Business Makes Strange Bedfellows (6 page)

"Shall we?" Vi gestured to the darkness of the gaping hole. The stench rising from the hole was noxious in the extreme.

"There are probably rats down there." Not that she was afraid of rats per se, but she didn't enjoy them, especially not in large numbers.

"I hope so," Vi said, tone cheerful, and swung herself down into the hole.

Iron spikes that had been hammered between the bricks of the wall allowed them to descend into the sewage tunnel. Finally her feet sunk into frigid liquid up to the ankles. She tried not to think about it and searched her pockets until she found her lighter. The lighter's tiny flame wasn't all that useful, but it was better than nothing.

In the flicker of the flame held in her hand, Vi's eyes seemed to glow with a silver sheen like that of an animal's, and she looked away. She was very aware that they were alone together in this dark space and Vi was far from human, but she shoved such thoughts aside. She trusted Vi, cared about her—she would not think of her in such a away.

"Where do you propose we even begin to look for the creature?" she said, and Vi's lips pulled back from her too-sharp teeth in a smile.

She bent slightly murmuring low. "Get behind me," Vi said when she straightened, and Grert scrambled to do so.

There was a rushing noise, far off but coming closer along with a high, chattering sound. Instinctively, she pressed closer to Vi, still clutching her lighter in one hand. She couldn't see what was coming towards them from the dark, but the cold water around her ankles began to slosh as if there was something large pushing its way through the water towards them.

"What is it? What's that sound?" She didn't like how strained her voice sounded. She could deal with anything, she thought, as long as she could see it.

"The rats," Vi said. "I am calling the rats. They will be able to lead us to the creature's last victim."

"Rat?" Gert echoed, trying to understand what Vi had told her. The noise was still far off but by the sound of it there must be hundreds.

"In truth I don't fully understand why they respond to me, to my power, my nature, my stolen blood, but I have always had control over them," Vi said. The rushing noise, along with the high squeaking from hundreds of tiny throats, was closer now. She swallowed hard and pressed her front even closer to Vi's back. She was now almost grateful she could not see the wave of rats bearing down on them.

The squeaking and skittering grew louder, the water slapping up the side of the brick tunnel. Vi's hand slipped into hers, locking their fingers together. "This way."

Stumbling a little in the water, Gert tried to keep up with the pace Vi set. The sewage tunnel twisted and turned; she couldn't keep track of where they were going. Putting out one hand, she sucked in a sharp breath as her palm scraped against rough brick.

They turned another corner and Vi stopped. "It should be here."

"What?" She raised her lighter again as something brushed against her leg, and then the other one, and then again. Looking down, she realized the water around her feet was full of rats. It took all of her will not to cry out or drop the lighter.

The rats began to squeak loudly, and even with just her lighter, Gert could tell by the bloating that the body had been in the water a few days at least. Trying as best she could to ignore the rats, she squatted beside Vi. The body was partly eaten, hunks gouged out of the face and brain, just like the body in her lab. The hands had been eaten too, but she couldn't tell if that had been by the creature or the rats.

"He's been dead a few days at least," she told Vi. "Are they sure this is the most recent kill?"

"No, this is the most recent." Vi cocked her head as if listening. "They say the creature isn't here anymore—in the sewers, I mean."

"Well, why couldn't they have said that in the first place?" She straightened up. "Come on, if there is nothing more to find here, I wanted to get back to my apartment so I can have a bath."

"I'm sorry for wasting your time tonight," Vi said as they climbed back up the spikes towards the street above. "I thought we would find it."

Gert shrugged. "We tried."

"I'll continue to search until I locate it." Vi levered herself back out of the manhole.

"Yes, do that." She watched Vi roll the cover back over the hole. She reached out and caught her sleeve when Vi turned back towards the main street. "And another thing." She let her hand rest flat against Vi's chest. Both of their trousers were saturated in God only knew what foulness and they stank to high heaven, but Vi's body was muscular and hard under her hand, and not warm in the slightest. "When next we meet not stinking of sewage, I expect you to make good on our deal."

Both of Vi's eyebrows rose. "But we have yet to kill the creature."

"Yes." She rose up kiss the corner of Vi's mouth ever so lightly. "But I want you anyway."

Vi's eyes widened and then she smiled, slow and full of heat, before turning towards the main street to hail them a cab.

*~*~*

Gert leaned against the wall of one of the houses near docks. Every so often, she would slip her left hand into her coat and finger her revolver. In her right, she held the smoldering butt of a cigar she'd let herself indulge in to help quiet her nerves. Tucked in the pocket of her overcoat was the note from Vi she'd received the day before, arranging the meeting. The sound of horse hooves and wheels on cobbles made her look up. A carriage came to a stop a few paces away from where she stood. The door opened, and Vi leaned out.

Vi's gaze swept down and then she beckoned. "Come over here and get in."

Gert flicked the rest of her cigar aside and strode to the carriage. After a moment's hesitation, she climbed in. Vi grabbed her then, fingers curling around the back of Gert's neck, her other arm wrapping around Gert's back to pull her close. Vi's lips touched Gert's before she could think. A light, cool brush, and Vi was pulling away.

"What was that?" Gert touched her bottom lip with the tip of her tongue before looking at Vi in a way she hoped was both seductive and teasing.

"A taste." Vi's gaze had gone heavy-lidded again.

As Vi turned to open the door, Gert lunged forward, wrapping both fists in the fabric of Vi's jacket, jerking her around by it. She kissed her, not a brief press but a wet, hard slide. She pressed the tip of her tongue against Vi's lips until they opened to her and then thrust her tongue into Vi's mouth.

Vi growled, pulling her closer to straddle Vi's lap. One of Vi's hands settled on the curve of Gert's backside, and the other pressed hard against her neck, holding her in place while Vi kissed back. It sparked something strong and hot in her lower belly. She pressed herself hard against Vi's body as their tongues warred together, lips pushing and catching. There was the sharp prick of Vi's fangs, and she made a small noise into Vi's mouth.

There was a little bit of blood on her lips when she drew back enough to breathe. She watched the tip of Vi's tongue dart out to lick the blood off of Vi's own lips, watched the way Vi's eyes slid shut and her whole body shuddered. Vi was bareheaded, and Gert reached to tangle her fingers in the short, blonde hair, soft under her hand. She tugged until Vi's head bent back, stretching Vi's neck into a graceful line.

"If you want a taste from me, I suggest you do it properly next time," Gert said.

"Duly noted." Vi's lips quirked up into a smile, even as her eyes held an undeniable hunger.

"If you plan on bedding me, I hope there will be some passion to it." Gert licked across her own lips again, feeling the swollen heat of them and slight sting where Vi's fangs had cut at her lower lip. Against her better judgment, she had agreed to take Vi to bed, so she would be damned if she would settle for less than what Vi could give her where passion and pleasure were concerned. Looking down, she let herself openly admire the strong lines of Vi's face, her high cheekbones, long nose, and thin but expressive mouth.

Vi's eyes narrowed. "Trust me." Vi's fingers curled around the swell of hip. "Once we have killed this creature and I take you to my bed, passion will not a problem."

"Good." She let go of Vi's hair, fingers sliding down her throat. Vi leaned forward, burying her face in the curve of Gert's own throat. She inhaled deeply again and then licked over the fragile skin where a pulse fluttered.

"Your blood smells amazing, my dear." Vi's voice was rough, and Gert shivered against the touch of Vi's lips and tongue. "It was the first thing I noticed about you when you walked into my apartment. You smell like fire and power and life. Like hot metal and strong wine." Vi's words ended in a lower growl, and as their lips met in another long kiss.

The heat that had pooled low in her belly slid down to settle firmly in between her thighs, making the desire to spread her legs farther around Vi's waist and rock against her almost undeniable.

"We need to go find and kill that creature." She pulled back before she gave into temptation and actually rutted against Vi right there in the carriage.

"Yes." Vi looked as if she wasn't truly convinced of the necessity of that over continuing with their play. She leaned forward to kiss along Gert's throat again.

"Don't." She couldn't stop her hips from rocking forward into Vi's as her tongue darted out to taste fragile skin. "We need to stop."

Vi drew back with a sigh. "All right, then, shall we go out and find this monster of yours?"

Taking a moment to compose herself, she finally nodding.

"Did you bring your revolver?" One of Vi's hands slid into Gert's overcoat, and she shivered as Vi's fingertips grazed the underside of her breasts.

"Stop that." She glared, smacking Vi's hand away, and climbed off her lap, while Vi smirked unrepentantly.

Pulling open the carriage door she climbed out into the street. Vi followed and then reached back into the carriage, pulling out a long, slim object that had been lying along the carriage floor. She blinked when Vi righted it, and she realized it was a whaling harpoon with a long coil of chain attached. Fingers sliding into her coat, she checked the revolver again while Vi paid the cabby.

"Shall we?" Vi held out her hand

"Do you have what we'll need to lure it?" Gert asked as they headed down towards the dock. It was late, so the streets by the water were all but deserted, the ships were moored, and thick fog was rolling in across the water of the bay.

Vi stopped within sight of the water, switching the harpoon to her other hand, and dug into the pocket of her waistcoat. She pulled out the bone whistle.

"And will that... lure the creature?"

"I have no idea." Vi tucked it away in her waistcoat. "We will find out."

Moving through the fog towards the docks, Vi walked out onto an empty pier. Vi set down the harpoon and knelt, pulling out the whistle. A piercing high keen came out of the small instrument when Vi blew, and Gert felt her stomach knot and the hair stand up all along her arms. She remembered that sound, the sound the creature had made as it devoured the dead body on the examination table, and then again when it had rushed her. She gripped her revolver tightly.

For a moment there was silence, save for the slap of water against the side of the pier. Vi brought the whistle back up to her lips again when an answering cry came. Tentacles, black and wet, began to rise from the water just a few feet away from the pier. The cry came again, a high-pitched keening wail as the tentacles continued to emerge.

It was larger than the last time she'd seen it the tentacles now thicker than her upper arm, and longer than Vi was tall. The bulbous body broke the surface of the water, and while it had been small enough to fit into a man's abdomen back in the laboratory, it was now the size of a horse. Vi began wrapping the free end of the chain around an iron ring set into the pier.

The creature cried out again—a scream so loud and high it reverberated in her chest and made her ears ring.

Vi straightened, grabbing the harpoon again. "Get off the pier and stand on the street." She hefted the harpoon to shoulder height.

"What about you?" Gert took several steps back but kept her eyes on Vi.

"I'll harpoon it and run." Vi didn't look back at her.

The creature screamed again, the noise echoing against the fog, water, and warehouses. It reached out to grip the pier with its tentacles. Wood splinted under its grip the entire thing, shaking, and Vi almost fell backing up out of its way. The arm holding the harpoon fell as she tried to steady herself.

One thick tentacle shot out, wrapping around her waist and hoisting Vi into the air. Gert drew her revolver from her coat and pointed it at the thing as Vi struggled to disentangle herself. The harpoon clattered to the pier. The tentacles around Vi tightened and then loosened as the creature shrieked in pain. A gushing fountain of black blood rained down onto the pier from one of the tentacle that had been slashed open.

Vi dropped from the monster's grasp onto the pier. She was holding a knife in one hand now stained with blood. Vi rolled as the creature lashed out more of the pier splinting under its heavy appendages. Vi crawled across the pier towards the harpoon on hands and knees, trying to stay clear of the creature's thrashing.

Fingers closing around the handle, Vi threw the harpoon. Gert neither saw nor heard the weapon strike, but she did know it had hit home when the creature roared, a loud, thundering sound. It jerked back into the water and then slammed into the pier. There was a huge crack and crunch as it collapsed under the creature's weight. A geyser of steaming black liquid gushed up into the air across the ruined pier and onto the cobbles.

"Vi!" Gert called, but she couldn't see Vi beyond the wreckage of the pier, the fog, writhing tentacles, and fall of black fluid. "Bollocks!" She cocked her revolver and aimed at the creature again.

The creature reared back again, making the chain attached to the end of the harpoon screech and drag across stone and wood. Through the fog, one could just make out a gaping mouth with many rows of sharp teeth and its multiple glowing red eyes. She pulled the trigger, aiming for the eyes, and the creature jerked back as more blood sprayed through the air, this time hitting her squarely. The same putrid smell she remembered from the laboratory filled the air, and she could feel the heat of the creature's liquid even through the layers of her clothing. She fired again at it, and the creature's body slammed into the wreckage of the pier. A long, thin hand with talons clawed at the edge of the sidewalk, throwing splinters of wood across the cobblestones. Three long tentacles shot out to strike at Gert.