Jekyll & Hyde Inc.

Chapter Nine

IT’S IN THE BLOOD

In the cold and quiet of the early morning, Daniel and Tina headed back to the Jekyll & Hyde Inc. building. There was no traffic and no one about to see them return in triumph from a mission that should have killed them. It occurred to Daniel that this was probably a good thing, given that the werewolves had made a real mess of their clothes. He looked at the ragged remains of his jacket, and then glanced sideways at Tina and winced. She caught Daniel looking at her, and raised an eyebrow.

“What’s the matter? See something you don’t like?”

“We look like we’ve been dragged through a threshing machine backward,” Daniel said solemnly. “And then beaten with sticks by people who really didn’t like us. Of course, on you, it looks good.”

“Nice save,” said Tina. “You, on the other hand, look like crap.”

Daniel checked himself out. The alpha werewolves had savaged him from head to foot, but as far as he could tell all his wounds had healed.

“No,” said Tina. “I mean, you look tired.”

“We’ve done a lot, and been through a lot,” said Daniel. “And it isn’t over yet.”

“I know,” said Tina. “Edward will be waiting to see if we survived the trap he set for us.”

Daniel looked down the empty street to their destination. “Do we have a plan, as such?”

“March straight into his office and tell him the game is over,” said Tina. “And that we’ve come back to deal with the worst monster of them all.”

Daniel frowned. “You’re still set on killing him?”

“He deserves it,” said Tina.

“Of course he does. But . . . we do owe him a lot. Think what our lives were like before we drank the Elixir. He gave us hope and new purpose.”

“But he didn’t do it for us,” said Tina. “He just needed pawns to do his dirty work. And once we’d won his war for him, he threw us to the wolves. We don’t owe that man a thing.”

Daniel nodded at the Jekyll & Hyde Inc. building. A few lights were showing, here and there.

“Looks like someone’s still up . . . What makes you so sure Edward will be in his office? Why wouldn’t he have gone home?”

“Because he doesn’t have one,” said Tina. “Think about it: Can you really see Edward Hyde taking it easy in a comfy chair, watching television with his feet up? You’ve seen what he does for fun; I don’t think that man ever relaxes. I’m not even sure he sleeps anymore. It’s hard to think of him doing anything that weak—or vulnerable.”

“But why would he choose to live here?” said Daniel.

“Because it’s the only place he feels safe,” said Tina. “He doesn’t fear his enemies; I think he glories in them. But he knows only major layers of protection can keep him secure.” She smiled briefly. “From anyone but us.”

“Can we kill him?” said Daniel. “I mean, do you think it’s physically possible? We haven’t been Hydes long, and we just survived a mauling by a whole pack of werewolves. He is the original Mr. Hyde, the embodiment of evil, and he’s grown impossibly strong down the years. It could be there isn’t a weapon that can kill him.”

“We can take him if we work together,” said Tina. “All we have to do is knock him down, rip his head off, and throw it out the window. Let’s see him survive that.”

“But—”

“I don’t want to hear any buts!”

“We can’t kill him until we’ve got some answers,” said Daniel.

“We know all we need to know,” Tina said bluntly. “We were played! We should have known. He told us, right to our faces, that we were just part of a scheme he’d been working on for years.”

“But what’s his endgame?” said Daniel. “Would control of the criminal underworld be enough, for someone like him?”

“Why not?” said Tina. “This way, he has his revenge on the monsters who never respected him and gets to keep everything that was theirs.”

“But can you honestly see Edward Hyde resting on his laurels? We’re talking about a man driven by hate and evil.”

“Given a choice, between keeping him alive for answers or killing the most dangerous man in the world . . . I vote we concentrate on the killing,” said Tina. “Or bits of us could end up scattered all around his office.”

“Good point,” said Daniel.

They came to a halt outside the main entrance. Light shone dimly through the tinted lobby windows, but there was no way of seeing in. No way of telling what kind of welcome Edward might have arranged for them. Daniel tried the door. It wasn’t locked. He took his hand away.

“What?” said Tina.

“I’m just wondering if there might be a tiger or two waiting,” said Daniel. “That does strike me as the kind of thing Edward would find funny.”

“If we can handle werewolves, we can handle tigers,” said Tina.

“This is true,” said Daniel.

“It doesn’t matter what’s waiting in there,” said Tina. “We just plow right through it, because we can’t afford to be distracted. There’s always the chance Edward might run, rather than face us openly.”

“No,” Daniel said immediately. “That would make him look weak, or scared, and he couldn’t bear that. He always has to be the most dangerous thing in the room. His pride won’t stand for anything else.”

“I’m putting my money on some kind of ambush,” said Tina. “Something to slow us down and wear us out before we get to him.”

“Who’d still be in the building at this hour?” said Daniel. “Are we going to end up fighting the janitors?”

“Whoever it is, knock them down and walk right over them,” said Tina. “Because good people don’t come to work for Jekyll & Hyde Inc.”

Daniel looked at her. “You did.”

She met his gaze steadily. “I wasn’t a good person when Edward found me. If I have mellowed since then, it’s because of you.”

“Mellow is not a word I would ever use to describe you,” said Daniel.

She flashed him a quick smile. “You say the nicest things.”

Daniel went back to staring at the door. “Given that we have killed Frankensteins, vampires, mummies, and werewolves to get to this point, I’m hard-pressed to think what Edward could have waiting in there that might stand a hope in hell of stopping us.”

“He’ll have thought of something,” said Tina. “Edward lives to put the boot into his enemies, in new and inventive ways.”

“I’m past being impressed,” said Daniel. “I just want this to be over.”

He kicked the door open and strode into the lobby, with Tina right beside him—and then they crashed to a halt. Because for the first time in Daniel’s experience, the lobby wasn’t empty. It was crammed from wall to wall with all kinds of people aiming all kinds of guns. Daniel and Tina looked thoughtfully at the massed gunmen, and a series of soft clicks traveled through the crowd as some of them remembered about safety catches. Daniel and Tina glared unwaveringly at the gunmen, refusing to be intimidated.

“People with guns?” Tina said loudly. “I think we’ve just been insulted.”

“There are an awful lot of them,” said Daniel.

“It’s the principle of the thing!” said Tina.

Daniel studied the crowd carefully.

“I’m seeing automatic weapons and all kinds of handguns, but nothing to suggest these people have any experience in using them. They’re just suits, office workers, maybe lower management. Security must have had the good sense to do a runner, rather than face us. If you ask me, most of these people would jump out of their socks if I shouted Boo! at them. Shall I try?”

“That would be cruel,” said Tina.

“Is that a yes, or a no?”

“They’re just office drones,” said Tina. “I know some of them. We used to go drinking together.” She raised her voice. “Johnny, Frank, Nathan . . . what the hell is going on here?”

The three gunmen named had the grace to seem a little abashed. They all looked at one another, hoping someone else would go first.

“Why are you pointing guns at me?” Tina said loudly.

“And me,” said Daniel, just to make it clear he wasn’t going to be left out.

Under the pressure of Tina’s gaze, Nathan cleared his throat uncomfortably. “We’re here because Mr. Hyde told us we had to be. And because we’re more afraid of him than we are of you.”

There was a general murmur of agreement that died quickly away when Tina scowled around her.

“But he’s not here, and I am. Feel free to wet yourself now, and avoid the rush.” She glanced at Daniel. “I can’t believe Edward set his office staff on us.”

“Not everyone’s here,” said Daniel.

Tina looked quickly round the crowd. “Who’s missing?”

“I’m not seeing the two tailors,” said Daniel. “Which is just as well, given that they always creeped the hell out of me.”

“Really?” said Tina. “I thought they were sweet.”

“That’s because you’re weird.”

“And you love it,” said Tina. “I don’t see Miss Montague. And no one here seems to be armed with any of the really nasty things we saw in her armory.”

“Now that is odd,” said Daniel. “Maybe Miss Montague decided she didn’t want any part of this, and barricaded herself inside the armory.”

“Let’s hope so,” said Tina. “Because I saw a few things in there that could punch a hole through a mountain and make it apologize for being in the way.” She turned back to Nathan, who looked like he was trying to pretend he was hiding behind someone else. “Do you know why Edward only gave you ordinary guns?”

“Because he wants your bodies as intact as possible,” Nathan said miserably.

“How considerate,” said Tina.

“Not really,” said Daniel. “He has a use for them.”

“Okay . . . ” said Tina. “My head is now full of appalling images and I really wish it wasn’t.”

“I’m wondering why no one’s opened fire yet,” said Daniel.

“Ask them,” said Tina. “No, let me do it. I can be more menacing.”

“I can do menacing,” said Daniel. “I used to be a policeman.”

“Mr. Hyde said he didn’t want your bodies destroyed,” Nathan said quickly. “He did say he was prepared to accept damaged, if you didn’t obey orders.”

“We’re not good at obeying orders,” said Daniel.

“We’re really not,” said Tina.

“We’re Hydes,” said Daniel.

“Damn right,” said Tina.

Nathan did his best to stand up straight and sound like he was in charge.

“You must see you’re massively outnumbered! And that we have lots of really big guns. There’s no way you could hope to survive massed firepower like this. So . . . please surrender, and let us take you to see Mr. Hyde in his office. Who knows? Maybe he just wants to talk to you.”

“Does that even sound likely?” said Daniel.

“Not really, no,” said Nathan. “But it has to beat dying here in a hail of bullets. Please come along . . . and then we can all go home and hide under our beds till this is over.”

“Oh sure,” said Tina. “Because this is all about you.” She turned to Daniel. “I get it now. Edward wants our bodies as undamaged as possible, so he can use them to make more Elixir.”

“And I’m pretty sure he can’t do that while we’re still alive,” said Daniel. “So the most likely scenario is . . . we’ll be ushered into his office, where Edward will be all smiles and apologies, and say there’s been a terrible misunderstanding; and would we care for a nice drugged drink? Once we’re under the influence he can just carve us up, and squeeze what’s left of the Elixir out of our systems.”

“That does sound like Edward,” said Tina.

“Couldn’t you cooperate just a little?” Nathan said desperately.

Daniel looked at Tina. “Do you feel like cooperating? It might get us to Edward’s office a bit quicker.”

“Really not in my nature,” said Tina.

“Or mine,” said Daniel.

Tina stretched slowly, in an anticipatory sort of way, and the whole crowd flinched.

“I think it’s time we got to work,” said Tina. “Beating up a whole crowd of gunmen isn’t going to happen on its own.”

“Sounds like a plan to me,” said Daniel. “Tallest pile of bodies wins?”

“Now you’re talking,” said Tina.

They threw themselves at the massed gunmen, and before any of them could react the two Hydes were in and among them, moving too quickly for anyone to draw a bead. They punched people out, kicked their feet out from under them and trampled them underfoot, or just picked them up and threw them at the nearest wall. And laughed out loud while they did it.

At first, the gunmen hesitated to open fire for fear of hitting one of their own, but as more and more of them crashed bleeding or unconscious to the floor, it was inevitable that someone would panic. A man Daniel and Tina hadn’t even got close to suddenly started screaming and opened fire with his machine pistol, shooting through everyone else to get to the Hydes. And once he started, everyone else joined in.

The noise of so many guns firing at once was deafening. Some people were blown off their feet, while others dropped their guns and threw themselves to the floor, praying for it all to be over. Heads disintegrated, and flesh exploded in bloody clouds. People were screaming everywhere, but no one could hear them for all the gunfire. Daniel and Tina darted back and forth, slapping guns out of hands and punching out those who tried to hang on to them, but as more and more people were cut down there was less and less cover. Daniel suddenly found himself facing a man with an automatic weapon, and nowhere left to go. Daniel hesitated, and the gunman opened fire at point-blank range.

The gun seemed to keep on firing forever. Bullet after bullet slammed into Daniel, but though his body rocked from the impacts, he stood his ground and stared defiantly back at the gunman. His body soaked up the bullets, and stopped them before they could penetrate far enough to do any real damage. It hurt like hell, but Daniel had known worse.

Everyone else stopped what they were doing, so they could stand and watch. Eventually the weapon ran out of ammunition, and a sudden hush fell across the lobby. The man slowly lowered his gun and stared, wide eyed, as one by one the bullets slowly emerged from Daniel’s body and fell in a soft metal rain to the floor. Daniel looked down at his wounds, to reassure himself they were already healing—and then looked up again to stare coldly at the man with the empty gun.

The gunman threw his weapon away and sprinted for the exit. In a moment the rest of the crowd had thrown away their weapons and were hot on his heels, fighting one another as they struggled to force their way through the only door. It wasn’t long before the lobby was empty, apart from all the bodies lying scattered across the floor. Most were dead or unconscious, and the rest had enough sense to pretend to be. Tina moved over to stand before Daniel and ran her fingers gently over his healed wounds.

“I didn’t know you could do that,” she said quietly.

“Neither did I,” said Daniel. “But if I can do it, so can you.”

Tina grinned. “Good to know.”

“Edward made us better than he knew,” said Daniel. “Let’s go talk to the man and show him how appreciative we are.”

“Can’t wait,” said Tina.

They headed for the elevators at the rear of the lobby. The air was thick with slowly dispersing gunsmoke and the hot copper smell of freshly spilled blood. Daniel and Tina breathed it in like fine wine as they stepped casually over the fallen bodies. It was all very quiet now, though not necessarily peaceful. Daniel stopped before the elevator doors, and Tina looked at him impatiently.

“You’re frowning again.”

“I think it might be best if we took the stairs,” he said thoughtfully. “Edward could have sabotaged the elevators.”

“That is what I would have done,” said Tina. “Come on, I know where the door to the stairwell is.”

“Of course you do,” said Daniel, following her off to one side. “You know where everything is.”

“Somebody has to,” said Tina.

She led the way to the door, tucked away in a far corner of the lobby, but when she went to open it Daniel stopped her.

“Edward could have anticipated that we’d avoid the elevators, and booby-trapped the entrance to the stairwell.”

“What if there is a bomb?” said Tina. “By now we’re probably strong enough to shrug off an explosion.”

“Probably,” Daniel said carefully, in a way that suggested he wasn’t really agreeing. “Do you want to bet your life on it?”

He leaned forward to examine the door, but Tina just barged right past him and slammed the door open with her shoulder. She strode into the stairwell and nothing bad happened, so Daniel sighed quietly and followed her.

“Will you stop being cautious?” Tina said over her shoulder as she started up the stairs. “You’re a Hyde!”

“And I’d rather like to go on being a Hyde,” said Daniel, moving up alongside her.

“You just shrugged off a whole magazine of high-velocity bullets!”

“Everyone has their limits,” said Daniel.

“And I can’t wait to find out what Edward’s are,” said Tina.

In the end, they ran all the way up the stairs to the top of the building, and when they finally stepped out onto Edward’s floor they weren’t even breathing hard. Daniel felt energized, like he’d just warmed up for the main event. He bounced up and down on his toes as he studied the corridor before him, and smiled at Tina.

“I can’t believe how strong we’re getting . . . Do you suppose this is how Edward feels all the time?”

“He’s been a Hyde much longer than us,” said Tina. “I’m wondering if there are things he’s learned to do that we can’t.”

“I think we’re about to find out,” said Daniel.

“Are you clear on the plan?” said Tina.

“Hit him fast, hit him hard.”

“We can do this. We outnumber him.”

“But he’s Edward Hyde,” said Daniel.

“Not for long.”

The corridor was completely empty, the only sounds their soft footsteps on the thick carpeting. Daniel kept a cautious eye on every door they passed, but they all remained firmly closed, as though they didn’t want to get involved.

“Edward must know we’re on our way,” he said quietly. “Why would he still be waiting for us in his office?”

“Maybe he’s got one last deal to offer us,” said Tina.

“What could he possibly have that we’d want?”

“I don’t know,” said Tina. “But it’s worth thinking about.”

Daniel shot her a quick look. “Are you going off the idea of killing him?”

“No. I’m saying we should take what he has to offer—and then kill him.”

“It has to be a trap,” said Daniel. “And he’s just sitting there, like a spider in his web, waiting for us to walk into it.”

“Spiders get stepped on,” said Tina.

They’d almost reached Edward’s office when a small figure stepped suddenly out of a side door to block their way. Daniel and Tina stared blankly at the sweet little old lady in her nice sweater with puppies on. The woman in charge of the most dangerous part of Jekyll & Hyde Inc. There was something determined and implacable about her, even though she wasn’t carrying any kind of weapon.

“What are you doing here, Miss Montague?” said Tina.

The old lady smiled easily. “I can’t let you hurt my Edward.” Her smile widened. “You wouldn’t think I could still carry a torch for that man after all these years, would you? Especially after the way he’s treated me. But what can I say? I knew I wanted him from the moment I set eyes on him.”

“You must know he doesn’t love you,” said Daniel.

“I don’t think Edward ever loved anybody,” said Miss Montague. “I doubt he’s capable of it. Perhaps that’s part of the attraction—to love someone you know will never love you.”

“Did he ask you to come here and defend him?” said Tina.

“Oh no, dear. I went to him and told him what I had in mind. I made it clear that I was ready to die for him, and he just shrugged and told me to get on with it. I’m pretty sure he thought it was funny . . . But that doesn’t matter. I’m doing this for me, as much as for him.”

“I’m not seeing anything nasty from your armory,” Daniel said carefully. “So how do you propose to stop us?”

“With this,” said Miss Montague. She produced a vial of dark liquid, and held it up before her. “The final dose of Dr. Jekyll’s Elixir.”

Daniel frowned. “I thought I drank the last one.”

“Well, yes, technically you did,” said Miss Montague. “This is the dregs, the leftovers. I was supposed to destroy them, but I decided to hang on to them for the armory. I had a feeling they might come in handy some day. I never thought I’d end up drinking this muck myself.”

“Don’t do it!” Tina said urgently. “The Elixir kills far more people than it transforms.”

“I know, dear,” Miss Montague said calmly. “But this is my chance to be like Edward. Perhaps he’ll feel differently about me, when I’m more like him. And having seen so many Hydes come and go down the years I am curious as to what it will feel like, to be more than human.

“And . . . I am so very tired of being old. Of having to struggle to do the things I used to take for granted. I’m ready to risk the potion, just for a chance to be young again. To feel like myself . . . instead of a useless bag of bones.”

She smiled happily at Daniel and Tina. “So, you just stand where you are while I drink this. And then I’ll kick both your arses.”

She took the cap off the vial and knocked the whole dose back in one. She threw away the vial, pulled a face, and shook her head vigorously.

“Oh, that tasted vile . . . ”

Her back snapped straight and her head came up, her face filled with shock and wonder. Her body bulged as new muscles formed and youth swept through her like a cleansing wind, driving out old age. All the wrinkles disappeared from her face, leaving her looking like the woman who first fell in love with Edward Hyde. She blazed with fierce intensity, like a living goddess, and smiled dazzlingly at Daniel and Tina.

But even as they braced themselves for a fight, Miss Montague frowned . . .  as though something was happening that she didn’t understand. Her muscles suddenly became even larger, bulging out until she couldn’t stand straight anymore. Her back hunched, and one shoulder rose higher than the other. Miss Montague opened her mouth to say something, and blood poured out. She fell to her knees, twitching and shuddering, and then fell backward, staring in horror at something only she could see. Daniel and Tina rushed forward, feeling the need to do something even though Miss Montague had been ready to kill both of them just moments before. They knelt by her side but already she was growing older, shrinking in on herself, as though her own energies were burning her up. She became small and fragile, and her face collapsed into a maze of wrinkles. When she finally let out her last rattling breath, she looked like an ancient mummy.

Daniel and Tina slowly got to their feet again.

“I did warn her,” said Tina.

“I don’t think she cared,” said Daniel. “She said she was ready to die for Edward.”

“He wasn’t worthy of her,” said Tina.

“No,” said Daniel. “He wasn’t. Let’s go visit the old monster—and make him pay.”

“Sounds like a plan to me,” said Tina.

When they finally burst into Edward’s outer office, it was empty, with no sign anywhere of the determinedly glamorous secretary. Daniel looked quickly around in search of hidden traps or ambushes, but everything seemed normal. He frowned, and sniffed the air.

“Can you smell something?”

“Something . . . ” said Daniel. “What is that?”

“Nothing good,” said Tina.

They cautiously approached the door to Edward’s office. Daniel placed one hand flat against the door and pushed it open, and when nothing bad happened, he led the way into the office. Where Edward Hyde was sitting happily behind his antique mahogany desk, waiting to greet them.

His secretary lay sprawled across the desk, her throat cut from ear to ear. Blood had streamed down the sides of the desk and pooled thickly on the floor. The secretary’s face was a mask of horror, and her clothes had been ripped open so Edward could get at the flesh. There was a great hole in her side, with the ribs showing. Edward put a hand into the hole, pulled out a piece of meat and popped it into his mouth. He chewed thoughtfully, savoring the flavor, and blood ran down his chin as he smiled at Daniel and Tina.

“I got a bit peckish while I was waiting to see if you’d come back.”

“I always knew you had no heart,” said Tina.

“Neither does she, now,” said Edward.

“How could you?” said Daniel.

Edward shrugged. “She served a purpose, which is all I’ve ever asked of anyone. I told her she could go, but she insisted on staying in case there was anything she could do for me. And as it turned out, there was. Did you happen to bump into Esme Montague, on your way here?”

“She wanted to protect you,” said Daniel. “Because she loved you.”

Edward shrugged again. “I never asked her to. Where is she?”

“She drank what was left of the Elixir,” said Tina. “It killed her. And you don’t give a damn—do you?”

“I never have,” said Edward. “One of the great secrets of life, if you want to be free.” He smiled easily. “And the other great secret? You’re all just here for me to play with.”

He paused, to wipe the secretary’s blood off his mouth with the back of his hand. “Oh, don’t look at me like that . . . It’s not like you knew her. Or are you going to tell me you give a damn?”

“Just enough to make killing you that much easier,” said Daniel. “We know about your plan to take control of the criminal underworld.”

Edward sat back in his chair, and nodded happily. “I was wondering how long it would take you to work that out. And come on . . . Is it really such a surprise? I am the original Mr. Hyde! All the evil in a man, let loose on the world by Jekyll’s marvelous Elixir.”

“No,” said Daniel. “I don’t believe that’s what the Elixir does. Tina and I took it, and we’re not evil.”

“A bit extreme, sometimes,” said Tina. “But I like to think of that as just achieving my potential.”

“The Elixir brings out what’s inside someone,” said Daniel. “And all you had in you was evil.”

“You say that like it’s a bad thing,” said Edward. “But see how far it’s brought me.”

“You weren’t sure whether we’d be coming back from the werewolves, were you?” said Tina.

“Either you’d kill them or they’d kill you,” said Edward. “Whatever the result, I would come out ahead. Oh, don’t look so outraged . . . I created you, o my children. I meddled in your lives to shape you, to make you what you are, just so I could turn you loose on my enemies. And look at what you’ve achieved! But now I’m wondering whether I really need you anymore.”

He rose to his feet, and came out from behind the desk. Squat and powerful, broad shouldered and barrel chested, a living engine of destruction. Driven by hate, powered by evil. He smiled at them, like the devil looking on his works and finding them fair.

“You’ve both come so much farther than I ever thought possible. I feel a sort of paternal pride in you . . . And I suppose it is always possible that I might need your assistance in the future, as I use the criminal underworld to prey on Humanity and bring every last one of them under my control. So, I’ll give you one last chance to rise above human weakness, and be real Hydes. Work for me, be my second-in-commands, and we will trample the whole world under our feet.”

“I became a Hyde to kill monsters,” said Daniel. “To make sure they couldn’t hurt people anymore.”

“And I got into this because I could feel free from addiction again, and have fun,” said Tina. “Well guess what, Edward? You’re no fun anymore.”

Edward looked at her with mock sorrowful eyes. “How sharper than a serpent’s tooth it is, to have raised an ungrateful child.”

“I was never your child,” said Tina. “Just something you could use. Without properly asking.”

Edward smiled. “There’s a difference?”

“You never did anything for us,” said Daniel. “It was always all about making us into your soldiers, to fight your war for you. Because you didn’t have the guts to go out and finish off the monster Clans yourself.”

Edward’s eyes narrowed dangerously. “I’ve killed any number of monsters.”

“Only the ones who came to you,” said Tina. “You hid yourself away in your own little fortress, behind layers of protection, and waited for the Clan’s assassins to come to you. On your home ground, where you’d have the advantage . . . so you could have fun killing them, just like the tiger.”

“I had so many enemies I couldn’t risk taking them on openly,” said Edward. “All the monster Clans wanted me dead! I had a war to fight, and generals don’t put themselves in the front ranks.”

“Everyone in Jekyll & Hyde Inc. was just cannon fodder,” said Daniel. “More warm bodies to be thrust into the meat grinder, to give you a moment’s advantage.”

“That’s what war is,” said Edward.

“You even killed off your best soldiers,” said Tina. “All the other Hydes. Because you were scared they might turn on you.”

“Just like you turned on us,” said Daniel. “You didn’t really expect us to come back from the alpha wolves, did you? Not after everything you’d done to stack the odds in their favor.”

“Lying about the situation, giving us misleading information about the alpha wolves—and carefully not providing enough silver bullets,” said Tina.

“But just in case we made it back, you arranged a nice little welcome for us in the lobby,” said Daniel. “You armed the night crew and put them in our way, so you could retrieve the Elixir from our corpses.”

“You were supposed to die, but you couldn’t even get that right,” said Edward. “Why couldn’t you just die for me, after everything I did for you?”

“We were always the patsies in the deal,” said Daniel. “We don’t owe you anything, because you never gave us anything that wasn’t meant to serve you.”

“The monster Clans are dead and broken,” said Edward. “And you have your revenge. Haven’t I delivered everything I promised?”

“All that time you spent training me,” said Tina. “You made me think I was special, that I mattered. Did you ever feel anything for me?”

Edward looked at her for a long moment. “Did you want me to?”

“Tell me the truth,” said Tina. “For once in your life.”

“I would have cared for you, if I could,” said Edward. “But that’s not me. Hydes don’t do family.”

“You’re just another monster,” said Daniel.

“Now that’s where you’re wrong,” said Edward. “I was never just another monster. Should I tell you the truth . . . ? I always wanted to tell someone the real story of Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde. Well, why not? Tell the truth and shame the devil. Listen closely, my children. I never was Henry Jekyll. I was his friend: the lawyer, Gabriel John Utterson.”

He gestured at the framed photo on his desk, and for the first time Daniel saw a vague resemblance to Edward Hyde in the man smiling out of the faded image.

“A lawyer,” said Daniel. “Makes sense.”

“You said it yourself, Daniel,” Edward said happily. “Why would the good and saintly Dr. Jekyll want to take a potion that would release all the evil in a man? But the repressed and frustrated Utterson . . . he couldn’t wait to take the potion, and do all the things he’d dreamed of. And then murder and frame his old friend Henry Jekyll for the sins he committed.”

“You bastard!” said Daniel.

Edward Hyde put back his great head and laughed heartily, savoring the memories.

“You really are a monster,” said Tina.

“And proud of it,” said Edward.

“Is that why you never took the potion again, to change back?” said Daniel.

Edward hesitated, as though he hadn’t expected that question. He glanced at the man in the photo and frowned, as though he didn’t recognize him.

“He was such a weak man,” he said finally. “Why would I want to go back to being something that small?”

“Why are you still here?” Daniel said bluntly. “You must have known those gunmen wouldn’t be enough to stop us. You had to know we’d come for you.”

“Of course I knew,” said Edward. “But I just couldn’t resist the challenge.”

“You should have run,” said Tina.

“I’m Edward Hyde!”

“So what?” said Tina.

Edward snarled like a cornered animal and launched himself at Daniel. He punched him in the face, and the sheer force of it sent Daniel staggering backward. Tina cried out angrily and went for Edward. Without turning round he back-elbowed her in the throat, stopping her dead in her tracks. By then Daniel had recovered from Edward’s blow, and he lunged forward and punched Edward in the side of the head.

The sheer force of the blow drove Edward down onto one knee, but when Daniel moved in to pursue his advantage, Edward’s fist came flying up from the floor and buried itself in Daniel’s groin. A red flood of agony bent Daniel in half, and his eyes squeezed shut. Edward rose to his feet again, laughing breathlessly, just in time to face a new attack from Tina.

She lashed out at him with deadly force, and he didn’t even try to avoid the blow. He just stood his ground and took it, absorbing the impact without even blinking. The two Hydes went at each other hammer and tongs, taking punches that would have killed any ordinary human being. Neither of them tried to defend themselves, or dodge or deflect a blow. They just threw themselves at each other with single-minded ferocity, snarling into each other’s faces.

Daniel forced himself back onto his feet and went to join the fight, giving everything he had to every blow, but Edward just soaked up every attack Daniel and Tina could deliver, taking no damage and feeling no pain. His eyes danced merrily and he grinned like a shark, revelling in the moment as he finally unleashed his hatred on the two young Hydes who thought they were ready to replace him. He struck out at them again and again, with vicious strength and speed, but they stood their ground too, taking all the punishment he could hand out. Together Daniel and Tina piled on the pressure and drove Edward Hyde back, step by step.

The sounds of fists slamming into flesh were sickeningly loud, accompanied by harsh grunts from all three of them as they packed all their strength and emotion into every blow, calling on every resource they had to get the job done. Daniel and Tina pounded away at Edward, forcing him back toward his desk, and Daniel thought he saw the first flicker of fear in Edward’s eyes as he realized that, for the first time in his extended life, sheer brute force wasn’t going to be enough.

And that if he didn’t win this fight, he was going to die.

Edward stopped laughing, and lowered his fists a little, as though the strength was going out of him. Tina took the bait and moved in, but the moment she came within range Edward spat into her eyes. Temporarily blinded, Tina cried out and fell back, shaking her head as she fought to clear her sight. And while Daniel looked at her, distracted, Edward seized the chance to back away. Daniel thought he would make a rush for the door, and moved quickly to block his way. But Edward went for his desk.

Daniel assumed Edward had some kind of special weapon stashed away there, and went after him. Instead Edward scooped up the body of his dead secretary, spun around, and threw her right into Daniel’s face. His arms came up automatically to catch the secretary, cradling her in his arms. He never doubted she was dead, but he couldn’t help feeling she deserved to be treated properly, after everything Edward had done to her.

And while Daniel was preoccupied with that, Edward went after Tina. She’d only just got her sight back, but even as she raised her fists to defend herself, Edward thrust his arms past hers and locked his huge hands around her throat. She grabbed his wrists with both hands and fought to break his hold, only to find that she couldn’t. Edward’s arms were thick with great cables of muscles, and her hands couldn’t make any impression on them. She let go and punched him hard in the face, but he didn’t flinch. She slammed a vicious blow into his side, and was sure she felt ribs crack and break, but he didn’t react. He just piled on the pressure, forcing Tina’s throat shut while he grinned fiercely. She fought for air, and started to panic when she found there wasn’t any. Edward moved in close, pushing his face right into hers, so he could savor her growing fear . . . and watch the life go out of her.

Daniel forgot about treating the dead secretary respectfully. He threw her to one side, and rushed to help Tina. He slammed a punch into Edward’s back, so hard he felt he must have destroyed one of the man’s kidneys, but Edward didn’t flinch or look back. Daniel hit him again and again, bruising his hands against the heavy muscles, but Edward just ignored him. Daniel saw Tina struggling helplessly, her face flushed crimson and her eyes bulging, as she fought for breath that wouldn’t come. And Daniel knew that if he didn’t do something quickly, she was going to die.

He lowered his fists, and thought furiously. There had to be a way to stop Edward. And then he smiled coldly as he realized it wasn’t how hard you hit your enemy, but where. Everyone, no matter how strong, had the same weak spots. Daniel stepped forward and punched Edward on the back of his neck.

Daniel could feel the vertebrae break and shatter, and Edward’s hands leapt open in a reflex action. For a moment Edward was helpless as the broken neck repaired itself, and Tina planted a foot against his massive chest and shoved him away with all her strength. Edward went stumbling backward to where Daniel was waiting. He rabbit-punched Edward again, putting all his strength into the blow, and drove him to his knees.

Daniel and Tina took a moment to look at each other over Edward’s bent back. They knew they had to kill Edward while they had the chance. But Edward was a Hyde, just like them, and they had already survived everything the monster Clans could throw at them. What could they do to Edward that the Frankensteins, the vampires, the mummies, and the werewolves hadn’t already tried?

And then Daniel realized he was looking at Tina as she stood behind Edward, just as she’d stood behind Nigel in the alleyway.

“Grab him, Tina!” Daniel yelled. “Hold him in place, like you did Nigel!”

Tina lunged forward, air still rasping painfully in her crushed throat. Her face twisted with the need for revenge, but her gaze was steady as she thrust an arm around Edward’s throat. She pulled back hard and hauled him upright, holding him in place with his chest thrust out. Edward threw all his strength against her, struggling to break Tina’s hold and throw her away, but he couldn’t. Tina held him firmly, and glared at Daniel over Edward’s shoulder.

“Do it!” she said, the harsh words only just understandable.

Daniel drew his silver knife, and stabbed Edward in the heart. Slamming the blade home with all his strength, until the hilt jarred against Edward’s chest. But Edward didn’t die. Even with his heart cut in two, Dr. Jekyll’s Elixir wouldn’t let Edward die. Daniel jerked the knife out. No blood spurted, and the gaping wound in Edward’s chest healed in a moment. Edward snarled at Daniel mockingly as he struggled to break Tina’s grip. She clung on determinedly, raking at Edward’s face with her free hand. Blood ran down his cheeks, but he didn’t care.

“Do something!” Tina yelled to Daniel, her words clearer now her throat was healing. “I can’t hold him much longer!”

Daniel knew he had to think of something. He looked quickly round the office, searching for inspiration, for something he could use. His gaze fell on the two sepia photographs in their silver frames, still standing on the desk. They’d been pushed right to the back by the secretary’s body, but now that was gone they both stood revealed again. Ancient images of Dr. Henry Jekyll and his old friend, the lawyer Utterson—who was now Edward Hyde. And a sudden cold certainty rushed through Daniel as the answer came to him. It was all about the Elixir. It had always been all about the Elixir. Why didn’t Edward drink all of it once he’d turned? Why save it for decades?

Was the poison also the antidote?

Daniel wondered where could he get more of it.

He set the edge of the silver knife against his opposite wrist, gritted his teeth and pressed down hard, shearing through the great veins with one swift motion. Blood started to spurt, but before the wound could heal itself, Daniel surged forward and pressed it against Edward’s open mouth. Caught off guard, Edward didn’t have time to react before the pressure of the jetting blood forced itself down his throat. He swallowed despite himself, and then bent suddenly forward with such force that he threw Tina over his shoulder. She tucked and rolled and was quickly back on her feet, ready to grab Edward again, but stopped as Daniel shook his head. He pressed his hand over his cut wrist, and felt the wound heal. Edward straightened up, shaking and shuddering, his eyes full of a terrible foreshadowing.

Tina moved over to Daniel, and put an arm round his shoulders. They watched silently as Edward dropped to his knees, and then fell over onto his side. His convulsions were so powerful now they shook his whole body like a dog shakes a rat. He began to shrink on himself, in sudden fits and starts, his massive frame disappearing as though consumed by some inner fire, until at last he looked once again like the man in the sepia photograph. But the change didn’t stop there. His face grew steadily older, shrinking back to reveal the skull beneath, as the years he’d defied for so long finally caught up with him. And when he finally stopped breathing and lay still, the withered thing curled up on the floor had nothing of Edward Hyde left in him.

Tina made sure Daniel could stand on his own, and then she went over to the body and looked down at it, her face completely unreadable.

“What did you do to him?”

“Our blood contains the Elixir,” he said steadily. “The one thing that could turn Edward back into who he used to be.”

“Good thinking,” said Tina.

She turned to look back at him, and they stared at each other for a long moment.

“So,” said Tina. “What do we do now?”

“We’re Hydes,” said Daniel. “The only ones left. Which makes us heirs to Jekyll & Hyde Inc., and all it controls.”

“And what do you think we should do with all of that?” said Tina.

“Make the organization something to be proud of,” said Daniel. “Turn it loose on all the monsters that are still out there.”

“Typical policeman,” said Tina. “We could own this city! Make everyone in it do what we want!”

“And become monsters, just like Edward.”

“Are we going to have to fight over who takes charge?” said Tina.

“That would have to be a fight to the death,” said Daniel.

“Yes,” said Tina. “It would.”

They stepped forward and put their hands on each other, and then they slow danced around Edward’s office. They looked into each other’s eyes, and smiled.

“What happens when we stop dancing?” said Tina.

“Oh,” said Daniel, “I’m sure we’ll think of something.”