Dead Heat (Taz Bell Book 1)

by Sharon Green

  This time I stared at him with disturbance in place of awkward silence. He'd actually put their worry into words…

  "I honestly don't think I am, George," I said after a moment, telling him the truth he deserved. "The idea of dying doesn't bother me, but as far as I know I have no plans to make it happen. But you and Freemont seem to be overlooking an important point. You're basing your worry on what Eric says, but what guarantee do you have that he's telling the truth? If not knowing about shapeshifting is so dangerous, why haven't I had problems about it before now?"

  "Maybe we've been moving around too fast and too much for the problems to catch up," George suggested, leaning back again as he studied me. "You said yourself that you need to know more about being a shapeshifter, but when Eric says the same thing you suddenly change your mind. You also didn't want Eric joining the team, and I think that the possibility he may still be working for the task force is only part of the reason you feel like that. Can you admit that the real reason you're so down on him is because of how attracted you are to him?"

  "What good is it being attracted to someone when nothing can come of it?" I demanded, exasperation forcing the words out fast. "And what good is an attraction that's based mainly on doings you want no part of? If I ever retired from this life I'd go crazy, George, especially if I then had to get involved with all the shapeshifter crap. And last but certainly not least, how can you let your feelings develop if you don't trust the person you're attracted to? Even if I knew for absolute certain that Eric wasn't a task force plant, there would still be no point in getting involved with him. Can't you at least try to see that?"

  "What I see is how happy you are that there are reasons to keep Eric at a distance," he responded with a weary sigh. "When your family turned their backs on you it hurt you badly, I know, but that didn't keep you from becoming part of our family. And since healthy families do expand, our team has room for more than just the three of us. You're not down on Eric because he's a shapeshifter, are you? He didn't choose to be attacked any more than you did, so you can't be looking at him with prejudice, can you?"

  George was now giving me a narrow-eyed stare, suspicion heavy in those narrowed eyes. All I felt myself was outrage that he'd accuse me of being prejudiced!

  "Of course that's not it!" I stated, letting him see just how outraged I felt. "How can you sit there and say something like - "

  A knock at the door interrupted my justified outrage, and a moment later the door opened and Freemont stuck his head in.

  "Sorry to interrupt, but we'll be having company in a few minutes," he said to both George and me. "There's a sandwich out here for you, Taz, which ought to hold you over until dinner. If you'd like to eat it before Allison gets here, you need to come out right now."

  I gave George a last glare before picking up my empty coffee cup and following Freemont. The nerve of some ghosts, calling me prejudiced…

  My grilled cheese sandwich was on a plate sitting on one of the tables in the living room area, and it didn't take long for me to swallow the food down. The sandwich was even still warm, showing that Freemont was up to his usual standards of excellence. Happily there wasn't a sign of Eric, which made my quick meal much more pleasant. I also filled my cup from the fresh pot of coffee sitting on its tray along with other cups and the necessary fixings, so once the sandwich was gone I sat down and waited for our company.

  Freemont had gone into his bedroom for something, George was either still in my bedroom or gone off somewhere, and Eric was also among the missing. That left me and my coffee cup alone, so I spent some time silently fuming. If Freemont hadn't interrupted, the next thing George accused me of might have been that I was afraid of Eric. Which was just as ridiculous as accusing me of being prejudiced. I wasn't afraid of anything, unless it was vampire power… Or harpies… Or facing ghouls without a weapon… Or claws suddenly growing out of my fingertips… Or -

  "She's here," Freemont announced as he passed my chair on his way to the door. I'd heard a knock a few seconds earlier, but I'd been too deep in my thoughts to pay any attention. I'd have to pull out of this pissy mood before tonight, otherwise I'd be more of a menace than anything the opposition was able to throw at us.

  "Good afternoon, people," Allison said with a wide smile as she approached the chairs and couch grouping I was a part of. George had appeared on the couch without my noticing it, and a sound behind me and to the right said Eric was coming out of his bedroom. Allison sat on the couch not far from George, Eric took a chair to the right, and Freemont sat down to my left.

  "I'm delighted to say that my superiors are delighted with me," Allison told us as she looked around, her smile even wider now. "Everyone thinks I'm a genius for having brought your team in, so I took advantage of their good mood and got them to authorize a small bonus for your work last night. It's not all that much, but you'll have a second check to go along with that first one."

  Freemont made a sound of pleased surprise, as if he hadn't expected the happy news, and then he lost no time thanking Allison for the effort. She waved away his thanks, of course, then turned her attention to me.

  "I got a call from Dr. Boughton an hour or so ago, Taz," she said, wry amusement now in her expression. "He wanted to make sure that 'Jane' would be at his hotel tonight, and also wanted to thank me for sending you. If we end up having a bit of trouble because Dr. Boughton is taken with you, don't worry about it. I've already paved the way for me to take any blame that might descend because of his disappointment."

  "Taz has already had a bit of trouble," Eric said when I just nodded and didn't speak. "Dr. Boughton touched her with his power last night, just before he left the reception. Is there anything you can do to make sure the same doesn't happen again?"

  "He did what?" Allison exclaimed, sounding almost as outraged as Eric as she used the same words he had. "Are you sure, Taz? Is there any chance you can be mistaken? What was he trying to do at the time?"

  "Yes, I'm sure, and I have no idea what he was trying to do," I answered after sending a dirty glance in Eric's direction. "It happened while he was kissing my hand and saying good night. I'd decided against mentioning the incident, but Eric has a big mouth."

  "Well, I should hope so," Allison huffed, still more than a little outraged. "That isn't something to ignore even if you are being paid… You know, I just had the strangest thought. Dr. Boughton has been a vampire for more than fifty years, but I get the impression that he hasn't been a vampire, if you know what I mean. When he isn't attending conferences he's buried in his work, and every time he gets involved in a new area of science he's buried even deeper. Is it possible that his use of power was … involuntary?"

  "Because of his sudden feelings for Taz, do you mean?" George asked as he leaned forward just a bit, obviously pretending that Freemont hadn't made the same suggestion last night. "He's never learned how to control his power, so it got away from him? That could very well be true. If he meant to control Taz in some way, it stands to reason he would have said something instead of just walking away."

  "Yes, of course he would have," Allison agreed, now looking vastly relieved. "Don't you think so, Taz?"

  "You know, you may be right," I said with all the surprise I felt from this new interpretation. "I've never before met a vampire who didn't know all about whatever power he or she has, but I've also never met many scientists. I guess it's possible he's looked into everything around him except for what he's become."

  "It certainly is possible," Allison exclaimed happily, the problem satisfactorily explained away. "I'll have to call him and mention the matter, just to be sure it doesn't happen again."

  She got up and started to help herself to a cup of coffee then, and I sipped my own coffee pretending I didn't feel George's stare. That stare was trying to make a point without putting the idea into words, the point being how much trouble you can inadvertently have when you refuse to find out what your new status is all about. I didn't want to hear that right now, so I g
ave George a blank wall to stare at. When this job was over we'd talk about it. Maybe.

  When Allison had her cup of coffee and was back on the couch, Freemont mentioned the trouble we would have tonight. He tried to explain why he couldn't get more in the way of detail, but Allison just shook her head.

  "Considering the fact that I can't get anything like that at all, apologizing for only getting some of it is downright silly," she stated. "I'll alert my people, of course, but you feel they won't be of help. Are you absolutely sure about that?"

  "Unfortunately I am," Freemont agreed, giving her a wan smile. "For the sake of my teammates I wish I weren't, but it definitely feels as if they're the only ones who will be in a position to take care of the trouble. If it turns out I'm wrong, I'll certainly apologize."

  "I won't hold my breath waiting for that apology," Allison said with another headshake and a sigh. "It's now perfectly clear why your team is so successful, and why I was downright brilliant for calling you in. Even so, I think I'd better arrange for additional guards for tonight. The ones assigned will need to get themselves tuxes so they won't stand out at the reception."

  She took another swallow of her coffee, then said goodbye to us and left the suite. I stood up, intending to go back to my bedroom, but Eric also got up and stepped up beside me.

  "I know you're unhappy with me, and that's perfectly all right and expected," he said, the expression on his face very serious. "But George and Freemont were just acting out of concern for you, so it isn't fair to blame them for listening to and believing me. All the blame for what happened is mine, and you really need to keep that in mind."

  He turned and walked away then, heading back to his bedroom. When the door closed behind him I went to my own bedroom, silently cursing a blue streak. Did that little speech of his mean he was trying to keep the peace on the team and honestly didn't want to make trouble, or was he just saying the words while expecting me to ignore them? I was more than ready to think the worst about Eric, but what I wanted to know was the truth. Maybe if I knocked him down and used a truth drug…

  I actually spent a few minutes trying to figure out a way to get a truth drug, then pushed the nonsense away and sat down with my book. I could usually tell by people's bodily reactions whether or not they were lying, but Eric had too much control of himself for the talent to do any good with him. On top of that, there was no telling how long a drug like that would work on him, so accepting anything he said as fact would still be a waste of time and effort. Maybe torture would work…

  For an instant I pictured myself standing next to a naked, tied-down Eric, questioning him while I tickled him with a huge feather. I'd never seen Eric naked, but there are times when my imagination is much too vivid. The scenario brought up the question as to whether I'd pay more attention to what he said or what he looked like, and that let me put a firm end to the daydream. It isn't easy to embarrass someone who was born and raised in the city, but there are certain things that will definitely do it. Better to stick with reading fiction and not try to make up any of my own…

  Especially about someone I wanted nothing to do with. Really…

  Chapter Twenty-Six

  We all decided to have steaks for dinner, and we weren't disappointed with the choice. Along with baked potato and string beans, the meal turned out well for me, and the others also cleaned their plates.

  Not long after we finished, my assistants knocked at the door. They brought another trick gown with them, along with the matching extras and the necessary makeup and hair stuff. This time the gown was blue and silver, the top of it circling my neck instead of coming down from shoulder straps. The bottom of it was the same kind of shorts arrangement as the first gown, but the skirt didn't close with Velcro seams in front. The skirt pretended to be a wrap-around that closed on the left, a silver fringe marking the line all the way down to my ankles. It would get out of my way just as easily as the first gown skirt, and it looked like I'd need to use the edge tonight.

  Once my hair and makeup were done, I just had to strap the knife to my thigh and put the skirt on. Only one pair of silver shoes had been brought, but that was because they now knew my size. A matching shoulder-evening bag waited for me on the table by the comfortable chair, but when I started toward the bag one of the women, Rachel, stopped me.

  "We haven't given you the matching jewelry yet," Rachel said, turning to another of the women who held a jewelry case. "You put on the earrings, and I'll help with the necklace."

  She opened the case and held it to let me pick up the first of the earrings, and without thinking I did just that. As soon as my fingers closed on the silver filigreed earring I let out a hiss of pain and dropped the thing. The burn could have been worse, but it was still a good thing I'd used my left hand instead of my right.

  "That's real silver, not polished stainless steel," I said after sucking at my aching fingers for a minute. "You should have warned me."

  "Warned you about what?" Rachel asked, more than a little upset that I'd hurt myself. "Did you cut yourself on a sharp edge, or somehow stab yourself?"

  That was when I realized the women didn't know what I was, but telling them wasn't something I could bring myself to do. They'd certainly find out the truth once the trouble we were expecting happened, but for right now…

  "I'm allergic to silver, so I think I'd better wear my own stuff tonight," I said. "It isn't as pretty as that jewelry, but it should serve the purpose."

  They watched as I went over to my luggage and dug out a pair of earrings and a plain neck chain. I didn't have a watch to match to the rest, but the hoop earrings and thin, braided chain did do the job of finishing off the outfit. The only high point of the time was that the women walked out of my bedroom instead of running.

  "Williams called to say he's downstairs with the limo," Eric told me when I appeared. "If you're ready, we can leave now."

  I nodded and headed for the door the way the women had, and Eric came behind me. We rode the elevator down in silence and walked out to the car, but once we were seated in the limo I could almost feel Eric's stare.

  "Is something wrong?" he asked quietly. "Ever since you came out of your bedroom you've been kind of … withdrawn."

  "They brought silver jewelry to go with this new outfit," I said without looking at him. "If I'd stopped to think about it I would have asked before touching it, but I didn't stop to think. Luckily, though, I used my left hand."

  "The only reason you said that is you believe I need to be warned," he said, surprising me by understanding exactly what was happening. "Your left hand was burned, so if you have to use it you may have trouble. Are there blisters?"

  I shook my head, having already inspected the damage. It was as if I'd rubbed my fingers hard against a rope or something, producing a classic rope burn. It was like a scrape, painful even without the blisters.

  "When we get back you'll have to put something on it," he said, the words heavier than usual. "I did the same thing a couple of years ago, and I still remember how much it hurt. There's a cream that will numb the pain a little, but I understand why you decided against trying to use something right now. When it comes to a fight, having aching fingers is fractionally better than having greasy ones."

  Especially if you have to use a knife, he meant. Yes, that was one of the reasons I hadn't asked about something to put on the burn, but only one of the reasons. The others were things I didn't care to think about right now.

  The ride to the Marriott was as short as it had been last night, and this time I let the doorman do his job. In a very little while we could be seeing action, so I'd spent the rest of the time of the ride pushing away awareness of the pain in my fingers. Pain has an important purpose: it let's you know when you're hurt. After you've gotten the message, though, pain becomes a liability. With practice you can learn to ignore the continuing message so it doesn't interfere with your efforts to stay alive.

  After walking into the lobby we headed for the elevators,
this time finding it unnecessary to stop at the desk. The plan was for me to wait at the reception until Eric brought Boughton to the room, eliminating the danger that his coming down to the lobby would be. There were a few of Allison's people scattered around in the lobby, an attempt to head off trouble before it found the reception floor, but there weren't that many of them and they were spread around the very large lobby. Nothing at all should have happened immediately, but that "should have" depended on our own plans, not the plans of others.

  "Jane!" a voice called from not very far away just as I realized I'd been getting the scent of vampire makeup, only heavier than last night. Eric and I both stopped and turned, to see Boughton stand up from the chair he'd been sitting in and head for us. The smile on his face was wide enough to notice, and he looked downright human with all that makeup on him.

  "He didn't wait for me to come get him," Eric muttered as our charge got closer. "He was so eager to see you again that he came down alone. We'd better get him upstairs as fast as - "

  But that was as far as Eric got. Just as Boughton reached us a number of other people in the fairly crowded lobby began to converge on us, and it wasn't hard to see that they weren't Allison's people. Not one of them wore a tux, and the expressions on most of their faces can only be described as fervently eager. The fanatics hadn't recognized the human-seeming Boughton, but it was very obvious that they knew Eric and I would lead them to him. Which we had.

  "We've been set up," I snarled, knowing it was much too late to warn Allison that one of her people worked for the other side. "But at least they're all human, so we do have a chance against them."

  "What's wrong, Jane?" Boughton asked, looking between Eric and me with a frown. "Why are you two so disturbed, and what does being set up mean?"

  "You're about to be attacked, Dr. Boughton," Eric answered before I could say something of the same. "Just stay near - Jane - right now, and do as she tells you. And do not try to play the hero."