No Such Thing As Werewolves (49 page)

“There are pictures of you with guns on Facebook. Pictures of you hunting large beasts. Even if that were not so, I saw you on that Tarmac. I would not have wanted to fight you,” she purred, resting on the arm of the chair. He was all too conscious of her leg pressing against his arm. “Were there more room, I’d sit on your lap, and you could scratch behind my ears.”

A very awkward situation began to arise. Trevor glanced down at his crotch and then past Cyntia to the living room, where Blair and Adolpho were chatting. He looked up at Cyntia with his best grin. “If there was enough room, maybe I’d let you.”

The desktop finally appeared, giving Trevor an easy escape from the fire filling his cheeks. He scanned the sea of scattered icons, horrified by the mess. Eventually he found the little blue
E
. Not his favorite browser, but it would work. He opened it, waiting far too long for it to load. When it did, he browsed to Gmail and opened his account.
 

“You’re very tense,” Cyntia murmured, hands kneading his shoulders. It was heaven. “What are you looking for?”

“Nothing, I hope,” he muttered back.

The browser was agonizingly slow, but eventually his email occupied the screen. He scrolled through advertisements and a few joke emails, praying he wouldn’t see anything from David. Oh shit. About midway down the page was an email with the subject
First Wave
. His heart sank. It was from yesterday morning.

“You just tensed even more. Whatever it is cannot be so bad,” Cyntia murmured. She was really good, but even her magic hands were not going to take his mind off this.

Trevor clicked the email, holding his breath as the screen loaded. It was brief and to the point.
First wave detected. Based on initial readings, this is the largest CME in recorded history. Have warned Washington, but gotten no response. Second wave within 48 hours.

“Cyntia, we need to get everyone together. We’re in deep shit,” Trevor said, turning to face her. She seemed to pick up on his anxiety, rising from the arm of the chair.

“I’ll tell Adolpho and Elmira you wish their attention,” she said, squeezing past him and back into the living room. He was fairly certain the squeezing had nothing to do with the cramped quarters, but far be it from him to complain.

He trailed after her, into a room cracked and faded from too many years of use. There were a few white spots where pictures had probably lived, but the place was bare now. He didn’t want to know the circumstances that had led to the werewolves taking this apartment. He seriously doubted they were the original owners.

Adolpho and Blair were involved in a rapid exchange of Spanish that flew completely over Trevor’s head. Blair sat on a ripped recliner, while Adolpho occupied the edge of the couch closest to it. Trevor settled onto the far side of the couch, its cushions long since compressed into flat squares about two shades less comfortable than concrete.
 

Cyntia disappeared into the bedroom, appearing a moment later with Liz and Elmira in tow. Trevor followed Liz’s gaze, which landed on Blair as she entered the room. She gave a slight smile, and he knew her well enough to know why. She liked the guy. The idea of them together made him happy. They were both good people, and he had the feeling Blair would treat her right. He didn’t think either would admit it, but there was definitely a spark there. Sooner or later they’d slow down long enough to act on it.

“Cyntia says you have urgent news,” Elmira growled as she stalked to a brown recliner. She sat delicately, a queen granting audience to her court.
 

In contrast, Liz plopped down on the couch next to Trevor, elbowing him in the gut. “Has it happened?”

“We’ll get there. Blair, maybe you should start by explaining why we’re in Peru. Otherwise what I’m about to share won’t make a whole lot of sense,” Trevor offered, turning to the anthropologist. Blair gave a short nod and licked his lips before speaking.

“I was the first person to be turned to a werewolf,” he began, gaze roaming about those assembled. “It happened in an ancient pyramid that we just recently discovered. This pyramid was left behind by a culture we don’t even have myths about. They predicted a coming apocalypse, something that would wipe out mankind. They created us to serve as champions, to hold back an ancient enemy, and to save those we can.

The room was silent, all eyes on Blair. Trevor gauged their reactions carefully. There was no disbelief, only curiosity. Cyntia didn’t even have that. She crossed the room silently, settling on the arm of the couch next to him. She rested a hand possessively on his shoulder. He wasn’t really sure how to react, so he didn’t.

“The person who prepared all this is called the Mother. As far as we know, she’s the first werewolf, the literal mother for our entire species,” Blair explained.

“Is? Not was?” Elmira interrupted, hands gripping the arms of her chair as she leaned forward. Her eyes glittered with an intensity Trevor expected from CEOs or judges.

“Yes,
is
. She’s still in the pyramid, in some sort of stasis chamber that’s kept her alive for many thousands of years. Possibly tens of thousands. That’s why we came,” Blair explained, his hand finding Liz’s. That drew a smile from Trevor. “We’re going to wake her before this apocalypse arrives. She might be the only hope of mankind’s survival.”

“This ancient enemy,” Elmira said, eyes narrowing. “What are they, and why have they not revealed themselves?” That she seemed to accept the Mother’s stasis surprised Trevor, though in light of them all becoming werewolves, perhaps that was to be expected.

“The dead will walk. They’ll attack every last living thing, killing us all if they aren’t stopped,” Blair said, eyes daring anyone to laugh.

“Zombies?” Adolpho said with a snort.
 

“We’d have said the same thing about werewolves not so long ago,” Cyntia retorted, hand tightening on Trevor’s shoulder. “The world is not the same. If we exist, why not zombies?”

“The question still remains,” Elmira broke in. “Why has this ancient enemy not appeared?”

“That’s where it gets even stranger,” Liz interjected, releasing Blair’s hand as she spoke. “The zombies are created from a virus, a virus all of us know. HIV. Apparently it’s lain dormant for thousands of years but has become active again over the last few generations. Soon a solar event will occur that will activate this virus. When it does, every last person with HIV will die. Their corpses will rise as zombies, tearing apart cities across the globe.”

The room was silent save for the ticking of the wall clock. Elmira merely stared at Liz, expression unreadable.

“This is all very difficult to accept, even with everything that has happened,” Adolpho said, completing the first sentence in English that they’d heard from him. He seemed skeptical but also wary of offending them.

“Trust me, I know how crazy it sounds,” Trevor broke in. He was uniquely suited to understand their reaction, having come late to the whole ‘the world is going to end’ party. “It sounds like the plot of some low-budget movie, right? But it’s true. That’s why I called everyone together. The solar event Liz mentioned has begun. It’s called a coronal mass ejection, and it’s going to wipe out power to most of the planet when it hits. I received word that the first wave occurred yesterday, around 11 a.m. Pacific standard time. That’s the weaker wave, the baby one before the real threat arrives. We have somewhere between twenty-four and forty-eight hours before the end of the world as we know it. Maybe less.”

“Let us assume you are correct,” Elmira said, eyes distrustful. She brushed a lock of midnight hair from her face. “What is it you wish of us? What can we do to stop this terrible calamity?’

“You can help us wake the Mother,” Liz said. She made it sound so simple.

“If this ancient enemy has yet to appear, why do you need our help?” Elmira asked, gaze weighing Liz. “Why not simply wake her yourself? You’ve demonstrated incredible strength and fantastic powers. Far more than any of us.”

“There’s a catch,” Liz said with a heavy sigh. Trevor noticed her grip tighten on Blair’s hand. Did she even realize she was doing that? Her tone was resolved. “The pyramid is held by a private army. They have state-of-the-art military hardware, no shortage of soldiers, and a strong desire to keep us from waking the Mother.”

“We’ll almost certainly take casualties getting in,” Trevor announced. It was only fair that they knew what they were getting involved in.

“And this mother will help us fight this ancient enemy?” Elmira asked, looking pointedly first at Liz and Blair. She paid almost no attention to Trevor. Werewolf racism? He suppressed a smile.

“She has all the answers. She created us and knows all about this ancient enemy,” Blair explained. He seemed more confident than when they’d met, though it had only been a few days. “You’ve seen that some werewolves are stronger than others. I believe that’s based on the strength of your virus, which is in turn related to how far from the source you are. If I’m right about that, the Mother will be much, much stronger than we can begin to imagine. She can teach us abilities we can’t possibly predict. We need her.”

“If this Mother is our creator, then I would see her free,” Cyntia said, her leg pressed against his arm on the edge of the couch. Her sudden interest was more than a little odd, but it was difficult to question the attentions of a gorgeous woman.

“It sounds like we have little choice. If we do not help, we’re defenseless when these zombies arrive,” Adolpho said, also directing his argument at Elmira.
 

“Then it is settled,” Elmira said, rising gracefully from her recliner. “We will help you rescue this Mother, though our own lives may be forfeit. We will need to obtain vehicles and sufficient weaponry. How soon do you wish to leave?”

“How far is it to the pyramid?” Trevor asked.

“About four hours,” Liz said.

“We leave now, then. Let us hope we are not too late,” Elmira said.

Chapter 70- It’s Time

Blair crept up the last few feet of the ridge, dropping prone and pulling himself through the dirt until he was next to Trevor. The Barrett sniper rifle had been set up on a bipod, thick scope angled at the camp that now sprawled around the pyramid. How had they built it so quickly?

Blair willed a bit of energy to enhance his vision. The camp leapt into sharp focus, the gibbous moon illuminating the valley as brightly as the sun could. The soldiers had created semi-permanent structures, and at least several dozen troops moved between them. More probably slept inside. There were eight jeeps parked near the center of camp, guarded by a pair of soldiers wearing the power armor the soldiers in San Diego had worn. More would probably appear like wasps from a kicked nest if they were discovered.

“Do you see those cables?” Trevor whispered. A row of thick black tubes snaked from the three-story building near the center of camp and into the pyramid. “That’s probably how they’re keeping the place lit and under surveillance. Cut that and the whole place goes dark, giving you the advantage once you’re inside. If you’re quick, you can probably reach this central chamber of yours before the people inside even know what’s going on.”

“I’ll remember that,” Blair said, filing it away for later. The frigid wind howled up the ridge and ruffled his hair. His teeth chattered audibly, but he resisted the urge to shift. That would take energy, and he wanted to husband his strength. “How many soldiers do you think are in those bunkers?”
 

“It doesn’t matter,” Trevor said, raising his voice to compete with the wind. “If you’re discovered and those troops come into play, it’s over. They’ve got enough ordnance down there to wipe us all out. We’ll do some damage, but they’ll overwhelm us.”

“Lovely. That means our only choice is waking the Mother and hoping she can help. Otherwise this is going to be a real short rescue,” Blair said, glancing back at the others. They waited a little way down the ridge, a tight knot of dark forms blending with the scattered rocks. The group was surrounded by over a dozen smaller shadows, the larger dogs who’d accompanied Adolpho.

Liz was nowhere to be found, of course. She’d attempted to teach the other females her trick with the shadows, but they hadn’t taken as readily to it. Either they were still mastering the ability, or they were just not as comfortable using it as Liz was.

“You’re not going to make it inside without being seen,” Trevor said, rifle scope slowly scanning the camp. “You can probably make it to the outer buildings, but the pyramid is well lit and out in the open. You might be able to blur inside, but there’s a good chance you’ll be seen. Maybe you can send the girls in? They can use that shadow trick.”

“That doesn’t help,” Blair called back as he continued to scan the camp. “I have to be the one. Only I can wake the Mother, and I’m not even sure what I have to do to accomplish it. They’ve got to get me inside. I’ve got an idea about that, though.”

“Idea?” Came Liz-wolf’s low, guttural voice. She couldn’t be more than a foot or two away, but Blair saw nothing. Smelled nothing. Damn, that was creepy.

“You remember I told you that Ahiga did a mindshare with me at the end?” Blair asked, turning to face the patch of night her voice had originated from. “I saw his memories. One of them was crossing the border into San Diego. He was right there, and we never knew it. A guy in a ‘Niners shirt, right ahead of us in line. He changed his face, his scent, everything.”