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A/N - Time for some fun. Sorry for delay. School's getting into full swing and I admit I got a little preoccupied with other timesinks. I blame Larry Correia's Monster Hunters International series. Very fun reads...but they kinda slowed me from working on this. They did give me a couple future ideas, however.

Clean save for lots of coarse language. All characters and situations fictional. Some liberties taken for plot advancement.

Chapter 4 - Cordite and Copper

"Every normal man must be tempted at times to spit on his hands, hoist the black flag, and begin to slit throats."

H.L. Mencken

Thompson State Forest

New London, NH

'Oh Crap.'

This shouldn't be happening... This can't be real... What is going on...What is this thing?

My thoughts were flying through my head as this...thing...holding me continued to growl at me. I could smell the strong canid breath; feel its moist warmth covering my face as its eyes scowled, shining amber in the barely lit room. The barest of outlines was illuminated by the meager light coming in from the remains of the window over the creature's shoulder, but all it showed was that I was about a foot off the ground, held by some black, amorphous blob.

I had to think fast. My skull was throbbing. I must have been hit by whatever it was when it came in. Wait, that flash of light...a flashbang? From what I could see...ugh, and smell, I thought, as another growl heralded another wave of its strong breath... I doubted this thing was human...why a flashbang? I had to try talking, try to see if I could reason with this thing.

"Oh, crap." I muttered under my breath. Another, louder snarl answered this expletive.

You idiot! That wasn't what I meant. Let's try this again.

"What girl?" I asked the thing. I already knew it could talk...now I just needed to see what it knew. And hopefully, find a way to throw it off its game so that I could figure out what the hell was going on. Nothing made any sense.

"Marilyn Monroe, Hoover," the thing growled in response. "Who do you fucking think. The damn girl who wandered in yesterday morning. She WILL be coming with me."

Damn, I had almost forgotten about Sarah. Whatever this thing was, it not only knew about Sarah, but perhaps more. Wait, some sort of obscenely large canid in these woods? The words came flooding back to me, almost as if someone elsewhere was reading them to me.

"...Subject found with large, postmortem gashes in superior R leg. Gashes appeared to have been made by wolf according to dentition, but bite dimensions are much larger than any known specimen. Source of wound currently unknown..."

The creature, or maybe monster was a better term given my suspicions, tightened its grip on my shirt, pulling me closer so that I could see the glistening fangs that lined the muzzle that was in my face. "I am losing my patience," the thing started. "Where the FUCK is the GIRL?" It positively roared, flecking my face with its saliva.

Feigning meekness, I raised both my hands in a gesture of surrender, palms open, with one hand on either side of my head...I hoped this would work. I thought of lying, tricking him, but the blinding rage quickly growing inside me from everything that was happening quickly threw that thought out of the nearest window. I was pissed and angry. I wasn't going to back down.

"You know what? Fuck you! And whatever damned bitch spawned you!" I screamed. His eyes widened in shock and anger. I felt myself being pushed away from him as he likely started to raise back a powerful fist, but I wasn't done yet. "I'm not going to let you hunt and kill her like you did my parents." My hands started down to try to get myself free and get a weapon.

I saw it, just for a split second as those two eyes tilted, ever so slightly, to the right in a canine look of confusion. Then, I struck. Both of my arms crashed into the side of the creature just below its ribs, feeling the fur pelt covering it. I felt a wave of its breath wash over my face as the creature involuntarily exhaled and felt the quick sensation of falling as it dropped me and stepped back.

I had hoped to land on my feet, but wasn't that graceful. I landed on the floor in a heap of tangled limbs, and equipment. It had dropped me straight onto my bailout bag. Digging into the top of the bag with an urgency only shown in the face of absolute death, I searched for something to put this thing down.

The roar of anger coming from the thing nearly deafened me. It was mad...and it certainly wanted to kill me. I heard the thundering footstep as it ripped me away from my bag, but not before my hand gripped around one of my tools. I tried to turn around, to get into position, but it threw me into the kitchen area, my salvation flying out of my fingers, clattering under the table. I reached for it, and almost had it when I got pulled forward again.

"Bad move, Hoover." It snarled. I gasped as the head looming over me finally materialized in the gloom. It was huge, maybe one and a half times larger than my human head with dark fur covering it, two tall ears folded flat back against its fur in anger as the two amber orbs that had been my reference before burned with anger and malice. That thick muzzle was filled with gleaming white fangs, lips pealed back in a powerful, dangerous snarl. Then, I saw the large neck connecting the body to that head and simply reacted.

My fist flew out quickly, striking the creature square in the neck where the Adam's apple would be in a human. It had the desired effect as the creature again recoiled, pulling back and releasing me as I scrambled toward the table, my hand brushing against my salvation. I had to get it. It was pissed, and my hand to hand probably wouldn't deter it again. Another grab and a miss as the creature started to growl again, the sound reverberating in my skull like an execution march. I had one more shot. I needed to get that grip.

My hand brushed the textured polymer grip as I finally got that lifesaving grip... and not a second too soon as I was pulled from under the table and lifted by my leg. I was about an arm's length from the thing, close enough for this to be dangerous to it, but what choice did I have. I was on almost off the floor, with only the upper part of my back and my head in contact with the cool linoleum when I swung my left arm up, a red dot dancing on the creature's chest.

"Hey! You! Furry asshole!" I taunted as it looked down at me, "It's Michael, not Hoover."

It saw the boxy shape in my hand and tried to yank me as I pulled the trigger, but he wasn't fast enough. The nitrogen charge popped, firing the two prongs directly into the creature's chest. The clicking as I held the trigger was accompanied by a yelp of pain and thud as the thing collapsed.

Apparently Tasers worked just as well on these critters as on a human scroatbag. I could almost smell the burning fur as the device ran through its charge, but I realized that all this noise should have woken Sarah and brought her out here.

Looking back towards the bedroom, I saw that those barred windows were no longer barred. The smashed glass told me all the tale I needed to know. This was something more than this creature in front of me.

"Fuck! What now?" I exclaimed. I was tired of this. This should have been a standard bank case. Maybe a little high profile but nothing like this. Now it looked like I was in the middle of a kidnapping...and had some sort of overgrown mutt on the kitchen floor.

An overgrown mutt that was currently groaning and trying to get up. "Not so fast," I shouted, tripping a second charge.

It failed. Crap, I'm not dealing with this again. Grabbing the nearest heavy object, I swung it quickly at where I assumed the creature's head to be. I felt the sharp sting of the impact. I also felt the follow through and the change in weight as the object broke in two.

Crap. Looks like I owe Amy a frying pan.

The creature was back on the floor and out cold. I quickly pulled a couple pairs of riot cuffs and flipped on the light to see how I could tie this thing up. Nothing happened. Must have lost power. Grabbing a glowstick off of my vest in my bailout bag, I threw it on the floor so I had light and the sight stunned me for a second.

This creature, well it had to be described as a werewolf. It was maybe seven feet tall, very well built, with powerful arms and legs, although as it was currently lying on its stomach, I couldn't see any more. The clawed fingers on its paw-like hands were definitely tipped with sharp, strong claws. That powerful head was covered in dark fur, colored an obnoxious neon green by the chemstick I had tossed on the floor. Its mouth was slightly open and tongue lolling out slightly, but I could hear its breathing. That same fur covered the rest of the huge body. This thing was amazing, and sparked some innate curiosity within me. I would definitely be coming back here to look closer at this thing, and maybe figure a little more about it, but I needed to find Sarah. I had already taken custody of the kid, so if she got hurt or killed it was my ass. I already had no clue how I was going to write this one up.

Besides, I liked the kid.

I slipped the zip cuffs on the beast's arms and legs, doing a trio of cuffs for each, as well as one around the muzzle. Hopefully this would hold it for long enough to get reinforcements.

Grabbing my flashlight, I went around the cabin, grabbing what I would need. I was still in cargo pants and bureau tee, so I just grabbed my Kevlar vest and pulled it on. It wouldn't do much against another of these creatures, I refused to use the term werewolf, but I figured that the ID panel and protection would be handy if I ran into any...more mundane adversaries. My primary sidearm was gone, whether from the struggle or from something else, I had no clue. Thankfully, the backup I carried in my go bag was still there and I slipped that onto my hip, not bothering with the thigh rig I normally used for tactical work. Grabbing for the M4, I saw that the rifle barrel had been bent. It was useless. Crap. I grabbed my M1 and pulled a few en bloc clips for it from my bag.

I saw a strange item sitting just under the sofa where I had been sleeping and grabbed it. It was a small, stretchable tube with something on it that I never expected to see. On this sleeve was a small circle, silver in color with cutouts forming a five pointed star in the center. And above the circle were the words 'Federal Marshal'. What did the US Marshals have to do with any of this?

Now for communications. I had left my phone and portable on the computer desk, and looked that way. Nuts. I saw a pile of electronic innards and plastic shards on the desk. Whoever had done this had also put a hole in the computer monitor, so I couldn't use that to call for help. What now, signal fires? Wait, I thought...the GPS transceiver, I can use that. It's in the truck.

As this thought crossed my mind, I heard a sound I hoped not to hear again. It was the pathetic scream of a child, wailing across the forest, coming from deeper within the forest, followed by the sound of automatic weapons fire. Kalashnikovs if I had to guess. That's definitely no animal. The howl that followed, long and angry, definitely was.

Running through the remains of the demolished door into the remarkably well lit night, I reached my truck. Someone was definitely thorough. My tires were slashed, as were the windows. The entire front console had been smashed in, so I had no radio here either. Hopefully they hadn't found the GPS unit. A quick grab under the passenger seat confirmed this and I grabbed the small yellow box, flipping on the mayday signal.

Hopefully they would send the cavalry, because otherwise I was it. God help us all.

Another staccato burst of gunfire burst into the quiet night as the sky to the east was lit up by some conflagration. I guess I should move towards the light.

I ran down the trails, boots slogging through the sticky mud as I powered toward what I hoped was wherever the girl had been taken. My mind was racing just as fast as I was, however. Something was definitely off. First, I have a kid come to me who states she saw guys talking about a robbery. Then these guys come to my cabin, try to talk me into giving her to them, and then make the idiotic mistake of starting to pull a gun on me. During all of this, my backup gets completely tied up and I can't get the kid to the sheriff due to road flooding. That night, somebody throws a flashbang into the cabin where I'm sleeping and I wake up being held a foot off of the ground by some wolf...thing demanding to know where the girl is.

I doubted that wolf was anywhere near the flashbang when it went off. Those things cook human ears. Those radar dish sized ears would have been toast, but it even heard me when I was talking under my breath. The most nagging thing is that wolf's reaction to my accusations. It almost looked confused. That tilt of its head just kept nagging at me. And if these things had killed my father, why leave his body where it was, why not eat everything like they did with my mother?

I was pulled out of my mental examination by, well, a strong pull. I felt the grip around my right ankle, but was moving too fast to slow down and break free. I fell to the ground, my left knee striking the damp soil, eliciting a short gasp. I reached my left hand back towards my right ankle, reaching for my knife with my right, figuring I caught a vine or root, when my hand abruptly met fur.

Startled, I rapidly whirled to my right, sidearm clearing its holster and laser training directly between the eyes of another of those wolf things.

"No, Mike. Don't Shoot, please, you need to help her." It pleaded.

I was shocked. "How do you know about me...how do you know my name?" I was mad and confused. As I looked at this creature, I saw the crimson stain on the granite ground where the creature lay. It was injured, its brown fur matted and wet. It seemed to be straining to communicate with me.

"I know a lot about you. Your birthday, your favorite colors, even that you refused to go to prom because you couldn't go with Amy. But that doesn't matter now. You need to save Sarah. Those monsters are going to kill her. Please, save her. Go to the light."

Its grip on my leg weakened and I pulled my leg free, but still kneeled. This thing wasn't trying to hurt me. It was asking for my help... and it knew me. I dug into one of the pockets of my vest, grabbing for one of my guardian angels.

"Go. Save her. I will be okay." It was trying to get me to go, the worry evident in its voice. A long, loud howl rang from the woods somewhere to the north of us and was answered by one from the west, the direction of my cabin. "My family is coming for me."

I stood, and snapped a red chemstick, dropping it and a package of quick clot in front of the creature. I couldn't stay, but this thing could speak, hopefully it could read.

"Use this. It'll slow the bleeding. Directions are on the package. I'll come back for you." I don't know where the mercy came from. Just seconds ago I had been ready to shoot it, but... it wasn't a threat. This was no monster.

"Go! Save Sarah. I'll be fine. Before dawn" She was very insistent and I finally followed her urgings, turning back to the trail and again setting off toward the orange glow in the sky to the east.

Now on full alert, I continued to run toward the light as I came upon a small clearing. I knew it very well. I had been up here a hundred times as a kid to look at the stars. It was my father's favorite stargazing sites. Looking across the clearing, I saw crackling of fires across in the next clearing. I sprinted across the clearing and positioned myself in the treeline, trying to reconnoiter what I was walking into. The park was supposed to be closed, and I knew no burn permits had been issued. The sight as I maneuvered close to the treeline near this field chilled me to the bone and sent by blood boiling at the same time.

Sarah was in there, but so were three other figures. I could hear snippets of their conversation, but not much. They were all wearing woodland BDUs and carrying Kalashnikov rifles slung across their backs. What really struck me were the silver pistols hanging on their hips. These were the bandits that made up 'The Squad.' I managed to recognize the two younger men from earlier, but not the third. He was definitely not the old guy. He was way too short and round.

Sarah was tied to a stake in the middle of the field, right at the front of a stack of wood that looked to be about eight feet tall. If that fire was lit, she was dead. I could hear her whimpering from the woods where I was. She still had her spirit, however. Every so often I heard her scream at these men that they should let her go if they wanted to live.

'Fuck' I thought. 'I'm way too outnumbered. I'll have to hold back for help.' Hopefully it wouldn't be too far away. Remembering the words of that injured wolf, I looked to the east and saw a brightening sky. Dawn. This was going to be close.

I strained my ear to hear approaching help, but the muted sounds of the forest were all that I could hear. Then I saw what I feared.

I could only see one of the three suspects at this time. It was the shorter and rounder one, the one that I did not recognize. The other two had started patrolling to the south of my position, likely near the roads up to the clearing. That third suspect just walked up to Sarah. I had already decided that my fallback plan was to simply free Sarah and run toward the next treeline if her life was threatened, but I had hoped that I could avoid it. That treeline also qualified as a pretty ugly ridgeline. I did not want to have to chance meeting the same fate as my parents, but it looked like I wouldn't have the choice.

My eyes were glued on that bastard walking up to Sarah and I saw his hand going to his holstered handgun. Raising my Garand, I looked down the sights, keeping this guy zeroed if he did anything untoward. I could see no movement from either corner of my vision. The suspect moved in close and said something to Sarah, but I didn't hear what, although I can guess her reply.

The quick slap that asshole gave Sarah sent my blood boiling but I couldn't help but grin as I saw him wipe something from his face. She had spat on him. I definitely liked this kid. This guy's next actions changed my world, more than they should have.

I saw the flash of silver as a pistol cleared the holster on this bastard and saw him start to move toward putting the muzzle on the girl's head. He'd forced my hand.

"Federal Agent! Drop the weapon! Now!"

My bellowing would have woke the dead, but this idiot made the worst mistake he could have. I had moved to the edge of the woods and was in a kneeling stance, business end of the Garand directly at him. I was plainly marked as an agent and I had identified myself. Even with all of that, this guy turned to face me and started to assume a firing stance.

Big mistake.

My rifle barked three times. I fell back into old training and shot a Mozambique drill. Two 30-06 rounds traversed this idiot's chest while a third popped his skull like a grape. I started running toward Sarah. That idiot was either suicidal or stupid and if the others were the same I wanted to shield Sarah if I could.

That was definitely the right move.

No sooner had I ventured onto the field than two automatic rifles opened up, but they were not shooting at me, but at Sarah.

"Fuck," I muttered under my breath, trying to will my legs to push me faster...to cover that fifty yards between myself and the girl.

I failed that kid in Boston. I wasn't going to fail Sarah.

Forty yards...thirty...I could see the dirt kicking up as rounds impacted all around the girl...Twenty...I dropped the Garand. The ten pound battle rifle was an amazing tool, but was heavy as sin.

Ten yards to go. My legs were burning as my chest heaved. I saw a sight I never wanted to see. One of the rifle rounds found Sarah's arm, and I saw the gout of flesh muscle, bone, and blood eject from her. That primal scream of pain just snapped something inside me.

Not again...Never again.

I pulled my knife, flipping the thumb stud and opening it with a flick of my wrist.

Five yards. Five more strides.

I slammed into that stake and the girl. Putting my body in front of her, I slashed at the ropes binding her to that wooden prison and quickly freed her. Dropping the knife, I grabbed the girl in my left hand, almost like a football running back holding a ball, and we started toward the treeline, legs pumping as well as they could.

I heard the staccato reports of the two rifles and the incessant cracks of those bullets filling the air around me. These guys were horrid shots. Thank God.

"Oh Fuck" I grunted as an impact took the breath out of me. I felt the impact strike my lower back, ceramic plates in the vest stopping the round, but transferring the impact. Damn, that hurt. I couldn't stop, though. My adrenaline kept me going...for a little bit.

The sharp sting of the hot copper jacketed round sizzling through my left calf threw me to the ground. I instinctually twisted, using my armored body to shield the girl from the fall and the rounds peppering the air around us. We hit the ground hard. Sarah rolled a foot or so away from me, moaning at the impact. I wanted to check on her but we were too vulnerable. Even if this was my last stand, I wasn't going to let these assholes kill the girl while there was still life in my body.

"Sarah, run. Go for the trees." She needed to get some concealment. If reinforcements got here maybe they could find her...even if all that remained of me was my body.

"No, I can't." Came the reply.

Crap. Must be too injured. God save me.

I rolled my body so that I was facing the two shooters, my body acting as a barricade for Sarah. My sidearm was in my hands, searching for targets, tracking across the foreboding woods.

There. I saw the telltale twinkle of a muzzle flash to my left and saw the dirt near my feet being kicked up. Aiming for the flash, I squeezed the trigger twice, the crack of my 45 breaking the chaotic mess of rifle fire.

A scream pierced the gunfire as my rounds apparently struck home and was abruptly cut short. Score one for the good guys.

An unnatural silence fell across the clearing as all firing stopped. I couldn't see the other shooter, but he was no longer shooting. In those few seconds, I almost felt relieved. I could feel Sarah behind me; feel her breathing as she tried to process everything that had happened.

Through that unnatural silence, I heard a bone-chilling sound.

A haunting howl rising from the forest to my right. Near where I had estimated the other shooter to be.

I swiveled my sidearm and gaze to the right, searching for the source and saw it.

It was another of those damned monsters. All dark furred seven feet of it. All three tritium dots on the 45 lined up on the creature's chest, my finger within an ounce of the trigger break as the monster sprinted toward me, its loud snarling audible from even fifty yards away.

"Stop. I will shoot." I gave him one chance as my thumb flipped on the laser and flashlight mounted on the frame, hoping to startle the creature.

I didn't work. The thing kept coming. Great.

My index finger started to creep backwards, tightening on the trigger. It was only about twenty yards from me. A couple of seconds...Wait.

I couldn't feel Sarah at my back anymore.

That realization was cut short as a dark shape flew over my prone body, placing itself between me and the oncoming beast. It was smaller, maybe four and a half feet tall. In the dawn light, I could see that it was another of those wolf creatures, clad in dark fur, tall pointed ears alert and twitching...but it wasn't being aggressive...

It had placed itself defensively between the charging beast and me. I instinctively released all of the pressure that I had taken up on the trigger and dropped the muzzle. Trigger discipline had always been drilled into me and was second nature to me. I tried to roll, trying to get an angle on this beast, but the three words from this small creature stopped me where I lay.

"No! Daddy! Stop!"

A/N - Thanks for reading. I hope to hear your thoughts on the story. There is more to come.

Edited for Clarity - 9/12/11- AAcid