by Sharon Green
"If we can get it stopped soon enough, we should have an easier time of it," Grail told her. Oddly enough his tone was gentle with support and understanding, as if he were trying to soothe her. "Once we get this bunch to your lockup I'll question Eileena, and hopefully that will tell us who to go after next. You called for the transport vans?"
"Yes, so they should be here any minute," Webster answered. The lights had come on again a short time after the fight started, and right now Eileena and all her vamps were being chained up tight. The chains were a blend of silver and some kind of ceramic, a combination that turned out to be about a hundred times stronger than steel where vamps and shapeshifters were concerned. But you had to wonder about the people who had decided to make the ceramic in different colors. What kind of mind decides that chains ought to be pretty?
"Detective Webster, I really need to get back to my motel," I said before she could go looking for the arrival of the police vans. "Detective Allen is waiting to hear from me about that other matter we discussed on the way here. If you aren't free to take me, I'd appreciate a lift from one of the patrol cars that ought to be coming with the vans."
"Yes, of course," Webster said, a small frown showing she juggled possibilities. "As soon as the vans get here I'll take you back myself, which should be in just another few minutes."
"You have something else to do tonight?" Jaril said, looking back and forth between me and Webster. "And it concerns police business? We weren't told about any other ongoing investigation."
"The operation is being kept under very tight wraps to make sure there isn't a leak," Webster told him with a shake of her head. "There's a chance of catching up with the creature that's doing all those murders around here."
"Murders that have nothing to do with this bunch," Jaril said, waving a hand at the vamps being chained. "I don't know how I forgot about that, but somehow I managed it. It's this bunch we actually came here for, so part of me must have decided they were responsible for everything. If they're not behind the murders, then who is?"
By now Jaril was looking only in my direction, and I almost sneered at the air of innocent curiosity surrounding him. If he thought I'd forget about the flap Grail had caused the last time we discussed the topic of the murders, the big man was living in a dream world.
"If you want some answers, I'd suggest checking with Detective Allen tomorrow," I finally said with only a glance for Jaril. "I can't discuss the details of an ongoing police investigation."
Annoyance flashed briefly in Jaril's light eyes, and a quickly swallowed growl from behind my left shoulder said Grail wasn't happy with me again. I didn't know why they hadn't already gotten their answers from the police, but I also didn't care. If something done by Eileena and her vamps had brought the task force here and kept them busy, I was more than happy to know nothing about it.
Sounds out in the hall announced the arrival of the police, and I made sure to follow Webster as she went to tell them what was going on. Another four or five vamps had been captured by the task force members in other parts of the house, and while all the prisoners were being gathered together I told Webster I'd wait for her outside, near her car. She nodded quick agreement, so I got out of the way and left the cleanup to all those official types.
"Don't you think it's strange that the task force still doesn't know about the harpy?" George asked when I stopped beside Webster's car in the driveway. "Grail goes so far as to threaten to have you arrested if you don't talk to him, and then they forget about the question completely? What's wrong with that picture?"
"With the task force involved, what isn't wrong?" I countered. It was a bit cooler out now, and a small breeze made the darkness feel good. "Our federal nemeses are probably playing games on so many different levels that from time to time they tend to lose track. My guess is that Grail got so pushy last night at dinner because he thinks he's the only one entitled to have secrets."
"And my guess is that there's more going on than we're likely to be told about," George stated. "Like why the ones behind this female vampire wanted you killed. Since we knew nothing at all about them, what would make them want to end you?"
"They probably thought our coming to this area meant we were after their … associates," I said after thinking for a moment. "The task force comes and goes quietly, but our team doesn't. If someone noticed the direction we took when we left the Nashville area, they probably jumped to the wrong conclusion."
"Yes, their watching all rogue hunters in the area makes sense," George agreed after taking his own moment to think. "Especially since we've gained the reputation of catching whichever rogues we go after. But something still bothers me about this whole thing. Jaril claimed he and Grail didn't know about this latest 'fool,' as he put it, but for some reason I don't believe him. I think the two knew exactly what was going on, but they want to make sure no one else finds out."
I was about to repeat what I'd said about secrets, but a dark shape had left the now-brightly lit house and was walking toward us. Without incense killing my sense of smell I knew exactly who was coming even without being able to see his face clearly.
"Taz, we really need to talk," Eric said as he stopped only a few feet away. "I heard what you said to Jaril, and I don't understand why you're angry with me. When you and I first met I had no idea who you were - or that you had a history with members of the task force."
"Of course you didn't," I said, letting my tone tell him how completely I believed that statement. "You went to that bar because the motel ran out of Coke."
"I went to that bar looking for company," he countered, grey eyes showing that he fought not to lose his temper. "I was transferred to this section of the task force kind of suddenly, and when I got here they told me to just relax until they had something for me to do. But I also got the feeling I was being lied to, that something more was involved that no one cared to mention. I don't like being lied to, so I was seriously considering asking to be transferred back to where I came from. How does any of that translate into what you seem to consider betrayal?"
He looked and sounded really sincere, but sincerity wasn't enough when it came to members of the task force.
"If everything you did was so innocent, why did you lie to the police?" I asked before he could get too comfortable with his stance as unjustly accused victim. "I was told you said you thought the attack on you was random, and if you really thought that then you ought to be a crossing guard at a grade school, not a member of a federal task force."
"What else was I supposed to say when I had no idea what the task force was involved with?" he countered at once. "I knew the attack most likely had to do with what they were in the middle of, but you don't discuss things like that with outsiders, even if the outsiders happen to be the police. Taz… We were starting to have something between us, and I want to find out just how far that something can go."
He was still staying with open and sincere, but the bad taste in my mouth kept that from meaning anything.
"If that's the only question you have, I can answer it right now," I said, keeping most of my attention away from him. "The something you mentioned isn't going anywhere, not now and not ever. You'd better get back to your bosses before they notice you slipped the leash."
"Why are you blaming me for whatever they did to yank your chain?" he demanded after stiffening angrily. "I may work for them, but I'm not the one who tells them how to act."
"Is that the same person who tells you how to act?" I countered, still looking at George rather than him. "If so, you might want to have your talk with him or her instead of me. The topic of conversation can be the fact that you neglected to mention your connection with the task force when we first met. Telling you to do that was a very major mistake."
"How was I supposed to know you had anything to do with the task force?" he came back at once, the anger still in his voice. "I don't make a habit of announcing who I work for five minutes after I meet someone, and sometimes I don't even mention it
at all. Aren't you being more than a little unreasonable about this?"
"I don't consider it being unreasonable, but I don't mind if you see it like that," I said, feeling sudden relief. Webster had just come out of the house, and was now heading for where we stood. "Goodbye, Eric. I'd like to say it's been fun but I try not to lie that much."
And with that I walked around the back of the car to reach the passenger door. The door was unlocked, happily, so I got in and put on the seat belt while Webster got in behind the wheel. She started the car and backed carefully out of the driveway to avoid all the official vehicles clustered around, and once we were clear she drove away.
I tried not to notice, but it was impossible to avoid the fact that Eric just stood there watching until we drove out of sight.
Chapter Thirteen
"Did I interrupt something?" Webster asked once we were on our way. "That conversation looked to be on the serious side."
"It was less an interruption and more of a second rescue," I told her, very aware of George's silent presence in the back seat. "Apparently Mr. Wellman lied to you about the attack that almost killed him because he wasn't free to discuss what might have been task force business."
"Yes, that point was mentioned when we finally got around to interviewing the task force people last night," she said, keeping most of her attention on the road. "We were told that Mr. Wellman is one of theirs, and the attack against him most likely had something to do with what the task force was working on. We were also asked to keep that part of it out of our report."
Which meant, of course, not mentioning the point to anyone else. Webster was obliquely apologizing, but that wasn't what was suddenly bothering me. Coincidences bother me, like George's guess about Jaril only pretending that he knew nothing about what Eileena was involved with. Combine that with the orders Eileena had been given to "kill the shapeshifter" and throw in Eric's sudden transfer to this area, and I got a picture that wasn't in the least pretty.
But that would mean Jaril and Grail somehow knew that Eric and I would get together. I had to stop for a couple of minutes to figure that one out, and just as I did the car came to a stop. Very briefly I was surprised, but a glance around showed we'd gotten back to the motel.
"Thanks for the ride, Webster," I said as I began to get out of the seat belt, but her voice stopped me.
"Ms. Bell, I really do need to apologize for what happened," she said, and I looked up to see an odd expression on her face. Apologizing sincerely seemed to be painful for her, either that or she was really bothered. "I had no idea what Eileena meant to do, but I still shouldn't have let myself be diverted. You were doing me a favor, and I - abandoned you."
"You didn't abandon me, you were trying to be reasonable," I disagreed, refusing to let her blame herself for something that wasn't her fault. "You thought there was someone who needed your help, and there isn't a cop alive who would have done any differently. Eileena's comments cleared you of any involvement, but the comments were almost unnecessary. You can tell quite a lot about people by what the bad guys use to divert them. And if you want to get technical, bringing in the cavalry the way you did makes us square on all counts. Have a good night."
And with that I got out of the car, making it clear that I didn't expect her to say anything else. A glance had shown me that she seemed to want to say something else, but I did know a little something about arrogance. Apologizing once is hard enough; having to keep on with it turns the regret into something closer to anger, and neither one of us needed that. After closing the car door I waved to Webster, then went into the motel and up to my room.
"Taz, are you all right?" Freemont demanded from the doorway. "I know there was trouble, but the information is too jumbled to give me a clear picture. Damn whoever is putting up that curtain!"
"If the curtain was up again, how do you know there was trouble?" George asked after I patted Freemont's shoulder to assure him I was fine - without mentioning the residual aches I still felt in more than one place. "Did you manage to break through?"
"Break through nothing," Freemont grumbled as he closed the door behind us. "I didn't even notice the damn curtain until it suddenly disappeared. But once it was gone I realized I should have noticed, so they won't get away with the same again. Tell me what happened."
George gave Freemont the details while I went to the pot of fresh coffee and poured a cup, and not long after I sat down with the cup Freemont had heard it all. Freemont just shook his head, but George turned his attention to me.
"I got the feeling you had the same idea I did in Detective Webster's car," George said. "About Eric Wellman, I mean. Am I wrong?"
"No, of course you're not wrong," I admitted with a wry smile. "You're the one who taught me to be so suspicious in the first place, remember? Eileena has orders to 'kill the shapeshifter,' and suddenly Eric gets transferred to this part of the task force. With no immediate work that they need him for."
"The one thing I haven't figured out yet is how they managed to get you two together," George said with a nod and his own wry smile while Freemont stared back and forth between us. "Could they have manipulated Wellman in some way?"
"I'm beginning to think it was me they manipulated," I said, starting to get more of the picture. "Putting me and Eric in the same place took nothing more than making sure the people behind the lobby desk recommended Morgan's to anyone who asked. Which the hotel people might do anyway, considering how close the place is. With nothing official to do, Eric was almost guaranteed to go out looking for someone or something to divert him. The real question you have to ask yourself is how likely I would have been to ask about a place like Morgan's under ordinary circumstances."
"But you wouldn't have asked," Freemont pounced, his expression angrier than usual. "You would have stayed in the room the way you usually do, the way we all usually do. The only reason you did ask is because of whatever Grail did to you in the restaurant."
"Which you and Freemont considered Grail losing control of himself," George added, and he didn't look as happy as figuring things out usually made him. "None of us stopped to think about it, but how reasonable is it for a vampire as old as Grail to lose control? Especially with his brother right there to help out?"
"It isn't reasonable at all," I agreed, suddenly sharing Freemont's anger. "It looks like that whole scenario was staged for a specific purpose, and that purpose was to get me to go out looking for company."
"To go out looking for shapeshifter company," George qualified, his own expression having turned grim. "They somehow knew you were a target, but instead of telling us about it they threw in a wild card to divert any attacker. And the move worked."
"If that's what you want to call almost getting their own man killed," Freemont growled. "They couldn't know that Taz would be able to stop the attack, and it sounds like they made no attempt to give Eric even a general warning. They were willing to throw away one of their own to keep Taz safe, but they weren't willing to simply talk about what's going on. What's wrong with those people?"
"They're important," George answered, making the word sound obscene. "They have their priorities that they won't allow anyone to argue with, and sharing information only goes one way: to them and from everyone else. In Eric's place I would be gone so fast it would make their heads swim, but something tells me Eric won't see it the same way."
Freemont agreed with George, but I didn't bother. It was nice that my partners felt the way I did about joining that task force, but the reason behind our unity wasn't one that brought any kind of satisfaction. If Eric hadn't been told what was really going on, a reason for that could be that Eric would have refused to lie about personal intentions. I really didn't want to think about that possibility - or the reason why the task force was so eager to have me with them - so I took a last swallow of coffee, then put the cup aside and got up to go to the phone.
"I promised to call Allen," I reminded my partners when I got two stares with questioning in them. "Just b
ecause the vamps almost got me doesn't mean we can forget about that harpy."
Neither one of my partners looked happy about the reminder, but that didn't stop me from calling Allen's cell phone. This time the detective picked up on the first ring.
"Ms. Bell, this is you, I hope," Allen said, his voice definitely on the impatient side. "I expected to hear from you sooner."
"I expected to call sooner, but the vampires had a different idea," I responded dryly. "There was some unanticipated trouble, but now that it's over I'll be leaving here in about five minutes. You should see me when I get to Morgan's, but I don't expect to see you."
"If you do see me, call back right away," Allen replied just as dryly. "We'll talk about that trouble you mentioned later, after we get our quarry spotted."
I agreed with that scenario, and then we both hung up. I went back to take one more swallow of coffee, pretending I didn't see how unhappy George was. George knew he couldn't go with me, not without taking the chance of alerting our quarry, so this time Freemont had company in being left behind.
"Okay, guys, I'm out of here," I said once I put the cup down again and had turned toward them. "Here's hoping our friend James shows up tonight, otherwise we're going to have a bit of a problem. If James does show up, I'll call you once we've followed the man home and then you can join us, George. If not, Freemont, we'll need you to be in position in the morning to get a better fix on the harpy. If James waits until tomorrow night to go out bar-hopping…"
"Then we'll have to hope no one insults the asshole," George finished when I didn't. "Since tomorrow night is the full moon, you won't be anywhere near Morgan's."
"If I knew for sure the idiot would be there…" I began, then shook my head. "No, let's forget about that. I seriously doubt I'd be able to pick one victim out of everyone who'd be there, and that doesn't even take the harpy into account. I'll see you guys later."
They both said something of the same as I headed for the door, and five minutes later I was getting into the Saturn in the parking lot. As soon as the door was closed I sat very still for a minute, my hands closed into fists as I fought not to think about what had happened earlier with the vampires. I would have enjoyed finding a small closet somewhere to lock myself in while I lay curled up and shaking hard, but I just didn't have the time to be that human. All I could do was promise myself that I'd find some time later on… In a couple of days or so…
