Jeanne Stein - The Watcher

I don't expect an answer and I'm not wasting time trying to make Avatoar come back. I believed him when he said I wouldn't be hearing from him again. I guess my probation period as a vampire is officially over. I'm sure when I have time to think about that, I'll miss Casper. But right now, I'm too busy being irritated with him. All the provisions I brought for this little foray are still locked in the trunk of a car I can no longer reach.

The sun is already low in the sky. Nothing to do now but make my way into Beso de la Muerte and see if Culebra left any clue about what's happened to him.

I start out at a jog, a pace designed to prevent my unprotected head from bouncing off any other obstacles that Burke might have thrown up. But this time, I get all the way into town with nothing to slow me down but the mounting desire to be running the other way. My feet tread relentlessly forward, but my head is yelling at me to turn around and get the hell out of here. The fact that darkness is falling adds to the escalating feeling of dread.

Once in sight, the street and its decrepit collection of rotting buildings looks even more run down than I last remembered. It's as if with Culebra and his "guests" gone, decomposition has accelerated. The boards on the dusty sidewalk creak an ominous warning as I approach the saloon. I have to force myself to push open the swinging doors and walk inside. The threat of something dark and evil makes every motion of my hand, every footstep, heavy with foreboding. It's right in front of me, floating just out of reach, a shadow promising the torment of a nightmare, the embodiment of one's worst fear. It's forcing itself into my head and under my skin. It's designed to raise the hackles on the back of my neck and bile in my throat.

It's beginning to piss me off.

I do a slow turn around the room. No light. No sound. But something is here. I exhale to steady my voice, calm my heart and say, "Okay, whatever you are. Save the theatrics for the paying customers. Either show yourself or leave me the hell alone."

There's a rustle from behind the bar.

Suddenly, my bravado wilts like a spring flower in the hot desert sun. My heart hammers with adrenaline-laced fear. What have I summoned?

The rustling grows louder, something gathering itself to what? Attack? I hear a low, ominous growl. Shape-shifting perhaps into a monster fashioned from my very own nightmares?

Should I run? Even as the thought passes through my head, I know I can't. I'm rooted to the spot. I force myself to move, to approach the bar. I'll meet whatever is there head-on. I pick up a chair, hold it over my head. My reflexes seem to have reverted back to human speed. Fear has driven even the vampire away.

"Come out, you son of a bitch. I'm right here."

The rustle gets louder, concentrated almost. But the thing doesn't show itself.

A thought dawns. Maybe it's as frightened of me as I am of it.

Or maybe it wants me to think that. To let my guard down and approach even closer, exposing myself to the full brunt of its attack.

My head is starting to hurt again. I can't wait much longer if I'm going to find Culebra before the witching hour. I've come this far pretty much intact. I may as well go for broke.

My grip on the chair tightens. I open my mouth to let out a banshee yell. If nothing else, I'll scare the damned thing to death.

A head pokes over the top of the bar, a hand waves frantically. "Damn it, Anna. Give me a minute, will you. I'm trying to get my pants on."

The chair clatters to the floor. "Frey?"

He disappears again and I catch the brief, sibilant sound of the metal teeth on a zipper meshing together. Then he stands up and holds up both hands. "It's me, okay? Relax."

Relax? "What the hell are you doing here?"

Daniel Frey comes around the bar, shirtless, barefoot. And grins.

"Williams sent me. I've been waiting for you."

WAITING FOR ME? I don't know which question to ask first, so I spew them all out. "How did you get here? How long have you been waiting? Why did Williams send you? What does he expect you to do?"

He picks up the chair I dropped, rights it and straddles it, leaning his arms on the back. "I got here the way any cat would, I padded on little panther feet. I've been here since last night. Wished Williams would have mentioned there was no food. Had to hunt and around here, pickin's are slim. Have you ever tried to eat coyote?" He pantomimes spitting something out of his mouth.

"Why are you here? What did Williams say?"

Frey shrugs. "Didn't give me any specific orders. Just told me to keep an eye on you."

"But how did you get past Culebra's wall?" He grins. "Wall? What wall? Obviously whatever was in your way was constructed to keep humans and vampires out. Not animals."

"Where'd you get the clothes?"

He jabs a thumb toward the bar. "Found them right there in back. Don't know who left them but I wish whoever it was would have dropped off some real food, too. What I wouldn't give for a big juicy burger."

His answers are well rehearsed and glib. I'm not unhappy that it's Frey here instead of the faceless monsters I'd conjured up in my imagination, but something still isn't right.

"Were you trying to scare me when I was outside on the road just now?"

He frowns. "I don't know what you mean."

"Come on. Were you projecting some kind of malevolent energy?"

He shakes his head. "Malevolent energy? That's a little dramatic, isn't it? Sorry, Anna. You give me way to much credit. All I felt coming here was hunger and thirst. Still do. You didn't by any chance bring any groceries with you?"

I shake my head. "Vampire. I don't need groceries, remember?"

But I cross to the bar and look behind it. The cooler is still there. I open it, pull out a couple of bottles of beer, pop the tops and come back to Frey. "Here."

I know he doesn't really like beer, he once told me he was a wine man, but he accepts the bottle anyway and takes a swig. He drinks greedily, eyeing me. When he comes up for air, he says, "Aren't you joining me?"

After what happened two nights ago with Dan? I may never drink again. Instead of saying that, though, I make a sweeping gesture around the bar. "Why didn't you change into your human form before this? You would have at least had something to drink."

Frey finishes off the beer. "I wanted to be ready in case anyone besides you showed up. I figured the sight of a panther would discourage visitors." He hands me the first bottle and takes the second. "If you're not going to drink that…"

I hand it over. "Visitors? I told you there's an invisible wall out there that pretty much takes care of discouraging visitors."

Frey raises an eyebrow. "And I told you, I didn't know anything about that."

I pull a chair close to him and sit down. He's chugging the second beer the same way he did the first. While I watch him drink, that something-isn't-right feeling comes roaring back. Only now, I know exactly what isn't right. "You said you've been here since last night?"

He nods.

"And Williams sent you to wait for me? Did he tell you why I'm here?"

"Probably because he wants you out of the way for some reason."

"You think?"

Frey is watching the play of emotion on my face. We no longer have the mind connection, I took care of that when I fed from him a few months ago, which broke the psychic link between us. But he has animal instincts and he picks up on my anger and confusion.

"Maybe he is trying to protect you," he says finally. "Rumors have been going around that something's about to stir up trouble in the supernatural community. Big trouble. Williams might want to keep you out of it."

"No 'might' about it." Irritation brings me to my feet, and I shove the damned chair out of my way. I wish it were Williams I was shoving. "He as much as told me the same thing just before he banished me with one sweep of his mighty hand. He didn't want me involved in the great witch hunt."