Mills Upset

I wake up uncuffed and sitting in a chair. Across from me is a very upset Mills, two armed guards, and some fuzzy blurs in my vision that are tangoing with the lamp. I miss my regeneration powers. “So glad you could join us,” Mills says. I just sag forward and try to adopt my best ‘I just got the shit beaten out of me twice’ expression. It isn’t too hard. “What we have here, Shade, is what we like to call in the police world ‘probable cause’. What that means is there are times when you can take action if a person gives you a reason to do so. An example might be someone…oh, tipping off a group of vampires that they’re about to be busted. Particularly if they did it right…fucking…in front of you. This cause is so probable, in fact, that I’ve hesitated from putting a bullet in your brain on the sheer, barely believable chance that maybe you have an explanation for this,” Mills says. He stands up from his desk and gets a cup of water out of the cooler near him. “Because the thing is Shade, I don’t just need that explanation. I need a couple. I want to know, for example, where my Vampire Falcon is. He vanished and you’re the last person to talk to him. And maybe you could go over what you told those freaks about us inside that warehouse. Or perhaps, you might consi-“ he continues. A guy can only talk so many sarcastic lectures before you’ve just heard them all. Right now my quota was already one over bearable. “What you need to know is if I’ll consider telling you where your Book is before every vampire in the city turns you into dinner,” I say. The look on his face tells me I stole the fifth act right out from under him.

More Threats

“Well?” Mills asks. “I don’t know. What with the mortal coil I started wearing they don’t trust me anymore,” I shoot back. I innocently check my pockets for cigarettes. They took the gun and everything else. At least they’ve got that going for them. “What were you doing in there?” he asks. “Keeping you idiots from getting killed. I know vampires and I know when they’re acting funny. I recognized one of the guys and decided to do things the old fashioned way,” I reply. Mills balls up the cup and throws it in the garbage. It’s annoying because after watching him I suddenly feel thirsty. “And what would the old fashioned way be?” he asks. “I asked him,” I reply. Apparently jokes about the obvious don’t go over well with Mills because he backhands me right over my rosy cheek. “Now you listen to me, you sick son of a bitch. I never wanted you here. I’d have killed you back at the warehouse if it weren’t for Agent Ferris stopping me. I’d have killed you when they brought you in too, three months ago. So start acting like the piece of shit you are and talk,” he snarls. The blood is back in my mouth and I find myself wishing everyone would stop using violence to get information out of me. At least the Nod worshippers had a friend trick me into it. “I don’t owe you a fucking thing, Mills. I don’t owe you or any of these corny Paladin bastards anything. I was one step from the hangman dance when I was hired. So either shoot me or start calming down, but don’t think for a second death threats phase me,” I yell back. He sits down, still glaring at me, and watches me while I pour myself a cup of water. “If you want the Book back, you need to listen to me very carefully. Because without that wad of paper, killing me would be the last happy moment of your life,” I say.

Find the Book

“So. Where’s the book?” Mills says again. “I don’t know. But I can guess who does. Between the guy I recognized and the Guild of Nod, someone picked it up. They jacked the book but something made it get complicated. The Nod worshippers might have it. My friend might have it. Shit, the werewolves might’ve picked it up if one of the slaves got uppity,” I explain. Mills rolls his eyes and one of the guards snorts. I recognize him as the guy I punched. “They’re all vampires and freaks. What difference does it make?” he mutters. “The difference is saving you the trouble of beating up another guy who doesn’t know the answer.” I shoot back. Mills is drumming his fingers across the desk. “Fine. You hit the streets and figure it out. I’m gonna have two men following you at all times. As soon as you figure out where the damn book is, you call me and let us take over. You’re not off the hook but it might make things a bit more favorable between us,” Mills explains. “No way. Any meat following me is either going to get slurped or label me as trouble. These guys aren’t dumb, they’re used to staying underground and I’m far from full proof. Tender face and all that,” I say while pointing to my mortal cheek. It gets quiet in the office as Mills thinks it over. I can hear the clock ticking. I think about asking him for some cash for smokes and a bottle, but then again I can take the time to mourn later. “Fine. We’ll try it your way, but don’t think I don’t have ways of finding you. Just one thing Shade. Why are you doing all this?” he finally asks. Ah, the big question. The one I didn’t have much of an answer to until just a few hours ago. I thought about telling him what happened to the kid. But it would’ve just made extra heat. “It was this or the noose. It makes the time in-between a little more interesting,” I reply. His eyes narrow at the sarcasm and I can tell he was hoping for something that would explain more. He hands me back my gun. “Any idea what happened to the kid?” Mills asks. “Not a clue. Maybe he went back to Kansas to ask the pastor to cure him. It’s nice to think so,” I reply.

Ferris Helps Out

I step outside the office and sitting in a chair outside is Ferris looking tall, blonde, and anxious. She seems relieved when she sees me and walks up with an offered cigarette. Maybe I should tip off vampire raids more often. “What did they say? What’s going to happen?” she asks. I don’t see the harm in speeding up the discovery process, so I fill her in on the deal with Mills. She asks me what my first move is going to be and after taking a drag on my smoke, I decide it’s go home and drink until inspiration hits. “Let me give you a ride then. I never should’ve left you in that car. What happened to your cheek? Did Mills do that?” she asks. Its been a long time since anybody mothered over me. I’m not idiotic enough to think that Ferris has suddenly taken a liking to former vampires, but I could use the ride and I figure Mills is just using her to keep an eye on me. It’s a pretty set of eyes. I tell her all about my lack of a plan as we head to her car. It’s the same one from before. “I should’ve told you what was going on last night, but I didn’t know how you would react to the news about the book. It’s incredible, no evidence, no one even missing. They just walked in and the box was gone. That’s why Mills was so trigger happy and I wanted someone to question, in case the book wasn’t in there. Now all we’ve got is you,” Ferris says as we drive down the highway. The wind is in her hair and I find myself looking at that more than listening to her. They’re in a real jam. Everyone is, it seems. I point at the liquor store and pick up a bottle of bourbon. It always gets the gears working when I need an idea. Ferris offers to come upstairs and help me think.

Den Mothers

I appreciate professional dedication, but seeing Ferris sit in the fold-out chair that compromises one of the four pieces of furniture in my apartment surpasses all expectations. We both sip bourbon out of a paper cup and she has a notepad out in front of her. I think she catches me eyeing her legs. “I’m here to make sure you work, Shade. I can appreciate your needing a drink but right now that book is the most important thing. We need it back,” she says firmly. “What happens if they burned it?” I ask flatly. Her eyes narrow and she bites her lip. “I don’t know. There won’t be much to do if we can’t kill vampires,” she remarks. Ah, her bit about helping the Paladins because they gave her a chance to kill my former kind. “Can I ask you something? It’s been coming across my mind a lot lately. If you could go back, would you?” I finish my cup of bourbon and pour myself a second. Her eyes drift to the window. “When I was a little cub, they told me I was a…there isn’t a word for it but I guess princess gives you the idea. Runs in front of the pack. That all changed, when the Den Mother was captured by vampires,” she says, “The males were forced into service as agents. Truth detectors and assassins. The women were made to do…unspeakable things. We became a risqué, a fetish amongst those self-righteous scum.” Her voice is cracking a little and I’m a bit stunned at her being so honest. For just a second, she looks vulnerable. The Den Mother was the family head of a wolf clan. Women were considered the rulers of werewolf groups because they were the originator and controller of the bacteria that made the group’s lycanthropy possible. If you killed her, which took a lot of work but was possible, then the rest of the clan’s strength and abilities would collapse. Take the Den Mother hostage and the rest of the clan had no choice but obey. If they didn’t, they risked being turned human again. “I’m sorry. The enslavement had nothing to do with me or the Enlightenment. That was the Guild of Nod’s doing. We never sanctioned abusing people like that and I’m sorry,” I finally say. It was nice for the truth to be appropriate for once.

Staying Human

Since werewolf clans were relatively few and far between, the Guild of Nod had simply taken control of the major ones by appropriating their Den Mothers. It had been this way for about two decades and was one of the many enmities between the Enlightenment and the Nod Worshippers. I say one because although there was a lot of disapproval, we had never exactly cared a whole lot either. Ferris stiffens when I touch her shoulder and I can tell it’s time to pull back. “I believe…I think Fenrir will take his vengeance on the vampires. I think that the Book comes from his power and someday I hope to use this organization to free the Mother,” Ferris explains, “So if being human and helping them will do that, then no. I do not wish to change that. How about you, then? Do you wish you were a vampire again?” Now it’s my turn to look out the window. I think about all those times I tried to convince the kid to take a slurp and wonder about the relief I suddenly feel that he never did. But that isn’t really a ‘no’ either. “I wish that being either one didn’t change anything. That once I stopped being vampire everything I did to stay alive back then would still be the same now. But it isn’t. If I was a vampire again, I’d probably forget all this stuff. Having my jaw busted, worrying about dying, caring about what another person thinks. But I don’t know if I would for certain. That’s why I wouldn’t want to do it, not without knowing for sure I could forget these feelings. I don’t think I could stand being immortal while at the same time knowing there is this hidden world underneath it. Does that make sense?” I ask. Ferris looks at me and smiles. “It sounds like you’re just scared you’d be lonely,” she responds.

Interrupted Kiss

I’m a bit taken aback at that one but maybe there’s something to it. The kid has been gone a full day and I’m finding myself wishing I had something to do besides find where the dumb Book is. It was nice having someone ask me about myself, I guess. “I guess we both kinda have that in common,” I say. Ferris raises an eyebrow at that one and reaches to pour herself another drink without answering. It isn’t exactly a solution to finding the Book but I can think of some ways Ferris might help me think. She purses her lips and finally says, “Maybe so. But…it is not so bad knowing that I’m still helping Fenrir’s will. Every pig vampire that dies is one less for my kind to deal with,” she replies again. The werewolf religion was a weird one, I couldn’t follow it any better than I could the Nod Worshippers. But I guess anyone gets offended at being controlled with fear. “Is that really enough? Just feeling good at the end of the day because of your God? I just don’t see what it’s for. I was happy just to have a reason to get up. Just to have somebody give a shit if I was there or not was nice. Don’t you need…other things?” I shoot back. She sighs and picks up her purse to leave. “The other things are hard,” she comments stiffly. When you’re this far along with innuendo, there’s no point in not giving it all a try. I put my hand over hers and give it a squeeze. We both move forward in a rush and our lips meet, she’s soft but her grip is tense. The other things are hard when you don’t have someone else who understands. I’ve just gotten a grip on her waist that’s comfortable for me when my eyes half open and I spot a flicker of movement in the window. I almost don’t break the kiss, it has been so long. But when I see the person outside my window flash back faster than a human could ever move, it has to be done. Someone who isn’t mortal is watching me.