Zero

by R. E. Carr

  “We have food on the way,” Toy added, handing Paige another bar to munch on.

  “Oh my god, I’ve gained another ten pounds at least,” Paige complained, as the pair slowly sneaked out of their room and into the hall between the two halves of the building. No one seemed to pay Paige and her tragic outfit any attention at all.

  “Yeah, I saw Steve just tell people to do things—” Toy muttered.

  “Yeah, he picked up a new trick thanks to our trip to Italy. We call it the whammy voice,” Paige explained. “It’s kinda scary. Is my mom . . .?”

  “She’s with Kayleigh getting food. Just letting her settle a bit. Now, promise me you won’t freak out on me, Shorty,” Toy cautioned as she entered their little purloined domain in laboratory number two.

  “Toy, what could possibly freak me out more than anything I’ve seen up to now?” Paige asked.

  “Oh, I can think of something,” Toy muttered as she opened the door.

  Jonathan sat strapped and handcuffed to an office chair, medical tape covering his arm and wrapped around the IV that was placed out of his field of view. “He freaks out at the sight of blood,” Toy explained, as Jonathan kept his head lowered, with jaw-length locks of hair falling across his face. Reddish-black claws popped in and out of his fingers as he gripped the now shredded arm rest. A second IV dripped into his other arm, the clear fluids not obscured.

  “Did he finally change?” Paige asked. Kyle paled as he turned and saw her clomping into the room in her flip-flops.

  “Paige, what are you doing up so soon?” Kyle asked quickly.

  “I figured she’d want to come see him,” Toy said flatly.

  “Toy—”

  “Did he change?” Paige asked, a lump welling in her throat. She looked around the room, but there was no trace of any of the vampires, including the bag with Lorcan in it. However, with each and every breath she took, she discovered more and more of a sweet, familiar scent.

  “Not exactly,” Kyle said, barely able to look at her. Jonathan, however, rolled his head up and gazed at Paige with even brighter green eyes than he had at the bar. All of the shadows in the room seemed to gather around his face, turning his eyes a shadowy black.

  “Paige, meet Jonathan Dean, the new host for Lorcan Darcy,” Kyle blurted out. Toy was just able to catch Paige as she swooned.

  29

  “Why are you looking at me like that?” Georgia asked as she sipped her bright green smoothie.

  “Like what?” Steve asked innocently, slurping a bright red drink of his own.

  “Steve, you went out and voluntarily bought something with kale in it. Either you are feeling guilty, or you’re up to something,” Georgia sighed, leaning back against a mountain of pillows. “Also, you have me staying in a nice suite while the others are lounging at the cheap motel by the interstate. Steve, what did you do?”

  “Sweetheart, you nearly died from blood loss. I’m not gonna stuff you in some roach motel while you recover. I have some class, you know.”

  “Steve, did you—?”

  He rolled his eyes. “You know, I don’t need the whammy voice to get things done. The Jaeger gave me one of the family credit cards for emergencies. Not everything is cheating with supernatural powers, geez.”

  Georgia took another long, satisfying sip. She then peeked into the takeout bag on the nightstand and smiled. “There is enough cellulose in here to kill a vampire at ten feet,” she said. “And you even got spicy tofu. You . . . ordered tofu.”

  “Please, never speak of this in public. I’m fairly certain if vampires ever adopt a fifth law, it will most certainly be ‘thou shalt not purchase bean curd’. Right?”

  Georgia nearly snorted her smoothie. She then gave Steve a wicked grin. “You have the Jaeger family credit card, hmm?”

  “I may have also gotten us some decent clothes. Damn, it’s good to see you feeling better.”

  “I kinda feel like a drained juice box, but it’s weird. I dunno what drugs they gave me while I was out, but . . . woof.”

  “Woof?” Steve asked, leaning in a bit. Georgia stared at him for a good, long time. She reached over and touched his cheek, closing her eyes for just a moment and smiling.

  “Did . . . something happen?”

  “You mean other than freaky, disembodied Lorcan trying to suck the life out of you?” Steve asked. “Or other than my mom showing up by impersonating a particularly sassy werewolf?”

  “I feel like I end up unconscious for all the amazing vampire and werewolf fights lately,” Georgia mused. “I remember hearing that Lorcan saved my life, so it was time I returned the favor, and then it was this hazy fog, until . . . until I had this amazing dream. I was in a park, lying in the sun, and you were there, of all people. You . . . in the sunshine. Crazy, right?”

  “Crazy,” he agreed, trying not to look at the faint marks at the base of her neck.

  They had their lunch in relative peace, changing the subject to baseball and other mundane topics. “Shouldn’t you get some sleep?” Georgia finally asked, noticing the time. “You were awake every time I got up.”

  “It’s hard to sleep, with everything that happened,” he said, not looking at her. “I’m sure they would tell us if he . . . if he didn’t make it, right?”

  “Paige must be a mess. Is she—?”

  “She got roughed up pretty bad, but she’s OK. You missed seeing three werewolves having to subdue just one that changed. It was a lot of cleanup - and if I have to kiss that damn security guard once more time, he’s gonna have to buy me dinner. The creep totally went for the tongue last time.”

  “Sounds like he likes you,” Georgia teased. She frowned as Steve stared pensively out of the window. “Steve, you’re being all squirrely again. Are you perhaps having confusing feelings for Bill the security guard?”

  “I’m definitely confused,” Steve mumbled. Before he could continue, Georgia eased herself out of bed and said, “Hold that thought,” before wandering to the bathroom.

  By the time she came back, Steve was staring at his phone. “Is it good news?” Georgia asked hopefully.

  “Um, Paige is up and about, but not in the best headspace right now” he said, still scrolling.

  “Kinda expected.”

  “New vampire host has a name – Jonathan Dean – and he’s not really coherent, but he is awake. He also . . .” Steve raised a brow. “Wow, he also gets nauseous at the sight of blood.”

  “That might be slightly tough for him.”

  “He’s also . . . decidedly not dead.”

  “Like Ren,” Georgia said softly. Steve cringed at the name. “Maybe with his help we can . . . Steve, are you OK?”

  “I think Big Red and Gail are calling a powwow tonight. We kinda need a plan with psycho Kevin on the loose—”

  “Kevin?”

  Steve filled her in as best he could on the fight, stopping at where Georgia ended up on the table. She finished her smoothie and let out a deep sigh of, “Wow.”

  “Any way, if you don’t feel up to it—” he started. Georgia touched his face again to tilt his eyes toward her. She raised a brow, as he blushed.

  “You are omitting something, Mr. DeMarco. Why don’t you want me to go join the Scooby Squad again?”

  “I may have punched Javier, well I may have tried to,” he confessed.

  “You tried to deck Captain Fabulous?”

  “He apparently owed my mother, and well, she and I had a minor difference of opinion while you were unconscious. She seemed to think it would be better to just let Lorcan drain you dry, and I disagreed.”

  “Well, I’m glad you did. Thank you.”

  Steve looked away. Georgia turned his face back again. His cheeks burned.

  “Thank you, I mean it,” she said, before leaning in and giving him a kiss on the cheek. He turned and gulped, his lips right next to hers. Georgia pulled away and sighed, “I won’t be cruel, and tease you after what Arthur did. Not after you saved my life.”

&nbs
p; Steve gulped. He started to say something, but his phone buzzed. “Um, they want us to head over by eight, maybe a bit earlier since I have clothes for Pipsqueak too,” he said quickly. “I’ll um, let you get dressed while I go get a refill.”

  “Steve—” Georgia began, but he was already out the door. She just shook her head and decided to get ready.

  About an hour later they pulled into the parking lot of their new hideout. Both Steve and Georgia watched, surprised, as the goth kid Milton unloaded boxes from a MedCentric van. Steve raised a brow at a cooler marked biohazard.

  “Five bucks says this is the sheriff’s doing,” Steve muttered. He glared at the man dressed all in black at the wheel of the van.

  Georgia balked. “Do you think she’s here?”

  “I hope not. Just tell me if you start feeling sick, well - more sick than you already do,” Steve said, helping her out of the car.

  “You’d think I’d be used to being in a room full of vampires and werewolves by now,” Georgia grumbled as she felt a slight chill. The goth guy stopped and went, “whoa, nice hair!” before schlepping a box into lab two.

  “Hmm,” Steve muttered as they followed. “I thought I Steved him. I hope I don’t have to do it again.”

  “Did you just call it “Steving”?”

  Before he could reply, Maria DeMarco tackled him in one of her ferocious hugs. He handed her a bag. “Are these for Paige? Great!” Maria said, hustling toward the back.

  Kyle and Gail hovered around a strange guy handcuffed to a chair, while Javier gave Steve an odd look. Steve quickly excused himself and whispered furtively to Javier while Georgia was left in the back of the room with a beaming goth.

  “Children of the night are real. Isn’t it amazing?” Milton gushed.

  “Excuse me, but who are you?” Georgia asked.

  “Milton Meyers, my new assistant,” Gail said, finally looking up.

  “You have an assistant?” Georgia asked incredulously.

  “I live for the mistress,” Milton proclaimed. “Apparently I’m special.”

  “We had an . . . incident,” Gail sighed. “The Steving didn’t work on him, so he’s been helping me out.”

  “It’s so awesome, right? So, are you a vampire or a werewolf?” Milton asked eagerly.

  “I’m like you,” Georgia said awkwardly. She could hear words gushing out of the new guy’s mouth, but chose instead to focus on a dead-eyed stare directed at her from the guy on the chair. She shivered as she saw fangs just showing in Jonathan’s mouth. He licked his lips hungrily at Georgia. Georgia froze.

  She jumped as she felt a hand on her good shoulder. Steve looked utterly confused. “What do you mean it didn’t work?”

  “Maybe you’re losing your touch,” Javier added unhelpfully from his perch up front.

  “And maybe you’re just using him as a crutch,” Georgia snapped. “He’s not a roll of paper towels you can just use to wipe all your messes, for Pete’s sake!”

  “Sweetheart—?”

  “It’s true. You can’t just wipe away everyone’s bad memories and pretend like they never happened. It’s not fair.”

  “Whoa, what did I miss?” Paige asked as she and her mom slipped into the back of the room. Paige blanched as she saw Jonathan.

  Kyle cleared his throat. Kayleigh piped up with, “Don’t worry, no PowerPoint tonight.”

  The DeMarco contingent settled around the rattled Georgia. After a few seconds, she looked down in surprise to see her hand clamped around Steve’s. Her breathing relaxed once Jonathan lowered his head again, and only a long mess of hair greeted them from the chair. Kyle motioned to a box on the counter.

  “It seems our sometime benefactor is at it again,” Kyle said. “We’ve been sent a delivery of rather specialized testing supplies, as well as tranquilizers and blood products.”

  “And you trust it?” Steve asked. “I’m sorry - I’m not one hundred percent sold on mommy dearest’s help.” Georgia nodded in agreement.

  “She has a vested interest in keeping Lorcan alive—” Kyle started.

  “But I doubt she cares about the rest of us,” Steve said. “And that includes me. She was willing to let Georgia die.”

  “I’m with Steve,” Toy piped in. “We’re nothing to her.” Nadia and Kayleigh grumbled in agreement.

  “Look, I’m not saying it’s perfect and we should trust her, but for now we’re kinda safe,” Kyle said.

  “Safe!” Paige snapped, joining the debate, “Kevin is still out there, and he works for that bitch . . . no offence, Steve.”

  “None taken,” Steve said.

  “That’s just it,” Kyle said. “If we play ball with the sheriff, chances are she will keep her dogs on a leash—”

  “I killed Kevin’s brother, so somehow I doubt he’s entirely on board with letting me live. Plus, do you really think the sheriff will care about me now that I’ve been the bait to get that . . . thing made? It’s not safe to stay here.”

  “Where would we go?” Kyle asked, trying to settle the room. “If we run, she will hunt us down. At least here we have supplies, medical equipment—”

  “And there is still Arthur out there,” Paige added. “Do you really think he’ll forget about us once he figures out we tricked him?”

  “And Morgan and Mr. Lambley are still stuck with Arthur. Steve’s dad too. We can’t just forget about them,” Georgia chimed in.

  “We can’t just raid a vampire stronghold and rescue our dudes in distress,” Kyle fired back. “We got our asses handed to us—”

  The room burst into a cacophony of suggestions and rebuttals. Finally, Javier stood and the lights in the room flickered violently. “Quiet!” he commanded, as a silence fell over the room.

  “Are you in charge?” a new, raspy voice asked. All eyes turned to the man in the chair.

  “Lorcan?” Javier asked.

  “What’s a Lorcan? I asked if you were in charge,” Jonathan said flatly. “You’re all arguing like a bunch of assholes while a guy is trying to get a little sleep over here.”

  Kyle cleared his throat again. Jonathan sneered at him.

  “You in charge, Ginger? Because they don’t seem to be following you,” Jonathan asked doubtfully. “Do I know you . . .? ‘Cause when I look at you, I get the uncontrollable urge to slap you.”

  “Lorcan?” Paige asked, her voice breaking a little. “That’s your name, right? Lorcan Darcy?”

  “My name is Jonathan Kristopher Dean, babe. Do I know you?”

  “Oh for fu—” Paige started. Javier flickered the lights again.

  “Perhaps, we are not ready for this conversation,” Javier offered. “Let’s not confuse the new guy.”

  “I’m OK,” Milton offered from the back.

  “The other new guy,” Javier corrected. “I do not want to be in the room with a bunch of frustrated lob hombres, so doctors do your doctor thing, and we table this until the weekend. If Kevin dares to show his face, we will handle him together. Agreed?”

  “Agreed,” came reluctantly from around the room. Georgia shifted uncomfortably under Jonathan’s stare. The group split into its usual cliques, with the werewolves taking one side and the vampires the other. Georgia, Maria, and Milton milled around in the back as Paige and Steve darted between the supernatural groups.

  “Milton, help me catalog these,” Gail commanded. He ran over without skipping a beat.

  “Wow, I have never met anyone quite so happy to be someone’s bitch,” Georgia muttered. Maria giggled.

  “So I guess we’re the useless humans,” Paige’s mother sighed.

  “You OK?” Georgia asked.

  “I think I should be asking you that one. All I know is that I need a stiff drink.”

  “I hear you on that. Look, we’re not useless. Someone has to keep these whack jobs grounded,” Georgia assured her. “Say, does Steve seem . . . you know . . . different to you?”

  Maria nodded. “He hasn’t been himself since Italy, maybe before
that. I really hate that Arthur asshole. I don’t care if he’s king. I want to stake him.”

  “Yeah, getting a fair bit of that from your family . . . justified, of course.”

  They lingered awkwardly until Gail finally motioned Georgia over. As she got closer to the guy in the chair, Georgia stiffened. Jonathan cocked his head.

  “Now you, you seem very familiar,” Jonathan said as Georgia drew near.

  “I’ve never met you before,” she replied flatly.

  “Yet you feel like a part of me,” he said, reaching out a hand despite his restraints. “You even smell like me.”

  “You don’t know me,” she repeated slowly.

  Gail stepped between the pair. “You remember me yet, J.D.?” she asked.

  “I don’t like being called J.D.,” he muttered, shaking his head. “Wait, are you . . . Gail?”

  “Yeah, I’m Gail, now fuck off, and stop scaring Georgia,” Gail snapped as she led Georgia out of the crowd and back to the secluded clinic room in the back.

  “Thanks,” Georgia said, as Gail went about checking Georgia’s vitals. The only strange difference is that she sniffed Georgia’s breath and shoulder, much as Dr. Pang did long ago.

  “It’s awkward, isn’t it?” Gail asked, grabbing a syringe. “Sorry, I need a little sample just to see what your counts are like after the transfusion.”

  “Yeah, so much is awkward.”

  Georgia flinched as she felt the little prick. True to Gail’s word, however, it was just a tiny sample.

  “You feel any dizziness, nausea?” Gail asked.

  “When I get up. It was really bad after my shower, but Steve has been looking after me.”

  “I bet he has,” Gail said with a smirk.

  “What?”

  “Come on,” Gail said, rolling her eyes. “After—”

  “After what?” Georgia asked slowly.

  “Oh yeah, you were dying at the time, and probably unconscious,” Gail said, matter-of-factly. She shoved a thermometer in Georgia’s mouth. The vampire leveled her bemused stare at Georgia. “Our dear Steve confessed his undying love for you. It’s true. He took a pretty good beating for it, but somehow his feelings for you allowed him actually stop Javier. For a second there you would have thought Arthur was in the room.”