CHAPTER SEVEN

The evening sky hung heavy and dark over the deserted street, casting deep shadows over the lonely street of Greenwood. The street lamps flickered weakly, their light barely penetrating the gloom. 

Despite the danger, a few brave souls could be seen darting quickly between the buildings, their eyes darting nervously from side to side as they hurried home. Each person seemed to be walking with a sense of urgency as if they knew that the werewolf could strike at any moment.

The evening setting was eerie, and it was clear that the street was no place for the faint of heart. With werewolf attacks happening frequently, it was a place where danger lurked around every corner and anyone who dared to venture out after dark did so at their own peril.

Detective Sophia arrived home after a long day at work, looking forward to a quiet night in. As she opened the door, she saw her younger sister, Alex, sitting on the couch.

"Hey, sis!" Alex exclaimed, jumping up to give Sophia a hug. "I came to surprise you!"

Sophia smiled, hugging her sister back. "It's great to see you, Alex. What brings you here?"

"I just wanted to come and spend some time with you," Alex replied, grinning. "And I brought snacks!"

Sophia chuckled, happy to have some company. "That's great. I could use some company tonight."

As they settled down on the couch together, Sophia couldn't help but feel grateful for her sister's unexpected visit. Being a detective was a demanding job, and it was nice to have some family around to help her unwind.

Over the next few hours, the sisters chatted and caught up, snacking on chips and watching a movie together. Sophia felt her stress melt away as she spent time with Alex, glad to have such a supportive family member in her life. 

She just wants to feel relieved and forget about all the issues weighing her down, she just wishes it could all go away. 

'Ehm… Alex, there is this case that we are trying to resolve about a man who has the ability to turn into a wolf' 

'Wait… Are you serious right now? It's all a joke right?' Alex sat up and was already staring at her sister to shed more light on what she just told her. 

'Yes, I'm serious. It has killed two citizens already. Both male specifically, and the most frustrating part is that we don't know how we can identify the human and we also don't know where he will strike again' Sophia sighs. 

Alex's eyes widened in disbelief. "Wow, that's… intense," she said, her voice trailing off as she tried to process what her sister had just told her. "Do you have any leads or anything?"

Sophia shook her head. "Not really. We've been interviewing witnesses and gathering evidence, but so far nothing has panned out. It's like this guy is always one step ahead of us."

Alex nodded thoughtfully, then reached for a handful of chips. "Well, I'm sure you'll figure it out. You always do."

Sophia smiled gratefully at her sister's words, feeling a surge of determination. She knew that she couldn't give up on this case, no matter how challenging it seemed. Too many lives were at stake.

As the night wore on, the sisters continued to talk and laugh, enjoying each other's company. But Sophia couldn't shake the feeling of unease that had settled in the pit of her stomach. She couldn't help but think about the mysterious wolf-man, out there somewhere, waiting to strike again.

Just as she was about to suggest that they call it a night, Sophia's phone rang. She glanced at the caller ID and saw that it was her partner, Luke. She excused herself and answered the call, stepping out onto the balcony for privacy.

"Hey, what's up?" she said, trying to keep her voice casual.

"Hey, sorry to bother you so late," Luke said, his voice tense. "But we just got a call. Another attack."

Sophia's heart sank. "Male victim?" she asked, already knowing the answer.

"Yeah. We're on our way there now, but I wanted to give you a heads-up."

Sophia took a deep breath, trying to keep her emotions in check. "I'll meet you there. Be careful."

As she hung up the phone, Sophia felt a surge of adrenaline. This was it - another chance to catch the wolf-man before he could do any more damage. She turned to go back inside, but something caught her eye.

In the distance, she saw a large, dark shape moving through the trees. It was too far away to make out any details, but Sophia's instincts told her that it was the wolf-man. She hesitated for a moment, then made a split-second decision.

"Alex, I have to go. There's been another attack," she said, grabbing her jacket and heading for the door. "Stay here, stay safe. I'll be in touch."

With that, Sophia dashed out into the night, her senses on high alert. She had no idea what she was getting into, but she knew that she couldn't let the wolf-man get away again.

She ran outside immediately, brought out her gun, and pulled the trigger and a loud bang echoed through the forest. Detective Sophia listened intently, hoping to hear any sounds that would indicate she had hit the wolf. After a moment of silence, she approached cautiously, gun still in hand. 

As she moved closer, she saw movement in the bushes and prepared to fire again. But as the creature emerged, she realized it wasn't a wolf at all, but a large, friendly dog that had wandered too far from home. She breathed a sigh of relief and lowered her weapon, calling out to the dog in a soothing tone.

She immediately went to where her car was parked and drove to the crime scene. 

Sophia arrived at the scene of the robbery, a small supermarket on the outskirts of the city. As they approached, they could see the yellow police tape surrounding the building, and a small crowd of curious onlookers gathering at a distance.

She immediately sighted Luke who was already walking towards her to give her more information he was able to gather. 

"Alright, let's get to work," Sophia said, as they made their way through the crowd. "What do we know so far?"

"From the information, I was able to get", Luke began, "it shows that this guy just finished robbing a store around the area."

"Which store?" Sophia asked, looking around for any signs of the suspect.

"It was a small supermarket on Silver Street," Luke replied. "The owner called it in right after it happened. He said the robber had a gun and took off with a few hundred dollars from the cash register."

"Did anyone see the suspect leave the store?" Sophia asked, scanning the area for any witnesses.

"There were a couple of eyewitnesses who said they saw him running down the alley, but they couldn't get a good look at his face," Luke said.

"Okay," Sophia said, nodding. 

Luke hesitated for a moment before speaking. "He was attacked by a werewolf after he left the store."

"The owner of the supermarket told me that he heard some strange noises coming from the alley after the suspect left. He went to see what was happening and found him lying on the ground, bleeding from a bite wound on his arm. The owner said he didn't see any animal, but he heard it growling and snarling before it ran off."

Sophia rubbed her chin thoughtfully. "We've had a few werewolf cases recently, but this is the first time we've had one tied to a robbery. Are you sure it was a werewolf?"

"I can't say for certain, but the bite marks on the suspect's arm match the pattern of a werewolf bite," Luke said. 

"Hmm... You know, I have been thinking recently. In order for us to get hold of this thing, we have to first know more about it. We need to research more about the source and its weaknesses," Sophia said as they were walking away from the scene.

"We also need to know how to set a trap for it. We can't keep missing it each and every time. Do you get my point?" she added.

"I totally do, boss. I've been having similar thoughts too," Luke replied.

"Alright, we will inform them tomorrow at the precinct so everyone will put their hands on deck in order to acquire enough information we need," Sophia concluded."How is jane?" 

"Oh, Jane is fine, though she's frightened about the whole situation," Luke sighed. "She told me about one of her friends who's currently planning to relocate because of it."

They were already beside Sophia's car. He placed his hands on top of the car as he continued, "So she is suggesting that we do the same, but I'm trying to make her see reasons why I can't. Can you guess what he said next?"

Sophia folded her arms as she leaned on the car bonnet. "What did she say?"