by Art DeForest
Shaking my head a little I leaned back in my chair, removing my arm from his grip. “I’m fine. Just thinking.” My voice may have shook a little. Trying to refocus my thoughts I said, “Denver is a Pack city. I don’t think they’ll be too happy about one of us snooping around their territory.” Deacon nodded as he replied, “The lycans are aware that a preternatural killer is in their area. They are also aware that it is not one of their own. Thus far the killer has remained extremely elusive.
“The leadership of the Pack has indicated that a vampire representative would possibly be of aid in their pursuit.” I looked up in surprise. “That’s as surprising as members of the Council wanting to off one of their own.” I said derisively. Caine’s eyes narrowed as he returned my gaze. “Darius was removed from the Council as you well know and the Pack doesn’t want any more attention drawn to the activities of Others, than we do.” I snorted at his statement. “They may have removed him from the Council, but they didn’t kill the bastard. “I suppose they thought he’d just stop playing his twisted little games and go into exile like a good little boy?” I could almost feel the contempt dripping off my words. “Same old Council doing the same old thing and having it come back to bite us all on the ass.”
Somewhat to my surprise, Deacon nodded at my rant. “Parts of the Council are coming around to your way of thinking Ms. Strong. They feel that the monsters among us can no longer be brushed under the carpet.” He said “In addition, the Lycan contingent has been exerting more and more pressure on the Council to clean up it’s messes. You could almost call this investigation a pilot program for a new way of dealing with the true monsters in Other society.” The attitude of the Lycans and any willingness by the Vampire Council to acknowledge them was a surprise to me.
Historically speaking, vampire society had been overwhelming in its arrogance toward the Other races. Their ability to walk amongst humanity as one of them along with the power that can be accrued over what was essentially an immortal life span had fostered such arrogance. The fact that even a part of the Council was willing to acknowledge pressure from the Lycans was a big step forward. Of course, they were being pushed into their change of attitude to a certain extent by the modern information age, but in recent decades they’d been pushed by the Lycans themselves.
The Lycans as a race had evolved along a parallel track to humanity. As food became more plentiful and weapons of war became more terrifying, man had less need to kill his fellow man and had to be more circumspect in his use of force to achieve his ends. When even third world countries could get their hands on a nuclear weapon, it made even the powerful countries hesitate.
Lycans had similar issues. When the pack’s Omega had the ability to put a silver bullet through the Alpha’s heart if he or she was pushed beyond the breaking point, then even Alpha’s needed to be more circumspect in their handling of pack affairs. Don’t get me wrong, violence was still an accepted way to establish pack hierarchy, but such battles were most often to submission, not death. The result was the steady growth of the Lycan population. A population that was filled with younger members who were well versed in the use of technology.
“So I’ll be welcomed with open arms when I stroll into the Mile High city and start asking uncomfortable questions?” Deacon leaned forward and rested his forearms on the table. “Our reception from the lycans is likely to be as mixed as the Council’s attitudes towards your um...extracurricular activities.” I rolled my eyes. All my sarcastic brain could think was, “Oh joy.”
Then something occurred to me. “You just said our. There is no our. What did you mean by our?” My voice sounded more growling than conversational as I leaned forward. Another placating gesture was thrown my way as Deacon leaned back out of easy striking distance.
“As I said Ms. Strong, this is being considered something of a pilot program. That coupled with the investigation happening in a Lycan city means that an official Council presence is needed to facilitate things and observe the proceedings.” I shook my head as I crossed my arms in front of me. “This may sound cliche Mr. Caine, but I work alone.” I said, trying to put as much authority as possible into my voice. “The investigation is yours Ms. Strong, but there will be Council as well as Pack oversight on this project.” He crossed his arms, replicating my body language. “If you can’t work under those conditions, then I will take my leave and find someone who can.” With that, he stood as if making to depart.
“You can’t stop me from tracking that bastard down. I can find him without your help!” I spat. He turned to face me once more, one eyebrow raising archly. “Perhaps you don’t require help finding Darius, but can you do that while fighting the Council and the Lycans at the same time?” The arrogance of the pretentious prick! I was so angry I could barely see straight as I rose to meet his stare. I felt my fangs drop as I stepped closer to him. The arrogant posture Deacon Caine was affecting dropped quickly into a defensive stance as he met my glare. I have no doubt my eyes were blood red.
It was, oddly enough. the snarling hiss of Fangs that brought me back from the precipice. He was letting me know he had my back, but I wasn’t about to place him in danger over something like this. I went absolutely still for a moment as I regained some semblance of composure. It had been a long time since I had lost control like that. Too many of my buttons had been pushed in too short a time. Abruptly I turned around and went over to calm Fangs. He had his eye locked on Caine. The hair along the length of his back and tail was standing on end. I reached up to stroke his ears for a moment before lowering my head and bumping his forehead gently with mine. We stood motionless that way until I felt we had both relaxed enough to remain in control.
I finally stood up and faced Caine. He had recovered from his defensive stance and stood tall in his black italian suit. His face showing no emotion. “I apologize for my reaction Mr. Caine, but I made a promise to myself the day that I escaped Darius’ chains. A promise that I would never let anyone chain me again. It doesn’t matter if those chains are real or metaphorical.” I resumed rubbing Fangs ears as my brain once more engaged in rational thought. “I may be willing to work with the Council and even the Lycans, but I will be under no one’s thumb. If we can’t reach an agreement on those terms then you should go ahead and leave.” Deacon seemed to think for a moment before nodding his head. “As I said before, the investigation will be yours. I and my counterpart with the Pack will be there to observe and help smooth the way with those not so inclined to offer their support to your endeavor. All else is negotiable.”
I nodded back at his response. “Okay, when do the powers that be expect Fangs and I to go out there?” I asked. “You’re taking that beast with you?” Caine said incredulously. “Hey, watch who you call a beast.” I said, bending down to give Fangs a hug. A impish smile crept across my face. “Besides he can be very useful at times.” Caine actually rolled his eyes at me. It was really kinda cute seeing him break from his oh so businesslike persona, even if it was just for a second. Putting his business face back on he said, “The Council has provided us with the use of one of its planes for the trip out. It’s on standby and can be ready at a moment’s notice.
My eyebrows shot up towards my hairline at this. “Wow, that’s impressive. They must really want Darius bad.” Deacon shrugged at that. “It also helps to establish our position with the locals right from the start.” I shrugged in return. I didn’t know how much our conveyance was going to affect the Lycans, but if Deacon Caine wanted to be pretentious and fly us out in luxury, who was I to complain? “It's too close to dawn to leave now.” I said as I considered things. “Will midnight tonight be too soon? That should give me enough time to get things in order.”
Caine nodded in agreement. “That should be time enough. I’ll take my leave and return at eleven this evening if that will be convenient?” Meeting him in the middle of the living room, I escorted him to the door. “That will be fine.” I said.
After letting him out, I took a moment to
watch him as he walked down the hall. He looked almost as yummy leaving as he did when he was facing me. Turning to look at me as he reached the elevator, he gave me a serious look. “I would pack something silver and dangerous if I were you. Just to be safe.” Before I could answer the elevator doors slid open and he was gone.
3
It was just before dawn when Fangs and I crawled into bed. I was worn out both physically and emotionally. I dropped off almost as soon as my head hit the pillow. Contrary to modern mythology, vampires don’t die when the sun comes up. We sleep like everyone else. If it wasn’t for the fact that the sun caused us excruciating pain, we’d walk around during the day. The funny thing was that it didn’t really damage us. There were in fact, quite a few day walkers running around. The older and more powerful a vampire got, the longer they could stand the light of day. Eventually, they could stay up the whole day. That’s when a vampire is considered to be a master. There were even rumors going around about some vampires out on the west coast, that had some kind of special training that allowed even their young ones to learn how to daywalk. I’ll believe it when I see it. I can endure the day for a while, but honestly, I love my bed too much. It was soft and comfortable and occasionally there was someone in it to cuddle with, besides Fangs that is. Tonight it was just Fangs nestled in beside me, but his warm soft fur wasn’t enough to keep the nightmares at bay like it usually did.
I had a number of recurring nightmares. If you had a childhood like mine you would too. Tonight I was back on the table, naked with my arms and legs chained to the corners, as the red hot brand of the fleur-de-lis was held against the soft skin over my heart. I could even smell the awful stench of burning flesh as I screamed in pain beyond description. I would learn over the next few days that it wasn’t the worst pain a person could feel however, but I don’t talk about that.
Darius was standing over me...gloating. Telling me how my purity drove all men to have impure thoughts and how he was going to defile me and make me impure so I would forever know what the sight of me did to the men around me. Personally, I think it was just an excuse to be a fucking deviant. I can remember screaming in pain and rage. Calling him a twisted pervert who couldn’t satisfy a real woman. Spitting at him and telling him if he were a real man he wouldn’t have to tie up little girls. That’s when I learned what real pain was.
I woke up screaming. My hair drenched in sweat. I stopped screaming long enough to take in another breath when I felt soft paws land on my shoulders and a warm fuzzy head nuzzle under my chin. Letting the breath out, I wrapped my arms around Fangs and held him tightly to me. He snuggled closer and a deep heartfelt purr issued from deep inside him. We sat like that for a long time before I was able to shake off the dream and lay back down. I kept Fangs cuddled contentedly in my arms and tried to return to sleep, but it just wasn’t happening. Finally with a deep sigh and a disapproving look from Fangs, I got up and went for a shower.
I turned up the water as hot as I could stand and let the heat and steam loosen the knots in my neck and back. Gradually, I was able to let go of the terror and focus on preparing for the hunt.
Getting out of the shower and into my favorite comfy bathrobe, I spent some time in front of the bathroom mirror, combing out my wet brunette hair. My hair wasn’t anything special. Just brunette, but being a vampire made it strong and healthy looking. Fresh from the shower and with no makeup on, a girl of fourteen with the world weary eyes of an eighty year old stared back out at me. Puberty had given me the curves of a woman, but the face was still that of a fourteen year old. As I’d grown older, I became an expert in the art of making myself look like an adult. With the right makeup and clothing, I could pull off twenty one well enough that people only seemed mildly surprised when the saw my ID. I think the experience in the eyes helped.
I went and opened the door to my walk-in closet. Three sets of work clothes came flying out to land on the bed. After a lot of internal debate and scrutinization with my head tilted this way and that, I managed to add three mix and match business casual outfits. Almost as an afterthought, I added my favorite LBD (Little Black Dress) to round out the clothing options. If I needed more, I’d shop. Thank the heavens for American Express. Various unmentionables followed. Basic black cotton underwear and black sports bras were followed by things of a more lacey and satiny nature. I liked the boy scout motto: ‘Be prepared.’ A well broken in pair of black flat soled boots was followed by a pair of flats and some low heeled pumps. A pair of sexy as hell Louis Vuitton’s to match my LBD rounded out the selection.
Getting down to more serious matters, I moved some clothes, still hanging on the rail, out of the way and slid open the hidden panel in the wall behind them. It revealed a rather large set of shelves, holding a variety of mayhem inducing hardware. The first thing that flew out to the bed was the black leather utility belt that I always wore with my work clothes. It had scabbards already attached and ready for my kukri and stake combination. The kukri, and after a little debate, a stake that wasn’t completely standard issue were moved over and placed on the bed. This particular stake had a shaft of silver running through the center, kind of like the graphite in a pencil. It came to a fairly broad point in order to add strength to the relatively soft metal tip. That meant it took more force to get the required penetration. I didn’t carry it often for that reason, but with Lycans in play, it would be a useful backup.
I continued to stand in front of the cubby, debating the merits of various weapons before pulling out the shoulder rig for my Kimber 1911 .45. It was a big gun that threw a big slug. I alternately cursed and blessed the fact that I had large hands for a person my size. They allowed me to handle a piece like my .45 comfortably, but they’d also been known to draw looks of haughty derision and muttered comments of “man hands” from people looking to find flaws. I put the Kimber in the shoulder holster along with two spare magazines into slots on the other side of the rig. The magazines were filled with special rounds that were effective against Lycans. They were jacketed hollow points with a frangible silver bead installed in the hollow. The bead disintegrated on impact, leaving tiny bits of silver throughout the wound track. Shooting a Lycan with one of these bullets was like shooting a human with a regular slug. I also added a Colt Defender in a pancake holster as a backup / concealed carry piece. It was also chambered with .45s.
I debated long and hard before adding one more piece to my collection of hardware. Reaching up to the highest shelf I pulled down my sword. Again, this weapon might not be what you would expect a girl like me to use. I typically describe it as a “tactical gladius” It was twentysix inches in length, with twenty inches of that being a willow leaf blade that flared out to three inches wide before narrowing down to a wicked sharp point. You can keep your katanas and what not. Those were for masters and artists. This baby was for getting down and dirty with the hack, stab and slash. It wasn’t very concealable so I didn’t often carry it, but it would be great to have along if I had to go to war.
When I had the stuff I wasn’t going to be carrying on my person packed I looked up at the time. It was a little after 8 pm. I decided to walk down to a nearby club and get a snack. I only had to feed once or twice a week, but I didn’t know when I’d have an opportunity to eat again in the near future.
I dressed for a totally different kind of hunting. Skinny black jeans and a deep red silk top that showed the girls off nicely. I donned my black leather jacket against the chill and to conceal a dagger and a stake in the inner breast pocket. I headed out, giving Fangs a quick ear rub as I went by. “Behave sweetie” I said as I closed and locked the door behind me.
I’d walked a couple blocks when I sensed a warm body in the shadows between to buildings up ahead. Hmmm, maybe I didn’t have to walk all the way to the club after all. I started to stagger and wobble a little bit as I headed on down the sidewalk, trying to make myself look as vulnerable as possible. If this guy was looking for a mark he was in for a big surprise.
I could feel him tense up and I heard the blood rushing through him faster and faster as I got closer. Sure enough, as I passed his hiding spot, he rose up behind me. I allowed a muscular arm to snake its way around my neck as I heard the snap of a switchblade opening up next to my ear. “Stay quiet, play nice and you might live through this.” Came a deep rasping whisper. I allowed my assailant / dinner to turn me around and push me back towards the shadows. My favorite place to be. As we reached the shadows he whispered, “That’s it sugar. It’ll be over before you know it. Reaching up and grabbing the arm around my neck I said, “You have no idea.”
Keeping a hold of his arm, I ducked down and took a step back. My head cleared his ribcage and I stood straight up behind him. I brought his arm up behind his back, trying to put his elbow between his shoulder blades. It actually reached that far when I dislocated his shoulder. He let out a strangled scream as I heard the wet pop of the joint giving way. I could have ended the confrontation right there, but I was in the mood to hand out a lesson on the dangers of attacking strangers you thought were weak.
“You bitch! You broke my arm!” He shouted at me. “Don’t be such a baby. It’s just dislocated” I replied. Left arm hanging limply at his side, he made a clumsy slash at me with his knife. I sidestepped it easily. All he got for the effort was a right cross to the ear as he went by that sent him sprawling into some garbage cans. Picking himself up from the mess, he squared himself up to me. “I’m gonna kill you slow bitch. You’ll be beggin’ me to slit your throat before I’m done.” I raised an eyebrow at his comment. Either this guy was a really slow learner or he just couldn’t conceive of being beaten by a woman. Whatever, I was getting bored….and I was still hungry. “Wow,” I said. “You couldn’t come up with a better line than that? You must not watch a lot of movies.”
