Misery County

Chapter 14 - Part 1

Cassie stood outside the back door of whatever the hell this building was supposed to be. Was it a warehouse? A factory? It didn't matter, she supposed. Much like the fun fair, it certainly wasn't being used for whatever it used to be used for anymore. The entire industrial complex they were in seemed to be abandoned. That was a recurring trend in Missouri County, she'd found. This economy was merciless.

And yet, in spite of the total lack of civilians around, she knew better than to flaunt her work out in the open. Sweat was building up on her back under her trench coat, but between her back and the trench coat sat all of her equipment all ready to use. Her little handbag pistol was sitting snug in a shoulder holster while a rarely-used Glock 17 was waiting for action in a drop leg holster, still conveniently hidden by the trench coat, of course. More magazines than she could possibly need were strapped all over her body, all of them loaded with silver. Eric believed that this place would be full of werewolves, or so he said, so she went with that as well. It didn't stop her from feeling nervous, though. Her palms were sweating, and her breath was ragged.

"Which one of you is breathing into your microphone like a suffocating bulldog?" Eric's voice came over the earpiece.

"For fuck's sake," Cassie mumbled before turning off the microphone on her earpiece. If Eric was going to give her shit for breathing, she may as well spare him the trouble.

He was talking to Jerry now. Cassie began to listen, but her attention was quickly stolen by a man in the alley behind her.

"You got any change?" he grumbled, barely understandable.

"No. Sorry," she responded.

"So, you got any change?" the man said again.

"No, I fucking don't have any change. Now get outta here. You're bothering me."

"You got any –"

This was just what she needed, Cassie thought, a witness to her kicking down a door and shooting a bunch of monsters masquerading as men. Of course, he wouldn't see them as monsters, would he? No, he'd see a massacre against a crowd of innocent warehouse workers.

"You got any –"

Maybe it would be for the best to just shoot this man right here and now.

"You – you got any change?"

"Listen," Cassie said, closing in on the man. "I'm not going to give you any change right at this moment, but if you would kindly fuck off away from this place, I might reward you with a whole tenner. Yeeees, woooow, a tenner. I bet you ain't seen many of those, have you?"

"Minor blip, Jerry. Don't lose your cool," said Eric over the earpiece. This wasn't good. Cassie hadn't been keeping up with the radio conversation, but this line didn't inspire much hope in her. She might have to act, and she might have to do it fast. It was time to get rid of this bum.

"So, what do you say, my foul-smelling friend? Will you hit the road, at least for a little bit?"

"I've got a better idea," said the bum, baring a set of impossibly sharp teeth.

"Oh no," Cassie said out loud as fur began to sprout over the man's face and hands.

She reached down for the pistol in her thigh holster, but the werewolf was too fast, even mid-transformation. He swatted her arm away with an increasingly claw-y hand and grabbed the Glock out of its place, tossing it down the street.

"Eric, a little help back here!" she shouted into her microphone.

"Cassie, I don't like how this is looking. Get ready to bust in," was the only response she got from Eric.

Of course. Her microphone was still off. She reached up to the side of her face to turn it back on, but once again, the werewolf was faster. He launched himself onto her, knocking her to the ground but bouncing off her as he did.

She took the opportunity to get back on her feet and spin around to face him. He was already doing the same. The two locked eyes. Cassie knew that the second she made a move, whether it be to grab her other pistol or to activate the microphone on her earpiece, the werewolf would be on her faster than flies on shit. The moment stretched on for longer than she imagined was possible.

"Fuck! Cassie, if you can get in quietly, do so now. It's not looking good," came Eric's dulcet tones over the earpiece.

If she didn't act, it would never happen, but revealing that she had another firearm until she could safely get it wouldn't be the best idea, so she dove over to the side and tried to reach for the microphone switch on her earpiece again, but for a third time, the werewolf was too fast and got on top of her before she could reach it.