“So what pancake disaster have you created today,” Frieda giving her father a mocking look as she watches him destroy the kitchen in typical fashion with breakfast. Despite mastering how to use the coffee maker and eventually the toaster; Benton Knight was still struggling with basic ratios for milk, eggs, and flour when making pancakes. Couple that with either turning the stove up too high or too low; it was becoming a Sunday tradition for Frieda and Amanda to joke and poke fun of Benton’s lack of basic cooking skills.
“You are just like your mother,” Benton scoffing his were-panthress daughter; “you know I’ve gotten better at making these.”
“Your still burning the first batch,” Frieda looking at the trash can full of blackened disks of pancakes; “which means you put the stove up too high again.”
“There not as bad as the previous time,” Benton looking smug; “now are you going to help cut up the fruit or are you going to torment your father?”
Frieda looked at Spencer and Eric who were watching the entire exchange, each giggling; the grey furred were-panthress with russet highlights just grins as she sits back on the stool looking at her father.
“Tormenting you seems much more fun at the moment,” Frieda giggling.
“You know,” Benton rolling his eyes; “your lack of confidence is really cramping my style.”
Before Frieda could respond with a pithy comment, a phone rings and she sees her father snatch up his cell phone with a deft paw and answers it.
“Benton here, this better be important;” he growls.
“It is,” Sheriff Cooper responds; “I just want to give you a heads up that Freddie Parker is all up and pissed that you are kicking him out of the motel your company owns.”
“And why should I care,” Benton responding; “the man has no business being in this town. I’m just encouraging him to see that.”
“All you did,” Sheriff Cooper growling; “was piss the man off. We were tailing one off his men. The one Tachibana warned you about.”
“Chelnik,” Benton answering; “what of it?”
“Before Yamato lost him,” Sheriff Cooper sighing; “he was seen heading towards your estate.”
Benton pauses upon hearing that last statement. Doing his best to remain calm; the were-panther was seething at the thought of another person daring to invade his privacy and try to harm him or members of his family.
“Sheriff,” Benton doing his best to remain calm; “if this man tries to harm me or anyone in my house, I will be justified to use whatever means are at my disposal to eliminate the threat. Do I make myself clear?”
“I am sending a patrol car up your way to possibly dissuade Chelnik from entering your property,” Sheriff Cooper lamenting; “will you permit that for the sake of keeping the town’s secret safe?”
“Make sure they are armed and like us,” Benton growling; “I know you have normals in the police force, but I want a likeminded individual like you and me up here.”
“Deputy Carter is a were-dog and he is being accompanied by special agent Brooke Reed who is a werewolf,” Sheriff Cooper responding; “is that acceptable?”
“I suppose,” Benton responding; “have Carter use the emergency code to get in past the gate. And sheriff, Benton holding back a growl; “if Chelnik is a dangerous person, then why haven’t you arrested him?”
“We are working on that,” Sheriff Cooper answering; “as soon as Chelnik commits a crime here in town or we get a response from Interpol if this man is a wanted war criminal, until then we can only wait.”
******
Chelnik was waiting by the gas station not far from the Knight Estate as planned. With explicit instructions not to physically confront Benton, but to instead damage the man’s high performance vehicle; possibly destroy it. Doing his best to remain out of sight as he waited, determined to wait all day if necessary to complete the task that Frederick Parker ordered him to do.
******
Back at the estate, as Benton put down the cell phone he looked at his daughter and her friends. Knowing they overheard the conversation as they had exceptional hearing thanks to being weres themselves; Benton just looks at them as he continues to make pancakes.
“I meant what I said earlier,” Benton looking at his daughter; “I will use whatever means are at my disposal to eliminate the threat.”
“And what will mom have to say when she finds out you are considering killing a person,” Frieda answering; “it’s bad enough Eric had to deal with that trauma last night, now you want to have a go at it?”
“If it comes down to me having to rip out the throat of this latest person from Frederick Parker,” Benton answering; “then I will not hesitate to do so in order to protect my family.”
“Noble as that maybe,” Amanda entering the kitchen; “but I suggest you let the authorities deal with this. No sense in risking your life for the sake of your ego and pride.”
*******
Deputy Carter and Special Agent Brook Reed where on their way to the Knight Estate when they noticed the man they were informed who managed to slip Yamato Tachibana. Spotting Chelnik as he was seen skulking by a gas station in the nearby woods, Deputy Carter was stunned as Agent Reed manages to jump out of the car just as it was slowing down.
“Wait where are you going,” Deputy Carter shouting.
“To arrest Chelnik,” Agent Reed growling; “Evan’s Interpol contact emailed me the man’s particulars. The guy is wanted for assisting in the ethnic cleansing that went on in war torn Yugoslavia.”
“Why wasn’t the sheriff told,” Samson catching up; “he needs to be told of this!”
“I got the email an hour ago,” Agent Reed responded; “and a call from my director to use extreme caution in arresting the man.”
“You know he will not just surrender to the both of us,” Samson stopping the agent; “we need more men here to surround him.”
“The more deputies your sheriff sends over,” Agent Reed answering; “means a possible higher body count. I don’t want to risk that,” Agent reed looking at the were-dog deputy; “besides, unlike Chelnik; we are weres.”
That doesn’t mean we are not invulnerable,” Samson growling; “we can still be killed in the same manner as a regular person. It just takes a bit more effort.”
“I’m aware,” Agent Reed pausing as she tries to sniff out Chelnik’s scent; “My boyfriend told me as much after we hooked up.”
“Just out of curiosity,” Samson asking; “I know you are a werewolf, but what is your fur pattern?”
“Its based off of an arctic wolf, white fur but not all white. There is some grey and black in some spots on my back tail and ears” agent Reed answering; “and I think Chelnik went this way, I got his scent.”
“Same here,” Samson answering; “he reeks of old sweat socks and sour cologne. Alaskan Malamute by the way.”
Alaskan what,” Agent reed following her nose.
“My fursona,” Samson responding; “if it doesn’t work out with your boyfriend, I’m available.”
Before Agent Reed could answer, a twig snaps and she and Samson turn around to see Chelnik pointing a gun at them. Before agent Reed could react, Samson shoves her out of the way as Chelnik fires a shot. The deputy taking the bullet as he falls to the ground hard; agent Reed acting fast lunges at Chelnik before he could fire off another round causing him to drop the Glock as she surprises him with a surprising kick to his wrist.
“Chelnik Vladomir,” Agent Reed assuming a fighting stance; “you are under arrest for the genocide…”
Before she could finish her statement, Chelnik whips out a knife. Pressing a button on the handle; Agent Reed looks surprised as the blade is launched towards her. Using her enhanced were reflexes; agent Reed was able to avoid the blade from hitting a major vital spot on her body. However it did strike her right arm causing her to snarl in pain. Yanking the blade out and looking as Chelnik arms himself with another ballistic knife, a specialty of the Spetnaz's; Agent Reed sees Samson on the ground bleeding badly. Knowing she is not going to take the man down alive, agent Reed growls as she before Chelnik’s eyes shifts into her werewolf fursona; her suit stretching and straining at the seams; she uses a paw to rip the confining garments off.
Chelnik, seeing the lady before her transform before him; white fur enveloping her body as she shifts and changes to a more lupine form. Seeing a tail grow, covered in with fur and ending in a black tip as her ears become pointed triangles and are covered in grey fur. Her eyes shifting from her human blue into a haunting yellow as she bears her fangs and flexes her claws. Stunned at first, Chelnik soon smiles as he watches the female werewolf slowly circle him.
“I knew there was something odd with this town,” Chelnik speaking; “muscular men and well built women that would put the old Soviet Union to shame with envy. when I kill you, I’ll tell Freddie and then the world.”
“You are not leaving this place alive,” Agent Reed snarling; “and I doubt Freddie will be enjoying freedom for very long.”
“A Spetnaz is trained to fight a bear, bare handed,” Chelnik watching agent Reed carefully; “I suspect you will be no different.”
“Tell me,” Agent Reed tensing; “does your Spetnaz training prepare you against someone who can heal fast? Look at my arm,” Agent Reed growling; “the damage from your blade, its mending at a phenomenal rate.”
Chelnik pauses as he sees the wound on a now furry arm from his ballistic knife from earlier has finally stopped bleeding. Agent Reed seeing the man hesitate for that split second launches forward beginning the fight.