The Frenzy War by Gregory Lamberson Page B

goggles.
    â€œLook,” Michael said, staring past Valeria.
    Spinning around, she gasped. Lying on the bloody carpet, the three werewolves first killed had changed shape: they no longer resembled manlike wolf hybrids but enormous black wolves. Jerking her head back, she saw the remaining two werewolf corpses changing before her eyes: drawing into themselves, assuming more recognizable lupine dimensions.
    â€œSacred Mary,” she said.
    Michael retrieved his headset from the floor and spoke into it. “Come get us. Fast.”
    â€œHelp me,” Eun said in a strangled voice.
    Valeria helped Eun to her feet. In the light, the woman’s face appeared even more ghastly, like a melted crimson candle.
    Michael removed a can of lighter fluid and squirted the stairs, walls, carpets, and corpses.
    â€œWhat about Myles?” Henri said.
    â€œTonight we honor our dead with fire.”

CHAPTER EIGHT
    A wakening to the sound of his cell phone’s ring tone, Willy glanced at his alarm clock, which flashed 4:20 at him. He switched on the light and answered the call without checking the display. Only someone from the department would call at this time.
    â€œDiega.” He rubbed the sleep from his eyes.
    â€œThis is Sergeant Huntley from Night Watch Command,” a female voice said. “I’m sorry to disturb you, but I have an urgent call from Detective Faherty from the Arson squad in Queens.”
] Arson?
“Yeah, that’s okay. Put him through.”
    He heard a click, then a male voice. “Diega?”
    â€œSpeaking.”
    â€œFaherty, Arson. We got a house burning in Rosedale. Call it a lost cause. When I entered the address into thesystem, it spat out your name as the primary on a case involving the owners: Rodney and Jennifer Lourdes, Jason Lourdes’s parents.”
    Willy sat up. “Are they okay?”
    â€œI doubt it very much. We got neighbors all up and down the sidewalk, but no one claiming to be a Lourdes. If they’re in there, they’re not coming out alive.”
    Fuck.
“Is it arson?”
    â€œToo soon to say for sure, but between you and me, I’d say that’s a big affirmative.”
    â€œI’m on my way.”
    â€œYou’ll be wasting your time. The fire isn’t out yet, and even when it is it won’t be safe to walk around in there.”
    â€œI need to see it. What time should I come?”
    â€œWhat time does your shift start?”
    â€œAt 0800.”
    â€œI’ll see you then. Grab another couple of hours ifyou can.”
    â€œYeah, thanks.” Closing his phone, Willy climbed back under the covers, but he did not fall back asleep.
    An hour later, his phone rang again. “Hello?”
    â€œThis is Sergeant Huntley from Night Watch Command again. Detective Faherty from Arson would like to speak to you.”
    Déjà vu.
“Put him through.”
    A click. “Diega, you’d better get over here as fast as you can.”

    Angelo drove the passenger van through the security gate and into the warehouse parking lot, where he backed it up alongside the cargo van. The occupants had removed theirgoggles as soon as he drove away from the inferno they had left behind. Eun continued to wail even with the morphine Valeria had given her. Despite their victory, a pall hung over them because of Myles’s death.
    Michael hopped out of the van first, carrying Myles’s sword, and opened the loading bay door. Valeria supported Eun as Henri and Angelo helped them out. Inside the loading bay, they placed Eun on one of two gurneys they had left there, and Angelo and Henri rushed her to the steel door, which Angelo unlocked, and into the gloom.
    Michael locked the door behind them. “What can you do for her realistically?”
    â€œI can reduce her pain, and I can sew as much of her face back together as possible, but she’ll be disfigured for the rest of her life.”
    â€œBut she’ll