Page 71 of Junkyard Dog

Glancing around before he stripped down, he tossed his clothes into the tent and dropped to all fours to transform, recoiling when the overpowering odor of the Pirithous line hit him. He barked a warning to his brothers, stalking through the site until they joined him and latched on to the trail.

The bastard had been close. Too close. He fell back as Ryan took the lead, following the scent trail through the boulders and sand before he hit a stretch of flat terrain, the imprints of a motorbike marking the final leg of the path.

The brothers doubled back, fanning out to scour the area for any signs of where the Pirithous had holed up until they reached their campsite, taking turns transforming, dressing, and standing guard.

“Well, he knows we’re here,” Ryan stated. “Do we hunker down or move?”

Bo laced up his boots, knocking the sand off on the seat of the picnic table. “We hole up here and take him down the next time he comes around.”

Alex nodded. “We’re low on food and water. I say we go to town, fuel up, and prepare to lock down until he finds us.”

*

Charlotte blocked Max’shand as he reached for her fries, pulling her plate closer to herself and holding her fork out in defense. “Don’t mess with me, boy,” she growled. “I’m tired, I’m hungry, and in this state, I hold no responsibility for my actions if you try that again.”

Max returned his attention to his own plate, poking at the baked potato he had insisted looked better on the menu. “When can we go back to eating at the tavern?” he moaned, gripping his knife to slice through the tough steak. “I want real food.”

“When hell freezes over?” she offered with a smile, passing him a pity fry. “Jonas mentioned there’s a new bartender, so maybe we can hit the place up tomorrow.”

Max scarfed down the fry and looked longingly at her plate. “The site was renewed for another two weeks under that Ryan guy.” He chewed his steak, disgust crossing his face as he swallowed. “Don’t know what they’re doing every day. The campsite’s deserted every time I go by.”

She sighed and pushed her plate over to the partner who had taken over the northern loop of the park for her. In exchange for daily meals. “I don’t want to know. Out of sight, out of mind, right?”

“Sure he is.” Max snorted, diving into the fries and ignoring the half-eaten burger. “It’s weird is what it is. Maybe Alex and his brothers are the ones dumping those body parts all over the Palms and Yucca.”

“Unlikely!” She laughed. “The video footage from the gas station puts the guy well under six feet. And none of them could pass for that.”

Released two nights prior, the FBI had finally had a break in the case. Security feed of a man depositing a bag into a gas station dumpster had provided the first visual of the killer. Enhanced imaging had provided a decent profile, one Charlotte shuddered to recollect.

The tourist in the sedan.

Max tossed his napkin on her plate and pushed away from the table. “I can’t do this. Tomorrow, you feed me right or you take back the north run.”

*

Charlotte clocked outand headed to the back room to change out of her uniform before joining Max and the others at the tavern. Pulling the elastic from her ponytail, she shook out her hair, using her fingers to fan it out before deciding water was the only solution to the rigid line spanning her head. When her damp hair was flattened out enough, she nodded over at Becky as she entered. “You joining us?”

Becky gave her a once-over and smiled sadly. “You sure you’re okay to go?” she asked with feigned concern. “It must be tough.”

Reaching into her purse for her eyeliner, she glanced at her colleague in the mirror. “Why would it be? You should come.”

“I would, but Jonas has me heading out on an animal sighting first.” She sighed, squeezing beside her to check her lipstick. “Big dogs sighted around the Chasm. Tranquilize on sight are the standing orders.”

Charlotte bit her lip, widening her eyes as she applied her mascara. “Probably Butch passing through again,” she said, thinking back to the aggression the large animal had exhibited the last time she saw him. “I’ll swing through the area on my way out. He knows me, and I know him. He was getting territorial the last time I saw him, so if I come across him, I’ll call it in.” She applied her lipstick carefully, using her pinky to smooth it out. “But don’t tell Max.”

Becky smiled at her, unbuttoning her work shirt and pulling a slinky silver tank top from her bag. “I won’t.”

*

Alex loaded thelast of the groceries into the back of the SUV and got in, rolling his eyes at the sound of a beer being cracked. “You can’t wait an hour?”

Bo lifted the bottle into the sight line of the rearview mirror. “Curse of the gods.” He grinned as he downed half the bottle, smacking his lips and wincing. “Too bad this swill ain’t the nectar, right?” He stretched his arms across the back seat. “I only stocked up enough for a week, so you two fuckwads better lure the Pirithous in before my stash runs out.”

Snapping a newspaper open, Ryan began perusing the most recent reports. “Amazing how much I’ve come to rely on internet service over the past few months,” he mused, turning the large page awkwardly and pointing to a series of grainy photos. “The arch of the spine and bending of the legs is consistent with a late feral status.”

Alex glanced over as he exited the parking lot and sped up. “Barreling around on a moped and bagging the remains seems a lot more methodic than that of a full-on feral bloodline.”

“This one may be on the cusp,” Ryan said, closing the paper and folding it neatly into his lap. “I’m concerned that the populated campgrounds will become a slaughterhouse when he fully flips.”

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