The Night Beat

prejudice.”
    The murky darkness started boiling up and moving. It was still murky and dark, but it was forming into a shape. I stared at it as the hair on the back of my neck started to rise. My nails extended and so did my teeth. Some things you can’t stop, even if you want to. Fight or flight is in every living being that’s got mobility. And even beings like me have a fear of the dark, the old dark, built into us.
    “Count?”
    “Yes?”
    “We are in so much trouble.”

Chapter 2
     
    “Jack, stay back and take cover!”
    I heard him shouting for backup. Great idea, but not under these circumstances. I tried to figure out how to tell him to belay that without explaining why, while at the same time backing slowly to keep out of reach of the monster in front of me.
    The sound of large wings floated on the wind and I wasn’t alone any more. “Vic, what’s up?”
    “Um, Amanda, I thought vamps had the best night vision and all that.”
    “I was just being casual and human-like in my form of greeting.” Amanda Darling was both a vampire and my best friend. She was older than me and sometimes had trouble letting go of the old-speak. “I can see what’s in front of us. Unfortunately.”
    Someone behind me snorted. “She’s so cute, isn’t she? Pathetic, but cute.” Maurice swished into view. He didn’t have to swish, but he really enjoyed it. Unlike his sister, Maurice adapted to whatever age and mores he was in without a blink or a twitch. We all envied and hated him for that ability. “What have we here? A big, manly slime monster from the bowels of the earth? I’m all a-flutter.”
    “You know, Maurice, a gay vampire is so clichéd.”
    “But, Vicki, I do it so well.” Maurice and Amanda looked alike. That was it in terms of proof of real blood ties. Then again, for our kind, blood ties were made as easily as born.
    The slime monster was undulating. I didn’t think that boded well for us. “Someone needs to distract Jack.”
    “Ooooh, I will!” Maurice said. “He’s so tall, dark and handsome.”
    Amanda and I risked it and exchanged the “he’s such a jerk” look. “Maurice, Jack’s straight,” she said. “And he’s Vic’s.”
    “Not yet,” another male voice said. Ken Colt was one of the younger vamps, but he was a natural. He did the whole turning to mist and hover invisibly thing as easily as breathing. Easier, all things considered. “But I agree, the human needs to be distracted. Who do you want to do it, Vic?”
    “You.” Ken wasn’t gay, wasn’t female, and Jack knew him. He knew him as my ex-boyfriend, but that wasn’t important now.
    Ken sighed. “Figures. Jealous to get you back or just chat sports?”
    “Whatever, Ken. Kind of busy here.”
    “Doing nothing. Fine, fine, going off to distract and protect the human. I think I’m going with mind-control, though. We want all those human snacks sent back to police headquarters.”
    “Good, good. Carry on.” The slime monster was forming tentacles. “Count, we’re going from bad to worse.”
    “Slime monsters are difficult, Agent Wolfe, but hardly worth the panic in your voice.”
    “How about something that looks like a slime monster, but isn’t. You know, something with tentacles and no face and that sort of fun thing?”
    “Ah. How big?”
    “Pretty damned.” Amanda and I said that together. Because it was growing.
    “I think we need to call in H.P.,” Maurice said in a small voice. Maurice didn’t scare easily.
    The Count sighed. “The professor is resting.”
    “This is his area and we’re not equipped for this,” I snapped. “Slimy here has eaten four of Prosaic City’s finest, eaten two of our snazzy squad cars and, most likely, several bums, hookers, and drug dealers. For all I know he has some pigeons in there, too.”
    “Rousing the professor now. He’ll be to you shortly.”
    “What about Edgar?” Amanda asked.
    “Not his forte,” Maurice said dismissively. “He’s better with the human side of things.” This was true.
    The slime monster that was more than a mere slime monster continued to form. I continued to shift into full attack form. Nails an inch long and razor sharp? Check. Fangs ready to rip and tear? Double-check. Eyes and ears altered to see and hear better? You got it. Damned fur all over my body, doubling as camouflage and protection? Sure. Problem was, in this day and age, fur wasn’t camouflage any more. Fur was a sign you were odd at best, and a werewolf