Secrets In The Bones: The Curse of Blood Bay

Nineteen

I knew I should've returned to the bed-and-breakfast; common sense urged me. Yet, I succumbed to my detective instincts and werewolf defence, casting my human side as a timid bystander.

Driving without lights was a challenge, but necessary. Lacking tactical covert driving training, I relied on instinct, hanging back and gaining ground. The mission: don't lose sight of either car, even if my brain debated which one to follow.

Our location was unknown; minimal road signs, mostly countryside and hills. My car wasn't equipped for the terrain. After driving twenty minutes north, out of town, the signs for 'Clacken Forest' and 'Danger quarry ahead' raised my hackles. McNally planned a body dump far from town.

The battered town committee member was one thing, but the fanged victim drained of blood was another. He'd never be found unless destined for the forest. As we reached a forked road, the Mitsubishi veered left and the Range Rover right. I followed McNally and the Mitsubishi.

At a standstill, I pondered my next move. Fidgety, I knew I wouldn't stay put. Working through the forest, I picked up a weird scent. Chains beat against concrete. Veering right, I discovered a clearing with a chained wolf, angry and hungry. Emotionally, I wanted to set it free. My claws were already out, and I was shifting.

David McNally riled up the wolf, offering slabs of raw steak. I stealthily approached, drawn by the primal scent. The wolf's eyes glowed and mine glowed red. Back to the task, I focused on finding the Mitsubishi without being seen. Its tire tread was unmistakable, and its front left was more worn than the rest. I could hear raised voices a few hundred yards ahead and to the right. Their engine idled.

Meanwhile, any noise around the Range Rover echoed. They were ten minutes in the other direction. There was a dark layby up ahead on the right. With the help of an overgrown bush verge, enough for me to park up and not be seen if the vehicle suddenly raced past.

Now, at a standstill, I got hit by a 'what the hell do I do next?' moment. Yeah, I could sit and listen from afar. But I was fidgety, and in the deep recesses of my reckless mind, I knew I would not stay where I was. With Amos still on the warpath, I couldn't let myself get too close. Working my way up the verge and through the jungle of forestry, I picked up on another weird scent. There was still the lingering aroma of cigars, blood, and death, but another, primal, which drew me toward it.

There were chains not in the boot, but they beat against concrete. As I went, I seemed to veer further right and could just about make out a little clearing by the trees to my left. The road had swung right. The clanging chains got louder, and then a sound made me stop in my muddy tracks for a second. A deep growl that seemed to bounce around in a hollow space like a cave.

Weaving between thorns, stinging nettles, and thick bodies of trees, I neared. There was a dampness that felt relaxing. The warming smell of fir trees always did that for me until I got another wave of blood and death. More chemo-signals and sounds filtered through. It was a wolf. They had a wolf chained up, and it was pissed. I would say hungry and rabid, too. What was David McNally doing with a chained wolf while keeping it in the wild?

Suddenly, I felt emotional sadness and anger at what they were doing. I thought they would feed it, that bloke who Amos had drained. The wolf seemed hungry enough. While I had an uncontrollable urge to set it free. My claws were already out full, and I was shifting. Everything was shades of red and black, but a little more natural.

David McNally was riling it up; he had a cooler box. Opening the lid, I smelt fresh blood: animal and fresher. Without realising it, I'd been walking on tiptoes, moving as stealthily as possible until I could see them through the trees. David tossed slabs of raw steak into a caved space burrowed into a natural wall. Rocks and bushes littered its border and were concealed. Set back off the beaten path. They'd gone through a chained 'no entry' sign.