Ssabra watched the man voice the silent words, suddenly realizing where she had seen him. She did indeed know the Shiru’s unfortunate victim, and had spoken with him less than an hour earlier. It was Detective Jack Colvin who did battle with the ancient god, and who was about to lose his life.
She didn’t know what the detective was doing in the same part of town, but suspected he had been following her. Perhaps he was still hoping to talk with her, or maybe he was spying on her. Whatever the reason, he was now fighting the very thing he had refused to believe existed.
Not only was Detective Colvin in the same area of town, but so too was the Shiru. Perhaps if he had not been following her, the monster might have found itself a different victim. She might have been the one fighting for her life.
Discovering that she knew the man beneath the monster, and just how close she had come to bumping into the Shiru, brought an involuntary scream to her lips. Ssabra had never been much of a screamer, but she did herself proud at that particular moment.
Much to her surprise, the scream had an unexpected effect on the battle taking place, actually causing the Shiru to stop its attack on Detective Colvin and turn toward her. Apparently, she had managed to get the monster’s full attention, whether she wanted it or not.
“Now I’ve done it.” She stumbled backward a step or two, but was much too frightened to run away. Not that running was really an option. She was quite sure a multiple-legged dark god could easily outrun a terrified tour guide. Nor did she have the courage needed to turn her back on the monster long enough to make a run for it.
Her scream had gotten the Shiru’s attention, and she expected the monster to come after her. But instead of lunging toward her, the creature disengaged itself from the detective and scurried away in the opposite direction. The dark god magically changed shapes as it fled down the alley, transforming from a monster into a man.
Ssabra stood and watched the Shiru as it ran away, mesmerized by the transformation. She then turned her attention to the detective, hurrying to help him to his feet.
“Are you hurt?”
“I’m okay. I’m okay,” Detective Colvin replied, getting to his feet. He looked around, eyes wide, his pistol still gripped firmly in his right hand. “Jesus Christ, what is that thing? Where did it go?”
“It’s called a Shiru, and it’s what I tried to warn you about,” Ssabra answered. “It took off down the alley. I think it’s gone, but I’m not sure for how long.”
Jack lowered his pistol, but did not put it away.
“Now do you believe my story?” she asked.
He turned to her and nodded. “Miss Onih, from now on I will believe anything you tell me. I think maybe we had better have that little talk, but let’s do it someplace else. I don’t want to be standing here if that thing comes back.”
Ssabra glanced down the alley, but there was no sign of the Shiru. “How about my apartment? I’ve got booze, and I think we can both use a drink.”
“I hope you’ve got a full bottle, because I damn sure need more than just one drink.”
Chapter 27
Detective Jack Colvin had just been up against something that could not be explained in logical terms, a shape-shifting creature that had nearly taken his life. Nothing in all his years of law enforcement had prepared him for such an encounter. They did not teach Fighting Monsters 101 at the police academy, nor were there any training manuals on the subject. Hell, as far as he knew, he was the first cop ever to have such an experience.
At least he thought he was the first cop ever to be attacked by a monster, not that he was going to ask any of his fellow officers if they ever had a similar experience. He didn’t dare breath a word about his little encounter, because there wasn’t a man or woman on the police force who would believe him. Not even Bill Moats.
At that particular moment, however, Jack wasn’t too worried about being believed. Sitting on the living room sofa in Ssabra Onih’s apartment, a tumbler filled with vodka and ice clutched tightly in his right hand, he was more concerned about getting his heart rate to slow down.
As the detective sipped his vodka, Ssabra repeated the story she had told him at the police station, adding what she had learned since her visit. Jack let her talk uninterrupted, listening carefully to everything she said. Her story no longer sounded quite so far-fetched, at least it didn’t sound any crazier than the story he now had to tell.
“And you stole this from the church?” he asked, looking through the journal written by Father Sebastian Diaz.
“I borrowed it,” Ssabra frowned. “I’m not a thief.”
Jack nodded. “Sorry. I didn’t mean that the way it sounded.” He took another sip of vodka and looked around. “Is Tolomato in the room with us now? I mean, can you see him?”
Ssabra glanced over by the television. Tolomato stood leaning against the wall, watching them. He made a funny face, which made her smile. “Yes. He’s here with us.”
He looked toward the television, but didn’t see anything. If it wasn’t for his encounter with the Shiru, he never would have believed her story about being able to speak with a dead Indian chief. One thing for certain, he was not about to call her crazy after what he had seen in the alley.
“Forgive me if I still sound skeptical,” he said, shaking his head. “I’ve been a cop for too many years to change my way of thinking overnight, and I’m having a hard time dealing with all of this.”
“It hasn’t been easy for me either. Just the other day I was leading a normal life, now I’m talking with dead Indian chiefs, stealing books from a Catholic church--excuse me, I mean borrowing books from a church--and trying to find magical bones so we can kill some kind of evil god.”
“We?”
She nodded. “You’re now a believer, so there’s no way in hell I’m going after the Shiru by myself. As far as I’m concerned, my job is over: I finally got someone in authority to listen to my story. You’re a cop; it’s your sworn duty to protect the citizens of St. Augustine. So go protect them.”
“I can’t do it by myself.”
“Who said anything about doing it by yourself? Get on the phone and call your cop buddies. Hell, call in the army. You’re going to need them.”
Jack shook his head. “No one would believe me. You’re the only help I’ve got.”
“I hate to say this, but you don’t have me. I’ve seen the Shiru, up close and personal, and there’s no way I’m going to go after that thing.”
“I need you.”
“No, you don’t,” she argued.
“You’re right, I don’t need you. But I need Tolomato, and the two of you are a team. I’m not any more anxious than you to go back out on the streets with that thing walking around. Your spirit sidekick might be able to watch my back, keep an eye on the Shiru while I’m trying to find a way to kill it.”
She thought about it a minute, then nodded. “Okay. You made your point. I guess we’re both in this together. But do not expect me to stand my ground if that monster shows up again. Battling evil is your job, not mine.”
“Agreed.” Jack set his drink down on the table. “What about using heavy firepower to stop it? Would that work? I could get some shotguns and stun grenades. I could probably even get my hands on a few M-16s, and armor piercing rounds. That ought to send the Shiru back to where it came from.”
Ssabra shook her head. “Tolomato doesn’t think conventional weapons will do much good. The Shiru is a dark god, and has returned from the land of spirits. It is a thing of evil, and that has to be taken into consideration when trying to stop it. Only strong medicine can stop evil, which is why I was trying to find out where the offspring was buried.”
Jack flipped to the back of the journal, studying the crude map drawn by Father Sebastian Diaz. “Were you able to locate the remains?”
“I didn’t have time. I was out looking tonight, but I got sidetracked trying to save your ass.”
The detective looked up at her and smiled. “Th
ank you.”
He turned his attention back to the journal. “Even using this map, it’s not going to be easy to find the remains of the offspring, if there are any remains left to be found, especially with the Shiru out there hunting in the old city. And there’s no telling how much time we’ve got before that thing decides to kill again.
“I’d call the station to report what happened tonight, maybe even ask for a curfew to keep people off the streets, but I’m not sure what to say. They’re not going to believe a story about a shape-shifting monster, and I need a damn good reason to request a curfew. The homicide investigation has pretty much been handed over to the FBI, and I doubt if the feds would believe my story. Luckily, we’ve already got extra patrols out on the streets.”
Jack closed the journal. “One thing bothering me about tonight: how is it the Shiru happened to be in the same section of the city as you? Was it just dumb luck, or did the monster know where to look for you? I mean, does that thing know that you’re hunting for it? If so, is it now hunting you?”
“But the Shiru didn’t attack me,” she corrected. “It attacked you.”
“True enough, but it was following you. Had I not stopped it, you might have been the victim.”
Her eyes went wide. “Oh, my gosh. That’s right. You said I was being followed. That means you might actually have saved my life. Thank you.”
“You’re welcome.” He continued. “I would like to know how you and the Shiru ended up in the same alley at the same time. Does Tolomato have any thoughts about it?”
She turned her attention to the corner of the room, but Tolomato no longer stood there. “Damn, I wish he would quit doing that?”
“Doing what?”
“Disappearing on me.”
“He’s not there?”
“No. Not now. At least I can’t see him anymore.”
“Relax, young one,” Tolomato said, his voice popping into her mind. “I am still here.”
Ssabra smiled. “He’s still here.”
“Where?” asked the detective.
She shrugged. “I don’t know. I don’t see him; I just hear his voice.”
“Did he hear the question, or should I repeat it?”
“I heard it,” the chief replied. “I am dead, not deaf.”
Ssabra burst out laughing.
“What did he say?” Jack asked.
She held up her hand and shook her head. “Nothing. Wait a minute.”
The smile slowly melted off of her face, as Ssabra listened to what the chief had to say. A few moments of awkward silence passed in the room, and then she turned her attention back to the detective.
“Well, what did he say?” Jack asked, impatient for the news.
Ssabra cleared her throat. “Tolomato said the Shiru was following me because it knows who I am. It made contact with me earlier in the day, while I was leading a tour group around the city.”
“The Shiru made contact with you?”
She nodded. “I didn’t mention it to you, because I didn’t think it was all that important. I was out with a tour group this morning, and I had an icy numbness come over me when I was on Charlotte Street. I also had the strangest feeling that I was being watched.
“I told Tolomato about my encounter, and he said I had come in contact with evil. The Shiru is a creature of darkness, and apparently knows that my eyes have been opened.”
“Is that what Tolomato just told you?”
“No. That’s what he told me earlier today. What he just told me is that the Shiru might consider me a threat, which may explain why it was following me. There’s another reason why it might have been following me....”
He leaned forward on the sofa. “What?”
Ssabra swallowed and continued. “I’m different, so the Shiru might think I’m the perfect choice for a mate.”
“A mate?” Jack was horrified.
She nodded. “The Shirus that lived here before attempted to breed with humans. Tolomato thinks this one might be trying to do the same.”
“Dear God.”
“But that’s not the worse part.”
“There’s more?”
“When the Shiru made contact with me this morning he touched my mind, maybe even touched my soul. The link is still there, like a fine thread. He knows who I am, and may come looking for me.”
The young woman was obviously distraught by the information given to her. She leaned forward and grabbed Jack’s drink off the table, taking a sip of the vodka. “Great. I go dateless for almost a year, and now I’ve got a freaking monster hitting on me. We’ve got to do something.”
“There’s only one thing we can do,” replied the detective. “We need to find the bones of the offspring so we can kill the Shiru, before it has a chance to kill someone else. And before it can track you down.”
“It’s not safe for me to go back out there,” she protested. “Not with that thing looking for me.”
“If you two are somehow linked, then it won’t be any safer for you staying here. The Shiru still might be able to find you. You’re best bet is to keep moving.
“But we won’t start looking tonight,” Jack continued. “From what you’ve told me, and what I’ve seen so far, I’m pretty sure the Shiru is nocturnal. At least it’s done all of its killing at night. We’ll go looking for the offspring at first light, when it’s safer.”
Glancing at the clock on the far wall, she said, “Listen, it’s late, and you’ve been drinking. Why don’t you stay here for the night? You can sleep on the sofa. I’ll feel better having someone here tonight, especially someone who has a loaded gun and knows how to use it.”
“And where will you be sleeping?” he teased.
“I’ll be sleeping in my bedroom, with the door locked. I’ll also have an Indian spirit standing guard, just in case a certain houseguest has the nasty habit of walking in his sleep.”
Jack laughed. “No need to worry about me. I’ll be the perfect gentleman.” He looked around the room. “Now, if you don’t mind, will you please get out of my bedroom. I have a busy day ahead of me, and I must get my rest.”
Kicking off his shoes, he stretched out on the sofa and pretended to go instantly to sleep. Ssabra watched him for a moment, then turned off the lights and went into her bedroom. She felt safer having an armed police officer sleeping in her living room. But even though she felt safer, she still locked her bedroom door.
Maybe I should leave it unlocked. It’s been a long time since I’ve had a little romance in my life.
That may be true, but her idea of romance wasn’t making out with a drunken detective. Slipping into her nightgown, she switched off the lamp and climbed into bed. She had just turned out the light when she heard the gentle snores of the detective. He really had fallen asleep instantly. She also heard the laughter of Tolomato, who seemed to be quite amused with the situation.
Chapter 28
Dawn came far too early the next morning, and it was with great effort that Ssabra climbed out of bed. Though she had done nothing extremely physical the previous day, she awoke with sore muscles and a general feeling of tiredness. Her aches and weariness could probably be attributed to her encounter with the Shiru the night before, and a great fear of coming face-to-face with the monster again. Better to be safe in bed than out looking for a dark god, especially when the Shiru was also looking for her.
Slipping into a comfortable combination of jeans, sneakers, and T-shirt, she crossed the room and unlocked the bedroom door. She was surprised to find that Jack was already awake, considering the amount of vodka he had consumed the previous evening. Not only was he awake, but he had already made a fresh pot of coffee and was reading through the translated journal of Father Sebastian Diaz.
The detective looked up from the journal as she entered the room. His hair was still uncombed, and his clothes were rather rumpled from having slept in them. He also needed a shave. “Good morning. I’m sorry if I woke you. I’ve always been something of an early bird
. I made coffee. Hope you like it strong.”
Ssabra smiled and nodded as she crossed the room to the bathroom. “No, you didn’t wake me; I usually get up around this time. The coffee smells great. I’ll be out in a minute.”
She closed the bathroom door and ran water in the sink. Washing her face and brushing her teeth, she ran a quick brush through her hair and then turned off the water. Any other physical maintenance would have to wait until after she had her coffee.
The detective was still studying the journal when she stepped out of the bathroom, not even bothering to look up as she staggered her way to the coffeepot. Ssabra poured herself a cup of coffee, added cream and sugar, grabbed a box of vanilla wafers out of the cabinet, and then joined him on the sofa.
“I though you might be hungry.” She set the box of cookies down next to the journal. “I can also cook breakfast if you like. I have bacon and eggs, or pancakes.”
Jack looked up from the journal, and smiled. “You’d cook me breakfast? That’s awful sweet of you. But no, these are fine. No sense going through all that trouble, especially seeing how you just got up. I’m not a big eater in the morning anyway.”
“Me neither,” Ssabra grabbed a cookie from the box and dunked it into her coffee. “Find out anything new?”
“Not really. I was just going through the journal to see if we missed anything. This map is kind of crude, but there’s still a chance we might find where the offspring is buried.
“We’ll need to get started as soon as possible. I’ve already called the station to let them know that I won’t be in today. Said I was running some leads about the homicide, which I technically am. We’ll get going once you’ve finished your breakfast.”
She popped another cookie into her mouth, speaking around the food. “Be done in a minute.”
It only took Ssabra twenty minutes to finish her breakfast and get ready to leave the apartment. She had just stepped back out of the bathroom, after applying a little makeup, when Tolomato announced his presence. The spirit had been out scouting the area, looking for the Shiru. Ssabra was delighted to hear that the monster was nowhere to be found.
Breed Page 23
