Moon Bound

(27) The Dog That Doesn't Bark |Regan's POV|

"What the fuck is this place?" was the first thing that came out of his mouth as we stopped in front of the building.

Following the directions on the note was what brought her here. The rest we were still to find out.

"No idea," I admitted without turning to look at him. Instead, I followed the gravel path leading to what looked like the biggest warehouse I'd seen in my life.

In all honesty, considering the at best shady content of the note, I expected to find a lot less civilized place, probably a place deep into the wilderness that surrounded this godforsaken town and not just barely at the outskirts of it. However, I guessed whoever the man who'd summoned me here was, it was his kind of showing me I wasn't going to find what I expected.

The place of the meeting was a run-down, tall grey construction. The paint was falling off the steep panels assembled together into a gigantic edifice. The parts where the metal was untouched by corrosion gave way to a multitude of red rust spots, making it seem like the place had stayed abandoned for years.

By far, it was no sight a normal person would call civilized or comfortable. Four walls and a roof, it was the best I was willing to call it.

Stopping in front of the double doors, I wondered if this wasn't my worst idea ever, but then again, it wasn't a matter of choice that brought me here.

"We going in?" Jason whispered, halting beside me. Directing my gaze his way, I could see the same dubious expression on his face I probably had mirrored on mine.

"Yes," I said quietly, trying to keep the worry out of my voice as I listened for any sound coming from inside.

There was none I could hear coming from inside. Furthermore, no human or wolf' scent underlaid in the air, the wind carrying the aroma of raindrops drying off the ground and newborn grass that grew over it.

My concern spiked up as I wondered what hid inside the vacuumed steel skeleton.

"The moment of truth," I announced, sounding braver than I felt, and clasped my hands over the steel handles.

Prying the solid steel open, the metal produced a loud creak. Rotten stench wafted from inside, invading my every sense.

"Jesus fucking Christ! What the fuck is that smell!" Clamping his palm over his nose, my third-in-command retracted back from the slight opening.

"How the hell did we miss this?" he asked, his confusion written all over his face.

I shrugged, took a step back and waited for the smell to wear off. Hella lot of fresh air was going to be needed to vent out the mixture of moisture and carrion. The couple of minutes I lingered at the threshold, allowing the air to drift in, were nowhere near enough to do the job.

"Why did we have to come here again?"

I glanced at Jason. The grimace of sheer disgust on his face was now even more solid. He was breathing through his mouth like me and obviously questioning the decision as well. His palms clenched and unclenched as he nervously tapped his foot against the gravel floor underneath.

Why did we come here again?

"A meeting." I choking on the stench before bracing myself to step inside.

"You didn't seem like you had any intention to attend this meeting when you found the note so what changed your mind? Besides, does this look to you like a hang out spot because to me it looks pretty much deserted, except for the death stench, that is."

I didn't answer. Instead, I shook my head and held my breath before walking inside. Eyes scanning the surrounding darkness, I stuck to the path illuminated by the creak in the doorway. There were shapes my eyes discerned inside the place. Moving forms, wrapped in darkness inched closer to us, circling us in the further we went into the building.