Prologue
Friday, 24th May 1994
Night of the Opera
The door of the furnace was open and the fire glowed as yellow as Gabriel's
eyes.
Okay, here goes nothin'...
He couldn't believe there had actually been a time when he had been so sure
about his choice. Strange what being in wolf form could do to one's mind.
He took a moment to listen to the adrenaline that hummed through his veins.
He rose his snout and sniffed the air for the sheer pleasure of it. There
was the faint smell of some janitors in the lobby, which told him the greater
mass of people had left. The discernible scent of the chase through the
basement. Little draughts of fresh night air that smelled of freedom.
But all were drowned by the all-mighty, salty, heavy stench of fear that
filled the room like fog.
It came from the two humans. He made another small movement and was hit by
new waves of fear. Never in his life had he felt so powerful. It was unfamiliar
and scary, but it fulfilled a desire within that he had never known to exist.
I'll be damned if I wanna give it up right now.
His gaze moved around the room and met the fiery gaze of the Black Wolf.
"I am Death," Gabriel said. "Are you ready to go?"
The fire in the eyes did not falter as they delivered their response.
"No, you will not take me now."
Grace was waiting for Gabriel to act. After all, she had opened the furnace
door for him and it was his turn now. Wait a minute... wasn't there something
she could do? She felt the warm metal of the talisman on her chest. Of
course, she was wearing it under her Opera dress! Why hadn't she thought of
it earlier?
Trying to move as inconspicuously as she could, she began to slowly pull at
the chain around her neck until she uncovered the talisman and grabbed it in
her hand.
"Keep that gun down and watch the Black Wolf." Her voice was low and Leber
had to strain his ear to catch the final whispered words.
Grace threw the talisman at von Glower.
Gabriel instinctively withdrew a few steps and averted his eyes while the heavy
piece of metal flew across the room. He risked a look towards Friederich and
saw he was all right.
He didn't stop to think why the talisman had had no effect. As the two
humans' attention was focused on von Glower, Gabriel squeezed past them
and dashed through the door into the theatre foyer. He didn't slow down until he was safe out of the building and in the street, and soon von Glower was by his side.
That night the moonlight revealed two huge dogs running together in a
frenzy along the deserted streets of Munich.
Chapter 1
Saturday, 25th May 1994
It was late at night and the fire was burning cheerfully in the fireplace
at the hunting lodge in the Naturpark Schwäbisch-Fränkische Wald. Gabriel
and von Glower were seated in two leather armchairs in front of it.
Gabriel welcomed the tranquility after the delirious running of the night
before. No, it wasn't the right choice of words. Delirious persons didn't
remember the vivid details like he did now...
.. Two naked men sneaking into the dark hallway of von Glower's mansion like
guilty little boys. Thank God there wasn't anybody awake at that hour to
laugh at the sight. They rushed straight to the bedroom and emerged fully
dressed. A quick trip to the kitchen to grab a small package of food and they
jumped into Friederich's car and off to the hunting lodge.
Gabriel was now relaxing by the fire, at ease in the only set of von
Glower's clothes that fitted him and feeling a little drowsy. He had slept
the day away in that armchair, a restless, fragmented sleep, but it had helped.
The chill in his bones wasn't as unbearable as before, when he used to
shiver in bed for days with only dark thoughts and Grace for company.
Gawd, it's good to be alive.
Friederich sat down in the armchair next to him, appraising him
with a warm smile. Gabriel's sleepy mind suddenly wondered something.
"Say, Friederich, how d'you get away after I left last night at the theater?"
"Oh, it was quite simple. I'm afraid the delightful Kommissar is not in his
youthful prime any more..."
Gabriel grinned.
".. And your little friend was all too glad to make way. I waited to see you
safe, because alone you would have been an easy prey to Leber." He let out
a small laughter. "And I who thought the evil significance of the black would jump
to his attention immediately..."
"Yeah, I saw that gun givin' me the eye. Such luck that Gracie tried to use
the talisman on you. Didn't come as a big surprise, though, I mean she had
already screwed up once..."
"Are you serious? I had gotten quite a different impression from the way you
described her that night at my place. She seemed to be the... um...
competent type."
"Uh... take my word on this one."
"Aren't you going to write to her, tell her that you're safe?"
"It can wait. Besides, she'd be here on the doorstep the very next day after
my writin' to her - 'Hi there guys, I found this place by smellin' the
envelope', or whatever."
Friederich got up and went to the bar.
"Would you like some more beer?"
"As a matter of fact, yeah, thanks. Let's put my new cah-pacities to the
test."
They smiled at each other.
After von Glower returned with the two kegs of beer, they sat silent for a
while. All the things that had never been said floated in the air between
them.
Gabriel was staring into the fire, remembering the night of the performance
and the chase in the theatre basement. If he hadn't been so intent on trapping
von Glower he would have noticed even then that the Black Wolf had given up
and had let Gabriel decide their common fate. He had watched his Beta close
the doors around him and lead him to the furnace room, all the time hoping
for a change in his decision. And he had made no attempt to escape, even if
he obviously had enough strength to throw a door open.
And he had returned the Ritter talisman.
It was as if Friederich had gotten tired of searching for a new companion
and he had put his last hope in Gabriel. If Gabriel had chosen not to join
him, he would have welcomed death.
Or was this just Gabriel's wishful thinking? Did he secretly desire for
someone to consider him as important as life itself?
Hell, I have Gracie for that.
He looked left and was taken aback by meeting von Glower's deep blue eyes
studying him.
What is it about his eyes? It's like he can see right through me...
He cleared his throat.
"I was wonderin', ever since that night at your place, about how the
talisman had no effect on you. I mean, it hurt my eyes when Gracie pulled it
out and threw it towards you."
"You are too new and inexperienced with your new abilities. I have had a long
time to adjust to them and control my condition... well, some of it, anyway.
You will learn to do that in time, I am sure of it."
Gabriel brushed his hair and shifted nervously in the armchair. "I'd really
rather not be thinkin' about the future."
"As for the talisman, like I said in my letter to you, it was easier not to
fight its light..."
"Wait a minute... what letter? I didn't receive any from you!"
"You didn't? Oh... I understand. Your friend thought of your well-being."
"Hey!! You wrote me a letter and Grace didn't show it to me? Damn her, what
gave her the right to play God?!" Gabriel got up and began to pace the
room up and down furiously. "I'll tell that woman a word or two..."
"Please, Gabriel, you will have to try to suppress your anger. You wouldn't
want to become a second Garr." There was a muffled sadness in the baron's
voice.
Gabriel reluctantly stopped and seated himself. Von Glower's voice had a
weird soothing effect upon him. He felt his anger go away as quickly as it
had come.
"What did you write me in that letter?"
"I think it is of little importance now that we are together."
"C'mon Friederich, how can you say that? You don't know how I waited for
that letter!" Realizing his slip, he looked away in embarrassment.
The baron looked at him and smiled a relieved pleasant smile.
"I'm glad... Well, if you are so interested, perhaps when you decide to
write to Grace you can ask her for it."
A new silence fell. The nerve on that woman, to hide something like that from
him! Why did she open it in the first place? Isn't mail privacy guaranteed
anymore?
Not for werewolves, it seemed. Ah well, he'd have that letter out of Grace
in no time. If only he could make himself write to her, that is.
He swept aside these thoughts and looked around. The lodge had surely seen more
cheerful days, with hunting club members roaming all over the place, laughing,
talking, drinking, unaware of the wolves among them.
"Friederich, aren't you gonna send word to the members of the club that
you're alive? They must be pretty confused without you."
"In fact, I already did, today. You were sleeping. I called Gunther...
my butler."
"Did you learn somethin' new? What did the police and the press say about
the... er... events?"
"The general public doesn't seem to know anything about what really happened
down there at the Opera House. Why don't you see for yourself?" and von
Glower handed Gabriel a newspaper.
A large heading on the first page caught Gabriel's eye, next to a very ugly
real-life picture of Leber. "Sorry to bother, but, ya know, this is all German
to me."
Friederich smiled at him and took the offered paper.
"'The two wolves sighted last night in the Wittelsbacher Theater basement
are still nowhere to be found.'"
"What does the article say?"
"It goes like this... 'It is believed that the two wolves may be the ones
gone missing four months ago from the Talkirchen Zoo. Kriminalkommissar Leber
of the Munchen police force declares that the wolves are apparently no longer a
threat - there haven't been any mutilation killings for the last two months.'"
"The poor sucker, what could he possibly declare?" smirked Gabriel. He took
the newspaper back and leafed through it. "Hey, it says somethin' about you
here."
"Really, nothing to worry about. 'Unfortunately, aristocratic opera lover
baron von Glower felt very ill during act 3 of tonight's performance and
withdrew early.'"
"Then I think we're safe, at least for now. But I hate it when I think they
actually believe us to be responsible for those sick killin's."
"It is disturbing, I know. And it's been a rough time, especially for you.
I see the illness has consumed you during the time we were apart. So, as
much as I would enjoy sitting here and talking to you, I'm afraid it's time
for us to go to sleep now. There will be other evenings."
"Okay, I admit I'm like talkin' in my sleep. Let's go."
They climbed the creaking old wooden staircase to the first floor.
"I think I'll accommodate you in what used to be Hennemann's room, it's
right next door to mine. Feel free to knock anytime you need something."
"Thanks," and Gabriel reached out to shake hands.
Friederich took Gabriel's hand between both his own and looked him deep
in the eyes.
"I'm really glad that you joined me. I was hoping that you would," he said
softly. "Oh, and about the opera... it was entertaining. I wouldn't have
missed it for anything. Good night, Gabriel."
And with that he turned around and entered his room.
Gabriel laid on the bed and covered himself with two warm blankets, but sleep
didn't come for a long time.
continue to chapter 2 >>
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-script by Alex
