“All right there, Scooby.” Aaron gave the dog another pet and headed for the door.
“Scooby?” the dog said, his head tilted at a quirky angle.
“He’s a dog on television, very good at solving mysteries.”
Gabriel’s head tilted the other way.
“Never mind,” Aaron said as he stepped out into the hall. “It’s not important. I’ll see you this afternoon.”
“Have a good day, Shaggy,” he heard the dog say as he closed the door. And he began to laugh, marveling again at how smart his friend had actually become.
••••
Aaron was busy at the veterinary clinic from the moment he stepped through the door. He didn’t think it possible for a town so small to have that many animals in need of care. Stitches, rabies shots, heartworm tests, a broken forepaw—you name it, he and Katie dealt with it that morning and well into the afternoon.
It feels good to be working with animals again, Aaron thought as he restrained a particularly feisty Scottish terrier, by the name of Mike, who was having some blood drawn.
“No hurt! No hurt!” the little dog yelped as his owner looked on, concern in her eyes.
“It’s okay,” Aaron said to the dog. “When the doctor is done, you can have a cookie and go home. All right?”
The dog immediately stopped its struggling.
“That’s it,” Katie said, placing the vial on the counter and turning to the owner. “I’ll send this out to the lab this afternoon and give you a call as soon as I know something.”
Aaron handed Mike back to his owner and escorted them into the lobby to settle the bill. “And don’t forget this,” he said, holding out a treat as the woman turned to leave.
The woman smiled, and Mike greedily devoured the cookie.
“I never lie,” Aaron said to the dog with a wink and bid them both good-bye.
“Next victim,” Katie said wearily, coming out of the examination room.
For the first time that day, the waiting room was empty.
“We’re good right now,” Aaron told her. “Next one’s”—he glanced at the appointment book—“a rabies shot at four. Gives us two hours to catch up.”
“You know, you’re really good with them,” Katie said, leaning against the desk.
“Why, thank you, doctor,” Aaron said, smiling. “I enjoy the work.”
“No really, they seem to trust you. It’s a talent you don’t see so often.”
“Well, let’s just say I speak their language,” he said with a grin.
Katie shook her head and looked at her watch. “You say we’ve got two hours before the next appointment?”
Aaron nodded.
She moved toward the door, took a ring of keys from her pocket, and locked the front door. “What’s up?” he asked, a little surprised.
“Being a fellow stranger in this burg, I’ve got something I want to show you,” she said, moving past him and down the hall. “It’s in the basement.”
Aaron followed her to the door at the end of the hall. There was a sudden tension in the air that hadn’t been there before, and it concerned him. “Does this have anything to do with your old boyfriend?” he asked.
“Yeah,” she said with a slight nod. “I think it might.” She opened the door and started down the creaking wooden steps into the darkness. “Kevin contacted me, asking me to come to Blithe to help him with something, but he wasn’t exactly clear as to what the problem was.”
At the foot of the stairs she reached out into the inky darkness and pulled the chain for the light, dispelling the darkness to the far corners of the underground room. “So I show up and I find him missing,” she continued, as she waited for Aaron to join her. “The office is in disarray. He hasn’t been here for appointments for at least four days.” Katie ran a trembling hand across her forehead.
Aaron’s curiosity was piqued, but something was clearly upsetting Katie, and that was cause for concern.
“Yes, he was a bit of a flake, and that’s part of the reason we’re no longer together, but he took his job very seriously. I even went to the police to file a missing person’s report, but Chief Dexter said I should give it some time—how did he put it? ‘Just in case he’s out sowing his wild oats.’ ” The vet laughed with little humor.
“What did you find, Katie?” Aaron asked quietly.
She glanced at him, then turned toward an old freezer in the corner. “First I found his journal, and it mentioned—things he had found in town.”
“What kinds of things?”
Taking a deep breath, Katie crossed the cellar to the freezer. Aaron followed close behind her.
“Wrong things,” she said, pulling open the lid on the unit. “See for yourself.”
Katie reached inside the frosty innards of the freezer and withdrew a plastic bag. She let the lid slam shut, then placed the bag on top and opened it, spilling out the frozen contents. The corpse of an animal fell onto the hood with a heavy thud, and Aaron recoiled, startled and a bit repulsed. “What is it?” he whispered as he studied the frost-covered body.
It was the size of an average house cat and bore some resemblance to—of all things—a raccoon, but it wasn’t either. Not really. The body was covered in long, gray fur, but the limbs were scaled, like a fish. Curved talons like that of some bird of prey grew from three of its feet—the fourth ended in a stunted tentacle.
“What is it?” Aaron asked again, unable to pull his eyes from the freakish sight.
“Your guess is as good as mine,” Katie replied. She pulled a pen from her lab coat pocket and began to poke at the corpse. “This wouldn’t happen to be what bit your dog, would it?”
Aaron shook his head. It was as ugly as an Orisha, but it had no connection to Gabriel’s injury.
“Looks to be a little bit of everything—a real evolutionary blend.” Katie shrugged and continued. “We’ve got some bird and rodent attributes, as well as fish—and there’s also a little bit of cephalopod thrown in for good measure.” She pulled the pen away and wiped it against her pants leg. “And that’s just this one.”
He looked at her hard. “There’s more?” he asked uneasily.
She nodded, gesturing at the freezer. “There are at least seven others in there—each more grotesque than the last. One, maybe two, could pass as a random Mother Nature having a bad day—but this many?”
“What do you think it means?” Aaron asked, gazing at the monstrosity atop the freezer and imagining with disgust how the ones inside looked.
“What do I think it means?” Katie repeated. She started to put the pen back in her pocket, then seemed to think better of it and tossed it into an old barrel beside the furnace. “I think something in this town is making monsters.”
••••
Aaron and Katie hurried up the cellar steps, as if the disturbing creatures in the freezer had suddenly come to life and were chasing them. Quietly, lost in their own thoughts, they returned to the lobby, where Katie unlocked the front door.
“So you can see why I’m a little freaked,” she said, rubbing her arms with the palms of her hands as if to eliminate a winter’s chill.
“Do you have any idea what’s causing it?” Aaron asked, leaning against the reception desk. The memory of the previous night’s dream and his run-in with the strange raccoon yesterday suddenly flooded his mind and made him flinch. Could this somehow be connected?
“It appears to be some kind of mutation,” Katie was saying. She had walked around the desk and was pulling open the bottom drawer. She fished around inside for a moment, then removed an unopened package of Oreos. She tore open the bag and stuffed one in her mouth. “Sorry,” she said, her mouth full. She offered him the bag. “I have an incredible craving for these when I’m stressed.”
Aaron took a few cookies as Katie continued with her theory.
“Maybe some kind of illegal chemical dumping or drug manufacturing.” Katie nibbled like a squirrel on an Oreo, eyes gazing off into space. ??
?Something that could change an animal on a genetic level…”
“Here?” Aaron asked, surprised. “Is there even any industry around here big enough to cause that kind of damage?”
Katie finished her cookie and grabbed another one. “Not anymore, but there used to be a business in town that made boats. It was Blithe’s major employer until it closed about fifteen years ago. The abandoned factory is still standing out by the water. Evidently the owners wanted to expand, but the land there is unstable because of underwater caves that honeycomb the coast. So they took the company to California.”
“What, are you an expert on Blithe? I thought you were from Illinois.” Aaron laughed, licking the crumbs from his fingertips.
Katie shrugged. “I was going to move here with Kevin before the split, so I did some research.”
“You think some kind of toxic waste from the boat factory seeped into the soil?” Aaron reached for another Oreo.
“When I first came into town the other night, I got a little lost and found myself on the road that leads to the old factory.” She closed up the bag and returned it to the drawer. “There was an awful lot of activity around there, especially for a place that’s supposedly abandoned. I think there’s something going on in Blithe, and I think my ex figured that out and that’s why he’s disappeared.”
Aaron recalled his run-in with chief of police. Is it paranoia talking now, or does this tiny, seaside town really have a deep, dark secret? he wondered. But there was something—something that seemed to speak to the inhuman side of his nature. It had spoken to Camael as well, and now, like Katie’s former boyfriend, he, too, was missing. “Maybe you should go to the state police,” he suggested. “That would probably be the smartest thing to do, especially if you think that Kevin might have—”
Katie shook her head emphatically. “No, not yet. I’ve got to be sure of the details before I start making crazy accusations.”
Aaron felt a knot begin to form in the pit of his stomach. “And those details are …?”
“I want to check out the factory—tonight.”
The knot in his gut grew uncomfortably tighter. “I’m not sure that’s a good idea, Katie.”
“It’s the only way I can think of to prove that something’s up here. Don’t worry,” she added with a nervous grin. “I’ll be fine. I’ll just poke around a little, get the evidence I need, and be back here in no time.”
Alarm bells were ringing in Aaron’s head, but he doubted there was anything he could say to sway the woman’s resolve. The voice of reason told him he was going to seriously regret what he was about to say, but he hated the idea of Katie going alone even more. “I’ll go with you,” he said quickly before he could change his mind.
Katie approached him, a look of genuine gratitude in her eyes. “You don’t have to,” she said, and reached out to touch his shoulder. “This is something I have to do, just in case Kevin—”
“No, I’m going with you,” Aaron interrupted.
He shrugged. “After all, we out-of-towners have to stick together.”
Before they could say any more, the door opened and a mother and two children entered with a pet carrier containing a yowling cat.
“The four o’clock, I’d guess,” Aaron said, looking at his watch. “A little early.”
“Thank you, Aaron.” Katie looked hard into his eyes before stepping out from behind the counter to escort the family into the examination room. “What would I do without you?”
Chapter Eight
GABRIEL AWOKE with a start.
He’d been dreaming about chasing a rabbit through a dense forest, weaving and ducking beneath thick bushes and low-hanging branches, when his drowsing reverie turned unexpectedly to nightmare. The rabbit had stopped and spun around to glare at him with eyes that did not seem right. They were unusually dark, almost liquid in their shininess, and when they blinked, a milky coating seemed to briefly cover them. Gabriel had seen many rabbits in his years—but never one that looked like this. It was wrong—the bunny was wrong.
Its body had begun to writhe—to undulate as if something inside of it were trying to get out. Slowly, cautiously, Gabriel had backed away, growling in his most menacing tone. The animal lay flat on the ground. Its body had continued to pulse and vibrate, its scary eyes never leaving the dog. Gabriel barked: a succession of sharp staccato bursts and snarls, hoping to scare the rabbit away. He had wanted to run, but didn’t want to turn his back on the creature. How embarrassing, he had thought in the grip of his nightmare, to be chased by a rabbit.
The rabbit had suddenly stopped moving, although its unwavering gaze never left Gabriel. Slowly its mouth began to open—wider—and wider still. The dog heard a disturbing wet crack as the animal’s jaws popped from its socket. He wanted to run—but he was afraid. The rabbit’s lower jaw dangled awfully, its mouth a gaping chasm of darkness. From within, the sound of movement came. Gabriel had whined with fear and was turning to flee, when something exploded from the rabbit’s body…
Still shaken from the disturbing dream, Gabriel glanced about the room from his post atop the bed, nose twitching—searching the air for anything out of the ordinary. Everything seemed to be fine, but then he caught a whiff of something that made his mouth begin to water. Food, and if his senses could be trusted, it was meat loaf. He’d had his breakfast and half an apple before Aaron left for work, but the thought of a snack was quite alluring.
Gabriel turned to sniff at the wound on his leg. Aaron had wanted him to stay off of it, but it was feeling much better. The dog jumped to the floor and stretched the hours of inactivity from his limbs. It felt good, and he barely noticed any discomfort. He walked around the room in a circle, just to be certain. There was a little tightness in the muscles of his thigh, but nothing that could prevent him from heading downstairs for a handout.
He stood at the door and hopped up on his back legs to take the doorknob tightly in his mouth. Slowly, he turned his head, pulling ever so slightly until the door came open. Gabriel made his way down the hallway and carefully descended the stairs. At the foot of the steps, he again sniffed, pinpointed the kitchen as the source of his treat, and made a beeline for the doorway.
Mrs. Provost was sitting at the kitchen table and was about to take a bite from a meat loaf sandwich when Gabriel appeared.
“Well, look who it is,” she said with a hint of a smile. She took a large bite and began to chew.
Gabriel padded into the kitchen, tail wagging, nails clicking on the linoleum floor. His eyes were fixed on the plate of food, and he licked his chops hungrily.
“Now don’t go giving me the hungry horrors routine,” Mrs. Provost said as she wiped her mouth with a paper napkin and looked away. “Aaron said I wasn’t to give you anything, even if you came begging.”
He watched closely as she took another bite of the delicious-looking meat-and-bread combination. How can Aaron do this to me again? he wondered, remembering the incident at the rest stop. He felt the saliva begin to drip from his mouth and land upon the floor beneath him.
“Don’t stare at me,” Mrs. Provost said, finishing the last of the first half. “He was very serious, made me promise and everything, so you might as well just go on back to your room.” She picked up the other half.
Gabriel was sure he’d never been so hungry, and couldn’t believe the woman wouldn’t share even a small piece of her sandwich. It was very selfish. Remembering his success with the little girl and her family, he reached out with his mind to reassure the woman that Aaron wouldn’t be mad if he was given only a bite.
I’m sure it would be fine if you gave me a bite of that sandwich.
Mrs. Provost convulsed violently as his mind gently brushed against hers. The table shook, spilling the cup of coffee next to her plate. Gabriel stepped back, startled.
She had set her sandwich down for a moment, but picked it up again, opening her mouth to take a bite. Again, Gabriel lightly prodded, suggesting that it would be very nice of her to sh
are. She froze and gradually turned in her chair. His tail wagged in anticipation as he came closer. But the old woman stared at him, a strange expression on her face, as if she had never seen him before. She was still holding the sandwich in her hand, and he continued to hope that he would get some of it, but a primitive instinct told him that something was wrong. He felt the hackles of fur on his back begin to rise. Quickly the dog looked about the kitchen for signs of danger, his nose twitching eagerly as he searched for a scent that was out of the ordinary. There was a hint of something, but he did not know what it was.
Mrs. Provost made a strange noise at the back of her throat, and the skin around her neck seemed to expand, like a bullfrog. And then she blinked, a slow, languid movement, and Gabriel saw that same milky covering over her eyes that he’d seen on the rabbit in his dream.
Suddenly he didn’t care whether he got a bite of the meat loaf sandwich. He backed toward the doorway never taking his eyes from the strange old woman. Her scent had changed. It was like the ocean—but older. He had to get to Aaron.
Gabriel spun around and bolted for the front door. Again, he jumped up and grabbed the knob with his teeth. He could hear sounds of the woman’s approach behind him. The knob turned, and he heard the click of the latch—and another sound. The woman was coughing loudly, hard. Gabriel had just pulled the door open when he felt the first of the projectiles hit his left leg. He chanced a quick glance and saw a circular object, smaller than a tennis ball covered in wet, glistening spines, sticking in his thigh. He wanted to pluck it out with his teeth, but feared the spines would hurt his mouth. Aaron will get it out, Gabriel thought as he turned back to the open door.
But Mrs. Provost was coughing again and he felt the pricks of more barbs as they struck him. Suddenly the door seemed so very far away. How can this be? Gabriel wondered. He was running as fast as he could, yet he didn’t seem to be going anywhere. It was all so confusing. A horrible numbness was spreading through his body, and he slumped to the floor in the doorway, his nose just catching a hint of the smells of the Maine town outside.