Damned and Cursed (Book 2): Witch's Kurse (56 page)

She had to kill them, or they would kill her.

"Well?" Jack asked, gesturing to the door.
 
He dropped the knife.
 
"Shall we?"

She followed his example by dropping the pillowcase.
 
They left the roof together.
 
They were on the next step of their journey, and didn't know if a better time would come to be honest with him.

"Jack, there's something I have to tell you."

"What's that?"

"I didn't steal a bunch of bacon.
 
Before I found you in the woods, I killed a squirrel and ate it.
 
Then I cleaned up in the lake."

Jack stopped at the doorway to the second floor.
 
He stared at her for nearly ten seconds, blocking the door.
 
His face turned red, and the extent of his anger caught her by surprise.

"You ate a fucking squirrel, and then seduced me?
 
What the hell is wrong with you?"

"Whoa, come on now.
 
It wasn't exactly seducing—"

"You kissed me all over and forced me to take my clothes off, and you had Rocky The Flying Squirrel in your belly?"

"I didn't
force
you to do a damn thing—"

"How are we supposed to bonk again if I have to wonder what you just snacked on?"

"Wow.
 
Confident, are we?
 
Who says we're doing that again?"

"Does that get you all hot?
 
Eating wildlife?"

"No.
 
Actually,
you
do, hence…what happened in the woods."

"I already know that," he said.
 
"I can read it all over your face."

"I think you may be the biggest asshole I've ever met."

"Says the woman who rode me with a squirrel in her."
 
He winced, nearly drawing a laugh from her.
 
"My penis was
in
you, Marie.
 
My personal penis.
 
My favorite body part wasn't far away from a squirrel.
 
That really disturbs me."

"Fine," she said, pushing past him.
 
"Next time, I won't eat anything."

"Damn right you won't."

Marie stifled a giggle as she walked down the hall.
 
It was improper, perhaps even twisted, to argue with a man over sex after they'd ended another human life.
 
She didn't care.
 
She'd been hunted too many times, by humanity and werewolves, to lend any sympathy.
 
She had a good heart, but knew when to lock it away.

Jack whistled cheerfully as he walked behind her.
 
Perhaps she'd met someone as warped as she was.

Marie smelled them before the elevator doors opened.
 
She came to a stop when the men dressed in FBI clothes and hats spilled into the hallway.
 
Her mouth hung open as they fanned out, going door to door.
 
They calmly escorted the residents of the rooms into the hall and to the stairs.
 
Her heart pounded in her chest as they drew closer to Jack's room.

"Relax," Jack said in her ear.
 
"Go hold the elevator for us."

Relaxation was the last thing on her mind as she walked with the other humans.
 
She watched over her shoulder as Jack nodded at another
agent
and approached.
 
Her hearing picked up everything.

"Hey, Jack," the agent said.
 
"It's been a long time."

"Yeah, I know.
 
I haven't been this far north in a while."

"What do you have?"

Jack handed over his key-card.
 
"Two in my room.
 
One on the roof.
 
Stick around for a while.
 
More will be coming soon."

"Eh, stick around.
 
You know sticking around—"

"Is double.
 
Yeah, I know."

"Who's the lady?"

"A friend, maybe.
 
She's with me."

"A friend?
 
You?
 
Shit, the world's coming to an end."

"Nah.
 
That was stopped a few months ago."

"I, uh, don't want to know."

"Nope.
 
Alright, I'm gone.
 
Take it easy."

"I always do.
 
Call when you need us."

Marie held the elevator door open, waiting for Jack.
 
She'd been around a long time, had seen many strange things humans would never see.
 
But even she had never seen anything like Jack.

"What's going on?
 
What was that about?"

He said nothing as he joined her in the elevator.
 
The FBI routed people to the stairs, some still only half dressed, while letting Jack and Marie ride the elevator.

"Are they
really
FBI?"

Jack looked at her.
 
"You like to ask a lot of questions."

Marie shook her head.
 
"I'm not sure what situation is worse.
 
Dealing with werewolf hunters, or you."

"Probably me."

Jack parked three blocks away from Crane Road.
 
He retrieved a pair of binoculars from the trunk and walked with Marie silently, neither one of them saying a word.
 
The silence was bliss as they ducked into the woods, walking through the trees toward their destination.

He thought he'd be using the binoculars to help him find Erica's murderer, but that goal was met and accomplished.
 
As he pushed aside shrubs and branches, he realized he was supposed to be on a plane heading home.
 
Despite the peaceful quiet, he missed the sound of Tiffany, moving like a train around him.
 
He wanted to reach the end of the path he was on with Marie, and get back to his life.

He stole a quick glance at the werewolf behind him.
 
Even on two legs, she was in her element.
 
She nimbly moved along the path, content to let Jack lead.
 
Even knowing her only slightly more than most, he could see how deceptive she was.
 
Small, shapely, decidedly feminine, yet capable of so much destruction.

If he didn't know himself better, he'd say he was smitten.

The office building wasn't far, just to the left out of the trees.
 
Two men were standing near the front door while another circled the building.
 
There were several vans and a car or two in the lot.
 
An empty lot separated the building from a row of homes on the road.

Jack tried to move closer to the tree line when Marie grabbed his shoulder.

"Stop," she said.
 
"Stay back."

"Why?"

She smiled, but it was out of frustration.
 
"I guess they really do think ahead.
 
They have cats."

"Which means what?"

"If I get any closer, they'll react.
 
They'll know I'm here."

"You don't like cats?"

"I hate them.
 
And, appropriately, they hate me."

Jack laughed.
 
"Remind me to keep you away from Glinda."

"What?
 
Who?"

"Never mind."
 
He glanced at the soft grass around them.
 
There were plenty of trees, plenty of cover, yet they still had a good view of the building.
 
"Okay, then.
 
I guess this will have to do."

He sat in the grass and leaned against a tree.
 
For the next several hours, Jack did what he did best.
 
Watch and observe.
 
He watched the wolf hunters move through the building.
 
He studied their patrols and rotations.
 
A van left at one point, with another showing up not long after.
 
Through the binoculars, he read their lips, followed their conversations.

They were indeed professionals.
 
Never was one hunter alone.
 
They worked in a minimum of pairs.
 
Through a window on the second floor, he eavesdropped as two hunters studied a map, discussing the best course for combing the woods.

Jack glanced at his companion.
 
Marie sat next to him, keeping a respectable distance.
 
She engaged in her own form of watching and observing.
 
She didn't make a sound, didn't utter a word.
 
Her nose simply twitched every so often, and she closed her eyes often, no doubt to focus on her hearing.
 
As the hours passed, Jack grew more impressed with her.
 
A woman that could sit still and remain silent.
 
Even Victoria had trouble with such a task.

He opened his mouth to ask a question he seldom asked anyone.
 
Marie was about to join a very exclusive list of living beings.

"What's on your mind?"

"Shh," she said, putting a finger to her lips.
 
"One sec."

He fought a smile as he watched her.
 
Eyes closed, hugging her knees, resting her chin on top.
 
She suddenly looked younger, like she actually was thirty years old.

"Sorry.
 
Just trying to listen in on the two guys circling the place.
 
What's on my mind?
 
Now that's a loaded question.
 
I'm trying to figure out who and what we're dealing with in there.
 
And not to jump ahead, but what the hell I'm going to do when it's all over."

"What do you mean?"

"Well, assuming I live from all this, I still have to leave.
 
I doubt the little hunting club will just let me go.
 
I'll have to leave Sandy Cliffs once again, get another identity.
 
I was just getting used to Marie, too."

Jack nodded.
 
"I can put you in touch with some people.
 
They're not cheap, but they do good work."

"Why are you helping me, with
all
of this?" she asked, gesturing around her.
 
"You don't even need to be here.
 
You found who murdered Erica.
 
Shouldn't you be flying home right now?"

"Yes, and because of this, I doubt I'll talk to Tiffany today.
 
Very frustrating."

"So why are you here?"

"Ninety-nine percent for me, one percent for you."

"Oh, wow.
 
I get one percent.
 
I'll take it."

"
They
involved me," he said, pointing to the building.
 
"They broke into my hotel room, said they would kill me.
 
I just can't let that slide."

"And the other one percent is because I'm just too hot for you to ignore?
 
Was it the great sex?
 
Or you feel guilty because you ruined my bar?"

Jack smiled, but refused to answer.
 
He glanced through the binoculars once again, watching two men talk about how hungry they were.
 
One complained about the wounds on his chest, obviously a victim of Marie the night before.

"We've got twenty-one men—"

"Twenty-two."

He looked at her.
 
She shrugged at his glare.

"Did you just say I made a mistake?"

"Take it however you want.
 
But there's twenty-two men there."

"I thought you couldn't smell them?"

"I can't.
 
But I see and hear them.
 
Six cats are running around the building, too.
 
If you want to be exact."

Jack moved on.
 
"They've had briefings, catching certain men up."

Marie nodded.
 
"I heard a little.
 
Reinforcements.
 
Wonderful.
 
They must really not like me."

"They plan on sending a team into the woods tonight when the sun goes down.
 
We can do this however you want.
 
We can go in after, kill whoever's left.
 
Or go in right when they're prepping, do it all at one time."

"All at once," Marie said.
 
"They must know we killed the men that tracked me down.
 
They're watching every door, being very paranoid."

"I'm sure.
 
They haven't checked in yet, so they know they're down a few men.
 
But they think
you
killed them.
 
They don't know anything about me.
 
That will give us the edge, not that we really need one."

"Someone named Sean is in charge.
 
I wonder if that's Rob's brother."

"Eh, don't really care."

Marie closed her eyes and leaned her head back against a tree.
 
She looked tired, taking a deep breath.

"Are you up for this?" Jack asked.

"What do you mean?"

"Tonight we're going to kill quite a few people.
 
Blood, guts, broken families.
 
Can you handle it?"

She let out a smile with an edge of sinister.
 
Jack felt his heart melting.

"Can you?" she countered.

"I'll try my best."

"Thirty years ago a mobster paid me a large sum of money to rescue his daughter.
 
He told me she was being held by one of his rivals.
 
I sneak into their little hideout, and find out it's all a trap for me.
 
The mobster's son had a thing for me, and I shot him down, but I didn't know who his father was.
 
In the end, I killed the mobster, his rival, pretty much all the bodyguards, and the son and daughter, who wasn't even kidnapped.
 
I was going to let the daughter live, but she came at me.
 
So, I killed her, too.
 
Bloodshed isn't fun, but I won't avoid it if it's necessary."