Hidden Shifts Read online

  “The only thing I know that can be killed by or poisoned by silver is a werewolf.” Agent Bowers laughed nervously. “But they don’t exist. It’s all just a story, a myth.”

  Buckley sighed. “Yeah, they exist. I am one.” He looked around at the incredulous faces of his coworkers. “Yes. I’m a werewolf.”

  Agent Homes and Docklund looked at each other.

  “What?” Agent Homes asked, staring at Buckley.

  “It’s not like it’s a bad thing. I can’t shift into a werewolf. I never have. And we’re not like movie werewolves.” He hissed with pain again, then threw up. “We don’t eat people.” He said, wiping his mouth.

  “Well.” Agent Homes said, “that’s interesting. So what does Harry Porter know about werewolves that makes him qualified to treat you?”

  “Harry’s like me. He knows how to deal with silver.”

  Byrant

  “You know, I had everything I needed to be happy before I had to escape from Agent stupid Dave.”

  “Oh?” The clone said as he flew the helicopter.

  “Yeah,” Bryant said. “I had a nice place to live, a beautiful apartment. Owned the whole building, in fact. My lovely wife is a talented artist. Maybe you’ve heard of her? Serena Otta?”

  The clone shook his head. “I never got off the ship until now,” he said.

  “Yeah, I forgot, right. I can’t keep track of you guys. You all look the same to me.” Bryant said. “Anyway, I’ve decided I had everything I needed to be happy. I should have been happy. I’m not sure how I got messed up with Bumfinger, anyway. Money, I guess. I don’t know. I should have just stayed with the mercenary unit, I would’ve been better off.”

  The clone said nothing, he just concentrated on flying the helicopter. Bryant had given him the coordinates, and he was doing his best to comply. He’d seen firsthand what Bryant did to people who didn’t comply. He shuddered.

  The helicopter flew over Lake Sub Vectus, occasionally jostled by turbulence and incompetent flying. The clone wiped his sweaty palms on his pants. It was the first time he’d actually piloted the thing. All his training had been on the old video game console in the rec room on the ship.

  Bryant looked at him as the helicopter shook again. “What’s your name again?” He snapped.

  “Sparkle, Sir. Sargent Sparkle.”

  “That is the stupidest name ever.”

  “I’m kind of used to my name, sir. It doesn’t bother me.”

  “Well it bothers me,” Bryant said. “Who was in charge of naming you, anyway?”

  “I believe that was Agent Quill.” The clone said hesitantly, surreptitiously rubbing his hand on his pants to dry the sweat off again.

  “I might’ve known,” Bryant said. “Did you know he has a secret addiction to teenage vampire romances? I bet he was rereading his favourite series again when he named you.”

  Bryant settled back into the copilot seat, scrutinizing what the clone was doing. It did nothing to help his nervousness, and Sparkle wiped his hands on his pants again.

  “When we get close to a town, we need to ditch the chopper. Then, I want to send a postcard to my wife. Let her know I’m alright and I miss her. I obviously can’t phone her or message again. Agent stupid Dave will have his Zombie Horde Prevention Task Force cronies tapping it I’m sure.”

  “And what will I do, sir?” Sargent Sparkle asked, looking sidelong at Bryant.

  Bryant shrugged. “I don’t know. If you go with me, I suppose we’d have to dye your hair or cut it off. One or the other. Maybe both. I can’t have somebody with pink hair with me. Too obvious. Or, you can go your own way.” Bryant grinned at him. “Take your chances.”

  Sargent Sparkle didn’t like the look of that grin. Or the way Bryant looked at him. He had a bad feeling about it. He swallowed nervously and said, “I’ll try my luck going with you, sir.”

  “Good choice,” Bryant said, settling back in the seat and turning to look out the window again.

  Buckley

  Bang. Bang. Bang.

  “Hold your horses!” Harry shouted, “I’m coming.”

  Bang! Bang! Bang!

  “I said, hold your horses!” He shouted again as he flung the door open. Agent Homes stood there with her fist raised, about to pound on the door again. Harry grabbed her fist before she accidentally brought it down on his face.

  “What’s the meaning of this, Agent Homes?” Harry asked her.

  “Harry, it’s Buckley! He’s been shot.”

  “Okay, but why didn’t you take him back to the Task Force Headquarters? Why bring him here?”

  Agent Homes moved aside. Harry could see Buckley slung between the shoulders of two other Agents, being supported by them. He didn’t look very good. He was sweating, pale and trembling. Harry could see what looked like the shaft of an arrow sticking out from behind him.

  Before Harry could ask, Agent Homes said, “It’s a silver arrow, Harry.”

  Harry threw the door open all the way. “Bring him in. Quickly! Right through to the kitchen and put him on the table.”

  Agent Homes motioned for Agents Bowers and Docklund to bring Buckley in.

  “I’m going to get my kit,” Harry said. “I’ll be back in a minute.” Hiking his robe around his knees, he ran through the house.

  Agent Homes led the other two Agents through Harry’s house to the kitchen. She’d been here a few times with Buckley and knew the way.

  The kitchen table was immense, and they had no trouble laying Buckley face down on top of it. There was plenty of room, even for someone Buckley’s size.

  Harry came bustling back into the room, carrying a leather tool bag. He pulled a massage pillow and some ratchet straps out of the kit. “We’re going to need these.” He said.

  “What for?” Agent Docklund asked, picking up a ratchet strap.

  “We’ll need them to hold him down,” Harry said. He slid the pillow under Buckley’s face. “That arrow has to come out. The sooner, the better. How long has it been since he was shot?”

  “Not long.” Agent Homes replied, helping with the ratchet straps to restrain Buckley.

  Swiftly, Harry attached the straps to the table and across Buckley, restraining him firmly. He cranked them down as tight as they would go. Buckley wheezed.

  “Do they need to be that tight? He can barely breathe.” Homes said.

  “Trust me. You’ll still have to help me hold him too.” He said as he withdrew a syringe and needle from his kit. He leaned over, ready to inject Buckley with it. “I’m sorry, Buckley, but this is going to hurt.”

  “What is that?” Agent Homes asked, grabbing Harry by the arm, stopping him.

  Harry met her eyes. “Nitric acid, it will dissolve the silver that’s in his system. He needs it immediately. There’s no time to lose. We still need to get the arrow out, but this will help with the poisoning.”

  Agent Homes released his arm, nodding for him to continue. Harry jammed the needle into Buckley. Buckley, even though he was nearly unconscious, roared with pain.

  “Isn’t that kind of dangerous?” Agent Bowers asked, “Injecting him with acid?”

  “I assume if you brought him here, he’s told you what he is.”

  “Sort of.” Agent Homes said, “he didn’t exactly have a lot of time to elaborate.”

  Harry nodded, then explained as he worked, “True to mythology, silver is deadly to werewolves. However, since Buckley can’t shift, he is somewhat protected from the fatal effects of silver.”

  “Are you sure about that?” Agent Docklund asked. “He doesn’t look so good.”

  “I said, somewhat protected.” Harry glanced up at Agent Docklund, frowning. “Eventually, the poison will kill him. It doesn’t take long. If he was a full werewolf shifter, he would’ve been dead almost instantly.”

  “What are you doing Harry?” A gruff voice sounded in the room. Everyone but Harry looked up at the newcomer.

  “Sasha, Agent Buckley’s been shot.”

  The tall, grey-haired woman raised an eyebrow, said nothing, but waited for Harry to continue.

  Harry said while working on the arrow, “With a silver arrow.”

  “How does that give you leave to tell our secrets to these strangers?”

  “They work with Buckley. They’re Agents from the Zombie Horde Prevention Task Force.”

  “I can help with that.” Agent Bowers said, noticing Harry was having difficulty. “I’ve had lots of experience removing arrows.”

  Harry nodded, moved her hands to where he needed them.

  “He heals almost as fast as I cut. Be ready to pull it out as quickly as possible. The instant you feel it loosen, yank. Don’t worry about causing pain or more damage. Just yank it.”

  Janice nodded and gripped the arrow shaft firmly.

  “Now!”

  With a grunt of effort, Agent Bowers yanked hard on the shaft. The arrow pulled free. Buckley roared in agony again, then passed out.

  The tall woman came over to the table, standing over Buckley. Harry introduced them as he straightened, wiping his hands on a towel. “Sasha, this is Zombie Horde Prevention Task Force Agent Sherry Homes.” He nodded in Homes’ direction. “I’m afraid I don’t know these other two.”

  Harry put gloves on and then took the arrow from Agent Bowers, inspecting it. “Seems to be intact, as far as I can tell. Hopefully, I got it all. I can’t believe it punched through the Kevlar.”

  Sasha growled, “What do you mean, you don’t know these other two? Yet you’re spilling our secrets? You know what the punishment for that is.”

  Agent Homes spoke up, “Buckley’s already told us some of it, obviously, since we’re here. He said he needed to come here to get the cure for his silver poisoning. We brought him as quickly as pos
sible.”

  “Hopefully it’s a cure,” Harry said grimly, tossing the arrow with a clank onto the table. “Sometimes, it doesn’t work.”

  Dave

  Dave found Unster standing at the ship’s bow, watching the waves breaking ahead of them as the Transplant Queen plowed through the dark water of the lake. He climbed the stairs and leaned on the railing beside her.

  “Hey,” she said in greeting.

  There were a lot of awkward silences between them. He felt bad about wanting to shoot her when she’d been a zombie. Guilty. Especially with everything that had happened in his past. When he had to shoot her mother after she’d been bitten and turned into a zombie all those years ago during the last few horrific days of their honeymoon camping trip.

  He didn’t know what to think about her being his daughter. Knew nothing about being a dad. His life had gone a different way after he joined the Zombie Horde Prevention Task Force.

  “Did you phone the Crane Man today?” Dave asked her, referring to her boyfriend, Zombie Horde Prevention Task Force Agent, Steve Roberts.

  Unster shrugged. “Yeah. And stop calling him Crane Man.”

  Dave was at a loss. He didn’t know what to say to her. He tried not to think about some of the experiments that had been done to her by Organ Gronation for all the years they’d had her in their lab. The company had bought his child as a fetus and used her in their unspeakable experiments. He felt so helpless, something he wasn’t accustomed to feeling. They stood there a while longer, watching the waves, wind ruffling their hair and clothes.

  Eventually, Dave said, “You know, I think I have everything here that I need to be happy. Finally.”

  Unster looked at him, “What do you mean?”

  “I told you the story of how, why, I joined the task force.” He said, staring out at the lake, arms resting on the railing.

  “Yeah.”

  “I don’t think I’ve been happy since then. Not really. Now though? Seems like I’ve been given this chance to have a family again.”

  Unster laughed. “That’s an understatement. You have a daughter and at least fifty grandsons on board.”

  “Yeah. Not quite what I was expecting. Not even when your mother and I got married all those years ago. I was thinking maybe two kids and a couple of grandkids from each. Not this. Nothing like this.” He turned, waving his hand at the ship towards where the clones were busy doing exercises, cleaning the deck, tidying ropes or just loitering, relaxing.

  Some clustered at the railing where the mermaid, Waving Fronds, was sitting in a hoist. She at least seemed to be enjoying herself. Dave had made her promise not to sing. Her singing was known for sending men to their deaths. Not because it was so enticing, but because her voice was so awful. Men would rather drown than listen to it. She couldn’t carry a tune in a handbasket. Not even to save her life. He knew from personal painful experience, bleeding from the ears was not an experience to be recommended to anyone.

  The wide, expansive deck was empty of all the shipping containers that had filled it the first time they’d been on board, escaping from Organ Gronation. The Zombie Horde Prevention Task Force had opened the containers, discovering during the investigation that the ship’s so-called legitimate cargo of ‘spare parts’ was actually spare human parts harvested from clones. A lot of clones. It had been a horrifying discovery.

  “It’s a lot to take in.” She said, “I don’t know what to think about suddenly having a father, or being the mother of so many people. I don’t remember my past really, from before I was murdered. After the little I read of the reports, I don’t think I want to know. It’s just all so bizarre.”

  Dave agreed with her. He surveyed the ship. Everyone seemed to be doing what they needed to be doing. Waving Fronds laughed at something one of the clones said, her voice carrying up to them. He felt content. It was the first time in many years he felt that. It was foreign to him, but not unwelcome. He said again, “I think I have everything I need to be happy here.”

  Bryant

  “Where would you like me to land, sir?” Sargent Sparkle asked Bryant.

  Bryant pointed to the clump of trees. “Over there, as close to those trees as you can get. We need to hide the helicopter.”

  Sargent Sparkle followed his directions, landing close to the clump of cedar trees. Both men climbed out. Sargent Sparkle pulled the camouflage netting out of the storage bin. Working together quickly they covered the helicopter with camouflage so it would take longer for it to be found.

  “Where to now, sir?” Sargent Sparkle asked.

  Bryant checked his navigation unit. “We’re close to the town of Smooth in the Flatland district. That’s where we should go next. Should be able to get a car there too.”

  The two men set off on foot toward Smooth. Once they got close to the outskirts, Bryant slowed down, being cautious, trying to look more casual. He didn’t want to be spotted. There’d been a couple of changes of clothes in the go bags in the emergency storage bin under the seats of the helicopter. He’d made Sparkle grab them before abandoning it.

  Bryant gestured to a couple of outbuildings. “There. We’ll change here so we blend in better. Our combat gear is too obvious. I’m sure the Zombie Horde Prevention Task Force is going to be looking for us.”

  Once they changed, they strolled into town, trying to blend in with the populace. Looking like any other summer tourists, they entered a small café where Bryant ordered them lunch. He also picked up the local paper that was sitting on the counter to read while they ate.

  “What’s our next move?” Sparkle asked.

  “Well,” Bryant said, “that’s what I’m figuring out if you just shut up for a minute and give me time to think.” He flipped the newspaper open, ignoring Sparkle.

  Chastened, Sargent Sparkle sat quietly, devouring his lunch as soon as the server brought it over.

  Bryant flipped through the paper quickly. “All right. Here’s what we’re going to do,” he said as he folded the paper, setting it off to the side of the table. “First off, I’m going over to the post office. I need to drop a note to Serena, let her know I’m alright. She worries about me. Then, we need to get a car.”

  “And how are we getting a car?”

  Bryant said, “Steal one. It’s the fastest way.”

  “Okay. What kind of car? Did you have something in mind?” Sargent Sparkle seemed eager.

  “Nondescript. Common. Something older, nothing brand spanking new or flashy.”

  “I think I can handle that.” Sargent Sparkle said.

  “Did you learn how to hot-wire cars on the ship?”

  “No.” Sargent Sparkle said. “But I watched a lot of car chase and heist movies.”

  Bryant rolled his eyes. “What about the subliminal training?”

  “I don’t know, sir. I was asleep for all of that.”

  Bryant dropped his head into his hands, trying to keep from banging it on the table, wondering why of all the clones that he could’ve gotten saddled with, he got Sgt. Sparkle, who had zero practical experience for all he knew. He’d take Trigger over this any day.

  Team

  “Agent McFled, I told you before, you’ve got to put Bubbles down so he can do his job.”

  “But, Agent Jimini, he’s so soft and cuddly. And he loves to snuggle. I don’t think anyone ever snuggles him.”

  “Cuddly? I’ve never seen Bubbles being cuddly before. I’d be careful with those antlers! You’re going to poke your eye out, Agent McFled.”

  Agent McFled set the Jackalope on the ground reluctantly. “Find them, boy.” He said, and the Jackalope immediately started sniffing the ground.

  “How did you teach him to do that, Agent McFled?” Agent Jimini wanted to know.

  “Lots of treats.” He said proudly. “He likes me. Techno-b-boy says if things work out, I can take him home with me, once he’s retired of course.”

  “Really?” Agent Jimini asked. “I didn’t think anybody except Techno-b-boy was even allowed near Bubbles.”

  “He’s just a big sweetie if you feed him treats.”

  “Hey, he’s got something, let’s go.”

  They ran after Bubbles as the Jackalope hopped away.