Bark (The Werewolf Journal's Book 1) (16 page)

“Then what are you doing here?  I’ve already told you what you got to do,” Gulaunt said, letting Jay in.

“Being that you are the only one that will believe me, I wanted to give you this,” Jay said, handing over Arnie’s journal.

“Why give this to me?  I hardly know you and your friend.” Gulaunt said.

“I’m going to find Arnie, and I’m going to kill him,” Jay told Gulaunt as he sat down on the couch.  “There’s more.  Arnie had a baby, and well, I don’t know how, but it lived and well...”

“You think the baby’s infected?” Gulaunt asked.

“It is,” Jay replied.

“Are you sure?” the old Indian asked.

“Positive.” Jay nodded his head.  “You know what I have to do?”

“Yes,” the Indian said, getting Jay a cup of water.  “I can’t imagine what it would be like to have to do something like that.”  Gulaunt patted Jay on the back.

“The reason I’m here is I don’t know what’s going to happen. If I die you’re the only one that knows.  You’ll have to find Arnie. And if I can’t kill the baby, then you’ll

have to do it.”

“Listen, I don’t want to get involved,” Gulaunt said hesitantly.

“You’re already involved.  If something happens to me, the killing is going to go on, and if Arnie manages to get his son, who knows?  What if more people get infected?” Jay asked, biting his lip.

Gulaunt looked at Jay as he sat down and crossed his arms, rubbing his finger against his chin.  “I’ll do it only if something happens to you,” Gulaunt replied.

“Thank you,” Jay said, shaking the Indian’s hand.

“You are very brave.  Don’t torture yourself.  I did it for years after killing my brother.  I wondered if there was something more I could have done, but there wasn’t.

You’re doing the right thing.” Gulaunt handed Jay a pack of bullets.  “They’re silver.  I hope you don’t need that many, but I’ve kept them around for safekeeping.  Here.”  The Indian handed Jay a gun.  “It’s bigger and packs a stronger punch than that little .22 you carry around.”

“Thanks.  I needed a new gun,” Jay said, grabbing the gun and sticking the .44 magnum in his jacket.  Jay’s eyes filled with tears as Gulaunt held his right hand tightly in compassion.

“I’m scared.  I am so scared,” Jay said, embarrassed.

“There’s nothing wrong with that.  Fear makes us strong.  Makes us do things that we never thought we were capable of,” Gulaunt said, again patting Jay on the shoulders.

“I held his baby.  It was so beautiful.  I don’t know if I can do it,” Jay said.

“You have to and you will,” the Indian replied.

“If I do get out of this alive, I’ll probably spend the rest of my life in jail.”

“I’ll visit you if that happens.  But if you survive, I’ll get you to the border.  I know some people that can help you.  Now go and do what you have to do,” Gulaunt said as Jay walked out of his house.

“I almost forgot,” Jay said, walking back in.  That notebook I gave you, it’s Arnie’s journal.  He never finished it.  I finished what I could.  If I don’t make it, maybe you

can – ”

“What on earth do you expect me to do with it?” Gulaunt interrupted.

“I don’t know.  Maybe write a book,” Jay said, leaving.

CHAPTER 60

Roberta jumped out of her red Jeep, reaching for her gun.  She had already radioed in for backup.  She tailed Jay Summers, but there was no sign of his friend Arnie.  The only thing she could think was that the Alvarez kid was hiding in the woods.  That was the only reason Summers would be coming out here.

It’s really stupid of me to go in without backup, she thought, waving her gun, pointing her flashlight toward the trees.

“Welcome, Officer,” Arnie said, causing Roberta to fumble her hands against her gun.

Roberta shined her flashlight on Arnie’s face as he stood leaning against the tree.  “Don’t move, Alvarez!” Roberta ordered.

“What are you going to do, Officer?  Shoot me?” Arnie asked, stepping toward her.

“I’m warning you, Arnie,” Roberta said, pointing her gun.

“I think it is
I
that should be warning you.” Arnie stepped closer to Roberta as she backed away.

“I’m warning you, kid.  No one’s going to care if I pump your body full of bullets.”

“Neither am I.  Why don’t you shoot, Officer?” Arnie said, stepping closer.  And as he did, Roberta fired her gun, shooting Arnie in the head.  Arnie’s head tilted back as the bullet connected to his skull.  Roberta watched in disbelief as smoke smoldered from his wound.  He stood with a wicked smile, unaffected by the bullet.

“You want to try again,” Arnie asked, knocking the gun out of Roberta’s hand.

“What are you?” Roberta asked.

“Come now, Officer.  You’re no fool,” Arnie answered, revealing his sharp teeth.

“Oh my God!” she said, feeling the cold hand of fear running against her body.

“Trust me, God’s far from this place.  Now you know the truth.” Arnie wrapped his hand around the officer’s petrified neck.

“Please, I have a little boy,” she begged.

“Really,” Arnie said, stopping momentarily.  “No one seemed to care when my little boy was born,” Arnie replied, crushing Roberta’s neck with his hand.  He then ripped her jugular out.  Blood splattered against his face as Roberta’s body hit the ground.  Arnie looked up at the moon, undaunted by what he was becoming.

CHAPTER 61

Father Bastin opened his door to find Jay standing there, asking him if he could talk.

“Sure,” the father said, asking Jay to come in.

Just as Father Bastin was turning to lead Jay into his living room, Jay hit the father over the head with a pipe, knocking him out.  Jay then ran up the stairs to the father’s house where the baby’s room was, walking in.  He could see a figure standing by the crib holding the baby.

“I knew you would do this,” Jay said, reaching for his gun.

“He’s beautiful,” Arnie said, stepping into the light.

“I know, Arnie.  Please put the baby down and get out of here,” Jay begged.

“No, I won’t let you.” Arnie kicked Jay’s gun out of his hand.

Jay then punched Arnie in the face, causing him to slam into the crib.  Arnie set the baby down in the crib realizing that would be the only way he could protect the baby without harming it.

“I really wished you hadn’t come here,” Arnie said, beginning to change.

The baby in the crib screamed in fear as Jay picked his gun up.  Arnie struggled to protect the baby as he changed, but before he did, Jay fired the gun into the crib.  Blood spurted out, and the crying ceased.

“Nooooooo!” Arnie screamed, pushing Jay away from the crib.  Jay then clumsily fired his gun, just grazing Arnie on the shoulder.

Arnie then crashed through the window of the house.  Jay could hear the howling of the beast as it escaped through the woods.  Jay ran out the house and into his truck.  He prayed to God he was wrong, but judging on the direction the beast was headed, he knew where it was going.  Jay started his truck and headed for his house.

When Jay finally arrived, he knew he was too late.  He turned off his truck, reached for his gun, and walked up to his house.  The old screen door had been ripped apart.  It screeched, swinging back and forth.  Jay paused momentarily as he entered his house.

He knew before he even saw the blood on the walls in his house that his father was gone. Tears slid down his cheek.  Jay then turned around toward the doorway.

The monstrous beast, Arnie, had become stood, breathing heavily, holding his father’s head in its claws.  “I’m sorry, Arnie,” Jay said pointing his gun to the beast.  I’m so sorry.”  With that Jay fired two rounds into his friend’s body.  But as he did, the creature hurled its body to Jay’s, opening its massive mouth, sinking its bloodstained teeth into Jay’s shoulder.  Jay screamed in agony and terror as the large body collapsed on his.  The creature began its change until all that was left was Arnie’s naked body lying on his.  Jay pushed his friend’s body off him.  He put his hand over his wound, realizing what had happened.  Jay kneeled by his friend as Arnie coughed up blood,

struggling to breathe.

“I’m sorry, Jay,” Arnie said, trying to speak.

“I’m sorry too.” Jay held his friend.

Tears ran down the faces of the two friends.  Jay then set his friend down and pressed the cold barrel of the gun against his friend’s head, holding Arnie’s hand in his.  Arnie closed his eyes.  With a pull of the trigger, Arnie’s suffering was over.  He then looked into the chamber of his gun, seeing that he had one bullet left.

CHAPTER 62

Rodriguez walked into Jay’s house.  Jay sat on his father’s old rocking chair, looking at the TV as he rocked back and forth, causing the chair to squeak.  Rodriguez stepped over Arnie’s body over to Jay.

“What the hell happened here, kid?” the inspector asked.

“Hell.  That’s what happened,” Jay replied, looking at the TV. “Do you like horror movies, Inspector?” Jay asked.

“No.  Never was into them.”

“I did.  I used to love a good werewolf movie.  Want to know my favorite of all time? This one, the old classic werewolf movie,” Jay said, referring to the movie on his TV.  “The effects on this suck but the concept of it all is good… even a man who is pure at heart, may become a werewolf when the wolf bane blooms and the autumn moon is bright.” Jay was quoting the movie.  “Now that was a story.  Do you believe in God, Inspector?” Jay added.

“No.  Not after being in the kind of work that I’m in.”

“Have faith for if there are beasts like my friend roaming the earth, then there most certainly is a god of some sort.  The only question is, is he one of love or is he one of hate?  I need to tell you something, Inspector.  It’s a secret,” Jay said, urging him closer.

“What is it kid?” the inspector asked, putting his hand over the frame of the rocking chair that Jay was sitting on.

“Do you believe in werewolves?” Jay asked.

“What?” Rodriguez said, nodding his head.

“I could make you believe, Inspector.”

“I’ve seen a lot of things in life, but I’ll never believe in anything like that.”

“You will,” Jay said, biting the inspector’s hand.

Rodriguez painfully pulled away, kicking Jay out of the chair and onto the floor.  “What the hell is wrong with you?” Rodriguez hollered.

“Now, Inspector, you will know what it’s like to bark at the moon,” Jay said, pulling out his gun and placing it under his chin.  Jay then pulled the trigger, sending his brains splattering against the pictures that hung on the wall.

Inspector Rodriguez reached for a handkerchief, wrapping his hand.  And as he did, he shook his head, looking at the teen that lay dead before him.  He noticed a picture frame in the hands of the boy who had taken his own life.  Rodriguez took the picture out of his hand and threw it to the floor, saying, “What a shame!”  In the picture were four teenagers posed on a beach hugging one another, each with their whole life in front of them.  He had met all of them, with the exception of Danny Renold.

What could have driven them to all this death?  Rodriguez thought, throwing the picture on the floor, walking out as the old woman on the TV spoke, “The way that you walk was thorny through no fault of your own, but as the rain enters the soil, they will enter the sea. So tears run through a predestined end.  Your suffering is over now.  You will find peace for eternity.”

The woman’s words echoed as two men dressed in white placed Jay’s and Arnie’s bodies on stretchers, wheeling them into the ambulance while a young girl the same age as the teenagers in the ambulance looked on hiding in the shadows.