Legend of the Ir'Indicti 5 - Destroyer (6 page)

"Stupid Chump and Wormy." Wynn used Ashe's derogatory nicknames for both boys.

"We could be dead too. Cori almost was," Dori muttered. "If Ashe hadn't come."

"We haven't treated Ashe very well, have we?" Wynn stared at her best friend.

"Sali needs a good kick," Dori agreed. "Just because Marcus decides to get prejudiced, all of a sudden."

"Sali's still alive because of Hayes and Ashe," Wynn said. "Marcus can stuff it."

"Don't say that too loud," Dori rose and looked around, making sure no one else was in the adjoining yards. "Wynn, Marcus is still the Packmaster and he's officially in charge. We don't need him having somebody spy on us, too."

"You don't think Sali would do that, do you?" Wynn stared at Dori.

"I'm thinking about breaking up with him," Dori whispered. "I'm afraid to say anything around him now, and that's not good. You're supposed to be able to share stuff with your steady, don't you think? I'm afraid he'll take anything I say about Mom and Dad to his parents, and I sure don't want that."

"You think?" Wynn's eyes widened.

"Yeah. When we started dating, I said a few things. Now I'm worried."

"Then if you're thinking about it, do it quick. But not today. Full moon," Wynn pointed out.

"Yeah. Maybe tomorrow. Definitely before Wednesday; we're supposed to start school, then."

"Yeah. Without Ashe and without Hayes. Dori, you dumped Ashe. Will he still be friends with us, you think?"

"He'll always be friends with Cori. So maybe he'll put all that in the past. Didn't we have a good time that day we went out to eat and to the beach?"

"Yeah. I nearly forgot about that since, well, the other stuff happened." Wynn traced her finger down the arm of her deck chair.

"I know."

"Maybe we could ask him to go out with us sometime, after I break up with Sal."

"Ace may want to come."

"Then I'll ask Cori to go. Come on, let's go inside and get something to drink."

* * *

"I expect you to be in place and waiting," Josiah Dunnigan informed his accomplice over the phone. He kept in contact with his spy by cell phone, because there was a chance someone might be watching if they were to meet in person.

Josiah was getting odd rumblings in the area. Rumblings of things that were impossible or nearly so. Nevertheless, those rumors existed. His accomplice had even informed him of some of those rumors, shortly before they seemed to be forgotten completely. Josiah knew there were vampires in Star Cove. Worried about that, actually, until his accomplice stated that they were charged with guarding the shifters. Josiah breathed a relieved sigh and made his plans. "Just be there, all right," he demanded and hung up before there was a reply.

Chapter 4
 

Ashe had gone over the map of the terrain around the run area twice with Winkler, Trajan, Bear Wright, the Grand Master and Thomas Williams. "He'll be here," he pointed to a small stand of trees and mesquite. The thicket lay near a clearing, where the Pack would race past. "He thinks his accomplice will cause a distraction, but that won't be the case," Ashe sighed.

If Chad and Jeremy had succeeded with their plan, then there truly would have been a distraction—in the form of a deer shapeshifter, thrust into the midst of a Pack on a moonlit night. Poor Lewis Sharpe would have been torn apart in his weakened condition, and eaten before anyone realized he was a shapeshifter. That would have given Chad and Jeremy ample time to carry out their plan and shoot Winkler and Trajan with poisoned darts.

"Kid, are you up for the executions tonight? I don't know who Marcus has asked to do them." Winkler turned dark eyes on Ashe, who lifted his eyes to stare at his guardian.

"I can relocate for a minute if I need to."

"Is that what you call it?"

"It's what it's called on that paper Hancock gave me," Ashe pointed out.

"I forgot about that," Winkler sighed. "I still have my copy in the safe." Ashe shrugged at Winkler's comment.

"Anyway," Ashe went on, "I'll be there with Principal Wright behind me, and the Grand Master and Mr. Williams when the time comes. Don't worry, our culprit won't get far."

* * *

"Kid, you didn't eat breakfast and I never saw you at lunchtime," Winkler pointed out later when Craig set out a light meal two hours before sunset. Ashe felt queasy as he stared at the roast beef subs Craig had laid out buffet style, with chips and baked beans.

"Yeah. I ought to eat something, I guess," Ashe agreed and took the smallest sandwich he could find. He wasn't touching the beans; his stomach was tied in knots as it was. He felt something stirring, altering the conditions once more, but he didn't want to upset Winkler or deviate from the plan. Things would go as they would, one way or another. He had one other he might call on, and if he hurried, then he might have things in place before everything fell apart.

* * *

"I heard you were planning the takedown, and I know Zeke is hunting us. You have to include Eudora and me so he'll call off his trackers. Otherwise, we're as good as dead."

"I'm not sharing the money with you," Josiah growled at Fergus Haskell over the phone. "You can help if you want, but Zeke will decide for himself if that's enough to keep his trackers away. He said they were tailing you."

"Look, all we want to do is try to make this right with Zeke. He won't stop hunting us until we're dead if we don't make this right with him," Fergus begged. "We're pulling into Corpus now. Where can we meet and coordinate?"

"I was about to have dinner so I can focus on what needs to be done later," Josiah pointed out. "Meet me at Darrin's Steak House—it's on Padre Island Drive on the south side. You can't miss it."

"We'll be there in less than half an hour," Fergus said and hung up.

"Yeah, you can be the bait," Josiah muttered and pocketed his cell.

* * *

"You don't sound surprised that I called," Ashe was the one who sounded surprised.

"Let's just say that I had a visit—from a tall, brown-haired man," Kyle Williams, Corpus Christi's only resident vampire, informed Ashe after answering his cell.

"You know Griffin?" Ashe almost squeaked the name.

"Yes. Actually, my sire knows Griffin better than anyone I know. I've only seen him a few times over the past eighty-six years, but I do know him. He said to help out if I could. What do you need, young one?"

"I need backup, because things have just gotten a little more complicated than I originally thought. I'll come get you. Did Griffin tell you that was all right?"

"He said you had unusual methods, and that I could trust you."

"I can keep you hidden until the time is right, but you'll have to work fast; we've got three areas to cover now, instead of the original one. At least your two will be closer together."

"I'll do what I can," Kyle replied. "When are you coming?"

"I'm here, now." Ashe stood inside Kyle's underground bunker, his cell phone in his hand. "Don't worry, I'll get you back home afterward and your location is safe with me." Ashe explained with mindspeech what was needed while he ferried Kyle to the werewolf running area outside Star Cove.

* * *

"Ashe flies. He has no need to come to Star Cove for the change," Nathan pointed out to Hector, Edmond and Casimir. Hector was the one asking, as the Honored One might expect an account of the boy.

"Where is he, then?" Edmond demanded.

"No idea. I'm sure Winkler is making arrangements for him to be safe. After all, Ashe is so tiny when he turns that he could fly about in Winkler's cavernous home without any harm or threat," Nathan replied stiffly. "And it is too late to contact the werewolf—you see the others here have already gone." Nathan jerked his head toward the twinkling lights of the small community. He and the other vampires stood on the small strip of sand east of the Star Cove paranormal neighborhood, waiting for the shifters to make the change. They would watch and make sure the community was safe, but they would not interfere.

"I do not like this," Hector pointed out.

"Then perhaps you should tell Wlodek when you speak to him next," Nathan said. "Perhaps he will give you another assignment."

"I will suggest no such thing. We have already informed him of the location of the child. We had no idea the boy would not return for the full moon."

"Why should he? There's nothing here for him now," Nathan sighed. He wanted to shake his head over the turn of events that left Ashe without parents, but his sire had not consulted him before doing as he did.

"We will make sure the boy is safe before we retire for the day," Casimir finally spoke up. Of those there, he was eldest and Wlodek had left him in charge. Casimir, too, had no idea what Aedan Evans had been thinking, leaving the child in the hands of werewolves and vulnerable to the others who hunted him. Nevertheless, he had to work with what he had. At the moment, he had no information on Ashe's whereabouts.

"Fine with me." Nathan turned to walk back to the community and take up his normal position on a rooftop so he could see the shapeshifters as they wandered, prowled and hunted through the subdivision. Casimir and the others soon followed.

* * *

Ashe could see Sali standing at the outer edge of the Pack—they were all still in human form, waiting for the two scheduled for execution to arrive. Only the executioners and those scheduled to die would make the change for the planned execution. Afterward, the Pack would turn and hunt.

Ashe wanted to shiver, even though he was mist. Weldon Harper, Thomas Williams and Bear Wright were with him. Winkler stood near Trace and Trajan at the inside of the werewolf circle, not far from Marcus DeLuca and Micah Rocklin. Marco, Wayne, Wynter and Winkler's other wolves stood in a knot behind Winkler. Ashe spotted several others in the crowd. Mr. Dodd. Greta Rocklin. Denise DeLuca, standing next to Randy's mother, Dawn. Even Hayes' parents were there. Ashe truly did want to sigh, then. Larry and Jeff were standing with them. Six more wolves walked into the moonlit circle, pulling Chad and Jeremy with them. Their chains had been removed somewhere and now both struggled against their captors.

"I hate you," Chad attempted to spit at Marcus as he was hauled before the Star Cove Packmaster. "You killed my dad," he added with a snarl. The two werewolves who held him hauled him back as he lunged toward Marcus. Jeremy, held securely by other werewolves nearby, just looked terrified. He'd never been this close to the entire Pack on a full moon.

"Your father challenged me fairly, and was taken down fairly," Marcus said evenly as Chad glared at him. "You were too young to see that I tried to convince him to back off. He refused. You know the laws, just as I do. You will be punished for breaking those laws. Who offers to take the execution of Chad Everett Daniels?"

"I take it," Micah pulled his shirt off and unbuckled his belt.

Ashe wanted to moan. He'd always liked Marcus' Second. Now, Chad would be ripped apart according to werewolf justice and Ashe would have to listen. He could close his mental eyes, but his hearing he could not mute. Both Micah and Chad had turned in a matter of moments and Micah charged. The growls, yelps and carnage was just as bad as Ashe imagined it might be. Micah was swift, at least. Less than ten minutes it took. Micah remained wolf, his muzzle bloodied while Chad's dismembered torso lay on the grass inside the werewolf circle.

"Who will take Jeremy Paul Booth's execution?" Marcus asked. Before Trajan could step forward, Ashe made up his mind.
This is a secret you'll have to keep
, Ashe informed his passengers as a seemingly solid replica of him appeared inside the werewolf circle.

"I will," Ashe's projection announced.

"I will not allow it," Marcus hissed. Ashe's doppelganger turned to the Star Cove Packmaster.

"Why not?" Ashe appeared to ask. "I was instrumental in his capture. Aren't there allowances for something of this nature?"

"There are," Winkler spoke up, earning a frown from Marcus. "The Pack may vote to allow it, if the shifter or one responsible for the capture is capable of taking the execution. And as this is another shifter," Winkler shrugged.

"Then vote," Ashe was sending his voice and coordinating the image of himself so the words would fit mouth movements.

"Pack, the vote has been requested. What say you?" Marcus growled. The Pack voted and Ashe won, by a margin of two votes. Ashe saw from afar that Sali had abstained. Jeff and Larry voted in his favor, as did Hayes' parents.

"Kid, if you fail," Marcus was ready to turn.

"I won't," Ashe replied. Turning his double around, Ashe stared at Jeremy, who lifted terrified eyes to Ashe.

"What are you gonna do, empty?" Jeremy's voice quavered on the insult but he still managed to say it.

"It will be painless, Jeremy Paul Booth," Ashe said. "I do this for your parents, who have always tried to treat you well. They deserve a better memory of your passing." Ashe's image lifted his hands and Jeremy, beginning with his feet and legs, seemed to separate into tiny, sparkling particles, like a fire at night throwing off sparks. Each spark glowed brightly as it flew away, until it burned out and vanished. Jeremy's head was the last to disintegrate, eliciting a collective sigh from the crowd. Ashe's image turned to Marcus. "You doubt me," he said and disappeared.