Kissing with Fangs

Chapter 2

As soon as the door closed, Claudia’s parents both began talking at once.

“Where were you?”

“Is he really your boss or your boyfriend?”

“What happened?”

Claudia held up both hands. “Whoa. Let me make some coffee first.”

“Oh, yes. Coffee would be nice,” her mother said. “I’m glad you haven’t forgotten your manners.”

Manners are all that’s keeping me from throwing you out the door.

While Claudia headed to the kitchen, her father said, “So, tell us why you moved from your other apartment. It was so much nicer.”

He dropped into her chair and a crunching noise surprised him. “What the…?” He popped back up and lifted the cushion.

Oh no. Now she knew where Anthony had stashed the empty beer bottles.

He pointed to the cracked brown glass. “What’s this? Some dangerous version of a whoopee cushion?”

Claudia felt her face heat. “Um, no. Of course not. I had a few friends over before Anthony surprised me with a visit. I just stashed the bottles there because I didn’t have time to clean up.” That sounds reasonable. She hoped they believed her, because it was the best story she had.

Meanwhile, her mother had made it to her kitchen and opened one of the pizza boxes. “It looks like you weren’t worried about impressing your friends. Really, Claudia. Pizza and beer? I thought we raised you to be more refined.”

She smiled. “Sorry, Mom.”

“And look at all these glasses in the sink…” Her mother was about to open the dishwasher, and only God knew where Anthony had stored the hard liquor.

“Mom, please! Get out of my kitchen.”

Her mother gasped. “Excuse me? I’m sure you can rephrase that to sound a little less churlish.”

“Sorry. I just—Please, sit on the couch with Dad and let me make you something to eat. You must be hungry after your long drive.”

“That’s more like it.” Her mother sniffed and turned on her heel, marching back to the living room.

Claudia usually liked apartments with an open floor plan so she could talk to guests while preparing food, but in this case, she’d rather stick them in another room—or another city—and gather her wits.

She opened the refrigerator, knowing there was precious little to offer anyone in there. Butter. Peanut butter. Jam. Cheese. She’d better find a way to make something edible. If not, she was toast. She bolted upright. Toast!

It wouldn’t impress, but it would fill their stomachs. If only I had time to run to the coffee shop. Ah! A brainstorm in her otherwise fuzzy mind formed a solution.

“Why don’t we all go to the coffee shop down the street? They have some lovely pastries…”

Her mother studied her with raised eyebrows. “You aren’t considering going out like that, are you?”

Claudia sighed. As usual, she couldn’t do anything right. “Well, we have a choice. I can get cleaned up and we can go out, or I can make PB and J, and grilled cheese sandwiches.”

Her father smiled. “With the crusts cut off?”

Her mother wrinkled her nose. “That’s hardly a decent breakfast.” She started to return to the kitchen. “Is that all you have?”

Claudia grasped her mother’s shoulders before she could reenter and spun her around. “I’ve been away…on a camping trip. That’s why I have no food and why you couldn’t get in touch with me. There’s no cell reception up in the Maine woods.”

Whew! Two explanations with one lie. She felt brilliant. Now if she could just down a gallon of coffee, she might make it through this inquisition—er, visit.

Anthony woke up in unfamiliar surroundings. Where the hell am I, and what is that stench? Then he remembered. He hadn’t made it back to his lair in time and had to resort to prying open a manhole and hiding in the sewer to accommodate his death sleep.

Now that it was evening again, he considered going back to Claudia’s, but he reeked. Besides, her parents might still be there. A long, steamy shower in his apartment sounded like a much better idea.

He climbed the ladder until he reached the manhole cover. Now to play “guess if anyone is up there or not?” He couldn’t use his sense of smell. That was compromised. Bloody hell, I might not get the disgusting smell out of my nose for days.

He lifted the lid slightly and listened. Noise of the city met his ears. Mostly traffic rumbling along the busy main drive a block away. He didn’t hear any clicking of shoes along the sidewalk, so he pushed the manhole aside and climbed out.

A couple of men who had apparently been leaning against a nearby building spotted him but said nothing. They simply stared as he straightened his lapels, stood tall, then strode off in the direction of his home with his head held high.

He was halfway home when he heard his name being called.

Maybe it’s another Anthony. He hoped so. He was close enough to the Italian North End for the name to refer to dozens of men.

“Hey, Anthony! Wait up.”

There was no mistaking the voice now. Tory Montana had caught sight of him. Even though Tory was quite a way off, he’d know that Anthony, with his vampiric senses, could hear him. I can’t very well pretend I don’t know one of my former best patrons.

Anthony swiveled around. Despite the darkness, he spotted the African American ex-linebacker jogging toward him. As soon as he’d spotted Anthony waiting for him, Tory slowed to a walk.

Almost five years ago, Anthony had been chatting with Claudia in his office when a loud crash came from the bar. Voices shouted and another crash followed.

They charged out of the office, tripping over each other. A bar brawl was in progress, with one gentleman clearly getting the worst end of it. The bouncer, Kurt, jumped between them and pushed. The guys stumbled back a few feet but came at each other with renewed vigor.

Anthony was removing his jacket when Kurt called out, “Stay where you are. I’ve got this.”

He took down the guy who reached him first and sat on him. Just as the other one was about to take advantage of the situation, another customer tackled the guy, rose, and tucked him under his arm like a football.

“Where do you want this one?” he asked Kurt.

Kurt got up and yanked his guy off the floor by his belt. “You toss that one out the back, and I’ll send this one headfirst out the front door onto the sidewalk.”

The helpful customer simply nodded, carried the stunned fighter to the back exit, opened the door, and tossed him into the alley.

Meanwhile, Kurt opened the front door, and despite the guy’s loud protest, did what he said he’d do…sent the other fighter sprawling onto the sidewalk.

As the helpful, yet unfamiliar, customer returned, Anthony stuck out his hand.

“Thanks for your help.”

“Anytime.” He grasped Anthony’s hand and shook it. “Are you the owner?”

“Yes. Anthony Cross. And you are?”

“Tory Montana.”

Someone at the bar whirled around on his stool and said, “Tory Montana. I thought you looked familiar. You played for the Steelers, right? What are you doing in Boston?”

Tory tucked his hands in his pockets. “House-sitting for friends. I’m flattered you remember me. I retired in 2006.”

“Seriously?” As the two customers began a conversation, Anthony strolled over to Kurt, who was setting a chair upright.

“What happened?”

Kurt shrugged. “To be honest, nothing. They just walked in here and started throwing punches like they’d already been having an argument.

Anthony lowered his voice. “Montana’s freakishly strong, if you know what I mean. Maybe we should invite him to the back booth for a free beer—and careful discussion.”

“I read you loud and clear, boss.”

And that’s how the coyote shapeshifter became Anthony’s second bouncer.

Returning from his memory, Anthony waited for Tory to shake his hand, but the shifter came to an abrupt halt and wrinkled his nose. “What’s that smell?”

Anthony sagged against a tree. “I was visiting Claudia in Cambridge this morning and couldn’t get home in time. I spent the day under the street.”

Tory’s eyes widened. “In the sewer?”

“It was the best option I had.”

Tory laughed. “So it would smell.” He held his nose but continued talking, with a nasal tone. “How’s Claudia?”

“She’ll be okay.” I hope.

“So, Cambridge, huh? Did you hear about the lab over there?”

“What lab?”

“Jesus. I thought you knew. Some of the werecops think there’s a secret lab over there doing testing on paranormals. They suspect that some kind of screwup exposed the existence of paranormals and caught the attention of a brainiac group. Now scientists are trying to capture as many as they can and study us like lab rats.”

“Shit. Where’s this lab located?”

“That’s just it. We don’t know. Nick Wolfensen heard about it from his cop buddies. He and Kurt Morgan have been looking for it but aren’t having much luck. As a wizard, Kurt can avoid capture pretty easily simply by becoming invisible or using that neat time-stopping trick he has, but with no leads…”

“I see. How can I help?”

Tory clapped a big hand over Anthony’s shoulder. “Just help yourself. Try to be as inconspicuous as possible.” He sniffed the air. “You might want to start by washing off that stink soon.”

“You’re not saying they could overpower a vampire…”

“I don’t know. They’ve found a way to disable weres long enough to get them to the facility.”

“How do you know this?”

“A paranormal they’d held for a while escaped. She told a couple of police officers who happened to be werewolves. Unfortunately, she didn’t know the area and couldn’t retrace her steps or give them much information. The cops didn’t take it too seriously at first because the scientists thought she was some kind of new animal. Then a few weres began disappearing.”

“Crap. Maybe they were seen shifting. That would alert a bunch of overachieving researchers.”

“You know how careful we are. I can’t imagine a bunch of paranormals suddenly getting sloppy enough to shift and get caught.”

Anthony doubted it too. Winding up as an experiment—prodded, probed, and possibly dissected—was every supe’s worst fear.

“Is there any pattern?”

“Like, do these disappearances happen only during the full moon or in a particular area?”

“Yes. Anything like that?”

“No. I wish it were that easy.”

“Where are you getting your information?”

“Mostly from Kurt and Nick. When he’s not helping the police, Nick’s been using his paranormal PI skills. Tracking, mostly. His reputation is growing, but I doubt anyone suspects him of the breach. He’s always kept our population strictly on the down low.”

“What about his wife? Brandee was human. Could she have spilled the beans?”

“Nick insists she absolutely did not. And why would she? If anything happened to Nick, she’d be devastated.”

Anthony nodded. “That’s true. Besides, she proved herself trustworthy long ago when he revealed our world to her. So what do we do?”

“Nothing. Let Kurt and Nick investigate first. If they need our help, they’ll ask.”

“If those two are on the case, it’s only a matter of time before they find the facility. We can breathe a little easier—not that I breathe much.”

Then Anthony remembered how secretive he’d been about his lair’s location. Other paranormals were the same way. How could Nick or Kurt find them if they needed help? “I guess the best thing I can do is rebuild our meeting place as quickly as possible. We need to communicate with each other, and there’s strength in numbers.”

Tory grinned. “I was hoping you’d say that.”

Maynard peered into his microscope and studied the fish scales from the merman’s tail. Said merman was hanging over the side of his giant fish tank, glaring at him.

“That hurt, you know.”

Maynard tried to ignore him.

“How would you like it if I scraped a piece off your leg and stuck it on a glass slide?”

When Maynard didn’t answer, the specimen continued talking. Indeed, he had to think of these creatures as impersonally as possible to do what was necessary. A Nobel Prize omelet wasn’t made without breaking a few eggs. Hmmm…I wonder if the mermaids lay eggs in the water and the males spread their sperm over them. I’m not going to ask where his dick is.

“I was minding my own business, just enjoying a swim in the harbor. Who are you to throw a net over me and bring me here?”

“Shut up, fish.” Maynard took a break from his microscope long enough to pull his hair back and secure it with an elastic band.

“I have a name. It’s Jules. Jules Vernon. Please use it.”

Using the specimen’s name would make the work a lot harder. Maynard had no problem studying cells from rodents, but this was a man—sort of—and one of the most important discoveries ever made. Maynard had to document scientific data to prove he’d found a whole new species. Ever since the invention of computer graphics, a documentary wouldn’t do it.

The merman had proved useful, at first. He tried to buy his way out of captivity by giving up what he knew of other paranormal species. Now Maynard and a few trusted scientists like himself worked night and day to capture as many of these “paranormals” as they could find.

Who knew so many unique creatures were living right under their noses? His work could explain how ancient legends came about. He’d often wondered if these persistent stories had any basis in fact. But he’d be a laughingstock if he made claims of vampires and shapeshifters without solid proof.

“Aren’t you going to feed the others?” Jules pointed to the cell at the end of the room.

He felt bad about the woman and her young son who claimed not to be vampires but said they needed blood to live. “Yeah, right. What do you want me to do? Walk in there and expose my neck?”

The merman smirked. “Sure. Why not? All in the name of science, right?”

Maynard snorted. The alleged vampires were beginning to look a bit gaunt and weak, but it seemed like the best way to keep them docile. The researchers had tossed a pig in there a couple days ago and after the mother and son had fed on it, practically draining it dry, they were suddenly much stronger. For a few moments, Maynard wasn’t sure the iron bars would hold them.

The naked men in the unbreakable glass cell were just as difficult to manage. They were super strong too, which is why the scientists were using the gorilla room to hold them. They’d refused to transform but had been caught in the act of going from canine to human. Fortunately, none of these creatures seemed able to shake off a Taser on a high setting.

The merman was right. It was time to feed the specimens, but Maynard didn’t dare do it without help. As soon as one of his colleagues arrived, they could handle it together.

Sadie was the only one who knew where Anthony’s lair was located. She entered the Chinese restaurant, nodded to the woman behind the counter, and ambled into the kitchen at the back. The two cooks preparing food stopped and bowed slightly as she walked past, and she returned the respectful gesture.

Anthony had chosen this part of town to hide his scent from Ruxandra. Among the exotic spices and cooking odors, even the most astute nose could become confused. Moreover, there was a ready supply of animal blood nearby.

He had a sweet setup. During the day, he occupied an unused, completely dark storage room in the basement and locked it from the inside. At night, he had an apartment over the restaurant. The owners lived on the third floor and slept better knowing he spent most of his waking hours right over their precious family business.

When Sadie asked why Anthony didn’t just keep a coffin in an apartment bedroom, he blanched. After some embarrassed hems and haws, he’d admitted he couldn’t sleep in such a small enclosed space because he was claustrophobic. Not an ideal situation for a vampire.

No one had asked about his pale skin or odd hours, but the Chinese were no fools. Sadie figured they knew what he was and realized if they provided him shelter, he wouldn’t bite the hand that fed him…or housed him, as it were.

Sadie crept up the stairs at the back of the kitchen and stopped at Anthony’s door. It was midnight, so he should be at home. Then she caught herself. Anthony used to be home by midnight after the bar closed. She didn’t really know what he was doing with his evenings nowadays. She knocked anyway and waited.

“Who is it?” he called out.

“Sadie.”

He opened the door and greeted her with a warm hug. Well, it was emotionally warm anyhow. Physically he was always a bit chilly.

“Come in. I have company, but you’re welcome to join us.”

“Oh. I thought I was the only one who knew where you were.”

“I had to tell one other person.”

Sadie glanced over Anthony’s shoulder and recognized Kurt the wizard. She hadn’t seen him since the bar burned and was delighted when she spotted his charming smile. “Kurt! How lovely to see you.”

He rose and surprised her with a big hug.

“Same here. I hope you brought your tarot cards, Sadie.”

“I don’t go anywhere without them. Why? Do you need a reading?”

“I need a miracle.” He glanced at Anthony. “We all do.”

“Oh, dear.”

“Sit, Aunt Sadie.” Anthony gestured to the couch. “Can I get you some Chinese tea?”

She sighed. “If that’s all you have.”

Kurt chuckled. “You were hoping for a White Russian?”

One corner of Sadie’s mouth turned up. “You know me too well, but I was actually worried about the caffeine at this time of night.”

“You might need a little to sharpen your psychic senses,” Anthony said.

Her gift didn’t work like that, but no one needed to know about her trances. As soon as she’d settled onto the couch, she pulled her tarot cards out of her large satchel and began shuffling them.

“I was kind of kidding about the tarot reading,” Kurt said. “I was told you don’t really need the cards to do your psychic thing.”

“That’s true. It’s mostly for show, but sometimes just one card can lead me in the right direction. What’s your question?”

“I’d like to know the location of the lab that’s been capturing and holding paranormals.”

Sadie’s jaw dropped. She’d always worried about humans other than Kurt and herself learning that paranormals were real and living among the residents of Boston. “How… When…”

“What I really need to know is where.”

“I understand, but I can’t pinpoint locations.”

“But you said a card can point you in the right direction.”

“I meant that metaphorically.”

Anthony returned with a small bamboo tray, a cup of tea, a spoon, and a packet of sugar. “Here you go.”

Sadie took a sip and wrinkled her nose at the strange-tasting tea. She added some sugar to kill the unfamiliar taste and tried again. “Ah, that’s better.” Setting the cup on the tea table, she said, “Tell me what’s been going on. It sounds like I’ve missed something big.”

“A few paras have gone missing. All we have are rumors right now, but if what we suspect is true, we could lose a lot of friends before we put a stop to it,” Kurt said.

Anthony sat next to her. “I don’t think it’s a rumor. I think every paranormal’s worst fear is coming true.”

“But how? Isn’t the number one rule for all paranormals to keep their identity a secret?” she asked.

“It is. But somehow word has leaked out, and just as we feared, we’re being hunted.”

“By whom and for what?”

Anthony snorted. “Scientists. The government. They could want our supernatural strength and healing power for an immortal military. I don’t know.” He shook his head.

She laid a hand on his shoulder. “Anthony, did you keep the tea leaves?”

“Uh, no. I tossed them in the garbage. Do you read tea leaves?”

“Yes. I can sometimes figure out timelines by where the leaves land in the cup, but it still won’t give me a location.”

“I can make more.” Anthony turned toward the kitchen, but she reached out and grabbed his arm. “Let me try the cards first.”

He nodded and sat nearby. Sadie shuffled them a bit more purposefully. “I’ll tell you what I can. I’ve read you before, Kurt. Do you remember your indicator card?”

“The Hierophant.”

Kurt waited on the edge of his seat as Sadie gathered up her cards again. A card jumped out of the deck and fell right side up on the table. It was the Hierophant.

Sadie leaned back and stared at the card. “Now, I’m good, but I’m not that good.”

Kurt chuckled. “I figured you might need it, so I found it for you.”

Sadie shook her head and muttered, “Show-off wizard.”

Kurt’s grin indicated he didn’t take offense.

She placed the card in front of her and set the deck next to it. “Cut the deck and hand me the top card.”

Kurt did as she asked, and she placed the King of Swords over the Hierophant, sideways.

“Kings and queens indicate people and places.”

“That’s good, right?” Kurt asked. “I mean, that’s what I wanted to know.”

Not necessarily. A king was a formidable foe, and swords meant he had a strategic plan. Sadie worried her lip and closed her eyes. Her deep, steady breaths helped her access the more psychic reaches of her mind. Kurt and Anthony remained silent, giving her the time she needed to get a vision, if one would come.

At last she was standing outside a nondescript three-story building. All seemed quiet. She didn’t recognize it or the neighborhood, so that wasn’t much help. Maybe if I astral-project to the roof, I can see a landmark.

Sadie entered a deep trance and saw out of her mind’s eye as she floated up one story, two stories, three stories. At last she found the roof and directed her spirit body to land on it. Glancing around the area, she saw more buildings but none of them familiar. She sensed she was outside Boston proper in a pretty sketchy neighborhood, but she couldn’t be sure exactly where. Cambridge? Somerville? Everything was densely packed, and taller buildings obscured her view. Additionally, she couldn’t see any street signs.

Deciding to astral-project through the roof into the building, she hoped to view its contents and discover why she had projected there.

The third story held boxes and crates. Some had been pried open, and straw was strewn about the floor. Nothing interesting there, so she continued sinking through the third floor into the ceiling of the second. She found herself in an office. It seemed like this might be an old factory. There was a wall of windows and a metal walkway just outside the office. She imagined the supervisors keeping an eye on things by gazing down at the factory floor.

That seemed like a good idea, so she floated through the wall and stood on the walkway. What she saw shocked her. Cages. Some small enough to hold a rabbit, others large enough to hold a man. Then she spotted a group cell—a very large, glassed-in area with two naked men, a naked woman, and a naked child inside. If that wasn’t upsetting enough, a few giant fish tanks stood against the opposite wall. She spotted one with a man inside…and he had a fishtail!

Sadie was about to get closer when a security guard rushed toward her from her right. Can he see me?

“You there. Halt!”

Crap! He can! How he was able to see her in astral form wasn’t important at the moment. Getting out of there was.

She shot up through the ceiling and then through the next one, willing herself to return to her body in Anthony’s apartment.

Just as she arrived on the roof, her spirit snapped itself back into her body and she fell over.

“Sadie!” Anthony was lifting her upright in a nanosecond. “Are you okay?”

Sadie took a deep breath and allowed her calm to return. “I’m fine. At least I will be. I astral-projected into an old factory and had to snap back into my body abruptly.”

“Had to?” Kurt asked.

“I was spotted.”

Kurt’s shocked expression said it all. “Who or what could have possibly seen you in astral form?”

“That’s what I’d like to know,” she said. “His speech and uniform seemed old-fashioned, and he carried a nightstick.”

“Are you thinking it might have been a spirit?” Anthony asked. “Maybe an old-time cop or security guard?”

“I can’t come up with any other plausible explanation.”

“Did he seem cognizant? Interested in what you were doing there?”

“Oh, yes. He shouted and began running toward me.”

“Great.” Kurt tossed his hands in the air. “So, even if we find the place, it’s haunted and we can’t hide from an invisible guard. Do you think the scientists know he’s there?”

“I don’t know. I’m sorry I panicked,” Sadie said.

Anthony patted her hand. “Don’t apologize. You did the right thing.”

“This has never happened to me before. Do you think he could do anything to us?”

Kurt paced. “I wish I knew.”

Just then the phone rang.

“Anthony?”

A slight hesitation on the other side of the line made Claudia wonder if she should have called. For God’s sake. I was rip-roaring drunk and passed out on him. He probably never wants to hear from me again.

“Claudia. How are you feeling?” he finally asked.

“I’m…better.” She plopped down onto her couch and set the dust rag on the end table beside her. “I just wanted to apologize.”

“Apologize? For what?”

She sighed. “Where do I start? My behavior. My parents… Thank you for covering for me, by the way.”

“Stop,” he said. “You have nothing to apologize for. I should have checked on you much sooner.”

“Why? You’re not responsible for me.”

“I…” There was that hesitation again.

“Anthony, is something wrong?”

He sighed. “No. Well, yes, but it’s being handled.”

She waited, hoping he’d offer more. When he didn’t, she debated what to do. Prod? Leave it alone? What if he needed a friend and she could return the support he’d given her?

“Anthony, tell me. I don’t want to see you suffer any more than you wanted me to.”

“I can’t.”

Simple as that? He can’t? “Whatever it is, it can’t be worse than what you saw me going through. Please, let me help.”

She heard a voice in the background, which was quickly muffled. She pictured Anthony covering the phone.

“Oh. It sounds like I’m interrupting something.”

“No. It’s fine. We were just finishing up. Kurt said to tell you hello.”

Then she heard a female voice.

“Sadie too.”

“It sounds like you’re having a reunion. Can I come?” Claudia slapped a hand over her mouth. Why did I invite myself? If he’d wanted me there, he’d have asked me. What a dumbass move.

“I—I’d like to see you, but not here. Can I meet you for a drink?”

Claudia groaned. “The last thing I need right now is a drink. Besides, I shouldn’t have invited myself.”

“No. I really want to talk to you.”

“You do?”

“Yes. Are your parents still there?”

“They opted for a hotel. I can’t say I blame them. They’re leaving after breakfast tomorrow.”

“So, you’re alone for the rest of the night?”

“Yes.”

“I can be there in an hour. Will you let me in this time?” He chuckled.

Claudia felt her face heat. Jesus, I made him beg to come in last time. Way to go, Princess Charming. “I promise to let you in, if you’ll let me make up for my rudeness.”

“What did you have in mind?” he said seductively. A fraction of a second later he said, “I’m sorry. I didn’t mean that the way it sounded.”

After her own brief hesitation, she said. “Darn it.” Then her hand flew up to cover her big mouth.