The Wolf Under My Skin

Old Friends

~William’s POV~

I look at the transparent bag containing the bracelet his daughter wore the day she went on a hike with her friends, I look back at the Mayor, at his mustache, his wide shoulders and bulky figure, his masculinity, sure he would get a lot of respect for this kind of figure, unlike me who used most of my youthful days at the gym. But if, just maybe, if I had as much ambition as the man in front of me then maybe I’d have a big stomach too. He looks lost in his thoughts

“Sir!” I repeat, louder this time

“What?” He jolts from his reverie

“I said that was all we could find about your missing daughter, we are still searching for any possible traces, a clue or something, the other two girls are still being interrogated as we speak” I explain.

Jacque, the Mayor, looks at me again, then leans forward on his table, anytime he does this, it means he isn’t satisfied or probably very annoyed, it is mostly followed by sarcasm or a very painful remark.

“Officer...?” He says, trying to read the name on my badge.

“Williams, sir”

“Williams...” he smiles as he says it “officer Williams, I want you to take a look ‘round this office, every single corner ‘o the room, tell me what you see”

“Um, I see plaques, awards and other great achievements, sir”

“Wonderful, and do you for once think that I got any ‘o those, for the past five years, by giving excuses?”

I know where this is going, and gulp...

“You people are called the Police for a reason, office Williams, mostly ‘cause you guys wear badges and matching hats then go ‘round shooting a few people, but at least I believe your team should be efficient, y’know? A lil’ efficiency wouldn’t kill ya, or how are we safe with people like you in the Police Force hmm?”

I dare not answer that.

“Results, Williams...” he continues “...I need results, I need results or we might have some trouble keepin’ the “officer” in front of your name intact”

“Yes sir, we are working on it as we speak” I am literally shaking.

“Good boy, now go dig up some bones or whatever it is that you stray dogs do, oh and make sure you bring back my daughter in one piece or we else... we might some bug issues, you and me, you hear?” He opens one of his drawers and pulls out a bug cigar, he desperately tries to light it but he just couldn’t, he doesn’t smoke. The way he holds the cigar proves it, he is just trying to look like all those bad-ass bosses in the movies, he looks and sees that I am still standing here just staring.

“Oh, you want some?” He asks, sarcastically.

“No, sir”

“Then get the hell out of here! You have got a timer on your head, you know that?!” I don’t let him finish his statement, as I bolt out the door, thankfully. I heave a sigh of relief as I leave the building. Nobody can stand the Mayor. Not even me. Phew

***

“That man is the devil” Stan, one of my colleagues says to me when I get to the office.

“Sure” is all I can say, my body is here but my mind is a million miles away. He notices and quickly calls me back.

“Hey, Wills, you there?” He asks.

“What? Oh yeah, yeah just thinking about something”

“Is it the Mayor?” he asks with curious eyes.

“Yeah, like I do not know what next to do, I’ve tried all I can, it’s just like she disappeared into thin air, this doesn’t make any sense. I find it hard to take in, honestly. No footprints, no body, just a broken torch light”

Stan put his hand under his jaw to think.

“Have you asked the locals?” He asks.

“Locals? No, there are no locals, the government caused ‘em out years ago, even before the d*ckhead became Mayor” I answer.

“But I hear some folks still live in the woods, you know those highly secluded places away from the outside world?”

I know what he’s trying to do.

“What are you saying? Don’t tell me you’re talking about my old friend, Jack?”

“Well you said it, not me”

“What? You think he knows something?”

“Again, not me” he raises his hand as if surrendering.

“Hmm, you might be right. He does like to be mischievous around women, I’ll go have a talk with him, find out what he knows”

“Like I said, it’s you not me!” He yells as I pick up my car keys, off to my old friend’s house.

***

~Jackson’s POV~

It’s funny how these vulnerable creature called women always try to outsmart their male counterparts and in the end, they always end up the “victims”. Just look at her, look at the damage she has done. It would cost a lot of money to repair.

The girl is okay though. Tied to a chair and taped her mouth, if we are gonna get dramatic, then we had better do it to the fullest.

“Look, I don’t know how people appreciate things in your place but this...” I point to the wall “...is a really bad way of showing it”

“Mmph, mmph” she mumbles

“Look, I’m sorry that you are like this, but you left me no choice. I would have been the one with a hole in me I didn’t hold you down. Take it easy, you can’t get out of this one, I have it on padlocks”

She still struggles nonetheless, she is too stubborn, even for her own good. I can see the lacerations the rope is doing to her skin because of the constant struggles. She yelps. Okay, I’ve had enough.

“Hey, calm down...” I move over to where she is and remove the tape from her mouth “... what the f*ck is it?”

“I’ve gotta go” she replies

“Go? Go where?” I am confused

“The bathroom? Like now?”

“Well you don’t have to get all feisty about it, give me a minute”

This time I’m holding a pistol, in the back of my pants, so I can untie her without having to worry.

“Now don’t try to play dumb with me again, princess? You got lucky the last time” I tease. I untie her legs and point the pistol at her.

“The bathroom is that way, no sudden moves or else we might be having dinner together in different dimensions, me in the flesh and you in the spirit.” I warn her.

I catch her trying to suppress a laugh. She walks to the bathroom, hands tied of course, I wait at the entrance for her to do her thing.

“Five minutes max” I time her. She closes the door. Then opens it again. She stretches her hands out for me to cut them loose.

“Oh hell no, I’m not risking that”

“Well, you could always come in and help me pull down my panties” her eyes twinkled.

I salivate. What an offer! But no.

I chuckle “Nice try, Medusa” yeah she is very seductive. “No games, you understand?”

“Just untie me, please” those eyes are captivating.

I cut the ropes and she goes back inside. There is window in there so there is no escape route for her. I wait. And wait. Two minutes gone.

I can hear a car approaching, who the hell is that? This is no time for questions. I bang on the door of the bathroom.

“Hey Cinderella, what’s taking so long? Don’t make me come in there”

“I’m almost done” she answers from within

“There’s no time for that, out! Now!” I yell

No answer

“I’m going to give you till the count of three”

Still no answer

“One!”

Nah. Try again.

“Two!” And the door opens

“What’s the rush? Jeez” she asks

“Noe of your business, now move!” I push her with the gun, I don’t mean to be hard on her but this isn’t the time to be soft. The car is already parked outside my gate I’m sure.

“Okay... easy” she complies. I see the scar the ropes caused on her and I feel sorry for her, back then these used to be what I admired in women, scars.

The driver is already ringing my doorbell as I finish tying her limbs and taping her mouth.

“Who the heck could that be?” I think aloud. I put the pistol in the back of my pants and move to see who the intruder is. I get to the door of the mansion and peep through the door hole, it’s a cop. Not just any cop, this is my longtime friend, Wills! I quickly unlock the door, and what a sight he is.

“Wills?” I ask, to clear my doubt

“One and only” he grins, before giving me a heartfelt hug. It’s been a while since I got one from anybody. I really needed it.

“Man, it’s so good to see you” I say

“Good to see you too, old friend, how long has it been? Two? Three years?”

“ Four! It’s been four years! Look at you,, you’ve really gotten muscular, last time I saw you, you looked like a Mummy from Egypt, look at those biceps”

“Stop kidding” he laughs and we hug again. I am still taller though

“Come on in, you look good”

“Nah, I’m gonna have to decline, got some work to do at the office, Mayor’s daughter’s missing...” Mayor’s daughter? Could she be the one? The necklace she’s wearing actually proves it.

“Jack, are you okay?”

“What? Yeah I mean no matter how serious it is, it could be talked about over a bottle of whiskey, right? For old time’s sake?”

“You still know how to make a man’s legs fail him, alright but just one drink, not another” he obliges.

***

We talk and drink for a long time, mostly about our jobs and past, all the recent occurrences and the state of the country. Anytime he wants to talk about the Mayor’s daughter, I always divert, he is my friend yes, but he is also a policeman, they don’t know how to mind their businesses or keep their mouth shut, one investigation or stupid lead and the whole world knows who you are to the underwear’s, so it’s better to keep the limits intact. He stands up as if to leave.

“Why don’t you show me around the house, old pal? It’s looking weirder than before”

“I’ll take that as a compliment but sure” I lead the way, I am not gonna give him a chance, sure my ‘guest’ is in a safe place, sound-proof and hidden, that’s the latest development to the house, just in case of emergency, nobody else knows about it except me and the contractor who built it.

“Whoa, what happened here?” He gasps at the huge hole on the wall of my house

“It’s a long story...”

“Well, I think I can spare some time, let’s hear it”

“Fine, if you insist” he raises an eyebrow as a sign for me to proceed.

“Well, you know the thing about me and large rodents?” I lie

“Uuuh, yeah you hated those, like a lot, I remember I used to keep a white rabbit back then, you told me to get rid of it and when I refused, you sold it behind me for fifteen cents, a rabbit I bought with my last dollar, I can’t forget it” he laughs, I knew how much he loved that bunny but I was able to win him over with some action figures I got from the same money I sold his beloved pet with. That was a very long time ago. Now we’re full grown men on opposite sides of life.

“You wouldn’t stop whining about it for almost a month, so I don’t think anybody forgot” I joke “well, this case is very similar, I got back from work yesterday and found a huge possum in my house, first instinct was to kill it, tried to do it with a bat but that didn’t work, so I took my shotgun”

“Poor bastard, did you get it?”

“Sucker managed to slip through my fingers, went through the same hole my shotgun made because of it”

“ oh damn, repairs’ gonna cost a fortune”

“I know, right?” I curse silently

“Well at least you’d stop hating them now”

“Say what? Now I hate them even more! Like next time I am gonna chase it till I catch it and when I do...” clench my fits “... squeeze the life outta them”

“Oh, really?”

“Yup” I answer

“Don’t you think, that maybe, I don’t know, you need a change of environment? Like a place more civilized, with more people and less rodents?”

“Look, Wills, we’ve talked about this before, I hate being around people just as much as I hate rodents, , I love it out here with nature surrounding me, there’s nothing I’d want more” I assure him

“But I’m worried one of these days, you could turn out to be dog-food”

“Dog-food?”

“Yep, reports says some wolves have been sighted on these parts, hungry animals, they leave quite a mess behind”

“You know I’m tougher than that”

He sighs. I put my hand on his shoulder.

“Hey, don’t worry about me, I’m as tough as nails, I’m worried about you getting all the ladies”

“You’re messing with me” he laughs

“No, I’m not, I even thought you’d be married”

“You’re older, you get married” he snaps back

“Okay, change of topic, time for you to go” my ears are starting to pick up noises from my ‘safe haven’

“Wait, why?” He asks

“You said it yourself, you’ve got work to do, and I’m not letting you get drunk before you drive, you can’t arrest yourself” I joke again.

“Oh well, I guess I gotta go”

“Come on, I’ll race ya”

“Oh hell no, I ain’t running on those things you call stairs, I wonder how they’re even able to support you”

“You’re a p*ssy, you know that?”

“Proud of it”

We get to the door. He turns and looks at me.

“Alright, old friend. I’ll see you soon.” He extends his hand for a handshake, I hug him instead.

“See you soon, you big p*ssy” I laugh

I wait for him to enter his car, I wave as he drives off.

***