throat. “Not a problem. Plus, it would make going to Mass awkward. But with the call to Change, we know there’s trouble brewing and we are compelled to help prevent it, if we possibly can. We’re strong in human form, but much more powerful half-Changed, or in fur- or scaleself.”
“Yeah, but you kill people.” I’d blurted it out before thinking, then decided it needed to be said. “I know you said, and the other guys said, you’re trying to protect humans, fighting evil. But…there is such a thing as due process. How do you know it’s justified? You guys are never wrong?”
“Never,” Gerry said firmly. “We’ve never been mistaken in identifying predators. Fangborn aren’t capable of true evil. And no Fangborn has ever killed another Fangborn.”
Logic and suspicion made me wonder how that could possibly be true. His statement certainly told me a lot about Gerry, though. “How do you know?” I asked carefully.
“Our history.”
“History isn’t a perfect record,” I said. “I can tell you that, as an almost-professional.”
Claudia stepped in. “I had similar questions when I was younger. I finally decided the world was better because of us, because of our actions.”
I felt as if I was treading in the dangerous territory of faith or religion; time to change the subject. “How was it Dmitri was able to kill so many Fangborn?”
“From the autopsies we performed, we learned he’s aware of some of the chemicals that will weaken or disable us, like the black hellebore we mentioned. It worries me, because he seems to know so much about us. That’s one of our most carefully guarded secrets.” She clutched the wheel. “I hate to think how he got that information.”
“When we get to the airport,” Gerry said, shutting down his computer, “I’ll send this to your phone, not the one Dmitri left for you.”
“What are the numbers for your phones?” Claudia asked.
I recited my number, then read off the new one to Gerry, who entered them. “How about yours?” I wasn’t about to let them off the hook for their contact information. “Quid pro quo, Dr. Steuben.”
Gerry snorted a laugh—Claudia wasn’t much like Hannibal Lecter—then rattled off the numbers for his phone and Claudia’s. OK, so I didn’t trust him, not entirely, but he seemed…OK. Hard not to start liking a guy who laughed at your lame jokes.
The next few moments were filled with plans for how we’d travel. Somehow there had been no question they would try to go with me, and I was steadily more impressed with the idea that there was more going on than just me and Danny. I already had my ticket and I was going to use it. I stopped by the ATM to get as much cash as I could, this last time; maybe, if Dmitri was capable of tracking me, having even a little currency might help if I needed to get off the radar for any reason.
Claudia and Gerry would buy their own tickets. Dmitri didn’t know them, and as long as they were helping, I was resigned. Sean, determined to follow me, would buy one, too.
“It’s probably OK for him to come with me,” I said. “If they know so much about me, they know he’s with me, that he’d come even if I asked him not to.” I looked hopeful at that last comment, but Sean shook his head.
“I’m coming. You can’t stop me.”
But the ticket counter could.
The flight to London was sold out; even Claudia’s persuasive inquiries couldn’t get seats on a plane that was full. Not even first class, where, I was surprised to find, I was seated.
“Probably the better to observe you, if he has someone following you,” Gerry said, handing his sister his passport. “I’ll be over at the coffee shop over there, the table out front—next to the bar? Claudia will get the tickets. There’s Wi-Fi, and I’ll send the rest of the files to you.”
Inquiries at the counter and we had a last minute plan: the flight for Berlin via Munich left shortly after mine. There were seats and
“Yeah, but you kill people.” I’d blurted it out before thinking, then decided it needed to be said. “I know you said, and the other guys said, you’re trying to protect humans, fighting evil. But…there is such a thing as due process. How do you know it’s justified? You guys are never wrong?”
“Never,” Gerry said firmly. “We’ve never been mistaken in identifying predators. Fangborn aren’t capable of true evil. And no Fangborn has ever killed another Fangborn.”
Logic and suspicion made me wonder how that could possibly be true. His statement certainly told me a lot about Gerry, though. “How do you know?” I asked carefully.
“Our history.”
“History isn’t a perfect record,” I said. “I can tell you that, as an almost-professional.”
Claudia stepped in. “I had similar questions when I was younger. I finally decided the world was better because of us, because of our actions.”
I felt as if I was treading in the dangerous territory of faith or religion; time to change the subject. “How was it Dmitri was able to kill so many Fangborn?”
“From the autopsies we performed, we learned he’s aware of some of the chemicals that will weaken or disable us, like the black hellebore we mentioned. It worries me, because he seems to know so much about us. That’s one of our most carefully guarded secrets.” She clutched the wheel. “I hate to think how he got that information.”
“When we get to the airport,” Gerry said, shutting down his computer, “I’ll send this to your phone, not the one Dmitri left for you.”
“What are the numbers for your phones?” Claudia asked.
I recited my number, then read off the new one to Gerry, who entered them. “How about yours?” I wasn’t about to let them off the hook for their contact information. “Quid pro quo, Dr. Steuben.”
Gerry snorted a laugh—Claudia wasn’t much like Hannibal Lecter—then rattled off the numbers for his phone and Claudia’s. OK, so I didn’t trust him, not entirely, but he seemed…OK. Hard not to start liking a guy who laughed at your lame jokes.
The next few moments were filled with plans for how we’d travel. Somehow there had been no question they would try to go with me, and I was steadily more impressed with the idea that there was more going on than just me and Danny. I already had my ticket and I was going to use it. I stopped by the ATM to get as much cash as I could, this last time; maybe, if Dmitri was capable of tracking me, having even a little currency might help if I needed to get off the radar for any reason.
Claudia and Gerry would buy their own tickets. Dmitri didn’t know them, and as long as they were helping, I was resigned. Sean, determined to follow me, would buy one, too.
“It’s probably OK for him to come with me,” I said. “If they know so much about me, they know he’s with me, that he’d come even if I asked him not to.” I looked hopeful at that last comment, but Sean shook his head.
“I’m coming. You can’t stop me.”
But the ticket counter could.
The flight to London was sold out; even Claudia’s persuasive inquiries couldn’t get seats on a plane that was full. Not even first class, where, I was surprised to find, I was seated.
“Probably the better to observe you, if he has someone following you,” Gerry said, handing his sister his passport. “I’ll be over at the coffee shop over there, the table out front—next to the bar? Claudia will get the tickets. There’s Wi-Fi, and I’ll send the rest of the files to you.”
Inquiries at the counter and we had a last minute plan: the flight for Berlin via Munich left shortly after mine. There were seats and
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