Hidden Threat - Chapter 15 - Hidden Monsters

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A dark flash of black fur collided with the wolf hovering over Jill. Saal. Tom watched Saal's flawless attack with vast relief. They landed several feet from her and continued to claw and bite each other in a vicious struggle. 

Tom saw his opportunity and rushed to Jill's side. He had no time to coddle her but kneeling over her, he pulled a wicked three pronged blade from its sheath, poised to strike any who dared come close. Saal clamped his teeth into the wolf's neck and threw him like a he was a pup. The wolf righted himself and fled into the woods without hesitation. Saal trotted over to Tom and cleaned his muzzle of dirt and blood. The humans finally broke from their stunned immobility. 

Two officers rushed after the fleeing wolf, their guns drawn. Paramedics rushed to Jill and helped Tom carry her to a waiting ambulance. Saal stayed close and growled at an officer who'd attempted to catch him with a rope. Tom sat in the back of the ambulance as the medics assessed the damage. No concussion, to Tom's relief as they cleaned and examined her arm next. The officer who'd hauled her from the car stepped into the ambulance and after speaking in hushed tones to one of the medics, motioned Tom out. 

"Sir, you left your child in a locked car for over two hours. We take child protection very seriously here," he began. 

"My daughter is fifteen years old, officer. She had the capacity to unlock the doors if she needed to. She had plenty of money if she wanted something to eat at the restaurant. As it stands, we'd just had a picnic in the woods when the wolf attacked. My dog chased him off and I put Jill in the car before I ran after our dog. Had you left her in the car, she wouldn't have been in this mess," Tom argued as he gave his rehearsed explanation to the officer. 

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The paramedic watched as Tom argued with the officer about the matter. Swiftly he pulled two vials from his pocket. He filled one with blood and saliva from Jill's wound. He quickly drew blood from her other arm, filling the other vial, before he pocketed both. 

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Tom finished his argument, turned on his heels and went back to Jill's side. The paramedics suggested taking Jill to the hospital to test her for rabies but Tom refused. After pressing him more he informed them he would have his personal physician meet them at their destination, which was only a few hours away. He scooped up his daughter and exited the ambulance in a rush. He opened the back door to his car and Saal hopped in. He secured Jill in the front passenger seat, brushed a kiss against her forehead and closed the door. She hadn't awaken and he began to question the paramedic's diagnosis. 

"I'll have the healer meet us at my place. She'll be fine, Tom," Saal said after they'd left the restaurant far behind. 

"I'll feel better when she's awake," Tom said as lay his hand over hers. 

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Two people lingered in the parking lot as the other emergency vehicles pulled away. The police officer walked to his car and took a shovel from the trunk. He sifted through a puddle of mud looking for more DNA and blood traces. Finding nothing he wiped it off in the grass and put it back. 

"What are you looking for?" The remaining paramedic asked. He showed the two vials of blood to the officer. 

"It's too early to speculate but something's not right. I've been following this guy for awhile. He said his daughter was fifteen years old. I checked my files and found records of his marriage, the birth of his daughter but nothing else. Sixteen years ago, he didn't exist." 

"Maybe he changed his name or is from another country, Billy. You can't assume anything from that," he argued. 

"I checked. He didn't. I wonder if Doctor Pendergast's theory is correct." 

"You can't seriously think he's not human. Doctor Pendergast's theory has no scientific backing." 

"We'll know when we check the girl's blood. I don't want anyone to know of this. Send me the results as soon as you can. I'll follow them up the mountain. My tracker indicates they're going to Vertical Peak." 

"On the odd chance Dr. Pendergast is right, what then?" 

"You let me worry about that," Billy said.