Homecoming Queen: Chapter 7

CC's idea of how to get the mob out from under the Soul Eater infection was shaky at best.  As such, she did not offer any objection when Gabe and Cole decided it would be best to go after the thing responsible.  Cole had transformed into his "other" form as soon as they started into the woods.  CC tried not to watch the transformation, but could not help but hearing the cracking of bones and the wet friction of the process.  It looked agonizing, but Cole did not let on if it was. 

                

Cole led the group through the woods.  He had quickly picked up the scent, and bounded through the forest easily.  It was almost too easy for him as Gabe and CC had to hurry to keep up.  Gabe was surprised that something with Cole's massive size could move so fluidly through the trees.  He and CC were actually making more noise while running.

                

As for CC, she was trying to keep processing the entire affair.  She did feel much better with Gabe and Cole there, and was confident that they could handle their prey.  She replayed the events through her mind and something suddenly jumped out in her mind.    It had seemed odd before, but with everything going on she finally was able to place it.

                

“It knew me.” She said as they ran.

                

“I caught that.”  Gabe answered without looking back at her.  “What was that about?”

                

“I have no idea.  It said something about me not escaping again, but I think I would remember being attacked by a freak like that.”  CC spotted Cole stopping.  She and Gabe did likewise, coming in right behind their fur covered ally.

                

“What’s up?”  Gabe asked softly, looking about through the woods.  He did not spot anything out of the ordinary. 

                

“People.”  Cole’s voice was guttural and hard to understand.  He kept his responses short, as forming words in that form was difficult to do and actually painful.  “Fifty yards that way.”  Cole pointed, but Gabe and CC could not see anybody through the woods. 

                

“Part of the search party.”  Gabe noted.  “This could get ugly if our guy finds them before we do.”  Cole nodded, and took off without another word.  Gabe and CC hurried after.  The pace was quick as Cole seemed quite sure he was on the right trail.  CC had long given up any notion of trying to figure out where they were in the woods.  She could not hear anything but their movements, and they daylight was quickly fading.  She was starting to feel a bit of dread again.  It was to the point that she gasped when Cole suddenly stopped again. 

                

“We’re circling around.”  Cole shot a look at Gabe.

                

“We’re going in circles?”  CC asked while trying to maintain control of her breathing.  The jogging she did daily was paying off, but her endurance was starting to wane.

                

“A circle.  It drew us away from the clearing and doubled back.”  Gabe answered as the three of them broke into a sprint.  The place could have been of some importance.  It looked like a regular clearing, but there had to be something there that they had missed.  The hostages could have been the key factor.  The three of them could only silently speculate to themselves as they ran. 

                

As they approached the clearing the three of them were running on adrenaline.  Cole and Gabe were used to the feeling, but CC’s legs felt shaky.  When she heard the screams, she felt her stomach drop. 

                

It was men yelling and screaming.  A gunshot was heard, and then more yelling.  CC wanted to slow down, but Cole and Gabe seemed to pick up speed.  She struggled to keep up.  She could start to see the clearing and saw movement there.  People were fighting.  Gabe barreled out into the clearing as Cole hung back a bit not wanting to bring a werewolf out into the open without knowing exactly who was waiting for him.  CC followed Gabe.  The first thing she saw was the body.

               

A group of the searchers had found the enthralled people, and they were attacked.  A man lay upon the ground, limp and life less.  His head had been burst open, and the sight of it made CC nearly gag.  CC looked at the fighting in time to see another man’s neck get snapped by one of the enthralled.  He fell without a sound.  There was another body.  One of the mob had been shot in the chest and lay flat on his back with his shirt stained crimson.  Sheriff Steward was there with two other men.  Steward had his sidearm out and was yelling at the mob to back off.  The two men with the sheriff were not armed, and likely were regretting the fact.  The three of the enthralled, including Kinkaid, that had previously been just milling about were still doing that and seemed uninterested in the whole thing.

                

Gabe rushed forwards and shoved one of the mob hard into the others.  He managed to get a few of them to stumble.  He quickly spun around to punch the closest one in the face, it stumbled backwards.  The three searchers took this as a cue and attacked.  The sheriff kicked one of the enthralled as one of his cohorts punched one of the women.  The third searcher grabbed one of enthralled men but was quickly overpowered and tackled to the ground where he tried desperately to get out from under his assailant.

               

“Gunther!”  Called out Sheriff Steward as he punched a woman trying to grab him directly in the face.  He regretted doing it, but his resolve to get home to his wife in one piece overrode his reservations.  “You have any idea what’s going on here?”

                

“They’ve been drugged!” Gabe answered quickly, narrowly voiding a woman lunging at his reaching for his neck.  “The person who did this to them is out here somewhere.”

                

“Who in the hell has drugs like-“ The other searcher who had actually been holding his own quite well against the mob did not get to finish his question as his head was suddenly twisted one hundred and eighty degrees.  The twisted man had emerged from the woods and snapped the man’s neck like a twig.  His body fell to the dirt.

                

That was more than enough for Cole who sprang from the woods into the clearing the moment he saw the twisted man.  He cursed himself for not picking up on horrid person sooner.  It had cost a man his life.  He rushed past CC so fast she barely saw him.  Gabe and the Sheriff were barely aware of everything that was happening with the rest of the mob attacking them.  Cole launched himself into the air, prepared to strike down the wretch behind everything.

               

CC’s jaw dropped as the twisted man turned towards Cole and a massive appendage shot out from beneath his shirt and struck the massive werewolf out of the air.  The appendage looked like a tentacle and it waved around.  The size of it did not seem to cause the twisted man any trouble with his balance.  Even as Cole came crashing to the ground at the edge of the field, CC watched in horror as the thing looked right at here and started walking towards her.  The tentacle waved in the air as if it was ready to strike at her.

                

“Guys!  Help!”  CC called out as she backed away slowly unsure of what to do next.

                

“You.”  The wretch spat rather than said.  “You willll be mmmine….”  It seemed like it was getting difficult for the thing to talk, but the voice sounded very odd to CC.  It was as if there were two voices speaking.  Suddenly everything fell into place.  She knew that second voice.

                

“Oh, you son of a bitch.”  CC’s face changed from fear to anger.  She knew this thing.  “I owe you big time.”  Her fisted clenched.  The fear was still there, but so was the chance for payback.  This thing had just easily killed a man right in front of her, but despite that, CC Tucker was ready for a fight.