“You don’t have good graces,” I told him bluntly as we turned to walk towards the warehouse. Two old metal drums were out front, fires lit in each even though it wouldn’t be dark for another hour or so. I could smell the oily smoke from whatever had been stored in them previously, as well as the gas used to start the fires. I could hear others, mostly coming from the warehouse itself, hushed voices and shifting of bodies. I noticed a few small groups of people standing around, talking amongst themselves in quiet tones. They all fell silent as we walked closer. I could feel them staring at us.
They stared at Aleksander with recognition and a bit of fear. They stared at me in pure fascination and horror.
I resisted the urge to growl at them and show them my claws.
Run, children, run.
I wondered how many I could scare off if I tried.
“Where’s your pet?” I asked casually. “I don’t smell her around.”
Aleksander paused and I felt the uncomfortable shifting in him.
That was obviously a touchy subject.
Score one for the moody artist.
“Gianna had—other things to do,” Aleksander finally replied. Even his tone sounded awkward. I began to suspect they’d had a real altercation and it wasn’t something staged. “She should come around soon,” he finished. “Hopefully by the big meeting tomorrow night—which, by the way, you should really plan on attending.”
“I hope everything’s all right,” I said earnestly. I really did, too. When I started tearing this apart, I didn’t want to have to hunt her down. It would be much easier if she were right here with the others. And now I had a day. Tomorrow. It seemed both too close and not close enough.
Oh, I would most definitely be attending. And I would bring friends.
“I’m sure it is,” he nodded to me, turning to lead the way to the warehouse door.
I made a show of noting a distaste for the building. “I thought you had better taste than this,” I admonished him. “Rust and dirt everywhere.”
Aleksander chuckled and clapped me on the back as we went inside.
“All in good time, my friend,” he said. “All in good time. Soon we’ll have everything we could ever want!”
I glanced at him, but didn’t say anything. I was afraid I’d growl if I did.
He led me past the empty office area to a set of stairs just through the inner warehouse door. My every sense came to full alertness. I could smell the grime in the building, as well as dozens of unwashed bodies. Nothing that set off any warnings, though. Most of those here were normal humans, if the lower rungs of society. I picked up the scents of a few who had been infected, but doubted any of them were more than a year along.
We walked up the narrow stairs to the upper level of the warehouse. A wide metal walkway followed the outer wall, circling the lower area, with two paths crossing the middle. A high metal railing provided some measure of security from falling, but not enough to save someone from being thrown over the edge. My eyes moved over the ceiling, noting the exposed pipes, ducts and wiring. I glanced down from the top of the stairs, noting we were probably about thirty feet up.
Aleksander led me to a spot about halfway across, then stopped and turned toward the main warehouse area.
I swore I’d rip his head off now if he went into speech mode.
Thankfully I was spared that. When Aleksander nodded, a young man in his early twenties pushed up one of the big doors and people started filing into the room.
“This shouldn’t take long,” he said over his shoulder to me. “Then we can talk more and catch up properly.”
I nodded, waiting. I flexed my fingers, keeping them loose as I tilted my head to watch everything with my clear eye.
Something just didn’t feel right. But it didn’t seem to be coming from Aleksander. I tested the air, but didn’t pick up any scents I recognized right away. Neither Jozef nor Marcella were here. Though Jozef seemed able to hide his scent some, I doubted he’d be doing it now.
Still, something not quite there…
I looked out at the group, my eyes moving quickly over each person. I noted body language, appearance, stance…
There she was. Standing at the back, by the doors.
Her black leather corset and tight black trousers had been replaced by worn jeans and a tight t-shirt and denim jacket. Her blonde wig was gone and I could see her natural hair color was more of a light brown with some natural wave to it. I made an absent note that it was a better shade for her complexion. Her natural hair hadn’t thinned that much; she wouldn’t draw any attention to herself from it when out in public.
And Gianna stared at Aleksander with all the hatred of a woman scorned.
Whatever had happened between her and Aleksander, it kept enough of her attention that she didn’t seem to notice me. Which was something I thought was damned near impossible. As Marcella had pointed out, I tended to be rather obvious.
I spared a moment of my attention to Aleksander from the corner of my eye, but he didn’t seem to see her. No doubt she’d done something to hide her scent and dressed as she was, she blended in with the others there. The Gianna he knew and the one standing there now were two very different personalities.
Aleksander spoke with a few other people below, some calling up to him their achievements of the last week. He encouraged those who spoke to him, promising them all the “wonders of our lives” if they met their goals and were chosen to “turn”. Most of them seemed to be committing minor crimes for his attention: theft, vandalism, general vagrancy. Nothing that impressed me or made me want to hang around any longer than necessary. Certainly nothing that made me think they were going to form any sort of organized army.
As a general rule, those who are willing to freely break one society’s laws don’t tend to want to suddenly start obeying another society’s laws.
While most of those here weren’t infected, the few who were moved quickly through the crowd, collecting things from the others. I heard the faint jingling of coins occasionally, as well as the crumpling of cash.
I listened while Aleksander spent a few minutes encouraging them to continue in their efforts. Gianna stayed where she was, still glaring. I studied her face and movements, my eyes picking out the finer details. Around her eyes was red, but that was normal for us. It happened to all of us after we’d been infected. The tiny bloodshot veins in the whites of her eyes, however wasn’t. She had her hands in the pockets of her jacket and I could see her fingers moving under the denim. Squeezing or worrying at something.
Stressed. Upset. Angry.
Crying.
She’d been crying.
Whatever Aleksander had said or done, he had honestly hurt her. And he had made her not want to be the person I’d met.
Now things were getting interesting.
As Aleksander finished speaking, Gianna’s eyes moved around the room. She finally noticed me and I saw her swallow and felt her recoil some when she recognized me.
That was more like it.
“Shall we?” Aleksander motioned for me to lead the way back to the stairs and down. I paused to glance at him.
“If you expect me to let you walk behind me again, you’re mistaken,” I told him. I made that mistake once. I didn’t intend to make it twice.
Aleksander nodded. “I suppose that’s justified,” he agreed. “I did try to kill you.” He stepped past me to lead the way as everyone below started filing through the door at the back. “But as I recall, you already expected it and actually got in the first swing. I’ve still got the scars from it.”
“So do I.”
I followed him down to the front office and back out the door. It was darker now, the fires in the barrels actually giving off some light.
“I need to run a couple of errands, should we meet at my place in, say, two hours?” he asked.
I adjusted my hat and coat, hiding most of my right ear with the former and making the latter more comfortable.
“I
suppose that’ll be all right,” I agreed. Now what could he be up to?
“Excellent,” he nodded. “And since your friend the detective has already told you where I live, I won’t have to bother.”
I should have known he’d be onto that one. Just once couldn’t the arrogant bastard be stupid, too?
“Makes it easier that way,” I nodded, looking at him with my clear eye. A couple of hours would give me time to stay here a bit and look around as the group broke up and wandered.
As he walked away, I stepped back into the shadows, letting my coat and hat hide me. My eyes moved over the small groups, watching their body language, listening to bits of conversations but not really seeing anything that caught my interest. Gianna had quickly disappeared, but that didn’t surprise me.
I watched for a few more minutes, then turned and left. I’d seen everything I wanted to for now. Once past the river area, I walked along the streets, ignoring those around me, even as they tried to avoid me. I eventually made my way back to my studio, figuring I might as well kill time there. I was nearly to my door when I heard my phone ringing.
Odd, especially at this hour. My lawyer wouldn’t be calling at this time and I doubted it would be Rosie. Marcella didn’t use the phone, so it wouldn’t be her. I didn’t think anyone else had my number.
It stopped ringing as I was unlocking the door, but only for a few seconds before it started again. It was urgent whatever it was.
I tossed my hat on the coat rack and took off my coat as I went to answer it.
“Hello?”
“I’m trying to reach Michael Dorian,” a woman’s voice said, her tone hurried. I recognized it immediately. Gayle.
“This is he,” I replied.
“Mr. Dorian, this is Gayle Roberts, the nurse overseeing Dawn’s care at the hospital?”
Now why would she think I’d forget who she was? Even her voice was making me shift my weight and my palms sweaty.
“Yes,” I said. “Is Dawn all right?” I realized she’d only have gone to look up my number in Dawn’s records if something was wrong.
“She is--” Gayle’s voice faltered slightly. “But there’s someone here, a young woman. I think she’s one of you. She’s been standing staring at the babies for ten minutes now.”
Damn. Damn. Damn.
Gianna. I knew it.
My stomach knotted itself and my fingers tightened on the phone in anger.
“What does she look like?” I forced myself to sound calm, all nervousness from hearing Gayle’s voice forgotten. Best to be sure before I ran in there.
“Average height, slender build but a little buxom, light brown hair just past her shoulders.” She paused for a moment. “Maybe in her early twenties by appearance, but I realize that’s likely not accurate.”
Damn. Damn. Damn.
“I’ll be there in five minutes,” I told her, already pulling my coat back on. “Keep an eye on her.”
I hung up the phone and grabbed my hat on the way out the door, letting just the handle lock itself as it closed and not bothering with the bolt. I went to the roof and broke into a run as soon as I cleared the door.
The buildings flew by as I ran and jumped from one to another. I landed on the hospital’s roof with a solid thud of my boots then went to the access door. I was just reaching for it when it opened, Gayle pushing it open for me. I paused, realizing she knew more than just what I was.
“It’s locked on the outside,” she explained.
“I’d have ripped it off,” I told her, my voice low, gruff.
“I know,” she said. She took the lead down the stairs, moving with surprising speed for her age. Maybe she wasn’t as old as I’d thought.
I tested the air as we moved, but only picked up Gianna’s scent by the time we reached the fifth floor door.
“Can you get to Dawn?” I asked her. I was only vaguely aware of the sound in Gayle’s lung from the exertion. I had more important things on my mind right now.
“Yes,” she nodded. “This girl wasn’t in the nursery, just watching the babies.” She seemed to hesitate. “Something about her, though… That was why I called.”
I nodded and opened the door. I didn’t bother trying to be subtle or cautious. No, there needed to be no question I was there.
I wasn’t sure I could do subtle anyway.
I saw her as I came around the corner towards the nursery. She was leaning against the wall, her hands stuffed in her jacket pockets, her forehead on the glass.
Just staring.
“Gianna.” I said her name firmly, not hiding my growl in it. I tested the air and didn’t pick up anything threatening from her. There was no sense of danger.
I wasn’t quite ready to believe it.
She startled, turning to look at me and pulling back slightly. She straightened up after a moment, then looked around almost afraid.
“Mikhos--” She swallowed hard, taking a slight step back as I came within arm’s reach. No doubt she remembered the first time we’d met.
“What are you doing here?” I demanded. I could see Gayle slip into the nursery and make her way over to Dawn’s bassinet after having a quiet word with the other nurse there. The other nurse glanced at us, then nodded to Gayle.
“The babies,” Gianna motioned behind her. “Aleksander told me--” Her voice nearly broke and I saw tears in her eyes again.
Would he have sent her to kill one of them or even all of them? I didn’t know if he’d bought my story of what I’d been doing there. I wasn’t about to underestimate him.
“What did he tell you?” I asked her. I slowly extended my claws, ready to move if she did.
She looked up at me, her eyes locking onto mine for just a moment before my appearance made her glance away.
“Is it true?” she asked me. “We can’t have babies?”
My mind raced at her question. Was she upset at the sudden understanding of that fact? Could Aleksander have lied to her then just now told her the truth?
Yes, he could have. If it suited his needs and ego.
“Yes,” I told her, my voice low. “That’s one of the first things the infection does, even before you realize it’s changing you.”
Gianna turned back toward the nursery, another tear rolling down her cheek.
“He promised me we’d have a family,” she said after a moment. “I wanted to be with him, but I told him not if we wouldn’t have a family. He promised me.”
I wasn’t surprised. Unfortunately, it wasn’t the worst thing Aleksander had done to someone.
“Aleksander will tell anyone what they want to hear to help himself,” I explained to her, trying to find a way to explain it to her that wasn’t so harsh. Part of me wanted to grab her shoulders and shake her until it sunk in. So foolish and naïve.
“You’re working with him now?” she asked, looking up at me again. “I saw you at the meeting where they all pay homage to him.” I could hear the bitterness in her voice.
Yes, all the hatred of a woman scorned. He’d wanted her and had lied to her face, promising her everything she wanted to convince her.
“Let’s just say I’m there to keep things in line,” I replied. “I’ve made no secret that I don’t approve of what he’s doing.”
She nodded, looking back at the babies. I still didn’t retract my claws. Not until I knew she was gone and everyone was safe.
“He said you were here to see one of them, but he couldn’t figure out which one,” she finally said, her voice quiet.
And I certainly wasn’t going to tell her now. Too much of a chance Aleksander would get her back on his side.
“I already told him what I was doing here,” I responded.
She nodded her head, staring at the babies again.
“He promised me,” she said quietly.
I glanced at Gayle, where she was keeping careful watch on us while looking after the babies. She was obviously watching for any sign of danger or threat. She nodded slightly at me as I looked
back at Gianna.
“Gianna,” I said her name evenly. “It’s time to go.”
She turned and looked at me.
“Will you stop me if I try to kill him?” she asked me.
I actually paused to consider it. That would get her out of my way. But it also wouldn’t be fair to her. Rather like dropping a rabbit into a hound’s kennel.
“Yes,” I told her. “Because you stand no chance against him. He’ll kill you as quickly as I put you down in my studio.”
She sighed, glancing back at the babies again before stepping away from the window.
“I’m going home,” she told me.
And she was gone. She walked past me and turned down a side hall, giving no more explanation or comment. I had no idea which home she meant; the one where Aleksander had first found her, or his. I suppose I’d find out eventually.
Chapter Nineteen
History
I first met Aleksander in Germany, several years after I left Marcella’s in Italy. He’d been carousing in a pub, causing quite a ruckus and had gotten himself thrown out after closing time. I’d been staying at the inn across the street and had heard the whole thing. I found out some time later the entire thing had been a show so he could get my attention.
I’d obviously recognized him for what he was, but didn’t know he’d seen me earlier. I also knew his drunk act was just that. Likewise with him letting them throw him out of the pub. He’d put on a show for them, trying to blend with the normal people and used it to get thrown out somewhere I’d see him.
His early schemes were much simpler than what they’ve evolved into. Now they’ve become these affairs where someone always ends up getting hurt and someone is usually dead.
After he got thrown out of the pub, we introduced ourselves, then sat and talked for a while. I’ll admit I was caught up in his charisma at first, his enjoyment of his life was infectious and I welcomed the distraction from the torments in my mind. He introduced me to a couple of lady friends of his and the four of us spent the next few weeks traveling Germany and Austria.
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