Meta Marshal Service 2

by B N Miles

  “Tell me something about your world that’s different from ours.”

  She laughed. “Everything.”

  “You guys have TV?”

  “Okay, not everything. We aren’t savages.”

  “Internet?”

  “Sure do. And cellphones. There are differences but I’d say the technological progress is more or less the same.”

  “Huh,” Jared said, sipping his coffee and frowning out at the city. “Interesting. I would’ve thought… huh.”

  “I know. I was surprised too when I came here. I expected a bunch of backward savages.”

  He grinned at her. “Not too far off, though.”

  “No, not too bad.” She smiled a little. “Our TV sucks compared to yours, though. We still only have a few channels and it’s all broadcast.”

  “No cable?”

  “Nope. The government regulates TV and mandates that it remains a public right, so cable isn’t a thing. Internet’s the same though.”

  “Wait, so you never got Breaking Bad?”

  She laughed. “Never got most of your shows. Actually, I think our shows were totally different.”

  “Wow.” Jared shook his head. “And The Wire. You lived in a world without The Wire. I honestly don’t know how you survived.”

  “Now you get why I ran away.” She smiled again. She looked so radiant in the soft morning light as it played through her hair. The wind picked up and she shivered a little. Jared knew he didn’t have much more time with her like this.

  “Why did you run away?” he asked, dropping the question as casually as he could.

  She hesitated. She looked at him and smiled. “You’ve been wanting to ask that for a long time, huh?”

  “I told you before, I respect your privacy. You don’t have to tell me anything you don’t want to.”

  She laughed and looked away. “I know. I wasn’t sure I believed you the first time you said that, but I believe you now.” She took a deep breath and tilted her head. “It’s not such a surprise, really. I was second born, meaning all the responsibility toward the family fell on my shoulders. With that responsibility came certain… things I had to do. Like get married.”

  “Married?” Jared asked.

  “Yep. Married. And kids. Lots and lots of kids. My parents were considered failures, actually, because they only had my sister and me. But Weres like big families, huge packs. So I was supposed to marry a respectable Were just like me and start pumping out the kids.”

  Jared nodded slowly. “And that’s not what you wanted.”

  “Not… exactly.” She looked at him. “You have to understand, I was born into it. I wanted everything they told me I was supposed to want because I didn’t know any better. I went along with everything… until I met my future husband.”

  Jared stayed quiet. He could tell she was wrestling with this, and he suspected he knew where this story was going. Anger was already beginning to well up in his heart, and he wished he could walk The Miles back to Cassie’s world.

  “He was nice at first. Good pedigree. I didn’t choose him of course, but that wasn’t so bad. He was handsome and strong. Then he started getting angry…” She trailed off again, staring at her cup. “Threatened me a few times. Once, I had to shift and scare him off. I started to notice how much he was drinking, and even when I called him out on it, he just kept getting drunk. My parents wouldn’t say anything to him and wouldn’t let me out of it because they were so desperate to marry their daughter off to a good family, to regain some of the prestige they’d lost by only having two kids.” She closed her eyes as Jared put a hand on her knee, fighting back his revulsion and rage.

  “That’s why I ran,” she said. “I knew it wouldn’t stop. I’d kill the little fuck sooner or later, and that would’ve only hurt my family more. He was going down a dark path and I saw no other way out. So instead of getting trapped with that asshole, instead of killing him, I left. It was better for everyone. Better for me, better for them. I only hope my parents don’t force Hailey into the same marriage they were forcing me into.”

  Jared stared at her for a long time, his hand on her knee. She turned to him, blinking away tears. “And now you know,” she said.

  “Thank you for telling me,” he managed, trying not to let her see how angry he felt. The idea of her parents forcing her into a marriage, much less into a marriage with a drunk, wannabe abusive asshole, made him tense with rage.

  She could’ve killed him. He’d seen what she was capable of. He couldn’t imagine there were many Weres as strong as she was. Her Were form was enormous, way bigger than it should’ve been.

  And she knew it. She knew that if she stayed, she would’ve ripped her husband to pieces. He could only imagine the sort of torture that put her through, knowing her husband was a piece of shit, but knowing she couldn’t do a thing about it without ruining her family.

  Fucking bastards. He forced himself not to clench his jaw, not to growl in rage.

  She smiled and shifted in her seat. She leaned toward him and he met her halfway, kissing her lips gently. He could taste her toothpaste and coffee, and god, it tasted good.

  “We can figure out a way to reach your world,” he said, his voice soft. “If that’s something you want.”

  “I’m not going back.” She said it with such finality that it surprised him.

  “I don’t mean that. I mean… just a message. To see how things are going. Or maybe just to tell them you’re still alive.”

  She softened and hesitated before nodding. “I’d like that.”

  “Good.” He squeezed her knee then stood. “Did I really make that much noise downstairs?”

  She laughed. “You’re like a toddler bumping through a bell factory sometimes.”

  Jared sighed. “I’ll work on being more graceful.”

  She turned in her chair. “What’s on the agenda for today?”

  “I have some ideas,” he said. “We’re looking for Arman now, since he’s probably the one that’s connected with whoever took Wen Bet.”

  “The Medlar,” Cassie said.

  “I think so,” Jared admitted, but shook his head. “We can’t say for sure until we know. You don’t accuse a Magi family of something like that without solid proof, and right now all we have is speculation.”

  “Got it.”

  “Anyway, I’m going to make some breakfast and wake our pretty Dryad friend up.”

  “She’s still asleep?”

  Jared grinned. “Wore her out last night.”

  “I know. I was there.” Cassie smiled back. “Lucky girl.”

  “You’re both lucky girls.” Jared turned. “Come downstairs when you’re ready. And hey, thanks for sharing that with me.”

  “It felt good to talk about it,” she admitted. “I thought it wouldn’t. I was afraid you’d look at me differently.”

  Jared shook his head. “You’re one of the strongest people I know, Cassie. I’m not going to look at you differently. I know better than most what it means to have a family that expects things of you.”

  She smiled at that. “I bet you do.”

  “Come down when you’re ready.” He stepped inside and made it halfway down the steps before balling his hand into a fist and smashing it against the wall. He clenched his jaw, his heart beating hard.

  If he ever found a way to Cassie’s world, he’d kill that bastard.

  Jared didn’t care if that made him no better than any other Magi in his broken world. He’d burn that Were to ash and spit on what was left.

  He steadied himself, stood up straight, and went down to wake Jessa up.

  18

  When Jared arrived at the office that day, Wyatt dumped more paperwork on him than he’d ever seen. Harold poked his head over the divider between their desks and whistled.

  “That’s unreal,” he said. “Honestly. What did you do?”

  “Slaughtered a herd of Goblins,” he said.

  Harold’s eyes went wide then he laughed.
“You asshole.”

  “Still got the blood stains all over my clothes.”

  He howled with laughter and sat back down. Jared sighed, rubbed his eyes, and got to work. He wanted to get as much done as quickly as he could, just so that Harold wouldn’t have to do any of it. Even though the guy was kind of annoying, Jared hated the idea of his work becoming someone else’s problem.

  The day slipped past, the hours ticking along. Weeks ago, this would’ve been an ideal afternoon. Hours of mindless paperwork, no Need begging him to take drugs or fuck the first women in sight or use magic, no responsibilities outside of his immediate surroundings. But now, the paperwork bored him, and he just kept thinking about his two girls waiting for him back home.

  He was worried about Jessalene. As much as she didn’t want to say it, this was starting to weigh heavy on her. They were tracking Wen Bet to try and save her clan’s land, but every step they took toward that goal seemed to set them back twenty yards. She wanted this more than anything, even if her clan had been partially behind Ferric and all the destruction he wrought.

  They all had their families. Cassie, Jared, Jessalene, there was no escaping the people you loved. And they always brought problems with them.

  That was why Jared left the Bechtels. But the more he fell into this with Cassie and Jessa, the more he thought about what he’d left behind, the people he’d left behind.

  During his lunch break, he checked in with Wyatt. His Captain waved him inside, but Jared didn’t sit. “Sir,” he said. “Just wanted to see how our Goblin friends are faring.”

  “Well, as promised, it seems as though Mondo is taking the fall for all the others.” He cleared his throat. “Odd Goblin, that one.”

  “He mentioned another worker,” Jared said. “A Dryad named Hank.”

  “Right, I’ve been looking into that. It’s a strange name for a Dryad. I haven’t been able to find anything, but I’m putting someone on it.”

  “Thanks, sir.” He hesitated. “I, uh, plan on following a lead tonight.”

  Wyatt raised an eyebrow. “Tonight?”

  “Yes, sir. I’m not asking for overtime. I’m just letting you know.”

  “What’s the plan?”

  “The Vampire, Arman. I think he’s connected to our fugitive, Wen Bet. I think if I can get to Arman, I can follow him to Wen Bet.”

  “Far as I know, Arman’s in the wind.” Wyatt leaned back and appraised Jared. “Unless you know something I don’t.”

  “No, sir, I don’t. But I have some connections left from before I joined the Marshals. I haven’t wanted to pull on those yet, but now it seems like I’ll have to.”

  He nodded once. “All right, then. Care to be more specific?”

  “I don’t think I should,” Jared admitted.

  “Fine. Just be careful. And bring your girlfriend.”

  Jared grinned and coked his head. “You approve now?”

  “I think they’re useful and capable,” he admitted. “But I abstain from judging your personal life at all.”

  Jared laughed and left with a wave. He headed back to his desk and lost himself in his work.

  Jessalene rode up front with Jared as they cruised down the Philly streets. It was the middle of the night, and the streetlights glowed a soft yellow. There wasn’t much open on a weekday, but there were always people out, wandering the street, moving from one block to the next. Jared checked his rearview mirror to make sure nobody was following him before pulling up to the curb.

  “Okay,” he said. “This is it.”

  Both girls looked at him. “This is it?” Cassie asked.

  “Right.”

  “I thought we were meeting with Vampires,” Jessalene said. “I mean… that’s what you said.”

  Jared grinned at them. “And we are. Come on.” He got out of the car and the girls followed.

  They were in a simple residential area, mostly shops and bars. The sidewalks were clean, the houses upscale, their red brick facades were well kept and the landscaping was clear and orderly. There were more people out around here, since the bars stayed open late, but Jared ignored those and walked down the block. A flock of young drunk guys wandered past, laughing loudly. His girls flanked him on either side, and he had to resist the urge to take their hands. He caught more than a few hungry glances from men leaning up against the walls and smoking cigarettes outside of bars.

  Those looks should’ve bothered him, but he couldn’t blame them. His girlfriends were beautiful, after all.

  He stopped in front of a shop with a brightly lit interior. The window glass was painted with pricing and a big name right at the top. It looked clean, orderly, and very boring.

  “Twenty-Four Seven Laundromat,” Jessalene read. “Wait, seriously?”

  Jared nodded. “Yep.”

  “I thought Vampires owned, like, bars and clubs. And sex shops.”

  He laughed. “That’s true, but not all of them do. They tend to own anything that’ll be open at night. Come on, let’s go in.” He walked to the door and stepped inside.

  Cassie and Jessa followed him in. There wasn’t anyone around doing laundry, and it looked like it was completely empty. There were big machines lining the room, washers on the left, dryers on the right, all of them stacked in twos. The fluorescent lights made the place glow a dull, soul-killing gray color, and the machines produced a steady, low whine. Jared could taste the acrid sting of soap on his tongue. There was a long counter at the back with a single bell sitting out. Jared walked up to the counter, leaned against it, and looked up before ringing the bell. He knew the camera was watching him, and he knew his Vamp would recognize him.

  Jessa leaned up against a washer and looked at her nails like she didn’t have a care in the world. Cassie stuck next to Jared.

  “I thought you said Vampires are dangerous at night,” she whispered.

  “They are,” he agreed.

  “So why are we here at night then? If it’s open all the time…”

  “They’re only ever here at night.” He shrugged. “Most Vampires sleep during the day and stay up at night. Means they never have to deal with not having their strength.”

  She frowned and nodded. “Makes sense.”

  The back door flung open and a tall skinny guy with a tightly trimmed beard and long blonde hair stepped out. He wore a short sleeve camp shirt with big flowers all over it and gray cargo shorts. His skin was tan for a Vampire, though still had that sallow pale cast to it. “Well fuck me in the dick hole, is that Jared Bechtel?” The guy grinned and walked over to the counter, slapping his hands down on the top. “Haven’t seen you in a while.”

  “Hey Sam,” he said, shaking the guy’s hand.

  “And who are these two?”

  “This is Cassie Grim and Jessalene Dorvahn.”

  Jessa and Cassie both waved and smiled. Sam grinned at them then looked at Jared. “They your partners or something?”

  “Something like that.”

  Sam laughed. “Starting a harem. I like it.”

  Jared winced. “No, god no.”

  “Come on. Magi do that shit, right? Bunch of sex-obsessed women to keep the Need at bay? Shit Jared, I’ve been alive long enough to see it all.”

  “We’re not sex-obsessed,” Cassie said, then paused. “Well, not obsessed-obsessed, you know what I mean? And we’re not in his harem. We’re just… in a relationship.”

  “All three of us,” Jessalene added.

  Sam laughed and grinned at her. “Well shit, good for you guys. But I’d be careful of this one,” he said. “Jared’s got a reputation. Well, he used to, at least. Haven’t seen him around much, though. Whatever happened to you?”

  “I took a different path,” Jared said.

  “What sort of reputation?” Cassie asked, leaning toward Sam. She batted her eyes a little bit.

  “Don’t answer that,” Jared said and glared at Cassie.

  “Ah, it’s nothing bad,” Sam said. “You know how the Magi can be.”
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  “Not really,” she said.

  “Jared wasn’t as bad as all the others. A little more fun, a lot less likely to fuck you up if you pissed him off, know what I mean? But this one time, I saw this Shifter get in his face, and—”

  “Sam,” Jared said. “Please don’t tell that story.”

  “Please tell that story, Sam,” Jessalene begged, coming over. “Please, oh please. It sounds like Jared used to be a big, bad man.”

  Jared clenched his jaw and looked at Sam. “Look, I’m here for a favor.”

  Sam laughed and shook his head. “Right, okay. Shit, I don’t know how you deal with having two girlfriends. I’d spill my guts right now if they asked nicely.”

  Cassie laughed, delighted, but Jared spoke up before she could press for more details about his past.

  “We’re looking for someone,” Jared said. “A Vampire. I know you don’t know every single Vamp in the city, but you’re still good with the ruler, right?”

  “Sure,” Sam said. “I keep our Underlord happy. She scratches my back, provides good blood, and I pay her in fealty and a lot of money. It’s a nice relationship.”

  “I’m looking for a Vampire named Arman,” Jared said. “Looks like an accountant, owns a pawnshop. Spends a lot of time awake during the day.”

  Sam frowned for a moment. “I think I actually know the guy you’re talking about. He’s a little strange. New in town, as far as I know. Moved in maybe three years ago.”

  “Strange how?” Jessalene asked.

  “Doesn’t get along with other Vampires. Which I guess isn’t all that unusual, but you know Vamps. Once we’re around each other a lot, we tend to coven up real tight.”

  “But he’s avoided that?” Cassie asked.

  “Keeps to himself.” Sam shrugged. “His call, I guess. Doesn’t matter to me one way or the other.”

  “Any clue where we could find him?” Jared asked.

  “If he’s not at his shop, I have no clue.” Sam gave him an apologetic smile. “Sorry, man. You were always a good customer. Wish I could help.”