Wanted: Undead or Alive

Chapter Two

“Good evening.” Stone focused on the camera with the red glowing light. “Tonight, the Digital Vampire Network is proud to bring you the moment you’ve been waiting for—our special bonus feature.”

The red light blinked to a second camera, and Stone shifted his gaze. “As the threat of global Vampire Apocalypse fades into the sunset, the Undead have turned their attention to . . . something completely different. I’m referring to the latest sensation on DVN—not a show, but an advertisement for the most recent addition to Vampire Fusion Cuisine, a mixture of synthetic blood and Chardonnay called Blardonnay, which is, of course, manufactured by one of our sponsors, Romatech Industries.”

Stone motioned to his guests as the camera backed up for a wider shot. “It is my pleasure to introduce the actors from that commercial: Dr. Phang and Tiffany, otherwise known as the Blardonnay Guy and Girl.”

Tiffany giggled and waved at the camera, while Phineas smiled.

“Now that your acting careers have skyrocketed,” Stone continued, “can you tell us how your lives have changed?”

“Oh, I’m so happy now!” Tiffany clasped her hands together. “I’ve always known I was destined to be a star. I mean, when you look like this”—she twisted in her chair to strike a provocative pose—“it’s obvious you belong in front of a camera.”

“Indeed.” Stone’s face remained expressionless as he regarded her. “There is a theory that those who are extremely good-looking could also be considered more attractive.”

Phineas’s mouth twitched. “A bold theory, Stone.”

“Yes, I have been incredibly blessed, but”—Tiffany heaved a forlorn sigh that carried the added bonus of causing her breasts to heave—“unfortunately, beauty such as mine tends to be overwhelming. Some might even call it . . . a curse.” With a sniffle, she wiped away an imaginary tear.

Phineas struggled to keep a straight face as he patted Tiffany’s hand. “Buck up, sweetness. It’ll all be good.”

She leaned to the side to give him a hug, which mashed her breasts together. “You’re so wonderful, Dr. Phang. And I have to say that I’m ever so grateful to DVN for giving me this opportunity to show the vampire world how truly talented I am. Now everyone will know that I have much more to offer than an exquisitely beautiful face.”

Stone’s gaze flitted to her breasts. “Yes, I can tell you are truly gifted.”

“Why, thank you.” She giggled. “I’m just thrilled everyone is taking me seriously now.”

“You can say that again.” Phineas winked at her. As far as he knew, half the men at DVN had already taken Tiffany quite seriously. No way was he getting in line.

“And how about you, Dr. Phang?” Stone asked. “Has your life changed for the better?”

“Yes, it has. I was finally able to quit my old job.”

Stone nodded. “There’s a rumor going around DVN that you’ve agreed to play a role on one of our popular soap operas.”

“It’s not a rumor.” Phineas aimed a dashing grin at the camera. “I’m in contract negotiations to star on As the Vampire Turns.”

Tiffany squealed and latched on to his arm, leaning toward him for another hug. “Oh, Dr. Phang! I’m so happy for you.” She grinned at Stone. “I have good news, too. I was just hired to do a commercial for Vampos, the after-dinner mint that gets rid of blood breath.”

“And I plan to make more Blardonnay commercials,” Phineas added, then touched Tiffany’s hand. “With you, of course.”

“Oh yes, Dr. Phang! I just love working with you.” She squeezed his arm and gave the camera a dramatic look. “We’ve become very close.”

“Tell me, Dr. Phang,” Stone continued. “How did you acquire such an interesting name? Are you really a doctor?”

“I took on the name five years ago when I was transformed,” Phineas explained. “The title of doctor is honorary and refers to my high level of expertise in all manners of love.”

Stone’s face remained blank. “Indeed?”

“Yes. They call me the Love Doctor.” It was a load of crap that Phineas felt like he’d outgrown, but it probably fit his new persona of an up-and-coming, super-sexy star. “I don’t like to brag, you understand, but I’m naturally attuned to universal love vibrations, and that gives me an uncanny ability to sense a woman’s needs and fulfill her every desire.”

“Oh yes!” Tiffany pressed against his arm. “Nobody fulfills me like Dr. Phang.”

“You don’t say,” Stone continued. “Well, I can certainly attest to Dr. Phang’s newfound popularity. DVN has been flooded with calls and e-mails. The women love the way you look in a bath towel, and the men want to know if you have a special workout regimen.”

“He has a gorgeous chest,” Tiffany purred while she rubbed a hand over his tuxedo jacket.

Phineas grabbed her hand before she could get carried away. “I was already in good shape when I was transformed. I used to be a boxer.” And a drug dealer on the side, but he didn’t want his family to know about that. Hell, he didn’t want anyone to know.

“A boxer? How fascinating,” Stone continued in his bland voice. “You mentioned quitting a job. Weren’t you employed by MacKay Security and Investigation?”

Phineas nodded. Finally, Stone was getting to the point of the interview. “Yeah, I worked for Angus MacKay. For five lousy years.”

“Lousy?” Stone asked.

“You wouldn’t believe how lousy. Seven nights a week, no time off, no vacation. And no hazard pay! They ordered me to risk my life, over and over again, and for what? Minimum wage?”

For the first time, Stone’s face showed an expression. He frowned. “I didn’t realize Angus MacKay was a bad employer.”

“Bad?” Phineas snorted. “He’s the worst. And you know what really pisses me off? That he has the gall to pretend that he’s the good guy!”

Stone sat back with a stunned look. “You don’t believe Angus MacKay is a good guy?”

“Hell no! I tell you, the whole time I worked for him, I never saw any of his employees get killed. But boy did they slaughter a bunch of other vampires.”

“You’re referring to the Malcontents they killed in battle?” Stone asked.

Phineas waved a hand. “Angus calls them Malcontents, but I like to call them by their real name: the True Ones. I mean, since when is it a crime to stick to old traditions? The True Ones just want to be left alone so they can eat the old-fashioned way.”

“You mean feeding off mortals till they die,” Stone muttered.

Phineas shrugged. “It’s not like we have a shortage of mortals in the world. Besides, this is about basic vampire liberties. We should be able to feed however we like. Angus and his sanctimonious friends—who the hell are they to decide what’s the right way for the rest of us to live our lives?”

“So you don’t see anything wrong with the so-called Malcontents?” Stone asked.

“No, of course not. They’re the ones who transformed me and gave me eternal life. I’m grateful for that.”

“But you worked for MacKay S and I for several years,” Stone reminded him. “They’re the number one enemy of the Malcontents.”

“I needed a paycheck, you know. I’m a young vampire, so I haven’t had centuries to acquire wealth like those rich old farts who ordered me around like a servant. But now that I have a new career, I can finally do what I’ve wanted to do for a long time.” Phineas glared at the camera. “Angus MacKay, you old turd, go to hell!”

Stone winced. “Those are strong words.”

“I mean it,” Phineas insisted. “All those Vamps make me sick. Acting so morally superior because they drink out of bottles while they go around murdering other vampires. They’re a bunch of hypocrites! Do you know they executed Casimir without even giving him a chance to surrender? What kind of shit is that?”

Stone shifted in his chair. “Well, I—”

“And you want to hear something really funny?” Phineas continued. “For the last couple of years, Angus thought one of the Malcontents, Stanislav Serpukhov, was betraying the Russian coven in Brooklyn and reporting to me. But the truth was, I was reporting to him.”

A series of gasps reverberated around the studio. Tiffany tilted her head with confusion, while Stone stared at him with his mouth open.

Phineas narrowed his eyes on the camera. “So you guys out there who’ve been trying to assassinate Stanislav, you need to stop. Cut it out. He’s not a traitor.”

Stone cleared his throat. “Are you saying you were a double agent?”

“Sure. No harm in letting out the big secret now that I’ve changed careers.” Phineas winked at the camera. “I like to live dangerously, you know.”

“I see.” Stone took a deep breath. “Well, that’s all the time we have for tonight. I’d like to thank our guests for coming and congratulate them once again for their phenomenal rise to stardom.”

“Yes!” Tiffany blew a kiss at the camera. “I’d like to thank all the little people for admiring me so much.”

“Thank you for watching DVN, the world’s leading vampire network,” Stone added with a bland smile.

“Cut!” Gordon announced. “Good work.” He gave Phineas a thumbs-up.

“You are living dangerously.” Stone stood as he unclipped his mike.

“It’ll be worth it.” Phineas handed his mike to the sound guy, then strode toward his brother, who was studying him with a puzzled frown.

“Wait for me!” Tiffany latched on to his arm.

“What the hell was that?” Freemont asked.

“I can explain.” Phineas motioned to Tiffany, who clung to his arm. “You wanted to meet my lovely costar? Tiffany, this is my brother and my agent, Da Freeze.”

“Hi!” She grinned at Freemont. “Aren’t you adorable! You look like Phineas, except younger and more . . . alive.” Her gaze drifted to his neck.

Freemont stepped back. “I just ate a bunch of garlic.”

She giggled.

“We need to go somewhere private,” Phineas said.

Tiffany’s eyes widened. “You want a threesome?”

“No, I need to talk to my brother.”

Freemont scowled at him. “Yeah, you do.”

“You—you don’t want me?” Tiffany’s shoulders slumped.

Phineas sighed. “All right. You can come, too.”

She perked up and grinned. “I know the perfect place. Come with me.”

She ushered them out of the studio and down the hall to an unmarked door. “This is a storage room for old costumes. I have secret rendezvous here all the time.”

Phineas followed her inside, flipped on the lights, and shut the door. “It’s not exactly a secret if you meet all the guys here.”

Freemont snorted, then strode down an aisle lined with crowded clothes racks on each side. He was pissed, Phineas could tell, but Phineas would deal with him later.

“Okay, Tiffany.” He grabbed her by the shoulders. “Listen to me good.”

She wrapped her arms around his neck. “Yes, Dr. Phang?”

He dragged her hands off his shoulders. “You’re not having sex with me.”

“I’m not? Then . . . ?” Her gaze flitted toward Freemont, who turned left at the end of the aisle and disappeared behind a rack of clothes.

“No, not with him, either,” Phineas said. “Tiffany, look at me. You have a contract for three more Blardonnay commercials and a Vampos commercial. You don’t need to sleep around anymore.”

She stared at him blankly. “But it’s worked well—”

“Tiffany, you made it. Put your old life behind you, and let you talent shine through. You’re a success now, and you deserve it.”

She blinked and whispered, “I . . . deserve it?”

“Yes, you do.”

Her eyes glistened with tears. “That’s the nicest thing anyone’s ever told me.”

Phineas gave her a wry smile. “I learned the hard way how easy it is to screw up your life when you don’t respect yourself.”

She nodded slowly. “Thank you, Dr. Phang.”

“Now off you go. I need to talk to my brother.”

“Okay.” With a shy smile, she headed toward the door.

Phineas turned and couldn’t spot his brother. “Freemont, where are you?”

A hand waved in the back corner, so Phineas tunneled between some dresses on a rack and found himself in a second aisle. He dove through another rack of clothes and discovered a wall lined with shelves. Shoes, handbags, and hats decorated the shelves, and toward the back wall, Freemont was examining a pair of cowboy boots.

Phineas heard the click of the door, signaling Tiffany’s departure. “Okay, we can talk now.”

Freemont grimaced as he stuffed the boots back on the shelf. “You told me you were a good vampire.”

“I am.”

“Then what was all that—”

“I’m working undercover.”

“Yeah, I heard what you said! You’re a stinkin’ double agent, working for the nasty vampires that kill people!”

“No, I’m a good guy,” Phineas insisted, then lowered his voice. “Freemont, you gotta trust me. I still work for MacKay S and I. The interview was a setup.”

“Huh?”

“Did you see a video on the Internet a few weeks ago that claimed vampires were true? It showed a swordfight, and a guy in a kilt decapitated another guy who turned to dust.”

“Yeah.” Freemont nodded. “I thought it was a movie trailer. Lamont and I wanted to see the movie, but we could never find the name of it. It just disappeared.”

“The government removed it. Because it was real.”

“Huh?”

“It was a real battle. I was there.”

Freemont’s eyes widened. “You fought in a real battle? With a sword?”

“Yes. I’ve been in several battles, and I’ve killed a few Malcontents. The guy whose head was cut off was Casimir, the leader of the Malcontents.”

“So the bad guys were defeated?”

“Yes, but there are still a few Malcontents out there. Casimir had a girlfriend, Corky Courrant, who does a TV show called Live with the Undead.”

“Huh?”

“She recorded the video of Casimir’s execution, then posted it on YouTube. That means she broke the secret of vampire existence. That’s about the biggest crime you can commit in our world.”

“Her name is Corky?”

“Yes! Stay with me, Freemont. After she posted the video, she came back here to DVN and continued doing her show as if she’d done nothing wrong. She claims she’s heir to the Malcontent throne and vampires all over the world should follow her and call her Queen Corky.”

“Oh God, I hate her!” Tiffany hissed from across the room.

Phineas jerked around, but couldn’t see her. “Tiffany! You were supposed to leave the room.”

“It’s okay.” She emerged through a rack of hanging clothes. “I won’t breathe a word. I hate Corky as much as anybody.”

“So this Corky is really bad?” Freemont asked.

“She’s evil,” Tiffany hissed.

“Evil queen bitch,” Phineas clarified. “She’s been badmouthing us good Vamps on her show, calling us a bunch of thugs and murderers. She even bragged about how she started the Vampire Apocalypse. Roman summoned her to Coven Court three times, but she ignored him.”

“Roman?” Freemont asked.

“Roman Draganesti, Coven Master for the East Coast,” Phineas explained. “And he’s owner of Romatech Industries where they make synthetic blood and where I’m head of security.”

“Okay.” Freemont nodded.

“Corky’s been mocking Roman and the good Vamps, claiming she’s above our system of law and justice,” Phineas continued. “Roman had no choice but to issue a warrant for her arrest, but then she went into hiding and now she records her show somewhere in secret. We haven’t been able to locate her.”

“Oh my gosh,” Tiffany whispered. “That’s why you acted like a Malcontent sympathizer during the interview. You want to convince Corky you’re on her side, so you can flush her out.”

Phineas regarded Tiffany with surprise. She wasn’t as stupid as she pretended to be. “You’re right.”

She grinned. “This is awesome! You really are working undercover.”

Freemont’s eyes lit up. “Hot damn! We’re undercover brothers!”

“Don’t get too excited.” Phineas gave his brother a stern look. “I want you to stay out of trouble.”

“No way! I’ve got your back, bro.”

“I appreciate that, but I don’t want you—”

“Don’t tell me to stay out of this,” Freemont interrupted with a scowl. “You involved me when you invited me here.”

Phineas sighed. “I needed to convince everyone that I’d left MacKay S and I, and that I’m hanging with a new crowd. I suggested going to you, and Angus agreed. We always have a shortage of day guards, since not many mortals know about us, so Angus is interested in hiring you. He said they could work around your college schedule.”

“Really?” Freemont’s eyes widened. “I could work with you?”

“Yeah. I told him you might be interested.” Phineas winced inwardly. He had jumped at the chance to include his brother, but now he wondered if his decision had been selfish.

For the past few years, he’d felt like there was a ticking bomb over his head. Sooner or later, and probably sooner, it would explode the instant that his family realized he wasn’t aging. When that happened, he would be left with only two options. One: Tell his family the truth and deal with the consequences. Two: Disappear. He could fake his death, leave them to mourn, and never see them again. Or he could spare their grief by erasing himself from their memories. As if he had never existed.

Angus recommended the last option. A swift surgical strike, he called it, somewhat like amputating a limb. A part of you would be forever lost, but you would survive.

For Phineas, the thought of losing his family felt more like having his heart ripped out. Too painful to consider, so he’d settled on telling them the truth, starting with his brother. When Angus offered to hire Freemont, it had seemed like the perfect solution. Guarding Vamps in their death-sleep during the day was usually a safe job since the Malcontents were in their death-sleep, too.

But now that his current mission was under way, Phineas worried that his decision would expose his brother to some real danger. Had he selfishly saved himself pain, only to foist it onto his family? “Freemont, listen to me. It’s already dangerous enough for you to be here, pretending to be my agent. I don’t expect anything more from you. I have backup, so when things get dicey, I’ll be covered. I want you to lay low and—”

“I can handle the spy stuff.” Freemont lifted his chin. “This is my mission if I decide to accept it. As usual, if I am captured, the government will disavow any knowledge of my actions. See? I know how it works!”

Tiffany nodded. “I want to help, too!”

Phineas groaned. He had a bad feeling about this. “All right. But this is what you do. You continue to play the roles you’re doing now. And if anything dangerous comes up, you stay clear of it, understood?” When they nodded, he continued, “We’ll hang out in the lobby, sign autographs, and see if Corky sends any of her minions for me.”

“You’ll have to be quick to take her prisoner, or she’ll teleport away,” Tiffany warned him.

“I know,” Phineas conceded. That was always a major problem when it came to catching bad vampires. Casimir had eluded them for years by simply teleporting away whenever they got close. “Go on to the lobby. We’ll be there soon.”

“Okay.” Tiffany strode toward the door, and this time, Phineas watched to make sure she left.

He turned to his brother. “Are we good now?”

Freemont nodded with a sheepish look. “I shouldn’t have doubted you, man.”

“It’s okay.” Phineas clapped him on the back. “You’ve had a lot of weird shit thrown at you tonight.”

“That’s for sure.” Freemont followed him to the door. “One thing I don’t understand, though. Why didn’t you take Tiffany up on her offer? She’s beautiful and willing—”

“I like her. As a friend.”

“Yeah, but she’s willing, dude. And you’re the Love Doctor. You gotta spread the cure.”

Phineas smiled. His brother kept reminding him of himself about five years back. “I admit there was a time when I would have jumped her.” He cracked the door and peered outside. The coast was clear.

“What happened to you, bro? You seem different these days.”

Phineas shrugged. “I grew up.” And he’d seen some bad shit. Ravaged, dead bodies left behind by Malcontents. Whole families, even children, murdered because the Malcontents enjoyed terrorizing the innocent. He’d been thrust into life and death situations, and he’d killed in battle. He could no longer pretend life was one big party.

“Just because you’re older doesn’t mean you have to be boring,” Freemont muttered.

Phineas led him down a hall lined with dressing rooms and offices. “When I first discovered I was Undead and I could possibly live forever, it sorta went to my head, you know, like I was invincible and super-macho and could do whatever the hell I pleased with as many Vamp ladies as I pleased. But then I realized they were all doing whatever they pleased, too.”

“What’s wrong with that if you’re having fun?”

Phineas slowed his steps and lowered his voice. “They didn’t see me as a person. You think we’re a minority in the real world, you should try the vampire one. I was a curiosity that all the ladies wanted to experience, and once it was over, they moved on to the next form of entertainment.”

“So you got tired of one-night stands?” Freemont wrinkled his nose. “Is that even possible?”

“Yes, it is. Eventually, I realized that being wanted as an oddity is an insult. I want to be appreciated for being myself.”

Freemont nodded his head slowly. “You want . . . respect. And that’s why you told Tiffany that stuff.”

“You got it, bro.” Phineas continued down the hall toward the lobby. Yes, he wanted respect. He wanted love. He wanted the brass ring, the whole shebang, the happily-ever-after that the other guys were getting. But he was having trouble finding the dream girl. LaToya had slipped through his fingers like mist, a dream that never became reality.

A different vision invaded his mind. Sky-blue eyes and a long mane of hair that glimmered with shades of brown, red, and gold. Beautiful, impossible Brynley. She wasn’t a dream, but a nightmare. Dressed in a fur coat.

He gestured to a door they passed by. “That’s Corky Courrant’s office. I snuck in there two weeks ago when we were shooting the Blardonnay commercial. I was searching for a clue as to where she could be hiding, but she’d already cleaned it out.”

“Bummer.”

Phineas nodded. “If she takes the bait tonight, we’ll find her.” He pushed open the doors to the lobby, and they were greeted with a chorus of high-pitched squeals.

He joined Tiffany, signing autographs, while Freemont protected him from any ominous-looking legs, arms, and breasts he was asked to sign. The fun lasted about ten minutes, and then it happened.

Three armed men crashed through the front doors, shouting and waving their weapons. The crowd, mostly women, screamed and scrambled toward the back doors.

“Everyone down on the floor and shut the hell up!” one of the intruders yelled. In case anyone had trouble understanding his thick Russian accent, he punctuated his demands by shooting a few bullets into the ceiling.

As the blare of gunfire echoed about the lobby, the screams quickly hushed. Sheetrock particles rained down, leaving traces of white powder on the intruders’ black coats. The crowd dropped to the floor, women huddled together, quivering with a few frightened whimpers.

Phineas remained standing and motioned to his brother to stay put. Freemont had crouched behind the receptionist’s desk with Susie and Tiffany.

The Russian guy was the leader, Phineas figured. A Malcontent, no doubt, sent by Corky. He was armed with an automatic pistol and an AK–47. The guys flanking him were mortal, judging from the bite marks on their necks. They either served Corky voluntarily, or she had them under vampire mind control. One was tall and skinny, with a narrow face and long nose. Rat Face, Phineas dubbed him. And the other guy, short and square, was Blockhead. The three thugs scanned the room before focusing on him.

“You.” The Russian Malcontent smirked. “You are the one called Dr. Phang.”

“What do you want?” Phineas asked.

“You will come with us. The queen wants you.”

Phineas paused as if considering the invitation, then shrugged. “No thanks. I don’t know any queens.”

The Russian pointed his automatic at the nearest girl, the cheerleader with Phineas’s autograph on her thigh. “You will come, or this one will die. Her Majesty, Queen Corky, must be obeyed.”

“Oh, that queen!” Phineas raised his hands. “Sure. Why not?”

With a sneer, the Russian motioned to his minions. “Prepare him for the journey.”

Rat Face and Blockhead approached him slowly, slipping their pistols into the shoulder holsters beneath their black coats.

“Take off your jacket,” the Russian ordered, keeping his pistol and AK–47 trained on nearby girls.

After Phineas removed his tuxedo jacket, Blockhead grabbed it and rifled through the pockets. He stuffed Phineas’s wallet and cell phone into his own coat pockets. Phineas kept his face blank, careful not to show how relieved he was that he’d deleted all contacts and messages from his phone.

“Roll up your sleeves,” the Russian demanded. “We have heard MacKay embeds tracking chips in all his vampires.”

“I no longer work for them.” Phineas shoved his shirtsleeves up to his elbows. “Angus cut the chip out last night.”

The Russian gave him a dubious look. “You have no wound on your arm.”

“It healed during my death-sleep.”

The Russian jerked his head toward Rat Face. “Check him.”

Rat Face took a small electronic device from his pocket and skimmed it up and down Phineas’s arms. “He’s clean, Dimitri.”

“Check him for weapons,” the Russian ordered.

Blockhead skimmed his hands over Phineas. “He’s clean.”

“Very well.” Dimitri inclined his head. “We will now escort you to the queen, where you will appear on her show.”

“Sounds good to me.” Phineas put his jacket back on. “It’ll be good publicity.”

Freemont straightened and adjusted his hat. “My client will expect reimbursement, you understand. He doesn’t do appearances for free.”

Phineas shook his head, glaring at his brother.

Dimitri narrowed his eyes on Freemont. “Who the hell are you?”

“Nobody,” Phineas said at the same time Freemont said, “I’m Dr. Phang’s agent.”

“Freemont,” Phineas gritted out through clenched teeth. “Stay out of this.”

Dimitri’s sharp eyes darted back and forth between Phineas and his brother, then he smiled. “You have a mortal friend, Dr. Phang?”

“No, he’s a pain in the ass,” Phineas growled.

Dimitri chuckled. “Cuff them both. Having the mortal with us will ensure Dr. Phang’s good behavior.”

“Dammit,” Phineas muttered, glowering at his brother while Rat Face and Blockhead snapped silver handcuffs around their wrists.

“The cuffs are just a precaution,” Dimitri said. “We can’t have Dr. Phang teleporting away and taking his mortal friend with him.”

Rat Face and Blockhead seized Phineas and Freemont by the napes of their necks and steered them toward the front door. Outside in the parking lot, Phineas and his brother were shoved into the back of a delivery van. It was empty, except for stained carpet on the floor. The back doors slammed shut, and they were locked inside. No windows, Phineas noted, so he wouldn’t know where they were going.

But just seconds earlier, he had spotted a black SUV across the parking lot. Robby and Jack were prepared to follow.

Phineas heard more doors on the van bang shut. That was probably Dimitri and his buddies climbing into the front seat. Corky had to be located fairly close by if they were driving to her.

“What do we do now?” Freemont whispered.

Phineas scowled at him. “You have a lousy way of following directions. You were supposed to stay out of danger.”

“I wasn’t going to leave you alone with them.” Freemont glared back. “I’m not a coward.”

The van lurched into motion.

Freemont gulped. “Do we have a plan?”

“Shh.” Phineas motioned with his head toward the front seat of the van, then mouthed the words, Super hearing.

Freemont nodded.

Phineas slid the heel of his right boot to the side, revealing a hidden red button. He punched the button, activating the new soundless tracking beam Roman and Laszlo had perfected in the lab at Romatech. He slid the heel back in place.

Freemont’s eyes twinkled with excitement.

Phineas smiled. Oh yeah, Queen Bitch. We’ve got you now.