house, just in case. My contact, uh, warned me
about that.”
He said nothing for a time. Harry wondered
why people had to be so paranoid, but again, he silently chastised
himself. People were dumb, blind, and often panicky animals. He’d
seen Halsey’s reaction, and Jason hadn’t been much different with
Anastasia the first time around.
Silence continued, and while making a left
turn, Harry glanced at the bag in his friend’s hand. “What’s
inside?” he asked.
“Maze is a serious chocoholic,” Jason said
with a chuckle. “I ask a favor, this is payment. Maze doesn’t take
money for services rendered.”
That was the extent of their conversation for
the moment. Two minutes later, they reached their destination. It
was another nicely appointed house with a neatly swept front walk.
Exiting the car, Harry told Anastasia to stay in the car while he
and Jason ran to the door.
“She should be home now,” Jason said and
pounded on it while repeatedly pressing the doorbell. “Hey, we’re
here!” he announced in a loud voice. “You said that your parents
were still at work, right? So open up, will you?”
Wonderful, bring more attention to us, Harry
thought as he made a cursory check of the area. He cursed his
friend’s careless attitude, but at this time of the day, school
hadn’t let out, and most of the residents were at their jobs. Only
the cold air and the sights of winter snow and sleet abounded. Oh
wait, neighborhood watch, and the yelling continued.
A second later the sound of a woman’s voice
yelled back, “I’m coming, stop ringing so loud, I heard you!”
The door opened, and a tall, slender young
woman with long straight black hair stood there wearing the same
clothes as Jason.
His gaze went back and forth between them.
They resembled bookends, a matched pair.
“Okay, I’m here,” she announced, “So
what’s...?”
Her voice died away when she saw the figure
of Anastasia approach and her eyes widened with a look of this
isn’t happening in them. A tiny squeak of disbelief burst from
her throat. “Uh, Halloween came and went a couple of months
ago.”
Anastasia’s lips tightened and her voice came
out with a warning note in it. Swiveling to face Harry, she said,
“I didn’t feel like waiting in the car.”
Quickly turning back to face the woman,
Anastasia made her position clear. “I’m not trick-or-treating, this
isn’t makeup, and if you don’t move I’m going to do what the cat
does to Snoopy. You understand me?”
Time stood still, the girl didn’t move, and
she threw a helpless look at Jason. “Is she kidding?”
“No, she isn’t,” he answered evenly.
Her mouth fluttered. “But...this is...”
Anastasia grabbed Maze’s shoulder and the
other girl winced. “My name’s Anastasia, I’m a transgenic, and this
is my boyfriend,” she announced while indicating Harry with a jerk
of her thumb. Introduction over, she pushed her way in. “Deal with
it and be a good hostess, okay?”
Harry and Jason entered and Jason shut the
door. Maze stood there, stiff as a statue. Then she grabbed Jason’s
hand in order to pull him into another room, presumably the
kitchen.
A few seconds later, the sounds of running
water, a glass smashing on the floor, and loud whispers flew back
and forth. Even though the door was closed, Harry still took in
every word.
“You didn’t tell me you were bringing someone
like that over here!”
“If I had told you, you would have said no,”
Jason responded, a pleading tone in his voice. “You gotta do
something.”
Their conversation continued, the voices
growing more heated. If they were angry, then Anastasia was turning
positively nuclear, as her fur stood up, her ears twitched madly,
and her eyes narrowed into slits. Finally, she growled in a voice
loud enough to reach into the next county, “I heard you. I really
don’t want to lose my temper. Jason said you could help, and we
don’t have much time.”
One second later, the
about that.”
He said nothing for a time. Harry wondered
why people had to be so paranoid, but again, he silently chastised
himself. People were dumb, blind, and often panicky animals. He’d
seen Halsey’s reaction, and Jason hadn’t been much different with
Anastasia the first time around.
Silence continued, and while making a left
turn, Harry glanced at the bag in his friend’s hand. “What’s
inside?” he asked.
“Maze is a serious chocoholic,” Jason said
with a chuckle. “I ask a favor, this is payment. Maze doesn’t take
money for services rendered.”
That was the extent of their conversation for
the moment. Two minutes later, they reached their destination. It
was another nicely appointed house with a neatly swept front walk.
Exiting the car, Harry told Anastasia to stay in the car while he
and Jason ran to the door.
“She should be home now,” Jason said and
pounded on it while repeatedly pressing the doorbell. “Hey, we’re
here!” he announced in a loud voice. “You said that your parents
were still at work, right? So open up, will you?”
Wonderful, bring more attention to us, Harry
thought as he made a cursory check of the area. He cursed his
friend’s careless attitude, but at this time of the day, school
hadn’t let out, and most of the residents were at their jobs. Only
the cold air and the sights of winter snow and sleet abounded. Oh
wait, neighborhood watch, and the yelling continued.
A second later the sound of a woman’s voice
yelled back, “I’m coming, stop ringing so loud, I heard you!”
The door opened, and a tall, slender young
woman with long straight black hair stood there wearing the same
clothes as Jason.
His gaze went back and forth between them.
They resembled bookends, a matched pair.
“Okay, I’m here,” she announced, “So
what’s...?”
Her voice died away when she saw the figure
of Anastasia approach and her eyes widened with a look of this
isn’t happening in them. A tiny squeak of disbelief burst from
her throat. “Uh, Halloween came and went a couple of months
ago.”
Anastasia’s lips tightened and her voice came
out with a warning note in it. Swiveling to face Harry, she said,
“I didn’t feel like waiting in the car.”
Quickly turning back to face the woman,
Anastasia made her position clear. “I’m not trick-or-treating, this
isn’t makeup, and if you don’t move I’m going to do what the cat
does to Snoopy. You understand me?”
Time stood still, the girl didn’t move, and
she threw a helpless look at Jason. “Is she kidding?”
“No, she isn’t,” he answered evenly.
Her mouth fluttered. “But...this is...”
Anastasia grabbed Maze’s shoulder and the
other girl winced. “My name’s Anastasia, I’m a transgenic, and this
is my boyfriend,” she announced while indicating Harry with a jerk
of her thumb. Introduction over, she pushed her way in. “Deal with
it and be a good hostess, okay?”
Harry and Jason entered and Jason shut the
door. Maze stood there, stiff as a statue. Then she grabbed Jason’s
hand in order to pull him into another room, presumably the
kitchen.
A few seconds later, the sounds of running
water, a glass smashing on the floor, and loud whispers flew back
and forth. Even though the door was closed, Harry still took in
every word.
“You didn’t tell me you were bringing someone
like that over here!”
“If I had told you, you would have said no,”
Jason responded, a pleading tone in his voice. “You gotta do
something.”
Their conversation continued, the voices
growing more heated. If they were angry, then Anastasia was turning
positively nuclear, as her fur stood up, her ears twitched madly,
and her eyes narrowed into slits. Finally, she growled in a voice
loud enough to reach into the next county, “I heard you. I really
don’t want to lose my temper. Jason said you could help, and we
don’t have much time.”
One second later, the
Similar Books
