all twisted and broken, caught up in the landscaping. She might have looked like a woman, but I knew better. I knew she was just an animal. Made me think of road kill. That’s all she was. Road kill. A dead wolf on the side of the road.”
Burns turned around and walked away, disappearing into the shadows. His voice echoed out of the darkness. “Of course, that wasn’t the end of it. I knew she had a kid. Figured, like mother, like daughter, right? But I never could catch the little brat shifting. All those years…the pictures and story could have made my career.”
Oh my God.
Keisha’s agonized cry echoed in Xandi’s head. Keisha, it’s okay. He’s nuts. Totally nuts. Where are the police?
I don’t know. He killed her. He killed my mother!
Honey, hang in there. We’ll get him. Just hang in there.
You’re the one tied up. I need to get you out of there, need to…
No! Just wait. Please. Just wait. Frantic, Xandi tried to follow Burns’ movements in the shadows while she silently begged Keisha to stay out of sight.
“I finally figured it out. Decided that she could turn into a wolf, just like her mama, but she didn’t know it.” Burns wandered back into the narrow beam of light. “I waited for years, waited and watched. I was real patient.”
He squatted down in front of Xandi once more and rested one fat hand on her knee. She backed away, as far as the chair would allow, but she couldn’t escape the clammy feel of his palm against her bare skin, the twitch of his fingertips emphasizing each word he spoke.
“I got to thinking, maybe she was like the Hulk, ya know? Remember that show, where the guy had to feel really strong emotion to change? I figured, why not? It wouldn’t hurt to try. I hired two losers. Not sure where the third guy came from. They were only supposed to scare the crap out of her, not rape her. Scare her good enough that she’d shift. I figured there might be sort of a ‘fight or flight’ reaction, ya know? Like the Hulk? I was there. I watched it all. It was pretty ugly, got totally out of hand, but it worked. I took some pictures when the little bitch shifted but then she killed them. God, she just tore those poor bastards to pieces. It was awful. What’s worse, I panicked.”
He stood up, brushed his hand across his face. “I am not proud of myself for that, believe me. God. I was so damned stupid. Would you believe I actually burned the film? I was so afraid someone would connect me with the murders…with her rape. That film could have made me a fortune and I panicked.”
Burns whirled around, his eyes wide. “Where the fuck are you? I know you’re here somewhere. Show yourself, damn it. Shift!”
No! Keisha, no!
Xandi sensed Keisha’s outrage, her unleashed anger, and knew there’d be no stopping her. Xandi jerked at the handcuffs binding her wrists, tugged at the cords holding her to the chair, but it wasn’t enough. She heard a loud crunch against the door. The sound of scratching and panting. Another loud cracking noise.
“I knew it!” Burns grabbed a camera off the floor and slipped the strap over his neck, then yanked a knife out of his pocket and slashed the rope holding Xandi to the chair. With her hands still cuffed behind her back, it was all she could do to rise without stumbling. Burns looped another rope around her neck and dragged her to a door at the opposite end of the room.
The door behind them creaked, wood splintered. The hinges groaned.
Keisha? Don’t let him see you!
Sensing only blind, animalistic rage, Xandi tripped over her own feet. She tried to drag Burns to the floor with her, but he caught his balance then twisted her around, holding tightly to her cuffed wrists and tugging on the rope cutting into her throat. Even if she wanted to shift now, Xandi couldn’t risk it. He literally had her leashed.
Burns grabbed a bulky camera bag in his free hand and slung it over his shoulder, then shoved the door open. With a final curse, he pushed Xandi out into the darkness. She tumbled to the rough gravel surface, scraping her knees and falling hard on her shoulder as Burns slammed the door behind him.
She felt the rope cut into her neck as he yanked her upright, then shoved his forearm against the middle of her back. Pushing and pulling, Burns forced her across the parking lot to the stolen rental car. Rocks and broken glass cut into her bare feet.
The twisted strands of rope sawed at her throat. Gasping, choking, she struggled for each breath. The noose around her throat tightened and black spots danced before her eyes. She had no choice but to follow Burns when he yanked on the rope and dragged her across the rough gravel.
A loud crash echoed from the far side of the building. Burns shoved Xandi into the front passenger seat. She landed on her side, one leg caught beneath her, but the noose around her neck loosened when Burns released his end of the rope. Gasping for breath, twisting around, she raised her head in time to see a large wolf leap over the retaining wall at the back of the building.
Burns snapped one quick shot with his camera before throwing his equipment in the back seat and speeding away.
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