Both Ways

by Ileandra Young

  “Fanger.”

  “Thought I smelled rot.”

  “Can’t say much now, but you’ve confirmed enough that I need to keep checking.”

  “You don’t sound happy about that.”

  “It’s my night off.”

  Wendy peers deeper into my eyes. “You should take it easy. You humans are so soft and breakable, training can only get you so far.”

  “I didn’t know you cared.”

  He snorts and walks back to the climbing frame. “The pack and I will do some sniffing around. Come back tomorrow.”

  * * *

  Halfway back to the bookshop, my mobile trills from the glove compartment. I pull over and press it to my ear. “Hello—”

  “Danika, thank God—where are you?”

  “Pip?”

  “Mum said you were attacked by vampires.”

  “How the hell did she know?”

  “Jackson called Mum to ask if you were okay, but of course she didn’t know anything about it.” Pippa’s voice is shrill and panicked, fast and breathless. “He told her what happened and she rang me and I rang you but no one was answering and we’ve all been worried sick—”

  “Steady, sis, calm down.” I make soothing gestures with my hands, even though she can’t see them. “I’m fine. Yes, there was a vampire, yes, I had to fight, but I dealt with it. Like always.”

  Long pause. And…a sob?

  “Pip?”

  “I was scared, Dani. I’m always scared for you, but you wouldn’t answer your phone…”

  My throat seizes up. “I’m sorry. I’ve been out on recon. My phone was in the car—”

  “I want to see you.”

  “Now?”

  Sniffle. “Later, then. Please come see me.”

  “Of course.” I switch the phone to my other ear to check my watch. “Breakfast, okay?”

  More sniffs. A honk like a goose and the rustle of tissues. “I love you, Danika.”

  “Me too, Pip. Sorry to scare you.”

  “It’s fine. And don’t worry about Mum, I’ll ring her. You get back to work or sleep, or whatever it is you’re doing.”

  “See you soon.”

  As I hang up and drive off again, I can’t help but wonder if I’ve lied to my sister.

  * * *

  Back at the bookshop, my vampire sits on the floor against the rear wall, knees hugged to her chest, eyes closed. Her lips move, but I’ve no idea what she’s saying, not until she stiffens and turns my way.

  “Hello, Agent.”

  I plant my hands on my hips. “Start talking.”

  “You verified what I told you?”

  “Humans vanishing from The Bowl. Lots of them. Even the werewolves have noticed, and they don’t care about anybody not covered in fur. So talk. How long have you been snatching humans? How many of you? Where are you based? Why aren’t you using Foundation blood stores?”

  She shudders and opens her eyes. “I—you’re not—”

  “Okay. Start slow, what’s your name?”

  “Rayne.”

  “And you’ve been a fanger for…?”

  “A month.”

  My jaw drops. That’s young for the levels of strength she showed earlier. “Who created you?”

  “I—I—”

  I pause to stop the alarm beeping on my watch. If sunrise is that close, I need to be quick. “What’s your FID?”

  Blank stare.

  “The number they gave you when you registered.”

  “I don’t have—we never—I mean, we don’t—”

  “You’re not registered?” I grit my teeth. “Every new vampire is required, by law, to register with Clear Blood within three days of changing. They give you a number, log you to the system, and then, three times a week you visit them to get your blood.”

  Her eyes widen. “They give it to you?”

  “What do you think the Life Blood Serum is for?”

  Another bemused look.

  I tangle my hands in my locs. “Clear Blood uses it to extend the shelf life of all donations. Any samples deemed unsuitable for human medical procedures are then offered to vampires. You know, so they don’t run around snatching people off the street. Your maker must have told you this.”

  “We don’t talk much.”

  “Great.” A tic pulses below my left eye.

  I’ve never liked vampires, not since Dad, but I hold a high level of disgust for the ones who change humans then disappear without teaching or explaining. It’s as close to child neglect as an edane can get.

  “You keep saying we.”

  Rayne hangs her head. “I didn’t know. Back home we had nothing like this, vampires would just—” She sniffs. “But here, my family, they need food. We need to eat. So we bring a human each. Only bad ones, only cruel people. I didn’t know about the blood stores—”

  “How many of you?”

  “Please—”

  “How many?”

  “Twenty? Fifty? We’re not allowed to gather together so we’re based all over the city. There could as many as one hundred.”

  My chest and stomach fill with cold. “And none of you are registered?”

  She shakes her head.

  I sit on the floor. It’s that or fall.

  “Are you all right, Agent?”

  “Do I look all right?” Deep breath. “How long has this been going on?”

  Rayne offers an apologetic shrug. “I arrived a week ago.”

  “Have others been travelling into Angbec?”

  “Lots. For the past fortnight.”

  No wonder the missing persons figures have increased so sharply.

  My legs wobble as I stand. “Tell me everything. Every single detail about what you leeches have been doing.”

  She stares. The tiniest rim of silver leaks into her eyes before she blinks it away. “Please, please, believe me. I didn’t know. I would never have done these things if I knew there was another way.”

  “Prove it. Tell me who your creator is.”

  “I told you, she’s our queen. She runs everything, gives the orders, decides who feeds and when. She’s old, powerful, and—”

  “Name.”

  “It’s Vi—” Rayne’s eyes roll back in her head. A thick, shuddering gasp rushes from her lips. She slumps sideways like a sack of rocks and hits the ground on her face.

  “No!” I reach for the bars, just in time remembering the voltage running through them.

  Ten more seconds.

  A soft gong vibrates through the captivity space. The humming from the bars peaks, then dies.

  Sunrise.

  I’m into the cage in an instant, grabbing Rayne by the shoulders and shaking her. For the good it will do.

  She’s dead for the day.

  What the hell do I do now?

  * * *

  I’m still kneeling in the cell when Shakka returns. Rayne lies in front of me, boneless and limp, her eyes still freakishly open. I close them with the tips of my fingers.

  He stops outside the cell. “Did you get anything?”

  “She’s not registered. And neither are the others she hangs out with.”

  “How many?”

  “A lot.”

  Shakka’s eyes widen. He rubs his mouth and mutters something obscene in Goblin. Though I can’t follow it all, I know he understands. “What now?”

  “Wait until sundown, I guess. She can tell me then.”

  “How? She’ll be ooze well before then.”

  It takes me several seconds to catch up. “No. No, they can’t. She’s my only lead.”

  “She attacked a civilian.”

  “But all those unregistered vampires. I have to find out more.”

  Shakka wags a finger at me. “Whatever you’re thinking, don’t.”

  Am I so predictable?

  I dart out of the cell and to the end of the holding area where a storage cupboard hides behind a false wall.

  I drag it open and start riffling through, toss
ing aside sheets, pillows, overalls, and cleaning sponges. Right near the back, stacked neatly, is a pile of thick black body bags.

  “Karson, no.”

  I carry one to the cell, unzipping the heavy steel teeth as I go.

  “You can’t. What about logging the capture? Hello? Are you hearing me? Log the damn capture, or else it’s my neck on the line. Karson—”

  “Shut up.”

  “You’re risking disciplinary for a fanger. What’s the matter with you?”

  A couple of hours ago I would have asked the same thing, but this is bigger than me. Hauling one wild vampire off the street may be a good night’s work, but if there’s more?

  “Don’t you get it? These fangers could be anywhere, anyone. Without a FID, we’ve no way to capture, monitor, or even track one of these things.”

  “Don’t care,” he snaps. “Log her in, or I’ll do it.”

  “One night, Shakka. That’s all I need.” I lay the bag on the ground and open it fully. “She attacked Jackson Cobé. If I let them take her, she’s dead and my lead is gone.”

  “You humans don’t pay me enough.” He spits on the floor. “So you stick her in the bag, what then?”

  “I’ll figure it out.”

  “You’re insane.”

  I grab Rayne by the shoulders and begin to roll her.

  By the time I have Rayne in the bag, my arms and forehead are sheathed in a thin coat of cool sweat. The remains of my dress hang in further tatters. I’m sure Shakka is getting an eyeful, but I take comfort from the fact that I’m probably not his type.

  “Hey, Shakka, why is the door open? Everything okay?” This voice, familiar as it is unwelcome, reaches us from the area beyond the steel door.

  The goblin and I share a startled glance.

  I crouch over the bag, jamming Rayne’s arms and legs inside. “Stall them.”

  “How?”

  “Think of something.”

  Grumbling, Shakka waddles up the steps.

  I keep stuffing the bag.

  Sweat drips off the end of my chin, onto Rayne’s face. The salty droplets gather in the corners of her eyes, then spill over like tears. Her mouth is slightly open, pale tongue visible through the gap.

  I lean closer.

  Such smooth skin. Pale too, not vampire pale, but certainly paler than my Caribbean roots make me. A curl of dark hair fans across her forehead.

  Can’t remember ever being so close to a vampire I didn’t intend to kill. There’s an unsettling intimacy in seeing her like this, a powerful supernatural creature suddenly fragile and vulnerable.

  I could kill her. Right now. I could take one of the stakes from the weapons store—hell, a pencil would do—and shove it through her chest until the ooze starts to flow. It would be so easy. No doubt she deserves it too.

  Loud shouts float down the stairs. Growls. Something thudding and crashing, roaring.

  Later. When I have the information I need.

  Hiding places are sparse down here, but there is that storage cupboard. With one end of the body bag up on my shoulders, I drag the rest at an awkward half shuffle. The mess from my earlier search is still there, and I pull more junk down to make a pile on top of Rayne. Then I snatch a pair of overalls and hike the remains of the dress over my head.

  The steel door slams open.

  Through it stumble three SPEAR agents in full tactical gear, including Tasers, chains, and assault rifles. One carries a telescopic control pole and heaves hard on the end to tighten the noose.

  A huge winged beast bursts through the door, purple skin, scales, and barbed tail. Six feathered darts protrude from its chest and stomach, one wedged between small, solid breasts.

  “Okay now, steady. Take it through, you’re covered.”

  Noel follows after the gargoyle, his rifle aimed and steady. He moves on quick, light feet, his grip never wavering. Until he spots me. “Dee-Dee?”

  The gargoyle flicks out with its tail, the thick spikes clipping the rifle to send it spinning away across the holding area. The other three operatives move in, the one with the pole heaving up, then down. The beast crashes to the floor, snarling and spitting, wings beating up a whirlwind.

  Cursing, Noel dives after his rifle. He catches it on the ascent and swings the weapon round to aim and fire in one smooth motion.

  The tranquillizer hits the narrow strip of skin between jaw and shoulder, shuddering while the creature begins to slow. It roars again, this sound more frustrated than angry. A moment later, it slumps across the ground, breathing low and shallow.

  “Use the cell at the back.” Noel slings the rifle over his shoulder and dabs at the spots of blood on the back of his hand. “The big one. Make sure she has space. She’ll be pissed when she wakes, sí?”

  His teammates wrestle the gargoyle through the holding area, coordinating with a fascinating assortment of masculine grunts.

  I pull the overalls on over my underwear.

  “Dee-Dee, you changed your mind, sí? A fine treat for me after a long night’s work.”

  “I just wanted to see the garg.”

  He arches an eyebrow. “Naked?”

  “Why are you complaining? I thought you’d enjoy the view.”

  A grin. “Always, always, my dear. And what a view it is. The sight of your shapely beauty makes my passion swell.”

  “Passion? That’s what you call it?” My cheeks are hot, and my heart pounding, but at least his eyes are on me rather than the pile of crap at my feet. I finish buttoning the shapeless garment and search the lower shelves for boots.

  Noel leans against the wall beside me, his feet frighteningly close to the head end of Rayne’s body bag. “So you see the creature now, what do you think? A fine specimen, sí?”

  The other three operatives hurry out of the cell, the last one scooping his control pole to free the noose.

  “You’d know best, I guess. Did you catch the pups too?”

  He stares. “Pups?”

  I bite my lip. “She’s nursing. Couldn’t you tell?”

  “No one said anything about pups.”

  “Why do you think she put up such a fight? You put seven tranqs in her and she’s still eyeing you like she’s wondering what you taste like.”

  “Mierda,” he mutters. “Men, we go. There are more. Babies. We must find them.”

  His agents share startled glances.

  I sit to pull on a suitable pair of boots. “If it’s any consolation, there won’t be more than two. Gargoyles don’t tend to have litters bigger than that.”

  Noel’s face is a queer shade of green. He dashes up the stairs still yelling at the rest of his team, who follow sharing confused looks.

  Moments later, the screech of spinning tyres tells me I’m in the clear.

  Yay.

  * * *

  Shakka limps down the stairs a short while later, leafing through a thick stack of papers.

  “You call that stalling them?”

  He glares. “And how do I stall an eight foot mother screeching for her babes? Anyway, you survived, didn’t you?”

  “Barely.” I restack the shelves, uncovering Rayne’s body bag which hasn’t moved at all. “I need to get out of here before they get back. You helping?”

  The papers flutter as he waves them in my face. “I’ve got paperwork to do.”

  “You should be thanking me. If I’d logged the vamp, that pile would be twice as thick.”

  He gives a low, menacing growl.

  I keep my mouth shut and begin dragging the body bag towards the doors.

  Now I need to figure out if my car’s boot is light tight.

  Chapter Six

  Traffic is sparse on the drive back. Mercifully.

  A handful of close calls remind me how little sleep I’ve had, but somehow I make it home.

  I sit behind the wheel with the engine idling, watching the sky melt from rosy pinks into the paler blue of a crisp morning. Beautiful…if not for the vampire stuffed into the boot o
f my car.

  “Danika, there you are. I was so worried.” The voice, coupled with frantic tapping on my window, near sends me through the roof.

  “Jack?” I squint through the glass.

  He opens the door and crouches in the gap. “I got all the way home hating myself. I can’t believe I abandoned you out there, alone and helpless. Forgive me?”

  “I’m hardly helpless—”

  “Did you get backup? Were there more agents after I left?”

  I grip the steering wheel to keep my fingers off his throat. “I’m more than capable of handling a single vampire.”

  The wonderment in his eyes makes me grit my teeth.

  “But she was so strong. I’ve never seen a vampire so wild before—”

  “Why are you here?”

  He leaps to his feet and opens the door wider. “I know you spoke to Pippa, but Terri said she couldn’t rest until someone had seen you in person.”

  When the hell did Jack and my mother get on cutesy nickname terms?

  “I’m fine and—”

  “Good.” Jack grins. Since I last saw him, he’s changed his outfit, still tailored, still tight, but now pseudo-casual with hints of Eton boating club. Fresh make-up too, especially along the bottom of his jaw.

  “What about the vampire?” he whispers.

  Can’t help but glance over my shoulder. “I took care of it.”

  Nerves force me from the car and onto the pavement. Jack immediately grabs my hands. “You were amazing out there.”

  “We’re trained for this sort of thing.”

  “So all SPEAR agents are like you?”

  Can’t help but snort at that. Quinn would have a nervous breakdown.

  Jack chuckles with me, a rich, full-bodied laugh that doesn’t quite distract from the bemusement in his eyes.

  “Are you just getting home? You must be exhausted.”

  “It’s been a long night.”

  “I’ll walk you up.”

  “I don’t think that’s a great idea—”

  “It’s the least I can do, then I’ll reassure Terri that I’ve seen you safe and sound.” He grasps my arm, finger swirling on the end of my elbow.

  Again I glance at the back end of the car. It’s light tight, right? It has to be.