Chapter 4
The carriage stopped at the docks, the morning sun burning away the light layer of fog that lay over the city. Inside, Sonia stared at the list of ingredients to the Wolf's Bait. Some of them were expected, but others seemed quite far fetched. She wondered if hornet's honey was something she could even get in America. That was hardly her greatest concern at the moment, however. She had tied up nearly all the loose ends in her trip, but what could be the most important still remained.
Outside, the coach driver groaned gestured toward the door. Unaided, it swung open. He sat still at the head for several moments, waiting, before he turned back to the open door.
"I'm dreadfully sorry, but I need your assistance," came Sonia's voice. The gaunt servant dropped from the driver's seat with an audible thud, the carriage bouncing slightly as he approached the door.
"In here," she urged, motioning for the servant to enter. With a low sigh, the driver stepped inside the carriage. It first sized up Sonia, then examined the coach interior. Upon seeing nothing impeding the hunter's exit, it turned to stare at her.
"Do you not see it?" she asked. The driver only stared at her. "I simply can't leave until... oh my, what happened to your face?" The servant carefully ran a hand along his face. "No, around the mouth," she said. The servant touched his fingers to his parted lips, head cocked curiously.
"No, no... Come here, I'll get it," Sonia instructed, the driver leaning forward. With a quick motion, the hunter's gloved hand darted in and out of the servants mouth. His eyes slowly closed and he fell back against the opposite seat of the carriage, stiff as a board. Sonia grinned and stepped out, hoisting her considerably lighter trunk from the roof.
"Don't worry, dear," she said before closing the door. "I'm sure he'll find you when he eventually escapes. Or perhaps he'll just make another." With a shrug and a smile she approached her ship, handing her trunk off to a porter.
As she ascended the gang plank she tossed aside a small, withered scroll wrapped in twine. As it floated down into the water, she smirked. "Golems."
***
"I must say, your new hair suits you, Madam."
Sonia rolled her eyes as she dropped a folded piece of paper on the table before him. With a sigh she took her seat at the cafe table, Mr. Roosevelt opening and scanning through the list. A waiter approached, setting a cup of tea before her, which she accepted with a nod. "Mr. Roosevelt, if you only knew what I went through to end up with this look," Sonia replied as she sipped her tea.
"Is this everything?" he asked, adjusting his pince nez.
"My source is trying at times, but reliable. If your people can get everything, we should be ready to mobilize in a day."
"Bully!" Roosevelt exclaimed as he looked over the list. "Incredible work, my dear. You are sure this will do the trick? I've not heard of some of these... items."
"My source told me that every werewolf within a hundred miles would be able to smell it. We should have it brewed and set up at least a day before the full moon," she continued.
"Ah, so the beasts can smell it even as men."
"Indeed. They won't know why they're attracted, but it will lure them just same."
"Good work, Mrs. Trevor. I will have my men begin copying the book right away. Expect it waiting for you when this is over."
Sonia set her cup down, trying not to let her mind dwell on the hell of the last few days. There was fresh hell waiting for her that required her attention. "Have you set a location?"
"By all rights, we should wait another month and try to lure the beasts out west," Roosevelt said, handing the list to a waiting agent, "but I fret to think what damage will occur if we delay the operation further. I've selected a relatively isolated forest near the border. It should keep us away from the eyes of the public."
"Is that wise?" Sonia asked. "These creatures will have an advantage in a forested area."
"Mrs. Trevor, I led my men through hellfire at San Juan. I have no fear of untrained beasts."
"I hope that confidence is warranted," she replied, standing. "Please send me the exact location. I have preparations to make."
***
Young Richter tossed and turned in his bed. The silence of the night always seemed to disturb him, as though it were disingenuous, concealing some great threat. He remembered that when his father was alive, there was always the calming sound of life within the manor after Richter retired to bed. Music from his father's phonograph or Grant playing the piano would softly lull him to sleep. But these days there was only silence and the terror that he knew hid therein.
Finally slipping from bed, Richter walked to his window. The pale light of a nearly full moon shined down over the grounds, illuminating a car at the front of the manor. The young boy pulled his long hair from in front of his eyes, leaning closer to the glass to see Grant loading a black trunk into the vehicle. A coldness seized Richter, forcing him to stumble back. He looked toward the door. In an instant he was through it, racing down the stairs, his pale blue nightgown flaring as he bolted to the front hall.
"Richter? What are you doing out of bed?" Sonia asked.
The young boy froze in front of his mother. She stood, silhouetted in the moonlight, her usual dress replaced with a tight fitting black suit. He saw the shapes of pistols hugging her thighs and chain wrapped around her waist.
"My apologies, Madam," Grant called from the door, rushing to the young boy's side. "I should have ensured Master Richter was asleep before I began loading the car.."
"Where are you going, Mother?" the young boy asked.
"Richter, return to your bed," Sonia replied curtly.
"Come, Master Richter," Grant said, taking the young boy's hand.
"Mother! Are you leaving?" Richter asked, tears forming in the corner of his eyes.
"Master Richter, your mother has important business," Grant assured him.
Sonia closed her eyes, sighing. Holding up a hand, she paused her servant and stepped closer to her son, kneeling. "I have important work to do, Richter, but I promise I will be back soon."
"Where are you going?" the boy repeated.
"Don't worry, my sweet child. I won't be gone long." She forced a smile and ran a gloved finger along his cheek, wiping away a tear. "Would you like Mother to bring you back a toy?"
"Don't go," Richter pleaded. "You're going to go away like Father."
"Master Richter!" Grant began before being silenced by Sonia.
"My dear Richter, I will be back before you know it. I promise."
"You promise? You promise you'll come back?"
"Yes, my dear," Sonia said softly. "And when I get back, I promise I won't go anywhere for a long time." Richter shifted, uneasy. His mother caressed his red cheek, smiling as sweetly as she could manage. "Now, go to bed, my sweet child."
Richter sniffled and nodded, allowing Grant to lead him back up the stairs. Sonia turned moving toward the door, pausing only as a small voice called out to her once more.
"I love you, Mother."
Sonia hesitated, standing in the open doorway. Without turning, she simply replied, "And I, you."
Outside, the coach driver groaned gestured toward the door. Unaided, it swung open. He sat still at the head for several moments, waiting, before he turned back to the open door.
"I'm dreadfully sorry, but I need your assistance," came Sonia's voice. The gaunt servant dropped from the driver's seat with an audible thud, the carriage bouncing slightly as he approached the door.
"In here," she urged, motioning for the servant to enter. With a low sigh, the driver stepped inside the carriage. It first sized up Sonia, then examined the coach interior. Upon seeing nothing impeding the hunter's exit, it turned to stare at her.
"Do you not see it?" she asked. The driver only stared at her. "I simply can't leave until... oh my, what happened to your face?" The servant carefully ran a hand along his face. "No, around the mouth," she said. The servant touched his fingers to his parted lips, head cocked curiously.
"No, no... Come here, I'll get it," Sonia instructed, the driver leaning forward. With a quick motion, the hunter's gloved hand darted in and out of the servants mouth. His eyes slowly closed and he fell back against the opposite seat of the carriage, stiff as a board. Sonia grinned and stepped out, hoisting her considerably lighter trunk from the roof.
"Don't worry, dear," she said before closing the door. "I'm sure he'll find you when he eventually escapes. Or perhaps he'll just make another." With a shrug and a smile she approached her ship, handing her trunk off to a porter.
As she ascended the gang plank she tossed aside a small, withered scroll wrapped in twine. As it floated down into the water, she smirked. "Golems."
***
"I must say, your new hair suits you, Madam."
Sonia rolled her eyes as she dropped a folded piece of paper on the table before him. With a sigh she took her seat at the cafe table, Mr. Roosevelt opening and scanning through the list. A waiter approached, setting a cup of tea before her, which she accepted with a nod. "Mr. Roosevelt, if you only knew what I went through to end up with this look," Sonia replied as she sipped her tea.
"Is this everything?" he asked, adjusting his pince nez.
"My source is trying at times, but reliable. If your people can get everything, we should be ready to mobilize in a day."
"Bully!" Roosevelt exclaimed as he looked over the list. "Incredible work, my dear. You are sure this will do the trick? I've not heard of some of these... items."
"My source told me that every werewolf within a hundred miles would be able to smell it. We should have it brewed and set up at least a day before the full moon," she continued.
"Ah, so the beasts can smell it even as men."
"Indeed. They won't know why they're attracted, but it will lure them just same."
"Good work, Mrs. Trevor. I will have my men begin copying the book right away. Expect it waiting for you when this is over."
Sonia set her cup down, trying not to let her mind dwell on the hell of the last few days. There was fresh hell waiting for her that required her attention. "Have you set a location?"
"By all rights, we should wait another month and try to lure the beasts out west," Roosevelt said, handing the list to a waiting agent, "but I fret to think what damage will occur if we delay the operation further. I've selected a relatively isolated forest near the border. It should keep us away from the eyes of the public."
"Is that wise?" Sonia asked. "These creatures will have an advantage in a forested area."
"Mrs. Trevor, I led my men through hellfire at San Juan. I have no fear of untrained beasts."
"I hope that confidence is warranted," she replied, standing. "Please send me the exact location. I have preparations to make."
***
Young Richter tossed and turned in his bed. The silence of the night always seemed to disturb him, as though it were disingenuous, concealing some great threat. He remembered that when his father was alive, there was always the calming sound of life within the manor after Richter retired to bed. Music from his father's phonograph or Grant playing the piano would softly lull him to sleep. But these days there was only silence and the terror that he knew hid therein.
Finally slipping from bed, Richter walked to his window. The pale light of a nearly full moon shined down over the grounds, illuminating a car at the front of the manor. The young boy pulled his long hair from in front of his eyes, leaning closer to the glass to see Grant loading a black trunk into the vehicle. A coldness seized Richter, forcing him to stumble back. He looked toward the door. In an instant he was through it, racing down the stairs, his pale blue nightgown flaring as he bolted to the front hall.
"Richter? What are you doing out of bed?" Sonia asked.
The young boy froze in front of his mother. She stood, silhouetted in the moonlight, her usual dress replaced with a tight fitting black suit. He saw the shapes of pistols hugging her thighs and chain wrapped around her waist.
"My apologies, Madam," Grant called from the door, rushing to the young boy's side. "I should have ensured Master Richter was asleep before I began loading the car.."
"Where are you going, Mother?" the young boy asked.
"Richter, return to your bed," Sonia replied curtly.
"Come, Master Richter," Grant said, taking the young boy's hand.
"Mother! Are you leaving?" Richter asked, tears forming in the corner of his eyes.
"Master Richter, your mother has important business," Grant assured him.
Sonia closed her eyes, sighing. Holding up a hand, she paused her servant and stepped closer to her son, kneeling. "I have important work to do, Richter, but I promise I will be back soon."
"Where are you going?" the boy repeated.
"Don't worry, my sweet child. I won't be gone long." She forced a smile and ran a gloved finger along his cheek, wiping away a tear. "Would you like Mother to bring you back a toy?"
"Don't go," Richter pleaded. "You're going to go away like Father."
"Master Richter!" Grant began before being silenced by Sonia.
"My dear Richter, I will be back before you know it. I promise."
"You promise? You promise you'll come back?"
"Yes, my dear," Sonia said softly. "And when I get back, I promise I won't go anywhere for a long time." Richter shifted, uneasy. His mother caressed his red cheek, smiling as sweetly as she could manage. "Now, go to bed, my sweet child."
Richter sniffled and nodded, allowing Grant to lead him back up the stairs. Sonia turned moving toward the door, pausing only as a small voice called out to her once more.
"I love you, Mother."
Sonia hesitated, standing in the open doorway. Without turning, she simply replied, "And I, you."
Chapter 5
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