by Helen Harper
I smiled. ‘It’s very close to the park. Given that Max is now calling himself Lord Max, it would suit his ego to stay in the Mayor’s building.’ I raised my eyebrows at Cath. ‘Don’t you think?’
‘It fits.’
Julie scratched her head. ‘I hate to be the fly in the ointment, but it’s not been used as an actual residence for decades. And even when it was first built, it wasn’t all that glamorous. From what you’ve told me of this Max, it won’t be grand enough for him. It’s hardly a mansion, it’s really just a large flat.’
‘So this isn’t going to be where he settles but I still think it’s where he’s staying tonight. There’s nowhere else nearby that fits. He won’t want to travel far.’ I tapped my mouth thoughtfully. ‘Judging from the number of people you said he’s got with him now, a lot of the nearby buildings will be occupied. It’s not going to be easy to slip in and out unnoticed but I think he’ll take me there. When I go to make the exchange, that’s when you go to the Mayor’s lodgings. Find somewhere safe nearby to hide.’
Anna nodded, although Jodie seemed less keen. ‘Don’t I get a taser to shoot?’
Anna unclipped her baton and passed it over. ‘You can have this.’
‘A stick?’
Anna grinned. ‘I call her Slayer.’ When she realised we were all staring at her as if she were crazy, her smile faded and she coughed. ‘ As a joke.’
‘Mmmm.’
Julie took another large swig of gin. ‘I won’t be able to do my part until it’s night time.’
Jodie snorted. ‘Of course you won’t.’
The vampire was unperturbed by her disdain. ‘The sun hurts, darling. It’s a nasty side effect of all these increased powers. If you want me at my strongest, you’ll have to wait until darkness.’
‘That’s not a problem,’ I said hastily before Jodie started to argue.
‘I’m not staying here,’ Cath declared. ‘You can’t make me. I know more about Max than any of you.’ A flash of something indefinable crossed her expression. ‘I’ll reach inside and grab his intestines and pull them out and…’
‘Let’s avoid the intestine-pulling talk, shall we?’ I smiled at her. ‘You know Max’s team, the older ones at least. Your job is to speak to as many of them as possible. Lie, cajole, threaten, bribe, do whatever you need to. Get them to see the truth about him. We need more people on our side. It won’t be easy, and you might not get many of them on board but…’
‘I’ll do it.’
‘If you get hurt—’ I began.
‘I won’t get hurt.’
‘If you get hurt,’ I repeated, ‘or if there’s any real danger, get away to safety any way that you can. There are only so many rescue missions we can mount in one night.’
Cath’s answer was quiet. ‘I know which kid soldiers are likely to remain loyal no matter what and which ones are only with Max out of convenience or fear. I’ll target the right people. Don’t worry about me.’
I sincerely hoped I wouldn’t have to. ‘In that case,’ I said, ‘we’re ready to do this. He might think we’re the jokers in the pack, but being underestimated is good for us. We’re going to get Lizzy back and we’re going to win.’
‘So,’ drawled Monroe from the door, ‘it’s as well you have my wild card to throw into the mix as well.’
For a passing moment, I pretended that I wasn’t relieved to see him. Then I gave up on that and barrelled towards him. It wasn’t really a conscious move but I wrapped my arms around him in a tight hug. ‘Thank you,’ I said into his shoulder. ‘Thank you for coming back and helping.’
For a moment, Monroe stood there with his arms by his sides. After a few seconds, he hugged me back. ‘Why would you think I wouldn’t?’ he asked.
I sniffed. ‘The other werewolves. They’re your buddies.’
‘That doesn’t matter.’
I released him and stepped back. I wasn’t the only one who was pleased to see him – the others were beaming too. Apart from Cath. She had a frown on her face. ‘Does this mean,’ she enquired, ‘we can’t call it the Manpocalypse any more?’
Chapter Twenty-One
Monroe’s eyes had darkened to a stormy blue. They’d been that way ever since I’d properly explained what was going on. He paced up and down the kitchen with his arms folded and it was very easy to see the coiled wolf within him, even without so much as a whisker emerging from his cheeks.
‘If there are other werewolves in town,’ Julie asked, ‘why don’t we get them to help? A band of vicious animals will more than scare this wanker into surrendering.’
I sneaked a look at Monroe’s face. If anything, he appeared even more taut and unhappy than he had a moment ago. That was hardly surprising, given what had happened the last time he’d involved other wolves in Manchester’s problems.
‘There are other vampires in town too. Why don’t you find them and get them to help?’ he bit back.
‘Because I don’t know where they are, darling,’ Julie answered smoothly, although I noted the flicker in her eyes. She had enjoyed being the only vampire in the city. I couldn’t help but wonder how far down the vamp pecking order she really was.
‘Ditto,’ Monroe growled. ‘The pack has gone to find somewhere to live. I’m meeting them later but until then I have no way of communicating with them.’
Jodie sighed. ‘I miss my phone.’
We all grimaced in a moment of mutual understanding at the loss of the technology we relied on so much. Then I checked my watch; at least that was still working. ‘If I’m going to make the meeting with Max, I need to leave now. The plan still stands. The only thing that’s changed is that Jodie will go with Cath, and Monroe will take her place.’
Jodie nodded. She looked more relieved than aggrieved. Monroe straightened, as if he were about to argue with me; I turned towards him and gave a minute shake of my head. Fortunately, he understood – and complied.
‘I’ll drive you,’ he said. ‘And before you complain, don’t worry. I’ll drop you off well before the park. I won’t let any of them see me. I’ll swing back round and meet Anna at the Mayor’s house straight after.’
I breathed out. We were all set. I had managed to come up with a plan after all. Go me. Now, for Lizzy’s sake, I had to pray that it worked.
The trusty postal van was almost out of petrol so we hopped into a small, zippy, blue thing that Monroe had procured. ‘You know,’ I commented, ‘it won’t be long before we can’t use any of these vehicles. Petrol is suddenly a very finite source. We should try to clear as many of the blocked roads as possible before it starts running out.’
Monroe was silent for a few seconds before he said gruffly, ‘Assuming, of course, that you don’t end up dying during this little charade you’re taking part in.’
‘Lizzy is my best friend.’
‘I’m not arguing with you,’ he said. ‘I’m merely pointing out the inherent danger in what you’re doing.’ He scratched his jaw. ‘I should have dealt with this Max fellow at the hotel. I won’t make that mistake again.’
‘Maybe,’ I said softly, ‘it wasn’t your mistake to make.’ I paused. ‘Are you alright?’
‘I’m fine.’
I inhaled sharply. Monroe wasn’t the easiest person in the world to talk to. ‘With those other werewolves appearing…’
‘It’s not a problem. It’s good that they’re here. And you don’t have to worry about them causing any problems – I’ll make sure they behave. I doubt they’re the only werewolves who’ve attempted to get into the city. This particular pack already has Julian as their own strong alpha. They’re heading for the north of the city to find an appropriate place to settle. It’s their choice. I don’t want to interfere too much and I might join them later. The trouble is, they’re a tight knit group and I’m not prepared to take a beta role.’ His eyes shifted across to mine. ‘Not with anyone who’s less powerful than I am.’
‘You’re stronger than Julian.’
Monroe snorted mildly. ‘Of cours
e.’ There was a second’s silence. ‘But I might not be stronger than you.’
I blinked. ‘Uh…’
‘Magically of course. In every other sense of the word, I’m far superior.’
I grinned. ‘Almost, Monroe. You were almost nice there.’
He frowned. ‘Being nice has nothing to do with it. I’m merely stating facts.’ He stopped suddenly at a single, massive tree root that appeared to be blocking most of the road then he swerved round. The little car juddered as we drove over a section of it. ‘There will be others like Max.’
I grabbed the door handle as he swerved again. ‘Pardon?’
‘Once we’ve dealt with Max, others will show up to take his place. It’s the nature of lawlessness – suddenly there’s an absence of rules and infrastructure and people seek to fill the void. What happens to Manchester from now on will be fascinating from an anthropological point of view. Mark my words, there will be more tussles for power as time goes on.’
‘Or,’ I said, ‘we’ll all live happily ever after.’
Monroe snorted. ‘Even you’re not that naïve. Anyway, my point is that you should learn proper defensive skills – and attack skills. I can teach you. You won that bet and in return I promised to give you lessons. We should start as soon as this Max business is over.’
I had a sudden vision of an oiled, bare-chested Monroe performing martial arts in slow motion. Mmm. I pulled my mind out of the gutter. ‘To be honest, I have taken self-defence classes before. I’m a gambler, after all. There’s been more than one occasion when I’ve had to deal with disgruntled losers who were trying to take my winnings. I’m not as weak as I look.’
‘And you’re not as strong as you think. A bet is a bet. And I can teach you plenty more. I guarantee your previous lessons weren’t delivered by a werewolf who’d been trained for combat since he was a toddler.’
‘No,’ I said cheerfully. ‘They were run by a swarthy guy called Robert who had a penchant for groin strikes. He liked it when we practised on him.’
Monroe looked faintly sick. He drew the car to a halt and turned to look at me. ‘You have a lot of magical power, Charlotte, but don’t rely on it too much or you’ll leave yourself vulnerable.’
I sighed. ‘As I keep telling you, it’s Charley.’
‘You suit Charlotte better. Despite the ridiculous blue hair.’
‘I could say the same about your eyes.’
Monroe’s brow furrowed. ‘Eh?’
‘They’re a ridiculous blue colour too,’ I muttered. ‘It’s unnatural.’
A smile played around the corner of his lips. ‘You’ve noticed my eyes?’
‘You noticed my hair.’
His smile grew. ‘It’s not the same thing,’ he said, ‘and you know it.’ The eyes in question danced with amusement and perhaps with a touch of something else too.
I coughed and looked away. ‘It’s time,’ I said. ‘You need to go. So do I.’
He leaned in towards me. ‘Stay safe, Charlotte,’ he murmured. ‘I’ll see you on the other side.’ He dipped his head, brushing my cheek with a lingering kiss. A moment later, he opened the car door and was gone.
I had to take a few seconds to compose myself. Suddenly I was reminded of the last man – boy – who’d set my heart aflutter. It was a long time since the memory of Matthew Thomas Dwight had conjured up anything but despair but, on this occasion, the thought of him conjured up something entirely different.
I touched the spot on my cheek where Monroe’s lips had been – and then I felt horribly guilty. Lizzy was being held prisoner by mad Max, her life was very possibly in danger, and I was swooning over a werewolf because he had pretty eyes and a sexy accent. Fuck off, Charley.
I shook myself, slid into the driver’s seat and got a damned move on.
I drove the little car as close to the park as I could before getting out and walking the last short section. It was an even better location for a crime-fuelled handover than I’d realised. The overgrown trees had created a natural barrier; from the street leading into the cul-de-sac, it was impossible to see anything beyond massive trunks and impossibly large leaves, some of them the size of golf umbrellas. This was Manchester, not the Amazon rainforest, but the trees didn’t seem to know that.
With some difficulty I squeezed past two oaks and walked forward. Although the branches and leaves were so dense that the park was dark and shadowed, there was a definite clearing in the centre. A motorbike that had snagged on one of the many long tree roots was raised half a foot in the air, with only the might of nature keeping it upright. I wandered over to it, hopped onto the seat and straddled it to wait more comfortably. The tree root holding the bike in place creaked slightly but it held my weight.
I didn’t have to hang around for long. I’d barely wriggled my arse around to get comfortable when Max’s familiar voice rang out to my left. ‘Quite extraordinary, isn’t it?’ he said. ‘Nature herself has reclaimed this spot. The locusts didn’t touch this part of the city. I was tempted to get these trees cut down but I rather like the place as it is. It’s my own secret hideaway.’
He stepped into the clearing only a few metres away from me. He offered me a gentle smile that did nothing but send shivers down my spine. ‘You’re looking well. I didn’t peg you as a United fan, though.’
I glanced down. I’d forgotten that I was still wearing the football strip I’d taken from the stadium after my encounter with the Canal Monster. I hadn’t even had a proper wash since then. Maybe swampy saliva was good for your skin; I could set up my own beauty company and market it. A nervous giggle escaped me at the thought.
Max gave me a puzzled look. ‘Is something funny?’ he enquired.
‘Everything,’ I told him. ‘Everything is funny these days.’
‘You either laugh or you cry,’ he agreed.
I’d pay good money to see Maximillian Stone cry. I shook myself and focused. ‘Where is Lizzy?’
‘Let’s have a little chat first.’
My expression hardened. ‘No. Let me see Lizzy first. I need to know that she’s okay.’
He moved closer. ‘I can assure you that I’ve not harmed a single hair on her head. She’s absolutely fine. A bit angry at being cooped up, but she’s been fed and watered. She isn’t hurt in any way.’
The fact that he didn’t mention anything about her springing fur and tusks and fangs meant that she’d managed to keep her bunyip form hidden. I breathed out. That was a very good thing.
I believed Max when he said he’d not hurt her; he’d have nothing to gain by doing that and, as far as Max was concerned, every action had to have a point to it. He’d break fingers if there was a good reason to do so; he’d also bring someone food and water if there was a good reason. At the end of the day, he only ever did something if there was a pay-off for him as a result.
‘I want to see her.’
‘You will.’ He smiled again. ‘But she’s not here at the moment. We’ll talk first and then we’ll see how the land lies.’
Yep: this was going down much as I’d expected. I tried not to appear triumphant.
My plan rested on Lizzy being held back at the Mayor’s residence. If she wasn’t there, we were all screwed. I didn’t want her here – I couldn’t control the situation here.
I folded my arms. ‘Then talk,’ I growled.
He quirked an eyebrow as if amused. ‘Very well.’ He jumped onto a low-lying branch of the same tree whose roots were holding the motorbike in place. He crossed his legs and rested his chin on his hands. ‘You, Charley, used to be nothing more than a mild irritant. But you’ve changed – you’re the not the same person you were.’
‘I can assure you I am exactly the same person I’ve always been,’ I said stiffly.
‘Mmm.’ He continued to watch me. ‘Maybe outwardly. Maybe your personality is the same too. But you now have a different skill set. You’ve either kept it very well hidden or it’s brand new. Whatever – your abilities are very suitable for
our new world.’
There was no point in denying I now possessed magic at my very fingertips since I’d thrown Max and several of his gang to the ground and knocked them unconscious with little more than a flick of my wrist. I also knew exactly what he wanted from me but I wasn’t going to give him the satisfaction of saying it aloud. Looking bored, I raised my hand and examined my fingernails. ‘So?’
‘You come and work for me. In return I let your Australian friend go.’ He shrugged. ‘Win-win.’ He leaned forward. ‘I’ll even forget about you assaulting me and the money you owe me.’
‘I’m not going to work for you, Max. Besides, you don’t know what I’m capable of. For all you know, all I have to do is click my fingers and you’ll drop down dead.’
He tutted. ‘Such violence. I’ve always thought of you as a lady, Charley, despite your terrible hair. Threats don’t suit you.’
‘I’ve not threatened you yet.’ I bared my teeth. ‘But you’ll know when I do.’
‘Then perhaps you and I are more alike than you realise.’
My voice was flat. ‘We’re not at all alike.’
He smirked. ‘We’ll see. Come and work for me, Charley. Together we can make Manchester great. The government has abandoned us. You and I can transform this place into somewhere new, somewhere amazing. Maybe I’ll even learn some … compassion,’ he rolled the word around his mouth, ‘from you.’ He licked his lips. ‘Of course, if you don’t come willingly I’ll kill your friend. And I’ll force you.’
As he spoke, he tilted his body back slightly and jerked his chin. People emerged from all sides holding weapons, all of them pointed at me.
I raised my hand towards the nearest one, a young woman who was probably barely out of her teens. ‘Abracadabra,’ I said. She flinched. So did half the group.
Max threw his head back and laughed. ‘I’m going to enjoy having you around.’
‘You know,’ I said conversationally, ‘I could kill the lot of you with one flick of my finger.’
Max grinned widely. ‘Go on then.’
