by Peter Glenn
Another sound struck me at that moment. The worst sound in the world. Well, at least when you were running from the cops it was.
A low, rhythmic growl permeated through the crowd, filling my ears.
“Well hell,” I told Rick. “They’ve got attack dogs.”
8
It was one thing to shake police officers from your tail, but dogs? Dogs were an entirely different story. Worse, Rick was slinking away through the crowds, seemingly oblivious to their braying howls.
There wasn’t much time to think. I lunged forward and grabbed him rough-shod by his upper arm and pulled him toward me.
“What the hell?” Rick spat over his shoulder. His eyes were glaring at me, but at least he wasn’t fighting my grip too hard.
“Shh.” I put my finger over my lips. “Dogs. We gotta go.”
A sliver of recognition passed over Rick’s eyes, and he nodded. It seemed he understood dogs were serious business, at least. Which wasn’t surprising; no one liked police dogs. They always found their targets. Then they bit them. Hard.
I pushed through the crowds as best I could, trying not to shove anyone too hard or look too much like I was trying to leave while still trying to do just that. Throngs of people crushed in from every side, but I didn’t want to make a scene.
Nothing says “I’m running from the cops” like shoving your way through a crowd.
The low growls continued, but they didn’t seem to be getting any closer. Above the noise of the crowd, the head protester continued her drawl about physical space and touch.
I furrowed my brow. Was this crowd protesting against those guys that stand around offering free hugs in front of the Monorail station? Really? I guess it was true. People would protest anything in Seattle…
A particularly large knot of people blocked off the exit to the next street. We only needed to make it down two streets to reach my goal, but that was proving harder than it should.
The sound of a sharp bark set the hairs on the back of my neck on edge, followed by people shuffling around and yelling. I stole a glance behind me, and it looked like pandemonium. People were pushing every which way, trying to get away from something.
That something became obvious real quick. Two gigantic, black police dogs gnashed at the throngs of protesters, nipping at their heels and looking all-around nasty.
I slinked back away from them as quickly as I could, and for once, I didn’t have to pull Rick along with me.
We were almost through the crowds and onto the street behind us when it finally happened - the dogs and I locked eyes for just a half second. I sensed something akin to malice in those cold, dark eyes, then the beast let out another bark and lunged forward.
“Time’s up!” I shouted at Rick. I turned and pushed the protesters behind me as hard as I could, knocking two of them over and sending the others sprawling into their friends. Then we were through.
I ran for it, tugging at Rick’s jacket collar to make sure he stayed in step with me. I heard the guy panting hard but tried to pay it little heed.
Behind us, the protesters stood up and yelled nasty obscenities in our direction. I smiled a little at that. Maybe they’d slow down the dogs just a touch.
Rick and I kept going. We sped across the street so fast no cars even had the opportunity to try and hit us, then spilled out onto the next sidewalk and kept going.
“Where are… you going… now?” Rick asked through labored breaths.
“Relax, I’ve got this!”
“Just like… last time?”
If I hadn’t known better, I’d have sworn Rick had just glared at me while running for his life. To be honest, it filled me with a sense of pride. Little Rick was growing a spine.
We reached the end of the sidewalk and spilled out onto the next street. Not much further now.
Behind us, the barking grew louder as a few people shouted, and I heard bodies tumble to the ground. I spared another glance at the dogs. They were leaping over a few downed civilians a mere block away, closing in fast.
Those animals were moving far faster than dogs had any right to. I squinted a little as something odd caught my eye. Their tails. They didn’t look natural.
I shook my head and tugged harder on Rick.
“We’ve got to cross the next street, then we’ll be safe,” I told him.
For his part, Rick seemed to glare again, but he kept going.
Come on legs, just a little bit more and we can rest, I said to my poor appendages. They were burning something fierce. I’d pay for tonight, to be sure, but hey, at least I could count it as cardio, right?
Another car blared its horn as we ran out right in front of it, not bothering to stop or even put a hand out. I flashed the driver a quick smile, which did all of nothing. I tried. Then, we were across the street.
The dogs - if they were really dogs - spilled out onto the street behind us, maybe twenty feet away now, teeth and claws gnashing, drool spilling out of their mouths. I thought I heard the sound of additional sirens blaring behind them as a fresh set of cop cars came at us as well.
Safety was just around the corner.
I willed my legs to move faster and sped past a couple kissing up against a streetlamp. Oh, to be that oblivious to the world. But nope, not for me.
Rick and I bounded around the next corner, and at last I saw it, the red door leading down to Mei’s place. To safety.
The beckoning door stood maybe thirty feet away, but I knew it was too far. We weren’t going to make it before the dogs showed up.
“See that red door?” I shouted at Rick. “Run for it!”
I gave him a heavy shove in that direction, then did perhaps the single bravest thing I’d ever done. I spun around and raised my fists - there was no time to grab either of my swords -and faced down the hounds, seething and spreading out to block the intersection as much as possible.
At least Rick would make it through the night unscathed, even if I didn’t. That thought gave me a little bit of solace.
A bite from the closest dog swiped at my good arm, but I dodged backward out of the way and the beast sailed through the air instead.
The other dog pounced on me at the same moment, leaping forward with more speed than should have been possible, using my head as a target.
I was already a little off-balance from the other dog, so I wasn’t able to duck completely, and the beast’s massive paw grazed the top of my head. I felt a searing pain as one of its claws tore through my skin and another fresh wave of hot blood poured down the back of my neck, but as bad as it hurt, I knew I would survive the blow.
The attack was followed by the sound of a sickening crunch as jawbones shattered. From this position, I could barely make it out, but it looked like the dog-thing had bashed its head right into Grax’thor’s oversized hilt.
It fell to the ground at my side and yelped but didn’t move. I doubted it was really done for, but at least it wasn’t coming around for another swipe just yet.
What luck. Grax’thor had saved me again. I scrambled back into a fighting position just in time for the other beast to lash out at my sword arm. The beast’s fangs sunk in deep, and I howled out in pain.
I smacked the thing’s head with my other hand a few times until finally it relaxed its jaws, relinquishing its iron grip.
Bleeding, breathing hard, and feeling lightheaded from the loss of blood, I staggered to pull my katana from its sheath before the beasts could rally for another attack.
The dog-thing let out a low growl and made to pounce at me again but stopped short. Instead, it put its massive paws over its ears and laid low to the ground.
“Yeah, that’s right!” I said to the beast.
I could see it clearly now. It was like a dog, but not quite. It looked more like a dog mixed with an otter for the back half, with a thick otter-like tail and more pronounced whiskers on the muzzle. I’d seen something like it in books once. A dobhar-chu, a mythical beast from Ireland.
What we
re the police doing with things like that? The police weren’t magical. It didn’t make sense.
“You’re no match for me, and you know it!” I spat at the beast, holding my katana in one unsteady hand, trying to look menacing. Even as I did so, I could feel my grip giving way. This had to end fast.
The dogs whined again, and I swung my blade in a move meant to finish the one before me but stopped short about halfway through.
“Mon ami!” A voice shouted from behind me, breaking my concentration.
A broad grin crossed my lips. It was Sevin. That French fool was standing in the doorway to Mei’s, grinning at me like an idiot. Yuri was next to him, blowing on a dog whistle. So that’s what had caused the creatures to stop attacking. It made so much more sense now.
“Sevin! Yuri!” I cried. “Aren’t you two a sight for sore eyes?”
“Just get in here, lunkhead!” Sevin shouted, beckoning me forth.
I didn’t need a better invitation. I snubbed my nose at the dog-thing one last time, then turned and sped across the street. Once I was through the doorway, Yuri stopped blowing on the dog whistle while Sevin shut the door behind us.
We walked down the steps in silence. I had always loved Mei’s bar a little too much, but it had never felt as safe to me as it had in that moment.
There was a funny thing about Mei’s bar. If you weren’t welcome, you couldn’t even spot the entrance. I didn’t know how she’d accomplished it. Must be part of her dragon magic or something. At any rate, we’d be safe from any police or dogs that might want to harm us. For the rest of the night, at least.
At the bottom of the steps, Rick greeted us. He still looked a little shaken and ashen and was clutching that briefcase of his like his life depended on it, but he was otherwise unscathed.
When I saw that briefcase, my hand went instinctively to the back of my head, where a nice bruise was forming from where he’d smacked me in the alleyway.
“Rick! Buddy! I’m glad you made it.”
He nodded slightly, apparently still mostly mute. I guess I couldn’t blame the guy. He’d been through a lot in the last half a day or so.
“What’s in that case of yours anyway?” I asked him, flashing him a smile.
Rick’s eyes went down to his briefcase, and he laid it gently on the counter like it held some sort of bomb or something. He flicked a switch on the case, and it flung open, revealing a rather large stack of papers.
“My life’s work,” he said through gritted teeth. “All of my research on ancient cultures.”
I frowned slightly. “That bad, huh?” I put a hand on his shoulder. “It’s okay, I understand. The publishing world is fickle.”
That was the final straw. Rick decked me. He balled his hand into a fist and laid into my jaw as hard as he could.
I staggered back a half step and my jaw tingled a bit, but that was it. Warrior, Rick was not. “Hey! What was that for?” I demanded.
Rick shook his head and rolled his eyes. “You’re a dick, Damian, you know that?”
“True.” I flashed him another grin. “But a dick that saved your life tonight. That should count for something, right?”
I heard Yuri and Sevin snicker in the corner. Rick looked at me deadpan for a moment, then he burst out laughing.
“What did I say this time?” By this point, I was thoroughly confused, but the tension in the room had gone down dramatically, so it was worth it to me. I let the matter drop. “Sevin, Yuri, what are you two doing here?” I asked, turning my attention to them.
Frenchie shrugged. “We couldn’t let ze case drop, mon ami. We are just as upset at Mei’s disappearance as you are.”
I nodded. “Makes sense. So, have you found any clues yet?”
Sevin’s eyes grew dark, and he lowered his gaze.
I walked over to him and put my hand on his shoulder. “Hey, it’s okay. We’ll find her. Don’t worry.”
“Who’s Mei?” Rick asked.
I spun around to look at him. “Who’s Mei?” I groaned. “Don’t you remember me telling you earlier about the dragon that’s gone missing? That’s her.”
Rick rolled his eyes again. “Oh yeah. The ‘dragon’.” There was a heavy hint of disdain in his tone.
“She’s every bit as real as you, dude,” I fired back. “And a far better looker, to boot. Plus, she’s the reason you’re safe right now.”
Rick’s eyes narrowed. “What’s that supposed to mean?”
“Look around you.” I motioned with my hands to encompass the room. “This bar. It’s a safe place for weary travelers. It’s Mei’s place. If this weren’t here, we’d still be on the streets as prey to those dog-like things.”
Which left a nagging thought in my head. If people who bore ill will toward the patrons couldn’t find the bar, then how had Lanky Guy managed to sneak in and kidnap Mei? It was something I was going to have to ask her after I rescued her.
If I rescued her.
Rick put his hands on his hips. “Those things only came at us because you killed a man!” His cheeks were starting to burn crimson and his eyes had that wild look to them again.
“Only because he was trying to kill you first!” I spat, wagging a finger at him.
“I-” Rick paused for a second. His eyes were darting about, like he was trying to remember something, and he had his finger raised, pointing at me. Then all at once, his face went slack, and his hands dropped to the side. “Fair point,” he said at last. “But that wouldn’t have happened either, if you hadn’t involved me in this whole stupid thing to begin with.”
I stroked my chin for a second. “That’s also a fair point. I… I’m sorry.”
Rick’s lips curled into a smile for a half second, then he nodded. “Thank you.”
It was obvious he was still trying to process everything, but the apology seemed to help him feel at least a little bit better. It was a start.
“What happened out there?” Yuri’s voice boomed across the room.
I turned to face the big guy. “It’s a long story. Remember that half-naked guy I killed the other night?”
“You killed two men?” It was Rick, but I shushed him.
“Remember that cloth I found on him? Well, I took it to good old Rick here to translate. I guess the guy’s friends didn’t like that too much, as they tried to kill him in turn.” I placed a hand on my chest. “Fortunately, I intervened just in time.”
“So this is your friend Richard?” Sevin asked. He looked the small man over.
“Friend?” Rick balked. “I wouldn’t go that far.”
“Hey, you should be nicer to Sevin here,” I said. “It’s because of him that I even knew you were in danger. His clairvoyance really came in handy.”
“Clairvoyance?” There was that sense of distaste in Rick’s voice again. “Whatever, you’re all maniacs. When the coast is clear, I’m moving to Ohio!”
“Really, Rick?” I knew the guy was a doubter, but he was really starting to get on my nerves. “After everything you saw in the past few hours - a near invincible killer, being chased by dobhar-chus, being saved by a mysterious bar you’d never seen before, all of it, you still doubt my story?” I folded my arms over my chest. “Come on, Rick. Not even you are that thick.”
“Dobhar-chu?” Rick repeated. His eyes took on a sense of wonder for a second.
I nodded. “Mm-hm.”
“Hmm,” he said, looking away for a second.
I could see the wheels in his head turning. He’d obviously heard the term before, and he’d gotten a good look at those creatures, too. Certainly, he’d have to know I wasn’t lying about that part.
“Fine,” Rick said after another moment of chewing on it. “I’ll admit that there’s something strange going on around here, but not that magic and mythical beasts are involved. There’s always a scientific explanation. For everything.”
It wasn’t much, but I took it.
“There’s a good lad,” I said, patting him on the shoulder. “Now, wha
t do you say we celebrate with a cold drink?”
Rick blinked at me. “What now?”
“Come on, Rick, don’t tell me you don’t drink, either?”
He stood up a little straighter, trying to look as tall and haughty as he could. “Of course I drink. I just only do it when I’m celebrating a major achievement.”
“Uh huh,” I said as I went around to the other side of the counter and started rummaging around in Mei’s cabinets, looking for something. “Well, I’d say surviving an assassination attempt is worth it, eh?”
“Humph,” Rick said. “I… I guess so.”
My eyes spied a mini fridge, and I flung it open to reveal the most amazing sight in existence.
“Aha!” I said, pulling it free and brandishing it for all to see.
Rick’s eyes narrowed. “Is that Tiller’s Ridge Mudslide ice cream?”
“The one and only.” I flashed him another grin while I fished around in the sink for a couple of clean spoons. Tiller’s Ridge was a family-owned dairy farm out in Oregon. They had the best ice cream and butter on the planet, bar none. “Want some?”
“Do I ever!”
The four of us spent a moment relishing in the small victory of ice cream, saying nothing. Each bite was better than the last. There really is nothing smoother out there than Tiller’s Ridge. Worth every penny, I tell you.
Plus, I finally knew the secret to how Mei’s Kahlua Mudslides were so creamy. Not that I’d tell anyone, of course.
“So, Rick, what was it you were trying to tell me on the phone earlier?” I asked him when the container was almost empty.
“Oh, that,” he said, licking his spoon clean. “It was about that cloth you’d given me. The one you took from someone’s dead body.”
Those last words were said with a bit too much judgement for my taste, but the ice cream served to keep my nerves calm.
“Let’s skip over that part. What about it?”
He frowned. “Can I see it again?”
“Oh, of course!” I rummaged around in my pocket and produced the cloth, then handed it to him.
“The inscription,” Rick said, adjusting the glasses on his face. “It struck me as particularly odd, given that the writing seemed recent. But in light of recent events…” his voice trailed off.