The Fangs of Freelance

by Drew Hayes

  A lot of noises came quickly after that. Quinn yowled in pain, more pops from Arch’s gun rang out, metal clanged as some shots were knocked away, and then . . . how do I put this? “Explosion” isn’t quite the right word. It was more akin to getting hit with a massive blast of wind, only instead of air, it was light that buffeted into us—a blast of red light that tore out from Quinn and slammed into me and the other vampires so hard that it sent us hurtling into the wall, me with a chunk of Quinn’s leg still in my mouth.

  Vampires can generally take a lot of punishment unless there’s silver involved, but I’ll admit that my ribcage was rather rattled as I slowly pulled myself up after hitting the wall. I spat the bite of Quinn out—it was disgusting, and I’ll do you the kindness of not trying to describe the taste—as I wobbled to my feet. My ears were ringing, and there were spots in front of my eyes that I tried to ignore as I scanned the room. This wasn’t over yet; it wouldn’t be until Quinn was captured or killed. I had to stay on guard until then, in case he decided to finish off his flunkies.

  “He’s gone.” The voice came from over by the door to the cells, where Arch was standing calmly, lighting a cigarette. “After the collar broke, he started for you and the others, but changed his mind when I put a bullet in his uninjured leg. Instead, he made for the stairs right when I had to reload.”

  “So why didn’t you chase him?”

  “Because I didn’t come here to catch or kill Quinn,” Arch snapped, taking a long draw from his cigarette. “I promised Krystal I’d protect you. Also, to be honest, I was kind of blind at the time.”

  Now that brought me up short on whatever I was about to say. “Blind?”

  “Yeah. Caught the light show full-force when the collar broke, and it burned out my eyes. They’re better now, thanks for asking. Though I will need some new enchanted glasses.” He nodded to the set of frames on the ground, which were smoking and crumpled.

  “But you said you shot him in the leg,” I pointed out.

  Arch let out a breath of smoke, like a short, gun-toting dragon. “I said I was blind, not deaf. Being able to shoot without vision comes up more than you’d think. Anyway, why don’t you go ahead and step on over here, Fred. I’d like a little space between you and the others before they shake that explosion off.”

  Moans and squirming were coming from near me, but I made no move to leave my fellow vampires. “They’re not bad people. Quinn was controlling them with the collar.”

  “Maybe. Or maybe he told you that so you’d let your guard down around them. Or they were bad people who signed on and then got whammied. Heck, maybe they’re starved and will attack the first thing they see. Point is, without knowing their situation, I can’t risk you being too close.”

  Arch was raising valid points, and I knew that, despite my addled senses. All the same, I willfully ignored those points and reached down to grab the shoulder of the nearest vampire. It was a young man, probably not much older than Neil, who let out a small yelp at my touch. “Hey, hey, don’t worry. It’s going to be okay. Quinn’s gone now. You’re safe.”

  For a few seconds (which probably weren’t that long, but that, in the moment, seemed to stretch on indefinitely), there was no response. Then, slowly, he tilted his head up and stared me in the eyes. The red lines reaching across his sclera were gone, although it looked like there were dark scars where the lines had been. “He’s . . . gone? You’re sure? What if he comes back? What if he calls to us again?”

  “Quinn isn’t coming back tonight,” I assured him. “Quinn runs when he can’t win, and he can’t beat my friend over there. The artifact he used to control you is broken, too. It’s okay. You’re safe. I promise.”

  The discussion pretty much ended there. Not because the vampire grew silent, mind you, but because he collapsed back to the ground and started weeping. I lifted my eyes from him to Arch, who had nearly finished his cigarette.

  “It’s possible I may have been more worried than necessary.” He reached into his coat, but instead of pulling out a gun, he produced cell phone. I was tempted to ask where that had been earlier, but then I realized: who would he have called? Even if they’d known about the trap, his old teammates would still have had to prioritize stopping a Ghoul Lord over protecting one vampire who already had an agent with him, and no one else would have been near enough to help. Arch clicked a few buttons, then held the receiver to his ear.

  “Evening. I’m going to need a transport team with some counselors on board. We’ve got a batch of vampires that were turned and controlled. I imagine they’ll need a lot of therapy. Also, put me on Veronica’s books for a meeting next week. Someone just used my friend as bait, and I’m damn well going to know who.”

  9.

  Things happened quickly after Arch’s phone call. The team came back, a few of them sporting small wounds and looking worn out, although that was nothing compared to the panic that hit them when they saw the state of their base. Arch calmed them down and explained things, though I wasn’t around for the exact conversation. I kept myself planted on the lowest floor with the other vampires until help arrived. Part of me had been wondering what kind of counselors would show up; after all, the Agency seemed like a place where people were given a shot of whiskey and told to “walk it off” when trauma happened, but perhaps I’d underestimated them. It turned out that people being forcibly turned into different parahumans wasn’t as uncommon as it should have been, and they had an entire department dedicated to helping people cope with the change.

  None of the vampires had really recovered by the time the counselors came to take them somewhere more stable, and I didn’t blame them. Being trapped under Quinn’s control, having their bodies used like puppets . . . I couldn’t even imagine what it would take to come back from that. One of them, however, did manage to tell me his name. Doug was the vampire I’d talked to earlier. He gave me his name just before leaving, and I handed him some of my business cards in case he or any of the others needed to talk. I didn’t know if they’d call or not; maybe this was something they’d want to bury deep and never think about again. I just had to let them know I was around to listen if they needed it.

  Once the vampires were gone and Arch was busy with his team, I did the only thing I could think to do: work. Well, that’s not entirely true. First, I took an hour to do some research and reserve a few items online, then I got back to work. It was probably pointless—inventory didn’t matter much for a base that might very well have to be abandoned, now that it was compromised—but I was determined to do my job. It was how I found peace in the chaos, and more importantly, I didn’t want anyone at the Agency saying I’d shirked my duties. This was going to be a shitshow, I could see that already, and I wanted to offer little ammunition for whatever was coming.

  Arch kept checking in on me regularly, and I had a long conversation with Krystal to let her know I was okay. She’d been shipped off to Seattle on assignment not long after we left— none of us thought that was a coincidence—but should be back by the time Arch and I wrapped things up. Wallace, Marj, Paula, and even Harris stopped by as well, each making small talk and checking on me without staying long. They meant well, and I knew it, but they’d lost touch with how to talk to people who didn’t live in mortal peril constantly. They understood that the events had been hard for me, yet to them, it was really just any other workday. Aside from those visits, people mostly left me alone. I think they were glad I put myself out of the way, as there were bigger issues for them to tackle, anyway.

  It was nearly a day later when the door to the room I was in—the last room I was inventorying, in fact—slowly opened. This time, my visitor wasn’t Arch, or one of the team. Instead, I found myself looking at the bald, pale head of Roderick. It was the first time I’d seen my DVA contact in person since the interview, though we had done a few video chats to work through particularly complex files.

  “Glad to see you’re looking well, Fred.”

  “Y
ou too, Roderick.” It was a little more curt than I might normally have been, but given my feelings toward the Agency at that moment, it felt justified. I kept on task, counting up the shotgun shells the team stored by the case.

  Roderick took a seat in one of the hard metal folding chairs and set his briefcase on the ground. “For what it’s worth, and I know that won’t be much, I tried to push back on sending you here. The danger was obvious, anyone could see that, and I didn’t want to subject you to it. I’m sorry this happened.”

  “It’s . . . okay. I’ve been in a company before. I know how powerless you feel when your bosses make poor choices you can’t change.” Bothered as I was by what had happened, it didn’t make sense to take it out on Roderick. He was a cog in a machine; all he could do was turn in the direction he was ordered.

  “Thanks. And if it helps, I think it’s safe to say you’re not going to be getting any assignments that are even remotely dangerous for a while,” Roderick said. “This whole thing was a pretty big clusterfuck. People are pissed, and I don’t just mean Arch. Gideon has filed a formal complaint that we willfully endangered your life, and I know that sounds like nothing, but when the King of the West complains, trust me—people listen.”

  “Gideon filed a complaint for me?” I was shocked, and not just by the fact that Gideon was capable of playing by the rules enough to do anything formally. I didn’t think he’d care enough about me to make the effort.

  “Well, officially his complaint was that, since you save his host money on taxes every year, and that money is often spent housing Gideon, by endangering your life, we were effectively robbing him.” Roderick let out a long, weary sigh. “And dragons do not take being robbed lightly. It’s been a long day.”

  Now that sounded more like the Gideon I knew. I was still touched by the gesture though, even if I suspected that the real motivation was that Sally liked me, so my death would trouble her. It was a kind act, regardless, and I made a mental note to write him a thank you card once I was home and my bigger tasks were handled.

  “Roderick, I don’t mean to be rude, I know you came a long way to have this meeting, but I’m nearly done with my job. Once it’s finished, I’m getting on a plane and going home, which I greatly look forward to. So if we could perhaps skip the small talk and pleasantries just this once, I’d really appreciate cutting to the heart of the matter.”

  His egg-like head bobbed up and down in agreement as he lifted his briefcase and took some pages out. “You know the Agency has a reputation for being ruthless and scary, one I won’t deny is somewhat earned, but part of representing parahuman interests means owning up to and making amends for our failures when they happen. What happened here was a mistake, and no one is claiming differently. We put a useful freelance asset into an unstable field position knowing that a dangerous criminal would probably go after you. That’s wrong, and shitty, and someone is going to answer for it. But since we brought you back into the focus of a dangerous, wanted vampire, the least we can do is offer protection from here on out. You’re getting a bodyguard, Fred.”

  “A bodyguard? Do you have enough agents that you can spare one to just follow me around? Also, and I think this is worth noting, I already spend most of my time in a magically fortified house with two other agents.”

  “Bodyguarding is a different skill than being an agent, though sometimes our people retire into that job. We’ve got some sources we trust for this kind of work, and I’ve personally been selected to head the search. Krystal and Arch will both have to sign off on whoever I pick as well, just to make sure you get someone who can do the job.”

  I finished counting the shotgun shells and made a brief notation on the paper. “I appreciate the gesture, but no thank you. I don’t think Quinn is going to come to Winslow anytime soon. Between the therians and Gideon, it’s not a safe place for him. If you want to give someone a bodyguard, give it to those four vampires he left behind. There’s no telling if he’ll come back for them.”

  “The sentiment is noble, but it isn’t really up for discussion.” Roderick walked over and handed me the pages, none of which required a signature. I wasn’t being offered this; I was being told it was happening. “You’re important to several of our people, and you got handed a raw deal. Nobody is willing to risk that happening again anytime soon. Don’t worry about the other vampires, either. We’ve got programs for them, all Agency run. I promise, Quinn won’t get within a hundred miles of those four on our watch.”

  I read over the documents Roderick had handed me. There wasn’t much to unpack; it was largely a breakdown of what my bodyguard would be accountable for and the tasks that could be assigned to them. Straightforward and simple, a peace offering, though one I wasn’t entirely sure was really directed at me. This whole bit felt more like I was a valued possession of someone important rather than important myself. I could have probably fought it if I wanted to, surely there were avenues available, but the truth of the matter is that I simply didn’t care enough at that point. There were bigger things on my mind than the Agency saying they’d work to keep me out of danger.

  “Fine. If Krystal and Arch are making the final selection, I guess it’s okay. Just don’t rush or anything, okay? I’d like to preserve my privacy for a little while longer.”

  “The selection process takes time,” Roderick assured me. “And even when you have a bodyguard, they’ll be adept at discretion.”

  I wasn’t sure how much I believed that, but it was something to worry about another day. So long as the guard never got access to my clients’ accounts, there wouldn’t be much to fret over. It wasn’t like I did anything worth spreading about as gossip, anyway. However, since I was giving in on the point, I decided to use my small bit of leverage. “Look, Roderick, I won’t fight you on this, but I want you to do something for me. Keep me updated on how the other four vampires are doing. Nothing private; they deserve their own lives. Just let me know how they’re getting along overall from time to time. And if they need anything, let me know. We abandoned vampires have to look out for one another.”

  “I think I can swing that,” Roderick agreed. “But you’re not really an abandoned vampire anymore, Fred. You have a clan.”

  “Doesn’t change the fact that we all share the same horrible sire,” I countered. “Just keep me in the loop. That’s all I want.”

  “Consider it done.” Roderick picked up his briefcase once more, putting the chair away before heading toward the door. “We’ve got a plane waiting for you whenever you’re done here, or whenever you just want to leave. There are other people who can do this kind of work.”

  “Maybe so, but Fletcher Accounting Services doesn’t leave its job’s half-finished. Thanks for coming out, Roderick. Hopefully next time, we’ll see each other under better circumstances.”

  Roderick took his leave, and I went back to the task at hand. The truth was, pride in my work wasn’t the thing keeping me there. I just had time to kill, and I preferred to spend it doing something. If I sat around, I’d get in my head and probably talk myself into chickening out on what I still had to do.

  Because as scary as the last few days had been, they were nowhere near as terrifying as the task waiting for me back in Colorado.

  10.

  “So, has anyone figured out why Quinn’s magic necklace didn’t work on you?” Krystal was holding my arm as we strolled through the park, a night of cloudless stars twinkling overhead. She and I had been almost, though not quite, inseparable since our respective returns to town. It was only thanks to the fact that she needed sleep that I’d been able run a single covert errand.

  “No one seems to be sure, but the best idea I’ve heard so far is that it’s like my silver-immunity. Whatever changed in me when I channeled Gideon’s power broke the connection between sire and spawn that Quinn would have exploited. It’s just a theory, mind you. We’re still in uncharted territory.”

  Krystal pulled me in a little closer, nuzzling her
head against my shoulder. “At this point, I’m so comfortable in that realm, I’m not sure I could deal with actually knowing what’s going on. I still wish I could have been there to cap Quinn for good, though.”

  It wasn’t the first time she’d expressed such a sentiment, and I didn’t expect it would be the last. Krystal was among the most powerful people I knew, which probably made it all the more frustrating when she couldn’t use that strength to protect the people she cared for. I suspected that, deep down, she felt guilty for not finding a way to tag along, ridiculous as that was. Her job was a serious one, and disobeying orders wasn’t something to do lightly. Given the circumstances, she’d done the best she could. I not only knew that, I appreciated it.

  “Quinn is slippery; getting away is what he does best. In the end, it worked out okay.” Well, okay except for the vampires Arch had killed during the attack. Even knowing that it was unavoidable, the thought of so many innocent lives lost turned my stomach. I was trying hard not to dwell on it, but I’d begun to see their faces in my dreams. I didn’t know how Arch could handle the guilt; probably practice.

  Together, Krystal and I walked along the park’s concrete path, winding through its grassy expanse. Despite the nice weather, we had the place pretty much to ourselves. That was one of the perks of being nocturnal: at three in the morning, there were precious few instances where I had to deal with crowds. Our walk continued in silence, over a bridge that crossed a small pond, where I could see ducks sleeping on the shore. It was nice, peaceful, a fine contrast to the busy townhome where I’d spent the last few days. On any other night, I’d have reveled in the ambiance, but that evening, I barely noticed. I was so anxious, it was taking all my focus to keep my hands from shaking.

  “Hey . . . wait a minute. I know those tables and benches.” Krystal let go of my arm, pointing to a picnic area not far off from where we were standing. “This is the park where we met Neil and Albert, isn’t it? Hoping to find another LARP group, Freddy?”