“Oh my god,” Blackhorn muttered.
“What is it?” Wendy asked uncomfortably.
“STAY AWAY FROM VIX!” he shouted over the phone.
“WHAT THE HELL IS IT?” Wendy yelled back, disturbed from his outburst.
“Vix… she kills lycanthropes…” he said meekly.
Lisa shrugged. I could have thought of that much without the need for dramatics, she mused to herself. It made sense. Vix did display her weapons, all of which were meant to kill lycanthropes.
But Blackhorn wasn’t finished. “All of them, men, women…” he pauses.
“Go on,” said Wendy afraid what Blackhorn would say next.
“…children. I have the list right here. I’m sorry Wendy, I didn’t know.”
Debra sobbed, she feared for Heather. She thought about Vix’s words from the conference. She was using their emotions about their children to prove her point. It was wrong, very wrong.
Lisa’s eyes flared as she clenched the steering wheel. She knew Vix couldn’t be trusted. Everything about her was just another disguise to earn their trust. Lisa had wanted her to become part of the coven, but now the safety of her pack came first.
Wendy felt her stomach turn. For that one time she worked with Vix, she felt connected. It was strange for Wendy to feel this way, but there was something more to Vix than a cold blooded killer. There has to be a reason…
“Are you ok?” Blackhorn asked. He believed the sob came from Wendy.
“Why would the FBI have her as an agent?” Wendy asked, her voice starting to quiver.
“I don’t know,” replied Blackhorn. “I don’t know.”
Wendy couldn’t bear to listen any longer. “Keep me posted,” she simply stated as she hangs up the phone.
“How could she?” Debra cried. “After what she said, I thought, Heather…”
“I can’t believe it,” Wendy whispered, “she can’t possibly be able to something like that. She was so friendly.” She had hid her memories of their first encounter in the hospital and Vix’s hate filled eyes.
“All an act, dear.” Lisa spoke up. “I know who she is now.” Both Wendy and Debra turned toward her. “There were stories, urban legends if you may, of how packs would disappear. It was always sudden, unexpected. All connections to them were lost, and they were never heard from again. This went on for some time, and then word started spread. It told of a single individual, a woman that pleasured herself in hunting those with the gift of lycanthropy. She was merciless and methodical, an entire pack couldn’t stop her. She would always turn the hunters into the hunted and slay every single one, but she didn’t stop there. She went on to their families and those they loved. That’s how her identity remained hidden for so long. She is the shadow in the dark… The Huntress.” Lisa stops the car. “That is what Vix is, dear.”
There was a tear in Wendy’s eye. To her it was still just a story. A part of her still believed in Vix. She concentrated in remembering her from ROTC, it maybe her only chance to convince Lisa’s that Vix was trustworthy.
“We’re here.” Lisa said with a sense of finality in her voice. The other cars containing Solange, Ebony, Anaya, and Brenda pulled up next to them. Lisa promptly got out of her car while Wendy and Debra were slow to exit.
They all gathered in front of their vehicles to hear Lisa’s commands. “There is a change in plans. We’re going in without Vix’s help.” There were several inquisitorial looks. “We’ll move deeper into the woods and change at the clearing.” Lisa looks over at Wendy and Debra. “Debra, you’ll be with Wendy. Help navigate her to us. Everyone else with me.”
“Why…” Brenda started.
“I’ll answer all of your questions after we rescue Sharon,” interrupted Lisa. She had already started running toward the trees. “We don’t have much time,” Lisa urged. There was a moment of bewilderment. Debra was first to follow, Wendy was next, and then the rest of the pack moved forward in unison.
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Three-ten in the Morning, September 26. Evansville.
The briefing of the Ranger team was short and concise. Vix wasted no time informing them of their new orders: Form a perimeter around Dan’s position, engage if engaged upon, and engage all lycanthropes upon go-code. The go-code was to give Vix some leeway in deciding when to send in the Rangers to exterminate the lycanthropes.
Hurrying back to her mustang, Vix revs the car into action and pulls out bearing toward Robert’s Forest. Not soon afterwards, an armored van carrying the heavily armed members of the Ranger team followed.
During the drive, Vix rethought of her convictions against lycanthropes. Her memories of losing her family and foster father, Benjamin, fanned her lust for vengeance. It wasn’t right for them to take everyone she cared away. The suffering she endured watching them being put to rest was unimaginable. There were also those dreams she was constantly haunted of. Becoming one of them, terrorizing and killing all those she’d sworn to protect. She’d rather die than become anything like that.
Vix remembers when she had joined the FBI to rid the lycanthrope filth. Her early years in the bureau were the most prevalent. She was ruthless and harsh in dealing with werewolves. However, her ability to maintain the secrecy of her actions was praised on by her superiors. Many times they offered her a position that would overlook affairs and investigations in her department. Vix always refused, a promotion would take her off the field and that was where she wanted to be. There was the thrill, the rush being on the trail of a werewolf. She wanted to be there to track them down, and she wanted to be there for the kill.
Vix’s life before the FBI was erased from records to prevent her identity being leaked to lycanthropes. All connections from her past were cut. She had no family, no friends, only herself and her work. Back then, that was all she needed.
But now that she’s older, wiser, experienced, Vix no longer felt the drive she once had. She lived a rough existence ever since. The flame fueled by her vendetta was burning out, and she felt more hopeless as the days pass.
Undoubtedly she still carries her resentment toward lycanthropes, except her priorities have since shifted to her duty as a federal agent. She had read countless files of people missing or dead during her career, all of which suspected lycanthropes. She just wanted it all to end. The only way that will happen, she had figured, was to continue doing what she does best, killing werewolves.
However, Vix still hadn’t made a decision about Wendy. What she did decide on was killing all the others. “I can’t allow them to infect anymore people,” Vix reasoned. It did little to comfort her. She knew how Wendy would feel watching her pack sisters get slaughtered. “Perhaps it'll be best for her to die as well…”