by D. J. Bodden
“You weren’t kidding,” the stranger said.
Jonas smiled politely and stuffed the empty pouch into his bag before zipping it back up. He leaned his head back, pretending to doze during the fifteen minute trip. I really wish I had my MP3 player, he thought. Having earphones in was a great way to discourage awkward social situations.
At least he’d made progress, and he was out of immediate danger. I think that’s enough excitement for now, he thought. As he walked out of the bookstore, three new books stuffed into his backpack, he suddenly felt exhausted. He took a cab home.
♚
Jonas set the book aside and leaned his head back. He’d found his MP3 player. The screen was broken, but the play button still worked. He sat in the living room, ear buds in, listening to “Elegy” by Tycho. He’d gotten another blood pack in him since getting home, and he felt more relaxed than he had in… well, he couldn’t remember how long. Now I just have to pull off the impossible, he thought, but it didn’t seem as urgent at the moment.
Outside, the sun was setting. Madoc hadn’t spoken to him in a while, but he was pretty sure the specter was keeping track of just about everyone and everything within several miles. That’s why Jonas jumped a little when someone suddenly knocked on the door, it surprised him. He exhaled. Madoc would have warned me if it was something to worry about.
He opened the door and found himself face to face with the older cop he’d tricked into leaving the apartment that morning. “Officer! Is there something I can do for—?”
The cop shouldered past him into the apartment, carrying two heavy duffel bags. “Save it, kid. Edwards sent me.” He took a look at the ruined apartment, without Jonas’ influence, and whistled. “Knew something was wrong with this place. Should have kicked my partner out and shot you. No offense.”
“Umm… none taken?” Jonas said.
“More of us on the way.” He dropped his bags next to the broken TV and took a seat in the far corner, on the couch, facing the door.
Over the next hour, four more men showed up, including Billy. They all carried heavy bags, eyes darting to the corners of the room when they walked in, and none of them cared much for Jonas. They also seemed to share a lot of history. One of them swiped the broken mess off the kitchen countertop, found a pot that wasn’t ruined, and started heating the contents of a can on the stove.
“Hey Steve, know what this place reminds me of?”
“Kabul,” Steve answered.
“Like Hell,” Billy chimed in. “Ain’t no place in all of Afghanistan as nice as this. He’s talkin’ Baghdad.”
“Too cold. It’s Slovenia,” the cop said, peering over the top of a magazine. “After the blue-helmets showed up, but before the U.S. troops did.”
“Eugene got it on the nose,” the cook said, pointing a wooden spoon at the cop.
Billy nodded, and stared off into space. “Reckon you’re right.”
Steve scowled. “I was still in high school, man. How about we stick to recent history?”
“Cheer up, rookie. We’ll all be dead by Wednesday,” Eugene said.
They all laughed at that.
Frank showed up a little while later with two bags and a backpack.
“Hey, look everybody! Frank’s here!” the cook said.
Jonas had gathered from scraps of their conversation that the man in the kitchen’s name was Jim, which was funny to Jonas because he’d never met a Jim who wasn’t the life of the party — talking, joking, slapping shoulders, and offering people coffee.
“Jim, Billy, Steve,” Frank said, “Where’s… oh, in the corner, should have known. Good to see you, Eugene.”
The cop grunted and turned the page on the book he’d borrowed from Jonas. Eugene apparently read anything he could get his hands on, from gun magazines to Russian poetry. He said it expanded his horizons and kept his mind off the here and now, a kind of anti-Zen for people who couldn’t afford to let their guard down.
“So Frank, what’s the job? Never seen more than three of us in a room before,” Steve said, wringing his hands.
“And while you’re at it,” Eugene said, without looking up from his reading, “care to tell us why there’s a bloodsucker in the room?”
“His apartment,” Frank said, shrugging. “Don’t mind them, kid,” he said to Jonas. “They just don’t like surprises.”
“That’s not true, Frank. I love surprises,” Jim said. “I’m just more of a giver than a taker, know what I mean?” He gave Frank a broad, toothy smile. Several of the others chuckled. “You have our communication gear?”
“Won’t need it. Kid got us a specter for this one,” Frank said, nodding toward Jonas.
The room went silent, and everyone stared at Jonas.
“That’s flipping awesome,” Steve said.
Eugene grunted.
“Yeah, nice one, kid,” Jim said, slapping Jonas on the shoulder.
“Believe that when I see it,” Billy added.
“I said it was so, Billy,” Frank said, staring at the other man. There was a moment of tension in the room — Eugene even put his book down, leaving his thumb in place to mark the page — then Billy raised his hands in mock surrender.
“Just flappin’ my gums, Frank. Didn’t mean no disrespect.”
For Jonas, the whole thing was both fascinating and a little bit alien at the same time. These were all men in the old sense of the word, operating off some kind of informal pecking order that was constantly being hashed out through jokes, contact, and the occasional confrontation. It reminded him of Phillip and Bert, only the social order among the hunters was much more fluid.
Jonas, Madoc said, we have a problem.
CHAPTER 20
What do you mean, ‘We have a problem?’
Bert just left Kieran in the middle of Grand Central.
Jonas frowned. I don’t understand, what—
It’s the full moon, Jonas.
Jonas’ mouth dropped open. There were hundreds of people in Grand Central at any given time. He pictured the large, central room, with broken bodies and bloodstains on the cream-colored marble, the survivors – infected with lycanthropy. There were also national guardsmen there at all times, which meant that in short order there would be Humvees, machine guns, helicopters, and more carnage.
“You alright, kid?” Frank said.
“What?”
“You’ve been standing there with your mouth open for over a minute.”
Jonas realized everyone was looking at him. Even Jim wasn’t smiling.
“It’s nothing. I need to… I have to go meet a friend.”
“Uh huh,” Frank said. “Gear up, boys!”
The others started unzipping their bags.
“No!” Jonas said. The last thing he needed was more people with guns getting involved. He was pretty sure any solution the hunters came up with for the Kieran’s problem would be permanent. “It’s nothing. I just need to go take care of some personal business.” Frank stared at him. Jonas stared back.
Please, Jonas thought.
He didn’t push the thought, but the hunter nodded, keeping his eyes on Jonas. “Sure. Stand down, everybody, false alarm.”
Steve and Billy looked at each other; Jim shrugged and went back to eating, and Eugene started reading again. Frank grabbed a shoulder holster from his bag, stuffed two pistols and two magazines into it, and threw his coat on. “Where we going, kid?”
“What? I don’t—”
Jonas was about to protest, but Frank arched an eyebrow at him, which Jonas translated into… This is as much of a leash as I’m willing to give you.
“Grand Central,” Jonas said, keeping his face calm. He’d have to figure out how to keep Frank from shooting Kieran when he got there. He grabbed his coat, stuffed two blood packs and his wallet into the inner pockets, and walked out of the apartment with Frank in tow. He didn’t see Amelia until it was almost too late, nearly bowling her over.
She squeaked and said “Jonas!”
/>
“Amelia?”
Frank pushed Jonas to the side, reaching for his holster. Amelia’s eyes widened.
“It’s okay! It’s okay! She’s my… she’s a friend from school,” Jonas said. He’d almost said, girlfriend, but the situation with Eve had complicated things.
“What are you… what happened to your door, and your apartment?” Amelia said, glancing behind them at the demolished living room. “And who are all those men, Jonas?”
Frank reached back and pulled the door closed behind them.
“Just bodyguards,” Jonas said. “You remember Bert and Phil, don’t you?”
“Bert and Phil wore suits, Jonas. Those men looked more like soldiers, and your apartment looks like a bomb went off inside it.”
“She’s sharp, kid,” Frank said, grinning. “Girlfriend?”
“Yes,” said Amelia.
“No,” Jonas said at the same time.
Amelia’s eyebrows shot up. “Excuse me?” she said, her voice rising in pitch.
Jonas clamped his eyes shut. He did not have time to deal with this. “Why are you here, Amelia?”
Her cheeks turned pink. “We had plans, remember. Because you’re my boyfriend. You’ve been my boyfriend for two years, and we go out on Sundays, only lately you don’t answer your phone so I came to check where we’re meeting tomorrow!”
Amelia was a nice girl. She’d been there for him during the past year, after his father disappeared. But she liked plans, routine, and stability. Jonas knew the last month had probably frayed her nerves. She’d been displaced from her comfort zone and was now hurtling toward hysteria.
“Amelia, look, I’m sorry. I’ll explain everything later, but right now I have to go.”
“Why, so you can meet Eve at a coffee shop in front of all my friends again? No, I’m coming with you,” she said, crossing her arms.
“You can’t. It’s—” He’d almost said It’s too dangerous, which wouldn’t have been good, because Frank would have turned around and had the whole group out for Kieran’s blood. “I mean… fine. You can come,” he said and stomped toward the elevator.
How’s Kieran? Jonas sent to Madoc.
He’s just standing there, shaking slightly. He must have a lot of willpower; most werewolves his age would have gone berserk by now, Madoc answered.
That surprised Jonas. From the way Kieran had lashed out during training, Jonas would have thought he was below average. But then it occurred to him that he’d never seen a werewolf Kieran’s age in the training room, or in any part of the Agency for that matter. Maybe the specter was right.
You know this is a trap, don’t you? Madoc said. Fangston is well aware that I’m working with you.
I do. Can you get me out of it?
I’ll try, Madoc said, but his tone wasn’t reassuring.
A cab was parked outside his apartment building. The cabbie lowered the passenger side window and leaned over. “You Jonas Black?”
“Yes?” said Jonas.
“A voice in my head called Madoc insisted that I meet you here.”
“And you believed it?” Amelia said.
The cabbie shrugged. “The voice said you’d tip me one hundred dollars to take you to Grand Central as fast as possible.”
“You’re not seriously going to get in that cab, are you?” Amelia whispered to Jonas.
“I seriously am. But you don’t have to—”
“I’m coming,” she said, flatly.
“Fine.”
They piled into the back of the taxi and the driver peeled away from the curb, leaving tire tracks behind. The cab never stopped. It seemed to glide through traffic, always hitting green lights and never getting cut off. They were going well over the speed limit, and roared past a cop who happened to be looking the other way.
“This your friend’s work?” Frank asked.
“I think so,” Jonas said.
Amelia just stared, wide-eyed, gripping her seat belt.
The cabbie hit the fare button three blocks from Grand Central. “Go ahead,” he said, “and don’t forget the tip I was promised.” His eyes never left the road, and there was an edge to his voice.
Jonas swiped his card and typed one, zero, zero, when the tip screen came up. The cab screeched to a halt a block from the station. “Better run from here, kid,” the cabbie said, “Too much traffic in front of the building.”
Jonas was already scrambling out. “Thanks!”
“Hey kid,” the cabbie said, leaning over to the passenger window. “Here’s my card. If you ever—”
“I will,” Jonas said, snatching the card and walking as quickly as he could toward the terminal. He would have run but didn’t want to draw unnecessary attention.
“You’re not going to lose me, or scare me off, Jonas. Or are you in such a hurry to meet—”
“For the last time, Amelia, I am not going to meet Eve. I am not trying to lose you. I am breaking up with you, but now is not the time or place to talk about it, and it doesn’t have anything to do with something you’ve done. You’re everything a sixteen-year-old human girlfriend ought to be.”
Amelia opened and shut her mouth like a fish a few times, then said, “It’s because she’s older, isn’t it?”
Jonas rolled his eyes, turned, and headed into the terminal.
She’s still following you, Madoc said.
I can’t help that. I just hope whoever Fangston or Bert sent after me heard me try to send her away, or we’ll need to figure out how to protect her, too.
They heard, Madoc said. But it won’t stop them.
Jonas gritted his teeth. “Frank, I may have understated the amount of danger we’re in.”
“I figured as much. I’m assuming you have a plan?”
“No.”
Frank didn’t miss a beat, he just kept walking, pushing through the crowd toward the main concourse.
“What’s the situation?” he said, his voice now a little more tense than before.
“Adolescent werewolf in the middle of the main concourse, full moon.”
“We kill it,” Frank said, without hesitation.
“No.”
Frank grabbed Jonas by the shoulder, his voice low and harsh. “Kid, there isn’t a single scenario where I let that thing live. Now tell me what he looks like.” He unfastened his coat, revealing a silver dagger at his right hip.
Jonas glanced at the crowd around them; no one seemed to notice his heated exchange with Frank. That, or they just didn’t want to get involved. “He’s my friend—”
“I’ll make it quick.”
“—and he’s Phillip Macready’s favorite son. And he’s special. Really special.”
Frank’s eyes darted from side to side, like he was speed reading, then he closed them, took a deep breath, and said. “That’s not all, is it? There’s more?”
“I don’t know. His older brother’s the one that left him here. Could be a family power play, or—” Madoc connected to him, briefly, showing him the tactical situation. “Never mind, it’s the Order. There are six vampires and werewolves in the Terminal, working in pairs.”
“You led us into a trap,” Frank said, his upper lip curling into a snarl.
“I made a choice. And if it works, Phillip Macready will side with us. We need more men.”
“They’re not men,” Frank said.
“And neither am I, or Madoc. How many of your people are you willing to sacrifice over bigotry?”
Jonas saw the blow coming and flinched, but nothing happened. He’d seen Frank’s muscles tense, and the raw, deep-rooted rage in the man’s eyes, but the hunter had held his anger in check.
Frank’s jaw pulsed. “The mission comes first,” he hissed. It sounded like a personal mantra.
Excuse me, gentlemen, but I have a solution, Madoc said, flashing a diagram into both of their minds.
Frank responded with uncertainty. “It’s tight.”
I can make it work, but we need to act now, Madoc said.
“I’m sorry, it’s the only way,” Jonas said.
Frank shook his head. “I’ll call the others.” He stepped out of the flow of people and pulled an old flip phone out of his coat. Jonas kept walking; Madoc would keep them connected.
“Umm… Jonas? What are you two talking about?” Amelia was staring at them like they were both crazy.
Jonas and Frank both looked at her incredulously. “I forgot she was there,” Frank said.
“Never mind,” Jonas replied. “You’re coming with me.” He grabbed her by the upper arm and headed toward the Main Concourse.
She started to struggle. “What? I’m not—”
Jonas let her go. “Madoc, handle this,” Jonas said.
A few seconds later, Amelia caught up to him. She was pale.
“I wish you’d just listened to me and gone home,” Jonas said.
“So do I,” she replied, almost jogging to keep up.
They walked into Main Concourse – a gigantic, open space, almost a football field long and over one hundred feet tall. An arched, blue ceiling soared above them, with constellations depicted in gold leaf, along with the Greek gods they represented. Jonas always felt dwarfed by it.
“That’s him,” Jonas said.
They saw Kieran in the center of the concourse. He stood stock still, looking straight ahead, as if concentrating on something in the distance.
Madoc, has anyone noticed him yet?
The two national guardsmen by the south entrance have been watching him for two minutes, but they haven’t called it in.
“The army guys are watching him,” Jonas said to Amelia. “I need you to pretend he’s an old friend, and you’re really happy to see him.”
“What’s his name?”
“Kieran.”
Amelia took a deep breath, loosened the scarf around her neck, and walked quickly toward the statuesque werewolf. “Kieran, you made it! It’s so good to see you!” The change from terrified to giggly was so abrupt, it took Jonas by surprise. Her act was completely convincing, considering it had to be the opposite of how she really felt. He wondered how often she’d pulled that that stunt on him.
Not that she could do it anymore - he could literally hear her think, now - but it still caught him off-guard and she managed to get a few steps ahead of him, laughing and waving her hands.