Cryptotrappers!

Cryptotrappers- Wolfbitten

Monday 26. The rest of the weekend had been fine, after I'd gotten back from the Lab. I spent pretty much the whole time lying on the sofa, wrapped in blankets, only getting up for snacks and with Seth always in reaching distance whenever I needed comfort. To be completely frank, the pain had not gotten much better; all that had changed about my circumstance was that I now had painkillers to dull the agony and Phoenix Tears to hand, for all the good they did me. But as Monday rolled around, I just didn't feel like I could take another day of lying around at home, feeling useless. So I loaded Seth into his cage, grabbed my crutches and began to make my way towards headquarters.

The lights were off when I descended into the Lab; something I found very unusual. It appeared that I'd interrupted Eva packing for something, and I thought that I'd caught a glimpse of worry on her face before it shifted to perplexion upon seeing me.
"Michael, what are you doing here? I thought I'd told you to take a few months off! If it's pay that you're worried about then you've no need for concern, I'm planning to pay you in full for-"
"Eva, it's not that." I interrupted. "I just can't take sitting around at home anymore, doing nothing and feeling useless. I know I can't go out on missions but if you need me to take care of the cryptids, or clean around the Lab, or anything like that... well, I'm here to work."
Eva finally gave a relenting sigh as she slung a pack onto her back and began to approach me.
"As it happens, I'm actually glad you're here. I've received an urgent callout, and I was worried that I'd need backup if things went badly. Sid and Randy are both unavailable today, and Lucy's still in recovery for her arm. Do you feel ready to go out again?"
I plastered a smile onto my face and gave her a firm nod.
"What's the mission, Eva?"
Taking her place in front of Gambo's tank, Eva began to explain the situation.

"A strain of recent animal attacks has sent a fairly local town into a panic. Only on nights where the moon is full in the sky, people's livestock have been found torn apart, half-eaten and generally massacred. Two days ago, it happened again, and the moon will be full again tonight."
"So, you're saying we have to go out there to protect the townsfolk from a Werewolf?" I asked, desperately hoping that I'd understood the situation properly. A strange emotion overtook Eva's face as she answered and stepped onto the elevator, one that gave me impressions of regret.
"I certainly hope so... Anyhow, the town in question is nearby enough that we can get there by train. It shouldn't take us too long to get there if we leave now. I've grabbed a button, just in case we need a quick way back, but hopefully we'll be able to sort the issue before night falls."
The train station wasn't too far away, close enough that we'd be able to reach it soon enough even with my current speed. And so, with just a quick stop on the way to drop Seth back off at home, I climbed into the crowded carriage and took my seat beside Eva, gazing out the window as the train set off and another mission began.

By the state of the train station that we had arrived at, I could already tell that our destination wasn't exactly a tourist attraction. Nettles and other plants had begun growing through the rusted metal fence into the station platform, and the rustic brick building that led out to the town's cobbled roads was desperately in need of some new paint.
"So, this is the place?" I asked, stepping out into what felt like a whole different era.
"We'll be heading just down the road from here, towards the three farms that reported attacks. Apparently there's a pub nearby that acts as the area's primary social hub. It might be worth checking it out."
Heading down the path, I could hear the sounds of the pub before I could see it. 'The Bird in Hand', as it was called, seemed a welcoming enough place, at least from the outside. The windows were well-lit and the sounds of discussion and laughter were audible from outside. As soon as we entered, a wave of heat and the smell of beer washed over me, and the conversations slowly died as all parties turned to look at us.

"Good afternoon, everybody!" Eva announced to the room, looking jovially around the tables. "My name is Eva, and this here is my associate, Michael. We're here to ask if you've noticed any unusual activity in the area, maybe some animal attacks that you can't quite explain?"
"There's no need for you to be so cagey about it, love." a steely man in a stained shirt answered from the table by the door. "You've heard about our little Werewolf problem, haven't you? Well, no need for you to worry about it. It's been dealt with."
"Dealt with?" Eva asked, her tone shaky. "Can I ask you to elaborate on what you mean, 'dealt with'?
The man's face contorted into something of a pleased smile as he swigged the rest of his pint and pointed with his thumb towards the bar wall. Eva and I turned in unison, our eyes locking with those of a mounted canine head.
"Don't tell me, don't tell me that you..." Eva stammered as I looked on in horror. Even in death, the head appeared to be in pain, with skin that seemed stretched over bones that didn't belong. The eyes looked disgustingly human, so much that after just a few seconds, I could no longer bare to look at it.
"Finally got her two nights ago." the man bragged, puffing out his chest as he sauntered up to the bar to grab another drink. "She turned up at my farm, probably expecting another easy pickings, I'd bet. Well, little did she know that I was still awake, waiting for her, just in case. She did figure out pretty quick though, when my first bullet clipped her ear. I chased her down through the rain, and I'd finally cornered her at the edge of the woods. And then..."