“I was delayed a bit, but don’t worry. I’ll be there by the time you need me.” Paul chuckled ominously.
“Good, good… I want you in Ireland as soon as possible, so get there as quickly as you can. You can never have too much insurance when dealing with these devils.”
“Right. I’ll talk to you in a bit.” Paul snapped his cell phone closed as the pilot came over the plane’s loudspeaker.
“Attention passengers, pleas fasten your seatbelts, as we are beginning the landing process. We hope you have enjoyed flying on our airline, and that you enjoy your stay in beautiful Ireland.”
After searching the phone book at a local pay phone and writing down what he believed to be the address of where the girls were staying, Terry had hopped a cab to the train station, in hopes of procuring a ticket.
“Yes lad, tickets are still available, but the train leaves five minutes. You’ll have to hurry,” stated the ticket salesman.
“Thanks, I will.” A bit winded, Terry whipped out his wallet and laid down his cash. After grabbing the ticket, Terry sprinted across the room towards his station.
“Lad, you forgot your change!” the salesman bellowed out to the slowly disappearing boy.
“Keep it!” Terry shouted as he continued to run.
“…Strange kid, that one,” commented the man as he placed the money in the register.
Nearly an hour and a half had passed since their last conversation with Dan, and the time had come for them to face him. The group, minus Wendy and Vix, had arrived in Robert’s forest, and were on their way to the point at which Vix had traced Dan’s call to. Each was on edge, but none more so than Lisa. Already, she had to struggle to keep herself calm. To let her anger slip through her demeanor at this point could mean the death of her pack members, or even herself.
The group reached a small clearing in the woods, as a shadowy figure stepped out from behind a tree, dragging a limp and lifeless figure behind it. “…So glad to see you ladies finally made it,” said Dan, with a coy tone.
“Sharon!” Lisa shouted out the woman’s name. There she was beaten and bruised up, but obviously still breathing. The girl had been bound and gagged, but her eyes shifted and made contact with Lisa’s.
“Mmmmmmm!” Sharon shouted, attempting to make some kind of contact with her friends.
“SHUT UP, DOG!” Dan shouted as he kicked Sharon in the side. Sharon winced, and silenced herself, tears running down her cheeks.
Lisa almost lunged forward right then to attempt to snap Dan’s neck, but barely held herself back. She couldn’t take this much longer. Her nails had already elongated into claws, and her ears were beginning to point up.
Lisa shouted out to the madman, “What do you want, Dan?!”
“Awwwww… Don’t you like how I treat this animal?” He kicked her again. “Well… I don’t see how you’re in any position to complain.” Dan walked forward a bit. “What do I want?... I want to rid this earth of filthy skinwalkers like yourself, and make it a safe place for the rest of us!” Dan’s facial expression turned on a dime. “If it weren’t for you freaks of nature, my wife would still be alive! Wendy would still be alive!”
Ca-click. The sound of a gun cocking rang out behind Dan’s head, as the barrel of a loaded pistol nudged him in his temple.
“Oh, I’m alive, Dan… And it was YOU who tried to kill me!” Wendy shoved the gun further up to his head.
Dan’s expression turned to that of shock, before once again returning to the hateful state it had been in before. “So, they’ve already gotten to your mind, have they?...” Dan snarled and pressed his head further into the gun. “There’s nothing that can be done for traitors like you…”
Vix revealed herself from another position in the forest, this one a bit off to the right. “Where are your men hidden, Dan?! Tell us now, or we’ll shoot!” Vix pointed the barrel of her gun directly at Dan’s face.
Dan chuckled menacingly. “Oh, sorry to say, but my friends couldn’t make it to this little party… they had to go on a business trip…” Dan began laughing, and stopped himself for only one moment to reveal a small radio in his pocket, and to utter one phrase.
“…To Ireland.”
Suddenly, Dita’s voice rang out over the radio, and she was obviously in tears.
“Mom! There’s a man here, and he has a gun!”
“That’s right, brat. Tell her exactly who’s in control here!”
“What should we do, mom?! I’m scared!” Dita’s words faded into muffled sobs.
Lisa heard the cries, and ignoring both Vix and Wendy, rushed up to Dan and grabbed him by the throat, and lifted him into the air. “YOU BASTARD! WHAT HAVE YOU DONE?!!”
Dan wagged his finger at the woman. “Ah, ah, ah! One false move… one word from me… one gunshot, and you daughter bites it.”
Lisa was already transforming as she lowered the mad to the ground. “What… Do you want.?”
Dand laughed maniacally. “You know exactly what I want, beast. I…”
Before he could finish his sentence, a sound erupted from the radio.
“LET GO OF HER, YOU BASTARD!” A large thud then sounded from the device, followed by a “SHIT!” Which was promptly followed by three more gunshots, and the sobs of what they knew to be the girls.
Before the second round was fired, Dan was already dead, his wind pipe literally crushed between Lisa’s hands. The tears rolled down Lisa’s face…
“Mom?! MOM?! Are you there?!” A sobbing Dita once again came over the radio.
Lisa jumped from her place, running over to the machine. “DITA! Honey, are you okay?!”
“We’re fine mom, and the man is dead!” Shouted Dita, still crying her eyes out. “But… They shot Terry in the shoulder! I think he’s okay, though…”
Lisa puzzled over this latest development. Through her tears, she asked, “Terry?”