silver_sun (![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png)
silver_sun) wrote2014-04-16 08:37 pm
silver_sun) wrote2014-04-16 08:37 pm
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Original werewolf fic plan -how on earth is a plan 7k long?
Okay over the last 2 days I've written this semi coherent overview of my original fic about werewolves and psychics in Yorkshire.
7000 word scene plan with little bits of dialogue. I actually finally have a whole idea for it all. And now I want a sequel. I need to write the first one first though.
If anybody wants to take a look at it, see what they think of the idea, they can.
story overview
1. Nathan (Nat) at work. He works for a company of psychic investigators Carroll, Sahota and Binns. Being a psychic for hire, really not all it cracked up to be, when you spend most of you day looking at auction lots of jewellery and looking for lost property - there's better money in missing persons, but the idea of finding you were trying to connect with somebody who was dead was enough to put him off the idea for life. Nat is with a somebody who wants a paintings history checked out. Little bit of Nat's world view once he is alone and listening to the radio as he locks up the office for the night. Something that will prove connected to later plot on radio in background he turns it off before everything is said. Call from ex boyfriend who's drunk and after a shag for old times sake, leaves him in a bit of a bad mood.
2. Locks up, hurries across road, phone call has made him late for bus, and now it's raining. Sees a guy on a seriously nice vintage bike pull up outside work and knock in the door. The guy looks agitated, so Nat goes to talk to him. Finds out he is working for werewolves, knows that the senior partners probably wouldn't take it, but the guy looks sound, and a lot of them take solo cases - hell Binns seems to do nothing else.
3. go to a pub (Fighting Cock - nice real ale pub in a seed part of town, but I've (the actual me the writer, not Nat) has fond memories of drinking there as a student) and talk over details. James Rokesby charmingly old fashioned and Nat decides kind of hot (he so needs to get back on the dating scene if he's finding this guy attractive he decides) in a repressed kind of way. There is a young werewolf missing from the university, the police won't help, he's tried looking into it himself, but he admits despite being an academic this for of research is not his forte. It's getting late and Nat says about how he works, the whole seeing past by touch, and maybe a bit of dowsing. Agrees to meet up in morning to go over details and work out payment.
4. Saturday morning finds Nat in a coffee shop in Bradford city centre over looking the city park, sunlight on water/fountains. James Rokesby is in a 3 piece suit, wolf cuff links. Nat is in what he thought was smart casual - feels scruffy. It's all very James Bond, Nat thinks, the information is in a cardboard folder, neatly typed. seriously typed on a typewriter. who the hell was this guy? Nat gets out hsi tablet, get maps of the town, aerial views, James seems impressed. and hey who doesn't like a little bit of flattery? Nat tries a quick reading on a watch, but gets nothing, which is odd, as he thinks he should get something, but maybe he'd not had the watch long. he'll look into it later - i've got to go shopping with my gran. James seems okay with it, goes to the library to look for things.
5/ Nat and Gran at the market. melting pot city. it's dirty grimy and poor, but its ours and while we might complain - you don't get to unless you've lived here at least a couple of decades. Nat back story, Gran questioning him about stuff, have you got a new boy/girl friend. Gran has no boundaries, and while sometimes it's good, in the queue in morrisons in not the place to asks if I'm getting any. Nat mentions working, Gran not to sure about wolves, tricky them she says. Gets Gran home, helps her pack away shopping and cook tea, and a bit of house work. shes waiting for a new hip.
6. it's evening, Nat goes to meet back up with James. James still suited and Nat realised has a car this time. it is sadly not vintage, so much as old - well looked after, but its an 1980 volvo estate- it's disapppointing. He'd expected a Jag or something. They go to Calvin (the missing werewolf's) shared flat. He'd only been back at uni a month and a bit (2nd year). It was a self contained room in the house, the other tenant didn't know him that well, but had said he'd seem nice enough and had organised all the bills. Didn't get why he'd just up and left leaving all his stuff behind.
7 Calvin had worked, he'd worked his shift at a nightclub in town and then walked home, but had never apparently never arrived. It's only about 15 minutes or so, Nat says he'll walk it, holding something of Calvin's and try to get a ping (that's what he calls it) they do. It's faint but he gets something, until they reach an ordinary terraced street about 5 mins from the flat - then nothing - it's like every tiny psychic trace of anything has been scrubbed clean. Nat doesn't like it in the least. He says they should go to the police, James is somewhat resigned to the fact that it won't work - but does hold out a little hope that with a non-wolf looking into it they might listen or assign somebody from occult crimes to it.
8.
police station, not getting any luck. yes there is a liaison officer, she's on leave, maternity, yes somebody is covering it, no they are based in Leeds and only come in on Wednesdays - if it's a criminal matter they'll deal with it, but something like a street feeling wrong is not thier dept. They are about to leave when a woman talking to police woman come in. they woman is an outreach worker for the homesless, and she wants to report a man missing - old joe, who generally slept under the railway arches at Forster Square. James, looks shocked, not covering it well, going to talk to the woman. Old Joe was a werewolf too.
Nat, James and Razia Khan, down to the station. Nat gets the same null traces as before. What does it mean? no idea. Nat's caught now, interested, and honestly seeing more of James wouldn't be a bad thing.
It's late, Nat agrees to meet up with James the next day, Razia says keep her informed. James says she is most welcome to come too. Gives address - nice area near Apperley Bridge.
9. Sunday, out to James' house. It's a barge moored on the river/canal a bit away from the rest of the boats. It's old fashioned and has more books than Nat thinks a boat should contain. James is charming as before, and still infuriatingly vague about anything personal. No pictures, apart from from some old stuff like a century old. Nat asks about bf/gf, James smiles sadly, and says no, it wouldn't really fit in with his life. james makes tea - proper tea pot. Low down on werewolves - born vrs created. Nat never really knew there was much of a difference. Werewolves and magic, ritual etc. He wonders if James was ever a uni lecturer he certainly gives off at vibe - almost feel like he should have a whiteboard and a flip chart.
Nat's talking to him and Razia arrives, she's been out canvassing the streets about old Joe, just to check that he hasn't been taken into hospital or something. There's one person she wants to talk to, a woman called Maggie, and she wants Nat to come along, as there's a rumour that Maggie has the gift. Nat anybody who's got it doesn't call it a gift. A few might, she counters.
10. Nat and Razia off to see Maggie. James declines saying that he's got a few leads of his own, but doesn't say what they are. Razia - so you and antiquated, what's going on? Nat - nothing. Razia doesn't believe him.
They can't find her, nobody seems to know where she is. Nat thinks Razia is as tough as they come as all the places, squats and drug dens she visits doesn't seem to phase her. Razia Khan, 5.2 in her sandals. She's had a tough life, she's got nobody and she determined to help others who've found themselves in similar situations.
She asks about the whole magic psychic thing. Nat points out that they are different things, there are lots of different types. She asks about James, what is he. A normal human, I guess, said Nat uncertain that that was true. You really think so? She asked. He didn't seem to know much about how being psychic worked, said Nat, and he's got ties to werewolves so maybe he's one. You think? Razia said, he doesn't seem the type. What type is that? Well, rough around the edges, poor. Are they all really like that Nat said. Well they live on the edge of society. Nobody much will hire them, so unless they lie and risk everything they aren't going to get far in life.
He said he was an author, maybe he's written a bestseller, or inherited some cash, or won the lottery. I suppose he could be a created wolf then, but that's not allowed anymore is it? It's treated like infecting somebody on purpose with a fatal illness in the eyes of the law.
They are still talking about James when he phones them. He might have got a lead. Could they meet him where Calvin used to work. (Calvin is actually a distant relation of James’ not that he’s saying - he’d the great great grandson of one of James elder sisters.)
11. Nat and Razia go to the bar/club it’s in an old mill, and it’s called the Weavers. James is already there, in his biker clothes this time. Razia look at him, okay he is kind of hot. Razia is a widow, and firmly not interested in getting married again, she’s got to grown up daughters Fauzia and Nasmeena, one is married to a man who runs a cash and carry (and doesn’t see eye to eye with her mum much) and the other one is studying to be a doctor - now in her 3rd year of study.
James seem confident talking to the bar man who worked the same shift as Calvin. Nat wonders what he wanted them there for. Back up? or did he want him to do some psychic thing. Calvin had a locker at work, James collects the items. try to get reading he tells Nat. Nat not that keen on being bossed about, but does. He doesn’t get much, just a sense of confusion.
It’s now late on Sunday and a little disheartened they all go home. Nat surfing the net until very late, trying to find something. Mainly news stuff and even conspiracy theory stuff- who would take werewolves and why? They only had a few nights until the full moon so maybe that was it or maybe it was something to do with Halloween in a weeks time. Some stuff is real nut job things, nothing that seems likely. The whole null magic thing is a bust too. He decides he’s going to ask one of the senior partners at work about it. He’d prefer to ask Colin Binns if possible, as he was most likely to have come across the unusual and be will to talk about it. Otherwise he’ll talk to Parminder Kaur Sahota, who was the driving force behind the agency, now that Margery Carroll (the original firm was Carroll, Carroll and Binns) was nearing 65.
He goes to sleep feeling like there is something he has missed.
12. monday morning. He’s tired, but gets in to work and starts on his official cases for the day. A woman who was convinced her daughter in law had stolen the earrings that matched a necklace she still had. A man who wanted to know whether the painting that he had bought at a car boot sale was as old as he thought it was and a couple, Lisa and Amy, who wanted a house reading done before they put down a deposit on it, because Amy didn’t want to live anywhere anything bad had happened, but didn’t want a modern prefab either. House was first, grabbed lunch on the way back and wasn’t disappointed at all - no not me - when there was no message from James. Nat liked house readings, well unless you got one where something had actually happened or once even found a ghost in residence. Fortunately the ghost wanted to go and friendly Medium help his shuffle off to wherever it was bored ghosts went when they got fed up of haunted a terraced house in Idle.
It was a good lead into the conversation I wanted with Parminder. How can you psychically scrub a house/street? I mean if we got a client who really wanted the house, but not the vibe, then could be get rid of it? reset the house like? Her first question was had anybody asked about it? he could see her wondering whether it would be profitable or not. Parminder Sahota would put Alan Sugar to shame for shear business acumen. It’d be hard, exhausting, you’d probably only be able to do one room a day. So scrubbing out a whole street in an evening or so, not really doable? well i had to ask. Not by any means I know, you’re really looking at ritualised magic and some really serious stuff, and even then, I don’t know if it’d be possible. Why are you asking? Just curious. anything to do with this extra work you’re taking on. Yeah, Parminder, something of a mind reader, and I don’t mean that in the actual sense - her thing is remote viewing, missing people and history of items - yeah the only reason I got hired was she was doing more of the missing people work and wanted somebody else to do the boring ‘how old is this?’ and ‘did my husband by this for his mistress’ work.
Still she was good. Could have worked for the police or MI5 good, really I thought. But she was a business woman, she liked being her own boss. Firm but fair. If I’d fancied women and she’d been 20 years younger then well actually I’d probably have been too intimidated to do more than go oh wow and watch her from a corner.
the afternoon had dragged. The woman’s earrings had been solved by the fact that it turned out her Husband half knocked the jewellery box over and accidentally trodden on one and taken them away to get them fixed. The painting was of a very square looking bull and some storm clouds. Why anyone would buy it in the first place was beyond me, but the man went away happy when I told him was definitely more than a hundred years old, and gave him the name of art historian (who Parminder had set up a deal with - the woman was good what can I say). Then paperwork and all the dull admin bits that come with being an office junior. Letter and invoices. Oh joy, the glamourous life of a psychic for hire - not.
When I left work I found voice message from James. yeah and I so didn’t do a little mental happy dance at that, he wanted me to meet him for a discussion over a meal, and that I could choose where. So I texted him back gave the name of a decent little curry house not far from work and told him I’d found out a little bit about psychic scrubbing. That he texted back surprised me, I’d expected him to call.
13
So I spent the next 40 minutes sat in a coffee shop trying to write up my notes in a way that might stand the overnight legibility test - my handwriting is that bad that sometimes I can’t even read what i’ve written - no good if you’re giving it somebody else. It was one of those days where my brain goes giving it to somebody oooh that sounds dirty in it’s best carry on voice.
James looked impressed that I actually looked smart - it was my best ‘you’re making client house calls’ suit aka the one which actually fit, as opposed to the one that used to fit before I tried to save money by washing it myself. it was still wearable after a fashion - that fashion being not buttoning it up and moving as little as possible. He also looked tired, hell actually absolutely knackered would be a better description. It has been a tiring day - I went to see Calvin’s mother. Yeah, that’d do it. I felt guilty as hell now, I’d not even considered the young man’s family in all this.
he was suited this time, I still couldn’t decide if I liked the suit or the leathers better. A pale grey that make him look washed out and weary. it was smart, but it did him no favours.
Are you sure you want to do this now? I asked him. I would rather have company than not. They talk about not work, like the city, the weather, tv and news. James looking a little better, thanks him, it’s been too long since I last did this. Nat not sure if James is coming onto him. shouldn’t mix work and flirting, but they wouldn't always be working, Nat thought. Nat puts his hand on James’ hand, James pulls back instantly. nat got the briefest glimpse and scent of woodland and heather. and something feral.
I must go. James said. i’m sorry. I shouldn’t have called you. Nat too stunned to do much more than watch James all but run outside. There had been no outright denial of interest, no I don't lean that way, just something that had been too close to fear for comfort. Well that and the fact that Nat was pretty damn sure the guy really was a werewolf. Razia had been right - lucky she'd not been the betting kind.
Glad that we were in the kind of place where you paid before you sat down to eat, I pulled on my coat and dashed out after him. unprofessional as hell I tried to reach out to the faint trace I got off his hand, there wasn't much just a faint ping in the direction of a nearby multi-story car park. I wasn't even sure why I was doing it, hopefully because i felt like crap for driving him away when he looked like he was really in need of one and not for another more shallow reason. I'm not sure what I thought would happen when I found him, maybe an apology from me and an invitation for a drink if I was lucky. What I'd not expected was to see him grabbling with a guy who'd got a pretty effective choke hold on around his neck.
Seeing me, and honestly I had no clue what I was doing I grabbed my works ID card out my pocket and till receipt for some bread and waved it at him. "Stop! licensed investigator" the man glared at me, and I could have sworn his eyes glowed for a moment, and then he released James, who dropped to his knees gasping. The man kicked him in the chest, said something in a language I didn't recognise and then ran and leapt of the third floor of the multi-story.
If the guy had broken his neck is was his own stupid fault I decided ran over to James. James looked like hell. There was a bruise rapidly darkening on his cheek and around his neck, and he was shaking. He'd managed to get to his feet and was leaning against the side of his car.
You should go, he said, tried to move round the car away from me. Yeah so much for thank you for saving my life.
since we're skipping that thanks yous here, I said, how about telling me what the hell is going on? Who or what was that bloke and does it have anything to do with Calvin Harris' disappearance?
yes. I'm sorry. I... he stopped obviously dizzy. I will pay you for what you've found, so you can go. I must go home.
You are not driving, I was right next to him now, and he had nowhere else to go. My house is only a few streets away.
I can't, he said
well it's that or I call the police and an ambulance and see what happens.
He seemed to crumple. "I suppose I do rather owe you an explanation."
14
nat wishes that 'the pit' was a little tidier or you know at all tidy. James doesn't seem to care. He looks dead on his feet, but so tense that Nat think he'll snap something if he doesn't calm down. Although how you calm down after being half choked to death he wasn't sure.
The flourescent strip light in the kitchen/living room did James no favours at all. They talk, James reveals that he is an investigator for the werewolf community, that they do to him for things connected with police matters and to investigate when they won't - or at least progress the case to a point where it cannot be ignored or at least to the point where a member of one of the wolf packs can dispense their own justice. Vigilante researcher, Nat thinks in makes some kind of sense, although honestly the idea that werewolves were considering themselves above the law and dispensing their own type of justice was pretty damn worrying. So was that what that was? Nat asked, was that you getting told to back off by another wolf pack? No. I don't think he was a wolf, I don't know. James said, there are many things out there that exist on the fringes, ill documented things that are often thought to be other things or disregarded as fantasy.
next question, Nat said. Are you alright? James looked surprised that he'd ask. I will be, thank you for your concern. Are you sure you don't want to report it?
As what? James said, wearily. Attempted car jacking? or robbery? and when you tell them the perpetrators eyes glowed and he jumped off the 3rd floor of a car park they'll file it and that will be the last we'll hear.
Fine, I said, not really believing it. James gave me a world weary smile. It's the truth, as uncomfortable as it is. A werewolf would no more seek or expect the protection of law than a criminal would if he were injured in an altercation with a member of his own gang. It is our life.
Alright, no police, so what about a trip to A&E? or aren't werewolves welcome there either?
It's not a question of welcome or not, James said, standing stiffly. I choose not to go, I don't have any injuries that require their attention and occupying their limited resources when there are others in far greater need is purely selfish. No. My own bed and perhaps a stiff drink will suffice and in the morning I shall turn my attention to investigating who may have sent that man to prevent me looking into Calvin's disappearance.
You are so not driving, I said,
his hands were still shaking and he look, mortified by the fact. Seriously, I said, I've got a sofa bed here. Get your head down for a bit and we can make plans in the morning about what to do.
thank you. James said, I should have said it before, my manners have been somewhat lacking.
I'm willing to put that down to shock, I said. Make yourself at home. I'll just be upstair if you need me, there's only three rooms up there. I pointed to the stairs. My room, on the left, the bathroom on the right and what they told me was a 2nd bedroom but is in fact a a big cupboard that had a desk in it and no door, in the middle.
14.
nat comes down to see James awake and shirtless as James is trying to check his own bruises. Nat realised that James had put up a fight before the point he'd got to him, and there were bruises on his shoulders, chest and arms. James hurries to put his shirt back on.
Breakfast. a little awkward, but not too bad in the end. They go to the car park. Nat tries to do a reading, but finds the same null energy. He calls into work to say he'll be late in, he needs to help a friend. They drive back to the barge, James insists on driving. he's stiff and sore, but clear headed. James checked the barge, the design Nat realised is something more ritualised, it's protection. The whole over water thing is protection too.
Nat into work, he leaves a message for Razia, telling her to be careful.
Work is dull, but it pays the bills. He gets a call from Razia near 5pm, she's made contact with Maggie.
15
Razia and Nat go to see Maggie. On the way Razia tells him that there might be more missing werewolves, and maybe a missing psychic too. Razia says she made an appointment to see occult unit the following day and she'd like it if Nat and James attended too, and brought all the information they could.
They talk to Maggie, Maggie isn't the most lucid or coherent of people. She rambles about a lot of things. Past and present all mixed up, but it's clear she's afraid of something. The Stone Men, dancing in a ring. They consume the world, they are the hungry ones. They turn everything inside out, reversing the gain, they seek fear and doubt. in conflict they grow fat, in agreement the world will destroy them, they will dwindle to the shadows, but other ones, the Bringers of Discord fed them to freedom. I saw them on the dark roads, when I sleep all the feet they skitter, skitter, skitter, running for destruction they crave it, you know. She drinking heavily.
Razia is sad, but she can't make her seek help. They leave and drive over to James in Razia's car to tell him what Maggie had said.
16 at James.
He is working, doesn't look like he's eaten or rested, books open on every available surface everywhere. Razia sees the bruise on his face, the stiff way he moves and tells him he really ought to report whoever did it - they might say they're sorry, that they won't do it again, but they always do. was at that point that i realised i hadn't told Razia about the mystery car park man. Why not the internet? Asks Nat, because this isn't on the net. Some of these books are the only edition. James says. They talk, Razia is looking at some of the books. You know if we could cover three times as much ground together as alone. You don't know what you are looking for, James said. And you do? They get some stuff, but all it raises is more questions.
17 Nat at work the next day, gets in early and does his paper work Binns said somebody had left a note for him. It's a warning. The is the only warning you're going to get. walk away now. Don't attend the meeting. Nat dumps it in the bin. Your ex again? Binns asks. No, but nobody I'm listening to either. Nat goes to the meeting. Occult Unit is a harassed looking woman in her thirties with a case load that was impossible for her to deal with. She listened to them, told them that she'd try to get somebody out to look at the street and the arches, but as there was no evidence of a crime being committed and that as the null magic was associated with where known werewolves had been the assumption would be that they were responsible for it, rather than having been victims of it. Razia said that was completely unfair, Melanie says, that unfortunately is life, and she'd got a much bigger case that she'd tied up with. James is unsurprised. Razia said he was defeatist. James - I'm a realist, miss Khan, life has taught me to be. I'm not a a miss, mrs, a widow actually, so don't tell me how unfair life can be.
My condolences, he said, looking rather stunned. you're an odd one, Razia said, I get most people, but you? all this, she gestured at his suit and fancy shoes, this isn't really you is it? there's a different man inside, one that thinks if he talks the talk and walks the walk he'll get to play in the old boys club. She shook her head, it doesn't though, you're still on the outside. So why don't you drop the 1940s attitude and look, be who you really are and many you'd not spend your whole life hiding. You don't fit in that circle any more than I do.
Yeah, okay that was rather more blunt than I'd have put it, but honestly I was glad it had been said - and even more so that it hadn't been up to me to say it. Coward much?
there isn't anything left of that man, he died a long time ago. James turned and left. Now if you don't mind I've work that needs attending to.
Nat and Razia talk. She said she got the whole thing about appearances, about trying to look a certain way to fit in or to seem to certain parts of the community to do so.
if the world was a quick to seek to understand as it is to judge then perhaps it would be a much nicer place, Razia said, picking up her handbag. well I'd better get going, I've got my shift at the women's refuge to get to.
18.
Nat decides to do some digging about Rokesby. He couldn't decided if it was a sensible precaution to check out an employer to see if they were all they seemed to be or whether what he was doing was just a bit too close to cyber stalking. Either way information really wasn't forth coming. So after dithering a bit about it, Nat decided to go and see Terri. Terri or sometimes Terry, ran a club/cafe/bar from an old petrol station out on the Queensbury road. The clientele tending to be anyone who wasn't mainstream. The chances of Terri knowing James was slim, but the biker gear and the whole werewolf thing was hopefully enough. And even if it wasn't if there were wolves going missing Terri would know.
Terri liked to screw with your perceptions of just about everything, and honestly sometimes Nat thought that was just what he and the world in general needed.
Tonight whether Terri was in her fully rockabilly get up, running a midweek karaoke session. Or Terry looking like a 50's bad boy pin up with leather jacket over a white t-shirt and hair brill creamed within an inch of it's life, Terri always looked good.
Terry was in tonight. somebody had once asked what Terri was really, the reply probably wasn't repeatable in any kind of society polite or not, but the guy had deserved it. It probably could have been summarised as do my internal organs affect how your beer tastes? No, well shut the hell up or you're barred for life.
Nat talks to Terry about James. He said he thinks he remembers a guy like that, or rather he remembers the bike. It was gorgeous, a genuine 1960's Triumph, you'd put out for a ride like that. So did he? No, Terry said, which was a damn shame, still it was years ago, fifteen give or take, it's wasn't long after I opened this place. He must be well into his fifties by now. If he was he was by far the best preserved 50 I'd seen that wasn't Johnny Depp.
Why the interest? Looking for a sugar daddy? didn't think that was your style, kid.
No, Nat's face flushed. no he's just hired me for a missing persons case, well missing werewolf.
You're looking for Elise then? Terry said, We were all starting to worry, it's not like her to miss a theme night, never mind too.
No. Nat said heart sinking. Just how many missing werewolves were there? He hired me to look for a missing university student call Calvin, and I've sort of started looking for another missing wolf called Old Joe.
Three wolves missing, Terry said, definitely not liking it. I know Bradford is a big city, but hell that's a lot there's not that many wolves living here. Nat takes details of Elise and sends James a message to say they'll talk tomorrow about it as it was late.
19.
Nat gets home it's late, past midnight and he's exhausted. He goes in and knows that the house doesn't feel right. the lights are off, although that was probably the dodgy fuse again. He touches door to the cupboard where the fuse boxes are and is hit with a wave of psychic energy. There's blood on his fingers, not his. he's disorientated, dizzy, it's an attack, he hits redial to call James, what if he was being attacked too? He manages to get outside and sits on the doorstep, he's shaking but he can't move, it feels like the world is falling in on him, like every terrible thing, every fear and failure and grief is on him all at once, crushing him, and pinning him in place. He knows he's crying, hunched over and shaking. He's barely conscious of the fact that James has arrived and pulls him to his feet. He pushes Nat into his car and then goes back into the house. Nat feels only marginally better after about 20 minutes and James returns. Looking angry and scared. He gets in and they drive off back to his barge.
Nat feels all over the place, it feels a bit like the psychic shock episode which put him off missing persons cases. James gets him to sit on the sofa, and gets a bowl of warm water and cleans the blood off his hands. He makes Nat drink some tea and eat some bread and butter. Nat just feels chilled to the bone now and exhausted, but finally something like in control of his emotions.
What happened. Somebody did something awful in your house, James said. Blood magic, It was dark inside, I'm assuming that you didn't see the animal they had sacrificed.
Nat shook his head. This was deep, dark stuff. nightmare fuel. It would put a blot on the house that would likely mean he wouldn't be able to live there again. He was. Very cold, arms wrapped about self, shivering.
You need to warm up, James said. Helps him to the worlds smallest shower. Nat swaying on his feet, but can't fall over because the shower isn't actually big enough to do that. James waits just outside. Nat almost falls out of it. James hands him a bathrobe. it's old and soft and warm. There's only one bed on the barge, and James is dead on his feet as well.
Nat falls asleep with James sitting on the edge of the bed talking too him.
20.
James has slept on top of the covers next to him, fully dressed. James gets up. You should call in sick to work, I don't think that any form of psychic work for a day or so would be advisable, and you should get your house cleaned. i can arrange it if you wish. Nat agrees because honest he hasn't got any idea who you call to remove that kind of mess, not just the physical part, but the whole other part. Okay maybe if he asked Parminder or Binns at work, but he doesn't want to explain what's going on to them. Hell he's not even sure what he's mixed up in. All he knows is that he doesn't want to let it rest. He wants to stop it. He's not sure he's wanted anything as much as this and that even included
James suggests that they go over to Ilkley and meet up with Maurice Kaufman an antiquarian and scholar of the occult who has been a friend of James for many years.
They meet up with Kaufman at his house in Ilkley. Kaufman is an old guy, in his early 80s but still sharp as a tack. They talk about stuff, and Nat mentions something that Maggie said, and Kaufman replies that she must have meant the Apostle Stones on Rombolds Moor, not more than a three or four miles from where they are sitting. Does he know anything of significance about them? No, but it's an ancient landscape, there could be something or somebody could think that there is something. James and Nat thinking it over go into Ilkley to Betty's Tea Rooms.
21
Nat thinks that James looks at home there (the tea rooms) They talk, Nat's all for going up to the stones and taking a look around. James uncertain if that is a wise course of action without some form of back up. Nat says who would we even get for back up? James says there are a few werewolves who would be willing to do it, who act as an unofficial police within the werewolf community. Nat not keen, calls Razia instead. Razia joins them in the carpark by the cow and calf rocks with a map.
They look like the world least suitable hikers. James in his suit, Razia in her And Nat in his borrowed clothes and rocker boots.
Nat thinks about the brief flash of moorland he got when he'd touched James hand back in the coffee shop. Did james know this place? Was this actually some kind of trap? That would be stupid though, wouldn't it?
They walk up to the stones it's a nice afternoon, although there are clouds gathering. They don't find much and are about to go when they hear people approaching. Razia goes to get help.
22
Cave hide out. James feeling the need to change into a werewolf, the moon is going to rise soon. They that talk, james reveals he's a made wolf, an experiment. And that he was born in1885. He's not got any older since 1916. They nearly killed him in the process, but that he'd volunteered for the army patriotic duty and all that and found at the medical that he'd got TB, so he said he'd take whatever they could give him. He is in pain because he doesn't like to change, holds it off until only the full moon forces it out of him. It feels like your entire body is being ripped apart from the inside. James doesn't know why he's not ageing, werewolves age normally, but he knows he's not normal. He fought hard from a very poor beginning in the Scottish Islands, winning a scholarship and eventually becoming a lecturer at York university before the war. He was a historian, with an interest in medieval church. He was made as a weapon, the plan was to have controlled werewolves that they could use to clear enemy trenches. Nat asks did you? James replied to you think I was given a choice? The made me, I was their weapons until the war was over, they they dropped us like so much rubbish. They try to decide what they are going to do, they have no way of knowing whether Razia got away or managed to get any help. They other werewolves are probably going to die if they wait and do nothing.
23 James decides that he may as well use what he was given to try to rescue the other wolves, Nat nearly dragging him along in the gathering dark towards the stone circle now lit with fire. James isn't a normal werewolf, he looks different, think warg. James charges the men and women who are in the process of trying the werewolves to the stones. James is hurt - maybe a taser? not too badly, but Melanie, Razia and some genuine police back up arrive in time. Nat managed to do some psychic stuff. The reveal is that the people behind the werewolves abduction were trying to make people think that werewolves were a danger. The ritual stuff seems out of their league, and James says that he will continue to look into it.
24
A few days later Nat at work. Message from Melanie about consultancy work for occult squad, she'd like Nat as some kind of specialist to call on if needed, as it was hard to get anybody werewolves would accept. Parminder is happy raises the profile of the firm, and she'll take on werewolf clients now for the same going rate. James arrives on his bike, and tells Nat that whatever the people claimed the thought the ritual did, it didn't. they'd been played. but by who? not sure we'll ever know, james said. Nat sees James has brought an extra helmet, asks if he's going to give somebody a ride. James says its for him, if he wants. Nat, Hell yes, and they got off for a ride on the bike.
THE END (for now)
And i so want to write a sequel now, because there's a lot more to explain about what is really going on. Plus there's a ton of other stuff like the tunnels and subterranean section of river that runs under an old disused 1930s cinema, then the town hall, then the main council offices and then the cathedral. The Bradford Beck really does take cool route under the city. The disused section of railway out by Clayton with its tunnel, all the old empty mill buildings, Bolton abbey ruins and stepping stones by the Wharfe just 5 or so miles from Bradford. All the moorland up around Haworth, and all its history, that's only about 10 miles away. And I just want to do something with the fact that the councils tree of choice for planting everywhere across the city is the Rowan, which has a whole lot of superstition about it and witchcraft
7000 word scene plan with little bits of dialogue. I actually finally have a whole idea for it all. And now I want a sequel. I need to write the first one first though.
If anybody wants to take a look at it, see what they think of the idea, they can.
story overview
1. Nathan (Nat) at work. He works for a company of psychic investigators Carroll, Sahota and Binns. Being a psychic for hire, really not all it cracked up to be, when you spend most of you day looking at auction lots of jewellery and looking for lost property - there's better money in missing persons, but the idea of finding you were trying to connect with somebody who was dead was enough to put him off the idea for life. Nat is with a somebody who wants a paintings history checked out. Little bit of Nat's world view once he is alone and listening to the radio as he locks up the office for the night. Something that will prove connected to later plot on radio in background he turns it off before everything is said. Call from ex boyfriend who's drunk and after a shag for old times sake, leaves him in a bit of a bad mood.
2. Locks up, hurries across road, phone call has made him late for bus, and now it's raining. Sees a guy on a seriously nice vintage bike pull up outside work and knock in the door. The guy looks agitated, so Nat goes to talk to him. Finds out he is working for werewolves, knows that the senior partners probably wouldn't take it, but the guy looks sound, and a lot of them take solo cases - hell Binns seems to do nothing else.
3. go to a pub (Fighting Cock - nice real ale pub in a seed part of town, but I've (the actual me the writer, not Nat) has fond memories of drinking there as a student) and talk over details. James Rokesby charmingly old fashioned and Nat decides kind of hot (he so needs to get back on the dating scene if he's finding this guy attractive he decides) in a repressed kind of way. There is a young werewolf missing from the university, the police won't help, he's tried looking into it himself, but he admits despite being an academic this for of research is not his forte. It's getting late and Nat says about how he works, the whole seeing past by touch, and maybe a bit of dowsing. Agrees to meet up in morning to go over details and work out payment.
4. Saturday morning finds Nat in a coffee shop in Bradford city centre over looking the city park, sunlight on water/fountains. James Rokesby is in a 3 piece suit, wolf cuff links. Nat is in what he thought was smart casual - feels scruffy. It's all very James Bond, Nat thinks, the information is in a cardboard folder, neatly typed. seriously typed on a typewriter. who the hell was this guy? Nat gets out hsi tablet, get maps of the town, aerial views, James seems impressed. and hey who doesn't like a little bit of flattery? Nat tries a quick reading on a watch, but gets nothing, which is odd, as he thinks he should get something, but maybe he'd not had the watch long. he'll look into it later - i've got to go shopping with my gran. James seems okay with it, goes to the library to look for things.
5/ Nat and Gran at the market. melting pot city. it's dirty grimy and poor, but its ours and while we might complain - you don't get to unless you've lived here at least a couple of decades. Nat back story, Gran questioning him about stuff, have you got a new boy/girl friend. Gran has no boundaries, and while sometimes it's good, in the queue in morrisons in not the place to asks if I'm getting any. Nat mentions working, Gran not to sure about wolves, tricky them she says. Gets Gran home, helps her pack away shopping and cook tea, and a bit of house work. shes waiting for a new hip.
6. it's evening, Nat goes to meet back up with James. James still suited and Nat realised has a car this time. it is sadly not vintage, so much as old - well looked after, but its an 1980 volvo estate- it's disapppointing. He'd expected a Jag or something. They go to Calvin (the missing werewolf's) shared flat. He'd only been back at uni a month and a bit (2nd year). It was a self contained room in the house, the other tenant didn't know him that well, but had said he'd seem nice enough and had organised all the bills. Didn't get why he'd just up and left leaving all his stuff behind.
7 Calvin had worked, he'd worked his shift at a nightclub in town and then walked home, but had never apparently never arrived. It's only about 15 minutes or so, Nat says he'll walk it, holding something of Calvin's and try to get a ping (that's what he calls it) they do. It's faint but he gets something, until they reach an ordinary terraced street about 5 mins from the flat - then nothing - it's like every tiny psychic trace of anything has been scrubbed clean. Nat doesn't like it in the least. He says they should go to the police, James is somewhat resigned to the fact that it won't work - but does hold out a little hope that with a non-wolf looking into it they might listen or assign somebody from occult crimes to it.
8.
police station, not getting any luck. yes there is a liaison officer, she's on leave, maternity, yes somebody is covering it, no they are based in Leeds and only come in on Wednesdays - if it's a criminal matter they'll deal with it, but something like a street feeling wrong is not thier dept. They are about to leave when a woman talking to police woman come in. they woman is an outreach worker for the homesless, and she wants to report a man missing - old joe, who generally slept under the railway arches at Forster Square. James, looks shocked, not covering it well, going to talk to the woman. Old Joe was a werewolf too.
Nat, James and Razia Khan, down to the station. Nat gets the same null traces as before. What does it mean? no idea. Nat's caught now, interested, and honestly seeing more of James wouldn't be a bad thing.
It's late, Nat agrees to meet up with James the next day, Razia says keep her informed. James says she is most welcome to come too. Gives address - nice area near Apperley Bridge.
9. Sunday, out to James' house. It's a barge moored on the river/canal a bit away from the rest of the boats. It's old fashioned and has more books than Nat thinks a boat should contain. James is charming as before, and still infuriatingly vague about anything personal. No pictures, apart from from some old stuff like a century old. Nat asks about bf/gf, James smiles sadly, and says no, it wouldn't really fit in with his life. james makes tea - proper tea pot. Low down on werewolves - born vrs created. Nat never really knew there was much of a difference. Werewolves and magic, ritual etc. He wonders if James was ever a uni lecturer he certainly gives off at vibe - almost feel like he should have a whiteboard and a flip chart.
Nat's talking to him and Razia arrives, she's been out canvassing the streets about old Joe, just to check that he hasn't been taken into hospital or something. There's one person she wants to talk to, a woman called Maggie, and she wants Nat to come along, as there's a rumour that Maggie has the gift. Nat anybody who's got it doesn't call it a gift. A few might, she counters.
10. Nat and Razia off to see Maggie. James declines saying that he's got a few leads of his own, but doesn't say what they are. Razia - so you and antiquated, what's going on? Nat - nothing. Razia doesn't believe him.
They can't find her, nobody seems to know where she is. Nat thinks Razia is as tough as they come as all the places, squats and drug dens she visits doesn't seem to phase her. Razia Khan, 5.2 in her sandals. She's had a tough life, she's got nobody and she determined to help others who've found themselves in similar situations.
She asks about the whole magic psychic thing. Nat points out that they are different things, there are lots of different types. She asks about James, what is he. A normal human, I guess, said Nat uncertain that that was true. You really think so? She asked. He didn't seem to know much about how being psychic worked, said Nat, and he's got ties to werewolves so maybe he's one. You think? Razia said, he doesn't seem the type. What type is that? Well, rough around the edges, poor. Are they all really like that Nat said. Well they live on the edge of society. Nobody much will hire them, so unless they lie and risk everything they aren't going to get far in life.
He said he was an author, maybe he's written a bestseller, or inherited some cash, or won the lottery. I suppose he could be a created wolf then, but that's not allowed anymore is it? It's treated like infecting somebody on purpose with a fatal illness in the eyes of the law.
They are still talking about James when he phones them. He might have got a lead. Could they meet him where Calvin used to work. (Calvin is actually a distant relation of James’ not that he’s saying - he’d the great great grandson of one of James elder sisters.)
11. Nat and Razia go to the bar/club it’s in an old mill, and it’s called the Weavers. James is already there, in his biker clothes this time. Razia look at him, okay he is kind of hot. Razia is a widow, and firmly not interested in getting married again, she’s got to grown up daughters Fauzia and Nasmeena, one is married to a man who runs a cash and carry (and doesn’t see eye to eye with her mum much) and the other one is studying to be a doctor - now in her 3rd year of study.
James seem confident talking to the bar man who worked the same shift as Calvin. Nat wonders what he wanted them there for. Back up? or did he want him to do some psychic thing. Calvin had a locker at work, James collects the items. try to get reading he tells Nat. Nat not that keen on being bossed about, but does. He doesn’t get much, just a sense of confusion.
It’s now late on Sunday and a little disheartened they all go home. Nat surfing the net until very late, trying to find something. Mainly news stuff and even conspiracy theory stuff- who would take werewolves and why? They only had a few nights until the full moon so maybe that was it or maybe it was something to do with Halloween in a weeks time. Some stuff is real nut job things, nothing that seems likely. The whole null magic thing is a bust too. He decides he’s going to ask one of the senior partners at work about it. He’d prefer to ask Colin Binns if possible, as he was most likely to have come across the unusual and be will to talk about it. Otherwise he’ll talk to Parminder Kaur Sahota, who was the driving force behind the agency, now that Margery Carroll (the original firm was Carroll, Carroll and Binns) was nearing 65.
He goes to sleep feeling like there is something he has missed.
12. monday morning. He’s tired, but gets in to work and starts on his official cases for the day. A woman who was convinced her daughter in law had stolen the earrings that matched a necklace she still had. A man who wanted to know whether the painting that he had bought at a car boot sale was as old as he thought it was and a couple, Lisa and Amy, who wanted a house reading done before they put down a deposit on it, because Amy didn’t want to live anywhere anything bad had happened, but didn’t want a modern prefab either. House was first, grabbed lunch on the way back and wasn’t disappointed at all - no not me - when there was no message from James. Nat liked house readings, well unless you got one where something had actually happened or once even found a ghost in residence. Fortunately the ghost wanted to go and friendly Medium help his shuffle off to wherever it was bored ghosts went when they got fed up of haunted a terraced house in Idle.
It was a good lead into the conversation I wanted with Parminder. How can you psychically scrub a house/street? I mean if we got a client who really wanted the house, but not the vibe, then could be get rid of it? reset the house like? Her first question was had anybody asked about it? he could see her wondering whether it would be profitable or not. Parminder Sahota would put Alan Sugar to shame for shear business acumen. It’d be hard, exhausting, you’d probably only be able to do one room a day. So scrubbing out a whole street in an evening or so, not really doable? well i had to ask. Not by any means I know, you’re really looking at ritualised magic and some really serious stuff, and even then, I don’t know if it’d be possible. Why are you asking? Just curious. anything to do with this extra work you’re taking on. Yeah, Parminder, something of a mind reader, and I don’t mean that in the actual sense - her thing is remote viewing, missing people and history of items - yeah the only reason I got hired was she was doing more of the missing people work and wanted somebody else to do the boring ‘how old is this?’ and ‘did my husband by this for his mistress’ work.
Still she was good. Could have worked for the police or MI5 good, really I thought. But she was a business woman, she liked being her own boss. Firm but fair. If I’d fancied women and she’d been 20 years younger then well actually I’d probably have been too intimidated to do more than go oh wow and watch her from a corner.
the afternoon had dragged. The woman’s earrings had been solved by the fact that it turned out her Husband half knocked the jewellery box over and accidentally trodden on one and taken them away to get them fixed. The painting was of a very square looking bull and some storm clouds. Why anyone would buy it in the first place was beyond me, but the man went away happy when I told him was definitely more than a hundred years old, and gave him the name of art historian (who Parminder had set up a deal with - the woman was good what can I say). Then paperwork and all the dull admin bits that come with being an office junior. Letter and invoices. Oh joy, the glamourous life of a psychic for hire - not.
When I left work I found voice message from James. yeah and I so didn’t do a little mental happy dance at that, he wanted me to meet him for a discussion over a meal, and that I could choose where. So I texted him back gave the name of a decent little curry house not far from work and told him I’d found out a little bit about psychic scrubbing. That he texted back surprised me, I’d expected him to call.
13
So I spent the next 40 minutes sat in a coffee shop trying to write up my notes in a way that might stand the overnight legibility test - my handwriting is that bad that sometimes I can’t even read what i’ve written - no good if you’re giving it somebody else. It was one of those days where my brain goes giving it to somebody oooh that sounds dirty in it’s best carry on voice.
James looked impressed that I actually looked smart - it was my best ‘you’re making client house calls’ suit aka the one which actually fit, as opposed to the one that used to fit before I tried to save money by washing it myself. it was still wearable after a fashion - that fashion being not buttoning it up and moving as little as possible. He also looked tired, hell actually absolutely knackered would be a better description. It has been a tiring day - I went to see Calvin’s mother. Yeah, that’d do it. I felt guilty as hell now, I’d not even considered the young man’s family in all this.
he was suited this time, I still couldn’t decide if I liked the suit or the leathers better. A pale grey that make him look washed out and weary. it was smart, but it did him no favours.
Are you sure you want to do this now? I asked him. I would rather have company than not. They talk about not work, like the city, the weather, tv and news. James looking a little better, thanks him, it’s been too long since I last did this. Nat not sure if James is coming onto him. shouldn’t mix work and flirting, but they wouldn't always be working, Nat thought. Nat puts his hand on James’ hand, James pulls back instantly. nat got the briefest glimpse and scent of woodland and heather. and something feral.
I must go. James said. i’m sorry. I shouldn’t have called you. Nat too stunned to do much more than watch James all but run outside. There had been no outright denial of interest, no I don't lean that way, just something that had been too close to fear for comfort. Well that and the fact that Nat was pretty damn sure the guy really was a werewolf. Razia had been right - lucky she'd not been the betting kind.
Glad that we were in the kind of place where you paid before you sat down to eat, I pulled on my coat and dashed out after him. unprofessional as hell I tried to reach out to the faint trace I got off his hand, there wasn't much just a faint ping in the direction of a nearby multi-story car park. I wasn't even sure why I was doing it, hopefully because i felt like crap for driving him away when he looked like he was really in need of one and not for another more shallow reason. I'm not sure what I thought would happen when I found him, maybe an apology from me and an invitation for a drink if I was lucky. What I'd not expected was to see him grabbling with a guy who'd got a pretty effective choke hold on around his neck.
Seeing me, and honestly I had no clue what I was doing I grabbed my works ID card out my pocket and till receipt for some bread and waved it at him. "Stop! licensed investigator" the man glared at me, and I could have sworn his eyes glowed for a moment, and then he released James, who dropped to his knees gasping. The man kicked him in the chest, said something in a language I didn't recognise and then ran and leapt of the third floor of the multi-story.
If the guy had broken his neck is was his own stupid fault I decided ran over to James. James looked like hell. There was a bruise rapidly darkening on his cheek and around his neck, and he was shaking. He'd managed to get to his feet and was leaning against the side of his car.
You should go, he said, tried to move round the car away from me. Yeah so much for thank you for saving my life.
since we're skipping that thanks yous here, I said, how about telling me what the hell is going on? Who or what was that bloke and does it have anything to do with Calvin Harris' disappearance?
yes. I'm sorry. I... he stopped obviously dizzy. I will pay you for what you've found, so you can go. I must go home.
You are not driving, I was right next to him now, and he had nowhere else to go. My house is only a few streets away.
I can't, he said
well it's that or I call the police and an ambulance and see what happens.
He seemed to crumple. "I suppose I do rather owe you an explanation."
14
nat wishes that 'the pit' was a little tidier or you know at all tidy. James doesn't seem to care. He looks dead on his feet, but so tense that Nat think he'll snap something if he doesn't calm down. Although how you calm down after being half choked to death he wasn't sure.
The flourescent strip light in the kitchen/living room did James no favours at all. They talk, James reveals that he is an investigator for the werewolf community, that they do to him for things connected with police matters and to investigate when they won't - or at least progress the case to a point where it cannot be ignored or at least to the point where a member of one of the wolf packs can dispense their own justice. Vigilante researcher, Nat thinks in makes some kind of sense, although honestly the idea that werewolves were considering themselves above the law and dispensing their own type of justice was pretty damn worrying. So was that what that was? Nat asked, was that you getting told to back off by another wolf pack? No. I don't think he was a wolf, I don't know. James said, there are many things out there that exist on the fringes, ill documented things that are often thought to be other things or disregarded as fantasy.
next question, Nat said. Are you alright? James looked surprised that he'd ask. I will be, thank you for your concern. Are you sure you don't want to report it?
As what? James said, wearily. Attempted car jacking? or robbery? and when you tell them the perpetrators eyes glowed and he jumped off the 3rd floor of a car park they'll file it and that will be the last we'll hear.
Fine, I said, not really believing it. James gave me a world weary smile. It's the truth, as uncomfortable as it is. A werewolf would no more seek or expect the protection of law than a criminal would if he were injured in an altercation with a member of his own gang. It is our life.
Alright, no police, so what about a trip to A&E? or aren't werewolves welcome there either?
It's not a question of welcome or not, James said, standing stiffly. I choose not to go, I don't have any injuries that require their attention and occupying their limited resources when there are others in far greater need is purely selfish. No. My own bed and perhaps a stiff drink will suffice and in the morning I shall turn my attention to investigating who may have sent that man to prevent me looking into Calvin's disappearance.
You are so not driving, I said,
his hands were still shaking and he look, mortified by the fact. Seriously, I said, I've got a sofa bed here. Get your head down for a bit and we can make plans in the morning about what to do.
thank you. James said, I should have said it before, my manners have been somewhat lacking.
I'm willing to put that down to shock, I said. Make yourself at home. I'll just be upstair if you need me, there's only three rooms up there. I pointed to the stairs. My room, on the left, the bathroom on the right and what they told me was a 2nd bedroom but is in fact a a big cupboard that had a desk in it and no door, in the middle.
14.
nat comes down to see James awake and shirtless as James is trying to check his own bruises. Nat realised that James had put up a fight before the point he'd got to him, and there were bruises on his shoulders, chest and arms. James hurries to put his shirt back on.
Breakfast. a little awkward, but not too bad in the end. They go to the car park. Nat tries to do a reading, but finds the same null energy. He calls into work to say he'll be late in, he needs to help a friend. They drive back to the barge, James insists on driving. he's stiff and sore, but clear headed. James checked the barge, the design Nat realised is something more ritualised, it's protection. The whole over water thing is protection too.
Nat into work, he leaves a message for Razia, telling her to be careful.
Work is dull, but it pays the bills. He gets a call from Razia near 5pm, she's made contact with Maggie.
15
Razia and Nat go to see Maggie. On the way Razia tells him that there might be more missing werewolves, and maybe a missing psychic too. Razia says she made an appointment to see occult unit the following day and she'd like it if Nat and James attended too, and brought all the information they could.
They talk to Maggie, Maggie isn't the most lucid or coherent of people. She rambles about a lot of things. Past and present all mixed up, but it's clear she's afraid of something. The Stone Men, dancing in a ring. They consume the world, they are the hungry ones. They turn everything inside out, reversing the gain, they seek fear and doubt. in conflict they grow fat, in agreement the world will destroy them, they will dwindle to the shadows, but other ones, the Bringers of Discord fed them to freedom. I saw them on the dark roads, when I sleep all the feet they skitter, skitter, skitter, running for destruction they crave it, you know. She drinking heavily.
Razia is sad, but she can't make her seek help. They leave and drive over to James in Razia's car to tell him what Maggie had said.
16 at James.
He is working, doesn't look like he's eaten or rested, books open on every available surface everywhere. Razia sees the bruise on his face, the stiff way he moves and tells him he really ought to report whoever did it - they might say they're sorry, that they won't do it again, but they always do. was at that point that i realised i hadn't told Razia about the mystery car park man. Why not the internet? Asks Nat, because this isn't on the net. Some of these books are the only edition. James says. They talk, Razia is looking at some of the books. You know if we could cover three times as much ground together as alone. You don't know what you are looking for, James said. And you do? They get some stuff, but all it raises is more questions.
17 Nat at work the next day, gets in early and does his paper work Binns said somebody had left a note for him. It's a warning. The is the only warning you're going to get. walk away now. Don't attend the meeting. Nat dumps it in the bin. Your ex again? Binns asks. No, but nobody I'm listening to either. Nat goes to the meeting. Occult Unit is a harassed looking woman in her thirties with a case load that was impossible for her to deal with. She listened to them, told them that she'd try to get somebody out to look at the street and the arches, but as there was no evidence of a crime being committed and that as the null magic was associated with where known werewolves had been the assumption would be that they were responsible for it, rather than having been victims of it. Razia said that was completely unfair, Melanie says, that unfortunately is life, and she'd got a much bigger case that she'd tied up with. James is unsurprised. Razia said he was defeatist. James - I'm a realist, miss Khan, life has taught me to be. I'm not a a miss, mrs, a widow actually, so don't tell me how unfair life can be.
My condolences, he said, looking rather stunned. you're an odd one, Razia said, I get most people, but you? all this, she gestured at his suit and fancy shoes, this isn't really you is it? there's a different man inside, one that thinks if he talks the talk and walks the walk he'll get to play in the old boys club. She shook her head, it doesn't though, you're still on the outside. So why don't you drop the 1940s attitude and look, be who you really are and many you'd not spend your whole life hiding. You don't fit in that circle any more than I do.
Yeah, okay that was rather more blunt than I'd have put it, but honestly I was glad it had been said - and even more so that it hadn't been up to me to say it. Coward much?
there isn't anything left of that man, he died a long time ago. James turned and left. Now if you don't mind I've work that needs attending to.
Nat and Razia talk. She said she got the whole thing about appearances, about trying to look a certain way to fit in or to seem to certain parts of the community to do so.
if the world was a quick to seek to understand as it is to judge then perhaps it would be a much nicer place, Razia said, picking up her handbag. well I'd better get going, I've got my shift at the women's refuge to get to.
18.
Nat decides to do some digging about Rokesby. He couldn't decided if it was a sensible precaution to check out an employer to see if they were all they seemed to be or whether what he was doing was just a bit too close to cyber stalking. Either way information really wasn't forth coming. So after dithering a bit about it, Nat decided to go and see Terri. Terri or sometimes Terry, ran a club/cafe/bar from an old petrol station out on the Queensbury road. The clientele tending to be anyone who wasn't mainstream. The chances of Terri knowing James was slim, but the biker gear and the whole werewolf thing was hopefully enough. And even if it wasn't if there were wolves going missing Terri would know.
Terri liked to screw with your perceptions of just about everything, and honestly sometimes Nat thought that was just what he and the world in general needed.
Tonight whether Terri was in her fully rockabilly get up, running a midweek karaoke session. Or Terry looking like a 50's bad boy pin up with leather jacket over a white t-shirt and hair brill creamed within an inch of it's life, Terri always looked good.
Terry was in tonight. somebody had once asked what Terri was really, the reply probably wasn't repeatable in any kind of society polite or not, but the guy had deserved it. It probably could have been summarised as do my internal organs affect how your beer tastes? No, well shut the hell up or you're barred for life.
Nat talks to Terry about James. He said he thinks he remembers a guy like that, or rather he remembers the bike. It was gorgeous, a genuine 1960's Triumph, you'd put out for a ride like that. So did he? No, Terry said, which was a damn shame, still it was years ago, fifteen give or take, it's wasn't long after I opened this place. He must be well into his fifties by now. If he was he was by far the best preserved 50 I'd seen that wasn't Johnny Depp.
Why the interest? Looking for a sugar daddy? didn't think that was your style, kid.
No, Nat's face flushed. no he's just hired me for a missing persons case, well missing werewolf.
You're looking for Elise then? Terry said, We were all starting to worry, it's not like her to miss a theme night, never mind too.
No. Nat said heart sinking. Just how many missing werewolves were there? He hired me to look for a missing university student call Calvin, and I've sort of started looking for another missing wolf called Old Joe.
Three wolves missing, Terry said, definitely not liking it. I know Bradford is a big city, but hell that's a lot there's not that many wolves living here. Nat takes details of Elise and sends James a message to say they'll talk tomorrow about it as it was late.
19.
Nat gets home it's late, past midnight and he's exhausted. He goes in and knows that the house doesn't feel right. the lights are off, although that was probably the dodgy fuse again. He touches door to the cupboard where the fuse boxes are and is hit with a wave of psychic energy. There's blood on his fingers, not his. he's disorientated, dizzy, it's an attack, he hits redial to call James, what if he was being attacked too? He manages to get outside and sits on the doorstep, he's shaking but he can't move, it feels like the world is falling in on him, like every terrible thing, every fear and failure and grief is on him all at once, crushing him, and pinning him in place. He knows he's crying, hunched over and shaking. He's barely conscious of the fact that James has arrived and pulls him to his feet. He pushes Nat into his car and then goes back into the house. Nat feels only marginally better after about 20 minutes and James returns. Looking angry and scared. He gets in and they drive off back to his barge.
Nat feels all over the place, it feels a bit like the psychic shock episode which put him off missing persons cases. James gets him to sit on the sofa, and gets a bowl of warm water and cleans the blood off his hands. He makes Nat drink some tea and eat some bread and butter. Nat just feels chilled to the bone now and exhausted, but finally something like in control of his emotions.
What happened. Somebody did something awful in your house, James said. Blood magic, It was dark inside, I'm assuming that you didn't see the animal they had sacrificed.
Nat shook his head. This was deep, dark stuff. nightmare fuel. It would put a blot on the house that would likely mean he wouldn't be able to live there again. He was. Very cold, arms wrapped about self, shivering.
You need to warm up, James said. Helps him to the worlds smallest shower. Nat swaying on his feet, but can't fall over because the shower isn't actually big enough to do that. James waits just outside. Nat almost falls out of it. James hands him a bathrobe. it's old and soft and warm. There's only one bed on the barge, and James is dead on his feet as well.
Nat falls asleep with James sitting on the edge of the bed talking too him.
20.
James has slept on top of the covers next to him, fully dressed. James gets up. You should call in sick to work, I don't think that any form of psychic work for a day or so would be advisable, and you should get your house cleaned. i can arrange it if you wish. Nat agrees because honest he hasn't got any idea who you call to remove that kind of mess, not just the physical part, but the whole other part. Okay maybe if he asked Parminder or Binns at work, but he doesn't want to explain what's going on to them. Hell he's not even sure what he's mixed up in. All he knows is that he doesn't want to let it rest. He wants to stop it. He's not sure he's wanted anything as much as this and that even included
James suggests that they go over to Ilkley and meet up with Maurice Kaufman an antiquarian and scholar of the occult who has been a friend of James for many years.
They meet up with Kaufman at his house in Ilkley. Kaufman is an old guy, in his early 80s but still sharp as a tack. They talk about stuff, and Nat mentions something that Maggie said, and Kaufman replies that she must have meant the Apostle Stones on Rombolds Moor, not more than a three or four miles from where they are sitting. Does he know anything of significance about them? No, but it's an ancient landscape, there could be something or somebody could think that there is something. James and Nat thinking it over go into Ilkley to Betty's Tea Rooms.
21
Nat thinks that James looks at home there (the tea rooms) They talk, Nat's all for going up to the stones and taking a look around. James uncertain if that is a wise course of action without some form of back up. Nat says who would we even get for back up? James says there are a few werewolves who would be willing to do it, who act as an unofficial police within the werewolf community. Nat not keen, calls Razia instead. Razia joins them in the carpark by the cow and calf rocks with a map.
They look like the world least suitable hikers. James in his suit, Razia in her And Nat in his borrowed clothes and rocker boots.
Nat thinks about the brief flash of moorland he got when he'd touched James hand back in the coffee shop. Did james know this place? Was this actually some kind of trap? That would be stupid though, wouldn't it?
They walk up to the stones it's a nice afternoon, although there are clouds gathering. They don't find much and are about to go when they hear people approaching. Razia goes to get help.
22
Cave hide out. James feeling the need to change into a werewolf, the moon is going to rise soon. They that talk, james reveals he's a made wolf, an experiment. And that he was born in1885. He's not got any older since 1916. They nearly killed him in the process, but that he'd volunteered for the army patriotic duty and all that and found at the medical that he'd got TB, so he said he'd take whatever they could give him. He is in pain because he doesn't like to change, holds it off until only the full moon forces it out of him. It feels like your entire body is being ripped apart from the inside. James doesn't know why he's not ageing, werewolves age normally, but he knows he's not normal. He fought hard from a very poor beginning in the Scottish Islands, winning a scholarship and eventually becoming a lecturer at York university before the war. He was a historian, with an interest in medieval church. He was made as a weapon, the plan was to have controlled werewolves that they could use to clear enemy trenches. Nat asks did you? James replied to you think I was given a choice? The made me, I was their weapons until the war was over, they they dropped us like so much rubbish. They try to decide what they are going to do, they have no way of knowing whether Razia got away or managed to get any help. They other werewolves are probably going to die if they wait and do nothing.
23 James decides that he may as well use what he was given to try to rescue the other wolves, Nat nearly dragging him along in the gathering dark towards the stone circle now lit with fire. James isn't a normal werewolf, he looks different, think warg. James charges the men and women who are in the process of trying the werewolves to the stones. James is hurt - maybe a taser? not too badly, but Melanie, Razia and some genuine police back up arrive in time. Nat managed to do some psychic stuff. The reveal is that the people behind the werewolves abduction were trying to make people think that werewolves were a danger. The ritual stuff seems out of their league, and James says that he will continue to look into it.
24
A few days later Nat at work. Message from Melanie about consultancy work for occult squad, she'd like Nat as some kind of specialist to call on if needed, as it was hard to get anybody werewolves would accept. Parminder is happy raises the profile of the firm, and she'll take on werewolf clients now for the same going rate. James arrives on his bike, and tells Nat that whatever the people claimed the thought the ritual did, it didn't. they'd been played. but by who? not sure we'll ever know, james said. Nat sees James has brought an extra helmet, asks if he's going to give somebody a ride. James says its for him, if he wants. Nat, Hell yes, and they got off for a ride on the bike.
THE END (for now)
And i so want to write a sequel now, because there's a lot more to explain about what is really going on. Plus there's a ton of other stuff like the tunnels and subterranean section of river that runs under an old disused 1930s cinema, then the town hall, then the main council offices and then the cathedral. The Bradford Beck really does take cool route under the city. The disused section of railway out by Clayton with its tunnel, all the old empty mill buildings, Bolton abbey ruins and stepping stones by the Wharfe just 5 or so miles from Bradford. All the moorland up around Haworth, and all its history, that's only about 10 miles away. And I just want to do something with the fact that the councils tree of choice for planting everywhere across the city is the Rowan, which has a whole lot of superstition about it and witchcraft