THE HAUNTING PAST MYSTERY OF THE WOLVES

THE HAUNTING PAST: MYSTERY OF THE WOLVES For reasons, which the Brown Agency flatly REFUSED to discuss, even via "secure" video-link, the firm sent notice, to our pilots, who, then, instructed Tami and I to "Buckle Up". Soon after the indicator lights, in the cockpit, signalled the pilots that Tami and I were securely fastened, we were surprised when the pilot took the plane, from a quick hover, and to maximum, horizontal, thrust. Tami would remark as to how "weird" it was, actually HEARING the engines howl, through the hull, as the airplane raced forwards, at its maximum speed. Personally, I was just thankful that, on the trip, TO the site, of the "witches execution", that the plane had burned less than 20% of its fuel supply. By the way the pilots were handling the old girl, at present, pushing her engines to the maximum, we would burn most, if not all, of our remaining fuel, before reaching base. To add an element, of strangeness to all of this, after two hours, buckled in place, the pilot would call to Tami and I that WE would not be accompanying the plane, to the airport. When we asked, the pilot would only say "Mr. Browns direct orders were CLEAR. We are to do a vertical landing, at a parking lot, less than a block from the office. Once you two are off the plane, the co-pilot and I will take the plane to the airport". Wow! A verticle landing, in the middle of town? Someone must be really desperate, for our services. When the howl, of the engines, finally, died away, the pilot would radio us "Two minutes to drop". Just thirty seconds later, the planes engines went verticle, then we felt the landing gear touch down, even as we heard hands, from outside the plane, open the hatch, then hustle us as though we were students, tardy for class. In less than five minutes, Tami and I were hustled inside Mr. Brown's PRIVATE, inner, office, where, along with the boss were no less than two agents, who seemed to be "sweeping" the office, for "bugs". Only after the agents said "All secure, sir", then left the office, shutting the door behind them, did Mr. Brown engage us in conversation. When the HEAD, of the agency, told us "First, and foremost, I want both of you to understand that this case, no matter how strange, is legitimate. VERY legitimate. Second, I want to remind you of how important SECRECY is. On this case, you will NOT, and I repeat NOT, make daily reports, either via e-mail, nor via tele-conference. Once you are on-site, there are to be NO communications, until the case is resolved. Am I clear?" Okay, so Tami and I were accustomed to dealing with populations, which did not want to recognize "hautings". So, what could be so urgent that communications was forbidden? This is when Mr. Brown would say "We THINK we have a problem, with the living. It might be possible that someone, human, is taking some local folklore far too much to heart. and to an extreme. Reports say that "large, hairy", creatures are being seen, in the suspect area". When Tami would ask "What about Fish and Game? Aren't wild animals THEIR department?" Mr. Brown would say "Normally, this is true. The trouble is that the problem extends beyond mere sightings. Whoever is behind this action seems to have taken an old wolf story to heart. The report, which you will review, on your way to the incident location, states that it appears that children are being taken, and that, each time an adult takes pursuit, wolf howls, and growls are being heard, and "burning red" eyes, are being reported." When Tami would ask WHY we, as a couple, of "spirit investigators", were being called in, on the case, Mr. Brown would say "You are being called in since none of the children have turned up, yet several search party members have been found, dead, from what appear to be wolf bites". By the time Tami asked "When do we start?" Mr. Browns secretary would enter the room, saying "All is arranged. The assignment is approved, and up-loaded. The jet has been re-fuelled. You can lift off, in ten minutes." To this, Mr. Brown would remind us "Remember: Secrecy. Dont take any chances. Make sure you are prepared!" Wow! This must have been important, since we had, never, heard Mr. Brown sounding so serious, before. After Tami and I returned to the plane, the next "leg", of the trip, seemed much quieter, as the engines were not pushed as hard, as Tami and I sat back, to review the case file. If the "history", of the community, in question, was anywhere near correct (which history seldom is), it was claimed that the community was founded by no less than a group of outcasts. People, whom other communities believed were werewolves. History reported that, allegedly, the friends, and the craftsmen, who aided the outcasts, in building their community, were never heard from, again. Some reports said the people "simply disappearred". And, there were no end, of UN-confimed "reports", that people-turned-were, were spotted, at various times, and that some were, even, hunted down. What creeped Tami out, though, was a few legends weird take, on how the were's selected "victims". Instead of sniffing out blood, or fear, this pack, allegedly, stalked children. Some legends said this was because children were easier to "turn". What made Tami laugh, openly, was the part, of the legend, which claimed that, once children were "turned", the children would grow, to adulthood, "overnight". That is what even I "loved", about myths, and legends. Virgin births, zombies, un-dead murderers, age-less witches. The list was, almost, endless. What I really "loved", about all of these, was that belief was based, totally, on FAITH. Not one shred of scientifically proven evidence. It, always, came down to "Either you believe, or you dont". That kind of crap. According to the file, though, "proving" that people were "werewolves" on this case, was a low, if any, priority. The TOP, as in ABSOLUTE, priority, was the locating of the missing children. Especially if the children were sick, or injured. If the situation warranted, Tami and I could call for help, but only AFTER the children were safe. While studying photo's, of the community in question, Tami noticed that some parts, of photo's, were blurry. She would comment how odd it was that, in such clear pictures, only certain spots were fuzzy. She wondered why this was. Although we did as much "research", on the internet, as possible, we found not one, single, physician who was willing to admit that Lycanthorpy even existed. In fact, the closest any doctor would come, to recognizing such a condition, was to say that "Some people exhibit allergic reactions, to various stimuli. Reason unknown." Both Tami and I chuckled at how many "references" claimed that the only "cure" for this condition, was to "Shoot the beast!" with silver bullets. Well, Tami and I had taken some gunnery training, after the castle case, however, neither of us was prepared to shoot another person, either with silver, or lead. Besides, WHERE would we find silver bullets, anyway? By the time we arrived, on the scene, Tami and I knew about as much, about werwolves, as we would have, had we just watched some old movies. What we, never, expected, was the warm, and friendly, welcome, which we received, when our plane landed. Locals seemed genuinely happy to see us. We had no idea of WHY. When we departed the plane, Tami and I were escorted, parade-style, to the town hall and, on the way, Tami would indicate, to me, about a nearby statue, which stood in the town square. From my own point of view, atleast, the statue had the general build of a bear. Once we were paraded into the town hall, and seated, before the city council, that Tami and I learned the reason why we had been so warmly welcomed. When the mayor would say "We are happy that you could come. It is our hope that your antidote will solve the problem". This is when Tami and I realized that someone had told these people that we were bringing a solution/cure, to the problem. When Tami informed th council that we were not doctors, and that we were here to investigate the case, two council members looked at one another, then the mayor asked "You have brought no treatment, or vaccine?" When Tami clarified "We are detectives, not doctors" Suddenly, our "warm" reception turned frosty, as a council member would say "We have more than enough investigators, already. Unless you have new information for us, you are wasting our time". When Tami would ask "What about your children? Have they been located, yet?" It seemed as if the very mention, of the missing children, set off the city council. The mayor would snap "Unless you have a solution, on that jet of yours, I suggest you pack up, and GO HOME!" Shortly after this, as Tami and I departed the town hall, we came face-to-face, with dozens of families, all of whom were willing to beg for answers. No matter how many times Tami would say "We are NOT doctors!" the plea's, and begging, continued. It would not be until the local sheriff would put a warning shot, in the air, that the public went silent. When the sheriff would say "Now, listen here. We were told that these two were bringing answers. Truth is, they only came, to ask more questionss. We were lied to. It is, still, up to us to find our own young" At the sheriff's order, the people let us pass, and the people stood, silent, as we walked towards our plane. Back at the plane, Tami asked the sheriff "Why cant we stay, just to help?", and the man, curtly, said "Ma'am, unless you have an antidote in this plane, you have nothing that we need". While Tami and I pondered our next move, Mr. Brown "broke radio silence", informing us that the agency was aware of the situation, and that action was being planned. We were just to "sit tight, and await further orders". Later, after the crowds, and the sheriff, were gone, Tami and I decided to take a look around, and at that statue, in particular. If nothing else, maybe we could find out what it looked like, from the front, and what it was about. Although no one paid us any attention, when we walked back into town, when we stopped, and took a good, hard, look, at the statue, it seems that people began to notice US. As it would turn out, the statue seemed to be that, of a wolf. Oddly enough, though, it seemed to be standing an very muscular, hind, legs. Its front "paws" seemed more like muscled arms, and hands. Its mouth was set in a fierce snarl, and its teeth were bared. I had to agree with Tami when she said "You know, if I didn't know it was just a statue, I would think it was ready to leap to attack". At that moment, and old, male, voice came from behind us, saying "Thats right, little lady. Tis been guarding this town, since the "dark days". As long as it stands guard, we are supposed to be safe" When Tami would ask "Safe? From what?" a womans voice would come up, saying "Dont listen to him", then adding "Father just likes telling his stories". When the woman tried to lead the man away, the man pulled free, saying "Aint no "stories" about it. Its our history". When the woman begged him "Father", and tried to pull him away, he gave way, to the womans tugging, but not before calling to us "The truth is where they dont want you to look". My thought was Terrific! ANOTHER cryptic message. If this kept up, for another few cases, Tami and I would become exerienced enough, at solving puzzles, to join either the C.I.A., or Homeland Security. When we returned to the jet, and Tami went on the internet, trying to find something called "Truth is where they dont want you to look", she found over two dozen references. Problem was, none had anything to do with children. Missing, or not. To her surprise, though, Tami found a local doctor, in an internet "chat room". Like the doctor said "The people are being told NOT to TALK to you, about this thing. BUT, no one said anything about TYPING". Although the doctor admitted that he was a "local", born and raised, right here in town, yet he had left town, long enough for medical school. Still, he was a "local" source, and better than nothing. Problem was, most of what he had, for us, was based, more or less, on heresay. He would tell Tami "I remember the history teacher telling us that other people either HATED, or FEARED, our ancestors, since we were "different". Most people think it was out of revenge, for our being so good, at tracking prey, while hunting. Local history even claims that people thought we were "far too good", at hunting. When stories began floating, that we were "different", soon, the best hunters, in town, our ancestors, became the HUNTED". When Tami would ask "What was wrong with being good, experienced, hunters?" The doctor would reply "History says that the ancestors, regularly, brought in three, to four, times as much game, as other hunters did. When this lead to jokes, about "deals", then these jokes lead to susicions". When Tami would ask "Why did your ancestors choose THIS place, to settle?" The doctor would reply "When the others chased us out, we had to leave behind anything which we could not carry on our bodies. As for the reason why we chose this area, we chose it because it was remote enough, at the time, that no one, from the other communities DARED to make the journey, to our community, especially at night." The doctor would, then, type "Also, there is a medicinal herb, which grows, wild, here. We have found it to be very useful at healing wounds, when applied to the body. When taken internally, it seems to retard illness". When Tami would ask "Where does this herb grow?" the doctor would reply "Dont waste your time. For the past seventy-five years, the crop has been growing, and nurtured, in a greenhouse setting. A local botanist has even discovered a way to enhance the herbs effects. Only a small dose is, now, required, to keep us healthy". When Tami would ask "The statue, of the upright wolf, in the town square?" The doctor would reply "We are TOLD it is our guardian. So long as it stands guard, nothing SHOULD happen, to our community". When Tami would ask "The missing children? The growls, howls, and "burning, red", eyes? What about these?" The doctor would reply "I am hoping that it turns out to be just a sick prank. After all, we KNOW that others feel that we are "different". This is why the two of you were rushed off, before I could speak to you. We have been a close-knit community, for so long, we dont know of any other way to live." When Tami would ask "What would such tricks profit anyone?" The doctor would reply "No clue, beyond revenge." When Tami would ask "Revenge, for what?" The doctor would reply "In small towns, like this one, HISTORY is our prime resource. Someone may have an old grudge, maybe from a century, or more, ago. Maybe, one, or more, of their children, was taken, for reasons lost in time." While Tami would go on her way, doing what she did, best, conversing with people, I would be left to examine the areas where children had gone missing. I have to say that, in many ways, these play areas reminded me of the places where I had played, as a child. And, OH, the "stories" I heard, about things like an old caretakers home. Then there were the stories, about "creatures" "haunting" the nearby woods. Local kids tried to scare one another, by claiming that sounds, like growls, were night creatures, which stalked the living. In the case, of my neighborhood, though, when myself, and some friends, had gone into the wooded area, withOUT the aid of the story-tellers, we had found nothing more than a couple of abandoned cars, and some refrigerators, and washing machines. It would not be until a few years after this, while on the way home, from a drive in, that I had recognized the rear of our wooded section, about a mile from a stretch of highway. Then, one night, out, alone, after I was supposed to be inside (Boy, did I get in trouble for staying out, after dark) I listened to the so-called growls, and realized they were just automotive noises, from the highway. Still, when I examined the abduction sites, I found old memories coming back to haunt ME. How many times had I decided to ride my bicycle beyond where my mother approved of, just to see what was beyond a point of location? Childish curiousity? Probably. What was different, now, was that even when children were tagged, at birth, demented people still abducted the children. After all, on the black market, children can be sold, for a fortune, to the highest bidder. The days, of local playgrounds being a safe place, for children to just have fun, were gone, as such properties, now, had to have enhanced security. Ofcourse, the National Education Association had its part, in destroying the imagination, of childhood, as well. The N.E.A. did an excellent job, of replacing simple things, like tire-swings, and climbing tree's, with advanced design, "age-appropriate", "learning devices". Kits which created "structured play". Then, there was saturday morning television. In my youth, we would laugh at the coyote trying to trap the road runner, as well as enjoying watching batman use his bat-devices, in classic Gotham City. And who could forget the wonder of the original Star Trek, or the eerie tales, of the Night Gallery? Yes, the National Education Association had done an excellent job, of replacing the original Ghost Busters, and Bugs Bunny, with the boring, "structured learning", programs, of modern, "age-appropriate", television. Was it any wonder the world was in its current state? Could this be the reason why people, like Tami and myself, who, never, let "logic" define us, or our investigations, were in such demand, by clients? I had to push these thoughts aside when I came across something which was, definitely, NOT factory assembled. What ever it was, someone had used rope, wire, and even model glue, to hold it together. Moving more cautiously past this point, I found a number of trip-wires, with more than a few, of these, trace-able back to small speakers. Could this be the source, of the growls, and other sounds? After coming upon something, which could, either, be a trap, or a childs play-house, I would decide it was best to return to the plane, report my findings, then "hit the books", and see what written history said, about these so-called "werewolves". While Tami was indulging peoples memories, of the past, to recall long-forgetten memories (along with sharing dozens of cups of tea, several glasses, of brandy, and who knows how many snack cakes), I was scouring web-sites, for information on the original SOURCE, of the legend of the "werewolf". Well, just as the Enforcer demon had told us, previously, mankind did like to "blame the Devil", for when things really "went south". It was just so easy to say "The Devil made me do it", when, in fact, Lucifer could not have cared less, either way. Then, ofcourse, there were the "conspiracy" sites. Places where people loved to suggest that, like todays "super-soldiers", that werewolves, the Minotaur, the Sphinx, and other creatures, of myth, had been previous civilizations attempts, at combining animal savagery with human intellect, and control. Nearly every theorist claimed that the goal, in all cases, was to create a soldier, who could be so savage, on the battle-field, that opposition soldiers would run from the sight of the soldier. A soldier who, on command, would tear an enemy to shreds, yet would start, and stop, all actions, on command. If theorists were to be believed, it would seem that, when the species were combined, what emerged, from the mixture, was half-human, half-animal, and completely un-controllable. A savage brute which had to be caged, and killed "By any means necessary". Some really fringe theorists even suggested that, when the creatures were released, on battle-fields, that, instead of attacking enemy positions, that the creatures attacked their own masters, instead. Well, I guess that everyone has the right, to their own beliefs. Besides, since no one, currently, on Earth, is old enough to say "I was THERE, and I KNOW this is bunk", who is to say which version, of history, is correct? Still, if the nations, of current Earth, are known to be working on creating "super-soldiers", what is to say that this "knowledge" has not come from ancient sources? When I checked the category about "silver bullets", I found several references, which claimed that werewolves, being "supernatural", were not mortal, and did not die. In fact, no one was willing to say whether, or not, werewolves even age. Well, if the attacks had been going on, for centuries, this might have made more sense, but, according to the contacts, of the police database, which Mr. Brown would secure, for us, the "history", of the children being abducted, was very RECENT. In fact, it had been less than a year, since the first child was abducted. This left the question of "What has changed, in the past year?" (Leave it to Tami to come up with atleast some of the answers). Although my intrepid partner would return to the plane, groaning, and holding her belly, she would say "I dont know how Mr. Brown does it, but people, now, seem to WANT to talk about what has been happening". I didn't question her, further, as she went to the "head". I could tell she needed to be sick. After she cleaned up, we broke into some rations, and I tried to hide a smile when Tami would say "REAL food". She would, then, follow up with saying "YOU try doing three dozen interviews, sipping at five glasses, of Brandy, and downing five cups of coffee, as well as nearly a dozen snack cakes, and see how YOU feel, afterwards". Still, it seems that her "torture" was worth the effort. As she said: "According to local history, these people were driven out of another community, 225 years ago. It seems that there was a dispute, probably over land ownership, and both sides took up "arms". Since machine guns, and modern rifles, and pistols, had not been invented, yet, most of the people took up knives, and shovels, to do battle." Tami would laugh as she would say "Some people even say that, in that battle, most of the injuries were from people being whacked over the head, with shovels. Must have been some amazing headaches, from that time, since local medicine men reported having to give patients everything from heroine, to root herbs, to massive doses, of whiskey, to deal with injuries, to the head. A few cracked skulls, too." When I asked "What was the final outcome?" Tami would say "Acccording to legend/history, a clergyman was called in, when it seems that people began switching from shovels to gardening tools. When it seemed, to the opposition, that people were starting to die, of "animal attacks", the clergy was called in, instead of a doctor, for a diagnosis." As Tami savored her dinner, I asked "AND?", and she said "The clergyman declared that the injuries bore the mark, of evil, not of man. The clergyman then declared that, to prevent the "spread of evil", that the conflict be brought to an end, immediately". When I asked "So, where did the animal stories come from?" Tami would say "Near as I can figure out, it seems that, although the clergy called an end, to hostilities, locals were not so convinced. They took the clergys word, of saying "Wounds looked evil", and, as tales spread, around camp fires, that the word "evil" was replaced with "Work of the Devil", then rumors spread, until locals convinced themselves that their neighbors were either in LEAGUE, with the Devil, or that they were his servants". This is when I said "Let me guess. Village elders went to those, who were defending their rights, and told the people to clear out, or else!" When Tami added "According to history, though, even though the one group was told to "Shove off", it seems that some locals were now happy with this conclusion. Some reports say that villagers took off, in pursuit of those, who were escaping, as though hunting wild animals." This is when I would add "And this is where the "wild animal atacks" come from." Tami would say "From what I gather, when the escapee's realized that they were being pursued, they decided to "make a stand", with what they had with them. Namely, their farming tools". And I added "Tools which leave marks which could appear animal-like, to un-trained eyes". Tami would add "When the attack parties survivors returned to the village, they brought back wild stories, of being attacked "As though by wild animals"." I would add "And, so, the legend of the werewolves was born". When I would ask "What about that statue, in the town center? The wolf?" Tami would say that "When the escapees fled what they felt was far enough, and set up camp, they brought in some sort of Shaman, or Medicine Man, who promised to bless a statue, so it would watch over the group, and protect the peace". When I asked "Just how LONG ago do you think that all of this happened?" Tami would guess "Based upon the variations, on the story, that I have been hearing, I would say the story is close to 200 years old". "If that is true" I would suggest "Then WHY have the abductions, and the sightings, only started, within the past year?" Tami would only say "Best guess? Someone has been researching history, and decided that their side got the "short end of the deal"." After dinner, I gave Tami a run down, on what I had found, so far, while suggesting "Maybe, someone is trying re-create the past. Like the doctor told you "an old debt"." When Tami would ask "What good would it do, to change the outcome, 200 years later?" I would suggest "Maybe, it is not about re-writing history. Maybe, its about perceived "payback". Maybe, someone lost a family member, and it crippled the family unit? Maybe, they want the perceived criminals family to feel the same pain that another family felt" When Tami would ask "Still, why wait 200 years? Why not strike back when the "debt" was new?" I would suggest "Maybe the revenge-seeker did not even know about the "crime", until recently. Maybe it was.." And we, both, said "Geneology Research!" Although Tami and I were at the wrong place, when the next child was taken, what locals did not expect was for us "outsiders" to take off, in pursuit of the next capture. Had Tami and I not been "trained", by experience, to know the difference between animal sounds, and fake sounds, we might have been just as frightened as locals were. Also, had we not faced-off, against "monsters", with "burning red" eyes, before, we might have been scared, when we saw the eyes, in the tree-line. Instead, as the "eyes" moved, we followed their direction, until they vanished. Shortly after this, we, too, heard the "growls", yet Tami and I heard MORE, since we were closer to the source. When Tami and I had pursued the child abductors into the wooded area, what we did not flinch at was the sounds, of snarls, howls, etc. Why were we not afraid of these sounds? Simple. As Tami had, once, explained, to a spirit, on a previous case, even as the spirit tried its best, to scare my partner, using "classic" scare tactics, Tami had just rested, comfortable, while informing the spirit "I have dealt with much worse, than that, before. You will have to do much better, if you expect me to flee". This is the reason why, while in pursuit, of the child abductors, Tami and I had dismissed the classic, recorded, sounds, of wild animals. This is also the reason why, after the abductor managed to slip away, with their latest victim, Tami and I had back-tracked, to the "markers", which we had identified, as starting, or ending, points, for the "burning red eyes", then we began to search for what we half-expected to find. Although, what we expected to find was was that the "burning red eyes" were, in fact, just holiday lights, tinted deep red, both of us were surprised, and impressed, to find out what the "eyes" really were. As it would turn out, the "eyes" were paired sets, of sharp-shooters laser target identifiers. It was no wonder that the "eyes" looked so intense, even from a distance. Also, the person, who had set up the "eyes" had not just used cheap, wire, rigs, to make the "eyes" appear to move. No, these people had "gone the extra mile", setting up a series of tripods. Each with its own laser designator. It was no wonder that, when one tripods "eyes" moved out-of-range, that another tripod, further on, would light up, making it seem that the "eyes" were moving. As a result, Tami and I realized that this was no "nickel-and-dime" operation. Person, or persons, unknown, were dedicated to their cause (Whatever that was). No question about that. Although we did not find the children, we would return, to ask the community if anyone owned a machine, which could make certain sounds. At first, no one seemed to know what we meant, then a farmer would come forward, asking his neighbor "Didn't your machine make a sound like that, recently?" When the neighbor said "You KNOW it did. Remember, we had to strip down the motor, to find the problem". When I asked "Could someone modify a machine to sound like that, on purpose?" The men would say "The machine we fixed was grinding its parts. Thats what caused the sound." Then added "Who would be dumb enough to make a machine grind its own parts?" While locals contemplated our information, and I worked on a plan of action, Tami was, finally, given permission to visit the greenhouse, where the herb was grown. Using discretion, honed over many investigations, she would procur a sample, of the plant, which we would examine, on the plane. IF the information, on the internet, were true, Tami had a sample of a plant which, mythology claimed, could retard Lycanthropia. Ofcourse, the plant had other uses, as well. Some of which even I could not understand the definition of. It would be just short of the first night, of the full moon, when, after dark, our infrared sensors detected something burning, BRIGHTLY, inside town. When Tami and I rushed into town, among other people, to see what was burning, we saw that someone had covered the wolf statue with various materials, then set the statue on fire. While people rushed forward, with fire extinguishers, a voice called, from the darkness, "Death to werewolves. The Devils spawn!". While townspeople worked on dousing the fire, Tami and I set off, in search of the person behind the voice. We wanted to find out the WHO, and WHY. Somehow, though, the person got away, through the woods. It would not be until the next night that the criminal would make the costly mistake. For some reason, they had not had time to set up their display, ahead of time, so they rushed it into town, just as we had locals preparing, in case the arsonist showed up, "for an encore". Just at sundown, Tami would ask "Does anyone smell that?" When we sniffed the air, a farmer would say "Smells like diesel, kerosene, and gasoline, all mixed together." Moments later, a flaming torch lit up, in the dark, then it lit up something bigger. A moment later, a pick-up truck came into view, pulling the burning cargo into town. When the sheriff, and a deputy, put a few gun shots into the truck, its tires went flat, and the police dragged the man out from behind the wheel, growling "Whats this all about?" When the man said "You killed members of my pride!" The sheriff would say "That was centuries ago, and WE lost members, too, you know". When the man would say "I will have Justice, no matter how LONG it takes!" A moment later, wolf cries filled the night, even as women hurried children in-doors. When I would ask "Whats going on?" The mayor, backed by the sheriff would say "The two of you should leave, like right now!" When Tami would say "But we can help!" The sheriff would say "Not this time. This is not your fight". With that, the deputy would return us to our plane, saying "If you know whats good for you. STAY in the plane". Just as suddenly as the ships camera's went off-line, we could HEAR the sounds, as though things, and people, were being ripped to pieces. This is when Tami would ask "Does it really matter, to them, after centuries of peace, that someone died, centuries ago?" After what sounded like World War Three, in high fidelity stereo, raged outside, for who knows how long, we heard another, different, cry. A cry, which even our pilots said "Sounds like either a victory cry, or a surrender". By the time we ventured forth, again, people were out, hosing the streets, and sidewalks, with garden hoses, while others carried buckets, of water. It seems that the town wanted to erase all evidence, that a battle had taken place. The mayor would, then, inform us "That was the very END, of a very long battle. Our children are being returned. It seems that you were correct. The pride hoped that, depriving us, of our young, would leave us un-coordinated, in the battle." When Tami asked "The battle over some land?" The mayor would smile as he said "No, the battle has, always, been over territory. We wanted to share the land. The other pride wanted us gone. Permanently gone". When Tami would ask "You dont mean?" The mayor would smile as he said "Yes, you suspected, correctly, all along." When Tami would ask "How can you maintain human form, under a full moon?" It would be the sheriff who, after asking the mayors permission, would be the first to "transform". The local doctor would then come forward, to say "We have been of the pride, for centuries, yet, when we came to this place, and found the herb, which tastes quite nice, to us, we decided to settle. It was not, however, until later, that we realized that, with the herb, we could control the when, and where, of transformation." When Tami would ask "So, what was the truth, of the battle? DId you use farm tools, or your paws?" The mayor let out a howl, of laughter, as he said "Even before the herb, we could not transform, during the day. It is moonlight, which gives us the power". When a local woman said "You mean "The "curse"", the mayor would say "Each of us has our own views, on the good, and bad." When Tami would ask "Why show us, or, do you intend to kill us?" The group let out a collective howl, of laughter, then the sheriff would say "Little girl, you have been watching way too MANY werewolf movies. Our kind does NOT hunt, or KILL, for the fun of killing, as Hollywood would have you believe. We hunt only to survive. We are no different from you." When Tami would ask her classic "Have you looked in a mirror?", this time, the answer came, with a touch of flare, as the mayor would say "Yes, And the last time I looked in the mirror, I looked quite dashing, if I do say so, myself". Someone else would say "And you DO say so, dont you." I would have to say that it was odd, but, even in the presense, of these creatures, I felt more comfortable than I do, around many humans. I do think, however, that it was a new experience, shaking a wolfs paw, as the pride thanked us for our help, with the problem. Question is: In the 21st century, HOW do I write a report, stating that Tami and I had aided a pride, of werewolves, in taking down an enemy, and restoring peace? Would even the Brown Agency believe that we had been contracted, to aid mythological werewolves? The return trip, to home base, was, blessedly, un-eventful, yet, when we reported in,at the firms offices, and Tami saw Mr. Brown coming forward, smiling, even as he said "Congratulations. A tough assignment, I will admit, but the media never got wind. A job very WELL done!" When Tami would say "Okay, sir, enough with the kind words, whats up, or next?" This is when Mr. Brown would put on a wonderfully theatrical pout, then say "Since you put it that way, perhaps you can give me your thoughts on this file." Just as his secretary handed us another, in what seemed the next in a never-ending series, of cases. Well, as they say, "Back to work"...