The Keeping

by Nicky Charles

  Franklin nodded again. “True. I’ll tell cook about dinner.” He gave a slight bow and left.

  Rubbing his chin, Greyson considered the situation. Given what Luisa had told him and the cold facts of how she’d been treated by her own kind, he was reluctant to introduce Cassandra to other werewolves. Unfortunately, he also recalled all that he’d seen during his time with Luisa and the information she’d shared with him about transforming with the moon, blood bonds, fertility cycles… He couldn’t just let Cassandra flounder through life scared and uninformed. She needed the support and guidance of her own kind. After all, how long could he keep drugging her to prevent a complete change before she balked? The potent sedative that ‘Dr. Freidrich—a well payed actor—prescribed was doing the job for now but for how long? Already the girl was questioning subtle differences between herself and her peers.

  Yes, finding a pack to accept her was the best solution. He wouldn’t live forever and she couldn’t be left alone. Wolves needed a pack. The trouble with that was their damned laws and secretive way of life. After all, you couldn’t just go out and advertise! And so, he’d spent the last seventeen years looking unsuccessfully for evidence of packs. Unsuccessful that is, until he purchased the Taylor picture. Now he knew there was a pack out there. The question remained, where?

  Melody Greene was his hope. Aldrich scoffed at his choice, but after viewing secretly taped footage of her, Greyson knew she was the one. He’d watched the videos of her, fascinated by the subtle signs she was showing, signs he would have passed over if he hadn’t watched Cassie growing up. The way she lifted her head slightly and sniffed the air, the way she cocked her head to listen… Greene didn’t know it, but she had a werewolf someplace in her background.

  It was an unexpected turn of good fortune, finding Ms. Greene. Greyson reasoned that if she found a pack and was accepted by them, then there was an excellent chance that they would accept Cassandra too. Once he knew their location, he’d establish Cassandra in a house in the area—with secret body guards strategically living around her of course—and then wait and watch for them to sense her.

  *****

  Melody had joined Ryne in pacing across the small room. The strange feelings inside her had subsided again; she refused to dwell on their meaning since she had a sneaking suspicion they meant that a certain arrogant werewolf was right and she was on the verge of transforming into one of the beasts. No, it was just too fantastical to believe. Instead, she’d concentrate on how to get out of this room before Aldrich returned.

  “So, what are we going to do?”

  Ryne ran his hands through his hair. “I don’t know. I can’t break us out of here.”

  “I thought werewolves had all these superhuman powers and stuff.”

  “Well, we do have keener senses and are relatively stronger and faster than humans, but there are limits. Bullet proof walls being one of them.”

  “Oh.” She was sort of disappointed in that one. If she was going to be a werewolf—which she wasn’t, she reminded herself—she’d hoped for a few more benefits than just being able to smell things really well. Where was the advantage in that? Mel suppressed a shudder as she imagined being keenly aware of the scent of public washrooms, garbage, and the cabbage her one neighbour was so fond of cooking. Ugh! Giving her head a little shake, she licked her lips and looked around for a sink suddenly realizing that she was thirsty. Strangely enough, there didn’t appear to be one. Hmm… “Hey, Ryne?”

  “Yeah?” He was examining the door hinges.

  “You said you overheard Mr. Aldrich calling this a safe room, right?”

  He grunted in acknowledgment.

  “And if this is a safe room, people are planning on being holed up here for a while, correct?”

  “That’s usually what they’re constructed for. What are you getting at?” He turned and looked at her.

  “So shouldn’t there be supplies? Food? Water? Communications? Maybe even a bathroom?”

  He frowned and then stared around the room. “You’re right. There should be. But there isn’t.”

  “You know, it was always rumoured that the gangsters had secret rooms and hidden escape tunnels. Maybe Greyson has one in this place.” She got up and began pushing the bench aside, stamping the floor with her foot, listening for a change in sound that might indicate a tunnel.

  Ryne joined in the search, checking out the centre area of the room, then moving aside a table. Melody was near the window when her stomping produced a hollow, drum like sound. They both looked at each other and grinned.

  Melody dropped to her knees and Ryne rushed over to help her, both running their fingers over the floor, searching for a seam or finger hold. Soon they were pulling back a section of floor board.

  “You were right!” Ryne smiled up at Mel as he lifted the heavy wooden panel. It revealed a dark tunnel leading to somewhere under the shed. He lay flat on his stomach and peered into the darkness. “It looks like there’s a room down here. I’ll go and check it out. You wait here.”

  Mel nodded in agreement. Usually she’d balk at being left behind, but she didn’t like dark closed-in spaces and was still feeling a bit off. Just this once, she’d let Ryne have the fun.

  After a moment, his voice echoed up at her. “It’s a short tunnel and then there’s a room at the end. I think there’s also a way out through the sewer.”

  The sewer? She wrinkled her nose at the idea, picturing creepy crawly things and filth. “I’m not so sure about that, Ryne. There are probably rats down there.”

  “Ah, come on!” His voice held a teasing quality. “You’re a big bad wolf now. You’re not going to let little rodents best you.”

  “I’m not a werewolf!”

  Ryne appeared at the entrance to the tunnel, shaking his head. “You’ll have to face the fact sooner or later.”

  She folded her arms and gave him a mutinous stare.

  “All right. We’ll leave it for now.” He rolled his eyes and held out his hand. “Come on down, Melody and don’t worry. I’m big and bad enough for both of us. No rat in its right mind would bother me.”

  Reluctantly, she sat down and dangled her feet into the hole. “Whoever said rats are in their right mind?”

  Chapter 38

  Aldrich slowly drove through the massive gates that marked the entrance of the Greyson estate and made his way to the safe room at the back of the property. He’d gone to his apartment to gather the small tool box he used to maintain his various listening devices and surveillance cameras. After all, he’d told Greyson he was adjusting the equipment, and he wouldn’t put it past the man to check up on him.

  Yes, Greyson was a suspicious bastard, but then he wouldn’t have gotten where he was any other way. It was a cut-throat world and Aldrich had a grudging respect for his employer in that regard. On the other hand, the man was cold-hearted, arrogant, and likely to turn on you the minute you let your guard down. At present he was in Greyson’s good graces, but it was a tenuous position at best. Greyson made a bad enemy, so Aldrich had sucked up, kowtowed, and carried out every task the man had set before him.

  But not anymore. Melody Greene was going to be his ticket out. She was a werewolf and if Greyson was interested in werewolves then there had to be money in it somehow. Money was the only language Greyson understood. Some even rumoured that his heart was a bank vault. Well if that was the case, Leon Aldrich was about to make a personal withdrawal. He’d take the girl and tuck her away in his cottage—after all, he wasn’t getting to use the place for relaxation as he’d planned that weekend; he might as well make some use of the expensive piece of property. Once she was secured, he could start putting out feelers among his old contacts, people associated with the black market who would know where he could get the greatest profit from her sale. Private collectors, scientists… Who knew where there might be a market for such a specimen?

  Alternatively, he could keep her. Put her on display, charge admission, even rent her out… Briefly he’d c
onsidered the idea but then decided against it. A quick turn over would be the easiest way. Aldrich had a feeling that Greyson would be less than pleased when he realized Ms. Greene never returned with a report. If he had the money from her sale stashed away, he could leave at a moment’s notice if it appeared Greyson was going to lay the blame on him.

  A less clever person would try to disappear along with Ms. Greene, but Aldrich knew if he suddenly quit, Greyson would be suspicious. It was better to stay around for a few months and then hand in a carefully worded resignation before slipping away to enjoy the fruit of his labours.

  Aldrich smiled as he parked the car, noting it was about an hour until sunset. Greyson wanted him gone by then and he would be. He’d planned everything down to the last detail; had all the angles covered. Now he just had to get rid of Taylor, collect the woman, and be on his way. He stepped out of the car, the little tool box in his hand, and casually looked around. Excellent. No one in sight.

  Pulling out the key, he unlocked the door, keeping his gun at the ready. He suspected they would try to attack the minute he entered the room. Ha! He was no fool, he was ready for them. Flexing his fingers on the gun, he took a deep breath, turned the handle, and then in a rush shoved the door open.

  Muscles tensed, he braced himself for the attack. Somewhere in his mind he registered surprise that it wasn’t happening immediately. His gaze quickly skimmed the room as he wondered from where the ambush would occur. Suddenly, the sweep of his eyes came to an abrupt halt. There was a gaping hole in the floor. Dropping his arm to his side, the gun dangled useless from his fingers. Damn! They found the escape tunnel.

  Aldrich pocketed the gun and ran his hands agitatedly through his hair. This wasn’t part of his plan! For a moment he let his fury get the better of him as he slammed his fist into the wall then kicked the table. Then, exerting the self-control he’d cultivated all his life, he pulled himself together and considered the options while rubbing his sore knuckles. He inhaled and exhaled deeply, forcing himself to focus on the end goal… He narrowed his eyes as his thinking came into sharp focus. They hadn’t won yet. There were always other options if one was just clever enough and persistent enough to find them.

  He widened his eyes as a possibility occurred to him. The route through the sewers was convoluted, involving crawling through sludge and pulling open a series of grates. There were also a few dead ends if one took the wrong turn. However, the above ground route to the culvert where the sewer ended could be traversed in but a short length of time.

  Smirking, Aldrich exited the safe house and locked the door before taking off through the woods to the drainage ditch where his werewolf would be emerging.

  *****

  Cassandra rolled over in bed, cautious to not make any sounds that would indicate she was awake. She eyed the crack of light that appeared beneath the door that connected her bedroom to the sitting room. The faint sound of voices let her know that the nurse was engrossed in her favourite television show. In the week that the woman had been employed by her uncle, she hadn’t varied in her routine, always watching the latest craze in reality shows at this time. Since the program lasted an hour, Cassandra calculated that she had plenty of time to sneak out, check the small hut at the back of the property, and be back in bed without anyone noticing her absence.

  While it was still light outside, her room was dark due to the heavy curtains on the windows. This would work to her advantage on the off chance that anyone peeked inside to check on her. Climbing out of bed, she arranged her pillows to mimic the shape of a body. Then she drew the covers over them and stood back to admire the effect. It was a juvenile trick, but since everyone insisted on treating her as a child, she had no other recourse.

  After giving the covers a final twitch, she hurriedly pulled on jeans and a T-shirt, slid her feet into her running shoes, and peered out the window.

  She analysed the view. The trees cast long shadows in the late afternoon light; Cassandra’s attention was caught by the vehicle parked on the gravel near the hut. Hmm… There was Mr. Aldrich’s car. And he was exiting the hut and heading off through the woods. Now that was peculiar. Perhaps she’d follow him first rather than checking out the hut. Casting a final glance at the door to the sitting room where the nurse was likely still engrossed in watching TV, she exited her room and stealthily crept down the hallway.

  There was an old dumb-waiter at the end of the hall. No one ever used it. In fact, its existence was almost forgotten. Cassie had used the fact to her advantage several times. Despite its age, the miniature elevator worked smoothly due to her application of baby oil to the pulleys and gears. With practised ease, she climbed in and lowered herself to main floor, just inside the kitchen pantry. Holding her breath, she listened as she heard Franklin speaking to Cook.

  “Mr. Greyson will be eating by himself tonight.”

  “And Miss Cassandra?”

  “He said you could send a light meal up to her room, though he doubts she’ll be eating much.”

  “Poor dear, plagued with such dreadful headaches.”

  “Indeed. Oh, and don’t forget to send something up to the new nurse.”

  Cassie heard the cook tsking in what sounded like disapproval.

  “Some nurse. She’s just here because she thinks it’s a cushy job. Hardly good enough for our young miss.

  “I believe Mr. Greyson might be inclined to agree with you. I overheard him chastising her just half an hour ago. Apparently, Miss Cassandra changed all the clocks on her and the woman didn’t even notice.” Franklin spoke in a conspiratorial tone and Cassie clapped a hand over her mouth to stifle a giggle. For all his supposed dignity, the man loved a good gossip and was nothing but a teddy bear inside.

  Cook laughed. “Serves her right. You have to be on your toes around our little miss. She’s a sneaky one.”

  With that the two servants could be heard walking away.

  Cassandra opened the door a crack and peeked out. Seeing that the coast was clear, she jumped down, landing lightly on the balls of her feet. After closing the door of the dumb waiter, she quickly headed towards the rear exit.

  Knowing exactly where all the sensors and security cameras were, she began the careful process of avoiding each device as she made her way towards the woods where Mr. Aldrich had disappeared from sight. It was the long way around and would give him a considerable head start, but it couldn’t be helped if she wanted to avoid detection.

  *****

  Greyson put down the financial reports he was trying to read and rubbed the back of his neck. He always got a strange feeling there when something was wrong. His mother had said it was the fairies trying to warn him of danger. At the time, he’d scoffed; his mother’s old Irish tales had meant nothing to him. Yet, over the years, he’d learned to trust that tingling feeling. It had kept him from bad business deals and at least one attempt on his life. The last time he had ignored the sensation, his beloved Luisa had died.

  Pushing back his chair, he stood and concentrated on the feeling. On occasion, he’d get some indication as to where the trouble might be coming from, but usually it was just a sense of unease that made him extra alert to those around him and their possible motives.

  Nothing, he thought, was happening tonight. No business deals. No guests. Hmm… Perhaps he should check on Cassandra. Maybe the little minx was up to something. As he climbed the stairs, a horrifying possibility crossed his mind. Had she only pretended to take her pill earlier on? Was she on the verge of transforming?

  Greyson quickened his pace. The nurse was with her, but had no idea as to the girl’s true condition. He wasn’t about to trust such sensitive information to a temporary employee, and all the nurses were temporary. If he kept one around too long, they might become suspicious of the medication…

  He gave the briefest knock on Cassie’s door before pushing it open, without waiting for a response. A sigh of relief escaped him when he saw the lump in her bed. Turning to go, he noticed the window curt
ain had been pulled aside. Now that’s strange, he mused. Hadn’t he watched the girl close it? Pivoting on his heel, he studied the bed again, then stalked over. The lump was too large, to uniform… He yanked back the covers and found a row of strategically arranged pillows.

  “Damn that girl!” He exploded, contemplating what he’d do when he finally got his hands on her. Didn’t she realize the danger she was putting herself in? Logically, he knew she didn’t, since she believed she merely suffered from migraines. But the part of him that was scared to death for her wellbeing wasn’t yet willing to acknowledge calm reason. He threw the covers to the ground in fury.

  On the off chance that she was still in her suite, Greyson barged into the sitting room, surprising the nurse who was biting her thumb and hugging a pillow as she watched TV.

  “Where’s Cassandra?” The barked question had the nurse jumping to her feet.

  “In her room, resting. Just like always, sir.”

  “Like hell she is!” Grabbing the woman’s arm, Greyson dragged her into Cassie’s room and shoved her towards the bed. “Look. Pillows! Dammit woman, when did you last check on her?”

  “N-n-not too long ago.” The nurse stammered, nervously twisting her hands together.

  “Well it’s been long enough for her to slip out on you!” Greyson fumed as he tried to figure out where his young ward might have gone. Remembering the crooked curtain, he strode to the window and looked out. Cassie had been staring at something earlier today, but what? He studied the view and realized the small safe house was visible from this window. Had she seen him and Aldrich talking earlier on? If so… He rubbed his chin. Aldrich’s car was back. Could Cassie have gone to investigate? It was worth checking.

  Turning he saw the nurse still hovering near the bed. The woman was useless. “You’re fired. I want you out of here in less than an hour. Understood?”

  The woman nodded, then burst into tears and ran from the room.

  As Greyson hurried down the stairs, he considered calling the security guard that had remained on duty to help in the search for Cassandra. When he reached the main floor, he hesitated . What if she had transformed into a wolf? No, it was too dangerous. It was better that he looked himself. She’d listen to him, no matter what form she was in.