Following Fabian

by Holley Trent

  Tolvaj had been born into service of Jacques because of the contract his father had signed. He could shapeshift into pretty much anything of similar size and bulk, which made him one of Dana’s secret weapons when the agency did work requiring infiltration or casual surveillance.

  Fabian had once seen the man shift into a German Shepherd when the troupe was hiding out in Siberia after one of Jacques’s failed abduction attempts. Took Jacques a while to pay off the local law enforcement there so they could travel again. Fabian had asked Mr. Tolvaj why he’d shifted into a dog, of all things, and the man had flapped his hands against his arms, teeth chattering, and said, “It’s three degrees Celsius, and I don’t own a decent coat. Jacques has been holding my pay for six months. The dog has a better coat than I do.”

  Fabian knew a little something about wage withholding. By the time Felipe had fled, they “owed” Jacques so much money, they would have never been able to work off the debt before they died.

  Other people filed in and made the small conference room even more crowded. The voluptuous blonde who kept looking from Fabian to Felipe and back again had her brow furrowed. Drea, the agency secretary whom Fabian remembered from their layover in Asheville. Jacques had sent the Visas out to abduct local Were-creatures, and she and her brother Bryan had been two of the unlucky victims. And finally, there was a woman leaning against the file cabinet with her arms crossed over her chest. Red hair, probably approaching fifty if she wasn’t there yet. Pretty in an old-fashioned sort of way. The Shrews kept calling her “Doc,” but Fabian didn’t know whether that was a nickname or her actual profession.

  Drea sank into the seat Dana had rolled in and Dana jabbed some keys on her laptop. “Astrid, can you translate simultaneously? Can you filter so what I say makes sense to him?” She nodded toward Fabian.

  He turned to Astrid and raised an eyebrow in query.

  She held out her hand and he took it.

  “I don’t know. I’m not sure what that’ll involve, but we’ll give it a shot.”

  She shifted to silent communication. “Uh. We’re going to try something. She’s going to talk, and I’m going to try to push through what she’s saying at the same time. This may prove disastrous. Tell me if all you’re getting from me is gibberish.”

  He could tell by the way her forehead wrinkled that speaking to him that way required a lot of concentration. He appreciated the effort. “Okay.”

  A speaker boomed in the front corner of the room, and Dana whispered “Ah,” and pushed herself more upright. “All right. I’ll skip all the preliminaries. No formal agenda today. We need to mobilize pretty quickly and take care of this mess before Gene finds out we’ve left the area.”

  “We?” the blonde asked. “You mean we’re taking a field trip? All of us?”

  Astrid squeezed Fabian’s hand. “You getting all that, or am I not focusing well enough?”

  “I understand.”

  “Yes. All of us,” Dana said. “Well, Sarah excluded—for obvious reasons—and Drea wouldn’t go either. I’m on the fence about you, Doc.”

  They all turned to the redhead, whom raised one pristine eyebrow.

  “Your gut is telling you that you need me, but you don’t know why, right?” she asked.

  Dana nodded. “I don’t have premonitions,” she said by way of explanation to Fabian. “I get bad feelings, and usually shit hits the fan shortly after. This is the same feeling I got when I sent Sarah on that undercover job up in Maryland last year.”

  Dana paced, staring at the floor for a minute, and they all watched her, probably terrified of interrupting her train of thoughts. Dana was a small woman, but she had a quality about her that screamed leader even without a person knowing who she was and what position she held. She exuded authority and demanded respect just by living and being. “Okay. Easiest way to preface this meeting is to play this voice mail I got last night. Incidentally, I tried calling you, Astrid, but you didn’t answer.”

  Astrid didn’t say anything. In fact, she rolled her lips in and pressed them tight.

  The dragon is speechless? Unbelievable.

  Sarah, down the table, sighed and said, “Evidently, it’s the Castillo effect. If you have one of them around, you can’t get anywhere on time or be reached when needed.”

  Felipe raised his shoulders and let them fall. “Cut me some slack. I’m still getting used to the business hours thing. I believe I’m coping admirably given the circumstances.”

  Dana laughed. “That you are. All right. Ears open, here we go.” She pushed a button, and the speaker mounted in the ceiling corner roared to life.

  Static—perhaps wind being blown into a mouthpiece—filled the line, and then a deep, accented voice said, “Hello, this is a message for Sarah Castillo or her boss Dana. I am… Well, no matter that. It doesn’t matter. I have some information you will want to act on, and you will have to act quickly. I am currently at a payphone in northern Montana.”

  Moan-tanya, he’d pronounced it. Felipe must have noticed the pronunciation as well, because he immediately turned his head toward Fabian wearing a You heard that, too? expression.

  Fabian nodded.

  The man continued, “Uh, I believe near Highway 191. I have been following a man named Jacques Daniau for the past three days.”

  Felipe pounded the tabletop. “That’s him. I want first crack at him.”

  Fabian drew in a breath to speak, but couldn’t rustle up enough enthusiasm about encountering Jacques to push any words out.

  He was still waiting, hoping he’d do what needed to be done when the time came.

  “We’ll get him,” Dana said, resuming her pacing. “Listen. Our informant has more to say.”

  “I know you have some interest in him,” the voice in the speaker said. “As do I. I have my own reasons for wanting to track him, however there are individuals in his entourage who require rescue. I cannot assist them. Jacques is under heavy guard, and I can only do so much without causing alarm. Making things worse for them. It’s not just Jacques that needs to be taken, but I am sure you are aware of that. He—”

  The line cut off, and everyone around the table started talking at once.

  Dana shouted “Hey!” over the din, and calmed the ruckus. “He called back. I guess the phone wanted more change. Here.” She pushed a button, and he was back again.

  “The troupe is traveling east and west along the US-Canada border, and I think Jacques intends to pass up into the Grasslands Park area soon. From what I have observed, certain parties in his caravan lack the proper documentation to leave the country, but as soon as they have it, they will try to disappear. It is imperative that you close in on him and his party soon. Of further interest to you, there is a man here—a Were-catamount named Billy. Apparently, he worked in collusion with Jacques to cause some problems with your local Bears, and also mismanaged his Cats before that. I believe the Patrick he has mentioned in passing is your Mr. O’Dwyer. I have information for you, Mr. O’Dwyer, that I won’t relay at this time, but that you should know all the same. We will discuss it soon. The group is about to move, and I will follow. I will phone back. Please be ready. Jacques has fourteen guards that I’ve been able to count, and I suspect you know what they are.”

  He hung up.

  The only noise in the room was the sound of Mr. Tolvaj drumming his fingertips atop the tabletop.

  “Fourteen,” Dana said.

  Mr. Tolvaj worked his jaw left to right, and nodded. “If they are all Visas, that means two more have defected since my and I brother left, but fourteen is still a substantial amount. You may not be able to tell who is who if they shift.”

  “But some are better at shifting than others, right?” Sarah asked. “I mean, you’re good. Your brother is good. But some of those guys can only shift partially. They don’t have your discipline or talent.”

  Mr. Tolvaj held up his thumb and index finger and held them a centimeter apart. “All they need to do is cause a little confusion.
Long enough to make you doubt your gun’s aim. Long enough to make you unsure.”

  “Good point.” Dana paced some more.

  Astrid squeezed Fabian’s wrist. “She’s not a pacer. She must be freaked.”

  She should have been. “Mr. Tolvaj is right. I’ve seen the way the Visas can disrupt arrest attempts. The police will come in and they could never tell who was captive who was captor. They’d confuse law enforcement long enough that Jacques and his right-hand men could get most of the troupe away. Then he’d pay off the cops from wherever he landed to free his henchmen. Without fail, every time.”

  “Good thing we’re not cops.”

  “You definitely don’t play by the same rules, dragón.”

  “Did he call back?” Sarah asked. “And why did he mention me by name?”

  “No, not yet, to answer your first question,” Dana said, “and I don’t know. Sometimes I don’t know how people find out about us. I guess our reputation precedes us in certain pockets of society. Anyway, we need to pack up and be ready to move out in the next two hours, and when he calls back, we need to give our FBI friends on the ground in the Midwest the heads-up so they can call their buddies and get their paddy wagons ready to fill.”

  Astrid’s fingers tensed briefly.

  “What’s wrong?” Fabian asked.

  She didn’t respond.

  He could guess. She was probably thinking of one FBI friend in particular.

  “We need to keep this operation clean,” Dana said. “Be doubly careful that who you’re hitting or shooting is dirty. If you can’t tell, go with the less aggressive form of force. We’re going to break up into small teams and flank the troupe from as many sides as we can. We’ll figure out who’s with whom while we’re in the air. Tolvaj, can you call your brother, please? See if he’ll join us?”

  Tolvaj bowed his head. “Of course.”

  “Tam?”

  The blonde already had her phone out. “I’ll call Bryan and see if he can get a flight out of Asheville.”

  Dana paced some more. “I feel like that’s not enough bodies. We need more weight on our side.”

  Drea cleared her throat.

  “Speak up, honey,” Dana said. “If you’re going to work with us, you’re going to have to learn how to get a word in edgewise.”

  “Uh. Right. Um.” The timid Were-bear shifted in her seat and just barely met her boss’s gaze. “Well, the Ursu brothers are around somewhere doing business for their father. Also, Bryan keeps saying he wishes he could find stuff for Dustin to do because he’s been stir-crazy ever since he had to leave his job at the strip club. I don’t know how trainable he is, but he follows instructions pretty well under Bryan’s supervision.”

  “Can Dustin shift on will like Bryan and the Ursus?”

  “He can, but…” Tamara groaned and put her thumb over her phone’s speaker. “He’s a made-Bear. If he forces a shift, he’ll be a sitting duck the moment he shifts back to his human form. We’d have to drag his ass out of the line of fire if something happened to him. Still, he’s strong in his human form. He could be good muscle.”

  “All right. While you’re on the phone with Bryan, see if he can help you track down Dustin and your brothers.” Dana gave Drea a little thump on the back. “Any more ideas?”

  “Fresh out.”

  “Got anyone for me, dirty cat?” Dana asked her husband.

  Patrick shook his head. “My strongest Cats are female and they can’t fight worth a shit, so they wouldn’t do you any good. Sorry, love.”

  “We’ll have to make due and try to get in touch with the local weirdoes. Maybe they’ll be willing to send us some muscle. All right everyone. Go home and pack up. Keep your phones on.”

  As the staff filed out of the room, Astrid loosened her grip on Fabian’s arm and poised herself to stand.

  Doc got behind her, barring her exit, but she was looking at Fabian.

  Astrid craned her head around and stared at her. “Oh, God. Here we go.”

  He rested his hand on the back of Astrid’s naked neck and massaged. “What?”

  “Oh, nothing. She’s giving you the lab-rat look. I guess Felipe got tired of all the analysis and cut her off.”

  “What does she want to know?”

  “This is really odd,” Doc interjected. “You’re speaking English, he’s speaking Spanish—I’m guessing that’s what that is, anyway, my ear for Romance languages is rusty—and yet you understand each other.”

  “What is she saying?” Fabian asked.

  “Doc is commenting on the nature of our communication. She’s a scientist and the psychic stuff flummoxes her,” Astrid said.

  “Yes, it does,” Doc said. She looked at Fabian. “He and Felipe are absolutely identical, not fraternal?”

  Fabian nudged Astrid.

  Astrid said, “You and Felipe are identical, not fraternal, right?”

  “Shared a placenta, supposedly. At least, that’s what the old ladies in the troupe told us.”

  Astrid nodded to Doc. “Identical.”

  Doc made a hmph sound and walked away casually, her hands stuffed in her blazer’s pockets.

  “What’s up with her?” Fabian asked.

  Astrid finally stood, removed his hand from her neck, and grasped it in her own. “That’s just Doc being Doc. She’s extremely curious about what makes the Shrews tick. I don’t think she ever thought she’d encounter natural mutants—and I apologize if you don’t like being called that—like you and Felipe.”

  “I’ve been called worse things, dragón.”

  Hand-in-hand, they exited the conference room and headed toward the suite exit where the Castillos waited.

  Astrid dropped his hand as Felipe said in Spanish, “You can ride with Sarah and me to the house. Dana managed to swing a charter flight, so we can take more weapons than we would have otherwise. We need some help packing up.”

  Fabian scrunched his forehead. “You know how to use all those things? Guns?”

  Felipe shrugged. “I’m licensed to carry and am prepared to use one if I have to, but I generally get my job done without having to draw.”

  So many surprises from this twin of his. Here Felipe was putting down roots, speaking English, and playing secret agent, and Fabian was sofa-hopping and most of the clothes he had to wear had come from his brother’s closet.

  In the past, he hadn’t minded sharing. That was their life, and having nothing of their own was par for the course. But now, Felipe had moved on without him. He had everything, and all Fabian had was a tiny bit of righteous indignation directed at Jacques and a bit of money on the way from his late mother’s estate.

  That was it.

  He’d get a little cash, and then what? Where would he go?

  And more importantly, who’d go with him?

  Astrid prodded him from his mental meanderings by slipping her hand up the back of his shirt and pressing her palm against his spine. She rubbed, and he fairly melted into her touch. “See you in a couple of hours? Might have time to grab an early dinner before we get the call.”

  “Yes. Sure.”

  He would have loved to have dinner with her, but hadn’t he preyed on her enough already? Used up far too much of her energy and pity? Perhaps it’d be best for both of them in the long run if he gave her some space. Felipe could do his translation from now on, until Fabian mastered fluency for himself.

  Astrid brushed her long bangs aside and widened her hazel eyes at him. “I promise it won’t be torture.”

  It was so unfair that she was so pretty and so smart. Worse, that the Fates thought it’d be so goddamned funny putting him into the path of such an extraordinary woman and to have him be so utterly inferior to her.

  That was cruel.

  Hell, that was his life.

  “Of course it won’t be torture.” He worked her hand out of his shirt and held it at his waist as they followed Sarah and Felipe down the office stairs. He added in whispered Spanish, “Not in the way you’r
e thinking, anyway.”

  CHAPTER FIFTEEN

  Astrid expected a bit of ribbing or teasing on the plane, but the Shrews were blessedly aloof as to her proximity to Fabian. Maybe they’d already gotten it out of their systems, but whatever it was, she was thankful for it. Maybe that would make things easier. It was Fabian who seemed to be giving her the hard time now. The moment the plane had leveled out at cruising altitude, he’d abandoned his seat next to her and moved to the rear of the plane where Felipe and the other men were conferring.

  She sat there for a moment, twiddling her thumbs and staring out the window before Maria popped her head over the back of the seat in front of Astrid. Maria cleared her throat.

  “What?” Astrid asked.

  “You want to talk about David? You said you didn’t before, but I feel like you need to get the feelings out. Literally feel.”

  Astrid rolled her eyes and slouched farther in her seat. “Come on, don’t do that. I really don’t want to talk about him.”

  “Why? You afraid that if you let the anger go you might accidentally be cordial around him?”

  “You say some crazy things, but that one may top the list, honey.”

  Maria pursed her lips and shrugged. “Anger is a weapon for us. A tool we can use to make people behave how we’d like. Sometimes, it doesn’t work as well as we intend. We hone it too sharp. The damage is too severe.”

  Astrid sighed. Once the hippie started talking, it was easiest to let her finish her spiel. “What are you suggesting?”

  “Only that it’s possible to talk about what happened without immediately forgiving him. No one’s asking you to do that. Even I’m not in a place where I can completely forgive my ex, but he knows that. I told him how angry I was at what he did to me. How much it hurt that he wanted to change me.”

  “Did you feel better for it?”

  “No, because he wasn’t contrite in the slightest bit. And knowing him as I do, I shouldn’t have expected him to be. But, over time, I started to compartmentalize my feelings about it. The SHREW study was something that happened in the past. We can’t go back and undo it or change anything. We’re here. We’re survivors. We can only go forward as the women we are now and leave the bullshit behind. You owe it to yourself, though, to let that monster out of the box. You can’t squash it if you keep it hidden away. It’ll keep beating at the box it’s in, demanding your attention. Bugging you. Why not go ahead and deal with it?”