Horror Case

Chapter 1

The clock on the tower
chimed midnight as I chased after
the lunatic who tried to steal
from me. He'd broken into my
fucking car and taken my wallet.
His skinny legs drove him ahead
of me, but I could taste his fear
in the wind as I followed. Behind
me, the woman whose purse this
stole, sobbed with her
kids clutched close to her. He
was an danger and he
didn't know how big of a mistake
he'd made.

The streetlights shone like stars
as he ran. His shoes padded along
the sidewalk as he weaved in and out around a few late-night
pedestrians. At the end of the
block, he cut left and ducked
around a corner. The little shit
was fast, but he couldn't shake
me that easily.

A metal door of a dumpster
clanged shut, but I didn't need
to hear that to know where he
was. His heartbeat drummed out a
syncopated rhythm of fear, but he
didn't even know what fear was.
He would, though, once I got
ahold of him. Then he'd know true
terror.

I darted across the street and
dove into the alley between two
buildings. He didn't know who he was dealing with.

My claws extended and I raked
them down the side of the dumpster.
I heard his heart rate speed up,
and I smiled.

"You stole from the wrong person,"
I said, adding a growl at the
end.

"What do you want? Money? I'll
give you half," he blurted out.

It was a waste of time trying to
negotiate with me; it only egged
me on to hurt him more. "And if I
kill you, I'll just take all the
money."

man, don't hurt me," he
whimpered and tossed out my
wallet. "Take it. Take it."

Too late for that shit, but I
pocketed the wallet anyway. "And
the money you took from the mom
with the three kids?" I mocked.
"Come out and I'll make this quick.
" If he forced me to crawl in the
garbg to get him, I was going
to be pised.

My gaze locked on the sliver of
light as the guy emerged from the
back of the dumpster onto a small
patch of dirt.He was no more than five
foot eight, not even coming to my
shoulders. I flicked my causing the silver ring on my
middle finger to glint in the low
light.

"Please," he begged while putting
his hands in the air. "Just take
it." He held out his trembling
hands to me, weeping rivers of
tears. "I just needed something
to eat."

Please.

No way he wanted food. He
just needed his next hit. I
rolled my eyes. "Good luck
buddy."

At my words, he pulled out a gun,
waving it at me. "I-I'll shoot."

"I'm the one with the weapon." As
though feeling the tension of
being prey and me the predator,
his gaze darted between the mouth
of the alley and me, biting his
lip until it was bright red. with terrified people. The
wolf inside me paced in
anticipation.

I took a step toward him and he
paled, shaking so badly the gun
wobbled in his hand.

"Stop it!" His voice rose to a
scream

"Try it." I took another step
closer. "See what happens."

His eyes widened like he thought backward and my wolf snarled,
wanting to clamp its teeth around
his throat.

"Please." He tried to get away,
crab-walking backward, his face
nearly green. "Here. Here's a
purse. It's got money in it. I-I
saw the broad go to the ATM."

He lifted his shirt, pulled out
the red purse, and pressed it
into my hands.

"Don' hurt me," he begged like
he believed I would interrupt my
plans of justice just so I could
grant this one request
of not being hurt