Bitesize 1.5

Bitesize 1.5

As darkness slowly crept over the fields like a nighttime blanket Ed flicked on the thermal goggles and took a good look at his surroundings. Here and there small red blobs indicated animals wandering around, completely oblivious as to what was to come. Not so much lambs to the slaughter as slaughter to the lambs. His perch on the pylon was uncomfortable and twice he had to shuffle around to wake up his sleeping legs. The minutes felt like hours and he had to force himself not to look at his watch for fear of making it drag even more.
And so Ed waited...
And waited...
It was a little after half twelve when Ed finally spotted something. A red dot on the horizon rapidly growing bigger and bigger. It was here, its image growing larger by the second. Shit it was fast! He watched it streak across the field then suddenly change tack. It was coming his way! A sudden shot of adrenaline blasted through his system as he realised it had smelt him. All essence of surprise had gone and Ed flicked the goggles to nightvision. He half climbed, half fell from the pylon and as he hit the floor he saw it coming, charging toward him at a tremendous pace. It was like seeing a truck bearing down on you and realising there was no stopping it. He raised the gun and took two shots, missing with them both and barely had time to dive to his right as it barrelled past. He hit the floor and rolled, regaining his footing and looked up, right into the face of the werewolf. He hadn't been prepared for this, hadn't realised it would move so quick. Its right arm was raised, its claws shredding the air as they swung for his guts. They dug deep into the Kevlar vest, tearing four parallel gashes across it and sending Ed reeling backwards. His foot caught a clump of earth and he fell backwards heavily. His head thudded against the ground and for a second the goggles flared white from the impact and in that second, Ed's whole life flashed before his eyes.

His first day at school, stood alone in the playground watching his mum retreating with an endless wave. Falling off his first bike. Having his dad explain to him how his mum had been killed in a car crash when he was ten. Finally coming to terms with it when he was thirteen. Learning to play the drums. His brief stint in thrash metal band Poleaxe while at university. The night of the stabbing.

The green glow of the NV goggles returned and the wolf was right in his face. Saliva dripped from its jaws as it eyed Ed hungrily. Its right arm came up again and Ed bent his right knee, bringing his foot up and kicking the wolf in the gut. He kicked again, harder and budged it enough that the claws swung past his face, missing by an inch. He brought up the gun and fired twice more, one in the throat, one in the chest and gave it one more kick, shoving with his free arm. The wolf toppled and one final kick sent it flying to his left. Hastily he got back onto his feet and shakily fired one more shot into the creature's torso. The tranq was fast acting and the wolf twitched slightly, its tongue lolling from its mouth. Then its eyes glazed over and it passed out. Ed stood by, breathing heavily as the adrenaline deserted him, leaving the aftermath of fear playing havoc with his nerves. Keeping the gun trained on the comatose werewolf he fished his phone from his jacket pocket and dialled Ellen.
"Ellen, it's Ed. I need a 43 on site."
He hung straight up. A 43 was an immediate evacuation. He wouldn't have to wait long. His legs finally gave way and he sank to his knees, still not taking his aim from the wolf. He regained control of his breathing and took deep breaths, trying to calm himself down.
He had to wait nearly thirty minutes, which was the time it took the chopper to travel from Cross Fell in the Pennines to where he was but eventually he heard the sound of its rotors cutting through the air. He hadn't thought to bring a flare but the chopper flashed a searchlight as it approached and soon picked him up. He switched off the goggles and took them off. The chopper landed a short distance away to avoid the electricity cables from the pylon and Ed saw a familiar form jogging his way across the field. Katia. He'd bumped into her a few times, at the bureau and while working. She was as tall as he and twice as athletic, dark haired and beautiful. Russian he thought, or Ukrainian or something. He'd never asked but the accent hinted at it. She slowed her pace as she approached, not even slightly out of breath.
"Ed." she smiled, "What you got there? Cute doggie."
"Don't even start." groaned Ed. "Bloody thing almost tore me in half."
She looked at his stomach in the light from the chopper and the shredded remains of the vest. She whistled appreciatively.
"Lucky boy."
"Yeah well don't rub it in. It was my first one."
She looked over at the werewolf.
"How many tranqs did you put in it?"
"Three. How long do they last?"
"An hour maybe, less on a T-alpha I guess."
Ed shot it again.
"That should cover it. Grab a foot."
Between them they hauled the creature over to the waiting chopper and bundled it inside. Ed handed Katia the gun.
"Just in case." he said. She nodded and slid the side door shut and Ed stood back as the chopper took off and tilted back the way it came. What a night. Now he just had the ride home and then a lengthy relaxation session with a bottle of rum and some damn loud music. The wolf was no longer his concern. Katia would take it back to the Bureau where it faced two outcomes. From what he knew the mentally stronger victims could be taught to control their transformation and recruited to the cause. Otherwise... well he didn't know the science behind it, didn't care either. Katia had once likened it to cancer treatment, radiotherapy or somesuch, bombarding the abnormal cells with radiation to reverse the change. Too bad he took musical theory and psychology at university. He shook his head and dusted himself down then stuck the nightvision goggles back on and made his way back to the car.