The rage Within

Theo turned off the highway and into a small rural neighborhood. There was an old elementary school that appeared to have been out of service for some time. The parking lot was grown over with weeds and there wasn’t a car in the lot other than the white van.

Theo and I parked the car next to the van at the rear of the school and made our way to the blue door as directed. Just as we approached Bili swung the door open to let us in then closed the door behind us. We walked down the hall and into a small gymnasium. Jacques and Steve were standing in front of their captive, who was in a chair.

“The other one got away.” Jacques said. “But as you can see, one did not.”

“What’s this one’s name?” Theo asked.

The wolf was bound to a chair with rope and duct tape to add a little extra security. Not that we were in danger from him, but rather to keep his attention where it should be.

“This is Alonzo, my friend from the motel.” Jacques said as he patted him on the shoulder.

“He is also not as fast as he thought he was.” Steve said with a grin. “He was caught by a girl.”

Alonzo was the more aggressive of the two wolves that attempted to ambush Jacques. This resulted in a few broken bones, but apparently it did nothing to change his mind about what he was doing.

“Alonzo, I am Theodorus Karnass. I understand that you are on the young side and may have never heard of me, like you had never heard of Jacques before your last meeting. He also gave you some sage advice that you chose to ignore.”

Theo walked around the back of Alonzo, grabbed a chair, and then moved to the front of him, sat and stared intently. I never realized how intimidating Theo could be, as he has always been so nice and pleasant with me. This was a side I had never seen before.

Alonzo’s face was mix of emotions. He did not want to appear scared, but I could sense it. I had no idea what Theo was going to do, but I know he was at his wits end.

“Who are you working with?” Theo asked.

Alonzo sat in silent defiance. His facial expression was almost a smug smile. He was trying to act as tough and unaffected as possible.

Mistake.

Theo grabbed Alonzo by the ear and yanked it clean off in a split second. I don’t think that Alonzo knew what had happened until Theo slowly held it up for him to look at. Alonzo let out a growling yell.

I think I was as shocked as Alonzo. No warning, no threats, no nothing. Theo dangled the ear in front of the wolf and stared directly into his eyes before tossing it on the hard tile floor as simply as tossing an apple core in the woods.

“Wolves and vampires alike can heal from most anything, as you’re probably well aware. What you may not know is that when a piece is removed from the body for an extended period of time the cells begin to deteriorate and die, making regeneration impossible.”

Theo kept his icy stare directly at Alonzo letting him know who was in charge and that this was not a two-way conversation.

“You may consider yourself tougher than most, but I assure you, if we start down the path of body part removal, you will get tired of losing parts well before I get tired of removing them. You have fifteen seconds to think it over before I start this process. Once we start, reversal will not be an option. Just so you know, your right hand is next. Sorry, but fingers just take too long.”

I don’t know where Theo got it, but he pulled out a large knife that could have been from his antique collection. It may have been old, but it heavy and looked sharp as a razor.

“Oh, so we are clear. A lie will earn you the same result.” Theo added.

Alonzo’s mind must have been spinning, but he knew that this was not a bluff. He didn’t have to be a vampire to see that in Theo’s eyes.

“Who are you working with?”

“My maker...” Alonzo said. Sweat was now dripping from his forehead.

“Which is?” Jacques said.

“His name is Kristov. I don’t know even know if that’s his first or last name.” Alonzo said as kept looking at around the floor. “I’ll talk, can I have my fuckin ear back?”

Theo picked up the separated ear from the floor and set it on the shoulder of the agonizing wolf.

“Continue.” Theo said.

“After he turned me, and a few others, he took us to meet a woman.” He said.

“What woman?” Jacques asked.

“I never got a full name, but Kristov called her Paris, the like city. The bitch at the track” Alonzo said.

“Parrus Truzic?” Jacques said. Then he looked at Theo.

“The Jaguar.” Theo said.

“Shit.” Jacques said.

“Indeed.” Theo said. “Go on.” Theo prompted, looking at Alonzo.

“We were given limited information about what we were doing, but it was clear that she wanted information on you.” He said looking at Theo. “And she also wanted you dead as soon as possible.” Alonzo added, looking at Jacques.

“How did that work out?” Steve said grinning.

Alonzo looked at him with incredulously for a good fifteen seconds before continuing.

“We were told this was the price for our new immortality. She said you were all evil to the core and we were doing society a favor. It was also heavily implied that if we did not do as we were asked it would be a death sentence. So…” Alonzo said, raising his eyebrows.

He was telling the truth.

“Why were you meeting Parrus at the track?”

“I don’t know.” Alonzo said hesitantly.

Before Alonzo finished his lying sentence, Theo brought down his knife on Alonzo’s wrist and separated his hand cleanly from the rest of his arm. The hand still gripped the arm of the chair he was strapped to, but now there was a minor gap from hand to wrist. Blood dripped from the hand portion, but spurted from the arm.

“Ahhhh, grrrr!”

Alonzo screamed and growled in equal measure.

“Someone has a short memory.” Bili said calmly.

“Okay! After we failed to take care of...him,” Alonzo said, nodding toward Jacques, “she killed my partner and gave me another chance. I was going to do some recon for her, while she made other arrangements to finish the job.” Alonzo said, looking sheepishly at Jacques.

“What was your new mission?” Theo asked.

“Put my hand back on!”

“Mission?”

“She had just given me a list of instructions at the track and I hadn’t had a chance to look at it before...”

“A girl kicked your ass?” Steve said, enjoying the chance to talk about Bili.

Jacques opened the small envelope he found in Alonzo’s pocket and showed Theo the contents.

I didn’t like the look on Theo’s face.

“Did she say why?” Theo said.

“No, she never told us shit. I did hear that she was after someone named Jack, but after Kristov fucked up the original plan things changed. That’s all I know!” Alonzo said

Jacques looked at Theo, who gave a nod letting him know that everything he had just heard was the truth.

“Where is Kristov staying? And how do you make contact with him.” Jacques asked.

“I don’t know exactly, but I heard the name of some town when he was on the phone. Mayo or something.”

“Mio?” Theo said.

“Probably. Listen, his number is in my phone, take it. That’s all I know. Really!” He pleaded.

Theo backed up and Jacques stepped in front of Alonzo. The nervous look on Alonzo’s face said he should have taken Jacques advice the first time. Jacques punched Alonzo in the face so hard that I thought his head may actually come off. The ear on his shoulder dropped to the floor from the force.

“Listen carefully.” Jacques said.

I guess that was Jacques way of getting his attention. He got it.

“The first time we met you thought you knew better. You don’t. We better not meet again.” Jacques said as succinctly as ever.

Jacques looked over at Steve.

“Cut him loose.”

In an excited hurry Steve tripped and fell into Alonzo, knocking him and the chair over. Alonzo’s hand went flying onto the dirty floor not too far from the ear.

“Shit, sorry.” Steve said as he awkwardly pulled Alonzo back up.

Bili rolled her eyes.

Steve brushed off the dirt from his pants absentmindedly seeming to forget what he was doing.

“Um” Jacques said

“Oh. Yeah.”

Steve pulled out a small knife and began to cut away the ropes and tape. When Steve got through the last of it he backed up and stood next to Jacques.

“There you are sir.” Steve said as if he had just brought up Alonzo’s car from the valet.

Alonzo stood up hesitantly looking around at each of us suspiciously. He slowly reached down for his ear, then his hand, as cautiously as if he was reaching into a bear trap.

Bili opened the door and motioned with her head and eyes, as only Bili can do, and said, “Beat it dipshit.”

Alonzo put his ear in his pocket, but held his hand to his wrist to get it working again. He took two slow steps toward the door before sprinting.

“You think he will go back to them?” I asked to no one in particular.

“Only if he is the dumbest wolf alive.” Bili said.

“We’re counting on it.” Steve said with a devilish grin.

“Steve put a tracker on him.” Theo said.

“You think I’m that clumsy? C’mon, I’m not a wolf.” Steve said, shooting Jacques an overly friendly look.

“Good work Harold.” Jacques said.

Steve’s grin softened. I think that name was the only thing that upset that guy.

“I wondered why you were so nice to him.” Bili said directing her attention to Jacques.

Nice? He about decapitated him.

Jacques walked to the window and opened it to let in some fresh air. He had it closed earlier for obvious reasons.

“Parrus wouldn’t be working for just anyone.” Theo said as the rest of us gathered in a circle of sorts.

“Someone with means and a hatred of you. This has to limit the field.” Jacques said.

“You think you can find the place in Mio?” Theo said

“Read my mind.”

Wasting no time with goodbyes, Jacques was gone.

“See ya later Jacques, be careful. You too Steve. You are the greatest by the way. Oh, stop.” Steve said in mock conversation, playing both his and Jacques’ part.

That even got a smile out of Bili. He was hilarious at times.

“Bili, can you and Jack take Steve to his car then head back to the POH. I’ll meet you two there later and we will make arrangements for lodging elsewhere. Keep your eyes peeled. This situation just might have accelerated. She knows we know.”

I don’t know if Theo was talking to anyone in particular, but we all nodded

“Good work Steve. I owe you one.”

“If you have a spare Dali laying around that would be cool. Or a Monet. Not picky” Steve said.

I couldn’t tell if he was serious or not.

“Bili. Give Steve The Burning Giraffe when you get back.” Theo said.

That answers that.

“Thanks Theo.” Steve said nonchalantly as if he had just given him a cup of coffee. That painting was worth a small fortune.

It was hard not to like that guy. He was the epitome of good nature and positivity. Unless you are Bili of course, who I think despises both of those qualities.

We got in the van and made our way back to Bili’s, where Steve had his car. On the way Steve made one last effort to get Bili to have dinner with him, but in Bili form, she impolitely declined.

Bili was starving, so before we went back to the POH, we called in some take-out from one of Bili’s favorite restaurants. It was a short drive, but I noticed something odd. Bili was actually going the speed limit.

“You’re driving normal. What’s up?” I asked

“Can’t a girl obey traffic laws without the third degree?”

“No.”

“You trying to get a knife in the thigh?” She said.

Again, not sure if it was a joke.

We got our food and went back to the POH to eat. I prompted Bili again,

hoping to get her to talk to me, and believe it or not, she did.

What she told me was far more than I ever expected. Not only did she talk a little about herself, but about my new world in general. She spoke of things that turned my new life on its head. Things that even after everything I had been through I found to be absolutely unbelievable, and that’s saying a lot.

This world we live in is truly a remarkable place full of wonders. It’s a shame so few ever get to see or experience it.