by Sharon Green
"I'd guess that the first thing coming at us will be a request for a decision," George said from where he sat. "It might be a good idea if we made that decision and so had an answer to the question."
"The question of whether or not we'll make Atlanta our home base," Freemont said, his nod on the thoughtful side. "I don't know about you two, but I've been thinking about the point."
"And what conclusion did you come to?" I asked, turning away from the coffeepot to look at my partners. "I'd guess George has already come to a decision, but I don't know about me."
"I think I've decided I like the idea," Freemont answered while George just smiled. "Lately we've gone from one job to another, but more than once in the past we had nothing in the way of work after we finished a job. I remember how we didn't know what to do with ourselves back then, not when we didn't belong where we were but still had no special place to return to. I like the feeling of having a special place to go back to."
"And I think I agree with you," I said, suddenly able to see the matter from the same perspective. "It won't matter if the people we help don't want us hanging around. We won't want to hang around, not when we'll be able to go home. Yes, I definitely agree. How about you, George?"
"I think it's a great idea, even if I'll only be spending part of my time there," George answered, his smile approving. "Don't forget that I'll be visiting Aurella and the boys from time to time, and those visits will be a lot more pleasant if I know the rest of you aren't just … hanging out somewhere waiting for the next job."
"So we're agreed," I said from the chair I'd taken my coffee to. "Now all we have to do is find out if Eric or Amiol have any serious reservations."
"They don't," Freemont said with a comfortable smile. "I've spoken with both of them, and they've just been waiting for us to make up our minds. Amiol, especially, likes the idea of living in a big city."
I chuckled to myself at that, but didn't say anything out loud. Amiol liked the idea of being able to buy anything he might want or need, without having to wait until he reached a place that wasn't boondocks. I could understand that, even though I wasn't quite as free with money as our teammate…
We settled into a comfortable silence for a few minutes, then Freemont put his cup aside and got up.
"I'm going to order breakfast," he told me over his shoulder. "Our teammates will be ready just a few minutes before the food gets here if I place the order right now."
I made a sound of acknowledgment, but otherwise stayed silent. The idea of ever having to get along without Freemont was one that I flatly refused to consider; I don't like being entirely out of control or freaking out, so avoiding the topic was a much better idea.
We had just enough time to tell our teammates that we'd come to a decision and what the decision was before our food arrived. Amiol's smile was somewhat wider than Eric's, but that's not to say Eric wasn't pleased. I had the feeling it had been quite a while since Eric had had a place to consider home…
We took our time finishing our meal, lingered over the coffee, then moved our lazy bones back to our bedrooms. If we were going out for sunning and swimming, we needed to be in our new purchases. My white suit came with a detachable skirt, one that came down no lower than the tops of my thighs. But the skirt was just for moving through the hotel in, so its length didn't matter.
What might have mattered to someone else was the socks and sneakers I wore on my feet. Most people use sandals or flip-flops with bathing suits, but I can't stand either of those. It might have looked dumb wearing the socks and sneakers, but I preferred dumb to the sounds the other footgear made. And happily my teammates weren't part of the world who approved of those sounds. They all wore slip-ons of one kind or another, generally what they used in place of slippers.
We were all ready at just about the same time, but that didn't include George. He told us he'd be back later before disappearing, something that wasn't completely surprising. If we were going to be doing nothing but swimming and sitting around, George had to have other, more pleasant chores than watching us do it.
Leaving the hotel through a door rather than through the dining terrace meant we didn't have to go down steps before we were on a level with the pool. We all had towels, of course, just the way Elaine and her teammates did. They were already at the pool with a couple of them in the water, but we still got waves of welcome as we approached. We picked out lounge chairs near the ones our new friends had taken, and that was when Freemont stopped short and muttered under his breath.
"What's wrong?" I asked, wondering if I'd missed seeing something around us.
"I don't believe how stupid it's possible to get if you don't pay attention," Freemont muttered, very obviously annoyed with himself. "Amiol, I'm going to make a wild guess and say that you don't burn in the sun."
"No, I certainly don't," Amiol answered, looking at Freemont with a puzzled expression. "What has that got to do with anything?"
"It has to do with the fact that Taz and Eric also don't have to worry about sunburn," Freemont answered, his disgust clear. "Those two will heal any sunburn almost immediately, and you don't burn. Since George isn't here, who does that leave?"
"That leaves you, and you didn't buy any sunscreen," I said, finally getting the point. "Sorry, partner. I should have reminded you, but the thought never occurred to me."
"The thought should have occurred to me, but it didn't," Freemont said, tossing down his towel on the nearest chair. "I don't believe I can see things like harpies and elevators falling, but not a picture of myself turning into a lobster. I'll be back in just a few minutes."
With that he headed back toward the hotel, and none of us made the effort to suggest that he borrow some sunscreen from the Hunters, Inc. people. Since today wasn't the only day we'd be out in the sun, it made more sense for a blonde like Freemont to get his own sunscreen. Especially since he'd need stronger protection than someone darker.
"Is there a problem?" Elaine asked as she moved closer to join us. "Did your partner forget something he needs?"
"He forgot to get himself sunscreen, and he's really annoyed over the miss," I explained. "If there was such a thing as a club for sensitives like Freemont, he'd probably be ashamed to show his face there again."
"I think we need to explain to him that he's just as human as the rest of us," Eric said with a small shake of his head. "Humans, especially humans on vacation, forget things all the time. But I can understand why he's annoyed about forgetting."
"It's probably because only he is involved, rather than the team," Amiol put in. "If any of the rest of us were involved he probably would have caught the miss right away."
"Now, that's something I am jealous about," Elaine said with an odd smile. "Our team's sensitive says he isn't anywhere near as strong as your partner, but we'd still be the next thing to helpless without him. Does that mean Freemont is responsible for most of your wins?"
"Well, it's definitely a team effort, but without Freemont we'd have almost no idea where to make that effort," I agreed. "I've lost count of the number of times he's saved our necks, so I think you can understand why we're all kind of … protective toward him."
"I like the way you say that," Elaine commented with a smile that had turned even more odd. "Protective. As in, if anyone tried to hurt the man in any way, no one with a weak stomach would want to see what was left of the fool making the try afterward. If anything was left. We'd be less than gentle ourselves, and none of us happen to be shapeshifters."
"Having all that extra strength does give you a certain edge," Eric agreed, his own smile serene. "But when it comes to protecting family, you don't need anything fancy or special to do the job. No matter how much or how little you have, you just do it."
Elaine nodded slowly, considering what Eric had said, and then her smile turned wide and approving. It looked like she understood what we were saying, and not only understood but agreed completely.
"Family is the key word there, and it's time you
guys met the rest of my family," Elaine told us, gesturing behind herself. "Let's walk a little closer to those lazy lumps a few chairs down, and then I'll – "
Elaine's words cut off abruptly, and I didn't have to wonder why. Half a dozen men had just appeared at the top of the stairs leading down to the beach, and they didn't look like anyone we'd come across before. Most of them wore shorts and cut off tee shirts rather than bathing suits, and the looks on their faces said they'd just bought everything in sight. And that included Elaine and me, most especially since Elaine wore the kind of bikini I'd been thinking about getting for myself.
But the worst part of the situation was that all six of the strangers were shapeshifters. And then they made things worse still by turning and heading in our direction…
Chapter Four
"Do you have any idea who those six are?" Elaine asked softly as the newcomers got closer. "For myself, I've never seen them before."
"Neither have we, and I don't like the looks on their faces," Eric said, a faint growl in his voice. "I especially don't like the fact that Taz and I are outnumbered three to one. Did any of your team bring a gun, Elaine?"
"Unfortunately, no," Elaine answered, and I could smell the thread of fear that jumped through her. "Do you really think we'll be sorry about that lack?"
I was about to suggest she take another look at the shit-eating grins the invaders wore, when the answer to her question came from another source.
"Looks like we picked the right place, boys," the man in the lead commented to his friends while he leered back and forth between Elaine and me. "I get first dibs, but you won't mind having seconds, will you?"
The other five agreed with dirty laughs that seconds were fine with them, and then the first man made up his mind.
"I'll take this one," he said, stopping closer to me than to Elaine, his gaze moving over me as if it were slimy water. "She's like us, which means she'll squeal longer and harder. Like so."
He reached out then, his intention obvious. The fingers of his right hand meant to close tight on my left nipple in order to make me scream, but there was no reason to let that happen. I knocked his hand aside before it touched me, then drove a fist into his groin.
Instead of just screaming the slug also choked before going to his knees, proving again that being harder to hurt doesn't mean impossible to hurt. The slug standing to the left of the one I'd punched tried to jump at me, but he lost all interest in jumping forward when Eric put a fist in his face. That still left four of them unaccounted for and therefore a continuing threat, but suddenly we were no longer outnumbered.
"Don't even think about it," Dan Czarek told the invaders still on their feet and half a step from jumping at us, his guards now surrounding the four and outnumbering them. Our guard force had just about materialized without warning, showing they'd hurried. "What's going on here, Taz, Eric? And where did these clowns come from?"
"They came up from the beach," Eric supplied, watching as the two fools on the ground were … urged back to their feet. "When they saw Elaine and Taz they seemed to think they'd found exactly what they were looking for."
"Considering what all of you are, they would have found an end to life if they'd kept on," Dan said, shaking his head at the stupidity of some people. "We'll get them out of your way now, and in a few minutes we'll have the Mexican police get them out of our way. Enjoy the rest of your day in the sun."
I expected Dan to walk away then, but he waited while his people got the invaders headed toward the hotel. One of his men stopped to tell him something, and then the man followed the others. Once everyone was out of earshot, Dan took one step closer to us.
"In case you were wondering, that lot used a small speedboat to get around the barriers keeping the beach private," Dan murmured, his deep amusement perfectly clear. "And you should also know that Freemont was the one who let us know what was going on. You folks will have to thank him once he rejoins you."
"That's for damn sure," Elaine said, her own amusement beginning to rise. "Looks like there was a reason for him to forget that sunscreen… And introductions will have to wait a little longer. Two of my teammates are heading back to the hotel and they aren't taking their time. My oh my, I wonder what they're going inside for…"
It was completely unnecessary to answer that half question, not when even a dead man would know the two men were going after their guns. Assuming there would not be any more trouble of any kind would be stupid, and none of us had survived in our jobs by being stupid.
Eric moved closer to Elaine and one of her teammates and the three began to talk, which let me turn to Amiol with a smile and a nod. The return smile I got told me that Amiol understood the message I sent, the message that said I knew he'd been ready to jump in with magic but had wisely waited to launch the attack. Letting people know about everything you're capable of isn't smart, not when you never know when you might need a surprise in the future.
Freemont got back with his sunscreen a few minutes later, at which time everyone applauded. Elaine was the one who started the applause, but the rest of us joined in without hesitation. Freemont blushed and grinned while he tried to brush aside our enthusiasm, and then we were all introduced to Elaine's teammates. The two who had gone into the hotel came back a couple of minutes later carrying extra towels, and that let us all ignore what was hidden inside the towels.
It wasn't all that long before most of us went into the pool, and there was more splashing and fooling around than swimming accomplished. The Hunters, Inc. people took turns standing guard, and once everyone had had a turn with the nonsense we left the water to dry off. It was almost lunchtime, and we'd all agreed to have the meal on the terrace. We sunbathed after lunch to give the food a chance to settle, and then we went back into the pool to enjoy the water again.
It was mid afternoon when we all left the pool to go back to our suites, and when we walked into our own suite I noticed that my teammates looked as tired as I felt.
"I'm thinking about taking a nap," Eric said as Amiol closed the door behind us. "Will that ruin my image as big and strong and macho?"
"I don't have an image like that to worry about, so I'm not going to hesitate about the nap," Freemont answered firmly while Amiol and I chuckled. "Just make sure one of you wakes me in time to get ready for dinner."
"I'll probably need waking myself," Amiol said, his smile looking really tired. "I think we'd better set an alarm or something."
"Definitely an alarm," I agreed, making it unanimous. "But first I'm going to call Oldon, to tell him what we decided about tonight. And about the way we're going to handle it all."
"Good idea," Freemont said, heading for the carafe of coffee left over from breakfast. "I'm hoping there's still some warm coffee left for me, and if there is I'll take it into bed with me."
I liked that idea myself, but Eric and Amiol weren't interested in coffee. They trudged toward their room, most likely trying to find the strength to shower before taking their naps. I'd be doing the same myself in just a few minutes, but first the coffee and the call…
There was enough warm coffee for two left, and once I had my cup filled I sat down to use my cell phone. I didn't know if Oldon was awake for the day yet, so I texted him to call me right back if he was awake. I had just enough time to take one swallow of coffee before my phone rang.
"Yes, I'm awake," Oldon said as soon as I answered the phone. "Was that all you wanted to know?"
"I also wanted to tell you how we arranged things for tonight," I answered, distantly noticing the … neutral tone in his voice. "We all agreed we'll probably have to wait to be seated at the restaurant, so the rest of us will be going there about 6:30. We'll do the waiting and also leave word that we're expecting someone else, so when you get there you'll be shown where we are. If you need to be shown. If this afternoon is any example, you'll find us by following the sound of crazy people."
"You're all having fun, then, good," Oldon said, that odd tone now gone from h
is voice. "And your arrangements should work out just fine. I'll meet you at Senor Frog as soon as the sun goes down."
"See you then," I agreed. "Right now I'm heading for a shower and then a nap. Maybe when I grow up I won't need naps anymore. Or am I older than I thought and needing a nap for that reason? Oh, well, I'll worry about it later."
Oldon chuckled before we exchanged goodbyes, and I took my coffee into the bedroom with me. Freemont was just getting out of the shower, so I took my turn and then fell into bed. But not before I set the alarm on the clock near the bed.
Freemont and I actually needed the alarm to wake us, and then Freemont went to wake our teammates. Even if George had still been with us we would have needed the alarm, since George would have had trouble getting through the fog of tiredness that had enfolded us. It took us a little longer than usual to get ready to go out, but by the time we went down to join the Hunters, Inc. people we were just about back to normal.
Our companions were showing their own signs of having been worn out, but everyone was back to normal by the time we got off the bus near the restaurant. Also by that time George was back with us, so we asked for a table for twelve and added that someone would be coming a little later to join us. It was almost seven-thirty before we were seated, and then we had to arrange where everyone would sit. When the figurative dust finally cleared, Elaine was in the end seat to my right, with an empty chair between her and me. The rest of our teammates were mixed up around the table, with George seated to my left.
"I wonder if Oldon will like finding himself between two of the three women at the table," George commented after glancing at the empty chair to my right. "Either he'll be amused or very uncomfortable."
"After having invited himself along, he'll have to take what he's given," I commented back, speaking softly. "And besides, Elaine really does want to meet him. He should be here in a little while, and then we'll find out all about how he feels."
