Jacob, Malia, Cogman, and Noah waited outside the hospital. When a deputy delivered the victims' clothing, Noah dismissed him immediately, not wanting to expose him to the supernatural world. Malia and Jacob leaned close to the clothes, their enhanced senses picking up the traces left behind.
"There's a strong, fishy smell on both sets of clothes." Jacob said, wrinkling his nose. "Do you catch it, Malia?"
Malia nodded. "Yes. And there's another strong scent on both, too. A woman's scent."
"I smelled it as well." Jacob confirmed. "So now we have the scent of the Lamprey in both its beast and human forms. Let's just hope we can still follow the trail, but I doubt it since it rained yesterday."
Noah looked puzzled. "Wait, do shapeshifters have two different scents?"
"Yes." Jacob explained. "When a shapeshifter shifts into their beast form, their scent becomes completely different from their human side."
"I see." Noah said. "Then let's go. You might still be able to catch the Lamprey's scent at the crime scene where we found the victim who died yesterday. He died at night, and it only rained yesterday morning."
Noah got into his cruiser and led the way. Cogman drove the Rolls-Royce, with Jacob and Malia inside, following close behind.
They arrived at an abandoned building. Inside, Jacob and Malia immediately picked up both the pungent fishy scent and the woman scent. They tracked it through the dilapidated halls, but once they exited the building, the trail vanished into the open air.
"I lost the scent." Malia said.
"Me too." Jacob said. "Maybe she has a car." He turned to his butler. "Cogman, see if you can find any security cameras in the area. Hopefully, we can find the person we're looking for."
"I was already scanning for cameras but haven't found any yet." Cogman replied. "Allow me to survey the neighborhood more thoroughly."
"Go ahead." Jacob said. "We'll wait for you by the cars."
Cogman departed on his search, while Jacob and the others returned to the vehicles.
They waited for about twenty minutes before Cogman returned. "I found one camera." He reported. "Three cars came through here last night, so I cannot determine which belongs to the Lamprey. Furthermore, the footage quality is too poor to read the license plates."
"Where's the camera?" Noah asked. "I'll take the footage to the station. Maybe we can enhance it."
"Believe me, Sheriff." Jacob said. "If Cogman can't clear the footage and read the plates, your computers back at the station won't be able to either. Let's go to the other location. Maybe we'll get lucky there."
They drove to the second crime scene: an underground parking garage in a new, still-vacant building.
This time, Cogman's search was more fruitful. He returned to the group waiting by the cars with news. "I was fortunate. I obtained footage from an apartment in the building opposite. A car, similar to one of the vehicles from the first crime scene, arrived here three nights ago and left shortly after. I was able to read the license plate and see the driver. It was a woman."
"Give me the plate number." Noah said immediately. "I'll run it."
"No need." Cogman stated. "I have already identified her, and hacked into her phone. She is staying at a motel on the outskirts of town. Her name is Petra Fisk, from Jacksonville, Florida. She moves around frequently, never staying in one place for more than a month."
"Well, that's good news, I guess." Jacob said, feeling relieved. "I was worried she lived here in Beacon Hills with a whole family of bloodsuckers, and their basement was filled with dead people like the Wendigos."
Noah's eyes went wide. "I didn't even think about that." He looked at Cogman urgently. "Are you sure she's alone?"
"Yes." Cogman confirmed. "And according to her phone's location, she is currently in her motel room."
"Then there's no time to waste." Noah said. "Let's go get her."
They got back into their cars and drove to the motel. Once they arrived. Noah went to the reception desk and instructed the clerk to stay put before rejoining the group. Then, they moved silently toward the Lamprey's room.
Standing outside the door, Jacob glanced at Noah and whispered. "Should we knock, or just kick it in?"
"Are you sure it's her?" Noah whispered back, his hand hovering near his holster.
"Definitely." Jacob confirmed. "The same fishy smell and the woman's scent from the victims' clothes is reeking from this room. And she's not alone in there."
"Alright." Noah said, steeling himself. "Kick the door open."
"Got it." Jacob nodded. "Malia, stay back. Sheriff, you stay next to her. I won't let that woman get past me, but just in case."
With that, Jacob delivered a powerful kick that shattered the lock and sent the door flying open. He entered first, followed closely by Cogman, then Malia and the Sheriff.
Inside, they found an unconscious man strapped to the bed with an IV drip containing a strange purple liquid hooked into his arm. Jacob frowned, looking at the man. 'I think I know that guy, but I can't remember from where.'
Just then, a naked woman in her thirties emerged from the bathroom, still dripping wet from a shower. She froze, her eyes sweeping over the intruders before locking onto Malia, the only one her senses identified as a supernatural creature.
Cogman spoke calmly. "It's her, sir. She is the Lamprey."
The woman's eyes widened in panic. 'Damn it! How did they find me? I was so careful, like always!' Her shock quickly melted into a predatory smirk. "Well, since you know what I am, there's no need to deny it. I will feast on your blood." Her gaze slid to Jacob, and she licked her lips. Her eyes glowed a milky white. "Especially you, handsome. I bet your blood is delicious."
Malia let out a low, warning growl. "Okay, can we kill the bitch already?"
The woman lunged at Jacob with startling speed. He didn't even move from his spot; he simply slapped her across the face with enough force to send her crashing back through the bathroom doorway, smashing part of the wall.
The woman was dazed but recovered quickly, scrambling to her feet. This time, she didn't bother with pretense. Her body began to twist and contort, shifting into her true, monstrous form. Her skin became grayish-yellow, her body hunched and muscular. Her mouth widening into a horrifying, circular maw lined with rows of inward-pointing, razor-sharp teeth, exactly like a lamprey's. Glowing, pupil-less white eyes fixed on them, and the room filled with an overpowering, rotten-fish stench.
Jacob recoiled. "Ugh, disgusting. You weren't beautiful to begin with, but this... this is a face not even a mother could love. Cogman, beat this stinky, ugly bitch back into her human form."
"With pleasure, sir." Cogman replied, a dark glee in his eyes. He advanced on the creature.
The Lamprey attacked, swiping with a clawed hand. Cogman caught her arm and twisted it behind her back, and snapped the bone. The creature screamed—a sound that made Cogman smile in delight. He shoved her to the floor, then aimed a finger and fired several thin laser beams, piercing her torso.
The Lamprey shrieked again, then fell still. But then, a thick, mucus-like liquid began to seep from her wounds, and the injuries started to knit themselves closed; her broken arm began to mend with a sickening crackle.
"Damn it!" Jacob snapped, pushing Cogman aside. "You're just making it worse!" He raised his hand, and a crackling bolt of electricity shot out, engulfing the twitching monster. The Lamprey convulsed violently, her form shrinking and shifting until she lay on the floor as a naked, unconscious woman, smoke curling from her lips.
Jacob glared at Cogman, who looked like he wanted to protest the interruption. "I told you to make her shift back because she stinks! But you made her bleed that stinky mucus, which smells even worse!"
"I didn't know her wounds would secrete that liquid." Cogman said defensively. He then brightened. "Anyway, can I take her to the woods and have some fun with her?"
Noah stared in horror. "What?! I can't let you rape a woman, even if she is an evil creature!"
Cogman and Jacob exchanged a look, then burst into laughter.
After their laughter subsided, Jacob looked at the confused Sheriff. "Don't worry, Sheriff. Cogman doesn't want to rape her. He's just a psycho who enjoys killing. But he only kills bad people."
Noah looked from Cogman to the unconscious woman, his expression conflicted. "Even so, I can't let you just kill her."
"Then what do you want to do with her?" Jacob asked. "You can't put her in jail. You know that, right?"
Malia raised her hand. "I say we kill her."
Cogman promptly raised his hand too. "I second that."
Jacob also raised his hand. "Me three."
Noah sighed heavily, the weight of his duty warring with the grim reality. "Is there really no other choice?"
"I don't think there is." Jacob said.
"Fine." Noah said, his voice heavy with resignation. "Then kill her here. I need her body to close the case. Hopefully, her digestive system still has traces of the victims' blood."
Cogman nodded eagerly. "Alright then. I'll rip her head off."
"Don't!" Noah said quickly. "How am I supposed to explain that?"
Cogman fixed him with a flat stare. "You know, you're starting to piss me off."
Jacob reached into his pocket dimension and pulled out a handgun he'd taken from one of the hunters he'd fought before. He handed it to Cogman. "Here. Wipe it down, put it in her hand, and fire a few shots into the wall behind the Sheriff."
Cogman took the gun, meticulously wiped it free of any prints, and placed it in the unconscious woman's limp hand. He pointed it at the wall behind Noah and fired three rounds, leaving clear bullet holes. Then he let the gun drop from her hand.
Jacob looked at Noah. "Now, you shoot her in the head. If you can't, give your gun to Cogman. He'll gladly do it."
"No." Noah said firmly, his jaw set. "I'll do it." He drew his service weapon, took a steadying breath, aimed, and fired a single, decisive shot into the Lamprey's head.
After Noah killed the Lamprey, Jacob walked to the bed, unhooked the IV from the man, and untied him.
Noah looked at the unconscious figure with concern. "Is he okay?"
"He'll be fine." Jacob said. "He's a werewolf. The purple liquid in the IV is diluted wolfsbane. He should wake up soon."
As if on cue, the man groaned, his eyes fluttering open. He looked around in confusion at Jacob and the others, then his gaze landed on the dead woman. Panic surged through him; his eyes glowed yellow. "What's happening here? What do you guys want from me?!"
"Calm down." Jacob said. "We just saved your stupid ass. That woman was a Lamprey. She was probably going to use you as a blood bag for a few days before killing you."
Noah stepped forward, his authoritative demeanor in place. "What's your name? How did you end up here?"
The man frowned, trying to piece his memory together. "My name is Demarco Montana. I delivered a pizza to this woman at 1 p.m. today... well, probably today, unless she kept me unconscious here for longer."
As Demarco and Noah talked, they confirmed he had delivered the pizza just that afternoon.
'Demarco!' Jacob thought, recognition clicking. 'I remember now, he is from Satomi's pack. He died because of the Deadpool.' Aloud, he said. "Anyway, Sheriff, we've done our part. It's time for us to leave."
"Alright." Noah agreed, though he still looked troubled. "I'll take it from here. Thank you." He then turned to Malia. "You and Cogman should come to my office tomorrow so I can start the paperwork for your situation."
Jacob gave Demarco a pointed look. "Help the Sheriff with his report, and don't mention we were here or talk about the supernatural to the other deputies. Just say you were kidnapped, and the Sheriff rescued you."
Demarco nodded in understanding.
With that, Jacob, Cogman, and Malia left. Cogman drove them to a quiet, empty road on the outskirts of town before Jacob told him to stop.
"Cogman, stop here. Malia and I aren't going straight back home."
Cogman pulled over, and Jacob got out. He retrieved his new Ducati Hypermotard 1100 EVO SP from his pocket dimension. He swung a leg over the bike and settled into the seat. "Malia, get on."
Malia climbed on behind him, wrapping her arms around his waist. Jacob handed her a helmet and put one on himself. With a powerful roar, the engine came to life, and they sped off.
Jacob spent the next hour riding around town, enjoying the feel of the new bike, with Malia holding tight behind him. Eventually, he pulled into the parking lot of a nice restaurant.
As they got off the bike, Malia took off her helmet, her eyes bright with excitement. "You have to teach me how to ride one of these."
Jacob smiled, taking his own helmet off. "Sure."
"And you have to buy me a bike. And a car, too." Malia added, giving him a hopeful look.
Jacob chuckled, taking her hand as they walked toward the restaurant entrance. "First, you need a driver's license. Then I'll buy you the car and bike you want."
Malia grinned. "I'll get it next week."
"That's not how it works." Jacob said with an amused shake of his head. "You need to study for the written test, pass the driving test, and gather all the necessary documents. It'll take a few months, at least."
Malia's face fell into a pout. "That sounds troublesome and takes too long. Can't Cogman do something about it?"
"He could." Jacob admitted. "But I won't let him help you get your license that way. You need to learn traffic signs, signals, rules of the road, and the laws. You need to know how to drive properly, or you'll cause an accident and hurt innocent people."
"Fine." Malia grumbled, though she knew he was right.
After enjoying a meal at the restaurant, they took a short stroll through town before getting back on the bike. Jacob drove them to the school, arriving just as the final bell had rung and students were streaming out.
They found Allison, Lydia, and Erica waiting by the curb, presumably for Cogman to pick them up for their shopping trip. Allison's eyes immediately went to the sleek, new motorcycle.
"Nice bike." She said, walking over and running a hand along the fuel tank. "Is it mine?"
"Nope." Jacob said, patting the seat affectionately. "She's mine. Her name is Scarlet."
Allison pouted dramatically. "I see. You don't love me anymore."
"Didn't I offer to buy you one, and you said no?" Jacob reminded her, raising an eyebrow. "And didn't I give you the money to buy one, and you still didn't?"
Allison smiled sweetly, batting her eyelashes. "But I want yours. It makes me feel close to you."
Jacob snorted. "Yeah, right." His expression softened into a smile. "Anyway, you can ride my bikes anytime you want. Just don't break them. We both know what kind of driver you are."
Allison glared at him, her hands on her hips. "Hey! That stupid dog came out of nowhere! It was not my fault!"
"If you say so." Jacob replied, his tone playful. He took the helmet from Malia as she got down from the bike; then he looked around. "Where are Scott and Stiles?"
Lydia answered. "They have a lacrosse game."
"I see." Jacob said.
"Aren't you coming shopping with us?" Lydia asked.
"Nope." Jacob said, already putting his helmet back on. "See you girls at home." Before Lydia could say anything else, he started the bike and rode away.
Lydia stomped her foot in frustration. "Damn it! He ran away again!"
Just then, the Rolls-Royce pulled up smoothly to the curb. Cogman stepped out and opened the rear door.
Allison took Erica's hand with a smile. "Forget about that idiot. Let's go shopping, and maybe we can catch a movie together afterward."
With that, the four girls got into the luxurious car, and Cogman drove them off toward a shopping mall.
To be continued... 😊