Nine-fifty in the Evening, September 25. District Attorney’s Office.
Lisa and Vix entered the sound proof walls of a conference room. Debra, Ebony, Anaya, and Brenda were already there. Vix couldn’t help herself from feeling a little nervous being in a room with so many lycanthropes. They all friendly greeted them both. Lisa introduced Vix to everyone and Vix in turn gave a fake smile. Looking around, both Vix and Lisa noticed two were missing. “Where’s Sharon and Solange?” Lisa asked.
“Sharon couldn’t find her car key at the university, so Solange decided to get the extras at her home and deliver it,” Debra replied. “They said it was okay to start without them.”
Removing the laptop from the case, Vix plugged it into a projector at the center of the room. She starts to set up a PowerPoint slideshow. “Do you need help with that?” asked Ebony looking at the screen.
“Can you power up the projector and position it toward the screen?” requested Vix. She didn’t want anyone to go near her laptop.
“Sure,” Ebony happily said.
“Let me help you with that.” Brenda assisted in positioning the projector.
Soon, everyone was working together in getting the presentation set up. Vix’s nerves started to ease. This was like ROTC all over again, everyone was doing a part to help out. Soon, they manage to get the projector working and Vix started the slideshow. Lisa dimmed the lights.
There was a picture of the FBI seal in the initial slide under it marked classified. “Ignore that,” Vix flatly stated. She proceeded on to the next slide. It showed a profile of Dan Ramer and his identification card photo. “Dan Ramer had worked on numerous cases for the FBI for several years now.
However, his first case…” the next slide showed a picture of an Indian resort along with a map indicating it was in New Mexico. “… he unwittingly encountered an unusual group of lycanthropes that facilitated a member in the killings several people outside of this resort.”
Another slide showed that there were several pictures of Dan side by side with several Indians. “Dan believed that the perpetrator was working alone and had befriended with several of the resort members. However, his team was lead into an ambush and was separated.”
The slide fades to photos of three agents, two had been marked deceased while the one was marked missing. “Dan lost three members of his team during the assault, one of which was his newly wedded wife, Melissa. She was the only body we could not recover. He never realized that this “skinwalker” he was sent to investigate was a lycanthrope until later.”
The slide flips over revealing a picture of Wendy and her profile. “Wendy Patel joined Dan’s team a year after the incident. She received numerous recommendations and was highly praised by Dan for her work. Soon, they created an elite tactical team called The Rangers. August 26, 2006, Wendy was sent in to establish a covert surveillance of Lisa Deeter.” Vix took a glimpse at Lisa; her disposition hadn’t changed much during the presentation.
Another slide, this one of consisting of several on the scene photos of Lisa’s pack, few included their daughters. “September 2nd, the entire Ranger team was sent in and additional agents monitored the movement and routine of Lisa and her close friends.
A calendar appeared showing the moon phases for the month of September. “September 5th, was a full moon. That evening, a member of the Ranger team witnessed the transformation of Lisa’s Pack.” Vix noticed that Lisa gave a silent sharp draw of breath. “This information was brought to Dan, who in turn told his superiors. He and his team were informed on the existence of lycanthropes. Shortly afterwards, he was granted clearance to information regarding werewolves.”
“September 10th, Dan accessed restricted files regarding the New Mexico Indian Reservation Incident. It was than that he learned that the ‘skinwalker’ was a lycanthrope. From then on, his reports became increasingly distraught toward the nature of his current investigation. It is my belief from his reports that he developed a deep resentment against lycanthropes. However, this made him an effective agent during the course of this investigation and the bureau turned a blind eye on the matter.”
Thursday, September 21. Dan receives a report from Wendy notifying him of a leave on the dates of October 7 through 10, the same days that a full moon is to be out. He informed his superiors about a possible complication. He was ordered not to interfere with Wendy’s cover. That same day, Dan sent a message to Wendy of a meeting at 11:30 PM in Beaumont Park.” Vix reaches into her purse and retrieves a Zirconium watch. Standing infront of the screen she presents it. “This was found on Wendy, I manage to get a release before it was filed.” Vix paused for a second. “It’s made out of silver.” There were uncomfortable looks as Vix holds the watch. “My understanding is that Dan presented her this watch and used it to confirm if she had lycanthropy.” Vix pulls out a bag of several spent silver bullets. “He then shot her five times using silver hollow point rounds. Had Wendy not been wearing her vest, she wouldn’t be alive today. During the time of the shooting a call was made to dispatch. Responding Officer Juan Enriquez arrived at the scene where he was shot once in the neck. Dan then fled the scene and contacted the agency of his situation and explained a story of how Wendy betrayed the FBI. He was immediately removed from the assignment pending an investigation.” Vix started to feel that the room was warmer than before. Although, being in front of the projector didn’t help much.
Going back to the laptop, she changed slides. This time it showed an overview map of Beaumont Park. “After Dan Ramer cut off contact, I was notified of the situation and sent to investigate. I surveyed Dan’s safe house until he entered his vehicle with a backpack. I was going to follow to make sure he didn’t get into anymore trouble, but he was drunk and fled from an officer pulling him over. Ironically enough, he crashed his vehicle back at Beaumont Park and a manhunt started.” Vix closed her eyes for a moment and proceeded.
She switches to a slide with a picture of a white 1998 Honda Accord. “September 23rd, Dan managed to escape the blockade around the park. From police reports, he stole this vehicle and headed towards Evansville.”
The slide fades, revealing photos of the Accord nearby the homes of several coven members. “These pictures were taken by Ranger team recently. Dan got away before police could respond. There are now officers placed near the residence of every home he visited,” said Vix finishing her slide presentation. She flicked on the light switch feeling a little lightheaded. Slowly her eyes adjusted to the light.
Vix staggers to her laptop. “Are you feeling alright, dear? That was a long presentation you had there,” Lisa smiles. “Here, have a seat.” She pulls up a reclining chair. ‘
Vix was happy to oblige. She needed a moment to gather her bearings. As soon as she sat down, she felt two warm hands massaging her shoulders. “Don’t worry, Relax,” Debra coos into her ear.
“Wait, my laptop…” Vix trails off as the tension in her shoulders melts away.
“No problem,” Ebony replies as she starts typing on the laptop. “I have it under control.”
Vix tries to stand back up, but her legs were swept by Anaya and propped on top of the table. She easily removed Vix’s heels and started on her feet. “My, so cold. Let me being some warmth into them,” she said while rubbing them.
Vix opens her mouth to protest, but Brenda saw to it that nothing came out. She kisses Vix preventing her from saying a single word. Turning her head in repulse, Vix desperately tried to break the kiss but found herself held down. “I knew I’d have you, dear,” Lisa whispers. Out of the corner of her eye, Vix helplessly watches in horror as Lisa shifts into her hybrid form. Lisa licks her lips and bears down on Vix’s neck with her sharp canine fangs.
Snapping back into reality, Vix finds herself next to the light switch that she just turned on. It took a moment for Vix to realize she had a daydream. She turned around and saw everyone looking at her. Somewhat in a daze, Vix staggered to her laptop. “Are you feeling alright, dear?” Lisa asked.
“Fine!” Vix snapped at her, instantly coming out of her daze like state. “I’m fine,” she calmly repeated. There were several confused looks of Vix’s sudden change in demeanor. Vix sat next to her laptop. “Dan is still out there and I need your help in catching him,” Vix concluded.
“Why do you need our help for?” inquired Debra.
“First off, he’s looking for you, all of you. It is only a matter of time before he makes his move. I need to know everything from your side so I can stop him before he does anything. Second, even if I catch him, the bureau can’t take him to court for what he has done. There is only one other way for this to end.”
“You want us to kill him,” Lisa seriously said.
“Why can’t the FBI do their own dirty work?” Brenda said angrily.
“I can’t order the very team he lead for several years to execute him. The people upstairs in the FBI won’t soil their hands by killing a former federal agent before trial, that and it would raise too many questions. It would be best for all of us if he dies before he is arrested.
“Why can’t you do it?” Anaya gazed at Vix.
“I…” Vix paused. “I can’t. It wouldn’t make me any different than him. He tried to kill Wendy because he believed she had done something wrong. What gives me the right to do the same to him?”
“So you expect us to do it?” Ebony responded in disbelief. “We’re not going to kill anyone in cold blood, even Dan Ramer.”
It hasn’t stopped your kind from doing so in the past, Vix thought. This was different though, this pack seems to make an appearance of holding on to their morality. Vix had wrongly figured that they would be glad to retaliate.
Lisa’s cell phone rings. She answered and started talking silently away from Vix.
“I apologize, I didn’t mean to offend,” Vix looked down at her feet.
Debra and Ebony looked at each other, and then Debra responded. “Don’t worry. It must be difficult working on cases where you see the worst of situations on a regular basis, especially when they always involve werewolves on the wrong end.”
“Lisa told you,” Vix said quietly, remembering the conversation with Lisa on the drive here.
“We tell each other everything.” Debra smiled. “Not all werewolves are bad, there’s more that lead normal lives than breaking laws. Take all of us for example. We have friends, family, and jobs just like normal people. Don’t give up hope.”
Vix looked up at Ebony. “Don’t worry. No harm done,” Ebony said with a goofy grin. Although most of this to Vix was an act, she couldn’t help but to feel sympathy for them.
“Ladies.” Lisa called out closing her phone. There was a worried look on her face. “That was Solange, she couldn’t find Sharon at the university.”
“Did she try her cell phone?” asked Anaya.
“Straight to voice mail,” Lisa nodded. It wasn’t like of her to be late or turn off her phone when there was a meeting. “She’s missing.”
“No.” Vix stood and sternly spoke a word that everyone dreaded to hear. “Kidnapped…”