Grim Echoes

Chapter 15 - Ander

They had one more location to check before stopping for lunch. Will was ravenous, probably due to his poor mood. They pulled into the industrial warehouse park and parked in another almost empty lot. Some employees were present, but not many. Continuing to the set of buildings to the west, the ones that backed a wooded area. Reports of the beast in the wooded area had been months ago, but both he and Will would know what to look for. All the places they had searched today had been cold for some time but they needed to reexamine all of them since all the leads had dissolved. Maeve followed Will silently, all the excitement of participating on a mission gone. She had not asked why they were headed into the wooded area of what they were searched for.

In his element, Will used his acute sense of smell to lead them. His pace quickened until he jogged. He had discovered something. Ander forced himself to slow, so he did not pass Maeve. Will stopped short and knelt down. Ander smelled the carnage before his eyes found the fresh victim. No mistaking the scent of innards, flesh and the odd, indescribable unpleasant odor of human fat. Extremely familiar with the gamut of smells from inside humans from his days in the ER and dismembering bodies.

Maeve gazed down at the mangled body and blinked slowly. Ander assumed she might gag or have a strong reaction, but she just stared with a far off look in her eyes. Will investigated the area around the body, no doubt attempting to find clues to the creature's whereabouts. When he stood and sprinted off, Ander approached the body to gain more information.

Maeve turned her eyes to him and watched him examine the body. He pulled out his gloves and checked the body temperature and wounds. He would not have time for a full examination. However, everything he saw was standard for a werewolf kill. He glanced at her to be sure she would not be ill. She still had that strange, distant expression. Perhaps shock from viewing the body. He carefully removed the wallet and noted the name for research later and to add to the file. It was more advantageous she was in shock; it caused fewer issues. Ander stood and pulled off his gloves and took out his phone. He took pictures of the body and surrounding area, making sure to capture the insect life forms that were crawling over and in the corpse.

His action seemed to break her state of apathy. She blinked several times before she reached for her pink floral necklace. Her hand rose to cover her mouth and nose as she took several steps back to distance herself. The reaction was more common with most humans and signaled her increased anxiety. His cell vibrated. A text from Will indicated the trail had gone cold. Ander had not expected otherwise. The death occurred hours ago; the werewolf was gone. Will instructed them to meet him at the SUV. Ander slipped the phone into his pocket and carefully approached Maeve. He gestured for her to start back the way they had come. Her eyes flicked down at the body and then to him.

"It is alright, there is nothing we can do for them now. We will notify the authorities," he replied.

She blinked with watery eyes and nodded before she began to move. He followed her, surprised she recalled how they entered the wooded area.

"What did that to that man?" her words carried back to him by the breeze about halfway to the SUV.

Again, tempted to lie, to say something that would ease her mind. "A werewolf. An adult male werewolf, to be more precise," he replied.

"Of course werewolves are real," she said, exasperated more to herself than to him. She stopped and turned to face him.

He did not run into her due to his quick reflexes, but their bodies almost touched again.

"How long have you been tracking the werewolf?"

"We have been here for a few days, but others have been searching for months," he replied.

"Why does it keep killing people? Isn't it a man for 29 days of the month?"

"Yes. Younger, inexperienced werewolves often do not realize what is happening to them. They do not seek out death because they are violent by nature. When they change, they are not themselves. They do not retain any part of their humanity, they are the beast." he paused and raked his bangs back. "The beast hunts because it is its nature. It does not target humans but if a human gets in its way, it is fair game. Experienced werewolves have more control over the change and their beast." Speaking about werewolves put Ander at odds with himself. He had known both good and bad examples of werewolves over the years. To him, they were not much different from most humans. Perhaps more volatile and wild, but the acts he had seen humans knowingly commit far out weighed the acts of rage from werewolves.

"So the older ones? They choose to kill people?"

"Perhaps, but more often it is done out of necessity to protect themselves or their packs," he replied. "There are instances they have attacked humans out of a need to consume certain organs to cure illness," Ander replied.

"You don't sound like you hate them," she commented.

Ander did not truly hate any creatures. There were some that needed to be exterminated because of the threat they posed or their refusal to adhere to a code of conduct. But he did not hate them. The only one worthy of his hate was himself.

"What kind of werewolf killed that man? A young, inexperienced one? Or an older one who decided to?"

"It appears an inexperienced adult, all the kills have been messy and," he stopped when the color drained from her face. His phone vibrated in his pocket. It was Will again, full of ire because they had found the most recent victim. Ander sighed as he read the message. Will demanded to know where they were. "We need to go, Will is waiting."

She nodded, turned back, and started walking.

"Will is going to be... difficult. He feels responsible for most of the deaths. It is best not to upset him," he told her, warning in his voice. Will would be furious if he had known Ander told her he felt responsible about anything. However, Ander needed her to put their issues from earlier aside and not cause further arguments. Will was correct. They needed to wrap this up before there was more bloodshed, and to do that, Will needed a clear mind.