Henri – 32

 

Once they'd made a stop at Henri's apartment to pick up the last of their prisoners, the group drove to Emil's condo building. Before leaving the apartment, Taegan and Henri had brought up the trash bags with the remainder of what they'd taken from the lab—so there would be room for all eight people in the SUV.

 

"Oh, I know this place," Allyn said with a trace of envy when they pulled up in front of a warehouse which had been converted into condos. He turned to look at Emil. "You must be fairly well off."

 

Emil shrugged as they got out of the car. "I've been around long enough to have some savings and investments."

 

"Like most of us," Allyn agreed.

 

Ransom gestured for their prisoners to join them, warning them not to do anything foolish. Norm Upton seemed ready to try anyway, but a hard look from Ransom, when he gripped Upton's arm, obviously made him think twice.

 

Emil had called his friend while they were at Henri's, telling him very briefly what had happened and why they needed his help. So, it was no surprise to anyone when they were greeted as they entered the building lobby by a slender, dark-haired man.

 

He ignored the others while enveloping Emil in a tight embrace. Then he stepped back, grasping Emil's arms as he looked him over from head to foot. "The lab coat does nothing for you," he pronounced. "And you look like hell."

 

Emil snorted softly. "I'm glad to see you as well, Sebastian. Allow me to introduce you to my saviors."

 

Sebastian greeted them warmly before glowering at the prisoners. "I presume these are the men you want me to deal with."

 

"Yes, but not right here," Taegan said with a bit of a smile.

 

"Of course not. Follow me, if you will."

 

Everyone got into the—thankfully—large elevator, stepping off again on the fourth floor. Sebastian led the way to his condo. The living room was spacious, with a great deal of what, to Henri, looked like an eclectic collection of antique furniture. At Sebastian's suggestion, everyone but the prisoners sat.

 

"What are you going to do with us?" Upton asked Sebastian belligerently.

 

Sebastian smiled wickedly. "Nothing you'll remember after I've finished. Just a little mind probing before I wipe away memories of my new friends here, and anything to do with them and their kind."

 

"No." The prisoner Ransom had threatened with mind probing at the lab whimpered, cowering away. "I don't want to be a babbling idiot." 

 

Sebastian cocked an eyebrow. "Now why do you think that would happen?"

 

"He told me so," the prisoner replied, pointing at Ransom.

 

"Well he was…pulling your leg as they say." When the man shook his head in disbelief, Sebastian turned to Upton, ordering, "Look at me."

 

Unable to resist the vampire's compelling voice, Upton did.

 

"Good lord. You are a wicked man," Sebastian commented in disgust, staring into Upton's eyes. It took him a few minutes, and a few muttered curses, but finally Sebastian released his control over Upton.

 

Upton shook his head, muttering, "This is supposed to be a party. Where are the girls?"

 

"All in good time," Sebastian told him. Then he set to work on the other two prisoners. When he finished, he suggested the three men go onto the balcony to wait for the rest of guests to arrive. When they were out of the room, he told Ransom and the others, "Obviously, they think they've come here for a party. That's it. They have no memory of the five of you, other than as more of my friends. In about ten minutes, they'll think the 'party' is over. What happens after that is up to you. I can tell you, despite the fact they worked for this Xavier, only Mr. Upton did anything more than help with Xavier's experiments. Perhaps not much consolation as far as Emil and Henri are concerned. However, since those two don't remember now, I think it's safe to let them go. Upton on the other hand…"

 

"Will be arrested for the murders of Mrs. Graham and her children," Ransom stated.

 

Sebastian nodded. "Good. I implanted a motive for that in his mind. He's a petty thief they surprised in the act."

 

Ransom grinned, saying as he strode out to the balcony, "That works for me." He returned moments later with Upton, once again handcuffed and loudly protesting his innocence. Ransom took out his phone, calling for a squad car to pick up his prisoner, then walked Upton out of the apartment, saying he'd be back as soon as he'd turned Upton over to the officers.

Henri - 31

 

"He's sort of waking up," Calvin said when Henri and the others entered the room with the cages.

 

Henri went over to the one holding the shifter, while Ransom shoved Upton into the one holding their other prisoner.

 

The wolf opened his eyes to stare fearfully at Henri.

 

"It's all right," Henri said. "We're friends."

 

"In fact," Taegan said, kneeling beside Henri, "we're more than friends. We're like you."

 

Miranda joined them, asking, "Are you…? Can you shift yet?"

 

The wolf sat up shakily, his head cocked to one side as if considering Miranda's question. Slowly, he nodded, then a man sat where the wolf had been seconds earlier. "How…?" His voice was rusty from disuse.

 

"Let's get you out of here then we'll explain," Henri said, getting to his feet to go search the pockets of the dead men. He came back with a set of keys, one of which unlocked the cage. The man crawled out and, with Henri and Taegan's help, walked to a chair by one of the cabinets.

 

Allyn had a lab coat by then, which he draped over the man, asking as he did, "What's your name?"

 

"Emil Lambert." He looked at Allyn, then the others, saying a prayerful, "Thank you for rescuing me."

 

"Our pleasure," Henri replied. Then, in answer to Emil's earlier, implied question, he told him what had happened.

 

"So, the bastard is dead. Thank God," Emil said when Henri was finished.

 

Ransom added with a tight smile, "Him and two of his men. Now we have to decide what to do with the other three."

 

"Three? Oh, yeah, the one in my bathroom. That's a good question." Henri looked at the others. "Any suggestions?"

 

Taegan chuckled. "If we knew a vampire…"

 

"We did, once," Ransom replied, giving Allyn a hug when he hissed in a breath. "Unfortunately—well, not unfortunately—he's ashes now."

 

"Sirs?" Emil said hesitantly. "I do."

 

Miranda looked at him in disbelief. "You're kidding."

 

"No, ma'am."

 

"Okay, back up a second," Miranda said. "I'm not 'ma'am'. I'm Miranda, and these are…" She proceeded to introduce everyone, including Jimmy and Calvin.

 

"Now, as you were saying," Taegan said when she finished, "You know a vampire?"

 

Emil nodded. "He's an old friend." He smiled slightly. "A very old friend, as in age. We live in the same building." Now he frowned. "He must wonder where I am. We usually have Sunday dinner together."

 

"Do you know how long you've been here?" Henri asked.

 

Emil grimaced. "It seems like forever but I doubt it's been more than two weeks."

 

"Three," the unnamed prisoner called out.

 

"Dear Lord, he must be frantic," Emil whispered.

 

::More than a friend, I wonder?:: Henri said to Taegan.

 

::Perhaps. Or a father figure. No clue of course.::

 

"Do you think your friend would be willing to wipe the memories of our captives?" Ransom asked Emil.

 

"Possibly," Emil replied. "I wish he could wipe mine. At least about what happened here."

 

Henri nodded. "I know what you mean."

 

Emil looked up at him. "You were Xavier's prisoner too, you said. How can you…? How do you deal with that?"

 

"I have good friends who've helped. I suspect, from what you've said, your friend will give you the support you need."

 

"I think maybe he will." Emil looked around the room, his glance landing on the door to the lab. "Can we get out of here?"

 

"You bet." Henri gave Emil a hand up, then helped him put on the lab coat, while Ransom and Taegan released their prisoners.

 

"Where will you go now?" Allyn asked Calvin and Jimmy.

 

"If I may make a suggestion," Miranda said before they could reply. "Come home with me. Someone needs to keep an eye on the two of you until we're certain the effects of the injections Xavier gave you have worn off. I think, between me and my husband, we can do that."

 

Henri bit back a laugh at the look of disappointment on Calvin's face when Miranda mentioned John, even though the man had already known she was married.

 

"Thank you," Jimmy replied sincerely. "I hope… I have nothing against shifters but to be honest, I'd rather not be one."

 

Taegan chuckled. "It's not really a bad thing, if you're born to it. But I can certainly understand how you feel."

 

"Give me your hands," Miranda said, holding out hers. They did, and instantly the three of them vanished.

 

Ransom and Taegan marched the prisoners out of the building, while Henri helped Emil, who was still very weak. Allyn brought up the rear, flicking off the light in the cage room before closing the door firmly behind him. 

Henri – 30

 

"You realize Upton might not be here," Allyn pointed out as they stood in the parking lot beside the bar.

 

"Only one way to find out," Ransom said. "Henri, you're the only one who knows what he looks like. You and Taegan go in. Allyn, Miranda, watch the back door."

 

"Describe him," Allyn said to Henri. "I'd hate to take out the wrong guy."

 

"Medium height with blond, military-cut hair and a deep tan." Henri chuckled dryly. "As the guy said, like a surfer. That's how I remember him, from the brief time I saw him. All that could have changed since then."

 

"It's a start. If he is in there, let us know," Allyn replied before he and Miranda walked around to the back of the bar.

 

"I'll wait out here," Ransom told Henri when they were in front of the bar. "The same thing Allyn said goes for me. If Upton is here, let me know."

 

With a nod, Henri, with Taegan right beside him, entered. It was an ill-lit place, smelling of beer and cheap pine-scented cleaner. A long bar filled one wall, with tables scattered around the room. Most of the men looked like punks and thugs. The women were, in Henri's opinion, sleazy and probably hookers, from what they were wearing—or not wearing.

 

::Do you see him?:: Taegan asked.

 

Henri shook his head, walking to the bar.

 

"What'll it be, gents?" the bartender asked.

 

"Beer," Henri replied. "In the bottle." He turned, leaning back against the bar as he scanned the patrons at the tables. None of them were Upton and he wasn't seated at the bar. The bartender returned with their beers, banging them down on the bar. Henri paid him, asking, "Norm been in tonight?"

 

The bartender snorted. "When ain't he in? The guy thinks this is his second home." He pointed to a table far back in a dark—or darker—corner. "He was there ten minutes ago. Check the john."

 

"As if," Henri muttered, earning a dry, knowing smile from the bartender. He took a drink of his beer, letting the others know, ::Upton might be here.::

 

::Might?:: Ransom asked, so Henri told him what the bartender had said.

 

Just then, a man staggered from the short hall leading, Henri presumed, to the johns. It took Henri a moment to recognize him as Upton. His hair was now long and scraggly, and his complexion was pasty.

 

Upton managed to make it back to his table without falling. He picked up an obviously empty beer bottle, put it to his mouth and tipped his head back, as if wanting the final drops, then slammed it down on the table.

 

"Wait here," Henri said to Taegan, picking up Taegan's untouched beer. Going over to Upton's table, Henri sat, handing the bottle to the man.

 

Upton looked blearily at him. "Do I know you?" he muttered, grabbing the bottle.

 

"Yeah. We met maybe six, seven months ago. You were hanging with a dude named Xavier."

 

"Fuck Xavier! The bastard."

 

Grabbing Upton's shirt to pull him closer, Henri said in a deathly quiet voice, "You didn't seem to think so when you were helping him kill an innocent family."

 

"Oh, shit. He wanted their dog. Said we'd make a fortune off him. Only it wasn't really dog. It was some kind of mutant. I saw it in the lab before it escaped." Upton shuddered. "The woman, she tried to stop us taking it. It got away and Xavier said we had to kill them or they'd go to the cops."

 

"Innocent kids," Henri spat out angrily.

 

"Yeah, well, it was them or us." Upton yanked away. "Still, I decided I'd better do something before Xavier decided to lay the blame for the killings on my doorstep—and told him so. We argued. I walked." He looked cagily at Henri. "I can tell you where to find him, if that's why you're here."

 

Henri smiled darkly. "I already have. He's dead."

 

"Fuck!" Upton staggered to his feet just as Taegan appeared beside him, gripping his arm to keep him from running. "Get your damned hands off me," Upton shouted.

 

Several of the bar patrons looked over, as if they were considering whether to help Upton. They quickly decided not to when Ransom walked to the table, saying loudly enough to be heard, "Norman Upton, you're under arrest for murder," while he snapped a pair of cuffs on Upton's wrists.

 

Upton sagged in defeat as Ransom and Taegan walked him out the back door of the bar with Henri right behind them.

 

"Back to the lab?" Ransom asked once everyone was in the car, with Upton slumped in the rear seat.

 

"Yep," Henri replied tiredly. "But first we need to get rid of something."

 

"Me?" Upton asked in panic.

 

"Not yet," Taegan told him with a malicious grin.

 

Ransom tapped his lip. "I know the perfect place."

 

Ten minutes later, following Ransom's directions, Taegan pulled the SUV to the curb by a small park. Leaving Allyn and Miranda to watch Upton, Ransom waited while Henri retrieved the bin holding all of Xavier's files. Then he led Henri and Taegan to a picnic area nestled in the center of a stand of trees.

 

Henri set the bin on one of the tables, took out two files, dumping the papers they contained into the grill next to table. "Lighter?"

 

Ransom had one, which he handed to Henri. After setting the papers afire, Henri fed the contents of the rest of the files into the grill.

 

"If we had some hotdogs," Taegan joked.

 

"Cooking them over this would probably poison us," Henri replied sourly, although he did smile.

 

When every last paper had turned to ash, the three men returned to the SUV and they went back to the lab.

 

Henri – 29

 

"You're the one he kept ranting about? The one who escaped?" Jimmy asked.

 

"That would be me," Henri told him.

 

"Thanks for coming back to rescue us."

 

Henri smiled wryly. "That wasn't my intention. I wanted him destroyed. You're just… What's the reverse of collateral damage?"

 

"Got me," Calvin said, "but thanks anyway."

 

Without replying, Henri returned to the lab. Each desk drawer took a separate key, he discovered, and there was a master one that had to be used first in a central lock before any of the other ones worked.

 

"Not bad security," Taegan said.

 

"As long as he didn't lose the keys," Henri agreed, while emptying the drawers into a small plastic bin. Two of them held normal office supplies. The third had files on each of the test subjects, including one for him. The fourth drawer had what he was looking for—several notebooks detailing Xavier's experiments. Those he took over to a stainless-steel sink. "Got a match?" He asked Taegan.

 

"Being a non-smoker…nope."

 

"I have a lighter," Miranda said. "But if you burn those in here, you'll have the fire department folks here in no time flat." She pointed to the smoke alarm high on one wall.

 

"Then I'll do it somewhere else. I want these destroyed ASAP, so no one else can get their hands on them." Henri dropped them on top of the other items in the bin, picked it up, along with the larger bin, and headed to the other room. Taegan and Miranda followed with the trash bags. They put everything down by the exit for the moment.

 

"You're awake," Miranda said, stating the obvious since Ransom was sitting, in his human form, with his back against one of the cages.

 

"Yep," he replied. "Give me a few and I'll be able to navigate on my own." He thumbed toward the human in the cage. "What are we going to do with him?"

 

"Feed him to the wolves," Taegan growled.

 

"Sorry, I'm not that hungry," Ransom said. "I could arrest him, but then things would come out that we'd prefer to keep to ourselves."

 

"I promise I won't say anything to anybody." The prisoner was shaking with fear.

 

"Somehow, considering who you were working for, that doesn't mean much," Taegan muttered. Putting one arm around Henri's waist, Taegan said, "It's really your decision to make. It was you Xavier was hunting."

 

After looking hard at the prisoner, Henri asked, "Do you know who else is looking for me? I was told three guys were hired for that purpose."

 

"I do. I was the one who found them at the day labor place." He gazed hopefully at Henri. "If I tell you who they are, will that…count in my favor?"

 

"Perhaps," Henri replied. "Of course, you'll have to come with us. I doubt they'd believe anyone but you telling them the job is over."

 

"I'll do it! I swear."

 

Henri nodded, looking at the bodies of the two dead men who worked for Xavier. "One more thing. I know for a fact there's at least one more of Xavier's people who isn't here."

 

"I… I don't know who you mean."

 

::The man who helped Xavier kill Mrs. Graham and her kids?:: Ransom asked.

::Yes. He's not any of these men.::

 

Ransom walked over to the cage. "My friend here—" he pointed to Taegan, "—can pull the name of the man we're looking for out of your mind, as well as where he's hiding. However, if he does, it will leave you a babbling idiot, because screwing with a person's mind like that destroys a lot of brain cells."

 

"It's why I only do it when it's imperative," Taegan said, picking up on Ransom's bluff and walking over to join him. He gazed long and hard at the prisoner. "You can make it easy on yourself and just tell me now, before I start prying."

 

"Oh, God. Don't!" The prisoner crawled to the back of the cage. "You mean Norm? Norman Upton? Blond and tan, like a surfer?"

 

Henri nodded.

 

"I haven't seen him in ages. Not since him and Xavier had a big argument and he walked. I don't know where he lives, I swear, but I heard he started hanging out at a bar called the Hazy Lagoon, over by where the amusement park used to be."

 

"I know it," Ransom told the others. "It was a decent place until Katrina. Since then, it's gone way downhill."

 

"Leave him here—" Henri jabbed a finger at the prisoner, "—and let's go see if we can find Mr. Upton." He gestured toward Calvin and Jimmy. "Do you mind keeping an eye on him?"

 

Calvin grinned wickedly. "Not at all. If he gives us any trouble, we'll throw him in the other cage with the wolf. It's been a while since he was drugged, so he could be waking up soon, and I bet he'll be starving when he does."

 

"That works as far as I'm concerned. If he becomes the shifter's supper before we get back, I guess we can check with the day labor place to find out who else he hired to look for me."

 

"Okay, let's do it," Ransom said, picking up one of the trash bags by the exit. After getting the other bag and the bins, the rest of the team followed him back to the car. They put everything in the rear of the SUV then Henri sagged against it, taking a deep, trembling breath.

 

Taegan gripped his shoulder, murmuring, "It's almost over."

 

"I know. It's not that." Henri took a deep breath. "I… How did I suddenly become such a bastard?"

 

"You're not," Miranda said. "You were acting like one because it's what needed to happen right then. That man would have lied through his teeth if you, Taegan, and Ransom, hadn't scared the shit out of him." She patted Henri's arm before getting into the car with Ransom and Allyn.

 

"I hope she's right. I don't want to be the man I was in there."

 

"You aren't," Taegan assured him, hugging him tightly. "Tough, yeah. Tougher than I honestly thought was possible. But there's nothing wrong with that."

 

"If I don't carry it too far," Henri said dismally.

 

"It's not in you to do so," Taegan replied. "Take it from someone who knows you—maybe better than you know yourself, all things considered. You're still the good, decent man I met a few days ago. The only difference is, now you know you have it in you to take care of yourself when necessary. And—" he cupped Henri's face in his hands, kissing him gently, "—there's not a damned thing wrong with that."

 

"Guys," Ransom called out, "if we don't get moving…"

 

After kissing Taegan quickly, Henri said, "Where would I be without you?"

 

"In the car already," Taegan quipped. "Seriously though, if I have my way, you're never going to find out."

 

"Guys," Ransom said again.

 

"Yeah, yeah," Taegan replied as he and Henri got in. "So—let's finish this and we can all go home."

Henri - 28

 

Just as Taegan leaped to avoid the taser darts, another wolf attacked Xavier's assistant. The man fought back. Using his size and strength to his advantage, he caught the wolf's foreleg while avoiding its snapping jaws and cast the wolf aside as if it was a rag doll.

 

That gave Taegan a chance to regroup. He sprang, his jaws fastening on the man's shoulder from behind, his weight forcing the man to his knees. By then, the other wolf was back. It raked its claws down the man's side, tearing through clothes and flesh. The man shouted in pain but still managed to get to his knees, trying to shake Taegan off. That was all the other wolf needed. With one more swipe of its claws, it tore out the man's throat.

 

Taegan instantly turned to check on Henri. ::Is he dead?:: he asked, seeing Henri standing over Xavier.

 

::Dead and in Hell, I'll warrant. How are you doing?::

 

::This bastard is dead, thanks to our friend here.:: Taegan nodded toward the wolf standing beside him.

 

::Who…?:: Henri didn't get to finish his question as a loud howl of triumph filled the room.

 

Taegan looked toward the cages and gave the wolfish equivalent of grin. The last of Xavier's men had crawled into one of the empty cages and pulled the door closed behind him. Its former occupant, Taegan presumed, stood in front of the door. The wolf howled again, just before shifting. His companion shifted as well then Taegan and the others did the same—with the exception of Ransom, who was lying comatose on the floor.

 

Allyn hurried over to him, pulling the dart from his flank. "Next time, try to avoid being shot if you can," he muttered. "You missed all the fun."

 

Miranda, being female, eyed the two new men with interest, since they were totally naked, unlike the others. "Don't know how to come back dressed, I take it. Not that I mind. You're a pretty sexy set of male pulchritude."

 

The smaller, younger one dropped his gaze in embarrassment, while covering his groin with his hands. The other man shrugged, glancing at Miranda's left hand. "A married woman shouldn't be gaping at naked men."

 

"You have to be kidding."

 

"No, ma'am."

 

Before things could escalate between them, Taegan suggested that Henri should see if there were any lab coats in the other room. While they waited, Taegan asked the older man, "Why did you attack them, not us? Seems to me you'd be under Xavier's control."

 

The man snorted angrily. "That's what the bastard thought. Jimmy and I were just waiting for him to slip up, so we could take him out."

 

Henri returned, handing each man a lab coat. "Believe me, I can understand that. What's your name? And do you know who the wolf in the cage is?"

 

"Me? I'm Calvin. No clue about him." He thumbed toward the tranquilized wolf. "He was never awake enough to shift and talk."

 

"How long have you two been able to shift?" Taegan asked.

 

"About what? A week?" Calvin said, looking at Jimmy.

 

"Yeah," Jimmy replied. "Whatever he was injecting us with finally took hold. But—" he looked at the others, "—maybe it's not as great as he thought because he had to do it once a day, even after our first shift. The next day he didn't, and we couldn't change."

 

Allyn nodded, looking pleased. "Sounds like you're right, if that's the case."

 

"Do you think it means we won't be able to, now?" Calvin asked.

 

"Not if I have anything to say about it," Miranda said, striding into the lab.

 

Henri was right behind her. "Check the fridge. I'll deal with the cabinets. I want every damned thing in here destroyed. Everything!"

 

Taegan came in as well. Between the three of them, they collected everything, putting full vials and bottles into a large plastic bin Allyn found in a storage room. The rest of it went into a pair of heavy duty trash bags.

 

"He has to have notebooks somewhere, detailing his experiments," Henri said, going to the desk at the end of the lab. Every drawer was locked. Muttering, "Keys", he went back to Xavier's body to dig through his pockets. Once he found them, he asked Allyn, "How's Ransom doing?"

 

"He moved," Allyn told him, running his hand over the gray fur on Ransom's side, "so I think he's coming out of it. I can't say the same for the guy in the cage."

 

"The stuff the bastard used on him would knock out an elephant, I think," Calvin said.

 

Henri nodded. "Then he upped the dosage. I guess he learned his lesson from me."