Guardians of the Gates - Part 1, The New Breed by Jeff Schanz (best short books to read .TXT) 📕

had his way of coercing people into things, and Sebastian was sure some arrangement was made with all parties involved. Usually, Nigel’s deals were one-sided, the disadvantage to the other only realized too late. But who knows, maybe this one was a square sale. Possible, but unlikely.

“I don’t care about your guests,” said Sebastian. “And I don’t want a beer, thanks.”

“Wasn’t going to offer you one. Stuff’s for me and me invited guests only.”

Sebastian couldn’t read Nigel’s mind. Nigel long ago learned how to hide thoughts, but Sebastian could still read Nigel’s mood, feelings, and general intent. Nigel took his hand off the second beer can and closed the fridge door.

“Can we talk with a little more privacy?” asked Sebastian.

Nigel rolled his eyes. He stepped over to the archway between the kitchen and living room. There weren’t technically two rooms, so for this kind of small space, some people liked the sense of separating them physically. Nigel pulled a curtain across the span that was printed with sexy angels wrestling with sexy devils, then returned to lean against the refrigerator. He waited in obvious impatience for Sebastian to speak up again.

“London had a visit from a hairy stranger tonight,” Sebastian began. “A kind I have never seen before.”

“Wolfy?”

“Yes. But this one was a little different.” Sebastian paused, not intending to make Nigel say something, but offering a moment if he felt like it. Nigel simply stared back. “I waited for him to disintegrate, but he didn’t,” said Sebastian. “Instead he started to – transform.”

Nigel made an amused face. “Into what? Lon Chaney?”

“Honestly, I have no clue who the guy was. But I’m pretty sure he’ll be identified by tomorrow in the papers.”

Nigel cocked a lopsided smile. “Right. Well, that sucks for ‘im, then, dunnit?” He sucked at his beer and shifted his weight. “Wassit got to do with me?”

Sebastian couldn’t hear the thought, but he knew there was something that just tweaked Nigel’s attention. Unconsciously, Sebastian’s hand fidgeted with some dirty paper plates piled on the kitchen table.

Sebastian said, “I didn’t say it had anything to do with you. But since there’s very few people with your unique associations, I figured you may be able to shed some light on this problem.”

Nigel scrunched his eyebrows down. “Sorry, mate. I’m not in that biz. All I got is the same information you and your ruddy Saints already know. The last thing I heard about was the one three months ago when you was ‘ere before. The stupid bastards that went lit’rally barking mad, ran around thinking they’re some kind of druids, or wha’ever, hangin’ around an old cave, thinkin’ it gives ‘em power. A’course, it was a rift in the cave. They wolf up, and go around chewin’ up some other poor bastards, then spend the rest of their short lives hiding in the woods. Can’t change back. Held up in the cave and some of ‘em die ‘cause their bodies ain’t stable, and the others get chopped up by your Saint pals.” He paused and took another drag from his can. “‘Bout it, mate. Figured this bloke you found tonight was just another wolfie from that lot, maybe just something was off when he started to dust.”

Sebastian was now certain Nigel was hiding something, though he had no idea what. He sat down at the kitchen table.

“I wish that were true, Nigel. But there’s some things that don’t match up. How would a seven-foot-tall wolfer, in full glory, roam around the city and get into Regent’s Park without anyone freaking out?”

Nigel shrugged. “Got me, mate.”

“He doesn’t because he wasn’t a wolfer when he got there.”

Nigel shrugged again and tipped the can of beer to his lips.

Sebastian carefully pushed the remnants of Nigel’s bowl of ramen to the center of the table. Twice he had bumped it with his hands as he talked. “No rifts around here, Nigel. Or is there?”

Nigel looked at Sebastian with a comical hurt expression. “Come off it, mate. I got no idea where rifts are nowadays.”

“No, you probably don’t. Nevertheless, this guy was able to transform, either at will, or very delayed, away from any known rift.” Sebastian stared into Nigel’s eyes, trying to lock in on them.

“Don’t try that shit with me, mate.” Nigel made no aggressive move, but the tone was serious.

Sebastian smiled and dropped his eyes.

Nigel looked right and left, then grinned. “Marcellus ain’t ‘ere is ‘e? He woulda jumped in ‘ere and tried to poke around some.” He shook his finger lightly at his head. “Wouldn’a mattered. Got nu’fing up there to give ya.” He leaned back against the wall and sighed. “Look, ya ol’ sod, I got no idea where this wolfy came from, and I don’t really care. I’m sorry ‘e killed someone, but ’s not me problem. As far as helping you with your ‘information’,” he made the quotes with his fingers, “I don’t got nu’fing more’n what you got.” Nigel slugged the last of his beer, then partially crushed it with his fingers. He smiled a politician’s smile and spread his arms. “Now, why would I lie to you, eh? If I knew why some lunatic was able to transform on ‘is own, why would it matter to me to hold it back?”

“I don’t know, Nigel. I wouldn’t normally doubt your word, but – yes, I would normally doubt your word.”

“Me heart’s broken, mate.”

“I’m sure it is. But I also didn’t tell you that the wolfer killed anyone, did I?”

Nigel was quick to hide it, but Sebastian felt his little twinge of fear before the “reformed” demon answered. “Blood’s on your collar,” said Nigel.

“I’m not buyin’ that. It’s a black collar. Could be water or sweat.”

Nigel blinked slowly. “But it’s blood, innit?”

Nice try.

The girls behind the curtain started to moan like they might have begun enjoying their evening without Nigel. The little demon flitted his eyes in that direction.

“Look, Nigel, just give me whatever you know and I’ll leave you alone with your Siren sweethearts.”

Nigel paled. Considering he was normally very pale, this was a feat. Sebastian only meant his comment as a double entendre joke. But there was a very sudden element of panic in Nigel. What did I say?

Nigel recovered and fully crushed the beer can in his fist. He tossed it into the bin next to him that was stained with a mad scientist’s mixture of rotted foods and chemicals. “Then I’ll need another beer and some more patience because I don’ know shit, ya ruddy bastard.” He opened the refrigerator door again and looked at Sebastian. “I’ll spare one for you if it’ll get you outta here faster.”

“No, thanks,” said Sebastian.

Nigel held out two beers anyway. “Come on. T’s rude not to accept.”

Something was wrong. Nigel was nervous. Something was about to happen. Sebastian glanced again at the beer. What’s wrong with the beer? Nigel did not remove the offered can, rather held it further outstretched toward Sebastian.

“Nigel?”

Whatever bad decision Nigel had been mulling over had finally been decided. Sebastian stared at the can in Nigel’s extended right hand.

Nigel was very fast, abnormally so, as a supernatural being might be. Only Sebastian’s years of martial arts training, and his mistrust of pretty much everyone, (especially twisted souls who intentionally purchase lava lamps) made him fast enough to escape the blast. The beer can sprayed a white gas that plumed where Sebastian had been sitting. Sebastian leaped backward and got entangled with the curtain, which ripped from its fasteners. The dazed girls were still staring blankly and swaying to unheard music. Sebastian came around to Nigel’s right, slapped the fridge door shut, and pinned Nigel’s arm to his back. The demon squawked in pain and tried to pull away, but had very little room to move in his kitchen. Sebastian held firm and slammed Nigel to the floor. Nigel hit with a bounce as the old floor probably didn’t have much sturdy material keeping it stable anymore. Sebastian positioned his knee on the small of Nigel’s back and bent the arm upward.

“Gawwd, stop!” Nigel cried.

“What the hell was that!?”

The demon was no longer struggling. His eyes began to water with the beginnings of tears. Nigel could be pathetic when things went wrong. “I’m sorry! Really. Sorry. It’s just some happy juice, see? Something to… Arrrnnn! Something to kinda convince girls to come with me, see? Argggh! Really! I swear. I made it meself. It’s just a happy gas. I’m sorry, I didn’t want to…”

“Save it!”

“It wouldn’ a hurt you. I swear. Just shut ya up a bit, so I could toss you out, ya know?”

“Nigel, you’re a piece of shit!”

“Yeah, a’know. I’m really sorry. Listen… ahhhkk! Listen, I mean it, I can ‘elp you!”

“You just told me you couldn’t.”

“Well, I was lyin’ then, wasn’t I?”

Sebastian wanted to laugh at that if he wasn’t so pissed off.

“Listen, mate. Let me up and I’ll tell you everything I know,” pleaded Nigel.

Sebastian answered by pulling just a little on the bent arm.

“Ahhh, bloody hell! Christ, mate. I’m not gonna lie to you again. You know I’m straight. You can feel it or some rubbish.”

Sebastian could indeed feel it, or some rubbish. He eased up on Nigel’s back and released his grip on the arm. Nigel was embarrassed, miserable, and somewhat in pain, but didn’t seem like he had another sinister plan. Sebastian stood up and allowed the demon to his feet. Nigel took a pitiful glance at his evening’s entertainment still lolling on the living room floor. Sebastian placed a hand on Nigel’s shoulder to turn him back around.

“Talk fast and you’ll still have plenty of time to maul them,” said Sebastian.

Nigel chuckled. “Ah, they ain’t going nowhere. I accidentally gave ‘em too much juice an’ they threw up before you showed up. I was waitin’ for them to kinda get settled, ya know?”

Sebastian gave a short nod. “And…?”

“And? Well, they ain’t all human, are they?”

Without giving himself away, Sebastian tried to nod again as if he knew what Nigel meant. Though he thought something was wrong with their minds, he figured it was just the anesthetic. There was something else that made Nigel nervous about them. Hoping the information would be offered without a direct question, he waited for Nigel to divulge. And Nigel did.

“They’re Sirens, see? Real ones. I get to play with ‘em as long as I keep me mouth shut. But they weren’t real ‘appy about it, so I had to convince ‘em, right? But I wasn’t sure how much to use on ‘em, see? So they got a little sick.”

“Sirens? What the hell are you talking about? From where? Who?”

Nigel paused and gathered himself. It was obvious there was a big thing he was hiding and would be normally very reluctant to talk about. But the feeling Sebastian was getting from Nigel was that the little demon was on the verge of divulging whatever the big thing was.

“There’s this guy I know, right?” said Nigel. “He gets paid to recruit new members. Brings ‘em in an stuff.”

“In where?”

“Cults, groups, you know. Members. These places ain’t no churches, they got an angle. Maybe the members don’t know it, right?” He slid his wrist along his mouth, trying to address any slobber that had come out while he had been wrestled. “So, they get these Sirens to help, ya know, persuade folks.”

“Literal Sirens? Like from Greek myth?”

“Yeah, kinda. They’re just girls, see, with a little demon inside ‘em.” He laughed nervously hoping that Sebastian would get the inference. “Kinda like bait, or lures, or something. Made of human stuff, but enhanced by – demon stuff. They make ‘em look beautiful so’s to attract men, see? But they’re not dangerous. They’re just slaves like I was.”

Sebastian lowered his brows. “And you took them in since you’re so in tune with their plight?”

“Come off it, mate. You get used in this world, and ya use others when ya got the chance. You’re doing the same to me.”

Point taken. “So, who’s the recruiter?” asked Sebastian.

“Ah, don’t worry ‘bout