Scott returned to the Hummer, carrying the hat box. "Here's how we take Fenrir down."
"With an old lady's hat?" Elizabeth asked.
"No! It's not a hat!" Scott opened the box and pulled out the long silken cord.
"With a long ribbon?" Dawn asked. "That doesn't look like it will hold a poodle, let alone a giant wolf!"
"This is Gleipnir. It was forged by the dwarves, and it's impossibly strong. This is the leash of Fenrir. Whoever has this can control the great wolf."
"And you are the one who has it!" Jeremiah exclaimed.
"See? I'm not a total waste!"
"So, what's the plan?" Jane asked.
"Well, Fenrir is coming this way. I see a couple of buildings here that are fairly tall: that old bank building is three stories, and the old hotel right next door is four. Both are old brick buildings, probably dating to the time when they made things to last. They should withstand an impact, even from a 30-foot-long wolf. Now, all we need is for someone to act as bait and stand down in the alley between the buildings. Then, I'll need someone to go on top of the bank, and another on top of the hotel."
"But both buildings are locked!" Jane said. "They've been locked ever since both business closed down ages ago! How are you going to get someone to the top levels without going up the stairs?"
Jeremiah smiled. "Jane, I am not sure if you are aware, but we are vampires."
"I'm not," Dawn said.
"So, you all are vampires." Jane looked at Jeremiah, Elizabeth, and Scott. "But you're 'nice' vampires, right?"
"Oh, god," Elizabeth snapped. "I swear, the next person who calls me a 'nice vampire' is gonna get their lungs ripped out!"
"Well," Scott said, "Jeremiah and I are what you'd call 'nice', I guess. And Elizabeth, well, she's a really grumpy vampire."
"Anyway!" Jeremiah said, "back to our plan! I will go up on the hotel, and Elizabeth?"
"I still think we shouldn't take chances," Elizabeth replied. "And I still think I can take that thing out with the Barrett."
"He's not a thing," Scott said. "He's my friend. And what did I say about 'taking him out', huh?"
"Uh, guys?" Jane mumbled.
"Well, like I said, your friend is a monster," Elizabeth said.
"He is now. But we can change him back. I know we can."
"Uh, guys?" Jane said again.
"Scott is right," Jeremiah said. "We should try all means at our disposal to take Fenrir down without collateral damage, and try to preserve the life of Scott's friend!"
"Uh, guys!" Jane shouted.
"What?" Elizabeth, Jeremiah, and Scott all asked in unison.
They noticed Jane pointing toward the southwest. Across the street, in front of Rex's Country Cafe, was a pack of werewolves. They had ceased pursuing other prey, and were now focusing on the assembled group of vampires and humans. Without further ado, Elizabeth picked up her SCAR and aimed the grenade launcher at the werewolves.
"Cover your ears," she warned as she pulled the trigger on the M203, launching a round at the werewolves. The grenade struck with effect, tearing the pack asunder, throwing werewolf limbs and organs everywhere, while simultaneously blowing a hole in the front of the café, sending shards of glass and wood flying.
"You just blew up the only place in this town where you could get a decent cup of coffee!" Jane said.
"Eh, call it urban renewal."
"Wow, that was awesome," came a voice from behind the group, a voice familiar to Dawn and Scott. They all turned around to see the sasquatch standing there. "Man, you really fried those wolves! Good job!"
"Bernie!" Dawn cried as she ran to the monster and hugged him.
"Hey there, little sister! Emmett said you all needed help. So, here I am!"
Elizabeth and Jeremiah were not taken aback by the appearance of the sasquatch, as they both realized that such things existed and knew of their reputation for non-violence. Jane, on the other hand, stood with mouth wide open.
"What... you...you are...?" Jane stammered.
"Bernie."
"B...Bernie. And you...you're a... bigfoot?"
"We don't really like the term 'bigfoot'. We're kinda sensitive about the size of our feet. We prefer 'sasquatch'. Or 'squatch, for short."
"Oh, my, God. Vampires, werewolves, undead Nazis, and Norse myth. All real. And now, I find out that bigfoot... sorry, sasquatch... is real. What else is real? I mean, is the Loch Ness monster real?"
Bernie looked down toward his large feet. "Sadly, Nessie passed on a few years ago. Real bummer about that. But Ogopogo is still around! Heck, I could hook you guys up sometime, if you're interested!"
"Bernie!" Scott cried. "We could use you. There's a big-ass wolf coming this way. That wolf is actually my friend, Zed. I think I know how I can stop him without killing him. We're going to lure him into a trap. We're going to lead him between those two tall buildings, where we're going to lasso him, or somehow get this leash around his neck. That should control him. And while we're doing that, I'm going to go back to that dell and try to figure out how to get those runestones to stop working."
"Up there?" Bernie said, indicating the hotel. "No problem, I'll get right up there. Who's gonna take the other building?"
"I will," Jeremiah said. "I will tie a large noose for the wolf; you will help guide it from the other side, okay?"
"Got it!"
"Then who will be bait?" Scott asked.
"I will, " Jane volunteered.
"Are you sure?"
"Not really. But this is my town, so I guess it's my fight. And anything I can do to help save the world, well, I want to do it. So, I'll be the bait."
"Good, and Elizabeth?"
"Sorry, but you need a failsafe," Elizabeth said. "If this thing goes sideways, and I hate to say it, but it will go sideways because your plan sucks, then we need a final option. I'm sorry. But if I need to kill your friend to save the world, then your friend dies."
Scott knew he couldn't debate the dark lady, and in fact knew that she was, regrettably, correct. If his plan failed, Zed would have to be put down. "I understand. So, I'd better damn well not fail this time."
"Good luck with that. I'm gonna back my Hummer down the street a bit, so I can be clear and have a straight shot. I hope your plan works, Scott. But you have to understand that my confidence in you is on the low side right now."
"Fair enough. Do what you need to. And Dawn, where will you be?"
Dawn loaded more silver bullets into the side gate of the '92. "I'm going with you."
"No, you're not. You're staying here and keeping Jane safe."
"She doesn't need to," Jane said. "I've got enough protection, right here."
"Still, Dawn, I don't want you up there with me."
"You're not the boss of me, Scott Campbell."
Dawn walked off, towards the Mustang. Elizabeth came up by Scott's side, a large smile on her face.
"You know, I'm really starting to like that girl," Elizabeth said. Scott ignored the beaming vampire and followed Dawn to his car.
*
The vampires heard the crashing of trees and realized that Fenrir was on his way to town. Dawn and Scott peeled out of Hibbert's Corner and traveled up into the hills and toward the location of the root of Yggdrasil. As they drove along Scott chanced to see, off to his left, a large form smashing through the forest, making a direct route toward downtown Hibbert's Corner as trees collapsed in its path. Scott called Dawn's attention to the sight of the monster.
"Wow, he's really big!" Dawn exclaimed.
"That's what all the girls say about me."
"What?"
"You didn't get that? Wow, you really are a virgin, aren't you?"
Dawn sighed. "Oh, was that a sexual thing? Really mature. Scott, I'm not in the mood for playful banter so, please, not now."
"I was trying to be funny."
"Well, you failed. Just keep driving!"
*
Jane watched as Jeremiah scampered—that being the only way she could describe his climb with any accuracy—up the side of the old bank, carrying the long silken cord with him. Bernie climbed to the top of the hotel.
"Top of the world, ma!" Bernie cried. "Look at me! I'm King Kong!"
"Yeah, that's nice," Jane said.
"Bernie!" Jeremiah said. "I am tying a knot in Gleipnir, and making a large loop. I am going to throw the other side of the loop to you. Are you ready?"
"Ready as I'll ever be!" Bernie replied as Jeremiah threw the other side of the loop to the sasquatch.
"Now, when Fenrir comes I want you to let the lower part of the loop drop, then hold on to that cord. I will let my side down as well. Then, when Fenrir is in the loop I want you to pull with all your might. I will pull on my end. That way we will close the loop, leashing Fenrir!"
"Sounds straightforward enough."
"Are you ready, Jane?"
"I've got the easy part! All I need to do is get the attention of a large, ravenous wolf. What could go wrong?"
"That's the spirit!"
Elizabeth had already backed her Hummer down the main street and parked on the opposite side. She was on top of the large SUV, the Barrett lying before her, as she locked a magazine in place and went prone. She then chambered a round and waited.
"He is nearing!" Jeremiah cried. Both the vampire and the sasquatch could hear that the noise of collapsing trees and large paw impacts were drawing closer. Jane stood at the mouth of the alley and waited.
Suddenly, one of the smaller buildings at the end of the street collapsed into dust and wood splinters as Fenrir entered downtown. Bernie's eyes grew wide as he caught his first glimpse of the werewolf god.
"Oh, man... this reminds me of a really bad acid trip I took once..."
*
Dawn and Scott came to a stop in a clearing right off the road, not far from the dell. Indeed, they could make out the flickering of the bonfire from where they had parked. But before they could get out of the car a werewolf jumped on the hood, snarling and barking at them.
"Oh, no you didn't," Scott said as he grabbed the dirk from the back seat, launched out of his car, then plunged the dirk into the werewolf's head. "That's what you get for scratching up the paint on my classic Mach I! Asshole!"
Dawn also got out of the car. They proceeded cautiously into the dell.
*
Jane whistled as loudly as she could. "Hey, doggy!" she cried. "Here, doggy! Come get your dinner! That's a good boy!"
Fenrir stopped in his tracks and trained his large, evil eyes on Jane. He snarled, baring gigantic, sword-like fangs, as toxic drool dripped from his maw. He slowly approached Jane as she stood at the mouth of the alley.
Down the street, Elizabeth looked through the scope of her rifle, following every move of the giant wolf. "Make one wrong move, and no more milk bone for you!"
Fenrir stepped down the street, crushing a car that had been sitting abandoned along the curb. He stumbled but quickly recovered as he followed Jane toward the alley. "In here!" Jane called as she entered the alley.
Soon, Fenrir was at the opening to the alley, looking down on the human female. His canine senses told him that this should be an easy meal. Jane backed up as Fenrir entered the alley. He could barely fit, thanks to his massive, and still expanding, girth, but such an inconvenience wouldn't stop him in his pursuit of a meal. The sides of both buildings started cracking under the stress. Fenrir kept struggling toward Jane as she kept backing up, but his progress grew even slower. It seemed he was stuck. But he was a werewolf god; he would not be stuck for long.
"Bernie!" Jeremiah cried. "Now!"
Bernie and Jeremiah dropped the large loop down into the alley, down over Fenrir's mighty muzzle. Both vampire and sasquatch pulled the ropes, straining to close the slack. Using their supernatural strength, they managed to pull the loop tight around Fenrir's neck. Fenrir couldn't move. He attempted to free himself from this trap, but it was too late. Jeremiah then descended from his position on top of the bank, holding the rope and landing perfectly right in front of the mighty Fenrir. He held his end of the leash aloft and showed it to the giant wolf.
"This is Gleipnir! It means that I control you now!"
Bernie climbed down from the hotel and stood beside Jeremiah. "Yeah!" Bernie said as he shook his finger at the large wolf. "You're a very bad dog! No treat for you tonight!"
The only thing Fenrir could now do was lie down and look upon his captors with a sad, defeated look in his eye.