Cruel and Unusual - serialised novel EXCLUSIVE to Steemit Part 78

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Episode List From 1 – 52
Then: 53 54 55 56 57 58 59 60 61 62 63 64 65 66 67 68 69 70 71 72 73 74 75 76

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“Perhaps you have a point,” Hazel continued. “Maybe I should get away from these Humes; I am not here for their benefit. I protect Wolf from discovery, not Humes from Wolf.”

“Still, you did a good thing, you stopped a Throwback and prevented it from being captured and therefore discovered for what it is – was – and you have provided me with a new pastime to keep me occupied for a while. The experiments can only benefit Wolfkind; I do not perform them purely for pleasure.”

“I know this, I recall the knowledge that you passed on to me as we travelled across Italy and without your experimentations, I should not be as able to understand Throwbacks and I should not be as able to sense them, I am certain of it.” Hazel turned to continue on her way towards the waiting Sentinels.

“One thing more, Sentinel Exemplar,”

Hazel froze as she realised he had used her official title for a reason.

“You must evacuate all Sentinels from England by tomorrow evening.”

“I assume that is a directive from our Lycaeon herself?”

“Yes and no. I have spoken with her and she has allowed me to make the decision.”

“Very well, we shall be gone by nightfall tomorrow.”

“I did not mean you…”

“Nevertheless.” Hazel cut him short and continued towards her meeting.

The waiting Wolves were silent as she approached. None were speculating on what they were to be told.

They waited and Hazel sensed their mourning and their anger. Most had known one of the proven Sentinels that had died but only a few had known Brynn for he had kept himself very much to himself and was very much the Lone Wolf but they all knew of him, his reputation was impressive. It was hard for all to accept that a Throwback had not only killed two of their most respected colleagues, but that it had since escaped justice by making itself Wolf by some sort of Necromancy.

Hazel did not have to wait for silence in order to speak and so she got right to it.

“The Throwback has been captured, it is true and it is also true that it has managed to make itself Full Wolf. It is not true that it will now escape justice.”

Hazel waited while the buzz of excited questioning began, but she held up her hands to ask for quiet and the assembled Wolves complied.

“I have asked Anton – and for those of you that did not meet him the other night, he is the Ancient that was with us as we made plans to capture the Throwback. I have asked Anton to take the Throwback to his home.”

Again she was interrupted by a buzz of voices from the Wolves, but this time it was not a questioning, it was an angry buzz which reminded her of a wasp nest disturbed.

“Allow me to finish before you become angry if you please!”

She had to raise her voice to be heard over the angry murmur.

“You have always trusted my judgement in these matters; at least allow me to explain.”

An uneasy silence descended and the atmosphere was charged with resentment boiling beneath the apparent calm.

“I have negotiated with Anton that he shall keep the Throwback indefinitely to use in experimentation to further our knowledge of our species. The experimentation, I am assured, will be extensive and excessively painful for the victim… I mean subject.”

She again waited while the truth of the statement sank in and the murmur changed from anger to curiosity.

“Anton has always been curious as to how and why Throwbacks are different from full Wolf and this is the perfect opportunity to dissect the question further. He assures me that the experiments will be excruciating and prolonged. He has also agreed that when the time comes that he is either bored of his subject or the subject has no further knowledge to be gleaned from it, then he will execute it in the same way that it executed one of our own – by skinning it alive.”

At that statement the amassed Wolves took great stock of what she had told them, they were aghast at the notion of Keme having been skinned and were better appeased that the punishment fitted the crime.

But one had doubts.

“How shall we know that Anton will keep his promise to you?”

The Wolf asking the question was one that Hazel recognised as long-term Sentinel and one that had hunted with her many times. His question was validated by other Wolves nodding and agreeing with him.

“Mark, how can you ask such a question? You have been with me for decades now and have you known me to be persuaded so easily?”

She looked him in the eyes and he held her gaze without wavering.

“No, but the circumstances are not usual. In this case, the atrocities are extreme and the very fact that it made itself Full Wolf are enough to make me wonder if Anton will not merely question it on how it managed the feat.”

Hazel nodded in understanding and before she answered, she considered his question.

“Anton already knows how it made itself Full Wolf so he has no need to ask it. What Anton is trying to find out is how a Throwback differs in more physical ways. In other words, he will be cutting open the Throwback and searching inside, then it will be stitched together, allowed to heal and operated upon again… and again… and again. The operations will be performed under no anaesthetic and with only muscle paralysis, so it will feel every cut, every movement of internal organs and every stitch. It will live its life in agony – either physical pain or the anguish of knowing that it will happen again… and again. I have also negotiated that any of you may go and observe the experiments at minimal notice and then, once it has been decided that it is to be finally released, Anton will invite us all to watch the execution.”