Book One: A Wolf Among Beasts

Chapter Twenty Two

Bruce hands Eli a beer, her eyes watching the full moon above her, despite not being a actual werewolf, her wolf is sensitive to the moon. His arm finds her waist and he stands at her side, she leans against him. The two of them taking in the peace of the night. They prove they don't need to talk to be comfortable with one another, they can just be together and the world will be okay, that they will be okay. It's been four days since he received the news about his condition and he's still working through an idea to get the data he needs.

"I love you" he whispers in her ear. She looks up at him. "More then anything" he assures her. She kisses him letting him pull her closer to him.

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Bruce sleeps with Eli curled into his side, her head on his chest, his arm tight around her waist. Both are sleeping soundly. Ricky is asleep in the space on Eli's other side. Her hand in his fur. There is a muffled barking from a neighbours dog but no other night sounds to rouse them.

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In the alley behind the apartment building two commandos stand against the wall waiting.

"Clear" the two shadows detach themselves and move in a crouch toward the back door; dart rifles held at ready, submachine guns slung, balaclavas covering faces. Commandos.

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The apartment is still quiet and dark, all occupants fast asleep. And then the muffled barking stops. No yelp or anything obvious. It just stops. Eli's eyes snap open.

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A dog lays on the landing of the stairwell, darted with a nasty looking little tranquillizer in it's neck, twitching. Black boots move past it, climbing.

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Outside Eli and Bruce's apartment door four commandos climb the steps silently, covering doors and corners. Their leader: Blonsky signals and one drops low and pulls a snake camera out, feeds it silently under the door. The two others move to apply small plastique packs to the hinges. The camera scans the room, no movement, panning right it sees Ricky trotting towards the camera, investigating. The soldier with the camera holds up a hand...be ready...The dog nuzzles and licks the camera and turns and goes back to bed, where Bruce's sleeping form lies still. Camera Soldier holds up one finger, points right, signals 'low, lying down' Blonsky keys his mic in code: no speaking. Soldier by door looks down at a unit affixed to his gun stock. L.E.D of radiation counter: dark. Nothing.

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The door blows off of it's hinges with a sharp fast crack. Blonsky in first, spinning right, the others covering angles behind him. There's a flash of movement from the bed, legs scrambling to roll away? Blonsky drops to his knee and fires, but not a gunshot, a silent THWWP of a Tranq Dart. Three in quick succession into Bruce's body and legs. They move to the bed and yank the covers back. Pillows, the Styrofoam head with the cap and the wig on it.

"Target's on the move" Blonsky radios.

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On the level below Eli drops down next to Bruce and holds out his backpack to him, they share a look and she nods to him, reassuring him.

"Come on" she tells him and then moves along the ledge to the nearest window. Standing on the other side is a girl getting a glass of water. She sees Eli on the other side of the window and screams.

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Blonsky hears the scream and sees a rope hanging out the kitchen window at the same time. Runs to the sink window and looks down. Rope swinging empty. Only exit is an alley toward the back.

"He's on the ground, going rear"

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The Soldier on the Front bolts to rear of the Building.

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Eli is crouched in the girl's apartment by the door, poised, Bruce at her back, calming his breathing. Eli glances to him, Bruce nods at her. She opens the door and steps out, searching, listening. Nothing. She holds out her hand to Bruce who takes it, they both bolt. Sprinting for the stairs, no time to even thank the girl. They rush down the stairs and out into the street, hustling at a carefully controlled walk. They pass the alley along the side of the building Eli catches a moving glimpse of the tail lights of a black van and a black clad commando. And the commando sees them ... and IT'S ON.

"Run" Eli tells Bruce. "Come on!" they take off faster this time.

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Eli and Bruce weave through the streets of the favela, Bruce's watch beeping away as his heart rate increases rapidly. Eli takes three hard turns through the back alleys, her hand tight in Bruce's as he struggles to keep up with her.

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Blonsky and his partner are making the correct guesses about which way to turn in the alleys, hot on their tails.

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Eli stops and looks up before deciding, she turns to Bruce and nods for him to climb, she stays on the ground covering him as he climbs up onto trash cans, up onto a tin fence, up onto a roof, he glances down for Eli and he makes the rooftop in single leap, dropping into a slight crouch, they share a look and his eyes plead with her, he's terrified, she moves to him and kisses him softly, promising him that she's here and on his side. She takes his hand and they take off running again. Feet pounding on the tin roofs.

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Blonsky still on the street, catches a glimpse of Bruce and Eli skylighted up high, leaping down the roofs. Reads their angle, signals his partner to keep following them as Blonsky breaks away to cut off the route.

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A black van is blasting through the night streets of the slum, circling to come in from the other side.

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Bruce and Eli prove to be a nimble team as they jump across narrow alleys. Eli looks back, three black clad figures are pounding down the roofs behind them. A bigger gap between roofs...Bruce takes it without hesitating and makes it but...his pulse monitor is into the 100s. He looks back for Eli who pauses to think, she looks to Bruce.

"No" he pleads with her.

"I'll find you" she assures him. "Go on...run, I'll catch up" they share a look, she nods, he closes his eyes a moment before running off without her.

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Bruce leaps down off a roof, turns right and sees...Blonsky dropping down and firing a dart, a blood covered Eli suddenly drops down between them and takes the dart to her shoulder, she looks up at Blonsky and yanks the dart out, shaking her head as the effects barely touch her. She growls her eyes glowing yellow in the dark. She pushes at Bruce's chest as she turns and they both bolt into thick crowd of revelers. Blonsky races after them but a lot of people around slow him up. Loses sight of the pair.

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