The Bait
Note To Reader: This is a story of a Salina Kyle not of Shokushu. The only things the two Salinas' have in common are their names and lives centered around monsters. I hope you understand and enjoy this story of a very different Salina Kyle...
We gathered in the main office waiting for our team leader, Peter Bridger to arrive for the briefing on our new assignment. Jean Manning had his laptop out going over recent accounts of rape in the city. I went over to the giant teddy bear sneaking up behind him. Dan watched me with a grin laughing when Jean nearly jumped out of his seat as I tickled him.
"Salina!" he snapped playfully trying to grab me but I dodged away ‘hiding' behind Dan. Before my dear friend could get out of his chair to chase me, our boss came in looking grimmer then usual. Quickly, we all got to our seats.
"Ok, people we've got a nasty one running loose," he said, setting a file before each of us. "This rapist isn't leaving any of his victims alive to give us a description so we'll have to go on the common factors of each victim. A virgin, late teens, in high school, a rebel taking dares regardless of safety...
"Perfect for our ‘bait'," Dan said looking to me with those sparkling brown eyes. A small blush tinted my cheeks for a brief moment.
"The Chief agrees, Dan," Peter said with a bit of a nod. "The thing that worries me is not knowing what our foe looks like. He could be anyone in one of three high schools. The only luck we have there is the pattern of going to each school in an order with the moon phases. This coming month the moon will be full so we have three weeks to get Salina into the school as a student and hope our quarry takes the bait. Dan... you'll be going in as a janitor and Jean is on surveillance. I want Salina wired for anything..." My boss gave me a hard glare causing my cheeks to turn a bright red. "... and no going off on your own, Salina, this guy is beyond sadistic. Do you understand me?"
"I understand, Bossman," I said with a contrite smile. Peter groaned a little making the team chuckle a little. I did what I did to get our ‘monster' when I played the bait.
*********
While the guys went about checking the high school out from their computers. I got the cheery task of investigating from the inside. This meant I was registered as a new student with a class schedule and everything. I had to deal with lousy school lunches and teachers that didn't know I wasn't really a student... I mean they expected me to do homework for pete's sake.
"This isn't what I thought I'd be doing when I joined this company," I hissed softly as I concentrated on the test in front of me. Looking down at the history exam, I remembered just how much I hated tests of any sort. Eddie Mink sat in the row next to me breezing through the paper. He looked over at me grinning then pushed his test toward me a little. My face turned red a little, but my pride wasn't about to let me cheat. With a bit of a snort, my eyes went back to my paper. Still, at the end of the test I almost wished I'd cheated... not that my ‘grades' were a concern as such. Handing the teacher my test, I knew Dan and Jean were going to laugh their asses off if I failed a high school history test. Out in the hall, Eddie waited for me with his backpack slung over his shoulder.
"I didn't mean to insult you," he said walking beside me. "I just thought you might want a little help... you did look a bit lost." My sullen eyes stayed on the floor for a few moments.
"Thanks for the offer but I prefer to pass tests on my own," I said. I stopped at my locker to get my books for my next class and Eddie stood beside me. As I bent over to pick up a pencil I'd dropped, my shirt opened at the top giving him a glimpse of my pert breasts. His gasp brought my eyes up to see his face had turned a beet red which only got worse when my eyes noticed a bulge building in his crouch. With a stammering apology, the poor boy hurried off whether for class or the restroom I'd never know.
At the end of my sixth day in class, I'd been taken out on a date by several boys with no attacks as such on me. The captain of the football team took me to a dinner and a movie then expected sex in return. Dan and Jean had to pull me off the creep before I could do the jerk any real damage. Still, even with a janitor making a pass at me we were getting nowhere fast. The moon would be full in a week and we still didn't have any clue of who the rapist could be. In the lunchroom, I sat off by myself looking down at a tray of food more fit for a dog then a high schooler. The den of the cafeteria centered on the preppie students tables and toward the front of the large room. The smell of the ‘food' also centered around that area. I chose to sit toward the back of the lunch hall with the other ‘outcasts' where you could almost hear yourself thinking.
"Mind if I pull up a seat," Eddie said. My hand made a gesture to an empty seat not really looking at him. Eddie was tall and thin with the basic complexion of any guy going through puberty. He looked gangly and awkward in his jeans and black T-shirt. His black hair tended to be oily hanging limply around his perpetually red face. I'd seen other guys picking on him as a ‘nerd'. I'd actually baled his ass out of one situation where some guys were going to trash him just because he'd walked by them and nothing more. He seemed to be concentrating on his ‘food', his eyes coming up once in a while to glance at me before going back to his tray. Some cheerleaders lead by a cute blonde named Linda strutted by our table sneering at us a little but I ignored it to busy worrying about my mission. Eddie cleared his throat making his Adam's apple bob a little bringing a smile to my face.
"Uh... Salina... I was... wondering," he stammered in nervousness, his hands trembling a little, "If you'd... consider... going to see a movie with me tonight... if you're not busy..." He finished with a rush of bright red to his face from the top of his ears down. Sighing, I considered it. I knew Peter and the guys were listening through the wire. The young man looked up at me braced for refusal I suppose.
"I'd like that, Eddie," I said smiling at the look of awe that came over his face.
"You mean it," he gasped.
"I've heard there's a nice horror movie playing," I said pushing my untouched tray away from me. "A vampire movie... I like a good monster movie." My eyes took in his unbelieving eyes with a soft smile. "What? You've never had a girl say yes?"
"Never," he said. I looked him over again seeing him from a teenage girl's point of view then blushed in personal shame. If I really were a teenage girl I'd of laughed at his invitation before telling him what he could do with his offer.
"Well... There's a first time for everything, Eddie," I said as I got up to take my tray up. Suddenly, he jumped up and snatched my tray from me.
"Let me take care of that, Salina," he said with a boyish smile. I watched in amusement while he took my tray up for me. On his way back through, Linda stuck her foot out tripping him. Eddie fell to the floor amid the laughter and jeers of the ‘in' crowd. Growling in anger, my eyes fell on Eddie's tray. He hadn't finished eating his food. With a grin, I calmly took up the tray and headed up to the counter. By this time, Eddie had gotten to his feet just trying to get away from the teasing. Eddie's eyes widened as he saw my approach. I brushed by the startled teen to head up the same route as he'd taken.
"Oh," I cried out as my foot snagged on something causing me to ‘trip'. The tray of half eaten food fell right in Linda's lap.
"You stupid bitch," Linda snarled jumping to her feet. Apple sauce ran down the front of her shirt and Jello spilled from her lap. Two teachers rushed onto the scene to see what had happen. I got written up for the incident but liked the fact they'd heard Linda call me a bitch which got her written up as well. Eddie stood to the outside of the crowd looking positively stunned by what I'd done. One teacher took Linda and me to the office which meant Eddie would have to wait till after school to find out where I was ‘living'.
Dan was late picking me up. I leaned against the wall of the school thinking about the call my ‘father' got about my actions in the lunchroom. Peter really wasn't thrilled with me but it certainly got me noticed more then before.
"You shouldn't have done that, Salina," Eddie said looking around nervously. "Linda is very popular... powerful..." Powerful? That was a strange way to describe a teenage girl.
"You're my friend, Eddie," I said as Dan's truck pulled up. "I always defend my friends. Oh before I go..." I handed him a piece of paper with the address of where I ‘lived' smiling at the look on his face.
"You still want to go out?" he asked in disbelief.
"Of course, silly," I said then shocked him all over again by kissing him on the cheek. "I'll see you tonight... about seven?" He nodded with that top of the ears down blush. With a smile, I got into the black Ford truck wondering what Peter was going to say about the call he got from the school about my behavior in the lunchroom. I hoped he didn't ‘ground' me.
*********
I saw Eddie get out of a little blue/green car wearing jeans and another black T-shirt. He came up to the door and rang the door bell.
"Salina! Your date is here!" Peter Bridger's called up to me.
"Be right down, father," I called back. My lips curled into a grin as I brushed my short black hair out one last time. It never ceased to amuse me that my ‘father' was actually my boss, then again how many people would believe what he and I and the others on our team did for a living. After a last look in the mirror, I snatched up my leather jacket and hurried down the stairs to meet my date.
Eddie Mink, a nice looking eighteen year old a bit ordinary in appearance, sat on the couch in the living room chatting with ‘dad' about going to college.
"Yes, sir," he said as I entered the room. "I plan on majoring in criminal law then join the military. I'd like to be a career Marine." That certainly set me back a little sneaking up behind Peter.
"I'm down!" I shouted behind him watching the poor man jump.
"Salina!" he snapped glaring at me a little before chuckling. "Now you can see why my hair is falling out, Eddie" We all had a light laugh. "So where are you two planning on going tonight, dear?" Peter knew where Eddie and I would be going as it'd discussed at the team meeting earlier. Still, he had to play the part of a doting father.
"We're going out to the movies and then hit the mall for awhile," I said, "and I'll be home before midnight, daddy." It was all my boss could do to keep from laughing outright. I played my part of a teenage girl to the hilt when I got the chance. Peter walked up to the door then stared sternly at us.
"Before midnight, you two," he said in his best ‘stern' voice.
"We will, daddy," I said leaning up to kiss him on the cheek. With a nod, he watched us get into Eddie's car and drive away. It was going to be an interesting night.
*********
Eddie may have looked ordinary but his mannerisms changed completely once we left my ‘home'. He liked to talk about horror movies and monsters. It was for this reason I'd decided to ‘date' him. In my mind, I wondered if the guy sitting next to me could be responsible for the deaths of eight innocent girls. The mike wire had gotten under my breast against my sweaty skin.
"I'm sure to get a rash," I hissed very softly. My date gave me a funny look
"Did you say something?" I felt my cheeks blush a little.
"Not really," I said lightly smiling at my date. He remained quiet for a few minutes making my heart flutter for a moment.
"Looks like the moon is almost full," he said, as we both looked out at the clear sky. "I know a great place to look at the stars. It's on not that far from the city... In fact it's a beautiful place to look down on the school. Want to take a look?" I made like I was thinking it over. A change of plans... maybe innocent... maybe not.
"Will we be back before midnight?" I asked like a mildly worried teen.
"Oh sure," Eddie said grinning at me. I made like I was thinking it over again then turned to smile at him.
"That sounds like fun," I said with my most winning smile. "Just don't tell my dad." We both had a laugh as he turned onto the highway to take me outside the city limits.
*********
We'd traveled for about an hour ending up on a park of sorts. No other cars anywhere as we drove down the bumpy road. To the back of the little park, he stopped at a concrete bridge that over looked the city. Eddie was right when he said the site was beautiful. I'd never been up here before so the look of awe came legitimately. We got out of the car and went up to the edge of the concrete.
"Wow, this is really cool, Eddie," I said looking down at the lights.
"I thought you might like it," he said in a bit of a low tone. My heart skipped a beat at the strange tone. Sweat started to run down my body but my face remained placid.
"You know you've got great titties," he said startling me with the straightforwardness of his statement. I turned to look at him, grinning a little.
"Thanks, Eddie," I said trying to look a little uncomfortable at the same time not afraid. He walked over to the very edge. We both looked out at the city for several minutes. Was this our rapist? Would he attack me? I waited a little breathlessly to see what Eddie would do. Eddie surprised me by smiling in a most charming way.
"I'm about to starve," he said leading me back to the car. "I know of this Italian restaurant with the best spaghetti you've ever tasted." We got back into his car to finish the night as any other innocent date.
Before he left me at my home, Eddie asked if I'd go out with him again. The full moon was supposed to have a lunar eclipse on a clear night.
"I've got a telescope," he said smiling in his charming manner.
"Of course, Eddie," I said, like I'd turn him down? He said he'd pick me up at seven after the sun had set. Waving to him, I went into the house. Peter was waiting for me looking a little worried.
"I thought we might've had the rapist," he said as I nodded. My body flopped down on the couch as I reached up into my blouse to pull the cord out from under my pert breast.
"Hey! That's my job," Jean said with a grin. I just smiled then took the wire the rest of the way off. Playfully, I tossed it at him.
"That darn thing gave me a blister," I growled as my fingers pressed the blister on my breast.
"I'll be more careful next time," he said.
"The full moon isn't for another week," Dan pointed out.
"Then we have one week to try to confirm that this Eddie Mink is our monster," Peter said lighting his pipe.
"For a moment I thought we might've had him," I said yawning a little. "This means another week of high school... yuck." That brought a chuckle from the men.
"Lets get some sleep," Peter said. "We'll all have a busy week ahead of us." Grumbling, I headed up stair to go to bed.
"At least you won't have to worry about blisters," I mumbled then tried to get some rest.
*********
In the week, I talked to Eddie on the phone a couple of times and was hit on by some of the other male students. The only really unusual thing I'd have wondered about was the pain in the ass prep, Linda. She'd come up to me in the gym shower room to grab my breast for a moment. As my eyes widened in shock, laughter rang out from the girls who'd been hidden.
"You looked like you were going to faint," Linda said, laughing with her friends. Angry at being touched, I snatched up my towel to go to my locker. Wires were a bit more difficult inside the school. Luckily, Dan and Jean were some of the best electronics men in the business. Linda and her cronies came into the locker area to smirk at me some more.
"Poor little Salina," she said, grinning. "I don't think the new girl likes us." As our eyes met I thought I saw something... something more then a high school bully. The next instant she tossed her wet blonde hair moving off with her friends. Checking to make sure I was alone, I put my portable wire on checking to make sure it was working. With a blister still under my right breast, we'd decided to go with a set up that could pass for radio headset which I had to hide or risk having a teacher take it by mistake.
Dressed and feeling a little less angry, I was surprised to find Eddie waiting for me.
"Hi, Salina," he said grinning a little. "Are we still on for Friday?" I'd bailed him out of a few more nasty situations. Besides the normal jocks picking on a nerd, Linda really seemed to hate the guy.
"We sure are, Eddie," I replied slinging my backpack of school backs over my shoulder. "I'm looking forward to it." He beamed a smile at me and I smiled in return. He might've been a bit nerdy but over all Eddie was a nice guy.
"I'll pick you up at seven again," he said, his eyes coming up to look at me then back down on his hands. "Are you going to tell your father where we're going?" An interesting question... like ‘dad' wouldn't know with the wire but I decided to play the ‘sly' teenager.
"No... he'd probably say no," I said then leaned forward a little. "I'll just tell him we're going to see another movie." That made Eddie grin a little. As our eyes met, I saw a look of regret in his startling blue eyes but it passed so quickly I decided I was mistaken. We went our separate ways for our classes.
*********
Peter hadn't been very thrilled with the idea of my going back out with Eddie. It was our last night for this school and started fresh in another school would be difficult. No other guy at the school tried anything with me, even asking for a second date. Eddie showed up right on time. I'd suggested I wouldn't need a wire since we'd decided the guy was harmless. Still... Security procedures were security procedures. My date didn't bother to come in this time. He made the excuse we were going to miss the movie if we didn't hurry. I waved to my ‘father' then jumped into the car to drive away a bit fast.
"What's the hurry, Eddie?" I asked as we sped down the highway.
"We don't want to miss the moonrise, Salina," he said in a bit of a breathless voice. "It'd ruin everything if we did." We reached the park with a few minutes to spare. As we got out of the car I noticed a certain amount of dread in my date.
"Are you ok, Eddie?" I asked noticing he wasn't bothering to get the telescope out. His eyes met mine filling with terror.
"He's afraid," Linda said as she came out from behind the brush. "The little worm is always afraid..."
"I don't understand," I said looking from Eddie to Linda. Linda wasn't wearing much of anything even though the night was a bit chilly. She didn't seem to notice the cold.
"You fell for my bait," she said as her eyes began to glow. "I send Eddie out to find softhearted fools to feed me." My startled eyes went to the pale white young man. He looked up at me then back at the ground.
"I tried to scare you away," he said in a rush, guilt in his eyes.
"That comment about my breasts," I gasped. Mentally I was kicking myself for missing the subtle clues. My eyes snapped up when Eddie cried out in pain. Linda had him by the throat holding him off the ground. "Let him go!" I started forward but Eddie frantically waved me to stay back.
"No! Stay back!" he said as Linda shook him for a few moments then slammed him into the car. Her body tore out of her clothing into a creature much like the Medusa with tentacles. I started toward where Eddie lay on the wet grass only to stop in shock. He turned to look at me with glowing red eyes. Linda laughed at the shock in my face.
"I told you... Eddie is my brother," she hissed as she moved toward me. "I own his soul." She looked up into the sky at the rising moon smirking at me. "Its time to feed, Eddie. I want you to rape her slowly so I can enjoy her pain." Looking into Eddie's eyes I saw his regret.
"I'm sorry, Salina," he said as he moved toward me. Quickly, I went into a defense stance a little grin hidden in the darkness. All I had to do was hold them off till the guys could get here. Eddie tried the old fashion ‘grab the girl by the arm' thing. My foot connected with his crouch as my elbow struck the back of his neck driving him to the ground.
"I'm not that easy to take, Linda," I snarled as I flexed my wrist to let a dual-edge dagger slip down into my hand. Tentacles snapped out as a dodged about. "I could use a little help here guys."
"We're five minutes away," Peter said in my earphone. "Just hang on, Salina." My body slammed into the car barely escaping tentacles.
"You've got it, Bossman," I growled slicing open one of Linda's tentacles.
"Bitch," she hissed as two tentacles aimed for my chest which I barely eluded. She dented the side of the car as she struck out again. My knife made a nice long slash across her stomach but one of her tentacles wrapped around my wrist. Linda picked me up into the air then slammed me down into the ground knocking the breath from my lungs. My knife went flying. With contemptuous ease, the monster tore my clothing away finding the wire in my pocket. Luckily, Linda thought it was just a fancy pager. She dropped it to the grass shaking me by my wrenched arm. Eddie staggered to his feet. Looking up at my naked body, his eyes dropped to the ground, still his clothing fell to the ground as well.
"Now... I'm going to make Eddie rape you slowly," she hissed in my pale, tear streaked face, "So I can enjoy your suffering and feed on your pain... After that I'm going to rip your body apart with my tentacles..." She dropped me from about ten feet high to the gravel nearly knocking me out. In my hazy vision, my eyes made out Eddie standing over me. He kicked my legs apart putting my heart in my throat.
"Please, Eddie," I whimpered but found no mercy in his dark eyes. As his hands bit into my hips, a shot rang out striking Linda in the chest. Startled, the young man looked up at the black/green blood pouring from the monster's chest. Another blast struck her in the chest again. Eddie stood up with a look of surprise and a little bit of joy. Dan's fist connected with Eddie's jaw knocking the young man out cold. Peter and Jean continued to shoot at the monster from a distance till the evil thing fell to the ground. With Dan's coat around my naked body, I calmly took his handgun from him to walk over to Linda's body. I put three rounds in her head not caring that some of the creature's head splattered onto my legs and Dan's coat.
"We need to get you to the hospital," Peter said as his eyes went to the groaning Eddie. "We're going to have to turn him in, Salina." My head nodded a little. With the wire, they'd heard everything and recorded it.
"I know one thing," I said getting into the van with Jean so he could take me to the hospital. "I'm going to be a lot more careful about bait... being it and falling to it."