Bite Me

that’s down at Pier Nine. They are cleaning up the mess Elijah left. They must know you guys are hunting Chet and the vampire cats.”
    “He must have seen us last night, with the Animals. We thought the cats got Barry.”
    Tommy climbed to his feet. “Barry’s dead?”
    “Sorry,” Rivera said. “So they know about the Animals, too?”
    Tommy said, “The Animals were the ones who took Elijah’s art collection and blew up his yacht. Of course, they know about the Animals.”
    “We’ve got to get over there,” Rivera said. “They’ll be hunting the Emperor, too. He’s been calling all day about a black ship. I thought it was just more craziness. I don’t even know where to start looking for him.”
    Jody handed Rivera back his gun and the battery to his jacket. “Wire those back up as soon as you get back in your car. They work.”
    Marvin let go with a barrage of barking, which translated, “I have found some dead people and I am going to make a fuss if I don’t get a biscuit and the ear-scratch girl is dead and sick.”
    “Easy, Marvin,” Abby said. She steadied herself against the big dog and Cavuto caught her by the arm to keep her from falling. “I really don’t feel good.” She crumpled to the sidewalk. Tommy caught her in time to keep her head from hitting the concrete. “My tail kind of hurts.”
    Jody snatched Rivera’s gun out of his hand again. “Give Tommy your car keys.”
    “What! No!”
    Jody smacked Rivera’s jacket, heard a jingle, thenreached in his pocket and took the keys. Rivera stood there like he was five, being dressed by his mother. Jody threw the keys to Tommy.
    “Take her to the loft. Foo will still be there. Maybe he can change her back in time.”
    “Where are you going?” Tommy said.
    “I’m going to the ship. Maybe I can stop one of them there. They’re going to come to the loft, so be ready.”
    “Not so fast, Red,” said Cavuto.
    “You will shut the fuck up!” Jody said. “You guys are six blocks from the Marina Safeway. The Animals should be at work, or will be there in a few minutes. That’s where I went when I wanted to find them, that’s where these vampires will go. So shag ass over there and warn them. Wire the batteries back into your jackets on the way there or they’ll have you for lunch. Call for another car if you need to, but we just saved your lives and your car is ours.”
    Rivera smiled. “I’m okay with that.”
    Cavuto said, “You are?”
    Tommy picked Abby up and held her with one arm while he reached into her messenger bag, took out her phone, and handed it to Jody. “Call Foo, tell him we’re coming.”
    “I will. Be careful.” She kissed him. “Save our minion.”
    “Got it,” Tommy said.
    Marvin whimpered at them as they went away, which translated to, “I’m worried about the ear-scratching dead girl with the Gummi bears.”

23
Brat in the Paper Aisle
    MAKEDA
    She stood under the eave of a post office that looked out on the Safeway parking lot, watching the old man with the dogs pounding at the door. Well, that would make seven. She knew she should wait for the others, but what fun was there in that. A lean black guy let the old man and his dogs into the store, then locked the door behind him.
    She moved to the side of the building, then along the front behind a long train of shopping carts, where she could look through the windows without being seen herself. They were spread out, each working an aisle to himself. She really should call for the others. Neither would be that far away, but she did so little on her own anymore. She examined the window. Thick Plexiglas, she wasn’t going through that. She could kick the door down, of course, but then they would run and there’d be chasing and if any gotaway Rolf would pout with disapproval for months. Not that she wasn’t beyond pouting herself. She once awakened to find Bella and Rolf merged together in mist without her and refused to take solid form for a year except to feed.
    That was how they began each night, merged in mist form, still inside their titanium chamber, experiencing every corner of each other’s consciousness, every memory, every emotion, every want, every fear—complete knowing, complete intimacy. After an hour or so, they would assume their solid forms, then leave the chamber and feed, or watch a video of a sunrise or sunset. That was it! Mist. She would go into the store by stealth. Except for the one with the dogs, they were all young