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  “Yeah. Yeah.” Leon turned to Bob, as they headed toward that far end of the hallway again, “I was thinking--” He lowered his voice.

  She yelled, “I can still hear you! Would you please keep it down?”

  “You’re lying.” I laughed.

  “I wish I was.” She winced, “Mm,” and closed her eyes.

  “Are you all right?”

  “He’s licking her.”

  “Okay. Now I know you’re lying.”

  She held her pose, apparently savoring what she could hear. Biting down on her lower lip, she groaned in a whisper, “Oh, yeah. Do it.”

  I didn’t believe it.

  She set her legs wider though, and I could smell the heat rising. That had me thinking twice.

  “Seriously?”

  Amber’s eyes opened. She looked tired. She said, “That’s why I take the pills. Everybody in this building likes to think about what they’re doing, and see if I can tune in.”

  “Can you?”

  “Not with the pills. But everything, every little sound makes me crazy.”

  “Going out...won’t that be worse?”

  “I have some new pills.”

  “That’s why you went into--”

  “You don’t think I’m friggin’ workin’ for Lobos because I like their agenda, do you? I’m here because the best labs on the planet are here.”

  “Hood knows this?”

  “We have a deal.”

  “What’s that?”

  “I help him out when he needs it; he helps me out.”

  “So, helping him out extends to getting felt up in public?”

  “Shut up. That suit fits almost perfectly.”

  “He didn’t seem that pissed that I’d fucked you.”

  She shrugged, “Told you.”

  “That doesn’t quite jive with what I’ve heard.”

  “Lots of stories go around about Hood. He’s not so bad once you get to know him.”

  “Are you in his circle of trust?”

  “How can I not be? I hear everything he does.”

  “So he knows about the pills you have?”

  She prevaricated, seesawing her head back and forth. “Yes and no.”

  “What’s that mean?”

  “He knows about some of the things I’ve developed, not all.”

  I looked both ways, and then stepped closer. “Does he know you and Giselle are friggin’ unnaturals?”

  She made a face. “Shh. Would you keep your voice down?”

  “Does he, or doesn’t he?”

  “How do I know I can trust you?”

  “You’re the one who drew me in--by giving me that pill.” I rubbed the back of my neck. “I can’t trust you, can I?” I turned away from her. “I’m going to Missouri. Do me a favor and send for Frank. We’re getting the hell out of here.”

  She stopped me with, “You aren’t going anywhere until Hood’s done with Giselle.”

  “Is she really going?”

  “Yeah. He can’t keep her here.”

  I didn’t get the whole deal. “And why not? I thought this was his little piece of heaven. He’s god.”

  Her lips rubbed together. “You’d think.”

  “What do you know?”

  “Not much.”

  Now, I knew she was lying. “Why does Hood want you to go with us? What’s he hoping to gain?”

  “That’s for me to know.”

  It did feel like a game. I wanted to know the rest of the rules. “You think Hood’s gonna let Giselle and you go with us--and he’s not coming with, too?”

  “Who knows what he’s gonna do? I don’t think he really plans for her to go.”

  “You think he knows she’s got her things on the chopper, if she does, I mean...?”

  “Oh yeah. Nothing happens at Lobos that he doesn’t know about. And if he doesn’t know it now, he soon will.”

  “So,” I glanced up and around. “He can hear our conversation?”

  “It’s on tape.”

  I bit the inside of my cheek. “You know what? You’re all fuckin’ crazier than my people.” I turned away, heading toward the door. “I’m waiting in the chopper.”

  Amber didn’t try to stop me and she didn’t follow right away, which I think I wanted her to do--one or the other, anyway. I ended up waiting on that damn chopper for over an hour. I had time to look around, and see that there were three bags loaded. I tossed them out onto the roof. It was my chopper. They hadn’t asked me before they had them put in.

  I might just have Amber beg to go.

  I sat there for a long time, it seemed like. Long enough to realize how infantile that had been, and to pick them up and reload them. And to take a look-see.

  After all, it was my chopper. Right?

  There was nothing to see. Except some flimsy undergarments and slinky dresses. Neither Giselle, or Amber, apparently, had anything to wear that wasn’t meant to turn men on.

  I sniffed everything. Freshly washed.

  The third bag was a surprise. Hood’s? Some other male? Nothing of note. Mostly black things.

  Amber came out with Frank. At least she had on more than a lab coat and fishnets. She’d exchanged the white for a happy dress. I don’t know how else to describe it. Big, Maui flowers of red on a navy background. She had a stupid flower tucked behind her ear, too.

  Smiling at Frank, chatting him up, too. He liked her, I could tell. I thought Frank, you slimy little bastard, you better watch your step. She’ll eat you for breakfast.

  To my surprise, Frank’s gaze zipped from her face to me, spying through the little window hole. I heard, I can hear your thoughts again. Be careful.

  Good, I said. Hear this, you fuckin’ little bastard. Hands off.

  She can hear you.

  She might be able to hear my blood flowing, but not my brain, too.

  You don’t think? It was her.

  Get outta my fuckin’ head.

  They reached the chopper, and Frank kinda helped heave her up into it. Between her and me, we filled the space. Frank laughed aloud. “Oops. Sorry.”

  She squealed and jumped a little. “Oooh! Frank!”

  “Get your hand off her ass before I knock you out.” I helped her get a seat, and pushed him back, “You sit up front this time.”

  Both of them at the same time, said, “Relax.”

  Amber said, “He really is gonna have apoplexy if we don’t keep an eye on him.”

  “I hope I do stroke out.” I didn’t care if I sounded surly. She didn’t smell like Frank, but she sure hadn’t slapped him down when he had his hand on her butt.

  “Giselle and Hood are on their way,” she said.

  I turned to look at Amber. She appeared very content, totally pleased with herself. The tiredness was gone. “What did you do, take a shower?”

  I sniffed. Definitely didn’t smell like me any more, either.

  “Yep. So did Giselle and Hood.”

  “I don’t care.” I stuck my nose to the window, out the other side from where they would come out of the building. To the pilot, I said, “Why don’t we take off?”

  I can fly a chopper. Normally, I do. Going to Lobos, though, we had an image to keep up.

  It didn’t matter. Hood and Giselle came out of the building right then. I said, “Tell me he’s in a better mood.”

  Amber laughed. “You thought he was in a bad mood, earlier? Ha!”

  “Why is he coming?”

  Frank said, “To keep an eye on his women.”

  “Giselle. He doesn’t let her out of his sight.” Amber said, “Hush, now.”

  Hood helped Giselle up, every bit the gentleman. You wouldn’t believe he’d been tonguing Amber only an hour or two earlier--in front of us all. In fact, the way he took care of Giselle, I had to question what I’d witnessed earlier. Had I been imagining things?

  After she was settled and strapped in by Hood, he took a seat. The door closed and we took off. We rode in silence for some ways before he f
inally said, “Stop thinking about it, please. We have.”

  The women flashed smiles. Hood’s gaze, though, seemed penetrating.

  I said, “I’m trying.”

  Frank said, “You know, Hood, he really doesn’t know the extent of the operation.”

  I asked, “What operation?”

  Chapter Eight

  Amber wrinkled her nose and shook her head. Was that another ‘shut-up sign?’

  Frank took the hint. I, however, didn’t quite get it. I said, “So fill me in.” I knew I could trust my pilot.

  “Shh.” Amber said, “There’s a scenter listening in.”

  Incredulous to think of! Not one, but two? I blurted, “There’s two of you?”

  The hair on her arms stood up. She shivered.

  Hood asked, “What’s he saying to you?”

  “It’s a him?” That pissed me off instantly. It was a him and he was in her head?

  Yeah. From moment one, I guess, I mated body and soul to Amber. I just had to get it through her head. Who would have thought that I’d be a faithful dog?

  Amber shrugged. “He’s just happy to know I’m out and about. He was worried about what you’d done to me.” She thought that was funny. “If only he knew.” She turned to Hood, and her eyes blazed red.

  He appeared very happy--a total contradiction to what he’d been like earlier. And everything I’d ever heard about him. I swear I felt like I’d entered the twilight zone.

  Giselle, on the other hand, did not smile. She asked Amber, “Could we move past that? I’m trying not to hold it against him.” Then she winked at me and mouthed, I promised. Don’t forget.

  Amber turned to me and said, “You can forget it.”

  I rubbed an eye. “I’m gonna forget all of this--first bar I see, I’m there. Forget my brother. Forget Wolf and Lobos. Forget it all.”

  Maybe Bark had felt the same way. There’s only so much insanity you can take.

  I asked the group in general, “Tell me again why we’re all going to Missouri?”

  Frank said, “Amber will be able to help find Bark. She’s Hood’s secret weapon.”

  “Not too secret if someone else already knows she’s out of her cage.”

  “Hey!” She said, “One man doesn’t count.” She sort of pouted. “And I don’t belong in a cage.”

  “All he has to do is make a call.” I insisted, “Hell, he could put it on satellite broadcast if he wanted to.”

  “Hush with that.” I don’t know why, but Amber thought that was hilarious. She leaned over and kissed my cheek. “He heard you, you know. And he’s laughing...like the dog he is.”

  Hood said, “Pretty soon we’ll be out of range.”

  Again, I felt like I had to spell things out. “He knows where we’re going.”

  “That’s right,” Amber chimed in.

  I figured it out then. Amber was on an adventure. She loves adventures, anything exhilarating. Anything resembling Mission Impossible is a turn on for her. She’s taken me on quite a few since then.

  I asked, “Is he somebody we have to worry about?”

  Hood said, “He’s not with us, if that’s what you’re asking.”

  “Who’s he with?” At that point, I wasn’t sure who was on my team, and who wasn’t. I felt stupid asking questions, but I was supposed to be in charge of security and what the hell? I didn’t know what we were talking about.

  “Could you just hush for a minute or two?” Amber had her head tipped. “He’s in a car. No, a truck.” She pointed. “Heading that way.”

  Frank asked, “Should we follow him?”

  Hood said, “No. Let’s go to Missouri.”

  “Not that I’m against your company,” I said to Hood, “But why are you going?”

  He reached over and took a hold of Giselle’s hand. “Giselle wanted a little fresh air.”

  So if it confuses you--you’re not alone. Giselle wasn’t getting out of his sight. Amber wasn’t either. Hood’s a control freak. That’s what I got out of it.

  I had to wonder if they were all taken their friggin’ showers together. Talk about your fucked up shit.

  Amber said, “That is fucked up. Would you stop already?”

  I grumbled, “Get outta my head.”

  “You think too loud.” She didn’t seem all that unhappy. In fact, she seemed way too cheerful.

  Hood said, “You really need to work on that.”

  “It usually helps, in my line of business.” I put up a mind picture of the last kill I made--in the company’s name, of course. The three men/victims had wet down their legs--right before I ripped colons out of the two, and a spleen out of the third.

  Hood asked, “Are you usually that messy?”

  “You tell me.” I zipped a few other pictures past my brain.

  Amber said, “You are one messed up motherfucker.”

  I turned to look her in the eye and said, “And you’re one beautiful bitch. Welcome to my world.”

  Must’ve hurt her feelings. Didn’t mean to. Thought I was complimenting her. The one beautiful thing in my screwed up head. She didn’t take it that way. Neither did Frank, apparently.

  He slapped a hand on his knee and said through gritted teeth, “You’re a bastard, Mark.”

  “What?”

  Hood said, “You’re just lucky we’re in the air. I think she would have put you through a wall anywhere else.”

  “You got that right.” Amber stared straight ahead, her chin in the air.

  Giselle said, “You know that wasn’t a compliment. Right?”

  “No.” See how they were? I wasn’t sure what I’d said wrong, really. I mean, I am fucked up. She is beautiful. That was my world.

  Giselle said to Hood, “He needs some lessons on kissing up.”

  Hood reached around her shoulder, and pulled her in for a kiss. It was very reminiscent of the way he’d handled Amber earlier. It didn’t garner the same gut reaction from me, though.

  Amber never seemed to notice it at all. And I would have thought a woman with any interest in her lover would say or do something. I watched Amber’s profile. She steadfastly refused to look. Even I could hear their kissing, though. So there was no doubt she was getting it, scenter that she was.

  I couldn’t stand it. Finally, I turned to her and asked, “Doesn’t that bother you?”

  She shrugged. “Why should it?” She turned to me then, and asked, “Does it bother you?”

  Now, I was just trying to understand her. I felt my lids narrow as I said, “You’re one cold-hearted bitch, aren’t you?”

  “Requirement of the job.”

  I looked away. “I wouldn’t want your job.”

  “That makes us even. I wouldn’t want yours.”

  Below us, everything looked miniature. My life, before that day, seemed small, insignificant. I wondered how Amber saw me. A heinous murderer? If she was in my head, she knew what I was capable of. I didn’t try and block my thoughts. I figured it was a matter of time before everyone there knew everything I thought. I couldn’t keep a block up indefinitely--why bother at all?

  Just try. It was Frank.

  He was an enigma, all of the sudden. Mild mannered all his life, but now he’s a tight friend to Hood? In with Giselle? Did he know Amber before I met her?

  Yes. Frank, again.

  How about where Bark’s at?

  No. Frank, once more.

  Anybody know where he is?

  Two resounding no’s filled my head. Giselle was silent.

  Hood said, “If we knew where he was, we wouldn’t be in this mess, would we?”

  “Just exactly what is this mess we’re in the middle of, if you don’t mind my asking?”

  Frank groaned and readjusted in his seat, staring out the far side of the chopper. You know how he is.

  I insisted on talking aloud. “What are you talking about?”

  Giselle said, “If you’re still talking about Barklay, Hood knows he likes to walk on the wild side.”
>
  She told on Bark? Lesson to the wise: kill a bitch when you’re done with her.

  Amber flinched.

  “It’s not like he kept it that much of a secret.” Giselle seemed unhappy, all of a sudden. She turned to Hood and asked, “You won’t let anyone kill Amber, will you?”

  Amber might have pretended not to care, but I saw her head tip the slightest bit.

  Hood never answered. That’s what a hard bastard he is.

  He laughed a little at my thought, though. I knew he had to be equating us. After all, I was the one who said it in the first place. I had killed when I was done with a bitch.

  Stop that shit. Frank changed the subject, speaking aloud. “They know he was in Garouville before he disappeared. How the hell he got from there to fucking Missouri, now that’s the big mystery.”

  “That’s where Amber comes in. Thank Gaia, we have her.”

  “I know everything, pretty much, up to the actual Houdini.” Hood took Giselle’s hand. I swear, they acted like teenagers. He studied her fingers, brought them to his lips, kissed each one on the nail. She has pretty, dainty little hands.

  Amber tucked her hands up under her armpits while I watched Giselle and Hood.

  He told her, “I like this color.”

  “I know. Amber told me.”

  Hood and I, both, looked at Amber’s profile--between us. He must’ve been mind talking to her. He’s fucking phenomenal with that shit. I realize it now. She turned her head and looked at him, too, but they never said anything out loud.

  “It had to be the Gaia-damned friggin’ bastets.” Saying it was like unloading a gun. Emptying my chest. It was a relief. I just let it explode from my lips. Maybe I wanted her to look at me.

  She did. Amber’s head swung around and she asked, “You don’t like the cats?”

  So, I was thinking...again...what friggin’ world had I stepped off into? “Of course I hate the cats. Don’t you?”

  Her lips twisted into a smile, real slowly it spread. “Actually, I’ve always been more of a cat person than a dog lover.”

  Hood said congenially, “I’ve been trying to bring her around.”

  She snorted. “Is that what you were doing?”

  “I wish you’d just fall in love with a wolf so we could get over it all.”

  “Wait,” I said, “What does Amber falling in love with a wolf have to do with anything?”