Blood for blood

by Tobi Grim

  “Right,” Lupa pulled her phone out, “Well I need to call the Clean-up guys. You happy to hang around and give a statement to The Organization? You’ll be paid.”

  Mike Smith nodded. Lupa looked over to Dameon to see him watching Mike very carefully. Whatever. She flipped her phone open, turned away from them and started calling the department that dealt with cleaning up the wolfblood bodies, or witch or human, and other gross shit. What a great fucking job.

  When she finished the call she turned back to see Mike sitting on the step smoking, and Dameon standing just behind him. “They’ll be five minutes.” She said, wiping something… oh, blood, off her cheek. “Fuck. How much is on me?”

  Dameon smiled at that, “Think you’ll need more than just a tissue that’s for sure.”

  “I’ll just go stand out in the fucking rain then, hey?” Lupa lit a smoke and threw her packet at him.

  Think this Mike guy is as innocent as he says?

  Dameon looked at her as he thought about what she asked, she was still amazed by the fact they were partially connected without having made sure they were before entering.

  Not really. But that aint our problem, right?

  Right. It wasn’t. The Hunters and Protectors may have investigated and acted upon the information given to The Organization on suspected wolfbloods, but the Clean-up crew would bring an interviewer who would finish off the reports and do any further investigations. Clean-up would fill out their reports on their findings, while Lupa and Dameon would just write up what had happened. Hunters and Protectors didn’t have to file the final reports, wasn’t their job. The Organization had put that system in place when they went public, because they needed their witches out hunting, not filling out all the paperwork or finding out where the bloodlines had come from or any of that crap. Things weren’t as hectic anymore, but the system had been working well for them, so why fuck with it?

  She shrugged and turned her gaze to the garage door. The sooner Clean-up got there, the sooner she could have a shower and get the stench of wolfblood off her skin. Get rid of the smell that made the blood thirst inside her hunger for more ripping and tearing… best not to think about it.

  ⃝

  The shower felt fucking good. Lupa watched the water run red around her feet, then slowly change to pink, until finally it was clear. The stench of wolfblood washing down the drain with it. Washing away her hunger for killing… Slightly. She still longed to kill more of those fucking beasts, she just washed away the immediate need for it.

  After thirty minutes of sitting on the shower floor she figured she’d better get out, her and Dameon had agreed to meet at her place after they got cleaned up, and she suspected he would probably be here soon. Lupa wandered naked into her room. She pulled on a light, slightly revealing black dress, a loose, falling apart grey cardigan and some bike shorts underneath her dress. Her phone beeped. Dameon was downstairs at the door. She tugged on some socks and went to let him in.

  “You’re looking cleaner,” he said as they walked back up and into her apartment.

  “I thought I quite suited the blood splattered look, thank you very much.” She shot back.

  He laughed as he sat on her couch comfortably, “It wasn’t the blood, it was the drowned rat look that didn’t suit you.”

  She pulled two beers out of the fridge and joined him on the couch. “Well, if someone didn’t make me walk in the rain, I would’ve been beating suitors off me with the blood on my face and clothes,” she winked. “So, how did you find your first case? Not that they usually go like that…”

  “Good. Well… considering the surprise… hey… did you and Karl connect like that? I thought we had to… you know… be prepared shit.”

  Lupa peered over at him, but he was inspecting his cigarette packet. Nibbling her lip and looking down at the beer in her hands she nodded. Knowing she needed to be honest with him, but hating the thought of making Karl seem less connected to her or some fucking crap.

  “No… we didn’t. We… well, we never tried like that. I don’t think we ever had a surprise quite like that one… we… we actually had quite a bit of trouble talking to each other in our minds at first. But, like, he was always able to find me, and I him… our connection was different to the one you and I have. I think it was more… emotional maybe? I’m not sure. But we’d been connected for a long time. We had a system that worked for us. And it was pretty great. He knew me, and I knew him better than I even know myself really… we didn’t need to talk a lot of the time. Kind of like… I felt what he wanted me to do, does that make sense? I dunno…”

  Taking a swig of her drink and looking over at him she saw Dameon was just watching her, listening to her, and there was no resentment or anything in his eyes. Just listening. Just taking in her words.

  “Cool,” he nodded, smiling and relaxing into the couch, “It was pretty awesome. I didn’t even know we could do that, but I figured I should try at least, and then when you replied it was like… shit yeah, we had the same thought and it had fucking worked. I know it wasn’t the same as it would usually be. But, fuck it was cool. Gave me like… a fucking boost, y’know?”

  She nodded, “Yeah it was. Considering all the things that could have happened. We kicked ass. And that attack… man, your lightning is good, and strong. I’m surprised you’re a Protector really, you’d be a really good Hunter too. But then, if you were I’d have missed out big time. You’re fast, I like that.”

  He coloured slightly. “Not as fast as you though. And who woulda thought a little thing like you could be so brutal! Crotch shot, fuck, little lady, I thought I felt that a little bit.”

  Lupa laughed and leaned back, putting her feet on the coffee table. “Well, that case sure was quicker than I’d thought it would be, welcome to the partnership!” she clinked his bottle and finished the rest of hers off. Fuck, she felt good. She hoped he felt the same.

  “What now? Want to go have a chat with this Hammer guy?”

  “Yeah, if you’re keen. Tank said he can take us down if we want to do it off the official record, or we can just go down ourselves. Whatever you like, I don’t mind either way.”

  Dameon got up and fetched two more beers from her fridge. “I’m good with whatever. Which do you think will make him more likely to talk?” He handed her the bottle, twisting off the lid and putting it on the table but not sitting back down.

  “Umm, I might ask Tank what he thinks. They might not talk much anymore, but it’s still his brother, he must have some idea… I’d say it’ll probably be off the books though.”

  “Cool… wanna go now?”

  She lifted her eyebrows. What had got him so fucking antsy? “We can… you sure? We just spent the morning killing a wolfblood…”

  “Yeah, got the goes now. Aint wanna stop, y’know?”

  Yeah, she knew. Lupa definitely understood, and was more than happy to go, but didn’t think that he would be so keen to jump in to the next thing. But hell, who was she to complain? She wanted to find these wolfblood scum more than fucking anyone. She drank the rest of her pretty much full beer and pulled her boots on.

  “Right then, Hawk, let’s go and see what we can see.”

  He smiled widely and opened the door for her, “Little Red, I’m always seeing.”

  Chapter Eight

  “All witches shall be protected…”

  Blackwater looked just as fucking filthy in the pouring rain. At least it wasn’t as cold as when Lupa had been there last. Tank had driven them down to Hammer’s ‘digs’ so he could keep an eye on them. It was a giant old building, boards on all the windows, and three stories high. A big, dark man was standing at the massive door, arms crossed and watching all that went by. They sat in the car for a moment, watching as a scrawny androgynous person slunk up to the door and was rewarded with a smack to the head before being shoved through the dark, gaping space the open door left.

  “Must be owin’ Hammer money,” Tank muttered pushing the door of his big c
ar open. “Come then, Little Red, let’s get us a talkin’ with Hammer and get the fuck outa here. Them junkies makin’ me wanna smack em too.” Dameon and Lupa followed Tank out of the car, and over to the big guy guarding Hammer’s ‘crib’.

  “Needin’ to have a chat with my brother, Maccabee,” Tank said to the door guard, “This being Little Red, she take out that nest Hammer been tellin’ me about.”

  The guy studied Lupa, raising an eyebrow. She stared back with her own eyebrows raised at him, not giving a shit if this guy didn’t think she could take them. She wouldn’t have fucking believed it herself had she not the vivid memory of that night…

  Maccabee opened the door with a nod, there was hardly any light coming from the opening, and Tank stepped through with Lupa in the middle and Dameon behind. A shirtless, heavily tattooed man nodded to them, going to the door to get his orders from Maccabee before showing them down to a room.

  It sure wasn’t what Lupa was expecting; two expensive blue velvet couches, beautiful glass lamps, and a real dark wood coffee table in the middle. Tank sat on the couch to the right, whilst Dameon and Lupa sat on the opposite one, as there wasn’t much room left where Tank sat. They sat in complete silence as they waited.

  “My dear brother, back in Blackwater for a ‘catch up’, is he?”

  Lupa hid her surprise as Hammer came in. She imagined him to be as big-if not bigger- than Tank, having the same strong jawbone, perhaps even the same amount of facial scars, she expected him the have a similar short cut hairstyle as Tank, but he was nothing like Tank at all. Hammer’s hair hung over his shoulder in a long plait that reached his hip, his facial features were soft, almost feminine, and looking as though perhaps he had Asian bloodlines. He dressed in a suit, a very well-tailored cream coloured suit, with a soft peach tie. He was broad, but nowhere near as big and hulking as Tank. Lupa was certainly fucking surprised, and she couldn’t take her eyes off him.

  “Aint needs to talkin’ to me, Little Red here wanting some information. Thought I come down and keep’n her safe.” Tank sounded like he wanted to smash his way out of the building and get the fuck out of there.

  “Ah.” Hammer stepped towards Lupa, taking her hand and kissing it, “The beauty that burned the wolfbloods treacherous abode to the ground. You are an exceptional woman, a beautiful woman, and I can feel just how powerful you are. I am honoured to make your acquaintance. And I am grateful for your assistance in ridding me of those creatures.” He gently let her hand go and stood up straighter, looking over to Dameon who was watching Hammer very carefully. “And who, my beauty, is the gentleman here?”

  “This is… this is Hawk, he’s my new Protector.” She smiled over at Dameon to try and reassure him.

  “Ah, yes, because you lost that witch in the nest, my deepest sympathies,” he gazed at her sorrowfully, she could see it was fake but admired the fact it almost appeared real, “Well then, Little Red, I suppose you and I should get down to business, would you come with me? The men can wait here, I will have one of my ladies come and tend to them-”

  “No fucking way,” Dameon was on his feet, eye to eye with Hammer and furious, “I won’t let her go without me, I don’t know you and I don’t fucking trust you.”

  Hammer smiled, sickly sweet and raised his palms up in an unsympathetic manner. “Then we won’t be sharing any information tonight, I will speak with the beauty on her own, or I shall ask you all to leave.”

  Lupa stood up placing her hand on Dameon’s arm until he brought his eyes down to hers. She stood there like that for a moment, hoping he would understand why she was holding his gaze. “I’ll be fine. You’ll know if I need you.”

  Are you with me, Dameon?

  He nodded, glancing over at Hammer, who was still smiling, and then he sat back down and folded his arms sullenly.

  Ok. But I don’t fucking like this one bit.

  Hammer turned and left the room, leaving Lupa to scramble after him. Probably just the way he liked his women; scrambling after him, following him around waiting for his next most fascinating words. Dammit.

  Opening a door, Hammer waited for Lupa to enter, a room just like the one they were in, except the lounges were black velvet. He gestured for her to sit and then sat opposite her, crossing his legs and pulling out a gold cigarette case. She never knew drug dealers made so much fucking money.

  “So, Little Red, what is the information you are hoping to gather from me? And is this official witch business or just an… interest?” He lit his smoke with a gold lighter and offered her one. She took it and let him light it for her.

  “Well, it’s not official as such, I was wanting to know whether you knew any more about the supposed purebloods that were coming across Blackwater after we entered the nest. The higher ups in The Organization don’t believe that there were any, but if there is, I want to fuck them up. They… well, it would be partially their fault that Karl died… and the less wolfbloods there are, the better.”

  Hammer looked at her curiously, his black eyes glinted in the soft lighting. She found him very hard to read, he was in total control of himself, and he fucking knew it too.

  “I see,” he said finally, “So you are hoping to display some more of that magnificent power, and wipe out these purebloods that may or may not have been coming to join the altercation at the ‘nest’. And you are hoping I have some information that might help you, correct?”

  How fucking infuriating, hadn’t she just basically said that? She hated when people did that. But then again, she supposed he was either trying to frustrate her, or he was just so used to having people hang on to his every word, that he could take his damned time. Probably a bit of both, she bit back the urge to tell him so.

  “Yes, that would be correct.”

  “And, Little Red hunter witch, what exactly will I be getting in return? Or were you hoping your eternal gratitude would be enough?”

  Lupa hesitated, she hadn’t thought he may want something in return. Fuck, she should have guessed it wouldn’t be this simple, but Tank had certainly never implied that this might be the case. What did she really have to offer? Fuck all.

  “Ah, little beauty, do not torment yourself trying to think of an adequate exchange, perhaps we could just say… you owe me something? I will not request anything you cannot afford, for one should not take what is not there to give, would this be acceptable?”

  He smiled widely, oozing charm. Owing a drug dealer wasn’t something she ever wanted do in her lifetime, but did she really have a choice? But then again, what if his information was fucking useless…

  “Um… ok. But, only if your information is useful. I’m not owing you if what you give me is shit.”

  “Shit?” The first swear she’d heard come out of his mouth, and its sounded like the word was highly distasteful on his tongue, weren’t drug dealers supposed to be fucking scum? Especially in Blackwater? “My sweet Little Red, whatever would make you think I would ask for such a thing if I had nothing of value to offer to you? You would hold such a low opinion of a man you do not even know?”

  “No… but I don’t want to be tricked into something. I don’t know you, and Tank has never mentioned you before, I could be agreeing to anything, for nothing. And I’m not willing to bet on that. But if you agree that I owe you only if the information is useful, then I’m in.”

  “Done. And remember, I never leave a debt unpaid. Now let’s get down to business,” he uncrossed his legs and leaned forward slightly, “I am well aware of all the events that transpired that night; nothing happens in Blackwater without me knowing. Why, I even saw your distress, and your display of power, for I was on the roof across the way. I heard your lookouts running and yelling about these so-called purebloods, so I sent three of my men to find out what the ruckus was about. And indeed, there were creatures coming for you. Would you like me to call my men or will you take my word for it?”

  “I’ll take your word for it for now, but perhaps I could talk to them another time?”r />
  “A second visit?” he grinned, “Of course, I would enjoy that very much. But back to these purebloods. I cannot guarantee they were all, if any, purebloods, but they were all creatures transformed into your wolfbloods. My men speculated there were at least seventy of them. Fast, quiet, and monstrous.”

  Hammer leaned back, recrossing his legs, seeming almost delighted in the information he was telling her. She smiled back, trying to make it look like she appreciated his help. But so far all he had done was confirm what the lookouts had said they’d seen. And whilst The Organization didn’t believe Slasher or her people, Lupa certainly did.

  “But, of course, that is not all I know. For I am aware that you would most likely already have this information from The Organization’s people. However, what I have, they do not. I know where at the very least some of them lie, I can take you there to observe the dwelling for yourself, my information is never without proof, Little Red, for I will not bet on anything that is not a sure thing either. After the… explosion, my men pursued the wolfbloods, the creatures split into several small groups, so they followed the largest accumulation of wolfbloods to their place of resting, or at the very least a place they frequent, for they shed their wolf-like skins and feel safe doing so. I can take you to this place, when you are ready.”

  He put out his cigarette in the glass ashtray on the table, and sat back folding his hands. She took a deep drag of her smoke and avoided his gaze. So they could take her there. He could take her there. Not exactly what she was expecting, but hadn’t he been shattering her expectations from the moment he fucking showed up? Yes. She felt if he was telling the truth, then owing him might not be too bad. She looked up and he was watching her, still smiling that ever so charming smile.