Jekyll & Hyde Inc.

Chapter Five

HYDES AT THEIR PLAY

The hotel evacuation went pretty smoothly, all things considered. By the time Daniel and Tina emerged from the stairwell and into the lobby, all the alarm bells were ringing their heads off, and the hotel staff was guiding people to the nearest exits with calm, reassuring words and the occasional boot up the backside. Daniel and Tina just slipped in with everyone else, and were immediately anonymous in the midst of the crowd.

Once they’d made it outside, the two Hydes stood on the opposite side of the street, and looked up at the top floor of the hotel. Most of it was wreckage now, consumed by flames and wreathed in clouds of thick black smoke. The sound of sirens drew steadily closer, announcing that fire engines, ambulances, and police cars were on their way. Though what the emergency responders were going to do when they arrived, apart from point and shrug a lot, wasn’t clear to Daniel. Tina laughed happily.

“Told you the bomb would do the job. Say good-bye to the Frankenstein Clan.”

Daniel just nodded. He was watching the crowd outside the hotel grow even larger, as people continued to spill out onto the street. He couldn’t see anyone who appeared to be injured, but many of them were shocked and shaking. They clung to one another like people who’d just survived a train crash or a shipwreck. When the bomb had blown the top off the building, a lot of them had no doubt thought they were going to die. They didn’t know they were just collateral damage in someone else’s private war.

Daniel had killed the Frankensteins easily enough, in the end, but he had to wonder if killing was supposed to be that easy. It seemed that as a Hyde, he could get away with anything, but he was still human enough to care about the price other people might pay for his actions. And he had to wonder if what was left of his conscience would be enough to keep him from doing something even worse, in the future. Could he be a killer of monsters, without becoming a monster?

“You’re feeling guilty,” said Tina. “Don’t. Hydes don’t do guilt. Concentrate on the things that really matter.”

“Such as?” said Daniel.

“I’m hungry,” Tina said brightly. “I could eat a horse, and the saddle, and whoever happened to be sitting on it at the time. Aren’t you hungry?”

Daniel discovered he wasn’t just hungry, he was ravenous.

“I could eat,” he said.

“I know a really good pizza place, not far from here,” said Tina.

“Of course you do,” said Daniel.

She bristled a little. “What’s that supposed to mean?”

“Just that you always know where everything is,” Daniel said smoothly.

“Damn right,” said Tina.

The pizza parlor wasn’t particularly big or impressive. It had streaky windows and a bunch of brass fittings that clearly hadn’t been polished in years, but it was still pretty full, which at least argued that the food was good. Daniel had lived in London long enough to distrust any fast-food establishment that wasn’t packed with people at this time of the night. A sign in the window said: Buy one, and get another of the same size for exactly the same price! Tina slammed the door open and strode in like royalty visiting the less fortunate. Daniel followed on behind, feeling just a little self-conscious about his dust-covered tuxedo.

But no one had any eyes for Daniel. The staff took one look at Tina and all their faces fell, as they recognized her. Daniel distinctly heard one waiter mutter to a waitress, “Run. Save yourself,” before realizing it was already too late. The staff fell back from the crowded tables, abandoning their customers, and ended up huddled together in the main aisle like sheep in a thunderstorm, wide-eyed and trembling.

Daniel looked at Tina. “They remember you.”

“I know!” Tina said happily. “I do like to leave a little reputation behind me, wherever I go.”

“You’re not going to start a fight here, are you?”

“Not until after we’ve eaten,” said Tina. “Or we’d never get served.”

Some of the customers were studying her covertly from behind raised menus, convinced by her incredible looks and presence that she must be some kind of celebrity. Tina ignored them all with magnificent disdain, which just made them even more certain. She caught the eye of the headwaiter and summoned him over with an imperious gesture. He emerged reluctantly from the protection of his fellow staff, a short and sturdy man who looked like he ate a lot of pizza. He approached Tina like a man walking to the scaffold, but he kept his back straight and his head up, and even managed a professional smile.

“Ms. Hyde . . . back again, so soon? We don’t deserve such an honor.”

“You’re right, you don’t,” Tina said briskly. “We want a private booth, right at the back—but nowhere near the toilets, if you like having your kneecaps where they are.”

“Of course, Ms. Hyde. Please follow me.”

The headwaiter bowed to Tina, and then glanced briefly at Daniel in a way that suggested he was amazed anyone would choose to be with her, before leading them quickly to the rear. He ushered Daniel and Tina into a private booth, saw them both comfortably seated, and then grabbed two oversized menus from a nearby table. The man and wife who’d been perusing them weren’t actually done yet, but one look from Tina was all it took to keep them from protesting. The headwaiter had a sheen of sweat on his face by now, but he still hung on to his composure with both hands. Daniel checked out the prices in the menu, and smiled just a little desperately at Tina.

“How about we go Dutch?”

“No one’s going to ask us to pay,” said Tina.

Daniel glanced at the headwaiter, but he had nothing to say, so Daniel looked back at Tina.

“Not ever?”

“Of course not. We’re Hydes.”

Tina glanced quickly through the menu, tossed it aside, and fixed the headwaiter with a stern look.

“I want the biggest pizza you’ve got, with every kind of topping piled high, and a stuffed crust.”

“I’ll have what she’s having,” said Daniel.

The headwaiter nodded quickly and headed straight for the kitchen, so he could hand in the order personally and get the hell away from the Hydes. Daniel sat back in his seat and looked thoughtfully at Tina.

“Well . . . So much for the Frankenstein Clan.”

“Take a deep breath,” said Tina. “See? The world smells better without them in it.”

“Who’s next on the list?”

She shrugged. “That’s up to Edward. He’s been planning this operation against the Clans for a really long time.”

“Why did he choose now to start his war?”

Tina fixed Daniel with a hard look. “He said he’d been waiting for someone like you. Which I took as a bit of an insult. I’ve been his good left hand for ages, striking down the ungodly from ambush and disrupting Clan business from the sidelines.”

“So why didn’t he trust you to plant the bomb on your own?”

She shrugged in a way that suggested there was a lot she could say, but chose not to for the moment.

“Edward doesn’t answer questions.”

The headwaiter came back with a huge pizza expertly balanced on each hand. He set them down before Daniel and Tina with a flourish, and then quickly retreated several steps, just in case.

“That was quick,” said Daniel.

“They just want us out of here as fast as possible,” said Tina. “This is probably someone else’s order. Isn’t that right, Maurice?”

The headwaiter smiled, wished them “Bon appétit,” and then hurried back into the kitchen to hide. Daniel studied the massive pizza before him. He took a deep breath and an amazing smell filled his head. He grabbed hold of the pizza with both hands, and stuffed his mouth with the biggest bite he could manage.

Daniel wolfed all of it down with ferocious appetite, and Tina did the same. They didn’t bother with the cutlery provided, just tore the pizzas apart with their bare hands and crammed the pieces into their mouths. The two Hydes devoured their meals at incredible speed, and then sat back in their chairs and grinned at each other. Daniel didn’t feel stuffed, or even satiated, just pleasantly full.

“So,” Tina said brightly. “Dessert?”

And then the main door slammed open and every conversation in the place broke off as Edward Hyde came swaggering down the main aisle.

He was wearing a really expensive suit, complete with a gold watch chain stretched across his waistcoat, but he still looked like someone had dressed up a demon. His arrogant rolling gait only emphasized his squat and muscular frame, and he lurched down the aisle like he’d come to avenge a deadly insult with extreme malice. He was grinning broadly, as though just by being there he was playing some vicious practical joke on the world. Customers he passed flinched back in their chairs, to put as much distance as possible between them. They didn’t just looked scared, they seemed actually sickened by Edward Hyde’s sociopathic presence, as though he suffered from some form of moral leprosy and they were afraid it might prove contagious.

The staff looked like they wanted to just drop everything and run, but Edward ignored them, heading straight for Daniel and Tina. But even though he kept his gaze fixed on them, it was obvious he knew the effect he was having on everyone else—and that he was enjoying it.

He dropped down into a chair opposite Daniel and Tina, without waiting to be asked or even greeted. A lot of the customers were leaving, abandoning their unfinished meals so they could make their escape before the trouble started. The staff clustered even more tightly together, looking as though they were wondering which of their many sins they were being punished for. One waiter had put his arm around a waitress, who was sobbing quietly.

Daniel wondered what all the fuss was about. He remembered how badly he’d been affected the first time he saw Edward, but now the man’s presence hardly bothered him at all. Maybe he was getting used to being around monsters—or perhaps being a Hyde changed how he saw the world. Edward beamed happily around the private booth, and Tina glared right back at him.

“What the hell are you doing here? Checking up on us?”

“I am celebrating the destruction of the Frankenstein Clan,” said Edward.

“But you never leave your building! You always said you had too many enemies, out in the world.”

He shrugged his massive shoulders. “It’s not often I have reason to celebrate.”

“Would you like to order some pizza?” said Daniel.

“I’ve already eaten,” said Edward.

Tina smiled sweetly. “Anyone we know?”

“I’ve talked with our contacts inside the hotel,” said Edward. “They confirm that no one survived the destruction of the top floor. They’ll be digging bodies out of the wreckage for weeks to come. There are bound to be a few Frankensteins who weren’t at the gathering, but I can always have our people hunt them down later. Out in the open and on their own, they’ll make easy targets.”

Daniel thought about Peter Frankenstein, but didn’t say anything. He didn’t want to attract Edward’s attention to a young man who’d tried to do the right thing. He just hoped Peter got a good head start. He realized Edward was giving him a knowing look.

“How does it feel, now you’ve had your first taste of revenge?”

“Better,” said Daniel.

“You mustn’t be disappointed that it wasn’t more hands-on and personal,” said Edward. “In the end, all that matters is that your enemy is dead.”

“Are the other Clans as bad as the Frankensteins?” said Daniel.

“Worse, if anything,” Edward said cheerfully. “Come and see me the day after tomorrow, and I’ll see you’re provided with everything you need to take down the Vampire Clan.”

Daniel frowned. “Two gatherings, set so close together?”

“It’s that time of the year,” said Edward.

“And the vampires will be gathering here in London as well?”

“The monster Clans are great ones for tradition,” said Edward. “Fortunately for us.”

Daniel started to ask why Edward had waited for him in particular to show up before lighting the blue touch paper on his war, but Edward had already risen to his feet and was heading back to the main door. The few remaining customers watched him pass with horrified fascination. A young waitress emerged unsuspecting from a side door and Edward Hyde crashed right into her. He could have avoided her, but he chose not to. His sheer bulk sent the waitress sprawling to the floor in front of him and he walked right over her, trampling her underfoot. The sound of bones breaking carried clearly on the quiet, before being drowned out by the waitress’s screams. No one moved to help her because it was already too late—and because nobody dared. Edward strode out into the night and didn’t look back once.

The remaining customers gave him time to get some distance away, and then bolted for the door, fighting each other in their eagerness to be somewhere else and start forgetting everything they’d seen. The staff gathered up the sobbing waitress and carried her off, disappearing through the kitchen door. And just like that, Daniel and Tina were the only ones left in the place.

“You said we’re not supposed to hurt innocent bystanders,” said Daniel.

“We aren’t,” said Tina. “But that’s Edward Hyde. He doesn’t give a damn about rules. Even the ones he makes himself.”

“So you’re fine with what he just did?”

“He’s the boss,” Tina said steadily. “I decided not to get involved. And so did you.”

“It wouldn’t have made any difference,” said Daniel.

“Exactly,” said Tina. “Of course, if he ever tries to pull that shit on me, I’ll kill him. And he knows it.”

“But you won’t stand against him.”

“I owe him. Just like you. He made it possible for us to kill monsters.”

“Why is that so important to you?” said Daniel. “You know why I’m doing this. But are you killing monsters to protect the innocent, or just for the thrill of testing yourself against them?”

Tina smiled. “Depends on the mood I’m in.”

Daniel sat back in his chair and regarded her thoughtfully. “What will you do when all the monsters are dead?”

“Take the weekend off. And then . . . make sure Edward gets everything he has coming to him. What will you do? Give up being a Hyde? Drink the potion again, and go back to being a broken man? I don’t think so. I know all there is to know about addictive behavior, and being a Hyde is the biggest rush there is.”

“So what do we do, when all the monster Clans are gone?” said Daniel. “Fight each other?”

Tina laughed softly. “Not a bad idea. But the Clans aren’t responsible for all the evil in the world. There’ll always be someone who needs a good kicking.” She rose abruptly to her feet. “You know what? I feel like dancing. I have energy to burn and the night is young. How about you?”

Daniel didn’t even have to think about it. Destroying the Frankenstein Clan had satisfied his need for revenge, but he still felt a need to be doing something. And since it wasn’t time yet to go off and kill vampires . . .

“Dancing sounds fine,” he said. “I take it you know a good club?”

“I know all kinds of clubs,” said Tina. “Of course, I’ve been thrown out of most of them. Just for exuberance, and general high spirits. Not that any of them could keep me out if I wanted in. I know—the Constantine Club! I haven’t been there since before I was a Hyde.”

“Then let us go there, and dance up a storm,” said Daniel.

One new intimidated taxi driver and a short drive later, they were standing outside an impressive-looking nightclub with rococo neon stylings, oversized bouncers at the door, and a long queue of bright young things waiting to get in, including a number of minor celebrities (the kind famous for being famous). A few of them were haranguing the stone-faced bouncers, shouting, “Don’t you know who I am?,” which Daniel had always considered self-defeating. Some offered bribes and some threatened violence, but the bouncers had heard it all before and hadn’t been impressed the first time.

The Constantine gave every impression of being the kind of club that would normally never admit someone like Daniel, but the bouncers took one look at Tina and just waved her in, either because they saw the Hyde in her face, or because they knew trying to keep her out would be more trouble than their job was worth. They waved Daniel in with her, not even giving him a second glance. He was with Tina, and that was all they cared about. No one in the queue objected; they knew the way the world worked.

Daniel thought he would have preferred it if one of the bouncers had tried to stop him, so he could beat the crap out of them for past refusals. Another part of him was disturbed that he felt that way. It really wasn’t like him. As he strode through the nightclub door, Daniel had to wonder whether the Elixir had changed more than just his body.

The cavernous interior was almost painfully bright and shiny, with flashing lights, revolving patterns on the dance floor, cascading fountains of champagne, and music so loud Daniel couldn’t even tell what kind it was. Not that he gave a damn. For dancing, all you really needed was a beat.

The club was packed with people immersed in the music and the dance. Security guards hovered on the fringes, keeping an eye on things. Daniel couldn’t help noticing the way they all fixed their attention on Tina the moment she stepped out onto the dance floor. And then he felt a little better when some of them decided he needed watching too. Tina found an open space and started to dance; Daniel did his best to keep up with her.

Tina moved like a dream, all elegant grace and animal power, stamping her feet and snapping her head back and forth, so that her great mane of long red hair danced almost as wildly as she did. Daniel had never considered himself much of a dancer, but since he was sure no one would be watching him when they could be looking at Tina, he felt free to do whatever he wanted and just enjoy himself. The beat from the music got into his blood, and without really trying his movements began to echo Tina’s, until it became one dance being performed by two people—a wild and sensuous thing, maddening and exhilarating. Daniel and Tina grinned at each other, lost in the moment and loving it.

They danced for hour after hour without ever pausing, and neither of them ever felt tired. They didn’t even raise a sweat. Everyone else gave them plenty of room. Some applauded, some cheered, and some even tried to copy their movements, but no one could match Daniel and Tina’s incredible grace and energy. People came and went as the evening progressed, but the Hydes danced on. Until one man burst out of the surrounding crowd to confront Tina, his face full of surprise and shock. He ignored Daniel, raising his voice to make himself heard over the din of the music.

“Val? That is you, isn’t it? It’s me—Erik!”

Daniel expected Tina to drive the man away with a look or a harsh word, but she just kept on dancing. Erik moved in closer and Daniel got ready to do something, but the concerned look on the man’s face stopped him. It was obvious he knew Tina, from somewhen in the past. She suddenly stopped dancing, and Daniel stopped too. Erik tried to smile at Tina, but it faltered and fell away in the face of her refusal to acknowledge him.

“What happened to you, Val?” said Erik. He started to reach out a hand to her, and then pulled it back, not sure what to do. He swallowed hard, and tried again. “It’s been such a long time since any of us saw you here. And look at you! You look amazing! What have you done to yourself?”

“I’m not Val,” said Tina. Her voice was flat and empty, but something in it cut through the general din. “I’m someone else.”

“Oh come on, I’d know you anywhere, Val! We were all so worried when you just disappeared . . . ”

“I’m not Val. Now go away, Erik. I don’t want to have to hurt you.”

All the color dropped out of his face, as though he’d just been told someone he knew had died. He tried one last smile, but there was nothing in Tina’s face to encourage it. So the man from her past had no choice but to turn away and disappear back into the crowd. Tina watched him go, and didn’t say anything.

Daniel decided Tina needed a moment to herself. He asked her if she’d like a drink, and she nodded, not looking at him. Daniel made his way through the crush of bodies to the bar. A lot of people smiled at him, complimenting him on his dancing and his choice of partner, but none of them got in his way. They seemed to sense that might be dangerous. He asked the bartender for a bottle of brandy and two glasses, and got served immediately, which was a new experience for Daniel. He didn’t offer to pay, and after a glance at security, the bartender didn’t ask.

Daniel took his time getting back to Tina, so she could recover herself. He glanced at his watch, and was astonished at how long they’d been in the Constantine. It shouldn’t be possible for anyone to dance for hours on end without a break. He wasn’t the least bit tired; he felt like he could dance forever. Perhaps Hydes weren’t just about the violence, after all. But when he finally caught up with Tina again, another man was talking to her. Or rather, talking at her.

This was no leftover from her past, just an overweight man in fashionable clothes that didn’t suit him, trying to get Tina to go somewhere private with him. She wouldn’t even look at him, but he was too rich and entitled to take no for an answer. He stopped talking and started shouting, until finally she looked him in the eye and said something that made him flush bright red.

“You can’t speak to me like that!” the man yelled. “This is my party, and everyone here has to do what I say!”

He stabbed a finger in Tina’s face. She took hold of his arm, and broke it with one quick flex of her hand. He screamed so loudly that even people who carefully hadn’t been watching turned to see what was happening. Tina saw the bottle of brandy Daniel was holding, and put out a hand. Daniel reflected that this might lead to the least amount of violence from Tina. He gave her the bottle, and she hit the screaming man over the head with it. The bottle exploded and the man was driven unconscious to the dance floor. Daniel decided they wouldn’t be needing the glasses after all, and tossed them aside.

The music cut off abruptly, as security men came rushing forward from all directions. The loud guy must have been someone really important. The other dancers scattered, and Daniel and Tina moved quickly to stand back to back. The security men didn’t seem at all intimidated by Tina, despite what had just happened. They had a job to do, and they were going to do it. And if that involved beating the crap out of two uppity newcomers who didn’t know their place . . . well, every job has its perks.

Daniel almost had it in him to feel sorry for them. Almost.

He waited calmly for the first security guards to come within reach, and then he punched out the first one, back-elbowed a second, and headbutted a third in the face. Bodies crashed to the floor, and took no further interest in the proceedings. The biggest guard of all loomed up before Daniel, and lashed out with a fist that would have put an end to anyone else’s evening. Daniel avoided the blow easily, and then pivoted on one foot and kicked the man in the chest with such force that he went flying backward and took out three more security men along the way. Daniel laughed out loud, and looked hopefully around for some more trouble to get into.

Half a dozen large muscular types fell on him, hoping for safety in numbers. Daniel just had time to wonder why the Constantine Club felt the need to employ so many security guards, and then he was knocking them down and throwing them to one side. His speeded-up reactions allowed him to see what the guards were going to do before they did it, and then take them down with a series of swift and vicious blows. He felt the impacts as they traveled up his arms, but his hands took no damage and he didn’t feel any pain. He was a Hyde, and the world and everything in it was just there for his amusement.

But even as he was punching men out and stamping on them while they were down, it occurred to Daniel how calm he was feeling. Faced with a small army of thugs and bullies, he never even came close to losing his temper. Probably because he was too busy enjoying himself. It wasn’t like a real fight; it felt more like dancing.

He finally ran out of people to hit, and took a moment to stretch slowly. He wasn’t even out of breath. People who had previously admired his dancing were now standing well back and staring at him in horror. As though a wild animal had somehow found its way into their civilized world. Bodies lay all around Daniel, broken and bloodied and extremely unconscious. He looked to see how Tina was doing, and found her standing calmly to one side with her arms folded. It occurred to Daniel that he hadn’t actually seen her doing any of the fighting. He raised an eyebrow.

“You didn’t look like you needed any help,” said Tina. “And I was interested to see if you could handle all of them on your own. Did you have a good time?”

Daniel smiled. “Yes, I did.”

“I’ve had enough dancing,” said Tina.

She took him by the hand and led him out of the nightclub. And everyone scattered to get out of their way.

Outside the nightclub, there was no sign of the queue, and all the bouncers had run away. Tina walked out into the road in front of an oncoming taxicab, and it screeched to a halt right in front of her. She turned to look at Daniel.

“Come back to my place.”

Daniel raised an eyebrow. “You could make it sound more like an invitation, and not an order.”

“You want to—don’t you?”

“From the first moment I saw you,” said Daniel.

“Then that’s all that matters.”

They leaned close together in the back of the taxi, smiling broadly, lost in each other’s eyes. Anticipation filled the air, as though there was someone else in the back seat with them. Their faces were so close that Daniel could feel Tina’s breath on his face, and the raw animal musk of her scent filled his head.

It had been a long time since he’d had anyone in his life.

He glimpsed the taxi driver watching them in his rearview mirror. He looked scared out of his wits. Apparently there was something about Hydes smiling that disturbed the hell out of anyone who wasn’t a Hyde. The thought just made Daniel smile even more.

Some time later, to Daniel’s surprise, Tina suddenly leaned forward and rapped imperiously on the partition between them and the driver. When he reluctantly glanced back at her, Tina brusquely ordered him to stop the cab. The driver was so eager to be rid of his passengers he slammed on the brakes and brought the cab to a very abrupt halt. Tina threw the door open while the taxi was still rocking back and forth and got out, not even glancing back to see if Daniel was following. He clambered out of the cab, taking his time to make a point, and saw that they’d stopped next to a tree-lined path overlooking the River Thames. Tina glared at the taxi driver.

“You. Stay here, while we go for a little walk. When we come back, you can take us the rest of the way.”

“You have got to be kidding,” said the driver. “I’m not hanging around here while you make up your mind what you want. I’ve got other fares waiting.”

He was doing his best to sound calm and determined and not at all troubled by the two Hydes, but he wasn’t fooling anyone. Tina leaned in close to the driver’s window and fixed him with a hard look.

“You. Stay here, while we go for a little walk. Or there will be trouble.”

“Hell with this,” said the driver.

He slammed the taxi into gear, but Tina had already pulled the door open. She reached in and ripped out the driver’s seat belt, tossed it carelessly to one side, and then grabbed hold of the driver and hauled him bodily out of the cab. His loud protests gave way to screams as she dragged him across the leafy path to a set of iron railings, and then lifted him up and threw him into the Thames. Daniel hurried over to stand beside her and look down at the river, feeling just a little relieved when he saw the driver swimming strongly for the bank.

It had all happened too quickly for Daniel to intervene, but he wasn’t entirely sure he would have if he could. The driver had been very rude, when all his instincts should have told him that was a really bad idea. Daniel turned to Tina to make some kind of comment, and found she was already striding off down the path. As though nothing out of the ordinary had just happened. And perhaps for her, it hadn’t. Daniel sighed, shook his head, and went after her. If only to see what she’d do next. Tina didn’t even glance at the Thames, just stared straight ahead. Daniel quickly caught up and moved in beside her, and then strode along in companionable silence as he wondered what to say.

“Why did you want to stop here?” he said finally.

“I needed somewhere quiet,” she said, still not looking at him. “Somewhere I could think.”

Daniel nodded. He was sure he was picking up some kind of vulnerability behind the brisk words. Something very much at odds with her usual determined exuberance. He decided not to press the point, just for the moment, and walked along beside Tina, giving her time to decide whatever it was she needed to say. She did slow her pace a little, which made it feel a little less like she was trying to put something behind her.

The early hours of the morning lay sprawled across London like a comforting blanket, tucking the city in so it could sleep peacefully. The whole setting seemed very quiet and very peaceful, with hardly any traffic passing by, and not another pedestrian to be seen anywhere. As though Daniel and Tina had the river walk and the night all to themselves. A light breeze came gusting down the path, playfully tousling their hair. The trees suddenly fell away behind them, and streetlamps dispensed pools of gentle golden light interrupted by periods of darkness, so that Daniel and Tina were constantly walking out of the light and into the dark, and then back again. Their footsteps sounded slow and deliberate, as though they knew what they were doing. It all seemed peaceful enough, but Daniel didn’t think Tina had stopped the cab just so she could take the air and enjoy the atmosphere. She didn’t seem to be paying any attention to the sights and sounds of the night. Instead, her head was bowed and her gaze was turned determinedly inward.

More time passed, and she still hasn’t said anything, so Daniel decided he’d better make the first move, and get the ball rolling.

“Are you having second thoughts?” he said carefully. “About us?”

Tina shot him a quick look, accompanied by a smile that came and went before he could decide what kind of smile it was.

“This isn’t about us. And it’s definitely not about you, so stop worrying. It’s about the Frankenstein Clan.”

“You’re having second thoughts about what we did there?” said Daniel.

“I don’t know,” said Tina. “I spent a year training, getting myself ready to kill every single one of them, but now it’s over I’m not sure how I feel about it. I didn’t act out of moral outrage over what the Frankensteins have been doing, like you. Edward trained me to see all the monster Clans as my enemy, because as long as any of them survived, they would never stop trying to kill me. All the monsters hate the Hydes, so it’s always been a case of get them, before they get us.”

“Why do the monsters hate Hydes so much?” said Daniel.

“Because Edward wouldn’t stoop from being a monster, to be just a criminal,” said Tina. “Simply by being what he is, he reminds them of what they used to be.”

“What about you?” said Daniel. “Why did you join Edward’s war?”

She shrugged. “I didn’t do it for revenge, like you. I never lost anyone I cared about to the Frankensteins.” She paused. “There’s never been anyone in my life that I cared about. Before you.”

She still wouldn’t look at Daniel.

“What about Erik?” he asked.

“I was a junkie. I hardly noticed him back then.”

He moved in a little closer, and didn’t say anything. They strolled along beside the Thames, listening to the distant lap of the waters and staring straight ahead. Tina’s hand reached out, and took hold of Daniel’s. There was none of the Hyde strength in her grip, just a quiet companionable pressing of flesh against flesh. Daniel squeezed Tina’s hand reassuringly in return, but she didn’t respond. She was frowning hard now, appearing more puzzled than anything, as though she was struggling to find just the right words to help her explain what she was feeling to Daniel.

“At first,” she said slowly, “Edward just sent me out to spy on the Clans. So I could see what they did, and learn to hate them. When he finally turned me loose on individual targets, I didn’t even hesitate. And it felt good, so good, testing my strength and skills against things that would kill me in a moment, if they could. I was a predator who preyed on predators, and I never felt so alive as when I was wading in blood and death. But still . . . I always felt there should be more to it than that. It wasn’t until I saw what the Frankensteins had done to that hybrid that it became personal for me. Because even for Hydes, there are some lines you just can’t cross without giving up what it means to be human. The Frankensteins had to die . . . Not because the monster Clans are at war with Edward Hyde, but because putting them down was something that needed doing. When I saw what they’d done to that man, and what they intended to do to so many others . . . suddenly I saw all of the Clan’s victims. And I felt what you did—your rage, and your need to do something. It wasn’t about self-defense, or being part of Edward’s plan, it was just the right thing to do. Something I’m not used to feeling.”

She broke off abruptly, as though she’d run out of words. Daniel gave her a moment and then nodded encouragingly, to show he was doing his best to understand.

“Edward trained you—personally? To be a killer of monsters?”

“It was always Edward,” said Tina. “Never the organization. Ever since he made me a Hyde, and saved me from my old life. I owe him so much . . . ”

“Did he ever . . . ”

“You have got to be kidding!” Tina looked at Daniel for the first time, grinning broadly at the very thought. “I’m really not his type. Too much woman, for him . . . And do you really think I’d have let him? I would have kicked him out a high window if he’d ever tried anything, and he knew it. If anything, he is a kind of father figure, I suppose. And I don’t do daddy issues. No, it was all about learning how to fight, how to kill, and how to stay alive during it. Molding me into his own personal assassin. I worked some missions for him, earning my spurs by taking out some of the minor players on the sidelines, but it was only ever people who served the Clans, never the monsters themselves. For that, I had to wait until you showed up. I’m still not sure why.”

She looked sharply at Daniel, but all he could do was shrug. Tina sniffed loudly.

“I spent ages familiarizing myself with all kinds of weapons, and taking out my frustrations on the small fry. Plotting tactics, and coming up with plans . . . I don’t know why I was so patient. I could have walked away. There was nothing to stop me. I could have left Jekyll & Hyde Inc. anytime, and made a new life for myself. And to hell with the monsters.”

“But you thought you owed him . . . ”

“Hydes don’t do duty or obligation,” Tina said flatly. “Edward never once put any pressure on me, just promised me that the time would come when I would get to kill monsters. And I wanted that. I needed to test my strength and my skills against something worthy of them. People like the hard men in that bar earlier weren’t any challenge, just a warm-up. Something to stir the blood, and put us in the right mood.”

“So how did it feel, when you finally got to take on the Frankensteins and their creatures?” said Daniel. “Was it everything you’d thought it would be?”

“I’d been trained to kill them, and I did,” said Tina. There wasn’t a scrap of emotion in her voice. “When I saw what they’d done to that hybrid, it wasn’t about a contest of equals anymore. It was about stopping something awful, and removing it from the world.”

She glanced at Daniel, and managed another brief smile. “Maybe we should have gone along with your plan, and beaten every single Frankenstein to death with our bare hands. That might have felt more satisfying. But somehow . . . I don’t think it would. In the end, it was more like putting down poison for rats. A necessary thing. I don’t know . . . Maybe I’ll enjoy killing the vampires more. Because they don’t pretend to be human.”

They walked some more, just strolling now, in no hurry to get anywhere. They had the night and the path all to themselves, and as much time as they needed to get things in order. Tina was still holding Daniel’s hand. He wasn’t sure if she realized that, and didn’t want to say anything that might make her feel self-conscious about it. But it did seem to him that he should take this opportunity, to try to encourage her to open up more. That it might help her, if she could talk more about her life. Daniel certainly wanted to hear more about it.

“Why did Edward train you personally? Does he often have . . . favorites?”

“Not as far as I know,” said Tina. “He doesn’t normally take a personal interest in anyone. We’re all just there to fight his private war for him.”

“He told me he had enough soldiers,” said Daniel. “That he needed warriors now, to finally bring down the Clans.”

“I suppose I should be grateful that he chose me,” said Tina. “But I’m really not. There’s something about Edward Hyde . . . ”

“I’m a Hyde, too,” said Daniel. “Is there something about me?”

She turned to look at him, and this time her smile deepened. “No. You’re nothing like Edward.”

“Well,” said Daniel. “That’s a relief.”

She laughed suddenly, gave his hand a squeeze, and then let go of it. She turned around and went striding back the way they’d come, moving so quickly Daniel had to break into a run to catch up. There was a definite bounce in Tina’s step, and her frown was gone.

“I’ve been trying to decide how I feel,” she said cheerfully. “Now all the Frankensteins are dead. And you know what? I feel alive! They’re dead because they deserved to be; and we’re alive because we chose to be. Nothing else matters.”

And that was all she had to say, until they got back to the waiting taxicab. Daniel took a quick look around, but there was no sign of the driver anywhere. Which was probably just as well. Tina pulled open the driver’s door, and then stopped abruptly. She turned to smile at Daniel.

“Would you like to come back to my place?”

Daniel grinned. “Since you’re asking so nicely, I’d love to.”

Tina grinned back at him, her eyes dancing, and then she turned quickly away and settled herself comfortably behind the steering wheel. Daniel went round to the other side, and sat down beside her.

“Are we stealing this cab?”

“Of course!” said Tina. “Because it’s here!”

She revved the engine, slammed it into gear, and sent the cab racing off down the street. Daniel laughed happily, and beat out a tattoo on the dashboard with both hands.

It was early in the morning, and the city sprawled before them like an open invitation. Tina put the hammer down, and everything else on the road hurried to get out of their way.

Some time and several near misses later, Tina brought the taxi to a halt and they both got out. The apartment building in front of Daniel was old-school impressive, with a lot of history behind it, right in the middle of a really select area. Rows of trees lined the quiet street, along with old-fashioned black-iron streetlamps that shed a pleasant glow over the scene. The kind of place where everyone knows your face, usually from the financial or the society pages. Not at all the kind of setting Daniel had expected for Tina Hyde.

She took hold of his hand again, and led him toward the front door. Daniel could feel the power in her grip, that could crush a brick to powder or rip out a monster’s throat. And the strength in his own hand, if he chose to use it. Something was building between them that felt dangerously explosive. Daniel didn’t feel nervous, or uncertain. It was going to happen, and they both knew it. But somehow Daniel also knew that it wasn’t going to be like anything he’d ever experienced before. Because Hydes did things differently.

The door opened to a combination keypad, and the uniformed security man nodded respectfully to Tina from his little office. She ignored him, so Daniel did, too. They took the elevator all the way up to the top floor, shooting glances at each other and exchanging smiles. Neither of them said anything; they didn’t have to. The penthouse corridor was coolly elegant, with thick carpeting and expensive-looking prints on the walls, and the quiet charm that shrieks of serious money. Tina’s apartment turned out to be comfortable, but entirely lacking in character. No photos or personal touches, and only the most anonymous fixtures and fittings. Nothing to indicate that Tina had ever tried to stamp her personality on her surroundings.

“What did you expect?” she said. “Rows of fluffy toys, and lace doilies everywhere?”

“No,” said Daniel. “I didn’t expect that.”

“This is just where I am, when I don’t have to be somewhere else.”

“I know the feeling,” said Daniel.

“Thought you would,” said Tina.

She grabbed hold of him and slammed him back against the wall. He hit it hard enough to knock all the breath out of an ordinary man, but Daniel just grinned, grabbed two handfuls of her big red hair and hauled her face in close for a kiss. She turned her head at the last moment, and sank her teeth into his neck. He gasped, and then bit her bare shoulder, growling loudly as he worried at her flesh. The blood in his mouth was sharp and exciting. Their heads came up, and they kissed each other fiercely. Blood ran down their chins.

They rioted back and forth across the living room, wrestling and rolling on the floor. Not for control, but just for the fun of it. They crashed through the furniture, leaving it in pieces behind them. When they’d had enough of that, they knocked the bedroom door clean off its hinges in their eagerness to get into the room, and then they stopped abruptly, facing each other. They were both breathing hard, but it had nothing to do with their exertions. Without having to say anything, they both took the time to strip off their clothes, so as not to damage them.

When they were done they slammed together again, two naked bodies pressing hard against each other, as though they couldn’t stand the thought of anything separating them. They kissed until they were panting for breath, and when they finally hit the bed Daniel enjoyed the most animalistic, frightening, and intense sex he’d ever experienced. Because Hydes don’t hold anything back.

They finally ended up lying together in the wreckage of the bed, nursing their wounds and grinning at each other.

They huddled in close, sweat slowly drying on their bodies, as their breathing returned to normal. The sun was starting to show its face, and a faded gray light sneaked in past the drawn curtains, outlining various dim shapes in the bedroom. Most of which appeared to be broken, or at least walking wounded. Daniel lay stretched out on his back, one arm around Tina’s shoulders, while she rested a hand over his heart. He felt wonderfully comfortable, as though this was where he was supposed to be. He started to say something, and Tina slapped him lightly on the chest.

“I’m not much of a one for pillow talk. So unless it’s something important, like where the bathroom is . . . ”

“There’s something you’re not telling me,” said Daniel. “If we’re going to stay this close, and I want that more than anything, there can’t be any secrets between us. You know what happened to me; but I need to know what happened to you.”

Tina slowly raised her arms, holding them up before her and turning them back and forth.

“You can’t see the scars,” she said slowly. “But I can. They’ll always be there for me, even though they disappeared after I drank the Elixir.”

She lowered her arms again, staring out across her wrecked apartment, so she wouldn’t have to look at Daniel. When she finally began to speak again, her voice was entirely calm, almost casual. As though she was talking about somebody else. Daniel lay very still, so as not to distract her.

“I had to dig the razor blade in deep,” said Tina. “To make sure I was doing a good job. I knew it wouldn’t be enough to just slice across the wrists; I had to hack open all the veins, right up to the elbow. Otherwise some well-meaning idiot might find me and save me. It hurt like hell, and I cried a bit, but I was determined to get it done. Don’t judge me, Daniel. You don’t know what my life was like, back then. I would have done anything to get away from it.”

Daniel took his time answering, to make sure his voice was calm. He didn’t want to do anything that might discourage her from finally opening up to him.

“How did you survive something like that?”

“I didn’t. Edward saved me. He followed me from the nightclub, after he saw me start a fight and then win it. He told me later he smelled the blood through the closed door, smashed it in, and found me bleeding out in the bathtub. He force-fed me the dose of Elixir he’d brought with him, and it closed my wounds and saved my life. He could have given me the choice to drink it, and I would have. I would try anything back then, the worse for me the better. And the Elixir made me the woman I am today.”

She waited, still staring out at the gloom, to see what he would say. Daniel slowly raised a hand and put it over hers, on his chest.

“So Edward caught both of us at the lowest point in our lives,” he said quietly. “I wonder if we might have chosen differently, under other circumstances.”

“We were both dying by inches,” said Tina. “Edward let our old selves die, so we could be Hydes. We have so much to thank him for.”

“Do we?” said Daniel. “I haven’t been a Hyde long, and already I’m worried I might become as much of a monster as the things I’m supposed to fight. I never killed anyone before I wiped out the whole Frankenstein family. Never wanted to, no matter how bad things got when I was in uniform. But then I lost my friends, my old life, and everything that mattered to me. I sometimes wonder if the best part of me died in that cellar. When Edward offered me the Elixir, I was ready to become a monster, just for a chance to get my life back. And for revenge, of course.”

“You are not a monster,” Tina said firmly. “Trust me, I’d know.”

“I believe you,” said Daniel.

They laughed softly, and snuggled together. Tina wedged a leg in between Daniel’s, and caressed his foot with hers. Daniel kissed her shoulder.

“So, Edward is sending us after the Vampire Clan next,” she said.

“The werewolves, the vampires, or the mummies?”

“What makes you think I know?”

“Because he spent so much time working with you. He must have discussed his plans.”

“Of course he did,” said Tina. “I couldn’t get him to shut up about them. The Vampire Clan should be next on the list.”

“Have you ever seen a vampire?”

“No.”

“I have.”

Tina looked at him sharply. “Up close?”

“Up close and personal,” said Daniel. “I thought my old friend Paul died in that cellar, but the vampires dragged him out and turned him, just so they could make him answer their questions. He came to my flat, after I thought he was dead, just so he could tell me I needed to see Edward Hyde.”

“What did he look like?” said Tina.

Daniel thought for a moment, considering his answer carefully. “He looked . . . different. As though he’d lost some important part of himself that made him the man I used to know. Or, more likely, it was taken from him.”

“Hardly surprising,” said Tina. “Vampires are just corpses disguised by a glamour. Leeches on two legs.”

Daniel stirred uncomfortably beside her. “He was still my friend. He sent me to the one man who could help me.”

“And you think he did that out of the goodness of his heart?”

“He didn’t have to do it,” said Daniel. “You know, I wasn’t scared of him, not really. I think . . . because I still felt bad, that there was nothing I could do to save him, back in the cellar.”

“You can still avenge him,” said Tina. “Wipe out the whole Vampire Clan, and make sure no one else will ever have to suffer the way your friend did.”

Daniel pushed his head back into the pillow and stared up at the ceiling, looking for answers he didn’t have.

“But what will I be like, after I’ve killed all the monsters? What will all that blood and death do to me? Would I even recognize the man I’m going to become?”

“You ask the oddest questions,” said Tina.

“Somebody has to,” said Daniel.

He turned his head to smile at her. He could see her face clearly with his Hyde eyes, and he wanted her to see his.

“Have you never compared the person you are now with who you used to be?”

Tina lifted her arms briefly, and then let them fall back again.

“That person is dead, and she was happy to die. I’m someone else now. Don’t you like her?”

“You know I do.”

“Good. Because you really wouldn’t have liked the old me. I didn’t.”

“Who was the man in the nightclub?” said Daniel. “The one who remembered you, from before?”

“Erik . . . ”

“Were you close?”

“We might have been,” said Tina. “But he asked too many personal questions.”

She smiled at Daniel, to show that was meant to be a joke, but Daniel wasn’t so sure. He looked steadily at Tina, to show he wanted a proper answer to his question, and she stirred uneasily.

“Back then, all I cared about was having a good time, all the time. And Erik had the money, and the connections, to make that possible.”

“But if you were having such a good time . . . ”

“Why was I so determined to kill myself? Because too much fun wears you out. The more you do, the less you enjoy it. Until finally I got so tired all I wanted was to go to sleep and never have to wake up again.”

Daniel could still hear an echo of that tiredness in her voice. He wanted to take her in his arms, and hold her so tightly it would drive all the bad memories away . . . But somehow he knew that if he tried, and it was the wrong moment, Tina would get up off the bed and walk away.

“Why do you suppose Edward decided to save you?” he said finally.

“Because he saw something in me that he could use,” said Tina. “The same reason he made you a part of Jekyll & Hyde Inc.: because he has a war to fight, and he needs people like us.”

“He said he wanted warriors,” Daniel said slowly. “But I think he meant patsies. People he could use and then discard.”

“Only if we let that happen,” said Tina. “We both have good reasons to want the monsters dead, but once they’re all gone . . . Edward won’t need us anymore.”

Daniel looked at her thoughtfully. “You think he might try to kill us?”

“Of course! He’s Edward Hyde!”

“Sometimes I forget what that name means,” said Daniel. “You remember how he walked right over that poor waitress?”

“I’ve seen him do worse,” said Tina. “In the end, it might come down to us having to get him, before he can get us.”

Daniel turned onto his side, so he could look at her directly. “You’ve given this a lot of thought, haven’t you?”

Tina smiled. “I had a lot of time to think, waiting for you to show up so I could get this war started.” She stretched slowly, as unself-conscious as a cat. “But who knows . . . maybe we won’t have to kill him. Maybe, once we’re not needed anymore, he’ll just let us walk away and make new lives for ourselves.”

“Maybe,” said Daniel.

“You don’t sound too convinced.”

“Give me time. I’ll work on it.”

They lay tucked in close together, riding each other’s breathing, staring out across the bedroom as the morning light slowly brought it to life. Daniel smiled suddenly.

“Conversations you never thought you’d be having . . . My life has gone through so many changes—from policeman, to cripple, to Hyde . . . ”

“I know what you mean,” said Tina. “Do you love me, Daniel?”

“Yes,” he said. “Somewhat to my surprise. It sort of sneaked up on me, and hit me over the head when I wasn’t looking. Do you . . . ?”

“No,” said Tina. “But give me time. And I’ll work on it.”

“Well,” said Daniel. “That’s something.”

They laughed quietly together, and then drifted off to sleep.

But later, Daniel woke to find Tina crying quietly beside him. She wouldn’t or couldn’t tell him why, so he just held her in his arms until morning light filled the room, and she could sleep.

They spent most of the next day and a half in bed, getting to know each other. Laying open their lives, sharing their pains and their triumphs, and all the things they’d never thought they’d be able to tell someone else. At least partly because they were just two Hydes, going up against the strength and power of the monster Clans, and they knew the odds were not in their favor.

When you believe you’re going to die, you can say anything.

Love, or something very like it, had caught them by surprise, and neither of them was very sure how much they trusted it. But they were having fun finding out.

It was midafternoon before they finally returned to the Jekyll & Hyde Inc. building. They walked hand in hand across the empty lobby and all the way up in the elevator, but they made a point of separating before they entered Edward’s outer office. Not because they were ashamed, but because they didn’t want to give Edward anything he could use as ammunition against them. Edward’s secretary greeted them graciously enough, but Daniel was convinced she was looking down her nose at the state of his tuxedo. He’d done his best to beat all the dust off, but there was a limit to what even Hyde strength could achieve. Tina’s evening dress was in rather better condition, apart from a few small bloodspots here and there. Daniel and Tina headed for Edward’s inner office, but the secretary immediately raised her voice.

“I’m afraid Mister Hyde isn’t in, just at the moment. But he did leave a message for you . . . ”

And then she made a point of searching through the papers on her desk, even though Daniel had no doubt she knew exactly where it was.

“He said to tell you that he’s in his playroom, on the seventh floor,” she said. “And that you’re to join him the moment you arrive.”

“I know where that is,” said Tina.

Daniel looked at her. “Why are you scowling?”

Tina’s scowl only deepened once they’d left the secretary’s office and set off back down the corridor to the elevators. Daniel kept a watchful eye on her. She’d been in a really good mood all the way across London, and he was concerned at how easily Edward Hyde had wiped the smile off her face. He wondered if changing the subject might help.

“Is that secretary a Hyde?”

“Of course not,” said Tina, not looking at him. “Edward has always been very particular about who he shares his potion with. Everyone else just works here.”

“She knew about us,” said Daniel.

“Wouldn’t surprise me,” said Tina.

“You think Edward knows?”

“You think he cares?”

“What is worrying you so much, about the playroom?” said Daniel, having exhausted all his small talk.

“Depends what he’s got in there,” said Tina. “He’s always having new things brought in, to play with.”

“Why is that worth so much scowling?”

Tina finally turned to meet his gaze, and for the first time Daniel realized that Tina was seriously troubled.

“I don’t know anyone who’s ever been invited to join Edward in his playroom. He’s changing his ways—and that’s never a good thing.”

They traveled to the seventh floor in silence. It worried Daniel that Tina was so worried. He had to wonder what someone like Edward would have in his secret playroom; whether it involved a brothel, a fight club, or a drug den. Or some seriously unnatural combination of all three. The man was capable of anything.

They finally ended up before the playroom door and Tina knocked loudly, not allowing herself to hesitate. A cheerful voice summoned them in. Daniel tried to go first, but Tina shouldered him out of the way. Once they were inside they both stopped dead in their tracks—because the middle of the room was occupied by a huge steel cage with a full-grown tiger in it.

The animal raged back and forth, snarling at Edward as he taunted and tormented it with a long stick. The tiger slammed its great shoulder against the side of the cage, and its weight alone was enough to shift the cage a few inches across the bare wooden floor. The great cat lashed out through the bars with vicious claws, but though its movements were blindingly fast Edward was always faster, and the tiger never even came close. Edward laughed mockingly, and thrust the sharp stick between the tiger’s ribs, deep enough to draw blood. The tiger roared but it didn’t flinch, just kept on fighting the bars of its cage in its eagerness to get to Edward.

As Daniel stood there, waiting to be acknowledged, he tried to figure out how Edward had got the tiger and its cage all the way up to the seventh floor. The cage must have been brought up in pieces, he decided, and then assembled inside the playroom. The tiger could have been drugged and carried up, and then allowed to awaken inside the cage. But what was it doing here? Was Edward planning to feed him and Tina to the tiger? Daniel smiled coldly, and stood a little straighter. Let him try . . .

Edward finally looked round, and beckoned them forward. Daniel and Tina kept a watchful eye on the tiger as they approached, but it ignored them. All of the animal’s attention was fixed on Edward, as though his very existence offended it. The tiger lashed out suddenly, stretching as far as it could through the bars, straining to reach its hated enemy, but the claws slammed to a halt a few inches short. Edward didn’t flinch.

“What is going on here?” said Daniel. He didn’t even try to be polite, because he knew it would be wasted on Edward.

“I have contacts at London Zoo,” Edward said easily. “People who see to it that I always get the most dangerous animals to play with. They do it partly for the money and partly in the hope that, one day, one of the beasts they supply will kill me.”

Daniel looked at Tina, but she was keeping all expression out of her face and saying nothing. He turned reluctantly back to Edward.

“How do you mean, ‘play’?”

Edward just grinned at him, taking Daniel’s obvious disapproval as a compliment. He walked right up to the cage, and the tiger stood very still. It could sense what was coming. Edward unlocked the cage door, holding the tiger’s gaze with his own.

“Stay close, my children, and enjoy the show,” he said, smiling easily. “But whatever happens, don’t interfere. This is all mine.”

He threw the door open and the tiger erupted out of its cage, just a blur of muscles and stripes, as it went for Edward’s throat. But Edward wasn’t there anymore. He’d moved even as the tiger started its leap, and the tiger only flew through the space where he had been. It spun round quickly to face Edward, and he bared his teeth at it. On anyone else such a thing would have looked ridiculous—but this was Edward Hyde. The tiger actually paused for a moment, acknowledging the very real threat in Edward’s snarl.

Daniel moved to put his body between Tina and the tiger, but she immediately pushed him aside so she could get a clear view. Daniel checked how far it was to the main door, just in case he had to drag her out. She could be mad at him afterward, when they were both safe. Even though a part of him did wonder whether Tina could take the tiger.

The huge beast circled Edward slowly, its tail thrashing, head held low, lips pulled back to reveal heavy predator’s teeth. It was growling constantly now, like a low roll of thunder. Edward turned slowly, steadily, so that he was always facing the tiger . . . grinning so broadly his face reminded Daniel of gargoyles on cathedral roofs. And then Edward threw aside his stick and beckoned to the tiger; and it went for his throat again.

Despite all the strength and power in the tiger’s leap, Edward didn’t give an inch. He braced himself and lashed out with one massive fist, punching the tiger right between the eyes. The sheer force of the blow stopped the great cat in midair, and it slumped to the ground, only half conscious. The impact alone should have broken every bone in Edward’s fist, but he hit the tiger again and again, driving it into the floor. Daniel winced as he heard bones crack and break in the tiger’s skull.

The massive beast tried to gather its hind legs under it for another leap, but Edward moved in close, raining blow after blow on the tiger’s head. Blood spurted from the tiger’s mouth and nose, and then from its eyes and ears. It collapsed on the floor, unable to defend itself. It knew its death was close. It made a low helpless sound—and Edward laughed at it. Daniel stirred, but Tina grabbed his arm before he could do anything, piling on the pressure to hold him where he was.

Edward didn’t pause in his attack, hitting the tiger again and again and grunting happily with the effort that went into every blow. Until the tiger let out one last sigh, and stopped breathing. But even after it was dead Edward kept on hitting it, laughing out loud as the body jumped bonelessly from the repeated impacts.

And then, quite suddenly, Edward stopped. He bent over the body, breathing hard, as though inhaling the kill and savoring it; and then he slowly straightened up, took a large handkerchief from his pocket, and set about methodically wiping the blood from his hands. He looked across at Daniel, and dropped him a roguish wink.

“King of the jungle!”

Tina let go of Daniel’s arm. She was breathing almost as heavily as Edward, her face flushed from the excitement of the kill. Daniel couldn’t help wondering what it would feel like, to go head to head with a living engine of destruction and defeat it with nothing but his bare hands. But even as he thought that, another part of him wanted to kill Edward for what he’d just done. Because it hadn’t been a fair fight. The tiger never stood a chance.

Edward must have seen something in Daniel’s face, because he stopped what he was doing and summoned Daniel forward with one blood-spattered hand. Daniel didn’t hesitate, because Edward would have seen that as weakness. He walked steadily forward, until they were standing face-to-face. He didn’t even glance down at the dead tiger. Edward reached out and carefully smeared some of the tiger’s blood across Daniel’s face.

“There,” Edward said cheerfully. “Now you’re blooded. One of us.”

“Fresh blood?” said a new voice behind them. “You shouldn’t have.”

Paul Mayer was standing by the door, smiling his saturnine smile while being careful not to reveal his vampire teeth. None of the Hydes had heard him enter; he was just suddenly there, wrapped in his long and filthy coat. Daniel realized he was seeing Paul clearly for the first time, in the sharp, shadowless light of Edward’s playroom. The vampire looked even worse than Daniel remembered.

Paul’s skin was horribly pale, like a dead thing that had spent too much time underground. He stood straight and still, with nothing human in his posture or composure. Just his presence was enough to raise the hackles on Daniel’s neck. Paul was dangerous, a threat to all of them; far more than the tiger had been. The animal just wanted to kill them, but Paul would do much worse, given the chance.

He’d make them like him.

Daniel felt Tina stir at his side, and this time his hand clamped down on her arm, holding her where she was. Memories of old friendship might hold Paul back, but Daniel wasn’t sure of that. The thing standing before him only looked like his old friend. Tina threw off Daniel’s hand and snarled at Paul, like an animal challenged on its own territory. Paul looked her over insolently, and then let his smile widen so Tina could get a good look at his jagged teeth. Tina fell back a step. She knew when she’d been out-snarled.

“How did you get in here?” she said.

“Because he’s one of mine,” said Edward. He spoke quite calmly, as though the presence of the undead didn’t disturb him at all. “This is my inside man for the Vampire Clan. Though he’s supposed to know better than to come here during the day. Or enter my building without checking with me first.”

Paul shrugged. He seemed entirely unimpressed by Edward, as though he’d seen worse. And Daniel thought he probably had.

“How were you able to get here, in broad daylight?” he said steadily.

“There are all kinds of hidden ways to get around this city,” said Paul. “There is a London under London. When I told you all the monsters went underground, Danny, I meant that literally. They make their homes right under your feet. And that’s just the monsters you’ve heard of. You’d be surprised what else there is, down in the depths. Things even monsters are afraid of. The world is older and stranger than you can imagine, Danny boy. Now let’s get on with this. I need my beauty sleep.”

“In your coffin?” said Daniel.

“That’s for the elders,” said Paul. “I just get my own patch of dirt.”

“Why do you allow a vampire access to this building, Edward?” said Tina. Her voice was loud, and very cold.

“I summoned him here,” said Edward. “So he can help us destroy the annual gathering of the Vampire Clan. Paul is going to tell us exactly where they’re going to be.”

“Why would he betray his own kind?” said Tina.

“Because I’m not like them,” said Paul. “I never wanted to be a vampire. They took away my humanity, made me into a thing of blood and horror, dragged me kicking and screaming out of the light and into the dark. You’re going to be my revenge.”

Daniel turned his gaze away, to look at Edward.

“How do we destroy the Clan? Another bomb?”

“Yes, and no,” said Edward. “A bomb on its own wouldn’t be enough. You can’t kill what’s already dead.”

“Undead,” said Paul.

“Correct me again and I’ll rip out your canines,” said Edward. “The point is, the vampires need to be lured into a properly prepared trap. And that’s where you come in, my children. You will go to the annual gathering and walk among them. Paul will provide you with the proper passwords. You will then insult and provoke the vampires into chasing you to where you have planted the bomb, so you can trigger the trap.”

“How are we supposed to survive that?” said Tina.

“I have faith in you,” said Edward.

“Where do we find this gathering?” said Daniel.

“Vampires live in the Underground railway system,” said Paul. “Because it’s always dark down there. They sleep in abandoned stations, and move back and forth through forgotten tunnels. Like worms in the earth. Sometimes they appear on the usual platforms, when hardly anyone’s about, so they can fall on some unfortunate soul and drag them off into the shadows. Vampires ride the trains to every part of London, and then use the hidden ways to get to where they have to be, and do what they have to do. The Tube is such a convenient system, you have to wonder if it was originally designed with vampires in mind. A hiding place and a feeding ground, all in one—”

“Hold it,” said Daniel. “Vampires ride the trains, along with the living—and no one notices?”

“No one ever looks at anyone else on the underground,” said Paul. “You know that, Danny.”

Daniel nodded slowly. “You told me the Vampire Clan specializes in crimes of seduction . . . ”

“No one ever sees what a vampire really looks like,” said Paul. “A glamour hides our true nature, so people only see what we want them to. The Clan owns all manner of private clubs where the rich and powerful can go to satisfy the needs and hungers they could never admit to anywhere else. And I’m not just talking about blood drinking, but rather all the strange desires and weird cravings that only a vampire’s glamour can make possible. Because we can be anyone you ever dreamed of . . . ”

Tina turned to Edward. “We’re going to have to do something about these clubs, after we’ve destroyed the vampires.”

“Of course,” said Edward. “My people will take them over. Jekyll & Hyde Inc. can always use a new source of revenue.”

Tina looked like she wanted to say something, but she didn’t, so Daniel didn’t either.

“Tell them where they need to go, Paul,” said Edward.

“The annual gathering of the Vampire Clan will be held at the stroke of midnight, in the abandoned Albion Square station,” said Paul. “Dress informally, and don’t be late.”

“Why here in London?” said Daniel. “Why not . . . Transylvania?”

“Because the monsters have been based here for so long, it feels like home to them,” said Paul. “The vampire elders remember when this was a very different city, but they still feel like they own it. That all the people in London are nothing more than livestock, to feed on when they choose.”

“That’s enough,” said Edward, cutting him off. “You’ve said your piece. Now get the hell out of my building.”

Paul just nodded, entirely unimpressed by the disdain in Edward’s voice. The tip of a gray tongue emerged, to lick at his colorless lips.

“I wonder what your blood would taste like, Edward? Perhaps you’ve aged well, like an old wine.”

“Too rich for you, boy,” said Edward.

He smiled at Paul—and something in that smile made the vampire turn his head away. Perhaps because Edward had been a predator for so much longer—or because only one of them wanted to be a monster.

“Walk with me, Danny boy,” said Paul. “We need to talk privately.”

The two of them moved off a way. Tina stared curiously after them. Edward didn’t seem to care.

“Wipe the blood off your face, Danny,” Paul said quietly. “It’s distracting.”

Daniel took out a handkerchief and cleaned his face as best he could. Paul nodded, appreciating the attempt.

“You look good as a Hyde, Danny. Is your new life everything you thought it would be?”

He glanced back at Tina. Daniel didn’t.

“The Frankenstein Clan is gone,” he said.

“I know,” said Paul. “All the other Clans can’t stop talking about it.”

“I thought the Clans were too proud to talk to each other?” said Daniel.

“There are bars, and clubs,” Paul said vaguely. “Private places, where the lower ranks can meet and drink and talk together, even though they know they’re not supposed to. Perhaps especially because they know they’re not supposed to. But who else could they gossip with, who would understand?” He looked thoughtfully at Daniel. “Did it feel good, when the Frankensteins died?”

“Yes,” said Daniel. “Like a weight off my soul.”

“I’m glad,” said Paul. “I couldn’t get to them. The vampire elders keep me on too short a leash. But I knew you could do it, with a little push in the right direction.”

Daniel looked at him. He didn’t like the idea that Paul had sent him to Edward just so he could make use of him.

“Did you reach out to Edward, originally?” he said. “Or did he go after you, to be his inside man?”

“Did he buy me, or am I using him?” said Paul. “You’re sharper than you used to be, Danny boy. Let’s just say there are games within games inside this very private war, and there are more sides than anybody knows. But that isn’t the question you should be asking.”

“Then what is?”

“Did Edward Hyde provide Commissioner Gill with the original misleading information that sent us to the Frankenstein chop shop?”

Daniel stared at Peter. “Why would he do that?”

Paul shrugged. It looked subtly wrong, like something the vampire remembered doing from when he was alive, but couldn’t quite remember why.

“Perhaps because he hoped it would produce someone motivated enough to kill monsters. Someone prepared to do absolutely anything, in their need for revenge.”

“Are you sure about this?” said Daniel.

“No. But I listen, and I hear things. Enough to be sure that this whole situation is so hideously complicated that not even Edward Hyde understands everything that’s going on. The only thing I am sure of is that I don’t want to do this anymore. So when it’s all over . . . if I survive, stake me.”

“I can’t do that,” said Daniel. “You’re my friend.”

“If you are still my friend, put an end to me,” said Paul. “Because I can’t. Trust me, you’d do it without a moment’s hesitation if you knew some of the things I’ve done. Because the elders ordered me to, or just because I wanted to. I’m hanging on to what’s left of my humanity by my fingertips—and I’m losing my grip. Promise me that whatever happens, you’ll finish me.”

Daniel nodded slowly. “I promise.”

Paul abruptly turned away, and headed for the main door. His feet made no sound at all on the bare wooden floor. As Paul approached the door it opened on its own, and then closed behind him after he was gone.

“Okay . . . ” said Tina. “That’s handy.”

Daniel walked back to join her. Edward thrust a large folder into Tina’s hands.

“This file contains your mission details—everything you need to know, to destroy the Vampire Clan. Follow the plan carefully, and you should come back alive. Now off you go, my children, and put an end to every single one of them.”

He looked meaningfully at Daniel. He knew Edward was talking about Paul, but he didn’t say anything. He headed for the door, and for once Tina hurried after him.