have a lot of say in how it’s all handled. There’s a lot more of those alien vampires here on Earth now. They’re evil. I’m out to hunt them down. I have some unique abilities. You have some unique abilities. I think we can help each other and save a lot of innocent victims from the alien vampires. Let me explain.”

“Go ahead.” Shannon agreed.

11.

“We’re dealing with a different alien being here on Earth. Tod told me you’ve watched me in interviews so that will help you understand. The Vampires you killed come from another world. A few hundred of them came through a wormhole here and most of them are males. They can turn humans into mutant vampires by feeding them blood over a week or so period. Since they don’t have many of their own females here, they’re kidnapping human women to turn into vampires. As you must already know, the only way to kill the vampires is by cutting off their heads or wrecking their brains.

“Now most of these vampires have Levians attached to their brains controlling them. The Levians are aliens made from the same energy as human souls. No one seems to see them except me. These Levians were violent criminals on their own world. Their own world’s justice system removed the Levians from their matter bodies and cast their energy essence into a black void of space in banishment. When the alien Grays opened a wormhole through the region of space to come here, the Levians came through the wormhole too.

“The Levians can take over a person’s mind. If that person dies it takes the Levians a couple minutes to free itself from the brain. The only way I’ve found to kill the Levians is by sticking a plasma torch in them for at least ten seconds. The Levians can’t take over my brain because of the mutant Sleeper DNA. Tod said he watched one of the Levians try to getting in your brain while you were held captive and the Levian couldn’t do it. So, your werewolf DNA protects your brain from the Levians.

“The Levians feed on violent emotions. They use their human host bodies to rape, torture and kill. They feed on chaos. They managed to take over the minds of some brilliant scientists and techs. The Levians added their own knowledge to the mix, and they’re built a wormhole converter. But they didn’t do it exactly right and haven’t entirely figured it out yet because they can’t control where the wormhole opens to. They brought the dinosaurs and vampires here by mistake. They chose to use the vampires because the vamps are so much stronger, faster and harder to kill than us.

“Originally less than a thousand Levians reached Earth. And they were almost all males. Only a few females arrived. It’s hard for the females to become pregnant and lay eggs. Once the eggs are laid it takes over six months for them to hatch. I found a large clutch of eggs in Jake Hogan’s basement and destroyed them. You really did a great thing killing off the vampires there.

Tod told me you were shot with buckshot, bullets and plasma bolts without effect. He also said the vamps have their own pungent scent different from humans. Tod said he smelled it before he was shot. Did you notice their scent?”

Shannon nodded. “They have their own stink. I could smell them a long way off.”

“That would be a big help.” Scot said. “The vampires and the humans they turn into vampires are hard to identify unless you see their teeth and slightly pointed ears. How far away can you smell them?”

Shannon considered. “Depends on the wind. The ones that torched my home, I could smell about 100 yards away. They were upwind of me.”

“Could you follow their scent if they walked over concrete?”

“Depends on how fresh their scent is.”

Scot looked pleased. “Tod told me that you and he became werewolves by night. But that you still possessed your human mind. Correct?”

“Yes.”

“And when you’re in human form during the day you still possess a large degree of heightened strength, speed and senses.”

“Yes. True.” She agreed.

“Is your sense of smell in human form as strong as in wolf form?”

 “Not as strong as wolf senses.” She admitted.

 “I know you’re having some worry because four women were murdered by the werewolf you killed. You don’t want anyone thinking you were the killer. I also know you’re worried about the government sticking you in some cage to study. I can protect you from allow that. If you’re willing to help me.”

“How can I help you?” Shannon bluntly asked.

“The vampires came through the wormhole out in the country in Illinois by Evanston. They split up to pursue their plans. Sharon and I got some in Chicago. You got some here. I just got word a few victims were found dead in Milwaukee. They were human males sucked dry of blood with vampire marks on their necks. Fang puncture. Would you be willing to come with me and see if you can follow their scent from the victims’ bodies?”

Shannon glanced at the time. “It’ll be dark in a couple hours. I’m going to scare people if they see me on the streets. I’m too huge to be thought of as a dog.”

“I can give you a holocloak. You wear it on your fur, and it’ll project a cloak to make you look like a mastiff dog.”

Shannon considered it. In wolf form her back stood over four foot tall when she was on all fours. Her head rose even higher. Her paws, claws and maw put even an immense Kodiak brown bear to shame.

“I hate the vampires. They’re evil. They killed Tod. I’d like to stop them. But I fear if I come out in the open it will lead to the government controlling or caging me.” Shannon admitted.

“I understand your fears. I can protect you from that if you work with me. Help me find some of these vampire’s nests and you become heroic. We’re also trying to find the wormhole converter. It’s on a truck likely somewhere because they move it after they created a wormhole. We’ve reached a time where at least three alien species visit our world including the Greys, Levians and vampires. Who know where the werewolf came from? Or if more than one arrived. We’re got dinosaurs and giant apes running around. Who knows what else might come through the wormholes the Levians keep opening. I’m an alien mutant myself now. You and I working together makes sense. You have a chance to help stop these evil aliens form kidnapping, raping, and changing innocent women into vampires. A lot of innocent people will die from these evil predators. You’ll be doing something heroic and helpful. You’ll be paid pretty well for it too.”

Shannon mulled over his pitch. “Does the FBI or C.I.A. already know that I’m a werewolf?”

“They can’t prove anything, but Hogan’s security cam shows all the girls run outside, but not you. The wolf comes out and goes back in to help free everyone. The girls said the wolf seemed to have human intelligence and could rise on its hind legs like a bear. Plus, two vamps were killed right on your driveway after torching your house. It’s pretty obvious Shannon.”

Shannon frowned. “What does Tod think I should do?”

Scot was honest. “Tod thinks you should do whatever you want. He didn’t go into the tunnel of light when he died because he was worried about you. He feels better now that he can communicate. But he does want to go into the tunnel of light because he heard his family calling to him form the tunnel. He wants to cross over.”

Shannon fought the urge to cry more. “What would Tod do if he was still here?”

Scot didn’t answer right away. “Tod says you know what he’d do.”

Shannon sighed. “Yeah. Tod would go after them.”

“What will happen to Tod when he goes through the light tunnel?” Shannon wondered.

“Well, the dark demons didn’t come to get him so he’s not going to hell. When a soul enters the tunnel of light there’s a few possibilities. Souls that were on the border of not so good in life, but not evil, usually go to purgatory for a while. It’s a kind of grim waiting room where they’re stuck until God decides to give them a chance to live again through reincarnation and hopefully, they live a life worthy of heaven. Some souls are instantly reincarnated. Some souls in heaven volunteer to reincarnate for the challenges and education. Souls that were largely good people in life that believed in God can go straight to heaven. Often when a soul hears dead loved ones calling to them from the light tunnel it’s to tell them they’re worthy of heaven.

Tod heard his family members calling to him to enter the tunnel.

That’s a good sign for Tod. He had a brutal life. He doesn’t want to remain on Earth as a ghost stuck dwelling on his past mistakes and tortured life. He wants to go to his family on the other side and see what’s there.”

“Can he return to Earth to visit?” Shannon questioned.

“That’s kind of tough. Apparently, God doesn’t like souls in heaven spending time here or watching Earth events a lot because it’s too distracting. I don’t know all the details because I’ve only encountered a few souls that claim to have seen heaven and they didn’t say much about it because they’re not supposed to share heaven’s secrets.” Scot explained.

Shannon had heard a lot of Scot’s claims through watching interviews and his book. But she wanted to hear it again. She selfishly didn’t want Tod to go if she could talk with him through Scot. But that wasn’t fair to him.

“Who am I to try keeping him from heaven?” She sadly sighed.

Silence fell as Shannon tried to get a grip on her emotions.

“When is Tod going?” She asked.

“He has to find a light tunnel. They open often around hospitals. He figures he’ll go to Milwaukee and help us look awhile before he goes.” Scot answered.

“Translate for me with Tod for a few minutes and then I’ll come with you to help. Ok?” She bargained.

“Of course.” Scot agreed.

***

A few hours later, Shannon was on the ghetto north side of Milwaukee. The holocloak device Scot clipped to her fur made a mastiff hologram over her. It created a hologram that also bent any light to make her look smaller.

Scot took her to the bodies in a condemned house. The most recent bloodless body was from the previous night. The vampire stink was still strong, and she followed the scent over sidewalks, streets, alleys and yards. Scot stayed close to her while the CIA team stayed back a way. Sharon flew around passing through buildings to search for foes or victims. Tod made a wider loop in the search grid. Shannon followed the scent almost two miles before losing it when a street scrubber had passed through.

Shannon used her wolf instincts to make sweeps trying to cut across the trail again. She wondered why the vamp would have walked so far on foot from where it fed to get into a vehicle. She was hoping that hadn’t happened. The CIA had tried to bring other dogs in to sniff out the vamp, but the hounds had just whined and resisted in fear not willing to follow it further.

Shannon had some worries over the vampire blood she’d been fed. She wasn’t sure if it would have any effect on her. According to Scot, it took a week or more of feeding for a human to be turned into a vampire. So far, she hadn’t noticed any difference.

Scot walked and ran beside her as if she was his dog so that no pedestrians or motorists called the cops or animal control. They were actually passing through a very bad neighborhood. Hookers, drug dealer, users, and rough customers of all kinds clogged the sidewalks and streets. The huge scary dog made people part from Shannon and Scot’s path.

Shannon finally got a whiff on the wind and followed it. The scent teased her, illusive amongst the many other city aromas. But she was able to follow the specks of scent until it grew stronger and stronger.The confusing thing was she wasn’t just smelling one vampire, she was smelling many. The aroma trail led her to a large factory.

The factory was surrounded by high electrified face and security cams with stun guns. There was a security guard’s booth at the front gate that required ID to enter. The factory’s lights were on. Noises were coming from inside. Machines running and voices loudly speaking.

“The trail goes in there?” Scot asked Shannon.

Shannon barked once for yes, like they’d agreed to.

“I already flew through that place.” Sharon countered. “It’s a factory full of workers.

“Check again.” Scot insisted.

Tod and Sharon flew overhead and read the situation right. He followed Sharon ghosting through the wall into the factory. As expected, the factory was full of workers running machines and assembling parts. It was a metal shop manufacturing all kinds of parts neither Tod nor Sharon could identify. They went down in the basement looking around and found no signs of vampires or victims.

“Maybe the vampire is working the night shift here.” Sharon joked.

“Shannon led us here. Maybe there’s another level to the basement or a branching tunnel. Let’s dig deeper.” Tod decided.

They made more effort flying around passing through walls and discovered there was a huge old snaked and spread out along the basement. In that old World War two bunker they discovered forty-two women in restraints that were being slowly turned into vampires, raped, and fed on. There was also a large clutch of Levian eggs there. They counted four male vampires and seven newly made human vampires, all women.

Tod and Sharon made another sweep of the security set up, seeking routes that would favor a cover approach to reach the victims in the bunker. Finally, they returned to where Scot and Shannon waited in the shadows of another building.

“There’s an old World War two bunker that rests up against the basement.” Sharon reported to Scot. “We counted forty-two women in the bunker on the far West end of the factory. There’s a large clutch of Levian eggs there. There were four full blooded males and seven human female vamps there. They have a considerable arsenal of firearms. Numerous automatic rifles and some plasma guns.

“We didn’t find any adjoining tunnels you could use to get in there. You have to go down the basement stairs and then through the basement over to the West. There’s a full shift of workers in there now on machines and assembly. The vamps must have bought this factory and are using it as their front. The fences are twenty feet high and electrified. They have security cams and AI automated stun guns well spread out. They have an alert manned security room inside watching monitors.

“If you try to go in with all those people working and vamps in the bunker, it’ll be a bloodbath. I’ll help you draw up a map.” Sharon finished reporting.

Scot sighed. “Ok.” Let’s go in that surveillance van and I’ll draw up the Intel for everyone.”

Scot glanced at Shannon and added. “You won’t fit in the van. Can you just stay close to the van?”

Shannon nodded her head in a very eerie human way. She walked with Scot to a large truck type of vehicle that was disguised with a roofing company logo on the side. The back door slid open to allow Scot inside. Marie Tate was in there with two other agents. They had an impressive computers surveillance system inside, along with a lot of weaponry.

“Here’s where we stand.” Scot announced and with Sharon by his side speaking to him he drew a digital map that all the agents could use detailing what the layout and opposition inside looked like. As the meeting continued the second shift worker in the facility ended their shift. About a hundred workers walked from the factory doors and across the lot to funnel through the front gate past the security guards booth.

Shannon lurked in the shadows of the looming work vehicle. She smelled several vamps that passed forty yards away. She felt some anxiety and frustration that she couldn’t verbally convey her discovery to anyone. There were at least three other C.I.A. vehicles on the ground spread out nearby along with hovercars ready for any air support needed. She fought her wolfish desires to run at the bloodsuckers. She had sniffed out the enemy and now it was up to the agents to launch their own assault to save the victims and catch the vampires on scene.

The hybrid human vampires bad a slightly different scent than the pure bloods. The second shifters were entering the large parking lot across from the factory to get in their vehicles. Among them newly made human vampires moved. Wolves amongst sheep. And they were getting away right under the C.I.A.’s noses.

11.

Shannon couldn’t endure the threat of so many foes so close. She felt the growl rumble out of her and she uttered a short howl which was the agreed upon warning between Scot and her. She also scratched the truck’s door. Her noise and movement attracted attention from departing employees and unconnected passing pedestrians.

Scot slid the door open. His Slypher enhanced night vision was almost as sharp as Shannon’s. He looked questioningly at her. She growled and used her front paw to point in two different directions where she smelled vamps.

“Have everyone pull back from the area.” Scot told Tate. “We’ll discuss this at the hotel. I’ll go with Shannon.”

 “Wait, why?” Tate clearly disagreed.

 “There’s vamps out here. We need you to pull back. See you at the hotel.” Scot wasn’t willing to wait and explain further. He stepped out with Shannon and started walking away with her, like a man and his huge hound.

“I’ll go keep an eye on the vamps in the factory.” Tod flew back to the factory while Sharon flew higher above Scot. She would zoom around checking for possibly dangerous people.

“Wish you could talk.” Scot told Shannon.

Shannon nodded her head in agreement.

Less than two hours later Scot’s plan went into action. Sharon and Tod kept an eye on the vampires at the factory. They discovered that there were more human vampires than expected. Some of the human vamps fed on the women in the basement before the women drank their blood. Other vampires left the factory by foot and vehicles.

Tate was technically the one in charge of the operation. She was in favor of waiting to see if all the vampires returned before first shift workers showed up. Then to hit the factory with overwhelming force to kill all the vampires.

Scot argued there were numerous women that weren’t vampires yet in the bunker. If the C.I.A. went in with a military strike some vampires would have the women as hostages. Scot proposed a rescue plan and when he asked Shannon if she was willing to help she nodded agreeing to her role.

The hovercar traffic in Milwaukee was restricted to certain flight zones. To operate a hovercar people had to pass a stringent background test and complete a lengthy flight course with high scores. For the few folks that could afford an expensive school they could then fly along the approved flight zones. They couldn’t just fly wherever they wanted above any city.

There wasn’t a flight zone near the factory, so Scot didn’t want to risk a fly over. That might alert the vamps below.

Instead Scot and the three other agents with considerable combat training put on jet packs. They flew through the night to land near the factory. Scot dropped on the far west corner while the other trio dropped on the north and south ends.

Shannon ran and hurdled the twenty foot fence with a spectacular spring. She zipped across the lot in a furry blur. She went right to the front door used by workers. It was locked. In her mouth she held a flashlight looking plasma torch. She was able to use her paws’ long digits to turn the torch on and the shimmering saber spit sparks cleaving the lock apart. She grabbed the knob and opened the door after dropping the torch. Boldly she burst into the big building.

On all fours she slunk over the floor toward the voices ahead. Some of the machines were still running, offering background noise. Shannon used the big machines and pallets full of parts to approach the voices. When she spotted the vampires she was reminded of some third shift workers gathered around the water cooler on break talking. She counted seven people in sight. Two were full blood male vampires and five were female humane vampires.

Shannon played her part. She stepped out into sight and growled. The vampires were startled. They saw the hologram of a stray, aggressive, mastiff dog. The vamps got over their initial fear quickly. Pistols appeared and Shannon bolted.

Shannon’s flight triggered the vampires’ own hunting instincts. They moved with supernatural celerity seeking to shoot or snatch the mutt in their midst. Shannon’s speed and agility outpaced them. Once outside she lunged left to dart amongst the maze of pallets with parts and parked work trucks.

The vampires emerged and their figures fanned out with some verbal communication. Shannon waited until they were all away from the factory door before she erupted out from behind the dumpster. She rocketed in a rash dash to crash into the full blood male vamp closest to the door.

The vamp had to brace his face from Shannon’s slavering jowls with his weapon arm.Shannon’s fangs scissored into his forearm, shearing through flesh and bisecting bone while she savagely shook her head to shred him. Simultaneously one of her claws cleft the nape of his neck. Her other paw’s claws sawed across his stomach eviscerating him. He went down with her atop his frayed form. The vamp’s head hung by threads on his stretched neck. His arm was amputated by the elbow and intestines out in slimy coils.

Shannon instantly arced at the pretty, blond, willowy female vamp. The vamp’s pistol burped bullets and shots bopped Shannon’s side while one bullet grazed her face tilling a bloody furrow in her fur. Shannon turned the vamp’s face into bloody paste as her talons landed. Shannon’s terrible teeth reached deep into meat cleaving her neck a sunder. Only strips of ragged flesh held there.

Shannon was bumped in the rump and chopped in the chest by bullets. A blaster screamed and the beam reamed her ribs. The trio of C.I.A. shooters made enfilades at the ambushed vampires. From behind available cover the agents rained rounds on the crowd. From further away C.I.A. snipers started tracking and tapping targets.

Only two vamps were crowned with rounds that made batter out of their brains. The surviving trio was rammed by rounds that bunted their bodies. They fell, but faster than human eyes could fully follow they fled.

Two vamps pounced on the pair of nearby agents. The men were mauled in mere moments. One pretty lady vamp’s hands wrenched the neck of an agent before her fangs nipped like needles in his wrecked neck. She swallowed gouts of blood jetting from his jugular briefly before dropping him and running.

The cute brunette lady vamp socked the chops of her foe so hard the jaw jounce broke bones. She made a quick nip and sip of blood from his jugular before she nabbed his neck to snap it. The body blocked a pod of shots seeking to staple her.

The last nice looking Latina lady vamp was stitched from stomach to sternum by a string of laser beams. She rolled down and up with a long leap. She drubbed the mug of the agent so hard her knuckles to his noggin caved in his brain. She spun to run from her fallen foe.

All three lady vamps were blurs as they fled the lead and energy blasts the snipers cast after them. The vamps displayed amazingly agile ability hurdling the fence in separate spots. The Latina vamp’s legs were lapidated by lead that cut her calves in half. She fell unable to stand on her lacerated legs.

The other pair of vamps, despite being lanced by lethal body shots, disappeared in the darkness, darting between buildings and houses to hide. Shannon didn’t chase the vamps because she didn’t want to wade in the welter whirlwind of bullets and bolts winging wild behind the escaping enemies. Instead she used her talons to rake the remaining flesh and bone holding on to the heads of her prone prey. She didn’t want them healing up. She wondered how Scot was doing.

 “Now Scot.” Sharon ordered after she watched the vamps run after Shannon.

Scot used a digital jammer to kill the alarm and went through an office window at the back of the building.

“Two male vamps coming upstairs armed.” Sharon warned him.

Scot ignored the clamor of combat outside and crouched behind a pallet of parts to aim his short machine gun. The two towering vamps blurred upstairs toting assault rifles. Scot was positioned behind them. He aimed and triggered a torrent at his target. His rifle stuttered through the silencer in a series of frenetic thuds. His fusillade of fire fanned the first figure’s back and head. The vamp dropped like a rock.

The second vamp evaded Scot’s broadcast of bullets by darting behind a bunch of boxes stacked high with parts. Sharon flew above the hidden vamp to show Scot where he was hiding. Scot swept a storm of shots that way, busting boxes with bullets hoping to hit the hidden vamp.

“Grenades!” Sharon gestured wildly.

Scot spotted the pair of pitched grenades coming down. He put all his speed and agility in a sudden spring. The grenades blossomed bombarding a big swathe of concussion force. Scot was whacked in the back by shrapnel and walloped by the wave of concussion. He fought for breath, dazed by the blast wave.

The vamp rushed towards where he’d last seen Scot and released rampaging rounds ricocheting around the room. Scot pulled his plasma pistol and fired from the floor at the vamp’s muzzle flare. Scot’s hail of plasma scored two hits with both bolts breaking the rifle and transpiercing the vamp’s torso. Seeming unfazed, the vamp appeared out of the smoke landing on Scot. The vamp was over seven foot tall and all muscle. It pinned Scot’s pistol wrist and grabbed his neck. It tried to bite Scot’s throat.

Scot gouged the guy’s eyes with a thumb. The vamp screamed. They briefly wrestled with holds and blows before Scot locked a guillotine choke on the monster. But it was too strong and slipped Scot’s grip. They both jumped up. The vamp lunged. Scot has lost both pistol and torch in the tussle. He launched a side thrust kick immediately followed by a spinning thrust kick. Both hard kicks pumped the vamp’s stomach. It replied, rushing and punching. Scot’s forearms and biceps caught the pair of punches. He was rocked by the shots. The vamp whipped a snap kick that Scot partially parried while retreating.

Scot flicked a low kick and that larrup to the leg made the vamp stumble forward. As its head came down, Scot’s right cross chopped the chin and poleaxed the giant down. Scot’s quick eye glimpsed a metal part with a sharp end close at hand. He nabbed it and knifed it above the vamp’s nose. The steel skewered the skull of the rising vampire. It dropped to flop with dying convulsions.

“Scot!” Sharon shouted pointing behind him.

A lovely, long and lean, lady vampire was at Scot’s back pointing a pistol. The barrel bloomed a burst of bullets. But her aim was off because Shannon flew on her flank. Shannon’s jaws and claws gnawed her apart, shaking her like a chew toy. Shannon let the mutilated mass of meat fall at her feet.

“Thanks, Shannon.” Scot said. He notice some blood on her fur.“You ok?”

Shannon nodded.

“I didn’t know he had grenades in that coat pockets.” Sharon apologized to scot. “You’re bleeding.”

Scot looked where Sharon was pointing. He was bleeding from some shrapnel in his thigh, butt and back arm. His armored vest had protected him from other pieces that pelted him. He found his fallen torch and pistol.

“Two got away.” Tod announced

“Why didn’t you chase them?” Sharon questioned.

“Because my concern was Shannon.” Tod was irritated.

Scot noticed the Levian trying to free itself from the brain of the vamp he’d killed. He impaled the vamps head like a shish kabob. He kept the torch frying the Levian for less than a minute before the Levian died becoming sparks that disappeared.

He went to the first vamp that he’d shot. The fight with the second vamp had occurred at superhuman speed, starting and ending in seconds. The Levian hadn’t been able to untangle itself from the vamp’s brain yet. Scot speared it with his torch until it died.

“There’s some Levians outside too.” Tod spoke up.

“Thanks.” Scot realized he was now limping. Pain was kicking in. He hobbled out front. Quickly in succession he forked two more Levians, but two got loose and flew away.

“Girls are ok downstairs. There’s a big clutch of Levian eggs to kill there.” Sharon reported.

“Lead on.” Scot told her and followed her to the basement and bunker. On the way he used his commlink to tell Tate the factory was now safe. In the bunker he used his torch to fry dozens of Levian eggs close to hatching.

The C.I.A. moved its agents in. The medics patched Scot’s wounds. Others examined the girls for fangs. Nine of the restrained ladies already had fangs growing. They were almost full vampires. They were kept in restraints and moved separately from the other thirty three girls rescued.

Sharon and Tod flew away to go look for the two vampires that had escaped. One had carjacked a guy and drove off. Police were already alerted and looking for the stolen vehicle.

“Could Shannon sniff out their tail?” Tate asked Scot.

“If she feels up to it.” Scot glanced at Shannon. “Do you feel up to that, Shannon?”

Shannon eyed him silently a few long moments. She’d been shot at close range several times. None of the bullets or beams had dug deep. Her layers of flesh were more resilient than Kevlar. But she did feel discomfort. She decided it wasn’t too bad. She nodded.

“Some vampires got away before we even went in, right Shannon?” He asked her.

Shannon nodded.

“Did a lot of vampires leave during shift change?” Scot added.

Shannon nodded.

“Do you mind if Tate walks with you? My ass hurts.” Scot indicated his wounds.

Shannon glanced at Tate, then nodded at her.

“I’ll bring some guys with us, Shannon.” Tate commented, feeling crazy talking to a huge werewolf creature.

Shannon nodded.

The factory was chaotic with agents at work. They were trying to conduct a quick search and get the girls out. Then they planned to try setting up an ambush to catch any returning vampires, which they would need Shannon to sniff out for them. Meanwhile they wanted to see if she could track down the wounded vampires.

A team went on foot with Shannon. She sniffed out the blood trail of the one that did the carjacking. But she couldn’t track it past the car theft spot. Then she tracked the other one to a dead man that had been drained of blood by the vamp. She’d stolen a hover car from him.

Tod and Sharon kept flying high and low searching for the wounded vampires or the vehicles they’d stolen. They kept stopping back to report to Scot.

“Are you sure you want to leave this world behind?” Sharon asked Tod as they soared over the city.

“Yes.” Tod was firm. “I only stayed to help Shannon. She’s adjusting well. She’s so strong now no one will mess with her. She’s gonna need to grieve and get over me to go on with her life. She won’t be able to move on and love again with me here talking to her through Scot. And I sure don’t want to stay here and watch her with other guys. It’s best if we both move on. I’m not alive anymore. I don’t want to live in a world I can’t touch.”

Sharon nodded sadly with understanding.

* * * * THE END * * * *
Copyright Tom Kropp 2025

Image Source: OpenClipart-Vectors from Pixabay