SquidgeWorld Archive

"911…what is the nature of your emergency," the operator asked, noting the time was three a.m.

"HELP! HE'S KILLING ME...," screamed a male voice.

"Who's killing you, sir....sir?" She asked anxiously, but the phone had been dropped and all she could hear was the horrifying sounds of someone screaming, curses being hurled from another male voice, then snarls of some beast, more screams which curdled her blood before a door banged loudly and the screams and growls faded away.  Badly shaken, the operator hurriedly signaled the police but she had a feeling it was already too late.

Thirty minutes after receiving the call of a possible homicide, Officers Binns and Ren of the Tucson Police Department pulled into the drive of a house located outside the city limits on a dirt road. Every light was on and a single vehicle was parked nearby. 

With grim faces, the two climbed out of their car and approached the dilapidated house cautiously, guns drawn. Making as little noise as possible, they climbed the porch steps and halted at the closed front door.  They listened for any movement inside but all was quiet.

Ren guarded Binns' back while he rapped on the door, shouting "Tucson Police! Open up!"  There was no response.  Checking the door, he found it unlocked.  Warning his partner with a hand signal, he turned the door handle then slammed it open. "POLICE! ANYONE HERE?" He boomed, stepping inside.  Only silence greeted them. 

The living room was a scene from a horror flick.  Blood and other things were spattered on nearly every surface and furniture had been tossed or broken.  Grimacing, they carefully searched the home, finding no one.  The small bedroom, bathroom and hall were clean.  The kitchen, however, was in even worse shape than the living area as food had been added to the mix of blood, broken crockery and shattered table.  A smear of blood, with the prints of some large animal tracking through it, showed someone or something had been dragged across the linoleum and out the open back door.  What was missing were any human footprints though there were lots of hand prints on doorways, walls, and kitchen counter.

As they stepped over the threshold, a security light snapped on, illuminating the weedy  backyard which was surrounded by a chain linked fence whose open rear gate led into the desert beyond.  The blood trail went that way so they followed it until they were some fifteen feet from the gate.

Binns nearly stumbled over a very gruesome sight...what was left of a badly clawed male body.  Nervous, the pair shone their flashlights around but could only see more animal tracks and no footprints, leading away into the desert.

"What the hell did this?  He's been clawed and bitten everywhere and where is the other guy?" Ren blurted, shocked.

"Hell if I know but I'd better call the coroner and CSU." Binns was grim as he reached up to his shoulder radio and called it in.

~o~o~o~o~

Dr. Damian Larkspur, CSU night shift supervisor, arrived fifteen minutes after receiving the call.  He'd just finished a 'car meets pole' fatality and had hoped to return to the office but no such luck.  Parking next to the police sedan, he cut his engine, grabbed his kit off the seat beside him then climbed out.  He was a powerful looking individual with broad shoulders, dark complexion reflecting his Native American heritage, and ebony hair tied at the nape of his neck.  He towered over the cop as he came to stand beside him noting said cop seemed extremely nervous and upset.  Obviously, the man had been spooked by something.

"Good evening. What did you find?"  He asked politely in a deep voice. 

The cop grimaced.  "It's a real mess inside and there's a badly clawed body out back.  No sign of the other person reported to be here.  No footprints or sign of another vehicle so we have no idea how the other guy came and went and there's only animal tracks from the house to the body.

Larkspur's black eyebrows rose.  "Really?  Interesting." 

The cop laughed weakly.  "Yeah, you could say that.  Perfect for a Halloween night."

A look of amusement and sympathy flashed briefly across the CSU agent's face as he nodded in agreement before passing the officer to enter the house.  His deep brown eyes studied the bloody scene dispassionately for a moment when a familiar and unwelcome scent struck his nose.  Instantly, his mild manner vanished.....absolute fury flashed in his eyes making them glow a soft amber light and teeth longer than a humans dropped into view as he bared them in a snarling grimace but he let no sound escape him.  Though angrier than he'd been in a long time, he still retained enough sense to not give himself away to the human standing behind him.

How dare one of my kind invade my territory? When I find him, he'll not have time to regret his mistake, he railed inside his head.  However, he couldn't take time to track down the trespasser.  The hunt would have to wait until the humans were gone and the evidence had been collected.  So though it galled him to wait, he shoved his ire aside and went about his job.

Stalking through the gory scene with great care, he studied it closely as he passed through making for the rear exit and the body waiting for him.  The animal prints only confirmed what his nose had told him.  That only added to his fury...the fact the fool had dared to stupidly kill a human ... an even greater transgression than invading another's territory.  That fool was so dead!

By the time he reached the other cop standing by the body, his powerful form was tight with barely suppressed anger but he kept his face neutral as he greeted the officer with a nod then knelt by the body, setting his kit next to him.  The cop, whose gun was still out but pointed at the ground, stepped backward, nervously, from him.

Larkspur could smell the cop's fear which meant he was giving off enough deadly vibes to scare the human.  He was sorry for that but he could do nothing about it as he was far too angry.  So he ignored the man and mechanically set about collecting evidence and taking photos, his mind drifting back to his reasons for coming to Tucson in the first place.

He'd had it with all the infighting among his own kind and had no desire to wait until some youngster deposed him as leader and his mate had died recently as well.  Equally trying was his human job.  Plagued by pompous asses in charge, whose only interest in life was how much publicity they could garner for sensational cases then railroading the innocent to jail, made it a corrupt place to work.  Looking out for number one was the watchword...quality of work was thrown by the wayside.  Disgusted, he resigned from the job, told his pack to find a new leader, then disappeared. 

This new job was great and his workers were the best in the field.  It also didn't hurt his lab was rated the top in the nation thanks in large part to his insistence on the careful collection and reporting of evidence.  The other allure of the city was the desert where he could run and hunt freely and, more importantly, be left alone.

Normally easygoing, he had no problem with others of his kind passing through but if they wished to settle they had to first ask his permission.  Anyone breaking that rule found themselves being run off or killed.  Though just turning sixty, he was a powerful enough alpha to hold his territory against all comers. The sound of footsteps and something rolling on the ground ended his ruminations. Glancing over his shoulder, he saw the officer from out front was helping the coroner push a gurney over the rough terrain.

Dr. Jeremy Jesstern was a short, stocky man with very blond hair and vivid blue eyes.  Only his sideburns and small mustache were white showing his age which was around the same as Larkspurs.  He was top in his field and was normally at the lab, sending his assistants out to cases.

Nodding his head in greeting, the man asked, "What ya got?"

"Male... late thirties... been clawed by an animal of some kind and what are you doing out of your cave?"  Larkspur asked, jokingly.

"Humph, it's Halloween and we're stretched thin, of course....same for you I'm assuming," Jesstern grunted as he too knelt beside the body to begin his examination.

"You'd be right."

"So...an animal?  I thought this was a fight gone deadly."  He poked and prodded the body then probed the nasty throat lac it sported.  "Looks like the animal won.  Where's the other guy?"

"No one knows.  Wasn't here when the cops arrived... just this guy and no sign of the animal.  No ID on the body... though it might be in the house... haven't done anything in there yet," Larkspur reported.  
 
Jesstern shook his head.  "The body is a real mess.  No way to tell if he died before getting nearly decapitated by the animal.  Cause of death will have to wait until I get him back to the lab," he said as he took out a strange tool from his bag then poked it into the body's side.  Reading the information it gave, he said. "Dead approximately two hours."  He put the tool away and rose to his feet.  "You done with him?"

"Yes, he's all yours."

Jesstern nodded then signaled the cops to help him package the body, get it on the gurney, and help roll it to his van.  It took about ten minutes but soon the small group was walking back toward the driveway.  Larkspur remained to photograph the area that had been beneath the body and the animal tracks leading off into the desert.

~o~o~o~o~

Another CSU agent arrived, pulling along side his boss' Landrover.  Turning the engine off, the young man groused softly,  "What a hectic night! I hate Halloween. Hope this one is easier compared to the one I just left because I'm bushed."

Jerry Running Bear was Native American like his boss, handsome, slim, with a wiry body, short ebony hair, and dark eyes.  Just twenty-eight, he was already an experienced member of the Tucson CSU.  His uniform was rumpled from the long shift and wouldn't look any better once he finished this call.  However much he might complain though, he actually loved his job but sometimes it could be very trying like the 'motorcycle versus truck' with two fatalities he'd just finished tonight and now this case of a possible homicide.

Getting out of his vehicle, he went to the rear to retrieve his kit.  The coroner's van was being loaded when he arrived and was just now pulling out as he shut the gate to his SUV. 

Well not 'possible' homicide any longer, he thought.  Sighing, he headed across the dead yard for the front porch and the officers waiting there.  He gave the house a jaundiced eye. What a dump.  Perfect place for a crime, I guess, or a haunted house, he mused.  Coming up beside the guards, Jerry paused to ask, "Bad one?"

The older of the pair grimaced. "If you call a truly messy and clawed up DB bad, yeah, I'd say so."

"A dog attack? But I thought it was an altercation between two men?" Jerry asked, eyebrows raising in surprise.

The officer shrugged.  "Unknown.  An animal is part of the scene.  Not certain if it's a dog, though, but this whole case is weird.  However, don't take my word for it, check it out yourself."

The officers were clearly frustrated which only piqued Jerry's curiosity. "I'll do that. Thanks fellas."  He ducked under the crime scene tape, went up the stairs and peered in the open door.

The small scrap of linoleum marking the entryway was clean but that wasn't true for the dark brown carpet and mint green walls that were liberally covered with blood and other bodily fluids.  He set his case down, pulled on a pair of gloves and a flashlight from a pocket.  Looking around, he noted the path of destruction and blood led from here to the kitchen but didn't go near the small hallway where the bathroom and bedroom were.  So all the action had happened here.  The air reeked of recently cooked food, pine cleaner, and the nasty odor of bodily fluids.

Needing to know if his boss had done anything in the house before starting, he minced his way through the destruction and out the back door.  However, he hadn't cleared the doorway before his supervisor met him coming up the stairs.  "Hi boss....was just coming out to ask what you've gotten done so far."

"Nothing inside. I went straight out to the body so we have all this to do.  Why don't you start in the kitchen and I'll go check the bedroom," Larkspur suggested. 

"Sure, right away."  The two of them walked back through the kitchen and split up in the living room, Jerry going for his kit near the door and Larkspur stepping out the front door to tell the cops they could go.  There was no need for them to stay and he knew they were needed elsewhere on this most hectic of nights.  With that task done, he reentered the house and went down the hallway.

In the kitchen, Jerry set his kit down on a clear space near the wall then set about photographing the scene.  It was when he was collecting physical evidence on the other side of a kitchen counter that divided the room when something caused the small hairs on the back of his neck to rise and a chill to slither down his spine.

Freezing in place, he listened carefully.  A sound of heavy panting and claws clicking on the floor came from somewhere on the other side of the counter and below it.  Swallowing in nervous fright, he carefully leaned over the counter.  There, staring at him, was a huge grey wolf with cold yellow eyes and a mouth full of long sharp teeth, bared in a silent snarl.

Terror sent his heart hammering and he had a desperate desire to scream.  However, if he did, Larkspur would come running and get himself killed.  Unfortunately, as if his thoughts had summoned him, Larkspur appeared in the doorway from the living room.

From the man's throat came a deep rumbling growl, sounding nothing like a human at all.  Both human and wolf jerked their heads toward the doorway.  The wolf began to snarl at this new intruder but froze a second later, sniffing the air.  Whatever it scented caused it to back up toward the rear door where it had entered with hackles rising and tail tucked tightly between its legs. 

"You dare enter my territory without my permission?" Larkspur's odd voice growled, threateningly.

The wolf whined, abased itself, and lowered its ears...a submissive posture.  The young man's eyes flew wide with shock!  In some weird way the wolf apparently understood Larkspur's threat and was trying to make itself seem smaller.

The wolf continued to whimper and cower but Larkspur wasn't moved by its apparent effort to appease him,"...no second chances...you trespassed and killed a human...that's forbidden....now you die!"

The grey wolf gave a terror filled howl before whirling around on his hind legs and racing out the back door. 

A sudden ripping noise jerked Jerry's attention toward the other man again.  A scream froze in his throat at the sight of Larkspur's body changing before his eyes, the clothing ripping apart as the man's form looked less like a human and more like something else.  It looked horribly painful but no sound escaped the transforming face.  The change was swift and when it ended a huge, powerful looking, white wolf stood there on all fours.  Once its form had settled, it ran out the door in a long loping stride, clothing still clinging to its body but rapidly dropping off as it tore across the yard in pursuit of the fleeing grey wolf.

Running around the counter then out the door himself, Jerry halted on the small porch to watch in horrified fascination as the moonlight caught the life and death chase.  Just beyond the gate leading into the desert, the white wolf caught the grey, snatching it by a hind leg to bring it to a halt.  The grey wailed in agony and snapped at the white's face forcing it to let go.  With no way to escape the larger, more powerful wolf, the grey turned and attacked, snapping fangs and raking claws into the white wolf's face.

Though younger and faster, the grey wolf was no match for the heavier and more skilled white.  Its only chance was to utilize every dirty fighting trick it knew....snapping at underbelly, legs, throat, and eyes. But its efforts were fruitless as, almost lazily, the white wolf avoided all its attempts then struck fast and hard with a heavy paw, slapping the pup's neck to the ground, making its teeth clack together in a snap.  Leaning down, the white took a firm grip of the neck ruff, sinking fangs in.  

Squealing in fear and pain, the younger wolf desperately tried to squirm away from those deadly fangs by shaking it's head madly. With one final wrench and dropping it's rear and rolling its body, it finally broke the teeth lock then kicked the heavier wolf in the gut with all four paws.  Free, it scrambled to its feet but got no more than a few steps before the white wolf leaped and landed on top of the pup and this time took the neck fully in his mouth before closing his jaws, snapping the pup's neck. 

Releasing the body, the alpha wolf panted to catch its breath then tilted its head upward to howl triumphantly at the moon.  In the distance, a chorus of coyote howls joined in.  When the howls faded, the big wolf turned from the corpse in the yard and trotted back toward the house. 

Only then did the young human realize his danger.  He'd witnessed something he was certain no human was supposed to know.  Would the creature kill him now?  Panicking, Jerry turned, fleeing back through the house and out the front door. Unfortunately, he'd barely set foot on the porch steps when a huge shape came bounding round the corner of the house and cut off his escape as it came to a sliding halt at the bottom of the stairs.  Jerry had to grab a porch post to keep from tumbling down to meet it face to face.  Trembling with fear, he stared down at the wolf, his gun pointing at it in a shaky grasp....not really aware of when he'd drawn it.

For long seconds, the only sound was their frantic breathing, amber eyes meeting brown ones in a frozen stare.

Finally, not able to stand the tension, Jerry blurted in fright, "You going to kill me too?"

The wolf continued to stare, unmoving, blood glistening on its muzzle and white chest fur.  Then, to the human's astonishment, the wolf form began to morph and, seconds later, Larkspur stood there totally naked...human once more.  The man was calm and behaved as if nothing odd had happened as he eyed the young man intently.

When he finally spoke there was a hint of a threat in his words though his voice tried to be soothing. "No, I'm not going to kill you. You've done nothing wrong.  Of course, you do understand, no one can know about this, right?"

"Are you kidding? Who the hell would believe me? I saw it and I still have problems wrapping my head around werewolves existing,"  Jerry exploded, his hand with the gun lowering.

Larkspur grimaced in distaste. "Not werewolves, Jerry...shape shifters. I'm not one of those idiot Hollywood creations.  Shape shifters are born this way and we've existed since the dawn of man...right along side them, as a matter of fact."

"Wha...how is that possible?"

"How is it not? Where do you think all those stories about us originated?  All manner of shape shifters have existed for centuries, though a few have gone extinct like the dragon, however wolves, coyotes, big cats, and bears are still around."

Jerry's eyes grew round.  It was a shock to learn what he thought as fantasy was very real indeed.  The gun banged against his leg reminding him he was still holding it.  Blushing in embarrassment, he quickly clicked the safety on, then put it back in his holster.  

"Sorry, sir.....hey....don't wolves live in packs?"

"I choose to live without one though I was alpha of a pack a couple of decades ago. I grew tired of the fighting over dominance and when I lost my mate I lost any desire to be a part of a pack any longer. I moved here, made this territory my own, and I'm happy," Larkspur summed up his life in a few words.

Jerry shook his head in wonder. "That's a hell of a secret, boss. But it must come in handy at times, like now. Was he the one that killed our vic?"

"Yes. But I have no idea if he's a rogue with no pack or if his pack is somewhere in the city.  I'll have to investigate that and run them off, if there is one lurking about.  Right now, though, we still have this scene to finish processing.   I'd like to find out why and what the two were fighting about.  Has to be something important for him to remain near the scene of his crime."

"I'm guessing by what you said and how you acted, that you don't like intruders in your territory so why did this guy dare it?  Didn't he know you were here?"  Jerry asked, confused.

"It's possible he didn't know, after all the area is vast and I'm not the only one here though I am the only alpha.  Again, I have to think there was something important they wanted here to dare intrude on my territory as well as kill a human to get it,"  Larkspur said.

"So you guys have a rule against harming us, eh?  Why? I mean, I'm glad you do but...." Jerry asked, hesitantly.

"I really don't want to go into a history lesson right now but I will say, killing humans brings unwanted attention on us. As you know full well, humans kill what they don't understand.  We've worked hard to insure our secret remains a secret.  We just want to go about our lives in peace."

"I can't blame you and you're right, we are a  'shoot first, ask questions later' species.  So okay, why didn't you get our answers before...uh...offing that guy?"

Larkspur snorted.  "Did it look like he was going to answer questions?"

"Well, no but then you scared him shitless."

"True, but even if I had allowed him to speak, he wouldn't have as he would have disobeyed his pack leader or if he was a rogue, he knew he wouldn't get mercy talking so either way he was screwed.  Killing him was a kindness, believe me, and it also sent a message to his pack, if he has one, that an alpha is here and to leave immediately," Larkspur said flatly.

"I can't see anyone being stupid enough to tangle with you, boss," Jerry agreed, fervently.  "However, without the perp it's going to be tougher to close this case.  So, how do we go about disposing of your...uh...trespasser and explaining all these confusing clues?"

Larkspur sighed. He knew Jerry wouldn't like his answer but it was the only one possible.  "Everyone will do their job and discover as much as they can from the evidence we've collected except for the dead wolf then when it has all been processed and the reports sent to me, I'll simply change the facts to a more plausible explanation before sending it up the chain."  He was right, Jerry definitely wasn't happy about covering up a case which was what he liked about the young man....honest to a fault.

"Seriously?  I hate that. We do all this work and it never gets solved ruining our perfect record,"  Jerry complained.

"I understand, really I do but this is just one of those rare times when the truth could cause serious harm and consequences to a whole species, so my way is best."

Jerry sighed.  "Yeah, I get it. You've probably done this before too so I'll leave you to take care of it and try to forget it happened.  But it still sucks."   Nothing was said for several seconds then, "So, I guess we should get busy processing this scene, huh?"  Jerry's eyes stayed firmly glued to his feet, uneasy with Larkspur's nakedness. 

Noting his young colleague's discomfort, a small smile tugged at Larkspur's lips.  "Good idea.  You go ahead and get started while I get some clothes on and deal with our problem out back."

"I suppose you just happen to keep a set of duds in your vehicle for just such ... uh ... emergencies?"  Jerry asked, smiling wanly.  Larkspur only smirked.  Jerry shook his head then frowned.  "Uh sir? There's a lot of questions I want to ask about shape shifters...will you answer them?"

Larkspur paused and studied Jerry a long, considering moment before nodding. "Sure, I guess it would be wise to include you in our world since you already know about us and will be working with me.  You can be my extra eyes out there when something unusual happens.  We do that on rare occasions, allowing a human into our world I mean, but secrecy must be maintained. Betray us and you're dead."

Jerry shuddered but nodded his understanding, eyes solemn. "Good, then how about a home cooked pasta dinner for our discussion at my home?"  Larkspur asked mildly.

The young man's eyes widened in surprise.  "Seriously?  Wow!"  Then looked a bit worried.  "You aren't trying to get me somewhere you can still take me out are you?"

Larkspur laughed in true amusement.  His young colleague was a likeable fellow and he enjoyed his sharp and intelligent mind. This relationship might work out very well.  Still smiling broadly, he stepped up the stairs and clapped the young man on the shoulder, deliberately ignoring Jerry's flinching.

"No, I wouldn't harm you for all the world.  I like you Jerry and I hope we can be friends."

Jerry relaxed and sighed.  Looking upward at the imposing man, he managed a smile of his own.  "I'd like that. Okay, you got a deal and I'll even bring a salad and wine."

"Great.  I'll let you know when.  Perhaps this weekend if you're free.  Now let's get to work, the night isn't getting any younger," Larkspur said, giving Jerry another slap on the back before going back down the stairs and walking around the house out of view.  The human pushed the disturbing new information he'd learned aside and went back inside to work.

~o~o~o~o~

When he reached the corpse, Larkspur gave a long howling call into the night.  Immediately, answering howls came from the distance.  Some minutes later, a pack of coyotes came running up to him. They approached with tails wagging and mouths grimacing in resemblance of doggy smiles.  Smiling in return, he petted each one before gesturing to the dead body.  With eager cries, the pack fell on the dead wolf, tearing it apart and hauling the pieces into the desert.  Smiling grimly, Larkspur shuffled dirt around to cover any blood traces. Satisfied he'd covered the evidence, he walked around the house to his car, pulled a backup key from beneath the frame and unlocked the door. 

~o~o~o~o~

The sudden howl from out back followed minutes later by high pitched barks and yips made Jerry jerked his head up and listen, nervously.  When nothing else happened, he relaxed and went on collecting evidence.  He really didn't want to know what was going on out there.  It was just one of the many things he would have to learn to accept being friends with a wolf shifter.