Claire stood at the window of the board room in the town hall and looked out. She gazed down at the chaos in the world below. People were everywhere, holding banners up, screaming and shouting in rage as they gestured towards the town hall.

She read most of the banners held by the agitators below.

"We need Answers"

"What is going on?"

"Stop keeping us in the dark".

Claire's heart sank with sorrow when she saw a particular woman holding up a banner that said..."Why am I a widow?!"

She squeezed her eyes shut and spun away from the window, facing everyone within the office before she opened her eyes again. They had all gathered at the room and were waiting for him to arrive and meet the town's newest guests; Liam and his team. She glanced at everyone In the room with her, realising it would be much better than looking down at all those people.
Patrick and Liam were having a conversation, while Donovan stood by the water dispenser, gulping down a cup of water.

Brent and Larry stood beside Jelani engaged in a conversation, that for some reason, had exhausted Brent so much, he left Larry and began walking towards Claire.

Brent walked over, stood beside her, and threw his gaze outside the window.

"My God," Brent sighed as he shook his head slowly. "Cherrywood is falling apart".


"You think?," Claire uttered and then she raised her hand and ran her fingers through her blond hair.

She couldn't deny the fact that she knew the pain those people were going through.
It was horrible.
Those men who went hunting for whatever was the cause of all this, were killed and that meant a bunch of widows and fatherless children all around.

She lifted her gaze to Larry standing in the corner with Jelani and her brows furrowed with confusion when she saw what he was doing.

The young deputy, Larry, was fiddling with the coloured beads on the neck of the african native. Even when Jelani had waved him away and moved to another corner, Larry followed him over and continued fiddling with the jewellery in genuine curiosity.

"What the hell is wrong with this guy?" Brent said.


Claire turned and caught Brent's frown on Larry and Jelani before she chuckled.

Immediately, the Mayor's office door burst open and got everyone's attention.

"Sorry...sorry...sorry everyone," Mayor Steve McLauren announced as he hurried through the door, walked into the board room with his chief Kent and his secretary; short and petit looking woman in white shirt and pink skirt, following behind. "I apologise for keeping you all."


He made his way to the seat at the end of the table and sat.


"Everyone?..," He said with a smile as he gestured to the seats. "Please."


Everyone took thier seats along the large table; Well, everyone except Jelani, who for some reason, preferred to stand beside Liam.

"So," he began and then faced the town's Zookeeper. "Patrick?"


"Eh-Yes-Um", Patrick uttered suddenly sitting upright on his chair before he turned and gestured to Liam. "Sir, this is my friend, Dr. Liam Price, Zoologist, Wildlife conservationist and animal expert.

Liam lifted himself slightly from his seat and gave the Mayor a curt nod. "Sir?." He then sat back and relaxed once more.


The Mayor cleared his throat. "I presume Mr. Parker has briefed you on the situation?"


"Yes he has," Liam said as he sat up straight in his chair.


"And?."


Everyone in the room had thier eyes on Liam now and Claire was impressed to see that I didn't seem to touch his nerves. He looked so relaxed.


"Well," Liam started. "It's obvious from the time of the attacks that this animal is-"

"...a night hunter or feeder..whatever, Mr Parker has made us aware of that," the Mayor rushed him. "What else?"


Claire turned to Liam and saw the look in his eyes, and she knew he was slightly offended by that, but he let it slide.


"..But did Parker tell you that the predator could also be feline?", Liam smirked and corked his head.

The room was silent for a few seconds after Liam had said those words, before the Mayor finally spoke.

"What?", McLauren uttered with confusion written all over his features.

Patrick's eyes widened with shock at Liam's statement as he spun to face him. "How the hell do you know that?"



"Frankly," Liam chuckled as he tilted to face Patrick. "I'm surprised you didn't point it out yourself, Patty boy."


"What the hell is a Feline?", Chief Kent asked.


"W-What Liam is trying to say," Patrick said. ..Is that whatever is out there, is in that Cat family."



Kent's confusion suddenly dissolved into that of dread. "Oh Jesus." and Larry's quiet chuckle could be heard from across the table after he saw his bosses reaction to the fact that the killer was a cat.


"So you're saying it's some kinda wildcat or something?," Donovan was curious.

"Yep", Liam replied.

"Wow," Claire gave a tired utterance.

Patrick turned and faced his colleague with confusion and doubt taking over his features.
"..But seriously Liam, you saw the autopsy pictures I sent you," Patrick said. "Didn't you?"



"Yes I did," Liam said lazily as he relaxed back on his chair. "..and that's why I'm here."

"You and I both know mountain lions don't do that to people," Patrick protested.


"There are no Mountain Li-", Kent uttered.


"I know that," Liam fired, cutting Kent off.



"Then what the hell do you mean feline?" Patrick uttered the last word with great effort and emphasis.


Liam stretched out his left hand to Tate beside him as if giving the young boy his cue and telling everyone to listen to him.


"Well-eh-,"Tate started. "We did study the pictures that you sent us Mr. Parker and it was very obvious the attacks were Feline."

Patrick pursed his lips and crossed his hands on his chest, eagerly waiting for what the young man had to say. "How So?"



"Um-", Tate uttered as he stole nervous glances at everyone on the table. "Attacks by felines, most especially, large wild cats, are marked by lacerations to the jugular."


Brent gave a heavy sigh. "In english please?," He uttered. "Some of us here didn't go to Harvard you know."


"Massive tissue loss to the neck," Claire suddenly said in realisation.


Tate turned to her as his face lit up like a teacher whose student had answered his question correctly. "Exactly," he declared.

Liam tilted to face an astonished Brent with a smirk on his face.

"She didn't go to Harvard," Liam smiled. "Did she?"

Brent narrowed his eyes at him when he felt the irritation of Liam's sarcasm course through him. "No," Brent spat with a fake smile. "..but she's a doctor."


"Lions, Tigers, Jaguars, Leopards, they all have the same killing pattern", Tate continued to explain. "They all first of all attack thier prey on the neck, crushing the neck, thereby rupturing the jugular veins and then suffocating the prey."


"Shit," Larry grimaced as he raised his hands and held his neck.

"Nice one Kate," Liam chuckled.

Tate immediately spun to him. "Tate," He hissed and then started to wonder if Liam was intentionally trying to piss him off.


"Okay," the Mayor began. "Now we are sure we have a wild cat on our hands, what next?."


"We kill the fucker!," Larry's voice echoed through the walls of the board room.


Everyone spun and glared at the young deputy as he suddenly sank in his seat in shame. "Sorry," he whispered.



"With all due respect sir," Liam said. "I don't think we should rush into that just yet."



"Are you kidding me", Kent chuckled as he spun to face Liam. He didn't think he could be serious.


"These things take time", Liam explained. "We need to know what we are dealing with first. You know, study it's patterns."


"Listen Dr. Do-little, we already-", Kent faced him.


"Kent!", The Mayor said, cutting the police officer of as he raised his hands.


"Dr. Price", McLauren started. "You don't seem to understand the situation here."



"..and what situation might that be?," Liam said as he glared at a seething Kent on the opposite side.


"We've lost ten people in just two weeks", The Mayor said. "..including a sixteen year old boy."


When Claire saw the way Liam and Tate spun and looked at the Mayor in shock, she was certain Patrick had left out that information.


"I-I didn't-," Liam stuttered with wide eyes.


"That's besides the point," the Mayor raised his hands and cut him off. "The reason we called you was because we were out of options."


The Mayor then shifted in his seat to get a better balance to say what he was about to say.

"You see, Cherrywood is one of the most popular towns in Colorado,.....especially on the July fourth holidays."

When Kent saw Liam narrow his eyes at the Mayor in confusion, he had to explain further.

"Since this town's inception, the July fourth fireworks display has been a big money maker. People come from all over the state, hell, from all over the country for this," chief Kent added.


"Yeah..and don't forget the J4 Concert the day after," Larry added in a voice that spilled out his excitement. "I heard Ed Sheeran is coming this year, Can't wait."


Brent and Donovan slowly spun and looked at the young deputy in confusion.


"What?," Larry said. "Everyone loves Ed Sheeran."


"Shut the Bleep up, Larry," Donovan hissed.

"Okay wait a minute", Liam declared as he waved his hands in the air. He obviously hadn't gotten over what the Mayor had told him earlier.


"You're saying-I mean- did you....did you just say that there's a feline in the woods surrounding this town that killed ten people in just two weeks?," Liam asked.


"...and a herd of sheep too," Donovan added.


Liam and Tate spun and faced each other with wide eyes and an expression on thier faces that made Claire uncomfortable. When she saw the way the two men looked at each other, she knew something was wrong.


She watched him as he immediately spun to face the Mayor.
The relaxed Liam was suddenly gone and his smiles had vanished from his face. He looked serious now; dead serious.


"Mayor?,Listen," He said. The dread was unmistakable in his voice. "If what you're saying is true, then you need to cancel this year's festivities."


The Mayor shot his head up and froze. "What?," he growled.


Kent and Donovan began to chuckle.


"Listen you don't understand," Liam cried as his voice was being drowned by the laughter that had filled the room now.



"Is this guy serious?" Kent turned and asked Claire while laughing.


Claire on the other hand, was not amused. She didn't think it was wise to dismiss his assumptions and warnings and she didn't know why.

She turned and faced Brent, He wasn't laughing either; neither was Patrick not Larry.


"Wait...Wait," The Mayor declared as he waved his hand for everyone to be quiet. "Wait a minute. I just wanna know what brought you to your conclusion of me cancelling my festivities for this year."


Liam leaned closer. "Mayor, Listen," Liam began. "When an animal kills one or two people in two weeks, that's just a mistake. If it kills five people in two weeks, it's a man-eater."


Liam licked his lips and glanced at everyone in the room. The laughter had stopped. Everyone had seriousness written on thier features now and Claire could feel the hairs at the back of her next stand.



"..but when an animal kills ten people in two weeks," Liam continued in a haunting voice. "That's not an animal anymore.....,"



".....that's a monster."

Guy hope all is well. No update yet.

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