Perfect Strangers Read online

Sean looked at it. It took a minute to figure out how the clasp worked, and once he did, he put it around his neck.

  "Why would Sampson put something like this in a safety deposit box?" Sean wondered out loud.

  "Because it's worth a couple hundred thousand dollars to any lycan who doesn't have one," Roxy sighed. "Which is most of them."

  Sean blinked, "Then why didn't he sell it?"

  "I can give you three guesses, and the first two don't count."

  "Huh?"

  "Your dad, Sean. Your dad probably gave it to him. Alchemists are the ones who make lycan necklaces. If your dad made that for him, well, selling it would have been like giving up his own child."

  "Huh," Sean said and thought about that. "I wonder how hard these are to make?"

  "No idea," Roxy said.

  Sean looked at Jolene, who was watching him.

  "Don't ask me," Jolene shrugged, "I'm not an alchemist or an enchanter. Don't you have a book on enchanting in your head somewhere?"

  Sean stopped and thought about that a moment. "Actually, yeah, I think I do. Oh!" Sean stopped and dug out the money in his pocket. Opening up one of the banded stacks of hundreds, he counted off fifty and handed it to Jolene.

  "Here, take that."

  Jolene looked up at the money and then gave Sean a look that wasn't at all friendly.

  "Are you trying to buy me? Sean?"

  Sean snorted, "Didn't you hear the growling when you sat in that guy's lap? I already own you, Hon," Sean winked at Jolene as her expression when from pissed to surprised, followed by embarrassed in half a second. "That's just walking around money. Can't let one of my woman go walking around broke, now can I?"

  "Hey, where's mine!" Roxy laughed from the front seat.

  Sean reached around and set the other half of the stack on Roxy's lap, which Roxy scooped up with a free hand and quickly stuck it in her pocket.

  "I think you broke her," Roxy chuckled and tipped her head towards Jolene.

  Sean looked at Jolene who was looking at him with a wide-eyed expression of disbelief.

  "I think you're right," Sean agreed.

  "Oh come on, Jolene, just admit it. You haven't slept with anyone other than Sean since Wednesday, or I'd have smelled them on you. That's gotta be a record for you! Five whole days of monogamy!"

  Jolene sighed, turned back around to face forward in the passenger's seat and stuck the money into her pants pocket like Roxy had, instead of her purse.

  "You are an evil man, Sean."

  "Yes, but you love me anyway!" Sean grinned and leaning forward he kissed the back of her head.

  "Yes, yes I do," Jolene sighed and smiled.

  "Well, we're here," Roxy said, and pulling off the street she parked the car.

  "Sean, this is a surprise," Anthony Barton said looking up as Sean, Roxy and Jolene entered the room. "What brings you here?"

  "Well, last Thursday someone blew up Sampson's house, my mother's house, and set fire to the place I was living at."

  Barton nodded, "I heard about Sampson's and your mother's. A detective Schumer called me. Says he's been trying to talk to you, but that you seem to have disappeared. I told him I hadn't heard from you."

  Sean nodded, "Yeah, there're a lot of people looking for me, and well, none of them are good. But I've been thinking, and as I've become a very suspicious person the last few days I started to wonder just why did Sampson hire you, of all the people he could have hired?"

  "I'm afraid that would be confidential between me and Sampson, I'm sorry, Sean."

  Sean nodded again and pulling out the last banded bundle of hundred dollar bills he set it on Barton's desk.

  "There's ten thousand dollars there. Thank you for transferring Sampson's insurance money. So now, you're on retainer and you're working for me. I cleaned out his safety deposit box, and I've got the one thing that apparently mattered to him," Sean reached under his shirt and showed Barton the chain.

  "So, I'd appreciate a little frank talk here."

  Barton looked at Sean and sighed, "I tried to get him to sell that once, you know. The money from it would have definitely made his life, and yours, as well as your mother's a lot easier."

  "So you knew what Sampson was?" Sean asked.

  Barton nodded, "I came here from Angola with Sampson. He saved my life and the lives of my two younger sisters. He went to work for your father; I went to college and then law school. Because I was one of the few 'mundanes' who knew about lycans, magic users, and all the rest, I was able to set up a pretty good practice helping them when they ran afoul of the law."

  Barton snorted, "The ones that care about our laws, that is. So when everything suddenly went bad for your family, Sampson enlisted my help and I became his attorney."

  "Then you knew about my father's murder?" Sean growled.

  "No, until you came in here and mentioned it, I had no idea. I never knew your father, Sean. I only met him once when he paid for me to represent one of his employees. Sampson never told me what happened, he wasn't one to talk much about things he considered private."

  "Who warded this room?" Jolene asked suddenly.

  "Oh," Sean said, "this is Jolene. She's with me."

  "Sampson bit you, didn't he?" Barton said shaking his head.

  "You know about lion-weres?"

  "They were pretty common back in Angola. At least they were, I don't know anymore." Barton turned to Jolene, "One of my clients took care of it for me, he also warded my house, and gave me a bracelet to wear that keeps others from spying on me. He was rather worried about others eavesdropping on our conversations dealing with his legal issues."

  Jolene sighed, "Sawyer, right?"

  "You know him?" Barton looked surprised.

  "For a goblin who hates humans, he sure seems to do a lot of business with them!" Roxy laughed.

  "He understands the realities of doing business, that's all," Barton chuckled. "As a businessman, like it or not, he has to deal with human laws. I'm not a magic user, which is a plus in his book, I know and work with lycans fairly often, another plus, and I'm a licensed lawyer with a local practice who can appear on his behalf.

  "So," Barton said looking at Sean, "why did you come here?"

  "I want you to deal with the police and any mundane legal matters I may have, Anthony. Sooner or later I'm going to have trouble with the police, because of all the crap that's falling on my head right now. Also I need someone to deal with the mess that was my mom's house and Sampson's house. And last of all, if I end up in jail, I need someone to bail my ass out before the people after me blow it up."

  "That's a tall order, and it could get pretty expensive you know."

  "I have a quarter million dollars in the bank," Sean pointed out.

  "A lot more expensive than that," Barton grimaced and shook his head, "there are people in the legal system, or rather in the court system, who know who and what lycans and supernaturals are. They're willing to look the other way, but it's not very cheap."

  "I know how to make more of these necklaces," Sean said with a smile.

  "Oh?" Barton paused, and then "Oh! Well, once you start making them, I know a number of wealthy individuals who would be more than happy to buy them."

  "Really?"

  "I always kept a few on the line in case Sampson ever decided to sell his," Barton shrugged, "I owed him, that's why he came to me whenever he needed legal help." Barton pulled out a piece of paper and set it on the desk, then took the stack of bills and put it in the open desk drawer before closing it.

  "Now, that's an official document making it clear that you've retained me and that I have power of attorney. Sign it, and I'll take care of everything."

  Sean nodded and picking up a pen on the desk, he did so.

  "Don't call Schumer back, and don't call me, my phones are probably tapped."

  "Isn't that illegal?"

  Barton laughed, "This is Reno, Sean. Illegal rarely stops anyone."

  "He's right," Roxy sighed. There'
s always a judge willing to sign anything in this state, for the 'right' reasons."

  Barton nodded, "and then they just argue about it in court later. If you need to tell me something, send me a letter, snail mail. Or by messenger service, if it's urgent."

  "Mail? You mean regular mail?"

  "Yup, anyone messes with that, and the US government will be all over you. They take a dim view of it still. But honestly? Not that many people even consider it anymore. Plus it can't be traced."

  Sean nodded, "Good point. How will you contact me?"

  "I'll tell Sawyer if it's urgent, but if I need to contact you, odds are I'll know where you are at that point." Barton paused a moment and then added, "Oh, they found Sampson's motorcycle, it was parked near where that van crashed last week. The police towed it thinking it was an abandoned vehicle. Where do you want it?"

  "Store it at Bryson's garage. Tell Steve, the manager there, that it was Sampson's and now it's mine. He'll take care of it. Did they find his car?"

  Barton shook his head, "No, they didn't, and that's rather peculiar."

  Sean closed his eyes a moment, "Have they found my mother yet?"

  "No, which is a good thing, it makes it more likely that she's still alive, Sean."

  "Thanks," Sean sighed. "Well, I'll be going."

  "Good luck, Sean."

  "Yeah, I'll be needing it."

  "So now what?" Roxy asked as they got back into the car.

  "Back home for now I guess," Sean sighed, and then smiled, "Maybe Jolene can spend some time checking out my new muscles!"

  Chaos

  Sean was lying on the bed, or more appropriately, lying on top of Jolene. It was late and he'd been making love to the girls since before the sun went down, when he heard it.

  "What was that?" Roxy asked, sitting up quickly.

  "Shit," Sean swore, "get dressed!" and giving Jolene a kiss he dismounted rather quickly and grabbing his pants he pulled them on, then grabbing his holster he put that on next.

  "Gather our stuff up, I'll go check it out," Sean growled and shifted into his hybrid form.

  Running over to the fire exit, he stopped and listened, he could hear it, there were people coming up the stairs. Grabbing the door he looked around and saw Roxy, also in hybrid form, with her gun out. "Check the other staircase," Sean whispered.

  Roxy nodded and ran off. Drawing his gun, Sean carefully cracked the door open, no one was at the top floor yet, but they were close. Sticking the gun in the doorway, he let the door carefully close onto the slide, then using his body to block any light from the small opening he just waited.

  They came around the last corner then, and there were a lot of them, and they were all wearing body armor, helmets, and goggles. They stopped at the bottom of the last flight of stairs, in clear view, and the front man made a hand signal to the rest, then held up his hand, fingers open and started closing them one at a time as the others all got ready.

  Sean shot him in the face when he got to 'three' and then emptied all eight shots in the magazine into the first five guys, trying for headshots on each. At least two more dropped before the slide on his pistol locked open.

  He could hear Roxy opening up at the opposite end of the building then as well, that wasn't good!

  Backing away from the door as the people in the stairwell returned fire; he changed magazines quickly and ran back to the room. Jolene was dressed and was shoving stuff into Roxy's backpack.

  "Let's go," Sean said and grabbed his own and slung it on his back as Roxy skidded into the room. Looking around there was still some of their clothes in the room and the bed was rather 'sticky' to put it mildly.

  "Can you set this on fire?" Sean asked Jolene.

  "Easily!" she smiled.

  "Torch it, I don't want them having anything of ours to track me or identify you."

  "Sure!" Jolene tossed the backpack to Roxy who caught it easily and slung it on her back.

  "Where to?" Roxy asked looking around.

  "Elevators, and quickly before they get their act together," Sean growled, and sticking his head out of the doorway, he took a couple shots back towards the door to the stairwell, Roxy doing the same as he felt a sudden wash of heat behind him.

  "Come on!" Sean said, grabbing Jolene and taking off for the elevators.

  Only two of the four elevators in the building ran all the way up to the top penthouse floor. Sean pried the doors open to one of them rather easily, while Roxy picked off anyone trying to sneak up on them.

  The moment Sean got the door open however; gunfire came up the shaft, forcing him back. As both shafts were connected, trying the other one was pointless.

  "How far can we fall and survive the impact?" Sean asked as he quickly moved over to the other end of the elevator alcove and started watching out for anyone coming from the other side, from the other stairway. This wasn't good at all. Other than the elevators and the stairways, there weren't any other ways down!

  "Not this high! And Jolene would never make it."

  "Shit!" Sean swore and just then someone popped their head out as he watched, ducking back quickly as Sean took a shot at them, missing and hitting the plaster just behind where their head had been.

  "Damn!" Roxy swore, "They're moving in from this end! Now what?"

  "Both stairwells blocked, elevators, blocked," Sean mumbled and tried to remember just how many ways there were up to the penthouses.

  "Keep setting fires," He mumbled to Jolene and the next time the guy popped his head out, Sean nailed him, the guy's brains making a nice red and chucky mess on the wall behind him.

  "Man housekeeping is gonna...."

  Housekeeping! Sean realized. There was a separate service elevator at the north end of the tower, behind the other stairwell. They'd just have to fight their way to it.

  Sticking his hand in the lower cargo pocket, the other pistol was still there. Ripping it out, he took it in his left hand and stuck the magazine in his waistband.

  "Listen up;" Sean said in a low voice, "We have to fight our way past the guys at this end. I'll go first. Roxy, cover our rear. Jolene, keep your head down and wait until I clear things out."

  "Wait, what?" Roxy asked, "What are you doing?"

  "No time!" Sean said and charging out of cover he started to take shots with the pistol in his left hand to keep their heads down, while aiming with the one in his right.

  Coming around the corner, there were eight of them, and they were all well armed, and armored.

  Sean shot the ones at the back of the group first, as they weren't holding guns, and he had no idea just what magic might do to him. However while he was shooting them, the ones in front opened up on him.

  The pain was excruciating. His chest lit up with fire, and suddenly he lost the use of his right eye. Roaring in pain he just dropped the pistols and grabbed the man in front of him and ripped his head off. The next man he disemboweled with a rake of his foot claws, his foot having come up under the man's armor when Sean kicked him as his whole upper body and arms burned with pain like fire.

  The two at the back had dropped from his shots, and the four in the middle panicked as they suddenly realized that their buddies were dying. One of them shot the man in front of him as he peed himself. Sean just grabbed the man before him and bit his face off, then threw him at the two who were now the only ones left standing. One of those two suddenly blossomed into a human torch and screamed loudly as the last one, who had started gibbering just stood there frozen as Sean punched him in the throat, causing him to choke and collapse.

  "Sean!" Jolene cried out in shock, "Sean! They shot Sean! It's bad!"

  Sean fell to his knees, and gasped for breath. Everything hurt, especially his right eye, which felt like a red-hot poker had been stuck in it.

  "Pick up his gun," Roxy growled at Jolene as she came around the corner.

  "Was any of it silver?" Roxy growled in his ear.

  "How can you tell?" Sean gasped and then coughed up a bunch of blo
od, and something hard, and solid. Spitting it out he saw bullets hit the floor.

  "It feels like your soul is on fire," Roxy grunted, lifting him up. "Set everything on fire here, Jolene. Cremate the bodies and follow me!"

  "That way," Sean motioned with his right arm, which had large pieces of flesh now hanging from it. He could even see the bone in spots.

  Roxy dragged him to the hallway that the stairs opened out onto, firing a couple of shots that way to keep anyone else's heads down, then moved him past the opening as Jolene sprinted by to keep up.

  "Now what?"

  "Housekeeping," Sean said as blurry vision started to return to his right eye.

  Roxy nodded and kicked in the door.

  "The service elevator?" Jolene said coming in the door behind them.

  "No one ever thinks about it," Sean nodded and leaned up against the wall leaving a bloody smear as Roxy went over and pried the doors open.

  "Well, no one is shooting at us. I'll go down first," Roxy said and jumping into the shaft grabbed the cable and started to slide down it.

  Shrugging off his backpack, Sean got his Desert Eagle back from Jolene and stuck it back in the holster after releasing the slide. He'd need to reload magazines later.

  "On my back," He grunted and standing up he bent over a bit as Jolene scrambled up on his back and wrapped her arms around his neck.

  Picking up his pack he grabbed one of the straps with his teeth and then just jumped into the shaft and grabbing the cable he started to slide down as well. The pain from his hands was tremendous, and with his body still healing from all the bullet wounds, Sean could tell that he was quickly approaching the limits of his healing power.

  "Can you do anything about my hands?" He growled, dropping the backpack.

  "Not until we get to the bottom. Sorry, Hon."

  Sean just nodded and growled.

  By the time they got to the bottom of the shaft, Roxy had opened the trap door on the top of the elevator, and grabbing his backpack had jumped down inside. Sean followed, a lot slower, his bloody hands making it difficult for him to grip anything.

  "We're in the basement," Roxy said softly as Sean followed her out of the elevator. Jolene slipped off his back and started casting something.