As odd as it might have seemed, the counter girl at the frozen yogurt place was an official Council authority in the area. He might be a part time helper or something but not there specifically. Throwing his weight around would be, given that, very rude of him. Probably allowed but it would and should, give him a bad reputation if he tried it.
The girl looked a bit baffled, then smiled at him. Sunnily. He knew it was false, being that she had to be on fire already but it was a credible effort, none the less.
“Sure. I don’t think the furniture stores will be open yet. I can tally the blood? Is that all right?” She sounded very nearly humble about it all, as if he wasn’t less important there than she was. So, trying to be funny, he acted like Bey would have.
“Wonderful! Thank you so much, Dear. I’m sure that you’re more than equal to the task of the moment. Yes. I’m most impressed.” That was, maybe, laying it on a bit thick. It got a grin anyway. She also hunched over a bit, and acted embarrassed.
“Thanks.” Then she scurried off, up to the front, where Eve was cleaning. Not that the place wasn’t clean already.
There was a bit of snickering from The Snowflake.
“See, I always knew you had it in you, Troy. Keep that up and you’ll be on the Council in no time. Are you staying here for the day? We have that thing tomorrow. At noon and then in the evening.”
He nearly lost that last one but recalled that he had, indeed, traded some work with Eve. Line travel for bar tending. It was, it seemed, nearly his turn to pay off for that.
“I need some new clothing for both of those. I need to get that going before work today. I hadn’t figured I’d get my hand back this quickly. It was down to bone last night. The blood helped a lot. I think I have some things at my house here but…” There would be mages sleeping there. Just showing up could frighten them. Even a phone call might do that, too early in the day. “I’ll need to wait a bit. That’s mainly old club wear.” It had been his job for long enough that most of what he owned was about at that level. It could work for tending bar though.
The bar tending gig was in a different world. One similar enough that he probably wouldn’t be expected to make specialty drinks he wasn’t up on. Though it was a good thing to check out, if he got a chance.
“We need to get in place early, for that, if we have time. The IPB job? Am I doing that alone, or…” he didn't know what would be happening that way. Having him in, to a different reality, just to make drinks for people, even famous ones, didn't make a lot of sense. That place could be dangerous at times but there had been no mention of him being a guard or anything like that.
There was an inhalation from the vampire in the front, and the sound of a cloth moving rapidly on stone.
“You’ll have a lot of help, actually. The truth is, this is the second large meeting. Between the main five worlds, or so? I just picked you, since it’s easier than moving gold to their reality, then getting it changed over to cash, so I can hire people there. That makes perfect fiscal sense, right?”
There was a bit of playing in the words. It also seemed off still.
“Sure. On the good side, I can’t be abandoned there. Not that you aren’t supposed to get me into place and back. It’s been ridiculously hard, not using that aspect of my abilities. Zack probably has the right idea there, though. We need to do our own work, as often as possible. It’s too simple to just find what we need and borrow it from other places. Like cheating, a little. Only a bit, since, you know, going to other realities to get things done but still…”
It was a strange topic but Eve answered, cleaning the whole time. It wasn’t as if she was lazy by nature or anything.
“Heh. Yeah, he’s been hitting me with that one, too. I kind of get the idea. If we have ten thousand line walkers, the face of this world will eventually change forever. It’s a great skill to have but also blurs the lines too much. It would be so easy to… I don’t know, get a few Infected in to help the police here. They do amazing work with investigations… Or to fix hunger by getting a few thousand magical food units from Will and Dareg’s world. They will just give those to you, if you need them. It’s tempting to just travel around and fix all of our collective issues that way. I think…”
There was no speaking for a long time. When she did it was to Crystal.
“Franklin Hauling, for a dump run. Unless you want the broken sofa, Troy?”
He grinned then.
“I can’t do anything with it, yet. I need to learn that kind of thing. I can make drinks and frozen treats for people but I don’t need that. I sit almost every day, you know? I should be up on that kind of thing.”
Eve spoke, a bit louder then, as Crystal looked things up in the office. It was a small space, just big enough for some filing cabinets and a metal desk. There was an old land line phone in there as well. Not much else.
“Anyway, I think that each reality is supposed to be unique. Different than all the others. There really isn’t a big penalty for crossing things like we have been but I get the point. Of course, the real one is that Zack is trying to keep his value here. So far that part isn’t too bad. He has about a third of the new walkers working with him, at least part of the time. So, he’s relevant that way. If there are too many of us, then that might change. He’s a greater demon, so that might not go over so well. I do hear you, though. Not using your abilities must be hard.”
It was but he wasn’t going to whine about it. Not even inside his own head. The world had too many beings that could read his mind for that.
“It’s different. Good, I think. I’ve learned some new tricks. Making bridges, for instance? That’s a good one. I can sort of make connections, like shortcuts, inside this universe, then hold them open. It isn’t quick teleportation but if you have an hour and it’s far enough away, it beats hoofing it. Cleaner than driving as far as carbon footprint, too.”
“Really? Nifty. I want to get in on that one, if you have the time to teach me? So, we were hitting your plans for the day?” She didn't sound pushy about it but he stood up.
“Right. I need to get into work. I’ll just have to suffer the clothing for now. We have the new hire in today, to take my place. She needs to get up to speed. You know her. Maria Santos? Um… Gonzales, when you knew her, from Raintree?”
“She’s on your unit? That’s awesome. I always liked her. She was kind of quiet. Especially after the thing with Rob.”
Being a bitchy vampire, Eve went silent then. Trying to force him to ask about the whole thing. Maria was married to a woman and clearly enjoyed the feminine type of person more than the male but when he’d teased her about liking him, she hadn’t been appalled by the idea. Jainy hadn’t either and she looked more butch than her wife did. Not a lot, though. Really, she reminded him of Dr. Boyajian, the shrink, more than anyone else.
That reminded him to try and think like a female vampire more often. He’d promised the woman that he’d try at least. Sure, it had been to get out of her office with a signed document but it was still his word. That either meant something, or it didn’t. The choice was his.
Troy snapped his fingers.
“Right. I promised to get some flowers for your dad’s office. The shrink for the force demanded that I find my inner girl power. I think that was the point at least. Interesting woman. Carnations, I think. Does that sound right?” It was her father, after all.
She giggled a bit.
“That… I have no clue. I hear that he likes Bavarian cream donuts, and the color blue. Past that, well, we were never that close.”
She didn't go into why but it probably had to do with the man abandoning her with her crack head mother as a child. That had led to some pretty negative things for Eve. For other people as well, not that Troy was bringing the topic up. Not anywhere they might ever be overheard.
“I need to head out then. Thanks for the help, Crystal. You too, Eve. Remember to keep the fourteenth open, if possible. For the community picnic. It starts at two in t
he afternoon. We’re doing a vampire burger stand. The mages are doing sodas and soft drinks. I don’t know if the shifters are up on anything like that, or the Coalition of Nations. I should call and suggest it, so they don’t show up empty handed as far as ideas for the meeting tomorrow. I know. Crystal, why don’t you call their President and set something up? Avery Rome is paying for all the food and drink, so they can probably afford to do something kind of fancy.”
There was silence from the office space but Eve clapped her hands.
“Great idea, Troy. I have numbers for that. Later though. Calley Hale won’t even be awake right now, at a bet. Her little cousin is working on this, on the ground there?”
Focusing on setting his bridge back up, the same one as before, Troy gave a very tight and slow nod.
“Morgan Bauer. High school student and bat shifter. We probably don’t really need to bother Calley on something like this though, I was teasing. I just don’t have a good connection to her office that would be low enough down to handle that kind of thing.”
Eve sounded a bit odd but not upset with his meddling. Not that he could tell.
“No prob. Crystal will have that. We’re both needed for the meeting tomorrow then? Ed is on to work anyway. We were giving Crys the day off, except for her daylight training. Working on this or hours of running outside. They should both work.”
They were being really mean, he realized.
“Great. Call me if you have any problems. At the police station at noon tomorrow. Bring everyone you think might help at all.”
After that, they did things but since none of them were an attack on him directly, Troy ignored it all. It was so hard that he ended up dropping everything he was doing magically, in favor of making the bridge. It still took about forty minutes. No one seemed to notice him leave, or move into the office space that he was sharing with Tran.
Santos as well, in a bit. It was going to be tight, when she got her new desk. That reminded Troy to requisition one for her. Until then, she’d have to use his. That or share with Detective Tran but for some reason he didn’t think that one was going to work, for some reason.
Troy, wrinkling his nose, decided to call The Technician. Her phone rang but instead of answering like a normal person, Alison walked into the office, using the lines in the strange ways that demons did. It was a bit slow and cumbersome, for his taste.
The high school girl seemed a bit out of place, being there, dressed in jeans and a halter top that should have had her kicked out of school for wearing it. Her small breasts tightened enough that you could see the outline of her nipples. That had to have been done on purpose. Darla was a sexy cheerleader but Alison seemed a bit slutty. The acts were different, of course. They nearly had to be, in order to change with the times.
She pouted at him a little bit.
“You didn’t come by at all last night. We worried about you.” She looked at his hand though and nodded. Taking in both of them. His ruined suit jacket as well. “I see you were making good use of your time? I do like the new power flow. That’s advanced. A lot more so than I’d figured you’d be able to learn. The skeleton is an answer to that question. Not the one I would have used but I’ll give you bonus points for not having had your hand held the whole time when you came up with it. So, you didn’t come to my house because…”
He smiled then and waved his right hand. It was, very nearly, back to normal.
“Well, you know, the obvious trap of it all. You take care of me when I’m hurt… Nurse me back to health, bring me fresh blood every hour… Then I owe you. True, it might not be called in for a while but eventually it would be. This way, if you want my help in the future, you’ll have to ask, like anyone else. Not that I won’t help you, if I can but it’s always better if you don’t have extra obligations hanging over you.” He waited, not knowing what the response would be at all to the words.
Troy expected laughter. Instead he got a cool nod.
“That is, almost exactly what I had planned for you. It isn’t an advanced plan or anything but good call. Now, I heard from a little bird that there’s a meeting here tomorrow? Is that open to me as well, or is it a bigoted thing, like normal? You know, you claim it’s about bringing the community together… Except those evil greater demons?”
It was her territory, so keeping her away wouldn’t work if she wanted to force her way in.
“You’re expected. If not you, personally, then a representative. So, the real kind of community. God help us all.”
That got a derisive snort.
“I bet he doesn’t show up at all. I’ll get Gregor in. Or at least suggest he do his part for it. That whole religion is his fault, after all. Good then.” She stopped, then looked at him in a way that would have made him uncomfortable before he died, his desire for sex going at the same time. “You know Troy, I’m glad you came here. You may not see it yet but you’re already making a difference. How that comes out in the end, we’ll have to see.” She turned, so smoothly that it had to be planned. Santos walked in, seeming odd, being that she was dressed in real people clothing. A shirt and a skirt that made her look younger than her uniform did. They were in black, making her seem a little like a young nun but it worked for her well enough.
Alison waved, then moved in and gave her a hug.
“Maria! I love the new hair style. So, no invitation to your wedding? I’m a bit hurt. We’re friends. I expect that kind of thing to events in the future. Which… I need to do the same. You and Jainy can come over to my house tonight for dinner? Becky is in town, staying with me.”
There was a long look, which was confused but then there was a slow dawning as to what must be going on.
“Darla? That or Keeley… I’m not… Sorry, I should just ask. It was The Technician, right?” She glanced at Troy, so got a nod back.
The greater demon moved in and hugged the woman.
“Perfectly correct. Alison, in this form. I’ll be Darla tonight. I still have the same house. At seven? Troy, you’re welcome as well.”
He had to shake his head.
“Nope. I have some things to get to. Planning, mainly. That and trying to get a new house or apartment. A house, I think. Then I need to learn how to protect it from magical destruction. I don’t have a clue there.”
Before an answer came, Denise Tran walked through the door, and looked at everyone.
“So, is this the new team? I knew that we were getting Santos. We get an intern, as well? That’s advanced. About time. We should have been running those kinds of programs for decades. If we don’t groom the kids to become police, a lot of them won’t know to apply when the time comes. Detective Tran. Nice to meet you.”
“Alison. The Technician. So, no, not your intern. If you’re interested though, I have some friends, actual humans, who could use something to pad a resume with, or a college application. You aren’t wrong about that. You now… I think that my friend Mark would do a lovely job here. He can stay with you, Troy, when you have a place. He’s a human but… well, special. You’ll see.”
Then she walked out, as if her words couldn’t be taken as a threat or an attempt to place a spy in their office. His house as well, if he ever had one again.
Looking at him, Santos put her tiny hands on her hips. It was meant to look feisty and kind of worked. The woman was little but hard, in her own way.
“I thought you were out for an injury? Burns?”
Backing up the new kid, Tran nodded.
“I got a call on that as well. Something about one of your hands being gone? This seems pretty healthy for that.” She waved, and waited, even if she didn't have any coffee yet.
“I grew it back. It was magical, so no one figured I’d be able to pull it off. I did. Now, I’m going to abuse public resources for personal business for a while. You two can do all the real work today? I’ll just kick back and make calls. Mainly about finding a new place to live.”
Rather than telling him to get lost or at least go and w
ork in the public area, both of his new team just nodded, as if that kind of thing made sense. It was, technically, illegal, to use police resources for personal matters. To that end, he interspersed his calls about housing, and the emails for the same, with getting in touch with work related things. That was all about the picnic stuff.
At about two, Denise and Maria both went to the gym, leaving him all alone. That worked out for him, since he was there when one of the realtors got in touch with him. The guy was willing to meet him after work and everything. That was nice of the man.
Of course, the Chief walked by and saw him there, behind his desk. Calling Lisa Weise. When he got off the phone, having made certain she had someone coming to plan the next day, Roy Benson gave him a look.
Troy faked a grin. Then he held up both hands, to show they were there and doing well enough. They really did look about totally back to normal.
“I healed up, so came in. I promise, most of what I’ve been doing has been about getting a new place to live and making sure that my neighbors are taken care of. The few work-related things have been barely there at all. I swear.”
“Good. You’ve been being hit enough that we need you to take it easy for a while. Burning you out won’t help anyone. We have a meeting tomorrow at noon? Here, right? I can free up some time for that.”
The man probably didn’t get a choice in the matter, being a slave to a greater demon like he was. To that end, Troy didn't even bother suggesting he not come.
“Correct. I… Need to have that catered. I promised some people lunch. Any preferences?”
“Chicken? Something spicy, if possible, as an option.”
“Got it. Sounds good.” It didn’t really. Not to him. That reminded him to get some blood in, just in case he wasn’t the only vampire in the room.
Chapter thirteen
Troy had to admit, as he settled things in the meeting room at the station, that a few more people had shown up than he’d expected. For that, he was planning to blame, or possibly credit, Eve. He’d said, not thinking about it, that she could bring whoever wanted to help. With a community meeting and picnic, in one decently medium sized town. Put on by their police department and the Coalition of Nations.
Hell, In a Troy (Lopez Time Book 2) Page 18