by Leji Albano
The target also stood, mumbling, “Fine, fine.” He preceded Alexander out the door, then followed the remainder of the directions he had been given. Once they reached the alley, he was lifted and body-slammed into the brick that made up the outer wall of the club. A lone light provided a low level of illumination that did little to brighten the area.
“What Coven are you? And why are you in my city?”
The man struggled against Alexander’s hold for a few moments, then relaxed. He sneered and began to morph, and the sclera in his eyes swirled and turned black, while his canine teeth grew larger, more robust. His hands started to change as well, gaining claws, and his overall body structure became denser, stronger, and more muscular. Dark veins stood out as they were pushed to the surface by muscles that grew by twenty-five percent, sharply defined and wriggling into their new configuration. Previously loose clothing now strained to contain the added mass as the transformation neared completion.
Alexander sighed resignedly. “So that’s how you want to play it, huh?”
Transferring his left hand to the man’s throat, he used his right, fingers curled, to start hammer-striking the lower ribs on the right side of his opponent’s torso. With each strike, a muffled crack could be heard as ribs shattered. Five times this happened, and on the final blow, the fight went out of the recipient. The breath exploded out of him, spattering blood across the front of his chest.
Alexander shook him, banging the back of his head against the gritty brick with each movement. “Currently, your left lung is shredded and filling with blood. I’ve fractured the three lowest ribs, and they have perforated said lung. I’m guessing it’s a bit uncomfortable, but we both know it won’t kill you. Will it, vampire?” he said conversationally.
The answer that was delivered via a gobbet of bloody spit didn’t seem to bother Alexander, other than to cause him to tighten the grip he had on the man’s throat. His predatory smile as he let the body dangle there for a minute, allowing just enough air through for his target to catch short, wheezing breaths, did little to indicate it took much effort.
He relaxed his grip minutely, but still kept the body pinned to the wall. “Let’s try this again, shall we? Simple questions first.” Using his right hand, he performed a quick body search looking for weapons. A raised eyebrow when he didn’t find any indicated a small amount of surprise.
“What is your name?” A lack of response caused him to tighten the chokehold momentarily, and the vampire’s hands rose in response, trying to pry it loose. The effort failed.
Alexander shook his head sadly, long hair blowing in the soft breeze. “Let me be perfectly clear here. The only use I have for you is information. If you refuse to give me that information, then your usefulness drops to zero, at which point I will consider you to be hostile. I only have one reaction to hostility, and it always proves fatal. Nod your head if you understand my words.”
Still glaring at Alexander, the vampire jerked his head to indicate affirmation.
“Good, good. See, that wasn’t so hard, was it? We could have had a simple conversation, but you assumed that this was going to go your way. Have I established that this, in fact, is most definitely not the case?”
Another jerk of the head.
Alexander slowly lowered the vampire until his feet were firmly on the ground, and he removed his hand from the man’s throat. “Don’t try anything, or my curiosity will just have to go unsatisfied…I’ll just kill you.”
The vampire stood there, rubbing his throat, and glared at him. “My name is Justin.”
“OK, Justin, what Coven are you affiliated with? And don’t bullshit me, I’m all out of patience.”
“No Coven affiliation. I’m an independent.”
Alexander leaned in closer, glaring down at the vampire. “You wouldn’t lie to me, would you, Justin? Because that would be most unfortunate for you. The reason I ask is that Portland and Seattle should know better than to send anyone here. I’m the Master of this city, and I kill all trespassers. My policy is You feed, you bleed. Kind of catchy, isn’t it?”
“I swear I’m not lying. I didn’t even know Spokane had a Master.” The fear Alexander saw in his eyes went a long way toward convincing him Justin was telling the truth. He leaned in closer and inhaled deeply. While the smell of fear was present, he did not catch the tell-tale acrid bite of a lie.
“I’ll tell you what I’m going to do. You are going to go snack-free tonight.” He pulled out his wallet, selected a business card, then handed it to the vampire. “Tomorrow, during daylight hours, you are going to speak to the woman whose information is on this card. In-person, I might add. I’m going to let her determine your fate.” The careless shrug Alexander gave showed how little that bothered the werewolf. “Most likely, she is going to tell you to leave town and never come back, but if she decides to let you stay, you will follow the rules as she lays them out for you.”
Alexander’s eyes stared mercilessly into Justin’s. “Do not fuck with me, or her, or I will end your ass.” With that, he took two steps back. “Now get the hell out of here before I change my mind.”
Justin nodded, then darted around the corner.
Instead of going home like he had initially planned, Alexander turned the bike north and drove up Division Street. He was too tightly wound up by tonight’s events to sleep, and since it was Friday and he didn’t have to be back in the office until Tuesday, he decided to spend the weekend at his place in the country.
Forty-five minutes later, the Ducati pulled into the driveway of a rambling two-story Victorian situated on ten acres along the Little Spokane River. He’d owned the place for quite a while, and no one else, other than Maria, even knew it existed. Alexander only came out here when he needed to clear his mind or get away from the city. He parked the bike, then entered the house, flipping on the lights in the entryway as he walked through the door. Keys and wallet went into the shallow dish on a pedestal next to the door.
Gleaming oak floors and ten-foot ceilings with crown molding retained the sense and style of the original house. Still, he had thoroughly modernized the place when he’d had renovations done. Several interior walls had been removed to open the space up, and a thoroughly modern kitchen was the heart of the first floor. Large windows looked out onto the property, and a pellet insert occupied the former fireplace, more than adequate to heat the home when needed.
The upstairs had also been transformed. Interior wall removal allowed for a spacious master bedroom, en suite master bath with a huge tub and separate shower, and sufficient walk-in closet space for his needs. It was a comfortable escape from the stresses of daily life. Unfortunately, it wasn’t centrally located enough to function as his headquarters, not to mention that his antiquities business needed to be in town.
Throwing on jeans and a t-shirt after a long shower, he headed out to the workshop located behind the house. One of several out-buildings spaced around the house, it was one of his havens when seeking solitude. Taking his frustrations out by beating on some metal sounded like just what the doctor ordered. It took him some time to get the forge up to temperature, but he used that interval to determine what he was going to make, sketching out various designs. Alexander lost himself in the process of turning raw materials into a useable bar of Damascus steel. By the time this was complete, the sun was peeking over the horizon, and he decided he had done enough for now. He cleaned up the work area and set aside the steel bar for later.
Alexander took another quick shower then climbed into the comfortable king-size bed. Sleep came fast, but four hours later, he was in the kitchen making himself breakfast. He gazed out the large plate-glass window, amused to see a white-tailed doe making herself at home in the large yard surrounding the house. His gaze went to a large tree that dominated that section of the yard, and the small fenced area and gravestone that sat immediately beneath. A sad smile crossed his face, and his focus turned inward for a few moments, banished all too soon by a small shake of his h
ead. When he had finished eating, he placed the dirty dishes in the sink and made his way back to the workshop.
While the forge was heating up again, he called Melinda to give her a heads-up about his run-in with Justin.
“Alex! Have you come to your senses at last? If so, please don’t let me interrupt the groveling that’s about to happen. I knew that eventually you would realize I’m the only woman for you.”
He grinned into the phone. “I wasn’t aware that Hell had frozen over yet, Mel.”
Her laughter tinkled into his ear before she shot back. “Seriously, Alexander. We both know that no one else could put up with your shit.”
He snorted loudly and said, “Uh-huh. My biggest problem with that scenario is that I worry I’d wake up one morning missing several pints of blood, and find you leering down at me as you licked your lips. That’s kind of a big hurdle for me.”
“Pansy.”
“It’s true. I am a pansy about things like that.” He took a moment and checked the time on his watch. “So, I followed up on your lead last night.”
“And?” she asked.
“You’ll be getting a visit from a guy named Justin.” A pause, then, “Let me rephrase that…You had better get a visit from him. We had words in an alley downtown.”
“I see, and by words, you mean…?”
“Hey, he’s still alive. That’s got to count for something.” The silence on the other end spoke volumes.
Alexander sighed ruefully. “According to Justin, he is unaffiliated, but I’m not completely convinced. I told him I was leaving his fate in your hands.”
“You, Sir, are a bona fide asshole. Why dump it into my lap?”
“I trust your judgment, Mel. Talk to him if he shows up and let me know what you want to do.” His voice took on a much colder tone. “And I also want to know if he doesn’t come to see you.”
Melinda sucked in an audible breath. “Gotcha, big guy. I’ll keep an eye out. I really hope he doesn’t decide to ignore your instructions. That would be a less than optimal solution…for him.”
“Yes. Yes, it would.” His mouth curled up into a smile as he continued. “By the way, how is the Brazilian wax business these days?”
The shrieking volume of the cursing he was receiving forced him to pull the phone away from his ear while he laughed, then he deliberately cut her off mid-stride by ending the call. Alexander knew he was going to pay for that later, but it was totally worth it.
He finally called it a day and had put his tools away. Alex picked up the mostly finished blade, looking carefully for any imperfections. Satisfied that it was a fair piece of work, he laid it back onto the anvil, then closed up the shop for the evening. Alexander made his way across the yard in the twilight, then entered the house via the back porch. Stretching his arms over his head, he walked into the kitchen to see if the steaks he had pulled from the freezer that morning had thawed yet.
He seasoned both sides of the meat with salt, pepper, and some garlic powder, then set them aside. Exiting the house once again, he put charcoal in the grill and lit it. After the fire was well-started, he went inside and grabbed a tray. A glass, some ice, a bottle of Jack Daniel’s Single Barrel, as well as the steaks and tools for the BBQ, all went onto the tray, which he carried outside to wait for the coals to get to the right temperature.
Alexander poured himself a drink and savored the rich taste of the bourbon as the meat seared over the coals. He loved it out here. The night sky was beautiful, and the sounds of nature were soothing to his senses. Sometimes the city became overwhelming, and he just needed to escape.
Once the steaks were cooked to his liking, he pulled them off the grill and set them aside to rest for a few minutes. Cutting into them too soon would only accomplish releasing all of the juicy goodness, and what would be the point of that? His cell started vibrating on the table next to his chair, and he glanced over to see that it was Melinda. He picked it up and swiped to accept the call.
“Pedro’s Pizza. Will this be take-out or delivery?” he said in his best Hispanic accent.
A brief moment of stunned silence followed, during which he could almost see her double-checking the number she had dialed, followed by laughter. “Oh, it’ll definitely be pick-up. This beating needs to be administered in person….”
Alexander smiled into the phone and said, “Promises, promises. That’s all I ever get from you.”
“Pffft,” she raspberried into his ear. “You can’t handle a woman like me, and you know it. I’d have to take it so easy on you that there would be little enjoyment in it for me.”
He chuckled before saying, “I’m assuming this call is about Justin. Did the little shit come to see you?”
“He did,” Melinda replied.
“And?”
“And what?” Alexander ground his teeth as he pictured her studying her nails, deliberately not answering his question. “Oh, you want details? I really wish you would be more specific about these things, Alex.” She sniffed haughtily into the phone.
Holding onto his temper with both hands, Alexander snarled. “Melinda Dearest, would you please be so kind as to provide me with a detailed synopsis of the chat you had today with our pointy-toothed problem?” He concentrated on taking slow deep breaths in an attempt to calm down as he waited for her reply.
“Why, I thought you’d never ask, Alex. But since you phrased that so nicely, I guess I can share.”
“Bitch.”
“Wrong species, my dear, as you of all people should know.” Melinda paused, then continued, “I believe him. According to our friend Justin, he was turned about six months ago by a rogue and has spent the intervening time roaming from city to city in the great Pacific Northwest. Basically, he’s been on his own, dumped into the world with no training on how to survive, and no one ever explained the rules to him.”
Alexander sighed into the receiver. “What do you want to do with him, Mel? Is he salvageable? Or did you send him packing?”
“I feel sorry for him, Alexander. Remember, when you found me, I was in the same boat?”
“Times were different then, Mel. I could afford to take risks, risks that I’m not sure are worth it now.”
“You dumped this problem into my lap, mister, said you trusted my judgment,” came the quick reply. “Did you really mean that? Because my gut says he can be redeemed.”
Exhaling loudly, Alexander said, “Fine, but Justin is your problem from now on. If he fucks up, I’ll put him down for good. Agreed?”
“Agreed. I’ve already explained how things work around here, laid out all the rules, and he says he can abide by them. Plus, you’ve already put the fear of God into him. You know I don’t take on this level of responsibility if I don’t think I can pull it off.”
“I know, Mel, and I’m sorry to be such a dick, but this shit gets old after a while.”
He could hear her let out a relieved breath before she said, “Understood, big guy. You sound like you need to relax. We both know you don’t handle change very well, and there have been a lot of changes in your life recently.”
“I’m out in the country for the weekend. For once, I’m doing something before you tell me to.”
The sound of laughter greeted his response. “Don’t let it go to your head, Alex. I’m sure it was accidental.”
“You’re probably right, but hey, maybe you can teach an old dog new tricks. I gotta go, call me if you need anything, OK?”
“I will. Please get some rest, and I’ll see you soon.” The sound of silence told him she had ended the call.
He spent the rest of the evening polishing off the steaks, and a large portion of the bottle of bourbon, before turning in.
5
“…The moons of Mars were mined for useable materials, and a small outpost was planted on the surface, enabling resource collection and scientific research into the viability of finding a new home. Several years went by while all of this took place, and the ship was repaired as much as the
ir current situation would allow.
Meanwhile, the crew debated what their next course of action should be. While several factions grew out of these conversations, a decision to move operations to the third planet, a water world in the habitable zone, was finally reached via consensus. Leaving behind a skeleton crew to man the outpost on Mars, the rest of the team embarked upon making way to Earth….”
Excerpt from the diary of Alexander Matthews
May 1931, Surrey, England
The clang of the hammer rhythmically beating the hot metal on the anvil had a hypnotic effect on Alexander. The blade he was currently working on was crude—even he had to admit that—but it was a vast improvement over his previous attempts. This apprenticeship had turned out to be much more challenging than he had expected, but was very rewarding in its own way.
It hadn’t taken him long to realize that quality weapons were extremely hard to come by. And that if he wanted to ensure he had access to them, then he would have to learn how to create them for himself. His search had taken him to Europe, and he had finally found the smith who not only could teach him the craft but would take him on as an apprentice.
He had only been here for six months, but he had already learned so much. Obviously, he had much more to learn, but he was a patient man. Alexander had not set any kind of hard deadline for this; the master smith would let him know when it was time to move on. For now, he was happy to work in the forge every day and absorb all he could.
Jack was not a young man. In fact, he was in his sixties, and while he was healthy for a man that age, sooner, rather than later, he would die…and a lifetime’s skill and knowledge would die with him. Alexander suspected this was the real reason he had acquiesced to his request so readily. With no apprentices, and his craft a dying art, he latched onto the American and was doing his best to pour everything he knew into Alex’s brain and hands.
