"You drive a hard bargain." The man wrapped the feathers up in tissue paper and placed them in a bag with a small cardboard box.
Alex took his wallet from his pants pocket and drew out ten crisp hundred dollar bills.
"Are you crazy?" Jamie hissed.
Alex ignored her and handed the money to the old man. "We have to look legit," he said as they walked away from the table, hoping that would put the matter to rest.
"Do you get paid more than I do? Because I don't have that kind of money to throw around. If I did, I sure as hell wouldn't be buying feathers with it. Are those even legal?"
He should have known that Jamie wouldn't let it go.
"How is it that these people don't know you?" Jamie asked when he didn’t answer. "You'd think they would have barred us at the door or taken off through the pasture on foot."
Now those were questions he could answer. "Some do and they know I won't...can't...bother them unless what they're selling is illegal. Some are out-of-towners or new to the business and wouldn't know me from Adam. Some just don't care. I mean, what can I really do? Confiscate their merchandise and write them a ticket? Isn't much of a deterrent. Mike and I used to make the rounds occasionally before…,” Alex faltered, “before his accident. But even if we shut someone down, they’d be back in a week or two. Makes you feel kind of worthless."
Alex pushed his way through the mass of people around the entrance to the special vendor’s area and found himself face to face with a squat man dressed in two cows worth of leather, his thinning grey hair tied back in a ponytail. The man narrowed his eyes, which matched his hair, and leaned forward until his nose was an inch from Alex’s face. He took a deep breath, nostrils flaring. Alex put on his best smile and tried to think innocent thoughts. He hadn’t considered that they might have Readers. After a few seconds, the man waved them through the gap in the tarps.
Alex heard Jamie let out a small sigh behind him. "Was he a...?" she asked.
"Yeah."
"I can't imagine that's always pleasant."
"I had a classmate at the Academy who had to lick whatever he was Reading."
"That's...awkward."
"It did hinder his aspirations of becoming a crime scene investigator."
Varying sizes of rebar cages filled the second half of the building. Alex imagined the burned out barn had looked much like this before it had been turned into a pile of smoldering ash. That was the danger of dragons.
The crowds were even thicker here, drawn in by the promise of the exotic and maybe even a bit for the danger of being so close to the beasts. Alex shuddered. He hadn't seen any other exits in the building except the door they'd come in. If one of the dragons managed to conjure up fire in here, there was no way everyone was getting out alive.
They made their way towards the nearest cage. A dragon the size of a domestic house cat perched on a piece of rebar that had been stretched across the cramped enclosure. His scales flashed a range of metallic colors as he twisted his long, hooked neck around to eye the people gathered about his prison. Paper thin wings hung useless at his sides, the nearly translucent membrane torn into strips that would no longer carry him across the sky. A band of metal had been twisted around the dragon's muzzle.
"How is it supposed to eat?" Jamie asked.
Alex hesitated, not sure how to break the bad news.
"No need for him to eat where he's headed," a voice said from behind them.
Alex turned to look at the man who had spoken. Despite the heat in that part of the building, the man was dressed in a suit and tie. Judging by the cut, it wasn't your everyday, off-the-rack variety either. Memories danced at the edge of Alex's mind just out of reach. He seemed familiar. Really familiar.
The man smiled and the expression had a hardness to it that was far from welcoming. "Let me show you the collection."
The skin prickled along the back of Alex's neck. He stepped between the man and Jamie. "We're fine."
"I insist." The man reached around Alex and took Jamie’s arm in his.
Alex sighed and followed the two of them deeper into the room, not sure what else to do. Declining seemed like a bad idea. They paused at several cages, each with a dragon bound in iron inside. People flocked around the cages, whispering excitedly to one another as they leaned in to examine the merchandise. A table set off to one side displayed a variety of speckled eggs ranging from the size of a quail egg to some larger than a beach ball. "You must have one heck of a breeding operation," Alex said.
The man simply smiled. “This way,” he said and motioned towards the far corner of the building. The sleeve of his suit shifted, revealing a line of runes tattooed around his wrist.
Alex stopped, one of the other spectators cursing as they bumped into him. Bits and pieces of memories teased him, the man’s face emerging from the fog. Alex shook his head trying to dislodge the memory. He’d been called in on a federal case in Saint Louis years ago and this man had been part of the team. There had been less grey in his hair then, but Alex was sure of it. Hell, they’d gone out for drinks a time or two. Trevor… Tyler… Tyson… the man’s name eluded him. What the fuck was going on here? Breaking himself from his thoughts, Alex hurried to catch up with Jamie.
"The jewel of the collection," the man said as they neared a massive cage. A blood red dragon the size of a cargo van lay on the floor bound in thick chains. A basket muzzle of metal had been fitted over her head.
Pain throbbed in Alex's chest as he watched the creature's flanks heave with each labored breath. Her scales had lost their shine and her eyes were dull and flat. No doubt she'd been magnificent in her prime. Now, having outlived her usefulness at the breeding farm, she was here on display awaiting slaughter.
A kid not yet out of his tween years approached and handed their guide a manila envelope. The man glanced inside, then offered it to Alex. "I assume we'll be able to work out a mutually amicable arrangement?"
Out of the corner of his eye, Alex saw Jamie shake her head. He reached forward and took the envelope anyway. Alex opened it just enough to see a thick stack of money stuffed inside.
"I didn't get your name," Alex said.
"You won't need it"
"I'm...," Alex started.
The man held up a hand to stop him. "I know who you are, dog catcher. We all do."
Alex tucked the envelope into his jacket pocket. "We won't waste any more of your time then."
"What the hell just happened?" Jamie asked as soon as they were outside the building.
Alex took the envelope out of his pocket, turning it over in his hand. "I'm not sure yet."
"You're not sure?" Her voice carried across the pasture and several people turned to look at them. "What part aren't you sure about? Because I'm sure I saw you take a bribe from those crooks."
"Come on, Jamie. Keep it down, would you?" In the time they’d worked together, he’d never heard Jamie raise her voice at anyone.
"Oh, so now you're worried about what other people might think? Didn't seem to cross your mind a few minutes ago."
"It's not.... It's complicated. If you'd let me explain...."
"I don't really care." Jamie stormed off in the direction of the car.
Alex bit his lip to keep from saying something he'd regret. If she didn't care, what was she making such a fuss about?
Jamie was standing next to the driver’s side door of her Prius by the time he located the car. Alex handed her the keys. "Drop me off at Don's place, would you?" he asked.
Jamie didn't say anything, slamming the car door as she climbed behind the wheel. Alex sighed and went around to the passenger door. It was going to be a long ride.
Chapter 4
Every window in the house was dark. Shifting the package of feathers in his hands, Alex knocked on the door. Dogs barked somewhere deep within the house and Alex cringed. No way was anyone sleeping through that. Two dogs rushed past him as the door opened and they disappeared into the night.
"Good God
s, Alex, do you have any idea what time it is?" Dustin asked.
The t-shirt and shorts Dustin wore hung off his frame more than usual and dark shadows had collected under the man's eyes. Alex frowned, wishing that he'd waited until the morning to come. "You look like shit, Dustin."
"That's because I was asleep."
Alex started to say something to the contrary, but thought better of it.
"You looking for me or Don?"
"Both." Alex handed Dustin the bundle of feathers.
Dustin extracted one, the brilliant red dulled to the color of dried blood in the pale light spilling from inside the house. Dustin's eyes glistened as he looked up from the feather in his hands. "It's not...."
Alex shook his head. "No."
Dustin nodded once, handing the feather back to Alex. "It's good you came. I'll wake Don."
Magenta sparks traced fiery paths towards the heavens as the flames found the package of feathers. Across the fire pit, Dustin muttered under his breath too low for Alex to make out the words. It sounded vaguely like Cherokee. Don stood next to him, his cowboy hat in his hands and head bowed. Alex stared into the fire. The wood crackled and flames danced over its surface. He could smell sage on the smoke.
"Do you need a ride?" Don asked when the fire had burned down to a pile of glowing embers.
Alex nodded, reluctant to take his eyes off the pile of ash.
"Come on then," Don said. "You'll want some sleep before morning."
When Alex looked up, he saw Dustin's intense dark eyes scrutinizing him from across the fire pit. The skin on the back of his neck prickled and he hurried after Don.
They were halfway to town before Don broke the silence. "I see you shook things up at the swap meet tonight. You haven't done that since…."
Alex shrugged, staring out the window of the truck into the endless black. "Not sure it did any good."
"Feathers like that carry a hefty fine. Maybe they’ll think twice next time.”
"I bought the feathers."
"They had to cost a pretty penny."
"It'll be a ramen and Ol' Roy kind of month, that's for sure. I couldn't afford to make waves tonight, but I couldn't leave her there either. No telling what someone would have used her for."
“Dustin said you were unsettled."
Alex cringed. Damn Empaths. This was not a conversation he wanted to have.
"Dustin can't help it," Don said as if he knew what was on Alex's mind. "He mentioned it because he was worried."
"Why couldn’t you have found a nice Alchemist or Demonologist?"
Don turned and, in the dull glow of dashboard lights, Alex could see the corner of his mouth twitch up into a smile. "Couldn't find an Alchemist or Demonologist that would put up with me."
They were in the city now, a dull orange haze hanging overhead and blocking out all the stars. "Give me a call if you need anything," Don said as he parked by the curb in front of Alex's house.
"I'm fine." Alex climbed out of the truck, the paper of the envelope in his jacket pocket crinkling.
“I know you're fine," Don said. "Offer still stands though."
"Thanks."
Mike was asleep on the couch, using the arm rest as a pillow, when Alex walked in. "I'm touched that you were so concerned when I didn't show up at a decent time," Alex said. The wolf opened one eye and yawned, then shut his eyes again.
"Worthless mutt." Alex went to the cage against the wall and lifted the sheet that covered it.
The large bird inside slept soundly. Knobby twisted toes grasped the branch that she perched on, head tucked under a bony wing. Only a few tattered feathers remained across her body, their original crimson having faded to a dull brown more befitting a common sparrow. A single feather lay on the floor of the cage. Alex touched the latch on the door, then changed his mind. The poor bird deserved her rest. He pulled the sheet back down over the cage.
Mike had rolled over on his back, all four legs up in the air, paws twitching as he chased demons in his dreams. Alex pulled the envelope out of his jacket pocket, the bundle of bills inside heavy in his hand. He tossed the package onto the coffee table and turned towards the bedroom.
Chapter 5
Alex paced back and forth in front of the door to the Captain's office. Shadowy figures moved on the other side of the frosted glass and he could hear muted voices, but couldn't make out their words. His fingers worried the edge of the envelope in his hands.
Jamie hadn't been around when he made it in to work this morning, overpriced gourmet coffee in hand as a peace offering. That was odd. Of the two of them, she always arrived first. Apparently it was going to take more than coffee to set things right this time.
The door to the office opened and the Captain poked his head out into the hallway. His wire rimmed spectacles had slid half way down his hawkish nose and he squinted over the top of the frames. “Come on in, Alex.”
The office was pristine as usual—not a single piece of paper or pen out of place. A woman he didn't recognize perched on the edge of the desk. It looked like she’d applied a bit of makeup this morning, but it did little to soften her sharp cheekbones. Her grey suit pants had been ironed into submission and her hair pulled back into a severe bun. What appeared to be a crooked stick had been shoved through her hair and Alex managed not to laugh when he saw it. That was an interesting place to keep a wand.
"I'm sorry," Alex said. "I didn't mean to interrupt."
"We were going to call for you anyway," the Captain said. He nodded towards the woman. "May I present Federal Agent Mallory?”
The woman inclined her head in greeting but didn't offer to shake his hand. Instead she pulled a picture out of the file folder next to her and handed it to him. "Do you know this person?"
Alex glanced at the picture. Judging from the style of the clothing, the picture was several years old, but the man from last night was unmistakable. In fact, he looked more like Alex remembered him. "I do. We worked together in Saint Louis once. I ran into him again last night while I was checking out a lead." Alex looked up at the Captain and handed over the envelope. "That's what I came to talk to you about. Here there be dragons."
"We have bigger problems than dragons," the Captain said.
Alex thought back to the faded picture hanging over his desk in the tiny animal control office down the hall. Four men next to an old horse drawn fire engine, their faces blackened with soot—the original occult animal control department founded in Chicago after the Great Fire. They watched over his work every day from their dusty frame. There wasn't much worse than dragons.
Agent Mallory handed him another picture. This one was of a leather bound book with thick rough edged pages. Script that looked vaguely rune-like had been etched deep into the cover and spine around a detailed image of a long legged and long necked bird. Alex shivered as he stared at the picture. He'd seen that book before. In the flesh. And it definitely wasn't cowhide that covered it. "The Grimoire of Malthas."
Agent Mallory's eyes widened in surprise and she looked up at the Captain nervously.
"His father was a scholar of the ancient tongues," the Captain said. "Particularly those that dealt with the darker aspects of the occult."
"Oh." The distrustful look didn't quite fade from her eyes.
Shrugging, Alex smiled. He'd had worse reactions when people found out what his father did for a living. "Mom was an ambassador to the Fairies, so at least I had a balanced upbringing." His smile faded. "The book is locked away in the Forbidden Archives."
"Was," Agent Mallory said. “It went missing about a year ago." She nodded at the picture of the man. "Trey was sent undercover with several other officers to try to track down its location. The last time he checked in with his handler was three months ago, right after he hooked up with that dragon smuggler of yours."
"You think he's gone rogue?" Alex asked.
"Sure looks like it." She took the photos from him and tucked them back into the file.
"And the oth
ers?" Alex wasn't sure he wanted to know the answer.
"Toast."
"What does any of this have to do with me?"
Agent Mallory's eyes flashed with hatred as she looked up from the folder on the desk. The hairs on Alex's arms stood on end as an electric buzz filled the room. "I want Trey." The words dripped with loathing that suggested a lot more to the story. "And you," she motioned to the manila envelope he'd given the Captain, "already have a way in."
Chapter 6
"Seriously?" Alex shook the trap in his hands. The jackalope inside hopped at the opening, teeth bared, its antlers catching on the wire of the cage. "Work with me here, would you?" Alex asked the creature. "I'm trying to help you out."
Mike barked once and the jackalope clicked its teeth together at him. "You're not making this any easier," Alex told Mike. "Go sniff around and figure out where to set the next trap."
"Did ya' get 'em?" a thin, shrill voice asked.
"Yes, I got him, Mrs. Peterson," Alex said.
"Did ya' see what he did to my poor defenseless cabbages?"
"Yes, I saw, Mrs. Peterson." Alex turned the cage on end and shook it again. The jackalope didn't budge. They were so much cuter as babies.
"Trouble?" Jamie asked from where she leaned against the truck.
"I could use a little help."
Jamie took a sip from the can of Diet Coke in her hand. "Maybe you should ask your new dragon friends for help."
"Come on, Jamie," Alex said. "When are you going to let it go?" The jackalope broke its antlers free and slid forward. Alex jerked his hand out of the way, teeth narrowly missing his fingers. "Shit." The jackalope tumbled into the truck’s holding cage and hopped to the back. Alex slammed the door shut before the critter got any ideas about reenacting some Monty Python. "Damn rabbit."
"They're hares," Jamie said.
"I know they're hares," Alex snapped.
"He'd make a fine pot of stew." Mrs. Peterson's voice carried across the garden.
"How many times do I have to tell you that you can't eat them?" Alex asked. "They're a protected species."
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