Other Places 1: Shortcuts (18 page)

"Hey, Lenore? Could I get one of those things with the honey buns? I'll have to get some cash from the store, but I think that will be alright. I mean, as long as I write up what I'm getting and pay it back. I just don't have any cash with me." He headed over to do that, opening the whole place up just before nine, then headed back over with the four dollars he needed to pay for the thing.

She waved the cash away and shook her head.

"I'm almost certain that you can have this for free Zackary." Her voice seemed a little subdued for some reason, but he didn't really get it.

Oh, it had to do with that crack that Bey had made about giving her to him, he knew that, but if she thought that was real then she hadn't been keeping up with the whole emancipation thing that had happened back during the civil war. It was the U.S. and that meant he couldn't keep slaves, even if it was a convenient way for Bey to pay back his debts. They'd just have to work out something else.

Unlimited treats or something.

He contemplated that while he munched the one he had, sitting behind the counter, resting on a single elbow. He was wearing the same clothing as the day before, having not slept yet, which Lisa noticed when she walked in. At ten-forty.

"Ah... I overslept a bit." She didn't sound all that happy yet, and he couldn't blame her at all. Break-ups sucked.

He waved the apology away, having been sweeping the place up, since her phone rang about then anyway. Just because she hadn't been in the store didn't mean she wasn't working after all. She walked off to the back, her black and purple dress looking decently professional, if a little loose on her. She was nearly as thin as he was after all. They probably looked like they were both on drugs, he realized. Soon people would be coming by to try and score from them if they weren't careful.

A few minutes later she came back, her face looking worried about something. Before he could ask what the problem was she told him. It was, it turned out, two things.

"We have one of our people, a Mage I mean, that's been arrested. Hiram Stone called it in, because he's pretty certain he committed the theft that the other man is being blamed for. I need to arrange bail for him. Normally you have to fend for yourself, but it's a thing in the by-laws that we have to support anyone falsely accused due to the wrong-doing of a guild member. If we know about it. It could be a set-up though. Regardless, we have to try."

"Third codex... I want to say... seventh section? Remember, you get to charge Stone for it, if it turns out that he's faking this. Or if he framed the man himself. It isn't really a get out of jail free card. More of a 'borrow the money when you need it at zero interest' card."

That got Lisa to blink and then nod.

"Right. I mean, it sounds correct. I'll have to look all that up. I've never actually read the codex.
Any
of them. I just look that kind of thing up on the computer, like almost everyone else these days." She grinned, or tried to at least, it wasn't very convincing. "Show off."

"Homeschooled, so what can I say? It was in the curriculum."

The second problem was closer to home however, and to Lisa's mind just as important.

"Now, what are you doing here? I mean, thanks for opening for me, but you should be sleeping in or doing whatever it is that young men with days off do."

Shrugging he tilted his head toward the Yoghurt Shop, as if that explained things.

"I was helping Bey with some things all night. Great guy. Anyway, I just happened to be across the way when it was time to open, and noticed that you weren't here. No problem. I'll leave now. Just remember to pay me for this. Because, you know, I need the money."

Then he left, with a little help since he was very nearly pushed out the door by a slightly exasperated Lisa.

When he got home he found Troy, sitting on the sofa with a girl that looked vaguely familiar. More than just a little bit, since she was kind of distinctive looking. They were nicely intertwined, but her bristly hair and thick glasses kind of gave her away.

She looked up as the door opened, her eyes popping open wide when she realized who was standing there, watching her. The Bat girl hopped up, straightening her clothing, like he was her father or something.

"Um, hi? Calley isn't it?" He spoke softly, his voice a little harsh from lack of sleep. Giving a tired half wave he went on into the kitchen. No one followed him, so he made a bowl of cereal, using up the last of the milk in doing so. That would mean they needed another shopping trip soon. Later, after he had some sleep. He ate at the table, not wanting to interrupt, after all, they'd seemed to be getting kind of friendly. True, Calley was kind of unique looking, but that could be thought of as exotic too and looked at in that light... Well, why not? She seemed nice enough, on the surface.

After he washed his bowl and spoon, setting them aside to dry, he went back, kind of expecting them to have moved off into Troy's room. Instead they were sitting a very proper distance apart, Troy looking amused for some reason. The bat girl looked very nervous, and suspicious.

"I didn't know that Troy was a friend of yours. I swear. I was just going by the TTLA to see what kind of damage was done and we met and started talking. One thing led to another and we ended up here, since I have today off. I can go." She seemed so serious it was nearly funny.

To him at least, Troy looked frustrated.

"Cockblocker." Mirror Him chortled after he said it, clearly getting that this one wasn't his fault at all.

"Don't leave on my account. Troy's great. I'm about to hit the hay myself. I was up all night." After that he nearly stopped, then realized that Calley would be able to process what he said and Troy was at least trying now. "Um, I was off with Bey. Fetch quest."

That got attention from the girl who seemed slightly agitated.

"Bey? As in
The Bey
? The killer of the Vampire Council? What did you have to find? The severed head of someone's enemy?" She gave him a hard look that seemed to be checking for holes or wounds. It had a professional air to it. Almost military.

"Nope. Dress for a Demon. Mistress of Souls? I don't know if that's trademarked or what. She seemed nice. Gave me her card. I think she may have also asked me out. Not really sure how that works with her kind." Was it rude to call her part of a
kind
? It probably was. He'd have to work on that, it wouldn't do to go around insulting people. Especially ones as powerful as she obviously was.

The Bat girl slapped his arm, getting up and walking across the room to do it.

"You're making fun of me, aren't you? Feeding me false information in case I'm a spy? I'm not, I promise."

It would have been enough for him to leave it at that, but Troy cleared his throat, getting their attention.

"Uh, no. Calley, I know Zack. He might not always be in perfect touch with reality, but he doesn't
lie
. I mean at all. If he says it, then he at least thinks that's what happened. So, you might have a date? That's cool, right?"

Not answering, since a yawn took him, he followed the question with a shrug. It really seemed like a horrible idea to him. If he wanted a date almost anyone else he'd met would probably have a higher potential for survival. Calley at least seemed to agree with him, at least as soon as she got the idea that it wasn't all some kind of trick to make her look foolish with her boss later. Like
he'd
do that?

"
Hell
no. That is a very bad idea, Troy. The Line Walker should not, never, ever, in no way, no-how, hook up with a Greater Demon. That's worse than insane, it's... suicidal." The slightly twitchy girl seemed serious enough about the whole thing at least.

Trying to change the subject, Troy asked if she was secretly a Vampire or Mage. The girl froze then, but Zack didn't, knowing that Troy was still having problems processing things and sort of thought it was all make believe. Still, he'd asked, and could process the words if nothing else.

"Shape shifter. Bat, I think. Anyway, I'm off to bed, so you two have fun, or whatever. We need to go shopping later. For food. Maybe get some new clothes for me, so I don't have to keep wearing your stuff every day." He waved and said goodnight, heading to his own room without waiting to get an answer.

After all, it would be either yes or no and he had to do it regardless. At least if he got a chance. It was more than a little coincidental that Calley had shown up at his house, he realized, as his eyes shut. There had also been a lot more protesting that she wasn't spying than he would have thought seemed reasonable. After all, he really wouldn't have gone there at all, if she hadn't mentioned it. Why would anyone want to spy on him? That was about the last thing he thought before sleep took him.

When he got up it was nearly five in the afternoon, so a quick shower later he was out the door, the sky already well and truly black, with no stars showing at all. It was cold as he walked, heading around the corner to the left. It was the "long way" to go to the store for him, but would let him get across town to the Wal-Mart. True, it wasn't exactly a high end clothing store, but he could cobble together some outfits from there without spending everything he had. That and some food would have to do, since the four hundred odd dollars he had left was going to vanish almost instantly, he knew. Money did that when you hadn't had any for a long time.

It took him enough trips back and forth for security to meet him at the door on the last one and openly walk behind him the whole time. Two of them, looking very surly and anxious, even though he'd paid for everything he'd gotten.

Finally at nearly nine Troy got up and was, it turned out, all alone.

"Calley bailed about ten minutes after you went off to bed. Too bad too, I haven't had any sex in days. You can't win them all." There was a slow shrug then. "You finally got a day off? I should have gotten up and taken you shopping. Sorry, I didn't think about it."

It was a nice thought, but the pounding on the door stopped his reply. It used to be, not that long before, that no one ever knocked on their door. Now there was pounding at all hours. It was nice in a way, since it meant they were more popular now, but also a bit of a pain. When Troy opened it, he was pushed back hard enough to make him stumble a little. It took a few seconds for the three Vampires to walk in, trying to act like they owned the place.

Zack grinned, "why... if it isn't my old nemesis, Eighties Hair,
and
his two minions." It was important not to leave people out after all.

OK, it seemed insane to him too, making fun of three obviously hostile Vampires that were trying to invade his home, but Mirror Him had taken over and was moving toward them instead of away. That made sense. Right there, just about a foot to the left hand of the Vamp with the mullet, was a bend in space, created by the three unnatural beings crowding together. It would shift as they moved, but as long as he stayed in it, they couldn't easily touch him. That wouldn't help Troy, but M.H. seemed to have a plan for that too.

"Now, which of you fuck-nuts dies for the final time first? Volunteer by moving." There was a dark and rasping quality to the words, but for some reason it got the three to pause for a second. "Good. You're smart enough to figure out what
not
to do when you get the chance. Now, kids... we need to chat. You're all about to walk into a meat grinder and I'm not just talking about messing with
me
. Come in and sit down." He waved them forward, not moving until they did, facing them the whole time, staying in the rift created by their combined beings.

Troy glared and crossed his arms at them, which didn't do much to any of them, except the girl, who was wearing a fringed tan leather jacket and looked to be from the seventies if Zack had to guess. She smiled at his roommate, fangs extended. To his credit he didn't blink at all, just looking back. It was a dead panned and almost bored look, as if he were letting them know that pushing him was a very annoying thing, but not a big issue.

Zack pointed at the one he thought of as the leader.

"You Eighties Hair... do you have a real name or should we run with that? It's a little awkward sounding."

The man glared, trying to look tough. It kind of worked, since he was pale and hard looking. Lean and a bit muscular. They all had a similar cast to them that way. They also all smelled a bit. Like they needed to shower, but hadn't thought about it in a while.

The sitting Vampire growled his words, sounding almost like he was chewing them.

"Randal."

"Nice to meet you Randal. Now, are you three fuck-ups in charge of the world's most stupid power grab, or is someone behind it for you? No... never mind, you wouldn't be
here
if you were the masterminds. Who is it? Janus? No... one of his lieutenants?" Where M.H. was getting this from Zack didn't know, but Randal looked at the others, including the more cow-boyishly dressed male, who grunted.

It was that one that answered.

"Yeah. Lazar. We don't know what the orders are from the top, if any, but we don't have a lot of choice. We either do what he tells us, or we die, so you know, it isn't personal. We're supposed to take this entire zone as fast as possible. The Bey is in town, and rumor has it that you brought him here. We figured that killing you would keep that from happening again. Or, well, we were told to do it. The reason why is kind of a guess."