Chapter 5: Wild On

I came to as wrenching pain ran through my entire body. Every muscle went ridged as convulsions shook me. The pain withdrew and left me completely slack and lingering in hazy conciseness. I was being held in an upright position by ropes at my wrists. My feet were similarly restricted. I heard an old cackling voice from behind me say," Hit him with it again." and I was soon writhing in agony after feeling a touch at the base of my neck.

I was suddenly very much awake, and in a great deal of pain. The cackle turned into insane laughter. I tugged against the knots, but they held firm. I repressed the urge to snarl and snap at my bindings with my teeth. No good can come from killing everyone who sees the unholy transformation from man to beast.

"He's awake, and looks pissed!" the old cackler giggled. I heard footsteps coming around me. "Hey badass, you don't look like anybody my daddy knew now!" The motel manager Mr. Pewbes and his nephew stepped into my blurred vision. As I focused on the two of them my surroundings came out of the haze.

I was suspended between two brick pillars in some overgrown walled garden. I put my feet under me to stand, only to find myself twisting into a ball as I felt the tap at the base of my neck again.

After I recovered, a voice behind me said," I didn't say it you could stand, did I?" It was the voice of Roger Conaroe. He sounded like he was enjoying his new role as captor and torturer. He stepped around and showed me the altered cattle prod he held. Two wires ran from the handle to an unseen power source behind me. He put the other end against my chest and pushed the button.

I wrenched against the ropes as yet again I was thrown into a world of nauseating pain. They all waited until I had recovered enough to comprehend their taunts before continuing.

"You don't look like a badass now tough guy." Mr. Pewbes was beside himself with crazy laughter. His big nephew rubbed his jaw and said," I owe him a good one for my jaw. Let me have a turn with him." he stepped between Conaroe and myself and shot a right hand to my mouth.

My lips split, starting a flow of blood. He followed that with a left to my midsection. There was a dull smack as his fist slammed into lean muscle.

From the looks of the place around me and the absence of noise and human occupation I surmised I was outside of town. The glow on the horizon said it was almost dawn or almost night. I wasn't sure of anything, except that it was time to break up the party and go find Elizabeth.

"Where's your niece, you old bastard?" I spat through my bleeding lips.

"She's at work, back in town. Not that it's going to make a bit of difference to you. You're not going anywhere but to a shallow grave. You really should treat people better. You can never tell when somebody may hold your life in their hands. My vote is we make you suffer for a while then put a bullet through your thick skull."

"Me too Uncle Albert. He smacked me a good one back there. It still hurts."

Conaroe gave his opinion," You guys don't know who this man is. He's the best of the best. The top dog bounty hunter in Texas, maybe the country. I want to know how he got so lucky and who else knows where he is."

"What are you saying, exactly?" Uncle posed. Nephew just looked puzzled and waited breathing through his slack jaw, open mouth.

"I know he has a partner. I want to know where he is and who else may come around. If you want me to continue to protect your niece I need to know this sort of shit."

Now it made sense. Conaroe had sold out. He was acting as bodyguard for a fugitive. I never had liked him.

The old man spoke again," Nobody was with him when he checked in last night. He specifically said he was alone and not expecting company."

"Well if he said it, then it must be true, right? I'm telling you, you don't get this guy's reputation by being careless. I want some answers, and he can't tell us anything if he's dead."

I was tired of the arguing," Where's town?"

Nephew Matt started to point toward to pale horizon before Conaroe slapped his hand down and said," Don't tell him. You don't know what he can use. So just don't say anything."

I rose to my feet taking my weight off my wrists. Conaroe just smiled as he began to raise the cattle prod.

"Before you do that let me say something." he stopped and waited," Matt, I'm sorry about the jaw, but you know how it is. It's fight to win or stay on the porch. Old man, you just piss me off. Roger, I'm going to enjoy killing you as much as you've enjoyed hurting me with your toy."

They all stood staring at a man tied hand and foot, outnumbered three to one, and now making a bold statement," Untie me, and I'll let you live."

Matt started toward the ropes. He may have been a big, dumb shit, but he knew the truth when he heard it.

"Stop! You dumb son of a bitch. I should have put you in a home a year ago." the elder Mr. Pewbes spat at his nephew as he raised a hand as if to hit the simpleton.

Matt recoiled as if his uncle had been swinging a sword. He looked into my eyes and saw the wrath there and said in a humble tone," You know I want to let you go?"

"Sure Matt. Start for town now and don't look back. No matter what you hear or think you see. Don't come here again. You can't help these two. They've made their choice. Go tell Liz that I'm here to help her. I'll be along later."

Conaroe couldn't believe what he was hearing," What the fuck do you think you're saying? What do you intend to do? You're helpless as a baby."

I watched Matt as he disappeared into the darkness, going home, and toward Elizabeth. He would lead me to her later. I had two killers to deal with and it was time to end this. I turned to Conaroe and told him," You're a piece of shit. I won't allow you to continue to kill targets just because they turn down your deals. You give us all a bad name." Conaroe sneered as he came to understand his game was no longer a secret.

"Fuck you tough guy." he said as he extended the cattle prod and pressed the button sending the electric current through me once more.

The result for the first part went as he had expected. I jerked against the ropes as the current ripped through my body. My body however, failed to relax after this jolt.

Instead the muscles strained even harder and swelled to greater proportions. I tilted my head back to glance at the stars one last time as a human as I surrendered to my killer instinct. The eyes that feel back to Earth and Conaroe were no longer human.

The metamorphosis is awe inspiring to watch. The knowledge comes over the witness that reality isn't as solid as they thought. Then doubt slows their minds. They have to rationalize what they are seeing. They think it has got to be some sort of trick. After all, there are no such things as werewolves.

That at least, is what I believe they think. I haven't been able to question any of them. Any one who has seen the transformation has died soon after. Like the two men standing in front of me at that moment.

Mr. Pewbes dropped to his knees praying and crossing himself spewing unrecognizable babble. His eyes never left the horrific view of the creature that was straining against the ropes that held back its fury.