Page 54 of Concluded
That would have put an interesting twist on the Disney movie.“I thought you were immortal.”
“I’m not.And at the time, I was more vulnerable than I am now.”
Although Dee would have liked to hear more of the story, he didn’t ask.
Off the bridge and now in the city proper, their route twisted and turned on surface streets, going uphill and down, until they reached a neighborhood with century-old houses of wood or stucco mixed with apartment buildings and newer glass-and-concrete boxes.In most cities, this might have been a comfortable working-class neighborhood, but Dee, who’d occasionally lived in San Francisco for short periods, knew that these modest homes would probably sell for well over a million bucks.
Charles pulled the Toyota to a stop in front of one of them, apparently not caring that he was blocking the driveway.But he didn’t cut the engine.“Townsend knew for years that things were… working up to what we have now.He refused to tell me many details, the old bastard.Something about free will.But one thing he did say was that he’d been developing a safety net of sorts.A network of people we could rely on when things went bad.”
“Like the coyotes and the aliens,” Achilles said.
“Yes.And like the gentlemen you’re about to meet.One of them was an agent for a while, so you probably know him, Achilles.Clay White.”
Achilles made a startled noise.“He got kicked out of the Bureau after a colossal fuck-up.Children died.”
“Yes.But Townsend retained contact with him, and White and his partner agreed to help if needed.”
Dee was uneasy.There was clearly something that Charles wasn’t telling them; Dee could tell by the way Charles stared resolutely through the windshield.
“Can we trust him?”Achilles apparently shared some of Dee’s trepidation.
“Townsend thought so.And we don’t have much choice.”
They all sat in the car for a few moments, until the front door of the house swung open.Silhouetted in the light from the interior was a large winged figure.Charles immediately turned off the car and got out, swiftly followed by Achilles.Dee hesitated only a few seconds before following.
In the dark it was hard to discern many exterior details of the two-story house, but it had wood siding and was probably painted white or light yellow.A flight of steps led up to a small front porch and the open door, and to the left was a bay window with closed curtains.Tenrael stepped aside so that Charles and Dee could enter; he nodded at Dee, and Charles gave Ten’s arm a stroke as he passed.
“You can fly that far and that fast?”Dee asked.“Even after being shot and mauled?”
Tenrael gave him a very sharp-toothed grin.
They were in a hallway with wooden wainscoting and old-fashioned wallpaper.Tenrael slid open a pocket door and ushered them into a living room where two men stood, waiting for them.One was very tall and muscular, with close-cropped blond hair, a square jaw, and a scowl.Wearing dark slacks and a white shirt, he looked like an extra in a mob movie, one of the main star’s hired goons.The other man was shorter, slender, with reddish hair and high cheekbones.He was dressed like the front man in an emo band.
“White,” said Achilles, nodding at the big guy.
The man nodded back.“Spanos.”Then, maybe a little reluctantly, he gestured toward the other man.“Marek.”
Marek looked amused, as if he was used to White’s gruffness, and stepped forward.“You are welcome in our home, Achilles Spanos and Damnation Martell.”He had an accent, maybe Eastern European.“You have had a long and difficult journey.Please sit down.”He waved toward a couch.
It all felt really awkward, but Dee sat and then so did Achilles.As their hosts regarded them, Charles and Tenrael remained in the hallway, speaking softly.Although neither White nor Marek seemed hostile, there was something sharp and considering in their gazes.Dee felt a little like a sheep being sized up by a pair of wolves.
“This is a nice house,” Achilles said suddenly.
Dee agreed.The living room was tastefully furnished, showing respect for the age of the house but with nods to modern comfort.It wasn’t one of those places that felt staged for a magazine shoot.
Although White didn’t loosen at the compliment, Marek looked pleased.“We like it very much.For a long time it belonged to two Bureau agents, but when one of them passed away, his husband sold it to us.It has a strong sense of history for such a young building.”
That was an odd thing to say, considering the house must have been over a century old.
Before Dee could comment, however, Charles and Tenrael entered the room, both looking serious.“I’m sorry, gentlemen,” Charles said.“But we have to go.There’s an urgent issue in Seattle.But you’ll still?—”
“We’ll do what we promised,” Achilles interrupted.“We’ll try our best to bring out whoever’s in the black hole.”
“And you’ll contact us once you’ve succeeded?”
That made Achilles smile.“You’ll be the first to know.”
Everyone stared at one another, maybe in silent acknowledgment that this could be their last meeting, and then Charles and Tenrael left.Which meant Achilles and Dee were alone with their weird hosts.
