C3 John Reddick

Lyra took out a packet of cigarettes and lit it. Then she dragged in smoke and exhaled.

Finally, she looked at the barman.

“I’m looking for a man.” She said. “Can you help me find him?”

The cold, yet pleasantly soothing, husky voice of this young woman seems to paralyze John. For a moment, he completely lost his voice.

Then he blinked, and his senses came back.

“What the hell are you doing here, girl?” He whispered as if they were in a cemetery.

“That’s not your business. I need to know if you can provide me with some good information about the man I’m looking for. I will supply the details about him. Can you do that for me?”

John shook his head.

“What you are asking me is completely irrelevant. The question is, what are you doing in Devils Wept? Didn’t you see the goddamned signpost on your way in here?” His voice was loaded with fear.

Lyra shrugged indifferently.

“I saw it. Doesn’t mean anything to me.”

John was shocked. The careless way she had talked was like a shotgun fired at his head.

No! No! No!

There was no way in hell she could have seen that goddamned post and entered this town.

“You are a goddamned liar.” He seethed in a hushed voice. “You didn’t see that signpost.”

Lyra didn’t reply to that. Instead, she said:

“The man I’m looking for goes by the name John Reddick. He sent a letter to the League of Wolf Hunters asking for help for the folks of this town who were being slain tragically by wolves.”

She paused and went on.

“According to his letter, he has some vital information that can come in handy for any wolf hunter coming into this town. Fortunately, my brother received that letter. He sent me here on his behalf. He will soon join me.”

“Who the hell are you, young lady?”

“Do you know anyone in this town by that name?” She demanded her voice in a sharp and impatient tone.

John hesitated for a moment.

“I can’t tell you anything until I see some proper identification.”

Lyra didn’t even argue with that. It’s as if she knew it would come to that.

She dug into her inner pockets and brought out a badge. Engraved smartly on it was the horrific image of a bleeding, beheaded wolf.

She slid the shield onto the table.

“I’m a wolf huntress, A member of the league of the United States Wolf Hunters. This is my badge.”

John’s jaw dropped.

“My God! Are you….are you….?”

Lyra answered for him.

“Yes. I’m the younger sister of Jackul Ashwinter. I’m here to help the people of this town.”

John’s face twisted into an expression of panic.

“How lucky you are to have come right here! I’m John Reddick. I sent that letter. I’m the man you are looking for.” He said hastily. “Please, please come with me. There’s no time.”

The barman, John, dashed around the countertop and headed quickly into a room.

Lyra picked up her duffel bag and followed him.

The room they both entered was filled with casks and barrels of whisky and rum.

John ran to a corner of the room, picked up an old-looking book, and gave it to Lyra.

Lyra collected it.

John said to her quickly:

“Everything you need to know about this town is inside that book. All the information you need! I’m sorry for wasting your time. I didn’t know who you were.”

Lyra regarded the book and nodded.

“Is there anything I need to know? Every information you give counts.”

John babbled, heaving heavily.

“Alright, alright. Everything I’m about to tell you—I found out myself. I did the digging, I ran the search. So listen closely. Don’t miss a damn thing.”

“There are two wolf packs in this town. One is called the Greyhoof Pack. Their Alpha is a university student named Darken TrueBlood. Tall. Blonde. Wicked-looking son of a bitch. If you see him, stay the hell away. He’s cold-blooded evil.”

He paused to catch his breath, then leaned in.

“Now the other pack? That’s the Whitehoof Pack. Their Alpha is Drex Locker. Also, a university student.”

John’s eyes shifted, darkening with something like utter disbelief.

“Drex is… the baddest. The baddest of them all.”

There was a raw kind of fear in his eyes when he said it—like just speaking Drex’s name was a total bad idea.

“Hey, what is it?” She asked, noting the fear on his face.

“Listen, I can’t explain it, okay!” John said helplessly. “I mean, I’ve luckily caught them when they are shifting, but you see this Drex guy… he’s different when I saw him.. Truly different in every way from the rest.” His voice was shaking now.

Lyra's eyes flashed.

“What’s gotten you so frightened about this Drex guy, for God's sake?”

“I shouldn’t even be doing any more talking with you, girl.” John exploded. “Don’t you understand? My life is at risk here.”

His voice went very low and fearful.

“Let me tell you something you don’t get—nobody in this town knows those packs are a real, actual wolf pack. Nobody. Just me and the Sheriff. For some reasons, the Sheriff won’t talk—says it’ll scare folks off. So he stays quiet. I stay quiet too.”

“But I’ve had enough of this crap. That’s why I sent the letter to your organization. Nobody knows I did it. And now that snitch’s about to tell Darken you’re here. He’s coming. Which means this town ain’t safe for me anymore.”

Lyra, finally understanding John’s fear, tried to calm him.

“No one is gonna hurt you. My brother and I will wipe out every bloody wolf in this town.”

Then her eyes gleamed at him.

“Make no mistake, my mission in this town starts this night.” Her voice was low and deadly.