Grim Echoes

Chapter 20 - Maeve

The amiable mood she'd had when she fell asleep in Ander's arms tried its best to stay with her, but Will made it impossible. As nervous as she was on the way to kill a werewolf, she yawned, still lethargic. Ander had assured her he'd keep his word, waiting for the right time. She tried to stretch, but it still hurt to move her arm around. Her wound had healed at an alarming rate. The skin was no longer bleeding and itched. The bruise underneath was the problem. Even after the coffee, her mind was fuzzy, but she was pretty sure it wasn't supposed to heal that quickly.

They pulled into the almost empty parking lot and parked out of the sun, near some trees, and away from the building. She closed her eyes and wondered how she'd stop Will if he didn't listen to Ander. They moved around in the front seat, probably checking their weapons. Once they figured out how many people were in the building, then she would play her part of the panicked woman to get Kevin to help her. If need be. She was to distract anyone else left in the building once they got him outside.

Ander had explained it was dangerous to act during the day, but they needed to take advantage of the opportunity they had. Based on the vehicles, it appeared the cleaners and maybe one other employee was here, unless someone had just left their car. Ander confirmed his family would be at church during the time they'd take to destroy the werewolf.

"Don't move around," Will said sternly.

She'd heard several people outside talking and opening and closing car doors. She opened her eyes. The cleaners packed their van. They didn't even bother to look their way. The van started and drove away.

"Those were the cleaners?" she asked to confirm she wasn't wrong.

"Fucking A they were!" Will's face broke into a large predatory grin. Something was different about his face. He looked the same, but more feral. His excitement bled from him and filled the cabin of the vehicle. "You ready?" he asked, his grey eyes sparkled in the sunlight her through the rear-view mirror.

She nodded but couldn't speak, again captivated by his image.

"You check the security system?" his deep voice resonated in the vehicle.

"Yes, it will be disabled when she reaches the door," he replied to Will, and then turned to face her. "The door code is 55783. Enter the code and the door will unlock,"

"That's the Bloom Accounting code right?" she asked.

"Yes. Any records will reflect the only code used today was by someone in Bloom Accounting," Ander told her.

"Right, ok. And I have to keep these gloves on so I don't leave any prints. At least until I get into the building," she reminded herself.

"Yes. Your objective is to get him to leave the building willingly. He is on the second floor, suite 205," Ander replied. "The phones are ip phones. Once the Internet is shut off no one can call out. His cell will not receive a signal."

"Your good, right? You can handle this?" Will asked.

She nodded. Maeve was frightened because they'd warned her werewolves were temperamental and he'd still be feeling the effects of the moon. Nervous she'd say the wrong thing or he wouldn't want to help her, her mind raced with hundreds of ways she could mess up, but she couldn't let Will know that. With a deep breath, she dug deep. This wasn't any different from admitting a violent patient. Her mind drifted to the soul touches that terrified her, she'd survived those, she could do this.

"Be back soon. Be ready," she told them with a forced smile and got out of the SUV.

She paused and relived that terrible moment when she witnessed a man lose his humanity and become a demon. Her mind recalled when that creature almost got her with its claws, well, almost got Ander with its claws. The blood as it seeped out of the thousand wounds she'd inflicted to get the enemy to talk. No, she hadn't done that. Will had in the military. Her insides quivered as she briskly walked to the front door.