Murder On The Waterway: The Case Of The Kanaima Demon

Chapter Thirty-Four

A flicker of the eyes danced between the normal and the sinister Kanaima green. Jack's claws extended and retracted, a primal struggle to play out within him. I tried to enter his mind, to reach him, but it was like navigating a turbulent storm. He turned to Melanie, his face contorted in pain.

"If I use everything I have," I thought, "I might reach Michael."

"Don't even think about it," Melanie hissed, holding a small button aloft. "I control everything here. Press this button, and the toxins will be released instantly. In a minute, you won't control anything anymore, thanks to the blood."

Jack's claws continued their unsettling dance. I concealed my trembling hands, catching Ellena's eyes. She understood; I could feel it. I didn't want to alarm her, and I didn't want Locke to figure it out. He watched helplessly. I was about to make a desperate move, but a searing bolt of pain slammed into my stomach, forcing me to my knees. The world was slipping away, a haze enveloping my senses. My hands plunged into the sawdust, their shape morphing beyond my control.

"It's okay, Georgie, let it happen," I heard Ellena whisper, tears tracing silently down her face.

"I... I can't," I gasped, struggling to rise, my pain-wracked bones echoing in the warehouse.

"It's okay, I trust you," she whispered again, and I noticed Locke nodding in approval. Did he know too?

I couldn't fight it any longer; the pain was unbearable, and the primal instincts were overwhelming. I let out a feral roar as my fangs elongated, causing the entire warehouse to shudder. Melanie stumbled back, terror etched on her face.

For a few breathless moments, I saw nothing but red. Then my vision cleared, and I could see the fear in Melanie's eyes, the swirling darkness within the Kanaima's green irises. Jack was locked in a battle for control, his human side in a desperate struggle for survival. I was changing, merging the wolf and the demon within me, and the power surged.

I sensed fear from Melanie for the first time—the tremble in her voice, the darting of her pupils. "Don't be stupid, Georgie," she stammered. Jack's inner turmoil was written on his face.

Now was my moment. I leapt, every muscle coiled with renewed athleticism, and just as I broke into a sprint, the lights cut out again, plunging us into darkness. But my wolf's eyes allowed me to see. I raced past the gurney, ripping the IV lines free, then landed on the platform, tearing the Kanaima away from Michael. We crashed to the ground, a tangle of limbs and fury.

The lights flickered back on. We were separated, but I'd forced the Kanaima's claws into its abdomen, injecting its venom, hoping the ancient texts held the truth. It lay still, unmoving. I struggled to stand, shaking off the residual anger and confusion, only to witness Melanie looming over Michael's lifeless body. Blood gushed from his throat, torn out by the Kanaima.

Michael's body convulsed, a macabre dance in the dirt, his blood mingling with the sawdust, staining the floor crimson.

"You've killed the thirty seconds, man. Tut tut," Melanie taunted. "But here's a lesson I learned from the books: always have a Plan B."

"Don't do it. The game is over," I pleaded.

"Not yet," Melanie smirked. "While you decide who to save, I'll take that key and go." She pressed the button slowly, and a gust of wind whirled through the room. I checked the floor; the Kanaima remained motionless, but the remote was in Melanie's grasp, poised for chaos.

***

Who could have imagined the joy brought by four simple words? "Hey-up Georgie, lad."

My head snapped toward the booming echo of my old Skipper and my Beta, Andy Morris. He was 'mid-shift,' and in a swift, powerful move, he ripped the remote from Melanie's throat.