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  What the hell? This isn't me.

  But part of him laughed, the part that thrilled every time he hit someone on the field and he had to admit, he'd always been a predator, this just proved to be more direct than previously.

  With an effort, he pulled his attention back and looked at what he had wrought. The two men lay in the doorway, blocking the door from closing, blood staining the concrete floor.

  I need to get the others out of here before more of these... these...assholes come. They're too vulnerable here.

  The idea of calling them animals didn't seem right, no animal would do this. The driving need helped get him moving and he bent over and went through the dead man's pockets. In the other man's he found a smartphone and sighed with relief. Then cursed as it showed no signal. Looking back at the others, he sighed and started moving through the hallway. As much as he didn't want to know what lay behind the various doors, he had to know what lay behind them. If there were more people waiting to kill shifters. Moving slowly, he peeked into each one his heart rate pounding as he opened each door with the keys he'd grabbed.

  The first almost made him throw up, the wave of blood and decaying flesh slamming into his nose and mouth as he looked inside. His eyesight in this form took the light and amplified it, making the inside of the room bright as day to his eyes. In a single glance, he absorbed the pile of animal bodies, all naked flesh, blood seeping from slit necks and he gagged.

  Oh god, they've been doing this for a while.

  This form didn't seem capable of crying and that provided a bit of relief and kept him moving.

  Slamming the door shut he kept moving, only the idea that there might be more people, more victims there kept him opening doors. If he left and left anyone behind, he'd never be able to live with himself.

  5

  First Responders

  News of major sports leagues suspending shifters, the missing cop and kids, and breaking news out of Peru about a jaguar cult that is declaring itself the missing Mayans and demanding the ruins of the Lost City of Z be given back to them and all their shifter children. The founder is still unknown, but money is flowing into the cult and people who shift into jaguars are being wooed with money and jobs to come and join their mission. At this time, not much is known about them but another cult isn't surprising with everything else going on. ~TNN News

  To Perc's relief, he didn't find any more prisoners, but the pile of skins let him know that more than just the bodies he'd seen had lost their lives here. Much to his dismay, he didn't find any clothes but the rooms with the bodies and pelts in them, he let be, unwilling to walk in and search through them.

  A bright EXIT sign illuminated the distance and he moved with a purpose seeing an end of this nightmare. Breaking through the door into the outside, he stopped, surprised. The Sacramento River rippled beneath him and the smells of mud and dead fish solidified in his mind. They were in a warehouse on a more remote section of the river, nothing moved. The area seemed quiet in the late evening. Glancing at the phone his knees almost buckled at the full bars on the phone. It was locked, but it didn't matter as he hit emergency call.

  "911. What's your emergency?" A calm female voice came through the line, and he slumped back against the door he carefully propped open with a chunk of cement. Getting locked out now would not be good.

  "Derss…" he trailed off and moaned.

  I can't talk in this form.

  He glanced down and realized he really didn't want anyone to know about this form. With a deep breath, he flowed back into human and his knees buckled as hunger slammed into him.

  "Sir? What is your emergency?"

  Murder, killing slaying? Did I murder people?

  He groaned silently.

  If I thought life was complicated before, it's nothing compared to how complicated my life just became.

  "A murder, a kidnapping, and a few other things."

  "May I get your name, sir?"

  The calm words from the operator helped keep him calm.

  "Percival Alexander."

  "And your location?"

  "I don't know. I was kidnapped. Can you find me based on calling from this phone?"

  "Yes, sir. One minute." He could hear furious typing on the other side.

  "I have your location, police are on the way."

  "You'll need an ambulance, at least three people are still unconscious, and," he swallowed hard as the memory of the smell from that room slammed back into him. "There are lots of dead bodies."

  "Sir? Define lots?" There was a note of worry in her voice, and he closed his eyes, the image clear.

  "At least thirty, maybe? Can I get… I'll need some food and clothes please?" A plaintive note entered his voice but his ego had bled out of him with the life blood of Rick.

  "Are you a shifter, sir? Are the others?"

  "Yes. Well some are, the ones I…" he trailed off, not sure if he should admit to murder. "Yes, shifters and non, I think."

  "Very well, sir. Are you in any immediate danger?" He looked around, but the area seemed quiet, calm almost.

  "I don't think so."

  "Then please wait for the police. I show they will be there in five minutes."

  "Okay." He leaned against the wall, numb, and limbs trembling. He looked at his hands trying to figure out why they were shaking.

  Oh yeah. I probably need food.

  He could hear the woman talking to him, but he'd zoned out, focusing on trying to remain upright and not pass out. Leaning against the wall, his mind put the images in front of him over and over, the guilt at not saving Rick was a physical blow that hit him every time. All the bodies in that room, and Rick's blood flowing over silver.

  The sirens coming down the road gave him something to focus on and he shivered.

  "Sir, are you still there? Sir?"

  The voice from the phone he clutched in his hands made him look down and blink. He lifted the phone.

  "You might want to mention to them I'm nude. I don't know where my clothes are, and the other people are probably hurting from the cold but I couldn't find anything, so I put them all together."

  Why am I babbling? I need to stop talking. I think I need a lawyer.

  "Why would you need a lawyer, sir? Sir, are you sure you are not injured?"

  He realized he must be talking out loud. Everything hurt and hunger had become a physical force driving him more than even fear.

  The first squad car pulled up and a man jumped out, a man actually bigger than him, and one of the largest men he'd ever seen. Perc blinked, looking at the man as he got closer. Something about him looked familiar, almost safe.

  "Do I know you?" He asked as he swayed on his feet, trying to focus.

  "Nope, but you probably recognize me because of McKenna," the giant said. "I'm Officer Davidson. Come on, tell me what happened."

  "McKenna? I don't know a… oh, wait, the sexy awesome cop lady. She's incredible. Have they found her and the kids yet?"

  He felt drunker than he had before all of this and his mouth kept babbling out things he'd never normally say.

  "That's her and not yet." A dark tone crossed the words but he smiled and Perc fought to keep his eyes open.

  "You act like you are going into shock. The dispatcher said dead bodies?" Even as the cop talked to him, he pulled out a large shirt handing it to Perc. Shivering now, Perc pulled it on and sighed as the material trapped in his body heat. Next, he pulled on a pair of sweats and some thick socks.

  With the clothes on, he felt a bit better but still putting thoughts together seemed impossible.

  "Here, eat then talk."

  The cop shoved a ration bar into Perc's hands. Without conscious thought, he lifted it to his mouth and bit down. The overly sweet rush of calories hit him and the next thing he knew the bar had disappeared and he could think a bit.

  "How many times did you shift?"

  "Animal, human, animal, human," Perc responded even as other sirens approached. "Did you find th
em yet?"

  "Find whom?" The cop lifted his hand waving the others over as they stopped their cars, the sirens silenced but the lights still flashing.

  "The others captured with me. Come on, I checked all the rooms. But you need to see."

  His step hitched a bit as he approached the threshold, but he pushed past it, the cops following him, guns drawn.

  They're going to arrest me. I'll be convicted of murder.

  The thought bounced in his head but he couldn't protest, he had just killed two people. You were arrested when you killed people. His thoughts were a jumble and he wanted more food badly.

  Hmm, I guess I don't need to worry about being suspended anymore.

  As they passed the important rooms, he spoke. "That one contains the pelts."

  All three officers stopped and looked at him.

  "Pelts, what pelts?" Davidson asked as the two other cops, one a small black woman with close-cropped hair, the other a Hispanic male who kept his side arm slightly pointed Perc's direction.

  Realization slammed into Perc as they all stared at him.

  "Oh fuck, I didn't explain, did I?" He looked around, now annoyed at himself and his fogged brain. "You're going to need blankets and clothes for three people and a lot of body bags."

  "Sir, Perc, right? What happened?" Davidson said slowly, his body getting tense which made the other cops tense and the guns started to come up.

  "They're dead," Perc put up his hands. "Well the bad guys, I don't think the humans are, well the bad guys were humans," he sighed, took a deep breath centering himself. Then explained everything. Well, almost everything. He didn't mention the odd form he fought in.

  As he talked Davidson swore and rattled off a bunch of stuff over his radio. "Lisben, go get our emergency blankets please." The woman nodded and took off back to the squad cars at a quick trot.

  Davidson turned back to Perc, nodding at him. "Take us to the others."

  They walked faster this time, even as Perc fought the need to ask for another food bar. He pointed out the bodies room and the second cop nodded but didn't peel off. The two bodies lay where he'd left them and the sharp fresher blood scent cutting through everything and he swallowed hard, fighting to keep the food in his stomach.

  "You did this?"

  "Yeah. But not soon enough to prevent that," Perc admitted nodding his head at the body of a wolf lying on the table.

  The cops cleared the room then checked on the people lying there, they were just starting to rouse and two of them were going into hysterics. Unable to stay in that room, the body of Rick filling his eyes, lancing him with guilt, he stepped out into the hall, well away from the bodies and slumped down, eyes closed, trying not to think.

  "Hey, you okay?" The cop's voice pulled him from his daze. He looked up to see Davidson crouched in front of him.

  "No, not really." He managed to bite back words, words that would prove his guilt.

  "Hey, you did good."

  "Not good enough. Rick still died 'cause I just watched. It didn't seem real, then he was dead and I just hung there like an idiot."

  "You did good," Davidson repeated. "Perc, look at me."

  Perc lifted his head to look up at the huge cop who seemed relaxed and not freaked out at being next to a killer.

  "You're not military. You aren't trained for this and yet you still reacted. You kept the others safe and did what you could. Piling them together was a good move and kept them warmer than lying alone. Even freaked out, you still acted rationally. Trust me, that is a damn rare trait. So, don't beat yourself up about it."

  Perc pulled one corner of his mouth up. "Maybe, but I still have to look Rick's wife in the eye knowing I watched him get killed."

  The cop sighed and nodded. "We all have things in our lives we regret. But for a civilian, you did better than anyone had a right to expect." He looked around, then back at Perc. "You're going to need to come down to the station and give a statement. Want to head there? I can stop on the way and get you some coffee?"

  The idea of something hot to drink made him close his eyes.

  "Maybe some more food?"

  "Sure, I've been where you're at. The post-shift change, especially if you did it multiple times, is exhausting. Come on." The cop offered his hand to Perc and pulled him up with ease.

  They walked to the squad car and Davidson cast him a sideways glance. "I'm going to break the rules and let you ride up front. I trust my instincts as to what happened and it's easier to eat up there." The cop half smirked at him. "Besides, I'm pretty sure right now I could take you."

  Perc barked out a laugh but the trust relaxed the stress across his shoulders. Slipping into the warm squad car also helped. It wasn't cold outside but between shock and being naked, he felt chilled in a way that simple heat wouldn't fix. The hot coffee might help.

  The car started up and pulled away even as more personnel arrived to help with the scene. Perc couldn't imagine how they would identify the animal bodies, maybe they'd find the IDs or something.

  "So, mind if I ask what your animal form is?"

  Perc glanced over to him, his video had gotten out, but not achieved the fame that McKenna's had. Most fans had seen it, but he'd not posted anything else or even talked about it.

  "It isn't a secret, though it is a bit unusual. I take it you aren't a Hawks fan?"

  "Nah, more of a rugby fan than football. That mean I should recognize your name?"

  Perc laughed. "Nah, I'm no Joe Montana but I'm well enough known I guess. Someone leaked a vid of me changing so lots of people know. I turn into a Homotherium."

  "A homothe whatisit?"

  The cop glanced at him confused and it made Perc laugh. The real amusement felt good.

  "It's an extinct cat. Think three-hundred-pound bobcat with fangs about the size of my fingers."

  "Dang. Sounds intimidating. Must have been easy to take down those two men." His comment was idle, but Perc wasn't oblivious to his pumping him for information, but this wasn't anything he could hide.

  "Not really. I'd never done anything like that before. Football has been my passion all my life, so I never got into martial arts or anything like that. I really haven't played with the animal form that much. I've been too busy practicing, well until lately. I just went on instinct, and Rick's body kept appearing in my mind. I had to stop them from doing that to anyone else."

  "Until lately?"

  "A bunch of professional athletes have been suspended. All shifters."

  "Huh." The cop didn't follow up on that comment, instead pulling into a drive -through fast food place. "What do you want?"

  "Uh, I can't really pay for it right now, still don't know where my wallet or ID is."

  "Consider it my treat. Buying you some food, when I have a damn good idea of how badly you need it, isn't an issue." The man grinned at him. "After all, us shifters have to stick together."

  The words rang in his head, the image of Rick bleeding out flashed brightly in his mind.

  "Yes, yes, we do, don't we?"

  Fifteen minutes later with a large hot coffee, which went a long way to chasing away the internal chills, and a bag of food, they headed to the station.

  6

  Details

  While the search still goes on for the missing kids and the viral video star, hope is starting to fade. In other news a big bust of a scheme that sounds more like something out of a bad B movie. Shifters being kidnapped and skinned. Rumor is that a big-name star rescued them but the police aren't talking. We'll have more information later. Speaking of stars, the actress Sofia Laran was seen today, three sizes smaller, buff in ways that only Linda Hamilton ever managed. Is she a shifter and just hasn't come out? People are talking everywhere but she just smiles when asked and walks away. - KWAK News lead -in.

  Once at the station, Perc found himself ushered into a stereotypical interrogation room, the kind he'd seen in way too many cop shows. Forcing down a lump in his throat and feeling all the food churn in his sto
mach he glanced at Davidson.

  "So, am I under arrest?"

  "Are you in handcuffs?"

  "No, but I have no idea what that does or doesn't mean."

  Davidson waved a hand at the desk. "It means that we have a lot of unanswered questions. As far as I'm concerned you defended yourself and others during the commission of a crime. But I'm not the one who gets to decide if charges are pressed against you. Take a seat and give me a second."

  Perc sat down as Davidson walked out of the room. His words on shifters sticking together repeating in his head. The news story about McKenna and her being captured flashed up again as well as the odd antics of the teams.

  What do they have to gain by suspending so many people?

  Focusing on that was better than thinking about the last few hours. Davidson walked back into the room holding a yellow legal notepad, a pen, and a pencil.

  "Here, I didn't know if you liked pen or pencil better. I know this will be a pain but if you could write out everything that happened, every detail you can remember it would help. And doing it now as opposed to later is best. I can get you more coffee but unless you're desperate, I'd avoid it. I can grab you something to drink?"

  "Please? A Coke? Sugar sounds good. Can I call my lawyer?"

  "Sure. Again, you're not under arrest. Just a high visibility witness. You can use the phone there." He pointed to a wall mounted land line, and Perc snorted quietly.

  "Issue?" The man asked, leaning against the wall. Perc could easily believe he could hold it up like Atlas, he almost felt small next to this man.

  "I have no idea what Laura's number is. It's in my phone, which even if you have found, I doubt I'll get it back any time soon."

  The man grinned, a wide smile across his face, and Perc blinked at how it changed him from downright ugly to almost normal.

  "I hear you there. I'm not sure there are many numbers I have memorized anymore. Give me her name and firm and I'll look it up."