by M. H. Bonham
I closed my eyes. “It isn’t fair to torture a creature for something he has never done.”
“Something he has never done in our time. But in prior iterations of the Universe, he has brought our destruction. Remember that.”
~ * ~
It took a better part of the afternoon to get the victims out of the mine. Just like Eir said, the Normals remembered that the Drow killed their family members and by closing the Gateway, I had destroyed part of the tunnel. Taking the kids up in the body bags were the worst, but we got through it and Duncan found that the reports were already written up and in the central computers—all with the appropriate timestamps.
Sometime during it all Salazar picked up a shitload of Big Macs from the local McDonalds. My relatives were delighted with the fast food and ate at least two of the all-beef patties, special sauce, lettuce, cheese, pickles, onions, on a sesame seed bun. The jingle stayed in my head for at least an hour after we chowed down on the sandwiches, while we were getting the people medical care and statements from them.
It was nearly sundown when we finished up and I collapsed in the back seat of Elryn’s Dodge pickup with Luna curled up beside me like a warm puppy. I had given her a brief recap of our adventures and how we ended up bringing two Dark Elves with us. Nana and Li’alla fascinated Luna and she had asked them dozens of questions while we were evacuating the tourists. By the end of the afternoon, she approved of my Dark Elven relatives and told me she really liked Li’alla. I hugged her, wondering how her pack would look at us getting more serious, even though I had no desire to become were. My life was complicated enough without having to control the impulses the full moon brought to those with the Lycan virus. Just looking at Luna and her inability to control her constant shifting was enough to convince me.
Plus now I got promoted to the ranks of the Denver Wizard Task Force or DWTF, thanks to the help of the Denver Wolfpack and the Vampire community. That probably would make me a Wizard Under Training or WUT. No, the irony of the acronyms was not lost on me.
The weather had gone from sunny and warm to cold and gray. Hey, that’s Colorado for you. If you don’t like the weather, wait five minutes. Even so, I hadn’t expected the sudden drop in temperature and the snowflakes that caressed the outside of the Dodge. I was mighty glad Luna was in her more furry state as she felt like her own nuclear reactor when it came to heat. In other words, I could get used to this. Her warmth lulled me to sleep as I wrapped my arms around her body.
“Hey kids! Wakey, wakey!” Tuzren appeared next to us and sat on the driver’s side headrest.
“Beat it, Tuz. I’m dead.” I shoved my face deep into Luna’s fur. Luna didn’t even move.
“Look guys, I’m sorry, but your relatives and the Valkyrie need rides. And they’re not going in the bed of the truck. It’s too damn cold to have anyone ride there.”
I looked up. “I thought Sigrún was with Duncan.”
“She is, but Duncan and Salazar are going to be late to the meeting we’ve scheduled at Trader Vic’s. Plus I think she’d rather stay with us in the Tiny House than get cramped in Duncan’s cabin.”
I looked up at the demon. “We have a meeting at Trader Vic’s?”
“Yeah, Luna thought it’d be best if we planned everything over a good dinner.”
I scratched my head. “How many people are we talking about sharing the Tiny House?”
“Well, there’s you and me, Nana, Li’alla, and probably Sigrún. Unless you want Luna to stay with you…” He waggled his eyebrows knowingly. “Oh, and probably Elryn…”
“Elryn?” I glanced up at him. “Doesn’t she have her own home?”
“I don’t think so…” The demon looked up to ponder the question. “I think she came down from Alfheim and has been bunking with friends or staying in hotels. I don’t think she stays on Earth much.”
“So, we’re talking a minimum of seven people?” I blinked. I had gone from a loner to a hotel in no time.
“Can the Tiny House handle that many?”
I sighed. “Yeah, I don’t think it minds creating more rooms. It’s really quite happy when I have visitors. But how are we going to fit that many in the truck?”
“It’ll be cramped, for sure. Hey, you want to see if that Jeep is still available?”
“Might as well. Maybe we’ll get a deal on it.”
Luna murmured something in her sleep and I gently tapped her shoulder. “Hey kiddo, we’ve got to get up because the others are joining us.”
She opened her brass colored eyes and smiled, showing a little bit of her fangs. “I wish we had more time to sleep. It sounds like we’re going to be packed in.” She straightened up and yawned; her mouth showing impressive canine teeth instead of human dentition. I climbed out of the truck and Luna followed. Immediately we were hit with a blast of cold wind and I pulled my jacket closer and zipped it up. Luna gave herself a good shake, starting from her shoulders and running down her body, dusting me with the snowflakes that had landed on her.
Elryn walked out with the Dark Elves and Valkyrie and frowned when she counted our numbers. “Sheesh, we’re going to be packed in with seven.” She glanced at Tuzren, who was now sitting on my shoulder. “Thankfully you’re back to your normal size.”
At that moment, Loki strolled out of the Gold Nugget Mine Visitor Center. We had not seen him since we left Mengloth, which meant he had just made his appearance, or he had stayed invisible while we did all the hard work.
In other words, a typical god.
Don’t get me wrong, gods can be very helpful. Eir, for example, found a way to cure Elfshot using my synthesized DNA. Both Duncan and Elryn wouldn’t be alive if it hadn’t been for Eir. But most gods don’t get involved, unless it directly affects them, like the start of Ragnarok.
He looked up at the gray sky thoughtfully.
Elryn’s expression grew dark as she watched the trickster god walk toward us. “What do you want, Loki?”
“To join you all, of course.” Loki looked amused at Elryn’s glower like a new dog owner hearing a puppy growl while shaking a soft toy.
“My truck is full. Find your own ride.” She crossed her arms and glared at the god. “In fact, it’s overfull.”
“Loki could ride in the truck bed, if he’s so inclined,” Nana said. “I’m sure he’ll find it as comfortable as Thor’s chariot, and it has a lot more room.”
“Ha, ha.” Loki glared at her. “I’d figure a Drow would come up with that solution.”
“Don’t you dare call us Drow…” Li’alla stepped forward, hand menacingly on her knife.
I stepped between the two. “Look, Loki, can’t you just go where we’re going using whatever magic you can use to pop in and out?”
“I could, I suppose. But it’s more fun riling them up.” He gave me a sly smile.
I lowered my voice. “Could you save your mischief for another time? This is, after all, Ragnarok we’re dealing with.”
“Oh, I suppose.” He feigned pouting. “Where are we going?”
“To Trader Vic’s in downtown Denver.”
“Right.” He popped out.
I took a deep sigh. I was so not looking forward to working with the trickster god.
Chapter Eight
Somehow we managed to fit three Elves, a human, a werewolf, a demon, and a Valkyrie in a Dodge crew cab. Yeah, a tight fit especially when the Valkyrie refused to remove her armor or weapons and put them in the hidden compartment Elryn had installed in her truck. She did, however, unbuckle her sword belt so she could climb into the truck and insisted that she hold her weapons across her lap. It was an uncomfortable ride, to say the least, as we drove through Idaho Springs.
“Look! There’s that Jeep we saw!” Luna’s nose was pressed up against the fogged up window when we passed it by.
Surprisingly, Elryn pulled over and stopped. Maybe it had to do with the demon practically in her ear and the fogged up windows. “You want to check it out?”
“Yeah.
” I was doubtful I could afford it right this moment with my credit card maxed from Tuzren’s purchases. Still it was a nice Jeep from what I could see. I walked up to the Jeep and looked it over. It was a black CJ7, which made it a cool find, assuming I could buy it. It was a hard top, which was perfect for Colorado winters and looking at the interior showed me that it was in excellent condition. Even its tires looked new. The Jeep was definitely something I could use, even if it wasn’t powerful enough to tow the Tiny House. But come to think about it, the Toyota 4Runner had been completely underpowered for that. Maybe I could remember how to engage the Tiny House’s propulsion and get it to move on its own power…
“Can I help you?” A man stuck his head out of the door to the house. He looked in his fifties with thinning brown hair and wore a brown flannel jacket and blue jeans.
“I was just checking out your Jeep CJ.” I slipped my arm around Luna’s waist subconsciously, wondering what he would say about a partially-turned werewolf.
“It’s a beautiful Jeep.” The guy walked out and shrugged on a coat. “Damn Colorado weather. It was supposed to be clear and sunny.” He looked completely unfazed that I had a werewolf and a demon with me. “By the way, I’m Alan Kenney.”
“I’m Bob Ironspell and this is my girlfriend, Luna. And my friend, Tuz.”
Alan smiled. “Pleased to meet you all. My grandma was a shifter, but I didn’t get the genes or the virus for it. Are you that officer, Ironspell, who saved everyone from that gas?”
“Yes, he is.” Luna spoke before I could. “He wrecked his truck trying to get to the source of the toxin.”
“Wow! Then, you definitely must have Grandpa’s old Jeep. It was his pride and joy.”
“I guess that depends on how much you’re asking.” I gazed at the Jeep longingly. Something about it was enticing. Maybe it was its rugged appearance, or maybe it because it appeared to be well cared for.
“I’ll tell you what. Since you’re the guy who saved our lives, you can have it free and clear.” Alan nodded. “I got the paperwork ready to go; all it needs is a name and signature.”
“Free?” Luna gasped.
“It’s a deal!” Tuzren said.
“Uh, I can’t take the Jeep from you without giving you something.” I stared at him.
“Listen, I’ve sold this Jeep to two different people—both Normals. They returned it and both claim the Jeep is haunted. Even when I told them they wouldn’t get their money back, they just didn’t care.”
“Haunted?” I looked back at the Jeep. “By whom?”
“My Grandpa. See, he loved this Jeep more than anything and cared for it. When he died of natural causes, he was sitting in the Jeep in the garage.”
“Well, that’s kind of creepy,” I muttered under my breath.
“Yeah, tell me about it.” Alan nodded. Apparently, he had gotten the shifter hearing despite being unable to change. “Anyway, Normals seem to get bad vibes from the Jeep—almost like Grandpa doesn’t want them to drive it. How do you feel about it just standing here?”
“Rather good,” I admitted. “But it’s not like I haven’t dealt with ghosts before.”
“Excellent!” Alan slapped me on the back. I nearly tumbled into the Jeep.
“Uh, well, yeah.” I paused. “So what did your granddad do? I see he was a Marine.” I pointed to the only sticker on the Jeep, which was in the window. It was a Marine Corp sticker with the slogan “Semper Fi.”
“Oh yeah, the Marine Corp was his total life. He hated retiring at 62. He would’ve stayed in the Marines until he died if he hadn’t been made to retire. After that, he got the CJ7 and worked on it all the time. Seriously, if you’re not having bad feelings about it, Grandpa wants you to have it.”
“It’s a hell of a deal.” Tuzren landed on my shoulder. “What was Grandpa’s name?”
“Master Gunnery Sergeant John H. Kenney.”
“A gunny, huh?” I looked at the Jeep again. I then glanced at Luna. “What do you think?”
“I love Jeeps.” She smiled with that wolfy smile of hers. “I think it makes you look tough and manly.”
And that was what sold me on the Jeep.
~ * ~
A half hour later after getting the title, Luna, Tuzren, and I were driving behind Elryn’s Dodge in my new-to-me CJ7. I got the distinct feeling that the car or the ghost was pleased with its new owner. Sort of a happy vibe that shimmered through the Jeep. Looking at it with magical sight, I could see a faint magic aura that I had seen when I spoke to Dr. Johann Henrik, the murdered dean at the University of Denver’s Wizardry and Alchemy Studies Department. The ghost was literally in the machine, but I certainly didn’t get a negative vibe. More like a positive and even playful one. It handled the new snow like it wasn’t even there.
“Wow! Did I tell you how awesome this Jeep is?” Tuzren alighted on my shoulder before jumping off to check out the back seats again.
“At least twenty times.” I snickered and glanced at Luna. “What do you think?”
“Tons better than getting squished in Elryn’s truck. I like your family, but not that much.”
“Yeah, I can see that. Let’s see if the radio can pick up any stations.”
“Okay.” Luna checked out the radio and turned it on. Suddenly the Marine Hymn blasted out of the speakers.
“From the Halls of Montezuma; To the Shores of Tripoli…”
She gasped and turned it down, only to have the volume jump up again.
“…We fight our country's battles; In the air, on land, and sea…”
“Turn it down! That’s way too loud!” Tuzren shouted.
“I’m trying!” Luna twisted the volume knob as the hymn blared.
“Turn it off!” I glanced at her.
She pressed the power button. Nothing happened. “I can’t!”
“…We are proud to claim the title…”
“It must be the ghost. Try the other stations.”
“Okay.” She switched stations.
“From the Halls of Montezuma…”
“Oh crap.” She punched more buttons.
“…To the Shores of Tripoli…”
I sighed. “Okay, John, we get that you’re here. Do you want me to pull over and abandon you?”
The music dropped in volume.
“Don’t make me. I’ll do it—we’ve got a ride in front of us…”
The radio shut off.
“So much for tunes.” I sighed. I didn’t think I’d need to argue with a ghost, but perhaps I would. I wondered what other music the ghost might like. If it even did like other music.
~ * ~
We followed Elryn’s Dodge RAM in silence down I-70 to 6th Avenue. The snow kept falling and pretty soon began covering the roadway. Luna fell asleep to the lull of the highway and Tuzren crashed out in the back seat, obviously exhausted from our adventures. The Jeep, despite its off-road capabilities, drove smoother than I expected. I had driven CJs before, and while incredibly good off road, aren’t that comfortable on the highway. To my surprise, this Jeep didn’t bounce us along. And it was doing well in snow. I wondered if it was the ghost helping to smooth things out a bit.
When we finally approached Santa Fe Avenue to turn north, Elryn made it through the traffic lights on a yellow. I put my foot on the brake, but I discovered we weren’t slowing down but speeding up. The Jeep downshifted.
“Semper Fi! Do or die!” A voice shouted, waking both Luna and Tuzren up in time to watch in horror as the Jeep careened through the red light at the full intersection, taking the left-hand turn and dodging a Prius and a Lexus as it spun through the intersection. Horns blared as we passed and I stomped on the brakes, only to have no effect.
“Oh my god!” Luna barked. Literally.
“What the hell?” Tuzren jumped on my shoulder and looked down to watch the shifter and clutch move without me operating them.
“It’s the ghost!” I held up my hands in dismay as the wheel completed our turn before we settled i
nto the left lane of Santa Fe, behind Elryn’s Dodge.
“Boo-ya!” The ghost shouted and I grabbed control of the wheel again.
I took several deep breaths and waited until my heartbeat dropped to somewhere around normal. “Shit!” I said. “You could’ve killed us, John!”
I could hear a chuckle.
“That’s not funny. I’m a cop. If I get pulled over…”
The chuckle turned into a guffaw.
“Look, I know you’re here because you like your Jeep, but when I’m driving, I’m in control, okay?”
The ghost didn’t reply.
Luna looked at me. “Well, that was unexpected.”
“No shit. He could’ve killed us.” I sighed.
I suddenly got the odd feeling of remorse and heard in my ear. “No sir! Won’t happen again, Sir!”
I glanced at Luna, who started chuckling. She had heard the ghost too. “Maybe he just wanted to have some fun.”
“Yeah, well, let’s not have his fun risk our lives in Denver traffic. Especially when it’s snowing.”
“Agreed.” Tuzren moved to the back seat again.
“Okay, John…” I spoke.
“It’s Gunny.” The ghost spoke in the typical Marine sergeant voice.
“Okay Grandpa Gunny.” I grinned at Luna, who flashed me a toothy smile. “Do that again and I’ll make you drop and give me twenty.”
“Can you do that to a ghost?” Tuzren asked.
I shrugged. “We’ll find out.”
“Yes sir! Won’t happen again, sir!” Gunny replied.
“It’s okay, Gunny. Just don’t do it again.” Luna looked around, unsuccessfully trying to see the ghost. “You like any music other than the Marine hymn?”
With that, the radio turned on. To my surprise, Gunny selected a classic rock station and Led Zeppelin’s “Immigrant Song” blared out of the speakers.
“…come from the land of the ice and snow…”
Luna gave me a thumb’s up and turned the volume down to a more manageable level.
~ * ~
After a less eventful drive, we turned into LoDo where Trader Vic’s resided. Trader Vic’s is a werewolf bar, plain and simple, but it pretty much caters to all Supes. You’ll hear me use the words, Normals and Supes a lot. There are the run-of-the-mill, average citizens, or Normals, and the rest of us, known as Supes or Supernaturals. The Normals know we exist, but most stay away from those Supes that don’t look close to human. That means they’re mostly accepting of magic users, Elves, Dwarves, shifters, and even vamps and Orcs, but they do tend to avoid the more wild and dangerous types. Many Normals still have prejudices, remembering a darker time when Supes were the stuff of nightmares.