Carnivores

By Richard Poche

A fire-breathing preacher and a pair of police officers all have something grisly in common; they're the latest victims in a series of bizarre ritualistic murders. 

The police think that the killings are the work of the local street gang, The Lobos, who pattern their organization as if they are a real wolf pack. 

But a down on his luck teacher suspects that the killings may be the work of the Reuzenwolf, a species of werewolves that his grandfather used to talk about in his homeland of Holland. 

With panic growing in the streets from the continued attacks, Hank's claims of real life werewolves fall on deaf ears with the authorities, and he soon finds himself alone in a fight against an advancing horde of lycanthropes.

• Language: English
• Publisher: Richard Poche
• Release date: Jun 27, 2021
• ISBN: 9798201259006

Book preview

CHAPTER 1 

A big noisy wind hit the squad car, full of the chill from the Bay waters.

Danny Lopez, rookie cop, hoped the cold weather would keep the gangbangers off the streets. But he looked over at the cop assigned to mentor him and knew that his training period would be trial by fire.

Officer Mark Spinks claimed to be a cousin of the famous boxing Spinks brothers, and most of his fellow cops did not bother to question the assertion. If they did, they would have found out that Mark just really loved to bullshit people.

But as the saying goes, you can't bullshit a bullshitter. Spinks had a unique talent for chipping away at a perpetrator's story. No one lied to Spinks and got away with it because he had the best BS detector on the force.

Spinks offered no quarter to criminals and considered himself to be in a war. He was in a one-man fight against crime at forty-five years of age, but he looked sixty. He had bags under dark eyes with scar tissue running across both. People did take him to be an old prizefighter. Until they saw his potbelly.

Lopez worried about not being macho enough to get good grades from Spinks. As a youth, Lopez had been a skinny nerd who locked himself in his room and read comic books. He stood at a five-foot-seven and had a thin, sharply cut face, green eyes, and brown hair that had started to thin. He never talked much and liked to think things through before offering an opinion. Even his own teachers teased him for being quiet and shy.

But he did not see his silent nature as a weakness. He knew that there were elements that had to be met with violence and a quiet nature was neither here nor there when he came to dealing with a lawbreaker.

Lopez discovered martial arts during junior year in high school. He studied different techniques that enabled smaller men to subdue bigger ones. He became an expert in Brazilian jiu jitsu as well as studying such complex fighting styles as Preying Mantis Kung Fu and White Crane.

During his interviews, he stated that he wanted to become a cop because he wanted to help out the victims.

He cared about victims of bullying because he knew from experience how it felt. His shy and gentle nature made him prey for bullies throughout his life. Finally, he’d had enough. He'd studied enough martial arts and fought back.

On one occasion, he confronted his bully and gave him the beat down in front of everyone at school.

It was the greatest day of Danny Lopez's young life.

After the schoolyard victory, everyone began calling him The Karate Kid. Ironically, Lopez did resemble Ralph Macchio, the star of the movie. He looked brittle and weak. Now he had to spend the rest of his life proving otherwise.

This used to be a good neighborhood, believe it or not, Spinks said, driving through traffic with a rhythm that only an experienced cop could have. Hell, my grandmother used to walk around to the corner store and back by herself. Now, you'd be a damn fool to do that. Bunch of wild animals out here.

Lopez nodded his head in agreement. The West Oakland neighborhood they patrolled did have nice homes. A lot of them were old Victorians. It presented a facade of a previous generation where hard work and pride still mattered.

It is the people that changed, Spinks said. No respect. They say it happened in the sixties. I don't know. Growing up in the eighties, we didn't tolerate the shit people do now. These kids look up to the damn drug dealer. They excuse that shit, you know? Saying that he is just trying to survive. But as cops, we know better. We know that these fuckers are just taking the easy way out. It’s easier to rob an old lady then get a damn job. Shit, man, I saw this YouTube video where this punk ass drop kicked a woman holding her baby just to steal her damn cell phone!

The patrol car cruised to the red light. Street lamps barely illuminated the dimly lit homes. Most had black bars on the windows. Across the way, an abandoned church had Fuck the Police! scrawled in black on its shuttered doors.

Spinks noticed the corner liquor store with iron bars on its customer service window.

Can you believe that? he asked. How many places in America do you have a damn storefront where the shopkeeper looks like he's doing business in a prison cell? Ridiculous! Only in Oakland.

I grew up here, too, Lopez said. I remember I used to go in there and buy football cards.

Yep, yep. The one with the stick of gum inside?

Yeah.

Yeah, see that's what I'm talking about. When I was a kid growing up here, it was all about fun and family and barbecues. Now this is all about bullshit. Bullshit and killings.

They watched as the man behind the window counter helped a young black woman with her son holding on to her leg.

The boy looked across at the police, his eyes full of suspicion.

Lopez waved at the boy and he hid his head behind his mother.

Do you need a bag? the storeowner asked the woman.

Just give it here, she said, taking the bottle of Hennessy.

Look at that shit, Spinks said.

The woman turned around and saw the squad car. She curled her lips in contempt as she walked off with a bottle of booze in one hand and her son's hand in the other.

A homeless man walked past the car as they waited for the light. He started to dance, doing a little moonwalk a la Michael Jackson, but without the grace.

Let's go, man! Spinks honked his horn.

The homeless man pointed at the full moon that shined, fat and full. Then he howled like a wolf.

I drive through here and I feel like dealing with people from another planet, Spinks said as he pulled the vehicle around the homeless man. Hell, they make me want to fly to another planet.

Spinks dreamed of other existences, of being anywhere but in the ghetto as a patrol cop. His smartphone had pictures of exotic lands that he downloaded in his leisure time. Beaches, mostly. He wanted to spend the rest of his life island hopping, going from beach to beach, being entertained by the dark beauties of foreign lands. He told himself stories of what he would do if he were rich. It was a habit he had growing up in a poor family because that is what people do: talk and dream.

The patrol car turned onto Mandela Parkway. A group of kids milled around the corner, laughing, cursing, and talking loudly. They saw the police car roll up and stopped laughing. Two of them looked away, but the tallest one gave the officer a dirty look from hell. He had eyes that were as black and deep as a pool of oil.

Look at this shit, Spinks said. You know, when I first started, I thought maybe I could be a positive influence to these little fucks. That maybe they could see the positivity in living the clean life. But now, no. Now I just watch destiny take its natural course because a dipshit is a dipshit.

Spinks stopped the patrol car and rolled down the window. He beamed his flashlight across their hardened faces.

Take your hoods and hats off, he said. Let me get a look at you.

Why? one of the teens asked.  

Take the hoods off!

The teens stared hard. Then obliged the request.

Just hanging out, right? Spinks asked.

Yeah.

Lemme guess, the Xbox is broken. Can't afford a new one so it’s back to the street corner slinging dope.

Nah, it ain't like that.

What's 'it' like then? Spinks asked caustically.

The dispatcher's voice came over the radio. Frantic.

All available units. Skyline Boulevard and 38th. All available units please respond to Skyline and 38th stat. Officer down. I repeat. Officer down.

Spinks hit the gas. The squad car raced up the street like a bullet.

Yeah, that's right, get the fuck outta here, punk ass cop, one of the teens said as the officers drove off.

Spinks said nothing on the