Playing With Fire

Chapter Thirty FIGHT

SPRINGHEELED JACK stood on the roof of Clearwater Hospital and looked down at the creature, admiring the beauty and the savagery, the sheer power he could feel, even from where he was standing.

"Quite a thing, ain't it?"

Jack wiped any hint of admiration from his face, and turned as Sanguine strolled toward him.

"You lied to me," he said.

Sanguine nodded. "That I did. How'd you find us?"

"You told me where you were stayin', remember?"

"I did? Me an' my big mouth, I swear. ... So, you seen the critter down there. What do you think?"

"This all has to do with the Faceless Ones," Jack said, and hit Sanguine.

The Texan stumbled back, and he was straightening up when Jack kicked him off the edge of the building.

Jack jumped, flipped, and landed on the ground beside Sanguine.

"Ow," Sanguine said, flat on his back. His sunglasses had come off, and Jack looked at the holes where his eyes should have been.

"I don't like being used," Jack said.

"If I'd apologized before, would you still have kicked me off the roof?"

"Probably."

"Figured as much."

Sanguine struck out with his leg, his boot cracking into Jack's knee. He rolled up and launched himself forward, forced Jack against the wall, driving in punches. Jack's hat fell.

Sanguine punched and Jack ducked. Sanguine's knuckles hit the wall and he howled. Jack shoved him away, giving himself enough room to maneuver, and he jumped and kicked, and Sanguine went sprawling.

"You can't beat me, Yank," Jack snarled.

"Yanks are from the North," Sanguine muttered, getting up. "I'm a Southern boy."

He came forward again and Jack ducked and dodged, flipping himself sideways. Sanguine growled in frustration. Jack smacked him and gave him another kick in the head, and once more Sanguine hit the ground.

Jack looked down at him. "So where is he? Where's Vengeous?"

"Ain't here right now," Sanguine said, not trying to get up.

"It's just you and him, is it? You and him and that thing?"

"We got vamps, too. You know Dusk?"

"Met him in London once. He didn't realize the rooftops was my patch. We got into a bit of a scuffle, you might say."

Sanguine sat up and groaned. "Well, I'd love to watch you two kill each other, but he ain't around either. He's off on one of his vendettas, goin' after a girl in Haggard."

"You used me, Sanguine."

Slowly, Sanguine reached out, picked up his sunglasses, and got to his feet. "You came all the way to Ireland to berate me, that what you did?"

"I came here to find out what you're up to."

"And then what?"

"If I don't like it? I'll stop it."

Sanguine's sunglasses were back on, and he laughed. "That critter out there, that's what we're up to. You wanna stop that? You go right ahead, my ugly little friend." The ground at Sanguine's feet started to crumble. "Go back to London, Jack. You can't do anythin' to hurt us here. We're too strong, buddy. What could you possibly do to upset our plans?"

Sanguine grinned, and he lowered into the ground and disappeared.