Chapter Three
MAKING FRIENDS AND INFLUENCING
THE HELL OUT OF PEOPLE
X X X
Daniel walked steadily away from what was left of the Jekyll & Hyde Inc. building, and didn’t look back once. He strode on through the business area, his footsteps echoing loudly in the deserted street, until finally he began to meet other people coming in the opposite direction. Some were late-working businessmen, striding along in their smart city suits like the uniformed warriors of some very civilised army. striking down the weak and glorying in their plight.
Down the other side of the street came the late-night revelers, loud and cheerful congregations of brightly-colored fun-seekers, stepping it out as they headed from one good time to another. The twilight people, who never saw the sun rise or fall because they only flowered at night. Afraid to step off the carousel, for fear they might not be allowed back on.
Two very different armies of the empty night, never acknowledging each other’s presence, but all of them paused to glance at Daniel as he walked by. Partly because he was a Hyde, and prey can always recognize a predator, but mainly because of his charred, bloodstained, bullet-holed clothes. Some people showed concern, others looked round to see where the danger was, but most just fell back to give Daniel plenty of room.
A black taxicab came creeping down the street, hoping to tempt some weary traveler into a swift but expensive ride. Daniel raised an arm to summon the taxi, but the driver took one look at the state of him and immediately speeded up to pass him by. Daniel strode out into the road, right in front of the taxi, and the driver had no choice but to slam on the brakes. The cab screeched to a halt barely a foot short of Daniel, who never flinched for a moment. The driver stared at him with wide shocked eyes, and Daniel smiled easily back. The driver lowered his side window, taking his time because he had a lot to say and wanted to be clearly understood.
“What the hell is wrong with you? I could have killed you!”
“Not on the best day you ever had,” said Daniel.
The driver took one look at Daniel’s face, and decided he had nothing else to say after all. Daniel pulled open the rear door and settled himself comfortably on the back seat.
“Take me to Thorne and Thorne Tailors, on Savile Row,” he said.
“They won’t be open,” the driver said sullenly. “Not at this time of the night.”
“They’ll open for me,” said Daniel.
Something in his voice told the driver this was no time to argue. He put his foot down hard, and the taxi roared off down the street. The driver had some way to go, and he wanted this particular fare out of his cab as quickly as possible. It felt like he had some kind of wild animal in the back seat. He glanced once at Daniel in his rearview mirror, and quickly decided not to do that again.
But he was, after all, a London taxi driver, and felt like he should say something. It was expected of him.
“Bad night?”
“Like you wouldn’t believe,” said Daniel.
The driver had one of his rare moments of insight. “I’m not going to get paid for this trip, am I?”
“Get me there in record time and I’ll let you live,” said Daniel.
“Fair enough,” said the driver.
He delivered Daniel to Thorne and Thorne in a time that would have astonished his fellow taxi drivers, but they didn’t know what it was to be motivated by a Hyde. It helped that there wasn’t much traffic on the roads, but the driver had been quite ready to drive through anything that got in his way. He brought his cab to a halt right outside the tailors, and the moment Daniel’s feet hit the sidewalk the cab was haring off down the street as though something was chasing it.
Daniel looked carefully around, but nothing moved in the streetlight and everything seemed quiet and peaceful. Parts of London never sleep, because there’s always a party or illegal gathering going on somewhere, but the business area was always deserted at this hour of the morning. Because no one could be bothered to make an effort when there were no customers to court. The tailors’ windows were dark, and Daniel didn’t even need to try the front door to know it would be locked. He just kicked it open and strode into the shop.
He turned on the lights, forced the door back into its frame, and then wandered through the racks of elegant and expensive clothes, taking his time as he searched for just the right outfit. It was important he make the right kind of impression, when he met with the man who was going to tell him everything he needed to know. Whether he wanted to or not. Daniel stripped off his ruined suit, parts of which threatened to come to pieces in his hands, and left it lying on the floor. He walked on in his underwear and socks, and took a moment to look himself over for bullet holes and healing wounds. Not entirely to his surprise, he found there weren’t any.
Dr. Jekyll’s Elixir—the gift that kept on giving.
Daniel finally found just the right outfit, dressed quickly, and moved over to admire himself in a full-length standing mirror. He’d gone for stark black and white, because that suited his mood, but he allowed himself a rich burgundy tie in the hope that would help take the edge off. He’d put his old shoes back on, because they were comfortable and he was used to them. He could always wipe the blood spots off later. He smiled at his dapper reflection, and straightened his tie as the James Bond theme ran through his head.
“I like my enemies shaken, not stirred.”
He retrieved his wallet and phone from the remains of his old jacket, tucked them about his person, and strode out of Thorne and Thorne, not bothering to force the door shut behind him. A police car was waiting outside, probably summoned by a silent alarm. Daniel regarded it thoughtfully. Two uniformed police officers got out of the car, and then stopped dead as they took in the hulking figure before them.
“Hello, officers,” said Daniel. “I’m a Hyde.”
The two cops looked at each other.
“Get back in the car,” said the older and more experienced officer. “We’re going to need backup.”
“Hold it,” said Daniel. “I’m going to need that car. Give me the keys.”
The younger officer’s hand went to his truncheon, but the other put a staying hand on his arm. Because he knew a lost cause when he saw one. He tossed the car keys to Daniel, who snatched them easily out of midair.
“You’re giving him our car?” said the younger cop.
“Less painful than having him take it,” said the older.
“Now walk away,” said Daniel.
The younger cop bristled, but the older man hurried him off down the street, murmuring urgently in his ear. Daniel got into the police car, and settled himself comfortably behind the steering wheel. He’d been wondering exactly who he should approach for information, but his encounter with the police had helped him make up his mind. He knew just the man; not an old friend exactly, but someone who would talk to him. It had been some time since they’d last met, and Daniel wondered what his old colleague would make of the new and improved Daniel. He smiled at the thought, and headed off into the night.
One extremely fast drive across London later, during which he broke every traffic law there was, including a few things that would have been illegal if the authorities had thought anyone was crazy enough to do them, Daniel finally brought the police car shuddering to a halt outside New Scotland Yard. He parked right next to the No Parking sign and walked away from the car, which was still twitching from everything he’d put it through. He strode up to the front doors, and they swung quickly back before him, as though afraid of what he might do to them if they didn’t. Daniel nodded cheerfully. Start as you mean to go on.
The brightly lit lobby was full of people bustling back and forth, despite the early hour. Daniel came to a halt before the security barriers, and looked meaningfully at the two uniforms on duty. They glanced at each other, and then waved him through without asking to see any ID or authorisation. After all, he couldn’t be a terrorist in a suit like that.
Daniel moved quickly across the lobby as though he belonged there, and no one challenged him. He had visited New Scotland Yard before, back when he’d been a very minor plainclothes detective. So long ago it seemed like another person, in another life. He took the elevator up to the top floor, and strode on past an endless series of closed doors, no doubt full of important people doing important things. He finally came to a halt before the very last door, which bore an impressive brass nameplate: Commissioner Jonathan Hart. Daniel stood there for a moment, remembering.
When he started out in basic training, he had been part of a small but select group fast-tracked for success. Five bright-eyed, enthusiastic souls, determined to do well and do good. But somehow success eluded four of them. And then Daniel had ended up crippled and disgraced after his encounter with the Frankenstein Clan, and his three friends had died. The only one to avoid that fate was the only one who’d scaled the dizzy heights of promotion, because he had family connections. Daniel and Johnny had been friends, but that was long ago. They hadn’t spoken in years. Daniel smiled. That was about to change. He slammed the door open and marched in like a commanding officer come to inspect the troops.
He had no doubt Johnny would be working, even at this late hour. He’d always been a night owl. He liked to say he got more done then, because there were fewer people around to bother him. He should have known a comment like that would come back to bite him on the arse some day.
Daniel back-heeled the door shut behind him, and made a point of looking down his nose at the comfortably appointed reception area—thick carpets, inoffensive art prints on the walls, and a coffee table with just the right selection of upmarket magazines to read while you waited to be summoned into the inner sanctum. Daniel nodded easily to the secretary behind her desk, but she just stared coldly back at him. One slightly raised eyebrow demanded to know why he was wasting her time. Daniel gave her gaze for gaze, and then checked out the nameplate on her desk: Meera Chalmondley. He should have known someone as important as Commissioner Hart would be bound to have his own first line of defense.
Meera was a middle-aged Indian woman in a colourful sari, with a round face and dark hair scraped back into a strict bun. Her gaze was all business, and not in the least impressed by the Hyde standing in front of her. Back when he was a mere detective, Daniel used to have all kinds of trouble getting past secretaries; he had moved on since then.
He nodded at the nameplate, and smiled. Meera stared at him coldly.
“It’s pronounced Chumley.”
“I didn’t ask,” said Daniel. “Hello, Meera. I’m here to see Johnny. Be a dear, and tell him his old friend Danny needs to see him.”
The calm and cheerful approach washed right over the secretary, without any noticeable effect.
“Do you have an appointment, Mister . . . ?”
“I don’t do appointments,” said Daniel.
Meera didn’t actually sniff, but looked like she wanted to. “I’m afraid the commissioner doesn’t see anybody without an appointment. If you’d like to leave your name and contact details, I’ll get back to you as and when an opening occurs. The commissioner is a very busy man.”
“He’ll see me,” said Daniel.
He headed straight for the inner office. Meera slipped quickly out from behind her desk and planted herself right in front of him. Daniel stopped, because it was either that or walk right through her. He towered over Meera, and gave her his best hard stare, but there was nothing in her expression to suggest she gave a damn.
“Leave this office immediately,” Meera said flatly, “or I will be forced to summon security, and have you escorted out of the building.”
“There isn’t enough security in this entire building to do that,” said Daniel. “I am here to see Johnny, and nothing is going to stop me.”
He started to step around her, and Meera lashed out with a vicious karate blow. Her small but very solid fist slammed into Daniel well below the belt; but he just stood there and took it, entirely unmoved. Meera fell back a step, surprised but still calm and collected. She went for him again, unleashing a flurry of powerful blows and kicks that would have left any lesser man curled up on the floor crying for his mother. Daniel just stood there patiently, letting her get on with it, not giving an inch to even the hardest of impacts, and in the end Meera had no choice but to fall back again. She stared at him, breathing heavily.
“What are you?”
“Determined,” said Daniel.
He started forward again, but Meera stood her ground, blocking his way. It was clear to Daniel that he would have to walk right over her to get to the commissioner, and he didn’t think he wanted to do that. He admired courage. So he stopped where he was, and looked her over thoughtfully.
“Back in the day, we all knew Johnny was going to get on,” he said. “Not just because of who he was related to, but because he was always ready to do whatever it took. Even if it meant trampling over everyone else. I haven’t heard anything to suggest he isn’t still the complete bastard I remember, so I have to ask: Why are you so ready to defend him?”
“The commissioner does what he has to, to get things done,” said Meera. “He is a strong man.”
Daniel looked into her eyes and then nodded slowly. “Oh . . . it’s like that, is it? Does he know how you feel about him?”
“No,” said Meera. “And I can’t tell him. He has to see it for himself or it won’t mean anything.”
Daniel shook his head. “Why do good women fall for bad men? I’ll tell you what, Meera: why don’t you go back to your desk, pick up the phone, and tell Johnny that Daniel Carter is here. I’m sure he’ll want to see me. If only out of curiosity.”
Meera looked at him distrustfully.
“I won’t move a step,” said Daniel. “Scout’s honor.”
Meera went back to her desk and made the call. Daniel enjoyed the surprise on her face when the commissioner said, Send him in. Meera put down the phone, and with a sense of doing something unwise because she didn’t have any choice, she hit a control on her desk and the inner door swung open.
“You can go in,” she said tonelessly. “The commissioner will see you now.”
Daniel looked at her for a moment. “You must know he isn’t worthy of you.”
Meera shook her head stubbornly. “You don’t know him like I do.”
“That’s just what I was going to say,” said Daniel.
He stepped into the office, let the door close itself quietly behind him, and took in Commissioner Jonathan Hart, sitting behind a massive desk that looked like he’d inherited it from a previous century. The great man made no move to stand up and greet his guest, so Daniel took his time arranging himself comfortably on the deliberately stiff-backed visitor’s chair. The two men studied each other openly, taking in all the changes the years had made.
Johnny was medium height, but far more than medium weight. His immaculate uniform had to stretch to the breaking point to contain him, though the man’s bulk suggested as much muscle as fat. He had a square face, cool steady eyes, and a rapidly receding hairline. The hands resting on top of the desk were large and powerful, with professionally manicured nails. He looked like a very civilized ogre guarding his cave, ready to meet any threats with all necessary violence. Anyone else would probably have found the commissioner’s gaze intimidating, so Daniel made a point of sitting back on his chair and crossing his legs casually.
“Hello, Johnny. It’s been a while, hasn’t it?”
The commissioner didn’t actually wince at the familiarity, but he looked like he wanted to.
“Hello, Daniel. Last I heard, you were a basket case.”
“I was,” said Daniel. “I got over it.”
Johnny smiled suddenly. “How did you get past my pet dragon? I know men who’d eat their own head rather than argue with Meera.”
“I’m a Hyde,” said Daniel.
Johnny nodded slowly. “I know. You’ve been making a name for yourself, Danny boy—and not a particularly nice one. So . . . what brings you to my neck of the woods, after all these years?”
“I could use your assistance,” said Daniel.
“How did you get to be a Hyde?” Johnny said bluntly. “Some kind of super-steroids? You want to be careful with that stuff. You’ll end up with wedding tackle so shriveled you could hang them off a charm bracelet.”
“There’s more to it than that.”
“There would have to be,” said Johnny. “You look like a man who could eat monsters for breakfast.”
Daniel raised an eyebrow. “Have you been keeping an eye on me?”
Johnny looked at him pityingly. “Of course; that’s my job. I know all about the Clans, and what you did to them. When we got the good news, everyone on this floor partied for a week. In any sane world we’ve give you a medal and a pat on the back, but . . .”
“Yes,” said Daniel. “But.”
Johnny shrugged, in a What can you do sort of way.
“If you and the people like you had done your job, the Clans would never have grown so powerful,” said Daniel. “And you wouldn’t have needed a monster like me to take them down.”
Johnny shook his head slowly. “You know better than that, Danny. We’re not here to provide justice, or even to enforce the law of the land. The best we can do with our limited resources is keep the lid on, so the pot doesn’t boil over.” He stopped, and frowned. “There’s a report on my desk about some serious trouble tonight in the middle of London. Were you involved in that?”
“I was there,” said Daniel.
“Then I’m amazed you got out alive, never mind in one piece,” said Johnny. He opened the file before him and flipped through the pages. “Massed gunfire, helicopters falling out of the sky, explosions so big they rocked every other building in the street; and you walked away untouched?”
“Not really,” said Daniel. He uncrossed his legs, leaned forward, and fixed Johnny with his coldest gaze. “Tell me the truth, Johnny. Were you paid to look the other way?”
“Not me personally,” Johnny said steadily. “But you can bet certain higher-up personages will be going somewhere really nice for their holidays this year. If you came here to make a fuss about that, forget it. Sometimes you just have to go along, to get along. It’s the price of doing business. Speaking of which . . . would you happen to know what happened to Commissioner Gill? Your onetime boss? She might not have been a particularly good cop, but she did have a certain sentimental value. A lot of people on this floor have been wondering whether you were involved in her sudden disappearance. Given that she was responsible for your sudden plummet from grace. So . . . is there anything you want to tell me, about what happened to her?”
“The monsters got her,” said Daniel. “And when I finally found what was left of Commissioner Gill, killing her was the kindest thing I could do.”
Johnny stirred uncomfortably behind his desk, but his gaze never wavered.
“Why are you here, Danny? What can a very busy Commissioner of Police do for a bloody-handed monster-killer?”
“I need you to tell me everything you know about aliens,” said Daniel.
Johnny didn’t react to the word, just left it hanging there on the air. But finally he nodded briefly.
“Of course—now there’s no more monsters left to kill, what’s left apart from the aliens . . . ? But I have to ask: Why come to me, Danny? It’s not like we’re friends anymore; we haven’t even exchanged a Christmas card for years. What makes you think I’d open up to you?”
Daniel smiled. “Because I remember how you were always ready to make a deal. You must have figured out by now that even your family connections won’t get you any higher. But help me, and after I’ve stamped on all the aliens and set fire to their bases, I’ll make sure the right people hear about it. If you’re wondering whether I’m up to the job, you could always ask the monster Clans. Except you can’t. Because I killed them all.”
Johnny sat back in his chair, and tilted his head back to stare at the ceiling. So he wouldn’t have to meet Daniel’s gaze.
“Aliens . . . They’ve been with us for a very long time, like bugs that have burrowed into the skin of our civilization. And we don’t have anything powerful enough to dig them out.”
“Like the monster Clans,” said Daniel.
“Not really,” said Johnny. “We came to an accommodation with the Clans long ago, because a war neither side was sure they could win was in no one’s best interests. And it helped that the people they were preying on weren’t the kind of people we were interested in protecting. But the aliens . . . that’s another kettle of nasty. They do whatever they feel like doing, and defy us to do anything about it. Fortunately, they spend most of their time intriguing against each other. And as long as they keep it off the streets, we don’t give a damn.”
“They’re planning to destroy Humanity,” said Daniel. “And you just let them get on with it.”
“Because there isn’t a damned thing we can do to stop them!” said Johnny. And then he paused, and looked thoughtfully at Daniel. “Or at least, that used to be the case. Maybe things have changed, now you’re here. What exactly is it you want from me, Danny?”
“Information. Before I can do anything, I need to know where to find them.”
Johnny was already shaking his head. “Their secret bases? You’ll need someone a lot higher up the food chain than me to get a straight answer to that one.”
“You could find out for me,” said Daniel.
“I could,” said Johnny. “But what’s in it for me?”
“Your life,” said Daniel.
He stood up, and brought one fist slamming down on the massive wooden desk. It split in two, with a great rending of wood, and he tore the desk apart and threw the pieces aside. He grabbed Johnny by the throat with one hand, and lifted him out of his chair and into the air. Johnny clutched desperately at Daniel’s wrist with both hands, but couldn’t even loosen the grip. His eyes bulged and his face grew flushed as he fought for air. Daniel pulled Johnny in close, until they were eye to eye.
“Just because we’re having a nice polite conversation, don’t make the mistake of thinking we’re still chums. I was left broken and disgraced, and kicked out of the force, and you did nothing for me. Not even a Get Well Soon card.”
He released his hold, and dropped Johnny back into his chair. The commissioner tore open his collar with trembling hands, and fought to get his breathing back under control, looking at Daniel like a fox caught in the headlights. Daniel sat down again, and now that there was no desk to separate them, Johnny actually flinched away from him. He had looked into Daniel’s eyes and seen his own death staring back at him.
“I need information on all the different kinds of alien,” said Daniel. “Where they’ve hidden themselves, and what kind of defenses they have. Help me out and I’ll see the knowledge is put to good use. Give me a hard time, or stitch me up with misleading information, and the second thing I’ll do is find someone else to make a deal with. You know there’s always someone who’ll make a deal.”
“What’s the first thing?” Johnny said hoarsely.
Daniel smiled. “Guess.”
Johnny sat up straight, and somehow found the strength to glare at Daniel.
“I let them throw you to the wolves, because you wouldn’t do the sensible thing and shut up about the monsters! Preserving the status quo was always going to be more important than one lost lamb with a bit of a limp. You want a deal, Danny boy? Fine; how about this? From what I’ve been hearing, what’s left of Jekyll & Hyde Inc. is just a busted flush, floating facedown in the water. There’s just you, and that nasty girlfriend of yours. And if you knew what’s in her file, you’d run a mile. You haven’t a hope in hell of taking on the aliens without the power and resources of an established organization to back you up. Which means it’s time for you to return to the police force, Danny boy.”
Daniel sat up straight. “You have got to be joking . . .”
“Not at all,” said Johnny. He let his smile spread slowly, so Daniel could see the triumph in it. “Come back to the fold, Danny. Back to where you belong. I can get you reinstated, all sins forgotten if not forgiven. Work for me, and I’ll see you get all the intelligence, weapons, and manpower you’ll need, to get the job done.”
Daniel shook his head. “Nice try, Johnny, but I’ve moved on. I don’t work for anyone, anymore. Least of all someone like you, with your deals, and your status quo, and all the people you’ve thrown to the wolves as the price of doing business. I don’t need anything you have to offer. Jekyll & Hyde Inc. is still a going concern, and we have weapons and resources beyond your worst nightmares.”
Johnny levered himself up out of his chair, and moved away to stare down at one half of his desk.
“Look what you’ve done . . . That desk was a genuine antique.”
He bent down, pulled open a drawer, and took out a gun. He turned quickly to point it at Daniel.
“You don’t understand the nature of the deal I’m offering you, Danny boy. You don’t have a choice. Either you come back into the force voluntarily, or you’ll be dragged back, kicking and screaming all the way. You might be a Hyde, but you’re still only one man.” Johnny shook his head sadly. “You shouldn’t have walked into the lion’s den, Danny, because these days I have really big teeth.”
And then he stopped, because Daniel was smiling. He was still smiling when he rose to his feet and advanced steadily on Johnny, who backed away despite himself. He aimed his gun steadily between Daniel’s eyes.
“One step farther and I’ll blow your brains out the back of your head.”
“You can try,” said Daniel. “Remember that report on your desk? Helicopters and soldiers and machine guns, oh my. Put the gun away, Johnny. I am really not in the mood.”
The commissioner shot Daniel between the eyes; but Daniel’s hand snapped up and caught the bullet in midair. He held it out before Johnny’s shocked eyes, and then smeared the bullet flat between his fingertips, before letting it drop to the floor. Johnny made a shrill disbelieving sound, and fired his gun again and again. Daniel slapped the bullets aside before they could reach him, and then grabbed the gun out of Johnny’s hand. He crushed it into pieces, and let them fall to the floor. Johnny retreated quickly, making desperate Go away motions with his hands.
“You’re not human!”
“No,” said Daniel. “I’m a Hyde.”
Johnny kept backing up until he hit the rear wall, and made a small helpless sound as he realized there was nowhere left to go.
“Get access to all the alien files, and pass them on to me,” said Daniel. “And then you’ll never have to see me again. Won’t that be nice?”
The door behind them slammed open. Daniel looked round, to find Meera pointing a machine pistol at him. He nodded resignedly.
“I should have known you’d come running to save him, once you heard the gunfire. But not to worry, he’s perfectly fine. Might need to change his trousers at some point, but . . .”
“Don’t you ever stop talking?” said Meera.
Her hand was perfectly steady as she opened fire. Daniel ducked under the stream of bullets, surged forward, and snatched the gun out of her hand. He straightened up, crumpled the machine pistol into so much scrap metal, and dropped it on the rich carpeting.
“Why is everyone shooting at me today?” he said, just a bit plaintively.
“Because they know you?” said Johnny.
Daniel glanced back at him. “Don’t push your luck. I have had a really bad day, and I could use someone to take it out on.”
“Don’t you dare touch him!”
Daniel looked at Meera, sighed quietly, and stepped out of her way. “He’s all yours.”
Meera rushed past him, and took Johnny in her arms as his legs finally gave way. He slid slowly down the wall, his weight carrying her with him, and they ended up sitting together on the floor, holding onto each other. Meera was smiling happily. Daniel shook his head, and left them to it.
Out in the reception area, a dozen security men were waiting for him. Large brutal men, armed with Tasers, pepper sprays, and truncheons. Presumably because only commissioners and their secretaries were allowed easy access to guns. Daniel looked them over, and shook his head.
“Run away now; and I won’t chase you.”
Two of the men tased him. The barbs dug into Daniel’s shirtfront, and the long wires trembled as heavy current poured through them. The two men held the triggers down for a lot longer than was recommended, but Daniel just stood there and smiled at them. The two men stared at him, unable to believe what was happening. Daniel grabbed the dangling wires, ripped them away from his shirt, and then yanked the Tasers out of the men’s hands with one good tug. He cracked the cheap plastic things in his hand, and threw them away.
“Can’t we be civilized about this?” he said reasonably. “I’ve had a very tiring day.”
“Take him down!” said a man at the back, who apparently fancied himself as officer material. “Stamp him into the ground. And make it hurt.”
One man stepped forward and blasted pepper spray right into Daniel’s face. Daniel grinned, enjoying the sensation, and the man backed away in confusion. And then the man playacting commanding officer started shouting orders and they all charged forward, raining down blows with their truncheons. Daniel took those away from them, broke them in two, and threw the pieces away. The security men continued their assault anyway, punching and kicking with increasing desperation. Daniel sent them flying with casual sweeps of his arms, and in just a few moments the fight was over. Daniel nodded cheerfully at the quietly groaning figures.
“That’s what you get for being rude,” he said. “But thanks for the workout. Very bracing.”
He’d been careful not to use his full strength, because if he’d killed any of them Johnny wouldn’t have been able to help him. He glanced back at the open inner office door, and raised his voice.
“You know where to find me, Johnny! Don’t make me have to come back here. Hope the office romance works out.”
He left the office, and walked unhurriedly down the corridor. People peered at him from half-open office doors, like frightened animals peering out of their holes, and all the way to the elevators he could hear them whispering the word Hyde. And the awe and terror in their voices was all the validation he needed.
When Tina left the Jekyll & Hyde Inc. building, she deliberately strode off in a different direction from Daniel. It wouldn’t do to let him think she needed him. She rounded the corner just in time to see a taxi pulling up for a refined gentleman in a smart city suit. She raised her voice as she hurried forward.
“Hold that cab!”
The businessman took one look at her torn and blood-soaked clothes, and pulled a face as though he’d just stepped in some dog muck.
“Keep your distance, please. If you will insist on picking up rough trade, you have no one to blame but yourself. And no, I am not interested in sharing a cab with you. Just piss off back to whatever gutter you crawled out of, and don’t bother your betters again.”
By that point Tina was standing right in front of him. She grabbed a handful of his shirtfront, and slammed him against the cab so hard it rocked on its wheels. The businessman’s eyes rolled up, and his legs buckled. Tina dropped him on the pavement, briskly removed his wallet, and got into the back of the taxi. The big Black driver gave a big black laugh as he turned round in his seat to grin at her.
“Always happy to see the city gents get what’s coming to them. There’s not one of them ever gave me a decent tip. Where to, lady?”
Tina gave him the address of her favorite fashion house, and then busied herself investigating the wallet’s contents as the black cab moved smoothly off into the night.
“What happened to your clothes, lady?” said the driver.
“Hell of a party.”
“Been there, done that thing, lady.”
When they finally arrived at their destination, Tina paid the driver with a wad of newly acquired cash, and he chuckled happily.
“Want me to wait, lady?”
“Why not?” said Tina.
She went over to Madame Rene’s—Where Tall Women Are a Wonder Of the World. It was closed, and all the lights were out, but the locked door opened easily enough when she leaned on it. An alarm bell set just inside the door immediately set up a loud and spiteful racket, but Tina just ripped it off the wall and crushed it until it gave up the ghost. She turned on the lights, pulled down the blinds, and then went strolling through the shop, stripping off what was left of her clothes and letting the pieces lie where they fell.
She wandered through the forest of attractive displays in her underwear and sensible shoes, picking things out and then tossing them aside, until finally she found an electric-blue dress that had slits all the way to the hips, and clung like a coat of paint. She topped it off with a smart creamy fedora, and then kicked off her sensible shoes and replaced them with knee-length white leather boots. She admired her new look in a tall standing mirror, and tipped herself a wink. She retrieved her phone from the remains of her jacket, dropped the businessman’s credit cards on the counter by way of payment, and went back outside.
The driver was sitting slumped in his seat, enjoying a large hand-rolled. He smiled cheerfully as Tina opened the rear door.
“Is that the latest style, lady?”
“It is now,” said Tina. The driver laughed loudly, and fired up the engine.
“Where to next, lady? My cab is yours. For as long as the money holds out.”
“Wait,” said Tina.
She got out her phone and called a number that didn’t officially exist. A voice answered on the second ring.
“We need to talk,” said Tina. “Right now.”
“The usual place,” said the voice. “As soon as you can get there.” And then he hung up.
Tina gave the driver the address of a very exclusive restaurant in one of the most upmarket areas of London, and put the phone away. She’d chosen this particular contact at least partly because she knew he would insist on meeting at the restaurant. The evening’s exercise had left her with a very definite appetite.
X X X
When they arrived at their destination, bright light was blazing out of the restaurant’s windows like an oasis of hospitality in the long night. The front door stood invitingly open, despite the early hour. Anyone would think it was a trap. Tina smiled. She got out of the taxi, took a moment to smooth down her nice new dress, and then gave the driver all the remaining cash in the wallet. He laughed his big laugh again.
“For this I’ll wait around all night, lady.”
“No,” said Tina. “You can go now. And for your own sake, never talk about this.”
“Forgetting you already, lady.”
The cab roared off into the night. Tina looked carefully up and down the street, but there didn’t seem to be anyone else around, and all the other establishments were closed. She smiled quietly to herself, cracked her knuckles in anticipation, and then walked into the restaurant as though she didn’t have a suspicion in the world.
The place was packed with customers, whole groups of them around every table; happy smiling people chatting away. Which was just a bit odd, at this hour in the morning. Uniformed staff bustled back and forth, bearing steaming plates of the very best cuisine, all of them cheerful and smiling and full of energy. Which was also just a bit odd. Tina had no trouble spotting her contact, sitting at a rear table with his back to the wall, so no one could sneak up on him. She made her way through the maze of crowded tables, and no one so much as glanced at her. Even the staff just dodged around her, busy being busy. And that was more than a bit odd. People might stare at a Hyde, or run away, but no one ever ignored one.
Tina pulled out the waiting chair and sat down opposite her contact. Alan Diment nodded easily to her; he was a pleasant, middle-aged man in a shabby suit, with an unremarkable face under a mop of floppy blond hair. His eyes were a faded blue, and his smile had an apologetic air, as though he couldn’t help but see the funny side. He looked Tina over carefully.
“Well, my dear, it’s good to have the pleasure of your company once again. Though you have changed a bit, since we last saw each other.”
“Hello yourself, spyman,” said Tina. “You’ve changed too. You got old.”
“At least I did it honestly,” said Alan. “You must tell me, dear heart: what’s it like being a Hyde?”
Tina smiled happily. “Exhilarating.”
“I am consumed with jealousy,” said Alan. “I have to ask: Why don’t we do this more often?”
“Because ours is a strictly business relationship,” said Tina. “And don’t you ever forget it.”
“You wound me, dear lady, you really do.”
Tina shrugged. “If I ever wound you, it’ll wipe that professional smile right off your face.”
Alan just nodded. “Direct as ever, old thing. I do hope you have a really good reason for summoning me here at this ungodly hour. I am of an age where one’s beauty sleep becomes vitally important.”
“I knew you’d show up,” said Tina. “You’d heard I’d become a Hyde, because you hear everything, but you had to see it for yourself.”
“How well you know me, my sweet. Can we now discuss the reason for this delightful reunion?”
“I need to know things,” said Tina. “And you are famously the man who knows things.”
“That has always been my raison d’être,” said Alan. “Which part of my extensive repertoire do you feel the need to consult? Though I feel I should remind you that everything I know comes with a price tag. Or, at the very least, with strings attached.”
“What?” said Tina. “No discount, for old times’ sake?”
“As you have already pointed out, we were never friends,” said Alan. “Just two people who make use of each other, when it suits us.”
“Trust me,” said Tina, “you’ll do very well out of this particular give-and-take.”
“I’m not so sure, my sweet,” said Alan. “I take my payment in information and the promise of future favors, and since Jekyll & Hyde Incorporated no longer exists after that unfortunate business tonight . . . I have to wonder what you could possibly offer me.”
“We’ll come to that,” said Tina. “It might just surprise you.”
Alan raised an eyebrow. “Really, old thing? You do intrigue me.” He offered her a large embossed menu. “Do feel free to order something. You have a lean and hungry look.”
Tina realized a uniformed waitress was already hovering at her elbow, pad poised to take her order. Given how busy the rest of the staff seemed to be, Tina added that to her list of odd things. She thrust the menu into the waitress’ hands.
“Bring me one of everything, starting at the top and working your way down. And don’t stint on anything—he’s paying.”
Alan nodded to the waitress. “I’ll have my usual.”
The waitress smiled quickly and then scurried away to disappear through the kitchen door. Alan looked thoughtfully at Tina.
“It has been some time since you honored me with your illustrious company, my sweet. Though to be fair, prior to this you have been monstrously busy.”
“Of course you’d know about the monsters,” said Tina. “You probably know more about what I’ve been involved in than I do.”
“That is my job,” said Alan. “Everyone in British Security has been absolutely fascinated by your exploits. All the monster Clans brought down, left dead and broken in the ruins of their dreams! There has been much discussion among my dear little boy and girl spies as to whether we should have a whip round and send you some flowers. But then, you’ve never been a flowers sort of person, have you? You’d probably just eat them. Still, given the current state of the Jekyll & Hyde Incorporated building, I’m frankly bewildered as to what you plan to do next. I’m actually astonished you’re still here.”
Tina smiled easily. “Hydes are hard to kill.”
Alan sat back in his chair and looked her over.
“You do appear to be in splendid form, my dear. You’ve come such a long way since we first met.”
Tina’s eyes narrowed. “You sure you want to go there?”
Alan smiled. “Oh I must, my dear. I really must.”
At which point the waitress returned, bearing food. Tina fell ravenously on a plate full of spaghetti and meatballs, shoveling it in with her bare hands while making loud appreciative noises. Alan toyed with his salad and tried not to look too obviously appalled.
“Cannelloni to follow?” said the hovering waitress.
“Bring it on,” said Tina, indistinctly.
The waitress hurried back to the kitchens. Tina grinned at Alan with several strands of spaghetti dangling from her mouth.
“This is refueling. I’ve had a busy night.”
Alan nodded. “You always were famous for your appetites, old thing.”
By the time Tina had finished her first course the waitress was back, whipping away the empty plate and slapping a new one into place. Tina took a moment to savor the aroma, before getting stuck in again. She felt a little easier now she’d taken the edge off.
“It has been a long time since we first met,” she said. “Back when we were both well-known faces on the party scene. I was a wild child with no restraints, while you hung around the edges looking for people you could bribe or blackmail into working for your very unofficial department.”
Alan nodded easily. “Broken people always make the best spies, because they have nothing to lose.”
“I lived to party, back then,” said Tina. “Because that was all I had. But serious pleasures are seriously expensive, so I took your money to be your eyes and ears. Telling you who was doing what, and why, and pointing out useful people. I thought I was just helping you make the right connections, but you were using the information I provided to pressure people. Putting them in danger so you could go after bigger fish. Some people got hurt, some died, and finally I told you to go to hell.” She smiled briefly. “And then you tried to pressure me, so I kicked you down a flight of stairs.”
“I hadn’t forgotten,” Alan said dryly. “What a field agent you would have made, my dear girl.”
“I doubt it,” said Tina. “I never was one for following orders.”
“We all have to serve someone,” said Alan.
Tina looked at him. “I don’t. I’m a Hyde.”
“Well, quite, old thing.” Alan pushed his plate away from him, and looked at her steadily. “I can’t say I was all that surprised when I heard you’d become one of Edward Hyde’s creatures. You always were so much larger than life.”
“Of course you knew,” said Tina. “You know everything.” She gestured around the restaurant with her knife and fork. “Are you sure you feel safe, meeting with me in such a public place?”
“Of course,” said Alan. “Because everyone here is one of my people.”
Tina looked around her. All the customers and staff had given up any pretense of being ordinary people, and held themselves ready for action as they stared at her unblinkingly. Tina smiled at them, and most flinched away from what they saw in her eyes. Satisfied, Tina turned back to Alan.
“You really think they’ll make any difference, if I decide you’ve annoyed me?”
“Let an old spy cling to the illusions of his profession,” Alan said smoothly. “Now, what is it you want to talk about, my sweet?”
Tina pushed her empty plate aside, and stared at him steadily.
“Aliens.”
Alan just nodded.
“I knew you’d know all about them,” said Tina. “Which is more than I ever did. I was busy concentrating on the monsters. Still, after bringing the Clans down, going head-to-head with a few invaders from beyond should make a nice change.”
“I wouldn’t count on that, old thing,” said Alan. “The aliens are the biggest monsters of all. Let us begin with the Martians, the Bug-Eyed Monsters, the Reptiloids, and the Greys.”
“Is that all of them?”
“Hardly. They’re just the main movers and shakers. But take care of them, and you can be sure the minor players will keep their heads down and behave themselves.”
“How long have there been aliens on Earth?” said Tina.
Alan shrugged. “As long as there have been monsters. The shadows at the edge of civilization are deep and dark, and contain more surprises than most people will ever realize.”
Tina nodded. “Start with the most dangerous.”
“Currently, that would be the Martians.”
“Are they really from Mars?”
“Oh yes. They have massive cities hidden away in caverns deep under the surface of their planet. You must remember that Mars is much older than the Earth. Entire civilizations have risen and fallen under the two moons and then crumbled back into the Martian dust, before Humanity first appeared on Earth. What we now call Martians are just the latest in a long line of creatures to claim the title.”
“Did they ever actually invade us?”
“More like they sneaked in, when no one was looking.”
“But if they’ve got the technology to bring them all the way here, why not start a war of the worlds? Kick our arses and get it over and done with?”
“Because they need a new world to replace their worn-out home,” Alan said patiently. “And they don’t want to risk destroying everything, by fighting over it. They work on the edges, conspiring to drag us down. They’re an old species; they can afford to take the long view.”
“Any chance of finding a middle ground?” said Tina.
“Bargaining is something that only takes place between equals,” said Alan. “As far as the Martians are concerned, we’re just something to be wiped out before they take possession.”
“What about the other aliens?” said Tina.
“Next, we have the Bug-Eyed Monsters.”
Tina looked at him sternly. “That can’t be what they call themselves.”
“We have no idea. We have no language in common. Basically, they’re big insecty things. Horrid, relentless, utterly inhuman.”
“Which planet are they from?” said Tina.
“We have no idea. Like the Martians, all they’re interested in is territory. And wiping us out, for being in their way. Then there’s the Reptiloids. Nasty big-lizardy humanoids. We can’t talk to them either; I’m not sure we even have concepts in common.
“Finally, we come to the most disturbing of the alien threats to all we hold dear: the Greys. They look exactly like you’d think—except for when they don’t. Because the Greys are shape-shifters. When they want to, they can look like us.”
Tina stared at him. “Really?”
“There could be a dozen Greys in this restaurant, right now,” Alan said calmly, “and we’d only know if they chose to reveal themselves. All of which has played merry havoc with the usual spy games.”
“What are your people doing to stop the aliens?” said Tina. “Tell me you’re doing something.”
“We manage our little victories, from time to time,” said Alan. “But we don’t have the resources to drive any of them away.”
“You never did anything to stop the monster Clans either,” said Tina. Not actually accusing, just letting the comment lie there.
Alan met her gaze steadily. “You must understand that there are people in very high positions who want this all kept swept under the carpet. Any government forced to admit it couldn’t protect its people wouldn’t last five minutes. Which is why my superiors were so very pleased when you and your young man finally freed us from the monsters. Are you intending to do the same to the aliens?”
“That is the plan,” said Tina. “Are you prepared to help?”
“What is it you need?”
“Information,” said Tina. “Starting with where the alien bases are. What kind of protections they have. And any suggestions as to what the aliens’ weaknesses might be.”
“I can provide most of that,” said Alan. “But we now come to the unfortunate matter of the reckoning. In return for our under-the-counter assistance, you must agree to turn over to us all alien weapons and technology you might happen across along the way.”
“No problem,” said Tina. “We don’t need it anyway.”
“I’m afraid there’s more,” said Alan.
“Of course there is,” said Tina.
Alan leaned forward across the table, and fixed Tina with an icy blue stare. “I was given very firm instructions by my superiors, before I was allowed to come here and meet with you. It’s important you understand that your destruction of the monster Clans led to extreme nervousness in high places. They decided that Jekyll & Hyde Incorporated could not be allowed to become a power base in its own right, and a threat to the established power structures. Basically, they were afraid you might become the new monsters. And now here you are, going after the aliens . . . It has therefore been decided that you and Daniel can only be allowed to operate under the direct control of my department.”
Tina looked at him. “You want me and Daniel to work for you?”
“I’m afraid so, dear old thing.” Alan shrugged apologetically. “It’s time for both of you to come in from the cold, and warm your hands at the communal fire. You’ve had a good run as independents, but now Edward and his organization are no long around to protect you . . .”
Tina rose up, overturned the table, grabbed Alan by the throat with one hand, and lifted him out of his chair. Everyone else in the restaurant jumped to their feet and aimed a whole bunch of really big guns at her. Tina smiled around her, and dropped Alan back into his seat, where he sat slumped and gasping for breath.
“Excuse me for a moment,” Tina said sweetly.
And then she went raging through the restaurant, too quickly for any of Alan’s people to draw a bead on her. She slapped guns out of hands, picked up tables and used them to slam whole groups of people against the walls. She darted back and forth, dodging increasingly inaccurate shots and lashing out with devastating punches and kicks. Alan’s highly trained agents went flying in all directions. Tina’s waitress appeared, and fired her gun directly into Tina’s face, but she just ducked under it and headbutted the waitress in the midriff. She bent over, and Tina straightened up, driving the top of her head into the waitress’s chin. She fell backward, but Tina was already moving on in search of new enemies before the waitress hit the floor.
Tina stormed through the remaining agents, easily dodging the last of the gunfire, and putting the hard word on anyone still standing. She had been through a lot for one night, and was grateful for a chance to take out her mood on someone deserving.
Two customers reared up from behind an overturned table and threw a heavy steel mesh over Tina. She tore it to pieces with her bare hands, punched out the customers, and pressed on. A waiter stabbed her in the back with an electric cattle prod. A shower of sparks rose up from between Tina’s shoulder blades. She turned around and looked at the waiter, and he dropped the cattle prod and ran for his life. Tina nailed him with a thrown table before he managed three yards. The last of Alan’s people came at Tina with every kind of weapon and dirty trick they had left, even throwing themselves at her in groups in the hope their sheer weight might be enough to bring her down. But none of it worked.
Because they were just secret agents. And she was a Hyde.
In the end, Tina stood alone in the middle of a wrecked restaurant, surrounded by the broken but not actually deceased bodies of the fallen. She knew that if she killed any of Alan’s people, he would never agree to help her. The odd figure groaned here and there, or sat slumped against walls pressing handkerchiefs to their bloody faces. One man reached for a dropped gun. Tina stamped on his hand, and smiled coldly at the man as he whimpered.
“Really not in the mood to be messed with.”
“I got that,” said the agent, cradling his broken hand to his chest. “Would it be okay if I crawled away and hid now?”
“Don’t let me stop you.”
Tina took a good look round what was left of the restaurant, to make sure she hadn’t missed anything . . . and so she could savor her achievements. After getting her arse handed to her by the mercenaries, it felt good to be back in the saddle again. She went back to Alan, picked up a chair, and sat down facing him.
“I told my superiors this would never work,” said Alan. “Thank you for your restraint, old thing, in not killing any of my people. You wouldn’t believe the paperwork I have to fill out these days . . .”
Something in his eyes warned Tina. She darted quickly to one side, and a bullet slammed through the air where her head had been. A uniformed chef was aiming a gun at her from the kitchen door. He fired again, and Tina snatched the bullet out of midair. She threw it back at the chef with such force it punched right through his shoulder. He cried out, and fell backward into his kitchen. Tina waited hopefully to see if he’d try again, and when he didn’t she looked at Alan again.
“There’s always one, isn’t there?”
“At least,” said Alan.
“Thanks for the warning.”
“I’m sure I have no idea what you’re referring to.”
“Of course you don’t,” said Tina. “Now, we can negotiate in better faith . . . or I can make a hole in the wall with your head and go find someone else to make a deal with.”
“What kind of perfectly reasonable understanding did you have in mind, dear heart?” said Alan.
“Tell me where to find the alien bases, and you can have what’s left inside them afterward.”
“Deal.”
“Daniel and I will remain entirely independent,” said Tina. “You and your bosses do not get to give us orders, or get involved. In return, we agree to wipe out all the aliens we find.”
“Deal,” said Alan. “And as a sign of good will, allow me to present you with a map showing the location of the Martian base in London.”
He reached inside his jacket, being very careful not to look like he was going for a weapon, and produced a buff envelope. He presented it to Tina, who rolled it up and stuffed it into her cleavage. Alan then offered her a card.
“My private number. Feel free to call any time.”
Tina had to laugh. “You wish.”
But she tucked the card into her cleavage as well—just in case. And then she leaned forward, kissed Alan breathless, laughed again, and walked out of the ruins of the restaurant.