Dead Matter

26

Just before sunrise the next morning, Jane, Connor, Aidan, and I walked straight into the Lovecraft Café without a problem. I was sick of all the skulduggery going on, and now that Jane was free, I wanted to take a no-bullshit approach to handling matters between the Department of Extraordinary Affairs and the slightly less living contingent that resided in the Gibson-Case Center.

In the café, no one gave us a second glance, and we kept on going, heading past the coffee counter toward the black curtain at the back. I pulled it aside and the four of us continued down the main aisle of the movie theater, where Connor MacLeod was loudly proclaiming up on the screen that, indeed, there could be only one. Aidan was eerily silent the entire time, even when we entered the tiny hallway where I pulled out my card key and swiped it outside the large wooden door marked H.P.

The offices were already busy with morning activity. Jane and I were the first to step through the door leading into the Department of Extraordinary Affairs, but Aidan remained firmly in place on the other side of it, making it impossible for Connor to get through.

“What?” I said. “He can walk into the Lovecraft Café and back through the theater, but not into here?”

Connor looked at me. “I think it’s the difference between public and private space, kid,” he said.

I looked at Aidan, hoping for an answer.

“Don’t ask me,” he said, shrugging. “I’m still the new vamp on the block.”

“Fine,” I said. “You’re invited in.”

Aidan stepped forward. The second he walked through the doorway to the main office area, he stumbled and reached for the wall to steady himself. Connor went to him, grabbing his other arm to help.

“You okay?” Connor asked.

The vampire looked a bit weak in the knees. Even his customary fake breathing became labored. The skin on his face and hands looked a little more drawn-out than usual, like a plastic bag that had been overstuffed. He looked up at his brother with bloodshot eyes.

“Crossing the threshold, it was like walking through a windstorm,” he said. “I feel… funny.”

“Even with my invitation?” I said.

Aidan nodded, then closed his eyes as he stood there trying to pull himself together.

Connor looked up at the walls of the office, and my eyes followed. Mystic symbols were carved into the heavy plaster that lined the older part of the office space back here. “Looks like Greater and Lesser Arcana have been earning their keep around here,” Connor said. “Even though you invited my brother in, the protective magic is thick in these walls.”

Aidan looked like he could use a nap. Jane looked worried.

“You think he’s going to be okay?” Jane asked.

Connor’s brother opened his eyes and forced himself back up to a standing position on his own.

“I don’t need your pity,” he said.

I put a hand of warning on his shoulder. “It’s nice to see that your general vampiric disdain for humanity is enough to bolster you,” I said.

“Go easy on them,” Connor said to his brother. “They’re just looking out for all of us. It’s risky bringing you here, more so for us than you. The paperwork alone will eventually kill us.”

I turned to Jane. “Speaking of paperwork, I’m sure Wesker has a metric assload of it waiting for you. You’d better put in at least an appearance with him. I told them you were out of town and I forgot to file the paperwork for you. They seemed to buy my filing ineptitude as an excuse…”

“Nice,” Jane said, leaning over to kiss me. She started off toward Greater & Lesser Arcana, waving to our group. “Good luck with the Inspectre. Let me know how it goes. I’m going to put in a few hours, then head on over to help Nicholas and see if we can crack the computers now that I have an insider’s view.”

Once Jane was gone, Connor turned to me, a look of concern crossing his brow. “You sure you’re okay with this?”

“Hey, if I’m to put any faith in their Encyclopedia Vampirica, I’m the great uniter,” I said, starting off through the office. “Just do your best to play human while you’re back here, Aidan. And keep an eye out for Allorah, Connor. I don’t need her going all Van Helsing on us.”

“You know,” Aidan said, falling into step behind me and speaking in a whisper, “not mocking our sacred books will go a long way to extending your life.”

We walked on in silence through the office. All around us business went on as usual and very few people paid us any attention. And why should they? By now I was well on my way to mastering the art of deception when it came to visiting the Department and Aidan was doing his best to play human. A few well-placed nods and hellos, and the three of us were already heading upstairs to the Inspectre’s office.

When we reached the top of the stairs, I turned to Aidan. “Let us go in there first, okay?”

He nodded.

The Inspectre’s door was open, and when I knocked, he looked up from his desk. When he saw it was Connor and me, he stood up.

“Gentlemen,” he said, nodding. “Connor, good to see you.”

“Hello, Inspectre,” Connor said.

“You’re looking well,” the Inspectre said to him, and it was true. The Connor beside me was much better than the beaten wreck I had rescued from the church graveyard several nights ago. Shaven, clean-cut, even a little chipper knowing his brother was alive. “Vacation suits you.”

“Thanks,” Connor said, looking a little uncomfortable after his long absence from the office.

The Inspectre noticed the lone figure standing in the doorway and peered at Aidan. “Friend of yours?”

“Something like that,” I said, gesturing for Aidan to enter. He came forward slowly. Whether it was from nerves or the effects of the protective runes of the Department, I wasn’t sure. “This is Aidan. Aidan Christos.”

The Inspectre looked at Aidan, then at Connor, his brow furrowed in disbelief. He shook his head.

“My boy,” he said, “we’ve been over this when you presented your case concerning Connor’s mental well-being the other night. Connor’s older brother has been missing for at least fifteen years by now. This fellow looks much younger than…”

The Inspectre stopped himself, taking a step back as the only logical answer hit him full-on.

“Show him,” I said to Aidan, suspecting that what I was about to unveil to the Inspectre was already forming in his own head.

Aidan looked across the desk, pulled back his lips, and, with some effort, popped his fangs.

The Inspectre, seasoned though he was, hitched in a breath of air. “I see…” he said, a bit stunned in his tracks. All things considered, he was remarkably calm.

“As you can imagine,” Connor said, “we’ve had a lot to catch up on.”

The Inspectre nodded, still entranced. “I’m sure you have.”

There was a gentle rapping on the door and all of us turned with a start. Allorah stood in the doorway, a small stack of file folders in her hand. She gave a polite smile to us all when she saw us standing there. “Am I interrupting something?”

Allorah’s smile disappeared in an instant when she saw Aidan’s fangs. Her face became a mask of fear and anger.

“Argyle!” she said, her voice sharp. “What is the meaning of this?”

“Calm down, lady,” Aidan said, rolling his eyes.

She turned to me, her face angry. “You thought it wise to invite a vampire into our ranks, Mr. Canderous?”

I nodded, trying to find the words to tell them about the prophecy, that things would be okay. But before I could speak, I was interrupted.

“This is the one safe haven we have from things like… him,” Allorah fired back. “And you, Agent Canderous, have betrayed that.”

The venom in her voice was thick, but the Inspectre held up his hand.

“Hear the boy out, Allorah,” he said, raising his hands in a calming gesture.

“No,” she said, her eyes darkening as her arms began to shake. “I’ve seen his kind. I know what they’re capable of.”

Allorah dropped her files, reaching for her necklace, but she must not have put it back on after I read off it yesterday, and her hand came away empty. She turned in the doorway, and stormed off toward her lab, leaving her files scattered on the floor. The Inspectre came around his desk, staying clear of Aidan as he went.

“Nice lady,” Aidan said, retracting his teeth so he looked human again.

“God,” I said, turning on him. “Could you be a little less flip? This is a delicate situation.”

He shrugged. “If you’re the so-called great uniter, it shouldn’t matter how I act, now, should it?”

Connor walked over to the file folders and started picking them up. “He’s got a point,” he said.

“Enough out of the two of you,” I said. I turned to the Inspectre, who was already to the door. “Sir?”

“I’ll work on Allorah,” the Inspectre said, pausing to address us. “The three of you? Get out of here while you can.”

There was disappointment in his voice. That hurt me more than anything had over the past few days. Without another word, the Inspectre shot out of the room and headed off down the stairs after Allorah.

“I could stop them,” Aidan offered. “I think. I’m not sure. I still feel… off.”

“I know your kind of stopping,” I said. “Why do I think it would end up with someone’s neck accidentally snapped?”

“It was just a suggestion.”

“Well, thanks, but no, thanks,” I said.

“So what now, kid?” Connor asked, all of the folders gathered up in his hands now.

“Let’s remain calm,” I said, more to convince myself more than anyone else.

“Calm,” Aidan said, distressed and crossing to me. He grabbed the lapels of my jacket and tried to lift me off the ground. Nothing happened. My feet stayed firm on the floor. “You want me to stay calm when I’ve been reduced to this? Powerless?” He shoved at me, and this time I felt a burst of his vampiric strength as I flew backward into the door. I hit it and started to slide down to the floor. Apparently not all systems were on the fritz with him.

“Okaay,” I said, pushing myself back to standing. My back cricked as I rolled my shoulders. “That’s not quite the kind of calm I was going for. Nice try, though.”

Connor stepped forward, standing between us. “My brother’s just a little spooked, is all.”

“I’ve lost my powers before, too,” I said, feeling a bit defensive. “Shoving people around didn’t help get them back.”

Connor turned to his brother and glared at him. “So what do we say to the nice human, Aidan?”

Aidan looked like he wanted to say something flip, but held his tongue. He let out a long, slow breath before finally speaking. “Sorry,” Aidan said.

“Good,” I said. I turned to the door, opened it, and checked the hallway. For now, it was empty. “Let’s go.”

Connor grabbed my arm to stop me, but I was already heading for the stairs, pulling him after me. “Go where, kid?”

“Out the goddamn front door,” I said. I took the stairs two at a time going down. “Allorah’s probably snatching up a complete vampire-hunting kit out of her lab or alerting the rest of the Enchancellorship, but I’m not too worried about the latter option. I doubt the Enchancellors are swift enough to be assembled together on short notice to deal with this. Just think of the paperwork… We’ll be long gone before they can get it in gear.”

I hit the bottom of the stairs, Connor and Aidan right behind me. We weren’t more than five feet off of them before I heard a commotion coming from just beyond the red curtains that separated the bull-pen area from the rest of the office proper. The curtain flew aside and a team of Shadowers was already assembled with Allorah in the lead, wearing her protective necklace and wielding with what looked like a Nerf pop gun loaded with a wooden stake. The Shadowers were armed, too, holding an assortment of crosses, holy water, and nets. One of them held a long sharpened pole. We were separated by several rows of cubicles and partial walls, but they’d be on us in no time.

“Shit,” I said. “I guess I shouldn’t underestimate an Enchancellor with a cause.”

“Looks like the locals are hunting for bear,” Connor said. “Still want to remain calm?”

“I say we abandon calm until cooler heads are prevailing on their side,” I said. I looked around to assess our options.

“Where’s the back door?” Aidan asked, for once his voice sounding a bit unsure.

“Don’t hurt anyone, Aidan,” I said, stern. “They’re only doing their jobs.”

“There isn’t a back door,” Connor said, answering his question. “Not that I’m aware of, anyway.”

Not that I was, either. Unless…

“Follow me,” I called out and dashed off in the opposite direction of the Shadower team. I heard Connor and Aidan fall into step behind me. When Connor saw where I was headed, his eyes lit up.

“The Gauntlet?”

I didn’t bother to answer. Instead, I kept on running toward the heavy old wooden door that led down to the research archives. I threw it open, and after Connor and Aidan came through, I slammed the door shut. All three of us put our weight against it.

I looked at Aidan, who for once actually looked winded. “Please tell me you have the strength to crush the locking mechanism on this.”

Aidan turned to the ornate handle and lock trigger, pressing the tips of his fingers flush against them. His face contorted with effort as he tried to squeeze them together. After a moment they started to give way, and once he had better leverage and momentum on his side, he was able to twist the two into an unwieldy knot.

“Happy?” he said. I nodded. Aidan lifted his hand and flexed his fingers. “Funny. I’ve forgotten what it feels like to exert myself.”

The thump of people reaching the other side of the door had me moving again. I ran down the carved stone stairs, taking a bit more caution given their age and the subterranean slope. The overhead lights lit up the tunnel all the way down.

We burst into the main room of the Gauntlet. Several of the archivists looked up from the long tables they were working at, while others simply carried on with their business. I spotted Godfrey Candella two tables away from us, where he was helping that Chloe girl with some sort of translation. When he saw me, he looked a bit startled, but waved.

“Hello, Simon.”

I was out of breath, but still found a little strength to wave him over to us. By the time he walked over, I was standing and had gained a little bit of my composure back.

“We need your help,” I said.

Godfrey stood there, his usual quizzical expression on his face. “Go on. I was just helping Chloe with a little bit of Carpathian she was having trouble with…”

I held my hand up to silence him. “Not now,” I said. He looked hurt. “Sorry,” I added. I continued on. “Remember when I was down here a few days ago… You took me to that place where we were looking up records on old New York, chasing down those blueprints from the 1800s?”

Godfrey nodded. “Of course I remember,” he said, sounding insulted.

“You need to take us there,” I said. “Now.”

Godfrey’s gaze switched to look at my two companions as if only now just seeing them. First he looked at Aidan, then at Connor. “Are they…?”

“Related?” I volunteered.

“No,” Connor said, interrupting. “You’re just seeing double.” He looked back up the stairs, wary. The sound of approaching footsteps came echoing down the staircase.

“Door didn’t hold as long as I thought,” Aidan said, sounding a bit disappointed.

Godfrey looked at him, adjusted his glasses, and looked closer. He turned to me and started to whisper.

“Is he…?” He held his hand up to his mouth, making little finger-fangs with it.

“I’m undead,” Aidan said, turning from the stairs to Godfrey with a scowl, “not deaf.”

Godfrey backed away, the awe on his face bordering on comical.

“Now would be a good time to get going, kid,” Connor called out. “Those Shadowers aren’t getting any farther away.”

I reached out and put a hand on Godfrey’s shoulder. He jumped with a start but turned his focus back to me.

“Just show us the way out of here,” I pleaded. “I swear… Aidan’s one of the good guys.” I gave Connor’s brother a look, but he just gave me a testy smile back. “Well, goodish, at any rate.”

Godfrey nodded his head over and over, a little frazzled, but starting off down one of the darkened tunnels lined with ancient filing cabinets and books. “Absolutely. Sure. No problem.”

The three of us followed close behind him as the archivist wended his way back through the ages of history. After the first three quick turns, I lost all sense of direction, but several moments later, the look of the older archives turned familiar. We were definitely headed back to where the blueprints had been, the place where I had heard the distant shuffling of creatures scurrying to and fro. When Godfrey produced a flashlight as conventional lighting came to an end, Connor spoke up.

“Jesus, kid. Where the hell does this lead to?”

“Not sure,” I said, noting the cavernous echo of my voice down here, “but it’s away from those guys following us.”

“Good enough for me,” Connor said, and we dashed along behind Godfrey in silence for several more minutes.

The cabinets came to an end, Godfrey’s flashlight showing only faint glimpses of distant caves leading off under the city.

“This is it,” he said. “This is as far as I know. Beyond this point, your guess is as good as mine.”

“I’m sorry,” Connor said, pointing off into the distance that spread out before the four of us. “You want to run that by me again? You don’t know what’s out there?”

Godfrey shook his head. “Sorry.”

“Or where it leads?” Connor continued.

“Again, my apologies,” Godfrey said. “I can tell you that there have been some signs of things that kind of slither around, but I haven’t come across anything lately.”

The sound of the men pursuing us echoed throughout the cavern. It was impossible to tell how close or far away they were.

“Fine,” Connor said, after a few seconds of sulking. He held out his hand. “At least give us the flashlight.”

Godfrey looked hesitant.

“What?” Connor asked, sounding perturbed.

“It’s the only one I have on me,” he said. “How will I find my way out?”

“Oh, for God’s sake,” Connor said, shaking his head.

Now it was Godfrey who was angry. “Well, excuse me for not being prepared to aid and abet two agents and a vampire in escaping members of our own Department. Do you realize what trouble you’ve probably gotten me into…?”

“Enough,” I hissed, silencing the two of them. I turned to Aidan.

“Take your brother,” I said, “and go. Get him out of here.”

“What about you?” Aidan asked.

“I’m staying,” I said. “I can buy you some time if I keep them chasing me around here. Maybe I can reason with Allorah. I know her. If she catches up with you when she’s all prepared, I think things will get real ugly real fast and we’ll end up with a full-scale vampire war here in New York City.”

“If you’re concerned about these men that pursue us, I can handle them,” Aidan said.

“That’s the problem,” I said. “I know you can… but trust me, it’s better if you two get out of here. Now.”

From what I knew of Aidan so far, I thought it must be killing him to walk away from a fight, be it male machismo or some kind of vampiric showboating.

“Kid’s right,” Connor said, patting his brother on the shoulder. He looked at Godfrey. “Now, about that flashlight.”

Before Godfrey could speak, Aidan said, “Forget it. I can see fine down here. I feel more myself now.”

“You’re farther from the runes up in the offices,” I said. “I don’t think anyone thought to protect down here.”

Aidan looked at Connor. “I can get us out of here.”

“And what about all those creepy-crawlies Godfrey mentioned scurrying about in the darkness?” Connor asked.

Aidan gave a dark smile and put an arm around his brother. “I defy you to find anything creepier and crawlier than me down here.”

“Let’s hope not,” Connor said.

“Just in case,” I said, pulling my bat free and handing it to Connor. “Here. Your brother might be the ultimate weapon, but you might need this.”

Connor gave me a reluctant look. “You sure, kid? Maybe you’re gonna need it.”

“I don’t think I’m going to be beating up any of the Shadowers looking for me down here,” I said. “Just take it and go.”

Connor took the bat. He gave me a final look and said, “Thanks, kid,” before Aidan blurred into top speed, carrying the two of them away in an instant, leaving Godfrey and me standing alone in the single pool of light.

“Well, this is eerie,” Godfrey said.

I listened to the sounds of pursuit getting closer, but there was still no sign of light off in the darkened distance heading back from where we had come.

“Please tell me you know the way back,” I said.

Godfrey looked unsure. “I think so.”

“That doesn’t sound promising, God.”

“Only one way to find out,” he said and started off into the dark. I followed the small cone of light generated from his flashlight until we spied other lights approaching us. People were shouting, but they were hard to understand in the echoes that filled this area of the Gauntlet. A pool of light hit us, and the shouting became louder.

“Stick close to me,” I said to Godfrey, grabbing the flashlight.

“Hey!” he called.

“Sorry,” I said, running off down the nearest aisle of books.

“You’re never going to outrun them all,” Godfrey said, hurrying to keep up with me.

“I can try,” I said. I turned at the next corner I encountered and ran on. “Besides, I don’t need to escape them. I just need to tie them up for a bit.”

And that was what I did. At every turn, I switched directions, sometimes doubling back over areas I was sure I had already been through. Within minutes I was good and lost, which was fine by me. To my amazement, Godfrey had kept up with me. By the time we found ourselves trapped in one aisle between two different sets of Shadowers, we were both panting and wheezing but willing to give ourselves up.

As one of the men forced my arms behind me and put them into restraints, Allorah came walking out of the darkness. She was the only one of my pursuers who wasn’t out of breath. Several of the other Enchancellors trailed behind her, all of them nervously clutching flashlights in one hand and stakes in the other.

“Not too tight,” Allorah warned the Shadower cuffing me. “We’re civilized… and the head of Other Division seems to have a fondness for this one.”

The Shadower did as he was told. Two other men moved to grab Godfrey, and he looked about to faint.

“Leave him alone,” I said. “Godfrey’s innocent in all this. I threatened him and made him take me down here. I thought there might be a way out.”

The Shadowers backed off Godfrey, who let out a deep sigh of relief.

Allorah walked up to me, lowering her staking device, contempt in her eyes. “Where are they?”

“I’m sorry,” I said, cocking my ear to one side as if I was having trouble hearing. “Who?”

“You know who,” Allorah said.

I smiled and shook my head. “Just me and the books down here.”

“Fine,” she said. She grabbed me by the shoulders and spun me around before grabbing the cuffs and pressing them till I could feel them pinching into my skin. I hissed as the sensation hit me. “You’ve seen what they can do, and yet you’re trying to help them? You want to play traitor. We’ll treat you as one.” She looked at two of the Shadower team. “Take him up to containment.”

“Sorry, Simon,” one of them said as they started to drag me away.

I dug my feet in and turned back to Allorah.

“You know, you’re much more pleasant when you’re playing scientist,” I said.

For a second, the Enchancellor actually looked hurt by my words, but only for a second. “Take… him… away.”

The Shadowers started to walk, pulling me along, and then stopped to turn to me.

“You don’t happen to know the way out, do you?” one of them asked.