“Why wolves?”
“Why not? I could bore you with the details of how I came to be interested in them, but let us just say that we can learn a lot about human beings from them. In any case, I always have a few live specimens around, and it happens that this year I took possession of a particularly large male. He was the result of some very selective breeding focused on large size, and while he is closest to a Russian wolf, he is technically something unique.”
“So that must be the black wolf I saw. I didn’t know black wolves existed.”
“Oh, there have always been black wolves, but they are not common. And a wolf this size is something close to the largest one recorded since the dire wolves became extinct.”
Rook noted a trace of sadness in Fossen’s voice. Odd for someone who seemed like such a hard case. “He was huge, I’ll agree with that. So tell me, what does your research have to do with our massive predator? You’re not suggesting that it is a wolf?”
Fossen laughed. “Of course not. No, where the wolves come in is that part of my research has been on seeing how the wolves react to different stimuli. I have discovered that certain smells drive the large one into a murderous frenzy. Any significant amount of blood does it, as does raw meat. The interesting thing is that after identifying the source of the smell, the wolf directs its aggression on whatever people or animals are closest to it. My assistant and I each sustained a bite before we figured this out. The rest of our wolves do not have this reaction on their own, but when they are with the large wolf, they will follow his example and also attack.”
Despite his distrust, Rook found himself interested in the story. He’d seen the wolf up close, and it seemed different, more in control than most wild animals he’d encountered. Yet Fossen was describing far different behavior. He thought he knew what came next in the story.
“That’s an unusual reaction. Let me guess, after the second killing, you wondered if perhaps the horrible smell emanating from the creature would trigger the same aggressive reaction in the wolves?”
“Yes I did. I had to do something, and it also served to help me figure out where to go next with the research. Obviously any scientific controls are non-existent now, but what I learn could wind up being critical.”
“You released the wolves. What happened next?”
“That night, at about midnight, the whole town heard a terrifying roar coming from somewhere not too far from town. The next morning, I went out to look for the wolves. They are outfitted with implants so I can track them. I found one of them dead, its neck snapped, and with teeth marks around the shoulder and belly. Teeth marks not from a carnivore but from some sort of massive primate. The rest of the wolves stood around it in a circle, as if protecting their dead companion. I have heard of such behavior on rare occasions, but never seen it myself.”
“So the creature killed one of the wolves. What makes you think they’re keeping it at bay?”
“I followed the trail the wolves had taken to get to this point, and a half mile away, I found several chunks of flesh with brown and orange fur. The smell on the flesh confirmed that it could only have come from our creature. The wolves had to have hurt it. And ever since that day, I have allowed them to roam, and the creature has not come back.”
“Are you sure?”
“I am sure it has not killed anyone else. It does seem to be targeting Peder’s farm, and I have no idea why.”
“Yeah, that does seem strange. But the whole thing is strange. You just happen to be targeted by some freak of nature, then you happen to have a pack of wolves handy with a leader who will attack the creature as soon as he gets a whiff of its stink. There’s something you’re not telling me, or at least some clue we’re missing.”
Fossen’s face turned a little bit red. “I have told you all I can about my research without breaking confidences. There is nothing else you need to know. As for the creature, your guess is as good as mine.”
Rook stared at Fossen and didn’t say a word. The Norwegian didn’t blink, didn’t show any sign of discomfort beyond the red face. Finally, Rook sighed.
“Well, I don’t know that I’m any better off than I was. My original plan was to capture the big wolf. It sounds like that won’t tell us anything you don’t already know. What about tracking it? Do you have any sense of whether it has encountered the creature, based on where it roams?”