Fur the Record Excerpt

Chapter Two

Usually our base is quite, I mean it's supposed to be a secret one and all. When I got there, all hell was breaking lose. Gus pulled over, I could see the tension coming off of him.

“Do you want me to keep driving?” He asked in all honesty.

“Nah. A packleader was murdered, I think that's what all this chaos is about.” I said as I unclicked my belt.

“Okay, but I could go with you, Kat.” Concern colored his words.

“And what if Sophie needs to go somewhere?” I laughed.

“I'd think she'd understand if I had to stay with you during this mess.” He gestured out of the window.

“I suppose it does look bad, huh?”

“Yes.”

“I promise if I need anything I'll call you, okay?” I opened the door.

“Keep that promise, Kat.” Gus reached back and stopped me before I could climb out.

“I will.”

Stepping out of the quiet of the car and into the chaos that was the Warehouse base made me want to go back and home and go to bed.

“Agent Purrowells! Finally!” Harkins rushed toward me.

“Um, sir, wouldn't the world be a little likely to send in the military if we moved some of this back into the base?” I threw my arms out.

“Damn the neighbors. We've had five wolf deaths called in already this morning. I suspect there will be more.” He told me.

“Five?” I gulped.

“Yes. Five. Let's head down to my office. I hope you had a light breakfast, Purrowells.” Harkins went ahead of me.

My stomach rolled in response to his statement.

The elevator ride down was considerably less crazy than outside the building. Harkins stood as close to the door as possible- I decided he must have a fear of either enclosed spaces or elevators. I had tucked myself into the back corner. When the door dinged open, I tried not to laugh when he bolted from the steel box.

“Don't like elevators, sir?” I asked in all innocence.

“Can't stand them. I was in an accident involving one when I was a boy.” He shook his head.

The large wooden doors to his office were open- something that was unusual. Agent John Black walked back and forth across the space talking on his phone. The phone on Harkins desk buzzed and all the lights were blazing.

“Agent Purrowells, thank god you're here.” Black said covering his phone.

I knew things were still touch and go between us since I had turned him down for Andrew. I just nodded.

“Agent Black, take it out in the hall. I need to get Purrowells up to speed.” Harkins told Black.

“Yes, sir.” He ducked out of the office and closed the door.

“Why isn't he in our office?” It was odd for the Director's office to be used.

“Your office is in use as well. We had to call in extra teams. Every office we have is in use.” He cleared his throat.

“That bad?” I sat down and sipped my coffee I had forgotten I was holding.

His eyes told me it was much worse.

“As of five this morning, the pack leader, Andrea Wüfsbane and five other wolves from her pack have been brutally murdered. Wüfsbane was beheaded in her residence. It looks like it could be hunters. But our team just got to her location. Tests are happening now. I've sent teams to each location- but morning traffic is slowing down our response.” He sat with a thud.

“If it's hunters, it isn't our problem, sir. That falls into 'pack issues.' They're handled in house.” I remembered Andrea telling me not to meddle in pack problems.

“Usually we don't get involved. However, this entire set up seems just that- a set up. The way Wüfsbane's assistant found her, the leaving of the murder weapon behind- all of it just seems like it was planted. Hunters are not sloppy. This was. Or made to look so.” He steepled his fingers.

“Do we know if the teams are looking for anything odd?”

“Everything. We're having the entire location scanned. I suspect they'll come up with something that doesn't fit in with the hunter cover. If there is any indication of supe involvement, then we're on the clock.”

“I don't understand. Why have we been called in to begin with if we aren't already on the clock? And why all the reinforcements?” Something was being left out.

“The wolves know hunters. They know their work. Hunters never go after the pack and their leader. Usually it's just the weakest members. These killings have all been the most powerful pack members.” He told me.

“Then how do we know this isn't just some inside plot to gain power?” It was obvious.

“The pack has been put into lockdown... if it was an inside job- we'll know.” His phone rang.

I got up and left the office. Black was waiting for me in the hall.

“What do you think about all this?” I asked him.

“Don't know, Kat.” His large frame shifted with his shrug.

“Yeah, but you've got a feeling...” I trailed off.

“I know it wasn't hunters. I also don't think it was inner pack. Doubt these will be the last murders as well.” His face was grim.

“Why?” I didn't get how killing off more of the pack would solve anything for anyone.

“It feels like an extermination, Kat.”

“How so?”

“Kill off those that can protect first and what do you have left? Sheep for the slaughter.”

“Dude, I'd never refer to a werewolf as 'sheep for the slaughter.' What if it is just hunters?” People get sloppy after all.

“It's not.” His voice was certain.

“But how do you know, John?”

“My family, Kat. The thing I didn't want to follow in- it's hunting. I know hunters and their work. This is not hunter work.” His face shutdown.

“Damn, dude. And P.N.I. still recruited you? I mean, shit, you could just be buying your time.” I elbowed him as I winked.

“Not funny, Kat.” It was close to a growl.

“Fine, fine. Well, what do we do now?” I sighed.

“Wait.”

“Dude, I could still be in bed. This does not seem like an emergency to me.” I huffed.

“Kat, at least six werewolves were murdered. At close range. Do you even understand what that means?” He looked like I was an idiot.

“Six people are dead?” I suggested.

“Yes, but someone was able to behead six power packing werewolves and not die themselves.” His words hit home.

I gulped.

This is not going to be a nice, safe, easy case.