Megan pulled a flashlight from her backpack and shone it in the corner of the office. She spotted the hole and then a stream of green gas which rose upward. The vacuum filter Sanders had used sat dormant and still connected to the socket. The flashlight cut through the darkness when she moved it to the side. The stack of broken floorboards rose up. Her hand lifted. Megan saw the source of the scratching. An oversized rat sat looking at her with blood-red eyes. It opened its mouth and bared a double row of sharp teeth. It spat at her and waved one of its paws in her direction.

She pulled a throwing knife from her belt and drew her arm back. She unleashed the knife which hit the rat square in its raised chest. It fell to the floor in a pool of its own blood.

“What an ugly fucker,” she said to Tanya. “Did you see that?”

“If that’s what it can do to rats, just think what those things in the cage are going to be like.”

“I’m gonna message Sanders.”

Megan reached for her cell and typed the message to tell Sanders she’d killed a rat which had blood-red eyes and a double row of teeth like the beasts did. She placed the phone onto the desk and walked closer to the hole in the floor. Tanya stood and inched her way over.

“Be careful that there’s no more lurking in there.”

“Don’t you worry; I’m going nowhere near the damned hole.” She shone the torch at the machine and flicked the switch. She watched while the suction pump diverted the stream of gas into the overhead funnel.

“Have you any idea how to connect these canisters?” Megan asked.

Tanya picked up the first canister. She’d done some diving in the past, and the connector seemed to be quite similar. She stood the silver canister on the floor and snapped on the connector. The needle on the dial twitched.

“How many do we need to fill?”

“He said six, just to be safe.”

Tanya watched the needle and noticed it hadn’t even reached a quarter of the way. She calculated how long it’d take.

“We’re going to be here for three freakin’ hours doing this,” she said in a pissed-off tone. Megan’s cell vibrated on the desk. She picked it up and read the message.

“I’m not sure what he’s got in mind,” she said. Tanya asked why. “He’s told us to release the ones from the pen. If that wasn’t bad enough, we need to get past all those soldiers.”

“What about if we don’t do like he asks?”

Megan turned. She wasn’t against ignoring his commands. But it’d be on the news about beasts running wild. If there was no news, it wouldn’t be good news for either of them.

“It’s not like we don’t have time. We’ve got three hours to waste.”

Tanya frowned. “I’m not letting a single damned one of those things out of the cage until we’re ready to haul ass,” she remarked in an apprehensive tone. “You saw the fucking rat. If we get bitten, we’ve got no idea what’ll happen.”

Megan agreed. All they needed was a way to get past the soldiers and a way of opening the gate. They stood back in the shadow of the office and looked down to the flat area of the mine. Tanya spotted a couple of vehicles parked up. They could get a rope and tie it to the gate. As they drove away toward the mine gate, they could rip the gate off its hinges.

“We’ve still got one…two...,” Megan muttered. “Eight soldiers to get past.”

The machine beeped from behind them, and a red light flashed. The first canister was full. Tanya popped the catch and changed the bottle. Half of the guards began walking back toward the warehouse. They looked at each other.

“Where the hell are they going?”

Megan walked to the office door and watched the soldiers walk under the steel shutter door. They veered to the side and walked into a downstairs room. She tuned in with her wolf hearing and heard the soldiers talking about food. She pushed the door ninety-nine percent closed and turned back to Tanya. She explained they were on a break. If they timed it right, they might only have four to deal with. Either that; or they could take out the four who were in what Megan assumed was a canteen.

“That’s too risky. If they put up a fight, it’ll attract the attention of the others. We’ll have our backs to watch.”

More canisters were filled. They looked and peered from the window trying to think of a way past the soldiers. A noise came from above them. It started to rain, and splashes hit the moss-covered skylight.

“Well, that might help.”

Tanya watched the cage. The beasts inside started to become agitated. They jumped up and down, and their cries carried across the foot of the mine. The last canister became almost filled and time was running out. Tanya filled the two backpacks.

They waited for the last one when all of a sudden gunshots were fired. She dashed back to where Megan stood. The soldiers fired across the mine and into the tree line.

“What are they shooting at?” Megan asked.

“They might be bored.”

Tanya spotted a dark shadow scrabble over the rocks at the bottom of the bank. Megan looked in the direction where Tanya pointed. Two small flashes of red now rose above a large boulder.

“It’s one of the beasts. It looks like one wasn’t rounded up.”

Bullets ricocheted off the rocks. The soldiers fired at will while one backed away from the front line and started screaming into a radio. His hand was pushed against his ear. He looked up when the first two soldiers fell at the jaws of the animal which now lashed in-between their ranks.

“Holy fuck, these things are fast.”

“And deadly. We need to get out of here before it kills all of the soldiers.”

Tanya snapped the cap off the last canister and shoved it in the backpack. Sanders would need to settle for five and a half. Fuck him; if he thought they were hanging around to get wasted by beasts.

Megan and Tanya ran from the office and down the stairs. An SUV sat waiting, and (fingers-crossed) the keys would be in the ignition.

“You drive. I can’t see shit in this weather.”

Tanya threw her backpack over the seat and jumped into the driver’s seat. The ignition was empty.

“Fuck.” She scrambled around the dash and pulled down the visor. “Double FUCK!”

Megan climbed into the passenger seat and locked her door. The beast looked in their direction and then back at the two soldiers who remained and stood to fire. She watched while it walked forward. Its body leaned left and right to dodge the bullets. Its claws lashed at the soldiers. They fell to the ground, and their death grip fired their guns into the sky. Megan’s eye widened as the beast yanked on the cage gate. The other animals charged and the gates burst open.

“Tanya, you’d better find those fucking keys.”

The windows misted. Megan wiped frantically to watch as the beasts began running across the mine.

“TAN...” she started to yell as the engine fired into life.

“They were in the ashtray.”

“Just fucking step on the gas, will you.”

Tanya slammed the SUV into gear and stepped on the gas. She roared toward the track which zigzagged up the bank of the mine. Megan watched as the flurry of beasts started running up the slope.

“Their gaining.” Her face was pushed hard against the glass.

The first animal crossed the track. It could head them off if Tanya didn’t drive faster.

“Almost there.” Tanya saw the blue and red lights flash from outside the gate. “What time is it?”

“Six-thirty. Why?” Megan asked.

“I couldn’t leave Billy there to face those things. He should have changed shift by now, with a bit of luck.

“First love, huh?” Megan responded.

“Something like that.”

The SUV rammed through the barrier. The sheriff dropped his coffee and donut in surprise when the vehicle flew through the air and landed in a shower of sparks on the road. The last thing he saw was two red lights glimmering in his direction.

“Declan said you were to check me out,” Kelvin said.

Sascha smiled. “I think you mean check you over,” she replied while she reached for her doctor’s bag. “What’s the problem?

Kelvin explained he’d had headaches on and off. He never bothered much about them as they vanished as quickly as they came, that was until the last couple of days.

“It might be exhaustion. We’ve been kinda busy.”

“Yep, but headaches are a reaction to something else. Exhaustion might add to their severity, but there’s a reason why we get them,” Sascha explained. “Are you drinking plenty of water?”

Kelvin said he was getting more than enough fluids. Sascha reached into her bag and took out her stethoscope and checked his heartbeat. That was expected from a wolf of his age. Normal.

She took her small flashlight and shone it into his eyes. She muttered a couple of times and then slipped the light back into her bag.

“Have you ever banged your head?”

“I did in the rubble chute in Cripple Creek. That was ages ago now.”

“Do you feel it when you’ve turned to your wolf?”

Kelvin needed to think. When he was in his wolf form, he was always pumped and full of adrenaline.

“I’m not sure. I’ve never thought about it. Does that mean anything?”

Sascha explained it made a huge difference. If it was only in his human form, it wasn’t critical. If he had it when he was in his wolf form, it meant it could be something more serious.

“What do you mean more serious?”

Sascha explained in ‘doctor speak’ to Kelvin. There was a multitude of reasons a person could have headaches, and the only way to tell was to be tested in the hospital.

“So you want me to go to the hospital?” he asked.

“It’s okay. I’ll do the tests so you’ll be in good hands.” She smiled. “The only thing is, it’ll affect you going on the hunt for Drake,” Sascha explained.

“No way. It doesn’t matter if I have a problem or not. There’s no way I’m not going to Mexico,” Kelvin said in a snappy tone.

“Whatever it is, from a quick once-over it doesn’t appear to be life-threatening.”

“Geez Sascha, you really know how to brighten the day up,” he replied.

She apologized and said he was a close friend, so there was no point in lying about it, or trying to make it appear less than what it could be. He agreed he’d prefer to hear it like a man and face it.

“When do you plan on doing it?”

“In about an hour or so once I’ve spoken to Declan.”

They both left Sascha’s apartment. Kelvin walked back to his, and she walked around the corner to Declan’s. She knocked on the door and waited for an answer. She twisted the handle as she heard the almighty call. Declan sat at the table with the last bite of egg on toast, it was ready to be pushed into his mouth.

“I’ve checked over Kelvin. He needs further tests.”

Declan wiped his mouth with a napkin. Sascha sat next to Noelle and filled her cup with hot coffee. “What did you think?” he asked. “His headaches, you think it’s bad?”

“I can tell you it’s not from a bump, whatever is causing them. That’s why I need to see proper results.”

“I suppose you’ve come to tell me we’re going to the hospital?”

“When we’re all ready. With some luck, we can be back home for lunch and have nothing to worry about.”

Declan said he’d get Dustin to come. Kelvin had become really close to him, and if he needed some support, Dustin was the best person for the job.

“I thought he looked up to you,” she replied.

“He does, but Dustin’s like his buddy. I’m only his role model.”

Sascha walked back to her apartment for her things while Declan walked to find Dustin. If he was in the apartment, Kelvin would’ve already filled him in about the situation. Dustin wasn’t there; he was in the parking lot checking over the van.

Declan ambled over to him and stood to lean on the side of the vehicle while Dustin tinkered with the engine. “We’ve got to take Kelvin to the hospital for some tests,” Declan explained.

“Ah. Okay,” Dustin replied. I’ll come over when I’ve finished here.”

Declan asked what Dustin meant by Ah. Did he know something already and hadn’t told anyone? He put the wrench on the side of the engine and wiped his hands on an old oily rag (old college t-shirt) and started to explain what Kelvin’s aunt had told him. It was in secrecy, and that’s why he’d never mentioned it before now. It transpired according to Dustin. Kelvin took one too many of his mother’s traits (perhaps). She died of a tumor, and they weren’t sure if Kelita and/or Kelvin would have the same hereditary illness.

“You mean Kelvin could die while we’re on our way to Mexico?” Declan asked. Sascha and Kelvin appeared at the bottom of the stairs. “Tell me after. I don’t want Kelvin to get too upset.”

“I’ll be quick as I can,” Dustin said, now picking the wrench up and leaning underneath the hood. Some secrets really suck balls to keep. I wish I’d never been told it.

Sascha pulled into the hospital parking lot. Declan asked about payment. The good thing about being a senior doctor was she could bypass quite a few steps. They were only tests; after all, and it wasn’t like he needed brain surgery or treatment which was expensive. The most Sascha could advise was some medication to start, and monitor his progress. Painkillers were okay in the short-term, but they did nothing to begin fixing the problem. A couple of junior doctors stood waiting and took Kelvin to be prepped. The MRI machine sat already warmed and waiting. Declan stood with Sascha in the monitoring room when Kelvin walked out in his hospital robe.

“Kel, your ass is showing in that,” Declan said over the intercom.

Kelvin didn’t have an intercom, but his raised finger and the mouthed words of fuck you got the message across well. He hopped onto the bench, and the junior doc pushed him into position. Sascha pushed her button on the intercom and told him to relax. The machine might make a few strange noises, but he wouldn’t feel a thing.

She pushed the start button and Kelvin slowly slid inside the machine.

“His mom died of a tumor.”

Declan turned to Sascha. Her eyes widened. “Why didn’t you tell me?”

“I found out in the parking lot. This is my first chance.”

“How long did she have it before she passed?”

“Dustin was going to...” Declan started to say as Dustin walked into the control room.

“Almost ten years. The kid’s got plenty of time before he reaches a critical stage.”

Sascha glanced at the display. She immediately spotted the dark patch on the map of Kelvin's brain. She turned to them and explained there was no way on earth Kelvin would reach anywhere near ten years. Five was pushing it and a realistic timeframe was eighteen months, max.

“Is there anything that can be done?”

“There’s surgery, but that’s risky as hell. I also know he’ll fight it because he wants to go to Mexico.”

“He’s one crazy fucking kid. He’s always thinking of someone else.”

Sascha sighed. “I’ll ask some questions, and see what we can do while we’re in Mexico. If medication can slow down whatever’s causing it, I’ll stock up on pills.”

“What about when he asks to see his brain. What’re we going to do?” Declan asked.

“We’ll do what all great doctors do in this sort of situation,” she replied.

“What’s that?”

“We’ll lie.”

“Medication damage can kill the pain; it seeps in and destroys the brain. I find myself shaking again and again. The doc say’s it’s nothing, but it’s killing me again.”