had a nasty Southern drawl. “Ah’d suggest you drop that gun, cop, unless you want to see this kid dead.”
Oh no, God. A big man with a beard and mean, small eyes held Jazz around the throat and cocked a large semiautomatic at his head.
Seth froze. He glanced around. He had to be looking for some kind of plan. But that gun was too close to Jazz’s head.
Lindsey glanced back at the boy, whose eyes were huge, but his jaw was set. It would be just like Jazz to try something heroic. “Don’t move, Jazz. Do whatever the man says, okay?”
A muscle in Jazz’s jaw jumped and his eyes narrowed. His wolf could rise too! No. Too shocking to even consider, and it wasn’t full moon.
Crap. Lindsey’s heart hammered against his ribs; his breath came hot and fast. His skin heated. Bad, very bad.
Westerberg laughed. Still holding his bleeding arm, he walked over toward the gun he’d dropped earlier. “Bruce, get the cop’s gun.”
Bruce shook his head slowly like some dumb cow. Cow! Eat. Attack. Evil. Kill.
“I said get the fucking gun, you loser fag!” He leaned down to pick up his gun. Three bad guys with guns was three too many! Evil. Kill. Kill!
Red closed over Lindsey’s vision. Pain like acid shot through every cell.
From a long way off, he heard a scream. “What the hell?”
“Oh my God!”
Clothing flew through his line of sight as he leaped through the air, snarling, landed on the gray-haired human, and ripped the side of his throat. Blood. Good.
Beautiful human Seth, hit man with gun. Gun explode. Bad man fall. Boy good. Boy pack. Humans staring. Staring. Screaming. The wolf stalked toward the still-living humans, growling and snarling.
Cow Man screamed, “Shit! Shit! This is motherfuckin’ crazy.”
Beautiful human. Love. Boy pack. Love. Scared. Sad.
Protect pack. Run. Run. Run. “Ahhhhooooooooo.”
The golden wolf leaped across the room and ran out the door.
Seth sat on the metal stair and gazed at the floor. The floor in a world that made no sense. Jazz snuggled close beside him, closing ranks. Partridge stood in front of them looking damned official in his Feeb suit.
“Tell me again where this so-called wolf came from?”
Seth pointed behind him. “From upstairs.”
Partridge stared up. “We’ve looked all over up there. No sign of a wolf den. Hell, why would a wolf be this far into the city?”
Seth shook his head. “No idea, but I’m glad he was. He scared the shit out of the guy holding Jazz, so I got his gun.”
Partridge frowned. “You saw this wolf too, Jasper?”
“Yes, sir. Exactly like Seth said. Seth had caught the kidnappers until this dude caught me. When that wolf showed up, the dude got real scared, and Seth fought him for his gun, but it went off.”
“And the wolf attacked Hanson Westerberg.”
Seth sighed. “Yes, he leaped at him and bit his neck. Before you ask, I have no idea why.”
“We found some drops of blood in a trail near the door.”
Jazz nodded. “That’s where the wolf ran out.”
“The son said some pretty crazy shit when we came in.”
Okay, Zakowsky, make it good. Fall apart later. “Bruce is crazy and has been going crazier by the day, is my guess. His father forced him into the kidnappings. The guy desperately wanted his father’s approval, so he went along and got in too deep. When he had to participate in the kidnapping of his friend, he fell apart.”
“Yes, where is Vanessen?”
“At home, I assume. I picked up Jazz to go get some food when I overheard a call between Lindsey and Bruce. Westerberg said something about this location, and I got suspicious and decided to check it out. I never dreamed I was dragging Jazz into this kind of trouble.”
Partridge raised an eyebrow. “I assume you agree with every word, Jazz.”
“Yes, sir.”
Seth breathed deeply. If he just didn’t think for the next fifty years, maybe he could get on with his life. “Are we done? The kid’s tired. I want to take him home.”
“Yeah, for now.”
“Shit, man, you caught your damned kidnappers. Be happy.” He stood up and pulled Jazz to his feet. The boy stumbled and looked woozy for a second, and Seth pulled him in close. “You okay?”
“Yeah.”
Partridge touched Jazz’s arm. “Are you all right?”
“Sure. I just have blood sugar problems.”
“Okay, get him home. And congratulations on catching these assholes, Zakowsky. I just wish we had a cleaner story than a mystery wolf.”
“Yeah, well, sometimes life is fucking mysterious.”
He wrapped an arm around Jazz’s shoulders, and