Unnatural Allies

by Edward Kendrick

  “I will,” Sand said. “It will come up on their caller ID as from me. That should get things in gear.”

  “No,” Andre protested. “If Estebe has your number, he can use it to find your address.”

  “Not if I’m not at home.” Without waiting for a reply, Sand made the call. It went to the shop’s answering machine. “This is a message for Estebe,” he said. “Returning his call from last night.” Since it was almost dawn, Sand figured that was close to the truth. “Tell him that the man he talked to would like to meet him in person. Time and place to be arranged. If he doesn’t call, my friend will take appropriate measures.” He hung up, and then asked, “Do you think that will get him to call?”

  “It would if it were me,” Andre replied. “When he does, how will you explain that the message came from Sand, Thorin?”

  “Easy,” Sand said before Thorin could reply. “I’m Thorin’s prisoner and he forced me to call under threat of torture and death if I didn’t. Of course Estebe will probably tell him he should have killed me, but Thorin will offer me in exchange for them meeting, and then tell him where that will be.”

  “How would I know about the valley?” Thorin asked.

  Sand grinned. “You read my mind.”

  Thorin nodded. “That works. Let’s hope he believes it.”

  “Time for us to disperse,” Baptiste said. “It’s will be dawn in a few minutes and even though we older vampires can stay awake for a little while longer, Andre can’t.”

  “I’ll take him home, since I’m going to be staying there until this is over,” Sand said.

  “You are?” Andre arched one eyebrow.

  “Well, I can’t go home. As someone pointed out, Estebe has my number, now, and can track me down to my house. I’d really rather not be there when that happens. Among other things, it would blow a big hole in the ‘I’m Thorin’s prisoner’ thing.”

  “True. All right, let’s get out of here.”

  “Before you leave,” Thorin said. “Give me your phone, Sand.”

  “What? Why?”

  “As you said, Estebe can use the number to find your home. But—” he pointed a finger at Sand, “—he can also use the GPS function to find you wherever you are. Since you’re supposed to be my prisoner, it would be a good idea if it was here. I’ll put it in my safe for the time being.”

  Sand didn’t hesitate, handing Thorin his phone. Then he gripped Andre’s shoulder and they vanished.

  “Now, we wait and hope,” Sand said as soon as they landed in Andre’s bedroom.

  “He’ll call,” Andre replied as he got undressed. “His ego will require it.”

  Sand watched him, wishing it was an hour earlier so he could use sex to release some of his tension—but it wasn’t. So he stripped down to his briefs, went to take a fast shower, and joined Andre in bed. As the vampire was already dead to the world, Sand curled up beside him, his head on Andre’s shoulder.

  It took him a while to fall asleep because his mind wouldn’t shut down. He kept going over their plan, envisioning everything that could go wrong while trying to assure himself that the vampires were old enough, and powerful enough to prevail. Even Andre, although he’s not an Old one. He’d better survive. It will be hard to make a future together if he dies. If we have a future. He might decide we don’t, when this is over. I might decide we don’t. As much as he hated to admit it, he knew it was a possibility. He kissed Andre’s temple, closed his eyes again, and drifted off into a restless sleep.

  Chapter 7

  Sand awoke a few minutes before noon on Tuesday. Once he was dressed, in the clothes he’d had on the previous day, he went into the kitchen to see if there was anything in Andre’s fridge that he could use to make breakfast. There wasn’t, which didn’t surprise him, so he pictured a stand of trees in a park close to a restaurant he liked and teleported, landing on a thick branch of one of the larger ones. He was glad he had, as there was a woman walking her dog right below him. He waited for them to leave before dropping to the ground to stroll casually away in the other direction.

  He ate a big breakfast while debating what to do to kill the afternoon until Andre woke up. Digging into his pocket for his phone to check what movies were playing, he remembered it was in Thorin’s safe at the club—and why. That brought everything he was trying not to think about flooding back.

  If Estebe doesn’t call, then what? We could try to track him down, I suppose, but finding him…He shook his head. “Call, call, call,” he whispered prayerfully.

  “Girlfriend?”

  Startled, Sand looked up to see the waitress standing there.

  “Yeah. She said she’d let me know if we were still on for tonight,” Sand improvised.

  “So call her.”

  “I should, I guess.” He shrugged and asked for the check. She returned with it moments later, he paid, and left, returning to the park. Tense, and needing to alleviate it, he began running the path that circled the edge of the park, dodging the mothers pushing strollers and older couples out for their daily constitutionals. When he passed a pair of runners and heard one of them say, “Is he trying to break the land speed record?” he chuckled and slowed down. Bring what he was; even in his human form he could out-race anyone else with ease.

  Finally, hot and sweaty, he decided it was time to return to Andre’s place. But not until I get some clean clothes. He found a safe spot where he wouldn’t be seen, and teleported to his house, landing in the bathroom. One sniff told him he’d had company, although they were gone, now, as the smell of another werewolf was very faint.

  He did a cautious search of the house to make certain whoever had been there, and he was certain it had to have been Estebe, hadn’t left any surprises behind. Deeming it safe, he got his backpack from the closet, filled it with clean clothes, and teleported to Andre’s condo.

  * * * *

  “I had company,” Sand said as soon as Andre woke up.

  “Company?” It took Andre a moment to realize what he meant. “You went back to your place?”

  “I needed clothes,” Sand replied. “Luckily, I guess, whoever had been there was gone.”

  “Estebe?” Andre asked, moving to sit on the edge of the bed beside Sand.

  “Probably. I don’t remember his scent after all these years, but that would be my guess. It was definitely a werewolf.”

  “Which means he got your message.”

  “No kidding. It’s a damned good thing Thorin has my phone or I might have run into him while I was out. Not that he’d have done anything, in public, but still.”

  “Yeah. Let’s hope not.” Andre gave him a hug, then said, “Okay, I need to get dressed, and then we’ll head to the club to let the others know. With luck, Estebe’s already called Thorin.”

  * * * *

  “Anything?” Andre asked when he and Sand landed in Thorin’s office to find all three vampires deep in a discussion.

  Thorin looked over, shaking his head. “Not so far, but it’s early. He may not have any idea when I awaken.”

  “Or he’s playing a waiting game to amp up our fear for what he’s got planned,” Grigorii added.

  “The only thing I’m afraid of is that he might show up here, without calling,” Sand said. “I wouldn’t put it past him, since he, or another pack member, was at my place today.”

  Thorin frowned. “That’s not good.”

  “I agree,” Andre said. “Although my bet is, he was showing off.”

  “How so?” Grigorii asked.

  “He wanted to prove he’s smart enough to come and go within the city without our being aware until it’s too late. So, yes, he could come here this evening, hoping to catch Thorin unaware.”

  “He has a point,” Baptiste said. “It might behoove us, Grigorii, Andre, and myself, to find somewhere else in the club to wait.”

  “Do you really think he’d be stupid enough to do that?” Grigorii asked. “He’d have no way of knowing that we don’t have dozens of us waiting,
in case he tried.”

  “I’m certain he has at least one of his people watching the club. He’d be foolish not to,” Thorin replied as his phone rang. He answered, listened momentarily before giving the others a thumbs-up, and then said, “I want to meet with you.” After a brief pause, he replied, “No, not here. I have a place in mind where we won’t be disturbed while we discuss your problem.” He gave a grim laugh. “Yes, your problem. The one you brought on yourself when you threatened me and mine. I have one of your pack members with me, although I’m sure he’d rather be elsewhere.”

  “Not really,” Sand whispered to Andre as they waited for Thorin to continue.

  “He calls himself Sandalio, and he’s been very…helpful. It’s amazing what a little pain can do to make even the strongest werewolf reveal information.” There was a pause before Thorin said, “Perhaps he isn’t a pack member, now. However he still remembers your territory well and he’s shown me the perfect spot for our meeting. A valley on the far edge of your territory from the town that belongs to the pack. It’s very secluded, with no way in except on foot—if we were human. Do you know where I mean?”

  Covering the phone momentarily, Thorin murmured, “Estebe knows swearwords that would make a sailor blush.” Then he returned to the conversation, listened to whatever Estebe was saying, and shook his head. “Tonight. I want this over with. Yes, I’ll bring your traitor with me. I’ll be glad to get rid of his whimpering ass.” He checked the time, then said, “Midnight. If you’re not there, I’ll presume you’ve chickened out, which will be too bad for your pack. It won’t hurt my eternal soul in the least if we kill every one of them, starting with you and working our way down to the newest born cubs.” He arched an eyebrow. “Really? You planned on causing our deaths, without even having to soil your hands after the initial attack on my club, leaving it to the humans to do your dirty work for you. Why do you doubt I won’t return the favor if you force my hand?”

  There was a long silence on Thorin’s part, with the rest of them waiting to learn the outcome of his talk with Estebe. It ended when Thorin said, “I’ll be there at midnight, with Sandalio. If I sense you’ve brought more than one Beta to be witness to our conversation, I will kill you, and it will be painful.” Without waiting for a reply, Thorin hung up.

  “Damn, when you push buttons, you go all out,” Sand said, admiration tingeing his words.

  “It’s the only way to deal with a potentially deadly enemy. To show him I have no fear,” Thorin told him. “It’s almost eight. I suggest we get to the valley and set up.”

  Baptiste said in a sardonic tone of voice, “He’ll probably beat us there.”

  “So much the better,” Thorin replied. “If we go in invisible, and shielded, we can determine where his minions are hiding.”

  “Which is more than he can do with us,” Grigorii said.

  Thorin smiled dryly. “We can only hope. Once we’re there, we will communicate via mind speak, never verbally. Understood?”

  The others agreed, and then Andre said. “Give me a moment, please. There’s something I need to get from my office.”

  “You do realize I don’t have the ability to be invisible, or to shield.” Sand’s gaze followed Andre, although his words were for Thorin.

  “No, but I can keep them from knowing you’re there until it’s time,” Thorin replied. “It wouldn’t do for Estebe to get his hands on you because I was remiss, so you’ll come with me, not Andre.”

  Sand nodded, knowing he had no choice in the matter, as much as he wished otherwise. He trusted Thorin, but Thorin wasn’t Andre.

  Andre returned, his crossbow slung over his shoulder. “Shall we?” he said, going to stand beside Sand, putting his arm around Sand’s waist.

  “It seems I’m traveling with Thorin,” Sand told him almost under his breath.

  Andre frowned, but apparently knew he had no choice in the matter. Stepping away, he went invisible. Sand knew he was already on his way to the valley, as were Grigorii and Baptiste, who vanished seconds later.

  Thorin gripped Sand’s arm, and at his suggestion, Sand closed his eyes, then they took off as well. When he opened them again, he felt a sense of vertigo, watching the city speed by beneath them. Soon, they were over the mountains, and within minutes—still cloaked in the vampire’s invisibility shield—he and Thorin were standing at the edge of the trees surrounding the pond on the floor of the valley.

  ::Is everyone here and in place?:: Thorin asked. Sand heard the others reply that they were. ::Any sign of werewolves in hiding?:: Thorin inquired.

  After a long pause, Baptiste replied, ::One about thirty yards below me on the next ledge. I can deal with him now, if you wish.::

  ::I do, if you can do it silently.::

  ::No problem.:: Not long after, Baptiste said, ::Mission accomplished. This reminds me of my days as a spy during the Anglo-Norman War when I eliminated—::

  ::Save the history lesson for later,:: Thorin replied with a brief laugh. ::Anyone else have something to report?:: When neither Andre nor Grigorii answered, he said, ::Stay alert. We know there must be more of his people around. He wouldn’t have planted just the one Baptiste took out.::

  Sand studied the grassy area where they were to meet with Estebe. ::If it’s all right with you,:: he said to Thorin, ::I’ll shift and do my own reconnaissance.::

  As they were within the same invisibility shield, Sand could see from Thorin’s expression that he was considering his suggestion. Finally, the vampire nodded. ::You’re to be very careful. If you even think you might be in trouble, teleport back here and let me know that you are.::

  ::Will do. I don’t have a death wish.::

  Sand shifted and then, still shielded for the moment, he lifted his head to sniff the air. It smelled of pine, and damp earth by the pond, and faint traces of animals that lived in the vicinity. Overlaying them all was the odor of blood from the dead werewolf—and the scent of a live one on the cliffs at the far end of the valley.

  Moving silently away from Thorin and the shield, Sand inched his way through the trees until he was beneath a rocky outcropping. He tensed his muscles and sprang, landing on the narrow ledge. Hunkering down in the deep shadows, he swung his head, inhaling the werewolf’s scent. It was several yards above him. He heard a rustling and peered up to see the indistinct shape of the werewolf’s head silhouetted by the wan light of the waning moon.

  Sand was tempted to ask the Joker’s question from Batman about dancing in the moonlight as he prepared to leap into action—and restrained himself. It would take away what element of surprise he might have, presuming the werewolf wasn’t already aware of his presence, even though he was downwind from him.

  Ahead of him, he saw that the ledge he was on sloped upward toward where the werewolf stood. Inch by silent inch he made his way up until he was standing a few feet behind his enemy. He looked for any tells that he was aware Sand was so close. My enemy? He’s a werewolf. At any other time he might have hesitated to attack one of his own. But not this time. He sprang. His claws raked his foe’s shoulder, his jaws bit deeply into its neck.

  The werewolf whirled, trying to shake him off, its massive jaws snapping. They closed on Sand’s foreleg. Pain swelled but Sand fought it as he tore a chunk of flesh from the werewolf’s neck. Blood flowed from the wound—and from the one in Sand’s leg.

  Suddenly, the werewolf collapsed, dead. ::You might want to go back to Thorin,:: Andre said.

  Sand looked up to the ledge above him. Andre stood there, his crossbow in his hands. ::Good shot,:: Sand replied. Standing, he eyed the dead man who moments ago had been a werewolf, and saw a small puncture wound in its back, and the end of a bolt. ::An inch either way and you might have gotten me, instead.::

  ::I do know what I’m doing. Would you mind getting the bolt? Leaving evidence behind is not smart::

  Sand shifted to his human form and did, before teleporting back to rejoin Thorin. ::One more down.::

  ::Very good. How are
you doing?::

  Sand considered the question before quickly shifting to become his werewolf in order to heal faster. ::Bloody, but unbowed. I’ll be fine in a few minutes.::

  Thorin eyed him dubiously, which wasn’t surprising since there was a deep bite wound in Sand’s leg, although it was already beginning to close.

  ::My guess is, that one was cannon fodder, meant to draw one of us out,:: Sand said. ::I’m not a fighter, but I was able to do at least some damage before Andre stepped in.::

  ::You were doing fine without me,:: Andre said. ::I merely sped things up, given that Estebe may show at any time.::

  ::The sooner, the better. The wait is killing me.:: Sand almost said that aloud, biting back his vocal words just in time.

  As if his words made it so, Sand saw two figures appear in the grassy spot where the stream left the pond. One was Estebe—dark-haired, his chest bare to show off his hairy, muscular physique. The other, at the moment in his werewolf form, Sand recognized as one of the pack’s Betas.

  “I know you’re here. Show yourself,” Estebe called out imperiously.

  “As you wish,” Thorin replied. ::Become human,:: he told Sand. As soon as Sand had, Thorin dropped the invisibility shield and the pair walked to stand a few feet from Estebe.

  “Our plan worked perfectly, Sandalio,” Estebe said, looking dead at Sand. “You did well with helping us to avenge your brother’s murder. You are welcome to rejoin the pack.”

  “He’s lying!” Sand said, horrified at what Estebe was implying.

  For a moment, Thorin seemed to debate how to reply. Then, smiling, he put his arm around Sand’s shoulders. “I know he is.” To Estebe, he said, “Well played, if you’re trying to demoralize us, but it won’t work.”

  * * * *

  Andre watched and listened from his perch in a tall oak. He had chosen it because it gave him a perfect view of the spot where Thorin and Estebe were supposed to meet.

  He saw Estebe and his companion appear and heard his words. For a few seconds, he wondered if he and the other vampires had misjudged Sand’s motives. We didn’t, he told himself. I know him. He has been honest to a fault with me, and with Thorin. To Grigorii and Baptiste he said, ::Don’t believe the lying sack of shit. Pardon my language.::