Midnight Squad: The Grim (18 page)

           
Then there was Alhambra’s self-mutilation, what the hell
was going on with that? Did she do that herself? If not, then who did? I didn’t
see or hear any communication with her, but she clearly thought she was talking
to someone. Was she just crazy? Was she messing with me? All I knew was that
I’d have to be extra careful. Until I could figure this out I’d have to be suspicious
of everyone, or was that the Jinn's plan. The more I thought about it, the more
my thoughts coiled up on themselves.

           
I moved slowly. My eyes fell from person to person.
Penny, she was beautiful, but deadly. Could I rely on her? She didn’t come to check
on me when I was hurt, but that didn’t mean she was an enemy. Maybe there
really is something about vampires not visiting the sick. How the hell would I
know? Was she trustworthy, or am I just thinking with my dick…again.

 
Was Danika as innocent as she appeared? I know
she cried when I snapped at her, but this was the same person I’d seen tear a
man apart. She even ate someone in front of me. Therefore, the question was. Is
she a hungry monster that eats men alive, or a sensitive woman with a tender heart,
or both? I wasn’t sure.

           
Katy, I just didn’t know that much about her. The little
Hispanic Goth girl seemed very overprotective of everyone. It was like she’d
made them into her own little step-family. She was also very much an
intellectual. Katy took her time thinking through everything. Dad used to say
when it came to intelligence there were checker players, and chess players. The
little witch seemed like the chess player type. On the surface, there didn’t
seem to be a deceptive bone in her body, but I could be wrong. She was clearly
smart enough to play me like a fiddle. Alhambra said she shot me to try to save
me, but she was also trying to distract Katy long enough that she’d be killed.
She sure wasn’t trying to save her. Why was she trying to kill her? I mean
besides the obvious that she’s a psychotic bitch that enjoys killing people.

           
The doctor was cross, grumpy, and just didn’t seem to
like me at all. I guess the real question
was were
there secrets to begin with, and if there were did she know? If she was keeping
secrets from me, was it because she wanted to, or because she had to?

           
DD was friendly, flirtatious, and seemed like my biggest
supporter. Was she really? She was responsible for the electronics, and that
meant if there were another camera operator she’d have to know about it. She
set up the cameras, and so she would have set up the other equipment, or at
least known about the extra lines running from the cameras. If there was a
camera operator, then she knew about it. If Alhambra had manipulated the
camera, then DD was just another victim of Alhambra’s insanity.

           
Elizabeth, I couldn’t make heads or tails of her. She
carried herself so professionally since I got here, but why the kiss? If there
was an additional person, then she would have to know about it. Anything screwy
going on would have to start right there, but was there something going on? I
might be paranoid, or the Jinn might have me twisted around her finger…again?

           
Janine, the nun turned ghost was the person I needed to
start with. When she’d slipped in my head to possess me, I had access to every
thought in her head. If there was someone I could trust it was her. I’d have to
get her alone. With her abilities, she could be my eyes and ears. With her on
my side, I might just be able to find answers. Was there a conspiracy? Who was
involved? What did they want? Was I in danger? Was I just paranoid?
Unfortunately, I was afraid the answer to all questions might be yes.

           
“Grimmy come sit down over here. It’s comfy.” DD patted
the couch beside her. Smiling, I flopped down beside her. Whatever was going on
I’d have to play it all close to the vest until I figured it out. I couldn’t
afford to tip anyone off until I had a better idea about what my situation
actually was.

           
DD gave my knee a squeeze, “Grimmy, movie night is a
weekly thing we do. It’s to help build team morale.” She said that last part as
if she was reading it from a teleprompter. Elizabeth nodded approvingly, and
like a well-trained pet DD continued, “Every week we try and have a theme.
Sometimes it’s easy like pick your favorite romance, or pick a movie starring
Gerard Butler. Sometimes the theme is a lot harder. One week it was six degrees
of Kevin Bacon. You had to pick a movie that did not have Kevin Bacon in it,
and you had to explain the connection the movie had to the actor. One week we
had to each pick a movie starring a dog.”

           
Elizabeth cleared her throat, “So this week we are going
to pick our favorite movie, and then tell everyone why we picked it. It’s a
chance to get to know one another a little better. Therefore, I’ll go first.
I’ve picked Pretty Woman because I’m a fan of Julia Roberts.” Elizabeth seemed
to think that was enough of an explanation and sat back down.

           
I watched the movie. I tried to be polite, but I don’t
think I’m the particular demographic that they were shooting for with this
movie. It was hard to stay interested, and I just couldn’t get behind a movie
about a man that picks up a whore and somehow along the way they fall in love.
Halfway through the movie I was bored and started watching everyone else. Some
of them seemed to enjoy the movie. Some of them looked as bored as I did. The
only time they all seemed to be in complete agreement was the scene where Julia
Roberts tells the man that he just treated her like a prostitute. All the women
glared at the screen with jaws locked in anger. Some of them even cast angry
sideways glances at me. My sisters had the same reaction when they watched
this. It was funny how none of my sisters got that expression until after they
started dating. I guess men really are the bastards that women think we are.

           
Doctor Nowitski stepped up as the credits began to roll,
“I picked Strangers on a Train. I’ve watched Hitchcock movies since I was a
young girl. When my son was old enough, we used to watch them together. This
was his favorite of them all.” She sat back down quickly. The Doc was normally
a little rigid, but she actually seemed almost brittle as she sat down.
 

           
It was hard picturing the doctor as a mother. She didn’t
strike me as the nurturing, or caring type. She seemed more of the “ate her own
her own baby” type. It just drove home how little I really knew of these
people. One thing I did know, her kid had great taste. I guess I shouldn’t call
him a kid. He’s probably older than I am. I kept trying to picture what he’d be
like. Was he a doctor, or had he rebelled against the family and become
something more colorful? Maybe he was a roadie for some death metal band?

           
I glanced at the doctor. She kept blinking and wiping her
eyes. She was very careful to hide it, but it was clear she was crying. She saw
me watching her out of the corner of her eye and stiffened. Doctor Nowitski
became stone faced, but even then she looked fragile. It was as though she
could shatter at any moment. I realized then that the doctor was a very private
person, and maybe she acted the way she did for a reason. She excused herself
and went to the restroom. She didn’t come back for twenty minutes. Apparently,
nobody noticed, or maybe no one cared because the movie was really good. When
she got back her eyes were puffy from crying, but she hid it well. I actually
started feeling a little protective of the old bat.

           
DD hopped up, “My turn, I picked Rocky Horror Picture Show.
I just love the audience interaction, and the songs.” I smiled. I enjoyed the
songs myself. It may not have been the picture of manliness, but after hearing
their discussion earlier I knew I needed them to feel that I was more
approachable. I needed to at least try to be a kinder, gentler…bastard. So I
cut loose and sang horribly along with DD. It could have been embarrassing, but
we weren’t the only ones. Before long Penny and Katy were singing the songs
with us. The cringing from the others showed we certainly lacked something to
be desired in the singing department, but we made up for it in pure fun. It
also seemed the others didn’t share our high opinion of the film. They stared
at us like idiots while we mangled the sweet transvestite song.

           
After it finished I leaned over, “DD, if you love Rocky
Horror, you need to watch Doctor Horrible sometime. It has that same type of
feel to it. DD’s face gave a ten thousand watt smile, “I love that movie.
Nathan Fillion is just amazing as Captain Hammer.”

           
“And Neil Patrick Harris is great as Doctor Horrible.” We
stared at each other for a moment, and as if reading one another’s mind, we
both broke into the song about one of the other characters. Everyone else
stared at us as if we were escaped mental patients while we sang about Bad
Horse, the thoroughbred of sin. They probably wouldn’t have been so horrified
if we hadn’t actually improvised some dancing to go with it. Never let it be
said I wasn’t willing to go that extra mile to fit in with my people.

           
Janine cleared her throat as much to get our attention as
to stop our singing. Our song was so off key that it was practically a crime
against nature. The ghost said, “My choice is The Five People You Meet in
Heaven. I love the message.” I didn’t think there’d be much to the movie, but I
had to excuse myself twice. I said I needed to go to the restroom, but really I
was about to cry. I don’t know why, but that movie just found some part deep
inside me and twisting my gut and clawing at it until I felt raw inside. It was
a beautiful story. I guess I shouldn’t have expected any less from Janine. When
everyone started noticing how my eyes were watery, I blamed it on allergies. I
have to give everyone credit, nobody called me on it.

           
Penny stood up, “Dracula.” She sat down apparently
feeling her answer explained everything in and of itself, or maybe she just
didn’t want to share the why. I couldn’t help myself. I had to ask, “So is it
the vampire thing?” Her eyes turned to me, and seemed strangely shy about it. I
saw her lips move, and I heard a faint mumbling, but I couldn’t understand her.
Luckily Danika’s werewolf enhanced hearing could. She taunted, “Seriously! You
think Bela Lugosi is sexy? It’s all black and white, and everyone in that movie
is either dead, or in their nineties by now. Yuck!” Penny’s eyes turned to tiny
slits, “Fine! Yes, I think Mr. Lugosi is sexy. I picked Dracula because it’s
his best movie, and I could stare into those eyes forever. Plus, it’s one of
the first times a vampire is portrayed as something more than a mindless blood
drinking monster. As for age, I’m over three hundred years old. Compared to me
he’s barely a teenager, but thanks for making me feel like a decrepit old
maid.”

Danika
hung her head in shame, “Sorry Penny.” She sniffled a little. Great I know that
look…the werewolf was about to start crying. Penny seemed to realize it as
well, “Apology not accepted! Only one punishment fits a crime like yours.
Death by pillow!”
The vampire snatched a cushion off the
couch and blasted it across Danika’s head before she even finished saying a
very confused, “What?” To her credit, Danika was quick to defend herself. She
grabbed the cushion under me, and she returned the attack with a quick tug. I
don’t know whether she connected with her haymaker or not, but when she yanked
that seat cushion out from under me the force lifted me up and flipped me over
the back of the couch. “Ouch!” I was lying face down behind the couch. I heard
everyone gasp. “I’m okay! From now on no unsanctioned pillow fights, or I guess
in this case seat cushion fights.” I heard several snickers. I reached up and
used the back of the couch to pull myself up.

           
It took me a few moments to lift my eyes up over the
couch. Everyone except for the doctor and Ms. Mann were standing. They all had
devilish looks on their faces, and worse. They all were holding seat cushions.
Oh crap. I reached for a cushion, and Katy immediately bopped me on the head. I
stumbled a little. Then DD followed the witch’s blow with her own best strike.
The cushion covered my face completely. I tried to say stop, but Danika was
next. She hit me with a cushion right in the gut. The cushions were soft, but
as strong as she was it knocked the wind right out of me. I was finally able to
grab my own cushion for defense. “Okay, now here’s where I get my…”I paused as
Janine floated in front of me.
I couldn‘t turn down the
chance to give her a playful thump.
Screaming, “Revenge!” I raised the
pillow high over my head, and swung the cushion at her. Unfortunately, it
passed right through. I tried three more times, and each time the cushion just
passed through. Each time I looked even more foolish trying to connect with our
intangible nun.

           
I stared at Janine. Clearly I was defeated. She reached out
and grabbed the cushion. I felt my hands pass through the cushion like smoke.
Before I had a chance to react, Janine held the cushion high over her head. I
tried to my hands up in surrender, but Janine had gone to the badass ninja
school of pillow fighting. The ghost mercilessly brought the pillow down. It
passed through my arms before becoming solid just in time to connect with my
face. Sputtering, I felt kind of like I was the mole in whack-a-mole. Except
instead of one hammer and a bunch of moles, I was the one mole, and there were
a bunch of hammers.