by Zoe Arden
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I was panicking. Actually, panicking didn't nearly begin to describe it. It felt like I was running a marathon at a sprint. Why was Colt here? How angry was he with me right now? Colt was the last person I'd expected to see here.
I shot a look at the door to Mr. Jaggers' office. It was shut, and I could hear only muffled voices from inside. The tone of their conversation carried through the closed door, however. It didn't sound as if Mr. Jaggers was very happy.
My phone was sitting on the edge of my desk. I picked it up and texted Lucy.
COLT IS HERE!!!
A minute later, she texted back.
??? AT STANDARDS ???
YES. WHAT SHOULD I DO?
FIND OUT WHAT HE'S DOING THERE! DUH!
Easier said than done, I thought, and rose from my desk. I walked slowly to the door of Mr. Jaggers office and pressed my ear against it, trying to hear. I wish I'd thought to bring a Voice Bumper with me. Then I could have slipped one under the door and bumped up the sound. It was the easiest way to listen in on conversations, and a tool often employed by police. Since Voice Bumpers were no bigger than a quarter, with the newest models being smaller than a dime. They were nearly impossible to spot.
None of that mattered now though. I didn't have a Voice Bumper, so I'd have to think of another way to listen in.
A man cleared his throat behind me.
I jumped up and spun around. Mr. Burch was standing there glowering at me. His face was red, especially his nose.
"What do you think you're doing?" he demanded.
"I, um, I was just... I thought I heard Mr. Jaggers call for me."
"So, you decided to eavesdrop at his door?"
"He told me not to disturb him. I didn't want to interrupt if I was mistaken. There's a detective in there with him."
Mr. Burch wasn't buying it, and I didn't blame him. It was a lame excuse, but it was the best I could think of at the moment.
"I know all about the detective," Burch snarled at me. "I gave him a tour of our facilities myself and would already have joined him in Jaggers' office except for a phone call I received that couldn't wait. It's a lucky thing, I think now. Otherwise, I might not have caught you."
His face was red and pinched, and the air going in and out of his nose made his nostrils flare like a dragon trying to start a fire with his breath.
"I'm sorry," I said, still standing there. I was afraid to move.
He stepped closer and stared into my eyes. "You're a witch." He said it like it was an accusation.
There was no point in denying it. He was a warlock and knew how to read the gold flecks in my eyes that most humans would miss.
"Yes."
"I remember meeting you yesterday. I didn't notice it then, but I should have. I didn't think Jaggers would be so dim as to hire a witch for his secretary."
He moved in even closer. I could smell garlic on his breath. "What was your name?"
I opened my mouth, but no sound came out. Burch reached into his pocket and I was convinced he was about to pull out the very knife that had killed Grace Beyers, but it was only his handkerchief. He blew his nose.
"Who do you work for?" he asked.
"Work for?" I asked, confused. "I work for you. For Mr. Jaggers."
"Don't lie to me!"
The door to Mr. Jaggers' office opened then and I almost fell into the room. Mr. Jaggers stood staring at us.
"What's going on?" Jaggers asked. "I heard raised voices." He looked from me to Burch and a soft smile crept up on his face. "Oh, I see. A lovers' quarrel."
Burch's jaw dropped open slightly. "What did you say?"
Colt was barely containing his laughter. "If you'll excuse me," he said and shook Jaggers’ hand as he made his way out, "I need to be going." He shot me a look before he left.
Burch shoved his handkerchief back into his pocket and pushed Jaggers into his office, slamming the door shut behind them. I stood frozen, uncertain whether I should run or wait and see what happened. Was there any way I could talk my way out of this?
There was a slip of paper on the floor near the door. It must have fallen from Burch's pocket when he pulled out his handkerchief. I bent down and picked it up, unfolding it.
It was a typed list. There were three columns: a number, a date, and the name of some sort of injection.
A1 – 10/19 – Injection: Brothnal
B2 – 10/19 – Injection: Krine
C3 – 11/21 – Injection: Lat-Baker
I scanned the list and noted the numbers I'd seen on the tanks downstairs. I had a horrible feeling what this list might mean.
The door to Jaggers' office opened again, and Jaggers and Burch both stomped out of it.
Jaggers said, "You're not having an affair with Mr. Burch?"
Burch's face tightened. He saw the list in my hand, and his eyes widened. He grabbed it out of my hands so quickly that it actually burned my skin. He took another step forward. His eyes were sharp and angry. If looks alone could have killed, I'd have already been dead. "I'm taking her downstairs," Burch said to Jaggers.
Jaggers hesitated. "Are you sure that's necessary?"
"Yes."
My knees started to shake. "D-Downstairs?" I said, my voice raspy.
"That's right. You'll like it down there. Lots of interesting things to see."
The phone on my desk rang. Jaggers just looked at it.
After a minute, when it hadn't stopped, Burch yelled, "Pick it up already."
Jaggers did as instructed. "Jaggers here." His eyes widened as the person on the other end spoke. "No," he finally said, "ask Detective Hudson to wait there. I'll be down in a minute." He hung up and looked at Burch. "That detective is still here," he said.
"What's he still doing here?" Burch growled, clearly displeased to hear this news.
"I guess he left and came back. Says he left his car keys in the office."
"Car keys?" Burch yelled. "What the heck was he doing with his car keys out? I don't remember seeing his keys, do you?"
"I'd better take a look." Jaggers glanced at me. "What should we do with her? We can't take her downstairs, not with a detective right out front."
I held my breath.
"You're fired," Burch said.
"That's right!" Jaggers yelled. "And I'm not paying you for these last two days. Hmmph."
Burch took a deep breath and fought not to roll his eyes. "You're lucky that's all we're doing," he said quietly. He wasn't yelling; he was speaking slowly and deliberately, which was somehow far more unsettling than if he'd been screaming his head off. "We have your name and address on file. I can find you whenever I want to."
I refrained from pointing out that Clarissa Pauline wasn't my real name. They'd figure it out sooner or later, I was sure, and hopefully, I'd be miles away by then.
I didn't wait for a formal goodbye, I beat it out of the office before they could change their minds. I passed Colt on the way out but didn't stop to talk. There were guards all over the place and they were watching me. Colt winked at me, and I knew I'd be hearing from him later.
* * *
CHAPTER
TWENTY-THREE
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The bakery was buzzing. The morning rush was still in full swing when Colt came in. I held my breath.
He'd called me last night, and when I'd let it go to voicemail, he'd texted asking what I was up to at the warehouse. I'd texted him back by saying that I would see him the next day and explain everything then. He hadn't liked my answer, but apparently, it had been good enough, because he'd not texted again after that.
When the bell chimed above the bakery, I automatically looked up. Colt was standing there, glaring at me. He stood to the side of the line, which had grown from the counter to the door, and waited with his arms crossed.
Oh, my roses. It hadn't occurred to me until just this second that if Colt confronted me ab
out everything here, in front of my aunts and my father, he wouldn't be the only one I'd have to answer to. Chances were high that Eleanor would never let me out of her sight again. And Lucy... oh, crud. She'd be in almost as much trouble with my aunts as I would. I'd forced her to cover for me, and she'd be mad at me for dragging her into this.
"Ava, Colt's here," Trixie said, elbowing me.
"I know," I snapped.
She blinked at me uncertainly. "Don't you want to go say hi?"
"When the line dies down," I told her.
She laughed. "Don't be silly. He's your fiancé. You can't keep him waiting." Then she waved her hand in the air and called out to him. "Colt!"
I groaned inwardly. He acknowledged the wave but stayed where he was. Trixie shot me a look then went to help a customer who was asking about our turtle pecan blondies with peppy powder.
Eleanor and my father also noticed Colt standing by, waiting. It was like a clock ticking down. I tried to smile and go about my business like nothing strange was going on, but the longer Colt waited, the more obvious it became—I was in for it.
When the line finally died down enough that I couldn't use it as an excuse to stay away from him, I told Trixie and Eleanor that I had to go into the back and refill the happiness extract.
"You can do that later," my dad said from his spot by the counter. He was boxing up some brownies for Natalie Vargas. She came in here nearly every day now to get pastries for her bar and grill, and she'd spoken to Eleanor about making some sort of contract with Mystic for daily deliveries.
"I'd better do it now," I told him. "Before... er.... before we get some angry customer demanding it and have to make them wait."
I hurried to the back room before my dad could stop me. I felt Colt's eyes on me as I went. I disappeared into the back, wondering if I could make my escape out the alleyway like Damon had done not so long ago. I actually had my hand on the knob of the back door when Colt came in.
"Trying to escape?" he asked, nailing me.
"No," I said. "I just... had some trash I wanted to throw into the dumpster."
"Where is it?"
"What?"
"Your trashbag."
I grimaced. I was a terrible liar. It was a wonder I'd made it at Standards as long as I had.
"What's going on, Ava?" He walked slowly toward me. "Because I'm really hoping that it's not what it looks like."
"What does it look like?"
"Like you're still helping Damon behind my back. Like you're putting yourself in jeopardy for a man who might be a killer."
"He's not a killer," I said.
The words seemed to hit him like a slap in the face. "So, you're not denying it?"
I sighed. "No, I'm not denying it. I've been helping him."
Colt shook his head. "Why? Do you still love him?"
"No!" I shouted, afraid that's what he really believed. "Of course not, I love you." I hurried to his side and put my arms around him. He pulled away from me.
"Then what are you doing?" he demanded. "Why are you keeping secrets from me?"
"Isn't it obvious?" Apparently not, because Colt stared numbly back at me without answering. "Because I knew how you'd react. You'd just tell me to stay out of it, and I can't do that. If I just do things without telling you first, then you can't say no."
"If you don't love him, then why help him?"
I sighed. "You helped me the other day, even though I know you were angry with me." A smile played on my lips. "Missing car keys? Really? As if you'd ever be clumsy enough to lose your car keys."
He forgot his anger for a moment and smiled back sheepishly. "I was leaving when I got the feeling you might be in trouble, so I went back to check it out."
"I'm glad you did. I was in trouble. Burch was gonna kill me, I think. Or turn me into one of his mutants."
Colt's smiled turned around. "Mutants? What mutants?"
I drew in a deep breath. "A mer-wolf."
He blinked at me. "A what?"
"A mer-wolf. I don't know if that's what they're really called, but that's what I've named them. It's a cross between a werewolf and a merman."
Colt was staring at me as if I'd lost my mind. "Ava, there is no such thing."
"Yes, there is."
"You're telling me you found one of these mer-wolves? At Standards Warehouse?"
"Yes. Well, no, not exactly, but I found a dozen other creatures that are just as odd, and if they can exist, so can a mer-wolf."
I proceeded to tell him just what I'd seen in the basement, leaving nothing out. When I was through, his hands had balled into fists at his side.
"You must think I'm a fool if I'm going to believe something like that."
"I don't think you're a fool," I shouted. "Everything I just told you is true."
He scoffed. "Fairy snakes? Human rainbows? What the heck are you talking about? Do you hear yourself? Do you know how ridiculous that sounds?"
Unfortunately, I did. If I hadn't seen those things with my own eyes, I don't know that I'd have believed them either.
"Damon's messing with your head," he yelled.
Anger was beginning to bubble up in me. Colt had lost all his objectivity just because Damon was involved. "Look, you asked me why I'm helping Damon. It's because there's more than one kind of love. I don't love him like I love you, but that doesn't mean I don't care for him in the same way I care about Lucy or even my aunts. His family and mine are entwined together, not all in good ways, but in enough ways that he'll always be a part of my life."
Colt ran one hand through his hair and started pacing the floor.
"Colt, please listen to me. I heard Burch and some other man talking about Grace Beyers. They're the ones who killed her, and they set Damon up to take the fall for it."
"They said that?" he asked skeptically.
"Yes. The man Burch was talking to admitted it. And there's something else. I found a list."
"What sort of list?"
"I'm not sure exactly, but it had a list of numbers, dates, and injection types. I think..." I drew in a deep breath and spilled the theory that had been running through my head all day. "I think that Standards Warehouse is a cover for something much deeper. I don't know if they work for the government of COMHA or what, but I think they're testing things out on humans and turning them into mutants."
Colt looked as though I'd just said two plus two equaled five. "So, Kip Burch is behind all this? He's leading some sort of mutant revolt, is he?"
"I didn't say that. I don't have all the details, all I know is what I saw."
"And all I know is what I know," Colt snapped. "The stuff you're talking about doesn't exist. Scientists have tried mutating creatures before and it's never worked."
"So, you just think I'm lying?" I yelled.
"Wouldn't be the first time," he yelled back.
"Well, why were you at Standards if not to investigate them?"
He paused. "We got a tip that there were some odd business dealings going on there, but it was nothing. A false tip."
"What sort of odd business dealings?"
"It doesn't matter."
"It does. What sort of dealings?"
He drew in a breath. "Someone called COMHA and reported that Standards was selling monsters out of their warehouse."
My eyes bugged out of my head. "And you still don't believe me?" I asked, incredulous.
"Ava, Burch showed me the basement. There was nothing there."
I opened my mouth to protest, but Colt cut me off.
"Admit it," he yelled, "this has nothing to do with Standards or Burch and everything to do with Damon."
"Standards is hurting people for their own gain. I can't prove it yet, but I will."
"What happened to this list of yours?"
"Jaggers took it."
"That's convenient."
"Since it was the only proof I had, it's not convenient at all."
"What about this other man you told me about? The one Burch was tal
king to who you say set Damon up?"
"I don't know who he was. I couldn't see his face."
"Another convenient episode in all this."
"You're being deliberately obtuse!" I yelled.
His eyes bulged. His nostrils flared. "You're not being objective!"
"I'm more objective than you are!"
"You're mistaking objectivity with foolishness!"
"Well, if I'm such a fool, maybe you shouldn't marry me!"
"Maybe you're right!"
Colt turned and walked off then, his words hanging in the air.
A minute later, Trixie poked her head in the back. "Everything all right?" she asked tentatively. "Sounded like a lot of yelling going on."
But I couldn't answer her. My mouth was too choked with tears.
* * *
CHAPTER
TWENTY-FOUR
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It took an hour for me to calm down enough so that I could explain what had happened with Colt. I didn't want to tell my dad or aunts anything, but they'd heard me and Colt shouting at each other—in fact, everyone had heard us shouting at each other. Customers included. Not all of it had come through clearly, but enough had made it to their ears that people got the gist of things. I'd been sneaking around behind Colt's back seeing Damon, helping Damon, lying for Damon. It sounded pretty bad when you put it like that.
"W-W-We're through," I moaned. "And it's all my fault."
"Don't say that," Trixie said, moaning beside me. She liked Colt. In fact, I think she liked him more than Damon.
I wasn't sure if my aunts had ever been able to truly get past the fact that Damon's father had killed my mother. It wasn't Damon's fault. Everyone agreed on that, at least their rational minds agreed. That didn't mean their irrational minds were about to back down, however.
"What happened?" Eleanor asked, looking for more details. She wasn't snooping, she was just one of those people who needed to understand the situation fully before she could offer advice.
