Chapter 9
It was still pouring, harder now. The boys were soaked to the skin in moments. The road was slippery, so they couldn’t run as fast as they wanted to.
When Jack tried to really sprint, he slipped and fell into the guardrail. “Ow,” he said, struggling to get up.
“We have to keep moving,” Paul said nervously. He took his brother by the arm to help him up.
Zeek, clutching his belly, jogged past them. “What’s the big hurry?” he said. “Luna and her grandma are out hunting that other werewolf. They won’t be looking for us.”
A howl filled the night sky.
“But the werewolf might be,” Paul said, “if they haven’t caught him yet.”
Nelson nodded. “Good point,” he said. “Let’s get moving.”
The boys ran on until they came to the overpass where they’d first met Caleb.
“I have to rest a minute,” Zeek said. He dropped to the sidewalk, holding his stomach.
“Let me see that,” Paul said. “It looks like the bleeding has started again.”
“We can’t stop now,” Jack said as a howl screamed across the sky. “The car isn’t much farther. Maybe a hundred yards. We’re almost to safety!”
Zeek looked up at him and nodded. “Okay,” he said. “I’ll try to keep going.”
The other boys helped him to his feet, then turned to keep moving. They stopped dead in their tracks.
The young werewolf stood blocking the other side of the overpass. He crouched there, eyeing them, ready to pounce.
“Run!” Jack shouted. The four boys turned back the way they came.
“But the car,” Zeek said, gasping for breath. “It’s the other way.”
“We can’t fight that monster,” Paul said. “Keep running.”
As they came out from the overpass, though, a voice called out from above: “Here he comes.”
The boys looked up just as the werewolf leapt at them. From above, a big net fell, catching the werewolf and sending him tumbling to the pavement.
“It’s Luna!” Jack said. “She caught Caleb!”
The other boys looked up as Luna stepped to the edge and realized she’d saved her own victims. “It’s them!” she said. Her grandma came up beside her.
“Well, don’t let them get away,” Grandma snapped. She didn’t look so kind anymore.
“To the car,” Jack said. “We can make it if we run.”
The boys ran past the netted werewolf and into the rain. Soon they reached the car.
“Hurry!” Jack said as his brother fumbled with the keys.
The doors opened and the boys climbed in.
“We made it!” Nelson said. The others cheered and laughed.
“I can’t believe we’re okay,” Zeek said. “I can’t believe we made it out of Ravens Pass alive.”
Paul, smiling, slid his key into the ignition and turned it. Nothing happened. Then he realized the gas can was inside the car — with them, and still full of gas.
Jack laughed. “It’s okay,” he said. “Go fill the tank. Hurry.”
Zeek shook his head as he looked out the rear window. “No way,” he said. “Too late.”
Jack turned around. Behind the car, smiling at the boys, were Luna and Grandma . . . and a young werewolf on a leash.