Edmund sat outside the Towers and saw a few roaming guards that Gabriel had stationed outside. Hmm, Gabriel must be readying himself for something. Edmund pushed his shades back up his nose and leaned his elbow on the open window. He watched and thought what Gabriel’s motive might be. Maybe, it was on the odd chance that Declan would return. Or maybe it was because of an onslaught that was imminent from the council’s elite hunters. That sounded more like it. The council was slowly working their way across the country and wiping out the packs of wolves they knew were dominant. Gabriel had one saving grace, for the time being, the pack they’d wiped out in the forest had weakened their troops. The hunters had retreated back, to wait for reinforcements. If they attempted to attack the Towers now, they’d stand a good chance of losing.

Edmund saw from the outside that the windows had been reinforced. Get any hunters inside, and it’d be a damned, bloody, kill zone. Wolves could lurk in every corner and in every shadow. The hunters wouldn’t stand a chance. That wasn’t his concern. Edmund didn’t care how many hunters died. He and Sanders looked at the bigger picture and only wanted an opportunity to turn the wolves back to human form. They wanted them to have the chance of leading healthy lives, with no fear of looking over their shoulders every minute of every day.

Edmund had to get inside the Towers and grab some of his elixir and the bottles of Noelle’s blood. The front door wasn’t an option; he’d have to scout around the back of the building.

Edmund closed the door of his car and made his way to the alleyway that’d lead to the rear of the apartments. He’d never seen the back, yet there was no way there wasn’t an entrance or some way in.

Edmund stared at the sky and saw that the sun was at its lowest point before setting. The pack would sleep before coming awake for the night. He walked closer to the wall, his elbows brushed the concrete as he made his way to the rear of the apartments.

Edmund saw two guys standing in a gateway. One flicked his cigarette against the far wall of the alley then raised his hands over his head to stretch.

“Time for a nap,” Edmund heard the guy say. “Push the gate closed when you’ve finished your cigarette.”

The second guy nodded and took another puff. The scent of the cigarette must’ve masked his smell because he was within a few feet and crouched behind a large dumpster. He waited for a sign when he could move. A shower of embers flew from the opposite wall of the alleyway as the second wolf flicked his cigarette. Edmund watched the cigarette fall to the ground. The tip glowed a bright orange as the wind caught it, and then it faded into nothing, and a thin plume of smoke rose from the tip.

Edmund peered over the top of the dumpster. His arm covered his mouth and nose as the stench of rotting food filled the air. Jesus that stinks. Edmund wafted his arm as flies hovered and buzzed in front of his face. He stepped away from the dumpster as the gate was swinging to a close. He dashed forward placing his hand on the large, black, steel sheet. The gate stopped from closing as Edmund moved in, obviously sensing his presence. He waited and listened. He couldn’t hear any voices or footsteps, so he made his way into the courtyard.

The courtyard was empty and silent. He stood for a moment to get his bearings. The lower windows were boarded shut from the inside, and the large door looked closed. Crap, this seems a waste of time, I’m not gonna get in.

Edmund walked along the inside of the wall to the far end of the yard, and he saw a padlocked steel cover. Ha, ha. He dashed over to the cover. The lock and chain were rusty, and he could see they hadn’t been open in a long while. Edmund looked around for something he could use to leverage the lock from the chain. There was nothing he could see. Edmund tugged on the rusty chain cursing, while his hands turned orange as the rust rubbed off onto his fingers. Edmund shook his head, and in a fit of rage, he yanked the chain. He dropped it back to the cover and stood to stare. I don’t believe it…

Whoever had put the lock on the chain last hadn’t checked it. Edmund could see the lock had popped open because a non-rusted part of the metal was visible. He crouched and tugged at the lock. It felt solid in his grasp, yet, as he twisted the metal, it opened bit by bit. Edmund slid the chain from the lock and pulled it from the hoop on the cover. He peered to his left to make sure no one had exited from the rear door.

He placed his rust-covered fingers through the hoop of the steel cover and tugged. Edmund heard a slight creak as the cover opened on its rusted hinges. Stale air flooded from below him as he lowered himself onto the steps leading from the cover. He tugged on the edge of the cover and lowered it shut.

Edmund stood and listened. His eyes struggled to focus as he stared into the darkness. His hand fumbled in his pocket, and he pulled out his cell phone. He scrolled to the torch app. Shit, low battery. Edmund held the phone ahead of him and placed his other hand against the wall. He stepped forward. The smell changed from stale air to something like the dumpster. Edmund lowered his phone, the dim light casting an ethereal glow over the bones that sat in piles on the damp floor.

“Crap. It’s a feeding room or something similar,” he mumbled. Edmund expected to reach the end as the door opened, with a couple of hungry wolves there, stood to face him. That would be a fitting end for him, to say the least. He slowed his imagination and tried to remain positive.

The smell fell behind him as the floor cleared of bones. He saw a steel door a few feet ahead. Now, this must work if they’ve been feeding in here. He raised his hand and twisted the handle. The door opened toward him, and he stepped into a white, tiled room. The room was dim, and Edmund could see the many freezers placed around the edges of the walls. He stepped closer and lifted the lid on the nearest freezer. The interior light lit the contents. Large chunks of meat filled the freezer. Edmund opened the second. The same. Shit. Gabriel has stocked up on meat, he’s expecting a war. Edmund closed the doors of the freezers before moving to the doorway.

He put his hand on the handle and pulled the door open. The hallway was silent, and he saw the basement entrance a little way from him, just a touch further from where he stood. Edmund waited then dashed over to the basement door. He stepped inside and leaned against it. He looked at the tarpaulin-covered equipment he’d left behind. Edmund sighed and walked over to the tarp and pulled up the corner. He threw it back, rummaging for the bottles of elixir, and the refrigerator storing Noelle's blood.

The Elixir sat in a carry case, like what a bartender uses to carry six bottles at once. Edmund reached across the bench and pulled it toward him. He saw the part-covered refrigerator and had to drag one bench away from the other. Edmund placed his hands on the bench and inched it apart with all his might. He crouched at the side and opened the door of the refrigerator. His hand fit through the small gap and he took hold of Noelle’s blood. Edmund paused. He heard voices from outside. Shit, I’m a dead man. He pulled his hand from the refrigerator. He pushed the bench with his hip. A small bottle of ether fell and rolled to the floor. The pungent smell quickly filled the basement. Fuck. Edmund pulled the tarpaulin back over the benches, then froze.

The voices were louder, and he saw the handle of the door turning. He looked around the room. The only place was the closet where Noelle’s parents had taped him. No good, they’ll check. He lifted the tarp. Edmund clambered underneath the bench and lifted his feet from the floor.

Edmund held his breath. The stench of the ether made him feel nauseous. The voices entered the room. It’s Gabriel, shit.

“So, we’ll have to move all this if we’re having…” Edmund heard Gabriel say.

“What’s that smell?” asked the second voice.

A female voice replied, “It smells like alcohol.”

Edmund’s eyes were fixed on the tarp. He stared as he saw the shadow standing inches away from him. “Has anyone moved this?” asked Gabriel.

The sound of Gabriel’s voice sent a chill down Edmund’s spine. The tarp fluttered as the corner was lifted. Edmund closed his eyes and prayed. He heard Gabriel sniff. If it hadn’t been for the smell of the ether, Gabriel would’ve smelled the fear coming from Edmund.

“I think someone must’ve knocked it, there’s a small bottle on the floor,” the female voice replied. The tarp fell back to the floor, and Edmund felt a sigh of relief.

Another cold chill shot down Edmund’s spine as Gabriel spoke again. He said, “If I ever lay eyes on Edmund, I’m gonna kill him, personally.”

* * *

“Right, turn right,” Judy screamed.

Declan spun the car onto the dirt track. The turnings were hard to identify, and they’d almost missed two of them. If it weren’t for the old wooden signs partly overgrown by ivy, they could’ve been driving in circles all damn night. Declan’s car kicked up dirt and gravel as the rear of the car fishtailed down the track.

“If this weren’t so serious, this would be fun,” Judy said, clinging to Declan's backpack.

The car slowed, and the headlights fell onto the jetties that sat before them. They stepped from the car after Declan killed the engine and walked to stand to look at the jetties. One small boat was tied at the side of the swamp. Declan gestured that they’d have to use that, once they knew the direction they had to go in.

Declan pulled the plastic from his pocket and looked at the instructions again. Declan knew the hard part was after this boat bit. He stared at the sky, and the sun had already started falling over the horizon.

“Anytime now we should see something happen,” Declan said, as he pulled on the mooring rope of the boat.

Judy approached the edge of the jetties and looked down at the stilts which sank into the water. She could see the levels rising, and within twenty minutes, most of the piers had become submerged. Declan jumped into the boat and rowed close to where the piers where. Now, two remained and then… there was just one. Judy walked to the end as Declan positioned the boat. She handed him his backpack and stepped inside. She sat facing him as he grabbed hold of the oars and made their way down the waterway the jetty pointed into.

“The second raised piece of ground,” Declan said, pulling on the oars. The air was silent, apart from insects and the oars crashing through the water’s surface. Then, out of the dark, they heard a howl.

“It sounds as if our presence is already known,” he said as they approached the first raised piece of ground.

He pushed them away from the mangrove trees with the oar and steered them around to the other side. He peered over his shoulder and saw an open expanse of water.

“I hope she’s got this right,” Judy commented. Declan was more concerned about the slithering objects he saw entering the water, just a few boat lengths away from them.

“Crocs, big fucking crocs,” he said, nodding his head over to the bank of the swamp.

Judy looked to her side and squinted. Her enhanced vision cut through the dim light. “I count six.”

Declan rowed more, and Judy raised her arm to point over his shoulder. Another jetty sat in the water. The boat floated to the jetty and Declan tied them securely.

“Now it’s time to see how far I can run,” Declan said throwing his backpack over his shoulder. “You better turn, we don’t know what we’re gonna meet down this path.”

Judy handed him her large bowie knife and grinned. “A little security, be very careful.”

She clenched her fists and flexed her shoulders. Her neck rolled as Declan watched her fingers tear from her hands and elongate into claws. He cocked his head to the side as he heard another howl from the darkness.

He looked back at Judy, her head rocked from side to side as her mouth opened. Gurgling sounds escaped from her lungs as her jaw stretched into a wolf muzzle. As her shoulders split and her white fur began to appear, she let out her own howl toward the moon. Judy lowered herself to all fours. Declan admired her white and gray coat.

“You still look hot when you’re a wolf,” he said, not expecting Judy to answer, apart from a feisty glare of her yellow eyes.

“Watch your mouth,” she replied. Declan realized he’d forgotten Judy was an alpha, of course, she was able to talk. “I’ll lead the way, and just yell if you get left behind,” she said. With that, she hurled herself forward and ran down the path leading away from the water’s edge.

Declan adjusted his backpack and tightened his grip on the knife. He took a deep breath and ran after the white fur that was vanishing into the bushes. His arms pumped at his sides as his focus stayed on the rear of Judy’s wolf form. Every now and again he saw her looking over her shoulder. Spittle flew from her lips as she panted, and her tongue lolled at the side of her jaw. Declan pushed branches from his face and his lungs seared with the hot breath that was filling them.

He managed to yell to Judy, “Wait up. I’m shot now.”

Judy’s paws dug into the damp earth. She turned and walked back to Declan raising herself onto her hind legs. She glared into Declan’s eyes as her front leg pulled back. She began to swing her arm forward as Declan closed his eyes and listened to her snarl.

Damn, have I been tricked?

“When you’re trapped, there's no way out.”