Page 44 of Wolf's Mark

“It’s freaky.”

“I love freaky.”

The girl was a little bit too much like me. I played the video, slowing down certain portions. When it was done, she cocked her head, staring at the last frame I’d left on the screen. It was the most terrifying one of them all because it showed his face.

If you could call the deformed head sporting sharp teeth and foaming at the mouth human in any regard.

“Wow,” Daphne said a few seconds later.

“Yeah, wow. I don’t know what to make of this.”

“There might be drugs that can do this. Or a disease. Oh, I heard of some gas used in wars where the DNA was altered. Maybe we’re under alien attack.”

I gave her a look, wrinkling my nose.

“It could happen,” she insisted.

“Let’s stay on topic. We need to run tests on the limited tissue I have to see if we can determine what in God’s name could bring a man back to life when he was clearly dead and have him transform into some kind of wolf-like creature. O-kay. At least I assume that’s what he is turning into. I’m no expert.”

Although I did know big game better than most. That was something few people knew about.

“I’d say you’re right.” She didn’t seem the least bit terrified.

“You worry me, girl. You act like this is normal when it’s anything but.”

“Don’t you believe there are strange beings living amongst us? Aliens. Creatures we’d rather not face in a dark alley?”

The woman was serious. She had to be kidding me.

“Science rules all that crap out.”

She snorted. “Don’t be so naïve.”

I sat back and continued to try to rationalize any of what I’d seen. “I only wish the pictures were clearer instead of the distorted mess.”

“Send me a copy and I’ll see what I can do. That might answer some of your questions.”

“Fine, but you can’t say a word.”

After making like she was zipping her lips shut, she grinned. “This is the most fun I’ve had since I’ve gotten here.”

“Your idea of fun and mine are vastly different.”

My phone rang. It seemed I was a very popular girl. When I looked at the screen, I grimaced and she noticed. As she did with everything else. “I need to take this. Close the door on your way out.”

“Yes, ma’am.”

I answered as soon as she left the room. “Agent Drummand. You need to tell me what the hell is going on.”

“Calm down, Doctor Willis. We have everything under control.”

“How can you have it under control when a body got up and walked out of here?”

“I’ve only been authorized to tell you that there have been some government procedures that have unexpectedly gone awry. I apologize if you went through something with the man you examined. That was not our intent.”

Government procedures, my ass.

“In other words, keep my mouth shut and let it go. It never happened. Right?” I resisted laughing out loud.

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