FSE

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formerly SoFurry search engine

A/N - Sorry for the delay. Moving murdered me. Enjoy. Also - This story may be disturbing for some viewers.

All characters & locations fictional.

Chapter 5 - The More They Stay The Same

"I didn't have anything against them, and they never did anything wrong to me, the way other people have all my life. Maybe they're just the ones who have to pay for it." - Perry Smith

Miami, FL

August 8, 2012

"Ahh. Nothing like gas station coffee."

"You're a masochist, you know that, Gage."

"Hey caffeine is still caffeine. Better than those energy drinks you love," I chuckle as I make air quotes around 'energy drink'.

"Hey! I like them," he retorted, a smile on his face as he took a swig of the Monster in his hand. "Plus they-"

A sharp warble filled the cab of the truck, jolting both of us from our banter before the curt voice of the dispatcher came over the radio as I took a hard slug of my coffee, knowing that we were next up.

"Medic two. Medic two. Respond to 714 Mulhaney Way. Meet police on scene. Request code 3. Cross streets are Medlin and Baker."

Swallowing the last swig of my coffee, I dropped the cup to the floor as TJ shifted the truck into drive, a look of confusion playing across both our faces. As we pulled into the early morning traffic, the big V10 ahead of us growling as we accelerated.

"Medic two responding to Mulhaney." I unkeyed the mike for a second before I keying it back up. "Dispatch, any further information."

"Stand by."

Crap, that can't be good if we're getting sent hot while they are still getting info.

"Medic two, six year old male. Assault. PD's asking you to step it up."

"Medic two. Received."

"Dammit. I hate peds."

My mind started running through the long list of tools and what-ifs. Thoughts of fractures and collapsed lungs flew through my mind as fast as our screaming truck weaved through the predawn traffic, red lights flickering off the apartments and then houses that lined the streets.

As we turned the corner, though, the sight before me gave me a slight shock.

"Oh shit."

"I didn't think we had that many cruisers on tonight."

The entire neighborhood was painted in red and blue lights, our own reds adding to the palette of colors painting the nearby houses as a small crowd gathered outside to watch. An otherwise normal morning had been turned upside down, the growls of a dozen idling cruisers and our truck filled the air as we pulled off the road and backed into the driveway as I shut down the lights and reached for my portable.

"Medic two. We'll be out."

As TJ opened his door, I had already alighted from the truck and was actually pulling myself into the back, tossing the jump bag over my shoulder.

"You're gonna need the board. He's gotta go." A voice from behind me caught my attention as a plainclothes stuck his head inside the door. A strange feeling pulsed through my head as I looked back, almost a sense of déjà vu running through my body as I looked back half-heartedly. "Pretty major upper body trauma, significant bloodloss."

'Crap.' "TJ, just pull a full spinal package."

As I stepped out of the truck, I looked around quickly, wondering where that plainclothes had gone to, but seeing no one nearby I started toward the front door, my boots crunching over the pea gravel along the path as I heard the back doors of the truck slam and TJ quickly catch up with me.

"Sounds like a scoop and screw." I said as I walked up to the doors. "Watch your step." What a way for TJ to start his second day on a 911 truck.

Opening the doors, the strong, coppery smell of blood filled the air, thick red rivers staining the wall, pooling into large lakes on the floor. Two bodies lay on the ground, the missing arms and caved in faces showing that there was no chance of them coming back as I turned my head at the carnage. I'd seen wrecks, shootings, beatings and explosions...but nothing like this.

Moving swiftly past the two victims, I headed toward the bedroom at the back of the house, filing past the dead pets and around the large splotches of blood on the floor. I already knew that I'd be getting my boots taken after this call, but it would be nice to be a little careful for the cops. A cluster of dark suited cops were in a room by the end of the hall, their voices melding into nothing more discernible than unidentifiable chatter. Each step brought me closer and closer until we finally hit the door and I saw a scene that should never have happened.

The sight of that small kid, his pale skin covered in blood, oozing from wounds to his head, neck, arms, chest and...honestly, everywhere else I could see.

Fuck.

"Whadda we got?" I asked quickly, seeing the cops clustered around him holding stabilization, protecting his neck. One of the two was running his hands down the poor kid's arms, large red splotches becoming more and more pronounced as my eyes slipped down his arm, following the cop's hands.

"Home invasion. Two dead, this kid's pretty beat up. Don't feel anything broken, but that's your department. Dunno much more. He was babbling something earlier, but we couldn't understand it. Sounded like 'monster man' but he made no sense with it..." The cop shrugged as I headed toward the kid, starting my own evaluation.

As I was going down the kid's chest, I hear TJ klonking inside before I look up to catch him entering the room with the board and bag. "Grab me a bag mask and set up the board on the bed. We gotta get moving." I hand the bag to the cop, as he starts breathing for the kid as I finish my evaluation. "Let's go."

My thoughts fly through my head as we carry the kid outside, the cool morning air causing the kid to stir just a bit as we slide him onto the stretcher and into the truck, one of those cops hopping into the back with me for the ride, thankfully taking the seat at the boy's head and breathing for him.. "Let's go, TJ." I call as I start pulling kit, looking for a vein as I quickly cut off what remained of the poor kid's clothing. Angry red bruises are becoming more and more visible among the haphazard, bloody furrows adorning the kid's chest.

"TJ! Call Matt's. Trauma alert. Six year old male." I sink a fourteen gauge catheter into his arm, the poor kid not even twitching. My mind is racing... I can't even get a pulse as my fingers grip that tiny wrist, the only sign of life the rapid, short motions of the kid's chest and an ever so faint throb of life when I checked the boy's femoral pulse. "Unresponsive. Pressure's in the tank...less than 90. I'll update when we're five out."

As I hear TJ preparing the ED, I continue my routine, emotions just barely staying away from my consciousness, my body acting mechanically, finding the problems and fixing them.

Drop the tube...start a second line...monitor...patch...

In what feels like minutes we have stopped, TJ slipping the truck into the spot nearest the ED door as I hang the bags and monitor before we head out the door and into the ED. The staff leads us into the trauma bay, a phalanx of green scrubbed doctors and nurses standing in room one as we wheel the kid in and transfer him to their bed.

"Six year old male. Assault...looks almost like a mauling. Looks like he lost a lot of blood, lots of bruising on his abdomen and bilat rib fractures. Last pressure was 80, dropped 1800 into him already, bilateral 14's. Tachy at 140+ and we've been breathing for him. Unresponsive the whole time. Pupils equal but sluggish. Definitely some internal bleeding...pressure hasn't stabilized over the past fifteen and I can't find anywhere bleeding enough to do that out here."

A couple curt questions and commands later, the kid was on his way into the CT scanner, his life quite possibly hanging onto just what the hell had hit him...and just how lucky he was.

I catch the cop as I step out of the room back to the truck where he is grabbing the kid's clothing and some of the other detritus that was strewn about the disaster area that was the back of the truck.

"Jim...what the hell happened there?" I ask the cop, his own poorly masked confusion and demeanor playing across his face

My mind was still in shock. It...it...whatever killed that family had to be some kind of demon...It wasn't a man, even if it had our skin.

"I have no idea, Gage...I hope I never see it myself..."

"Medic 2. Medic 2." I sighed as I reach toward my shoulder to answer my squawking portable, my reaching hand knocking the radio head from my shoulder, the black box swinging and slappin against the side of my leg.

"Dammit" I complained as my hand reached for the swinging piece of plastic as it swung below me. "Go for Medic Two."

"Medic Two, PD is requesting you to Central. Advise us when you're in service."

"Received. Show us enroute to Central PD and will advise upon clearing."

As we mounted back up, I looked over at TJ, his eyes still...distant and confused. "I'll drive, kid." I saw him nod numbly as he went for the passenger door, his eyes glazing past the crimson slash of blood on the side door handle where someone had swiped by in the confusion and chaos of the scene. "TJ. You did good. You ok?"

"I...I...I..." His stuttering response was enough of an answer as I pulled the truck back onto the road, idle clatter rattling around in the back from the detritus still lying on the floor, waiting to be cleaned. It wasn't uncommon for these new kids to get some shock. Hell, I was still processing it.

"Shit happens, kid. People don't call 911 because they did something smart or won life's lotto. We get the joy of seeing them on some of the worst days in their lives. I won't lie and say that this won't happen again, but...thank God, it's rare for it to be this bad. We did everything we could, and the docs will do the same. You gotta be able to step back and just work."

"I know that, boss," Came the hesitant reply. "It's more that I...I...It was just so pointless. I mean...all that slaughter..."

"Kid, that...you can never get used to. There is evil in the world, and it walks among us. In this work, you'll see some fucked up shit...kid overdosed, dead before he can drink...carefree guy out having fun, cut to pieces by an inattentive driver...murder just to see what it feels like...just because. I don't know what happened in there...and I don't know that I want to. Hopefully PD will figure this out...that neighborhood...that response...all of it...it's gonna be on the top of the list."

I heard TJ just grunt noncommittally, hoping that he didn't realize that I was saying this to reassure myself as much as to reassure him as the sound of silence filled the truck.

Meanwhile, back on-scene...

"What a way to start with the bureau."

My first day and already being thrown to the wolves, I idly mused as I pulled the impala into the house's driveway, an impressive milleu of bystanders filling the lawns of the nearby houses. Thankfully the PD was keeping the newsies far away...I didn't want a repeat of that damned zombie incident.

As I walked up to the scene, the outside of the house almost looked normal, barring the kaleidoscopic lights of the cruisers playing off the sides of the newer ranch house. Nothing looked broken, nothing looked forced as I walked inside, the doorjamb still looking pretty pristine.

"Detective Morse?" I swung to my left, eyes catching a stocky lieutenant moving toward me, gloved up and with a well worn and well-filled notepad in his hands.

"Agent Morse now, Will." I fingered the brass shield hanging off my pocket. "Bureau poached me."

"Damn...kinda strange. Figured they'd need more time for you."

'Heh...you have no idea' I thought. "Eh, I caught someone's eye. Speaking of strange, what happened here?"

I was almost startled as my former colleague simply shrugged his shoulders, confusion evident in his eyes.

"We have no clue. Two fatals, one out at the hospital...bad. Nothing appears to be taken. Got a call from a jogger that saw one of the dogs on the street. Says he brought it home and saw blood on the windows. Door was unlocked." He stopped, turning back to me.

"Ya know, let me just show you...I really can't explain it."

"So...why are you here. I wouldn't expect this to be a bureau case."

"I was attached to the Special Crime Task Force," I quickly lied. "We work with some of the stranger and more aggressive cases. This case got flagged because of one of the ones we're working out of Boston seems very similar. We've caught it in a couple other places, too. It's some kind of drug induced...madness. Your chief caught the report and called us."

"Well, Agent, let's get going. Oh, and you'll need these." I raised an eyebrow at the pair of booties, gloves and facemask held out to me. "Lot of evidence. Evidence manglers already passed through, so let's not get any worse."

Once I was all decked out in Kimberly-Clark's finest, I slipped under the crime tape, turning the corner into the kitchen from the entry hall.

"Looks like a fucking horror house." As I stepped through the door, the stench of blood filling the air should have been a sign. Blood and small pieces of other bits lay splattered across the wall, marring the soft yellow wall paint with its crimson stain.

"Looks like the parents came out and tried to get to the kid's room...Never made it." I saw what Witters meant as I walked to the two demolished bodies. The heads had been nearly removed from the body, their chests caved in and organs removed...almost...

"It looks like they were...were they fucking eaten?" My mind was already running, wondering. I had heard the rumors from up north...they sounded similar. Were we dealing with a werewolf?

"Dunno. At the very least someone helped themselves to the organs...Dunno about the fava beans, though...and certainly no Chianti...These folks were teetotalers. Sorry, black humor. Figure that's what grabbed your attention."

He was right, but not in any way that he would expect...the chief was afraid of more zombies...this was something else.

"What else do we have?" I knew we had photos, but I needed to get help. I was in over my head here and needed more information. Something was screwed up. It felt off for some reason, but it did all fit.

"Follow me. We'll send you the photos and videos." Witters shook his head sadly. "We've got the medics on their way back to the central station to have a chat. Was yours like this?"

"Yeah. Had a guy hopped up on something...something new" I lied. "Went nuts in a sorority house. Thankfully only three pledges were there. I walked up on him as he was feasting on one of the girl's guts. He came at me, and I had to shoot. It's what got the bureau's attention."

"Damn. What a run of luck. Pathetic, really." Witters remarked as we came to the kid's room. "The kid was lucky. Should have died but lasted till we got here. We think the neighbor's knock disrupted the guy."

With one look at the blood pooled on the bed, some of it already dark and clotting, I had to question that. Something was nagging at the back of my mind, but I just could not place it. The room was filled with the look and feel of death but the kid had escaped. No forced entry, no damage, no nothing.

"Not so sure." I took a shot of the bed with my phone, firing it off quickly to the training agent I had been assigned...this Agent Hart that had been supposed to be here. Apparently he had been on leave and couldn't get down here...the fact that I had been diverted to this scene as opposed to traveling to Boston hadn't helped, I assumed. "This looks a bit older. Make sure there are some good photos of all this. Something's off."

"Alright. I'll remind them downstairs. Just one more thing, not sure what to make of it."

Turning my back on the room, a strange feeling continued to flit through my mind as I left...almost a sense of evil or malice. Shaking it off, I stepped through the door, the transition out of the room almost palpable as I followed Witters downstairs, past a trio of bunny-suited technicians with whom he had a few short words...mostly passing my instructions on, albeit with a bit of guff alongside.

Witters led me outside, and passing beside the fence into a small area of brush nearby, we found the remains of the dog.

"Family had two dogs. This one stayed inside most of the time according to the neighbors. Neighbors denied that it was ever out overnight. Nowhere near the carnage as inside...hell, we can't even find a wound. Wondering about poison but that just makes no sense. Gonna be autopsied."

"Necropsied. But alright. Keep us in the loop. I've gotta make a phone call, so why don't I follow you back to chat with those medics. You got a conference room with a phone. I wanna have someone else have a listen."

"Yeah, although it's out of our standard practice."

"He's bureau. Technically he's my TO, but right now it's more that he has been with SCTF longer than I have. He should be able to call in from the New London Sheriff's office in New Hampshire."

"Fine. Right now I'll take what I can get. Something sounds off and strange, but I just can't place it. Assume you remember where central is."

"In my sleep. Be there in ten."

Meanwhile in New London...

"Hart," I answered curtly as I held my sleeping son in my arm, waiting for Amy as she absurdly had refused not to stop at the department to pick up work that had piled up over the last week. I had asked her to take a little more time off and she had finally assented...although I shuddered to think what it would cost me in the future. But of course she insisted on taking work home with her.

"Agent Hart, this is Sam Morse...The new guy."

"Oh! Agent Morse. You already finished at the house?"

"They are still processing. Something is very off...I think you may want to look at the scene photos. Lots of carnage...Maybe one of ours."

"Dammit. More druggies?" I hated the codeplay that came with some of these conversations. Not only were they idiotic, but I was starting to take offense to being referred to as a butcher.

"No. This was dismemberment, not decap. Thinking a butcher having his fun."

Dammit. Not again.

"Send me the photos. I'll see if I agree."

"Sir, there's a survivor. I'm gonna have a quick interview with the medics that brought him in. Hopefully they got something. Can you get to the Sheriff department in ten minutes?"

I chuckled as I looked around the room. "Yeah, I think I can. Gimme a moment." I covered the mouthpiece of the phone as I waved it at Amy. "Amy, Gonna be a bit. Mind if I steal your office?" I smiled weakly as she came out of her office toward me, file folders filling her hands. "Sorry, work won't leave me alone." I had to chuckle at her 'you gotta be shitting me' look.

"Looks like it's not just me, then." She chuckled as she walked back to me, punctuating her return with a small peck on the cheek. "Just this once...again"

"Should be fine, kid." I rattled off Amy's desk phone number. "Ten minutes." I sighed as I hung up the phone. "Sorry, hun. I'd hoped this would be simple...apparently it's not."

I could see in my mate's eyes that she was going to have words with me later, but for now she accepted the issues that came with the job."Let me put this stuff out in the truck. You're just consulting now, right?" I winced as a small growl sat under her voice, not overt, but still there and ready for me.

That was never good.

"Supposed to be...asked for another five days to make sure you two are all right...Bit of a kerfluffle down in Florida. New kid wants another pair of eyes."

I had to smirk at Amy's quirked head as I answered. 'Lycans' I thought with a smirk...not realizing that I did the same thing when I got confused from time to time. "Come on" I snarked, guiding her out to my truck, strapping Thomas into his carseat where he chomped on one of his little chewtoys...yet another pain I was learning about...teething. Apparently came early for Lycans.

"You're in luck, you overworked bastard. I'll take the truck home. I need to get my jeep back home anyway. Just meet me at home."

A quick kiss and exchange of keys later, I shut the door in Amy's office, thankful that I didn't need the hypersensitive security regulations that I normally would have had to use for a loaner phone. When the whole department was aware of the existence of mythos it was a refreshing change. Waiting for the phone to ring, I managed to grab it on the first ring.

"Hart."

"Ok, Agent Hart." Came Morse's voice."Let me put you on speaker." A couple of clicks and beeps later, I heard the murmur of speech and breathing. "Okay. This is Agent Samuel Morse of the FBI, I also have with me Agent Michael Hart, also FBI, Lieutenant Witters, Miami Police, and Gage Johnson and TJ McCabe of American Medical out of Miami. So, you wanna walk me through what happened today?"

Damn, the kid was following the book.

"Got sent to meet police, got there and saw the house pretty much covered in blood. Stayed out of it as much as possible, maybe hit some puddles in the bedroom. Kid was pretty bad. Heavy shock. The kid was unresponsive when we got there. We ran through our trauma protocols, pushing fluids and shock therapy. No other meds but I did draw some blood. Hospital probably still has it."

"The kid didn't say anything the whole way to the hospital?" I heard some rustling paper as, I assumed, some paperwork was pulled out. "Your dispatcher said it took you twenty minutes."

"Not a thing. Kid was out the whole way. Spent the whole run trying to keep him in the land of the living." I heard that voice again, probably the medic that worked the kid. "Wait! When we got there we had a couple cops on the scene. They told us that the kid had called his attacker a monster man."

"You had cops already there?"

"Yeah. We were called to meet them." The exasperation in the medic's voice was almost palpable." Kinda standard procedure for assaults 'round here."

I chuckled before I added my own questions in. "This is Hart. So the kid reportedly said he was attacked by a monster man?"

"That's what the cops said. Can't add much else. Apparently we got here late...Hell, even the plainclothes somehow beat us here."

"Wait, what?" Another voice cut through the air. "We didn't get any plainclothes there until after you all left."

"No. Detective McMillian caught us before we got out. Told us to pull the board."

"That's not possible. McMillian's out for the next two weeks. His grandmother just died and they needed to get everything in order. He's over in England. I actually just got a photo from him of some of the trivets and trinkets he's gonna be bringing home."

Oh shit...I had heard about this before. This couldn't be good.

"Anything strange...feelings, actions, anything?"

"Can't really describe it," came that same voice again. ""Maybe a feeling of déjà vu is the best way....Wait, what's going on...I've done dozen of fatals...this is the first time I've had this."

'Great. Just great.' I thought as my mind tried to make up a cover story. "We're-"

"We're just trying to get all the information. Looks like someone may have done some impersonation."

'Nice job, kid. Beat me to it.' At least the kid could think on his feet. "And the kid said nothing on the way to the hospital."

"Not a word. He was trying very hard to die so I was spending all my time fighting that. Check with the docs."

"Alright," Came the kid's voice. "You should be able to get your boots back outside. Thanks for your time."

"Not a problem. Good luck."

Hearing the door shut, I figured I could take a few moments to make sure I had everything I needed. "Morse, Do you have more photos for me?"

"Yeah. Plenty more. I'll forward them up to you. Mind chatting tonight after you've taken a look? I already told you my thoughts but I'm not too sure about them."

"Yeah. Send them to me. I have my thoughts...and I don't like them. I'll call you tonight." I hung up, my mind still nervous as I realized that we could be dealing with quite a few things, none of which were good.

My mind continued racing as I headed home. That kid was left alive, not lucky. Nothing I could suspect as out culprit would have left a meal like that, even if someone came and interrupted it.

No. This was planned this way.

That's what scared me.

Pulling into the driveway, I sighed. I hated it but I may have lied to Amy today...I may get dragged into this now. "Never a good turn..."

I had to make the best of it, good barbecue, a good whiskey with dinner for the two of us, especially since this was Amy's first alcohol in months. As we lay Thomas down, I couldn't help but smile sadly as I remembered that I would have a lot of choices to make. As the kid curled himself into a little furry ball, I almost chuckled. Apparently, it would be a couple months until he could shift, so that tied our hands a bit. Couldn't really go out with him too much.

"Someday you'll tell me whose pup that is," I chided Amy as I wrapped my arms around her, nibbing gently on her ear. "We both know he's too cute and innocent to be mine."

"And you're saying I am cute and innocent?"

"Well, I know he's not adopted since I saw him come out. And...no. Beautiful...yes...cute's a bit of the wrong word. Amy...I..."

"I know. You gotta do some work tonight."

"Yes." I nipped a little harder before gently nuzzling her neck...feeling strange not having my muzzle to do it with or her fur to bury my nose into. "Just a little bit"

"I'll owe you..."

I had to smile as she turned around, playfully acting as if she was snapping at my nose even with her human mouth. "Yes. Yes you will."

"I'll be back..."I smirked. "And that's not as threatening when you look like that..." I shot over my shoulder as I retired to the office, her laughter dying as I walked away.

Pulling up the photos that the proby had mailed me, I started looking through them. Lots of blood. Pretty damned brutal...but brutal for brutal - it wasn't a mauling. Hitting the phone, I dialed up the kid.

"Morse."

"This is Hart. Anyone with you?"

"No sir. This is a clean line."

"Good. I hate all the codeword bullshit. You've got a strange one."

"I see you got the photos then. Yeah. It looks like there is a werewolf on the loose."

"Lycan is the preferred term...but no. A Lycan would have gone after all the organs, not the neck. A psychotic Lycan would also not leave the kid around. They're usually the most paperwork causing because they don't care about being seen."

"But the bodies-"

"They were staged. That whole scene was designed to make you think it was Lycans but it's not. It's both not brutal enough and too brutal. The useless violence is turned all the way up, but the targeted violence is precise. The mauling of both bodies was post mortem. Plus, what'd you think of the story from the medics about the plainclothes?"

"They saw someone that looked similar and assumed. Killer was rational and acted like a cop to escape."

"Yes and no. One thing you need to learn in this field is that the mind is pretty malleable. Many creatures can affect them, especially in humans. Since humanity grew and became more prevalent, creatures such as wraiths and fae started to learn how to manipulate human thoughts. A bit biologically complex to explain, but quite often you will see creatures such as that able to screw with a witness' head. The best tipoff is that the witnesses have different recollections or memories of an event.

"But we didn't have that here."

"The dog. Animals, canines in particular are a bit resilient against it. The eggheads think it has something to do with how the mind processes scents and sounds. Canines just seem to do it differently."

So, you're saying it's a wraith?"

"No. It's worse. There was a great deal of calculation and planning in this. I think we're dealing with a vampire. We're gonna need to wait for the kid to get out of the hospital. Also, head by tomorrow and get us an arterial blood sample. I'll have a warrant written up for it and sent to the local PD. We can see if the kid has the right antigens...and go from there."

"Alright, sir. I'll be in touch." I could hear the fear in the kid's voice as he hung up, my own just barely held back. Vampires were scary as hell. For everyone. A creature with supernatural strength, immortality until we kill them, and a dark and dangerous lust for death and blood. Even a feral Lycan was easier to deal with.

"Sounds bad"

I turned around, Amy standing in the doorway, just a pair of jeans and a tee shirt hugging her frame. Standing up, I moved towards her, giving her a short embrace.

"It is. I think we've got a vampire outbreak in Florida...Killed a family today."

"Damn," she breathed. "And they want you back, I assume."

"Yeah. The Proby's down there now. I want to take a look and we should get the southeast team down soon. I'm sorry."

"Don't be. I knew this could happen when I said yes. It's not as if I have to heal from having Thomas. You owe him."

"I don't. I owe you. I owe my team. I don't owe the proby."

"I didn't mean him." Amy led me back towards the computer, pointing at the yearbook photo I had of the kid. "You got a second chance with your parents. This kid won't. Make sure he's the last one."

"I...I..." I tried to find an excuse, but failed as Amy turned off the computer. "I guess you're right."

"Of course I am...and you still owe me." She mock-growled as she guided me out of the office. "And I'm gonna collect."

I smiled as I grabbed my phone before she put it back on the desk. "Stark already called me. Your tickets are in Boston for tomorrow morning. Now come."

I gulped as I was led out of the door.