The Alpha and the FBI Agent

What Happened to Larry?

                    Clayton

         I followed the directions that this guy Drew was feeding me as we drove into this strange gated community. The houses all looked the same with the same manicured lawns. There were a few shops and restaurants like any other town. The residents stared at the car as we drove by. “Do you guys not get a lot of visitors?” I ask Drew.

           “Not really, no.” He mumbles.

           I nod. “This isn’t some sort of cult, is it?”

           Drew snorts, “No, sir, we just don’t like outsiders.”

           “Right,” I reply. I see a large house that looks like a log cabin come into view. It has to have a hundred rooms at least. It towers over the other houses in the town, and people are coming and going from it. “Let me guess. That’s where this mayor is,” I ask, and Drew nods.

           “Yes, it’s our pack-“ He pauses. “Town center.”

           We stop in front of the house, and I glance at Drew. His eyes look foggy for a moment, and then he looks at me. “The Mayor would like me to take you to her.”

           We get out of my car and walk towards the entrance. Several people pass us while eyeing me suspiciously. “Who you got there, Drew?” A man dressed in fatigues and a black shirt.

           “Don’t worry about it, Tony,” Drew snarls. He turns to me but says nothing. We go into the building, and I curiously look around. It’s well furnished, and the wood continues inside. The décor is pretty basic. A young woman walks up to Drew and me.

           “Hey, Drew. Who’s your friend?” She asks with a head tilt. She looks me up and down and smiles. “I’m Jamie.”

           “Frankie asked me to bring this man to the office,” Drew tells Jamie.

           Jamie smacks her lips. “Of course.”

           “Excuse us,” Drew smiles at Jamie, and we continue down the hall. We reach the end, and Drew knocks on the door. Seconds later, Garrett opened it, and he was still wearing just shorts. He stands aside to let me into the office with Drew behind me. I am prepared to meet a man when I see the person standing behind the desk is not a man but the most beautiful woman I have ever seen in my life. She has shoulder-length brown hair and dark blue eyes that sparkle. She is wearing a pair of black slacks and a light pink blouse.

           I shake my head and step towards the desk. “Are you Mayor Frankie?” I ask her.

           She nods but says nothing for a moment before shaking her head. “Mayor?” Her eyes flick to Garrett, who is standing behind me with a grin on his face. He nods at her. “Y-yes, I am Mayor Francine Abernathy,” She says and holds out her hand.

           I pull out my badge to show her. “I am Special Agent Clayton Marshall with the FBI,” I introduce myself. I pocket my badge and shake her hand. A strange sensation shoots up my arm. It’s like sparks or something. I stare into the mayor’s eyes for a moment before pulling my hand away. “What the hell?” I look at my hand.

           “Is this some kind of f*****g joke?” Mayor Frankie says and sits in her chair. I hear a laugh and turn to Garrett, who presses his lips together.

           “No, this is no joke,” I speak out. 

           “You may sit, Agent,” She says, but I can tell she is having trouble speaking. “Drew, you may go back to your duties.”

           “Yes, Alph-“ Drew starts to say and pauses. I see dirty looks coming from Mayor Frankie and Garrett. “I mean mayor.” He hurries out of the office, and Garrett loses the door.

           I sit on a chair in front of the desk while Garrett moves behind Frankie. Her eyes are completely focused on me, and a strange feeling come over me. I am strangely attracted to this woman and feel the need to stay close to her forever. 

           “W-why have you come here, Agent?” Mayor Frankie breaks the momentary silence.

           I gulp and blink a couple of times. “I am here investigating a body found out in the park. It’s right on the border of your property.” 

           “Oh right, Garrett told me about it,” She responds. “We can take care of it. No need for your agency to waste time on it.”

           “The body is partially on federal land. We are obligated to investigate,” I argue, and she sighs.

           “We tend to take care of things ourselves, Agent Marshall. My be-“ She pauses while gesturing to Garrett.   “Garrett here tells me that the body is Larry Johnson, a janitor at our school. Right, Garrett?”

           “Right Alph-“ Garrett stumbles. “Mayor.”

           “So, you and your crew can pack up and let us worry about what happened to Larry,” Mayor Frankie says to me.

           I have to put aside my feelings and do my job. I glare at her. “That’s not for you to decide. We have to find out how that man died. So either you all can cooperate with us, or we can invade your land and investigate this strange little town you have here.”

           A low growl is heard, and it seems to be coming from Mayor Frankie. Her hands are gripping the desk, and I swear I see it splintering. “Fine. You can investigate what happened to Larry.”

           “Frankie,” Garrett speaks up. Mayor Frankie glares at him, and he presses his lips together.

           Mayor Frankie’s eyes fog over for a second. “I’ll have someone take you to Larry’s home.”

           “He has a mate and two children,” Garrett says to Mayor Frankie.

           “s**t,” She pinches the bridge of her nose. There is a knock on the door. “Come in,” She barks out, and a man in fatigues and a black shirt walks in. “Tyler, I need you to escort Agent Marshall here to Larry Johnson’s home to investigate his death.” She gives him a stern look while her eyes fog for a second.

           “Yes, Alpha,” He nods, but another growling sound seemingly comes from Mayor Frankie. “I mean Mayor Frankie.” Tyler mumbles. “This way, sir.” He gestures, and I stand up.

           “Thank you, Mayor,” I hand her one of my cards. “If you can think of anything to help in the investigation, please call,” I say with a slight smile. Our hands brush against each other as she takes the card. Sparks fly up my arm, and I stare into her blue eyes again. I pull my hand away, and I swear I hear her whimper like a dog. “What’s with the sparks?’

           Mayor Frankie shrugs. “I don’t know what you are talking about.” She glances at Garrett after he laughs again. “Keep me posted on your investigation, Agent Marshall. Now, if you’ll excuse me, I have work to do.” She turns to the computer on the desk, and I am led out of the office.

My head is muddled as Mayor Frankie’s face keeps flashing through my mind. I nearly walk into a wall, and the guy Tyler stops me.

“Uh, are you alright?” He asks, and I nod. “Well, try not to run into the walls.” He huffs.

I follow him back out to my car. “I take it you are riding with me,” I say to Tyler.

“Yes, sir. That way, I can direct you to Mr. Johnson’s house.”

           I click the button on my keys and unlock the doors. Tyler and I hop into my car, and he directs me on where to go. We drive down the road and turn down a row of smaller houses. Like all of the other houses here, they are the same style and even the same paint colors. The only difference is the cars or kids’ toys in front. 

           “Right here, sir,” Tyler points to a white house with a lovely flower bed and a beat-up pickup in the driveway. 

           We get out of the car and walk towards the door. It opens before we reach it, and a teenage male steps out. He looks at Tyler. “Are you here about my Dad, Gamma?”

           “Gamma?” I look at Tyler.

           Tyler looks at the teenager. “Yes, I am. How did you know?”

           “My mother is sobbing in her bed. She has been like that all day. I was wondering when someone would get here,” The boy lets us into the house. “My sister has been caring for her.”

           “And what is your name?” I ask him.

           The teenager glares at me. “What’s with the human?” He snarls.

           “Easy, Troy. This is Agent Marshall with the FBI,” Tyler tells the kid.

           “I just have some questions about your father,” I say to Troy.

           “Well, I’m not telling a human anything,” Troy looks at Tyler. 

           “Why do you keep saying, human? Are you not human?” I ask the teenager.

           A low growl sound comes from Tyler, and I watch the kid stiffen. “Mayor Frankie is allowing this gentleman to investigate your father’s death.”

           “Mayor?” Troy snorts. Tyler’s eye fogs over, and the boy nods. “Fine. I don’t like this.”

           “What’s going on, Troy?” A younger teenager walks into the living room. She resembles Troy, so I surmise that she is Mr. Johnson’s other child.

           “Don’t worry about it, Megan,” Troy tells her.

           I look at Megan. “I am here to ask questions about your father’s death.”

           Megan sighs. “Why? Wasn’t it just rogues?” Megan looks at Tyler.

           “The mayor,” Tyler says to her. “Is allowing Agent Marshall here to investigate your father’s death.”

           “Mayor?” Megan gets the same look as Troy.

           ‘This place is seriously starting to freak me out,’ I think to myself. “I need to speak with your mother.”

           “Our mother is beside herself with grief,” Troy says with a growl. “She just lost her mate.”           

           “Why does everyone here growl?” I scoff. 

           “That’s not growling,” Tyler says quickly. “It’s a form of communication for our town.”

           “It’s weird,” I state. “Anyways, your mother?”

           Troy and Megan exchange glances. Troy glares at his sister but says nothing. “I’ll take you to our mother,” Megan says to me. “But she may not be much for talking.” Megan leads Tyler and me down the hall. I hear loud sobbing as we near one of the rooms. Megan knocks on the door. “Mom,” She calls. “Mom, Gamma Tyler is here along with some other guy. They need to talk to you.”

           I poke my head into the room and see a thin woman lying on the bed with her face in the pillows. She is sobbing and sniffling. “I don’t want to talk,” The woman says. The pillows muffle her voice.

           “You have to talk, Nancy,” Tyler steps into the room. “We won’t be here long.” He gestures for me.

           Megan sits on the bed and rubs her mother’s back. “I’m right here, Mom.”

           Nancy sits up on the bed, and I see she is a pretty woman with long blonde hair and blue eyes red from her tears. She sniffles, and Megan hands her a box of tissues. She eyes me. “What’s with the human?”

           I roll my eyes. ‘What is with these people?’ I think to myself. I pull out my badge to show it to Nancy. “I am Special Agent Clayton Marshall of the FBI, and I need to ask you some questions.”

           Nancy narrows her eyes. “FBI? Why is the FBI here?” She looks at Tyler.

           “Your husband’s body was found on federal land,” I state. “And I investigate bodies found on federal land.”

           Nancy glances at Tyler, and they seem to exchange a silent conversation. “Fine. Ask your questions,” She waves her hand.

           “When did you last see your husband?” I pull my little notebook from my pocket to write down her answers.

           “This morning. I always get up early to make him breakfast before he goes to work,” She explains. 

           “What time?” I push.

           “He left around seven,” She responds and sniffles.

           “Do you know anyone who would want to hurt your husband?” I ask, and she shrugs.

           “He got along with everyone except-“ She glances at Tyler. “Never mind.”

           “Nancy, you have to answer his questions,” Tyler tells her in a tone that sounds like an order.

           “Fine, there is Todd Wiggins. He is a warrior here, and he bullies Larry,” Nancy states. “Larry comes home with bruises sometimes, and he wouldn’t tell me it was Todd, but I know it was. Todd has been bullying Larry since we were pups-“ she shakes her head. “I mean kids.”

           “What do you mean by warrior?” I ask.

           “Oh, warrior is just what we call our police force,” Tyler adds. 

           “So a police officer was picking on a school janitor?” I say with a raised eyebrow. The more time I spend here, the more confused I become. These people are hiding something. I know it. 

           “It happens between ranks,” Tyler states.

           “So, Nancy, do you suspect that this Todd Wiggins killed your husband?” I ask.

           “I don’t think so,” she replies and blows her nose. 

           “You already knew your husband was dead?” I ask.

           “I felt his death,” She says. “I mean, I was told they found him a few hours ago.”

           “Right,” I write down her responses. “I think that’s all I need from you, for now, Mrs. Johnson.” I look at Tyler. “Take me to this Todd Wiggin, please.”

           “Uh, he is working right now, sir,” Tyler states.

           “I don’t care. I need to speak with him.” I glare at Tyler.

           Tyler’s eyes fog over for a second. He then walks out of the room. 

           I look at Nancy. “Thank you for answering my questions. I am sorry for your loss. I promise that we will find out what happened to your husband.” I hand her one of my cards. “If you think of something, please call me.”

           Nancy nods at me with a slight smile. I walk out of the room and almost run into Tyler. He turns to me. “Todd will meet us in front of the house.”

           I look him over and don’t see a cell phone in his hand. I wonder how he called Todd. Tyler walks out of the house, and a tall, thick man is standing near my car. He is dressed only in shorts like Garrett was. 

           “What is this about, Gamma?” The man snarls. “I am on patrol.”

           “I know, Todd,” Tyler replies and gestures to me. “Mayor Frankie is allowing this man to ask questions about what happened to Larry Johnson.”

           Todd folds his arms. “Oh, and let me guess. You all think I did it.”

           “Did you?” I chime in. 

           Todd looks me up and down with nearly black eyes. “And you are?”

           I pull my badge out. “Special Agent Clayton Marshall with the FBI.”

           “FBI, huh?” Todd snorts. “I take it that old Larry was found over the border.”

           I nod. “Yes, I would like to ask you some questions about your relationship with Larry. His wife tells me that you bullied Larry?”

           Todd scoffs. “I haven’t bullied Larry for years. We were friends. I may have picked on him a little.”

           “Nancy says he came home with bruises a lot, and she suspects you did it,” I state.

           Todd shifts his stance. “I did.”

           “Excuse me?” I raise an eyebrow.

           “It’s not what you think. Larry wanted to be a warrior, and I was helping him by sparring with him,” Todd tells me.

           “I never say Larry in training,” Tyler speaks up. 

           “That’s because I was training him in private. He didn’t want anyone to know. He was an omega, but Larry learned quickly,” Todd glances at Tyler.

           “Omega?” I ask.

           “That’s what we call some members of our town,” Tyler says to me. “So, you are telling us that Larry was having you train him? Even though you bullied him.”

           “Look, Gamma. I admit I picked on Larry when we were pups. But we are way past that now. Larry and I made up a long time ago. I even help his kid out sometimes.”

           “So, where were you this morning around nine?” I ask.

           “What?” Todd glares at me. 

           “Answer the questions, Mr. Wiggins,” Tyler uses the same tone he did earlier with Troy.

           Todd presses his lips together. “I was training before I went on patrol. You can ask Trainer Cash, Gamma.”

           “I will don’t worry, Todd.” Tyler nods.

           “Why does he keep calling you Gamma?” I ask Tyler.

           Tyler’s eyes shift between Todd and me. “It’s just a title, I have. We do things differently in this town.”

           “I see,” I flip my notebook closed. “I will be checking out your alibi Mr. Wiggins. Other than that, I think we are done.”

           “You can return to your patrol, Todd,” Tyler says to him.

           Todd eyes me for a moment. “I think Larry was killed by the same people that killed Alpha Abernathy.” Todd states and then runs towards the woods.

           “Alpha Abernathy?” I ask. “Any relation to Mayor Frankie?”

           Tyler looks at me for a moment. “Yeah, her father.” He points to my car. “Are you done here?”

           “Mayor Frankie’s father was murdered?” I ask Tyler.

           “We think so,” Tyler states. “Is there anything else you need, Agent Marshall?”

           “No,” I shake my head. I am ready to leave this strange place. But I also need to clear my head. I haven’t stopped thinking about Mayor Frankie since I left her office. “I’m done for now. But I might be back.”

           “Uh, okay,” Tyler breathes out. “I’ll let the Alph- I mean Mayor know.” He sputters. 

           I get into my car, but Tyler is still standing on the sidewalk. “Aren’t you coming?” I ask him.

           “Can you find your way out of the town?” He asks.

           “Yes, I think so.”

           “Okay, then I have other work I have to get to,” Tyler steps back.

           “Thank you for your time,” I tell him and start up my car and slowly drive off. I eventually find my way out of the place and back onto the highway. I head back to HQ to meet up with Eric. He is sitting in our shared office when I return.

           “So, how did it go?” He asks while slurping a noodle. He is eating ramen noodles from a cup. 

           I toss my notebook on the desk. “That was one of the strangest places I have ever been, Gibs,” I state and flop into my chair. “How’d it go on your end?”

           “Oh, uh Adam says Larry’s neck was broken, and that’s how he died.” Eric sets his lunch on the desk. “What do you mean by strange?”

           “I just-“ I trail off. “They kept calling each other Gamma and Alpha. And then there was the growling.”

           “Growling?” Eric raises an eyebrow. “Like dogs?”

           “Yeah,” I respond with a snort.

           “Weird.”

           I turn my attention to the computer to make calls and write up my reports. It takes a few hours and a cup of noodles for myself before I am done. There is no new information, so I decide to leave since Eric and everyone else have left.

           I swear a black Mercedes sedan is following me as I am driving home. I turn down a few random streets, and Mercedes stays on my tail. I finally lost it. I make it home and look around while placing my hand on my gun. I look towards the woods to the side of my mother’s house, and I swear I see the flash of glowing eyes from the gloom. I stare at them, and then they disappear, and I hear a howl that sends chills down my spine. 

           I go into the house and head right for my room as everyone else has gone to bed already. After showering, I lie down on my bed and try to close my eyes, but I keep thinking about Mayor Frankie and how much her eyes sparkled. Sleep eventually finds me, and I dream of Frankie all night.