Duel Nature

by John Conroe

  “Sir, she shouldn’t try to stop him. He’s with us and believe me when I tell you she doesn’t want him Changing,” I said.

  “Oh! The bear-wolf?” he asked, his gleam of excitement back.

  I wasn’t overly surprised that he knew about Awasos.

  “Adine, please bring him up,” he said into the radio.

  “As you wish Director,” was the tinny response.

  “I wondered where he was,” Gramps said.

  “We couldn’t smuggle him over the border, but I thought he would handle it on his own. The Coven was supposed to release him once we were on the bus and gone. Looks like he got impatient,” I said.

  “What did he do? Swim the St. Lawrence river?” Kelly asked.

  “Hard to know, but he’s about as fond of swimming as you are, which is to say, not so much. He might have snuck on board a truck or boat,” I said.

  “He does many things that we haven’t been able to figure out,” Tanya added.

  She didn’t embellish, even though the Malleks and Stewart looked intrigued.

  I thought about explaining his penchant for opening doors and getting out of locked rooms, but before I could, the sound of big paws came thundering down the hall, accompanied by a rattling chain sound.

  A moment later the big black and tan form of Awasos came to a halt in the doorway. A length of chain dangled from his neck and his fur was a bit matted in places, but he looked good otherwise.

  He scanned the room for a moment, then bee lined for Gramps, giving the old man a sniff and face lick. Next he padded over to Tanya and snuffled her to make sure she was okay, then finally he swiveled around and sat, staring at me in a most accusing manner.

  “Yes, I get it. You’re pissed I left you behind. But you would have stuck out like a sore thumb on a bus load of oldsters. Besides, I knew you’d get here on your own,” I said.

  He looked away with obvious disdain, making his opinion of me very clear.

  Everyone in the room, except Stewart, knew him, so they weren’t surprised, but the Director was obviously delighted by the exchange.

  “My god, but he’s a smart one , isn’t he?” he exclaimed.

  Awasos looked curiously at the old gentlemen, then glanced at the doorway just as the Director’s assistant appeared, looking slightly ruffled.

  “He’s smarter than most humans,” I said, moving up beside the big wolf to pull off his chain.

  Awasos’s attention was locked on Adine, so he didn’t move away as I cut off his chain with a mono-edged finger, but I knew I had a ways to go before I was back on his good side.

  Stewart introduced his assistant around the room, watching the interchange of personalities with interest.

  Brett and Kelly stood stiffly, hackles almost visibly raised, eyes focused on the wereverine who looked like a somewhat pretty, very fit, well-muscled young woman of Native American descent. Today, she was dressed in a navy business suit, her hair up in a bun of some sort. I suddenly wondered if it was really long and just how often she let it down.

  Tanya flicked a glance my way, her expression slightly exasperated with my random thought, the gist of which she felt through our link. Then her brilliant blue eyes slid back to watch Adine.

  Adine Benally wasn’t a hand shaker. Too aloof, too reserved. Instead she gave each individual a sharp nod, ignoring the Malleks’ hostile response, glancing briefly my way, but reserving most of her attention for Tanya and Awasos. She watched the wolf-bear, but her stance oriented her body toward Tanya, unconsciously facing what she deemed her greatest threat.

  Gramps snorted then looked my way. “Reminds me of Korea,” was all he said.

  Stewart looked surprised at the comment then smiled and nodded.

  “Very much like soldiers meeting each other for the first time,” he said.

  “Well it’s nice that we’re all meeting and all, but what’s next?” Brett asked.

  “If Gramps is able to be released, then the next step is getting him home and making sure there aren’t any of those AIR bastards lurking around,” I said.

  “The Pack is watching the farm. Nobody and nothing is getting near it without us knowing,” Brett replied, eyes still on Adine.

  “What is his prognosis, Gina?” I asked, knowing she would have thoroughly checked his charts.

  “He seems to be fine,” she replied, glancing at his monitors. “In fact, his numbers look really good, like amazingly good,” she said, eyes narrowed as she scanned the electronic proof of his improved condition.

  “Well then, let’s get him discharged and home,” Tanya said, suddenly, not meeting Gina’s glance.

  “Director Stewart, I would very much like to talk to you about the agents in rebus after I get my grandfather home and comfortable,” I said to the white haired gent.

  “I think that can be arraigned. Actually, if it is alright, I will accompany you to the farm and we can talk as time permits,” he replied.

  Gramps nodded assent, Kelly and Brett looked slightly uncomfortable, Gina watched quietly and Tanya gave me a small smile. Adine’s face reflected nothing but her stiff body language was a mirror of the Malleks.

  Chapter 21

  Leaving the hospital took longer than it had any right too, but there was nothing suspicious about the delay. Simply the standard bureaucratic world of modern medicine. Don’t sue us for this, take that at your own risk, guarantee the bills with your soul, and thank you very much…next.

  Brett and Kelly left ahead of us, promising to make sure things were ready. Gramps was uncharacteristically quiet, not even protesting our fussing. Now in his defense, only an idiot would protest to having Tanya coddling him, but it was more than that. He was worrying away at some thought, tearing it to pieces in his standard manner. I kept an eye on him, not liking his silence overly much.

  We drove Gramps home in the Coven car, Stewart following with his assistant and several others in a big black SUV.

  The farm was quiet when we got there, just the dogs, Sherm and Shep, greeting us, although I sensed eyes watching us from the wood line at the field’s edge. The Pack had adopted Gramps and his workers, and patrolled the land against trespassers, two-footed or four, natural or supernatural. The dogs had learned to tolerate the werewolves that lived next door, but they actively liked Awasos, probably because they had known him since he was a pup..er..cub..whatever.

  Len was out, overseeing the other hands as they took care of the little dairy farm, but I radioed him on the one of the Motorola walkie-talkies that everyone carried about the place. Gramps was really fine, and now that he was home, his normal spark reappeared and he stopped letting us take care of him, disappearing upstairs to take a shower and shave.

  I made coffee then started cooking. I was starving, the farm crew would be in for an early lunch soon and I knew that Adine, as a were, would be hungry as well. The farmhouse was old, but the kitchen appliances were modern commercial grade. The big fridge yielded the better part of a cooked ham, a big block of New York sharp cheddar from the Amish farm down the road, and several loaves of sourdough bread. So I whipped up some pan fried Panini sandwiches(eating three myself as I made them), broke out bags of chips, cracked open a big jar of dill pickles, and restocked the fruit bowl that lives in the center of the kitchen table’s giant lazy-susan. Our farm house used to have a dining room adjacent to the kitchen, but Gramps ripped out the wall and made one big room of the two. A huge old rough-hewn harvest table filled half the room, with two big benches on either long side. We could seat eight to ten without bumping elbows and could squeeze in another three or four if we got close.

  Gramps came downstairs almost exactly as Len and the other three hands came in, followed by Gina, Stewart, and Adine. Gina had taken the Director and Adine for a tour of the little farm. Awasos appeared, apparently ready to exchange forgiveness for some fatty chunks of ham. In a blatant attempt at bribing my way back into his good graces, I dug out one of the beef thigh bones that Gramps stored in the basement chest f
reezer for him. He immediately took it outside to grind into bone chips, his efforts watched closely by Shep and Sherm.

  Looking out the window I could see two of Stewart’s people standing watch around the SUV, so I loaded up some plates, grabbed sodas and headed out.

  The two, a man and a woman, were facing the fields and forest that bordered the Pack’s property, their heads swiveling to watch something that wasn’t visible to my enhanced eyes. I approached silently, curious, but the tall, gawky looking male turned before I had taken two steps.

  He was human and looked like I had always imagined Ichabod Crane, bony, tall and awkward. His brown eyes were sharp though and he had sensed me when a vamp or were would have been hard pressed to hear me. His long arms showed a surprising amount of muscle tone.

  The female had light brown hair, almost blonde, and wore glasses over pale blue eyes. She looked a little heavier than her average height would suggest she should, but carried herself like she was an ex-athlete. Reminded me of several stocky softball players I knew in college.

  “Hi, I’m Chris. I thought you might be hungry so I brought you some lunch,” I said by way of introduction. They both were looking at me curiously and maybe a bit warily. Then their attention shifted to the food and their expressions showed interest. The woman looked at the guy who gave me a narrow-eyed look, then nodded back at her. Apparently that was the okay, because they both took the food with softly murmured thank yous. The woman was Barb, the guy Eric.

  The wind shifted slightly and I caught the scent of werewolf, one that I recognized. Eric’s head came up and he watched the tree line some three hundred yards distant.

  Eric noticed me watching his reaction. He flushed just ever so slightly and I had a sudden image of a teenage Eric in high school – shy and awkward. More awkward.

  “There is something large in the woods watching us. It’s dangerous,” he stated, defensively.

  “Yes, it’s very dangerous..it’s a werewolf,” I replied, not adding that the werewolf’s name was David.

  “You know it?” Barb asked, suspicious. Her accent spoke of the deep south.

  “Him…I know him. He’s watching you, not me,” I said, than went on before the sudden frowns on their faces erupted into speech. “You’re government, and supernaturals don’t like government, like moonshiners don’t like the law.”

  Surprise flashed across her face as my statement told her I knew roughly where she had grown up.

  “Does your grandfather and the hired help have any idea?” Eric asked.

  “Of course. We own the land they live on. I was the one to offer the lease to them,” I said.

  “But you don’t have to live here,” Barb said.

  “You work with Adine,” I said, simply.

  “But this is the work I’ve chosen and I’m a bit different. I’m not helpless against them,”

  “Well, it took some adjustment, but our help is very loyal and completely lacking in curiosity. All of them have worked here for years and have been exposed to some pretty weird stuff. In the last year or so they’ve learned that being friends with a pack of super predators is pretty handy. None of our cows ever get lost, no natural predator will come near this land, and neither will any thief. Last year a tractor rolled on one of the guys and the werewolf that’s watching us lifted it off of him,” I answered, wondering what gift she had that made her not helpless.

  “So you’re what? Psychic or something?” I asked the two of them.

  They froze for a second or two, then Barb answered. “Something,” she agreed with a nod.

  I left them to their lunch.

  ***

  Len, Marty, Kevin and Tom almost forgot to eat their lunches; they were too distracted by the visitors, or at least the female visitors. Marty, Tom and Kevin were married, but you wouldn’t have known it as they bounced up and down, waiting on Adine and Gina. Tanya wasn’t eating, of course, but standing next to me while I started the ham bone boiling for split pea soup. Len sat next to Gramps, mainly quiet, shaking his head as his guys made fools of themselves and watching Stewart from the corner of his eyes.

  The Director had shaken all their hands, but seemed to recognize Len, which didn’t surprise me. I had come to the conclusion in my late teens that Gramps and Len’s military service hadn’t been your standard, run-of-the-mill careers. Enough clues (like Len’s knife fighting skills and Gramps knowledge of modern surveillance) spoke of special ops or military intelligence type backgrounds. The Director’s comments earlier to Gramps and his apparent recognition of Len’s face suggested that their service files had found their way across his desk.

  With lunch finally finished and the hands unable to find any other excuses to attempt flirting with the polite Gina or the expressionless Ms. Benally, Len ushered them out the door to continue the day’s work. He gave us a slightly embarrassed nod, then shut the door firmly.

  Tanya helped me pick up the remains of the meal, while we both waited for Stewart to broach whatever topic was bubbling just under his curious, smiling expression. For her part, my vampire had stayed mainly quiet during the lunch. The hired hands had met her before and were so intimidated by either her looks or dangerous aura as to be almost crippled in her presence. They were carefully polite to her, but had focused their attentions on Gina and Adine.

  “I’ve spent the bulk of a very long career working with the extraordinary, the paranormal and the fringe of modern science,” Stewart said, changing the tone of the polite lunch conversation.

  The door opened behind us; Eric and Barb came through holding their empty plates, which I took from them. Putting the plates in the sink I turned to see the two take up position behind Stewart. Benally was watching me carefully, almost on the edge of her seat. Gina was just beginning to frown.

  “But in all that time I’ve never seen, heard of or come across a situation like this!” the Director continued, waving his hand at me and Tanya and including the entire farm. “A natural born exorcist, raised by an ex-Marine Raider Captain with ties to the CIA, who meets the only vampire ever born to the species and becomes an entirely new strain of supernatural. And his home borders a Pack of young werewolves, his pet is another new species, in this case, of were with no human genes. The final kick in the pants is that this exorcist and his vampire mate are godparents to the daughter of the President’s Advisor on paranormal species. Extraordinary! How is your goddaughter? I hope she’s safer than your grandfather.”

  His tone had changed as he spoke, becoming colder and less friendly and the final part, the bit about Toni, was delivered in a threatening tone.

  Grim slid into control as the threat to Toni registered. My link to Tanya went full bandwidth, full combat mode. Benally was quivering in her chair, the woman, Barb, was watching me with one hand raised like she was going tell me to halt, Eric was holding his forehead in one hand looking worried. Director Stewart was watching me, and to a degree, Tanya, his face rapt with anticipation.

  “I’m blocked, Sir. Not sure how, it was sudden,” Eric said, sweat beading on his face. Stewart just nodded once, not turning from us. My normal self could have told him that the reason the mind reader kid wasn’t up to speed was the bubble of aura that Grim had plunked mentally over his head, but my normal self wasn’t running the show at that moment.

  “Stupid!” Gina hissed. “Idiotic, half-assed, unprofessional piece of SHIT!” she yelled.

  Stewart spared her a glance, looking slightly surprised. Gina jumped up and leaned over the table on both hands, getting right in Stewart’s space. He had no choice but to turn his attention to her, although he was obviously loath to stop watching us although neither Tanya or I had moved a muscle.

  “Shouldn’t you refrain from sudden moves and all, my dear?” he asked quietly.

  “I told you…neither of us could possibly make a move that they would consider sudden. But you just had to do it – didn’t you? Just had to provoke to see what would happen. I told you that a threat to Toni was a trigger po
int, so that we could prevent just this….not so you could conduct some stupid experiment! Is this how you do everything? Do you people mix explosives in the bathtub? Do you stare down the barrel of a cocked and loaded gun with your finger on the trigger to see what the bullet looks like?”

  Gina was ripping mad, something I hadn’t really ever seen before and part of me was fascinated. That part was still just an observer, as Grim was not done evaluating the threat.

  My grandfather suddenly spoke. “You’re right,” he said, directing his comment at Stewart.

  Gina looked at him incredulously.

  “When you said you’ve never seen anything like this before, you were right. More than you can possibly know,” Gramps continued. “But if you think the precautions you’ve taken here – “ he waved his hands at Adine, Eric and Barb, “ – are remotely enough than I’ve misjudged your intelligence. You’ve got a telepath, a were and, what a witch or psychokinetic? Hah.” He slightly overemphasized the psycho part.