Try (Book Four, Teen Wolf)

Ch. 6: Orphaned

They had called me because they knew they needed help to fight against Kate and the Berserkers if it came to that.

When Scott woke up in the clinic, the first thing he saw was Deaton.

"Hey, there," Deaton told him. "I was actually hoping you'd be out for a few more minutes."

Scott looked down at the broken Berserker claw in his stomach.

"Scott," I said as I stepped next to the table. He looked at me. "This is gonna hurt."

I started to pull the claw out, making him groan at first. As I pulled it out further, it made him scream in pain. I finally got the claw out.

Scott tried to stand. When he started to fall, I kept him standing.

"You all right?" Argent asked.

Scott nodded. Deaton walked closer with a cloth to slow the bleeding. "Where's my dad and the Sheriff?"

"They're at the hospital," Deaton answered. "They're both doing just fine. Here, hold this."

I nodded, holding the cloth to Scott's stomach. "Mm-hmm."

Scott's hand laid over mine. I looked up to him. He looked from Argent to me. "It was Kate. It was her and the Berserkers."

"We know," Argent told him. "But they move fast. And they don't leave much in the way of tracks."

"We have to find her," Scott told us. "She's got Violet. I think Violet knows where Liam is."

Deaton held out the claw to us. "Then as much as this hurt, it could probably also help. Can either of you get a scent?"

I looked from Scott to Deaton as I took the claw from Deaton.

*

At the abandoned factory, Scott and I landed on the concrete of the parking lot as Argent drove closer. We walked toward him as he got out of the car. He looked at the building, looking down with recognition.

"You been here before?" I asked.

"I worked here," Argent answered. "We used to own the building. It wad part of our business."

"I've fought these things before," Scott told him. "We both have. They're strong. Really strong."

"That's why I brought this," Argent told us, opening the back seat driver's side door, pulling out a military-grade machine gun.

Scott nodded. "I'm good with that."

Argent nodded, leading the way to the warehouse.

*

Inside, ignoring the white translucent rubber sheets, we walked toward the back.

"You shouldn't have come," Kate told us, but we didn't see her, making us look around.

"Kate," I said. "We're here for Violet. We need to talk to her."

"I knew you would find me," Kate told us. Her enlarged shadow appeared over the rubber sheets at the end of the building. Argent aimed the gun in her direction. "But . . . I was hoping we could do this later." The Berserkers' enlarged shadows appeared on either side of her. "I just needed a little more time."

"For what?" Argent asked.

"To learn control," Kate answered as she scratched along the rubber before pushing it aside, walking into view. "Lower the gun. We walk away. And you don't have to get hurt."

"Where's Violet?" Scott asked.

Kate, shifted, her face and neck blue, her eyes glowing dark green, looking at her brother. "Put the gun down, Chris."