Of Wolves and Oranges

Chapter 6: Elizabeth

The man in the suit scowls as I reverse the car, slamming into the shooter who has just opened fire on my back windscreen. A scream echos above my the roar of my engine as the car crushes the man against the truck behind me. Suit raises the back of his gun and smashes through the drivers seat window. Flipping the lock and yanking the door open in one smooth movement, he grabs my arm and tries to pull me from the car but I fight him, grasping at the steering wheel tightly. He uses his pistol to hit me across the face, and in my ensuing shock, he drags me out of the car.

"Right guys, fix that wheel and make sure all the cars are ready to move out in five minutes. Dan, see if you can stop Mark's bleeding and for God's sake take off your balaclavas, you look like a bunch of criminals. I'm taking this bitch into the forest where they won't find her body."

I struggle to get free, I slam my heeled boot down on his foot and twist out of his grasp. I sprint towards the forest, seeking the shelter of the trees which seem to be calling my name. But as I stumble through the undergrowth, l lose my footing and trip over a log. Before I can right myself I feel a hand grip my arm and yank me up. The force sends a lancing pain through my shoulder and I cry out. I whimper involuntarily as he twists my injured arm behind me and forces me deeper into the forest, his gun now trained to the small of my back.

"Please, just take my car. I promise won't say a thing. Just please, don't kill me."

"You've already seen too much, girlie." He sneers, "Maybe you should have thought about that before you crushed my men with your car."

He shoves me down, face first, on the forest floor. I smell the heady scent of pine needles and focus on a bright green ferny frond which lies within inches of my face. I am going to die here. I don't want to die. I turn my head and watch the barrel of the gun aim towards me and Suit's finger releasing the safety catch. I will not let him shoot me in the back of the head and I push myself up with my good arm and glare at him as the sun winks off the gold tooth in his evil smile.

At that moment there is flash of grey and silver and a massive wolf launches itself towards Suit and clamps its jaws around the hand holding the gun, carrying the man down with it. I stare in shock as the wolf turns on Suit and goes straight for his throat, as the man lifts his uninjured hand to try and protect himself. But it is useless, the wolf rips at his throat, blood spurts and the man's scream is cut short into a shocked gurgle. Within seconds, Suit's eyes are glazed over and staring at the forest canopy as blood dribbles down his neck into the pine needles.

The wolf turns to me, his mouth coated in Suit's blood. His ears, which had been flattened back against his head in aggression now prick forward and he edges closer. I try to shuffle back, away from him, but my shoulder gives and I fall back into the ferns. In the background I hear police sirens and yelling, but my world is taken up completely by the wolf. I should be terrified but I am intrigued by this violent creature. He lowers himself to his stomach on the piney floor and shuffles closer on his stomach until his nose is soft and cold against my hand. He looks up at me and whines, his puppy dog eyes bright blue against his grey pelt. I raise myself with my good hand and he lifts himself to seated as I wrap my arm around him and start to cry uncontrollably, burying my head into his warm neck.

I am startled by someone clearing his throat and I release the wolf to see a big man crouched down by the body of Suit. He is dressed in a dark blue t-shirt with a blue flannel over. His blonde hair is cut short and he is clean shaven, showing a strong jaw. The wolf turns and stands protectively between us.

"Brother, you're a mess. You'd better go get changed before the ambulance arrives. Don't worry, I'll look after your beastie". He says in Afrikaans.

The wolf turns to me and whines before running back towards the cars. The tall man stands and holds out a hand to help me up. As I straighten I realise that I only reach his chest, I stagger back, afraid.

"Dont worry, little beastie. You need not start away so hasty. I am Max."

I stare at him. "Max. Jaco's brother? But you called the wolf, brother. Was that, was that, Jaco?"

Max nods and looks at me carefully. "You know shifters?"

"Yes, my mother used to talk about them all the time."

"And youre not freaked out?"

I laugh nervously. "I was almost shot today. Wolves who save my life are the least of my problems."

"Did he hurt you?" Max asks, moving closer and tilting my head gently to look at the bruising around my eye.

"That will look awful by tomorrow but I'm more concerned about my shoulder, it feels like its dislocated."

Max runs his hand down my shoulder and I wince as it dips over the abnormal contour.

"Well, you could go to hospital to have this done, or I can do it for you here." He offers.

"Do it now, Max. The longer it stays out the more painful it is to put back."

Max grips my wrist and my shoulder and in one quick movement he flips the shoulder back into its socket. Blinding pain courses through my body and I scream as my legs give way, but he's there supporting me and holding my shoulder in place.

"What the fuck, Max? I leave her alone with you for two minutes and you're assaulting her."

Jaco is back and pushing Max away from me. A deep growl resonating from his chest. He has changed into a pair of sweat pants and a vest. I put out a hand and touch him.

"No, Ford, he was helping me. Just re-locating my shoulder. Calm down."

Ford turns to me, looking down at my arm which I am cradling with the good arm. He strokes my bruised face before pulling me into an embrace.

"I thought I lost you, love. I never want to lose you, Golf."

"Oh, but Ford, you saved me."

Another voice tears us out of our reverie. "Well, this is another fine mess you've got yourself in, Van Rooyen." I look up to see a tall, black policeman leaning against a pine tree. "How am I going to explain one of the areas most notorious crimes bosses lying in a forest with his throat ripped out?

Ford pulls me closer and stares at the man. "Well, I guess I could always say he started it, Detective."

The policeman flashes a blinding grin and holds out his hand to Ford. "Good to see you again, Jaco. It's been too long. Although I see you haven't wasted any time in getting into trouble."

Ford shakes the Detectives hand. "Good to see you too, man. Listen, what could I do, he was threatening my girl."

I look up at him. Since when am I his girl? sometime in the passed three hours? But strangely it feels right for him to call me that.

The detective raises his eyebrows. "Yeah, I saw the whole thing. He was about to shoot her and, knowing Naidoo, he would have, so it was self-defence. But either way I will be needing all your statements. Can you bring your, girl, down to the station? Or does she need help from the paramedics. It may take a while to stabilize those two with crush injuries though."

Max steps forward, over the dead man. "She just needs a sling I'll grab one on our way out."

The policeman nods and disappears silently back towards the flashing lights by the road. The brothers walk me back to the bakkie, trying to shield me from the carnage, but I still steal a look. My car is a mess, the front and back crumpled where I crashed it, both windscreens shattered with a myriad of bullets holes, as well as the non-existent driver's window. I flinch as I remember Naidoo, pistol whipping my head before dragging me from the car. The man I crushed is being attended to by the paramedics, his eyes glazed over in pain. But he is the lucky one. Other bodies lie under white sheets, unsettling in their stillness. Max goes to get a sling from the paramedics and Ford helps me into the back seat of the truck before climbing in next to me and pulling me close. We drive in silence to the station.