Simon was just getting off the phone when she walked into his office.
"We have an updated list of people who purchased Wildfire from the second and third sites we found. It should be in your mailbox. I cross-referenced against local hospitals, GPs, and pharmacy records. I figure if they have been hospitalized at some point, or have a prescription for anything, they are most probably Human. This, at least, gives you a better starting point."
"Good thinking. It took us forever to get through that first list," Simon said.
"Alice and I spoke to one of the patients you brought in. It looks like Wildfire is being distributed by Werewolves."
Before she could continue, Simon's phone rang.
By his abrupt change in demeanor, she knew who was on the other end. Simon's shoulders pulled back, his muscles tense and ready for orders as he listened intently. "Parker's with me at the moment, and she pretty much said the same thing."
Simon activated the speakerphone, and Daniel grilled her about her conversation with Gail. She summarized their discussion, including who was behind the drug.
"She can't remember what he looked like, only that he had an accent."
"That supports the information we've received. Except instead of a club, we think it was a customer at the restaurant. The name of the Werewolf who killed those kids is Tyler. He worked at the restaurant," Daniel said.
Parker considered the available options. "It may be a long-shot, but if we can get hold of the security footage from the club that Gail was at, we might be able to identify him."
Daniel agreed to Parker's suggestion and instructed Simon to make the necessary arrangements.
"There's still one thing bugging me..."
Daniel's concern echoed through the phone. She had the same fear. "How are these Werewolves being targeted? I can't imagine anyone I know wanting to try Wildfire in the first place. Gail was susceptible because of the group of kids she hung with. She wanted to fit in. So naturally, it didn't take too much prompting to push her over the edge."
"I would say it wasn't too difficult at this end either. Tyler's pack shunned him. No other pack would take him in. As a result, he was feeling isolated."
Simon sat back in the chair, strain and anger evident on his face. "So, assuming that they are actively preying on vulnerable Were's, how the hell do they know who to target?"
The question hung in the air. The unknown force threatening the very existence of Werewolfkind was one step ahead of them.
"We need to regroup. There are names on the new list near where I am now. We'll see if we can track them down, and then head home. It should only take a couple of days." Daniel paused. "Parker, whatever you need, just let Simon know."
Once the call ended, she and Simon discussed the best ways in which to acquire the security footage. She suggested an option, but Simon zoned out mid-sentence.
Parker had been around Werewolves long enough to know he was having a telepathic conversation. Based on his expression, it wasn't a good one.
"Feck." He bolted out of his seat and rushed out the door.
Parker trailed after him. They made their way to the Pack House, and she spotted a white van speeding up the road. It entered the compound and skidded to a halt. No sooner had it stopped than three large men emerged from the vehicle.
Despite the van being stationary, it was rocking from side to side.
She froze when the doors opened. The patients brought in earlier had only minor visible blemishes that indicated something was amiss. The thing that emerged from the vehicle in restraints was neither man nor wolf. It was caught somewhere in between. Four enforcers were required to escort him out of the van and into the hospital.
Disfigured beyond recognition, the thing was covered in black abscess-like pustules. The smell that came from him was overpowering, and his tortured howls echoed across the valley. Dusk had settled across the valley, and responding howls from wild wolves were heard for miles.
The pack members witnessing the spectacle quickly rounded up the children and spirited them away. A cold chill ran up and down her spine, but she gathered her wits and ran ahead to warn Alice of the new arrival. The enforcers dragged the man, now almost manic, inside and chained him to a bed. Alice dosed him with morphine as soon as she could get near him.
"W-why does he look like that?" Simon said.
Alice, who was taking the man's pulse, cast a compassionate glance over her new patient. "He's frozen mid-change, and it's putting his body under a great deal of strain. We need to get enough painkillers into him to let him change back."
Parker cringed when Alice injected another dose of morphine using a large needle. His hardened skin initially resisted, but gave way with additional pressure. Her stomach lurched, and she held back her body's natural reaction to the scene.
The man howled in agony, but slowly the morphine took effect, and the Werewolf transformed into a man, bones cracking and snapping throughout the process.
Alice examined him. Her look of concern increased exponentially with each new trauma she discovered. "Femurs and tibia on both legs have snapped. He has broken ribs, and his shoulders are dislocated. In his condition, I don't think his body is going to heal the damage."
Simon, who had remained in the background while Alice did her job, stepped forward and watched as the man continued to pull against the restraints and scream obscenities. His bright Hawaiian shirt and colorful flip flops were a direct contrast to the black mood which had taken over the room. "What can we do?"
Alice looked down at the man, her quick mind assessing her options. "I don't know. I will need to run some tests."
Her unspoken words were clear. She did not hold out much hope for his recovery.
Parker met Simon's concerned look. His body had become stiff and a light sheen of perspiration erupted across his brow. "I'll see what I can do about getting some screens for privacy," he said
For the next hour, the man continued to fight against the restraints, reacting like a man possessed. No one could get near him. Foam pooled around his mouth, reminding Parker of a rabid dog. Alice upped the dosage of morphine until he finally calmed down enough to stop pulling against his chains.
The Werewolf remained quiet for some time, then he opened his eyes, blinked, and looked around in confusion. "Where am I?" His words came out in a raspy croak.
Alice approached and took some readings. "You're safe. Can you tell me your name?"
The man struggled to remember. "Tony." He sucked in a breath. "My name is Tony."
"Tony, you're ill," Alice said. "You were brought here so we can take care of you. Can you remember what happened?"
They watched as he tried to make sense out of his scattered mind. "I remember walking down an alley. I was hungry, and I saw a homeless man digging through the dumpsters at the back of a restaurant, and then I remember..." He broke off, his eyes widening as a memory flooded his mind. "Oh Luna, please, no! I didn't mean to. Please, m-make the pain go away."
The Werewolf began to lose his tenuous hold on lucidness.
With a gut-wrenching scream, he cried out. "Please kill me, just kill me!" He was pulling so hard on the cuffs that he had cut through his skin, and the metal rubbed against exposed bone.
Simon, wide-eyed, glanced around the room and snapped his gaze back to Tony. A mixture of fear, sorrow, and horror crossed his face. "Can't you give him anything else?"
Alice placed the used hypodermic needle onto the tray. Her hands shook as she reached for another glass vial, and she dropped it twice before she managed to secure it tightly in the palm of her hand. "Nothing works... we have pumped enough morphine in him to kill an elephant five times over."
Parker's head was spinning. Things were too real. This man. This place. This situation was more than her brain could process. She was supposed to be behind a computer monitor, not watching someone die in such a horrific manner. It was like her legs were stuck in concrete. She was unable to move, and no matter how much she willed her body, it was frozen to the spot.
The man's eyes alternated between amber and hazel, both man and animal in frenzied madness. Foam poured from his mouth and nose. His skin darkened as the minutes passed. The room filled with moans and wails, and Parker felt sick to her stomach. And yet, her body refused to move.
Minutes dragged into hours as the witnesses held vigil, and awaited the inevitable outcome. The moans from the bed finally gave way to a low whimper, a tentative gasp for air, and then nothing. No sound, no moan, no wail. Nothing. Silence. Deathly silence.
Alice searched for any vital signs. Her shoulders slumped in defeat. She stood back, her eyes fluttered closed, and she exhaled. "It's over. He's gone." A single tear trickled down her cheek.
Parker remained rooted to the spot, staring at the still-warm body. The pain and anguish that twisted his face had faded. He was now shrouded in peace. Silence descended upon the room, and she was sure her heartbeat could be heard for miles. She took a labored breath, but the sharp, rancid smell of his festering sores was almost too much for her gag reflex, and she fought back the rising bile.
Time stood still. The lifeless body disfigured by the disease deliberately inflicted on it lay limp on the bed. Eyes still open, still chained, still dead.
Simon placed both hands on his head. "This is only the beginning."
Parker's legs began to shake and threatened to buckle. She took deep breaths and clenched her fists to fight off the lightheadedness. The pulsing of her blood as it rushed through her veins and her racing heart working overtime was deafening. A moment later, something snapped, and her body stilled. Then, like a backdraft, rage took hold. She allowed it to consume her. Its white-hot flames welcomed her like a long-lost friend. Now able to break free of the inertia that had overpowered her, she bolted for the door.
"Where are you going?" Alice said. Her voice was thick with pent-up emotion and sorrow.
Her brows furrowed, and hermouth set into a grim line. "To break a dozen state, federal, and internationallaws. Those sites are coming down. I don't care how."