Henri - 12

 

 

"Call me when you're finished," Miranda told Henri when they dropped him off in front of Taegan's home. "We're going shopping." She grinned at John's groan of disgust. "You will survive, my dear."

 

"Uh-huh," John muttered.

 

Henri watched them drive away, noting they stopped longer than necessary at the corner. It made him feel better to know they were there, even though he was certain Xavier wouldn't try anything in broad daylight on a busy street. That thought didn't keep him from swiftly entering the gallery.

 

"Ah, there you are," Taegan said, ceasing his discussion with what Henri presumed was one of his employees. "Come. My car is out back."

 

Henri was surprised to see Taegan's car was a normal, everyday SUV. For whatever reason, he had expected at least a Jag or a Mercedes.

 

"I've had ritzy cars," Taegan said when Henri asked. "They were worse than useless for hauling things I need for the gallery. Yes, I do grunt work as well as meeting and greeting favored clients. It's part of the reason I'm successful, I suspect. I'm very much hands-on."

 

"The best way to be," Henri agreed, having no other response that wouldn't make him sound foolish. He kept his gaze locked on the sideview mirror, trying to determine if anyone was following them.

 

"Relax," Taegan said. "We're fine. I'm taking the long way around to where we're going. If our friend tries to tail us, he'll be SOL. I do know what I'm doing."

 

Henri chuckled. "Your secret agent gene kicking in?"

 

"I was a spy during the War Between the States," Taegan replied. "Of course, back then, I wasn't driving a car, looking for anyone trying to figure out where I was headed."

 

After studying him for a moment, Henri said, "You're serious, aren't you?"

 

"About cars? Sure. They didn't come into general use until the turn of the century." He winked at Henri. "But that's not what you meant. Yes, I was a spy, for the Confederacy. Not a bad one either, if I do say so myself."

 

As they talked, Taegan made several turns, rights and lefts, then declared, "We're safe enough now." He took another right and two minutes later they pulled up down the block from a house Henri recognized from the Realtor's website.

 

"Let's take a walk first," Taegan said. "Check out the neighborhood."

 

When they got to the block behind the house, Henri saw there was a tall privacy fence at the back of the building, separating it from the field that stretched from there to where they stood. A chain-link fence ran along the side of the house to the street, effectively protecting the stairs leading up to the apartment, while not hiding the view of the rest of the field.

 

"Now let's go meet your landlady," Taegan said when they were in front of the house again.

 

"My presumed landlady," Henri pointed out.

 

"Presumed." Taegan smiled as they went up the porch stairs and he rang the bell.

 

An older woman came to the door. She looked them over with a jaundiced eye until Henri said, "I'm here about the apartment."

 

Her whole demeanor changed as she stepped aside. "Come in. Come in. I'm Mrs Dean, and you are?"

 

Henri introduced himself and Taegan, as they followed her into a small office, at the foot of a flight of stairs, off to the side of the living room. "Tell me a bit about yourself," she said, at the same time that she began digging through a desk drawer. Henri barely got his mouth open to do so when she held up a set of keys. "I knew I'd put them in here. Come on. I'll show you the place. It was just redone about a month ago. My last tenant… Well, he wasn't very neat, to say the least."

 

By then, they were back outside the house. She took them up the outside stairs, telling Henri they were the only way to access the apartment. "So, you'll have all the privacy you want," she commented, unlocking the door.

Henri - 11

 

 

"Not bad," Ransom commented seconds later when he and Henri landed in the middle of Henri's living room.

 

Henri chuckled. "You were expecting a run-down cabin?"

 

"Maybe?"

 

"Sorry to disappoint." Henri went into his bedroom, returning a moment later to find Ransom wasn't where he'd left him. The open door to the front porch told him where Ransom had probably gone. He felt a sudden chill that had nothing to do with the cool breeze from the channel.

 

What if Xavier had someone watching the house? By now he might have found out I own it. They could have…

 

He inched his way to the door and peered outside. With a sigh of relief, he saw Ransom across the yard, staring at the moonlit bayou.

 

Ransom turned with a smile, which immediately became a look of concern.

 

"I didn't mean to frighten you."

 

"I was more frightened for you," Henri replied. "I was afraid maybe Xavier was around and had done something to you."

 

"Hey, if he tried, I'd shift and make mincemeat out of him."

 

"I'm sure," Henri said, but he couldn't stop from checking to be certain they were alone.

 

"It's just us." Now Ransom smiled again. "I can see why you liked living here. It's peaceful and there's plenty of space to run."

 

"It was, until Xavier showed up. I wish I could figure out how the hell he found me."

 

"Best guess… Had there been any rumors at the time about a wolf—or wolves—in the area?"

 

"Yes, a few. Mainly that a red wolf had been spotted. Generally it's because some tourist, who doesn't know the difference, saw a coyote. Seeing a wolf of any kind in this area is highly unlikely."

 

Ransom nodded. "That's what I'd figured. So he didn't just happen to be here. If he'd heard stories of a wolf around here… Meaning you—if a hunter saw you."

 

"I am careful, but you're right, that could have happened. A lone wolf, in an area where they are a rarity, would have piqued his interest."

 

"I think we may have solved the mystery of how he found you."

 

"Meaning, he could know this is my house. I'm glad I had sense enough not to come here after I escaped." Henri shivered. "Let's go back to Taegan's before I start seeing Xavier behind every bush."

 

* * * *

 

Henri and Ransom returned to find Taegan and Miranda in a deep discussion about the merits of a local artist who was showing at Taegan's gallery. Apparently Miranda had found him very derivative while Taegan had thought he'd had a unique style of his own. At least that's what Allyn told Ransom when he asked.

 

Taegan ended the conversation with, "Let's agree to disagree," before asking Henri, "Did you find it?"

 

"Yep. Right where I'd left it before I stripped to shift. It was in the top drawer of my dresser. I guess that means no one prowled through the place since I've been gone. I also grabbed my bank book and checks."

 

"Smart man. We can go look at the apartment first thing in the morning."

 

Henri cocked an eyebrow. "We?"

 

"Sorry," Taegan replied. "You can go look."

 

"Actually I… I wouldn't mind your company, but I don't want to take you away from your business."

 

"I have very good help at the gallery, so my being gone isn't a problem."

 

"In that case, when would you like me here?"

 

"Why not stay the night? It will save Miranda from having to drive you back in the morning."

 

Henri gulped and shook his head. "Thanks, but no. I…have to change clothes and…and all that."

 

"No problem," Taegan replied, disappointment flashing across his face momentarily before he smiled.

 

"Say, nine? Nine-thirty?"

 

Henri glanced at Miranda. "Is that too early for you?"

 

Miranda snorted. "Contrary to popular opinion, I do get up before noon. That would be fine."

 

"Then nine-thirty it is," Henri told Taegan.

 

"Now, we should all get out of here," Ransom said. "It was a pleasure to meet you, Taegan."

 

"You as well." Taegan led the way down to the street. "I'll see you in the morning," he told Henri.

 

"Indeed." Henri was a bit flustered at the intense look Taegan gave him, so he was glad when Miranda and John started down to where they had parked the car. He hurried to catch up with them.

 

"I think you have an admirer," Miranda said to Henri, once they were on their way out of the city.

 

"No. He's just… I think he likes helping people is all. And he wants Xavier stopped as much as the rest of us do."

 

"We'll see," was all she replied.

 

Henri leaned back, closing his eyes. He didn't really believe what she'd said. But…

 

Taegan's a nice man. It would be… No. He's a nice, helpful man is all. Nothing more. Attractive? Sure. Sexy? Uh-huh. Interested in me? Not in less than a day. Hell, not in this lifetime.

Henri - 10

 

"You all know the city better than I," Henri said. "Where would be a good place to look for an apartment?"

 

"Why an apartment?" Allyn asked.

 

"Less expensive for starters. I do have some money squirreled away in a bank account, but not a lot, in the grand scheme things."

 

"I can—" Miranda started to say.

 

Henri interrupted her. "I will not accept anyone but me paying for this—end of story. I've sponged off of you long enough."

 

"Henri, you weren't—"

 

"I—"

 

"Hold up, both of you," Allyn said. "Henri, you know why she let you stay at the house. You weren't taking advantage of her so…you weren't sponging. Mandi, you have to understand where he's coming from. He can afford to rent his own place without our help. If it was me and I was in the same position, I'd resent your offer, and tell you to butt out."

 

"I don't resent it," Henri quickly responded. "I appreciate it. It's… I have to start taking things into my own hands."

 

"Very capable hands, I'm sure," Taegan said.

 

"I haven't proven it so far," Henri replied ruefully.

 

"You escaped from Xavier," John pointed out.

 

"And until today, I've done nothing but cower in fear…but no more. So, back to what started this conversation. Where can I find an affordable apartment?"

 

"Let me get my laptop and we'll see." Taegan did, putting it down on the coffee table. Once he was online, he went to a realty site. "How much can you afford?"

 

"Cheap?" Henri said wryly. "I guess…no more than a thousand a month, if possible."

 

"Definitely possible," Taegan told him. "Ransom, would you join us, please? You'd have a better idea than I do of what's defensible."

 

 Ransom did, leaning over the back of the sofa as Taegan scrolled through the site. He quickly eliminated three of the ones Taegan found.

 

"No fast exterior exit. If Xavier did manage to get inside and sedate you, Henri, he'd have to take you out via the hallways and elevator. Given what happened at Mrs Graham's, I wouldn't put it past him to try to eliminate anyone who saw him."

 

Henri hissed in a breath, nodding.

 

"What about this place," Taegan suggested. "Each apartment has its own entrance onto an exterior walkway."

 

"Better. Keep looking," Ransom said.

 

Taegan chuckled. "You're not easily satisfied."

 

"I want him and his neighbors safe. Wait. Stop." Ransom pointed to one listing. "Not bad. Reasonable neighborhood. Do the outside stairs belong to the apartment?"

 

"Yes," Taegan said after checking. "To one of the two on the second floor of a house that's been renovated and turned into rental units."

 

"The field next door is good," Ransom said. "It and the stairs will make Xavier think he can abduct Henri with no real problem."

 

"Happy thought," Henri muttered. "Still, considering why I'm doing this… The interior is nice."

 

By then, Miranda was standing beside Ransom so she could see as well. "I've got some furniture you can use, if you want," she said.

 

Henri looked up at her, replying tongue-in-cheek, "Thanks. I don't think borrowing it will impinge on my new-found independence."

 

She laughed. "I'm sure it won't."

 

"Are you all right with the rent, Henri?" Taegan asked.

 

"Yes. Hell. One small problem. ID."

 

"You do have some, don't you?" Ransom asked.

 

"Yeah. But it's in my house in Paradis. Or I hope it is."

 

"Only one way to find out. You want one of us to come with you?"

 

"No thanks. It should be safe enough."

 

"Famous last words," Taegan said. "Take Ransom."

Henri – 9

 

Henri shuddered. "Trying to clone me?"

 

"No," Taegan replied. "That would be done in a test-tube—using your DNA." He smiled. "Okay, I'm not a scientist, but I believe that's how they do it."

 

"In that case, he'd be extracting DNA from everything he took from you, Henri," Ransom said.

 

"So even if he destroyed the lab, he'd have taken all that with him…and anyone he was injecting it into. God, can you imagine being the test subject for that?" Henri shuddered.

 

"I'd rather not," John said dryly. "As a human, the idea is terrifying."

 

"Henri," Taegan said, looking directly at him, "why didn't you tell anyone what had happened when you first escaped?"

 

"Who would I tell? I'm a loner. No pack. My family was killed by hunters—one of the reasons I'm so willing to work with Allyn on what he does."

 

Taegan cocked his head in question, so Henri and Allyn explained.

 

"Admirable," Taegan said when they finished. He chuckled. "Your cover story—if that's what you call it, Allyn—definitely makes it hard to believe you have that in you."

 

Allyn grinned. "That is the idea."

 

"Back to my original question, Henri. You didn't know any shifters?"

 

"Isn't that what I just said?" Henri replied irately.

 

"Easy now," Taegan said, reaching across the space on the sofa separating them to grip Henri's shoulder. "I know this is hard on you, and I'm being…nosy, to some extent. But I need to know everything you've told them."

 

"Actually," Miranda said, giving Henri a look of pity, "he never did tell us about his family."

 

"It wasn't germane to what happened to me," Henri muttered, staring down at the floor.

 

"Still—" she shook her head, "—no family, no friends."

 

"Stop," Taegan said, sharply. "Henri doesn't need this right now."

 

"Sorry," Miranda whispered, putting her hand on John's arm when it seemed as if he was going to reply angrily to Taegan's words.

 

"Why don't we take a break for a minute until everyone calms down," Ransom suggested. "We're not here to fight."

 

"A good idea." Taegan got to his feet. "Would anyone like another beer…or more coffee, Miranda?"

 

Allyn and Ransom said they would, and Taegan left the room to get their beers.

 

"Are you all right?" Allyn asked Henri.

 

"Yeah. Pretty much. He does have a way of pulling things out of me I haven't talked about."

 

"Which is good, even though I'm sure it feels like an inquisition at times," Ransom said.

 

"No kidding," Henri grumbled. "But if it helps us find the bastard, it's worth it."

 

"Are you talking about me?" Taegan asked with a grin as he returned, handing out the beers. "I brought you one too, Henri. The one you have is probably warm by now." He sat again, saying, "I'm sorry. I know I can come off a bit dictatorial. It's just the way I am sometimes."

 

"It's okay," Henri replied, getting affirming nods from the others.

 

"No, it's not. I'll try to tone it down." Taegan's gaze went from person to person, ending at Henri. "We have to come up with a plan for finding Xavier."

 

"Place a classified ad, saying 'Dog found' with a description and a phone number," Ransom suggested, though it was obvious he was kidding.

 

"One thing to consider," Taegan said seriously, "except he'd probably smell a trap, after all this time."

 

Henri rolled the beer bottle between his hands. "I put myself out there today, going to the barbecue. That might bring results. If I keep doing that… If I found a place of my own, instead of impinging on Miranda's hospitality, perhaps the word would get out that I'm around?"

 

"You are not impinging, Henri. I love having you staying with us," Miranda said firmly.

 

"Thank you. Still, while I'm there, I'm too…protected, I guess would be the right word. Xavier's a human. Even if he knew where I was, his getting inside would be well neigh impossible. Him or any of his men."

 

"He does have a point," Taegan said.

 

Ransom nodded. "Also, we won't know if Xavier is still looking for him if Henri stays hidden. On the other hand, we don't want you somewhere we can't secure, Henri."

 

"Believe me, neither do I," Henri replied.

Henri – 8

 

Taegan's home took up the second and third floors above his gallery. The rooms were spacious—at least the ones Henri saw. The living/dining room was painted golden beige with cream trim. The kitchen had uncarpeted hardwood floors and cream walls. The floors in the main rooms were also hardwood, covered with area rugs.

 

"You like antiques," Henri commented, taking in the various pieces of furniture scattered throughout the rooms.

 

"I do. Antiques and Oriental artifacts," Taegan agreed, pointing to several small sculptures set between the books in his study, and the paintings on the walls. "Don't get me wrong, I love the artwork I sell in the gallery, but on a personal level, I prefer what you see here."

 

At that point, Allyn and Ransom arrived. Taegan offered everyone drinks—coffee, beer or hard liquor. The men all chose beer while Miranda settled for coffee.

 

As soon as everyone had been served and seated in the living room, Taegan asked for exact details on what had happened to Henri. Between them, Henri, Ransom and Allyn went through the story—from Henri's kidnapping until he had ended up living at Miranda's.

 

"That's twice he's found you, Henri," Taegan said when they finished. "From what you said, the first time you think he must have seen you shift. However, as you pointed out, he had a laboratory already set up for his experiments. That presupposes he does know of our existence."

 

 "Agreed," Ransom said. "Not a pleasant thought."

 

"No it's not," Taegan agreed. "Then he managed to find Henri again, after his escape."

 

"Six months afterward," Henri pointed out. "I'd say he wasn't locked on to me, so to speak. We think, perhaps, he might have placed classified ads in the papers and on something like Craigslist, looking for his missing dog."

 

"If he did, it was a clever ruse. Although, why wait so long to do it?" Taegan said.

 

"Perhaps," Allyn suggested, "because he'd wanted to make certain Henri didn't bring reinforcements back to the lab."

 

Taegan nodded. "It makes sense. Or, he packed up the entire operation and moved it somewhere else. Henri, you said your home is close to where he'd captured you. Did you have any reason to believe he'd known where you lived?"

 

"Like, had I ever felt watched? No. Besides, if he had, why wait until I was out on a run to grab me?"

 

"He'd wanted you in your wolf form? Were you ever in your human form after he had you at the lab?"

 

"Only at the end, during the last experiment when I'd managed to escape. The rest of the time I'd been so doped up that I hadn't the strength to shift. Do you think that's important?"

 

"I don't know," Taegan replied. "What is important right now is finding a way to stop him. For all we know he's found another victim to experiment on."

 

"Or several," Henri said tightly. "There were—" he closed his eyes, trying to picture what little he remembered of the lab, "—more cages. I can't say for certain but I'm fairly sure of that. Or at least one more, next to mine. I vaguely remember seeing bars beyond the ones around me."

 

"Unsurprising. Another reason I suspect he might have moved the lab somewhere else—probably quickly—or at least taken the important things he needed, files and such," Taegan said.

 

"And destroyed the place afterward, I bet," Miranda said. "I would have, if I was him. Xavier would have had no idea how many friends Henri had—shifter friends—who would return with Henri to deal with him."

 

"Did he have assistants?" Taegan asked.

 

"Well, there was the man who had come with him when he found me at Mrs. Graham's home. Again, my memories of the lab are hazy at best, but I seem to remember Xavier talking to someone. And for damned sure, it wasn't me," Henri added sourly.

 

"What did he do to you?" Taegan asked.

 

"Took all sorts of samples—skin, fur, blood, other bodily fluids. Just about anything he could test was my impression. And it wasn't only once. It was ongoing."

 

"Perhaps," Miranda said pensively, "it wasn't only for testing. What if he was doing something with them, such as injecting them into a human…or an animal?"