Night Bites (6 page)

The room itself is sparsely decorated, as was the rest of the house when we walked through. It is basically just the bed in here. Maybe she hasn't had time to make her love nest feel like home.

“Hey Julie,” I say trying to wake her up. I never take a life where I am not able to look into their eyes while I am doing it. It’s a general rule and tonight isn’t going to be the first time I break it. I move further into the room and the guys follow.

“Hey Julie,” I repeat giving her a little nudge with my gun. Collective agents are taught not to fall asleep on the job. If they could see her now, I bet they would do the killing for me.

She stirs a bit and tries to focus as she opens her eyes. “What? Oh it's you. What are you doing here and why are you dragging around a shrunken hippopotamus?” She focuses on the ground and then the other people in the room.

Oh no she didn't just offend my little guy. Clyde doesn't care for the remark either because he starts growling and lunging towards the bed. I tug on the rope to get him to calm down.

“Do you think you could get out of bed, or at least sit up, so we can have a little conversation?” I ask the still prone woman. I am happy she managed to get under the covers. I don’t expect her to be wearing a lot in the clothing department.

She manages to sit up a little bit, moaning as she moves. “Too tired,” she whispers finally sitting up. Man, Jake must have really given her a workout. I didn't know this level of exhaustion was possible from a little romp in the bed. If I wasn’t pissed at him, I might actually offer him congratulations on a job well done.

Now that she is up, though still not coherent, I want to get on with this, but before I get a chance to try to ask a question, I hear a shot followed by witnessing Julie's head explode. Well, that takes away my interrogation.

I spin towards the perpetrator, and find Jake standing in the doorway. My gun focuses on him. “You better start explaining yourself,” I demand not too happy at all that I won’t get my chance to kill anyone tonight.

“That was why you guys came over tonight, right? You got tired of her trying to take out our guys. She wasn't going to be able to tell you anything. The drug I slipped her was going to keep her asleep for at least four hours. You couldn't have parked too close, so I just saved you dragging her for miles,” he says lowering his gun and giving his usual annoying grin.

“You seem pretty happy for yourself, being a traitor and all,” I tell him refusing to lower my weapon. The rest of the guys are just letting me run the show. Good move by them. I was set to kill someone tonight and since it looks like the program has changed, no one wants to get in the way of this crazy.

“What? A traitor? I am not a traitor.” It seems that is the standard answer for anyone I ask these days. I guess you cannot really expect someone to cop to the crime. Traitors don’t have a record of being treated very well in history.

“We caught you having sex with a known enemy. You have been slipping her your hard-on, what else have you let loose?”

“Just because I was using the situation to get some low grade sex, I mean my own hand is almost better, doesn't mean she was getting anything out of me. If you would have asked her, she might have thought she was, but I was only feeding her false information while doing research and collecting intel for our side. You can ask Alex. I reported everything back to him.”

“Alex knows about your relationship?” I ask. He didn't indicate that to me at any point, but I guess I didn't hear about the real situation until after we left the compound. The little bit Alex did mention made me think he thought Jake would be an issue.

“Of course he does. He set everything up. I romanced the girl, letting her think she was pulling one over on me. Then when we started coming here, I would slip her something in her drink so after I had a good time with her, and made a big deal about leaving, she would pass out. I would double back around and come back in to snoop through her things to find out her plans. I was able to save her first target, but she changed things at the last minute for the second one. You don't know how sorry I am that I didn't see that one coming.”

So, little Jakey has been playing secret agent. I am going to have to check out his story with Alex, but I actually think the brat is telling the truth. I may have to smack Alex around a little bit for making me think Jake was a rat.

“If you aren't the traitor that leaves only one person standing,” I say looking to Sebastian, since it is one of his men.

“The fact that Smitty is playing both sides isn’t a new revelation,” he says nodding. “I didn't know if Jake had also flipped so I didn't want you growing complacent around him. I am sure there are probably quite a few people within our midst that aren't really on our side.”

“You knowingly have allowed a traitor to guard me? For how long?” I ask.

“Smitty is very complex. He has been by my side since the resistance was started, and I have known him for centuries. He doesn't like to lose, though, and he hasn't figured out which side in this battle will win. That makes him play both. We are careful not to let anything too important slip out when he is in our presence, but these things sometimes happen.”

“I cannot believe you allow this,” I say astonished by what I am hearing. He says they don’t let anything important slip, but the guy knows about my wacky makeup and paternity. I think those are kind of important things to just let slip.

I try to think back over other things he might know. The big one is the fact that my dad is still alive. He better be in a really good hiding place because the Collective is probably back on his ass.

“We use it to our advantage when we can. We have uncovered more traitors that meet with him and have taken care of them appropriately. His phone and vehicles are wired, so we pick up any communication he has with the other side. Him being two-faced has actually saved a few lives over the years,” Sebastian explains. “We were even able to find the wolf that tried to break into the holding cells to get to Sam, after the perpetrator had a meeting with Smitty.”

“And yet you don't make me aware of this and he is sent almost every other day to protect me. What if I let something slip that cost someone their life?”

“Jonas and Marcus were aware of the situation, which is why one of them tends to always be around. I wasn't one hundred percent for sure of Jake's loyalty, so you were rarely left alone with only him and Smitty. Sometimes the grouping was necessary, but not often. I don't think Smitty would ever endanger you. He has given his blood oath to protect you and those aren't things that can be taken lightly.”

“Hey. Why does my loyalty have to be in question? Alex saved me from the Collective. There is no way I would repay that by harming the resistance. Especially not if it had something to do with hurting Alex’s girl,” Jake says defending himself. “Wolves tend to take the whole mate thing very serious.”

“That's good to know. We are going to have to talk to Alex about sharing information. He didn't tell anyone, that I know of, that you were undercover,” Sebastian says looking to Jonas who shakes his head.

Wow. Alex is a little secret hider. Imagine that. He is also pretty quiet in my mind. I know he said he had to concentrate to hear my thoughts, but I figured he just sat around thinking of me all day making me an easy read. With any luck, his silence means he is actually busy elsewhere.

“I guess we are done here then. Because of Jake I didn't get to have any fun like I was promised, so you better get something else lined up for me soon.” Like letting me go after the real traitor, I add silently. “What do you guys want to do with the body?” I ask.

I am not sure what ammunition he used; usually silver just leaves a puddle of gunk. This stuff just blew her head away. It might come in handy if I ever need to produce a body.

“We can just leave her. I don't think she will be resurrecting and this, trying to seduce me into giving secrets, was something she was doing without proper authority. She would report any tidbits she thought she was uncovering, but no one was really checking on her,” Jake says. “She was really trying hard to prove herself. Apparently, another female agent made it very difficult to look good in the eyes of the Collective. Her tests never measured up to yours, so she was trying to find something to win them over.”

“And I am guessing your bogus secrets weren't working out too well for her?” I ask.

“Nah. She was going to try to kill me before too long. They kept sending agents to places I said our forces lived and found empty houses. I think I was causing quite a bit of frustration.”

“So, it was a normal day for you,” I retort.

“Pretty much. Can we get out of here? The body is starting to stink and if you haven't noticed, Rat Dog is eying it like a T-bone.”

The conversation had made me forget about the little bugger, but sure enough, he is staring at the body licking his lips.

“No Clyde,” I say scolding him. I need to record myself saying that because I have a feeling those words are going to come out of my mouth a lot. “I don't care what your other master allowed. Here in the real world, we don't eat people.”

“I guess if you ever did need a body disposed of, you have a new tool at your disposal,” Marcus pipes in. “I don't think there would be much left after he got through with it.”

“I am afraid if he gets the taste of people, you guys are going to have to start sleeping with one eye open,” I inform them. “Let's head out. I think he needs to have a steak or something. His eyes are starting to look like laser beams.”

“I am parked two blocks north of here, so I will meet you all back at base,” Jake says nodding and taking off.

“I, for one, am glad he isn't the traitor,” I announce dragging Clyde away from the body. “I wasn't looking forward to breaking in a new guard and if you say you have a handle on Smitty, I won't have to.”

“I think you have a while before you need to. Eventually, Smitty will outgrow his usefulness and have to be dealt with, though,” Sebastian says catching up and taking my free hand.

On the way back to the car, I start salivating thinking about what it would be like to fight Smitty to the death. He isn't as good as Sebby, but he is far from a novice. It would be a pretty fair fight and one that would really get my adrenaline going.

I cannot wait.

Chapter 8

Things just never go my way

“Oh my God, you're alive!” Phee shrieks at me as I step out of the car, back in the parking garage. She is dressed in Nyx approved workout attire. “I didn't believe them when they said you were actually up and about and out on a mission. I thought for sure you would be recovering for a few days from your ordeal. I know after my little issue, I stayed in my room for two whole days before my mom even called you in.”

Can someone hand me the mute button, please? I think it would be a handy feature to have with just about any of my companions.

“In a minute, Phee,” I say ushering Clyde past her as she tries to give me a hug. Has she gone crazy? Hello. Hugs and I don’t exactly mix. “Clyde needs food.” During the ride back, he refused to sit still and kept trying to gnaw on Sebastian.

Sebastian wasn’t too thrilled with the idea of being a snack and a sort of staring contest ensued. It made a really interesting ride home since Sebastian was the one driving. In the end, it was a draw and neither contestant would look away.

I am leaning towards Sebastian winning because he still has all his fingers.

“You have a puppy,” Phee squeals noticing the Hellhound. She tries to bend down to pet him even while we are in motion and he leaps towards her trying to bite. I guess that proves he isn’t only after male flesh, like I was originally assuming. He is growing up and in a very confused period in his development, so I am not counting the looks he was giving the dead female body.

“I would stay back, if I were you,” Jonas says inserting himself between the girl and the dog. Brave man.

“What's wrong with him?” Phee whispers, now probably terrified of the little thing. Come on, she is a freaking werewolf and he is just a puppy. I think werewolf trumps puppy, even if Clyde doesn’t believe it.

“He is just hungry and he doesn't really care about where his meat comes from right now, as long as it isn't from his mistress' bone,” Jonas informs her. It’s true. He hasn’t made one move to relieve me of a little flesh. Of course, I am pretty little, so maybe he realizes there isn’t enough meat to even bother with. That doesn’t explain his lunging at Phee since she is smaller, but it is an idea.

We arrive at the elevator, but I think it is best if I go alone. A small space crammed with people isn't good right now.

“Me and Marcus are joining you,” Sebastian says stepping on as I hit the button.

“Fine. It isn't my appendages that are in danger,” I say. I try to talk soothingly to Clyde and let him know he will get something yummy in just a second, but he doesn't believe me.

After a thirty-second ride that feels like hours, the doors finally open again and we stumble out. I take off in a run towards the kitchen. I fling open the fridge door and grab whatever meat I can in a hurry.

In a panic, I throw butcher paper everywhere to expose two large, juicy steaks. I toss them on the floor and Clyde takes his sweet time waddling to them and then sniffing around. He gives two short yips, charring them both slightly. I guess he doesn't like his food as raw as Demon Boy thought.

In seconds, the steaks are both gone, his eyes are back to their normal black and the rest of our party has joined us to watch.

“What is he?” Phee asks annoyingly awed by the sight. Just last week, I ate a pile of bacon quicker than he finished the steaks. Now that was something to be in awe of.

“What, you haven't ever seen a Hellhound before?” I ask picking Clyde up off the ground to snuggle him to my shoulder. I pat his back gently, telling him what a good boy he is.

Before long, he lets out a huge belch causing a stream of fire to hit the wood cupboards behind us. I turn to see that thankfully they didn't catch fire. That seems a bit odd with them being wood and all.