A Game of Cat, Mouse, and Wolf {{Tag: Svetlana}}

"They look good," Malik said as he rubbed hands over Lana's back as hot water cascaded down over it.  Her blonde locks were where soaked, and behing held up over her head so that Malik could get a good look at them while they showered.  "I could take your stitches out today, but I'll leave them in just incase."  It had been four days since she called him.  They'd spent those four days in the apartment together plotting, planning, preparing, and enjoying their time together despite someone outside those walls waiting to put a bullet in Lana's head.  It mattered, but they were making moves to do something about it, so they weren't worried.   Operators only worried when they weren't working.   


Her healing had gone incredibly well.  She had the resiliance of a Moonchild, as well as the fortitude of a life long soldier.  That combination was given a most welcomed boost by the impending arrival of the full moon.  Her would be assassin most not have been considering the chance of failure.  He went after a werewolf right before the full phase of the moon.  Timing was an advantage that only existed in the moment.  Number two had the right idea to take advantage of her job giving him an opening, but that same timing kept ticking to bite him in the ass.   Malik knew she was ready to fight, because that morning she had gotten rough with him.  It was usually the other way around, but her injuries made him hold back.  She felt the time for holding back had passed so she started something, and Malik finished it.  He saw that she wasn't bleeding or complaining afterwards so it was time to fight back.


Malik took advantage of the moment to lean down and place a kiss on Lana's naked shoulder.  He then rinsed the soap from his body and stepped out of the shower.  Standing on the shower rug he reached out, pulled his towel from the bar, and began to dry his body off.  The tile floor beneath his feet was cold, so he didn't waste any time walking to the carpet of the rest of the apartment.  Malik threw his wet towel over the back of top of the bedroom door, and went to the closet to get something to wear for the day.  


While he was getting dressed, he noticed that his phone was blinking to notify him of a missed message.  He walked over to where it sat on the dresser, picked it up, and read the one text message on it.   When Lana finally joined him he looked up and said to her "That was my guy.  Our order is ready.  We just need to let him know where the sale will complete."  Since all of her weapons caches were now possibly compromised, as well as all her connections, it was  up to Malik to make use of his network.  Even though he was private sector, without the reach and resources of a major corporation, it was impressive what he was able to pull together.   Malik didn't hold back because he knew they were going up against a hitter who still had access to the things that Lana had lost.  


He buckled his belt, and pulled a shirt on over his chest, before picking up his 9mm, and checking the breech and clip.  It was all in order so he checked the safety then slipped it into the holster on the back of his belt and draped his shirt over it.  "We're gonna have to play this one pretty close to the chest. " he said to her as he sat on the foot of the bed and watched her for a little while before leaning forward to put on his boots and lace them up.  "Once we let Flynn know you're alive, number two will be on to us.  We'll be playing cat and mouse, and I'm fine with being the mouse trying to eat the cat.  There's just one thing that's bugging me.  How do we put this asshole down and clear your name with the suits?  If you kill him without proving he started it, it looks like you're the one breaking the rules."  

""

The warm water felt nice; no longer stinging her cuts it soothed the leftover aches from the near disaster four days prior. Sometimes her left arm still felt numb and she would have to work it through a few muscle strengthening exercises but otherwise she felt whole and hale. The impending full moon was accelerating her healing time, thank the Goddess. Lana was beginning to feel like a bird trapped in a cage the longer she remained holed up in this apartment. Not that it was all bad...

Whatever you say, Lev.

She had one hand pressing against the shower wall and the other holding her blonde locks off her shoulders and back so he could inspect her stitches. How many times in the last four days had they done this? She lost count by the second day and now did not even notice. How easily they had fallen into a routine, she would be sad to see it all end. But it could not be helped.

After he left she stood beneath the spray a moment longer and only when she felt her fingers and toes had pruned enough did she press down the shower pull and shut the faucets off. Today they had business to take care of and this would be her first trip outside since Malik had brought her here. She was so excited about just getting out that Lana could barely contain her excitement behind her ever-present mask of calm.

In the bedroom she found a drawer filled with clothing to accommodate her. Because she could not walk around wearing all of Malik's clothes, he'd been nice enough to get some for her. Just a few pairs of pants, shirts, panties and bras. With a towel wrapped around her like a dress, she dumped an armful of each item onto the bed beside where he sat and arranged them in order of what to put on first: panties, bra, pants, shirt. Well, then I can't let you eat him if I need proof. So that means I have to be the mouse in this game.

Sitting beside him on the edge of the bed, close enough so their arms touched, she smiled up at her dark savior. The clothes he'd purchased fit like a glove and close enough to the style she generally bought for herself. Lana favored dark colors, so the black skinny's and dark purple crew neck babydoll tee were right up her alley. Even the underthings were perfect, if a little more feminine than she liked. Apparently Malik didn't like that she favored sports bras and boxer-style underwear over lacy things.

Once Number Two finds out that I'm still alive and still in Librium, he'll come searching for me. We need to get him to a place of our choice, get a confession out of him...preferably recorded...then kill him. Call your guy, make the arrangements to pick up the order. Her boots were in the living room, so she stood and padded barefoot to the door, but before she walked out, Lana turned and favored him with a searching look. Spasibo, Lev. Za vse.

That sealed it. Lana was ready for action which meant their time together was over. It was back to the real world, the violence, and the secrets. Malik felt the same dull ache in the pit of his stomach that he had when it was time to leave the mountains. The real world was where he lived and that was who he was, but this was part of him too. It was nice to have it while it lasted. He sat back and watched her move about the apartment enjoying the last minutes of their dream world. "Anything for you." he said to her. He'd already told her there was no need to say 'thank you' but she did it anyway. When she was finally done getting ready Malik pushed himself up off of the bed and walked over to her. Standing over Lana, he cradled the side of her face in his hand and took her lips. He did this before they walked out the door of her mountain home to return to their separate lives. It was the type of kiss that lingered in the thoughts long after lips parted because it meant something.

"Alright," he said quietly once the long kiss ended, and he lowered the hand that had drifted down the side of her face to wrap around her throat while they kissed. "let's show number two why you're number one." Malik gave her a playful smirk as he held the door open, and smacked her ass as she walked through it. Everything in the apartment was restocked and reset to the way I had been when they first got there, except for the addition of her clothes. The two of them were armed and incognito, but they kept a careful watch on their surroundings as they moved. Malik had already set up the time and place for the sale so there was nothing left to do but show up with the cash. Down the steps and out into the street, there were no problems so Malik hopped into the mule, cranked the engine up, and pulled out into the flow of traffic.

The transaction was pretty straight forward despite being completely illegal. Malik drove them to a building on the outskirts of Librium in the shadow of the wall. He met with an armed group of five men who had a massive ordinance crate. Malik popped the lid off of it, inspected the contents, and gave them a thick stack of cash. They took their payment with little ceremony, and Malik tossed the massive crate over his arm and carried it out the door. He stowed it way in the Mule’s trunk which was spacious enough, even though he didn’t have access to the trailer. Once they were safely away from they buy, Malik thought it was time to start discussing the plan. "I’ve got a .50 cal rifle, anti-personnel mines with remote detonators, Nz-42 assault rifles, casters for everything we’ve got, and micro surveillance gear."

Librium had pretty strict security at the gates that controlled entry into megalopolis, but n security was infallible. Malik had smuggled his own weapons into the city to create caches for in city jobs, and he raided a few of them to cater the part they were going to throw for number two. "We’ve got enough firepower to wage a small war, and probably crack that body armor you said he was wearing. Now we just need to set the trap before you give him a trail to follow." Malik drove through the city following Svetlana’s direction to the letter. Their destination was one of her personal safe houses, one that she kept off of the Umbra books, but allowed Flynn to know about under the strictest of confidence. He knew where they were going, but Malik waited to see it with his own eyes before he started planning out placement.

Before they got there however, Malik made one quick stop. He parked the Mule on the street across from a bistro, got out alone, and walked across to the outdoor dining. He went to one of the tables and sat down across from a tall blonde that Lana would recognize from the picture she found in the visor. He had made the call yesterday, and asked her to come. After assuring her he was ok despite his sudden disappearance, she agreed to help him without asking any questions. After a quick exchange Malik stood up and returned to the mule, but the package that had been hidden under his coat was left behind in his chair. Malik climbed back into the truck and pulled away. "Cyd’s the best stealth infiltrator there is. I’ve seen her work. She’ll be able to get into Flynn’s, drop off the package, and get out without Flynn, number two, or anyone else knowing she was there. She’ll let me know when it’s been delivered, and things are set into motion."

The bank security envelop style satchel that Malik passed off to Cyd was filled with a few key elements that would make or break their plan. Inside was a letter that Malik had asked Lana to write explaining the situation and the plan, along with the encrypted receiver protocols for all their surveillance gear. "Are you sure that Flynn is going to be able to get the receiver protocols out to the people that need to see this without tipping off number 2? We’re counting on him watching Flynn to get to you, so getting word out without him knowing isn’t going to be easy." It was a valid concern, but it was the only time that Malik voiced it. He trusted Lana, and trusted where she put her trust because he knew she didn’t put it anywhere easily. There was also no time to think about doubts because there was a great deal of work to do. Malik and Lana had to set up a three stage trap. The outer rim was to trap any and every long range strike point, just in case he chose to attack at distance, and then they had to rig the entire safe house to be a full video kill zone. The final stage was a standing ground. In the event that he didn’t strike from distance, and the encounter in the house went sour, they would have one final location to put the show or die trying.

Malik had been born to be a berserker, a living tank that was manufactured to take punishment while dealing out death. The breeding program that spawned him was pushing for muscle, but this one had been born with a brain as well. It was easy to underestimate Malik just brawn when you first met him, but after getting to know him, Lana would come to know the mind behind it. He was a chess player. He saw the world as a board and pieces, and thought moves ahead. He didn’t sleep at all that first night they spent together. When she woke up in his arms the next morning, he was still awake, staring at the ceiling. He’d spent all night dreaming up an elaborate plan to catch an assassin, exposing his transgressions at the same time. Step one, get the equipment. Step two, pass the plan and the means to broadcast their show to the Umbra suits on to Flynn. Step three, set up the safe house and the area around it for home field advantage. Step four, set up a fall back location just in case number two got them on the run. Step four, have Lana call Flynn to check in long enough for the call to be traced. Step five, flush number two.

Before they left the apartment, Lana had to make some last minute additions to the things she'd be taking with her. All of the clothes that Malik had purchased for her would remain at the apartment, for next when she had need of them or for one of the other women in his life in case they had need of them. She donned the same pair of pants and shirt she had worn the day they arrived; freshly laundered and stitched so they were nearly as good as new. Her boots were shined and the laces replaced so that when she tightened them across the front of her shines, she could fell them close about her calf with a comforting squeeze.

What stopped her from walking out the door was Malik's hand on her arm, drawing her back through the doorway into a partial embrace. The lion's large hand tilting her face up so that his lips could find hers. Thick, dark fingers cradled her face with a gentleness one wouldn't think he was capable of. This was the hard part; having to leave him and return to a life of forced solitude and loneliness. When he pulled away from her she pressed her lips firmly together, savoring the imprint of his mouth against her own and then turned on sharp heels to head down to the waiting Mule with him on her tail. There would undoubtedly be another time in the near or far future when their paths would cross again.

The drive to their destination was spent half in silence and half finalizing the plan for capturing the one that he had dubbed number two. The four days she'd spent with Malik he had used ninety percent of his waking moment to formulating a plan at capturing the assassin who had tried (and failed, obviously) at killing her. The other ten percent was spent on helping her heal. When they were done worshiping one another each night, Lana would fall into a dreamless and restful sleep, sometimes waking to find Malik staring at the ceiling with a determined gaze or staring at her with the same determined gaze, only different in what it was he was determined about. She would miss those times but would find a way to forget until the next time.

She is one of your Pride, Lana commented when Malik was done singing his praise about the woman Cyd. He'd just dropped a package off with the blonde one and they were driving again. I could smell her anxiousness from here. She gave me a look of daggers more than once though I'm certain she couldn't see through the window. The Russian smirked with amusement though she wouldn't tell him that it entertained her. She would not usurp any of his women's place in the Pride, she was a werewolf so how could she? But she would not let the man lack for company when he so desperately wanted it.

Flynn can do anything he sets his mind to. Which is why he's last so long in Umbra where others have not...take our friend Kingsley for instance. She looked over at Malik and gave him a knowing glance. He would remember Kingsley well. By now Flynn has to have guessed that I'm still alive and that he's being watched. He also has taken a fascination in the Lunar calendar since recruiting me so he will keep a close watch on the moon phases also. Flynn can do it, trust me. Besides Malik and Veles, the only man in her life was Flynn Salander. A fatherly type who liked to think he was doing good by Lana at times when he 'coddled' her.

There was no more time to discuss Flynn's capabilities any further for they were pulling up to their destination. A safe house owned by Lana under a pseudonym that was more or less for shits and giggles than it was an actual alias. The mailbox at the street read 'Luna Wolfe' and looking over at Malik, she grinned as he turned the Mule down the drive and parked it in front of a high privacy fence. It was a two-story stucco with an artisan feel. The previous owner had hanged himself when he'd gotten caught filching from the clients he did some accounting for. Around back there is an empty in-ground pool and about 1.5 acres of open ground between the pool and the fence. She stared through the windshield of the Mule up at the structure. I've only been inside once or twice. Never stayed in it.

The mention of Kingsley brought a smile to Malik's lips. There was something satisfying to the knowledge that your enemies did not survive while you flourished. That was what made the king beasts crave the top of the hill. Malik stopped the Mule on the street and turned off the engine while he listened to Lana. "Hopefully Number Two won't keep us waiting and you won't need to stay in it." he said as they both got out of the cab. At the back of his mind his thoughts played with the idea of breaking the house in good and proper but those were easily ignored. It was time to work, and this house would be burned afterwards. Even if it was still standing when they were through, it would be known and may as well be ashes. Once outside the Mule Malik moved to the back, and unhooked Lana's Ducati. He walked it up the drive way and then hid it on the side of the house beneath the tarp. He made it good enough that most people wouldn't notice it, but someone who was looking would be able to find it. The first bread crumb.

Once the bike was in place Malik unloaded the supplies from the Mule with Lana's help, and moved back to stand in the front yard. Lana would recognize the look in his eye as he made a slow three sixty. He was trying to kill someone. He was the target in his mind and he was looking for all the lines of sight that would deliver him to the Divine. One by one he marked them out, cataloguing the places an assassin would be if they wanted to strike from afar. "I'm gonna go on walkabout and set up the second stage, then I'll start working on the outfield. You wire the house and then move to the outfield. I'll meet you in the middle." His voice was a calm rumble, and he gave her a look before getting back in the Mule. He missed kissing her when they parted company, but they were back in the world so that last kiss would have to last him. The Mule's engine cranked up and he drove off. She was a lifelong assassin and would see different strike points than he would. That is why they would both work on the outfield, so he wouldn't miss a vantage that cost Lana her life.

He drove the Mule a few blocks away and parked it on a busy street so that it wouldn't stand out among the multitude of cars. He grabbed his part of the party favors, and walked to the community recreation center that was a few hundred yards away from her house. It was a week day so the center was closed during the evening, which meant it would be empty. Malik quickly picked the lock to let himself in, and placed a magnet on the door frame sensor to keep the alarm from being triggered. He popped the panel off of the keypad and moved a few wires around to disable the internal security without causing a default error to tip off the monitoring company. He was a good student and learned well the lessons taught to him. He owned the security system now, so all he needed to do was make the building his.

Moving through the hallways he placed a few of the small cameras strategically so they could get the widest field of vision. He was making a direct path to the west wing of the center where an auditorium was being remodeled. There were tools and scaffolding everywhere which made it a good place to fight if it was needed. There were no easy lines of site for him to get a good shot and pick her off. Number two would have to work hard for his kill and get in close if he wanted her. Around the outer edge of the room he placed cameras and set the focus so he could take in the entire room with a good amount of detail remaining. He went as far as to place a few in the battlefield for close ups but those would be scrap soon. Malik also turned the battleground into a minefield. He carefully hid the explosive charges around the room and scented them with a few squirts from a spray bottle filled with ammonia. Lana didn't know the layout because she wasn't here, and he needed to mark out the danger zones in a way that wouldnt tip off number two. She would be able to pick out the scent of ammonia, and know to avoid it. Even if he could pick it up, he wouldn't know it was a trap until he fell into it at least once.

Once the rec center was ready to go, Malik made his exit, and then turned his skills towards sneaking around the neighborhood. One of the beautiful things about this location was the lack of high points. The rec center's eastern wall was the first place he wired because it was facing Lana's safe house, the roof however, was left untouched. This was the most obvious place to strike from distance. The only other places were from the tops of nearby trees and roofs of neighboring houses. One by one he set them for broad cast, then moved to the lower hiding spots that would provide cover for a ground shot. Eventually he met with Lana and said, "The rec center is ready and all the charges are marked with ammonia so you will be able to tell where they are before you get too close."

As they were heading back to the house Malik's pocket started to vibrate. He pulled out the burner cell phone and saw the text he got from Cyd's burner. "Alright. She's out. The package is left by the only phone in the house that she didn't unplug. He'll find it when you call him." Malik waited for Lana to open the door so that he could enter. He noticed the faint smell of ammonia when he came close to certain places. She'd marked the inside of the house too even though she knew where they all were. Either she was looking out for him, or just didn't want to be the only one with that nasty smell lingering in their nose tonight. It didn't matter what the motivation was, it still made him smile. "Our part is done. You and Flynn are up. Make the call, and then I'll go get into position."

She watched him go, a protest on her lips for him to come back so she could send him off with something to think of while away, but the silence was better. Better to keep a little bit of distance because already she was becoming too fond of the lion.

Beneath the welcome mat she produced a key to the front door. The furnishings inside covered by white sheets that indicated the lack of living this home did. Lana could see dust particles floating through the air in shafts of fading sunlight that streamed through the breaks in the blinds on the windows. This wasn't home. It was just a house she bought for no other purpose than to suit her needs whenever the time came. That time was now.

Setting to work she moved into the kitchen and spread out her goods upon the island. A gallon of ammonia in a white jug plus some explosives and other nifty nick-knacks that were the tools of her trade. She snapped a pair of latex gloves onto her hands so that she didn't get any of the ammonia on her skin as she applied the liquid to the explosives. The work was tedious but rewarding because when she was finished it let her know which was was safe and which way wasn't.

When she was finished the house was properly wired and all of the weak points strengthened with some form of weaponry. She was sitting on the front stoop when Malik returned and informed her of the rec center down the block. Nodding silently she stood and turned, leading him into the house. He'd know which way to go since he'd be able to smell the ammonia. A prepaid cell phone was lifted from her back pocket; a cheap thing bought with only an hours worth of minutes that would be discarded the moment she was finished with it.

It's ringing, she told Malik as she leaned against a door frame, waiting for Flynn to answer. Butterflies were churning in her stomach, for what reason she couldn't name. Perhaps part of her was scared that maybe Flynn was in on this entire thing and she'd mistakenly put her faith in the wrong person. But no, the tone of his voice as he answered the phone sounded hopeful. Suspicious, but hopeful. Hello...?

It was good to hear his voice. Usually she never went more than 24 hours without making contact. This time had to be the exception. Lana needed to recoup without Number 2 finding her. Syurpriz, she smiled as she said it, thinking he'd be happy at least to hear from her. Lana, the relief in his voice and the recognition made her shoulders sag; she hadn't realized how tense she'd been until then. You shouldn't be calling me it's not--

She flinched, the loud discharge of a gun through the phone disturbing her sensitive hearing. Flynn..? She pulled the phone away from her ear briefly to look down at the screen, an expression of confusion on her face. Confusion that quickly shifted to anger at the unfamiliar voice that answered her; one that was not Flynn and could only belong to one she and Malik called Number 2. No, 'fraid not, darlin'.

Flynn Salander is...indisposed at the moment. Number 2 toed the prone figure of Flynn, rousing a painful groan from the older man as he did. I been wonderin' when you was gon' come out of hidin', cher. You and I got some unfinished business. He had a thick, Cajun accent. He hailed then from one of the hamlets in what was left of Louisiana. Possibly one of the Swamp clans. How he became what he was today, Lana couldn't hazard to guess. She had not been concerned with the other mercenaries contracted by Umbra.

The painful groan she heard helped keep the werewolf contained, if only for a moment longer. Her eyes, shot through with streaks of yellow stared into the open air before her, seeing nothing as she gripped the phone in a white-knuckle hold. Be a good doggie an' fetch yourself to me. She jerked away from the phone as if he'd physically hit her. Lana exhaled a sharp breath, thumped her head against the door frame she was leaning against and prepared her response. No.

Her voice had deepened slightly as her body warred for dominance with the werewolf. You want me, come find me. Moving the phone away from her ear she dropped it to the floor and in one swift motion crushed it beneath a booted foot. Normally the crunch would have been a satisfying sound, today it only angered her more. The noise grating her nerves as her hands flexed against the pain of holding back a transformation.

A satisfied smile came to Edgar's lips as he heard the beginning of the crunch followed by the white static hiss, and beeping of a lost call. The fact that the call ended didn't seem to bother him much. He had been prepared for this moment for the better part of the week. While he spent the boring days and nights staking out Flynn's home, waiting for her to check in or show up, he took the liberty of wiring his phone lines. He used two different devices to make sure he would be able to get a trace on Lana. The first was a typical trace that followed the number back to its billing location, which only took about sixty seconds. The second was much more complicated, it hacked a cell phone's GPS hardware, and downloaded its geographical location data. How long that took depended on the complexity of the phone, and if anyone took precautions against it. Edgar saw two green lights on the PDA he held in his left hand, which meant both were successful.

Turning to Flynn, the gunman knelt down beside him, and gave a soothing 'shhhhh' to quiet his grunts of pain. "Aww. Don't be like that now.", he said as he used the barrel of the gun to push aside Flynn's sweat dampened hair so that his face was clear. "Imma send your girl along to keep you company. That's why i shot you where I did. Yo guts is all ripped up, can't no hospital do nuthin' bout dat." Edgar took the barrel of his gun and pressed it into Flynn's lower abdomen causing him to yell out in pain. "You still gonna live a while though. You might even outlive her, mon ami. Depends on how bad traffic is." He shot Flynn a wink, then stood up, and left the house. The old man was gator bait now, and there wasn't anything he could do about it.

Malik stood there watching Lana as she spoke on the phone with Flynn. His eyes went wide when the conversation broke from the script they had planned out. He could feel his stomach lurching with that sick need to empty its contents when he realized what had just happened. Their plan had not only gone out the window, but Flynn was now in danger. Malik kept his eyes fixed on Lana, and his muscles tensed as he poised himself to be ready to restrain her. If she ran off to try and rescue Flynn now, she would be running into a trap. Flynn was as good as dead, and the man wouldn't appreciate having his legacy joining him because she took the bait. Malik couldn't let that happen. He stood there and waited. When Lana crushed the phone, she could see the anger and worry in his eyes. The lion wanted to take her into his arms, and tell her he was there for her, but he didn't. Now wasn't the time. They had to make sure Flynn had someone to torment in the afterlife. "He'll be here soon. I'll go set up." he said and turned to leave. His eyes said all the heartfelt things that his lips didn't, and now he was giving her time to deal with it alone.

Perched on the top of the roof of the Rec center, Malik saw the screen of his LCD display show a blip of movement. It was too large to be a dog, and moving through the backyards of the neighboring houses. It was getting close to the fence that surrounded the back yard of Svetlana's house. Using the location data from the screen, Malik lined up his cross hairs at the top of the fence, and rested his finger on the trigger. He was ready to squeeze off around the moment Number 2 popped his head or any part of himself over it. He waited as the motion blip remained stationary but never disappeared. Suddenly it was on the other side of the fence, and Malik cursed under his breath. This guy was good. He chose the route that had the most cover from sniper fire, and instead of going over the fence at the route's one vulnerable spot, he went through it.

Edgar had used an enchanted knife to stab through, and cut the fence boards about half way through. Once he had enough across to fight his body through, he pulled the blade back and pulled them out. It made a hole in the fence, but it was silent and quick. With no noise what so ever Edgar slide his masked and armored by through the hole in the fence and made for the bushes at the corner of the house. It gave him line of site in both directions while keeping him out of fire from any perches. He didn't know if Lana was in the house or waiting for him to sack the house, but there was only one way to find out. Off to the side of him was a basement window, the least likely point of entry. That was his way in.

Leaning down so he could examine the window, he made sure no one was hidden inside waiting to put a bullet in him, and then he carefully checked to see if it was wired. If he found any wiring that would lead to an alarm system, or a booby trap of some sort, he would disable it without setting it off. Once sure it was safe, Edgar would ease himself through the opening, and land quietly on the cement floor. His mask automatically switched its vision mode to low light so he could see his surroundings. Very carefully he picked his way over to the stairs, and checked their undersides for any traps. He would disarm any he found before he made his way up them, being careful to keep his feet at the very edges of the steps. Stepping this way kept his weight over the support structure. Steps creaked when the wood sagged and rubbed. There was no sagging and rubbing over solid support.

At the top of the stairs Edgar would repeat the same process that he had since entering the house. Even though the basement door was an unlikely entry point, this woman had gotten to the rating she did for a reason. First he would check for any wires around the door's seams, deal with them, and then turn his attention to the handle. If it was locked, he would quietly pick the tumblers until they unlocked, and slowly make his way into the house's interior. He kept his ears and his eyes open, looking and listening for any clue, about Lana's whereabouts. His assault rifle he kept at the ready. This was starting to remind him of the live fire obstacle course he ran during basic. Time and time again he had to go through a building waiting to put a bullet in anything that popped out. He never got a perfect score on those exercises, because he kept putting bullets in innocent bystanders. Edgar knew they were bystander targets before he shot them, he just wanted to put a bullet in them too. He later found out that was what got him assigned to the unit that made him what he was today.

For a moment she stared blindly down at the crushed pieces of phone, replaying the conversation in her head. Could this really be happening? When tears started to blur her vision Lana squared her shoulders and blinked away the tears that were threatening to spill over. Her green eyes glittered; hatred, revenge and despair was all swirling within their depths. Lana felt like she was drowning in the emotions as she watched Malik leave. It was almost easier to let them overcome her, but no. She couldn't be that weak. Flynn's death couldn't be for nothing.

Leaving the pieces where they lay she continued her motions through the house. She had it wired for sound as well as video with the recording starting if the front, rear, garage or basement door should open. Bombs ranged throughout the house and were flagged by the lightest scent of ammonia; not strong enough for a human to catch, but to her and Malik the scent was there and it was noticeable.

Returning to the front of the house, she stood in a cozy receiving den. The floors were hardwood and accented by a large area rug. The walls were a gentle yellow and the furniture consisted of an L shaped creme sofa. Sheer curtains hung from the large bay window that looked out over the street. She liked this room because it was sparsely furnished. There was nothing that truly belonged to her. She wouldn't miss any of it when it was gone.

Removing the weapons on her body, she stuffed them into a duffel and zipped it shut. Lana wanted to kill him with her bare hands and the werewolf inside her approved that decision.

She wandered aimlessly through the house, from room to room until the fateful time arrived. Her keen hearing picked up on the tumble of the doorknob mechanics as her foe cautiously opened the basement door. She managed to be on the blind side of it, with the door swinging out towards her as it opened. If he came into view wielding a weapon, Lana would jerk it from his grasp without warning and throw it behind her, out of reach. Took you long enough,

She appeared different than he last saw her. Blonde hair instead of red, but the same piercing green eyes. They stared daggers at him and softened to a mixture of a green/gold as the werewolf warred with her for release. If he was unarmed as he entered the house she would shove the door closed, hard enough to damage the frame as it slammed shut and advance upon him.

Edgar never went anywhere unarmed. When he was done checking the basement door for booby-traps he reset his gone in hand and made his way through the door. He wasn’t fool enough to go hunting a werewolf unarmed, especially when he was responsible for the death of the man who raised it. He couldn’t think of her as a woman. That was a mistake he couldn’t afford. Lana, Umbra’s number one, and she was a deadly beast. He caught a glimpse of movement and blonde hair out of his periphery and quickly spun to take aim at her. The sites swooped up quickly, with the trained efficiency of a soldier. ”Don’t worry, I’m worth the wait.” Filtered through the mask’s speaker system his voice was inhuman.

Steel hard nerves held the gun steady and reflexes kicked in as he moved. His finger curled to pull the trigger, letting off a three bullet burst. Fire sparked from the gun muzzle. The first three bullets hit the wall beside her in a traveling pattern. The second squeeze of his finger was made and Lana would be able to read the writing on the wall. With that current path of fire she was going to be in the direct line of bullets if she continued towards him. Edgar wasn’t naive enough to think that a few bullets would be able to put Lana down if they hit. Even if she looked like a woman, she was in human form and weres were incredibly tough to put down.

The black tactical armor clad man fell back two steps and then darted through the opening to his left that led off to the kitchen. As he moved his left hand left its place stabilizing the barrel of the gun, and took hold of one of the grenades that were hanging on his belt. He gave the small orb a swift tug to break the loop holding it and pull the pin from its setting with his thumb. A jerk of his hand sent the grenade flying. It bounced off the wall and ricocheted down the hallway towards where Lana was. It skittered across the floor for a few seconds and before it came to a stop, it erupted in a hail of shrapnel and fire.

Malik was up in his perch atop the recreational center a ways down the street. There was nothing in his line of vision to see as he watched the house. Edgar had managed to slip into the house unnoticed. The only reason Malik knew that anything had happened was Lana’s voice coming over the open comm line between them. Her words were followed by the sharp repeal of gunfire. Malik cursed under his breath. Every instinct of his screamed for him to run in there and get her, but that wasn’t the plan. He grit his teeth and held his position. That was the plan and he had to stick to it. ”Come on, baby. Come on.” he said nervously.

The first two shots didn't even phase her; Lana never blinked as the masked figure squeezed off the rounds and bullets went whizzing past her. I hope so. I'm hungry. But he was on the move, sprinting in the opposite direction while tossing a couple grenades back at her. So she moved as well, running full speed for him, diving passed the flying grenade and into relative safety.

The kitchen though burst into an immediate inferno. Windows blasting out as fire engulfed the room. Figures that you would bring an arsenal. You and I both know I'll kill you. This just makes the victory sweeter. She taunted him as she pulled herself up from the floor where she had landed, breathing heavily as the werewolf inside her pushed at the barrier that kept it from breaking free.

You're weak and insignificant. But I'll enjoy ripping your heart out with my bear hand. They were in the dining room now. A hallway at the far side (closest to Edgar) led to the four bedrooms and three baths and the doorway closes to Lana opened into the den. In the center of the room was an oblong six seat formal table and against the wall behind it (beside Edgar's door) was a side board for setting up food.

If he crossed the threshold from the dining room into the hallway he would activate the bombs she had set up in each of the bedrooms, set to go off should they detect any movement. In the den, closest to her, there was a triggered electric minefield set up beneath the large area rug with enough voltage to bring down a bull.

She remained poised on the balls of her feet, hands hovering at the table, ready to throw it up for a shield if need be. Her fingers were noticeably longer and the knuckles stretching her flesh taut until it looked near to tearing. The change was slowly happening and she was so focused on her opponent that she did not notice the pain.

The grenade exploded and the shockwave tore through the area around it. Edgar was light on his feet and could have remained upright, but Lana was coming after him like a rabid dog. He was expecting her to have some sort of care for her own wellbeing and move to avoid the blast, but she did no such thing. To get some more distance between them Edgar leapt backwards, letting his body fall into a roll. He danced up onto his feet. ”You’ll be telling Flynn different when you meet him hell.” he said through the voice distorting mask that covered his face entirely.

As she stalked closer he brought up his assault rifle to align the sites before his eyes. In that motion he took a quick look at his surroundings so he could gage his footing and choose his travel path. To his side was a short path that didn’t lead very far, most likely to a dead in section of rooms near the outer wall. To his other side he had a hallway that lead deeper into the house. There would be far more cover that way, and places for him to fight. She wasn’t holding any weapons that he could see which meant she was going to be turning into that dog haired monster that she truly was. He would use the closer quarters to his advantage. With his choice made he brought his eyes to line up a shot. At this range he couldn’t miss so he made it count. Barrel leveled at center mass over her heart, Edgar pulled the trigger on full auto and let loose.

Lana throwing up the table in the way of the bullets came as a surprise. He wasn’t expecting her to do that, he was expecting her to try and dodge. The bullets all struck the hard wood suface in rapid succession. One right after another they sunk into the wood and stayed. If he could have concentrated his fire on one spot, Edgar might have been able to punch a hole through it and hit her, but the table was moving and the contacts were spread out. The table also posed another problem. It was coming right at him. Instinct took over and Edgar strafed back and to the side so that he could that he could make his exit down the hallway.

Edgar didn’t have any idea that he was running straight into a well-placed trap. Quick footsteps carried him down the hallway but the moment he crossed the threshold there was a high pitched whine that preceded the explosion. He didn’t have time to even turn around to look for the hidden device. The wall erupted outward in a shockwave of force and flame. Edgar’s swift motion had taken him past the point of explosion by just a step so he didn’t get throw into the opposite wall. The explosion threw him forward down the hallway. He landed on the floor and tumbled to a stop. The world was black with silver stars dancing through it. The only reason he was still alive was the enhanced body armor he was wearing. The physical and magical protections it provided absorbed some of the force but not all of it. Edgar now rolled around on the floor groaning, and trying to get his bearings along with control of his body.

Boney fingers latched on to the edge of the dining room table and threw it up as a makeshift shield when Edgar raised his weapon. Lana snarled each time one of the slugs embedded within the varnished wood; a sound between human and animal that could be said to be the stuff of nightmares.

With the table hefted in front of her she charged at Edgar who, with a look of sudden surprise and realization that she was not going to back down, turned and ran through the doorway into the hallway beyond. There wasn't enough time for her to throw the table aside before she collided with the wall and she was immediately thrown backwards as the force of the bomb blast hit her.

She lurched unsteadily to her feet, momentarily disoriented and with a mixed equilibrium as her feet were no longer that of a human but of a werewolf. Her form was somewhere between human and beast; an unnaturally grotesque creature with muscles too big for a petite woman and spots of fur clashing with alabaster flesh.

Grabbing the table by one of the remaining legs, she tossed the chunk of leftover wood over her shoulder like it weighed nothing. Behind it was an inferno of growing flames and gaping holes caused by the bombs. In the distance, over the roar of the fire she could hear the distinctive sirens of police and fire authorities racing to put out the flames.

Lana gripped the door frame in both hands and worked to get her mouth to form words. Malik, her deep, raspy voice groaned into the ear piece that connected the two of them. It was barely hanging there against her ear, but she could feel it. Take care...of that, she said, hoping he would understand her meaning. In the meantime, her attention returned to the man who was laying in front of her.

Her jaw worked from side to side, aching as it detached and grew. She whined and shook her head, bending forward to grab Edgar by the ankle with one hand and raising the other to deflect any blows he might make either with his opposite foot or with any weapons that he might try to fight her with. Die.

The explosion that rocked the house on the inside caused the structure to shake, and the windows to blow outward with the concussive force that was let off. From a distance Malik watched the shudder of wood and paint. The plume of smoke that rose from the house was proof positive that the first of the devices had gone off. She’d wired them heavy inside the house. Malik was expecting the blast to be much smaller so that it wouldn’t compromise the dwelling. Muscles tensed all along his body as he fought the urge to run towards the smoke and no doubt flames. It was all a part of the plan and him holding his position was a part of that plan.

The voice that came over the comm device comforted him some. Lana was alive enough to talk, and the fact that she was thinking about the impending arrival of the authorities meant that she was still in the fight. Malik could hear the beast in her voice, making its way to the surface, stealing her ability to speak. Keeping the cavalry at bay long enough for her to kill the assassin or get away was his job. Malik turned his rifle toward the sound of the sirens in the distance, and watched through the scope. They weren’t anywhere close but they were traveling fast so he needed to be ready. Malik swept the area from one side to the other, making sure it was clear, and then he took aim. His target was a small device on the rear wheel well of a parked car. He gave the trigger a pull and the charge when off. The explosive force sent the car up into the air but the off center positioning caused it to tumble sideways and land in the middle of the road. Two more shots added two more cars to the pile of twisted burning metal. Their owners came running outside screaming for answers where there were none to be found. The road was now effectively blocked, and those tax payers would make sure help didn’t get past without tending to their needs first. ”Done. You’ve got five minutes, ten tops. Get finished and get out.”

Inside the house smoke billowed to block vision, and debris fell from the ceiling above as the last clinging fibers of wood and chips of paint gave way. Edgar still lay on the floor wallowing about doing his best to get his bearings. He could see now and when he rolled his head back the way of the explosion he saw the beastly woman changing to fit that description. Edgar grit his teeth and grabbed his gun, pointed it at Lana, and pulled the trigger. The trigger assembly clicked but there were no bullets. He’d survived the explosion, but it killed his gun.

Lana’s large clawed hand wrapped around Edgar’s angle, and he felt the iron hard grip crush the bones beneath. He yelled out in pain and flipped the gun around so that he could grip the barrel. With all his might he swung the butt of the gun like a club at Lana’s head. Her arm was already held in position so that she could bat away the attack. Edgar abandoned the gun, tossing it to the side as she moved him towards her. He refused to give up. His hand went to the vest that he wore, and pulled free the combat knife that was etched with runes along its blade. With that in his grip he lashed out at Lana, twisting and moving as needed so that he could try and get a good shot at anything vital even if she picked him up. ”I ain’t going out easy, bitch!!!!” he yelled defiantly as he continued to slash at her with his enchanted blade.

She was fully formed now and continuing to drag the fallen assassin towards her. Images of his broken and deformed body danced like visions of sugar plums in the mind of the werewolf. She had him mostly tugged back into the dining room and continued to deflect the blows he aimed at her.

Around them the house groaned as the fire spread up into the attic and started to crawl into the other parts of the house. Smoke billowed black and rose into the sky like a dark omen. Briefly looking up, the frame of the open doorway was beginning to collapse in, along with the rest of the bombed section of the house.

Violently she gave his leg a tug, hard enough to pull it out of joint as the werewolf backed into the dining room, making it in time to watch the roof collapse where they had just been. Burning embers fell around her and singed her fur. The werewolf did not care about the fire, only about the assassin.

He was still swinging that knife at her and the sharp edge glanced across her left forearm, making the werewolf snarl in pain. The blade had found it's way through her fur to the flesh beneath and opened a shallow cut. Lips pulled back to reveal the sharp teeth beneath, bearing them in a growl as she reached for the hand holding the knife, intent on breaking it.

Time was running short for her. The house was coming down around them and the emergency departments were clearing the road for access. Her free hand grabbed at his neck, looking to wrap around and squeeze while aiming to lift Edgar inti the air. Not even the smoke which stung her eyes was enough to stop her.

The iron grip that wrapped around his ankle wasn’t loosening no matter how he thrashed about in the werewolf’s grasp. The suit that he wore was good for taking sharp impacts, and dispersing the force of the blow, but the slow steadily increasing pressure of her clenching claw was not affected at all. The muscles compressed, the blood flow was cut off, and the bones started to compress. Pain shot up his leg, and the bits on the other side of her claw were starting to turn a cold numb. Edgar flexed and heaved his body around so that he could attack at her. The blade brandished back and forth and then finally it struck down and found purchase in hairy flesh.

The blade sank deep into her flesh and Edgar felt the rush of hope surge through him only to have it ripped away. He held the knife in a death grip, because his life truly did depend on it, and it was torn out of it. Lana was stronger than him in her human form, and now that she was transformed there was no contest between the two of them. He hadn’t planned on getting this up-close in personal with Lana, but she had managed to close the distance to her advantage. Edgar watched as the knife when spinning across the room, and then his attention was ripped back to the monster that had hold of him. Pain was the reminder of her presence. The gut wrenching crunch and pop of his leg bone being twisted and then yanked free of its hip joint was world shattering.

Blinding white pain took his vision and he forced all the air out of his lungs. He screamed out in agony which made a strange noise for her ears to hear because it caused the speaker system to distort mechanically. With the tendons and ligaments severed, there was no way that he could use it as a point of motion so that he could fight back. Instead he spun there helplessly, hands grasping at the dislocated joint. ”God…. I’m Sorry…. Please don’t kill me. Please don’t kill me.” Pain had stripped him off all is tough talk, and the inevitability of his death gave him religion and a newfound respect for the power of forgiveness. He continued to blubber as the werewolf righted him and her claw cut off his ability to speak as it tightened. As the house began to collapse Edgar was powerless to fight her anymore. He was at her mercy.

Atop the roof of the rec center Malik held his post and watched as the first responders were embroiled in trying to put out the fires and clean up the mess of the two exploded cars so that they could get on to the reason for the first call. He kept one eye on them through his scope, and lifted the lcd screen into his field of vision. His thumb started to cycle through the channels until he found the one that showed Lana and Edgar. Malik could make out the silhouettes in the smoke filled room since Lana was so much bigger than her opponent. Number two was in claw, and moments away from becoming a destroyed chew toy. He waited for a moment and watched the battles end. Malik wanted to be certain it was over and Lana was on her way to safety before he left his position. Then and only then would he break down his sniper rifle, and go down into the rec center to dismantle the deathtrap he had set up.