100% Hero (19 page)

Sugar climbed the secret passage back to the dungeons
and reached the Great Hall. She was not too surprised
to see the man waiting by the fireplace with a gun in
his hand. It was Dr Cripp.

'Excellent,' he said, pushing his thick glasses up
his nose. 'Everything has gone exactly to our plan.
Now hand me the secret camera.'

'No way,' Sugar declared. 'You were totally wrong
about these people, Cripp. I won't let you expose
them.'

'But, Ms Smith.' Cripp pushed back his greasy hair.
'We had a deal. You release the wolf and film him, and
in return I promise not to shoot him. Once a reporter,
always a reporter. You could never pass up the biggest
story of your life.'

'I should have
reported
you to the police when you
came to me last night,' she hissed. 'But I'm going to
now!' She reached for her phone.

'Don't think I didn't see this coming, Sugar.' Cripp
giggled and held up a little plastic hammer. 'I knew
you'd be too weak to go through with it. Make that
call and you will never find your daughter.'

'You're a monster! Here, take the camera. And I
hope Flasheart hunts you down.' She loosened the
brooch from her jacket and flung it at him. 'Now,
where is she?'

The brooch held a tiny camera that had secretly
recorded all she had seen that night, plus more:
Chester, Sir Rathbone, even Flasheart transforming
back into a man after Sugar had left her jacket in the
Great Hall. Everything that was needed to expose and
destroy the werefolk was in this brooch.

'No, madam, I am a hero.' The man shrugged.
'Hand me your car keys too.' Sugar threw them over.
'Thank you. When I am safely away from this place,
you may open this envelope – it will show you where
your daughter is to be found. Never fear, she is quite
safe for the moment. And now for the final scene. Call
him up. Call the Black Wolf of Milford to his death!'

'Never,' Sugar gasped. 'You promised to let him go.'

'I lied.' Cripp held the envelope above the roaring
log fire. 'Choose.' He giggled revoltingly. 'And don't
even think about warning him.'

'Flasheart!'

Down in the Hidden Hall, Flasheart and Freddy
were doing their best to put Sir Rathbone's chamber
back to rights when they heard Sugar's call.

'Oh, what now?' Freddy scoffed. 'Does she need
saving again? Probably just a spider . . . Girls!'

'You can leave
this
girl to me, Pinky.' Flasheart
laughed as he jumped towards the stairs eagerly.

'Yeah – right! As if.' Freddy followed his father
anyway.

'Can I be of assistance here, fair maiden?' said
Flasheart gallantly as he walked into the Great Hall.
Freddy followed behind. Sugar was standing at
the far end, illuminated by the moonlight coming
in from the tall windows. The firelight on her right
was flickering orange over her face. Freddy saw
immediately that she looked strange, as if she was
ill – not like Sugar at all. Flasheart was grinning too
idiotically to notice. It was as if he had lost any wolf
sense.

'Dad, stay here,' Freddy warned and pulled on his
father's arm.

'You'll never be a hit with girls being coy, Freddy,'
Flasheart whispered, before walking towards Sugar.

Freddy was on full danger alert – he could smell a
foul and familiar stench – and Flasheart was acting as
if in a drippy dream. Freddy looked into the gloom at
the edge of the hall.

'Dad, stop!' he called – too late.

'This time I shall not miss,' said Cripp, as he
emerged from behind Sugar and raised his gun.

Flasheart looked at the reporter as if she had
stabbed him in the heart.

'No!' Freddy jumped in front of his father as the
sound of the bullet echoed through the Great Hall.

But it never reached them, for Sugar had already
grappled Cripp. She fell to the floor with a gasp,
clutching her shoulder.

'Fool!' Cripp cried and struggled to reload. But as
Flasheart raced forward, the hunter's fear overcame
him and he leapt from the Hall, his departing feet
clattering on the stone steps outside.

'Sugar!' Flasheart ran to her. He looked anxiously
at her wound, while Freddy inspected the ceiling – he
didn't want to faint again.

'It's only a scratch, thank the moon.' Flasheart
smiled with relief.

'Oh dear . . . I'm fine really,' she whispered. 'I didn't
mean to be brave but he has my little girl – see.'

She held out the envelope, and Freddy grabbed it
and tore it open. They were joined by Mrs Mutton,
who had heard all the commotion from the dungeon
where she had continued to spank Hotspur.

'It says that she's safely in her bedroom, in the
cottage next to the zoo,' Freddy reported.

'But . . .' Sugar was struggling to understand. 'That's
our cottage. Is he saying that she was safe at home all
this time? He tricked me! I must call the sitter.'

She scrambled for her phone and began to dial.
The others huddled around her, holding their breath.

From outside came the sound of Sugar's car
departing at high speed.

No answer! 'But I must be sure she is okay. I'm
calling the police.' Sugar tried to sit up.

'You must be still,' Flasheart said quietly. 'The
Fangen can reach your child faster than the police.
Do you trust me?'

'Yes! Please go. Make sure she is safe. And . . . there's
something else. I'm sorry. I gave Cripp a video that
shows your Transwolfation. It will endanger all your
pack. Every TV station in the world will show it unless
you stop him. I'm so sorry.'

'I understand. Mrs Mutton has medicine more
powerful than any human's – she will heal you and
then drive you to the cottage. I will go and protect
your child until you join us.' Flasheart drew himself
up. 'But on the way, I'm going to get Cripp. Wait
here.'

He disappeared, and in less than a minute returned
with a tiny glass bottle filled with blood-red liquid.
'Chester and Hotspur don't know all the secrets of
Farfang. I need Fangen speed,' Flasheart declared,
holding up the Blavendoch juice.

'So do I!' Freddy jumped to his side.

Flasheart took the glass stopper from the bottle.
'You know that this is both painful and dangerous,
pup – I do not ask you to join me.'

Flasheart took a sip of the juice.

Freddy's heart beat fast, and his tail wagged
nervously. He knew too well what could go wrong.

'I'm coming, Dad. Lupins stick together.' He
grabbed the bottle and took a sip.

'Keep this safe.' Flasheart plucked the bottle back
and passed it to Mrs Mutton. 'If I do not come to
the cottage, alert the Fang Council and the police.
Come, Freddy, we must run as we have never run
before.'

'Hi-ya!' Freddy agreed.

The pair began to sprint across the bridge and over
the grass towards the gates. As he ran, Freddy felt the
warmth of the moon's beams upon him. A sharp pain
screeched inside him and shot through his limbs. He
stumbled and flew through the air.

'Argh!' he howled as he transformed in midair.
He landed on sharp claws and the strong legs of a
young Fangen wolf. He snarled with delight and
felt his powerful limbs racing forward, as fast as the
departing car could possibly travel. His breath was
loud and his blood thundering through his veins.
He ran faster still.

'This is more like it!' Freddy laughed in triumph
as his father, likewise transformed into the great Black
Wolf, charged ahead into the night. Freddy looked
behind him – doom! His ridiculous poodley tail was
still waggling back at him mockingly.

'Well done, Pinky. I'll stop Cripp – you go straight
to the cottage. I'll meet you there,' Flasheart called as
he sped away.

Freddy turned off into the woods. How different he
felt now than when attempting to find the Blavendoch
for Priscilla. Now he had a real damsel in distress to
rescue. He heard a bark that he recognised.

'Stinky, Cripp is here! I can smell him! I've found
his trail,' Batty woofed. She was waiting ahead in
a clearing. For the past half hour she had led the
marksman on a fine goose chase – and had then
managed to sneak away. She was on her way back to
Farfang when she smelt the unmistakable stench of
the hunter.

Freddy greeted the mongrel eagerly as they ran.
Batty's growling increased as she heard what the
coward had done.

'Come on, Stinky,' she cried. 'Let's find that poor
little puppy.'

The friends ran faster towards the zoo.

Driving out of Milford, sure that he was safe at last,
Cripp made the mistake of looking in his rear-view
mirror. The great Black Wolf of Milford was racing
behind him, as swift as any car.

'Oh no, no, no.' He swerved and the car skidded.

Flasheart leapt ten metres and landed on the roof
with a snarl of fury. He smashed the windscreen with
his mighty paw.

'Oh my, oh mummy!' Cripp yelped and, grabbing
the tiny camera, slid out the door. He wailed as he ran
towards the town.

Flasheart flew – a blur of savage black fur – and
landed on the hunter's back, knocking the wind from
his chest and the brooch camera from his sweaty
grasp. Flasheart realised at once that this was the spy
device that could undo the werefolk's secret.

Cripp was whimpering on the floor when Flasheart
dropped the little plastic hammer on the ground.
He snarled in Cripp's face, saliva dripping off his huge
fangs.

'No, no, no . . .' he whimpered. 'Please don't kill
me.'

Flasheart almost thought for a moment that he
would
kill the snivelling coward. But he could smell
the man's terrible fear; no matter what this wretch
believed, such behaviour was not worthy of any wolf,
let alone a Lupin. Flasheart snarled with disdain,
caught up the camera in his mouth and turned
away.

Cripp took out his gun and aimed for Flasheart's
back.

The shot rang out and . . . The wolf looked up to
see the marksman cry out in frustration that he had
missed his shot yet again. Cripp fell to the ground – a
tranquilliser dart in his bum.

The Black Wolf of Milford took his chance and
streaked away into the dark.