Midnight Squad: The Grim (8 page)

           
“I don’t hate you. We just got off on the wrong foot.”
Christ, I can’t believe I’m having this conversation. I glanced around for a
little help. Elizabeth was still studying me, trying to decide if I could
handle the job.
Dr
Nowitski
seemed bored with the whole thing, and DD…she was staring at me as if I’d just
kicked a sack of puppies. Clearly, I’m on my own with this. The Colonel’s
advice had gotten me this far, but it was obvious that I wouldn’t get any
further with it.

 
When she walked in here, she acted like a real
badass, but underneath it all, she was just…scared, and crying and it was my
fault. Whatever this was I am completely out of my depth here. I took a breath
and tried to think about what to do. She was acting tough, and mean. She
reminded me of
Niki
. I’m ten years older than her but
you’d never believe it by how she used to fight and argue about everything with
me. Mom said it was because she idolized me, and since I was tough, she thought
she had to be tougher to earn my respect. Back then, I just thought my sister
was a spoiled little brat that had to have everything her way and would have
been much improved by a belt across her ass. Right before I left to join the
marines she and I had one last big blowout. She called me a loser and said she
hoped I never came back. I stepped up to her and screamed that if that’s how
she felt I was only sad that I had taken so long to join. I started yelling
about how much better my life was going to be without having her around to
bitch about everything, and her tough girl act ended right there. She cried
until she made herself sick. I remember feeling like such a bastard. After
apologizing to one another, we talked for the rest of the night. By the time I
left for boot camp, she and I were almost inseparable. I nearly changed my mind
about leaving. Since then we’ve been as close as any brother and sister could
be. She’s been my biggest supporter, and I’ve been a shoulder for her to lean
on. We kept one another’s secrets. She’d known where I was when I escaped the
mental hospital, and I knew that she was a lesbian. I was the only member of
the family that knew.

           
I stared at her. She reminded me so much of my sister I
had to try something. I growled, “Elizabeth, DD, Doctor, step outside…please.
Danika
and I need a moment.” I did my best to keep it
civil. Hell I even said please, but it clearly wasn’t a request. Elizabeth wasn’t
happy taking orders; I can’t say I blame her. I wouldn’t be happy either. As
unhappy as she was, she still lead the others out of the room. DD was the most
reluctant. She’d gone into overprotective big sister mode, and even as she
closed the door she kept shooting threatening glares at me. I swallowed hard
realizing that I’d better not screw this up.

           
I sat down in a chair beside her. She eyed me like a
scared rabbit. It was funny because she had teeth that could shred me into
bits, and with one snap she could my head off. Taking a deep breath I made my
voice as calm and soothing as possible. “
Danika
…
Danika
, I’m sorry.” She was still sniffling, but she didn’t
look quite as upset as earlier.

           
“You don’t hate me?”

           
I shook my head, “No, I don’t hate you. I don’t know
you.”

           
“You don’t think I’m ugly?”

           
“No, you’re not ugly. You were very pretty when you came
in. Kind of mean, but still pretty.” She smiled at that.

           
“I’m sorry about that. It’s kind of a werewolf thing. Do
you know anything about
Weres
?”

           
“No, I’m sorry. I didn’t even know werewolves existed
when I woke up this morning, but if you’re willing to be patient and explain it
to me I’d love to learn.” A huge toothy werewolf grin spread across that mouth.
Her tail wagged back and forth, knocking a couple chairs behind her over. She
was actually somewhat adorable, like a deranged and deadly teddy bear.

           
“Listen, how about you and I call an end to this meeting,
and the first free moment we have you can start telling me all about werewolves
ok.” She nodded and kept smiling. I really think
Niki
would be proud of me if she could see her big brother right now.
Danika
stood up and her body started shrinking. In no time,
she was standing in front of me naked except for a few scraps of shredded
clothing. She covered herself as best as she could. I unbuttoned my shirt and
handed it to her. Once it was on, it looked like a dress hanging around her
knees. She smiled at me again while I helped clean off some of the werewolf
snot that had dribbled onto my shirt. We moved towards the door when I heard
yelling outside the doorway. We both stopped. Outside I could hear Elizabeth,
and DD trying to stop Penny and another voice that were demanding to come in
and “rescue”
Danika
. There were two other voices
outside as well, and both of those sounded strangely familiar, but I couldn’t
place them. One sounded like it was trying to calm the situation, and the other
just laughed like everything was a joke. “Katy?”
Danika
whispered just before the door to the room exploded off the hinges. I wheeled
my body in front of
Danika
to protect her. The heavy
wooden door hammered into my back, and everything went black.

           
God my head hurts. What the hell just happened? My eyes
opened and I was staring up into seven female faces. Elizabeth, Doctor
Nowitski
, DD, Penny,
Danika
,
Janine, and a new girl were surrounding me. “Ok if we’re going to have sex
that’s fine but Doc could you please get out of my dream? No offense, but you
really aren’t my type.”

           
“Excuse me?” The doctor said, clearly irritated.

           
“Look Doc, it’s nothing personal, but since it’s my
naughty dream then I should get a say in
who
I play
with. No offense, but you just don’t make the cut.” The others snickered, and
the
 
doctor
turned and
left in a huff. “The pig is fine!”

           
“Don’t go away mad Doc… I’m sure there’s someone out
there wanting G.I.L.F., but I’m just not that guy. I know a couple old timers
that play poker with my dad that will rock that bun off your head though!” I
looked up at Janine, “
Darlin
’ I’m not sure how exactly
you got in my head, but I
gotta
say last time was
hot. Just don’t go exploding into fiery chunks this time ok.” Gasps of shock
surrounded me as all eyes turned accusingly to Janine, and I have to say, for a
figment of my imagination, she looked a little embarrassed.

           
“So who’s first? Ms. Mann?
Danika
?
Penny…actually, if
you don’t mind I think I’d like to save you for last. After all, you don’t eat
the desert first do you?” Penny turned back to me, and did her best to stare
daggers.

“Seriously,
it’s my horny thirteen year old sex fantasy, and you’re still expecting me to
be a gentleman. You realize that as my fantasy you should just be glad I don’t
have you wearing one of those really cheap vampire costumes. Although let’s be
honest, there’s really nothing I could do to make you any more beautiful. Even
in my fantasy you can’t cut me some slack, I mean if you were me then you’d be
drooling all over you. I mean what does a guy have to do to get to know you
better?” I asked. Penny just smirked at me.

Janine
leaned down, “Mr. Reaper.”

           
“Yes.” I said, giving my best bedroom eyes. My hand slid
up and grabbed Elizabeth’s firm buttocks, her eyes became two slits of rage.
Seriously, this dream better start having more nudity in it or this is clearly
a waste. Janine touched my face gently and whispered, “Mr. Reaper, this isn’t a
dream.”

           
“Of course it is. I mean so far it sucks that it’s been
two minutes, and the most I’ve gotten out of this fantasy is a nice grip on
Lizzie’s sweet ass. So come on make with the nudity people, Daddy’s waiting!” I
clapped both hands together like it would magically make all their clothes
disappear. I was greatly disappointed. All eyes darted to Lizzie. Her fingers
were white knuckled around the gaudiest necklace ever. It looked like something
even Elvis would call tacky. Ms. Mann actually growled at me in irritation, as
though she was so enraged that she forgot how to use words. That was all it
took to push all the others into an explosion of laughter.
Penny
 
even
snorted, and it was the most
adorable snort ever. Her eyes looked down affectionately at me, almost like I
was a new pet that she was going to enjoy training.

           
“See girls, I told you…
isn’t
Joseph just delicious. I could just eat him up.” That voice. I know that voice.
That voice tortured me for three months. The voice drove my squad to kill
themselves one by one. The voice that made me
do
...things.
The voice that drove me to a mental hospital once I escaped her. Rage burned
through me.

           
“EVIL PSYCHO BITCH!”
I screamed
as I leapt from the table, over the other women, and on top of her. My fist
slammed into her face repeatedly. She just kept laughing as bones in her face
shattered and crumbled to powder. “I forgot how much fun you were.” She kept
taunting me. My fist was already sore as I hammered it into her again. My eyes
caught a glimpse of a broken chair leg. Grabbing it, I drove it deep into her
chest. “Hey now…you’re ruining a perfectly good blouse.” I felt her power flare
around me. Magic lifted me forcefully towards the ceiling.
Then…blackness.

           
I woke back up, with DD,
Danika
,
and the woman
Danika
called Katy staring down at me.
“
Ow
, my head.”
Danika
leaned over and hugged me. Damn she’s strong. My ribs screamed in pain under
her grip. “We were all worried, I thought you were dead.” I sat up, “Nah,
you’re not rid of me yet, but I had this weird ass dream.” I blushed realizing
quickly that I really didn’t want to tell them. I looked around into the
laughing eyes of
Danika
, DD, Katy, Penny, and…Janine.
Reality sunk in. “Oh shit! I wasn’t dreaming was I?”

           
DD giggled, “No…you definitely weren’t dreaming.” Oh
crap! “Elizabeth?” I questioned, hoping head trauma caused me to imagine it
all. “Yep, you grabbed her quote sweet ass unquote.” Oh well just fuck me!
Great, my job is over! I am so boned! “Penny?” I whimpered.

           
“Well as tempting as it is to be your own personal
desert… I really think it’s time you went on a diet. Dawn is approaching and
this girl needs to grab a snack before bedtime.
Unless you’d
like to help me grab a quick snack before bed?”
I had to admit that I
froze. I really didn’t know how to answer that. Penny smiled and patted my sore
head, “You’re adorable when you’re unconscious…like a big sleeping puppy.”
Penny pranced playfully out of the room. Apparently, I was out for a while.
Great, no job and the hot girl thinks I’m just some plaything for her to screw
with. Somebody just shoot me. Wait!
If those parts were
true…?

           
I sat up with a gasp. “CRAZY PSYCHO BITCH IS HERE!” I was
already hyperventilating. DD put her hands on my shoulders, and rubbed my
shoulders to try to calm me down. “Her name is Alhambra.” I know who she is,
but does that really fucking matter? I mean do you nickname the shark that’s
biting you? I stared at her. Don’t they know how dangerous she is? “We need to
go. That whack job is going to kill us.” My hands were shaking. DD tried to
soothe me, “
Grimmy
it’s
ok.
She works for us now. She’s part of the team.”

           
“Part of the team?
Don’t you
know what she is…what she did?” DD listened, her face gentle and kind. “
Grimmy
, I promise. She’s with us. You’re safe. In fact
she’s the one that suggested you.” Seriously…if that was supposed to make me
feel better it definitely wasn’t working. It was right up there with having a
doctor tell you not to worry about contracting HIV because you were in the
final stage of cancer and would be dead soon anyway. Janine rubbed my chest, “I
promise that it’s ok. She’s difficult, and kind of a drama queen, but she does
her job.” Janine’s words were surprisingly more soothing than I would have
expected, but I think some of that was due to our earlier naked time still
having some influence. I stood up. “So where is she?”

           
“Elizabeth took her back down her room on level nine so
that when you woke up you wouldn’t feel threatened. You scared us for a bit
there. You went full on psycho. You tried to kill her.” It’s only a shame I
failed, but frankly it wasn’t the first time I tried to kill her so I should
have been used to disappointment. “Yeah, well… at least I ruined her blouse.”
They all laughed.

           
I turned my eyes to Katy. “Hopefully you aren’t holding
any of this against me. I know first impressions are important, and I promise
I’m not nearly the horny tool that it looks like.” Purple pigtails with white
highlights bounced up and down as she laughed. “Don’t worry; nobody could
possibly be that big of a tool. Anyway, I’m Katherine Delacruz. You can call me
Katy, and if you’ll forgive me for hitting you with that door then I’ll do my
best to forget your two last unfortunate bouts of consciousness.” I laughed. At
least she has a good sense of humor. “So, as insensitive as this might sound, I
don’t know any other way to ask. So Katy…Janine… what are you two?”