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The three of them had tethered my anger into something more constructive. Crosby had taught me how to hone different weapons, including using my environment. I thought about everything I had been through, it was truly subject material for a Block Buster movie. It would’ve been a summer hit, something like ‘Twilight’, but instead of mainly vampires this one would consist of werewolves as the main characters.
“Wesley, I want you to stay outside by the road and make sure we’re not interrupted for any reason. I know about your delicate constitution and you really don’t want to see what I’m capable of when push comes to shove. I can be rather creative when it comes to interrogating. Crosby won’t see anything he hasn’t seen before. We know that sometimes the ends justify the means. It might be distasteful and I apologize but we need answers and we can’t sit o
n our thumbs forever.” Callan was playing the puppet master, taking on the role of the leader ready to do what was wrong for the right reasons.
“I’ve never condoned violence and believe there’s always another way. A kind word and sympathy can go a long way, if you would only give it a chance. He might be willing to negotiate. There’s no way you can know unless you broach the topic with him. Remember the golden rule when it comes to men of his unique character. They are ruled by who can pay them top dollar and not by some sentiment of loyalty. That’s all I’m going to say and it’s out of my hands from this moment on.” Wesley wiped his hands back and forth, before disappearing into the darkness, with the moonlight barely able to distinguish between man and beast.
“I’m sure you have something to say but I’m really in no mood to hear it. Donovan is going to have his coronation in two days and I used all of my markers to stall the proceedings. We need concrete proof he was responsible for trying to kill us. I’m open to ideas but one way or the other Haven's going to tell us what we want to know before this night ends.” Callan went back to the car and pulled out the bound body of Haven. Then he was suspended by chains, barely touching the floor with his toes.
Callan was usually levelheaded but there was something strange about how he was willing to go outside of conventional thinking. He actually opened the hood to the suburban to get to the battery and found the cables in the back. The car was very close and could easily be utilized as an electrical source.
There was a pool of water near Haven’s feet and there was something on his mind, which most likely wouldn’t have been anything more than the ranting of a madman. He tried to kick free but his shoes and socks came off to bare his feet to the cold wet pavement. Callan was going to use electricity to encourage Haven's cooperation.
Slapping the two ends together created a spark that actually made Haven jump a little in response. It wasn’t too late to back down and I wanted to say something but the words never materialized. Haven didn’t blink and I knew his fortitude for pain was going to be quite substantial. There was really no telling how much he was going to take before he finally cracked under pressure. Nobody really knew their limits until they faced the impossible choice between flight and fight.
“I’m going to take the gag out but rest assured nobody’s going to hear you scream out here in the middle of nowhere. We’re both reasonable men but sometimes it takes more than negotiation. Let’s hope I’m wrong about you. I derive no pleasure from this.” Callan took the gag out and I was expecting Haven to give him a piece of his mind but he remained silent with his lip turned up into a sneer.
Then Haven said, “I recognize the mirror image of myself looking at me. We both understand how wars are won with sacrifices. We live in the shadows away from the human population. Animals like us share the same mentality, no matter how much you want to deny it. Everybody has a breaking point but I doubt that you are going to find mine. Do you have any idea of what this is going to accomplish? Let me be the bearer of bad news. My employer takes a dim view of anybody messing with his business. Let me be perfectly clear on one fact which you should be aware of. I’m not usually afraid of anybody, but this guy terrifies me more than those cables could ever hope to.” It was a mouthful but it certainly gave Callan food for thought, which made him hesitate for one second.
“We are built of the same cloth and I do recognize that. I actually admire you and understand what drives you. It’s a hard and bitter pill to swallow, recognizing the same determination in your eyes. It’s not going to stop me from trying to persuade you to give us a name but I think you already know that.” Callan held both cables and knelt at Haven's feet where the water was going to enhance the effects of the electricity running through his body.
Haven was jerking and foaming at the mouth with his teeth clenched the entire time. The first session lasted for nearly 5 seconds but it felt like an eternity. His hair was actually smoking and he was shaking his head back and forth. He began laughing maniacally at this attempt to loosen his lips. I’d had a better chance of him bragging to his comrade and Zenith was in the perfect position to pass on the information.
“That tickled. You’re going to have to do far better than that. Don’t hold back for my benefit. That was just a tease for more to come. I’m going to be magnanimous and warn you ahead of time how your death is going to satisfy me on a level that I couldn’t possibly understand. Hooking me up to a car battery is a page right out of my own book. I’m guessing you can be far more unpredictable and I would really love to see it up close and personal.” He was purposely egging Callan on and I wasn’t sure what was going to happen next.
“This is just the beginning to warm up to the main event. I’m going to let you in on a little secret. What you see in front of you is a façade and you really don’t want to see my true face. I try to refrain from showing it in public, although I might make an exception for you. In fact, I believe the only way you are going to talk is if you see something you’ve never seen before.” Callan turned to Crosby and they shared a knowing look which was a little unnerving.
“I think in my line of work I’ve already seen everything but go ahead and try to shock me. I really want to know what you have up your sleeve. This is going to be fun,” Haven said, with a gleeful expression, even while he was being electrocuted for the second time.
This time I could actually smell something burning, more familiar to a barbecue on a summer afternoon. Some of his skin started to blister and bubble in response to the electricity running through his veins. He thrashed and writhed but he was laughing the entire time through it all.
Crosby pulled me away from the scene and it was like seeing a car accident on the side of the road. It was gruesome and completely shocking. For some reason that was beyond me, I couldn’t stop staring and wondering what his limit was before he finally cried, uncle. I was actually glad Crosby took it upon himself to take away the image of his body hanging there like a slab of beef, going through hell for a name that he could utter to make it all stop.
“I have to do this but you don’t have to be here. I’m not sure you could ever look at me the same way if you were to witness what I’m about to do. The animal sometimes acts on its own but I’m always there feeding on the adrenaline. We are a part of one another no matter how much I want to deny it,” Crosby explained and I heard his words, although they were muffled by the image still firmly implanted in my mind.
The rustle of material, made me blink into focus the way that he was taking off his clothes. Watching became a guilty pleasure and my tendency to make the best out of a bad situation came to the forefront. It was widely known how they were in a league of their own. Nothing was more telling than seeing him in his birthday suit.
“I need to tell you something before you do this. Your fathers held your mother hostage to have two more children. She disappeared shortly after but I have a feeling there was a reason for her absence from your lives. There is a woman Wesley works with who might be able to shed some light on what happened to her. Natalie might very well be your sister. I’m sorry if that was too blunt but I have no other way to convey this information.” I watched him absorb what I said and he seemed to be processing the information while cocking his head to the side in bewilderment.
“I’m going to want to meet her, sooner rather than later. It’s possible she’s the one behind all of this working in the shadows to make our lives miserable. She probably harbors some kind of resentment and it has festered all of these years. There’s always a trigger and we just have to figure out what that is before we confront her. My brothers are going to have to know about this but I will break it to them at the right time.” He changed and, once again, I was privy to something quite private and personal to all of them.
There was nothing left to salvage of my innocence and I didn’t look the same. Protecting me from the truth was wrong but they’d had every reason to keep me in the dark when it came to the realization were
wolves were real. Seeing it and believing it was completely changing my opinion about what was considered myth and legend.
The wolf was snarling, with bits of spittle flying from its mouth. It growled and the sudden silence was followed by its claws scratching the cold and impersonal pavement underneath its feet. Things were about to get very personal and Haven had no idea what he was about to experience.
Chapter Twenty-three
I followed a few steps behind, not really wanting to see what was going to happen but my legs seemed to have different ideas. Crosby, in wolf form, with those glowing yellow eyes, coming out of the darkness, had Haven going rigid, with his eyes wide trying to figure out what was happening.
“I was hoping it wasn’t going to come to this. This wolf is unlike any other and let me make one thing perfectly clear. He hasn’t eaten in a few days and is quite hungry. It might seem cruel and unusual punishment to starve it unnecessarily but I think you know where I’m going with this. He has already gotten your scent. We could’ve done this the easy way but now it’s out of my hands.” Callan took a step back and the wolf took a step forward, smelling the air, with its eyes narrowed on Haven’s crotch.
“This has got to be a sick joke and I’m not laughing. You’re bluffing and I’m not going to play this game with you. These parlor tricks are not going to work on me. It’s quite shocking and I don’t know where the wolf came from which in itself is a little disconcerting. He’s a big boy and most likely has a big appetite by the way that he is looking at me like walking cattle.” Haven stayed completely still, not moving a single inch, most likely afraid of incurring the wrath of the wolf.
“Correct me if I’m wrong, but I did warn you I had a secret weapon. I gave you every chance to come clean but you refused to listen. Actions sometimes have the advantage of working better than words. You have to admit the electricity makes you more appealing, with that little bit of crispiness on your skin. He smells you but he can’t make the distinction when it comes to somebody of good character and one with no moral compass. The only thing he knows is that you are a meal on legs.” Callan was quite persuasive and I could tell Haven was having a hard time.
The wolf used one very sharp claw to begin a very meticulous slice, from the crotch of his pants all the way down to his ankle, exposing Haven’s bare leg to his hungry gaze. He did the same thing to the other one. This was an exercise in control, when what he wanted most of all was to tear him apart limb from limb. I could almost sense the animal waiting impatiently, with Crosby holding him back by a very thin thread.
