"All right, all right, just let me get some of these kinks out." She rubbed her neck and looked at me with a newfound respect. "I must admit this lady's got a hell of a butt with her head."
"It's the hardest part of my body," I quipped.
"Leonor," Stacy warned.
"Oh, very well." Leonor toddled to the overturned chest, righted it, and opened the lid. She rummaged inside and pulled out five parcels wrapped in brown paper. "These should do the trick with those costumes." She tossed them in front of Luke, who skittered back and growled. Leonor ignored him and went over to a linen cabinet against the wall behind Stacy. It was a wonder it was still standing, though covered in pillow stuffings. She knelt down and opened one of the doors to reveal piles of hat boxes. Five of those were pulled out and tossed in Luke's direction. "That's what you'll need for your ball," she told us.
Stacy walked over to her adopted grandmother and gave her a big hug. "Thank you so much, Leonor. You have no idea how much we appreciate this."
"I might get a good idea tomorrow night, but try not to wreck the place," Leonor requested.
Stacy smiled. "We'll try, but there's a lot of trouble around us right now."
"You mean with those ugly rumors?" Leonor guessed. Stacy glumly nodded, and Leonor waved her hand. "Fiddlesticks. You don't care about what they're saying. Just walk your own path knowing you lived it."
"You're a lifesaver, Leonor," Stacy complimented.
"Bah." Leonor stooped and picked up a handful of pillow stuffing. "Now get out while I fix this mess. Our greeting fights always turn this place upside down."
Luke nodded down at his ragged clothes over his muscled body. "Could I change before we leave?" he pleaded.
Stacy laughed. "Why not? We wouldn't want you scaring children with that getup."
"I'll second that request," I chimed in. My borrowed clothes were tatters on my furry form.
"All right, but hurry it up," Leonor agreed.
Luke and I borrowed Leonor's bedroom, transformed into our human selves, and dressed in our new clothes. I was glad to have clothes that didn't smell like wood sap or manure. Mid-change I glanced over at Luke. He had his shirt off and his rippled muscles flowed beneath his tight skin. It was enough to get me hot. Luke paused, sniffed the air, and turned to me with a sly grin on his face. "Focus," he teased.
"I am focusing, just not on what I should be," I countered.
"Do you really want to try anything here?" he pointed out.
I glanced around the dingy, dark room with its small, ruffled bed of worn blankets and the floor a mess of dust and hair. "You're right, you should focus," I replied.
"Me?" he argued.
"Yes, you. You're distracting me, now be a good boy and get on your clothes," I commanded him. He shook his head, but the smile stayed on his lips and we both dressed. We walked out and found Stacy had dressed out there. Some of the place had even been cleaned of the pillow stuffings.
"All right, Leonor, time to say goodbye," Stacy told her adopted grandmother.
"But I'll see you tomorrow night?" Leonor asked her.
"Of course, but you better be ready to dance with me," Stacy teased.
The old woman straightened her small stature and puffed out her chest. "These old bones could dance all night."
Stacy smiled and gave Leonor a hug. "Good. Until tomorrow."
"Until tomorrow, Stazia."
We piled the boxes into our arms and walked out to the alley above the stairs. Stacy led us through the maze back to her apartment, but before we got there Luke sidled up to her. "You haven't told us why you wanted to go there rather than a costume shop," Luke reminded her.
"You mean besides for the sane company?" Stacy quipped.
"That's debatable, but yes,"
"It's because of Leonor's son," Stacy admitted. "He's pretty important to our plans and I wanted to make sure he was going to that ball."
"Who's her son?" I asked her.
"Oh, just Callean," she revealed. Luke and I stopped and gaped at Stacy. She walked a few feet ahead and turned back to us. "What? Didn't you know, Luke?"
He shook his head. "No," he replied.
"I guess that's the details you didn't know about Leonor's story," I teased.
Stacy shrugged. "Well, he is. Callean's his father's last name, but he was raised by Leonor until he was fifteen. Then he went out and made his fortune in the gang world," she explained to us.
A smile slipped onto Luke's face. "So this is how you're going to guarantee he'll help us rescue your father? Get his mom to convince him or she'll spank him?" he guessed.
Stacy grinned. "It's a good angle, but if he's half as stubborn as his mother then we'll have quite the battle."
"Have you ever met him?" I asked her.
"Only once, before my mother passed away. He visited Leonor at the same time we did. At that point he was a mid-level thug for one of the local gangs, so my mother and I didn't really make his full acquaintance," she told me. She sighed and ran her hand through her frazzled hair. "But that's enough talk for now. Let's get back to my apartment. Leonor's greeting fights pack a punch, and I could use a lot of comfort food and a long nap."
Alas, that wasn't quite how our return trip went. I expected us to wander to the dingy part of town again, but instead Stacy led us to an old, clean residential street with large houses and lawns. At the end I could see a small park surrounded by thick bushes and tall, old trees. She slowed her pace so we caught up to her, and she dropped her voice to a whisper. "We have followers," she told us.
I half turned to look behind us, but Luke straightened me. "Don't look. We want them to follow us," he whispered.
I sniffed the air, but came up empty. "But I don't smell anyone," I argued.
"Which guarantees they're one of Lance's followers," Luke replied.
"How many are there?" I asked them.
"Only the one. She must be a scout," Stacy replied.
"A girl?" I wondered.
"Men aren't the only ones fooled by Lance's words," Luke commented. "Let's get to the park and-"
"Way ahead of you," Stacy interrupted him. She quickened her pace and we kept up so we all reached the park in a minute.
Stacy walked through an arch created by the thick bushes and quickly stepped aside. She yanked against her while Luke took the other side and set the packages on the ground beside him. I held my breath and listened as a pair of light-stepping feet hurried after us. A girl of about eighteen rushed through the arch and Luke grabbed her. She screamed, but Luke slapped a hand over her mouth and dragged her behind his bushes. Stacy and I crowded around our terrified captive.
"I'm going to let my hand off your mouth, but one scream and I knock you out cold," Luke threatened her. He removed his hand and the girl let out a terrified, but quiet, gasp of breath. "Who told you to follow us?" he questioned her.
"T-the Captains," the girl replied.
"Captains of what?" Luke persisted.
A strange glint of anger slipped onto her face, but in a moment it was replaced by the fear. "Haven't you ever heard of the Captains of the Alpha Patrol?"
"No, who are they?" Luke asked her.
"Just the most powerful werewolves in the world." She puffed up with pride that was slightly deflated when Luke growled. "They work for Lance. They put up pictures of her and told us to follow her and see where she goes." The girl indicated Stacy as the target.
"How far have you followed us, and how do you not have a scent?" Luke asked her.
"J-just a couple of blocks, I swear it," she told us.
"And the lack of scent?" he repeated.
She reached into her mouth and pulled out a stick of purple gum. It had the same elasticity as the goop Alston had given Abby and me in the caves near Sanctuary. "I got this stuff from them. Just a little chewing and I'm invisible."
"Are these Captains trying to find out about the Underground?" Stacy spoke up.
The girl shook her head. "N-no, they just wanted to
know where you were. That's all I know, I swear it!"
Stacy sighed and looked to Luke. "Should we believe her?" she asked him.
"Not quite," he replied. He pulled her at arm's length away from him and knocked his fist hard against the back of her head. Her eyes rolled back and she crumpled unconscious to the ground.
I scowled at him. "Did you have to do that?" I growled.
"Yes," was his firm answer.
"I have to agree with Becky. That was very harsh of you," Stacy spoke up.
Luke knelt down and pulled up the girl's long sleeve. He revealed a tattoo around her arm in the shape and color of the red armbands. Luke glanced up at us. "Would a casual member of the Alpha party have a tattoo?" he countered.
"Maybe she liked the color," I argued.
Luke tossed back her sleeve and stood. "She mentioned Captains of the Alpha Patrol. I would venture to guess she knows them more intimately than she made us believe. We should take her with us, and it's easier to do that if she's unconscious."
I gasped when the girl's eyes shot open and she sprang forward. She landed a dozen yards from us, and spun on her heels with her eyes flashing with fire. Her frightened face was replaced with one full of brash cockiness. She blew a bubble from the piece of gum in her mouth and smirked at us. "You've got a good hit. Better than I thought you would," she complimented us. "But I suppose someone who killed Alston would be like that."
"Never underestimate your enemy, but I don't believe we've been introduced," Luke returned.
The girl shrugged. "We haven't, but you'll know me now. The name's Emily, and don't underestimate me just because I'm a girl."
I tilted my head and blinked. "Emily? That's not exactly terrifying," I quipped.
The girl scowled at me. "Who's asking you?"
"Who sent you? Was it Cranston?" Luke demanded to know.
Emily turned her nose up. "Cranston doesn't order me anywhere. Besides, I've told you enough to get you scared, and you're wanting to know more?"
I rolled my eyes. "We're shaking in our boots," I quipped.
"Will you shut up?" she growled. Luke took advantage of the distraction to jump at her, but she dodged his arms and rounded a kick into the side of his face. He went sprawling onto the grass, but caught himself mid-roll and righted himself on all fours. "I said don't underestimate me!" she snapped.
Stacy took a chance and lunged at the girl. She grabbed Emily from behind and pinned her arms to her sides. "How far did you follow us?" she questioned the girl.
Emily smirked. "Far enough that you should worry." Then she kicked back her leg in an arch that allowed her foot to connect with Stacy's back. Stacy was knocked off balance, and Emily broke from her grasp and grabbed her arm. Emily swung her around and let go. Stacy was flung into Luke's arms, and Emily half turned from us. "Just remember the name. It's Emily." I didn't have my chance to get my butt kicked because she took off across the park and in a few seconds was out of sight.
Stacy looked to Luke, who's lips were pursed together. "What do you think that was about?"
"I think we've met one of those Captains," he guessed. "Let's get the costumes and get back to the apartment before we meet any more of them."
"What about Leonor?" I spoke up. "That girl made it sound like she knew where we've been."
"They won't touch her, at least not yet. Callean and she may not be on the best of terms, but he'd swing his support to us if something happened to her," Stacy assured me.
"I wish we had that protection," I murmured.
"We will if we can convince Callean to help us, but let's move," Luke persisted.
21
We got back to the apartment at early afternoon and found Alistair and Baker seated in opposite chairs in their clean clothes and alternating their glances between at the telephone and door. Alistair jumped up when we entered, and even Baker looked pleased to see us because he nearly smiled. "What took you?" he gruffly asked us.
"Worried?" Stacy teased him. Baker scowled and mumbled something about hell freezing over and damned fools, but didn't argue.
We plopped the boxes and bags onto the coffee table, and I gave my curiosity free rein to see what was in the hat boxes. I opened the first to find a golden mask that covered the nose and eyes with a string to wrap around the back. Another had a purple peacock fan above the eyes, and the others were the same simple kind as the first, but in different colors. I grabbed the green one and tossed it at Baker, gave the silver one to Alistair, and handed off the golden one to Luke. That left the purple peacock and a scarlet red mask for Stacy and me. She chose the red, so I had the beautiful peacock one for myself.
The costumes matched the colors and fashions of the masks. They were the fashion of the Middle Ages with large, puffy sleeves and billowing vests. The pants were baggy and covered most of the slipper-like shoes that went with the set. I lifted up one of the dresses, a billowing piece of heavy cloth, and frowned. "I don't know whether I'll feel like a lady or a jester in this thing," I quipped.
Baker snarled. "I'm not wearing that," he refused.
"Then you're not going," I shot back. His snarl deepened to the depth of the Grand Canyon, but he didn't argue further.
While I passed out and admired the clothes, Luke brought Baker and Alistair up to speed on our run-in with the Captain of the Alphas. Baker scoffed. "If they're recruiting that young than we don't have much to worry about," he commented.
Luke shook his head. "Her age doesn't matter. She's a seasoned fighter."
"But she can't be that good if you and Stacy heard her presence. Her beating you must have been a fluke," Baker pointed out.
"She was cocky and slipped up. I don't think she'll do that again," Luke replied.
"That's not all she slipped up on," Stacy chimed in. "She had less love for Cranston than we do."
"That could be to our advantage later, but until we figure out their relationship it won't do us much good," Luke argued.
"So what do we do?" I asked him.
"We stay in here until tomorrow night's ball. If we're followed there we might be able to lose them in the large crowds," he suggested.
I plopped down on the couch and looked out the windows at the sun. It would set in a few hours. "So what do we do between now and then?" I wondered.
A knock on the door had my answer. Stacy strode over and opened it to find Rick standing there with a small envelope in his hand. "This came for you just a few minutes ago, Miss Stacy," he told her as he handed her the envelope.
"Thanks, Rick. Goodnight," she returned.
He bowed his head. "Goodnight, miss."
Stacy closed the door, turned to us and opened the envelope. She poured over the contents and her eyes widened. "They're going to kill Cal," she told us.
"Cal?" I repeated.
"Oh, sorry. Callean. Cal's a pet name Leonor has for him," Stacy corrected herself.
That brought everyone to their feet. "When and why?" Luke asked her. Nobody needed to know who. It would be Cranston and Lance's men.
"Tomorrow night at the ball at ten o'clock," she replied. "A single silver bullet to the head by someone wearing a green armband."
Baker frowned. "That's pretty specific. Can we trust your source?" he wondered.
"Absolutely. It's from one of my most trusted sources," she assured us.
"And who is that?" Baker persisted.
Stacy scowled at him. "Leonor, his mother," she replied.
Luke raised an eyebrow. "She's one of your sources in your Underground?" he asked her.
She shrugged. "She was the one to provide her son with his first connections in the gang world. She may not like the gangs, but she knows knowledge keeps you one step ahead of your enemies," she explained.
"Fine, it's trusted, but why are they going to be killing him?" Baker questioned her.
"The message doesn't say, but that Captain we met might explain it," Luke spoke up. "She might have overheard us talking about Callean and reported that to Cranston.
The last thing the Alphas would want is their greatest enemy joining with their most indifferent ally in a coalition against them."
I furrowed my brow. "And they think killing Callean will be a good idea? He's the most powerful guy in the city," I reminded the group.
"Cranston aspires to be that and probably doesn't mind getting rid of the competition any way he can," Luke replied.
"So we do what now?" I asked them.
"Now we see if these costumes fit and hope we can find Callean at the ball before the assassin does," Luke suggested.
"Master Luke, if I may interrupt, how are we to attend this ball without invitations?" Alistair wondered.
"I can handle that," Stacy spoke up with a smile. "The notice I saw of the ball was to both my father and me, and it was an invitation for us to go with as many friends as we'd like." Baker frowned, but Stacy laughed. "Stop worrying. I'm sure we'll make it through this somehow."
It was a long twenty-four hours waiting for the ball to come. With some minor modifications, and some tussling about with Baker, the suits fit us all pretty well. The next afternoon found us in our strange clothes and tromping down the stairs of the apartment building. Rick sat in his customary chair with a paper in front of him, and Luke steered over to the desk. "Could you do me a favor?" he asked Rick.
The old man glanced up from his paper and raised an eyebrow. "Depends on what it is," was his uncertain reply.
"I might have a letter at the station. Do you think you could pick it up for me?" Luke requested.
Rick shrugged. "Sure thing. What's the name?" he asked him.
"Smithton," he replied.
I snorted. "Smithton? How'd you think of that?"
He turned to me with a smile. "Your old name and your new name," he told me.
"If it's there Ah'll pick it up," Rick assured him.
"Thanks." Luke turned away and we resumed our bright parade out of the building and onto the streets. We received our fair share of funny looks, but the locals treated us as insane and kept their distance.
"What's this about a letter?" Stacy asked him.
"It's about that letter we sent to Brier. I'm hoping he's sent back a reply," Luke explained to her.
Stacy sighed. "I hope he has better news than we do, but speaking of chores we all have one unpleasant task to do before we leave."
I frowned and glanced around at the clothed group. Everyone's face showed a slightly pale tinge to it. "What? What do we have to do?" I asked them.